I’m BAAAAAAAACK!!!

Okay, so I won’t even bother to try and apologize for how long I’ve been away.  Totally my bad.  Sometimes I’m great at this blog thing, sometimes I stink.  More often the latter than the former, lol.  At any rate, let me catch you up on what you’ve missed!

October 2011

• I discovered Pinterest (I’ll see if I can figure out how to post a link to my page…)
• I organized our whole kitchen and we stopped using paper towels except for disgusting messes – the boys enjoy using facecloths for everything!
• Jose found Squishy’s old swim trunks (size 0-3 months) and put them on – picture to follow
  
• I pinned way too many things on Pinterest, lol
• The boys learned a hard lesson about reality. Reality dictates that when you are told you must behave in order to go to your friend’s birthday party in the afternoon, that doesn’t mean use your plates as frisbees and break one of them (Squishy), eat the food mom specifically set aside for her lunch and then lie and claim your brother did it (Jose), open your father’s computer and mess around on it while mom’s in the bathroom (Squishy), scream at your brother repeatedly at the top of your lungs (Jose), or continue to take your brother’s toys over and over and over after being told to knock it off (Squishy.)  They didn’t get to go to the birthday party.
• I got my Facebook timeline, which I personally LOVE
• The boys’ grandpa on Daddy’s side passed away (Oct 11, 2011) after having serious health issues for what seems like forever, and Jose was extremely upset that he didn’t get a chance to see him again before he died – cried for a long time 😥
  
• Jose had some night-time accidents out of the blue, but then stopped again (praise God!)
• Squishy and I made awesome Halloween crafts at the YMCA
• Squishy and I had a playdate with/babysat two adorable kiddos
• My friend’s father went missing and was just found yesterday after six months of intense prayer and searching – his family is obviously saddened at the loss, but rejoicing that they know where his is and where he is spending eternity
• Jose got sick and had to miss his first day of school, but got well and went back the next day to do his school’s Harvest Walk during which he walked 4.63 miles in 2 hours – he also won a giftcard for having the most sponsors of all the Kindergartners
  
• Squishy and I found a Starbucks gift card hiding in an old envelope and went out to get a treat
• The boys lost a half a roll of stamps – it was found 5 1/2 months later
• We all went to Flagstaff and enjoyed some time with Badi and Pop-pop – carved awesome pumpkins while we were there.  Jose had to go back to Phoenix for school, of course, and unfortunately, we ended up with no pictures of him on Halloween because the cameras were in Flagstaff and he wasn’t!  He was a doctor again, though, so we can just copy the ones from last year, lol. 😉
  

November 2011

• Jose learned how to ride his bike without training wheels!!  He went from training wheels to pushing off, riding all up and down the street, and stopping all in one day!
• Jose lost a 2nd tooth (November 8) – right next to the other one.  No more loose ones since then, though
  
  
• Aunt Laurla graduated with her nursing degree – woo hoo!!!
• Jose learned how to be even more of a smart-ass.  Case in point: “Daddy: Do you want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Jose: No. Daddy: You don’t?? Jose: No. Daddy: Well, what DO you want? Jose: A poke in the eye with a sharp stick.”  Ha ha ha ha!!! 😀
• Jose was blessed with a gift (to be kept till Christmas) from an anonymous donor – the one thing he had specifically been talking about wanting, the Littlest Pet Shop Rescue Tails Center  ❤
• Jose and I made apple pie
  
• We celebrated Thanksgiving with EVERYONE!  Not all at the same time, but we saw my family and Daddy’s family, including the boys’ older half-siblings and their families
• We celebrated Daddy’s birthday (Mommy and Daddy got to try out the new AMC dine-in theater and Studio Movie Grill – so cool!)
• I pinned way too many more things to Pinterest
• Squishy and I went to the mall with friends and he played Monkey Preschool Lunchbox for a good 20 minutes at least while they got help at the Apple store
  

December 2011

• We all tried out the fire pit at Badi and Pop-pop’s house
• Squishy got sick and had to have breathing treatments – fortunately, we already have the machine and everything we need at home!
• Got pictures with Santa and his (giant) Elf at the YMCA
• Pinned a butt-load more things to Pinterest
• Discovered Erin Condren
• Aunt Eggy graduated from college!!!!  Woo hoo!  Jose got an awesome hat while there
  
• Jose’s Kindergarten class had a Cowboy Christmas Party at McCormick Railroad Park, for which Badi bought him INCREDIBLE cowboy boots – Aunt Laurla got to go with him!
  
