Kidsville Playground

Big Slide

My little climber.  The only way to get to this slide was to climb up these rocks.  And no, she didn't quite make it up there.  She needs another year;)

This thing is really cool!  But again, she needs another year.

Another big slide

I love how much she likes to climb.  I should say WHEN we are not at home!

She must have went down this slide 10X!

This thing spun around.  It reminded me of the little spinny things we had at our neighborhood park (Doss Park) while growing up.  I wish they had one of these for adults!

She went down both slides by herself!  I was so proud.  Unfortunately I had one of those mommy's too busy to watch you moments...whoops.  I was just judging people for that last week...But seriously...I can't hold your 3-month old brother because he was crying AND come get you because it's "dark" up by the big slide.  She eventually stopped crying and went down by herself.

Overall, it was a good park.  Adventure World spoiled me.  It's more extensive than this park.  I feel like this park had more things for kids just a little older than Avery.  She had fun though and had her usual, "Big Slide", meltdown when we left.  SMH.

3 Months & 22 Months

Shane is officially 3 months old today!  Here is what has happened this month:
*Switched to formula.  He fought it at first and wouldn't take the morning bottle.  Prompting us both to have a melt down.  But then he was fine.  I miss breastfeeding only a tiny bit.  But I LOVE formula feeding a HUGE bit;)  He goes 3 hours between feedings now (instead of 1.5 hours), and it takes him 10 minutes to take a bottle (instead of 45 minutes).  He sleeps more during the day and just a little bit longer overnight. 
*Sleeping around 12 hours overnight!
*Smiling and cooing more:)
*No more swaddling.  He sleeps in his crib unswaddled.
*Had his 1st trip to the family farm in OK.  AND his 1st stay overnight with Grandma Jones.
*He looks different to me.  He has filled out a little more and is SO handsome:)

At her boyfriend, Landon's, 2nd birthday party

Avery will be 22 months old on Saturday.  She is something else!
*Makes scowls now.  She can give a mean look.  But she comes by it naturally.
*Started saying, "No", a lot.
*Can speak in sentences now.
*Starting to "play".  Meaning she will put her play doggie under the table and say, "Watch your head"...since I say that to her.
*She asks to go outside, so she can poop.  Hehehe...so I think potty training is around the corner.
*Although she constantly says, "Big Slide", she won't go down the slides.  When I force her to go down the slide, she uses her feet to stop herself.  She will climb up anything though.  We have a ladder in our neighborhood's park that she loves.  She will climb all the way up by herself too!

The infamous ladder

*I think she has started having nightmares.  She will wake up overnight sometimes crying.  She goes right back to sleep though...thank goodness!
*AND we just joined a playgroup.  We had our 1st play date this morning at Paradise Pond in Grapevine.  She LOVED it!  I was amazed.  She played the entire 2 hours and did NOT want to leave.  We will definitely be going back!


And me:
*Weight Watchers is going great.  I have lost 41 lbs in 3 months.  I have 10 lbs to go to get back to pre-pregnancy.  I love from just above the linea negra line above my belly button up.  It looks great...oh to have a waist and ab muscles again.  Feels great.  BUT below my belly button...I miss the pre-Shane look...definitely!  His almost 11-lb frame stretched my stomach out:(  I just need to give it time I guess...or should I say, I hope.

9 months pregnant with Shane and about to pop!

3 months post partum

A Childless Vacation

Before Chris and I could have a childless vacation, we had to drop the kids off with his mom.  We went to the family farm in OK and Avery got to see some Moo-Cows up close...

And she got to play with some rocks (her favorite outdoors toy)...

We spent the night at the farm before making the drive to MO.  Sleeping in the same room with a Toddler is never recommended, but she made up for it when I woke up with her sleeping on my stomach...

When we got up that morning, we made the drive to MO.  We drove through Joplin and tried to find some tornado damage, but didn't see any.  So we continued to Branson.  The Ozarks are absolutely beautiful!  Our 1st day there was sunny and warm, so once we got to our hotel, we went swimming.  It was very relaxing.  Especially the hot tub!  It was much needed.  After swimming we drove around and stopped by Table Rock Lake.  We saw lots of deer on our way too. 

Then we went and played miniature golf.  So much fun.  The next day was rainy, so thankfully we swam and played mini golf that 1st day. 
We started the 2nd day by shopping at the Tanger Outlet mall.  Then we went to the Titanic Museum.  It was really interesting.  Got to touch a real iceberg, and see many artifacts and learn about people on the Titanic...

Then we did some souvenir shopping, ate at a Mexican restaurant ($3 margaritas, hey!), went to the IMAX and saw Tornado Alley.  And finished the night off with Shoji Tabuchi.  I wasn't too psyched on that show, but really loved it. 
I loved our time in Branson.  We were the youngest people there by at least 20 years...and I LOVED IT.  We learned a lot about old people and what they like.  Old people like shopping, crafty junk, fudge, booze and classical music...I thought the old lady behind me at the Shoji show was going to have an orgasm when he played Hungarian classical music. 

On our way home, we stopped in Joplin again.  This time we were armed with a map.  The damage was scary.  It was like being placed on a set.  I was in the middle of my biggest fear. 

It has been over 3 months since the F-5 hit Joplin, and it looks like it could have happened last week.  I was overcome by sadness while driving around.  All the lives lost and detroyed by this huge tornado.

The Hospital

Nothing but foundation left in most of the houses in this neighborhood.  Entire streets and neighborhoods completely wiped out.  Sometimes, only the front steps were left of the house.

The high school

The sign for the high school.  People spray painted H-E to it to make it Hope High School, since the rest of Joplin was blown off.

September Pics

Love my precious little boy!

LOVE my babies!

3 Months post partum

LOVE being a stay at home mom, so I can do things like this with my children at 9:30am on a weekday.

She won't go down the slides, but she will climb all the way up this ladder like it's nothing.

Avery is helping mommy protest.  Her sign says, "Kitchen is closed".  I got it at Motherhood the Musical. 

Avery's newest trick/annoyance is using toys to climb up to...everything.

Of course, this works too...

Look who is finally taking a pacifier!



What are those things?



Fort Worth Zoo, 9/6/11



Linny, Tuck and Ming Ming too...she actually sang that when she saw the turtles;)



 Bear Creek Intermediate Park, Labor Day

Having kids is finally paying off.  She cries, reaches for the mop and says, "Help".



Love .  Shane rarely smiles and only for his sissy.  I think he's already over me.