Little Gems...

Austin made a goofy noise this morning and when I looked at him funny, he said, "I just needed to get that out of my system!" :)

Today we got to go into the ballet class to watch a mini performance. Caitlin was very aware of all the eyes in the room. Still she was cute as can be!!! At one point the girls were taking off their ballet slippers and in the quiet room, Austin shouts out "Be careful you don't slip sis!" All the parents giggled at how cute it was, but I think Caitlin thought they were laughing at her and kind of froze up. She is getting MUCH better though...she loves to do arabesques all over the place!

Both kids are excited that they turn 4 and a HALF tomorrow. I baked them each a little cake...one with no frosting for Caitlin and one with lots of frosting for Austin (his nickname? "Frosty Austie"). Where is the time going???

Caitlin is our resident artist. Her specialties include: reindeer, people wearing glasses and crowns (ALWAYS a crown), santa (complete with beard), spinning wheel, and various animals. She loves to leave her pictures under the Christmas tree for Santa.

Austin has taken to answering the phone (even when told NOT to). Well, the other day he got to it before me and I heard him keep saying, "WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?" He finally handed me the phone and it was my doctor's office!!! The lady was cracking up.

We are having a "Noon Year's Eve" party on Dec. 31. Ringing in the new year at NOON. The kids are very excited to have their school friends come over to play.

I will try to add to this list some time this weekend...BUT, it IS the weekend before Christmas, so sorry if it doesn't happen! If I do slack off, we wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Message from Santa!!!!

Austin and Caitlin were very lucky to receive a message from Santa today! Gone are the days of getting a letter back from him. Santa, thanks to today's technology, can send a video message. Hope you are as amazed as they were!!!

Click on the links to watch...

Caitlin's Message From Santa
Austin's Message From Santa

Merry Christmas!

Tis the Season!

The excitement is building! This year's preparations for Christmas have been so much fun! Austin and Caitlin are very into it! We can't put up enough decorations to satisfy them. Austin keeps telling me we need to put up more! :) They love listening to Christmas songs and have even started singing along this year. Their clock radios are tuned into the Christmas station! Favorites are Santa Clause is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells, and Frosty the Snowman. I am trying my best to instill a love of Andy Williams' Christmas music (I am probably the only 37 year old in the world who knows this guy!).

Last weekend we went and bought a live Christmas tree after our fake one had a lighting malfunction. Then the kids and I put the garland and ornaments on and Daddy put the star on top (a VERY big deal - A & C were pumped!). Ryan also put up some lights out front that got many oohs and ahhs from the kiddos. I got most of the other decorations up while the kids were sleeping and they were so cute...walking around to each thing, saying thank you for decorating, and "it's so beautiful!". I found an Advent calendar template online and made them each their own countdown calendar which has been a hit. There are 3 big days that they are looking forward to...the 19th (when they turn 4 and a half!), the 24th (when Santa comes), and the 25th (when it's Jesus' birthday [and they get to open presents!]).

Yesterday, Austin and Caitlin got some face time with SANTA! They got all dressed up and we went to the mall to see the "big guy". The line was slightly long, but they were soooo good with the wait. When it was finally their turn, Austin hesitated a little, but then Santa gave a smile and he marched right up and had a seat. Caitlin decided to try a stall tactic. She told me she had to go potty!!! I told her after she talked to Santa. Then she saw Austin going up there and must have felt better. They took the most adorable picture! Gone are the days of screaming babies pictures. :( Those were pretty darn cute! Anyway, Austin told Santa he wanted a drum set with cymbals and a bass drum with a pedal and a Thomas train. Caitlin told Santa she wanted a Sleeping Beauty crown and a Jasmine & Ariel dress. We'll see what happens...

Last night we got to do another yearly tradition (and this time Ryan got to join us!). We did the "Christmas Lights in our Jammies" drive. The whole family wears their pj's and we drive around looking at Christmas lights. There is a HUGE light display at a John Deere place by our house so we drove through there and then through a couple neighborhoods. This year we added a new component..."Christmas Movie Theater"! We put a bunch of pillows on the floor, popped some popcorn, got a plate of gingerbread cookies, popped Rudolph (or "Wodney the Wed Nose Weindeew" as Austin calls him!) into the DVD player and enjoyed the movie by the light of the fire and Christmas tree lights! I am so thankful for these special family memories we are making.

We got our first snow of the winter last night! Not much but enough to get the kids excited. Boy is it COLD outside! This could be the start of a long, cold winter...

Okay, better go for now...more later! They have some pretty cute things they're saying these days.....

Halloween, Uncle Travis & Aunt Kasia, Mom's Birthday

Sorry for the long time since our last post. We have been really busy!

We were very excited on Halloween for the arrival of Uncle Travis and Aunt Kasia. They came out from Oregon to spend a week in Indiana. They got up very early to get here in time for trick or treating. As they walked in the door, Uncle Trav was greeted to "Happy Birthday!" from the kids while wearing his famous Scottish hat and red hair. They were excited to celebrate his 28th birthday! They decorated his chair (a now family birthday tradition) and couldn't wait to show him the cake they helped make.

For trick or treating, Austin dressed up as a race car driver in Lightening McQueen style and Caitlin finally settled on Snow White after a last minute change from Belle. It was a little chilly, but the kids made their way around the neighborhood for almost an hour and took in a nice haul. It seemed like there were more kids than ever, and as always, it was very cute to see what all the kids in the neighborhood dressed up as.

During the week, Trav and Kasia got to see Caitlin in her dance class, Austin in his basketball class, and both at their school. It was a big deal to the kids when they picked them up and met all of their friends. They got to spend a lot of fun time at the Children's Museum, as well. I know the kids had a great time and loved that they were here. They already are saying how they miss them so you know it was a visit that the kids will remember for a long time, and was awesome just to see them love the kids and to see how much fun the kids had playing with them.

Travis and Kasia also got a chance to see a couple of Pacer games, see where I work, go shopping and explore downtown Indy some, and eat 3 pitas each at the Pita Pit in a total of about 6 hours of being in Downtown Indy. They appreciate your business and are sorry to see you go!

Yesterday, Kim had her birthday. It was kind of a hectic day with a lot going on, but it is always great to let her know how special she is and what a great wife and mom she is. Aunt Bubs is going to watch the kids this evening so I can take Kim out to dinner. It will be great to have a nice evening together.

I have attached the pictures we took this past week. It was a great week, and we are sad that it went so quickly. We hope that Travis and Kasia have a great week with Kasia's family as they continue their vacation, and we can't wait to see you guys again! Enjoy!

Dyson Dude

Austin loves to vacuum...so, I handed him the Dyson and said "Have at it Mister!". The kid had a ball...from using the wand attachment on the wood floors to "making lines" on the living room carpet! All the while, sporting the serious "work face" that he and his daddy have in common. Ahhh, if only they'd develop a love of cleaning bathrooms... :)

Caitlin used the time wisely...she commandeered the computer in the office and has been playing Dora and Olivia games!

AND...today was the first day in about 2 weeks that BOTH kids took a nice nap!! Caitlin tried to fight it, but was just too tired to succeed.

By the way - it seems as though the tantrum phase has tapered off. Thank goodness!!! Our "normal" little guy is back.

We are going to clean the basement in a few minutes...hope they are feeling cooperative because it is a complete disaster!

P.S.

Thank you to whomever taught Austin the phrase "Bedtime Snoozy"! He has a little blue teddy bear that he now calls his Bedtime Snoozy and I just LOVE it. SOOOOOO CUTE!

Recipe for FUN!

Well folks, it's Fall Break! HOORAY! I really didn't realize how crazy life gets when you are running 2 kids around town 5 days a week!!! This is a much needed break for all of us.

This morning has been fun! Caitlin and I tangoed (she put one of her pretend flowers between her teeth, told me where to look and then said, "Let's tango!"). Funny! I've helped Austin with games on nickjr.com - he loves playing those & I love that I can sneak in a little learning with him! It works best when I teach that way...he hasn't caught onto me yet! :) And he's been wearing his "helmet" from his Halloween costume and running around falling with his football. Such a little boy!

Here's the recipe for fun though...flour + salt + water = FUN! The goal was to make salt dough ghosts, but we ended up with an array of things. The kids loved that they got to pour and mix their own ingredients. That project has taken up a large portion of our morning and it was awesome just to talk with them and watch how independent they've gotten. Our babies are growing up!

Hoping to post pictures soon!

For the Record...

The kids had their 4 year check up on July 17th...here are the stats from that...(better late than never!)

Austin - weight = 37.6 lbs., height = 41"

Caitlin - weight = 34.8 lbs., height = 40.5"

Also, today here's something Caitlin said, "Oh dear! That was quite a big 'ol tumble!" Last night she said, "Hoops is punching his way through." because he was coming up the stairs at the same time we were!

The other day in the car, Caitlin was complaining and Austin said, "For cryin' out loud."

Last night after church, they both regaled us with the story of Moses and the Burning Bush. It was awesome.

We are having a lazy Sunday...the kids are watching movies and the grown ups are working on some small household projects. AND we are all in our jammies. :)

What's New?

It's been awhile....it seems like life has been "speeded up" (as Austin says) lately!!!

