Lately...

Lately, we've been...

Playing with lots of Christmas gifts...

including this "Intro to Origami" set. Payton made all sorts of animals and things...all of which Parker wanted to keep for himself. :)

Playing a lot of Play Dough, or "dough dough" as Parker calls it.

(Side note: I got the Preschool Play Dough "Perfect Pop Maker" this week on clearance at Target and it is awesome!!)

This is one activity that both boys enjoy and will actually play nicely together while doing it. It's hard finding something for kids 6 years apart in age to play together. But Play Dough seems to bridge the gap in age.

Fishing in our little pond out front.

Payton started it last week with his friends and Parker insisted that Brian take him fishing on Saturday morning when Payton was still at his sleepover.

 

Playing a little flag football.

A good friend of mine organized a flag football game for her son & his friends. I was amazed at how many kids showed up! We actually had to split it into 2 games because there were so many kids.

Of course Brian coached Payton's team. :)

 

And Payton thoroughly enjoyed getting disgustingly dirty.

 

Enjoying some awesome weather.

The other day we laid out a big ol beach towel in the driveway and just soaked up the cool breeze mixed with warm sun. I enjoyed a cup of coffee while Parker played with an old-school toy. Do you remember "Wooly Willy?" He loved it.

 And then we went to the park and took a long walk through the wooded path. For whatever reason, this path which is usually packed with rowdy kids, was totally quiet and serene. 

Parker found a huge stick to drag along the path and we sauntered through the woods enjoying the afternoon sun setting overhead.

What have you been enjoying lately?

Deep Breath

After the past couple weeks, I feel like I just need to stop and take a deep breath.
It's been a little crazy around here. Busy schedules, travels, major virus, some unsettling health news, and of course saying goodbye to Rohy. I haven't cried this much in years. Sometimes, I am able to stay busy and host crazy, loud playdates with 8 kids and distract myself from things...

(I'm not sure where the other 2 kids were in this picture - probably outside... and yes, my house does look this messy sometimes.)

But sometimes - like last night when the house was quiet and no one was around - I just have to have a big ol cry. I'm talking sob on the couch, ugly cry, swollen eyes, you've-just-watched-the-saddest-part-of-Steel-Magnolia's-kinda cry.

And ya know what?

I felt really good afterward.

I think as a mom and wife, I try to "keep it together" and not break down in front of everyone. I want everyone to be okay and not be sad or worried. But as 37-year old woman, facing some yucky stuff, I sometimes just need to let it out.

Thank God I have some good eye cream that reduces puffiness. :)

So, with all of that being said, please pray for me. Even if you aren't filled in on all the details just yet. Can you just pray for peace of mind, a calm spirit, and comfort? It really means so much to me. And I truly can feel so many people praying for us. All of the love and support is overwhelming...in a good way.

And now that I've dumped a week's worth of emotional baggage on you... let's move on to some lighter topics, shall we???

This week we:

"Boo-ed" our new neighbors.

Just look at Payton's face in this picture. He thought he was so sinister being able to ring someone's doorbell and run away before they answered.

The two of them were like ninjas hiding behind cars, running from one house to the next. It was pretty hysterical.

We got to watch Payton play catcher & pitcher in his baseball game.

He says he likes to play catcher because he doesn't have to run around much. Go figure!

We've relaxed around the house, snuggled in bed & enjoyed lots of time outside.

Parker thought he was such a big boy sitting at the kitchen table with Payton.

Parker sat inside the laundry bin on his window seat for the longest time just looking out the window. I'd love to know what he's thinking sometimes.

The weather has been beautiful this week, so we've spent most mornings & afternoons outdoors.

And made plenty of time for cuddles in bed...

And maybe...just maybe I've been enjoying some of these on the side...

 (They're pumpkin shaped, I had to buy them!)

 My sweet friend April made these for me the other night. Homemade with cocoa and all of the other ingredients that go into homemade brownies (which I don't know because mine come out of a box).

There's somethin' to be said for homemade brownies. YUM!

The End.

Hee...hee...hee.

Recent pictures

It's hot today. Not like, "It's warm out here, think I'll get an iced tea." It's more like, "OH MY GOODNESS, I'm sweating and all I did was go out to get the mail!" Why is it still 90 degrees in the middle of September? Oh wait...I live in Florida. That's right. Well, all I'm sayin' is that this girl would really, really like a cold front. Seriously God... please? Pretty please?? With a cherry on top???

Now that I'm done ranting about the obnoxiously hot weather, here are some recent pics...


One of our favorite things to do on the weekends is go for family bike rides. There are so many wonderful little neighborhoods to explore nearby, not to mention the park, West Park Village, and the fountain. Of course the little guys always ask to go to Starbucks because they like to get a little treat while we're enjoying our coffee. I imagine this will get even more enjoyable in the coming months when it's cooler out and I can actually order a hot coffee and not an iced coffee because I'm sweating (sorry, promise not to mention the hot weather again).

Here they are with a "cake pop" and a cookie. And yes, they have matching shorts on. And yes, they are Chicago Bears colors. This was the only way Brian would allow them to go out in public with him in matching clothes. (Just kidding, but I'm sure he feels this way deep down). :)

In keeping with the "sweets" topic, we had a taste test this week. Have you seen these:

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Oreos (something about the crisco filling that doesn't appeal to me). But all my boys love them, so I figured I would get these as a little fall treat.

Parker tried it first:

Look at how excited he is!

 This is his baby sign language for "Thank You."

So...Parker's vote: "GOOD!" 

