midweek randoms…..

It’s Wednesday (edit, Thursday, started writing this last night and realized how late it was and I had to wake up early today to get my run in) and usually I would be pumped that the weekend is so close but really I am scared because I have to run 5 miles Saturday morning and that is the farthest I have ran. I know I can do it, and I will do it, but it still makes me nervous.

Our schedule has been a little bit slower this week since t-ball ended so that has been nice, I just wish the weather was cooler so we could go on walks or play outside for longer than a minute without dying!!

Harper is talking more and more each day (fist pumpin) and it’s pretty funny. I posted a video on the last blog of her saying “hi baby” but along with that sweetness has come A LOT of sassiness!! Her favorite word is “NO!” and she has to do everything herself!! Buckling in her carseat? She has to do it. Getting the milk out of the fridge? All her. Getting up in her chair? Don’t touch her, she is going to do it! Of course I encourage her independence, but sometimes I am like C’MON!! Especially when we are running late!! Oh and another thing? When I tell her no (how dare I!) she starts crying and runs to her room and shuts the door!! WHAAAT!! I’m sorry do I have a 19 month old or a 16 year old? But she doesn’t know how to OPEN the door yet so she will call out for me or daddy to let her out when she is done throwing her fit. I laugh every time still. I wish I could see what she does in there. She also thinks she is a puppy. She crawls around and barks and tries to pick things up with her teeth. When I put her to bed at night I can’t say “goodnight Harper” I have to say “goodnight puppy” then she will bark at me as I shut the door (yes bark!). Completely odd. But I can’t wait to blackmail her with it when she is older.

Ever since the 4th of July debacle, little miss has been terrified of loud noises! She now sleeps with a lullaby cd going all night on repeat to drown out any noises she may hear because every little noise was waking her up and making her cry. I took the kids to the Andover waterpark this weekend and she was scared of the big bucket that dumps water and all the kids screaming. Once we got her in the water, far away from the playground thing, she was fine and loved it. I feel bad cause we should have seen how scared she was of the fireworks and left but we stayed and kept hoping she would eventually like them. Parents of the year right here folks!!

Paxton is…………..well Paxton. The other night he comes out of the bathroom and says “Mom, come here, you have to see this, it’s hilarious” I knew where this was going, I had a little sister who used to come out of the bathroom and say this all the time! (for privacy reasons I won’t say which sister, there is only 2 of them so you have a 50/50 chance of guessing right) I said to Pax “is it your poop? Cause I don’t want to see that!” He started laughing and said “YEAH come see it, it looks like a snake!!” Gah! Vomit! (Side-note, I DID NOT go look!)

I bought the kids Halloween costumes for $7 each off this swap thing on facebook (that I am totally obsessed with! You can buy/sell/swap things on it with other local people and it’s completely addicting!) ANYWAY I got these nice Old Navy costumes off it, bumblebee for Harper and a hamburger for Pax (seriously how hilarious is a hamburger as a costume?) Pax took one look at it and said “Mom I am not going to be a hamburger, that’s weird!” (This from the kid who wants me to look at his poop!) He wants to be a Transformer or T-Rex, well if we find one of those costumes for $7 then he can be that, if not, hamburger it is!!!

He starts preschool next month and will be going 3 days a week (instead of 2) and in the morning (he used to be in the afternoon). I think he is ready, he asked me the other day when he gets to go back to school. Plus, some of his friends are going to be in his class this year. I am nervous about having to get him there by 8:30 cause this kid likes to sleep. It is so hard to get him out of bed some days!

Today I told him we were going to the “teeth doctor” next week for his first clean (yes I said FIRST, yes he is 3 1/2, yes I realize he needed this done a while ago, I just kept forgetting to do it) and he looked at me and said “that’s boring” What is WITH my kids getting attitudes like they are teenagers?!?!? Everything is “boring” to him. Well believe me kid, life isn’t a walk in the park, one day you will look back and WISH you had this easy-going life again.

