7 Click, click, Click Its

Linking with Jen at Conversion Diaries for some happy clicking!
1. If you haven't noticed, which I am most certain that you haven't, I am a bloggin' away over here. Three posts in 2 days, you would think I sit around eating bonbons all day! But I just couldn't let you miss out on some of my recent favorite blog posts. 

2. Before I get to some Click Its I wanted to share a super duper big ol' hurdle that we have crossed in the area of Gracie girls hair. So, for awhile now I have been complaining on good ol' instagram (love me some Instagram, slightly addicted) how Grace does not let me do her hair let alone brush it without a huge cry fest. Well, the other night I had an idea. I braided my hair in two pigtails and asked Grace if she would let me do her hair just like me. She was thrilled and totally went with it! Now for the last 4 days in a row she has let me braid her hair each and every morning. All I can say my friends is that miracles do indeed happen!

3. Okay, now for some clicking... One of my bestest friends, who I mentioned here, is now a guest blogger at this super cool blog called Tales of a Mountain Momma. I mean it when I say that you don't want to miss Ann's post! Ann is so the real deal as a Mom. She has 3 beautiful kiddos ages three and under and always keeps them busy and active. Her ideas in this post are simple, fun, and guaranteed to get your kids outside. Go forth and read and rest assure that I will be updating you whenever she posts.   4. Okay, so you have heard me talk about her before, but I just can't help myself. Grace at Camp Patton has the cutest announcement in the form of a video. If you want to smile big and I mean real big watch it!
5. Okay, so if you follow da blog world at all you are probably super familiar with the blog In Honor of Design. But for those that have never visited her site, it is an AB-solute MUST. I have to warn you though that at first you might be super jealous (or at least I was), because she is like way beautiful, has amazing fashion style and each picture on her blog is better than the next. But the more you read, the more you get to know how authentic and real Anna is. Her posts never disappoint and always uplift, go visit. 
6. This week I loved this post from String of Pearls. For all of us moms with young kids, it is a good reminder to really remember that truly "these are the days".
7. One of the first blogs that I ever started to read is call Bean In Love. Sheena is the best DIY blogger. I mean if I ever did anything crafty, I would want to do everything that she does. Her posts are always interesting. I mean take a look at this one and how she dressed her twin girls for Halloween. Since I barely ever (and I should probably say never) do any DIY projects when I read her blog it kinda gives me the feeling that I have, weird, but true. 
Happy Clicking!

7 Quickidy Takes

Joining the troops with Jen@ Conversion Diaries for another shot at 7 quick takes.

Before I begin, my typing fingers are insisting that I mention without hopefully sounding too, uh I don't know, weird that I was SO excited that Jen- the superstar blogger, speaker and tv star, made a comment right here at Team Boda. When I saw it in my yahoooo inbox, I nearly squealed that she would take the time to read my blog!!

And really for all you who make comments, there really is nothing better and they make me smile from ear to ear!

1. So, without further ado, I must start this here Quick Takes with one that I THINK ALL SHOULD READ, because I feel as if I have hit some sort of epiphany, which most of you probably hit eons ago, but still I must share.

Matt and I always thought that we would NEVER be one of those parents who would turn on movies every. single. time. we got in our car. Ridiculous, we thought! Our kids will read books, look out the window, talk to us and each other. Well, for the last 3 years we have done the exact opposite of what we thought we would do.

I was out with a group of moms a week ago for dinner and what did we talk about when we were kidless and carefree-- OUR KIDS, of course. So, one mom was sharing that although she has a dvd player in her car she never uses it unless they have been in the car for over an hour. When I heard this the lights went on and the bells started ringing and Mariah Carey's song All I Want for Christmas is Youuuuuuu Baby started playing in this lil' old brain of mine. Why Mariah's All I Want for Christmas? Because it is my favorite song in the whole wide world, of course!

And then I wanted to throw my hands up and scream right there in the restaurant: "Oh my gosh, I am so sick of my kids yelling at me from the back seat to put a movie on, whining for me to change the movie that is currently playing, and fighting over the movie that they want to put in next!" Thankfully, due to my pride, I did contain myself and only screamed this in my head.

So, what did I do the very next morning as soon as the kids woke up? We had a team meeting and I told them no more dvd player unless we were in the car for over an hour. One child immediately started crying and stomping his foot, the other two looked at me dumbfounded.

