Monday, September 27, 2010

Couple more things from the last few months..

Ben and I went to Vegas for the Graham Family Reunion at the end of June, the first time we both simultaneously have spent any major time away from the kids. It was perfect b/c we went with my parents and had some good bonding time with them and my Grandma and a few other relatives. Ben and my parents fell in love with Arnold Palmer's drink of tea flavored vodka and lemonade. Mom spilled the 3RD $30 pitcher within seconds of them setting it in front of her. I, on the other hand, snuck my drinks down... I am CHEAP! Anyway, the kids stayed with Janice Thursday night and she got them to bed Friday, then Aunt Missy took over until Saturday, then Mimi Patti took over until Monday. It was nice to know the kids were in good hands in their own house and their own routine. Hattie called me Mimimommy for a few days, but all was back to normal otherwise as soon as we got home.

We did get to take our new camper out a couple of times this summer. The kids did well in it and seemed to enjoy the extra space. We still had the pack n play's out which took up a lot of the beds, but it was definitely still a necessity. The babies are so used to being laid down in their cribs I kept explaining to Ben that we would have been miserable without the pack n plays! He has swore that they will not be joining us next year and the kids will all be in the bunk beds.. a good thought... we will see.. Camping is something that will easily be something that gets easier and more fun as the kids grow.. lots of good memories to build!

The summer was cut short this year when we sold the house. We purchased 5 acres in an auction in May and were thinking about taking the house off the market for a few years while we paid for the lot. but, the week of Wyatt's birthday we showed the house to a couple moving here from Tennessee. They looked at it two times before making an offer the night of Wyatt's birthday party. With a few negotiations, it was sold by the end of the night. That led to a week of sleepless nights wondering where we would stay.. Thank god for Facebook, b/c a post from me asking for help got us this house.

Wyatt had a great birthday... He received money, clothes, shoes, and lots of other goodies.. On the day of his birthday, we went to Meadow Lake and went swimming. Daddy even came swimming once he was done golfing in the Meadow Lake Open. We went by the rental house on the way home and toured it, even paid our first month rent. I wanted to pay them quick, before they changed their mind! :)

Hudson story - he is OBSESSED with cups. Any cup, with any drink (besides chocolate milk - he hates that!!) He has melt downs when we try to limit his cups, or deny him one. He especially likes to have big people cups with no lids.

Hattie story - she does not like to be wet, but loves to point out things that ARE wet. she is VERY particular already about the clothes she wears, even more so on shoes. Hattie has been known to draw all over herself when left alone with any kind of writing tool..

They both like wash cloths, or poc pocs..
They both like naks, which is their word for snacks, which is short for popsicles.
Last weekend we went to Cory and Tricia Heislen's for dinner and us adults were sitting upstairs talking about parents and their kids when Wyatt came up and told me that Hudson had drawn all over the play thing that they had down stairs. I ran down stairs and freaked out seeing the crayon all over the slide and everywhere else.. Brook, Tricia's daughter, said she saw Hattie with the crayon and Wyatt said he saw Hudson. I asked Hudson if he did it and he said "no, Hattie do it". Then I asked Hattie and she said "Bubba did it". This went on for the rest of the night.. I still have no idea who did it.

Wyatt story - Sunday morning I was attempting to find a cartoon for him and he asked to watch the "building show" aka HGTV All American Handyman instead... He then said he wished we knew everyone in the world so we can go in there house and walk around. HE REALLY IS MY KID.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

WOW! Really??6 months??

Well, lots of changes are going on in the Meldrum household.. Biggest change is where "home" is. We sold our house on August 23rd and have been renting a house in Jeff City since the beginning of August. We were lucky to find this house, it's huge for a rental.. and the owners didn't mind us bringing Hollywood. We have taken the past 2 months to get really settled, but things are finally calming down.

