Bartons Blabbing

Layla's Yellow Shirt Pictures

2015-01-04T16:24:00.002-05:00

It is that time of year, yellow shirt picture time. She was really excited to do it this year. She's been asking since we did Jack's orange shirt pictures- "when is it MY turn?!".

Here is a yellow shirt flashback-

And here's our big girl at 5 years old. Ugh...I just can't believe how big and grown up she looks!

We had so much fun with these this year. She asked me "why do we do this in the same shirt?" :) I explained that it has been fun watching her grow into the shirt and when she's much older she will actually FIT in the shirt. Her eyes got so big and she was in amazement that the shirt might actually fit her someday. Oh sweet girl, you need to stop growing!!

Christmas and Layla's Bday

2015-01-04T15:00:00.003-05:00

I'm just lumping everything together for the sake of checking this post off my to do list. We have been CRAZY busy the last few weeks! It all started with some Christmas cookies and waiting for Grandma and Grandpa to arrive the day before Christmas Eve.

I didn't take many pictures on Christmas this year. It was so nice to just enjoy the day and play. Here are the kids with some of their favorite gifts - Layla with her Legos and a trash grabber (LOL) and Jack with his choo choo train and light up nose. The cheapest gifts were the biggest hits (remind me of this next year!).

Jack also got a BIG kick out of the "no" button that Aunt Ash got especially for him this Christmas. Hilarious!!

Layla also really loved all the crafts and games she got- and playing them all with Grandma!

We did our annual trip to the Santa house after Christmas. Layla doesn't like Santa but Jack LOVES him so we might have to suck it up and wait in line next year.

Not a fan of sharing the sleigh with Jack-

We might need to work on not being on the naughty list.

That's better!

I think one of our favorite things this season has been visiting the Christmas train. The kids were SOOOOO excited. I thought Jack was going to have a heart attack.

I can't remember when we did this but Grandpa bought the kids a pass on the bouncey things at the mall. Layla loved it and this was Jack's first time. His face was priceless!! But he did really like it after Bryan helped him out a bit.

Layla had a wonderful day of pampering and fun on her actual birthday. Grandma and I took her to get her nails done, she was in heaven!

We ate Olive Garden for her birthday dinner (of course)-

And then came home for a rainbow chocolate cake.

Her favorite birthday gift was the guitar we bought her. I love this picture!

We also went bowling last week. Layla had a blast. Jack liked it for the first 10 minutes until he discovered what 'taking turns" meant. He's not a fan. They both rocked those shoes though.

And last but not least...I almost broke Layla's nose. We have a vicious cycle going on in this house- Jack gets Mommy's nose (while we were bowling...it STILL hurts) and Mommy gets Layla's nose. Thankfully it's just bruised and she has forgiven me.

Thanks for ALL your help Grandma and Grandpa Rosco! We were able to paint the ENTIRE basement while their help AND Grandpa fixed our car while he was here. We couldn't have done it without you! Love you!

Layla's Frozen/Tennis Birthday 5th Party

2015-01-04T14:09:00.000-05:00

We have had a really fun few weeks with Grandma and Grandpa Rosco here. I'll do another post with Christmas pics and other fun things but I really wanted to share these of Layla's birthday party yesterday. She had the BEST party, most of her best buddies were there (we were missing a few that were still traveling or sick) and they all had a blast. We are so thankful for all these kids, they make our little girl smile and watching them play together makes my heart happy.

We were running late for set up but I tried to get a few pictures before her friends arrived. Layla wanted a Frozen themed tennis party this year, talk about random. She was so excited to see all the snow when she woke up yesterday...it snowed JUST for her party. :)

The tennis center was amazing with the kids. They had the kids coloring while we waiting for the whole group to arrive.

Then it was time to get started! All the kids LOVED spending an hour on the courts.

They took a quick drink break and the girls had to chat for a bit. :)

Jack came late but got right in on the action. He loved playing with the big kids and they were all very gentle and helpful with him.

Sassy pants needed to pose for a few shots.

We got a quick photo op after tennis. I though Layla's eyes were going to pop out of her head when they put her in the basket of balls. She was so excited!

Love these kiddos! What a great group!

All of the kids signed the blue tennis ball for Layla to take home. Racket not included.

All the kids got goodie bags and small prizes for all the games they played. It always amazes me how something like tattoos and stamps can make their DAY. Haha!

Then we had cake and ice cream. I love seeing Layla blow out her candles (finally!) all by herself.

After loading them up with sugar, we decided to open gifts. She loved everything she got and we L.O.V.E. all the homemade cards. She has looked through them several times today and asks us to read them to her. :)

We are so thankful for all the friends that came yesterday. They made her day super special and her 5th birthday "the best ever". :)

Jack's Orange Shirt Pictures

2014-12-06T15:35:00.000-05:00

Only a FEW weeks late this year. At least we weren't sick like we were last year for these.

So. A little about 2 year old Jack- he is OBSESSED with "choo choos". Daddy is his first word in the morning, that is closely followed by "choo choo". He lives, breaths, sleeps and eats trains. I think we've watched Polar Express a thousand times in the last 2 weeks and it NEVER gets old. Everything is a choo choo-

Jack is still SUCH a happy boy. He loves to make us laugh. He still has his dimples and I pray he keeps them forever. He loves to jump as high as he can (he actually gets impressive air for a 2 year old that is the size of a 3 year old) and shake his booty to music.

Jack wears a size 5 diaper and 2t clothing is getting snug. He hates having his teeth brushed, getting out of the bathtub and having his diaper changed. I'm dreading potty training but I will be happy when I don't have to alligator wrestle him into a new diaper and pants.

