LOVE

I titled this post LOVE for many reasons:

1. I LOVE this time of year! We had an incredible Spring Break and our Easter was fabulous!



2. I LOVE having a fence in our backyard and so do my children!



3. I LOVE these two kiddos and watching them enjoy each other's company!



4. I LOVE Ella's sassy personality (on most days) and that Kermie got so excited to see her wearing his elementary school t-shirt.

5. I LOVE these two guys and seeing how much they love eachother!

Personal Day Patience!!

For a couple of weeks now, I had been planning to take my personal day to enjoy some extra time with the family. I don't know that I've ever gotten to do this (maybe once) due to exhausting my days on maternity leave, so the idea of it is very nice!

Kermie has to go to trainings every now and then for work and this week happened to be one of those weeks he was going to be gone. The kids miss him like crazy when he's gone, it's super hard being a mom of two by yourself for four consecutive days (kudos to those single moms that do it day in and day out--you are a superhero for sure), and spending the night/day away to slow down sounded nice to me, therefore, taking a day and to stay with Kermie while he was away for work was the plan.

The kids and I headed up to Louisville right after school on Tuesday. Ella was very excited to be staying in a hotel and both of the kids were even more excited to see their daddy! When we arrived, supper was on the immediate to-do-list! We headed over to Fourth Street Live and ate dinner at Hard Rock.


This is where the word "patience" in the post title comes in to play. Grayson is at a stage right now where he insists on being independent and will do any and everything to make sure he gets to do things his big sister gets to do. So, simple things like eating become a huge ordeal. Instead of splitting a hamburger (or any other food item), he wants the whole thing... instead of mommy and daddy helping hold his drink, he wants to hold it by himself (he doesn't understand that you don't tip a cup with a straw to drink it yet)... instead of mommy helping feed him, he wants the "big" fork to do it himself. And, so you see, mass chaos starts immediately! These kind of situations are easier handled at home, but in public we are put in a situation where the right parenting decision isn't so easy to come by. Do you give in to his fit to keep him quiet, do you get up and leave immediately, or do you refuse to give him his way and let the screaming begin? Any tips would be great. Ella never threw these kinds of fits at his age so I am at a loss! On top of Grayson's need to be Mr. Independent, Ella was a tad exhausted (a combination of a full day at Nana's and recovering from her sickness), so she refused to eat and wanted to lay down on the seat to rest. Kermie thoroughly enjoyed his meal, while mine on the other hand was not so wonderful. Trying to keep positive and patient, we paid for our meal and headed back to the hotel and a quick stop by the river!





By the time we got back to the hotel, everyone was totally exhausted and ready to call it a day. Both kids fell asleep fairly fast, but it did not last long. At around midnight, Ella's fever came back and her coughing started back (non-stop coughing). Grayson woke up around 3 am screaming for juice, chocolate milk, and Diego. And, because they did not eat at dinner, both kids by this point were starving! I felt bad for Kermie because he was there for work which meant he still had to wake up at 6:30 to head to a meeting. On the other hand, we had to deal with the chaos in the hotel room before we woke anyone else up. This meant lots of patience on mommy and daddy's part. It's hard not to get totally irritated with the kids and each at this early in the morning. Kermie headed to a gas station to grab something little for the kids to eat and drink. This adventure took him nearly an hour due to parking garage complications. In the meantime, the kids and I sat in the window watching planes, cars, and boats pass by at 3 in the morning. When Kermie did arrive back, the kids got their snack and quickly fell back to sleep!

Finally, morning arrived! Kermie headed off to his meeting, I gave the kids their bath, got myself ready, and headed to Panera for breakfast. Getting the stroller into Panera was a story in itself, but we finally ordered and sat down to a very yummy breakfast! The kids enjoyed it as much as I did, but once again, Grayson wanted to be Mr. Independent! He wanted the delicious Blueberry Muffin and Four Cheese Egg Souflee all to himself!

After breakfast, we walked a couple more blocks to the Louisville Science Center. Here, the kids had a total blast! I enjoyed it too because the only other times I've been I have been with lots and lots of fourth graders! Field trips, while great, stress me out completely! It was so nice getting to explore with my own kiddos and watching them learn new things! Not to mention, Ella's sweet comment made me even more thankful to have taken them there this morning. "Mommy, I would have never guessed we'd get to go to the museum today!"










