Fall Festival

Last night was our church Halloween fall festival. This is my favorite event of the year, as the chili cook-off is delicious, the pumpkin desserts are fun to make, the kids get to trunk-or-treat, and the adults get to have a reason to dress up and be silly . This year I wanted to be a strong contender for the best dessert so I decided to cook up a pumpkin cheesecake. I didn't win, but I received tons of compliments from the youth which totally made it worth it! At the end of the night I even got up and sang the monster mash with some friends, I have gotten to be so brave...when did that happen?Grandma is so lucky...she gets two babies at the same time!? :) Next to Syd is her cousin Casey. Aren't they so adorable?Dylan loves Sum Sum! I didn't have a costume but Dylan insisted that I wear a princess dress, or at least wear something from his dress up box. I decided to crimp my hair and put on his witch hat...which sadly ended up getting left on the stairs at home (oops!). I aim to please!Does this look like a child who will be scared of clowns later in life? Do you wonder why I look at this picture and cringe? That clown is freaky! Nice Holly!A picture of what is to come in two days! WOOT! Dylan went to all of the trunks and and soon as he was done, took off and went again, and again, and again. Little cheater! I couldn't keep up! He came up to me after the last few cars were closing thier trunks and said, "Ok mommy, its time to go, look at all my treats". He knew what he was after, Seinfeld was right, all these kids are ever thinking is, "get candy, get candy, get candy...". It was hilarious! After searching for the bottom of my springform pan in the trash (men who can't tell a plate from a metal pan, urgh!), we went home with a large bucket of goodies andtwo happy, tired children.Here are our friends Tabitha, Daniel, and Benjamin enjoying the costumes. Take note Dylan and Syd, they are both sitting still...and not crying! I have such wiggle worms for kids...always so much energy, where did they get it from?

Lazy Sunday

My favorite Sundays consist of snuggles and treats (and usually a nap). This week Dylan had a bit of early morning quiet time. Check out his drawing of an airplane...I was very impressed! Too bad I couldn't frame it. This was Dylan's treat project for the day...he made the cupcakes and together (with me directing his hands) we decorated. Yummy!Sydney is in love with Dylan's favorite monkeys. He even gave her one of her own that she can walk around with and sleep with. He is so sweet sometimes! Coco, you found gift that keeps on giving! :) She was up in the middle of the night last night and the ONLY thing that would calm her down was this monkey. The second I gave it to her she grabbed it and just starting hugging it and talking. This lasted for over 45 minutes! Thank you! thank you!

Halloween festivities

It was Halloween early this last week. We had an event at the Disney store, and one at the local library, both of which had the kids dress up in costume. As a stay at home mom I am always looking for something different to do during my day, so when I find little events and festivals I am ALL on it. This week though, I think that had I known the outcome of both events, I would have opted out. It was a struggle to say the least!The Disney store event was a disaster! I know Cameron that you hate that word, but it really was horrible. We drove all the way to the mall only to get there and be stuffed into the back of the store. Not only did they not move any displays aside, but they also did not have any kind of microphone or PA system set up, (so you couldn't hear what the employees were saying). So imagine 40 dressed up kids, parents, strollers crammed into the back of the store, you can't hear anything but kids crying because they can't see or hear and because people are touching them and knocking off their "mickey ears", and the kids are being asked to play hot potato while the parents sing an obscure Disney song out loud (Jimminy criket). "Now make sure everybody touches it just once" they said. Are you kidding me? It was LAME! Luckily we started walking out when the next game began which was a Micky Mouse hunt. Since we were in the front of the store we found 5 right off the bat, Dylan loved that game, because he was finding more than everyone else. He still didn't win since the winner had two kids and combined thier mickeys...what a crock. They won a power ranger DVD and sadly it was for two girls...really? After this event they did a parade around the mall which would have been a lot of fun, but Dylan decided he had to use the bathroom (the second time in 30 minutes), so we missed out on that. Oh well. Disney truly dropped the ball on this halloween event, but then again so did I for expecting anything but craziness!

