Pathetic

I am pathetic. August 31st?  In my defense, the beginning of school has been hectic and completely exhausting. Trying to balance school and home with a lil' man on-the-go has been easy and difficult at the same time. It is surprising how easily I blow off school work/planning to hang with the family. But, that has left my school work/planning piling up. Literally. I, like most teachers I'm sure, have also been battling a pesky cold and sinus infection. I finally feel a little better and like my head is a LITTLE above water at work. A day at school without kids sure helped!  Enough about that.

I have had issues getting my computer(s) to open my pictures of Logan's birthday so when I get that figured out I will get those up (a month late). My mom let me download her's so I can always use those. That would take WAY TOO long to upload to Blogger tonight though. (Has anyone else had this problem?)  However, I did want to share a quick video clip I took tonight of Logan!

Walgreens had a Mickey Mouse pumpkin that Logan couldn't resist...  :) Ok, ok... I couldn't resist for Logan!  He loves it!  Brian had put it out before Logan and arrived home tonight and Logan noticed right away. He started running up to it, yanked out it pacifier, and was pointing and yelling!  It was almost as if he was mad that Brian had put it up without him. It was quite hilarious!  Tonight he was watching it through the front door window so we took him out real quick to see it lit up. It isn't the best video, but we think it's cute. You be the judge. (You can even hear him singing what he can of Mickey Mouse's "Hot Dog" song.)

Logan is really starting to babble to everyone and anyone who will listen. Today he said something to me and then hung his had back and laughed. Whatever he said must of been pretty funny!  Also, while we were outside our neighbor walked by. Of course, Logan started yelling and talking to her. She started kidding around with him and said something like, "I don't speak Russian!" and he just started laughing. It really was too funny!

New Logan Videos

I HAVE A ONE YEAR OLD!  I can't hardly believe it!  Logan turned one last Friday and we celebrated at Clay Center's zoo park, but before I share those pictures I need to post a few of the videos I promised you 2 weeks ago!  Some of the videos are longer than others, and some of them are long. You can't say I didn't warn you!  (The weird thing is I look at these videos from just a couple weeks ago and think, "Wow, he has changed so much!")

The first video is very, very short, but by the time I had the video camera ready, he was finished. The video is of Logan brushing his hair.  It is funny because if we say, "let's go brush your hair" he knows we are going to brush it with the blue brush. He will grab it and "brush" it himself. (Of course he can't actually brush it quite yet.)


The second video is of Logan dancing. He is definitely and music man. He loves anything that plays music!  In this video, Brian caught him dancing to the Backyardigans (I think that is what they're called...).


Brian and I recently purchased a couple new toys off Craigslist for Logan's birthday; however, we didn't quite make it to and ended up giving them to him that night.... ha ha!  The third video is of his new $10 truck. He is much better at maneuvering it now!! (P.S. Our has is a disaster in this video...Ignore!)


The last video is of Logan playing "catch" with Katy. He has become pretty good at throwing Katy's toy! The chair is one of the Craigslist toys as well. We purchased this Fisher Price Learning Chair in perfect condition for $12!  (It retails for around $120!!  What a steal!)  He LOVES this chair! 

Logan's Favorite Things

I was fortunate enough to spend the entire summer with my #1 little guy. It was a wonderful summer and I wouldn't trade it for anything!  Logan turned from a baby to a little boy and is beginning to really form his own personality. It is quite hilarious to say the least! 

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks and I have so many things to share with you! I didn't know where to begin so I decided to share some of Logan's favorite things (right now).......

Logan LOVES the pool (and the bathtub)!  He will kick, squeal, and even constantly trying to put his face in the water (first picture). We will sit him on the edge of the pool and he will kick himself in (like the big kids do beside him) smiling and laughing the whole time.

Logan enjoys crawling up, over, across, down ANYTHING!

Logan spends a considerable amount of time at the patio door. When Katy (the god) goes outside, Logan goes to the door.

Brian started this "game" with Logan....  When I am in the shower, he thinks it is funny to let Logan "surprise" me by opening the shower curtain. I will admit it is VERY cute, but he now thinks the bathroom/shower is one of the best places in the house to be.

