My quirky little girl.

Let me start with this...

Here is my Vannah on Sunday morning. Just playing along with her new kitchen set. Keep in mind, Santa CHOSE this kitchen because of all of the features on the bottom including the refrigerator, oven, etc. however, the only thing she wants to play with is the microwave...so after catching her climbing on top of it a few times, we brought a step stool over...and now she's content.

Please note...the shoes. This girl LOVES shoes. Seriously. What's even more interesting is that the shoes that she loves the most are Mason's! She gets home from school everyday, takes her shoes off, and puts a pair of his on. It's insane!

What I'm trying to say is that she cracks me up! I guess it makes her so loveable...even through her drama queen fits that she throws!!!!

Tell me Santa...by Mason...

We had another Santa encounter, this time at my work.

Check us out...

















Here are just a few of the MANY questions that Mason asked Santa Claus.

• Santa, why do you have boots on OVER your tennis shoes?


• Santa, why do you have a hat on?


• Santa, where do you live?


• Why do you live in the North Pole?


• Where is the North Pole?


• Where are your reindeer?


• Where is your sled?


• Where did you get my present at Santa?

He sure is ONE inquisitive little boy!

Ladies and Gentlemen...we have a BOW!!!

I was just a little (jumping up and down screaming) excited!

I know...I know...

It's been awhile. Eric and I went to Vegas and it's been crazy at work and I've lacked the time to update my blog. :(

Let me start with a funny post.

Mason and Santa. :)

Ask Mason what he's asking Santa for Christmas and he says everytime...a Lighting McQueen Race track. And for 3, saying the same thing and being that consistent means a lot!

So, last weekend, at Eric's work, they hosted a Breakfast with Santa...and Mason was SO excited to see Santa and tell him what he wanted. So, he gets on Santa's lap....

tells santa what he wants..."A Lightning McQueen race track" and chit chats for a few.

Mason gets down from Santa's lap...looks at me and says..."Well, where's my race track?"

I had to explain to him that Santa doesn't bring the presents until Christmas, etc. It was hilarious! I love that kid!

Treats on Thursday!

I will continue my theme of things I love about the winter to add one of my favorite winter treats.

If you don't know already...I am addicted to candy cane EVERYTHING!

I bathe myself in Candy Cane scented body wash. Spray my candy cane perfume. Burn a candy cane candle and indulge in these fantastic creations....

That's right my friends....some DE-Lightful Candy Cane Kisses. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love them.

If you love me...go out and buy me a bag for Christmas now. :) I'll wait.... :)

YUM!!!!!

Confession: I LOVE snow!

I do.

I admit it.

I LOVE snow.

I love the chill in the air, and the beauty it brings to outside. I love how pretty snow on top of Christmas lights are. I love getting all bundled up to go outside and play in it!

It just makes me feel cozy and I really appreciate the beauty of it!

I remember sitting at our front window and just watching it come down when I was growing up and later hoping for at least 5 inches so we could have a snow day! :)

Granted, its not fun to drive in and it makes people forget how to drive, but I really do love it!

There's only about 1/2 an inch outside right now, but it just makes me happy. :)

A touching ending to a trying day!

So yesterday was one of those days that is just hard on a mom.

Taking the kids to school yesterday was just awful. Savannah had a major breakdown and wouldn't stop crying for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Mason, fighting for my attention, started doing the same exact thing. It was heartbreaking. Again, Mason had to be pulled off of me when I left. I HATE that part about working...I really do. We did however get to go have a special Thanksgiving day lunch with the kids, that was overshadowed by another rough leave by me with Savannah. I was just spent emotionally the whole day.

Now...to the touching part. :)

Eric was bowling so the kiddos and I hung out and had a fun evening. Wherever Mason was, Savannah wanted to be. It was about Savannah's bedtime and I was trying to get her to sit with me on my chair. She wanted nothing to do with it. She walked over to Mason on Daddy's recliner and just kept patting to get up there. Mason looks up at me and says, "momma...I don't have any room!" Cue the Savannah crying breakdown. Mason then moves his sleeping bag, Toby and car out the way and gently pats his lap for his sister to join him. It was the sweetest thing.

So, I helped Savannah up and she was instantly at ease on Mason's lap. They just laughed and watched the show together. Mason would occasionally look down at his sister and cuddle up closer to her. It was so adorable. A few minutes later, Vannah was asleep...happy and content with her big brother Mason! :)

I am very thankful that a moment like that overshadowed the trying episodes of earlier that day. From the hardest parts of being a mom to the BEST parts of being a mom. What a way to end the evening. :) It is really just an amazing thing watching my children protect and love each other....amazing!

