This has been an awesome year! I started this blog a little over a year ago. I am so glad for all the stories, updates, and pictures of our two perfect miracles. About a year ago, our life seemed crazy, but amazing. Now, our life still seems crazy, but amazing. I love the memories.
I have decided that at this point in my life, I need to take a break from blogging, along with some other "modern" distractions that keep my attention away from my God, my family, and my friends. Thank you all for thinking that my blog is "interesting" enough to read! We will still have funny stories and updates on the kids, but will just need to invite you over for dinner to discuss them. :)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
10 reasons we are blessed
These past couple of weeks have been a little rough for us. Currently all 4 of us are sick and sleep seems to be a thing of the past. There have been a lot of disappointments over the last week. Riley had a fever for 6 days, has a mild case of pneumonia, and has a double ear infection. Quinn has had a fever for 5 days and coughs and vomits much of the day and night. Thankfully he has tubes, so no ear infection for him yet. There has been lots and lots and lots of crying. I would be embarrassed to have anyone see our house. It is a disaster and I don't remember the last time I cleaned the bathrooms.
I think it is acceptable to admit that things are really hard sometimes. It seems like many of us, including myself, put on that ever so famous smile to show the world that we have it all together. Well guess what? We don't! Sometimes our situations just stink and it is ok to not have it all together, however, during those times we need God more then ever. No matter how tired, grumpy, sick we are, our God deserves praise. God has blessed our family with so much these past two weeks even though we are a mess! Below are just a few of the blessings we have been given.
1. We have adorable children. Even when they are sick and have snot all over their face and hair, they are the most beautiful children I have ever seen!
2. In the midst of his miserable cold, Quinn has learned the word "no". You may wonder why its a blessing. Well, its because he is so cute when he says it (for now). He says "no" in such a calm, quiet voice and it sounds more like "nooooooooooo". I have never heard it said so innocently.
3. We are blessed with Kleenex, medicine, doctors, and water. Those things are a luxury for so many.
4. We saved money on our grocery bill because none of us had appetites this week. Most importantly, we have the ability to buy groceries when we need them.
5. We have an amazing support system of family and friends who visit, babysit at the last minute (thanks Grandma Susan), call, and pray for us.
6. Even though I woke up at 4:30am today, I was able to have the luxury of taking a long, quiet, hot shower.
7. If Riley and Quinn were able to express their thankfulness, I am sure they would say they were thankful for the extra treats, cuddle time, and constant movie watching this week. I just asked Riley what she was thankful for and she said, "I'm thankful that brother is 4 and I am 9".
8. Mark was able to visit his brother from Texas last night. Mike made a surprise visit while traveling on business.
9. The middle of the night prayers and cuddling.
10. God's grace when we mess up.
I think it is acceptable to admit that things are really hard sometimes. It seems like many of us, including myself, put on that ever so famous smile to show the world that we have it all together. Well guess what? We don't! Sometimes our situations just stink and it is ok to not have it all together, however, during those times we need God more then ever. No matter how tired, grumpy, sick we are, our God deserves praise. God has blessed our family with so much these past two weeks even though we are a mess! Below are just a few of the blessings we have been given.
1. We have adorable children. Even when they are sick and have snot all over their face and hair, they are the most beautiful children I have ever seen!
2. In the midst of his miserable cold, Quinn has learned the word "no". You may wonder why its a blessing. Well, its because he is so cute when he says it (for now). He says "no" in such a calm, quiet voice and it sounds more like "nooooooooooo". I have never heard it said so innocently.
3. We are blessed with Kleenex, medicine, doctors, and water. Those things are a luxury for so many.
4. We saved money on our grocery bill because none of us had appetites this week. Most importantly, we have the ability to buy groceries when we need them.
5. We have an amazing support system of family and friends who visit, babysit at the last minute (thanks Grandma Susan), call, and pray for us.
6. Even though I woke up at 4:30am today, I was able to have the luxury of taking a long, quiet, hot shower.
7. If Riley and Quinn were able to express their thankfulness, I am sure they would say they were thankful for the extra treats, cuddle time, and constant movie watching this week. I just asked Riley what she was thankful for and she said, "I'm thankful that brother is 4 and I am 9".
