The little stuff

Evan gave me his first real hug this week. The smoosh our faces together, tiny littly baby arms tight around my neck, never wanting him to let go kind of hug. It was great. He hasn't done it since, but that once was nice enough. I don't remember how or why, but honestly I don't care. This kid isn't one that enjoys being held a lot, he doesn't cuddle, he doesn't really ever stop except to sleep. So, that one hug to show me how much he loves me was great. He has been going through a bit of a separation anxiety when I leave lately. So, I guess he shows me that he cares that way also. But, the hug was sweet and unexpected and I totally loved his sticky little arms around my neck and his drooly little kiss on my cheek. Before you know it, my little boy won't want to do that....

We had a great weekend. We stayed around town, which was much needed as the past 4 or so weekends we were gone. It was fairly low key: a lot of errands were run, yardwork, playing outside, picking up worms, Sunday School, etc. I was hoping to go to the zoo to see the farm babies, but the weather didn't cooperate much for that.

I did make a decision that I am going to start grad school this fall; if I get accepted that is. I made my appointment to take my GMAT later this month and am currently filling out the ap and going through all the paperwork for St. Thomas. It should be good. I am a bit apprehensive about juggling everything, but overall, I am excited. Plus, if I can't handle it, I can always stop. I definitely won't be rushing it as it may take me 5 years to complete it, but that is okay. The good thing is now I have a deadline to get my other projects done. I need deadlines... I thrive on deadlines. So, I can guarantee that my blogbook will now be done this summer, as will some organization in my house and some other projects I have been putting off. Because, basically, I won't have time this fall to do them. :-)

Emma and Evan are both doing well. They have been outside all the time, which is great. Emma celebrates the big 4 soon - I cannot believe how fast the time flies. I hurt my knee a bit running this afternoon and she instantly put on the "mom" roll and wanted me to sit down, to stretch, and to maybe put some ice on my "dear old knee". Then, of course, she compared my slight knee injury to her owie on her finger which she thinks will feel better after a good stretch too :-) Evan is still trying to say more words or maybe I just understand what he wants better now. His blanket is "bee" and his Nuk or pacifier is "No" along with all the other words. He can point to his diaper when it is messy and say "poo" so we know when he needs to be changed. Plus, he can point out all the Pixar "Cars" characters in his book. He was supposed to be napping when Tim was mowing the lawn today, but instead he was yelling "wide" (or "ride" for us that speak Evan) in his crib and wouldn't sleep. So, I brought him downstairs to rock him a bit, but he scurried off my lap and then proceeded to run from one window to the next to keep "Da" in his sights at all times. yes, he finally got a ride.

Work has been stressing me out a bit lately, so that stinks. Tim is still trying to find something new. So, on the work-front, we haven't been doing too well. But overall, no complaints.

Weekend at the cabin

We had a wonderful weekend at the cabin. Tim got home early on Friday from work and off we went, stopping at the Dalles Restauarant in St. Croix Falls first for supper. It was great food, inexpensive, and they had beer. So, all in all, it was good. We made it up to the cabin around 8ish or so and the kids are always so excited to get there. I remember when Emma was little, she would clap when she saw us pull into the driveway. Evan doesn't clap, but instantly starts yelling "Papa! Papa!" as he is pretty sure his beloved Papa is going to be there. They both run around the cabin, playing with toys they haven't played with for awhile, and burn up some of that energy they gained from riding in the car for 2 hours. I am sure in a few weeks when it is warm, they will both sprint to the beach to go in the lake. Emma used to do that also. She would head down to the beach and run to the lake. Sometimes with clothes on, sometimes she would try to strip them off first. Ahh - summer! Cannot wait!!

We had a pretty low-key weekend. We put the dock in, took out the paddleboat, played on the beach, had a birthday party for my father-in-law, and just relaxed. It doesn't get much better than that.

stuff

Well, I can't say I really know too much, but wanted to post some pictures from Easter. Real exciting, I know :-)

We have been good. I was in Milwaukee this past weekend visiting family and friends and that was awesome. I had an awesome Italian dinner, saw a fun Comedy show and had quality time visiting family. It was a nice get-away for me and Tim had a great time with the kids. They played outside a lot and even made it to Sunday School.

Honestly, we have been pretty low-key as of late, which has been nice. We play outside at night, go for lawnmower rides, draw chalk outside, bubbles, etc. Emma has been a bit of a bear at night. She has been fighting naps and we have been paying for it at night. She still needs naps, but her little mind doesn't think so. Evan is good, still climbing all over and talking more. New words as of late: Baby, Emma, Cookie, Treat.

Here are pics:

Goofy Evan


The Golden Egg


Emma with a Car's book


Evan finding his basket


Evan's basket:


Easter eggs


Loving Easter!


Evan's new swinging style


The Easter Egg Hunt


All the kids


Find the eggs

Easter

What a whirl-wind of a week. Luckily for us, in between our sad times, we had Easter. The kids had a GREAT Easter. We made it back from the cabin last Saturday night in time to kiss the kids good night and for us to prepare for the Easter Bunny. While Tim and I didn't get a chance to dye Easter Eggs with the kids this year, our helpful family had a great time helping Emma and Evan out with that this year.

On Easter morning, the kids slept pretty well. I cannot remember offhand which one woke up first, but they were both excited to come down and find the eggs and basket which the Easter Bunny had left. Emma found one egg right away on the stairs and once Evan saw that there was some candy or trinket inside, he could not wait to find one on his own. Emma was running around trying to find all the eggs she could and Evan was content eating some jellybeans out of the egg he found. Emma's basket was hidden behind the couch and the Easter Bunny brought her some Princess and the Frog Polly Pockets and a pretty Princess & the Frog outfit. Evan's basket was hidden behind a chair and his had some Disney Cars stuff. He got a Lightning McQueen car and book.

