Rose in the Making

Ruders

2011-09-13T03:12:00.000-07:00

Our dog died a few days ago. He was hit by a car. The suddeness of it all, having a pet one minute and being gone the next, has been really difficult (but I know anyway you lose a pet is hard). It has left a hole in our hearts bigger than we can have imagined. My husband keeps iterating, he never knew an animal could leave that big of an imprint in his life. But, I knew when we picked out that little puppy just over 10 years ago, that he would become a good friend.

In 2001, Kevin and I had been married just short of a year. I was begging and begging him for a dog. We both didn't want children just yet, and I was sure a pet would help us become better parents. Kevin wasn't so convinced. He had dogs growing up, but never as an indoor pet. And so we came to an agreement, if I wanted an indoor dog, then I would have to pick out a dog to his specifications. It had to be one that would be good with children, smart, low shedding, and most of all...a hunting dog. So I did my research, and finally settled on a Vizsla. It wasn't a very common breed, so I wasn't even sure I would find a breeder in our area. But low and behold, within that week, we found an add in the paper for some puppies. We went to visit them, and I instantly fell in love with "the discount puppy." He was a little bit cheaper because of his white spot on his chest (an imperfection). His big floppy ears and oversized paws seemed disporportioned to the size of his awkwardly tall legs and lenky body. They made him irresistable.

So, in June, we brought him home. We named him Rudy, shortly because it was a hungarian name (and he's a hungarian breed), and also because his red nose resembled Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. He stuck to us like velcro, which is also common of his breed. So, pretty soon we felt comfortable letting him roam around the outdoors without a leash on. If we came inside, he wanted to come in as well. He didn't like to be outside without his people. He was glued to us like bread on butter. He was definitely a people pleaser. And pretty soon after, Kevin started working on him with hunting. They practiced out in the field after Kevin came home from work. Until Rudy began to even "point" at flies in our house. He would point at just about anything that moved. He was itching to hunt.

In fall of 2002, Rudy went on his first hunting trip. He had another dog he was shadowing, and it didn't take long before he got the hang of what he was supposed to do. The guys went on to do a few more fall hunting trips after that. But once we had children, they were fewer and farther in between. Just a couple weeks ago, Kevin's brother mentioned that maybe they should go out to Iowa this fall and take Rudy for one last joy ride, since he was getting up there in age. I guess he wouldn't get to go after all.

As soon as we began to have kids, Rudy's status became lower on the totum pole. We coddled him less and less, and brushed him aside more and more. He began peeing on furniture, perhaps because of the lack of attention. Every time we had a new child, he went through a 6 month phase or so where he'd pee on things. And soon after we were done having kids, he just peed if anything was out of the ordinary...we went on vacation or had company. Our vet said it was because he wasn't sure of the place in our family anymore (he was no longer alpha), and needed a job to do. So we told the girls to give him daily commands and treats too. Katie was very good at giving him treats. And when she headed to the laundry closet, Rudy knew just what she was up to. We had been out of treats for weeks before he died. Katie kept reminding me to get more treats at the store, but I kept forgetting.

So, that morning when a stranger pulled up and rang our doorbell to sobbingly tell us of that she accidentally hit our dog, the guilt set in. Not immediately, but as we pondered our memories of Rudy. Kevin felt bad that we had pushed him away so many times when he seemed to "get in the way." He hoped Rudy knew how much we loved him. And although things had changed at the tail end of his life, I knew he felt loved. Kevin had just taken him for a ride on the Bobcat a few days prior to his death, we had gone for a walk in the soybean field, and he had leaned into Kyra in antipation of her long strokes (they had recently become stronger pals). I know he still felt loved.

Now, as a few days have passed the sting is beginning to subside. I am able to tell his story without sobbing profusely. We are already speaking of him less, and beginning to heal. There are moments where I have to take a second glance and make sure he still isn't there because, I thought I heard the tapping of his overgrown toenails hit the kitchen floor. I also thought I saw him out of the corner of my eye run by as I was weeding, only to find it was the tall grass waving in the wind. He had paced back and forth in the yard so many times before while searching for bunnies. I have found myself still closing our bedroom door before we leave the house, because our bed is commonly where Rudy would sneak to once we were gone. He would unmake our bed and curl down into the covers, leaving a hairy imprint on Kevin's side.

Yes, he was annoying at times...jumping up on guests, begging for food, or prefering to drink out of the toilet instead of his bowl. But his positive qualities way outweighed the bad. He was an extremely affectionate dog. He never onced snapped at the kids, even when Andrew especially pulled his ears, tried to ride on his back, or put a death grip on his tail. He was energetic till the day he died, loving to chase the light of a flashlight, race down the steps to catch his ball, and spring up from his bed when he heard the word "walk."

We will miss our "Ruders" greatly. But I know time will heal. The kids already want a puppy. It's too soon. We are hoping that as time heals, the kids will think of the idea less. Although Kevin was sure we would never have another dog again, he is already softening to the idea. It breaks his heart to see Kyra so sad, and not even want to talk about him, or think about how Andrew (the true dog lover in the family)will not have a dog to grow with. But I think in reality Kevin himself will miss not having a dog. After all, Rudy wiggled his way into Kevin's heart before he even had a chance.

Little Moments

2011-07-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

This summer is flying by quickly. Even my oldest is beginning to relate to the phrase "time flies when you're having fun!" She was so ambivalent to leave her friends at school, but now so unwilling to give up the freedom of the relaxed schedule she's resumed. Yes, it's going by quickly, but I'm glad for the short break we've been given to spend as a family.

This summer began with a lot of skepticism. After all, the first day Kyra came home from school, my car battery died that very day. I was stuck in the McDonald's parking lot for nearly 2 hours trying to stalk people down for jumper cables. I was determined not to cry, but got pretty close when it started to down pour rain, and Andrew was crying because it was beyond his nap time. Fortunately a man in a beater of a truck lent me a hand and got me back on the road. Then the very next day, Andrew learned how to take all of his clothes off during his nap, and proceeded to leave a rather "stinky surprise" smeared all over the crib. Needless to say we were not off to a great start.

But the largest obstacle at hand has been overcoming Andrew's temper tantrums. Now maybe I have forgotten quite a bit over the years, but I don't remember the girls going through nearly this difficult a stage. Andrew still does not speak a whole lot, which might account for some of his frustration in trying to verbalize his needs, but he is down right irritable. He screams, he throws, he whines, and is obsessive in doing things his own way. He makes my blood pressure rise. So we have spent a good part of our summer learning how to discipline him, learning how to control our own temper when dealing with him, and learning how to take joy in the little moments. And I think that right there is the key. There is hardly a day that goes by that Andrew does not have a tantrum, and for the most part I would focus on them to try and nip them in the bud! But then I would be all tense at the end of the day, feeling like I have not been able to enjoy my summer with the girls, or my whole family. I kept focusing on how frustrating life is, instead of stepping back and looking at what little accomplishments he made that day, or something cute he did. And believe you me, he certainly does make us smile. I have just been forgetting to focus on those little moments to get me through some of the more difficult days.

So this evening, when he wouldn't stop crying after I put him to bed (he used to go right to sleep, but cries almost every night and naptime...only usually for less than a minute), I picked him up and rocked him. He layed into my shoulder, until his lower lip stopped quivering, and he slowly patted my back as I sang him a song. I smiled as I watched his tiny fingers tap my back, and thought about how fortunate I am to be given this gift. He is a great cuddler, and I will cherish that little moment we had together. For even if he is back to his normal tricks tomorrow, I know he can be the sweetest boy in the world. And I'm sure with all the grief and frustration I have given God for not obeying, fleeing, or having my own tantrum, he looks forward to those little moments with me too.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2011-05-31T03:08:00.000-07:00

While serving breakfast at the table:
Kyra: Why are we having asparagus with eggs?
Mom: The two of them can go together. (preclaimer: the poor kid has to endure a lot of asparagus because it is currently growing in our garden, so we have it at least twice a week).
Kyra: No they don't. You always say food has to go together and these don't! Maybe they did way "back then," or in another country, but not here and not now! (Ahh, didn't realize she is picking up on my compulsive behavior to have complimentary food on the table.)

While driving in the car:
Katie: labla...tata..dadeda smarakatcha (and this went on for some time).
Mom: Katie what are you doing?
Katie: Well Andrew has his own little Spanish, so I'm making up my own absurd Spanish. (gotta love her!)

While finishing up at the dinner table:
Mom: Oh, hon...tell me Andrew didn't eat more than one cookie at church today (this boy is notorious for sneeking cookies after the church service!)
Andrew: COOKIEEEE!!! (and with that, he got down from the table, went to the pantry, and struggled to bring us the container. Andrew doesn't say a whole lot, but he knows the important words!)

If you want to read more tiny talk, visit Mary's.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2011-04-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

We've had a very sick household lately. I wish we could quarentine all the germs into one room...but Andrew follows the girls most places they go. The tricky part is simply trying to keep their drinks away from him, because he seems to want any cup but his own. Anyway, I am hoping with the warmer temps and signs of spring, this last bout of stomach flu was the last for the season. Amidst all the sickness though, Kyra did manage to make us smile with this little comment of hers: While sitting on the couch: Mom: How's your stomach babe? Kyra: Not so good. I really hate being sick. It's awful. I wish Adam and Eve had never sinned. (I guess she recognizes some of the consequences of "the fall" more than I realized!) Have a happy spring day everyone!

Happy Birthday Katie

2011-03-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

My little Katydid turned 5 today. This birthday has been anticipated for some time. The poor girl has no concept of time, and every time someone would have their birthday, she'd sigh deeply and inquire when it would finally be her turn. Boy do I remember the days when time seemed to go so slowly! But she made it, and made it a point to ask every night how many days were left until the big day.

This year she simply wanted to share her day with her family and cousins. The main dish was decided months ago, when she discovered that she finally really did like soup (none of the kids are big soup eaters). Of course the only soup she really likes are the creamy ones, so she opted for the Cheddar Brocolli soup. She also made it a point to have salad (one...because she really loves salad, but I think she also did it because her sister doesn't like it, and she likes to get a rise out of her sister!). And of course, we had yet another Barbie cake. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be as hard to make now that I did it once before.

It really was a great party. I felt a little bad that Katie wouldn't be having a big themed friends party, but she honestly didn't seem to care. She was with most of the people she loved, and that's all that mattered. We had our dinner, chatted for awhile, while the cousins played with one another, and then the kids were surprised with a pinata!! The girls had been asking for a pinata for a couple years now, but I kept trying to hold out for a time when we'd have more kids. But, Aunt Linda pulled through (not even knowing the girls had really wanted one) and tacked one up in the garage. And let me tell you, it didn't take long for those little ones to catch on. Even Andrew wanted in on the fun. There were lots of squeals of delight.

We finally headed in to open presents, in which Katie really had a hard time choosing which one was her favorite. She really loved them all (she pleases easily, for which I am very grateful). But, I suppose if push came to shove, she would say her Pillow Pet unicorn.

Katie:

I hope you know how much joy your smiles give us. Your giggles and carefree attitude are refreshing. Katie, I have enjoyed getting to know you better this year through our time at home "doing school." I have watched you grow in your curiosity for how the world works. Before you were such a quiet girl...spending sometimes an hour alone in your room playing with dolls. Now, you are beginning to asking so many more questions, bringing your inner voice to light! You have learned your alphabet, the sounds they make, and are beginning to rhyme as well. We have read more books than I can count, and I have thoroughly enjoyed our lap time together. You continue to be such a cuddler, and at times need to be reminded of "personal space." But I will cherish this time, because I know it won't last forever. Katie you continue to be a strong willed, want to do it yourself, but affectionate little girl. I admire your determination and hope it gets put to good use when you are older. I look forward to the new growth, and experiences you have in the next coming year and hope we continue to grow closer together. I love you very much.

Mom

Monday Meanderings

2011-02-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

Life sure has taken us for a roller coaster these last few weeks. Everytime I think that we have a few weeks of slow pace, something new comes our way. I guess that's God's way of keeping us on our toes, and a reminder all the more that we have to rely on Him. I remember a few years back, that January and February seemed to be our "slow" months out of the year, where we could catch up on purging old files, and clothes in our closets. But I guess when you are homeschooling, running after a toddler, and keeping up with the activities of a 1st grader, that doesn't happen so much.

When the New Year came to, I had intentions of not making any New Year resolutions, but focusing on having a positive attitude. Overall, I think I have done pretty well. I have been knocked down a few times (perhaps a test from God?), but through people's encouragement and prayer, have been able to pick up my attitude and head in the right direction again. I seriously don't know how people can cope without God.

This past couple of months we have had a long visit from my parents, which was so enjoyable. It was especially joyous for me to see the bond between my kids and their Grandparents grow stronger. I love to watch them interact and am very thankful for such caring and loving parents. We have had our share of illnesses these last couple months, but were fortunately able to enjoy the moments in between. We've had snow days and opportunities to go sledding down our front yard. Kyra is enjoying the outdoors so much more than she used to, and in fact was kind of sad to see so much of the snow melt away the other day (fortunately we just had another storm and the ground is now white once again). Katie is making great strides in her efforts of learning the alphabet and how to write each letter. She really has very nice handwriting, and I'm sure she will do well in kindergarten. Andrew continues to get into more things, but mostly brings a smile to our face, although his recent bought of teething (4 teeth at once) had us at wits end. Thankfully he isn't pushing the kitchen chairs up to the countertop and turning on the coffee maker so much anymore (of course that's been replaced with toilet flushing). But he has started to say a few words now, which brings me some relief in my worries. His favorite word is "car", but he recently said "kookaburra" (odd, but I'll take it).

I still have hopes of documenting some of life's great memories in the near future, but for now will leave with a few pictures.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2011-01-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

If I were regularly writing in my blog, I would remember to write down more of the funny things the kids are saying...but alas I'll have to rely on what remains in the storage of my brain. Katie has been a hoot lately. She has been making us laugh with some of the words she has been making up, along with even opening up more to others. Normally she is a rather quiet girl, but even her Sunday School teacher said the last week she had them all laughing up a storm with her silliness. That is such a joy to hear, knowing that she can have a hard time opening up. She still has nothing on her chatty sister, but that's okay. I'm just enjoying the whipper snappers she comes up with at random. Here are a few:

While entering her newly decorated room (after we put up their bunkbeds):
Katie: Kyra!!! Look we finally have bunking beds!! (weeks later, she is still calling them bunking beds)

While sitting at the table coloring:
Andrew: ba, ba, dad, umph, ba (he is quite chatty that little one, but still doesn't say much clearly)
Grandma: See...he talks. He's talking quite a bit!
Me: Yes, I know Mom, but not much that I can understand.
Katie: He has his own kind of Spanish.

While sitting at the dinner table:
Kyra: I don't want to take a bath tonight! (sulking with her head down)
Katie: Mom...Kyra's not being very gladiful.
(a couple days ago we had just talked about doing things with a joyful heart, apparently Katie recognized Kyra's lack there of, and intrepretted it with a new word!)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Marys.

Top 10 of 2010

2010-12-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

We have had another very good year...and as I glance back at some of the pictures we have taken, and posts I have written, I am reminded of how much God has blessed us. Starting from the beginning of this past year, here is our top 10 highlighted/thankful moments:

1. Our visit to Disney World. When I asked my hubby what one of his favorite events of this past year was, this was his top event. It is probably mine as well. There is something magical about seeing things through your children's eyes. My sister in-law was kind enough to watch Andrew for the day, so we had a great time with just the girls.

2. Andrew's successful surgery. When Andrew was born, we were told that he would soon need minor surgery. For the first 10 months of his life I was very nervous of how it would go, but he did so well, and recovered very quickly. I am thankful God watched over him and the surgeon and gave me peace.

3. Our many trips to the beach. I was a little nervous taking all three of my kids by myself to the beach, but was determined to not let nap times tie me down the whole summer. And although it was a little hairy at times taking all of our beach gear by myself, we had a great time. And it was great to see how much Andrew enjoyed the sand and water, and how much the girls grew as swimmers.

4. The Hub's job. At the end of the summer, we were told that there was not a lot of work for my husband in the foreseeable future. He had a few weeks where he was laid off, but in the end his company was able to find little jobs here and there to keep him busy. At a time where the ecomomy is still very much struggling, I am very thankful for the work he's been able to secure, and pray for so many who continue look for work.

5. Homeschooling Katie. Over the summer, I had thought a lot about giving homeschooling a try, and asked a few homeschooling moms about their personal experience. After doing a little more research and deciding on a curriculum, I gave it a go. And I am so glad I did. Katie is doing very well. The first week I was ready to throw in the towel, but soon after we figured what things had to be thrown out of the curriculum, and which things she thrived upon. I am enjoying the bonding time with my daughter, as well as loving to learn from her as well. We've done lots of outdoor discoveries, projects, sang lots of new songs, and read some really great books. I look forward to our new year of revelations.

6. Watching Kyra play soccer. I never would have pictured Kyra wanting to play soccer, but after one summer night of goofing around with a ball, she was determined to play. Even the first day of a game, where the rain POURED the whole entire game...she had a great time. And I couldn't believe how competitive I became as a viewing parent! It's like my inner beast was coming out!

7. Running a 5K. At the beginning of the school year, I vowed I was going to become healthier with some sort of exercise. So I decided to start running. Let me tell you, I didn't enjoy it very much. In fact every time I ran, I said that I wasn't going to keep up with it because I hated it so much. But I would get up the next day and determine to do better than the day before. So, when our family decided to do their own race at Thanksgiving time, I was pumped and ready to go. Although I didn't run the whole entire 5K, I did better than I have ever done in my whole entire life, and was very proud of my accomplishment. I am hoping to try and enter another 5K in the spring.

8. Losing weight. Of course, along with running, I had wanted to lose weight this past year. And although I didn't reach my goal, I still lost 22lbs. I hope to lose another 20lbs this next year, but am happy going at it slow and steady. It feels great just to fit into some old clothes that haven't fit in years...and buy some new of course!

9. Seeing Kyra read. It's funny how a lightbulb seems to go on with some milestones. Kyra had been sounding out words for quite some time, and reading too, but she struggled with a lot of words as well. Then just in the past couple of months, she took off. She reads without hesitation and began reading chapter books! I loved waking up during this Christmas break, finding her curled up on the chair, reading by the light of the Christmas tree.

10. Our Christmas together as a family. For some reason this year, Christmas seemed to take on so much more meaning. Maybe it was the daily devotions we did together as a family, or the fact that for some random reason I was more relaxed. But we had a great Christmas. Even the girls seemed more thankful for the gifts they received. But it was especially wonderful to see the look on their faces when they opened their bedroom door to find a surprise. Their dad had put their bunk beds together while they were playing in the basement. They said it was the best Christmas present EVER! And they have been having fun playing on it every day since then.

Attitude

2010-12-27T03:50:00.000-08:00

We are quickly approaching the end of the year, and I keep looking at my long neglected blog, and wonder where all the time as gone. I remember a few months back thinking, I have only written a few dozen posts this past year...I better start knocking out some more if I am going to write as much as I did the previous year. I began this blog so I could capture some of the endearing things my children said, along with writing down some of our key memories so they wouldn't be forgotten in years to come. But, in the end, blogging or journaling has had to sit on the backburner for the time being. Sure, I'm sure I'll miss reading some of the memories I would have been able to capture in my writing, but in the end I know that I let go some of my motive to meet a "quota," and instead write when I feel compelled to do so (which just so happens not to have been the last few months!). I hate to let go of the blog for good, because I do have hopes to write in it more frequently some day, and do enjoy writing and reading documented moments of our family. But, for now I hope to remember that I spent that time trying new endeavors, spending time in the busyness of life, or just taking a break from a delighted hobby.

But, I digress. On to the purpose of my post. So much has happened this past year, and I was trying to recall some of our highlighted memories. I know I tend to be a pessimistic person, and often get caught up in the negativity of life...the "why me's," the feelings of inadequacy, and the worldly news. I even stumbled upon an entry I wrote about this very topic this time last year. I wanted to stop focusing on the negative things in my life and "Just Do It"...just do what I could with the gifts God gave me. And for the most part, I think I did a pretty good job. Sure, there were certain lulls through the year where I stumbled, and life got the better of me. But then I remembered my slogan for the year, or my husband gently nudged me in the right direction, or felt lifted up through prayer or friends. And thank goodness I have a faithful God or friends to lean on, but I realize I need more than just a slogan to follow for the year. I need the Bible engraved in my heart.