8. Mark was able to visit his brother from Texas last night. Mike made a surprise visit while traveling on business.
9. The middle of the night prayers and cuddling.
10. God's grace when we mess up.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
How old are you?
Doesn't she look mature (and beautiful)?
I know I have mentioned this many times, but the "terrible twos" have actually been fairly easy for us. I think that is the case for two reasons:
1. She is an overachiever and had her rough patch at 16 months.
2. She is so stinkin funny!
Here are a few examples:
* For the past week, every time I ask her how old she is, she tells me she is 14. Really? I have no clue why she chooses 14 over all the numbers she knows. She does have some characteristics of a 14-year-old, but lets enjoy 2 for a while.
* Some of her new sayings include "Oh, boy", "Come on chicka", "That's disgusting", and "Brother, you listen to Riley".
* Yesterday I found Riley changing Quinn's diaper. At the ripe age of 2, she has taken the role of Quinn's mother. She also combs his hair, washes his face, spanks him, and has him sit on her lap.
* Quinn made a mess of his pudding and I was laughing at him. Riley was jealous so she spread pudding all over her face to get me to laugh at her.
* During dinner, Quinn fell backwards in his chair. As I was comforting him, Riley jumped out of her seat, made sure he was ok, ran to get a broom, then proceeded to sweep the crumbs from his booster seat.
* She calls Quinn, Quinton. We use that name too, but not very often.
I love that girl!
I know I have mentioned this many times, but the "terrible twos" have actually been fairly easy for us. I think that is the case for two reasons:
1. She is an overachiever and had her rough patch at 16 months.
2. She is so stinkin funny!
Here are a few examples:
* For the past week, every time I ask her how old she is, she tells me she is 14. Really? I have no clue why she chooses 14 over all the numbers she knows. She does have some characteristics of a 14-year-old, but lets enjoy 2 for a while.
* Some of her new sayings include "Oh, boy", "Come on chicka", "That's disgusting", and "Brother, you listen to Riley".
* Yesterday I found Riley changing Quinn's diaper. At the ripe age of 2, she has taken the role of Quinn's mother. She also combs his hair, washes his face, spanks him, and has him sit on her lap.
* Quinn made a mess of his pudding and I was laughing at him. Riley was jealous so she spread pudding all over her face to get me to laugh at her.
* During dinner, Quinn fell backwards in his chair. As I was comforting him, Riley jumped out of her seat, made sure he was ok, ran to get a broom, then proceeded to sweep the crumbs from his booster seat.
* She calls Quinn, Quinton. We use that name too, but not very often.
I love that girl!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Haircuts
We ventured out today to get haircuts. We went to a cute little barber shop in Leo. They are super cheap and so friendly!
She sat as still as I have ever seen her sit. I think she was just confused.
He did not sit still. I don't know how she did it.
Quinn looks so much older. A lot of his strawberry blond hair he was born with was cut off. Now he has light blond hair. A little sad, but still cute...
Riley's hair is cute. I will miss the pig tails, but it will be much easier to manage.
All in all, it went amazingly smooth considering the fact I took a 1 and 2 year old to get a haircut by myself.
She sat as still as I have ever seen her sit. I think she was just confused.
He did not sit still. I don't know how she did it.
Quinn looks so much older. A lot of his strawberry blond hair he was born with was cut off. Now he has light blond hair. A little sad, but still cute...
Riley's hair is cute. I will miss the pig tails, but it will be much easier to manage.
All in all, it went amazingly smooth considering the fact I took a 1 and 2 year old to get a haircut by myself.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Deals
I typically get annoyed when people take pictures of all their shopping deals, but I am sure it is just because I am jealous. Recently I have been working hard to save money on groceries and toiletries. It is very time consuming, however I know it is a great way to be a good steward of my money. This weekend I was able to get some good deals and took pictures to show to Mark. I don't think he was quite as excited as me, but Riley was very excited to get a new princess toothbrush. I hope this is the only time I do this...
