Team Dobbertin

Moving!!

2011-09-01T10:12:00.001-04:00

Team Dobbertin is moving... Well, moving our blog anyway. I am finally giving up blogger and heading over to wordpress. Sorry, blogger. you've served me well, but it's time to move on.

I will be consolidating my two blogs into one - you can read more about it on my "About" page over at the new blog:

thefrugalrock.wordpress.com

Thanks for following us on over!

So fickle

2011-08-27T10:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was up to my eye balls in messes and crabby kids. I was very content with my three little ones. And even considering giving one or more away.

Today, I look around at all the messes and craft stations we have going and I am quite sure I need several more little ones around calling me mama and hanging on my legs.

It's such a wonder what a good nights sleep will do for your spirit. A loud and joyful "Thank You!" to the baby who finally slept through the night. It's been a long nine and half months...

The Creative Family

2011-08-26T10:41:00.002-04:00

I picked up this book at the library last week and haven't been able to put it down - well, I put it down long enough to start crafting away! Then it's right back in my hands. I only have a few pages left but it has been such a fun read. It is full of creative inspiration for me and the kids. Gavin has even been looking at all of the tutorials saying, "Let's do that!" It has been so much fun! It is a book that has landed a permanent place on my "recommended reading" list. I must warn you though, be ready to ignore your household chores to break out the sewing machine, paints, yarn, colored pencils and so much more!

Turning 30, Ten years together and a Tattoo

2011-08-02T16:15:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's been a month since I turned 30 and I haven't even blogged about it. I've been waiting for this since I was 16 years old. I love 30. It's where I've always wanted to be. Now that I am here, it feels just like I thought it should. I feel settled, secure, and truly love my life.

In a few short weeks Ryan and I will be celebrating 10 years together as man and wife. Ryan truly has been my greatest gift in life. When I think about what my life would have been like if I hadn't married him ... well, I really can't even consider it. I'm thankful for every day, every minute with him.

A few years ago, in anticipation of these two big events, I decided that I was going to get a tattoo this summer. I've always wanted one - the same thing, in the same place. My determination never wavered. A few weeks ago, I went ahead and did it! I love it and am so glad I waited for this momentous occasion - it's makes it that much more meaningful. One of the best parts about the tattoo, is that my best friend from high school helped to design it. I love that.

Text messages and Beach Days!

2011-07-27T15:37:00.004-04:00

I frequently receive text messages from Ryan around 3:00 that read: "on my way home, wanna go to the beach?"

I LOVE getting this message. I always have our beach bags packed and ready to go. All I have to do is pack up some food and we can hit the road. It is so refreshing going in the evening when there are less people there and it isn't quite so hot. Here are some pictures from our recent beach outings. It's fun living so close to Lake Michigan!

Wake up Call!

2011-07-11T21:27:00.002-04:00

Confession - I didn't actually start waking up at 6:00 until today. Let me tell you, I thought I was going to die. This is going to be an adjustment for me. You bet I hit that snooze button as soon as the alarm went off. Less than two minutes later, Charlotte was up crying dramatically. I went into her room and rubbed her back for a few minutes and she settled back down. As I was staggering out of her room, I thought "Okay, okay. I'm up!" and I stayed up. It was rough, though and I accomplished very little. I should have prepped my coffee the night before. I didn't want to wake everyone up while grinding my beans. I think a hot cuppa would have helped me wake up a bit more. I sure hope tomorrow is better. I'm sure it will get easier and easier every day, right? RIGHT? (in need of some encouragement here!)

Preparing for Fall

2011-07-07T23:16:00.004-04:00

I know that summer is only half over, but I have already started prepping our Fall schedule. I've always been a "get up when the kids get up" kind of mom. It's worked for me up until this point. I've gone through short (very short) spurts where I would climb out of bed before them. Now that I have three kids, quiet moments are extremely few and very far between. Getting up before the kids will be a must once our Fall schedule starts. Instead of waiting until Fall, I am going to implement this aspect of our schedule now. This week, I will be getting up at 6:00 a.m. That gives me one hour all to myself before my munchkins start their day.

Do you think I can do it?

Soccer Star

2011-06-24T09:58:00.006-04:00

I haven't been doing a great job of documenting my kids lives, which is what this blog originated as.

Gavin played indoor soccer for the park district this spring. He didn't love it, but he did well. They don't keep score, which drives me crazy, but Gavin's team did really well. They won the majority of the time (I kept score!) and Gavin even scored a few goals. At one point I was giving him some advice and Gavin told me, "Mom, I don't care about winning. I just want to have fun." Well said, buddy, well said.

But, to all of my T-ball buddies from way back when, I have to say, "Don't go fishin', just poke it, and the Bunny Hut RULES!!!"

Anyway, here are some pic's of my little champ getting his medal:

The Star with his favorite cheerleader!

Getting his medal from Coach Gill

Sweet Boy

2011-06-23T10:31:00.002-04:00

When I hopped out of the shower this morning Gavin told me:
(pretty much all in one breath, the way he usually talks)
"Mom, when you were in the shower, this is what I did. First, I played by myself for a minute, then I went and spent time with Chasey, and then, I went and did a puzzle with Charlotte. Then, I went back and played with Chasey, and then went back to Charlotte. I think I'll do that EVERY time you are in the shower."

He has his moments where he isn't so fond of his siblings. But for the most part, he puts them first.
This makes mama happy!

My three

2011-06-21T23:27:00.002-04:00

I feel like this picture is a good representation of each of my children.

Gavin: I'm smiling because you told me to and that's what I do. I'm the perfect child.
Charlotte: Don't look at me or talk to me, I will not do what you want me to do only because you want me to do it.
Chase: What's going on? This isn't about me? Then I'm not that interested... Ooh, look! Something shiny!

I love these kids!

Charts

2011-05-05T17:10:00.002-04:00

To read about this chart I made, head on over to my other blog Frugal Rock, to read my post about it!

By the way . . .

2011-04-27T15:54:00.002-04:00

I am still in the process of compiling my list of 30 meals. I haven't forgotten. Projects just run slow around here these days! I've got about 17 meals on the list but only five of them are typed out with the ingredients and recipes. I am still working on the formatting, too. I want it to be easy access when I'm headed to the market. Okay, grocery store. I wanted to sound cooler than I really am.

I still need a few more recipes or ideas, so if you didn't chime in before - THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!

Do you ever want to . . .

2011-04-25T23:48:00.001-04:00

Do you even want to tell someone they are being an idiot?

I do. But I don't.

Reading, Reading, Reading

2011-04-23T22:17:00.002-04:00

Gavin and I picked up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Library for our read a loud. We. Loved. It.! We seriously could not put it down. After every chapter Gavin would say, Can we read another one? I couldn't resist, so we did. We'd put the babies down for a nap and read, read, read! It was so fun. I think we read it in just under a week. It usually takes us several weeks to get through a chapter book together.

Next on our list is The Trumpet of the Swan. I've never read this one, but I know it's a children's favorite. And really, how can you go wrong with E.B. White? Hello! Charlotte's Web? I hope we love it just as much!

What have you been reading with your kids lately?

What I'm missing most

2011-04-19T22:28:00.004-04:00

I'm not even sure it's been 24 hours since my last post. You know, where I resolved to continue nursing. I am already wavering. Mostly because I am missing my coffee. Chase baby has a SUPER sensitive tummy and caffeine does not agree with him. It was hard at first, but then I got used to it. Well, Starbucks just came out with their tribute blend AND 100% Kona. I've tasted both and they are TO. DIE. FOR. Okay, maybe a little dramatic. But they are delicious. Ryan has been brewing a pot every evening after dinner. It has taken some SERIOUS restraint on my part not to guzzle a cup (or two or three!) I don't drink decaf either. Why bother?

Nursing

2011-04-18T16:35:00.002-04:00

I loved nursing my first two. I nursed Gavin for about 13 months and Charlotte weaned herself around 10 months. This time, things are different! I SO want to be done nursing Chase baby. I am so jealous of my friends that have stopped nursing their babies. Most days, I am just so over it. Most days, that is. On those days I am tired, over extended, under nourished, and being pulled in three different directions (literally).
Then, there's those days when things are calm and I feel rested. On those days, I feel like I could nurse him for several more months. These are the rational days. The days when I know I am doing whats best for him, when I am not thinking of only myself and my comfort. These days are so short and I need to remember that. So, this is my resolve to keep at it. Whew, I feel better.

The fact that breast milk is FREE helps out a lot, too. I hate paying for formula!

Minial living

2011-04-02T15:32:00.003-04:00

As I briefly mentioned in my last post, the Dobbertin's are slowly getting into minimalist living. I feel like it's been coming on for some time but it's recently taken off at a whole new level! I feel that I have so much to say about it that Ryan (yes, he's getting involved too!) and I are starting a separate blog in case you all want to join us in our journey or at the very least, read about it! I was thinking of just doing one post, but my mind immediately went nuts with all of the things I'd like to say about it. So, please follow me on over to here, add us to your google reader and help us on our path to owning and consuming less.

Phases

2011-03-31T21:03:00.000-04:00

I often go in and out of different phases. I sort of have an excessive personality. When I like or do something, I really DO it! I look back on some of these with fond memories and some I look back and shake my head. What was I thinking?
Some of the phases I've been through are:

Scrapbooking - I made Gavin THREE huge books in his first year of life

Blogging - I used to blog about every little thing, now I'm lucky if I blog at all

Photography - I can't tell you how many times I've dressed up my kids to take shots of them at home. Glad that's over. Although, I do wish I took more pics these days.

Animal Crossing - Gavin got the game Animal Crossing for the wii last year. Slightly addicting, okay REALLY addicting. We played a lot. Again, glad that's over with.

American Idol - used to watch this show every single week, twice a week. I gave it up a few years ago. It was just too much with the kids. I was always shushing everyone and frustrated if I couldn't hear every last word. Can you say "Pathetic?"

Good Will Shopping - I still like to thrift, but I don't do it as often. Probably has something to do with our two story shop with no elevators. Not very stroller friendly if you ask me. While I love a great bargain, I really just brought home a ton of junk that I didn't need.

Some phases (obsessions?) that I am going through right now are - crocheting, making bread in the bread machine (yummo), washing all my clothes in Downy(the pink cap!) and my newest addition is minimalist living (more to come on this).

What phases have you gone through?

Reading

2011-03-30T14:21:00.004-04:00

Gavin is doing really well with reading. We finally finished the book "teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons." I quickly whipped up this cake to celebrate! I know it looks terrible, but I don't care, Gavin loved it!

He does not, however, love to read. He dreads it. It is such a chore for him. He gets discouraged because he thinks he should be reading as well as I do. Ryan gave him some BIG motivation by telling him that if he reads 100 books he will buy him a DS. We are at number 41, but it is kind of miserable. It's getting better, the more he reads the better he gets. I just don't know why he hates it so much . . .
Any tips, homeschool moms?

Back to life, back to reality!

