Love these days...

Cleaningmakesmeill-itis

So I have come to a realization this week that I think I need to address....for those who are concerned (SHANE BROWN), please read below:

The Lord did not give me great housekeeping genes, if anything, he skipped that all together when he was knitting me. I read blogs about yall being so organized "only one more load of laundry to fold" or "it is cleaning day and the whole house is spotless". My laundry is NEVER done, not even close! I never can make my house spotless. I used to think that I just did not have time, but I have recently realized that I just don't do it!! I am kidding myself that I am just too busy. I can make time for lunches, making bows with friends, and shopping all on top of my busy work load, but cleaning the house or laundry NEVER make the list. Now, if I am entertaining, I will clean this house and shove laundry in hidden places faster than you can imagine, but that is not the way to do it and that just causes so much more stress later...so I have had to come to the realization that I can't help it...I am just made this way and I my remedy is a housekeeper. If I have a headache, I take Aleve, if I am bad sick, I go to the Dr...when I have this disease I will now refer to as "cleaningmakesmeill-itis", we need to hire the best remedy possible, a housekeeper. Cleaningmakesmeill-itis is a common disease and I feel that so many women are fighting it and hurting themselves cleaning their homes. If only so many husbands would realize it and get their wives the help they need to hopefully put an end to this phenomenon, the world would be a much happier, fresh smelling, dust free, place. Just think of all the happier wives if their houses were cleaned...and we all know happier wives equal even happier husbands!! So will you join me in this revolution, stop the insanity, stop the constant mopping, dusting and vacuuming, join me in the fight against CLEANINGMAKESMEILL-ITIS!

Our next fights once this is conquered: EXCERSIZEISFORTHEBIRDS-emia, POTTYTRAININGSUCKS-enza, and BUDGET-POX.

DISCLAIMER: Yes, I know I sound like a spoiled brat and ungrateful for the house I have to clean, the mounds of clothes that need to be washed, and my legs, arms, etc. This is all in good fun, strategically written close to Mother's Day and for the sole purpose of my husband reading it and yall laughing. Please know that any mean comments will not be approved and I will hit reject as soon as I see them bc this is my blog and I said so!

My Owen

I want to take moment on the blog and talk about my love, Owen! He is the absolute sweetest thing in this house, different from the girls, sweet! Owen can make me laugh faster anyone else in the world! He is the funniest little boy and is developing his own funny personality. His innocence right now, is something I hope I NEVER forget!! Here are a few things about Owen that I have to get in writing so I will always remember...

Owen is so sympathetic to his sisters. If Claire hurts herself or is in trouble, he stresses out and usually ends up in tears too. So sweet...If Bree is crying or if she makes a peep in her bed, he quickly comes and tells me "B's crying!". If I don't catch him though, he will tell her to "stop crying"! Now, if he is the one that inflicted said crying...he starts crying too, hoping I will feel sympathetic too =).

Owen could live outside, LITERALLY!! When it is remotely nice out, he spends as much time as possible playing in the backyard with the dogs and just walking around or playing ball.

Owen is the pickiest eater in the house! He is very simple, hot dogs, chips, pizza, chicken nuggets, and anything sweet. He can put away an entire box of Capri Sun in one day and could eat hot dogs for every meal, including breakfast. When we all eat at the table, he will sit there, arms crossed and mad, refusing to eat unless it is one of the above foods!! We are talking, will go without eating anything at supper! It is stressful sometimes, but Shane and I are usually laughing when we are cleaning up....believe me, he makes up for it later when he sneaks his snacks. He will bring me a yogurt and spoon, smile real big and ask me to open it =)! Some things are just not the worth the fight in this house...

He still has his Christmas tree up in his room. Owen did not get the memo that Christmas is over!! He asks almost daily to watch one of his favorite Christmas movies!! I don't let him here, but Nonna caves and Owen watches them at her house. When I went to take his tree down, he was so upset and did not understand AT ALL...so I just left it up, WHO CARES!!!???

Owen can fall asleep anywhere!!!! As soon as we get in the van, he is OUT!! But he does not believe in sleeping at night! He is such a night owl...at night me and Shane will be downstairs and he will come down, hours after we think he is asleep (he falls asleep watching a movie), sit on the stairs and say "Daddy, movies over."

Owen obsesses!!! What do I mean, you ask??!! When Owen is interested in something, that is all we hear about for days (we refer to it as "Dog with a bone")!! Right now, he is obsessed with the Wii. I bet we get asked 100 times a day "Can I bowl? or Can I play mariokart?" He is relentless!!!! He finds a pair of shoes he likes and that is all we wear for days/weeks!! He is also so obsessed with bowling right now, he asks to go bowling at least 2-3 times a day, if we drive past Fast Lanes (local bowling place), he loses his mind!!!