Spent $13.00, got $10.00 back
Spent $18.00, got $13.00 back
This picture has nothing to do with shopping. It is just another example of Riley's clothes changing obsession. At least a bathing suit is appropriate for dish washing.
Spent $13.00, got $10.00 back
Spent $18.00, got $13.00 back
This picture has nothing to do with shopping. It is just another example of Riley's clothes changing obsession. At least a bathing suit is appropriate for dish washing.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
The naughty things that make me smile
Disciplining my children is not too much fun, but its necessary. Thankfully, there are times when you just want to laugh at your child's reaction. The humor changes things up a bit.
Quinn is getting to the age where he needs to start learning some lessons. I have come to have a strong dislike for disciplining one-year-olds. They need it, however, they do the same thing over and over for months and being consistent as a parent is hard. I have been standing firm on the fact that Quinn will not be allowed to grab knives and other objects out of the dishwasher (I know, I am so mean). After he gets in trouble he turns head to the side, scowls his eyes, points at me using his index and pinkie finger, and growls. Seriously, it is so funny!
Yesterday I told Riley to stand in the corner. I thought it would really bother her to do it. Well, I was wrong, she loved it. She smiled the entire time. Today she has taken it upon herself to "practice". She tries to see how straight she can stand and she lines up her toes and head. I guess I won't be using that method again! Who does that?
Quinn is getting to the age where he needs to start learning some lessons. I have come to have a strong dislike for disciplining one-year-olds. They need it, however, they do the same thing over and over for months and being consistent as a parent is hard. I have been standing firm on the fact that Quinn will not be allowed to grab knives and other objects out of the dishwasher (I know, I am so mean). After he gets in trouble he turns head to the side, scowls his eyes, points at me using his index and pinkie finger, and growls. Seriously, it is so funny!
Yesterday I told Riley to stand in the corner. I thought it would really bother her to do it. Well, I was wrong, she loved it. She smiled the entire time. Today she has taken it upon herself to "practice". She tries to see how straight she can stand and she lines up her toes and head. I guess I won't be using that method again! Who does that?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
This and That
I do have a good reason for taking a blog break. As many of you know, Riley broke many keys off our computer. Our space key is completely out of order now. Mark found a way to switch the space key to the Ctrl key. I can't get use to it. It takes me so long to type and at this very moment I think my blood pressure is rising from trying to focus on hitting the correct keys. I think I may have to blog elsewhere from now on.
Here is what we did for Valentines Day. Mark and I hardly saw each other and I fell asleep at 9:00pm. We are so awesome! Riley and Quinn had a yummy meal including strawberries and chocolate chips for dessert. Doesn't get much better then that!
Is there anything cuter then a puppy chasing a duck (not just a duck, a duck that barks)?
My kids are sick again. It has been a rough fall/winter, especially for Quinn. He had a fever for about 6 days straight. I realized today that I have been wiping his nose since he was born. Poor kid has my sinus issues. Sorry, buddy.
Mark and I went away to Indy this weekend. It was wonderful, relaxing, and we had so much fun just being together alone...well, most of the time. We had a small argument during one of "Mark's adventures". Mark likes to take new and exciting map-free road trips. This happens on every vacation or weekend away. We drove around for an hour and a half and realized our destination was 2 miles from our hotel. It is funny now, but if you ever need a gift idea for Mark, a GPS would be perfect! I love you Mark!
Riley is starting to want to pick her outfits to wear. This was one of her recent picks. After seeing her in her new outfit, all I could do was laugh.
I took Quinn to the doctor last week and was able to get a sitter for Riley. He had been miserable and had not been sleeping well. The second we walked into the office, his fever went away and he began laughing and running. The doctor commented on how happy he was. On the way home, he held his sticker in the air and smiled for 15 minutes. I have concluded he needs a mommy date. I think the one-on-one time made him feel better. I enjoyed just spending time with him alone, even though it was at the doctor's office.
Here is what we did for Valentines Day. Mark and I hardly saw each other and I fell asleep at 9:00pm. We are so awesome! Riley and Quinn had a yummy meal including strawberries and chocolate chips for dessert. Doesn't get much better then that!
