Crooked Eyebrow

Mini me

2012-01-24T20:58:00.002-06:00

I don't have any photos to compare, but she looks a lot like me.
Even better?
My mom saved my old shirt and my sweet Miss E can wear it.

Photo of Miss E at 27 months

Got sleep?

2012-01-23T11:01:00.003-06:00

8.5 hours of straight sleep
Let's hope this continues

Mr. J, almost 12 weeks

will power

2012-01-18T09:11:00.003-06:00

The gym.
I went and I felt silly and chubby. I felt like a poser amongst fit people.

My things went into a locker, my shoes were tied and my ancient ipod was charged. I was ready to go? Walking in after many years away is hard, but I forced my self in there.

I found a elliptical, in the back, away from people. I got myself up, put my tunes on and well, could not figure out how to turn the damn thing on. I froze with embarrassment. See? I am a poser and a bad one too.

After futzing with the machine and the "quick start" button, I had to ask for help. It takes a lot for me to ask for help. A lot. Honestly, deep down I wanted to get off and go hide somewhere and play "words with friends" while Mr. J was in the child area. Staying put, I asked the next person who came up to another machine. A guy. A really good looking one too. Dammit.

Quietly I ask him "can you please tell me how these things work?" . He laughed (looking cute) and said "will power, you just start pedaling". I wanted to die. DUH. So i start pedaling after selecting a program and then he leans over and shows me that I didn't even have the thing on and counting. (i wanted to die).

Fifteen minutes into it, I wanted to give up. I was out of breath, sweaty and sore. If that doesn't say out of shape, I don't know what does. Will power.... that word kept replaying in my head, over and over. It worked. Not only did I finish, but I went on to try and run. Ha. That is going to take a lot more will power and prayer.

Right now? I am digging deep and finding the will power to go back today and hopefully soon, not feel like a workout poser.

not my mess

2012-01-16T07:48:00.001-06:00

I grew up with a pretty awesome mom. I should state that first. However, she was a stickler for a clean house. For years the woman worked two jobs and cleaned up after two girls, she deserves a medal. After awhile we were old enough to clean up our own messes, but she still nagged and complained that our shared bedroom was filthy.

( two teen girls? it was)

Here is where I have to admit that my sister was cleaner than me. I swear she is OCD. (Hi sis!) Time after time I would try to blame my mess on her. "Mom, it's not my mess", I would proudly and foolishly declare. What was I thinking? I look back now as an adult and mother and who was I kidding? Silly teen me.

Almost 15 years later, now a wife and mother of three, I still panic when I know my mom will be coming over. I do! It's like I am 15 years old all over again and I can't let her down. So the night before she comes I pick up the mess, shove it out of the way like I was a teenager hiding all my dirty clothes way back in the closet and go in full clean mode. It drives my husband nuts.

But you see, as I tell my son, "I would pick up all the crap in your room, Grandma is coming tomorrow", he totally picks up the mess. He knows. He totally gets it too.

This woman,my mother, has some sort of magic cleaning powers. One time we came home to her cleaning our front door and screen. There she was, hanging out the door, scrubbing away. Later that week she was cleaning all my ceiling fans. ( i told she deserves a medal)

On to more cleaning I go, "EVERY room must be picked up" I say to myself. Then it hits me, right there in the hallway closet as I am hanging all the coats up, "this isn't my mess". (she hates coats laying around)

This *really* isn't just my mess.

The house is clean, well not clean, just cleaner and then I stop and wonder, did my grandmother do the same thing? Did my mom hurry and try to clean for her mother? Did she think to herself each night while picking up after her two gorgeous, loving daughters (hi mom!), "this isn't just my mess?"

I'll have to ask her, after I wash my dishes, she is coming tomorrow.

life is but a dream

2012-01-13T20:52:00.004-06:00

The store was busy, the baby was wrapped up and worn on me. In the cart were supplies to hold us over in case the snow kept us in. With me was my favorite girl.

