Sunday, July 27, 2014

Celebrating FOUR!

 Ryan was so excited for his birthday this year - which of course made me so excited :)
 
We let him open a couple presents while I made some breakfast

Sprinkle pancakes! yum! Well, I thought so :)

The birthday boy was pleased as well. 
After breakfast the boys actually headed to school. Ryan brought some dinosaur cupcakes and he was so excited to share them with his friends. 

While he was at school I did some decorating at home...
 We have playgroup every Thursday and since we were hosting I turned it into a little celebration for Ryan. 

My mom made these awesome dinosaur tails and they are so darn cute! She used this tutorial. My original plan was to make them as party favors for Ryan's birthday but once we realized how time intensive they ended up being we skimmed down the amount and decided just to use them at his playgroup.


Volcano brownies! I think the candy melts would have spread better if I would have done this when the brownies came out of the oven but I waited a while. Also, I meant to add some red but ran out of time...they tasted just as good thought :)


When the kiddos came we got all decked out in our dino gear!



Daddy came home early from work to party! We made our volcano explode!

And then it was pinata time!

After everyone got a turn it was still in perfect condition....
So we let Kevin take a few swings and then shook all the candy out!
And of course we sang Happy Birthday!
And enjoyed cupcakes

 After playgroup we made dinner - Ryan's request was homemade pizza!

YUM!

We skyped with Gigi and Papa and our cousins!

And then gave Ryan his big birthday gift!
Such a fun day celebrating this sweet little boy!

Friday, July 25, 2014

Ryan's Birthday Questions - Age 4




1. What is your favorite color? Green
2. What is your favorite toy? Switch and Go Dino (what he wants for his birthday)
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is you favorite tv show? Blues Clues (This might seem a little young but it's the only show that Grayson will actually watch too and they both love it. Works great in the car)
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Grilled Cheese
6. What is your favorite outfit? My batik. (A batik is the traditional fabric of Indonesia (where my parents currently live) and Ryan loves his batik shirts. Loves. Every time I ask him to pick something out to wear he drags out his batik. So much so that even Grayson knows it's his favorite...and he has also taken quite a liking to them. )
7. What is your favorite game? Duck Duck Goose
8. What is your favorite snack? Pirates Booty
9. What is your favorite animal? Moose
10. What is your favorite song? Twinkle Twinkle
11. What is your favorite book? Curious George
12. Who is your best friend? Charlie and Ford
13. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Donuts 
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? A lot of things, it's a little hard to say. Maybe water balloons.
15. What is you favorite drink? Lemonade
16. What is your favorite holiday? My birthday (oh dear)
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Mickey Mouse
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner? Salmon
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A big kid

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Happy 4th Birthday Ryan

Today this little man is FOUR years old!
We had such a fun filled day complete with sprinkle pancakes, cupcakes, friends and more! I love this little guy more than I ever knew I could - thanks for making me a mommy!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Vandy - One Year (Upstairs)

The upstairs. I took these pictures back at the "one year" mark and actually quite a bit has changed since then. I think seeing the pictures gave me motivation to make some progress. Or it's just this whole nesting thing they talk about....
This is the view coming up the stairs...the PLAYroom! 
When we built this house we knew we need a large area where our kids could run wild...I had visions of a reading nook and art nook, both of which are half-baked at this time. Anyhow, one of the big debates (internally...I don't think Kevin even knows I think about it) has been whether to put a couch in here or not. I love having a ton of space for everyone to run around but when we have playgroups all the moms hang out on the ground (I know we are all use to it) but sometimes it's nice to have a real seat.  Anyhow, I actually found a solution but I'll save that for when I do an updated playroom reveal. 

