Sometimes it's the simplest things that make us happy

Once upon a time a young couple got married at the courthouse. No dress, no tux, moms wedding rings and a last minute phone call to two friends to serve as witnesses. That also meant no wedding registry. 

After Josh and I married, we combined our single life household items and have pretty much lived with the same stuff ever since. As you can imagine, after a few moves and 2 kids, our things are stained, chipped, mismatched and in a general state of mess. 

Occasionally when we had extra money, I'd buy a new set of towels or sheets. But nothing, NOTHING, has been nearly as exciting as picking out new dishes. 

I know, you probably think I'm weird or at the very least, joking but NAY! I say! Nay! I LOVED PICKING OUT OUR DISHES AND THEN FINALLY GETTING THEM DELIVERED TODAY!! Of course it's just "casual dinnerware" because seriously, who needs china now a days, except for maybe the President. Amirite? 

So this morning I woke up to yummy cupcakes that Josh brought me from the city last night and a delivery of my new plates! I was SO HAPPY! And we both love our plates! Not to mention the rare time Josh and I got to spend alone together, shopping for plates. 

My mom came to stay with us while we Aaron was recovering from a tonsillectomy. She came to help and stayed for 2 weeks and I'm super thankful. And the kids loved it. Aaron was psyched to have a roommate (haha) and Elizabeth wants to go back with her to visit her and grandpa. 

Aaron is doing well and recovering better than I expected, so I am thrilled. This should help with his breathing and sleep but we're also hoping it will help with his articulation and overall focus. Crossing my fingers! 

Aaron will have one more week at home before he goes back to school but I think we both needed a school break anyway! LOL! Hopefully we'll do a project or two before he goes back. 

Just a quick update for you all and hopefully you're all doing well. Next big household item on the list: knives! Leave your suggestions in the comments! 😃

Today I woke up to a 7 year old

I don't know why 7 years seems so much older than 6 when you say it, but it does. At least to this mama anyway.

Today is Aarons 7th birthday. Most of the time he still seems like a little boy. My chubby baby boy. But little things, like two days ago when he decided he was hungry and got up to make his own peanut butter & jelly sandwich - without prompting or instruction! - show me that he's maturing. 

We struggle with things - sometimes I feel we struggle so much - but I have to remind myself that he's just a little boy. It's hard to give him those allowances and still expect him to be grow into a respectful adult. Balance. 

But he's so smart and he has such a kind and sensitive heart. 

Every day I think I'm messing up. I'm not parenting right. But all I can do is what I believe is best and hope that he turns out even better than we all know he is, than we know he can be. 

Happy 7th Birthday, Aaron! 

We love you! 

Elizabeth Grace

Name: Elizabeth Grace

Age: 2 years, 10 months

Favorite Color: Alternates between pink & purple.

Favorite Animal: Cats (see Grumpy Cat stuffy in picture) and unicorns/horses.

Likes: Watching Calliou, going for walks, climbing everything and stickers!

Dislikes: Being told "no".

What she wants to be when she grows up: "A monster".

Weekend mornings with kids

As soon as the sun shines through the blinds, the older kid comes in and climbs into bed to watch tv. Your toddler is already there because she woke up in the middle of the night. You turn on Disney XD and go back to sleep until at some point the older one goes back and forth between waking you up and waking his dad up to inform us there is a bug on the ceiling. 

Both parents acknowledge it and then go back to bed. But older kid won't let up so finally you firmly say "YES! We see it but we don't care about the bug right now! So for the love of all that's holy, please let me sleep some more before your sister wakes!"

5 minutes later said bug falls on your arm and BOTH kids are informing you of the obvious. Awesome. 

SO now you're up. Check the time - 7:30 am. For Gods sake, his long has this been going on? 

You take the toddler to change her night diaper because all she can talk about is apple juice and you have to take her downstairs. When you're trying to put her pj pants back on (because, Saturday) she starts crying because she wants to wear black pants. Ok, so you search the drawers for her one pair of black pants and put them on. You offer to change the shirt too because at this point she might as well be dressed and she whines "Nooooo!". Ok then. 

You go downstairs with the toddler and start the breakfast process. Meanwhile the older one is still upstairs watching cartoons. 10 minutes later he comes downstairs and announces that you need to turn the television to what he was watching upstairs because he's hungry and needs to come downstairs. You roll your eyes and ignore the rude request. 

He continues to inform you that he's starving. You realize you're out of coffee and want to die. 