Up and down the aisles we pushed our goods around the snow panicked crowds. Our pace seemed like we were in slow motion as others pushed and rushed by. You, my favorite girl, Miss E were happily taking in every moment. Even the boxes of pasta made you laugh.

I looked down and watched your chubby fingers point to everything in sight. Then I watched your eyes light up at the old lady saying hello. You sparkled. It was like a dream. My daughter, so beautiful.

While you picked out your favorite cereal, you looked at me and started rocking back and forth while your hands grasped onto the cart. Your golden locks were all a mess from your head swaying side to side. You were singing your favorite song...

Row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream
merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream...

It was as if the people parted and it was only us singing in a big empty store. I can see your smile as I was singing back to you, "Life is but a dream". We stop singing and as I walked away I was thankful it wasn't a dream.

Third of the month

2012-01-03T14:19:00.008-06:00

It is a new year and time for a new tradition.
My friend does a monthly photo of her kids every month
and I loved her idea of watching her kids grow through photos.

Here are my three babies in my first "the third of the month" series:

January 2012

and because I am doing this, JC has asked that he get monthly photos too!
This made me so happy.
Here is his January shot:

Mr. J, you are 2 months now!

2012-01-02T17:07:00.000-06:00

Hey, I am two months old!

This is my serious look.
I only show mom my smiles and never for a camera.

I'll give a little smile and show you my big foot.
You see, I am growing so much these days.
I now wear size 2 diapers and
3-6 months clothes.

(it's the milk, I am a huge fan)

Not only do I just lay here, I can lift my head.
My big sister likes for me to have tummy time.
She sings "tummy time , tummy time" to me.
It makes me laugh. I kinda like her.

You wanna see what I looked like last month?
Go here.

A new chapter

2011-12-22T12:30:00.005-06:00

My head has fallen into my hands too many times to count.
Thoughts, worries and fears twirl and spin.
Answers escape me.

I breathe and let go.
Now my hands are thrown up, open and wide.
Free.

After months of struggling what to do after my maternity leave, I have finally decided to resign my position and be a stay at home mom. I feel light and free to say the least, yet so scared.

Many tears came after turning in my letter, but I can only hope that wonderful things are ahead.

And so a new chapter starts...

Third and final birth story

2011-12-08T09:43:00.005-06:00

I'm sitting here typing away, drinking my cup of coffee, all while constantly providing a nice, smooth bounce to my one month old baby boy and it hits me, I never wrote his birth story. The details are starting to fade and I panic. It's my third and last birth story to write, no way can I forget how I felt, what my body did. I must treasure it, hold on to it, grasp it forever so in three years when I feel a baby itch I can read my words and remember, "hell no".

My due date came and went just like I expected it to. Halloween. I was due on Halloween and I was very happy to have that date pass as I did not want a Halloween baby. For months family and friends watched my belly grow and all of them said "you will go early" and each time I told them, "nope, I have a November baby, I know it".

I knew I was getting close for my body to deliver, the pressure, the pain, the braxton hicks. (I'll spare the female parts of knowing too). My other babies were both born on Fridays so I chose the date Novemeber 4, 2011. I was wrong. However, I really thought the date 11-1-11 would be a neat birthday as well.

So on 11-1-11, I was trying to think of all the natural ways to induce labor. Sex? Castor oil? yeah, none of that sounded appealing, so I just went on with my day. I woke up, took Miss E to daycare and ran errands. Honestly, I don't know what else I did that day. It seems so long ago. What I do know is that Miss E came home ill with a high fever. We nursed it all night, I took JC to swim practice because I knew it would be that last one I sat at for awhile. Upon returning home, I find Mr. CE and Miss E rocking, sweating and one high fever.

"Great", I thought to myself. I am going to have a sick toddler, then I will get sick and have to go into labor. Funny thought that was, but I had it wrong. After cooling her down, I went to bed first, preparing myself to take second shift with sick toddler. About one hour later in bed, I lifted my heavy,swollen leg, turned and felt a pop. I shook it off and went back to sleep. Ha. A half hour later I thought I peed the bed.

