Midweek Confessions

I'm linking up with E from E, Myself and I today to post a few midweek confessions. I've been writing confessions in my head for weeks but haven't actually blogged them yet or linked up. Today's the day!

1. Avery is 7 months old and has never slept a full night in her crib. In fact, she's never slept through the night. She has NO method of self soothing other than breastfeeding. We've tried letting her cry it out. She doesn't quit crying. She has also woken (is this a proper English word? It sounds so weird!)  her brother up many times. We're moving in late January and I plan to start fresh in the new house with better sleep habits. It's going to be a rough few weeks when we start!

2. Parker (2 1/2 years old) pretty much only eats "branded" foods. As in "Nemo Fruit Snacks," "Cars 2 Mac n Cheese," "Cars 2 Cheese its," "Toy Story Campbell's Soup." If some company made carrot sticks in the shape of Woody, I bet he'd eat them. He does eat some other things but he's definitely in a food rut! Help! (Parker is currently eating Cars chicken noodle soup with his hands.... sigh)

3. It's past noon and we're all still in our jammies.

4. We got an iPad for Christmas and downloaded a bunch of toddler apps. Lately, all Parker wants to do with it is watch YouTube videos of kids playing with toys that he has sitting in his toy box! Some of the videos are just people opening the packaging... who films them self doing this?!?! There are hundreds on YouTube... Parker appreciates them. I've gotta figure out locks and limits on the iPad so he actually goes back to playing educational games or take it away so he actually plays with the toys he's watching other kids play with online!

5. I got Daniel a Dairy Queen ice cream cake for his birthday. He has had one slice... I've eaten a slice each night since his birthday.... I ate the last slice of HIS cake last night. Isn't that awful!?!

6. I haven't shaved more than the bottom 4 inches of my legs in 3 weeks due to lack of alone time. Avery isn't known for being too content in an exersaucer or doorway jumper anymore now that she's on the move but she gets into too much stuff (ie the dog's water bowl) to not be contained while I'm showering. I haven't felt put together or pretty in about a month. 

Well that's enough confessions for this week! I can't share them all or I'll sound like the worst mom ever.... gotta space them out over time!

Christmas 2011

We had a wonderful Christmas in the Wise household! I was very pleased how undramatic and laid back it was! On Christmas Eve we went to nana and poppi's house to open presents with them, have lunch, spend time with grandparents and go to Christmas Eve service at Grace Covenant. I can't remember a Christmas Eve that we haven't gone to service as a family and this is such a sweet tradition. Because of the kids, we went to the early 5pm service which worked out great. Despite not napping, Parker entertained himself pretty well with Cars 2 diecast cars and by eating an entire can of puffs. Unfortunately, about 5 minutes before service was over, we noticed a puddle on the chair he was in. Somehow he managed to pee out of his diaper....opps. Avery ate puffs, napped in my arms and smiled at everyone around her. My favorite part of service was when Parker wanted to dip his own piece of bread into the juice and take communion with the rest of the family. Each family takes turns gathering around the communion table, taking communion and praying as a family. While we were praying Parker was doing his VERY best to blow out the candles on the communion table. I'm pretty sure he spit all over the rest of the communion bread.

After service, we enjoyed soups and desserts at my parent's house along with some friends and my mother in law. That night, aunt Kelly came home with us, we put the kids to bed and Daniel Kelly and myself put together Parker's train table. 

We got to bed around 12:30am and the kids woke up at 7:45am which we were very pleased with! I'm sure the days of waking up at 4:30 in the morning on Christmas will come eventually but I think we have a few more years! Parker does not understand Santa this year so we didn't give gifts from Santa. Parker was really into opening presents and then getting them out of the box and playing with them. Surprisingly, Avery also enjoyed tearing paper and trying to eat it.

We ate homemade cinnamon rolls from Brandi that were to die for and then nana, poppi, aunt Kathy, and my grandparents came over to see the kid's loot. We took them to visit the new house and then went out for Chinese. BEST CHRISTMAS LUNCH EVER! Cheap, tasty, and I didn't have to cook it!

Later in the afternoon, we had Christmas round 3 with my mother in law, Fabio, brother in law and his son, Jakob. The boys had a wonderful time playing and opening more presents. They were both more interested in Avery's baby cell phone, little kitchen and shopping cart which was pretty cute! We ate ham, baked potatoes, green beans, biscuits, salad and desserts. 

Overall, it was a wonderful Christmas and fun memories! Enjoy the pictures (out of order)...

Parker was so excited about having more Cars 2 die cast cars in his stocking!

Avie on Christmas Eve playing with Pey Pey

Avery LOVES Peyton's paws!

The look on Kelly's face is PRICELESS! I think we've ruined having kids for her!

We did it! We put the train table together!

Kelly and the fire house having a quarrel. I think the fire house was winning at this point.

Nana and poppi gave us all spin brushes. Parker loves his!

Christmas Eve jammie shot.

Avery and grammie

Opening presents

Happy chaos

Presents make excellent bongos

This shiny wrapping paper make Avery go crossed eyed. Hilarious.

The best way to open a present... gnaw through it.