You serve breakfast. The older child (who is starving, remember?) stares at his plate, plays with the food, fork and chair. He takes an entire hour to eat 1 scrambled egg, 1 piece of bacon and 5 tortilla chips. Meanwhile your toddler eats all her bacon and the 2 chips on her plate  in 10 minutes but leaves the egg and then proceeds to beg everyone else for their bacon. 

Finally after you clear the table and sit on the couch to see if you can rest unnoticed for a few moments the dog starts to whine at you. And then the kids conspire to hit you with the spatula and throw balls at you. 

It's not even 10 am. Oh, and your husband is still in bed. Is it nap time yet? 

What Spring?

What the what?  I practically skipped all of Spring without a single post!  Bad blogger!  Bad!  Seriously - sorry for being so lame.  Sometimes life is just a big ol' groundhog's day.  I know it won't seem like that when I look back on it though!  

So, I don't know if you've heard of this chick Brittnay Gibbons.  She's pretty awesome and I follow her blog, am a member of her Curvy Girl Guide and I read her super hilarious book, Fat Girl Walking.  Well, she wrote a post a few months ago that kind of inspired me to post my own updates.  I'm going to try and post one for each of us, but for now I'm starting with Aaron.  They won't all be the same but then again, neither are we!

Name: Aaron

Age: 6 years, 6 months

Favorite Color: Green

Currently missing: 2 bottom teeth
 
Likes: Watching unboxing videos, playing with Legos, animals of all kinds & finding new and strange cartoons on the YouTube Kids app.

Dislikes: Beef, taking medicine, having repeat meals.

What he wants to be when he grows up: A veterinarian. 

And now for a quiz that's been going around Facebook - I asked him these questions (without prompting for answers) and this is the result:

1.What is something mom always says to you?
Don't be mean to your sister!

2.What makes mom happy?
When we listen to you.

3. What makes mom sad?
When I don't listen.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
When I'm being silly.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
I don't remember. (LOL)

6. How old is your mom?
100 *laughs* 

7. How tall is your mom?
17? 

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

Take care of us.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
I don't know. 

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Being the oldest president in the world. *laughs again* And being rich.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Taking care of us.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Staying up late.

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Nothing cuz you don't have a job! 

14.What is your mom's favorite food?

Spaghetti.

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
Taking care of us. 

16. If your mom were a character, who would she be?

I don't know! That's a hard question!

17. What do you and your mom do together?
We do lots of stuff together!

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Because we're both young? 

19. How are you and your mom different?
I'm a boy and you're a lady! 

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Cuz you're my mom and you say it also.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
That he doesn't pick his own nose. 

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Dunno.

23. How old was your Mom when you were born?
15.

 

December - It's The Most Busy Time Of The Year!

December!  This month is always crazy for us!  Our anniversary, Aaron's birthday, Christmas and now that Aaron's in school - TONS of school activities!  But, I think we did ok with all the stuff thrown our way this month.  

Besides having a school holiday party, Aaron was in his first school performance!  The kindergarten classes sang Christmas songs together in the auditorium for parents & family.  It was so adorable!  And he was so excited about it, which of course was the best part!

This year Aaron also turned 6 (OMGIHAVEASIXYEAROLD) and we had a Lego themed birthday for him.  Legos are a new found enjoyment for him and he loved the Lego Movie so I went back to the same bakery that we got Elizabeth's cake at and ordered him a cake shaped like a Lego block in green (his favorite color).  Side note: you'd be surprised at how hard it is to find Lego party supplies!  Hello party people!  Legos are year round fun!

Aaron got Legos of course and a Lego t-shirt and sweatshirt that he loved.  His tia Eva sent him a Hot Wheels toy he'd been asking for and his Gramma & Grandpa Weigel sent him birthday money!  I asked my parents to help send him to the East Bay SPCA Winter Camp so for the two days after his birthday Aaron got to spend time learning about animals at a local animal shelter!  He absolutely loved it and came home happy and excited both days!  It's something I'm hoping to continue in the Summer.  One of the best things about his birthday though?  His tia Eva got to sing Happy Birthday to him with the rest of us all the way from Costa Rica via Facetime!  (Thank you Steve Jobs!)

And then there was Christmas.  This was our first Christmas where it was just the four of us.  It didn't really *feel* like Christmas leading up to it.  But we got the tree, we decorated it.  We didn't really put much else up though.  And we didn't get to go see lights because we're down to one car right now (the other car needs some fixin') so Josh takes mine to work at night.  Then 2 days before Christmas I realized that this would be the first time in my 36 years that I would not be spending Christmas with my parents & sisters.  I might have been a little emotional about it.  But I talked to Josh and and I know that it was bound to happen.  I guess just the sudden realization of it caught me off guard.  I always thought I'd have a village to raise my children in, but I guess my villagers are all long distance and that's ok.

