Go Brenden Go!

Something I forgot to share with everyone but I thought was totally cute. Our new favorite show around here is "Go Diego Go!" and it's on the lines of Dora the Explorer but for some reason, I cant stand Dora and find Diego bearable - slightly. Tolerable? I can handle it I guess. Now on Diego, if he has a problem seeing the animal that he's trying to save, he'll ask the kids to put their hands up to their eyes like Binoculars and see if they can help see them. So anyways, It's not that often that I get to take just one of the kids with me somewhere but the other day, we planned spaghetti and the sauce that we didnt have planned different. So, Brenden and I went to Giant Eagle to find spaghetti sauce (and juice and milk and treats Brenden reminded me...). Anyways, on our way out of Giant Eagle, Brenden heard the train down the road on the tracks (which you cant see from the parking lot). He goes "Mom! I hear a choo choo train! We go see choo choo?" and I explained to him as I put him in the van, throw my purse in the front seat (not paying attention exaclty to what he was doing now in the van) and then put the few things we bought in the spare seat. I looked up, hearing Brenden saying "Mom, me no see choo choo" with his hands up to his eyes like he was holding binoculars. He was truely looking for this train and was disapointed that he coudln't see it with his "binuoculars". It was one of those things that I just had to laugh when he did it b/c normally, Brenden and Landon talk and dont say much to us in the car unless it's telling us about the truck or car that we passed. So after that incident, on the way home, we went over the small bridge that goes over the creek on Miday. Brenden started cracking up and said "Mom, that bridge tickeled my belly!" Then that same night, we had to go to Aunt Kathys house for a little bit after supper. She lives in an area where the roads are all brick and a little bumpy. Landon goes "Mommy! We on choo choo tracks!" and Brenden follows up with "Mom! Aunt Kathy road tickles by belly!" When we stopped at her house, my breaks (which are new after a trip to the shop to get oil changed and tires rotated - go figure) squealed and Landon goes "Mom, there's a bird in your car" and Peyton starts going "Tweet tweet tweet!" I was laughing hysterically when I got out of the van. Anyways, I'm taking a break for the day, Rick'll have the kids for the day and I'm spending some time with my friend - we may just end up down at the farm to clean our vans out (yeah, we're cool, we have mini-vans....) So....i'll catch ya'll later :-)

Peytons Cardiologist Appointment

Well today, Peyton had his cardiologist appointment in Cleveland with Dr. Erenberg. He wasnt the happiest to see a doctor, let alone have her talk to him or try to touch him. So, while the appointment went awesome, Peyton cried and screamed the whole time. She said that you can still hear the murmer in his heart and isnt getting worse either. She said in some cases, they get better but if it doesnt, it's not exactly a big deal. They're still concerned about what they call mild pulmonary stenosis or narrowing of the arteries where they were put together at. She's not too concerned b/c he's not showing any concerning symptoms so next check up in 6 months, she'll check it. Now, she mentioned also that she's leaving Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital. She told us that she couldnt tell us where she was going b/c of Rainbows policy but she could tell us that she was staying in Cleveland. Then she added "You can probably guess where I'm going..." So I asked if it was the Cleveland Clinic and she said "Yes!" So we'll be following her to the cleveland Clinic for Peytons care. May as well stay with the same doctor who checked him since before he was born. Anyways, that's about how it went, pretty well and we go back this fall. That's about all!!!

So...just a quick update. I had an interview with Ashland University in Massillon. I talked to the guy that would be my advisor and it was awesome. As we were talking, i found that his wife is a teacher at Brinkerhoff in Mansfield where I did one of my student teaching blocks. Turns out that he is good friends with my cooperating teaching from there. Then, the more we talked, he used to be the Principal at the school where I did my actual student teaching at and knows the teaching that I worked with. Not that any of that matters but it was kinda nice to be back in a situation where I feel I can "network" kinda and get where I need to be. He also mentioned that some classes are internet classes so I have to have a newer computer. I told him I had just gotten a computer and we got to talking about it and he was so excited about the DellOutlet.com site that he was going to go online and look that night. Anyways, he told me before I walked out that I needed to be sure to come back to register on the 23rd of March. So....starting in May, i'll be a graduate student...by the end of this summer, I'll have my core classes out of the way and only a few more to take - okay maybe like 7ish or so more - but either way, I'm getting there!!!! Anyways, I got bored and dyed my hair back to the color it was before I colored it redish. Ugh. Stress does that to me - I also got my hair chopped - well trimmed...

Sick, Sick and more...

