I apologize for the lack of posts to the blog, if anyone is reading this. It seems that Facebook seems to have taken the place of regular posts here.
I wanted to post some pictures of the festivities of late. A few pictures from our trip to the Orchestra, a few of the kids sprinkling reindeer food in the yard, and then quite a few of them opening presents this morning.
They went right to sleep at 9 pm last night. They woke up promptly at 1:30 am. We had them climb into bed with us thinking that they would fall asleep. I think only Kim and I fell asleep. We relented at about 5 am to go see what Santa brought (although Austin already had most of his stuff broken in by then). We then went back to sleep and got up at 8 to open the other gifts.
The kids in all their excitement were very polite and gracious.
Lynn, John, and Dustin stopped by at about 10:30. We had breakfast and then exchanged gifts with them. Our afternoon was pretty lazy and included naps for Kim, Austin and Caitlin.
It has been a great family day. We get so few of these it seems, and this one is the best of the year. I am not sure how many more we have to go with the pure joy that the kids display like the last few, but hope there are quite a few.
Merry Christmas to you, and may God bless you in the new year!
Ryan, Kim, Austin and Caitlin
p.s. I just wanted to add that this year both kids had their own favorite Christmas songs to sing along to...Caitlin just LOVES "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by the Jackson 5 and Austin's favorite is a lesser known tune by Ricky Martin called "Ay Ay Ay, It's Christmas". He says it is about a boy who doesn't have a Christmas present for his mommy. lol
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Our Little Girl Lost Her 1st Tooth!
Tonight while Caitlin was brushing her teeth, she brushed her 1st loose tooth right out! She said, "Dad, my tooth came out and there is a little bit of blood." She was a little shocked, but excited when she realized the tooth fairy was going to be coming tonight. Wanted to share a couple of pictures of her and a cute video Kim took right after the event! PRICELESS!!!!
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| From Caitlin's 1st lost tooth |
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| From Caitlin's 1st lost tooth |
Monday, August 23, 2010
State Fair
We went to the last day of the Indiana State Fair yesterday with Aunt Bubbles and Uncle John. We had a great time complete with the kids riding rides at a furious pace, a lot of fried food, and a lot of people watching!
It was a great time, and something we have done every year. We just need to make sure we get there before the last day from now on. Most of the animals were all gone!
Enjoy the pictures!
It was a great time, and something we have done every year. We just need to make sure we get there before the last day from now on. Most of the animals were all gone!
Enjoy the pictures!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Arizona Adventure!
It has been way too long since we posted. We spent last week in Arizona and had a great time. We stayed for 4 nights in Scottsdale at the Westin Kierland Resort, and then spend a night in Flagstaff after seeing the Grand Canyon, spent part of a day in Sedona, then finished up with 2 nights at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort. Our 10th anniversary was on the 11th, so it all tied in with that.
The kids were extremely excited to go on a "jet plane" again. They love flying. When you stop and think about it, they have been a lot of places for being just 5. New York, Seattle, Florida, Texas, Arizona. Not to mention all the places we have driven through!
The Kierland resort was so great. It is nice and has a great balance of stuff for kids and adults. We spent A LOT of time in the pools, where they had a nice long lazy river to float down and a great water slide that we couldn't get the kids off of! One afternoon, the kids spent time in their kid's club, while Kim and I got some time to hang at the pool, and then the night of our anniversary they had a "pajama party" for the kids where they took them to dinner, watched movies, and messed around while Kim and I went out for dinner. We also got to spend an afternoon with my Grandpa and Grandma Klem who live in Sun City West, AZ. We haven't seen them in a couple of years since Travis and Kasia's wedding, so it was great. They brought a cake to celebrate our anniversary, and gifts for Kim and the kids. It was great to catch up with them. We couldn't have had a better 4 days there and highly recommend the resort to anyone looking for a great place to stay in Scottsdale.
The trip to the Grand Canyon was probably cooler for Kim and I than the kids. They were looking forward to seeing "the big hole", but got bored with it pretty quickly. It was the first time I had seen it, and I have to say, everyone should check it out. It is amazing. I couldn't fathom how wide or deep it was. I would have loved to spend a lot more time there, but the kids were getting bored with it! On our way back to Flagstaff (another great little town that looks more like somewhere in Colorado than Arizona) we stopped by the small town of Williams, AZ. It is on old Route 66. The kids loved it since the movie "Cars" talks about it. Austin was a little disappointed we weren't in Radiator Springs like the movie, but we stopped at an old school DQ for a little ice cream, and all was good.
The next day we spent quite a bit of time in Sedona. First, the drive from Flagstaff to Sedona through Oak Creek Canyon is one of the most beautiful drives I think exists. I can't really speak to the beauty of it, or really of Sedona. It was a perfect day weather wise, and as you will see in the pictures, the red rocks against the blue sky is something incredible. It is touristy, with lots of little shops and stuff, but what an amazing place. Definitely worth another trip sometime.
We had a pretty relaxing last 2 days back in Scottsdale playing in the pool and just hanging out. It was another beautiful resort with lots of kids stuff to go along with being nice for adults.
The week went quickly, of course, but not without some good stuff from the kids. Caitlin would ask every kid in the pool to be her friend. A few of them actually played with them quite a bit! They called the shallow end of the pool the "hollow end." The night in Flagstaff we stayed in a Springhill Suites. When Caitlin heard the name of the hotel, she asked if they had sweets that she could eat.
I have to thank Lynn and John and our neighbors Livia and Brad. Of course, we thought we could save from boarding Hoops by having them check on him and feed and let him out while we were gone. Well, Hoops wouldn't eat or pretty much move the first couple of days we were gone. The third day, Lynn stopped by to find diahhrea all over the place in our house. Livia was kind enough to take him to the vet the next morning and then the kennel. Seems that he was nothing but depressed that we were gone, and probably lonely. The vet said he was fine, the kennel said he was great there, and Lynn and John cleaned up the house and we came home with basically no sign of the disaster that had occurred while we were gone. We owe them all dearly!
Enjoy some of the pictures from the trip...I think we took around 450 of them during the week!
The kids were extremely excited to go on a "jet plane" again. They love flying. When you stop and think about it, they have been a lot of places for being just 5. New York, Seattle, Florida, Texas, Arizona. Not to mention all the places we have driven through!
The Kierland resort was so great. It is nice and has a great balance of stuff for kids and adults. We spent A LOT of time in the pools, where they had a nice long lazy river to float down and a great water slide that we couldn't get the kids off of! One afternoon, the kids spent time in their kid's club, while Kim and I got some time to hang at the pool, and then the night of our anniversary they had a "pajama party" for the kids where they took them to dinner, watched movies, and messed around while Kim and I went out for dinner. We also got to spend an afternoon with my Grandpa and Grandma Klem who live in Sun City West, AZ. We haven't seen them in a couple of years since Travis and Kasia's wedding, so it was great. They brought a cake to celebrate our anniversary, and gifts for Kim and the kids. It was great to catch up with them. We couldn't have had a better 4 days there and highly recommend the resort to anyone looking for a great place to stay in Scottsdale.
The trip to the Grand Canyon was probably cooler for Kim and I than the kids. They were looking forward to seeing "the big hole", but got bored with it pretty quickly. It was the first time I had seen it, and I have to say, everyone should check it out. It is amazing. I couldn't fathom how wide or deep it was. I would have loved to spend a lot more time there, but the kids were getting bored with it! On our way back to Flagstaff (another great little town that looks more like somewhere in Colorado than Arizona) we stopped by the small town of Williams, AZ. It is on old Route 66. The kids loved it since the movie "Cars" talks about it. Austin was a little disappointed we weren't in Radiator Springs like the movie, but we stopped at an old school DQ for a little ice cream, and all was good.
The next day we spent quite a bit of time in Sedona. First, the drive from Flagstaff to Sedona through Oak Creek Canyon is one of the most beautiful drives I think exists. I can't really speak to the beauty of it, or really of Sedona. It was a perfect day weather wise, and as you will see in the pictures, the red rocks against the blue sky is something incredible. It is touristy, with lots of little shops and stuff, but what an amazing place. Definitely worth another trip sometime.
We had a pretty relaxing last 2 days back in Scottsdale playing in the pool and just hanging out. It was another beautiful resort with lots of kids stuff to go along with being nice for adults.
The week went quickly, of course, but not without some good stuff from the kids. Caitlin would ask every kid in the pool to be her friend. A few of them actually played with them quite a bit! They called the shallow end of the pool the "hollow end." The night in Flagstaff we stayed in a Springhill Suites. When Caitlin heard the name of the hotel, she asked if they had sweets that she could eat.
I have to thank Lynn and John and our neighbors Livia and Brad. Of course, we thought we could save from boarding Hoops by having them check on him and feed and let him out while we were gone. Well, Hoops wouldn't eat or pretty much move the first couple of days we were gone. The third day, Lynn stopped by to find diahhrea all over the place in our house. Livia was kind enough to take him to the vet the next morning and then the kennel. Seems that he was nothing but depressed that we were gone, and probably lonely. The vet said he was fine, the kennel said he was great there, and Lynn and John cleaned up the house and we came home with basically no sign of the disaster that had occurred while we were gone. We owe them all dearly!
Enjoy some of the pictures from the trip...I think we took around 450 of them during the week!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Pictures from Austin and Caitlin's Birthday Party
Here are pictures from their party. It was quite an event and all the kids had a lot of fun. Enjoy!!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Video from A&C's Birthday Party
Here is a short video of Austin and Caitlin blowing out their candles and being sung "Happy Birthday" to.
Caitlin's Recital
Caitlin's much anticipated dance recital was Thursday. She was so excited, and she did a great job. She had different costumes for her ballet and tap dances, and even got to walk a red carpet and blow kisses to her adoring fans!
After somewhat of a painstaking process of loading this video to one computer and then transferring it to another and then loading it to YouTube, here is a video of Caitlin's major parts of her recital. Enjoy!!!! It was a fun night, and one that we will always remember!
We were really proud of her. Austin was so cute. Beforehand, he said, "Caitlin, I am a little nervous for you." He cheered for her and was so proud of her. After the recital, he ran up and gave her a flower and a big hug and kiss.
Here are a few pictures...Most of the them turned out blurry, but even in these, if they are blurry, she is the smaller blur!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Birthday Austin & Caitlin
I love our kids. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them to pieces! I can't believe birthday number 5 is in the books! Admittedly, this party was a little bigger than I anticipated...it kind of took on a life of its own because I was having such a great time with the planning. Next year it will be scaled down for sure.
The kids are so sweet. They are the most genuinely sweet & grateful kids I know. They have such joy even in the smallest things.
Details...
