Valentines 2013

A little love goes a long way!!!!! It's no secret, I love Valentines Day!

I love covering the house in hearts, just for one day. I love seeing my boys cute faces as they wake up to millions of hearts. I've been doing it since Isaac was so little I wonder what he would think if they weren't put up on Valentines Day.

I left a surprise by Brett's car in the morning... a new shovel saying, "I DIG YOU." Yes I'm corny, but he really needed a new shovel for Spring since he lost his cleaning up the Saratoga Mudslide last year. So you see, it was very fitting!

I made a pink smoothie and heart shaped french toast for the boys.

They both thought it was delicious!

Then they had little presents waiting on the table for them...alongside all their cards they had recieved in the mail from my parents, Brett's Grandma Dansie, and a sewn heart stuffed with candy from Brett's parents.

Here's Tanner... just as cute as can be!

For lunch I made heart shaped PB& Jam sandwiches with yogurt & sprinkles and hot coco... because Dax has to have hot coco at every meal in the winter time! My plan was to send Isaac with a similar I LOVE YOU lunch, but he chose school lunch, so I made it for him later that week when he took home lunch.

The school does Val-a grams and I had a few things sent to Isaac in his class... including these giant rainbow suckers! I sent one for Dax too.

For dinner we made heart shaped pizza... are you seeing my theme?!

Here's Bretty, my Valentine!!

And for dessert I made individual cheesecakes, complete with chocolate hearts I made myself!

We gave Tanner a little rattle.

And gave the boys their own punching bags.

Later that week Brett was taking his Sunday nap and Isaac covered him in I Love You Hearts. I thought it was so cute. He woke up finally from more hearts added to his face.

Happy Valentines Day!! (And nobody was sick for it this year!)

Valentines 2012!

Valentines is always fun. Another excuse to give the boys a little gift and put hearts all over the wall.

We gave Daxy this little Mickey Mouse music player. And Isaac got a box of crafts... it's kept him entertained and busy for a while now!

Since I'm room mom I got to go to Isaac's school and help with the Valentines Party. I helped the kids make "love bug" hats. They were all so cute running around with their little bug ears!

They got to decorate cookies (with the brightest color of pink frosting you could imagine!!! I don't think that much red dye is good for your body!) But they loved it. Dax joined in and frosted a cookie and made a hat too. They passed out their valentines to each other, which was just too cute to watch. 

Isaac was so sweet.  He wrote love notes to everyone all week long. Mine said, "I like you mom. You or nis. (you are nice)."

He even helped Dax write a love note. To Dad from Daxton it said, "Have a hape valeistine!" (Have a happy Valentines!)

I love that he is so thoughtful and sweet!!!

February Fevers

The month of February was really not a highlight for our family. I think we all took turns being sick. If you look at my kids faces in the pictures, you can tell they look "sick." We spent a lot of time in our pajamas and watching shows. We also spent a lot of time at the Dr.'s and the pharmacy! As you can tell from the picture, the boys are glued to the TV while snuggling with their dad. I don't love that they watched TV a lot... but you can't ask a lot from them when they feel so crappy.  I actually blame this month for what got Dax really hooked on his binki. He always liked his binki, but now he's obsessed! I think he used it a lot when he was so sick. 

We got to purchase a new humidifier cause ours died. Dax and Isaac picked out the penguin, which they love, it works great, and it's cute in their room! The head comes off which has become a permanent "hat" for Dax while sitting on his changing table.                                    Isaac had normal stuff, flu, throwing up, fevers... and always, his awful asthma cough that comes and stays with every cold. Brett and I BOTH got strep throat about a week apart from each other. And poor little Daxton had a cold, pnemonia TWICE, and RSV. He had a couple different antibotics, a nebulizer, and some LONG, scary nights. One night we couldn't do much for him. He was upset and couldn't calm down. Brett was walking around with him and Dax saw a ball. For a minute, he stopped crying long enough to show Brett he wanted to throw the ball in the hoop. Then he went back to crying. Brett finally figured out playing peek-a-boo with the blinds made him very happy! What a good dad! We didn't know at the time, but Daxton's sickness kept flaring up and not going away because he too has asthma. Now both of our kids are on medicine. Yay.

Dax was a real trooper with using the nebulizer. We would have to have crackers, bottle, or a nutri-grain bar sitting next to use to bribe him to sit there. It's a pretty loud machine, so when he didn't want to put it right next to his face, I couldn't blame him. To distract him, we would watch "Bubble Guppies" (a new favorite show of his and Isaac's... specifically the episode called, Fish-kit-ball, cause it's all about balls!) Now he's a little obsessed with the show because of how much we had to sit and watch it while doing the nebulizer treatments. 

