So, I was going to...

write a ToT post yesterday.

I had ten ideas already saved as a reminder to myself of what to write/share.

But, then we got some exciting news that Ty and Frankie were coming to visit.

And we needed to eat them up with loves and attention, so the ToT needs to wait.

In the meantime, Jack anxiously awaited Ty's arrival by playing with this $3 rocket blaster (from Gordman's ) for 1 straight hour. Great fun it was shooting that rocket from one end of the house to other. It's already broken.

 

Well, then the munchkins finally came (1 hour is like 5 hours for my Jackers) and we

snuggled

and posed for pictures for Auntie Nikki

 

and played this game (name? I have no idea), which was a smash hit for these 4 year-olds

and read books (old-school style) together.

Good thing I had prepped these Easy Chicken Enchiladas during nap/rest time.

 

Not only were these super easy to make, but they were absolutely delicious.

They were eaten with rave reviews from all the adults at the table.

They were a bit spicy for the kiddos, but I think this was because I used a can of Rotel instead of the recommended can of diced tomatoes. Either way, I am sure they will still be yumm-o! 

After running around GiGi's for 2 straight hours, the babes were ti-errrd, so off to sleep.

Today, Jack had an impromptu Beach Day at preschool.

This is all we had, a swimsuit, t-shirt, towel cover-up and rain boots.

He did not think his outfit was complete due to the lack of sandals as he begged me to by him a pair this morning at 8:00 am. Not sure where this came from as Jack has never worn a pair of sandals, but we just didn't have the time or the resources (only store around is Wally-Mart..uhh, nope) to buy them.

Oh well, I think he looked darn cute in beach/rainy day get-up.

Jack enjoyed a little fun in the sun and then we all headed to the Minnesota Zoo.

Wonky picture....due to four impatient, super tired kids waiting for the dolphin show. 

Those 15 minutes were like 15 hours for this Momma, but seeing these expressions during the show made it well (well!) worth it.

Now, I am off to sleep. So.tired.

Yep, I'm ready...

for my boys to play and have fun in the warm sun outside. 

(as opposed to this dome)

Enough with the snow already...its Spring. 

Sheesh!

O's Favorite Things.

No not Oprah...Owen!

Favorite Book: No David

He LOVES this book. We have had to read it every night before bed for the past month. I bought this book over a year ago and maybe read it to the boys once. I just didn't understand its appeal and with little words to read I didn't think the boys would like it. But Owen disagrees. He understands all of David's shananigans (and most definitely relates them) through looking at the pictures and hearing me read David's mother's remarks. I just ordered Oh, David! and Alice The Fairy written by the same author because I am pretty tired of reading the same book every night in an effort to mix it up a bit.

Favorite Movies: A toss up between Finding Nemo (with the opening scary fish scene fast-forwarded) and Tarzan (with the opening tiger scene fast-forwarded). This is only possible and/or asked for by Owen when driving in the car long-distances. Otherwise, my 2 year-old and sitting for longer than 3 minutes (unless strapped in his car-seat) is impossible.

Favorite Lullaby: Leavin' On a Jet Plane

I have sung to Owen since he was a newborn. Sometimes I sing actual lullabies, sometimes I sing Pop songs and sometimes I make songs up about our dogs or Owen's pretend adventures. But lately, when I ask Owen, "What should Momma sing?", he responds, "Jet Plane".

Favorite Clothes: None..wants to be a "Naked Boy" all.the.time.

Favorite Jammies: Buzz Lightyear and Woody pj's...he cries for them.

Favorite Breakfast: Ooogurt (yogurt) and eggies.

Favorite Pet: Tootsie (Lola) as he frequently asks, "Momma, Tootsie lap?" (can I hold her in my lap?).

Favorite Food: "Mac Cheese".

Favorite Song: Baby....he loves this song much and sings it so often that one of his teachers at daycare brought in a tape of the song for him and the rest of the kiddos to dance and sing to.

He also loves to be independent ("self...I do it"), loves to "shake my bootie", loves to play the game I Love You As Much As ("as much as all puppies, doggies, horsies, cows, duckies and iPad") and follow his Momma wherever she goes.

This is to remember my O-bubs right now at this exact moment.

A Joke?

 joke:

Something said or done to evoke laughter or amusement, especially an amusing story with a punch line.

 Grandma GiGi always has her freezer stocked with popsicles for her grandbabies. The boys have been getting them as a treat if they eat their dinner (a little bribery always works). Well, these particular popsicles themselves come with an extra treat as well, jokes written on the sticks. They are simple and silly jokes that Pat and I read and then burst out into exaggerated laughter. The boys both then laugh as though they get the jokes (or maybe they are laughing at their nerdy parents...hmmm?). Anywho, Jack has been telling his own version of a joke, for example:

What did Jack and Ty say to the elephant?

