My Logan

I love that with the promise of a little piece of candy, Logan will let me take pictures of him.  And I also love that when I tell him NOT to smile, he does this every single time.

Logan has such a fun personality.  This face is so classic Logan, and I’m so glad that I captured it!

Bike Love

We love the new found freedom that no training wheels brings us.  Last Friday, the boys rode and I jogged with Camryn in the stroller to Connor’s school playground.  It was about 4 miles round trip, and it was a really great outing for a beautiful Friday afternoon.  Yesterday, the weather wasn’t quite as beautiful plus I wasn’t really up for a long run, so I walked and the boys rode around our neighborhood.  They loved riding through puddles as much as they love when I drive through them.

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And Camryn was happy as lark in her jogger stroller.  I bought this baby at a garage sale for $25.  It’s one of my best and most used garage sale finds ever!  She loves it so much.  On our 4 mile trek last week, she never once complained or wanted to get out, and since this week was much shorter, she wasn’t even ready to get out once we got home.  Sometimes she just sits in it in the garage, without anyone even pushing her, just for fun!

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Not too much going on this weekend, which is pretty nice.  Connor has a birthday party this afternoon, and I think we are going to go finally buy our new mattress and go out to eat tonight.  Wish us luck taking all the kids mattress shopping!  Two boys in a mattress store…that just seems like a recipe for disaster.

Let’s hope today is calmer

There was way too much excitement for my taste yesterday.

None of my children took baths all weekend, and they really needed them before school yesterday.  So I popped Camryn and Logan in the bathtub.  Camryn usually loves baths, but yesterday morning I guess she just wasn’t in the mood for one because she was trying to climb out and I was trying to keep her in.   I guess I should have just given up on the much-needed bath because she lost her footing and slipped.  She hit her head on the way down, and when she stood back up and I saw the blood pouring down her face, I knew it wasn’t good.  I quickly got her out, and after getting her dried off and dressed, checked out the gash.  It was pretty big and open, but the bleeding had already stopped.  Maybe I overreacted at first when I told Logan to get out of the tub and get dressed because we were going to be headed to the hospital.  I decided I needed a second opinion, so I called a friend who used to be a nurse.  By this time, Camryn was calm so I was able to get Logan’s things ready for school, feed the kids, get myself dressed, get Connor dressed (he was home sick yesterday running a high fever and just in general feeling yucky), all the while keeping an eye on Camryn’s gash.  By the time my friend got there, I was pretty sure that it was going to need some stitches.  Stephanie agreed with me, especially since it’s on her face, so off to the hospital we went.

Let me just say that I have the best friends.  Stephanie offered to keep Connor, and another friend met me at the hospital to get Logan and take him to school.  So it was just me and my girl at the hospital.

We got the royal treatment because it’s the hospital where my brother is the pediatric ER doctor.  He wasn’t working, but they took great care of us.  They took us right back to a room, and thankfully they were able to use dermabond instead of stitches.  45 minutes after arriving, we were on our merry way.  Camryn did really great.  She was happy and smiling until they wrapped her in a sheet like a burrito so they could clean and close the gash, but even then she only cried for a minute or two.

Of course I took pictures…well, only before and after.  I refrained from whipping out the camera while they were actually working on her.

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Connor is still home sick today.  We’re not really sure what he’s got…he’s had a lot of snot and been coughing for about 6 weeks, and then he started running a fever on Sunday night.   We’ve been doing a sinus wash on him for the past 2 weeks trying to clear everything up, but it’s still there.  I took him to the doctor yesterday afternoon and he’s starting on some antibiotics and they did a swab of his nose to see what’s growing in there.  Poor kid.  He feels really miserable.

So that was my Monday.  Definitely not what I had in mind (especially since Monday’s are the day when all 3 are in school and I typically have nothing planned!)  Let’s just hope today is calmer, although with all 3 home, it’s anything but calm around here!

