So glad today is Friday! I've been looking forward to the weekend since uuuummm.... Monday! LOL. Tonight is MY night!! Dinner out and scrapping! Oh, and a little trip by the scrapbooking store to get some fun stuff I'm sure)... I can't wait!
**** As a disclaimer, I am not the type to rush out from the kids every chance I get, BUT, with Matt not getting home until almost 6 every night and then studying for the CFA all weekend and a couple of nights during the week, I'm exhausted. I love them dearly, but I am soooo looking forward to a night to do what I want. Maybe that's terrible, but that's where I am right now... And I can't wait until Matt takes the CFA. Here's to praying he passes!!
We went to playgroup this morning, and the kids had such fun playing! It was at Carolyn's house (Allison and Clare's mom) and we were there for about 3 hours. It was so nice that the kids were able to play outside for a while, and boy were they in heaven! I'm so glad that we're finally getting some warm weather! Katherine is ready to fill up the pool!!
After lunch I took them to the park for a while. Katherine rode her big girl bike, and Caleb rode in the stroller yelling "GO GO GO GO!" at me the whole time. He couldn't wait to get to the park. It's a great park for little kids -- there is so much to climb on and explore, and this is only phase 1 of 4. It's going to be wonderful! There were some bigger kids there (maybe 7 or 8 years old) and even though I was standing right there, Katherine was afraid that they'd hurt "my big brother". She is so protective of him, and he adores her in a way only a little brother could. They are developing this wonderfully close relationship, a relationship only found between siblings. They can just look each other and burst out laughing. They have their own inside jokes. They have their own language, which I'll never pretend I understand. I am so thankful that they have each other. And I am so thankful that I have them.
My cousin Crissy is on her way down for the weekend. Matt and the kids are going to spend a great night bonding together, and Crissy and I are going out for dinner and then planning on scrapping until super late. For me, that's somewhere between 2 and 3 am. Can't wait!!! I've been looking forward to this all week long! She's going to stop by PF Chang's on her way into town and put our name in, and as soon Matt walks in the door, I'm on my way out! I'm already looking forward to the lettuce wraps! Sooooo yummy!
Then I'm getting up early and heading to the 7:45 weight watchers meeting, and weather permitting, taking the kids to an Easter egg hunt at 9:30. Here's to hoping that the rain stays off until at least 10 am!! Katherine can't wait!! She had a blast last year, and is already planning out her strategy on how to get even more eggs this year. She was telling Caleb all about the Easter egg hunt this morning -- what he should do, how he should grab the eggs, how quickly he needed to run... She was a like a drill sergeant! But in the end of her list of directions, she looked at him, bent down to his eye level, grabbed his hand and said, "Don't worry Buddy, if you aren't fast enough to get a lot of eggs, I'll share mine with you. I just love you so much"... And then she kissed him on the forehead and got up. It's days like today that make me realize how incredibly blessed I am....
On a side note -- I was talking to Shani (one of the moms in Katherine's ballet class) and Carlene (the owner of the studio) last night about a flaw in the making of the dance recital costumes. The little girls are going to be flowers, and they have a headpiece that goes all the way around their face. The petals are attached to the headpiece, and because they aren't tacked back, they flop in their faces. Since I don't sew, a needle and thread aren't an option for me! LOL!! Shani also scrapbooks, and I suggested that we use glue dots (an adhesive in scrapbooking used to attach heavier embellishments such as ribbon, buttons, metal, etc). We all thought it'd work as the headpiece is a really light mesh fabric. Carlene seemed very interested that we scrabooked..... I was laughing about this girl I know who offered me $20/page to make a baby book for her. I mean REALLY..... that's insane!! A ton of money! Carlene asked if I'd bring in an album and show her my work. I happened to have about 30 pages out in the car because Shani also wanted to see part of Caleb's baby book. Carlene then went on to tell me that she'd been looking for someone to make a book for her daughter who is graduating next May and wondered if I'd to a book for her too. She also pay me $20/page!! How INSANE is that???? Since I'm behind on the kiddos books, I want to work on that, but what good money to feed my habit! LOL.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Disappointed...
Remember how I told you all that Matt and I wanted to buy the house in the back yard that is currently occupied by the Chinese family and that the dad/husband has been in California for the past year??? It had been for sale last year and they pulled it off the market so that their oldest son could graduate from high school. The house is directly next door to Andrea, and Matt and I told her that if she runs into Sharon (the owner of the house) to let her know that we are interested... Well, Andrea ran into her.... She's not sure if she's going to move to California after all. Her husband is staying out west, and her son who is graduating this year will be attending college out there... The problem???? She likes her job, she likes Iowa.... What kind of marriage is that??? And they still have another little boy in maybe 4th grade or so.... Don't they want to live together as a family???? UUUUUUGH! Andrea got the feeling that she might still sell the house and move out to California, but there was such a communication gap, that she wasn't sure what Sharon was trying to tell her... Sooooo frustrating!! I'm going to talk to Sharon myself!!
Superhero
Today I was a superhero in Katherine's eyes ... if only for a moment. I was the strongest, bravest, most caring woman she'd ever met. I helped to save a life -- an earthworm's life to be exact! LOL!! We were on our way out for the morning, and as I was putting Caleb in his car seat, Katherine was riding her big wheel around the garage. It had rained last night, and when we opened the garage door, the pavement was still wet in the door seal (where the garage door meets the pavement), and 6 or 7 earthworms were wiggling around underneath. These weren't just any worms, they were the HUGE kind, the big fat ones with the thick band around the middle. Let's just say that if I wanted to take up fishing, I'd use these suckers as bait. Thank God I scrapbook rather than fish!! HA-HA!! Soooo disgusting.
"Please watch out for them Momma. Don't run the car over them, promise me???" Of course, honey, I won't hurt them. I'll watch out for them, I assure her.... She then gets out a piece of sidewalk chalk and determines that they are right in the way of the car wheel.... WHAT??? Since when is she soooo concerned with the plight of the earthworm??? Today I guess.... "We have to help them Mommy... They can't do it without us...." This is definitely one of those things that falls under the "if it's important to her, it's important to me" category. Right, of course I'll help the slimy, wiggling worms find their home... I certainly wouldn't want them to be separated from their Mommy... Now the big question. How am I going to move them? With my fingers? I think NOT!! Matt has some tools hanging on the wall -- they wouldn't work... A broom?? Nope, that didn't work either... So I finally went into the house and pulled out one of my weeping willows off the hearth and flung them out in the yard. We did it! We saved their lives! Little Katherine threw her heavy arms around my neck and gave me the kiss of a lifetime. She was beaming. "We did it Mommy!! We saved the worms! You are the goodest woman in the whole wide world. You're just the greatest!" What a feeling -- what a wonderful and exhilarating feeling it is to be the absolute best in the eyes of your child if only for a moment. I'd move a ton of earthworms for that.
"Please watch out for them Momma. Don't run the car over them, promise me???" Of course, honey, I won't hurt them. I'll watch out for them, I assure her.... She then gets out a piece of sidewalk chalk and determines that they are right in the way of the car wheel.... WHAT??? Since when is she soooo concerned with the plight of the earthworm??? Today I guess.... "We have to help them Mommy... They can't do it without us...." This is definitely one of those things that falls under the "if it's important to her, it's important to me" category. Right, of course I'll help the slimy, wiggling worms find their home... I certainly wouldn't want them to be separated from their Mommy... Now the big question. How am I going to move them? With my fingers? I think NOT!! Matt has some tools hanging on the wall -- they wouldn't work... A broom?? Nope, that didn't work either... So I finally went into the house and pulled out one of my weeping willows off the hearth and flung them out in the yard. We did it! We saved their lives! Little Katherine threw her heavy arms around my neck and gave me the kiss of a lifetime. She was beaming. "We did it Mommy!! We saved the worms! You are the goodest woman in the whole wide world. You're just the greatest!" What a feeling -- what a wonderful and exhilarating feeling it is to be the absolute best in the eyes of your child if only for a moment. I'd move a ton of earthworms for that.
busy, busy, busy...
AAAAH... the last few days have been soooo busy. And, since it's late, you get the short version....
My brother decided to come home on Saturday, and since we already had plans that night, we spent most of Sunday with him. After church we all went out for lunch, and Katherine once again, got her fill of pancakes and bacon. Caleb hadn't seen my dad in a couple of days, and he was going through serious grandpa withdrawal. So, for the FIRST TIME at a restaurant, we let him out of the high chair, and he sat in the booth next to my dad. I didn't dream it'd actually work, but he actually sat there -- good as gold -- the whole time. I was shocked! After the kids took their naps, Isaac wanted to take Katherine to the movies. So Matt stayed home with Caleb for a little father/son bonding time, and Katherine and I went to the movies with my parents, brother, sister and Clyde and Morgan. Katherine had a wonderful time snacking on popcorn and drinking more Sprite than I thought humanly possible!
Since it was sooo nice out on Monday, we decided to take our first zoo trip of the summer. We invited one of Katherine's preschool friends and his mom. Thank goodness that the trip was more about being outside than seeing the animals. Why you might ask??? We did go to the zoo with the intention of seeing animals, but pretty much all we saw was empty cages!! LOL!! I am not kidding -- over half the animals were either "out for surgery" or just missing... HUH?? The zoo is open with almost NO animals in their cages... What in the world? The entire Africa exhibit was closed.... Giraffes and zebras must not like being outside if it's 80 degrees and sunny..... Oh, and the train -- not running. And the snack bars -- yep, you guessed it ... closed. Let's see, we saw two sea lions, some ground hogs, tigers, lions, monkeys and that might have been it.... Oh well, the kids had fun, so that's all that matters. If they're happy, I'm happy!
Monday night, we met up with a bunch of other kids from the neighborhood and went to the park that just opened by our house. As soon as Caleb saw the park, he started yelling "GO GO GO GO GO!!!" He so loves playing at parks!
Tonight after dinner, we went over to Michelle's house for a little while so that Matt could study. Caleb had a blast playing in the sandbox!! Another first for him!!! Katherine and Ben played like two little angels, sharing all the toys, making up games and running around the backyard. They were worn out!!
When we got home, it was bed time for the kids, and I went for a walk with Andrea and Danyel. They think we walked about 2.5 miles.... Here's to hoping that weight watchers goes well this week. I'll never catch up with Val, but as long as I'm going in the right direction, I'm happy!
