Happy St. Patty's Day!

Today is not only the Feast of St. Patrick of Ireland but also the celebration of Owen's baptism! Last year St. Patty's Day was on a Sunday and Owen became a member of the church.

Every year it is a tradition of my husbands Irish Granny to have a traditional meal at her house.

Yum.

Irish soda bread, corned beef with mustard (optional), cabbage with turnips and carrots, collard greens, and of course--potatoes.

I didn't take a picture of the food because obviously I was much too busy stuffing. But you can just take my word that it was one of the best meals I had all year (so far)! The best part is that I get to take home the extra soda bread and eat it with eggs for breakfast---there was obviously no picture of that meal either.

Typically we all watch the movie 'The Quiet Man' after dinner, but this year Granny had good ol' Irish music playing and the kids were too busy dancing around to sit down and watch a movie.

It is always a fantastic night and even though this is only my third time enjoying this meal with my husbands family, I hope we have many more together!

And obviously, we wore green.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Cheers :)

untitled.

I have no reason to be posting this particular post, except for the fact that I NEEDED to share these pictures with you.

For those who know Damien, then you also know his many faces.

Oh how he makes me laugh.

And a picture of Owen for a dose of sweetness. 

Oh, and this is what we did last night. Don't ask.

Happy Wednesday!

mustachio bashio.

Owen is One!!

So I have decided that with each child we are going to throw a first birthday party! Who knows when they are going to have another party, so it has to be a good one.

For Damien it was beach themed with snacks in sand buckets and turtle cupcakes. For Owen I went with the ever so cliche idea of a mustachio bashio! I didn't go crazy... but it was still cute (or so I thought). I actually think my favorite part was the invitation we sent out!

It was our first small party held at our house and we had a great time. The weather was absolutely perfect and so even though we had about 40 people at our house it didn't really seem like it since all the kids were outside running around. My mom and siblings who are still at home made the trip down from Nebraska and I am so happy they did.

I tried two recipes that I had never made before (risky risky) and they were a hit! I'll have to post a recipe sometime...but for now... you wait.

I honestly cannot believe that my little man is already one. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital. He is such a joy and I absolutely love seeing him grow into a toddler. Damien loves being an older brother and is so proud of Owen.

It is so crazy that Damien will soon be three! Oh where has time gone. 

 

double dates.

Last Thursday was the Feast Day of my god-daughter, Colette Marie- so naturally a celebration of some sort was in order.

The weather was still a bit too chilly to be galavanting around outside with toddlers and babies, so my SIL had a great idea of heading to the mall for cupcakes and a pit-stop at the indoor playground. Along with our friend Jamie, who has two little ADORABLE girls, we had a great play-date.

The day goes by so fast when you are having fun with friends and your kids are entertaining each-other. I hardly feel like I am parenting when I am actually out of yoga pants and my hair is down. HA! I'm sure a few other moms can relate. Or not. I know several super-woman moms who read this and they are dressed like the minute they get up. One day that will might be me.

I didn't even realize how long we were there when an hour had already passed and our kids still hadn't ran out of steam. Now that Owen is walking it makes it a whole lot easier to go to those places because I don't have to stand with him the whole time.

JJ was in-between cases so he even got to meet us at the mall which really helped out during cupcake time. Naturally Damien wanted the ONE cupcake out of the whole spread that I did not want, but it worked out in the end as I am trying hard to say no to the things I want this Lent. Although in this case it was a cupcake I wanted, but the gross kind I got, soooooooo it wasn't too much of a sacrifice.

We had a marvelous time and made it out completely alive with no major breakdowns-- so it was a successful trip!

Friday morning brought about our new (and by our I mean myself and a few good friends) semi-annual event-- CONSIGNMENT SALE. Ah, I love consignment sales. I was in need of a spring wardrobe for Damien and I was really fortunate to find some awesome pieces. All Ralph Lauren, Gap, Nike, Jcrew Kids.....SCORE. Plus a few items that I know he is going to dirty up in the backyard so its awesome that I don't have to buy those brand new.

I even scored a pair of Polo tennies for Owen that look like they have been worn TWICE and they were five bucks. MAJOR SCORE. Quality shoes for five bucks, yes please. I even found the same pair online and they were priced at fifty buckaroos.......NO THANKS.

