Confessions and Christmas Jammies!

I like to link up with Danielle for a confessions post on Thursdays. She is taking a break today to post about some other fun things, but I've still got some confessions :) #cantturnoffthecrazy

*We are spending the weekend with Eric's family for an early Christmas. We are leaving tomorrow afternoon (it's only about a 3.5 hour trip). Wanna know how much I have packed? ...Zero things.

*We get back from NC on Monday and then leave for Atlanta on Thursday. I am exhausted just thinking about it.

*I am OVER all of the colds and coughs this season. I cannot keep my children well. They had coughs (and Grayer had an ear infection) over Thanksgiving, and now they are both coughing again. Calling all essential oil users! I am ready to board that train if you think it helps you and your littles stay well. Comment with your wisdom! Pleeeeeeease!

*This morning Wells wanted a cookie for breakfast. Being a good mother, I firmly told him that no, we don't eat cookies for breakfast...and then proceeded to ask him if he wanted donut holes instead. #sendingmixedsignals

*I am loving all the Christmas playlists on Spotify right now. I am not cool enough to make my own. Ha! Here are my favorites: Christmas Cocktails, Christmas Magic, and This is: Rudolph.

*I was looking forward to joining the Christmas PJs link-up.

And then came time to take pictures...aka: right before getting dressed and leaving the house this morning. Not our finest hour. Here's what I got:

I really do LOVE these PJs, though, and I think they are perfect for little boys! I got them here.

Also linking up with Annie for Thoughts for Thursday!

Stranded!

I am joining Shay and Erika for their "Stranded series," and today the topic is Christmas movies. 'Tis the season! So, here are my 3 favorite movies this time of year:

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

You serious, Clark? This is one of those movies my family has watched as long as I can remember. It is so funny, and I honestly think it makes me laugh harder each and every year. The other day I heard "Here Comes Santa Claus," and all I could think of was Cousin Eddie kidnapping Clark's boss. Ha! You just can't listen to that song and not think of that scene!

The Holiday

I can remember the first time I watched this movie: in an airplane on my high school senior trip to Italy & Greece. I loved it then, and I still love it today. The Holiday is a movie that I like to watch year round, but it is even better to watch during...ahem...the holidays. It will give you all the feels, and if you don't get teary-eyed during the indoor tent, 3-musketeers scene, you don't have a heart.

The Nativity Story

I saw this in theaters when it came out a number of years ago and really enjoyed it. This movie will definitely get you in the right frame of mind before Christmas. I couldn't leave it off of this list, and if you haven't seen it, it really is a must-see. And PS- It's under $5 on Amazon right now.

Anybody with me on these 3 movies? Or do you have a totally different list? Join the link-up and share your favorites!

Also linking up with Jessi and Jenn for What's Hap"pinning" Wednesday.

Grayer is TEN Months!

Ten. Count 'em, TEN months! My goodness, only two more monthly updates and we'll have a one year old on our hands. How did that happen? On a positive note, I finally got a real smile during a monthly photo shoot! #allthepraisehandemojis ...And then he was over it and crawled away.

Weighs: Grayer had an ear infection this past month, so we had to go in to the doctor's office. I can't remember what his exact weight was but I know he's over the 20lb mark.

Sleeps: This kid. He has yet to sleep all the way through the night. Granted, he was sick a couple of weeks this month with a cold/ear infection, but even when he is well, he still wakes up at least twice every night. I don't want to even talk about it. Let's just say, he is lucky he's so cute.

Eats: This boy does not stop eating. Like ever. He wants to nurse, eat a snack, eat a meal, or eat someone else's snack/meal ALL DAY LONG. If he sees that you are eating, he will crawl across the room to you. And you better share.

Wears: Twelve month clothes are probably the best fit right now. A size 3 diaper still fits, but when we have to buy the next box of diapers, we will probably go ahead and bump up to a size 4. He doesn't wear shoes very often, but when he does, he wears a size 3.