Logan likes to get into the kitchen drawers so we decided to give him his own drawer filled with toys and  books. He has had this drawer for several months and still loves it. He will sit at the drawer and play with the contents for quite a while.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a life saver. We have episodes on the DVR and let me tell you, we use them. If I need to take a shower--Mickey Mouse. If I any kind of distraction--Mickey Mouse. We have noticed that when Mickey says, "Everybody say 'Oh, Toodles!'" Logan says, "Ahhh". It is hilarious! I didn't realize he was doing it. I don't remember if Brian or my mom recognized it, but I will try to get it on video for you all. Logan also has a new activity chair. Brian and I had orignially purchased it for a birthday present, but could resist giving it to him early. (He'll never know.....) (By the way, we bought this chair for $12 off Craiglist and it retails for around $130. Hello!!) 

He is getting sssooo big..... :( He is walking ALL over the place (with his arms in the air), standing up by himself, eating some table food, "talks" on the phone (or remote, shoe...he'll pretty much pretend anything is a phone, brush his hair (or try anyway), throws and kicks balls, and still thinks Katy is the best thing ever.

I will try to add videos in the next post. I would have added them to this post, but they are taking to long to upload to YouTube. After a days worth or meetings and evening of Open House, my pillow is calling my name!  I will try to get the videos up this weekend. 

First Fair Fun

Over the 4th of July weekend, Wamego had their annual carnival so we decided to take Logan over and check it out.  We did almost everything we could possibly do with a 10 month old and a good time was had by all. Here are a few pictures and videos of the holiday.

Riding the carousel....

on the ferris wheel....

and Logan's favorite part....the ducks...

We also hit the swings before heading home...

When we got home, we set off a few fireworks....

There was also a neighborhood BBQ we attended. Logan wasn't thrilled with the "big" fireworks so we headed home early, but we still got a few good shots.

I realize that the videos are somewhat blurry and cut-off on the right side, but Blogger wouldn't upload the newly sized videos and after struggling with Blogger for nearly 3 hours it is how it is...

Tag, I'm It!

So, I have been tagged!

1. What’s your staple meal (ie. what meal do you cook most often when you can’t be bothered to be adventurous)?
Tacos or something with taco meat. Taco salad, taco shells, burritos, etc.  I always have ingredients for taco meat dishes in my fridge and pantry. More times than not, I have a pound of hamburger already browned (with salt, pepper, onions, and sometimes a can of diced tomatoes if I need it to go further) in the fridge and it is almost too easy to add a can of Mexican beans with chili sauce, a half packet of taco seasoning, and a half can of water. It surprises me how many things I can do with taco meat! Good thing Brian likes it!

2. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a librarian. Particularly a school librarian. I would jump at the opportunity in a heartbeat and do whatever I needed to do to become one. There aren't any opportunities in my district for this, but I will keep my ears open. I have a small library in my classroom and enjoy helping the kids check out books from there. I love to visit with them about what types of books they enjoy, their opinions on the books they have read, etc. Accelerated Reader and book projects are big in my classroom because I love them!

Or a realtor. I think I would be pretty good at it. Too bad there are way too many of them!

3. What book are you reading at the moment (if any)?
I just finished a book titled The Same Sweet Girls (see post here) and have picked up another book by Cassandra King titled The Sunday Wife. I have yet to start it because Sandra Bullock was calling my name from the cover of People magazine.....

4. How do you relax?
Oh boy....Napping! When I need to relax I will lay on the couch and veg infront of the TV, read, or cook.

5. What color are the interior walls of your home?
Living Area--Dark Tan/Light Brown (I would like to lighten this up but Brian is thrilled with this idea because of how difficult it would be.)
Kitchen/Dining--Yellow
Spare Bedroom & Master Bathroom--Country/Sky Blue
Spare Bathroom--Dark Cream/Light Tan
Master Bedroom--A Lemongrass color
Logan's Room--Lemongrass and the Dark Cream/Light Tan
Downstairs Living Area--Burnt Red
Downstairs Bedroom--Tan
Downstairs Office--Ocean Blue/Teal

6. What is your guiltiest pleasure?
I love salted and buttered popcorn with Milk Duds in it. The Milk Duds melt and softened in the popcorn...yum!  I saw this on the move The President's Daughter with Katie Holmes and thought, "Hmm, I should try that!" It isn't the heathiest snack out there so I don't eat it very often, but I enjoy it when I do!