After the eggs and baskets were found we ate some yummy eggs and pecan caramel rolls and I got the kids ready for Church. Man-oh-man was church packed. Emma did really well in there, Evan, not so much! Luckily there was "toddler hall" where all the mis-behaving kids went to release some pent-up energy. After church, we went over to the neighbors for our Easter Brunch, had nap time, and then the little kids went outside to search for eggs. 48 eggs were hidden, 47 eggs were found.

all-in-all, it was a great holiday. Tim and I are both happy to be back home and are ready to get back in our routine. I am heading off to Milwaukee this weekend to visit family and friends, then I guess the routine will start.

Today, Kristen and I had the second annual spring hot-dog roast. We made Wyoming Whopper cookies first and then headed out to find sticks and logs for the fire. The kids had a great time picking up sticks and riding in the wagon, while Kristen was hanging onto the handle while riding on the lawnmower which I was driving. Did you catch that?! :-) All three kids enjoyed the beautiful weather outside and played on the swingset while Kristen and I tried to keep the fire going. We had enough of a fire to roast hotdogs and make smores, but didn't have much after that. The kids weren't too interested in eating anyway and it was quickly becoming naptime.

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I will post pictures soon.

Quiet Acceptance

It has been one of those weeks when Tuesday runs into Wednesday, Wednesday is then Thursday night and while you swear it is Friday, it is actually Saturday and you are exhausted. Words jumbled, can't think straight, fall down on your ass tired.

We received one of those calls on Wednesday night that people dread. Tim's Mom was rushed to the hospital and it wasn't looking good. Not a lot was known, tests had to be run, but still, it wasn't looking good. We went to the hospital Thursday after my parents came to get the kids and we went.. in droves. All of the family went to be by her side. Tests and more tests, nurses and doctors with half explanations, but more-over the fear of not-knowing and the unfailing hope that she would pull through and all would be okay. In the end, it wasn't okay. She passed away last night at the hospital.

Rosalie was a quiet woman. A very caring, gentle, wonderful woman. She accepted me faithfully as the much younger woman that was going to make her son happy. While she could have made comments, made things incredibly difficult, she quietly accepted the fact that Tim and I were together, very much in love, and oddly very well suited for each other. She loved our children whole-heartedly and while she couldn't always get down to play with them, she always commented on Emma's beautiful dresses or her wacky outfits and knew just what to say so Emma would flash her the biggest smile. Then Evan, aka Dennis the Menace, came along and I think he reminded her of what her son used to be: the little blond boy with big blue eyes and spirited nature. She loved to watch them both and would often come every Sunday after church to our cabin so she could be an active part of their life.

When the time came, we all knew the right thing to do, her children and husband knew what she wanted. It was with quiet acceptance, a thing she taught those that loved her, that all support was to be removed and she was surrounded by everyone that loved her. As apprehensive as I was to be in her room, it was a beautiful and wonderful thing. We shared memories, laughed at stories and celebrated her. It really couldn't have been any better.

So, here is to Rosalie Jean Heuer Mueller. A woman that lived a long life and gave me the best gift of all, her son.

She will be greatly missed but very fondly remembered.

When to say no.

So, we may be giving up on Evan and swimming. I know he is little yet, he is only 1.5 years old, but Emma loved them at her age and Evan just doesn't. I took him in the pool again this week and he did okay for the first 15 minutes, then he cried and yelled and kicked (did the running man) and just had enough. Trust me, by then, I had enough also. If only the whole 30 minutes could be filled with enjoyment on his own terms, he would be much happier. Try to get him to kick or blow bubbles or God forbid move his arms and it is pure torture. The good thing is since we were members at the time of signing up, they only cost like $35. We will see what this week brings..

This past week was good - normal - not much going on. I did receive good news at work, a promotion of sorts. I am now a team lead in our group! So, that is awesome! I small bridge to management; a good step I think. I started those duties this week and so far, so good.

Emma has been struggling a bit at daycare as of late. We are not sure if they are just the almost 4 year old, finding her independence issues or what. She struggles a bit when Tim leaves and then hasn't been as warm to Theresa and then has been awful sometimes to Evan. We had a good discussion with her on Wednesday night when I found out that she had been pulling Evan around by his feet, laughing at him while he was crying. NO GOOD! She was basically pulling him down the stairs by his feet. I am not sure how many steps or really all of the circumstances, but any way you spin it, it doesn't sound good. Theresa took care of it there, but you can bet that Tim and I discussed it at length also. Ever since then she has been okay.

This weekend I got a small insight as to how her mind works though. We went to the cabin this past weekend, which was nice, and we have been letting Emma and Evan share a room. Which is great - sometimes. Both Tim and I were ready for Evan to be out of our room (he snores and gets so excited when he wakes up and sees us, even at 4am, that he doesn't fall back to sleep) and Emma loves having Evan there with her. They jump around and "talk" and do silly stuff when we lay then down, but that is okay for the most part.

Yesterday, Emma didn't want to nap. She is getting old enough to where she may be able to drop her nap, but let's be honest, I am not ready for that yet :-) So, Evan was already asleep and Emma was not wanting too. She kept getting up, changing clothes, etc and nothing would work. This lead to many talks about how she needs to sleep and be quiet because Evan is in there. Finally, I can see at the bottom of the door that the big light in the room was on, which is a HUGE NO --Seriously kid!! So, I go in there to get her back in bed and I have to stifle a laugh. Emma is on the floor playing dolls with the big light on, but now I see Evan in his crib with one of Emma's sheer play dresses on top of his head. Emma, realizing that the light might wake Evan up, put something over his head so he wouldn't see the light and wake up. Obviously, I am not happy about this but it still amazes me a bit that Emma would think to do it. Evan did stay asleep, Emma didn't nap, but she did get another talking too about how that behavior does not fly and we do not under any circumstances, put blankets or any objects on others heads.

