School part 2

So as of today we are getting down to the wire on starting school and I'm getting really really nervous. It's been five years since I've been in school and my nerves are probably getting the best of me, I wasn't even this nervous when I got married!

The other day I got my book list and wanted to cry. Almost $600.00 for six college books and those were used! My good friend who is practically a professional student has been helping me a long the way and she sent me an email that made my day. She had looked up my college books on Amazon.com and for a little over $300.00 I can get 5 of the 6 books brand new! My algebra book I have to buy from the school but its only around $80. Well I just can't drop all this money at once on my books so today I ordered half of them from Amazon.com. I got my two English books and my political science book for $180.00 shipping and handling included! I was so excited and so in the next week or two I will be able to buy the rest at these prices. Talk about a relief. I am having to use financial aid but since it is my first semester I won't get my money until 30 days after I start school. So our budget is going to be a little tight but I will be worth it, I do feel a college education is a need. If not that a trade. Thats all I have so far today, I just got really excited because I saved so much money and got new books. I'm worried if I get used the notes the previous owners wrote in them will confuse me, so I'm super excited but still a little nervous :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend, we are having a game night tonight (see my page on cheap entertainment) and then the girls are going to their grandparents tomorrow and me and the hubby are having a girls night and guys night!

Preparing Punkin for Doodle Bugs arrival

Punkin was our babygirl for a while and when we decided to try for another child we were worried about how she would react so I started to do some research on how to prepare a child for the arrival of a sibling. I found a lot of great ideas and one of which was to give her her own baby to take care of while I was taking care of the new baby.

We decided to start trying for Doodle Bug right at the end of the summer in 2008, which took about 5 months before I got pregnant. So when deciding what Santa could bring a 1 1/2 year old for Christmas we decided a baby doll. Little did we know how much this baby doll would mean to our little Punkin. Santa also brought everything a baby needs and what she didn't get from Santa, us, or the rest of the family she got for her second birthday.

Christmas day of 2008 her eyes lit up as she walked in the living room and found her baby doll that she named "Baby". We figured it was because she couldn't say anything else but she has now named a couple of stuffed animals and a LSU cheerleader doll she has and so I guess she just like the name baby. This is the only baby doll she will play with. It is also the only one she has, with the exception of the my little mommy twin babies that are divided at each set of grandparents house in case baby gets left at home. She does not like any other baby and has to have her special baby, at all times, if not with her she is in her high chair or tucked snug in her crib.

Since then my Punkin has loved this baby to pieces literally. Right before her second birthday this baby even got a cut down her side and the stuffing was coming out and the hair was all matted up and it didn't matter how many times she "went the doctor" she still started falling apart so we had to go pick out another baby.

Sleeping with her baby after a rough day...notice the hand and that is another post all in itself.

It did not matter how many times I brushed her poor hair she always had some crazy hair.

This is our new baby, notice its bald. Punkin took this picture with her camera.

When Doodle Bug finally arrived whatever mommy did with her baby Punkin did with her baby too. She had a crib, high chair, 2 strollers, food, diapers, lots of clothes, diaper bag, toys, and everything else you could imagine for a baby doll. Baby also goes EVERYWHERE with us in her car seat too. The sad thing is this baby is starting to get old and worn and I'm noticing there is going to be a day to come soon when we are going to have to replace this one. Last night I was worried it would be real soon, she got sick and baby was in the way so got yucky. So I put her in the washer and then in the dryer hoping she would not melt and after two rounds she was finally dry. Talk about nerve racking for a three year old. She would not leave the laundry room and kept freaking out. I had her sitting on the dryer all night hoping that she would air dry and that did no work. But now thankfully baby is safe and sound with Punkin snug in the bed for nap time. When this baby has to go bye bye we will be getting her Bitty Baby from American Girl, I'm wondering if I should go ahead and order it for when we have to do an emergency replacement. Here are a couple more pictures of Punkin and Baby just because they are cute!

Potty training

Last night was the first night that Punkin got to sleep in her big girl panties. We have been putting this part off for a while and last night we decided to just go for it.