2011-03-24T22:28:00.002-04:00

Ever since Chase was born, (okay, ever since I was about six months preggo with Chase) my wonderful and selfless husband has been doing the grocery shopping for our family. I know, I know. I hang my head in shame. He also does a lot of the laundry and always helps me cook dinner.

Anyway, now that you know I am a terrible wife/housekeeper, here is what this post is really about . . .
Ryan is doing another interim role for Starbucks. He no longer has one store, he has 13 stores (13 STORES!!!) to run for the next 10 weeks. If he does well, the job could be his. So, I figured it's about time I take the grocery shopping back and relieve him of this chore. I do have to say, he never once complained about it and didn't even ask me to start doing it. I'm pretty sure he would have happily continued to do it for me. But, I want him to be able to relax when he gets home and not have to go on the weekends. So, I am in the process of coming up with a list of 30 meals, complete with all ingredients listed. That way, I can pick out the meals I want for the week and head to the grocery. Sounds easy enough, right?

Not so fast!

I am having trouble coming up with 30 meals. Truth be told I think we rotate through the same 7-10 meals each week. Ewww. I'm in a huge rut.

This is the part where you all come in! Please post your favorite (easy-ish) meal for me so I can add it to my list. Once the list is completed, I'll post it for ya'll and you can copy it for your own enjoyment! You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

Thanks blogger bud's. I KNOW you'll come through for me. If not, I'll just have to hunt you down on facebook. :)

Charlotte

2011-03-18T09:42:00.002-04:00

One Crazy Girl

Our late talker has now become our excessive talker. She talkes all the time. Possibly, she talks more than her brother - who also never stops talking. It's not very quiet at our house!

Charlotte does not love going to bed. She puts up a little fight every once in awhile with the hopes of staying up. Sometimes, I am just so tired that I just give her what she wants. The other night as I put her to bed and this is what the scene looked like:
She wanted to wear undies to bed but I insisted she wear a diaper (she hasn't woken up dry once). So we compromised a bit. She had on her diaper, her way too small Elmo jams and some undies over top of them. It was SO funny. Gavin was cracking up when he saw it in the morning.
Also in her bed were her standard items - her blankie, a tissue, her small pillow, her pillow pet, Pooh Bear, Minnie Mouse, her baby doll and a Curious George book. She never goes to bed without these items. This night however, we were adding things to the list - another C.G. book, another baby doll, several outfit changes for the baby dolls (complete with accessories) and a regular sized pillow. All that in a tiny little toddler bed. It was worth it though. Ryan and I got a good laugh out of it all, especially the undies!

Another great thing about Charlotte is that she will only wear 100% cotton. This girl loves to be comfortable. I have yet to wrangle her into a dress for church. She loves the way they look on the hanger, and will often choose a dress. Once it's on however, she HATES the way it feels and looks. She's a pants kind of a girl! Which is okay with me. I can't even tell you the last time I wore a skirt/dress - maybe last Easter?

She is one crazy kid and I love her more than words can say!!!

Up the nose

2011-02-26T23:07:00.000-05:00

So, if we're friends on Facebook, you probably already know this, but here's the story anyway.

I was in the shower the other morning and when I got out, Charlotte was playing with the game Operation. She loves this game. Some of the pieces are rubber and green. Charlotte loves these pieces and sometimes she walks around with them in her hands for hours. I think she just likes the way they feel. Well, I guess she wanted to know what they felt like up her nose, because that is where she stuck one.

As soon as I got out of the shower she came over and showed me one piece said, "Nose" and then sniffed a few times. She actually pretends to stick things up her nose a lot. I think she likes the reaction she gets from me (It's a middle child thing - you know, negative attention is still attention). Well, I thought that was what she was doing. So I said, "No no Charlotte. We don't stick things up our nose. It's dangerous." Well, she kept following me and saying, "Up nose, up nose." Then I started looking for all of the pieces to the game. I enlisted the help of Gavin and we were searching for all three green pieces. We found two. I put her up on my bed and sure enough, I saw it up there. I couldn't get it out with tweezers and she wouldn't blow it out. I was a little panicky. I called the doctor and they said I needed to come in right away. I rushed around and got all three kids ready and headed out the door.

On my way there, she seemed fine so I started to chuckle to myself about it. I called my mom and we had a good laugh. I did this with a sticker when I was little. An hour later (thank you Chicago traffic) we pulled up to the dr.'s office and before I could get the kids out of the car, Charlotte puked all down the front of her. I started to panic again. I ran them all inside, got us checked in and then took her to the bathroom, stripped her down and tried to clean her up.

Once they called us back into our room, the nurse was taking her time. She was taking her temp, weighing her, and just chatting with us. It was nuts. Then she came back in with these long, sharp tweezers. She pulled that thing out w/i three seconds. It was awesome. Charlotte must have thought so to, because she was bouncing off the walls after ward.

Not fun to stick things in your nose, little girl. Not fun!

Busy

2011-02-24T21:41:00.000-05:00

Remember all the way back when you just had one child?

I do. I think I scrapbooked all day. I look back on those days and think, Why oh why did I not take advantage of all that time? It's funny, but I thought I was SO busy.

Then came baby number two. Life got for real busy. I was running AWANA at our church and I thought I had NO time for anything else.

Now I have three. I am homeschooling, nursing an infant and potty training a toddler all at the same time. Oh, and did I mention I help head up the children's ministry at church? I read at least one book per month, if not more. I attend play groups, have lots of play dates and I go on dates with my husband (which we've really done before - I know, I can hear you gasping as you read this) at least once a month.

I can't imagine how much I will be able to do if/when baby number four comes along! It's as if with each child you gain some super power to do more and more and more!

I forgot!

2011-02-23T21:31:00.002-05:00

A normal day for Chase looks a little something like this . . .
wake up
get fed
sit in the exasaucer until he cries
move him to the bouncy seat till he cries
nap
wake up
get fed
sit in the exasaucer until he cries
and so on . . .
I do love on him and coo with him while feeding him and carting him around, but that's about it.

This past Sunday Charlotte and Chase had boogies and were feeling a little down, so I stayed home with them. Gavin and Ryan went to church.
Even though they were sick, I had the best morning. I bathed and pampered my two little ones! Chase got the works after his bath - ears cleaned out, lotion over his whole body, and even a little powder.
Charlotte and I had some quiet snuggle time and read some books together.
I have to say, I forgot what it was like to care exclusively for little ones. I am so busy during the day trying to homeschool Gavin and make sure I take advantage of all of the teachable moments. Sometimes I overlook the moments to just be with the babies. Sunday morning was just what I needed to slow me down and not forget that they grow so fast! Even though I hate missing church, I am grateful for the reminder.

Snuggle your babies today!

Update on Chase

2011-02-21T10:27:00.003-05:00

Well, after my last post and talking with a few friends I decided to let Chase cry it out one night. He cried for maybe 15 minutes and then went back to sleep for a few more hours. The next time he woke up, I fed it because it had been about 6 hours. Then he went back to sleep for three more hours.

That next day, he started himself on the perfect four hour schedule. He ate, stayed awake for two hours, slept for two hours and then ate again. He did this ALL DAY. He followed that up with a six hour sleep stretch that night. This has been our routine for the last few days. It has been WONDERFUL. I feel energized and ready to tackle whatever comes my way!

Charlotte even walked into the room last night holding her poop. I calmly took her to the bathroom and took care of it. Sleep deprived, I would have FREAKED!

Thanks for all of the advice, encouragement and especially prayers! I know that they worked!

Advice

2011-02-16T21:25:00.002-05:00

I don't usually do this, but I am desperate at this point. Chase is not a good sleeper. He WAS a good sleeper. At 6 weeks he was sleeping 5 and 6 hour stretches. It was awesome. Then we went to MI for Christmas and everything has been going downhill since then. I am having THE HARDEST TIME getting this kid on a schedule. I came to the point where I decided that he just maybe would function better not being on a schedule (not everyone is like me, after all!). Well, I started letting him do his own thing, but it is just maddening to me and he IS NOT a happy baby. I never know if he wants to eat, sleep or just hang out. When he cries I have no idea what he needs. My older two were the perfect baby wise babies, esp. Charlotte. She was sleeping nine hours by seven weeks.
Chase is waking up 2-4 times every night. Here are some things I've tried so far with him.
I put a heater in his room and socks over his hands to keep him warm - worked for one or two nights.
I finally let him sleep on his tummy (he seems more comfortable that way BUT, when he cries really hard it makes me nervous.)
I've given him gas drops b/c sometimes I go in there when he is crying in the night and I hear him tooting, then he'll go back to sleep.
I've cut dairy out of my diet (for the most part)as that seems to upset his tummy just like it did with Charlotte
I've give up caffeine, but he seems crazier since I did that
I haven't let him cry it out yet. I didn't have to do that with Charlotte and it makes me sad.

To be honest, the night feedings aren't really bothering me as much as his daily routine (or lack thereof). His feedings are fine, eating every three or four hours, but his naps are just all over the place. I know that if I can get him on a good daily schedule, the night sleep will fall into place. I've read lots of sleep training books and I'm too tired to read more. Please, just tell me what to do!

One of THOSE days

2011-02-14T15:53:00.003-05:00

Today has been a hard day! One of those, grin and bear it kind of days. My first mistake was trying to bake cookies at 9:00 this morning while all 3 were awake and lively. I resorted to letting the olders eat about 3 or 4 mini reece cups. This of course made things worse. They were so hyper they woke up baby from his nap.

We've hardly done ANY school today. I don't really feel that badly about it, though. I'm learning to be flexible and I know we are ahead.

The baby has been crying all day. I resorted to putting him in the sling for part of the morning. You know, one of those things I said I'd NEVER do. I've stopped saying "I will never..." because I so often find myself doing those very things!

Chase also puked in the huge bin of legos (at least he stopped crying after that) . Gavin was SO grossed out. He plays with legos for hours a day. I mean HOURS. So, this interrupted his play. He was really great about it, though. We were able to salvage some that didn't have spit up on it for him to play with while I cleaned up the rest, which took forever.

To top everything off, it's Valentines Day. A day we never celebrate. Until this year. The hubbs surprised me with a card. and flowers. and a gift! I was floored. It was so nice, yet left me feeling like a schmuck b/c I didn't get him a thing! Hence the baking of his favorite cookies at 9 a.m. Gavin and I also whipped together a scavenger hunt for him to find the cookies. The last clue reads - "Is this the last clue? Hmmm, I wonder. You may find your gift hiding with your clean unders!" Yep, we hid them in his underwear drawer. Gavin's idea, of course.

Well, it's only nap time (although I feel like it's bedtime). It looks like my house has exploded and I am hoping that Ryan is game for pizza tonight!

I do have to say, (amidst all of the chaos) I love my life, my kids and I can't wait to smooch Ryan when he gets home!
Hope your V day has gone smoother than mine!

Wonder where we've been?