Is there anything cuter then a puppy chasing a duck (not just a duck, a duck that barks)?
My kids are sick again. It has been a rough fall/winter, especially for Quinn. He had a fever for about 6 days straight. I realized today that I have been wiping his nose since he was born. Poor kid has my sinus issues. Sorry, buddy.
Mark and I went away to Indy this weekend. It was wonderful, relaxing, and we had so much fun just being together alone...well, most of the time. We had a small argument during one of "Mark's adventures". Mark likes to take new and exciting map-free road trips. This happens on every vacation or weekend away. We drove around for an hour and a half and realized our destination was 2 miles from our hotel. It is funny now, but if you ever need a gift idea for Mark, a GPS would be perfect! I love you Mark!
Riley is starting to want to pick her outfits to wear. This was one of her recent picks. After seeing her in her new outfit, all I could do was laugh.
I took Quinn to the doctor last week and was able to get a sitter for Riley. He had been miserable and had not been sleeping well. The second we walked into the office, his fever went away and he began laughing and running. The doctor commented on how happy he was. On the way home, he held his sticker in the air and smiled for 15 minutes. I have concluded he needs a mommy date. I think the one-on-one time made him feel better. I enjoyed just spending time with him alone, even though it was at the doctor's office.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Long, Winter Days
Over the past couple of weeks...
* We dealt with round 2 of colds/fevers/coughs. They both seem to be doing better today.
* Riley has had minimal accidents and is enjoying changing her underwear EVERY time she goes to the bathroom. I think she got into that routine during potty training when she actually needed to change them constantly. We just let her go through 8 pairs a day. It makes her happy and we allow our children to do whatever makes them happy! (Don't worry mom, its a joke)
* I started working again this week. I cried like a baby Monday before I left. I will be working 20 hours a week. Mark will be staying home with them for now. Hopefully the kids won't be too hard on him. When I came home today there was a trail of poop on the floor. Please pray for him.
* Riley has the verbal skills of a 5-year-old. Yesterday she told Quinn, "Brother, you do not hit or you will sit in the corner!". I don't remember the specifics, but I believe Quinn then smiled and hit her.
* Quinn has been freaking out again when he is in the car. I am not so sure this is just a phase.
* Quinn currently has 4 teeth coming through. Quinn + teething = lots of crying. Poor little guy!
* Quinn does not like cooked carrots. It was the first time he has ever spit something out. I don't blame him.
* Riley finally played in the snow. We are bad parents and do not take our children outside in the winter. It is too cold!
* Quinn needs a haircut, but I just can't do it! He has really pretty hair.
* We are all ready for Spring, sun, warmth, flowers, and long walks!
* Mark and I are so thankful for two beautiful, healthy children!
* We dealt with round 2 of colds/fevers/coughs. They both seem to be doing better today.
* Riley has had minimal accidents and is enjoying changing her underwear EVERY time she goes to the bathroom. I think she got into that routine during potty training when she actually needed to change them constantly. We just let her go through 8 pairs a day. It makes her happy and we allow our children to do whatever makes them happy! (Don't worry mom, its a joke)
* I started working again this week. I cried like a baby Monday before I left. I will be working 20 hours a week. Mark will be staying home with them for now. Hopefully the kids won't be too hard on him. When I came home today there was a trail of poop on the floor. Please pray for him.
* Riley has the verbal skills of a 5-year-old. Yesterday she told Quinn, "Brother, you do not hit or you will sit in the corner!". I don't remember the specifics, but I believe Quinn then smiled and hit her.
* Quinn has been freaking out again when he is in the car. I am not so sure this is just a phase.
* Quinn currently has 4 teeth coming through. Quinn + teething = lots of crying. Poor little guy!
* Quinn does not like cooked carrots. It was the first time he has ever spit something out. I don't blame him.
* Riley finally played in the snow. We are bad parents and do not take our children outside in the winter. It is too cold!
* Quinn needs a haircut, but I just can't do it! He has really pretty hair.
* We are all ready for Spring, sun, warmth, flowers, and long walks!
