Good Bites

Like many places, we have some GREAT eating places around here. We stopped by a doughnut trailer after meeting on Sunday that is ranked in the *top 10*...meeting up with Nana & Papa as well as some Canadian friends. They had a varying assortment of doughouts with toppings...Trevin had fresh strawberries on top of his, Russell had blueberries & blue icing on his. Mine was wonderful!!!! Funky monkey = cream cheese frosting with grilled bananas on the top of a warm, fresh doughnut. Benjamin's took first place for creativity. He was beyond delighted when he saw his...scroll down for pictures & details.

THE RATTLER...fresh donut with chocolate frosting, crushed oreos & a huge gummy rattlesnake on the top. Oh my....just "perfect" for a Texas boy.

Progress!!

It's a great feeling to be making good progress.

1. Benjamin is doing so well with his violin. He had an outdoor concert today. It was a beautiful day & a great location with green rolling hills in the background.

2. No more dirty diapers around here!!! Hardly ever. Now we are working on using our words...like...."I need to go to the bathroom."

3. Trevin has transitioned to his big boy bed. He is quite proud to be in a big bed like Benjamin. It took him a week to realize he could get out (!).

4. I'm feeling so good since cutting out sugar. I'm reading a great book that has been an eye opener for me & has given me a huge boost in the right direction. I love being able to have *2 free* meals on the weekend. It helps me to stick with the right foods during the week. Tonight: Papa Murphy's thin crust chicken & artichoke delite! Yum.

5. Oh yes, & Benjamin's knee is healing nicely after his bike accident 2 weeks ago & then requiring stitches. The last part of his scab fell off today!

2012...off to a good start!

Well, here we are - well into our first month of 2012. So far things are going great in our household. The boys are happy & healthy. We've had no more accidents since our minor emergency which found us scurrying off to ER with Trevin. I've decided to make a list of things I want to accomplish this year. Here's part of my 'to do' list for 2012. I like the satisfaction of crossing things off a list, so here goes...

1. Get rid of clutter - this is already well in progress
2. Work at least 5x a month (really??) - this actually makes me a better mother; I'm always so happy to get home to see my kids & spend quality time with them. It is a good breather for me, very mentally stimulating, & I love being able to contribute a little chunk to the piggy bank.
3. Learn to cut my boys' hair - can it really be that hard? My Dad reminded me tonight - it'll always grow back...so why not?
4. Quit scrapbooking - I'm completely in love with making memory books thru Picaboo. It saves so much time, money & effort. I have so many other things I want to spend time doing. With that said, I want to keep card making/stamping - it is fun & less involved.
5. Learn a new game. Suggestions?
6. Read this book.
7. Love more, express gratitude & worry less.

Benjamin's goal for 2012:
" Be more caring to others." - I love it! He came up with himself

Trevin's goal for 2012:
Sleep all night long! - We helped him with this one. :)
Hope you are having a good year so far!

a wonderful day...

It was super fun to all stay home today...I've worked most days that Russell has been home recently. Since it was so beautiful this morning, we headed to the bike trails. Benjamin biked while we ran/walked with Trevin in the jogging stroller. Benjamin learned that biking/keeping your balance while manuevering around people, curves, etc is a bit more challenging. 2 spills, but no blood lost! We did fine!! Except...I found it challenging to keep up with him biking while I ran. He has speed...now that his training wheels are off. So, I have my work cut out for me. :)


Supper - BBQ shredding pork sandwiches were so good tonight...this was so incredibly simple & loved by everyone at our table. I am seriously addicted to pinterest. I don't spend too much time on it, but I love the recipes & ideas I found. My friends all have such great taste! So fun.

After supper it was wonderful to have a bit of quiet conversation with my hubby while we had tea & dessert from The Steeping Room...we split a double chocolate cupcake...oh so good.

Source: quick-dish.tablespoon.com via Andrea on Pinterest

I feel like the weekend has already started!

Celebration...

Woohoo...we're ready to celebrate around here..

-Potty training is going great
-This week I finished my 30 hours of CEUs to renew my PT license....that's a big hurdle for me every 2 years
-We got some rain this week...okay maybe it only lasted 10 minutes, but it was more than wonderful.
-School supplies have been purchased. I almost waited until 'Tax free' weekend, but was advised that the sales are *on* now and most store are *out* of the supplies by that weekend. Ummm...that helped me put it into high gear. We got lucky and were able to find all our items.
-Benjamin's school is nearly finished. We get to take a tour & meet the teachers in 10 days!
-Nana is coming home soon. Wow...she has been gone for only 8 days but it feels like 18! The boys have really missed her (oh, I have too)
-Photo shoot this weekend for our family. I decided to take the easy way out and not try to get cute shots of our boys myself. Trevin doesn't stay still for more than 30 nanoseconds. I can't even think that fast.
-I ordered my new "organizer/daily planner for this coming year"...from Erin Condren. Have you heard of her products? I had a great coupon code...so it was a good deal for me. Can't wait to try it out.


Enjoy the week!

Interesting Days...

No dull moments for us...

- both boys have ear infections (Trevin's 1st ever & Benjamin's 2nd)
- the temperature keeps creeping up into the 80s each day
- we have worker company
- I survived my first week back to work (only 9 hours...but it feels more like 20!)
- Trevin is addicted to light switches, cords, & telephones (when did he lose interest in all our toys??!!)

But we're surviving & looking forward to slower, more relaxing days very soon!
Happy Thanksgiving to each of you!