After the science center, we headed back to the hotel, got the van, and picked up Kermie at his meeting to go to lunch. By this point both kids were sleeping, so he and I pulled into Sonic, rolled down the windows, and enjoyed a nice, breezy lunch together. Those are always the best!

When it was time to drop him back off, the kids were in tears and screaming which made me happy and sad that we had come. I think they would have cried for him most of the day if we hadn't come, but I hate to make them say goodbye more than once. Other than the rough night, I definitely enjoyed my day and am very thankful to have a job that allows me to take personal days like this one. And, one thing I know for sure is that Kermie is going to enjoy SLEEPING in a hotel room by himself tonight!

The kids and I took our time getting home. Both kiddos were feeling good, minus the agonizing cough. We were in no hurry to get back, so we stopped for milkshakes and decided to stop at playgrounds along the way. I think we all enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with no time constraints or plans!

A Month Later

It has been over a month since my last post! I always think about posting and really love doing it, but finding the time is quite hard these days! So, this post is dedicated to catching everyone up on what's been going on with the Donovan Clan since February.

Let's start back in February with Valentine's day. Kermie has always been a great "flower giver!" He's never forgotten to get me flowers on Valentine's Day and is 4 for 4 with Ella as well. Ella loves the flowers her daddy gets for her as you can see from the picture. She's pretty certain she is daddy's princess and I think she's absolutely right!



We also took a trip to Owensboro in February to visit Robert, Lynsie, Emmie, and Wilson. It is always fun getting to visit and we all loved getting to see sweet Wilson. A weekend is never enough time with great friends!



The rest of February is pretty much a blur! The weather this winter has been incredibly warm, so we have definitely taken advantage of the extra time outside. This past weekend, we had some scary weather here in Kentucky. On Friday, it was 60 degrees and by Sunday night we had a blizzard..... which leads me to today!

As you know, I LOVE snow days. And, this year has been a pretty big let down when it comes to the amount of snowfall we've gotten. I had actually given up on the thought of a "good" snow and transitioned my brain to think about Spring. However, we received about 4 inches over night last night which resulted in a terrific snow day today! This snow was a terrific blessing to our family as the whole family (minus Kermie--keeping fingers crossed) has gone through some terrible virus! Ella woke up this morning without a fever, but I still was not comfortable sending her off to the sitter's house. This year has been a horrible one in terms of having to take off work, so my days left to use are small in number. So, yippie for snow to play in and yippie for not having to use another sick day!!

This was Grayson's first real experience with the snow because he was so little last year. To his delight, not being allowed to stay out long because his sister was not 100% was perfect in his eyes. In other words, he was not fond of the snow! He refused to move unless I held him, took off his shoe, threw off his mitten, and would not assist in the failed attempt to build a snow man. When mommy said, "You ready to go inside?" he quickly replied, "Yes," with the nod of his head! On the other hand, making Snow Day Snow Cream was a much better idea in his opinion. He enjoyed it thoroughly.

Spring in February

This winter sure hasn't felt much like winter! We have only had one official snow day which only brought a trace of snow to the ground and there has been no snowmen making whatsoever. This is a huge bummer when Ella and I had planned on making an up-side-down snowman this year. And, speaking of no winter, it was in the 50s this week! So crazy, disappointing, but motivating all the same. I LOVE snow, but getting out of school in May is looking better by the day. With this being said, Kermie and I took the kids to the park here in Sadieville on Thursday to enjoy the spring like weather. Here are a few pictures I captured.



I was wanting to get a cute sis/bro shot, but no one would cooperate at all. I guess this will do since it shows the reality of the two of them!


Loving the "sneaky" grin he's got going on in this one.


My beauty sure enjoys being outside... The good Lord knows how much energy she has that needs to be LET OUT!

Oh Juliet... oh Juliet

If you've never seen the movie Gnomeo and Juliet, you must! We love this movie here at the Donovan household.... so much that we even re-enact it! Here are the newest Gnomeo and Juliet cast members. And, for those of you who have never seen the movie, check out the trailer!

Young boys should never be sent to bed, they always wake up another day older.