So, along with with consciously taking an effort to follow the "Just Do It" plan, I have decided to be guided by a certain Bible verse this year:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phillipians 4:8-9

Because, if I have the Bible engraved on my heart, then hopefully when life gets me down, this verse will be so close to my heart, that I will quickly be able to pull it out of the cobwebs of my soul. And I challenge you to do the same!! Maybe if you are not a New Year's resolution kind of person, you could find a verse that would challenge you and bring you closer to God.

Really, change for any of us is all about changing our attitude. Of course it's easy for me to say this right now, because I'm pondering on the subject. But, if I'm going to change my heart to reflect God's heart, I need to make a change in my attitude. And I know I certainly won't be perfect on this journey...but, hopefully with a little encouragement from this Bible verse, my year's previous slogan, and the softening of my heart through God, I can continue in the path of positivity. I'll leave with a favorite quote of mine from Chuck Swindoll that will hopefully be inspirational to you as well:

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our Attitudes."

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

My "Risky Business" Man!

First Week of School

2010-09-11T03:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the first week of school has come and gone already. To tell you the truth, it was a long week. After having so many days of summer fly by, it was a bit draining to endure such a long week. Don't get me wrong, we definitely had many highlights throughout the week, but I will be glad when we get more into a groove of things.

Kyra started out quite nervous for her first day of school. The poor child is becoming more of a nervous nellie as she gets older (between the genes of her dad and mom, she is doomed). So we prayed together shortly before her bus arrived. We prayed that she would like her teacher, that she would make some friends, and that she would enjoy her time back at school. Then after our prayer, she seemed to look refreshed. She gave me one last hug, and when the bus arrived, she quickly found some old friends and rode off with a big smile on her face. I knew that she would have a fabulous day, and headed down my driveway already anticipating her long winded stories that she would tell.

As soon as I opened the door, Katie was waiting for her turn for school. This little girl has been anticipating school for some time. She has been eager to start her time with mom, and repeatedly asks when it's her turn to paint (apparently that's what she wants to do most in school). I had set up a "little classroom" in our basement complete with a big table to do arts and crafts, a fun calendar, and a bucket of supplies (which of course included the paints that she so anxiously wanted to use). So, we got Andrew his breakfast, straightened up a few things, and headed downstairs to begin our first day of school.

Like I had mentioned before, I too was a little nervous for our first day of school (not for Kyra, but for myself). I was mostly concerned for how Andrew would do during our time together, but also concerned for how effective of a teacher I could be to my own daughter. Well, Andrew did great. He played with the many toys in the basement he wasn't too familiar with (since we don't go down there that often), and only managed to tamper with the DVD/sound system one time. Then we broke up for a snack, while I put him down for a nap and continued my lesson with Katie. And Katie did really fabulous too. She did cry once when I tried to show her the correct way to hold scissors, but I kind of anticipated that being a challenge. At first I thought she was crying because she just couldn't do it right. Then I quickly realized, it was because I took the scissors and cut HER paper. Of course she wanted to do it all by herself. But we let it go, and agreed to work on it another day. Otherwise the day went very smoothly. We sang songs, worked on learning a Bible memory verse, focused on learning the number 1 and letter A, and read books.

All in all, our first week couldn't have gone smoother. Kyra really likes her teacher and raves about how nice she is, although she is definitely tired. I think every day all day class is going to take a bigger toll on her then I thought. Yesterday, she said: "Mom...I like school, but does it have to be every day? I don't ever get a break...it's just school, school, school, soccer, and church (repeat)." It will be a big adjustment coming right from summer, but I know she'll get into the groove. Katie enjoyed puzzling ordinary household items together to make the letter A, and spending one on one time with Mom. She has really been an eager beaver, and was even disappointed to find out we weren't "doing" school every day. I was also pleased that our few discouraging moments didn't ruin her anticipation to learn new things. As for me, well I am quite tired from the week as well. I will definitely have to do some altering when it comes to the curriculum I had planned for Katie. And I've had my moments of ambivilence of teaching my own daughter (even going so far as to thinking...there's still time to enroll her in a preschool class!) But we all just need time. We need time for our bodies to get back into a schedule, time for our emotions to fall into balance. And I know we'll have a good year (even if it might be a tough year) because God is in control and will give us the rest we need to take on the new school year.

New Beginnings

2010-09-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow marks the day that Kyra begins school every day, all day . For some reason I didn't have a hard time letting her go for preschool or kindergarten. I was excited for her and knew that she'd do well. She's such a smart little cookie, and warms up easily to others, so I knew making friends wouldn't be a problem either. However, this year she is leaving her little sister behind. Her little sister, who over the summer, has become her best friend. Her little sister, who adores spending every waking moment with her. Yes, I know Kyra will be missed. But, for me it also marks an end to a 6 year era, where I was free to roam. I was free to take an extended weekend (or sometimes week) to Chicago. Free to sleep in (till 8 a.m. anyway), free to take a day trip where I pleased, and free to spend time with my son while the girls occupied eachother's time. Yes, feeling a little selfish, I realize that I will be a bit more tied down these days. But I know Kyra will enjoy her year at school, and I pray that the 3 of us will too...because she's not the only one with a new beginning.

This year I have decided to homeschool Katie. Again, it started out as a sort of selfish journey (I'm sensing a pattern here...hmmm). I wanted to save the money I would put into a preschool program, and put Katie and Kyra into dance or gymnastic class. Of course it evolved from there. I soon spoke to other homeschooling moms, and realized it was a very great bonding time between their children. I then became very excited to bond with Katie. I know everyone should know their children well, but out of all three of my kids, I feel I know Katie the least. She is very good at playing by herself, which is nice when I need to get things done, but unfortunately I can take advantage of that quality as well. I'm hoping that through the time we spend together I can learn much more of her strengths as a person. I'm hoping that we can begin to build a strong bond, so she doesn't feel afraid to come to me later in life when problems get tougher.

So, we will see how this journey goes. Katie is a strong willed child, who likes to do things her way and in her own time, so this could be a challenge, but I'm willing to go for the ride. I'm a bit nervous, as I'm not sure how well it work if Andrew doesn't take his scheduled nap. He's been a bit of a pill lately, so it could be a challenge just to keep him occupied while we work one on one (especially if I want our house still standing....did I mention he's been a bit destructive lately?). But, I'm sure in a few weeks we'll fall into a groove. So, we are all at a new beginning...Kyra, a new grade....Katie, preschool with mom...and me, a preschool teacher. Let's pray that kids and teachers everywhere have a wonderful year of growth, learning, and inspiration.

Top Ten of Summer

2010-09-01T03:45:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it is September 1st already!! Before we know it, we'll be gathering around for Thanksgiving dinner and preparing to bake for Christmas cookies. Of course it's hard to imagine (and who wants to rush it anyway) the holidays when we've been having 90+ degree weather lately. And though the heat has been hard to take on occasion, I have been very pleased with our warm summer. The weather has permitted lots of welcomed trips to the beach and enjoyment in our little plastic pool. The girls have played better than ever, which makes it that much harder to break them up as Kyra prepares to leave for all day, every day school in a few short days. But seeing as I have hardly written all summer, I'd like to reflect on some of the fun things we did this summer.

1. Numerous trips to the beach. Having taken swimming lesson in the beginning of the summer, I wanted to keep their exposure to the water high, so we took advantage of our local beaches and had lots of play time in the water. I even ventured out on my own a few times with the 3 kiddos by myself (a big accomplishment for me, when you consider the 1 year old has to be watched like a hawk because of the love for the water).

2. An over night trip to Traverse City with my hubby. Although I was hesitant to leave the kids on the day first day Kyra got out of school, this trip was absolutely wonderful. The northern part of Michigan is beautiful no matter what time of year you go. And we got to enjoy time alone together while wine sampling and touring the country side. Loved it!

3. Andrew's birthday. It's hard to believe my little guy is one now, but we had a wonderful 1st birthday with family, and I am embracing the steps of progress he is making into becoming an older child (like sleeping through the night, walking, no naps...pretty soon we'll be able to go on more adventures as a family of 5)

4. Trip to Hessel. Although this was not my favorite event of the summer, the kids had a blast playing with cousins they haven't seen in a long time and it was nice to chat with family while lazily sitting at "our" small beach.

5. Visiting relatives for "daycations" while they camped at Pioneer Campground. Although we did not camp here, we still enjoyed the benefits of camping, while being able to sleep in our comfy beds at night. Seriously, it was a wonderful campground, with just a simply beautiful beach.

6. Visiting family in Chicago. While I do go to Chicago a fair amount of time to visit family, this time we went on a few day adventures. We all had a blast going to Splash Country and visiting Blackberry Farms. And although the sprinklers were broken, we enjoyed a picnic at Cantigny with fried mushrooms from Brown's Chicken....mmmm.

7. Raising 3 caterpillars. Never mind that all of the caterpillars passed away and never made it to the chrysalis stage, but the whole family really enjoyed watching how fast they grew. It was fun to watch how involved the girls got into feeding their little friends, and even see their compassionate heart reach out as the caterpillars started to fade. **We later found out that the first caterpillar probably had a virus that spread to the others.

8. Going camping at Gun Lake with my family. Although this trip was uncomfortable at times with the extreme heat and humidity (and mosquitos), we still had fun eating, talking, swimming, and reliving some previous camping trips. It's also amazing to see how resilient kids are, because I don't think the heat bothered them hardly at all...they just enjoyed being outdoors and with each other.

9. Going to the Hudsonville Fair. This has become a yearly tradition of ours, and the girls dared to go on more rides then ever this year. They were brave in going on the tall ferris wheel, and even went on a few new ones that they weren't sure of.

10. Going to a Whitecaps minor league baseball game. Again, it was another hot day, which made it almost to hot to view from our seats, but the kids had fun eating the food and it was nice doing something different. My hubs even broke down and got everyone ice cream (in which the girls got a souvenir baseball cap bowl).

We still have yet to go to the zoo (the one thing on Kyra's summer to do list we haven't done yet), but otherwise it's been a fulfilling summer. So now I am just holding on to the last few days I have to sleep in before we take on schedules, fall sports, and the busyness of the school year. I am excited at the prospects of a new year and what it has in store for us (I am taking on some new challenges), but am also thankful that we have a season like summer to rejuvenate, be lazy, and spend as a family.

Happy Birthday Kyra

2010-08-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

My oldest child turned 6 today. She has anxiously waited for this moment for months. When Katie turned 4 back in March, she had already begun planning who she was going to invite, where she was going to have the party, and what she was going to eat. Unfortunately, due to my anxious/nervous personality, I had told her it wasn't going to be a grand affair. I can only take a party of several giggling girls every few years or so. I also find it kind of tough to invite classmates from her Kindergarten class, when she hasn't seen them in months and I didn't know many of them that well to begin with. But I'm going off on a tangent. I told her we would gather with family only, and she pleasantly nodded. She can be a very gracious child, for which I am very thankful.

We ended up having one of the best parties we've ever had. It's always great gathering with family, enjoying a little chat time while watching the kids race around the hallways...and Andrew trying to keep up. And who could resist the pigs in a blanket accompanied with chips, dip, and watermelon (the birthday girl's choice of entree')! After opening some presents and letting our "oh so healthy" dinner settle a bit, we dug into my first ever "barbie cake." I have to say, I think it was my best cake ever (and really good tasting too). I hated to eat it, and ruin my glorious creation. But all good things must come to an end right? But the evening didn't end, because we decided to surprise the birthday girl with a bonfire (one of her favorite things to do), along with the company of some good friends. She hadn't seen her little friend Maia in so long, we were sure she'd be pleased. And she was, in fact, the bonfire was very short lived, and after a few attacks from mosquitos we headed inside and enjoyed some catching up time with friends while the kids played "store" with Kyra's new toy...a cash register.

Yes, I think she enjoyed her day, and is looking more like a six year old already (actually more like 7-8 year old). We love you, Kyra, and thank God every day for enriching our lives with your bubbly, caring, genuine life. You are such a precious gift to us.

Monarch Monday

2010-08-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Katie, made this creation. Looks like a hodge podge of things right? Two picture frames, and a jewelry box. What in the world?

But let's take a closer look. What is that behind all those objects? Looks like a container of some sort, right?

Oh...a container with leaves. But what's inside that container?

Ahhh...it's a caterpillar!

Katie and I had a little one on one time the other day and went to the farmer's market. I expected to get some peaches or maybe a hairbow from a craft booth. But we found this instead. A lady and her son were selling butterfly kits and for only a few bucks. Katie was very intrigued, so I decided to indulge her, and figured both girls would get into it. I let her choose the kit (they had large caterpillars that were just about ready to make their chrysalis, or baby ones that you could watch grow). Of course Katie picked the baby ones, which just like regular babies, poop and eat all day. We are only 2 days into it and already lost 1 out of the 3 we were given (probably because we didn't clean out their home quickly enough. But hopefully we do a better job from here on out. Katie is thoroughly enjoying checking on her babies and has even gone on to make them a bedroom...hence the pictures of her creation. She likes to open their door and tells me to be quiet so they can rest and makes sure they have shade. It's fun watching her curiosity and tender heart wanting to help something grow. Now let's just hope we can keep the remaining two alive for the duration of their caterpillar life (especially since we are going camping soon and will have to take our leggy creatures with us for vacation!!).

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2010-07-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

We're having a great summer over here in Michigan, and the laughter hasn't disappointed either. Here are a few of the things the kids have said/or done:

While driving past daddy's work (he's working at an elementary school):
Kyra: Wow, that's a great school dad. It has a great park.
Dad: Yeah, sometime you should come for lunch and you can play there for a bit.
Kyra: I bet if you asked your boss daddy, you could play tag during your break time!!
(I'm sure that's exactly what all of his coworkers want to do!!)

While getting ready to go outside:
Katie: Mom, it's too hot outside. I amn't going to go outside unless her's going.
(Yes, we teach our kids real proper around these here parts)

While getting ready for dinner:
Andrew: Bppppp.....Bpppppp.....Bpppppp
(I kept hearing Andrew blow raspberries, so I looked over and noticed his head was down and he was blowing raspberries and then watching the drool run down his bib. Yes, he's learning some great tricks! I think everyone's had a little too much sun around here, but boy do they make us smile.)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T04:57:00.001-07:00

Hessel

2010-07-21T03:40:00.000-07:00

Well, another year has come and gone at our cabin in Hessel. After my hubby missed going last year for the first time ever (minor set back with having a baby and all), he was chomping at the bit to go. And he wasn't disappointed with the fishing either. They seemed to catch more fish then they have in the last few years. They caught pike, herring, salmon, perch, and some suckers too. Unfortunately I don't have a single picture of any of their fish. I do however, have plenty pictures of my little fish. My kiddos were lovin the water this year. Perhaps it was because the normally cool temps in Hessel were just about warmer than we've ever seen, and warrented a good dip in the lake. Seriously, the mornings in Hessel usually require a sweatshirt until about 11:00 am, and cool off around 7:00 pm...and that's on a warm day. But I don't think we needed a sweatshirt once. It was even in the 90's a few of the days...and the only air conditioning we had was the warm breeze that floated into our rooms off the water's edge. But even in the heat, the kids had a blast.

The girls followed my hubby's cousin's kids around like shadows the whole time. Thank goodness they stay for the whole week (their parents typically go home after a few days, and leave the kids with their grandma and grandpa) otherwise our kids would be lost without them. Kyra would be up at the crack of dawn asking to see Carlye at her cabin. I would have to tell her that unlike her, Carlye was probably still sleeping at the hour of 6:30 am on vacation...hoping she'd take the hint. If it were up to Kyra, she'd stay another week. Yes, the girls really had a great time running around in the sand, riding bikes down to the little grocery store by the marina, and fishing as well. They both loved fishing with daddy, but for the first time Kyra caught 3 perch by herself. She cast it out, and reeled it in. Katie caught a couple too, but needed help reeling it in. The girls also made friends with a woman at the marina...who had a 65 foot boat! They had a tour and everything. Must be rough with granite kitchen countertops in your yacht.

Andrew seemed to do pretty well at Hessel too. Although I did have to grab hands full of sand out of his mouth a few times and carry him a bit more than usual (so he wouldn't crawl through the gravel or race to the shore), he did pretty well. He took great naps and slept well through the night, allowing me to have some moments of rest. It definitely was nice to not be far from the beach. Because so many times we have gone to a beach and had to leave early, because Andrew was getting cranky. I would have to tell the girls we have to pack and up and leave, and they would grumble that we always leave because of Andrew. This time, the girls could continue in their fun while I put him down to rest.

And me? Well let's just say I had an aokay time. Now that a few weeks have gone by, I am able to reflect on more of a positive note, although I wasn't so positive a good deal of the time I was there. Let's just say I would have been a little more of a happy camper if my hubby would have come home from fishing at a decent time and not left me with the kids ALL day. But a lot of having fun has to come from your attitude and I just didn't have a great attitude after the guys missed dinner twice to allow for their fishing fix. Looking back though, I do realize it was very nice to get away and enjoy time chatting with extended family, watching my kids have a blast, and looking at the beautiful view. The water is so calm and peaceful in the morning, that it's almost mesmorizing to watch.

Perhaps my best moment though was our one and only family ride in our boat. We drove out just before dusk, and trolled in and out of the little islands by the bay. We docked the boat on a sandy shoal on one of the islands while trying to catch a few fish. The girls got off the boat to run around and chase each other for a few minutes. Just then the hubs caught a perch. It was a keeper, but we had nothing to put it in. Finally he found a plastic bag, in which Kyra filled up with a little water, and we slid him in. But then the girls wanted back in the boat, so the hubs needed to help them back aboard. I grabbed the plastic bag in one hand, while he gave me his huge cane fishing pole to hold in the other hand. Meanwhile, with both hands preoccupied, I had Andrew tugging on my legs trying to stand up in the wobbly boat. Then wouldn't you know, I caught a fish. The hubs shouted, pull it up...pull it up! So with one hand, and all other limbs preoccupied, I pulled up and caught a fish who then flew right at me (since I didn't have any hands to grab the line). Yes, it was quite a sight to see. I'm sure that would have been funniest video worthy had we caught it on tape.

Cake Psychology

2010-06-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

After uploading photos from Andrew's birthday, the girls wanted to see their pictures when they turned one. Of course I'm always up for reminiscing, so we looked back and took a glance down memory lane. Funny thing was, upon viewing their pictures, I realized that the way they ate their cake holds true to their personalities.

Kyra: As you can see she is using a spoon and already careful not to get too messy. She is my stickler for rules, my organizer, my cautious, and careful to do things correctly kiddo. She has never been one to get her hands messy, and to this day will still not help in the garden for fear of getting dirt on her clothes or on her hands. Rules and order bring peace to her life. While even learning to write, she has always wanted to know the correct spelling for fear of writing the incorrect spelling on her crisp white sheet of paper.

Katie: Here we have a girl that wants to carefully inspect her cake and feel it's texture before she takes a chance at eating it. Katie has always been my independant, exploritory, defiant one. She doesn't want anyone to show her how to do anything. She wants to discover for herself how to do things in her own time. But she's not afraid to get her hands dirty either. To this day, she has to examine new foods before she will put them in her mouth. But she's willing to do the dirty work to show the world what she can accomplish. Just the other day we went to pick wild blackberries and fearing that she might get poked by the thorns, I pointed to a berry that would be easy for her to pick. She defiantly said, "No! I'll do it my own self momma!" and proceeded to reach into the thorns for a big ripe berry.

Andrew: Even though he is so young, I bet this picture will describe his personality well. You can see Andrew didn't hold back at all. At first he dug right in and felt the cake all over his fingers. He was merely content finger painting with the frosting. But once he tasted his chunky fingers, he dug right in. In the year that we have known him he has seemed to be a very tactile little boy. He studies his hands and movements all the time. And for the most part seems to be a child easily pleased with the simple pleasures of life. I believe he is going to be my fearless explorer, my larger than life, lover of creation, content little guy. We have already seen his ambition to walk when not knowing how to fall, and his several attempts at diving into the pool. And just this past weekend we went to the beach where he scooted all over the sand and attempting to creep closer to the mesmorizing waves. Of course he wouldn't stay under the umbrella for shade, but took in the sights all the while sifting the sand through his tiny fingers.

