Stethoscopes, Scissors, and Schnacks

Jackson, the Bull

2009-09-16T08:24:00.004-05:00

Yes. Our precious baby boy is exploring the darker side of life as a soon to be two year old. We have daily tantrums and throwing of the cereal bowls, followed by either a timeout on the fireplace, quickly rebutted be flailing arms that often brush the mothers ever so delicate cheeks, only to be love-tapped on those tiny chubby hands..., it continues with lots of big crocodile tears and the heart-tugging cry of, "MOMMO...," finished up with hugs and lovins. Only to be repeated several times throughout these never ending days of summer! Double!! And picture this..., a young boy child with a raging temper crawling through out the house a maximum speed, ramming straight into the legs of his mother. HMM?

BOO!

2009-09-12T22:15:00.003-05:00

Did your eyes just just get really wide? Think I have something good to say? Not really, just wanted to make you giggle:)
The Laughlin's are good. Heath sent out apps to residency programs this month. Anxious to see where we will be in July.
Both of our children have been sleeping now for a little over an hour, only after screaming for a little less than an hour! Nice.
Just sitting here thinking I need to do something about my wobbly arms and wishing I didn't have that last cup of coffee! NJ

more to come

2009-02-17T20:42:00.002-06:00

I just came home from a long day at the hospital to find this amazing post. Don't worry, you will all be the benefactors of a surprise/retaliation post to come...

Just say NO

2009-02-17T09:32:00.002-06:00

This must be the month for Free Trials from the WWW. Let me just say in a round about way, "It is not worth the hassle or your time!" After just $4.99, 20 minutes of waiting on hold, another 20 minutes of fighting with "Jason Samuel" to cancel my order, 7 minutes of waiting on hold for "Jason Samuel's" supervisor (He told me it would be 1 hour), and another 20 minutes of arguing with "Jason Samuel" when his computer mysteriously started working again, I am the proud new owner of some Acai Berry Supplements!!!!! NJ I learned so much from this experience and after that phone call, I felt I was so revved up that I should have gone on the O'Reilly Factor!

OK, here is the best thing. Heath signed up for a free trial for a teeth whitening system.

Hey, yo!

Ace

2009-02-17T09:30:00.001-06:00

"B-52. B-52. Hut, hut, HIKE!"

Great Grandma Ethel

2009-02-17T09:18:00.003-06:00

This is my Great Grandma, Ethel. Sunday was her 100th Birthday. Can you believe that? I think it is so awesome. She has lived through the Great Depression and 5 wars. She plays guitar and loves dancing and Country music. She looks amazing for 100. Can't really see very well anymore, and she kept calling me Vicki, but other than that she is the picture of health. I hope her genes were passed down to us!

Jack Tate

2009-02-17T09:00:00.004-06:00

So, last night we had family hair cuts. I just had to post this picture of Jackson. He was so handsome. He is such a good boy for his hair cuts!

Super Food

2009-01-31T14:23:00.003-06:00

Hey Ladies!

What will you be making for the Super Bowl?

Might be one of the greatest snacking days ever.

Don't care about he game, just the food and the halftime show and the commercials!

Oh, and the greatest show ever will be following the Super-Bowl this year, THE OFFICE!

OK, I found a new dip recipe I will be trying for tomorrow, Homemade French Onion Dip.

2 T butter
2 Lg Sweet Onions, diced
2 shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c sour cream
1 c Mayo
1 t celery salt
1t Worcestershire
salt, pepper

Yum-o

Mia's 3rd Birthday

2009-01-21T08:55:00.009-06:00

Mia turned 3 this weekend. I know it is cliche, but I can't believe the time has gone by so fast. It was a bittersweet day for me. On one hand I rejoice for the life God has entrusted us with and I know each day to come I will only fall more and more in love with her, on the other hand I hold on to all the precious things of her childhood that I already see disappearing before my eyes. My baby girl is now just a girl.

We make birthdays a big deal at our house. So, Saturday night, Lilly came to our house to have a sleepover with Mia. We got home kind of late that evening so they played for about 10 minutes and then told Heath and me they were tired and wanted to go to bed. We tucked them both in Mia's bed, turned the off, and shut the door. We didn't here a peep out of them all night. Pretty smooth for their first sleepover. Sunday, we stayed home to clean and cook and get ready for the big par-tay. They played all day with out a single argument. And if any of you know Mia, or Lilly for that matter, you know this was a great achievement! They took a bath together, Got their hair beautiful and then played with hair accessories all afternoon.

Later that day, we invited all Mia's grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins over to come and celebrate with us. She was so happy. Her screams of excitement nearly broke the glass on the front door as her cousins all got here!

Gift unwrapping is always a little chaotic with the Laughlin kids.
High Anxiety. I had no idea what gift was from who. But they never seem to mind.
They just want to get everything opened so they can start playing.
She did love all her gifts. Lots of dolls and Darbies and dress up clothes. What more could a girl want?

Note to self: Never order black icing on cake ever again!

This was the after party. Mia and Haley dressed up and were dancing to some 80's music we found on Dish Network.

Thank you everyone who made this a special day for her!

For Sale

2009-01-09T14:04:00.001-06:00

I have a used CHI blow dryer and flat iron for sale. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Kid Stories

2009-01-08T19:18:00.005-06:00

Some funny things.

The other night We were having a terrible time getting Jack to fall asleep and stay asleep. At one point, he had been sleeping for about an hour, and woke up jabbering. When we went in to tuck him back in, we discovered Victor Vito nestled in his crib with him!
Later that same night, he woke up yet another time. When I went in this time, he had his blanket completely wrapped around his body and he was rolling around like the blueberry girl from Willy Wonka. It was hilarious.

Tonight, I was trying to make dinner and Mia decided to she wanted to go swimming in the backyard. I ignored her. She soon came into the kitchen in her bikini, absolutely insisting that she go outside to get her swimming pool. I told her no way, there is snow and ice outside. Still, she insisted. I just wanted to get dinner in the oven so I opened the door and told her to go outside and see if she still wanted to go swimming. She went out for a minute, in nothing but her bikini, and came back inside saying she needed her jeans on. A few minutes later, here comes Mia Rose in her bikini, a hoodie, a pair jeans (on backwards), and a pair of light up Tinker Bell shoes(No, I did not buy those shoes. I loathe light up character shoes). So I opened the door and she went out, stood on the deck, and sucked her thumb for a while. Miss persistent!
Needless to say, dinner was late, and Jack was screaming because he was hungry, and Mia was still mad because I wouldn't get her pool out for her. It would be so wonderful to cook in peace and quiet.

Are you a dork?

2009-01-06T08:27:00.005-06:00

Ask yourself these questions:

Does it give you immense gratification when you are de-boning a chicken and the chunks of meat come off in perfect pieces?
Is your favorite day of the month the day your Racheal Ray Magazine arrives?
Do you know every word and dance move to Choo- Choo Soul?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, we have a lot in common. congratulations!

It's Been a While

2009-01-05T13:36:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year!

So, It's been a while. Where do I begin?

It has been a busy few weeks. Heath was off for two weeks. It was so wonderful to have him home with us. On the 19th we celebrated our 5th Anniversary. I can hardly believe I'm 26, I've been married for 5 years, and we have two kids! Boy, how time goes by so fast. He has added so much to my life, I can't imagine my life without him!
You all know Nate arrived on the 19th also. He is darling. Chad and Alison, you did a great job. And I must say he wins the prize for the best Laughlin baby hair so far! My kids just love Baby Nate. It was neat to see Jack with a real baby. He was captivated with him.

We had a great Christmas. Mia was very into it this year. She was addicted to Elf, Hermies's Fruitcake Christmas, and The Polar Express. For some reason, she loved going to the mall to sit on Santa's lap. (Yes, she believes in Santa.) She would just sit there and smile while he asked her what she wanted and told her not to forget to set out cookies for him Christmas Eve. The very last time she saw him, she figured out that she could ask for a present. She asked for "Tinker Bell Movie." It was all so cute. You should have seen her face when she pulled the movie out of her stocking. She definitely brings so much joy to her Daddy and Me!Jack didn't get too involved in opening gifts.

Two days later, my baby boy turned the Big 1! I have to say I was a little sad all day that my son was getting so big. He is just precious. He stands very very well on his own and has taken a step on his own a time or two, but he has not yet started walking around by himself yet. He started saying MAMA! Yeah! He is just wonderful. He has a great personality that is developing. And I can definitely tell he already has a great big heart.

And, now, all the festivities have come to an end, I have managed to burn yet another plastic item in the oven, and Heath is back at school. It was fun while it lasted!

Victor Vito

2008-12-15T18:14:00.002-06:00

So, Jovee went to the Vet last Friday and came home a boy. So, our Christmas kitten is now named Victor Vito.

