I know sooner get used to the fact that Andrew turns five when he looses his first tooth!  Last Wednesday he comes running downstairs that he thought his tooth was loose and sure enough his bottom tooth was loose.  Not only was it loose but his new tooth was already poking through his gums! 

He was very excited that he was the first of all his friends to have a loose tooth, however being the first had it's drawbacks too.  The fear of the unknown!

On Sunday Andrew came downstairs saying his tooth was really "wiggly" and he didn't like how it felt and he was scared.  I told him that his tooth was almost ready to come out and there was nothing to be scared of.  I tried to wiggle it for him for a while to see if I could get it out, but it just was not budging.  I accidentally wiggled it to hard and made it bleed a little, but I didn't tell him because I knew he would totally freak out.  He was already mad at me and crying hysterically because he was so scared.  I am not really sure what he was scared of.  Maybe because he really thought it was going to hurt or maybe just the no knowing part.  I told him to go to bed and we would try again tomorrow, but he just cried harder and said he wanted it out.  So for 45 minutes I sat wiggling/tugging that darn tooth.  It was hanging by just a small thread but it was not coming out.  I wasn't sure how much longer I could sit there and do that but I also knew it was too loose to send him to bed.  I said a prayer and the tooth popped right out.  Now it was really bleeding!

Andrew immediately stuck his finger in the hole of his mouth and I told him to keep his hands out of his mouth until the bleeding stopped.  BLEEDING???  Let the hysteria set in!  After a few moments of crazy crying he settled down and became very excited at the little tooth in his little hand.  Not to mention the Tooth Fairy was going to come!  So we went downstairs to get our little Ziploc bag to put the tooth in and placed it under his pillow. 

WOW!  When did my baby boy became a young boy? 

Wow!  What a month it has been!  I am behind on posting so I am going to start with Andrew's 5th birthday.  After dealing with all the illnesses this past month I decided that Andrew would just have a small family party instead of inviting all his friends from school.  It was just too much after weeks of everyone being sick.  So a small family party is what we did and it was probably the most fun I have ever had at a party.   There was no pressure to entertain anyone and I actually got to enjoy the party!

We started the day with Andrew's last T-Ball game and a little party to celebrate the season afterward and then we headed back to the house for his birthday party.

I was really worried if Andrew would notice or not that it wasn't as big as previous years but he never said anything until after everyone had left.  He looks at me and says "Mommy I didn't get as many presents as I thought I would but I love all them so much!"  It made me feel good that even though he didn't get as many he still had a great time and enjoyed all of his presents.   

I am still having a hard time believing that he is five!  I can remember when he was born so well it seems like yesterday. 

The other day I was at the store and for some reason I decided to look at the ice cream.  I am not a huge ice cream eater when it starts getting chilly so I am not sure what possessed me to look, but nonetheless I looked.  Let me tell you I am so glad I did.  I came across the best ice cream in the world!  Ben & Jerry's has a Snickerdoodle Cookie Ice Cream flavor and it tastes like you are eating a snickerdoodle cookie.  It is only out for a limited time so be sure to try it before it goes away.

If you decide to try it let me know what you think.  LOVE IT or HATE IT!

I LOVE IT!!!!!

WOW, I am so glad October is over!  October was filled with poop and puke and no Disney so I am very grateful that it is over and now we can look ahead to November. 

November will be a month with no puke, no poop and DISNEY!!!  After both my kids had the stomach bug we had to cancel our Disney trip and reschedule.  Thankfully the airlines and Disney have been very accommodating and understanding which has made this whole thing a lot easier to deal with.  Don't get me wrong telling Andrew was by far the hardest thing we have had to do but the boy took it like a champ.  He is almost five, but I really thought there would be more tears than there were.  He was sad and shed a few tears but overall he truly understood and had no resentment toward his sister or anything.  The greatest thing was we had it rescheduled within the week so he could see that we were still going and there was an actual date he could see on the calendar. 

So our family countdown begins again and we are all looking forward to our 1st Disney trip in a few weeks.  YAY!!!!

Andy and I are celebrating our six year wedding anniversary and it has been an amazing six years.  We now have 2 beautiful children who make us laugh and remind us everyday how lucky we are.

Not every moment has been easy but we are stronger today then we were the day we got married. 

This time next week I will be waking up in the most magical place on earth?  Where you ask?  Walt Disney world of course!  I am so excited because I have never been and neither have my kids.  This will be our first trip and we get to take it together.    We leave next Thursday and provided I can keep my family healthy it will be an amazing trip.

