We've been busy

It has been in the 80's for the past week, SO not a lot of blogging going on. More of the chasing after boys outside, spraying them with SPF 50, and watching them have the time of their lives in a sand box at a great park in downtown Denver type activities.

I know, we're so urban and cool, huh? ;) It is good to break free from the suburbs every now and then...






It is with great despair that I commit to writing the fact that I have come down with a cold. Argh! I HATE being sick. And I NEVER get sick. It has literally been years since I had so much as a sniffle and yesterday I started to feel a slight tingle, and then headache, and then some stuffiness. So, I drank a bunch of water, took vitamin C and a zinc capsule. Sigh...and yet here I am today, blowing my nose every 20 minutes and feeling like my head is stuffed with cotton. I am not a happy camper. Let me explain...

When I was little and got sick enough to miss school, it was NOT a pleasant experience. There was no doting mom bringing me snacks and cooing at me. Nope, no TV, no special treatment, nada. It was strict bedrest with no outside contact.

So, in some strange way, it was a discouragement to ever get sick and instilled in me a great disdain for being sick. I literally feel nearly claustrophobic with the symptoms when I am sick. While it sounds like I am rambling here, I do actually have a point. Thanks, mom! I believe that my strong immune system is due partially to the mentality that being sick is more akin to being in prison than being pampered or getting special treatment. I do believe in the power of suggestion when it comes to health and such. See, I am not skeptical of everything!

I'm sure I'll be better by tomorrow, I'm just sure of it! :)

I remember the first time...

...that my belly button turned inside out. Why, what did you think I was going to say? :)

Now, I consider myself a pro at accepting and relishing in the changes that take place during pregnancy. I actually love my body more after having kids. Not because it actually looks better than before. Um, no. Because it definitely doesn't. I know I have gotten off relatively easy and you would be hard pressed to find a stretch mark anywhere, but come on, age and pregnancy are not on our side here, ladies.

No, the reasons I love my body more after pregnancy are that I now appreciate what it can do and the babies it has brought forth. And because I realize how lucky I am to have my health and the ability to recover as well as I have from the drastic transformation of pregnancy and childbirth.

I never took pictures of my belly with Warren because I was freaked out and self-conscious of the changes I saw in the mirror. Seriously wondering if my belly button was even going to go back in. Then with Jack, I was too busy with a one year old, working full time, etc to even give much thought to celebrating the pregnancy.

So, here I am, making up for lost time, er belly pictures. Without further ado:

My sweet, sweet boys

I love you so much.

And I am so pleased to see firsthand

that you love each other too.

Necklaces, necklaces, and more necklaces!

Hello, there. Meet my necklaces.

Necklaces, meet the nice reader.

This is my collection of mostly cheap necklaces from stores ranging from Nordstrom to Forever 21. Each one is special in some way...maybe it goes well with a certain outfit, or time of year, or coordinates well with a lipgloss shade ;)

For example:

{this one really pops in the summer with a white tank and a slight tan, I say slight because that is the most I can ever hope for. Exposure to the sun usually goes a little like this: red, itchy, peel, ghostly white again. repeat.}




{this one I get compliments on every time I wear. It has kind of an Indian feel to it and goes great with turquoise and chocolate brown tops. Apply peach lipgloss and you're set!}



{this has quickly become a staple favorite. I got it at Brighton in Las Vegas and I love to pair it with jeans and a casual top. It never hurts to have a little luck in the equation, right?}



I have had several of my necklaces since college and it is kind of nice to know that as much as my life changes and evolves, I still have some of the same taste and fondness for the same things as I did back then. It is comforting to feel the familiar weight of some of the older ones. I know it is silly to have such affection for these little trivial strands. But, in some weird ways they become part of me. Sorry, future generations of mine, you will be inheriting mostly costume jewelry from your kooky mom/grandma!

Summer Lovin'

I LOVE little boys with buzz cuts.

I usually wait until May but couldn't resist since it was 75 degrees yesterday and they both needed cuts anyhow. Too bad Jack proceeded to get a major injury next to his left eye right after we left the haircut salon and went to the Sensory Park by our house. I have a strong feeling he is going to have lots of these this Summer, since he is really starting to test his boundaries on playground equipment and make more of an effort to do everything that his brother can do. Fortunately, I am generally easy going and since I grew up with two daredevil brothers myself, I barely flinch when I see a little boy with a facial laceration.

Did I need to illustrate their new hair cuts with 4 entire pictures...probably not, but that's just how much I love to see their cleanly sheered heads. They are getting even more pats on the head than usual :)

I LOVE raising soon to be three boys.

