First of all - YEAH BABIES!!! My sister and dear neighbor gave birth to two babies on Friday, February 25. Please, welcome with me:
Charles (Charlie) James Kellogg - 5 lb and 3 oz
Kathryn (Kate) Alice Kellogg - 5 lbs
They are adorable and tiny and perfect in every way. Kristen is doing great and recovering in the hospital and making frequent trips to the nursery where Charlie and Kate are staying at the moment. They are pretty tiny (born at 34 weeks) and still learning how to do things so they may be staying in the hospital for a few weeks to get it all down. However, all the doctors are very impressed with how Kate and Charlie are doing and not worried at all. But please, say prayers for the tiny ones and for Kristen to ensure they will be coming home soon!
Now - with the news of the early delivery, our weekend was hectic but great! My parents were up and staying with us. We were doing rotating visits to the hospital to keep Kristen company and to hold the tiny ones (currently under 5#). We were also keeping the other 4 kids entertained while parents were gone. The kids got along great and made it outside today to play in the snow a bit.
Some random thoughts:
1) We moved Evan into a big boy bed last weekend at the cabin and took down his crib. He was totally excited at the moment and moving all his toys, blankets, and pillows to his bed. (yes, his bed is his home for his treasures. He has his precious B in there along with 2 pillows, his favorite stuffed friend Duck, his glowworm, and then numerous cars, his favorite book "the Very Cranky Bear", and other random paraphernalia that he tosses in before bed.) When it came time to go to bed, he wasn't so sure about it. He came out a couple of times, Emma complained that he kept talking a couple of times, he went to the pack-n-play once to sleep, then finally settled in. When I went in to check on them before I went into bed, he was lying perpendicular to the bed, so a bit wonky. However, he was sound asleep.
2) We went snowmobling last Monday in the snowstorm and went to a Rottawhat. Both kids fell sleep on the snowmobiles, so Tim and I were driving with heavy arms.
3) We had some good friends up at the cabin last weekend and all the kids enjoyed playing. It was fun to watch Evan playing with a little boy near his age! The boys had so much fun running around, chasing each other, crawling on furniture, jumping down, etc. All had a great time.
4) Evan has discovered how to open up the fridge.
step 1: remove socks
step 2: remove all magnets/various drawings & artwork from the fridge
step 3: hang onto the handles of the side-by-side fridge/freezer
step 4: jump up and land feet on the fridge/freezer
step 5: crawl like a spider up the fridge/freezer and place feet on freezer side and push out to open the fridge
step 6: remove whatever he wants from the fridge.
5) A conversation with Emma:
Emma: "Mama, I don't think you should give the little boy clothes to Kristen. I am going to be a Mama someday and I will need them."
Me: "Emma, you won't be a Mama for a very long time. I think Kristen can use them now and you and I can go shopping when you are ready to have a baby and buy new clothes."
Emma: "Well, that sounds okay, but I still don't think it is a good idea. Her babies will be fine."
Gee.. what else? I know I have more stories and more things I want to capture and remember. But, they are alluding me at the moment.
Some exciting things for this week? Swimming lessons... school... Princess on Ice for Emma and I. And of course - seeing Kate and Charlie. :-) It makes me want to have another baby... somewhat anyway. The good thing is they will be right next door and I can get my baby fix anytime! (without the late night feedings and sleep deprivation)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Cinderella Swing
Finally, Emma's big night arrived: The Cinderella Swing Daddy Daughter Dance. She has been talking about this for over a week and couldn't have been more excited for this evening. Her friend Breezy and her father were going as well, so Tim would have someone to chat with and the girls could dance.
Starting over a week ago, Breezy and Emma were making plans. They were going to wear pretty dresses, dance all night, go out to eat first, and have fun. Yesterday they decided they would get their hair done together today. Breezy's Mom was going to put curls, hair clips and sparkles in. I painted Emma's fingernails and toenails and all was set. This was all the girls could talk about and I was just hoping that it would live up to Emma's expectations.
I picked both Emma and Evan up after work and she was literally bouncing with excitement. With her hair dolled up, she rushed into the house after I parked the car at home. She ran up to her room, got all dressed up, put on Mama's lip gloss and hunted for a pair of tights for her to put on. Thankfully we were able to borrow a pair from the neighbors and all was set. Tim had made it home by this point and was all ready.
Tim bought Emma a corsage for the dance, so here is a pic of Tim putting it on her wrist.
And more pics of the two of them before they left. Doesn't she look so big?!
Starting over a week ago, Breezy and Emma were making plans. They were going to wear pretty dresses, dance all night, go out to eat first, and have fun. Yesterday they decided they would get their hair done together today. Breezy's Mom was going to put curls, hair clips and sparkles in. I painted Emma's fingernails and toenails and all was set. This was all the girls could talk about and I was just hoping that it would live up to Emma's expectations.
I picked both Emma and Evan up after work and she was literally bouncing with excitement. With her hair dolled up, she rushed into the house after I parked the car at home. She ran up to her room, got all dressed up, put on Mama's lip gloss and hunted for a pair of tights for her to put on. Thankfully we were able to borrow a pair from the neighbors and all was set. Tim had made it home by this point and was all ready.
Tim bought Emma a corsage for the dance, so here is a pic of Tim putting it on her wrist.
And more pics of the two of them before they left. Doesn't she look so big?!
Emma didn't want to sit long for pictures as she was itching to go. Finally, they were off leaving Evan and I at home.
Evan and I had a nice night playing Thomas the Train, having dinner with Kristen (an early birthday dinner from Olive Garden - we weren't sure if it would work after the babies come) and watching How to Train a Dragon.
Around 8:30, Emma rushed into the house and excitedly told Kristen and I all about the night. Tim and Emma ate at Axel's Bonfire and then went to the dance. Emma got out her "autograph" book and showed me the autographs of all the princesses she met: Cinderella, Snow White, and Tianna, to name a few. Tim told me that she danced a lot with Breezy, danced some with Tim and had a great, great night. Emma told me the best part of the night was meeting a new friend. Emma told me "my new friend even gave me a hug when I left." How nice!
All-in-all, a great night was had by all.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The concert
Emma had her Sunday School concert this past weekend and it was very nice. She was all excited and wore her little pink Christmas dress. She combed her hair very methodically and slowly, put a ponytail in her hair (which yes, I did take out) and put on her special golden shoes. I put a pink/flowered/jeweled clip in her hair and she immediately had to find one for me, so we could match! Very Cute. Her little class marched up to the front of the church and got themselves situated. She saw me peering through my video camera and flashed me a big smile with a little wave. Then, they sang. The classes sang 4 songs (Jesus Loves the Little Children, Praise Him All You Little Children, and Kum By Yah, are 3 of the songs) and did sign language to the songs. Yes, I videotaped the 15 minute concert and thought Emma did great. She occasionally waved at me, smiled a lot and didn't appear nervous at all. Very nice. It was followed up with cookies and lemonade in the church hall.
I have been lucky as of late to do some more "adult" things with Emma, just one-on-one. We went to a wedding shower, which was a lot of fun, and will be attending Princesses on Ice early in March. At times, she seems so grown up and ready to take on the world, which is so sweet. She has taken her Baby Alive doll in as her own and many times can be seen mothering her. Emma went on a sleepover this past weekend and had to pack Baby Alive along. Interesting along with Baby Alive, Emma packed a pair of glasses she sometimes wears because in her words, "I am a Mommy now. I need to have glasses." Unfortunately, Baby Alive fell ill last weekend. I noticed that Emma kept feeding her a bottle and instead of Baby Alive messing her diaper (which she is supposed to) the water kept coming out of her mouth. Emma and I both diagnosed Baby Alive with a tummy bug (which had her drooling up as Emma says) and needed to get better. Baby Alive's medicine? Paper towels, squirted water in places, and lemon juice. Paper towels to clean out all the gunk in her, water to push it out, and lemon juice as I thought the acidity may help dissolve the gunk. Luckily, after some mothering from Emma, required naptimes and blankets, Baby Alive did get better and worked up a bunch of green stuff. My thoughts? Emma kept feeding Baby Alive the "pea" baby food and it either wasn't the right consistency or a bottle wasn't give soon enough after as the "pea" baby food didn't come out as it was supposed to. Luckly, Baby Alive is now better and full functioning.
Emma and Tim are also attending a Daddy Daugher Dance in a week or so and Emma is beyond excited as her friend Breezy and Breezy's father are attending as well. It is the Cinderella Ball, so they will have Princesses there and of course, pictures to take and buy. It will be a fun time for both. Evan and I will have a Mommy/Son evening. Events yet to be determined.
Both kids are getting over colds at the moment, so of course, now I am getting one. We have been outside enjoying the nice weather lately as well and have had the kids sledding, snowboarding (of sorts) and out walking Sage. It has been a nice reprieve from the frigid weather we had not so long ago and we are enjoying it to the full extent!
I have been lucky as of late to do some more "adult" things with Emma, just one-on-one. We went to a wedding shower, which was a lot of fun, and will be attending Princesses on Ice early in March. At times, she seems so grown up and ready to take on the world, which is so sweet. She has taken her Baby Alive doll in as her own and many times can be seen mothering her. Emma went on a sleepover this past weekend and had to pack Baby Alive along. Interesting along with Baby Alive, Emma packed a pair of glasses she sometimes wears because in her words, "I am a Mommy now. I need to have glasses." Unfortunately, Baby Alive fell ill last weekend. I noticed that Emma kept feeding her a bottle and instead of Baby Alive messing her diaper (which she is supposed to) the water kept coming out of her mouth. Emma and I both diagnosed Baby Alive with a tummy bug (which had her drooling up as Emma says) and needed to get better. Baby Alive's medicine? Paper towels, squirted water in places, and lemon juice. Paper towels to clean out all the gunk in her, water to push it out, and lemon juice as I thought the acidity may help dissolve the gunk. Luckily, after some mothering from Emma, required naptimes and blankets, Baby Alive did get better and worked up a bunch of green stuff. My thoughts? Emma kept feeding Baby Alive the "pea" baby food and it either wasn't the right consistency or a bottle wasn't give soon enough after as the "pea" baby food didn't come out as it was supposed to. Luckly, Baby Alive is now better and full functioning.
Emma and Tim are also attending a Daddy Daugher Dance in a week or so and Emma is beyond excited as her friend Breezy and Breezy's father are attending as well. It is the Cinderella Ball, so they will have Princesses there and of course, pictures to take and buy. It will be a fun time for both. Evan and I will have a Mommy/Son evening. Events yet to be determined.
Both kids are getting over colds at the moment, so of course, now I am getting one. We have been outside enjoying the nice weather lately as well and have had the kids sledding, snowboarding (of sorts) and out walking Sage. It has been a nice reprieve from the frigid weather we had not so long ago and we are enjoying it to the full extent!
The male dominated world
So I met a man yesterday, whom I have been on conference calls with, am running a project he is involved with, but never directly met. Let's call him Fred.
So, I meet Fred, shake hands, offer the "So nice to meet you, to have you up in our office..." blah blah blah.. then: " I look forward to working on this project with you."
He enthusiastically shakes my hands, looks at my boss (let's call him Dan) and back at me. "Yes, Great to meet you too! Will I be speaking with you more - Do you answer Dan's phone's periodically for him?"
And then... shocked silence for what felt like 5 minutes, but was only 3 seconds I am sure, as what he said really sunk in....
Then my answer.. being as political as I can be: "No. I do not answer Dan's phones for him."
Dan profusely waves his arms around and says over and over "No, No, No, Kelly does not answer my phones. Nope, not at all."
Seriously - are we back there again?
Then, I see Fred at my three day training I am and he doesn't remember me.
Shocking.....
So, I meet Fred, shake hands, offer the "So nice to meet you, to have you up in our office..." blah blah blah.. then: " I look forward to working on this project with you."
