Some more pictures

Reid in his new exersaucer. Loving it.

Ainsley pushing Jake in the swing. We left them doing something entirely different and 30 seconds later looked outside and he'd gotten himself up there and she'd taken it upon herself to push.

Ainsley swinging. Just love this pic.

Jake riding his horse at Cowboy Town. This probably was the highlight of the whole trip!

Is it really almost July?

I can't get over that. Ryan has been home almost two months now and it has flown but. Two months when he is gone is agony but its the blink of an eye when he is around. What a stud, he can literally make time fly.

It's been a good weekend. Today is Sunday which means it is my official Triathlon Preparation and Training Day. Ok, it really just means its when I try to run a little over 6.2 miles. My time has been around 46 minutes (give or take 20 seconds) the past couple of times and I'm pleased with that. Its hard to stay motivated sometimes - I'll be glad when the triathlon is done and I can stop caring about my times. I am such a competitive person but lately I'd rather just run for fun. Other than the run the weekend has included a night out for Ryan and I to Blackhorse Pub for a promotion party which was lots of fun (congrats to Lt. Colonel Pallis), a morning of swimming at the Y for the whole family, the spreading of 4 cubic yards of mulch onto all our natural areas and church for the majority of the fam. The majority being Ryan, Jake and Ainsley. Poor Reid woke up with a 102 fever and so I stayed home with him. My poor baby. It doesn't matter how many kiddos I have it still really scares me when they get sick, especially when they are so little. I'm flashing back to Ainsley's horrid kidney infections that resulted in fevers up to 105. So, we are just watching him and hoping its just teeth or something causing this fever.

Tonight we are making baby back ribs. YUMPTIOUS! My dad has a fantastic recipe where you sear them on the grill for 15 minutes and then cook for a couple hours in the oven. They are falling off the bone deliciousness and I can't wait. Add some baked beans and sauteed zuchinni to the mix and its going to be divine.

Please continue to pray for Tyson. He came through surgery ok but his biopsy report is "rare and aggressive". Wow. That is just about as bad as it could have been. So please join us in praying for this precious boy and his family.

And finally, I'm now off to shop at the Boden online sale - an event that is more exciting that I can express! I have poured over the catalog since it arrived in all its glory in my mailbox yesterday. If you've complimented me recently on a piece of my wardrobe there is a good chance its from Boden. So don't just sit there. Get over to http://www.bodenusa.com/ while the gettin' is good!

Update to my 5-18-08 post

OK, so here is the full skinny on the whole dinner at VBS thing. I might have omitted one tidbit the first time but CK pointed out that I HAD to add on my blog what I said in an email to her . . . so it goes like this:

VBS at Grace Lutheran was awesome. They served dinner every night for the WHOLE family and it doesn't get much better than that. Except this whole VBS thing is totally throwing off my drinking this week which sucks.

OK, so there you have it. That is the gritty reality of Lacey. I like beer. I like wine. I don't like when things stand in between me and my nightly booze.

Saturday, June 21st

So, two of my boys are off to Cowboy Town and I miss them already. Ryan was on top of it last night getting everything together for their wild adventure and it was so fun to watch him prepare. He got Jake's Thomas backpack loaded up with the essentials - his sherrif's gun and holster, a flashlight of his very own, and a juice cup. Jake will be thrilled. To say Jake was excited would be a major understatement. His squeals, smiles and laughter each time we mentioned Cowboy Town got everyone excited. I got a call from Ryan about an hour after they'd arrived at Cowboy Town to tell me that the trip was going great. He said that everything they did was like the best thing that had ever happened to Jake. They got to ride in the back of a pickup out to their campsite and he was in heaven. They saw horses from afar and he was thrilled. They set up the tent and he was in awe. I can't wait for the next update.

I told Ryan this morning that if I ever write a book its going to be called But When Do I Get To Eat Breakfast? I just feel like this sums it up - you never get a couple minutes to take care of yourself when you are a mom because there is always something to be done for someone else. And food is very important to me. I don't skip meals. I don't get why anyone would so me not eating breakfast is a big deal but it happens more than I like.

With the big boys gone I set off to do some errands with Ainsley and Reid. Seriously, who would have thought running errands with a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old could be such a cinch but in contrast to what I usually am contending with it was just that. We went to Toys R Us, Papa Murphy's, Hodgepodge and swung by the library to drop off some books. And I was totally not exhausted when we got home. Here is where the post might get boring so stop reading if you like (and if you are a smart alec thinking "I thought it already was boring" then you can . . . well, stop reading too). I went to Toys R Us primarily to get a exersaucer for Reid. We have lots of baby toys but we've never had a decent exersaucer (they are expensive) and I decided Reid would not suffer as Jake and Ainsley have. But I got SUCH a deal and I just have to share. They had two of the exact same models as floor models because someone had made a mistake and so when I called the manager back to just ask a question she offered to give me one of them for 30% off. This thing was the mack-daddy of exersaucers and in brand new condition. PLUS I had a coupon for $10 off AND I was using a $35 gift card that I was given when Reid was born that I was saving for just this purpose. So I got the coolest exersaucer ever and I only had to pay $25. And Reid loves it. I'll post pics.

