Is anyone there?

ok, so it's been over 10 months since I've posted anything on here. Good old facebook and the one line comments to keep people updated on our lives! Who knows if anyone will even read this, but here goes.

Life with 3 kids is CRAZY!! but I wouldn't change a thing, unless I could afford a live-in nanny/housekepper, then maybe I'd hire one of those. I have so much fun with my boys. They bring such joy to my life and give me more laughs that anyone else (even jon!) This was my convo with Caleb tonight......Caleb: Mommy what's rolling around in this bag down here? Me: Where? Caleb: under my penis. Me: Ummmmm......go ask daddy.

Seriously, I could not stop laughing. Jon had to take him to another room to talk about it because I couldn't control myself. Looking forward to 2 more conversations like that when the other 2 start "discovering" their bodies.

Changing subjects.....I can't wait for spring! I'm going to try my hand at gardening this year. the house we're renting has a huge yard with about 10 raised beds. It is a complete disaster right now! but I am determined to clean things up enough to grow a few things. Onions, peppers, carrots, spinach, lettuce, green beans, chives, basil....who knows what else. Maybe my kids will be more adventurous with eating veggies if we grow them ourselves. I've never been able to keep any kind of plant alive. But I've been told growing stuff in Oregon is a whole other ball game. That plants will grow themselves as long as I can remember to water them every once in a while. We shall see. Will post my progress....

Micah Reagan - 2 wks old today!

Micah Reagan Gross
Born Wednesday April 21st, 2010
7 lbs 13 oz, 20 3/4" long

99 things

My friend Corrina did this on her blog, and I thought, what the hey - I can never think about anything to blog about. So here goes....

Instructions:

Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars...camping with my family in the desert - my sister and I got trapped by a rattlesnake in the bathroom....my brother quickly took care of it.
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (twice...once with my bestie Tamara, once with Jon and the Bouligny's)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train - traveling from St. Petersburg to Moscow to watch the Russian circus.
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - come on, haven't we all?
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping - does going nudie in a hot tub count?
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - nope, but rode one around Coronado :)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise - LOVE cruises, been a couples times to Mexico, can't wait to go again!
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - the countries, not the exact cities though (Sweden and England)

35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language - Russian - but I quickly forgot it...use it or lose it :(
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie - does a documentary count? a reenactment of a friend's horrific accident (that she survived and recovered from), that aired on the 700 club.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - wedding planning, then closed business when we left San Diego.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies - but I was a "Brownie" for a little while.
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving - I wish!!!
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - actually a book - can't wait to have a daughter someday to read it to - "The Little Mommy" - best book EVER
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone - my arm when I was 4
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle - Jon used to own one - before the kids! But is was a lot of fun.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - does a lease count?
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - and I NEVER will!
88. had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous - Tracey Gold from "Growing Pains" - sat next to her/family on a flight to Hawaii - Tamara and I held her baby for a while.
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - does stepping on one count? The stinger did actually go into my foot.

Not that any of my answers are especially riveting, but if you want to know the background behind any of my answers, do ask and I'll tell!

Birthdays!

February is birthday month in our house. Caleb will be 4 on the 13th and Ethan will be 2 on the 21st. Last year we had a birthday party for Caleb, and just cake with family for Ethan as it was only his 1st birthday and he'd never know if there were friends there or not. This year, they are both talking about their birthdays and parties and presents. I'm hoping they are young enough that I can get away with having just one party. But is that rude to insinuate that guests bring a present for each of them? Ethan will only be 2, but boy does he really get it already. Luckily they like to play with a lot of the same types of toys - so all presents will eventually be enjoyed by both boys.

Caleb just started at his new preschool this week, and he is very excited to bring cupcakes to school for his birthday. But he has decided that the boys will get brown cupcakes with chocolate frosting, and girls will get white cupcakes with white frosting. So I asked him "What if one of the girls would like a chocolate cupcake?" and he said "No mama, girls don't like chocolate." Where on earth did he get THAT idea?!??! Kids are so funny.