Mommies Helper

Who says that you have to be awake to help. Even in your sleep you can try and quiet a screaming child. Just ask Addison, she's become quite good at it.

Who needs toys?

Don't ask me why, but for some reason all of our kids so far have enjoyed playing in our cupboards whenever they get the chance. Addison would just climb in and push everything to the side. Lincoln on the other hand has learned that there's more room if you just take everything out before climbing in. This is a daily occurrence at our home and I'm starting to wonder why I put everything back each time. Oh well, they say some of the best toys are those that don't cost anything. Think this year for Christmas Lincoln just might get a old cardboard box.

I just melt when my Little Man smiles!

Lynden's Blessing

Thank You Grandma Hunsaker for making such a beautiful blessing dress.

We've Been Busy

With me being home on maternity leave I had all these plans of different projects that needed to get done around the house. Unfortunatly none of them have gotten done and I go back to work in 2 weeks. AAAAHHHHHH! We have managed to begin and finish a project that wasn't even on my list of To Do's.

Our backyard needed a huge overhaul, so one morning Cole and I decided to tackle the mess. In doing so we decided to move our flower garden from the backyard to the front of the house. It ended up being a full days work, but we got it done and it adds so much to the front of the house. What do you think?

Our little helper! Addison loves planting flowers and checks everyday to see if they have grown yet. Think pretty soon she's going to start measuring them with a ruler if she doesn't see any progress! Oh the patience of a 4 year old.

Our Little Trick or Treaters

So Halloween was a fun night for all and Cole was even able to get the night off. YEAH!!! Cole thought it would be fun for him to have a matching costume with his mini me, so my mom was nice enough to custom make some pants for us. They were prefect, Thanks Mom! Here are some pictures of the eventful evening.

Carving Pumpkins

So I'm sad to report that with the new baby at the house we have been pretty distracted and totally oblivious that Halloween was even coming. Addison is very sad that we have neglected to even put up any decorations this year. So when asked by the Perkins family if we were going to carve pumpkins with them this year Cole and I had no response. So last minute we ran to the store to buy a pumpkin and were sad to find that the store only had small one's left. So, we bought what they had and made do. The kids will never know the difference right?

The cheaters way to carve a pumpkin!

Lincoln helping Cole carve his pumpkin. Oh wait did I say carve, I mean EAT since that's what he did with all the left over pieces on the table. EWE!

The girls decided that they had better things to do then carve slimmy pumpkins. Addison found a dollhouse that had her attention the entire evening and of course Lynden was caught sleeping the entire night! Overall it ended up being a great evening hanging out with family enjoying the holiday.

I Call Her Baby Grapes!?!

According to Addison her sisters name is officially BABY GRAPES....... It all started as a joke in the family of us asking Addison what the baby's name was going to be since she insisted that it was going to be a sister even though none of us knew the sex of the baby. She would always answer with some funky name that she just made up on the spot. Never was the name the same even if you asked her the same day. But about a month before Lynden was born Addison was eating lunch at Grandma Perkins house when her Uncle Tanner asked her one last time what the baby's name was. She paused slightly and then responded, "Baby Grapes!" Everyone laughed and assumed she said that because she was eating grapes at the moment. But when asked later that week she replied, "Baby Grapes" with no hesitation.

We all saw it as a running joke until we arrived at the hospital and she declared that she couldn't wait to see her baby sister named Grapes. We tried to explain to her that her name was going to be Lynden, but she would only shake her head and say "No it's Grapes!"

When asked by Grandpa Perkins if he could hold baby Lynden, Addison broke down in tears upset that he was not calling her baby Grapes. And so the name has stuck!

I have had to explain to Addison on multiple occasions that her name is really Lynden, so when people ask her the baby's name she now replies, "Her name is Lynden, but I call her Baby GRAPES!"

We have noticed over the past couple of weeks that Addison has finally given in and will call her sister the correct name, but she also still likes to introduce her as Grapes. I have come to accept that if she would like that to be her nickname I have a problem with that. I actually find it kind of cute that Addison has come up with her own name for her new best friend!

