<---yeah. You know you have wanted to do it too. Dont lie.





<----Arrrgggg. Pirate








<---funny little pirate







<---what do you see in there???





<---Chase. Being Chase.







We did Rileys party tonight! We had a lot of fun, and she got a lot of super cute and fun things! I think that she will enjoy everything!

But now? To bed. Just wanted to make sure that i got these posted tonight...

Updates....

<----what our house looks like during the day.... and that's pretty tame





<--what happens when you let your sister put a hat on you. Can you see his eyes?






<--free ride












<-- Dad...this is for you. Riley juggling. :)











Everything is going really well here! I am closing in on my third week of daycare!! The time has FLOWN by! I love it! I love being here with the kids, and the two that I have here are so sweet! We all have our moments, but the more we all get to know each other those moments are fewer and fewer.

Today is such a crappy day! Its raining, so the kids are camped out on the couch watching a movie. I promised them that they could get out sleeping bags and have popcorn with a movie after nap time. Usually we get to play outside at some point during the day, but its pretty obvious that's not happening today. Oh well. We will figure something out!!

Riley's birthday party is tomorrow. It supposed to be rainy, so we will see how it goes. I don't think that we have many kids coming, so we should be fie to be inside. I think that's how the whole weekend will be, inside!

Okay... duty calls... :)

Zoo Crew

<--- don't you want to keep him?? To bad. He is all mine.







<--- goofing around with mommy











<--impressed with my photography skills? Don't be. I am just lucky.






<--- I see you!!!








<-- my little zookeeper.









We took the kids down to the St. Louis zoo today! Stupid one that I am, I didn't charge my camera battery yesterday. I figure I have had the thing for a year. I have only charged it twice. I should be good to go, right? Nope. And if you are familiar with my camera (digital rebel xti thank you very much) you know that I actually have to take the battery out, plug it into the charger, plug the battery into the wall, and then I am good to go. So I was pretty much screwed at the zoo today. I got pictures of the rhinos. The elephants. The hippos. Some sort of bear dog. And then Derrick was taking a picture of Riley when he looked at me and said those fateful words "the battery is dead." Life goes on, but it still sucked. And I refused to pay 15 bucks for a disposable camera, when I knew I wouldnt be happy with the pictures! Such is life. But let me tell you, there was the most adorable baby giraffe. I would have taken that thing home. Seriously.

Wednesday was my last day at work! :( It was so sad, and so hard to leave everyone. Its like 6 years of all the same people gone! I dont think that its quite set in yet, that I am not going back. Sarah summed it up best when I left Wednesday. She looked at me and said "I feel like I should tell you to call me when the baby gets here." I have left for two maternity leaves, so leaving for a period of time is familiar to me, and all the people that work with me. So it feels similar, yet I know its final. I love the people that I worked with, and I am thankful for the friedships that I have formed. I will truly miss seeing them everyday, more than they will ever know. Sigh.

Tomorrow is my first day with our new daycare kids here! Riley is beyond excited. I made the mistake of telling her "P" (we will call him that since I dont think that I should plaster someone elses childs name all over the internet without permision) was going to start coming over on friday. It would not have been such a bad thing to tell her, but I told her Sunday. So guess what we have talked about all week???? She got up from her nap on Sunday, and was hysterical because P wasnt here. She will be so excited when she gets up tomorrow and he is here!! I am really looking foward to this change, and this new chapter in my life! I think that it will be crazy, and I think that there will be moments where I want to pull my hair out, but I also think that this will be one of the most rewarding experiences that I will have.

Okay. Off to clean up the scrapbook room. I did a stamp camp last night, and came home, unpacked my bag all over my desk. And then did nothing else. Its a hot mess.

Feeling Crafty....

I decided to make cards for the upcoming Woolly Worm festival in October. I know its only August, but I am a creative procrastinator, so I decided to start today. I want to have a huge amount of cards to bring with me, so I know I have to get going... Anyway, these are the four that I did today. I would have scanned them separately, but that would have taken time. And you know, the more time I spend scanning, the less time I have for stamping....

