Thursday, February 22, 2007

Sunday was a fun day with church and then dinner club with a bunch of our friends. It was so much fun for all of us to spend time with our friends and again I was so busy enjoying myself I forgot to take pictures. Landon had a blast playing with his friend Ben and I think Mike and Zen had more fun than any of the kids as they were playing a version of dodge ball downstairs.

Mike had Monday off and wouldn't you know it he and I came down with colds. Thankfully for Zicam mine was shortlived and not too bad. Mike's was a bit worse but he seems to be better now. We still had Landon and Ella's friend Brandi come over and babysit so that we could go to a movie. It was so cool to get out and go to a movie in the middle of the day with Mike that we make promise that we would definitely do date night (or afternoon) more often. The kids didn't even miss us and were actually a little sad when Brandi had to leave. We then spent the evening sitting on the couch with boxes of tissues watching the kids run around full of energy.

It's warmed up a bit this week and the kids are enjoying time outside without heavy jackets playing in the sunshine. I am enjoying the fresh air myself and am feeling a ton better, other than being tired from staying up late watching recordings of two nights of American Idol. I can't believe how into it we are but we record it and watch it together after the kids go to bed. Mike always tries to give the play by play of what the judges will say about each performance and he's often right but I love to rub it in when he is wrong. I don't have a strong favorite this year so far but am thinking it is going to be a female this year.

The other night Landon was getting in bed and I laid down beside him. He wrapped his arms around me and told me he was giving me the best snuggles in the whole world............then he said. "One day when you're a little boy and I'm a BIG MOMMA then you can give me some snuggles too". Mike and I both were laughing so hard and had to make him repeat it. I wonder if he often calls me a big momma. For Ella, she woke up in the middle of the night with what must have been a nightmare as she was screaming and physically shaking. When Mike brought her in our room she laid down in between us and calmed down while Mike drifted back to sleep snoring in her ear. Now everytime she lays down she asks one of us to lay down by saying "Mommy night night" pointing to the pillow beside her head and as soon as we lay down she starts making this noise like she is trying to cough up a hairball and then does the sssssss sound. It cracks me up that she picked that up from Mike and makes me laugh everytime she does it. I hope to get a recording of it so you all can enjoy it as much as I do.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Where to start? Since Wednesday we have had a lot of fun with Nannie here, friends visiting and family dinners. I got to enjoy some time out with friends and some time out with my husband. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner out to celebrate my birthday and Valentine's day. The food was incredible and the company even better. After dinner we had free babysitting from Nannie but we decided we would just come on home and tuck Landon into bed. Nannie had fed them dinner, bathed them both, and already put Ella to bed and we tucked Landon in and enjoyed some couch time in quiet to watch a movie. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean II and I just couldn't get into it as much as the first one but probably because I was in food coma and wanted to sleep. I hope to catch the end sometime soon.

I forgot to mention that on Tuesday evening I asked Landon if he was going to get up and make me pancakes for my birthday and he said NO. I was disappointed until he told me that instead he was going to make me a cake and it was going to be a green cake with blue icing. After showing my excitement (I thought he would color a cake) he informed me that he would certainly need my help to make it. So Wednesday we did just that. We made a green cake with blue icing which I believe must be his favorite colors at the moment as he asked Pops to make him a green and blue scarf as well. We finished making the cake before heading out to church for dinner and Landon was disappointed that he couldn't eat it right then. That night around 9:00 we had candles and cake for a good sugar rush right before bed. I would have to say after getting past the color of the cake it was yummy.

Thursday Landon and Ella also had a friend stop by in the afternoon. Little Hank is a few days older than Ella but towers over her. He is a Jr. which is the only reason we call him "Little Hank". They all played so well with each other; chasing each other up and down the hall, shooting basketball and reading books.

We enjoyed some outtings with Nannie including a ride to the country, a trip to the mall for some "D store chicken" and a dinner out with Nannie, Pops, Uncle Damion, Aunt Kara and cousin Aiden. Landon's favorite food seems to be bourbon chicken and rice, I need to learn how to fix it but can't find a "simple" recipe. With Nannie and Pops here Ella had plenty of holding time and Landon had plenty people to play games with him like Go Fish, Candy Land and football. They are still talking about Nannie and Pops and I am sure looking forward to their next visit. Little Aiden is growing so fast and looks just like his daddy. I don't think I got any pictures but you can check Aiden out at www.richardsonsfirehouse.blogspot.com.

This morning we continued the fun with a visit from our friends Carter, Tiffani, Finley and Camille. Finley and Landon ran around and played a ton without much need for the girls. Tiffani, Camille, Ella and I stayed upstairs talking and cooing. Ella said "hey baby" about a thousand times and was a sweetheart around 8 month old Camille. Camille is so laid back and not once made a fussing sound even when she fell over on the floor. I told Tiffani I would have another one tomorrow if I could guarantee they would be as easy as Camille.

