Are you kidding me?!

I'm not great with surprises. I love them but I will snoop until I find out what it is, and then act like I had no idea. That's why this past weekend threw me way off. Eric arranged for a babysitter on Sunday morning and drove me and Jason out to Boulder City. Jason was in on it too and they used some lame story about how we were going on a boat tour on Lade Mead. That sounded like the most horrible idea to me, but because Eric arranged it all, I went along with it. Little did I know we would be ziplining across canyons!

Now, I'm not really afraid of heights, but if we're going to do something crazy, I'd like for us to be split up at least, for the sake of the boys! Once I got over my anxiety, I had an absolute blast! Who knew that being 3,500 feet off the ground hanging on by a cable would be so fun? Thanks to my hubby for such a wonderful surprise!

Video on You Tube to be posted soon!

I had no idea what I was in for....

No turning back now!

Eric in his harness all ready to go.

If you look closely, you can see the Strip in the background.

This is what we woke up to....

"Look at my face Mommy!" This is the lovely 6 a.m. wake up call we received this morning. At first glance I thought the little stinker smeared chocolate all over his face. However, after getting a fresh whiff of marker, I was terrified of what we would see next. Ethan happily led us to his "canvas" also known as the toy room. He not only managed to add a little extra something to almost every toy, he also decided to take the Sharpie upstairs to his bathroom.

Thanks to Google, we were able to find a way to remove the marker off of everything! Note: Dawn dish detergent takes it off of the skin, Germ-X takes it off the walls, and Mr. Clean magic eraser takes it off of plastic. What will he think of next?

Fun on the Strip!

This past weekend we thought it would be fun to take the boys to see the fountains and gardens at the Bellagio. We had a wonderful time! There was so much for the boys to see. It had been a while since Eric and I had been down there so it was nice to be able to walk around and see the Chinese New Year display in the garden. The displays get better and better each year. Also, we loved having Eric home for the weekend!!

Eric and the boys waiting for the water show.

This is the only semi decent picture we got of Ethan watching the water. He loved it but had his hands over his ears the entire time. He was very concerned about the ducks and where they swam off to when the fountains started.

Mommy and Ethan inside the Bellagio.

Ethan seemed to be super excited about Chinese New Year.

Gotcha!

The fruit snack bandit has been caught! However, this morning it wasn't fruit snacks, it was marshmellows - or 'marsh-wellos' as Ethan calls them. The little stinker has been waking up at the crack of dawn and raiding the pantry. We installed a lock to prevent the twins from pulling everything out of it, and it looks like we needed the lock for him. What's even more hysterical about this situation, is that not once in his 3 1/2 years of life has he fallen asleep on the couch. He's the kind of kid that has to be in his bed with the blackout curtains. No telling what time he got up this morning to be so pooped! I guess we're either going to have to feed him an extra meal at night or find another way to lock the pantry so that he can't figure it out!

Fruit Snack Bandit

I'm on a mission to catch the fruit snack thief in the house. This is what I woke up to this morning: scissors and three packages of opened fruit snacks on the floor. I'm thinking this bandit needs a lesson in hiding the evidence. However, I do admire the will and determination this bandit possesses. If I catch him, I'll be sure to let you know!

Happy Valem-times Day

Our Valentine's Day celebration began with a little visit from the Krispy Kreme fairy. Normally, I would have been beyond irritated to wake up to an empty refrigerator, but in this case, it couldn't have been a better surprise. In case you wondered, these delicious heart shaped wonders make hungry little boys very happy. We were sad that Eric had to work most of the day, but the sugar helped us cope.

"Happy Valem-times Day!"

Mmmmm.....I can still taste them.

"Eating the entire thing in 5 minutes may have been a bad choice."

"Really Mom, the picture is slowing me down here."

Chop Chop!

It has been a really really long time since I've had my hair this short. I almost had a small heart attack when I saw the amount of hair that was on the floor after it was all over. I have to say though that I fully welcome the return of the short hair. Time is something I don't have in the mornings and I needed something low maitenance. It's so nice to not have to put it up in the same lame ponytail every day. Bye bye to my boring bob - you won't be missed!

Ethan had so much excitement he could hardly contain himself! Ha!

Growing up way too fast

I haven't taken very many pictures of the boys this January so I dusted off the camera this weekend and finally captured a few cute moments. The twins are officially 20 months today and I don't know where it all went! I can't believe we'll be celebrating the 2's and Ethan turning 4 this summer. I know it's several months away, but I know it will be here before we know it. I really enjoy this stage right before the 2's. They are really blossoming into completely unique and sweet little people.

No that's not a dress on Mason. The boys are really into the play food and the play kitchen. It's pretty cute to see them bring the hat and apron up to me and motion me to put it on them.

In true Carson fashion, he took the lead as Top Chef. Of course the lead chef must have an assistant and Mason was more than happy to play the part.

I also must give Ethan a huge pat on the back these days. He is really maturing and taking on the role of big brother very well. It is so sweet to see him take the lead with his brothers and not beat them up! We still have our challenges as I'm sure many parents with three young and very active children do, but he is really coming around. He is loving school, especially his teacher and his two "best friends" (as he calls them) Parker and Angelina. He will be starting soccer in March and after a lot of convincing, Eric has signed on to coach the team! We're so proud of our little man Ethan!