Friday night we had some wicked thunderstorms and a ton of rain. Thought for sure I'd be waking early to clean the basement for Plan B...but by morning things were calm (but soggy) so we still had the party outdoors. The first think I heard in the morning was Caitlin saying, "Happy Birthday Bear!" Oh my...totally melted my heart. They were soooooo excited that they were finally 5! It was so cute to see their excitement at getting older.
The day was nonstop from 7am to way into the night...I will not have a party on their actual birthday again...just too hectic. fun. but hectic. Rookie mistake.
The carnival theme was great. We had a concession stand set up with all kinds of goodies - popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, nachos, chips, goldfish, drinks. My Aunt Lynn was the concessions lady & she did a great job. Well, except when she was trying to figure out how to make cotton candy and it wound itself around her arm instead of the paper cone. :) I found it funnier than she did...by the end of the day she was covered in popcorn oil, grass stains, and even had some blue cotton candy highlights in her hair. lol
After we ate, the kids lined up at the ticket booth (thanks Uncle John!) and got their bags with tickets for the games! We have some great friends & family who volunteered to run the games. It was awesome just to stand back and look at our kids & their friends having a blast playing games in our yard. Most of the games were made by me so nothing fancy...we had a ring toss, bead dig, beanbag toss, penny pitch, quarter drop, lollipop tree, balloon stomp, ping pong toss, & soccer kick. They loved going from game to game collecting prizes.
THE BEST was the face painting! OH MY GOSH! Austin & Caitlin have been looking forward to getting their face painted since I bought the supplies about 2 weeks ago! They have been discussing what designs they would like and insisted they would be first in line. :) By the end of the party Caitlin had designs on her forehead, both cheeks, both arms, & both legs. Austin was sporting a pirate patch, mustache, & goatee along with the word PACERS down one leg & COLTS down the other leg. My nephew Ethan was rolling with a handlebar mustache, A & C's friend Max had a "Bob & Tom" 'stache & Jacob had the "Jack Sparrow" 'stache/goatee combo.
The kids are so sweet. They are the most genuinely sweet & grateful kids I know. They have such joy even in the smallest things.
Details...
Friday night we had some wicked thunderstorms and a ton of rain. Thought for sure I'd be waking early to clean the basement for Plan B...but by morning things were calm (but soggy) so we still had the party outdoors. The first think I heard in the morning was Caitlin saying, "Happy Birthday Bear!" Oh my...totally melted my heart. They were soooooo excited that they were finally 5! It was so cute to see their excitement at getting older.
The day was nonstop from 7am to way into the night...I will not have a party on their actual birthday again...just too hectic. fun. but hectic. Rookie mistake.
The carnival theme was great. We had a concession stand set up with all kinds of goodies - popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, nachos, chips, goldfish, drinks. My Aunt Lynn was the concessions lady & she did a great job. Well, except when she was trying to figure out how to make cotton candy and it wound itself around her arm instead of the paper cone. :) I found it funnier than she did...by the end of the day she was covered in popcorn oil, grass stains, and even had some blue cotton candy highlights in her hair. lol
After we ate, the kids lined up at the ticket booth (thanks Uncle John!) and got their bags with tickets for the games! We have some great friends & family who volunteered to run the games. It was awesome just to stand back and look at our kids & their friends having a blast playing games in our yard. Most of the games were made by me so nothing fancy...we had a ring toss, bead dig, beanbag toss, penny pitch, quarter drop, lollipop tree, balloon stomp, ping pong toss, & soccer kick. They loved going from game to game collecting prizes.
THE BEST was the face painting! OH MY GOSH! Austin & Caitlin have been looking forward to getting their face painted since I bought the supplies about 2 weeks ago! They have been discussing what designs they would like and insisted they would be first in line. :) By the end of the party Caitlin had designs on her forehead, both cheeks, both arms, & both legs. Austin was sporting a pirate patch, mustache, & goatee along with the word PACERS down one leg & COLTS down the other leg. My nephew Ethan was rolling with a handlebar mustache, A & C's friend Max had a "Bob & Tom" 'stache & Jacob had the "Jack Sparrow" 'stache/goatee combo.
Austin & Caitlin requested red velvet cake, so that's what we had. The bakery did a great job with the decorations & it was absolutely delicious.
It was such a fun day and now we have two sweet FIVE YEAR OLDS!!!! :)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
It's been awhile...
We are way behind in posting to the blog. We have quite a few pictures to get up, and of course, we have a big day coming up Saturday when Austin and Caitlin turn 5...(That seems impossible, by the way).
I haven't been home a whole lot the last month, and I probably won't be able to get the pictures up until the weekend of the 26th, but at that time I will post pictures that haven't been downloaded from the camera for a LONG time, as well as pictures from their birthday.
They are both very excited, and Kim is doing a great job of planning a carnival themed party. Not sure how many kids will be there, but from what I understand they will have fun. Lots of carnival games and carnival food.
Hope everyone is well, and I admittedly have been terrible keeping in touch with anyone of late. Lots of preparation for the draft next Thursday. I will resurface after that!
I haven't been home a whole lot the last month, and I probably won't be able to get the pictures up until the weekend of the 26th, but at that time I will post pictures that haven't been downloaded from the camera for a LONG time, as well as pictures from their birthday.
They are both very excited, and Kim is doing a great job of planning a carnival themed party. Not sure how many kids will be there, but from what I understand they will have fun. Lots of carnival games and carnival food.
Hope everyone is well, and I admittedly have been terrible keeping in touch with anyone of late. Lots of preparation for the draft next Thursday. I will resurface after that!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Recently....
Let's see.....
Caitlin is busily preparing for her recital. Only a few more weeks of classes, then the big night! We have both of her costumes and it is a bit overwhelming...all the stuff you have to buy, all the stuff you COULD buy....flowers, dvds, music to practice, tights, make-up, pictures, hair kit to make a bun...BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!
Austin has 2 more weeks in his Friday bball class and then he will begin a weekly 2 hour class for K,1,2! His coaches think he is ready to move up....I know he'll be happy to have that extra hour to play ball.
The preparations are underway for the kids' 5th birthday party. This year is a carnival theme....so far the cotton candy machine & popcorn machine are rented and the cake is ordered. Still working on invitations, choosing games, & creating game booths. I absolutely can't believe they are almost 5! What the heck?!?!?! That went by waaaaaaay too fast!
Saturday we took them to the qualifications for the Indy 500. It was their first time experiencing the track & both kiddos had a good time. Austin loved it way more than Caitlin but she seemed to enjoy it too. They were comparing everything to "Cars" which I found very amusing.
Yesterday & today have been downright HOT...almost 90! So Austin & Caitlin have been loving some sprinkler time in new swimsuits. It has been the only time in recent days that they have played together without arguing or having a knock-down-drag-out! They take turns dumping buckets of water on the slide & the other kiddo splashes through it. They are using their "misters" from Disney World and today they "painted" the playset with buckets of water & paintbrushes. We have been outside for about 4 hours now with no issues.
Also happy to report that Austin's love of mowing hasn't wavered....he is still a dedicated mower! HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ryan has one more long trip...a combo of Treviso, Italy (basically Venice - lucky duck!) and New Jersey! There's a combo you don't see everyday! :) Only a few more weeks till the big draft. Anybody have any thoughts on the 10th pick? Yeah, me neither! Ryan finds my attempts at scouting very comical. lol
I just finished organizing/hosting a Teacher Appreciation Tea at the kids' preschool. It was such a nice event & I think the teachers really enjoyed it. Hard to believe next year is our last year there....then it's the big bad world of kindergarten! WOW!
That's about all for now....
Caitlin is busily preparing for her recital. Only a few more weeks of classes, then the big night! We have both of her costumes and it is a bit overwhelming...all the stuff you have to buy, all the stuff you COULD buy....flowers, dvds, music to practice, tights, make-up, pictures, hair kit to make a bun...BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!
Austin has 2 more weeks in his Friday bball class and then he will begin a weekly 2 hour class for K,1,2! His coaches think he is ready to move up....I know he'll be happy to have that extra hour to play ball.
The preparations are underway for the kids' 5th birthday party. This year is a carnival theme....so far the cotton candy machine & popcorn machine are rented and the cake is ordered. Still working on invitations, choosing games, & creating game booths. I absolutely can't believe they are almost 5! What the heck?!?!?! That went by waaaaaaay too fast!
Saturday we took them to the qualifications for the Indy 500. It was their first time experiencing the track & both kiddos had a good time. Austin loved it way more than Caitlin but she seemed to enjoy it too. They were comparing everything to "Cars" which I found very amusing.
Yesterday & today have been downright HOT...almost 90! So Austin & Caitlin have been loving some sprinkler time in new swimsuits. It has been the only time in recent days that they have played together without arguing or having a knock-down-drag-out! They take turns dumping buckets of water on the slide & the other kiddo splashes through it. They are using their "misters" from Disney World and today they "painted" the playset with buckets of water & paintbrushes. We have been outside for about 4 hours now with no issues.
Also happy to report that Austin's love of mowing hasn't wavered....he is still a dedicated mower! HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ryan has one more long trip...a combo of Treviso, Italy (basically Venice - lucky duck!) and New Jersey! There's a combo you don't see everyday! :) Only a few more weeks till the big draft. Anybody have any thoughts on the 10th pick? Yeah, me neither! Ryan finds my attempts at scouting very comical. lol
I just finished organizing/hosting a Teacher Appreciation Tea at the kids' preschool. It was such a nice event & I think the teachers really enjoyed it. Hard to believe next year is our last year there....then it's the big bad world of kindergarten! WOW!
That's about all for now....
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Miracles (Mother's Day)
A little over 5 years ago, God answered my prayer. All I wanted was to be a mom. It's all I prayed for, it's all I dreamed of. Being a mom has blessed me in so many ways and I believe it was a miracle...the doctors, the treatments, the financing, the friends & family who supported us, our church...God put those all in our path at the exact time we needed them. Nothing short of miraculous. Breathtaking really.
And to be blessed with not one, but TWO babies. WOW.
The gift of being a mom is not lost on me as I watch others struggling with infertility...my heart breaks for them as they travel down the road we had to a few short years ago. I remember the many Mother's Days spent crying & wondering if I would ever be able to celebrate with my own child. I will never forget those times - small reminders to cherish every single moment with my kids.
I knew I would love my babies, but I never knew the depth of love. It is completely overwhelming. These amazing little people are a gift from God. Every day isn't perfect & some days are just downright awful, but there is never a day without overwhelming love.
As Austin & Caitlin grow, I pray that they will always feel loved & cherished by me. Their mom.
And to be blessed with not one, but TWO babies. WOW.
The gift of being a mom is not lost on me as I watch others struggling with infertility...my heart breaks for them as they travel down the road we had to a few short years ago. I remember the many Mother's Days spent crying & wondering if I would ever be able to celebrate with my own child. I will never forget those times - small reminders to cherish every single moment with my kids.