My Zuppa

2008-12-15T17:59:00.002-06:00

Several of you asked me for this recipe. I make it different every time, but I think this is pretty much it. Hope you love it.

2 T EVOO
1 lb Italian sausage
1 t red pepper flakes
2 large sliced potatoes
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1 large onion, diced
2 boxes chicken stock
1 bunch kale, chopped
1 C heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Heat EVOO in pot. Add sausage and brown. Add red pepper flakes, potatoes, garlic, onion. Cook until 10-15 minutes. Add chicken stock and kale. Bring to a boil. Add cream. Simmer 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Her name is...

2008-11-30T20:02:00.000-06:00

JOVEE

Our Christmas Kitten!

Sleigh Bells Ring, Are Ya Listening......

2008-11-27T19:00:00.000-06:00

Do you hear that? CHRISTMAS MUSIC 24/7!!!

Hey Y'all

2008-11-23T21:09:00.008-06:00

Well. Where do I start? We went out for pizza last weekend to the Pizza Machine which has a 40 inch pizza that gets delivered to your table via a crane on the ceiling. NJ. It was a lot of fun. We would love to get a big group of you to go with us sometime. Definitely need a big group for the 40 inch, 6 adults just doesn't cut it!

Did about 20 loads of laundry last week. Again, NJ. I t was really dumb of me to not keep up with it, because after I got home from working this week I could have just cried looking @ the pile of clothes. I put up our Christmas tree and decor last week and wrapped all our gifts. Need to stay out of Schlobby Schlobby, aka Hobby Lobby, and Jeffery Alans. Much too much to buy there! My home is so festive right now, though. Just love it. I turn on the lights first thing when I get up. I could sit and look at it all day. Our kitty likes it, too. She is so cute. It is 6 weeks old and thinks Mia is it's new Mommy. I have to say that this is just the most perfect time for Mia to have a pet. She is so great with her. When she heard the kitty purring, she said to her Daddy, "She does that because she loves me!" (I hope that brought a little smile to your face!) Our Kitten needs a great name. We are open for suggestions.

HMMM?

2008-11-20T07:52:00.001-06:00

Has anyone ever made stuffing the night before? Would it get too soggy?

Really?

2008-11-12T22:31:00.002-06:00

Today I ordered a McCafe Vanilla Latte. That's all. I was asked if it was "for here or to go?" HMMMM?

Today

2008-11-11T21:23:00.002-06:00

Lazy Day. Great day for making donuts, watching movies, eating soup, and going to bed early. What did you all do on this lazy day?

2:30 AM

2008-11-08T04:40:00.002-06:00

What do you do when you wake up @ 2:30 and you can't go back to sleep?

I make Christmas wreaths and sip Sleepytime tea!

My New Ride

2008-11-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

I have looked at bikes for over a year and have never fallen in love with one. I finally had found this one. It doesn't have the fenders or the whitewalls like I originally looked for, but it works. Sadly, it has been out of stock for about 5 or 6 weeks. Even though the nice weather will be gone soon, I am so happy to finally have bike to pull my kids with. We have had the bike trailer for months (and my ultra-cushy upgraded bike seat!) This will be a great bike, great exercise!

Pepper Pains

2008-11-01T21:26:00.002-05:00

Does anyone know what it feels like to have your thumb cut off with a chainsaw? Well, let me just tell you, if you are wondering what that would feel like, clean out a habanero pepper when you have a small cut on your finger. I was just preparing some jalapeno poppers for tomorrow afternoon and I had a few habanero's that the neighbor gave me. I thought I would try to make a few poppers with those, when all of the sudden I felt like my thumb was dying. Holy Cow. NJ It's still hurting.

Finer Things Club

2008-10-31T08:23:00.003-05:00

Jack is a great eater. He eats his fruits and veggies and whatever else we put in front of him. And although he is very small, he eats a lot. Jack, also, loves his Schnacks. You should see his eyes light up after dinner when I pull out the cookies. I love that. Food is definitely the way to my son's heart. Well, over the past few days, Jack has began to express that he has developed "A Taste for the Finer Things in Life!" Fruit snacks, Double Cheeseburgers, French Fries, String Cheese, Pizza, and Yogurt. Not much else gets past his lips. Last night, I made him a delicious dinner of roasted
chicken and carrots and perfectly sauteed green beans. Healthy and Tasty. No Go. He wanted a Patty Melt, instead!
10 Months is too young to become a picky eater.

What do you call a "Stay @ Home Mom" who doesn't stay at home?

2008-10-29T20:13:00.005-05:00

We played outside again today. It was really nice out. Jack was eating dirt, while Mia found a nest of ladybugs that she was letting crawl all over her. Hmmm! Was anyone else's yard over taken by ladybugs today?
Not a whole lot going on up in this neck of the woods. A good week, so far, just doing the same routine, with small variations, over and over, and we haven't even left the house (except this morning we went to the last Farmers Market downtown.) Just been doing lots of laundry and dishes, and getting the kids fed, and dressed and playing, and snacks and milk, and putting the milk away, and feeding them lunch, getting them redressed, and put down for naps, getting them up, giving them snacks, and cleaning up snacks, wiping noses and bottoms and dressing them yet again, making dinner, cleaning up dinner, giving baths, brushing teeth, finding Waldo, and yada yada yada. Not a complaint or un-contentment. Just a re-run of my day. It can be very exhausting. We all know the routine. But we love it. We are Moms, that's what we do. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
But, do you ever just hear Target calling your name? I don't know about all of you, but I need to get out of the house almost daily. I would say that, maybe, one day a week we don't leave the house at all, if that. I don't even care what we do, even if it is just going to the grocery store . And it's not that I have to be buying stuff. It just helps break up the day. Fieldtrips, if you will. I think the kids must enjoy it, too. If you ask Mia what she wants to do in the morning, she will usually tell me, "shopping!"
So, yeah, this cold weather has us all couped up, in a cold house, no less! (Today was beautiful, tough!) I'm feeling a fieldtrip coming on! We need places to go, people to see, things to do. We need ideas. Cheap ideas. Free ideas are best!

Just a Nice Day in the Backyard

2008-10-27T20:54:00.007-05:00

Mia has turned over a new leaf. She has not had her picture taken in a long, long time. But I recently told her that when she goes to school someday she would have to sit and smile pretty for her school photos. And it worked. So now, every time I have been wanting her to smile for a picture, I tell her I am practicing taking school pictures.

My Little Guy has been crawling like a normal kid, lately! Funny, but it looks so weird to see him crawling like that.

Mornings @ the Laughlin House

2008-10-27T09:11:00.004-05:00

Mia has been very opinionated about her clothing lately. Here's how it usually pans out. First words of the day, after she throws open my bedroom door, are, "Where's my Dad? Hosbital? Oh." Moving on, "I want clothes, Mom." I say, "Go pick some clothes out." (I don't care what she wears around the house, and I like her to be able to express her own style and creativity. It's usually a Tu-tu and clippity shoes and nothing else!) "NOOOO! Help me, Mom." "I really think you need to take a bath first, and we can't take a bath until after breakfast." RESPONSE:, "NOOOOO! I want clothes." OK. Not worth a battle first thing in the morning. So, I stumble into her room, help her take off her PJ's, and pick out some warm, comfy clothing. "NOOOOO! I want dresses." "SHHHH! Your brother's sleeping. We don't have any warm dresses, Mia. Our house is always freezing." "I want skirts and pants (tights)." "OK." "NOOOO! Not that one." And this is usaully the time when I say, "That's enough, pick out your own clothes, then, and put them on! I need to go make coffee!" This is sometimes followed by high volume sounds coming from her room. Then followed by the noise of a crying baby boy. WOW, what a glorious sound in the morning!
So, anyway, last night Mia insisted on wearing PJ's that were shorts and short-sleeved. When she got up today, she must have been really cold, because she said, "I want WARM clothes, Mom." I said, "Go get some warm clothes from your drawers, Babe." She does. Mysterious!

This is what she came out wearing.

I guess she had a cold head!

Now we are watching Elf. How appropriate. I have such a silly girl.

Silverware

2008-10-26T21:20:00.002-05:00

OK. I am not a germ-a-phobe. So, here is my deal with the dishwasher. I always put my silverware in the dishwasher upside down. I think it is easier to put away because you don't have to touch the "newly clean" part of the utensil that goes in your mouth. Heath, on the other hand, always puts silverware in with the eating part up, because that's the way his mom does it. He thinks that is the only way they get clean. (Although it is then put away with germy hands.) Do you know how many germs and bacteria are on the human hand? Do you really want to eat your cereal in the morning with a spoon that has finger germs on it?
My silverware is always clean when I put it down, always.
I would rather that Heath didn't even put dishes in the dishwasher if he doesn't put the silverware in there the right way. Wow. NJ

Thanksgiving

2008-10-19T21:21:00.003-05:00

I don't know about all of you, but Thanksgiving is hands-down my favorite holiday. For several reasons: I have a deep love of food and cooking. I love eating all day long. I love smoked turkey, I hope we have it this year! I love being with family. Heath and I are big family people, we love just hanging out. I love how relaxed everyone seems, perhaps because they haven't felt the rush of the quickly approaching Christmas Hub-bub yet, or maybe because they simply have eaten too much turkey. I love that Christmas music will be playing all day, everyday for the next several weeks! I love knowing that on Friday I will be strolling through the mall getting some wonderful bargains. And now I am SO excited because I found out that it will be Stuff and Save week at ON the Friday After!!!!

