my three men

New beds

2010-03-13T07:34:00.005-06:00

So its been awhile, but I thought I'd post a few pictures of the new bed set up the boys have. Connor had been in a twin and Collin in the crib but Collin figured out how to climb out so we knew it was time for a change. We had a toddler bed on hand but my parents wanted to get rid of the other twin they had so we decided to push the two twins together to make a big bed for the boys to share. We threw an old futon mattress on top to cover the seam of the beds. I was nervous b/c Collin is a little monkey so I wasn't sure if he would stay in bed or if I'd hear him destroying the house in the middle of the night. So far he's done wonderful! He went right to sleep the first night while I was sitting with them reading. When he woke up the next morning he walked into our bedroom with a shocked look on his face and said "I got off of my bed!" both confused and proud of his new freedom. The boys love sharing a bed and I think its a great way for them to bond. I think bed sharing of any kind yields better sleep (for us at least) which is why Collin slept in bed with me till he was 15 months. On to the pictures and also some of their new haircuts that they let their Pops give them in exchange for a couple of cookies.

Happy 2nd Birthday Collin!

2009-11-08T22:31:00.003-06:00

Collin turned 2 yesterday. I can't believe my baby is 2 now, hes still nursing and of course, still rear facing in the car. We had a nice little family party, and of course, cake. I used the elmo cake pan to make him a cookie monster cake. He loved it! Thats all for now, Hopefully he'll have his 2 year old checkup this week and i'll post his stats and more pictures then.

Halloween pictures

2009-10-31T23:40:00.007-05:00

at the pumpkin patch

me and Connor

me and Collin

me and my boys

Connor at Boo at the Zoo

Maddie, Collin, Ally, and Lanie at Boo at the Zoo

Collin, Connor, and Maddie after Boo at the Zoo

the kids zonked out after Boo at the Zoo

Connor at the Istrouma Fall Festival

Collin and Connor at the Istrouma Fall Festival

Connor at the Istrouma Fall Festival

Collin and a sweet pup at the LSU sorority TorTing

Connor and Collin TorTing on friday with friends

special halloween breakfast - orange pumpkin shaped pancakes

Collin trying out the butterfly costume
that we got at Old Navy for $2

Connor aka Duke from G.I. Joe

"Duke", "Spider Girl", and the Monkey

all the candy they got

candy zombies

Happy Halloween and Happy Blogiversary to me!

2009-10-31T12:15:00.003-05:00

I've had my blog for a year now! I may not post often but its still be a year. Happy Blogiversary to me!!

And Happy Halloween to everybody. We've been doing halloween up big this year. I took the boys to the pumpkin patch, Boo at the Zoo, trick or treating on sorority row at LSU, trick or treating last night in a friends neighborhood and of course we're going tonight. The boys have gotten tons of candy and been loving every minute of it. And to top it all off, i went to Old Navy yesterday and got 4 costumes (monkey, tiger, dalmatian , and butterfly) all for just $2 a piece, what a deal! Oh and for breakfast i made the boys orange pumpkin shaped pancakes. I'll try to post all the pictures from everything tonight. Hope everybody has a fun and safe Halloween!

Vote For the Kyle David Miller Foundation

2009-09-03T12:39:00.002-05:00

The Kyle David Miller Foundation is a wonderful nonprofit organization that helps spread the word of extended rear facing and extending harnessing and also provides low income families with carseats to keep children safe. They are currently in a contest where the top prize is $10,000 and that would provide seats for a lot of kids. Please visit the KDMF blog for the details and please vote for them and repost.

So good its crazy!

2009-08-05T21:29:00.004-05:00

I know its been a month since I last blogged but I promise that this recipe will totally make up for it. It.is.delicious!

I needed something to bring to a potluck and was having a hard time coming up with an idea but then I remembered having this dip at my sisters bridal shower a week ago and decided to try to recreate it. So this is my version of loaded potato dip.