Ethan is really into puzzles right now. I'm proud to say he has graduated from the 12 piece puzzles to 24 pieces and even bigger! Eric helped him put together the USA puzzle while I was running errands this morning. He was so excited to show me when I got home. He even pointed out Texas and Nevada! I think he's well on his way to exceeding my geography skills!

More than you'll ever need to know

I recently stumbled on a blog post titled 'More than you'll ever need to know' and I was intrigued to read on. The blogger put together a list of 100 things you may or may not have known about her. Some items were sentimental and some just flat out hysterical. It's a difficult thing to list 100 things about yourself. Always up for a challenge, I decided to see if I could do it. So...read on if you want a good laugh, find out something new about me, or just want to kill some time.

1. My real name is Cynthia. I sometimes forget that it's my real name because NO ONE ever calls me that....except staff at a doctor's office. I absolutely can't stand this name (sorry if I'm offending anyone named Cynthia) and I'm also not amused by the fact that my middle name Jane rhymes with my last name Payne.
2. I bite my nails. Yes I know it's a terrible habit. I've done it since I was a little girl and not even hot pepper sauce can break my addiction.
3. I spend way too much time obsessing about and plucking my eyebrows.
4. I have two obnoxious weiner dogs and I love them to pieces. I don't even mind their nasty breath.
5. I'm obsessed with fruit snacks. I think it goes back to the fact that we never had them growing up.
6. I've been married to my highschool sweetheart for 7.5 years now.
7. I'm a mom of 3 wonderful boys.
8. I live in Henderson, NV and can't wait until the market turns around. I miss Texas more than I can express.
9. I cuss way too much. Ghetto I know, but there's nothing like a good f-bomb to make me feel better. Not around the kids of course. :)
10. I have an older sister that I used to beat up when I was younger. :) We're very close now.
11. I have a fear of growing whiskers in my old age and no one plucking them for me. Weird I know.
12. I absolutely cannot stand to watch the same movie or t.v. show twice....unless it's Terms of Endearment or Steel Magnolias.
13. I love love love to run.
14. I'm a bitch if I don't get 8 hours of sleep.
15. I have a weird reoccuring dream that I can't remember my highschool locker combination.
16. I also have a weird reoccuring dream that I didn't attend a class the whole semester and it's time to take the final.
17. I love old photos of my family. I find their younger years fascinating.
18. I will only eat a banana if the peel has no spots on it. Not even a speck.
19. Melons of any sort make my throat itch.
20. I have crappy teeth. I'm now a religious flosser. Thank God my sister is a dentist.
21. I drive over the speed limit way too much.
22. I'm terrible at math. I find the beginner level sudoku way too challenging.
23. My first kiss was with Mitch Egan behind the HHS football stadium in the 7th grade. It was awful.
24. I'm a bit of a hot head. Working on that one.
25. I hate laundry. I'm doing this right now to avoid it.
26. I'd have a beer over a glass of wine any day.
27. My favorite time of year is Fall.
28. I'm a morning person.
29. I can't stand when a baby drools on me. Even my own.
30. I'm grossed out when I have to walk on a dirty floor. Can't stand that feeling on my feet.
31. I'm a bit OCD when it comes to a clean house.
32. I know every lyric to every old Whitney Houston song.
33. I got a spiral perm in the 7th grade. Not a good choice.
34. I am married to possibly the funniest and calmest man on the planet.
35. I love the cheesy gordita crunch from Taco Bell.
36. I used to hide cigarettes and Mad Dog in my closet in highschool. Nice.
37. The smell of a mildewed towel makes me want to barf.
38. I love the fact that my bra size is only a 34B. No saggy boobies in my golden years. :)
39. I'm not that comfortable in a bikini.
40. I would love to live in another country but I couldn't stand being away from my family in Texas.
41. I love to sing although I don't do it much anymore.
42. I lied to my grandparents in highschool about where I was staying the night and drove to Dallas to see Eric instead.
43. I once paid someone on the internet to write an English paper in college for me.
44. I love filling out forms of any kind. Unless it's the same info about the twins at the doctor.
45. I loved being pregnant with my first son and really disliked being pregnant with the twins.
46. My Papa is my absolute hero.
47. I hate sci-fi movies.
48. I would read a fluff book any day over an intellectual book.
49. I just recently learned to text.
50. I have absolutely no idea what I want to do once my kids are in school.
51. I got a ridiculous tatoo at the top of my butt in highschool. I even used someone else's ID. Lame I know.
52. I'm very opinionated.
53. I can't stand to cook. I can't even stand to throw something in a crockpot.
54. I get anxious easily. Working on that.
55. I sweat like a man. Gross I know. Thank God for Secret prescription strength.
56. I love deeply.
57. I have absolutely no interest in gardening. Maybe that will change when I'm old.
58. I hate cats. I have a weird fear of them sucking the breath out of little kids.
59. I enjoy Halloween and animated films more than my kids do.
60. I threw up all over my roommate in college and now she's my closest friend.
61. I love ghetto rap music and I'm so thankful to have a husband who keeps it updated on my ipod for me.
62. Even though I was a choir nerd in highschool, I really dislike karaoke. It makes me nervous.
63. I am obsessed with People magazine.
64. I think I've seen every Oprah show in the last 20 years.
65. I wet the bed until I was 5. Unbelievably embarassing I know.
66. I don't recycle.
67. I talk a lot and don't listen as much as I should.
68. My feet and hands are cold all the time.
69. I loved having newborn babies but don't really miss that stage at all.
70. I worry too much if I'm making the right choices as a parent.
71. I instantly fell for Eric at student council camp. I had never met anyone like him.
72. I had our wedding planned before he even proposed.
73. I'm possibly the most impatient person on the planet.
74. As much as I miss Texas, I have grown to love the desert.
75. I absolutely can't stand to watch live music on t.v. unless I've had a couple of cocktails.
76. I love to get my p.j.'s on before dinner.
77. I love old people. Especially old married couples holding hands or hugging in public.
78. I'm still a Britney Spears fan and I'm not afraid to admit it.
79. I have an addiction to the Wheel of Fortune slot machines.
80. My perfect night would be sitting in a pub with Eric and talking about old times, new times...all of it.
81. I put way too much cream and sugar in my coffee.
82. I have absolutely no interest in watching any sporting event on t.v. or live.
83. I never played with Barbies or dreamed of my fairytale wedding when I was a little girl.
84. I have a bad habit of snacking late at night.
85. I don't cry a lot but when I do, it's usually way over the top dramatic.
86. I didn't start sleeping in pajamas until about 2 years ago. I was all about Eric's t-shirts and boxers.
87. I eat way too much cheese and I don't feel guilty about it.
88. I hate Wal-Mart yet I find it fascinating.
89. I found breastfeeding to be weird and unnatural and I don't feel bad about saying it.
90. I shave my legs everyday. Even if I have the flu.
91. I used to have a crush on Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
92. I could eat a whole bag of Jelly Belly's in one sitting.
93. I find watching horror movies or riding a rollercoaster to be complete and total torture.
94. I don't know how to sew anything (not even a button) and I don't mind if I never learn.
95. I'm a proud democrat.
96. I say "like" way too much and it makes me embarrased, especially when I'm around older people.
97. I scan calls like it's nobody's business.
98. I think gravy is absolutely disgusting.
99. I cry every time I hear the song 'Fire and Rain' by James Taylor.
100. I'm a creature of habit. I function better on a routine....which is why I need to go to bed now!

