Totally Blog Worthy

Recalling past posts about Troy not sleeping anywhere besides his crib... he used to cry and climb back into his crib when we tired to move him to a big boy bed. I found him one night close to 11 o'clock sitting in the living room with Tony's ball cap on drinking his bottle at the dining room table because he hated his twin bed.
Well, I started looking for a car bed for him a few months back. Tony saw a twin race car bed at a thrift shop for $20 by the time he got a hold of me to see if I wanted it the bed was purchased by someone else. So I found a fire truck bed on craigslist for $35 yesterday. I like the fire truck bed because it has the high walls around the back and kind of mimics a crib. Tony's brother Gabe mentioned one day that Troy probably likes the crib because it is enclosed and makes him feel safe, "like his little nest", I laughed it off at the time but then Tony and I started joking about Troy and his "nest"/crib.
Well, I found the firetruck bed and called the guy, it was still available. I called my brother to see if we could go pick it up with his truck. It was set we would go get the bed at 430 when the kids got up from their nap. I posted on Facebook how excited I was to have found such a great deal. Not a minute later my friend Kati's husband Bradley called my phone and said "why are you buying a fire truck bed when I have one sitting in my attic?"
I don't know why I didn't think to ask them!? I knew they had one from their son, I guess I thought they had sold it when Paul got to big for it. Nope, they still had it in the attic! Awesome! Troy got his new fire truck bed from Sophia's future husband Paul! It was even better when Katie and Paul brought the bed over to our house. Sophi loved seeing "Paulie" as she so lovingly refers to him. And Katie and my brother took down the crib and we rearranged Troy's room and set up his new bed. Did I mention they took down the crib? Uhh.... my heart cried. That was Sophi and Troy's crib. My sweet babies!! It was really hard to see them take that crib apart. Knowing that we aren't going to have anymore babies sleeping in that crib and knowing that I brought both my babies home from the hospital in but them in that wooden crib... I may see if I can have someone make my casket out of that crib and take it with me when I die :)
I was nervous about him not wanting to sleep in his bed, but he was a sweet boy and got up once to tell me he needed more milk, then again to tell me he was poopy, which he was not. After that he was asleep by 840 and stayed in his bed until he woke up at 8am. Sweet boy!
So now we are too nap time the next day. He hasn't gotten out of bed but has called me in to tell him he needed more milk. I am trying my hardest to get him to do like Sophia did when she was little. Once I put her in her bed she wasn't allowed to get out unless I came and got her. Sophia was a little saint and followed by this rule like an angel. She never would get out of her bed without permission. I don't expect Troy to follow Sophi's steps completely but I do expect some kind of understanding that you don't get up without permission, nap time and bedtime will is not a free for all. How did I do this with Sophia? I bought Super Nanny's book and followed her directions about bedtime routine and staying in the bed. Lots of consistency and repetition for sure :)
We shall see how that goes. Sometimes I wonder if Troy's will is stronger than mine though. I have learned one thing in parenthood, never say never! :)

medicine!!!

I hate medication!! Poor Sophi's medication is so screwed up! From her being sick with the stomach flu. She was on a plan to gradually increase her daily med from 5ml twice a day to 15 ml twice a day. Seems like a big increase but supposedly she is not at a 'therapeutic level' so this needs to be done so she can be protected by the medication. So when she got sick she couldn't keep anything down so we had to start over with the increase in pills. She was to 10ml in the morning and 10ml at night. Every two weeks I am supposed to add 5ml to one of her doses. Anyway.. it is very confusing but I guess it can be dangerous just to start on the larger dose it has to be gradual. That has been all bothered today... BOO to medicine.
Well, I am hope from work until Thursday next week, hurray!
This week we are planning on school, gymnastics, and the normal everyday.. I will be very content if nothing extra goes on.
We have all been missing daddy! I wish he was here. Tuesday will begin the third week of him being in Texas. The kids, I think, are getting used to it being just the three of us. Which doesn't make them miss him any less but at least they don't ask for him every other hour. I am missing him more everyday. I can't wait until he comes home the end of this month. Whoo whoo!!
I am tired and sick. This head cold is kicking my butt. The weather is nice today so I have the windows open and letting the house air out. Getting all the sickness out of my house! I hope we can all stay well for a while.
The kids are at my mom's house right now. I got home from work this morning at 7am and came home and went right to sleep. I got up to go pick them up and my mom had just laid them down for naps. That gives me some time to get the house picked up and disinfect a bit before they come home. Also gives me time to blog.
Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. God Bless!

