Birthday Bonanza

Just a quick post and some photos from Zoe and Bryce's birthdays.  Mostly from Bryce's because for some reason I only took a couple of pictures at Zoe's party.

It was insane planning and celebrating Christmas plus two birthdays all less than 3 weeks apart, so I was slacking a bit by the time we reached Zoe's birthday.  She still had a blast with her "Princess and the Pop Star" pizza party with all her school friends.

"Happy Birthday" baseball banner, a free printable I found here

So easy to make, and turned out really cute

party favors

A few of daddy's baseballs on display and some yummy food

3 generations of Alsups

Baseball cake pops from Black Flour!  So so good!!

He loves cake

I would love to know what is happening here...

presents!

Barbie!  ( the "popstar")

Must have been a rocking party

Happy 5th!  

Ready for the New Year...

I read this great blog post today, and it inspired me to dust off my laptop and update my own.  click here to see it.  The author is Mormon (naturally) they have the best "organizing/money saving/stay-at-home-mommy" blogs.  Seeing as I'm married to one, I should probably step up my game a little.

I love how the author refers to pregnancy/life with an infant as "survival mode."  I have heard this before, and, oh my gosh, it is SO true.  Sometimes your other children are just going to have to watch a gazillion episodes of Dora because you are breastfeeding, changing diapers, and walking around a screaming infant. Don't beat yourself up over it, you are not alone.  Sometimes it doesn't seem that way because there are way too many "perfect" moms and families in the blogosphere. Lies.  All. Lies.  ;-)
Things have been REALLY busy around here.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now 2 birthday's coming up in the next 2 weeks.  I can't believe my little man will be ONE!  He has just brought so much joy to our family.

My sweet little birthday boy

Reese (age 2), and Zoe (4)

My sister, my friend

Family picture.  November 2012

I hope everyone has a HAPPY and SAFE New Year!  I have some resolutions I'm about to start some serious work on... including, but not limited to:  losing 10 pounds, putting my iPhone away more so my kids don't think it's a permanent attachment, ORGANIZATION, and spend less, save more! <---- take note, US of A.  :-)

Stationery card

Be Merry Prints Christmas Card

Make unique Christmas cards this year at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Bye Bye Binkie

Let me just start off by saying (again), that I am never ever moving again.  A little advice to all of you thinking of moving, if you have 3 kids and/or an infant... DON'T DO IT!   We have been here almost exactly a month, and I would say most of our boxes are still sitting in the garage.  Pathetic confession:  I have spent close to an hour searching through boxes in the garage for a single item.  Yes, I know, I could have unpacked several of those boxes in that time.  Sad, but true.  Oh well, it will get done.  Eventually.  Right now I am perfectly content spending my evenings watching The Voice from my comfy sofa. It's fall ya'll!  Must see TV!!!!!!!!!!!! 
That's my house update.
Other business:  REESE IS A BIG GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We have taken the binkie away, and I swear that child is happier without it...and she can speak! It all happened one day about two weeks ago.  She threw about a gazillion tantrums in a single day over not being able to find her binkie.  I was going nuts listening to her scream while frantically searching for any pacifier I could get my hands on.  That night, I couldn't find one at all.  I have no idea what happened to them.  It was bedtime, Reese was throwing a fit, Jay was at baseball practice, and there was  no binkie in sight.  Somehow I managed to calm Reese down long enough to tell her about the "Binkie Fairy."  For those of you who have never met the Binkie Fairy, let me tell you, she is awesome.  If you will give up all your binkies to her so she can take them to the newborn little babies, then she will leave you a super fabulous gift like a Hello Kitty balloon and some M&M's.  Get this, she will even remember big sister;)  Somehow we managed to get Reese to bed that night sans pacifier, and sure enough....

Shockingly, Reese really hasn't had a problem without her binkie.  Sleeping or otherwise... and this was a girl who pretty much spent all day with one in each hand, and a third in her mouth.  ALL.DAY.LONG.  Who knew???

Some other updates:

We are loving the new house.  Here is Bryce having some summer fun in the back yard.

I really do think he's the next Brad Pitt.  THAT FACE!!!!!!!!!

He loves water

 

Here are some pics of Bryce and his new favorite thing.  Being pulled around in a toy wagon by his big sisters.  This has entertained us for multiple afternoons.

 

Hi!!!

 Who me???

Not really sure when the tamborine came into play...

 

Bryce has been teething for about 2 weeks now, and he is miserable.  He is getting 3 in all at one time.  This will give him a total of 5 (he is 8 months old).  All of my children had full sets of teeth by their first birthdays.



