Knight Party of 5

Cuteness

2012-01-27T08:15:00.001-08:00

I don't know why I think this is so cute, but when Carson watches a show this is one of his favorite ways to sit.

This is the other one...

Maybe it is because I'm his mom, but gosh that's cute!

Happy 2nd Birthday Carson

2012-01-25T17:35:00.001-08:00

We celebrated my baby boys second birthday today. It really does not seem possible that two years went by this fast. He is such an amazing addition to our family and I feel like I blinked my eyes and he was 2. I am totally lame in the fact that Joe and I looked at each other two weeks ago and realized our cuties birthday was soon. So, needless to say we did not do a big party, but instead celebrated just as a family. I know, I know, I owe this boy something big for his third birthday, right? I think he was quite content with our nice celebration though. We headed to the Honey Bee Diner for dinner and he was allowed to eat whatever his little two year old heart desired. Turns out, he wanted bacon and french fries. While it took all the restraint in my body to not force fruit or vegetables in him, I allowed it because it was his special day. We headed home for cupcakes made by Eli and mommy, sang happy birthday, and he dug in. I love my life, I love my boys!

It is rare to get a nice day in January, but it was 50 degrees today, so we were outside most of the day. Look at this sweet two year old smile!

I wish I would have videoed us singing to him because he was the absolute cutest thing I have seen. He just looked at us, looked at the cupcake, smiled, laughed, and then blew out those candles.

The aftermath!

Taking a snow day

2012-01-16T17:05:00.001-08:00

We are so lucky to have family that lives on Deep Creek Lake, which happens to be right next door to Wisp ski resort. Ben, Eli, and I headed there on Sunday to do some tubing. Unfortunately Carson had been battling a nasty virus, so Joe offered to stay home with him. We met up with my cousin Mikie and Aunt Bre came along for the trip too. It was the first year that Eli was tall enough to go and both boys had an amazing time. The weather was cold (18 degrees to be exact), but we put on lots of layers and had a blast.
My parents met up with us afterwards at my aunt and uncles house for a delicious dinner and to watch the rest of the Ravens game. Overall, it was a really good day!

Ben and Eli on the trip up. Eli fell over about 5 times and Ben fell once. It is so funny to watch them try to step on with their tubes...they look like litte drunk men.

Mikie and the boys. I am pretty sure Ben and Eli have a shrine set up to the Amazing Mikie somewhere.

Hello there cutie!

Aunt Bre, Mikie, and Ben went down together and had a blast!

Eli, being the ridiculously brave little boy that he is begged and begged me to let him go down by himself. I had been holding his tube for him so we went down together in the beginning. I was extremely nervous to let him because we were sliding down the hill really fast, snow was spraying us in the face, and we hit the barriers a few times too. Did not phase Eli one bit. He went down my himself while I stayed at the top of the mountain barely opening my eyes and screeching loudly as he just enjoyed the ride. Geesh!

Christmas Break

2012-01-05T09:07:00.001-08:00

Joe and Ben had 12 days off from work and school and we crammed as much as we possibly could into those days. Here are a few pictures from our fun.

Air and Space Museum with the Warnick's. Bella and Carson are completely enamored by airplanes, so this place is just too much fun for them. Ben, Addie, and Eli had a wonderful time as well. The favorite part of it was when they walked through an airplane. They would walk out and say where they had gone on their flight. We had everything from Canada to Tahiti.

Ben's letter to Santa: "Hi Santa, it is Ben. The pretzel thingies are for the elves for all their hard work. Thanks, Ben." I am pretty sure Santa enjoyed these treats and did not share them with the elves.

The tree with all the gifts under, beside, and in front of it. Santa spoiled these kids!

One of the best parts of Christmas was getting to spend a whole 24 hours with my nephew Liam. My brother and his girlfriend came to visit. That boy is super cute, and LOVED me! Ok, I might have used presents and lollipops to bribe him, but still, he loved me!

It has now become a tradition that every time Taylar and Cohen visit us we go rollerskating! It is one of my new favorite things to do with my boys! Ben and Eli dance as they skate and I just watch them and laugh. It is hilarious!

Thrill O Rama was our next way to entertain the troops. Ben and Eli had a friend join along and they all had a blast!

"Hey guys, can you stop for a second and let me take a picture?" This is what I got!

Natural History Museum is one of my favorite places to take the boys. It is any little boys dream to go look at dinosaurs and everything else the museum has to offer. We are excited for Spring to get here so we can go from museum to museum with the boys. There is just so much to do in DC and it is so close to us, we love to take advantage of it. Not to mention, it is all free...just walk right in! Love it!

Ben has become quite the dinosaur expert. He knew what everyone was without reading the signs. This is Ben, Eli, and Nick in front of the Allosaurus.

The kids room at the museum was great! Lots of stuff to touch, do, and learn. My boys were in heaven!

Unfortunately, the break came to an end. Joe had to go back to work and Ben back to school. Joe had a hard time getting out of bed on Tuesday and Ben tried to convince me he should stay home from school just one more day. It is the downside of having so much family fun...no one ever wants it to end!

The finished product

2011-12-04T17:48:00.001-08:00

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-03T12:35:00.001-08:00

I was really looking forward to getting a tree this year. I'm not sure why, but for some reason I am really excited for Christmas this year. All three boys are a great age to enjoy all of the festivities and I have always loved Christmas, so I think that helps a bit.
We went to get our tree at the place we always go. It was hands down the quickest we have ever picked a tree. Eli picked one that was too small, so we told him we needed a bigger one. He then went on to look at a big one and said he wanted that one, Ben took a look and said it was perfect, Carson shook his head and there you have it...tree picked.

Carson does this for every picture now. It was really cute the first 150 times, and still is cute if you ask me.

Tree hunting fun!

Not all the way done, but I had to take a break because the more I put on, the more Carson took off. Yep, it is going to be that kind of battle with Carson this year.

We went to see Santa and this was the best picture I could get. Carson went right up to him and gave him a high five and I was thinking to myself how great it would be for him to not be scared of Santa...it would make for a great picture. After the high five, he quickly went running. Eli was happy to talk to him from far away. He went down his list as quick as he could and did not make eye contact. It went something like this. "Um, I want a pogo stick, Disney Universe, a Finn McMissle car, a Ravens Jersey, a Ravens pillow pet, and transformers." All in about 2.3 seconds. Ben actually sat there and had a logical conversation with Santa. It went like this, "I've been really good and I really want the new Zelda game." He placed all his eggs in one basket hoping to get the Zelda game. That boy is so ridiculously cute!

No Christmas trip to the mall would be complete without riding the train, right? Here there are waiting at the station for the next train.

I thought for sure Carson would try to stand up or get out, but he just sat there enjoying every second. These boys of mine are so excited for Christmas and I just love this time of year with my family!

Roller Kids!

2011-11-28T19:31:00.001-08:00

We wanted to take the kids ice skating during Thanksgiving break, but since it was close to 65 degrees everyday, we had to settle for rollerskating. Let me just say, it turned out to be a great decision. Three out of the four kids had never been before so the first hour was a bit rough, but soon after that everyone got the hang of it and they were off...

Eli fell a bunch, but he always got right back up. He was dancing, skating, moving, and shaking all over the place!

I always would tell Joe stories about how I used to own the roller rink when I was little. One of the contests we had when I was little was "shoot the duck". I was always the winner and I am not sure Joe believed me...until I sent him this....This mama has still got it! WOOT WOOT!!!

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Turkey Day 2011

2011-11-28T19:30:00.001-08:00

This was the first time Joe and I had ever hosted Thanksgiving and we did not disappoint (if I do say so myself). Joe did the turkey and I was in charge of all the sides. First of all, I have to give mad props to my amazing husband...he did so much research on how to best make a turkey and it was hands down the best any of the 16 people at our house had tasted. He did a brine on it 2 days before, then did a fresh heb butter crust and stuffed it with fresh herbs, an apple, onions, and a cinnamon stick. I definitely gave him a hard time for going to all this trouble and expense, but man did it pay off and I had to eat my words...I chose instead to eat the turkey!

I worked hard on all the traditional sides and I must say I rocked them! I searched high and low for a perfect stuffing recipe. I wanted a traditional stuffing like my mom always made and I found the right "stuff" (oh my gosh, am I really that lame that I take any attempt for a joke???). I also made my sisters sweet potato recipe, which is more like sweet potato dessert, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and rolls. Yeah, Joe and I make a great Thanksgiving team!

Happy 4th Birthday Eli

2011-10-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

My sweet, precious Eli:
To think we almost lost you! Your dad and I think back on that day when you were just 5 weeks old and can not believe it ever happened. You are so full of life and love and we just can not imagine what might have been because we have you here with us. It is funny because when we were in the hospital and things were not going well for you, there was a moment when you looked right into my eyes and locked onto them as if you were telling me that everything was going to be okay. Your eyes were the brightest blue I have EVER seen when you were staring into mine and I somehow knew that everything would be okay. And they are! Your heart is strong, your mind is smart, and you are perfect!
What do I love the most about you? There is just so much that I could never list it all, but a few that come to mind are...
Your love for your family. You are constantly kissing and hugging daddy, mommy, Ben, and Carson and although Carson will usually meet your hugs with a giant push or a smack to your shoulder, you keep trying to win him over. You love your big brother so much that you only want to eat, wear, and do what he eats, wears, and does. I love watching the two of you play together. Brothers have a special bond, and I am so thankful that there are two brother for you to rely on in your life.You are my little cuddle bug and I love the fact that you are now 4 years old and will still cuddle with your mama. I hope that never changes, although I know it will. I love that you get excited when daddy walks in from work and that you immediately ask him to play football, play soccer, go outside, or play legos with you.
Your adventurous side. Some might say you are a daredevil, but I like to say you crave adventure. From very early on, we could tell that although there was a three year age difference between you and Ben, you would try your hardest to keep up with your big brother. Your ninja skills, dance moves, soccer stats, and your willingness to ride any ride in Disney World shows me just how special you are. Tower of Terror 4 times as a three year old...really? :)
Your voice. Although it took you a while to start talking, once you did you became even cuter (not sure how that was even possible). You say the cutest things and have the greatest way of mixing up phrases and words to become even more adorable! When you come up to me and say, "You're my girl!" I am convinced you hung the moon! Your laugh is heartwarming and your smile makes me happy!
Bone-Zah. What can I say? You named your bike Bone-Zah and you have actual conversations with it while you are riding it. I absolutely love this about you. "Are you ready for a great ride Bone-Zah? Thanks Bone-Zah for not making me fall when I went really fast! Bone-Zah, I love you!" Seriously, could you be any cuter?

I could go on and on my sweet second born son, but I will end with that. Your dad and I are so glad that you fought so hard to stay here with us and we get to watch you grow up! It is an honor and a privilege to be your parents! We love you!

DISNEY WORLD 2011

2011-10-12T07:51:00.001-07:00

Oh Disney World, how we love thee!

We just returned home from 10 glorious days in Disney. We were lucky enough to go with my dad, my sister and her family, and my other sister. It was an absolutely amazing time and we all made some wonderful memories! Here are just a few pictures from our trip. Enjoy!

Ben & Eli brushing up on their plane safety procedures. Hilarious!

I am pretty sure Buzz Lightyear has been a hero to all three of my boys! This time, Carson was mesmerized by him. He was pushing all of his buttons and giving him lots of hugs and kisses. It was so sweet!

A sweet moment in the hotel room!

Pop-Pop with Big and Middle on Test Track! This was a definite favorite ride and they rode it probably 10 times during our trip.

Nap time! Disney is exhausting in case you didn't know. I definitely had visions of myself jumping in that stroller and falling asleep while someone pushed me around. A girl can dream, right?

Ben in line for Rockin' Rollercoaster for which he was extremely excited for until I made the mistake of telling him there were two loops and you go upside down. Silly me....he chickened out! I should have just kept my mouth shut! Lesson learned! I kept quiet on Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Expedition Everest and he LOVED them!

Eli with the costume from the Power Rangers movie. Best Day Ever for Eli!

Big and Middle with their cousins! Can it get any better than Disney World with your cousins? Nope!

Goofy practicing the Thriller Dance...I think?? Kind of a weird photo, but those three boys were so happy to see Pirate Goofy!

Carson was absolutely enamored by all the characters! It was the sweetest thing. Goofy actually got down on the ground for him and let him sit on his lap. They played for a while too. It was really fun to watch!

Carson cooling off in the water fountain at Epcot! It was HOT!!!

Eli on his favorite carousel horse!

Kind of looks like Jessie is making moves on my husband, right?? That girl and her yarn hair...she better step off! ;)

I remember watching the Electrical Parade when I was a little girl! I made sure they boys did not miss this! They absolutely loved it and as soon as I heard that music for the parade, I got giddy! It was the same music from when I was there in 1987! Nostalgic!

Super blurry picture, but this was Carson, Eli, and myself on the Buzz ride!

Face painting is cool!