Lynden Mablegean Perkins

That's right It's a girl! She came to us on September 30th at 12:14am. She weighed 6lbs 13oz and was smallest of the three. She was released with borderline jaundice and has been to the doctor everyday that she's been home. We are happy to say that after a week of poking she is finally out of the high risk zone and just needs to be monitored at home. I am so glad, it's hard to watch them poke your little one every morning. But it's all over now and we can start trying to have a somewhat normal life.

Addison loves her new baby and always wants to hold her. Lincoln's not too sure yet and tries to love her, but his love comes in a very powerful pat that usually just upsets her. He is learning quickly and already knows how to say sister. We didn't even have to tell him who she was, he already knew. Guess he was just waiting for her to come. I'm doing fine just trying to get used to being home all the time. Cole has to keep reminding me that I have 6 weeks to get things done and to take it easy, but it's hard to remember when I'm so used to only having the weekends to get ready for the rest of the week. I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner than later.

Heaven Help ME!

Who ever said that terrible 2's were bad never experienced a sassy 4 year old. I think I'm about at my wits ends with this little girl of mine. I just can't seem to find the patience to deal with the attitude and rolling of the eyes that I get every time a I talk to her. I've taken privileges away, had major long time out sessions and tried reasoning with her since she does act a lot older than her age. I even went to the extent of being the MEAN mom and took her 4th birthday party away. I think I just might pull all my hair out before I have this next baby. And if this next one's a girl, heaven help me that she's better than her sister.


Now I'm not saying that I don't have problems with her brother, he's just a monster of a child that gets into everything. I think I'll take that any day over a child that constantly talks backs and bickers with you about everything. I know this post is more of just me venting, but I think that if I don't get this out I'm going to burst at the seams. I'm sure this won't be that last time something like this is going to come up with me being a mother. I know that my children are a gift and that I'm here to help teach and guide them along this path we call life. But I'm not sure I signed up to take this one on my own. She just might be the death of me. I guess you can say that it's good she hasn't been this way from the beginning cuz I'm not sure we'd have more than just the one. Guess I will take it with strides and hope that it gets better. According to everyone I've talked to this is just a phase and my sweet innocent little girl will return someday. My only prayer is that is comes sooner than later.

Can You Feel the Heat!

So the long HOT day is drawing to an end........... and I am anxiously awaiting the relief on the night. We woke up this morning to find that the motor to the fan on our AC unit had seized. The unit still works, but the motor won't spin the fan to get us the much needed relief of cool air. Why OH Why couldn't this have happened in the winter. At least then you can just all bundle up in blankets and get cozy. In the summer you can only take so much off! Of course we call the repair company and they inform us that this doesn't really qualify as an emergency and the soonest that someone can be here is tomorrow afternoon between 1 - 3. Cole tried nicely to explain that his wife is 8 months pregnant and that he has a 1 year old son. No help to our dismay.

We decided to ruff it out in the house with all the blinds closed and all fans on high. Needless to say we are surviving. Or our we? Think Cole's getting ready to hit that boiling point. Doesn't help that Lincoln's got a MAJOR diaper rash that's out of control. He cries hysterically for about 10 minutes every time he pees. Let's just say that he's had about 4 baths already today. Nothing seems to help. We've tried airing him out, the most beloved Butt Paste and Bag Balm. This sucker is just here to stay. Pour little guy has to walk with his legs so far apart just to get some relief. And yes I said walking. Not very well, but he can definitely make it from one side of the house to the other. As long as Addison and Brody don't knock him over first. We've been waiting for this day for what seems like forever. He was so ahead at pulling himself up and crawling that we were sure he would be walking by 9 months. Think he's been holding out for the new one to arrive. He has just over 6 weeks to get this figured out before mom goes insane trying to think how she's going to carry two at once. My hat goes off to those of you who have somehow survived twins.