As for me? Last Saturday was my first half marathon training group run (at 5:45 a.m. just sayin). We ran 4 miles and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I definitely need new shoes, so I am going to Go Run in Wichita tonight to get measured and fitted for the right shoe for MY FOOT!! I think it’s going to make a huge difference in my running. I am also going to start taking yoga again because it’s supposed to really help your breathing when you are running (you know so I don’t pass out when I have to run 13.1 miles in October!)

Tonight is my first photography class in Wichita and I am pumped!! My friend B is taking it with me, so it should be a fun girls night out for us. Not sure what I am more excited for, the class, or a night away for myself!

Well that’s our life in a nutshell lately, the kids have turned into hormonal teenagers and I am getting to do some fun stuff for myself (well not sure if I would call running FUN).

Gotta go, the kids are playing a game that involves running around with their eyes closed, Harper just barely missed running into the wall!! Geesh!!

just another day…..

 

Here’s the scene: kids and I came home from a BBQ and I put them right in the bath (we had been at the waterpark earlier that day). Everything is going well, kids are splashing and fighting, just another bath night in the Hall household (it’s a Saturday night so Josh is working).

Harper starts standing up and won’t listen when I tell her to sit down, so that means it is time is to wash her up and get out. So I start washing her and she WON’T SIT DOWN! I keep telling her to sit while I am also washing her and BAM down she goes, face first into the side of the tub!! She starts screaming with her head down and when she lifts it I see blood coming out of her noseand her mouth is bleeding!! GAH! I grab her out of the tub and wrap her in a towel and then run to the living room to assess the damage. I can see blood on her teeth and her left nostril has blood coming out of it so I am FREAKING OUT!

All of a sudden Paxton starts screaming from the tub too! “Mommy there is poop in the tub!” Poop? What? Where did it come from? Seriously is this happening to me? He is crying from the poop (apparently it’s Harper’s, no idea when that happened) and she is screaming from her injuries and I am in full panic mode!!

I have a slippery wet, bloody baby in my arms and a poop infested tub with a screaming child in it. What do I do? I call my mother-in-law and ask her to come over and help of course!

She gets here in 2 seconds flat (she only lives 4 blocks away) takes Harper while I scoop out the poop and drain the tub (and soak the toys in gallons of Lysol). Bath time is OVER! Pax didn’t get washed at all and Harper was covered in soap when the whole fiasco happened, so I would say bath time was 50% successful.

Harper is fine, her nose bled for a little bit, no idea what her lip and teeth are like cause she won’t let me look at them but they stopped bleeding so I think they are ok as well.

Yup, that’s my life, welcome to it.

On a lighter (funnier) note, here is Missy Poo’s new saying. She goes around saying this all the time and it absolutely melts me: (first time pasting youtube video hope it works).

http://youtu.be/WHIlsRlL1CE

leavin on a jet plane….

 

This past weekend was Paxton’s first time getting to go on a plane and he loved it!!!

We (Josh, Paxton and I) flew out to Denver to visit our good friends Justin and Stephanie. Yes we left little Miss at home with Nana and Papa, the thought of lugging 2 carseats, stroller, suitcases, and 2 kids through an airport was enough to give us a headache. Plus we had a busy weekend planned with no time for naps (very important to a 1 year olds schedule) so it was just best if she sat this trip out.

Here’s a little background on our good friends the Stein’s who we were visiting. Stephanie and her family were like my 2nd family growing up. Our families did EVERYTHING together, her parents were like my second set of parents. Justin was Josh’s best friend and roommate in college, then after they graduated they lived in Colorado together for a while.

Fast forward to our wedding day, Justin and Steph met (actually I think they met the night of the rehearsal dinner) fell in love, got married and now have little baby Jackson!! This is a match made in heaven for Josh and I, Steph is like a sister to me, Justin is “his boy” and now they are married. We love it!! We always have so much fun together because we obviously all get along great!

