September 10th

updates short version....
Riley started second grade and is doing great. Along with tutoring and a good teacher I have noticed a dramatic difference. He gets his homework done at lightening speed and he does 90 percent of it on his own. Plus he is reading to us at night which we love. He is holding up really well with his full schedule. he has tutoring 3 days a week M-W-F cub scouts on Mondays and soccer practice every other Tuesday every other Wednesday and every Thursday. Wozzers huh. Plus the weekends consist of cub scout events and soccer games. His schedule alone is crazy, I am afraid to get Matthew involved in anything.
Matthew is getting more charming everyday and is growing like a weed if you can believe that. Yesterday on our way to pick up Riley I hear from the back seat " Hey mom I have hair on my legs and on my arms why?" I just started Laughing and then I heard " Hey whats so funny why are you laughing at me?" lol Of curse being a 3 year old his Favorite word in Why. Ugh I love how curious they are but oh my gosh It can get a bit old after a while if you know what I mean. He if fully out of diapers and is doing great he is even night trained all ready. He is learning his colors and numbers and ABC he catches on super quick. Everyday he amazes me with something he says or does. He can be a handful I will be the first to admit that but he brings such laughter and joy into our lives every day I would take all the craziness he brings just for one of his amazing little smiles or extraordinary hugs. Every night he snuggles up to us and says in his angelic little voice " I love my family very much" and names all of us off mommy daddy Pinky and he says even Riley haha.
Delaney "Pinky" she has four teeth and is practically running around the house. she has to feed herself now and has a little fit it you don't let her. Actually she is getting a little attitude about a lot of things. Yesterday I wouldn't let her play with scissors ( I know how could I) so she threw her arms down at her sides in protest and began to scream and me. I just laughed and thought wow it has all ready started. haha she is talking more and babbling a lot. She loves to play hide and seek with Matthew she giggles so hard its too funny. She loves her daddy and really likes when he brushes her hair, which is so long now I can put it in a little pony tail in the back. She has stopped nursing and has started sleeping through the night woopee for the sleep. She is still in cloth diapers and its is so much easier then I had thought. Her little tushie thanks me for it. lol
Well if you can believe it, that is the short version haha

September 9th

I think I have officially stopped Breastfeeding, and I am a little sad about it. Breastfeeding came so easy with Delaney she really made it a great pleasure. she wasn't a hard baby at all in that department. I heard it was going to be so hard to stop nursing her, people would tell me it took them so long to wean, but it was so easy to wean her I had to stop and think wow am I really done is it over? She has started sleeping through the night now for the past 3 days. I put her crib bumper back in her crib and I think that has a lot to do with her sleeping so well. she is in wool covers over her cloth so her little bum gets a lot of air flow which I think is so much more comfortable for her, and she is walking like crazy now so she is pretty tired when her little head hits the mattress. My baby is growing up so fast. I am starting to freak out. Today I was talking to my Grandma on the phone and I was telling her how freaked out I am about going on a the cruise and I almost started crying. I am so scared to go and have something happen to us, I can hardly write about it now without crying. (luckily no body can see if I am or not). I am such a worry wart I know, but I really can't help it. Sometimes I think I have mild OCD when it comes to stuff like that I almost feel like I have to worry or over think every thing. if I don't' worry something bad might really happen. Its super hard to explain, I am sure others out there can relate and explain it so much better then me. All I know is that I can't be one of those people that are everything is going to be fine Cause what if its not. Then what huh. I have these lame conversations with my self all day everyday back and forth the two little Reginas in my Brain arguing with themselves over what to worry about and what not to worry about. I see why some people just snap. Can you just picture two little Mes yelling at each other lol oh just that thought alone mad me smile Thanks self I needed that.