Off and Running..

I should be getting ready for work, ironing my scrubs(something Tony always did for me), packing the kids bag to take to my mom's house, and getting some coffee, or maybe catching up on 10 more minutes of rest before my two day work week. I am now working two twelve hour shifts. In the next 48 hours I will work 24 hours, sleep appox 10 hours and play and love on my babies for the remaining 14 hours. This is the busiest most exhausting part of Tony not being around.
God spared me from the stomach virus but I got a nasty head cold in return. I'd rather have a runny nose than an upset stomach though. I went to the grocery store with Troy this morning and stocked up on chicken soup, organge juice, and Dayquil which will get me through the next 48 hours.
I am typing and laughing while I listen to Sophia and Troy, both in their bed, in separate rooms, singing as loudly as they can to one another. They are so funny. Two peas in a pod for sure.



Well... off to get ready.
Hope everyone is having a great week.

Sophia's version of 'God is so Good'

Enjoy!!



Isn't God Good?? hahah!

The Sickness is going around!

The kids have both suffered with this nasty stomach virus Troy seems totally back to normal. He is currently locking himself out of the house on the back patio. It is a nice morning. He is swinging his golf club and looking in the sliding glass door asking me did 'you saw that?' Glad he is feeling better.

Sophi is in the 'sick spot' on the couch watching Ice Age and eating a popcicle. She had a rough night. I was just praying that I don't get it. Still praying I don't get it but atleast it seems the kids are better if I do get it atleast they are feeling better.

The 'sick spot' is a place on the couch that I cover with blankets and only the sick person gets to sit there. It is really to cover my couch from whatever bodily functions may dispurse but the kids think that it is a special spot just for them and that mommy does it because she loves, I'll let them think that. :)

So, Sophi has also been good at getting to the toliet before she gets sick. Troy on the other hand, like Sophi says 'he has boy brains' but Troy did get a clue from Sophi last night.

Now, before you watch, excuse my laughter, and no he was not getting sick. I wouldn't video tape something like that. But he is a pretty good actor. Even with the sound effects.

Presenting... Troy the barfing boy.

Sad VS Happy

The past weeks have been a complete mad house around here. There is so much to catch up on, so many pictures to show, so much to say! I don't know where to begin..
Let's start at the first thing on my heart, the sad vs happy. Please don't judge me for this post.. it is a very emotion filled one and may seem like an 'over reaction' to some but that is the point.
To start here though I have to catch you all up to speed.
Tony is in Texas. Not on a vacation without us, but he is working there, for three months. So there is the initial hurray! he found a job! Then there is the eww.. we live in Florida, that we love, that our families are here, that we never want to move. Then it's the oh it's only for three months. Well, it is a guaranteed income for three months so that is a great thing! We are hoping that it could turn into a job in Florida thing, but trying not to get ahead of ourselves. We are very excited about his opportunity. Tony is so glad to be the 'provider' again. He says he feels so glad to be able to 'take care of us' financially again. I am so proud of him, that is one thing that I always admire about Tony, he will always make sure we are taken care of. We will always have food and shelter.
This economy has defiantly taken it's toll on us the past year. I was thinking about it the other day...
when I have good days, positive thankful days, the days I feel God's strength, this is my story...
We had a lot of things, we lost a lot of things. We bonded together and we made it work. We never lost our friendship and in fact became even stronger through the hard time. Our daughter has been healthy, she is here with us, suffering no brain damage and for the times we thought she had a brain tumor she did not! We have a healthy happy baby boy. Who teaches me every day to just let things roll and not worry. We have so much to be thankful for. Even though we lost our things we never lost what matters most, our family and our faith.
On the bad days, the negative, doubtful days, the days the devil uses to drag me down, this is my story...
We lost everything we had when Tony lost his job, our house, our cars, we had to sell our things, Tony pawned his ring so we could buy groceries, I had to get a job so that we could afford health insurance to cover the rising medical bills that we were drowning in debt with, we borrowed money from our families, and now my husband has had to move across the country for a job to support us and we are split apart.
Two totally different takes on the same story huh? Can't believe what a foothold the devil can get if we really let him. I mean there is some harsh reality to the 'sad story' but the truth of the 'happy story' is really what I try and focus on.
It has been really hard, it all has been really hard. It has been hard to see him go to Texas. The joy in the blessing of him getting a job was almost over shadowed by the loneliness that I felt the day I drove home with those two little babies in there car seats.