It was a great weekend. Pax LOVED riding on a plane for the first time (wasn’t even scared when we had quite a bit of turbulance taking off, I was terrified!) We went to Keystone to see the mountains on Saturday then to a Rockies game Saturday night.

It was great having some alone time with Little Man and seeing him get so excited about all this new stuff he was taking in. The plane, the mountains, even the big buildings in downtown Denver (we live in El Dorado, the biggest building here is the Commerce Bank 3 story building in downtown El Dog, whoopdie freakin do)

It was a whirlwind trip but we made a lot of memories so it was well worth it. I decided to group most of my photos so it wasn’t picture overload!

left to right: at Wichita airport, he was so excited to see a plane, even these little model planes. “Relaxing” at the airport bar (yeah that’s really what he said). Showing off his new “paper” airports are HEAVEN for paper hoarders like my son! Pretty sure we came back with about 10 new brochures, maps and magazines! Looking out the window for the planes.

Seeing his first plane out the window. Watching out the window ON the plane as we start to take off. Cuddling George. He had to make sure his “friends” were buckled up too.

More George time. More window time (he thought flying through the clouds was the coolest thing ever and would giggle). Reading his magazine (Highlights, ha!)

At Keystone with Daddy. Walking into the resort area (beautiful). Posin on a fake ski lift and with Mommy and Daddy.

On the ski lift! It was a beautiful view but VERY high. I was terrified, and Pax just laughed at me for being scared. Seriously I wanted to cry the entire 12 minute (12 minutes!!!) ride up. Pax was not scared at all. He loved it. Whatever.

Cheese!! Yes that is the view from the lift and yes that is snow!!! As we were going up the mountain it got colder and colder, we were shivering by the time we got off. It was amazing!!

Riding the Gondola back down: Hi Steins!! This was a little better since it was bigger and covered but I was still pretty nervous. Again, my son thought it was hilarious that I was scared and kept asking if I “wet my pants” (I didn’t for your information)

At Keystone kids day, waiting patiently for his balloon animal (it took us waiting in line for almost 45 minutes!!) And there it is folks: 45 minutes later he has his giraffe hat balloon thingie.

The Stein Family! Pax took this pic of Justin at lunch. So cute and in love. Baby Jackson, look at those blue eyes!!

BFF already: Pax holding onto Jackson’s arm in the car. Posing and kisses on the couch. Holding hands. Pax was very good with him all weekend and has now named ALL of Harper’s dolls “Baby Jackson”

He is just a little pumpkin. He is a great baby, barely heard a peep from him all weekend. I miss him so much and can’t wait to shnuggle him again!!

OK and here are some individual pics I just had to add:

yup that’s a map alright!

“the boys” with their boys. Seems like yesterday we were all hanging out in the Ville till 2 a.m. and now here we are: babies and all!

Love you Steins, thanks for having us for the weekend!! Miss you lots!!

 

bedtime with little miss…

 

Sometimes Nana & Papa will let Pax come over for a little bit in the evening and I get a chance to have some alone time with Harper.

I honestly feel like sometimes she misses out on a lot of things that I did with Pax because she is the 2nd born. With Pax I would give him a nice, calm bath… now bathtime is a shit-fest (excuse my language) that consists of splashing, wrestling, toy throwing and even pooping sometimes!! Usually I come away just as wet as the kids (and completely exhausted!)

After bath Pax would sit all snuggly on my lap we would read 5 or 6 books and he would start rubbing his eyes signaling that he was getting tired………now? Harper eats the books, or rips the books while Pax runs around like a wild man or they are both fighting over who gets to sit on my lap (which usually ends in me getting a fat lip after I take an elbow to the face!)

After books I would pick him up and lay him in his dark, quiet room and turn around and leave quietly knowing that nothing would disturb his sleep……now? I am yelling at Pax to get out of Harper’s room while trying to lay her down, turn her music on, push Pax out of the door… all the while he is yelling at her and she is laughing at him. The next hour consists of me constantly shushing Pax in fear that he will wake her up.

