My Oh My Time Just Keeps Slippin Away

Her fav blanket from her fav buddy Olivia for Christmas

Santa at our House....do you think she liked it.

 This one is for Mrs Claus....Mikayla did cook some Broccoli for Santa and picture proof he did eat it....lol

 Getting into her Christmas stocking not sure what she saw but she was thrilled.....I think it was her lip gloss

 Of course Christmas would not be complete if the boys did not join in...here's Louie liking his new tiger....that has been given to Jake by Louie

 Jake's keeping tabs on the old toys while guarding his new coon......which has been given to Louie by Jake...I guess it was a good trade at least they were happy with it. On the right is no finger but a Louie Butt in the way..lol

 The Ice Sculpture competition....The number one pic of the day hmmmm I wonder why!!!

Same day same carver .....Cupid came just in time.

 Different carver same day....another nice piece of work

 Mikayla and Daddy's very first Snowman.....he looks so sad

 Of course it's Mikayla having fun slinging shovels full of snow

 Not her first cars but her first cars with track...a very old Discovery Toy set from Grandma....do you think she likes the ole toy??

Just this morning a very happy little girl got what seems the best gift of her life from her favorite buddy of all time....Daddy!

I am still trying to get a movie on youtube and its not working so I am posting just this for you now so you at least have something to keep you up to date on everything.  Enjoy!!

Christmas came and went, New Years came and went along with Chinese New Year and the Ice Sculpture Competitions and now Valentines Day.  I am here finally, at least I will be caught up for a moment in time before it all slips away again.  Things have been a bit crazy here, while we still deal with Attorneys, we had two minor water leaks one in the main bathroom somewhere under the tub that I re-caulked everywhere and could not fix then one under the master bedroom bathroom sink.  Both were drainage leaks which I guess was a good thing as far as water consumption but yet nothing was minor at all about either one.  The plumber came and with a house over 60 years old we were told the stack in basement would need to be replaced (we knew it would need to be eventually but hoped later than sooner) and the master bedroom bathroom sink was illegally done (not by us) so they had to redo those pipes, in the master bath it was the overflow area leaking.  Needless to say for 2 weeks or so the entire master bath got refinished tiled floor and walls, new tub, sink the works, the stack in basement, pipes in other bathroom along with toilet all redone.  This was not in the budget right now to do but had to be done non-the-less.  This caused havoc on cleaning which when they finished about killed me to catch up.  It also put a major cramp in funds for other ventures that WERE in the budget AND THEN the mailman had to bring that letter that we had to sign for...grrrr.  Just more headaches while my blood pressure is in the scary zone (I think due to the Thyroid or Pre menopause issues or just cause I am crazy who knows).  Now blood pressure still high and things done, I hope to have some kind of cleanliness in here and some sanity I think we are good for now unless that darn postman comes a knockin again.  Maybe I should just let the boys answer :-)    Mikayla has been sick, coughing and sounding like a frog other than that she is still running around unphased by everything.  She was a bit worried and scared about her bathroom destroyed and having no floor or walls she even made me keep the door shut.  She does love her new bathroom and could not wait to take a bath in the new tub and is always playing in the new sink wetting the new tile floor.  In the mess of things Mikayla has continued to go to School and continues to love it although she sometimes follows the bad habits of friends there and winds up not earning her star for the day.  She currently is into cars and playing with her matchbox cars or her kinderkid parking garage (watch out cuz Ashley competition may be on the rise). She also loves riding her tricycle around the house (Grandma I believe will be upgrading that for her birthday coming soon).  She is doing lots of puzzles and loves to paint (nothing great created yet other than pics for a mommy to love).  If she isn't playing she is working cooking meals for mom and dad in her kitchen (fully loaded) or doing Daddy's nails (he still refuses to let her paint them only file them) or doing massages.  She is such a busy working girl...oh and I can not forget she loves to sweep and yell at the boys for tracking in dirt and mud.  She even likes to take time out to exercise and walk the treadmill doing usually a 1/4 mile at around 2mph even up and down hills not bad for such a peanut.   The boys are doing about an 1/8 of a mile at about 1 - 1.5 mph as they are very much still in training mode.  So as you see we are still busy busy busy....and yet we are still surviving even if sometimes we are barely keeping our heads above water.  God has at least done that for us.  I just wish he would stop giving us things to make us come out stronger, cause that just means he can sling more and more stuff at us then before.  :-)  Hanging in there for now.  Love you guys!