I knew I would love my babies, but I never knew the depth of love. It is completely overwhelming. These amazing little people are a gift from God. Every day isn't perfect & some days are just downright awful, but there is never a day without overwhelming love.
As Austin & Caitlin grow, I pray that they will always feel loved & cherished by me. Their mom.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saint Lou-eeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Ryan had a few days off of work so we took a mini vacation to St. Louis. We weren't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a great couple of days!
The drive took about 4 hours (not factoring in the potty stops we had to make) & the kids did a great job. When we got to St. Louie (the kids found this pronunciation HILARIOUS!), we went straight to the Arch. Up we went and they loooooooved it! The Arch was a BIG topic of conversation before, during, & after this trip. We traveled to the top in a little "egg pod" and were blessed with clear skies. It was cool to see the skyline and the Mighty Mississippi! After the Arch we drove to the hotel & had dinner in our room then hit the hay.
The next morning we woke up, had a quick breakfast at the hotel, & headed to the St. Louis zoo. WOW! It was a great zoo! Austin enjoyed seeing the rhinos & the bears. Caitlin loved the giraffes. They got to pet guinea pigs, bunnies, & goats in the Children's Zoo...it was so cute to watch them with the animals. Also in the goat pen we got to see some classic comedy...goats would steal papers from unsuspecting people's pockets & bags and chomp away. One guy was even chasing the goat thief...not sure what he thought he was going to do, but he couldn't catch the goat anyway. That was funny to see.
After the zoo the kids took a "car nap" and Ryan & I were able to drive around and check out the neighborhoods. Next time we WILL be visiting "The Hill"...St. Louie's Little Italy. Ahh, but not this time. Instead, for dinner we headed to some place that was like a way better version of Chuck E. Cheese. The food was awful but the kids had a blast playing all the games...mini bowling, pop-a-shot, skee ball, driving games. At first Caitlin was puzzled about the tickets coming from the games, but once I showed her the prize counter & explained how we would turn in our tickets for prizes, it was ON! She was obsessed with getting as many tickets as possible. She ended up with about 500 tickets and was able to get a boatload of junk toys. :) Austin had about 400 tickets and got his fair share of junk toys too!
On Thursday we got up, had breakfast, & packed up. We thought we would stop at one more fun place before hitting the road. We went to City Museum which looked very cool but Ry & I decided it was more for older kids. So we drove to Magic House...the Children's Museum. It was great & the kids had a blast. The exhibits were awesome...Caitlin loved the exhibit with separating recyclables and dumping them in the recycling truck and Austin put on a hard hat, grabbed an empty spray bottle & cloth & starting cleaning the SMART car that they had. He was on a mission....even crawling inside the car to detail it. :) The funniest was when a girl put her foot on the bumper and he immediately went over, pretend sprayed, & wiped off the offending footprint! They also had slides, a water table, a sand table, a replica of the Oval Office/Congress/Courtroom, a house under construction, a beanstalk to climb...it was a great museum & definitely tired the kids out.
Then we were on our way home. It was a great time of reconnection for our family!!!
The drive took about 4 hours (not factoring in the potty stops we had to make) & the kids did a great job. When we got to St. Louie (the kids found this pronunciation HILARIOUS!), we went straight to the Arch. Up we went and they loooooooved it! The Arch was a BIG topic of conversation before, during, & after this trip. We traveled to the top in a little "egg pod" and were blessed with clear skies. It was cool to see the skyline and the Mighty Mississippi! After the Arch we drove to the hotel & had dinner in our room then hit the hay.
The next morning we woke up, had a quick breakfast at the hotel, & headed to the St. Louis zoo. WOW! It was a great zoo! Austin enjoyed seeing the rhinos & the bears. Caitlin loved the giraffes. They got to pet guinea pigs, bunnies, & goats in the Children's Zoo...it was so cute to watch them with the animals. Also in the goat pen we got to see some classic comedy...goats would steal papers from unsuspecting people's pockets & bags and chomp away. One guy was even chasing the goat thief...not sure what he thought he was going to do, but he couldn't catch the goat anyway. That was funny to see.
After the zoo the kids took a "car nap" and Ryan & I were able to drive around and check out the neighborhoods. Next time we WILL be visiting "The Hill"...St. Louie's Little Italy. Ahh, but not this time. Instead, for dinner we headed to some place that was like a way better version of Chuck E. Cheese. The food was awful but the kids had a blast playing all the games...mini bowling, pop-a-shot, skee ball, driving games. At first Caitlin was puzzled about the tickets coming from the games, but once I showed her the prize counter & explained how we would turn in our tickets for prizes, it was ON! She was obsessed with getting as many tickets as possible. She ended up with about 500 tickets and was able to get a boatload of junk toys. :) Austin had about 400 tickets and got his fair share of junk toys too!
On Thursday we got up, had breakfast, & packed up. We thought we would stop at one more fun place before hitting the road. We went to City Museum which looked very cool but Ry & I decided it was more for older kids. So we drove to Magic House...the Children's Museum. It was great & the kids had a blast. The exhibits were awesome...Caitlin loved the exhibit with separating recyclables and dumping them in the recycling truck and Austin put on a hard hat, grabbed an empty spray bottle & cloth & starting cleaning the SMART car that they had. He was on a mission....even crawling inside the car to detail it. :) The funniest was when a girl put her foot on the bumper and he immediately went over, pretend sprayed, & wiped off the offending footprint! They also had slides, a water table, a sand table, a replica of the Oval Office/Congress/Courtroom, a house under construction, a beanstalk to climb...it was a great museum & definitely tired the kids out.
Then we were on our way home. It was a great time of reconnection for our family!!!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Schnipkes are coming! The Schnipkes are coming!
Yesterday we were very lucky to have a short visit from some very dear friends. Carrie, Andy, & their ADORABLE twins, Ben & Kate came over! We haven't seen them in ages so it was great to catch up. The kids got along sooooo well & it was fun to see them playing together. Ben & Kate are a year younger than Austin & Caitlin so it was like a flashback for me & a flashforward for Carrie. :)
Austin gave Ben one of his basketball cards which is how he demonstrates love for ya nowadays...he even left one for the Easter Bunny!!! LOL Caitlin was the perfect little hostess...showing Kate around & basically never leaving her side! They spent a lot of time playing with the princesses & the Cinderella castle...imagine that? :)
It was a great (but too short) visit and we look forward to doing it again soon!
Austin gave Ben one of his basketball cards which is how he demonstrates love for ya nowadays...he even left one for the Easter Bunny!!! LOL Caitlin was the perfect little hostess...showing Kate around & basically never leaving her side! They spent a lot of time playing with the princesses & the Cinderella castle...imagine that? :)
It was a great (but too short) visit and we look forward to doing it again soon!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
And Another Thing...
Before playing "water park", they got into the red velvet cupcakes I made them as a little treat yesterday...they each scarfed down two!!!!!!!!!!
It's What I Get for Thinkin'...
Just the other day I was thinking about how fortunate we were that our kids didn't do anything destructive like flushing random objects down the toilet or stopping up the bathroom sinks. This will prove that God has a sense of humor....
You know it is not going to be good when your husband yells "KIM, COME DOWNSTAIRS & BRING EVERY TOWEL WE HAVE!!!!" at 5:30 in the morning.
Well, it wasn't good. Wasn't good at all!
The kids had done one of their infamous night wakings and were in the mood for fun. So what is super fun for kids? WATER. These two hooligans were naked and spraying themselves with the sprayer from the kitchen sink. There was water ALL OVER our kitchen floor, dripping down & into the cabinets, all over the counter, under the stove...swimsuits were tossed aside on the kitchen floor!
After a lengthy cleaning process, Ryan went upstairs to talk to the culprits. When asked why they would do something like that, here's what they told him...Caitlin said, "Daddy, we were playing water park!" Austin said, "I was typing on the computer & washing the dishes!"
Today HAS to get better....right?
You know it is not going to be good when your husband yells "KIM, COME DOWNSTAIRS & BRING EVERY TOWEL WE HAVE!!!!" at 5:30 in the morning.
Well, it wasn't good. Wasn't good at all!
The kids had done one of their infamous night wakings and were in the mood for fun. So what is super fun for kids? WATER. These two hooligans were naked and spraying themselves with the sprayer from the kitchen sink. There was water ALL OVER our kitchen floor, dripping down & into the cabinets, all over the counter, under the stove...swimsuits were tossed aside on the kitchen floor!
After a lengthy cleaning process, Ryan went upstairs to talk to the culprits. When asked why they would do something like that, here's what they told him...Caitlin said, "Daddy, we were playing water park!" Austin said, "I was typing on the computer & washing the dishes!"
Today HAS to get better....right?
Monday, April 5, 2010
Catching Up is Hard to Do
SO FUNNY! We are playing outside right now...the kids are having a good time together playing make believe with their sandbox & playset. Anyway, we hear a loud boom & then I see some fireworks go off down the street (who knew Easter was the official start of fireworks season?!)...Austin immediately plugs his ears with his fingers and hollers, "MOM, IT'S JULY!" I got a good laugh outta that. Caitlin just asked Austin, "Did you see the fireworks? Were they gorgeous?" Now she is informing him that the rain will make it "wet sand" and they can build a sandcastle..."Let's just wait here for it (the rain)" she says. lol
Caitlin just blew her whistle & shouted, "Attention RAIN! Go away!"
Yesterday was a seriously NON traditional Easter. At 5:30, we were awoken by a sweet, excited little boy who said, "Mommy, I think the Easter bunny came. I'm not sure if he brought me a book and a big chocolate bunny, and some Tootsie Rolls (of course "he" brought all that....Austin MUST be clairvoyant!)...so Austin woke up Caitlin & we all trounced downstairs to check out the baskets. By about 6:30 everybody had dozed off but alas it was time for me to get up to get ready for church. A & C fell asleep in the car on the way...
Church service was incredible...by the end both Ryan & I were misty-eyed (ok, I had big fat tears rolling down my face, but whatever). I have never attended an Easter service at Grace and NOT cried. Austin came out of GKC & told us about the "mean guys" putting a "thorn crown" on Jesus and "it hurted him very much".