7. What time is bedtime and getting up time?
Logan usually goes to bed between 7 and 8. Brian and I usually hit they hay between 9 and 10, but a lot of times I will read until 10:30 or so. Logan gets up pretty early which means I get up early!  We are almost always up my 6:30 or 7, but there are some days where he'll go back to sleep until 8ish.

8. How long do you spend reading blogs (per day or per week)?
 Way too much! I spend approximately an hour reading blogs but much more than that on the computer!

Now I am supposed to tag other people, so I will tag Kate at KDKG and Jericho at Hammond Happenings. Now I better go get something else accomplished before Logan wakes up from his nap!

Same Sweet Girls

Today I finished a novel titled The Same Sweet Girls written by Cassandra King. I had originally picked this book up because of the cover (as I do most books) but I am sssooo glad I checked it out. Ladies, this is a must read. I'm not kidding. Read it. I feel like going to Hastings and buying multiple copies so I have them as birthday gifts! The story is of 6 women who met in college and have had bi-annual weekend getaways for the last 30 years. It is told from the point of view of 3 of these women: Julia, Lanier, and Corrine. It is a love story between friends, spouses, and parents and children. Most importantly, these women learn to love themselves. The book is full of happiness, excitement, frustration, and sadness. There were definitely parts of the story that were difficult to read, but I read every word. Slowly. Many times I will read quickly through scenes that don't really advance the plot, but not this time. In fact, I put it down last night because I didn't want the book to end! To say I cried though the last couple of chapters is an understatement....  Cassandra King made me feel like I was sitting in the cabin with these women. I felt like I had known them for 30 years as well.  She answered all of my questions and didn't leave me wondering at the end.

I frequently think of a personality test we had to take in school where the question read, "Do you think about books after you have finished them?" I'll never forget that question. I wanted to scream, "YES! I totally do!"  Well,  I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

Wedding Weekend

This post took me 2 days...I did not edit it...there are probably errors....

A couple of weeks ago we traveled to Green Lake, WI for Tyler Hartenbower's wedding. Tyler is a high school classmate and partner in crime. When Brian was asked to be a groomsman I prepared myself for a a 4-day "vacation" with a 9 month old. As the wedding approached I became more and more nervous about this.  You see, we were going to share a rental house with 3 other families. That's 8 adults and 5 kids ranging from appoximately 4 years old to 5 months.... Luckily we decided to fly! I began wondering how Logan would be on the plane. Would my kid be that kid? When he be the kid screaming in the midlle of the night and waking up the house? But then I decided, who cares!

A group picture of the families who stayed in the house...

We went up Wednesday night and stayed in KC (courtsey of Brian's sister and her Hilton points...Thanks Stephanie!) and were shuttled to the airport with Ryan, Mollie, and Ellie Bloom for our 7:50 AM flight. We barely arrived and began boarding. Somehow I boarded with business class. I truly thought it was my turn! I obviously wasn't paying attention but I handed her my stroller, boarding pass, and Logan and I walked onto the plane. It worked for me!  The flight took about 1 hour and 15 minutes and went wonderfully! The flight was empty so we got the whole row which was an added bonus!

Logan got his own seat for a while but doesn't sit still long enough for me to take a non-blurry picture.

He has a thing for hair....

He slept through both landings!

We arrived in Milwaukee, got our rental car, and drove the hour and a half to Green Lake, unpacked, and headed to the "Welcome BBQ" at Tyler's future in-laws. Following the BBQ was the Bachelor and Bachelorette parties, but the mom's took the kids home and put them to bed.

Friday started with a couple rounds of golf for the guys and a semi-disastrous lunch outing for the moms and kids. (Let's just say we ordered in lunch on Saturday...) After lunch we strolled around the area and checked out the lake. When the guys came home they showered, ate, and headed to the rehearsal. We met them after for rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately the night was cut short due to a thunderstorm, but it was nice to have an early night and Brian there to help with Logan whose health was going downhill quickly.