The kids are getting so excited about Halloween! Austin is going to be a Lightening McQueen Race Car Driver and Caitlin is going to be either Belle or Snow White. They have their school Halloween party on Tuesday and then they have Fall Break the rest of the week. On Halloween, Uncle Travis and Aunt Kasia are coming from Oregon to visit. It will be their first trip out here together and the first time we've seen them since their wedding. I hope they arrive well rested! Austin and Caitlin have some plans for them! :)

They carved their first jack-o-lantern the other night...it was classic. Poor Ryan was so grossed out when he had to scoop the pumpkin! He doesn't do messy! But, he'll do anything for our kids...They were sooooo happy to tell him what kind of face to carve and they LOVED when we took it outside and lit it up! Oh my gosh, it was adorable. The next day they drew faces on their little pumpkins....yeah, they weren't so into that activity! Mostly they are scribbled, which is a shame, because they are quite talented when it comes to drawing faces....I have the artwork on the fridge to prove it!

So, we got those lovely pumpkins from our annual family trip to the pumpkin patch. LOVE IT!!! We took a hayride to the patch and this year they were soooo focused on choosing just the "right" pumpkin. It was a perfect fall day to do it too....sunny and crisp. At the pumpkin festival they had pony rides, so of course Austin and Caitlin each took a turn. They are such equestrians. When we got home the kids rested and I finished our outdoor Fall decorations. The kids enjoy decorations so they were happily surprised when I showed them.

The day before the pumpkin patch, we got to share another great family adventure...Weekend Of Service for our church. They literally close down the church and have the congregation volunteer for all sorts of great projects around the Indy area. This year we chose to work with an organization called Food Rescue. Volunteers go collect the leftover food from area businesses that would otherwise be thrown out and take it to local food pantries for distribution. Our job was to go to 2 different Little Caesars Pizzas and collect their leftover pizza to take to Wheeler Mission in Downtown Indy. We picked up about 50 pizzas (seriously...we ran out of room in the "way back" of my car!) and dropped them off. It was a great opportunity to talk to the kids about poverty and how it's important to help others and to actually let them participate in doing so.

A few weeks ago we did another Fall tradition...went to the apple orchard with my mom, gramma, sister, & nephew. Okay, it's only the second year we've done it, but a tradition needs to be started somehow, right? Austin was focused on PICKING the apples....Caitlin was focused on EATING the apples! The night before was awful for them...getting no sleep....so it was touch & go with tantrums. Austin fell asleep at a table at the orchard!!! Now that's tired!!

We are awaiting a large furniture delivery...we finally got the kids their bedroom sets! Caitlin's is white and Austin's is a medium dark wood. Once those arrive we can hang things up and finish the upstairs. It will be nice to have their rooms done! Right now is a little crazy...they are sleeping on only boxspring/mattress and have all their clothes in a large plastic bin. :( Caitlin's new comforter set has cute applique flowers that match the color of her room and Austin has all Pacers/NBA bedding.

We are muddling through a not so great phase of increased tantrums from Austin. This, to me, is the hardest part of parenting! Now they are starting to assert some independence, which is fine, but I hate the acting out part. UGH! Nothing worse than a screaming, crying 4 year old...especially when it regards something non-negotiable like getting dressed, wearing a coat, or getting buckled in the car to go to one of our activities!

Speaking of activities....Caitlin is getting a lot better at tap and ballet. She really pays attention to the teacher and tries so hard. She likes to show us her moves at home too and tells me how much she loves her ballet class. Her favorite move is "Genie in a Bottle" (I think it's because it involves hip shaking!) and she also likes to do an arm movement with a stuffed animal! Daddy let her get a new sweater to wear in the studio, so she is excited to get that next week. Austin loves his "basketball class"! He is getting a lot better at dribbling and following his coach's directions. He sinks most of his shots (on a lowered hoop, of course) and likes talking to the other kids. His favorite part is the "BIG GAME" at the end of each "class". They get to wear jerseys and run the floor. Austin often passes rather than shoots and you can often find him guarding his own team! :) I love hearing him yell, "Pass it to meeeeeee!" as he's running down the floor! (BTW, he hustles down the court like a champ!) Both kids get to listen during Bible Basics and they LOVE the Tootsie Roll Pop at the end! (Austin calls them "tootchy woll pops")

Now, for some random stuff....

*Caitlin is a dress up fanatic! She loves anything princess!

*Austin loves candy corn! He even turns down M&Ms in favor of the "corn".

*Austin was just playing a game he made up. He called it "Fall Down & Get Up" and I'll be darned, that's exactly what it is!

*The kids saw their second movie in a theater...."Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"...they loved it and were soooooooo good! Caitlin ate her popcorn and Austin ate some Twizzlers!

I guess that is all for now....more later!!!!!!

Austin's 1st Day of Basketball

Friday was Austin's first day of basketball at the Indiana Basketball Academy. It seems like most kids his age are starting to play soccer, but he really hasn't been all that interested in that, and not surprisingly, he loves basketball. I checked out a couple of places and asked some people, and they highly recommended this preschool basketball class that meets once a week. It is led by Tom Abernathy, a former IU player on the 1976 undefeated team. I was really impressed with the way he and his assistant Andrew, taught the kids, but had such a good way with them. There must have been about 15 four or five year olds so it is a handful.

They worked a lot on dribbling, pivoting, and some shooting on lowered goals. They all use junior sized balls. Austin took it very serious (not a surprise)! He needs to understand you have to keep your dribble going without picking it up. Also, pretty funny when they lined up on the baseline and were supposed to dribble to the other end, Austin thought it was a race and just bolted to the other end. He did a much better job after Tom explained to him what they were doing. Interesting, for as reserved as he can be, he never hesitated to raise his hand and try to do whatever they were asking, even when he didn't know how to do it.

After a lot of dribble work, and some shooting, they got to play in a "real" game. He wasn't sure what to really do for the first time up and down the court, but caught on pretty quick. He was one of the very first up and down the court each time. He doesn't get his speed from me, but he looked pretty fast! He scored 1 point by hitting the net on a shot. Tom did a great job of making sure each kid gets to shoot during the game. There aren't a whole lot of made baskets, and Austin was guilty of guarding his own teammates, but pretty fun to watch! Considering I was in like the 5th grade before I ever played in a game, what a head start!

All in all, he did a great job for the first time in an organized situation. The class has been meeting for 4 times already, so he is coming in a little late. He also was the only kid to bring basketball shoes and his own basketball...If he is going to play, he might as well do it right. Notice the multi colored ball in the pictures. That is his!

Hopefully, he will practice dribbling without picking it up this week! I was really glad that I could be there for his first time. Unfortunately, I won't be able to be at every one, but I hope to surprise him when I can.

Enjoy the pictures!

Caitlin's 1st day of Tap/Ballet Class

Monday was Caitlin's first day of dance class. I just wanted to share these pictures of her all ready to go. I wasn't able to go, and Austin was having a major meltdown because he was seperated from Sis, so Kim didn't get to watch her too much. Uncle John stopped by and watched a few minutes. The little bit that Kim did see, she gushed about how cute it was, although Caitlin is not the most naturally coordinated little girl. She did love it though, and I am sure she will catch on and do a good job as she learns.

Enjoy a few pictures! And by the way...Austin starts his basketball class Friday. I took him to get his first pair of basketball shoes tonight, and he was so excited! I will post pictures of that, too.

Mickey Land

Sorry there weren't any updates during the trip and it has taken a few days since we got home to write this post. I didn't realize how tired Disney makes you! I still need a couple of good nights to get back to feeling normal!

Where do I start? We had a great time! Some challenging times when the kids got so tired and started acting crazy, but for the most part, a lot of memories!

I guess I should just list some highlights...

-Austin pretty much broke out of his shell on this trip. While Caitlin was pretty speechless in meeting her heroes in life, all the princesses, Austin would just talk, talk, talk...He even gave one of them his phone number! The dude was classic, and we kept joking that he was hitting on all of them. There wasn't one that he didn't just start talking to like he had known them forever! Caitlin pretty much just looked at them with so much awe. I think she couldn't believe that she actually got to meet them. They were all so nice and took time to talk with them. That really was cool to see the kids interact with them.

-All the character meetings were super cool. The kids got so excited for Mickey and the crew whenever they got to see them. They would take their autograph books up to them and would pose so nice for pictures!

-They love rides! They want to ride on everyone, whether they are big enough or not! There were hardly any lines and we pretty much got on rides very quickly. That made it fun for the kids and good for us! From classic rides to new ones, we had a lot of fun seeing how much fun the kids had.

-One of the coolest things for me was seeing Caitlin after she was all done up in the Bippidi Bopppidi Boutique. She actually went into a part of Cinderella's Castle and they made her into a little princess. She loved it. It was first thing in the morning, so while she did that, Austin and I literally rode some rides by ourselves...Can you imagine being the only people in the tea cups? Well, as we were headed back to meet up with Sis and Mom, I saw Caitlin from about 200 feet away...I immediately started to tear up she looked so cute...her hair was up with a little tiara, and she was wearing her Sleeping Beauty dress. She is something else!

-Our hotel, the Animal Kingdom Lodge, was unreal. It was absolutely beautiful and just totally unique. I stay in so many hotels all over the place, and this one was as nice as you could find...although very one of a kind. On top of that, the fact that animals were roaming about 20 feet from your balcony was really cool.

-There are so many anecdotes and stories, as you would expect, I couldn't possibly write them all here. We took about 775 pictures, and there are another 120 or so that we have to get from the Disney website that they took of us. I uploaded 136, I think, below. Enjoy them...I tried to include most of the ones that had the kids in them.

I think it will be quite a while before we go back. Maybe when the kids can ride all the rides. It is so exhausting, I can't imagine doing it again for a few years, at least!

