Back to football

In our family, football is a huge deal (both real & fantasy). As a native New Englander, I am a diehard Patriots fan, so much so that this was my 18th birthday present from my parents.

We don't play ;)

Side note: Living in California, it provided from some welcomed distracting conversation with the anesthesiologist when getting an epidural! This bad boy even got me a phone call from the Ellen DeGeneres show in 2012. They had a "biggest fan" competition for Giants & Patriots fans, and they picked one person who was a fan of each team to go to the Super Bowl. Needless to say I did not win (which turned out to be ok, because neither did the Patriots--Yikes!), but the fact that they even called was pretty exciting to me!

On Sundays, we go to my parents house & gather around the TV for a day full of football & food. My youngest sister Macy is the exception, the only one not into football, which incidentally works out because she spends a lot of time entertaining Isla--sorry honey! Mommy is busy! --kidding! (mostly haha). There are certain things we HAVE to eat (some form of chicken), assigned seats where everyone is obligated to sit, and other things we aren't allowed to eat, wear, or do-- but we aren't superstitious or anything ;) As they say, it's only weird if it doesn't work.

While I am a huge Pats fan, my husband likes the Oakland Raiders. This is essentially my life.

I'd love to craft something with this expression on it for my house! Isla is a total goofball, and loves to play up our football disagreements. She will come up to me and say, "Mommy, RAAAAIIIDDDEEERRRSSS!" and then turn around to Devin and say, "Daddy, Go Patriots! THE GRONK!!" It's a never ending battle ;)

I previously mentioned that I had purchased this shirt for my sister and I, & was super excited when they arrived this week. 

It sums up our lives for the upcoming months. Hurry up September 10th! Onto my favorite time of the year. 

Happy football season! GO PATRIOTS!!

Isla Says:Volume One

Kids say some funny things, and this feisty little babe comes up with some hilarious stuff! I could honestly write a book filled with all of her craziness, so I thought I would share some of the amusing conversations we have had lately for anyone needing a good laugh. (Or maybe only I find it funny, either way, we will find out!)

When playing Wii golf

Isla: "Ugh! That was my last chance and I just blew it!!"

Isla: "Don't worry Mom, if you need me I'll be on the dog bowl!" --turn around to see her sitting on the dogs dish.

When sitting down to eat dinner

Isla: "Soooooo. How was it?"

Me: "How was what?"

Isla: "Your day!"

When sitting on the couch, Isla playing with her Just Like Mommy Cosmetics
Isla: "Mommy. Your makeup doesn't look so good on you. It's kind of messed up. Lets use mine!"

Isla being particularly cranky after waking up from her nap
Me: "Isla, please don't whine."
Isla: "I'll go get my green blankey. Maybe that will help me not whine!"

Getting ready to leave for gymnastics class
Isla:"Daddy! Get your shirt on! I don't have time! Let's roll out!"

This little love keeps me entertained everyday, I am so looking forward to the new stuff she comes up with! Stay tuned for volume two ;)  Here's some goofy pics we snapped today before gymnastics!

 

 

My vinyl obsession

I previously mentioned that I like to attempt to be crafty sometimes, & I particularly love working with vinyl. A few years back, my sister bought me a Cricut for my birthday, & it's my favorite thing ever. I love vinyl wall decor & have received a lot of compliments on this one in my living room, which I did not make (I wish I was that good!) but ordered it here.

I saw this idea on Pinterest when Isla was a baby & knew I had to have it..but wanted to wait until we had our second (& last for us!) baby. I love the clocks depicting the time of birth & wedding ceremony..such a great idea someone else had ;)

While I am certainly not that skilled with the vinyl nor does my machine cut on that large of a scale, I have attempted a few smaller projects recently. I wanted cute containers for my coffee & sugar so that I can leave them on the counter & have them not be an eyesore. Grabbed a couple glass containers from Hobby Lobby (my favorite) & added little vinyl decals. 

We also finally hung up some more pictures on our walls this past weekend (yes, after living here for a year..took long enough!) & I wanted to add something on a small wall in our hallway near these photos of the kiddos. I love this quote so came up with this idea...

It was hard to get a good picture because of where the wall is, so kind of a strange angle, but I think it looks pretty cute!

Other than those two projects, here's a few more vinyl creations I have made in the past (mostly for gifts).

I certainly don't have as much time to do crafty things these days, but love when I get the chance! On an unrelated side note..check out this cutie who had her second day of preschool today! So much sass! & a quick snapshot of Mama & Weston while Isla was away!

Happy Tuesday!

First day of Preschool

Today was Isla's first day of preschool, & it went pretty well! We got her dressed in the outfit we had picked out for her first day, and she was excited. I was hoping to add a cute black necklace to accessorize a bit, but after "practicing" wearing one all week, and her complaining that it "bugged her", I figured we better leave it at home. She was so not into taking pictures, which is very unlike her, she usually loves posing for the camera-- No big deal, Isla! Mama is only DYING over your first day of school, no need to cooperate in documenting it ;) --we snapped a few anyway.