After church, the kids & Ryan had a brief nap before we headed to downtown Indy & Bracket Town. I was certain Austin would love it because it had to do with the Final Four...but CAITLIN was the one who embraced the experience! I have a ton of great pics of her...pretending to cut down the nets after a Final Four victory, posing in cut outs of various college athletes (track, skiing, water polo, gymnastics), making a hockey goal, enjoying the bounce house...Austin was reluctant to do most of the activities...he DID shoot a couple hoops, participated in a lay-up line, and tried his hand at hockey & soccer. Caitlin also wanted to try the Home Run Derby, but we weren't in the mood to have our SUPER coordinated daughter knocked unconscious by a baseball... :)
After a couple hours, we headed back to "Daddy's Work" to get situated for the big Pacers game. Austin was excited to see the "Wockets" (Rockets) because he never saw them play before. This boy LOVES watching basketball. He just sits & chows on Goldfish & tells Ryan the score. His fave players are Roy Hibbert (the other day he requested his name be changed to "Roy Hibbert"), Mike Dun-LEAVY (emphasis on the 2nd half), and Tyler Hansborough. Caitlin wants to walk all over the arena & see the sights. We went to Starbucks, to our "secret room" for employee families...we love the fruit tray & complementary beverages & the comfy couches & private restrooms, Caitlin got to hug Boomer. Then we came and sat down with the boys...and patiently waited for the game to end (mommy had a SERIOUSLY bad headache by that time).
The kids fell asleep quickly (and so did the parents)!
Gonna go enjoy some conversation with the kiddos on the porch......
Caitlin just blew her whistle & shouted, "Attention RAIN! Go away!"
Yesterday was a seriously NON traditional Easter. At 5:30, we were awoken by a sweet, excited little boy who said, "Mommy, I think the Easter bunny came. I'm not sure if he brought me a book and a big chocolate bunny, and some Tootsie Rolls (of course "he" brought all that....Austin MUST be clairvoyant!)...so Austin woke up Caitlin & we all trounced downstairs to check out the baskets. By about 6:30 everybody had dozed off but alas it was time for me to get up to get ready for church. A & C fell asleep in the car on the way...
Church service was incredible...by the end both Ryan & I were misty-eyed (ok, I had big fat tears rolling down my face, but whatever). I have never attended an Easter service at Grace and NOT cried. Austin came out of GKC & told us about the "mean guys" putting a "thorn crown" on Jesus and "it hurted him very much".
After church, the kids & Ryan had a brief nap before we headed to downtown Indy & Bracket Town. I was certain Austin would love it because it had to do with the Final Four...but CAITLIN was the one who embraced the experience! I have a ton of great pics of her...pretending to cut down the nets after a Final Four victory, posing in cut outs of various college athletes (track, skiing, water polo, gymnastics), making a hockey goal, enjoying the bounce house...Austin was reluctant to do most of the activities...he DID shoot a couple hoops, participated in a lay-up line, and tried his hand at hockey & soccer. Caitlin also wanted to try the Home Run Derby, but we weren't in the mood to have our SUPER coordinated daughter knocked unconscious by a baseball... :)
After a couple hours, we headed back to "Daddy's Work" to get situated for the big Pacers game. Austin was excited to see the "Wockets" (Rockets) because he never saw them play before. This boy LOVES watching basketball. He just sits & chows on Goldfish & tells Ryan the score. His fave players are Roy Hibbert (the other day he requested his name be changed to "Roy Hibbert"), Mike Dun-LEAVY (emphasis on the 2nd half), and Tyler Hansborough. Caitlin wants to walk all over the arena & see the sights. We went to Starbucks, to our "secret room" for employee families...we love the fruit tray & complementary beverages & the comfy couches & private restrooms, Caitlin got to hug Boomer. Then we came and sat down with the boys...and patiently waited for the game to end (mommy had a SERIOUSLY bad headache by that time).
The kids fell asleep quickly (and so did the parents)!
Gonna go enjoy some conversation with the kiddos on the porch......
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
More Funny Stuff...
I often email myself (and Ryan) some of the funny things the kids do and say so I can remember to blog them. Here are some that I came across tonight...sorry for the funky layout at the end...i copy & pasted to save time but something went haywire and now i'm tired...
They saw the bus come this morning and austin asked "will we ride that bus?" i said yes. then caitlin said, "austin will you sit by me?" he said "no, i think i will sit by may." then she says, "but i want to sit by her!" so austin says,"hey i have an idea. i can sit on may's lap and you can sit beside her!" yeah, i think may will really go for that one when she is in 3rd grade and they are in kdg! soooooo funny!
we're doing caitlin's homework & she finished the page before austin. she says, "mommy i finished coloring in all my items." items? she's hilarious!!!
why did the cocker spaniel and the rooster squeak? asked caitlin. nobody had an answer (not even her!!!)
They saw the bus come this morning and austin asked "will we ride that bus?" i said yes. then caitlin said, "austin will you sit by me?" he said "no, i think i will sit by may." then she says, "but i want to sit by her!" so austin says,"hey i have an idea. i can sit on may's lap and you can sit beside her!" yeah, i think may will really go for that one when she is in 3rd grade and they are in kdg! soooooo funny!
we're doing caitlin's homework & she finished the page before austin. she says, "mommy i finished coloring in all my items." items? she's hilarious!!!
why did the cocker spaniel and the rooster squeak? asked caitlin. nobody had an answer (not even her!!!)
while coloring with markers...caitlin, "mommy what color do you want me to use for you?" me: "oh i don't know. what colors do you have?" caitlin names them all. me: "hmmm, aqua sounds pretty." caitlin: "i'll pick purple. that's the one i like."
did i expect anything different??? not really!
i spy with my little eye something dark (yelled by austin from his room to caitlin in her room during nap time)
i spy with my big eye... (how caitlin says it...last night during story)
Playing hockey w princess clothes & golf clubs. we are the yellow jackets and the green jackets! GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLL! caitlin: "at the end i spray sparkles around the goal. i'm spreading fairy dust all around the court"
caitlin (turning golf club upside down): "austin, wanna play little old lady?"
Catching Up...
Caitlin: "Mom! There is a bug in here! There. I deaded it! No, it's still moving! Mom, will you dead it?" After I said "No" she called to Austin..."Austin, come down here and see this strange bug!" Austin hollers down, "Can I dead it?" FYI...the bug was released back into the wild. :)
On a bike ride the other day Austin stopped a few feet ahead of us, parked his bike in the middle of the sidewalk, and ran back to tell Caitlin something. I asked what he was doing...."Mom I have to tell Caitlin something! Caitlin! Why did the chicken cross the road?" After he got a laugh, he ran back to his bike to continue on...
On the same bike ride, Caitlin really utilized her coordination...let's see...she fell over her bike while WALKING next to it! And she mowed down someone's bike that was parked on the sidewalk. Why go around it really?! I swear it was one of the funniest things ever! She just looked at me and said, "I couldn't stop in time." :) Ya think?
At a playground recently, Austin must have read my mind...he said, "Can we go now? These boys are being wild!" We were outta there!
Two of their favorite jokes? Knock Knock. Who's there? Dwayne. Dwayne who? Dwayne the bathtub, I'm dwowning! (my favorite joke from childhood!) The other is the knock knock joke where you keep saying banana and then switch to orange for the punchline of "Orange you glad I didn't say banana?"
If the kids have all of their "pets" together it is called "Petville"! :)
Yesterday we ventured to Barnes & Noble so I could have some coffee and Austin & Caitlin could have a little treat (a red velvet cupcake!). After we indulged, we went back to the kids' section and these two were SOOOO FUNNY with the little stage! They just hopped right up and began acting out stories from books that they randomly pulled from the shelf. Austin brought over 2 stuffed dragons for "the watchers" (audience) and Caitlin introduced the show by saying (LOUDLY) "Ladies & Gentlemen! Boys & Girls! Welcome to the Princess Show!" We were the only ones back there besides and employee who was dusting & restocking shelves. She got quite a laugh listening to them. We stayed there for about an hour doing that!
Now they are talking about the "evil plum" while playing in the bathtub!
Last week we were at Aunt Bubbles' house visiting because they "skipped naps". The kids were watching her dog, Harley while they were laying on the floor. Caitlin just blurts out, "Look Austin! He has a penis too!" Then she started saying, "He's pooping!" But she realized it was something else...so of course asked about it. I tried to get out of it by saying, "Oh that's just another part of his penis." But that wasn't cutting it for our kids. They REALLY wanted to know & Aunt Bubbles wasn't helping me weasel out of it either (Thanks a lot Bubs! :) ). So I said, "Those are called his testicles." Well, they now swear they are called TEXTicles. Nice...TEXTicles.
We have had a few days of beautiful weather! Today it was at least the upper 60s and the whole neighborhood was outside! We did a little bubble blowing & sidewalk chalking then went for a scooter ride. I ended up carrying Caitlin's scooter while Austin zoomed ahead of us. That kid is FAST! I think we'll be sticking to bike rides from now on...
The kids are excited about Daddy's birthday and the fact that he will be in town for 3 whole weeks after Friday. That is going to be awesome!!!! We have a lot to do around here and it is so nice to be all together for an extended period of time again.
Time to get the kiddies ready for bed...school in the morning!
On a bike ride the other day Austin stopped a few feet ahead of us, parked his bike in the middle of the sidewalk, and ran back to tell Caitlin something. I asked what he was doing...."Mom I have to tell Caitlin something! Caitlin! Why did the chicken cross the road?" After he got a laugh, he ran back to his bike to continue on...
On the same bike ride, Caitlin really utilized her coordination...let's see...she fell over her bike while WALKING next to it! And she mowed down someone's bike that was parked on the sidewalk. Why go around it really?! I swear it was one of the funniest things ever! She just looked at me and said, "I couldn't stop in time." :) Ya think?
At a playground recently, Austin must have read my mind...he said, "Can we go now? These boys are being wild!" We were outta there!
Two of their favorite jokes? Knock Knock. Who's there? Dwayne. Dwayne who? Dwayne the bathtub, I'm dwowning! (my favorite joke from childhood!) The other is the knock knock joke where you keep saying banana and then switch to orange for the punchline of "Orange you glad I didn't say banana?"
If the kids have all of their "pets" together it is called "Petville"! :)
Yesterday we ventured to Barnes & Noble so I could have some coffee and Austin & Caitlin could have a little treat (a red velvet cupcake!). After we indulged, we went back to the kids' section and these two were SOOOO FUNNY with the little stage! They just hopped right up and began acting out stories from books that they randomly pulled from the shelf. Austin brought over 2 stuffed dragons for "the watchers" (audience) and Caitlin introduced the show by saying (LOUDLY) "Ladies & Gentlemen! Boys & Girls! Welcome to the Princess Show!" We were the only ones back there besides and employee who was dusting & restocking shelves. She got quite a laugh listening to them. We stayed there for about an hour doing that!
Now they are talking about the "evil plum" while playing in the bathtub!