Fun Christmas Get to Know You! :)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
For the majority of gifts, I prefer to wrap...I don't like to challenge myself too much so if it's a hard item to wrap, I will use a gift bag!

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Artificial and Pre-lit

3. When do you put up the tree?
I was just talking to Eric about this today! I was hoping to do it this weekend! Usually right before Thanksgiving or the weekend of Thanksgiving!

4. When do you take the tree down?
New Year's Day or right around there

5. Do you like eggnog?
YUCK! No thanks!

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Not sure...maybe my Barbie McDonalds set. Those little cheeseburgers were DEFINITELY a choking hazard!

7. Hardest person to buy for?
Usually Eric, or my Grandma!

8. Easiest to buy for?
The kiddos...I have a hard time stopping!

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Nope.

10. Do you send cards or email cards?
Send cards. :) usually with pics of the family on them. :)

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Wow...don't know or remember!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Definitely National Lampoons Christmas Vacation! DEFINITELY! I am one of those that HATES...I repeat HATES The Christmas Story and I don't see anything remotely funny about it!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Usually the day after Thanksgiving

14. Ever recycled a Christmas present?
Yep.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Delicious potatoes, buckeyes, delicious yummy food! Oh, and Peppermint White Mocha's from Starbucks. :)

16. Lights on the tree?
Yes, and they are colored

17. Favorite Christmas song?
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (although my favorite at the moment is This Christmas)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
We travel to visit the families on christmas...

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?
Of course....Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixon, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitsen and of course Rudolph

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Neither...I do a snowman! :)

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
The Christmas Story movie! :)

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
I LOVE Snowmen...I have them EVERYWHERE!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Delicious potatoes...:) Have I mentioned I love them???

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
I want to really enjoy the time with the kids this year! I'm looking forward to it!

A Humbling Day!

Today, I am not going to work! YAY! :)

Ok, that's not what's humbling.

About 5 years or so ago, after hearing the Make A Wish Request a thon on a local radio station, I decided that I really wanted to get involved with the Make a Wish Foundation, a foundation that grants wishes to children with life threatening illnesses. Something about the tears and the joy in the voices of the parents and the kids who had their wishes granted struck me. I felt compelled to help with not only donations, but my time.

That is when I became a Wish Granter volunteer with the MAW foundation. I've been fortunate enough to help over 8 children with their wishes over the past few years. It is truly one of the most rewarding experiences that I've ever been a part of. I get to meet the families and find out their wishes, and the joy and excitement and awe that these families have knowing that we take the time and the organization funds this family trip make it all worthwhile.

I will say that when I first started, I was not a parent, and now that I am a parent, I feel even more compelled to help because I am SOOOOO fortunate that both of my children are healthy. The strength that I see from the children I have met is amazing. AMAZING!

So, this afternoon, I'm heading to the WZPL studios to answer phones for a few hours for the Request a Thon. I've done it every year since I started volunteering and I love it! The goal is to raise $199,000 dollars in the 36 hours! They've exceeded their goals every year. :)

So, if you're in the Indy area...call 317-239-1099 to donate and you get to request ANY song too! Who knows, maybe I'll be the one to pick up the phone! :)

Warning...You Might Pee Your Pants!!!

So, my good friend Shannon posted on her blog that she is currently obsessed with the website Cake Wrecks.

Intrigued, I decided to visit it myself.

Seriously, I've spent a good 45 minutes CRACKING UP! There are photos of how cakes have gone horribly wrong (spelling...things don't quite look right etc.)

I can't stop laughing.

Please, I beg you...if you need a laugh...check it out...

One of my favorites...

The cake is supposed to say, "Happy Birthday You Old Bastard!"

You'll thank me later. :)

Amazing Series!

If I haven't already told you about my love for reading....

I. LOVE. TO. READ.

My favorite books right now are the Twilight series. After hints (PLEADING) by my friend Kris to pick up Twilight and get sucked in. I did it. I bought the book. It was awesome. I love it! I am now 1/2 way through book 2 (new moon) and book 3 and 4 are on their way {hurry Amazon...hurry!}

It's been awhile (Harry Potter) since I have gotten so caught up in a story. I dream about it. I think about it, a lot! It also doesn't help that the Twilight movie is coming out on November 21st and I'm seeing movie trailers!!! :)

So, if I haven't hinted enough already, to those of you that haven't read it yet.