Plays: Grayer's favorite toy this month is any kind of cabinet. Haha! He is always in the kitchen trying to get into the cabinets. He and Wells will sit and pull out all of the tupperware while I am cooking. He loves to pull down all of Wells' train tracks off of the coffee table. And it drives Wells nuts. He loves Wells to death. He is still a big fan of the bath and is quite the splasher lately. He loves standing up, so he likes to stand at Wells' play kitchen and workbench. He pulls up on absolutely everything. He likes to babble and yell. He loves when I sing pat-a-cake and do the hand motions with him. He likes to clap, too, and will do it on command when you say "Yaaaaaay!" Grayer has the shortest attention span ever. He wants to constantly be played with or be crawling to the next adventure. He does not play with a single toy for very long before he loses interest. Keeping him entertained is an all-day, full-time task.

Milestones: He is cutting his fourth bottom tooth, and I am pretty positive that I see some little buds (still under his gums) on the top. So, I expect his two front teeth will be coming in this month. Still no words from this boy, but if I had to predict what it will be, I'd say it will be "hi." We are working on waving when someone says hi. He is waving (not every time, though) and he kind of makes a noise, but not definitively "hi" yet :)

Grayer is a ham. He loves people to laugh at him and will copy laughter, too, at times. I basically live in a house full of class clowns :) He is still a mama's boy to the core. He loves playing with his daddy and brother, though, and sometimes they forget that he isn't big enough to wrestle with the same intensity that they do. Ha! We love this sweet boy and are thankful for ten wonderful months with our Grayer-Bear.

Confessional Thursday!

Truth time.

*We are now in full potty training mode with Wells. He is doing AWESOME, but that doesn't mean he never has accidents. Tuesday night marked his first "number 2" accident while we were at church for small group. I still haven't recovered from the clean-up experience. #thatchangesaperson

*I made cookies the other day for our neighbor as a thank you for changing our flat tire the other morning while Eric was at work. On Saturday, I was out for a little while and told Eric to take the cookies to the neighbor while I was gone. I got home and the cookies were still on the table...yeah, he took him the ziplock bag of leftover cookies meant for us instead of the decorative Christmas tin full of cookies. It wouldn't have been so bad if the bag of leftover cookies didn't contain one with a BITE MISSING. #husbands

*I am struggling with the fact that we have to wait a month to find out what happens on This Is Us. If you didn't watch the winter finale, stop whatever it is you are doing and go watch. Seriously.

*This video is embarrassingly accurate. I say all of these things on the regular. Eric is not nearly as old-sounding as me, but do not even try to make him miss an episode of Shark Tank.

*This is totally my new favorite ornament. The picture is a little fuzzy, but it says "Wells" in glitter. My boy made it at school and it melts my mama heart to see it on the tree.

*I am so undecided on what toys we are going to buy Grayer for Christmas. He is 10 months old, and it's like I can't remember what babies play with at that age. He has so many of Wells' toys from when he was a baby, but I want him to have new toys, too. Any of you ladies have favorite toy picks that you have gotten your (nearly) 1-year-olds?


Linking up for with Danielle for Confessional Thursday and Annie & Natalie for Thoughts for Thursday!

Friday Favorites!

I have been a little MIA this past week or so, but our Thanksgiving holiday week (and the first part of this week) was filled with two sick kiddos. Can I just say that sick kiddos are NOT a favorite?? Especially when they are both sick at the same time...while traveling...and while seeing family that you only see a few times a year. #reallife

Now on to some favorites!

House Hunting

As I have mentioned a few times, we sold our house back in September. We had another house lined up and ready to close and do renovations on. The plan was to stay in an apartment during the month or so overlap time between the 2 closings. Well, two delays later and then a snafu on the lender's part and then Eric's job change, we decided to part with that house. We were sad but knew it was the best decision to make at the time. All that to say, we are STILL in the apartment. It is less than ideal but totally worth it to find the right house without rushing. We are now back to looking at houses in full swing and hopefully something amazing will happen soon :)

This Snack

Earlier this week, I needed to use an avocado quickly before it turned to mush, but I wasn't trying to get fancy! So, I just mashed it up, mixed in some feta cheese. a dash of garlic salt, and a little bit of lime juice. And then I devoured it with some tortilla chips. It was so good and may be a new favorite snack!

