A popular blogger I like to follow, MckMama of My Charming Kids, has a post series she often does called "Stream of Consciousness" where she sort of rambles off whatever she's thinking about.  I think I'm going to do something like that today because I haven't written a post in a while, I'm not sure what I'm going to say, and I have lots of little tidbits to share, but nothing to fill a whole post.  So...here it goes.

Sickness
We have battled the worse case of sicknesses these past 4 weeks that our family has ever had.  I've had to cancel the same play date, 4 weeks in a row because of it.  My sweet friend Jennifer still hasn't given up on us yet.  Hopefully next week we won't have to cancel.  After Nicole and I finished our battle with the 24 hour stomach flu, we so graciously shared it with Jeremy (I'm pretty sure he would have rather us kept it to ourselves though!).  The poor guy was sick, sick sick.  My entire house has been laundered twice in 5 days.  I guess it's one reason for a nice fresh start.  Thankfully, Hannah and Nate seem to have been spared. 

 

Hannah and Nathan NOT sick

  

Um....this is funny.  They have the same exact facial expression.

 

Potty Training
Speaking of Miss Hannah, she's pretty much day time potty trained.  She is in undies full time now. The diapers have been packed up and stored away for a year or so from now when Nathan fits in size 4.  I'm happy to have one less diaper to put on.   She wears Pull-ups at night and at nap, and they are dry about 50% of the time.  Potty training wasn't much of an effort.  I just thought one day that since we were stuck at home sick, there was no reason for her to be wearing diapers and we'd give it a shot.  There's been a few accidents here and there, but  for the most part she's done a fantastic job.  I'm not sure that having her potty trained is easier or harder....it's easier at home, but harder when we are out and I'm alone with them (I'm sure I put on a quite a show for others in the bathroom with us! In fact, I pretty much think public bathroom time can be the funniest time between me and my kids.  Between them cheering for someone in the other stall because they just went potty, to being afraid of the sensor hand dryers, to Nicole reaching under the stall one time to touch a random lady's very pretty painted toenails)  I'm happy we are through it though...and she loves her undies (by the way, she calls them ALL Dora, because she has Dora on like 5 pair, so the rest must be Dora too, right?).

Wedding
Justin and Erica are getting married in a week and half.  My poor mom has been trying to get our family's hair colored and cut for 2 weeks, but we keep backing out of our "appointments" because we have been sick.  This weekend they have to be done. Nicole is excited about wearing her princess dress (she's a flower girl), Hannah has a precious purple crotched hat to go with her little dress, and my friend Kirsten is making Nathan a faux tuxedo on a onsie.  I can't wait to show you pictures of these kids.  They will be perfectly adorable!

I've been thinking a lot lately about love, water dripping and sheep.  Maybe I'll share more later.

 

Can you feel the love?

I've also become a mystery shopper.  I have a shop I need to perform by Friday around noon.  I'm hoping to go tomorrow.  I'm not being paid, but I am being reimbursed for my purchase.  Jeremy and I are going to try mystery shopping a few restaurants when they are available.  We have to pay the money upfront, but get reimbursed, so it's sort of like a free date night.  I'll share how my experience goes.  I can't tell you where I went, but I can tell you the companies I've signed up with, probably later once I do a few.

I've also found a way to sort of earn a very little bit of money each month in the form of gift cards.  These gift cards I'll use to help pay for Christmas next year.  I'm hoping to have $100 in Amazon gift cards by then.  To read a little about how to do it, click here.  I wrote a little post on our Clipper Chicks website.

I went to a Mary Kay party last night that my friend Jami hosted.  I was really looking forward to going out for a couple hours, but once I got there, really all I wanted to do was be home.  I miss Jeremy when he's home and I'm not.  It's true...I just do.  I love him and want to be near him as much as possible.  People tell me it's good for me to get away, and maybe it is...but I really only want to be away if I'm with him. 

I like to hang out with the kids and take pictures.  Here are a few more we snapped this morning.

 

This little boy is really getting to be fun.  He simply loves to be talked to and to "talk" back.  He soaks up every ounce of attention he can get.  He's adorable!

 

Look....a real Hannah smile!  I had to share!!!!

 

We had to let Nicole in on the action too.  She's been wearing her cinderlla princess dress pretty much any time we are at home right now.  I need to go to a garage sale or two and find some more dress up clothes for her.  She simply loves it.

Well....I think that's it for me today.  We are having chicken enchiladas for dinner tonight.  Yumm-o.  What are you having?