Saturday was the wedding day and it was a beautiful wedding!  The wedding began at 3:00 and Logan and I watched approximately 5 minutes of it. It isn't a wonderful time for a 9 month old to attend a wedding...  After the wedding, Molly and I took Ellie and Logan home for naps. When they woke up, we headed over for cocktails, a three course served meal, and dance. The bartendar made fabulous margaritas (don't worry I only had a couple at the beginning of the night), I had a wonderful steak (Brian enjoyed his walleye too!), and the dance was a blast. Surprisingly, Logan fell asleep shortly after supper and so I was able to dance a little too.

My two handsome guys.....

The bride and groom didn't kiss when people clinked glasses. If you wanted them to kiss, you had to sing a sing that had "love" in it. The groomsman started the night out with "Love Shack"...this is a blurry picture but you get the idea.

This wedding was totally up my alley!  The guys wore the cream/light tan tuxes with navy ties. The girls wore simple navy dresses and carried a bouquet of pink peonies, orange roses, and white tulips. I honestly believe it was the prettiest color combination I have ever seen. (Even next to my own!) There were also arrangements of hydrangeas, peonies, roses, and tulips with little bulb lights made to look like twigs by wrapping the cords with brown tape. Really creative!

Complete wedding party....

The flowers....

Me and my handsome date!

The guys with Halley...

Tyler and the guys....

Group picture....

The wives minus the new wife...I don't know where she was...

A family picture....

I took Logan home early and Brian came home after the dance. By this time, Logan is feeling the worst he has ever felt. He can't breathe, is coughing, and doesn't want to be laid down. I spent several hours that night holding him in the chair. I cannot sleep in a chair so I spent several hours starring at the clock and praying for the morning.


The morning finally came and we packed up and headed out the door. The car was returned, we boarded (in order) and we were off!  This time the flight was FULL and Logan was miserable! He was screaming before boarded, while we boarded, and for nearly 20 minutes into the flight. He finally crashed and slept through the landing. We grabbed our bags, grabbed the shuttle back to the hotel, and said our good-byes. Logan fell asleep the minute he got back in his carseat and so I made a 10 minute stop by the Carter's outlet and bought Logan some "jammies". We were home by 6:00 PM and all went to bed early.

Overall, we had a great weekend. We enjoyed sharing the house with the other families and wedding was gorgeous. The "vacation" (more of a vacation for Brian...a 4-day playdate for me....) was a good time to connect more with the other wives and the kids loved playing with each other.
Thank you Angie for some of these pics!

Watch Out!

Logan has a walker... He has learned to run, not walk, in his walker. He holds his arms up high (usually with a sippy cup full of water in one hand) and runs around screaming while he runs around in his walker. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen!  I love to watch these videos over and over so I thought I would share them with you. Enjoy!

This is when Logan first started using the walker (7 months)...........

This is now (9 months)............

9 Months Old

Our little man is 9 months old today. 9 MONTHS OLD!  I simply cannot believe it. It is a weird feeling because it feels like he has been around forever, but on the other hand, it seems like we were in the hospital last weekend. We don't have his 9 month appointment until the 3rd so I am unsure of his stats, but he is a solid guy. If I had to guess, I would say he is 31 inches tall and weighs 23 pounds.  He is getting fitted for a new car seat at the health department tomorrow if that tells you anything!

Logan told me he wanted to celebrated his birthday at the beauty shop so I granted his request!  I have trimmed it twice, but his hair was getting way too long and needed a good cut. It would of been great if he was a girl. I could of put it in a ponytail!  It is strange though how different he looks with it short again! He did a pretty good job while we were there too. If he was old enough, I would have given him a safety pop but he was happy with some Puffs.

Here are the "before" pictures...

 

During the haircut...............

 

After the haircut.............

(This is only one side of the chair and already collected an envelope worth!)

Needless to say, Logan is ready for summer!

The Land of Unicorns

I have a former Washburn Rural student, Hannah, who has recently become quite famous. So famous, in fact, she was invited to the Ellen DeGeneres show! Now, everyone has a different definition of "fame". Would I want this kind of "fame"? Nope. But, after this video hit YouTube, her Internet "fame" was inevitable. Enjoy!