Oh, and did I mention I shopped hassle free? Since it was a Friday, JJ didn't have any cases until later that afternoon and so he stayed home with both of the boys while I ran around like a single lady! Well, not quite, but after a consignment sale, Dunkin Donuts coffee, hobby lobby, AND target without children.... I felt like a completely new woman. Not that I don't love my children and carting them around every where I go ( hehe )....but you moms understand...even five minutes of alone time can make you feel like you just went on a week long vacation! And after the cold weather and too much time inside, it was exactly the refresher I needed.

Plus, its only semi-annual....sooo I better take it all in while I can.

Its my little man's 1st birthday today, so a post on his party is coming soon!

Enjoy :)

*a few items I scored*

sassy.

If only I were able to write down all of the funny things Damien says throughout the week. This kid is a comedian. Between jokes that he makes up and learning how to pronounce words, we usually have a few good laughs during the day. 

And some not so funny times. But mostly funny-ish.

Now if only I could remember some of those funny-ish things from this week---- then you could enjoy them as well! 

Trust me. They were funny (ish).

 

One of the not so funny things Damien has picked up on (from who knows where) is saying, "but I already tooollldddd you!" Yah. That's not cute. If for some reason my ears don't hear him correctly after I ask him a question and I need to ask a second time, his reply is .."but I already tolllldddd you." 

We have definitely had a few raised eyes when we are out and someone hears him say that. The latest was at Sprouts Farmers market where Damien was opening a package of something and I asked him more than once what it was. He answered as any sweet boy would do with, "but I already tollldddd you" and the young cashier with a hook through her nose gave me the 'eyes.' But I gather they meant something like, "wow your child is so smart to know to say that he already told you" or maybe .. Actually that's all I can think of. And I don't think they meant that at all. They probably meant something more along the lines of, "wow I can't believe you let your child talk so disrespectfully" or "wow, have you taught him anything? My child would never say that!!" 

As I stand there smiling, the answer (in my head) is, most often, "oh just wait you new mom to that precious little newborn who cannot do anything bold just yet-- your day will come" or "thank you, elder, have you never been around a child, let alone any other human being! I guess you live in a perfect bubble!" Or in this case "hurry up and package my food so I don't have to see the nose hook anymore and actually keep my appetite for this food I am buying."

Ok that was harsh. But it was only in my head. And it was true. Truth hurts. But I bet that nose hook hurt more.

I guess my child is the only sassy pants around-- thinks every mom ever. But any parent knows they have the sweetest child who ever graced this world and they are only sour out when the whole world can see. 

But don't dare correct them. Nowadays you never know who is hiding behind the make-up aisle where your child may have broken an $8 bottle of ugly nail polish or behind the produce aisle where he has successfully pulled unpackaged lettuce onto the floor and is laughing hysterically.

Ay, motherhood musings. 

But who could ever raise eyes at this face. 

I'm pretty sure he made this face as we passed the nose hooked cashier. 

She smiled. So that made it worth it.

what day is it again?

I have been off by a day all week! Ahead, behind, I can't seem to get this week figured out. All I know is we had a snow day and a shorts day in the same week. Well I suppose it was more of a 'Capri' day--- but still-- redonkulous. 

I don't really remember if it was Monday or Tuesday when it snowed... But we were rescued by my knight in shining armor who happened to take my car to work again (not that I was going anywhere... But you know..). He had to come home for something he had forgotten so he picked me and the boys up along with my SIL and goddaughter and took us to his parents house for a day of sledding! This was the first time Damien went sledding and actually participated so it was really cute to see him all bundled up. I was able to snatch one photo of him before he embarked with his uncles to "the hill" but I had to stay back and take care of Owen. Thank goodness my SIL took some ADORABLE photos of him because I hate missing out on any 'firsts'. 

*taken by Rita*

*Taken by Rita*

Oh now I am remembering.... That must have been Monday! Because Fat Tuesday was spent at the Cheesecake Factory and I wish I would have snagged a photo of all that glorious goodness. We had a fab time and that was only the second time I had ever been there so it was practically my first! I had some sort of Cajun dish and it was gooooodd. Combine thatwith two LIT's as our waiter called them, (which I realized was a Long Island ice Tea --I must not go out enough since I don't know the lingo) and cheesecake, we had a very, very Fat Tuesday.  

