Road Show!

With this new position I'm in at work, part of my job is to help assemble training materials for the firm. (Yeah, who would have thought 8 years ago that this would be ME?!) My group is putting on about 70 workshops across the U.S. this Spring.

Last week, I got to travel to my first workshop in Raleigh, NC. My trip was booked at the last minute, so the only flight available was first-class. Why, YES, I would love to fly first class when I don't have to pay for it! And wow, what an experience. Is this how the rich people travel? I could get used to this!  My flight was delayed going out, so Jordan and I stopped at a Chili's on the way to the airport to kill some time and have a few drinks. Once I was seated in my roomy seat (of which my 5'1" frame didn't know what to do with), I enjoyed a three-course meal and more free alcohol. Let's just say by the time my plane landed at 11pm in a new city, I was glad I had a car service already lined up that knew where to take me. After just 8 hrs at the hotel, I headed to the Raleigh KPMG office at 7:30am to start prepping for my workshop. And my head may have been pounding just a little bit by now. After instructing for 4 1/2 hours, I was headed back to the airport to catch a flight back home. I was literally gone for less than 24 hours! But I was thankful to see some cute guy waiting for me at baggage claim to whisk me away back home!

Over the next month, I'll also get to travel to OKC, Kansas City, Houston, and Shreveport. All short trips, but those are the ones that seem to tire me the most because I'm on the go so much. But I literally hate public speaking, and it was in my goals this year to do some instructing to help me get over it. So it's good for me, I guess.

Then before I  know it, Jordan and I will  be headed to Miami to begin our anniversary trip and jump on the cruise ship. Can't believe we're less than two months away from vacation. And my new Tahoe. Man, it's going to be a fabulous summer! :)

(I wish I had a picture of me enjoying first class, but I guess I was too busy taking advantage of the free booze!)

Brotherly Love

Chase has been in his big-boy bed for nearly a month now. He's done pretty good. Although, there have been a few times where we've been woken up at 3am as snack bags of Cheezits and Oreos were being flung at us. Apparently the little guy has gotten the munchies a few times in the middle of the night, gone to the pantry, and brought snacks to us. Crazy kid!

This past weekend, I went to go tuck in the boys and check on them around midnight before heading to bed myself. I opened Chase's door, only to find that he wasn't in his bed. Not hiding in the closet, or even in the laundry hamper (despite the fact that he had completely emptied it all out). I started to panic a little bit. But then I peeked into Austin's room, and there he was. He had snuck out of his room (blankie and all) and climbed up into his bubba's bed. It was seriously the sweetest thing. Now the past few nights all he's been talking about is sleeping in bubba's bed!

Play Ball!!

Since work has been ridiculous lately, I was finally able to get a few days off this past week. Jordan and I had been planning to go to the Texas Rangers home opener for a few weeks. He's been the past few years, but I decided I wanted to attend the fun this year. Logan also joined us, along with one of his friends, so we would have an even 4. We got to the ballpark at around 9am to start our celebrations in the parking lot. I don't usually tailgate very often, so this was a little new for me. And being there with three guys, lets just say that I got to listen to some interesting conversations. We grilled out and enjoyed some beers, enjoying the perfect weather for some baseball. For some reason I thought it was a good idea to bring a bottle of vodka to enjoy as well. I obviously didn't realize how much I had drank (or the effects) until it was time to jump off the tailgate and head into the ballpark for the 1pm game. We had a great time, and somehow I was magically transported from the game back home by my wonderful husband. :)

Definitely something I will make sure I get to attend again next year!

Beers for breakfast!

The boys

Vodka Jen = kissy Jen

And more beers in the Ballpark

 

The four of us!

Hippity Hop!

Ok, so I'm only a week past Easter, so I'm not too far behind on blogging. :)  Easter kinda snuck up on us this year, along with everything else these days. There are seriously not enough hours in the day lately!

Unfortunately, I had to work on Good Friday; although I was able to sneak away early so that we could go watch the boys' egg hunts at school. After each of them had their fun, we ventured home to enjoy the beautiful weather outside. There's no doubt that these kids love to play outside, so we took full advantage of it.

We were supposed to go to a going away get-together for one of Jordan's co-workers on Saturday night, so MawMaw and PawPaw kept the boys overnight for us. Our kids can get pretty rowdy and rambunctious at times, so I always get nervous when I have to unleash their terror on others. But as they always seem to do, they were on their best behavior for them. Sunday morning we headed out to Jordan's parents for his side of the family's gathering. The boys were excited to see us, too! After stuffing our bellies, the boys and their three cousins got to hunt eggs in the backyard and then proceeded to eat their weight in jelly beans and M&Ms.