Poor Mike has been working so much the last few days with breakfast meetings everyday around 7:00 AM then working into the night to around 9:00 PM. This morning he still had one meeting left from 9:00 until 12:00. I think all of the work even wore me out and we all had a nice rest/nap from 2 - 4 today when everything in our house was quiet and warm. Later on we saw a few snowflakes outside but few enough that we could have probably counted them all.

Now for a quiet evening at home - hope your weekend is fun but peaceful.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I haven't been doing a good job posting or taking pictures. I have a couple to post and it seems that my kids are growing at an incredible rate. Even in their pajamas they look so grown and big. We enjoyed a pajama party on Saturday, family visits, and a preschool party with Landon yesterday. Ella and Landon had a great time at the pj party coloring, singing, and painting in their pajamas and I think they stayed in them all day long. Landon just couldn't understand why we were going outside in our pajamas and informed us that he couldn't wear a coat with pajamas. I guess we don't tend to venture out much in pj's but it didn't phase Ella even for a minute. The best was when Landon told his daddy that he needed to put his pajamas on to go to the pj party, wouldn't that have been a fun sight, maybe fun is the wrong term.


Yesterday Ella and I ventured to Landon's preschool for a valentine party in which we ate lots of snacks, had story time and everyone decorated valentine bags and exchanged valentine's with friends. Ella was certainly interested in the candy everyone was getting but she also was interested checking out all of the books and toys. On occassion she ran out of the room to find other toys and children. She was the only younger sibling there but definitely made up for any that couldn't be there.

Pictures today are also from Landon and Ella's first adventure playing with play-doh. We have owned play-doh for some time know but my kids only thought that they were colorful cans for stacking or just opening the lid to look at colors. I guess I was just a little too nervous to let them have at it. I think I may have deprived them from a lot of fun but we will have some play-doh time at our house from now on. Lighten up Brooke!

Hope you have a great day!

Friday, February 9, 2007

Have you ever just had those challenging days of parenting? Where it seems nothing is going your way and your children just want to oppose everything you say and do. Where no matter how enticing of a deal you try to make with them they just want accept or cooperate. Where you can offer to fix them their favorite food and they don't want to eat it. It seems as though I have had a couple of those days since the middle of the week. Landon has been challenging everything I do and Ella watches and replicates the behavior. Maybe it's a stage (I keep telling myself), maybe they are getting sick again (I keep telling myself) or maybe it's just me!!

Other than the caziness of discipline this week we have enjoyed a trip to the Children't Museum, a visit from Nannie and a little time with Gammy. We are looking forward to the weekend when Landon and Ella have a pajama party to go to on Saturday morning and I get to visit with my friend Beave on Sunday. I am looking forward to some girl time out at lunch! Hope everyone is well and healthy.

Monday, February 5, 2007

Happy Birthday Nannie Richardson! Although I know she won't see this I want to wish a very happy birthday to Nannie who turns 89 today. (I tried to post this yesterday but was having technical difficulties).

Both Landon and Ella are now feeling better and besides from Ella's slight dribble under her nose we are good to go. They both seem to have 10 times the energy that they had last week. Even while sick Ella and Landon enjoyed playing with Landon's boots that are way too big but a fun to play in. They even ventured outside into the snow for a few minutes, which was about the length of time is snowed around here. Ella was more interested in playing in the sandbox than the snow and there just wasn't enough to keep Landon entertained more than 10 minutes.
The rest of the time we stayed in our house watching videos, coloring, playing trains and trying to think of creative ways to keep from going crazy.

On Saturday we were finally able to get out and about and visited some friends for dinner. They have twins that seem to be the most content laid back babies. Then Sunday we had a busy day with church and then the Super Bowl. It was fun to see the Colts win (even though I didn't really watch much of the game). I am just thankful that I wasn't out in the rain getting soaked to the bone but instead inside under shelter with a warm fire, friends and fun football fare. After chili, cheese dip, wings, chips, veggies and dip, more chips, doughnuts, cookies, strawberries and grapes I was stuffed. Landon and Ella had a huge sugar high as Danny gave them plenty of doughnuts and cookies before they ate anything that resembled a dinner. I think all of the sugar kept Landon going strong until almost 9:30 and Ella had a crash and was out early but woke up at 2:30 AM thinking it was time to get up and play again. She was so awake that she was chatting away for 30 minutes while in bed with us and after an hour and a half finally made it back to her crib.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and that you are off to a good week as well. It's quite cold around here but with Landon and Ella running laps around the house it heats up quickly inside.