Last week we were at Aunt Bubbles' house visiting because they "skipped naps". The kids were watching her dog, Harley while they were laying on the floor. Caitlin just blurts out, "Look Austin! He has a penis too!" Then she started saying, "He's pooping!" But she realized it was something else...so of course asked about it. I tried to get out of it by saying, "Oh that's just another part of his penis." But that wasn't cutting it for our kids. They REALLY wanted to know & Aunt Bubbles wasn't helping me weasel out of it either (Thanks a lot Bubs! :) ). So I said, "Those are called his testicles." Well, they now swear they are called TEXTicles. Nice...TEXTicles.
We have had a few days of beautiful weather! Today it was at least the upper 60s and the whole neighborhood was outside! We did a little bubble blowing & sidewalk chalking then went for a scooter ride. I ended up carrying Caitlin's scooter while Austin zoomed ahead of us. That kid is FAST! I think we'll be sticking to bike rides from now on...
The kids are excited about Daddy's birthday and the fact that he will be in town for 3 whole weeks after Friday. That is going to be awesome!!!! We have a lot to do around here and it is so nice to be all together for an extended period of time again.
Time to get the kiddies ready for bed...school in the morning!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
FOUND!
Can you guess where I cleaned today? I found...
a Leapster2 Cartridge that was missing for over a week, a wrapper from a mini Hershey bar, a dried noodle, 2 combs, 36 cents, the "stick" for a triangle, Ariel's bikini top (or "breasts" according to Caitlin), and a crayon!
Why yes. I did clean under the couch cushions!! Maybe I should do that more often?
a Leapster2 Cartridge that was missing for over a week, a wrapper from a mini Hershey bar, a dried noodle, 2 combs, 36 cents, the "stick" for a triangle, Ariel's bikini top (or "breasts" according to Caitlin), and a crayon!
Why yes. I did clean under the couch cushions!! Maybe I should do that more often?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Be an ORGAN DONOR
Each day, about 77 people receive organ transplants. However, 19 people die each day waiting for transplants that can't take place because of the shortage of donated organs.
If you're not already registered as a donor, please consider it! I have been reading about the absolutely tragic story of a 25 year old girl from Canada named Eva Markvoort. She has cystic fibrosis and is in need of a 2nd double lung transplant. Her situation is dire as she has only been given days to live. Made me think of our kids...no parent ever wants to go through watching their child die. Maybe situations like these can be avoided if we all signed up to donate our organs? I put a link on our blog if you want to check it out...Thanks!
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Big Game
Unfortunately the Boilers came out on the losing end, but we all had a blast. Both kiddos fell asleep on the way up there so we had a meltdown free experience!
At first it was a little overwhelming for Austin. His initial reaction when attending games is classic...he gets VERY serious & if you talk to him or touch him, LOOK OUT! He doesn't want to be disturbed while taking it all in! Yesterday we were fortunate enough to have GREAT seats (3 rows behind Boiler bench) and a Big Ten guy came over with the game ball asking Austin if he wanted to scuff it up a bit. Austin stared straight ahead and shook his head "no". UNHEARD OF for him to EVER turn down a basketball!!! :)
After awhile he got into it. Mostly asking Ryan lots of questions and enjoying the atmosphere. Of course, Caitlin was loving the cheerleaders! She got some black & gold pom-poms and chose a foam finger for Austin.
When the game ended we decided to stop for dinner before heading back home. We ended up at "Peppers" again!!! LOL!
Hope to get some pictures up ASAP.
At first it was a little overwhelming for Austin. His initial reaction when attending games is classic...he gets VERY serious & if you talk to him or touch him, LOOK OUT! He doesn't want to be disturbed while taking it all in! Yesterday we were fortunate enough to have GREAT seats (3 rows behind Boiler bench) and a Big Ten guy came over with the game ball asking Austin if he wanted to scuff it up a bit. Austin stared straight ahead and shook his head "no". UNHEARD OF for him to EVER turn down a basketball!!! :)
After awhile he got into it. Mostly asking Ryan lots of questions and enjoying the atmosphere. Of course, Caitlin was loving the cheerleaders! She got some black & gold pom-poms and chose a foam finger for Austin.
When the game ended we decided to stop for dinner before heading back home. We ended up at "Peppers" again!!! LOL!
Hope to get some pictures up ASAP.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
BOILER UP!!!
HOORAY! Today we are taking the kids to their very first Purdue game! I am excited to head back to my old stomping grounds to cheer on the Boilers (they are going all the way this year baby!)
I plan on taking lots of pictures so hope to post them later tonight or tomorrow!
Go Boilers!
I plan on taking lots of pictures so hope to post them later tonight or tomorrow!
Go Boilers!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Bonus Days!
We have been so lucky this week to have Ryan home for an extended time. He was supposed to have 2 trips but they were both cancelled! It has been great to reconnect as a family.
Yesterday was a go-go-go kind of day. We had ballet in the morning. Caitlin is really catching on and loves it so much. They are hard at work practicing their routines for the recital. Are you going to come see it? Our little ballerina would LOVE a cheering section! Then, it was back home for some lunch before we headed to basketball. Austin had his first win in "dribble tag" and he was soooooooo excited!!! He also did a great job dribbling around cones and was making baskets left and right. His favorite thing is defense though. My gosh...he puts some serious pressure on the opponent!
We got home around 3:00 and the kids were ready for a snack and a show. Austin stretched out on the couch to read his program from the previous night's Pacers game & fell asleep! A good thing...he doesn't really do too well without a nap. While the kids chilled, I got ready for my big date with my hubby. Yes, we had a date!!!! :)
Aunt Bubbles came to watch the kids (and get them good and tired). Ryan and I went to a benefit for a great organization called World Next Door (click on the link on the right and check it out). It was in a cool office space downtown. We had SUCH a great time...great people, great atmosphere, DELICIOUS food & mixed juices. We wandered around and enjoyed the beautiful photos from around the world, watched an amazing video about a little boy in Ukraine, and took part in our first silent auction. We bid on 2 items and won one...a gift certificate to The Jazz Kitchen -- OH YEAH, another date night for mommy & daddy! :)
Right now the kids are in the basement playing basketball and watching Snow White. Can you guess who is doing what?!?!
Yesterday was a go-go-go kind of day. We had ballet in the morning. Caitlin is really catching on and loves it so much. They are hard at work practicing their routines for the recital. Are you going to come see it? Our little ballerina would LOVE a cheering section! Then, it was back home for some lunch before we headed to basketball. Austin had his first win in "dribble tag" and he was soooooooo excited!!! He also did a great job dribbling around cones and was making baskets left and right. His favorite thing is defense though. My gosh...he puts some serious pressure on the opponent!
We got home around 3:00 and the kids were ready for a snack and a show. Austin stretched out on the couch to read his program from the previous night's Pacers game & fell asleep! A good thing...he doesn't really do too well without a nap. While the kids chilled, I got ready for my big date with my hubby. Yes, we had a date!!!! :)
Aunt Bubbles came to watch the kids (and get them good and tired). Ryan and I went to a benefit for a great organization called World Next Door (click on the link on the right and check it out). It was in a cool office space downtown. We had SUCH a great time...great people, great atmosphere, DELICIOUS food & mixed juices. We wandered around and enjoyed the beautiful photos from around the world, watched an amazing video about a little boy in Ukraine, and took part in our first silent auction. We bid on 2 items and won one...a gift certificate to The Jazz Kitchen -- OH YEAH, another date night for mommy & daddy! :)
Right now the kids are in the basement playing basketball and watching Snow White. Can you guess who is doing what?!?!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Family Time
Yesterday was such a great day! The kids were soooooo excited to see Ryan when they woke up in the morning! Austin ran down the hall shouting, "Daddy's home! Daddy's home!" We took them to school and Ryan and I were able to have a couple hours to go out for breakfast and run errands which was nice. After school we headed home where the kids actually had a NAP!!! Unfortunately, so did I! After naps we picked up Ry's car from the dealership and then went out for dinner and Dairy Queen. When we got home we turned on the Olympics and snuggled in our bed - Caitlin even enjoyed watching because of the figure skating. Austin was loving the bobsled & ski cross. Ry took a short nap.
*We were trying to figure out where to go for dinner...Caitlin's choice was "Rockin' Robin" but we couldn't go there because it was Tuesday and that's one of the days that the "big bird" is there and Austin "doesn't like that big biwd." Austin said, "Let's go to "Peppers"...I like their tortilla chips." We had to think a minute...Peppers? OH YES...CHILI'S! They have the pepper out front. Ry & I found that quite hysterical!
*At dinner Austin & Caitlin decided they wanted to sit together and Mommy & Daddy would sit together on the other side of the booth. We weren't too sure how that would go, but gave it a try. Oh my gosh!!! They were sooooooooo well behaved! It was awesome.
*Caitlin was watching "The Little Mermaid" and said, "If Austin ever watched this movie, he would like it." For some reason he wants nothing to do with it!
*Both kids have been taking there stuffed Eiffel Towers all over the place. They LOVE those things!!! Caitlin was trying to harass Austin & told him they weren't Eiffel Towers...they were "candy corns with legs".
*In addition to the "Invisible Nuggets", Austin also plays basketball against "The Jammers" and "The Stars". He made those up on his own! Whatever team he is playing for is always "the best"!
*During Austin's "big game" in the basement, Caitlin does a nice drum roll and announces, "Hey everybody, it's time for HALF TIME!!!"
*Also, before bath the other day, Austin put his clean undies on his head and was pretending to be a superhero. I said, "Ok, Captain Underpants..." Then he started charging around the room shouting, "Captain Underpants to the rescue!"
*If you say something that Austin deems slightly embarrassing he'll say, "Oh shugs!" Which is "oh shucks!"
*Caitlin is the snuggliest little thing but she is also the wiggliest little girl in the entire world! She will dig her toes and elbows into you as she shifts around and around.
*Austin spends most of the day "playing defense" on everyone in our family, including Hoops! It can get completely annoying!!! So when Caitlin has had enough she yells, "Austin, STOP defensing me!"
*The kids and Ryan were in the basement yesterday watching "This is It"...great.
Hoping to post more later...
*We were trying to figure out where to go for dinner...Caitlin's choice was "Rockin' Robin" but we couldn't go there because it was Tuesday and that's one of the days that the "big bird" is there and Austin "doesn't like that big biwd." Austin said, "Let's go to "Peppers"...I like their tortilla chips." We had to think a minute...Peppers? OH YES...CHILI'S! They have the pepper out front. Ry & I found that quite hysterical!
*At dinner Austin & Caitlin decided they wanted to sit together and Mommy & Daddy would sit together on the other side of the booth. We weren't too sure how that would go, but gave it a try. Oh my gosh!!! They were sooooooooo well behaved! It was awesome.
*Caitlin was watching "The Little Mermaid" and said, "If Austin ever watched this movie, he would like it." For some reason he wants nothing to do with it!
