Lately

So I have now been home with the kids for almost four months. And I have started to find a groove. I am really enjoying myself! So much so that I am not even looking for part time work anymore. They are both such wonderful little kids. Curran is a total fluff chick crossed with a complete maniac. On the mornings that we are home together, I'll take my shower and she'll play makeup in my bathroom. I'll hear her talking to herself, combing her hair, putting on my lip gloss, whatever.

I am so proud of Brayden - he is enjoying school so much. I see so many positive changes in him. He loves his music class at school, loves his teachers and looks forward to going to school everyday.

They are looking forward to Christmas and Brayden has already begun talking about what he wants from Santa. Here are some pictures from the past couple of months. November has been absolutely awesome!

Here's my handsome boy in his favorite school project ever:


My pretty lady:


Running around up at Catawba:



Curran's standard photo smile:

Bye Bye Binky

Well I finally pulled the rip cord and the Binky Fairy finally paid a visit to our house last Wednesday. When I picked Brayden up from school that day he said to me, "Mommy, I think it will be nice when the Binky Fairy comes and takes my binkies." I figured that this was my opportunity and I had to jump on it. Luckily I had a couple little treats in the car so I left the kids in the car and scrambled to construct some Binky Fairy prize bags. So I did and I put them in the mailbox. Then I unstrapped the kids and they went to the mailbox. They were so excited! That is until naptime.

It took Curran 20 minutes to fall asleep. She was singing and chatting to her self. This continues as I write this on Saturday. Nighttime she goes right to sleep.

Poor Brayden had a VERY HARD TIME at naptime on Wednesday. He cried and cried, screaming "BINKY!!!!". I just laid with him and shushed and held him and he finally calmed down. So I left once he calmed down and listened to him on the baby monitor. He flipped and flopped for probably 20 minutes. I thought - If the end of binkies means the ends of naps, I will be going back to the bink, fo sho. Then he finally fell asleep. Thank God! He had a hard time when he woke from his nap and cried a bit. I think he was used to having the bink transition him from sleeping to waking up. But then that was the end of it. Steve put him down that night and he never even asked for it!

So what did I learn from all this? I think its easier to take it away from a 2 year old than a three and a half year old. And, much like potty training I was pleasantly shocked at how easy this was. I think the last and final step in babyhood is potty training Curran. She is more than ready, and I have just been lazy not to do it.

The Past Month

Again, sorry for the long delay in posting, but things have been super busy in our house. Shortly after Curran's b-day, Steve dropped the bomb on me that he wanted to move to the east side. Any Clevelander who reads this understands the gravity of such a statement. NO ONE switches sides. You are one, or the other. So as things usually work in our house things go from zero to sixty very fast. We busted ass for about a week in a half to get all the unfinished projects done in the house.

So the house has been on the market for about a week. We haven't even started looking for another house, as we don't want to caught in the death trap of having 2 mortgages. But trust me, the entire process is very annoying. We moved a lot of stuff out of the house into the garage, and hell if I can find anything. Curran put almost an entire roll of toilet paper down the toilet last week and I of course couldn't find the GD plunger because I don't know where anything is in the house. I literally threw, packed everything unnecessary away. I call it the Great Purge of 2009. Although I love it here and have no desire to move, I just want this whole thing over with. I don't like living in limbo.

This weekend Steve and I were in NY for the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll HOF concert at Madison Square Garden. It was super fun and I paid for it the next day. I felt fine in the morning, slight headache, nothing major. I also felt fine on the flight home. Steve was convinced that he could find 480 from Cuyahoga County Airport and we went on a goat rodeo tour of the East side. We never found 480 and the local roads did not agree with me. I ended up barfing all over the the side of 150th. Not pretty. It was right by a church where the congregation was pulling in for a service. I think Steve was more embarrassed than I was. This has only happened once before to me, after a long night in C-bus followed by a morning ride home to C-town. Colleen will know what I am talking about.

Here are the pics from Halloween. I am the most deadbeat mother when it comes to Halloween. This was B's 4th Halloween. His first and his fourth Halloween were costumes that my friend Dawn handed down to me. His second and third, I dressed him in the same outfit both years. I go for the easiest costumes possible. Curran's costume was a b-day present from Aunt Sue. Please Note, Brayden is on another photo strike. Enjoy!!

Curran with her friend Sydney - a lady bug and a bumblebee!






Curran is WAY into her Daddy these days. I go into her room to get her in the morning and when she realizes it's me and not Steve she says - "Go Mommy, Go" and points to the door. Nice.



Only decent group photo! Braydo was a dragon, not a dinasour.



Tongues out, for whatever reason. I was just pumped to get a pic where they were both looking.