We had a good Christmas though!  After me working so hard on Thanksgiving dinner (which was redic because there are only 2 adults and then 2 picky kids which meant TONS of left overs that didn't all get eaten) I decided to go an easier route for Christmas dinner.  We ordered tamales that I picked up for Christmas Eve and for Christmas Day I made a one pot meal (whole chicken, carrots & potatoes).  We took the holiday easy and we tried (ok, I tried - Josh just kept shopping) to keep the kids gifts to a minimum.  We are forever on a budget, but also I don't want them to think Christmas is all about getting tons of gifts.  We did get Aaron everything on his list though between his birthday and Christmas.  Elizabeth is really too young to have a list but trust me, she got enough!

Christmas Eve they got to open their Christmas pajamas (matching Christmas elves!), they got Christmas cookies their dad ordered for them and fleece blankets that (I made) they gave to each other.  That night after the kids went to bed Josh wrapped all the gifts and put the kitchen together so the next morning we were all ready for them.  Elizabeth ran straight for her kitchen exclaiming "MY KITCHEN! MY KITCHEN!".  It was adorable.  We even got mini pots and pans for her.  She's always playing with mine when I cook and saying "Mommy!  I make!" so I knew we had to get her her own set.  She got a bunch of dolls from various cartoons and movies, clothes and a movie.  Aaron got board games, another Hot Wheels toy, movies, clothes, books and more Legos of course.

I do want to say this - I am very grateful for all our family that helps us make the kids' birthdays and holidays special.  All the gifts you send, the fact that you think to include them at all in your giving fills me with gratitude.  Sometimes Josh and I think we aren't doing enough all by ourselves but then we'll receive a note or gift for them and I remember they have other people out there for them too.  So thank you.  You are truly appreciated.  

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/Holiday Season!!  And that 2015 brings you the best of everything!

Also: GO SEAHAWKS!

~The Herrings
 

Costumes, Candy & Cake

Princess Elizabeth Grace turns 2!

Elizabeth Grace turned 2!  I can't believe how fast time flies!  She's the spunkiest little princess around!  Since Elizabeth loves the movie Frozen we had a Frozen themed "party".  It's just us 4 so... not so much a party, but it did include pizza cake and presents!  Tia Eva bought Elizabeth a Princess Anna dress to wear on her birthday and she loved it!  After Aaron got out of school, we all went for pizza (one of her favorites) and then home for a yummy Frozen cake and presents!  

Frozen themed confetti cake

Besides her adorable dress, she got a pop up play tent and Anna & Elsa dolls.  Her grandparents Coblentz & tias sent her more Disney princess dolls & her grandparents Weigel sent money for new pjs & clothes!  (Which she totally needs because even though we get awesome hand-me-downs from my friends and cousin, we somehow got totally skipped over for size 3!  And her size 2 pants are getting a little bit too tight!!)  

Jumping right from her birthday celebration into Halloween prep - we went to the pumpkin patch one weekend and spent the day there having fun and picking out way too many pumpkins.  But bonus, they look awesome on my porch and since Aaron didn't want to carve them, I can leave them up through Thanksgiving (assuming they last)!  

Months ago we had asked Aaron what he wanted to be for Halloween and he choose Peter Pan and he wanted us all to go as Pan characters.  So we ordered Peter Pan and Tinkerbell costumes from the Disney Store and Captain Hook and Wendy costumes from Amazon.  You'd be amazed at how hard it is to find a stinkin' Wendy Darling costume!  OMG.  I only found one (literally) and it came in a "one size fits all" so of course I was nervous about ordering it.  Not to mention it didn't even completely look like Wendy's nightgown!  But we didn't want to disappoint the kids so it was what it was, right?  

I even taught him the Peter Pan stance!

Captain Hook!

 Tinkerbell is taking off!

The kids had so much fun.  Aaron got to wear his costume all day at school and was in a Halloween parade which we all went to to watch him!  Then family fun trick or treating!  The kids had so much fun and one of the neighbors even had a band in their garage so at the end of the night we all hung out and danced for a little bit.  Then we let Aaron pick out a few pieces of candy he wanted to keep and the rest went to Josh's work.

And now that it's officially turkey season, we're thinking about our very first Thanksgiving by ourselves.  And beyond that Aaron's birthday and Christmas loom in the back of our minds.  The weather is finally starting to get a bit cooler, especially during the evening but today was the first day I walked outside and it actually felt like Fall.  I'm hoping it cools down for the rest of late autumn before Thanksgiving!  

Hope you all had a ghoulishly fantastic Halloween!  Hugs from the Herrings.