Loaded Potato Dip

1- 8oz tub of chive and onion cream cheese (plain is ok) – room temp

1- Stick of butter or margarine – room temp

1- 8oz bag of shredded cheddar cheese

1- 3oz jar of real bacon

Tonys

Mix the cream cheese and butter till combined. Add the cheddar and bacon and mix. Season to taste with Tonys. Great on a cracker or on top of a baked potato.

Trip to the New Orleans Aquarium

2009-07-05T21:29:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday we went to the Aquarium with some of Shawns family, here are some pictures.

Connor's 4th birthday Party

2009-06-26T18:04:00.009-05:00

So my big boy turned 4. Where has the time gone? We had a small Lego party and he LOVED it. He had so much fun playing with her friends and loved all his presents and the party was a huge success.

What an excited 4yo looks like.

Best friends enjoying birthday cake.

3rd and final attempt at a picture
of some of the party guests

Of course the cake.

This is the Lego Zoo that we got Connor for his birthday. It was the one thing he asked for (over and over, no less) and he loves it. Its super cute and I got a good deal on it since I had a $10 Lego.com gift card (thanks to Pampers gifts to grow) and a $5 off online coupon code.

Tomorrow my baby turns 4

2009-06-18T22:00:00.001-05:00

But for now hes still a sleeping 3 year old.

Sneak Peak

2009-06-17T21:33:00.004-05:00

Connor turns 4 on friday and we had his party sunday. A full birthday post will be up after the big day but for now i leave you with a picture of his awesome cake that i made.

Great deal for cereal lovers

2009-06-03T16:11:00.003-05:00

ok so i am big on saving money and love a good deal (look at the list of blogs i read)

anyway, right now at albertsons they have a deal where you buy 4 boxes of cereal for $14, and then you get 3 free (same transaction). it'll ring up at $3.50 a box and then 10.50 will get taken off for the 3 free. THEN it'll print out 3 coupons, each for a free gallon of milk (up to $3). the albertsons brand is on sale for $2.99. the milk has to be done in a separate transaction but it can be immediately after. you do pay tax on the milk and you can't do a debit for only .24 so be sure to have change.

so for $14 plus tax i got 7 boxes of cereal and 3 gallons of milk. we're not actually big cereal eaters but we always need milk so the way i look at it, i got 3 gallons of milk for $9 and 7 boxes of cereal @ .72 a piece. really you can't beat a deal like that.

the cereals you can choose from are
corn flakes 18oz
frosted flakes 23 oz
rice krispies 18 oz
corn pops 17.2 oz
froot loops 17 oz
apple jacks 17 oz

Happy Birthday to me!!!

2009-05-31T23:30:00.003-05:00

yesterday was my 26th birthday. everybody kept acting like i was so old, which was so funny b/c i dont feel old at all. not that i think 26 is old either. whatever, lol.
the day was great. i took Connor to get his hair cut and throughout the course of the day was asked 4787413282 times when i was gonna get Collin's hair cut. NEVER! ahahahaha. the funny thing is, i do realize that its a shaggy mess and i have thought about getting it trimmed but the more people tell me i need to cut it, the less likely i am to do it. i've always been very rebellious when it comes to hair. i'm weird like that.
anyway. my sisters engagement party was also yesterday and it was great. it was just suppose to be a chance for the two familys to get together and meet but i had no idea there would be so many people there. it was so much fun. not only is she marrying a great guy but he has a wonderful family.
as far as pictures if i every find the cord for my camera i'll post some

Keep praying for Stellan

2009-04-21T10:19:00.003-05:00

Stellan is in surgery right now and we all need to be praying for him. Hes extremely young for this surgery and the doctors dont really know what they're gonna find or do so lets all pray that God gives them a steady hand and a strong mind and that Stellan comes out of this much better.

Keep those kids rear facing!