30 and flirty and fabulous

So I’m 30.   Inside I still feel like a teenager, but I guess I am a real life grown up now.  That sometimes still amazes me because I don’t feel like a grown up.  I wonder if I ever will.  You would think that having a husband and 3 kids and a house and all the responsibility that comes with adulthood would make me feel all grown up, but it doesn’t.  I’m still that same spazzy, hyper, happy, emotional girl that I was 15 years ago (and probably 20 years ago…and 25 years ago…I think I’ve always been this way!)

I had a really great 30th birthday.   There is just something fun about my birthday falling on a Saturday!  It feels like the sky is the limit for a birthday celebration.  I must have changed my mind 5 or 6 times about what I wanted to do for my special day.  I finally settled on what I think was the perfect mix of family time and Derek time.

I got to sleep in while Derek got up with the kiddos, and I managed to stay in bed all the way until 7:45.  Ha.  My body is so untrained to sleep in!  After a breakfast of my favorite donuts, I opened my presents.  I didn’t think there would be any because my iPhone was an early birthday present, but Derek took the kids shopping and they each picked me out something.  Logan wanted to get me a new kitchen (I wish!  I dream of new countertops, appliances, and cabinets!), but seeing as that would be a $10,ooo gift, he picked out a cute spoon rest instead.  I’ve been needing one of those, so it was the perfect gift.  Connor wanted to get me some scrapbook stuff, but then he decided that a better gift would be a big stapler, staples, and a staple remover.  So that’s exactly what they found.  Again, it’s really something we’ve been needing and a very thoughtful gift on his part.  The boys also picked out a wooden Welcome sign, which they decided was from Camryn.   I loved all my thoughtfully chosen presents!

By 10:30, we were heading out the door for some birthday fun.  The first stop was the grocery store to pick up food for a picnic.  D and I had sushi and the kids picked out lunchables.  We also picked up a birthday cake, although much to Logan’s dismay, it was not Hannah Montana.  At some point, Logan got it in his mind that I needed to have a “girl” birthday and that meant a Hannah Montana theme.

The next stop was the park.  We had a picnic, the kids played on the playground, rode bikes, and I followed them around and took pictures.  It was really fun…well, there were a few tears shed, but that’s not too unusual.

We got home just in time to put Camryn down for a nap, and about an hour later our baby sitter arrived so Derek and I could go out on a date.  We did a little mattress shopping (well, mattress browsing…picking the perfect mattress is no easy task!).  We went to see Up in the Air and went to eat at a delicious Italian restaurant.  It was the perfect date night, and the perfect end to a great birthday.

Lots of pictures from the day…

I wouldn’t let anyone eat cake until they took pictures.  Mean mommy, but it worked!

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Then it was cake time.  The kids were adamant that there be 30 candles in the cake, but it was too windy to actually light them.

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And finally…time to play.

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She is trouble!  I wonder what she’s thinking about…

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Everyone was tired by the time we headed home.  What’s funny is Logan wasn’t really the one struggling, but this picture pretty much sums up how everyone felt.

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All in all, it was a really fabulous start to this new decade.  Bring on the 30s!  Can’t wait to see what they have in store.

sweetest card ever

Connor just gave me the sweetest birthday note ever. I know that I am going to treasure it and keep forever. In fact, I might just tape it up on my bathroom mirror so I can read it whenever C and I have one of those days. You know the ones…frustration levels are high, tempers flare, patience runs thin…that’s the kind of day we are having today.

He wanted to play on the computer, but this time, instead of going right to Nick Jr. or Webkinz, he typed me a note. And this is what is said:

we love mom!!
from Connor

My favorite thing about mom is that she is the best cook I know, and I like to go to the park with you, and Logan (like my school playground.) I love mom all the way to Pluto. I like to give mom hugs and kisses at night. I like how she let me buy that stop sign.

Melt my heart!  Love that boy.  He has such a sweet spirit under all that intensity and emotion.

And the stop sign?  He’s talking about a real stop sign that we found at a garage sale today for 50 cents.   It’s now hanging proudly on his bedroom door, and he thinks it’s pretty much the coolest thing ever.  I have to admit that it is pretty cool.