Happy 1st Birthday Andrew

2010-06-24T18:30:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Andrew turned one. My little baby is turning into a toddler now. Although I never want to show favoritism for one child over another, I can definitely see where the last one can truly become the eternal "baby". It is certainly hard to let go, when you know you'll never have another child again. And although I am sad to have a lot of last events, like a last 1st birthday, I am also very excited for our future. We are going to have fun as a family of five and I look forward to the joys and maybe even challenges that we are going to face.

I look back at the months that I have written about Andrew's progress and personality, and I know that for me he hasn't been the easiest child. I'm sure I have said this a number of times, but I was so certain that the third child was supposed to be one of the most complacent and easy going. This certainly wasn't the case. On top of the minor medical issues he had in the beginning of his life, he turned out to be quite a fussy child. He has never been much of a babbler, but boy does this child have lungs. He can scream like the dickens. There were certainly nights that I wished I could run away for the weekend and take a breather, because he seemed to be such a demanding child. But the funny thing is that despite the fact that he has seemed to be one of my most challenging children, I couldn't be happier. He may not play well by himself and gives up easily on things all the while crying for someone to do it for him, but he has a smile and giggle that can melt your heart. I really feel very complete with my three children.

Okay, so on to my little one year old. Andrew has finally learned how to crawl. And although it is a funny crawl (kind of gimpy), at least he is getting around and finally seems more content. Before, he would take a few steps, fall down and want to be picked up again so he could walk some more. We had to constantly be around him in case he fell, since he didn't properly know how to fall (he'd fall straight back or forward). Thankfully, after some work he now knows how to fall on his bum. In fact, the funny thing is, he has kind of given up on walking and reverted to crawling. And honestly, I am happy with that because I feel he is safer (he's already had two falls where his teeth have gone through his upper lip). He does still cruise around objects while walking but has seemed to given up for the time being on walking by himself.

This month Andrew has also learned how to drink through a straw. I think transitioning from formula to milk in a sippy cup will be a walk in the park. And of course he is eating everything. I really don't think this child has a picky bone in his body. He's had everything from chicken to salmon and tomatoes to chick peas.

But the funniest thing to watch Andrew do is to play in the water. I realize at this age kids don't have fear of much, but this kid LOVES water. He splashes up a storm in the tub, and has tried to dive in the water face first at the pool. He's had a few rude awakenings, but the water in the face hasn't seemed to slow him down (unlike his sisters).

Yes, this has definitely been a challenging last year, but one filled with many joyful moments too. I'm excited to take on another year and see how this little guy's personality flourishes. Happy Birthday Andrew, we love you!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

This is a little book Kyra put together all by herself for her mom and dad. The new found love in writing and drawing just doesn't get old. I love to see what this kid comes up with!!

the title page: "Dad and Mom Are in Love"

"Kevin is sad because he doesn't have any wives."

"Sarah is sad because she doesn't have any husbands."

"And Sarah and Kevin found eachother and fell in love and married and kissed."

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T04:01:00.001-07:00

Andrew's new talent. He looks a bit like a drunken sailor!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2010-05-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I wrote about some of the things my kids say, but boy does my memory function at a low capacity with 3 kiddos. If I don't write something down that instant, the next minute it's gone. Yes, I'm afraid what my brain would do if I had 4 children!! Anyway, here are a couple of the cute things they said, that I remembered:

While in the car:
Mom: Hey Katie, can you tell me what the colors mean on the stop light?
Katie: Sure, geen means go, red means stop, and yellow means slow poke.
(Uh huh!! There you have it. Kyra would have said slow down, since she's a stickler for the rules, but this is how the second one rolls!!)

While at the park:
(We were a little weary of letting our kids play at the park because there was a teenage couple hanging out and showing a little too much PDA. Fortunately they left soon, but we were prepared for some questions...)
Kyra: Daddy, how come you and mommy don't show each other that you love each other like that?
Dad: Well, Kyra, we do...but we just chose to do it in a non public place like our house. You've seen us kiss haven't you?
Kyra: Ewww...yes in our kitchen, but that's not appropriate in front of children.
Dad: And where would it be appropriate?
Kyra: At the park.
(I guess we aren't showing appropriate examples of affection....according to our affection police!! I'm so glad those teenagers were there to set a more fitting example-enter sarcasm)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Andrew Update: 11 Months

2010-05-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Ever since Andrew discovered that he could take a few steps on his own, he doesn't want to stop. The minute he falls down, he grabs for your hands to pull himself back to a standing position. The child simply isn't happy unless he's walking. The problem is...he doesn't know how to fall well. In the month that he's been taking steps, he still is wobbly as ever. He'll take 8 steps forward, and 3 steps back until he falls straight back and bumps his head. Someone really has to watch him or he could really get hurt. They already overestimated his capabilities in nursery last week, and he scraped the side of his face pretty good. Yup, I think this boy will be in for some scrapes and bruises (comes with the territory right?).

Andrew still hasn't shown any interest in crawling, but he recently learned how to sit up from a lying down position. I found him playing in his crib one day, and a few minutes later he figured out how to stand up. The problem is now that he has this newfound trick, he has been falling asleep sitting up. It was funny the first couple days, but now his naps have been cut short because he won't lay back down. I think he's going to enjoy throwing us for a loop.

As far as eating goes, he is a human garbage disposal. I think a few months ago I mentioned that he was a picky eater, but now I can't seem to get him to slow down. He eats oatmeal, grapes, bananas, chicken, cheerios, and just about any kind of veggie. I think the only thing he doesn't seem to care for at this point is cheese (which I'm sure will change). I even have to be careful when I get a snack out for the girls, because if he's around he starts screaming at the top of his lungs to let you know he doesn't want to be left out (I'll never do that in the grocery store again!). Yes, he's a boy of few words, but he certainly let's you know when he wants something. In fact he's so impatient, that often just to be able to converse over dinner, we have sent him into the other room to watch a Baby Einstein video (obviously we won't do that forever, but for now it works, and he loves them!!) And transitioning to a sippy cup was a breeze (unlike Katie who wouldn't start until she was nearly 18 months old). He even sipped out of a straw the other day.

In a month, he will be turning 1!! My last snuggle bug is growing up and not wanting to snuggle so much. But we are having a blast watching him learn so many new things. The girls love to help guide him in his walking adventures, and give him bite size nibbles too. Yes, we love ourselves some Andrew!

A Visit from the Tooth Fairy

2010-05-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

During yesterday's events at Tulip Time, Kyra finally lost her first tooth. We have been anticipating this loss for a very long time now. Over 6 months ago, her dentist said she had a couple of loose teeth. And seeing as how I had a special pillow to put my lost teeth when I was a child, I felt like she should have one too. So last fall I started my quest for a cute pillow. I saw some chincy ones, and some very cute ones (although they were way too expensive). Finally, I decided I would make her one and give it to her as a Christmas gift. I found a simple pattern online and bought all the material. Now I don't sew very much, but the pattern seemed simple enough, so I decided to go for it. Needless to say it took me a little longer than anticipated. It was made out of felt and required a bit of glueing which is where the problems came to play. Whip stitching over felt glue is not easy work. My fingers were paying the price, but I was determined to see the project through. In the end I was very pleased with the fruits of my labor, but I'm not sure I would ever do it again.

With the pillow complete we simply had to wait for her little tooth to fall out. So we waited, and waited...until finally this past month her tooth clearly became very loose. We encouraged her to wiggle it, and teased her about tying it to a string and door while slamming it shut. But in the end we let her do it in her own time. My hubby said, just be careful not to swallow it! I said, well surely that won't happen. She'll certainly feel it when it comes out.

But this afternoon, she ran to me and told me she lost her tooth. Oh congratulations, I said, where is it? No, she said I lost it and can't find it. Funny thing is, once we told her daddy, he knew exactly where it was. At the restaurant today she was eating a corn dog and had bit into something crunchy. When she showed her dad, he said it must be a piece of a bone from the hot dog! Come on, a piece of a bone? Now when have you ever found a bone in a hot dog? Those things are as processed as they come. But he didn't think much of it until she told him she lost her tooth. So, now her tooth lies at the restaurant with the corn dog!

This evening Kyra wrote a note to the tooth fairy, hoping that she'll take a note instead of a tooth. And maybe next time if she bites into something crunchy, we'll have a better idea of what it really is!

Tulip Time

2010-05-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

It was an exciting day for us today. We were headed to Tulip Time to enjoy some fun activities for the kids and look at some beautiful tulips. The kids were excited because we haven't done a whole lot of fun activities in awhile. Spring cleaning, planting, weeding, gearing up for surgery, and trying to build a bathroom in our basement has been our focus for the last couple of months so I think they are feeling a little cooped up. And this momma wasn't feeling too different. I was ready to take a day off and enjoy the great outdoors.

Although the day started off rainy, the sun made its appearance later in the day and made for a pleasant afternoon. The tulips were some of the best I've seen in years. There were such vibrant colors and they were so incredibly tall. They looked like tulips on steriods! Being outside and seeing all the flowers really does wonders for your soul. I know it doesn't produce food like a vegetable or fruit garden, but seeing so many variety of colors just brings out the beauty in God's creation.

The fun part of the day though was taking part in the kinderplaats festivities at Tulip Time. Although we have gone to the festival a couple years in a row now, we have never done Kinderplaats. It basically consists of booths with activities or crafts for kids, some dancing for entertainment, a petting zoo area, and a hand full of bouncy rides. Yet, there were so many things to choose from, we had to leave to get lunch and come back again.

Kyra and Daddy holding a Boa Constrictor! Didn't know either of them were that brave!

Speaking of lunch, that was one of the best parts as well. We went to New Holland Brewing Co. for lunch, and it was wonderful. I had one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I have had in a long time. Of course spending the day with good friends we don't get to see very often made the day as well. There really isn't much I could say that went bad today. Perhaps it's because we haven't gone out as a family in awhile, or perhaps it is because the weather is turning around. Either way, it was a very fulfilling day.

In Your Hands

2010-04-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds, in Christ. -Phillipians 4:6-7

Dear Lord,

You know my heart. You know I am a worrier. I worry about my children growing up to know you. I worry about what their lives will be like as teenagers. I worry about their little self esteems and falls and spills they might make. I worry about predators lurking around ready to prey on their innocent souls. The list goes on and on. But worrying never accomplished anything. I am aware of that, and try daily to put their lives in your hands. I am asking that you be especially with Andrew tomorrow as he heads to surgery. I am trusting you with his care. I am trusting that you watch over his surgeon and give him steady hands. He is your child and I know you love him more than I can love him. I trust that you will help me through the week and give me the patience and strength to care for him. I pray that you give him a speedy recovery. You are in control Lord, and I pray you help me surrender my heart and give us peace. I put my son in Your hands. Thank you for your unfailing love.

Sarah

Andrew Update: 10 Months

2010-04-23T03:41:00.000-07:00

This past month, Andrew finally rolled over from his back to his tummy, and is now rolling all over the place (hallelujah!!). Talk about a late bloomer! I continued to have concerns of him having delayed development, but the pediatrician didn't show any concerns. He is pretty much on track in all other areas of his development. So I guess I'll try not to be too concerned and count my blessings that he is still somewhat containable. And although he may not be crawling yet, he is showing some interest in walking! He might just be one of those kids who learn to walk before they crawl. He has stood up for at least 10 second intervals and has taken up to 5 steps on his own. However, I think it will still be a little while until he really takes off, because his tummy muscles are still not strong enough to keep him upright for that long (not to mention he doesn't know how to pull himself up on objects either). He definitely looks like a drunken soldier. The problem is, he thinks he can take off on his own, and wants us to let go of his hands. We figured that between the Johnny Jumper and the Exersaucer, they have both given him a false sense of security. He thinks he can walk without help because he was able to walk around in little circles with the aid of his toys. It really is quite funny to see how independent he wants to become though. Even if we put him up to the couch, he won't hold on. His whole body shakes with excitement at the thought of taking off.

So for a long time, I thought that maybe he might just be this laid back kid, with an easy going type of personality (since he showed no interest in rolling over or crawling toward any objects). But after seeing his newfound joy in walking, and especially his frustration when I set him back down, I don't think he'll be relaxed. This kid is determined and he definitely lets you know when he is upset that he is on the floor. He instantly scooches back to my hands to grab on and pull himself back up to a standing position. He has places to see and he wants to go now!

As far as eating goes, he is finally done nursing. It was a bit of a bittersweet event. Like I wrote last time, I was getting a little frustrated with the biting, and distraction he was showing while nursing. It was taking me forever to feed him because he kept whipping his head in another direction to look at something else. Although he had nursed better than the girls had, and I was glad that it had been a more enjoyable experience this last time around. In a weird sort of way, I was a little sad to think that this would be the end of my nursing experience forever (seeing as he will be our last child). But just like pregnancy, this phase of my life has finally ended. Oh the emotional roller coaster us women put ourselves through.

I am enjoying the new found discoveries Andrew is making, and am excited to watch him grow. Life is rarely boring with this little guy, or with any of our kids for that matter. And although the crying and uncertainties may weigh heavy at times, I am very thankful that God entrusted us with his care. He is a joy that keeps spreading in our life.

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-21T23:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not one for having a clean house. Sure I often keep the house straightened up, but unless we have company coming over, you can often see a layer of dust covering the tables and dust bunnies parading across the floor. Needless to say my temperment leaves for much to be desired while cleaning. My hubs would rather turn around and walk back out the door if he knows I'm trying to beat the clock by packing in 3 weeks of cleaning in 3 hours worth of time. And you would think I would learn over time, but the vicious cycle has continued throughout my whole marriage. I am simply a bear.

I had hoped that the girls had a little more type A personality ingrained in them, so that they would not procrastinate like myself and only clean when they knew it was only absolutely necessary, but so far that trait isn't showing through. We go through daily struggles of trying to put away Polly Pockets and Barbies in their correct spot or eating over their plate so as not to have crumbs all over the floor and table. And I try and remember that they are just kids, and training them is a slow process, but I don't want bad habits to go by the way side either. More often then not though, I get frustrated that they aren't cleaning on my time table, and I end up cleaning it up for them, so I get things done when I want and how (which I realize is a disservice to them, but hey I'm being honest).

But the other day I was in another one of my mad dashes to clean a lot in a short period of time, when Kyra asked if I could play a game with her. I hastily reminded her that we had company coming and if she wanted to enjoy her time with them, then I had to focus on cleaning at the moment. She walked away looking somewhat defeated, but I blew it off while thinking to myself..."if she would clean up more of her mess more often then maybe I wouldn't have so much to do right now!" About 1/2 hour later, I went into my bedroom to find that she had folded all of our laundry. I had never even taught her how to fold laundry, or asked her to do it for that matter. And you know what? She didn't do half bad. I burst into a huge smile and told her what a fabulous job she did, and how proud I was of her. She told me that she wanted to help us out and that she even organized it by person and season. At that moment I was honored to have such a thoughtful daughter, especially after I had snapped at her in such a way.

I am trying hard not to get so worked up over cleaning these days, and remember to ask my children way in advance to clean up and do their part, so they are learning responsibility too. And I am trying to exhibit some of the grace to my children that God and Kyra have so earnestly shown me.

Andrew Update: 9 months

2010-03-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe our little guy is nearing 1 year old. It seems like just yesterday we were planning on whether or not to have a third child, and now that third child is 9 months old! Part of me wishes he wasn't growing so fast, and the other part of me (the part of me dealing with the teething and not knowing what all the fuss is about) can't wait for him to grow a little older.
As far as his daily routine goes. He is doing wonderful. He pretty much eats the same amount and at the same time every day (8:30 am, 12:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 7:30 pm). When you have to be flexible with a baby, it is nice to have something predictable in life. Now I definitely feel more comfortable going out in the evening with friends, since I know when his last feeding will be and when he'll go to sleep. However, although he eats on a pretty regular basis, he isn't the best eater. He's probably one of the pickiest eaters I've had. He doesn't like most of the vegetables I've tried, and lets you know by shaking his head "no" and persing his lips shut. I guess we'll just keep trying.

I have started to wean him off of nursing too. I have kind of always had a love/hate relationship with nursing. Nursing never went well with my girls. I had infection after infection, and the process was mostly just painful. The only reason I went as long as I did, was to save money. But with Andrew, nursing has gone fairly smoothly (maybe it's a boy thing?). I had periods of low milk supply, but I have just learned to suppliment. But now that he is beginning to bite, and ~~rips~~ pulls off the bo*ob whenever he gets distracted (which is quite often), I think I am ready to start weaning him off. The only problem is, I'm not so sure he's ready. I thought he was ready, since it seemed to take him close to an hour now to nurse and that he seemed disinterested. But now that I'm trying, his cues (ummm...turning his head in an obvious direction) tell me otherwise. I guess we'll just take it slow and see how it goes.

As far as Andrew's personality goes, he still seems to be a bit of a Momma's Boy. Along with still being fussy in the evenings, he's also taken up the separation anxiety thing. He will go to very few people, but if he does go to someone, he is very affectionate with them. He has such a loveable, cuddly personality. And the girls love this about him. Katie has gotten much better about giving him space, but now Kyra seems to be giving him more kisses then ever. I think his cheeks just have pinch me written all over them. He has started to babble a little bit too...saying dadada, but in general he's just content to sit quietly and watch his surroundings.

His favorite toy seems to be the Johnny Jumper. This kid really gets going. He jumps quite high, and reaches the door jams within seconds. He still hasn't rolled on his belly yet, so who knows if he'll ever crawl. But at the moment, I'm fine with that. It's kind of nice that I can prolong the childproofing for just a little bit longer. When I do put him on his belly, he rolls instantly back to his back. I think he's going to just start scaling furniture throughout the house. His legs are like tree stumps. I mean this kid has some muscle. Yes, our little boy is growing up fast. Although I am easily frustrated by the bouts of fussiness. The games of peekaboo, and "so big" are very rewarding.

Happy Birthday Katie

2010-03-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

Katelyn

Age: 4

Personality: Carefree, girly, defiant, hands on, quiet, impulsive, shy, moody, determined, imaginative

Favorites:
Food: PB&J, strawberry oatmeal, corn on the cob, cucumbers, apples, pizza, chicken enchiladas, salad, crackers, chocolate milk, and chips
Songs: Kenny Chesney's "Young", My God is So Big, The B.I.B.L.E.
Books: Barbie books, Dora the Explorer books, and Strawberry Shortcake books (notice the girly trend?)
TV Shows: Curious George, Sid the Science Kid, My Friend Rabbit, Willa's Wildlife
Movies: Meet the Robinsons, TinkerBell, Madagascar, Princess Stories, Ice Age Dawn of the Dinasaurs
Games: Chutes and Ladders, puzzles, PBSkids.org games
Toys: Polly Pockets, Barbies, dress up, blocks for building towers/homes for Polly Pockets or Barbies, stroller for playing house, coloring books, and playdoh
Activities w/Mommy: baking, reading, cuddling while watching movies, dancing contests
Activities w/Daddy: cooking, helping with building projects, exploring outside

You wanted tacos, chips, chicken, and water for your birthday dinner (interesting combo?)

Dear Katie,
This year has been a challenging, but fulfilling year with you. We started off a little rocky with efforts of getting you potty trained. I had hoped to have you potty trained before Andrew was born, but you wanted nothing to do with it. No matter what the incentive I gave or item taken away, you didn't seem to care. You truly are a determined little girl. At times our personalities really clashed and I didn't know where I was going to get the ambition to start a new day with you. But finally, you seemed to "hit rock bottom" so to speak with the potty training issue, and things started turning around. I guess you really wanted to learn in your own time.

As you are getting older, your personality is certainly flourishing. Along with being determined to do things however and whenever you please, you also have quite an imagination. With Kyra being in school all day, I worried about how we would occupy the days. But you sometimes go a couple hours making up songs, role playing with your barbies and polly pockets and toy animals. I have to be careful to remember to set some time aside for you, otherwise I could easily forget you are in the other room. I have enjoyed watching you build really detailed towers and rooms for your dolls. They have been complete with kitchen and bathroom! Your coloring skills have also greatly improved. Although we are still working on the alphabet, you love to write random letters and pretend to write a story like your big sister. But perhaps what I like to see best is how you interact with Daddy. You love to work on projects with him. The other day you were helping him work on the plumbing in the bathroom. You were cutting the pipe and working with flux with a little guidance from dad. You love a challenge, but you don't want any help. You certainly want to do it your "own self."

