A Tale of (Two) Three Kiddies

Blech

2012-01-29T13:31:00.000-06:00

I'm no good at being sick. It goes without saying that no one likes being sick, but I'm simply just not good at the whole illness routine. Instead of resting to get better, I simply live in denial of my illness, trucking my way through the day until I feel so horrible that I can't even take another step.

That kind of happened yesterday...and then I crashed in bed for four hours in the middle of the afternoon (which is unheard of for me...I'm definitely NOT a nap person unless I'm preggo or super sick...and since I'm not preggo, that only leaves one option).

I'm usually the very last person to come down with something in our family, but it seems this time I'm the first, which is kind of nice for a change because that means the other adult in the family is still fully functional, meaning the entire household doesn't go completely to pot while I lay around on the couch whining about how my head may explode any minute.

After two full days of Mucinex D and more water than I ever drink, I am feeling better...not great, but better. At least better enough to live in illness denial and clean the house while Ben hollers at me to sit down on the couch for a minute because it looks like I might pass out.

Tuesday Update

2012-01-24T10:22:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful to be tackling this last week of January. I was anticipating another busy week, but was surprised to find Allie actually has off school Thursday and Friday. Granted, the "Allie Off School" label has been on the refrigerator calendar for quite some time, but I kind of forgot about it until Sunday night when I was getting things ready for the week.

Allie was a little perturbed that her days off school this week did not coincide with Chinese New Year. Allie has her very own calendar in her bedroom and is insistent that she should receive every single holiday off school. When I told her we weren't Chinese, so we wouldn't be celebrating Chinese New Year, she seemed irritated. In Allie's world, there is no excuse for not letting any holiday go uncelebrated, Chinese or not. The only reason she's alright with having to go to school on Valentine's Day is because I informed her that her class would be having a party. Then she inquired about Groundhogs Day. Basically, I'm starting to question if her ability to read and her having her own calendar are good things.

With the recent snowfall (a whole whoppin' 2-3 inches), Allie has also taken to wearing her snow boots to and from school. While I thought she was wearing them to keep her feet warm and dry, I discovered that was not the case at all. "Mom," she told me, "Did you know that you can chit-chat with the other girls while you change out of your boots and into your shoes at school?" Great. So, at the tender age of six years old, shoes have already become more about socialization than mere practicality.

Thankfully, you're still cute, Allie-babe.

And, I'm ever so grateful to your dance instructors who let you try on your recital costume approximately 4.5 months prior to your dance recital. Because they don't have to live with you, they have no idea what it is like to hear about every single ribbon, bow, sequin, sparkle, ruffle, and piece of tulle from now until June. Like I said....thankfully, you're still cute.

Surprisingly, we do have two other children besides Allie.

This week I signed Zach up for his final year of preschool next year. He will graduate from Green class to Blue class in addition to attending three mornings a week instead of two. He is also thrilled to have the opportunity to eat lunch at school with the other kids on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. In fact, he was upset to discover this morning that he was still in Green class. I think he assumed that since we turned in his paperwork yesterday that he would automatically be in the Blue class today. September seems light years away in his world.

It also seems Zach is a lot smarter than he would like us to think. After just a little over three weeks of concentrated effort, he can identify almost every single letter of the alphabet and write his name. In fact, I'm discovering there are letters and numbers I haven't even worked on with him yet that he is able to identify and write. This is a HUGE improvement from just two months ago when I went to his preschool conference and the teachers informed me he could only identify the letter Z (which, to be honest, they weren't worried about....and neither was I....until I realized that Zach was capable of a lot more than he wanted anyone to know).

I still have to be pretty creative in our "homework" time together....mostly because Zach can only sit still for approximately 2 minutes, if I'm lucky. Also, he is not a fan of the traditional "book" learning that Allie seems to thrive on. I have to be pretty creative, often thinking outside the box, to come up with "games" that incorporate the things we're focusing on. We do LOTS of mazes to work on writing and this morning I came up with a treasure map ABC game that we did. Nothing is very elaborate, in fact, most of it I think of in the moment. I also have to walk that fine line between encouraging him to work a little longer and not pushing him too much. So far, so good.

Olivia is still playing the role of happy baby. We have started to see the "tantrum" emerging, but it only rears its ugly head when we have to put her coat on or we tell her "no." Which, honestly, both happen quite often. She's officially running around the house and is getting sneakier about swiping the kids' things. She's also been telling me when she has poop in her diaper (like you really want to know all the gory details of her every bowel movement) and I'm secretly wishing for an early, easy potty trainer (because, in my experience, there is little I hate more than potty training) and that 2012 will be the last year of diapers for this family. I can hope, at least.

She has a newfound love for coloring and will sit and read books with you for as long as you will read. In fact, she almost always cries when we say we are all done reading books, whether we've read one book or twenty. She's constantly surprising us with her emerging vocabulary and while I'm certain her words may be unintelligable to others, we've caught her saying things like mermaid and thank you. Her other favorite pastime is identifying everyone's eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and hair by pointing and naming them. Often the person being identified gets a little chubby baby pointer finger in their eye or up their nose.

Although I wasn't really planning on a kid update post, it looks like that is what I've got. Time for blogging has been at a minimum while I've been busy with life in general. Often when I do get a chance to catch my breath, I'd rather spend it with a good book or a good movie. And, more often than not, I end up falling asleep in the middle of them.

Except....not the "Hunger Games." I reread the first book for the second time in approximately 24 hours. So much for "enjyoing" the book! Ha! But, now I guess I'm ready for the movie when it comes out in March.