Verdict after NO tv in the car for a week= Peace!!
And, I am loving it. We listen to music and half the whining that use to take place is gone.

So, I just had to share this gold mine that I have discovered, which again I am sure most of you learned long before going into 7 years of parenting.

2. The other day the boys and I were cleaning out their room and closet, getting rid of toys they no longer used, etc. After we were done they discovered a new secret hide out in upper rungs of their cleaned out closet. They spent the next 3 hours up there reading books, playing and even wanted to be served dinner in their new space. It was the best 3 hours of Matt and my life! (By "best 3 hours"-- I may be exaggerating a little, but not much.)

They let Grace bring her princess (primpress, if using Grace language) and join them.

3. This year I have been cooking and experimenting more than ever, which by most standards simply means cooking dinner every night. I attempted an "easy" strawberry pie, assuming I would post pics and a how to on this blog. But the pie was literally inedible by the kids and I (Matt was out of town, so it was thrown out before he could even try it). How does one mess up a pie with the main ingredients being sugar and strawberries? I really don't know. But I did.

This week Sahmy posted her super simple recipe for pie. And after reading her post, I knew I must take another stab at it, even if it was my final attempt of pie-ing in the kitchen.

Let me just say, it was the best thing EVER and only took me 10 minutes to prepare. As they say, the proof is in the pudding and Matt said: "I can't believe you made this. I will be a happy man if you make this for me on my birthday every year." So, if you like pie, you must GO and try it!

Matt was saying: "This is da bomb."

Am I embarrassed that Matt and I polished off over half of the pie by ourselves? Yes, VERY embarrassed. 

4. Our sweet little Hope has gone from baby to one of the kids in like days and I am really kinda torn up about it. She has become Little Miss Explorer in what seems to be a matter of minutes. She follows the kids on her knees to their rooms and really, really wants to play with them. She is climbing up on anything that is climable and wants to suck on all things not toys.

Look Mom one hand!

Grace and Hope playing together at the Mall playground, real sanitary I bet!

Even though she is super cute discovering all things new, I desperately want to go back to a few months ago to where she was just my little kangaroo and press the pause button.



5. I must show y'all this picture again, even though I posted it on Facebook. My kids have started CrossFitting at my gym.

I signed the boys up for a trial class, expecting Grace to sit with Hope and I, as she (Grace) is too young for the class. Well, what was I thinking! Because of course she wanted to be a part of the action, even though she was dressed in flops and wearing a scarf, pink skirt and big flower headband. The kids LOVED the class and it was so cool to see them learn how to workout.

6. I haven't mentioned this yet on da blog, but we are moving. I can't even believe I am typing those words out. Soon and very soon Naples will be a place that we just visit and Tampa will be our home. It is bitter sweet.

7. Lastly, I shall leave you with the cutest pic of my parents who are still in love after 37 years of marriage. Matt and I have been given such a great example. Love you mom and dad.

Have a great weekend everyone. 

Off to workout, all my love!

7 quick takes, late style

Per usual linking up with 7 quick takes late, late, late. 

What can I say,  I am a procrastinator at heart. 

Really can't help it I was born this way, which is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

A lot has been going on this week, so I decided to use my iphone pics to dictate how my quick takes will go.

~1~ 

One of the best things about livin' in Paradise is that far away friends are always taking vacations right in our backyard. This week one of my good, dear, sweet high school friends Courtney was here with her adorable little girly Molly and stud husband Ben. Is there anything better than being with friends who have known you since high school. I think not. I feel so, so, SO blessed to still be in touch with so many of my besties from High School, even if it is mostly via email. 

They all have such a big ol' spot in this heart of mine and they think I am funny to boot,

which is a huge plus for this boring mom of four.  

Anyways, we met up for dinner with all the kids and mine surprisingly were very well behaved for the first 45 minutes. Of course, I made the mistake of pointing this out to everyone saying: "Wow the kids are being great." Within minutes of my uttering those words, they turned into jumping beans/crazy monkeys. And poor, sweet, unassuming Molly was surrounded as all 3 of my biggers were totally up in her grill, giving her no personal space and treating her like the new shiny toy/friend that was the best thing next to the ice cream that they had just slurped down. I kept squeezing Isaac's arm trying to make him behave, which later I caught him doing to Hope's arm. When I told him he couldn't do that to his sister he said: "Then why were you doing it to me." Touche, my son. 

