Weekending...Phew...

Boy this weekend wiped me out...and not in a good way.

The stomach bug that we thought Payton had conquered not only came back; it came back with a vengeance. Which was so strange to me. I've never seen a child have a stomach virus, get healthy for two days (we're talking eating completely normal, playing, jumping on trampolines kind of healthy) and then get knocked back down again for 3 more days.

Needless to say, I spent a LOT of time doing laundry this weekend. And a lot of time cleaning.

Something about a person vomiting continuously for several days (even if he always made it in the bucket or toilet) makes me want to sanitize every inch of the house.

So I did.

Sadly, by Saturday afternoon, I realized my "Dr. Mom" skills were being outwitted. It was time to seek some real medical attention. So this is where we ended up...

Poor thing was so dehydrated that he needed almost a whole bag of fluids topped with a syringe of Zofran.

Fortunately, we have an excellent Children's After-Hours Urgent Care Center, so we were in and out in only 3 hours. Much better than a hospital ER. Although I'm sure we'll pay a pretty penny for it too. They don't exactly let you pay an ER co-pay for these places.

Can't wait to get that bill.

To make a long story short, Payton came home and slept. And slept. And slept some more.

Notice the 2 brightly colored Band-Aids? Yep, they had to go in both arms in order to get a vein for the IV. Poor thing!

But when he awoke on Sunday... he was a new man. He slowly regained his appetite and ate some toast and mashed potatoes. By Monday morning, he was asking for bacon with his pancakes! Kids recover so quickly. Thank you Lord!

But all was not lost this weekend!

We had originally planned to go to Brian's parents' house to celebrate his Dad's birthday. Obviously, Payton and I didn't make it. But Brian was able to take Parker, which worked out great. 

Parker has been talking non-stop about going to "Gama n Ganpa's" lately. He was so excited to go he didn't put up any fight when Brian drove off without me in the car. And he had an absolute ball!

He was showered with love and attention!

And even got some cuddle time in with Great Grandpa!

How cute is this picture?!?

So even though Payton and I were sad that we couldn't go too, it probably worked out for the best since I spent most of the day cleaning up puke and then watching an IV drip into Payton's arm. Clearly nothing that Parker needed to be a part of!

By the way, Happy Birthday Dad! We all love you so much and hope you had a fun weekend celebrating your special day!

So, let's just say, after the past week or so, I'm ready to go to sleep for about 4 straight days. Or take a vacation. Or go to a spa for the day. Or sit on the beach and veg out by myself. Hmm... these are all sounding very tempting... (hint, hint, Brian). ;)

What's that? It's 8:28 p.m.? Off to bed I go!

And no... I'm not kidding.

Nighty-night!

Foods I'm Diggin'

Hi there!

Nothing too new and exciting to share with you today. Just some foods (and a beverage) that I'm really diggin' these days.

Let's start off with my addiction: coffee.

I say I'm addicted to coffee because I am a really, really crabby person without coffee in the morning. But I'm not the type of person who drinks it all day long. I just really enjoy a hot, steaming cup first thing in the morning. After that, it's just a bonus if I have another cup during the day.

Most days, Brian and I make a pot of half-caffeinated coffee in the morning. It allows both of us to have a couple of cups without getting jittery. But on the weekends, when I know we're going to be laz-ing around all morning, I really love a good cup of fully-loaded caffeinated coffee.

Enter, Cracker Barrel coffee. 

 

Mmmm... it's so good. Not bitter, or knock-your-socks-off-French-Roast-strong, but just good, tasty coffee. I love getting a cup (or two) of it at the restaurant. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw a bag of it sitting on the shelf in the "Country Store" calling out my name.

It's a bit expensive at $9 a bag, but I don't drink it all the time, so it lasts for a while.

(It's also really delicious sometimes around 3 p.m. when I feel like I need a nap to get through the rest of my day. Instant wake-me-up!)

My next item is for all you Crock-Pot users out there.

This ingredient is so simple, yet adds SO much flavor!

Campbell's Golden Mushroom Condensed Soup

I got a recipe from my sister-in-law that called for Golden Mushroom soup, but I had never heard of it. It took a bit of searching on the soup aisle, but I'm so glad I found it. It is similar to Cream of Mushroom soup, but it also has beef stock and tomato puree in it, which gives it its golden color.

I promise you, this little baby will add so much flavor to your Crock Pot meals. Look for recipes that call for it, or substitute it for Cream of Mushroom if you think it will work with the recipe. You will not be disappointed!

Next up is something I got hooked on over Spring Break.

Our good friends who own the river homes that we stay in when we visit them always buy these crackers to take out on the boat as a snack.

Nabisco Premium Saltine Minis

Seems like such a simple idea... take a Saltine and shrink it down to a bite-size mini version.

I don't know why these things are so good, but just trust me... they are!

I can't eat just one. I have to have at least a handful, if not a bowl-ful. 

The kids love them too.