The Ellen DeGeneres Show visit........
(I have tried reposting this several times and even tried manually changing the HTML dimensions, but I had no luck. The left part of this video is cut off so you may want to click on the video and watch the link. Sorry!)

The Originally Posted Video........

8 Months!

Can you believe it? Logan is 8 months today! A lot has changed in the past 8 months for Brian and I, but we love every minute of our chatotic and tiring life! =) This past week was particularly fun as we watched Logan learn how to do this.......

(Logan has decided he and Katy are best friends, but Katy's vote is still out. Whatever Katy has, Logan wants. That includes Katy's favorite toy--the blue dinosaur.)

 He got a little side-tracked...... 

Logan making a mad dash for Katy's toy!

Logan has also decided to try and crawl in the bathtub which is another experience all together!

I'm Back!

5 weeks…….5 weeks! I can’t believe I haven’t posted in 5 weeks! We have been very busy here at the Rankin house, but 5 weeks! I apologize…..

Overall, this weekend was incredibly productive.

Friday: After work, we went in to Manhattan and made a quick Target run, did some serious grocery shopping, drove through Sonic on the way home, and were all in bed by 9:30.

Saturday: We went back to Clay Center for a birthday party, visited both Brian’s mom and my parents, and made it home before the storm. Again, we were all in bed by 9:30. (I finished Big Boned by Meg Cabot on Saturday….eh, it was alright.)

Sunday: We tried out the Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Wamego and ate at a Mexican restaurant afterwards. We made a quick run to Wamego’s True Value to pick up dandelion and grub killer, grass seed, and a giant tote for more of Logan’s clothes. When we got home, Logan and I both took a nap while Brian mowed the front and back lawn (we are now dandelion free for at least a day!)........

After our naps, Brian made himself a snack (pre-made cookie dough from a fundraiser).....

.....I made breakfast for the week (Brian’s step-mom Pam’s banana bread recipe).....

.....and supper for tonight (my Grandma Allen’s meatloaf recipe).....

Because it was chilly outside, Brian grilled cheddar brats in the grill while Logan and I played inside.

 Our productive day ended at 6:30 with these two things…....

After Logan went to bed, Brian and I folded 6 loads of laundry while watching The Hills and 16 and Pregnant because our Undercover Boss was not on.

I planned to post this last night, but after I took the picture of Logan sleeping (after Brian told me not to but I couldn’t resist) Logan woke up. And was up until 9. Crying. Because he was tired. But didn’t want to go back to sleep. Brian warned me……….

My Birthday

I celebrated my 27th birthday last Thursday on the 18th. I just can't hardly believe it! I still feel like Brian and I should be guarding at the City Pool or Megan and I should be eating in the McMindes cafeteria. My dad always says he may be in his 40s, but he still feels like he is 20. That is how I feel... I feel like I am 19 and living in the dorms. (Oh how I loved the dorms...Really!)

Anyway, back to the present... This birthday was a special one because it was the first birthday I was able to spend with my little guy. Who really isn't all that little...

(I love this picture!  He seems so proud and is like, "These are my toys!"

Logan and I took a quick trip to Clay Center and I gave myself (and Brian) this gift...

After spending the day with Logan, Brian came home from work with the BEST Chinese food from Hyvee (we're partial to the Sesame Chicken)...

and something I haven't had forever...a DQ cake...oreo...

and THIS....!

So exciting!  I know it isn't exciting to most people, but I am thrilled!

I also received some exciting gifts (and cards, calls, texts, and Facebook posts) from other family members....

A mani/pedi from my mother-in-law!

A travel jewelry case and necklace (from Hong Kong) and money from my father-in-law and Pam...

...a Premier Jewelry necklace and earring set from my mom...

...a one-of-a-kind gift from my dad...

...and the BEST gift from this guy...

He slept from 7:30pm to 5:30am, woke up and drank a bottle, and then went back to sleep until 8:30am!  What is even more exciting about this is he did it three days in a row!! Let's hope he'll continue to be this nice...or at least this summer!

Overall, it was a fabulous birthday! So much has happened this year that I am grateful for! I expect every year from here on out will be marked with "Logan Milestones". I can't wait to experience them!