We also have one smart little guy on our hands. He knows how to count to 5 and sing ABCs with help. He is starting to repeat EVERYTHING. His favorite word (besides CHOOOO CHOOOO) is "no". It is his answer for everything. "Jack do you like candy?". "No".

Sleeping had been better until we went home for Thanksgiving (figures!). He takes a 2 hour nap every day...I have tears in my eyes as I write that. A 2 hour nap EVERY day. Thank you LORD. Getting him down at night is becoming difficult- he loves to run away and scream "nooooo". One of us has to lay by his crib until he falls asleep (sometimes up to an hour+). But it is getting easier. He won't need us forever so we are trying to be patient and sleep on Jack's time. He DOES sleep until 8am, God love my late risers.

Jack's favorite person in the WHOLE. WIDE. WORLD. is "sissy". He cries when we drop her off at preschool and get's SO excited when it is time to go get her or when he gets to wake her up in the mornings. They are starting to play more together. Most of the time they push, growl and throw things at each other. But I know that means it is true love.

And here is a picture of Layla. She helped us get J's orange shirt pictures by running around the kitchen with a chicken finger in her hand so the dogs wouldn't run in front of the camera. LOL.

Flash back time- here is the crappy storyboard I have yet to finish editing-

And his 1 year picture-

And here we are at 2 years old-

We love this boy so much. I can not imagine life without our baby Jack.

Family Pictures 2014

2014-11-23T15:12:00.004-05:00

I feel so behind right now. We got these done in October...or maybe it was September. The fall is a total blur when you are a photographer haha.

The kids were a little crazy for this. All they wanted to do was run around, we were "those" clients. Paybacks I guess. I still think we got some really great shots and the kids' personalities were really captured (the good, bad and ugly...we left a few out).

Happy Halloween!

2014-10-19T15:08:00.001-04:00

It's that time of year again! I hope they let me dress them as a duo for the rest of their lives but, sadly, I think this may be the last year. It was Layla's idea to be Mario and Luigi and I think the costumes turned out adorable.

I thought the mustaches would be an issue but L LOVES wearing one. LOL. Jack, not so much but he does love wearing his hat. They also like to wield their plungers as swords. Oh boy.

L is SUPER pumped for trick or treating. J doesn't get it. We are trying to teach him to say "trick or treat" but I think he'll end up just telling the neighbors "more more more!!!" when he sees the candy. Who could say no to faces like these?

First day of school 2014

2014-09-07T14:35:00.000-04:00

School is back in session and we have one happy little girl. She really, REALLLLLLY missed her teachers this summer. I'm not sure what we are going to do when this school year is over and we have to explain to her that her teacher next year will be different. I'm already dreading it!

ANYWAY...these first day of school pictures were super rushed and I feel terrible about it. I got whatever illness the kids had last week and I was feeling like death that morning. :( I still managed to get a few-

Layla says she isn't really sure what she wants to be but she knows that she wants to be a Mommy "for sure". :)

Poor girl didn't sleep well the night before. I think she was just so excited for school! So after pictures on the porch she asked Daddy to carry her to the car.

Here she is, all ready for school with a big smile on her face.

It's funny to me that our kids will be at the top of the alphabet. Layla had the first hook again this year...Mommy was always the last in class. LOL. She knew just what to do!

She was a little anxious and held my hand for a minute before she was off to play. She has a much bigger class with some different kids this year. But once she recognized a friend from last year (a little blonde curly haired girl...her twin) she was off and happy.

Poor sweet Jack really missed "sissy" that morning. He walked around the house calling for her. I had to go blow my nose and went back into the playroom to find it empty. I couldn't find Jack anywhere! Then I peeked around the corner and saw him in sissy's bed playing with my phone. :)

Layla had a great first day and Jack gave her a big hug when he saw her. I wonder how long that enthusiasm will last?

Layla's First Ballet Lesson

2014-09-06T22:14:00.001-04:00

Oh boy. We may have created a monster here. We've been putting off dance for awhile because of the "ballet class of 2013" fiasco. We took her to a free class right after Jack was born to see if she'd like it...she ended up rolling around on the floor and following the teacher barking. Not. Ready.

She also didn't love the gymnastics class I signed her up for pre-Jack. The only thing she wanted to do was the balance beam. If there is one thing we've learned about this girl over the last 4.5 years it's that when she doesn't want to do something, she doesn't want to do something. There is no convincing her otherwise.

I've been building her up for dance for about 2 years. Seriously...2 entire years. It started with going to her BFF, Maddie's, dance recital after "ballet class of 2013". We told her "See?? THAT is how ballet is supposed to be". She told us she didn't like it and wanted to dance to "Lady Gaga". Ok so she wasn't ready.

So since then we've been reading books about dance, listing to some classical music and encouraging her to "do what I do" during our dance parties. It totally worked and she was FINALLY excited to start dance this year. YAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!

I wouldn't consider L a girly girl but she was ROCKING her hair bow, leg warmers and tights the day of her first lesson. She was so excited to "go to ballet"!

I told her to give me her best ballet pose...this is what I got-

Then I told her to "be serious" and she did THIS. Oh I love this kid!

Layla gets to do her lessons in the library auditorium, the same place where her recital will be. PERFECT for this girl. She was a little nervous going into things...

She seemed hesitant when they first got started. I think most of the girls where in class last year so they were familiar with the format. Layla's teacher seems super sweet and really good with the girls. She moves quickly which I'm hoping means L will pick up her pace. :) We shall see!

She was all smiles after class and said she "REALLY LOVED BALLET"! She can't wait to go back this week. :)

Our FL Vacation

2014-09-03T22:38:00.000-04:00

It's about time we took our first vacation as a family of four! We had so much fun in Florida last week. It was hot, sunny (with a tiny bit of rain) and absolutely perfect.