Three

2011-09-20T17:31:00.001-07:00

Three is my absolute favorite number! Three boys, three smiles, three belly laughs, three sets of pajamas, three sets of teeth to brush, three kisses good night. Three...I love it!

Happy Birthday Ben!

2011-09-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

To my sweet, precious, first born son:
It has been 7 years since I pushed all 9lbs, 4ozs of you out and from that second on I have been a mommy...the most amazing gift I have ever been given. It has been a pleasure to watch you grow into the most wonderful 7 year old I have ever met. I love everything about you! I love your deep belly laugh when something is really funny or you are being tickled by your daddy. I love your excitement about school, soccer, being outside, and trying new things. I love that you are cautious when riding your bike and wont allow your daddy to let go. I love that you have jumped off a diving board just to get a popsicle, but wont do it anymore since we cut off the treats. I love dropping you off at school and watching you turn around and give me the "I love you" sign before you walk into school everyday. I love that you are so confident in yourself that you try to instill that confidence in other children. You have always had a sweet disposition that not only your mommy and daddy have noticed, but other adults always comment on. We have always been proud of you, and that pride grows everyday. I look forward to every second I spend with you and I know the 7th year of your life is only going to make you more wonderful!
We love you Ben!

Eli, the fish!

2011-09-02T11:57:00.001-07:00

Eli decided he wanted to jump off the diving board too! He is getting really close to not needing the floaties anymore too! What a big boy!

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

GOOOOOOOO Ravens!

2011-08-26T08:05:00.001-07:00

I seriously have the best husband in the whole world! He received tickets from a buddy for the Ravens-Chiefs game and instead of him going with some friends or taking the boys himself, he insisted on staying hom to watch Carson while I took Ben, Eli, Bre, and another friend. He knows I love football and so do my boys, so it was a very nice treat! We had an amazing time!

-

Could the smiles get any bigger on these precious faces?

YouTube Video

Eli really got into the game. This was just one of his many screaming matches...a Ravens fan joined in at the end just to have some fun. Eli had the whole section we were in laughing like crazy the whole game!

First day of First Grade

2011-08-26T08:01:00.001-07:00

It is quite hard to believe my baby is in first grade! He was so excited for school to start, but also a little sad to see his summer vacation come to an end. I have to admit I did cry just a smidge the night before as I was packing his lunch, but only because I will genuinely miss his company. We had a wonderful summer break and I am really excited for all that Ben will learn this year.

The post in which I post lots of pictures!

2011-08-12T07:16:00.001-07:00

I really have tried to keep up with this blog over the summer, but I was looking through a bunch of pictures and realized I had not posted a bunch of good ones. So, this is me posting lots of pictures with quick little blurbs about our summer.

Soccer Camp, round 1. I absolutely adore when Ben and Eli pose for cute pictures like this. It shows how much they actually enjoy being around each other.

Carson entertaining himself on our trip to Deep Creek Lake. Whatever works for him to not be screaming in the car works for me!

Carson practicing for future breaking of bones!

Sweet, Sweet cousins at the lake!

Eli practicing for future slam dunks!

Boat time with my boys! So much fun!

Cousin Mikie is adored by my boys!

Ben and Eli loved being at the front of the boat.

Mommy and Carson feelin' fine on the back of the boat.

Carson eating asparagus, rice, and salmon. His favorite meal!

Carson eating paint. His favorite non-food meal.

Carson breaking all the skeeball laws.

Laser Tag fun. Eli is ready to go!

Eli thought he was ready to go, but soon decided the gun was bigger than he was and it was 99 degrees outside, so he decided to sit and eat popsicles while everyone else played.

Ben was really good and had the best time ever! We left Sarah's birthday party with Ben wanting to have a Laser Tag birthday party instead of going to Disney World. Huh?

Joe and his Laser Tag boys! How cute are they?

Saturday morning cartoons for these cool cutiepies!

Carson trying to get in touch with his cool side too!

Carson two newest loves...Puppies & Elmo.

Ben playing black light mini golf!

Carson's security team for our walk around the neighborhood.

Ben & Owen on the Baysox carousel. These boys have been lifelong friends. It is really cute to see them hang out together.

I don't know how we manage to have this much fun all the time, but I guess we are just really lucky! I am not looking forward to Ben going back to school and summer being over, but we are just 48 days away from our Disney trip and everyone is getting so excited!

Fishing at Downs Park

2011-08-08T12:57:00.001-07:00

After a nice picnic on a 95 degree day, the boys wanted to do some fishin'. They caught the bug while in North Carolina at N&GD's house. The only problem with that was that they expected to catch fish like they did in NC too, and that my friends did not happen.

The beginning of what seemed like forever out on the pier.

Ben's turn to cast and be disappointed when it came up empty. Seriously, these were some sad boys. Almost to the point where I was chuckling a bit at the expectations of a 6 and a 3 year old as they fished.

I was given Carson duty. Do you know how hard it is to entertain an 18 month old on a pier with merely sippy cups? We played a little sippy cup roulette. He loved it!

You can see from those bright red cheeks that it was really hot out.

The day ended with Ben and Eli not catching anything, but we still had a wonderful time with a great picnic, snowballs, and playing on the playground. Not a bad way to spend a day if you ask me.

July...in a nutshell!

2011-07-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I fooled myself into believing that summer would be laid back, relaxed, and easy. I thought for sure I would sleep in everyday, go to the pool, and eat lots of yummy BBQ. Boy was I wrong! I can't even keep up with our schedule, let alone a blog. So, you will have to forgive me, but here is July...in a nutshell.
July began with Justin, Sara, and the girls heading to the West Coast and since we had become so accustomed to having guests, we welcomed more. Matt and Will from the UK showed up on the 4th of July and we hosted them for a week as they coached our boys (and about 30 other children) in soccer camp. We had an absolute blast with them and have made sure to stay in touch and have them over for dinner here and there as they remain super cool in our boys eyes! We are hoping to get at least one of them back for another week when the boys attend soccer camp again in August. It was bloody brilliant having them here!

The middle of July took us to Pinehurst, NC to visit Nonny and Grandad. The drive down was absolute torture, as Carson continued to not impress us with his patience in the car. Seriously, that boy, who is normally quite happy and pleasant, really has a hard time on road trips. Joe and I are hoping the power of the DVD player in the car kicks in soon. Once we arrived though, all was forgotten as we had a fantastic long weekend. Nonny made sure our stomachs were constantly full and our sweet tooth was always quenched. I am pretty sure I gained a few pounds and I definitely had to go into food detox when we got home, but it was all worth it.
The boys had a fabulous time as well. The picture to the right is the three of them after church on Sunday. Carson actually stayed in the nursery with a complete stranger watching him while I went to the church service. I was shocked that he lasted and I did not get paged to come and get him because he was on the ground screaming for his mom. I actually thought the pager they gave me did not work, but when I went in to get him after church he was perfectly happy and playing. Imagine that!

The next day consisted of fishing, golf, going to the pool, driving around the neighborhood in the golf cart, and running through the golf course sprinkler.
Here is Eli throwing his pole into a pond that had to have the most hungry fish I had ever met in it. They literally caught a fish on almost every cast. I really hope they don't expect this kind of action every time they fish with their father because man will they be disappointed when they realize just how ~~boring~~ slow real fishing is.

Ben's turn. He caught about 6 fish. Seriously, I kid you not...almost every cast resulted in a fish on the hook. It was crazy!

Carson wanted to join in on all the fishing fun, so Joe let him touch the fish that I caught. Yes, you read that right...I caught a fish and Carson touched it. Eww! I didn't even touch it...fish are gross and slimy and I did not even mean to catch it. I only made one attempt and it resulted in the little guy. On our next trip to NC, I am thinking Carson will be ready to make his first real go at it.

And now here comes the golf. Ben and Eli were so excited to play! It is really nice that Nonny and Grandad live right on the golf course and we can just walk down their deck stairs and begin playing on the 3 hole Challenge Course in their neighborhood. It can't get much better than that for two little boys!
Ben had some really nice shots and is getting really good and loving golf. I think Joe is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of his drought from golf due to having small kids and wanting to spend time at home with the family and he is happy!

By the time Eli left the golf course, he had decided he wanted to quit soccer and pursue golf full time. How funny is this 3 year old? He was completely serious too! He is convinced he is the future 2033 US Open champion. I welcome the opportunity for him to buy Joe and I a huge house!

Joe and two of his sweet, sweet boys on the course. How I love these guys!

As the boys were finishing up, the sprinklers came on. Can you blame them for throwing their clubs in the air and running toward the water? They had an absolute blast getting soaked and Ben got a taste of what water pressure can feel like as he got too close to the spout. Ouch!

I am pretty sure Nonny and Grandad played 164 games of Kids Sequence with Ben and Eli. It is a new favorite board game of theirs and Ben begs us to get it, but I think if we were to get it, it would not be special when we go for a visit. He will just have to wait until we head back down to Pinehurst to play again.

And just because I can, I thought I would end with this picture of Carson. He is not happy at all that I am trying to take his picture and he is trying really hard not to smile. Mission accomplished my dear!

That is it for now. I will have to finish up later as Eli is sitting next to me telling me he is tired. You know when a kid tells you he is tired, he is really tired and I should not mess with his willingness to go to bed!

Big Helpers

2011-07-04T07:34:00.001-07:00

I usually hate going grocery shopping with the boys, but...this is my all time favorite trip to the grocery store ever!

Summer Fun, part 2

2011-06-30T09:18:00.001-07:00

I don't think I went into much detail in the last post about the company we had. Our best friends, Justin and Sara have been living in the Philippines for the last three years with their beautiful daughters. They have now moved home for the next 6 months and stayed with us for 10 days or so. It has been nothing but fun having them around...well, fun mixed in with some really tired kids at the end of the day because we keep the kids busy all day long. We are trying to completely monopolize their time while they are here and we do not feel bad about it one bit. :)

How can it get more American Summer than making smores in the backyard over a campfire?

Carson and Bella having some little kid time on the trampoline.

Carson instantly fell in love with their dog, Lucy. Thankfully we are borrowing her for a few weeks while the Warnick's go to the west coast to visit Sara's family. It might be the best thing or the worst thing ever...best because we get a dog for the boys and we can give her back, but worst because it might mean that these boys will need a dog after having Lucy visit us. YIKES!

Eli tends to fight taking a nap now, but when given the option to sleep in a tent for his nap, he was so excited that he fell fast asleep!

The Knight boys keep getting cuter and cuter...how is this even possible?

Fun in the Hammock!

My beautiful blue eyed Carson...how I love this boy!

Popsicles are Carson's new found love.

We are such Marylanders...duckpin bowling for 10 please!

Ben LOVES bowling!

Sprinkler water must taste better than regular water because Carson did this for about 30 minutes straight.

It doesn't get any better than summer with my boys, my husband, and some old friends.

Summer Fun

2011-06-28T13:45:00.001-07:00

I think I am going to have to start from the beginning and try to play catch up on our summer so far. Ben has only been out of school for two weeks and already we have done so many fun things and have been so busy.

Ben's summer vacation started soon after this picture was taken. This was Ben's Kindergarten teacher, Miss Ann. I could go on and on about how amazing she is, but I think I would put too many words on the page. I am so sad that she will not be his teacher every year, but I am also looking forward to him having new experiences in first grade. Can you believe it? I have a first grader. It makes my head spin.

Ben being goofy and throwing peace signs into the air with his buddies, Travis and Andrew on the last day of school.

What would summer be without baseball in the field next to our house? This might be one of my favorite things my boys do when we have a good group of kids at the house. We pull a big bucket of wiffle balls out, lay bases down, and the kids just play. The best part of this game was that we had our friends Justin & Sara and their beautiful girls with us to join in on the fun. WOO HOO!!!

Eli is OUT...or is he? Luckily we have no umpires, so he pretty much is never out. :)

Ben is up to the plate...hits it out of the park.

Kinder Farm Park time with the Warnick girls and Knight boys. Can it get any better?

The kids were entertained by these bars for almost an hour. Seriously, they all kept going down it over and over. It looked like so much fun.

Addie was loving this!

Yes, I made them stop and pose for this picture, but not before Eli yelled at Ben for running into him. Aw, the joys of brotherhood.

We did the park part first, now came the farm part...pigs, goats, cows, rabbits, chickens, sheep, and more. This park has it all.

Carson liked to feed the rabbits grass.

The 4 biggest kids feeding a sheep.

This picture instantly makes me laugh. See, my second born son has an extremely sensitive nose. He can smell things better than anyone I have ever met. Since he does have this heightened sense of smell, you can just imagine the barns did not go over well for him. In fact, he took one step into the barn and began choking and gagging. He was miserable and immediately left and stood this far away.

This rabbit wanted to eat Ben's hair...what can I say...everyone loves his hair. :)

This really is just the beginning of our summer. I will try to update it more in the next day or two, but for now, ENJOY!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weekend with Family

2011-06-11T18:39:00.001-07:00

We spent the weekend with my sister and her family in Pittsburgh. It had been a while since we were there, so the boys were in heaven to spend the time with their cousins. Everyone is old enough now where they all play so well together and get along great! We love spending time with family!