2011-02-10T10:40:00.003-05:00

If you've been wondering where the Dobbertin's have been, I'll tell you.

I've been nursing Chase, bouncing Charlotte on my leg and reading with Gavin all at the same time. Don't worry, I take sips of coffee here and there in between all of that.

Life is moving at an incredibly fast pace. I miss blogging. I miss READING blogs. I checked my google reader last night and I had over 100 blog posts to catch up on. I skimmed and trimmed, or course, but I got caught up with you all.

Homeschooling has been fun, challenging and incredibly rewarding. I am furiously researching curriculum for next year. what are you all doing next year? I may do a post on what I've figured out so far. You know, with all my spare time . . .

Miss you all!

A - Apple

2010-12-06T13:55:00.004-05:00

Key Phrase: If I stay in Jesus, I will have much fruit
Verse: Galatians 5:22

This week we learned all about apples, the letter A and the fruit of the spirit.

We read an Apple A Day: from orchard to you and looked up lots of information about apples.

We taste tested several different kinds of apples and then cut them up and discussed 1/2 and 1/4.

Gavin made a fruits and veggies poster and separated them into the two categories.

We read 10 apples up on top and made a picture of Gavin and glued apples numbered 1-10 on top of his head. Gavin had to put them in numerical order.

Gavin painted a picture of a tree and once it dried, he pasted apples on it labeled with the fruits of the spirit.

We read about Johnny Appleseed, which was quite fun! Gavin is still talking about him.

We made apple crisp - yummo!

We took all the seeds out of the apples, counted them, sorted them, did some addition and subtraction with them and then pasted them to a piece of paper in the shape of the letter A.

I made up a pattern page with apples for him to color.

We read A new House and then Gavin illustrated the story and retold it to me.

Unrelated to our theme, we did some math worksheets from mathisfun.com, we are continuing with our reading lessons (we are now on lesson 50 - half way done!), we are following the "reading plan" in our curriculum, as well. We also are still memorizing catechisms, working through our calendar each day and learning to count to by 5's, 10's etc.

Library Day

2010-11-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

On the first day of our unit studies we go to the library. I usually place the books I need/want on hold and have the librarian pull them for me. That way I can just waltz right in, grab my books and head out. Well, for whatever reason, I decided to locate the books myself this week. NIGHTMARE with three kids. Charlotte was all over the place ripping books off of the shelf. I was lugging Chase around in the car seat and sweating my brains out b/c I didn't want to take off my coat and have something else to carry. I'm not sure I'll ever do that again. The worst part is that I never even found the books that I needed. They were NOT on the shelf where they should have been.

How does one successfully visit the library with three kids under five?

Gavin

2010-11-29T13:14:00.002-05:00

This week Gavin is learning John 14:2. I asked him if he knew what it meant as we were going through it, phrase by phrase. He interrupted me to inform me that "prepared" means (and I quote) " I peed in my pair of pants, so I need to get a new pair."

Where on earth does he come up with these things?

Alive and Well

2010-11-22T14:40:00.005-05:00

We are here! and we are doing quite well. Life with three is busy. Chase Matthew has transitioned into our family well and we are enjoying him thoroughly. He is a sweet little guy who just seems to fit right it!

I had a dr.'s appointment on Nov. 5th. They did an ultrasound to check my fluid and promptly sent me directly to the hospital. Do not go home, do not pass go, etc. I got there around 12:30, they started the pitocin around 2:00, at 5:30 my nurse checked me and then ran out of the room. Ryan and I looked at each other and stared to laugh. Then we heard he yell down the hall, "DR. TYLER, DR. TYLER - YOU COME CATCH BABY!" We didn't believe her. My previous deliveries lasted around 18 hours. When Woo (our nurse :) ) came back into the room Ryan asked her when she thought the baby would be born. Her response was "BEFORE 6:00!!!!" Again, we looked at each other and laughed. We still didn't believe her. The next thing I knew, Dr. Tyler was in my room and baby Chase was flying out of me! It was seriously that fast. We were just cracking up the entire time b/c we couldn't believe it was happening. As soon as he was born the doctor was saying, "That's a big baby, he's at least 9 lbs!" 9lbs, 9 oz., to be exact! The poor guy came out so quickly that he was a little beat up. His face and head were bruised and the whites of his eyes were blood red. His bruising went away after a few days but he's still hanging on to the red eyes a bit. He's feeding and sleeping pretty well. We've had a few rough nights but overall I couldn't ask for an easier baby.

Gavin is over the moon and so in love with "Chaser Bean". He asks to hold him all the time and really wants to know when he can feed him a bottle! He watches him for me when I do the laundry or hop in the shower.

Charlotte had a rough week and half. She wasn't quite sure what to think. We've dealt with temper tantrums, waking up in the night, lots of mischief and have heard the word "NO!" a lot. Towards the end of last week she started calming down again and seems to be used to our new life with Chase. She loves him so much. She's never taken her frustration out on him. She loves to kiss him and wants to share everything with him - including suckers, chocolate chip cookies and sippy cups. She seems to think that he should share everything of his with her, too! I've seen her in his car seat and his bouncy chair. I've caught her with his passy in her mouth quite often and she even climbed up on my lap and tried to have a go at nursing. Yeah, I don't think so, Charlotte!

I am loving our new family of five. God is giving me lots of grace and patience during these busy days. I am trying to soak it all in and enjoy each moment - even getting pee'd on (Gavin thinks that is a HOOT!). Gavin has been learning Galatians 5:22-23 this week. "But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Hmmm, I think I needed that verse more than he did this week! I love how the Lord works these things out for us!

Well, this is way too long as it is. I'm sure you didn't make it to the end! Hopefully soon we'll get into a routine and blogging will be a part of it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

L is for Leaf

2010-11-03T11:01:00.009-04:00

"I will live and grow in Jesus"

This week (okay, week and a half) we learned all about the letter L and Leaves. Who knew there was so much to learn about leaves! We learned the different names of them, what their function is, how they can not live apart from the tree (just like we can not live and flourish apart from God) and many more things.

We made a chart and charted the different colors of leaves that we collected. We also sorted our leaves by sizes and shapes.

We did leaf rubbing. That was fun because while we were doing it Gavin said,
"This is awesome, MOM!" I loved that moment.

We made a book of leaves that we traced and named.

We painted leaf outlines.

We made a stained glass leaf picture - also very cool!

We read the book "A tree is nice" and Gavin made his own book retelling the story.

We also ramped up our math this week. I had Gavin doing some worksheets from mathisfun.com. He seems to really enjoy math and learning about numbers.

We preserved some leaves.

We had a great object lesson all week with a plant that we took care of. We ripped one leaf off of the plant to demonstrate how it can not live apart from the plant, just as we can not live apart from God. We sang, "Read your Bible pray every day". Charlotte and Gavin have been singing it together a lot this week. It's been SO CUTE to watch them.

We also did our letter worksheets, practiced penmanship (it's getting better) and played lots of games with the alphabet.

We've also been working on our phonics and reading. Reading with Gavin has been a long drawn out process. I feel like we've stopped and started so many times b/c he was just getting so frustrated with it. I was so afraid he was going to hate reading so I never really pushed it. Once we started homeschooling, I started all over again with our book "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons." I think we've started and stopped this two or three times. The part that kills me is that the book really works, he just wasn't all that into it. This time around has been different, though. He loves it, he's flying through it and reading GREAT! He is reading the stories in the book pretty quickly, without even having to sound out each letter. He has even started reading street signs and really anything he can figure out. It's cute and SO FUN! I finally feel like he's getting it! YAY!!!

Well, that was pretty much our lesson on the letter L and Leaves. I think it was my favorite one so far. Probably because I added so much to the curriculum this week. I felt like I was going a better job of teaching him and he was having more fun, too.

Our next lesson is A, Apple - "If I stay in Jesus, I will have much fruit". I'm not sure when we will be starting it, though. I think we'll be taking a week off after baby gets here!

40 weeks and 3 days . . .

2010-11-03T10:49:00.002-04:00

Well, I am half way through my master plan. It doesn't really feel like nesting because I really have no desire to be doing these tasks. However, the thought of coming home to a clean and organized house after having the baby is forcing me to continue. I am just plugging away doing what I can each day. It is exhausting but at least I am sleeping better because of it. At the end of a long day I sit down and think, "I really hope I don't have this baby tonight, I don't have the energy!!"

My doc set the induction date for Tuesday, November 9th. It looks like we will be going all the way again. The funny part is that I am totally okay with that this time around. I was mentally prepared this time. I wouldn't even know what to do if I went into labor. I guess my body just doesn't get it. This will be my third induction.

The good news is that I think we've picked a name! I'm not ready tell what it will be, just in case we change our minds, though. You'll just have to wait and see . . .

My Master Plan

2010-10-30T15:38:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is the big due date - not that I put much stock in that. I've never gone on or before my due date. I'm okay with that this time around. I am feeling pretty good. Not sleeping well because my lovely husband has taken to snoring so loud I feel like the house is shaking. Not sure why he has decided to do that now . . . He's impossible to wake up, too. Last night I was literally cracking up laughing because it was so loud and almost unreal! I'm going to try and get it on video tonight, just to show him how ridiculous it is.

Anyway, I have this master plan this week to clean (CLEAN) every room in the house. I started today with the kids room. I cleaned out their closet and drawers and swapped the last of the winter clothes in and the summer clothes out. I got rid of stuff we don't want or need and I even vacuumed under the bed! It feels good. Now, I just need to keep the kids out of there the rest of the week!

Tomorrow, I am hoping to organize our craft shelves and bins. The kids really did a number on them the other day when I was talking on the phone. They were so quiet, I knew something must have been up!

Well, I hope to have a post about a baby boy soon, but if not, I'll figure something to post about!

M is for Moon

2010-10-25T14:56:00.005-04:00

In a little of my spare time I've been searching for blogs specifically about homeschooling. I haven't really found one that I want to keep following. Let me know if you have any suggestions for me.

I have enjoyed reading YOUR blogs about your home school adventures so I decided to start documenting ours!

I am going to skip our first two weeks. I'm not too excited about back tracking and I didn't take too many pictures those weeks. AND, I didn't really add too many extras to it, so it was a little boring. This past week, I really ramped it up and we had more fun!

Our curriculum (My Father's World) focus' on one letter and one main theme per week. This week was the letter M and we learned LOADS about the Moon. We also learned that "I am the light of the world." Just as the moon reflects the sun's light, we reflect the light of Jesus. This has been a fun lesson for us!

This week we:
Made a Space Ship in the living room and read books in it about the moon. We read about Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11.

We measured how high Gavin can jump and then multiplied it by six to see how high he could jump on the moon.

We learned the phases of the moon, made a chart of what of the moon looks like each night (this will continue for another week), we made a book of the phases of the moon and we baked sugar cookies in the shapes of moons.

We made a Space Mobile to hang in the kids room and we made a moon out of marshmallows (we ate quite a few, too!).

