Valentine's Day Weekend

One year ago, Ryan, Zac, and I moved from good ol' Peculiar, MO after 5 years and back closer to my family. When we chose our closing date, we chose Thursday, February 12th, because the next day was Friday the 13th! We moved over Valentine's Day weekend, haha! We've had a lot of changes since last year... Miss Vanessa Marie and Miss Valerie Ryan are here! I can't believe they'll be turning 1 next month! I'm also staying at home with the kids during the day, going back to school for nursing (taking a night class twice a week) and working part-time 3 nights a week. This year, we celebrated on Saturday. Ryan is one of the few workers who actually had to work on Monday, so we couldn't celebrate on Sunday. My mom watched the kiddos for us and we went out to dinner. We went to Texas Roadhouse, which was close to home. Surprisingly, we'd never eaten there before. Right now, it is just too hard taking all 3 kids anywhere in public! Zac with his temper tantrums, we never know if he's going to be sweet or not! With the girls, we still have to plan according to their feeding/nap schedule. We enjoyed a yummy dinner, Ryan got the biggest steak they had! Thank you Grandma Jane & Grandpa Bill! We got there right before the big rush. We'd like to go back again, but unfortunately Zac won't be able to come. He has a peanut allergy and part of the atmosphere at Texas Roadhouse is eating peanuts as you wait and trowing the shells onto the floor. Afterwards we did a little shopping, then headed back to Grandma's Beth's house. Sunday was a nice, relaxing day at home. Grandpa Mike & Grandma Linda came over to see the kiddos. It'd been almost a month, so they had to show off their new tricks!

Silly Zac

Val-in yellow and Nessa playing in the jungle of plants!

Zac eating yummy snacks at his preschool Vday party.

This is how I found Zac when I got home from work!

Nessa trying to stand up, sticking out her tongue helps!

Val and her supply of diapers!

Dad & Nessa

Val having fun with Dad.

Beautiful Nessa

Zac loves watching Cops!

Pretty in pink! Love their expression! Val-right

The kids' Vday goodies.

Only Nessa was willing to try out her sunglasses.

Zac looks like such a big boy!

Family time! Sammy snuck in too! Val-right.

Silly Zac put blocks on his big toes!

All dolled up, Nessa on left.

Reading their 1st Valentine's Day cards.

Me and my girls, Val-right

Ryan and I look so tired, haha!

Me and my boy.

Just me and the kids- Nessa sticking her tongue out :D

High chair time! Nessa-right.

Cutie Nessa

Not cooperating, Val-left

Peek-a-Boo Zac!

Showing off... his big belly!

A Sticky Situation!

Last Tuesday, I woke up to quite a mess! We put up a baby gate across Zac's door at night, in case he wakes up before me, he can play in his room. Apparently, he knocked the gate down and "played" in the living room before he came in our bedroom and woke me up. He opened our bedroom doors and went into the bathroom, saying, "Rub, rub, rub" as he was rubbing his hands together. That's what we say and do when we wash our hands. I figured he just wanted to play in the water. I got out of bed and we went into the living room. There I saw an empty bottle of corn syrup poured on his picnic table in the living room. It was dripping off the table and there were puddles on the carpet! I was so ANGRY! Not the way I wanted to start my day! I immediately called Ryan at work and went off! We have been dealing with Zac and his terrible two's lately. Zac had also wiped his hands in this mess- that's why he wanted to wash his hands, they were STICKY! He also wrote on his hand with a pen and got ahold of my camera and took a few pics and recorded himself. By looking at the time on the camera, he'd been up for about an hour by himself! I didn't even know how to begin cleaning. After about an hour I picked up the table and put it in our shower, on its side, and let the syrup drip down. I turned the water on for awhile and it eventually washed off. I got an old towel wet and mopped up what I could of the gooey mess. I called and made an appointment to get the carpets cleaned 2 days later. I highly recommend ChemDry Mo-Kan if anyone needs to get their carpets professionally cleaned. We've been satisfied customers for 5 years. After a week, I can almost look back and laugh. I still need a bit of time! I've added a few other pics I took during the week.