I make a little "snack mix" using these crackers, cheddar Goldfish and dry roasted peanuts. The boys devour it!

Here's maybe something you've never tried... Pine Nuts (also called Pignolias).

They're my new obsession when it comes to making salads. 

I love sprinkling them on top of any kind of salad. 

They add crunch and a delicious mild nutty flavor.

I also love them in pasta salad, or just a handful as a snack. YUM!

Last but certainly not least... let's talk peanut butter.

Here's my favorite.

Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter

(I've been known to eat it by the spoonful)

I like this peanut butter for so many reasons, but mainly because it tastes like PEANUTS! Isn't that what peanut butter should taste like?

Here is the ingredient label of this Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter:

Peanuts, and 1% or less of salt.

That's it.

Now, check out the ingredient label of Publix Peanut Butter:

Roasted Peanuts, SUGAR, less than 2% of FULLY HYDROGENATED vegetable oils.

What? Hydrogenated vegetable oil in my peanut butter? No thanks.

Yes, natural peanut butter costs a bit more. But for a mom who serves it to her kids (and eats it herself) multiple times a week, it's worth it to give them the healthier option.

And it really does taste better. :)

Okay foodies, that's it for today.

Leave me a comment and tell me your latest food obsession. I'm always willing to try new things!

Are the boys gonna kill me?

There are a lot of advantages to being the only girl in the house.

• I get to be the Princess of the house! No other gal takes the "Special Girl" place in these boys hearts right now but me. Yes, I know it's not always going to be this way, but for now, I'm lovin' it!

•  I get to spend any "makeup/pedicure/manicure/hair salon" portion of the budget solely on Moi!

• I'm the only one who gets to use the "It's that time of the month...go easy on me!" excuse for emotional outbursts, hormonal issues, or just plain crabbiness.

•  I don't ever have to fight with anyone over sharing my clothes or shoes (and that's a good thing because I have a few pairs of Lilly's that I wouldn't let me best friend borrow). Just kidding. Not really.

However, with the good, always come some bad.

• I literally wanted to wear a Haz-Mat suit around the house this morning after both bathrooms were "initiated" and there was a burping/farting contest going on in the kitchen. Ew, gross.

• I don't have anyone interested in going shopping with me on the weekends (I guess that's probably a good thing, it definitely saves me $$) which makes me sad when I think back to how much I used to look forward to my weekly Saturday shopping excursions with my own mom.

• No one in this house wants to wear anything preppy, or cute, or pink, or monogrammed. Well... the little guy can't quite communicate this yet, so he gets stuck in a lot of monogrammed clothes, but I'm sure the day is soon coming when he'll protest as loudly as the others.

Which brings me to the point of this post...

I've been strongly scolded asked nicely by Brian to please stop putting Parker in John-Johns. And I get teased by most men when I dress the boys in matching outfits. Fortunately for them, finding matching clothes in sizes 3T and boys 10 is getting really, really hard.

But don't worry...a woman on a mission is never deterred by a challenge.

See what I found today?

Come on... that's just too cute!

We're ready for the beach!

 So even though there are times when I'm sad that I don't have a little girl to dress up, take shopping, and share all the girlie things with in life, I've got plenty of friends with girls who are happy to let me shop for them! 

And I am pretty sneaky when it comes to slipping in a couple matching items here and there for my boys. Now, if only I could convince them to wear a pink Polo every now and then! :)

Some Random Photos...

I was cleaning up my Picasa photos yesterday and found a few cute random Instagram pictures that I haven't posted. Of course, if you follow me on Instagram, you've seen all of these. So, if this is all a repeat to you, I apologize. For the rest of the gang... enjoy!

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Parker and I went for a long walk the other day. It was one of those days that just seemed criminal to spend inside. There was a cool breeze blowing, but it was really sunny, so I wasn't hot or cold, I was just really comfortable.

When we go for these long walks, we talk about every little thing we see - particularly nature. Parker loves to watch squirrels scurry up trees and then look down on us while they dig into their acorns. He often tries to offer them a taste of whatever he's snacking on. It sounds something like, "HERE squoool! HERE! A quacker fo you!!"

This particular day, we spotted a beautiful Monarch butterfly. We watched it as it danced from flower to flower in our neighbor's garden. Then if flew off high above the house, just to come fluttering back down right in front of us. Parker's gaze never left that butterfly for one second. He was mesmerized!

And it made me realize... that Spring...is finally here.

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We've been spending lots of time outside the past couple of weeks. Testing our our new vibrant sidewalk chalk (did you know Crayola now makes cube-shaped chalk so that it doesn't roll down your driveway? Brilliant!), teaching Parker how to blow big bubbles (and not spill all the bubble liquid out of the container - argh!), and playing lots of games.

This day, we decided to spread out a towel, and play Battleship in our driveway. I love this game, but it was even more fun to play it outside with the wind blowing and neighbors popping in and out to say "hello."

