Nope, NOT ME!

Good gosh, these people are fast! Its just after midnight here on the East coast and already there are over 50 links! MckMama has got it going on:) Check out her "Not me! Monday" post here. Can't wait to read them. And why might I be up at midnight doing this you ask. You see, there are still some domesticating things to be done Monday morning and I wanted to get this done. So now it is. Plus, Peyton is going to be having an interesting breakfast this am and who knows how long that is going to take:)

Here goes:

I absolutely did NOT tell a tee tiny white lie to my boys last week. I mean seriously, who does that...lies to your kids. As if! It was time for new tennis shoes and off to Stride Rite we went. A monopoly on wide and extra wide kids shoes I tell you. Peyton wanted the ALL white leather shoes with the light up firetruck AND two velcro tabs across the top. Um...NO! If I am paying this much for shoes, they are going to look like I payed this much for shoes! "sorry honey, these don't come in your size". Yes, lightning struck just next door. I don't do velcro across the top and I certainly don't do light up either. Sure if this was a play pair and we were getting them cheaply. NOT for the amount they wanted. We picked out the "barfaroma" pair and all were happy. What boy doesn't want a pair of shoes called barfaroma anyway? Still velcro (I can't tie 2 pair of shoes 5 times a day) but in a stylish sort of way and dark blue so as to not appear demolished the first time they are worn on the playground. There....everyone happy.

My kids were NOT in thier PJ's when a friend came over recently at 8pm...what is wrong with this? They were the SAME PJ's from the night before....that they had not taken off from the night before. Saving on laundry I tell you! Yeah, there was no bath either:)

I did not threaten my child that what he did not eat for supper he would in fact eat for breakfast the next morning. Wait...you are right, I DID in fact say that. But you see, it was not a threat at all. I learned early on that you mean what you say when it comes to discipline! Mr. Peyton will be eating his green beans and corn from his Sunday night supper for breakfast this morning. We shall see how this goes. I am just stubborn enough to do it too. You just wait and see. The boys have gotten down from the table plenty a times saying they were not hungry...and given nothing else to eat. They have learned to eat what is given, I am NOT a short order cook. They must TRY everything on their plate, but do not have to eat it all if they truly don't like it. Sure, their tummys have been growling when we tuck them in at night...but, they have learned to eat their food and be thankful for what they have...until recently when they have found it funny to play in their food. Dismissing them from the table, timeout, warnings, teaching...none of it has worked. Last night I had had enough and knew there must be a tougher consequence. They were given one warning and the consequence stated. Parker choose to finish his dinner....Peyton did not and continued to play thinking it was funny. So dismissed from the table it was and guess what is for breakfast:) Green beans and corn! It all came to a head last week when they pulled the playing with your food stunt at a neighbors house....we are going to nip this one in the bud!

So there you have it...my not so good and still waiting to see parenting takes for the week. I'll keep you posted on breakfast. Makes you want to come eat at our house eh?

One cute pic we snapped of the boys Saturday night. We found them like this again Sunday night. Soooo sweet when they want to sleep near each other. Peyton does not like it when Parker gets in the bed with him...I guess this was his compromise. They did this all on their own.

Domesticated

It would seem that way at least...domesticated that is. I think we have been cleaning house for one whole week now. Really. That is what happens when you do NOTHING to your house for a solid week. Clothes didn't get washed, barely any dishes washed, no bathrooms cleaned, no dusting...NOTHING. Well, we did at least make our beds...that way I didn't feel too guilty:)

To finish our weekend off we tucked the childrens in the bed and gathered in the den...to do more domesticating of course. Now that all the laundry was done...someone had to do the ironing. Yeah...I don't iron. Just ask my dad! He did the ironing in our house when I was growing up (and I'm pretty sure he still does). So, naturally now that I am married and have a home of my own...I still DON'T do the ironing. My vote for Chris' shirts...$1 per shirt at the dry cleaners. CLEARLY that is one heck of a deal. Nope, apparently not. So not only does he iron his shirts...but mine and the boys as well. Yep, wife of the year award right here.