The doubt that day swallowed me. I didn't even want to go home from the airport. When Tony left through the security gates we stayed at the airport and looked in all the stores. We stayed in the Sea World shop for thirty minutes as I contemplated using my toll money buy Sophia a doll and buy Troy a plastic shark. Then when we got off the free way we stopped to eat lunch, we went inside and sat together, the three of us, for close to two hours. I have never been so patient watching Sophi dip her spoon in a frosty and lick it like a lollipop, taking forever to eat that frosty which when she finished she could drink like a chocolate milk. Troy sat in his seat and folded his little hands saying "amen, amen" I knew God was reminding me to pray. I did. I got my courage and drove the rest of the way home. When we got to town I stopped at the grocery store, I made up some excuse, but I really just didn't want to go in that house without him. When we pulled into the driveway we sat outside and played with sidewalk chalk for close to an hour before I even put the key in the door. The reality really wasn't that bad. It was our house and just because he wasn't there in that moment didn't mean he was gone. I really had let the devil just run with my heart that day. I mean, it is ok to be sad, but this wasn't the end. It was the beginning for my family to start over. I put the kids down for there naps and prayed.
So Tony has only been gone for 5 days. He sends the kids videos and we send videos to him. It has been fun spending so much time with the kids. Everything is working out perfect. I am still working and will continue to work, we need the benefits. I have gone down to part time though and I like it much better.
Everything that I was worried about so far has gone very peaceful. The kids spending the night with my mom, they love it! I was worried that they would miss me and Tony, they do but my mom keeps them so entertained they hardly think of us :)
I was worried that they would be sad, they are, but I am helping Sophi deal with the heartache and she is ok. She cries sometimes and I let her. She told me the other night that she just wanted to hug him, she said 'I'll even close my eyes and not look if I could just touch him.' I felt my eyes get tearful and I swore I wouldn't cry about this in front of her.. I almost did. I told her it was ok to cry and be sad but Daddy really wanted her to be happy and enjoy this time with mommy and Troy and Mimi. I am soo glad that she can see him and touch him again. My heart breaks for those families who have children who can't see there parents again. But at 4 years old it doesn't make it any easier. She is happy and doing her best. I can now say from experience though that my family should never be separated. It doesn't work for us.
Troy doesn't really get it, he still thinks that Tony is flying around on the airplane somewhere. He only asks for him when he is screaming in time out and he is his typical laid back self. He is struggling through a stomach virus right now, which I pray Sophia and I don't get. I think it's just a 24 hour thing, he seemed much happier tonight than he did earlier today.
I got scared last night and Tony wasn't here to check the locks for me. I got scared and my mind started wandering... I felt myself beginning to think some very irrational thoughts.. I prayed for peace and I got it.
God has been so gracious to me this week. Now lets see if he'll protect me from Troy's stomach flu.
It is a roller coaster of emotions for sure. But we are doing ok.

I have so many pictures I want to share but I am saving them for another post.
Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween :) Love you all.

sickies and a birthday

Well, where have we been?
Troy, Sophi and Tony were sick for close to 10 days with the swine flu. Oh, how fabulous that was! They were so sick and I am so glad that they are better and that I didn't get it.
Sophia missed a week of school and Troy was hit hard with a high fever for close to five days straight.
Evey one is better now and just in time for Troy's 2nd Birthday!! Hurray!
Happy Birthday Troy Anthony.
My little boy turned two yesterday.
He walked around saying "it's ma day, it's ma day!" so cute!
He had a 'boys only super hero party'. Of course with his two girls cousins, sister, and his little buddies older sisters who were in attendance it wasn't really an all boy party- but it was great! He was dressed like the Hulk. who he calls "rah rah" and he ran around in his costume and had a best day ever!
Here are some pictures of Troy's Day.

He got the sandbox from his GiGi and the cake with Hulk was his 'rah rah cake' mommy worked hard on that because my cake lady moved to Jacksonville, doesn't look as good as hers but it tasted great :)






I am a proud mommy and I was so happy to tell him, "yes Troy today is your day"

Things I really say...