My brother decided to come home on Saturday, and since we already had plans that night, we spent most of Sunday with him. After church we all went out for lunch, and Katherine once again, got her fill of pancakes and bacon. Caleb hadn't seen my dad in a couple of days, and he was going through serious grandpa withdrawal. So, for the FIRST TIME at a restaurant, we let him out of the high chair, and he sat in the booth next to my dad. I didn't dream it'd actually work, but he actually sat there -- good as gold -- the whole time. I was shocked! After the kids took their naps, Isaac wanted to take Katherine to the movies. So Matt stayed home with Caleb for a little father/son bonding time, and Katherine and I went to the movies with my parents, brother, sister and Clyde and Morgan. Katherine had a wonderful time snacking on popcorn and drinking more Sprite than I thought humanly possible!
Since it was sooo nice out on Monday, we decided to take our first zoo trip of the summer. We invited one of Katherine's preschool friends and his mom. Thank goodness that the trip was more about being outside than seeing the animals. Why you might ask??? We did go to the zoo with the intention of seeing animals, but pretty much all we saw was empty cages!! LOL!! I am not kidding -- over half the animals were either "out for surgery" or just missing... HUH?? The zoo is open with almost NO animals in their cages... What in the world? The entire Africa exhibit was closed.... Giraffes and zebras must not like being outside if it's 80 degrees and sunny..... Oh, and the train -- not running. And the snack bars -- yep, you guessed it ... closed. Let's see, we saw two sea lions, some ground hogs, tigers, lions, monkeys and that might have been it.... Oh well, the kids had fun, so that's all that matters. If they're happy, I'm happy!
Monday night, we met up with a bunch of other kids from the neighborhood and went to the park that just opened by our house. As soon as Caleb saw the park, he started yelling "GO GO GO GO GO!!!" He so loves playing at parks!
Tonight after dinner, we went over to Michelle's house for a little while so that Matt could study. Caleb had a blast playing in the sandbox!! Another first for him!!! Katherine and Ben played like two little angels, sharing all the toys, making up games and running around the backyard. They were worn out!!
When we got home, it was bed time for the kids, and I went for a walk with Andrea and Danyel. They think we walked about 2.5 miles.... Here's to hoping that weight watchers goes well this week. I'll never catch up with Val, but as long as I'm going in the right direction, I'm happy!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Stolen....
I stole this from Kim's blog -- you bold the items that you have accomplished...
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said “I love you” and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
39. Had two hard drives for your computer and a 300 gig external!
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love!
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (45.5 kilograms)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Swam with a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream.
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said “I love you” and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
39. Had two hard drives for your computer and a 300 gig external!
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love!
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (45.5 kilograms)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Swam with a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream.
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Saturday, March 24, 2007
It's official...
Summer has arrived! I'm sooo in heaven!
The kids got up from their nap shortly before 4, and I decided to take them to the new park in our neighborhood. I called Jodi (she lives across the street) to see if she and her daughter, Abby, wanted to join us. The kids rode their bikes and were so incredibly happy to be playing outside in the sunshine! Katherine was all decked out -- riding her new big girl Barbie bike with the Ariel helmet Todd and Caroline got her for her birthday. You could just tell she felt on top of the world! Right as we were taking the last turn into the park, she tipped over on the bike. She instantly started sobbing, and as tears were spilling down her cheeks, she said, "Oh Mommy, this has been such a BAAAAAD day"! What?!?!? You had playgroup at your house AND got to have lunch with Aunt Kelly AND now you're on the way to the park. For cryin' out loud girlfriend, it's been all good! LOL!!
Since the park was surrounded with the rubber chip-type things, I thought we wouldn't have a mud problem. Boy was I wrong!! When Caleb felt that he had sufficiently seen all of the play equipment, he decided that that it was time for a little run beyond the playground boarders. Let's just say that he was a mud magnet! His shoes and pants were covered up to the knee!! (Thank goodness that they weren't the squeaky shoes!!) Over the course of the 2 hours we were at the park, the mud kept creeping up his body. I'm not sure what happened to Katherine, but when I looked over at her, her face was covered in smeared mud! If being dirty was any measure of a child having a good time, then mine had the time of their lives! There were about 10 neighborhood kids there and then one girl from her preschool class showed up. What can be better than visiting a freshly opened park and knowing almost everyone there??? On the walk home, Caleb notice and yelled out two of his favorite things -- garbage cans (think Oscar) and basket ball hoops. Fun times.
When we got home, Matt was waiting for us. We chatted for a few minutes and got cleaned up before heading over to Andrea's. We were going to grill some shrimp for the adults and order pizza for the kids and I, but it didn't quite work out that way.... What started off as two sets of neighbors getting together for dinner turned into an impromptu neighborhood party. 4 families came out to join us in the backyard. (So there were 6 families total). Before we knew it, it was 7:30 and no one had eaten. So we called Casey's, and had everyone ate dinner on the deck. The highlight of evening for the kids was flashlight tag in the backyard. Even Caleb was running around with one, but the poor kid had no idea what to do with it. At first he was convinced that it was a microphone, and then he decided it was funny to shine it up his nose... LOL!! Oh -- and Katherine had a big first tonight.... There is a huge old tree right in the middle of the backyard. I saw two flashlights up there and realized that Katherine and Max had climbed the tree. If only I had my camera!
Tomorrow morning I'm going to weight watchers with Lisa and Kelly. Not looking forward to the guaranteed gain first thing in the morning! Let's just say it's been a bad week! Right after the meeting, Lisa and I are taking the kids to the zoo. Katherine adores her two step-sons-to-be, so she's really looking forward to it!
It's very late - the neighborhood get together lasted waaaay past my bedtime, and I can't stay awake any longer.
The kids got up from their nap shortly before 4, and I decided to take them to the new park in our neighborhood. I called Jodi (she lives across the street) to see if she and her daughter, Abby, wanted to join us. The kids rode their bikes and were so incredibly happy to be playing outside in the sunshine! Katherine was all decked out -- riding her new big girl Barbie bike with the Ariel helmet Todd and Caroline got her for her birthday. You could just tell she felt on top of the world! Right as we were taking the last turn into the park, she tipped over on the bike. She instantly started sobbing, and as tears were spilling down her cheeks, she said, "Oh Mommy, this has been such a BAAAAAD day"! What?!?!? You had playgroup at your house AND got to have lunch with Aunt Kelly AND now you're on the way to the park. For cryin' out loud girlfriend, it's been all good! LOL!!
Since the park was surrounded with the rubber chip-type things, I thought we wouldn't have a mud problem. Boy was I wrong!! When Caleb felt that he had sufficiently seen all of the play equipment, he decided that that it was time for a little run beyond the playground boarders. Let's just say that he was a mud magnet! His shoes and pants were covered up to the knee!! (Thank goodness that they weren't the squeaky shoes!!) Over the course of the 2 hours we were at the park, the mud kept creeping up his body. I'm not sure what happened to Katherine, but when I looked over at her, her face was covered in smeared mud! If being dirty was any measure of a child having a good time, then mine had the time of their lives! There were about 10 neighborhood kids there and then one girl from her preschool class showed up. What can be better than visiting a freshly opened park and knowing almost everyone there??? On the walk home, Caleb notice and yelled out two of his favorite things -- garbage cans (think Oscar) and basket ball hoops. Fun times.
When we got home, Matt was waiting for us. We chatted for a few minutes and got cleaned up before heading over to Andrea's. We were going to grill some shrimp for the adults and order pizza for the kids and I, but it didn't quite work out that way.... What started off as two sets of neighbors getting together for dinner turned into an impromptu neighborhood party. 4 families came out to join us in the backyard. (So there were 6 families total). Before we knew it, it was 7:30 and no one had eaten. So we called Casey's, and had everyone ate dinner on the deck. The highlight of evening for the kids was flashlight tag in the backyard. Even Caleb was running around with one, but the poor kid had no idea what to do with it. At first he was convinced that it was a microphone, and then he decided it was funny to shine it up his nose... LOL!! Oh -- and Katherine had a big first tonight.... There is a huge old tree right in the middle of the backyard. I saw two flashlights up there and realized that Katherine and Max had climbed the tree. If only I had my camera!
Tomorrow morning I'm going to weight watchers with Lisa and Kelly. Not looking forward to the guaranteed gain first thing in the morning! Let's just say it's been a bad week! Right after the meeting, Lisa and I are taking the kids to the zoo. Katherine adores her two step-sons-to-be, so she's really looking forward to it!
It's very late - the neighborhood get together lasted waaaay past my bedtime, and I can't stay awake any longer.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Play group
Was a huge success!! The kids had a blast -- all 33 of them. Everyone got along so well -- they played in the basement and tented everything (swing set, treadmill, Barbie house etc) with blankets and played hide & seek and house for over three hours. There were scooters, bikes and toddler ride-on-toys racing around the kitchen island. There were little girls stripping down to their undies in the middle of the living room so that they could play dress up and have tea. There were cartwheel contests. There was a parade with WAY too many whistles. Poor Max (Andrea's oldest son) was covering his ears due to the noise. It was REALLY LOUD! Thankfully I had just gone to Costco, so we had enough juice boxes to go around! They had snacks, and only two levels of the house needs a touch up... They weren't nearly as messy as I had feared, and thankfully they followed the one rule -- stay out of Matt's study room... All I can say is... holy cow, that many kids running around makes for complete chaos! LOL. But, I wouldn't have it any other way... Which reminds me, we need a bigger house to accommodate that many friends.....
For those of you who don't know... Matt and I are thinking of moving. We've been toying with the idea for a while now, but I was really resisting moving out of the neighborhood. I know I've said it a million times, but we really do have the best neighborhood, and you just can't put a price on that... Anyway... there is a house in the backyard coming for sale. It's directly behind us, and one to the right as you look out on our deck. (It's directly next door to Andrea's house). The couple is Chinese (the only reason I mention this is because their English is really poor and they are incredibly difficult to understand), and the husband (I have no idea what his name is) originally did research for Texas A&M. He decided to transfer to Iowa State, which is why they moved to Des Moines. For what ever reason, he really didn't like it, so now is working in California -- UCLA, I think... They tried to sell their house last year, but weren't successful, so since their son was going to be a senior, they pulled it off the market so that he could graduate here. It's going back on the market any day now, and we're considering selling our house and buying that one. No one in the neighborhood has been in the house, but Andrea told me that it's the same builder as her house, slightly bigger -- and thus more expensive, but generally similar floor plans. If that's the case, I'm all for it. And how easy... we wouldn't even need movers this time! All of the neighbors have already offered to pitch in! Yes, this is a GREAT neighborhood.
