An end to Summer Vacation & Photo updates!

A TYPICAL SUMMER EVENING IN THE ROJAS HOUSE!
I finally had to grab the camera and get a picture of how my kids...including my husband, fall asleep most nights! It doesn't bother Joe and I that the kids love to sleep in the living room since it's right off of our bedroom (their bedrooms are upstairs) as long as it isn't a school night. Both Joe and AJ have an on and off switch and when their out...THEIR OUT! Joe had a long summer w/ summer camp and the kids fitness course he taught at the gym, so it wasn't unusual for him to pass out shortly after coming home and getting comfortable! The kids loved that they were able to stay up late and wait for daddy! In the photo below, although it might look like Aleigh is being smothered, she isn't and she loves that spot! I of course wake her up and move her to a spot where she can sleep comfortably. Joe and the kids got a kick out of this picture!




WHO IS THIS SCARY CHARCTER IN MY HOUSE?!

AJ is so crazy! He loves to dress up in costumes and the scarier the better! I have to admit, when he tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around to this...I freaked a little! Hahaha! He is wearing a santa clause beard on his head, his voldemort mask from halloween last year, some crazy fake teeth he got at wal mart, his voldemort robe, and santa clause glasses! This is what he does when he is bored!

JUMPING JELLYBEANS!

Jumping Jellybeans was a great idea for the kids to get out, have fun, and let out some energy this hot summer! It's indoors and full of fun for the kids! They do have a wonderful parents lounge complete w/ leather furniture, big flat screen tv, magazines, and coffee. About a year and a half ago it was a GREAT place for me to go and relax while the kids had fun! Not so much this summer...with our energetic Ansley! The first time we went it was after dinner (their open until 8pm) and there weren't many people there so I was comfortable with letting Ansley run all over and jump on anything she could climb in! They all had a blast and I was thrilled that Ansley had done so well!

The Second time we went, we went with my friend Tammy and her little girl Hayley who is just 3 weeks older than Ansley, but not used to be around so many crazy and wild kids! Hayley was fine as long as she was with her mom and towards the end of our afternoon there she seemed comfortable enough to get in one of the bouncers w/ Tammy! Hayley is adorable and there were times that I had hoped Ansley could stay near me instead of trying to get into everyone else's business and escape through any open door!

AJ, Aleigh, and Chelsea discovered a new favorite spot in the biggest bouncer (see photo below).

Finally, the 3rd time we went Ansley was CRAZY!!! She wanted to try and take other kids' sippy cups, she wanted to run out into the lobby and take whatever candy/goodies she could get her hands on, it was CRAZY busy that day w/ tons of little ones, and all Ansley wanted to do was run around and make me chase her! I was BEAT by the time we left, and we haven't been back....not w/ Ansley ....for a while at least!

Chelsea, AJ and Ansley in the biggest bouncer (above) and AJ and Aleigh in their new fav. spots..up really high! (below)

Hayley and Ansley. Ansley was trying to get Hayley to go play, but Hayley wanted to make sure that she was near her mommy in a new strange and crowded place!

Hayley loves her momma! She's so cute! Look at those cheeks!!! :) She looks SO MUCH like her mommy!

PLAYDATE!
My friend Robin and her daughters Drew and Tessa came over for an afternoon so that the kids could all play together! Chelsea was w/ us as well that day and the older kids had a blast playing lots of hide-n-seek and making crafts!

Tessa and Ansley were so adorable together! At one point they were walking through the house holding hands! Robin and I have so many laughs over the monkey's that we are raising! Both little girls have climbed bunk beds, climbed on to tables and think the stairs are the funnest thing ever! The higher up, the better! Their both little thrill seekers, but very cautious and coordinated!

Tessa really had very little experience w/ stairs and Robin wanted to get comfortable enough w/ Tessa being around stairs so that she didn't have to freak out everytime they are at another persons house w/ stairs (they obviously don't have stairs at their house). Tessa took to the stairs like a pro! She had been climbing up and down them several times when she did have a little fall! She lost her footing towards the bottom and fell down a couple of stairs. It scared her and she stopped crying the moment her mommy picked her up! She was totally fine! I asked Robin if she wanted me to put the gate up and she said "No, she's bound to have a couple falls, but she knows how to do it, she just lost her footing. I want her to get more comfortable with the stairs and now that she knows she can fall she will, most likely, be more careful." She did great and did go up and down the stairs w/ more caution and no more falls! The girls had a blast together and were fun to watch!