"Don't hit your sister with a shopping cart!" -to Troy

"Don't bite the dog" -to Troy

"Please don't eat your bugers" -to Troy

"Don't tell him you are 'going to rip him'" -to Sophi

"Don't drive your car on the tv screen." - to Troy

"You pooped play doh" -to Sophi

"Don't wipe your nose on my arm" -to Sophi

"Do not run mommy over with trucks" -to Troy

"Please don't eat food stuck on the bottom of the table" -to Troy

"Don't let the dog bite you" -to Troy

"Do not put your tongue on me" -to Sophi and Troy at the same time!

"Stop eating the couch" -to Troy

"We do not wash our hair in the potty water" -to Sophi

SHARE.. WHAT DO YOU REALLY SAY?

a very small rant...

I ran into the Dollar General yesterday. They had this cute little ironing board and iron set for kids, only it was pink and purple. I wasn't in the purchasing mood but Troy would have loved that set.. I would not have bought him a pink ironing board though. But why is the ironing board pink? Is an ironing board only meant for little girls?
Then they had a pink vacuum and a purple broom and dust pan. Now this is starting to bother me, then right next to it... a black grill with a grey little lounge chair.
They might as well sold this with a plastic 12 pack!!!

Is there something wrong with this?

I continued on my shopping and went over to Publix. I noticed something that has never occurred to me before this day... the "feminine products" and the "cleaning products" aisles are right next to each other. Oh how convenient for us women to have our tampons and our mildew remover so close together.

I continued shopping and I was over in the pancake aisle getting some syrup and I heard a man on his cell phone afew aisles over.. he was in with the "cleaning products"...
"well, if you would come to the store and do your own shopping we wouldn't have this problem"
He was obviously talking to his wife. It was my observation that he had probably gone shopping for her. Bought the wrong thing, and she sent him back to get the right thing, and he was going to give her a run for her money that he couldn't find it.
That was just my observation.. but my husband tells me that women are way more observant than men.

He was fussing at his wife for a few minutes. While I wondered over to this aisle to listen... I pretended to look for Comet as I listened. He continued to argue with her about how Publix must not carry the product she was looking for anymore and questioned her about using something else instead. I could hear her describing the products label to him, I looked over, I noticed as he argued with her, he wasn't even looking at the products on the shelf, he was just focusing on arguing with his wife. Had he stopped rolling his eyes he may have noticed the product directly in front of him.

She was looking for Scrubbing Bubbles

My husband has told me that men aren't good multitaskers... they can't argue on the phone and look for something at the same time.
While I was standing there with my two kids, listening to this man, while pretending to look busy, and checking off my list... it is possible I was on my cell phone at the time too, I found the product his wife was looking for.

I just grinned as the wife told him to forget it and she would come back and get it herself. He slammed the phone down and went to walk away. He probably thought to himself, "I taught her."
I picked up a can of scrubbing bubbles and handed it to him. I considered handing him Comet, which he probably would have trusted me that is the correct item, I felt I'd to a favor woman to woman and give him the correct item.

He looked at the can, looked at me, and said "thank you, see that's why women should do this stuff"

He totally meant this as a compliment but after the pink ironing board, pink iron, purple dust pan and purle broom at this point I didn't take it as one.

Maybe if we put the "cleaning products" with the beer men would better know the difference between scrubbing bubbles and soft scrub.

A way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

Even a little man.

Troy loves it when I cook. He stands in the kitchen while I cook and hugs my legs saying, "Ummm momma, I luv you. Umm.. Momma"

This particular occasion I was cooking spaghetti for my dad's birthday. Troy moved his table to the counter climbed on the top to sneak a taste at the spaghetti sauce that was in the crock pot.




Troy, sweet, little guy.

If I have one request for his future wife... she better cook for him :) I have never seen a child so excited about home cooked foods. The way he acts you would think I never cooked for him. I cook all the time. He doesn't like frozen foods. If you try and give him a frozen dinner he will pick and look so longingly at his plate but if you slave away in the kitchen and make him meatloaf, steak and potatoes, grilled chicken salad.. he will clean the plate!

Sweet girl of mine, she is just as happy as a little clam as long as she has her Daddy's peanut butter and syrup sandwich.