Weekend Ahead!

This weekend is going to be a busy one! It all started tonight when I had to do a ton of running around to get ready for the poker run tomorrow! Eric and I and Brad and Erica are going to go on the poker run and I am soooooo excited that I can hardly handle it! On Sunday we are going to have a family fun day! Nothing specific planned but good old fashioned family time! I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend!

BABY!

I am going to have a NEPHEW!!!!

Bryson Robert Campbell!!

I can't wait to meet him! Let the baby shower planning begin! June 26th will be here before I know it!

Living Life to the Fullest

We have had such a roller coaster of a year with a lot of ups and downs, but as I have come to realize...."What doesn't break you makes you stronger" I am convinced that everything happens for a reason and even though at the time it may be confusing and depressing.... I will make it out of it stronger than ever!

Once I have stopped obsessing over things I can't control my life has taken a complete 180 degree turn! I am so much more like myself again and I feel amazing! I think I really just needed a swift kick in the butt and now I realize that I am incredibly happy and content with my life! I have so much going good for me!

1. My kids
2. My hubby
3. My job
4. My house
5. My LIFE!

The old Sarah is back....WATCH OUT WORLD HERE I COME!!! (again!)

New Game

His shoe pile

Putting them away!

Brady has a new favorite game, he likes to take all of the shoes off of the shoe shelf and put them in the doorway. He takes them 1 by 1 to the doorway and then when he is done, he starts to put them back on the shelf. He doesn't always finish putting them away but it is SUPER cute anyway!

It's back!!

No need for me to get nervous! Our 4 wheeler is back in our yard safe and sound! YAY! Now I can't wait for Saturday!

YUCK!

So Mr. Brady has a new habit....................................................................



PLAYING IN THE TOILET!



Yup, totally disgusting! and totally boy!



We have tried keeping the bathroom door closed, but we have a 4 year old that is VERy good at opening it! I have tried so many things and nothing works!



We have considered getting a lock, but how would Morgin go to the bathroom when she needed to without our help?

Getting Nervous!

When Eric went on the SNIRT run with the four wheeler it overheated so because it was under warranty we took back to the place we bought it and they determined that the relay switch needed to be replaced. Since there is no Artic Cat dealership anywhere near here they had to order the part. Eric called on Saturday and the part still wasn't in yet! It has been there almost 2 weeks now! We have been planning to go on the Poker Run on May 1st..so it better be done by then! Eric has to work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so I may have to get help to go up to the store to get the ATV! I have already put Brad and Chad on standby.....but here's to hoping it comes in on Monday and they have it done so that Eric can go get it!

Relaxation Central

Eric and Eva
Brad, Erica and Morgs

Brad and Eric playing Wii

Sword Fighting

Morgin's Chin

We had our new friends Erica and Brad over for dinner on Saturday. Morgin, Brady and Eva played in the backyard and so did Eric and Brad! Erica and I chatted it up and had a few Mojitos....yum! While we were outside Morgin fell on the pavement and got a pretty good gash on her chin. She was a brave girl and when she calmed down she played her hardest again! When it started to get dark and the bugs started coming out we headed inside and played with the kids and the boys had a great time playing Wii Resort! It was a nice relaxing evening with GREAT people!

Next weekend we are heading to Brad and Erica's house to ride from there to the poker run in Redwood! SO EXCITED!!!

Take Your Child to Work Day

Practicing her Name
Watching the kids read the word wall

In the Kindergarten room

The story she "wrote" in Kindergarten

Today was take your child to work day. I wanted to bring Morgin last year but she was still taking naps and we decided against it. This year was the perfect opportunity! She was AWESOME! She went to nursery school then Mary brought her to my school. She came in during centers and had fun writing her name while I was teaching guided reading. She then sat through my read aloud with my students and answered comprehension questions about the book! She ate lunch with me in the teachers room and then played with the kids at recess! She was great during writer's workshop as she drew an awesome picture of her daddy....too funny! Then she went to gym with my kids! I then sent her over to the kindergarten classroom and the kindergarten teacher loved having her! She was so good! I am glad I got to spend the day with her and it makes want to send her to kindergarten even more! The best part.....she went to bed at 7:30 and didn't make a peep the rest of the night!

Mice

I have had my issue with mice in the past...remember blog readers my very first day alone with both kids??? Well now I have a new issue...I was in the kitchen cleaning up the breakfast dishes on Saturday when I kept getting this wiff of a really rancid smell.....deep down I knew what it was but pushed it the back of my mind and lit a candle until my NaNa and PaPa stopped by to see us. I asked PaPa to go and search the smell out for me and sure enough he smelled it too but that was it! So I kept the candle going and went on with my day...