That crazy blowup pool takes up quite a bit of space but the boys love it! It could use more balls but they don't really care. 
Above their train table we made an area for them to hang all of their art...and there is a lot of it. For Ryan's first year I think I saved everything he ever made...but now I am much better at being selective. 
We have a little area with a sink and fridge. I plan to stock it with waters/juices and also have some snacks up here but haven't quite done that yet. The only problem I found with stocking the fridge is that once kids discover there are drinks in there they want to drink them all...it's like a competition. So we will see. I would also like to get a kureg for up here. Kevin thinks it's silly but I think it would be a nice little 'perk' if you will. 

And for the other side.

This corner is the "reading" nook. I pictured them taking books into the uber comfy tent and just hanging out...that has yet to happen. First of all I need to make it more comfy...I found a rug so next step is making the purchase. The boys love their tent but the wood slats tend to slide around a lot on the wood floor, yet another reason I need to buy that rug! 

This area in the corner is intended to be their "art" nook but it's kinda a mess. They still use the craft table to draw and play with playdoh but I would like to get it all organized for them. I love the chalkboard wall and need to write something cute up there....
And then we have a large closet for storage. yay!

And now for the bedrooms. First room up is Ryan's. And I am now realizing that I didn't do the best job of taking pictures. 
The entrance to his room is to the right (basically the right corner). I am standing in his closet to take this picture. I wouldn't say the bunk beds fit perfectly in here, but what can ya do? I mean, they fit and it looks fine, but from a design perspective I would have gone a different route.
The walls are Serena and Lily - Sprout. I was nervous about doing something so wild but it's a kids room and that is where you can take risks...in my book at least. I actually love the color and Ryan does too. 
On the other side of the room is his dresser. To the left of this is his bathroom and then his closet. 

The boys rooms are connected by a Jack and Jill bathroom. I also didn't do a good job taking pics here....need to take pictures of Ryan and Grayson's bathroom area. 
We basically did the same thing in their bathroom as our dining room downstairs - odd when I think about it. lol. Wainscoting and Fly By Night Blue paint. 

Next up - Grayson's room!
We used a darker gray in here - Sherwin Williams Pavestone (same as craft room) 
I basically repurposed everything from Ryan's nursery with a few changes including curtains, bedding and art work. 

I made the paper mobile for him - super easy and it's pretty cute!
I didn't really picture the whole wall but basically that door is to the bathroom and then to the right of that one is the closet door. 

On the other side of the room we have his crib


And his rocker...
For most of the year there we had Ryan's old bookcase in the spot where the nightstand is...but we were missing a shelf and it was always a mess. I ended up getting rid of it and just using the nightstand instead - which I think fits the room much better. I had plans of creating a gallery wall over here but I know we will be changing this room soon (well in the next year) and thought I would wait until then to work on decorating the walls. 

The next room is the guest room (which is in the process of being transformed into Hayden's nursery)
I also swore that I took pictures of this before we started to change it...and I can't seem to locate them! grrr! Anyhow, it was basically the first room in the house to be 'complete'. Only fitting that it was the room that we end up redoing. 

Lastly, our room. And when I say last...I mean last because we still haven't done anything in here...and I really don't have plans to anytime soon (only because I would like to finish all the others areas before I tackle a new one!). 

Don't mind all that stuff that needs to go up in the attic

I don't love this dresser in our room. When we bought this furniture this piece was the only size that would work in our first house. Now I wish we have a shorter wider dresser...since this wall is so spacious. I am also debating (internally, once again) on if I want a tv in here. Kevin isn't a fan of the tv in the bedroom and I totally get it. I really don't mind not having one but some lazy mornings I think it would be nice to snuggle with the boys and watch some cartoons. 

Bathroom - not much going on in here either. 

I didn't really take pictures of our closets because they are currently a mess. I need to do a major cleanout but it's hard when you are preggo...cause I don't really know what fits and what doesn't. Oye!

So that's it for the upstairs! My mom and I have been working hard on Hayden's nursery and I can't wait to post pictures soon!




Sunday, July 20, 2014

That's what he said - Ryan

This guy is a big goof! He talks A LOT these days...and some of it cracks me up. Here are a few things I have managed to write down.
 