Pick up Twilight. You'll thank me. :)

{End of Public Service Announcement}

Whoopins.

Last night on the way home from school (when all the deep conversations about life take place) Mason was telling me all about his day. He was telling me about how he saw a HUGE Jet at school and how loud it was. He then went on to talk about how when we go to Disneyworld someday, HE's going to fly the jet.

I calmly explained that he can't fly the jet now, so he corrected and said that he wants to do it when he's bigger.

Then, being the super mom that I am (:-)) went on to tell him, "Honey, you can be anything you want to be...anything in this world!"

Cue complete silence in the backseat.

Mason then says, "Well, than I want to be Piderman (his rendition of Spiderman)"

Mason continues, "I'm gonna be Piderman and I'm gonna shoot Whoopins and get the bad guys."

"Whoopins" I say? I'm of course thinking of getting spanked, etc.

Then I realize he means WEAPONS! I immediately cracked up. I like Whoopins a whole lot better anyway. :) The things he says just CRACKS. ME. UP.

I Voted!

Whoo hoo! I've got my sticker to prove it. Unlike many lucky people here in Indiana, I had to wait over 2 hours (including 1/2 hour outside at 7:30 a.m.) to rock my vote!

I will admit that I felt very PROUD to have casted my vote! YAY me!

I was also excited that I got about 200 pages of New Moon read while in line too!

Seriously? November?

What the HECK happened to October...or September for that matter. It's November. There are officially 51 days until Christmas.

Where does the time go?

October was a crazy month for us...filled with exciting times...such as:

• My first FALL Vera trip! Whoo hoo!
• A very exciting Pizza train ride with Grandma and Grandpa, which whenever Mason thinks we are going to go to a park, he thinks we are going on a pizza train too! :)
• A fun birthday party!
• TWO trips to the pumpkin patch
• Beautiful family pictures were taken
• Mason's 3rd Halloween and Vannah's 2nd halloween!

I'm tired just thinking about it, and those were just on the weekends! If the trends follow, I'm sure that November will be just as exciting and busy. :)

I have so many things that I hope to get accomplished in November... how about you? What are your goals for this month that will be over before we know it?!

Halloweens of Past!

Happy Halloween! One of my favorite holidays! I thought it would be fun to go through and find some old halloween pictures...let's see what I've got! :)

One of my all time favorite pics of Eric...him and his scary faces! :) You can see right there why I married him! :) (I can't even begin to tell you how long it took him to get his hair to do that. It was so stiff... {that's what she said! (I couldn't resist!)}!!!

Mason in 2006...Arrrgh!

Last year...my little unicorn angel! :)

Mason LOVES to dress up in costumes....Here his is a monkey...and as Tigger:

Tonight Mason will be Spiderman...a muscular Spiderman at that, and Vannah will be a witch! Pictures to be posted soon!

I actually had to dress up for work today. We have to decorate our area and we are doing a haunted pumpkin patch. I will be a cowboy. Stay tuned for that excitement! :)

Happy Halloween to my favorite ghouls and goblins!

Thursday Threes

Three of my Halloween candy favorites that we’ve been known to steal from my kids’ trick or treat bags…

1. Twix!!! YUM!
2. Sixlets...I LOVE these! I remember these were my favorite when I got these trick or treating!
3. Sweet tarts! I can't refuse!

What are YOURS?

I've been RANDOMLY Tagged!

The Godmother was so gracious to tag me! Now I need to post 7 random facts about myself and tag 7 people.My 7 random facts are (in no particular order):

1. When I eat waffles, I am very particular about how I put the syrup on them. I have to fill up each hole one at a time and so no extra goes on the plate. Wierd...I know. :-)

2. I was never a big sports person, but got involved in Karate in high school. I was in it for 3 years and actually competed in some national tournaments.

3. I am the worlds biggest nerd. I LOVE school. I miss it. I once took a extra semester of anatomy and physiology in college just because I liked it so much!

4. I have never been to Europe but have always wanted to go!

5. I HATE to cook.

6. I love giving my kiddos funny nicknames...(ie I call Mason "chicken face" for some ungodly reason!)

7. I really don't like what I'm doing right now and I'm seriously considering changing my WHOLE career!

Ok...I'm tagging:

Amy, Julie, Leah, Justin , Cheryl, Jean and Karen!