I was on the internet tonight and found a few quotes about boys that I thought were adorable and so true... one of them being the title of this blog post. It is truly amazing how fast Grayson is growing (an astounding 17 months already) and how sad this mommy gets every time she thinks about her baby boy turning into a big boy. One thing I know for sure is that I love how much he loves his mommy! There is not much sweeter than his sweet little voice saying, "Mommy, mommy!" (Even if it is every 5 seconds!)

Everyone else here in the Donovan household is enjoying watching him grow just the same. Ella is constantly saying things like, "He is the cutest boy in the world!" or "Did you hear that? He just said_____." She gets so excited when he reaches new milestones. Grayson loves Ella so much! It was so sweet watching him hug and kiss her over and over and over yesterday morning. And, although there are times they can't stand each other (already!) I know they love each other beyond comparison. Watching them play together is one of my most favorite things to do. Ella gets so excited when he starts chasing her.... sometimes with a bat or other weapon in hand!

Grayson and his daddy are two of a kind. They are constantly zooming around the house in a car or throwing some type of ball. It is so sweet hearing and seeing Grayson track down Kermie where ever he is in the house with a ball in hand. He then proceeds, "Daddy, ball." And, drags Kermie somewhere to play ball. It's really funny when he smacks the floor to make his daddy sit down in a certain spot.

I honestly could not imagine our lives without this little guy! He brings so much joy to everyday and I am so grateful for this blessing!


Grayson is always smiling!

We see this face frequently when he wants more "JUUIICEE!"

Our little guy is slightly obsessed with Bubble Guppies on Nick Jr. He screams at you, "Bubble!Bubble!"

Proof of Grayson and Daddy going way past the speed limit in his car (in the house!)!

I find him in my purse all the time! He loves lipstick almost as much as my Ellie Bellie! Hopefully he will outgrow this!!

Here is another quote I thought was cute:
Boys are found everywhere--on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older brothers and sisters tolerate them, adults ignore them, and Heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubblegum in its hair, and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket.-Alan Marshall Beck

We decided to go.

Kermie and I had been talking about possibly taking a small trip after Christmas at some point, but never really decided on anything certain. So, the day after Christmas we were still pondering when and where this trip would be. All we knew was that we had a week together and wanted to do something fun, but inexpensive.

After lots of internet searching, Kermie discovered that it was Military Week at the Columbus Zoo (which we had been wanting to visit for a while now). And, after snagging a good hotel price on priceline.com we decided Columbus was our destination. We left Monday morning (actually by the time we left town it was more like noon) and arrived in Columbus by 4 o'clock ish.

After settling in to our hotel and walking the mile of pedways to get there (The first picture is Ella in one of the three pedways we took from the parking garage to our hotel.), we thought what better way to spend our first night than a free night at the Zoo to see the lights.



The zoo put the Southern Lights to shame! Every single tree was wrapped in lights and it was so magical... even two days after Christmas!

On our way back to the hotel, we noticed this building which stood right beside ours. It made our night even better!


The next morning we headed out for the COSI Museum since we knew rain was the forecast. This museum was awesome and our favorite part was the Space Tunnel. We attempted to take video of it, but all you hear is us laughing and see nothing but black. It was quite the experience. For all of you teachers, they do give a teacher discount which is better than the military discount. :) Go teachers!

Kermie totally kicked my butt at the balance test!






This is what I walked out of the shower to the next morning. They love each other on most days. :)


We chose the coldest day of the week to head back to the zoo for animal sight seeing. And, while it was cold (a mere 32 degrees), it was the absolute best zoo experience we have had! Not only was it free again, but we had the entire zoo to ourselves minus a family or two.

Grayson was not in the picture taking mood.



Colo is the oldest living gorilla in a zoo! She is a great, great grandmother. :)

After the zoo, my brother and his fiance took us out to eat at Outback via Christmas giftcard. Thanks guys! It was yummy!

Today was our last day in Columbus, which has turned into my new favorite city by the way. We woke up late, took our time getting ready, and headed out for the North Market. This place was terrific in that I was able to get some yummy Mediterranean food, Ella and Grayson got Italian, and Kermie ended up with Vietnamese food for lunch. After lunch, we indulged in some Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream.



Before we left town, we knew there was one last stop we wanted to make.... German Village. And, if there is any one town I think I would feel right at home in, it's this one! I love the cobblestone roads, small (or at least some of them) older houses, and character everywhere you look. One day.......???



I am so glad we decided to go!