My beautiful niece Taylar...she is getting so big and is so sweet!

It takes a real man to drive a pink and purple Barbie Jeep. Good thing Cohen and Carson are real men!

Blue eyes, blue shirt, blue slide...I see a theme!

The kiddos playing soccer. The weekend was filled with every sport known to man. They played soccer, volleyball, badminton, horseshoes, and a ton more!

Wingspan 2011

2011-06-05T18:35:00.001-07:00

Ben's school throws a big party twice a year called Wingspan. It is basically just a celebration of learning and a time for the kids to show off all of their work that they have done through the semester. On Friday, all five of us lovely Knights showed up to see Ben in action.
It was an absolutely beautiful day outside and luckily many of the festivities took place out in the gorgeous weather. We started the day in Ben's classroom where we were able to see Ben's field work journal, his coloring book that the class published (how cool is that???), we dug for things using tongs to see what it is like to be a crab, and we ate foods that the Oriole eat. If you could not tell, Ben has been learning about the Maryland Blue Crab and the Oriole on his latest class expedition. I know I have said it before, but I will say it again...his school is amazing!
After the inside portion of the day, we headed outside...

The first stop was reading outside with the class. Miss Sharon led everyone in a great book.

The next activity was a relay race where all the kids had to take a beach mat, Hawaiian shirt, straw hat, big sunglasses and run them to a point and put them on, take them off, then run back. I would have taken pictures, but I was one of the parents helping to make sure it ran smoothly. It was very cute and the kids had a great time. After the relay races, the kids moved on to the Snowball truck. Yes, his school had snowballs for every single mother, father, sister, brother, and student. AWESOME!

Carson enjoyed the day too! He was so cute running everywhere then plopping down and picking the grass. He might have tasted it a few times too!

Eli was so excited to be at school with Ben, and Ben was so happy to have him there.

The view from here

2011-06-01T15:50:00.001-07:00

Things are looking up!

Every good thing must come to an end!

2011-05-24T09:27:00.001-07:00

Soccer went out with a bang this weekend as Ben and Eli's season ended with ASA day. It was a very long hot day full of me running around to game after game and trophy presentation after trophy presentation. Joe was still out of town on a trip so I was super mom juggling three kids between 4 games (Ben had a tournament). It was complete madness but we made it through and the boys had a fantastic day. Now the question is, what will we do with all our free time since soccer is over?

The boys with Talon, the mascot for DC United. They were in awe of him an asked for him to sign their jerseys. There were also 2 of the DC United players there too but the boys were more impressed by Talon.

When Eli was awarded his trophy Ben went up and gave him a high five and posed for this picture....brothers are amazing!

Paint

2011-05-20T08:49:00.001-07:00

I have painted a few times with Carson before, but I always made it a controlled activity. The time had come for me to allow him to just have free reign and go for it. Here is what happened...

Notice the paint near his mouth. Yes, he tried to eat it!

So, he is not exactly Picasso, but I think it looks pretty good.

Now he is really getting into it!

Eli joined in on the fun and had to show off his beautiful hands.

Boys will be boys...

2011-05-16T08:41:00.001-07:00

Three adorable boys chillaxin in a hammock on a beautiful day...it doesn't get much better than that.

Eli and his buddy Colin. When together, they never wear shirts. It is part of their man code I guess.

See, I told you...they never wear shirts.

Oh, and they included their buddy Evan in on the fun this time.

What a cutie!

Carson doesn't quite understand the no shirt thing yet.

Ben with his buddies Travis and Andrew.

Mothers Day

2011-05-09T06:51:00.001-07:00

I am not sure I fully grasped what Mothers Day meant until I had children of my own. It truly is a day for us moms to realize the value of ourselves. I am so lucky that my family views it this way and in turn I receive some much needed pampering and family time.
My day started out with sleeping in until 9:00. Yes, that might be a new record since becoming a mom. Unfortunately, I did not go to sleep until 1:00 am thanks to the ever so wonderful people at Starbucks for not making my 3:00 pm Happy Hour Half Price Frappucino decaf (yes, it effects me that much). So, all in all, I had a great nights sleep...8 glorious hours of uninterrupted sleep.
I woke up to breakfast made to order. I decided on grits, eggs, veggie sausage, and toast. It was delicious and made special by my favorite guys. After breakfast, we went to the local greenhouse and purchased lots of flowers to spruce up the front yard. While #2 and #3 took naps, Joe and I planted all the new flowers and took out a few trees. Turns out, removing trees that have been in the ground for 17 years is much harder than we thought it would be. It took forever!
We then headed out to a late lunch/early dinner with the boys at one of our favorite, family friendly places. It actually went smoothly and we all enjoyed our meals. Carson did have a thing about continuing to throw his cup on the ground, but all in all, it was a successful meal out...that does not happen often, which is why we do not eat out much.
When we came home, the boys and I headed into the backyard to play. Our swingset has three swings on it...perfect for our three boys!

While I had the boys outside, Joe finished up the work on dessert...homemade ice cream. The boys had helped him earlier in the day, but I think the thrill of it was lost to the backyard. The ice cream turned out to be amazingly delicious.

I decided on the flavor. Chocolate, Chocolate Chip. One of my all time favorites! The recipe was perfect and we all enjoyed it...including Carson, who had a few bites from my bowl. I have a feeling we will be using this ice cream maker more often now.

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Move Over Chris Brown

2011-05-05T06:11:00.001-07:00

YouTube Video

He is much cuter, much nicer, and possibly dances just as well as Chris.

Running Man

2011-05-04T19:45:00.001-07:00

Carson loves to run away from me. The second I put him down, he is off. I wonder if he is mad that I make him eat vegetables, or mad that I put him in Eli's hand me down shoes...(poor kid, being boy #3 he does not get much that is new), maybe he gets mad that I take away the dandelions and grass before he eats too much of it...who knows? All I know is that he pedals his little feet as fast as he can, and laughs and laughs as if he thinks he might really get away from me. At least on this occasion he decided to come back.

Anyone else think he looks entirely too big in this picture to be my baby Car-Car? Wow, it goes way too fast!

Gotta love Spring

2011-04-29T08:31:00.001-07:00

I am sitting on our deck right now watching Eli continue to play as hard as he can. We already jumped on the trampoline, played on the swingset, watered the dirt (there are no flowers yet), and he is still going at full speed. I wish I had that kind of energy!
In the background he is singing a cute song and counting to 23, because after that he jumps to 26 and gets all discombobulated. It is in moments like this where I truly love spring. It is so wonderful to watch my kids play games they make up, get dirty, and enjoy the warm days. We sure do miss Ben though when he is in school and have started our countdown to June 14th, which is the last day of school.
Enjoy some Spring pictures...

While Ben was at soccer practice, Eli and Carson took the time to perfect their dandelion blowing skills.

Carson was amazed by these little things. He ate a few bites of them too!

Yesterday C-Man had to get his 15 month shots...he was rewarded with his first lollipop ever. He was a big fan!

Just a little morning fun with the boys before we take Ben to school. Could they be any cuter?

Little bites of goodness

2011-04-25T11:33:00.001-07:00

This is what I call my latest culinary attempt. I found a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel bars and since those are my three favorite food groups I decided to give them a try.

I made these with the help of Ben & Eli and thought I would share the recipe. It is quite simple so the kids love to help but takes a while because you have to cool the bars after each step. Give them a try and enjoy the little goodness bars for yourself.

First mix 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 sticks salted butter (room temperature) in mixer until it looks like this

Then spread into a 13x9 baking dish. Use a fork to poke breathing holes (yes, that is what I call them) into the dough. It should look something like this

After that, distract your 14 month old with some tupperware like this so you have time to open the oven.

Bake the shortbread crust at 300 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

After the shortbread crust is cool you will need to find these ingredients:

Melt 14 ounces of caramel in the microwave for about three minutes (do this in 1 minute increments or it could burn). I added 1 tsp of cream to help it melt smoothly. It should look like this.

Pour the melted caramel on top of cooled shortbread crust and make it as even as possible. Then place the crust and caramel in refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until hard.

Meanwhile, unwrap 17 ounces of miniature Reeses cups and place in a microwave safe bowl. Only eat 2 of them or else the bars will be ruined.

After the caramel is hard, melt the Resee cups in the microwave in 30 second increments for about 90 seconds. Stir chocolate and peanut butter until somewhat smooth and then pour on as the top layer. Place in fridge to cool for about 2 hours and then cut into them and enjoy!

Your Welcome!

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Spring Break Fun

2011-04-20T09:16:00.001-07:00

My Ben is home from school this week on Spring Break. This means that I am in heaven! We have already done lots of fun stuff and we leave tomorrow morning for a weekend in New York City. We have plans to go the the Central Park Zoo and make a stop in FAO Schwartz. The boys are very excited!

Here are some pictures from our week so far...

We started off by dying Easter eggs. The boys got super fancy this year as they used sports wraps on their eggs. Eli was very impressed that his eggs looked like footballs, soccer balls, and more.

Yesterday we headed to Rolly Pollies for some fun since it was raining. The boys had a blast getting some energy out and I was enjoying every second of watching my three boys have a blast.

I love Spring Break with my boys!!!!

A very much deserved weekend away

2011-04-18T12:46:00.001-07:00

Besides an overnight trip to Blacksburg for a VT football game when I was pregnant with Carson (that consisted of a 5 hour drive down to VT, then watching the game, eating a quick dinner, driving to the hotel, sleeping, and then wake up the next morning and driving 5 hours home) Joe and I had not spent a night away from our boys ever! It almost sounds pathetic as I type this, but it is true.
With Ben, he was our first baby and we all know that a first time mom leaving her baby just doesn't happen much. I had built myself up to being able to leave for a weekend away when Eli came along, but that pesky heart condition got in the way of that. So, I promised my amazing husband that as soon as Carson was done nursing, we would go away together.
First of all, do you know how hard it is to coordinate a weekend away when you have three kids? It took an army to watch our boys and keep up with their schedule. Thank God for my dad and sisters because they came in and took over.
Joe and I went to the Gaylord National in DC and although it was only about 45 minutes away, it was the perfect first weekend away. The resort is impressive, beautiful, and fancy. The staff went out of their way to make you feel welcome and Joe had a few surprises up his sleeve. The first one being this...

I know, I know... Every girls dream, right? There were petals leading from the door to the bed on the floor too.
The next surprise consisted of amazingly delicious chocolate covered strawberries in our room.
Oh, and to make even the happiest of wives drool, he also had flowers delivered to the room. I have absolutely no idea how I got so lucky but I will say my face hurt all weekend from smiling so much.
We had a great room with a view of the harbor from our atrium balcony.

The weekend went fast, but it was the perfect amount of time to be away and to be reminded of how much we love each other. Hopefully it will not be 7 years before we get to go again.

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Third Day Concert

2011-04-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

My sister, Bre, is ~~somewhat~~ ridiculously obsessed with a Christian rock band called "Third Day". She has been to probably 50 or so of their concerts and has driven as far away as 8 hours to see them. After hearing about this band for the past few years, I decided to try them out for myself and see what all her fuss was about. Ben, Eli, Bre, and myself headed to the Patriot Center last Friday for a Third Day concert. Bre is a member of their "Wired" club so every concert she goes to she can bring up to 5 people with her to the pre-show meet and greet with the band. It was pretty cool to meet them with my boys since they knew all of their names and their songs (yes, Bre has brainwashed them in to knowing everything Third Day). Eli was really excited right up until we met them and then he all of a sudden became shy, hence the picture of him hiding his face...

It was a really good show, but unfortunately I did not get to see too much of it since Ben felt sick (this is the part of the story where I tell you about spending $5.00 on a bag of popcorn because the boys HAD to have it, only to have to dump it out all over the floor so Ben would have something to throw up into, only to have him not throw up into the bag, only to have to leave the concert early so he felt better....ahhh, the joys of kids at their first concert). I told Bre that I would just have to tag along (sans kids) on the next one. I think she made a Third Day fan out of me...maybe not up to her caliber, but I definitely enjoy the music.

Little Kid, Big Chair

2011-04-06T18:39:00.001-07:00

Carson is really using his 14 month old legs these days. One of his most favorite things to do is to climb on anything and everything in the house. He loves to climb on the ottoman and then leap across, arms in the air like Superman to the big comfy chair. The first two or three times he did this my heart jumped out of my chest, but he just smiled and laughed like it was any other skill he has. Hooray for boys!!!!

Oh, and here he is laughing at my funny faces in the car while we wait for Ben to come put of school. I gotta do something with the time...might as well make my boys laugh.

YouTube Video

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What to wear?

