You know you are shopping in the ghetto when...

• you go to the grocery and have a discussion with your husband as to what would be less dangerous, you going into the grocery store while he waits in the car or him going into the grocery store while you wait in the parking lot in the car.
• when you are in line in the grocery store the lady behind you is talking about how she isn't sure if she should get really mad at her main squeeze because if she did then she isn't sure that they would ever get back together. After all, him cheating on her was purely for pleasure and nothing emotional (her words, not mine).
• when you are in line you see a cop at the front of the store
• when you are walking into and out of the grocery store you imagine bullets being shot in your back
• when you are in the grocery store you are just waiting for someone to pull out a gun

Um...I don't think I will be returning to that place.

Phoenix Update

Besides being cuter than ever, this little guy has had a busy month and a half. He went from rolling over to army crawling (quite fast I might add), sitting up (he was too stiff for the first 9 months of his life to sit), to crawling up the first few stairs...

to standing up to everything he can!

When Audrey was this age I thought that she was such a big girl, but when I look at Phoenix he seems too small to be doing all of these things. I am so proud of this little guy!

Do you remember what the Doctor said?

Since last year I have been saying that to Audrey..

• The Dr. said you should drink more water


• The Dr. said you should stop using your binky


• The Dr. said you should brush your teeth

stuff like that. Sometimes I was actually saying what he said (lose the binky) and other times I said it for things I know he would agree with (aka I made up that he said some of the things).

Audrey caught on.

Now she is always saying stuff like

• Do you remember what the doctor said? Don't put me in time out


• Do you remember what the doctor said? Give me candy


• Do you remember what the doctor said? Ice cream gives me strong bones.

Either she has been having a lot of private conversations with the Dr. and he was giving her very poor advice, or she made everything up (my money is on the second option).

What a funny girl...

slacker

Yup, that's me. Ever since I got back from NY I have been slacking in many of my duties (don't worry, I still fed and bathed my kids). If you think I have been neglecting my blog, you should see (or should I say smell) my house. Yeah...its bad. But I woke up this morning determined to use my time more wisely this week and to be more efficient. I started off with deep conditioning my hair and putting a mask on my face (even my normal beauty routine was somewhat affected last week). Now I am off to disposing of the mountain of diapers that have been stinking up our house.

Treman

Our day at Treman deserved a post of its own...
Pretty much every year my family would go to Treman (state park in Ithaca) for Memorial and/or Labor Day. It was a fun tradition. We would hike along the waterfalls, and end the day with grilled burgers and dogs, and usually smores.

starting off the hike at the Old Mill

on the hike...

At one point in the hike my Mom slipped on some mud (luckily she wasn't hurt). Audrey said "Mom, what's wrong with your Mom?" and then a few minutes later she said "everyone has excellents".

Travis and Phoenix caught a fish together! (Phoenix was holding the pole...I am just so impressed that Trav caught the fish with Phoenix attached to him!)

eatin some delish food

me and my hunny

We had a great time, Travis keeps talking about how much he loved it.
p.s. congrats to my sister Leah who got engaged last week! Her and Paul are planning an October wedding. I am so excited!

Weekend trip to NY

Last Thursday morning I was laying in bed and I decided to go to NY for the weekend. My older sister, Jessie, had a birthday on Friday and as you all know Monday was Memorial Day so it seemed like perfect timing. I decided to head out Thursday afternoon with the kids (it could have been very bad, but they were both well behaved for the most part). Travis flew in Friday night.

My parents have a beautiful grand piano, and Audrey LOVES it (Phoenix likes it to). Joanna had to practice and Audrey got very upset that she couldn't play.

Jess is so patient with the kids, when Audrey was a wee thing Jess would hold her up to the sink to play in the water and it turns out that Phoenix likes it to.

We went to a state park (Treman) on Saturday and Audrey was extremely excited to be riding in my parents van. She was literally jumping up and down with excitement. I named the van Clifford when I was in high school...the van is red, and you know Clifford the BIG red dog? It just seemed fitting.

My lil brother, Sam, talked Audrey into making him a PB&J sandwich, and she was quite proud of the result.

All day on Monday Audrey was talking about how she was going to stay in NY when me and Trav left to go back to NC. "I will put myself down" she promised (talking about down to sleep), she said that she would put Phoenix down to, and that Jessie could change his poopy diapers and that her and Phoenix would sleep in Jo's room. She was devastated when we had to leave.

On the ride home when she finally fell asleep she would randomly wake up and say in a tearful voice "I want to go back to New York!" and then she would go back to sleep. It was funny.

