Is that the paparazzi?

I came across this word today and thought it was funny...Mom-a-raz-zi. Kind of like a paparazzi but a mom who runs around stalking their kids taking pictures. Hmm...that would be me. Hopefully some day they will thank me for it. This has become Cameron's face whenever he sees me coming with the camera.

So today I decided Cameron was going to learn how to have quiet time if it killed me. He has decided if he doesn't want to be in his bed he will start screaming. I call it scream talking, not really screaming but not really talking, kind of a mix of the two. The last few days of it I have gone in and attempted to get him to be quiet. Today I decided to take a lesson from the cry it out method and let him scream it out. Praying it works! He did it for what felt like FOREVER, which in reality was probably more like five minutes. He stopped and when I finally went in a few minutes ago he was snoozing away.

I know he still needs a nap. He is GROUCHY when he doesn't take one. So we'll see what happens over the next few weeks. Still praying this is all a phase because they really do need that nap to get them through the day. I would much rather move their bed time later if I have to than deal with the little crazy boys I have had the last two weeks from lack of sleep.

So now I am downloading the 169 pictures I took the last two days and doing laundry. Fun, fun. But thankful I am able to do that and praying for happy little boys when they wake. :)

So I am attempting to at least make the boys stay in their cribs for some quiet time and today Cameron was chattering away. I started listening to his conversation with himself and he started talking about taking his diaper off and then talking about how much he has grown. Then I hear him say how much his wee-wee has grown. Um, Houston we have a problem is the thought that came to mind.

Neither of the boys have ever taken their own diapers off just to take them off...yet. When he first started talking about it I thought he was just chattering, I hadn't heard anything. Then when those words came out of his mouth I knew something was up. Of course, I went in his room to find him in only his shirt. Oh my. So many changes in such a short time.

I don't think I have had a chance to mention Noah jumped out of his crib last night. M and I both had our backs turned (him putting in the night light and me closing the blinds) and all of the sudden we heard the thud I have been anxiously awaiting. I look back and Noah is laying on the floor and starts to cry. I think it scared him more than anything else and it scared the crap out of me as well. So he hasn't really stood up in his crib since, kind of hoping we don't have a repeat performance of either incidents any time in the near future. And I thought the no napping thing was enough to deal with! Guess we will be thinking about that toddler bed a little sooner than we anticipated. Thank goodness I had ordered the rails for their beds a few months ago so we already have them waiting!

I feel so very blessed to have these two little guys in my life! I am such a lucky Mommy!

I have truly come to realize that motherhood is not for the faint of heart. It has been over a week now since the boys have taken a nap and I am so at a loss of what to do all day long. Before we played hard in the morning and in the afternoon because they got all rested up at nap time. Now I am searching for the balance yet again. If we play too hard they are exhausted and cranky. If we don't play hard enough they start fighting with one another. Hmm, must learn to be a preschool teacher or something because those gals got it going on. They keep those little ones just busy enough with quiet times sprinkled throughout. Just can't seem to get anything accomplished around the house because I spend every minute it seems entertaining the kiddos. I know, I know, it will get better and I will figure it out. Just in time for them to change on me again I am sure. :)

So, this past week has been interesting. We have done a lot of stuff we probably wouldn't have done otherwise if they had been napping. But I know I can't do this every day of every week. So now we have to find a new routine and fast. Our old bed time is slowly creeping earlier and earlier. They are falling asleep in the car if we drive anywhere in the late afternoon so I know they are exhausted. Just refusing to nap in their beds. So what else can I do? They have quiet time in their beds for at least an hour and that's about it. I do wonder if this is a phase or if it is a permanent thing. I guess I am dreaming that it may be a phase. Ha! Oh how I am missing those naps already!

My sweet little one brought me flowers tonight. Hubby and Cameron came home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers this evening after a particularly hard dinner out with Noah. We (Noah and I ) came home while Cameron and M went to look at plants like I had promised Cameron we would do after dinner. It was a wonderful surprise and much needed cheering up for me. In kind of a fun the last few days. I am sure it has a lot to do with the feelings from trying to readjust the boys' schedules. Sigh.