He's a Pierle!

It's no surprise. My son has come from a long line of boob men.

Last night...we were getting ready for bed.

One of my bras was sitting on the nightstand in my bedroom.

Mason: "Momma...what's that. What is it used for?"

Momma: (not wanting to go into this explanation tonight) "Honey, don't worry about it, it's just something that momma wears."

Mason (smiling with an evil grin...he grabs the bottom of my shirt): "Is it for your BOOBS???!"

I seriously snorted I was laughing so hard.

At 3, the boy sure knows boobs and all that goes along with them. I have a long 15 years ahead of me!

Have You Ever???

What I have done is in red: There are a lot of these I've never done, but I would LOVE to do! :)

Bought everyone in the bar a drink
Swam with wild dolphin
Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
Been inside a Pyramid
Held a tarantula
Taken a candle lit bath
Said I love you and meant it
Hugged a Tree
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightening storm at sea
Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
Seen the Northern Lights
Gone to a huge sports game
Walked the stairs to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Grown and eaten your own vegetables
Touched an iceberg
Slept under the stars
Changed a baby’s diaper
Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
Watched a meteor shower
Gotten drunk on champagne
Given more than you can afford to charity
Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
Had a food fight
Bet on a winning horse
Asked out a stranger
Had a snowball fight
Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
Held a lamb
Seen a total eclipse
Ridden a rollercoaster
Hit a home run
Danced like a fool, not caring who watched
Adopted an accent for an entire day
Actually felt happy about your life, even for a moment
Had two hard drives for your computer
Visited all 50 states
Taken care of someone who was too drunk
Had amazing Friends
Danced with a Stranger in a foreign country
Watched wild whales
Stolen a sign
Hitchhiked in Europe
Taken a road-trip
Gone rock climbing
Midnight walk on the beach
Gone sky diving
Visited Ireland
Been heartbroken longer than you were in love
In a restaurant sat at a stranger’s table and ate with them
Visited Japan
Milked a cow
Alphabetized your CDs
Pretended to be a superhero
Sung karaoke
Lounged around in bed all day
Posed nude in front of strangers
Gone scuba diving
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Played in the rain
Gone to a drive-in theater
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
Toured ancient sites
Taken a martial arts class
Played a computer game for more than 6 hours straight
Gotten married
Been in a movie
Crashed a party
Gotten divorced
Gone without food for 5 days
Made cookies from scratch
Won first prize in a costume contest
Ridden a gondola in Venice
Gotten a tattoo
Rafted the Snake River
Been on television news program as an “expert”
Got flowers for no reason
Performed on a stage
Been to Las Vegas
Recorded Music
Eaten shark
Had a one-night stand
Gone to Thailand
Bought a house
Been in a combat zone
Buried one/both of your parents
Been on a cruise ship
Spoken more than one language fluently
Performed in Rocky Horror
Raised children
Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
Picked up and moved to another city
Walked on the Golden Gate Bridge
Sang loudly in the car and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
Had plastic surgery
Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have
Wrote articles for a large publication
Lost over 100 lbs
Held someone while they were having a flashback
Piloted an airplane
Petted a stingray
Broken someone’s heart
Helped an animal give birth
Won money on a TV game show
Broken a bone
Gone on an African safari
Had a body part below the neck pierced
Fired a rifle, shotgun or pistol
Eaten mushrooms gathered in the wild
Ridden a horse
Had major surgery
Had a snake as a pet
Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
Slept for more than 30 hours over 48 consecutive hours
Visited more foreign countries than US States
Visited all 7 continents
Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
Eaten Kangaroo meat
Eaten sushi
Had your picture in the paper
Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
Gone back to school-I'm in the process of this! YAY!
Parasailed
Petted a cockroach
Eaten fried green tomatoes
Read the Illiad
Selected one important author who you missed school to read
Killed and prepared an animal for eating
Skipped all of your school reunions
Communicated with someone without sharing a common language
Been elected to public office
Written your own computer language
Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
Had to put someone you love in hospice care
Build your own PC from parts
Sold your own artwork to someone that didn’t know it was yours
Had a booth in a street fair
Dyed your hair
Been a DJ
Shaved your head
Caused a car accident
Saved someone’s life

My beautiful girl!

We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday and I caught this beautiful pic of my baby girl! :) I could seriously take pics of her all day!

Things you never thought you would say

"Vannah! Get your hands out of Mason's bootie!"