Today...smell still here...I searched all the cupboards with plastic gloves on and a dust pan and plastic bag by my side and found some really cool dishes I forgot about, but no dead rodent! I called my father in law and he came over and searched everywhere...no dead rodent!! We think it may be in the wall!! YUCK!

So I have my friends....the air fresheners....... all around the room and am hoping the yucky smell dissipates ASAP!!!!

I so do not like mice!

Our 2 plus 1!

Morgin Bowling!
Kaedin Bowling

Chickies

Goofy Girl

Kaed's

Girls Day!

On Friday, we went and picked Kaedin up so that she could spend the weekend with us. Her dad just had surgery and we all thought that it would be fun! We took the kids to McDonald's for dinner and then came back here and the girls played Wii for awhile. Then the girls went to bed and when Eric and I went to bed at 10 o'clock they were still up! They ended up falling asleep about 10:45 and then at 6:15 they were BOTH up...Even Brady! It was an interesting start to the morning because Eric had left for work.

The girls played together on Saturday morning and then my mom came over and I took the girlies bowling. This was Kaedin's first time bowling, Morgin had done it once at a birthday party but that was about it! We had a great time! Morgin won one game and so did Kaedin (actually I won both but they had no idea!) It was a great time! Then the girls and I came back and got my mom and Brady and we all went to Ponderosa for dinner. Brady ate like a champ! He ate all of his food and then all of Kaedin's! It was super cute! Then it was bath and bed time! I was exhausted at this point...I so realized that I am quite content with the 2 children that I have!

The girls slept from 8pm-8am and so did Brady! (Thank God for small miracles)

It was an awesome weekend! I so enjoyed having Kaedin this weekend! She will be coming for a week this summer and we already have so many plans!

16 Months

Dear Brady,
16 months ago you entered our lives. It has been a wonderful 16 months of watching you learn and grow into the BEST little boy we could ever ask for!
During the past few months there has been a lot of changes with you! You got your 2nd set of ear tubes. With the new tubes your vocabulary has DOUBLED! You say so many new words, with your new favorite being.... yes I am sad to say your new favorite word is..... "Poop" (true to boy form!) You say so many other words too and it seems like you learn a few new words everyday!
Your favorite past time is watching cars drive by. You play so well with your sister too! You have ALL of your teeth too! It was a rough couple weeks as you got 7 teeth at a time but I can happily say we are over that hump and on to new and more interesting things!

I cannot believe you have a part of our family for only 16 months. It seems as though you have always been here! I cannot wait to see what the next few months bring! I so enjoy being your Mommy! You are the BEST little boy we could have asked for! We all love you and your HUGE eyes and smile!

Love,
Mommy

Perfect

I may not have the perfect husband.....but he is mine.
I may not have the perfect daughter....but she is mine.
I may not have the perfect son...but he is mine.
I may not have the perfect house...but it is home.
I may not have the perfect car...but it runs.
I may not have the perfect friends...but they are fun to be with.
I may not have the perfect job...but I make difference.
I may not be the perfect wife...but I am loyal.
I may not be the perfect mom...but I love them with everything I am
I may not be the perfect friend...but I try my hardest.
I may not always smile...but I am content and happy.

When life is not so perfect you can guarantee that I will be here, happy and healthy and that you can always count on me!

First Zoo Trip

2010!

He was so Curious!

My Life!

Look How Close they were!

So Big!

Looking at the Bears

me and my babies!

Traditional Photo Op!

We went up to the zoo for our first zoo trip of 2010! We had so much fun as a family! It was the perfect day for the zoo. The temperature was not too hot and not too cold, and all of the animals were out. The wolves were right near the fence hanging out and actually so were all of the animals! This was a great visit to the zoo, Brady was so tiny last year that he didn't really realize what was going on but this year he kept saying, "Dog!" when he saw any animal so we would have to tell him the animals name and then he would try to say it! Morgin LOVED the otters! They were super cute too! They were playing with the kids and they both were laughing...it was the best!

First Cookout of the Year!

Eva, Morgin and Brady Playing Outside
Erica and Brady

Me and Eva and Morgs

Last night we went to Brad and Erica's house for a cookout. The kids played and the adults did what the adults do best...talk and laugh! It was really great after the day I had to get out and forget about everything! We ended the night with a few rounds of Karaoke Revolution! I never thought I would ever like a game like that but I had so much fun singing along with everyone and actually singing! I am not the best singer in the world but no one covered their ears so that is a good thing! The kids would occasionally stop playing and dance to whomever was singing....so stinking cute! It was a great evening and I can't wait to do it again! Thanks Brad, Erica, Chad and Stephanie for a great evening!

