A Big Boy Room

Today was the BIG day. The bunk beds arrived and were assembled by the fantastic delivery team. (We had originally ordered the beds from IKEA, but after 8 hours of pain and sweat from my dear husband and mom, we determined that not only did the holes not line up in certain places but in other places the holes were not drilled correctly at all and wouldn't allow the pieces to go together. So we sent them back and went to Value City. There we found even nicer beds and found out that the delivery men actually assemble the beds! Score!) I rushed home from work early this evening in order to get the room all decorated and set up before Brian brought the boys home from previewing the new train exhibit at the science center.

The beds are great, and the Steelers room looks great! We ended up getting thinner mattresses than what are normally sold for twin beds and that allows Matthew to have a protective railing on the top bunk. We moved Matthew to a toddler bed when he was 22 months old, but we felt like Noah was ready to move. And Matthew was definitely outgrowing his toddler bed. So we decided to make the move out of the crib earlier for Noah at 18 months. We were nervous at first, but at bed time tonight, I tucked him in and he snuggled right under his covers with his new pillow and fell fast asleep. No crying and no fuss. And Matthew, well he was just super excited to finally have the bunk beds to sleep in. He loves the fact that Noah sleeps below him. We are beyond happy that we chose the bunk bed route for the boys. It's a huge space saver and at the same time, gives them more room to sleep comfortably. And you can never go wrong with a Steelers theme in the Burgh. :)

Enjoy the excessive photos that are about to appear below. :)

Bunk beds!

A baby blanket makes a great curtain!

I bought this light switch plate in high school, and my parents let me take it to use for the boys.

Awesome rug from Walmart.

Our Icon Corner still stands. :)

Matthew's top bunk and his new bunk bed bear that we built this past weekend named Troy.

I've also had this license plate decoration since high school. Goes great above the boys' door. (Don't worry. Their crucifix stands on the night stand. It was blessed by JPII.)

I designed their new name posters and had them printed at Staples on foam board.

Noah's bottom bunk and his new bunk bed bear that we built this past weekend, Heath. 

I had a blast decorating, and hopefully, the boys will have a blast sleeping in it. :) Good night!

Five Faves

The blog has been a little quiet lately. I've been too tired and actually just too busy to actually have the time to sit down and write a post. I've thought about it several times but our days have literally been nonstop activity. And nap time has been spent with me reorganizing the house and prepping the boys room for the big transformation to bunk beds that is set to occur this Saturday. Anyways, before I get my ab exercises done, I thought I'd pop on and write about my five faves this week.

1. Gratitude from my students

The second grader I tutor had a writing assignment to write a thank you note to someone and she chose me! I was honored and really flattered. It was so sweet of her and the note is now hanging on our fridge in the midst of the kids' artwork. What a great motivator when I find myself losing steam as the holidays approach quickly.

2. Gymsport Open Gym Play Time

About once or twice a month, I take the kids to Gymsport, a local gymnastics gym. They offer preschool open gym Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-12. It is $5/child/hour. We usually go from about 10:30-11:30 and then stay around afterwards to eat our lunch at the tables provided there. The boys LOVE it. They can run, jump, bounce, climb, and do so many fun things without getting in trouble for it. As the winter approaches, it is great to have something so close to our house and so cheap to go and do get their energy out.

3. Philip Rivers

So, he's not a Steelers quarterback, but he is an AMAZING, devout Catholic who is an awesome witness to the faith. He and his wife has six children and they speak out about why couples should use NFP. I saw a video online recently of an interview he did speaking about NFP and why he and his wife use it. It is honest and sincere. My favorite quote from the whole thing is this:

 “For us it was a Church teaching, so you have to do it. As you obey...then you start to understand and see the fruits of it (NFP) in your marriage.”

Take five minutes and check out the video here. 

4. Sales

Last Thursday night, Brian just happened to be on Craigslist when an ad for a wooden train table with accessories popped up for only $40. And it was literally 15 minutes from our house. We jumped and were able to purchase this gem the next day! Now, we have an awesome, usually very pricey, Christmas gift for a fraction of the price! Also, this past Friday, the boys and I had a little extra time after we were done at the gym and between when we needed to be at our next activity, so we wandered around the shops at the shopping center where the gym is located. I found Brian a pair of really nice dress shoes that originally cost $100 on sale for only $40! They were the only pair in his size, and he loves them. He can't get over how comfortable they are. I was also able to pick up a Jingles the Dog DVD and book for Matthew at Hallmark. (Both are Christmas gifts.) The book was $10 and the DVD was $10. After coupons, I paid only $11 for both. Awesome! And I was able to buy them without Matthew knowing I did so. He loves Jingles and will be excited for his new book and DVD.

5. This picture from after the circus on Sunday night.

I mean, how can you  not smile?

Have a great night!