2011-03-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

I can only think of two downsides of being a stay at home mom. The first being the lack of adult conversation. I mean, I love hearing all about Power Rangers and the latest soccer practice antics from the mouths of my babies, but at the same time there are those days where I would love to talk politics or a great sale or even the latest Hollywood gossip. Not everyday....but there are a few days where I yearn for anyone over the age of 20 to hang out all day with me.
The second would have to be the wardrobe, or lack there of for my job. While most days entail jeans and a decent shirt (a small step above the baggy sweats that some moms wear all day) that is mostly in fashion, I have absolutely no dressy clothes whatsoever. I have my college room mates bridal shower this weekend and I am in panic mode about what to wear. I have not seen her in a while and have added two kids to the mix. She has a great job and no kids...two things that allow her to have freedom. And while I would not change my lack of freedom for anything in this entire universe...three kids, soccer practice four nights a week, grocery shopping, making dinner, cleaning, doing laundry for a family of 5, playing games, kicking like a crazy ninja to amuse Eli (and most of the time Carson get a good laugh too), and everything else my job entails does not leave me one free hour to run to the mall to find a super cute outfit to wear to this shower. I am hoping for rain because that means soccer is canceled, which means I might be able to sneak away for a quick shopping extravaganza (insert me doing ancient Indian rain dance here). If not, looks like I will be driving to Virginia Beach this weekend in the same outfit I wore for Ben's baptism. Hmph!!!

Lego Magazine

2011-03-27T06:31:00.001-07:00

I am sure this is part of many boys lives but in our house when the Lego magazine arrives in the mail there are some screeches and screams mixed in with a few jumps into the air. This time when it arrived Ben and Eli raced off to read it together. A few seconds later this is what I found...

I remember playing with Legos when I was a kid but I think my boys take it to a whole new level. We can not pass the Lego Store in the mall without going in. Ben has quite the collection of these little pieces of plastic in a tub under his bed. Eli is starting his collection earlier than Ben with the Lego Duplo collection. By now, we should own some large portion of the Lego empire.

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Wisp

2011-03-21T12:09:00.001-07:00

We packed up for our first road trip in a while (well at least since Carson was more than just a blob of an infant) and headed to Wisp Resort for the weekend. We met one of my college friends there on Saturday and spent the day with them. It was so wonderful to see her and her family since it had been over two years since I last saw them.
On Sunday we headed to my aunt and uncle's house for the day. They live on Deep Creek Lake which has made for some fun visits. While there Joe took over with Eli and Carson and Ben and I headed to the resort for some tubing. We were lucky enough to have some great company in my sisters and my niece.

The whole group having fun!

Ben on the ride up the mountain. He had an amazing time. I thought for sure he would be scared but he loved every second.

Adorable cousins! I love that they are so close and have a great time when we get to see them. Hopefully it won't be too long before the next visit.They had a really good time racing down the mountain and then they went down together a few times too. So cute!

Me looking goofy because I am wearing Eli's hat. I forgot one and I am so glad I had one because my ears were still cold even though I had a hat on them.

See those little specks? That is Ben and myself. It was so much fun!

The drive home made for some interesting moments. We got a later start than we wanted and the boys were exhausted already because of having such a busy weekend. Eli quickly fell asleep in the car at 6:00 in the evening. He slept for about 20 minutes all while his head kept falling to one side and then the other. Poor guy woke up grumpier than he was before he fell asleep. Ben fought falling asleep the entire ride and although he was exhausted, he stayed awake the entire time. Carson was just a tired mess. He was playing for about 30 minutes and then after that sounds came out of him that I had never heard before. It was like a growling, choking cry that sounded like he was being tortured. After I played "pick up my binkie" about 9,423 times I gave up and tried to let him cry a bit. That did not go so well and I ended up in the back seat with him extremely uncomfortable for the remaining three hours. I heard lots of complaining about arms hurting, legs being numb, the long drive, the noise from Carson, needing to pee numerous times (of course not at the same time) and so on. I ended up being almost as grumpy as Carson.

We finally made it home around 10:15 and got the over tired, grumpy, whining, yet still adorable boys in bed. When Joe woke Ben up this morning for school, the grumpiness had not been slept away. Nothing a little school would not fix, right? At least that is what I told him. :)

Reminiscing

2011-03-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

The other night Joe and I were looking through some old pictures of the boys and it was probably the most amazing thing to see how little these guys were. It also allowed me to find some of my favorite pictures that I had not seen in a while. I figured I would share...

This might be one of my all time favorite pictures of Ben. How sweet is this? Just looking at himself thinking he is hot stuff.

I specifically remember Ben deciding to eat the toy just to be like Eli. They look so little and so very sweet.

It can not get any cooler than Darth Vader in sunglasses, right? (Justin, we see you back there and we miss you!!!)

I don't know about you, but I would never let my kid stand in the sink...nope...not me. Ahem!

What an adorable little artist!

Daddy and two of his three favorite boys! Look at that grin on Eli...priceless!

And how could I forget about my baby Car-Car? Not so much of a baby anymore, but just looking at this picture makes my heart melt.

What a sweet little walk down Memory Lane. Time goes by way too fast! These boys are getting so big and they are getting sweeter and sweeter. Who knew that was even possible?

Shake Your Groove Thing

2011-03-12T06:27:00.001-08:00

Ben and Eli are known for their dance parties and it is only natural that Carson now joins in. Looks like he will be the entertainment at our next dinner party.

YouTube Video

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Winter Fun!

2011-03-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

Since yesterday was the first of March, I am thinking I need to show off our ice skating trip before winter turns into spring. Joe stayed home with Carson because he knew his ice skating skills would have been put to shame against mine, either that or Carson is not quite ready to put ice skates on yet...you decide.

Ben looking like an old pro.

Eli caught on really fast and had a great time.

Eli would do one lap around the ice and then have to take a break. It was quite cute!

He just gets cuter and cuter!!

Letter Fun

2011-02-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

When Ben was just a smidge over three, we would spend lots of time on writing and learning the ABC's. I had a wipe off sheet that had all of the letters on it and he would trace them over and over and over. He was so proud of himself as he learned how to write and recognize the letters.

Eli and I started this ritual a while ago and he caught on just as fast as Ben. He actually sits longer than Ben ever would and he will trace the letters over and over and ask me if I think he did a good job. He is also able to recognize almost every letter and has learned to write his name. It is so much fun doing this same activity I used to do with Ben and I am already looking forward to our next adventure.

Playing Catch Up...Again!!

2011-02-23T05:21:00.000-08:00

Let me begin with the biggest milestone that I have to catch you up on. Carson turned 1!!!! It is so hard to believe that one whole year has passed since that beautiful 9lb. 6oz. baby was born!

Carson at the hospital 1.25.10

Carson on his 1st birthday 1.25.11

We had a very small party for him (small in comparison to Ben and Eli's first birthday parties) and I might have had a small case of "the guilts" for not throwing him a big party, but it actually turned out to be great. We had lots of family and a few close friends here to watch Carson not eat his cake. Yes, that means that all three of my lovely boys have not devoured their cake at the first birthday party. I have always yearned for one of them to just go crazy and get super messy with the cake, but it didn't happen. Woe is me!

I spent hours on his cake...he was less than thrilled as you can see.

The birthday boy wore a shirt that said, "Does this shirt make me look 1?"

We are such lucky parents! Three amazing, beautiful boys!

Don't you worry about me

2011-01-17T04:59:00.000-08:00

Joe has been gone for about two weeks now (with a quick 16 hour stop at home to pack for another trip). During those two weeks I have been bombarded by one sick kid after another. It first started with a stomach flu that my wonderful husband gave to all of us. It hit us one by one with just enough time for me to get the sheets cleaned in between kids throwing up all over them. After the stomach flu that lasted a good week between all of us I thought for sure we were in the clear for the rest of Joe's trip. Silly me...what was I thinking? Three nights ago Carson and Eli had fevers mixed with a side of cough and a dash of congestion. Two nights ago, Carson woke up every 45 minutes or so absolutely miserable. I was not sure what to do, but then he seemed okay during the day so I just let it ride. Last night Carson woke up about every 10 minutes screaming so I took him to the night time care near our house. After being there for an hour and a half only for the doctor to tell me his ears were fine and his throat was great, I came home at 11:30 and put Carson in his crib. He probably woke up every hour and in between that Eli woke up with croup. Eli then proceeded to wake up about every two hours or so while Carson continued his pattern of terrible sleep as well. It was definitely an interesting night to cap off the last night Joe will not be here. So, why might you ask do I say not to worry about me? Well, two reasons:
1. IF the boys wake up tonight, you better believe it will be my husband going to get them.
2. I am pretty sure everyone will sleep soundly through the night because Joe will be home.
Either way, I did my time and I can just sit back and relax.

GOOOOOOO RAVENS!

2011-01-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

Big game on Saturday! Lets hope the Ravens can pull off the big win in Pittsburgh!!! I know these boys will be cheering them on loud enough for Ray Rice to hear them!

So tired!

2011-01-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen anything this adorable before?
Carson was so tired that he fell asleep in his crib sitting up. We have a video monitor and I kept looking at it thinking he was still asleep and just hanging out in the crib. I finally noticed that he had not moved from that spot in a while so I went to check on him and he was OUT! It was so hard not to laugh, but I had to stay as quiet as I could so he would stay asleep. What a sweet sweet sweet little boy!!

Reunited!

2011-01-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

Joe and his best friend have not lived in the same country for almost three years now. One day not too long ago, he got a call from Justin that went something like this..."Dude, I have enough airline miles to make it to Miami from the Philippines. Will Elyse sign the permission slip for you to meet me there?" I honestly didn't even hesitate one second. It was a Hokie Football game and good friends...how could it get any better? I know Joe needed a good guys weekend and I was so excited for him that he would be able to meet up with not only Justin, but Pat (another great friend from high school) as well.

While the Orange Bowl game was terrible...VT lost 40-12, Joe said he had a really good time and that is all that matters.
Oh, and one more thing...I am keeping tabs on all of these trips Joe is taking so when I ask for his credit card, his airline miles, and his hotel points to fly to Paris and shop, there will be no questions asked. :)

Play

2011-01-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

I am now going to be playing catch up on this blog and what better way to start than to show my boys playing as well. I need a chance to look through all the pictures I have taken recently, but I saw these two and they made me laugh, so I thought I would put them on here.
Robot Eli was created by Aunt Ruby and Uncle Isaac. Who says you have to spend $20 on a costume for dress up? I am pretty sure this cost about 10 cents and Eli had a blast!
The next one shows off the matching Buzz PJ's that Santa brought, and yes, that is their best attempt at looking like they are flying in a picture. These boys are too much!

Perfect picture...one week too late

2010-12-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

I tried for a while to get a good picture of my three boys together, but I always got something like this...

or this...

And while these boys look adorable no matter what, I really wanted to get a great picture of them for our Christmas card. I send out over 100 cards every year and they go to a lot of family and friends that we do not get to see, so I always try to get the perfect picture of our beautiful boys. So, after deciding to take the pressure off of myself and purchasing cards with three spots for individual pictures of my boys... I get this...

So, Merry Christmas from these three boys who I love dearly and Bah Humbug for bad Christmas card pictures!

Brothers & Sisters

2010-12-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

It is so funny to hear peoples reactions when I tell them I have three boys. You get anything from, "Oh, you poor thing" to "How wonderful!" I tend to react much better to the latter. In the last 6 months or so, it has really been amazing to sit back and watch my boys interact with each other. Ben & Eli play so well together and have so much fun making up new games, new rules, obstacle courses around the house, and so much more. Ben has to be one of the sweetest 6 year old boys I have ever seen. He is so caring with Eli. He gives up his turn to pick the book at night if Eli really wants a different one, he lets Eli have the last popsicle, he lets Eli go first in line for Santa, he lets Eli pick the movie we watch in the car (even if it is Toy Story 1,2, or 3 for the 5 billionth time) and the list could go on and on. I really hope that one day soon Eli realizes how sweet Ben is to him and starts to do these nice things for Ben in return. I think Eli is just a little too young still to realize what is going on...he just sees it as getting his way right now. Of course, we don't always let Ben do these nice things for Eli, but it is just really sweet to watch the way Ben is a brother to Eli.
Now that Carson is getting older, we are starting to watch all three boys in action with each other and it is amazing! Ben & Eli LOVE to make Carson laugh and if they do something that causes a spontaneous eruption of laughter from Carson, they both will continue to entertain our sweet 10 month old lad until the laughter is gone. It really is something wonderful to watch as these three boys begin their bonds of brotherhood. Joe and I are blessed beyond belief.
My older sister and I were only 17 months apart in age, so we pretty much did everything together as children. It is so funny to look back at the early years when we would pretty much fight until one of us was crying, bleeding, or just plain old exhausted. In fact, we pretty much fought until the day my sister left for college. On that day, I turned around after hugging her goodbye and I just wept. It all of a sudden hit me that I would no longer have her to fight with, confide in, hang out with, talk to, or just sit in complete silence with. As soon as she began college is when my older sister and I became extremely close and that has not changed in the last 15 years.
I am now lucky enough to have my younger sister living with us. Not only is it a wonderful experience for my children to have their Aunt Bre around as an extra playmate, but it is special to me to watch her have a special relationship with my boys. Bre was a bit of a late bloomer in the fact that she did not go to college right away, but she is now going to school on her own and paying the bill. I am so proud of her and all of her hard work.
Either way you have it, there is something special about Brothers & Sisters and I love watching all of the stages between my boys and between my sisters. Life is Good!!