I will see if Kim will post some funny stories from the trip, but enjoy the pictures below! HAVE A MAGICAL DAY!

One other thing...

I am not sure how many people even read this blog, but wanted to encourage anyone that does to attend a fundraiser for Tony Feller Thursday, Sept. 10th at Mudsock's Grill in Noblesville. You can find all of the information on tonyfellerfund.com.

I haven't ever met Tony, but have been absolutely touched by his story. I have learned that he and I were at IU for a couple of the same years. He has been battling cancer like a warrior for 5 years, and is only 37. He and his wife, Crystal, decided when they couldn't get anymore help in fighting the disease here in the United States, they went to Germany where Dr.'s would continue to help him battle for his life.

At Mudsock's, there will be great live entertainment by Mike and Joe, raffles and bidding for some unbelievable things, and overall probably a pretty awesome gathering of people coming together to support and celebrate their son, brother, husband, dad, and friend.

Crystal posted some of the things that will be available on an Ebay auction...wanted to post them:

-A meet and greet with Lebron James before a game
-Indy Car Experience around the 500 track with a driver
-Tickets to the Masters on the final day with suite accommodations
-Final Four tickets
-Colts sideline seat tickets with pre-game on field access, VIP parking
-Autographed items from numerous sports figures
-Tony Stewart autographed bumper from his car he raced in Michigan last week
-Pacer tickets with flight on the plane with the team and hotel accommodations
-A case of wine a month for a year
-Cubs tickets (rooftop) with food and beverages included

We will be out of town, but really want to encourage everyone to go, whether you know the Fellers or not. If you are just going out to eat that night, go there and drop a couple extra bucks to help support this family. Also, look for a story on Tony and the family on Fox 59's Morning News Wednesday morning between 7 and 9 a.m.

God Bless and comfort you Tony, Crystal, Ashley, and Will. You are touching lives of people that you haven't ever even met. That is powerful!

"Mickey Land" Eve

I couldn't think of a better description of the day. The kids are so excited, it is basically like Christmas Eve around here, so with our trip to Disney World looming at a very early hour tomorrow, I thought Mickey Land Eve was a good title.

Kim needed some time to pack and get stuff ready, so I took the kids down to the office today to play (nice to work at a place where your kids can run around and get some energy out!) and I thought it would be a good opportunity to take some pictures of Austin that would look good in his "Locker Room" bedroom. They also hadn't seen my new office, so they were excited to do that. There is a table with a couple of chairs, so they thought it was just perfect for them to come, have a snack, draw pictures, or watch the "big guys on tv." Caitlin had to bring her pom poms, although I was proud to see her try and dribble a ball and run around.

Below are pictures from today. Most are of the kids, but I put a couple in there of the new office for everyone that doesn't have a chance to see where I work.

We will post and add pictures from Disney World if we aren't too exhausted at the end of each day.

Have a Magical Week!

FUN!

Today we went to an open house at the ballet studio! Oh my gosh...sooooo cute! It is a princess themed place. And it is princessed to the hilt!!! We went in, chose our class and then off we went around the room to buy all the apparel...Caitlin's class (Esmerelda) wears a kelly green skirt, white leotard, white tights. We also bought her ballet shoes AND tap shoes because she'll learn both. Her first class will be after we return from vacation. Can't wait to take some pictures of our little ballerina! She will have one 45 minute lesson per week.....Grandparents, aunts, uncles, dear friends mark your calendars - Caitlin's big recital (THE GALA) will be held at the end of June 2010. How cute will that be???

We also went to check out "basketball class" for Austin. I think we are going to go with a place in Carmel. We'll get more info and sign up officially on Monday. He was soooooo pumped looking at the gym. It's kind of an old place, but the coaching is supposed to be very good (though not as good as daddy's coaching...imho!). Again, grandparents, aunts, uncles, dear friends...we'll have some bball games to watch! Can't wait for the photos I'll get during those!!!

After all of our scoping activities this morning, we had a nice family lunch at Wendy's. Austin ate an entire jr. cheeseburger and Caitlin ate an entire small fries! They love that place!!! Thank goodness they haven't discovered the Frosty yet! ;)

Caitlin is now obsessed with cheese pizza. Guess what we're having for dinner tonight? Yep, cheese pizza! :)

Our BBQ last night was fun. It was good to hang out with friends and watch all the kids run around. Austin and Caitlin had a great time running around with Kellen and interacting with Andrew and Kobe. They would be great if we ever had another baby.

Well, gotta prep for the cheese pizza eatin'! :) Hope everyone is having a fun, relaxing weekend!

Some News...

Well, some of you already know this, but today it will become "OFFICIAL"...my hard working hubby has worked his way into a new position with the Pacers! He is now the Director of Scouting! We are proud of him and know he will do a great job!

Caitlin informed me, "Last night Austin and I looked out my window and we saw the crescent moon!"

Austin is VERY into cars now. Oh my...he even sleeps with his Matchbox cars!!! He uses Caitlin's dollhouse as a garage and "parks" his cars. He will play cars for a lengthy amount of time...just rolling them and racing them in the kitchen, hallway, and basement. He can even tell you the make of most cars! Total little boy!!!!

Both kids love watching this show about "Mickeyland" from the Travel Channel that we recorded for them. We watch it once or twice a day! They have taken to reciting the words of the host. It's funny! Also, Austin loves watching "Wipeout". The other night he said, "Look, they have a new wipeout zone!" :)

Okay, I need to just give myself a shout out...I pushed a Chevy truck today! It wasn't even in neutral AND I pushed it 3 times. I also pushed a 231lb cement stone around a parking lot. Yeah, I'm one tough momma! :) I LOVE bootcamp!

Tonight we're having our small group over for a bbq. Tomorrow we are going to check out a ballet studio and a "basketball class". Sunday we get to go to Kellen's 2nd birthday party. Not too hectic...certainly more pleasant than the go-go-go pace of last weekend. The "aftermath" of jam packed days is always brutal.

Naptime for 2 cuties...

Looong Weekend!

We had a jam packed weekend! Normally we keep the kids on a VERY consistent sleep routine, but this weekend threw us for a loop! Our meeting at church went long on Friday so they didn't get to bed until about 10:15.

Then Saturday we drove up to my mom's for Ethan's 1st birthday party. They were so wound up both there and back that they got no sleep (except Austin managed about a 10 minute power nap on the way there). I swear that felt like the looooongest trip in the world! On the way up there we encountered a semi accident in a construction zone...of course, during that stretch on NOT moving on the freeway, Caitlin HAD to use the bathroom. Luckily, we made it before there was a potty accident! Then the way back was plagued with a million and one bathroom stops. We got home around 10pm and they didn't get to bed until around 10:15 again. They had a lot of fun at gramma's - there was a bounce house and cake - perfection for a 4 year old! They helped Aunt Courtney and Ethan during the presents, but they were very good...didn't try to open them! On the way home Austin made up a song called "Ethan is my cousin" and, yes, those were the only words. It was so cute!

Sunday morning we headed to the State Fair for our yearly fried food fest with Aunt Bubbles and Uncle John. Aunt Bubs got suckered into buying a ride wristband and riding with the kids. They had a ball! Uncle John joined the fun towards the end...he got to go in the fun house and on the gigantic slide! OH YES, and he and Aunt Bubbles took Caitlin on the ferris wheel. That was ALL she kept talking about riding...it was all enclosed, so we let her do it. She LOVED it! The girl knows NO FEAR! By the end of our time at the fair, both kids were conked out in the stroller.

They slept in the car and then we went to the park for Abby's (our neighbor) birthday party. They ran around plenty and were good and tired after it was all over. Caitlin amazed us and ate half a piece of cheese pizza (we're making progress!). By the time we got home, it was bedtime...oh and it was sooooo good! We all needed some sleep!

Monday, Austin started speech again. Ryan took him because I had bootcamp. He said that it went great and the speech therapist said Austin was "mature" and worked hard. HOORAY! Her name is "Miss Lisa" and Austin seemed to like her a lot. Tomorrow I get to meet her and get some more details on what they're working on.

Today was the first day back at Talking Time. Oh my gosh, they were soooo excited to see Miss Amy again. They each gave her an apple and Austin exclaimed, "Happy 1st Day of School!" We are looking forward to an excellent year. Most of their friends from last year have moved into the Pre-K class. They will be going on to Kindergarten next fall. Not Austin and Caitlin. They are not going until they are 6. Soooo, next fall they will be in Pre-K.

Today I got these little sight word and math problem sticky notepads and I'm going to make a "Word of the Day" and "Math Problem of the Day" display. I also read about a neat behavioral strategy that I want to try...it uses "daddy dollars" and "mommy mart". We have got to get a handle on some of the more troubling behaviors...mainly disobedience and talking back. Austin and Caitlin are usually pretty well behaved, but if we let these things go, it will make the future a lot more difficult than it has to be! :)

Time to work on dinner...too bad the salad will not make itself! ;) I'll see if Ryan can post some pix from this weekend soon...

Hilarious.

While our little "Siskel & Ebert" are in the basement watching a movie, thought I'd share some funny moments...

*Yesterday I went to give Austin a kiss & hug before his nap and I told him "good night". He tells me, "No mom. It's good nap!" Clever boy!!!

*While I was reading to the kids before bed, Caitlin curled up behind me and started rubbing my shoulders and playing with my hair. It was so stinkin' cute. Austin was laying alongside of me...they looooooove being read to!