Now on to keeping the kids healthy.  Last Friday about 4pm Andrew looked at me burped and threw up all over the place.  That lasted for 24 hours and I thought to myself okay well at least we are getting this out of the way and everyone will get it and we will be better by Disney.  Well all week has gone by and no one else got sick so I have been so relieved.  The this morning we are sitting here and Maiya is next to me on the couch.  She does that same burp, my eyes widened and I looked over at her...not 2 seconds later she has vomit coming out of her mouth and nose.  All of her milk from this morning all over her and the couch.  Nothing worse then milk that comes back up. 

Now I am just praying that she was just overheated and not really sick, but my guess is she has the same thing Andrew had, but I am going to hold out hope that she will be okay and is not sick.  She has no fever but neither did Andrew when he was throwing up.

Andrew has had two T-ball games and it has been so much fun watching him play.  His team is called the Volcanoes and all the kids are so nice and they love to cheer each other on.  I am so proud of Andrew and how good he listens and follows instructions from his coaches and teammates.  Today he got a medal for good sportsmanship and he was so excited and proud of himself.  It was so cute!

Anyway here are some pictures that my sister in law took from his game last week.

Here is my preschool update...this is day 3 of school and Andrew is loving it.  He says he has a lot of fun and they do a lot of fun stuff (those are his words).  :)  His favorite thing is earning "fuzzies" because if they earn eight or more "fuzzies" by the end of the week they get to pick out of the treasure box.  Andrew already has four just from today, so I am sure he will get to pick out of the treasure box on Thursday.
 
I signed him up to take computer classes this year and he had his first class today and he was so excited about it when I picked him up.  He said that he loves computer class and asked when he gets to go back again.  I told him he only goes once a week and he was so disappointed that he had to wait another week to go.   I am just so glad he enjoyed the class and I hope he doesn't get bored. 

Andrew seems to be adjusting well which is the most important thing.  I asked him today if he made any new friends and he said no.  He said one girl spit in his face because he had the toy she wanted and that some of the boys are mean.  I told him just to be the nice little boy that I know and he WILL make new friends it just might take some time.  He seems okay with that.  I think the thing that makes it easy is that they are so busy doing things he is never by himself and on the playground he gets to see his buddy Nate.   I think that makes things easier for him.

A while back I started my business blog just to post pictures of new items and updates on orders and other silly stuff.  I have not been keeping it updated lately but just recently had a makeover.  There were so many things wrong with the old look and I couldn't get the lady who designed it to email me back to get the issues fixed.  So I went back to Laura who designed this blog and asked if she could do my Pink Hippo blog.  She did an amazing job. 

Stop on by and check it out.

My son Andrew is very shy, which regrettably he gets from me.  Last year when he started preschool he was so upset and scared and his biggest fear was making a friend.  So his teacher last year bent down and said "Andrew I want you to meet Nate!  Nate will you be Andrew's friend?"  Nate said yes and gave Andrew a big hug and the two of them were best friends all year.  The teacher always sat them next to each other and when I would pick Andrew up he was always next to Nate or playing with him on the playground.  It was so cute and Andrew talked about him all the time.

After I went to the parent meeting on Monday to meet Andrew's teacher I got to find out who was in Andrew's class so that when I got home I could tell him all about it.  The first thing out of his mouth was "Is Nate in my class?  I looked at him with sad eyes and I told him that no, Nate was not in his class this year.  Instantly Andrew buried his head and started to cry.  He was embarrassed that he was crying so I took his hand and held it and I said "Buddy it is okay to be sad and it is okay to cry.  Nate is your best friend in school and it is sad that he is not in your class, but you will make some new friends and who knows maybe you will see Nate on the playground."  Our talk lasted a very very long time.  He cried for about 15 minutes and when he stopped I asked him what he was thinking and again his biggest fear was not making friends.  I promised him that I would introduce him to someone so that they could be friends just like he and Nate are and that seemed to help. 

Yesterday Andrew got to go to the school and see his classroom and he meet his teacher and that went great.  I never really got the opportunity to introduce Andrew because right away he went off to play.  He reminded me later that I didn't do it but then said it was okay because he had two little girls from last year that he would play with.  :)  I would be lying if I didn't say I am a little nervous about today.  I have shed a few secret tears because although we did this last year after watching him be so worried about friends and knowing personally how hard it can be I feel for him.

I did find out though that he will have the same playground time as Nate so they will still get to see each other on nice days.  That I am very happy about and so is Andrew!

I will update after his day today to let everyone (family) know how his first day went.  Wish us luck!  lol.