2009-04-02T22:09:00.006-05:00

the American academy of pediatrics has finally updated their recommendation to say that children should stay rear facing in their carseat till they are at least 2 years old.... its about time.

just a quick run down, children should be rear facing at least till they are 2, but really till they reach the max rear facing limit on their convertible carseat (provided they have 1 inch of shell over their head). most convertible seats RF to 33 or 35 pounds.

Collin rear facing at 16 months (24#)

then once forward facing they should remain in a 5 point harness till they're around the age of 6. children under the age of 6 are not able to control their impulses which means they are not going to sit properly in a booster. of course if they still fit in their harnessed seat then they should continue using that until they reach the limit since a 5 point harness is safer. (4 years in the MININUM for a booster). most seats use to only harness to 40# but there are many seats out there that harness past that (50/65/even to 80#).

Connor - 3 1/2 and harnessed (35#)

then its time for a booster. the booster seat helps to properly position the adult seat belt on a non adult body. they should remain in a booster until they pass the 5 step test

Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

if you answer no for any of those then the child should continue to use the booster.

and above all the seat needs to be properly installed and properly used. the harness should always be snug and the chest clip should be at chest level.

Stellan needs your prayers

2009-03-25T01:21:00.001-05:00

Dinner Menu 2/1 - 2/7

2009-02-03T14:38:00.001-06:00

Sunday - Steak, french fries and salad (we didn't eat it last Friday so it got pushed back)

Monday - Spaghetti

Tuesday - Red beans and rice

Wednesday - Hamburgers and french fries

Thursday - Baked turkey breast, mashed potatos, corn

Friday - Fried catfish, french fries, fried okra

Saturday - Tacos

I did pretty good following last weeks menu. There were only 2 nights that I deviated and both times I just pushed everything down a day. I also already have next weeks menu planned but I wont post it till the end of this one. I bought everything I need for this week and next already and I really think its gonna keep me from having to run to the store for stuff, which is good b/c we don't have much money left. As far as saving money, I only used 4 coupons for a total of $3.45 of savings but if I did that every time I did my big shopping trip (every 2 weeks) that's almost $90 a year so I think its a great start!

Oh and I'm very excited that a few of ya'll are interested in my recipe for General Tso chicken so know that I am working on it and I should have it ready by the middle of next week. I want to test it one more time before I post it and its not on the menu till next Sunday so it'll be after that.

One last thing, happy blogoversary to Krystyn at Really, Are you Serious

dinner menu 1/25- 1/30

2009-01-25T22:56:00.002-06:00

So in my attempt to save money I'm trying to plan out our meals for the week. That way I can actually make a grocery list based on what we need instead of just going up and down the isles tossing stuff that I know we use in the buggy. So here's tonight through Friday.

Sunday - Chili
Monday - Hamburgers and french fries
Tuesday - General Tso Chicken (homemade, I have almost perfected the recipe and I'll share mine once I do)
Wednesday - Spaghetti
Thursday - Chicken with BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese and bacon. Bacon green beans, & mac n cheese
Friday - Steak and fries and/or salad

I'm hoping that by planning out our meals I'll be able to keep from having to run to the store all the freaking time. Because trust me, with two kids, that can be quite the pain in the butt. I also started working on my coupon binder tonight, I clipped all the coupons from last weeks paper and got about 1/3 of them put in, hopefully that will make it easier to keep up with them.

my newest cake

2009-01-23T22:43:00.003-06:00

tomorrow is my sisters birthday so i made her a cake, i needed a chance to test out my newest cake pan anyway so that would be why i made her a Lightning McQueen cake. it came out pretty good considering i had to make it in stages b/c the kids kept being needy.

