Today was perfect!

We had rain today for the third time since last Monday- so rare [and exciting] for us. Today was the best of them all though because it was cloudy alllll day then it got really cool, we even got to turn off the a/c and open up our windows!

Aiden wanted to stay in his jammies all day, fine with me. :) And they had lunch in the living room.

Lazy day for Momma.

I made a roast in the crockpot and for the first time, made my own homemade gravy - it was so SOOO good.

Hahaha he is such a nutball!

I can't wait til everybody goes to bed so I can watch the first episode of this season's Parenthood! One of my favorite shows ever.

Rian playing in the rain yesterday. <3

Weekend

Usually on Saturday mornings I'm cleaning or we're running errands- it wasn't too hot yet so I took the kids outback.

We didn't do much that day. Steven was scheduled to work all day but ended up home around 1:00- yay! We went on a walk that night, its not cool at all but usually its still in the triple-digits when its dark out. Finally its not blazing hot.

Sunday morning Steven and Aiden went for a ride in his jeep, I was like "Are you sure its not too hot for Aiden?" he goes, "No its not hot yet, the high today's only 102" it made me laugh that he used "only" in that sentence. Such desert rats. Steven and I also napped when the kids went down, probably not the smartest. We don't think Rian slept... her room was a disaster and usually she has bedhead.

She took all the underwear out of the drawer on the floor and put it in the brown box on her dresser. She took all her shorts/skirts/bloomers and put them in the clothes basket. She stuffed some jammies in the drawer of the green table and took the bows she could reach of their holder and put them in her dollhouse.

She also pulled some dresses down.

She fell asleep on the way home from my parents' house after dinner. Steven and I were in the kitchen baking cookies, the kids were having a snack and their milk- I looked into the living room and Rian wasn't in there... she was in her bed sleeping! Silly baby.

This morning Aiden had his first trip to the dentist. I wasn't expecting it to go too well but he did SO awesome! I was actually pretty nervous he'd have a cavity, even though its dumb because we brush his teeth twice a day, everyday. I just thought it'd be so embarrassing since obviously I'm in charge of taking care of his teeth for now- I got myself all paranoid over nothing, I tend to do that.

His teeth are perfect!

He cried when we left, who does that?!

While we were there, Steven and Rian went grocery shopping. I wish I could've watch them together, I know it was the cutest. We have a 30% chance of rain today, my fingers are crossed! We can have like a 60% chance and not a drop will fall... pleeeease rain.

Strong is the new skinny

I've always wanted curves but since I obviously don't have any, I'll settle with being strong.

I started working out when Rian was one month old, I did the 30-day Challenge on Wii Active then after that started Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred. [Everybody knows I'm a JM fanataic. Also love Bob Harper <3] That dvd was such a struggle for me- it hurt, it was hard, my body shook, I could barely keep up and at the end of some workouts I was so red, I was practically purple. I'm surprised I never vomitted afterwards. I hated every single second.

I did it off and on for a year. In February I started JM's Ripped in 30, in my opinion its more difficult than the Shred. I got through it then restarted it again- this time around I finally started feeling and seeing results. It is an amazing feeling, it makes me questin why people don't exercise. Who wouldn't want to feel like that?!

A few weeks ago I decided to go back to the Shred. I couldn't believe the difference, my strength and endurance were up 100%! There's one move that seriously made me want to cry, I could barely make it- now I'm using heavier weights and can keep up.

Its not about being skinny anymore, the number on the scale doesn't matter. Its about how I feel afterwards, getting through hard workouts like those makes you realize your inner strength. Its made me love my body for everything its gone through [growing two large babies and enduring JM's beatings, for example] and everything it will go through. I may not look as toned as I'd like to, but I'm in the best shape I've ever been in.

"It's three years away, I ain't the least bit nervous,
I feel like I'ma do it real big in my thirties"

-Brother Ali

Halloween!

I love the Holiday seasons, I always have, but having kids makes them so much more fun. I've been thinking about Halloween costumes for a month or so now. Aiden wants to be a robot, of course, but I want him to be a little garden gnome- how cute is this:

:)

And Rian's going to be a fairy. I want her to wear a long tutu costume similar to this:

I've made her waist tutus before so I imagine this is just as easy. She'll be SO cute!

I'm all about DIY costumes, anybody could go to the store and buy one but they're so much more fun when they're homemade. That's how I remember Halloween as a kid.

[I got these pictures from google, this is why I started writing my blog address across my pictures-  if people are going to use my pictures, whatevs but at least they can't rip them off as their own. Which I've seen done plenty of times.]

Toddler beds and attitudes

Rian's 20 months now, the same age as Aiden was when he transitioned to a toddler bed. She was only 4 months old when we changed him and I remember thinking I was crazy and I'd be up all night putting him back in bed, along with getting up for feedings- but he did great. I wasn't sure how Rian would do, she still seems like a baby to me in so many ways. I'm sure it because when Aiden was this age, I already did have another tiny baby.

So excited!