Our trip started with a 2 hour drive to Detroit. We shoved all our stuff into a little airport shuttle bus (we had so much stuff they could ONLY take us lol) and took the bouncy ride in. Of course L loved the bus, J's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head.

The kids loved to watch the indoor "train" and see the big fountain at DTW. They also loved running up and down the long aisles and shoving McDonalds in their mouths-

Jack ended up sleeping on both long flights to and from FL! It was awesome except for the extra hours we spent in the air on the way home because of storms. Overall they both did great, MUCH better than driving.

Ahhhhh the beach! Both kids were a little hesitant about the Gulf at first. I think they were just overwhelmed by it.

They loved the sand and chasing the birds. You'd think they'd NEVER seen one before...

Layla had her own suite back at the condo. She really liked having her own HUGE bed and a bathroom. LOL. She got really into coloring over this trip (random) so she spent a lot of time drawing in her little notebook.

This was taken at Fudruckers...a TOTAL dud. We were trying to be cheap and we heard they had alligators there. This was about the extent of the alligator fun.

We tried to enjoy LOTS of sea food. This was Old Bay Steamers...SO good (the kids did not agree).

One of the kids favorite things was visiting the Gulfarium. They got to see lots of super cool fish in the tanks AND....

They even got to see a Dolphin show!

We knew Layla would like it but Jack LOOOOOVED it. He kept pointing at them saying "ish ish ISH" (fish).

We tried to take a stroll on the beach every evening. We also tried to catch the sand crabs but only had 1 successful evening.

Daddy and the kids with our crab gear.

Jack liked to destroy everyone's sand castles at the end of the day. :/

The kids were pretty tried of swimming by the last day (because they are nuts) so we went to an air museum nearby. Jack didn't get it but L loved to play in the cockpits and look at all the flags.

A new addition to the Barton family came for Bryan's birthday...a GoPro! We had a TON of fun with it!

Here's a few views from the beach-

And from the zero entry pool

Jack didn't love the lazy river LOL

But Layla did!

Jack DID love the splash pad and kid's slide.

He also loved to get buried in the sand!

Bryan and I were terrible about getting in pictures with the kids this trip. Oops!

But we did get this with the GoPro...it's probably one of my favorites EVER.

Layla helped us write a note in the guest book on our last night. She also drew this sweet picture of a the condo full of dogs. LOL

And of course we made a video of our trip. I may or may not watch this multiple times a day :)

We can't WAIT to go on vacation again. I think the next stop is NYC for Mommy and Layla and then maybe another FL trip soon?! I sure hope so!

Summer Trip Home

2014-07-20T16:45:00.000-04:00

What a trip! The kids and I spent almost 2 weeks in Illinois. It was a much over due trip and we got to squeeze in lots of time with almost everyone (I did miss some people...I'm SO sorry if I missed you!). I got SO many pictures that I actually need to categorize them this time LOL. So here we go-

The Trip (dun dun duuuuuun)
The trip down was rough to say the least. In a perfect world my kids would travel like this all 7 hours-

Instead it was more like this:

It was rough guys. I don't think Grandma and Grandpa Barton will EVER volunteer to do THAT again. LOL. We did have some fun moments on the way down...like Layla using a "gun" for the first time at Bass Pro. She's got a good eye.

Jack did sleep a little on the way down. A whole 20 minutes! And he looked SO cute doing it.

They did travel well to the Workmans. In fact I'd actually say that that 3 hour drive was "fun"

Then there was the drive home from the Workman's. What was supposed to be a 5.5 hr drive was 7 thanks to construction. If I have to see another orange freaking sign or cone I'm done. The video of him screaming above? Put that on repeat for 2 hours.

I should note that L has turned into an amazing travel buddy so there is hope for Jack. And he did sleep the last 10 minutes of the journey up. Here he is hanging out in the car while we unpack. Stinker.

The Underwood's
The kids warmed up really fast to everyone on this trip. YAY! We spent a couple of days on and off at Grammy and Gramps house to see Dad's side of the family. We had a ton of fun planing, rolling around on the new carpet, seeing a train (L's life is complete) and eating Monical's (Mommy's life is complete lol).

Gma and Gpa Rosco
I did a little better with pictures at Gma and Gpa Rosco's house. Although I never did get a good picture of the two of them with the kids. SORRY!! Gpa Rosco was so busy and we just never went anywhere with great light and my camera. OOPS!

The kids had so much fun pointing to all the corn on this trip. They were obsessed with trains and corn the ENTIRE time. So L thought it was pretty cool that she got to pick some in Gpa's garden.

We had to make a grocery store run and the kids got to use the mini carts. These are SO fun...and Jack filled his to the brim with bacon while I wasn't looking. God love him.

When Daddy came (finally...I was exhausted, Jack reeeeeeally missed his Daddy) we took the kids fishing. We learned that the fish in this pond don't like bread and that Mom doesn't know how to take a bobber off without breaking the line LOL.

This picture. Jack's face looks a little distorted, right? It's because his cheeks bounce up and down when he runs. LOL. I haven't been able to capture it on video but here we have some cheek action.

Jack was more interested in my melted ice from Hardee's than actual fishing.

The Barton's
Like I said earlier, Gma and Gpa Barton had NO clue what they were up against when we told them we'd be staying with them the majority of the time. Poor things are probably still exhausted LOL.

Layla discovered she likes pistachio pudding. Gpa Rosco introduced her to the nuts a few years ago and she can't get enough. So Gma Barton decided to try the pudding. L think's it's pretty cool.