Anyways, what does everyone have planned for this Thanksgiving? It is going to be here very soon, you know? Who will you spend it with? Do you go to both sides of the family? What dish do you take every year? What is your favorite thing to eat?

We are going to Heath's Aunt and Uncle's in Watseka for the Johnson Family Thanksgiving. We decided after one year of marriage that it was really silly to try and do stuff with both of our families in the same day since they are so far apart. So, do TG with Heath's family, and Xmas with mine. I always take a Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and usually some other dish that I just have to try out! I would have to say my favorite thing to eat is Grandma Johnson's cranberry relish. Last year she didn't make it and I was simply devastated.

I know it is still a few weeks away. Just can't wait though!

I'm a Girl.

2008-10-19T21:00:00.003-05:00

The other day, Mia was playing with a toy she has had since she was a baby. She tells me, "I play wit dis when I was a baby, Mom. I not a baby. I'm a girl. I don't fit in your belly anymore."

Ja-yeah-yeah-yeah-jack-son

2008-10-16T15:07:00.003-05:00

Jackson Tate,
We went to your 9 month Dr's visit this week.
You weigh 18 lbs. 10 oz. 25%
You are 28.5 in. 50%
You have 6 teeth.
You can pull up on everything, and you do. You have several bonks and bruises, though!
Your favorite spot is on the fire place.
You love to sing, "If your happy and you know it...," and clap your hands.
You don't kick your crib anymore to tell us you're awake. You stand up and start babbling.
Your favorite things to eat right now are apples wedges.
You still crawl like an inchworm.

We Love You. so much!

Mommy and Daddy

Pine Lakes Camping Trip 2008

2008-10-14T21:16:00.010-05:00

Jack did really well camping. He fell asleep in some one's arm's beside the campfire every night.

It was crazy how many different dress up outfits all the kids wore. At least two a day.

This is my cousins' Mark and Annette's 4 year old, Mallory. Most of the costumes were hers. Mia and Mallory became great buds on this trip.

Punkin Patch. They just had small pumpkins placed all over the ground and every child got to pick her pumpkin.

Rough and Tough.

Holy Cow! More outfits. Maddox, Bryor, Nick, Mia, Haley, and Jackson!

Mia does not like being hounded by paparazzi!

Wow! We had so much snuggle time this weekend. I ate it up. It really does not happen that often anymore! It's like our baby girl is not a baby at all anymore. So, this trip I really loved all the extra cuddling, even if she was sucking her thumb and twisting her hair! (That goes for Heath, too!)

MOO!

Our camper site was right on the water. It was sooo gorgeous. The leaves were changing, too. That's my favorite. It was so peaceful there.

Here's Heath showing off his prized catch of the day!

Tristan 1, Jackson 9 1/2 months, and Maddox 5 1/2 months. The boys all loved playing together and the pack and play was so nice to have. Jack kept eating leaves and throwing then up so he had to be pinned up or in the stroller if he wasn't being held.We had to keep a close eye on little Tristan, he had an infatuation with biting. (Mia took one on the cheek. She was very responsive, but took it pretty graciously over all. She also fell off the picnic table one night and bruised the other cheek.)

Auntie Paula. She, Aunt Jenny and I all shared a deep love for toasted marshmallows. MMMM!

Mia and Mallory , again.

Irony: My daughter loves make up, dresses, and high heels.
My daughter loves tadpoles, minnows, caterpillars, locusts, and fish!
I never knew this.

Uh, yeah she played with worms.

Heath really impressed us all with his mad fishing skills!

Hermie. Mia's new pet. Within two hours after we found him, he was cocooned inside of a small leaf she placed inside his bug house.

Pondering something profound, I'm sure.

Campsite. We spent most days like this, just talking and watching people play games and the kids going down the slide on the playground that was right next to us.

Here is Heath trying to get Jackson to take a nap.

Notice who fell asleep.

Jack loved him some Dum-Dums. We ate so much on this trip. Pretty much all day. Loved it!

Mia and Mallory fishing.

Mia and Haley had matching outfits like this that they wore all over the place.

Mia just crashed out after the long days of playing and candy!

Jack and Nana.

That's us!

Us again!

What a wonderful time. So many memories to look back on! Yeah, the bathrooms were a ways away, I didn't have a lot of privacy, and my kids have never been so dirty in all their lives, but I can't wait to go back. Can you believe that?

Family Time

2008-10-09T08:26:00.004-05:00

Oh Dear! We are going camping this weekend. NJ! Most of you know how I feel about camping. I said after my last camping trip, almost three years ago, that I didn't want to camp again for a very very long time. But, no hiking on this trip :), Thank You, Jesus! Almost my entire family is going, though, so it should be a good time. It has been several years since we were all together, and I am actually really looking forward to it.
We are going to Pine Lakes Campground. Only about an hour away. Between 25 of us, there will be an RV, a pop-up, an cabin, and a tent. The campground has several Fall festivities planned for the little ones, including pumpkin painting and a costume night. I can't wait. I will take lots of pictures to post next week!
Man, it is a lot of work gathering and packing all the things we need for the weekend. And the weather has been hot during the day and freezing at night, so I feel like I am taking a gazillion clothes for the kids and myself. And packing food and snacks and drinks.... We are going to need a bus to get all of our stuff there!
So, wish us luck. This will be an adventure. It will be just the kids and me tomorrow night since Heath is on call. I am a little nervous about this. Pray the kids stay asleep all night, so that we don't keep the entire campground awake! (My kids cry loud!)
I hope you all have nice weekend!

October 1

2008-10-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

Today was a gorgeous Fall day.
The leaves are changing, the temperature is perfect...

It was also Heath's first day on Surgery rotation. He woke up at 4:30 am. The first operation he scrubbed in on was for a hernia. I asked him if he got to do any stitching. He said, "No. And it's a good thing because my mask that I had to wear was so fogged up by the end of the surgery, I couldn't see anything!" I hope the attending didn't have the same problem.

The kids and I, on the other hand, did not wake up until almost 8. Max came over to play, while his mommy went to the Dr. They just love to play with him. Jack was so happy excited he didn't even take a morning nap. When Katie came back, we loaded everyone in the box and went to the Farmer's Market downtown. Amazing apples. Amazing. And the worst thing is, I don't even remember what kind I ate. But I am definitely going on Saturday to look for some more.

After the market, we went to the zoo. Always a good time.
After the zoo, we went to my Favorite place, the Ol' AB . It was like a zoo in there. About a million people and children! NJ. I am now addicted to caramels instead of cupcakes. The kids loved them, too. It was a great spot for pictures, I just wish I had some better photography skills, or at least as good as by numb-chuck skills;) Shout out to ND!

See ya!

My Favorite 5

2008-09-30T21:13:00.007-05:00

Here at the Laughlin house, "What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine!"

Toy box. Voted #1 Best New Place to Play in the Laughlin House.

I love finding out about new things I could use with my kids. I thought it would be a great idea for us all to tell what the Top 5 Favorite Baby/Child products we use are...things you would never go without...things you use everyday...or simply, things you would tell a new mother they can not live without.

My digital camera. I keep it in my purse all the time. I can't tell you how many wonderful memories I have captured with it. I develop close to 400 pics every three months. And I love to look at all the albums we have.
An Angel Dear blankie. Both Mia and Jackson have one. Sharron Schwab gave us the original Quack as a Baby gift for Mia. Honestly, I had no idea what it was, so it stayed in a drawer for 4 months. When I finally got it out and felt how soft it was, I knew that every child needs one of those. Mia loved the tag on the side. From very early on, I watched her as she would turn the quack around and round until she felt the tag in her hand. She would like to rub it on her nose. We are on Quackie #4. I was devastated the first time I lost it. Now we have a back-up. Jackson has Ruffy Dog. He likes to have a little piece of it in his mouth when he sucks his thumb. It makes it smell horrible. So, we have two Ruffy's, also, so that he can have one when the other is in the laundry.
Pajama's form Children's Place. These are my favorite Pj's for my kids. They fit really snug. They remind me of old cartoons I used to watch when I was little, when kids would have the little flap thing over there fannies! They also zip as opposed to buttoning. Great for when you have a squirmy kid that won't hold still for more than a 1/2 a second.
A Hotsling. I ordered one of these off the WWW :) ((I know my blogs are so corny, but I make myself giggle out loud, so it is worth it.) ) when I was pregnant with Jack. I was so anxious to try it out that I put Mia in it. It was awesome. Mia loved it, too. I could not believe she fit but when I read the info on it it said you could use if for a kid up to 40 lbs., or something like that! It felt really secure. No straps or anything. Just a solid piece of material. I use it all the time with Jack, now. When he was a newborn, I had a hard time figuring it out, but now it is a well oiled machine. It fold ups really small so I keep it in my purse or DB all the time. Great also for around the house, when you have a baby that just wants to be close to his Momma! They come in all different patterns, colors, textures, and sizes! You should try one.
A bottle of Infant Ibuprofen. I have one on me almost all the time. You never know when your baby will get a tooth ache, ear ache, or fever. Or when they simply need something to chew on. Best teether in the whole world. (I know my husband says, too, that Ibuprofen and Tylenol are created equal, but I for some reason just don't agree. What do you guys use?)