Anyway, I need some new book suggestions. Anyone have any recommendations? I'm really looking for a good story that I can just decompress with...something to enjoy at the end of a busy day without having to put too much thought into it. Let me know if you have anythning you've enjoyed recently!

Really?!

2012-01-19T12:25:00.000-06:00

On days like today I wish I could tell my car that there is some information better kept confidential. I don't think it was to anyone's benefit this morning to discover it was exactly 14 degrees below zero outside.

And, Mr. Weatherman, I really don't care to know that when I step outside, I will be ambushed by an arctic blast that will make it feel closer to thirty degrees below zero. Although informative, Mr. Reporter standing outside at 5:00 am in the morning, I could really care less that your cup of 144-degree hot chocolate froze solid in less than a half hour.

Today I am especially thankful for down parkas with faux-fur lined hoods, up close parking spots at the grocery store, the remote start feature on our car, fleece-lined gloves, and an extra hour of free time while Grandma picks up the big kids from school and takes them out for a McDonald's lunch.

Real January is Here

2012-01-18T14:46:00.000-06:00

Remember all that talk last week about my certainty that I would just whiz past the January doldrums this year?

Ya...well...spoke too soon...I take it all back.

Granted, I am not in the depths of despair. Hardly. However, it seems that with the onslaught of typical January weather, the likes that make you want to de-ice the inside of your nose after a mere 15 seconds outside, my apathetic winter attitude has seemed to rear its ugly head.

Finagling floppy limbs into coat sleeves, searching for lost mittens, repeating "PUT YOUR THUMB IN THE THUMB HOLE" at least a dozen times a day, navigating the icy sidewalk with almost 50 pounds of weight on the right side of my body (27.2 pounds of that being a screaming child...because she apparently HATES winter attire...the other amount--which I am not going to figure out because, seriously, math is not my strong suit--is the weight of all the things I have to lug around in my bag daily to keep everyone clean, dry, well-fed, hydrated, and happy).......

These things are not fun things.

I know it is temporary. I know winter won't last forever. I know it won't always take us close to a half hour to get ready to leave the house.

But, still...day in and day out...the same thing.

The same tantrum thrown because he can't get his coat zipped up just the right way. The same yelling because he hit her with a boot...or maybe she hit him with a backpack. The same screaming and shaking her head because she hates wearing a hat.

It never fails that someone has to use the bathroom just as we are heading out the door...either that or by the time we are actually ready to leave it is probable that at least one child has poop in his/her pants.

The same frustration because he can't buckle his seat belt with his coat on. The same eye-rolling in response to my request to help him out. And then, it never fails that within two minutes of being in the car, everyone strips themselves of their hats and mittens (occasionally their shoes as well) and then we get to redo the whole thing upon reaching our destination.

All of it just makes me want to hide in a corner underneath a blanket with a bag full of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and a pint of vanilla ice cream.

There. I'm done.

And, now, for your viewing enjoyment, I bring to you Zach's igloo crafted out of sugar cubes and frosting:

If you look closely, you will discover that this isn't a typical igloo model. In fact, according to Zach, it is an exact replica of the city of Jericho (see the buildings inside):

Surprisingly, Jericho made it home uneaten. Apparently the teachers informed the kids that the sugar and frosting they used were nasty. When Allie wanted to try a taste, Zach screamed that it was poison. I guess when dealing with a class of 20 four-year-olds (15 of them boys), desperate measures must be taken to insure minimal sugar consumption. Seriously, I don't blame them.

Except, I could really use some sugar right about now......

Our First Snowman of the Winter

2012-01-13T13:33:00.000-06:00

Just when I thought there wasn't enough snow to make a snowman, the kids surprised me on our 52-degree Tuesday afternoon by using sand shovels and pails to gather up enough snow to create one.

Although our neighbors to the south got dumped on with snow, our yard is even more snow-barren than it was this past Tuesday and the long-term forecast doesn't look too promising as far as snow accumulation is concerned.

However, the single-degree digits we've been experiencing the last couple days have definitely been a shock to the system. I think Olivia is the only one of my babes who, at almost fifteen months old, has no idea what to do with a snow hat and a pair of mittens!

Allie's Snowman

2012-01-10T13:45:00.000-06:00

Due to the absence of real snow in Minnesota, the only snowmen that have been created so far this winter are on paper. Surprisingly, Allie has a knack for creating anatomically correct snow people.

When asked about the "details" depicted on her snow ~~man~~ woman, she told us that it was a hula snowgirl...with a grass skirt and bra. The artwork is now proudly displayed on grandma and grandpa's refrigerator.

Just Hanging Out

2012-01-10T11:13:00.000-06:00

This morning while the big kids are away at school, Olivia and I have been hanging out: getting dinner in the crock pot, reading board books, playing with the web cam on my computer, getting lunch made and in the fridge, changing diapers, taking out trash, playing chase, eating applesauce and string cheese snacks....all while enjoying the beautiful sunshine streaming in through the windows.

Usually I dread January. Every year I brace myself for the minimal daylight hours often marked by clouds, dreariness, and bitter cold. After the excitement of the Christmas season, it is often difficult for everyone to readjust back to the normal day-to-day tasks. However, this year, I'm just NOT feelin' the January blues at all!

I know it has everything to do with the fact that we have absolutely no snow and almost 50-degree temperatures. We have been wearing spring jackets. I've been going on outside runs. The kids have been playing outside. I don't think I ever remember a January quite like this before, but you won't hear any complaints out of me!

