Cleanup in Isle 1

Julia: Mommy, my baby made a mess eating her lunch. Clean it up?
Me: Julia, I only signed up to take care of two kids- you and Ryan.
Julia: Oh. Yeah. I take care of it. Actually, I got it.

Where's Waldo?

Has anyone seen the kids?

Ohhh...there they are!!
It makes me crazy when the kids take a very organized couch and throw all the pillows off to hide underneath them. Over and over and over again. I mentioned this to Ry's Occupational Therapist a week or so ago and she told me that he actually might need that. That the pressure of the pillow weight helps him regulate his vestibular system. Seriously?!? So, while I admit I still cringe when they do it, they are having a great time, and just in case this crazyfangled nonsense the therapist is telling me is true...well, play away! Aggg.

Hunger Challenge

Tonight I heard about the Hunger Challenge. A local food outreach organization is encouraging people (during the month of September, but hey, we can be a bit late!) to try and experience what it is like to live on food stamps for a week. In the St. Louis area, the dollar amount of a weekly allotment of stamps is $28.91. Could you live on this amount for 1 week?

We are hosting a dinner party this weekend, so that puts us totally out for this week. I somehow can't muster up the courage (or desire) to drag others into this venture and force them to eat Ramen noodles. (Would one still serve that on china?) =)

The way I figure, since we have a family of 4, this breaks down like this:
$28.91/person x 4
= $115.64 total to spend

Which means we are spending:
$16.52/day
$5.50/total meal
$1.37/per person for each meal

Oh wow. This will be a tough challenge...Bring it on! I have a feeling at the end of the week we are all going to realize just how blessed we are.

Anyone up for trying this out next week with us? Monday, October 5-Sunday, Oct 11?
Leave a comment if you are up for the challenge! =)
(And let me know how you feel about being able to consume food already in your pantry as a part of that week!)

All Glammed Up!

...well, sorta. She is in her jammes still and uncombed hair...but I couldn't resist snapping a few shots after she put on her jewels!

It's A Boy!

FUN NEWS! We've got another boy in our family! Coleman Mathew Conway was born via c-section to a VERY exhausted momma at 11:01pm tonight!

Ryan begs Uncle Mat to get to go back and see Aunt Beth...he's a great distraction after we have just learned after hours and hours of her labor a c-section will be necessary.

Julia was super excited to bring her baby doll to the hospital to meet her newest cousin.

The proud grandparents and daddy!

Can you believe less than an hour ago he was in his momma's belly still?

Pre-birth...their lives are moments away from changing forever!!!

Coleman Mathew
6lbs 1oz
born Sept 26, 2009 @ 11:01pm

M-I-Z-Z-O-U

We had a tailgating/game watching party tonight with friends.

Ha! This is what happens when you have Illinois fans at your Mizzou party...

Nate Karlas, Matt Morris, Jeff Bash, Josh McKey and Chris Wells hanging in the backyard.
Matt, Tarra, Jake and Mason, Madeline and Erica play in the basement.
Jeff and Julia chillin' and watching the game on our "big screen" sheet.

Joseph, the newest book of the Bible

Me: Ok, guys. Who can tell me our Bible verse this week?
Julia: Me!
Me: Ok, what is it?
Julia: I don't know!
Me: Jesus helped others.
Julia: Jesus helped others!
Ryan: Jesus helped others wipe their poopy butts.
Me: Ry, that isn't funny. Ok, who can tell me what book that is found in?
Ryan: Um, Joseph!

Happy 30th, Krista!

Tuesday with Terry

Today I had the opportunity to spend some time with Terry, and share blogging tips. His wife, Dena, is my sister Amy's godmother. So we've had the good fortune of seeing this fun couple at many of our fun family gatherings!

He came bearing gifts...
Ryan has claimed the animal sticker encyclopedia as all his!
Julia loves the activity book!
Thanks, Terry!

Geocaching

Today we had a memorable day of geocaching (a new high tech treasure hunt game played throughout the world).

This was the little plaque for the cross we were sitting on.
Stacy and Papa try and crack the code...

It's all fun and games, until someone has to poop...and there is no port-a-potty...and Mommy does not do a great job of holding the little man up, as she is surprised by a "frontal stream" as well...

...and the plan goes terribly terribly awry.

...SO not what we'd planned for!

So, after this "disaster" we lucked out and I had a pair of flip flops (green with flowers, although Ry didn't seem to notice) in the car and the lodge at Pere Marquette had a pair of girls Gap size 5 blue shorts they were kind enough to give us so at least our little guy had clothes on for our lunch at The Landing!

For more pics, check out grandma's blog.