7 Quick Takes

The blog has been pretty quiet recently. I've found lots of things I'd love to write about, but I just haven't had time. Since we returned from our anniversary getaway, life has been crazy. And next week looks even crazier. So I had to take a break from all the craziness today and share my seven quick takes. I apologize in advance for the photo bombing that's about to begin.

1. Matthew has outgrown his toddler bed, and Noah has almost outgrown his crib. So we had some major decisions to make about the bed situation. We plan on moving in the spring and buying a house (God willing), but until then, we will need to set them up in this house for sleeping. After a lot of research and discussion, we decided to go with bunk beds. This means that Noah will completely skip the toddler bed phase, and I am okay with this. We found a black wooden bunk bed frame from IKEA, and we will add a bed rail to the bottom bunk to keep Noah safe. I had so much fun ordering the kids bedding this week, and I have been picking up wall decorations when I see them to redecorate their new room. Goodbye, Elmo and Pooh. Hello, Steelers! :) It is going to be great. :)

 

2. Matthew's first preschool pictures came in this week, and they are adorable! I love the group picture the most. The picture is adorable and so funny. I love how Mary is behind them all. It's awesome.

3. I am obsessed with Sara Evans' new video, Slow Me Down. She is by far my all time favorite singer. I have met her twice and seen her in concert numerous times. She is one of my idols, and it has been three years since she put out new music! That's too long. Take a second to check it out. You will be happy you did. :)

Me and Sara Evans in August of 2004....wow I'm old!

4. I made some time this week to bake for my dad's company's Cash Bash fundraiser tonight. They do a dinner buffet and dessert table and are always looking for donations for the dessert table. Since I love to bake and inherited my grandma Kay's baking skills, I always volunteer. This time around, I came up with the cupcakes below. Seriously, they were soooooo easy to make. And they're cute. 

5. Brian gave me the sweetest, most romantic anniversary card ever last week. Most of it will remain private, but I just had to share the fact that inside the card he taped two tickets to a football game we had attended 6 days into our relationship. Later that day, we prayed together for the first time and later that night, we said I love you for the first time. It is a day I will never forget....and apparently Brian didn't either. I didn't even know he still had the tickets. It really made my anniversary. 

6. Matthew gave one of his closest friends a birthday gift this week. He loved the entire process of gift giving. He had such a blast picking out the present, wrapping it, decorating the card, and then finally presenting the gift. It was so cute to see how much joy he had in the whole process. At the end, he totally attacked his friend with a hug. He's a little more of a hug person than she is apparently, but it was still cute. If only arranged marriages were still the in thing....

7. This picture pretty much sums it all up. This is my goal at the end of the day. I fail almost daily and sometimes hourly at doing this, but I am trying. And I saw this graphic on facebook a few days ago and just really liked it. I think we will be using it in our talk on NFP. It says it better than I ever could.

Have a fantastic last weekend of October! Time is truly flying by! :)

7 Quick Takes

1. Our stove was red tagged last night. I thought all day that I had been smelling gas. And I felt like I could smell it everywhere. Before I left for tutoring, Brian came home from work and while he faintly smelled something in the kitchen, he did not smell it near as strongly as I did. My dad told us that we could call the gas company and they'd send someone to check for any leaks. (Seems like an obvious solution.) So Brian did that. And guess what? The stove was leaking gas. So, it's red tagged and we're waiting on parts to come in before we can fix it and use it again. Looks like the microwave and toaster oven will be the way to cook this weekend. In all seriousness, there was a huge house explosion caused by natural gas just across the border in West Virginia this morning (very close to where I attended school.) The house is leveled and one teenager died. We are very blessed and beyond thankful that the leak was detected before something awful occurred.

2. We headed to Soergel's Farm this morning to hang out with some moms from Mommy's Group. We didn't get to stay nearly as long as I had wanted (had to meet the stove repairman), but my boys had a blast. Noah ended up falling in a large mud puddle, and Matthew purposefully rolled in the same puddle. He then removed his pants and underwear while I was tending to Noah and was standing in the middle of the play area stark naked from the waste down. Parenting fail. But the good news is that they both had a wonderful time and loved the little break from the city.

3. This weekend is the Diocese of Pittsburgh's 2nd Annual NFP Awareness Sunday. Being trained NFP Promoters, Brian and I are responsible for doing something at our parish to promote NFP. We put up a large trifold board with all kinds of fun facts in the back of the church along with some pamphlets. We are also mentioned in the bulletin. And I have a strong suspicion that Father Jim will somehow weave NFP into his homily on Sunday and his homilies about NFP are pretty much the bomb. We are excited and ask for your prayers that many hearts will be converted this weekend and that many couples can recognize the goods the come from practicing NFP instead of artificial contraception.

4. After the repairman left this morning, the boys and I got crafty with our baby pumpkins that we picked up at the farm. (We will go to a different farm at the end of the month with my parents to get big pumpkins, so we opted to get the tiny ones this time around.) We decided to make bat pumpkins. We painted the pumpkins, glued on eyes and wings and now we have bat pumpkins. Matthew made the wings for his pumpkin. I had to help Noah. It was again, an easy and fun craft. I highly recommend trying it out.