Ben arrived safely back from Vegas this past Saturday. Everyone was thrilled to see him, but his late arrival on Saturday evening made for an extremely short weekend. I don't think anyone was ready for Monday when it came around.

I haven't felt too inspired to write lately. Mostly because we've been busy with school and art projects and board games and homework...on top of all the normal things like laundry and cooking and grocery shopping and cleaning. We've been getting our spring calendar together, planning time off and some fun spring getaways. The milder temperatures definitely have us thinking spring is much closer than what it actually is.

I've had to put myself on somewhat of a sugar-detox plan since January began. There was way, way, WAY too much dessert through the entire month of December and my body is going through a little bit of shock upon discovering cookies and cake shouldn't be a regular part of my diet. However, it doesn't help that everywhere I look I see yummy Valentine ideas...like chocolate peanut butter cake with fudge icing and cute heart-shaped brownies with pink and red colored M&Ms. Thank you, Pinterest, for providing me with an entire board of recipes I want to try, but really shouldn't.

Well, it is probably about time to end this rather uninspiring post. Olivia just walked into a wall (obviously we are getting sleepy) and it is almost time to pick up the kids from school. Tuesday and Thursday mornings, while peaceful, always end much too soon!

Back to the Norm

2012-01-06T10:07:00.000-06:00

This week has been all about getting back into the normal swing of things....for most of us.

You see, while I've been holding down the fort here at home, a certain someone boarded a plane....

and left the normally frigid, yet unseasonably warm 45-degree Minnesota winter, and headed for the warmer and even milder sunny temperatures...

in Las Vegas!

While we've been readjusting to early mornings, eating breakfast quickly, and racing out the door to make it to school on time, Ben has been taking in the views of dessert, lakes, and mountains...

....in between very important work meetings, of course.

Each night before bed, the kids and I look forward to seeing what pictures Ben sends to my e-mail over the course of the day.

So far, we've gotten to see pictures of what it looks like to peek outside an airplane window...

where he had to wait for his ride to the hotel....

and the neat places he has visited so far....

We sure miss him, but it has been fun to see what he's been up to while he's away.

To be honest, I was a little concerned about my and the kid's survival while Ben was away, but so far, so good. Usually by 5:00 pm, we are all ready for Daddy to be home, but I believe God has definitely granted us some extra patience and grace with one another this week while Daddy has been gone. I also typically don't sleep well when Ben is away, and although I'm definitely feeling a bit more tired and worn out than normal, God has answered my prayers of restful sleep these past few nights.

It has also helped that we've kept pretty busy with school work, books, and art projects...along with our regular preschool and kindergarten schedules. I miraculously haven't had to resort to the television....yet. However, I fully intend on taking advantage of the magic of cartoons on Saturday morning.

This morning after we pick Allie up from kindergarten we'll be heading to my parents' house to spend the afternoon and evening. Then, before we know it, Daddy will be home...then it really will be back to normal.

MOA Trip

2012-01-02T20:29:00.000-06:00

Right now, while the kids are all tucked in bed and Ben is catching up on some work e-mails, I'm soaking up the last few hours of our Christmas break before the alarm goes off at 5:00 am tomorrow morning signifying our return back to life's regularly scheduled events. It is always a little bit sad when any vacation comes to an end and this time is no exception.

Plus, I just realized that if I have any hopes of feeling well-rested tomorrow, I only have approximately 50 minutes remaining before my head needs to hit the pillow....which is approximately 2-3 hours earlier than vacation bedtime. Bummer.

Anyway, as I was sorting pictures earlier today, I found a few that Ben had taken with his phone from our trip to Mall of America last week. The kids had been looking forward to the MOA trip for quite some time because they were pumped to spend their birthday and Christmas money.

After arriving at the mall before any of the stores were even open, we took a look around at all the Christmas decorations and then decided on a snack at Cinnabon before making the rounds to The American Girl store, The Disney Store, and Lego Land before heading to Rainforest Cafe for lunch.

Although Olivia spent a lot of time hanging out in the stroller, she did her fair share of walking too.

We had a fun day, but everyone was tired out by the time our shopping was complete. It is definitely a-okay by me that we only do about one annual visit to the biggest mall in the country each year. Until next year MOA.......

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T13:09:00.000-06:00

Last night we rang in the New Year by holding our first family appetizer dinner.

Coming up with appetizers that the kids will all eat proved to be a bit of a challenge. Although my kids are pretty good eaters, they really aren't all that into trying shrimp or crab. While spinach artichoke dip is one of my favorites, the kids wouldn't even think of trying it. After scouring the internet for some good ideas, this is what we came up with:

Fruit Kabobs

Open-Faced Cucumber Sandwiches

BBQ Mini Meatballs

Bacon-Crescent Wrapped Apple Cheddar Slices

Mini Pigs in a Blanket

Pesto Turkey-Bacon-Provolone Open-Faced Sandwiches

Chicken-Cheese Quesadillas

Family Friendly Bubbly

The kids (and Ben) were pretty excited about a dinner that they could eat completely with their fingers...so much so, that I even got a few kitchen helpers!

By the time the appetizer spread was complete, we were all pretty hungry!

The pigs in a blanket and fruit kabobs were by far the kids' favorites. In fact, Zach single handily consumed nine pigs. Ben and I both voted the bacon-crescent wrapped cheddar apple slices our hands down favorite with the BBQ meatballs coming in a close second.