Yes, Katie I love your spunky attitude. You definitely march to the beat of your own drum. You're a quirky, loveable little girl and we hope to discover many new wonderful qualities about you in your 4th year of life. Lots of love,

Mommy and Daddy

You wanted a unicorn cake for your birthday, surprisingly it was about the easiest cake I've had to make so far!

Grandpa Bob gave you prunes for your birthday. Never a dull moment with Grandpa Bob. Maybe that's where you get some of your quirkiness from? Not surprising was the fact that you liked the gift.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

Kyra said she wanted to make outerspace with playdoh. I had no idea she would do such a great job!

Innocence?

2010-03-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

What in the world have my kids been watching?

Just kidding, when I asked what the girls were doing with the barbies, Kyra replied that the daddy had flying powers and was carrying the mommy. He was just temporarily taking a rest. (Apparently the mommy didn't want the ride to end!?)

Florida 2010

2010-03-04T06:35:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe, just one week ago we were in sunny Florida (sunny maybe, warm...not so much). It definitely was great to get away and spend time with the girls. It was good to reconnect with our children while not having to think about work, laundry, dishes, errands, and the daily routines of life.

We decided to drive the trip this year. We've always flown in the past, but between trying to save a few pennies and not wanting to carry 3 car seats into the airport, we figured it best to drive. Plus this way we could visit my Grandma and Aunts in Georgia. It has been nearly 2 years since I saw them last, and I thought it was high time for a visit. I was still a bit nervous about this long trek with an 8 month old though. I knew the girls would do fairly well, but we had just gotten Andrew to sleep through the night not more than a month ago, and I wasn't sure if this would mess up our beloved schedule. Fortunately, to our surprise he did great. Not only was he a great traveler, he pretty much kept to his same routine during our whole weeks stay in Florida. He was a bit fussy on the way back home, although so were the girls. I think they just knew we would be getting back to the reality of winter for 8 more weeks.

Once we arrived in Georgia, we were able to peel off our jackets and feel the warmth of the air. I just love not having to take the time to layer up before you go outside. Of course little did we know that the next few days were going to be the warmest days of our stay, but at least we experienced warmer temperatures for a short time. Although it still amazes me that we saw ice instead of water running down the mountains in Tennessee. It just shows you what a cold winter it's been all over, because in all my travels as a child I never saw ice on those mountains.

It was so nice to see my Aunts and Grandma too. The girls quickly warmed up to relatives they hardly knew. Of course it helped that my aunt had a little Shiatzu dog that they loved chasing around. By the end of our stay they were ready to trade in our large dog for hers. We stayed up and talked for awhile after the ~~kids~~ girls had gone to sleep. It was definitely nice to catch up and chat for awhile. And they were kind enough to stock us up with sandwiches for the next day's drive to Florida.

Finally we reached Kissimmee. We unpacked, while the girls jumped from couch to couch in our new home for the week. They were so giddy with excitement that they seemed to bounce off the walls. The hubs parents were nice enough to rent two condo units for our whole extended family, and because we had the largest family, we had a whole unit to ourselves (which meant we even had our own bedroom)!

We spent the next few days simply swimming. Although both girls were a little leary to swim at first (remember their ongoing fear of water), they quickly grew fond of the water. Kyra had digressed from her swim lessons from last year a bit, but generally did very well. Katie however had been petrified from swim lessons last year and would bearly get in the water to begin. Then once we ~~grabbed~~ coaxed her gently into the water, she clung to us with enough vigor to leave nail imprints into our skin. She was deathly afraid of us letting go. I wasn't sure we would ever get her to relax until good friends of ours showed how much their son loved to go in the pool with the confidence of his life jacket. Fortunately, the following day Katie let us put the life jacket on her, and I simply let her go. Once she realized she was floating on her own, she didn't want us to touch her. All week long she said, "No momma, let go. I want to do it my own self." By the third day she was even jumping in the pool with no one catching her. It was fun to watch her grin from ear to ear. She loved the pool. I know the life jacket may give her a false sense of security, but at least we are making some progress. She even said she was open to the idea of swim lessons once again.

Our final big adventure of the week was going to Magic Kingdom. We had debated whether or not we should go, since we only had one day to pack it all in, but threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it. We are very glad we did. My sister in-law kindly offered to take Andrew for the day, so we could focus on spending time with the girls. And after the packed day we had, we were glad we were sans Andrew that day. We truly packed in everything we could that day. I think the first time we stopped for a break was close to 5:30 pm. I worried about tiring our girls out by doing too much, but at the same time wanted to make sure we did and saw everything we wanted to for that day. I wasn't disappointed, except for the weather (which started out with 46 degrees!). But even the colder temps didn't slow us down that much. We started the day off by meeting Arial. She was the only princess we met, but fortunately the girls aren't really in to having their picture taken with characters so that worked out okay (more time to do rides). We went on almost all the rides too. I wasn't sure how they would do on many of them (since their are a few with elements of pitch black...a little scary for Katie), but they did fine. A few of the rides Katie told us at the end that she never ever wanted to go on that ride again, but at least she didn't cry. The parades were fantastic too. The girls were glued to music and dancing. But perhaps the best was the light show at the end. Tinker Bell flew from Cinderella's Castle, and the girls were facinated by that.

When I asked the girls what the favorite part of their day was, they both mentioned the Jungle Cruise, exploration on the Swiss Family Robinson tree house, and watching the Bear Jamboree. Although, I'm sure Katie would say her favorite part of the trip was just swimming. I'm hoping they aren't too young to remember this fun filled day. Fortunately we have many pictures to mark the occasion. Yes, it was another memorable vacation, and I'm thankful that we were blessed enough to have been able to go.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2010-02-16T20:04:00.000-08:00

The girls have been chatting away as usual. Here are some of the cute things they have said this week:

While debriefing about Kyra's day at school:
Kyra: Mom, today we celebrated the Chinese New Year at school.
Mom: Oh, that's great honey, what did you do?
Kyra: Well, we decorated a dragon and I got to be the head at one time. Then Ann's mom (who maybe Chinese? I'm not sure), came in and talked about some of the things they did to celebrate their New Year. She even spoke Spanish. And I think they went to China yesterday to celebrate.
(hmmm... yeah. A Chinese mom, speaking Spanish, and flying to China over night...I think some details got lost along the way :)

While eating dinner:
Kyra: Mommy, how come you talk to Daddy the whole time during dinner, and I don't get a chance to.
Mommy: I'm sorry Kyra, sometimes I just get carried away after not seeing him all day. And sometimes we have important grown up things to discuss.
Kyra: Well I haven't seen Daddy all day either.
Mommy: I know, but guess what. Next week we are going on vacation and he will be with us all week. Then we can both talk to Daddy.
Kyra: Good. I'm going to talk to him all day long. I'll talk right to his eyes and his skin. Talk, talk, talk.
(oh boy daddy, looks like you're not going to have much time to think next week. You've got three gabby girls here!)

While disciplining Katie for playing with her food:
Daddy: (he takes her plate away) I'm sorry Katie, that was your last chance to eat your food. I've given you a warning, and now I'm taking your plate away.
Katie: But Daddy, I'm hungry (enter sobbing).
Daddy: Then you should have eaten it instead of making a mess of it on your plate.
Katie: Then I'm going to eat YOU Daddy.
Daddy: (he whips out his big toe and thumb) Go ahead, I think my thumb should be mighty tasty.
Everyone: (enter laughter)

While catching Katie being naughty (she gets very embarrassed and defensive when she's caught):
Mommy: Katie, you know you shouldn't be talking back. That's being disrespectful.
Katie: I can't wait till I'm a mommy and I can do whatever I want and not listen to anyone (she says very matter of fact).
(right... because Mom's get to do whatever they want.)

If you'd like to read more Tiny Talk...visit Mary's.

Valentine's Day Cards

2010-02-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

Last year Kyra wanted to make her own Valentine's cards for the kids in her class. They were fairly simple, but we enjoyed the craft time together. This year her class is a lot larger and she is older, so I thought she would just want to buy one of the varieties in the store. We passed them by, and she hemmed and hawed, but in the end decided she wanted to make her own again. Although I knew I would probably doing the majority of the work, I was pleased that she chose to create something with her momma. While the store bought cards look a lot better than they did when I was a kid, I still enjoy the looks of a homemade one, not to mention it's kind of fun to see the fruits of ~~your labor~~ her labor.

So after cutting out nearly 100 hearts and 60 leaves, and lots of glueing, we had our Valentine flowers. It took a lot more work than I thought it would, but we did seem to get a knack down with our assembly line. Kyra did a lot of the glueing and wrote out all the cards herself. In fact she got ahead of me at one point and told me she was going to play, but that I better stay put, because I had a lot of work to do. I love that kid.

Tomorrow is her party. She is very excited, as I am coming to school with her for the first time. It's the first event in her class that I am going to take part. I'll meet all her little friends and hopefully some of the parents too. Happy early Valentine's Day to everyone. I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2010-01-26T04:36:00.000-08:00

Kids say the darndest things. Here are a couple of the cute things Kyra has said as of late:

While in Kyra's bedroom:
Mom: Kyra this room is a mess. What happened?
Kyra: (with a big sigh) I know mom. Life happened.
(Where'd she get that phrase? Neither the hubs or I say that one.)

While praying at the dinner table:
Kyra: Dear God, thank you for the day. Please help all the people that are hurt and hungry and have hurt legs. Please help us not to have colds any more. Help us to not be sick in the winter, spring, or summer. And forgive us of our sins. Amen.
(We've been trying to tell them about the people in Haiti that need our prayers, but for some reason she is stuck on people with hurt legs. And I guess it's okay to be sick in the fall, cause she forgot that season!)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's blog.

Andrew Update: 7 Months

2010-01-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

Wow!! What a difference a month makes. Andrew has made great strides this past month. Last month I was beginning to feel a little beaten down. The sleepless nights, and what seemed to be continual crying were really starting to get to me. I kept giving myself little pep talks, saying "I can handle this for a few more months if I have to," but I sure didn't want to.

So we did our best to let him "cry it out," or at least as much as we could. My family all came for a visit to celebrate Christmas, so we didn't feel we could totally implement our plan until they were gone. The night our family left Andrew woke up 6 times! I finally got up and fed him at 4 a.m. because I couldn't take it any longer. The next night he woke up at 1 a.m. and he cried for an hour straight (I did check on him periodically). I thought it would never end. He seemed to fall asleep for an hour and then cried for another 1/2 hour. The next night he only cried for 1/2 hour and then slept the rest of the night. And now....for almost 2 weeks straight he has been sleeping for 11 hour stretches!! Can you believe it? He went from waking up almost every 2-3 hours to 11! That little guy had me foiled! So we're all definitely feeling a little more up beat around here.

Andrew is also sitting on his own now. The girls enjoy fetching toys for him, and are constantly bringing the toys back when he pushes them too far away. He's probably going to be a late bloomer on just about everything, since they do almost everything for him. But he loves his new found trick and enjoys watching the dogs run around and play. He finally rolled over too. I know to many this isn't a huge accomplishment, but we've been working on some much detested tummy time to get to this point. He still hates the tummy time. He'll lay there and wail for 5 minutes, with his head laying on the mat in defeat. Sometimes he doesn't even try to push himself up, he gives up the minute you lay him on his tummy. But, as much as I hate to see him struggle, I give him his time.

Andrew continues to laugh, smile, and make raspberries. He has to be one of the slobberiest (word?) babies I've ever seen. And he is quite proud of the fact that he is slobbery. He hasn't lost his cuddles either. He loves to play with my hair while I nurse, and rub his head against mine while I hold him close. I know I will miss those moments later as he gets older. I almost get teary eyed just thinking about it. Yes, we are definitely seeing a more joyful baby this past month. And we are seeing a more joyful mommy too. It is nice to be on a consistent schedule. He eats at just about the same time every day and takes naps at the same time. So now, hopefully I can focus on exercising in the morning and getting myself in my own new routine.

Letting Go

2010-01-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we finally took down our Christmas tree. I know some of you who like to take down the tree as soon as Christmas is over, and others who hang on to it till the month is over. Personally, I try and hang on to the tree as long as possible because it looks so beautiful (it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a procrastinator of course). I have a hard time letting go. Although putting the lights on the tree is enough to drive me crazy, I always love the end result. Christmas trees are very sentimental and even calming. I love gazing at the tree best at night, when it's dark. Sometimes we'll have a fire, some hot cocoa, and just look at the tree. We'll go down memory lane as we see some of the ornaments we've received from years past. Often just looking at it, helps me to slow down through my day and take a deep breath from the flurry of activity. Of course holding an infant in your arms who looks at the tree in wonderment also makes you pause and smile as you see sights through their new eyes.

So, I wasn't too surprised when my 5 year old held the same sentiments. Every once in a while I casually mentioned that the tree would eventually have to come down. And she would joke that she wanted it to stay up until all the snow melted. Finally, as I tucked her in bed one night, she asked what was on the agenda for the following day. I told her I thought it was time to take down the tree. To my surprise, her lower lip started to pucker. I asked what was wrong, and she blurted out that she didn't want to take down the tree. Clearly, the tree had become one of her favorite Christmas traditions too. Melt.My.Heart. I had a hard time not breaking down myself as I watched Kyra's little face swell up with crocodile tears. She wanted so badly to hold on to the holiday magic. Where would we put the tree, she wanted to know? Well, we'd have to throw it away I tried to explain gently. I tried to tell her that the tree wasn't drinking any more water, and that it had no roots, so it was dying. There was no consoling her, so I decided to hang on to it for a few more days.

I looked a couple days later, thinking maybe it could last one week longer, since we did have one more holiday party to go. But as I looked closer, I saw cobwebs on several of the branches, not to mention more needles on the floor. Yes, I would definitely have to take down the tree. My hubs told Kyra that unfortunately the tree definitely had to come down. After all, he said, it is a fire hazard being so dry. That was all it took. Kyra is very fearful of fires, so she suddenly changed her mind and was ready to get that tree out of here, NOW! Why hadn't I thought of that? Of course as I took down the tree I had to reassure her that we would be fine, and it was only a POSSIBLE danger and we were just taking precaution.

So, the tree is down and all of our Christmas decorations are finally put away. The house is back in shape and I smiled at the sight of a clean home....until my 3 year old tugged on my pants and said, "When can we put them up again?"

Mamma's Boy

2010-01-11T05:17:00.000-08:00

Now that the holiday festivities have died down, my main goal was to get Andrew on some type of schedule. He is my only child that hasn't been on some type of set schedule. I was pretty anal retentive about the girls getting their naps and bedtime at exactly the same time every day. There wasn't a whole lot of flexibility there, but you certainly did know what to expect too. However, being my last child, I figured I would more or less just go with the flow. I knew I would be busier with errands to run, and getting Kyra ready for school, so I decided with him I would be a little more relaxed and mainly try and get a eat, play, sleep schedule.

This worked for a little while, but the last three months have been kind of a bear. I know that life changes with any child you had to the mix, but Andrew is simply put not a very content baby. In my head, I keep thinking... but he's the 3rd child....aren't they supposed to be the easiest going? Is it in my head that he is being this difficult or is it reality? Am I doing something wrong, or is there something wrong with him? I know it's been almost 4 years since I had a baby, but I just don't remember the girls being as challenging. Katie certainly was a little bugger, but I don't remember her crying this much through the day. So, I decided to talk to a few veteran mom's and get their opinion.

To my surprise, two of the moms in my little poll seemed to think that he was being spoiled and that he was becoming a mamma's boy. Deep down, I grew a little defensive. This was after all my third child and I think I would know how to correctly raise a child before he or she became attached at the hip. After all, in the beginning I may have rocked him to sleep, but now I was simply laying him down and shutting the door (even letting him cry for awhile). And there are numerous times where he has had to sit there and cry while I make dinner (even though I am ready to tear my hair out by the time my hubby gets home). Yes, there had to be some other explanation. I decided to wait until my well visit at the pediatrician.

Once we arrived at the doctor's office, I explained our situation. I told her that our 6 month old was still getting up 1 to 2 times at night, and that he acted ravenously hungry sometimes and that I had to still feed him at 3 am. Could he possibly not be getting enough from nursing? Should I quit, and go to formula? I told her that I couldn't take a shower without him crying his way through it, or that he fussed so much in the evening that we usually had to hold him while we ate dinner. I told her that I was exhausted and that he just won't give me a break. So she said, "oh yes, I've seen this kind of case before. I definitely have a diagnosis for you. He's got a bad case of....."

Mamma Boy Syndrome!

Dar net! How could I have let this happen? I didn't think I came to his beckoned call every time he made a peep. But perhaps I had coddled him a little too much. After all, he is my only boy, and my last baby. And I felt bad every time he started to fuss, and the girls said he was too noisy and interrupting their play time. And I didn't want my hubby to be woken up in the middle of the night, so I did what was easiest...I stuck a bo*ob in his mouth. Yes, I guess I can start to see where this child has outsmarted his momma. Now, the hard part...I have to start breaking these bad habits.

So, we're doing the best we can in this household. It's probably not going to be easy for the next few weeks. After all, I do like peace, even if it comes at the cost of my sleep. But if I ever want a fuss free shower again or experience a full night's sleep, I guess some thing's gotta give. So, I explained to my hubby that he might have to endure some nights with crying, or sleep downstairs anyway. And I have a feeling Kyra will keep me accountable too, after all she was listening intently to the doctor. Because when I went to pick up Andrew that night, I got a scolding from my 5 year old. "Now Mom, remember what the doctor said. You need to let him cry it out!"

Yes, ma'am!

Bird Feeder or Critter Cuisine?

2010-01-08T06:09:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my hubby got the girls make your own bird feeders. He thought it would be a fun project they could make together. Of course Katie had a blast helping daddy screw in the screws, and using a mini hammer to pound in the nails. Between spending time with her dad and creating something with her hands, she was in all her glory. She really is a hands on type of girl. After seeing a girl become so impatient with so many things, it is nice to see her shine in a certain area. Although I hate to admit it, I find myself struggling sometimes to see where Katie excels, and this just proved that she is good with her hands. Maybe she'll be an architect, engineer, or craftswoman. There are endless possibilities!

Kyra on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the project. She was perfectly happy to have her father construct the whole thing. Along with generally not liking to get her hands dirty, she received a couple splinters in years past and has decided wood is not her friend. So, she won't touch wood unless it has been properly painted or stained. Oh the joy of children's fears! Nevertheless, she did enjoy painting the bird house, and all three seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

After the feeders were painted and dry, they three got on all their winter gear and hung up the bird feeders. For days there were no takers. The girls would gaze out the window and see no sign of life. Then just a few days ago, the first birds began to appear!! Kyra and Katie have had a lot of fun seeing the feathered friends flurry about and tell their friends about the new source of food. We've been trying to identify the different types of birds and enjoy seeing the brightly colored blue jays or cardinals against the pure white snow.

Of course word spreads quickly, because it was not long before Mr. Squirrel found the bird feeder too. It took him only a day to figure out how to get the food for himself. He chewed the rope apart and down came the bird feeder. My hubs attempted to put it back twice now, but Mr. Squirrel prevails. Oh well, I guess now we can enjoy all the critters stopping by for cuisine. Now, if only we can get the dogs to stop from salivating from the windows!

Holiday Season of Long Ago

2010-01-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

Wow....I can't believe it is already January, and almost a week into it at that. I remember not too long ago I wrote about our very busy October. Then for a short period of time November slowed down, but it has been full speed ahead ever since Thanksgiving. If months go by this quickly, I'm going to be 40 in no time!

Although it was a very busy season, it was filled with joy. I began the month feeling fairly calm about things that had to get done. We chopped down our tree from the backyard once again (or shall I say my hubby did that while I sipped coffee in my bathrobe!), and after a small battle with the lights it was all decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving. I already had several gifts bought, time to make goodies, and cards were ordered and sent out by the 10th. I decided to have our annual women's get together at a restaurant this year too, so as not to stress my self out with cleaning the house and figuring out where to put the kiddos. Of course in doing that I felt disappointed no one would see our lovely tree or decorated home, so I invited people over for New Year's Eve instead. Then the week before Christmas my sister in-law ended up having kidney stones and was unable to host her hub's 40th birthday party at her house, so I said why not mine? All in all I had 3 gatherings at my house the week of Christmas ranging from 13-35 people. It definitely was a little crazy that week, but we had a great time playing games with friends, gorging ourselves with food, and chatching up with people we hadn't seen in awhile.