He enthusiastically shakes my hands, looks at my boss (let's call him Dan) and back at me. "Yes, Great to meet you too! Will I be speaking with you more - Do you answer Dan's phone's periodically for him?"
And then... shocked silence for what felt like 5 minutes, but was only 3 seconds I am sure, as what he said really sunk in....
Then my answer.. being as political as I can be: "No. I do not answer Dan's phones for him."
Dan profusely waves his arms around and says over and over "No, No, No, Kelly does not answer my phones. Nope, not at all."
Seriously - are we back there again?
Then, I see Fred at my three day training I am and he doesn't remember me.
Shocking.....
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Rottawhot
For roughly two weeks whenever the family would discuss going snowmobiling, Evan would tilt his head and knowinglay say, "Rottawhot! " Then, he would tilt is head, nod and repeat over and over again "Rottawhot." Now, for the life of me, I had no idea what a rottawhot is. So I did the "Evan, can you say it again?" "Evan, can you slow down?" "Evan, can you point it out to me?" But, nothing. He always seemed very excited about the rottawhot and I felt horrible that I couldn't understand.
Finally, we were at the cabin and getting our snowstuff on to go for a snowmobile ride. Tim and I were talking about the restaurant we were going to drive to for supper and Evan looks up excitedly and says, "Yea! A Rottawhot!"
And then it clicks...
Of course!
Stupid me - the rottawhot is a restaurant!
Man, sometimes I wish I could speak 2-year-old speak.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Voice of Reason
So many voices of reason these days... Emma... Evan... myself.. Tim (sometimes, although not about football - ha!)
Emma: "Evan, that is mine. You cannot take it. You are not acting nice."
Evan: "Emma - NAUGHTY. You time out. 1-2-3. Corner!"
-----or ------
Me: "Emma, it is very cold outside now. You need to wear something warmer."
Emma: "Mom, I am totally fine wearing this. I will not get cold, promise." Yes, I loved the "totally fine." Which I shouldn't be surprised about as I know I have spoken like that before.
or my favorite is when Evan gives himself a time out. As of late when he is naughty, he will look up at me and say, "time out Mama?" Sometimes my response is "Yes Evan, time out." He will pout and go "Ohhhh! Drop his head down and slump over to the corner and start crying." Hilarious!
The kids have been very good lately. They are playing together more and more and I love it. This past weekend at the cabin, we bribed Evan to get him out of using a Nuk with sharing a room with Emma at the cabin. Both kids were so excited as they do share a room up there at times, but there are times we move Evan out so both sleep longer. Anyway, they went to bed and I could hear them talking in there for about 30 minutes! It was so cool! It was so nice to hear them in a small conversation and hear them laugh and giggle. I did tell them to quiet down once, but it was one of those moments for me that was precious.
Random news:
Emma and I did homework tonight and worked on her letters again and I decided to give her a small test. I let her trace the alphabet first, we sang the alphabet song, and then I gave her a piece of paper and quizzed her on letters. She did awesome! At first I just said random letters and she was able to write most of them from memory. Then, I had her write all the letters in the alphabet and she got all but a few letters correct. It was awesome! She is so ready and excited for kindergarten. I cannot wait for the kindergarten meet-n-greet in March.
Evan seems to be understanding more and more lately, more than I give him credit for. It is fun to hear his conversations and thoughts. He was nervous at the cabin about the stuffed bear that Tim has hung above the stairs. I think it stems back to the Science Museum trip we had. We walk into the cabin and Evan goes to play with his toys when he steps back a bit and looks up. "Mama - Bear Getta me! Bear Scary!" Just like what he was saying at the museum. I tried to explain everything again. Daddy shot the bear, bear won't get him, etc. He was a little nervous to go down the stairs and kept saying, "Daddy shot it! Daddy got bear. Bear scary." I felt kind of bad for the little guy. At one point he moved a chair over by it to try and touch it. Needless to say (and thankfully), he didn't get close. I told him to get down and he looked up and said, "time out Mama?"
School is going good for me so far. The class is very interesting and so far 1/4th of the work of my stats class. The class is Management of Organizational Behavior and I am enjoying it so far. We have weekly quizzes, but then a group project, few papers, and then done. Hopefully, all good.
Emma has her Sunday School concert this weekend and she is pretty excited for it. Otherwise, I am hoping to get to Shopko in Wisconsin to buy some PACKER GEAR!!! Wasn't that the best game?! It was so incredible - I cannot believe that we won the Superbowl! I loved watching the guys afterwards, so excited and Aaron Rodgers getting MVP. Awesome, completely awesome. So, I have a few more things to add to my wall in the basement.
I have pictures to post, but am being lazy tonight and will get to it later.
Have a nice weekend!
Emma: "Evan, that is mine. You cannot take it. You are not acting nice."
Evan: "Emma - NAUGHTY. You time out. 1-2-3. Corner!"
-----or ------
Me: "Emma, it is very cold outside now. You need to wear something warmer."
Emma: "Mom, I am totally fine wearing this. I will not get cold, promise." Yes, I loved the "totally fine." Which I shouldn't be surprised about as I know I have spoken like that before.
or my favorite is when Evan gives himself a time out. As of late when he is naughty, he will look up at me and say, "time out Mama?" Sometimes my response is "Yes Evan, time out." He will pout and go "Ohhhh! Drop his head down and slump over to the corner and start crying." Hilarious!
The kids have been very good lately. They are playing together more and more and I love it. This past weekend at the cabin, we bribed Evan to get him out of using a Nuk with sharing a room with Emma at the cabin. Both kids were so excited as they do share a room up there at times, but there are times we move Evan out so both sleep longer. Anyway, they went to bed and I could hear them talking in there for about 30 minutes! It was so cool! It was so nice to hear them in a small conversation and hear them laugh and giggle. I did tell them to quiet down once, but it was one of those moments for me that was precious.
Random news:
Emma and I did homework tonight and worked on her letters again and I decided to give her a small test. I let her trace the alphabet first, we sang the alphabet song, and then I gave her a piece of paper and quizzed her on letters. She did awesome! At first I just said random letters and she was able to write most of them from memory. Then, I had her write all the letters in the alphabet and she got all but a few letters correct. It was awesome! She is so ready and excited for kindergarten. I cannot wait for the kindergarten meet-n-greet in March.
Evan seems to be understanding more and more lately, more than I give him credit for. It is fun to hear his conversations and thoughts. He was nervous at the cabin about the stuffed bear that Tim has hung above the stairs. I think it stems back to the Science Museum trip we had. We walk into the cabin and Evan goes to play with his toys when he steps back a bit and looks up. "Mama - Bear Getta me! Bear Scary!" Just like what he was saying at the museum. I tried to explain everything again. Daddy shot the bear, bear won't get him, etc. He was a little nervous to go down the stairs and kept saying, "Daddy shot it! Daddy got bear. Bear scary." I felt kind of bad for the little guy. At one point he moved a chair over by it to try and touch it. Needless to say (and thankfully), he didn't get close. I told him to get down and he looked up and said, "time out Mama?"
School is going good for me so far. The class is very interesting and so far 1/4th of the work of my stats class. The class is Management of Organizational Behavior and I am enjoying it so far. We have weekly quizzes, but then a group project, few papers, and then done. Hopefully, all good.
Emma has her Sunday School concert this weekend and she is pretty excited for it. Otherwise, I am hoping to get to Shopko in Wisconsin to buy some PACKER GEAR!!! Wasn't that the best game?! It was so incredible - I cannot believe that we won the Superbowl! I loved watching the guys afterwards, so excited and Aaron Rodgers getting MVP. Awesome, completely awesome. So, I have a few more things to add to my wall in the basement.
I have pictures to post, but am being lazy tonight and will get to it later.
Have a nice weekend!
The Science Museum
A friend of mine was nice enough to invite us along to the Science Museum with her as she had a few free tickets to use up. The kids and I gladly tagged along. Emma and I were excited, me because I hadn't taken her there before and Emma because her friend Little Keira would be there. Evan is usually up for anything and didn't say that much.
We got there, met the friends and went to section with the animals. In one section they had a large brown bear, standing what seemed to be 10 feet all, on it's hind legs. Emma thought it was pretty cool, especially when I told her that it wouldn't get her :-) Evan looked up wide eyed, "Mama, that bear getta me. That bear bite-ah me" (in his little voice and speech patterns) and kind of cowered behind my leg. I picked him up, giggled a bit and tried to tell him about the bear. It wasn't alive, it won't get him.. yadda ..yadda.. yadda.
Next, on to the dinosaurs and reptiles. Emma excitedly ran from one to the other with Little Keira and enjoyed herself. Evan joined in for awhile and then would come to me, "Mama, dinosaur get-ah me. Dinosaur Scary." Same thing over and over again. He did seem excited to see the skeletons, not as much as Emma, but did seem a little apprehensive as well.
All-in-all we stayed at the museum for roughly an hour & half. The kids enjoyed the bones and the little kids experiments. They didn't eat the $5 hotdogs I bought for them and then we went home.
A good morning! Next time, the kids museum. I think both will really enjoy that :-)
We got there, met the friends and went to section with the animals. In one section they had a large brown bear, standing what seemed to be 10 feet all, on it's hind legs. Emma thought it was pretty cool, especially when I told her that it wouldn't get her :-) Evan looked up wide eyed, "Mama, that bear getta me. That bear bite-ah me" (in his little voice and speech patterns) and kind of cowered behind my leg. I picked him up, giggled a bit and tried to tell him about the bear. It wasn't alive, it won't get him.. yadda ..yadda.. yadda.
Next, on to the dinosaurs and reptiles. Emma excitedly ran from one to the other with Little Keira and enjoyed herself. Evan joined in for awhile and then would come to me, "Mama, dinosaur get-ah me. Dinosaur Scary." Same thing over and over again. He did seem excited to see the skeletons, not as much as Emma, but did seem a little apprehensive as well.
All-in-all we stayed at the museum for roughly an hour & half. The kids enjoyed the bones and the little kids experiments. They didn't eat the $5 hotdogs I bought for them and then we went home.
A good morning! Next time, the kids museum. I think both will really enjoy that :-)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Monkey See, Monkey Do
Monkey See, Monkey Do...
this is a pretty common statement spoken throughout our household lately. Emma will climb up to get something she is not supposed to and Evan will pull up a chair and do the same thing. Evan will pretend he is sleeping and start "snoring" and Emma will do the same thing. It has gotten to where even Evan is walking around the household saying, "Monkey See, Monkey Do Mama!"
All is good here. One of the big events here is that we have lowered Evan's crib so it is more like a bed and he has more free reign than he used to have. He thinks it is pretty cool and it took him awhile to realize that he could climb out. He didn't leave at all the first day. The second morning when he woke up, he climbs out, comes into our room and says "Mama, I did it!" The next morning it was "AGAIN! AGAIN Mama!" Thankfully, he hasn't climbed out of it yet at bedtime. I honestly think that we lay him down and without too long of time passing he falls asleep. There are many times I go and check on him before I go to bed and he is in the exact same position. Wednesday morning he proudly came into our room with an armful of stuff. His B (blanket), his pillow, his glowworm, and his other blanket. He sets that down on my bed, says "more stuff" then goes back to his room muttering "stuff" the whole time and comes back with his Woody doll, his Cars flashlight, and his Ducky. Lovely.
Emma is getting ready for her Sunday School concert, which is Sunday, Feb. 13, so she has been practicing her songs. It is fun to watch her so excited after Sunday school as she proudly shows me her artwork, her coloring bible page, and will sing some excerpts from her songs. The concert isn't really a big deal. It takes place between the masses on Sunday, is approximately 4 songs long with hand gestures, and is followed by cookies and juice. But, she is very excited about it and did a great job last year so I am excited to see how it goes this time.