The Day We Got Locked Out & Balloon Glow

Jeff has been out of town all week for work. It's been downright crazy busy (beside the fact we've all had a horrible terrible no good cold!), and today was just the icing on the cake...Ry locked us out of the house. Let me start at the beginning...Julia was napping and Ry went potty. Well, have I mentioned he is in another naked phase? Yes, lucky me. Well, he went potty and proceeded to take off all his clothes...and then when the school bus came, he wanted to run out and see his friends and I told him he had to put his clothes back on. So I went outside to grab the mail (shoeless, cellphone-less and keyless) and tell the other moms we'd be right out. Ry was mad at me (aren't I a terribly mean mother, making him wear clothing outdoors?!), so he locked the door. Me out. Him in. Except then he walked out himself. And shut the door behind him. Yeah...nice work. So, for the next 45 minutes I proceeded to try and break into our house. Well, apparently it is like Fort Knox here. All you burglars, beware. By the time I got in touch with Jeff, he was near the St. Louis Airport, about 30 minutes away from our house. I was really really tempted to break a window at this point (I'd already broken off the tip of one of our lock-picking tools in the keyhole), and frankly, while I couldn't hear Julia crying, I knew she had to be up from her nap by now, or at the very least woken up by the dog barking her head off at me climbing in all the window ledges trying to get in!
So, finally, Jeff returned home and ran inside to get Julia. She was screaming "I want Mommy!" so he walked outside to me with her and pulled the door shut behind him. Seriously. After a minute of panic, we realized he'd let Kate out the back door on his way out, and fortunately, left that door unlocked! Thank God!!!
Then, because I am glutton for punishment--oh wait--I mean, because I love family fun, we decided to bring the kiddos over to the St. Louis Balloon Glow.

My friend Emily came along with us, and we met up with her sister Mary who had just gotten off her shift as a nurse from Children's Hospital.

Julia wanted to watch the balloons from a safe location--mommy's arms -- after standing a little too close to to a fireball!

Only Entrant?

Ok, so I am totally the biased mother, and have the most wonderful artistic little children...but I think that perhaps we might have been the only entrant on our newspapers coloring contest for Julia's age group... =)

Funny Neighbor

We have some funny neighbors...I got this letter after blogging about our unusual front-yard farming...

On stage!

Ry waves to the paparazzi (Krista and I) as he walks in the auditorium.

I think he has met his match--this little guy in the center seems to be just as excited about singing as Ry!

Julia dances while Tyler watches the stage like he's tuned in to his favorite television show or something. =)

Foot in Mouth

I love that Ry is talking more, but I'm not sure this new stage has been so great...Ry's verbalizing more is really challenging some relationships...really putting my PR skills to the test...

For example-

In the playland at MacDonalds:
Crying girl: Mommy, that boy up there was mean to me!
Me: Ryan, why were you mean to her?
Ry: She wouldn't pay her toll, and I don't like that brown on her!
(She was a cute little African-American girl).

At the Y waiting for Julia's gymnastics class to end:
Ry to woman, 34ish years old: Are you here to pick up your grandkids?

At our house:
Ry to neighbor: Is there a baby in your belly?
Neighbor: Um, no...
Ry pointing to tummy area: What is that?

Who needs a toenail anyways...

A few weeks ago Julia fell and her toenail pulled up a bit. I never thought too much of it, until she started complaining this week that he toe was hurting. After closer inspection, and a trip to the pediatrician, we've learned that the nail will need to come off.
Here, she sits and soaks in "my salt" (Epson salt bath) for 30 minutes while reading library books.
I have a feeling this is going to mess with our pedicures just a bit...=)

Tennis and Gymnastics

Ok, so it might just be possible I have been waiting for this moment for the last 4 1/2 years! Ryan (and his friend Izzy) took their first tennis lesson today!
We'll just say we are a LONG way from Wimbledon...but some serious potential here. =)

And Julia took her first gymnastics class today! (Ok..confession, her first class in general! Poor second child has been dragged along to Ry's stuff, but this was the first thing I actually signed her up for!) See her face? All day I would say to her, "Julia, you are so cute!" and she would say "NO, I AM NOT!!"

Girls Weekend

I sure hope that "calories don't count with friends" is true, or we are in SUCH trouble! Emily, Melissa, Amanda and I just spent an awesome weekend down at the Lake...chillaxin, shopping, talking eating, and laughing, laughing and more laughing.
Melissa and I clearly missed our calling in life to be movie stars. =)

While I had a GREAT time with the girls, I must say one of the highlights actually happened on my return when Jeff told me, "Wow, I SO appreciate you! It was really hard with the kids and getting them all packed up and everything. And then I spent like half a day cleaning, and could hardly tell I even did any work!" Um, I think maybe I need to leave them more often!?!

Camping

The kids were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa Harriss (who have been gone for the entire summer in NY). They decided to drive up to Olney, IL and meet up with them on their journey home for a little weekend camping.

Kids at preschool = closet cleaning time =
I can never ever ever again use the excuse I have nothing to wear! =)

M-I-Z-Z-O-U

Does anyone know what in the world this formation is supposed to be?

What a great day (despite some rain!)we had at the Mizzou/Illinois Bragging Rights Game! We went kid-free (thanks Aunt Stacy!) for some tailgating fun with great friends, had a fantastic dinner at Llywelyn's and got to check out Lumiere Place (totally overated, in my opinion) before turning in for the night at Union Station.

Family Movie Night

Friday night + tired parents = indoor picnic/family movie night!

= very happy kiddos!