One of our friends had baby number three - a sweet little boy. Ryan and I were talking about Charlie's new brother when he asked "What will Charlie do with Evie (his little sister)?" I didn't really know where he was going with this so I asked him what he meant. he said "Well, Charlie has a new baby now so he doesn't need Evie". Oh dear! I explained to him that Evie isn't going anywhere...just like we kept you when Grayson was born. "Oh yeah" he said in response.

Goodness. I am so tired of potty words. This child does not stop.

I need a mommy boost! - this is what Ryan says when he is swinging and wants me to push him...

Victory! - He yelled this after he finished his breakfast one day...and he got it from the Planes book that he loves to read every night. When Dusty crosses the finish line he yells Victory...so I guess he associated it with finishing his food.

Other Ryan-isms

When he is explaining something that he gets to do he always qualifies it with "cause that's what big boys do"

He tends to apply the "Don't eat too much candy because your belly will hurt" theory to other areas in his life. For instance, he was watching tv one day and after his show he asked me to turn it off. He explained to me that you can't watch "too much or else your belly will hurt."

When he wants something he often says "My belly wants x". This could be something to eat or drink...or something random like to go to the park.

His name for things:
Automatic toilets = magic toilets. And he is not a fan...

Headphones = Listening ears

Making silly faces...




Saturday, July 19, 2014

Vandy - Breakfast Nook

I have been working on some art for the breakfast nook and finally finished it...and then finally photographed it :) 

During one of my trips to Zgallerie I saw this subway art that I really liked. I kinda wanted to buy it but it was a tad pricey for something that I knew I could replicate and personalize. So I did just that.


And I made TWO!
All of the places mentioned are special to Kevin and I ...and sort of a walk down memory lane.  I made these using my silhouette and following a tutorial that I found on pinterest. It was pretty easy but did take me a long time...mainly because I tend to get interrupted a lot. Imagine that. 

I knew I needed something light because the boys can get a little wild when they are eating. If you aren't aware kids don't exactly sit still when they eat...Ryan has already knocked one off the wall (with his feet I believe). There were no injuries so it was fine. 
Kevin and I have talked about adding wainscoting to the walls to make the area more cohesive. I think it would also be easier to clean...lots of grimy fingerprints on these walls. I would also love to add some pillows for a little decor but not so sure that's the best idea while the kids are so young. We can think about that a little later :)

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

33 Weeks - Hayden


How far along? 33 weeks 0 days
Weight: Made an unplanned visit to the dr today and weighed 3lbs heavier than last week! What?? In all fairness they were different scales, but this one should be more accurate (since all my weigh ins have been on this one). Sooooo.....I am officially up 24lbs. 
Baby size: Measured 32 cm - which is average for 33 weeks. 
Sleep: Ok, so I counted. Five times. At least five times a night. Oye
Best moment this week: Shopping and crafting with my mom.  I love when she is in town and always get so much done. We have made a lot of progress on Hayden's nursery and she has been helping me with Ryan's birthday party! Plus my laundry is always done and the kitchen is always clean :)
Miss anything: Really starting to miss being about to do normal things - like go on walks and have more energy. I am ready for baby Hayden to get here. I would like to see my feet again. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: I have woken up a couple times in the middle of the night feeling sick/naseous. Like I have food poisoning or something...luckily I can power through it and fall back asleep and it is gone in the morning. 
Labor signs: I have felt contractions here and there but nothing consistent or long lasting. 
Symptoms: As I mentioned before, I made an unplanned visit to the dr. This was because I noticed that I started feeling lightheaded randomly...like I might faint. After checking me out the dr came to the conclusion that it was more than likely related to this being my third pregnancy (aka loser muscles blah blah) and the weight of the baby on major veins making it more difficult to pump blood flow around...so as long as I can take it easy and sit/lay down when I feel faint and the feeling goes away there isn't much else that can be done. I am going to look into a maternity belt which might help a little. Anyhow, other than feeling like i might pass out randomly I have constant heartburn and the general feeling of being HUGE!
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