Extreme Home Makeover Indianapolis

Today was the day! I volunteered for Extreme Home Makeover and it was amazing. They are taping the season finale here in Indy and have picked an awesome family! Not only are they helping the family but they are building a library, have planted over 1200 trees, and have done something for everyone in the neighborhood. It really was an amazing experience. I was able to get to know several of the neighbors and they were so much fun and EXTREMELY grateful.

I was up by 3:45am and working by 6am. I helped some on the main house while they were doing the drywall then painted all the trim on a house up the road.

I met all of the designers but Ty...dang it! Some of you probably know that Ed has triplet girls who are almost two and we chatted about our kiddos for a bit. Everyone was extremely nice especially the Estridge Crew (builders). They were working their butts off along with all of the other subcontractors. There were hundreds of skilled laborers volunteering their time.

Well...I am POOPED to say the least and my sweet husband has let me go to bed early while he is taking over baby duty! I have to take advantage of this time when I can get it.

The show airs May 17th, keep an eye out for me!

Please help me???

Actually my boys are probably asking for all your help. They are sick and tired of eating chicken nuggets!

Dinner usually consists of one of these:

Ravioli
Chicken Nuggets
Fish Sticks
Grilled Cheese
I’m sure there are a few others I’m missing but for the most part they are all here…

I get off work at 5p and the boys are ready to eat when I walk in the door. I usually cook dinner at least 3-4 nights a week for Sean and I but I don’t have time to cook for them unless it’s a crock pot meal and to be honest I’m not crazy about crock pot meals. I’ve tried giving them a snack to hold them over but they just aren’t satisfied so it’s back to something quick like chicken nuggets.

Do you have any other suggestions for quick, healthier meals? Things I can prepare the night before?

THANK YOU!

What a weekend…such a proud mommy!

I packed up the boys bright and early on Saturday morning and headed down to Bloomington. This is the longest trip I have taken them on by myself and it was almost a total success! We went to visit a very good friend of mine and her kiddos and spent most of the day there. We had intentions are making a few others stops on our way home but they didn’t nap well at her house so our trip was cut a little short. All-in-all successful!!

Sunday we got up and took the boys out to breakfast and they were COMPLETE angels. I have to take these moments when I can get them! It’s not easy taking three 14-month olds out to a restaurant but they were so good. I had at least 10 people stop by our table and compliment them on how well-behaved they were. The table behind us even turned around and said, we haven’t heard a peep out of them through the entire meal, they were very impressed. Maybe the key is wearing them completely out the day prior and then starve them for a little while (I’m kidding of course about the starving part)…they just gobbled down the food! Even the floor under our table was almost spotless! Can you believe we didn’t even have one strange comment no one even asked me if they were “natural”!!!

After breakfast we went home and played and played and played then all 5 of us took a nap from 11:30 to 3:30! I can’t remember the last time we did this. I usually use their naptime to get all of my chores done but I said heck with it yesterday. Of course I will be folding laundry until midnight tonight but it was SO worth it.

Today I’m back at work missing my baby boys!

Design on a Dime! We're almost finished!

I'm SO excited!!! The upstairs playroom is almost finished. Just a few more pictures to hang and we're done! The boys absolutely love it. I've tried to take some pictures but they didn't turn out very well. The room isn't very big so its hard to get a good angle and I had to take them with my old camera but you'll get the idea. The walls as you can see are a lime green. I made the curtains for the closet and window, yes I broke out the sewing machine! I felt like I was on an episode of design on a dime! There is a magnetic chalk board on one and a piece of sheet metal on the other. We quickly realized that the magnetic paint wasn't going to hold anything heavy so we added the sheet metal for their fridge phonics toys. All in all I think it turned out very well.