We read the book "Little Bear" and made a space helmet to travel to the moon just like a chapter in the book.

We made a get well card for someone we knew was sick so that we could be "the light of the world."

We did three experiments to demonstrate 1.how the moon reflects the suns light 2. to see the distance from the earth to the moon and 3. to see why the moon seems to change shape. For these experiments we used a mirror, a flashlight and playdough. It was pretty fun to see Gavin start to understand how it all works.

I would have loved to plan a trip to the Adler Planetarium here in Chicago, but it didn't quite work out this week. I hope to get there soon, before Gavin forgets we even studied this!

In addition to all of that we also followed our reading plan, did our letter worksheets and worked on our handwriting (Gavin's WORST subject!!!).

Here are some pictures of our cool school - week three! I wish I would have taken more!
I Can't wait to post about week 4!

Homeschool!

2010-10-19T14:00:00.003-04:00

Throw me some culottes and throw out the t.v. - We are a homeschool family!

We've got two weeks of homeschooling under our belts and we feel great. Our family is thriving, Gavin is learning and we are doing life together. Every day I love it more and more.

I ordered the curriculum My Father's World. I like it for the most part, but am finding that I need to supplement quite a bit - especially in Math and Reading. I love that it is centered around God's Word and how it applies to the world around us.

I am doing TONS of research on curricula for next year. I've ordered lot's of brochures and catalogs. I placed "The Well Trained Mind" on hold at the library and can't wait to pick it up. Has anyone read Cathy Duffys "100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum"? I am looking into purchasing it on Amazon. It looks like a good resource.

Here is a picture of our school nook in the house. I need to work on getting a desk for Charlotte - she feels very left out sometimes.

I hope to blog more about our home school adventures, but we're having so much fun we don't have a lot of time! The next time I blog it will probably be about our new baby brother - only two weeks left!

September = worst month ever!

2010-10-07T13:03:00.002-04:00

September was such a hard month for the Dobbertin's. We were way too busy and our family life was in shambles. Ryan has BIG THINGS happening at work, we had two major ministry commitments that were kicking off (each at a different church campus), Gavin started school, I am VERY pregnant and we were all sick at one point. One day it all came crashing down around me. I had a major break down and was sobbing uncontrollably. My poor husband wasn't sure what to do with me. I'm usually not so emotional. He did the best thing, though - went and got a pizza for dinner!

We spent the next few days in prayer and evaluating our priorities (family first!). We had some meetings with our pastor and are scaling back on our ministry responsibilities. I also pulled Gavin out of school. We started homeschooling this week. I love homeschooling. It just fits our family so well. This week I've felt enormous amounts of peace and I've started to enjoy our life again.

Baby boy is coming in just three short weeks. THREE WEEKS! I am beyond excited to meet this little guy. I really have not had much time to think about it until this week. He still has no name, although we are narrowing our list. I think we'll just have to see him before we attach a name to him.

Well, that's what's been going on with us in a nutshell. I hope to be more active in the blogging world, but no promises! I am just enjoying our life and soaking it all in these days. I hope your lives are all going well and your focus is where you want it to be! Life can be so much better when your head is on straight and you are doing what you love!

I am

2010-09-10T14:04:00.002-04:00

I am . . .

* tired of cleaning up vomit - going on day three now.

* missing my boy while he's at school BUT

* getting a lot done while he's away.

* unable to believe how quickly the hours pass while he is gone.

* drinking coke like I never stopped.

* ready for the weekend.

* excited for AWANA to begin next week!

* exhausted from a long, emotional week, busy week.

* enjoying my clean house - cleaner than it's been in a LONG time.

* hoping Gavin doesn't have too much homework tonight.

* looking forward to a mini date with my hubbs on Saturday night - If sissy cooperates

* not sure how I am going to make it through next week with even MORE to do than I had this week.

* on my knees more than ever these days!!!

Overwhelmed

2010-09-08T21:31:00.002-04:00

I had an overwhelming day, to say the least. I can't believe it is finally over.

First, you get the long version for my venting purposes. If you would like to read the condensed, bullet point version please scroll down to the end.

It all started by getting up early and getting Gavin ready for school. I was so organized. I had his lunch made, the backpack packed and I even had every one's clothes laid out. I even had time to throw a load of laundry in, empty the dishwasher and make my bed before we walked over to school. Just as we were leaving, Charlotte thew up on the floor. My first thought was, "Typical middle child - had to get some attention in there somewhere on Gavin's big day!" I thought her breakfast was just too sweet on her tummy. So, I cleaned up the mess and off we went. I did great until Gavin started walking into school. He looked SO NERVOUS. I was sobbing hysterically. As soon as he was inside I was booking it home b/c I was so embarrassed. I was literally crying my eyes out. Pathetic, I know. But Gavin is such a mama's boy and he's been my best bud for the last 5 and 1/2 years! It was tough. So, I spent the next hour crying off and on and doing laundry and clinging to sissy (who wanted nothing to do with me - she was thrilled to have the toys all to herself. She went straight for Gav's Lego's the moment we stepped back into the house. It was like she had been waiting for this moment all summer long.)

Next, I was out of the house headed up to church to prepare for our big AWANA leader training tonight. I've spent weeks prepping for this. I've made power points, a 10 page handout, team binders, missionary hand outs for special sections and the list goes on. I'm not telling you this so you'll be impressed. I'm telling you so you can grasp the enormous disappointment that is coming towards the end of this post. Anyhow, I spent the morning w/ a friend making copies, assembling the packets and setting up the room. Charlotte was being SO GOOD this whole time. She is usually into all kinds of mischief at church. I kept on commenting on how good she was being. I figured that there was no one to compete for attention with b/c Gavin wasn't there. So, we left church and headed to Target to get some snacks for the meeting. By the time I got home, sis had fallen asleep in the car. I tried to transition her into her crib, but she just sat in there and talked for awhile. After a bit, she started yelling at me. I finally went in there and she was tucked away in the corner of her crib and she points to a big pile of puke on the other side. Nice. At this point, I figured she must be sick or something. I called the babysitter I had scheduled for the meeting tonight and told her not to come. It looks like I will be staying home. Weeks of prepping for this meeting and I don't even get to go.

I get Charlotte all cleaned up, do another load of laundry and then go and pick Gavin up. As soon as I see him, I start crying again. He had a great day, though. I thought he would be sad and would have had a rough time being gone so long. Not so much. He actually liked it. He had lots of stories for me. He was laughing at me b/c I was crying. When we got home I was hugging him and crying and he said, "Why are you crying now? I'M HOME!!" I thought that was funny. By this time, I was laughing too. I realized that all my tears were for nothing. He enjoyed himself. Whew. Then, I crashed. I felt the weight of the day. I tried to lay on the couch while the kids played, but I still had so much to do. Ryan came home and I started making dinner (while on the phone with some gals from church giving them some of my jobs that I wanted to do tonight). I was also prepping the snacks for the meeting. Dinner was almost ready, I was going to sit down and give Ryan on the low down on the meeting - something I thought I was going to get to do on the way. Then, Charlotte pukes ALL OVER THE KITCHEN. It was awful. I threw her in the bath, we ate our dinner in the living room. I threw the flash drive at Ryan with the power point on it and told him to call me on the way. Charlotte cried the whole time in the bath. Gavin was trying to make her happy, but he was only making it worse. I had ANOTHER load of laundry to do and puke all over the kitchen to clean up. It was ridiculous. After I calmed down a bit, I walked up to Walgreens to get some pedialite (and a coke!). Charlotte fell asleep on the way back which was heavenly. She is still sleeping. Ryan called me three times in the middle of all of this to ask questions. Then, I had to start on homework with Gavin. Are you kidding me? We finally finished, I played with him a little bit and then put him to bed. Then I had to clean up the kitchen, call my friend and cancel our play date for tomorrow and finish up the laundry (which still isn't done). I am pooped! Once I get Gavin to school tomorrow, I am coming home to CRASH!

Okay, here's the bullet point version (still kind of long, sorry!):

- get up early.
- as we are leaving to take Gav to school, Charlotte throws up. NICE.
- clean it up, rush to school.
- sob hysterically as I watch my eldest nervously enter kindergarten
- run home b/c I am so embarrassed at my lack of emotional restraint (I AM 33 weeks pregnant)
- spend an hour crying over Gavin and trying to clean up the house
- leave for church to prep for big AWANA training tonight (I've spent weeks preparing for this!)
- spend the a.m. with a friend setting up and assembling the training packets (while crying intermittently over Gavin.
- go to Target to pick up snacks for meeting (call my Dad on the way b/c I realized I missed his bday last week)
- head home, put Sis in bed
- she does not sleep. I go in after awhile and she is sitting next to a pile of puke.
- more laundry
- cancel baby sitter for tonight
- answer some e mails, fill out some forms for Gavin's school
- pick up Gavin, blubber all over him again, realize I am ridiculous and he had a great day!
- head home and try to crash - the day is getting to me - but the kids are ready to play
- go through Gavin's back pack and realize there are more forms for me to fill out and homework for Gavin.
- start making dinner, trying to make phone calls and pass some of my responsibilities off from the meeting, also prepping the snacks for the meeting
- sit down to dinner to give Ryan the low down on the meeting (he's running it). I thought we'd have time on the way to the meeting, but since I am not going, there is no such time.
- about to take one bite of my dinner and Charlotte pukes ALL OVER THE KITCHEN
- throw both kids in bath
- eat dinner with Ryan in living room while kids are in bath
- throw flash drive at Ryan with his power point on it and tell him to call me on the way
- more laundry
- more cleaning puke up
- more phone calls about the meeting
- cancel play date scheduled for tomorrow
- walk to walgreens to get some pedialite for Charlotte and COKE for me ( I am desperate)
- come home, Charlotte finally asleep, start Gavin's homework
- put Gavin to bed, clean kitchen, make lunches for tomorrow, fill out crazy forms

Now I am waiting for Ryan to come home to tell me the meeting was a success (hopefully!). I may not be able to keep my eyes open that long, though. Seriously, I can't believe this day did not kill me - God's grace. I am going to NAP tomorrow! Woo Hoo! I can confidently say that his has been one of the worst days of my adult life. I sure hope Sissy sleeps all night. I'm glad tomorrow is another day!

Has anybody seen August?

2010-09-06T09:51:00.003-04:00

Where on earth did the month of August go? It was the fastest and busiest month of my life.

On the church front, AWANA is about to start. I have been crazy busy prepping for that. Also, our church campus is moving locations which has meant a lot of work for Children's Ministry. We are expecting to have a lot more kids. We are also able to move to a morning service, something we have greatly missed. We are praising the Lord for his working out all of these details. Did I mention that I can see the new location from my front door?

I finally tackled the garage sale. It was fun, fast and I got rid of LOTS of stuff I did not need. Ryan and I are getting into this "minimalist" mindset. Life seems so much simpler and easier with less stuff. AND, I made some pretty quick cash that went right into our vacation fund!