Sage is in the house more with us now and the kids are enjoying that too. Emma has tried to climb on her back a few times to ride her and Evan can be seen running back and forth with Sage's toys in her hands playing keep-away. It is fun to see them interact with her more now and I really like how patient Sage is with them. Evan is constantly taking stuff away and yelling "Fetch" as he runs around with it. Sage plays the game for a little while and then stands by the back door, eyes pleading with Tim and I to let her have a break. Evan though, never gets tired of it and loves to chase her around.
Of course the big news coming up is the Packer Game!! I still cannot believe that they are in the Super Bowl! We are very excited here (well, me and the kids anyway) and I bought the kids some Packer stuff to wear for the big game. Tim was definitely not excited about that, but I remember somewhere that we had an agreement that if one of the teams made it to the SuperBowl, Packer/Viking clothing was allowed. He doesn't remember... of course :-)
This is also the big weekend for No Nuk's for Evan. Tim and I have decided that this is it, we are throwing them away and going cold turkey. Wish us (and Evan) luck. I didn't give Evan his Nuk for a few minutes tonight and he was crying and yelling for "NUKIE" the whole time. When I did find it and give it to him, he looks up at me with tear stained eyes, "Need it Mama!" Sigh.. this is going to be a hard weekend, but it is better for all of us. He is not yet 2.5 years old and I just can't let it go on much longer. He is getting more stubborn about it and demanding it more, even though we only allow it at night time, he finds them and pops them in anyway. It is time... but I am not looking forward to it.
Both kids are in swimming lessons again and Emma is doing really well. We stayed afterwards for open swim and she was doing huge jumps off the side and into the water. She is also starting to gain more confidence and do more in the water on her own. Evan has no fear and I am actually a bit nervous about the summer. He loves jumping off the sides of the pool as well and sometimes doesn't wait for someone to catch him. He caught me off guard once as I was looking away for a second and jumped into me. Luckily, that caught my attention, but if I wasn't there I wonder if he would have jumped or not.
I have started school again and really have to get to my homework now. I am sure I am missing some stories, so be prepared for shorter, possibly more disjointed posts as I try to capture the memories along with everything else.
Once again, GO PACKERS!!!!! Man, I hope they win!
this is a pretty common statement spoken throughout our household lately. Emma will climb up to get something she is not supposed to and Evan will pull up a chair and do the same thing. Evan will pretend he is sleeping and start "snoring" and Emma will do the same thing. It has gotten to where even Evan is walking around the household saying, "Monkey See, Monkey Do Mama!"
All is good here. One of the big events here is that we have lowered Evan's crib so it is more like a bed and he has more free reign than he used to have. He thinks it is pretty cool and it took him awhile to realize that he could climb out. He didn't leave at all the first day. The second morning when he woke up, he climbs out, comes into our room and says "Mama, I did it!" The next morning it was "AGAIN! AGAIN Mama!" Thankfully, he hasn't climbed out of it yet at bedtime. I honestly think that we lay him down and without too long of time passing he falls asleep. There are many times I go and check on him before I go to bed and he is in the exact same position. Wednesday morning he proudly came into our room with an armful of stuff. His B (blanket), his pillow, his glowworm, and his other blanket. He sets that down on my bed, says "more stuff" then goes back to his room muttering "stuff" the whole time and comes back with his Woody doll, his Cars flashlight, and his Ducky. Lovely.
Emma is getting ready for her Sunday School concert, which is Sunday, Feb. 13, so she has been practicing her songs. It is fun to watch her so excited after Sunday school as she proudly shows me her artwork, her coloring bible page, and will sing some excerpts from her songs. The concert isn't really a big deal. It takes place between the masses on Sunday, is approximately 4 songs long with hand gestures, and is followed by cookies and juice. But, she is very excited about it and did a great job last year so I am excited to see how it goes this time.
Sage is in the house more with us now and the kids are enjoying that too. Emma has tried to climb on her back a few times to ride her and Evan can be seen running back and forth with Sage's toys in her hands playing keep-away. It is fun to see them interact with her more now and I really like how patient Sage is with them. Evan is constantly taking stuff away and yelling "Fetch" as he runs around with it. Sage plays the game for a little while and then stands by the back door, eyes pleading with Tim and I to let her have a break. Evan though, never gets tired of it and loves to chase her around.
Of course the big news coming up is the Packer Game!! I still cannot believe that they are in the Super Bowl! We are very excited here (well, me and the kids anyway) and I bought the kids some Packer stuff to wear for the big game. Tim was definitely not excited about that, but I remember somewhere that we had an agreement that if one of the teams made it to the SuperBowl, Packer/Viking clothing was allowed. He doesn't remember... of course :-)
This is also the big weekend for No Nuk's for Evan. Tim and I have decided that this is it, we are throwing them away and going cold turkey. Wish us (and Evan) luck. I didn't give Evan his Nuk for a few minutes tonight and he was crying and yelling for "NUKIE" the whole time. When I did find it and give it to him, he looks up at me with tear stained eyes, "Need it Mama!" Sigh.. this is going to be a hard weekend, but it is better for all of us. He is not yet 2.5 years old and I just can't let it go on much longer. He is getting more stubborn about it and demanding it more, even though we only allow it at night time, he finds them and pops them in anyway. It is time... but I am not looking forward to it.
Both kids are in swimming lessons again and Emma is doing really well. We stayed afterwards for open swim and she was doing huge jumps off the side and into the water. She is also starting to gain more confidence and do more in the water on her own. Evan has no fear and I am actually a bit nervous about the summer. He loves jumping off the sides of the pool as well and sometimes doesn't wait for someone to catch him. He caught me off guard once as I was looking away for a second and jumped into me. Luckily, that caught my attention, but if I wasn't there I wonder if he would have jumped or not.
I have started school again and really have to get to my homework now. I am sure I am missing some stories, so be prepared for shorter, possibly more disjointed posts as I try to capture the memories along with everything else.
Once again, GO PACKERS!!!!! Man, I hope they win!
Monday, January 24, 2011
A very serious public service announcement
Last hunting season, I was out in the woods with Tim in the wee hours of the morning. I was hunting with a Remington 700 BDL and had seen a deer in the far edge of the woods. We were just walking out to the hunting stand and the gun was loaded, safety on. We dropped some of our gear, peered into the woods and stayed motionless. After a few minutes, we gave up hope and approached the deer stand. Tim climbed up to the hunting stand first and was unzipping the main "door" to get in. I was on the ground and was getting ready to unload the rifle and climb up as well. First, let it be known, the I am an extremely cautious hunter. I don't take it lightly that I am out in the woods, with my loved ones, carrying a dangerous weapon. My gun is always in safe mode until I am absolutely ready to shoot it. My finger isn't even by the trigger until I am absolutely ready to shoot it. Does this contribute to the fact that I don't get many deer?? Maybe, one may say, but I am hunting with my family and maybe in a few years my children and safety is my absolute number one priority.
Anyway, I am on the ground, Tim on the ladder and I am about to unload my gun. So, I point the gun in the opposite direction and point the barrel down. I take the safety off, because I have to in order to unload it and the gun fires out of nowhere. I immediately say "TIM - what the hell just happened??" (actually, I may have used another choice 4 letter word, but you get the point.) I start shaking and say it again, "TIM - what the HELL just happened?!" He replies, "Well, obviously you pulled the trigger." I insist that I didn't, over and over, and he finally climbs down and looks at the gun. "You had to pull the trigger." Again, I say I didn't and say my finger wasn't even near the trigger and try to convince him that it wasn't. This proceeds for a bit, I think I start crying, and we eventually make it up into the deer stand. I refuse to load the gun as I think about what just happened. Tim and I talk about it and I try to convince him that I was being safe, that I am ALWAYS safe, and that I don't know what happened. I keep shaking a bit and think about the "What if?" of the situation. What if Tim was right by me? What if he accidentally would have been hit? What if someone else was around?
What if...
What if...
What if?
Yes, I get over it ,but this has been in the back of my mind for awhile. I consider not hunting anymore because of the shock and scare this gave me. But, I enjoy it and just agree to not use this particular rifle again.
Until...
Tim and I are sitting down last night. I am typing up my blog post and he is flipping channels on the TV. I am happily writing about the Packers when Tim says, "Kel - look at this"
There is a story on CNBC about a tragedy that happened to a family out west. They were out riding horses and hunting, enjoying the day together as a family. The mother was going to unload her gun - a Remington 700 series gun - when it accidentally fired and killed her 9 year old son. The father, immersed in grief, vowed to his son to not let this go and to figure out what happened.
So - what happened?
Apparently - there are documented stories and injuries and even deaths about the Remington 700 series gun discharging. This particular story illustrated by CNBC about this family was very compelling and scary and unfortunately hit somewhat close to home. My story was not tragic in its ending, just haunting as I think back to what could have happened especially as I hear about a mother who was trying to be safe and the unthinkable happens. Her son had slid off the horse he was riding and moved to the truck or something without her knowing, and the rest is tragic.
As the Dad dug into it more, he uncovered many stories and many lawsuits about the Remington 700 series guns. He uncovered police squads, sharp shooters, and gun experts who have documented this same issue. These experts have video tapes of these guns misfiring as they have been trying to prove that they may be unsafe. There are gun experts who have studied the guns and testified at trials about these guns. Police units have videos of these guns discharging as they are on assignment. There are stories from the military about the same problem.
The worst thing?
Remington knows. The CNBC investigator spoke with the 98 year old man who designed this gun. He discovered what was causing the rifles to discharge unknowingly about 60 years ago. He alerted Remington about the issue and urged them to change the design. But, they didn't. He urged them at the time to change the triggers on these guns for a fee of $0.055 per gun, but they didn't. He even suggested changing the name of "safety" on these guns because of the trigger failure with the safety, it couldn't really be labeled as a safety. But, they didn't do that either. Now roughly 60 years later after this trigger failure was discovered, the price for Remington to fix one rifle is roughly $75 - $100. A recall would be extremely costly and no one can force Remington to do it unfortunately.
Obviously, there are two sides to the story. You know where I stand on it as this unfortunately happened to me. But, do your own research. The link to the CNBC story is:
"Critical Safety Questions at Remington Arms"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39762676/ns/business-cnbc_tv/
Please spread the word to your friends and family that may own one of these guns. Let them do the research and decide on their own. I know many hunters and feel obligated to share this as I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something should happen and I didn't tell people.
Tim did some research as he owns 3 of these types of guns and discovered it would cost about $200 to buy a trigger on his own and replace just one. I am hoping to do some research on the class action lawsuit against Remington to see what that is about. I also found out that in 2002 Remington reluctantly decided to remodify some of the older models of these guns for a fee of $20. I will look into that as well.
Scary, scary, scary. Especially because they know! The CNBC investigator uncovered documents of Remington running tests on these rifles and they actually had this same problem happen. Anyway, please share and think about it. Even if you are fond of Remington and think this is a bunch of bunk, at least be more careful when using one. I told Tim that he would not be using one of these around me or the kids until they are fixed. I also told him that he is an old man and can decide on his own if he wants to still use it without the fix, but he shouldn't plan on us being around him. :-)
If you want more information - there is a lot of information about this on the web. Or, feel free to shoot me an email as I will be compiling some data too.
Once again - forward this or the link to anyone that hunts or owns rifles. It is definitely better to be safe than sorry when guns are concerned.
