Updating the Last 2 Weeks

Reporting to you live from MacBook Pro, this is your captain Erin and we are happily back in action. 

That's right, I got my computer back! Time to update the last 2 1/2 weeks. 

Here are a few video's I took. Some are of Reagan writing her letters and the others are of Grayson scooting. Big things around the Snider household. Reagan practicing her letters, she loves it and asks me to help her spell all day. Constantly pointing out letters, making letters out of any and everything and wanting to write words. Grayson, now mobile, on the move and everywhere. 

(I realized after watching the video that you can hardly see her letters. Next time I will have her use a darker one.)

This one cracks me up. We had all the doors open and a car goes by honking, Reagans says "Oh my Lord." So funny, the things that girl comes up with. I really need to start writing them down. 

And look at what else he learned how to to do!

During the last Aggie game Grayson attempted his first plank. I caught him trying to crawl over the toys right at the perfect time. He did that just for his Uncle Lance, he knew he'd be proud. 

I'm pretty sure Grayson will walk early. He loves to walk around all over the house. A few times he has stood up for his own for a second or two. 

I know this is so blurry, but look at the cute boy! I had to share that smile. 

(happy and droolly) 

One Sunday I let Reagan play with food coloring. We filled the ice trays with different colors. Seriously, how sweet is this smile?

She loved it. Once they froze we played with the ice cubes. We mixed them together in cups to see what each colors made. Then we put them in ziplock baggies and watched them melt. She thought it was so cool, once the ice had melted enough she ate them.

And then we cleaned out her fish bowl. I haven't done a letter blog in a while, but when we were on the letter F we got her 2 fish. As you can see, we are now down to one. We lost one a few weeks ago, Reagan was so cute about it she would say, "I'm sad, my fish is broking." or "I don't know what happened, it ran out of batteries." So cute how their little minds think.

So we got a new smaller bowl for the one fish and some new rocks. Frenchy is her name. Freddy we lost. 

We went to check on the guys upstairs. We got Grayson a new swing so Darrin was getting it hung. You know how thinks work, 2 kids 2 swings. 

And these I just love because they are out typical evenings together or our Sundays together. 

Girl's got some moves (like Jagger) Sorry, I had too. That's her favorite song right now, she sings it all day. "I got the moves like Jagger, I got the moves like Jagger."

And a Sunday isn't complete unless Reagan gets to swim. 

G loves it too. 

Then the rest of the day we just relax. 

(I love that Reagan is looking at her fingernails and toenails while Darrin is reading. That girl asks me at least twice a week to paint her nails. She absolutely loves it.) 

And big boy got a tooth!! Poor thing fussed all last week and then I finally saw one poke through. I tried to get a good picture of it, but instead I just got some sweet pictures of him. 

I can't help but laugh, so typical these days around here. 

Oh, AND here is Reagan 4 days no fingers in her mouth and no holding my ear!! But this is so huge it deserves a post on it's own. I will come back to this, but I am so, so proud of her. 

That same day we went to a birthday party for another little 3 year old, they gave treat bags and it had 2 suckers in it. I couldn't help but let Grayson try it, and he loved every bit of it. 

The party was at the park so they are both completely full of dirt and stickiness. 

But so happy! 

We painted orange nails for October, and since then we have painted them 3 other times.

And Grayson played in his favorite spot.

Here's a good shot of the tooth, I'm pretty sure another bottom one is coming in too.

That's about all we've been doing around here. It sure feels good to be back.

It's October!

Hallelujah, it's finally October. We are out of September!

September was not good to me. I had alot going on, I was ready for a trip home, for 3 weeks one of my kiddos was sick and it ended in a full cup of coffee spilling all over my third baby my laptop. Which has some to do with why I haven't been blogging as much lately, it's been in the shop for almost 2 weeks now. Luckily, we have an ipad, but I am really not a huge fan. I'm getting better on it, but I want my laptop back. Hopefully it won't be too much longer now, I am on the verge of going crazy without it.

But, I am refreshed. It's now October, the month I have been looking forward to since we left. We have a fun trip to the beach planned for Darrin's 30th and then we will go home for a while. I can't wait to spend some time with my family and friends, rub on my sister's belly, enjoy the fall weather and just be home.

I have a few pictures I wanted to post, but I don't want to mess with it on this computer. This will just have to be a plain 'ole boring pictureless post. But I am so, so happy it's October.

Big shout out to my bf April who turns the big 3 0 tomorrow! I wish I could be there to celebrate your special day. Not to much longer (31 days) and we will be back to our old routine again, except this time Fisher will be with us! I love you and hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow, we will celebrate somehow when I come home!

