Thing 1 and Thing 2

Lately I have felt overwhelmed being a Mom. I am grateful I can stay home with my kids all day and at times it gets to be very draining emotionally. Sometimes I feel like I have no identity or purpose other than raising my kids and trying to be patient. My life has been school, school, school, baby, nursing, baby, nursing....and now my kids are toddlers and able to fully communicate their needs and wants. I don't have nursing babies or even a adorable innocent 1 year old. I have 2 rambunctious, fun, sometimes stubborn, mess making, often fighting, lovable, on occasion naughty, beautiful kids! I feel like I have been crazy busy taking care of babies and time just flew by. Now I can breath a little but I had no idea disciplining and teaching my kids to be obedient or pickup after themselves would be so hard. I thought being a Mom was pretty fun until Matt learned how to fight back and Brinley turned 3. Sometimes they play so good together but usually they both end up in time-out several times a day. Matt for pinching Brinley or for stealing her toys just to get a good reaction out of her. Brinley is sometimes mean but mostly just stubborn (must be that brushcreek blood!) I seriously don't know how anyone has more than 2 kids!

My little buddy....he is my soft hearted obedient little man. He is very quick to say sorry and give hugs. Lately he will do something and I will say you can say sorry or you can go to your room. He will say "oh" and walk right up to his room and shut the door. He usually comes out pretty quickly with the cutest smile on his face ready to say sorry and give hugs.

SUGAR SHARK!
Lately the kids and Brian have been into black licorice. Matthew calls is "back lisorish."
Ice cram is a favorite though.

Brinley and her ice cream..much cleaner than her brother. Brinley does not have the sugar gene. She will eat a piece of candy and be fine or sometimes just eat half and give the rest back to me. Matthew on the other hand would eat all the candy in sight!

I had made banana splits for Young Women's and had a bowl of hot fudge in the fridge. Matthew found it and made a mess! He had hot fudge all over him, his clothes and his chocolate paw prints were all over the fridge!

Matthew loves fruits and veggies, especially broccoli and apples. The silly thing is that he only eats the inside of the apple slice and leaves the peel.

Brinley is my little dancer. She got some Barbie dancing princess movies for Christmas and loves them. Side note: I decided I like Barbie movies more than Disney. Disney movies will often say words like stupid, hate and butt. Not the worst words in the world but not words you want your kids repeating. I have yet to hear one of those words in a Barbie movie.

Brinley at the park on her Daddy Daughter Date.
Brinley's new favorite activity is her Daddy-Daughter-Dates with Brian. Last week they went to the muscle rock park and played on the play ground and chased the geese. Brian has started to take a kid each week for a little activity one on one. When it was Matt's turn he said, "I go daddy daughter date"?

Tonight was one of those nights that make being a Mom worthwhile. The kids got their jammies on without a fight and then we just hung out in the hall and the kids measured each other. Nothing fancy but there was no screaming or fighting and the kids were really sweet to each other.

Matthew giving Brinley a hug.
When he is sad he will cry for Brinley and just want her to hug him. Its pretty cute.

Matthew measuring Brinley. They have both had growth spurts the last couple of months.

The cutest picture!
I love coming upstairs and finding the kids playing babies. Both of them rocking their babies and talking to each other like grown ups or seeing Brinley being the teacher reading Matt a book while playing school.

Matthew (2) and Mommy

Brinley (3) and Daddy

So sweet! Brinley loves playing school, taking care of her cookie monster baby, Barbie princess movies, friends, pretending she is going to a Young Womens meeting, drawing, drawing and more drawing. She loves skirts and dresses and recently decided she doesn't like levi's. She pretty much only wears her sparkle shoes and has to have "tight" unders. She recently started letting me pull her hair back and sometimes put a bow in it, however, the bow usually does not match...baby steps right? Brinley makes us smile with her amazing imagination. She can be very sincere and nurturing especially to her little brother.

So handsome! Matthew loves breakfast (he will eat as much as me for breakfast!), trains, playing outside, spiderman shoes, drawing, jumping, wrestling (he tackles Brinley from behind and says "take over"), candy and teasing his sister. Matthew is very good natured and goes with the flow for the most part. Lately he has been into helping me cook. He will help me dump the ingredients and loves to help me stir. Matthew is tenderhearted and very sweet.