That kid keeps things interesting, that is for sure.

Pinching Pennies

I took the kids out on a shopping excursion last Friday. We needed groceries, Easter clothes, and some Dairy Queen ice cream :-) They did really well. Evan loves looking at story books now, so I typically bring along some of his Cars books. Emma, well, she is just Emma and is constantly jabbering the entire time.

We did the groceries first and then headed to TJ Maxx. I bought a handsome little outfit for Evan with khaki's and sweater vest. Of course he didn't care, he just wanted to look at the toys. Emma on the other hand, was a different story. She was overwhelmed by all the little Easter dresses they had. In the end, she picked a pretty white one with purple flowers which also included the same miniature dress for her baby doll. It was a bit more expensive than I wanted ($25) but she knew the consequences. Buying a more expensive dress meant no shoes to go with it. I liked that she had to decide what she wanted and really took the time to think of all possibilities. Especially when she saw the pretty sparkly shoes that I wouldn't let her get with the dress she picked out.

As we were standing in the check-out line, I feel a little tug on my arm. I look down to see Emma's bright blue eyes looking up at me. She points to the floor where she sees 3 pennies and pulls me down to her level. She whispers in my ears "Mama! Someone left their money on the floor. Who does it belong too?" I explain that someone must have dropped it and not realized it. So she asks "Can I pick it up?" I say, yes of course and her eyes sparkle at me with the wealth she has just found. She proudly bends down and picks up the pennies and flashes a big, bright smile to the woman behind us in line. She happily puts the pennies in her pocket, but I can see her constantly feeling her pocket to make sure the treasure is still there. On the way home she takes them out, turns them around in her hands, looks at them closely and just can't keep her hands off of them. Once we get home, she races upstairs and puts it in her piggy bank.

Now this isn't a huge deal, I realize. But for some reason watching her so proud with her three pennies just struck a cord with me. Maybe it is because of her innocence and not knowing that three cents is well, just three cents and not really worth anything. Maybe it is because of how happy finding something expected made her. I am really not sure. But I think of that time and remember her happily plucking them up off the ground and proudly putting them in her pocket and it just makes me smile.

Every once in awhile, I will let her take some money out of her piggy bank and we will go shopping. We usually go to Target and I let her pick out something small with her money and I try to explain how some things cost more pennies than other things and try to make her really think about her purchases. I guess I am trying to instill some sense of money to her at this point and have her appreciate the things she receives or buys. Just like the dress - you get a more expensive dress, then you don't get the shoes. I don't know if it is working or not, but I think in our money/possession hungry society starting small with little kids is the way to go.

Calling it quits

Tim has pretty much decided that Evan is done with swimming lessons - at least with him in the pool with him. It was a disaster last week really. My fault maybe... I thought it would be a good change to see how Evan does in the pool with Tim. Plus, I didn't really feel like putting on a bathing suit. So, it was Tim's turn. Not a good decision. First, Emma refused to go in the pool. She never does this. In the past, she would barely turn around to wave goodbye when the instructor came to get her. This time, she hid in my shoulder and wouldn't move. Honestly, I think she is jealous that Evan has a parent in the pool and she doesn't. Last week she made comments to me that she wanted me in the pool and that she wanted me to swim with her. I did the whole, "No, you are a big girl Emma" yadda, yadda, yadda. It worked last week, this time, not so much. So, strike number one.

Then, Evan. He seemed excited. We got the basketball urge out of him too because we were in the gym for like 15 minutes so he could run around and shoot hoops. It started out okay, I mean he walked into the pool on his own. He got some toys and kind of splashed. It is really the group activities that throws him every time. Let him wander around on his own = good. Try to get him to blow bubbles, splash, kick, etc = evil. He basically cried for 15 minutes straight. Then Tim had enough and left. Strike Number Two. I still have hope!! I haven't given up on the little man yet, I will try again.

This weekend was good. Very relaxing which is what they should be. I had to work a little bit Friday morning, so Tim stayed home with the kids at first. Then, we just relaxed. Did some grocery shopping, they took a good nap, I cleaned, lots of fun stuff :-)

Here are some pics:

Evan the stud with his favorite boots. They don't even fit the kid, but they were a Target clearance item for $3. Who could pass that up?? I knew they would fit him eventually. He always picks those when we leave. He picks those when we don't leave and he wants to wear "Shooohs!"



Both the kids going down the "tubey" slide together. Evan has no fear, but of course he has his older sister for guidance. He marches right along with her up the steps and down the slides. Tonight I saw him go head first down the tubey slide. That didn't make me happy.



Playing gas station.



Mr. Blue Eyes.

content

A picture of my 3 favorite people outside.

Yesterday we ate supper quickly and then headed outside. We played chalk, we played on the swingset, Emma and I went for a run, and then the first lawnmower ride of the year. The kids could not be more excited. Me either for that matter - there is nothing better than being outside.

Kids are good. They are pretty exhausted (and cranky) come bedtime due to all the playing outside. They both had pretty big meltdowns tonight, which is never fun. I made Evan a bottle to calm him down, which we had weaned him of last week, and Emma just got sent to bed. An hour later, she is still upstairs reading books and getting up periodically.

Evan's favorite thing lately?? The movie Cars. He will see pictures of Lightning McQueen and will start hopping up and down saying "Cah!! Cah!!" and will be all happy. So because we do not have many boy books in the house yet, I bought him some Cars board books at Target last week. Tonight, he snuggled in his crib with his favorite blanket and his Lightning McQueen and Mater books. I was pretty cute. So, maybe the Easter Bunny will bring him some Cars stuff this year.

Mama, I need to focus on this...