Next thought? "My water never broke on it's own before, it didn't now". I got up, took a shower, texted my doula and then called my midwife. Yup, as I was talking to her, my water broke more in the bathroom. No denying it now, I was going to go into labor with a sick toddler at home.
fabulous.

When I got off the phone with my midwife she encouraged me to get rest and my contractions had not become regular yet. I quickly called my mother and oddly, said "are you sleeping? It's time, head over." Get rest?? Yeah, not...

I wrapped a towel around my large contracting belly and leaned into Miss E's room where my husband was rocking her. "my water broke, I gotta get stuff ready...shit". From here on it was a blur. In my mind I had a few more days of cleaning the house and well, packing for the hospital too. There I was, my water leaking, it was midnight and my bags were not packed.
Super.

I remember Mr. Ce trying to get some sleep and my mom walking in. I was nervous. Last time I had my girls to help me labor. Now its me, alone at 2 in the am while people are sleeping around me. As I laid on the loveseat, with my mom sleeping across the foot rest, I timed each contraction on my phone. Over the next hour they went from 7 minutes apart to 3 minutes apart and lasting about a minute.

It was 3 am.

I woke everyone up, and soon I was texting my doula to meet us there. We left the house at 3:17am and got to the hospital by 3:40am. I have a text telling my doual it was room 707 at 3:44 am and not to forget to go into the ER entrance.

At 4:01 she texting me that she was coming in and I quickly texted back "I am only a 4".

I was shattered that I was only 4 cm dialted. With Miss E I came into the hospital at 7cm and the intensity was the same. I felt panicked. How was I going to do this naturally if I am having this much pain and have so far to go!

At 4:05 I had the tub running for labor. I was anxious but looking forward to the warm water.

This is where I lose all sense of time in my labor.

I remember my husband nervously cracking jokes, talking to my doula and midwife. I know at one point Mr CE took a video of me in the tub that I have yet to see. Knowing that my mother could not watch it, I know the moans were smack in the middle of transition.

Transition, you mother, you. Back labor? I despise you. The contractions were getting stronger, I i was trying everything I remembered that helped in Miss E's birth, nothing was working. The warm water, the swaying hips in the tub, the breathing, the low moans...nothing. It came down to me begging for an epidural.

An epidural that I wanted so bad despite my strong desire not to have one. Therefore, everyone talked me out of it. I recall being so pissed at them. "I am the one in pain, you assholes. I am the one that feels like my back and hips are coming out, taking my kidneys with them!"

They all just helplessly looked back at me, offering encouraging words as I slammed my sweaty forehead back down into the cold cloth. Next contraction came and from there on, with each tense minute, my husband and doula both had to take a side and push down on my hips.

This is where I wish I knew the timeline. I know not long after my epidural begging I had to be reassessed by my midwife since she was going off call. Out of the nice warm tub I went. They all waited for another contraction, told me I was close. My heart sank knowing I wasn't fully a 10 and ready to push.

My entire pregnancy I worried that my midwife wouldn't be there. Now I had her here but she was leaving for a meeting and office hours at 7:45 am. Looking at the clock it was 7:15. I was told to get up on my knees to see if it would help progress things,boy howdy did it...

There, with my large, white behind in the air on all fours, I felt pressure and "pushy". My face is buried into a pillow and each contraction is coming one right after another. I hear voices behind me. I can't see anyone. I am alone. I am pushing down. I hear voices asking me if I am pushing. Grunting, I answer.

Back to my pushing zone. Me, my body, my baby. We are doing this. I take a deep breath and push. Finally the back pain is gone. No longer am I chanting, "but it hurts so bad." In my head I know it is so close to the end. My body tells me I am about to meet my third baby.