Tonight we are going over to Troy and Andrea's for a little BBQ. They are grilling shrimp (it's lent), but since I don't eat anything that swims, the kids and I are having pizza! LOL!! It's also sooo nice here that tonight we'll probably get to play outside. Oh, how Caleb loves to run free! Hopefully it's dry enough to play in the backyard, because when we're out front, he makes a bee line for the street....
Today after playgroup, we went downtown to have lunch with Kelly -- a good friend of mine that I met while working at Principal. Katherine absolutely adores her, and calls her "Aunt Kelly". Every year, we go trick-or-treating at Kelly's the day before Beggar's night. (They don't let kids go trick-or-treating on Halloween in Des Moines, so they made up Beggar's night...). The kids get all dressed up, and Aunt Kelly showers them with little toys and tons of candy. She lives in an old part of Des Moines filled with tree lined streets. Katherine was sooo amazed with the sights, that she's convinced that Kelly lives in a forest! LOL!! All she could talk about the whole way home today is going to visit Kelly in her forest again soon! This whole "forest" concept is so foreign to her -- sooo not her reality living in a new development. So this fall, we'll have to make many visits over to Aunt Kelly's house so the kids can jump in the leaves!
For those of you who don't know... Matt and I are thinking of moving. We've been toying with the idea for a while now, but I was really resisting moving out of the neighborhood. I know I've said it a million times, but we really do have the best neighborhood, and you just can't put a price on that... Anyway... there is a house in the backyard coming for sale. It's directly behind us, and one to the right as you look out on our deck. (It's directly next door to Andrea's house). The couple is Chinese (the only reason I mention this is because their English is really poor and they are incredibly difficult to understand), and the husband (I have no idea what his name is) originally did research for Texas A&M. He decided to transfer to Iowa State, which is why they moved to Des Moines. For what ever reason, he really didn't like it, so now is working in California -- UCLA, I think... They tried to sell their house last year, but weren't successful, so since their son was going to be a senior, they pulled it off the market so that he could graduate here. It's going back on the market any day now, and we're considering selling our house and buying that one. No one in the neighborhood has been in the house, but Andrea told me that it's the same builder as her house, slightly bigger -- and thus more expensive, but generally similar floor plans. If that's the case, I'm all for it. And how easy... we wouldn't even need movers this time! All of the neighbors have already offered to pitch in! Yes, this is a GREAT neighborhood.
Tonight we are going over to Troy and Andrea's for a little BBQ. They are grilling shrimp (it's lent), but since I don't eat anything that swims, the kids and I are having pizza! LOL!! It's also sooo nice here that tonight we'll probably get to play outside. Oh, how Caleb loves to run free! Hopefully it's dry enough to play in the backyard, because when we're out front, he makes a bee line for the street....
Today after playgroup, we went downtown to have lunch with Kelly -- a good friend of mine that I met while working at Principal. Katherine absolutely adores her, and calls her "Aunt Kelly". Every year, we go trick-or-treating at Kelly's the day before Beggar's night. (They don't let kids go trick-or-treating on Halloween in Des Moines, so they made up Beggar's night...). The kids get all dressed up, and Aunt Kelly showers them with little toys and tons of candy. She lives in an old part of Des Moines filled with tree lined streets. Katherine was sooo amazed with the sights, that she's convinced that Kelly lives in a forest! LOL!! All she could talk about the whole way home today is going to visit Kelly in her forest again soon! This whole "forest" concept is so foreign to her -- sooo not her reality living in a new development. So this fall, we'll have to make many visits over to Aunt Kelly's house so the kids can jump in the leaves!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Girls night out...
Was a blast!! There was 16 of us in total, and we laughed and chatted way past our normal mommy bedtimes!! Dinner was super yummy and the wine.... let's just say that Matt "strongly encouraged" me not blog when I was tipsy! LOL. It's been soooo long. Actually I can't remember the last time.
Thankfully the kids slept late -- Katherine until 8:30 and Caleb until 9:15... What a luxury! I feel like a new woman! Going out with the girls and sleeping in late -- all in the same week!
Today we were going to play with the Burkle's -- possibly going to to the zoo. However, since my kids (and I) slept in, we just went over to their house. I brought Katherine's new bike and we all went for a walk and enjoyed the nice weather. She had such a blast riding around on her new bike. She was grinning from ear to ear the whole time.
Tonight we have ballet class, and after we get home, I need to clean a little.... Play group is here in the morning, and I was trying to get a count on how many would show up. As of now, I think it's going to be somewhere between 30 and 34 kids. My house will be destroyed!!!! It's funny, I felt like George Banks (Father of the Bride) getting a count of anyone who would not be attending... When I found out Danyel was in Iowa City all weekend, I nearly jumped out of my chair -- minus 2!! LOL!
Saturday night we're going out to dinner with some friends from high school (Val -- Aaron Lee and Katie Faber -- I guess they're married now, but she's still Faber to me!), so I'll have to do another quick spit shine on the house in case they decide to stop over here afterward. I'd just DIE if anyone saw my house after having 30 kids in it for 3 hours!!
Thankfully the kids slept late -- Katherine until 8:30 and Caleb until 9:15... What a luxury! I feel like a new woman! Going out with the girls and sleeping in late -- all in the same week!
Today we were going to play with the Burkle's -- possibly going to to the zoo. However, since my kids (and I) slept in, we just went over to their house. I brought Katherine's new bike and we all went for a walk and enjoyed the nice weather. She had such a blast riding around on her new bike. She was grinning from ear to ear the whole time.
Tonight we have ballet class, and after we get home, I need to clean a little.... Play group is here in the morning, and I was trying to get a count on how many would show up. As of now, I think it's going to be somewhere between 30 and 34 kids. My house will be destroyed!!!! It's funny, I felt like George Banks (Father of the Bride) getting a count of anyone who would not be attending... When I found out Danyel was in Iowa City all weekend, I nearly jumped out of my chair -- minus 2!! LOL!
Saturday night we're going out to dinner with some friends from high school (Val -- Aaron Lee and Katie Faber -- I guess they're married now, but she's still Faber to me!), so I'll have to do another quick spit shine on the house in case they decide to stop over here afterward. I'd just DIE if anyone saw my house after having 30 kids in it for 3 hours!!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Shopping!!
Today, Carolyn and I went to Williamsburg shopping with the kids. I had been wanting to go and get Katherine some summer clothes for quite a while, and it finally warmed up enough to hit the outlets. Oh, did she have fun! She LOVES shopping -- especially for clothes and especially for herself!! She was picking out tons of different outfits and trying them on right over her street clothes in the middle of the store. Lately she's been noticing, and pointing out every "4" she sees, now that she's 4... Well, she saw a dress -- 24 months -- and before I know it, she's putting it over her head, and squeezing into it... She goes up to the mirror and says, "Mommy, don't I just look beautiful?" How could I say no???? LOL!! The dress, however, didn't make it out of the store...
Caleb was bored out of his mind. The first store we went into had a little play area -- Lego's, puzzles, table/chairs... He sat and ate snacks for a while and then wanted to push the table and chairs all over the store.... All I can say is THANK GOD for the squeaky shoes!! I always know exactly where he is -- especially when he decides that it's a good idea to hide under the racks... Oh, little boys! And can I just say -- those shoes are the ULTIMATE conversation starter. I'm actually considering ordering 20 pair off the internet and giving them for baby gifts until they run out.
Right before we were leaving, I couldn't find his plug (pacifier) anywhere. We were all (clerks included) looking for it to no avail. I finally turned to Caleb and said, "Sweetie, I can't find your plug. Do you know where you left it??" He looks at me, laughs and almost lays down pressing his little cheek on the floor and peering under the girl pajama rack... Still no plug... Not thinking he'd actually hide his plug under the little girl jammies, I humor him and move them out of the way so that we could see the floor. Sure enough! Jack pot! My little heart throb is hiding his stuff in girl jammies!! Oh, the next 18 years could kill me! LOL!!
Tomorrow morning we are going to Jumpin' Jacks for a play date with some of the kids from Katherine's preschool class. Since they don't have school this week with Spring Break, I thought it'd be fun if some of us got together to play and have lunch. Jumpin' Jacks has tons of inflatables, so hopefully they'll run some energy off!
Tomorrow night is girls night out and I'm sooooo excited! We are heading to Mrs. Trussler's to celebrate Carolyn's birthday, and I'm "guessing" there'll be a bottle or two of wine involved. I can't wait!!
Caleb was bored out of his mind. The first store we went into had a little play area -- Lego's, puzzles, table/chairs... He sat and ate snacks for a while and then wanted to push the table and chairs all over the store.... All I can say is THANK GOD for the squeaky shoes!! I always know exactly where he is -- especially when he decides that it's a good idea to hide under the racks... Oh, little boys! And can I just say -- those shoes are the ULTIMATE conversation starter. I'm actually considering ordering 20 pair off the internet and giving them for baby gifts until they run out.
Right before we were leaving, I couldn't find his plug (pacifier) anywhere. We were all (clerks included) looking for it to no avail. I finally turned to Caleb and said, "Sweetie, I can't find your plug. Do you know where you left it??" He looks at me, laughs and almost lays down pressing his little cheek on the floor and peering under the girl pajama rack... Still no plug... Not thinking he'd actually hide his plug under the little girl jammies, I humor him and move them out of the way so that we could see the floor. Sure enough! Jack pot! My little heart throb is hiding his stuff in girl jammies!! Oh, the next 18 years could kill me! LOL!!
Tomorrow morning we are going to Jumpin' Jacks for a play date with some of the kids from Katherine's preschool class. Since they don't have school this week with Spring Break, I thought it'd be fun if some of us got together to play and have lunch. Jumpin' Jacks has tons of inflatables, so hopefully they'll run some energy off!