What wonderful weather! Man - it has been fabulous and we have been taking advantage of it. Sunday we were outside a lot - the kids were playing on the swingset, we went for a walk, we got out bikes, it was great.

Backing up - swimming lessons...
They went better this time. Tim got to the YMCA earlier so he was able to take Evan into the gym and get all of the basketball out of his system so we were hoping it would be better in the pool. Overall, it was. Evan acted mildly irritated at the things the instructor wanted us to do, but he wasn't crying or fussing so it was better. He really enjoyed the lesson where we taught them how to climb out of the pool and jump back in. He would scamper as fast as he could out of the pool, turn around to face me and squat as low as he could. Then, he would stick his pudgy little hand up in the air, yell "GO!" and jump into my arms. It was really cute. Then, we got out some of the floaty balls and played with those, which he also enjoyed. He did try to blow some bubbles, but that was it. At about the 20 minute mark though, he was done and it was time to leave. So, much better, but he still didn't make it to the end.

Friday was Mama Mia and it was fabulous! Tim and my father stayed home with the children and my Mom, Aunt, and I headed to downtown. It was a great time away and a much needed break.

The rest of the weekend was good too. Saturday we had a small St. Patrick Day party and Sunday was Sunday school and book club! Emma didn't quite make it to Sunday School. She was up running around with some kids at the party and with the time change she was too tuckered out to go. The lucky thing? I taught that day so I brought home all the projects so we were able to do them later. She loved that! At one point I was talking to her while she was making her sheep puppet and she looks at me with a disapproving stare and says, "Mama, I really need to focus on my Sunday School project right now." okay kid, whatever...

Otherwise, I don't really know too much. We are just basking in the sun while we have it. I had my first run outside this year and it went really well.

Emma-isms:
Tonight we were reading stories on the recliner and she squirms a bit and says "Mama, this isn't really working out for me, we need to move."

Here are some pics of the kids playing outside.

Evan, being the stud, and going for a ride in his car.



Emma playing Princess Fiona. I was the prince and I needed to slay the dragon and rescue her. When I went up into her little playhouse, this is what I found. Her mouth was twitching as she could barely contain her laughter.



In the wagon taking a tour of the yard - finding tracks, stomping in puddles, all the fun spring stuff.

A snip,snip here and a snip, snip there

It always makes me nervous when I get back to my desk at work and I see a missed call from daycare. Numerous things run through my mind when I see this... is one of the kids sick?? Did they do something wrong?? Did, God forbid, Evan get bit again?? Unfortunately, I have had a few calls lately for all of these reasons. This past Monday though, it was for something I wouldn't have thought of. Emma and the other girls were playing beauty parlor and were cutting each others hair.

Theresa said that she was in the process of bringing the little kids upstairs for snack and told the girls (ranging in age from almost 4 to 4 & half) that they could play downstairs while she did that. She didn't think anything of it until all the kids were upstairs eating and she noticed a wisp of hair on Emma's shoulder. Then she looked and saw a wisp of hair on Breezy's shoulder. Thinking this wasn't good, she asked the girls what happened downstairs and 3 little sheepish sets of eyes looked up and said, "I don't know." Theresa went downstairs and surveyed the scene. There was a chair propped up under the shelf on which Theresa placed a scissors they were using for crafts. Not far away was hair... blond... brown.. and dark brown. Not much, thankfully, but enough. Emma now has some bangs on one side of her head and the other girls had a few chunks cut out also. Emma feverishly insists that she did not cut any hair "because Mama, I know only BIG people can cut hair." Which lead to the "just because other kids are doing things, doesn't mean you have too" conversation. Not that I think she got it, but we will see. Thankfully, it doesn't look horrible, I don't even know if others can tell. Fun times with an almost 4 year old!

We all had a great night tonight. Emma had dance/gymnastics and Tim and Evan went grocery shopping. After the craziness, Evan and I had some time to play. Emma just wanted to lay and watch Cars because "All that dancing and jumping just makes me tired." But Evan and I had a great time. It was one of those times I hope I can always remember. We were chasing each other and playing peak-a-boo. He would run about 5 feet away from me and slow up, then wait and giggle. He would let out the biggest giggle and turn slowly to look for me and wait. Then I would make my first move toward him and he would turn around and run, run, run. It was so much fun. So great to have these times to offset the frustrating times. Once I caught up to him, more giggles ensued then he would lean against me or bury his head in my shoulder and just cuddle. I could smell the mixture of baby shampoo, blueberries, and peanut butter on him and then his little sucker-sticky hand would reach for my finger so he could pull me up and we would do it again. Wonderful, really wonderful.

Tomorrow night is swimming again - I hope it goes better :-) Well, it really cannot get any worse. This time, I am bringing a stroller to lock Evan in while I get Emma ready and then Tim is going to try and get there a bit early to help out also. More to come, I am sure.

Swimming Lessons

Oh - what a lesson they were. A lesson in patience more like it.

Emma was a champ - she loves the water. Swimming is old hat to her. She knows the routine, we give the front desk our card, we go to the locker room, she picks out a locker and puts her stuff in it, gets on her suit and she is ready to roll.

Evan, not so much. He has been to the Y with us before and we attempted lessons before, but a scheduling mis-hap occurred and his class was cancelled. But, he LOVES the Y. He loves the gym. He will stand outside the door to the gym pointing, jumping, screeching and yelling "MA BALL"! BALL!!" and will try to get in. Not so good when I need to steer him around the gym to get to the pool. I think the gym is the downfall to Evan's success at swimming lessons. It was a struggle from the start. Just to get Emma ready for lessons was a struggle with Evan's need to go to the gym. He would not stay by me to help Emma get ready. He was constantly running from me, pushing at me when I would try to hold him, whatever he could to get away from me to go and play with the basketballs. argh....