We started introducing her to the potty at 18 months old because she kept following me into the bathroom and wanting to potty like mommy. That Christmas her aunt YeaYea got her a princess potty and we let her use it as a chair to get used to it and a couple of months later we started potty training. I Google a lot and so I goggled potty training and found an amazing site that really works and here is the the gist of how to potty train your child in three days! Or you can go to the site http://www.babycenter.com/0_potty-training-in-three-days-or-less

• You start off by explaining or kind of like pep talking to your kid about getting ready to wear big girl/boy underwear for about a week before you start.
• The first two day you don't need to go anywhere.
• Once the time comes (they recommend doing it on a long weekend) you get your child up as soon as they wake up for the day and let them sit on the potty.
• You need to have a couple of potties around the house or stay in one area of the house, I blocked us off in the playroom because you let your child go bottomless or completely naked. I put Punkin in play dresses because she was still completely covered up.
• Then you just let them run around and play as normal but when they start to have an accident you whisk them to the potty and if they get one hit (a single drop counts as a hit) you praise them, but you have them help you clean up the accident.
• It says that about the 12th hit (I think) they usually get it and should start going to sit on the potty by themselves. Punkin did she was going to the potty by herself after that.
• The second day you practice leaving home only you go into your back yard.
• Have the child potty first and go outside for one hour and then come back in and go straight to the potty again while continuing to keep tabs on the child while doing this because accidents will still happen.
• The third day you do the same only you actually run an errand that will take you about an hour. I put the potty chair in the back of my truck and if need be I could pull over.
• Then you are not suppose to put panties or pull ups on them for three to six months because pull ups will remind them of diapers and they will know that it will absorb so they could back track. I did put panties on Punkin if we went anywhere but around the house she stayed in play dresses.

That is pretty much the gist click on the link above for the full story. She has been potty trained for a while now (before her second birthday) but has to have juice when she goes to bed (I really give her flavored water). I will not take that from her because I have to have some water when I got to bed and so does her daddy. When she doesn't get "juice" right when she goes down for bed she wakes up in the middle of the night upset because she needs "juice". Little does she know its really water ;) So we have been putting off getting naps and bedtimes fully potty trained because we were so worried about her going to bed without water. So we put into affect our potty training method of if she's sleeping in a dora (her easy up/ pull up) she knows it will absorb her tete. So last night we laid down a mattress pad protector for a bassinet and put her potty on it and let her sleep in her big girl panties.

Before I went to bed I checked on the girls like I do every night before bed and Punkin was still dry and he had gotten up to potty because she had gone potty in the potty! But then around 7am this morning she woke up crying because she had an accident, but she went to bed an hour early because she didn't take a nap (thats our rule, no nap equals early bed time) so from 7pm until 6:59am she was dry and for the first night I think that is awesome! I knew going into this I would have to wash sheets quite a few times so I was prepared but I was prepared for her to do this in the middle of the night not when I would be getting up so I think she did great!

Potty training

Last night was the first night that Punkin got to sleep in her big girl panties. We have been putting this part off for a while and last night we decided to just go for it.

We started introducing her to the potty at 18 months old because she kept following me into the bathroom and wanting to potty like mommy. That Christmas her aunt YeaYea got her a princess potty and we let her use it as a chair to get used to it and a couple of months later we started potty training. I Google a lot and so I goggled potty training and found an amazing site that really works and here is the the gist of how to potty train your child in three days! Or you can go to the site http://www.babycenter.com/0_potty-training-in-three-days-or-less_10310078.bc?page=2.

• You start off by explaining or kind of like pep talking to your kid about getting ready to wear big girl/boy underwear for about a week before you start.
• The first two day you don't need to go anywhere.
• Once the time comes (they recommend doing it on a long weekend) you get your child up as soon as they wake up for the day and let them sit on the potty.
• You need to have a couple of potties around the house or stay in one area of the house, I blocked us off in the playroom because you let your child go bottomless or completely naked. I put Punkin in play dresses because she was still completely covered up.
• Then you just let them run around and play as normal but when they start to have an accident you whisk them to the potty and if they get one hit (a single drop counts as a hit) you praise them, but you have them help you clean up the accident.
• It says that about the 12th hit (I think) they usually get it and should start going to sit on the potty by themselves. Punkin did she was going to the potty by herself after that.
• The second day you practice leaving home only you go into your back yard.
• Have the child potty first and go outside for one hour and then come back in and go straight to the potty again while continuing to keep tabs on the child while doing this because accidents will still happen.
• The third day you do the same only you actually run an errand that will take you about an hour. I put the potty chair in the back of my truck and if need be I could pull over.
• Then you are not suppose to put panties or pull ups on them for three to six months because pull ups will remind them of diapers and they will know that it will absorb so they could back track. I did put panties on Punkin if we went anywhere but around the house she stayed in play dresses.

That is pretty much the gist click on the link above for the full story. She has been potty trained for a while now (before her second birthday) but has to have juice when she goes to bed (I really give her flavored water). I will not take that from her because I have to have some water when I got to bed and so does her daddy. When she doesn't get "juice" right when she goes down for bed she wakes up in the middle of the night upset because she needs "juice". Little does she know its really water ;) So we have been putting off getting naps and bedtimes fully potty trained because we were so worried about her going to bed without water. So we put into affect our potty training method of if she's sleeping in a dora (her easy up/ pull up) she knows it will absorb her tete. So last night we laid down a mattress pad protector for a bassinet and put her potty on it and let her sleep in her big girl panties.