After our appetizer dinner, we bundled up and headed out to the backyard where Ben prepared to set off some fireworks he picked up at the grocery store earlier in the day. While we eagerly waited in anticipation of the first explosion, Ben lit the fuse, stepped quickly out of the way, and we all watched as the fuse completely died out.

Ben tried again....and again....and still.....nothing. I suggested he read the instructions to which I was informed that there are really no instructions for fireworks...that they are in fact self-explanatory...you just light them and they explode.

Anyway, after a third failed attempt, Ben broke down and consulted the box for direction where he discovered every single firework was not really a firework at all, but instead a confetti blaster!

At that point, we headed back inside and confetti-blasted the heck out of the kitchen while simultaneously screaming "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" at the top of our lungs.

Then, it was high time for some finger-food desserts:

Mini Fudge White-Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Chocolate Covered Peanuts and Leftover Christmas M&Ms

We spent the rest of the evening (or the approximately 1.5 hours remaining until the kids' bedtime...yes, we were uncool parents and enforced bed time at 8:00 pm) playing card games, specifically Uno.

After card games, we brought out the computer to watch various New Year's celebrations from around the world on You Tube. The kids were completely unimpressed by the New York Times Square ball drop (we had to watch the 2011 version) compared to the amazing firework displays in London, Sydney, and Taipei.

Instead of defending our American New Years' tradition, I kind of had to agree with them. In the rare event that I actually do stay up past midnight, it should be for something a heck of a lot better than Lady Gaga (dressed up as...seriously?! What was she dressed up as?! Was she supposed to resemble the ball or what? I totally didn't get it) and Mayor Bloomberg pressing some silly contraption that triggers a massive blinking crystal ball to drop on a lit sign that tells me it is officially 2012. Needless to say, I made it to midnight last night and was unimpressed. I think the fireworks our neighbors shot off at midnight were better than watching Lady Gaga and Mayor Bloomberg dancing together after the ball drop (seriously, that was bizarre).

Also, try explaining the practice of kissing at the stroke of midnight to your 4 and 6 year old....both thought the whole thing was completely ridiculous. When I asked Zach who he was going to kiss for the new year, he told me that he wasn't going to kiss anyone until he was an adult. Sounds good to me! No kissing for Zach until he's 18....I think that is definitely a rule we can live by!

At that point, Allie took over the camera to capture Ben and my New Year's 2012 kiss....approximately 4.5 hours prior to 2012.

I love the fresh start that comes with each January 1 and all the promise a new year holds, both the things anticipated and the many surprises life throws our way.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Recap: Part 2

2011-12-30T21:57:00.000-06:00

On Christmas morning, everyone awoke bright and early (well, we are in Minnesota...so the whole "bright" part didn't really occur until about 8:00 am) to open their stockings.

After the stockings were emptied and all the chocolate candy consumed, we headed into the kitchen for a cinnamon roll and caramel roll breakfast....which I unfortunately forgot to photographically document.

Before prepping food for Christmas lunch, I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous, unseasonably *warm* (remember...Minnesota...and yes, my 35-degree morning run felt warm!) weather and headed out for a Christmas morning run. It was truly a beautiful morning with just a light breeze....and the best part was that I didn't have to dodge any ice or snow piles at all! At first I was a little bummed about not getting a white Christmas this year (in fact, I really can't remember the last time we had anything other than a white Christmas), but after my Christmas run, I decided the whole brown Christmas thing wasn't really that bad after all.

My parents and brother arrived later on Christmas morning and the kids were excited to open the remainder of their presents from my side of the family.

After all the present opening, we had definitely worked up an appetite for our Christmas lunch of grilled steak (again....totally uncharacteristic for Minnesota). We all squeezed into our kitchen and gathered round our cozy table to dig in!

When we were sufficiently stuffed, we spent the afternoon watching movies, visiting, and playing with all the kids' new toys.

Later in the afternoon, when our stomachs had finally settled enough and we were able to breathe once again, it was time for dessert. While the kids indulged in leftover Birthday cupcakes, Christmas cookies, and peppermint ice cream, we took a knife to this baby....

Yes....that, my dear friends, is a pecan pie....in the shape of the good ole' state of Texas.

When my parents and brother traveled to Texas a few years ago to visit my grandparents they had the opportunity to partake in the world's best piece of pecan pie at Gaido's in Galveston, TX. When they discovered that Gaido's shipped whole pecan pies to any state in the US, my dad made sure to order one for all of us to indulge in on Christmas. And when the online order form asked whether or not we wanted a typical round pecan pie or a pecan pie shaped like Texas, we figured we definitely needed to see...in person...the Texas-shaped pie.

I was actually unaware that pies were made to resemble states, but it does not surprise me, in the least, that there are indeed Texas-shaped pecan pies. Come to think of it, this whole state-shaped food idea isn't really all that new to me. I guess I did spend most of my childhood living in a state that manufacturers wax-covered cheese blocks to resemble its own shape.....

Anyway, the pie definitely lived up to all of its hype. I'm unsure of which part of Texas I actually ate, mostly due to the fact that my warm, gooey piece of pecan heaven was smothered in a heap of vanilla ice cream, but it was pure bliss...just the right combination of pecan and cake-like, caramel substance...it definitely was the best piece of pecan pie I've ever eaten.

And, with that perfect piece of pecan pie and the sweet taste of victory for Ben's beloved Packers, Christmas 2011 drew to a close.

Christmas Recap: Part 1

2011-12-30T20:55:00.000-06:00

Now that we have officially cleaned up after the busy Christmas season (decorations put away, Styrofoam and wrapping paper bits vacuumed up, toys organized and put away, outside lights taken down, the last two Christmas cookies consumed, the last spoonful of peppermint ice cream licked clean), it is high time for me to put together our Christmas 2011 recap.