*I took Austin a snack while he was watching "Sleeping Beauty" (Caitlin's choice, obviously) and he said to me, "This movie is a little bit stinky." :)

*Caitlin is absolutely fascinated with the fact that Austin stands up to pee. She thinks that is the coolest thing in the world. So funny!!! Poor guy gets no privacy when peeing!!!

*Caitlin's favorite things to do now? Recite her phone number and copy words from these cards I bought when they were younger. She really has a desire to learn everything right now.

The kids got to hang out with Ryan while I went to boot camp this morning. They were happily watching "Cars" when I got home. After naps we are going to make some "snack mix" to take with us to gramma's tomorrow. As the kids will tell you, "It's a long ways away!" Then we are going to hit Target to buy Abby's birthday present. Then we are having soup and sandwiches for dinner before heading to church. Whew...I'm tired just thinking about it all!

Tomorrow we are heading to my mom's to celebrate Ethan's 1st birthday. Ryan will be busy moving and getting organized in his NEW office. (More on that Monday...sorry!) Aunt Bubbles will be making the drive with us. We have allowed plenty of time for a Starbucks stop. The kids LOVE to stop there to potty...like we'd go there for any other reason... ;)

Sunday we are going to the State Fair in the morning and then to Abby's birthday party in the afternoon/evening.

Monday we get to do speech, Tuesday preschool, Wednesday speech, Thursday preschool, Friday we're having a bbq for our small group, Saturday there is a neighborhood end of summer party and Sunday we have a free day!!!!! HOORAY!!!!!!!!

I must take Caitlin her banana "out of the peel with no bruises". Um, high maintenance?

A Quick Update...

The kids are finally healthy again! They had a fun weekend with Aunt Bubbles and Uncle John while mommy & daddy enjoyed some much needed quiet time together. We LOVE our kids to pieces but realize in our "alone time" that we need that time away to stay connected, in love, and upon returning, we are a stronger parental unit for Austin and Caitlin. Good to remember...

Austin has been OBSESSED with watching "Cars". Oh my gosh...as soon as the credits roll, he wants more! He watches it in the basement while shooting hoops...as if he'd give that up! Caitlin is big on "Angelina Ballerina"...she loves the parts with the real ballerinas and asks if she will do/wear whatever they are doing/wearing.

Today Austin had the mother of all tantrums. It was not good. Luckily after about 35 minutes, he snapped out of it and we went on with our day. We went to Meijer and the kids each picked out a toy for Ethan's 1st birthday. His party is on Saturday...the main source of excitement for A & C? The cake! They've already decided that Caitlin will give Austin her frosting because he loves that part and she loves "only the cake". Then the kids & I napped for about an hour and a half. (Mommy was tired from attending her 5:30a.m. bootcamp...Thank goodness it's back to 9:15 starting Thursday! I am NOT a morning person!!!) Once we were fully awake, we made homemade chocolate chip cookies and brownies (from a box...don't get too impressed!). They love to cook. They are hoping to also make peanut butter cookies but we'll probably save that for another day.

Okay, I suppose I should cook dinner. Ryan is working late, so tonight is "Kids' Choice". They get to tell me what they want to eat because I'm not cooking a full meal. They LOVE nights when it's their choice. Later taters! :)

EW!

Well, the kids have had some sort of bug this week...This is somewhat graphic, but soooooo worth retelling. Austin got on the potty the other night and in the silence we heard a gigantic "whooshing" poop. Then we hear Austin exclaim, "Jeepuhhrs" (jeepers)! Oh my gosh, it was one of the most hilarious things I've ever heard! Then the poor guy got freaked out that he had diarrhea and started crying. :( Last night Caitlin was up all night puking . She was a champ though. She always made it to the potty, did her business, flushed, swished and spit, and went right back to sleep. I felt so terrible for her...that is not a great feeling as a parent. I just wanted to make her better. She threw up once this morning but otherwise has been fine all day. Both kiddos took super long naps today...Austin logged about 3.25 hours and Caitlin about 4 hours. I am praying (selfishly) that they will be fine by tomorrow so Ryan and I can not be worried the whole time we're gone.

I am sooooo excited to be surprising Ry with this getaway. Our actual anniversary was awesome though...we had a great family dinner. The kids kept telling us "Happy Anniversary" and thanking us for letting them come to our anniversary. They also kept asking if they were married to each other! Funny! Can't believe we are already at the 9 year mark!

We are getting all ready to start another school year...the kids return to school the last week of August and Austin's speech at the "big school" also begins that week. Pre-school Tuesday & Thursday, speech Monday and Wednesday. At least we'll always have a 3 day weekend! :) Grammas & Grampas...mark your calendars! Grandparent's Day will be celebrated at their preschool this year! You are invited for a presentation, snack, and craft on Tuesday, Sept. 15th! We will be sending out more formal invitations soon!

Okay, I have to make dinner now...hopefully the kids will eat a little bit tonight...

9 YEARS!!!

We try to pretty much keep this blog about the kids, but I wanted to just wish my wife a happy 9th anniversary! Time has flown in 9 years, that is for sure.

We don't really have any grand plans for tonight. I think we are going to hit a favorite little mexican restaurant that we like by the house. The kids are excited because they get to "come to our anniversary!"

Kim has something up her sleeve for this weekend. I know that she planned it months ago and it involves she and I going somewhere. Aunt Bubs is going to watch the kids, so they are psyched about that. We haven't had 3 days without the kids since they were about 6 months old, I don't think. I know that Kim has probably come up with something great, but I don't know what it is, and I don't really like that!

I guess that I will have to come up with something for our 10th next year!

King's Island

Sunday we took a spur of the moment fun trip to King's Island in Cincinnati. We figured it would be a good test run for the trip to Disney. We didn't tell the kids what we were doing, which led to a ton of questions on the 2 hour trip down. Needless to say, we had a great day. The kids part of the park is Nickelodeon themed, so alot of their favorite characters were around. They got to meet Dora and Diego, along with riding rides that featured Little Bill and The Backyardigans.

Austin loved the bumper cars and anything that involved driving. He must have rode the bumper cars 4 times! He was a little scared of Dora and Diego to start, but warmed up to them after a little bit. Caitlin is a major thrill seeker. She loved this little roller coaster that she and I went on. It was in the kid's section, but it was probably intended for kids about twice her age. For a 4 year old, it had to be pretty wild, but right in the middle of it she looked at me and said, "I am not scared, Daddy." Very cute and if there was any doubt, the girl loves an adrenaline rush...She even demanded that I put my hands in the air with her!

They both loved the Little Bill Roller Coaster. It was about right for their age and I think they rode it 3 times. Pretty fun to see them enjoying themselves so much. They both had a lot of laughs all day!...A couple of meltdowns, too, but for the most part, laughs.

Well, enjoy the pictures...

busy bees!

We have been busy lately!

Last week I took the kids to see their first movie in a theater. Interesting... We saw Ice Age 3 (which I thought was extremely dumb & not very entertaining!). The kids were very well behaved even though they hadn't napped and they weren't all that "into" the movie. Austin requested Twizzlers and Caitlin wanted popcorn, so they munched on their snacks throughout the movie. We took one potty break, went back into the theater, and then Austin choked on a sip of water and spit up on himself...so we left early. This calamity didn't happen until towards the end of the movie, so they made it most of the way through. Another theater does free movies for kids on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings throughout the summer, so we may try one of those on Wednesday.

Well, over the weekend they both FINALLY pooped in the toilet! HOORAY! It was all Ryan on that one...great job daddy! Austin did it on Friday morning and that afternoon he got a new basketball just like the "big guys". Caitlin was a little more challenging...she tried to play games by sitting on the potty a zillion times and insisting that we sit in there with her...all the while she was trying to suppress her little smile! She held out on Friday and did it in her pull-up at about 5:30a.m. (DARN) but by the evening had to go again...she sat on the toilet screaming, "I DON'T WANT TO POOPIE IN THE POTTY" over and over again...but she stayed on there. Then right in the middle of her screaming, she stopped and yelled (SURPRISED & relieved), "I POOPIED IN THE POTTY!! I'M A BIG GIRL!" and she just giggled about it. We are taking her to choose a new Belle dress tonight.

That Belle dress will come in handy because we are taking them to Walt Disney World in September! We are all very excited. Because they pooped in the potty, daddy got to call Mickey and tell him they could come there to visit him. Planning for a Disney trip is a little like making plans to invade a small country! We have booked breakfasts with Mickey & his friends, breakfast with the Princesses, breakfast with Little Einsteins & JoJo, a trip to the Pirates League for Austin's pirate make-over (complete with eye patch & tattoos!), and a trip to the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique for Caitlin's transformation into a princess! We've also been trying to figure out our plan of attack for all of the parks. CRAZY! All I can say is...foot massages will be in order!!!!! I am looking forward to some serious family time though! Always a nice treat for us!

Next month Ryan and I get a weekend away to celebrate our 9th anniversary! Everything we're doing (and where we're going) is a surprise...he's got no idea where we'll end up. :) I have enjoyed planning this surprise for him...I don't get to do that kind of thing very often anymore.

Yesterday we took the kids to Kings Island for the day. It was a surprise for them and it was awesome...I will let Ryan post those details though...my hands are killing me right now!!!! Sorry!

4th Year Video

It took me a little bit to get this up, but here is a video with lots of pictures from the past year... Some of them go pretty quick, so I am going to see if I can slow it down, but thought whoever is reading this blog would enjoy seeing this...

