I am STUFFED :)

Floppy, flat pillows :(

So I'm great at looking around and noticing problems.  Critical?  Check.  Got that covered.  Complainer?  Yep, that comes pretty naturally to me.  Well, maybe I'm being a little hard on myself ....but I've been so annoyed with my flat, squished couch pillows lately. 



When we bought these couches we only had a 1 week old baby and while I warned my dear husband that couches with removable pillows for the back was going to present a lot of parenting *challenges* as the kid(s) grew, he loved them so much (and I loved that he actually loved something at the furniture store) that we threw caution to the wind and got them.  2 active boys later - our pillow cushions have no "cush". 



It was/is a house rule to not take them off the couch, sleep on them (ga-ross), jump on them (again, ga-ross),  etc, but somehow they've just gotten saggy, baggy, lifeless and make sitting on the couch a chore.  And sitting should NEVER be a chore, right?  Well, stop complaining!  Do something about it!  Ta Da!  A few bags of poly-fil and batting later, and I've got a new couch.



Sad, saggy couch



And after! 

Maybe the pictures don't reeeeeally show it well, but it is a very noticable change.  Well, to me anyway....I didn't say anything to Troy and he has yet to notice.  Of course, he hasn't sat on the couch yet (just got home) but I'm CERTAIN that he will notice.  Right?  Guys totally notice these things....these important things like couch cushions, right?

And the next project...going to make some super fun reusable snack bags.  I've been using way too many ziplocs and such, so these are going to be frugal, fun, and fiercely cute. 

Step 1: Make a BIG mess.  (Pants optional if you're 2)

 

Steps 2 - 5,435 coming soon :)



"You'd better write that down!"

I hear it every day:  Those kids are growing up so fast!  I can't believe how time flies!  Wow, they are getting big!  Yes, I feel like I *blink* and have to look around, pinch myself, and remind myself that it is indeed 2011, I have a 4 year old, an almost 3 year old, and a 3 month old.  Yes, they grow up fast.  But you know what else I hear a LOT?  "I hope you're writing these things down!" or "Better write that one down or you'll never remember it."  Each time I think that THIS is the cutest thing ever and I'll NEVER forget said cute thing.  But, 2 hours later I don't even remember my middle name.  Whirlwind of life.  So, this past May I made a promise to myself to do A Sentence A Day.  That's all there is to it.  I write a sentence down each day about each kid.  Quick, easy, usually done right before bed when I'm thinking about the silliness of the day.  Sometimes its not what they say or do, but just something enjoyable about the day.  Something I learned.  Something I'll NEVER do again.  Etc.  Because all these people are right - I'll forget it.  And at the end of the year, I always make a photobook of the year's events, and now I'm going to add all these little one-liners.  So it may end up like our wedding album....it's around here somewhere....but I can see myself in 40 years:  crazy lady in my rocking chair, talking to my pet bird....all my little boys grown and gone off into the world.  But I won't be bored; I'll be reading all these precious moments, wishing I would have taken life less seriously, remembering the people and places that were really important, recalling that the happiest moments are the simplest, and reading all these sentences that tell our crazy life story.  Hey, they might make some great leverage over "too cool" high school boys, too.  Why not? 

Like today:  Seth had the best time EVER helping me core apples.  "Mommy, can I get up here and help you be your good helping helper?  I need to get pants on first!" Ryan has the option of going to the football game tonight with Troy and standing on the sidelines (since Troy isn't actually coaching this one).  As if he's doing me a favor - "Mom, I'll go to the game IF you let me skip my nap this afternoon...because football boys don't take naps."  Reed rode in the stroller through Target and HyVee and barely took his eyes off me the entire time.  Each time we made eye contact, he smiiiiiiiiiled with his entire body.  Got a cute little lion squeaker toy from a friend at lunch today and he LOVED it.

Anything fancy?  Nope.  Anything special?  To me, yes. 

Or last Thursday, made the boys' night by buying these cheapy planes, letting the suspense build up all day, and then having special "daddy time" flying planes when he got home.  Ryan flew his all over the backyard. 

Seth got a picture taken, threw it once, then stepped on it and smashed it and moved on to the next thing.

On another note, I survived my first football game with 3 rowdy boys:

Such sweet faces:

2 new big pieces

I'm really excited about some new LARGE things at our house. (No, this isn't another blog about chunky Reed.)  First, my in-laws remembered when I mentioned years ago that I've been on the hunt for a china cabinet.  Troy's grandparents gave us beautiful china for our wedding; we've used it, but store it in the boxes that it came in (keeping it classy!) and I've wanted to be able to store it somewhere a little more grown-upishlike.  But a) china cabinets are expensive and b) I'm picky - I needed just the right kind.  Well, I've searched for 6 years and never bought one.  So, I was tha-RILLed when Troy's parents called to ask us if we wanted theirs (they are moving and downsizing).  Uh, YES!  I do!  I didn't even remember what it looked like, but who says no to FREE!?!?  [certainly not a Bunt - its not in our DNA] So, within a few days, they brought it up.  It was larger than I remembered (we have a small dining room), and had some funky hardware on it....but it was SO awesome to have something that belonged to his parents...beautiful...in great shape...and did I mention FREE?