Finally, Emma was in the pool and splashing away and having a grand old time. Evan, finally was in his heaven - the gym. He runs as fast as his little legs can carry, almost falling head over legs because he is pushing that fast. I worry about him with the other people in there shooting hoops, but I always try to position myself in front of him so he doesn't get hit. He runs after the balls, grabs one, and hoists it up and towards the hoop. Then, he runs after another one and does the same thing over and over again. He cannot get enough. Unfortunately, he had to have enough because his time in the pool was fast approaching. He did not want to leave... for anything! It was a big fuss when we left. It was a bigger fuss to change him into his suit. I was torturing him!! Man... it was brutal. He wanted to go in the pool at first, but he did not want ANYTHING to do with group activities. He wanted everything on his own terms. Then, the pouting came... and then the crying.. and then the "Mama! Mama! Ball! Ball!" Finally after 15 minutes of him refusing to do anything that sort of resembled swimming or blowing bubbles or kicking, we left. Much to my embarrassment, my frustration, my "I am never doing this again with this kid" we left. Let's just say Tim and I had a long conversation that night of our game plan for this week.

Wish me luck.

It's a beautiful day for a campfire

"Mom, it's a beautiful day for a campfire!" as spoken by Emma yesterday.

We had a great weekend! We were up at the cabin and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful weather. Saturday was an early morning as the kiddos decided to be up around 4:30ish for the day. Luckily, we were able to keep them in their rooms until around 5:30 or so and then we watched some movies, ate muffins, and just relaxed... you know, until around 8am :-) Then, Saturday was fishing, snowmobiling, and great food as we had Tim's family over for a dinner party that evening. It was off to bed early, since we all were up so early, but alas, sleep was not part of the plans as the kids were once again up around 5:45a,. UGH! Seriously - SLEEP small children!!

Sunday was more relaxing and being outside. I couldn't believe how nice it was and the kids were so happy to be outside enjoying it. We did some more snowmobling, more fishing, and got out some toys so the kids could play outside. Yup, playing in the sand and snow on the beach - it was lovely! They were running around, making sand/snow castles, and just wearing off some energy. It was great!! Then, we decided to build a fire and roast some hotdogs outside. Seriously, it was a wonderful day. The kids napped on the way home, so Tim and I got a nice, quiet relaxing drive.

Otherwise, all is good. The kids are great. Evan is repeating so many words now. Thank you is "Dan do", "Ca" is Car (his favorite is Lightening McQueen) "Peh" is Please and "MA" is Emma. very cute... he really likes his soft blanket and he insists on carrying it around with him in the morning and at night. He will periodically bury his head in it and rub it against his cheek - very sweet! He just got another haircut, so he once again looks like a little boy. All-in-all, everything is good for the Ev.

Emma is as funny, talkative, and inquisitive as ever. She has been asking some of the most interesting questions lately. Some, involve personal anatomy and are hilarious! "Mom, this Barbie must be a Mommy because she has boobs." Then, of course, there are the odd ball "how the hell do I answer this?" questions. So, here is a conversation had over breakfast....

The scene: I am making scrambled eggs and Emma is peeling some hard boiled eggs.
Emma (very matter of fact): Mom, baby birds come from eggs.
Me, curious as to where this is going: yes, they do.
Emma: So, do we eat baby birds?
Me: No, we eat eggs.
Emma: Mom (because she starts almost every sentence with Mom) but baby birds come from eggs.
Me: yes
Emma: Mom, but where do the baby birds go in the eggs if we don't eat them?
Me: Emma - there was never a baby bird in there, just an egg.
Emma: But Mom - birds come from eggs.

ergh... then I try to change the subject. sometimes, there is no winning with a three year old.

some pics...

Emma, basking in the sunlight!



Evan, getting all dirty, but loving it!



Me and the hubby



The kids making sand/snow castles



Mom & Dad



and more pics...

NOT GOOD!

Look at the pictures!!! Just look...





See the cheek?? See the BITE MARK on his cheek? Yes, bitten at daycare. I wish I could say this was the first time, but NOPE - the third. This, by far, the worst bite. Our daycare provider is trying to work with the parents, but let's just say, they are not the best at that kind of confrontation. So, the by-product? My son gets MAULED at daycare. Ergh... I know, kids bite, but why does my cute, adorable son need to be the bitee. If he were old enough, I would tell him to be the biter and fight back. Unfortunately, he is not. Tim tried to teach him a one-two punch, which got Evan laughing pretty good, but he is too sweet and innocent to use it. It makes me sad. Hopefully, it does not happen again, or I am not sure what we will do.

Suggestions???

Here is Emma -whom I was told was very sweet to Evan today and kept giving him kisses all day. However, I think all of Evan's attention got to her as she was a bit of a bear tonight. She told me "Mama, you spend all of your time with Evan. I am sad, I want you to spend time with me too."



Today, I took the plunge and signed up for Coburn's Delivers - a grocery delivery service. I have been putting off grocery shopping for a few days and after today just didn't feel like going out again. As a new customer, I get free delivery (which the charge is usually only $5) and the prices didn't seem abnormally high. So, we will see. Just one more thing to make life easier I guess.

Here's hoping the week gets better.

Sacrifice

A question was asked of me earlier this week at lunch about sacrifice. I was talking with a mentor of sorts about my career, where I see myself going short-term and long-term, and how I plan on getting there. Anyway, I think I have made it known on the blog, again, about my desire to start my MBA this fall. I told him about my MBA plans, since I am 4 days a week and may have a bit more spare time now, and how I don't have plans to work a full 5 days/week until Evan is in school, at least :-) I also told him of my continuous Mom guilt/internal conflicts and the constant questions of if I am doing the right thing. I don't want to sacrifice my time with the kids now just to work. Sure, maybe I won't climb as high on the corporate ladder as fast or make VP or whatever it is I decide to go for, but I love spending time with my kids and I don't want to trade anything for that.