September 5th

I have never really been one to stress to hard about money, but man its so hard not to now a days. Everything is getting so expensive! every where you turn people are loosing homes, major business are shutting down. Just to drive around town to run errands it cost and arm and a leg in gas. Its hard to save for the future when you can hardly pay for the day to day stuff. I know that me going back to work won't even help because it will cost more to put the kids in day care( which I cringe at the thought of some stranger watching my babies) then I would bring home in pay. Plus my old company I use to work for just got bought by the company that Brian works for, so I wouldn't even be able to go back there. Times like I just want to pack up and move to a small town where we can walk ever where grow our own food and let go off all city life stress. It is my goal to get my family out of this state in the next 5 years trade it all in for a nice quiet life in the country were the kids can run and play in the sweet outdoors and just be outside and free. I would miss my Cali friends and family, but it would all be worth it if my kids can have a less stressful carefree life. I am sure that sounds a little naive and people say it would never be like that but I willing to try to make it happen.

September 3rd

Good bye August! Man that was a busy month. Riley turned 8 on Sunday the 31st we had a small but exciting Birthday party for him He got a huge Jumpy house, Cotton candy machine and a spin Art Machine. The kids had a blast. The got loaded up on cotton Candy and jumped there little fannies off in the jumpy house. Saturday we went a really nice back yard wedding and had way way too much fun, and paid for the next day while we were trying to clean the house for the birthday party. Delaney is really starting to walk a lot, last night while I was reading the boys a bedtime story she decided to walk all the way down the hall while holding onto her sippy cup to come and join us for the story. It was so cute and she still has her little sumo walk where she lifts her leg up really high and slams it down and then lifts her other leg up and slams it down lol it cracks me up. She can walk side ways and even back wards all ready too. She loves to dance and shake her head to the music its really funny. All the kids are doing really well. Riley is reading so much better now and he says he really likes 2nd grade we shall see how long that last once real homework starts. He starts up with cub scouts again and soccer is still going great, lots of practice and meeting conflicts with the two but we will be able to work it out. Matthew is getting the cutest little personality he is such a charmer and so very smart. I have such a soft spot in my heart for him, and he knows it. Everybody says he is a little devil but I know that he is just a curious rambunctious 3 year old. September is upon us and I have so much to still do this month. I am trying ot plan my sisters baby shower and get my house in order for our trip, and write out instruction for taking care of the kids. I just got an e-mail about my passport and they said it will be her on or around 10-6 which is just 6 days before our trip that makes me sooooo nervous. Ugh I hate stress. well that's my weekly update now to get back to my life

August 26th

Got some more ink done last night. OH the pain but its so worth it


I also made Delaney a cute little tutu she loves it.

August 25th

Riley started 2nd grade toady, he looked so cute in his school uniform. He has another kid in his class that he has known since pre-school. Hopefully the don't goof off too much. luckily they sit way across the room from each other.
Friday we had a family day in San Fransisco. We rode in on Bart and then took trolley to get to pier 39. we tripped around the pier saw a magic show some sea Lions and rode on the merry-go-round. The kids were a lot better then I had anticipated we lost no one and had no injuries or bathroom accidents. Next I think we are going to take them to Alcatraz.

August 21

The house is quiet and so peaceful right now, it makes me think of the times when I didn't have 3 kids. Its hard to image life with out them and all there wonderful noise. but I do cherish these times of quiet, and i know that I also should cherish all the noise as strange as that sounds. I know how fast they grow up and sooner then I know it they will be teenagers and will rarely be home. I wonder what kind of parent I will be when they are older. I know for sure I am going to be a worrier. I think Matthew will be the hardest to tame lol he has such a strong personalty all ready and he is only 3, but I also know he will be the one who will come to me for anything, he will be the kid who I can have the late night conversations with. I really hate to think to far into the future I really want to just live in the moment and love every second with them. I want to give them boundaries and rules but I also don't want their lives so structured they hate it. I hope I can really find that middle ground and as a parent that is so hard to do.
This month has been flying by Riley turns 8 next week and he starts school in a few days I will have to post a picture of him in his new school uniform. October will be here before we know it. We got our passports all sent off and hopefully get those some time in the next few weeks. our airline tickets are purchased and now I just have to do some clothes shopping and we should be all set. the only thing we need is money to spend on the vacation. lol well I better start my day and get as many chores done before the little ones wake up. :)

august 15th

so I got up Early today well actually Delaney got up early today I had no choice but to get up. lol I was thinking of all the "things" I really used as a mother,and all the "things" I thought I needed but really didn't so I am making a list in hopes of helping all my friends who are becoming new mothers them selves. So they can save the money they spend on the things they don't really need and spend the money on the things that really do help. These are just my opinions what works for me wont' work for everybody

These are the tings I have never stop using over the years with all 3 of my kids.