I had a great 30th birthday yesterday, and I’m working on a post about it.  But Connor’s sweet note deserved a post of it’s own.

He rides

We went to my friend Laura’s house on Monday. The kids were all playing outside and the moms were all busy talking inside. It was a pretty typical playgroup time. Suddenly Noah, Logan’s bff, came running inside with a very exciting message. “Logan is riding my bike without any training wheels!”

Sure enough, Logan was riding a bike without any training wheels just like he had been doing it his entire life! I was way impressed. Luckily I was able to take a video of it with my handy iPhone. 🙂 Sidenote-i had no idea how much I would love being able to take video on my phone! I love that feature!

So here he is, riding a bike without training wheels for the first time ever.

Logan Rides a Bike from Megan Thurman on Vimeo.

Mornings

Getting Connor an alarm clock changed our mornings around here.  Before he had an alarm clock, it was like waking a sleeping bear every.single.morning.  But now, he sets his alarm (for 6:30, which is actually a compromise.  He wants to wake up earlier so he can have more time to play, and I want him to get as much beauty rest as possible.  So 6:30 is our compromise.)  By 6:35, he’s out of bed and in my room, waking me up.  I love that I count on my 7 year old to get me out of bed in the mornings!  He gets himself dressed while I pry my eyes open and stumble out of bed.  We meet in the kitchen by 6:45 so I can make him breakfast which usually consists of getting a granola bar out of the pantry, but every once in awhile he wants oatmeal or eggs so he can “run faster in p.e.”  After breakfast, he finishes up his morning routine, and I make his lunch if it’s a sack lunch kind of day.  He only likes to buy when they are having chicken nuggets or popcorn chicken (Tuesday), cheeseburgers (Thursday), or corn dogs (every other Wednesday).  He has this personal goal of being ready by 7:00 every morning, and he’s usually pretty close.  Once he’s ready, he gets to play.  He almost always goes back to his room and works on whatever project he’s got going on…coloring, drawing, practicing his cursive, writing a story, or building legos.  He loves to work at his desk!  At precisely 7:28–everything about Connor is precise–we start heading to the bus stop.  He still gives me hugs and kisses every morning before he boards the bus, and waves at me from his window until I am out of sight.  I love it.

Most morning, when I get back to the house, Logan and Camryn are still sleeping, and Derek is just leaving for work.  I enjoy a few minutes of complete peace and quiet with  my cup of coffee.  And when I say a few minutes, I mean a few.  Camryn is usually squawking within 5 or 10 minutes.  When I go into her room, she grins at me real big, but then says “dada?  dada?  dada?” over and over and over again.  I get the feeling that she’s always a little bummed out that she just gets mama and dada is already gone to work.  She gets over it eventually and starts handing me the things from her crib one by one: a baby, another baby, a third baby, her blanket, her bear, her glow worm, and finally, she reaches her arms to me and I scoop her up.  Some mornings, she just wants to be held for a few minutes.  Sometimes she goes right into her chair for breakfast.  If Logan wakes up before her (which is rare), she wants to be with him.

And finally, Logan wakes up, usually sometime between 8:00 and 8:15.  This is one of my favorite moments of my entire day.  He sneaks out of his room, tiptoes to find me, and peeks at me from around a corner.  Once he catches my eye, his face breaks into the huge Logan grin that I love so much and he runs into my arms for a morning hug and cuddle.  It’s short lived, I’m sure less than a minute, but I love it so much.  He’s my morning tv watcher and after our bear hug, he spends the next 30 minutes or so vegged out on the couch.  It’s the stillest part of his day because once he gets going, he does not stop!

I really love our morning routine.  I’m sure it will change once the summer comes, and then it won’t ever be just like it is right now.  I treasure the simplicity of them and the fact that, for the most part, they are not a frantic part of our day.  Now dinnertime and bedtime?  That’s a whole different ballgame.  But our mornings are a peaceful and slow.  I love them.