5. Noah went to this ENT this week for his usual 6 month follow up. I already knew he had an ear infection before we got there, and we had started drops a few days before. Well, it turns out one of his tubes is completely blocked. And on top of the infection in his ears, he also has a pretty bad yeast infection going on in his ears, too. He is now on two sets of drops. We are praying that this clears the blocked tube and he can start into the colder weather with healthy ears. We really do not want to have to replace the tubes, and we are discouraged that they haven't worked as well for him as they did for Matthew. Please pray his ears get better quickly.

6. This weekend we are heading out to the Dormont Street Fair. I love the street fair. It is such a fun, free community event. (Well, it's not free for us because we definitely indulge in all the local food offered, but it doesn't cost anything to attend. :)) The boys love seeing all the fire trucks and playing in the kids area. Last year I met a politician who was a huge fan of Propel Schools, and he picked my brain for a while about why the Propel Way works. It was awesome. This year a local band, The Justin Fabus Band, will be performing. We first saw them open for the Hillbilly Way in January and April. The best part is....I went to high school with Justin and was in chorus class with him. Great guy. He has no clue who I am, but he was pretty popular back at KO. Everyone knew him. I am happy to see a local guy have a lot of success.

7.This past week, one of my students was having a hard time because his grandmother is dying. (They were actually taking her off of life support today, so offer a prayer for them.) His mom and I had a heart to heart with him, and during the conversation, I mentioned I had lost a daughter a few years ago. At this point, his mom starts crying. She, too, had lost a baby girl many years ago. And just like that: BOOM! Instant connection. We hugged and then made plans to meet for coffee next week. This family is truly wonderful and I work there three hours each week. I knew I always felt especially connected to them, and now I know why. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for prompting me to share so personally. I have gained another friend. :)

And on that note, have a happy, enjoyable weekend! :)

Five Faves

In no particular order...

1. Fall Crafts

 

My mom bought the supplies (thanks, Mom!), and Matthew and I put together a great Halloween wreath for our front door. Now, we don't celebrate Halloween all out in this house (All Saints Day is our day to party), but we are Catholics in the world, therefore, the kids dress up and go trick or treating and we buy pumpkins and carve them. I thought the pieces for this wreath were cute and not offensive, and it looks great on our door. They were super easy to put together, too. One day I'll learn how to make a nice bow and add it on. For now, we are happy with how it turned out.

2. Diet Pepsi

I am a Diet Pepsi addict. In fact, I knew I was pregnant with Noah before I took the test because I could no longer stand the taste of it! (And the same had happened with Matthew during the first trimester). Without it, I would certainly die of exhaustion. I know I'm probably killing myself slowly, but right now, this sleep deprived momma will keep on chugging.

3. Toddlerobics Class

The boys take a Toddlerobics Class each Wednesday morning. Miss Christi (the same Christi who trains me) teaches the class, and she is Matthew's favorite person. The class is fun and involved music, activities, and lots of movement for the little ones. My boys love going, and it's super cheap. I think I paid $45 for each kid and it's about 8 sessions in length. Each session is 45 minutes, just the right amount of time before you start losing toddlers' attentions. And Christi, as usual, is super high energy and just wonderful. It's a good time for all.

Sorry the pics are blurry. The class is constant movement. Christi's in the Nike shirt, if you couldn't tell. ;)

 4. Bethenny's Talk Show

Okay, so it's no secret that I am a HUGE Bethenny Frankel fan. (And, yes, Brian has watched every episode of the her reality show with me. He finds he relates to Jason a lot and I relate to Bethenny. Don't worry, we are soooo not headed for divorce like them!) Anyways, her new talk show that airs at 11am on WPXI each day is pretty hilarious. She just tells it like it is, and I have a feeling that had we met in real life before she was famous, we would be friends. She could just say everything I think but filter most days. Anyways, check out this video parody she did of the song, Thrift Shop. It's pretty hilarious.

5. Father Jim

Father Jim has daily Mass at St. Catherine's this week, and while the other priests we have at St. Catherine's are wonderful, there is just something special about Father Jim. He just truly celebrates the Mass with a great reverence and sense of humility. I was afraid I would never find that outside of the Oratory, and I am so blessed that we have. It is edifying. And Matthew is president of his unofficial fan club. It's a win-win for all!

