Longest, most unorganized post ever.

We've been really busy around here. Sam is non stop school all the time and Matthew is a bundle of energy. Samantha still goes to full time day care even though I stay home. She likes it and wants to go every day without fail. She is the weirdest kid I know. If she's sick, she's sad because she can't go to school and when I ask her if she wants to stay home with me she says no. A lot has happened this month. The pictures loaded backwards, so the most recent stuff is first... I think. Nevermind, I just checked. They really are completely unorganized. oops. What can I say? That is my life right now.

Matthew loves to eat of his high chair now. We used to feed him in his swing, but it gets too messy, especially since he has started blowing those dreaded raspberries while eating.

Sammy picked out a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch and we had to decorate it for school. The kids are supposed to do it, but last year we realized that the parents actually do it. (A little precursor for that dreaded science fair project.) Anyway, Sam decorated this one. Poor thing...Sammy really wanted to help, but Sam was trying to outdo the other parents. I made the hat and the eyes :)

I wish these were in sequence, but this is Matt after one of Sammy's painting projects. He didn't mind one bit.

It started on the paper and slowly made it's way up Matt's leg.

Sammy getting crafty.


Matt practicing his sippy cup skills.

Trying to get a cute fall picture of the kids at the pumpkin patch to no avail.

Sammy and her best friend Gianna from school. And a donkey. He really liked Sammy

Best buds.

Earlier in the month we went to the zoo to check out the new Africa exhibit. I was shocked at all the awesome animals they had, but the exhibit was very small and I felt sorry for them. The zoo always makes me sad and mad.

I could have sat and watched the lions all day. That's right...lions. One male and four female. Crazy for the El Paso Zoo, but like I said, awful accommodations.

I love this picture, even though the sea lion is blurry. (My mom thought it was an eel.) Sea lions are Samantha's absolute favorite. Crossing my fingers we can still make our Sea World trip in December.

Sam and Sammy at the Madeline Park trick or treat. Sammy always makes that crazy face. She went to a few doors, but she was more interested in playing on the swings and jungle gym, which she will be doing a lot more of very soon! We rented a house in the Kern area by UTEP. It's a very old house (no dishwasher) with a black/green tile master bath and blue flower wallpaper in the main bath. Yummm!! I'll post pics when we move in around Thanksgiving. We love the neighborhood, just hope I can get used to the old dishwasher and I'm really hoping no one died in it :(

Matthew was a tiger and wasn't really impressed with the whole Halloween thing.

On Oct 27, we had to take Matt to the ER. He picked up the croup that Sammy has the week before only he was having trouble breathing. To my surprise, they admitted him and kept him overnight. I maybe slept 2 hours the whole time. We got admitted around 1am so of course there were tons of people in and out of the room. Matt was entertained the next day by stroller rides around the pediatric floor. It was so sad to see all the sick kids far worse off than Matt. I think if I ever became a nurse I would like to work in pediatric oncology. It's the saddest thing in the world, but those kids are so brave. I just wanted to hug every one of them.

Sammy doing art work.

She loves band aids, can't you tell? She watches a show called Sid the Science kid and they were making estimation jars, so of course she wanted one. I must say, I love PBS. Kids learn so much from those shows. Dinosaur Train is also one of her favorites. It was created by a paleontologist and there are tons of facts in it about dinosaurs.

He got a jumper a while back and he loves it.

Snacking on a carrot.

Going for a walk around the apartments. When the kids act bad, we go for a walk. Works for grown ups too :)

In a real swing for the first time. He doesn't look all that impressed does he?

Picture Day!

I recently took the kids to get their pictures done. It was really just supposed to be for Sammy's 3 year old pictures and I wanted to get one of her holding Matthew (I didn't really dress Matt up for the occasion) but the lady wanted to take a few of him too.









This is the bear Sam made Samantha while we were in El Paso and he was still in CA. She sleeps with him every night. She named him Patches and recently has been calling him Patrick (his proper name I guess??)

The kids

Sam has started back to nursing school and his schedule is packed. The kids and I have been finding creative ways to stay entertained. Last night, Sammy wanted to have a tea party so we had a chocolate cup cake/ apple juice party and she was excited to drink out of the Japanese tea glasses.

He loves to eat his washcloths. Needless to say, I wash A LOT of them. (Don't worry, this one is clean)

They both love to just hang out in their room. Matthew is very entertained by Samantha and she does a great job with him. She used to ask for a sister, but now she tells me, " I don't want a baby sister, I just want my baby brother."

Here is a picture of their room. Matt's crib needs a little cosmetic repair, but it works. I love his crib set...thanks again Aunt Kim and Uncle David :)

In this picture Matthew was in the process of drooling all over Samantha's Barbies. She is such a good sister and lets Matthew play with all of her things...I hope that lasts :)

Bath time

I took this picture of Sammy tonight, just random.

