date night

Two words we don't use a lot in our house: date night. But last night was an exception! (picture HUGE smile on my face as I type this!) Flo wanted to leave the kids with a sitter and take to the town just the two of us (what? you say? novel thought I know!) and the anticipation of the day was almost like we were dating.... I considered 4 outfits (seriously people, I wear work out clothes or sweat shirts with cracker crumbs and boogies on them every day) and even used my smelly lotion.

Just the thought of "grown up" conversation at dinner got me through the fact that our kids flushed a bath toy down the toilet in their bathroom causing 2 inches of poo poo water to careen all over the floor. Even as I spent 2 hours cleaning up and disinfecting everything in site, I had the date in the back of my mind - good thing too because I have witnessed a lot of gross things that made me lose my cookies.

We went out to Cedars in Coeur D Alene and had an AMAZING dinner. The sick bite was taken (you know after you are totally full and content but the food is so good you just have to take one more? And it makes you feel sick? Well I took about 10 of those). It was fun to just escape dirty diapers and folding clothes and our cell phones for a few hours and enjoy each others company and remember how we fell in love when we were dating. Its nice to know when we pause like this from the chaos and kids and commotion that we are still the same two people (I'll be it a little ragged at times with a few more wrinkles), but that we've supported each other and been there for each other through everything.

A movie wrapped up the night and proved the only thing disappointing about date night was that going to bed after 1 am means that you still have 2 wiggle worms who wake up at 7 am climbing all over you. And then you only need one word: Coffee.

Goofing around today. We had a good family day, minus the hellish trip to Nordy's for shoes for Cooper's giant feet.

This was a game and upper body work out for Flo -lifting 30 and 40 pounds respectively.

Just sitting back enjoying the moment when everyone wanted to sit by me for a kodak moment. There is no sitting back I've discovered...

I must have smelled like bacon...Lucy couldn't get close enough!

pictures from this past week

Coops in his cowboy gear. We made it a family affair and all donned our western wear to David's 3rd birthday bash even though it was a super hero party!

Posing for a picture - our little buckaroos!

Maddie and Jack - two peas in a pod

Sheriff Woody and his favorite deputy. Jack insisted Woody was a super hero so thats what he went as!

cooper vs. the red vines. I think the red vines won this battle.

Taking his meds with his sad face on.

We made it through the week alive...barely!

Week from hell might be a little strong...but I think this past week is what separates the week moms from the freakishly strong willed ones. I would like to personally place myself in the latter category after what I've experienced this past week.

After having our plan to attend church foiled again by Jack with flu symptoms - not to miss that ever present projectile vomit and middle of the night diarrhea, the start of our week was off to a rocky start. Personally, after hardly attending church all winter I think the church might think they have a new family attending once we kick all these bugs we've been fighting!

Jack then proceeded to contract the dreaded croup virus and then pass along to Cooper - who with his illness induced asthma was put on the ventilator and that was a whole other story for a boy who doesn't sit still for anything but food!

After 1 round of the flu and 2 rounds of croup...Jack was rewarded with a smoothie for being a good shopper for me while I hurriedly threw in goods into our Costco cart since we were running low....and then just a few hours later was knocked down with food poisoning in the Trading Company parking lot.

After having Flo come home early to help with him, so that I could go run conditioning practice for Softball I realized then that I forgot my wallet at the trading company during all the craziness... in the end, my wallet was returned minus the cash but everything else intact. Only 2 weeks worth of grocery and diaper money lost - I hope that person needed it more than us right?

All in all.... I was ready for Christine's surprise baby shower and David's 3rd birthday which was superhero themed this weekend. Ready for spring might be an understatement in this house! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know Valentine's Day is typically a romantic Day filled with red roses for some, Hallmark Cards and Chocolates but we spent our day together as a family...just me and the three boys I am in love with!

It obliviously wasn't all roses.... Jack has a pretty bad case of croup and has been really sick for past 3 days, which comes with lots of tears that accompany the coughs, runny noses and sleepless nights. Cooper went with me to my nieces 3rd birthday party today at McDonald's and had a blast eating nuggets and playing with the 'big' kids. It was a really fun party! And then...later on in the evening, decided to surprise us with a treat by playing in his poopy diaper and almost eating it. My mom screamed and Flo almost barfed. Bubble bath check.

And my SUPER attentive husband gave me a gift that I have been wanting for a LOOOOONG time now.... a dutch oven. No, not the smelly silent but deadly kind under the sheets but a cast-iron and enamel one that I can now make even more amazing stew, chili and other recipes in. Nerdy I know, but I am in love with it and am not quite ready to take it off my counter and put it the cupboard where I can't look at its pretty red shine every time I come in the room.

Happy Valentine's day all! I wouldn't trade my day this year for anything! I hope you all had a good day spent with loved ones as well.

Rub a dub dub....2 boys in a tub!

Well for starters... Lard Loss 2010 started yesterday. This was Flo's brainchild weightloss contest that he thought up and now has 14 people total who are participating. I am proud of him for including and inspring lots of family and friends who he knows also want to lose some weight and live a healthier life. This runs from February 1 to May 1 so I am trying to be as supportive as possible and cook a little heathier and buy heathy snacks. I think this is good for both of us because I definitley binge on not-so-healthy desserts more than I should and its a nice change of pace!

These two monkeys were SUPPOSED to be picking up all the blocks they dumped out and played with but I walked in on them horsing around in this tub. What corn balls! :)

The boys, jumping in their undies, today when Uncle John and the kids came over to visit. Never a dull moment, the boys had a lot of fun playing with their Toy Story toys and running around. They are two peas in a pod.