Ben has had off all week from work and I intended to get around to the blog a lot sooner, but between a trip to MOA for the kids to spend their Christmas money (that has been burning a hole in their pockets), two whole days' of organizing and cleaning and laundry, a date lunch with Ben to PF Chang's followed by errands, an emergency shower faucet fix, lots of card games, new LEGO construction, hours spent reading new American Girl books, getting my new lap top up and running, late nights spent watching movies and catching up on the DVR, and sleeping in until the late hour of 7:15 am, I just haven't had as much free time as I originally anticipated.

Plus, add to that a semi-miserable one-year old who is most definitely cutting her molars, a 4-year old that is so over tired he can barely speak a sentence without bursting out in tears, and a still overly- excited 6 year old who is determined to complete every single art project on the face of the earth by the time she returns to school next Tuesday, and you have yourself a recipe for chaos. Fun chaos, but chaos nonetheless.

Regardless, we've definitely enjoyed our time together this Christmas and are thankful to have a few more days before normal life chaos begins next Tuesday. Although we have no real exciting plans for the long weekend ahead, I'm sure we'll find a way to keep busy...and if Ben and I don't come up with something, I'm certain there are three others living under this roof that will.

Ok....

Back to the Christmas 2011 Recap.

Christmas Eve was spent mostly with my parents. We got all dressed up....

before heading out for a fabulous brunch at Pier 500 in Hudson, WI (seriously the best french toast and cheesy breakfast potatoes I have EVER eaten) followed by the Christmas Eve service at my parent's church.

I was a little worried about how the kids would do, specifically because they all knew we would be opening presents that evening and I was concerned the excitement over finally being able to rip into the wrapped boxes that have been sitting in our living room all month would make them go crazy, but they all did great and yet again, proved me completely wrong.

Olivia made it through most of the church service before I had to take her out because she was making kissing sounds ("mmmmwuah!") that were starting to become a little disruptive to those of us trying to listen to the message. Zach, though a bit wiggly (probably because if he actually sat still, he would fall asleep), recognized several of the scripture passages and did not hesitate to tell us in a not-so-quiet voice that those are "MY VERSES!" Allie was sitting next to my parents, so I'm not sure how she did, but I didn't hear her or really see her, so I'm guessing there wasn't a problem!

When we returned back home, we ate dinner (thank goodness for Crock Pot Sloppy Joes), complete with Birthday Cupcakes for Jesus!

Olivia was NOT happy that we made her wait until after we sang "Happy Birthday" to blow out the candle and eat her cupcake.

Before opening presents, we read the Christmas story and opened up the very last door on our Advent Calendar.

Olivia was thrilled to open the door and find Baby Jesus!

And then, it was present time!

The kids were thrilled with everything and it was fun to watch their excitement as they saw the special gifts picked out for them by us and their family.

It was a little difficult to convince the kids to go to sleep on Christmas Eve, but they eventually succumbed to their over-tired little bodies and I'm pretty sure Ben and I flopped into bed shortly after making sure all the kids were sound asleep......

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:00:00.016-06:00

Oh come thou Day-spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight....

"...and they shall call his name Immanuel which means,
God with us."

-Matthew 1:23

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel!

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A Little Too Much Christmas

2011-12-24T20:23:00.000-06:00

Obviously Zach didn't make it through our very last Christmas light viewing excursion of the year.

We Don't Have a Baby Anymore...

2011-12-23T16:10:00.000-06:00

We have a full-fledged TODDLER!

Last night before her bath, she just took off! Olivia has been taking 1-2 steps by herself for quite some time now, but last night she was walking all over the house...

ALL BY HERSELF!

Granted, she's still a little tipsy....

and she still relies on crawling to get places quickly....

because, for goodness sake, walking requires A LOT of focused concentration and muscle coordination.

She was pretty proud of herself, though.

A little hesitant about walking on something other than carpet...

but even that little uncertainty didn't stop her!

Both Allie and Zach began walking mere days before Christmas and it looks like Olivia followed suit beautifully.

Unfortunately, last night's walking debut resulted in quite the shiner on her little forehead.

I guess we should have gotten her a helmet and some extra padding for Christmas!

Zach's Preschool Christmas Program

2011-12-22T14:40:00.000-06:00

Last night after dinner Zach got all dressed up for his first ever preschool Christmas program. He was extremely excited to wear his "Daddy clothes" and "wedding shoes."

I knew getting dressed up was a big deal to Zach when he actually requested gel in his hair!

Zach has been telling us all about the songs he was going to sing at his program for a few weeks now. We've been practicing "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph." He also taught us the words to "Mary Riding on a Donkey."

Zach likes singing and enjoys music, but I don't really think he sees the point in performing on a stage in front of a lot of people....well, that is, unless his performances induce fits of laughter in his audience.

Regardless, we were all excited to see his program, but before we left the girls also wanted in on a little of the photo action.

We arrived early to Zach's preschool so that we would have more than enough time to visit with Santa before Zach's portion of the Christmas program began. Zach doesn't really see the point in Santa (and it took us a TON of persuasion to convince him that he probably shouldn't advertise to the world that Santa is just pretend), but when he realized Santa was giving out candy canes, he hopped on Santa's lap and obligingly told him he'd like some Cars 2 Legos for Christmas so that he could get his candy cane.

After Zach, Allie took her turn on Santa's lap.

