I Can't Believe I Pulled It Off!!

You know how there are some people to love to plan parties right down to the very last tiny detail??? Well, that's not me. I'm no party planner. BUT, I did know that after Robert threw me a surprise 21st birthday party (and totally got me), that one day, I wanted to get him back. But I couldn't do it right after he did mine...too obvious. Then, it seemed like every year after that, there was some good reason why I couldn't throw one for him. Whether it was because I had a newborn, or was very pregnant, or where we lived, etc...I always found a reason not to do it.

But this year, I decided months ago that I wanted to surprise him in some way. I went back and forth between how and where to do it. I finally decided that at our own house was way too complicated for me. And there was no way, being married to an accountant, that I could "sneak" and buy supplies/food for the party. I would totally get a phone call 5 minutes after the transaction asking me what it was for!!!

So, I figured making plans at a restaurant that we normally go to, with another family we normally eat with would make it easier to keep it a surprise. A few weeks before, I called our supper club to see if everyone was going to be in town that night. Then, after I had a ballpark idea of who could come, I sent the "formal" email. The plan was for another family to call and "invite" us to dinner - but really it was going to be a lot more of his friends!!

So, for the past week or so, I've been keeping this "secret" from him. The closer to Saturday night it got, the harder it was for me. I had to stay away from him all day Saturday because I thought he would he would ask me why I was acting funny. It was killing me. Then, of all things, he kept saying how he didn't want to go out to dinner and that we should just do something at our house. UMM....EVERYONE IS ALREADY GOING TO THE RESTAURANT!! THEN, he wanted to change the restaurant.......twice!!! This is so out of the ordinary for Robert. He usually wants everyone else to make the decisions. And here we are, Collin and I scheming away, having made the decision and he's fighting it!!! I barely get him out of the house (I'm a nervous wreck) and on the way to the restaurant he is still saying he doesn't want to go!

We pull up to the restaurant and start to get out. When we get up to the door, I "accidentally" left Lillian's food in the car and oh so kindly ask him to go and get it. :-) The kids and I run into the room where everyone is waiting! He eventually finds his way and and was completely surprised!!!





It was his first surprise birthday party ever!!! And it was so much fun. I wish I could have invited everyone we've ever met and made it a huge bash. The kids played and had fun, and the adults got to laugh and eat!

I think the best part of the whole thing was one of his best friends from Ole Miss, Adrian and his fiance Dana, just happened to be in town! I was able to sneak the number from Robert's phone and invite them at the last minute!!!

He was still in shock Sunday morning! We had a ton of fun laughing about it all night!

Of course, he asked me to never do it again.

We'll just have to see about that! :-)

Thank You Mimi and Poppy

Thank you Mimi and Poppy! We received the package and the kids can't wait to play with their new toys! Lillian also wore her new outfit today! It's very cute! So are the shoes - I think they'll last her through winter too - with some room to grow!!! We love you and miss you guys!

Flashback

This is Olivia eating one of her first ice cream cones!



And they're wearing the same bib!!

Just Petite or Is It Me?!?!

So...Lillian had her one year check up Wednesday. She was as feisty as she could be - in a very cute way too! Running around like she was as big as everyone else...mimicking all the nurses...smiling and batting her pretty blue eyes at everyone! All, of course, while we were being weighed and measured by the nurse.

Then the DR comes in....dun dun dun.......I knew what was coming. Because I've been hearing it since before she was born. "You're belly is so tiny!! You must be one of those pregnant ladies who starve their babies! Are you sure you're that far along?" And then after she was born "She's so tiny!....how old is she? she's just too cute! so tiny to be standing up!"

Ok! OK! I get the point...she's petite..but her parents aren't gigantic either! I mean..give me a break.

I told the DR that I've offer her milk/formula very often (she throws up formula and sometimes takes vanilla soy milk or organic whole milk). I also feed well at every meal. I've gotten her to 2 nursings a day (which she would LOVE more) and then not to mention all the snacks she gets. I can't make her eat. I offer it, but I can't force it down her.

So, they're making me come in a month from now to weigh her again. UGH.

But I can't help but blame myself for her not gaining enough weight in the past months.

As a consolation, she does have and older brother and sister that she tries really hard to keep up with on a daily basis. Not to mention she can go up and down stairs, get off couches and beds, and open any cabinet or door she wants!

I just think she burns most of it off!! :-) And I've been told that I was really petite when I was her age.

Why Is It That...

...if you haven't taken a shower in a few days (like when you and your entire family is sick) and you finally wash and dry your hair - that you have the best hair day ever?

I'm a New Woman!

Well, we ALL went to bed before it was dark outside last night. I thought the kids would have trouble...but we all got a wonderful night's sleep!!

I feel so good. Except I'm a slave to my washer and dryer today. Oh, and the Lysol bottle.


