Friday, November 22, 2013

September In Review: Lost Teeth, Cooking & More Football!

Lost Teeth

Look at this face!
Seriously...
Look at that smile...
that beautiful
sweet
precious
TOOTHLESS 
smile!!

Shortly after we returned from our
marathon camping trip...
Jackson had a VERY loose tooth.
We kept expecting it to fall out,
we tried talking him into
NUMEROUS 
"fun" ways to get it out.
He politely declined
ALL
suggestions.
Eventually,
it just fell out.
The one beside it,
was also loose,
but just getting good and loose...
after insisting 
on waiting til 
the extremely loose
one fell out on its own...
his older brother,
assisted him in removing the other one.
They were wrestling in the playroom,
then Jackson came running in 
super excited about something...
then showed me the SECOND tooth 
that was no longer in his mouth...
but in his hand!
And after all the drama 
surrounding the first tooth falling out...
that one...
was a piece of cake.

Homemade CornDog Muffins

We were kinda stuck in a lunch rut.
I wanted to try some different things for lunch.

I made mini quiches...
I loved them,
my guys...eh,
they didn't love them.
That was ok with me,
because they were SOOOO
time consuming to make!!

So I tried something else,
my guys love corndogs,
I do too!
I don't love how they are 
LOADED 
with fat and calories!
LOADED!!

So I attempted to make my own,
well, something similar.

I cut 6 all beef, low fat
hot dogs into fourths.

Then put them in the center
of the muffin tin.

I mixed up one box of Jiffy Corn Bread mix,
per the instructions.

Then spooned it around the cut up hot dogs.


Baked them a little less than the instructions called for,
and wound up with this!


Cute, huh?


They like these!
Not as much as the "real" 
corndogs..
but they will do!



We finally started school in September!
This is where Jackson started out reading...
but the littles have
quickly taken over that corner,
and Jackson has been booted to 
the living room sofa.
That's ok though, 
less distractions in there...
when he is by himself.


More Football!!!


We were surprised to see some 
old friends
had a parking spot 
right across from us!!!


My bestie and her youngest
also joined us at this game.



Sweet daddy/daughter moment.



That's a lot of "fan"nies
hanging out down there!


This happened to be the 
Military Appreciation Game.
This is my absolute favorite game
EVERY.YEAR!!
For many reason...
MANY.
But the hubs is actually a vet.
So because of him,
I have a new found respect
and 
admiration
for all things military!


I asked my bestie
to take a picture of me and my baby boy...

He wasn't cooperating!!



My face says it all!!


And I eventually just gave up.

 This beauty always stops to smile for the camera!


And this picture...

(Sept 2013)

Is a recreation from 3 years ago...
(Nov 2010)


Me and my boys
cheering on the
WOLFPACK
Year after year...

Thursday, November 21, 2013

August Revisited!

I keep forgetting to download pictures off
of my phone...
and if you are anything like me...
that is where most of my 
day to day
pictures live!

So I downloaded today...
and came across some
worth sharing.


You know you live in a little town,
when you see someone making
homemade
cracklins
and 
pork rinds
at the local farmer's market!!!


Little brother holding
his big sister.
My sweet babies!


These next few require a little background.
We have a decent pool in our neighborhood,
with a baby pool.
For whatever reason,
Mr. T was NOT interested 
in the big pool,
with or without a life jacket.
He was VERY content to stay 
in the baby pool.

In August,
we hit the indoor pool at the YMCA.
So even though we had nice
neoprene life jackets for him,
somehow...
the good old trusty orange
life neck thing...
was like superman's cape!
This kid
ASKED to wear one...
then did this!!!

And this!


Then finished up with 
this!!  


Mommy was so shocked! 
And SO proud!!!


Then...
behold...
what the Martinez Family
LIVES for!

NC State Wolfpack Football Season!!!
We have phenomenal seats
for having young kids...
our guys are able to 
hang out 
down by the field
and get up close and personal...
with
the football players
the mascot
the cheerleaders
and 
the dance team.

And Rico's goal...
every game!
Is to get on the big jumbotron!!


Its typically just
mom and dad
and
the big boys...
we typically 
leave the littles 
with my mom and dad.
BUT,
we always take them to 
at least one game a year...

We took them to the first game of the season!


