I am going to go crazy!!!

So, I have been quite challenged this past year to keep up with my

two kids and keep things clean around the home.

It seems to be something that I just can't get the hang of!

Many a times, I feel like quite the domestic failure

and wish I could figure out how all those wonder

mothers do it!  Today as I looked around my apartment, in the usual

frustrated glaze that comes over me when I see 

my home in chaos, I thought I would take

a few pictures of the mess and share them with the world.

Why not? What the heck, I stare at it every 

morning before making my daily attempt

to clean it all up, for the millionth time! Why not share

it with whomever stumbles upon my blog.

This is my daily morning view of my home........

If I have to look at another dirty dish today, I think I might

walk out of this house and howl at....well I was going to say the moon but it's

still light outside!

Somehow no matter how many times I clean up toys, have Audrey help,

wash laundry,clean the kitchen, vacuum, it all jumps back onto the

floor with a raging furry and stares me in the face in 

defiance. Here is my kitchen after a day of dishes and the remnants

of my twice baked potatoes that I made for easter lunch.

We did not get home in time last night in order

for me to clean up.

The kids room in all of it's terror, although it's actually

not all that bad... Somehow these pictures are not doing 

these messes justice!

And the main source of all the toys and empty drawers!

Mr. Isaiah John Poehner.  

Gotta love him but boy oh boy is he

quite the little investigator!

So all in all I needed to vent and get that off of my chest.

I have to say, I feel a bit better and now must go

because, although I did clean this mess today, 

the kitchen is dirty again, Audrey needs a snack, 

the kids have managed to get more toys out, and I

still have laundry that needs to be put away.

Ahhhhh..................

Grandma Dora's Birthday!

At the end of March we went to LA to celebrate Leo's mom's birthday with her and the family. 

Leo made some amazing tri-tip and the family made some other wonderful foods to feast on!

Audrey had a wonderful time playing with her cousins.  It is always fun to get them together and watch them play and enjoy one another.  It was a really nice celebration and we are so thankful to have great family!

Loving, Sewing and Growing!

It has been quite a while since I have posted much about how we are doing! Time flies by too quickly and before I know it it's been months since I have posted! Ahhhh...

Anyhow, we are well and busy! The kids a having a blast getting to a point were they can play together and enjoy laughing with one another. Isaiah is almost walking now and Audrey is learning all about letters and how to spell words.  They are both a kick in the pants and seem to keep Leo and I running full speed. Audrey has recently started to take up the family tradition of sewing. She is quite good! We were both so amazed how she quickly learned how to put the needle in the correct place and hold onto the thread so as not to put it out of the needle eye. She really enjoys sitting with me and sewing while I work on something. It is a fun thing to share with her! 

We have been enjoying Disneyland passes this year and have gone probably 6 or so times since we got them. It has been a very enjoyable treat for us all.  Leo is working had at Starbucks and hoping to move on up so we can someday have a home of our own!  I am with the kiddos at home and also working on starting up my own business as a labor support specialist, also known as a doula. I have recently finished a training course through Birth Wisdom and am working to complete my requirement of 12 births to finish my certification.  It has been wonderful.  I had my first birth at the beginning of the year which was a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to the rest of the births coming this year! It has been such a blessing to support and empower women and their families through the birthing experience. I have also been enjoying my usual array of crafty projects and creativity and have recently started another blog with my friend Layne, who also happens to be my brothers girlfriend.  Check it out!  http://shescraftycrafts.blogspot.com/ will be filled with projects, pictures and ideas to inspire! :)

Here are a few pics of us over the last few months. Enjoy!

Night Lights and Teeth

Sleep has been a difficult task for our children the last few months.  It seems that when we have all adjusted to a rhythm someone or something throws it all off and we are back to waking many times a night.  The latest factors have been Isaiah's  teething and Audrey's fear of the dark. So to help soothe one of their challenges we decided it would be helpful for Audrey to have a night light!  Leo had the day off so he and Audrey took a trip to Target to purchase a special light.  

This is what they found...... As you can see, Audrey is very fond and proud of her new comfort. She was smiling from ear to ear as I plugged it in and had a lot of fun turning off all of the lights and showing Isaiah.  She kept on telling us, "Ooh, I feel so safe now!" Isaiah thought that it was pretty neat too! I hope these little pleasures continue to content our children for years to come Now my next task is to figure out how to get Isaiah's teeth in without so much discomfort.  I'm open for suggestions.

Scooters, Boots and Beanies

Audrey's latest form of transportation has become the razor.  We have had it now for a few months but this is the first week that she has actually shown interest in it.  I think she can now balance with more confidence.  She has been doing lots of jumping and dancing and I think this has improved her balancing skills!  So,..... we spent a bit of the afternoon outside with the razor.  Isaiah trails behind her in his walker.  If he could walk he would be running after her.  He fondly watches her blaze up and down the sidewalk.  Soon he will be doing the same.

     Here are the two of them together.  

They really do adore each other and it is so much fun to watch their love

for one another grow each day.

Spanky, our cat, always plays outside with us.  Wherever the kids go he follows.

He is more like a watch dog than a cat.

Ahh.... I'm trying to hold onto these times because they are going

by faster than I like.

A Family Day

Today we went to the park up the street from our house and had a lovely picnic.  We had an unusually long service at church so Audrey was itching to go home and go to the park. The picnic was her idea so we made lunch and spent the afternoon playing and enjoying one another's company.  It seems that we pack our lives so full of this and that and sometimes forget to just stop and spend the day being together without an agenda!  We had such a nice time. The weather was beautiful and we had some fun taking pictures together.  Audrey made some friends on the playground.

  She is becoming more social as the days go 

by.  Isaiah enjoyed watching her go down the slide and joined in a few times, with the help of Leo.  It was a nice day all around and now we are finishing it off with a Christmas movie! It has been a great day.  Family days are the best!

Leo and his Mini Baristas

The kids and I went to visit Leo on Friday.  We took some lunch to him and managed to get him to stop and sit for a quick snapshot!  Here he is with his mini baristas.....  Aren't they cute!