Just A Quick Note

Just wanted you to stay tuned as I am going to try to get a you tube video posted soon.  It probably will not appear here as it will be too long but will be on you tube and I will tell you how to find it here.   If anyone knows how to put a video here from you tube that is longer than allowable here please let me know asap so I can get that video straight through to here.  Thanks I will have more really soon.  Merry Christmas to All and Happy New Year too if I dont get back here soon enough to tell you.  Stay save!  AJ

The Countdown Has Begun...Los Pasados

Visiting Santa ....not a bit scared of him any more

My tormented boys 49 and 71 lbs at 3 and 2 years old yes that is correct the younger one is the 71 pounder...Jake is my big boy and such a mommas boy.
 Mikayla's stocking holder picked out herself
 Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...yum!  He gave Mikayla her first card of the night

Ahh!  The now famous Sugar Plum Fairy...who became famous for being fired by the Mayor and having some of the local shops hire her back as the Candy Fairy giving out Candy Canes instead of the Collectible Cards. 

Outside our Carriage Ride before waiting for the Parade 

Daddy and Mikayla waiting for the Parade eating cookies from our favorite wonderful Italian Pastries place. 

The parade begins...The Fife and Drum Corp

Ah my buddy, Jack Frost and The Snow Queen

The highlight of the parade....Joseph and Mary riding the Donkey looking for a place to stay, stopping to knock on doors only to find there is no room at the Inn and must go to the stables. 

The Angel announcing the Birth of Baby Jesus

Jesus is born!  Happy Birthday Jesus!

The wisemen came sheep and all

In a stable rejoicing of "The New Born King"

Today was Los Pasados.....we started the day visiting our friends at the hair salon, where they have a wonderful picture of Mikayla's first Santa visit bawling her eyes out terrified of him that is shown to all who visit.  This year they will have a new picture of Mikayla visiting Santa but I think they should have taken a picture of themselves as they all oooo'd and aaaaaa'd in shock as soon as Mikayla walked in and ran straight to the back and jumped right up onto Santa's lap.   After our Santa visit and having a chat we ventured to the store so Mikayla could pick out her own stocking holder, last year hers got broken.  Last year she had a penquin as she was crazy about them from Happy Feet.  This year she opted for a Snowman so we each have Snowmen this year except the boys who have there doggy ones.  No christmas is complete with out decorating the boys and making them sit still for photos.  Next we rushed home to get some nap time in so we can be ready for the late night.  Once awake we headed out and started our fun collecting our cards of the characters...her first one came from the Chestnut guy, followed by Jack Frost and so on.  She collected 13 of 33 this year since we started out later and we also took us a Carriage Ride bringing us close to parade time.  Of course this is also when it started to really rain hard.  We were crazy enough to stay and the parade came through....Mikayla got to see Joseph and Mary come by with the Donkey and she was thrilled as usual.  We follow Joseph and Mary to the Riverfront where the story was told and songs were sung...the angel announced the birth of Jesus and the Wisemen came sheep and all.  When they were done all gathered around the hugh yule log and sang Carols this is when we departed hungry and quite wet.   We had a great time as it is one of our traditions to do this and also share it with Mikayla year after year.  The temp was in the 60's but the wind and rain made if feel a bit colder.  Coming next will be my birthday and probably no more than a dinner as usual and then Christmas close behind, followed up with the New Year and the Ice Sculpture Competitions.  Then of course we will then have Chinese New Year racing right in.   So keep checking back as this is the busy time of the year.  Blessings to All!!!   Any one daring enough to guess on how old I will become this year? (I won't have as many of one color of Greg's candles but will have more of the other color)

Happy Birthday Greg!

The room was dark and the tree lights on yet the flash made it look the opposite....but at least it is up and done and yes it is a real Christmas Tree

It maybe small but so is she and she was soooo proud and excited to have a tree to herself to decorate.  This might be the only year too as it sits maybe a foot or two next to our Blue Spruce and will grow into the side of it if we continue to let it be.