*A good sling here are some great links for good slings- www.peppermint.com, http://www.nurturecenter.com/home.html
I used a sling with all 3 of my kids. With Riley he had colic and would not let me put him down, for Matthew he was a cluster feeder and wanted to nurse all the time, and with Delaney she is such a chunk wearing her takes a lot of stress of my back. It took me a while to get over the learning curve but once I did I couldn't live with out my sling.

* A bouncy seat
I like the bouncy seats they are a great portable sleeping place. The move easily from room to room and you can keep a close eye on them wherever you are.

*For nursing moms you need some comfortable fitting nursing bras, don't' get fooled into buying the most expensive either, I found mine at motherhood I bought two that were $20 a piece and a year later they still are working great.
Also good nursing pads I love the lansolin.

*a good bassinet,crib,play pen. I think a good sturdy simple one works you don't really need all the toy attachment and crazy stuff. just as long as it portable and sturdy

*A changing table
To me I thought this was not a must have until my back was aching from changing my son on the bed.

* baby legs
I just discovered these for my last baby and wish I would have found them sooner. They make diaper changes so easy, and when they start crawling they keep your baby's legs protected.

*something musical to play in baby's room to help them sleep. I got a baby mp3 player from Playskool. its nice portable and you can put any music on it and it holds a ton of songs.

* clip on baby chair the ones that clip onto the table used for all 3 of my kids

* Last but not least a magic baby Blanket Made by Me lol

Here are a few things I thought I really needed but really didn't
*diaper Genni
used but only for a few months

*bottle warmer
Waste of money

* wipe warmer :(

*lots of toys
yeah toys are fun at first but babies lose interest really fast. to me all babies really like for the first year are happy smiling faces, rattles, music,and food. I thought getting all the cool toys would keep the baby occupied and I could do things around the house, but no toys are good unless you play with the baby too.

* swings
I am on the fence about swings I had one and used it but I hated it cause it wasn't portable. I use the bounce seat more. to me they take up a lot of space and take a lot of batteries. @ out of 3 of my kids liked them but they also like a bouncy seat just as much.

* Fancy TV baby monitor

*co-sleepers
uncomfortable

Well I am sure there are many more I can put on both list but that is enough for now. The thing I do know after having 3 kids is As a mom you do whatever you need to do just to survive! Being a parent is tough and you have moments but those moments pass and the good days always out weigh the bad.

August 12

Its late Tuesday night, Delaney is still awake and crying poor baby. The boys are asleep. Its only Tuesday and its all ready been a stressful week, well actually its been a stressful month. I can barley think about the day to day stuff much less the stuff I need to plan for a month down the road. It's sad but I hope next year will be a little less caotic. The most stressful thing right now is the cruise we have coming up in October, isn't that suppose to be the less stressful thing. lol
on a high note This past Sunday we had Delaney's first birthday party and it went pretty well. It was uncomfortable hot and the all the kids got a little too crazy but it turned out to be a great day. Delaney was in a super mood the whole day and she seemed to really enjoy all the people.

Here is a cute picture of her and her cake.

August 5 ! were did July go?

Summer time is almost over. August is one of the biggest months for me. Delaney turns one on the 8th, my baby sister turns 28 on the 13 and Riley turns 8 on the 31st.
Riley also starts school this year super early on the 25th. This will be the first year he gets to celebrate his birthday with his classmates. I am pretty excited about that. I am hoping this year I will be able to volunteer in his classroom more then I did in the past.
on side note I got more more done on my tattoo. its really starting to take some shape it looks so 3D now, can't wait to see the color in it.
We are getting ready for our cruise to the Caribbean, its right around the corner. I have so much planning to do, and on top of planning for that I still have to remember all the day to day stuff I have to do. Soccer practices and games, birthday parties to plan,daily tutoring sessions for Riley and the list goes on and on. ugh I don't know how some people do it. I got up at 6 this morning just to start my day early so I could get a head start on my cleaning and laundry before all the kids got up. I shouldn't even be on here lol