* Mark and I are so thankful for two beautiful, healthy children!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
What I learned from potty training
1. It is no fun. It really isn't. I felt like I was prepared, but I was not ready to clean pee and poop every 30 minutes. Yuck!
2. It may take more then one attempt. Our first attempt was rough and stressful. It wasn't worth it. Two weeks later it went much better.
3. It will make your carpets disgusting. I don't think I need to go into detail on this one.
4. There is no "correct" way to do it. We did everything different then what the books suggested. Riley has taught us that she is not "typical" and we are ok with that.
5. Potty training with a 1-year-old boy is tough. Quinn enjoys playing in toilets and anything that is wet and dirty.
6. It is hilarious to see my husband's reaction to poop on the floor, walls, and clothes. It just is. I usually just laugh inside then proceed to take care of the mess.
7. It is so worth it. I can not believe how nice it is to only have one child in diapers. The second attempt took about 5 days. She has only had a few accidents over the past week. My little girl is growing up!
Please don't remind me that I will be doing this again in a year.
2. It may take more then one attempt. Our first attempt was rough and stressful. It wasn't worth it. Two weeks later it went much better.
3. It will make your carpets disgusting. I don't think I need to go into detail on this one.
4. There is no "correct" way to do it. We did everything different then what the books suggested. Riley has taught us that she is not "typical" and we are ok with that.
5. Potty training with a 1-year-old boy is tough. Quinn enjoys playing in toilets and anything that is wet and dirty.
6. It is hilarious to see my husband's reaction to poop on the floor, walls, and clothes. It just is. I usually just laugh inside then proceed to take care of the mess.
7. It is so worth it. I can not believe how nice it is to only have one child in diapers. The second attempt took about 5 days. She has only had a few accidents over the past week. My little girl is growing up!
Please don't remind me that I will be doing this again in a year.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
early morning. ear infection. coffee. cuddling. vomiting. fighting. hair pulling. children falling off couches. two minute shower. crying. hugs. potty training. head stuck in pitcher. children falling in toilets. children drinking from toilets. laundry. food thrown across the kitchen. spices being dumped on the floor. laughing. vanilla extract shaken all over the house. more crying. cold dinner. choking. runny noses. biting. messes. mommy crying. story time. bedtime prayers. rest.
Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a mother today.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Catching Up
I know, I know... I haven't been doing very well with updating blogs lately. The Richard house had seemed a tad bit crazy since their birthday. All I can say is that there has been a lot of chaos. I feel completely exhausted at the end of the day. Don't get me wrong, I am truly thankful for both my little blessings, but they sure do make their mommy stay on her toes from before sunrise to after sunset. I am so grateful that no matter how tough our day is, we all get rest at night and are usually refreshed in the morning.
Riley is a big two-year-old and has decided to make potty training a bit smoother the second time around. We decided to take a couple of weeks off and have been starting again over the past week. She is having less accidents and has not been throwing herself on the floor when it is time to use the potty. Even though it has been a lot of work, it sure is nice to only have 1 in diapers. She even does great when we leave the house because she loves public restrooms. Strange, but that is Riley for you! She unfortunately had a stomach bug last week. All I can say is potty training+ stomach bug= disgusting! Poor girl.
Quinn is getting bigger by the day! Tonight at dinner I realized that he has liked every single piece of food given to him since starting solids at 5 months old. It is amazing and wonderful. I know I can count on him to enjoy every new recipe I try. He has been in a "fussy funk". I don't know what else to call it. Since he has turned 1, he has been fussy most of the day. I think he is just frustrated that can't do everything he wants. I know it is just a phase, but it is a little tiring for mommy and daddy to say the least. He now has his two top teeth. So cute!
Here are some pictures from the past few weeks:
How cute are they?!
Notice the wedgie and high heels.
Quinn likes to steal Riley's dolls while she is playing. He takes them from the windows and front door of the doll house.
Our good friend Karen made the towels. They love them!
Quinn reading the Bible
Chasing each other around the house.
Riley being adorable.
Waiting for their cake at their party. Just realized I didn't blog about it. Booo!
Just to let everyone know, we will be debuting in our first television commercial tomorrow. For those in Ft. Wayne, look for us in the McMahon Tire commercial. For anyone interested in our talent, I can give you our agents number.