As Mason was standing at the potty going, Vannah reached out for his bootie...laughing.

The things you never think you would say during a normal day! This motherhood thing is pretty funny sometimes!

What a GREAT Weekend!

We had a blast! :)

On Saturday, we headed to Russell Farms Pumpkin Patch and had an awesome time! After that, we went to catch the train at the Indiana Transportation Museum. He hopped aboard the Pizza Train. It was a 45 minute ride up to Tipton where we hopped off the train and went to the Pizza King and had dinner. We caught the train back a few hours later! Mason loved the train. It even rocked him to sleep on the way down there! :)

Here are some adorable pictures!



I do want to give a HUGE shoutout to my friend Cheryl who made the adorable shirt that Mason's wearing. "All Aboard the Pierle Express! How perfect was this shirt for Mason's first train ride?! :)

Gloomy Wednesday

Well, it's been a crazy week! It started great! I came fresh out of my Vera weekend for the Fall outlet sale! We had a BLAST! I had such a good time and spent way too much on vera! :) Surprise, surprise! :)

On Tuesday, we got a call saying that we had our first offer on the house. It wasn't a great offer, but we were excited still. Fast forward to this morning at 9. The other party decided to reject our counteroffer and pull out of the housing market all together. :( Boo!

We were getting excited at the prospect of moving, especially as I'm continuing to make plans for my new exciting endeavor. It would be nice to be moved, although, I don't think it's going to happen.

Ugh!

All in all, it's a gloomy Wednesday here in Indianapolis and for the Pierle family!

Boo! Welcome October!

I can't tell you how excited I am to wake up to the crisp fall mornings! LOVE THEM! I know, I'm one of those rare people that loves the cold weather! I love sweatshirts and sweaters....LOVE IT!

I'm so excited about our fall activities that we have planned for this month already! Most of them are focused around Halloween for my Spiderman and my adorable little witch, but it's going to be great!

To celebrate the start of fall and to welcome the creepy ghouls and goons, let me share with you a give-away my friend Cheryl is having on her Wishing Star Creations blog! She's giving away three personalized Halloween Trick or Treat Bags. She does the embroidery herself, and her stuff is top quality and altogether too cute.

Click HERE to see the contest. All you have to do is submit a comment to be entered to win. Check out her other goodies while she's over there!

While you're at it, you should also check out her other business, Wokits - gorgeous, educational toys and other personalized things for your little one.

Question of the day...

Is it sad that...???

On the radio this morning, they were asking trivia questions in a game. One of the questions was, "Name 3 of the 5 members of NSync."

Is it sad that I could answer it?!

Is it also sad, that once I got to work, I picked NSync on my iPod and jammed away to the wonderful boy band songs that they produced?

This is a rhetorical question, of course :)

Works for Me Wednesday

It is Wednesday right? Forgive me, I'm fighting a beast of a cold! This week's WFMW is a book. A book that always makes my kiddos laugh....

SkippyJon Jones...Up and Down...

I feel it's necessary to tell you that there are actions associated with each page. Vannah and Mason's favorite is sniffing NEAR and FAR...it is then that I proceed to sniff like a dog each of them. I think more than the book, I treasure the page before, when they both know the sniffing page is coming up and they get all tense and excited! I love it!

My second favorite thing...seeing Vannah wrinkle up her nose and try to mimic the sniffing.

It's PRICELESS!!!!

I've been tagged! My First Baby:

Wilma tagged me!



Me and My First Baby

• Were you married at the time?
  Yep...we were married for over 2 years...


• What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant?
  SOOO excited! We had been trying for awhile!


• How old were you?
  24


• How did you find out you were pregnant?
  Home pregnancy test.


• Who did you tell first?
  Eric was there when we took the test, so he knew first, then I told my mom at lunch that day.


• Did you want to find out the sex?
  Oh yeah!


• Due date:
  September 4, 2005


• Did you deliver early or late?
  Almost 3 weeks early


• Did you have morning sickness?
  Nope...I was one of the lucky ones..


• What did you crave?
  Sour candy...sweetarts, etc.


• Who irritated you the most?
  People that kept asking me if I was having twins...


• What was your first child’s sex?
  An adorable little boy!


• How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy?
  Probably around 40 lbs.


• Did you have any complications during your pregnancy?
  Nope!


• Where did you give birth?
  At Methodist Hospital


• How many hours were you in labor?
  Around 19, and then ended up in a c-section.