The summer was fun, but of course went quick.... let me think back on things that stand out..

first, Easter - Wyatt was sick the week of Easter. He was in my closet the night before Easter and found that the Easter Bunny left everything in my closest! How crazy is that?? he for some reason hid it in the back of the closet, none of us can figure out how he thought we would find it there.. luckily Wyatt was playing in the back and saw it... whew... Wyatt thinks it was great that the Easter Bunny brought it the night before so he could sleep in Easter morning since he has been sick. Also, Mr. Bunny brought a lot of crap this year, he must have been confused thinking it was christmas. There was a shirt for wyatt, Crabby Patties, swimming stuff, a sports thing that plugged into the tv, stuffed animals.. Crazy..

Wyatt had swimming lessons again and did AWESOME. He loved it. He couldn't wait until it was time to start and was sad when they were done. He jumped off the life guard stand, which is really unbelievable compared to last year. He didn't pass to the next class, but that was expected and normal. He is still little and hasn't grasped floating on his back or belly. He will get it next summer. We tried to bring the twins... that never went very well..

Wyatt also played T Ball.. Once again, I was so proud. He did great and gave it all he had. His running is something else... looks like in the movies where you can watch it in slow motion. I don't know what he is doing, b/c he really is a quick runner. Maybe he is trying to hard! anyway, he ran after every ball that was hit and really started to get the hang of it. He told Ben he wanted to practice with me instead of Ben, which comes down to patience.

Wyatt left Kidz Kingdom in July and now attends Early Childhood Program at St Stanislaus in Wardsville. This has been a good change for him and gives him a chance to make friends his own age before Kindergarten next fall at Blair Oaks. He is having fun and has met lots of boys and girls.

We have SO MANY compliments on Wyatt. He really is very polite and smart. He is fun to hang out with, and sounds like his friends think so too! We have had a couple of parents say that their children talk about Wyatt. We are so proud!

Hattie and Hudson are talking, fighting, and even starting to pee on the potty! Hattie started first and went several mornings in a row and would go for them at school several times too.. Then she stopped going as much and Hudson started! They both get so excited when they go, even when they just try... They come running out of the bathroom screaming "My PEE, My PEE"!!

Hudson is really talking alot and is getting very easy to understand. He loves to tattle on Hattie especially... then followed by Bubba and Hollywood. He loves to boss too. We all give in to Hudson way too much. He lets you and everyone else know when he isn't happy, and then no one is happy. I hear daddy acted the same way when he was a kid.. STILL DOES.. Oh did I say that?? Anyway, I have put Hudson in boot camp to learn rules and break his spoiled habits- so hopefully I will win and not give in when I know I should..

Hattie Lynn is the tough one.. she is always tackling someone or picking on someone. She has no patience for Hollywood or whatever she calls him. Wyatt says she is saying "fall" for Hollywood, but not sure what that is short for.. Hattie usually goes with the flow on most everything, but, when she is mad or upset, she can cry loud and forever..

We are excited to say that the twins are still in their baby beds. Wyatt was crawling out of his by about 20-21 months, so to be almost two and still in them is great for us! They go to bed at 8:00 and sleep until about 7:00 when they can sleep in. During the week Ben wakes me by 6:25 so I can get the babies up and fed, dressed and ready to leave by 7:00.

The babies LOVES Blues Clues. It is a major obsession for both of them. They cry when it is over and bring me the remote so I can start another episode. I think Ben, Wyatt and I know every episode by heart. Problem is, I have been trying to find Blues Clues birthday presents and there is nothing out there. I found some stuff on ebay, but it is so PRICEY!

Hattie LOVES the water - whether it be the pool, river or just the hose. Hudson is not so crazy about getting in a pool, lake or river, but usually warms up to the idea eventually. It was still tough this summer to take them out a lot... as we always state, next year will be easier....

Everywhere we go, we hear how much Hattie looks like me and Hudson looks like Wyatt. I think Wyatt looks just like my dad and Hudson looks like Ben. Hudson walks just like Uncle Rob! Hattie runs with one arm swinging and is quick!

all I have now... will brainstorm to see what else I am forgetting...

Friday, March 19, 2010


who says you aren't supposed to stand on the furniture?
caught again.

2 of the bigger pouters I know!

mommy and Wyatt all smiles.

I always have lots of help in the bathroom!
St Pats Day and Tea Party at school!

