Daddy put together Gracie’s big girl bed aka her Elsa bed. She is totally in love with it. It tears at my heart to see her little self asleep in a big bed. I just can’t believe it. 

 
Today the kids were VERY busy. Busy meaning destructive but this pregnancy has me too tired so I’m finding “learning” in all this disasters they create and I just let them do.

For one Grace poured about half a bottle of baby powder on the tile and once I realized I couldn’t breath anymore and turned around to notice this mess she had me convinced that actually it was an ice skating rink. 

 This is the floor I so proudly vacuumed and mopped yesterday, which these days is a huge accomplishment. I’m glad I helped prep this floor for ice skating.

I’ve been watching a lot of the cooking channel. It’s torture but I can’t stop. Weird part the kids love it. Timmy is like oooo what are they cooking today? Well today he took it one step further and made a “soup.” When he offered me this soup I nearly puked. It was chunky and brown. He named each ingredient so proudly and then told me how he made it just like the pros do. 

First he squeezed the juice out of a strawberry. Added water, snowflake crackers, animal crackers, peanut butter, a bagel and a hot chocolate packet. I don’t know if I was bothered more by the mess or that he used my last bagel. Poor kid really wanted me to try it. Not happening. But a few minutes later Grace was there with a spoon. Ahhhhhhhhh!! So gross and she actually liked it. That girl will eat anything. 

I’m starting to think that I should give up on cleaning. This my friends is what happens when you slip off to the bathroom to give it a good scrub. 

 I was feeling so proud of my sparkling bathroom and then this. Now earlier that morning I read a blog post on how to be a happier mom. My normal response to this masterpiece would have included yelling, a lot of yelling. But I held it together, washed her of her body paint and set her up with paper. And I’m glad I did because as I was cleaning her up she said mom do you think I look beautiful. I sure do Grace let me take a picture for Daddy.

Church playgroup has been going so well. It’s very exciting because starting a new ministry can be so nerve wrecking.

This years theme is People of the Bible. We started with Adam and Eve {duh!} and the next week was Noah.

We read the Adam and Eve story from the kids bible and then they colored stick puppets. I love it because my kids are still using them in their puppet shows.

 http://www.inmyworld.com.au/sunday-school-adam-and-eve/ – my new favorite blog.

Then the kids make paper plate snakes. Next we had our snack time. Today their plates were trees and the snack motts fruit snacks. The idea was for the kids to follow direction and put the fruit in the trees but not to eat it until their mommy told them too. We tried to explain how God knows what’s best for us just how Mommy and Daddy know what’s best for their kids so make sure you have your listening ears on when they give you direction.  

 
For Noah I took out the kids little people Noah’s Ark and read from the book Bible Stories for Boys. Then I let the kids put all the animals in the ark.

I made construction paper arks and bought foam sticker animals. The kids loved it. 

 
Next we made our snack. Banana arks and animal crackers. Too fun! 

    
 
For outside I made rainbow streamers. These were so easy and inexpensive with $1 shower rings and $1 table cloths from Walmart. I got the idea from this blog. http://teachingthelittlepeople.blogspot.com/2012/03/rainbow-streamers-in-preschool.html?m=1

So we told the kids about the baby on Christmas and every week since then I show them a video sonogram of what the baby looks like. It’s such a different experience this time around because they both totally get it. When I was pregnant with Grace, Timmy was too young to understand what was happening.

They both tell me that there’s two babies in there which is a little frightening but I think it’s because Grace wants it be a girl and Timmy wants a boy.

Me and Tim could not care either way. We feel so blessed to be given this gift a third time that we are just going to keep the gender a surprise. I found an all white outfit at gap that I’ll use in the hospital and then I’ll bring Gracie’s and Timmys coming home outfits depending on what the little peanut is. 

Just the other day Grace was lifting my shirt and saying BOO. I was like what’s happening here? She explained she was playing peek-a-boo with the baby.

I’ve been pretty sick. No throwing up thankfully. I stopped feeling sick week 9 and was concerned but it’s week 10 and it’s back in full force. I know it’s pretty unheard of but I swear I can feel movements already. My got to food is a sesame bagel with cream cheese. I could eat one breakfast lunch and dinner but it’s gotta be from bagel brothers and jello pudding cups.

My doctor appointment isn’t until week 12 because of insurance reasons. I am so looking forward to hearing the heartbeat and a doctor saying yes you are pregnant! It’s so weird to not be at the doctor right away like I was for Timmy and Grace. Both kids I think I went at 5 weeks.

Me and Tim have had some late night discussing baby names. With the first too, no joke they were both completely named before we even said “I do.” Timmy Michael obviously named after Tim and Grace Madeline after my Aunt Grace and Great Grandmother Madeline. Since both kids have such special meaningful names I was set on giving this baby the same. I got that if it’s a boy but not for a girl. I really wanted to use both our mothers names, Carolyn June, but Tim is not a fan. He had an ex girlfriend with the name Carolyn so he just can’t get past it. 