Tomorrow night is girls night out and I'm sooooo excited! We are heading to Mrs. Trussler's to celebrate Carolyn's birthday, and I'm "guessing" there'll be a bottle or two of wine involved. I can't wait!!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Ignorance is bliss...
at least to a 4 year old.... Today at her 4 year well child check-up, Katherine was scheduled to get a shot. ONE SHOT... Not three like her brother, just one. The ever patient and sooooo wonderful Dr. Jon, spent more that 5 minutes talking to her about it. It didn't work. LOL!! There was nothing he could do or say to convince her that it'd be OK... I finally asked her if she wanted to be the shot "leader", or if she wanted Caleb to be. She decided (as with everything else) that she should indeed go first. To say that it was a terrible experience would be the understatement of the year!! UUUUUUGH! It took me and one other nurse to hold her down and then a second nurse to actually give the shot (in her leg -- not butt....). She cried and tried to squirm off the table for so long that the poor girl broke out in hives. LOL!!! It was quite the sight. I'm sure everyone in the entire office heard it. How could you not??? Sound proof walls are only SO GOOD, and this girl's got a set of lungs on her.....
And then there was poor little Caleb. Oh, how he LOVES Dr. Jon! He crawled right up on his lap and gave him a big hug. They played the tickle game and peek-a-boo. They were giving high 5's. They were playing catch with a little ball. Caleb let Jon poke and prod all he wanted... He was having fun -- until the shots. The poor little guy didn't know what was coming -- which is infinitely better than Katherine, who knew it was coming and resisted it all the way.... He got his shots, cried for all of 5 seconds and was on his way!
Lisa, Dr. Jon's nurse, gave Katherine a TON of stickers for being sooo brave with the shots. (*Are you kidding me???*) She probably got close to 20... As I was getting Caleb dressed, I heard her out in the hallway talking to Lisa. All of a sudden, she says, "Excuse me please, but you didn't give my big brother any stickers. I don't want him to be left out, and he likes stickers just like us big kids"! Alrighty then!! LOL. Let's just say that Caleb got his fair share of stickers too!!
Update on their height and weight and the corresponding percentiles:
Caleb is 32 1/4 inches tall -- 50%; 22 pounds 10%; and 49.8 cm head circumference which is the 85%. So, he's average in height, skinny and has a large head! LOL!! He really doesn't look thin to me.....
Katherine is 38 1/4 inches tall -- 25% and 31 pounds -- 25%. At least she's proportionate! For the longest time, she was under the 5th percentile for weight, so I'm glad to see that she's finally gaining a little!
After we were done at the Dr. Jon's office, we went over to Burkle's so that Katherine and Ben could play together. We had lunch over there, and then all went to Costco... Nothing too exciting today -- just finally out and enjoying the sunshine!!
This week is going to be super busy -- we have something going on every night... Tomorrow night I'm headed off for a little get-together at one of the preschool teacher's house with some of the other moms. Wednesday night I'm going to a birthday dinner at Mrs. Trussler's for a friend (and neighbor of mine), and Thursday night, Katherine has ballet. Friday morning it's our turn to host play group. I've always enjoyed hosting it, but since this is spring break week and some of the older kids won't have school, I could have well over 30 kids in my house. Can I just tell you what a disaster it'll be??? I hate to say this, but I'm soooo dreading the mess!
And then there was poor little Caleb. Oh, how he LOVES Dr. Jon! He crawled right up on his lap and gave him a big hug. They played the tickle game and peek-a-boo. They were giving high 5's. They were playing catch with a little ball. Caleb let Jon poke and prod all he wanted... He was having fun -- until the shots. The poor little guy didn't know what was coming -- which is infinitely better than Katherine, who knew it was coming and resisted it all the way.... He got his shots, cried for all of 5 seconds and was on his way!
Lisa, Dr. Jon's nurse, gave Katherine a TON of stickers for being sooo brave with the shots. (*Are you kidding me???*) She probably got close to 20... As I was getting Caleb dressed, I heard her out in the hallway talking to Lisa. All of a sudden, she says, "Excuse me please, but you didn't give my big brother any stickers. I don't want him to be left out, and he likes stickers just like us big kids"! Alrighty then!! LOL. Let's just say that Caleb got his fair share of stickers too!!
Update on their height and weight and the corresponding percentiles:
Caleb is 32 1/4 inches tall -- 50%; 22 pounds 10%; and 49.8 cm head circumference which is the 85%. So, he's average in height, skinny and has a large head! LOL!! He really doesn't look thin to me.....
Katherine is 38 1/4 inches tall -- 25% and 31 pounds -- 25%. At least she's proportionate! For the longest time, she was under the 5th percentile for weight, so I'm glad to see that she's finally gaining a little!
After we were done at the Dr. Jon's office, we went over to Burkle's so that Katherine and Ben could play together. We had lunch over there, and then all went to Costco... Nothing too exciting today -- just finally out and enjoying the sunshine!!
This week is going to be super busy -- we have something going on every night... Tomorrow night I'm headed off for a little get-together at one of the preschool teacher's house with some of the other moms. Wednesday night I'm going to a birthday dinner at Mrs. Trussler's for a friend (and neighbor of mine), and Thursday night, Katherine has ballet. Friday morning it's our turn to host play group. I've always enjoyed hosting it, but since this is spring break week and some of the older kids won't have school, I could have well over 30 kids in my house. Can I just tell you what a disaster it'll be??? I hate to say this, but I'm soooo dreading the mess!
Sunday school drama...
AAAAAHHH..... I should have known that the Sunday school drop off would not have gone as smoothly as I'd hoped... We talked it up last night and again this morning. She seemed ready for the change, but had lots of questions. However when we actually arrived, huge crocodile tears spilled down her cheeks -- she was sobbing. She wanted to go to Teacher Ron's class. She didn't want to be 4 yet. She'd miss seeing her friends. She wasn't ready for the change -- yet. Maybe next week. Maybe when she's 5... *Sigh* Poor Katherine.... She stood in the hallway crying for everything she's known for the past year. She was crying for something that was in visible sight -- 6 feet down the hallway, but couldn't go to. My heart was breaking for her. I want my little girl to love Sunday school, and I couldn't help but think -- what would it REALLY hurt if she went to Ron's class for one more week, one more day??? (Yes, I give in way too easily!) We walked into her new class together, hand in hand. I had every intention of staying with her for the rest of the morning and help her get settled. Thankfully, as soon as we walked into the room, she recognized several girls who used to be in her previous class and had already been promoted to the 4 year old class... They welcomed her into their little play group, and she reluctantly joined in. When class was ready to start, she sat next to them -- still with tears in her eyes. I was sitting right behind her, and she kept looking back at me and putting her little hand on my knee, to make sure I was still there. Right after the prayer, her new teacher separated the class into two groups -- one of which would start with a craft. Thankfully, Katherine was all over it!! She went with a few of the other little girls into the adjoining room to do the craft and I left to go to my own class. As soon as my Sunday school class was over, I bolted for her room. She met me with a big smile and told me how much she LOVED her new class. Thank goodness!! I was so relieved. She loved it so much that she talked about it all day. The only real let down was the snack -- it was animal crackers and my picky eater wouldn't dream of eating them. Maybe next week they'll have grapes or bananas she says... I'm so glad that she's thinking about next week. I'm so glad that she didn't end on the same note that she started off on!!
Matt had a hankering for some BBQ tonight, so we went to Famous Daves. As soon as we got there, Katherine promptly told our waitress that she was the birthday girl. OK -- she's milking this birthday thing for all it's worth.... But that's my girl! LOL!! I told the waitress that her actual birthday was on the 10th, and we've celebrated more times than I could count. Evidently one more little birthday sundae celebration was in the works, because out came a hot fudge sundae. Talk about a happy girl! She started laughing and after a bite, she said to the waitress, "Boy are you a good cooker. This is one yummy ice cream"!!
Matt had a hankering for some BBQ tonight, so we went to Famous Daves. As soon as we got there, Katherine promptly told our waitress that she was the birthday girl. OK -- she's milking this birthday thing for all it's worth.... But that's my girl! LOL!! I told the waitress that her actual birthday was on the 10th, and we've celebrated more times than I could count. Evidently one more little birthday sundae celebration was in the works, because out came a hot fudge sundae. Talk about a happy girl! She started laughing and after a bite, she said to the waitress, "Boy are you a good cooker. This is one yummy ice cream"!!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
I feel like a new woman!!
Can I just say that I LOVE getting my haircut? I absolutely love it!! I go to this wonderful guy that gives the best head massages, and it's just heaven!! Today Matt and the kids went out for their usual Saturday morning breakfast, and I took off for the salon. Now I feel like a million bucks! If only my hair looked as good! LOL!
After I got home, the kids, Matt and I were sitting in the living room playing. Katherine is turning into quite the budding gymnast, and decided that she needed to practice her flips and handstands. She was having problems sticking her handstand, so Matt tried to teach her a new way of doing them. Before I know it, Matt says, "Here Katherine, try it this way", and he plants his head on the floor and starts doing handstands. We were all rolling with laughter! Caleb couldn't quit laughing and started yelling "GO GO GO GO!!!". Caleb was watching Katherine do flips and cartwheels, and then decided that he should give it a try. He throws himself on the floor and starts rolling all over the place while grunting. It was hilarious! He's got such big kid envy. I swear he try ANYTHING Katherine does!
Katherine LOVES going to Sunday school, and she loves Teacher Ron. It's one of the highlights of her week -- the songs, the bible stories, her friends, the dresses she gets to wear, the crafts they do -- it's all good for her! *Yes, I am sooo happy about this! However, tomorrow morning is a day of change for her as she's no longer in the three year old room. It's her first morning in the 4 year old classroom and she's already not thrilled with the idea of changing classes. Teacher Ron is going to miss her. The kids aren't going to know where she went. Who will lead the songs? Who will help put away the craft? Who is the new teacher? Will there still be snacks? Oh, I remember how I felt when I was that age faced with certain change and not knowing what it'd be like.... I pray tomorrow is good for her and that she loves her new class just as much as the three year old class. Thankfully, she'll know several of the kids that have already turned 4. Here's to hoping that tomorrow is wonderful for her!
After I got home, the kids, Matt and I were sitting in the living room playing. Katherine is turning into quite the budding gymnast, and decided that she needed to practice her flips and handstands. She was having problems sticking her handstand, so Matt tried to teach her a new way of doing them. Before I know it, Matt says, "Here Katherine, try it this way", and he plants his head on the floor and starts doing handstands. We were all rolling with laughter! Caleb couldn't quit laughing and started yelling "GO GO GO GO!!!". Caleb was watching Katherine do flips and cartwheels, and then decided that he should give it a try. He throws himself on the floor and starts rolling all over the place while grunting. It was hilarious! He's got such big kid envy. I swear he try ANYTHING Katherine does!