Okay, so don't judge me for the next set of photos. Sam was studying late and I had to bathe both kids. I figure the Bumbo would be fun for Matthew and conveinent (sp?) for me. I'm sure there is a warning not to put the chairs in the bath...poor Matt was floating away, but Sammy was entertaining and he didn't care. (I kept a close eye on him.)

I love this picture!

Dr. Appointment

We scheduled Sammy's 3 year old check up and Matt's 4 month well baby at the same time.

Samantha: she's 3' 2'' and I forgot to catch the weight. She passed her vision and hearing test and had to get a shot. Apparently they came out with a new pneumonia vaccine that covers 6 more strains than the regular shot, so Sammy needed it, but she did awesome and didn't even flinch. I think she secretly enjoys shots because she gets a sticker. The dr. suspects she may have a touch of eczema, great. Her chest/ abdomen is very dry and sometimes gets inflamed. His solution was to bathe her every other day...gross. Sammy is a sweaty mess by the end of the day and lately she's been peeing in her bed and my bed at night and she refuses to put on a pull up. So, sweat +pee = my child needs a bath every night. He also gave her a prescription steroid cream, so I hope that helps.

Samantha lately: She went back to school on Monday and loves it. Some of her friends are in another class because they are older three year olds. It' okay though because she's making new friends too. She goes every day from 8:30 to 3:00. I could pick her up at 11:30, but she likes to stay for the afternoon too. It's good for me because she gets a consistent nap every day. The summer was torturous for us both because I could not get her on a schedule and she refused to nap. So, basically I pay someone an extra $160 per month to make my child take a nap, such is life.
She just turned three and we had a small party for her at Peter Piper and we had another party with Sam's family at his mom's house. I cannot tell you how many places I looked for a pinata...in El Paso. Finally found one and it was just what she wanted, Woody. She's very much into Toy Story 3 right now.








Matthew: 25" and 16 pounds. Poor thing had to get 3 shots and an oral vaccine. He screamed very loud and Sammy felt very bad for him. We made him a bottle and all was well with the world. We have been concerned because his left eye is always watering. The dr. said it is most likely a clogged tear duct and gave us instructions on how to fix it. If it doesn't clear up in a few weeks we need to take him to a pediatric eye doctor.

Matthew lately: This little guy has changed so much since he was born. His thick, dark hair fell out and now he has dirty blonde hair. I have only been able to laugh out loud once and it was because I made a random duck noise that I have sadly not been able to replicate. He is eating solids and loving it. We started him a bit early about 3 1/2 months, but eats great with a spoon and he was showing all the signs he was ready. He has had rice cereal, apples, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas (not a fan), bananas, oatmeal & bananas (his favorite). He loves to talk/ scream. He puts himself to sleep for the most part (opposite of Samantha). He's just overall a pretty relaxed, easy going baby...opposite of Samantha.
I stayed up way too late trying to load a video of him laughing and it didn't work, ugh!!! Every time I want to put up a video it said an error has occurred.

Happenings

Not much has been going on around here, although it should be seeing as I have Samantha's birthday party to plan. It's hard though because she doesn't have a lot of friends here (she has friends in daycare, but she won't see them till the 23rd when she goes back to school.) She wants to have her party at Peter Piper, but she'll probably be the only kid there :(

Matthew has been babbling a lot and he started eating baby food! The problem is that he likes to talk when he eats which makes for a messy situation. His favorites are apples, pears, and sweet potatoes. He's not a fan of rice cereal, but we're working on that. He learned to roll over a couple of weeks ago, so video of that will be coming too. Exciting huh?

Sam has been training for a 50 mile ultra marathon in Cuba, New Mexico (Dead Man's Peaks trail run). He ran 24 miles today across town. He's nuts and that's all I have to say about that.

As for me, I decided it's about time I start working out a bit. I have been running for 30 minutes 3 days a week at the gym here at our apartment. Too hot to run outside. I hope to work up to more than just 30 minutes, but for now that's all I can do without my heart rate going above 190 (scary). I would love to join a barre class where you do ballet/yoga/pilates moves on a ballet barre, but I haven't found one here. I downloaded a workout for it, so we'll see how it goes.

And of course, Samantha. She learned to swim!!!! She's crazy though because she swims underwater. Sam takes her to the pool almost every day. Video to come!!

I keep trying to upload the videos, but it keeps saying an error has occurred. I'll try to put videos in the next post.

Here's Matt:

Eh...

I have kind of been in a rut lately. I guess the same 'ol, same 'ol is getting to me. I'm trying to think of things I can do. Maybe I'll join a yoga class. Just getting out and getting some excersize might be good for me. I haven't taken a lot of pictures lately (too busy keeping up with 2 kids), but I found this one on my mom's computer and it's one of my favorite pictures of the two of them.