~2~

Midweek we made a quick visit to Tampa with the girls and saw my parents. Hopie girl loved sitting with her Jaja.

~3~

Next in our busy week, Uncle Mark and his son Mario came into town!!!!!!! I can't put enough exclamation points behind that sentence to show you how much we loved having them.  My boys have literally been counting down the days til they came to visit. 

A little back story on Mario and his amazing family. Aunt Lauren and Uncle Mark (Matt's brother) are amazing parents and amazing people. They have 2 little ones and then adopted Mario just last year and now they are pregnant with twin girls! Their story of bringing him into their family is really amazing. Maybe Lauren will be a guest writer at Team Boda and share it with all of you. But long story short, Mario has been destined to be in the Loboda family. He is amazing and so is their family. I wish we lived closer so that we could see each other on the daily, but I'll take what I can get and this week was Awesome. 

~4~

Since Uncle Mark and Mario were in town, we also got to see Uncle Tommy and Aunt Jess and their crew! 

~5~
Aunt Jess just graduated from nursing school, talk about dedication going to school with three kiddos and a husband to take care of as well. She is amazing. We are so proud of her and seriously whoever gets her as a nurse is blessed by God. 

~6~ 

What's a blog post without a picture of Daddy and Gracie girl.

~7~

 Finally, nothing better than beaching it with all the kids.

That's all she wrote for tonight.

Love you all!! 

7 quick takes

Linking up with Grace at Camp Patton as she takes over for Jen at Conversion Diaries. 

1. 

Thank you, thank you for the SHOUT OUT (number 5&6 of her quick takes, just in case you missed it) from my famous blogger friend over at Camp Patton! Grace, when you took your blogging hiatus I realized that I am kinda of super addicted to your blog. I felt some unhealthy withdrawals from your lack of penning. Also, I pray that because my first baby girl shares your name, she will somehow inherit your blonde flowing locks, super cute sense of style and your humor :).

2. 

This week I discovered this within my blog and I find that I want feel the need to use it in every post.

3. 

The flu bug has struck another play-ya here at team boda. Is it possible for a bug to stick around for 2 weeks?? I really thought we were done with it and then Isaac comes running into our room (with his concerned older brother trailing right behind him) at 5am throwing up. Poor guy and poor us-- we were really excited about finally breaking out from our sick cacoon and heading to see friends at the park.  I guess it is another morning full of apple (or as graces says bapple) remote tv and countless games of checkers. Is it just me or are you all amazed at how kids throw up and go right back to kicking the soccer ball the next minute. I, on the other hand, as my dear Matt can attest to, roll around the bed howling and moaning about how bad my belly hurts and thinking about how I just want to disappear until the evil sickness has passed.  And that is no exaggeration, if anything it is an understatement. 

4.  

What's a post without talking about my sweet babe. She is 6 months now (*sob*).  And I really don't want her to get any bigger, because staring at her and holding her has become my favorite pass time. 

I always wondered when she would try to put that darn sticker in her mouth. It took 6 months, but she found it. 

5.

Mucho bloggers have raved about Revlons Just Bitten Lipsticks.  And because I am always in need of some pick-me-up-mommy beauty help, I have indulged in buying and trying 5 different colors (yes, I might be a teeny bit obsessive compulsive at times). 

There are 2 different types of lipstick in this series and I did not like this type with the white chapstick thingy on the end. For me it did not spread evenly and was so clumpy, so I took it back (always amazed that walgreens takes back any makeup product even if used-- true customer service). I did however like the series called the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. But, so far 2 out of the 4 have been returned on the grounds that Matt simply could not stand them. He said that they made me look like I was wearing old lady lipstick. Hmmm.... not the look I was going for, hence the returns. 

He hasn't seen this color yet. It's called crush and I think I crushed it or I mean I might sorta, kinda like it. And my Grace LOVED it, which says absolutely nothing since she likes every piece of makeup ever made. 

6.

Our sweet Isaiah planned a special dinner celebration for Matt last night in honor of how hard he works for our family. It was super cute. 

7.

A new found favorite for Gracie girl is reading to her sister. Pretty cute and surprisingly very helpful, since they like to just sit the two of them, thus, how I am clicking away on this here computer. 

7.5. 