I’ve been writing this post in my head for awhile and kept meaning to take pictures of our mornings, but I give up on that idea.  But this is the grin I get from Logan every morning when he sees me.  Love it!

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The REAL reason behind the lack of blogging

I’ve been busy working on my photo website!

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I’m really, really excited about this new venture.  As I drive around town, I’m constantly looking out the window for photo locations.  When the kids are outside playing, I notice the light and take pictures in my head.  I look at different photo blogs, photo message boards, and pretty much any spare moment I’ve had over the past month has been taken up with photography in one form or another.

I’d love for you to check out my photo site! I feel like I’m still very much a beginner with so much to learn, but I’m excited about what God has in store for me with this.  It’s the first “job” or “career” thing I’ve ever been excited about.

I’m offering all my blog reader and Facebook friends 50% off while I build my portfolio and gain experience.  Please let me know if you’re interested in scheduling a session!  I’d love to take photos of your family.

18 Months

On Sunday afternoon, I wanted to go check out a new location. The boys want nothing to do with my camera, so I took Camryn along. She is definitely a challenge! But I did get a couple of keepers, and even more importantly, the location was a winner!

I have a feeling that Camryn is going to have to get used to being my little model. She definitely kept me on my toes and helped me learn more baby wrangling tricks!

Is it summer yet?

Because we are ready for some fun in the sun!

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It’s Gymbucks time and I could not resist this little bikini!  I think she is channeling her inner swimsuit model in this next one.  If you look closely, you can still see the tears on her cheeks.  She was a little appalled at first that I wanted to dress her and pretend that she is my real life doll.  But a few smarties snapped her right out of it.  Bribery….it really works.

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We also pretended to call daddy to tell him all about the cuteness.  That made her happiest of all.

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“Daddy?  You would not believe this crazy lady.  It’s 54 degrees outside and raining and she is making me parade around in a bikini!  You have to come home and save me.  And can you bring me a new a baby and some fruit snacks and hold me from the minute you get home until I go to bed?  Thanks, daddy.  You’re the best.  You’re my favorite.  I know I have you all tangled up in my web of cuteness, but really…who can blame you?  I’m pretty hard to resist.  Love you.”

So I realize that my blog is super Cam heavy lately…she is just the one I have pictures of!  The boys literally run away if they see my camera.  I suppose I could just tell stories, but I always like to have pictures to go with them.  Here’s a quick little rundown on the boys:

-Connor went to the doctor last week for his well child check up and he is almost 4.5 feet tall!  I mean, he’s so tall, it feels weird to even refer to his height in inches anymore (he’s 53.5 inches, by the way).  The doctor figures he will be at least 6’4.  People always tell us we need to get him into basketball.  Um…I don’t think that will happen.  He has a lot of gifts, but athleticism doesn’t really seem to be one of them.  Except in the pool.  The kid rocks swim team.  But being tall is good for that sport, too.

-Logan had his first sleepover on Monday night with his two bff’s, Noah and Gabriel.  He had the best time and is already asking when the next sleepover will happen.  I love that he already has such close friendships.  We are trying to enjoy as much time as possible with his buddies because next year they will all be in kindergarten, and Logan will be at a different school.  It just won’t be the same, but lucky for them, Noah and Gabriel’s moms are two of my close friends so they are pretty much stuck being friends forever.

-One night a few weeks ago, I was laying down with Connor for a few minutes at bedtime.  He was asking question after question after question about the most random things.  That is so Connor.  His mind is always running a million miles a minute.  I told him he needed to tell his brain to be quiet so he could fall asleep.  “But mom,” he said, “my mind is loaded with questions.”  Understatement of the century.

-Logan is as crazy as ever and literally never stops moving.  Love that kid.  Even when he’s figured out that if he yells and cries really loudly, his brother and sister are more likely to get in trouble.  We’re working on it.  I didn’t really realize how bad it had gotten until he was gone for his sleepover…there were literally no tears or fights or screaming that night.  Hmmm….

Hope everyone has a great weekend!