Getting Gavin ready for school was more complicated than I realized. We spent months agonizing over where to send him. We finally settled on the public school right down the street (where our church is going to be meeting). I've attended orientations, teacher meet and greets, budget meetings, it's been busy. It's a great school, probably the best public school in the city. However, the last few weeks I've been freaking out. When we moved here, I planned on homeschooling. I would have to give up my church ministries if I tackled homeschooling right now. After lots of prayer, we decided that this was the best position for our family.

So, he starts tomorrow. It's actually just a few hours and we stay with him the whole time. I've been so busy I haven't really had time to think about it. Now that it's here, I am so sad. I am going to miss my boy!! He will be going from 8:30 - 2:30 every day! What a long day without my bud! I'll let you know how it goes!

Sneak Peak

2010-08-06T12:07:00.000-04:00

I've been working on a project for our sissy girl. She will be moving into her big girl bed within a few months of the unborn being born and I want her to have a nice snuggly blanket for the occasion! It's slow progress, but I love how it is turning out. I got the idea for these granny stripes over at Attic 24 - one of my favorite crochet blogs! I can't wait to show you the finished product in the next few weeks. Okay, maybe months . . .

The Unborn

2010-08-05T18:55:00.000-04:00

Sadly, that is what we call baby #3. The Unborn. I have never been at this point in my pregnancy with no name before. It is driving my crazy. In all reality, I have 12 weeks or so but it is still bugging me. We just can't pick a name that we love. It used to be we just couldn't agree. Now, I just haven't heard anything that speaks to me. I expect to hear the name and just KNOW that that will be his name. I've never felt such pressure before. Help me out, folks and give me some GOOD suggestions. We like names that are not common, but not too uncommon. Cool, but not celebrity cool. Old fashioned, but possibly making a come back. Wow, no wonder this is so hard for us ...

The Kiddo's

2010-08-04T09:35:00.000-04:00

Just a little update on my two lovelies . . .

Gavin 5 1/2 years:

Wants to be a knight when he grows up
Favorite color - green
Loves to wrestle with his sister and has "body slammed" her several times
Favorite outfit - Loves hanging out at home in his "unders"
Is nervous about Kindergarten
Still loves broccoli and most all veggies
Is Mama's Boy
Has THE BEST imagination
Is a Lego master
Hates milk
Loves to play board games, but is a sore loser
Has lots of friends at church but
Could play by himself all day long
Is learning to read
Loves to be read to

Charlotte 18 months:

Constantly looks like a ragamuffin
Loves to talk even though you can't understand her
Says, "YEAH" to every question you ask her
Knows lots of animal sounds
Favorite outfit - a onesie paired with her crocs, no shorts or pants please!
Walks around the house with her blankie at all times
Drinks LOTS of milk
Favorite thing to play with - STICKERS!
My meat and potatoes girl
Is Daddy's girl
Is freaked out by Baby Einstein movies and anything like it
Loves to go outside
Puts her shoes on first thing every morning
Defends herself quite nicely
Likes to sit on the potty like a big girl, even though she doesn't go
Loves to climb on EVERYTHING
Has 12 teeth

Down in the Dumps

2010-08-01T18:35:00.003-04:00

I've hit the bottom this week. We came off of VBS week with Charlotte being sick. Then Gavin started showing sympotms and now I have jointed the crew. Charlotte is still sick. It's been eight days. She is MUCH better than the rest of us and on the mend, but it seems that I am looking down a long week of recovery. This is the second week I have had to stay home from church. BOO HOO to that. I despise missing church. My sciatica is ruling my body this week as well. So. Much. Pain. I can't wait till this little guy is on the outside!

On the up side, I have had lots of time to sit and start updating my Etsy site. I'm happy to say I've sold three hats and seven hair clips this week. Yay for that. It is going straight to the vacation fund.

If you don't see me much in next week, know that I am rotting on the couch blowing my nose till it's red and feeling miserable. Oh and I will also be feeling guilty for all the t.v. my kids are watching and how I am not reading to them because I can barely breathe.

I do have to say, I love my husband. He totally took charge this weekend and let me sleep whenever I wanted/needed. He fed the kids, took them outside, went grocery shopping, vacuumed the house, did all the laundry, made a special trip to CVS just to buy me some coke ( I know, I broke down and drank coke: just add it to my list of things I'm feeling guilty about), he washed and vacuumed the car, he cleaned out our storage area and sorted things out for the upcoming garage sale . . . I could go on and on about how awesome he is, but I'll just leave it here. I'm running out of steam and my kids don't seem to be occupied by the boob tube anymore. Great.

Hope you have a better week than mine!!

Baby Wipes

2010-07-28T17:54:00.005-04:00

I posted awhile ago that I was thinking of making my own wipes. I was able to get the good Bounty paper towels at a REALLY GOOD PRICE due to couponing, sales, and CVS. So, I decided to give it a go. Turns out, I LOVE my homemade wipes. I think they are really great. They have no chemicals in them, they are sturdy, and they clean up my babe's bum very nicely!

Here's a picture of my happy wipes sitting on my changing table just waiting to be used!

1 T baby soap
1 T baby lotion
1 T baby oil
Bounty Paper Towel Roll cut in half
Round tupperware container

Budget

2010-07-15T14:06:00.003-04:00

This might be a bit personal, so I won't blame you if you chose not to comment. However, I am very interested in what you all spend on groceries per month. Ever since Ryan and I read Dave Ramsey's book - Total Money Makeover - we are on this mission to save, save, save!!!! We are a little on the extreme side right now, as we've just started. I have found lots of ways to save money in our budget over the last month or so, but our grocery budget is a hard one for me. We do the cash envelope system, but I always feel like my grocery envelope is empty towards the last week of the month. I just am not sure if our budget is realistic or not. It doesn't help that here in IL we have to pay sales tax on food. We did not in Michigan. Also, groceries are just more expensive here, too. So, if you don't mind sharing, what do you spend on groceries and how do you plan it all out from week to week?

Happy Hump Day

2010-07-07T12:30:00.001-04:00

My kids are dirty - really dirty

We've been couped up all week b/c it's TOO HOT to go outside

I'm out of coffee creamer

I can barely walk at times because of my sciatic nerve pain

BUT . . .

my kids have been sleeping in

our air conditioning is heavenly

the construction going on RIGHT OUTSIDE our window has occupied my kids for hours

my house is CLEAN!

and I have Starbucks new iced Via to drink!

Happy Hump Day! Hope your week is going well!

Birthday Fun!

2010-07-07T10:00:00.006-04:00

My birthday always seems to stretch out over an entire weekend because of the Holiday. No complaints here!

The kids had fun helping me make the cake . . .

And we all had fun EATING the cake! I ended up using this recipe. I switched the devils food cake mix for a chocolate one, though. It was DELISH!

On Saturday we headed out to Ryan's grandparents house for some rest and relaxation. It's hard to believe they will be turning 81 this year. Ryan's grandpa is as active as ever. He LOVES to paint pictures of landscapes and he even sent us home with one this time! I'll have to take a picture of it and post it. It is really amazing! Sadly, I did not get a picture of the grandparents this trip. I guess I'll have to wait till next time!

Sunday, we headed to the beach in the a.m. One of the perks of having an evening service at church is that we have most of the day to spend together. The beach was heavenly. Definitely my favorite activity of the weekend.

I thought this was so funny - she did not fall out of the chair.

Hope your fourth of July was as much fun and relaxing as ours was!

I can't believe . . .

2010-07-01T09:48:00.000-04:00

I am turning 29 tomorrow!!!

Gavin can blow bubbles with his gum!

I gained SEVEN pounds this month . . .

What a challenge it is to parent my second child.

How UNbelievably tired I am ALL. THE. TIME.

That my five year old son noticed and commented on the fact that my chest is growing as well as my belly . . . yeah . . .

Gavin tells me I'm fat almost every day. Thanks, buddy.

The amazingly exciting thing/things that could possibly may be happening with our family in the next few weeks (more to come!!!!)

VBS is right around the corner!!

How hard it is to sleep despite the extreme exhaustion.

We haven't been to the beach one time yet this summer! Hopefully, this will change this weekend.

How much stuff I've cleared out of the house for the big garage sale. Date to be determined!

We still have no names picked out for baby boy.

Calling ALL chocolate lovers!!!!

2010-06-29T16:18:00.002-04:00

I need your help! My birthday is coming up and all I want is the most delicious chocolate cake/dessert that I have ever tasted. AND, I want to make it myself. I really like baking and I would enjoy the dessert even more if I knew I made it. Anyway, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave me comment with a recipe or a link to the most delicious chocolate dessert you have ever had or made. You have three days, give your best shot!!!!!

Family Photos!

2010-06-24T10:27:00.002-04:00

Here are a few shots of our Dobbertin Family Photo Session. The pictures were taken by Trisha Priebe.

Our pretty little girl who will not smile.

My niece, Jayne. I love this little girl - tears and all!

Jayne and her mama, Kate

The Ryan Dobbertin Family

The WHOLE crew

Ryan's mom and dad, his three brothers, their wives and all 11 (soon to be 12) grandchildren

I loved this pic. Not a great smile of Gav, but it captures him perfectly!

My adorable Nephew Liam - Love this picture!

Will - what a cutie!

Baby Wipes!

2010-06-23T13:51:00.003-04:00

I am seriously considering making my own baby wipes and was curious to see if any of you have ventured into this before. A friend of mine gave me this "recipe":

1 T baby wash/shampoo
1 T baby oil
1 T baby lotion
2 cups water
Bounty paper towel roll, cut in half
Round tupperware container

Have you tried this or something similar that worked well for you? What are your thoughts?

Whirlwind

2010-06-23T10:14:00.004-04:00

The last two weeks have been quite the whirlwind! We . . .

Had Ryan's brother, wife and two kids here for the weekend

Headed to Michigan for a week - went to two different pools, had a fish fry, celebrated my mom's birthday and Father's Day, visited the Detroit Zoo, took lot's of naps

Dealt with Charlotte being sick throing up for the first time

Measured Gavin, who grew almost TWO inches in the last two months

(Ryan) got an award at work - because he's AWESOME

Had a Dobbertin family photo session (pics to come later)

(I) Have not had any time (okay, energy) to crochet lately

Have watched my belly doubled in size!

Have been couponing like crazy - Ryan is even into it

Are reading Dave Ramsey's book "Total Money Makeover"

whew! I feel like that is only half of it, but you get the idea. We've been having a blast, but are now catching up on our sleep! Hope your summer is shaping up to be as fun as ours is!

Fun Day!

2010-06-11T17:38:00.002-04:00

We had such a fun day today! Ryan took the day off of work and we headed to our big ultrasound! When I was pregnant with Charlotte, I didn't have any caffeine or sugar on the day of my ultrasound. She was sound asleep with her legs closed shut when they were trying to determine her gender. This time around, I made sure to drink a little caffeinated beverage before we left! BOY did it work! This babe was dancing all around and showing us HIS stuff. That's right. It's a BOY! We are thrilled, especially Gavin. He got his brother! Now, we are busy playing the name game. Boy names are SO HARD for us to pick out. We can hardly agree on anything. Got any suggestions for us?