So what might I have been doing while my dearest was hard at work ironing? Attempting to sew buttons on several items. Apparently my mom's sewing skills are NOT in fact hereditary. Seeing that she can sew anything you throw at her...one would think I could sew a button on decently. Nope, makes me want to say bad things every time. I did however learn why one might want to wear a thimble tonight...cussing I tell you. 5 buttons later and I would not indeed earn an A in my home economics class. Maybe a check for effort but that is about it. Thankfully the front of the button looks good...the backside however, a nice tangled mess. O well...I tried.

What else might we be doing while we are domesticating? (yes that is a verb). Watching Chirs' addiction:) Not my most favorite show to watch. It just flat out stresses me out. Too much drama, too many decisions and way too much hormones involved. I think this very well could be a sacrifice for me to watch this show! It frays my nerves raw and makes me too anxious. Maybe it's because I fear it will bring another round of applications to mind. Chris and his brother have tried out for this show more times than I care to remember. (2 for Chris and 4 for his brother) They even traveled to Ohio for an open casting call. We were in California at the time...that is how ridiculous it got. No, I'm not trying to squash his dreams...but really....be gone for 6 weeks. Hello, we now have THREE small children to care for. Oh yeah...it all started when we had TWO INFANT SONS. It is a bit of a sore subject at the Darley household. I really want to be the wife that can stand up and say: "Yes baby, follow your dreams. I know this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, go do it. Have fun and call when you get back". Realistically that is not how I feel and he knows. We have talked about it several times and there is WAY TOO MUCH going own in our lives now. Maybe one day....yes, I keep hoping he will loose interest. I'm just being honest here. I am supportive of so many dreams, I really am. I just have a REALLY hard time getting on board with this one. His solution. We should try out together. HA HA HA!!!! Those of you that know me, know how utterly disastrous this would be. Me with no sleep and no planning time....DIS-AS-TER! Somehow my not so good side would be there for all to see on national TV. I know myself well enough to know this is NOT for me. Oh the tears that would be shed. I mean come on, he has seen me with little sleep and he still would want to do this and on TV at that. That is love my friends. However, my answer is still NO!

So do tell, who are you pulling for. The girls from SC of course...but I'm leaning toward the brother/sister team.

Eat your heart out ladies...this is a common occurrence at our home:) Yes, I am one lucky women and VERY thankful I have a man who is not afraid of his domesticated side!

It is the end of the month and that means we are at or near our grocery limit for the month:) So, it is look in the pantry and freezer to see what ya got. Usually it is pancakes and PB&J! This time we got lucky. Papa sent some ribs with Mimi the last time she came for a visit. Ribs are my all time favorite food and I think I've done a good job passing the love on to the boys. Parker can eat him some ribs! His eyes lit up tonight when I told him that was for supper. He ate 1/2 a rack himself.

Peyton

Parker

See what I mean...TO.THE.BONE people. He cleans them good! He was not thrilled I made him stop for a photo op.

Of course we can't get away with a post without Miss Priss. Supper for her: rice cereal(not a fan), butternut squash and avocado...which she loves! Chris and I cooked our first butternut squash this weekend to make baby food. It turned out really yummy. We were quiet proud of ourselves!

Nope, NOT ME!

Seeing that I seem to be making some headway into this posting thing again:) I thought I might take a moment and let you see what I have been up to lately....as if potty training, hubby working crazy hours, tagging clothes for consignment sales and keeping the 2 monkeys out of trouble weren't enough. I put blogging aside for several reasons this summer....but I did NOT stop reading them. I gave myself enough time during the day to multitask so that reading and keeping up with you guys could still happen. Every time I sat down to nurse Miss Priss, I was reading, reading, reading. This is what made leaving comments difficult too:)

Today presented itself with a great opportunity to share a blog with you that I am absolutely hooked on....may come close to stalking:) You see, I have never even left a comment here but I feel like this family is just around the corner, they are not. We pray for them quite often and I love, love, love reading her witty stories, her parenting techniques and how God is working in her life. AMAZING, I tell you. She has GOT IT GOING ON over there. Really, you are going to want to check her out. BUT....make sure you've got a couple of hours because you are going to get hooked! She is a riot I tell you. Kim, you are going to LOVE this one! Go on...add it to our list of daily must reads. She is right up there with 6YearMed, Steece's Pieces, Whittaker Women, Ragamuffin Soul, Miss CB (the best dressed toddler ever)..sorry guys, she is private and many more. You can thank me later:) It's been a year(can you believe it) since we've added another one. It's about time don't ya think.