So as of right now a boy will be Henry Thomas after my grandfather whose middle name is Henry and Tims uncle who’s first name is Henry. Then Thomas after my grandfather, Dad and brother.         If it’s a girl, Lydia Elizabeth. Lydia is not a family name however we fell in love with its bible reference. In the bible Lydia is a woman who loved Gods word and loved to put it into action. Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist and my middle name which would give me and her the same initials.

The kids are obsessed with the book “When the new baby comes Home” and they even walk around with dolls under their shirts. I love how excited they are. And if you need a lesson in babies Timmy will explain how they cut babies out of your belly.

I officially felt this little peanut move. 10 weeks 3 days. ❤️

  
This is a miracle. Lol

“Mom look I am the strongest kid in the whole wide world!” 

   
This kid was going around picking up anything and everything and lifting them over his head. He is so cute.

And then there’s my sweet Grace. This girl is crazy about Santa. It’s January and she’s still rocking her Santa hat saying ho ho ho. And we may have lost half a tube of Desitin when she applied her very own Santa beard. 

The kids got fish for Christmas from Memaw. So we ended up with 2 fighting fish and 2 glofish. And now we only have one of both. Timmy says wow mom did you see Gracie’s fish are invisible. And grace says no I think they disappeared.

We tried telling Timmy about how Memaw is my mom. It was hilarious. First question was but you don’t live with your mom? And then he couldn’t understand that me and Tim had different moms. Grace got stuck on the idea that max is not her cousin. Her logic was she’s whirl so that means she’s a mommy and Max is her baby.

Going on a very serious adventure. 

 
& this is how you eat cereal. Head first. 

It’s just chocolate mommy! 

The kids are playing Puppy. Grace is the dog and Timmy the owner. He built her a cage and even came to the kitchen to get her a bowl of water. Lol

Grace’s very first mom bun. Daddy’s favorite hair do. 

I had my hair braided the last few days. When grace woke up I was in the shower. She comes in and starts crying, “Mama where’s your Elsa hair?” Like hysterical crying.

Finally it is cold in Florida. The kids love it, the dogs love it. We went to the park in the middle of the day which is something we never do bc it’s usually way too hot. 

S is for Snowman! It feels so good to be back in our homeschool routine and out of holiday season. Everyone is happier when there’s a schedule. And the kids missed school.

We started by tracing the Letter S. I told them to trace it 10 times. Then Timmy did a practice cutting page. After that I gave him pieces of a snowman to cut out and paste onto blue paper. For Grace I cut her pieces out for her. 

    
 
Timmy traced numbers 1-10 and then did a pattern worksheet. 

 
I think it’s so cute that he wants to put his name on everything now. We took a little break to read a book, Corduroy. I loved that book as a kid. In first grade the teacher had us each take a teddy bear Corduroy home and write about what we did.

Then we watched Leap Frog Letter Factory. This movie really helps with letter recognition and sounds. And when they get to Letter L the kids get a lollipop.

We went outside and played some soccer and they had a picnic lunch with my not so perfect snowman sandwiches. 

 
When we came in we did some more Letter S work.

Separating lower and uppercase S. 

   
Snowflake matching game. 

   
Then Timmy did some snowman graphing and Grace did a snowman pyramid build. 

Tuesday we had snowmen pancakes. My food art is clearly lacking but these kids love it. Timmy says wow mom you are so sweet.

 
Today’s school work started with coloring snowmen scarves to match their hat brims.  

   
The finished products while both correct are so different. I love it. I love to see the difference between the ages. 

   
While Timmy worked on handwriting Grace did another color recognition worksheet. She had to circle the color scarf with the same color marker. Girl is a genius in my book.  

   
Timmy is so funny with his name having to be on every single piece of paper. 

 
Then we went on an S scavenger hunt. 

 
We took out some play dough and they are making all kinds of things. Letter S, snowmen, melted snowmen, hot dogs and pillows. It’s very busy. 

And now it’s turned into a fake snow ball fight. MESS. 

Wednesdays is church playgroup. We made a birthday card for Father Ulto and a Thinking of of You card for Father Lopez. His sister went to Heaven on Christmas Eve. 

   
Then we made shaving cream snowmen and marshmellow snowflakes. 

We made snow today. Technically it’s a new week and we should be moving on to our next letter but it’s actually very cold today so we had to give it one more day.  

   
Timmy says mom can I put some snow in my pocket like Peter? I just love hearing things like that. Really shows him listening and learning from books.

We caught some love bugs and had a yummy lunch. 