I wish that was the only thing we had to do, but we had to do x-rays at the hospital. That was traumatic for both me and him. If you haven't had to do baby chest x-rays, be glad! They took him and put his arm straight up and sat him on this tiny bicycle seat. Then they took a tall, skinny plastic tube (like the braces people where on there legs) and strapped him in with his hands over his head! It looked like he was being smashed in a tube. Then they expect you to walk away from your toddler who is screaming, stuck, and scared! It's horrible! Hopefully, we won't have to do that again. 

Daxton Doings, 15 Months Old

Even though most of his 15 months were busy being sick, Dax still had a few highlights.  When he was hungry, he would help himself to anyones food and chow down! He learned about forks. He wasn't great at using them, but he liked to have them like everyone else.

Dax still didn't have a big desire to walk, why would you when you have a brother who is willing to carry you wherever you want to go?!! But he did figure out he could push his little chair anywhere he wanted and use it as a stepping stool.

He climbs on desk, tables, and chairs, just to get a little higher up.

His favorite was reaching the light switch. For a while we had a constant, "on, off" flicker at our house.

 He was pretty proud of himself when he accomplished getting what he was after! If he did want to "walk" he would scream at the top his lungs and bounce until someone would come hold his hand.

He loves our little slide. He sits at the very top and he puts both of his little pointer fingers in the air, wiggling them by his face while counts "1, 2...." and then slide down!. It was so dang cute!

Valentines Day! 2011

We did celebrate Valentines Day. Brett and I planned a weekend getaway, but it was quickly postponed when both of us could barely talk or move do to strep and feeling like crap. But the boys woke up to a fun little surprise!

They each got swords, which they have wanted and have loved hitting each other with them... (that's why I got the foam ones!)

 Isaac got the pet pals game to play on his Leapster. 

And Daxton got his most favorite thing of all... a new ball! 

Hello, My Valentine!

We had a fun Valentines this year! Isaac was so excited because he had a Valentines party with his preschool class. From what I was told, it was chaos passing out the Valentines, but a lot of fun! They Made darling valentine holders out of plates and Isaac made Brett and I a heart frame with his picture in it. He was so excited to give it to me! He came home with tons of Valentines he couldn't wait to open. He gave Power Ranger Valentines (which he says are sooo cool!) along with a fruit roll up and a lip whistle.

Isaac after his preschool valentine party!

On Saturday Grandma Nancy had a fun little Valentines day party with the grandkids. They got to make heart shaped pizzas, play valentines bingo, and make a heart craft! They had a blast. Grandma sent them home with a little valentine bag. Inside the bag she had sewn two paper hearts together with candy inside. Isaac thought it was so cool he got to rip the heart open to find out what was inside! Thanks Grandma, it was a hit!

That night Brett and I left the kids with his parents and went out to the movie, When In Rome. It was just what I needed! It's just nice being with my husband and having a conversation that didn't get interrupted with crying or someone saying, "I don't want to listen to what you guys are saying!" That night Brett gave me a new addition to my Kitchen Fairy collection. I can't even remember the last time I got one so I was so excited. I've never seen this new line before and Brett knew I would love it. It's the Kitchen Fairy from the 50's! She is holding a lollipop and she is standing next to a delicious ice-cream shake! And if you look close she even has poodles on her skirt... she's darling! Thank you honey.

On Valentines day Brett and Isaac fought over who was my valentine. Isaac kept walking up to me saying, "Hello, my valentine!" He would get really mad when Brett told him he was my valentine. So I had to settle it and say I had 3 valentines... Brett, Isaac and Daxton! I was just glad Isaac wanted me to be his valentine. Earlier in the week he had told me Taylor, a little girl from his preschool class was his valentine. I was sad, I don't want him to grow up that fast!

This past month my sister-in-law, Emilee wanted me to do a craft with her... which I'm always a little leery of but it actually turned out pretty good! I've even decided I'm going to try and make a little something to add to my decor for every holiday this year! Em's idea was to make XOXO letters. She sent me a link of one that was so cute... just to help me get a good idea. Well, I was sold and that's the one I wanted! I made myself a pattern, had my dad bring me home some wood (it's nice to know a guy who has extra pieces of wood lying around on any given notice) and then I had him teach me how to use a ban saw!!! Yes, I used a ban saw and cut out my own letters! Brett was very impressed with me! The only thing bad that happened was when my sister, Rachel decided to come out and see how I was doing. She was standing behind me for a while watching and finally spoke up and said, "good job ash!" I had no idea she was there and she scared me so bad I jumped... I'm surprised I didn't loose my finger! But other then that I did pretty good!

After some paint, glitter, my husband getting cut with rusty wire, buying new wire, modge podging, gluing, adding a clear coat, and learning how to embellish the lips and hearts with a stamp pad.... it's finished! I have to say I'm very pleased with how it turned out!!

I have to laugh because even though Emilee and I worked on this together, they look nothing alike. Her letters are a different shape and they are black and a cranberry red and mine are of course, bring red and white! Each fit our house perfectly. It was so fun! I'm ready to make my St. Patrick's day one now!