Rainy Days

I'm not one to complain about the rain normally but what I'm tired of is it being so cold with it. I can take one or the other but both at the same time is a little much because than I don't even want to go outside.

We have been doing fun things in the house to make the time go by, sometimes not fast enough but usually it's enough.

One thing that we have been doing a lot more of is craft projects. Alyssa loves doing them. I have found a few cute things that she can do and give as gifts so that will be a fun project. She loves to paint and I have tried to get over my phobia of messes and let her finger paint. She likes doing it but doesn't really like the paint on her hands and after using one color she wants her hands cleaned so she can use another. I love it!

The kids are having a pajama movie party with a few of their friends coming over that should be a lot of fun. Hopefully a good chance for us moms to catch up some too!

She is also helping me cook and bake a lot more, especially cookies. Knox on the other hand just cares about eating. He pretty much doesn't care what it is but wants it in his mouth! I'm so glad that I have two children who aren't picky and will try anything at least once.

The rest of this week is super busy for us with many fun things going on.

Spring Time Equals Baseball Or In My Case T-Ball

Starting at the end of the month Alyssa is going to be doing t-ball every weekend. Im really excited for her to do this as she is too. She loves sports, which is a good thing in this house. I got her signed up today and I can't wait for her to start. It will be a blast watching the chaos. They play every Saturday and have a practice and a game afterwards.

I knew we were going to be signing her up so I went out and got a t-ball set for her to get familiar with beforehand. I was a little surprised because I don't think she has ever played with one before and she knew exactly what to do. It was very cute.

I can't believe April is almost here and it is going to be such a busy month for us. We have only a few days where there aren't something going on but that is good. I know I say this all the time but Im one who prefers to be busy than have nothing going on at all!


On Friday, I took the kids to see a concert at a theatre in Snohomish. I have been wanting to go for awhile but for whatever reason it never worked out. It's a very cute place and have all kinds of programs for all ages. The nice thing about the show we saw is how they have the children participate in it. That was a lot of fun to watch the kids. Both, Alyssa and Knox, seemed to enjoy it. We already have plans to go back this month to check another show out.

Im so glad that we live in an area where Im able to expose them to so many different things. I think that is so important.

Birthday Galore

This weekend the kids had two birthdays to go to back to back. The first one was for a friend of Alyssa's so Knox stayed home and napped to get ready for his party that afternoon.

Alyssa's friend Annabelle turned three and was having a princess party. She was so excited to go because it was a dress up party and she loves to dress up right now. I got her a new outfit for the party and she was so excited because it was her favorite color, purple, and from the movie Tangled which she loved.

My friend Michelle did an amazing job with everything and the kids had a great time doing crafts and playing. The cake that she made was a 3d castle. I didn't get a picture of it and Im bummed because it was the most amazing cake I have ever seen. She really out did herself.

After a few hours there we had to leave and get home and change out of the princess clothes and get ready for the next party. This one was for our friend Mike and Sarai. Their son, Noah, turned one and she had his party at the Little Gym. Alyssa was pretty excited to go back there, she hadn't been since her class was over last Spring.

It was a long party for the little ones but everyone had a great time and it was fun to see all the little kids. The kids all got sand toys for a goodie bag, which was great! That just fueled my desire even more to get them to the beach, and I can't wait! Cory was able to go with us, which is good. He misses out on a lot with his schedule because we do so much in the mornings that when he gets to see them do stuff it's great.

The kids were exhausted when we got home around three thirty. That evening was very quiet and relaxing for Cory and I. That is something neither one of us take for granted anymore!

Spring Has Arrived

This last week we have had pretty decent weather, at least decent enough for us to be hitting the parks. I think all of us are ready to be getting out of the house or I should say just playing outside!

Knox has taken a liking to the swings just like his big sister. I love to hear his giggle while he is on it. He got pretty upset with us when we were at one park that only had one swing. Alyssa was doing a great job taking turns but Knox not so much. He started screaming when it was her turn. It's so nice taking the kids to the park and Alyssa being able to do everything by herself now.