He kind of threw that back and me and spoke about regrets. Would I regret my decisions now, say 10 years from now, if I am not as far in my career as I thought. Am I looking at sacrifice the right way?? Sure, I am sacrificing time with my kids at working four days a week, but what are the additional costs? Isn't being a successful business woman a great example for the kids? Would they understand the full sacrifice of what I did for them in the long run? He constantly tells me I can do more, should be farther than I am, and has more faith in my work and abilities than I do. Needless to say, it was a very thought provoking conversation. I came away from that with more questions and no more answers, which I hate. I hate making decisions.. especially ones this huge.

I really thought I was doing the right thing and still think I am, but now... just more questions. Just more nagging thoughts in my head. However, after having this meeting on Wednesday, I can honestly say Thursday morning, I knew the decisions I made are the rights ones. I get to work from home on Thursdays, so I get to see the kids before they go to daycare. I get to cuddle with Emma when she comes into our room after she wakes up and I get to pick up the sleepy Ev, rubbing his eyes and reaching for his blanket and pointing to our room. I love seeing the kids in the morning. That is one of the sacrifices I am making by working so damn early... I don't get to see them before I leave for work. Morning calls with Tim at 8 to get the lowdown on when they woke up, how they were, moods, etc, aren't the same as being home to help. Plus, Fridays are just us (and usually the neighbors)! We do fun things on Fridays like weird craft projects, sledding, making fires and roasting hotdogs when it is cold out, field trips, anything. It is an extra day to teach, share, laugh and make memories. I don't want to sacrifice that.

But, it is what it is. I do want to work, I don't thing I want to stay home full time, so this is the best arrangement for both. Maybe I am sacrificing some aspects of my career, but isn't that what being a parent is supposed to be about? Giving your kids everything you can and sacrificing to make it happen? No answers, just thoughts. This Mom stuff isn't easy.

King of the Mountain

I love it that my kiddo's love the outdoors. Granted, I think most kids love the outdoors, but mine REALLY enjoy it. If I tell Evan we are going outside, his eyes get huge and he toddles into the laundry room and attempts to put on his outdoor gear. Emma is a pro at that by now and can get ready all by herself. Much of our time this weekend was spent outside and it was awesome... but... backing up....

This week went great. Work was busy, as usual, but we were rewarded with some time out with my coworkers on Wednesday night. We went to an Irish Pub and had some great snacks & drinks while Tim was here with the kids. Wednesday nights are gymnastic/dance nights, so he had a plate full. Emma can get herself ready and knows the routine by now, but not the Ev. I was told that while Emma was enjoying herself at class, Evan was having fun watching her and wishing he could be in their also playing along... ie. banging on the glass windows, running around, and just being a handful.

Thursday, I took a half day off, and took my two little ones and Miss Kaylee down to the farm for a quick vacation. They were all going to spend two nights visiting with Nana and Papa. The car ride down was interesting as the two little girls were SO excited about their mini vacation. They kept talking about where they would sleep, what they would play, and if they could share a bed at night. Constant chatter, constant laughter, and constant "Girls - keep it down, Evan is sleeping!"

Tim and I enjoyed our few nights here without the kids. We went out for an anniversary of sorts to a favorite restaurant and then went out with my co-workers again on Friday night to celebrate a new opportunity for a friend of ours. Friday, daytime, was lovely for me. I totally cleaned the house and then I enjoyed coffee, shopping, yummy lunch in Stillwater and quality sister bonding time. Much needed for both.

Saturday was the best day. After a slow start on my part, we made it to the farm around 11 and were reunited with the kids. There is nothing better than seeing the kids, after being away for a bit, and have them so excited to see you!! Evan and Emma could barely contain themselves. It was awesome. Both Tim and I were excited also, as it was said many times Thursday and Friday.. "I miss the kids!" Alone time is always nice, but I definitely do miss the kids a lot when they are gone. Saturday was a sledding party for cousin Aubrie and it was so much fun! It was on the same hill that we used to sled on a lot when we were kids, so it was very nice to have my kids enjoy it just like we used too. Emma wasn't scared and went down right away with Kristen, Kaylee, and I piled on a tube. She went down a lot for awhile, until a small mishap (a slight bump at the bottom of the hill) scared her for awhile. Not long after that, she bounced right back and was back at it. The best part about our sledding adventures?? The snowmobiles to bring you back up :-) Those were definitely a kid favorite, as they went for rides in a little sled that rides behind the snowmobile. Evan, especially, is a big fan of the snowmobile. He would usually ride on that with Tim when the other kids were going down the hill. I have many wonderful memories of sledding on that hill when I was little and I am sure my kiddos will have the same.

Today, finally, was a low-key quiet day. Sunday School started us off, then not much of anything. We colored, played play dough, cars, took naps (me too!!) and then went outside again. After a quick walk, I showed Emma how to play King of the Hill on a small snowbank in the front of our house. She definitely wasn't shy trying to keep me from the top and loved it when I would roll down the hill and then pummel her with snowballs. Yes, I was being gentle with the snowballs, but it was really fun to play with her like that. She would run away, hollering, and then would taunt me "You can't reach me, you can't reach me!!" until I would chase her. It was really a lot of fun.

Anyway, this week continues to get busier with the addition of swimming lessons on Thursday - Evan too - which he will really like.