All this to say she has started something fabulous and oh so fun....makes you realize you are NORMAL and there are plenty of other mommy's out there doing some crazy stuff too:) My blog readers, meet MckMama and her MSC (many small children as she likes to call them). Big Mac, MckNugget, Small Fry and soon to arrive MckMuffin. It must be something about California I tell you. She is refreshingly honest and REAL...at least her blog comes across that way. Her transparency is catching and her pictures incredible. Go take a look...I promise you'll love her for good. It's baby Stellan we have been praying for (aka MckMuffin). Their story of this current pregnancy, the struggles, fears, unknown outcome and faith will capture your heart. Can you tell I have become a Raving Fan?

Without further adu...her is her newest creation:

Check out her post here and links to many other mommas out there who do NOTHING wrong any given day of the week:) Currently writing this at 10:45pm here on the east coast there are already 191 participants! WOW.

I did NOT feed my monkeys oatmeal twice in one day last week. Hey, they had lunch in between which included a fruit. Plus, the oatmeal was organic and that solves ALL nutrition problems:)

Bath time was NOT skipped AGAIN b/c we just stayed inside and no one was visibly sweaty or dirty behind the ears...they make baby wipes for a reason you know!

Bribing the monkeys with food is NEVER done at our house. So when we were in Target getting some much needed things....the popcorn (which is a choking hazard and nutritionally absent) I fed the boys was NOT a bribe. I would NEVER do such a thing just to get my kids to behave, nope NOT me!

I absolutely DID NOT step outside to find the monkeys with shorts and underwear around their ankles peeing on the house being built two doors over. My children would NEVER do such a thing. Clearly they are raised better than that. Peeing in public of all things, NOT my kids. I did NOT wish I had my camera near by to snap a picture of said event.

The boys turned into smurfs yesterday because they were NOT left unsupervised with blue ink and stamps as I stepped out of the room for a moment. I did NOT leave baby sister in there with them either....Who in their right mind would ever leave 3 kids 3 and under unsupervised with blue ink (not crayola washable either)? I never said I was in my right mind:)

As I was reading MckMama's Not Me! Monday post I did NOT leave the monkeys unsupervised again....only to find them rearranging our closet. One day, I will learn my lesson...until then, it makes for some darn funny blog stories:) Isn't that what we hope for after all?!!!?

So come on...get on board with this one....see how funny it is and freeing! Come on girls...Do Tell.

Smurf 1 (err, Peyton) pre shower

Smurf 2 (err, Parker) hiding from us in the bathroom

Parker hard at work creating MORE work for me this morning in our closet. But I sure did have fun reading MckMama's latest. And that my friends, is all that matters.

Miss Priss not too keen on being cleaned up after the monkeys got a hold of her!

CRUSH

The boys imaginations have been full tilt lately. I love it! I love hearing them talk to each other when they are in bed at night and I love hearing them talk to themselves at nap time. I need to do a better job of writing these things down.

Recently they have been into animals. We have many different types of animals living with us. Usually it is baby chicks. However, we have had many tiger, gorilla and and baby lion sightings. Usually they do OK with these creatures. Peyton recently was HYSTERICAL that there was a baby gorilla in the corner at nap time. Luckily this was on a weekend and Chris was able to rescue him from this horrific sighting. Their favorite cohabitant of ours is baby chicks. They carry them everywhere with us. Many times I will look to see them walking around with their fists clenched shut....carrying the baby chicks of course. They were in the backyard playing one morning and had me absolutely convinced there were baby chicks in the woods. They had sticks they were poking the ground with and I was worried they really were hurting these little birds they found.....nope, nothing there.