First Tooth Fairy Visit

2010-11-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

Ben lost his first tooth at school on Friday. I had a feeling it was going to fall out at school and I was just hoping that he did not swallow it like my niece Sarah did with her first tooth (lucky for Sarah, the tooth fairy still came looking for that tooth of hers and left her some money).
Ben was excited to put it under his pillow and let the tooth fairy come and get his tooth. In the morning when he woke up, he called for Joe to come in the room and then asked if he was allowed to look under the pillow. Joe of course said yes and to Ben's delight, there was a crisp $5.00 bill. I am thinking the tooth fairy was very generous for the first tooth, but will likely not be as deep pocketed with the rest of his teeth.
Joe and I were talking the other day about this whole tooth fairy thing and we think that the tradition came about because children would be so freaked out about their teeth falling out that they needed some sort of monetary compensation to be okay with it. Think about it...if you tell a child their teeth will fall out, it will likely bleed, and then another bigger tooth will come in its place, it is a bit scary. However, tell a child their tooth will fall out, a magical fairy will come and take it and then leave them money...that is kind of awesome!

It has been a while...

2010-11-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

For some reason I am really lazy about taking pictures off the memory card or having Joe do them for me. Yes, it's true...I rely on Joe to take the pictures off the memory card most of the time. It all started way back when he had a very certain and precise way of storing our pictures so it made it extremely difficult for me to work with them. We have a really nice camera and Joe would take the pictures in "raw mode" (whatever that means) and then have to develop them. It was quite the process so I always just let Joe do it and then I would use the pictures later after he had worked on them. He now has an extremely simple and easy way of storing the pictures, yet I somehow still enjoy when he does the work to get them off the camera. I guess that should be my New Years resolution this year...start taking the pictures off the camera on my own. You all would probably see much more pictures on this blog.
Anyways, here are some favorites of the last few weeks to catch you up...Enjoy!

Medieval Times was a blast with the boys! GO Yellow & Red Knight!!!

Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3...AWESOME!

Halloween with my three favorite trick or treaters!

2010-11-21T13:12:00.001-08:00

I hate to do this, but this is my blog and I can write whatever I want to on here, right? So, I guess I really love to do this...

My Benny Boo! How did he get so wonderful? He is a six year old boy that just takes my breath away almost everyday. We went to his first student led parent teacher conference for Kindergarten. Joe and I were blown away. We both knew how far Ben had come in just a few short months with his reading and math skills, but when we saw the work he has been doing in class that has not come home with him Joe and I were just thrilled. Ben writes in his journal, he does science experiments, he makes venn diagrams, he plays, he sings, he draws...it is amazing! I had tears in my eyes as Ben read a few of his journal entries that he wrote. One of them said, "My brothur crid thre tims tudae whin I left and I mis hem." How can it get better than that? His teacher is amazing in her teaching strategies and is caring in her techniques. We could not be happier. Ben is reading with the top readers in his class, his report card was perfect, and the teacher said he is quite the gentleman, kind, and has great manners. I am so proud!

Thrown for a loop

2010-11-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

Carson is almost 10 months old now. During the last 9 months, this boy has shuddered away from a bottle and would demand to be breastfed. Not really a huge deal, but it definitely gave me a lack of freedom. I could never go anywhere alone for more than two hours or so. We tried numerous brands and types of bottles, different nipples and flows, and different people giving him a bottle. Nothing worked! He would pretty much scream like we were trying to poison him. This was the case until about four days ago when he decided he loved a bottle and would no longer want to nurse. Now if I try to nurse him he cries and often bites me. I learned very quickly that this is not going to work for me anymore, so he is now on bottles full time and I am pumping like crazy. I am completely fine with this and actually enjoying my new found freedom as a mom of three. I took Ben and Eli out the other night and left Carson home with Joe. It was awesome! While I am not fond of how fast Carson's first 10 months have gone, I am looking forward to the time when we have three boys who no longer rely on bottles, diapers, and mashed up food.

2010-11-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

It has almost been three years since Eli was in the hospital for his heart. We have been so lucky to not have had any issues with his SVT during that time. Joe and I almost take for granted that his heart is strong, beating properly, and he is healthy. Tonight before I gave Eli a bath, he turned to me and said, "Mommy, my heart hurts!" Sweet baby Jesus...my heart sank, I started shaking, and I called for Joe as calmly as I could. He came into the bathroom and I told Joe what Eli has said. We picked Eli up out of the bath tub and Joe took him in our room and placed a stethascope on his heart for about 15 minutes. During that time, I called the Cardiologist on call at Children's Hospital and explained what was going on. This nice calm doctor was telling me he was sure Eli was fine and to remain calm. I was ready to get off the phone with him when Joe said to me that he heard extra beats from Eli's heart. Again, I tried to remain calm but the images were popping into my head of Eli on a breathing tube, being shocked, and sedated. I explained to the doctor what had happened and he again talked me down. He was so wonderful and so reassuring, but at the same time he really had no clue who Eli was and what he went through. So, after speaking with him for a bit I called the cell phone of Eli's regular cardiologist. It is a nice treat that she is a family friend and we have her personal cell number. I have only used it one other time since this all began, but I felt like this was as good a time as any to call her. I explained that Eli had croup again and has had a fever today. She asked me a few more questions, but then reported to me that because of the croup and fever, Eli's heart might be overcompensating and producing PAC's (premature atrial contractions). Eli had PAC's while in the hospital and for a while when we came home from the hospital, but he has not had them in over 2 1/2 years, so I was nervous. Dr. C said not to worry and just keep a close eye on him tonight and tomorrow. You got it Dr. C! Eli will be sleeping right next to me tonight and the stethascope will be on the nightstand.
This boy is doing nothing to help out my gray hair situation!

Have you ever...

2010-11-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been cleaning the stovetop that you just cooked on and go over a hot burner and burn your hand? Nah, me either!
Have you ever lost your keys only to find them in your own hand? Nah, me either!
Just checking to make sure you guys were not doing these crazy things because I know I never have (ahem).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELI!!

2010-10-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

Three years old already! How does that happen so quickly? Eli woke up this morning and the first words out of his mouth were, "I can not believe I am tree". I can not believe he is "tree" either! Being his mommy is one of the great joys of my life and I am so glad he is here with us to celebrate every birthday. We don't have a lot of plans today because of soccer, but over the weekend we went to Medieval Times with the boys and they had such a great time. I was unsure if they would follow the show or even be interested, but Ben and Eli loved every second. When it was over we left with them both saying they could not wait to get home to play Medieval Times. Eli was battling the green Knight the whole way out of the place. It was really cute.
Happy Birthday my sweet second born boy! We love you to the moon and back!

2 Birds, 1 Stone

2010-10-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Ben and Eli have back to back birthday months in September & October. It is actually quite nice because we usually just have one party for both of them at the same time. Not only does it save us money, but it saves people the hassle of going to two birthday parties in one month for our children. I personally think this is a win win situation. Over the weekend, we had said party for big and middle boy (yes, we sometimes refer to our children by their birth order...I think it is cute!). They had their party at 1st Class gymnastics in Annapolis. This place is fantastic. It has a huge area for smaller children, but then it also has all of the bigger equipment and play area for older children. It was the perfect combination for both boys and their friends.

The one thing that was not perfect on that day was the awful traffic to get to the party. Had I even been thinking when I booked the party about the darn Renaissance Festival and the traffic that it produces I would have never booked the party there. Add a Boat Show in Annapolis to the traffic mix and you have the perfect traffic storm. What is usually a 15-20 minute drive turned into 75 minutes. Luckily the gym was very understanding and allowed us to extend the party by a half an hour for free.

I made the boys a special cake as I do every year. This year I made them a 6 layer Rainbow cake. I have to say I was pretty excited about how it turned out and what everyone said about it when I cut into it and they saw the rainbow. I am pretty sure I found the most perfect icing recipe ever as well, so that made it even more yummy! I am getting into this cake making thing a lot. Now if I could only find extra time in my day to make more of them, that would be great!

Carson at 8 months

2010-10-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how the last eight months have gone as fast as they have, but this little guy is now 8 months old. He continues to be an absolute delight! He is mellow, easygoing, and sweet! He has one tooth and another one on the way and somehow teething has made his sleeping pattern better. What the what? I have no explanation for it at all, but he had a few nights of sleeping through the night and lately has only been waking up 1-2 times a night instead of 4-5. He is very close to crawling and loves to get on all fours and rock back and forth. I am thinking in the next few weeks he will be taking off. He laughs and smiles all the time, he has said "mamamamamama" (yes, I am counting that as him saying "mama" first...Ben and Eli both said dada first so at least I get some satisfaction out of that), he loves playing with many different toys, and he eats anything I put in front of him. This boy (along with the rest of the group) take my breath away on a daily basis.

Soccer Saturdays

2010-10-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

From the end of August until mid-November, our lives revolve around soccer. Joe coaches both Ben and Eli's soccer teams which means that we have soccer practice for one of the boys four nights a week and two games every Saturday. This is the first year for Eli being on a team of his own. He always assumed he was on Ben's team, but this season he is so excited to be able to really play in the games. I was not surprised in the least bit that Eli took full advantage of his time to shine and has been a soccer superstar. He averages 5 goals a game and pretty much just runs around the whole time, while most of the kids on the 3 year old team cry, sit on the grass, or ask for a snack. There are 14 players on the team and I think Eli is maybe one of 6 kids that actually get out there and play. It is quite comical every Saturday morning to watch these adorable little kids try their best to play soccer.

Ben is now in his 7th or 8th season of soccer (I have lost count). This season he has moved up to Juniors, which means he has goalies, red & yellow cards, they keep score, refs, etc...the real deal! He is so excited to be playing "real soccer" (as he calls it). His team is really good and consists of kids Ben has been playing with since he was 4. It is really neat to watch this little soccer family that has developed over the years. Ben's team, The Wolverines, are beating the other teams pretty bad. It is actually almost embarrassing. The score of the game yesterday was 14-1. Last weeks game was 11-0, and the week before it the score was 10-0. I am pretty sure the other teams parents that we play get really frustrated, and I can totally understand why, but at the same time, to tell 6 year old kids that just love playing soccer to stop playing so well is not fair either. It is kind of a rough spot to be in. Either way, Ben is really enjoying himself, scoring about 2 goals a game, and really playing well. Coach Joe is wondering what would happen to the team if they ever lost a game. We are pretty sure the team would go into shock.

Coach Joe giving a pep talk

GOOOOOO #4!

Welcome Home Daddy!!!

2010-09-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

It was a long 13 days, but Joe is finally home from his ~~vacation~~ business trip to Hawaii. It must have been pretty difficult to be in Hawaii for such a long time. I am sure he could only manage being there alone by taking solace in his rounds of golf, snorkeling, ocean kayaking, and fishing. Joe's strength always impresses me.

In all seriousness, it is so wonderful to have my husband home! We missed him every second he was gone. Lets hope the next trip to Hawaii will include a few extra tag alongs in the form of his wife and children. ;)

Just in time

2010-09-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Joe called me a few nights ago and gave me the good news that he would be home early from his trip. Although it is only 2 days early, it is 2 days that I will have his help again with the boys. I have not really had time to even miss him all that much, but I sure have missed his help. A few less teeth to brush and baths to give will be A-Okay with me for a while.
This means that soon I will have time to do a few extra blog posts to catch you up on what we have been doing while Joe has been away. Not to give too much away, but Carson is doing a new trick, Eli has been scoring goals, and Ben is a superstar! If only I could find the time to take the pictures off of the camera...although, that pesky basket of laundry finally made its way to the drawers and the closet (only to be filled up again one day later). Score 1 for Elyse!

ALLELUIA!!!

2010-09-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

It happened! I can not believe it, but for only the third time in Carson's almost 8 month life he slept through the night. I laid him down at 8:30 and he slept until 5:00. I knew he had it in him, I just did not know it would take this long to happen. He has been cutting down on the night feedings and I think that helps that he is not waking because of hunger anymore. FINALLY!!! I am hoping this is the start of a trend because it is just in time. Joe is still on a business trip and I am about as tired as I ever remember being. Soccer practice 4 nights a week and 2 games every Saturday have taken its toll on me. I am very much looking forward to the day my husband comes home.

You know you have a husband on a long business trip if....