Katherine LOVES going to Sunday school, and she loves Teacher Ron. It's one of the highlights of her week -- the songs, the bible stories, her friends, the dresses she gets to wear, the crafts they do -- it's all good for her! *Yes, I am sooo happy about this! However, tomorrow morning is a day of change for her as she's no longer in the three year old room. It's her first morning in the 4 year old classroom and she's already not thrilled with the idea of changing classes. Teacher Ron is going to miss her. The kids aren't going to know where she went. Who will lead the songs? Who will help put away the craft? Who is the new teacher? Will there still be snacks? Oh, I remember how I felt when I was that age faced with certain change and not knowing what it'd be like.... I pray tomorrow is good for her and that she loves her new class just as much as the three year old class. Thankfully, she'll know several of the kids that have already turned 4. Here's to hoping that tomorrow is wonderful for her!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Happy Friday!!
I am so ready for the weekend! Tomorrow Matt and the kids are going out to breakfast, and I'm getting my hair cut. I can't wait!!
Our Friday morning playgroup rotates houses each week during the winter, and late last night I got a call that one of the kids in the host house was sick with the flu. Not wanting to chance any more sickness in the Hanson household, we opted out (as did everyone else). We ended up moving playgroup to the Science Center. We hadn't been down there in about 2 weeks or so, and the kids had a blast. They ran around for almost 4 hours, exploring every inch as if they'd never been there before! Caleb was fascinated with an "anti-gravity" display, where you throw little glass marbles into a large funnel. He could have stayed there all day -- anything that involves throwing and balls his high on his list! LOL!!
Katherine fell in love with the planetarium -- all over again! She laid right in the middle of the floor and watched four different shows. She was getting so comfy and loving it so much, that she blurted out (loudly of course) and right in the middle of a show, "Mommy, may I please have a blanket??" The mom sitting behind me gave me a "high five" for her good manners. I had to laugh... She about fell over when we left and I handed Caleb a pretzel, and he yelled, "GAAAANK YOU" at the top of his lungs. HA-HA-HA.
After Matt got home from work, we decided to hit the mall for dinner and shopping. My mother-in-law got us gift certificates for Christmas so that we could pick out a new china pattern and get a few place settings. The plan is that we are going to add to it with each birthday and at Christmas. (Matt doesn't "love" the pattern I picked out when we got married, so the idea was born!). We finally got around to picking it out tonight. Matt found a Waterford pattern that he really likes, so I think that will be it!! When we've made the final decision, I'll post the link here for you all to see! I'm sooo excited to finally use the gift certificates -- they've been burning a whole in my pocket for almost three months now!!
One little Katherine story for you.... To look at her, she's a really good mix of Matt and I. She's got his eyes and chin, but my nose and mouth. She's got his slender build, but my freckles and fine hair. Oh, and her feet -- those babies are all mine! LOL. However, when she opens her mouth, that girl is all me. There have been so many times when she says something, and I have to laugh -- I literally hear a reflection of myself. For example, the other night she wanted me to do something for her that I wasn't jumping out of my chair to do. So she decided to sing "If You're Happy and You Know It" while tickling me until I gave in... I was shocked -- literally -- because I used to do the same thing to Matt when we were first married! LOL!! I've since grown up a little, and don't do that anymore, but where'd she get the idea???? It was so me..... Anyway, the real story.... When I was younger, I talked in my sleep all the time. There'd be long conversations between me and ???? during the night and my parents would tell me about it the next day. And let's just say..... it could be really embarrassing at slumber parties! LOL!! Today, when Katherine was napping, she started up a conversation with Walker (one of her friends we went to the Science Center with). At first, I couldn't believe she was up from her nap so soon, but quickly realized that she was talking in her sleep.....
Our Friday morning playgroup rotates houses each week during the winter, and late last night I got a call that one of the kids in the host house was sick with the flu. Not wanting to chance any more sickness in the Hanson household, we opted out (as did everyone else). We ended up moving playgroup to the Science Center. We hadn't been down there in about 2 weeks or so, and the kids had a blast. They ran around for almost 4 hours, exploring every inch as if they'd never been there before! Caleb was fascinated with an "anti-gravity" display, where you throw little glass marbles into a large funnel. He could have stayed there all day -- anything that involves throwing and balls his high on his list! LOL!!
Katherine fell in love with the planetarium -- all over again! She laid right in the middle of the floor and watched four different shows. She was getting so comfy and loving it so much, that she blurted out (loudly of course) and right in the middle of a show, "Mommy, may I please have a blanket??" The mom sitting behind me gave me a "high five" for her good manners. I had to laugh... She about fell over when we left and I handed Caleb a pretzel, and he yelled, "GAAAANK YOU" at the top of his lungs. HA-HA-HA.
After Matt got home from work, we decided to hit the mall for dinner and shopping. My mother-in-law got us gift certificates for Christmas so that we could pick out a new china pattern and get a few place settings. The plan is that we are going to add to it with each birthday and at Christmas. (Matt doesn't "love" the pattern I picked out when we got married, so the idea was born!). We finally got around to picking it out tonight. Matt found a Waterford pattern that he really likes, so I think that will be it!! When we've made the final decision, I'll post the link here for you all to see! I'm sooo excited to finally use the gift certificates -- they've been burning a whole in my pocket for almost three months now!!
One little Katherine story for you.... To look at her, she's a really good mix of Matt and I. She's got his eyes and chin, but my nose and mouth. She's got his slender build, but my freckles and fine hair. Oh, and her feet -- those babies are all mine! LOL. However, when she opens her mouth, that girl is all me. There have been so many times when she says something, and I have to laugh -- I literally hear a reflection of myself. For example, the other night she wanted me to do something for her that I wasn't jumping out of my chair to do. So she decided to sing "If You're Happy and You Know It" while tickling me until I gave in... I was shocked -- literally -- because I used to do the same thing to Matt when we were first married! LOL!! I've since grown up a little, and don't do that anymore, but where'd she get the idea???? It was so me..... Anyway, the real story.... When I was younger, I talked in my sleep all the time. There'd be long conversations between me and ???? during the night and my parents would tell me about it the next day. And let's just say..... it could be really embarrassing at slumber parties! LOL!! Today, when Katherine was napping, she started up a conversation with Walker (one of her friends we went to the Science Center with). At first, I couldn't believe she was up from her nap so soon, but quickly realized that she was talking in her sleep.....
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Packages!!
A little piece of heaven has arrived at the Hanson household.... It came wrapped neatly in a box (a DHL box to be exact) and had "happy birthday Katherine" written on the outside. Talk about excitement... Talk about making my little girl's day... Talk about uncontrollable laughter... It wouldn't have mattered WHAT was in the box. All that mattered was that a box came, and it had Katherine's name on the outside! LOL. Uncle Jay and Aunt Debbie sent her a birthday present in the mail, and Katherine could not have been happier! LOL. They sent a Barbie set and a princess jump rope. As soon as Katherine saw the jump rope, she started laughing, and said, "Mommy, how did they know I love princess stuff"??? Boy, I wonder! LOL.
While Katherine was at preschool this morning, Caleb and I went over to my parent's house. My dad had the morning off from work, and Isaac (my brother) was there. He was leaving this morning to go on a little spring break trip with his friends from undergrad. I got to see my brother, and Caleb got to see his pop-pops. So it was a win-win situation for all! My mom, Isaac and I decided to take Katherine out for lunch after preschool at her favorite place.... Cracker Barrel. Most kids like fast food and McDonald's -- not mine! She wouldn't eat a chicken nugget if I paid her! And a cheeseburger is completely out of the question! LOL. She'd much rather eat pancakes and bacon with the geriatrics at Cracker Barrel! Seriously, we had to be the only ones there under 50! Right as the food was coming, she decided that she wanted to sit by my mom, so she pulled up a chair and sat on the end of the table. I was a little worried about the arrangement because there were some elderly people sitting at the table next to us (SURPRISE!! LOL) and they had crutches and a walker. Wouldn't you know -- the crutches fell over and hit the lamp that's fastened to the table and fell right on Katherine's head! LOL.
In other GOOD news -- I went to WW last night and lost 3.2 pounds! Oh, happy day! Only a "couple" left! Val -- I know you're way a head of me, but I'm workin' on it!!
While Katherine was at preschool this morning, Caleb and I went over to my parent's house. My dad had the morning off from work, and Isaac (my brother) was there. He was leaving this morning to go on a little spring break trip with his friends from undergrad. I got to see my brother, and Caleb got to see his pop-pops. So it was a win-win situation for all! My mom, Isaac and I decided to take Katherine out for lunch after preschool at her favorite place.... Cracker Barrel. Most kids like fast food and McDonald's -- not mine! She wouldn't eat a chicken nugget if I paid her! And a cheeseburger is completely out of the question! LOL. She'd much rather eat pancakes and bacon with the geriatrics at Cracker Barrel! Seriously, we had to be the only ones there under 50! Right as the food was coming, she decided that she wanted to sit by my mom, so she pulled up a chair and sat on the end of the table. I was a little worried about the arrangement because there were some elderly people sitting at the table next to us (SURPRISE!! LOL) and they had crutches and a walker. Wouldn't you know -- the crutches fell over and hit the lamp that's fastened to the table and fell right on Katherine's head! LOL.
In other GOOD news -- I went to WW last night and lost 3.2 pounds! Oh, happy day! Only a "couple" left! Val -- I know you're way a head of me, but I'm workin' on it!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Pictures
Can I just say, "HOLY COW"!! Caleb was not in the mood to smile for the camera today! It was an absolute disaster. My plan of attack was to take some of the two of them together, and then depending on how he was doing, try them individually. I knew Katherine would sit there all day, but Caleb.......not so much! LOL. I brought along his trusty stuffed Big Bird and Cookie Monster but he was having none of that.... So we took a few of Katherine while he watched. Then the photographer tried to coax him in the picture with a prop. It worked!!! I then put Cookie Monster on top of my head and "sneezed" him off. It was funny for 30 seconds and thankfully we got 3 or 4 good ones of them together. However, there are NONE of him alone, which is fine, because I can take him in the mornings when Katherine is at preschool. It's his 18 month pics. I'd really like to get a couple good ones of him alone, but if it doesn't work, then I guess his scrapbook will be missing a month of professional pics.... Can I just say -- kids at this age are soooooo hard to photograph! The funniest thing of it all is that I've taken them so many times to get pictures taken, that I took over and the photographer just snapped away. When I got up for a couple of seconds, she "copied" my tricks. LOL!!