I'd have to say one of our favorite things we did over the Christmas season was taking a ride on the Santa Train. The nostalgic train was all decorated for the season, complete with a conductor who took our ticket stubs, the town's queen dressed in a beautiful white gown who read Polar Express, and of course Santa. Our girls had just borrowed the Polar Express from the library, and watched the movie twice, so they were on cloud nine having their own personal Polar Express moment.

Kyra was hilarious to watch on the train, because she wanted so badly to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what she wanted for Christmas, but she has always been a bit afraid of him too. She asked her daddy what she should say when she went up to him, and he said "just tell him what you've been telling us for months...that you want a guitar." We had gotten her a guitar weeks ago, since that is all she could talk about. Yet, when she timidly walked up to Santa, stage fright must have got the best of her because that big jolly voice asked her what she wanted for Christmas, and she looked at her father (too afraid to make eye contact) and hastily said..."I'd like a cupcake maker please." My hubby couldn't believe it. We had spent a lot of time researching guitars on the internet, picked a certain one, and then she wanted a cupcake maker!? Fortunately, she wasn't disappointed on Christmas Day. She just said, Santa still got her something on her list and she'd ask for the cupcake maker for her birthday (hopefully she'll forget about it by then).

Yes, it was a very nice Christmas. We still haven't figured out all the traditions I would like to start instilling in our family to make Christmas more meaningful. I want the kids to understand more deeply that Christmas is about Our Savior and not so much the gifts, but we're working on it. We did read the Christmas Story, Christmas morning and spoke briefly what it would be like if we were there that day Jesus was born. Katie even understands more than I give her credit. So, as a New Year begins, I hope to be more purposeful in my every day teachings. I hope to really dive in the bible and learn together with the girls more about Jesus. I think God has great things in store for us, and I hope He does for you too!

Andrew Update: 6 Months

2009-12-23T05:21:00.000-08:00

Well, our little man is 1/2 way to being 1 year old already. I can't believe that 1/2 a year has gone by! Of course in some ways, it feels like he was just born yesterday, and others...it feels like time is going by too slowly.

As far as new accomplishments go, I'd like to say he's doing so much more, but not so much. He still isn't rolling over or talking much. I have had a hard time with this. I don't want to do the comparison thing, and make sure he is "keeping up with the Jones' baby," but I do. My most recent thought was this though, if he is this content to just BE, then maybe he will be a more relaxed and easy toddler (and that I would love!). I'm gonna go with it. He does love to stand, and is getting closer to sitting. Maybe he'll just skip the rolling over part and go right to sitting and crawling. Of course he learned how to blow raspberries too, yes this boy does love to spit and is proud of it.

His nights are still sporadic too. For the most part he sleeps till 5 a.m. But there are a few nights a week he chooses to wake up 1 or 2 times. I thought feeding him cereal might help, but he has started the whole baby food phase and it's not making much of a difference. It took him a long time to get used to the cereal too. I thought he just didn't like it, until last week when I discovered he just didn't like the rice cereal. Now that we have moved on to oatmeal, he is devouring his food. We've also tried bananas and squash and he seems to love those too. He has started to go to bed in his crib for naps now too, and with out being rocked (although not without a small 1-2 minute crying fight). It's progress, yay!! And, although we aren't on as strict of a schedule as I had with the girls, he seems to have a pattern down.

Andrew continues to take delight in his sister Kyra. She pretty much lights up his world. She could be eating breakfast, talking about her day, or writing on a piece of paper, and he laughs at her. He just simply loves his sister. Katie tries to imitate things Kyra does to make him laugh, but I think he deliberately keeps a stoic face to get back at her for getting in his face. Who knew the sibling rivalry could start at infancy?

Yes, although we have a mostly quiet little fella (believe me, when he does get fussy, he gets super fussy), he still invokes delight in our hearts. He loves to be part of the action (we put him in his Bumbo at the dinner table or else he gets jealous). He is a social little bean, and a cuddler...ahh my favorite part. Yes, he knows he tugs at our heart strings.

Just Do It

2009-12-23T04:05:00.000-08:00

My brain is currently functioning on overload. You would think I would be worried about getting everything ready for Christmas, but I'm not. I don't have a single present wrapped, but that's just not on my mind right now. I have random thoughts that keep flying through my head and won't resolve themselves. So, if you have better things to do right now, I would stop reading, because this might take awhile.

Last evening I was extremely tired (in part because I have a 6 month old that still doesn't know how to sleep through the night and was up twice the previous night). So, my hubby told me to go to bed and he would give Andrew his last feeding. Wearily I obliged. So, at 9:30 p.m. I went to sleep. It would have been a great night of sleep, if it hadn't been for my 5 year old who woke up in the middle of the night because she was cold, after insisting on sleeping in a sleeping bag in the floor. It didn't take long to put her back in her bed, but after my 4 hours of sleep, my brain must have thought I had enough rested enough because I couldn't go back to bed for another 3 hours.

I lay awake thinking about friends...friends I no longer keep in contact with because of my lack of effort, friends I do try to keep contact with but for reasons unbeknown st to me don't seem to reciprocate my need for their deep companionship. If friendship, companionship, love, is so important than why do we continually mess it up? Why do I let jealousy, and selfishness get in my way to simply care for people? I get so wrapped up in myself, wondering why I didn't get invited to someones house, or why wasn't I the person they felt they could pour their heart out to, that I don't stop to think about what I can do to make someone else feel more loved. I could invite someone with little family for dinner, or send someone who is lonely a card.

I lay awake wondering about my low self esteem, and wonder what I can do to improve my image of myself, so as not to pass this trait on to my girls. I tell myself my new slogan for 2010 is going to be Just Do It! I need to stop whining about not being able to make fabulous meals, making creative projects, having a dust free house, or kids that are perfectly coiffed, and just do something...clean the kitchen sink, play play doh with my kids...do something I can do. I focus so much of my time worrying what other people might think about how I do things in my life. "Would you look at her, she picks up her baby too much...she let's her baby cry too much, she let's her kids watch too much TV, why can't she potty train her child? She spends too much money on junk food. She should really watch her weight." I realize how much time I spend focused on negativity, I just have trouble stopping. Whether people really think badly of me or not, it shouldn't matter. I know only God's view of me matters, I just have trouble remembering that.

I think I've babbled on long enough. There are many more thoughts I have of blogging....writing about things we are proud of all the time vs. what our life looks like in reality, New Year's resolutions, and how to raise our children knowing God. When it comes down to all the issues, I know the answer lies with God. God tells us to "put other's before our own needs." God tells us "we can do all things through Him who strengthens us." God tells us "we are children of Him." Deep down, I know what I have to do. I know I should take it to God in prayer, and read my bible more often. Of course now I'm just laying out more inadequacies...how I'm inadequate in my walk with God. When what I really need to do is stop focusing on what I should do and Just Do It!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-12-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

Amidst the craziness of trying to put up Christmas decorations with a rather fussy baby and two "getting eachother's goats" girls, I did manage to laugh at some of the cute things Katie said. Thank goodness for laughter.

While driving to the doctor alone with Katie:
Katie: Mom, I see a silent "E"!
(never mind that she still doesn't even know what an E looks like, I just like that she was able to find a silent one. Can you tell we have an older sibling in this household?)

While sitting at the dinner table:
Kyra: Katie, give this dolly to Andrew and see what he does.
Katie: Kyra, I can't do that. He's a boy baby. Boys don't like dolls. We'll have to give it to him when he's older and turns into a girl baby.
(I've got news for you sister...)

While brushing hair in the bathroom:
Mom: (Katie enters the room) Oh, baby...your outfit doesn't match, why don't you go back into your room and put on your green pants.
Katie: Momma, I don't want to. Then I'll look like a human!

If you'd like to read more tiny talk go over to Mary's.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-11-24T02:02:00.000-08:00

The girls are making me smile as usual. Here are some of the cute things they said this week:

While in the car:

Kyra: (looking at a coloring book she received from the dentist) You have to brush your teeth with little circles. Then you get all the plaque off.
Katie: Kyra, are you a doctor?
Kyra: Katie, I'm your sister.
Katie: I know but are you a doctor too?
Mom: (amazed that she seems totally serious, and wondering about her train of thought) Katie, why do you think she is a doctor?
Katie: Cause her's talkin like a doctor.
(and you's talkin like a hillbilly)

Overheard in the other room:
Kyra: Katie, can you hand me the bo*obs?
Mom: (my ears perked up at this point, and I wondered what in the world they were doing! It turns out they had one of my br*as in hand and were playing with it in their "store")
Katie: Kyra, don't say that word. It's naughty.
Kyra: Oh, Katie it's not a naughty word. The bo*obs just go on top of your ni*pples.
(yes, nursing in a household of two curious kids has opened up a whole new meaning on invasion of personal space)

Katie's new phrase:
Katie: Oh dear.
(It is so Katie. I about laugh every time she says it, because she sounds like Eeyore all the time. She says it with such seriousness. She'll be putting on her socks and gets them on crooked, or drops a piece of banana in her lap, the phrase is always the same...oh dear.)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Andrew Update: 5 Months

2009-11-23T18:47:00.001-08:00

Today our big man turned 5 months old. He continues to grin from ear to ear. I told my hubs the other day that he almost had Mick Jagger beat with that big mouthy smile of his. The best part about his smile though, is that it is contagious. I could be upset about something one moment, or even frustrated if he has been overly fussy, and then he seems to pick up on my mood and grins. Try not grinning back at a smiley baby!

As far as the sleep goes, things are about the same. Some nights he sleeps until 5 am, other times it's 3:30 am. I have managed to get him back to sleep a few times with out nursing, but most of the time I give in to the summons of my infant. I'm sure I'll pay for it later. The naps during the day time have proven to be more difficult too. I used to be able to rock him to sleep, but he is pushing away his cradle hold, and arching his back instead. I've tried putting him straight to bed, but often he'll cry for long periods of time. Yes, we definitely need to work on the sleeping department a little bit. The good thing is, that he does often take a fairly good nap once he does get to sleep.

As far as activity goes, well he seems to be content right where he is. He still is no closer to rolling over either way. He'll roll to his side, but otherwise he's happy just to touch his toes and look around. He's quite observant though, and even laughed at some silly penguins on TV one day. Of course Kyra remains his favorite source of entertainment. He loves to watch her talk about her day, dance, or make silly faces. And she eats it all up of course. He has been grabbing everything too. I tried holding him in my lap during church the other day and no matter where I put it, he found the church bulliten and was determined to make it crackle. I just love to see them study the mechanics of their own hands and arms. You can just see their wheels turning as they make the connection that they can make their tiny hands pick things up at will.

I'm sure as we approach his half year mark there will be much more to share. He'll be experiencing his first Christmas, first foods, and probably a few more. For now, I'll just revel in his laughter, smiles, and sparkly eyes.

Morning Message

2009-11-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, before church, I hopped in the shower and got out only to find a message on top of the vanity waiting for me!

(Interpretation: Hi Mom I hope you have a great time at church, from Kyra)

I just love the growing interest in reading in writing, and am blown away at the how much of a sponge kids are. She has learned so much in just two months time at school!

Great Giveaways

2009-11-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Christmas is quickly approaching. Yet every year this procrastinating momma thinks she can get a head start, buy presents and have cards done early, so I can enjoy celebrating the real reason for the holiday. Well, I am going to attempt to try and get organized and do the same this year, but as I heard Christmas music playing today, I was reminded that I am already falling a little behind. I also saw that 5 Minutes for Mom is already hosting their month of 30 great giveaways.

So, potentionally, you could win some gifts to either giveway in time for Christmas, or keep as a little gift for yourself under the tree. In addition, they also have a program called Under the Tree, in which they give away the identical gift to a family in need. You can nominate a family, or read stories about giving to families who really need help.

October Fest

2009-11-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

This past October had been a busy month. Yes, fall is in full swing and we definitely tried making most out of the month to do some of our favorites. I had planned on writing about each occasion, but between an infant, dial up Internet, and illness, time simply slipped through my fingers.

For starters, we began the month going to one of our favorite fall festivals: the Zeeland Pumpkinfest. It's a great way to kick off the fall season. Everything is free, with the exception of vendors selling the usual elephant ears or hot dogs. They have face painting, a pumpkin seed spitting contest, a chili cook off, an animal petting zoo, and even a pie eating contest. Unfortunately this October the weather simply hasn't cooperated. It has rained almost every weekend, but we were determined to go, so we took our umbrellas and hopped in the car. Fortunately they had most of the events inside. The girls did their first pie eating contest, which was hilarious. Poor Kyra, daintily ate her pie without her hands as fast as she could, but was no match for a boy who could scarf his down in seconds. Kyra wondered why she didn't get a prize, she thought she was pretty fast (apparently not fast enough).

The following weekend we had my old college roommate and family come to stay for the weekend. We had plans to go to one of our favorite apple orchards, but again the weather was not on it's best behavior. We did end up going to Post Farms, which is a pumpkin farm and has simply wonderful warm donuts. The kids had fun jumping on hay bails, riding on a hay ride, and running through a corn maze. We had a good time staying up late playing card games with our friends and catching up on old times.

Finally, it came time for Andrew's baptism. My family was all coming for the weekend, to help celebrate this joyous occasion while joining in on a few more fall activities. Of course, wouldn't you know the weather once more did not cooperate. My hopes of going to the apple orchard were pretty much squashed. I had hoped for a fun filled weekend for the kids and family, but between the weather and dreadful loom of H1N1, we pretty much stuck to the confines of our home. Of course, it didn't seem to matter much because the girls and their cousins had fun anyway. They just like to be with each other. We did end up carving the pumpkins that we grew (the heaviest being 78lbs!!) and ate a lot of good food (of course). The baptism went well too. All of the cousins went up in front of the congregation and sang "Jesus Loves Me." They sounded beautiful. I am so fortunate to have such a loving family.

So that was our month of October in a nutshell, busy but full of laughter, fun times and friends and family. The only thing missing was Halloween. I was so impressed that I made Kyra's costume this year, but much to my dismay only Katie went trick or treating. Sadly, Kyra developed H1N1 shortly before the day of gluttony. She seems to always get sick on holidays. I'm just glad she made it till after our family gathering to get sick. So as November kicks in, we are going into the new month quietly. We are taking it easy and hoping the remainder of the family stays healthy. Because it won't be long, and a few more major holidays will be coming before we know it!!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T04:19:00.000-07:00

Uh, You Gotta Little Schmutz

2009-10-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

One of my husband's greatest pet peeves is when you have something on your face and no one tells you about it before you make a fool of yourself. Well unfortunately my husband was not here to help me out, because it just happened to me big time.

You see we've been a little sick in our household, cooped up, and tired of being in the house. So when I saw a coupon for buy a shake, get one free, we headed out for drive thru!! I sat there twiddling my thumbs in the car, patiently waiting for the girl to serve us our shakes. But when we got out of the car, my daughter said "silly mom, why are you wearing a mustache?" A mustache, what? I quickly ran to a mirror, and was horrified to find I must have smeared the newspaper clipping from the coupon on my upper lip. Did the server see it? She hadn't cracked a smile, but she sure did take a long time. Maybe she was yucking it up with all her friends? And if she did see it, she didn't even tell me about it. How dare she! Or maybe she just thought it was a Halloween costume.

Oh well, fortunately my daughters and I got a good laugh over the whole ordeal. And now maybe you can too. Have a happy weekend everyone.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-10-27T05:26:00.000-07:00

The girls are making me smile as usual, here are some of the cute things they said this week:

While in the car:
Kyra: What does that word spell? (ever since school started she's been enamored with words and sounding out everything. In the car she likes to look at all the signs. I just LOVE it!)
Mom: Well, it doesn't spell anything really, because it's an abbreviation. (we've already explained abbreviations to her)
Kyra: (She continues to point out many stores that have or are abbreviated) Mom, how come there are so many abbreviations?
Mom: I'm not sure, but there are certainly more than I realized were out there.
Kyra: We're just good abbreviation seekers!

While at the dinner table:
Katie: Mom, is this my right hand?
Mom: Yes, very good.
Katie: (she points to the other hand) And this is my middle hand right?
Mom: (trying not to laugh) Oh, Katie silly that's not your middle hand, you don't have a middle hand.
Katie: I was just kidding mom, I know it's my other right hand.
(we got some learnin to do!!)

If you want to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Andrew update: 4 months

2009-10-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

Well, our little sprout keeps growing. He has nearly doubled his weight in 4 months, weighing 15 lbs. Of course that's evident in the way he eats, because he is constantly hungry!! But not only has he almost doubled in weight, he is growing like a bean stalk, measuring just over 27 inches. His doctor said his gums are swollen already, so it's probably only a matter of time before those little teeth come. And he certainly is chowing away on all of his fingers.

As far as sleep goes, well we seemed to have relapsed. He was sleeping 8 hours through the night, but has gone back to waking up one or two times in the night. I have tried putting his binki back in his mouth, but that won't cut it. He wants the real deal. So, pretty soon we're probably going to have to start cereal or more supplementation. Because after you've experienced real sleep for a time, it sure is hard to go back to getting up several times a night.

As far as new milestones, there aren't a whole lot. He continues to be a very smiley, laughy baby. Often times he picks prayer time during dinner to laugh. Good thing God has a good sense of humor, because the laughter is contagious. He also seems to be a very social bug, because he wants to be sitting with us at the dinner table. He does not want to be left out of the action.

Yes, this is a great stage (aren't they all though at certain points?). Katie loves that he smiles at her, yet isn't stealing her toys. I love that we can still go places and not be tied down to naps yet, since he's still a mobile sleeper. He surely is a blessing from above.

Who's Who?

2009-10-17T13:30:00.001-07:00

*You guys are too good. Yes, Andrew is on the left, and Kyra is on the right. Funny thing is, Kyra was only 5 weeks old when I took her photo and Andrew is about 17 weeks old!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-10-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

The little ones have been gabbing about in our household. Here are some of the things they've said:

During lunch:
Kyra: Do you know what a pirouweb is?
Mom: I think you mean pirouette, and yes it's a ballet move. Wow Kyra, that's a pretty big word, where did you learn about that?
Kyra: (very matter of fact) From Rudy.
(I know we have a smart dog, but I highly doubt he shared this info with our daughter!)

During prayer:
Katie: I'll pray.
Mom: Okay, go ahead, but today try and tell Jesus what you are thankful for (she usually only likes to say a recited prayer)
Katie: Okay. Dear Jesus, thank you for the day. I hope you are okay, and I hope you listen to God. Amen.

While playing with Andrew:
(Katie likes to get in her brother's face all the time...I mean in his face, and baby talk to him while kissing his hands, nose, and toes. It gets a little out of control and invasive, but I know she loves him. She has developed a couple names for him, that she uses over and over, where she comes up with them who knows, but it's kinda funny and sweet.)
Katie: Hey squishy boy, you smooshy squishy boy.
(she also calls him her snuggle boy, soo cute)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Parmesan Anyone?

2009-09-28T03:22:00.000-07:00

Here's what happens when a 3 year old is left to her own devices....a mountain of parmesan on her spaghetti!!

Andrew Update: 3 months

2009-09-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, our little guy is growing fast. I remember a few days after he was born, I felt an overwhelming sadness over the fact that I knew he was going to grow up faster than I wanted (and surprise, surprise...he has). Fortunately, I think a lot of that emotion was postpartum, because we are thoroughly enjoying the stage Andrew is in.

The best part of entering 3 months is the fact that he is becoming more predictable. Although he still gets up between 3:30-5am for feedings, they are short and he goes back to bed immediately. I am definitely feeling more energized throughout the day. He is also starting to develop more of a schedule. The times of feedings and naps are not consistent every day, but usually 1 1/2 hours after he's been fed, he gets fussy. Within usually less than a minute of me holding him in a cradle position and popping that plug in, he's asleep. I think he has his father's ability to fall asleep in an instant.