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

Seven Quick Takes

1. My Dream House

A while ago, we put an offer in on a house, had our offer accepted (with no counter from the seller), and then pulled our offer when the inspection on the house showed some major issues that we just didn't want to deal with in the long run. But I really don't think that was the house for us anyways. It was a bit too far from my parents' house, quite honestly (okay, so it was about 15 minutes instead of 5), but still, not in walking distance, so that had me a bit nervous. Since then, Brian and I have agreed that our number one area to find a house in is where my parents live now. We were looking around a few weeks ago, and my dream house popped up. It's on a flat street and is HUGE. It has five bedrooms, two baths...a typical big, old suburbs of Pittsburgh house. And it's cheap. Like dirt cheap.Why so cheap? Well, in the kitchen needs an updated floor and in the pictures, the beautiful finished attic clearly has signs of past water damage. Oh, and there's those holes in the dry wall. Minor really. (As Brian looks at me like I'm crazy.) But I love it. It has so much charm and potential. And it's big. It could hold a lot of kids. (Or stuff since after this lovely afternoon, I am done forever with having little ones around.) We were getting ready to send an email about going to see it when suddenly, the website showed it as contingent. :( I am not happy, and I dream of this house. But God has a plan...

2. Speaking of dreams....

This is totally random, but I slept soundly (meaning uninterrupted) for four whole hours last night. This has got to be a record. During that time, I had one very vivid dream. Was it about the house I love? Or future children? Or my dear grandparents who have since left this life? No, no, no. My dream was, of course, about the reality show, Million Dollar Listing, which Brian and I had just watched before turning in for the night. All the main realtors were in this dream, and they were all trying to get deals done...in my living room. It was a fun dream, and it was nice because we were all friends. But, oh how strange! When you wake up from dreams like that, you really start to think you are completely losing your mind. Totally random, but I had to share.

The guy on the far right, Josh Altman, is totally my dream realtor. He knows how to make a deal better than anyone else.

3. Want to Laugh?

Then click here. This is a voicemail of someone describing an accident scene that he just happens to witness. The accident, thank goodness, is not very serious, but his description will leave you laughing very, very hard. It's totally worth three minutes of your time.

4.

 

This is totally Pittsburgh. But this also happens to be my FAVORITE merge in the city. This is the only place you can drive aggressively and get away with it. The problems come when people don't know what they are doing and therefore come to a dead stop on the bridge. Um, way to cause an accident! Anyways, whenever I am feeling a bit frustrated, I know I can always take this way home and get some aggressions out. It's great. No, really, it is.

5. Big Brother Finale

The Big Brother Finale was on Wednesday of this past week. It was awesome! I LOVED every second,  especially the part where Dr. Will (one of the two greatest players to ever play the game) returned. Great times. I am a bit bummed that GinaMarie didn't take home the grand prize after she made the BIGGEST move of the entire season, but Andy did play quite the social game and did it well without really getting personal. It was fun to come home from lots of tutoring to watch on Wednesday night. Brian and I love that show and since it airs three nights a week, we are not sure what we will do with all the extra time on our hands...not to worry, though. Nashville and Grey's Anatomy both premiere this week! Whew! That was close!

6. What Happens When Mommy Goes to Clean Upstairs for 15 Minutes...

Me: How did Noah get in there?
Matthew: Well, I helped him!

As one of my friends said, It could be worse. At least they were laughing and not crying and actually, not destroying anything. With all the billions of toys they have, I should've known the bins would be their favorite thing.

7. The Hillbilly Way

Brian and I decided this week that we are going to head out to see them play the night before Thanksgiving at Saddleridge, so that had me listening to all of their music when I drove to tutoring this week. Never heard of them? You have no idea what you are missing! They are totally awesome and their live shows are some of the best.  Check them out here! The lead singer, Abby, is just totally amazing. Love him. (In fact, I will never forget when the original band, the Povertyneck Hillbillies, performed at Franciscan and Abby did the Hillbilly Shake and since then, no secular band has ever been invited back. I, however, chose to master the Hillbilly Shake! See, I have left the bubble!)

My two favorite Hillbillies, Abby and Junior. :)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Back to School

Today was Matthew's first day of preschool! What a big milestone. He did so well, too. I walked him into his classroom, and he hugged me and ran off to play. I was the first parent out of the classroom, and I was so proud of my little man. I don't know where the past three and a half years have gone, but they sure have gone quickly!

For our family, this is just the first year of many of Matthew leaving the house to attend school at a school. We may be devout Catholics, but we have chosen not to homeschool our children. (Okay, so after Obama was elected again and DOMA was overturned, I may have seriously considered it in a moment of complete panic, but then I came to my senses.) I want to preface this post by saying that the families we know in Pittsburgh who are homeschooling are doing a beautiful job. (My freshman year roommate from college even spent some time as a homeschooler, and she's one of the coolest and smartest people I know. Guess that's why she's Noah's Godmother!) They are examples of homeschooling done well. And I fault no one for choosing to homeschool. It's your right as a parent. (Just please use a curriculum. :)) Homeschooling has many benefits and can be great when done well. I don't argue that at all. But there's something to be said for sending  your child off into a school building, too. That, too, can have great benefits and blessings.

