Chuck E. Cheese

My family went to Chuck E. Cheese today to meet up with my Aunt Judy to exchange belated Birthday presents. We chose to meet at Chuck E. Cheese because the kids have been asking to go all week ever since we accidentally (Yes I mean ACCIDENTALLY) drove passed one. We were hoping they wouldn't notice but as soon as they saw Chuck E. Cheese they were begging us to go. So we took them today instead. They had a blast as usual. I took Ronde around to all the rides and my sister took AJ around to all the games. Chuck E. came out and waved "hi" to all the kids. Ronde was so sweet! He said hi and gave Chuck E. a hug.

An Uneventful Week

Well you may have noticed that I don't have much to blog about this week. We haven't done much this week except for go for walks/ bike ride and go to my mom's house to visit. I really wanted to take the kids to the beach again but there was a heat advisory warning today which turned out to be the complete opposite. We had a small thunderstorm and the rest of the day was so cloudy and cool.

I've decided that I want to get back into reading again. I'm going to finish the book Fireworks over Toccoa. Today I turned off the TV and told the kids it was time to read. They each grabbed a book and read to themselves for abut 5 minutes, then the TV was back on and they were back to making noise. The only time I have to read is when the kids are in bed!

(This is a big book for such a lil boy but it's his favorite. Every page has a black and white picture of an airplane. He loves it)
( I love Ronde's little toes in this pic. He is growing up too fast!!)

Here are a few pics of my goofy kids. We were just getting back from my mom's house and the kids wanted me to take pictures of them before we went inside. So I did. Ronde wasn't wearing a shirt because he peed on it while he was using the bathroom..lol. Oh motherhood!!!

Wordless Wednesday

34 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 23 1/2 lbs gained.

Maternity Clothes: Still wearing them.

Sleep: I feel like I have insomnia lately. I go to bed so late and it takes me forever to fall asleep. Then I wake up in the middle of the night just wide eyed. My lovely kids then wake me up at 7am bright and early!

Best Moment this week: Receiving the coming home outfit from my mom and Jamal's personalized pacifiers came in the mail!!

Gender: It's a boy..Jamal Jaxon

Movement: He's been stretching a lot lately. I think he is tired of being cooped up inside of me. His heart rate today was 135 and I'm measuring at 35 weeks.

Food Craving: Junk food..donuts and carbs (sad face) Going to try and cut that out of my diet for the rest of my pregnancy

What I miss: Ok ok..A margarita sounds really good right now.

What I am looking forward to: Ultrasound August 16th!!

How Big is Baby: He is now 4.7 pounds and just shy of 18 inches long!

Symptoms: Let's just say, I go through a roll of toilet paper in 2 days! Also having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions


Just wanted to throw in some pics of my little boys :)

Top 2 Tuesday

Today's Top 2 Tuesday topic is favorite perfume/cologne/scent.

1. I always alternate between Gucci Envy me and Gucci II. It takes me forever to finish a bottle of perfume. Especially with Gucci because it is very strong.

I like Envy Me for when I'm dressed casual or running errands.


My husband bought Gucci II for my birthday last year. I like to wear it when I'm dressed up for going out or when I'm spending the day with my husband.


2. My second choice is a lotion I bought from Bath and Body works called Forever Sunshine. This scent reminds me of summer. I always keep a little bottle of this in my purse. It has hints of apricot, pink peonies and praline.


I have a doctors appointment for my 34 week visit tomorrow at 5:30pm. I will do my 34 week update after that appointment. I can't believe I only have 6 more weeks!! I hope it goes by so0o0o VERY fast!!

Misc Monday

1. My driver side window is broken. It won't automatically roll down anymore which makes going through the drive thru Starbucks impossible :/ So now I always go to the Starbucks in Target. Kill 2 birds with one stone... I get my iced soy latte and walk around and shop at one of my favorite stores..ha! This morning Ronde told me he wanted to go to Starbucks. Then AJ said he wanted to go to Target. I think they are picking up on my bad habits. In fact, I know they are..AJ asked for his chocolate milk with 4 slenda's..ha!!