The pain turns into relief. Pushing felt like relief. My head is in the pillow with my arms wrapped around it. My doula and my husbands voices become clear again. My husband tells me he sees an eye. ?? I regroup and visualize that last push and I push. That last push was going, I hear my midwife tell me the plan.

"Donya, I am going to pass Justin up between your legs and you are going to grab him, ok?"

Hell yes it is okay. The last push, the relief of his head being born into this world followed by the painful release of his shoulders and done. He is in my arms.

Born 7:29 am on Novemeber 2, 2011

My life and my heart will never be the same, I became Justin's mom, Mother of three and a survivor of another natural birth.

Still in my birth position, my first look at my second son.

My wonderful husband and father of *3*

My wonderful Doula, Julie

and that is my third and final birth story.

Mr. J, I do believe you are one month now!

2011-12-08T08:58:00.006-06:00

Mr. J, I do believe you are one month old now.
Words cannot express how fast that month went and how incredibly
grateful I am to have you in our family.

You have the sweetest face and lips.
Amazingly enough, just like your big brother had.
Looking at you every 2-3 hours in the middle of the night,
well it kinda makes the lack of sleep worth it.

You have been with us for one month now and yet
it feels like you have been here forever.
Cliche I know, but true.

A friend gifted these awesome stickers to document your growth.
So get ready, because each month there will be many,
many outtakes to show as mom tries to remember how to use her camera.

(mom screwed up all her settings in her D90 and cannot get them back to where she liked them and is growing very,very disappointed in her photos)

"mom, I don't want to alarm you, but there is a bear behind me"

"I'm watching you bear,always watching"

"Look ma, I'm karate kid"

{crying}
and that wraps the first month photo shoot.

the one time I tried to take my kids photos...

2011-11-27T10:58:00.004-06:00

Now that I have three children, I figured I would definitely need a new photo for our Christmas cards, right? Sure. What I was not prepared for was just how difficult it would be to snap at least one good shot.

I needed a stiff drink after this endeavor, I am not even kidding.
{I am totally sure the lack of sleep didn't help.}

"Miss E, do not lay on the baby"

Mom is not the only crooked eyebrow in the house...

"Miss E, brother doesn't need help smiling!"

"Miss E, stop spitting!"

Finally after what seemed to be 4 hours, when it was only 20 minutes., I did capture one or two...

{not the official photo, but close}
Next year I pay someone else or take a shot first.

*i totally kid about the drinking, promise

A sister, my sister.

2011-11-21T09:00:00.006-06:00

I have said before that I am one lucky girl. I have a wonderful husband, three gorgeous babies but what I don't often mention enough is just how lucky I am to have the best little sister.

Together we have laughed, cried, yelled, hugged, dreamed and so much more. I watched her go to college, move away, get married and become a mommy. She amazes me with her grace, beauty and sheer awesomeness.

She tried to teach me to love myself for who I am when I needed to the most.

I am grateful for all the wonderful times we have shared together.
The quiet talks in the middle of the night.
The loud nights drinking and dancing.
and
every email, chat we have while we are away from each other.

She was my first best friend.
My forever friend.

Today my sister, Mary Beth, turns 30.
That is 30 years of having the best
friend anyone could ask for...
a sister.

Happy 30th MB
I love you like crazy.

Big sister, little momma

2011-11-20T22:19:00.004-06:00

So much has been changing with Miss E since we brought Mr. J home. She has been filling her days pushing limits, looking cute, kissing baby and well being two. However, I see wonderful things happening in her growth as a child. She is so smart, inquisitive and blows my mind everyday with something new she learns. I love it. I love the toddler mind, they are like little sponges.

She watches me. She watches how I pat the baby, change the baby and feed the baby. A large majority of her day while I am at home is sitting right next to me. Not to mention the need to follow me into the bathroom and offer assistance wiping. {no thank you, momma can do it}.