The other day when we were there she made a friend, Conner, and they were so cute together. He was taking her by the hand and leading her to the slide and than he would go down first and wait for her at the bottom and catch her and give her a hug. It was the cutest thing to watch. With all this nice weather we have also been getting some yard work done and planting. Im really excited to start getting some stuff planted and have a few ideas that I

want to do with our backyard. Im just hoping that my dog will cooperate with that one.

St. Patricks Day

One of the things, and I think I may have mentioned this in my Fat Tuesday post, we want to teach our children is the meaning behind these two holidays. I use the term holiday loosely. Many people don't even know the true meaning of these days and think it's just another night to go out drinking, which I call amateur night. I'm not going to get into the religious aspect of it here but with Cory and I both Irish though neither of us are Catholic I wanted to start our own traditions and teach the kids the true meaning. Don't worry Im aware they are still a little young for that at this point.

The day didn't start out great or as planned. Cory and Knox are both still sick. Cory and I were discussing some things and he suggested that we get out and the two of them could rest. I thought that was a great idea because Knox really needed it and no offense to Cory but I can't stand the "man cold". Like Cory suggested, Alyssa and I got out of the house and went to the Children's Museum for the morning and then the pet store with a stop at Starbucks afterwards. This little girl loves animals! Maybe we have a future vet on our hands?

The one thing I did do was cook our yummy Irish feast. Corned beef and Cabbage. Well I forgot the cabbage but we had the onions and potatoes with it. The house smelled fantastic! There were enough left overs for yummy sandwiches today! I didn't do the green beer because well for one that is more of the "Americanized" tradition and if I were to put the green drops in my beer you wouldn't even notice because I like a darker beer to begin with. The Guinness, though, was perfect!

On another note. If anyone is interested in a good book, I have been reading Water For Elephants and it is amazing. It's going to be coming out in the movies soon so if your like me you will want to read it first because the book usually is way better than the movie!
Another wonderful recipe I tried a few weeks ago that I can't stop talking about it a healthy version of Baked Potato Soup. Your probably thinking what a healthy version?? Yes, it only called for three potatoes and the rest was cauliflower! Of course you did sprinkle cheese and bacon pieces on top. It was delicious! I could have ate the whole pot! The other recipe I tried was curry cauliflower, I wasn't a fan but Cory loved it! The nice thing about these two recipes that I love is they were healthy for us, cheap to make, and we had left overs for lunches for the week!

Lately I have been thinking about my childhood, not sure exactly why. I have decided that this summer I think I'm going to take the kids down to Portland for a few days and let them experience some of the stuff I did growing up. There are so many wonderful places to go down there that I have had fun making a list of them and remembering certain experiences I had.
This will be a fun little vacation since we decided we weren't going to be taking any big ones this summer and staying closer to home with just doing the beach, camping and stuff around here.

Happy Birthday Knox!

Today was Knox's birthday and we spent a nice day with just us. We had a lazy morning hanging out at the house playing and cleaning. I did the cleaning while everyone else played I should say. Later that day we went out in Downtown Snohomish for dinner to celebrate. Afterwards Alyssa and I poked our heads into a few cute stores while Cory and Knox went back to the car. They are both fighting colds.

It's hard for me to believe that my little man turned one! I remember when we found out we were having a boy. I was honestly a little disappointed and nervous. I'm not sure exactly why because I have always wanted a son but maybe because I had a girl already and I guess knew what to expect? Or maybe it was because you always here people say one sex is easier or better than the other for various reasons. That I really think depends on the child and not the sex but I'm also sure some will disagree.

I now can't imagine life without my little man and how much joy he brings us. I'm looking forward to seeing him turn into a toddler and his personality really emerge good or bad. As with any child I know we will have ups and downs and I look forward to those. This next year he will be changing by leaps and bounds and next year I probably will have forgotten this cute little boy that sits in front of me today and only be reminded by the pictures that we have.

However I am reminded of these days or the ones to come I know that I love this little man very much and know one thing for sure, he will always be my little man!