P.S. I would make a great salesperson. Don't you think? I am very passionate about things I think are great products. Don't even get me started on why I think everyone should be using Professional Salon products and tools on their hair!

And, Don't forget to post your favorite 5, too, or leave me a comment. I would love to know.

Cook With Your Kids

2008-09-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

I saw a clip on the Today Show about cooking healthy with your kids. They said if a child is involved in preparing a meal or a snack, they will be more likely to eat it. So, in attempt to get Mia to eat some veggies, we made veggie soup this morning. I chopped the veggies, she put them in the pot. I thought that there was no way I was going to get her to try it.
Our soup cooked for 90 minutes. She could not wait to eat it. She ate an entire bowl!
I hope this works for future meals. It was a lot of fun cooking with my daughter. I just hope she loves to cook when she grows up, too!

My Favorite Place in the Whole World

2008-09-28T19:58:00.008-05:00

"We're going to the city, gonna see a lot of buildings!"

My birthday present from my wonderful husband was a weekend in Chicago.
It is such a wonderful place. I love the architecture, the food, the shopping, the night lights, pretty much everything about it. I always thought I would live there someday, but I am satisfied with visits now and then. We stayed at the Avenue, which was right off the Magnifecient Mile. It was really nice, and our room was upgraded to a corner suite when we arrived!

Aunt Janie and Uncle Joda (Kara and Kenzie, too) kept the kids for a couple days. So it was so great to just be a couple for the night. It was the first time I have left Jack all night with someone, but we were told that he was wonderful!

This was from the top floor of The Avenue. There was a pool with an open sky and a nice view of the Lake and City.

Too bad we forgot to pack our swimsuits!

We ate dinner at the Grand Luxe Cafe. Yummy, yummy in my tummy!
We just walked and walked. I felt like we needed to run from place to place so that we could see as many things as we could. Next time we have to stay longer.

From Navy Pier.

Back at the Crabtree's, Anna and Mia had a blast on the tramp.

A Brown Moment!

Mia told the girl's that she wanted to make her mommy a pink birthday cake, so that's what they worked on Saturday morning.

Saturday night we were all eating popcorn on the couch. Mia popped a piece in her mouth, laid her head on my knee, and was instantly lights out.

Thank you, Heath, for a wonderful gift. I loved every moment.

Thank you, Crabtree's, for loving our kids. Mia had an amazing time with you and made some memories she will not soon forget. (Jack hasn't complained, so I am sure he had a good time, too!) Now, it will be a countdown at our house until we get to come again at Thanksgiving! Love you all!

September Pics

2008-09-28T19:44:00.003-05:00

A match made in Heaven!

This is from the Stewart's wedding. Both of the kids were really well behaved. It was the first time I sat through an entire wedding for 2 1/2 years!

Our boy loves him some cookies.

See this shirt. It is no more. After the picnic, we went out to Grandma and Pop-Pop's and while we thought Mia was sleeping peacefully in the front bedroom, she was actually playing with some Hot Pink Lip Stick. It was all over the place, including her shirt and Grandma's brand new carpet! Luckily it came out of the carpet, but the shirt has since been retired!

Wowzer!

2008-09-25T08:46:00.003-05:00

It is almost 9 and Jack is still asleep. I can not believe it. Why is it that on days when my kids sleep in I can never seem to stay asleep that long, too?

What Should I Make for the Picnic?

2008-09-18T21:47:00.008-05:00

Mia will not let me cut her bangs, although they are in desperate need.

Gotta love 'em!

Jack now officially has 4 teeth, going on 6 teeth.

Jack is pulling up to things now.

Holy Cow! I haven't made a post in a while. This was a crazy week. I am just so upset that September seems to be flying by.

So let's catch up. Umm, Can anyone say "HUNDRED DOLLA BILLS, Y'ALL?" Cause, my garage sale was killer! I sold a truck load, sent a truck load to Goodwill, and took a truckload to consignment. And, My garage is so clean. That is the wonderful thing about having a garage sale. The preparation just wipes me out. I still don't feel rested. But, at least I won't have to have another sale for a couple years though, because all of my stuff is gone!
Jack tried to take off in Jenny's walker. Yes, my kid was still in his PJ's in the late hours of the A.M.

And It was a blast, by the way, to have everyone over who helped out this weekend. The kids loved it, I think! We would love to have you all back again soon, and any one else who would want to come. (I think it would be great to have an apple and cheese tasting party!)
Then...We stayed in Litchfield over the weekend, hung out with the Fams. Crazy weather, huh? (Although, I know God answered my prayers, and yours, by the way, to keep the rain away for our sale!) I wish the water would have stayed in the ditches a little longer so Mia could play in it. I have such fun memories of that when I little.

Oh, and the new Fam, The Yenchlin's, or you might like to call them The Laughko's, went to the river and the orchard on Monday. It was a beautiful day to pick apples. I am apple crazy right now.
Katie loves her some apples, too!

We were the only ones there. I only wish that Mia was with us, she would have had a blast. But, she went with her Nana to the Zoo. Anyway, we ate at one of our favorite places on the river that has the most fantastic salad ever. We stopped in Alton on the way home for a little shopping. But Kate and I decided we needed to go to Fairview for a few more things, and let me just say that the boys were being just plain mean:) We talked them into it though;) Mister Bulky's was so worth it!

The boy's loved their treats!

Jeff bought some candy, too! Don't worry, it's candy! Flashback to the 80's.

OK, what else?
UMM.... Work.
And Work.
And I have piles of laundry to take care of.
I should not be blogging, my house is so neglected. Seriously!

Question: What is everyone taking to the big picnic this weekend? I hate taking something that someone else has already brought. That always happens to me somehow!

Come on Now!

2008-09-12T08:14:00.001-05:00

Seriously. Have you looked outside today. Nasty. Pray for nice sunny weather at around 5. And & tomorrow.

Cold Feet

2008-09-08T19:15:00.002-05:00

Well, it is getting colder outside. I wonder if we should get our kids some new PJ's.

All This Can Be Yours!

2008-09-05T14:17:00.004-05:00

Yo, yo, yo!

Don't forget. BIG SALE NEXT SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13.
It is going to be huge. Several Families are bringing items also. (Lots of BABY stuff)

Here are some of the items I will be featuring:

An end table/ lamp $10
a Fischer Price Baby Papasan seat $15
a Fischer Price 2-way Swing $20
Brand New Willow Tree Nativity Set $45
Brand New Willow Tree Shepard and Stable Set $40

Name Brand Girls clothing--- sizes Preimie-2T

Name Brand Baby Boy clothing

Women's Shoes and Clothing (Lots of jeans 2-4) Some of these things have never been worn!

Christmas Tree $10

Men's Golf Clubs (You name the Price!)

All my items will have a white sticker on them. All baby clothes (unless marked differently) are going to be $1 Or, or, or.......... You can stuff a plastic bag full for $10:)

Hope to see you all there!

Toodles

Mom and Jackson

2008-09-05T00:08:00.005-05:00

Now, we all know that Jackson looks like his Dad, (His Dad is very handsome.) I don't argue. But, don't you think he has some of his Mom in him, too?

Cheers

2008-09-04T06:30:00.002-05:00

That's right! Our girl drinks Coffee. A little cup everyday, (only a couple ounces, in case you are freaking out.) She fell in love with it very early. The first time we let her try it, we expected her to react like you would expect any other child to react. Not her. She wanted more. Like her Momma. I remember drinking Pop's coffee when I was a very little girl. Never liked Grandma's because she drank her's black. We drink ours with a lot of cream and a little Splenda. And we (she) likes to say "Cheers" before every sip. O, and we love it when we wake up in the morning and Daddy has already made the coffee for us. It always makes a great start to a wonderful day.

Some Happenings

2008-09-03T11:14:00.005-05:00

You should have seen how many Cheerios were on the floor.