After realizing that mommy is feeding the baby momma's milk, she has to declare every one of her sippy cups as cow's milk, not momma's milk. I find this to be quite funny. {Yes Miss E, daddy is drinking cow's milk too}When I was pregnant I wondered how she would react to me breast feeding. Well, she is doing quite well with it at this point, better than I thought. Maybe too well...

This evening, my little momma went running into her grandmother's house, hugged her aunt and proudly reached into her little collar and handed over 2 breast pads that were tucked into her little toddler dress.

Yup, big sister has been watching, learning and is quite the little momma.

Breast pads and all, she was so proud!

11-2-2011

2011-11-08T14:48:00.002-06:00

On November 2, 2011 at 7:29am, in a small town in Indiana,
I held and looked at my third child that I pushed out into this world.

My heart stopped as she passed him up to me. Overcome, I couldn't even cry.
He was too beautiful.

I am pleased to officially say his name
Mr. Justin Alan

(from here on out Mr. J)

8 pounds, 20 inches
and
my second baby born naturally.
(yes, I totally begged for an epidural about an hour before he was born)

Things are settling down in the Crooked house.
Big Brother JC is an old pro at this...

and
Miss E is slowly getting used to mom's arms
being full, but can give one heck of a
head kiss to the baby.
(and head smacks...she is working on it)

as for the main man, Mr. J?
He's a good napper.

Bee-utiful

2011-10-25T10:27:00.003-05:00

taken with my phone
but

Miss E is
BEE-utiful!

ask her what a bee sounds like
and
she will say "bee-buzz, bee- buzz" and flap her arms around.

It just might be the cutest bee noise ever, I'm sure of it.

looking at the numbers

2011-10-23T09:38:00.005-05:00

I just woke up after 9 solid hours of sleep. NINE.That hasn't happened for the majority of my pregnancy. Today I am grateful for that sleep because soon, I will be up all night feeding, burping, diapering and having to pull myself together in the morning for my other two babies.

My 10, soon to be eleven year old, makes me wonder most days. He makes me wonder what I did right in the world to deserve such an amazing, bright boy. Then in a blink of an eye he makes me wonder what the hell I'm doing wrong as a parent. What life lesson did I forget to teach him when he just did that? {Did he REALLY just do that?? yup, he did}. The next moment I catch him being the sweetest big brother, playing, hugging and letting a toddler put bows in his hair. My momma heart swells and I know I have been doing something right at least.

Two. My little baby girl is 2. She has the spirit of many babies all poured into the cutest, most precious little body. Her eyes and smile can melt your heart and want to give her anything she could possibly want. She is 2 after all and well, you try to give her everything she wants and it usually isn't anything she wants and then there is a complete meltdown of which juice glass or bowl she wanted. Sending breakfast clear across the counter. Did I mention she is two and cute? I clean up the mess and think silently, I am gonna have 3 babies soon. whoa.

This pregnancy has gone by fast. I am 39 weeks now. My belly is low,my back is tired and my hands are swollen. I am ready to hold my sweet 3rd baby, Mr. J. I sit up at night when I can't sleep and dream of his face. Will he have the same dark hair as the other two? Will he latch as well as Miss E did? For the love of everything good in life will he sleep better than the other two? Will I be able to shower ever again with 2 small babies at home? I will take anything that happens, obviously, but may I mention that I am nervous, scared, excited, worried, happy, grateful, willing, blessed and overwhelmed? Ok. Good. I am.

1-2 weeks until I, Crooked Eyebrow, am the mother of 3 babies.
{I need more sleep}

Bathroom confession

2011-09-14T20:25:00.004-05:00

Let's say you get home from work, you slip off your shoes, take your bra off, hug the kids. What's next? Bathroom, right? Having the "home field advantage" as we like to call it in the Crooked Eyebrow home. At this point in pregnancy, my bladder is tired and well, being bounced on 5, 219 times a day, bathrooms are my thing lately.

right... moving on...

So I'm sitting there, reading my new redbook and I smell peanut butter. I think to myself, "man this pregnancy is so weird, BM's that smell like peanut butter." Mentally laugh at myself for even taking notice. Actually thinking "wow, I couldn't even blog that if I tried".

