Thank you all very much for you nice comments about the pictures. We are staying busy here. Long story short, RJ took some vacation days this week - Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It is nice having him home. Usually he works Friday nights and all day Saturday and I am alone with the kids. Yesterday he took down Mackenzie's really really old frumpy bed and rearranged her bedroom. Of course I had plenty to clean up from that. Between he and I we were able to toss a bunch of stuff that she will never know about. It is so refreshing to get a room organized. Still have a long way to go, but it is getting better. I really want to go out and buy her some girly stuff to decorate her room. I am going to try a couple of second-hand stores tomorrow. Dominic is 2 years and 4 months. He still sleeps in a crib. That is because he is a very good sleeper and other than being sick and up through the night, we have never had sleep issues with him. That is so opposite of his sister. Anyway, my sister K and my mom bought Dominic a toddler bed that looks like a kozy-koop car for his birthday. We got that put up today in his room. What a chore that was - especially with two kids "helping". He crawled in once it was all put together, but decided to nap in the crib. I am fine with that. I did not expect him to want to sleep in it right away. Wherever he will lay his head and go to sleep and stay that way for the night will suite me just fine. When Dominic laid down for a nap RJ went and laid down and I laid on the couch. Mackenzie sat and played and watched TV (I know that is probably bad) for 2 hours and let us sleep. Well, she did wake me up singing once, sat on the arm of the couch right above my head once and I did get up when she asked me to read the directions to a game and play with her. I am off to eat supper that RJ went to get from a new place in town. It is such a treat to not have to cook for one night. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their weekend.

As requested...

Here are a couple of pictures from Christmas from my new camera. Dominic loved opening presents at first but wanted to play with his new toys right away. We let him and he opened the rest later in the morning. Mackenzie is holding a thank you note from Santa for the goodies they left out.

I will do more of an update later. Dominic is sick, sick, sick. Coughing, runny nose (open faucet), diarrhea, vomiting, fever. I am beat. RJ is working tonight so I am doing this between Dominic's mini-naps.

Happy New Year

Well, Christmas is behind us once again. We had a wonderful weekend. Saturday morning RJ woke me up at 6:30 to give me my present from him and the kids. He does this every year and I get upset every year because I like to open mine with everyone else! He insisted though. Glad he did and I obliged. I got my very first digital camera. YEAH!!! We went to my moms at 2. We stuffed ourselves silly with great foods. We opened presents and had great conversations - mainly focusing on a trip to Hawaii that my grandmother has offered to all of her adult grandchildren. We are so excited. Of course we are going. We will be going in June. There will be about 20 of us. She has offered to pay for airfare and hotel stay. We are one our own once we arrive. That is fine with me. RJ says he can eat dirt for a week if he has too. I told him I would have enough money to eat and I would bring him left overs. Just kidding of course. We are so blessed. This is my step-grandmother. She has always treated us just like her own though. We arrived home at 8 and the kids went right to bed. Thank goodness.

Sunday there was much excitement and anticipation about Santa's gifts. He left them in the family room downstairs which worked out really well because the Christmas tree and gifts from us were upstairs. We went downstairs first and both kids were really enthralled in their new things. Dominic got an AquaDoodle, a couple of wooden puzzles, some semi-trucks, and Winter themed marshmallows. Mackenzie got a board game, a puzzle, jump rope and yo-yo and marshmallows. We then headed upstairs and I cooked breakfast. We ate and relaxed a bit then opened our gifts. The biggest hit for Dominic was his brand new Dusty The Talking Vaccum. He loves it!!! Mackenzie loves her art set and weaving kit.

We went to RJ's moms in the afternoon and just relaxed and visited. Oh, and ate some more. It is always nice there. So much conversation and the love of being with family. I did sneak out for a bit and went to visit my dad and his wife. My dad is an whole nother entry itself, but I will say that I am happy I can visit him. I cannot take my children there anymore because there is WAY too much cigarette smoke and my kids get sick before we even leave.

Mackenzie spent the night with grandma and her aunt and uncle and cousins that were here from North Carolina. Monday I had the great pleasure of spending the day in the pajamas with just my boy. He is such a fun little guy. We got to sit and play with a bunch of his new toys. He took a 3 hour nap and I put toys in their proper rooms and cleaned the house a bit. I managed to stay in my pajamas until 7 that night when I had to pick Mackenzie put. It was nice. Mackenzie got to spend the day with her aunt Sis and her cousins that were in town. She had a wonderful time and was just exhausted when we got home.