*Both kids have been taking there stuffed Eiffel Towers all over the place. They LOVE those things!!! Caitlin was trying to harass Austin & told him they weren't Eiffel Towers...they were "candy corns with legs".
*In addition to the "Invisible Nuggets", Austin also plays basketball against "The Jammers" and "The Stars". He made those up on his own! Whatever team he is playing for is always "the best"!
*During Austin's "big game" in the basement, Caitlin does a nice drum roll and announces, "Hey everybody, it's time for HALF TIME!!!"
*Also, before bath the other day, Austin put his clean undies on his head and was pretending to be a superhero. I said, "Ok, Captain Underpants..." Then he started charging around the room shouting, "Captain Underpants to the rescue!"
*If you say something that Austin deems slightly embarrassing he'll say, "Oh shugs!" Which is "oh shucks!"
*Caitlin is the snuggliest little thing but she is also the wiggliest little girl in the entire world! She will dig her toes and elbows into you as she shifts around and around.
*Austin spends most of the day "playing defense" on everyone in our family, including Hoops! It can get completely annoying!!! So when Caitlin has had enough she yells, "Austin, STOP defensing me!"
*The kids and Ryan were in the basement yesterday watching "This is It"...great.
Hoping to post more later...
Monday, February 22, 2010
Just Seen...
Caitlin and Austin playing nicely on the living room floor. They are getting Tiana, Sleeping Beauty, Prince Naveen, & Prince Phillip ready for the ball. "Mr. The King" (what Caitlin calls him - hilarious!), the race car must stay asleep in his trailer because he is "sick & groggy" (says Austin). The princesses say, "That's okay because we have to get our dresses on anyway." It is cute to watch them and listen to the fun things they come up with!
We went to speech this morning and Austin had no errors or dysfluencies. So it is looking like maybe we could be done with speech soon. I give 99.9% of the credit to Ms. Katy, his speech teacher from last year. She had a great rapport with him and did an awesome job during one-to-one sessions. We saw remarkable improvements. If we would have only gone with the public school services, I don't think that would have happened. HOORAY for Austin!!!!
Big cleaning day today. Lots of toys to put away...didn't get done last night because it was meltdown city around here!!!!!!! Thankfully we had only one minor incident of night waking at around 4:30 but both kids quickly went back to sleep. Austin woke up around 7:00 and Caitlin slept until close to 8:00! Ah, looks like the girls are the sleepers in this house! :)
We went to speech this morning and Austin had no errors or dysfluencies. So it is looking like maybe we could be done with speech soon. I give 99.9% of the credit to Ms. Katy, his speech teacher from last year. She had a great rapport with him and did an awesome job during one-to-one sessions. We saw remarkable improvements. If we would have only gone with the public school services, I don't think that would have happened. HOORAY for Austin!!!!
Big cleaning day today. Lots of toys to put away...didn't get done last night because it was meltdown city around here!!!!!!! Thankfully we had only one minor incident of night waking at around 4:30 but both kids quickly went back to sleep. Austin woke up around 7:00 and Caitlin slept until close to 8:00! Ah, looks like the girls are the sleepers in this house! :)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Just Remembered This...
On Groundhog Day Caitlin & Austin came home from school and kept saying, "The hedgehog saw his shadow! Happy Hedgehog Day!" So funny!!!
No Italy stop for Ryan so we get him back late tomorrow night. HOORAY!!!!!!!!! Good thing we have Skype!
No Italy stop for Ryan so we get him back late tomorrow night. HOORAY!!!!!!!!! Good thing we have Skype!
A Visit with "Baby" Ethan
Baby Ethan is not a baby anymore but the kids still love calling him that! Yesterday we had a visit from Ethan, Aunt Courtney, Grandma Junior, & Great Grandma. The kiddos had sooooo much fun running around with Ethan and trying to figure out what he was saying. He was very cute - trying to talk and just going on and on. They all had a good time and the kids were soooooo tired after they left. Hardly any bedtime nonsense.
Austin has been playing with his new "The King" hauler and car constantly. He hasn't let go of it yet this morning and even snuck downstairs to get it when he woke up at 3:30! He hooked Caitlin up by bringing up her new Tiana doll and pony for her to play with as well.
We are having a low key day today. I have a ton of laundry to do and we are all kind of "blah" this morning. Maybe later it will get more exciting...we'll have some basement time or something.
Ryan is enjoying Spain. He says it is beautiful! He may be extending his trip a little with a stop in Italy but that isn't confirmed yet. If not, he'll be home tomorrow. Kind of a whirlwind.
Austin has been playing with his new "The King" hauler and car constantly. He hasn't let go of it yet this morning and even snuck downstairs to get it when he woke up at 3:30! He hooked Caitlin up by bringing up her new Tiana doll and pony for her to play with as well.
We are having a low key day today. I have a ton of laundry to do and we are all kind of "blah" this morning. Maybe later it will get more exciting...we'll have some basement time or something.
Ryan is enjoying Spain. He says it is beautiful! He may be extending his trip a little with a stop in Italy but that isn't confirmed yet. If not, he'll be home tomorrow. Kind of a whirlwind.
Classics
*Yesterday, before bath, Austin & Caitlin decided to keep themselves amused by poking out their stomachs and doing "tummy bumps". They were laughing so hard while they did it too. Very cute.
*Our cat eats curling ribbon so having helium balloons is always a risk around here. The kids each got a balloon for Valentine's Day & despite our best efforts, the cat got to the ribbon! So Austin went into his room the other day to change and yelled down, "Mommy! The cat "frowed up" in my room two times and it's DISGUSTING!"
*Last night was a rough one! The kids woke up at 3:30 and didn't fall back asleep until about 6:00!!! WHY OH WHY do they do this???? They woke up again at about 8:00. When we came down I discovered that Austin got into the chocolates that Grandma Junior brought him. Caitlin ratted him out! Candy wrappers all over the table. Whoops! Should have put it up higher. Now I know.
*Caitlin HATES bugs (she's STILL talking about when she discovered a dead bee in her watering can last July!) She found a spider in the basement and called out, "Austin will you come dead this spider for
me?"
*Austin told me, "I made a valentine for Caitlin. That's how much I love her."
*Our cat eats curling ribbon so having helium balloons is always a risk around here. The kids each got a balloon for Valentine's Day & despite our best efforts, the cat got to the ribbon! So Austin went into his room the other day to change and yelled down, "Mommy! The cat "frowed up" in my room two times and it's DISGUSTING!"
*Last night was a rough one! The kids woke up at 3:30 and didn't fall back asleep until about 6:00!!! WHY OH WHY do they do this???? They woke up again at about 8:00. When we came down I discovered that Austin got into the chocolates that Grandma Junior brought him. Caitlin ratted him out! Candy wrappers all over the table. Whoops! Should have put it up higher. Now I know.
*Caitlin HATES bugs (she's STILL talking about when she discovered a dead bee in her watering can last July!) She found a spider in the basement and called out, "Austin will you come dead this spider for
me?"
*Austin told me, "I made a valentine for Caitlin. That's how much I love her."
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Bedtime Tonight...
I knew it would be a struggle...I just extracted the little man from the party room. He was once again being concealed under the comforter by his little sister. When I pulled the covers away Caitlin says, "Mom, how do you always find him?" HILARIOUS!!!!!!! Then Austin looks up at me and says, "Oh Mom." Like, "Dang. You caught me again."
Funny Thoughts from A&C...
*Austin is playing his "big game" (bball, of course) in the basement against the "Invisible Nuggets". Where does he come up with this stuff?
*The kids love playing with their pirate toys in the bathtub. They call the parrot, "Polly the Cracker" which I find hilarious!
*Austin enjoys the Olympics...he watched snowboarding with me today and I showed him Shaun White's run on-line. He loved how high he flew into the sky!
*Yesterday Caitlin was having so much fun playing in the basement that she had a minor accident. She came upstairs and informed me, "I waited and tinkled a little bit in my underpants. Sorry, but that's okay." Good thing we were heading up for a bath anyway!
*Caitlin's room is the late night "I'm not ready to fall asleep" hangout. The kids really aren't that rowdy...they just snuggle in bed and read books or play with little toys. Last night at about 10:00 p.m. I walked in to find an interesting sight...Caitlin was lounging in bed but she wasn't alone. Oh no...they had a baby carriage & baby swing with the babies buckled in ON TOP of her bed. Also, she was looking rather suspicious with her arm up by her head but still resting on something under the covers. Yep, it was Austin. They had covered him up in an attempt to fool mom. I pulled the covers back and ushered Austin back to bed where, FINALLY, he fell asleep! Nice try kids - score one for the parents!
More later...and in case you were wondering...Ry has heat in his hotel room now and should be sleeping snugly & soundly. HOORAY!
Euro Ry
Ryan is in Serbia...sounds like a very interesting place. He has been telling me some pretty funny tales! He gave me a run down of the menu in business class and the amenities he enjoyed...I loved hearing about the layover in the Paris airport and he picked up some souvenirs for us. Yesterday he had an entire day in Belgrade and was shown around by a local who has been helping him out. He says everybody smokes and has even sent photographic evidence. :) Even has a headache today because of it. This morning Dragan (his Serbian tour guide) drove him through rural Serbia to get to a place called Nis to watch some bball. Ryan will stay overnight in a hotel with no heat - in the middle of winter. He says he has 2 blankets so should be okay...nevertheless I worry. My honey is cold and I am far away. :( I think he is getting a ride back to Belgrade tomorrow though. Then Saturday morning it is on to Bilbao, Spain - Basque country. Fingers crossed that he can beat the snow storm that is heading here the same day his flight arrives back home on Monday!!!
The kids have been so good! They got to Skype daddy yesterday morning and see his hotel room in "Servia" (per Austin). They were so excited to see their little Eiffel Towers from France too. They were very good helpers around the house too...cleaning the basement and living room and putting away their laundry. Today they had school and are now napping (which means a laaaaate night). Hopefully they will run around in the newly cleaned basement and tire themselves out!
Gramma Junior, Great Gramma, Aunt Courtney, & Baby Ethan are coming for a visit on Saturday and I've got some preparations to get underway.
The kids have been so good! They got to Skype daddy yesterday morning and see his hotel room in "Servia" (per Austin). They were so excited to see their little Eiffel Towers from France too. They were very good helpers around the house too...cleaning the basement and living room and putting away their laundry. Today they had school and are now napping (which means a laaaaate night). Hopefully they will run around in the newly cleaned basement and tire themselves out!
Gramma Junior, Great Gramma, Aunt Courtney, & Baby Ethan are coming for a visit on Saturday and I've got some preparations to get underway.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day 2010!
Our kids love a good celebration! Valentine's Day was no exception!!!