Even after Tessa's little stair tumble, the girls insisted on playing on the stairs! Of course we were right there the whole time!

CUPCAKE FUN!

Of course during their last week of summer I think of something pretty simple and had NO IDEA that the kids would think of my idea as brilliant! I had some cake mix, and asked the kids if they wanted to make cupcakes! Their response was very enthusiastic! I gave them each 5 cupcakes and a bowl of white frosting. They all got to pick their own color and create it w/ food coloring. I pulled all of the sprinkles out of my pantry and let them go at it! They were entertained for a while and I enjoyed watching/helping them! Aleigh has decided that this is all she wants to do on her birthday...no party, just decorate cupcakes w/ her family!

A BUNK BED FOR THE GIRLS!
Since we do have a little one coming in October, we realize we will need to get Ansley out of the crib, even though I am SO not ready for that! We weren't sure how to go about doing this the most economical way. Finally we found a bunk bed at Ikea for only $169 in a natural wood color. I told Joe that would work, but we would have to paint it white! Aleigh was thrilled to be able to help her daddy paint her bed! As you can see in the pictures above and below, Aleigh has been wearing her hair back and putting on a hat. This is the only way she will allow me to photograph her! She got her haircut this summer and thinks it's way too short (it's at her shoulders)! I never knew it would affect her self esteem like it has this summer! It just seems so silly because her hair looks adorable, but she will not leave it down. If I don't pull it back, she will (and then it falls in her face)! It is the length she asked for, but I guess she didn't realize it would be as short as it is! At least it's hair and it will grow longer soon!

Aleigh has had fun decorating both beds her own way! She refuses to part w/ her stuffed animals so she has found a way to decorate w/ them! :) Ansley is still in the crib for now, but loves hanging out on her future big girl bed! As you can see, we intentionally didn't put one of the steps on the ladder. Our purpose in doing this is to keep Ansley off of the top bunk! It's worked great!

STINKY FEET!

Joe had Ansley laughing so hysterically a couple of nights ago, I had to grab the camera and capture this! Ansley was literally laughing so hard she was crying! It was awesome!!!

Here is the video of my sweet little girls contagious laugh!!! :) If you haven't already, scroll to the bottom of my blog and pause the background music.

Our Little Helpers

Aleigh has this constant urge to clean the house and do the dishes, as I have mentioned before! It has got to be the greatest urge I have ever known a child to have! :) We try so hard to not take advantage of her will to clean up and do the dishes and are constantly thanking her and rewarding her. I know that there will come a day that getting her to do simple chores will be like pulling teeth, but for now, we are so appreciative of her!

Her desire to do household chores is starting to rub off on AJ...a little and even little Ansley! AJ is VERY selective on the chores he will do w/out complaining (cleaning windows, vacuuming, and feeding the dog). Ansley just likes to wipe things down! Hey, we are happy to take what we can get!!! :)

Here is a photo of AJ and Aleigh cleaning the doors in their pajamas on a Saturday morning! They both had to do both doors, so they were very clean when they were done! :)

Ansley is growing up fast and has her own language most of the time! She has SO much expression when she is trying to tell you something that it's almost sad to not know what in the world she is talking about! She has started to repeat us a little bit more and even tries to sing a song by the Plain White T's! I will have to get a video of her when that song comes on...TOO CUTE!

Ansley has a lot more hair than AJ and Aleigh did at this age, so I love being able to put bows in her hair, but in order for them to stay in, I have to get her to sit still long enough to get a little ponytail in. I have found that the best way to do that is to stick her in the sink in my bathroom! Who knew that it would become one of her favorite things to do! She loves to feel the water run on her feet and will arch her back and scream if I try to take her out too soon! This has also been a great way to keep my eye on her while I do my hair and makeup otherwise I might find her trying to swing from the chandelier above the kitchen table....SERIOUSLY! Hahahaha!

Here is a little video and photo I got of Ansley in the sink yesterday. She is still in her pajamas!