We played it pretty low key today. We hung out at the house all day, until about four and then we headed to Champaign. I really wanted a paper piercer to use on my cards, and it couldn't wait until Monday. Never mind that we have been home 3 hours and I have not touched it yet! But I have surfed the internet to figure out how to make scratch and sniff cards, something that I am going to demo at my next stampin' up open house!

Back to work...

Ready???

<--- radar. Don't you just want to keep him??







<---yep. She is mine.





<--- I love that she scrapbooks.









<--- my little construction worker.







<--sweet boy. Can you believe that he is one? How does this happen????




So I finally uploaded my pics. 211 of them to be exact. I have to admit, I am scared to do it, and still might save them on the other drive as well, cause it just freaks me out. I cant help it. I am a freak.

Big news on the home front. I put my notice in at work this week. Probably the hardest, best decision I have ever made. I am going to be staying home with the kids and taking in a couple daycare kids during the day. Not only is this going to be better for us financially, but it will be better for me emotionally, and so much better for the kids! I cant wait to spend my days with them (and three other little ones eeek!). Riley has already made grand plans including the park for when mommy stays home. I am so excited to not have a 45 minute commute every morning and night, and will be glad that I don't have to hurry through the evening routine anymore! I am truly blessed to have a supportive husband who supported me whole heartedly through this process! He is pretty brave too, considering that he is home at least one day during the week!!

Chase had a very happy birthday! I really can not believe he is one! It totally shocks me! I wish he was little again! He started walking on the 30th, and has really been putting steps together these past few days! He can get pretty far with his "waddle" as Derrick calls it!

Riley is doing well. She is getting very possesive over her things with Chase, which leads to much fighting. I think that she is learning though if she doesnt make a big fuss over things, then he will eventually back off and leave her alone. She really doesnt have a high level of patience though, so its a little hard for her!

OKay. Thats all for now. Off to bed....

PS. Radar isnt our dog. He is Matts. However, should Matt ever decide to leave him here, that would be okay. In fact we might just steal him. Yes, we can get him a little cameoflauge bandana and he can run off with us. No one will ever know little bandito. Yo quiro taco bell.

PPS. Matt--we almost bought him a shirt tonight. I love Walmart.

Cause he never checks my blog....

Yep. Thats my guy. 'Nuff said.

PICTURES!!!

<----quite possibly the best picture that I have ever taken.










<---poor little miss katelyn. I cant believe she let Riley do this to her.






<---aunt vanessa and riley sliding in ohio






<---our new curb appeal








<----Riley and makeup. The less is more technique is lost on her....

Wooohooo!!! The computer is back!!

<----little buddy







<---our little fashion plate. Note the necklace. And the boots. On the wrong feet.....








Matt fixed our computer for us, so we have internet again!! (Thank you so much Matt!!!)

Not really much to catch up on. Derrick and I and various friends have been working on the house as much as humanly possible. Its coming along really well. We tore down shingles together tonight, and we will hopefully get the backside roofed tomorrow. The porch is totally up, and black papered, but needs shingles still. I have to admit, that I really like getting up there on the roof and helping. I just think i have a greater sense of accomplishment thinking that i helped! And my thighs are thanking me for it too!! I told Derrick between me being so sick this week, and all the work we have done in the last couple weeks, I should be back into pre-baby clothes! Sadly, thats not the fact though!!

Riley is doing well. Sassy as ever. But its a sweet sassy, so we will take it! She had an absolute meltdown this morning, because she didnt have any "princesses" (dresses) to wear. I took her over to Old Navy this afternoon, and 36.00 later she should be set for life with "princesses".

Chase is going to be a year old next month. Thats crazy talk, i know. He still isnt walking on his own, but he is crawling everywhere, and into everything! Its funny to watch him interact with Riley. He has actually tackled her a couple times. Its pretty funny to watch until the hair pulling (he pulls Rileys hair) gets a little to painful to watch.

Alright. Off to bed! Happy (almost) fathers day!!!

<-- Riley and Payton







<---- I see you......








<--- you kno woyu have fallen asleep like this too.