The day started off with both kids waking me up with homemade valentines that they did all by themselves. It was the sweetest dang thing in the entire world! Then we waited for Daddy to get home from his trip to do presents. Ry flew home from San Francisco on the red eye just to spend v-day with us! He got home and the kids presented him with his gifts & cards. Then they got to open the first round of treats (a Tag book, an outfit, & some chocolates for each). THEN, they gave each other gifts that they didn't even know they bought! Austin said, "Happy Valentine's Day Cait-lin!" and gave her a little Snow White doll to replace one that got broken when they were fighting one day! Caitlin was pumped. She then gave Austin his with a cheerful, "Happy Valentine's Day!". Austin was thrilled that it was a new Bakugan (in his words, "baa-kee-gahn).
Later in the afternoon the doorbell rang. Did I ever mention that they LOVE getting deliveries? Well, it was the florist with the motherload! Caitlin got a rose in a vase with a balloon attached...she was so sweet and couldn't wait to put it on her dresser! Austin got a cute monkey with a balloon attached. He loved that the monkey made noise & lit up. Mommy got a dozen long stemmed red roses that looked & smelled beautiful.
After all the excitement, 3 of the valentines had a nap. One valentine stayed awake and cleaned the house.
After naps, Daddy and the kids made dessert for our "special Valentine's dinner in the dining room". They made a heart shaped chocolate cake with buttercream icing. YUMMY! They did a great job and it was very cute to watch how happy they were to cook with daddy!
Then I got to work prepping dinner. It was not one of my finer meals. I tried new recipes in an attempt to be healthier. Should have gone with my gut and used Ryan's mom's lasagna recipe! Ah, next year... This time we choked down overly marinated flank steak and homemade skinny scalloped potatoes with a freaky texture. The best part of the meal was the fresh steamed broccoli and the cake. :)
Post dinner there was one more surprise for the kids. A recordable storybook from Hallmark that has a recording of Daddy reading the pages. Now he can "read" to them even when he is on a trip! At first Austin plugged his ears saying it was "too loud" but pretty soon he was sitting there fixated on it.
Soooo, that was the Carr Family Valentine's celebration. Definitely memorable.
Right now we are having a lovely snow storm. Also it was the first time in weeks Austin was able to go to speech (finally we are all healthy). So Ryan took him to the school. He called me & said the parking lot was completely empty.....well, today is President's Day and there's no school! Whoopsie!
Tomorrow Ryan will get to go on his first overseas trip for the Pacers...Belgrade, Serbia & Bilbao, Spain. I am mostly jealous of his layover in Paris. Nevermind he won't be able to even leave the airport, but he'll be on French soil! :) I pray he returns safe and enjoys this new experience. It's pretty dang exciting.
Well, it's naptime for the munchkins! And I have to watch the Olympics while folding laundry! :)
The day started off with both kids waking me up with homemade valentines that they did all by themselves. It was the sweetest dang thing in the entire world! Then we waited for Daddy to get home from his trip to do presents. Ry flew home from San Francisco on the red eye just to spend v-day with us! He got home and the kids presented him with his gifts & cards. Then they got to open the first round of treats (a Tag book, an outfit, & some chocolates for each). THEN, they gave each other gifts that they didn't even know they bought! Austin said, "Happy Valentine's Day Cait-lin!" and gave her a little Snow White doll to replace one that got broken when they were fighting one day! Caitlin was pumped. She then gave Austin his with a cheerful, "Happy Valentine's Day!". Austin was thrilled that it was a new Bakugan (in his words, "baa-kee-gahn).
Later in the afternoon the doorbell rang. Did I ever mention that they LOVE getting deliveries? Well, it was the florist with the motherload! Caitlin got a rose in a vase with a balloon attached...she was so sweet and couldn't wait to put it on her dresser! Austin got a cute monkey with a balloon attached. He loved that the monkey made noise & lit up. Mommy got a dozen long stemmed red roses that looked & smelled beautiful.
After all the excitement, 3 of the valentines had a nap. One valentine stayed awake and cleaned the house.
After naps, Daddy and the kids made dessert for our "special Valentine's dinner in the dining room". They made a heart shaped chocolate cake with buttercream icing. YUMMY! They did a great job and it was very cute to watch how happy they were to cook with daddy!
Then I got to work prepping dinner. It was not one of my finer meals. I tried new recipes in an attempt to be healthier. Should have gone with my gut and used Ryan's mom's lasagna recipe! Ah, next year... This time we choked down overly marinated flank steak and homemade skinny scalloped potatoes with a freaky texture. The best part of the meal was the fresh steamed broccoli and the cake. :)
Post dinner there was one more surprise for the kids. A recordable storybook from Hallmark that has a recording of Daddy reading the pages. Now he can "read" to them even when he is on a trip! At first Austin plugged his ears saying it was "too loud" but pretty soon he was sitting there fixated on it.
Soooo, that was the Carr Family Valentine's celebration. Definitely memorable.
Right now we are having a lovely snow storm. Also it was the first time in weeks Austin was able to go to speech (finally we are all healthy). So Ryan took him to the school. He called me & said the parking lot was completely empty.....well, today is President's Day and there's no school! Whoopsie!
Tomorrow Ryan will get to go on his first overseas trip for the Pacers...Belgrade, Serbia & Bilbao, Spain. I am mostly jealous of his layover in Paris. Nevermind he won't be able to even leave the airport, but he'll be on French soil! :) I pray he returns safe and enjoys this new experience. It's pretty dang exciting.
Well, it's naptime for the munchkins! And I have to watch the Olympics while folding laundry! :)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Out of the Mouths of Babes....
* The worst insult you can receive from our kids is to be called a "gussie"! No idea what it means but the manner of delivery is unmistakable!
* Austin asked "Why does all the angels always wear sandals?" :)
* Another question Austin asks..."Does God do flips on the clouds?" Visualize that for a little giggle!
* At prayer time Caitlin always makes sure to say, "And Jesus, I hope you had a nice birthday."
* Caitlin has definitely captured her brother's heart...for the past few nights I have had to move him back to his bed because he sneaks into her room and spoons her while she is sleeping. I call him the "Phantom Spooner" - it is completely adorable!
* I checked in on Caitlin the other night when she was supposed to be asleep...instead she had her jewelry box in her bed and was decked out in all her sparkly jewelry looking in the little mirror!
* Austin's favorite show is "Dinosaur Train" - this means that the kids have become quite the little paleontologists! At Dinosphere in the Children's Museum, Austin shouted out, "That's a stygymoloch!" Ryan and I were like, "A WHAT?!?!" Sure enough that's what it was...Austin pointed out that he knew because it had little horns on it's head.
Okay I should go. We are having a snuggle on the couch before we go get them a surprise for behaving so nicely...a new dvd for movie night tonight. They will be excited.
* Austin asked "Why does all the angels always wear sandals?" :)
* Another question Austin asks..."Does God do flips on the clouds?" Visualize that for a little giggle!
* At prayer time Caitlin always makes sure to say, "And Jesus, I hope you had a nice birthday."
* Caitlin has definitely captured her brother's heart...for the past few nights I have had to move him back to his bed because he sneaks into her room and spoons her while she is sleeping. I call him the "Phantom Spooner" - it is completely adorable!
* I checked in on Caitlin the other night when she was supposed to be asleep...instead she had her jewelry box in her bed and was decked out in all her sparkly jewelry looking in the little mirror!
* Austin's favorite show is "Dinosaur Train" - this means that the kids have become quite the little paleontologists! At Dinosphere in the Children's Museum, Austin shouted out, "That's a stygymoloch!" Ryan and I were like, "A WHAT?!?!" Sure enough that's what it was...Austin pointed out that he knew because it had little horns on it's head.
Okay I should go. We are having a snuggle on the couch before we go get them a surprise for behaving so nicely...a new dvd for movie night tonight. They will be excited.
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Winter Blues...
Well, for the past 3 weeks or so someone has been sick around here. This time it started with Austin, then Caitlin, now me. Ryan has lucked out so far. Serious congestion, coughs, and crankiness from lack of sleep. We are hoping this will pass...SOON!
We haven't done much of anything. The kids have missed some school and activities which is no fun. We are getting cabin fever. One thing they have been doing is practicing addition on these little laptops my grandma gave them for Christmas. They love calling out, "What's __ plus ___?" and they both know that 1+1=2. Call me biased but I find that kind of impressive at 4 and a half. They have also been playing games on nickjr.com - they can pretty much do it all on their own after I start internet explorer and get to the website for them. Caitlin can be a little "computer hog" so we've gone to setting a timer to indicate when each turn is over. So far, so good with that method.
Also a couple weeks ago they were on a kick of wanting to make Valentines. So we did. They had free reign of all the craft supplies: construction paper, glue, scissors, glitter, sequins, markers, crayons, etc. They loved it! It was very cute to watch and very time consuming to clean up! :)
It is remarkable to me how aware of the world they are too. They know that there are sick people in Africa, the "earth rumbled" in Haiti, and that a missionary is someone who tells others about Jesus. Their minds are little sponges about everything: fun stuff, educational things, and miscellaneous off-the-wall stuff that they dream up!
Some people have asked if they are going to Kindergarten next year...so here's the answer...While they will be eligible to go, we have decided to wait until the Fall after their 6th birthday. They will still attend preschool and they've got their teacher mommy at home with them so we are very comfortable with our decision.
Not sure if I already blogged this, but a few weeks ago we had a large snowfall and they kids got to go sledding. Oh my gosh!!! After a few times down with Aunt Bubbles & Uncle John, they were asking to go down the HUGE hill with them (they did & loved it) and then they went down the small hill on their own. They had SUCH a blast and can't wait until we get more snow. At some point I'd like for us all to learn how to ski -- that always looked fun to me. The next winter activity they want to try is ice skating. We'll see...
Okay, gotta go take a nap (all of us!). More updates to come...
P.S. - Go Colts!!! :)
We haven't done much of anything. The kids have missed some school and activities which is no fun. We are getting cabin fever. One thing they have been doing is practicing addition on these little laptops my grandma gave them for Christmas. They love calling out, "What's __ plus ___?" and they both know that 1+1=2. Call me biased but I find that kind of impressive at 4 and a half. They have also been playing games on nickjr.com - they can pretty much do it all on their own after I start internet explorer and get to the website for them. Caitlin can be a little "computer hog" so we've gone to setting a timer to indicate when each turn is over. So far, so good with that method.
Also a couple weeks ago they were on a kick of wanting to make Valentines. So we did. They had free reign of all the craft supplies: construction paper, glue, scissors, glitter, sequins, markers, crayons, etc. They loved it! It was very cute to watch and very time consuming to clean up! :)
It is remarkable to me how aware of the world they are too. They know that there are sick people in Africa, the "earth rumbled" in Haiti, and that a missionary is someone who tells others about Jesus. Their minds are little sponges about everything: fun stuff, educational things, and miscellaneous off-the-wall stuff that they dream up!