I'm a bad blogger

2009-01-21T23:41:00.004-06:00

so i'm doing a bum job at project 365, it should be day 21 and i haven't posted a picture since day 15. and its not like i'm just behind on posting, i also haven't been taking pictures much either. oh well. i have, however, added a bunch of blogs to my list to read and most of them have something to do with saving money. one of my goals is to save up some money and the best way i can do that is to not spend so much (DUH!) and so i've been reading all these blogs trying to understand things like CVSing and how to get the most out of coupons and sales. i've always been a good shopper but i can see that there are mamas out that that are amazing shoppers. so if anybody else is looking to do the same check out some of the blogs i have listed.

also prayers are needed for some of the blog familys i read about: the Tubre Quads have one in the hospital and 3 more at home sick, the Wright Five had a kido pass out and shes in the hospital now, and the Gerwer Quads are all sick and their mama is in the hospital sick too. so if you pray then say a prayer for all of them. and also for my grampy whos in the hospital, he was having an irregular heartbeat yesterday and so they're trying to get it back in sync.

Project 365 - Day 15

2009-01-15T21:43:00.002-06:00

toddler fashion. omg, hes a toddler...eep!

Connor asked me to cut his hair tonight and heres the end look.

Connor likes to pretend hes a dog and this is Connordog giving daddy a doggy kiss

Project 365 - Day 14

2009-01-14T23:35:00.002-06:00

Collin trying to shoot mommy with a rubber band

Connor passed out on the couch

Connor actually took this picture but hubby was making such a funny face that i had to post it

Crazy Collin

Crazier Collin

Project 365 - Day 13

2009-01-13T23:13:00.007-06:00

today the boys and i went outside to try and rake up some of the leaves and pile them up for the boys to play in and they had a blasty blast (yes i watched Dane Cook tonight)

Collin

Connor

all the leaves

if you look closely in this picture you'll see that all the big outside toys have been knocked over. that is because i have a crazy 3 year old. he went on a toy tearing rampage while we were outside.

Connor running at me

i managed to snap this picture as he was diving into me. apparently knocking over all the toys wasn't enough he had to come after me also.

Collin

Connor

Collin

the boys in the leaves

Collin

Collin having a snack

wild man Connor

Connor was having so much fun

there is a weed right there and hes trying to stomp it

after we came in i gave the boys a snack and poor Collin passed out in his high chair

Project 365 - Day 12

2009-01-12T23:48:00.003-06:00

when i told Connor it was time to get out of the
tub he grabbed the soap bar thing and was holding
on for dear life because he did NOT want to get out.

Project 365 - Day 11

2009-01-11T23:06:00.003-06:00

the little rugrat FINALLY fell asleep, on the couch

my new ab lounger. i post this picture
while eating a whole bag of mint milanos...

Project 365 - Day 10

2009-01-10T23:53:00.003-06:00

busted!

i found a great deal on some legos at target today and was gonna put them up till Connors birthday (in june). this is him closing his eyes 5 minutes after i got home so i could give them to him

its hard to tell in the picture but he was really excited about them, it was thomas the train in lego duplos

date night!

Project 365 - Day 9

2009-01-09T23:51:00.006-06:00

Connor riding the carousel at the mall today

my sweet boys - they're actually loving on each other

Collin

So I threw that (extreamly soft and under inflated) ball at Connor and managed to get this picture just before it hit him in the head.

matching boys with matching cups all snuggled together

Project 365 - Day 8

2009-01-08T22:48:00.005-06:00

today they were a little more cooperative when i tried to take a posed picture, Connor actually really wanted to take this picture

helping Kacie make Bens birthday dessert

my sister Kacie... 'nuff said

Project 365 - Day 7

2009-01-07T22:28:00.003-06:00

silly face

another silly face

this is what it looks like when I try to take a posed picture of the boys

look, another silly face from Collin

my sweet Connor

they were both trying to climb over the couch, they are so wild

my crazy naked boy

hes just so cute!

"what you want?"
i swear this kid is gonna make me crazy, look how sassy he is,
and he's only 14 months (tomorrow)

does this picture look familiar?