Here's the thing. I'm a teacher. So lots of times people look at our family and are a little surprised that we are not homeschooling our children. Let's forget the fact that I never, ever want to teach my own children beyond helping them with homework and helping them learn study skills. (Does that make me a bad mother? Probably. Oh, well. Judge away.) But here's the other thing. I am a teacher, and thus, I have a special place in my heart for the tradition of children in America going off to school on a daily basis. I think there's something to be said for sending your child off to school and you serving in a supporting role as the parent. I think someone else teaching our children is a good thing.

I get that schools (Catholic and public) are not perfect. They are not perfect little examples of living the faith on a daily basis. They are fallen. I can completely understand why for some families, dealing with those school failings involves the decision to homeschool. Sometimes it's the only way to make sure your child is getting a good, Christian upbringing. It makes sense to want to protect your children from the things in the world that aren't always the best example of Catholicism. But then the educator part of me kicks in.

I love the idea of public education. Yet, I see schools failing in America. I see students being failed by the school systems. And I just can't stand by and pull out of the system completely as a way to fix it. I feel to fix it, I need to be involved. And I so badly want to fix it. I need my opinions and voice to be heard. By pulling out of the school system, my voice will not be heard, and things will only get worse. Education can be fixed. Catholic schools can be fixed. But we as parents need to pull together with educators who care and fix them. We can't just keep pulling out and away. The whole system at that point is only doomed further. If all the good people pull out, what's left? I refuse to abandon a system that I believe can work and at one point, did work for this country. I refuse to believe that the way to fix it is by pulling out of it. I mean, parts of the Catholic Church are broken, and I didn't just decide to stop going and become a different religion. I chose to stay a part of it, and to try and fix it from within. That's just what makes sense to me.

At some point, it may prove impossible to fix anything by ourselves, and it may show us that it's better to keep our kids home and use a cyber school curriculum. But I'm not sure that will be the case. Only time will tell. I can't really see the above scenario happening, but I know getting involved with a school and having your voice heard is not always easy or even possible. You can speak up all you want and still be shut down. That can get frustrating, and I'm not sure I'll have much patience for that. Having our kids learn at home, however, would not be ideal for us.

As Brian and I continue on our journey as parents, I only pray that we can continue to make good educational decisions for our children. We are both products of public education and consider ourselves to be pretty faithful and educated Catholics. As we forge ahead, we hope and pray that our presence wherever our children attend school will have a positive influence and lead to changes in the education system.

Whether you homeschool or send your kids off, happy back to school! Prayers for everyone for a blessed and successful year!

Friday Quick Takes

Just because I couldn't let a Friday go by without chiming in with my 7 Quick Takes!

1. A woman after Mass yesterday morning asked me if I am pregnant because I look like it. First, the answer is no, and second, how rude! I have been working my butt off at the gym every day of the week and to be told I look pregnant is just not cool. The woman isn't ancient either, so it's not like I can write it off as just a little old lady being confused. And honestly, did this women never learn that the last thing you ever ask a woman is if she's expecting? I was hurt, but then Brian pointed out that with the ages of our kids, people are starting to think we'll be expecting soon. Which I guess makes sense. Even my trainer is baffled. Come on, people! I just bought size six jeans last Friday night. There's no way my pregnant self could ever fit in those. Ugh.

2. Last night I had a night off from tutoring and both my dad and Brian were working late, so my mom and I took both boys to the mall. I know the mall sounds boring, but my kids LOVE it. They love playing in the toy store and fountain. Eating in the food court is seriously the best thing ever in their minds. And it get us out of the house and burns off some energy. My mom and I had a blast! We hadn't taken the kids anywhere just us for a while, and it was nice to spend the evening with my best friend. We laughed a lot. Good times for all.

3.

This picture speaks for itself....Matthew is officially ready for preschool this coming Tuesday! It will be a big deal for sure in our house. I am so proud of my little guy, and he is so ready for school. I can't imagine keeping him home any longer. He is ready to learn, and yes, I'm a teacher. But I could NEVER teach my own kids. I prefer to let someone else tackled that hurdle. :)

4. Do parents ever get to sleep through the night? I mean, my kids are pretty well sleep trained, but if I have to wipe another nose, untangle another blanket, or find another binky tonight, I will lose it. The wake ups only last for two minutes at most, but it takes me FOREVER to go back to sleep. This Mommy is so very tired. I know it could be worse, but I am so looking forward to coming home from Rascal Flatts next Friday night and sleeping into noon the next day since the kids will be at my parents house. A full night's sleep will be AMAZING.

5.

 

Business is good....very good! It just suddenly started expanding last week as many of the public districts started back to school. I actually have more students than time slots at this point. I'm not sure what the solution is to that, but I'm sure I will come up with something. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the hours I'll be gone each evening, but I also feel incredibly blessed. I can stay home with my kids and still help make ends meet. God is good.

