I hate bath time, my little income, and an update on the crazies.

To start this off on a side note (because I why not?) do any of you other parents hate bath time as much as I do? I see alllllllll these posts about how much you all love doing bath time with your kids at night? Me? No thank you! Water ends up everywhere (including on me) because splashing is so much fun to them. Harper cries every time I wash her hair. She hates the water running on her face/ears when washing out the shampoo. Paxton won't sit still long enough to scrub down his grimey self and every time I say it's time to get out they whine and cry. Not my idea of fun!!! However, adding bubbles to our bath has helped out a little, not sure why? Maybe because it distracts them long enough for me to scrub them clean? However, the pool counts as a bath, right??? That's been my motto this summer! Ok I am done complaining, on to the happy stuff!

I received my first official paycheck today since I started teaching classes at my gym. Was it a big paycheck? No. Was it even like one tenth of what my old paychecks used to be? No, not really. Was it something I worked for and earned myself? Absolutely! My mom asked me this morning if all the waking up crazy early three days a week was worth the paycheck. I told her yes. Although it is about contributing a small paycheck for my own self worth and pride, it's become more. I enjoy seeing the same faces in the morning and getting in uninterrupted adult conversations. I loved going to assessment day last weekend and seeing people's reactions as they stepped on the scale and saw their weight dropping since their previous weigh in. I really love being the motivator and the person to push people harder than they think they can go. I have so much to learn and hopefully a long time to continue to get experience under my belt, but so far I really like working at a gym. =) Plus it forces me to get in at least 5 good workouts a week. Aaaaaand it may give me the excuse to eat a little more which makes this fat girl at heart hap hap happy!

 Cooking up pure deliciousness in her kitchen in the skirt she won't take off.

One of my favorite parts of Harper's room. The dream catcher her great great aunt and uncle got her and a beautiful photo and poem my grandma made for me. Paxton has a dream catcher hanging above his bed from them as well. Gotta bring in a little piece of our Cherokee to the house!

There have been so many fun changes going on with the kids. In less than a month Harper is going to be three! I am so so so so so excited for her birthday! We are going to be home on her actual birthday and Josh and I are already trying to think of what we want to do for her. I am not someone that puts a big emphasis on these crazy ornate parties that would just stress me out (at least not yet) or buying her a million gifts (because let's be honest our families will buy her ten thousand new things. However, I am not complaining!!)  Instead, I like to think of a fun experience we can do to help her remember something special about her day. Last year we took her to her first Royals game. She fell in love! The food, the fun, the excitement she sees when Josh is reverting back to his childhood, it was just the best time ever! I haven't decided what exactly we are going to do this year but I have a few ideas brewing. She is so fun and girlie right now I am literally soaking up every moment of it. She has been wearing a skirt/tutu for a week straight, she carries around her lip gloss 24/7, wants her nails painted all the time and loves to put on (pretend) makeup. Don't let her exterior fool you too much, she still loves playing in the dirt and getting messy or playing T-ball in the backyard. I cannot really explain how love works with your children but I can tell you that for me, I love both my children so much more as I get to know them better and see their personality blooming and growing into the person they are going to be. Harper is so kind and loving, especially towards the animals. She will just randomly come up to me, put her hand on my arm and say "mama, I love you." You might as well mop me up right there because I just ooze with love for her. She is insanely smart. I really do think so, I am sure its not just me being biased =). She has the most amazing golden curly hair and gorgeous eyes that are green some days and blue others. She's just beautiful inside and out!

I promise, he does have hair!

Pax playing in Harper's room. Isn't her colorful wall hanging amazing? My mom is so talented!

Big boy Paxton is ever changing as well. He is officially a non-pacifier using kid. He was only using it for nap time and bedtime but the other day he found an old broken paci that I had in the drawer in his room and I decided to run with it. He did so much better than I expected and it has absolutely been harder on me than on him. He occasionally brings it to me and says "uh oh" since its broken. Other than that, it really has not affected him. I'm thankful for that, but at the same time it's a tad heartbreaking. It was the last little thing that made him a baby.  No more baby boy around here. He is really starting to talk and test out words lately (which I will admit is reassuring me because I was getting a little worried since Harp started speaking so early). He feeds himself and hasn't used a highchair in months. He is going up and down the stairs completely like an adult. No sliding on his belly or scooting on his bottom, this kid is literally walking up and down the stairs at 18 months. It's insane! His newest favorite discovery is jumping. He jumps and hops everywhere because he thinks it's hilarious, which it is of course! I kid you not, he has the best laugh I have ever heard in my entire life. It's infectious and beautiful and I cannot get enough of it. He is literally OBSESSED with Josh. All day everyday he say "daaaaaada". It does make me a smidge jealous but at the same time it makes my heart happy. Plus, I have Harper on the mama is the coolest trend right now so we are even!

 Hope everyone is having a great week! It's already Wednesday! Yaaaaaaaaaaay!