HA.

Then as I'm reading, listening to wwIII between children outside the door, I smell peanut butter again. Except this time, I look down at my huge bare belly and notice peanut butter smashed into my skin.

"damn, that's where the nutty butty bar went at lunch."

So for clarification, pregnancy does not change the smell of your poop. It only makes you one crazy nut capable of losing food at lunch, only to be hidden by your huge pregnant belly.

and that will hopefully be my last bathroom confession...ever.

you are welcome.

32.6 week comparison

2011-09-12T10:20:00.008-05:00

I am now 33 weeks along in my third pregnancy. I would have never, ever thought I would have typed that a few years ago. When I first started this blog, {way back in 2007??} I had one child and felt complete in a sense. I thought he would be my only child, although I still struggled {a lot} with wanting more children. Then came the word "infertility" and years of further testing.

At one point in all the blood draws, surgeries and more invasive tests, it was decided that one was enough and we gladly excepted that was what was given to us. So when I took yet another pregnancy test, I was not expecting a positive reslut on that day in January 2009.

Now on my third and last pregnancy, it's time to compare the belly shots. One from 2009 the other from this past weekend. {after my much needed hair appt} Both taken at 32.6 weeks

Summer of 2009

End of summer 2011

Obviously I got out a lot more when I was pregnat with Miss E because HOLY PALE MOMMA.

My thoughts? I am bigger and Mr. J is sitting much lower.

And why did I wait over 9 months to get my hair cut, colored and eyebrows done?

Sheesh. 3 hours in the salon this weekend, reading without beng called "mom"....priceless.

Fall into Fashion

2011-09-07T12:25:00.009-05:00

I thought I had it all planned out in the beginning of summer, Miss Eden's clothes were all lined up for fall, or so I thought.

You would think that Miss E being my second child I would remember that these babies, they grow like weeds. Yup. Those 18/24 month clothes, as cute as they were, are not going to be fitting on this gorgeous, gigantic toddler I now have. Nope. Not one bit.

So here we are on the first cool week of September and fall is closing in fast. Faster than this 8 month pregnant momma was planning, that's for sure. Luckily I was planning on doing some more shopping anyhow.

Last fall she was a baby and I really didn't plan on her being "fashionable" when she still was spitting out pureed foods and all, so her clothing wasn't anything to write home about, they covered her body. You know, the practical stuff. Now? Now I realize that she will be my only girly-girl so this year, I decided to fall into fashion so to speak. Ha.

Girls clothes are cute y'all!

Thankfully, I was given an opportunity to try clothing from Tea Collection for our growing fashionista. Their Designer Children's Clothing is worth every penny! When I pulled out the clothes from the box, I could not believe how soft the clothes were{100%cotton}! My first thought, "I bet the colors will fade when I wash them". NOPE. After a few washes, the colors still look perfect.

Shopping on the website was easy and I really appreciated how the put the wardrobe sets together to buy. Quite honestly, I can't put clothes together to save my life. This feature led me to some pretty awesome finds in the Girl's Clothing , that's for sure. Not to mention, the new Mexico collection this fall... full of completely adorable prints and patterns. Of course I couldn't help but go back and buy more.

(some of the great colors!)

What did we buy?
A few wrap dresses and leggings, all that can me mixed up and worn together, with the help of the wardrobe collections!

Her favorite? This wrap dress:

{ Eden 23 months}

*I was offered clothing in return for this review, but all the thoughts, opinions are mine. However, I did truly love the quality of this product and made more purchases with my own money.

Random summer 2011

2011-08-25T14:20:00.005-05:00

Summer.

Did we really have one?

Oh wait, summer was here!

I just hid inside the air conditioning for most of it.