No plans for New Year's. Just staying indoors and off the roads. Hope everyone has a Happy New Year.

Pictures to follow when I figure out my new camera.

Merry Christmas to all

I have so much to be thankful for this season. I have to start with my husband. He has been my strength and my rock this year. We both knew from the moment we met (I know very clique) that we were meant to be together. We knew that God played a huge roll in our meeting. Thank you God for putting us in the same place at the same time. RJ - I love you more than ever. You are my best friend. You are a wonderful and amazing father. Our children are so very lucky to have you as their Daddy.

I am thankful for my children. Those two have changed my entire being. Yes, there are times that I would love nothing more than to tear out my eyeballs, but really, they are just kids. They are genuine and innocent. Their hugs, kisses and smiles say it all. I love them more than life itself.

Thank you to my family - parents, grandparents, in-laws, sisters, brothers-in-law, neices and nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins...you are all amazing. We are all very fortunate to be so close. I am very lucky to be part of these amazing people. I love each and everyone of you. Thank you for all you do for us.

To all of my internet friends - thank you for being here for me each and everyday. I have made some awesome friends this past year! Thank you all for your friendship. I am very lucky to have you all!

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the Lord bring you peace and joy. May you be safe in your travels and your journeys. Hug and kiss your little ones and try to view the season through their little eyes. Much love to you all!

All he wants for Christmas

In the car this morning, taking Dominic to daycare, the battery light comes on while we are on the interstate. I shut off the headlights (yes, it was daylight) and radio. The light went off, but I was afraid to turn anything back on. So, Dominic and I sing (the best a two-year old can) Jingle Bells. Which is really Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell HHHEEEYYY. Then I asked him if Santa was coming to our house on Christmas. He does not even know who Santa is, but I thought I would ask. He says yes. I asked him what he wanted Santa to leave for him. His intellegent, two year old answer......
HOTDOGS!

Need bathtime help

A week ago this past Sunday I gave Dominic a bath and all was well. He played and had a great time like normal. A couple of days later (Tuesday I think), I put him in the tub. He has this plastic watering can that has a sticker on the side of it. The sticker is starting to peel and there were little pieces in the water. He started screaming that there were bugs in the water and got himself out of the tub. Poor thing. Well, since then he is refusing a bath. The tub is clean and there are absolutely no bugs (not that there ever were). I tried a bubble bath to no avail. I tried a bath in the sink. That was a no go. RJ tried getting in with him, I tried, Mackenzie tried, but nothing is working. Next stop is the shower.

Last night I was downstairs doing laundry and RJ and Mackenzie were upstairs with Dominic. He was in the bathroom alone playing in the soap dispenser. He had it everywhere on himself. He must have known he needed a bath. I had to put him in the tub to rinse him off and he just screamed the whole entire time. Anyone have any ideas?

I don't mean to complain, but.....

I AM SO FREAKING TIRED!!!!!!!!

Dominic got over being sick with bronchitis and ear infections and in starts Mackenzie with a cold. For two nights it has been, "mom will you lay with me?". I don't mind, really. However, she is a bed hog. I get up to go to the couch or my own bed and she practically follows me out the door repeating, "mom will you lay with me?". After three or four times, I cannot even remember where it was I was laying last. Dominic was up at 5:00 this morning crying. I went to get him and Mackenzie opens her bedroom door and asks "mom will you lay with me?". Now, at this point I have no idea if I have just left her room or got up off the couch. I know I was upstairs (our bedroom is downstairs), but not sure if I was in the living room or Mackenzie's room. I take Dominic and we both lay down with Mackenzie. He fell asleep on top of me and I was trying so hard not to get kicked out of bed by Mackenzie. Dominic woke up at 6:00 ready to start his day. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, there was a lot of coughing and nose blowing during all of this. Poor thing, I do feel bad for her because she does sound awful and her poor nose is raw. I went and woke up RJ so I could have a half hour of peace before I had to get ready for work. I laid my head down and next thing I know (2 minutes later) there is a 2 year rubbing my arm saying, "mommy wake up". UGH! Tonight, someone else is going to have to sneak in and take my place. I am sure that I am working on auto-pilot today. I have a headache to top it off. I will crawl into my pajamas when I get home and hope for the best. Nothing fancy for supper tonight (not that we normally do). I am thinking frozen pizza and a nap.