Owen is still and I think always will be obsessed with sports, mainly football, baseball, golf and right now he wants to watch bowling (seriously) and fighting on TV. He would rather watch any of these than a kids show. He is constantly playing these sports (including fighting) in the house and outside. Everything he comes in contact with, he throws, kicks or hits with something! We are amazed at how insane he is about these sports already and we are not officially playing yet!!!

He calls Claire "Cwaire" and he calls Bree "B" =)!

O is extremely tough! If he we even know he is hurt, he gets over it quickly and moves on! He won't stop long enough to care!

He cracks us up and when he does watch Dora, Diego or any of these kind of shows. He gets so annoyed with the show and yells the answers at tv, thoroughly put out they are not answering back or that they are just too slow!!

He and Shane are like two buddies and are practically the same person in two people =)! They play too rough, at least I think so (and a couple grandmas think so too =)), but Owen is tough and STRONG WILLED!!

He has two buddies that he thinks are the absolute coolest - Harry and Maddox! They are TROUBLE when the three of them get together!!! Owen and Maddox have to be kept separated at school!!!

Owen is getting a little attitude - his new thing for example: Owen will ask Shane "Daddy can I play Wii?" I will answer "No, not right now." Owen will look at me and say "No Mama, I was talking to Daddy!" and vice versa, until he thinks he will get the answer he wants =).

If he is too bored during the day, he will come to me and say "Mama, can we go wun ewands?" (run errands)...he thinks "running errands" is going to the mall =)...when Shane put that together, that was a fun conversation =)!

Writing this, I realize that I have a little mess on my hands =), but I would not have it any other way (ask me that again tonight when he refuses to eat his dinner haha)!! He is so sweet and funny, constantly keeping us on our toes! Before long, Owen is going to be busy in sports and not willing to sit with his Mama and just chill or love going to Target and shopping just for the popcorn from the front concessions =)!! Owen is the only boy in all this drama we call Claire and Bree, but he holds his own and never gets lost in shuffle!! I was not really sure what I was going to do with a boy when I was pregnant with him, but Owen has changed me and I love him soooooo much!

Thanks for indulging me...these kids are just growing up too fast!!

Friends and Crawfish!

We had a great weekend!! Our best friends David and Amy invited us to come down to Little Rock for Amy's sister and BIL's Crawfish Boil!! So, Shane's parents took the kids all day Saturday and Sunday, we loaded up Saturday morning with David and Amy and drove down!! We had so much fun as that crew in LR is a blast and our other buddies, Josh and Amber, met up with us at the party! It was a fun night and a great short getaway!! We came home today, Bree was excited, Claire and Owen were less than thrilled that we were already back...crying and begging to stay with the grandparents :)! Today, I am recovering from the weekend, trying to get everything back in order and preparing for another week! I think this is actually going to be a low key week with work and such, I should be able to get laundry done, clean the house, get caught up on things....or I could go eat lunch with friends, do a little shopping and catch up on The Real Housewives...I know what I would rather do =)!! Happy Monday!!!

Me and my girl Amy!!!
The boys playing washers... Shane feeding me a crawfish =)...he didn't want me to touch it or really see it, probably not a good sign ;)

Two of my favorite girls!!! Me and the fabulous hostess, Mrs Kim!!

Pretty girls!!

Me and my date this weekend!

Cute Amy and David!!

Love Amber and Josh - going to miss them!!

One month changes EVERYTHING!

Bree is 8 months old today!!! My oh my how things have changed in one month!! I know this is my third but I really forgot how quickly things can change in such a short time!! Bree is ALL OVER THE PLACE!! She is not crawling, but we are rocking and scooting and pulling up EVERYWHERE!!! If she is in your lap she wants down, if she is down she wants in your lap!! She is clapping and dancing now too!! That is the cutest thing EVER!! She is also VERY LOUD!!! She has found her voice, saying Mama and almost Uh-oh and Dada. But mostly, she yells and squeals and laughs and yells some more!!! She is spoiled rotten and we love her!!! She has added spaghetti-o's to her foods this month and loves them =)! She is starting to act shy when people talk to her by hiding her face and she is not real fond of me leaving her. She loves to be outside and already has tan lines in the creases on her rolls in her arms =). Our 8 month photo shoot was wild today and we got as many shots as possible as she was trying to bail off the couch or chair the WHOLE time!! Needless to say, we have our hands FULL with this ball of fire!! That's okay - next month I am sure it will be something else!!!

Three doses of HAPPINESS!

Laundry piled up, dishes in the sink, Blackberry buzzing with many emails, toys all over the house....sounds like an absolute perfect time to go outside and relax with the lights of my life!!!!! Sometimes it takes something big to knock you back and see things the way the He wants you to...but sometimes the Lord just gives you little things to bring you back home!!