She also got to eat 1,000 at breakfast every morning.

And got her first pedicure!

Poor baby Jack had a rough time with sleep through out our entire visit. Another tough thing about traveling for toddlers...he's just so used to his own crib and room. I spent a lot of time getting him to sleep...and Daddy did too when he was able to join us. Here he is on Uncle Chris' bed.

Never fear. Even though J didn't get a ton of sleep, he still had LOTS of energy.

We got lots of hot tub time in. Who knew it would be so much fun? Jack really liked it too!

Jack got his first boat ride in. He was pretty chill about it...not really sure if he liked it or if he was just tired.

Layla's favorite part of the boat ride - looking for dead fish. Of course it was! Decatur, we like it here!

And the kids got to feed the ducks. They loved it!

We celebrated Daddy's birthday again with his family. And we wore the party hats for the entire rest of the trip!

Gpa Barton took Layla on a scavenger hunt during nap one day. She had SO much fun and "found" a little treasure.

And we went on another treasure hunt with both kids before one of Mommy's photo sessions.

And this happened.

The Workman's
We rounded out or trip to IL with a visit with the Workman's. We were SO excited to meet our new nephew, Braylon!

The kids had SO much fun playing with their cousins. We seriously had the best time just playing around the house. I didn't take my camera out much oops!

Daddy's birthday

2014-07-20T15:25:00.001-04:00

We just got home from Illinois so I'm trying to get caught up on photos, blogs...life.

Bryan turned 30 on July 4th and I can't believe I didn't get these pictures up sooner. He had a great day filled with cake, fireworks (duh) and friends. We did most of the birthday celebrations around lunch time since we knew we'd be busy with fireworks later in the day.

The kids picked out an owl wind chime and a "happy birthday" balloon from the Dollar Store. Would you believe that balloon is STILL floating?! This is what happens when I try to get a sweet picture without fire-

Bryan also made pancakes with the kids. I know I already shared this but I just love it too much not to get in our blog. Such a sweet moment. :)

June

2014-07-20T15:10:00.001-04:00

Could June really be over? It's hard to believe...it still feels like it should be April! These last few months have just flown by. I have been busy with photography, Bryan has been busy with fun stuff and the kids are outside ALL the time. We LOVE summer!

I haven't taken a single picture with my "real" camera this month but here is an update on all the Barton happenings-

Layla and Jack are starting to do things together more. It is so much fun to see them interact. Today we went to a story time at the library and Jack kept walking up to Layla, almost like he was checking in with her. It was sweet. Layla doesn't love it all the time but she does understand that as he gets older, they will be able to play TOGETHER more. She tells me she can't wait until "he can talk and not pull my hair". LOL. It's tough being a big sister!

One BIG event this month was the arrival and installation (thanks Gma and Gpa Barton!!!) of our swing set. The kids love to swing away but I was a little nervous at first. Within the first 2 minutes of the thing being up Layla tried to climb the rock wall in flip flops and got hurt. She started crying and said "I don't like this swing set, take it back and get a new one". But she snapped out of it pretty quick (and we had a talk later about how lucky she is to have ANY swing set) and we've been out there pretty much daily since then.

We did have to Jack proof it a little...he likes to try and jump off the clubhouse. Geez.

Daddy had a great and slightly uneventful Father's Day this year. The kids got him a hammock and they all like to "relax" in it together. :)

Now for Layla updates- Layla is still in tennis and LOVES it. I'm so happy we finally found something she can really enjoy. She's good at it and listens very well. I can't wait to see if she sticks with it.

Mommy and Layla got to go to a play a few weeks ago. It was The Little Mermaid put on by the children's theater. Mommy enjoyed it...Layla said in the car "well, that was disappointing". LOL. She thought it would be the Disney version. She did say she had fun being with Mommy but next time she wants to go to a movie theatre. Oh boy...at least the girl knows what she wants.

Layla will be 4.5 tomorrow! I can't believe we'll be rounding the corner to 5! :( She's so awesome. Smart, spunky and a whole lot of sassy. We are working on attitudes and wearing our "listening ears" lately. But 4 has been a really fun age so far!

This kid...I love her.

Jack updates- Oh Mr. Jack. You are one crazy little boy. Jack is just...everywhere. He runs around the house screaming his head off and laughing, climbs on everything and is into EVERYTHING. He's a very active little boy, how else is he going to get all that energy out?

Jack has started to brush his own teeth (with our help of course) and loves to stare at himself in the bathroom mirror. He also enjoys his hair in a ponytail (a sign that he needs it cut LOL).

Jack has been crashing HARD for naps this summer. It's so awesome. Mommy is getting a lot of work done during naps. WOOO HOOO!!

May Recap

2014-05-31T09:59:00.000-04:00

What a month! Last day of preschool, Daddy went to CA, Jack turned 18 months and Gma and Gpa Bawk Bawk came to visit. And best of all- the weather is finally turning around. Ahhhh summer is right around the corner and we could NOT be more excited.

I'm quickly finding out that summer time with a little boy = scraped up knees. Here was his first knee injury of the season.

He took it like a true champ. He fell down, Mommy held her breath and he got up, blinked a few times and then away he went. I couldn't believe it. That would have been a day ruining injury for Sis. Amazing to have two kids that are SO different.

Jack is learning how to blow bubbles and it is absolutely the most precious thing you have ever seen. Those CHEEKS!! For some reason Jack seems to wear a lot of green and I can't help but see Theodore the chipmunk in him. FYI- we have to hold his hand or the bubble wand becomes a sucker. Again...that never happened with L. Not one time!