2. So we went and I bought this.. I'm pretty much obsessed with clothes right now. I can't wait to have Jamal so I can really go shopping. Since he will be born in September, I'm doing an early start on fall clothing since I missed the whole summer season. I also recently got a really nice cropped jean jacket from New York and Company for only $7.99!!

3. This has been the hardest pregnancy of my life. To do it by myself while taking care of 2 kids has been especially hard and tiring. I sometimes feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. My emotions are completely out of whack this time around. I know it will all be worth it when I see Jamal's precious little face. I really miss Andre and can't wait for his A School to be over with so we can all move and live under one roof again. 5 more week until we get to see Andre again!

4. I would really love a mini vacation on the beach... Just rent a hotel room for a night or two with some of my favorite girls and relax on the beach. Go out to eat, watch the sunset, talk and laugh, and just be free from the stress of everyday. No schedule or kids... just go with the flow.

A Special Gift and Girls Night

My mom came over today to babysit my kids. When she came over, she brought this box from Nordstroms. It was a coming home outfit she picked out for Jamal. It's so adorable!! It came with a hat and has little sailboats all over. I wanted something with sailboats on it since Andre is in the Navy. I love it and can't wait to bring Jamal home in it!! It's so much more special since my mom picked it out for him.
My mom watched my kids for me tonight so I could have a break and do a little shopping and dinner with one of my bestfriends, Sonia. We went to the mall. I bought this purse that I love!!
Then we went out to eat at Applebees. It was so good. I haven't eaten there in years. I ordered chicken fajitas..yum! It was a very relaxing and much needed break from my kiddos.

Show Us Your Life - Favorite Grilling Recipes

Today on Kelly's Korner is show us your favorite grilling recipes. This Jerk Chicken recipe is one that I've made a couple times that is delicious. You know, my husband is Jamaican and my kids are half Jamaican so I try to cook something special for them every once in a while. Although I know it never compares to my husband's moms cooking. I try atleast :)


INGREDIENTS – JERK MARINADE:
3 scallions, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
4 to 5 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stemmed and seeded ( I substitute 1or 2 habeneros since I can never find scoth bonnet at the store)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons black pepper
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
INGREDIENTS – CHICKEN
4 chicken breast halves with skin and bones (3 lb), halved crosswise
2 1/2 to 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks


COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Make marinade by blending all marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Marinate and grill chicken by dividing chicken pieces and marinade between 2 sealable plastic bags. Seal bags, pressing out excess air, then turn bags over several times to distribute marinade. Put bags of chicken in a shallow pan and marinate, chilled, turning once or twice. Let chicken stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.
Using a Charcoal Grill:
Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light a large chimney of charcoal briquettes (about 100) and pour them evenly over 1 side of bottom rack (you will have a double or triple layer of charcoal).

When charcoal turns grayish white and you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds, sear chicken in batches on lightly oiled rack over coals until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Move chicken as seared to side of grill with no coals underneath, then cook, covered with lid, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes more.

Using a Gas Grill:
Preheat burners on high, then adjust heat to moderate. Cook chicken until well browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust heat to low and cook chicken, covered with lid, until cooked through, about 25 minutes more.

Recipe and picture from http://foodjamaica.net/2008/04/17/grilled-jerk-chicken/

Painting With Watercolors

My mom picked up this Melissa and Doug Watercolor set for the boys while she was in Texas. Today we decided to give water coloring a try for the first time. They were starting to get rowdy so this was a fun activity for them and it really calmed them down. They could have painted all day if I let them.




(left:Ronde's paintings)(right:AJ's paintings)

Puddle Jumpers

Look what finally came in the mail...


Our new Puddle Jumpers!!!