Our Christmas Tree

Due to the aforementioned delayed stay at the apartment, all of our Christmas decorations are in storage...like at the bottom and back of the HUGE mountain of boxes in our unit. So, I had to suck it up and only decorate minimally this year. We decided to go with a small tree (that we have set up on an end table) this year for a couple of reasons. First, because of the apartment, we don't have a lot of room. And secondly, Grayer would be inside the tree and pulling all of the ornaments off if he could reach it. I was not happy about having to buy a another tree, but I LOVE our new one. It is a 4ft Canadian Cashmere tree from Walmart - only $25 and looks so real. I love the muted green and much more real-looking branches than a lot of the artificial trees usually have.

Christmas PJs

I saw these PJs on Amazon and had to get them. Are they not PERFECT for little boys?? Can't wait to check the mail today and see my two guys in them!

Good Neighbors

Yesterday morning as I was headed out with the boys, I noticed the dreaded orange exclamation point on our van dashboard. We had a flat tire (we literally just bought new tires 2 months ago. sigh.). Eric was at work and couldn't come home, and I couldn't even tell you where to find a spare let alone how to change a tire. Enter our sweet neighbor, Mr. Brad. He changed our tire for us in the chilly air and made sure we were good to go. I am planning to take him and his wife some brownies and a homemade card from the boys tonight to say THANK YOU FOR SAVING US!!!

The Tupperware Cabinet

So, picking it all up isn't a favorite, but the boys love dragging out all of the tupperware in the cabinet. And if it gives me a few minutes of uninterrupted cooking, I don't mind (too much. ha!).

This Easy Meal

Okay, it isn't the prettiest or most impressive dish, but goodness is it tasty, cheap, and easy! And if those aren't 3 qualities you want in a weeknight meal, I don't know what are! We had this yummy rice last night, and we all ate it up. 

Augmentin

Yes, as in the antibiotic. Grayer was diagnosed with an ear infection last Monday. Well, I took him to Urgent Care this Tuesday because he was still not feeling well and was running a pretty high fever after 8 days on medicine. Turns out the antibiotic they had originally wasn't working for him. They prescribed augmentin this time around, and my sweet boy was already feeling much better by the next day. 

Wells' Christmas Songs/Sayings

Wells has been singing Christmas songs all week, and I LOVE it. There is nothing cuter than a two-year-old singing about figgy pudding! :) Also, we were reading the Christmas Story in his Bible the other night, and I was telling him that a star appeared. Every time he sees a nativity, now he will say "star appeared," and it melts my mama heart.

We've got a pretty busy couple days ahead, but I am hoping we find a little time to relax. #yeahright

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Linking up with Andrea, Erika, & Narci for Friday Favorites.

Show & Tell Tuesday: Want, Need, Wear, & Read

Today I am linking up with Andrea for Show & Tell Tuesday. Today's topic is "Want, Need, Wear, Read" gift lists.

Eric and I don't usually do big gifts for Christmas/birthdays/anniversaries for each other. Instead, we like to save up to go on trips, go see a show, or something like that. We obviously do gifts for the kids, but for the two of us, we like to pay more for experiences rather than items. Don't get me wrong, we do have little presents under the tree for us as well, just nothing over the top...which is what most of this list is. Ha!

-Want-

I would kill for a new washer and dryer. #whendidigetsoold 

Ours work fine (although sometimes our dryer does sound like it is about to take off for flight! lol), but there is just something about a new washer and dryer that gets me all kinds of excited! I can't be the only one, right??? 

-Need-

A certain almost-10-month-old has yet to sleep through the night (I'm giving you the stink eye, Grayer). In fact, I just told Eric the other day that I need a solo trip to a hotel. The big plans? Sleeeeeeeeeeep. Order room service. Watch TV. And, then mama's gonna sleep some more. 