This was Friday night. Mia was feeling very cuddly. She actually tried wrapping her arm around Tug, but Tug didn't care for that. So then, she put her arm behind him and laid one on his cheek. He didn't like that either!

We went for a boat ride this weekend with Adam, Heath's friend from school. It was a great day for a a cruise on the lake. Mia was so excited to swim. But Jackson was not having it. All that would make him happy was standing at the back of the boat eating his Banana Nut Cheerios$ So, it was not a very long adventure. I would have loved to see Adam wake-board.

Sick Kiddos

2008-09-03T08:38:00.004-05:00

Both of our kids are sick. I just feel so bad for them. Jack can't breathe through his nose , therefore, he can't suck his thumb, so then, he does not go to sleep easily. He is so snugly with his Momma, though! I love it. Mia was up several times last night coughing and she kept saying, "I'm sick. I need medicine." So, needless to say, it will be another day cooped up in the house for the Laughlin's! Oh, yeah, did I mention that my "Dr." husband is avidly against children taking antibiotics unless they absolutely need it. He blames the overuse of antibiotics for the rising number of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. He says that the body will naturally fight it off with it's own antibodies, it just takes longer. I've been told that that's just what it is like living with a Dr. "I love you, babe;)" So, we are using lots of Tylenol, ibuprofen, and homeopathic ear drops!

YES!

2008-09-01T19:37:00.001-05:00

September is my favorite month.

You're Not Going to Believe This

2008-08-29T22:23:00.003-05:00

I don't want to jinks myself, but here goes. Mia loves her thumb. She has since the day she was born. I think it is so precious to see her find comfort in something so simple. Yet, I don't want her to be like me and suck her thumb in the third grade! Plus, I thunked:), "If she quits sucking her thumb, she will quit twisting her hair!" So, I bought some of that horrible stuff you paint on the thumb. I played it up with a whole manicure and pedicure. Sparkling polish of course. I told her that this "polish" was a top coat. I caked it on.
The first round didn't really phase her. So that night I "touched up" her manicure. We tucked her in bed and began to say our prayers. In goes Mr. Thumb. REACTION. "Mom. I need wash hands. I have poop on my hands!" This continued on for sometime. She cried herself to sleep.
It really was heartbreaking.
But,I haven't been putting the polish on her and she has not sucked her thumb now for two days, or twisted her hair.
I even stayed with her last night until she fell asleep to see if she would put it in, but she didn't. I didn't even have to tell her not to.
It seems so strange to see her trying to go to sleep now. She looks so old.
I am sure this is not all over yet, but I am SO thankful to the Lord for giving her grace to quit.

8 months

2008-08-28T23:19:00.002-05:00

This post is mainly so I can remember this stuff for when I finally get Jack a baby book!

Jack's Developmental Milestones 8 months

Sits really well now(both my kids seem late on this)
doing the breast-stroke/inchworm/frogger to get from here to there
2, almost 3, teeth
says, "DA-DA"
Shakes his head from side to side
can pick up his food and get it in his mouth
starting to pull up on things
cries when Momma leaves the room
fake coughs
sometimes holds a sippy
will take a step when hands are held

I am sure that I am forgetting something.

HOLLA!

2008-08-28T23:16:00.001-05:00

garage sale. my house. september 13. 8-whenever. going to be fab. just so you know!

A Sad Wife

2008-08-23T20:02:00.003-05:00

So, it is weird, but I can picture Heath and I living the rest of our lives the way we were when we met in HS. Just two kids, in love, acting silly, the way kids do. Even though we have two kids now, we are just as, if not more, goofy as the day we met. But it is slowly starting to set in that Heath is growing up and is going to be a professional, and serious, and have such a scheduled life. Like, OMG-(Garsh), my husband wears a tie every day of the week. Heath is on call tonight, for the second time this week, which means he left for the hospital at 7:30 this morning and won't come home again until he is done with rounds sometime tomorrow afternoon. :( Don't get me wrong, it is going to be great and worth it, and we all knew the day would come when we would have to leave Never, Neverland, but it is so sad.

Question?

2008-08-23T11:49:00.000-05:00

Does anyone have shovel I can borrow? I need it to shovel the air into my lungs today!

Bikes and Apples and Teeth

2008-08-22T15:13:00.004-05:00

We bought Mia a bike this weekend. She learned to ride on Matt's little bike and I could not believe that she could actually ride it. But, she loves it. All week she has asked to ride it first thing in the morning. Actually (side-note), this morning, she asked to go to the Apple Barn. Apples are here. The Apple Barn in Chatham picked their first bunches of Gala Apples today. Be sure to go there and get some next time you are around. Anyway, back to the bike, we would have waited until Christmas or her birthday to get her such a big gift, but then she would have to wait months before she could ride it. So, we're not just trying to spoil her. That is the bad thing about winter B-days. Next year, my kids are having 1/2 b-day parties, so don't think I'm weird when you get party invites in June and July. NJ

Jack is getting another tooth already. This kid has got to slow down with the teeth, take a couple days break. I can't have my boy being addicted to Tylenol and Baby-Orajel.

Jack's New Trick

2008-08-20T20:51:00.002-05:00

I knew before Jack was born that he was going to be an active boy. He constantly moved in the womb. Sometimes, I could literally hear him move, seriously! Well, Jack learned a new trick today. We were sitting in the LR, Jack was crawling around as usual, he just never stops moving! He had inched his way into the kitchen, when all the sudden, we hear the screen door. I went to go see what he was doing, only to find that he had opened the door and went outside to play!

HMMM?

2008-08-20T12:32:00.002-05:00

Well, I guess I should shave today. I was painting Mia's toes in her favorite shade of pink. Meanwhile, Mia was rubbing my legs. I heard her say, "That's disgusting." I said, "What is?" She just pointed to my legs.

It's Raining. It's Pouring.

2008-08-14T21:16:00.002-05:00

We went on a walk tonight after dinner. It was so gorgeous outside. The kids were snug in the stroller, both sucking their thumbs, both holding on to their blankies. Jack actually feel asleep. THEN, then, it began to POUR. Luckily we were just a hundred and a half meter dash away from my Uncle Mark's house and his garage was open. We slipped into the garage, but Heath said don't knock or anything because the rain was going to pass soon and he didn't want to get the kids out of the stroller. Next thing you know, Heath is looking around the corner of the garage to see if he can see anyone inside, and my 4 year year old cousin was coming out the door. She saw him, shut the door, and ran. Then, a second later, Anette opens the door the the garage. OK, so what would you do if you walked out into your garage and there were people standing there in the dark? I am pretty sure that we scared the BG's out of them. I felt so silly. And it ended up raining for so long that we had to get a ride home.

Thanks, Roger

2008-08-11T21:40:00.003-05:00

We took an Amish buggy ride at my Dad's this weekend. It was really simple and relaxing. You can totally tell that my Dad has lived in the country his whole life because he acknowledged and engaged in conversation w/ EVERYONE we passed on the way. Funny. Mia loved it because the horse kept passing gas the whole time. I was just praying that Roger the horse wasn't going to die pulling all of us. When we got back to my the house Mia was chasing baby chicks and got attacked by a hen and then got electrocuted on the horse pen. What an experience.

Getting Big

2008-08-11T21:36:00.003-05:00

Jack has two new teeth. It's about time!

Illinios State Fair

2008-08-11T15:15:00.004-05:00

Well, we went to the fair Friday night. It was a wonderful cool evening. Last year when we went, it was like experiencing what fire and brimstone would feel like. But, we went with the Yench Fam and had a great time. We saw all the animals, which we usually wait to long to go and they are already gone. Mia and I rode the Ferris Wheel. She loved it, but she kept saying, "This is terrible, Mom!" We ate way too much food, Vinegar fries, turkey legs, Philly cheese steaks, Lemon shake-ups, elephant ears, more fries.... O, how I love fair food. Mia had a pony ride, we watched fireworks, and then we realized, "O My Garsh, we have our kids at the fair, and it is eleven O'clock!" WT

What is your all time favorite fair food?

Vinegar fries, hands down!

Oink!

Sorry, Katie. I had to show everyone the best fries in the world.

Little scared of the fireworks.

"When are my Mom and Dad taking me home?"

Buttons and Splenda

2008-08-07T16:24:00.004-05:00

Whitney came over to watch the kids while Heath and I went to go get glasses. She brought over her pet bunny, Buttons. She was so funny. She is potty trained and very friendly. When Mia finished giving her some puffs, Buttons chased her around the pillow wanting more.

She kept coming up to Mia and schnuggying.
After Whitney and Buttons went home, We found that Mia's baby doll now has to live without a thumb and one finger!

I told you this girl was the silliest in all the world. I kept hearing glass clank together in the kitchen. When I came in the room, she had just finished eating Splenda from the sugar bowl.