Total Cost:

Paint: 30.00 @ Lowes

Flooring: 60.00 @ Sam's Club

Light fixture: 39.00 @ Lowes

Sheet Metal: 7.00 @ Lowes

Magnetic Paint: 22.00 @ Lowes (not worth it)

Chalk Board Paint: 11.00 @ Lowes (I think...could have been 13.00)

Paper Balls: 1.67-1.99 @ Hobby Lobby (Cale pointed and said ball when we walked in the room)

Curtain Rod for Window: 17.00 @ Target

Fabric for Window Curtain and Closent: 18.00 @ JoAnn Fabrics

Pictures for Walls: Shutterfly B/W of the boys under 50.00

Wall Words: Under 15.00 @ Hobby Lobby

For a grand total of: $281.01

The black and white of the boys are going above the chalkboard.

The boys playing in their new playroom!!!!!

I know this is a choking hazard...they have been removed from the room! :P

Colter was being a ham tonight....and its WAYYYYY past their bedtime!

Cooper

They LOVE this magnetic board!

Off to bed they go!

Have you ever been "those" parents??

Everyone who knows me well knows I HATE Walmart…I cringe as I’m walking through the front doors; I dread going grocery shopping there but will buckle down and go for a good sale. Who doesn’t love to save money? They are around 10.00 cheaper on big ticket baby items compared to target and almost always have some sort of sale on milk but I am sure some people think it’s a childcare center. EVERY time I go it seems like I am returning a child to their mommy or trying to dodge flying toys…I just hate it.

Well, my husband and I decided to venture there the day before yesterday to try and find some chairs for the boys. You know the ones I’m talking about…plush with super heroes. We both pulled in the driveway about the same time and Molly our sitter had them outside pulling them in the choo choo wagon. Sean loaded them directly up as I ran in for the diaper bag, etc and we took off to the store.

As we are loading them into the choo choo to go into the store I noticed how dirty they were…I mean filthy. Here Sean and I are still dressed up from a day at the office and we look like we are carrying three little orphan babies with us. Their coats were covered in food and their pants were dirty from a long day of playing. Cale had no shoes on and there’s Colter with his first shiner. I could only imagine what everyone was saying about us…look at those people they don’t spend any money on those poor babies but they are all dressed up. I had at least three people asking me what happened to Colter’s eye…not to mention Cale’s poor arms have two bite marks on them and Cooper had dried snot all over his face. I thought for sure we were going to get high-jacked by CPS as we walked out of the store-- luckily no one was waiting but we were definitely “those” parents on our trip to wally world!

Colter's 1st Shiner and I'm sure not his last, right after it happened...hadn't really brusied yet. Poor guy!

At the end of the day the trip to walmart was successful...they love their chairs and look too cute sitting in them drinking their sippy cups and watching cartoons in the morning. I took this picture yesterday...Cooper had a feeding study and is still wearing the barium. Cale went with us and got some new shoes at striderite. Colter got to stay home with Molly for a little one on one time. They were all exhausted by bedtime yesterday and so was I!!

I'm soooo THIRSTY!

Is it finally SPRING?

I haven't posted in awhile. Things have been very busy, the boys are keeping me on my toes, that is for sure. A quick little update:

All three are cutting some major molers. Cale has 4 or 5 coming in all at once, poor guy. Colter is running around like a maniac and Cooper took his first two steps last week. Go Cooper Go. They enjoy eating, playing with their new hotwheel table and long naps in the afternoons. :)

They are on an awesome schedule and sleeping from 8p to 8a...I know I am LUCKY! Occasionally, someone will want to get up early and have a little mommy time but for the most part we are now sleeping in a bit. They nap every day from 12-4ish. I am still trying to convience them that whole milk is yummy--they are getting enough but I wish it were more.

They LOVE being outside! We've been out a lot lately and they do NOT like coming back inside. We have one neighbor and fields on the three other sides of our house...behind us are three horses and the boys love to pet them. Apparently they think horses and cows both say MOOOOO but I'm working on that.

We also broke out the bounce house for the first time aside from just a few minutes here and there. They were bouncing like crazy!

Cooper, Colter and Cale-

Cale-

Cooper-