SICK!!! I'm talking 103.5 temps and all the other stuff that goes with it. I'm sick and tired of sick. Ugh. Monday night, Brenden went to bed with a fever of 102.2. Little did I know what was going to come of the next few days. Brenden woke up that night getting sick and with a temp of 103.5. It just got worse from there. By the next day around noon, Landon had the same thing and was laying on the couch vowing to never eat again. He wanted nothing to do with food. Anyways, after a few calls to the Dr. and some trips to the medicine shop (which sells non colored Anti-biotics *remember that post about Red #40? Well it's in most kids medecine too...* Walmart doesnt carry non colored antibiotics. ) Anyways, at the end of the week now, we seem to be getting over the fever and other issues that go along with it but we're still feeling kinda under the weather with a cough. Who made the rule that tall three kids had to get sick at the same time? Anyways, below is pretty much how we spent Tuesday. Did I mention pictures were scheduled for Wednesday? Needless to say, Wednesday came and went and I rescheduled pictures. We finally got them done today. I'll definately post them, hand some out at Grandma C's and head down to the farm with them to hand some more out ;-) .
So, the night before last, which would have been Wednesday night, I went into check the boys before I went to bed, like I always do. Now, we've caught them sleeping in each others beds before...but never in the same bed...until now:
Totally cute. Totally. Now, today's my B-day. Since the boys cant have the food coloring, we had to revamp our Birthday plans for a cake. No more icecream cake because the frosting definately can contain coloring. So, angel food cake doesnt contain it (though the Funfetti Cakes do...) and we put a little twist on the Angel food cake. We cut the cake in half.....and layered it with whipped cream and strawberries:
After that, we put the top back on:
Then, we finished off the whipped cream on the outside and layered the top with strawberries...
Looks good huh. But who was to know....so we had to taste test.....

Well, I guess it's good. We'll have to wait until later to find out. Gi Gi and Great Pa Paw are coming over for dinner ... Have a great day!!! I'll share the pictures when they come in!!!

Massillon Rec Center with MOM's

Wow! What a great time we had to day. The boys and I ventured to Massillon to the Massillon Rec Center to swim - duh what else do you do when it's snowing outside. Anyways, we had so much fun! Infact, when it came time to leave, all I heard was "we come back again?!" We all went and met the CMOM's (Canton Mothers of Multiples) there (which I officially became a member of today - after saying "Ya know, one year I'd like to join that....") Anyways, it was alot of fun playing with the boys in the water and trying to keep myself and the camera out of the water. There's water slides and a lazy river and a toddler area with water falling everywhere. They boys had a blast and froze their little buns off. It was kinda cold in there but we were tough and made it though. We floated in the lazy river a bit and then went up the slide and down the slide and up the slide and down the slide and up the....well you get the point.
Brenden Playing with the stream of water coming from the cannons.
Brenden and another twinkie playing with the cannon - I think they were shooting someones dad who was in the middle.

Landon getting ready to slide down the slide.

Landon on his zillionth trip around the slide.

Brenden going down the slide. it was a pirate ship that looked like it had been docked. The steps were in the back and water slid down the whole slide.

Potty Training and Red #40

Well, we've been in potty training city. And...we're almost out! The boys have gone for the past few days with no accidents. We have also ventured out to the store and back before needing to go potty again! I think we're on the verge of something!!!! Yeah!!! Only one more kid in diapers now! Okay, well i'm getting a little bit ahead of myself - we have to master no diapers at night too but we've almost got naps down!

We have also had a new breakthrough in Nanny 911 Naps and Bedtime from Hell. I was talking to a few people and looking online and found that the artificial colors in foods can cause ADHD Type symptoms. I began thinking about what the boys eat that they never ate before we moved in with Mom and Dad. When we lived in the apartment, we ate what we could get from WIC for obvious money reasons or lack thereof. We ate cereal like Cheerios and Kix - now that we live here at Mom and Dads aand the boys are a little bit older, they've began eating cerals like Stawberry Frosted Mini Wheats and Captain Crunch. We're also taking vitamins now which we didnt take before when we lived in the apartment. The more I looked into this, I found that the artificial color Red #40 causes alot of these problems along with Yellow #6. Yeah, I know, colors and numbers shouldnt be blamed for the way that kids act - BUT THEY CAN! Let me tell you, since I decided about a week ago to change what they eat and make sure that nothing has artificial colors in it, the boys have been completely different. Since we've moved in here, Landon has become so hyper, bouncing off the walls and taking anywhere from 1 -2 hours to go to bed and that's with someone watching them so they stay in bed and fall asleep. I know, i know, it soundsl ike they're 2 and thats what two year olds do right? Wrong! Since we've taken out the artificial colors, it has taken us maybe half an hour to put them to bed and for the first time since we got their toddler beds, I layed them down on my own and they stayed in their beds and were sleeping within 20 mintues. Now, sure, we may have just been getting lucky but today proved it all. Rick is in their room trying to get them to bed - why? Because they wont stay in their beds and they're jumping all over the place b/c he gave them fruit punch - with Red #40. I'm just sittin here watching b/c I didn't give it to them. He can learn firsthand why I changed what they eat. Anyways, its about time for my show to come on so there'll be pictures and such later. Have a great night!!!

"How Long You Been Farming?"

I'm sad to say but I think that these boys are going to be true, blue country boys. I mean what the heck, i was raised like this but....i don't recall getting my first tractor at 2 1/2.

Landon on his new John Deere Tractor from Grandma and Pap.
Brenden on his new John Deere tractor.
So for the last few weeks we've been potty training. It's rough...about so rough that Peyton runs around with underwear on his head. Okay so I was folding clothes and he was tearing them out of the basket so I put them on his head and sent him on his way around the house showing everyone his "new hat". He's walking now by the way - everywhere he goes, he walks.
What a silly little guy - he's got so many facial expressions....