Today's Adventures...

Last night we were all up until about 10:30 because of the fireworks. At first Caitlin was scared so I sat in her room with her. Then, Austin comes sauntering out of his room excitedly saying, "Mom! I just seeed fireworks out my window! It was pretty weird." So then Caitlin got excited. I decided not to fight it...I opened her curtains and blinds and we sat in the chair and all watched them together. Finally at 10:15 I got them into separate rooms and they stayed up for a little bit talking to themselves. It was cute to see how excited they got at seeing the fireworks for the first time. Every other year, they've been asleep!

Anyway, during the time I was trying to console Caitlin because the noises scared her, I just felt really bad for parents and children in countries where those noises are not from pretty sparkly things in the sky, but from gunfire and bomb blasts. Made me remember to include them in our prayers...

Today mommy woke up with a splitting headache so this morning was relaxed. We skyped daddy and then just had a lot of cuddles and a little outside time. After we all took a nap (& I popped 4 Advil), we went to lunch at "the milkshake store" (Steak & Shake) and then met Aunt Bubbles at the library. The kids were off the wall there so that didn't last long (Sorry Lynn!!!). We checked out a few cute books and then headed to Lynn & John's house for a little while. The kids ran around outside and climbed all over John. After about an hour we headed home for dinner. Then the kiddos cleaned up their toys and helped me vacuum...they LOVE to pretend they are vacuuming alongside me using the lawn mower and the weed eater! FUNNY! Even funnier that when I empty the canister into the trash, they "empty" theirs also!

Got word this evening that the Pacers won their 1st summer league game. HOORAY! They play again tomorrow at 3pm. Be prepared for the post tomorrow regarding their 2nd win!

What is with the sham-wow guy? Now he is peddaling some product called the "slap chop"! But I digress....

Tomorrow is a school day....here's hoping all goes well getting out the door! Caitlin is pumped that she gets to bring in the "Mystery Bag"...she puts in a toy and the kids have to ask questions about it and guess what it is. She chose a hot pink purse with fur trim. That's our girl! :) I think Austin will be pumped because he chose his Pacers shorts and shirts to wear tomorrow. That's one of his faves!

Sometimes it just clicks...

...and sometimes it doesn't. For a stretch of several hours today I felt like a GREAT mom. We had such a rhythm going...here's what went down....11am, Ry left for practice/summer league. 12pm, naps with NO problems! 2pm, cuddles with both kids and no fighting (this is HUGE nowadays!). 3pm, met Lynn at Target and shopped without incident until about 5pm. 5:30, I actually prepared a meal without interruption! Kids rode bikes in garage while I cooked stir fry for all of us. Today I am laying down the law with meals...they eat what we eat or they get cheese & crackers. Read that tip in Parents magazine and am running with it. 6pm, Austin screamed "NO RICE...I DON'T LIKE RICE!", ate his chocolate pudding, cheese, and chocolate milk. It's going to be tough with my little picky pants. Caitlin ate her rice, chocolate pudding, cheese, and chocolate milk. The cool part was that we all got to eat together because I wasn't bouncing up and down to get stuff. 6:20pm, the kids used their reading pens to read books while I cleaned up the kitchen. Again, with no fighting!?!?! 6:40pm, took kids for a bike ride around the neighborhood until about 7:15. When we got home, nobody cried or complained about having to go straight in...HUH?! They got to choose either a banana or a nectarine for a snack...Austin picked the nectarine, Caitlin the banana...they didn't eat much...just nibbled. Then we headed upstairs for baths. I knew I was pushing my luck...

Bathtime started out well, but ended with Austin crying about everything. One of the more mystifying things he cried about was having to use the "elephant" towel. He wanted the "puppy" towel that Caitlin chose. OH MY GOSH! He was going hysterical..."I don't want the elephant. I want to be the puppy! NOOOOOO ELEPHANT!!!" and he's running around our room like some naked madman crying and screaming. Then he REALLY went nuts when he asked, "Sis are you going to be the puppy all day?!" She smugly said, "Yep" and he went ballistic. Then she sat back and enjoyed the show wrapped in her puppy towel! I just started laughing at how ridiculous it was! That's what it took for him to stop crying. Then he started laughing too. Ah, the inner workings of a 4 year old!

In other news...our 4th of July was a wash out. It rained all day and evening. So we didn't do much. Ryan had practice in the morning and that afternoon/evening we played in the garage...riding bikes & scooters and playing ball. The kids got to see fireworks this morning because we recorded part of the Macy's fireworks display.

Caitlin has been really interested in spelling and wanting to read words...so that's what we've been doing a lot of. The other day she wrote (without my help) Caitlin & Austin...and yes, she used the ampersand! I was shocked and amazed.

Austin is in constant motion. He is hard to keep up with & he LOVES to do jobs....mowing, filling stuff, pulling weeds, whatever.

Other funny stuff....

**Austin saw Michael Jackson on TV and asked Ryan, "Who is that lady?" (Sorry hon, it's too good to NOT put in here...you'll thank me years from now!" :)

**Caitlin keeps singing this commercial with me. "What's your flavor?" Oh my, we sang that and danced around the garage making up silly songs for quite awhile yesterday!

**Some kids sleep with stuffed animals...Austin sleeps with a pass to the P.I.T. (bball tourney)! Daddy gave it to him this morning and he slept with it at nap and bedtime! Oh my gosh, he is supposed to be sleeping now, but I hear him chanting, "P.I.T., P.I.T., N.B.A.!"

**I heard Austin looking at some instruction manual saying, "Bills, Bills, Bills..." which is a line from one of their favorite shows...Caillou.

Have to go for now...dumb fireworks are scaring Caitlin!!!!! I hate fireworks.

Special Sunday!

This weekend was busy, busy, busy! Sunday Austin and Caitlin had separate special activities to attend!

Caitlin went to a Pinkalicious Party at Barnes & Noble with Aunt Bubbles. Caitlin loves "special girl time". We dropped her off and she apparently had a blast...they listened to 2 of the stories in the Pinkalicious series, they made tissue flowers that they dipped in pink and purple dye, they made ice cream sundaes, and she got her nails painted (this was her favorite thing!). She also came home with a cute little Pinkalicious coloring book.

While we waited for Caitlin, Austin got some "special mom & dad time". We took him to Recreation Unlimited and he and Ryan shot hoops! The boy played non-stop for an hour and a half!!! He was so cute....found a low net and hung from it! He had some serious hero worship going on when watching daddy sink shot after shot. Just when I thought he couldn't idolize Ry any more!!! Austin is quite a baller (says his mommy!)...he was making a ton of baskets at about 8 feet tall. Ryan says he is a lefty with pretty good backspin on the ball...apparently that is a good thing. After ballin' we stopped at a Chevy dealership and took Austin's picture by a REAL Chevy Corvette. Austin has also discovered a love of cars and identifies them by their brand logos. It's pretty funny. He wanted a picture next to a Chevy Camaro but there weren't any on the lot...a corvette had to do.

It was so weird to only have one kiddo and both parents!!! Waaaaaaaay easier, but weird...Caitlin certainly adds a lot of pizazz to the family! :) When we picked her up, they both lit up to see one another and chatted non-stop.

We took them to Cold Stone for an ice cream treat and let them play at the park for awhile. Then we came home and they had "water day" using a kiddie pool and a sprinkler that Gramma brought for them on Saturday. They both had their sunglasses on and were pretending they were goggles. Pretty funny stuff!

Today is GORGEOUS outside (a little windy, but it beats the oppressive heat and humidity that we've had)....sooooooooo, lots of outside time! We are waiting for Ryan to get home from work so we can go for a walk (the kids will ride bikes), have a family dinner, and then baths & bed.

The birthday party went so smoothly! The preparations were a bit crazy, but everybody seemed to have fun and everyone loved the theme/decor. I even found time to chat with the grown ups! Hooray! We have soooo much candy left over though!!!! Tonight's dinner will be raisinettes topped with m&m's served with a side of mixed runts and skittles. ;) For dessert? Twizzlers a la mode (cuz we have a lot of leftover ice cream too!). :)

Random funnies....

**Caitlin is so darn skinny that most of her shorts/skirts require a safety pin to keep them up. She calls the safety pin a "pin clip". lol

**Austin's new favorite word? "Stubborn"....For example, "Argh, these socks are being stubborn!" (the "r" comes out as a "w" so it's extra cute!)

**Caitlin was looking through a new make-up kit and didn't want to go outside. She said, "But we're doing make-overs!!!"

Catching Up With Their Actual Birthday!

I have been so busy with the draft, I haven't been able to post the pictures from their actual birthday!

Sorry about that... Hard to believe that they are old enough to be riding bikes up and down the sidewalk. Caitlin still isn't sure about turning around, but Austin picked it up almost immediately...he can go just about anywhere on his bike... The only thing is they need to both get used to using the brakes!!!

4th Birthday Party

Today was the ever anticipated Candyland birthday party. Several of the kids that Austin and Caitlin go to school with, along with a couple of neighbor friends came over to help celebrate. Even Ms. Amy and her daughter, Courtney, came! Grandma Junior, Great Gramma, Aunt Courtney, Cousin Ethan, Aunt Bubs, Uncle John, Bethany, Kellen, Beckham, and Mr. Dave and Ms. Penny all took time to celebrate, as well.

Uncle John borrowed a bounce house from a friend that we used. That was a big hit!!!

We had 2 very tired kids who fell immediately to sleep tonight at 6:45 p.m.