On a different note, Lillian has her one year check up today. I can't wait to see how much she's grown. She's just gettin' so big!

Our new favorite game is chase.


And she loves ice cream cones from Bruster's! (No surprise there!)

the domino effect

yup...it was quick...first robert, then lillian, then landon, then me.....all-night-long.

Hopefully it's gone.

And yes, Annie...there is somthing out there. Olivia hasn't been sick like that in months or years even!

I'll be sleeping all day.

Speaking Of Being Sick....

The kids knew Daddy was sick and they weren't to bother him. So, in order to do our normal evening routine without any of Daddy's awesome help, I sent the kids outside while I cleaned up dinner and took care of Lillian!

While they were outside, they were up to much good. (I'm not sure I'll ever say that again!) After a while, they came inside with papers in their hands heading towards Daddy. I reminded them they could not go in our room.

They immediately ran and got scotch tape and headed, once again, towards Daddy.

They were taping pictures that they had made outside for him on our door!

Awe....they just want him to get better...and spent their evening thinking of what they could draw him to let him know they were thinking about him!!



And the whole time I thought they were out there up to no good!

I admit..I was wrong. (for once) :-)


On another note, I may be sleeping on the couch tonight. I can't afford to get sick!

Just Call Me Nurse Lindsay

First Landon (with stitches), then Olivia with somethin' (we'll call it the "stomach ache bug"), now Robert.

I just pray Lillian or I don't get it.

It was a few rough nights with Olivia. The longest "bug" I've ever experienced with any child. Other than the initial throwing up, there were really no other symptoms but a bad stomach ache/nausea. Probably the worst kind out there. Finally she got better.

Then, Robert comes home way earlier than expected. Beelines it for the bed and hasn't come out. Poor thing. They say things are worse when you're an adult.

Thanks goodness I have my act together this week!! ;-)

Happy Birthday Lillian!!

Happy Birthday Lillian! You add so much fire and spunk to this family! We love you so much!!


She wanted a cupcake so bad we could hardly sing to her fast enough!


YUM!!!

Really...

....was that necessary, sweet older woman? To come running up to my side (as I'm walking into Walmart) and grab my 5 year old's hand (who is walking a mere 12" from my hip)!?! To "help her across the road"!?! And say, "I don't think they'll hit me!" AND, then tell announce that my son's red boots are too hot for summer? All without even looking my direction!?!

I only have 2 hands...and 3 children...BUT, I promise...I got it covered.

Thanks anyway.

Why Oh Why

Is the library summer reading program so difficult for the moms to comprehend!?!?! I mean seriously...we're the ones really doing all the work. It's our library cards that are scanned, our brains deciphering the clues for the youngin's, and we're also the ones reading the books to them....so why not let it make a little sense to the grown ups.

This is my second summer signing up 2 kids for summer reading. It's also the second summer that I have to ask the precious, sweet librarians what the heck I'm doing...on a weekly (or so) basis. Though, I will give Olivia TOTAL props....she really gets the gist of what's going on. (Crazy that I have to ask my five year old how something works....and she's right!)

But you have to read the clues, search in the library, get 'X' so many cards, to get 'X' so many stickers, to then get to pick out a prize, only to do it all over again once you gotten 'X' so many stickers...at least that what I have come to understand...and it's probably wrong.

BUT, at least it ignites a fire under their bottoms to read. And that's what counts...right?!? Last summer we found tons of fun books.





Well, I'll be giving it another shot this morning...maybe it'll make more sense.

I'm Watching the U.S. Open

Never thought I'd say that. It's good and it's got me hooked

Fun With Our New Toy

We got upgraded this weekend. With a new camera that is. We had a lot of fun playing with it at the lake this weekend. What a fun investment - though I've been working really hard to sell stuff and save the $$ for it. Well worth all the time and effort!!

We could never get action shots like this before.


or this




We still have a lot to learn!! And I can't wait to get it down pat!!

Any Takers??

I'm selling off a bunch of my horse stuff:

Saddle: Collegiate 16.5" close contact saddle with leathers and irons


Girth:


Bridle: With D-ring bit and braided reins.


Martingales: One standing, one with breastplate (that attaches to saddle)



Helmets:
size 7, 7 1/8, and 7 5/8 respectively.
Olympian new with box


We're also selling a digital camera in craigslist - it's a Sony DCS-W55 that new in box.


We're saving our money for something new and exciting!!

I Just Wanted To Wash My Face

Kids fed....check.....Kitchen clean...check.....Kids bathed....check....Pjs on...check....

Mommy fed....not checked....mommy bathed...not check....mommy pjs on...not check....

I just wanted to take my contacts out and wash my face....that's all I asked...is that too much??



This is what I came back to....merely moments after getting them all out of the bath tub.