Favorite Places

2008-08-07T16:13:00.003-05:00

Do your children have a spot in your home that they like the most? Jackson has found his favorite place is the front door. I like to leave it open all day because I enjoy the natural light. Heath says I'm wasting cold air! Anyway, several times a day, Jack makes his way over to watch my flowers and the cars driving by. So cute. When we lived in Carbondale, Mia loved to get into the space between the fridge and Heath's desk.

Sugar on the Brain

2008-08-06T21:30:00.003-05:00

We finally purchased a waterproof matress pad for Mia's bed. She has had dry pull-ups for quite a while now, but I have just been hesitant to let her wear undies to bed. Well, last night was her first night she didn't wear a pull-up. I was anxious to see this morning if her sheets would be dry, so a little past 8 tip-toed in her room to check on her. She was still asleep, but she had a little smile on her face. I just sat and watched her and she woke up a minute later. She was a happy girl, a dry happy girl. When I asked her what she was dreaming about, she said, "I-ceam pones!"

Vanilla Wafers

2008-08-06T21:00:00.004-05:00

I still have been having a hard time getting Jack to take any form of milk. So, what I have found is, if I get him up to feed him before I go to bed, he eats great. He usually doesn't even open his eyes. Well, last night I fed him and he was wide awake. So, I took him in his room and just stood and cradled him in my arms. He smiled at me for minutes and slowly began to shut his eyes for long periods of time. Then he'd open them again, smile and nod off. I just cried and cried. I want to cry right now just thinking about it. And to top it off, his breath smelled so sweet, like vanilla wafers! Oh, how I just long for moments like that. I wish they came more often. What a gift. My soul is so blessed.

"Cha-cha-cha"

2008-08-05T20:58:00.004-05:00

Heath loves to tell the story of taking our nephew (he shall go un-named) to MCD"s. I'm sure you all have heard it. Well, tonight, after a long day, we took the family to Micky D's for sundaes and parfaits. We sat in the Playland to enjoy our ice cream and watch Mia climb up the jungle gym. As she starred down at us through the window, Heath said, "She hasn't been to the bathroom for a long time." NJ, just then, we saw her look down. Two little girls were climbing up to her and just as they were about to climb in the tunnel, they paused. They turned and went the other way. Then, a man and his kids went up. I hear him say, "Honey, I just stepped in some pee!" We were mor-ti-fied! Then another man says, " Is there pee in there? Who did it?" I see little fingers pointing out of the tunnel down to our precious little girl, who had a big grin on her face. So, needless to say, Mia's play time was cut short, and once again, Heath was cleaning up waste. Not a Happy camper. I think, "Hey, at least it wasn't diarrhea!"

Love

2008-08-01T22:16:00.003-05:00

"We schnuggy, we schnuggy, we schnuggy!"

As our kids are growing, I think we are growing more and more in love with them everyday. I can't even describe it. But, sometimes, when I just look at them, I feel such deep love. It, honestly, chokes me. Joy unspeakable.

How awesome God's love for us must be.
"Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; And your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." Psalm 40.5

Once Upon A Christmas

2008-07-31T12:13:00.003-05:00

I started Christmas shopping this week. I love it. Almost time to bust out Dolly and Kenny (My Fav Christmas CD).

What's your favorite Christmas Music?

Bengal Tigers

2008-07-28T09:09:00.001-05:00

OK, I will probably be alone in my answer, most of you probably have little or no evidence on your persons that show you have had children! But I would have no problem with a little nip tuck. My children did amazing things to my body. Stretch marks, flabby skin... I hold no attachment to that. Believe me, I have tried every cream, diet, exercise... I have been a 4 sizes smaller than I am now, and done 500 sit-ups a day, and my stomach still looked like I was attacked by Bengal Tigers! I would probably steer clear of facial procedures. They don't look very natural to me. But don't be shocked if one day my abdomen no longer looks like a marsupial pouch and my girls are up in there original positions!

Change

2008-07-25T08:43:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I did hair for one of Heath's classmates. She is currently doing a clerkship in surgery. She mentioned that last week she was with a plastic surgeon and got to see some neat things.

So, the question is raised:
What do you think about going under the knife for an elective surgery? On your face? On your body?
Is there anything you would change about your appearance? Why? Botox? Liposuction?

No, I would never think about it. I love me just the way I am.
No, I'm scared of needles, knifes, blood...
Yes, but not on my face.
Yes, I would be open to any type of procedure!

I am waiting to hear from you.

Move Over Key Lime Pie, There's a New Love in My Life

2008-07-23T22:01:00.004-05:00

A, Hi. My name is Lindsey Laughlin. I'm addicted to cupcakes.
No, Seriously! About two weeks ago I stumbled upon these decadent treats at the Apple Barn in Chatham, (my favorite store in the state of Illinois!) I went back the very next day and bought every single one they had. And since that day, I have had too many of them to count. I want the recipe so bad. The thought crossed my mind that I would buy them for Mia's Birthday Party next year, but they close for the winter, Schucks!
Anyway, if you have never been to the Apple Barn, you should. It is so with the trip. They have fresh fruits and veggies, awesome plants, a fudge bar, a bakery, and tons of specialty sauces and food items. Apple Cider slushies, UMM! During apple harvest, or whatever it's called, they have the most wonderful varieties of apples. Some that I have never heard of before. But you have to get there fast, because they sell'um just as fast as they pick'um.
Oh, how I would love to have a place like that of my own.
Apple Barn
2290 E Walnut
Chatham, IL 62629

Help me, Please!

2008-07-23T07:11:00.004-05:00

There have been days when I go to water my flowers that it looks like something has tried to burrow in my flowers. I thought maybe it was the cute little bunnies that we always see in our back yard. How naive. Yesterday morning, when I opened the door, I saw the neighbor's cat doing business in my mulch, and then burying it. I need some advice on the best way to prevent this. Katie, I know this has happened to you, does it happen to anyone else?

Schticky Fairy Strikes Again, Part Deux

2008-07-22T16:27:00.007-05:00

Where do I begin?
If you have not read my most recent post, please do.
And let me also just say that blogging has changed my life, and Mia's. When I come upon a situation like the "schticky fairy," I no longer am susceptible to disciplining out of anger. Instead, I think, "this is going to make such a great post on my blog!" By the time I take some pictures, I have usually cooled off, and all that is left to do is laugh at the situation at hand. It is so hard to have your child take you seriously as you are chuckling while giving them a serious talking to.
OK. So after we ate lunch, Mia requested to watch Ratatouille. I knew that I wanted the kids to take naps so that I could have some time to myself and so I could write a blog for today. I don't like to do this while my kids are awake. So, I put Jack down, put in a movie for Mia in our bedroom, and came out to the couch, turned on the Food Network, and began to blog. She came out of the room a few times. I told her that it was time to take a nap. I put her back on the bed and shut the door behind me. Silence. AHHH! I was able to do everything I wanted and even squeeze in a little nap. About 45 minutes later, I hear the bedroom door open. "That was a short nap," I thought to myself. A minute later, no Mia. She didn't come out to snuggle with me as she usually does. Danger! Danger! Something has taken place that I probably don't want to deal with. "Did she pee on my bed?, Did empty my underwear drawer out again?" Suddenly, my wondering was over. As I made my way down the cool dark hallway, out pops an Oompa-Loompa. My oxygen supply had strangely vanished. Sweat immediately forms on my forehead. "OMG-(gosh) I left my makeup bag alone in the same room as my sweet little 2 1/2 year old girl!" What a sight. All I can say is, ( and only those who have read The Shack will get the humor in this,) I saw Fractals. Beautiful arrays of color and glitter and texture and sparkle.
I thought about it for a second, and then I just began to choke on my laughter. So, don't worry. No children were hurt in the making of this blog.

P.S. This makeover came complete with some Tea Tree Shaping Cream in her hair, courtesy of HL.

P.S. 2 I Love Mia so much.

Schticky Fairy Strikes Again!

2008-07-22T14:08:00.003-05:00

Why is it that children will tell on themselves after they have done something they weren't supposed to do? I usually never like to hear the words, "MOM, come wook mom!"

Wow, I actually finished a book!

2008-07-21T07:49:00.003-05:00

So, I finished "The Shack." Interesting. There are many things I would say about this book, but instead I will just share my favorite concepts.

Live a loved life.
"... have to declare your forgiveness a hundred times the first day and the second day, but the third day will be less and each day after, until one day you realize that you ave forgiven completely. And then one day you will pray for his wholeness and give him over to me..."

Nothing we haven't all heard before, but such truth.

Terms of Endearment

2008-07-19T08:04:00.012-05:00

I was recently asked to make a post of the baby names I like for a Girl and the names I like for a Boy, and all the "closet names I like." This is what I decided:

A child's name is such a special thing.
There are so many babies in utero right now.
I would not handle it well if one of my baby names was used. That's just me;)

So this is my alternative:

With our first child these were our options:

Boy--Judah
Blonde Girl--Launa
Brunette Girl--Mia

And what do you know, she was born a brunette, and now she has the whitest blonde hair!