There is never a dull moment, that's for sure. Whenever something comes up, I immediately reflect back on the famous WWII slogan:

(By the way, I am getting vinyl lettering to go on my newly painted laundry room wall with this slogan!! From Etsy.com, of course!!)

I LOVE the smell of baby sunscreen...

you know the one...where the puppy is pulling down the little toddlers britches on the beach?

Serisously, do they make a perfume, cause that is the smell of Summer to me.

And it can't come soon enough!

The thing about brothers...

The thing about brothers is...

...they sometimes overindulge.

{Warren made a Boppy pillow tower in the nursery at the Children's Museum in Nolan's honor after I told him that we will be getting our Boppy pillow out soon for when mommy is feeding the baby}



...they love a little healthy competition.

{Playing the "Hungry Hippo" game that the Easter Bunny brought them. There's plenty of room for another set of little hands!}




...they gravitate towards things with wheels and/or triggers.

{So many cars, so little time!}



But the main thing about brothers is, they stick together and love each other immensely!

Impromptu Swimming Lesson

How lucky are my boys to have a Daddy that takes them swimming first thing in the morning at the hotel swimming pool on this peaceful Easter weekend? Well, I think their little faces give the answer to that question!

{Jack, you are so tough with your banged up knee}

{Taking a ride on USS Dad}

{Warren, you are such a brave boy and are getting so confident in the water}


The Tomb was Empty!!

Brain Potpourri for $1000

~I am in the arduous process of painting my laundry room. I love my laundry room. It is upstairs, it has a huge window, and a big deep sink. Someday when we have the money, I would love to get a new fancy washer and dryer but for now our 6 year old front loader set will have to do. At least the washer is the water saving front loader, because we do a LOT of laundry around here. Here is what the project looks like right now:

{no, your eyes do not deceive you, that is an unopened jar of paint on the floor of this room with stark white walls still...sigh...the painting fairy did not visit me last night, darn it!}


~We got a new puppy. Well, technically we don't have him yet since he is only a month old and needs to nurse for another month or so. But we went and visited him and the boys got to hold him. The current owner named him Poke since he was the last one out nearly 45 minutes after the rest of the litter. He is the runt of the bunch and was so tiny and cute. We are planning to rename him though, since it is our tradition to name pets after Presidents. I thought of using Polk (#11) to mimic Poke, but it just wasn't working. Maybe Monroe, or Nixon, or Quincy after John Quincy Adams...haven't decided yet, but here he is with his mamma. What a champ she is nursing all of her pups, huh?! I can't imagine...

{Poke is the one in the bottom right hand corner not nursing}


~There is usually some sort of battle scene on my coffee table. I remember my brothers having these, so when we saw them at Walgreens we just couldn't resist. For three dollars, they provide endless hours of entertainment. I am amazed at the skill level my boys have at making bomb, grenade and gun noises. Seriously, where do they learn this stuff?



~I went to an Avon party for a friend from my Mom's group and I actually won a door prize!! Me!! I never win anything and of all things I won the most incredible, wonderful, positively life-altering (okay maybe I am exaggerating just a little) skin "elixer" ever!! It is the Avon Anew Premium Elixer and it costs $68 dollars per bottle and I got it just for showing up. By far the most expensive stuff I have ever tried and you know me, ever the skeptic. But I have to say it is the best. My skin is fabulous in every way. If you have the ability to get your hands on some, run don't walk to get it! I ordered the Avon Anew 3X Dermafull and can't wait to try that too! I haven't used anything from Avon since I was a little girl with their lip balms and bubble baths. Who knew they are now so cutting edge and people like Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Conrad as spokespeople/proponents:

Hiccups and Gummy Worms

Last night Nolan had the hiccups for the first time that I have been able to tell. There was that very distinct jumping in my tummy and it went on and on for almost an hour and kept me awake. So, I am tired today but every time I think of him in there with the hiccups, I just have to giggle. It is a good sign that he is doing his practice breathing and developing right?

Jack wanted to "talk to Nolan" a minute ago so I happily obliged and let the two have a brotherly exchange. This involved Jack giving him and kiss and sharing a gummy worm with him...how sweet!



{..."Bite for you Noli, then a bite for me"...}

::THIS MAN::

::THIS MAN:: if you ever meet him, he'll shake your hand and remember your name forever.

::THIS MAN:: cannot walk past a March of Dimes or Salvation Army donation collector without giving five dollars.

::THIS MAN:: collects every grocery cart from our car to the entrance of the store and pushes them inside.

::THIS MAN:: knows his way around the internals of a computer, a combustion engine, and my heart equally well.

::THIS MAN:: can go from wheeling and dealing for work one minute to reading a book with silly voices to our boys the next, and then back again as necessary.