Well, my Mom-in-law said she didn't mind if I made a few minor alterations so...poof!  Switched out the hardware (which of course can never be as easy as it should - required drilling and all kinds of measuring-blech).  And then I put in some fabric panels in the lower portion because a) I don't have THAT much pretty stuff to display and b) I DO have a ton of junk that I want to hide.  Traded the brass for some smokey black to match the rest of our dining furniture....and here it is!

(Please ignore the stuff inside - I just put it in for effect, not organized yet.)

And theeeeeeen, our snazzy neighbors make all kinds of wooden outdoor stuff.  I'm not usually a buy-wooden-stuff-to-display-in-your-yard type of gal, but I couldn't pass up this sweet picnic table.  Fits 4 little kids (perhaps 3 boys and a girl?  hmmmmm...?) They wanted only $35 for this - great quality (it's a lot bigger than it appears in this picture) and since we brought it home, the boys have eaten Every. Single. Meal at it.  Fine with me and Reed!

("Mom, we are making silly faces, can you tell?  I'm doing this silly face!!!!")

What fun!  What major scores!  Yippee!

Oh, and random picture of the day.  I don't think it was a coincidence that as soon as I started my shower this morning, I heard feet jump out of bed, head downstairs and get very quiet.  Here's what I found:

Yes - that is two practically naked boys hiding under the table (they were hiding in the dark, but the camera flash made it appear light) with a bag of Twizzlers.  But.....could you be angry at these faces?

 Now, to all of you who are judging me about showering while the kids were up - I usually do get ready before they wake up.  But this particular day I was awake at 5 AM and worked for 2.5 hours, while hanging out with Reed for 2 of those hours, THEN put Reed down, THEN made breakfast, then tried to sneak in a shower before they got up.  But apparently, those naughty buggers were waiting for me to get in the bathroom...and then they executed a rather well-thought out plan.

 Don't judge. :P And yes, I gave them a stern lecture...and then crawled under the table and asked them to share with me :) Oops, hope they remember that lecture tomorrow morning!

Reeder Pete

Don't ask me why, that's just what I've started calling him.  Troy thinks that is stupid.  He thinks Reedo-buh-deedo is MUCH cooler. (He'd KILL me if he knew I shared that.)  But you know how you say things and they just stick?  Yep, he's "Pete" for short.  I've gotta stop that. 

But, my little sweet guy is 3 months old.  A quarter of a year.  91 days.  And he's about doubled his weight.  Imagine if YOU doubled your weight in 3 months.  I'd weigh like 200 pounds.  Wow.  (Ha ha ha, did you catch that fancy math?!)

Anyway, I love that little guy.  Yes, he USED to be little.  Like when he was a week old:

But today he is 3 months.  Can you tell Ryan is showing you "3"?

He's such a sweet baby.  Sleeps like a baby (ha ha), smiles, coos...yep, a pretty normal baby :)  But, he has some things that make him "Reed" - He smashes his face against his bed for 30 seconds before falling asleep. He instantly relaxes when he goes outside. He has a huge spread between his big toes and the rest of his piggies.  His biggest smiles are for Ryan.  He squints his eyes when Seth comes near. (Seth is a great brother, just a *smidge* loud...why is it that the kid who is scared to death of loud noises IS the loudest noise?!?!)  He has certain toys he likes.  Others he will only yell at.  He has had only 1 diaper blow out.  He's bigger than 96% of the other babies his age.  (Dad is thrilled...me....yeah, I just have to carry him every.where.) He LOVES having his face rubbed lightly.  He is mucho ticklish.  He likes bananas.  (I'm guessing - it's not like Troy gave him an eensie teensie bite and he loved it.  Nope, that didn't happen...)  He loves to snuggle and take baths.  He's a Mommy's boy. He's just just a gift to our family...and I can't stop kissing those chubby cheeks...and rather spacious forehead. (It's a Bunt thing.)  Sooooo many people were hoping for a girl for us.  And a girl would be fun. BUT, I can't imagine anyone other than little Reedo-buh-deedo.

THRILLED to be One (and only one) Girl Among Boys.

There is a season

Seems like we've just watched summer fly by...

Well, I say "summer", but really we have different seasons here at casa de Rider:  Off-season, Pre-season and Football season.  So, where normal people are talking about 'back to school', 'fall', 'beginning of the year', etc....I've been enjoying the last 3 months at home and am now gearing up for "The. Season."  Yeah, I know, it is just a sport....it is only a game...a favorite pastime.....but to my husband (and therefore, me!) it is a mission, a passion, a hobby, a job, a game, and about an 18 hour a day "pastime".  So I'm gearing up, re-energizing, getting my game face on, refusing to complain (about eating dinner alone, about never seeing my husband, about being a secretary for hours a day, wait...no, I'm not supposed to be complaining) and realizing that this is the first time the boys really GET what is going on.  So.....here's what it looks like around here:

Helmets?  Check.

Football Guys? Check.

Black and Gold Shoes? Check.

So, I'm ready for ya, football season. Wait, hold on....gotta sort and alphabetize plays.  Ok, I'm back.  Oh, just a sec, gotta warm up the laminator.  Alright, I'm here again.  Ah, excuse me a minute...need to order a few more items.  No, really, I've got a few spare minutes now - I'm focused on finishing this.  What, Troy?  Suuuuuure, I'm ready to proofread.  Let me just finish this post.  Oh, laminator is ready....

Ah forget it....I'll blog later ;)

I am sooooooooooo One Girl Among B.O.Y.S.