6. My Countdown App says that there are only 48 days, 23 hours, and 53 minutes until mine and Brian's anniversary trip to Wine Country in Erie. We leave on our anniversary (a Friday) at noon and return the following Sunday at noon. We will get to Erie in time to visit one or two wineries on Friday before a romantic dinner that Brian is arranging. And we will have ALL day Saturday to go wine tasting. We even plan on venturing into New York and visiting some of the wineries there. It will be a great getaway. I simply cannot wait. Plus, we have the nicest room in the B&B and it has a fireplace as well as its own, private entrance. We won't have to see another soul that weekend, and that's awesome. October 18 cannot come fast enough!

7. Sara Evans is my favorite singer ever. Love her and every single song she has ever written and performed. Her song, Perfect, is great. And you can jam to it...I do it every day on the treadmill. It breaks up the boy band play list nicely. :) Enjoy!

Happy Weekend!

Five Faves

1. Spot Shot

This stuff is seriously AMAZING! I picked it up because it was cheap at Dollar General ($2.89), and about a week ago, I had to go out and get more because it's that good! I originally purchased it because both of our boys had severe reflux (like I'm talking Matthew and Noah could both hit walls 10 feet away with their puke and they cried and screamed almost constantly). The reflux lots of time left puke stains on my carpet. Grrr. So I thought I'd give this a try, and it took out every puke stain! Then we recently traded in our 1980's, I Survived a Frat House, plaid couch for a more modern chocolate brown one, and I realized within an hour that a solid colored couch with two little ones wasn't my brightest idea. Noah's favorite activity is rubbing his snot all over it. (On those occasions I like to refer to him as Brian's child, not my own.) And Matthew is found of crushing anything he's eating into it. But I need not fear, this stuff takes out everything! You can't even tell you used it because wherever you spray it dries a normal color. This stuff is a life saver!

2. Diaper Sales

I hunt the ads every week that most people refer to as Junk Mail for diaper sales. I always have a stack of diaper coupons just ready to go to town with. And let's face it. Noah is at least a year away from potty training. Oh my. This week was my lucky week. Rite Aid has boxes of Huggies on sale for $17.99. Then, I had $3.00 off coupons for Huggies on top of that! Yay me! So today I walked out of Rite Aid with diapers that retail for between $20 and $24 for $15 total. HUGE savings! I plan to go back tomorrow and use more of my lovely coupons on top of this great offer. Score!

3. Reasonably Priced Craft Kits

My mom recently bought Matthew a Sock Puppet Kit. This kid is the King of Crafts. Especially in the winter, he loved making new things each day. During the winter months, I'd cruise the clearance section of Walmart and could always find several kits (we painted wooden race cars one day) for less than $3.00....no lie. It was like a Gold Mine. This kit wasn't quite $3.00, but it was under $20 and it was a birthday gift from my mom. The cool thing is that we didn't need any glue at all and all of pieces have stayed stuck on for days. They are sturdy, easy, and Matthew had a blast making them. Plus, no mess for me to clean up when we are done! I know some people feel that crafts come from what's lying around at home. But I am pretty much super organized and clutter does not exist here. If my kids want crafts, we buy kits. And the kits really make life much easier.

4. Date Nights

Brian and I have one of these coming up on Friday. We always enjoy our time out together. It is nice to be able to sit and eat and drink without having to entertain the kids. When Matthew was born we decided that it was important that we make time for just the two of us once a month. Sometimes it happens more, but it's always at least once a month. It's good for our marriage and our sanity. It does help that my parents live just a few streets away and are always more than willing to babysit. But honestly, last weekend we used sitters who weren't my parents and the kids did great and the babysitters LOVED watching our boys. A win for all. I am definitely looking forward to a little one-on-one time with my hubby.

5. A Rumored *NSYNC Reunion

Oh how I miss them!

 I read an article yesterday that said they are rumored to be reuniting at the VMA's on Sunday. So for the first time since high school, I am actually planning on tuning in. I am sure I will be scandalized and appalled at what I see, but it will all be worth it if my boys do indeed take the stage. Growing up, I was super obsessed with them. You couldn't even see my bedroom walls because I had so many posters. And with all the other boy bands making comeback albums and tours, it's about darn time that the BEST boy band of all time (don't fight me on this one. I can name every musical record they hold. ;)) should reunite. I'm hopeful that this could lead to a reunion tour, and Brian looked super thrilled when I announced last night that if that happens, he will be taking me and we will have front row seats. Let's hope the rumor turns out to be true!

Isn't that Everything?

As I sit and write this, Noah is sleeping upstairs and Matthew and Brian are chilling on the couch watching the Steelers not look so great during this preseason game. (Ben says we have hardly seen anything from the offense yet and that Haley is saving it for the regular season. Um, sure. How about Haley just stinks and needs replaced and this offense really has no clue what they are doing?) Matthew is trying to learn all of the players names as well as who does what on the football field. It's cute and makes me love my already fantastic hubby even more!