Lacey's Favorite #2

I love funny people. I love being around people that make me laugh. I love anyone with a great sense of humor. That is what makes this post painful because this hilarious email and flyer arrived from friends that are leaving us to move on to bigger and better things. But left me laughing in the process.In preparation for our move, we thought this a good time to get rid of stuff and to throw a party (of sorts). This Saturday, starting at 5:30pm, feel free to come by. We'll be grilling and cooking up the stuff we've been saving in the freezer, fridge, and pantry for a special occasion. Since the special occasion never came, we've decided we need to jettison the dead weight now. Who knows what we might eat?! Bring an appropriately ambiguous appetite.
We also have stuff. It is stuff we neglected to return to the store, doesn't fit, Kimiko doesn't want in our next home, is "so five minutes ago", or just won't travel or store well. If you can use it or just want to make us feel better holla "Dibs" and it's yours. We'll specify what things in the house this applies to -it's not everything.
If you like yard sales but hate spending all that money, if you like moving but not heavy lifting, if you like the thrill of Iron Chef but think they have too many ingredients at their disposal, you'll love this party.
If you feel I neglected to invite anyone, it's only because I don't have their email address, please pass this email on. They just may fit a 7 1/2 shoe.

Summer, Summer, Summertime

Just imagine the words of Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff playing in the background as you read this post. Smell the coconutty goodness of suntan oil. Feel the warmth of too much sun on your shoulders . . . you get the point.
Just as recently as last year the long days of summer were daunting to me. I felt lost without the structure of our days during the preschool year. My thoughts, more often then not, went something like "what do I do with you kids today?". So when other moms would lament the start of the school year and the loss of the free days of summer I thought they were out of their minds.
Well, I don't know if its just that my kids are getting older or not but I can safely say this summer is nothing like I had anticipated. Our days are literally jam packed. I have trouble fitting in all the things I thought would be a regular part of our summer, keeping our days filled. This week alone we have made two trips to the Y, one tour of the quarry (which ROCKED - ha ha), speech therapy sessions for kids 1 and 2, a trip to the swimming pool . . . oh and did I mention that Jake is doing VBS so every night has been a late night thus far. And its only Wednesday afternoon!!! I'm loving it. We are having a blast and I'm just so happy that even with a new baby in the house we've managed to fill our days with fun activities.
And while I'm at it I MUST give a shout out to VBS at Grace Lutheran church. This place does it right and we will be doing VBS there from now on. Why? Because they serve dinner EVERY night to the WHOLE family before the program starts. Do I even need to say anything else on that subject?!?
And finally, a serious note to this post. We just got word yesterday that my sister-in-laws nephew (Ryan's brother's wife's sister's son) has a brain tumor. Its a punch in the gut to any parent to hear of a worst nightmare realized. Please pray for 9 month old Tyson. Pray for Jeremy and Summer as they watch their baby go through something they can do nothing about. Pray for a miracle. I am.

Happy Father's Day

Wow, the only word I can think of today is "blessed" when I think about the men in my life. My children have the most amazing father that I could ever have imagined for them, I have a dad who has never let me down and who is now a truly fantastic grandfather, and I have a grandfather who loves me so very much and has always made me feel special. What more could any one girl possibly ask for?

My kids truly adore their father. When he is here with us the mood in this house is 100x lighter and more joyful. THere is laughter and shrieking as they run and chase and tickle. They are constantly being told how smart, beautiful, fun, special and loved they are . . . and how very proud he is to be their daddy. When I go out I don't have to worry for a second because they are in their daddy's care. When I come home they are happy, well fed and worn out from lots of play.

I married such a wonderful man because that is the example I grew up with. It would never have occured to me to pick a man who would turn out to be a poor father because my dad was so amazing I just assumed that is how it always was. So subconsciously I picked a man with some very similar qualities to my own dad. I have so many great memories from times with my dad - our father/daughter ski trip when I was 16, working hard on my science fair projects, running together (and him cheering me on at my cross country meets), teaching me how to roller skate and ride my bike, walking me down the aisle . . . I could go on and on but I'm crying now which makes typing difficult.

I love you Dad. I love you Grandpa. I love you Ryan.

A week in review

What else to title this post? I'm not sure. My parents were here this week and as always that was a ton of fun. The kids just adore time with "Honey and Ozzie" and I think the feeling is mutual. The more kids I have the more I appreciate the time when they are here because we can do so much more stuff then when its just me v. three . . .

So on Monday we left the kids with my mom during nap time and my dad and I headed out for pedicures. That's right, my dad and I went to get pedicures. It was so much fun to spend time with him and our toes looked fabulous.

We wore the kids out going to Go Jump (if you haven't been I highly recommend it) the swimming pool, swim lessons and just out and about for general frivolity.

The other night I was nursing Reid and Jake came running into my room from the outside where he'd been playing in the yard with his dad. Instead of the usual bouquet of flowers plucked from the yard which he proudly presents to me I was greeted with a bouquet of dried worms. Seriously. A little bundle of five dried worms that he'd gathered from the yard and wanted me to put in water (as I do with my flowers). I thanked him profusely but told him the worms didn't need any water. He thought about it and said "Mommy, finish feeding baby Reid and then we can put them in water". He was obviously not to be deterred.