::THIS MAN:: always has cuts and scrapes and contusions on his hands and knuckles from one home project or another.

::THIS MAN:: has a 1000 watt smile and clear green/blue eyes.

::THIS MAN:: is loyal, forgiving, and hardworking to the core.

::THIS MAN:: can fix anything.

::THIS MAN:: is a staunch Republican who puts his faith in the ability and potential of the individual, not the government.

::THIS MAN:: knows how to have fun and has many life-long friendships that he values immensely.

::THIS MAN:: is my husband, and the father of our many little boys.

A typical day in the life of

Warning: this post is probably extremely boring, ya know, as opposed to all my other fast-paced exhilarating posts that are packed with information you couldn't live without ;)

Anyhow, I want to capture an entire day of my life at this point just as it unfolds. So, I will be updating this post throughout the day and posting at the very end. Here goes!

Oh, and I've often wondered what I look like to my little boys. Well wonder no more! Jack took these shots of me from his little vantage point today outside on the back patio. Swell, huh? At least you can see the beautiful blue sky, if you can stop looking up my nose :)




7:40 -- Get out of bed. I slept okay. Woke up at about 4:30 and didn't fall back asleep til close to 6, but we did turn in early last night. Or at least I did. Bryan stayed up late doing some work for a rental house and some other stuff. He's a martyr like that.

Immediately took Jack to the potty and put on the Baby Einstein movie he was whining for last night (he doesn't forget ANYTHING!). Got Jack dressed and then used some crafty reverse psychology to get Warren to actually dress himself and be quite proud to do it!

While they watched the mind-numbing show (in my opinion), I headed downstairs to make up their breakfast, which consisted of: strawberries (4 each cut up), an apple cut up and split between them, hearty whole grain toast with smart balance spread (1 piece each), and a yogurt each. Topped off with a glass of O.J. and their daily Gummies with Omega 3 vitamins. They scarfed up their breakfast and I made myself a cup of coffee. Of course the boys always ask for drinks of my coffee so I shared. I myself have been on the sauce since a very tender age so I see no problem. I hear there are lots of health benefits to the bean actually!

8:45 -- Run out the door with both beautifully groomed, sunscreened, happy little boys to take Warren to preschool, which starts at 9 and is just at the local Elementary school just a couple blocks from our front door. Make sure to bring my wallet to pay April's tuition. Oh! And a water bottle for Warren that I keep forgetting over and over :) Dang, Warren forgot his zippy jacket, I hope the weather report is true or else he is going to be chilly on recess...but then again maybe it will be a good reminder for him. Hah!

9:10 -- Return home and clean up breakfast mess (I admit it, I eat whatever is left from their plates and pour another cup of coffee and call that breakfast), unload the dishwasher, put the load of whites I ran last night in the dryer. During this time, Jack plays very quietly and independently in the loft. This is his "down time" of the day, when he doesn't have a big brother to compete with, show off for, and talk over. It is peaceful and I get a lot done for the 2 and a half hours a day that I only have one little boy.

10:00 -- Done with morning cleaning routine! Time to take a quick shower and then walk to the school to get Warren by 11:30. yay! Jack pooped in the toilet already, so I don't have to worry and wonder about that the remainder of the day. It is SUCH a nice day outside. I am planning to have the boys do finger painting and side walk chalk and just play outside as much as possible today.

11:50 -- Back from getting Warren. I am about to make their lunch, and I am thinking of just using the microwave for something really quick so we can get outside. I am feeling brave, so lets get messy outside! Hmmm, how does everyone feel about corn dogs and some chicken noodle soup? Okay then... oh and it turns out they already broke into some chips while I am typing this. Oh well! I am still going to proceed with the plan.

1:07 -- Finished with picnic lunch at the park in front of our house. And sidewalk chalk and playing with a neighbor boy. Now moving the party to the back yard and breaking out the finger paint. I wish the weather was like this every day. The boys are getting along great and it is nice to just stay home today!

1:50 -- Um, if you're looking for a nice activity to occupy a good portion of time, finger painting is NOT it! Don't get me wrong, they enjoyed all ten minutes it took to smear the paint around and then proclaim "I'm done, wash me up!" I don't know, but it seems my boys are not the artsy craftsy type just yet. So, they are already back at the park doing more gross motor skill type things like climbing and swinging and chatting it up with a little girl out there. Better head out...





8:10 -- Just got the boys down for the night. So somewhere around 3pm the boys finally came inside and I tried to get them to play peacefully inside or even watch a DVD...no dice! They didn't take the bait, so I packed them up in the car and headed to the mall to let them play at the Dinosaur play area there. Since Bryan is out of town for work tonight, we ended up eating at Red Robin, yum! And then having dessert at McDonalds. Not our healthiest meal ever but it was fun and they mostly behaved themselves. Warren had a few moments of disobedience but it would be the Twilight Zone if he didn't.