Perhaps Andrew's best quality right now though are his smiles. He shares them liberally with everyone (short of Katie, probably because she's always in his face...let the sibling rivalry begin!). They are very contagious too. He's not a big talker, but already laughs (which is just about the best sound in the world). He's grabbing toys too, and kicking in the bathtub (which seems to crack himself up).

So maybe this rough start in our last baby is taking a turn for the better. Because you can't get much better than a smiley, predictable, laughing baby!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-09-22T04:37:00.000-07:00

The girls are chattin it up around home. Here are a few of the things they said:

In the car:
Kyra: Hey mom, (looking at a billboard) why does that sign have a picture of the cupcakes we had the other day?
Mom: Well, it's called advertising. They make a big sign of their cupcakes to try and get people to buy them. That's how they make their money.
Kyra: Just like we bought them!
Mom: Yeah.
Kyra: So they get all the money that we give them.
Mom: Yes.
Kyra: Well that's not very nice. They should share their money.

While walking Kyra to the bus (and Kyra was racing ahead of us):
Katie: Kyra!! You have to wait for yourself.
(love it when they mess up those pronouns)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Splash Getaway

2009-09-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

A week ago we were able to get away for our first vacation of the summer. The hub's job has finally calmed down a bit (he was terribly busy all summer...of course great timing with a little one, but certainly job security and that's nothing to complain about, so I'll quit). So, we decided to head north for an extended weekend to one of our favorite places...Petoskey, Michigan. That whole area is simply breath taking. Of course I love it even more in the fall, when all the leaves are changing, but we couldn't have had a more beautiful weekend to go (mid 70's and sunny).

We stayed at the Boyne Mountain Ski Resort with the hub's parents. We've been there before and always enjoy it, because they have lots for the kids to do, and great shopping for me too! We all enjoyed swimming, going up the ski lift and enjoying the view, bike riding, and pie tasting. The girls even caught a rather large trout in the local pond (which may have been a little more exciting for their fish deprived dad, I'm not sure:). We went to the beautiful marina in Petoskey, and enjoyed shopping downtown too. Of course, I was able to go to one of my favorite stores, The American Spoon, and test their dips. Mmm, go figure one of my favorite stores involves food! They certainly do have great bbqs, jellies, and salsas though.

But I'd have to say the highlight of the weekend was going to the indoor water park. We were a bit hesitant in going, just because our girls are not the biggest water fans. So, we checked the place out first and the girls both said they wanted to go. The entrance fee isn't the cheapest though, so I told Kyra she had to promise to go on some of slides or else it wasn't going to be worth the money (this cheap mamma's gotta get her money's worth you know!) She happily agreed (of course probably not knowing what she was getting into).

Fortunately, the hub's parents were willing to watch Andrew for awhile too, so we could focus our time with the girls. So, when we arrived, we perused the park, and I found a slide that looked suitable for Kyra. It was a rather tall ride, but the slide didn't look too steep, and it required a inner tube that you could share with an adult, which I figured would be less scary then sliding directly on the slide itself. It wasn't until after Katie and I waited at the bottom to take their picture that I found out I had put them on the scariest slide in the park. Yes, way to go momma. I had put my eldest daughter, who was afraid of water to begin with, to plummet to what she probably thought was the end of her short life. Yes, the ride began with a drop into pure blackness, then shoots you out into a huge bowl that twirls you round and round (kind of like you are twirling in a toilet bowl), until you drop into the bottom of the bowl and are flushed out into a lazy river. Yes, she came out screaming at the bottom. I felt so bad. There were so many more easy going slides I could have started her out on, but I had to chose the worst. Even the lazy river frightened her because around the bend were some rapids and a waterfall that pours on you. I doubted she would ever trust me again.

Fortunately, she did. The first hour or so of our time, she hesitated, going only on the kiddy slides or in the pool. But eventually, our forgiving girl went on some larger slides, and even after a few times down with the hub's or myself, went by herself. It was a great time, and it felt great to have some alone time with our girls. I even tried my hand at boogie boarding down the pressured wave. Yes, the weekend away was just what we needed after this busy summer adjusting to our little one, and a great entrance into the new season of fall.

First Day of Kindergarten

2009-09-10T04:06:00.001-07:00

Kyra's first day of Kindergarten was yesterday. I wasn't the slightest bit worried about how she would fair her first day, because I know she is a confident, social, and bright little girl (who has been very eager to start the new school year). I was however, a little nervous about how a few things would go. Getting her ready by 8am (since she's used to getting up at that time and because we have an infant), having her get on the bus (I never did this as a child), and hearing how she would do tying her gym shoes were just a few of the challenges.

It turns out getting ready in the morning was a piece of cake. She anxiously got out of bed at 6:50 am, and was ready by 7:30 am. And Andrew (at least on this day), woke up just in time for me to feed him and go back to bed so I could put her on the bus. The bus, however did not go so smoothly (at least for me). We live on a fairly busy street and have a long driveway, so we all walked up together 10 minutes early. I had my camera in tow, and was ready to take a picture of her getting on the bus. I knew we would have to wait a little while, since they are still getting their routes figured out, but we ended up waiting more like 20 minutes. So, we played "I Spy" and counted all the buses (that weren't OURS). Needless to say Katie was getting tired. Seriously, I should have had lawn chairs at the end of the drive or something. At this point, I also saw that Rudy had gotten loose. Somebody must have forgotten to shut the door tight. And of course, it was too late to take him all the way back to our house, so I just hoped he would behave and not try and get on the bus with Kyra.

Finally, Kyra said "look there's my bus!" But I said, "no babe, it's going in the wrong direction." But she was right. All of a sudden the lights started flashing. We were supposed to be the last stop before the bus arrived at school, but it was going in the wrong direction (not to mention across the street, where I would have to walk her across). So, I quickly grabbed her hand and told Katie to grab the other. But Katie picked this moment to be grouchy and refuse. So, I had one anxious child in one direction and one reluctant in the other. I was taken off guard with the bus going in the wrong direction, my children racing in the opposite directions, and a dog who was on the brink of traffic (which by the way was backing up by at least 8 cars!). By the time we got over to the bus, and I was making sure my dog would not follow, Kyra was gone. No goodbye or anything. It wasn't what I pictured in my head at all. No picture of her first bus ride, or wave to her beloved mother who has loving raised her, just gone: ) Actually, this is more of what I should have been picturing in my head, because this is more how we roll (late and disorganized). It makes for a good story though. I think I will be talking to transportation though, or changing my mind and driving her to school, because taking her across the busy street every day just isn't going to work (I would have driven her, but I thought it would be easier with a sleeping baby).

Alas, she made it to school and loved it. When she got back, I asked her how the day went and she said it was fabulous. I asked her if she was able to tie her gym shoes that she has to keep at school, and she said no they fell apart (we tried finding tennis shoes with Velcro, but the only ones in her size were $50!!, so we frantically tried to teach her how to tie them the night before!). I guess we'll have to keep working on that one. But, when asked what was the favorite part of her day, you know what it was?

The BUS RIDE!!! Go figure.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

For my mom, who hasn't seen the little guy in a month!!

My First Kid's Birthday Party

2009-08-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Kyra has been talking about her birthday non stop for months. I seriously had to tell her, "babe, just stop thinking about it because it's 130 days away." Of course, as the time approached I began getting a little nervous that her party would not meet her expectations. She had plenty of grand ideas, but this momma is still adjusting to life of 3 children and knew that I had limitations. Fortunately, she has only gone to a few friend's birthday parties, and we have never put on one for more than family (therefore she didn't have much to compare it with).

When all was said and done, I think I threw a fairly tasteful party. There weren't a lot of kids, 6 in fact, but that seemed to work out just fine (we were supposed to have two more, but unfortunately one of them was under the weather...we missed you Sarah).

The itinerary went in my head like this...

11:30 pm: feed Andrew

12:00 pm: Lunch (corn dogs, cherry koolaid, cherry jello jigglers-cut out into hearts and teddy bears, veggie straws- a Cos*tco product, and grapes)

1:00 pm: leave for bowling

2:00 pm: come back from bowling

2:30 pm feed Andrew

3:00 pm: feed the kids cupcakes and ice cream, sing Happy Birthday, open gifts, and let the kids play

Of course, when do things ever go as planned when you have an infant right? First of all I don't know what I was thinking planning a birthday during the day when my hubby couldn't help. Second of all, I probably shouldn't have thought we could keep to such a timely schedule. So, we didn't exactly finish lunch in time, or even leave the bowling alley to come home in time (we didn't even get home till 3:15 pm). I kind of forgot we were bowling with 3-7 year olds. Fortunately, I came to my senses and thought I should invite the mom's just in case I needed help, because I sure did. And thankfully, my sister in-law offered several times to take Andrew while we went bowling (although I kept refusing until after lunch time, and then I decided I better drop him off). And you know what? We had lots of fun. It may have felt a little crazy at moments (especially with two nursing mommas), but the kids had fun, and it was fun to watch them bowl.

So, it wasn't exactly a Martha Stewart birthday, complete with coordinating theme and all. But thankfully my little 5 year old could care less and just enjoys time with friends. Yes, it was a fun birthday.

All the kiddos eating their cupcakes

The girls seemed to think stomping their feet would help their ball move faster down the lane

Butterfly cupcakes. This year Kyra didn't want a cake, just cupcakes with blue frosting for the boys and pink frosting for the girls. The girls also had a lot of fun and took great pride in being able to decorate the cupcakes themselves.

Happy 5th Birthday Kyra

2009-08-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

KYRA.

Age: 5

Personality: Caring, considerate, stickler for rules, helper, social butterfly, striver of perfection. You are always seeking out new friends and love to play with others.

Favorites:
Foods: Hamburgers, corn, cherries, pb&j, mac & cheese, carrots, chocolate milk, and vanilla ice cream w/a cherry on top
Songs: I've got the Joy, This Little Light of Mine, Bubbly & Kidz Bop World (from Kidz Bop McD's CD)
Books: any Dora the Explorer books, Rapunzel, Peter Pan, Enchanted Tales
TV Shows: Martha, Word Girl, Super Why
Movies: Kung Fu Panda, Ice Age, Tinkerbell
Games: Littlest Pet Shop, Uno, Memory, Guess Who?
Toys: stuffed white doggy...Rose, Magna Doodle, My Little Ponies, any coloring books, bike, scooter
Activities w/Mommy: games, coloring, reading, baking
Activities w/Daddy: baking, games, exploring outside, bike riding

Dear Kyra,
You have grown up so much this past year. We have enjoyed watching you learn to ride your bike, pump your legs on the swing, pour your own milk, and hold your little brother. You are very helpful in calming Andrew down, insisting you know exactly what to do (and often you do). You have started sounding out words, and love to write people letters. Your relationship with your sister has flourished, and although you can sometimes be bossy, you love her dearly and have become best friends. You are a sweet girl that is growing up way too fast. But we enjoy watching you strive to learn new things. You can't wait to start school in a week (even asking if you were going to sleep there over night, and being disappointed when I said no). We know you will do well and look forward to hearing all the stories (because we all know you love to talk and ask questions)!

Love,
Mom and Dad

First Corn of the Season

2009-08-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again!! Corn pickin time! Yes, this past week we had the first fruits of our labor (my hubby's labor anyway). We've had beans, cukes, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchinis, potatoes, and eggplant. But, it doesn't feel like summer until we've had corn from our own garden. After all, planting corn runs deep in the blood of the hub's family. I think my hubby would give up hunting before he would give up planting. He just gets a deep satisfaction out of watching our acres fill with corn. He will often take daily walks to see how much the stalks have filled out (I can't say that I could see much progress daily, but maybe he can). I bet he could even hear it grow. Okay, enough already, you get the picture. He LOVES corn.

My husband's love for corn has been inherently passed on to the girls. They have been eating it off the cob since they were 16 months old. They ask for it at every birthday meal, and are known to eat 3 cobs at a meal. This past week, Kyra even learned how to pick the ears off the stalk. She knows how to feel for fullness and everything. I was quite impressed. And I'm sure my hubby was beaming at his budding farmer.

So with out further adieu, here are this years pics of our kiddos eating their corn (we've taken a picture every year).

(Might as well start him out early!!)

Andrew Update

2009-08-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe Andrew is already 2 months old today. It seems like I just wrote about his one month old update a short while ago (although I guess that will happen when you don't post things that often).

Andrew is growing like a weed. There are some days I think he grew overnight! He's growing little chunker thighs and sporting a double chin. In general he is having more content moments, which is a huge blessing considering he hasn't been the most content baby (I was under the impression that many 3rd children were easy going, but I don't think that's the case in our family...at least not yet). He wants to be held much of the time or put in a baby carrier. In his defense though, he might have acid reflux, which I'm sure is causing much of his irritability. He clenches his stomach, spits up, and gags a lot. This problem has gotten better over the last month, so we are hoping to be on the up and up. On a positive note, we got our EEG results back and Andrew is not having seizures. We were very thankful to hear that news.

I still haven't exactly heard any cooing (although my mom said she did), but he does like to squeal when he's happy and moans when he's sucking on his binki. The smiles are also poppin up more frequently, which I absolutely love. He's also a kicker. This child DOES NOT sit still. He's definitely a mover and a shaker (hmmm...is this a sign for things to come?) He is constantly waving his arms and kicking his legs, which is another reason why I still have to swaddle him when we put him to bed (otherwise he wakes himself up with his movements).

For the past week, he has been getting up only one time a night. Although after he eats at 3 a.m. he doesn't seem to want to go back to bed like he did before. Yes, now he thinks it's play time. So, he's up for close to 2 hours before he goes back to bed. I'm hoping this trend will go away quickly. I must be getting used to the night feedings though because I'm not too tired in the morning anymore (which I suppose is good considering Kyra starts school pretty soon).

The girls continue to enjoy their little brother as if he had just come home from the hospital. Katie is constantly kissing him. We have to ward her off, just so he isn't over stimulated. And Kyra is always helping me by finding a binki I've misplaced, or retrieving a burp cloth I forgot to get before I sat down to nurse.

Yes, life has certainly changed, but we are beginning to adapt, and are enjoying life as a family of five. I am looking forward to fall, getting back into a schedule (as much as I can), and hopefully gaining more time to get more daily chores accomplished. Thanks to all our friends and family who have prayed for us over the past couple of months. We truly appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and support.

(Andrew at 3 days old)

(Andrew at 2 months old. Same exact expression!)

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-08-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our kids say the darndest things. Here are a couple of the cute things Katie said this week:

During prayer time:
Mom: Katie would you like to pray?
Katie: Can I say "Dear Lord Jesus?" (That's a recited prayer that she always resorts to. She's not one to pray impromptu.)
Mom: How about you just tell Jesus some of the things you are thankful for?
Katie: Okaaay. Dear Jesus, thank you for my family. Thank you toilet paper and the potty. And thank you my ducky. Amen.
(Seriously? The potty? She doesn't even like to use the potty. I just love young children's prayers.)

Trying to pick a game to play:
Mom: What game would you like to play?
Katie: Remembering.
(that would be Memory)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Friday Foto

2009-08-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

The girls wanted to play doctor yesterday, and we had a very willing participant!!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-08-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma were here last weekend visiting our fam. Of course they were a great help as always. I was able to get some things done that I've been putting on the back burner. I also always enjoy their company too. During their stay, the girls also had some funny things to say (all of which I forgot to write down). Fortunately, this time I remembered a few of the things they said (maybe I'm starting to regain some of that pregnancy brain back!). Here it goes:

During dinner time:
Katie: (whispering to her sister) Kyra, let's pretend we're people!
(Around this house they're considered aliens:) What does she think she is?)

During prayer time at dinner:
Kyra: (Kyra said the prayer) Dear Lord, thank you for this weekend and the time we had having fun. Thank you we could be together as a family. Lord please help all the people throwing up. Amen. (Since she is always thanking or asking God for help having fun, we told her that we need to be thinking of people in need....ex: sick people. Apparently people throwing up were on the top of her list!!)

During playtime outside with Grandma:
(during their exploration time outside, our dog unfortunately brought grandma a dead baby bunny)
Kyra: Grandma I think I should bury it. That's what my daddy does. (you can tell she lives on a farm, she's so matter of fact, obviously not scarred by this incident)
Grandma: Are you sure you can do it?
Kyra: Yes, in fact I think he'd like to be buried in our sandbox.
(fortunately Grandma had the good sense to not let that happen. Now I'm just a little worried to find out if anything else is hiding in our sandbox!)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's

Andrew Update

2009-07-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, already a month has gone by since our little guy was born. It's been a bit crazy the past few weeks too. I had intentions of blogging all these cute pictures and updates on how things were going, but time seemed to slip quickly through our fingers.

Andrew is growing very well. He's probably the best nurser out of all my kids (which is a big blessing, considering how much pain I was in with the other two). I'm guessing he's about 9 lbs now (since at 3 weeks old he was 8lbs 9oz). And he's grown 2 inches since birth too. The smiles are becoming more frequent now too. He's starting to make more eye contact and grinning at mamma's smiles and Kyra's goofy faces (he really responds well to her and she has been most helpful and calm at times when he's fussy).

The sleep however has not been going the best. For awhile he was waking up every hour in the middle of the night, which left a very tired mom and dad. Fortunately I have an incredible sister in-law (you'll never know how grateful I am Kris), who came in the nick of time to help fix meals, wash dishes, rock Andrew while I took in a few snoozes, and keep the kids occupied with her kiddlings. She was truly a life saver. Andrew now seems to be sleeping a little bit better, but is still waking up every 3 hours (unlike my girls who seem to only wake up once a night from the get go). Fortunately, he goes to bed right after I feed him.

We also seemed to battle with a few medical conditions. It's nothing too serious, but enough to make me a little more exhausted on top of the lack of sleep. The poor guy has had numerous trips to the doctor's office and hospital. He had a hard time getting rid of the jaundice. We had him under a Bili blanket for close to 1 1/2 weeks, and he had to have blood draws over a dozen times. Hopefully his poor heels won't be scarred. For a while it seemed we were headed to the lab almost every day. And the girls couldn't take his crying, and asked to sit in the hallway to wait for him to be done. Fortunately his levels went down and we are done with the poking.

Then today we headed to the hospital for an EEG which I believe measures some kind of brain waves. We're trying to rule out possible seizure activity. Since he was born, he has had these mild twitches, but they aren't going away, and don't go away when you hold him close. Most likely this is just his nervous system still developing (and I'm hoping that's what it is). But in a week we will hopefully know the results of this test. We're praying it's nothing more than his little body developing. He sure didn't like being hooked up to all those electrodes though. He let the tech know for sure with his wailing and hand grabbing the wires off several times. He made her work for her money this morning.

We know that we are blessed by this little guy. Like I mentioned, we've hit a few bumps in the road (which were more or less inconveniences in our lives as we get used to this little guy), but know it could be way worse. We have encountered a few friends these past few weeks that have dealt with far more difficult circumstances, which puts in perspective how fortunate we are and also makes us realize that God is in control and we have to give our concerns to Him. We take joy in knowing God gave us a growing, beautiful little boy, and thank God that he has blessed us with this new addition.

More Firsts on Friday

2009-07-10T02:21:00.000-07:00

I have to say, Andrew is not the only one who is learning things for the first time. My oldest, Kyra, has been learning so much lately. It's hard to believe that she will be starting kindergarten in just a couple months (but boy is she ready).

This big girl has learned how to swim (doggy paddle anyway), and asks about going in the pool all the time. Tonight she even had a water gun attack with her daddy and sister. Now that's a great improvement from even 6 months ago (she wouldn't even take a shower). She's also learned how to pump by herself on the swing (which is a big help for mom, since I'll be pushing the younger two now). She has been pouring her own milk in her cereal (and has little to no spills). But perhaps the biggest accomplishment was last week when she learned how to ride her bike!! For a couple weeks now, we have talked about "trying" to ride without training wheels, but our cautious daughter kept saying "maybe tomorrow." Finally, last week her dad kept showing her how to position her pedal so that she could push off her right foot by herself. She was getting discouraged and wanted to stop trying it "his" way. Then not even 10 minutes later, I looked out the window and saw that she had taken off herself. She was riding herself. And she couldn't have been prouder. It is so fun to see them accomplish things on their own. She could be out there all day long if we let her.

Yes, these kids grow faster than we want them to. But the ride is fun.