Wyatt, the poser
Hudson showing his sister some love
everyone loves to jump in the beds

The house is quiet... the babies and Wyatt are sleeping, Ben is out with the boys and Patti, who is in town visiting this weekend, just called it a night. The weather has been so nice the last two days, over 70 degrees today, but it is supposed to be back in the 30's tomorrow.

Last weekend Rob and Amy came in town. We celebrated Ed and Janice's anniversary at our house Friday night with shrimp. They brought over their wedding album and we all had some good laughs. Saturday, I was out of my mind when I decided to meet Amy and Janice in town to go shopping. Hudson was not up for it and was screaming we left TJ Max and Target. Somehow I still managed to buy some things... I get nervous and spend money! Sunday I took them to breakfast with the Meldrums as Ben was fishing. That went much better. I still ate so fast I couldn't tell you what I ate or how it tasted. I was definitely full!

Funny from Wyatt... When we walked into Target, Wyatt saw a family with 4 kids. He said to me, "mom, their mom and dad must make ALOT of money, b/c four kids are VERY expensive.." If he only knew.

This week the kids celebrated St Pat's day at school with a tea party with the red hat ladies. I tried like crazy to get a good picture of all three of them, but Hudson wasn't having it. IMAGINE THAT!

Thursday night we went to my mom and dad's for dinner and to play. The kids had a blast, as Grandpa and Grandma had a list of things to do... feed the chickens, let them out for a while, feed the fish, ride the toys, play simon says.. Wyatt left distraught though.. he accidentally left his "pet" worms that he had found at school. They were in a biggie. He tried to get me to go back to get them, and when I wouldn't he was relieved when he remembered that he had left the bag open so they could breath, but he was so worried that they would be cold.

Hattie went to the doctor today with a double ear infection. I felt bad for not taking her sooner. I kept thinking she was getting better but she wasn't and last night she had neon stuff coming from both eyes.. POOR GIRL! I took Hudson to urgent care last Saturday and he was diagnosed with a sinus infection. They are both teething, working on their molars. They look painful and swollen!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

I was laying in bed this morning and started having a panic attack thinking how I never write about everything that goes on in the Meldrum household and how I wanted the kids to have someway to remember their childhood... I am starting over today on blogging and hope to be better at it. I make up for it in pictures I promise... I take a ton of pictures and have spent many hours making books of all of my favorite pictures.. I am so afraid that I will fall into the category of never taking the same amount of pictures of all your kids that I might over do it. if one of them do something cute and I take a picture, I go around and take a picture of everyone...

So, let's start at the oldest... me... I had two weeks of vacation recently and they went extremely fast, leaving me still a long list of things to do.. We have our house on the market right now, but no bites yet. It is a great house and if we don't sell we would be fine with staying.. I just want a house with 4 bedrooms so each of the kids have their own room and another garage or two would be nice. I love my job, especially as this weather warms up. Yesterday it was 80 degrees! I am learning more about physical damage than I ever thought possible for my brain, but I really am happy! I went to Madison three different times for training and Ben and the kids survived! That's all I can ask for!

Ben is looking forward to the end of the school year and is now working on finding a part time job for the summer. He doesn't want to work every day though, I think he wants to "work on his golf game", as always... He went to Florida in January and had a blast. He came home broke and tired. I told him his payback is coming. We just bought a new camper and we are looking forward to getting it out plenty this summer. It is a big improvement over our last!