2010-09-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

1. You have laundry piled up because you managed to find the time to wash it and fold it, but to put it all away just seems pointless right now.
2. You have survived on eating what the kids eat and realize they eat pretty darn good.
3. Back to back soccer games on Saturdays seem like some sort of punishment for the bad things I did in my youth (mom, if you ever read this...I did nothing bad, I was a perfect angel)
4. Having someone watch the boys while I go to Target is my idea of a relaxing evening.
5. Waking up 7 times in one night between the three kids is expected.
6. Cleaning the house consists of what I can throw behind the chair and under the beds to make it appear clean.
7. I took the liberty of scheduling a massage for myself for the day after my husband returns. Ah, thank you!
8. Wishing my body could tolerate a little caffeine to give me a boost for the day.
9. I am planning lots of outdoor activities to make the days go fast. Hello County Fair!
10. I am enjoying all of the extra hugs and kisses from my boys!

Happy Birthday to Ben!

2010-09-15T03:17:00.001-07:00

September 15, 2004 at 6:57 am Benjamin Andrew Knight was brought into this world with so much love surrounding him.

My sweet sweet boy is 6 years old today. The last 6 years have passed quicker than I ever thought possible but they have been the best 6 years of my life. Happy birthday to my oldest boy! Your mommy and daddy love you to the moon and back!

Another first

2010-09-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

Eli had his first day of preschool on Tuesday. He is attending the same preschool that Ben went to last year, so he walked in like he owned the place. He started playing and running around like only Eli can. He was so excited until I told him I was leaving and would be back to pick him up in a few hours. After he heard that news, he led the class in the crying. It was like a ripple effect, as soon as he started the rest of the class started. Although I wanted to go and scoop him up, I just walked out the door and listened from the hallway. Eli maybe cried for another minute and then he settled down. A few of the other kids were not as fast to calm down. One of the kids was actually banging on the door screaming, "Let me out!" over and over. That poor kids father was a mess out in the hall. He was not sure what to do. Luckily it only lasted about 10 minutes and then all was calm in the classroom.
When I came to pick Eli up, he was just as happy as could be sitting calmly at his table. Yes, you read that right, Eli was sitting calmly. I was not sure that would happen at school at all, let alone on the first day. I was pretty impressed.
Just another first for the Knight family! Life is good!

Game Day

2010-09-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Football season has started and with that comes the time where Joe and I go crazy for our Hokie football team. We are huge fans of Virginia Tech football and pretty much any football, so we love this time of year. Joe and I were able to sneak away from the boys (thank you Aunt Bre for being the best babysitter around) to have a night out on Monday to attend the Virginia Tech football game at Fed Ex Field. It was so much fun to have a date with my husband and the fact that it was for a Tech football game makes it ever better. I am pretty sure I get major wife points for liking football as much as I do. Most of Joe's friends are pretty impressed that I know what I am talking about when it comes to the game, players, and rankings. The game was a nail biter and Tech ended up losing in the last 2 minutes of the game, but it was still so much fun to be around all the Hokie spirit and to meet up with some old college friends.

Joe & I getting ready to head in to the game.

An old friend from freshman year, Cathleen...so good to see her. It has been way too long!

Big smiles on our face when VT was winning 30-26. Bummer it didn't last!

Trip Down Memory Lane

2010-09-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend turned into a wonderful trip for our family. I was able to take my kids to the park I used to play at when I was a little girl. They used the same swings and slides, they ran the bases at the baseball field I played little league on, and they ate a picnic lunch at the same pavilion we had many picnics in. There is something nice about reliving some of my favorite memories as a child through my boys.

This might be one of my most favorite pictures ever! If only Carson were looking at the camera with a big smile on his face, it would be absolute perfection.

Eli taking a turn on one of the 6 slides at this playground.

Ben stayed on that swing for quite a long time.

Carson's first trip down the slide. I am not sure if he liked it or not, but I sure did.

Cuteness exudes from this boy!

Excuse Ben in this picture (too much playing can made Ben a tired boy), but Eli and Taylar was super cute. It is so nice to be able to spend a weekend with my sister, and the best part of it is all the time the cousins get to spend together. Ben & Eli absolutely LOVE to play with Taylar & Cohen. I wish we lived next door to each other so everyday could be this much fun.

Next stop on the trip was the Italian Festival. It was a day of amazing food, great music, and somewhat of a high school reunion for me. Here is a picture with one of my high school best friends, Angie. It was so good to see her, even though it was a quick visit.

YES! That is Ben. Can you believe it? He was adamant about climbing the rock wall. I was a bit hesitant because it was $5.00 per turn and I thought for sure he would get scared and I would have wasted $5.00. Luckily Pop-Pop stepped in and offered to pay for him to do it. I was completely wrong...Ben climbed that wall like a pro. I was pretty impressed. He was not even scared for a second and loved it. I guess I forget that he is getting so big sometimes.

Eli doing what Eli does best...being silly! He loved the moonbounces and slides at the Festival.

The weekend in West Virginia was perfect! It was so much fun to see everyone and for the boys to be able to take part in some of the traditions I had when I was little. Thank you to my mom and dad who put together a perfect picnic at the park and a wonderful stay at the house. We can't wait to go back again soon!

Road trip!

2010-09-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

We are taking our first long road trip as a family of 5 this weekend. It took us a while to muster up the courage to do this because Carson is anything but a mellow baby in the car. We are headed to West Virginia for the weekend to see my family. I am beyond excited! It has been way too long since I have been home and way too long since I have seen my older sister and niece and nephew. Ben and Eli can not wait to be able to play with them for a whole weekend and I am so excited to hear all of the yelling, laughing, playing, fighting, and whatever else comes along with the cousins being reunited.
We have a lot planned for the days we are there, so I am hoping Carson can hang in there and be the great baby that he is. On Saturday we are headed to Doddridge County Park. We were going to try to swim for the last time this season, but since it is only supposed to be a high of 68 degrees, it has turned in to a picnic, playground, and lots of playing kind of day. I spent many summers at this park as a child and I can't wait to share it with my children.
On Sunday we are going to the Italian Festival in Clarksburg. Again, this is something I went to almost every labor day weekend as a child. When I was in high school me and all of my friends would walk to it after school on Friday and have fun eating all of the yummy Italian food, playing games, and just hanging out with everyone. It is a HUGE party in Clarksburg and I can't wait to meet up with some old friends and have them meet my beautiful boys!
On Monday, Joe and I are headed to Fed Ex Field to cheer (loudly) for our Hokies! We are so excited to get the chance to see VT play so close to our home. We play Boise State, which should be a great match up. I am hoping VT prevails, but mostly I am just excited for a night with my husband surrounded by everything Hokie!
Oh, I forgot the best part of the weekend....Ben is home from school for three whole days! The smile has not left my face since this morning!

It ain't gettin' any easier

2010-08-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

Day #3 of Kindergarten for Ben. I am hoping that soon and very soon it will get easier on me. It probably sounds like I am being dramatic and a little too much like a ~~crazy~~ mom, but I miss my son. He was a little hesitant about going this morning and that didn't help me at all. I told him he needed to go and enjoy his adventure today, but inside my head I was screaming at the top of my lungs...."You can stay home with your momma, we will have a great day hanging out, playing games, laughing, and being outside...I'll make your favorite lunch, we can go to the toy store, the airplane park, maybe even the pool...it will be great!!!". Good thing I am able to restrain myself or Ben would have already been playing hooky (not the best example to set this early in the game, right?).
The one really nice thing about Ben in school is how much Eli and Carson time I have right now. Carson was taking a nap today and Eli and I were able to make homemade guacamole, quesadillas, and fruit for lunch. Eli LOVES to help me mash up the avacados almost as much as he likes eating guacamomo (as he calls it). Look on the bright side, right?

Gooooooooooo Ravens!

2010-08-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago Ben had his first NFL football game experience. Joe had a buddy that did not want to use his FRONT ROW season tickets, so he gladly took them off his hands. Normally, Joe and I would have gone to the game because we are both huge football fans, but this time having a baby at home was a huge plus for Ben.
Both boys left a little early to make sure they were there in plenty of time for all the hoopla. Ben was living it up in the front row when a cheerleader came up to him and asked if he would like an autographed picture of her. He very politely said, "No Thanks". I think that girl was a little deflated as she was rejected by a 5 year old. I on the other hand had a great laugh at her expense.
Ben came home from the game so excited and ready to watch more football on TV. Hopefully this will just be the beginning of many games for Daddy and his boys.

How old am I?

2010-08-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided to have Joe watch the boys while I ran a quick errand to pick up Carson's baby food. I have to go to a different store to get the kind of baby food I like for Carson (I only give him Organic foods and the variety of the Organic baby foods is so much better at a store that is a little out of the way). So, I jumped in the minivan (because I totally rock and I am 100% comfortable and proud in the fact that I drive one...there is some sort of mom badge that goes with that car and I love it) and started to back out of the driveway. As I started driving off, I noticed the radio was on the Kids Place Live XM radio station. We pretty much listen to that nonstop in that car or we watch a kids movie. Well, I was alone (which rarely happens...ever...I mean ever) and I put on my favorite XM station. I quickly turned up the radio as loud as I could tolerate it (keep in mind I listen to three boys play, argue, yell, and laugh all day long, so my sound threshold has really increased over the last few years). A song I LOVE was playing and I just sang as loud as I could, danced a little bit, and reveled in the fact that for the next 25 minutes or so I was 18 again.
I am really glad that I am not 18 again, but every now and then it is fun to pretend!

Three of a Kind

2010-08-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

I hear it all the time...
"Your boys look so much alike"! Yes, they do look like they are brothers (I blame the beautiful, big, blue eyes that they got from me), but I think they are so different. Maybe it is just because I am their mom and I know how different they are from each other.

Ben is so much like his father. He is extremely caring and will give up pretty much anything for someone else if it makes the other person happy. He is such a sweet sweet boy!

Eli is my little firecracker (as my best friend so rightfully named him). He is sassy, busy, and determined. However, he is such a little cuddle bug and will just randomly come up to me and tell me, "I love you too" and give me the sweetest little kiss.

Carson has yet to really develop his personality, but he is already full of cuteness, adorableness, and beautifulness (all of those words are words...I can almost guarantee it).

These boys are pretty amazing! I am one lucky mommy!

Firsts

2010-08-26T06:28:00.001-07:00

There are many firsts in a moms life...the first smile, the first laugh, the first foods, the first steps. I have already seen many of Ben's firsts in his life, but today was a new first for me...the first day of Kindergarten for my first born son.
Last night when Ben went to sleep I could tell he was a bit nervous, after all he is going to a brand new school where he knows no one. New teachers, new rules, new everything. He said he was just worried that he would not get enough sleep, but I could tell it was a bit more than that.
This morning when he woke, I greeted him with a huge smile on my face and he shot one right back at me. I gave him the biggest hug and kiss I could muster up and I just stared at him for a while. While I was staring into his big blue eyes, I was busy thinking...how does time go by so fast? How did that beautiful boy become old enough for Kindergarten?
After a nice breakfast, we put on his uniform, brushed hair, brushed teeth, picked up his backpack and homework and out the door we walked. As we were walking out the door, Ben turned to Joe and I and said, "make sure you tell Eli where I am". I quickly had to turn my back from him and cry. He is just the sweetest boy to be thinking about how Eli might wake up and not see Ben and worry. After a nice car ride to school, Joe and I waited in the drop off line and Ben came up and sat with us. He gave us both big hugs and we talked a bit. Before I knew it, the teacher was there to take him into school. Ben gathered up his belongings and took her hand and walked into the school. He didn't even turn around, he just kept walking. I quickly jumped into the car and began what Oprah calls, "the ugly cry". It was such a proud moment, yet such a tough moment in my life. Proud because Ben is so secure in himself that he was able to just walk right in to school, no questions asked, no crying or any type of hesitation. Tough because I do not get the pleasure of his company anymore during the day. His wonderful teacher will be there to see his smile and open up his goldfish crackers at snack time. That is one hard pill for this mommy to swallow. Luckily he does not have school tomorrow and then it is the weekend. I think the teachers knew what they were doing when they set up the start date for the kids.

I can not wait to hear about the first day of school for the first time by my first born son.

My First Born Son

2010-08-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Andrew Knight made his entrance into this world on September 15, 2004. He weighed 9lbs. 4ozs., and was 22 inches long. From the first second I laid eyes on him, I was madly in love. He made me a mom, he made Joe a dad, and he made us a family. He was somewhat of a tough baby, but I honestly think anyone having their first baby thinks that. He learned to walk when he was 10 months old. His first real word was "More". He takes after his daddy in his looks and his temperament. He has a deep love of being outdoors, soccer, riding his bike, and playing board games on Monday nights. I am so proud of the baby he was, the boy he is, and the man he will be. As he starts Kindergarten tomorrow, I am excited for this journey. I can not wait to hear all about his first day and every day thereafter. I can not wait to see how mine and Joe's hard work as his parents has paid off. Ben is an absolute joy and I love him, his brothers, and his daddy more than I could ever describe.

I'm gonna miss this...