"Happy Wheezy"

Today we headed to Syracuse for Brady's pulmonology appointment. It was at 8:30 so we had to leave really early...but that's ok! We finally got some answers for all of Brady's wheezing and breathing issues!!!!

Brady has something called "Trachemalacia" (Trach-e-mal-a-chia). What this basically is is soft cartilage in the windpipe. Which is called being a "happy wheezer"The doctor got a complete medical history from us and this is the conclusion he came to.

Some of the symptoms include...
1. Belly sleeping- I guess children who have this sleep on their stomach because it opens up the airways better. (Brady is a stomach sleeper!)

2. Mis-diagnosed as asthma. (Brady was diagnosed as having asthma)

3. Recurrent bouts of bronchilotis and bronchitis which do not respond to treatment, such a orapred, and nebulizer treatments(That's Brady)

4. Soft ear cartilage (Brady!)

5. Acid Reflux issues (Brady!)

6. Common cold makes this come on (Brady!)

7. Begins about 3 months of age (Brady!)

As you can see Brady has all of these symptoms!

The treatment....nothing! It should go away between the age of 9 months and 2 years. So that means we have about 8 more months! The doctor did take him off of Singulair which he was taking for his asthma and put him on Axid for his acid reflux. We will see how this goes for about 6 months and then reconsider the acid reflux medication!

The doctor was super funny...he was like people often think that the child is really sick and give parents dirty looks...then the parents want to punch their light out..but being that you are a CO (looking at Eric) you probably shouldn't do that!

It is a HUGE relief to know that there is nothing seriously wrong with Brady! We feel as though a huge boulder has been lifted from our shoulder! Now we just have to wait and see when it will go away! Until then he is just a "Happy Wheezer!"

New Arrangement

View From Playroom Door
View from Front Door

So after months of pondering how to rearrange the living room, it finally came to me! While Eric was a work I decided that I was going to do it! I tried a few different arrangements and I didn't like them so I dragged the TV stand with TV and everything all the way across the living room to the opposite corner! I did end up paying for it the next day, my arms and legs were extremely sore! Also when I did get the TV stand where I wanted it, I plugged in the power strip and all of a sudden the surround sound system sparked and then smoked! I was beside myself! I went to Walmart and got a new surround sound and almost got it all hooked up right! Never a dull moment in our house!

Any way, we love it! It makes a better conversational area and is more inviting!

My Handsome Brother!

Here is my brother in his Coast Guard garb! I am so proud of him!

First Trip to the Dentist

Showing her Teeth
Getting her teeth poked!

With All of her goodies

Today we took Morgin to her first dentist appointment. We were super nervous about how she was going to behave! We have been having a rough time at home with her and so we were dreading this appointment! As we were heading into the doctors office she started crying because she wanted to pick the flowers that were blooming....but we quickly distracted her and she went into the waiting room...where she met a new friend. There was a very nice older woman that distracted her and talked to her and played with her. When we went into the room, Morgin sat in the chair and did AMAZINGLY! She was such a good girl! When the dentist came into the room to examine her teeth he said that she had excellent teeth and we were doing all the right things with her teeth! YAY for the good report! I am so proud of our little girl!

Name Meanings

My mom always told me from a young age where my name originated from and what the meaning was. I decided to look up what all of our names mean and where they originated from.

Eric- powerful ruler

Sarah- lady, princess, princess of the multitude

Morgin- dweller of the sea

Brady -spirited, broad (How true!)

Hmmm...very interesting!

Kindergarten Vrs Pre-K

Eric and I have been really stressing about what to do with Morgin. Should we send her to Pre-k at the school she goes to now or send her to kindergarten? She will be too old for universal pre-k because she is considered "school age." We have already paid the down payment for next year but quite honestly are not all that happy with her program she is in because it is only 3 half days a week. I feel that it is going to be real hard for her to go from 3 half days a week to all day everyday. I am going to have a tired little girl! Her teacher is good with her and she will have her again next year but I worry about her speech and she can' t services if she stays there...We have called all of the area pre-k's and they are all way too much for us to afford! (Around $400 a month) So i thought if I made a list it would help me...so here it is.....

Preschool Pro
Extra year to get more skills
she knows routines
religion


Con
Only 3 days
transportation
monthly fee and daycare expense
no speech services
friends


School Pro Con
Can get services
free
will come to school with me

Con
she will be one of the youngest
five whole days a week
already paid for pre-k

UGGG this was no help at all!
It really isn't fair that a child that is 10 days away from the Dec 1st cutoff can't attend universal pre-k! I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place...what to do????
Any input would be appreciated!