With our second child these were the options:

Girl--Lola
Boy--Jude
Boy--Jackson

We went to the hospital undecided if we would come home with a Jude or a Jackson. It came to the last minutes before Jack was born that we bagged the name Jude because we couldn't think of a great middle name to go with it. But it is a great name!

Second, we here at the Laughlin house are just a bunch of silly people. You would all probably love to sit a watch us interact everyday. But you know what the Bible says, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine!" Hence, we have a lot of silly names we like to call each other.

Some of my names for Heath:

Chach (It's a spanglish thing)
Poppy

Heath's name for me:

Chachi

Our names for Mia:

Tink
Mia Mose (This is what Haley calls her)
Mima (This is what Matthew called her)
Bonita
Muffin Head
My love

Our name's for Jackson:

Max (Mia's name for him for months)
Mac
Macon Tate
Gac
Gacon Tate
Mister Mister
Jack-Son (With a French accent):)
Love

Those are just few of our pet names. Is anyone else out there as silly as we?

Heath Laughlin, medical student

2008-07-18T08:37:00.006-05:00

I just want to thank everyone who was praying for Heath during his Board studies and exam. He got his results back this week and he did outstanding. I am so proud of him. He put in hundreds of hours studying for that exam. I do not discredit his hard work, but I know that prayer makes difference in both of our lives. So, thanks. He has started his third year and is off and running. God is so faithful. Psalm 138.8 "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me..."

A Very Merry 1/2 Birthday to You!

2008-07-17T13:41:00.004-05:00

Mia Rose Laughlin,
Today is your 2 and a 1/2 year old birthday.
You weigh 27 lbs. and are 8 and a 1/2 juice boxes tall.
You're pretty silly. You love Rella "schnacks" and "noonles."
You always say hello to a stranger and show them your shoes.
You can ride a bike, jump over a pile of books, and swim in the pool all alone.
You love all your cousins and you get so "happy excited" when you see them.
Your favorite movie is Daisy Head Mayzie, on the original Horton Hears a Who.
You love to dance with your Dad to 5,5,5 (1.2.3.4)
You love to get haircuts.
You still like us to kiss all your boo boos.
Your Quack still sleeps with you every night.
You still suck your thumb. You still twist your hair.
We still like to check on you every night before I go to bed.
Your Momma still looks at you everyday and thinks,
"I can't believe God gave me you. You are better than I ever could have imagined you!"
You bring so much joy to our hearts, everyday.
You are so loved, every moment.
I am a happy mommy.

Love, Momma

O, My Garsh!

2008-07-14T14:03:00.009-05:00

This post was requested by Jody. I have to say, as a stylist, that I am so ashamed of my hair in some of these photos. I just look at them and say, "what was I thinking ?, and, what was the person who did my hair like that thinking?" But this was terribly fun. You all should post some old hair pictures, too.

PS. Best Color?
Best cut?

Worst color?
Worst cut?

I would Love to hear from you guys!

This was an awesome haircut in Jr. High.

I used to wear these braids all the time.

My natural color.

My first Highlights.

Senior year.

Senior prom.

20

First haircut from a hair show, Micheal O'Rouke, Sexy Hair

Honeymoon.

FL hair show.

Yes. Green and Yellow

What I look like before a ponytail.

SO plain.

1.18.06

Black vixen hair.

I don't even know what to say about this hair.

Mid-twenties crisis hair.

Hair show 06.

Stepford wife.

Champ.

Christmas 2007

Short and sweet.

12.28.07
Is it just me, or do I look 10 years older here?

Jack and his momma.

Inked

2008-07-11T21:59:00.004-05:00

When was the first time you ever colored your hair. I remember the first time I did mine. I was in 6th grade. My cousin was over for the night and we found an "at home highlighting kit" (never a good idea). I put it all over my head. When we went to rinse it out, I had read it as"Wash out as shampoo," instead of "wash with shampoo." So I rinsed it and went to bed in the wee hours of the night with brassy hair. I woke the next morning to my Mom calling my name. She had found the box that I had forgot to throw away (Like I was going to be hiding anything.) When I looked in the mirror, my hair was next to white, Shout out to Katie Yenchko! She was so mad. Because I didn't shampoo it, and I probably didn't rinse well either, it just continued to process through the night. I loved it though. And that began my relationship with color. I have only been all natural one time since then (senior year for about a month). It has always been just hair to me . So, why not experiment?
Well, Mia got introduced to hair color today. She now has a pretty violet streak in her hair. She was so "Happy Excited," (as she likes to say). She loves it. Now, I know you are all probably thinking, " Why would someone let their 2 year old do that?" But it's just hair, and it washes out. So, I am so glad to have a girly girl. I can tell we are going to have so much fun together in life!

Hea-ven help me...

2008-07-10T21:09:00.005-05:00

Pathetic. That's me. To start, crutches. The real reason I am not using them anymore is because they kill me. Huffing and puffing after going down the hall on them was just so sad. So, I had to succumb to crawling. Next, I was at work yesterday, and I was walking up to the front desk behind a client, and the entire right side of my body collided with the door frame. Yes, people did see me. Yes I wanted to crawl into the cabinets and hide. And this is not irregular for me to do. And then, I am always wondering, "where all these scrapes and bruises come from?" Last, but certainly not limited to, I spray painted something today, and my forearm and thumb are so weak and shaky I can not even type the correct letters right now. Heath just chuckles at me. Seriously. What is happening to me? I'm am 25, going on 26, (and yes, the hills are alive with the sound of music,) but it is way too early for me to be getting so old! Don't Laugh.

Movin' and a Shakin'

2008-07-08T19:44:00.002-05:00

jkdqwmnxlk

2008-07-07T22:35:00.003-05:00

Does anyone else hate those comment verification words you have to type? For a person who honestly would have failed keyboarding, were it not for a broken finger, it is just so annoying. Do you know how long it takes me to peck those letters? NJ

Highlights of Last Week

2008-07-07T12:27:00.006-05:00

M.A.C. and Orbit

I found Mia like this last week. She had climbed out of the crib at Magga and Pop-pop's house, put on some eyeliner, chewed 7 pieces of gum, swallowed 7 pieces of gum, and climbed back into bed.

All American Girl

Still twisting that beautiful blonde hair.

Hanging with the Cousins

A Boy and a Melon

Golden Ticket

2008-07-04T11:16:00.005-05:00

Do you know what happens when you go to Six Flags in a wheel chair? YOU GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE! And no, I did not feel guilty about this at all. I was under Dr's. orders to be off my foot (I found out yesterday that I am actually supposed to be crutched up for another 2-3 weeks. OOPS!) But wow, we had a blast.

We haven't been in such a long time. There were so many new rides. This one was pure evil.

And, so much wonderful food. Turkey legs, corn on the cob, frozen lemonade, funnel cakes, pretzels, soda coming out the ears... Oh and a dozen KK on the way down. So healthy. Always a good time with the Yenchko's.

Moving on to better things?

2008-07-01T23:08:00.003-05:00

OK. Jack will not eat his "milk and cookies." Do you know how this devastates his mother? NJ. He just stiffens up and turns his head. So, I tried a bottle. No go. WHAT AM I TO DO? This has been such a precious thing for me, in caring for both of my children, and I just am not ready for him to be so "Mommy-free."

Just keep swimming, just keep swimmming...

2008-06-27T09:31:00.003-05:00

Mia Mose and the Horsey

2008-06-27T09:09:00.002-05:00

Mia loves the zoo. She touches every animal she can get her little hands on. On this day, she got a little too close to the horse! (This video was taken about a month ago. We (Heath) just figured out how to put our clips on the blog.)

Little Boy

2008-06-26T12:07:00.003-05:00

Jackson,
You had your 6 month Dr.'s appt. this week.
You tipped the scales at 16 lbs. 5 oz.
You are 26 in. long and your head is 43 cm.
Only about 30% on the charts.
You are always cooing and making noises.
You eat almost anything.
You love yogurt, mashed potatoes , and grilled cheese sammies.
You roll everywhere and have started to push yourself forward with your feet.
You are learning to sit up.
You have to have your Ruffy dog to help you fall asleep.
You love your sister. You just stare at her and giggle.
You love kisses on your chubby, little, neck.
How have you grown so fast?
I just love you, so much.
Your smiling eyes can just absolutely melt my heart.

Happy 1/2 Birthday (tomorrow), my son!

Love,
Your Momma

Hey Ya'll

2008-06-21T17:41:00.003-05:00

Well, so much has happened in the last few days. Heath took his boards on Tuesday and said he felt really good about it. Thank you, everyone who was praying for him. He now has a couple weeks off to enjoy the summer.