Happy first week of lent. This kid is giving up mom dressing him. 

:) 

r.i.p., mater.

Sooooo....we have had a recent death in the family.

A little history: this was our third beta-fish. In like, two years. The first one was eaten by the other (even though I told JJ you aren't supposed to put male and female betas together) he OBVI listened to me. Then the second developed some sort of fungal thing that made its eyes pop out of its head (GROSS)!!!! So then we waited about a year before Damien could even understand what a fish was and could help pick a new one out, feed it, clean the bowl with JJ, ect., ect.

So, he picked a bright red, male beta, and named him Mater. But here is the thing--get this-- Mater DIDN'T EAT. Yah, what the heck. Literally, in the few short months we had him we only saw him eat ONE pebble. One. Like, okay he has an extra-small stomach or maybe he just didn't like people watching him eat..buttttt I'm pretty sure it was more than that. Poor Mater.

So fast-foward to yesterday and I went in to "feed it" and there lay floated Mater. Part of me was really bummed because this was the THIRD fish we weren't able to keep and the other part was concerned for our septic because I'm pretty sure you are not supposed to flush fish. Oh well.

Fortunately Damien has not even figured it out so clearly he wasn't even that into him. I think JJ is glad he no longer has to clean the bowl--that was our agreement, we got a fish and the boys cleaned the bowl! woo!

R.I.P Mater.

Well we had a beautiful and bipolar week. I am pretty used to bipolar weather since I grew up in Nebraska and it would be gorgeous and sunny one second and then freezing and snowing the next. However, now that I live in Oklahoma I no longer appreciate the cold weather AT ALL and would prefer it to be 75 and sunny all the time. Like it was the first half of the week. GORGEOUS. Shorts and my beaming white legs graced our neighborhood but I'm not so sure they were welcome. I seriously need to spend some time outside this summer as to not blind our neighbor with my wintery white glow. I don't think I have been even remotely tan since before Damien was born, so I might just have to accept it as I don't have time to soak up many rays, nor do I really want to spend any free time I might have laying out in the Oklahoma heat.

JJ had a really busy week so he was working a lot and the boys and I spent a lot of time outside. We had a few adventures out like Uncle Sean's basketball game and killing time at Old Navy. The latter wasn't relaxing at all considering Damien was trying on just about everything in the store. I also only had my single stroller which meant no where for Damien to be contained and he definitely did laps around the check out line as I was telling him it was time to go.

Poor Damien, what a hard life he leads. It sounds as if ripping off his toenails when I announce its time to leave. Giving this kid a warning of 'five minutes, three minutes," does not work either....it just makes the ruckus start that much earlier. I am however the master baby rounder-uper now, so it is getting a whole lot easier to rope this kid. Now that Owen is starting to walk though......I am going to need to step my game WAY up.

The days kind of blurred together last week, but I did make 180 cash moniiessss from selling things on craigslist/Edmond Mom exchange and that is always a good week. JJ had a work Dinner on Friday night and a cadaver lab on Saturday morning, so we didn't see him much until Saturday afternoon but the boys and I made chocolate chip pancakes and watched a Bubble Guppy marathon so it was all good.

Saturday night we brought dinner to our good friends David and Braden Whitmarsh who just had their second, a little girl, who happens to be our God-daughter! She is ABSOLUTELY precious. I cannot believe how small my boys once were-- SO CUTE. Owen was smitten by baby Ginny and Damien sang her songs while I held her. It was great to see them and Braden didn't even look like she had just had a baby. I'm pretty sure I looked like a zombie for a month. Props to Braden.

Saturday night started in with the sleety kind of hail and we were covered (hahaha Covered, not compared to other parts of the States) in a white blanket. JJ made a few great fires and told the boys stories on the floor. I love watching those three and I told JJ the other day that I don't mind being the only girl...and I'm starting to actually prefer it. Queen Bee over here...."wuuut wuuutt."

I hope all of my 3 readers had a great weekend :)

I'm off to change a diaper and build a lego tower.

Happy Monday!

P.s- When you have a minute say a prayer for Natalie , or you may know her as The Busy Budgeting Mama, she has been in the hospital since February 20th and is currently having a surgery to remove the source of her mystery pain!

P.p.s.- enjoy this comic my grandmother sent me-- I have already posted on how she is the best grandma in the world-- and this just backs that up even more.