Staying at home and relaxing is over-rated, right??

alone time

I was and will be again blessed with a little alone time. Tim, this past weekend, took the kids to the cabin on Friday night thru Saturday and I stayed home. Well, I didn't really stay home, but I was here sans children. It was very nice! I went out with friends, slept in (until 7:15 - wahoo!), did some shopping and just had time to recuperate. It was much needed and great. It isn't often that I get to be by myself and I tried to take advantage of it. Luckily, it is going on this week also. Wednesday night my coworkers and I are going out, then Thursday I am taking the children to the farm for a few days. So, then Tim and I get some time. Yea! We don't often go on vacation, even though we need too, so it is nice that my parents have graciously agreed to take the kids for 2 nights so we can go out to eat and just relax.

The kids are great; nothing going on with them. Evan is still getting into everything and Emma is talking a mile a minute. Lately, she really enjoys coloring, doing her homework, and bothering her brother. I saw her today throw one of the toys that he was playing with across the room. It doesn't phase him, he gets up, walks over to it, and comes back to play as though it didn't bother him at all. I, however, had a little chat with Emma about appropriate playing behavior. She calmly looks at me and says, "Mama, you are making a scene." Yes, I know, that is not appropriate behavior! Either was what she was playing the other day. She was feeding her baby a bottle and I hear her say, "Come on Baby - drink your bottle! It is just HoneyWeiss" Ummm.. what??? That makes me turn my head and say "Ummm - what was that Emma? What are you feeding your baby?" Emma, nonchalantly says, "Honeyweiss. It is just beer. It tastes YUCKY!" Nice. Where she gets this stuff, I have no idea. Okay, fine, yes, I AM the HoneyWeiss drinker in the house. But, I don't drink it that often. Really, I don't :-)

Evan is the same terror. He has a new nickname: "The Running Man." If we try to pick him up and he doesn't want to be picked up, he starts yelling and kicking his legs back and forth - or - running in the air. He also has a new word "NO!" and this one comes out a lot. It also amazes me how much this kid enjoys fruit. He will pass up candy/cookies for blueberries or strawberries. Tim just bought a pint of blueberries at the grocery store and they were gone in a day. Mostly, from Evan.

Tim and I are the same. I had a bad day at work... well, just a bad instance, so I needed some comfort food. I did a bad thing and went grocery shopping when I was crabby/hungry, so my cart was not a healthy choice ad. Well, I did have more blueberries and strawberries for Evan. But, then came the Cheetos, Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Corn Chips, etc. Our supper tonight consisted of hamburgers, french fries, and chocolate chip malts. Mother of the Year - sign me up. But, it was damn good and much needed.

That's all. I have nothing else.

Having a case of the Mondays - ergh. Tuesdays....

Emma had one of her meltdowns this morning. Lovely, I know. What a way to start the day. She didn't want to get dressed, she didn't want to get ready, she didn't want to brush her teeth... nothing...nada.. zilch. I was working from home today, so I was witness to it. It is mornings like this where I feel guilty for working - shocking I know :-) She got over it, she always does, and finally got ready and left somewhat smiling with Tim and Evan. It was their Valentine's party, so I figured she would be so excited, but not so much. Evan was ready to go - he is never a problem yet.

Then, I kept losing my internet connection today. Not good when a person works from home. Luckily that stopped or the frequency did anyway.

After that, I had a pretty good day. We were all coming off a long weekend at the cabin which was much needed and relaxing. We left Thursday night and came home Monday afternoon. We fished, snowmobiled, watched movies, and hung out. We discovered that the kids love snowmobiling. . . more than we thought before. Evan got so frustrated one day when we quit that he marched over to the snowmobile and attempted to pull-start it on his own. No success on that one but it was pretty cute! Tim hooked up a little sled behind it so we could pull the kids around on the lake and Emma really liked that one.






Emma loves being pulled behind the snowmobile!





They tolerated ice fishing. Evan managed to drop one fishing pole down the hole when he was "ishing" once. (Tim was luckily able to snag it and pull it back up.) Emma can sit for awhile and watch the bobber but she loses interest in that pretty quickly also. Their favorite activity is still torturing the poor minnows by scooping them up from the bucket, dropping them on the ground, you name it. Evan just can't get enough of the fish. He knows where we put the minnows, so in the morning, the first thing he does is is slide down the stairs and head straight for the minnows. "ISH!! ISH!!" all the way down the steps. He runs as fast as his little legs can carry directly to the minnow buckets so he can get there before we can stop him.

Evan torturing the minnows


Emma fishing


Tim's big catch! (along with the fishing pole that was dropped down the hole)


Emma had an interesting question for me while we were at the cabin. She whips up her shirt one night, points to something on her chest and says "Mama, what are these?" I explain what they are and she ponders it for a moment and then asks, "Well, when do I get rings in them?" Completely shocked I stumble a "WHAT?!" and try to hide my smiles and total astonishment. she sighs like I am an incredibly naive Mom ... "When do they get rings??" So, I try to explain that they do not get rings in them, but she is pretty sure they do as she saw that at daycare. Lovely. Not sure what she was watching there, but "they have some 'splaining to do!!"

Someone else that had some explaining to do.. apparently Emma thought that Evan needed something sparkly to wear. Tim wasn't too pleased.


I think I finally have Tim signed up for, or at least in agreeement upon, that we need someway to harness Evan at times during the day. Thursday before we left for the cabin, he took a tumble down the stairs. A long.... tumble.... all the way down. I swear that was the slowest 3 seconds of my life! He was "packing" for the cabin and whenever he needs something downstairs, he throws it down the stairs. On this particular Thursday, he threw his beloved blanket down the stairs - sort of. I saw the accident waiting to happen and tried to grab the blanket before he could but I was too late. He reached for it and started the long fall down the stairs. Luckily he wasn't hurt, just shook up a bit. But, not 5 minutes after that, I was packing the cooler and he was trying to climb up a chair and he fell off of that- Seriously!! That kid is going to give me a heart attack!! I feel as though I cannot turn my back because he is always getting into something. My biggest fear is that something serious is going to happen to him because he is constantly climbing on something.