As I close this blog I longingly think of the relief that is hopefully coming tomorrow. All I can say is.......That if this problem isn't fixed by then, WATCH OUT family cause the Perkins are going to start looking for extra beds. Pregnant ladies can only take so much before they melt into absolute hysteria;)

Two Peas in a Pod

What can I say.....my kids will have nice teeth! Guess that's what you get when you work for a dentist. This is not the first time I've caught them doing this. It's so great to just sit and watch them together. Addison is such a good helper with her brother and of course he wants to do everything that she does. SO CUTE!!!! Now what I'm a going to do with a third.....maybe pull all my hair out. Let's hope not, only 9 more weeks to go. Yeah!!

He's getting so BIG!! No more baby.

100% BOY

Okay, so the morning started like every other Friday morning at the Perkins household. Kids up early and demanding breakfast before mom even got out of bed. When that was finished we were on to playing and having a good time. While mom was busy trying to clean the house and make some sense of the disastrous week, Lincoln decided he was going to play in the backyard by himself. Which he usually does at least twice a day via the doggy door. He's done asking to go out cause the answer is usually no, because it's too hot, so he's now taken it upon himself to go out on his own whenever he feels like it and mom has to be the mean guy and bring him back in crying and screaming.


I had no knowledge of him being outside until I heard a muffled, but familiar cry, coming from the backyard. I looked out the window, but couldn't see him any where, but I was certain he was out there. I proceed to got out the back door and this is what I found.........

All I can say is that he is definitely his father's son. I can't tell you how many stories Kristy has told me about Cole and Kyle and all the crazy things that those boys did growing up. And all I can think is that my little Lincoln hasn't even turned one yet! He had some how managed to climb up into the dog's dish and was stuck. His little butt just seemed to fit perfectly inside. I had to run in and grab the camera because I was sure no one would believe me if I told them. All I can think is, "WHAT'S NEXT!!!"

POOL TIME

For Cole and Kyle's 28th birthday the family got together for a small pool party. Nothing big which was actually nice since life's been a little crazy for all of us recently. Kyle and Mindy just had their 2nd baby boy Mason and with Cole working and going to school, every one's schedules rarely match up. But we did manage to find to time to relax by Kyle and Mindy's pool one evening. And if you didn't know, my kids are definite water dogs. I can't seem to keep them both out of the pool even if I tried. They were in the pool from start to finish!!



I had to add this one cause it's classic PERKINS!!

Take me out to the Ball Game!?!

A few weeks ago my whole family got tickets to an Arizona Diamondbacks game thru my moms work. So we decided that it would be fun to take all the kids out for a night at the ball park. There were so many of us we took up an entire row of bleachers. My brother Galen and his kids were in town for the weekend and were able to join us. It was a blast! I'll have to admit that it was a little crazy, but fun to see all the grandkids together having fun.

Of course Addison HAD to have everything she saw. And Uncle Doyle didn't help any by encourage her every thought. I'm not sure how much of the game we actually got to watch, but just seeing the excitement in the kids was enough for me.

Here are just a few things that Addison enjoyed while at the ball game......

And here is the LOVE of my life in all his true glory!!

A much needed night out

I've had the privilege of having this whole last week off of work. I still had to go in for the usual paperwork, but no patient's were scheduled due to the doctor going to Hawaii for a Dental Convention. It has been nice to only go in for a couple hours in the morning and spending the rest of the time with the kids. I really feel like I've gotten some things done around here. It's been a nice change, but is going to come to an end quickly.


The other night my sister Christine and I decided that we needed a night away from children to get some much needed shopping done. We had attempted to do this the week before, but had no luck. It's amazing how much more you can get done without 5 kids tagging along. Needless to say we got everything done and saw the entire Chandler mall in under 3 hours. It was Awesome. It was so nice to have a night out with my sister and we've now decided that we need to start doing this on a regular basis. We'll see what the husbands have to say about this.....

Aaron's pool party

With summer officially here it was nice to play in the water again. Addison's favorite cousin Aaron turned 4 this last month, so my sister decided to have a pool party in her back yard with several different water attarctions. The kids loved it and it was nice to get in some cool water and out of the sun.



Since the kids did a pretty good job of soaking the back yard while playing in the water, they decided to break the Diego pinata indoors for a change. The kids loved it, but I'm not sure Joe felt very safe. Good thing it broke before the big kids got to it!