We were so excited to see Gma and Gpa Bawk Bawk last week. They came all the way from Missouri! We know it was a long trip and really appreciate the help while Daddy was gone. Here they are watching Frozen with the kids.

Jack really loved cuddling with Gma!

And GUESS what they made us...our favorite meal! Layla LOVES the fish now but won't eat the sauce on the fish or spaghetti. Jack spit everything out because he's not human.

Jack got to enjoy some Gpa cuddles too. So sweet!

Gma and Layla made Daddy surprise cupcakes for when he came home. L wanted sprinkle cupcakes with blue icing and LOTS of sprinkles. She is such a big help in the kitchen and loves to cook. Jack loves to eat cupcakes.

We were sad when Gma and Gpa left but I knew it wouldn't be long until I found a little piece of them left behind.

We also have BIG news on the bike front. Layla finally decided she'd like to try a big girl bike. This is after a year of trying to get her one on. We were going to get her one for Xmas and went to try them out. She sat on one and it wobbled and she was DONE. She was "NEVER doing that again". Well she woke up and decided she wanted a bike one day and guess what Daddy bought her...

She has been whizzing around the neighborhood all week on it. She is doing amazing and has even fallen a few times only to get back on. Yesterday she took a hard turn and fell over and did cry vowing to "never get on 'that bike' again!!" and saying she didn't "love 'that bike' anymore". But I have a feeling she won't stay away for long.

Jack was officially named the most destructive kid on the planet this month. He has broken 6 of Mommy's necklaces in the last 4 months. Just rips them clean off my neck. Thank God I don't wear earrings!

And here is a quick family selfie to ring in summer. A few things I love about this picture- there are leaves on the trees, I can practically smell the sunscreen on my babies, there is a smile on ALL our faces because it's WARM OUTSIDE!!!!

Jack is 18 months!

2014-05-29T22:51:00.000-04:00

I know I say this every time but...18 months? Really?! I feel like Jack has always been a part of the family. Maybe that's because the last 18 months have gone by veeeery slow for me. This baby stage has been really tough. Apparently we don't breed children that can perform basic life functions like eating, sleeping, breathing and pooping without help. As we all know, Jack has struggled with sleeping. And by struggled I mean that he never slept.

I'm SO happy to report that we finally (queue clouds opening, angels singing and heaven's gates shining) are sleeping through the night AND taking LONG naps. Oh AND we are SLEEPING IN! I seriously have tears in my eyes as I'm writing this. That might make me a bad Mom but I don't even care. I can finally clean my own house, spend time with Layla and work all in the same day. You guys...this is major. I have become a much better person and Mom over the last few weeks. Thank you GOD!

Jack seriously has the best personality. He loves to make you laugh! He also has one heck of a tempter. His fits even put his big sis to shame. He is one strong boy and trying to hold him during one of these has got to be compared to wrestling an alligator. Whew! Here is his "onry" face-

Speaking of holding him...This little guy LOOOOOVES to be on my hip. He is becoming more independent at home which has been wonderful but in public he is so bashful. He will ride in a stroller for a bit and then wants right in Mommy's arms OR to run wild screaming up and down aisles at the grocery store. And going out to eat? Forget it! His energy can not be contained to a simple high chair. He is starting to prefer a normal seat anyway...oh boy.

Jack has been struggling over the past 2 months to get rid of a nasty cough. It started as a cold and we have not been able to get rid of this terrible rattling in his chest. We've spent $10 million on breathing treatments that he will no longer sit through (seriously...20 minutes 4 times a day? For 3 months?! Nope) but I came across some essential oils that seem to really help him.

Jack is saying LOTS of words and making lots of animal noises now. He loves Doggies and Owls most of all. He's getting really into trucks and trains...I LOVE IT! He's still not communicating basic needs which is enough to drive me nuts. He likes to act like a caveman and bang his hands on his chest (or mine) when he needs something. And the whining is out of control. Who said little boys weren't dramatic?! This boy knows what he wants, when he wants it and he thinks I should know too. He's so stubborn and probably won't really start communicating until he's 2 like his sister...they've got this "Mommy is a slave" thing pretty well figured out.

We did his 18 month pics at Dow Gardens when Gma and Gpa Bawk Bawk were here (post on that later). Layla was a total rock star but Jack wasn't really on his A game. This is probably one of my favorite pictures EVER though-

And I had to share one of this gorgeous girl. I just don't know how we got so lucky to get such adorable AND smart/funny kids. I love them.

And Mr. Jack with his Daddy. He's really starting to prefer Dad when he's around which is TOTALLY cool with me. That boy was literally attached to me for 13 months, it can be Daddy's turn for awhile. I swear they look exactly alike...

I can't wait to see what the next 6 months brings for our little guy. We are really looking forward to doing more traveling, staying up late and spending lots of time together this summer. Life is SO good!!

Layla's last day of preschool

2014-05-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

I can't believe Layla's last day of preschool was today. It was supposed to be last week but our snow days pushed it back which meant Daddy couldn't be here (he was in CA for work). :( Luckily Grandma and Grandpa "Bawk Bawk" were here to help out!

Here is L on her first and last day of school. I can't believe how much she's grown this year. Preschool has been so good for her. She told me today that she's really going to miss it this summer and miss her teachers too. She was sad about the break but excited she will get to go 3 days a week next year.

Layla got to go to school at her normal time and do some fun things in the morning. Then it was time for the families to come and watch them receive their certificates for completing their first year. Jack loved watching their story time!

Layla was so sweet and clapped for all her friends as they got their certificates. Then it was her turn!

Obviously she was thrilled.

Jack got to swing in a big kid swing for the first time. He loved it but wasn't so great at holding on. LOL

We adore Layla's teachers. They are both so sweet and you can tell they really love their kids. We are so happy to have them again next year. Here is Layla with Mrs. Carpenter-

And with Mrs. Silvas-

And one with both of them.