Soooooo, the evenings he spends with Nana & Papa are my chance to re-live those 1 kid days and give Harper a little glimpse of life as an only child. No splashing or pooping, no fat lips, no yelling when I am trying to put her down, just bonding time with Mom and her little girl. I loved every moment of it with Pax and am glad I get the chance to do that with her too (sometimes).

*please know that I love both my kids, they are the joys in my life. I love our crazy hectic life and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I just appreciate little moments like these so much more now that I have 2 kids. I love that I can give them each my undivided attention from time to time, because they soooo deserve that. But I also love our  crazy-loud bedtime routine each night and I wouldn’t give it up for anything (elbows to the face and all!!)

Love her little piggies!! Snuggling with me on the couch.

Silly baby

Notice the necklace? She wears this all the time now (I love it!!) She was trying to get her blanket laid down on the floor JUST RIGHT!!

Then she would lay down on the blanket and pretend to go “nigh- nigh”

Pax came home and they read books together (well not sure how much reading she is getting done since the book is upside down)

putting on her pants so she can go to bed…….goodnight!

 

Today is your day…..

Warning: Little bit of a cheesy post, but at least I warned you!

This Saturday will be my last Saturday of “freedom” for 12 weeks because starting next Saturday and for the next 12 Saturday’s after that I will be getting up to run at 6 a.m. Now I could be all negative about this (cause you know in my head I am being just a little negative, sorry B) but I am trying to stay super positive about this.

I am not going to pretend this half marathon training is going to be easy, it’s going to make me push myself more than I ever have before. I am going to want to stop, I am going to want to give up, I am going to want to go home and go back to bed, but I won’t (mainly because I certain someone might kill me) but also because the me of 5 years ago NEVER would have done this and I need to prove to myself that I can.

I heard a song today (ironically while I was driving home from the gym) and I have decided it’s going to be my theme song for this training. Now it’s not the best RUNNING song but it’s going to be the song I listen to while driving to those early morning weekend runs, so I can silence that me of 5 years ago that is still in there saying that I can’t do this.

Plus now that I have blogged about it, I HAVE to do it!

Today is Your Day

You got what it takes you can win...
You got what it takes you can win
Today is your day to begin
Don’t give up here, don't you quit
The moment is now, this is it
I know that you can, then you will
Get to the top of the hill
Part of the fun is the climb
You just gotta make up your mind
That today is your day
And nothing can stand in your way
Today is your day
Everything’s goin’ your way
Today, today, today, today
When somebody throws sticks and stones
All they can break are your bones
And life's gonna kick around
Then kick you again when your down
Shania Twain Today Is Your Day lyrics found on http://www.directlyrics.com/shania-twain-today-is-your-day-lyrics.html
But today is your day
And nothing can stand in your way
Today is your day
Everything’s goin’ your way
Today, today, today, today
Life's goin' to kick you
It's goin' to kick you around
It's goin' to kick you down
Dust yourself off, no regrets
This is as good as it gets
Don't expect more, or less
Just go out and give it your best
Today is your day
And nothing can stand in your way
Today is your day
Everything’s goin’ your way
Today, today, today, today
Today is your day....

So next week I start and 12 weeks after that I will be running in my first half marathon in Wichita. I’m scared, I’m excited, but mainly…. I am ready (right? Insert nervous laughter here).

(sidenote if you are interested in doing the YMCA half marathon training you can contact Brandi at brandiymca@hotmail.com or Chris at cpoliver25@yahoo.com or you can call the El Dorado YMCA at 316- 320-9622)

 

the heat is on!!!

 

Holy smokes this heat is killin me!! I love the summer, I can handle the heat, I love sunshine, I am ok with 90 degree weather,  but 111? ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN!! That folks, is just plain insanity. We can’t even enjoy summer because I am afraid to take the kids out in this heat, I am pretty sure their little bodies would melt right into the cement. So we are stuck inside (where even our AC is having a hard time keeping up) and we are going stir crazy. It is similar to winter except well…it’s summer! This should not be happening, we should be out frolicking in fields of flowers…..ok no we would never do that, sorry not that kind of family. But you get my drift….IT’S FREAKIN HOT AND I AM FREAKIN SICK OF IT.