Riley is a big two-year-old and has decided to make potty training a bit smoother the second time around. We decided to take a couple of weeks off and have been starting again over the past week. She is having less accidents and has not been throwing herself on the floor when it is time to use the potty. Even though it has been a lot of work, it sure is nice to only have 1 in diapers. She even does great when we leave the house because she loves public restrooms. Strange, but that is Riley for you! She unfortunately had a stomach bug last week. All I can say is potty training+ stomach bug= disgusting! Poor girl.
Quinn is getting bigger by the day! Tonight at dinner I realized that he has liked every single piece of food given to him since starting solids at 5 months old. It is amazing and wonderful. I know I can count on him to enjoy every new recipe I try. He has been in a "fussy funk". I don't know what else to call it. Since he has turned 1, he has been fussy most of the day. I think he is just frustrated that can't do everything he wants. I know it is just a phase, but it is a little tiring for mommy and daddy to say the least. He now has his two top teeth. So cute!
Here are some pictures from the past few weeks:
How cute are they?!
Notice the wedgie and high heels.
Quinn likes to steal Riley's dolls while she is playing. He takes them from the windows and front door of the doll house.
Our good friend Karen made the towels. They love them!
Quinn reading the Bible
Chasing each other around the house.
Riley being adorable.
Waiting for their cake at their party. Just realized I didn't blog about it. Booo!
Just to let everyone know, we will be debuting in our first television commercial tomorrow. For those in Ft. Wayne, look for us in the McMahon Tire commercial. For anyone interested in our talent, I can give you our agents number.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Doctor Visit
Last week Riley and Quinn had their two and one year appointments. Occasionally I make their appointment at the same time if I am feeling brave. With both of them running everywhere I knew it could be challenging. Thankfully, my mom was in town and was excited to join us. With the help of snacks and grandma it went fairly smoothly. Riley only peed on the floor once and I was amazing at speed cleaning before the doctor came in the room. I am so thankful my kids are healthy. They are growing like weeds. Riley is 29lbs(70%) and 35in(70%). Quinn is 24lbs(70%) and 31in(85%).
Developmentally, they are growing too. Riley has started to randomly hug me and say, "Mommy, I love you!". It makes my day! She plays with her doll house and has a very impressive imagination. She pretends mommy and daddy fall down the stairs and take baths together. She calls Quinn "brother kinkin". She has recently been making up songs and performing them to us (sounds like what her uncle Troy use to do).
Quinn is possibly more active then Riley. How does that happen? He runs all day. He can now climb on the couch and attempts to lunge himself off the arm. I am surprised there has been no broken bones thus far. It was easy to discontinue his bottles since he loves food so much. He continues to have the cutest laugh I know.
I have discovered the website moneysavingmom.com. I am in love. The site tells how to get the best deals at certain stores. It also has organizational tools, recipes, and money saving suggestions. I made the Starbucks scones that were posted yesterday and they are AMAZING (and cheap). Check it out if you haven't already!
Here are some picture we had taken with the Jester cousins. It was actually a pretty enjoyable experience!
Developmentally, they are growing too. Riley has started to randomly hug me and say, "Mommy, I love you!". It makes my day! She plays with her doll house and has a very impressive imagination. She pretends mommy and daddy fall down the stairs and take baths together. She calls Quinn "brother kinkin". She has recently been making up songs and performing them to us (sounds like what her uncle Troy use to do).
Quinn is possibly more active then Riley. How does that happen? He runs all day. He can now climb on the couch and attempts to lunge himself off the arm. I am surprised there has been no broken bones thus far. It was easy to discontinue his bottles since he loves food so much. He continues to have the cutest laugh I know.
I have discovered the website moneysavingmom.com. I am in love. The site tells how to get the best deals at certain stores. It also has organizational tools, recipes, and money saving suggestions. I made the Starbucks scones that were posted yesterday and they are AMAZING (and cheap). Check it out if you haven't already!
Here are some picture we had taken with the Jester cousins. It was actually a pretty enjoyable experience!
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