These pictures are of Knox at two weeks, three months, nine months, and one year.

Birthday Eve

It's hard to believe that a year ago I still hadn't had my little man yet. For many of us we have days where we can remember the exact details of what happened. Mine are getting proposed to, my wedding day/weekend, and the birth of my children. There may be more but these are the ones that stand out the most and are very important to me.

One year ago.....

At my last doctor's appointment he had decided to induce me because I had had a migraine for the last month and nothing that I could do was helping at all. People who get migraines can all relate. The hard part was that it wasn't like he was my first I had another child to take care of so I couldn't just lay in bed like I had really wanted to do with the lights out. He said March 15th would be the day!

Yahoo was my feeling but it was still like five days away at that point so I wasn't too stoked. That Monday came and I got up early and showered because I wasn't going in there with hairy legs. I know silly but I wasn't. I waited all day long! Around four o'clock I called the office because that's what I was instructed to do if I hadn't heard anything. After talking with them and finding out that my doctor was on call that night, they were going to do everything in their power to get me in.

Again we sat and waited. I had talked with the doctor around seven and he told me they were having shift change and was going to be speaking with the head nurse. Than if came, around 8:45 or so we got the call. We were all ready and we said goodbye to my niece who was staying with us and going to watch Alyssa, she was already in bed. The ride to the hospital felt like the quickest but the slowest at the same time. I knew what to expect but wasn't sure if I was really ready for another child! A little late for that at this point.


Once we got all checked in, got my iv, and had the doctor break my water it was around 10:30 or so. I was already dilated to 5cm and he said I would probably have him around 4-5 in the morning. I remember laughing to myself after looking at the clock and thinking that he was wrong and my little man was going to be there a lot sooner! Cory was on the phone with his Mom who was in Seattle and after talking with her she decided she couldn't wait and drove up to hang out with us. Once she arrived we were going to play a game of scrabble. At this point my contractions started coming quickly and hard. I had Cory go get the nurse because I was ready for my epidural. The nurse came in and checked me again and I was already at 7-8cm. We had a little conversation that I won't go into but my contractions were coming every 10 seconds or so and lasting what seemed to be forever. All I wanted was the pain to stop. After what seemed forever I got my epidural which I wished I would have never got. (There is info. on that on a post last year after having Knox) I didn't even get to enjoy it because once it was in I told her I needed to push she got the doctor, who couldn't believe it either. He said he had four woman in labor right then and I was the only one who was even close! I laughed and told him he was wrong that it wasn't going to be 4-5 in the morning! Shortly after that around 12:51 our baby son Knox Michael arrived into this world!


I had easy deliveries with both of my kids but did deal with pregnancy related difficulties. I couldn't wait until later that morning when Alyssa would arrive and my family would all be together!

A Dino-mite Party For The Birthday Boy

Knox's birthday isn't until tomorrow but yesterday we had his birthday party. We just had family and two close friends of mine who have kids within months of Knox. It was a very long day for Cory and I but it was all worth it in the end.

Since Knox isn't into really anything at this point I decided to have a dinosaur party. Well I guess I shouldn't say he isn't into anything because he does love his race car thing he has. The morning started out really early with my finishing decorating the dinosaur cake I made. It wasn't perfect but partly because I didn't do it like the directions called for as far as frosting and the cut outs weren't very specific. I improvised and I think overall is was a success.

After getting all that done and our normal morning rituals it was time for me to head out and take the princess to dance class. They are starting to learn more and more for the dance recital. When that was over we had some errands to go do, pick up the cake and get a few more things at the store and balloons. I bought his "smash cake" because I was afraid I was going to run out of time and was happy I did. I got it at Central Market which is one of my favorite stores, if only it wasn't so far away.