We were woken up Christmas morning to the sound of Timmy singing Jingle Bells very loudly. I’m so sad that I thought I was videotaping and I wasn’t. They ran to the tree and Timmy ripped open his red jeep and say, “Oh. My.” And folds his hands to the sky and says thank you Santa. He is too cute. Then the unwrapped Gracie’s fancy baby stroller. They both also got butt scooters tho I’m not sure that’s the real name for them. Timmy got a Leap frog dog and Grace a sit and spin. We do 3 gifts each just like Jesus got 3 gifts from the Wise Men. 

 
Christmas Day is at our house. Breakfast, presents, naps, snacks and dinner is the usual schedule. We really had a beautiful day. 

We told everyone to come in their pajamas.  

 
We had one more special gift to give the kids that we were especially excited about.  

 Yup this is our last Christmas as a family of FOUR! Baby Dube #3 will be here in August. It was so nice to tell everyone at the same time in the same room. Gracie didn’t quite get the idea and wanted to wear the onsie. 

 
Dinner was so delicious. I love that we all are at one big table. And for the kids we did a picnic on the floor. 

 We are so blessed.

I’ve seriously been on super drive since 6:30am but I want to get a few things on here before I erase all my pictures to make room for Christmas Day.

We’ve been cooking and baking all day. Lucky for me I’ve have 2 little helpers. 

Yup I let them lick the batter 🙈 pretty sure all good moms do.

 First time making peanut butter pie and we taste tested this too. Amazing!  
I’m most nervous about these cinnamon rolls. These are daddy’s favorite and I always just buy the ones in the can. This year I thought I’d step it up a notch. We will see. Kinda wishing I had a can for backup.

    
 They did quite a job with Jesus’ birthday cake. Sprinkles galore. 

Ericas house looked like Santas workshop. Endless gifts. These kids are spoiled. I had to hold them back from opening every single gift. 

 Santa even made a surprise visit. 

Grace asked Santa for a baby 😉

The kids had so much fun together. 

We took ALL of December off from school. But we were still busy learning.

We are doing Truth in the Tinsel where each day we learn a verse and make an ornament to go with it. It’s very cute and the kids totally get it this year.  

We decorated some cookies with Great Grandma. 

    
 
At church playgroup we read the story of the first Christmas and did some Jesus crafts. Then we went on a candy cane hunt!   

The next week church playgroup went to visit a nursing home to spread some Christmas spirit. The kids made handprint reindeer and handed them out to the patients. It was a beautiful day.  
Timmy was there but was hiding from the paparazzi. 

Our church had a breakfast with Santa on Sunday with pancakes, eggs and sausage. All free. And then Santa took pictures with the kids. He gave each kid a candy cane that instantly turned that place into a mad house.  

 
On Tuesday we had Light up for Christ. All the Catholic Churches at the same time around the country sing Christmas carols and tell the story of the first Christmas. Then at 7:00 they turn on the Christnas light display. After they serve hot chocolate and cookies. I just love my church so much it’s so cute. 

This is all the kids listening to Father Ulto tell the Christmas show.

    
  
We had a Christmas play date at Brynn & Jo’s house. We all wore our Christmas Jammie’s. 

 
The kids built gingerbread houses and it was not as easy as it looks.  

Poor Max had a sub par construction crew.

 
Timmys came out cute.  
Then we watched the Grinch and had some Grimch popcorn. Timmy could not handle that the marshmellows were green. He kept holding his nose saying he didn’t want any stinky marshmellows.   
Homemade hot chocolate tastes like liquid chocolate ice cream. Was amazing! 

Nothing says Christmas spirit like a dip in the pool. It is so frustrating and really a little depressing that it is this hot. 
 
Our elves have been busy too. 

It is exactly ONE week until Christmas Day. So we will be taking it easy baking and getting this house ready for everyone to come over on Christmas morning. 🎄
    

Our John Denver Christmas cd is on because that’s the tradition Tims parents had when he was a kid when they decorated the tree. Our kids are drinking hot chocolate piled high with marshmellows watching Daddy hang the lights on the tree. 💗 

 This is a funny sweet story… We had just picked up some drive thru McDonald’s and Sam and Logan were in the back seat. They ordered a #7 with a Dr Pepper. Fifteen minutes later Timmy was asking, “Aunt Sam how come you don’t feel so good?” And we’re all like Timmy Aunt Sam is fine. So he says, “Well how come she is needing Dr Pepper?” Precious. Tim explained it was like a Coke and he was like are you kidding?

This was our first year decorating outside. We laughed the whole time. Tim trying to figure out how to put together his parents ancient decorations took skill. But he did it and the kids love it.

Grace just spread out a blanket and she’s having a picnic with her babies. 

  
A mothers work is never done. Even in the middle of a play date she takes time to care for the children. 

 
And the way she eats pizza! It’s so gross. She only eats the tops and she starts in the middle.