I have these preschool books for the boys that I am filling out to help us remember this time in their life. I was asking them several questions about school to help fill the book out. I asked Parker who was his best friend, fully expecting him to say Peyton......AvE. AvE? Who is that? He gets this silly grin on his face and repeats the name. Hmmm. I look at the class list and realize my baby has his first crush! Avery is a little girl in his class this year. I was not sure who she was and was looking forward to Wednesday when I walk them in instead of using the drop off line. Well, today I meet Avery. I must say he has VERY good taste. She is the cutest thing. Long, full blond hair and the most darling outfits. Little does Avery know but she has been napping with us, eating supper with us and coloring with us. Today he was walking in with his fists clenched.

Me: "Parker what is in your fists?"

P: Looks at me and then looks at his teacher who is standing beside his true love

Me: "Who are you holding on to there buddy?"

P: Looks at me and grins

Oh sooo cute. Miss Beth and I just laugh. I learn that he and Peyton were fighting over her yesterday at school. Te he he. Would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that one.

First day of school picture 9/2

Showing off their new shirts

Not sure about the weather at your house, but it has been delightful here these past two days. We leave a bit after 8 to go to school and it has been in the 60's! Ahhh, fall is in the air. I've been up to midnight the past few nights and needed a pick me up this morning after dropping the monkeys off. Two of my favorite things. I dug around in my money dish in the van and came up with some $1 bills. Found my gift card to 4bucks coffee...mmmm pumpkin spice latte.

Love all those $1 bills. They really add up:) We have a deal that Chris gives me all his change...ones and coins. My friends call them my stripper ones cause I save them up and usually have a nice pile floating around. Sara has seen quiet a few of these...I use them to fund our picture sessions. Shh, Chris might change his mind once he sees how quickly they add up:)

The only thing that would have topped off this mornings treats would have been a Jamba Juice! Yes the one refered to in the movie Baby Mama...it is a real place! This was my absolute favorite treat when we were living in So Cal. They have THE BEST smoothies. Orange Dream Machine is my favorite. We went to Colorado back in April (pic above) and found them there! I was in heaven. Sadly the closest one to us in the terminal in the Charlotte, NC airport. Two problems with this. 1) That is 2 states away 2) You have to be flying b/c it is IN the terminal. Killing me people. My dear husband has been known to travel for work to said area AND to fly all the way home bringing me the above treat! That one scored major deposits in my love tank:)

This is why I've been up to midnight lately and running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Chris has been working long hours and kid duty is in my court. No this is not my laundry pile (that hasn't been touched this week) but all the clothes that I am selling in a consignment sale this weekend. I have not one but two to get ready for! It's the big thing to do around here and a lot of fun. Many of my girlfriends are in on this too. Great deals and Good times. I do have to get my clothes together and price tags on them ALL.

Don't leave your lap top around monkeys or it might look like this! Held together with packing tape.

We headed to God's country over the weekend (Clemson). Though it felt like a lot more like another place than I imagine Heaven feeling like. It was HOT!!! Chris' roomies from college were all in town. Two of the roomies have twins, one is married to a twin and another that was not there also has twins....what's in the water people?

Nothing like a prime potty spot for the monkeys. Gotta love potty training and being on the road. They were thrilled when we pulled into a truck stop for our break.

Can't have a post without pics of Miss Priss. Taken yesterday on our first cool morning. The Baby Legs were perfect for a quick fix to the cool temps as we were walking out the door. I had just enough time to change her diaper, pop in a bow and pull on the leg warmers....she had slept in the onsie:)

Look at those thighs! Grown on double A's my friends:) Guess I can stop feeling guilty that the boys also got breast milk yet remained peanuts. She ain't afraid to show those things off. I call her pork chop...affectionately of course. Loving all those rolls...guess they wont be so cute come spring break freshman year. I love them now though!