Even though Greg was not feeling well with his sore elbow, and being it was his Birthday today, he still was kind enough to help make way for our new refridgerator to be delivered tomorrow.  After over 30 years with the one we have it definitely did its job and was due for an upgrade.  If only the new one will last that long.   Not only did he do that he also helped me get all the Christmas decorations out and brought upstairs.   He did help put up some of the decorations and tried to make some of the lighted decorations work some with success and some without.  After Mikayla came home and was being over whelmed with not more to say but "Cool", "WOW!", "Awesome" and the other such words and after decorating her own personal Christmas Tree, yes that right....see the pic....we all treated Daddy to a Birthday Dinner of his choice with a FREE desert that was big enough for 4 people to eat.  Then home it was to open his gifts and us to sing Happy Birthday to Daddy with Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cake, candles included (no not one for each year but 1 for each small group of years in one color and one of another color for the difference).  So Greg is officially old, Over The Hill, down the other side, almost a Dinosaur and on his way to a Fossil. (Trivia for you...Do you know how old Greg is Today)    HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY :-)   Love Ya

Ok whos afraid to become a follower on my Blog.....hmmmmm

Be brave and follow and then you can post comments ....I think I might start being more fun like my bud Cecilia and start posting trivia or something like that about my blog and see who is paying attention...I'm just crazy enough to do it....:-) :-)

Come on Follow Follow Follow the Blog below ......

Its that time again!

Hanging at the house while Mikayla and Daddy use the fan to blow pinwheels ....I think Jake was blowing in Louie's ear....crazy boys!

Here's smiley snuggle bug Louie

Smiley Mommas Shadow Jake

Goin for a Choo Choo Train ride at the Zoo

Being an Otter at the Zoo

Lovin the Beautiful Day!

Daddy and his girl on the Carousel being goofy

Sun  Bear looking for his fav food

It's Happy Feet!

Look no more Plastic can holder necklace!

First Day First School Picture

You cant really tell but she was in a caboose in the top of the higher part at the Museum