I figured after Olivia had watched both kids climb up on Santa's lap that she would want a turn too, but I couldn't have been more wrong. As soon as we started leading her closer to Santa, she began screaming bloody murder. Apparently she is not a fan of the jolly old fellow at all. She was extremely panicked that we were going to make her sit on his lap and every time we walked by, she got the most terrible look on her face!

After Santa, we headed to the gym to enjoy some Christmas cookies. I'm pretty sure that this was Zach's favorite part of the evening and Olivia was more than relieved to put some extra distance between herself and the crazy psycho with a white beard.

After Christmas cookies, we met Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Chris in the lobby before going into the auditorium to find our seats for Zach's performance. By this time, it was almost 7:00 pm and Zach was pretty tired. We had a late night the evening before and it was definitely starting to show! I think if we would have been at home, he probably would have requested an early bedtime.

Despite his tiredness, Zach did a great job on stage. I was curious to see if he would actually sing or not and I am happy to report that his mouth was moving almost the entire time. Heck, he even participated in the hand motions!

Olivia was the most thrilled of all of us to watch Zach perform. She couldn't stop waving at him and was clapping, dancing, and screeching the entire time Zach was up front.

There are mostly boys in his class, so I think the teachers did a great job of harnessing all that high energy into fifteen minutes worth of Christmas carols and songs.

It was a fun night and we were all proud of Zach's first big musical debut! Way to go, buddy--we love you!

Zach's Handmade Christmas Gift

2011-12-21T20:26:00.000-06:00

Yesterday after Zach got home from preschool he trudged downstairs, grudgingly shed his coat and shoes, and after emptying the contents of his back pack he raced back up the stairs holding a white paper sack decorated with Christmas stickers.

He was so excited for me to open his present, that I couldn't possibly let him wait all the way until Christmas. He was extremely proud of the card he had made for us.

He even wrote his name completely unassisted....you can't tell, can ya?

Inside the package was an ornament for our tree featuring Zach as an angel....complete with a golden halo!

Zach didn't really understand why I started laughing uncontrollably when I opened his gift. I felt a bit bad, but I was just picturing this ornament hanging on our tree year after year after year....Zach's cute pudgy cheeks and smiling face peering up at me through the clear plastic with gold tinsel atop his four-year-old head. I have this strange feeling that some years Zach may be a little less "angelic" than others. And someday when he's married and has kids of his own, we will all sit around the tree and reminisce over this ornament, telling stories of when Zach was a kid, the angelic memories along with those not-so-angelic ones as well.

The First Kid Christmas Gifts Arrive

2011-12-19T13:51:00.000-06:00

I love that the kids are finally getting to the age of fantastic homemade Christmas gifts. Granted, they've been making gifts all month, so I have way more than I even know what to do with.....

Allie's pictorial rendition of me playing in an orchestra...I'm the flute player on the far right in case you couldn't tell

.....but the ones the teachers come up with and help them make at preschool and kindergarten always turn out so cute. I'm sure someday I will have more of these than I will know what to do with as well, but for now our heirloom Christmas decor is just in its beginning stages.

When Allie brought home her first homemade Christmas gift from kindergarten today and insisted I open it, I caved.

She told me that she just couldn't wait for Christmas for me to see what she had made...that it would be much too difficult for her to keep it a secret that long. She tried bargaining with me (I could open her gift if she could open one of hers--ha!), but when she realized I couldn't be talked into negotiating a deal, she told me that I just had to open her present early because it absolutely needed to be a part of the rest of our Christmas decorations. Seriously, how could I say no?! (Also, if you know me, it doesn't take much to convince me to open a gift...just sayin')

Lo and behold....the thumb print snow man candle holder that has now joined my arsenal of Christmas decor:

Allie informed me that I cannot burn the candle because it will melt the paint off...so I should be aware that it is just a candle for decoration, not actual use.

I'm anticipating the arrival of Zach's homemade gift from preschool later this week. When I asked what it was he made, Zach told me it was a surprise. However, he let the secret slip when not even two seconds later Allie asked him the same question. So, here's hopin' for a super cute Christmas ornament to add to our tree!

Another First for Olivia

2011-12-19T11:22:00.000-06:00

Today we are celebrating an important milestone in Olivia's life....

Her hair is finally long enough to sport a pony-tail!

Granted, it is the smallest sprout-like gathering of hair I think I've ever seen, but it is a pony tail nonetheless and it just marks the beginning of her lifelong hairstyle adventures.

She seems pretty thrilled with her new "do" and has kept it in all morning so far.

Now that we've conquered this milestone, I think its time we put all of our efforts into you learning how to walk on your own. You may be a champ at cruising around the furniture, but holding your hand so that you can walk circles around the house for the majority of the day is beginning to wear on my back.

Good thing you're cute...and the little sprout just makes you even cuter.

Christmas Baking Extravaganza

2011-12-18T16:18:00.001-06:00

Yesterday we held our first annual Christmas Baking Extravaganza. My mom and I both did most of the prep work (making dough, making some of the goodies) ahead of time and got together on Saturday for the baking and treat box assembly.

I think in addition to our love for Christmas baking, insanity played a large part in our decision to make 15 different types of cookies and goodies. Although we were completely wiped out by the time the day was done (12-plus hours in the kitchen for two days' straight will do that to you), the end result was pretty amazing.

Thankfully, we were able to snap a few photos of all of our efforts before they were all consumed (just kidding...after assembly we still have more cookies than we even know what to do with!).

When the final cookie was taken out of the oven, we had....