As we approached nap time, we rounded up the boys, said our goodbyes, and headed back home. After getting a quick power nap in on the drive home, the boys raced inside to see what the Easter Bunny had left them. My side of the family then gathered at our house for some festivities. We colored eggs in the driveway, had an egg-hunt, played baseball, and then grilled out. It was a crazy afternoon, but full of fun for sure!

Here's some pics from our Easter celebrations!

The boys with MawMaw and PawPaw

Our attempt at a family pic

Love him!

Austin on the hunt!

Chase showing off his finds!

Coloring eggs

A little batting practice with Daddy

High fives!

Meow Meow & LoLo trying to get the boys to pose

The boys were excited about their own table for dinner (Chase even decided to ditch his pants!)

Austin enjoying a banana split for dessert!

Typical Morning.....

This is just a glimpse into a typical morning in the Hougham household. Lately, since I've been so busy with work, I head out the door before anybody else in the house is up. (Chase has become pretty attached lately and will at times have a meltdown for 10 min after I leave. So for the sake of all parties involved, I head off to work before he wakes.) Jordan usually doesn't have to be at work til 9 or 10, so he gets morning duty. :)

Daddy runs the show in the morning since I'm gone. Wait......what I meant to say was that the BOYS run the show, as evidenced by this picture:

•  Chase is enjoying: french toast sticks, blueberry muffins, Go-gurt, and Cheezits
•  Each kid gets their own iPad to watch their selected cartoons on
•  Chase, being the big independent boy lately, has dragged his chair from the playroom into the 
   kitchen so that he can climb up into a chair.
  
•  Moments after this picture, Austin went to school with rain boots on, despite the bright sunny 
   day in TX.
  

Needless to say, once you have kids, you learn to pick your battles and let the little things slide. :)



Speaking of mornings, I started bootcamp this week. That means that I drag my tired butt out of bed at 4:45 for an hour tortuous workout MWF. I looked pretty silly walking around the office this week, as my entire body ached and muscles I didn't even remember I had were sore. I definitely got my ass handed to me these first few sessions. It's definitely been too long since this body was pushed! But I'm sticking with it, even though I curse myself when the alarm goes off wondering why I ever thought it was a good idea to sign up for a workout at 5am. We're less than 3 months away from vacation, so desperate times call for desperate measures!

Quick Weekend Getaway!

With all the craziness with both mine and Jordan's jobs lately, we were long overdue for some downtime with the family. On a rare occasion, he was slotted for a 3-day weekend, which never ever happens. So we knew we had to take advantage of it. We talked about doing something with our great friends/neighbors, the Maples, for a few weeks, and ultimately decided to spend the weekend with them at their family's lakehouse. It's only a little over an hour away, so it was still close but far enough for some peace and quiet. 

I had planned to work from home til lunch on Friday, so that we could head out shortly after that. Unfortunately, something for work came up late Thursday night that required me to go into the office Friday morning. Needless to say, this did not make me a happy camper. It was nearly 2pm before I was able to tear myself away from the office. Luckily, by the time I got home, Jordan had already gone to the grocery store, packed up the boys stuff, and required very little minimal effort on my part.  But let's be honest, packing up for two boys, even for a weekend, is quite a chore. After getting the truck loaded down, we picked up the boys from school on the way out of town. The boys were so excited, yelling about going to the lakehouse.  Where we were going, there was basically no signal at all, which meant no cell phone and no email access. Uh oh. There were a couple fire drills happening at work on Friday, and here I was heading down to the lake with no access to the outside world. Fortunately, I was able to find one corner of the loft where I could get one bar and get my email to sync up every now and then.

The three amigos feeding bread to the ducks off the dock

Laying down watching the fishies

We had a great time relaxing, feeding the ducks, feeding the fish, and just running around outside. All the fun definitely wore the kiddos out.  We also found out that my former H.S. accounting teacher (and now 'life mentor') was staying just around the corner with her family at her lakehouse as well. So we ventured out and got to visit with them on Saturday afternoon. Once again, the boys had a blast and even got to go for a boat ride.  (Of course, I didn't have my camera. Holding onto two boys near water had my heart racing all weekend.) Austin even got to drive the boat; and may have started calling one of the girls (well woman, since she just graduated college!) his girlfriend! Oh, my little lover boy! Though, for some reason, I don't think her fiance feels threatened at all.