I put her down for nap and peaked under her door after I put Aiden down, she was standing. I told her to get back in bed and she did. I made my lunch, looked again- standing again. This time she started crying when I told her to get back in bed. I went in and put her in bed and told her what a big girl she is, go ni-night, all that kind of stuff. She cried for a minute or so and I went back in, did the same thing... when I left, silence. :)

She didn't get up at all for bedtime. Only thing left for her to do is be potty trained, then I really won't have a baby anymore. :\ Steven said he found her on the floor twice, ooops. I wasn't concerned with her getting hurt, we put her big hippo down, but I didn't want her to get scared and not go back to sleep. Obviously that didn't happen haha.

The border came in yesterday, it came out so awesome! Aiden was in there when I first started then left and came back in when I was about done, he gasped and said "I love it!" it was so dramatic and cute.


He has been such a butthead lately! Whoever named "Terrible Twos" had no idea what age three is all about. I swear, the second he turned 3 he turned into a terror! He's started throwing these ugly, ridiculous fits and has been SO mean to Rian, he bites and hits her all the time. He also bosses her around, he tells her "Go get that toy for me" "Give me that" on and on- geez. Dinnertime is getting so hard, four days out of the week Steven's still at work when we eat, which I hate because I think family dinners are so important. All the kids do now is play around and dinner ends up being like an hour long ordeal of me telling them to eat. Its one thing to be a little silly but they're at it nonstop. The attitude on Aiden is something else! I know he's just testing his limits and seeing how far he can push things but oooh boy.


But then he can be so sweet. This morning he got in bed with me and said "I love you" Me- "I love you too" Aiden- "You look pretty" haha. I had him rub my back and when he was finished, he got on his belly and said "Now you rub my back." He's always been my cuddly boy.

Labor Day Weekend

Late afternoon on Friday it was only 98 degrees outside, that's cooler than it usually is so I took the kids out to play, it was so fun! Made me even more excited for the cooler months approaching. Later two of Steven's oldest friends, Philip and Tyson, passed through town and had dinner with us- they were on their way to Six Flags, so jealous! Its always a fun time seeing them but Steven ends up bummed we don't see them as often as he'd like. Aiden looooved them, it was so cute. I always love seeing our friends interact and loving on our kids. Seriously, my heart could explode it makes me so happy.

Holiday weekends aren't usually a big deal for us because Steven always has Mondays off anyway but this weekend, they gave him Saturday off- woop! After naps, we headed out to the lake where his parents already were. We had soo much fun.

We all stayed up so late that night. The kids were easy to put down because they were so tired. Steven's Mom rocked Rian and Aiden just layed down and passed out. The next day we were all awake by 7, ugh. The grown-ups napped a lot that day. I was shocked that I was actually able to get the kids down, they normally don't nap anywhere but home. I rocked Rian and once I got her down, Aiden layed in my lap and fell asleep too...

So sweet, even with Rian's big teeth. :)

We rented a little paddle [pedal?] boat, it was fun!

As much fun as we had, it was nice to get back home today. Cortizone 10 was my bff today, I have over 30 tiny bug bites on my legs and a few others scattered around, they're driving me crazy! Nobody else got any, guess that means I'm sweet. Ha not.

Here in the desert we get way overly excited when it rains. I used to hate it when I lived in places that rained a lot but living in a place that barely ever gets it makes me appreciate it so much. I miss rainy days, we only got some for about 20-30 minutes, still better than nothing!

We let the kids play in it and it dropped the temperature 30 degrees, so nice!

Happy Birthday, Geoff!
And happy one year of being cancer-free :)

The other day there was a little lizard in the house and Rian wouldn't leave it alone. Aiden wouldn't get as close to it as she would.

She even ripped off his tail. :\

My bratty baby. I know its her personality, but I'm constantly thinking its because I spoil her. She throws fits all. the. time. She was such an easy baby too but now, oh boy. When she's not crying, she's the cutest thing in the world. I always tell Steven we have to compliment more than her looks, she needs to know how smart, funny, etc she is.


She's Mommy's little helper. When I vaccuum, she follows me around, holding the cord. When I get out of the shower, she gets my towels for me. When I'm about to wash my face, she gets my hair wrap for me. Usually I work out in my bedroom but on Tuesday, I was going to do it in the living room while they napped. While they were eating lunch, I brought all my stuff out and when she got done eating and saw everything, she rolled up the area rug for me. If she sees my Jillian Michaels dvds she says "exercise" in her own little way. She is so silly. She's been calling me Mommy lately but it sounds like "Mimi" I like being Momma so much more. :(

Dinner!

When we first moved in here, we used to roast whole chickens all the time. We haven't done it since that summer, three years ago! Today was my first time putting one in the crockpot because I avoid turning the oven on during this time of year at all costs. I also made "baked potatoes" by putting them in the microwave til they got a little soft then finished them off in the toaster oven. I hate cooking in the summer, sweating while making dinner is so gross. And finally, the kids are eating cauliflower. :)

I painted one of the chairs today, the color's called 'Georgia Clay'- it came out more red than the can color and it looks even more red in the picture. But I still like it, a lot. The kitchen already looks a million times better without those ugly roller chairs. We still have one more to get rid of.

Steven is so spoiled. [My hair looks crazy because of the fan] I wish I got this kind of treatment! Not from him though, his massages hurt, I think he does it on purpose so he doesn't have to. I can't wait til the kids are old enough to rub my back, brush my hair and get me stuff out of the fridge. :)