Happy Dad's Day & Congrats to April and Family

My sweet friend April gave birth to Michael Chase Cipriano "Chase" on June 20, 2009 at 9:43 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 20 3/4's inches long! I was able to go see him today and not only is he absolutely adorable, he has got to be the most peaceful and content baby I have ever met! April is keeping her fingers crossed that he stays this content! We are VERY excited for the Cipriano family!

We did have a great day with the amazing dad that I married and my dad! We grilled out at our place and enjoyed a relaxing evening at home with lots of yummy food! Aleigh and I had a nice afternoon visiting April and baby Chase at the hospital and going grocery shopping. It's kind of amazing how nice it can be to get out w/ just one child at a time. I think it's so important to have that one on one time w/ each of your kids. I always learn so much more about them and see how fast they are growing up when we get to have great conversation w/out interruptions.

Joe enjoyed his day as well! He loved the cards we all made him with all of the scrapbook stuff I have had for years and never use! :) For some reason, he really wanted to clean/organize our master closet and do yard work today! Even though I didn't want to, I did try to talk him out of it so he could relax, but he seems to feel so much better when he has done something productive on his day off. Joe, like AJ and Ansley, has an ON switch and an OFF switch. He is either moving and doing stuff, or stops and crashes!

I sure wish we had our replacement battery for our camera so that I could make our blog more interesting and post pictures! Photos coming soon!

An Eventful Friday!

Yesterday was a crazy, but fun day! I started my morning by getting up and going to work for my friend April. She has a daycare/preschool in her home and is VERY pregnant (at the hospital as we speak for an enduction)! I am so glad that I have been available to help relieve her for her doctor appts, and yesterday was her last! I am not sure that she would say she was more excited to be at the end of her pregnancy yesterday or that she was going to have an entire month off from taking care of 6 VERY WILD 3 year old boys! If I were to guess, I would say that yesterday the most exciting thing would have to be that it was her last day of work for a month and I was able to give her the morning off! It's a good thing, because I think those boys would have put her into major labor yesterday morning!!! LOL! Wow, was it a crazy morning! I have gotten to know those boys very well over the past 4/5 months and I can tell you, without a doubt, they were totally out of character yesterday! They must have sensed that there were big changes coming up! Two of them will be starting pre-k in the fall so yesterday was their last day for good. April is leaving her open child care spots available to girls only! LOL! :) I can't say that I blame her! Boys are great, but when you get 6 of them at the age of 3 together for 10 hours....it can easily become a zoo! How she has been able to do this for 10 hours every day until the very end of her pregnancy, w/ an 18 months old of her own, is beyond me! Ansley didn't make things any easier yesterday morning! I guess she thought she had to make herself noticed amongst the boys and kept climbing on top of the table and dancing and yelling really loud...yes she was table dancing at 1 year old! LOL! We have many lessons in store for her! Table dancing is definitely a way to get the attention from boys...but not the kind of attention you want!!! LOL! Honestly though, she has figured out how to climb EVERYTHING! I am about to go crazy! I am thinking about putting the kitchen chairs on top of the table!

So after I left her place, I had to rush to get AJ and Aleigh from the Karate center so that I could take them to a jumping place for a birthday party that we were all invited to! Their friend Devon, who's parents are also friends of ours, turned 7. Ansley's nap didn't happen, but she REALLY needed and wanted one! Instead she got her second wind and ran all over the place the whole time. She would much rather explore and try to climb the arcade games than jump and play in one area! Needless to say, I was pretty tired and my feet were sore and already swelling when we left!

As soon as we got home, I had to get the kids ready to go with the neighbor friend to a "water play" church activity. After getting them in their bathing suites, covering them in sunscreen, packing their bag w/ extra clothes, towels, more sunscreen, bug spray, and their water bottles, they were out the door and I had a very tired 16 month old pulling at my legs! It was 5:00 and a little late for a nap, but I had to make a dish and get ready for a get together at a girlfriends house...an evening w/ girlfriends and no husbands or kids, finally something fun for me!