Where's the turtle?

What did the glass say to the toothbrush?

Where's the water?

What did the bird say to the other bird?

Do you have any toast?

They make absolutely no sense whatsoever, right? No amusing story with punch line...well, not exactly. But, he does say them as though there is....he thinks there is. As his parents (and #1 fans) we still do the exaggerated nerdy laugh as though we get it. This then makes him laugh (at us, maybe?) and tell another joke and another and another. It's actually a very sweet ritual evolving at the Myers dinner table.

 I love this boy.

And something that made me laugh...like really laugh..out loud. 

Owen's curiousity.

I love this boy.

A Budding Photographer.

Jack has been asking almost daily to take pictures with my camera. It makes me nervous, but he's very careful and always puts the adorned camera strap around his neck. I want to put together a collage of some of his best work to document here (you know, in case this becomes his profession..Ha). Tonight, I was going through the 253 pictures he took recently and I came across this beauty.

A sweet photograph (with alittle picnik(ing) of his little brother.

Yes, that's my heart pounding with love and my face smiling with pure joy.

A Precious Moment.

Jack: I love you Mommy...so much.

Me: I love you too, Buddy.

Jack: Mommy, I love you so much that one day I want to marry you Mommy. 

Me: Oh, that is so sweet Bubs.

Jack: I want to marry you when I get big like Daddy....like when I'm eighteen.

Me: Oh, give me a hug...I love you too!

Jack: Did you hear that Daddy? I'm going to marry Mommy when I'm eighteen.

Precious.

Saturday Night 10.

1. My poor blog has been so sad lately from being neglected. I have had so much on my mind these past few weeks that at the end of each day I am exhausted. Plus, we have been "on the go" almost everyday taking care of one thing or another for our new house or simply taking advantage of living back in MN/WI. Although, super fun, this also leaves little time for blogging and adds to that exhaustion. I need to get back into some sort of routine (for me) while living in transition. Blog...I've been missing you. And my regular work-out routine...I've been missing you too.

2.

Let's get up to speed on the happenings around here. We have decided not to build a home as it was starting to cost us too much time and money than our brains and wallets could handle. Two months into the house building process, we started hitting roadblocks that we were starting to read as bright neon signs that said, Turn Back...Do Not Enter...Stop. We were doubting if this was going to be the right decision for our family and so I decided to go out on a house search once again.

Mr. Glass Half Full (Pat) told Mrs. Glass Half Empty (Mwah) that he was sure I was going to find a gem that day and by golly, I did! I found a house that I loved, I knew Pat and the boys would love too and I could dream about us living there. Sooo, we made an offer and after some negotiating we got it accepted! New home...we can't wait to move into you in April!

3. Okay, one more house to discuss, our Michigan house. Here she is, in some of her post Christmas/ready to be put on the real estate market glory.

After living in this house for a little over two years, I must admit she holds a special place in my heart. Within her four walls and the yard that surrounds her, I brought a newborn baby home, I nursed my baby in a rocker while looking out that big window on the second floor, I learned how to cook (like kinda good) in the kitchen, I taught my son how to spell and write his name on the chalkboard painted on his bedroom wall, we taught this same son how to ride his bike in the driveway and how to swing a golf club in the grass, my baby learned to walk on her floors and we spent hours and hours giggling, dancing and playing with our boys both inside and outside. We created wonderful memories in this home, memories that we all will cherish forever.

So, when she was put up for sale, I was hoping that a potential buyer would see/feel the love that we put into her and want to call her Home as well (kinda corny, maybe?). Our home was on the market for just about 50 days and after numerous showings I was really starting to feel discouraged that we may never sell. The feedback was always the same, "we love the house, but we don't like seeing the backyard neighbors". Feedback...what a joke as all it did was frustrate us. That is a subject that I could go on and on about. Anyway, this past week we got an offer and after another round of negotiating we came to an agreement and we have an accepted offer. Sigh...what a relief! Fingers crossed please and/or add me to your prayer chains that this sees itself to a Sold sign in the front yard.

4.  Now, for our new house. I don't have any pictures of the house, but I do have some decorating ideas brewing in my brain.

Inspiration for the boys' bathroom.

 

 SarahJaneStudios

Canvas map for the boys' play area.

Ikea

Art to commemorate our many moves.

January Jones Prints

A girlie space just for me...no toys allowed.

via

And "pops" of color throughout similar to this space.

via

Oh and a unique gallery wall going up my stairway.

via

Don't worry, Pat has already laid claim the unfinished basement. Hee-Hee.