Wyatt is the most sweetest, smartest kid I know (no, not biased at all). He is SO GOOD with Hattie and Hudson. He still calls himself bubba when he talks to them and he gets upset every night when it is their bedtime, b/c he wants to play with them more. He interprets them often, and then tells them that what they said is wrong! He is always impressing us with the things he knows and things he says. He loves to pretend talk with his toys in the highest voice you can imagine. I have taught him MOST of the state song, it is all I can remember. He knows all of his letters, numbers, months, days of the week, pledge of alligence. His daycare has been really good for him. He is going to St Stanislaus Early Childhood program starting in August and we are excited for him to be with kids his own age. He would make the cut for kindergarten, but we feel it is in his best interest in the long run to hold him back. He played soccer in the fall and was not very impressed with it, but is looking forward to playing teeball. AND SWIMMNG LESSONS. Amazing that he cried every time at swimming lessons last year but he has very fond memories of it! He has gotten very tall... I notice it mostly in the bathroom, as he has no trouble reaching the faucet now. He is very careful about bad words... he doesn't like to watch bad shows (family guy, simpsons (smile) b/c he is afraid that he will hear bad words and remember them. never mind the fact he hears us say plenty! He told me the other day that I sometimes listen to the devil and I need to not listen to him. The devil wants me to listen to him, but I have to tell him no. I hate to admit that I did not teach him this and I don't take him to church very much, something I hope to improve. We couldn't have asked for a better son - 9/10 of the time anyway! the other night he asked me if he could watch a movie in the living room.. I said I don't know, let me think about it.. just then the garage door starting opening and wyatt said "ut oh, that is not good." I asked why? He said "Dad is home and he will NOT let me watch it in the living room." He definitely knows who is going to give in and who is not..

Hattie - She is a great entertainment in our house! She is getting more attitude every day, and her personality is really showing up. She LOVES to eat. If you say eat in a sentence she drops what she is doing and runs to her booster seat and does her little dance stomping one foot and then the other. she has had a lot of trouble pooping and was throwing up every time she tried to poop. we now have her on a relaxer once a day and that has made a huge difference. She had her first haircut last Tuesday (3-2-2010). I couldn't stop staring at her that night because it really made her look more grown up! She didn't do the best- and screamed every time Tracie tried to make a cut! I eventually just held her and Tracie worked around it. Because of that, I didn't get near the pictures I wanted, so a before and after will have to do. We also took away bottles last monday, 03-01-2010. That was something we needed to do for a while, but never had the courage to follow through. We were in the routine of mentioning the word bottle and they would both run to the kitchen and wait for us to hand them their bottles, then they would run into the living room and on to their foam couches. Hudson almost always fell asleep, but Hattie would stay awake until we layed her in her bed when her bottle was gone. The first night we took away bottles Hattie was SO MAD. She screamed and cried. And her cry is so loud! Eventually we just laid her down. Things are better now, but still no quiet foam couch time. They better use them more, as those things were EXPENSIVE! Hattie is making progress on talking too.. she says duck, dog, mama, dada, bubba (I think that is what she is saying), juice, shoes and her latest is bad boy... she says others I think, but they are just not clear enough to count yet. she is a lover and likes to give kisses. she likes to dance, points to herself when you say where is pretty girl, shows her belly, and points to her haircut, ears, eyes, nose, mouth and teeth. she loves to cross her arms and stick out her lip when she doesn't get her way and it is priceless.. Hattie loves green beans (love may not be strong enough) oranges, and popcorn. she loves pushing her stroller around with both twins in it.

Hudson - He is the attention hog of the family! He is perfectly content with me holding him all night long, never playing or doing anything else. sometimes I can get him to play if I sit next to him, but if I get up, lord help us he will start the water works! He is a momma's boy. I have to get him dressed every day, poor Daddy isn't allowed to. Hudson is so quiet and seems to be more bashful. He flirts with his eyes already. He has rythym like his daddy and is going to be a good dancer. He gets his feeling hurt so easy, and gets down on the ground with his face on the floor and cries. And also hits some, and we are doing our best to break that. He loves to say no-no.. he also says mama, dada, ball, juice.. The boy could live on apple juice! He loves oranges and corn. But, he will eat pretty much anything! He is so much bigger than Hattie, they don't look like twins at all! even his hands and feet are bigger! It is looking like he will be the tallest Meldrum in our family! Hudson LOVES his vacuum. he also likes anything that makes music so he can dance! both babies go to bed at 7:15ish and sleep until 6:15 during the week (we wake them) and I don't get them until at least 7:00 on the weekends. This weekend is Daylight Savings, so I assume their bedtime will change until 8:00. Hudson has made a really good transition to cup from the bottle, better than anyone thought he would. He wants me to hold him and he gets drowsy pretty quickly. He barely even wimpers now when I lay him down.

well, I feel better...