We appreciate everyone who helped make this such a fun day for Austin and Caitlin. Kim decorated the house in true Candyland fashion, the cake was unbelievable, and there was even a "Candy Shop" where the kids loaded up with a huge assortment of candy to take home....Sorry about that to all the parents!

Below are alot of the pictures that were taken today. Special thanks to Lory Hamblen, mom of Jet, who is in their class. She is a professional photographer and took a lot of pictures for us. She did a much better job than I could have!

They received many gifts, and we are very appreciative of people going out of their way to do that. The kids will have a lot of fun with all their new toys and things to play with.

We hope you enjoy the pictures. Hard to believe that they are already 4. We are really proud of them and grow to love them even more everyday.

RIP Michael Jackson!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention this on the blog...he is Ryan's music/entertainment IDOL! Ryan says he is in mourning...let's hope his grief does not distract him during their picks! ;)

Two things that we laugh about a lot deal with MJ...first, at a friend's wedding early in our dating life (so, about 11 years ago!) Ryan busted out the moonwalk on the dance floor! OMGosh, he had it down pat AND I think that's the wildest I've ever seen him! :) Second, we were having dinner at Hooters with Travis while we lived in El Paso and there was some dj or something there...anyway, they were playing a medley of Michael Jackson songs when Ryan says to us (dead serious)..."If they play 'Smooth Criminal', it's over!" Travis and I found that very funny (I STILL do!).

In more important news...I left the kids with a babysitter for a couple hours today so I could do birthday party shopping. I was a little wary about how Austin would react, but once Carolyn got here & he told me, "Go Mom!", I knew it was all good! She took them for a walk around the neighborhood (they rode their bikes) and then they asked if she could spray them with the hose. I gave the green light and so they played in the backyard until I got home. When I got here they were all in the "pirate ship" (the top of their playset)...it was great. After Carolyn left, she was all they talked about! Austin said, "I guess I DO like having a babysitter!" They both said, "Miss Carolyn is fun!"

OOOOOOH wait, Indiana is on the clock..."With the 13th pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Indiana Pacers select"........(I swear, this is our 6th draft and that quote NEVER gets old!).....TYLER HANSBROUGH! I just got a little surge of wifely pride! YAY for my hubby! Quality pick babe (in my professional opinion). Tyler just said Indiana is getting "a hard worker who knows how to win." Yeah, let's do that. Looks like Little A will be getting a new jersey!!!!!

Holy cow! Shaq goes to the Cavs???? Shaq + LeBron? ugh.

All right, I've gotta get something done around here!!!!

Latest happenings...

Well, FINALLY tomorrow is the draft! Ryan has been working very hard in preparation so I hope they make their picks count! Go Pacers! Go Ryan! :) Draft day is his equivalent of the summer solstice...longest day of the year!! ;)

Naturally, I have a TON of stuff to do for the party on Saturday and yesterday my back decided to act up. Ever since I've been pregnant, I've been dealing with sciatica. Yesterday was awful...painful, nonproductive, and not fun. Last night I tried to turn over in bed and gripped Ryan's arm so hard I thought I might break it...I think it was my yelling in pain that woke him up. Poor guy. He was great though...helped me out and kept telling me it was okay. Today it is a little better...I'm just tired from not sleeping much last night. I read that I should keep moving so that's what I've done. The kids and I vacuumed downstairs, I watered the flowers/plants in the backyard, then sprayed the kids with the hose (more on that in a minute), then I watered for the next door neighbors who are on vacation.

Now, back to the spraying the kids...they were soooo funny! They were surprised that they could get sprayed while wearing clothes and not swimsuits. They loved that! So I had the nozzle on "shower" and they pretended they were cars at the carwash. Every time they went through I had to say what kind of car they were...Chevy Camaro, Chevy Corvette, a Saturn, a Ford...they had a good time. It was soooooooooooooo hot today it was ridiculous!

Austin's favorite things to say..."Or something like that?" (example: "Are you going to vacuum the office or something like that?"). "Does that sound like a good plan?"

Caitlin keeps telling everybody she is taking ballet lessons (she's not...yet). It's pretty funny because she has to throw in a ballet move also. She likes to demonstrate the pirouette nowadays. We plan to enroll her in ballet this fall/winter and Austin will do "basketball class" (as he calls it). We need to keep busy, busy, busy so we don't dwell on Ryan's travel.

Oh yes, while policing the hallway at bedtime the other night, here's the song I got to hear Caitlin sing..."Rock your body, rock your body, the lady on tv says rock your body, sing a song." The girl LOVES to make up songs...when she gets dressed she'll sing, "underwear, I call it funderwear and thunderwear" and then she does a little dance.

Austin loves his new drum that Caitlin got him for his birthday. It also came with a kazoo that is a hit since they both learned how to use it. Caitlin loves "the clappers"....so they play marching band a lot. Noisy and mildly irritating if you are trying to conduct a conversation, but most of the time it doesn't bother me really. I find it amusing.

Time to head upstairs for baths....maybe more later....

Father's Day

Well, I didn't get to enjoy it for long, as we have alot of work to do in getting ready for the draft on Thursday night, but it was a great morning for me. The kids came in when they woke up asking if it was Father's Day. They got excited when they were told it was. They got all the stuff that they made for me from school, along with a couple of other things. They helped me open the stuff and told me all about it. Each of them made a little book where they completed different thoughts like, "I love it when my daddy..." then drew a picture for each of the phrases. It was very cute and something I am sure I will enjoy looking at again as the years pass by. They cut out some neck ties from some fabric samples with string to wear them around your neck. I thought that was pretty cute. They also gave me a poem with their footprint next to it.

Kim bought a picture frame in which you can record a greeting. The kids each said, "Happy Father's Day" into it, so when I press the button I can hear them say that...I really like it.

I think that the kids and Kim are headed over to Aunt Bubs this afternoon to ride their new bikes and help celebrate Lynn's birthday. Yesterday, they went up to see Grandma June for her birthday. It has been a busy few days.

We thought the kids would like the bikes, but we had no idea that they would be such a hit. So far, everytime they have been told it is time to come in from riding them, it has elicited immediate tears. Austin is doing really well, Caitlin is doing good in straight lines, but not so sure when turning around on a driveway with a little incline. She gets nervous when it starts to pick up a little speed. Both need to learn to use the brakes to control the speed, but that will come. We have taken a lot of pictures and will post them when we get a chance.

I hope to get home before the kids have to go to bed to squeeze in a little bit more time with them on Father's Day.

Lot's of work to do for Thursday night. Go Pacers!

bowling

I think I forgot to blog that a couple weeks ago we took the kids bowling for the first time! They loved it! They looked so cute with their little bowling shoes on!!! The lanes had the bumpers up so they never got a gutter ball and they used a metal ramp thingy to roll the ball down to the pins. It was a great set up and they each got a strike! We took pictures so will try to get those up in the near future.

another something funny...

A cartoon character was acting grumpy and Austin told me, "Maybe he needs to use the restroom." Austin gets soooo grumpy when he has to use the bathroom so I always tell him to go tinkle because he's acting grumpy. :)

Happy Birthday Austin & Caitlin!

Four years ago our lives were changed forever. I never truly understood the love that a mother feels for her children...now I do. I am so thankful that God allowed me to experience that kind of love with Austin and Caitlin. After all the years of praying and trying so many different things to actually get pregnant, we were blessed with 2 absolutely wonderful kids...loving, kind, smart, hilarious, beautiful, sometimes ornery! I can say that what I expected motherhood to be and what it actually IS are vastly different...in a good way though (except I could do without the exhaustion part!). So on their fourth birthday I feel as grateful as ever to be celebrating with such fabulous kids!

Today's festivities will take place when Ry gets home...we are going to open small presents and then go to "Rockin' Robin" for dinner (it's safe...the big biwd isn't there on Fridays!). When we come home, we are going to have their new bikes waiting in the garage with bows on them! They will be so excited!!! Then we will have cake with Aunt Bubbles and Uncle John, skype Gramma & Grampa Carr, have baths and head to bed. They are having a hard time understanding that they have to wait a week for their big party...

Right now they are watching "Cars" by Austin's request....he likes when the cars "speed up" (this means they pass other cars!). Austin is eating goldfish crackers and Caitlin just finished some peanut butter and is snuggled up next to me. :) Later I think we will go to Party Tree to look for little birthday ribbons they can wear...I thought we had some already but when I looked at them, they said, "I'm 3 today!"...so a-shopping we will go! :)

where do they get this stuff?

caitlin said today, "mom, i'm tired of all this growing up stuff!" she also declared that she was "tired of all the car riding!"

in the car austin said to caitlin, "i don't love you!" and she started to cry. i told him he hurt her feelings and made her sad by saying that...about 5 minutes later he said to her, "i'm sorry sissy. i didn't mean to hurt your feelings and make you sad. i love you." talk about making my heart melt!

yesterday caitlin got mad at austin and yelled, "YOU ARE NOT MY FRIEND ANYMORE!" which led to him doing what she wanted because he doesn't like when she's mad/sad!!!

we were talking about them being born on their birthday...caitlin asked how they got in my tummy...she said, "did you put us in your mouth?" LOL!!! so i told them that God put them in my tummy. then she asked, "how did we get out?" oh boy! i said, God decided it was their birthday and had them come out to see us. she was happy with that answer, but wow....mommy is NOT ready for that conversation!!!!

tomorrow is the big birthday!!! the kids are excited that when they wake up they will be 4. AND they are more excited about the cake than the presents! funny! speaking of which...gotta go wrap some presents so i can hit the sack!