An 11 month old stamped to death with a Hello Kitty stamp. This doesn't even show her hands, arms, and legs....they may be pink for the next couple of days....I give up on keeping them clean.

My A$$ Is Awesome.....

.......according to this.

:-)

"A new study has just been released by the American Psychiatric
Association about women and how they feel about their asses.
The results are pretty interesting: 5% of women surveyed feel their
ass is too big, 10% of women surveyed feel their ass is too small, and
the remaining 85% say they don't care; they love him; he's a good man,
and they would have married him anyway."

hehehehe...funny, huh!?

Love you babe - you're awesome!! :-)

I Love Being........

...........TAN.

I know..that probably sounds so vain. But what is it about having a beautiful bronze-goddess glow that makes us girls feel so good!!

First, let me show you what I mean.

NOT TAN:



TAN:


NOT TAN:


TAN:


I will say that 90% of my tan comes from a bottle. If you opened my bathroom cabinet, you'd be greeted with an enthusiastic shelf of skin loving, UVA hating, bronze/metallic bottles - full of golden/tan love. Of course, only suppling us with the best self esteem booster any girl can find in a bottle. Literally, I probably have 8 or so different kinds of bottles of self tanner sitting in my bathroom cabinet - of all different brands.

If there was a way to be tan all year round....SIGN ME UP!!!

Train of Thought

Let me preface this by telling you I grew up hating being touched. I think it comes with my personality type. I had my first massage today. Here is what my brain was saying....

Ok, lie on the bed under the sheet on my stomach...she said she'd be working on my back and the back of my legs. Deep breaths, so that my muscles relax...I don't want to her think I'm uptight.....just imagine it's Robert up there touching me all over.

Ok......nice....I think I like it.......OOPS!?!....that's my butt, but it kinda feels good..........

Where do I put my arms...are they in her way??......is this where everyone else puts them? Is my head in this thing right??? Relax...don't think about anything but how relaxed I'll feel after this....yikes, that tickled in the middle of my back....but NO laughing.....ok, calm down....

Ok, I guess she's going to my legs now...but wait...that's definitely the center of my butt...am I clenching??

Ok, now the legs...did I shave this morning??? Are they prickly?? Are the positioned right...I mean....I don't want them too far apart.....ya know!?!?!

Sweet lady massaging me says..."Ok, flip over, I'll raise sheet, make sure your head is on the bed"

WHAT?!?! I thought she said back only - I'm only wearing underwear!!!! Ok, just do what the professional says.....sheet's in place...ok, good....

so it's just my shoulders now...definitely like this...and my neck and head....perfect........WOW....now she's at my ears, ok...fine....now her fingers are in my ears...WOW....OK...did I clean my ears out this morning after my shower????.......oh well, too late now

now she's holding my head...should I lift up a little, or is she going to hold all of my head's weight...if I lift will, she think I'm tense and don't like it?? I don't want her to think I don't like it....

I think it's almost over...what do I do now....Did I like it?? Would I do it again???



Yes, it was great..but my mind was running so much!! HA! It wasn't so bad, I'd love another one some day!!

Allergies

Our family is prone to allergies. I don't know if you guys have allergies, but this is what my parents have to wear when they work in their flower garden.

Surprised We Made It This Long

Without a trip to the ER. Yep, Landon beat everyone to the punch and got the first set of stitches in our family this morning. I'll keep it short and simple...because I'm goin' down for a nap after this. Our whirlwind morning has me a little sleepy!

The cute pottery barn kids kitchen fell on him. And ironically, he wasn't on it like I find him sometimes. The "pot rack" on the sink knocked him right over the eyebrow. I knew from the first sound waves coming from his mouth that we were gettin' stitches today. Luckily, it didn't hit any veins or arteries so it barely bled. But it sure was gaping open.

So what do you when you're home alone with three kids and one of your hands is pressing a rag on a gaping wound? Glad you asked.

You call you mother and your husband. And you sit in the same spot until they get there so you can take your hand off the wound. Then you high tail it to the ER.

Luckily, we know a little birdie that works at that hospital so we were pretty much escorted right in. We didn't even see the waiting room! Landon wasn't even crying at this point any more. But as soon as they tried to put him in the papoose, he let it all out again. I tell you though. I have a strong stomach. I've delivered 2 litters of puppies with my bare hands. I been in the operating room with my father. I'm usually pretty focused in high stress or gory situations. But I really almost passed out when I saw the wound gush blood when he was screaming. I had to rest myself against the wall with my knees locked. And I think I was sweating. I held it together for Landon, but it was tough. I'm so glad Robert was there to help hold him down with the other 4 people!!

I'm very glad it's over.

And he's very glad to have a superman band aid on his eye!!


And now, I'm off to nap!! :-)