Getting it all set back up

So, getting all my actions and things set back up on the new computer. I am AMAZED at how fast they run! It would literally take minutes for my old computer to run most of them and then half the time they wouldn't even work correctly. It took seconds, did you get that...seconds, for this one to run. Yippee! Wish I would have attempted this a little sooner. But it was fun. Know I will be playing with some photos the next few weeks for sure now.

Oh, also been working on getting all my duplicates gone from when my external hard drive crashed about a year and a half ago. I think once I finish that I will be able to finally do the boys' baby books! Yippee! Feeling like I have gotten so much done these last two weeks but really have nothing to show for it except for my own knowledge of the fact it got done. Sigh. But I feel better about it if that makes a difference. ;)

Wow, can't believe we are coming to the end of summer already. In one more week the boys will be back in "school" and fall will be just around the corner. So strange to live in a place we get four seasons. Just wonderful!

We had a good summer. This is Cameron playing with a ladybug while our friends were here visiting from Texas. A good time was had by all and of course they still talk about their friends from Texas. We even went to see some new friends here last week and she is now known as "different Cathy, not same as Rilee's mom" because she shares the same name as our friend from Texas. Very cute.

Still working on getting things moved around. Made a lot of progress in the beginning of last week and then pooped out. Hoping I will get it all done this week with regards to putting things away. It was nice to sit and pay bills in a spot over the weekend that I didn't have to pick it all up and move it around either when I started or when I was finished. Ah, good feeling. The little things that make a difference.

What happened to the train?

I guess the train lost it's steam. I haven't been able to touch my new toy, um, new computer for about a week and a half now. Sniff, sniff. I am not even keeping up with downloading my pictures very well these days. Ugh! But before too long I will have a little space of my own that doesn't have to travel and I will hopefully be better at doing these things again. Oh the thought of now having to pick everything up and find a new spot to pay the bills or download pictures thrills me. Oh the little things in life. Ha! But I am determined to do two things this week. First, scrap at least another double page layout for our 2008 book. Second, to get all my stuff moved up from the basement (if my back cooperates). If I do those two things I will be a happy camper. :)

Must work on updating the Project 365 blog! That's on my list for tomorrow. That and converting pictures to jpeg. :) Still haven't added my ACDSee to the new computer. Must take care of that too soon!

What a beautiful day...(as sung in Dora's voice)

I got my Nikon back today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Woo-hoo! Doing a happy dance. Two months without it and I was about to go crazy. Hopefully that won't be happening anytime again soon. I really, really missed it. And was sad I didn't have it this last weekend when our friends visited. But hey, I still need to download the photos from the entire last week so what am I saying????

We went to the zoo this morning. Had a great time. The boys were just too cute. I am amazed by them every day. Cameron is just talking up a storm. I know this child will have no trouble with the English language. He has started saying things I have no idea where he heard it from. Today he was so funny and sang himself to sleep for his nap singing the ABC song. The first time through he sang it perfectly. Then the 2nd and 3rd time it was all over the map. And the 4th time I had to laugh because he decided the numbers needed to be included as well. Just too, too cute.

My own room!

I'm finally going to get somewhere to put all my junk, um, stuff again. Woo-hoo! Can't wait. M decided to move his office to the basement so that means my stuff gets a room again. Can't wait. So very excited. Started the process today but I can tell you this is going to take a while. I have way too much "stuff" and between that and all the bills I need to go through from the last 2 years it will be a huge project. But determined to have a beautiful space all to myself in the next month or so. I need it. Right now I just feel like a nomad with the bill paying and scrapping. I think I will get busy more often with a space so close to the boy's room. I won't have to climb 2 levels to get to them at night so will be more willing to go "play" after they go to bed for a while. Woo-hoo!