And they jumped right on in like they are 
born with the love of the Wolfpack in their bones!


Mr. T cheered so hard...
he passed out!


Post game photo op!
Yep,
this is where my boys sit...
every game!
(except on their knees
and
facing the other way, of course!)

And the annual family
football photo!


(thankfully this football
season is almost over now though)

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Thankful Tuesday

Yes,
I know its technically Wednesday...
but my sister over at 
sent me a text last night 
asking me to do this
...if I happened "to have enough free time".

To which I responded (via text)...
"Haha...she asked if I had enough time for
something as my underwear clad 4 yo runs through
the kitchen waiting on her bath as her 3 yo brother 
takes his TIME eating his dinner not realizing (nor caring)
that he is holding up bath time...dinner dishes sit in 
my sink and litter my counter, remnants of our 
taco dinner litter my table and floor,
daddy's lunch fixins are scattered in the mix
on the counter waiting to be made,
now the older boys are 
chasing the underwear clad 4 yo 
around the house...
through the above mentioned kitchen.
Oh, and my husband is now 
entertaining the 3 yo who won't eat
by dancing and shaking his booty 
in the kitchen...
much to the 3 yos delight!
I need a bigger glass of wine"

and then I followed up with

"...but I am thankful for all of it"


So I did't get to this yesterday...
but you can totally understand why!

And that was a tame night!

For all these things...


I
AM
THANKFUL!!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

A Pirate at 3!

We struggled with what to do
for Mr. T's birthday this year.
I knew I wanted to make sure
as many family members could attend
(after all, we were back in NC, right?)
and I wanted it to be something
HE would enjoy!
Not a cookout at the house,
that he would be oblivious too...

So we settled on my favorite park in all of Raleigh...
Pullen Park.

I have posted about that park before.
It was going through a MAJOR remodel
when we left NC,
and finally reopened after we
had already departed.

I had taken the kids to the 
new and improved
version
while we were visiting a year ago...
but was super excited to have Mr. T's 
party there!

Behold...
the pictures!!

The pirate and princess
making their way
into the park...

They received a LOT of compliments
on their outfits!!





Yep, that's my oldest at the tip top
of this climbing apparatus!
 


Jackson staying a little closer to the 
ground...
but a GREAT shot of him!! 


I love love love
the expression on this child's face!!! 


Pirate Tony
has successfully 
tamed the dreaded snake 
climber!

GQ!

My boys!!
On the dreaded snake climber!

Joe Cool!
er
Jackson Cool!!

The ONLY
picture I have with all 
4 of my kids in it...

The pirate 
waiting patiently for his...
um..
Train??


Freaking ADORABLE!!!


And,
he's tired of pictures.
UGH!


Captaining 
the ship he commandeered from...
the last kid on the ride.


GQ, 
chillin at 
the top of the world
again...


Mommy and NeeNee 
scaling 
Mt. Pullen Park.


Awesome pic of my sis, NeeNee,
and her little priss.


Little Miss 
heading down the slide into her daddy's arms!

The pirate
finally got to ride on the train!
This has always been our favorite part
of 
Pullen Park!
(yes I see my oldest, yes this is the best, most in focus
picture of the 5 that were taken)


The pirate doing his 
best 
"choo choo"
imitation!! 


Little Miss' daddy giving her bunny ears!
Seriously daddy!
How old are you?
And to your own kid??  
(Love my family!) 



A couple of the special birthday party guests
on the carousel.





Cake time!!!


 To go with the pirate theme,
of course!
(yep, made by yours truly)


Presenting the birthday boy
with his cake!



As the norm in our family...
the birthday child gets to cut the cake.
(no fingers were removed in the cutting of this cake)


Everyone was pointing at which piece 
they wanted...


I asked who wanted a piece of the map...




 Yeah, we're bad...
we know it!


 Awesome pic of one of my sisses
and my bestie!!


How a 3yo pirate 
throws and catches 
a football...




Awesome pic of my mom and my niece.


Wild thing...
on the run!


Nana caught her!


How DO YOU 
get icing on your shoes??
(no idea!!)

 I'll take that camera please...


My babies...
affectionately called
"The Littles" 
in our house.



One final train ride around the park
before we headed out...

Happy 3rd Birthday 
Sweet Baby Boy!!