<--- my poor lawn





<---the best happy birthday cupcakes ever!!!

Bucket Head

<-----Chase peeking out the window, watching daddy on the little tractor.






<---this one is for my Magan. I told you it would happen. :)





<---At the park






<---Chase and Grandpa at Easter.





So. I know I have not updated in a while. We have all been sick with some crap and I had another paper due this week so we have been a little pre-occupied. Plus my ipod came. This thing is like my new freaking best friend. Cleaning after the kids are in bed? ipod. Finishing the last chapter before a test? ipod. Surfing the internet? ipod. Tuning out Derrick watching smallville? ipod. I seriously bought this thing so that I could start running to something other than the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. But with the chest congestion i have had it hasnt been an option. Yet. But it will. Later this week, I am sure!
Other than that, not much going on. Chase can walk himself around things now. He is a full speed crawler. And is love with the dogs water bowl. And of course we have the biggest water bowl known to man, so there is plenty to splash around and play with. Chase sure knows how to make life interesting.
Riley is increasing her vocabulary everyday. Today she told me that the strawberries we had for lunch were beautiful. Cute.
Alright. Update over. :)

Some random pics....

<----Chase sleeping on Easter







<---Chase on the dishwasher door. I know its sideways, but I didnt have time to rotate it.





<---Chase smiling on Daddys lap







<-----Riley playing








<-----Chase in the swing. I love this picture!!

In the last 24 hours.....

<---reading





<---funny face








<----no toys for this kid. Just coasters






<---nice lip huh??








<---busy wokring on her palm pilot....




Not all of these are from the last 24 hours....well the lip is....let me tell you what my children have done in the last four hours....

- Riley, while jumping up and down in her crib (to show off for her brother) bit her lip. Pretty bad. Bad enough mommy called the resident for OMFS, just to make sure.
- Riley has NOT had a nap. The two in the same room proves to be too exciting for her.
- I moved the kids into one room. See above.
- They colored on eachother. With a neon highlighter. Thank God it was before bathtime.
- They both tormented the dog with graham crackers.
- Riley mixed apple puffs with pot roast dinner. And ate it. Disgusting.
- Chase got his head stuck in between the couch and the end table. Twice.

I am sure that I am being payed back for something. I am just more sure that its really something Derrick did when he was younger. Seeing as I was so angelic, this cant be one of my traits.........

So the kids are both in bed now. Bathed. Fed. And laying there talking and giggling at eachother. I keep having to go in there to remind Riley that its bedtime and they need to be quiet. Its kinda cute though that they still like eachother enough to act like its one big slumber party! We are starting the new addition next weekend, so we figured that it was best to move them now, instead of two weeks from now. This way they will hopefully be a little more adjusted to sharing when they move to our room (and we move to the back room). I am really counting on their rooms to be done quickly, as I am not really thinking that we are going to have the best living arrangements for that period of time. Derrick assures me that it will be quick, but I know that he will be doing things mostly himself, so it will be hard on him. I am going to try as much as possible to help, but i am kind of limited until after the kids go to bed.

Alright....off to get some things done while its quiet(er)........

Pics from today...

I seriously need to learn how to put more pics in one post!

We took the kids to the st louis city museum today. What an amazing place! We had so muh fun. We saw turtles, and fish and stingrays and clownfish and bunnies, just a little of everything! We went down big slides and crawled through the belly of a whale. We saw a old arcade, ate PB&J for lunch, played in a huge ballpit, painted, and slid down more big slides! It was really fun, and I cant wait until the kids are a little older and more able to climp things so that we can do it all over again! There were so many nooks and crannies to go through, but we were kind of handicapped with the stroller and a small two year old! All in all though it was really fun, and we enjoyed it. Although I still think mom and dad deprived us because they didnt take us when we we younger. Maybe us three girls should go together (sans little kids) this summer when everyone is home. We would really have a lot of fun. I posted three pics of the OUTSIDE of the museum. You can climb up ALL of these things. I told you it was amazing!!

Alright. I made Derrick stop at the scrapbook store, so I better do something with all my goodies tonight... :)