When we finally got home around noon, Nana Gail and Papa Ron where already at the house with Cory's brother and his family on the way up with Grammy. Cory's brother hung out for awhile and it was nice to see them and the kids. They had to be home that night so didn't stay too long. My mom also arrived not long after we got
home. The house was full and everyone having a good time.
Later that afternoon my friends showed up with their kids and Cory went and picked up dinner from Luca's our favorite Italian restaurant. Once again, for us, the meal did not disappoint! After everyone was done with dinner it was present time. Wouldn't you know it, Knox had no interest at all! I was a little surprised because at Christmas he enjoyed it. All he wanted to do was play with a toy that was beside us. Alyssa and Ian took over the opening of presents. I'm not kidding you they probably would have been done in 30 seconds if I would have let them. I was trying to see what the gifts were and keep track of who got what. I think I got it but man those kids are pros!

Knox got some wonderful gifts and I'm so thankful for generous family and friends! You can guess what came after that, cake! Knox has had bites of cake before but nothing big until now. The cake he had was a dinosaur egg. It was adorable and huge! Honestly, we probably all could have ate that and been OK. After singing to him and I put the cake in he didn't need any help at all, even though Alyssa did take a few tastes herself. I'm not kidding you that kid dug in and probably ate
about half of it. There wasn't even a mess on the floor! At one point he slowed down a little and looked like he was going to pass out but then he picked it up again and ate a little more.
Afterwards his Nana Gail gave him a bath and shortly after he went to bed. Our friends went home and we sat down and tried to relax a little. It had been a long lovely day! After hanging out for awhile some left and went to the hotel while the rest of us crashed. What a great day it was for a little man who is going to be turning 1!

Fat Tuesday

Whether you call it Carnival, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday we decided that we were going to do a little celebration. I didn't get our King Cake made, but we still had a wonderful dinner that represented the New Orleans spirit. I made shrimp and sausage jambalaya and it was amazing if I do say so myself. I think I have Creole running through my blood because the spicier it is the more I like it! The kids loved it too. I was worried because of how spicy it was but in this family you either live with it or you don't eat : ) Knox couldn't get enough, but that's not saying much he is eating my out of house and home! I'm scared to see what he is like when he is a teenager.

During the day Alyssa and I went shopping to get some masks and necklaces. We had a lot of fun doing that. This girl loves to shop! When we got home we played a lot with the masks and necklaces that we purchased on our outing. Cory was even a sport and wore them. What a fun time we had.

Alyssa had her second dentist appointment the other day. I'm happy to report that she once again has no cavities. She was pretty good in there and following direction as well. There was a moment when she got scared because I think she was thinking she was going to have to get stitches again. Once she realized that wasn't happening she enjoyed it. That's my girl. I too love going to the dentist. Of course her toothbrush, dental floss, bracelet, and stickers she got while there are all PURPLE!

After her appointment we were supposed to go and get a tour of the Petcare Hospital in Mill Creek. It ended up being a bust so I took her to the pet store instead. She loves to go there and look at all the animals. Her and one of the lizards were even kind of playing with each other. It was pretty cute.

On a side note I have to say that I'm so proud of my husband. In the last few months he has lost 31 pounds! He looks amazing, although I always thought he did. I'm so happy for him.

On another note, I'm going to New York! I can't wait. It's not until October so these next few months I'm probably going to annoy a lot of people by talking about it but who cares, I get to go to New York!

We have a busy week ahead of us and I can't wait for the fun to begin!

Sleepover At Grammy's

Since Alyssa's Nana Gail was in town for the rest of the week they decided that it would be fun to have a slumber party with the girls at Grammy's house excluding me. No worries my feeling's were not hurt.

From the sounds of it they had a lot of plans and had a blast. They made cookies, one of Alyssa's favorite things to do is cook, and I think she even got to eat some of the cookie dough too! In my opinion that is a staple when making cookies. She even saved some cookies for me, Cory and Knox.

She also had a blast trying on a bunch of costume jewelry that Grammy had. There were these clip on earrings that were very pretty and had a matching bracelet that Alyssa loved. I can't imagine that they were comfortable at all but she wanted them on and still asks for them.

They stayed up late and even got to sleep in. Those lucky ones! Cory and I got to enjoy a quiet evening at home with Knox. He went to bed and we enjoyed a movie with no interruptions!