• Who drove you to the hospital?
  Eric.


• Who watched?
  Eric was in the surgery with me for the C-section. My mom and Eric were with me when I was pushing before that.


• Was it vaginal or c-section?
  C-section


• Medication?
  They gave me Nubain at first...then I asked for the REAL drugs...an epidural. I got a 2nd one when I went in for my c-section.
  How much did your child weigh?5 lbs 15 oz, so very very very tiny.
  What did you name him/her?Katelyn Joanna (Kate)
  How old is your first born today?Three in a few days!Tagging Debra, Leah, Jean, Jenni, KarlaIf you are new to tagging, link the Tagger to your Meme and then the links/names of the people you are tagging!Copy and paste the questions and put in your own answers.Looking forward to reading yours!

My adorable kiddos! So cute!

We NEED a doctor in the family.

If I've said it before, I'll say it again.

WE. NEED. A. DOCTOR. IN. THE. FAMILY.

Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to have someone, a family member that you can just call with symptoms? Can you imagine the amount of $$$ you'll save in copays???

I am willing to take one for the team. I have always had a ridiculous love of medicine and my dream is to be a doctor. I just changed my major my senior year and have pursued a marketing career for fun (IDIOT!)

So, someone, anyone out there....please donate to my medical school fund?

Please!

Seriously, how do people do it? How could I start over and go back to school? How do people afford it?

Again, I'm asking for donations. Every cent counts. :)

My guarantee to you...I won't charge you $20 or $30 for a medical consultation. I promise!

More to come.....

Found a GEM!

As I was dowloading the pictures of the cousins from my IL's puter....I found this in their folder. A pic that was taken of Savannah on her birthday....





OMG...I know I'm partial...but she's such a pretty little girl! :) I think this is my new favorite picture of her! :)

On a side note...she's getting way too big...her once adorable chunky legs aren't so chunky anymore...she's getting taller...her legs are getting skinnier....and I don't like it at all! :(

If only I could get taller and skinnier. Oh well.

Hangin with the cousins!!!

This weekend we got together to celebrate Eric's mom's birthday and we had a great time! We got some good pictures of the cousins all together! Here they are...Desiree, Jacob, Mason and Vannah...

Please note...the boys were eating M&M's...hence why their mouths seem a little brown! ;-) You'll also notice Vannah's scratched up chin...where Mason bopped her in the head with his stepstool! :)

Life Lessons By Mason

Last night in the bathtub, amongst the suds, Mason decided to lay one of his life lessons on me...

Mason (with the most serious face): "Momma....big boys don't fart.....it's nas---tee!"

Momma (cracking up and begging for him to say it again): "I think you better explain that to your dad.

Mason: "It's nas-tee!!!"

Being a mom...

My previous post spurred a thought I had last night that I wanted to share. Last night I was talking to my mom on the phone (as I do religiously every night). I was sharing with her my thoughts, frustrations, and trials and tribulations of being a mom right now to my 2 adorable, yet needy children.

It hit me.

That was me. I was that same little drama filled needy child...and I'm sure my mom would agree adorable. ;-) But, my mom went through the same trials, tribulations, experiences that I'm going through.

I can't imagine what that must feel like as a mother to hear your daughter relaying the details of their lives...the joys and hard times they are going through as they go through this ride they call motherhood...and you have the same flashbacks of 28/29 years ago and feeling the same exact thing.

I had to say thank you. It was yesterday that I realized...when I was three or one for that matter, all that my mom had given up to make sure that I was that happy little girl that proudly sang "new york new york" to ANYONE that would listen. The time that she gave up, the dinners that she cooked even though she was exhausted and didn't feel like even walking to the kitchen, the sanity that she lost, the attention that she lost, the $$$$$ that she put out, the energy that she gave us, the love that she constantly showed always with a smile...

I'm not saying that it wasn't rewarding...I was a good kid....until I got to be older (yeah...I know...throwing the "I hate you" on a paper plane wasn't my best moment) ...but wow. I realize it now.

To all my mommy friends that are reading this that are going through this ride with me....THANK YOU for being there as I talk about losing my mind and the drama and the good times I'm facing. You're keeping me sane. Really.

To all of you wonderful mothers that are watching your grandkids grow up...thank you for making us the mothers that we are and for giving us the strength to watch our children grow.