I was beyond happy to see these babies at my front door. Now I can actually swim around and exercise while the boys float/swim around. They are awesome!! It also helps the boys learn to swim because they are kicking and moving their little legs around the pool. Ronde can jump in the pool and I don't have to catch him, he just pops back up above water. I love it!! We all swam the whole length of the pool together. We will be going to the pool a lot more often now :)

33 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 22 lbs gained as of a week ago.

Maternity Clothes: Bought 2 more pairs of maternity shorts and some non maternity shirts that fit me now and after baby arrives from New York and Company

Sleep: I get up a lot to use the bathroom and have to prop my belly up with a pillow to prevent my back from breaking and my hips from shattering..lol

Best Moment this week: Ronde and AJ blowing raspberries on my belly and also seeing how excited AJ gets when he see's Jamal's ultrasound pictures.

Gender: It's a boy..Jamal Jaxon

Movement: Oh yes! I know when he's awake for sure!

Food Craving: Fruit and decaf coffee

What I miss: Sugar Free Red bulls and Iced coffees from McDonald's

What I am looking forward to: Picking out a coming home outfit for Jamal and I ;)

How Big is Baby: He now weighs 4 1/2 lbs and is 17.5 inches long

Symptoms: Slight swelling in my hands when I go for walks and very anxious for his arrival. I'm starting to have the pregnancy waddle..ha!

Oh How I Love Him So..

and my mom suprised us today with these yummy cupcakes!! Thanks MOM!!

Sunday Safety Harbor

My mom and I decided to check out downtown Safety Harbor yesterday. When we got there, we quickly realized that there wasn't much to do there. Ha! We walked around a little bit and looked in a couple shops (most of them were closed). Then we ate at a restaurant. I ordered the healthiest thing on the menu. Tuna stuffed tomato on a bed of lettuce with fresh fruit and a small cup of chicken noodle soup (it came with the meal). It was so hot outside, and I know I probably say that in every post. It was never this hot when we lived in Hawaii!
We drove around a little a found a shaded playground so we let the kids play.


Afterwards we cooled off with more ice cream. I saw a place called Sun Grove which reminded me of Orange Grove that is in a different city. These places always sell VERY Floridian type gifts, fresh squeezed orange juice and of course orange and vanilla swirl ice cream cones. I've always wanted to take the kids to Orange Grove because my brother and I always got to go there when we were little for ice cream cones. Here is my mom, AJ, and Ronde enjoying some ice cream.

My kids are so weird..they never finish their ice cream so I ended up eating it. There goes my healthy eating for the day!

SUV, Popcorn, and Downtown Dunedin

We had a rough couple of events these past few days. First off,the nice relaxing day that I described in my previous post turned out to be anything but relaxing! My SUV died at Walgreens. I could not get my truck to start for the life of me. It had been giving me problems a lot this week and I thought it was something electrical but turned out to be the battery. Anyway, when my truck wouldn't start, I had to walk home with both kids in the rain while pushing a stroller through grass and dirt! My legs were covered in dirt and grass and was so embarrassing but I'm actually proud of myself for having the strength to pull through the situation..lol. The next morning I had a tow truck come tow it to the mechanics and it was fixed by 1pm. So I'm back on the road people..better watch out!! Just kidding.

This morning, AJ came up to me and said "Can you please get it out of my nose?" I said "What is in your nose?" and he said "Popcorn". AJ stuck a popcorn kernel up his nose! It took about 30 minutes of me trying to get it out and him crying. It finally worked it's way down to where I could just pull it out. Crazy!! Must be a boy thing. Ha!
I went to the mall just to ease my boredom and of coarse the kids always beg me to take them to the indoor playground. So we did.


The Chick-Fil-A cow came down to say hi to all the kids at the playground. That was a BIG hit with Ronde. He just kept saying hi and giving the cow high fives.
After the mall, we met up with my mom, sister, and her friend in Downtown Dunedin. We ate at a little restaurant and looked around at a few shops. We took the kids to the playground near by and let them play some more.

It was about 100 degrees outside so we decided to get some homemade ice cream. We took this quick picture and then headed home.