This morning before pictures the kids and I were in the car dropping Riley off at the groomer. Out of the blue, I hear Katherine blowing her little lungs out in the back seat. All of a sudden, she lets out this gigantic giggle and says, "Mommy, you have to pull over right now!! I had an eyelash and I wished for a big hug AND a kiss from you. I know I only get one wish, but can I please have both? I really want a hug and kiss from my mommy, and I asked nicely". HEEEELLLO!!!!! Of course you have all the hugs and kisses you want! LOL. I pulled off the road and loved on my babies for a minute before heading home. Aren't they the best???? If only they'd stay little like this forever..... if only they'd always want me to read them stories.... if only they'd always love holding my hand in public.... if only they'd always want me to love on them and hold them tight.... if only they'd always look up to me the way they do today...... If only time would stand still....
This morning before pictures the kids and I were in the car dropping Riley off at the groomer. Out of the blue, I hear Katherine blowing her little lungs out in the back seat. All of a sudden, she lets out this gigantic giggle and says, "Mommy, you have to pull over right now!! I had an eyelash and I wished for a big hug AND a kiss from you. I know I only get one wish, but can I please have both? I really want a hug and kiss from my mommy, and I asked nicely". HEEEELLLO!!!!! Of course you have all the hugs and kisses you want! LOL. I pulled off the road and loved on my babies for a minute before heading home. Aren't they the best???? If only they'd stay little like this forever..... if only they'd always want me to read them stories.... if only they'd always love holding my hand in public.... if only they'd always want me to love on them and hold them tight.... if only they'd always look up to me the way they do today...... If only time would stand still....
A first....
Thanks to my good friend Val, Katherine got her first email today -- not an email to me that mentioned her name, but a real email, just to her..... Val was sweet enough to send Katherine a birthday card, and you would have thought she won the lottery! She was absolutely glowing. Thanks for making her day!!
Tomorrow is the big picture day -- Caleb's 18 month and Katherine's 4 year. They will be wearing their matching outfits, and I'm really hoping to get a great one of the two of them together for the wall. Keep your fingers crossed!
Tomorrow is the big picture day -- Caleb's 18 month and Katherine's 4 year. They will be wearing their matching outfits, and I'm really hoping to get a great one of the two of them together for the wall. Keep your fingers crossed!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Birthday highlights
The big birthday week is over! Katherine had such a wonderful week filled with parties, friends and more cake than any little girl should eat in an entire year!! She was truly a princess for an entire week.
On Friday afternoon my cousin Crissy from Kansas City came down to spend the weekend with us. She helped me so much in getting ready for the party, running countless random errands, cooking, and helping keep the house presentable (which with kids around is quite the task! LOL!!). Matt's parents came down Friday in time for dinner and we all (my parents, Matt's parents, Crissy and the four of us) ate at Red Robin -- which was Katherine's choice. How can any little princess resist the balloons, milkshakes, and birthday sundae? The highlight of the night was when they came and sang to her. At 4 this is a huge highlight -- at 30, it's nothing but sheer embarrassment!! LOL. Even before we went to dinner, she asked me if they would sing to her, and I assured her they would. All during dinner she kept asking when the big moment would come. Finally, after dinner, they came with a bouquet of purple balloons, ice cream sundae and lots of singers. She was absolutely glowing! Here's a pic of the birthday girl being sung to and eating the sundae.
After dinner we headed over to the new TJ Maxx and Crissy got her two new birthday dresses. Both were polo -- one short sleeve and bright green, the other long sleeve and pink. After we got home she modeled them for all of us and danced around for the rest of the night. Matt also got a couple of new shirts, and Katherine told him that if he tried on his new clothes too, she'd dance with him..... How sweet is that? A little girl dancing with her Daddy on the eve of her 4th birthday.
When we woke up Saturday morning, we were in birthday mode! Fran and Crissy ran and picked up the cake and a few other random things from Target, and then while the kids napped, we went and got the birthday balloons and streamers so that when she woke up, the house was all decked out for her party. Katherine fed her dusting addiction and helped Fran dust the living room. Here's a picture of the two of them spending some quality time dusting. LOL!!
Katherine decided that since it was her birthday, she should wear a dress all day --even if it wasn't party time yet. So -- Crissy had her model by fireplace and took some pre-party pics of her. Here they are --
She showed up in style for her birthday party -- new dress and hair curled. She was so excited to have everyone come over to our house and help celebrate her birthday. We had appetizers and ate dinner, opened presents, sang Happy Birthday and ate cake. She had a blast!!! She's already looking forward to her 5th birthday party! LOL!
Here's some pictures from the party.
Uncle Todd, Aunt Caroline and Leo got Katherine roller skates, and boy does she LOVE them! She skated around the basement and tried to do her ballet turns in them. Thank goodness they came with a helmet, knee and elbow pads! LOL! I'm sure they'll get plenty of use!!
On Friday afternoon my cousin Crissy from Kansas City came down to spend the weekend with us. She helped me so much in getting ready for the party, running countless random errands, cooking, and helping keep the house presentable (which with kids around is quite the task! LOL!!). Matt's parents came down Friday in time for dinner and we all (my parents, Matt's parents, Crissy and the four of us) ate at Red Robin -- which was Katherine's choice. How can any little princess resist the balloons, milkshakes, and birthday sundae? The highlight of the night was when they came and sang to her. At 4 this is a huge highlight -- at 30, it's nothing but sheer embarrassment!! LOL. Even before we went to dinner, she asked me if they would sing to her, and I assured her they would. All during dinner she kept asking when the big moment would come. Finally, after dinner, they came with a bouquet of purple balloons, ice cream sundae and lots of singers. She was absolutely glowing! Here's a pic of the birthday girl being sung to and eating the sundae.
After dinner we headed over to the new TJ Maxx and Crissy got her two new birthday dresses. Both were polo -- one short sleeve and bright green, the other long sleeve and pink. After we got home she modeled them for all of us and danced around for the rest of the night. Matt also got a couple of new shirts, and Katherine told him that if he tried on his new clothes too, she'd dance with him..... How sweet is that? A little girl dancing with her Daddy on the eve of her 4th birthday.
When we woke up Saturday morning, we were in birthday mode! Fran and Crissy ran and picked up the cake and a few other random things from Target, and then while the kids napped, we went and got the birthday balloons and streamers so that when she woke up, the house was all decked out for her party. Katherine fed her dusting addiction and helped Fran dust the living room. Here's a picture of the two of them spending some quality time dusting. LOL!!
Katherine decided that since it was her birthday, she should wear a dress all day --even if it wasn't party time yet. So -- Crissy had her model by fireplace and took some pre-party pics of her. Here they are --
She showed up in style for her birthday party -- new dress and hair curled. She was so excited to have everyone come over to our house and help celebrate her birthday. We had appetizers and ate dinner, opened presents, sang Happy Birthday and ate cake. She had a blast!!! She's already looking forward to her 5th birthday party! LOL!
Here's some pictures from the party.
Uncle Todd, Aunt Caroline and Leo got Katherine roller skates, and boy does she LOVE them! She skated around the basement and tried to do her ballet turns in them. Thank goodness they came with a helmet, knee and elbow pads! LOL! I'm sure they'll get plenty of use!!
Sunday morning we had brunch at our house -- bacon, eggs, scones, fruit and hash browns (that were a total disaster)! LOL! Not sure what happened to the hash browns, but they "just didn't turn out right"! I'm not sure how in the world I managed to mess up something so simple, but it happened!
On Sunday night, Crissy and I stayed up late scrapbooking. She got half a book done, and I got three pages! LOL. Yes, I am slow, buy hey, I was talking too much! And three pages for me in a week is an accomplishment, so I'm happy!
Caleb hadn't been feeling well all weekend, so I took him to see Dr. Jon today. Wouldn't you know -- bronchitis. So, I had to pull out the nebulizer and put him on antibiotics. Poor little guy, he's coughing so much at night that I don't know how he could sleep at all! It's a good thing I took him today, because Jon told me that it's bad enough that if I'm not careful, it could turn into pneumonia. Great -- rotovirus last week, bronchitis this week. Wonder what next week will bring! LOL!
Friday, March 9, 2007
Preschool birthday party
Today was such a big day for Katherine. She was beaming all day -- literally from the moment she woke up until I put her to bed. This morning she had her birthday party at preschool, which also meant that she was the snack helper. We brought in chocolate cupcakes with bright pink icing and Disney princess rings on top. She got to help hand them out to all of her friends, and wear a crown all day. It's amazing how something as small as paper crown with her name written on it, can mean the world to a four year old... In addition to the gifts she received, the kids decided to make her a little book, in which they all drew a picture for her and Mrs. Schramm bound it together. She absolutely loves it. She told me that she wanted to put it in her scrapbook because it shows how much all of her friends love her.
Right after I picked her up, we had to run to the mall and exchange ALL the clothes I bought Caleb last night. Why you may ask??? Because I bought his entire loot -- Easter outfit and summer clothes all in size 12 months. I have no idea what I was thinking.... Clearly I the lack of sleep the night before took its toll on me! UUUUUGH! So we took the opportunity to hit the play area and have lunch out. Of course, the crown came in with us! Whenever someone said "happy birthday" to her eyes just lit up. It was definitely a red letter day for her! On the way out, she grabbed my hand and said, "I feel so special today, Mommy". AWWW..... I hope she always remembers this feeling!
The birthday celebration continued tonight at ballet class. We brought in treats for all of the girls, and they sang to her. "Happy Birthday" has turned into her favorite song! LOL! I've probably sang it no less that 50 times today, and we're still two days out!!
Tomorrow morning we are having another party for her with the neighborhood kids. Since it's a morning playgroup, we're taking a break from the cake and cupcakes, and bringing doughnuts! I don't even like cake, and if I have to nibble on another piece, I'll surely turn into one!
Right after I picked her up, we had to run to the mall and exchange ALL the clothes I bought Caleb last night. Why you may ask??? Because I bought his entire loot -- Easter outfit and summer clothes all in size 12 months. I have no idea what I was thinking.... Clearly I the lack of sleep the night before took its toll on me! UUUUUGH! So we took the opportunity to hit the play area and have lunch out. Of course, the crown came in with us! Whenever someone said "happy birthday" to her eyes just lit up. It was definitely a red letter day for her! On the way out, she grabbed my hand and said, "I feel so special today, Mommy". AWWW..... I hope she always remembers this feeling!
