Dentist

Today was a big day for the boys; it was their first dental exam/cleaning. I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially with Christian. Christian gets very antsy with anything out side of the normal routine. I wasn’t worried with Luis at all, Mr. Social Butterfly will roll with the punches and meet and greet anyone he comes across.

The waiting room had a pretty descent play area so the boys kept themselves busy as I filled out paperwork. We were finally called back and the adventure began. First up, Christian; I thought, ‘Should I let it be, or suggest Luis be first..’ I decided to let it ride and see how Christian acted. He looked at me, kind of like a deer in headlights, I gave him a reassuring smile and thumbs up and he seemed to relax a little. The hygienist brought in ‘Bad Dental Hygiene Bob’ the alligator to show Christian what happens when little boys don’t brush their teeth. Bob was kind of intimidating; he was a stuffed alligator with a human mouth full of teeth, some broken, some not. A little weird, but to the point. Christian didn’t want any part of Bob while he was sitting in the chair, he was WAY too focused on what was going on. Luis loved Bob and everything about him. That was about exactly how the exam went for both. Christian was only sitting there because he had to, and Luis couldn’t wait to get up in that chair. He had his mouth open before the hygienist finished clipping on the bib.

The dentist was really great and took the time to explain everything she was going to do, let each of the boys touch all the tools, taste several toothpastes, play with the spotlight and ‘ride’ in the chair. They had a blast, got great check ups, and to top it off got to pick a toy from the ‘Treasure Chest’. Wow, what a day!

Cupcakes

Cupcakes! Cupcakes! Cupcakes!

Sunday Paper

This morning, the kids read the Sunday paper with me. They were looking for things they 'needed' in the sale ads!

Luis found a bike, Christian found a skateboard, and Zoe found a fancy Easter basket.

Mission Accomplished!

This morning the kids were up extra early. How lucky are we on a Saturday? Since we were up, we decided to feed the kids, get them dressed, and head to the grocery store before it got too packed – but not before stopping for coffee first. I don’t usually take all three kids shopping. I try to run errands on days they are in school or at night when Shelli is home and they are in bed. It’s just easier!

We spent almost 2 hours in the grocery store, yep, 2 hours. It was empty considering the sun was barley up when we got there. We always make sure we have ‘a plan’ before entering any store. I have my list, coupons, and of course snacks for the kids. I also try to lecture them about how they should act in stores before entering but that never seems to work. I'm glad they are good kids... most of the time! I try to stay focused and get what is on the list and avoid the candy section at all cost. The kids usually pick up something along the way to ‘hold’ and that seems to keep them entertained.

As soon as we got home, Zoe says, “What a morning, I need a nap!” All three kids were ready to lay down with a book and snooze ----- So was I!

Amen for double buggies! Notice how empty the store is at 7am?!

Crystal Light

I was cleaning out the pantry, as I do every time we have a BIG shopping trip planned. I always come across things I totally forgot we had. Having three kids in the house, and it usually being totally chaotic most of the time, I tend to throw stuff in the pantry instead of putting things away where they belong. Anyway, as I was sifting through the shelves I discovered we had over 7 different Crystal Light containers, some full, and some half full, some never even opened. Is this normal? Who needs SEVEN different kids of Crystal Light?

I buy Crystal Light because it is sugar-free and quite frankly the kids don’t know the difference. When I was growing up, my mom always had Crystal Light in the fridge. So, I guess that is where I get my obsession from –ha! Plus the kids love it!

Growing up, my mom would never buy juice that was full of sugar, soda (that wasn’t diet or sugar free), sweet cereal, white bread, or anything else loaded with sugar. Even now when I visit, I’d be hard pressed to find regular soda in the fridge. If I ask her, “WHY?”, she says in her motherly voice, “Lori, that is just empty calories that you don’t need!”. She’s always been health conscious and I’m grateful for that. Don’t get me wrong, she would bake cookies, cakes, and I had my fair share of junk but for the most part, we ate pretty healthy. When I craved the hot dogs and fries, my dad never let me down. We would always enjoy greasy fries and a stadium hot dog whenever we would go to hockey games or other sporting events. I guess if you’re going to eat dogs and fries, what better place is there than at a ball game????

Lunch with Mimi

This afternoon, Shelli, Zoe, & I went out to lunch. I can’t remember the last time we went out for lunch on a weekday! It’s usually just me and the kids or me and Zoe. Shelli is always working so it was nice to have her join us. We decided to go to Macaroni Grill. Zoe thinks coloring all over the paper ‘table cloth’ is the coolest thing ever and she loves to devour the fresh warm bread smothered in olive oil as fast as she can. In our book, it’s a win-win for everyone!

Since the boys have been here, we try to keep eating out to a minimum. It just makes more sense for us to eat at home however, once a week – usually Friday, I don’t cook so we’ll order pizza, pick up Chinese food, or have something delivered. The kids look forward to it and so do I.

Shoes

Zoe’s latest obsession is wearing mommy’s shoes. Every time I turn around, Zoe has my shoes on!

I had jury duty Tuesday and as soon as I walked through the door, I kicked off my shoes immediately. It brought back memories of having to wear them daily to work. Needless to say, Zoe couldn’t wait to get them on her little feet. Watching her walk in my high- heels is probably the funniest thing I’ve ever seen, not to mention the loudest!

Surprisingly the boys are the same about shoes. They don’t wear mine but they LOVE putting on their shoes, and especially getting new shoes. It’s very exciting for them.

I myself being born and raised in Miami, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my flip-flops. I probably have 10 pair in every color Old Navy makes. Winter is hard for me having to wear socks and closed toe shoes. I can't wait until it warms up a little more so, I can pull out my summer shoes!

