Firsts...

Saturday Jack took his first steps!! :)

And today Kate got her first bee sting :(

sorry...no pics of either occasion.

But here's a couple cute ones to make you smile.

Kate's writings

Kate has been practicing writing her name. Now she's moved on to Jack's name, mom and dad. Here are 2 pictures she made with all our names and pictures of us.

This one is a family picture of the 4 of us, plus Uncle Justin. You can also pick out the names Kate, Jack (the one above her name), mom and dad.


Kate, Jack, mom, dad and a picture of a happy face


Her "A's" are like H's and her C's are backwards...but I think she's doing pretty good!!

A MUCH needed escape!

I went away on girls' trip this weekend and it was FANTASTIC!! It was my first time ever away from either of my kids for the weekend. Again I say "FANTASTIC!!" I went to a bachelorette party for one of my old friends from high school, well actually grade school. We went to Put-In-Bay in Ohio. You take a ferry across to the island. It was crazy!! We were not prepared for what goes on there but it was a great time! It was like a giant frat party! Our pool had a swim up bar and a DJ. It reminded me of spring break I see on TV!! I think we are all past those days but it was VERY fun! Definitely a much needed escape! I stayed up until 4am, slept until 10, lounged by the pool all afternoon, took 2 hours to get ready to go to dinner, danced at a bar all night, and enjoyed being with children-less girls!! AAAhhhhhhh!!! A GREAT TIME!! I already want to do it again!!

Riding on the ferry to the island.


Group shot


Me with 2 good friends


May flies- apparently these may flies come out on the island for 2-3 weeks out of the year when the weather changes. Of course we happened to be there during that time. These things were everywhere. When you look up, they are just hovering over you! When you walk down the road, you just crunch them. It was really gross!

Stinky girl

This is how we went out to get the mail today. Doesn't everyone?

A second of this stinky skunk out to get the mail. BTW...I DID NOT ask her to pose...especially not like this. This girl has some modeling in her!!

I'm not a bad mom...right?!?!

I'd like to think I'm not a bad mom...but this past week, I can't be too sure. I literally cannot take Kate's behavior anymore. She has been so full of tantrums, screaming, throwing things, telling me no and lots and lots and lots of crying. I lose control of my emotions sometimes and cannot take it at all. I try to be nice. I try to be understanding. I try to ignore it. Then I just get really pissed about it. That would be when I feel the bad mother coming through. I get SO mad. (understatement) Definitely madder than I'd ever like to see myself at my 3-year old that I love more than life itself. I don't want to be so mean to her. I don't want to scream at her. But I feel like I've tried everything. All my old "tricks" don't work anymore. It used to be so easy to get her to listen and do what she was supposed to. But she is way too strong willed for that.

Well tomorrow will be another fun-filled, high-emotion filled day, so I'd better rest up to be able to tackle it all over again.

Sigh...

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I barely know where to start.





Moving stinks. I could start there! We still have a stack of boxes and totes in a corner of the living room. My goal is to get rid of them by the end of the week. Wish me luck!!

Kate and Dustin both got sick over the past few weeks. Stomach flu sick. Jack seemed to have a touch of it but it never came on full force. And so far (i'm knocking on wood right now!) I have not gotten it. Thank goodness. I can't keep all this ("all this" meaning my life) going if I'm sick on the couch!

We went to Kennywood Amusement Park on Tuesday. Dustin was really sick and couldn't go but we already had plans and tickets to go with his family on Tuesday so we went and he stayed home. It was fun. We missed him, though. Kate loved it. She was even tall enough for some of the big rides this year. She said she liked them a little bit but was not going to go on them again :)







We went to Settler's Cabin wave pool yesterday. It was a last minute decision to do something fun instead of sit around and I'm glad we did. Nothing too exciting but fun to be out and splashing in the water. Dustin's next youngest brother and his wife just moved home from Utah and are staying with Dustin's parents until they get a place in Erie where he's going to Med school. So we've been able to hang out with them lots lately. It's so much fun and they love the kids. Makes my job easier, too!!





Jack is getting so big. He's crawling, standing, walking around the furniture, climbing up the stairs, and getting into everything he can. You can't take your eyes off that boy for a second! I speak from experience because I did the other day and he crawled up 5 steps and fell down them. Poor little guy. He's okay though and the baby gate has been installed :)



Kate is also a monster, lately. She's being really, really naughty. She tells me "no" over and over right to my face, screams, argues with absolutely everything I say and throws things when she gets mad and doesn't get her way. It's driving me completely crazy. I've tried handling it how parenting magazines say to and I've tried "other things..." but neither being nice nor being mean is doing a dang thing. She's just gonna do what she wants to do when she wants to do it and that's just it. UGGG...It's wearing me out.



I know this post isn't too interesting...but hopefully now that you're all caught up we'll get back to "normal."