I started Weight Watchers to loose the rest of this oh-so-clingy-and-extremely-annoying baby weight. And it is exactly what the dr. prescribed. We eat very healthy over here, but WW seems to keep me in check-- you know, like not eating all the kids Easter candy in one sitting while they are fast asleep in their beds dreaming of the one piece that they will be able to have the next day. (Hopefully I am not the only one who has ever done that, because if I am-- than I am just kidding-- I never touch their candy). WW has also stopped me in my tracks after two of these puppies, instead of downing all 10 on the spot. So too all you mom's out there that just walk out of the hospital after giving birth skinny-- I dislike you I mean you are so blessed. To all of us others, let's just keep on keeping on, one apple or WW point at a time.  

Happy Friday!

7 quick takes

Joining Jen at Conversion Diary for another round of quick takes. 

I know 7 quick takes are suppose to be on Friday, but I just couldn't finish them up yesterday, so here we go a day late. 

--1--

Mom and Dad Loboda are here and we are having so much fun! 

--2--

We hit up a hockey game with ALL the kids, including 2 cousins. Yes, a little crazy, but lots of fun. And double the fun because Gramma and Grampa kept the boys afterwards for a sleepover. 

Bounce house before game. 

Nothing is better than having cousin Chase around. 

It was like 55 degrees out, so we had Hope in three layers with blankets wrapped around. 

Again, Hope was the most well behaved of the whole bunch. 

--4--

 Grace is still posing, which is still cracking us up to no end. 

--5--

For #5 a little bit of Hope news. 

Have you ever taken a picture of your baby and then when you went to look at it thought to yourself, "I didn't know she looked like this." That happened to me with this pic. 

Hope is such a happy baby that when she nurses she spends half the time smiling at me. So it goes like this:  latch, nurse, smile at mommy... latch, smile... nurse, smile... and over and over.  

--6--

The boys game of choice this week was Tennis in the driveway/street. They seriously did this for an hour at a time. 

--7--

And finally, I discovered these Kale Chips from Trader Joe's this week and I la la love them. 

You must try! 

7 quick takes

-1-

Lent is fastly approaching and I am preparing to do something BIG for Our Lord, I just haven't figured out what exactly. So far my thoughts are 1. I need to spend more time with Him everyday, thus, quiet time with Him alone each day and 2. Giving up sweets, which I have never yet attempted to do in my 34 years of life. For the past 6 years and being constantly pregnant, giving up any sort of food or treat just didn't seem like a logical option for me, in my not so logical state of being. And as far as the years pre-preggo, I think I was just anti-giving up sweets, I don't know why....possibly because it is just so stinkin hard. So we shall see.... I will keep you posted... talking to my 5 readers of mom, momloboda, Maggie, Sahmy and Colleen.

Back in the day, Grace taking her prayer time. 

-2-

Since Hope has been a whopping 2 months old, every time I down my favorite drink of hot steaming coffee in the morning, by noon I am sick as a dog for 2 hours. At first I didn't know what was going on and was like "uh-oh I am pregant". But no I am not. So with process of elimination, all roads lead to that hot black liquid. Three times in the last month I have tried just alittlelittlebit of the black heavenly and 2 hours later I am sick. So sadly, I know its the coffee. My mommy friend at the park told me today that it is probably my hormones and will go away, so I am praying HARD that I can have this addicting and satisfying meal, I mean drink, soon once again in the mornings.

-3-

We have been having 5 oclock dance parties here at the house, inspired by a friend from far far away who posts hers on Facebook. (I will spare you pictures of me getting my grove on). For some reason though, the dance parties always end in tears or someone getting hurt.
How is this possible. I don't know.
But it is still worth the 7.5 minutes of blissful fun.

Isaac is doing some sort of dance in the tent tunnel?

Dance time always turns in to gymnastics of sorts. Isaac never ceases to amaze me with his uber flexiblity. 

-4-

Hope is just getting so big and Grace is constantly trying to deck her out with necklaces, bracelets and bows. "Hopie like it," she enthusiastically says. 

-5-

The girls and I prepared a welcoming home from school snack party-par-par in our driveway. Smoothies made of strawberries, bananas, hand full of spinach (artfully disguised by me), almond milk, and probiotics. 

Grace running to see dada, zah, and doggie. 

Success.

-6- 

Hope has definitely found her voice!  

And her thumb.

-7-

Award for best baby holder for the week goes to.... Zah.