We got home at 6:45 and I gave them a bath and read two of our library books from yesterday's trip to the local public library. Jack really loved the one we read called "Under" about a little boy named Jack who loses his action figure under the stairs. Very relatable to a little boy who is constantly losing toys under his bed. It was so cute to listen to Jack re-read the book to himself after I read it to them.

And somewhere in the blurr of the afternoon I folded and put away two loads of laundry (the whites from earlier and a load of kid clothes I snuck in). And of course there were multiple snacks, as there always are.

It was a long day. A fun day. And very much a typical day at this point in my life, the little kid years. I know these years will fly by and someday I will barely be able to recall what it was like. Then hopefully I can read this post and miss these hectic, unglamorous, sometimes frustrating, but full of love and laughter days.

All's quiet on the home front

It has been a very calm and uneventful time here in the last week or so. I survived enjoyed Warren's spring break from preschool, and we mostly just stuck to our normal weekly routine, with just a few fun extras.

Like Grandma Caryl and Grandpa John took the boys to a Disney on Ice show. I don't have any pictures of that but am told they had a blast. And we visited my Aunt Shelli and her family. Warren and Jack simply adore my little cousin, Emma, and she entertained them for hours playing in the basement in the fort, hide and seek, and duck-duck-goose. She is such a gem!

{Warren getting into predicaments in the basement}

{Jack and Emma, who is worshiped by the boys}

{The boys with my cousin, Jack, who is set to be deployed with the Marines any day}


Oh, and I finally worked up enough courage to let the boys go into the building area at the Children's Museum and work with things like saws, screwdrivers, and other equally sharp instruments of construction. By myself. And no one lost any limbs, so I consider it a success. They sure had fun.






Not much else to report. My back and neck have been giving me some grief. It is not pregnancy related, since this seems to happen every 6 months or so and I have no idea what sets it off. It feels like a dislocated rib and that makes it hard to take a full breathe. I have had zero luck seeing a Chiropractor for this and truthfully the only time I got relief other than just waiting it out was the one time I got a prescription for a muscle relaxer and that did the trick. So, I am left to conclude it is a muscular thing where some tiny muscle in my back or chest is tugging a rib out of its normal position. No matter what it is, all I can say is ouch!

What my little monkeys think of me:

What do you do when you catch your boys laying on the back of the couch in their underwear? Why plop down on that very couch and interview them of course!

1. What is something mommy always says to you? "Be good [W]", "Don't say potty words [J]"

2. What makes mommy happy? "When I have a good day at school [W]", "When I eat my food [J]"

3. What makes mommy sad? "When we fight [W]"

4. How does your mommy make you laugh? "When you're silly [W]", "When you do happy stuff [J]"

5. What was your mommy like as a child? "Just like me [W]", "Yeah [J]"

6. How old is your mommy? "24 or 25, or are you not that number? [W]", "I am fine with that number [Me]"

7. How tall is your mommy? "This tall [W]", opening up his arms as wide as they go.

8. What is her favorite thing to do? "Go to the gym and take us to fun places like the museum and to get ice cream [W]"

9. What does your mommy do when you're not around? "Fold laundry and relax [W]", "Make my food [J]"

10. If your mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? "I don't know. Too hard of a question. Maybe making meatloaf. [W]"

11. What is your mommy really good at? "Playing games with us [J]", "And exercising [W]"

12. What is your mommy not very good at? "Fixing my Star Wars toys, so daddy has to do that for me [W]"

13. What does your mommy do for a job? "Pay for stuff at Target mostly and clean my house [W]"

14.What is your mommy's favorite food? "Broccoli and spinach [W]", "And salmon [J]"

15.What makes your mommy proud of you? "Pooping in the toilet [J]", "Writing my name [W]"

16. If your mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be? "Padme from Star Wars the Clone Wars [Both]"

17. What do you and your mommy do together? "Read books [J]", "Go to Dave and Busters for a treat [W]"

18. How are you and your mommy the same? "We have the same last name, Lawson [W]"

19. How are you and your mommy different? "We have different faces and I'm a boy [W]"

20. How do you know your mommy loves you? "Because I'm so cute [W]", "You always say I'm such a nice boy and kiss me [J]"

21. What does your mommy like most about your daddy? "He is very strong [W]", "He doesn't say potty words like us [J]"

22. Where is your mommy's favorite place to go? "The gym, children's museum and definitely Starbucks [W]", "oh yeah, I love Starbucks! [J]"