I used to go to church all the time and when I met my husband it was very very important to me to get married in the church.  I wanted my marriage and my kids to grow in the light of Jesus.  I love Jesus with all my heart and I am embarrassed to admit this, but after the kids came along we found that going to church was not as easy as it used to be.  I know I know life isn't easy but for me it was a struggle.  Our church was 45 minutes away and after sitting in the car for that long expecting them to sit an hour in church quietly was an impossible task.  There was a church closer to our house however I did not like it and decided I would rather not go to church then go to a church I didn't like or feel comfortable in.

The thing that was hardest for me was how different the churches here in Atlanta are compared to where I grew up in Ohio.  My church back home was small and intimate.  You knew everybody and everybody knew you.  There were no separate rooms for children or babies (a.k.a cry rooms).  You truly felt like a spiritual community.  I had no idea what to expect when I moved here and I was completely overwhelmed by the size of everything.  I did eventually find the church I loved but then we moved and that is when the church became a long way to go with small children (something I never thought about).   It just seemed silly to drive an hour just to sit in the hallways and miss the entire service because the baby was crying or pooped or whatever the reason was.  So we just stopped going.  I have never been one to believe you HAVE to go to church, but I do believe you need to have time for prayer and worship whether that is in a church or your home.  Unfortunately that became something we did less and less also over the years. 

I am not proud to say any of this but it is all the truth.  Over the years of not going to church I have found myself lost.  I am not the woman that I want to be or that He wants me to be.    My husband and I have found a church that we both seem to like and we have started going to mass again.  Andrew and Maiya didn't not like it the first week but this past Sunday they really had a good time.  Andy and I are feeling good about things and are excited to rekindle our faith and love for Jesus.  A faith that was never gone, just sadly buried.

Numbers 6:24-26
"The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
  
 

I am not sure how many of you know this but I started my own business called Pink Hippo Boutique.  I make party invitations and decorations and I am having a blast.  Well a few months ago a lady contacted me and asked me to make her some custom centerpieces for her daughter's Minnie Mouse birthday party.  I made her 6 large centerpieces and she placed them in a vase of flowers and they look gorgeous.  I just had to share on both my blogs. :) 


Thanks Sissi for letting me share your daughter's birthday photos!  :)

I am looking forward to the coming weeks.  Why you ask?  Well this weekend Andrew starts T-Ball and I am super excited about that.  He has been talking about it a lot for the last week so it makes me even more excited because he is too.  :)  Silly I know, but I really think he is going to be good at this and even if he isn't I know that he is going to have fun.  I need to get my butt in gear and get him some new tennis shoes and a glove and considering he needs that Saturday I will have to do it tomorrow.  :)

He will also be starting Pre-K!  He goes back the first of September and that he is NOT excited about.  He wants the same teacher he had last year and I told him that he couldn't have her because she taught the 3 year olds and he is a big boy and has to go to the next grade.  I have been trying to explain to him that his teacher this year might be nicer than his teacher last year...he is not convinced.  The good thing is I know he will like his teacher so I am not worried about it.  Once he meets her I know he will be excited too.

Andrew's behavior has also improved so I am feeling relieved.  I was really starting to doubt myself as a mother.  If I can't handle toddler/preschool years how in the world am I going to do teenage years?  Thankfully after much praying and talking it out I have been staying consistent with my punishments and I have noticed a huge improvement over the last week.  Hopefully I will continue to stay strong and consistent and Andrew will continue to improve and not feel the need to push back so hard with me.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Last weekend I was having a major meltdown and feeling very overwhelmed so my original plan was to go and rent a hotel room and take some time for myself.  I decided not to do that and instead I went and got my hair done.  Believe it or not that was enough to make me feel better.  It gave me a few hours out of the house and I got something done for myself.  A win win situation.  I felt like this week has been a lot easier.  My son is doing much better behavior wise (don't get me wrong we still have a long way to go, but we are headed in the right direction) and that alone has made this week much more enjoyable...for all of us.

This weekend I am very excited because we got a babysitter to watch our kids and our friends kids and we are going out to dinner for a couples night.  I have known this group of friends for 4 years and this is the first time we are able to go to dinner together without our kids.  It is so sad to say that but neither one of us have been able to find a babysitter.  I am so excited and I look forward to a nice dinner without cutting up someones food and being able to eat mine hot!  Oh the things that I get excited over now!

I am in desperate need of having my batteries recharged.  My son is going through a bit of a rough time these last few weeks and his behavior is making me lose my mind.  I have very little patience left and I have always prided myself on my patience...but not these days.  Maybe it is because we are reaching the end of the summer and he is incredibly bored and ready to go back to school and have that routine and structure that doesn't come with the summer life.  Or maybe it is his age and this is just how it is going to be for awhile (Oh Lord please help me get through this).  Either way I am in need of some ME time. 