{and this was the last summer to ever be pregnant, AMEN}

*JC went to a summer day camp and loudly protested how awful it would be and that we were possibly the worst parents ever for working and making him go. By the first few weeks, he had gone on several field trips, swam and went to a few movies. Not to mention 2 county fairs that neither one of his parents got to go to. Oh the horror of Summer day camp. At the end of the first month, he declared that he was positive that he wanted to return next summer.

*We ate our weight in ice cream. It's a miracle I passed by gestational diabetes testing. The last week of summer we even indulged in ice cream for dinner. I think, just maybe, it was heaven. The kids had a blast and I hope they remember that mom did, at one time, say yes to dessert for dinner.

*Flowers. I am neglecting to show just how many flowers and flower beds I have {can't show what my house looks like online, ya know?} But, I will say my mother and I spent hours, HOURS, weeding, mulching, watering and weeding some more. I have thoroughly enjoyed our flowers and plants as we spent our first summer in our new house.

*This summer Miss E became a full, miss independent toddler. Running, talking, and refusing to sit in a high chair. She started off the summer only wanting to eat her breakfast out of baggies while walking around, to now sitting next to "brudder" each morning.

*Every morning when we do drop offs, Miss E leans over and says "bye" and kisses her "brudder". My heart melts and am so very happy that they love each other.

*I never went swimming this summer, I haven't been swimming in years. However, I did manage to take the kids to the beach one evening. Miss E's first time and she loved it. My belly?
It was 25 weeks along with Mr. J.

* This summer we threw our first outdoor party. I would like to call it a success. It was hot, humid but being in the company of our good friends, neighbors and family was all worth it. The jump house, the kids' water fights, the food and oh, my the desserts. Great party indeed. Hopefully, with the success of the Gathering 1.0, we shall have the Gathering 2.0.

{and I won't be pregnant and can drink. AMEN}

*Grilling. Oh, grilling. Need I say more. My favorite from Mr. CE's summer grilling this year was his Alabama BBQ grilled chicken. Holla! That shit was amazing.

*Our first productive garden. Tomatoes. All kinds. Put these with the fresh mozzarella cheese from the market and the basil plant we had...bam. The best summer dinners of caprese salad ever.

*Miss E learned to use the potty {some times} She sings "potty for Cookie" while sitting. It just might be the cutest thing ever.

*You tube. It was the summer of you tube videos for the kids. I have several videos of my littles hamming it up and dancing to "numa numa". Miss Eden's video choice? Sugarland's "stuck like glue." We are currently trying to wean her to a new song...it's not working. OY.

*Baby naming. It took all summer to agree on one. Mr. J it shall be.

*Family changes. Work changes. Holy cow, lots and lots of changes this summer and the year to come. Last day of work has been decided October 20th. I currently as I type this, have 37 more working days left. {AMEN}

*Farmer's market. The summer of the farmer's market and we love it. Even better, the cupcake guy. He might just think we are crazy, chubby, sugar freaks. I shall included photos next time of these FABULOUS cupcakes.

Actually, Mr. J's name was decided over these fabulous cupcakes. At the time, we all sat in the grass, with Miss E bouncing between adults feeding her cupcakes and I clearly remember shoving that last bite of red velvet in my mouth as we said "yea, Mr. J it is."

* We only filled the kiddie pool up twice. Sad. But yet I dream of having a BIG pool in the backyard one day. HA.

*Every day we drove to summer camp across town, JC would have me play certain music. As soon as we left the daycare from Miss E, I had to turn on Godsmack "Voodoo" and then when he hit a certain landmark in town I had to change the song, roll down the windows and play the theme song from the Sopranos. Every day. It soon became our "summer routine" and it was a goal to drive and land at a set of rail road tracks on his favorite part of the song at 2 minutes and 34 seconds.

I had one happy 10 year old every time we hit that mark in the song at the spot he wanted. It was our summer game.

and it was awesome...

So although summer went incredibly too fast, we still had some pretty darn good times. Good bye summer and hello 5th grade, toddler hood and new baby. Crooked is ready for you