Before and After

Before
After!

When we bought the four wheeler the seat on the back must have been left outside and the red cushions were sun faded and looked pink. I went to JoAnne Fabrics and bought some vinyl and recovered the side cushions...the middle cushion had a zipper and was a bit more than I cared to do without a sewing machine so I asked Eric's step mom to help recover it...so she called us last night (perfect timing for the Snirt run!) to tell us that the seat cushion was all done! So Eric put the last cushion on it and it turned out AMAZING! I am glad that we decided to go with the black instead of red....it makes it look like a brand new seat! Now I can't wait to use it! I decided that Eric needed a Man day and stayed home from the Snirt run with the kids (Plus I think it is too cold for me today). I can't wait to hear all about his fun!

CONGRATS!!!

Congratuations goes out to my little brother Christopher!

He made it through his 8 week academy for the Coast Guard and he is officially a US Coast Guard officer! He will be stationed in Michigan! We are so proud of you!

Starbuck Family Fun Night

Doing the Cha-Cha Slide!
Morgin with Sarina and a 5th grader!

Morgin with Bambi (an aide)

Morgin and Lenora (One of my kids Mom)

Again!

Starbuck has a family fun night every month and us teachers have to go 1 throughout the year and so last night was my night! It was a dance and the kids at school were super psyched! I decided to bring Morgin with me so that she could have some fun! I am glad that I did...she was a dancing fool! There was one of my students little sister there...her birthday is 4 days before Morgin's and Morgin is a whole head taller than her! I am a little concerned that she is going to be too tall when she starts school and be picked on! This kindergarten decision is MAJORLY stressing me out! (Another blog to come about that!!!) I had a lot of fun last night at Family Fun night and it reminded me what I love about my school!

Magical Little Things!!!

Since Brady has gotten his tubes put in last week his vocabulary has DOUBLED. He now says so many words that it is amazes me and makes me feel bad in all the same breathe! I am amazed at the fact that the little buggers have helped him hear so much better....and I feel bad because he must have been in a lot of pain due to all of the "thick mucus" behind his ear drums. But he is better now and that is all that matters!

He says mom, dad, sis, cat, ball, car, truck, cyk (motorcycle), more, all done, bye-bye, dog, cup and a few more I am sure I am missing! He is such a chatter box now! Every time he sees something he looks at us and points until we tell him what it is! It is really cute!

I can do it!!!

Only one more day until I start my vacation! I am so excited I can hardly handle it! My vacation is a time for me to clean, clean, clean! We are also going on the SNirt Run on Saturday with a BUNCH of people from Eric's work and some new friends. We bought our trailer yesterday and the hitch is going on today! It is all coming together! I can't wait!

bug-a-phobia

Morgin has a new obsession....BUGS! The other day we were out searching Lowes and Home Depot for a trailer for our four-wheeler and all of the windows were down in the car and all of the sudden we heard a blood curdling scream and Morgin was standing up as I was right in the middle of an intersection! I had to find a place to stop on Arsenal Street....which could be close to impossible! Finally I pull over and she is screaming.."A BUG!!! A BUG!!!"

Then on Saturday at the Easter egg hunt, she comes running to us screaming "a bee...a bee"

It is going to be a VERY long summer if this continues! Let's hope that she learns to deal with bugs!

Happy Easter

"Sis" Brady was telling her something!
Our Handsome Man

Our Beautiful Girl

So cute!

The 3 Richards Grandkids

Karoke Night=TONS OF FUN!

Chad and Stephanie
The Girls

Eric and I

Eric and Chad

Jess and Andy Singing

Erica and I singing

Misty and Paul

Trying to Choose a Song for Brad

Brad singing

On Saturday, we went out with a few friends to karoke night at a bar in Great Bend. It was a BLAST! As I was sitting at the table watching these people sing I thought I would never get up there and sing.....boy was I wrong! Erica convinced me to go up and sing "The Summer of 69" with her and I did and it was SOOOO much fun! I sucked and I know it but I knew no one in that bar and so who cares! Eric was a chicken and wouldn't go up and sing a song....but promised that he would do it next time! One of our friends was a contestent on North Country Idol...and he had a sinus infection and a touch of larengitis. He was heckled enough that he chose an Elvis song to sing so that all of the guys would leave him alone. He did GREAT when he did get up there! We had a great time and can't wait for the Snirt run next week so that we can hang out with our new friends again!