Project 365 - Day 6

2009-01-06T22:49:00.003-06:00

the turtle talks and Connor was talking back to him

Collin LOVES his daddys silky pj pants so even though the
butt is busted out we keep them so he can play with them

"What?"

look how long this kid is!

Collin is trying to stand on the push toy, hes crazy!

"take my picture mom! CHEESE!"

Not Me Monday

2009-01-05T22:23:00.003-06:00

So remember a few days ago when I posted about baby Stellan being sick (hes 100% better by the way)? Well his mom, MckMama started this thing called Not Me Monday and I've decided to give it a try. So here goes.

I did not buy 36 boxes of Christmas lights on clearance last week. And I certainly did not wonder if I should get more.

I did not threaten to throw my 3 year olds blanket away if he didn't listen to me.

I did not eat a HUGE piece of my sisters king cake yesterday and tell her that it was to help her loose weight for her wedding.

I did not go to the store tonight to "buy milk" just so I could get a king cake of my own. And I definitely haven't already eaten 3/4 of it.

I'm sure theres more that I didn't do this week but I need to get to bed.

Project 365 - Day 5

2009-01-05T21:35:00.004-06:00

Hubby put on Super Why this evening and the boys both dropped what they were playing with (literally) and Connor sat down and then Collin sat down in Connors lap. It was very sweet.

Project 365 - Day 4

2009-01-04T22:50:00.003-06:00

I'm not real good with rules and I'm pretty sure with project 365 you're just supposed to pick one picture a day, but, well like I said, I'm not good with rules. So today I'm posting 2 pictures.
Here's the first:

This is the face of a little boy who just had his first taste of king cake. He LOVED it. He was wondering why it was taking me so long to give him more.

This was just too cute. Collin decided he was going to put on my sisters shoes and then he managed to walk around the den wearing them.

Project 365 - Day 3

2009-01-03T22:14:00.003-06:00

it was storming outside earlier, we even got a little hail, and the boys were fascinated with it.

Project 365 - Day 2

2009-01-02T23:25:00.003-06:00

This picture may not seem like much of a picture, but to me its just shows the fun that will come next Christmas when it's time to decorate. You see, I'm one of those people that would have the house on the tacky lights tour at Christmas. I LOVE Christmas lights. And lots of them. And I think I proved it this year when it came to buying them. I bought alot, and not a small alot, but a big alot. In fact, I'm not sure the picture does it justice (partly because thats only the ones I bought after christmas). So I'll give you a run down on the numbers. Before Christmas i went to walmart to buy some lights and picked up about 10 boxes at like $2.44 a box. Then a few days after Christmas I went back to see what they had on clearance, and bought 12 more boxes at $1.25 a box. A day or so after that I went to target to find that their Christmas stuff was already 75% off so I decided that I would buy 24 boxes there (at .60 a box) and return the dozen I got at half off back to walmart. Well today I found out that walmart doesnt do returns on seasonal items so I couldnt return them. Truth be told I really wasnt upset because it just means I have even more lights for next year. So grand total of lights bought this year, 46 boxes (of 100ct) and I spent about $55. Next year I'll have the brightest house on the block, and the highest entergy bill to go with it!

Project 365 - Day 1

2009-01-01T22:56:00.005-06:00

A very mad little boy, he HATES baby gates

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T17:12:00.004-06:00

Here's to a great 2009. I'm definitely making some resolutions this year (and keeping them!). Its going to be a very busy year with a wild one year old and a information absorbing 3 1/2 year old. I'm gonna start homeschooling Connor (for now, not a long term thing for us) and I have some great ideas for learning projects for him. Its funny when you tell people that you're gonna home school a 3 year old, many act like its a tragedy, when in reality, any stay at home mom knows that you're always homeschooling them. Everything you do with them is teaching them something. We're just taking a more structured approach to it. I'm actually sorta nervous about it because I have found that I get very frustrated when he doesn't seem to understand things. For example today I was trying to get him to try tracing some letters, but he doesn't know how to hold a pencil so he just scribbles and then I get annoyed. And I know I can't expect him to just know how to do it, but its still frustrating. So I guess it will be a learning experience for both of us.