The promised cowboy guns, holster and hats arrived for the preparation for Cowboy Town. Jake got all suited up and then took off his hat and in a grand gesture said "Howdy partner". Then Ryan taught him to say "stick 'em up dude" so he ran around the house after my parents cat all week saying this to the poor confused (and not altogether social) kitty cat. The guns were cap guns that scared the pooh out of Jake (although Ainsley loved them) so the caps are now safely hidden . . . well probably forever.

Lacey's Favorite

Ok, so a new idea I had for my blog was to post my favorite comment or quote from the previous week. Something I might have found in a book, blog or just an email from a friend. So I begin this week with words that I've read over and over since shared with me by my friend Christin. I was sharing with her some of the thigns I worry about as a mom and how I'm trying to be real and honest with other women (especially here on this blog) about my shortcomings and even the things my kids struggle with (hello - TWO kids in speech therapy) and here was her response.

". . . everyone wants it to seem like they're just perfect and lovely and look how cute my kids are! they're so smart! the smartest kids in the world! Well barf. if everyone's kids were the smartest then no kid really WOULD be the smartest. "

THANK you Christin. One day you will make a FANTASTIC mom. I know Bodie already thinks you are.

It's 7:43 p.m.

And my house is completely quiet. This isn't utterly remarkable but I could've written this same post about 20 minutes ago and said the exact same thing and that really would be remarkable. My kids have always had pretty early bedtimes but its been quite some time since every child was sound asleep before 7:30 p.m. and for some of said children it was much, much earlier. What a fantastic start to our weekend!

Today was nuts. Many of you know that because many of you saw me because I think I was touched on most bases of my life today. It started early with Ainsley's Ms. Chrissy coming for speech therapy, then on to the MOMS club monthly meeting, then to Chick-fil-A for lunch and to fill the gap before dropping Ainsley off at a playdate with her cute little girlfriend en route to Reid's 4 month well baby appointment that ended just in time for me to leave the kids with Ry while I went to get my hair done. Just typing that run-on sentence makes me tired. My kids are major creatures of habit because, well, I force them to be. We DO NOT skip nap time. I can't understand why anyone would . . . So for them to go completely nap free today AND to have the day jammed full of activities wiped them out. They were too tired to even eat dinner. So Ainsley was in bed at 6:40, followed by Jake at 6:50 and Reid at 7:15 and I'm loving it.

Today at Reid's appointment Jake had to tell our doc as she walked into the room "Dr. R, this is my new baby Reid. He is my little baby brother". It was so cute. He was such a doting big brother today! Reid was a champ through his appointment and shots. He is 25th% for weight and 50th for height and our doc pointed out "this is great, especially for one of your kids". Um, just because Jake is wearing swim trunks that are 18-24 month size and he is getting ready to turn 4 I can't imagine what you are trying to insinuate ;)

Well, I'd love to type more but its time for my Friday night Mexican feast/date night with Ry. Ole!

So, what's new?

I think that my blogging takes a serious hit when I am not spending time on the treadmill. That seems to be where I come up with my best stuff because there is NOTHING else to do while pounding the belt. Especially when you don't get to the Y until sometime after 10 and the TV's are all on ESPN or the 700 Club - snore! So, today I got to the Y (total rabbit trail here . . . WHY do the Chinook helicopters choose to buzz our house ONLY during nap time - can I get a break here?!?) for some me time and now I'm feeling re-energized for blogging.

I don't really have a big theme for this post. Just bits and pieces I guess. So here we go:

Reid is rolling over like a maniac! I can't believe it. It seems like its so early but looking back at what Jake and Ainsley did I guess he is on track. But looking through their little baby calendars reminded me that they had both started to eat rice cereal by this point. It hadn't even crossed my mind that Reid might be getting ready for some outside sustenance. Poor kid. I guess that is going to be his lot in life as kid number 3.

Ainsley is preparing for a career in the WWE. I'm so very proud. Yesterday at the park she had to be disciplined twice for beating the crap out of another little boy. I'm not saying she just pushed or shoved, I am saying she went apes&*t on this kid because he took the ball she wanted. She is going to be the end of her daddy and me. That girl can really hold her own. I call her my little sassafras because she is just so sassy and crazy. When I call her sassy Jake says "She's not sassy, she's a girl." Ah if only it was that simple.

Jake and Ry are going on a father/son camping trip in a couple weeks and Jake is so excited he can't stand it. This place is called Cowboy Town and they'll camp by a lake, do a horseback ride and watch a wild west shootout. Its going to be great. On Sunday at church every time a new kid would arrive for Sunday School Jakey would grab them by the shoulders and say "I'm going to Cowboy Town, I'm SO excited." Honey and Ozzie are coming to visit next week and are going to bring him some necessities for the trip (hat, gun, etc) and I'm sure that'll be a whole new post. Rumor has it this gun is a cap gun or something equally loud and frightening. Sweet.

So that is a super long roundup of life around here. I'm hoping to get in another run tomorrow so stay tuned :)