Anyway, I am on the ground, Tim on the ladder and I am about to unload my gun. So, I point the gun in the opposite direction and point the barrel down. I take the safety off, because I have to in order to unload it and the gun fires out of nowhere. I immediately say "TIM - what the hell just happened??" (actually, I may have used another choice 4 letter word, but you get the point.) I start shaking and say it again, "TIM - what the HELL just happened?!" He replies, "Well, obviously you pulled the trigger." I insist that I didn't, over and over, and he finally climbs down and looks at the gun. "You had to pull the trigger." Again, I say I didn't and say my finger wasn't even near the trigger and try to convince him that it wasn't. This proceeds for a bit, I think I start crying, and we eventually make it up into the deer stand. I refuse to load the gun as I think about what just happened. Tim and I talk about it and I try to convince him that I was being safe, that I am ALWAYS safe, and that I don't know what happened. I keep shaking a bit and think about the "What if?" of the situation. What if Tim was right by me? What if he accidentally would have been hit? What if someone else was around?
What if...
What if...
What if?
Yes, I get over it ,but this has been in the back of my mind for awhile. I consider not hunting anymore because of the shock and scare this gave me. But, I enjoy it and just agree to not use this particular rifle again.
Until...
Tim and I are sitting down last night. I am typing up my blog post and he is flipping channels on the TV. I am happily writing about the Packers when Tim says, "Kel - look at this"
There is a story on CNBC about a tragedy that happened to a family out west. They were out riding horses and hunting, enjoying the day together as a family. The mother was going to unload her gun - a Remington 700 series gun - when it accidentally fired and killed her 9 year old son. The father, immersed in grief, vowed to his son to not let this go and to figure out what happened.
So - what happened?
Apparently - there are documented stories and injuries and even deaths about the Remington 700 series gun discharging. This particular story illustrated by CNBC about this family was very compelling and scary and unfortunately hit somewhat close to home. My story was not tragic in its ending, just haunting as I think back to what could have happened especially as I hear about a mother who was trying to be safe and the unthinkable happens. Her son had slid off the horse he was riding and moved to the truck or something without her knowing, and the rest is tragic.
As the Dad dug into it more, he uncovered many stories and many lawsuits about the Remington 700 series guns. He uncovered police squads, sharp shooters, and gun experts who have documented this same issue. These experts have video tapes of these guns misfiring as they have been trying to prove that they may be unsafe. There are gun experts who have studied the guns and testified at trials about these guns. Police units have videos of these guns discharging as they are on assignment. There are stories from the military about the same problem.
The worst thing?
Remington knows. The CNBC investigator spoke with the 98 year old man who designed this gun. He discovered what was causing the rifles to discharge unknowingly about 60 years ago. He alerted Remington about the issue and urged them to change the design. But, they didn't. He urged them at the time to change the triggers on these guns for a fee of $0.055 per gun, but they didn't. He even suggested changing the name of "safety" on these guns because of the trigger failure with the safety, it couldn't really be labeled as a safety. But, they didn't do that either. Now roughly 60 years later after this trigger failure was discovered, the price for Remington to fix one rifle is roughly $75 - $100. A recall would be extremely costly and no one can force Remington to do it unfortunately.
Obviously, there are two sides to the story. You know where I stand on it as this unfortunately happened to me. But, do your own research. The link to the CNBC story is:
"Critical Safety Questions at Remington Arms"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39762676/ns/business-cnbc_tv/
Please spread the word to your friends and family that may own one of these guns. Let them do the research and decide on their own. I know many hunters and feel obligated to share this as I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something should happen and I didn't tell people.
Tim did some research as he owns 3 of these types of guns and discovered it would cost about $200 to buy a trigger on his own and replace just one. I am hoping to do some research on the class action lawsuit against Remington to see what that is about. I also found out that in 2002 Remington reluctantly decided to remodify some of the older models of these guns for a fee of $20. I will look into that as well.
Scary, scary, scary. Especially because they know! The CNBC investigator uncovered documents of Remington running tests on these rifles and they actually had this same problem happen. Anyway, please share and think about it. Even if you are fond of Remington and think this is a bunch of bunk, at least be more careful when using one. I told Tim that he would not be using one of these around me or the kids until they are fixed. I also told him that he is an old man and can decide on his own if he wants to still use it without the fix, but he shouldn't plan on us being around him. :-)
If you want more information - there is a lot of information about this on the web. Or, feel free to shoot me an email as I will be compiling some data too.
Once again - forward this or the link to anyone that hunts or owns rifles. It is definitely better to be safe than sorry when guns are concerned.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Go Pack Go!
Go Pack Go!!!
What a great game! I cannot believe and never would have thought a few weeks ago that we would be going to the Superbowl! I cannot say that we played the best game, but we won. That is all that matters!
What a great game! I cannot believe and never would have thought a few weeks ago that we would be going to the Superbowl! I cannot say that we played the best game, but we won. That is all that matters!
We had the neighbors over for a small party. We had some yummy dips & popcorn and the adults watched the game as the kids ran around, colored, and sometimes cheered when we cheered. All-in-all a great game. Afterwards, we snacked on Packer cupcakes & ice cream. Then... I took Sage for a walk. I needed to get out and exercise, so I bundled up and took the eager dog for a walk.
The rest of the weekend was spent bumming around the house. I cleaned & decluttered. Tim did the same. The kids were having fun helping/getting in the way and playing with toys that haven't been out for awhile. We did a toy swap of sorts and got out their play kitchen and Little People Toys. We put away Emma's Barbie Castle and some of Evan's toy tools.
I had a work Christmas party on Friday night, so Tim and I had a night away for a little while. Our daycare provider gives each family a night of baby-sitting for Christmas, so we took advantage and got away. The kids were so excited for her to come over and to show her all their new Christmas toys. They went to Burger King first to play in their playland with her daughter Breezy and then all came here to play and watch our movie on Netflix "How to Train a Dragon." (good movie, by the way). By the time we made it home after our night out, the kids were sleeping and a good time was had by all.
Good news for Tim and I, our children have started sleeping in later! Emma now gets up around 7am and Evan sleeps in at least until 6:30, but sometimes goes as late as 7:30. This means a much happier (and more patient) Mommy & Daddy :-) Many times in the morning, Tim has to wake them up in the morning before daycare, which I really don't like, but that is the way it goes I guess.
This week will be a busy week. We have swimming lessons, errands, a stop at a sporting goods shop to buy some Packer paraphernalia, and the previous years blog book! I start school a week from Tuesday and I have a few more things I want to get done before that starts.
Here are a few pics of the kids taken this week after their hair cuts. Evan was badly in need of a trim and Emma wanted her hair a bit shorter. She ended up with shoulder length hair that is so cute and makes her look so big! These were taken right after a bath, so they are not the best shots of her hair, but still pretty cute!
Everyone have a great week!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Life as usual
It is nice to have life back to normal. I work 4 days a week, usually 1 from home. The kids are in daycare, Tim is at work. No stressful shopping, no hurried trips to the mall, no late night wrapping or big holiday feasts. I like it. (No, I am not a downer on holidays, it just feels good to be routine again.)
The kids are great... albeit full of energy. I am not sure if it is due to the cold, the deep snow, or what, but they are bouncing of the walls lately as they are unable to play outside a lot. They have been climbing through the windows in their little playhouse, running from room to room chasing each other, wrestling, and just being goofy. Fun goofy for the most part, sometimes rough-house goofy, which I don't enjoy. I really like that they are playing together more and when they laugh, they laugh hard and it is contagious. They enjoy playing Cars together, playdough, and chase. Chase will include either pushing Evan's tractors & trucks around the house -or- chasing each other riding on their little ride-on toys or Evan's new trike. Sometimes they color or do homework, but that activity has lately resulted in fighting due to similar wants of crayons or coloring books. Just little kid stuff, nothing serious, but draining sometimes nonetheless.
Emma loves playing dolls lately, either Baby Alive or PollyPockets/Barbies/Littlest Pet Shop. Emma has discovered some of her old baby doll toys, such as a swing, stroller, and diaper bag, so many times she is pushing Baby Alive around in the stroller or tucking her into bed in the swing. One day, I was the Nana and she was marrying Evan's large Buzz Lightyear Doll. That was a fun one! When we play with the other dolls, I always play the Mommy Doll and sometimes the evil Mommy Doll and she always plays the little girl who is kidnapped by the evil Mommy Doll. Fun times! I love the way her imagination is developing and the interest she has in roll play... except the whole evil Mommy bit. Where did she get that one? Too many Disney Movies maybe??
Evan usually plays Cars at night or wants to play his Thomas the Train computer game. Now, mind you, him playing Thomas is not physically him playing. Either he sits on my or Tim's lap or squished next to Emma on the chair so he can watch. I prefer playing real Thomas with him, so we try to build a train track once a week as well. He is definitely mimicking our behavior as of late and has told Emma at times "You Naughty Emma. You time out!" or telling her to do something and then doing a countdown until she does it. My favorite phrase?? "You whiny Emma." Lovely.
Both kids have been enjoying helping us in the kitchen lately. Evan, every night it seems, wants a salad, so he will help me wash and tear the lettuce leaves. Every so often we let Emma pick out a meal and she will always pick pancakes. So, she helps me mix the mix and even flip them in the frying pan.
Both kids are in swimming lessons now. Emma is doing really well with swimming lessons. She is in level one and really hoping to pass and get to level two next time. I am not so sure about that as it is much tougher to pass classes in the new place we go, versus the Y, and she actually needs to be able to swim on her own to pass. She is close and will go a few feet on her own, but not quite enough yet to pass. But, she loves it and I love how they really force the kids to swim and try. Every night at lessons they dump buckets of water over the kids heads and I really like that. I am not a fan of the classes that try to shield kids from getting faces wet -- kind of defeats the purpose in my mind. Evan is in waterbabies, which is okay. The hard thing is that he is in a class with babies that are maybe 6-9 months old and up to his age. So, they don't really do much with the kids. We sing songs, he gets to jump in off the side (which he has no fear about) and then use a noodle and play with water toys. He likes it as he gets to be in the water, but I wish there was a class between Waterbabies and Level 1 (which Emma is in). Not yet.
My job is going well. I am now about 4 months in as a project manager and so far am really enjoying it. I like the guys I work with and we all have fun. Stressful at times, but fun. Tim is happy to be adding responsibility to his plate and has hopes of really growing his team, so he has some exciting possibilities coming up.
All-in-all, life is good. We were up at the cabin this past weekend for a long weekend as Tim and I both had off on Monday. We had a fun Packer Party (what an AWESOME game!!) went ice fishing and took the kids snowmobiling. I really have to get a picture of the kids in their snowmobiling attire as they look like little bobbleheads with their big helmets. Evan loves wearing his helmet as he still feels as though he is Buzz Lightyear! We went for about a 25 miles, with a fun stop in the middle for supper at a local restaurant. The kids really thought that was exciting and I love sharing with them some of the things I enjoyed when I was a kid. The rest of the weekend was really lazy, which is always nice about the cabin. I took naps, worked out, watched TV, and didn't do much. Tim was the same. That's why the cabin is awesome; we both say that the worries of the week seem to melt away on the drive up and the world is more quiet up there.
As for New Years Resolutions and all that jazz, nothing much. I hope to keep in shape, keep working out, and relax more. I hope to find a good balance of work/school/family and keep my patience. I hope to excel at my job and be a good Mom & Wife. Tim and I are hoping to take a trip either big (London) or small (cabin) to spend some quiet time together. And - I cannot wait to meet the newest little members of the extended family with baby boy and baby girl Kellogg due in March. I am in one of those times where someone should pinch me as all is well. I sit back and look at the health and happiness of my whole family and feel incredibly blessed and lucky. Here's to a wonderful New Year, full of opportunity, blessings, and happiness.
The kids are great... albeit full of energy. I am not sure if it is due to the cold, the deep snow, or what, but they are bouncing of the walls lately as they are unable to play outside a lot. They have been climbing through the windows in their little playhouse, running from room to room chasing each other, wrestling, and just being goofy. Fun goofy for the most part, sometimes rough-house goofy, which I don't enjoy. I really like that they are playing together more and when they laugh, they laugh hard and it is contagious. They enjoy playing Cars together, playdough, and chase. Chase will include either pushing Evan's tractors & trucks around the house -or- chasing each other riding on their little ride-on toys or Evan's new trike. Sometimes they color or do homework, but that activity has lately resulted in fighting due to similar wants of crayons or coloring books. Just little kid stuff, nothing serious, but draining sometimes nonetheless.