Before I went to bed I checked on the girls like I do every night before bed and Punkin was still dry and he had gotten up to potty because she had gone potty in the potty! But then around 7am this morning she woke up crying because she had an accident, but she went to bed an hour early because she didn't take a nap (thats our rule, no nap equals early bed time) so from 7pm until 6:59am she was dry and for the first night I think that is awesome! I knew going into this I would have to wash sheets quite a few times so I was prepared but I was prepared for her to do this in the middle of the night not when I would be getting up so I think she did great!

Louisiana Weather!!!!

Louisiana weather is so weird! Today started off as usual but as the girls were eating their snack and I decided to start getting dinner thawed and all my ingredients set out I realized I was short a couple of items and I needed to go to the store. I also decided to just go ahead and get my grocery list taken care of so I could just relax on my free day tomorrow. I got the girls loaded up and it was bright and sunny and hot. Thank goodness I let the dogs stay inside so they wouldn't get to hot or so I thought; it was actually thank goodness I left them in or they would have been drenched and covered in mud. We are getting ready to leave Kroger and its all of a sudden its cloudy outside, no I don't watch the news it makes me depressed and then I usually have night mares and I didn't check my phone on the weather because it was sunny so I didn't think I needed to. Almost right as we were leaving the grocery store the bottom falls out and it starts storming. I mean raining cats and dogs the rain drops felt like needles hitting you. This is one of the many reasons why I love Kroger, the bag boys are a major help when you have kids, he pushed out my buggy full of groceries and I had a buggy with the girls. Doodle Bug up front and screaming because the rain is hurting and Punkin in the back throwing a fit because her leapster is getting soaked. I unlock my truck half way to it and the guy throws in my groceries as quick as he can while I'm loading up the girls in the truck this is also a security thing even when its not raining and I have so much stuff that I need two buggies because I don't have to wrestle with Punkin walking away from me in the parking lot or trying to run off. It just makes me feel safer especially today because we got drenched! My truck got drenched, the leapster, and my iphone. Thankfully I keep and emergency bag in my truck well, two one for me and the hubby and one for the girls. I keep an extra change of clothes, a water bottle for each of us, and a towel for each of us. So after we finally get loaded up and I call my hubby to first tell him our story and that I was on my way to give him his prescription he laughs and then goes instead you need to go home its about to storm! Soon after he says that it starts raining so hard that I can't see anything and I've got my phone and the leapster on the dash hoping that the defroster will dry them out (it did) and get stuck in traffic going 10 miles an hour because nobody can see anything.

You can't really see Doodle Bug but she's soaked too.

Punkin, her hair was was all done and super cute and her shorts were a light pink until she got soaked.

Yes I went to the store with no make-up. I used to wear it all the time and now not so much! Plus we left shortly after my work out.

By the time we get home Doodle Bug is passed out so I lay her in her crib and me and Punkin unload the groceries and I decide I'm not even going to attempt to try to go to gymnastics today so I called to schedule a make up session. I had already done my work out that I started this past weekend but I didn't know that I would get another one running from the store to my car and quickly lifting two kids of a total of almost 50lbs and then running around the car to get them both buckled in and then myself. I can honestly say though I was laughing the whole time. We need the rain and rainy days make for long naps and movie days for us but Doodle Bug didn't think it was funny and Punkin did once she realized her leapster was ok. Needless to say I do hope we don't have to do that again! Although now because of the weather our internet keeps cutting in and out so I hope this post right!

These are a few pics from our weekend because our internet was messing up yesterday too because of the rain.

Doodle Bugs 1st 4-wheeler ride! This is what santa brought Punkin last year!

Family Fun

This weekend was a good one, it did seem like it went by way to fast. Friday we enjoyed just staying at home and relaxing as our little family. One of our friends bought a new 4-wheeler and so he came by to show us and let my hubby take a test drive. They live right down the street so we ride 4-wheelers to each others houses. He got a racing bike and it goes super fast and go figure my Punkin's eyes lit up even though we didn't let her ride. Right before the new bike came over Doodle Bug had her 1st 4-wheeler ride with daddy and Punkin on Punkin's 4-wheeler. It was soooo cute and she loved it. I'm glad my girls love the 4-wheelers I don't know what we would do if they didn't.