Coupon Adventures

2010-06-09T12:12:00.003-04:00

Just came back from a few couponing adventures! This stuff can get pretty addicting! I'll spare you the details since most of you already know how to score great deals. Long story short, I walked out of CVS with six Dove deodorants and paid $.86 out of my pocket. Then I headed across the street to Target and scored a scrubbing bubbles power sprayer kit and refill for FREE. The cashier had to adjust the coupon so I wasn't making money off of the deal. It was great! I found these two deals listed at moneysavingmom.com and hip2save.com (thanks, Kelly!).

So, what are your favorite coupon websites? I would love to get some more input. I am keeping close track of everything I spend this month to compare it to what I used to spend on various products. I can't wait to see the savings add up!

Deal!

2010-06-07T16:15:00.001-04:00

I snagged these crocs for Gavin at a garage sale the past weekend. They were a little dirty so I ran them through the dish washer. They still had a few spots on them when they came out, but Ryan cleaned them up with the magic eraser. They look good to me (especially since I know they will be dirty again in about two days!)! I'd say it was $1 well spent!

K.I.S.S.

2010-06-06T20:23:00.002-04:00

One of Ryan's most commonly used phrases over the last several years has been, "Keep It Simple, Stupid!" I assure you, this is not directed at me. He is not calling me stupid. We just look at some families around us and see how over scheduled they are, how much "stuff" they have, how many sports their kids are involved in and so on. I realized that some families just work well that way, but we are not one of them. We strongly feel that the simpler you life it, the better and happier you will be. We always try to keep our "things" down to a minimum and our schedules at an appropriate (for us!) level. As we've been reevaluation several aspects of our lives, we came to to conclusion that we have somehow lost our minimalist attitude when it comes to the kids toys. Admittedly, buying toys for our kids is our biggest weakness. Combine that with out of control grandparents (you know who you are!) and we've landed ourselves in what looks like a day care center on some days! I went on a rampage this weekend clearing out toys we don't use and/or don't need. Gavin was so awesome during the whole process. He was willing to give up so much with little to no complaining about it. This mama was proud! I feel like the decluttering felt so good that I am moving to other areas of our house this week to see what else I can pare down! So, that's what we've been up to. We're tryin' to "keep it simple" over here!

I emptied out this entire bin full of toys - Charlotte isn't quite sure what is going on!

Here's a load of stuff that I am going to either sell on Craigslist or in a garage sale

I don't feel even the least bit bad for getting rid of toys because this is what my kids end up doing all day anyway!

That's almost 9 feet up!

Brother or Sister?

2010-06-05T09:33:00.001-04:00

Gavin really wants a brother. He says, "I already have a sister, so now I need a brother." We find out this Friday what the gender of babe 3 is, so I have been trying to prepare Gavin just in case it is a girl. Today I said, "So, are you going to be upset if we get a sister instead of a brother?" He replied, ever so sweetly, "No, I will love a sister just as much!" How sweet is my boy! I told him I hope it is a girl so that I can always say he's my favorite boy in the whole world!

Coupons!!

2010-06-04T13:30:00.001-04:00

My brother and sister were here over Memorial weekend (we had a blast) and my sis gave me a short tutorial in coupons and how to get her oh so fabulous grocery deals. I know I'm probably a little late jumping in on the coupon thing. But the other day, I went to CVS and purchased a pack of clearanced diapers for $2.12 and then got $2.00 in cvs extra care bucks. So, after the $2 ECB, I pretty much paid .12 for a pack of diapers. I will be using them when we go to Michigan in a few weeks. Normally, I would have just bought a back of diapers at target for $7.99. I'd say I got a pretty good deal! Yay! for coupons and yay! for sister in laws!

I Can't Believe . . .

2010-06-02T11:33:00.003-04:00

I can't believe . . .

Gavin is now training wheel free!

I have to pee five minutes after I just peed.

I am still getting sick if I don't take my med's.

How good I feel at 18 weeks pregnant (when I'm not throwing up, that is). I never knew pregnancy could be anything but miserable!

How grown up I felt after attending a Parent's meeting at Gavin's school for next year.

The great deal I got on cloth diapers! I am now equipped to cloth not one, but TWO kids! Yay!

We get to find out the gender of babe #3 in a week and a half (hopefully, that is!)

How tough Charlotte is - she'll smack her head on something, flash a dirty look and just say "OWWWW!" and then get on with life.

Gavin can count to 100 (with a few helps)

Flowers!

2010-05-28T15:34:00.001-04:00

I spent about an hour using up all the little bits of leftover yarn I had to make a bunch of flowers for various crochet items. It's such fast and rewarding work! These little blooms are oh so cute! I hope you are enjoying some spring flowers in one way or another these days!

Growing, Growing, Growing

2010-05-26T15:23:00.003-04:00

Not talking about my belly here, folks. Although, that is growing. It's my boy that is out of control these days. He's gone from a 10 - 10 1/2 hr. sleep schedule to a full 12 hours and sometimes even takes a nap! He is a sleeping machine lately. I caught him snuggled up on the couch with my favorite blanket the other day. I thought it was just too cute not to share with you!

Andrea's Project

2010-05-20T18:24:00.001-04:00

My friend Andrea had a birthday last month. She loves to write, so I knew she would enjoy this lovely journal. Then, I just had to stitch her up a little case for it. I loved this project and was sorry to see it get boxed up and leave my house. At least I know it went to a good home! My favorite thing about it is the leaf button.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2010-05-19T10:29:00.002-04:00

This little one climbed up on my bed while I was folding laundry. She immediately went for my yarn and hook. I think she was pretending to stitch herself up some pinky goodness! Possibly wanting to be like mama? Probably just enjoying the mess she made with the yarn. Ah well, it kept her busy while I folded!

Simple Things

2010-05-18T09:08:00.001-04:00

I'm pregnant, that's no surprise anymore. It's getting to be quite obvious. I can no longer squeeze into my pre pregnancy pants, but am not quite ready for full blown maternity clothes. I don't know about you, but I don't exactly feel my best when I am pregnant. I mean, how can you feel great when you are dealing with constant nausea, heartburn, weight gain, sciatica, constipation (yeah, I said it), frequent trips to the bathroom, and the list goes on and on. I have found some simple things that make me feel WAY better about myself and my appearance. It's not really much, but it makes a difference to me. I've been accessorizing more! I have been wearing my favorite ring, a necklace and earrings everyday AND I've been taking the time to even put on eye liner! Today, I may even paint my fingernails (if time and Charlotte permit)! Here's a shot of me wearing my ring this a.m. while patiently awaiting my freshly brewed Starbucks coffee. I'm drinking Verona these days, in case you were wondering.

You can also catch a small glimpse of my perfectly wonderful Mother's Day bouquet. It's still going strong 8 days later! They make my kitchen so cheery!

Surprise!

2010-05-17T09:04:00.003-04:00

Ryan informed Gavin and I last night that we should be getting a surprise in the mail in a few days! He wouldn't tell us what it is (although I think I know!), but he did give us a few hints.
1. It's black and white and red (read) all over.
2. It's something I will have to help Gavin with.

We are bursting with anticipation! I can't wait to find out if my suspicions are right!

I'm dreaming of . . .

2010-05-16T14:28:00.004-04:00

YARN!!!

I am recently readdicted (word? I'm not sure) to crocheting. It consumes my thoughts these days. This blog has delivered an immense wealth of inspiration. Too much in fact that I am having a hard time deciding what to make! I keep thinking of projects and sketching them out. I am really waiting to find out the gender of #3 to really decide on what to do. . .

In the mean time, to satisfy my crochet hunger I have set a goal for myself and my etsy shop. I am taking this summer to really beef up my inventory so I am ready to sell in the fall! I have been feverishly crafting oh so cute hats in the evenings when my sweet things are all snuggled in bed. Here's some of my progress from the last week or so. I have been using up most of the yarn that I have. I only have one bin for yarn and I need to empty some out before new can come in! I've been saving up my JoAnn's coupons for a colorful trip of yarn purchasing! Hopefully it will come in my near future!

What crafty things are YOU addicted to these days?

Bath Paints

2010-05-13T10:00:00.001-04:00

As I was perusing crafty blogs the other day, I came across this site. It had this simple reciepe (if you can even call it that) for bath paints. I gave it a shot and it was a HIT with Gavin. Sissy didn't enjoy it so much, though. She wasn't feeling well in the first place, so maybe that had something to do with it. Anyway, the best part was the clean up - SUPER EASY!

Third Party

2010-05-12T07:40:00.001-04:00

Ryan is doing this District Management internship with Starbucks. It lasts 10 weeks and we are in the middle of it. I'm not going lie, the pay increase has been great! HOWEVER, we now have this third party in our marriage. THE WORK PHONE. I rarely complain about it, as I know this is an incredible opportunity for Ryan (he was chosen over 150 other managers or something like that). I seriously can't wait till the internship is over and this phone goes away.

It interrupts me mid conversation

It buzzes in the middle of the night (because you know reports about Frappucinos are oh so important)

It rings every night as I am making dinner and trying to coral the kids at the same time.

It CAN'T BE IGNORED

It goes everywhere with us

It has e mail capabilities so it's like carting the computer around everywhere we go, too!

Okay, I got it out of my system. Thanks for listening. I'm over it now! I am SO thankful that Ryan has a job, a really good job, and that he is moving up within his company.

Quote of the week

2010-05-11T07:38:00.001-04:00

Ryan, referring to Charlotte: "She's kind of like a dog. She's so mischievous, she does things behind your back and she eats off the floor."

Inspriational words

2010-05-10T19:00:00.001-04:00

by Pastor Gavin -

I'm pretty sure Gavin will be a pastor when he grows up. He loves the Bible, he loves to follow rules, sees everything in black and white and has no problem confronting people when they are doing wrong.

Here are some things Gavin said and did today -

While using the bathroom he opens the door to inform me that he is singing "Jesus Loves Me" and he is singing it to God, because that's worship and God loves that!

I handed him a bowl of gold fish to snack on while he and Charlotte were playing and he looked at me and said, "MOM! We have to pray for this snack before we eat it!"

He brought me his Storybook Bible and asked me to read to him about "John the Cactus". I asked who John the Cactus was and he said, "You know, the guy who ate locusts!"

Happy Monday!

2010-05-10T10:16:00.005-04:00

I hope you all had a fabulous mother's day. I did. It was relaxing and I really felt the love. I was overwhelmed with joy and the privilege it is to be a mommy to some really great kids!
Today is pajama Monday! I am ready to go on a cleaning rampage. I've already made my chore list!
Here's some pics from our day yesterday! Happy Monday!