1. Frosted Sugar Cookies

2. Chocolate Dipped Butterscotch Refrigerator Cookies Sprinkled with Almonds

3. Classic Butter Spritz

The above spread includes:

4. Snickerdoodles

5. Lemon-Poppyseed Refrigerator Cookies

6. Pecan Tassies

7. Chocolate-Dipped Pirouettes

8. Caramel Corn

9. Puppy Chow

10. Chocolate Crinkles

11. Chocolate Chippers

12. Oatmeal-Cranberry-White Chocolate Chippers

13. Peanut Butter Blossoms

14. Rolo/M&M Pretzels

15. Spritz (Butter and Strawberry)

We assembled 15 treat boxes for our neighbors, teachers, and friends and still had more than enough left over for a box to send to Zach's preschool Christmas program, multiple boxes for my brother in college, and more than enough leftovers for our own family Christmas celebration next week.

What a great way to kick off a new family tradition! Maybe next year, though, we'll scale back just a tad....

Playing Catch-Up

2011-12-13T19:25:00.000-06:00

How in the world is it already 12 days until Christmas?

Granted, the complete absence of snow and 40-degree temperatures have contributed to my feeling like we should have at least another month until the holiday. I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this past Sunday morning I played Christmas carols with the church orchestra followed by a 3-mile run outside that very same afternoon while listening to "All I Want for Christmas is You" and "Jingle Bell Rock."

Please do not interpret these as complaints. The fact that I ran errands today in nothing more than yoga pants, a long sleeve T-shirt, and a puffy vest has me pretty thrilled. However, if given the choice, I would much prefer 34 inches of snow in December rather than in March. And, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bummed about the fact that it is looking more and more like we may not be getting a white Christmas this year.

Anyway, the season has definitely kept us busy, leaving little time for blogging. When we haven't been watching "The Nutcracker" or addressing Christmas cards and wrapping Christmas gifts, we've been busy making paper Christmas wreaths or dipping pirouette wafer cookies in chocolate and making Rolo pretzels with peanut butter M&Ms.

Last Friday night we even took the kids to a Bethlehem market at a local church that had a live nativity and tons of Christmas-themed crafts geared for preschool and early elementary aged kids. In addition to signing their names on the census, the kids were also given gold coins to "purchase" their crafts at the different locations around the "city." Allie and Zach had a blast visiting the inn and making their own pillowcases, talking with the shepherds and making their own sheep, making a star ornament and watching stars with the wise men, visiting the palace and making their very own crown, and making a picture frame for the family picture that was taken that evening. It was a really neat event and despite having to give up his coins, even Zach said he had a great time.

In preparation for Jesus' Birthday, we've also began our advent calendar. Although all three kids look forward to opening the door each day, discovering which nativity character is inside, and reading the corresponding scripture passage, Olivia is especially enamored by the advent calendar.

The other big news around here: Allie lost another tooth!

It has been loose for quite some time and we were all incredibly thankful that she finally yanked that thing out. Unfortunately, less than five minutes after it was out of her mouth, she proclaimed that she didn't like the feel of "the really huge hole" and wanted it back in. Oh boy. It doesn't work that way, Allie-babe!

It appears that Allie lost her tooth just as another member of our family is close to getting one.

In addition to chewing on everything within reach, she's been a little crabbier than normal. Hopefully that new tooth will make its appearance soon.

And, just because it is cute, here are some pictures of Olivia trying desperately to put her doll's bib on herself. It was actually really funny--we all got a kick out of it!

Whew...how's that for a marathon update? I think that about covers it, though. Ben has been super busy with work lately and I've been busy keeping up with everyone's schedules and the ever-growing mountain of laundry....which reminds me, I have a load in the washer that is ready, at this moment, to be switched to the dryer.

We're definitely looking forward to the upcoming Christmas break with time off school and work. Hmmmm....does that mean I get to play laundry hooky too?

Homework

2011-12-01T14:28:00.000-06:00

At Allie's parent/teacher conference last week, the teacher gave me a notebook for Allie to take home and told me that the class would be starting weekly homework assignments. At first I was a little taken aback...homework, in kindergarten?! But, the basic idea is just to get the kids used to doing something school related at home a few times a week so that when real homework begins in first grade, they won't be too shocked (real homework starts in first grade?! what?!).

In addition to practicing writing her name and the date, Allie is supposed to write two fill-in-the-blank sentences. Although she is only supposed to do four sentences total, I haven't told her that. She is sooo excited by the idea of homework and requests to do it multiple times a day, so I let her. I mean, really, how much harm can writing "The cats are _______" and "I have______" do? I figure we won't always have this problem, so I'm willing to indulge her for now.

After Zach's parent/teacher conference, I've decided he really needs to learn to write his name. Although by the teacher's definition he is a "model student," I think it is high time for him to learn to wield a pencil correctly. Whereas Allie is always ready and willing to sit still while perfecting her fine motor skills, Zach would much rather jump and run and roll and yell and play. It has been a little bit of a struggle, but I've been able to get him to at least do some type of drawing/writing/maze tracing activity each day this week. I've already started to notice improvement and he is extremely proud when he sees the finished product of his efforts.

And because we don't want anyone to feel left out of homework participation, I've let Olivia have at it with the crayons and paper. There's nothing like starting 'em out young!

Brain Dump

2011-11-30T13:03:00.001-06:00

I have lots of things floating around in my head today that I wanted to formulate into a blog post and it appears I have approximately 15 minutes to do so while Olivia is napping and the kids are with Ben for lunch. Ben is working late tonight, so he decided to swing by home, pick Zach up, then pick Allie up from kindergarten, and take them both out for lunch.