2010-08-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

I have a friend that has a blog and she posted something today that was beautiful and tugged on my heart so I felt that I needed to share my own version of it.
Joe is on a business trip and during the days he is gone, it is sometimes, I mean usually hard to do everything I have to do in one day alone. I rely on my husband for many things when it comes to our children, but most of all I rely on him to keep me sane when we have one of those crazy days. Well, since he is gone, it is harder and harder to keep sane with three very active boys. Today I was reminded that my boys will not be little boys for very long. Before I know it and in the blink of an eye, my boys will be men and I do not want to look back on any part of their boyhood and say I was not at my best.
I say this now after having one of those mornings where I know Ben and Eli hear me talking to them, yet they choose to continue doing the behavior that is driving me crazy...that is until I lose it and yell at them to stop wrestling around Carson. It just kind of seems natural to me that they would understand that it is a safety issue, and not me just being pesky old mom spoiling the fun again. Well, after my little (ahem) episode this morning I was reminded I am going to miss this...I will miss Ben and Eli playing so happily together that my voice is just a mere echo in the background noise. I will miss Carson just staring up at his older brothers with a desperate look to join in on the fun. I will miss my beautiful baby waking me up numerous times in the night because he just wanted to see his momma and show me that he can smile and kick his feet into his crib mattress as hard as he can.
I will miss Eli saying, "Watch me mommy" as he throws a Hot Wheels car from the living room to the kitchen. I will miss Ben wanting to show me his latest ninja/karate move.
Babies are only babies for so long and boys grow up to be men, and before I know it Ben, Eli, and Carson will be coming home from college for the summer and hibernating in their rooms or only wanting to spend time with friends. The afternoons of playing Zingo at the table will be long gone. So, for as much as my eyes are heavy, dark, and puffy from the lack of sleep, I will try to remember that one day I will be looking back at my grown men saying, "I really miss that"!
Joe comes home tomorrow night and from this moment on I am going to try my hardest to not complain about doing this alone, instead I will try to say I am going to miss the days when my boys needed me and only me!

Of course...

2010-08-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

Of course 64 minutes after Joe walks out the door for his latest business trip Eli is throwing up. I called Joe before getting everything clean just to say a big, "I TOLD YOU SO" and then we both could not help but laugh at this crazy dumb luck we have with his travel. This literally happens every time Joe goes on a trip. One, two, or now three of the kids get sick. Carson and Eli are the main culprits this time. They both have nasty coughs and colds that make them somewhat happy during the day, but absolutely miserable at night. Last night Eli ended up in bed with me (which lead to me getting punched in the face...thank you ever so much my 2nd born son) because I did not want him to wake up Ben. While Eli was in bed with me, Carson began coughing for about three hours straight. Just enough coughing to allow him to be awake, and myself to be awake as well, but Eli was somehow able to sleep through it all in my bed. Overall, I believe I got maybe 2.5 hours of sleep last night. Luckily, my wonderful sister was able to watch all three lovely boys while I took a Mommy time out. I went to Target to get a few things (sidebar: Yeah Right...a few things at Target! HA! I can't ever leave there without spending over $100. This time it was $127.56 for just a "few things"). I then treated myself to a Decaf (thank you Carson for not allowing me to have caffeine) Starbucks and drove extra slow on the way home. Life is still good, but the dark circles under my eyes are not getting any better. :)

Thought I LOVED to shop

2010-08-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have always been a shopper! I love the thrill of finding the perfect jeans, shirt, or dress. If I can find either of those said items on sale, it makes my heart skip a beat. I even have been known to enjoy a good Target trip. In fact, Joe says our credit card bill shows every month just how much I love Target. What can I say?
Yesterday I managed to prove myself wrong. Ben and I headed to Target for his school supplies (keep in mind I am already quite emotional from the fact that I have to buy school supplies for my oldest boy who is heading off to Kindergarten and deserting me all day while he goes to play, learn, make friends, have new experiences, and overall just be the cool kid that he is...poor little me, huh?). The school sent out a list of school supplies about a mile long. I do not remember having to get this much stuff when I was in school, but times have changed I guess. The school also took out all the fun of new school supplies. Ben is not allowed to have anything with neat designs or cool characters on it. They all have to be plain old school supplies. Yep, regular old #2 pencils...yellow, a plain green plastic pocket folder, and Classic crayon and marker colors...BLAH! The biggest thrill of the day was when we were allowed to pick between a black, pink, or yellow composition book. Ben picked yellow! I remember loving to get new school supplies when I was little. Going with my mom to pick out the latest and greatest Trapper Keeper, the Lisa Frank pencils and erasers, and best of all the biggest box of Crayola crayons they made (you know, the one with the crayon sharpener in the back of it). I personally think it is easier to get a child excited for school when they actually get to enjoy picking out what they take to the classroom with them.
Overall, the school supply shopping was boring and long, but I did have a fantastic lunch date with Ben that just made my heart melt. We went to a restaurant that was picked by Ben only for their cheese sticks (his new favorite treat) and we ate, talked, and played many games of tic-tac-toe on the kids menu (only after we did all of the other games on it as well). Ben thrives on alone time with Joe or I. Being the oldest of three, I am sure he feels like he doesn't get as much mommy and daddy time as he would like. The perfect lunch was even more perfect because it was just the two of us. I love my little BIG boy!

Soccer Camp #2

2010-08-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

We are definitely a soccer family! Ben already had one week of soccer camp in July and was ready for some more last week. This time we decided to let Eli in on the fun and we signed him up for the UK Elite Petite soccer camp. This was the first time Eli has ever played any sort of "organized" sport. He usually plays soccer or football around the house or outside with Ben, but never with a team of kids his age. The first day of camp I thought there was no way he would ever make it through the week. He did not really understand the idea of actually trying to learn soccer skills instead of just shooting the ball at the goal by kicking it as hard as he can. I told the instructor on a few occasions how wonderful he was doing with 10 2 or 3 year old kids running around, most of which had never played soccer before. As the week progressed Eli began to understand the games and the instruction and ended up having a fantastic time. He loved a few of the games and I think this got him ready to take on soccer in the fall with Coach Joe (or daddy as he likes to call him).

Yes, that is Eli covering his face with his certificate.

Coach Andrew was AWESOME!!!

Ben started his second soccer camp of the summer on a high note. His team won the World Cup game for that day and he scored 3 goals. It is always so much fun to hear Ben talk about how he scored his goal...it is quite an involved story. Ben was eager to get to camp every morning and played as hard as he could for three straight hours everyday. He is actually turning into a great player. He makes real passes that are pretty accurate, he has great shooting skills, and most of all he really enjoys playing. He had talked about playing football in the fall, but chose against it so he could play soccer again. He just really loves the sport and I love that he has something that is so much fun for him. The rest of the week went great for him and he learned even more than he did in the first week. We will definitely be doing soccer camp again next summer for both boys.

Ben with Coach Abby...she ROCKED!

Summer Fun at its Finest

2010-08-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Groupon.com has been one of the best finds by far. I believe it was Ruby who showed us this site which has a daily "deal" you can purchase. I have purchased a few spa visits, Joe has purchased a round of golf and a few other things and we also purchased some tickets to Chesapeake Beach Water Park. The price of admission to this place is usually $18.00 per person (overpriced, if you ask me) but the groupon deal got it for us for $8.00 a person, which was just the right price for a family fun day. The two older boys were at a perfect age for this park, which has lots of little slides and water features for the little ones and two really good waterslides and a lazy river for us bigger kids. Joe took the day off work and we had a wonderful time just hanging out in the water all day. The really good news of the day was when we were close to being ready to leave a storm moved in and they had to close the park. Usually a storm would ruin a day at the water park, but in this case it gave us a rain check to come back again for free. We Knights seem to have some ridiculous good luck.

Ben and Eli at the top of one of the kid slides.

In the stroller waiting for the rain to pass

Ben having fun

Eli inside the froggy slide (his favorite)

Pirate ship slide time for Eli...it went a little faster than he was expecting.

I have to share one quick story from the day at the water park...

Eli was on one of the kid slides and he was run over by what looked like an 8 year old kid. The kid did not wait for Eli to be off the slide and just went down it as fast as he could, knocking Eli completely off the slide and under the water. I didn't have time to think clearly, I just quickly scooped up Eli and quietly yelled (I do believe quietly yelled is an oxymoron, but it makes me feel better to type it that way) at the boy, "What the heck is your problem?????" That poor poor 8 year old boy quickly ran away from me as if I were the devil and Joe looked at me like I was a crazy mom. Ok, so I turned into a crazy mom for a second, I admit it. I did try to look for the boy a few minutes later to apologize, but I could not find him anywhere. Joe thought it was because he was still running away from me and we would see him on the side of the road running on our way home. Poor kid! However, lets see if that boy ever goes down a slide without looking for other kids again. ;)

He's Batman!

2010-08-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

Who is that masked man? Why, it is Eli...aka Batman! Never a dull moment in this house!

Sick Day???

2010-08-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

So, being a stay at home mom is wonderful! I would not change it for one second. However the pay, vacation and sick leave are terrible! I needed to take a sick day today and turns out I have no sick leave. What to do, what to do?
Plan #1:
-Keep Carson in the Exersaucer as much as possible.
-Ben and Eli are allowed to watch way more TV than they usually do.
-Count on Aunt Bre to make lunch and hang out as long as she can.
- Beg Joe to come home from work around 3:00.

Plan #2:
-Suck it up, put on my big girl pants and just be sick all day while taking care of three kids.

A little of both happened today. Luckily Bre was able to hang out for a while before she had to go to work. Joe was able to come home at 3:00 and he took over while I slept in bed. A big shout out goes to Aunt Bre and the Husband of the Year!

Darn stomach bug! There is nothing worse than being sick and having three kids ready to run around all day and play. I am hoping tomorrow we can get back to having fun!

Carson has made my day again

2010-07-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

I don't post much but this one is too good to miss. Carson was just laying on a towel on the floor, happy as can be. You'll see.

YouTube Video

Location:Captain John Brice Way,Annapolis,United States

Happy Half Birthday!

2010-07-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

From this...

To this...

In the blink of an eye.

Carson is now 6 months old!

Ben, the fish

2010-07-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

This has been the summer of swimming for Ben. He has really become comfortable in the water for the first time ever this year. He was always very cautious and hesitant while he was in a pool or bath. Any water that hit his face would need to be immediately removed. This summer, Ben has turned into a fish. He goes underwater, swims, jumps into the deep end of the pool, and is now what I would consider a swimmer. Kind of cool, ay?

Anytime we go to the pool, Ben is the last one out. Forget about trying to feed him anything, he would much rather stay in the water. I usually make him come out for a quick sunblock break and then stuff him with some sort of food while we are reapplying the lotion. It is so much fun to watch him try new things.
Oh, and for anyone keeping count like I am...exactly one more month until he starts Kindergarten. My tissue supply is dwindling.

You know you are a mom of 3 boys if...

2010-07-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

- you play ninjas, soccer, wipeout, football, or sword fight 100 times a day

- you can not keep up with laundry during the summer because of dirt, sweat, popsicle stains, or the boys "accidentally" spraying themselves with the hose and needing a new outfit.

- you play Barbies with your friends daughter and can not remember how to do anything with them because it has been over 20 years since you last touched a Barbie doll.

- your favorite color is pink because it is so rarely seen in the house.

- when your boys are invited to a birthday party for a girl, you panic a little bit because you have no idea what girls are into these days.

- you know all the aliens by name on Ben 10.

- you know that your laser can not hit any of your boys, but they never miss you.

- you are constantly cleaning toilets because their aim is not perfected by any means.

- you clean many dirty fingers and toes because they insist on playing in the dirt.

- you are no longer grossed out by worms, or bugs of any sort because they are considered super cool in a little boys world.

- you get lots of love, hugs, and kisses and usually have a big smile on your face because you are a mommy to three beautiful boys.

Long weekend in Portland

2010-07-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Carson and I are home from our long weekend in Portland. We had a fantastic time visiting with some wonderful friends and enjoying the West Coast for a few days. Carson did surprisingly well on all of the flights, except for about 20 minutes of our very last flight when he was just overtired and wanted to be off the plane. I was so relieved to not be the mom who had the crying baby for the whole flight. Whew!

The main reason for my visit was to spend some good quality time with my friend Sara and her two daughters, Addie & Bella. It had been about 18 months since we last saw each other and both of us added new members to our family since our last visit. I with Carson, and her with Arabella (who is now 14 months old). Once we landed in Portland, Sara and Addie met us at the airport. It was so good to see those girls! Sara and I both had watery eyes as we were loading my suitcases into the car. Addie had grown so much since I saw her and was just beautiful! We drove past Mt Hood (amazingly beautiful) and headed to Sara's parents house. Once there, we sat outside and tried to catch up while playing with the kids. Bella and Addie are just so wonderful. Bella has this amazing personality and although she is not much of a talker yet, she has some adorable mannerisms that let me know exactly what she is saying. Addie and I bonded over Elmo books and Barbie dolls. I just have to say that being a mom of three boys has made me quite rusty when it comes to playing Barbie dolls, but Addie helped me out with that as we dressed all of her Barbies for a party, and she even allowed Ken to come along with the girls. :)

The next day Sara and I took the kids into Portland to do some shopping at a fantastic toy store called The Green Frog. I had to get my boys at home some cool toys and this shop was perfect. It was one of those toy stores that sells every neat toy that Toys R Us or Target doesn't have. I immediately thought of Joe because he LOVES places like this. I think he would have spent way more money than I did in the store, so it might be a good thing he wasn't there. I decided on some rocket launchers, a boomerang, and another flying toy for Ben and Eli, and my choices went over quite well with my big boys.
We met one of Sara's high school friends and her son for lunch at an adorable Mexican-ish restaurant called Cha Cha Cha (sustainable Mexican food....very Portland). I had an amazing lunch and ate every bit of it. After lunch, we headed to a park so Addie could play in the water. This little girl is so funny! She was wearing a dress and it was not nearly as warm as she is used to, but she was as happy as she could be playing in the water. Carson laid on a blanket and played with some toys and we just enjoyed the beautiful day outside with our kids.