-Wear-

I really just need a whole new wardrobe. You may hate me after I say this (seriously, I give you permission because I know it is not the same for everyone), but I am one of those mamas that loses all of their baby weight and then even more - all from nursing. I wish I could say that I work out and it's all because of my hard work, but it is literally just because my kids eat so stinking much! Both boys have been HUGE eaters; so much so that I cannot keep weight on whenever I am breastfeeding. While I don't mind being smaller, it leaves me with a BIG problem. None of my clothes fit. I can get away with most of my shirts. But my pants are an entirely different story and just look awful. I have gotten a few new pieces here and there, but it is just not in the budget to splurge on a new closet full of stuff. Plus, if we are being honest, once Grayer is weaned in a couple of months, I will probably get back up to my pre-pregnancy weight and clothes sizes.

-Read-

I can't wait to read the other books in Bill O'Reilly's Killing series. I read Killing Kennedy about a month ago and just finished Killing Lincoln last week. I am really into history and am enjoying learning so much. The books are so well-written and are FULL of history and interesting information. Can't wait to start on Killing Reagan on our trip to Tennessee tomorrow!

Can't wait to read everyone's gift lists!

Linking up for Tuesday Talk!

Weekending!

This weekend was a rollercoaster! It started off great, with fun family time...and it ended with an awful cold and cough for Wells. Boooo. Hopefully after a doctor visit this afternoon, we can get him some meds to start feeling better before all the Thanksgiving festivities this week.

Anyway, long story short (I am sure I will post in more detail later), Eric went back to teaching last week after about a 2-year career in aerospace. An opportunity opened up at a really great school in a really great district, and we are super excited. Aerospace is just not a stable industry right now, so we knew it was time to call it off. I think Eric is going to love being back in the classroom, and we are thankful that he got a position at this particular school. All that to say, he is no longer working weekend shift. Weekend shift did have its perks, but I am happy to have him home at more normal hours now :)

Friday
We had a pretty normal Friday, and the boys and I took lunch to my mom at work and ate with her in her classroom. Wells always loves visiting my mom at school because he gets to play at the "centers." After naps and playtime, Eric got home and we headed to dinner with my parents at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I don't know when I will ever learn to put Wells in play clothes when we go there because we always leave with about a pound of queso slathered on his entire outfit. When are they old enough to learn to scrape the excess cheese off of their chip before bringing it to their mouth??? Ha! The chip is really just a vessel for the cheese anyway...maybe I should just give him a spoon. Might be less messy!

Saturday
I had to catch up on some hours at work on Saturday. so the boys spent some time playing with cousins who were at my parents' house. Eric was cutting my parents lawn for them, and then he took the boys home for naps while I finished up. It was about this time that I could tell Wells was getting a pretty nasty cold/cough. I had planned to take him to the doctor Monday so that we could get some meds in his system (if needed) before we head out of town for Thanksgiving.

That night we ate Hula Joes. If you haven't pinned this recipe, do it NOW. They are so yummy and super easy. #winwin

Sunday
Since Eric is now back on a normal work schedule, we finally went back to our church this Sunday. I had been going to my parents' church (where I grew up) while he was working because it was much easier having help with both boys on my own. We still attended a small group at our church, but we felt totally out of the loop missing the normal Sunday morning service. After church, we headed to my granny's house for lunch. The boys took late naps at home and then we headed to a chili cook-off at our church. Wells was definitely going downhill at this point.

He was so whiny and cranky and just not feeling good. We got home, gave him a breathing treatment, put Vicks Vapor Rub on his feet (if you haven't heard of doing that for a nighttime cough, look it up! It really works...usually.), and gave him his own little cup of "coffee" - which was really just warm tea with honey to soothe his throat. He went to bed and coughed allllllllllll night. It was so sad. He woke up a few times and cried out. We finally just brought him to our bed and let him sleep with us. I called the doctor first thing this morning and they are booked until walk-in hours at 5pm. So, poor buddy has to wait a little while longer to start feeling better. We are praying that he can feel better before we head to TN to see Eric's family and also that Grayer doesn't get whatever he's got.

We are super busy this week. Eric has a test for his new job that he is taking on Wednesday. Then after his test we are heading to Tennessee. So, that means I have a whole lot of laundry, cleaning, and packing to do with a sick toddler, the most energetic 10-month-old ever, and a hubby who is studying every free second he has. Basically, I'm ready for it to be Thursday already...and this shirt sums up how I'm gonna feel that day :)

Linking up with Biana!