Emma loves playing dolls lately, either Baby Alive or PollyPockets/Barbies/Littlest Pet Shop. Emma has discovered some of her old baby doll toys, such as a swing, stroller, and diaper bag, so many times she is pushing Baby Alive around in the stroller or tucking her into bed in the swing. One day, I was the Nana and she was marrying Evan's large Buzz Lightyear Doll. That was a fun one! When we play with the other dolls, I always play the Mommy Doll and sometimes the evil Mommy Doll and she always plays the little girl who is kidnapped by the evil Mommy Doll. Fun times! I love the way her imagination is developing and the interest she has in roll play... except the whole evil Mommy bit. Where did she get that one? Too many Disney Movies maybe??
Evan usually plays Cars at night or wants to play his Thomas the Train computer game. Now, mind you, him playing Thomas is not physically him playing. Either he sits on my or Tim's lap or squished next to Emma on the chair so he can watch. I prefer playing real Thomas with him, so we try to build a train track once a week as well. He is definitely mimicking our behavior as of late and has told Emma at times "You Naughty Emma. You time out!" or telling her to do something and then doing a countdown until she does it. My favorite phrase?? "You whiny Emma." Lovely.
Both kids have been enjoying helping us in the kitchen lately. Evan, every night it seems, wants a salad, so he will help me wash and tear the lettuce leaves. Every so often we let Emma pick out a meal and she will always pick pancakes. So, she helps me mix the mix and even flip them in the frying pan.
Both kids are in swimming lessons now. Emma is doing really well with swimming lessons. She is in level one and really hoping to pass and get to level two next time. I am not so sure about that as it is much tougher to pass classes in the new place we go, versus the Y, and she actually needs to be able to swim on her own to pass. She is close and will go a few feet on her own, but not quite enough yet to pass. But, she loves it and I love how they really force the kids to swim and try. Every night at lessons they dump buckets of water over the kids heads and I really like that. I am not a fan of the classes that try to shield kids from getting faces wet -- kind of defeats the purpose in my mind. Evan is in waterbabies, which is okay. The hard thing is that he is in a class with babies that are maybe 6-9 months old and up to his age. So, they don't really do much with the kids. We sing songs, he gets to jump in off the side (which he has no fear about) and then use a noodle and play with water toys. He likes it as he gets to be in the water, but I wish there was a class between Waterbabies and Level 1 (which Emma is in). Not yet.
My job is going well. I am now about 4 months in as a project manager and so far am really enjoying it. I like the guys I work with and we all have fun. Stressful at times, but fun. Tim is happy to be adding responsibility to his plate and has hopes of really growing his team, so he has some exciting possibilities coming up.
All-in-all, life is good. We were up at the cabin this past weekend for a long weekend as Tim and I both had off on Monday. We had a fun Packer Party (what an AWESOME game!!) went ice fishing and took the kids snowmobiling. I really have to get a picture of the kids in their snowmobiling attire as they look like little bobbleheads with their big helmets. Evan loves wearing his helmet as he still feels as though he is Buzz Lightyear! We went for about a 25 miles, with a fun stop in the middle for supper at a local restaurant. The kids really thought that was exciting and I love sharing with them some of the things I enjoyed when I was a kid. The rest of the weekend was really lazy, which is always nice about the cabin. I took naps, worked out, watched TV, and didn't do much. Tim was the same. That's why the cabin is awesome; we both say that the worries of the week seem to melt away on the drive up and the world is more quiet up there.
As for New Years Resolutions and all that jazz, nothing much. I hope to keep in shape, keep working out, and relax more. I hope to find a good balance of work/school/family and keep my patience. I hope to excel at my job and be a good Mom & Wife. Tim and I are hoping to take a trip either big (London) or small (cabin) to spend some quiet time together. And - I cannot wait to meet the newest little members of the extended family with baby boy and baby girl Kellogg due in March. I am in one of those times where someone should pinch me as all is well. I sit back and look at the health and happiness of my whole family and feel incredibly blessed and lucky. Here's to a wonderful New Year, full of opportunity, blessings, and happiness.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
A Warrior!
I am a warrior:
www.warriordash.com/register2011_minnesota.php
Wish me luck. A gruelling 3 mile course with 11 obstacles (including fire, sandhills, warrior climbing walls, and muddy mayhem) that a group of friends and I will be doing in July. Sounds like fun, right? I hope so! If interested in signing up - send me a note and I will get you our wave time.
This week has been good. It is nice to be back in our schedule after the holidays. The kids are still enjoying and playing with their toys, which is nice. But, they are still wild and crazy :-) That won't be changing anytime soon. They now have a new hideout that they constantly play in together. It is between the couches, right next to the side table and no, not a lot of room for two boisterous children to play. At least once an hour, one of them starts crying because one accidentally kicked the other, one hit the table, one lost a toy, or something. This prompts the lecture from me or Tim, "guys, we told you that is not a good place to play. We don't like you playing there, you tend to end up crying." But, every night on the way home from daycare they look at each other and giggle and Emma says, "Should play in our secret hideout?" and Evan always replies "Shore Emma. Dat Fun Emma!" Too cute, but I always know the outcome.
Emma is continuing to learn and do her homework. She enjoys learning letters and sounding out words as we try and prepare her for kindergarten. Her favorite things now are playing with her "Flairies" which are the fairy dolls in the most recent Barbie Movie, "A Fashion Fairy Tale". She can play with those three dolls for a very long time and most often brings them to daycare with her as well. We are still trying to work with her on listening and respect however. She struggles at times to pick up her toys and to not come back with a whiny statement, but we are trying. I had to have the conversation with her tonight about why her Daddy and I are trying to teach her to be nice, why it is important before she gets to school and why she needs to listen and respect others. Wish me luck. Overall, she is doing good and learning a lot, but I still think we have a few behaviors to work on before kindergarten comes.
Evan... well, is Evan. He is trying to assert his independence as of late also and has been receiving time outs for not listening as well. Of course Emma loves it when Evan is in time out and vice-versa, so it just fuels the fire of sorts when they are naughty. It is cute when Evan is being punished too, as he looks all defiant when we are saying no and he is pushing back. However, the minute we say "time out" his face crumples and falls and he starts crying. Plus, in the time out chair, he looks totally in despair that he has to sit out for 2 minutes. It is hard to discipline him at times as I can easily laugh at his reactions. He is talking in sentences more and trying to understand a bit more of the world around him, so that is cool. He still loves his Cars and has to wear Cars clothes, jammies, cover up in his Cars blanket, etc. Most of the time though, he can be found following around Emma and trying to do what she does.
Work is good for me. Continually busy. Same for Tim. He is now receiving more responsibility and working for a new boss, so he is happy with the change.
Our puppy Sage is back after being gone for 5 weeks at hunting/obedience training and we are happy to have her here! She is really enjoying the snow and I am enjoying the winter walks we take her on! She is a whopping 65# (at least) and still growing, but still a puppy at heart. Tim laughs at our "lap dog" as many times when we are petting her, she will circle around and try to lay on my lap; just like she did when we picked her out of the litter! There is something soothing about having her around and petting her at night so I can destress and relax, so it is a nice thing to have her home.
I leave you all with a "GO PACKERS!!!"
www.warriordash.com/register2011_minnesota.php
Wish me luck. A gruelling 3 mile course with 11 obstacles (including fire, sandhills, warrior climbing walls, and muddy mayhem) that a group of friends and I will be doing in July. Sounds like fun, right? I hope so! If interested in signing up - send me a note and I will get you our wave time.
This week has been good. It is nice to be back in our schedule after the holidays. The kids are still enjoying and playing with their toys, which is nice. But, they are still wild and crazy :-) That won't be changing anytime soon. They now have a new hideout that they constantly play in together. It is between the couches, right next to the side table and no, not a lot of room for two boisterous children to play. At least once an hour, one of them starts crying because one accidentally kicked the other, one hit the table, one lost a toy, or something. This prompts the lecture from me or Tim, "guys, we told you that is not a good place to play. We don't like you playing there, you tend to end up crying." But, every night on the way home from daycare they look at each other and giggle and Emma says, "Should play in our secret hideout?" and Evan always replies "Shore Emma. Dat Fun Emma!" Too cute, but I always know the outcome.
Emma is continuing to learn and do her homework. She enjoys learning letters and sounding out words as we try and prepare her for kindergarten. Her favorite things now are playing with her "Flairies" which are the fairy dolls in the most recent Barbie Movie, "A Fashion Fairy Tale". She can play with those three dolls for a very long time and most often brings them to daycare with her as well. We are still trying to work with her on listening and respect however. She struggles at times to pick up her toys and to not come back with a whiny statement, but we are trying. I had to have the conversation with her tonight about why her Daddy and I are trying to teach her to be nice, why it is important before she gets to school and why she needs to listen and respect others. Wish me luck. Overall, she is doing good and learning a lot, but I still think we have a few behaviors to work on before kindergarten comes.
Evan... well, is Evan. He is trying to assert his independence as of late also and has been receiving time outs for not listening as well. Of course Emma loves it when Evan is in time out and vice-versa, so it just fuels the fire of sorts when they are naughty. It is cute when Evan is being punished too, as he looks all defiant when we are saying no and he is pushing back. However, the minute we say "time out" his face crumples and falls and he starts crying. Plus, in the time out chair, he looks totally in despair that he has to sit out for 2 minutes. It is hard to discipline him at times as I can easily laugh at his reactions. He is talking in sentences more and trying to understand a bit more of the world around him, so that is cool. He still loves his Cars and has to wear Cars clothes, jammies, cover up in his Cars blanket, etc. Most of the time though, he can be found following around Emma and trying to do what she does.
Work is good for me. Continually busy. Same for Tim. He is now receiving more responsibility and working for a new boss, so he is happy with the change.
Our puppy Sage is back after being gone for 5 weeks at hunting/obedience training and we are happy to have her here! She is really enjoying the snow and I am enjoying the winter walks we take her on! She is a whopping 65# (at least) and still growing, but still a puppy at heart. Tim laughs at our "lap dog" as many times when we are petting her, she will circle around and try to lay on my lap; just like she did when we picked her out of the litter! There is something soothing about having her around and petting her at night so I can destress and relax, so it is a nice thing to have her home.
I leave you all with a "GO PACKERS!!!"
Saturday, January 8, 2011
10 things they don't tell you about having little boys...
I never had a brother. The closest thing I had was my cousin Joel, which was pretty awesome really because he hung out around the farm, gave me 4 wheeler rides, played games, and then he would go home. So, when I found out that I was having a little boy, I was a bit nervous. I didn't know how to play with a boy. I never played cars or trucks and did anything like that. So, here is hopefully a helpful tool for those that may be having a boy and don't know what to expect.
1) They are rough and tough and never stop. Evan is the toughest little kid I know. He can seriously bump his head on something, hard enough to where I am expecting a big scream and cry, and when he does that, he looks up at me, shakes his head back and forth, and then goes back to playing. Sure, he may want the owie to be kissed at times, but that is more for Mommy's benefit than his I am sure.
2) Cars & trucks are their things. Yes, he does play with Barbies. However, the barbies are usually riding around in his cars/trucks/tractors while he is pushing them back and forth or smashing them into things.
3) Train tracks are the best. Evan love Thomas the Train. He loves putting the track together and then demolishing it. Little boys will feverishly work to link one track to the next (not in any specific order or arrangement) and then rip it apart. I will spend an hour putting the damn thing together and little boy will play with it for 5 minutes with a train/car/lawnmower/anything with wheels really and then smash it apart. Yes, it is incredibly frustrating. But, I have learned not to get too attached to my train tracks.