One of the many trains at the Museum to check out

Doin some tap dancing in her new dance class right next to the teacher of course

We have been busy....We have been to the Zoo, The Transportation Museum, The Mall and of course swimming and dance class.   We went to the activities with Daddy this time and of course Mikayla was in heaven to share these days with her daddy and have him for the whole day as I am sure daddy enjoyed also.  At the zoo she did her usual of visiting the goats so she can pet and brush them she loves the hands on and loves animals as much as I do, mommy likes that.   It was Ottertober Fest while we were there so there were activities throughout the zoo for her to do and learn about the Otters.  At one area as the photo shows she had to dress and act like an otter, that did not last long as she was not keen on the dressing up part.   There was an area to make a otter puppet, a place to try to walk in their tracks, a place to make otter tracks with rubber stampers made from otter feet, and a game to see who can eat enough to survive the winter.   She had a blast with all the activities along with the normal zoo animals.  She loved watching the Otters play on land then in the water, she watched a Sun Bear try to find the food it liked most, the penguins waddling and swimming.  She enjoyed a ride on the carousel and the train and just plain enjoyed the beautiful day and creatures God created as we all did.   At the Museum I am sorry to say I did not take the camera because sometimes Mommy just wants to enjoy the moment and Daddy is just not a picture taking kind of guy, so I only took a few with my phone.   At the mall we shopped since it turned out Mikayla seems to be growing.....imagine that.  With going to school now from 8-4 she did not have enough pants that fit and long sleeve shirts to go to school every day.  Now though she is fully stocked with school clothes, yeah for mommy.  Although her very first day of school was picture day and Mommy did not have her dress for success she did pretty well.  For those wondering even with Mikayla going to school 8-4 M-F I still have not found my ME time.  No worries I don't mind so much since at least I feel I am getting some things done and I did say some.  I even got Daddy's car all washed and cleaned inside and out while he was gone on one of his trips....I even bought some new car mats for him.  Daddy came home and thought Mommy bought him a new car....like that would ever happen.   Mikayla is doing great in school, her 3rd day she did the usual and bawled when I left but shortly after gone she recovered.  Day 4 was less bawling and that was the end.  She never once said she did not want to go to school she just did not want me to leave.  Some days she is like Velcro and I have to rip her off me but as long as I tell her to help her teacher cause her teacher needs help she is good with that and moves on.   I am hoping though that she is not a cluts and is just getting used to things at school.  She has cut her arm, smashed a finger, slammed her chin and cut her hand already at school at only 3 weeks, of course none of it was anything a bag of ice and some band aids couldn't fix, thank God.  I just hope it is just the newness and not going to be a regular clumsy thing.  Mommy can deal with blood and gore but if needles, stitches and broken bones are involved I think I might have to call in the reinforcements (Dad).   Swimming is going awesome, in fact she has been doing better when she misses a nap then when she takes one, but on days without swimming no nap is NO GOOD.  Dancing has been switched from Saturday mornings to Thursday evenings which seems to work better for all and I even made another mommy friend although Mikayla and her daughter have not had a play date as of yet.  She is still claiming Olivia as her fav bud but talks of a boy she hates that likes her at school and she had a friend named Kaira who is not her friend now but Lilly is....when I asked why she told me cause Lilly is now her friend so I had to let her know she can have many friends in many places at a time.  It just drives me crazy people who think you can only have ONE friend.  I actually have friends like that or is it had friends like that, any who.  When I go to her school funny thing is I hear all the boys saying HI to her, she even got a hug good bye from a boy one day.  The only girls I see saying HI is her teacher.  On the other hand when I pick her up it seems only the girls say good bye and they are also the ones to tell her, her mommy and daddy are there to get her as she is always so hard at play to even notice us. That's a good thing of course.   Back to Dancing, she is doing well but does get to wondering and has to be reeled back in every now and again.  Not sure if she is liking the class for sure or not or if she is bored.  She never says she doesn't want to go so I guess that is also a good sign.  I guess when its over I will ask her and see what she thinks before doing another semester.  She IS the one who chose to keep swim and ditch gymnastics last time so we will see how it goes.  She is learning so much so quickly and as I mentioned to a few of you who know me so well.....she even seems to know directions better than I do.   No GPS for her not that it help Mommy any ...lol.   One day I wanted to detour before going home and Mikayla hollered from the back sit that I forgot to turn (to go home) I told her thanks but we are going somewhere else first.   Yesterday on the way home from Swim School she told me the name of the street we live on.  She knew for a long time now the land marks for turning and such to many places we go but now she is learning names of streets which is awesome.  So mommy is trying to remember to show her where all the signs are that show the street names so she will also recognize the names on the signs and always know where she is and how to get home.  She just amazes me constantly with how fast she is learning and growing.  That's my baby girl.   The boys, yes, are growing also and missing Mikayla's torments throughout the day but they are also loving the time without her just as much as they are getting to go for more, longer walks in new areas and going for more car rides (mommy likes a companion in the car).  The boys are doing very well also learning better manners and such but they still have not learned where THEIR beds are.  Oh well that is all for now.  Enjoy until next time.

Otters Playin

Daddy and his girl throwing a penny to make a wish....bet you cant guess what it was...Maybe I should get a few pennies and make me a wish too

School

Outside on the frogs everyone just has to sit on

Inside the kids area of the zoo.  They actually got in trouble for making too much noise banging with the tools they provide for fixing...hmmm

 I love this pic he was eating from the tree that was so close

Off to school to have fun.  By the way Daddy hates this jacket and mommy don't care, its just a jacket.  It was a hand me down from a friend.

Today is the day it is Mikayla's very first day of Preschool.  She was excited and so was mommy.  She was slow eating breakfast but mommy showed her how fast she can dress Mikayla.  Mikayla then was so excited she got to take her lunchbox (that matches her dance class roller back pack) to school.  It was mommy's tactic to make it more exciting to go and it worked.  As soon as she got to school she whipped off her coat and was ready to go even before getting to her classroom.  Once she got to her classroom she was shown her cubby area and was quick to put her coat in and hang her bag and quickly found a spot to start playing.  Mommy talked briefly to the teacher and off I was back home to feed the boys, do laundry for Daddy who is getting ready to head to Virginia then off to take the boys for a stroll.  Followed by a trip to the Chiro.....hmmm I don't get it my day is still the same even with Mikayla at school.   What happened to all those people telling me my life will change and I will have more time for ME when she goes to school???  I didn't find it today.  Maybe I will find it sometime Monday through Friday from 8-1 in the next year or two.  Other pics posted are from a trip to the Zoo with her bud Olivia.  Post more soon.  Love you guys,   AJ

PS Chrissy if you get a sec sometime soon I would love to chat with you via phone about a few things I think you can help me with.   Give me a call either cell or home where ever you can find me.  Thanks