PIRATES!

so, we're driving and we see a crane with a pirate flag on top of it...caitlin and austin both exclaimed, "look! it's the jolly roger!!!" are they the only 4 year olds who know that???

today has been heavy on the outdoor activities! we did have a short car ride to fix a calamity with my mom's 60th birthday present. crisis averted. other than that we've been outside all day! they were so exhausted at naptime! HOORAY!!!

well, that's about all for now...we are going to head inside for dinner and baths. tomorrow morning is school so that means i get to shop. ryan has some very heavy work days ahead of him...draft is a little over a week and a half away! go pacers!!!

The Weasel

Austin kept asking me if I'd bring the weasel outside. WHAT? So then he said, "Yeah, the one in the basement!" AHA!!! I said, "Oh, you mean the EASEL!" Pretty funny! Now they are outside using the EASEL to color pictures.

Blove to Skype

Hi everybody! We have been quite the computer literate family this weekend! Gramma & Grampa Carr got a webcam so the kids were able to talk to Gramma on Skype on Friday and Sunday. Gramma Carr got to experience Austin's obsession with asking "WHY?" after everything you say and Caitlin's catch-phrase, "Can I see it?" They also asked if she could "jump out of the computer." They love to Skype! Austin was sad he didn't talk to Grampa because he wanted to ask him about basketball. His burning question? Can Gramps slam dunk? :)

Yesterday Austin got to mow and Caitlin flitted from activity to activity...bike riding, hopscotch, watching me, swinging, playing in the sand, asking for a juice box...sometimes she is very hard to keep up with! It was such a nice Sunday though...busy but relaxed and so nice to have our whole family together all day.

On Saturday we took the kids to shop for each other's birthday presents. We all went to Meijer and split up. Ryan & I were careful to keep reminding them that it was a "secret mission" and they couldn't tell what they got. The boys made it to the car first. Caitlin and I got in and she asked Austin, "What did you buy?" AND Austin told her, "Sissy, I got you a caterpillar game and a Tinker Bell dress!" Then he went on with a long explanation that he got her Tinker Bell because they didn't have any princess dresses! So, after all that, Austin asked, "What did you get me?" Caitlin said, "I can't tell you. It's a secret!" Did she work that in her favor or what?!?!?

I am happy to report that I made some serious headway on the birthday party decorations. I only have about 6 more lollipops to make and Lynn helped me make 5 "hard candy" decorations last night...have about 15-20 more of those to make this week so next week I can focus on the final shopping and food/organization...oh yeah, and house cleaning! BLAH!

Okay, time to get dressed and head outside for some playtime!

Some funny stuff...

Today Austin's speech teacher told me that during speech he burped, said, "Excuse me."  AND THEN SAID..."Do you want to smell my breath?"  EW!  Both kids find that amusing!

Last night Caitlin was reading "The 3 Bears" to herself...she is pretty accurate and even does the different voices for each bear like I do.  It is a crack up.  She also started singing the "Sleeping Beauty Song"...Ryan and I were sitting in the hallway just giggling at how funny and cute it was.

Right now Austin & Caitlin are snuggled in Caitlin's bed and Austin is reading her stories..."The 3 Bears," a couple "Spot" books, and "Just me & my Mom".  He is doing a great job.

A little bit ago, Austin was tearing around Caitlin's room putting things away.  He said, "I'm cleaning Sissy's room!"  Caitlin said, "Austin can clean my room.  It makes me soooo happy!"

BTW, all that prep for water day and it got rained out!!!  blah!  The kids were bummed.

Finally started tracing my circles for the lollipop decorations...tonight I'll begin cutting them (hopefully).  Then tomorrow I can glue on the sticks and cover with cellophane.  The kids are going to love it!

Ryan is home now...time for dinner!

Prayer Time

So, not sure how this started, but here are the kids' typical bedtime prayers...

Caitlin:  "Jesus I love you.  I love God with whipped cream and a cherry on top with sour lemons.  I love my dad.  Amen."

Austin:  "Jesus I love you with a cherry on top with sour lemons and Novembers.  Amen."

Typically after each kiddo says their prayer, Ryan or I will do the "family prayer" but Caitlin has been volunteering...tonight's was "Thank you for a beautiful day to play outside with Anna and Abby (Austin chimed in with "AND MAE").  Thank you for school and dinner.  Amen."

I love it!  So sweet.

Well, let's see...this morning Austin was running around with Mae and hit his head on the driveway and got a nice cut and goose egg.  AND skinned both knees...I told Ryan he's going to be one big scab by the end of the summer!  Not sure I'm cut out to mother a little boy...I'm too much of a worrier and I LOVE to baby him...after all, he's my little bear!!!  

After naps we went to the grocery store and then it was back outside.  They played with Anna and Abby (backyard neighbors who are 5 and 3.5)...running back and forth between the yards.  Then the girls had to go inside, but Mae came outside so they played with her for awhile.  Finally at around 6:45 we got inside, had a snack, and headed up for a bath.  Caitlin reminded me that tomorrow is "water day" at school so we had to organize all the gear for that...swimsuits, towels, change of clothes, water shoes, sunscreen...I'm glad she remembered because that would have been a scramble in the morning!!!

Currently, I'm policing the hallway to stop "Squatch" from sneaking into Austin's room.  SOOOOOOO hilarious...Ryan nailed it when he called her that...if you've seen the pictures of Sasquatch trekking thru the woods or wherever, that's exactly what Caitlin looks like as she tries to sneak back and forth between her room and Austin's at bedtime!!!  Austin's favorite way to avoid sleeping is to stand and look out of his window.  Our neighbor said he saw him up there the other night waving and saying, "Hi Mr. George!"  A few weeks ago Ryan snapped a cell phone picture of our little guy in his window watching the guy across the street mowing his lawn!  :)

Gonna try to get some decorations started for the big PAR-TAY...Ryan is still at work, kids are relatively calm...maybe I can do a couple before I head off to bed myself.

Sweet dreams!

BORRY!

that's what Austin would say instead of "sorry"...anyway, "borry" we haven't updated the blog in awhile.  it's been a little busy around here!!!

we have spent a ton of time outside enjoying the summer weather.  we do a little bike riding, hopscotch, drawing with sidewalk chalk, playing on the swingset, playing in the sandbox, running around with the neighbors...all the outside time leaves little time for the inside activities such as housecleaning and blogging (darn).  :)

we are also getting ready to celebrate austin and caitlin's FOURTH birthday!  HUH?  when did that happen?!?  on their actual birthday we will enjoy 2 mini cakes from a local bakery and open presents (they are getting "big kid" bikes from daddy & mommy!).  next thursday, they are taking some ice cream cone cupcakes to school for all of their friends.  then comes the big candyland party.  i love planning their bday parties!!!  we are having the neatest cake decorated like the game board (with candy, of course), a candy buffet, a bounce house, and a party game or 2.  i am making all of the decorations so that has been somewhat of an undertaking...if you know me well, you know i tend to overdo it with the festivities...martha stewart wanna be...

okay, more later...we now have a laptop so i can update as they play...HOORAY!!! :)  they are now playing duck duck goose with their neighbor friend, mae.  

Little Romeo

And no, I don't mean the "rapper"! Today Mae (our neighbor who's 7 that the kids LOVE) came over to see if they wanted to play. I told her they would be out after dinner. So while I cleaned up I told them both to use the bathroom before they were allowed outside. I heard Austin go in and turn on the water...sometimes he pretends to "tink" but instead just washes his hands! Well, I asked what he was doing...he told me "I wetted my hair so Mae doesn't see it all crazy." Yes folks...I do believe we have a little crush going on! :)

Not much planned for today...just some time with daddy...he returned late last night and leaves again tomorrow morning for a couple days. Austin is a wreck without Ry!!! Thank goodness Caitlin has been on her best behavior. That helps me out a ton. I don't think I could handle her going diva on me AND Austin acting out. Gives me an anxiety attack just thinking about it! :)

Tomorrow my mom and gramma are coming to visit. The kids are "buper" excited about that. They want to show her how they ride bikes (Austin is a pro now) and Caitlin wants to show how she can swing all by herself "like a big girl". That's all they have been talking about!!!

Okay...gonna go enjoy some cuddle time with the whole family! YAY! :)

Busy weekend!

Seems like we were on the go all weekend! Friday the boys mowed the backyard (always an exciting time for "mini Ryan" [Austin]). Then Caitlin & I went to Walgreens & I took her to Ritters for an ice cream treat. We surprised Austin with some ice cream for all his hard work mowing with Daddy. She was cute in Walgreens...pushing the little cart & putting the items up on the counter to be rung up. Saturday Ryan took Austin to his work to pick something up and then Austin wanted a haircut (YAY!)...so we each got some alone time with a kiddo. Which was very nice! Caitlin and I went to Target and then out to lunch. She was perfectly perfect the entire time. Ryan said Austin was great and so talkative on their adventure too! I think that even though they don't like it initially, it's nice for the kids to just have some time to themselves without competing for attention. Not gonna lie, it was like a walk in the park for me too....one 4 year old is waaaaaaay more managable than two! ;)

After naps on Saturday we went to buy a new grill to replace the one that bit the dust in a terrible wind/rain storm at the end of last summer. So Ryan spent a couple hours assembling it while the kids played. The new grill is almost exactly like our old one...soooooooooo excited that we got it....we are habitual bbq'ers in the summer! :)

Friday & Saturday Ryan & I had "movie nights"...it's something we enjoy but rarely get to do! I'm glad we took the time to do it...both movies were EXCELLENT! Friday we watched "Seven Pounds" which took awhile to get into, but was very good once we figured it out. Saturday we watched "Slumdog Millionaire". Our pastor's son spent a few months in India with an organization called Truthseekers International & said that the depictions of poverty were completely accurate. A very sad fact. So with that knowledge before seeing the movie, I watched it with a different perspective. In my adult life, I have seen & read 3 things that I would say have "haunted" me...the book "The Pact" by Jodi Picoult, the movie "The Kite Runner", and now "Slumdog Millionaire". Uplifting, eh?