To my wonderful (most of the time) Mason and Savannah...I can only hope that one day...30 years from now, when you are raising your own kids...it'll hit you...how much joy, love, attention and time I've given you and the sacrifices I've made to make sure that you're the smartest, brightest, well-rounded, happiest dang kids in this world. Maybe even tell me thank you...I sure as hell know I'll love to hear it! :)

Works for Me Wednesday

This is Savannah's favorite book right now. I have to read it at least 4 times a night...

It's fun for her b/c it's got the cute and cuddly little bear that she can touch, and it also has flaps that she can pull down...

What I'm listening to...right....now...

Here are the 3 albums that I'm listening to the most right now...

I'm warning you...it's an interesting collection...

Probably my favorite album of all time....Counting Crows..their first album...August and Everything After. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing lyrics...amazing songs. Did I mention it's an amazing album?

Album #2. Jason Mraz....We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Great album...again...a great songwriter. :)

Finally, the odd one out...this one is for the kids...The Wiggles. Yummy Yummy. It's worth every crazy song to watch Mason and Vannah shake it. I promise you this. :)

Friday Smiles!

Here are some cute smiles of the kids that I got: Mason looks entirely too old in this picture by the way and I DO NOT like it!

Quote of the Day!

I can't resist.

We're sitting down getting ready to eat our gourmet meal of McDonalds for the evening. The kids all have their food, and they are ready to eat.

Cue Snickers.

Snickers comes over and vomits all over the floor.

Cue Smores.

Smores comes over and proceeds to EAT the puke. De-licious.

Cue Mason and his hilarious comment and his SUPER serious Mason face:

"Momma. We don't eat YAK...Ok, momma! "

Man, I love that kid. :)

3 going on 13...

I didn't think I would have to deal with this yet! I really didn't.

Talking back and attitude have entered my house big time.

Granted, Mason, Savannah and I had a lot of alone time this weekend, but Mason was just downright crazy! He would run around like a crazy person and then jump on the table.

Me: "Mason...get off the table!"
Mason (smiling and pointing at me): "No...YOU get off the table."

OMG....Lord...help me!

Me: "Mason, stop saying poop!" (his favorite word these days)
Mason: "No momma....YOU stop saying poop!"

And that same conversation continued the whole day yesterday! Everytime I would tell him not to do something, he always had the same response. It was INSANE!!! Where did my cute innocent little boy go? I don't want the teenager, talking back attitude, constantly testing me.... yet.

Memo to Mason: I want the cute little boy that says, "I love you momma" and "airpork" and tells his sister "I love you Savannah." Come back to me. Just come back! :)

Wordless Wednesday

Yeah...he's going to hate me for this when he's older. :)

He's such a cute ballerina though! :)

Airshow at the Airport?

We took the kiddos to the Air Show on Sunday to see the airplanes and the amazing F22 Raptor that they had. Mason hated the Raptor. It was way too loud for him and he just sat in my lap with earplugs and his hands over his ears telling me that he doesn't really like airplanes. He's so silly.

Sunday night:
Mason: "momma, I had lots of fun at the Airpork today."

Momma: "What did you say buddy?"

Mason: "I had fun at the air PORK"

Momma: (LAUGHING) "Honey, it's the air POR-T"

Mason: "Air POR-K"

I personally like air PORK a lot better anyways! :)

Better late than never...

Ok, the long awaited Birthday post! UGH! It's been a busy week. I had the first week at my new job, which I'm LOVING! YAY! But this isn't about me, it's about Mason.

On Sunday, my adorable little boy Mason celebrated his third birthday. I seriously can't believe he's 3. He's so grown up and he is always talking and acts like a big boy. If I could only get him potty trained...that would be a whole other issue. We had a huge party for him on Saturday and all of the family and friends that love him came to celebrate. It was of course a Lightning McQueen Cars party...which is his favorite thing right now (and the past 6 months or so!)

Here are some pictures from the party:

Mason opening presents:

Mason's AWESOME cake:

Mason blowing out his candles...with me and my mom holding his hand! :) Loved it!

Vannah in a sugar coma after eating her cake. :)

My first baby!

1. Were you married at the time? Yes

2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant? We were SOOO excited! Eric was with me when I took the pregnancy test!