4) Little boys don't take time to do things the safe way or the way Mom prefers. He doesn't use stepstools to stand up to the sink and wash his hands. He stands on his tiptoes on the toilet that is somewhat near the sink and then stretch out as far as he can to wash his hands. Or, little boys will turn over the waste basket and use that instead. Foolish Mom needs to realize that stepstools are for sissys. Also, why bother to wait for Mom or Dad to come and get you when you wake up from a nap?? I can crawl out by myself now and while I don't do it that often, it was fun to surprise Mom and Dad that one morning when I ran into their bedroom before they could come and get me.
5) Little boys love to torture their older siblings. Play barbies, you say?? Sure, as long as I get your favorite one and you don't mind if I pull out their hairbow and rip off their shoes and clothes. Oh, you don't want to play Barbies now?? Okay, I will read a story. Just as long as you don't mind that I use my scary dragon voice and roar every once in a while. And if you don't give into me or give me my way, I will take a swinging hit at you or even bite you at times. Little boys always want to get their way.
6) Little boys are physical when they play in every sense of the word. A favorite game may include running back and forth in the kitchen and dining area pushing a tractor and sliding at the end so I don't hit the cupboards or fall down the stairs. (Yes, I can do this for about an half hour straight) Playing cars isn't so much pushing them around on the little play mat as smashing them into each other and into Mommy or Daddy. Playing the piano is mashing the keys with my little pudgy fingers and yelling along, but thinking that I am singing.
7) Little boys really think farting is funny. Especially when they discover that at times they can make themselves fart. I was changing little boys diaper tonight and he made himself fart like 4 times and he thought it was the funniest thing in the whole wide world. Yeah, just try to keep a stoic, serious face when your little boy does that.
8) Little boys are very, very stubborn. If I had a nickel for every time I heard "No, I do it" I would be a rich women. Today I was trying to change a different diaper and he resisted by pressing his little knees together so I could not get the diaper up through a very important area of coverage for a little boy. Then, he insisted on rocking back and forth to make it more difficult. This time, I was not laughing.
9) Little boys really love their Mommy's a LOT. They love to smash their little noses up to Mommy's noses and smile or laugh or whisper silly songs. They love to give kisses and have Mommy's kiss each little finger if they are cold or an owie or scrape. Little boys love to rock and cuddle at times, but... not that often so savor it when it happens.
10) Little boys have a special hold on their Mommy's hearts and are so incredibly special it hurts sometimes. They know just the way to smile so you cannot help but smile back, even if they are being naughty. My little boy likes to plop backwards onto my lap and then lean into me and read a story or watch a favorite show. My little boy can be so intuitive at times that when I am sad or hurting or frustrated, he will raise his little arms up for a hug or kiss or cock his head at me and say, "Mama Sad?" in such a voice it makes my heart melt and my eyes well up.
So - for anyone that may have a little boy or is expecting a little boy or may want a little boy - good luck. I am here to tell you that it is a different experience than having a girl. Get used to farting, dragon roars, and rough-housing. But look forward to the special bond you will form and the heart-tugging moments and the "please, always let me remember this" times. The years fly by way too fast.
1) They are rough and tough and never stop. Evan is the toughest little kid I know. He can seriously bump his head on something, hard enough to where I am expecting a big scream and cry, and when he does that, he looks up at me, shakes his head back and forth, and then goes back to playing. Sure, he may want the owie to be kissed at times, but that is more for Mommy's benefit than his I am sure.
2) Cars & trucks are their things. Yes, he does play with Barbies. However, the barbies are usually riding around in his cars/trucks/tractors while he is pushing them back and forth or smashing them into things.
3) Train tracks are the best. Evan love Thomas the Train. He loves putting the track together and then demolishing it. Little boys will feverishly work to link one track to the next (not in any specific order or arrangement) and then rip it apart. I will spend an hour putting the damn thing together and little boy will play with it for 5 minutes with a train/car/lawnmower/anything with wheels really and then smash it apart. Yes, it is incredibly frustrating. But, I have learned not to get too attached to my train tracks.
4) Little boys don't take time to do things the safe way or the way Mom prefers. He doesn't use stepstools to stand up to the sink and wash his hands. He stands on his tiptoes on the toilet that is somewhat near the sink and then stretch out as far as he can to wash his hands. Or, little boys will turn over the waste basket and use that instead. Foolish Mom needs to realize that stepstools are for sissys. Also, why bother to wait for Mom or Dad to come and get you when you wake up from a nap?? I can crawl out by myself now and while I don't do it that often, it was fun to surprise Mom and Dad that one morning when I ran into their bedroom before they could come and get me.
5) Little boys love to torture their older siblings. Play barbies, you say?? Sure, as long as I get your favorite one and you don't mind if I pull out their hairbow and rip off their shoes and clothes. Oh, you don't want to play Barbies now?? Okay, I will read a story. Just as long as you don't mind that I use my scary dragon voice and roar every once in a while. And if you don't give into me or give me my way, I will take a swinging hit at you or even bite you at times. Little boys always want to get their way.
6) Little boys are physical when they play in every sense of the word. A favorite game may include running back and forth in the kitchen and dining area pushing a tractor and sliding at the end so I don't hit the cupboards or fall down the stairs. (Yes, I can do this for about an half hour straight) Playing cars isn't so much pushing them around on the little play mat as smashing them into each other and into Mommy or Daddy. Playing the piano is mashing the keys with my little pudgy fingers and yelling along, but thinking that I am singing.
7) Little boys really think farting is funny. Especially when they discover that at times they can make themselves fart. I was changing little boys diaper tonight and he made himself fart like 4 times and he thought it was the funniest thing in the whole wide world. Yeah, just try to keep a stoic, serious face when your little boy does that.
8) Little boys are very, very stubborn. If I had a nickel for every time I heard "No, I do it" I would be a rich women. Today I was trying to change a different diaper and he resisted by pressing his little knees together so I could not get the diaper up through a very important area of coverage for a little boy. Then, he insisted on rocking back and forth to make it more difficult. This time, I was not laughing.
9) Little boys really love their Mommy's a LOT. They love to smash their little noses up to Mommy's noses and smile or laugh or whisper silly songs. They love to give kisses and have Mommy's kiss each little finger if they are cold or an owie or scrape. Little boys love to rock and cuddle at times, but... not that often so savor it when it happens.
10) Little boys have a special hold on their Mommy's hearts and are so incredibly special it hurts sometimes. They know just the way to smile so you cannot help but smile back, even if they are being naughty. My little boy likes to plop backwards onto my lap and then lean into me and read a story or watch a favorite show. My little boy can be so intuitive at times that when I am sad or hurting or frustrated, he will raise his little arms up for a hug or kiss or cock his head at me and say, "Mama Sad?" in such a voice it makes my heart melt and my eyes well up.
So - for anyone that may have a little boy or is expecting a little boy or may want a little boy - good luck. I am here to tell you that it is a different experience than having a girl. Get used to farting, dragon roars, and rough-housing. But look forward to the special bond you will form and the heart-tugging moments and the "please, always let me remember this" times. The years fly by way too fast.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Christmas 2010 Memories
The holiday recount...
(getting ready to go outside. I do have a nice picture of Kristen getting bundled up, but she glared at me when I took and threatened me not to post it!)
Happy kids outside.
Evan's trike loaded up with Cars in the little trunk.
A shot of the grandkids.
Christmas Eve! By this time, the kids were still incredibly excited for the holidays! They had their daycare party the day prior and of course, I was talking up the next few days to them to help build excitement! So, this morning, the Kellogg's came over for a home style breakfast of french toast, breakfast sausage, and yummy chocolate croissants for the Mama's! This was a special treat for the kiddo's itself, but then throw in the holiday crafts, the outside time, and the Christmas anticipate and they were bouncing off the walls. The kids made holiday reindeer crafts out of their little hands and feet (I totally stole this idea from friend Molly. LOVED it when I saw it on her blog!) colored holiday pages that Kristen printed out for them, and played/danced/sang.
Then - time to release some of that energy and get them outside!! So, we bundled up 4 little kids (and pregnant with twins sister - haha!) and got them outside. It was a beautiful day to be out and the kids had fun tubing down the hill. Unfortunately my little guy isn't so good at trudging through the heavy snow we have now. Sometimes he needs a little boost up the hill. They all enjoyed tubing and playing in the little tunnel that Tim dug out for them. See the new blog header for the pics of that! Then - the snowboard came out! Emma is bound and determined to learn how to snowboard, so we have a little kid one that they could stand on and try. After some practice all the kids made it down the hill! Well, all but Evan. He did slide down on his little butt a little bit. After that, I was motivated to get my snowboard out a bit too and take it down the hill! So fun - I miss it! So, I think I am going to sign Emma up for snowboarding lessons so I can get out on the hill also!
(getting ready to go outside. I do have a nice picture of Kristen getting bundled up, but she glared at me when I took and threatened me not to post it!)
Happy kids outside.
After our adventures outside, we made a Mexican Fiesta feast, got the kiddos down for nap and relaxed a bit. It was nice for a short time as when they woke up - more Christmas party!! The kids and I went over to the Kellogg's house and the kids opened up the presents they bought for each other. Evan loved it, but didn't understand why he couldn't open up all the presents. He definitely LOVED the Cars sets he received and Emma enjoyed her Littlest Pet Shop play set. Then, back to our house where other family came over and a fancy meal of steak/potatoes/pecan pie/wine was enjoyed!!
(I love this picture as it shows how happy Evan was to be in the picture!)
But, of course, all smiles playing with his Cars pit crew set. I love how he lines up the spare tires next to the ones on the car. Then, he takes a little pit car and "puts" them on.
And Emma with her littlest pet shop stuff.
Then, the kids put on Christmas jams, laid out Christmas cookies, milk, carrots, and celery for Santa and reindeer. All night, we had been tracking Santa on the Santa reindeer and they were excited to see that he was getting closer! They luckily went to bed well and slept well too!
Evan was the first awake at 6:30 am. He easily came into our bed to enjoy some Handy Manny on TV and to await his sister's excited footsteps. She burst into the room at 7am and wanted to head downstairs right away! "Santa camed!!" He really camed!" I rushed down first to get there with my video camera! As previously mentioned, they immediately saw the presents that were unwrapped and tore into their "own special" wrapping paper. In the end, the big presents for Emma were her precious Baby Alive (who she just decided tonight to call Kate) a little kids camera, and dress up clothes. Evan loves his Cars trike, his Thomas the Train set, and all the Cars toys he received. all the excitement was infectious and carried through the day as we ate Monkey Bread, opened and played with toys, and got the kids down for an early nap to get them ready for their next Christmas party!
Evan's trike loaded up with Cars in the little trunk. Emma and Baby Alive. She loves this doll - even when it "peed" on her.
After the Santa adventure was the Heuer Christmas in Hudson where we dined on prime rib and opened more presents. Emma loved the pillow pet and Evan, once again, enjoyed more Cars and trucks! Seriously, that kid is such a boy!! He instantly starts pushing them around and crashing them into things.
After the Heuer Christmas was the Brunner Christmas at my parents. So much excitement and good food! We got there Saturday night and were able to relax a bit there before more family and more presents. Emma was pretty distraught when she got there as Santa did not leave any presents under the tree! Unfortunately Santa was too busy and couldn't do all of his stops in one night for some reason, so Emma was excited to wake up on Sunday morning to see that Santa came again!! Ahh - the innocence of a 4 year old - gotta love it! Before more family came, Evan enjoyed an early nap and Dad, Tim, Emma and I went snowmobiling! It was nice to be out on the trails and enjoy all the snow!
A shot of the grandkids.