We did white tights and a black nose at the mall...what do you think compared to the library?

Sydney went all black this time and I decided to not paint thier noses, better?

Here is Syd with her friend Daniel the fish. He won for best costume in thier age group! I love the leggings!

During the parade part of the party Sydney decided to throw a fit. I love when that happens in public...it's not embarrassing at all! Prize for cutest tantrum? Anyone?The kids sat and listened during story time, but when it came to announce costume winners Dylan began to cry. He kept changing seats and saying, "Mommy, she can't see me". It was so sad. After all of the prizes were handed out he came running over saying, "she didn't see me, she didn't give me a prize for my costume". I would have given anything to just get that bag full of junk at that moment, but we had to sit and have a talk about not always winning and getting what you want. In the end he was handed a treat bag for coming which I thought would resolve things, but when we got home he said, "I don't want you to ever take me there again!" He was so upset, and it was heartbreaking. Poor kid. How do you teach against sore losing? Maybe by not calling it a crock when the other kids combined thier Mickey's and won? Shoot! :) I hate being competitive! I am still irked about last year when Dylan didn't win for his Dr. Seuss costume...how does Dr. Seuss (and the cutest Dr. Seuss I might add) not win at the library? Really? Like there was anything more creative and appropriate for the location. A kid in a store bought Indian costume won and Dylan got 3rd place...now that was a crock! :)

Douglasville 5k Moonlight Run 2009

Cameron decided to finally do his first official run! He is starting out with a 5k, hopefully moving up to a 10k and from there has goals to run marathons everywhere. I don't get it! I am so NOT a runner! His goal is to do the St. George run that happens every year which is currently the 13th largest marathon in the United States of America. He is crazy! We decided to go an support this last weekend since we knew we wouldn't have to wait to long for the run to be over. It was freezing outside, but the kids surprisingly loved it! Dylan just kept begging to run, run, run, and Sydney could not keep her eyes off of the runners. Maybe she found her calling in life (running or checking out hot athletes...we shall see).

My handsome boys! I am so proud! Dylan hopped the fence and ran the last block with daddy.

Here are the kids waiting on the sidelines yelling, "go daddy!"

The bouncy house kept Dylan busy during the little wait. It was such a perfect event!

Halloween is coming!

Halloween is coming soon, so we were going through all of our dress up the other day to find a suitable costume. Dylan thinks he is a girl, and Sydney is too small for anything that we have. The final costume decision is super cute, and I am so excited, they will be unveiled shortly!

Maybe this will fit next year.Dylan loves the cat costume even though it is pink and has a bow by the ear. Am I a bad mom for not letting him wear it out in public? He really loves everything girl...hummm.

Syd loves her witch hat. Do I see "Wicked" in her future? I LOVE THAT PLAY!

"Unlimited
My future is unlimited
And I've just had a vision
Almost like a prophecy
I know - it sounds truly crazy
And true, the vision's hazy
But I swear, someday I'll be
Flying high
Defying gravity"

Two little princesses sitting in a tree...lots of hugs and kisses from D.

"Here comes the bride, all dressed in white..."

Dylan decided he wanted to be a "Super Fake" whatever that is. He wanted to put EVERYTHING on in order to hurt the bad guys. the blue lego is his gun because I refuse to let him play with those, yet somehow he knows what they are and what they do...can you say older cousins? I think you found your costume DD! :)

For Today..

For Today : October 21st

Outside my window…a hundred trees whose leaves are just starting to fall, and my hammock which needs to be taken inside. Its getting cold out there!

I am thinking…I am in PATHETIC shape. My legs are sore from walking Sydney up 40 steps yesterday at the park to get to the bathroom. Why when you are pregnant do you become so pathetic? Or is it just me?

I am thankful for… My family of course, but more specifically my husband who does everything...wrong or right, he tries and does it all! I can honestly tell you this, I don't know any man who does as much for his family and wife as Cameron does...Seriously (I am not just saying that because it sounds good, he truly is amazing). (But I kind of don't want him to know that, cause then he might slow down...so shh :)

From the kitchen…My new favorite chili recipe cooking in a crockpot. It is SOOOO good. This is my craving for this pregnancy!