Fourth of July

2009-07-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

This year we missed our yearly trip to Hessel (up north), and therefore missed their little town's parade. My hubby has never been in town over the fourth of July because for the first 30 years of his life, he has always been in the U.P. Although, he was a little sad to be missing his annual vacation, and I a little sad to miss a cousin's wedding in Washington D.C., we made due.

Andrew was 1 1/2 weeks old and made his first parade. The local parade was actually very nice. It was a bit more crowded then our little hobunk town up north, but we managed to find a spot without too much trouble. Andrew winced with the fighter jets flew by, but the rest of the time he slept. The rest of the day we just relaxed at home and took it easy. We contemplated fireworks, but decided the parade was enough excitement for one day. So, we headed into town for ice cream, and then called it a day. It was a quiet day, but a nice one. We missed family and friends this past week, but know we got a very good blessing out of the deal! Hope you all had a wonderful 4th!

Firsts on Friday

2009-07-03T04:59:00.000-07:00

Well, almost a week and 1/2 has gone by already since Andrew has been born, and already there seems to have been a lot of firsts. This mama wasn't even prepared for the first time he would pee on himself this morning (of course not having boys before I haven't experienced that wild willy before, and wasn't quick to have it covered early this morning. Yes Mom, you can say I told you so. I was so sure that I wouldn't experience the fountain, since he hadn't done it yet, but I did so rudely awaken him this morning).

I thought I would post some of the other firsts in pictures (in no particular order).

Andrew's first family photo. 6 days old

Andrew's first outing (out for ice cream of course...too bad he couldn't taste any!) 5 days old

Andrew's first book being read to him (Kyra wanted him to be part of the reading program at the library, so he could put a sticker on his chart and win a prize!) 4 days old

Andrew's first bath (he didn't care for it too much, but didn't mind the hair washing. It must have felt like a head massage.) 5 days old

Andrew's first smile (he looked right at me in the hospital and smiled, and has done so many times since then. He's our earliest smiler.) 3 days old

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-06-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Over this past week, the girls have said some extremely cute things. However, like usual I didn't write them down, therefore missing so many of the documentary worthy quotes after Andrew was born. Here are a few I did remember:

While sitting at the dinner table:
Grandma: I think Andrew is just so cute!
Kyra: Grandma, you want to know what I think? I think he looks expensive.
(I think she is just trying out her larger vocabulary, but she wasn't far off the mark!)

While holding Andrew:
Kyra: I think he loves me very much.
(Kyra has been quite smitten with this new little guy, and if we let her, would hold him for hours at a time.)

While holding the baby:
Katie: Mommy, I want you to feed him with that thingy again.
(Oh yeah, the joys of having two girls invading your space while nursing. Not much chance for privacy this time around. These girls are quite curious.)

While sitting on the couch:
Kyra: Mom?
Mom: Yes?
Kyra: If you drink lots of milk, then does it go down your throat, and into your tummy and then out of your bo*ob?
(yeah, something like that. Wow, she is creative.)

It is fun to see Kyra ask so many questions. She asked things from how the IV gave me hydration to questions about the umbilical cord. She is such an inquisitive little girl.

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, visit Mary's!

Totally In Love

2009-06-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

Almost a week has gone by since I had my little guy. And I tell you, I couldn't be more in love. I find myself gazing at his face, watching his tiny little twitches, scrunched up face, and whimpers. Everything is precious.

When I had Kyra, I found myself doing much of the same (the gazing), however I also quickly became overwhelmed by the responsibility of being a new mother. I was overcome by the lack of sleep. And at times even longed for the way life was before baby. When I had Katie, I had some idea of the responsibility and fatigue it took to be a parent. I found myself often thinking I wasn't the best at being a mom of babies. Don't get me wrong, I love both the girls (and have from the very beginning). But that really young baby stage just isn't my cup of tea. I tend to like it when they are a little bit older. I like it when they sleep through the night, laugh continuously to the silliest little thing, are beginning to show more personality, and give you a better indicator of why in tarnation they are crying. I'm just too nervous.

So, before I had Andrew, I found myself giving myself little pep talks. Now, Sarah, you only have to get through the next few months and then life will get better. Now , Sarah, you can handle sleepless nights for a short while, it really isn't that long in the whole scheme of life! Now, Sarah, just keep on your hubby to give you lots of help and you'll make it through this stage. But to tell you the truth, I haven't really needed those pep talks thus far. I know it's probably a little premature (seeing as though I have only had a few days at home with him, and I've also had my SUPER mother here to help me with the girls) to be saying things have been going well, but they have. And I'm finding that I really love this baby stage. In fact I have found myself wishing at times that I could freeze time and hold on to this little baby body for longer than I know I have time with him before he starts to grow. He is just really that precious. He has the cutest little smile already, long little toes and fingers, and the best little shaped head. I am simply joyful that God has blessed me with such a beautiful little boy.

So, I guess for now I'll just try and capture some of these moments in pictures and hold on to the snuggling time we have for now, because I know it won't be long and these time will be over in a flash. Even my mom said, "you could keep on having children to try and recapture this stage of life, but they are always going to grow up."

A Whole New World

2009-06-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it home! After 3 1/2 days in the hospital, Andrew and I are finally home. The girls are so excited to spend more time with their little brother (so much that Kyra already sat down and read him a book...awe...while he was sleeping). Of course it's been 2 1/2 hours since we've been home and he is still sound asleep in his car seat, but he has plenty of time to get used to his new diggs.

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better baby. He has been sticking to an every 3 hour eating schedule and has been eating fairly quickly (opposed to the girls who took 45 minutes to eat, each time). He has only been crying if he's hungry or has a dirty diaper too (of course he is a boy, which is probably why he's not giving me mixed messages. What you see is what you get!) Of course all this could change, but I'll take what I can get for now. The surgery also went fairly well. It took a little longer than it was supposed to, but I am healing quickly and feeling good.

I'll have lots more to report as the days go on, but I'm tired and need to rest a bit before the little bugger gets up. So for now, I'll just leave you with a few more pictures. And again, thank you to everyone for the well wishes and prayers. Your thoughts and comments have made us feel very loved and glad to have friends and family like you'all.

Announcing baby Andrew James

2009-06-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

Well for all of you waiting , we have a baby Boy!
Andrew James was born on June 23 @ 8:02 AM weighing in at 8 pounds 1 oz and 20 inches long. ( Our smallest peanut yet). Mom and baby are doing well and are planning on coming home Friday morning. Mom will give you all the whole scoop when she comes back. For now I thought that I would share a picture with you all. God sure is great!

PS: Thank you all for the prayers

Nearing the End

2009-06-15T03:37:00.000-07:00

With just a little over a week to go till the big "Baby" day, my patience has been wearing thin. My poor girls have had to deal with a drill sargent of a mom. For goodness sakes, couldn't they stop acting like children for a change and not get out every toy in the house (oh, that's right, they are children)? Okay, I've been a little irrational in my expectations. The fact that I've been trying to widdle away at a "to do" list before the baby comes, and know that this baby could care less if I have anything done with the house is beside the point. I'm still "trying" to relax and thinking of ways to have fun with my two precious girls this last week, before our family gets larger. After all they shouldn't have to remember their last days simply following rules and cleaning up until the baby comes.

Nevertheless, when my in-laws called on Friday to take the girls strawberry picking, I quickly took them up on their offer. I was thankful for the opportunity to get some weeding done, along with the thought of some rest time. And the girls would have so much more fun with their grandparents, not to mention a reprieve from their stressed out mama. The day ended up being simply wonderful. Not only did I get the day to myself, but my hubby took me out for a nice dinner, and my in-laws made a ton of jam for me (something I would have loved to do, but these swollen feet can't stand in front of the sink that long to wash and stem). It was a very nice gift.

Now, with just 8 days before the delivery date, I am able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Although I am looking like Hom*er Simp*son these days with my gut hanging out, since my shirts are too short and my pants won't stay up, I know it won't be long. And I plan on taking some fun little outings with my girls this week to make the most out of the time we have before junior consumes most of it. But, I also look forward to carrying a little round bundle in only a week's time!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-06-09T01:38:00.001-07:00

I managed to remember a few of the cute things my kids said this past week. Here are a few of their funnies...

While playing dolls together-
Katie: (evidently offended by something her older sibling did, she runs off to me) Mommy, Kyra isn't playing very nice to me. She caught my feelings.

While getting ready in the morning-
Mom: Now Kyra, I want you to make your bed this morning like I asked you to do yesterday.
Kyra: I was thinking we could make my bed like a pattern.
Mom: What do you mean?
Kyra: One day you can make my bed, then I can make my bed, you make it, I make it. Isn't that a good idea?
Mom: That's very creative. But when Grandma comes in a couple weeks, she's not going to make your bed so you need to make a habit of making your bed every day.
Kyra: But Mom, that's two weeks away.
(This girl is getting too smart for her own good. I can't believe she's using what she learned in school against me already!)

While sitting on the couch-
Kyra: Mom, how did that baby get inside your tummy?
Mom: (Shoot! I thought I managed to get through this whole pregnancy without that question. So, I managed to answer in the best and simplistic way that I could). Well, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much and decide they want to start having children, they ask God to bless them with a child. And if the time is right, God plants a seed in Mommy's tummy and it begins to grow (not too far off right?).
Kyra: What color is the seed?
(Thankfully the questions ended there, until two days later when she asked how dogs had babies. Do they ask God for a seed? Oh heavens, I need help.)

If you want to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Catching Up

2009-06-03T04:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted last. And I'm afraid it's just going to become fewer and farther between. I so wanted to keep up with blogging, taking care to write all the cute things my kids say and record their precious sayings. I wanted to record how this pregnancy went so I could tell the kids stories later in their life (considering I forgot so much about the first two). But alas it didn't happen, because life happened. And that's okay. I'd like to recap some of the things that have been going on though...

The Girls
A couple months ago, the girls began swimming lessons. I know we aren't going to go swimming much this summer, but we do have a boat and I think it is important for them to learn swimming safety. Plus, they have shown a lot of fear in the past and I was hoping to have them get over that (to the point they don't even want to take a shower!!) Both girls went through some tears over the last 5 weeks, but I have definitely seen improvement. I especially couldn't be prouder of Kyra. She went from not being able to let go of my arms to jumping in the pool all by herself and turning around and swimming to the edge of the pool. She dove off the diving board, and even went under water to reach for rings at the bottom of the pool (although she wasn't thrilled about that exercise). Katie needs a little of work still, and fought going to lessons almost every time, but at least she'll jump of the edge to someone in the pool and is starting to kick and move her arms. It was a joy to watch them both.

The Hubs
My hubby has been extremely busy, much to my dismay, but at least as this baby approaches quickly his time away from home seems to be lessening. He has become head foreman of his big job site, which requires more of his time, and hence comes home a little later sometimes (which don't get me wrong I am grateful for, because he has a job, and a job in this economy is definitely a plus). He also, along with his brothers, just put in over 50 acres of field corn among 4 property parcels. His father become ill with a burst appendix over a month ago, and has been unable to help, so the boys had to put in some overtime. Of course planting corn and watching it grow is one of my hubby's ultimate joys. He gets a high off corn.

Me
I have slowly been trying to give up control in trying to have everything ready for baby #3. It would have been nice to have this boy's room all decorated nicely, had my computer ready to print out baby announcements, and have Katie all potty trained (so I won't have two in diapers), but I'm afraid it's not going to happen.

It was my New Year's resolution to have Katie potty trained by the time the baby was born. And considering the fact that she is already 3, it seemed like an obtainable goal. However, she is a strong willed child, and along with having so many constipation issues, I think it's going to take awhile yet. To her credit, she does go #1 on the potty a great deal of the time, we just have to work on the other half. I know it will come, I just need to work on patience.

Our computer has died on us too. And while this doesn't seem like a huge problem, I lost the program I loved best to download pictures, and haven't been able to find an equally good program (don't remember what I had before). I have also spent a good deal of what seems like wasted time trying to download software, when I could have been washing baby clothes or watering flowers. So, we finally drug our feet to the store to buy a new desktop after installing a new hard drive in the old computer and not receiving the results we expected. Hopefully this computer will last awhile, and I can download everything I need before baby comes.

Finally I was broadsided in a parking lot by an older couple. Fortunately I was okay, but we have a small dent in the car that bugs me. And due to Michigan's no fault law, I would have to pay for the damage even though I didn't create it (not to mention if claimed, my insurance rates would go up). We thought about small claims court, but at this point in the pregnancy, I think I'm just going to let it go.

To be honest though, this has been the best pregnancy I have had. Even though my ducks aren't all in a row, I have felt good almost the entire pregnancy and still don't even sleep with any side pillows. I have had a few rough spots, but all in all I feel great. Even this cooler weather is a blessing, because my feet and legs are not swelling up as much as the past pregnancy's. This baby is a mover and a shaker though. I have felt more kicks and punches then with either girls combined. He must be ready to take on the world!

So, after this long winded blog entry (sorry), I will leave you with this prego picture some of you have been requesting. I don't normally like photographing myself, but also regret not taking more pregnant pictures of me with my girls either. So with 19 days before baby comes, here I am smiling and ready (hopefully) to relinquish control to God and his foreseeable future for our life as a family of five!!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-05-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

We just went to Chicago for the weekend to visit my parents. However, for the first time the girls went downtown to experience the city life. I'd have to say their favorite part was the train. Katie was absolutely enamored with it. They loved listening to the conductor list off the stops and counted down the stations before we met our arrival. It was so fun to see them enjoy a new experience. And Katie said some very funny things. Unfortunately, I didn't have any paper with me and forgot most of them (with the exception of one).

While sitting on Grandma's lap, she piered out then window enjoying the sites of the city. Suddenly she looked around the train and asked Grandma, "Who's driving the train?" I love it. And am noticing how observent she can be. I only wish I could share some pictures.

If you want to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Missing Computer Connection

2009-05-08T06:49:00.001-07:00

This past week, our computer finally died. I tried days for days to restore the hard drive, but seeing as though I am not that computer savvy, my attempts were futal. At first I thought, maybe I could just live with out a computer (after all there are plenty of days where I become too dependant on it anyway, and could be spending my time more wisely). And it has been good for me too, because this past week I have been finding a lot more outdoorsy things to do with my time, not to mention probably spending better quality time with my kids. But I think I was just fooling myself thinking I could deal without a computer at all. After all with banking online, and friends communicating now adays through nothing but internet connections, I think I am going to have to get a new computer. The question now is what kind? There are so many different brands, speeds, etc. And then I'm not sure if I should attempt to get a laptop or not. I would love a laptop, but am not sure that would be the wisest choice with kids who love to play on the computer. When we do get a new computer I am just going to have to remember not to get in the rut again of spending too much time on it.

So, I guess I have some research to do. For now, I am just at the library, thankful that there are other places to connect with the techy world. And also thankful that we have a library so close by with lots of toys and books located right next to all the computers (so I can keep a close eye on my kiddos).

Trading Spaces

2009-04-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

In order to make room for this new addition in our family, we needed to put the girls together. It would have been nice to just move Katie to Kyra's room so we could leave the nursery as it was, but the nursery is the bigger room. So all the nursery items had to be moved to Kyra's room, and all of Kyra's stuff had to be moved to Katie's room. I had wanted to make this transition a while ago, but could not decide on bed arrangements (bunk bed, twin beds, hammocks :). Alas, we found a bunk bed that we liked and decided to keep them as twin beds for the time being, so I wouldn't have to climb up and make their beds daily. Unfortunately my order was back ordered and didn't come for weeks and weeks.

Finally, a couple weeks ago the beds came. I thought it would be nice if the girls went to Grandpa and Grandma's house for the evening, so we could have some uninterrupted moving time, and surprise them with a finished room when they came back. I was glad we did, because we had furniture all over the place. I ended up being very pleased with the end result. Their room is definitely more crowded, but it looks very cute. We also still have a few finishing touches to go, like removing the nursery valance and putting it in the baby's room, but those are minor changes. And due to the fact that this baby boy is inheriting a girl's bedroom, it looks a little girly. But I'm pretty sure he won't notice for the first year or two!!

When the girl's arrived back home, their grins said it all. Kyra was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be able to sleep on the top bunk, but she got over it quickly. It has now been a week and half, and they are having so much fun. I am happy to say that Katie adjusted well immediately to her new arrangement. She still takes naps well (not getting out of bed to test the waters), and loves having her sister near by. Kyra loves her bed, but says Katie keeps her up too late talking (although truthfully I don't think she minds all that much, since I hear a good deal of the laughter from her). They have played battle ship with their beds, while shooting stuffed animals across the room, and adorned their beds with books while playing "check out" at the library. It is fun to see them using their imaginations and enjoying their space together. It brings back memories of my sister and I sharing a room and all the fun times we had playing games and chatting till late. Although, I'm sure this honeymoon won't last forever (after all I also remember putting masking tape down the center of the room too!).

Katie's room before the transformation

Girls room after transformation

Third Glance At My Little One

2009-04-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to have another ultrasound. I was a little nervous going in, because at my previous ultrasound they had found one kidney that was slightly enlarged. They wanted to recheck things at 28 weeks, just to make sure everythings was okay. Fortunately my doctor had told me that this happened fairly frequently, and that 9 times out of 10, it corrected itself before delivery.

I was happy to hear that the kidneys look fine now, and that my little sweet pea is thriving. But most of all I was happy to see this little guy's face. I just can't get over how wonderful these 3D images look. When the tech asked me if I had anymore questions at the end of the ultrasound I wanted to say "Can we just stay here for awhile and gaze at his profile?" Unfortunately I think she had better things to do.

Here are a couple of pics of my little guy. I've already had a few people say that he looks like Kyra. Isn't that amazing? He isn't even born yet, and we can get an idea of who he looks like!

Birthday Boy

2009-04-21T04:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday it was Rudy's 8th birthday. Yes, our beloved dog is getting up there in age. Before the kids were born he was our baby. We let him sleep on our bed, on the furniture, and played fetch with him more frequently. And on his birthday, he would always get some sort of gift. Frosty Paws were one of his favorites (although the repercussions of his gas left something else to be desired). Of course since we have had children, poor Rudy doesn't get the attention that he once did. He's no longer allowed on any of the furniture (although I still hear a quick jump from my bed when I enter the house...with the sheets pulled down as evidence that a warm furry body was recently curled there). And the long walks we once had are replaced with quick outings out the slider door to simply do his business. Oh, he doesn't get completely ignored. He still gets daily doggy treats, a pat on the head, and occasional outing in the field with "dad". And who could forget a pull on the tail, and jump on the back to play "rodeo" by the girls (I'm sure he loves that one). But simply said, he can no longer claim is spot as "baby" in this growing household of kids.

Yesterday, however Ruders got the royal treatment. When I told the girls it was his birthday, they wanted to have a celebration. I told them, that he wouldn't remember, and that he didn't really care, but they were insistent. They cared. They made sure he had extra treats yesterday, sang him "Happy Birthday" a number of times, and petted him with extra care through out the day. Kyra said, " you have to get him a present! He's my best boy!" So with that, I went to the store for a rawhide chew. Before I left for the store, Kyra said..."What are you going to get him mom? You can tell me because it's not my birthday. But don't tell him, or else it won't be a secret anymore." I just love innocence of kid's minds. So, Rudy thoroughly enjoyed his birthday attention and wagged his tail eagerly in anticipation of the smelly treat beneath the wrapping paper. Happy Birthday old pal!

Singing Happy Birthday to Rudy

Enjoying his rawhide, without even opening it yet

And she's the big 3!

2009-03-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

My youngest has now turned 3. It's hard to believe, since those 3 years have gone by so quickly. Katydid's birthday was Friday, the 1st day of spring (because I had a c-section, I thought that would be a nice day for her birthday...even though that day never tends to feel like spring yet). Anyway, we decided to have our own little family party on Friday, and celebrate with extended family on Sunday.

What a fun day. I asked her where she wanted to go for dinner, and she replied "to the grass." I guess I had to be more specific, so I said what restaurant would you like to eat at, and she replied "the Costco food court!" After that, I figured I'd better give her a few suggestions. We finally settled on a Mexican restaurant, which suited us fine since we love Mexican, and she loves the chip basket. After that, we headed to Playworld (a Chuck E Chee*se of sorts). The kids had fun playing on all the maze things while we got to sit and chat. Finally, we headed to Cold Stone Creamery. I tell you, it mind as well have been my birthday, because I think I had just about as much fun as the girls did.