Then - more presents! Again! Yup, my kids loving endured 4 days of Christmas and presents. This, duh!, lead to my previous post "All Christmas's Out!" Christmas was fabulous! The whole time was great and full of wonderful memories, which, I don't think were captured so well here unfortunately. The kid's energy was infectious and I know I have to treasure the few years of the wide-eyed innocence that Christmas holds for children. I just sent in Emma's kindergarten enrollment form and I know that once she gets in school, things will change. She is already wise behind her years (sigh) and I know school will only make it worse :-) Evan lovingly does everything his big sister does and it makes this even more fun. They love each other so much!
Thankfully New Years Eve was a 5 day event with just Tim, Emma, Evan, and myself at the cabin. We got to relax and enjoy each other. We played with new toys, watched new movies, at great food again, and went ice fishing. Hopefully, more on that later.
First - Evan's new favorite phrase "Hey Look Guys!" Or "Wait guys!" or anything with "guys". Hilarious.
Last - I got an A- in my last class!! YEA! Definitely cause for celebration.
Monday, December 27, 2010
All Christmas'd out
What a wonderful holiday we had! It was fabulous, exciting, tiring, but really good. The kids were beyond excited for the whole time and by yesterday afternoon, their little bodies were showing that they were all Christmas'd out. Emma was over tired, so goofy, disagreeable, and stubborn. Evan was just tired and coming down with a cold, so challenging in different ways.
But, let it all be known, that it was great. The kids were excited by Santa and happy with the presents he bought. The two most cherished were a Baby Alive Doll for Emma and a Cars trike for Evan. Both were unwrapped with bows on them under the tree and they were instantly discovered when the kids came down from their bedrooms. Then, the insanity started. Santa was clever and wrapped all Evan's presents in either Cars or Thomas the Train wrapping paper. Emma had TinkerBell or Princess wrapping paper. So, the kids were off and unwrapping presents as fast as they could be identified. This year was the year of Cars for Evan and he easily tripled the amount of Disney Cars paraphernalia he had and he couldn't have been happier. Emma was delighted with her own digital camera, dress up clothes and of course, a pillow pet! Both kids were full of energy and were often seen jumping about, exclaiming that "Santa camed! Santa camed!" He ate the cookies they laid out and we are pretty sure the reindeer ate the carrots and celery as well.
Santa was good to me as well, with a pair of earrings and a new video camera. :-)
More stories from Christmas at a later date - tomorrow hopefully- and more details about the 4 days of Christmas the kids enjoyed. Emma grumpily said today "What? No more Christmas parties?" and Evan stomped around the house, "No presents? WHY?" so, it is time for that holiday to be over. I did try to keep reminding Emma what the true meaning of Christmas is about, but it is hard for a 4 year old to understand.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
But, let it all be known, that it was great. The kids were excited by Santa and happy with the presents he bought. The two most cherished were a Baby Alive Doll for Emma and a Cars trike for Evan. Both were unwrapped with bows on them under the tree and they were instantly discovered when the kids came down from their bedrooms. Then, the insanity started. Santa was clever and wrapped all Evan's presents in either Cars or Thomas the Train wrapping paper. Emma had TinkerBell or Princess wrapping paper. So, the kids were off and unwrapping presents as fast as they could be identified. This year was the year of Cars for Evan and he easily tripled the amount of Disney Cars paraphernalia he had and he couldn't have been happier. Emma was delighted with her own digital camera, dress up clothes and of course, a pillow pet! Both kids were full of energy and were often seen jumping about, exclaiming that "Santa camed! Santa camed!" He ate the cookies they laid out and we are pretty sure the reindeer ate the carrots and celery as well.
Santa was good to me as well, with a pair of earrings and a new video camera. :-)
More stories from Christmas at a later date - tomorrow hopefully- and more details about the 4 days of Christmas the kids enjoyed. Emma grumpily said today "What? No more Christmas parties?" and Evan stomped around the house, "No presents? WHY?" so, it is time for that holiday to be over. I did try to keep reminding Emma what the true meaning of Christmas is about, but it is hard for a 4 year old to understand.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
I made a promise to myself...
to succeed,
keep smilin',
to stop and smell the roses,
to make the most of every day,
to keep trying,
to love,
to not judge others,
to have fun,
to be my best,
to dream big,
to reward myself,
to be true,
to stay young at heart,
to be positive,
to never stop,
to find the good in everything,
to endure.
(www.whoohagear.com)
Isn't that wonderful? It was on a shirt I received for Christmas from an old, dear friend of mine and I absolutely love it. There have been a lot of changes in my life this past year that have made life crazy busy, but this shirt will remind me that I need to stay true to myself and to my family and it will all work out.
keep smilin',
to stop and smell the roses,
to make the most of every day,
to keep trying,
to love,
to not judge others,
to have fun,
to be my best,
to dream big,
to reward myself,
to be true,
to stay young at heart,
to be positive,
to never stop,
to find the good in everything,
to endure.
(www.whoohagear.com)
Isn't that wonderful? It was on a shirt I received for Christmas from an old, dear friend of mine and I absolutely love it. There have been a lot of changes in my life this past year that have made life crazy busy, but this shirt will remind me that I need to stay true to myself and to my family and it will all work out.
Anticipation
Finally! It is here! The kids are beyond excited, Tim and I are ready and I am saying "Bring it On!" I don't know if I have ever been this prepared before actually. Presents are bought and wrapped, house is cleaned (yes, I just got it done), and Tim is cooking the supper tomorrow. Fabulous!
The kids had a Christmas daycare party today so they were all sugared and excited when they got home. They had a jammie day, had pizza, exchanged presents, ate sugar, danced, ate sugar, watched a Christmas movie, and ate more sugar. This will carry to tomorrow when we have the neighbor party! Starting with a french toast breakfast, sledding, holiday movie, maybe pizza?, presents, and of course there will be dancing, the kids will be over the moon. Then, tomorrow night is dinner with family and to bed early - hopefully. All I hope is that we can fit in naps tomorrow. Well, nap for the older one, the smaller one will definitely have a nap!
The buzz of the holidays is so exciting, but draining too. I am very ready for it to be here, but also ready for the after-buzz. The time when I can sit down, have a glass of wine and reflect on the wonderful memories of this Christmas.
Pictures! I am sure I will have tons of pictures soon :-)
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Drive safe and enjoy the time with your loved ones!
The kids had a Christmas daycare party today so they were all sugared and excited when they got home. They had a jammie day, had pizza, exchanged presents, ate sugar, danced, ate sugar, watched a Christmas movie, and ate more sugar. This will carry to tomorrow when we have the neighbor party! Starting with a french toast breakfast, sledding, holiday movie, maybe pizza?, presents, and of course there will be dancing, the kids will be over the moon. Then, tomorrow night is dinner with family and to bed early - hopefully. All I hope is that we can fit in naps tomorrow. Well, nap for the older one, the smaller one will definitely have a nap!
The buzz of the holidays is so exciting, but draining too. I am very ready for it to be here, but also ready for the after-buzz. The time when I can sit down, have a glass of wine and reflect on the wonderful memories of this Christmas.
Pictures! I am sure I will have tons of pictures soon :-)
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Drive safe and enjoy the time with your loved ones!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The sweet smell of freedom
School is done for 7 weeks! After a busy week of tests and final, I am done!! Now comes the list of things I have been meaning to do since school started. :-)
I just noticed it has been awhile since I post pictures. Here a few from the past few weeks.
Of course, the big news from this past weekend - SNOW! We got roughly 17 inches of snow and the kids loved every inch of it! We made it out Saturday morning around 9:00 so the kids could play before it got too heavy and too cold. So, laden with 2 kiddie sized shovels, one big shovel for me, and of course Tim on the lawnmower/snowplow, we were ready to go. Let's just say, lots of snow, lots to move, and the kids were having a ball. Well, Evan wasn't so happy as he really couldn't walk in it. So, not only did I have to carry large shovel, and small shovel, he was insistent that I carry him. They were good troopers and we stayed out for about an hour shoveling, playing, throwing ourselves in snowbanks. By the time we went in, it was a full blown blizzard. I tried to take a picture of our back deck with all the snow.
It really set the scene for the day. We decorated our Christmas Tree, made Christmas cookies and enjoyed all that the holidays have to offer. That night, the fireplace came on, a movie was played and the quietness of winter came upon us. It was wonderful. A real blizzard during the holidays. I know, I sound like a sappy holiday card, but I really thought it was wonderful. (aside from the pregnant with twins "I know better than the weather people and can make it to work and back just fine on my own" stubborn woman.) But, that really isn't a story for me to tell.
Some pictures of the day - decorating the tree and such.
The big elf:
The little elf who had to do everything his hero, his Daddy, did: (he saw his Dad put on gloves to move the tree, so he had to also)
The little project manager watching over and making sure everyone was doing their job:
The next day we were still snowed in for the most part. We tried to make it out to Sunday School, but our road wasn't plowed out yet. So, more time in the house playing and coloring. I printed out some Advent pictures and Nativity pictures for Emma to color and we had Sunday School at home. The neighbors came over for a bit to help decorate cookies and play. All in all, a wonderful weekend.
More pics:
Emma by the Christmas tree
Evan being goofy after going potty:
Life is good otherwise. Evan is doing awesome with potty training. He often has dry diapers now throughout the day and really is getting the hang of it for the most part. He continues to think he needs to go potty about every half an hour, which gets tough, but enjoys the M&M's and stickers he receives when he does well.
Emma continues to do her homework and play school and learn every day. Tim and I have her kindergarten open house tomorrow! AH! How can it be here already?! She is so excited and truly cannot wait for school. She is giddy about Christmas and loves opening up her advent calendar every night. I love experiencing the holidays with her and Evan. The holiday season means so much more because I have little people to enjoy it with.
I think I mentioned their need to constantly move the stockings around. Here is the conglomeration of chairs/stepstools/stockings to make it work.
Emma's picture of the Christmas Tree, Stockings, and her and I decorating.
And Evan naughty and in the naughty corner:
The kiddo's: healthy and happy!
Evan still is a little "Handy Manny"on his own and can often be found "fixing things" around the house. While decorating the Christmas Tree, he decided that if the ornaments did not have a hook on them, they were broken and required his play drill to fix them. Unfortunately, he actually broke one and ended up with pieces of ornaments on my carpet. He also had the bright idea that instead of stringing popcorn with a needle, he would just drill a hole in the popcorn instead. Let's just say, it didn't work out that well for him.
Emma really got into decorating the tree. She loved looking at all the ornaments, especially the ones with the pictures on them and could be found strategically placing them on the tree. She got into stringing popcorn for about 5 minutes. That idea of mine didn't go over that well.
I have a day of vacation tomorrow (all by myself!) to watch sappy Christmas movies and wrap presents. Then, as previously mentioned, the open house. The nice thing is Tim is taking off the afternoon as well so we will enjoy a nice lunch before the school meeting!
Happy Holidays!
Friday, December 10, 2010
O Christmas Tree
Boy oh boy, Do I love the holidays!
I love the decorations, the snow, the Christmas cards (mine due out next week hopefully!) and everything about it. I had off Monday from work, so I dug out all the Christmas decorations and the kids helped me decorate. Emma was so excited about it, she could barely contain herself. She was running from place to place tossing things here, decorating there, it was fun to watch. It literally looked like a snowman puked in here or something because I had stuff all over. I love watching her think about things. She placed a garland of fake white/silver berries on a door handle. Why, not so sure, but she thought it was lovely. Emma overloaded my entry way table with 3 snowmen, a decorated house, pine boughs, Christmas boxy thing, and a family picture. Take my word for it, the table is not that big :-)
Evan busied himself with the stockings. We have 7 stockings in our house that must be hung and for the two little ones, the manner in which they are hung is very important. (if you are doing the math in your head, yes, we have one for Sage. It is an old one that I had in my cute little apartment in St. Paul. So, no, I didn't buy it. The kids just thought it would be good for Sage) Anyway, as I am watching Emma skip from place to place, leaving glitter and pine cones in her wake, Evan has dragged the bathroom step stool all the way to the fireplace so he can busy himself with the stockings. He probably arranged those for an hour. it didn't help that Emma kept coming over to him and moving things around. She felt that her stocking always needed to be front and center.