I am wearing…Jeans, red tank, and a black shirt...my belly is sticking out a mile so I haven't worked up the nerve to bend over and put my shoes on yet, its such a pain.

I am creating…Sydney's Minnie Mouse ears, and a decoupage project that D and I are working on today (a record box for his records in his room).

I am going…to the Disney Store when Sydney wakes up. Today is thier halloween costume parade, fun and games. Free prizes to those wearing Disney...and yes, Dylan's and Syd's costumes this year are perfect for the occasion!

I am reading…Nineteen minutes by Jodi Picoult and What to Expect When you are Expecting

I am hoping… that Sydney and Dylan keep their bowel movements in check today. They need to wear their costumes again tomorrow, and I don't want to have to wash them. Ok, and more importantly, I am really hoping that 17 weeks will mark the end of the nausea in this pregnancy..please oh please!

I am hearing…Dylan talking to his lego guys. He is in quiet time, and so am I...yay!

Around the house…messes need to be cleaned up, but I am refusing to move. I do have some halloween decor up, so festive!

One of my favorite things…is walking in to get Sydney when she has just waken up from her nap. She is so happy, Dylan is so happy, which in return makes mommy so happy!

A few plans for the rest of the week…Costume contest at the library tomorrow, play date on Friday followed by a birthday party that night, and clean up on Sat to prepare for grandma West and Auntie Lindsay to visit! I can't wait! Oh, and sharing time on Sunday...joy!

And just a couple of pics of my two favorite kiddos on the planet:

More Saturday Morning Family Fun!

Every Saturday morning we like to find something fun to do as a family. Usually it is something that is going on in town, this week it happened to be a safety fair at home depot. We thought we would give it a try and it was so worth it. They had all of the emergency vehicles lined up in front of the store. They even a helicopter, which neither of us had ever seen up close. They also had Smokey the bear, a bouncy house, a workstation to build, food, and face painting. We spent a couple hours checking it out.

Sydney and Dylan were both hesitant to hug Smokey. Sydney just stood and stared for about five minutes. Once we left him, every now and again we would look down and Syd was walking back towards Smokey to check him out. It was cute.
This was a dream come true for Dylan. He was not only able to touch the helicopter, but sit in the captains seat, touch all of the dials, and see it take off when it was time.
Daddy's height is ALWAYS good for something!Here is Dylan holding up his finished project that he built, it is a fire station piggy bank. This was the before shot......and this was the after! Spiderman is not supposed to be scary is he? Where did my DD go?

Horsey's!!!

It's that time again!!!! Cameron runs a group twice a month for grandparents raising grandchildren. He started this program last year, and has since received funding from a few different doners so that the program will last a few more years. It is so exciting! He is so good at what he does! He started taking his group to a horse camp once a month where the kids and grandparents do horse therapy. This last week the kids and I decided to come a long for the ride since Syd has NEVER been on a horse. SO FUN!
Syd has no fear! You ask her to kiss someone, or some animal, and she goes in for it! I hope this doesn't last through puberty!
Dylan made friends quickly with two other boys (the sons of the owner). They were attached at the hip the entire evening. They had the greatest thickest southern accents, and they were all about mud and getting dirty. I love having Dylan getting down and dirty, that's what boys are supposed to do!You can't see it now, but that barrel is about to roll into a huge mud puddle, and Dylan was up to his knees in it. Ick! I was frustrated about the red clay that I would later have to scrub out of his pants, but I couldn't keep him from having so much fun!

Medical Frustration!

Ok so this is a post that nobody will want to read, but still, I am going to write about it because I am so incredibly frustrated. I have dealt with insurance companies and Dr. offices for many years now, but seriously, since moving to Ga I have had to deal with the worst of the worst. I love Ga, I like where I live, but I am beginning to want to move just because of the medical care (or lack there of) that is available out here. It is so frustrating!