The next day I met up with an old friend from my social work days. Randi and I had not seen each other for a while and she moved back to Portland to go to grad school about a week before Ben was born. It was rather funny that she has only met the youngest Knight, and not Ben or Eli, but I was happy she could at least meet my baby boy. Randi and I ate lunch and did some quick shopping. I think she was impressed with how quickly I can shop with a kid in tow. I am not much for trying things on these days, as it just wastes my shopping time.

After meeting up with Randi, I went to visit my mother-in-law's sister and her family in Lake Oswego. Lake Oswego is a gorgeous small town lined with beautiful mountains of evergreens and a picturesque lake right in the middle of it all. It was so good to catch up with the Wentz family as I have not seen the son, Nick since he was 11 years old. Nick is now about 6'4" and a college graduate. We got caught up on all of the family news, they all met and cooed over Carson, we had a great meal, and then it was time for me to get back to Sara as my flight left at 5:30 am to go home.

The trip was just long enough to have some great one on one time with my smallest boy, but I sure did miss my middle and biggest boy so much! I arrived home to lots of hugs and kisses and I enjoyed every single one of them. Oh, the best part of coming home...I was actually requested for bedtime books and songs and rubbing of the back by Ben and Eli. That is a BIG deal considering they usually want Daddy to do it. Made my day!

Leavin' on a jet plane

2010-07-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning at 5:30 am Carson and I will head to the airport to begin our venture to the West Coast. We are spending a total of about 8 hours on a plane with a stop in Phoenix, but we will be riding in style up front in the First Class cab. I am hoping this means Carson will be so comfortable that he wont cry at all and sleep great. Wishful thinking?
I will be trying to update with some pictures as we go along, but I can't promise anything. Check back on Monday if you want some real pictures!

Soccer Camp

2010-07-14T01:40:00.000-07:00

What better way to spend the hottest week of the summer than being outside for soccer camp? That is exactly what Ben did last week as the sun beat down on him and the temperatures were over 100 degrees for three days in a row! If you ask Ben about his soccer camp experience he says, "It was the best time ever! I loved it, except that it was so hot!". Every morning I sent him with a large bottle of Gatorade, two bottles of water, and coated in sunscreen. He had such a great time with a few of his buddies from his ASA soccer team and he made a few new friends as well. The camp was run through UK Elite and all of the coaches were from England. Joe and I actually hosted one of the coaches for the week. He name was Rachel and she was just brilliant (that is my British slang coming through)! We had a fantastic week with her and it was so neat to see the things she loved about America. Little things like how everything comes in pink over here for girls. She found Adidas slip on soccer sandals in pink and you would have thought she found gold. We also treated her to as many great foods as we could, Ledo's pizza, Cold Stone Creamery, Cheesecake Factory, and a big old Maryland crab feast to boot! It was a week of eating unhealthy, but being way too busy to care!

Ben's team at camp.

Ben and Coach Anthony (pronouned "Ant-ney")

Ben's big group of players with Coach Anthony and Coach Mike. Both of these coaches were legend! Again, that is my British vocabulary coming through.

Ben after the last day! He was so exhausted from being in the heat all week and running around all day. He came home and took a 2 hour nap everyday after camp. This boy rarely takes a nap, but everyday after camp he laid down without any hesitation and slept for about 2 hours.

The Crab Feast! The girl in the white "bib" (also known as a paper towel) was our home stay, Rachel. She was just lovely! The crabs were a new experience for her and she was really good at flinging pieces on her, hence the bib. The two other girls were also from UK Elite. They came over for the crabs as well. They all loved them and decided Maryland is the place to be in the summer!

4 days and counting...

2010-07-11T17:45:00.001-07:00

This Thursday I will be taking the youngest Knight with me to the West Coast. I am ridiculously excited, but there will be three boys at home that will be missed more than they will ever know. I told Ben and Eli that mommy is going on a trip without them and you would think I told them there was no Santa Claus. They both erupted into tears and begged to go with me. To get them to calm down I promised them a nice surprise when I come home. This will be the first time I have ever left both Ben and Eli for more than one night.
I am traveling to Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA to visit my good friend, Sara and her beautiful girls while they are in the States. I can't wait to be able to spend some good quality time with Sara and her girls. Since Justin and Sara moved to the PI over two years ago we have missed them so much. A lot can happen in two years...both of us added new additions to our family. I can't wait to meet beautiful Arabella Jun in person instead of talking to her on Skype. Joe bumped Carson and I up to first class, so we will be riding in style for all 6 hours of the flight. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Carson does well on the flight. There is nothing worse than being the mom with the fussy baby on an airplane. I am hoping Carson breaks his recent short nap streak he has been on for the last few days before we go. I have tried everything to get him to sleep for more than 20 minutes and I have failed miserably. He usually sleeps for two 2 hour naps a day and lately it has been two 20 minutes naps a day. This makes for a very unhappy Carson and that I am not used to that at all. He is usually such a happy boy and great sleeper (although he never sleeps through the night). Babies...you think you have them all figured out and then they change it all up on you.

2010-07-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

Just because he is adorable and I know it will put a smile on your face.

The Father of the Year award goes to.....

2010-06-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

My husband! Not only is he wonderful everyday of the year, but he really "gets it" now what it is like to be a busy mom of three kids. He tells me all the time how wonderful I am with the boys. He always goes above and beyond to help me out when he gets home from work and on the weekends. Yes, he is sometimes the typical male and forgets little things here and there or does things extremely different than I would have done them, but it is always with the best of intentions and lots of love.
Last night, I went out with some girlfriends to dinner at PF Changs and to see Eclipse. He knew I was looking forward to this for a while now, and was so wonderful about making sure I did not have the "mom guilt" going on (sidebar: why does that always happen? I always feel so bad for leaving my children with people that love them...writing that now I realize just how crazy that sounds, but I still feel guilty when I leave to do something nice for me...CRAZY!). Anyways, this wonderful man gave two boys dinner, attempted a bottle with Carson which did not go well, gave three baths, cleaned the kitchen, and put three kids to bed. Ok, so Carson screamed for an hour and a half and Joe said he wanted to punch a wall, but what mom has not gone through that before? Welcome to my world Honey...Welcome to my world!
I love having a husband that changes poopy diapers and cleans up baby vomit without complaining. Thanks Darling!

Carson at 5 months

2010-06-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

This beautiful baby boy has been doing new things everyday. It is hard to believe he is now 5 months old and rolling over, eating cereal and his first tastes of organic peas (YUMMY, or at least he thought so), and he recently started sucking his thumb. He loves to cuddle up with a blanket on the floor and pop that little thumb into his mouth. It is so ridiculously adorable. Ben & Eli were not thumbsuckers, so this is totally new territory to me and I don't know why I find it to be so darn cute, but I really do. It might be because I was a thumbsucker as well. I think I took it a bit overboard as I was still sucking my thumb in the fifth grade. The only thing that got me to stop was when I was busted by my best friend at a sleepover. Nothing like a little pre-teen humiliation to make you stop doing something. I am hoping Carson stops sucking his thumb before fifth grade...I don't think it will be quite as cute as it is now when he is 10.

Summertime

2010-06-29T00:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the long pause between posts folks, but we have been busy...

playing as much as we can...

for as long as we can...

splishing and splashing...

with three beautiful boys...

near the pool.
Ahhhh, yes....we love summertime!

Happiest Baby on the Block

2010-06-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

Carson has turned in to another easy baby for Joe and I. Seriously, I am not sure how we did it three times in a row, but as soon as we leave the newborn period, all three boys were very easy going and have had a great temperament. I was a bit worried about Ben at first because he was such a hard infant, but I am pretty sure Joe and I being a first time parent had something to do with that. Eli was a piece of cake after he left the hospital. The ONLY good thing to come of his 2 weeks hospital stay at 5 weeks old was that he had to learn to soothe himself and put himself to sleep because Joe and I were not allowed to touch him, let alone hold him. Sad, but true. Now we have Carson, and it was rough at first...I was convinced he would never be on a schedule because we are so busy with the older boys and he gets dragged around in his car seat, but he has turned in to the best baby. He is so mellow and easy going and all I have to do is lay him in his crib give him a sweet little smooch and he goes right to sleep. The only time he gets upset is if he is over tired and if that happens, I just run him upstairs to his crib and lay him down and he is out in about 20 seconds. This three kid thing is getting easier. Maybe we should have a few more. Wink Wink!!! :)

Round for Robin 2010

2010-06-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

On Friday we had the 7th Annual Round for Robin in honor and memory of "Grandma Robin". It takes a huge team effort on the part of the Knight family to throw this thing together every year, but come tournament day everyone is smiling and having fun knowing that what we are doing for the UMMS Greenebaum Cancer Center is saving lives. The tournament has raised over $150,000 for Melanoma research in honor of Joe and Ruby's mother, Ben, Eli, & Carson's grandmother, Ken's wife, Nonny's daughter, and everyone's friend who passed away in 1993 from the terrible disease. It is always a wonderful event and this year Joe and Ruby took the reigns and planned a huge part of the day.

Mimi and Breauna were volunteers and helped pass out lunches to the players. I personally think Bre enjoyed driving the golf carts more than the kids, but we will keep that our little secret.

Nonny and I with two of the cutest boys around.

Me and my favorite 2 year old. How adorable is this boy? He got so serious about driving the golf cart. He put forth great effort in steering the wheel. It was a lot of fun for Eli this year to be a part of the event.

A few members of the Knight Family enjoying the AMAZING food after the outing. I pretty much come back every year because of the food.

3 of our top Volunteers...although every volunteer is a top volunteer. Everyone did a fantastic job.

Ben and Eli played the last two holes with Joe, Ruby, Chad, and Ken and they had a blast. This was the first year that Eli was able to join in on that tradition and also the first year that Ben had his own set of real golf clubs. It was so cute to see how cute they were playing and how excited they got to join in on the fun.

We are already starting to think about next years tournament, so be ready to sign up to play, donate money to our cause, or to come out and volunteer your time. It is always the second Friday in June!

For the Love of Food

2010-06-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am definitely a foodie! I love to eat good food. I especially like it now while I am breastfeeding and I can pretty much eat anything I want to eat and still lost weight. I definitely think God knew what he was doing when he made breastfeeding a great way to lose baby weight. I think it is our reward for dealing with all of the craziness that is milk supply, mastitis, stretched out boobies (it happens to the best of us), and engorgement. Wow, that went way off topic, but anyways, I love food! It is always nice when our children try new foods, no matter what they are. My boys are actually really good eaters. We tell them at dinner time that Joe and I do not make anything that does not taste good, and that pretty much does the trick. They love many vegetables, eat a wide variety or ethnic foods that we like, and will pretty much try anything. Of course they have their run of the mill kid favorites like pizza or grilled cheese sandwiches, but when both older boys say their favorite food is Chicken, Brocoli, and Rice, or Black Beans, avacado, and Peruvian chicken, it kind of puts a big smile on my face.
Not too long ago, Eli enjoyed one of my favorite "treat" foods for the first time. The whole Knight Family LOVES Chicken Cheese Steaks from Capri (a little mom and pop restaurant a few minutes from our house). They are made on pizza dough buns, and are just DELICIOUS! It was a huge craving with all three pregnancies, and I really have to limit myself from them or I would go overboard. Needless to say, Eli was a big fan and fits right in with the rest of us.

Art Show

2010-06-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

I completely forgot to write about this when it happened, so I guess now is just as good a time as any...
Ben had his very first Art Show a few weeks ago for his school. Pop Pop and Grammy were in for a visit so they were able to enjoy the show as well. Each student in his school had a showcase of their art from throughout the school year. This was actually a fundraiser for the school and if you wanted to have your childs artwork, you had to purchase it from the Gallery. The prices were determined by the students and the prices ranged anywhere from 8 coins to $1,000,000.00. Luckily Ben priced his at $1.00. His reasoning was that we are trying to save money to go to Disney World so he didn't want us to spend too much on his art. I definitely gave a little more to the school than $1.00, but it sure was nice of Ben to think of us that way. :)

2010-06-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

Apparently all I have to do is say "Shhhhhhhh" to Carson to get this awesome result...ENJOY!