The birthday celebration continued tonight at ballet class. We brought in treats for all of the girls, and they sang to her. "Happy Birthday" has turned into her favorite song! LOL! I've probably sang it no less that 50 times today, and we're still two days out!!
Tomorrow morning we are having another party for her with the neighborhood kids. Since it's a morning playgroup, we're taking a break from the cake and cupcakes, and bringing doughnuts! I don't even like cake, and if I have to nibble on another piece, I'll surely turn into one!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
2 hours...
That would be the approximate amount of sleep I got last night. UUUUUUGH! Caleb kept waking up throughout the night, wanting his mommy. He was burning up! His fever always gets higher at night, and between the fever and congestion he now has, the poor little guy couldn't breathe and was really chilled. The combo made for a really bad night.... Even during his nap this afternoon he woke up every 30 minutes. He wanted to sleep, but just couldn't... Katherine, on the other hand, slept from 1 - 5. Yes, she took a 4 hour nap, and Caleb finally woke her up or she might have slept longer.... Thankfully, one of them is well on the road to recovery.
Today, I was the friend I told myself I'd never become... Because Caleb took a turn for the worse with the congestion and coughing, I called Val. She's my *wonderful* friend from high school that also happens to be a pediatrician. Dr. Jon sent me home with a couple different drugs, to use in case he gets congested, coughing etc... Since it was after hours, and I couldn't get a hold of him, I called Val. I wasn't sure which one to use, etc... Can I tell you how wonderful it is to have a friend in the know!!! Love ya girl!
Tonight after Matt got home from work I took off to run some errands -- I had to pick up the cupcakes for the big preschool party tomorrow morning, and buy Katherine a birthday dress. While I was at it, I also picked up Caleb an outfit that "coordinates" with Katherine's. Pictures are coming up -- Katherine's 4 year and Caleb's 18 month. Since I found coordinating outfits, I'm hoping to get a good one of the two of them together. I'd really like a great one to hang on the wall of both of them, and I wasn't totally happy with the Christmas pics...
I'm off to bed. After last night, I'm exhausted! And I've got a lot to do tomorrow...
Today, I was the friend I told myself I'd never become... Because Caleb took a turn for the worse with the congestion and coughing, I called Val. She's my *wonderful* friend from high school that also happens to be a pediatrician. Dr. Jon sent me home with a couple different drugs, to use in case he gets congested, coughing etc... Since it was after hours, and I couldn't get a hold of him, I called Val. I wasn't sure which one to use, etc... Can I tell you how wonderful it is to have a friend in the know!!! Love ya girl!
Tonight after Matt got home from work I took off to run some errands -- I had to pick up the cupcakes for the big preschool party tomorrow morning, and buy Katherine a birthday dress. While I was at it, I also picked up Caleb an outfit that "coordinates" with Katherine's. Pictures are coming up -- Katherine's 4 year and Caleb's 18 month. Since I found coordinating outfits, I'm hoping to get a good one of the two of them together. I'd really like a great one to hang on the wall of both of them, and I wasn't totally happy with the Christmas pics...
I'm off to bed. After last night, I'm exhausted! And I've got a lot to do tomorrow...
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
NOOOO!
Last night at about 4 am Caleb woke up with a fever. I gave him some Tylenol and rocked him back to sleep. He wasn't overly hot, but enough to make him crabby and want his momma! We sat in his rocker and I sang for a while and put him back to bed...
He woke up in a good mood this morning, but neither him or Katherine have eaten much over the past two days, so off to Dr. Jon's we went. The diagnosis -- both kids have roto! You've got to be kidding me!! Katherine has probably had it for 2 days now, and Caleb for at least 24 hours, so thankfully this will have passed by the big birthday party this weekend. But talk about BAD TIMING!! I've got so much to do this week, my head is spinning. I've got to do lists, of to do lists! LOL.
On the way to Dr. Jon's we stopped at Target to order Katherine's birthday cake and cupcakes for her party at preschool on Thursday. If they're feeling better tomorrow, I've got to run to the mall and get her a birthday dress. I've been putting it off for as long as possible to so that I could see what the weather would be like.... Guess that wasn't the best decision in the world! LOL! But with all the snow we've had... UUUUGH!
I've also been thinking a lot about the "goodie bags" for the party. I'm considering scrapping them all together, and getting each child a more substantial item to take home. Personally, I hate coming home with a bunch a little stuff that gets lost and broken in two minutes! And I found a couple of really cute gifts that I think all the kids would like. The bags I bought were really girly, and wouldn't appeal much to the boys... Maybe it's a bad idea, but that's what I'm leaning toward... And I could still fill up the Ariel bags with little candies and such...
Tonight Matt is going to study, so we are heading over to my parents for dinner. My grandma is also going to be there, so my mom is cooking for most of us, but Katherine really wants steak, so I'm going to get her some take out from Texas Roadhouse. Hopefully she'll eat it!
One cute Caleb story.... Today when I was getting him dressed, he started screaming "EEEEEK! EEEEEK! EEEEEEEEEEEK!" I had no idea what he was talking about, but when I started putting on his sneakers he started crying, big alligator tears falling down his cheeks. I picked him up and gave him a big hug and he looked over my shoulder and yelled "EEEEEEEEK!" yet again. When I turned around, he was pointing at his squeaky shoes. When I put them on him, I always say "squeak" and he laughs at the sound. As soon as I picked up the shoes, he laughed and gave it a hug! Guess he wanted to wear his squeaky shoes today! LOL!! How adorable is that?
He woke up in a good mood this morning, but neither him or Katherine have eaten much over the past two days, so off to Dr. Jon's we went. The diagnosis -- both kids have roto! You've got to be kidding me!! Katherine has probably had it for 2 days now, and Caleb for at least 24 hours, so thankfully this will have passed by the big birthday party this weekend. But talk about BAD TIMING!! I've got so much to do this week, my head is spinning. I've got to do lists, of to do lists! LOL.
On the way to Dr. Jon's we stopped at Target to order Katherine's birthday cake and cupcakes for her party at preschool on Thursday. If they're feeling better tomorrow, I've got to run to the mall and get her a birthday dress. I've been putting it off for as long as possible to so that I could see what the weather would be like.... Guess that wasn't the best decision in the world! LOL! But with all the snow we've had... UUUUGH!
I've also been thinking a lot about the "goodie bags" for the party. I'm considering scrapping them all together, and getting each child a more substantial item to take home. Personally, I hate coming home with a bunch a little stuff that gets lost and broken in two minutes! And I found a couple of really cute gifts that I think all the kids would like. The bags I bought were really girly, and wouldn't appeal much to the boys... Maybe it's a bad idea, but that's what I'm leaning toward... And I could still fill up the Ariel bags with little candies and such...
Tonight Matt is going to study, so we are heading over to my parents for dinner. My grandma is also going to be there, so my mom is cooking for most of us, but Katherine really wants steak, so I'm going to get her some take out from Texas Roadhouse. Hopefully she'll eat it!
One cute Caleb story.... Today when I was getting him dressed, he started screaming "EEEEEK! EEEEEK! EEEEEEEEEEEK!" I had no idea what he was talking about, but when I started putting on his sneakers he started crying, big alligator tears falling down his cheeks. I picked him up and gave him a big hug and he looked over my shoulder and yelled "EEEEEEEEK!" yet again. When I turned around, he was pointing at his squeaky shoes. When I put them on him, I always say "squeak" and he laughs at the sound. As soon as I picked up the shoes, he laughed and gave it a hug! Guess he wanted to wear his squeaky shoes today! LOL!! How adorable is that?
My sweet babies...
Today after naps, the kids and I were playing in the living room. I was playing one of their favorite CD's and we were dancing around, having a grand ol' time. Let's just say, we were all being really loud... When the buzzer on the dryer went off, I sneaked away for a few minutes to fold a load of laundry. All of a sudden I realized it was oddly quiet... I began to think of all the things they were probably into -- playdough, paint, my scrapbook room -- a million different scenarios crossed my mind. How could they have gone from dancing and singing at the top of their lungs to absolute silence???
I sneaked around the corner and found them sitting on the couch, side by side, reading one of Caleb's favorite books. Yes -- it's Sesame Street! LOL! It was adorable! Katherine was pointing out all sorts of stuff to Caleb and asking him questions about the book. He was answering her back and the couple of times he got the wrong answer, she patted him on the shoulder and said, "No sweetie. Look over here...". It was the most heart warming moment! There is nothing better than seeing two of the people you love most in the world, love each other so completely, so openly, so honestly....
Here's some pictures -- Yes -- I had to sneak and get the camera! LOL.
They caught me with the camera!
Earlier this morning, we had a play date at Jumpin' Jacks. It's this indoor playground for kids that's full of inflatables. They've expanded since the last time we were there, and I was so impressed. They have slides, obstacle courses, the works! Katherine loved it! She jumped for about three straight hours. Caleb got in with her and loved it too. Whenever he was jumping with her, she'd always tell the other kids to watch out for "my big brother". (I have no idea why she calls Caleb her big brother, but she's been calling him that for months now...). I love how protective she is of him. She watches out for him, and wouldn't let any other kid hurt him. I'm so glad they have each other. I'm so glad they love each other with their whole hearts. I'm so glad there was never any animosity or jealousy between the two. It's so wonderful, and we are so blessed.
I sneaked around the corner and found them sitting on the couch, side by side, reading one of Caleb's favorite books. Yes -- it's Sesame Street! LOL! It was adorable! Katherine was pointing out all sorts of stuff to Caleb and asking him questions about the book. He was answering her back and the couple of times he got the wrong answer, she patted him on the shoulder and said, "No sweetie. Look over here...". It was the most heart warming moment! There is nothing better than seeing two of the people you love most in the world, love each other so completely, so openly, so honestly....
Here's some pictures -- Yes -- I had to sneak and get the camera! LOL.
They caught me with the camera!
Earlier this morning, we had a play date at Jumpin' Jacks. It's this indoor playground for kids that's full of inflatables. They've expanded since the last time we were there, and I was so impressed. They have slides, obstacle courses, the works! Katherine loved it! She jumped for about three straight hours. Caleb got in with her and loved it too. Whenever he was jumping with her, she'd always tell the other kids to watch out for "my big brother". (I have no idea why she calls Caleb her big brother, but she's been calling him that for months now...). I love how protective she is of him. She watches out for him, and wouldn't let any other kid hurt him. I'm so glad they have each other. I'm so glad they love each other with their whole hearts. I'm so glad there was never any animosity or jealousy between the two. It's so wonderful, and we are so blessed.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Let the celebration begin!