Everyone has excellents

Audrey has a potty training book that her Grandma from Arizona got her (aka Trav's Mom). It was a great learning tool when I was potty training her and it is still one of Audrey's favorite books to read. The girl in the book gets potty trained, but then one day she had an accident and got her undies wet. Her Mom responded with "Thats OK, everyone has accidents."

Audrey has taken that sentence and run with it (except for she says "everyone has excellents"). She used to only use it when she had accidents in her undies, but now she uses it for all sorts of things.

She will be climbing in the pantry and knock the oatmeal off the shelf so half of it falls on the floor.

>>>Audrey: "That's OK Mom, everyone has excellents"

She will poke Phoenix's chubby little cheek, causing him to cry.

>>>Audrey: "That's OK, everyone has excellents"

She will spill her cereal and milk all over the table.

>>>Audrey: "That's OK, everyone has excellents"

The good thing that has come from this is that it gives me time to think before I react and I am reminded that *most* of the things Audrey does like that are accidental (not so much the things involving Phoenix) so I can calmly reply "Yes, everyone does have excellents." (and yes, I pronounce it like she does to, it is too cute and I do not want her to stop!!)

p.s. Happy Birthday to my sister Leah!

GPS

Me and Travis have a GPS...three of them. We love them, and we ALWAYS use them. Today Audrey asked me if she can get a GPS for her barbie car (which she does not own a barbie car, but apparently she is planning on getting one). I have said it before and I will say it again...what am I in for when she is a teenager?!?

Allowance Negotiations

So Audrey is on the weekly allowance of 25 cents...given in the form of a Quarter. This is our conversation from today...

Me: Audrey, when you get 4 quarters you can trade them in for one dollar.

Audrey: And then I get a diamond

Me: Err....Uhh...not really

Audrey: And then I get a card (referring to a credit card). Lots of cards.

Me: Umm...maybe when you are older (and on your own!).

Isn't she too young to be thinking about credit cards? I might have to start rethinking this whole allowance thing. Audrey drives a hard bargain.

Vote for my Aunt!

My beautiful Aunt Gail is one of the finalists for Living The Dream on GMA, please vote for her (one vote per computer)! Me and her share the same dream, and it would be pretty much the coolest thing ever if she won. Her name is Gail Sylva and she wants to be on Dancing with the Stars.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Dreams/vote-gma-living-dream-finalists/story?id=10628119

Chuck E Cheese

Monday night I fulfilled my end of the bargain I made with Audrey to get her ears pierced. Me and Travis took her to Chuck E Cheese...basically her favorite place to go. She had a great time (as usual), and as usual Travis disappeared for a while with a cup of tokens in hand. We never eat there (the pizza is so bad that Travis, thats right, I said Travis refuses to eat it) so it really is not that much money to go there. Sorry both pictures are blurry.

A Very HAPPY Mothers Day

As you all know yesterday was Mother's Day. My first official Mothers Day was not great. I had just had Audrey, Travis had to leave to go to California 2 days after she was born, and it was hard. I got down to CA and I reminded Travis that Mothers Day was coming up (he was horrible at remembering holidays and such when we first got married). And then I reminded him again, and again. Mothers Day came and Travis completely forgot about it. Not good. Well, 4 years later my fabulous hubby totally redeemed himself.

He had me unwrap a present and it was a box to the kitchen aid hand mixer I bought myself a few weeks ago (my other one broke). I laughed in a let down sort of way (I thought he just wrapped an empty box as a joke) but then he told me to open it, inside was a note that said "sorry, this box is empty look in the microwave" so I went to the microwave and there was a present in there, I opened it and there was a note in the box that said "look in the garage" so I opened the garage door and inside was a Kitchen Aid mixer!!!! I have been wanting one of those babies for years (I spent a good portion of my teen years watching food network). It was so sweet and thoughtful of Travis, and I absolutely LOVED the little game he set up.

Audrey picked out a donkey for me. I told her she could sleep with it and she was very excited. I can really tell who she had in mind when she picked it out. ;-D

Phoenix gave me a really long hug that lasted a few hours (he would cry whenever I put him down).

Being a Mom is the hardest, sometimes frustrating, most rewarding job ever. It is such a privilege to have this opportunity to raise two precious little children. When Audrey wants to cuddle with me, or when Phoenix gives me a really tight hug it is the best feeling. I am far from perfect, especially when it comes to being a Mom, but I am improving. I want my children to grow up knowing how much I love them, and so far we are off to a good start.

Thanks Trav, for making this the best Mother's Day ever! I can't wait to see what you come up with for next year ;-) xoxo.