3. How old were you? 25

4. How did you find out you were pregnant? took a pregnancy test before Eric went to work!

5. Who did you tell first? Eric was with me, but then we told my mom first.

6. Did you want to find out the sex? Of course!

7. Due date? 09/04/2005

8. Did you deliver early or late? EARLY by almost 3 weeks!

9. Did you have morning sickness? Nope...i was one of those lucky ones that didn't get sick!

10. What did you crave? Sour candy. I ate a ton of sweet tarts...etc.

11. Who irritated you the most? People that were always asking me if I had TWINS in there!

12. What was your first child's sex? Boy

13. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? Gained about 40 lbs.

14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? I just got a fever during labor, which caused Mason to be in the NICU.

15. Where did you give birth? Methodist Hospital---NEVER again!

16. How many hours were you in labor? Almost 19 hours

17. Who drove you to the hospital? Eric...but his sister beat us to the hospital!

18. Who watched? In the labor room, my mom, eric's mom, eric's sister erin, and Eric were there. My friend Renee did end up popping in while I was pushing...Eric was the only one in the surgery room for the C-sect. though.

19. Was it natural or c-section? C-section

20. Did you take medicine to ease the pain? Yep! They gave me Nubain first, and it did
NOTHING for me, so I was like, bring on the heavy artillery! I need an epidural!

21. How much did your child weigh? 7 lbs. 11 oz.

22. Did your child have any complications? Mason was placed in the NICU because he had a hard time taking his first breath, and I had a fever during labor. He was there for 5 days for jaundice and other issues. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to deal with.

23. What did you name him/her? Mason Adam Pierle

24. How old is your first born today? He turned 3 on Sunday!

25. Who does your child look like? He is ALL Eric!

My NEW Backseat Driver!

So, Mason has turned into quite the backseat driver. It's getting a little frustrating.

While sitting at a stopsign full of traffic, Mason yells..."GO Momma!" I explain to him that I can't go, and he continues to yell...Go Momma! Go momma!

Once I get going he yells...GO FASTER MOMMY!!! GO FASTER!

I will admit there have been several times that I've said to him out of frustration, "Mason, do you want to drive?!" Of course, he answers YES!

Cincinatti Bound!

We went to Cincinatti with Eric for a few days. He had meetings for work and Mason, Savannah and I decided to go have a VERY overdue playdate with Cori and Josiah! :)

We went to Totter's Otterville, a very fun play place for the kids. They had a blast and I'm sure we could have spent DAYS there! We had a great visit!

Here are some pictures!

Trip to the Zoo with the Kiddos

Eric was on his annual guys camping trip this past weekend. I have been cooped up in this house for over a month and I decided to be brave and take the kids to the zoo by myself. We had an AWESOME time! It was great!!!!

Here are some cute pics. :)

Boob Man Jr.

(Mason sitting on my lap and looking at me....Mason starts rubbing on my chest.)

Mason: "Momma....these are your boobs!!!" (laugh, snicker)

Momma (holding back a laugh and pulling his hands off of my chest): "Mason, we don't say that."

Mason: "Momma...what are these???"

Momma (trying to be anatomically correct and teach my son something in this hilarious moment): "Those are my breasts."

Mason: "No momma...those are your boobs. Boobs. Boobs. Boobs!!!!!!"

Momma: "Mason, stop saying that."

Mason: "Momma, I need some juice."

10 days to 3!!!

In only 10 days, my little boy Mason Adam will be 3. It seems WAY too crazy to comprehend. It seems like just yesterday I was holding him and giving him bottles and putting him in his crib.

Time moves WAY too quickly. Although, I love the boy he's become and I love watching him grow everyday...

I found these HILARIOUS and unflattering photos of me a week or so before Mason was born....Wow..I was HUGE!!!

God, I loved being pregnant! Although, I was one of those lucky people that never got sick or anything. I miss being pregnant so much. Enough to have another one...I don't think so!

What does a fish smell like???

Mason went camping with grandpa a few weekends ago and he's still talking about it!

Turns out, Mason is quite the fisherman and caught a fish about hmmm...3 feet long (as wide as his arms can go). Yeah...he's exaggerating already!

While talking to grandma di on the phone last night, we asked him what his fish smelled like.

His response....

"Poop and slobber."

:-)

Unemployed NO MORE!

Wow...it's been one heck of a ride here at home, doing housework, non stop laundry, cutting the grass, cleaning out closets, etc.

I"M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got a great job offer yesterday! Whoo hoo! I can't wait to get back to work and feel like I'm contributing to something!

Thanks to everyone that's listened to me complain and whine about not having a job. It was rough! :)

Playing at the park

So, we went down to the playground the other day and I got some cute pictures of the kids playing! :)