Christmas trip to Texas

I'm tardy with my Christmas update and I absolutely can't stand to be tardy! Since we arrived back in Vegas from our trip to Texas, it seems like it has been one thing after another. With a two week vacation from preschool, our little world has been thrown into a frenzy and I have been on the go constantly. When I finally sat down to blog, our computer decided to not cooperate! So, thanks to the wonderful hubby, I'm back and blogging at full speed!

We were very fortunate to be able to spend 5 days in the great state of Texas with our family and friends. We hit most of our favorite restaurants in Austin, laughed with our family, and Eric was able to catch up on much needed sleep. The posts below are not necessarily in the correct order but I tried!

Kaitlyn and Mason hit it off! They enjoyed a car ride around the kitchen. Mason was even comfortable sporting a pink and purple princess car!

We had our annual lunch at Chuy's with our dear friends Mark and Meredith. We love you guys! Hopefully it won't be a full year until we see them again!

I heart Chuy's.

Our cutie pie niece who is growing up way too fast!

Our Hale Family Reunion

I'm calling this a family reunion only because it has 2 1/2 years since we have seen Lindsay's parents. The last time they were with Ethan was in Colorado right before his first birthday. Time flies! We were so excited to get together with them and introduce Lindsay's parent to the twins.

Ethan and Aunt Lindsay coloring at Hula Hut in Austin. She was such a good sport to come to lunch with us after having her wisdom teeth out. Thanks Linds!

Ethan at Hula Hut on Lake Austin.

Ethan and Lindsay's dad. He was so patient and taught Ethan the art of cracking pistachios.

Group photo at Hula Hut

Family Time

My mom and her husband were able to come up to Round Rock for Ryan's 5th birthday on December 23rd. We were so happy to have the time with them and the kids loved the attention!

Mimi and Ethan getting their watercoloring on.

Ethan, Nana, Papa, and the infamous Chili.

Carson posing with Mimi...and my sister's headband.

Happy happy Mason with Mimi and Grandpa John.

Papa

I had to dedicate at least one post to my Papa. I took so many hilarious photos of him at my sister's house. We also learned many more "Joe-isms" during our visit. For those of you wondering what a "Joe-ism" is, it's simply a funny saying such as - "That's as useless as tits on a boar." Thanks Papa for always teaching me something new!

Hmmm......how does this Little Tikes airplane work again?

See Ethan, you need to aim the Hulk fist directly at your target. Aim and punch, aim and punch.

Mason, come to Papa. A little wine never hurt anyone.

After 83 years, I still have it! (This is Papa in an arm wrestling match with my brother-in-law's father...hysterical)