 Cheeeeese!!!!!!!

 

Here's a couple of funny photos from bath time...

 

 She is my moody child





 All eyes on me, in the center of the ring, just like a cir-cus!!!!! 

The Big Move Part 1

Well, I guess "big move" is a little bit of an over statement since our new house is probably hardly 5 miles from our old house.  Well, it's not ours yet... we have a contract on it.  In the mean time we are staying at (drum roll please) an extended stay!!!!!!!!!!  Woohoo!  Jay and I have discussed moving for the past two or three years, but never pulled the trigger.  Every summer we have our realtor come take a look at the house, discuss how the market is, and then decide, Nah...  We never intended to stay in our house forever, and now finally seemed like the right time.  Super low interest rates + Zoe starts K in a year *tear.*  We sold our house in 2 days, and the new buyers wanted to close ASAP... that I was not prepared for.  Less than a month later, here I am, homeless :(  Our room is basically a one bedroom furnished apt...yes, with 5 people living in it... and MEG!  I shouldn't complain because it is only temporary, and some people have permanent conditions way worse than this... BUT, sweet little Reese keeps wandering around the room aimlessly, then looking at me with her big eyes and saying, "Momma, wanna go hooome."  Awwwwwwwwwww... this is especially heartbreaking since Reese rarely speaks in sentences, so she has something important to say when she does.  I.E... a favorite is "Momma, Where is my BINK-EEE???" 

Here is why my hosue sold in 2 days..it's BEAUTIFUL!!! Iam biased, I know.  I had a chest heaving/sobbing meltdown the day we left... I am a creature of habit, and leaving the house was really hard.  I will probably be in my next house until my kids place me in a "home," or I become insanely wealthy.

My current "home sweet home"

Reese about 2 minutes after declaring she "wanted to go home."  She went and curled up on the sofa!! Heartbreaking!!!

Well, you can't see Bryce very well because of the flash.  He had finally fallen asleep after I walked him around for about half an hour.  He is so out of his element.

summer blues

I think nursing is the best possible degree I could have gotten to prepare myself for motherhood.  12 hour shifts, on your feet all day, no lunch, poop duty,thankless, underpaid... yep, that about sums up both of my jobs.  I don't think anything could have prepared me for having three kids. It is a challenge to say the least.  It is go-go-go all day every day.  I've decided to take a step back from that though (the go-go-go, not the parenting!)... Zoe has been out of school for a couple of weeks now (she only went twice a week, so no biggie)... but all day every day she complains about being bored! (or hungry!)... it's enough to drive a mom nuts!  And we do a lot of activities!  Playdates, gymnastics, etc... Today she kept complaining about being bored, and had the saddest look on her face.  I nearly loaded all the kids up in the car to take them to jump street, or somewhere else they love to burn off some energy, but then I stopped myself.  She doesn't have to be constantly doing something!!  She had already been to gymnastics!  So I told her what my mom used to tell me, "you don't have to be entertained all the time!!!"  They need to learn how to play by themselves and entertain themselves!  Use their imaginations (and for the love of God, leave me alone for 5 minutes!) ;)  I had big plans to head out to Walmart tonight to stock up on construction paper, crayons, markers, etc... since ours is getting kind of low... but now that the kids are in bed (always a beating)... I think I will be hanging with mattress the rest of evening, thank you very much.

Here is a little of what has been going on with us lately...

Zoe on her last day of preschool!  I wanted to post this next to her first day pic, but it is saved on a seperate computer:(  She has changed so much though!

Reese's 2nd birthday.  Elmo themed, duh!

Not so happy because our big day was windy and chilly!

Cookie bouquet by Black Flour.  Beautiful and DE-LISH!  I made the little "2" centerpiece myself with skittles and a hobby lobby jar (pinterest find)

sand buckets with goodies inside as party favors

I did the cupcakes myself

Party guest, Madison Taylor!

Ella Claire!

Singing "Happy Birthday"

We had to put her cupcake in a bucket so the wind wouldn't blow out the candles!

Presents!

She loved the babydoll Maddie got her!

In May we took a trip up to Roswell for my MIL's birthday (she loves being called MIL!)... and Bryce got to meet his great grandma and grandpa Alsup for the first time!

We headed up to Cloud Croft and found this golf course!!!!!!!  Someone was kicking himself for  not bringing his clubs...

Hiking in Ruidoso!  Doesn't Reese look like such a big girl here???