We arrived at her school & she couldn't get in the door fast enough. We hung her backpack up on the hook, put her water bottle in the designated bin, and put her lunchbox in her cubby, then she joined the class on the rug for morning circle time. I stayed with her for a bit, fighting back tears, while she was totally fine! She did get upset for a minute and she told me, "I want to sing this song, but I don't know it!", about the song they were all singing--too cute! After a few minutes I told her I was leaving, gave her a hug & kiss, and left the room. In the lobby, there is a huge tv displaying live feed from the cameras they have installed throughout all the classrooms and outdoor areas, along with couches, so the parents can stay and watch. I watched her for a few minutes & she seemed to be doing fine, so I headed out the door. I held it together long enough to make it to the car, & maybe shed a tear or two on the way home-- very safe! ;)

Time couldn't pass fast enough & I was so ready to pick her up. I got there and went into her classroom and she yelled "Mommy!" and ran and hugged me (best hug ever!) but she looked very happy and was playing nicely, and wasn't very eager to leave. The teacher said she did really well & they are excited to have her joining their class. Apparently there is another girl in her class named Isla, and three Isla's total at the school--how crazy! I also mentioned in a previous post that Isla & I had attended some Mommy & me classes when she was younger--oddly enough one of the little girls who went to those classes in also in Isla's preschool class--that was kind of nice! It's been awhile, so the little girl didn't seem to remember Isla, but Isla remembered her (this chick remembers absolutely e v e r y t h i n g).

We grabbed her stuff and headed to the car where she told me she "had so much fun!" She also said that  she cried a little bit because she missed me--oh my heart! I asked what she did at school & she told me she rode a bike outside..and that's about all she really wanted to volunteer--haha! I asked her if she colored and she said, "Yeah, I colored with markers, I colored my family, you and daddy!" I asked her if she colored Weston and she said, "Oh no! Sorry Weston! I will color you next time..I didn't color me either!"-- she cracks me up. She seemed like she really enjoyed herself, but was certainly wiped out from all the commotion & was ready for a nap when we got home. I am looking forward to her going back next week for day 2 of preschool, & maybe I can manage not to cry this time--emphasis on the maybe. Check out her not so cooperative first day of school pictures! I particularly enjoy the ones featuring her Sofia the First backpack--that's an awful big backpack she picked out for a little girl like herself! 

Weston 4 Month Update

Stole this fun idea from my friend Linley, who has the cutest blog ever :)

Age: 4 Months

Height: 26 inches (82%)

Weight: 15 lbs 9 oz (52%)

Clothing size: We have officially outgrown all of the 3 month clothes & now exclusively wear 6 months.

Diaper size: 2

Eating: Always! This hungry boy eats about 6-7 ounces around every 4-ish hours.

Sleeping: Sleeping through the night nicely in his Zipadee-Zip-- no more swaddling here! He usually goes to bed around 10:30ish after his last bottle and wakes up around 630/7. We were going to start to attempt the crib transition over the weekend, but Weston currently has a little cold going on & is super boogery (yes, that's a technical term), so the incline of the Rock N Play is working in our favor right now. We are hoping to attempt that task once his cold is cleared up. I'll be honest, it's really hard to get motivated to make the switch when he is sleeping so well where he is right now. While he's great at night, he isn't much of a napper--just a few short cat naps throughout the day.

Favorite toys: Anything he can get his hands on! He loves to grab at everything and is suprisngly coordinated and usually latches on to whatever he is reaching for on his first attempt. He loves to lay on his activity mat which is a (very pink & girly) hand me down from his sister--he doesn't seem to mind ;) He also loves hanging in his Sit-Me-Up floor seat, which we didn't have for Isla but bought for him. It's pretty awesome & looks much more comfortable to me than the Bumbo floor seat-- which we also have from Isla. We used it for her occasionally, but she had some scrumptious baby thighs that were literally too large for the leg holes, so that we would have to pry the leg holes open to get her out, & really had to shove 'em in there when we would sit her in it! I certainly appreciate the roomier leg space in the sit-me-up seat (although so far his legs haven't reached the caliber of his sisters!).  

Loves: Being tickled (he is SO ticklish it provides hours of entertainment), playing with his sister, peekaboo is another fav, & he still loves his snuggles ;)-- as does Mama! Another favorite pastime of his is nonstop drooling--he loves piling up the laundry & soaking through tons of clothing (& bibs!) a day. His doctor referred to his drooling as a "faucet" today, and that was an observation she made from the short duration of his appointment!