This past weekend was full of ups and downs emotionally. You know when  you want something really, really bad but you just can't have it? It's like a carrot being dangled in front of you but you just can't jump high enough to get it. This past weekend we had one of those experiences. And me having the mentality of a princess at times, I got really upset and devastated that I couldn't have exactly what I wanted at exactly the time that I wanted. Without getting too personal (what?! I'm not spilling every detail of my life on this blog? How dare I! Sorry, folks. This is not the Real Housewives going on here!), it wasn't totally a necessity what I did not end up getting, but it would've made life a little easier and less stressful.

I spent a few hours and part of today just stewing over it and crying and getting mad. I think I even had a few not so nice conversations with God. But then, I took a step back to look at what I do have. Let's run through that happier list.

I have a cute little townhouse in which to live. Sure we rent. And yes it's not big enough to have more children in, but right now I'm not getting pregnant any time soon for many reasons, and we still have years ahead of us to have more babies. Renting isn't terrible. It is a little frustrating, but when the furnace broke last winter I didn't have to pay to fix it. That was kind of cool. So when things go wrong here, that's a YP (your problem....you can thank my old coteacher at Propel for that one) not an MP (my problem.) Major, major bonus. Plus, the townhouse is in a nice area and we have great, quiet neighbors. Oh, and did I mention our large back yard? With two energetic boys that's definitely a blessing.

We have a great parish to attend. St. Catherine of Siena rocks, and so does our pastor, Father Jim. Our kids idolize him, and Matthew pretends to be him on a daily basis. Our fellow parishioners adore our children, and our new associate pastor, Father Gary, is pretty cool, too. There was a time in my life when I thought I'd never find a devout, conservative parish with a great pastor. WRONG! My faith has been blessed by attending there, and I have grown spiritually in countless ways.

I have three amazing children. Brian and I have our angel in Heaven to watch over all of us. (Which is great because just this afternoon in the back yard, Matthew and Noah crashed into our fence in their Little Tikes truck and flipped over. Not a scratch on either of them. Thank you, Abby, for saving Mommy from a parenting fail!) And then we have our two, wonderful boys here on Earth. I'm not really sure what life was like before them, but I'm guessing it must've been pretty boring. They are so full of excitement and life. They do everything with great vigor and truly live each moment to the fullest. They are fun and have taught me more about life and how to live it than I ever imagined possible. I have loved them instantly since the positive pregnancy test, but I fall more in love with them each day. God has blessed us beyond belief with the lives of our children. They are the best gift I have ever received.

I have wonderful and supportive parents who live about five blocks away. They will drop anything at any time if we need (Yep, I have even called my mom at 2am when Matthew wouldn't stop crying or when he had croupe and couldn't breath and she comes right over), and we know we can always count on them.They love our boys to pieces and spend the majority of their time out of work with them. They rarely turn down a babysitting job (except on their anniversary. ;)) They will bend over backwards to help us and make me staying home during the day work. My mom is for sure my absolute best friend, and she wasn't expected to be around at this point in my life. Each extra day with her is really a blessing. She and Brian are the only two that can talk me down off of my dramatic cliffs some days. Having parents who love and care for us so incredibly much and who will give anything to help us means so much. Not everyone is so lucky.

Finally, I have the best husband a girl could ever ask for. Brian loves me for me. (So much so that when I'm crying about the last ten pounds of Noah that I cannot lose for love or money he simply lets me cry and then reassures me that I've only gotten more beautiful since having his children. And I'm pretty sure he's not lying....) He works hard at a job that is all consuming and requires way more hours in a day than he ever could have imagined. At one point he worked two jobs when I first started staying home with Matthew just to make sure we could make ends meet. He has jumped right into helping me with my business and even designed the logo and business cards for it without me asking. He puts my needs and the needs of our children first. He even lets me sleep until 7:30 on Saturdays, even though I'm sure he, too, could benefit from those extra hours of sleep. He gives so much of himself every day, and he's faithful beyond belief. I owe my sanity to him most days, and I love him more each day, too. Of the two of us, he is the better half.

Okay, so I really do have a lot to be thankful for. Now, most days I find it hard to remember and see things that way, so that's one of the reasons I wanted to write it all down. Most of you know me well enough know that I'm really a sunshine and rainbows and unicorns type girl. I find the glass half empty most times. However, on days when I'm busy having a jealousy inspired pity party, I can come back to this post and remember that I have a great husband, wonderful kids, amazing parents, and a cute place to live, and a wonderful parish to belong to. At the end of the day, isn't that everything? Yes, it really is.

And just cause I love my kids so much, here's a picture of them with their brand new pool toys from our trip to Dormont Pool on Saturday. :) They are my little fish!