Yesterday we did some things around the house....the boys mowed the front yard, Caitlin and I laid in the grass & chatted and then explored the ants that were on the sidewalk. Then we all went to Kroger to stock up on meat for the grill! Ryan cooked the burgers (YUM!), we had a family dinner (the kids' favorite was the "melon" - cantaloupe and watermelon) and then had bath time. After that the kids went to bed...they BOTH have the sniffles which usually equals a NIGHTMARE with Caitlin because she won't take any Benadryl which helps immensely at bedtime.

This morning we read about a million books. I LOVE that the kids love to read. Austin even stopped mowing to join in story time! They have these little ABC books (there is a small book for each letter of the alphabet) with a picture and its name on the opposite page (ie: cat - then there's a picture of a cat)...they enjoyed spelling out each word this morning. IMHO they are incredibly smart little kids! I created a matching game to help them learn their personal information (first, middle, last names; phone number; address; city; state) by writing each thing on 2 paint sample cards. Austin's set was blues & greens; Caitlin's was pinks & purples...anyway...we laid out half of Austin's set in the dining room & half of Caitlin's set in the office. I kept their other halves in the living room. The game was...I chose a personal fact from my cards, we went over it, then they took their card & ran into the other rooms to make a match & bring it back to me. THEY LOVED IT & didn't want to stop playing.

Some of their latest funny sayings...

*Caitlin saw a picture of Joe Biden on the internet and asked me, "Is that Bob Evans?" Oh my gosh, I was rolling!!!!!!!!!!

*Austin got some paint on himself & told us happily, "I'm a work of artist!" :) Sooooo cute!

*Caitlin also saw a picture of Nancy Pelosi and asked, "Is that Judge Judy?" LOL!

Today is going to be low key. It's supposed to be beautiful outside all week, so we'll be outside most of the time after naps. Austin's public school speech cuts down to one time a week starting this week, so for the summer we'll have Friday's free. Thursday they get to take their bikes to school for their version of the Indy 500. Austin is looking forward to that...Caitlin is not, due to her phobia of the buckle on the helmet.

Okay, gonna go play now!

Mother's Day

Ah, I LOVE homemade Mother's Day gifts! The kids each decorated a plate for me...SOOOO cute! I plan to display them in the kitchen once I get a couple plate stands. They also made some cute crafts at school...their handprint with a little poem (always a favorite!), a little milk carton vase with a foam flower with their picture in the center, an "interview" about their mommy (the answers were so sweet!), and a picture of me with each of them that they drew. A., C., & daddy also brought home a HUGE beautiful flower arrangement for my viewing & smelling pleasure. :)

This weekend was pretty low key...the kids spent all morning/afternoon with Bethany and her boys as I had my surgery Friday. Then Friday night they spent the night with Lynn & John so I could rest (& be in the "vicodin zone"). Ryan picked them up on Saturday afternoon and played with them while I rested. They were a little freaked out that I was not normal...Austin likes to say I'm walking "weird"! It has really sucked not being able to snuggle properly or lift them up. :( Yesterday I was off the vicodin and on 800mg ibuprofen...so more alert. Hoping today will be even more of an improvement....better be...Ryan's back to work!!! :) Anyway, all the surgery found was a polyp...still no help with my right side pain! Follow up appointment is in 6 weeks, so we'll see what's next (if anything).

Planning to go outside this afternoon....hoping to try a short walk to feed the ducks. Later in the week, maybe we will hit the zoo and plant some flowers around here.

Greetings...

from the Carr Family Sick Ward! UGH! As of Wednesday night, every single one of us has been sick! Caitlin started @ 3am Wednesday (technically Thursday, I guess)...I started while getting ready to shuttle the kids to school on Thursday...Austin started @ school on Thursday...and Ryan started yesterday!!! We took the kids to the doctor just to make sure it wasn't "swine flu"...it is just an ordinary virus. She thought Austin might have strep so she did a culture (THAT went over well!!! NOT!). It was negative, but she informed us that his tonsils were huge...I see a tonsillectomy in his future (that thought makes me want to cry.....I don't want my babies having surgery!!!). :(

This week will be busy around here...hopefully we will all be on the mend. I am beginning to make the kids' birthday invitations. Can't believe they will be 4 already!!! We are doing a Candyland theme this year since they love the game and also consider candy to be a primary food group! Really, who doesn't?! I have grand ideas for the party, but still need to set up a budget to see what's feasible. You wouldn't believe how many websites have ideas for this theme!

It has been so rainy lately! Finally today the sun is shining so I think after naps the kids and I will go outside to play. Austin LOVES riding his tricycle in the front yard. He always says he's going to work to "watch the big guys on his computer" (like daddy!). Then when he's done "working" he pulls his bike into the garage right between our cars. So funny! Yesterday he told Caitlin he'd bring her a "cheerleader poster" from his work. Classic. Caitlin loves to play in the sandbox...she just stands there and makes creations...she pats the sand into the toys, makes hills, talks to herself. It's really cute to watch. She also still loves hopscotch!

The kids love playing a Diego game we found on noggin.com...it's like Tetris for little ones! I am so impressed that they both can do it all on their own. They even figured out how to use this crazy mouse we have! Speaking of which...Caitlin is pestering to play it now...I'll post more later...Hope you had a great weekend!!!

Cousin Ethan's Christening

On April 19th we got to see Courtney and Edward's son, Ethan, Christened. He was very cute and we were really glad to be there to see it. It was the first time I had been able to see Ethan, as I have only heard from Kim and the kids how cute he is. I agree with that after seeing him. He did great, didn't cry at all. We enjoyed the service and were really happy that we could be there. Austin and Caitlin did great sitting through "grown up church." We only had a small adventure in the middle of the service trying to find a restroom for Austin, but it all turned out well!

Here are some pictures that Kim took...

Clint and Sarah's Visit

Well, since it has been 2 weeks since they were here, probably about time we get a post up! Clint and Sarah came and visited for a few days and we had a great time. They had lots of time to play with the kids, which was fun, we played some Guitar Hero and Wii Bowling, and I even managed to get them to the last Pacer game of the season.

We didn't do anything really out of the ordinary, but the weather was beautiful so we got to spend plenty of time outside playing.

Austin and Caitlin will be talking about Uncle Clint and Aunt Sarah until the next time they can see them. They always have so much fun with them.

Kim and I enjoyed catching up with them too after the kids went to bed...at least until the last night they were here when we were all exhausted from a few days of playing non stop with the kids.

Enjoy the pictures!!!

Easter

We had a full and exciting day today. Of course, we had the Easter Bunny show up, although Austin was very worried because he didn't see the baskets when he woke up, so he climbed in bed with us telling us the Easter Bunny didn't come. We had shut the gate at the bottom of the stairs to keep them from getting to the baskets in the morning, and he didn't see that they were on the kitchen table. As we walked down to take another look once Caitlin was up, we saw that the kids could open the gate on their own...Who knew?

After checking out the Easter baskets, full of toys, a book, walkie talkies for them to talk to each other, and some candy, we all got ready for church. We hit the 9 a.m. service and as always it was thought provoking. Austin said that they learned that "He has risen." Pretty cute. They seem to really enjoy their time in their class. Seems like they do all kinds of stuff in there. Sing, dance, videos, play, hear stories...They always are really happy when we pick them up.

After church, we got home and colored eggs. We haven't been able to do it because I was out of town most of the week, and I didn't want to miss their first time. They had a great time and each did a great job. Once they learned they needed to GENTLY drop the eggs in the coloring they did great. It was actually not very messy. They took a nap while the eggs dried and then added some stickers to them in the afternoon.

Also in the afternoon, we did an easter egg hunt in the backyard. I put some coins and dollar bills in 20 eggs and hid them around the backyard. Austin wasn't too into it at first because he wanted to mow, but after Caitlin found the first one, he had to take the challenge. They found them all, and added some money to their piggy banks.

After the Easter egg hunt, Austin and I mowed while Kim and Caitlin played hopscotch and blew bubbles. That seems to be what Caitlin always wants to do while we mow. After mowing, Aunt Bubbles and Uncle John came over for dinner. They gave the kids some candy and small toys, and then we had the non traditional Easter dinner of roast beef, salad, veggies, and some great bread. Austin had some chicken on a stick and Caitlin ate some lettuce and then dipped green peppers in some ranch dip and ate that. She loves her veggies! After some play time with Bubs and John, they left, and the kids hit the hay. A pretty long and full day. We had a lot of fun and the kids were pretty funny all day.

A thanks to the Grandparents who sent stuff for the kids. It was very nice and they loved everything. They definitely love you all and talk about you regularly.

Below are some pictures from the past couple of days...the first ones are of them putting carrots out for the Easter Bunny, just for clarification...The rest are from today...

We hope you had a great Easter today!