Wednesday, I went under the knife. It was a weird feeling going into it and knowing that I was going to be knocked out. I wasn't really fearful, but every time I would think about the "possibilities," I would well up with tears. But, I arrived at the hospital and I had such peace. I don't really remember much, except when I asked the Dr., as he was bandaging me up, if this was the first time he had done this operation. His answer was yes! Which is fine, I had total confidence in him, but can you believe I had the nerve to say that to someone who just fixed my foot. If my head wasn't so foggy, and if my foot wasn't wrapped up to the size of a butternut squash, I would probably have shoved it in my mouth! Anyway, I feel great, not a lot of pain, just hating those crutches. Anxious to walk on a good foot again.

That night we played KB's til 1:30 am. Stupid. Next day, Heath and his Mom took turns pushing me around in a wheelchair at the St. Louis Zoo. It was Awesome. I am going to rent a wheelchair every time I go to the zoo! It was a beautiful day, and we got Safari passes, so we did lots of fun things we don't usually do there... Sea Lion show, Wild ride, Children's zoo, Carousel, train..... Loved it.

UPDATE: The other day we went to Target to buy a gift for My brother. I rode on an electric scooter. Yes. I did feel like a nerd. Yes. It was so embarrassing when I would back up and the scooter would BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. Yes. I ran into a ton of stuff. Yes. I definitely will be doing that again sometime in the next three weeks!

To Our Dad

2008-06-14T22:40:00.003-05:00

Daddy,

We just want you to know how much we love you and and we are so happy that God made you our Daddy! We love when you tickle us, and read to us, and dance with us. We love all the silly things you do. Happy Father's Day!

We love you, so much!

Love, Mia and Jack

Watch Out! Here Come the Laughlin 5!

2008-06-14T20:17:00.006-05:00

This is Millie. Millie is a baby donkey who lives in Five Oaks subdivision with her mommy, Gretchen, and these two turkeys! We had permission to go see them, so we packed all the kids up and headed over there after Seth's party. The Laughlin kids just loved it. I did, too. They were very gentle and so adorable. I don't know what the turkeys were feeling with 5 little kids running around, who were loaded up on cake. But thet were sure neat to see upclose. Very weird animal. But I decided I want a baby donkey in my yard to walk around with my peacck someday!

Summertime

2008-06-13T21:48:00.006-05:00

We went swimming at my friend Amanda's house yesterday. It was a gorgeous day, and they just had their pool repainted last fall so the water looked nice and blue and so refreshing. It was Jack's first experience in a pool. He just sat their and floated around. And he looked so handsome in his little trunks. Also yesterday I realized how big my baby girl is getting. I finished putting on her sunscreen and before I knew it she was in the water. She stayed on the steps for about ten minutes and then she just took off. She was swimming all over the pool, ALL BY HER BIG GIRL SELF, (And her frog jacket of course!) I couldn't believe it. Then she proceeded to go off the diving board. I was so proud of her. As for me, I was just hoping to get a little tan through the SPF 30 that I caked all over me. I am freakish about sunscreen. I wear it everyday of the year. I just don't want spots and wrinkles all over in ten years. Yet, although I am completely fine with my vanilla skin most of the year, when I start to show a little leg in the summer I would prefer to be a nice toasted coconut color! Well, I did get a little color, but my back (where I could not reach) is the color of a red ripe strawberry! Ouch!
Please pray for my guy this week. He has his board test on Tuesday, June 17, and he has been putting in so many hours of studying. Pray for wisdom, grace, and that he would just have peace that passes all understanding! Isaiah 26.3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

Matthew 18.3

2008-06-11T21:28:00.004-05:00

Karen asked in her blog what our kids favorite books are. Mia loves to read anything Dr. Suess. What a genius man. Her absolute favorites are Oh, The Thinks You Can Think, Green Eggs and Ham, The A B C Book, and There's a Wocket in My Pocket. I love that when I read, "And what would you do if you met a Jibboo?," she always responds, "I ohnt o!"(I don't know!) And she says it in the cutest little squeaky voice. She also regularly comes to me now asking, "E like eggs, Mom? Not in the dark?" I love it.
Isn't it fascinating how the mind a a child works? The things they say, their actions and reactions. They have such a deep memory of things that we, as adults, forget so quickly. Stunning sometimes. The other day we drove by the Glenwood High School soccer field. She looked out the window and said, "Soccerballs." There was no one on the field. We don't drive by there often and we have never said, " Look, there's the soccer field. She just rememered that we went to go watch Uncle Chad coach a game there last fall. I could not believe it!

A Bit of Heaven

2008-06-11T21:18:00.003-05:00

OK. I realize I have written made enough posts for one night, but I just had to say, I got new sheets for our bedroom today. We have a very tall bed, with a deep mattress, so it is always very hard to find bed linens that fit correctly. And what do you know, they fit like a glove! Is there anything more delightful than fresh, crisp, clean, 400 thread-count, Egyptian cotton,
brand-spankin-new sheets? Seriously. NJ

Futile Efforts

2008-06-11T21:05:00.005-05:00

I told you all how we started taping a glove on Mia's hand at night so she wouldn't twist her hair. Well, it isn't going great. So, tonight we put a long sock over the the glove so she would be double taped. This is what I found when I went in to check on her:
She wanted her headband on instead.

Pasta, Ice Cream, Peacocks, Bleach, and Babies

2008-06-11T20:31:00.004-05:00

Katie came over today. She brought stuff for me to make her lunch! YUM. Angel hair pasta tossed with shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, chili peppers, and a little basil from my new herb garden! After we ate, we decided the day would be complete without a little Coldstone. All the kids fell asleep on the way there, so we grabbed it to go, stopped my The Space, and headed to the zoo. And what do you think we saw at the zoo today?......A BABY PEACOCK! It was so cute. I have decided someday I would love to have some peacocks roaming around in my yard.
After the zoo, we came back and did each others hair. Love my new do, Kate! And look, Mia found a new baby doll to play with. You are such a good sport Mac!

Tagged!

2008-06-08T21:47:00.005-05:00

Ok. I am skipping all the rules at the top because everyone I would tag has probably already been tagged by one of you! If you don't know the rules then look at some else's blog!

What was I doing five years ago?

going to cosmetology school in Spfld., living with my Aunt Pasty
planning my beautiful Christmas wedding to my Beau
meeting my best friend, Katie, for the first time
working hard for the money, every tip counts
shopping way too much, (oh to spend my money like I was single again...)

5 things on my list for tomorrow:

9 am Go to the zoo for a special tour of the zoo kitchen
cut my Grandma's hair
take Mia swimming @ Jenny's
cook a delicious dinner
watch Jon and Kate Plus 8

5 things I would buy if I were a billionaire:

You all are very heroic for wanting to buy some kids, but I just have my plate full at the moment, so, no babies on the list right now!
A house
pay for Heath's tuition
a tummy tuck, FOR SURE
I would by Heath a new car, so that he didn't have to keep driving his little race car
AND, World Peace

5 of my favorite places to travel and why:

Chicago, my favorite place in all the world
Florida, the beach and my Aunt Katie
Thailand, mission trip and GREAT food
Dallas, so many places to go
St. Louis Galleria, pure bliss

5 jobs I've had:

midnight waitress at Denny's/ high school
Family Video, hated it/ summer after graduation
Outback in Dallas/ during CFNI
Outback in Springfield/ during beauty school
Family Hair Care and MORE!/now

5 favorite snacks

key lime pie
anything spicy
coffee
homemade granola
green apple licorice

5 people to tag

Marylynn
Katie
Sally
Alison
Brandi

Big Events

2008-06-08T21:17:00.006-05:00

My niece, Haley, turns 2 tomorrow! We had a celebration for her on Saturday. And, you all know that when you have 2 year old that things just don't always go the way you plan. It was hilarious, (not to my sister)! Haley missed her naptime and just was not in the mood for a party, or presents, or the yummy birthday cake that I made for her! But, It was a great time anyway!
Later, that evening we headed back up to Springfield for Max's High School Graduation. Max is my kid brother who lives in Chatham. He has grown up too fast! Anyway, I wish I would have recorded the valedictorian's speech for you all to listen to. It was about Chicken from the cafeteria and how it has shaped the class of 2008! Literally. I just sat there and thought to myself, "I bet I was just as silly as this 7 years ago!" But, anyway, Congratulations, Maxwell!

Teething Already???

2008-06-08T20:57:00.002-05:00

Jack is 5 1/2 months old. He woke up @ 4am yesterday. He was burning up. So, he had some medicine and a midnight "schnack" and went back to sleep.
Other symptoms and strange behaviors:

runny nose
puffy eyes
doesn't want to eat his milk and cookies
keeps biting his Momma
rash
sleepy all day
a bit irritable

My suspicion is that he is going to be getting his first tooth soon.
Now, Heath's Dad, and other physicians, would swear up and down that it is totally unrelated to teething, but I just can't agree.
Do your children get any of these symptoms when they cut teeth?