This one's for you

Breath...again...now take another one. Yes, you really are seeing an updated post from us. My bedtime has come and now gone, BUT...our blog is updated AND has new pictures. They are from the past month too! WOW!

Excuses, excuses is all we have. Some of them are pretty darn good too. It's too bad I can't share them all right now seeing that this is a public blog and all. Stick around and it will all come out....pictures too. March has come and gone...taking my sanity with it. Three kids under 3 will do that to ya you know.

Lots and lots of change going on around here. Yes, we are ahead of schedule in that department:) 2 years not quit here yet and here we are making changes. I'll get to that one too. I hope I'll be getting to all this stuff I keep promising. I keep telling Chris that I need library day worked into my job description:) You know...a day where I can catch up on phone calls, answer emails, update our blog, think in full sentences. Oh and I need some sick and vacation days added too. While your at it, add a clause for conferences....I'll take one on a sunny island with lots of sand and crashing waves. What might this conference be about you may ask? Leisure reading and tanning of course. Anyone interested? I'll be paying for the single room rate...not sharing my bed or room this go round:)

What prompted this return out of the blue? A dear old friend from So Cal:) It was so good hearing from you. You MADE my night:) I thought to myself answering the phone...this sounds like Tammy Brown...but it couldn't be. I just adore out of the blue surprises like this. God works in marvelous ways. I've had a rough go at "mommy" this week and was just telling Chris that I was letting it get me down in all areas of my life. I was feeling the need for a So Cal fix and would he mind me skirting out there for a few days.....Thanksgiving break....Christmas? So Cal is getting back to my roots of who I have become today...of who Chris and I have become as a couple and of who I am as a mom. I was needing a refresher and I got one in the least expected way. God is so very cool. It came straight from the source. We went to Southern California with Chick-fil-A...but God used that to bring us to a very cool church...Sandals Church to be exact. Without writing a novel....This church was instrumental in changing Chris and I in many ways. Our hearts are forever changed because of the vision of this Church. Teaching you, leading you and showing you how to be REAL. It wasn't just all talk either. All this to say...a dear friend called me tonight to say HI and it was sooo soo good to hear from her. It is so hard to stay connected to long distance friends. It is so nice to pick up where you left of though.

So this post is for you Tammy...thanks for the updates, the smiles and the encouragement. It is such a blessing to hear how well things are going and the growth that you are seeing in many areas. Thanks for sharing your heart and for reaching out. Chris and I miss you and Matt greatly. Send our love and our hellos. See you in February for sure:) Instead of emailing you some pics, I'm putting them here. I meant every word I said. We left California changed because of the work God was doing in your lives and in a church called Sandals. Thanks for all the sacrifice y'all have made as a family to see this vision through. We take a piece of Sandals everywhere we go. The 3 years there is a defining moment in our lives. God is so good. Miss you girl.

Can you believe how big they are! Just think of the tiny p-nuts you held many a times. I still think of the day you and Heather showed up at our door step to surprise me with a night out with my hubby. I left you with a mess of a house and two screaming babies. I came home to a spotless home and 2 sleeping boys. Not to mention the time you cleaned my home after we were attacked by the Rota virus...love my friend...pure love.

This is what we here in the South call "smocking". Yeah, and we dress our children alike on purpose:) You would just laugh...not too worry, the boys have plenty of Quicksilver:)

Daddy is all the kids want these days...fine by me:) Working long hours and he comes home to this:) A good man...cleaning the kitchen AND entertaining the kids:) I really can't complain!

Can you believe what a chunk she is...I like to call her pork chop...just b/c I can:) The boys never made it to this status. 6 months old and 17 lbs!!! I kid you not....she has fat rolls like you can't imagine. She is not even eating food yet! Did you ever think a Darley baby would be so plump:)

She made it to her first Clemson game...it was awful, don't ask. Just thought you would enjoy all our orange. That is an orange Tiger paw on her cheek.

Thanks for the call tonight. It was WONDERFUL hearing your voice. Sure do miss you. Send me pics of the kiddos...I can't imagine how big they are getting.