Saturday we all slept in and that was AMAZING! My hubby went to the junk yard to get some parts for his project truck. It's almost done all he has to do is paint it now. While he was gone the girls napped and I caught up on some much needed filing. Then my mom in law came by to pick up Punkin because her brother, niece, and niece's little girl were here. So we had a play date for her lined up. They swam all day and me, Doodle Bug, and my hubby came over later and swam and we grilled ribs and chicken. Then we even had a surprise visit from my hubbys brother, who drives an 18 wheeler. He was driving through town and had a couple of hours so he stopped by and had dinner with us too. We left really late and finally got home and got the girls in bed and had my best friend and her hubby come over until around 3am just hanging out and catching up it was nice. So needless to say Sunday we had a lazy day and did some much needed scrubbing and cleaning. For the first time in a long time we were both in bed before 10pm. This morning we got up and got a few errands taken care of and having a nap and now I'm relaxing. A great weekend but to short. Hope everyone has a great weekend too ours was great just spent with family.

Summer time Fun!

We love summer because we get to swim, go to the lake, and ride 4-wheelers! We are also able to have more play dates. My girls love to swim and I think its because Punkin was born in June so we put her in the water at a couple months old and Doodle Bug was born in October and to deal with the crazy heat I lived in the pool. Every year I have bought a small blow up pool for the girls but this year I got a bigger one for $30.00 and its big enough for me and the hubby to sit in and Punkin to swim and Doodle Bug to have to have a floater. They love it! My in-laws have a nice underground pool too and my parents just bought a 15ft above ground pool so swimming is always available. I also start planning my Christmas shopping and all of our end of year activities; our anniversary, Doodle Bugs birthday, Hubby's birthday, vacation, and Thanksgiving.

My girls have been riding 4-wheelers, well Punkin, since she was one. She rides with her Daddy/me. We both grew up riding and we love it. If the 4-wheeler starts without her on it she gets so upset. She is also my little dare devil so she like to go fast and get dirty in the mud, which is funny because after she takes a bath she wants to play babies or dress up lol. Doodle Bug is not old enough to see if she likes it but almost. She will only be able to ride in our yard though for a while. My hubby rides around our neighborhood with Punkin and he goes out to the deer lease, he hasn't taken Doodle Bug yet, I'm not ready for that. We also take trips to ride go riding to at least once a year just me and him. We usually go with a lot of friends and have a blast for a weekend.

Our swimming fun is great for so many reasons because we get to cook out usually have a lot of family around and the girls get wiped out for naps/bedtime! Then they also sleep in usually because they sleep so good.

We also like to play outside a lot if we can't go swimming because it also wears the kids out and the dogs. Our front yard is off limits because we have so many maniacs speeding down our street. If I am cleaning/washing my truck I will back my truck up and block the drive way and let Punkin ride her bike under the carport while Doodle Bug plays in her porta crib but I usually try to do that at nap time...its easier.

The little boy is Poot, he is my best friends little boy and Punkins best friend. They are 4 months apart, and let me tell you it was pretty cool us being prego at the same time. NO it was not planned. My best friend is the one in the purple!

We also have mine and Punkins birthday in the summer! And birthdays are a big deal at our house because we are grateful to be here for another year! My birthday is always right before if not on mothers day so I usually do lunch/dinner for one and gift for the other. This year Punkins birthday was on a Friday so we took her to Chuckie E Cheese for her birthday dinner and let her open her gifts from us after and her party was at Jills Gymnastics on Saturday.

Her cake was made by a good friend of ours who owns Marble Slab ice cream, it was her gift from him. I start planning way ahead for everything, I started planning her 3rd birthday shortly after her second. I start saving and pricing places to see if we need to do it at a park for free (her 2nd birthday) or our home (1st birthday). I also watch while we go shopping for the toys she wants, she always wants to go to the toy section and make a note of some for Christmas and next birthday. I usually make a list and keep it with me, my wallet is a planner. A lot of times I get lucky and can catch them on clearance. Right now Punkin has a $30 Lego Ni hao kailan (nick jr) set that I got for $6 and put up for Christmas. I also have a game called giraffe a laugh limbo I found on clearance for $6.25 that I see now listed for $27.99 for Punkin's cousin Alex, I wish I would have gotten two because I can't make myself spend $30 now.

I do the same for Christmas, I count how many paychecks we get starting with the check right before Christmas and count back how many people we have to buy for and start buying that week. We set a price limit for everyone and usually get couple gifts for our parents and friends (close friends). After the friends have kids we let the kids exchange gifts with a $10 limit. We do not spend a lot. Usually when I can get them onsale or clearance we even come under the set limit we agreed on :) .

For my birthday, on aFriday, we went out to eat with friends and walked around the boardwalk. And then on Sunday for mothers day we had a cook out at my dads.

We went to dinner and then had game night! The boys were being WEIRD! They always act silly when we all get together but its non stop laughing!

For the Hubby's birthday we will be in SC visiting his sister and new niece due any day now and then at the end of that month we will have Doodle Bugs 1st Birthday! I can't believe she is almost one and that October is only 2.5 months away :( Time flies!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

~Krys~