I am even praying for rain, and I NEVER do that because rain usually means storms, and storms can lead to tornados, but seriously I am about to do a rain dance. I am afraid of our next water bill since my husband is so obsessed with his yard that he has been watering it day and night (literally at night, like 11 pm, yeah he actually did that!!) I see him staring at the grass as it is slowly turning brown, and I swear to you he is fighting back tears.

So since I am stuck inside, here are some random ramblings of mine.

I found this at Walmart the other day and I may have screamed a little (yeah I did, I think Pax was embarrassed).

febreze with GAIN!!! (It’s ok if you screamed a little too just now). I got the spray and the plug in and I am IN LOVE! My whole house smells like fresh laundry, but not just ANY fresh laundry, fresh laundry with GAIN (it’s the only detergent to use, it’s the best, sorry TIDE people but it is).

My latest tv guilty pleasures:

Ok, Don’t judge me and quit rolling your eyes. I have no idea how I got hooked on this but I am (even though the finale was last night).  Josh thinks I am so stupid for watching this, but it fascinates me, and yes I DO believe in Bigfoot (and ghosts, and aliens, and maybe even the Loch Ness Monster). However, you could not pay me enough to walk around scary woods at night to see if I encounter an 8 foot beast! These people are crazy!! But I still love watching them! You got me crazy Squatch hunters (that’s their slang for Sasquatch) hook, line and sinker!!

I wish Harper was old enough to understand this show (and Pax for that matter, it takes 2 to tango folks) because I would sit them down and make them watch this with me. Then I would look at them and say “do YOU want to end up like these people? Well then you know what you have to do (or DON’T do, wink wink)”. This season is already proving to be a doozy, fake boobs, break-ins, break-UPS, and oh yeah looks like the police are going to be getting involved (I am looking at you Amber).

Woo Hoo!!! I.LOVE.THIS.SHOW. I want to be Jeff and Jenny’s friend, I want Zoila to clean my house, and I would even watch telenovelas with her!! I want to sit around and eat lunch at their big table with them and pick on whoever the new guy happens to be that week (and Sarah’s hair, seriously what is she thinking sometimes? Ponytail on top of the head is NOT ok anymore). These people crack me up, I love their dysfunction.

So those are my top 3 shows at the moment. I know what you’re thinking….SHALLOW. But c’mon, when I actually sit down to watch tv, I don’t want to have to think, I just want to watch and laugh at other peoples craziness, it makes me feel better about myself.

My half marathon training starts in 3 weeks. I am scared…..real scared. Started running again last week, and it feels good, but 13 miles? Gah!! But it will be fun, it WILL be fun, it will BE FUN!! This is me having a positive attitude Brandi!!

I am taking a photography class for 3 weeks starting at the end of July and I am sooooo excited!! I try to read my manual but usually end up falling asleep (or watching one of the above shows instead).

Harper has now learned to open the pantry and the fridge. THIS is a huge problem when you have a child that wants to “eat” (yeah a new word!) all the time. I caught her walking away from the fridge with a bottle of beer in one arm and her sippy cup in the other!! Yeah I think it’s time to get a lock put on that, before SRS comes knocking on my door (don’t worry she wouldn’t have been able to get the bottle open, you need a bottle opener and that is put away up high……so there!)

Ok I better go now, Paxton is packing up a bunch of toys into trash bags and telling me to take them to the basement because he doesn’t play with them anymore. However I just glanced down and noticed all the toys he is packing up are his SISTERS!! Is he trying to tell me something?

That’s a hot mess right there folks!

Love this outfit!

Strike a pose!

this picture cracks me up because there is one of me and my brother when we were about this age doing the same thing with the same amount of clothing on.