The next day of course I was hit with an awful cold. I wasn't sure if we should still have her party on Sunday, but figured it was just family, I would be fine. I cleaned a little and prepared to make her birthday cake....a castle cake. I have spent the last couple years making the girls cakes, and Kyra gladly explained to her sister that I would make any cake she desired (thank you big sister). I'm just hoping the ideas for these cakes don't keep getting harder and harder. Fortunately, the castle cake wasn't the hardest, but it wasn't my best looking cake either. At 10pm that night, I finished the cake. The only problem was, that it was a little top heavy. So after finishing it, I couldn't move it. And because it was 3 tiers, I couldn't cover it either. The best I could do was drape a blanket in front of it, so she wouldn't see it the next day.

Sunday came, and my cold hit me like a sack of bricks. You know the kind of sinus headache that makes you feel like a truck ran into you? I debated again whether we should cancel the party, but we had to eat the cake (since it wasn't covered), and we couldn't move the party to my in-laws (because we couldn't move the cake!). On with the party it was! Fortunately, I have a husband who is quite handy in the kitchen. He took the girls to church, while I stayed home and prepped the turkey, and red potatoes. We pretty much had a Thanksgiving type meal going on, but that's my Katie! She's a meat and potatoes kind of girl. Plus the main item on her birthday menu was corn on the cob (I tell you, these girls are their father's girls through and through). The corn this season is nothing to write home about, but each girl still had two ears each!

Katie had a wonderful day. She has become so expressive this year. She opened up each present with such glee, and hugged all her aunts and uncles. And I made it through the day too. It was worth it to see such a happy birthday girl. And to think I can add making a turkey to my list of accomplishments now.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-03-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, again I haven't been keeping up with the cute things my kids have been saying. I'm not sure if it is pregnancy brain (which has hit me like a typhoon this time), or if my kids simply aren't funny anymore (jk...clearly it's the prior reason). Anyway, Kyra said something that made me smile.

While playing a game:

Mom: Honey, can you play this game with Kyra now, I have to get dinner started.

Dad: Sure.

Kyra: Mom, why doesn't daddy ever make dinner?

Mom: Well, it's just part of mom's job. Plus he is tired after working hard all day.

Kyra: Don't you work hard all day?

(Go Kyra, she's got my back! And of course after that comment, wouldn't you know Daddy offered to make dinner!)

And of course, I have to share just one more of Kyra's work of arts...

The blue animal is Blue, from "Blue's Clues," along with a duck, pig, and a cow. My favorite however is the cow. Wow, she even made nice hooves, the rounded nose and udders too! What an artist!

If you want to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

2009-03-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Florida Trip, part 2

2009-03-05T03:57:00.000-08:00

Our time in Florida was simply wonderful. I kept on thinking, "I can't believe I have 8 warm sunny days with my family!" I think the only bummer part of the trip was that we were going to spend the first day and 1/2 with our friends who live in Florida. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we found out their son had the stomach flu. Although we still had breakfast with them the following day, and stayed at their "house next door," we didn't get to stay up and chat or play "greedy" with them. But we weren't about to get all chummy chummy with the thought of getting the stomach flu ourselves and virtually ruining our week of relaxation. Thank you for your hospitality, Jon and Stacey, despite feeling so sick.

The rest of our vacation was spent at a resort in Kissimmee, thanks to my in-laws. We each (all of my hubs family members) had a one bedroom condo with a little kitchenette so we could make the majority of our meals. There wasn't a stove to cook on, but my in-laws are always well equipped with alternatives. They brought two electric skillets to make pancakes, stir fry, eggs, etc. You name it, they were willing to make it. We really only ate out for dinner two times. And the meals were hilarious. Try fitting 8 grown adults, and 3 little children in a 9'x12' room. We sat on coolers, the floor, arm rests, basically any little corner we could find. I'm sure housekeeping ended up having a fun time cleaning up that room too, because 3 kids under 4 years old can only keep their food on their plates so well. But we were together and having fun.

We spent most of our days just relaxing by the pool side (my idea of a perfect vacation). My hubs was very wonderful in taking the girls to the pool the majority of the time so I could take in maximum sun time on the lounge chairs and chat with the sister in-laws. The pool had a big waterfall in the center where kids could race underneath. Of course our girls were going no where near that. Their petrified fear of water subsided some over the week, but not as much as I would have hoped. The hubs actually got Katie to swim from him to the steps (with swimmies on) one day, but the next she wanted nothing to do with it. Both girls were satisfied sticking to depths they could reach or clinging to our arms. Oh well, baby steps right?

Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was going to Sea World. We debated whether or not to do the whole Disney thing, but thought maybe one adventure park for the week would be enough. As it ended, we were glad with our decision, because that day really tuckered them out. The park was just great though. I almost had more fun watching my kids in awe reactions to the shows than the shows themselves. What surprised me most was my emotional response. The magnificence of "Shampoo" (as Katie called him) jumping out of the water simply brought me to tears. Yes, this pregnant momma had a few emotional moments that day. The shows were elegant, humorous, and entertaining. Kyra's favorite show was a dog and cat show. These dogs and cats were walking on tight ropes, driving cars, jumping through hoops, and more. Although it was at the end of the day, the girls stood in laughter through almost the whole show. Her least favorite was the sea lion show, because the "pirates were fighting and being mean." It was actually a pretty funny show, but she thought the pretend fight was real. I told her they were just pretending. She said, "you mean the pirates aren't real humans?"

The park also had quite a few kiddy rides. We even took them on a relatively high, and fast roller coaster. Although it was a kiddy ride, it took quite a drop, that even I was surprised. Half way through the ride, Kyra nervously asked when it would be over. I was afraid if she had that reaction, how Katie was doing, but when we got off, the hubs said Katie had a great time. I should have known the younger one wouldn't be afraid of a little coaster ride!

Yes, the trip was a great success. And after being home a few days now, I am definitely missing the mid 70 degree weather. Although we feel rejuvenated as a family and are thankful that spring is near.

"Shampoo" giving the diver a ride

This dog pushed a cart, a door opened and out popped 5 wiener dogs!

The Sea Lion Pirate Show

The girls give a manatee statue a hug, after seeing the real deal

Florida Trip, part 1 (the plane ride)

2009-03-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

We are fortunate enough to have traveled to the sunny state of Florida this past week. It's hard to believe we have done this 3 years in a row. Every year we plan on not going, resolving to save our money towards one thing or another, but every winter the blues set in and we get an itchin' to go. We are blessed to have friends that live there and in-laws that have a time share.

So, when January's sub degree weather took a toll on us, we decided we needed us a vacation. I also reasoned with myself that I probably wouldn't be going on vacation this summer with a new baby on hand, so we needed to go somewhere for some rejuvenation (why not somewhere warm?). The hubs work schedule is also going to be crazy busy this summer, and quite frankly already has been busy and he needed a break.

After finding a really cheap flight, we were set to go. I was glad that we were going to fly because quite frankly I didn't know how these achy pregnancy legs could handle 25 hours in the car. And the flights all in all went well, with of course only a few minor set backs. I was so worried Kyra wouldn't do well since she had just been diagnosed with an ear infection, but she did great. Katie however had a little trouble with the decline. It must have been a sight to see watching two parents sink down to this child's level and make goofy jaw dropping faces to get her to do the same (so her ears would pop).

Then on the way back toward home Katie pooped in her diaper just minutes before we were supposed to board on a lay over flight from Indianapolis to Chicago. Unfortunately, because we are in the midst of potty training and had exhausted our supply of diapers on the trip, I didn't have a single diaper. I quickly went to an airport kiosk, paid $6 for a two pack of diapers and boarded the plane with my poopy daughter. Then I looked at the package and realized they were a size 3, which wouldn't be too bad except for the fact that she wears a size 5! Oh well, I knew I could squeeze her in. I waited anxiously until we were high enough in the air so we could take her into the teeny stall, hoping that nobody could smell the stench that I smelled. Finally the stewardess said something about the lavatory, and I darted for the door. Only, when I reached the front, the stewardess said "what do you think you're doing? the seat belt light is still on. You can't come up front." I thought that our short jaunt up front seemed rather steep. I guess I would have to wait a few more minutes. Only that time never came. Because it was such a short flight, we basically barely got to maximum height before we had to come back down. So here I sat with a poopy daughter, and an overpriced pack of diapers that were the wrong size. That's life with a two year old! It was an adventure and always is. Oh, and by the way, when I finally did change her at the airport, her little deposit was about the size of a dime. Wow, that kid can pack a punch!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-03-03T04:16:00.000-08:00

I don't have any cute comments to share today, however I do have a couple pictures to share. Kyra has been in a coloring frenzy lately. And every time she amazes us with her detail and creativity. I just love looking at the images that compile in their little heads! Here they are:

Here she drew her friends in the car. There's even exhaust and the yellow lines on the road. I never knew she paid attention to that kind of detail.

Yesterday, she learned for the first time about astronauts. And based on this one day, she drew a rocket ship going to outer space and visiting all the planets. If you look closely, she even drew the details of Earth (blue and green for the land and water). And to the upper right of Earth is Saturn with it's rings. Call me a boastful mother, but I'm proud.

If you want to read more tiny talk, visit Mary's.

Sweet Pea's First Pics

2009-03-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant with both of my girls, we decided not to find out with either one. It was very exciting to have that big announcement: It's a....! Although, I have to say, with Katie it was a lot harder not knowing (but definitely worth it). However, this time, knowing it is our last one, we just had to know. Being able to prepare the baby's room is a big plus. But at the same time, I also wanted to give myself a few months to mentally prepare. You see, when Katie was born, I was almost 99% sure she was a boy. And of course I was glad that she was healthy and beautiful, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit disappointed that she wasn't a boy in those first few moments. Of course now, I couldn't be happier. The two girls are great companions, and I enjoy watching them play and learn from each other. Needless, to say we decided to find out the sex of our baby.

I love guessing games though. So, before I make the big announcement, I want you to tell me what you think we are having. Are we going to be swimming in sugar and spice like Jenny, or entering into the world of snails and toads? I will leave you with some pictures of our little one, and then share our news in a couple days (a little squirming is good for the soul). Of course no guessing if you actually do know, and you know who you are!

Our baby's profile, it had it's mouth open almost the whole time! Definitely daddy's child!

My first 3D ultrasound, again baby's mouth is open!

This picture is my favorite. Although it might be harder to tell, the baby has it's lil' hand in front of it's face, and the other arm by the side of it's head. I'm in love already!

Time keeps tickin...tickin...

2009-03-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been a month since I blogged. I haven't been exactly in the mood to write in a while, but a month...wow! February was a relatively low key month (at least I think it was...but my prego brain doesn't always serve me right). I've spent a lot of time searching the net for bunk beds for the girls (since they will be moving in together to allow room for the little one). I was surprised how much of my time this consumed. I think I was being a little too particular in my search. We did find one bed we really liked, but it was out of our price range. After finding that bed, nothing seemed to compare. Now that I have wasted all that time, I am pretty sure we are going to get two single beds. After all, my mom pointed out I would be doing most of the bed making, and this momma doesn't want to get a work out daily by making a child's bed (although that might be good exercise for me). Anyway, I'm rambling on (which I guess will happen when you haven't written in a month).

The last half of February just simply flew by. We had a nice visit from all my siblings. We had a great time chatting and letting the cousins finally play, after what seemed like time after time of cancellations because one or more of our family members was always sick. The kids even went roller skating for the first time. Good times! Then we had our much awaited ultrasound and were off to Florida the following day. And wouldn't you know it, Kyra got an ear infection the day before we left. Yes, I was a little worried how that might affect the plane ride, but thankfully we knew of the infection before we left and she was aokay.

So there you have it. That was our month in a nutshell. Of course I'm leaving out many details, like that of our trip and ummm... the sex of our baby!!! But I'll leave that for a post later this week (yes, I promise).

Letter to my pea in a pod

2009-01-29T12:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Little One -

This past week I have started to feel you inside of me. I always long for this time, because this is the first moment I feel I am really able to bond with you. It's amazing to hear your heartbeat, see you move around on a moniter, but this physical connection makes me feel closest to you. That little kick or movement across my belly is reassurance that you are still slowly growing inside of me. Keep getting stronger little one, because your family is all very anxious to meet you.

I want you to know how much your father and I already love and desire to have you in our lives. Back a year or so ago, we began contemplating if we should add another child to our family. It seemed I felt different almost every day. One day I was content entertaining your two sisters and pondered at how life had finally come to the point where it was comfortable. Your sisters were old enough that I didn't feel overwhelmed all the time with the wonderful responsibility of caring for a baby or toddler. Your father and I could each hold a child's hand, each put a child to bed, have one on one attention. I knew having a third child would mean your dad and I would be outnumbered. There was a sense of insecurity in the possibility of "rocking the boat." It seemed like such a hard decision...do we have a third child or don't we. What did God want us to do? Would having a third overwhelm our marriage? I have to say we never thought this hard about having your sisters. After all I knew I wanted at least one child, hence with God's blessing Kyra was born. Katie, well God made that decision for us. He gave us the unexpected blessing of your second sister. But you, you were the hardest. Until thoughts of you were consuming my mind daily. I knew our family just wasn't complete. I figured if I thought this much of an unborn child, then surely you were meant to be.

The next month we began trying to conceive you. We planned dates for your arrival and perfect timing of ovulation, but that didn't seem to work. After months of disappointment, I began to wonder if God really wanted us to have a third child and maybe it was just my own desire. I contemplated giving up, and putting in the towel. Maybe it was sign from God saying, you need to be content with the wonderful children you've been given. After all I know that I am deeply blessed and I should not want for anything. I also know we had put a lot of trust in the function of our own bodies, and had not relied more on God. We had tried putting things in our control, instead of having faith in Our Savior. The next month we decided not to "try" so hard. We weren't going to look at dates or time everything. And you know what? That was the month you were conceived!

I know now that even though your dad and I strongly desired to have you in our family, it was all in God's timing. He knew my desires, but He also knows the perfect time for you to enter into our lives. So grow little one. I look forward to feeling more kicks and elbows, because it means you are very much alive inside of me. And the fatigue and achy legs I can endure, knowing that in just 4 1/2 short more months I can hold you in my arms.

Lots of love,
Mommy

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-01-27T18:11:00.000-08:00

The little ones in our house have been yucking it up this week, here are some of their comments that made us laugh:

During quiet time:
Mom: Kyra, I have a lot of laundry to do, so your going to have to find some quiet activity to do for the next hour or so.
Kyra: That's okay mom, I have a lot of pictures to draw. There are lots of people who need pictures.
Mom: Alright then, let's get to work! (Meanwhile, I sneak to the computer room to quick check my email before digging into the laundry. A few short minutes later, Kyra finds me in the room.)
Kyra: Mom, can I play a computer game?
Mom: Kyra, I just got on the computer, besides I thought you had lots of pictures that needed to be drawn!
Kyra: Well, I thought you had lots of laundry that needed to be folded!
(She got me there. Wow, what a little smarty pants. She's getting too smart for her age.)

During dinner time:
Dad: What do you think about getting some chickens for around the house?
Mom: Oh, don't even get me started. We are NOT going to do more farming then you already do right now.
Dad: Why don't we ask the girls (sure let's get them to gang up on mom!). Katie would you like some chickens?
Katie: I want chicken nuggets!
(There's my girl. You're not going to find any chickens peckin around our household, or else he'll meet the deep fryer pretty quickly!)

If you want to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T02:37:00.000-08:00

Kyra's teacher approached me last Wednesday to tell me congratulations after Kyra drew and shared this picture during class. Melt. My. Heart.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-01-13T04:28:00.000-08:00

The little ones (and perhaps not so little ones) are chattin it up these past few weeks. Here's a few of the cute things they've said:

While coloring at the kitchen table:
Kyra: Mommy, there are so many people having babies! You have a baby in your tummy, and you have two friends that have babies in their tummies.
Mom: I know, isn't that exciting?
Kyra: Does Rudy have a baby in his tummy?
Mom: Umm...no. He's a boy. And boy's don't have babies.
Kyra: Well...we need to get him a girl then!
(Anyone want to explain a neutered dog to her?)

While thinking of N objects we could bring for N week at school:
Mom: Hmmm...there's a nest, but I don't think we could find one of those this time of year (in my head I kept thinking of adjective and verb N words, but had trouble coming up with an object). Oh, I know how about a nickel!
Kyra: Mommyyy! I can't show everyone in my class my nickels on my body!
Mom: Kyra, no silly, a nickel is a type of money.
(fyi, many kids in class that day showed their nickels...money that is! Good thing I straightened her out before school!)

While playing with some other kids:
Little girl: I got a leapster for Christmas, what did you get?
Katie: I got a Christmas too!
(evidently she didn't quite get the question. But she seemed happy enough that they both had Christmas!)

And this is from the newest member to Tiny Talk:
While packing and getting ready to go to Chicago:
Dad: Honey did you pack my dress up shoes?
Mom: Noo, but I did pack your dress shoes. Did you want me to pack your pink sparkly shoes or the purple ones with bows?
(I got a glaring look for that one and will probably get another one when he finds out I shared it with everyone! But it was worth it. Evidently he's been hanging around little girls a little too much!)

If you want to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

When the weather outside is frightful!

2008-12-29T04:05:00.001-08:00

In the past couple of weeks we have had some pretty nasty weather. It's either been extremely cold, windy, snowy, or slippery. It seemed like for awhile the weatherman was suggesting staying inside almost every day. And while I'd love to curl up with a book in a blanket, drink some hot cocoa, and watch the beautiful snow, the two little girls in this household have other thoughts. I'd love to send them out to play, but the -10 degree wind chill says otherwise. I'd love to take them to the mall, but the black ice makes me think not. So, in the mean time we had some pretty cooped up little girls that have been pulling at my pant legs wondering what to do. While I would have loved to play with them more, the preparations for Christmas trumped their needs. So we had to get creative.

Our back deck almost covered to the top railing with snow!

We did have a wonderful time decorating cookies one night. The girls loved frosting the cookies, and I loved watching their glittery creations take fruition.

Look at their intensity!

Surprisingly they (or maybe I should say Kyra) did a pretty good job helping me wrap presents. And they loved the idea that they were helping me. Kyra had so much fun that one day (unbeknownst to me) she cut paper, taped, and basically wrapped her own gift for her parents and put it under the tree. I was quite impressed by her ability (maybe next year I'll have to put her to work on more presents).

We did a couple crafts, involving pipe cleaners and pom poms too. I wish I had some pictures of those too, but Kyra is saving her picture for a present for her cousin (shh!)

But the indoor activity I loved most was the sleigh creation. We made a diaper box into a sleigh and both girls had oodles of fun trying to pull each other. They took turns being the reindeer and Santa Claus (although Katie wasn't very good at pulling her sister on the sleigh). They would put "presents" in the sleigh and deliver them from room to room. I was surprised at how many days was occupied by this simple activity. They even tried getting Rudy (aka: Rudolph the Red Nosed Doggy) to pull the sled, although he wasn't too pleased.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Vizsla!

I am thankful now that we have had a couple days reprieve from some of this confining weather, but am hopeful that we can weather the storm again if similar weather heads our way in the next few months (and I'm certain it will, for this is Michigan)!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T04:52:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours! I hope everyone had a wonderful day.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

2008-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

In the past most of my funny quotes came from my oldest, Kyra. I tried to sneak in a few from Katie, but mostly they were just words she messed up. Lately, however that little girl has been cracking me up. Unfortunately, I haven't had my pen and paper at hand and have completely forgotten some of the things she's said. Here's a couple I remember....

While playing inside:
Katie: Where's Daddy?
Mom: He's at Uncle Mike's house.
Katie: I really want Daddy.
Mom: Sorry babe, he'll be back in a little while.
Katie: Can I have another Daddy?
(apparently only a daddy would do today, even if it meant any daddy!)

In the car after Christmas shopping:
Dad: Ho, Ho, H0 (he bellied out in a jovial voice)
Katie: Silly Daddy, you aren't Santa Claus! (long pause) I Santa Claus!
(well, she got one part right, but last I checked Santa wasn't a little blue eyed blond girl)