You know when...

You know when you're out somewhere, like the park, and there's that kid who's jumping off of things your heart drops because you think he'll fall down off the jungle gym and crack his neck?? Well, that's the kind of thing I see and hear when I'm with Ryan. In fact, it's guaranteed. Sometimes when I'm around my sister's kids, I get like that. Little John was opening something with a kitchen knife and it made my heart jump. maybe that's because Alex decided to open a package with a machete one day and ended up getting stitches in his hand. Either way, we took the boys downtown to Waterfront Park and to the Pineapple Fountain. You're allowed to 'wade' in it, but for little kids, it's like swimming.

James was happy to walk around in it and eventually got down and was pushing himself around. Ryan, as you can see, just went for it. That's me in the background freaking out that maybe he'll get caught under the fountain. But I didn't get the looks from the spectators thinking that there was this little body floating in the fountain. We just said, "yes, he's fearless". So, enjoy the video of our little fish.

No binkies!

Well, I finally bit the bullet and snipped the ends off of all the binkies I could find. I knew it wouldn't be as hard on Ryan as it would be on James. And sure enough, James is still moaning up in his bed. I bet Ryan's already asleep but I don't want to check on James yet.

I decided to do this because James is old enough to sleep without one and I think it'll help improve his speech. But it can't be just one child giving it up, it has to be both. However, I do feel like I'm taking his comfort away because this is the only thing he's been attached to, EVER!! Hopefully he won't remember this transition.

Crabs! Crabs! Crabs!

Yes, we got some crab pots. And thanks to our friends, a John Boat that fits perfectly in our creek. This little boat has been gracing the backyard of our friend's house and they were more than happy to entrust it to us. Alex took it out for a 'spin' the other day and it works real well in the creek. He also found some crab pots that had a few crabs in them. We didn't take them, but we did buy our own. Now, all we need is some chicken necks and Alex to put them out. Nothing like fresh seafood!! Picture to come..

Cow Appreciation Day

Another nice thing about Southernsavers.com is that it tells you when stores and/or restaurants are doing free things. For example, last friday, Chick Fil A had Cow Appreciation Day. If you went dressed as a cow, you got a free combo meal. If you went with a cow item, you got a free entree. So, I found a white t-shirt and made some black circles on it so Ryan could be a cow. When we got to Chick Fil A, we got to spin the wheel and got a free drink. So, my boys and I ate a meal for free!!! Oh, I had a cow item so we got one kids meal, a small drink and nuggets for free. Alex had a cow mask which we got at the hundred yen store in Japan, so his meal was $3. So, we all ate for $3. Not bad.

When you turn your back...

I got the boys some washable paint, which is a lot of fun. But when I turned my back, this is how Ryan looked.

It's 1 pm...

And it feels like 6 pm. I'm ready to open that bottle of red wine that's looking at me. Nothing major happened, just a meltdown at RiteAid by a 3 year old and an incessant crying before bedtime of a 2 year old. (Both might have colds or be getting them). So, the baby's asleep, but she periodicially cries out. No noise is coming from the boys' rooms, so hopefully they're asleep. I'll go check. Anyways,

My mind is bogged down with potty training, couponing, cleaning, disciplining and overall, life. But, this is a season of life and will soon pass. I enjoy the little things of life, including Ryan learning to talk, James becoming more articulate, Olivia smiling at me (and the fans). Alex, going crabbing to bring me some crabs. Yes, I'm super excited about that. You can have 2 crab pots without a crab license. He got a little john boat from a friend of his that fits perfectly in the creek.

I'm excited about getting a haircut tomorrow. Alex is landscape shopping at a going out of business store and apparently can landscape our yard for really cheap. So, I'm going to reheat my cup of coffee for the 3rd time and try to re-set my dial.

Coupon Trip #1

Okay, I have to give credit to my husband for doing the grocery shopping. I have done my research on Southernsavers.com, clipped my coupons, ordered my newspaper, and organized my coupons. We decided to go to Publix, because they are priced well. So, with a hand written list and coupons in hand, I sent my husband to the grocery store. Alex, though, got very excited about he B1G1 deals, that he deviated from the list. More like, he added to the list. So, we have a lot more than we need, but it wasn't quite the deal I was going for. But, we did save $85 through coupons and in-store promotions, so that wasn't so bad. This next week, I'll be more specific and we'll try again.

P.S. This is worth a shot if you're willing to get the Sunday paper and cut coupons and try things you might not normally buy.