Many of you know the story about my OB/gyn dr. and the incredibly lame issues I had with that office (which yes, led me to find another dr. in town). It was the most ridiculous problem that stemmed from my insurance taking too long to pay, and the office being way too impatient to wait 4 days to receive the payment in the mail. Yes, 4 days I was told by the insurance company that the check would be delivered to their office, and still they canceled my appt until I paid in full $556 dollars (which after insurance only was only going to be $52). Canceled my appt! Can you believe that!? My first prenatal visit which took 5 weeks to get in, was canceled 4 days before going in. So yes, I wasn't able to have my fist office visit until I was already past my first trimester...ridiculous! She said on the phone, (the office manager mind you), "we cannot see you until this is paid, and yes mam I see it is a routine checkup that will be covered by your insurance, but this is our policy, you must pay it in full if you want to be seen by your dr., you will be able to get paid back from your insurance later". Policy my A**! Excuse me, but seriously, its policy to kick people out of your office before even calling the company to see what the deal is? Even the insurance company asked me, "why haven't they called us to check their status?" So really, it too is policy to not even accept the amount of $52 that I was told by insurance was all that I would be owed? Dumb. So yes, I was bitter and changed my OB to make a point that that is not how you take care of your patients, especially ones that have NEVER had a late payment in thier history. BLEH!

Ok so this was weeks ago, and I found a great Dr. that I love, so it is totally working out. But today, I get a call from my Pediatrician, (which happens at least one of every three visits scheduled) to say, "um sorry mam, we over scheduled you and we need to reschedule your appt." Not only did they make a mistake (which is fine and easy to forgive) but they didn't catch it for over a month, and now to reschedule it will take another 6 weeks to get in. OBSURD! I talked to the office manager in charge and all she would say was, "I am sorry, our policies are such that we can't fit you in before then because our drs..... yadda, yadda, yadda....." I am sick of these lame A policies that are not taking care of patients. If you all know Syds circumstances right now, then you know it is very important that she sees her dr. regularly. When they made this last appt the Dr said, "please make sure you are back in in four weeks, I really need to see how she is adjusting to these new meds." They scheduled me for 6 weeks out, which now after this reschedule in 5 weeks, puts her 7 weeks past when he wanted to see her. Does anyone else see the problem with this? When I explained this to her all she could say was "sorry" (as if that means anything at this point). I seriously hate that word and how companies such as this use it over and over again and expect it to rectify their mistakes. I have a sick kid and she is being neglected because of your mistakes! "You can take your sorry and shove it!" I am so angry, but because I am pregnant I have just been crying all day. It is pathetic! I am so upset that this is the best we can get out here. Its not acceptable, but some how, I have to accept it. IT IS SO NOT OK! I feel defeated. I usually can argue with the manager in charge to get things changed (it is one of those talents that my mother passed on to me), but even after a hour of me crying about the circumstances and telling them they needed to fix their mistake, she wouldn't budge. She had no sympathy for anything. I could tell her my daughter was dying and she would say, "sorry mam, I understand, but its policy that our dr. only see 8 patients a day...". Unacceptable!

So why are these problems occurring, and so often? I am convinced that its because there are only a few great Dr. in this city and everybody wants to see them. I also think that because we are in an area so populated with poverty, the policies are tighter in order to keep offices from losing money. "But dude, look at my history, I pay my bills people! Make an exception once in a while! DO YOUR JOB!" So yeah, I am officially frustrated with living in a small community. I am frustrated that you have to drive an hour to get a "good" root canal, or see a neurologist. Even the Neurologist that we see in Atlanta is one of like 3 in the state! And he isn't even that highly recommended! Where are all the good Doctors? NOT IN THE SOUTH! (Except the ER doctors...they are great! :) Love you Jas!

I once loved living here, but I am starting to really have issues with it. If I were in LA, or Utah I would have a plethora of great Doctors to choose from who don't treat people like this. I miss it, I miss it, I miss it! I want to go home...wherever that is, and I want to stop fighting for or over our health!