Some people have asked if they are going to Kindergarten next year...so here's the answer...While they will be eligible to go, we have decided to wait until the Fall after their 6th birthday. They will still attend preschool and they've got their teacher mommy at home with them so we are very comfortable with our decision.
Not sure if I already blogged this, but a few weeks ago we had a large snowfall and they kids got to go sledding. Oh my gosh!!! After a few times down with Aunt Bubbles & Uncle John, they were asking to go down the HUGE hill with them (they did & loved it) and then they went down the small hill on their own. They had SUCH a blast and can't wait until we get more snow. At some point I'd like for us all to learn how to ski -- that always looked fun to me. The next winter activity they want to try is ice skating. We'll see...
Okay, gotta go take a nap (all of us!). More updates to come...
P.S. - Go Colts!!! :)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
How to Outsmart Your Preschooler...
First, when asked your opinion by a 4 year old, ALWAYS choose the OPPOSITE of what you want them to choose! For example, if your little girl asks, "Mommy should I choose the shark or the bunny "knife" for my peanut butter?" Mommy should reply, "Oh, I would DEFINITELY choose the shark!" Of course, your little girl's natural response would be, "Great. I think I will choose the bunny." Mission accomplished. :)
Second, if you want your preschooler to go potty because he's doing the "pee pee dance" and insists he DOESN'T have to use the potty...just announce loudly, "WHEW! I REALLY have to go potty...RIGHT NOW!" Then, sit back and enjoy him racing to beat you into the bathroom! This is a hypothetical situation of course. My son would NEVER hold his "tinks"in until he is completely irritable and irrational. Uh uh. No way.
It's a sad day when I'm feeling proud that I've "outsmarted" our 4.5 year olds!!! ;)
Second, if you want your preschooler to go potty because he's doing the "pee pee dance" and insists he DOESN'T have to use the potty...just announce loudly, "WHEW! I REALLY have to go potty...RIGHT NOW!" Then, sit back and enjoy him racing to beat you into the bathroom! This is a hypothetical situation of course. My son would NEVER hold his "tinks"in until he is completely irritable and irrational. Uh uh. No way.
It's a sad day when I'm feeling proud that I've "outsmarted" our 4.5 year olds!!! ;)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Haiti
Well, I haven't been able to get these images out of my head. I even switched from FoxNews to CNN (not permanently!). The most horrific thing I keep replaying in my mind is a video of a DUMP TRUCK full of dead people being dumped into a huge mass grave. WOW. Those people were all loved by someone - maybe someone still searching for them. Not only were they robbed of life, but of a proper burial.
The devastation is unreal and it boggles my mind that it is almost a week later and where is the help??? Hospitals? Food? Water? It also hits me because the son of one of our friends recently went to Haiti and wrote about it on his web magazine. There were pictures of children at one of the orphanages. They were the most beautiful little kids and his story about them, ah, very poignant. In church over the weekend he reminded us of the poverty he saw BEFORE the quake & contrasted it with the current conditions there...he said they went from no clean water to NO WATER, no good food to NO FOOD, no good houses to NO HOUSES. Can you imagine living like that? My heart breaks thinking about Austin and Caitlin going through something like that...ugh.
Sorry for the downer post but I had to let it out. If you are able, please donate to a reputable organization that will provide aid to the Haitians. Something we all can do is simple pray for those effected by the earthquake; for the doctors and first responders; the governments of the world to use their resources wisely, responsibly, & expeditiously; and the church to be a beacon of help and hope to the people devastated by this disaster. To quote our pastor, "We (the church) are 'Plan A'. There is no other plan."
The devastation is unreal and it boggles my mind that it is almost a week later and where is the help??? Hospitals? Food? Water? It also hits me because the son of one of our friends recently went to Haiti and wrote about it on his web magazine. There were pictures of children at one of the orphanages. They were the most beautiful little kids and his story about them, ah, very poignant. In church over the weekend he reminded us of the poverty he saw BEFORE the quake & contrasted it with the current conditions there...he said they went from no clean water to NO WATER, no good food to NO FOOD, no good houses to NO HOUSES. Can you imagine living like that? My heart breaks thinking about Austin and Caitlin going through something like that...ugh.
Sorry for the downer post but I had to let it out. If you are able, please donate to a reputable organization that will provide aid to the Haitians. Something we all can do is simple pray for those effected by the earthquake; for the doctors and first responders; the governments of the world to use their resources wisely, responsibly, & expeditiously; and the church to be a beacon of help and hope to the people devastated by this disaster. To quote our pastor, "We (the church) are 'Plan A'. There is no other plan."
Monday, January 4, 2010
sorry
trying to figure out fonts/new template to freshen the blog up a little...bear with me. thanks!!!
Comedic Quotes
Oh my! Each day I get at least one gem of a comment from each kiddo. They definitely keep me laughing!!! Here are some classics - hope you enjoy...
* Caitlin calls Hot Wheels "Cartwheels"!
* Austin said, "I don't like Princess movies! They're gross!" when I told him we were going to see the Princess & the Frog on Saturday. Caitlin replied, "Sometimes you have to try new things, Buddy."
* Caitlin: "Deck the halls with tons of holly, falalalalalala". Austin loves to sing "jingle bells" only the chorus though!
* Austin (playing with train table): "Santa makes the best train sets EVER!!!"
* "What do you want to be when you grow up?" For weeks, Caitlin's answer? "A mermaid." Until the day she asked, "How do mermaids go potty?" Our answer? "Um, we're not sure..." Ask her what she wants to be now...she'll tell you "A artist!" :)
Wonder what they'll come up with today? :)
Friday, January 1, 2010
NOON YEAR'S EVE
That's how we do it...Preschool style!
I took the kids to Party Tree and they were so adorable choosing the hats and horns for their friends. We also picked up some leis and streamers. Austin loved his hat so much he wore it around the store! They each had their own little cart and were so well behaved! It was a fun experience that I look forward to repeating!
Several friends from Austin & Caitlin's preschool came to celebrate with us and it was a blast! We had little snacks, 2010 cupcakes and sparkling berry lemonade. And they loved their goody bags with their celebration supplies. At noon we counted it down and let me tell you...NOTHING cuter than 9 preschoolers shouting "Happy New Year!" and trying to figure out how streamers work! :)
After everyone left the kids napped, I straightened up & did some laundry and then we just chilled for the rest of the night. The kids played their Leapster 2's and then we ordered pizza. Caitlin polished off 2 slices (minus the crust). She is the best eater!
Today Ryan is back...but he leaves tomorrow. Next week should be better. We are just going to enjoy the time we have.
This year we borrowed an idea from the Children's Museum and celebrated the New Year at NOON!
I took the kids to Party Tree and they were so adorable choosing the hats and horns for their friends. We also picked up some leis and streamers. Austin loved his hat so much he wore it around the store! They each had their own little cart and were so well behaved! It was a fun experience that I look forward to repeating!
Several friends from Austin & Caitlin's preschool came to celebrate with us and it was a blast! We had little snacks, 2010 cupcakes and sparkling berry lemonade. And they loved their goody bags with their celebration supplies. At noon we counted it down and let me tell you...NOTHING cuter than 9 preschoolers shouting "Happy New Year!" and trying to figure out how streamers work! :)
After everyone left the kids napped, I straightened up & did some laundry and then we just chilled for the rest of the night. The kids played their Leapster 2's and then we ordered pizza. Caitlin polished off 2 slices (minus the crust). She is the best eater!
The kids talked in their beds until about 10:15 (YIKES) and I managed to stay up to watch the ball drop. BTW, what was J-Lo wearing!? Then I fell fast asleep and awoke this morning with 2 little snugglers! Happy New Year to me!
Today Ryan is back...but he leaves tomorrow. Next week should be better. We are just going to enjoy the time we have.
Happy 2010!
Christmas 2009
Gifts from Santa
We went to church and for the first time since they were 6 months old, attended Christmas service as a family. Usually they go to GKC (childcare/Bible study) but it was not available. They were sooooo good in "mom & dad's worship". We sat in the front row and they listened to the music and colored or played with stickers during the rest of the service. I brought along our secret weapon (just in case)...M&Ms!!! Really there is no way to describe the feeling of happiness and contentment I got when I looked to my right and saw my sweet hubby and our 2 beautiful, precious miracles. God sure knows what he is doing. After the service, "Mr. Dave" (our pastor & friend) invited Austin & Caitlin onto the stage to check out the drums. Yeah, like his coolness factor with our kids needed a boost! They LOVED it!!!
Sprinkling Magic Reindeer Food
Our tradition changed a bit this year as we tried out having our "big feast" on Christmas Eve. Aunt Bubbles (Lynn) & Uncle John joined us for dinner and the extra special sprinkling of the "Magic Reindeer Food" on the front lawn. After they left we got all of Santa's treats ready (chocolate milk, mint chocolate cookies, & snowball cookies) and left some celery for the reindeer along with a note. I've never seen Austin and Caitlin more excited to go to bed. Too bad Christmas Eve is only once a year!
Then the REAL work began...
Santa's main elf spent about 3 hours assembling a train table and some drums. His assistant elf put the stockings together and assembled a Cinderella castle in addition to bringing the remaining presents to the tree for "staging". :)
Finally about 12:30 (or was it 1:30?!), the elves got to sleep.
The kids at 3:30 in the morning!
But wait. There were creatures stirring at 3:30am and there was NO unstirring them!!!! So, yes, we stumbled downstairs to see what Santa had left. Caitlin was slightly overwhelmed and I don't think Austin paid much attention to anything other than the drums. A drum solo in the middle of the night? Check! After about an hour (and a couple Tylenol) we headed back up to bed.
On Christmas morning we opened presents and then added a new tradition...Aunt Bubs and Uncle John came over with breakfast! We enjoyed some yummy crepes, crescents, and an egg/sausage casserole. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! We opened more gifts, watched a parade, and basically just hung out while assembling new toys and trying not to go crazy from the drumming! :)
After all the festivities, Aunt Bubs & Uncle John left and we napped. All of us. I have to say I enjoyed the new traditions...having our "feast" on Christmas Eve made Christmas Day very low key and fun. It's a keeper.
On the 26th, Gramma & Great Gramma came bearing gifts. We visited with them all afternoon and evening after opening presents. The kids were very cute and appreciative of everything. Right down to how good their cousin Mason was at tying the knots in the ribbons that decorated the gifts!
We have been soaking up this 2 week breather from running around to school, speech, ballet, & basketball. It's nice to have lazy cuddle days again.
Ryan's traveling extensively right now so hoping to get pictures up on the blog when he is in town for longer than 12 hours!
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