This is the week -- the celebration that Katherine has been looking forward to for about a year now! LOL!! She turns 4 on Saturday, and is just giddy with excitement! She can't wait!! We are having celebrations all week long -- starting tomorrow at playgroup and ending next Sunday morning in Sunday school. She is having birthday party celebrations with her preschool class, our Friday morning playgroup, the girls in her ballet class, her Sunday school class, and a big family and friend party Saturday night at 5. What a week she's going to have!
We have finally started to recover from this past Thursday's snowstorm. What a mess! We had a good inch of ice coating everything, and then about 4 inches of snow on top of the ice... Normally, not terrible, but the winds were insane. It took Matt forever to get home from work on Thursday and he ended up taking the side streets because the interstate was incredibly icy and he couldn't see anything due to white out conditions. Everything was shut down on Friday, and for the first time since I've been in Des Moines, that included downtown employers. Aviva (where Matt works) was even closed all day! We were planning on going to LeMars this weekend, but since all roads north and west of Des Moines were closed, we didn't go....
Oh -- I have BIG NEWS!! Friday night we went over to Rick and Danyel's house (she's the one who lives two doors down and sells Silpada). We decided to play cards, so Danyel got a babysitter to entertain the kids. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME MY KIDS HAVE HAD A BABYSITTER!! Steph, my niece, has watched them twice, but other than my parents or in-laws, that was it. So we had our first "third party" baby sitter. Rick and Danyel use these two 18 year old girls who work in their daycare. Since they are best friends, they always come together. So there were four kids with two 18 year old girls who are CPR certified and work in a daycare -- AND we were upstairs playing cards, within earshot of everything that was going on, and I was nervous!! I almost couldn't do it.... I know, I know... I'm psycho! But, they had a blast, so that's all that matters. OH -- and to make it even better -- I was the Texas Hold-Em Champ! WOO-HOO!! Can I just tell you how wonderful it is to take your husband's $$? Love it!! LOL!
Matt and I ventured out on Saturday to get some take-out -- Cool Basil for us, and a steak from Texas Roadhouse for the kids. We had a good laugh on the way home. It was fine in West Des Moines, but as soon as we crossed in the interstate into Johnston, it was like a different world! We must live in the boonies! There's so much open space that the wind just whipped through and blew the snow everywhere. At times we couldn't even see the road.... Even now, it's dangerous turning out of our development. There is so much snow piled up on the side of the roads, that I can't see over it to watch for cars... UUUUGH! And one of our neighbors has such a huge drift in his front yard that you can barely see the front door. Andrea and Carolyn both had to miss Friday morning playgroup because they couldn't get out of their driveway...
Is there a silver lining to all this snow??? Of course! Because of the mountain snow and the fact that we couldn't go to LeMars, I met up with Kelly and hit the grand opening of my favorite store -- TJ MAXX! As predicted, they had Waterford lamps (which I didn't buy...) and the store was stocked full of great stuff. I couldn't believe how many people were there. I could barely move my cart around the store! It was insane. I found out that they had 27 people working in the store that day whose ONLY job was to keep refilling the shelves. Can you imagine? They had 10 lines open that you could check out, and there was a line (amusement park style) probably 10 or 15 deep. Insane! I didn't buy that much, but it was still fun!
We have finally started to recover from this past Thursday's snowstorm. What a mess! We had a good inch of ice coating everything, and then about 4 inches of snow on top of the ice... Normally, not terrible, but the winds were insane. It took Matt forever to get home from work on Thursday and he ended up taking the side streets because the interstate was incredibly icy and he couldn't see anything due to white out conditions. Everything was shut down on Friday, and for the first time since I've been in Des Moines, that included downtown employers. Aviva (where Matt works) was even closed all day! We were planning on going to LeMars this weekend, but since all roads north and west of Des Moines were closed, we didn't go....
Oh -- I have BIG NEWS!! Friday night we went over to Rick and Danyel's house (she's the one who lives two doors down and sells Silpada). We decided to play cards, so Danyel got a babysitter to entertain the kids. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME MY KIDS HAVE HAD A BABYSITTER!! Steph, my niece, has watched them twice, but other than my parents or in-laws, that was it. So we had our first "third party" baby sitter. Rick and Danyel use these two 18 year old girls who work in their daycare. Since they are best friends, they always come together. So there were four kids with two 18 year old girls who are CPR certified and work in a daycare -- AND we were upstairs playing cards, within earshot of everything that was going on, and I was nervous!! I almost couldn't do it.... I know, I know... I'm psycho! But, they had a blast, so that's all that matters. OH -- and to make it even better -- I was the Texas Hold-Em Champ! WOO-HOO!! Can I just tell you how wonderful it is to take your husband's $$? Love it!! LOL!
Matt and I ventured out on Saturday to get some take-out -- Cool Basil for us, and a steak from Texas Roadhouse for the kids. We had a good laugh on the way home. It was fine in West Des Moines, but as soon as we crossed in the interstate into Johnston, it was like a different world! We must live in the boonies! There's so much open space that the wind just whipped through and blew the snow everywhere. At times we couldn't even see the road.... Even now, it's dangerous turning out of our development. There is so much snow piled up on the side of the roads, that I can't see over it to watch for cars... UUUUGH! And one of our neighbors has such a huge drift in his front yard that you can barely see the front door. Andrea and Carolyn both had to miss Friday morning playgroup because they couldn't get out of their driveway...
Is there a silver lining to all this snow??? Of course! Because of the mountain snow and the fact that we couldn't go to LeMars, I met up with Kelly and hit the grand opening of my favorite store -- TJ MAXX! As predicted, they had Waterford lamps (which I didn't buy...) and the store was stocked full of great stuff. I couldn't believe how many people were there. I could barely move my cart around the store! It was insane. I found out that they had 27 people working in the store that day whose ONLY job was to keep refilling the shelves. Can you imagine? They had 10 lines open that you could check out, and there was a line (amusement park style) probably 10 or 15 deep. Insane! I didn't buy that much, but it was still fun!
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Nose picker....
AAAAHH -- that's right. My little Caleb, my sweet boy, my 17 month old bundle of love, my Big Bird lovin', Cookie Monster huggin', ball addicted baby has turned into a nose pickin' fool!! BUT WAIT -- he doesn't pick his own nose -- you guessed it! He picks mine!!!! LOL! "Pick" may be the wrong word -- he actually jams his right pointy finger into my left nostril with nothing but sheer force. I'm actually pretty lucky he hasn't given me a bloody nose yet! LOL. It all started out a few weeks ago when I was rocking and singing to him before bed. For whatever reason, he thought it'd be hilarious to probe my nose. And yes, he definitely got a reaction out of me, which threw him into sheer hysterics. So every night since then, he'd get a little twinkle in his eyes and pull out his pointy finger and start laughing before he even started to probe my nose. More often than not, we'd sit there and laugh for a good 10 minutes before he went to bed.
Today, however, he took his nose picking to a new level. We had a play date at Backyard Adventures and I was holding him and talking to another mom. Evidently he didn't get the attention he wanted from me, so he pulled the old "finger in the nose trick"! LOL. He's only 17 months old and already knows how to get me to do exactly what he wants -- when he wants! UUUGH! Boys! But I wouldn't have it any other way!!
Here's a picture of him from last October. Doesn't he look sweet and innocent? Such an angel, huh??? I know what you're thinking -- there's no possible way that adorable little guy would want to pick his mom's nose... WRONG!! LOL! I'm posting this pic now, because I love it, and I'm in the process of scrapbooking it -- and yes the layout is turning out adorable.
Today, however, he took his nose picking to a new level. We had a play date at Backyard Adventures and I was holding him and talking to another mom. Evidently he didn't get the attention he wanted from me, so he pulled the old "finger in the nose trick"! LOL. He's only 17 months old and already knows how to get me to do exactly what he wants -- when he wants! UUUGH! Boys! But I wouldn't have it any other way!!
Here's a picture of him from last October. Doesn't he look sweet and innocent? Such an angel, huh??? I know what you're thinking -- there's no possible way that adorable little guy would want to pick his mom's nose... WRONG!! LOL! I'm posting this pic now, because I love it, and I'm in the process of scrapbooking it -- and yes the layout is turning out adorable.
Also today at Backyard Adventures we happened to run into a little boy in Katherine's preschool class and his mom. I was venting about the teacher snacks issue and the director in general. And you're never going to believe this.... She feels exactly the same way!! The ironic thing is that my annoyance with the director pales in comparison to her issue. I tell ya -- this director is really abrasive... I'm trying really hard not to blow anything out of proportion because as the kids get older, there will always be teachers I don't see eye to eye with, and other than homeschooling, there may not be anything I can do about it... It's a good lesson for life!
In general I love her preschool -- I really shouldn't complain. Her teacher is fantastic and they do so many wonderful things with the kids. Tomorrow is "traffic" day. They have a little city set up in the gym, complete with roads, stoplights, intersections, the works. So we have to bring in their bikes -- and thankfully they noted it in the weekly newsletter. So there's no way I can let Katherine down again. Thank goodness. She's so excited. She's also the show and tell girl tomorrow. She decided to bring her dancing doll! She can't wait to demonstrate it for all of the kids!
Which reminds me -- we were playing with Michelle, Ben and Tessa today. Michelle and I were standing down by the swings and Ben climbed up and starts yelling "Jacob Sparks is such a naughty boy! That's why Katherine won't play with him". Holy cow! She's 3 and is already gossiping about a naughty kid in her class. This kid is unbelievably naughty -- at 3 his mom can't control him, the teachers are always putting him in time-out, and when I help in class he won't do anything he's asked. But for Katherine to talk about it to Ben??? It's hilarious to listen to them talk about what's important in their world.
Oh -- on the way to playgroup this morning, Katherine was talking about getting older -- a constant source of conversation in the Hanson household with her birthday two weeks away. She was telling me that when she gets bigger she's going to go to college just like her Uncle Isaac. And then she said, "Mommy, I want you to go to college with me. I couldn't do it without you. Do you promise you'll hold my hand the whole time?" How wonderful is she? Oh, I love this little girl!
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