The boys playing cars up on the deck 

Chase Chase being a ham

Austin looking like such a big boy

 

Chase playing with our St. Patty's Day beads the morning after

On Saturday night, our friend's grandparents offered to watch all four of the kids for us, so that the adults could venture out to grab a bite to eat and a few drinks. Such a brave woman she was! We were so thankful for the 'adults-only dinnertime', and quickly put all of them to bed when we got back to the house. Then it was time to continue our celebration and relaxation with some more drinking out on the deck. Christy and I knocked out a couple batches of some delicious rum punch, while the boys stuck to beer and whiskey.  Needless to say, we were all a giggling mess out on the deck before midnight. (We had brought our video monitor, so we were able to keep an eye on the kiddos sleeping while we had some fun.)

I don't know why we both always end up in blue Under Armour shirts!

Me and my cup of delicious rum punch!

We definitely had a great time on our little weekend getaway. The time definitely flew by and it was time to load up and head back before we knew it. We're hoping our kids weren't too crazy and that we get invited back again. ;)

Now, back to reality tomorrow. :(

Spring Update

Work has nearly been consuming me lately and I absolutely hate that. Needless to say, I've been busier than I had ever expected, given that I left the audit world behind! But we're dealing with it the best we can, and I'm trying my hardest to spend as much time with the boys as I can. And there is very little time for blogging these days. :(

Chase trying to distract me in the office on a Sunday afternoon :)

I went back to the endocrinologist this week and got excellent news. My levels are finally where they need to be, after trying different dosages of my meds the past few months. And my scar from the surgery has healed up quite nicely. It still tingles a little, so I try not to touch it. I'm hoping once I get a tan, it will hide it a little more. :) Anyways, no more monthly trips back to the doc; I don't have to report back for 6 months, unless I start feeling 'off'. Let's hope that doesn't happen again!

Sooooo, my sweet Chase Chase. This kid has gone from a toddler to a little boy in about two days!  He refuses to use his booster seat at the kitchen table now. Instead, he proudly drags a stool in the kitchen, and uses it to climb into his big boy chair. So, we've packed up the booster! The other night Jordan and I were trying to put him to bed, and he just hiked his leg over his crib and started climbing out! And then did it again. It's been about a year since we took a 2am trip to the ER when he climbed out in the middle of the night and got a pretty good bump on his head. He's over 2 now, so we resigned to the fact that it was probably time to upgrade to a big boy bed finally. His crib converts to a full-size bed (using the front/back as a headboard/footboard), so Jordan and I bought him a mattress Friday afternoon and started the transformation. Bye-bye crib, glider/ottoman, and changing table! I ordered him some new bedding this week and it should be here in a day or so. I'll post some pics when the room and everything is all complete. We're sticking with the planes, trains, automobiles theme, and I've added a few new things to his room, including hanging some airplanes from his ceiling. :)

 He looks so grown-up in his bed!

Friday night was his first night in his bed. He seemed so confused when we left him in there! We watched him on the video monitor for a few minutes as he wandered around his room crying (I guess he didn't think he could open the door to escape!). So, I laid down in his bed with him and he went right to sleep! I had only intended to stay for a few minutes, but before I knew it, it was 8am! (Jordan and I had gone to dinner and had a few drinks, and it was the perfect amount to make me sleepy.) Yesterday at nap time, he insisted I lay with him again. He was facing me and I was so sure he had finally drifted off, when I whispered 'Love, Love' to him (that's our family's twist on I love you). He popped his eyes open and whispered back to me 'Wuv, Wuv Mommy'. I got teary-eyed and snuggled with him for a few more minutes. Anyways, he seems to love that dang bed and all the 'air-panes' I hug from his ceiling. Getting so big!!

We tied Chase's wagon to Austin's Jeep so he could be pulled around, and LOVED it!

He's also chatting up a storm these days and picking up new words left and right. Some of my favorite things out of his mouth:  If I ask a question to the boys (i.e. Who wants a juice box?), Chase excitedly raises his hand and yells 'Me, Me, Me!'. And lately he thinks it's funny to call me 'Mom' (instead of Mommy). His personality is definitely in full force! If we could just get him potty-trained, we would be awesome! :)

As for Austin, he's as crazy as ever. This kid has bundles of energy and is constantly running laps around the house. We'll be signing up for spring t-ball again, so that will be an adventure coming up soon!

Austin sporting Daddy's football helmet from high school

Jordan and I finally booked everything for our anniversary trip! We've kinda changed our plan a little bit. We're now spending two days in Miami, before heading out on a 5-day cruise to the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos. We've been on five cruises together (including our honeymoon), and we love them. Everything's all packaged up for us, lots of choices of activities, and we get to visit multiple locations. We're excited and the next 3 months will fly by (hopefully!). And I think we've got childcare all squared away while we're gone. I'm super-excited about our trip, but nervous about being away from my boys for so long. :(