5.  Sheesh, #'s 1-4 sure did make me hungry. Do you happen to have any Girl Scout Cookies laying around your house? Specifically, Tagalongs? If your anything like me, the Tagalong box is the first to empty. But, if you still have a box laying around, why not pop them into some cupcakes.

Tagalong Cupcakes

Yumm!

6. I have not made these yet, but I keep thinking about them.

Chex Lemon Buddies

Yes please.

7. We are staying with my mom until we move into our new home. Grandma's house always brings new treasures to discover. The boys found some of my niece's princess garb and they were interested in what this pink, frilly stuff was (having little exposure to princesses). Tiaras and Heels?

This lasted approximately two minutes. Yes Jack, heels are not comfortable.

But, his Wolverine mask is.

8. Three fun projects to help the kiddos celebrate St. Patty's Day this week can be found Here and Here and Here.

9. Owen is doing more and more of this lately. He demands to be a "naked boy" and then every few minutes says, "Momma, potty." He runs into the bathroom, stands on the stool for one second and says, "all done". So far, we are 0 (potty in the toilet) and 63 (potty on the floor). Sigh.

 He's so darn cute though.

10. Do you need some fresh, new ways to wear your scarf? Here are 12.

via

I'm digging the pretzel knot right now.

Happy Spring Forward...don't forget!

Deja Vu.

Deja vu 

is the experience of feeling sure that one has already witnessed or experienced a current situation, even though the exact circumstances of the previous encounter are uncertain.

(Wikipedia)

Four years ago, almost to the exact day, I was sitting in this same house (my momma's) and in this same chair with Jack, an infant at the time, cradled in my arms sound asleep. I was filled with pure exhaustion from being a brand new mother and having a baby that only slept for small increments during the night (still at about 9 weeks old). We were in the middle of a move (#2 with my husband's company) and we had not yet found a house that we could call a home. Pat was transitioning into his new job and was traveling three days each week for this position. And I was desperately trying to figure out how to be a mother and create a routine and still be Nicole while living in limbo. It was a stressful time in our lives and in our marriage. But, as I sat in that chair holding my sweet baby with the sun beaming through the windows onto my face, I was hopeful that life would work itself out. 

Fast-forward four years, I am sitting in the same house and in the same chair, now cuddling my four-year old Jack, who is asleep while my 2 year-old Owen is sound asleep in his crib. I am no longer filled with pure exhaustion and I am no longer a brand new mother (those both must go hand in hand?). We are in the middle of another move (#4) with Pat's company, however, this time we have found a house to call a home. We are living with my mom until it is ready for us in just the matter of weeks. Today, Pat and I know and understand each other so much more. We know what each others needs are in times of stress and we have perfected creating routine and stability in times of chaos. It is stressful (moving always is!), but each of us knows when to step in to help each other and the boys make it less stressful. This move is exciting because it gets us to the place where we want to be...where we want to raise our children. So on this day, as the sun beams shine through the windows and hit my face once again, I cannot help but be reflective on the past four years. It has been a roller coaster of events and emotions, but through it all I have truly learned so much about myself and I have grown and I am happy.

Truly happy!

Fieldtrip to North America?

Some kinda big changes are in the works in this family. I have been meaning to document them on my little blog, but too many are happening all at once and I simply have not found the time. One biggie (besides relocating to a new(er) State, selling a house, deciding not to build the house that we have been planning on building for the past three months, starting the home search again, finding a house we love and making an offer, living with my mom temporarily, and continuing to provide stability/routine for our lil' munchkins) is that I am going back to work (very) part-time and the boys will be going to daycare when I work. Eeek! 

I have felt pretty okay about this situation, up until tonight when I was packing up all of the things they need for their first day. I know that it will be good for me to work in a job that I love and it will be good for the boys to socialize and learn with other kids their ages in a different setting, but the idea of being away from them is pulling at my heart strings. Majorly pulling, like my heart is a little achey and my tummy hurts. Darn you mom guilt, you're always lingering!

Because I have been planning this day for so long both with excitement and dread, I decided today needed to be extra special and extra fun. I took the boys to the Mall of America or as Jack kept saying, "Momma, are we getting closer to the North America yet?" Our destination...Nickelodean Universe. I have to admit, I was nervous taking on this adventure by myself with my two boys and one stroller, but I was hoping for the best. And it was better than the best...it was fantastic! We truly had such a blast the three of us. We went on a bunch of rides (some twice), walked around in awe of this huge mall (the boys did), shoved our mouths with corn dogs, giggled with excitement and even got in a little shopping (just a smidge, for meaw). It was a day better than I ever expected....I hope tomorrow is too.

 The boys within minutes of leaving the mall. 

Sound asleep with their loveys and ketchup stained faces dreaming of their theme park favorites, the choo-choo (Owen) and the bus (Jack).

Oh, how I love these two!