Rock Stars

I think they are almost ready for American Idol....

Weekend Update

Friday, we spent most of the day with Shawn. The kids played all morning and then we went to Friendly’s for lunch. What is lunch at Friendly’s without sundaes for desert? John and I couldn’t pass one up either, so we joined the kids on the sundae express.

Saturday, when we woke up the weather was perfect so we decided last minute to go camping. We figured we would just ‘set up camp’ and let the kids play, roast marshmallows, take a nap, and enjoy the beautiful weather. Plus, Shelli and I were dying to get in our ‘new’ camper and try it out.

As soon as we got there, I put out a tray of fresh fruits and veggies and we snacked on that most of the day. The kids had a blast and when I say they had a blast, they were in hog heaven! I brought bug kits for the kids and they spent hours looking for bugs. None of them found any bugs but, they had their containers filled with leaves, rocks, and moss. As long as they are happy, that is all that matters! They rolled around in the leaves, searched for sticks/logs for the fireplace, kicked the soccer ball, threw the football, and blew bubbles. After lunch, everyone was looking like they needed to take a nap so, Zoe & I crawled in the camper while the boys wanted the full effect of camping and opted for the tent. Shelli stayed up and enjoyed a little quite time with nature.

Once everyone woke up from their naps, Shelli took the kids on a little hike to get some fire wood. When they got back, we got dinner ready and of course did marshmallows. Camping isn’t camping without the marshmallows. By this time we had a full day of excitement and decided we would stay the night. There isn’t much to do when the sun goes down so I put the kids pj’s on and an extra sweater so they wouldn’t be too cold. Everyone got in their sleeping bags, sang a few songs and chatted a little before falling asleep. It was a little chilly but we were all snug as a bug in our sleeping bags.

In the morning, we packed up and headed home. We had so much fun and are looking forward to many more camping trips this summer. Driving through all the country roads makes me love where we live so much . I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

Fruit

We always have tons of fruit and veggies in the house. The kids will pretty much eat anything I cut up and put in cute little bowls. I think it makes it taste better --ha! Christian is a little picky but I always get him to at least take a bite of everything so he gives it a fair chance. He's doing so much better. When he got here, he wouldn't eat ANY fruits or veggies. We've got a few fruits under our belt but we are still working on the veggies. Zoe has always been a child who LOVES her fruits and veggies. Luis also loves most everything.

Wednesday

I very much look forward to Wednesday mornings with Zoe. It’s our day to get caught up on what’s been going on and upcoming events. It’s kind of like a Mommy/Zoe ‘gab session’. A typical Wednesday morning for Zoe and I consist of dropping the boys off at school, going to Starbucks, where Zoe orders warm oatmeal and organic milk. We get a table in the back corner so we don’t bother anybody and we just sit and chat while enjoying breakfast.

Having that one on one time with my daughter means the world to me. She’s getting so big and I enjoy her company so much. It amazes me just how much she’s like me. I get such a chuckle when she says or does certain things that mimic my behavior. I can’t help but to think, that’s my girl!

Mommy & Zoe days are my favorite days of the week!

Nana's House

We decided as soon as Zoe got out of school Thursday, we would head to NC for a long weekend to see Nana. Wednesday night, before we left, I got all the laundry done, packed, made egg salad sandwiches and snacks for the road, and prayed that all three kids would be on their best behavior in the car for several hours.

We drove about half way before stopping at a rest stop for bathroom breaks and lunch. You’ve never seen anything until you've seen me trying to corral three kids to the bathroom, at a rest stop while Shelli walked the dogs. The people in the bathroom probably thought I was crazy hearing, “Follow me!”, “Please DON’T touch ANYTHING!”, “Wait for me!”, “Let’s wash our hands”, “Your turn”, etc. After the whole bathroom debacle, we found a picnic table and enjoyed a quick bite to eat before making the last leg of the trip. The kids were so excited to be on a ‘road trip’. Zoe was telling them all about Nana and her new puppy, Munchie the whole way there. I’m so glad the kids are too young to ask, “Are we there yet?” every hour. I know I used to do it to my parents and I know my days are numbered before I’ll be hearing those dreaded four words.

We finally pulled into Nana’s house about 7pm. We were so grateful she had dinner ready for us when we walked in the door. We gave hugs and went straight for the dining room table to eat. After dinner, everyone was ready to put on their pj’s . Zoe’s ‘room of choice’ whenever we visit is Nana’s room! Nana has a HUGE house so; there is always plenty of room for everyone but Zoe loves crawling into bed with ‘HER’ Nana. The boys had their own room with two twin beds which they loved!

The weather was awful the whole time we were there. It rained all day, everyday. The kids were getting stir crazy so Saturday, we took the boys with us and Zoe stayed with Nana for some one on one time. Zoe couldn’t get us out the door fast enough to soak in some love time with Nana. Shelli and I took the boys to our favorite farmer’s market and on a few errands where they picked out a few new cars.

Sunday, the weather was still overcast but we were able to take the kids to the park. My niece and her boyfriend are living with my mother-in-law while they attend college so we had the added benefit of seeing them while we visited. They were good sports and helped with the boys, and both of the boys adored them.

Overall, the kids had a great time. We rented movies, had pizza, went to the park, got lots of good stuff at the farmer’s market, and enjoyed some time with family and friends. My mother-in-law is a saint. Having Shelli and I, our (2) dogs, and three kids tearing through the house. It doesn’t even faze her, the more the merrier. Nana loves all kids and loves sneaking them cookies and kisses. She is always so patient and always has lots of love to give. The boys felt at home right away! Zoe even did well 'sharing' her Nana and Cousin(s).

The drive home was LONG but we made it safe and sound. We had a fantastic time!