I played Payton first, and I lost. Then Parker took over. I'm pretty sure he won too.

One afternoon, following a day of torrential downpours, I opened up the sandbox only to discover it had turned into a mud box! The top had not been put on properly and the rain must have poured into it all night.

My first reaction was, "How in the world am I going to dry out this sand?!?"
Parker's first reaction was, "Ohhhhhh! Water!!!" He loved it. He drove his cars through the mud, made mud puddles, mud sandcastles and mud waterfalls.

Kids always have a way of putting things into perspective for me.

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Payton and Parker have been playing together a lot more recently, which is awesome for me. Especially during the "witching hour" between 5-6 p.m. when they're hungry and tired, and I'm trying to make dinner.

On a few occasions I have realized how quiet it was and then noticed they were happily playing or sitting next to each other watching TV.

On this night in particular, they were laughing and talking and having such a great time, I didn't want them to see me taking their picture for fear I might interrupt what was going on. So, I just cracked the door a bit to sneak a peek into their brotherly love.

That's all I got for today. Hoping to get some new projects going on around here soon so I can share some ideas on the blog. If there's anything you'd like to see, or topics you'd like me to hit on, please leave me a comment below. I'd love to hear from ya!

Have a great "hump day!"

Easter Weekend

Let me start off this post with a dose of reality.

While the pictures that I have chosen to share of our weekend will make it look like it was the most perfect Beaver-Cleaver Easter that ever was... I am writing this on about 5 hours of sleep because my oldest child was up puking his guts out all night last night.

So take heart, even though we had a fantastic weekend, I too live in a world of up's and down's. And right now, I am definitely feeling a bit low on the happiness scale. But let's focus on the good times, shall we?

We kicked off the festivities on Friday afternoon at a friend's house for a kids Easter party. They had an egg hunt, an egg-spoon race, pin-the-tail-on-the-bunny, cookie decorating, and a trampoline! Need I say more?

He LOVES the trampoline!

Egg spoon race!

Parker & his buddy hunting for eggs.

He was so proud of his loot.

That night Payton had a sleepover party so Brian, Parker and I went to Good Friday service at church. It was so incredible. The worship music was out of this world! The message was just what I needed to hear, and God was so present in that service. It was just what we needed to kick off our Easter weekend.

Saturday morning, my parents arrived. Parker adores all of his grandparents, but he seems to be going through a phase with my Dad (whom he calls Paca) right now because he didn't want him to be out of his sight! He was quite attached to him all weekend.

Side note: doesn't my Dad look awesome? He has lost an incredible amount of weight over the past 6 months or so by eating healthy and exercising twice a day. He's like a new man! SO proud of  you Dad!! :)

Saturday afternoon my Dad went to have lunch with his old personal trainer who recently moved to Tampa, so we took my mom out for lunch to a restaurant located at an old marina, and then headed to a great park on the water.

The boys loved watching the seagulls & looking over the deck at lunch.

This park was SO much fun.

 

This was the view at the park:

This boy loves his Nana!

No time for downtime though!

When we got home, we started dying our Easter eggs.

Dying eggs with a 2-year old is the epitome of multitasking!

I just love dyed Easter eggs. They're so pretty.

When my Dad got back, he and my mom took Payton to their hotel for some one-on-one time, while Parker rested at home.

Then we reconnected back at our house later that evening and went out to dinner (that's a whole 'notha story for a whole 'notha time... let's just say we didn't eat where we had planned, we got stuck in a major traffic jam, and Parker was soaking wet by the time we got home. Long story.)

The boys were exhausted, and we called it an early night so they could get some sleep.

Bright & early the next morning, Payton was up and ready to rock.

We quietly turned on a pot of coffee and snuggled back in bed while reading the Easter story in the Bible.

Soon after, Parker awoke and the boys were ready to hunt for eggs and see what kind of treats they got in their Easter baskets!

Bags in hand... let the hunt begin!

The Easter bunny must have used a ladder this year!

 Then, Payton found the "Golden Egg!"

It was filled with candy, money & a Starbucks gift card! (I knew I liked that Easter bunny)

They loved all of the goodies in their baskets.

Checking out their baskets.

The stuffed bunnies were a big hit!

After some time at the hotel with Nana & Paca, everyone came to church and enjoyed a beautiful service followed by an outdoor egg hunt... complete with the Easter bunny!

 

Sorry, my phone camera was acting up.

After church, my parents headed back to their house and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon at home.

Parker took a 3-hour nap and I even snuck in a brief nap myself!

Last night we watched the conclusion of the Bible TV series.

I cried like a baby.

It's not like I don't know how the story ends, but just watching it broke my heart all over again.

And then it made me feel so hopeful. And happy. And excited.

Our Easter was full of exciting egg hunts, family time, and LOTS of candy. 

But most important of all, it was filled with the message of Jesus.

"Go and make disciples of all nations" He said.

Amen...and amen.