I just finished a mountain of laundry and I can officially say for the next 15 minutes there will be absolutely no dirty laundry in the house. After Olivia wakes up and the kids and Ben return home, that may not be the case.

Besides needing to go to the doctor for Allie's 6-year old well-check, I'm not really sure what the plan is for the rest of the day. Other than the fact that we are having leftovers for dinner, I haven't thought much about what to do to occupy our time for the remainder of the day.

Yesterday marked the 10 year anniversary of me saying yes to the most important question I have ever been asked. After we put the kids to bed early, we celebrated our engagement anniversary (that seems so silly--I don't think anyone else but us probably keeps track of the day they got engaged!) by watching the newest episode of "Glee" on the DVR and eating the rest of the Halloween Milk Duds my sister pawned off on us over Thanksgiving before falling asleep at approximately 9:15 pm. We live wild and crazy lives around here, people.

Olivia is officially 13 months old today. I do believe month 12-13 was the quickest one yet, but I say that every month, so I'm not really sure it means much anymore. She is sportin' another tooth (the top left), talks constantly (although we can only guess at what she is saying), loves to be "walked" around the house, crawls everywhere, gets into almost everything, climbs a few steps, had her first play-in-the-toilet incident, is down to taking only one nap a day, loves to color, loves to read books, and loves baby dolls most of all.

She is also getting interested in helping me with chores and last week, while she was "helping" me with laundry, she successfully put 5 pairs of underwear on her head. I was going to take a picture, but then realized most of the underwear she was wearing were mine and I just didn't feel right about my underwear being posted for all to see...atop my one-year-old's head.

Anyway, when I told the kids today that it was Olivia's 13 month birthday today, they both assumed we would be having cake. When I told them we don't really have cake to celebrate monthly birthdays (although, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea...they may be onto something) Zach said that it was ok because Baby Jesus' birthday is coming up and we can just have some of his birthday cake then. Alrighty. I guess I will be making a Baby Jesus birthday cake this year.

Speaking of Zach, he told the checker at Target that he sometimes sins. She complimented him by telling him he was such a good boy and Zach responded, "Yep, but good isn't enough. I sometimes disobey and sin." Can you tell what we've been talking about lately? Or, that the kids have been working on Romans 3:23 for their memory verse this week?

And, it looks like my 15 minutes are up.

Our Tuesday Afternoon

2011-11-29T19:58:00.000-06:00

Due to the lack of snow, it has been hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that the Christmas season is upon us. So today, during Olivia's afternoon nap time the kids and I created our own Christmas cheer by making some holiday crafts together. After we gathered the glue, paint, scissors, and construction paper, we put on some Christmas music and got ourselves into more festive spirits. Granted, the kids have been singing "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" since this past July, so the music was definitely more for my benefit than theirs.

After we exhausted our supply of watercolors and completed our gingerbread boy and girl cut-outs....

....we put the finishing touches on our hand print angels.

I thought that the angels turned out really cute and since I didn't want Olivia to feel left out, I helped her make her very own after she woke up from her nap.

Even after all that crafting, the kids were still looking for more Christmas activities to keep them busy, so I provided them with a few Christmas mazes and a word search I had printed free online earlier this morning.

We also spent quite a fair amount of time reading "Judy Moody & Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt."

And, that was our Tuesday afternoon.

Happy 6th Birthday, Allie!

2011-11-27T20:02:00.000-06:00

This year Allie had to share her 6th birthday with Thanksgiving. Instead of being upset about sharing her special day, she was overflowing with giddy excitement. For us, celebrating her birthday on Thanksgiving day definitely brought back a lot of great memories because Allie was actually born very early on Thanksgiving morning in 2005.

My family, who was still living in Wisconsin at the time, had decided to travel to Minnesota to celebrate Thanksgiving with us because I was already 5 days overdue and they didn't want us to be alone on the holiday. Although we weren't able to be at our table that year to eat Thanksgiving dinner, my family made sure to bring the leftovers so that Ben and I could still enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at the hospital while they met their brand new grand daughter and niece.

A lot of that day is still a bit of a blur to me. I was exhausted and in complete shock as the weight of parental responsibility began to dawn on me while I stared in awe at the beautiful baby girl that had made me a mom. Despite my body feeling like it had been run over by a Mack truck and there not being a ton of nurses on staff that day to help us figure things out like how to change a diaper and what to do when the baby opened her eyes, that particular Thanksgiving changed our lives forever and I will always remember it as my very favorite.

We knew that Allie wouldn't be able to wait very long to open her birthday presents on her birthday, so as soon as we arrived to my parents' house on Thanksgiving morning, we gathered around and let her begin.

She was thrilled beyond belief to receive her very own American Girl doll, Marie-Grace, complete with book and several accessories.

Since Thursday, Marie-Grace has become a full-fledged member of our family that eats when we eat, brushes her hair each morning, completes art projects with Allie, and follows Allie around wherever she goes. On Friday, I read the entire "Meet Marie-Grace" book to Allie and she was even more thrilled to discover that Marie Grace loves to sing and attend costume balls.

After lunch, we brought out the Rapunzel-themed birthday cake, complete with raspberry cream filling (Allie's favorite!):

We had a great time celebrating six years with our Allie! True to Allie's nature, the day was full of fun and excitement!

I can't believe how fast these six years have gone by, yet I can hardly remember a time without your laughter and love for life. Happy Birthday, Allie-Babe -- We Love You!