Happy to be eating a bow instead of wearing it

Playing with play dough! I'm still finding bits of it everywhere! It's now officially an outside toy!

Playing with his new Mack hauler at nana's house.

My parent's beautiful tree!

My mom, aunt Kathy (her sister) and Avie

Parker got a buzz lightyear dress up outfit.... Kelly really likes it.

Chewing on Ariel.

Another great Kelly facial expression. We re-gifted a Scottish food gift basket to her as a joke. She was perplexed to say the least.

Avery, you're too pretty to wear a bag on your head!

Family fun!

 I did a great job of getting pictures of Daniel and myself, right!? I've GOT to get better at taking group shots and making sure my camera works the room! Regardless we had a wonderful Christmas with lots of fun celebrations of the birth of baby Jesus!

Updates!

Blog, I miss you! I promise I haven't forgotten you. Here's what we've been up to in bullet points... but not in pictures because I haven't even pulled my camera out in 3 weeks! (Bad mommy!)

House Related News:

1. We found out an offer we put on a short sale (house right before it goes into foreclosure) was accepted! YAY!

2. We had said house inspected.

3. Aforementioned house was slowly being destroyed by the sellers and had roof damage so we walked away feeling like God had a better plan for us.

4. The next day, a brand new house that was out of our price range by $40,000 was suddenly in our price range (SCORE!)

5. We put an offer on "The Big Ass Brick House" as we've been affectionately calling it (because it needs a woman's touch and some shrubs!) and it was ACCEPTED! HOORAY!

6. We close mid January!!!!

7. We need to find renters for our current house.

8. Wanna rent my house? OR (better yet) buy it for more than it's worth? Cricket Cricket.

Kiddo Updated:

1. They've been under the weather so we've been home for a week.

2. Avery found the dog bowl and life got instantly harder (and my laundry has doubled!)

3. Parker is a whiz on the iPad and taught me how to pass a few levels in angry birds. I'm a bit embarrassed that my 2 year old is better at that game than I am.

4. Avery pulled herself up for the 1st time today. I'm hoping it was a fluke.

5. Parker is currently getting a train table in a box on Christmas if Daniel and I don't get on the ball putting it together!

Life Update:

1. I need to learn to say NO. I took so many sewing orders that I feel like I need to donate to PBS for all of the babysitting hours Curious George and Super Why put in this week. I love to sew and monogram but it has put a lot of stress on me and I feel like I've been a TERRIBLE mom the last 2 weeks. So... no more sewing orders until we're settled in the new house! Don't even ask. I'll say no! (Let's be honest.... I probably won't and I'll be mad at myself.... but I mean NO even if I say yes).

2. Today is Daniel's birthday and he literally asked for the kids to wear matching "I love Ron Paul" shirts, a Harris Teeter sub for lunch and burgers for dinner. Easy right? Yeah... I couldn't manage the burgers in the rain/kids were MELTING DOWN so he got Chinese takeout. Worst wife ever? Possibly. The kids; however, did show their Ron Paul pride to the other shoppers at the HT today... we got a lot of funny looks.

3. I hate ham. My mother in law suggested I make a Smithfield spiral for Christmas. I want soup...or lasagna... or something I don't have to cook on Christmas day and make sides for. I wish I was better at speaking up. 

4. I sold my couch because it didn't fit in the house we thought we were going to buy. Then we walked away, found a new house... and it would have fit great. WHOOPS.

5. Tomorrow, the only thing on my agenda is making peppermint cheesecake... it has been on my agenda for 3 days straight.

So that's what's going on in the Wise household! I'm going to go set the camera on the counter so I remember to snap some pictures so you all don't "un-follow" me because of this "blah blog post!"

Don't give up on me!

Happy Birthday Baby Cheeses

Tonight was Parker's preschool Christmas program. His class and the Tuesday/Thursday 2 year old class sang "God our Father" and "Happy Birthday." The rest of the class may have sung to "Jesus" but Parker still isn't great with "j's" so he sang to "Cheeses." Oh my goodness.... it was PRECIOUS! The teachers had birthday hats on each of the kids heads that tied under their chins. Never in a million years would Parker wear that for me but he'll do anything for Ms. Deanna and Ms. Monique.

I video taped it but I may be the WORST videographer EVER and I think I got mostly the man's head in front of me. Opps. I also didn't get the "dress up" memo and dressed Parker in a reindeer t-shirt I made him and khakis. He may not have been the best dressed but he sure was the most comfortable!

The kids did such a good job and the ones that didn't were my favorite. Why is a melting down toddler on a stage so funny/darn cute... that is, as long as it isn't my toddler! Parker kept putting his hands on his knees like he was working so hard singing these songs and he needed a breather. SO cute! Here are a few bad pictures. We didn't sit very close because I didn't want him to see us and stage dive!

We tag teamed entertaining Avery and grabbed some froyo at TCBY after the program was over.

Who needs someone to play with when you have a glittery shoe to chew on?

 

 

Mom was SUPER excited to give Parker his present

Cars Croc's Jibbits! Aunt Kelly seemed confused ;)

He loved them!

Score one for nana. He loved them.... and will probably now only wear crocs. :)

What a great and memorable night!

Wise Family Christmas Card

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