Layla's favorite things about school this year were the craft time and going outside to play. Can't wait to see what her favorite part of school is next year! :)

Mother's Day 2014

2014-05-11T16:16:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! Today really has been a typical Sunday minus the fact that we didn't get to church this morning. L has a mystery rash and J has still be coughing so we have been trying to keep him away from other kids/germs...I will completely loose it if he gets worse again and who knows what's up with L. I've become one of those Moms that sprays their kid with sanitizer the second they even look at another human being under the age of 10. On a happy note- J has improved in the last couple of days so there is a light at the end of the tunnel (2 months now...we've been dealing with this for 2 MONTHS).

We decided some fresh air would be good so we took a trip to Dow Gardens this afternoon-

This guy. I love him. That dimple kills me and I'm so glad he's finally getting better. It's no fun to watch your kid cough all day long. And the lack of sleep isn't fun either. :( Today was the first day he has been able to go outside and run without stopping to cough. YAY!!

This this girl and those blue eyes. What a personality...she will be Queen of the Universe someday. She is so smart and so sassy. Watch out world!

Layla did NOT want to get her picture taken with Jack which was the only thing I wanted for Mother's day. :( Little stinker is getting harder and harder to photograph. She's too smart for her own good and bribing is starting to not work. I got evil eyes during every attempt. And these aren't even the worst of them!

But she did cooperate for a picture with Mommy. Well we THINK she did...she could be giving evil eyes behind the shades.

Maybe next year we'll get a cute picture of the kids together. For now I'll just enjoy the sun shine and warmer weather!

A general update and Mommy's birthday

2014-05-11T15:51:00.000-04:00

Story of my life- I'm running behind. So for Mother's Day I thought I'd just take a chance to get caught up on some stuff. Mainly on our personal blog and our pictures. So here's a quick catch up-

Mommy has been super busy with photography and her blog. I had a local orthodontist office contact me about pictures several months ago and I almost didn't accept the job because it was a bit out of my comfort zone. I decided to take the job because my contact was wonderful and really liked my style...I had complete creative control.

Holy Cow. I'm so glad I took this. It gave me a huge confidence boost and will open doors for me to grow my business. I'm so proud of myself and am so thankful for the opportunity falling in my lap. And for Bryan and the kids helping me out with this! Layla helped us open the canvases when they arrive...they were MUCH bigger than her!

And here was the finished product. I'll go visit the office in a few weeks and take pictures of them hanging.

Then my birthday happened right in the middle of all this. It wasn't a big deal...but it IS my last birthday in my 20s! I've had a busy decade...graduated from college, got married and had 2 great jobs/careers. Then the girl came and I became a stay at home mom, opened 2 businesses and completed our family with the little guy. It's been a crazy, busy and WILD ride but here we are and I'm not sure I'd want things any other way.

Layla picked out my birthday presents again- I got new headphones, an armband for running and an airplane. Guess which one was from Layla.

I got to take Layla to tennis by myself which was WONDERFUL because I got to watch her WHOLE practice. It was amazing. She loves it and does really well. So thankful we found something she actually enjoys!

While we were gone Daddy decorated the dining room with the decorations L picked out. Angry Birds...

Layla served the cake. She was so proud of herself. Can't believe how big she's getting...she is such a HUGE help.

Jack wasn't feeling well (still) but he did enjoy some cake. I was glad to see a few smiles out of this poor sick guy.

Then we went outside (still in our winter coats!!) and played with "my" airplane. I can't wait to see what I get next year! Haha

Our Easter

2014-04-23T12:53:00.000-04:00

Easter just didn't feel like Easter this year. It's cold, we were sick and couldn't go to church and the weekend was just WAY too short. But we got to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Rosco so that made up for it!

They got into town on Thursday and Friday we ran errands, worked on the house and went shopping. Saturday morning we had a SUPER yummy breakfast at Cafe Zinc and then this happened-

Freaking PINK EYE! It appeared faster than Ls (she had it 4 weeks ago) and started in both eyes. I knew we were in for a long 5 days of eye drops. You always underestimate the strength of your children until you are trying to get antibiotics in their eye.

Since we were stuck at home we decided Saturday afternoon would be a great time to dye eggs.

The kids had a blast, Layla was really into it this year and didn't need much help. So much fun!

We had to skip church on Sunday because of our diseases. But the Easter bunny still came to see us!

Here they are walking down the hallway ready to see their surprises!

Out of all the goodies, Jack's favorite thing was a cup.

The Easter bunny left lots of eggs outside too! We decided to wait until it was a little warmer to go out there and get them. This was a mistake because the squirrels decided to get into some of the eggs and eat M&Ms. Awesome!

Don't they look like they belong in The Hangover?

Much better LOL

Jack did a great job hunting eggs! He would pick up his bucket and everything. Such a big boy!

And this is how L used her basket. LOL. I love her.

Next it was time to get a cute sibling "Happy Easter" shot. This was a good one...

Then we asked L to give J a kiss.

He accidentally bumped her and then this happened...

We call this the "Charlie Brown" cry. WAAAAAAAAA

I found these on my camera. Grandpa did a good job!

At least we did get one good Easter shot, sick and all. :) Can't wait to see what next year brings (hopefully healthy kids!!).

Our February

2014-03-02T20:37:00.000-05:00

Our February was filled with snow, cold and sickness. We are all SO over winter. We have been spending way too much time inside this month...please come soon spring!