I have been racking my brain trying to come up with something I could do to recharge my batteries and the only thing I can come up with is to rent a hotel room with a King Size bed, go to the book store load up on books (because I don't have time to read) and have a quiet 24 hours to read and relax.  I could order room service so that someone else brings me my meals and cleans up after me, watch TV or just read.  It sounds great...but I have a feeling I would be bored.  Maybe being bored is what I need.  I don't know.  I just know that my kids need me to be a good mom and with the last 2 weeks being what they were I do not think I am living up to that for them.


Does anyone have any suggestions?   

On Saturday my mother in law and I took the kids to Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia.  Have you ever heard of it?  Well if you haven't it is the hospital where all the Cabbage Patch babies are born and taken care of until they are adopted.  :)  It was such a cute place for the kids to go and see all the different kinds of Cabbage Patch Kids and then of course all are available for adoption.

The visit itself is free and it is a self guided tour so you can take your time looking around and if you are lucky you will get to see the Mother Cabbage give birth to a new cabbage baby.  :)  Yes it is true, the Mother Cabbage will give birth for all to see once she is dilated to 10 leaves.  The doctor comes up and helps Mother by giving her an "easyotimy" and says he has never had to do a C-Section (Cabbage Section).  LOL.
Then the new baby comes into the world and the doctor lets two kids pick the new baby's name.

You can tell the staff puts a lot of effort into the story and making this a really good experience for the kids.  I know that my kids had a really good time and I had a great day with my mother in law.  If you are ever in the area and are looking for something fun and unique to do with your kids I highly recommend this place. 

The Legend of the Cabbage Patch Kids taken from their website.  http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com/about/legend/


Pictures from our day.

Have you ever heard of Wild Olive?  Well if you haven't you need to go check them out.  I LOVE these t-shirts.  They are so pretty and each one has a special bible verse on the back.   I have the black shirt with the face and flowers as hair and I love it.  I wear it all the time.  They are currently holding a contest to win some free t-shirts so be sure to stop by their blog and check them out.

I am way behind on posts so please bare with me as I begin the process of catching up!

In the beginning of June we took a trip up to Ohio to visit my parents.  It was a long 12 hour car ride thanks to all the rain and storms we hit, but the kids did amazing in the car.  Once we got there everyone was relieved not to mention exhausted.  We didn't have much planned for the trip the only thing we had to do was go to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

If you ever go through Columbus, Ohio please make sure you stop and check out the zoo.  It is amazing.  I am not just saying that because I grew up there, but because it is absolutely true.  The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is now ranked as the #1 zoo in the country and it is well deserved.

There is so much to see there that you really cannot get through it in one day.  I am not sure we even made it through half of the zoo and we were there from 10am until 4pm.  We did get to see the new polar bear exhibit and that was really cool.  Andrew said his favorite part of the zoo was seeing the polar bears and elephants.  He is really into elephants these days.  Maiya really liked the kangaroos and gorillas.  The kangaroo exhibit was super cool because you actually walked inside their habitat.  The only thing separating us was a very low and thin rope, so basically you could touch them and they could hop out to you if they wanted.  Luckily we had no run ins with the roos and overall the kids had a really great time.

Have you ever had one of those days?  One of those days where you should have just stayed in bed because nothing was going to go right no matter what you did?  One of those days where the kids wouldn't stop fighting?  One of those days you thought you would have to put yourself in timeout?  One of those days where you don't get a fraction done of what you should have gotten done?

Well that was my day today.  Everything I touched I screwed up, everything I said was wrong, everything I was supposed to get done is left undone.  The good news?  Tomorrow is a brand new day!

Good Night!

Want a chance to win a Step 2 Gather & Grille Playhouse?  Then check out My Organized Chaos for your chance to win.   Tell them Sweet Tea and Giggles sent you!

If you haven't checked out my Pink Hippo Blog now is a great time to become a follower!  I am giving away a $25 gift certificate to one lucky winner.  The gift certificate is good for 18 months so even if you can't use it this year you will be able to use it next year.  :)

All you have to do is become a follower on my Pink Hippo blog and comment under the giveaway post.  You can enter your name in more than once by becoming a follower on facebook and recommending your friends to our blog and facebook.  When they follow you get an entry for those too.  Just make sure you comment for each separate following so that I can keep track.

Click on the hippo below and it will take you to the Pink Hippo Boutique  blog!!  GOOD LUCK!