Also at his 4 month check up, his doctor reminded us of all the cues to look for to indicate readiness for solids & gave us the "OK", so it looks like we will be tackling that adventure very soon. Adorable, inevitably messy pictures to follow in the near future!

Gymnastics Olympics

Today Isla's Gymnastics held an "Olympics" for the kids who wanted to attend. It was supposed to be a day geared towards people who can't always make it to the classes during the week (i.e. grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc), so that they can see what the kiddos do in class. All of Isla's relatives that live nearby have previously been to a gymnastics class during the week to watch her, & otherwise had prior plans, so it was just Mom, Dad, & Weston cheering her on! She is in a parent participation class until she turns 3, so since I was wearing Weston in his Ergobaby Carrier (We have a mesh performance one, which we love & never leave home without!), Devin took her out on the floor. They had a few different circuits, & the kids were divided into a couple groups & just did their thing for the crowd (which contained surprisingly many more people than I expected)-- it was super cute!

At the end, they had a little awards ceremony and she got her first trophy (tear!), & a t-shirt. They called the kids up individually onto the stage to hand them their award, & Isla was lovin' the attention & of course flashed her signature dimple smile that's always a crowd pleaser! (The things I would do to have those dimples!) She was very proud of herself and loves showing off her trophy. It was a great day & reminded me to snuggle her a little extra close tonight because she is growing up so much faster than I am willing to acknowledge. 

Side note: Looks like the Olympics wiped Weston out too, so of course he got some mommy cuddle time as well!

Starting Preschool

Ok, so she's not exactly going "back to school", but this time next week, I will be the mama of a preschooler (WHAT?!). Isla will be 3 in October, so about a month ago, Devin & I started looking into some potential preschools for her. A lot of the schools we were looking at had multiple preschool programs, for 2-3 year olds, and 3-4 year olds. We weren't entirely sure where she would fit in best -- but we agreed she would probably be better off in the 3-4 classroom, as opposed to with the 2-3 year olds, where a good amount of time is spent focusing on potty training (she's been potty trained for quite some time now-- minus when she is sleeping! Still a bit of a struggle during naps & bedtime, but she's been making some promising progress as of late-- fingers crossed!). We didn't know if we wanted to start her in August like a "traditional school year", or wait until she is actually 3 and maybe start her in January. We decided to tour a few preschools to see what we thought & we happened to find one we loved.

The teachers were super nice, the school was clean & organized, we liked the curriculum (Devin works in Special Education & is currently working towards his Masters in Education Administration, so he knows more about this than I do!), & Isla seemed to love it. She kept asking, "Can I go play?". After we saw the whole school, we let her venture off a little bit (with the teachers permission, of course). She grabbed a bucket of little rubber animals, & with no prompting whatsoever, took them out, started sorting them by animal, was telling us what color they were, and the sounds they made. The teacher then asked if she was potty trained, and when we said yes she said, "Yeah, I wouldn't really worry about her not being 3 quite yet, I think she would do great in the 3-4 class, she is definitely ready for preschool!" (Proud mama moment!) We hadn't mentioned our thoughts on the topic of which program would be best yet, she only knew she would be turning 3 in October, so it was kind of awesome to see her opinion correlate with ours. Added bonus--the tuition for the 3-4 class is cheaper since potty training isn't involved-- can't complain about that!

So, with that, we decided we would enroll her in the 3-4 program starting at the end of August. She will go twice a week, for 3.5 hours a day. I'd be lying if I said I am not having a minor heart attack when I think about her starting preschool, but I am also excited for her! We have done some Mommy & Me type classes in the past, and she goes to gymnastics weekly-- she loves interacting with kids her age & also loves learning new things, so I think she will be thrilled. On the other hand, she hasn't really been left alone without me or a relative she sees frequently, so that aspect will be interesting.

When I was pregnant with Weston, while I was so excited and we always planned to have two kids and wanted a sibling for Isla to grow up with, I couldn't help but think, "Aw, she has to share her mommy now!". I never thought about the fact that little Weston would have to share his mama from the get-go, so I am looking forward to some quality one-on-one, undivided attention time with my mini man, which is a rarity in our daily life.

We already purchased her "first day of school" outfit, and will be going out this weekend to let her pick a backpack & such, which she is pretty excited about! I thought it would be cute to make something like this for her teacher.. but I'm thinking I probably won't get to it before her first day. Now, I'm thinking it could be cute for a Christmas gift--filled with candy? We will see!

While I am definitely nervous, I am so thrilled for her to start preschool-- & also can't believe she is already old enough to start..where does the time go? This sums it up pretty perfectly.

I can't wait to see her learn new things & watching her little personality develop even further with this big change in her little life. As I fight back the tears, check out some cute kiddo pictures from this week so far (heaven knows I take about 1 million [conservatively] on the daily!)

Stay tuned for a first day of preschool update in one week from today!