I did not put up my Christmas village this year. I really like it and miss it actually, but with the craziness of life right now coupled with the fact that my Halloween village people mysteriously lost 2 heads this year, I thought it was best to leave it until next year.
Otherwise, we are good, healthy, and happy. We got our tree tonight which was a lot of fun! We thought it best for tonight - or the calm before the storm- to buy it. we will see if the forecast is accurate. I hope so! I want to wake up to tons of snow so I can make hot chocolate and decorate our Christmas tree with the kids. Sounds idyllic, doesn't it?! Anyway, we buy our tree local in Lake Elmo and of course, it is always a production. The tree farm is very nice and caters to the suburban family. Walking paths among the Christmas trees, a cozy fire to warm rosy cheeks, sleds for the kids,a tee pee, a warming house filled with apple cider and smiles, and of course, the damn expensive Christmas tree. It is pretty and smells great. I love having a real Christmas tree, but man! they are expensive. The kids love it and agree on it and it is sitting in my living room screaming for decorations!
We got it in the house and my little Mr. Fix-It had to help Tim center it in the stand. He got down really low and was turning the metal prongs. "I help Daddy. I do it!" and borrowing Tim's gloves to help with the branches. Emma was sitting on the staircase writing the plan for how to bring the tree in the house and where to put it. She takes after her Mama - a project manager already!
So - I am looking forward to this weekend.
News - Evan is being potty trained and doing really awesome actually. I created his potty chart on Monday and he already has 13 stickers on it! He was dry all day today and is really good at telling us when he needs to use the potty. Granted, it takes him maybe 10 minutes for the whole thing, but I am loving it! I bought some pull-ups yesterday I may pull out soon. He is getting so big and feels really proud of himself I think.
Notable quotes:
Emma has been involved (and jealous) of the whole Evan being potty trained as he is getting a lot of attention the past few days. So, she was in the bathroom with Tim and Evan once and looked at Tim and said "wow, it must really hurt when he poops out of that thing" Lovely, right?! We are trying to make the bathroom a private spot for the kids, but it is hard when it seriously takes Evan so long now PLUS, he thinks he has to go potty every hour. I spend a lot of time in the bathroom now.
A few weeks ago I was at a cousins birthday party. I was holding my little cousin Jaycee and Evan didn't want any part of that. He was trying to climb on my lap, trying to get Jaycee to move and then he finally looked at my Mom and proclaimed, "Take Her!" so he could reclaim his spot on my lap.
I do have some pictures, but don't feel like posting them at the moment.
that's all for my midnight ramblings tonight. Here's wishing for snow!
I love the decorations, the snow, the Christmas cards (mine due out next week hopefully!) and everything about it. I had off Monday from work, so I dug out all the Christmas decorations and the kids helped me decorate. Emma was so excited about it, she could barely contain herself. She was running from place to place tossing things here, decorating there, it was fun to watch. It literally looked like a snowman puked in here or something because I had stuff all over. I love watching her think about things. She placed a garland of fake white/silver berries on a door handle. Why, not so sure, but she thought it was lovely. Emma overloaded my entry way table with 3 snowmen, a decorated house, pine boughs, Christmas boxy thing, and a family picture. Take my word for it, the table is not that big :-)
Evan busied himself with the stockings. We have 7 stockings in our house that must be hung and for the two little ones, the manner in which they are hung is very important. (if you are doing the math in your head, yes, we have one for Sage. It is an old one that I had in my cute little apartment in St. Paul. So, no, I didn't buy it. The kids just thought it would be good for Sage) Anyway, as I am watching Emma skip from place to place, leaving glitter and pine cones in her wake, Evan has dragged the bathroom step stool all the way to the fireplace so he can busy himself with the stockings. He probably arranged those for an hour. it didn't help that Emma kept coming over to him and moving things around. She felt that her stocking always needed to be front and center.
I did not put up my Christmas village this year. I really like it and miss it actually, but with the craziness of life right now coupled with the fact that my Halloween village people mysteriously lost 2 heads this year, I thought it was best to leave it until next year.
Otherwise, we are good, healthy, and happy. We got our tree tonight which was a lot of fun! We thought it best for tonight - or the calm before the storm- to buy it. we will see if the forecast is accurate. I hope so! I want to wake up to tons of snow so I can make hot chocolate and decorate our Christmas tree with the kids. Sounds idyllic, doesn't it?! Anyway, we buy our tree local in Lake Elmo and of course, it is always a production. The tree farm is very nice and caters to the suburban family. Walking paths among the Christmas trees, a cozy fire to warm rosy cheeks, sleds for the kids,a tee pee, a warming house filled with apple cider and smiles, and of course, the damn expensive Christmas tree. It is pretty and smells great. I love having a real Christmas tree, but man! they are expensive. The kids love it and agree on it and it is sitting in my living room screaming for decorations!
We got it in the house and my little Mr. Fix-It had to help Tim center it in the stand. He got down really low and was turning the metal prongs. "I help Daddy. I do it!" and borrowing Tim's gloves to help with the branches. Emma was sitting on the staircase writing the plan for how to bring the tree in the house and where to put it. She takes after her Mama - a project manager already!
So - I am looking forward to this weekend.
News - Evan is being potty trained and doing really awesome actually. I created his potty chart on Monday and he already has 13 stickers on it! He was dry all day today and is really good at telling us when he needs to use the potty. Granted, it takes him maybe 10 minutes for the whole thing, but I am loving it! I bought some pull-ups yesterday I may pull out soon. He is getting so big and feels really proud of himself I think.
Notable quotes:
Emma has been involved (and jealous) of the whole Evan being potty trained as he is getting a lot of attention the past few days. So, she was in the bathroom with Tim and Evan once and looked at Tim and said "wow, it must really hurt when he poops out of that thing" Lovely, right?! We are trying to make the bathroom a private spot for the kids, but it is hard when it seriously takes Evan so long now PLUS, he thinks he has to go potty every hour. I spend a lot of time in the bathroom now.
A few weeks ago I was at a cousins birthday party. I was holding my little cousin Jaycee and Evan didn't want any part of that. He was trying to climb on my lap, trying to get Jaycee to move and then he finally looked at my Mom and proclaimed, "Take Her!" so he could reclaim his spot on my lap.
I do have some pictures, but don't feel like posting them at the moment.
that's all for my midnight ramblings tonight. Here's wishing for snow!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The holiday recap
The past two weeks have gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday I was furiously cleaning and making pies for Thanksgiving. Now we are sitting at 3 weeks to Christmas. Thankfully, I am almost done Christmas shopping. Like seriously almost done. This is amazing for me actually. Usually I still have a lot left to do at this point. Kristen and I ventured out at 5am the day after Thanksgiving and had a very productive trip. We really left at the correct time as usually the busiest store, Walmart, was tame and quiet actually. There were not lines for the registers, the aisles were not crazy, and they still had door busters left. Awesome! I got a lot done there. Target was a different story. I bought a few things, but that store was busier with a checkout lines around the store. Kmart was the last one and my shopping was basically done. So awesome.
Thanksgiving was very nice too. We had a small Thanksgiving here with the neighbors, my parents, Eric & Gaeb and us. Very nice. Tim and I cooked and baked, the kids watched some of the holiday shows, and then we did Thanksgiving crafts at Kristens. We all made turkeys out of gumdrops and other various candies PLUS holiday costumes with Native American headresses and coats. pretty fun. I remember making them when I was in preschool and thought they were pretty cool.
Dinner was on time (amazing with my husband) and fabulous! Games were played, kids ran around and watched Kung Fu Panda and all were gone around 7pm. Even better - ha :-) We feasted on traditional fare and I went crazy with desserts. I made a french silk pie, pecan pie, and cheesecake. YUM! All three were yummy.
After dinner is my favorite part. Relishing the quiet and looking at all the ads and making a gameplan for the next day. I have to admit, I wasn't really looking forward to going out that early as past years haven't proven to be as good, but this year I am happy I did. Around 10pm was Thanksgiving leftovers (the best part in my mind to hosting) and then bed.
Deer hunting in Durand was good for some, not for others. I did not get a deer. I did see one, but didn't get a shot at it. Tim did well for the hunting party and helped the others out as well. Let's just say he shot more than 1 deer and less than 4.
What else?? Work=good. Kids=awesome. Tim = good. School=thankfully almost done. Let's just say you know you picked the wrong professor when he keeps you late every class (usually 10 minutes) and declares at class the week of Thanksgiving at 8:59,"Happy Holidays! You will get out 1 minute early this time." Gee - thanks. don't you dare go overboard!
I have a whole list of things to do when class gets out. One of which is pray I get a B so I can apply for tuition reimbursement. Pray with me please. The one thing I always have to laugh/envy at class is the girl who sits in front of me. Each night of class she brings in a large candy bar/large cookie or something similar PLUS a whole tupperware full of cookies (at least 12, yes I counted one night in awe) and she eats all of it! Seriously, who does that? I would love to, but would be guilty the whole week after. She is not overweight also, just a killer metabolism apparently.
The next few weeks will be busy with holiday stuff - the normal hustle & bustle. And with that.. I have to run. I have a little boy who wants to play Thomas on my laptop.
No proofreading this time - what you see is what you get :-)
Happy Holidays!
Thanksgiving was very nice too. We had a small Thanksgiving here with the neighbors, my parents, Eric & Gaeb and us. Very nice. Tim and I cooked and baked, the kids watched some of the holiday shows, and then we did Thanksgiving crafts at Kristens. We all made turkeys out of gumdrops and other various candies PLUS holiday costumes with Native American headresses and coats. pretty fun. I remember making them when I was in preschool and thought they were pretty cool.
Dinner was on time (amazing with my husband) and fabulous! Games were played, kids ran around and watched Kung Fu Panda and all were gone around 7pm. Even better - ha :-) We feasted on traditional fare and I went crazy with desserts. I made a french silk pie, pecan pie, and cheesecake. YUM! All three were yummy.
After dinner is my favorite part. Relishing the quiet and looking at all the ads and making a gameplan for the next day. I have to admit, I wasn't really looking forward to going out that early as past years haven't proven to be as good, but this year I am happy I did. Around 10pm was Thanksgiving leftovers (the best part in my mind to hosting) and then bed.
Deer hunting in Durand was good for some, not for others. I did not get a deer. I did see one, but didn't get a shot at it. Tim did well for the hunting party and helped the others out as well. Let's just say he shot more than 1 deer and less than 4.
What else?? Work=good. Kids=awesome. Tim = good. School=thankfully almost done. Let's just say you know you picked the wrong professor when he keeps you late every class (usually 10 minutes) and declares at class the week of Thanksgiving at 8:59,"Happy Holidays! You will get out 1 minute early this time." Gee - thanks. don't you dare go overboard!
I have a whole list of things to do when class gets out. One of which is pray I get a B so I can apply for tuition reimbursement. Pray with me please. The one thing I always have to laugh/envy at class is the girl who sits in front of me. Each night of class she brings in a large candy bar/large cookie or something similar PLUS a whole tupperware full of cookies (at least 12, yes I counted one night in awe) and she eats all of it! Seriously, who does that? I would love to, but would be guilty the whole week after. She is not overweight also, just a killer metabolism apparently.
The next few weeks will be busy with holiday stuff - the normal hustle & bustle. And with that.. I have to run. I have a little boy who wants to play Thomas on my laptop.
No proofreading this time - what you see is what you get :-)
Happy Holidays!
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