We tried to celebrate Valentines day but Mommy ended up sick the entire week with a mystery illness. After lots of blood work, an X-ray and an ultrasound I have been diagnosed, yet again, with IDK disease. For those of you that are not my Grandpa that is a highly official diagnosis of "I don't know" disease. It sucks.

So here's what we've been up to-

Jack learned how to hike a ball. I can't help but look at this pic and see Theodore from Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Layla has been working on writing her name. I don't know how people homeschool. This has been the result of lots of fighting and "I don't want to's" in this house. She will do it perfectly fine for her teachers. Stinker. She had to write her name on 19 Valentines. She absolutely insists that her names starts with an "A" and that she has to write it in a "circle". She's kind of good at drawing the individual letters.

Here she is pouting because I'm making her do something

She cracked a smile as she finished the last one. I asked her if she felt good after doing all that hard work and she said "No. You can do them next year". Future US President right here.

Of course we had our Valentine's Day session

One major development last month was joint bath time. Thank GOD! Layla has finally realized it is fun to have a bath buddy. It saves us time and gives us LOTS of giggles. They were in rare form for the camera here-

Jack turned 15 months in February. I can't believe it. He is walking ALL over the place and communicating so much more (even within the last few days). His vocab includes: daddy, mama, sissy, layla, goggies (dogs), moooooore, buh bye, up, yeah, no, all done and help. He also has started pointing to things he sees or wants. Jack has always been a screamer but he's really starting to scream when he doesn't like something or is upset. It is ear piercing and I hope this stage goes quickly.

Jack is in size 24 months/2T and in a size 4 diaper. He eats like a champ and finally got all 4 molars! He goes for his well visit next month so I'll have his weight and height then...but we already know he's ginormous. He's sleeping much better but still insists on being rocked to sleep. We just try to enjoy it and appreciate the snuggles. He's doing better for naps and will sleep anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours (YEEEEESSSSSS) and does pretty well at night too. He goes down around 7:30 but always wakes up at 10pm for a quick snuggle. Then tends to sleep until 6:30-8am. LOL...hoping to get this worked out SOON.

Mr. Jack found the key to Mommy's heart this month- making us laugh. This boy and his "silly face". Oh my!

We are hoping for warmer weather in March. It is a SUPER busy month filled with preschool stuff, photo sessions and hopefully a few family visitors from IL! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2014-02-14T08:39:00.001-05:00

You aren't even prepared for the amount of cuteness that is our Valentine's Day session. There are no words so I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

One note- that last picture of Jack on the bottom right corner was the last pic I took. His hair was wild and he had kiss marks ALL over him from L (who wanted to kiss him SO bad the whole session...A-dorable). That picture absolutely cracks me up...he looks so love struck and happy that his big sis kissed his chubby cheeks. :)

Today we are saying lots of "I love you's" and giving lots of hugs and kisses. :) L really has gotten into it since her preschool party yesterday. She loved going through her Valentines and she told me that a little boy asked her if she'd come to preschool with him in the summer to hunt treasure outside. Love is in the air friends! Haha!

Jack's First Haircut

2014-02-04T20:47:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it is really time for this. Jack's first haircut?! Shouldn't he be...say...3 or so before we need to worry about this?!

I'm feeling a WHOLE lot of guilty about this because I made such a big deal about L's first cut. We even went out to dinner to celebrate (and so she could show off her new locks) after. Poor Jack got TOTALLY robbed. First of all I went first and had dye in my hair during this whole process, Bryan walks Jack in about 3 seconds before the comb starts running through his baby hair and L is bouncing around excited because she gets to go next.

I didn't get fabulous pics like I did for L's first cut. This obviously makes me the worst. Mom. EVER. And I'm sure I'll hear about it someday.

Poor J was so shocked at everything going on in the salon that he really had no clue what was going on to him (this is a good thing). Our stylist worked super fast and he was done in a flash!

This was seriously his face through the whole thing. He was so ticked. He was tired and hungry and just didn't want to be messed with. There were NO tears, I'll take those grumpy cheeks over crying any day.

And my last picture is a cell phone picture because again, I'm the worst Mommy ever. But here is Mr. GQ sporting his new look. It's so hard to tell because we did keep it long on top but the back is short. No more crazy hair in the back and sides...my baby boy looks like a big guy now. :(

Let's talk about January

2014-01-30T18:45:00.002-05:00

Oh boy. I'd like to say that we've been busy this month but the truth is we've been stuck in the house with NOOOOOOOOOTHING to do. It's been cold. Real cold. And although L loves winter and snow...we can't be outside in the negative temps, especially with J. So we've been spending a lot of time getting creative inside-

We've also been encouraging bath time together this month. L still insists on taking separate baths and we haven't pushed it because J is still very wobbly in the tub...it's like he has no idea what to do in the water. LOL. So in an effort to not have a child with a concussion, we've done separate bath times.

J really LOVES baths with sissy when he can get them. She was in the tub here but did not want her picture taken.

We've been eating really well this month! L is doing SO much better and has even been *gasp* quicker at eating. By quicker I mean 30-45 minutes but that is a serious improvement.

It takes Jack 4.6 seconds to eat his entire meal and then starts eyeing Layla's. It's a problem. He eats more than her at every meal. So we have to get creative while we wait for sis to eat.

Layla had a sweet friend, Larkin, over yesterday. These two are so sweet. They enjoyed doing a craft and having hot chocolate!

One more day of January and we are on to February. Can I dream of warmer weather yet??

Layla's Yellow Shirt Pictures

2014-01-05T14:45:00.000-05:00

The bigger she gets, the happier I am we started doing these yellow shirt pictures. It is so amazing to see her grow in the same shirt, and she's getting really into it too! Her shirt hangs up in her closet and she asks about it all the time. She was SUPER excited to do her yellow shirt pictures today. :) Here she was at 18 months, 2 years and 3 years...