Finished Product (almost)

2010-05-08T15:43:00.001-04:00

I've recently become "re obsessed with crochet". I go in spurts and lately, I've been loving it. My mother in law also is an avid crocheter (word?). I saw a case like this on etsy or somewhere for all of the gear that goes along with crocheting and I knew I had to make one for her for Mother's Day. When I was finished with it, I was completely jealous that I didn't have one, too! So, I made one for myself! Here is the finished (well, almost finished, I have a few finishing touches left) product! I can't wait to get crocheting again now that I am more organized!

Happy crafting!

Gall Stones

2010-05-07T15:48:00.002-04:00

I had my post op. appointment this week. I just HAD to share this interesting news. The surgeon told me that some of my gall stones were 4cm x 2 cm. Break out the ruler, folks and check THAT out. No WONDER I was in so much pain. He said that basically they were filling up my gall bladder. Yikes! Glad that is over with.

All of my restrictions have been lifted, so it's back on the bike for me (with the kids in tow)! Yeah!

15 months and counting . . .

2010-05-06T15:38:00.001-04:00

We had Charlotte's 15 month check up this week. I of course wrestled with the MMR shot - to give or not to give. Immunizations drive me crazy. So much info. and it all makes me uncomfortable. Both sides scare me and creep me out.

ANYWAY, this is supposed to be about Charlotte - our little wonder pulled through for us and packed on a few lbs. She jumped to the 25th percentile. They were getting a little concerned b/c she was not growing with the curve. But that's all in the past. She's fattening up quite nicely.

She is also, I am thrilled to say consuming all types of dairy. She has officially grown out of her "sensitivity". WOO HOO!!! I've lived without cheese for so long, I could just feel her pain. Now, she eats cheese sticks, yogurt, pizza, mac n cheese, MILK, MILK and more MILK! This girl loves her vitamin D.

She's a super spazzy little thing. Since I haven't been as diligent in writing in her book like I was with Gavin, I'll have to type it all out here - sorry.
So, Charlotte climbs on anything and everything
Runs
Jumps
Points at what she wants
Eats everything but tomatoes
Loves her daddy
Gives kisses freely
Wrestles with big bro
Loves to clap her hands and stomp her feet to "If you're happy and you know it"
LOVES to put on shoes, necklaces, coats, - anything girly except hair clips :(
Does some sign language - all done and please
Loves to brush her teeth
Loves to do everything Gavin does
Is DIRTY all the time

begin toI'm sure there is so much more. She is so fun and it has been a joy (and a frustration, at times) to mold her into the gal God wants her to be. She learning how to have a sweet spirit and be more submissive. I'm sure it's a long road ahead of us, but we are up for the task. Bring it on, Charlotte baby! We love you and can't wait to continue to see you grow!

Fists are Up

2010-05-06T15:31:00.004-04:00

My fists are up and I'm ready to FIGHT - with my sewing machine that is. I am so frustrated. I found this lovely fabric in the half off section at the store and have already created something lovely for my mother in law for mother's day. I neglected to take a picture of it. However, I liked it so much I decided to make one for myself. Mr. Singer is NOT cooperating today and nap time is almost over. I had hoped to share my completed project today, but you'll have to wait for another day. In the mean time, here is a pic of the fabric. Let your imagination run wild with things I could/should be doing with it!

One Long Week

2010-05-05T15:31:00.003-04:00

I usually stick close to home during the week. I only venture out with the kids once or twice. Ryan usually has the car, so it's not really an option. I don't mind one bit, though. I love being at home with my kiddos and having fun with them with no distractions. I am a true home body. I really do just love my house (well, apartment), all 850 sq. ft. of it!

This week is very abnormal for us - we have three dr's appointments, swim class and an AWANA party to go to. On top of that I was frantically working on some mother's day crafts for our mom's. I did finish those up and they are in the mail! Poor Charlotte has been dragged through the ringer. She's been catching naps in the car, eating lunch in her stroller and screaming at strangers - and it's only Wednesday! Tomorrow is our home day, and I just can't wait for it! P.J.'s all day!

All that, I guess to say that I have been an absent blogger because of it. I do have some posts planned in the near future dealing with schooling options for our big five year old. I'm excited to post about it and can't WAIT to hear all of your opinions. I just hope life slows down long enough for me to sit down and type!

Hope you are all well! What's keeping you busy these days?

I can't believe

2010-05-01T10:13:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that at one point this week my son was playing with a pink pony and my daughter was playing with a Pirate Lego guy.

I can't believe that not only am I puking as soon as I open my eyes in the morning, but I also am having the privilege of wetting my pants as I puke. Nice.

I can't believe how a sweet little 15 month old can throw her body around in a raging fit when she is mad.

I can't believe I have lost weight while pregnant (thanks to surgery!).

I can't believe I made it through my first trimester with out having to pull out any matenrity clothes - this is a first for me!

I can't believe how many diapers my husband has changed (completely unassisted) over the last two weeks.

I can't believe how easy they make recovering from surgery sound - it is NOT easy, esp. while pregnant.

Well, that's all I got. It's been a rough month! I hope you enjoyed!

Sibling Rivalry

2010-04-30T15:57:00.004-04:00

I really am astounded by how well my kids play together. They don't seem to mind the four years in between them! However, very often when they play someone ends up getting hurt and crying. I'm sure you can guess who that someone is. Well, I finally told Gavin that whatever he did to Charlotte to make her cry, I will do to him. That is SO something my dad said to my brother when we were kids. It sounded like a good idea when I said it.

So, fast forward a few hours. Gavin pushes Charlotte and she falls down and starts crying. So what am I supposed to do? Push my kid down? I don't think so. Gavin looks at me like, are you really going to push me down like that? I said, "Gavin, I am not going to push you, but you ARE getting a spanking."

I really need to think before I speak . . .

Have you ever threatened your kids with something ridiculous?

A lesson learned

2010-04-25T10:57:00.003-04:00

I love helping people. I really and truly do. Whatever they need, I like to come through. Accepting help, on the other hand, is not something that comes easy to me. I am sure it's my pride. I think I can and should do everything on my own. After my surgery I was overwhelmed with phone calls and e mails from friends asking how they can help. I have meals overflowing in my fridge, my kids were well cared for and had a blast at their friends houses, and my husband was even on board and changed countless diapers ALL ON HIS OWN! I learned that accepting help is not so bad after all. I could not have had as smooth a recovery with out each of these blessings. AND, I have an easy week ahead of me this week due to so many meals!!! My pride has been checked! Lesson learned.

Surgery Update

2010-04-21T18:22:00.002-04:00

My surgery went well, so they tell me. It sure didn't FEEL well. I had a really tough 24 hours post op.p I was incredibly nauseous and couldn't keep down any pain meds. I am feeling much better now. I'm moving around pretty slowly and I'm still in quite a bit of pain. The baby did fine during everything. They did several ultrasounds to make sure he/she was doing okay and he/she was flipping around like a crazy person every time. It was cute and fun to see.

Anyway, I am home now. Ryan has taken the next few days off of work to care for me and the kids. Our church family is blessing us with meals every night. I hope to be back to normal in a week or so. Every day gets better and better. I really can't wait to get back to my bike riding! I miss it!

Hope you all are doing well!

Upcoming Vacation!!!

2010-04-17T21:48:00.002-04:00

Well, not really a vacation at all. I am having surgery on Monday to have my gall bladder removed. It has gotten really bad lately and they want to remove it so that I don't get an infection in my liver or gall bladder. I have been on this low fat, no fun diet for the last month and it hasn't even helped. I am still experiencing gall stones. This is normally an out patient surgery, but since I am pregnant they are keeping me overnight to monitor me. I was joking with a friend that it's like a vacation for me. She thought that was pretty pathetic that I would consider surgery a vacation. I just thought, "no kids, peace a quiet, sounds like a vacation to me!"

In all seriousness, please pray for me if you think of me. I know this is routine and they actually do it quite a bit on pregnant women. But there are still risks involved. Please pray that our little one stays safe and that my recovery will be quick! I will need to get back on that bike!

Progress Report

2010-04-16T12:14:00.003-04:00

Well, I had some successes and some failures when fleshing out my 10 step plan. I'll start with my failures and get them out of the way!

I did NOT get up before my kids everyday. It turns out, I think it would kill me. I don't even feel bad about this failure. I'm over it.

I also did not "power clean" everyday. I planned on cleaning one room really well each day. I did do it one day. I cleaned the bathroom. It was so sparkly and I loved it. But the other days, it just didn't work out.

Now, on to my successes! Yay!

I was better at getting into the word. Although, I am still not where I want to be. I'm a work in progress on this point.

I did exercise five out of the last six days. I've been putting the kids in the bike trailer and taking them on three (or so) mile bike rides. It has been great. It's the best thing I can do for myself right now. I have SO much more energy, I don't need a nap during the day and I wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, not groggy! The best part was that I took a tip from Katie and downloaded some sermons from here and here on my ipod and listened to them while I rode. What encouragement for my heart!

I also did great with the kids. With all of my new energy: I was more patient, more willing to play with them, read to them, more consistent and the list goes on and on. We have lots of sticker charts going on now in our house. Chore charts, reading charts and a pink chart just for Charlotte so she doesn't feel left out! She loves to put those stickers on just like her brother - even if she has no idea what they are for.

My kitchen has never looked better every morning. It's so nice to make breakfast in a clean kitchen!

And, Ryan has not had to iron his own clothes (don't ask my about his lunches, though!) this week!

So, that is my progress this week. I'm sure you don't care. But I thought since I posted my steps, I should at least post my progress.

What are you working on these days?

10 steps

2010-04-12T08:37:00.002-04:00

Today I came to the end of my pregnancy induced funk. Something snapped and I just started going nuts. It was like the fog cleared out of my brain and I was back to myself again. I was cleaning, doing laundry, washing dishes and who knows what else. It was so refreshing to be back to normal. I realized how short I've fallen from being the wife and mother I should be. Starting today, I am putting these 10 steps into place to help me get back to where I need to be. My wonderful family has been so patient with me but I am sorry to say I've been making them suffer (weather they are aware of it or not!). Here are my 10 "steps".

1. Read my Bible everyday (said with head hung low as I have NOT been consistent with this lately)
2. Read to each of my kids everyday
3. Get going again on Gavin's 100 reading lessons - sadly we are only half way through
4. Exercise, take my prenatal vitamins and eat a better diet - all in hopes of gaining more energy
5. Play with each of the kids individually every day
6. Get up and shower before the kids are up - this one might kill me
7. Spend 20 minutes power cleaning every day
8. Iron Ryan's clothes for work
9. Make sure the kitchen is clean before I go to bed every night
10. Be more consistent with the kids chores - they are so much happier when they know what to expect.

There it is! My ten steps to being a better wife and mother. I am sure most of you are already doing those things. I used to, but ever since I've been pregnant I have not "felt" like doing it. Well, that's no excuse! Even if I don't feel like it this week, I am going to accomplish these things!