Here's to one of my favorite months, October!

Lately

I really haven't been in the mood to blog lately. I've had a lot going on and just felt blogging wasn't as important. I wasn't going to even bring this up on here, but since this is my journal, and my feelings, I wouldn't be speaking the truth if I didn't. 

I don't have my blog set to private (even though sometimes Darrin wishes I did) simply because I read a ton of other blogs, people I know or people whom I have never even met. I love to read blogs. Sometimes I am inspired, sometimes I can relate, sometimes I feel I am not alone, etc. There are so many positive things someone's blog can do for a person. I read all the time about others dealing with a three year old, dealing with two kids, realizing I am not the only one away from family, motherhood, recipes, crafts for kids the things I have stumbled across or the stories I have read are endless. So, if anyone stumbles across my blog and can relate or take anything from it like I do, then great. However, I am not blind to the fact that leaving my blog open to anyone to read allows for judgement to be made, but this is our life, our happenings and we are doing what makes us happy.

Someone messaged me one time and said, "Looks like everything is going great, but I'm sure you wouldn't say on your blog!" And I know they didn't mean a thing by it, but it did make me stop and think, "do I make it seem like everything is perfect? Do I only write about the good things? Do I seem like I am being completely honesty and open?"

Just know that our lives are not perfect and I don't ever want it to come across that way. We of course have issues amongst or families, our kids, just life in general, but we know without a doubt, we are very blessed. 

With that being said we had just had a rough week or so. Reagan got sick last Monday and is still sick. She had a low grade fever all week, we took her to the doctor last Friday and he said she had a ear infection. I couldn't believe it, she never once mentioned her ear hurting. But along with her ear infection she also has a nasty cough and a runny nose. Add all that to a sleepy, not feeling well, three year old who doesn't want to eat and you get a rough week.

Not to mention a 7 1/2 month baby who is teething and now has a fever, and you get even more of a rough week. 

Add that to a Momma who hasn't gotten out all week, a Daddy who has worked 60+ hours and also on the verge of getting sick and you have a loooong week in the Snider home.
________________________________________________________________________________

Here are a few updates anyways of what else has been going on. 

Grayson is really starting to teeth. In no time I'm sure he will pop a bottom tooth or two. 

He is starting to sleep through the night more often. He had been sleeping in a pack in play, sounds kinda bad but he loved it, but recently last week we moved him back to his bed. He seems to love his bed even more now. 

He is a eating machine! He has baby food 3 times a day, breakfast lunch and dinner with a bottle in between. And at night sometimes he has 2 jars! (and no bottle) I wanted to start making some of his food now that he has mastered eating, or at least blending some of the foods we eat, but I have tired and he just won't eat it. We go through 21-28 jars of food a week! 

(such a great helper when she wants to be)

He still loves his walker, he runs all over the place in it.  

He has started to reach for people and I think it's so sweet. I makes me remember when Reagan started reaching and I loved it. When I rock him to sleep he grabs onto my face or rubs it, it's the sweetest thing. I refuse to let this kid get my ear, not doing that again!

And last week he, with help, got up on all fours. 

Reagan knows all her letters. I took a couple videos last week of her reciting her letters, she stumbled a few times, but I have no doubt she knows them now. However, we haven't been doing the letter of the week as much. I have to admit, I lost steam and with her knowing them already, she (and I) got kind of bored with it. She loves to do crafts, so we still do a letter a day and make letter crafts.

She can almost count to 20, but doesn't recognize the number. So we have started working more with numbers.

We are also working on writing. She can write a few letters, I'm sure I will get a video soon, but it's still new. 

And last but not least, we are in those famous "trying times" as a three year old. I know it's a phase, I know it will pass, but for the time being it can be hard. In three years she has never been picky and all of a sudden these past 2 weeks, it's like pulling teeth to get her to eat. I know some of it has to do with her being sick, but the other part is her "trying times." She also is continuing to learn her boundaries and continuing to overstep them and I have to continue to remind her who is boss. And it ain't her.

(thinks he's so big standing up all by himself)

If you don't already follow or read Kelle Hampton's blog you should. She is an amazing writer and she couldn't have said it better. Her latest blog say's it all too perfectly, everyone should read it. 

"Here's the thing: Fitting it all in is like putting a square peg in a round hole. And I like to assume that everyone is doing the very best they can. That everyone loves their kids. That everyone chooses to prioritize in a way that works best for them."