We have some very busy days coming up with classes for the kids and outings for Tim and I. It will be good and fun, but very busy.

Battle of the Wills

First, I want to say thank you to all the comments about my last post. It is nice to see that I am not the only one that loses her mind at times and forgets the obvious. Yes, Tim did stop in after work (about an hour or so later) to pick up the groceries that I could not pay for. I still feel embarrassed, but it happens. . . I honestly don't think Tim enjoyed being known as the husband to the crazy lady her forgot her money, but it is what it is.

Emma has been a bit of a challenge lately. This past week she has had meltdowns of astronomical proportions every night. NO FUN! It started out slowly on Monday - I asked her to pick up her room as it was a horrible mess. It usually is, but we are getting into a routine every night to clean it up. That is the problem with her changing clothes 8 times a day - too many clothes on the floor! Anyway, she didn't want to pick them up. I tried the cheery "Come on, Emma, it won't take too long" plus many other pep talks, but none of them worked. Finally, I look in after getting Evan ready for bath and she is on the floor and the room is clean! I start to praise her a bit for picking up until I notice the guilty look on her face and the position of her body on the floor. Oh no, she wasn't cleaning up her room, she was shoving all of her clothes under her bed! That little stinker!! How would she think of that at 3.5 years old? I get pissed (but of course, can't show it!) and eventually get her to clean up her room.

Anyway, it has been something every night. Getting ready for bed, curling her hair for dance class, going to bed, reading stories, etc. She has to have one battle a night and I am sick of it. Finally, Tim and I realize that it works better for her to give her options. Maybe being a first-born she has to feel in control of her situation, so it isn't "Emma, let's go upstairs to bed" It is "Emma - it is time for bed, do you want Daddy to carry you up or Mommy?" Now, mind you, I hate playing the little games. It is bed time, dammit, so go to bed :-) But, if that is what it takes for no battles, I guess I can do it.

Emma had her Sunday School preschool concert today at Church. All the 3 and 4 year old classes sang 4 songs and did sign language and then ate cookies and drank punch! My class did pretty well - They all did their signs and sang okay. Emma enjoyed it. She looked pretty proud at the front of the church and enjoyed the attention of the day! I wish I could have taken pictures, but I was up front with my Sunday School class singing and doing the signs with them (but down low, so the parents couldn't see us :-) Tim tried as best he could with a squirmy Evan on his lap. We do have some movies, but pretty blurry pictures.

Evan should be now called dare devil, fate-tempter or something like that. Tim and I have witnessed him jumping off the couch, belly first, to the floor. Not quite sure what the little man is thinking with that one. Luckily, Tim was right there, so he was able to grab him. We are not sure if we trying to jump on Tim and wrestle with him or what, but he seriously crouched down on the couch and leaped off. This, a day after he mysteriously got a big bump on his head after playing in Emma's room. No one knows what happened for that one. He seems to go missing fairly often in our house. One minute he is playing with Emma and the next, he is gone. One time I found him in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet (lid down, thank goodness!) eating from a big bag of snacks and hanging on to some wet toilet paper. Now that I mention it, he has had a thing with toilets lately (precursor to potty training maybe?) as today he was missing (of course) and we found him with his little fishing pole playing in the toilet. And no, I don't think he caught anything. HA!

This little guy is all boy. I know that probably sounds funny, but he is all about cars "CAW!" balls "BAH" and chasing/bothering his sister. The other day he was just getting out of the tub. He shrugs off his towel and is strutting around naked. Seriously strutting... baby tummy out, arms behind his back, just walking around like he is the stud. He struts into the bathroom, where I just got Emma out of the tub, and sticks his tummy out a bit and pees. . . all over the bathroom floor. "EVAN- NO!!" I yell and Emma screws up her face "EWWWW!!! I don't want to step in EVAN PEE!" and Evan just smiles and scurries out.... Just another day....

I am now doing some physical therapy for my wonky hip. I finally went to the doctor (at Tim's urging) and it turns out I have a tighter than normal LT band, or something like that, and it has affected my range of motion and the muscles surrounding my hip. The good news - running isn't bad for it. The bad news, the weirdness of my "hip coming out" will always happen. I have a few exercises to do at home to build up the muscles, but nothing more serious than that. So, maybe I will attempt a longer run than a 10K. Anyone interested?? Or, another triathlon?? Let me know... strength in numbers.

Not much on the agenda for this week. A night out with the ladies! YEA!! and more-snow. Sounds like maybe 9 - 12 inches. That will be fun for the commute.

Not my proudest moment

Picture this...

I am out grocery shopping before picking the kids up from daycare today. It had been a hectic day with work because my computer wasn't working and I was on the phone with the Helpless Desk ( I mean help desk) for an hour and half trying to get it fixed. So, after that it was rush, rush to get everything done. Anyway, I am at Cub, at the checkout, watching my grocery total increase. I feel in my purse to get my wallet out and feel around a bit... a bit more... open a pocket and feel around. I take the purse off of my shoulder to do some serious digging when I realize... I don't have my wallet. Which means, I have no money. I don't carry a checkbook, I didn't have a lost card or cash in my purse. I ... Have..... Nothing. I am sure I am red faced at this point and I look up at the cashier and explain meekly "I don't have my wallet." She looks up at me after scanning my items and I say "I don't have money. I am the biggest moron around." She smiles and says "it happens" while I panic and look through my purse again. Still, nothing. I keep mumbling over and over again, "I am such an idiot. How can I not have money? I am so sorry! I am so so sorry!" She offers to put my groceries at the customer service counter so I, or my husband, can pick them up in a bit. I think I apologize about 50 times and I leave, embarrassed. Seriously... how can I go grocery shopping and not have my money?