Dylan Quote and Song of the day...

Dylan: Mommy, if I didn't have you or daddy, I would eat sugar all day.
Mom: Really? What would you do without a mommy or daddy? Where would you live?
Dylan: Here, in my room.
Mom: But you don't have any money, how would you buy all this sugar?
Dylan: I do have a lot of money mommy, it's in my wallet, and in daddy's closet.
Mom: What will happen when you spend all of your money? How will you get more?
Dylan: Well, I will go to work like daddy and find money on the ground.

I wonder where he gets all of his material for his songs? He even changes pitch on that last note to end it smoothly. So nice D! He's the next James Taylor!

Favorite Daily Moments

Good morning Mommy:
I love mornings when the kids come in to my room to wake me up. They run in laughing, crawl up on my bed, and say "HI MOMMY!" Well, Dylan says this, Sydney just starts breathing heavy and smiling really big. I love it! Dylan crawls up right next to me, gives me a kiss, and always snuggles for about 30 sec. Its the best. Surprisingly this never gets old, (Until of course syd steps on my hair, or Dylan jumps around until he falls off the bed).

Daddy goes to work:
As soon as daddy has given all of his hugs and kisses goodbye and walked down the stairs, Dylan runs to his room screaming, "I forgot to tell daddy something, I forgot to tell daddy something". He is frantic until I run in and open the window so he can give his daddy a message, "I forgot to tell you something daddy...I love you...and and don't get the mail". No kidding, he does this almost every other day. Its super cute.

Sydney's sleeping:
Dylan and I have great quality time every day while Syd is sleeping. My favorite moments are when we do projects and his eyes light up as if we are taking a spaceship to the moon. He gets so excited about cutting and gluing. I also love those days when he will snuggle up on the couch with me while I am feeling nauseous. He will cuddle with me for hours if I let him, it doesn't get much better than that! He is my little snuggle bug!

CC's awake:
When Sydney wakes up from her nap, Dylan runs through her door saying, "hiiiiiiiiii CC". He climbs into bed with her and plays until I come in to take her out of her crib. He loves his little sister, and I can't get enough of watching them play together. They play really well together on most days, (until he turns into a 1 year old and starts dumping everything out everywhere). Syd is really good at helping clean up when Dylan gets in trouble, I hope he doesn't start taking advantage of this as he gets older.

Get in the car:
Everyday we try to get out of the house and go for a ride...to the store, friends, a park, the library, etc. The second the car turns on and there is music, I can look in my rear view mirror and see Syd bobbing back and forth to the beat. Sometimes she'll start fussing and I will notice that the music is off, but the second I turn it on, you better believe it, she is dancing and rocking out. Its my favorite!

Nighttime prayers:
Dylan gets three books every night before he goes to bed. He then gets tucked in, says his prayers, Kisses Syd (and me) goodnight, we kiss his three monkeys, and then he falls asleep to The Polor Express cd. The prayer is what gets me every time though. He can be having the hardest time, but when I ask who he wants to say the prayer, he turns over and folds his arms, (without a fight), and says, "you do it". If you have been around Dylan at all during mealtimes you would know that he HAS to say the prayer, he makes huge fuss about it wherever we are. At night however he wants me to do it. As soon as the prayer is over he opens his eyes wide, proud that he kept them closed for "so long". I am so proud of him, what a good boy!

Kids asleep:
Ok so this is more of a selfish love. I love when the kids fall asleep, it reminds me that I have gotten through yet another day, and that my kids are still alive and well! I DID IT! I do love seeing them sleep though, there truly is nothing more beautiful that a sleeping baby. Sometimes I will go into their rooms at night just to watch them sleep, its one of those motherhood moments that puts you in awe of the miracle that you have created. NEVER GETS OLD.

These are the regular moments that take place during my everyday life. Of course there are moments that come and go but these are the ones I can rely on to get me smiling when I need it. I think I will have to do a post on my not so favorite everyday things.