• Squishy fell off the toilet and bashed his head on the toilet paper holder – it wasn’t bad, but he bled like a stuck pig and I was scared out of my mind
• Jose and I made an awesome Christmas gift for his teacher
• The biscuits exploded in our fridge
• We celebrated an AMAZING Christmas
• Jose perfected his spiral football pass to Uncle Jimmy (henceforth referred to as “Dude”, thanks to Squishy) whild he was in town
• We (the adults) went to the Insight Bowl game and witnessed the trouncing of the Iowa Hawkeyes – the boys got to be babysat by Aunt Laurla, which they loved!

January 2012

• Squishy and I went and visited Ms. Jess – always a great time when we do that!!!  Love her  ❤
• Jose got to have a playdate with his twin friends from preschool!
• Pastor Frank left our church 😦
• Jose went on a hike with Daddy, Badi, and Aunt Eggy
  
• I inexplicably deleted everything off my external hard-drive and am still working on recovering files to this day – including all of my photos from around February 2011 through January 2012.  GO ME!!!

February 2012

• Squishy got his 2nd official haircut – I hated it and probably won’t be taking him again till he has to go to Kindergarten
• Jose and Squishy had a mud day – Squishy was covered from head to toe; I had to insist that Jose get dirty.  Those two!!  LOL!
• Badi and I organized our entire book collection (well, not quite – we still need shelves for all of the early reader/picture books)
  
• Jose had a Valentine’s celebration at school that I went in to help with; we also celebrated at home, of course
• I got a new camera!
• The boys played a lot of baseball and soccer, went on hikes, and went to the park – mostly with Badi and Aunt Eggy
• Jose and Daddy went on a hike with Pastor Frank, because Jose really misses him and is hoping to stay his friend
• Jose got fancied up for his “Elegant Event” at school
  
• The boys did a LOT of bike riding – even going a couple miles at a time with Daddy (well, Squishy sat in the seat on the back of Daddy’s bike for that, lol)
• We discovered that Jose is an amazing artist
  
• Jose went and saw Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace in theaters with me – I saw it with my dad for my birthday 13 years ago
• Squishy got to have his very first Dunkin Donut
  

March 2012

• Squishy and I went and spent the day with Ms. Jess and we got to see horses, too!
  
• The boys started soccer with Aunt Eggy as their coach – they love it but have a little bit of a hard time staying focused
• Jose watched Labyrinth for the first time. He was completely engrossed and looked equal parts horrified and amused, lol!
• Jose took part in his first art contest – it ended this past week and he didn’t win, but he did get tickets to see Van Gogh Live! at the Science Center
• Daddy and I celebrated our 8th anniversary and Jose bought me flowers because he wanted me to know how much he loved me, lol
• Dude and his girlfriend came and visited Phoenix and we had a great time with them – especially getting to know Ms. Caitie!
  
• The boys fell in love with Party Rock Anthem thanks to Kia’s Hamster commercial
• Jose had his first “official” kiss – well, she actually kissed him, and it was at the prompting of the class troublemaker, but still… 😉
• Jose got to go to Pump It Up to celebrate a friend’s birthday and had a BLAST!
• Aunt Eggy and I took the boys to see The Lorax – even Squishy did pretty good despite asking if the movie was done 5 minutes into it
• Jose sent Flat Stanley to Dude in North Carolina
  
• Badi and I had to tell Jose the story of Adam Walsh. He just will not stay by me in stores lately – insists on disappearing and he about gave me a heart attack in Bookmans. I was a little worried it would give him nightmares (it didn’t seem to), but honestly? When the other option is him being kidnapped, I’ll take a few nightmares any day. 😐
• We got an iPad.  Enough said.
• Jose went to another friend’s birthday party – this one at a park and hosted by High 5 Sports (it was supposed to have been the day after his other one, but was postponed due to rain.) Since Momma and Daddy were leaving for Flagstaff that day, he got to be picked up after school by his friend’s mom.  He felt so grown up.
• We spent Spring Break in Flagstaff in a BIG condo – Badi and Pop-pop joined us for a few days. We went to the park, played sports, hiked, saw Indian ruins – all kinds of fun!!  Jose’s favorite part was getting to use our hot tub, lol.
• Jose discovered Tim Hawkins.  He is in love.  Ha ha!

April 2012:

• The boys started swim lessons – Squishy in the pool with Aunt Eggy, Jose in the pool independently, of course
• Squishy got sick and have to have breathing treatments again, but he got better really quick!
• Daddy and I finished the boys’ re-purposed crib chalkboard desk just in time for Easter!
  
• We celebrated Easter in style – egg and basket search at home; Sunday School, Eggstravaganza, and service at church; another egg search (real eggs, this time!) at Badi and Pop-pop’s house; dinner with everyone at our house
  

And now you’re all caught up!!!  And so am I.  WHEW!!! 😛