She had a hard time sitting still for the pictures today. Then Daddy promised her 4 Hershey Kisses and all was good-

What a silly girl. It is so hard to believe she's 4. That seems like such a big number for such a small girl. Layla is SO SO SO smart. I know everyone thinks their own child is a genius but she really is. She's also super silly and still loves to make us laugh with her goofy faces and "jokes" (mostly about underwear and poop ugh).

Last year I made a list a few years ago of all of her little quirks. Last year I just updated the list but this year I'll just highlight some of her favorite things and some changes to her ongoing list of quirks. :)

- Layla's favorite food continues to be anything covered in chocolate. She would eat her weight in chocolate if we'd let her. Sometimes she'll tell me her stomach hurts because she needs more candy. Ha!

- She still loves to have dance parties. Her new favorite singer is Katy Perry. She likes "Roar" and "ET".

- L still sleeps with 10,000 stuffed animals. Her bedtime routine consists of lots of books, a story acted out by her dollhouse people and she must have a flashlight. The only thing she absolutely can not sleep without is taggie.

- Her new talents include whistling! It is pretty amazing...she's getting REALLY good and can actually carry a tune. She whistles better than I do. She still makes up LOTS of songs and even rhymes now.

- She still has a bit of a temper but her attitude is what is getting her in trouble lately. She loves to tell us "NO!!" and/or "NEVER!!!". It is hard not to laugh because she gets very serious. She is very emotional and still very sensitive so we are working on not yelling and talking it out.

- L has always had a strange southern accent when she says certain words ("more") and now she has a New York accent when she says things like "parking lot". No clue where she got it but I LOVE it!

- She is the most helpful kid you will EVER meet. Even her teachers tell me how great she is to have in the classroom and help. She helps me do laundry, dishes, dusting...and her absolute favorite thing to do is scrub the toilets. What a weirdo! But anytime I need help I know I can ask her. God love her.

- She's had 2 haircuts this year and we are getting ready for another. Her hair seems to get curlier and curlier! When straight it is way past the middle of her back. I would love to see what it would look like dry and straight but she won't let me do it...she likes her curls. :)

- Her favorite books are "find" books (think I Spy) and her favorite movie is Tangled. Her favorite colors are "green and blue"...she will not pick just one. This makes things very complicated.

- She is beginning to show interest in playing with her little brother (finally). She gets very upset if/when he gets hurt and very curious when he gets in trouble. Nosey Rosie. Right now she likes to chase him around the house and "carry" (drag) him.

This kid. She's so awesome. Words just can't even describe how lucky we are to have her. She keeps us laughing all day long and has really grown into such a sweet/helpful little lady. We love you Layla!

Christmas 2013

2013-12-31T16:01:00.002-05:00

We had an amazing Christmas at home this year. I love that Santa has gotten to come to our house 2 years in a row! Here are the kids finding their gifts from the big guy on Christmas morning-

Layla worked hard all December on her Santa advent calendar. She was SO excited to put the red nose on him for Christmas day.

Then it was time to open gifts.

After lunch we decided to take the kids outside and play in the snow. Jack loves to zoom around on the sled and L loves to make snow angels and play "treasure" in the snow.

What a GREAT day!

A couple days after we decided to visit the Santa house here in town. L was NOT into the big guy this year and J could have cared less, so we decided not to wait in line when Santa was actually there. But we have to get our annual picture in the chair! The kids were too busy looking at all the trains to care about my camera:

Here are some more pictures of the house-

We also decided it would be fun to go bowling while Grandma and Grandpa were here! This was L's second time bowling and she really enjoyed it. This was J's first time and he really didn't care for it...he wanted to crawl around and see everything else.

What a great few weeks it has been. I felt like I did a great job of getting pictures until I realized I didn't get one of Gma and Gpa Barton with the kids!!! UGH! My New Year's resolution (at least one of them...) is to be better with PICTURES!

Layla's 4th Birthday

2013-12-31T11:47:00.000-05:00

Can't believe our baby girl turned 4 a few days ago. She requested a unicorn birthday party this year complete with rainbow cupcakes and balloons. And of course, that's what the birthday princess got-

Layla and her friends had so much fun decorating their own unicorn horns.

Grandma Barton even helped Jack do one!

Layla had to share all of her photo books and special ornaments with Miss Carrie.

Here we are playing pin the horn on the unicorn. The kids loved it!

Layla was so excited to do her cake and candle that she didn't want to sit still for a good picture.

She acted a little shy again this year but was all for it for the most part. This was the first year she actually blew out her own candle. I have a feeling our services will no longer be needed when it is time to make a wish.

Of course we had sprinkles on our ice cream! And L just ate the frosting.

Here is most of the gang. We are so thankful for these great kids and their families! Layla is one lucky girl to have all these BFFs! PS- you can tell how much fun she had by how frizzy her hair is! LOL

We tried to get another picture with the birthday girl but the dogs would NOT leave us alone. Another photo opportunity ruined by Oscar and Moose. At least we got a good smile out of L. :)

She had a lot of fun opening gifts again this year. Some of her favs include the lip stick and chocolate candy!

Moose forgot to buy her a present so she got a hug.

And Daddy gave the bday girl an extra hug too.

Layla had such a great time at her party! After gifts we headed off to her favorite restaurant- Olive Garden, where she ate "1,000 breadsticks", 3 spaghetti noodles and 6 pieces of chocolate.

Thank you for all the messages, gifts and fun to everyone!! I can't wait to see how she grows this year...who knows what kind of theme she'll come up with for 5! ;o)