I put Ansley in her bed so that I could get the dishes done, make my dip, and get a shower. She was still awake when I got out of the shower, but asleep by the time I was done doing my hair! We had to leave 15 min. later so that I could get her over to my parents house (Joe had a karate bootcamp until 9pm). Poor little Ansley only got a 15 min. nap! Apparently she was still up and going strong until 11:30 pm...SO SO late for her! She was up at 7 a.m. too....crazy child! I imagine she will take a long nap, she sure needs one!!!

So after a nice evening w/ some awesome girlfriends, I came home to a quiet house with everyone tucked safely in bed! After checking on all of my kids and giving them kisses, I was in my cozy bed by 2 am! Today....I'm kind of a zombie as I wait anxiously to hear from April! She is at the hospital being enduced and they predict her baby boy (1st boy, second child) will be born around 6pm at about 8 lbs! April is TINY, so birthing an 8 lb. baby could be a lot for her. I just love the anticipation of all of these babies!!! :)

Pregnant life-in the summertime!

So the reason I have not been blogging regularly is due to the fact that I hate to blog about stuff that's not fun and uplifting or when I don't have a whole lot of exciting news! However, I do realize that this is our blog and it's about what is going on in life, happy, sad or whatever! I have been VERY tired this pregnancy and am doing all I can to stay upbeat and energetic for my kids and my very understanding husband who I am so grateful to! Joe is doing all he can to support us and keep up w/ the house. All the while he puts up w/ my moodiness and exhaustion in such an understanding way! I just love him more than I could ever explain!

It is, however, that lovely time of year for us, when we don't get to see a whole lot of Joe...unless we go to the Karate Center. I know most people look forward to and love the summer, but it's quite the opposite for Joe and I! I know the kids enjoy not having to go to bed early, but they seem to miss the routine of going to school everyday and seeing their friends. We live in a fairly big neighborhood, but unfortunatly there are only 3 kids that are close to our kids age and 2 of them my husband and I don't really care to have around our kids! SO...since Joe is rarely here when the kids are awake (because he is working hard to support us), that leaves all of the responsibility and entertaining to me! I hate to be a "Debbie Downer" and complain, but I am flat out exhausted! The heat and humidity here is unbearable...especially when your pregnant. My kids no longer get excited about going to Karate Camp (that's why we don't see much of Joe in the summertime), we don't have a pool, and if we do go outside I get to chase Ansley up and down the driveway or run after her to keep her away from poison Ivy (we practically live in a forest)! Then when we come inside the kids have to strip down so we can check them for ticks! Every single one of them has had a tick in the last month and we pulled 4 off of the dog last night! I would take them to the movies more or to some of the indoor play areas, but all of that costs money and Ansley won't sit through a movie for ANYTHING! She won't sit still at all!!!

I think the hardest part for me is that I am not out making money to help contribute to our lack of monthly income! We don't have the extra money right now to go out and do fun things w/ the kids, and that's the part that weighs me down the most! It actually makes me sad for the kids, especially when they make comments like "You don't let us do anything fun!" It's hard to even be able to afford a trip to the craft store so that we can be creative at home. We are doing all we can to just get by for the next couple of months while Joe works harder and longer hours but gets paid less... I know it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but Karate Camp is part of his salary and the extra income he usually gets for teaching extra classes at local child cares will be missing for the next couple of months (because of summer), which is huge sting for us! I really am trying to be more positive and I know that things will be 10x better by August...but in the meantime, it's not easy.

Don't get me wrong, I am venting, and I know we have so much to be grateful for! I am thrilled to be pregnant and we are all really looking forward to meeting little "Austin James" in October! This is just what life is for us right now, and I am kind of a little down! Granted, anyone who knows me knows that I am a hater of heat and humidity and have never enjoyed a summer in Georgia! It just makes me want to move back out West that much more! I know it gets hot out there too, but at least there is shade and no humidity!

On a happier note, I am halfway through my pregnancy!!! I had my 20 week ultra sound, which went very well! The baby looks healthy and strong! As I layed there and watched the ultra sound I had several flash backs to my ultra sound w/ Aleigh! The tech had to constantly shake my stomach to get Austin to move and all he would do is give a slight jerk. I had to lay on my side so that she could confirm the gender again. She said he was laying pretty low (Aleigh did too). My doctor informed me that my placenta is in the front right now, which is why I don't feel him move a whole lot. That made me feel a lot better! Aleigh also didn't move very much! Notice how I am keeping my fingers crossed that Austin will be as laid back as Aleigh?! :) AJ and Ansley are both so energetic and strong willed, it sure would be nice to have another one like Aleigh! :) We went ahead and scheduled my C-Section. As of now, it is scheduled for October 28th. There is always the possibility that the doctor might have to move it a day or two, which is fine! We picked the 28th in hopes that we will get to come home on Halloween.