What are the chores you don't feel like doing and how do you power through? Cheer me on!

Gavin Talk

2010-04-09T20:48:00.003-04:00

He was watching a commercial one day and he came up to me and said, "MOM! That lady on t.v. told me I should buy these girly things and I really don't want to! Why did she tell me that?"

We were riding in the car one day and he told me, "I can't wait till I grow up so that I can honk at people when I drive!" Can you tell his dad is a true city driver?

We often call Charlotte our ragamuffin and sometimes we call her "rags" for short. I heard him comforting her one day like this, "It's okay, rags. Don't worry. It's okay."

I was getting ready in the bathroom one day and I was puffing my bangs. Gavin stopped to check it out and he said, "If you had a bump it, it would be much better. You go from flat, to up!" Have you seen those commercials?

Gavin loves to sit on the window sill and look outside. When the first snowflakes started to fall at the beginning of the winter Gavin looked at me and whispered, "OH! It's winter now!" It could have been a hot chocolate commercial or something. It was too cute.

He was playing in the bath one day and he called me in there to see something. When I got in there he was using Buzz Lightyear as Jesus and he was walking on water.

I asked Gavin what I am going to do next year when he is at school. He said, "Oh don't worry mom, you'll just get used to it!"

I've been really bad about writing down his funny quips lately. I feel like I haven't done one of these posts in so long! I hope to be better about it. I can't wait until Charlotte starts talking and I can start a "Charlotte talk"!

Blogging Funk

2010-04-02T10:45:00.000-04:00

I know we've all been there. The blogging funk. We go in spurts. We love it, we hate it. It's probably a never ending cycle. I think that I am in an overall "life funk" right now. The blog is one of the many things that are suffering. I've been thinking a lot about it, though. The blog. I think of a post, but then realize it's not too interesting to the masses. Okay, it's not too interesting to anyone! I've just been taking a step back and trying to figure out why I blog. Well, I know why I blog. It's purely for me. It's an outlet. It makes me feel like I am talking with other adults during my day.

I can't help but roll my eyes at those "braggy" blogs. You know the ones. "My life is great, I never struggle, I never sin. My kids are awesome. They are so cute. Yadda, yadda, yadda." It's like reading their Christmas letter all year long! You only see the good, never the bad. I'm sure we all come across that way sometimes, I'm positive I do (even though it's not my intent).

Another thing I do not want my blog to be is a platform for me to impose my views on you. I'm not talking about asking others what their opinion is on such and such. It's the blogs that are pretty much saying "This is what I think, and you should, too!" It seems like just by reading it they want to punch you if you dare think another way! That is not what I want my blog to be.

The other kind of blog I can't stand is a boring blog! I feel like there are so many blogs that I read out of obligation, but really want to poke my eyes out. It's so hard to get through a post sometimes about peoples random every day occurrences.

However, I am pretty sure my blog falls under this last category. It's mostly boring. You don't care. I'm okay with that. Really, I am. Please don't leave comments saying, "No, your blog is so interesting. I love it." I know it's not. I'm sure I have the occasional post that makes you laugh. Overall though, I know it's big fat bore. So, I guess all of that to say this: I'm working on it. I want my blog to be creative, insightful, something you enjoy reading. Maybe you'll even learn something from it every once in awhile. So, I will end this post before you start poking at those eyes. But I do want to list some of the blogs that I LOVE to read. I mean, I love reading all your blogs, but there are a few I just really can't wait to read when I see them pop up in my goggle reader! In no particular order:

Loud Songs of Joy - because how could life with six kids EVER be boring?

Chloe and Clive Chronicles - a super fun frugal mamma, with fun ideas and the sweetest spirit

The Finer Neiners - inspiration always awaits here

A Museum of Memories - always learning something and being sharpened by reading this one. It also helps that their kids are SUPER DUPER cute

No better place on Earth - I love the honesty and humor that comes from this blog. I don't even technically know Beth, but if I lived near her, I'm sure we'd be FAST friends.

So that's it. Five of my favorite personal blogs. I hope you made it to the end of this post with out having to take drastic measures. Hopefully the next time I enter the bloggosphere, I'll have something interesting to say to you.

I can't believe

2010-04-01T22:35:00.003-04:00

Well, it's the beginning of the month again and here is my "I can't believe" post, as promised! It's not as fun as usual, though. When you are sick, nothing is fun.

I can't believe my husband eats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich almost every day for lunch.

I can't believe that only throwing up one or two times constitutes as a "good day."

I can't believe how much pain, unbearable pain, a gall stone can inflict.

I can't believe I have enrolled my son in KINDERGARTEN for next year! Yikes!

I can't believe it was 82 degrees today!

I can't believe how much my belly is already sticking out!

I can't believe how much food I am able to consume in the midst of all this vomiting.

I can't believe how long it's been since I've enjoyed a cup of coffee!

Wow, I almost hesitate to post this. It all sounds very depressing. I assure you, in the midst of everything we are happy and getting along just fine. Don't feel bad for me. I am so thrilled to be having this baby, I'll take whatever comes my way!!

Bed Time Battles

2010-03-24T10:03:00.001-04:00

Never in my life have I had a battle to get my kids to bed. Sure, Gavin might whine a little bit sometimes. He gets corrected and then it's over. He's in bed. Well, our spunky little girl has been throwing these fits when I try and put her to bed. It just baffles me. Last night was the worst. She knew it was time to go to bed and every time I would go to pick her up and take her, she would run to Ryan screaming and crying. Then she would snuggle up to him and look at me with this snotty little face. I was shocked. She did it about three times. Ryan finally had to get up and take her to bed himself. He put her in her crib and we said good night and walked right out. She cried for 5 - 7 minutes and then it was over. Ryan and I were just looking at each other shaking our heads. When we imagined having a little girl, we thought it was going to be a much sweeter picture. It looks like we have our work cut out for us with this one! I know we will have our struggles with her, but we wouldn't trade her for the world. With the right direction, her will and firey personality will be able to do great things!!

Mail

2010-03-20T20:26:00.003-04:00

I love getting mail. A card or a letter from a friend, pictures of my nieces and nephews, even thank you cards just make me smile. As much as I love receiving mail, I love to send it even more! I recently made and sent these cards out to our dearest family and friends! Wouldn't you just love getting something like this in the mail?

Front of Card

Inside of card

Pictures

2010-03-12T16:40:00.003-05:00

I realized that I never put up the kids 1 year and 5 year pictures. Thanks to everyone who voted on what Charlotte should wear. It really helped me out! I went with the most popular vote - the purple dress. Here are their pics! I think they turned out really well.

I can't believe . . .

2010-03-01T13:36:00.003-05:00

I've decided to make this a monthly post. So, as it's the first of the month . . .

I can't believe I survived SEVEN days without the hubbs while I was in Michigan and he was in Costa Rica

I can't believe I left the bathroom door open one day
I can't believe Gavin forgot to flush the toilet
I can't believe how much Charlotte likes to splash in the toilet. EW!

I can't believe I actually gave Gavin some baby orajel because he wanted to know what it tasted like.

I can't believe how many times my sweet daughter has pooped in the bath.
I can't believe Gavin continues to take baths with her.

I can't believe I saw a lady with a hot pink blanket running through a park in the city chasing (and trying to catch) a rooster. (This is no joke)

I can't believe Charlotte flipped out of the bathtub while I was standing right next to it blow drying my hair.

I can't believe I am attempting to give up drinking Coke . . . again.

Gamer!

2010-02-28T09:39:00.001-05:00

I think we have a gamer on our hands here! She knows exactly what to do with the controller!

Sledding in the city

2010-02-27T09:41:00.001-05:00

FORT!

2010-02-27T09:36:00.001-05:00

What do you do on a snowy wintery inside day? You build a huge fort, of course! And you read books in it all day long!

My new Favorite thing

2010-02-27T09:28:00.001-05:00

My sister in law told me about this idea. She bakes her brownies in muffin cups so each one is the perfect brownie. OH MY! They are so delicious! I must warn you, though. If you try this, you just might consume the whole batch in one day (especially if you use Ghirardelli brownie mix)!

Project!

2010-02-25T09:52:00.006-05:00

I woke up in the middle of the night one time last week and could not go back to sleep. While I was tossing and turning, this idea jumped into my head. Eventually, I did fall back to sleep. I woke up the next day and made this Bible cover!

Ouch!

2010-02-25T09:18:00.005-05:00

Last Thursday we were getting ready for Ryan's parents to come into town on the train. Ryan was heading out the door to run a last minute errand. He slipped and fell on some ice and cut (okay, sliced) two of his fingers open on a license plate. I heard him come back in the door and say my name. I followed him (and a trail of blood) into the bathroom. He was gushing blood. Poor Ryan was in so much pain he could hardly think straight. Once he absorbed the situation a little bit, he decided to drive himself to the ER. He was there for over three hours and I think they let a med student stitch him up. It looks awful. They didn't even clean the wound very well. When he took the bandage off the next day, he couldn't even get it off b/c it was stuck to gobbs of blood! Ewww.

This picture was a few days after the incident. It is healing up nicely here. I have a better, grosser picture on my phone, but I'll spare you all the horror!

Getting Older

2010-02-14T11:11:00.003-05:00

I'm not one to mind getting older. In fact, I embrace it wholeheartedly (much to everyone's annoyance). With that said and out of the way . . . lately, I. FEEL. OLD.

When I was in Michigan I stayed up way too late with my sister in laws. We were having such fun that the time seemed to pass so quickly. One night we stayed up until 1:30 and the next night (I am ashamed to say) the clock read 3:30 before we decided to turn in! I felt fine the rest of that week. This week, however, boy have I been feeling it. I have even taken a few naps to try and catch up!!

With the mountains of snow that we received this week, I decided to take Gavin out to play while I shoveled. I did this for 2 days. The following day, I could not get out of bed. My mind thinks my body can do anything. My body is telling me different. I even went as far as popping a few ibuprofen.

I went to get my hair cut this past week. I love getting my hair cut. It's a kid free hour and I always feel great when I leave. Well, maybe always isn't the best word. This trip left me feeling not so young. I had a front row seat to view my gray hair. I have had a gray streak for quite some time. I've always embraced it and was even oddly proud of it. Well, as she was cutting I was starting to realize that my "streak" has almost taken over the crown of my head. How and when did that happen?

The last event to make me feel oh so old also happened while getting my hair cut. After my glorious shampoo, I was sitting in the chair with the towel wrapped around my head. I was looking into the mirror and discovered a wrinkle on my forehead. A WRINKLE! Now you have really got to be kidding me. I'm over it now, but at the time I was slightly bothered by it. Thankfully my bangs cover it and no one will ever see it. But seriously, a wrinkle?

Schmoozing with the big wigs . . .

2010-02-12T19:36:00.001-05:00

While Ryan was in Costa Rica he got to spend some time with the President of Starbucks. Yes, I said THE PRESIDENT OF STARBUCKS!!