As for blogging, I'm going to do Project 365. I read about it on another blog and thought it might be cool to try. Basically you take a picture a day for an entire year. It should be something neat to look back on.

Happy New Year!!

MckMuffin needs prayers!

2008-12-29T21:24:00.002-06:00

anybody who prays needs to take a minute tonight to say a prayer for this miracle baby. Stellan is very sick right now and needs all the prayers he can get. you can click on the picture to see MckMamas blog and read the latest on him.

Merry Christmas to all!!

2008-12-26T22:49:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

more pictures to come soon

Sneaux Day

2008-12-15T11:17:00.013-06:00

So I've been slacking on blogging and I'm even behind on posting about this but Thursday it snowed here, in Baton Rouge, which is crazy. I actually woke the boys up so they could play in it and I NEVER wake up sleeping kids. They loved it. Onto the pictures.

Brothers in the Snow.

Collin's first time seeing snow.

Collin trying not to fall face first in the snow.

Look at all that beautiful snow.

Mommy and Connor (yes I look like crap, it was early).

Collin and Mommy.

The classic "footprint in the snow" picture. I swear everybody in Baton Rouge took a picture like this.

Just a pretty picture.

Connor sleeping after.

Collin sleeping after.

It was beautiful and so much fun to watch the boys play in it. The power went out for about 3 hours though and brought back memories of Hurricane Gustav and it was just weird. In like 4 months we had a terrible hurricane and a "winter storm" and trees fell both times blocking our street.

Happy Birthday Collin!

2008-11-09T21:32:00.007-06:00

i can't believe my baby turned one yesterday. we had a nice party and then watched the LSU game. i was pretty bummed that we lost, espically after we blocked that field goal at the end, i really thought when that happened that we had it but oh well. just not our year this year. anyway, here are a few pictures from the party and yes, i did make all the cakes.
Collin's football cake

the LSU cake that i made. i did NOT have cake pans for those letters, i had to cut rectangle cakes into the letters

enjoying his cake

spitting at LSU's QB who played like crap

tired after a long day of partying

Oh Hell

2008-11-04T22:47:00.001-06:00

i am just in shock. really. i can't believe this happened. i'm pretty sure i'm gonna be sick.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T22:47:00.002-05:00

i took the boys to my dads work for a halloween party yesterday and they had fun. then in the evening my BIL and niece came over and we all took the kids trick or treating, we were all kinda bummed that not many houses had their lights on, and i was downright annoyed that our crazy neighboor was sitting outside, with his light on, and had no candy, he had the nerve to give the kids apples! yeah like thats what they wanted. not to mention fruit isnt a safe thing to accept as a treat b/c who knows what's been done to it. and while i dont think hes a dangerous man, i do think hes nuts. he has his high school alma mater flag ABOVE his American flag on his flagpole, which is just wrong.

anyway, here are some pictures

Connor and my niece

Collin

all in all it was an ok night, not alot of houses had their lights on and the kids got tired of walking past 10 houses just to get to 1 with candy, which left me strapping both boys in the single stroller and putting my niece on my back (she almost 7 and about 50# so it wasnt easy) and walking probably about a mile home like that, so yeah i was tired. but hey, such is the life of a mom, at least they got a lot of candy for me to steal!

i'm blogging!

2008-10-31T22:39:00.001-05:00

so i decided to try to start a blog. it should be interesting since i've never been good at writing.
a little about me first. i'm 25 and married to my wonderful hubby Shawn and we have 2 sons, Connor, who is 3, and Collin, who turns 1 next week. they keep us very busy. Shawn is a computer nerd and i stay at home with the boys. i love to bake and decorate cakes. i'm also very passionate about carseat safety, so don't be surprised if you see lots of info about them. enjoy!