Hopefully we will be able to replace our camera battery and post pictures of the kids soon!

Exciting update!

It has been way too long since I last blogged! For a while, I didn't have a whole lot to blog about that was real uplifting since I was so sick of being sick! AJ, Aleigh, and even Ansley were troopers up until my 16th week, when the nausea started to fade away finally! The kids have been so certain that we are having another boy, so on May 21st, when I was just 16 weeks pregnant, my mom treated us to an early 3D ultra sound so we could either confirm that the kids were right, or correct them and prepare them for another girl! Of course, as you all probably already know, we are THRILLED to be having another baby boy! I think I was able to see that it was a boy before the ultra sound tech! We plan to name him "Austin James." Unlike Ansley, Austin doesn't move much, and I tend to freak out. He gives me an occasional tap once a day! Aleigh was the same way, so maybe he will be a little less wild than AJ and Ansley! :)

When I was pregnant with Ansley I had 4 really close friends who were also having baby girls within 3 months of each other! Only thing is, this was the 1st for most of my friends, and the 3rd for me! Now I have one friend who just had a baby boy (her second child and second boy), another friend who is about to have her second child (a boy), and another who is about to have her second and is also having a boy! I guess I just felt I needed to jump on board and have a boy w/ them! ;) We are all so excited! I have another friend who also just found out she is going to be having her second in February!!! It's an official BABY BOOM!!! This time it seems to be all boys, where as last time it was all girls! I love it!




ROMANCE IN GREECE
We also have some other VERY EXCITING news...my older brother James had to take a jet over to Greece, where his girlfriend (Amy) met him so that they could enjoy a vacation in Greece! I must say, what a perfect place (judging by the photos) to enjoy a romantic getaway! They took advantage of the romantic scenery and James proposed!!! She said yes, of course because they are ENGAGED! We are so super excited for both James and Amy!!! They are so, obviously, in love and it's so easy to see when you see the way they look at eachother and have so much respect for eachother! It's a perfect match, if you ask me! :)

Here are a couple of photos from their trip:

This one shows the amazing scenery that they were able to enjoy at night!

Right after they got engaged!


CONGRATULATIONS James and Amy!!! We love you guys!

I am a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations!

If you haven't had a chance to check out my mom's blog, you should watch for new postings. She posts some pretty incredible and inspirational stories! Where she finds them, I don't know, but they are often ones we can all relate to in some way!

Lately, even though I am no longer reporting to an office away from the home for work each day, I have felt more over worked than I have in a long time! I know it's because I am still lacking a whole lotta energy due to the extreme nausea I am experiencing w/ this pregnancy. I am grateful and thrilled that we are going to be blessed w/ a 4th, we wanted this and we planned this! I just want to express that I am sick and tired of being sick and tired! I feel the guilt daily as I notice the looks of disappointment I get from my kids when they are trying to get me to do more than I can do....shoot I am more disappointed than anyone that I feel this way right now! Unfortunately this is common for me, I usually experience nausea until the 16th week! I will continue to try, every single day, to give as much as I can give! I can't wait until I get to feel the baby move more and get some energy back and especially find out if we are having a boy or a girl! :)

Anyway, as mom's we all need to remember that we are not alone in feeling that we have the hardest job on the planet....because we do! It is DEFINITELY the most rewarding...but certainly offers the biggest challenges as we continue to learn from our own kids and our mistakes! Ya know, a couple of years ago they did a study on the hours and the quality of work a mom does 24/7 and came up w/ a salary figure of $137,000 annually! This is what we are worth for the work we do! No, we don't see this money....unfortunately ;), but I believe that by doing your best as a parent, the rewards are priceless!!! :)


Just a Mom
Author Unknown

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a.....?""Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom.""We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall.The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar.""What is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out."I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words.Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire."Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters (first the lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants - ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just a Mom." Motherhood!