Baby Val

Holding hands- Nessa on left

Nessa!

Zac in action!

Up close!

Nice aim!

Oh, Zac!

I was so furious, I just started taking pics!

Big piles of goop!

Dripping down...

On the bench.

Zac and Nessa sleeping with Dad. This is how I found them when I got home!

The girls LOVE the activity table! Val having fun!

Val and her crazy hair.

The dogs have it rough! Keeping warm in the sunspot!

Time to Rest

These past few weeks of staying home all day with the kids and either going to class or working at night has caught up with me... and Ryan! He works all day- getting up by 3am and then we barely have time to eat a quick dinner and then I'm out the door; leaving him with the kids for the rest of the evening. It seems like there is no time to sit and just breathe and relax for awhile. My friend Melissa came over Friday afternoon. She watched the girls while I picked up Zac from preschool. Then Zac and I headed to Walmart. Let's just say I filled the cart up since the girls weren't in there!! Hey, I needed everything I bought, haha! Saturday we stayed at home and relaxed. Friday nights, I don't get off work until midnight and usually get to bed by 2am. So by the time I sleep for 8 hours, it's past 10am! It kills me rolling over and looking at the alarm clock- it feels so late. But I need to sleep, and by then Ryan is ready for a break from the kids! Sunday we visited Mimi Donna and Papa Randy. We hadn't seen them since the holidays! The girls sure had changed in a month. Of course they were perfect at their house, then we get back home and they're screaming monsters! They just like all the attention on them. We actually got all the kids down for a nap at the same time. The house was so quiet, kinda weird! We're not big football fans, so we didn't even watch the Superbowl. I cleaned the house, we made dinner, fed the kids, then Ryan headed to bed early. Not sure what was wrong with Vanessa, I put the girls to bed and she screamed for several minutes. She usually fusses for a bit before falling asleep. After she woke Ryan up and went and picked her up. Immediately she stopped crying, of course! So I held her for awhile and then put her down to do a load of laundry- wrong! She immediately screams, so once again I held her and we watched Private Practice (that I had recorded). After that she decided she was tired and ready for bed. I've gotten spoiled with the girls' sleeping so well, that when they don't, it throws me off guard! I don't think they're teething, heck Zac didn't his first tooth until after his first birthday. I think she just didn't feel well and wanted her Mama!

Zac showing off his haircut!

Baby girls looking out the window.

Dad got their attention- Nessa on left.

Crazy-haired Val is awake while Dad and Nessa are snoozing.

Val peeking into the toy box.

Val's like "What Mom?"

Nessa still snoozing...

The toilet paper is taller than Val!

Dad and his girls- Val on right.

I see you Val...

Peek-a-Boo Val!

Nessa was waving with both hands.

Baby Val sucks her fingers when she's tired.

Silly girls! Nessa in front.

I tried to get a pic of the girls in their outfits...

Drinking out of their cups, Nessa on left- making her funny face.

Val looking at her fingers, like "What are these things?"

Nessa drinking out of a cup!

Zac finds the weirdest places to sit!

Silly Kids!

Mid-week post- I'm doing good! It's only because it's 6am and I could NOT sleep! I'm probably going to be sorry later- I have to work 6pm-midnight tonight. Oh well. Here's the kids at their best- being their silly selves!

Zac sitting on a Rubbermaid tote!

And now he's out for nap!

Val in the big bath tub for the 1st time!

Val-left liked it at first, then got scared. Nessa had a blast though!

Big bro wanted in too! He's saying "Cheese!"

Val loves pulling herself up on Zac's table.

Nessa kicking back watching TV.

Not sure how long Zac was up here. I walked in and he said "Mommy I need down!"

I have him trained- "CHEESE!"

Val is ready to start her day!