(There's a reason we call him the garbage disposal)

Then it was Payton's turn.

Excitement at first...

Then he examines the packaging...

Takes a bite...

And then...

threw the cookie in the trash.

Payton's vote: "NOT GOOD."

Why mess with success Oreo? Just stick to what you know and do chocolate cookies & plain white cream filling.

And speaking of feeding your kids super healthy stuff...

This is what Parker had for breakfast one morning this week.

No joke.

He's had a cold and hasn't had much of an appetite. He saw these Fritos in the snack bin and grabbed them insisting he wanted them. I took them and put them back and he started crying, so I figured, the poor kid is hungry and this is the only thing that sounds good to him.

Okay, it won't kill him. 

And dang if that boy wasn't so happy eating them!

Here's another pic that I posted on Facebook last weekend of Brian & Parker cuddled up watching football together. Aren't they cute???

I could post a bunch more random photos, but I'll save some for later.

TGIF!!!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Birthday Post - Part 1

I love to celebrate birthdays! I mean, I really, really love to celebrate birthdays. For the kids, I really like to "do it up" and decorate their bedroom doors the morning of, and surprise them with gifts and fun activities. So, what's a girl like me to do when she marries someone who doesn't like making a big deal of his birthday??? You have to surprise him, that's what!

Since Brian never wants any attention on his birthday, I decided to surprise him with a little dinner party with some of his closest buddies last weekend. I ordered in his favorite food from his favorite Italian restaurant, and had everyone show up after work on Friday evening. Little did I know, two of his friends thought it would be even better if they dressed up like Mike Ditka!

You tell me... does he look surprised???
IMG 2231 from Stacy Heckman on Vimeo.

Then of course, they had to put a fake mustache on Brian too...

 We had a such a great time, that I totally forgot to take any pictures! I did manage to get one quick pic after the cookie cake came out and we sand Happy Birthday to him (notice the name on the cake? - Ha!). But other than this, you'll just have to trust me that we had a wonderful time.

 Yesterday, the boys and I made Brian's favorite chocolate cake. I was pleasantly surprised how smoothly it went. Payton followed all the directions as I read them to him, and Parker happily sat by and watched.

Can you tell how excited they are in this picture? Just the ingredients alone got their sugar high's goin!

 Then of course, the best part of making a cake...licking the beaters!

Today is the "big day" so I'll post more about that tomorrow!
Happy Birthday to the most amazing husband I could ever wish for!!!

Recently...

I'm sitting at the kitchen bar on Saturday morning enjoying a bit of "down time" while the baby is napping. Brian is in the bedroom, on - what sounds like - a very important business call, and Payton is happily playing with Legos. My new Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin candle is burning next to me and all feels right with the world (it doesn't take much to make me happy - apparently, just some quiet time and a good candle).

So recently...

 The front door went from this:

To this:

(note to self: we need a new door mat. Maybe a monogrammed one??)

And a few other fall decrations have appeared throughout the house.

The lighted fall leaf garland and pumpkins above the entertainment center:

(I love the way this looks at night)

 My new fall subway art along with another pumpkin on the kitchen counter:

And I made a little trip to Bath & Body works yesterday and picked up some delicious smelling soaps and candles in a variety of fall flavors.

(It makes me want to wash my hands all the time!)

And speaking of pumpkin-y things, I went to Fresh Market last week and picked up these yummy goodies:

The coffee is really good - very flavorful. The Reese's pumpkin was for Brian, and the cookies were for me & Payton. Fresh Market cookies are THE BOMB!

And since we're on the topic of high-calorie foods...have you ever tried Talenti Gelato? Oh. My. It reminds me of the gelato I used to eat when I lived in Italy. It's THAT good. And it's THAT fattening. Of course, it's really rich, so you only need a small bowl to feel completely satisfied.

This is one of my favorites, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup:

 

But my favorite is their Black Cherry. I normally wouldn't have picked that flavor, but they were giving out samples at Publix and I almost accosted the sample lady and took the whole pint. It was that good.

Okay, on to some other items that are calorie-free!

I scored a new purse this week at my fav store, Francesca's Collection. My old black purse, which I had purchased at Target, was starting to fall apart. Literally. The shoulder strap was shredding, which kind of makes it hard to carry around.

Anyhow...this beauty was calling my name the moment I walked into the store:

It has beautiful hardware, is buttery soft, and has LOTS of compartments, which this organized girl loves!

And the BEST part...it was only $30!!!

Apparently it is "last year's style" and it was the last one in stock, so they put it on major clearance. I have to say, I love something even more when I get a good deal on it.

On a completely unrelated note, here are some recent pics of the boys:

Parker and I were talking about elephants the other day and what kind of noises they make, what color they are, etc. Then it was time to pick up Payton from school and he ran to his stuffed animal basket and pulled this little guy out:

His name is "Gerald" for those of you who don't recognize him from the Mo Willems "Elephant & Piggie" book series. He carried him around all day! It is so cool that Parker is really starting to "get" what we are teaching him. His little brain is such a sponge right now, I hope I am filling it with lots of good things!

He is also very into these Edy's fruit bars. They have no artificial coloring added to them, which I love. And they taste great!

And for those of you not on Facebook, I created a little "drawing wall" the other day in our hallway. Basically, I just covered the wall with some Ikea craft paper I had laying around. The boys LOVED it!

Of course this is an activity that has to be closely monitored. But so far, Parker has not become an errant Picasso on any other walls.

Okay, that's all I've got for now. Off to do some laundry before heading out for baseball.

Have a great weekend everyone!