Seven Quick Takes, Volume 1

1. So some of you may be wondering who is this Abby I keep referring to? Abby is short for Abigail Grace. She is our daughter who passed away at just six short weeks into our pregnancy on February 2, 2009. Everyone deals with miscarriage differently. For us, it was important that Abby always be remembered as a part of our family. Her birthday would've been September 28, 2009, so every year we celebrate that. I proudly consider myself a mom of 3 - 2 on Earth and 1 in Heaven. And you may be wondering how we knew we were having a girl? We didn't, but when I first started having complications with the pregnancy it felt natural for me to start referring to the baby as a girl, and by that point in our pregnancy Brian and I had already discussed how much we loved the name Abigail. I figure if we never got to hold or see our baby on Earth, at least we got to decide the gender. ;) In all seriousness, she is part of our family, and we love her very much. We are thankful to have our own personal angel in Heaven. Click the link below to hear a song that perfectly describes how we feel about her. :)

See You Again

2. Speaking of children, I adore seeing Matthew and Noah grow up together and interact. They are two years and two months apart and just this summer have really started playing together. Noah has adored Matthew from the very early days of his life, and Noah is slowly growing on Matthew! The more Noah can do with Matthew, the more Matthew enjoys his little brother. It is so dear to watch them together. And Matthew is already fiercely protective of Noah. I overhear him at events with other children many times saying very firmly, "That's my brother!" There's something to be said for having two boys that close together. (Although I'm pretty sure they are taking years off of my life and sanity.) I pray they will be lifelong friends.

3. This Ab Challenge is AMAZING!

Seriously, try it. I did it for the month of June and since then, I've chosen five sets every week to do (taking rest days about every two days.) Doing this combined with my workouts from my fabulous trainer, Christi (let me know if you want her number. She can even train you in your home!) I have lost inches from my waist. I mean, let's face it, I will never be a size 2 again in my life (sad day. I miss being that skinny), but at least my baby pouch is toned and in place and not just sagging all over anymore. It is a ton of hard work, but so worth it. And it's fun to see results. Try this workout. It will change your life.

4. My hubby and I are going on a double date tonight with on my closest friends in Pittsburgh and her husband. They are a great couple, and we very much enjoy their company. We are headed to a Japanese Steakhouse (way different than mine and Brian's normal date night at Applebee's lol). We are all excited to get out without the kids and be able to have a conversation. And let's be honest. I'm looking forward to a good Long Island, too! :)

5.

Carrie Underwood said this in an interview with People Magazine in the Spring. I cut it out and have it hanging on my mirror in the bedroom. I see it every morning when I am getting ready. Obviously, the statement is a bit exaggerated, but it keeps me motivated. I want to look good for my husband. I have always feared letting myself go and blaming it on having kids. I don't think that's right or okay to do to your hubby and all of the moms I hang out with look great every time we get together. (That helps call me on more than this quote!) But as I'm spending time putting on make up and straightening my hair, I can read this and realize that what I'm doing at that moment is important. And it reminds me that if at all possible, the first stop after daily Mass needs to the be the gym. Brian would love me no matter what I looked like (and not a day goes by when he doesn't tell me I'm beautiful), but I want him to be proud to say I'm his wife and be excited to come home to me looking half decent on a daily basis. 

6. So Monday was our first day without Brian around after 9.5 straight days of his company. It wasn't a terrible day, actually, and what made it even better was getting an email in the afternoon saying I had won a backstage pass to meet Rascal Flatts! Woohoo! I am 28 years old and super pumped about this. (hey, I never claimed to be super mature. *NSYNC is my workout music of choice, after all.) I get to meet them before their show in Pittsburgh on September 6. Brian and I were already looking forward to the concert and now it's even more exciting. Plus, the kids are staying at my parents that night. Yay for sleeping in on a Saturday morning! Oh, and I should add that we definitely got tickets that have seats with them for the concert. You know you are pushing 30 and 40 when you swear you will never go to a concert again without seats!

Gary, from Rascal Flatts. He is my fave member. And I kinda think he looks like Brian. :)

7. I have been obsessed with The Band Perry lately. Their song, "If I Die Young," reminds me of Abby in so many ways, but lately their new, rockier stuff really makes me happy. And while I am out tutoring, I totally jam to it in the minivan with the windows rolled down. (I tried to get Brian and the boys to jam with me a few weeks ago, but no go. Well, at least Matthew asks to listen to Carrie Underwood's Good Girl on a daily basis.) Nothing like a good break up song blaring from a minivan adorned with a "Baby on Board" sign as it rolls through the quiet streets of Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. Hey, at least it beats "If You're Happy and You Know It." Anyways, if you're not familiar with them, check out the links to the YouTube videos below:

The Band Perry with Done

The Band Perry with Better Dig Two 

Have a fantastic weekend! Please pray for us and the couples who will be attending the Engaged Encounter Retreat this weekend. We are giving our NFP talk tomorrow and defending the faith at the Wrap Session tomorrow night. Prayers are greatly appreciated.

Don't forget to become a follower of my blog! I'd appreciate it! And I love comments....like really, really love. :)