Who Spilled the Beans!?!

So, I know I haven't posted in a really long time, but I swear I have some good excuses. As you might have read in my husbands last post he has started a new job for a four star resort here in Phoenix. We are all excited for this great opportunity that he has been given and he is definitely learning a lot. He finally has a set schedule on the day he works, but his days off vary from week to week. I never know when I'll get to see him and usually his days off are days that I have to work. The only thing that puts my mind at ease is knowing that this will all be over before the end of the year and the fact that those days are spent with his children that love him dearly and look forward to those dad only days. Most of our weekends are spent waking up to Cole being gone and not coming home till sometime later that evening. It's getting easier to deal with as the weeks go by and me and the kids are finding lots things to kill the time.

Okay, now for the real news............We are expecting AGAIN!! NOT by choice, I might add. This has come as a big surprise to all of us. In other words NO this was not planned. We were hoping to wait a few years, so Cole could get out of school and start his career, but as you all know life never goes as planned. We have tried to keep it a secret for as long as possible. But, I guess you can say the Cat's out of the bag. Cole and I have known for sometime now and just starting telling people about the end of March. As of today I'm 15 1/2 weeks and I'm due October 8th. That means Lincoln and this next one will only be 15 months apart. SCARY!

Not sure if I should cry or be excited, but everyone I tell seems to think this is the most exciting news they've heard in a long time. We've decided not to find out the sex on this one just to make it a little more exciting for all of us. I've been to doctor and everything looks good. I'm actually surprised at how little weight I've gained so far with this one and the fact that I'm still wearing all my regular clothes even though I'm almost four months. Think it has a lot to be due to the fact that I'm constantly going from the time I get up to the time I pass out on the bed due to exhaustion. Plus, for the first 8 weeks of being pregnant I was competing in a biggest loser completion at work. After 8 weeks of working my butt off working out and only maintaining the same weight I knew something was up. I've never been what you would call regular so when I started feeling sick I knew something was wrong. I told Cole and he being the man that he is told me to wait a little bit to see if it would go away.(Ya right, like something like that just goes away.) I took a test anyways and that only confirmed the diagnoses. I continued working out but not nearly as intense as I had been before.

Now that the sickness is over everything is going great. I'm sure this will be the same as the others, simple from here on out. It's kinda funny that I'll deliver about a month before Cole is done with school and that I delivered Lincoln almost exactly one month before he started. Just goes to show how quickly plans can change. We've had time to get over the shock and I think the excitement of having another is starting to set in. Wish our little family luck!!!

We're Going to the ZOO, ZOO, ZOO

A few week s ago we made a trip to the zoo before it got hot around here. Addison loves the animals and could probably go every day if we'd let her. Thanks to grandma for getting a zoo membership so now Addy can go whenever the weather is nice. The last trip we went on I was still pregnant with Lincoln and it rained most of the time we were there. So it was nice actually get to see the animals this time and not be totally exhausted by time we were finished. A bunch of Cole's family went along and it was good to see all the cousins there together. Addison loves to feed the fish or turtles, which ever she can find. And if you ask what here favorite part of the zoo is, she'll tell you the giraffes and getting to feed the squirrels popcorn. Here's a couple of pictures of the event full day.

The best part of going to the zoo is watching cute little Addison's face light up when she gets to ride the carousel. She usually gets one ride right before we leave. Just to make sure we end on a good note.

EASTER

I know it's late, but I thought I better post something about Easter. The morning was spent finding baskets on the table. Addison was up and moving for about on hour before she realized there was something on the table for her. Lincoln on the other hand could have cared less, but hey, mom and dad got to eat all his candy! It was definitely different not having Cole there to share the experience with, but we're starting to get use to him gone every morning. We have early church so, the rule was no candy til after church. Addison made sure that as soon as we walked thur the door at home she had the one piece pick out and half way gone. We later got to show dad all the exciting things the Easter bunny got us when he got home from work. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and spending time with family. All in all it was a good day for all of us.

Addison checking out all her goodies.

Looking good for church.