Running the Race

Encore and Applause

2010-04-03T23:22:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again! Brooklyn's dance competition season has begun. This year, they are doing a jazz dance to a mix of the Flintstones. They have the most adorable animal print costumes,complete with a giant pink sparkly bone in their hair. Their first competition was at Encore. They scored a Gold(one of only 5 that day) and placed 2nd overall in their age category. Brooklyn was so excited! Next, we went to Applause. The girls got a little rattled when the announcer introduced them as the "Cavegirl Cooties" instead of the "Cavegirl Cuties!" They weren't in their starting pose when the music began, but still managed to pull together a High Gold ranking. Brooklyn was quite disappointed that they didn't place. Instead of being defeated, she vowed to practice harder. I just love watching her dance!

2010 Sweetheart Dance

2010-04-03T23:13:00.003-04:00

Brooklyn attended the annual Girl Scout Sweetheart Dance with her Daddy. I'd love to post the absolutely adorable, cherished, scrapbook quality photo of the two of them together...only I don't have one. So, you get the next best thing...Brooklyn and her friend Jamison looking absolutely beautiful. If you are wondering why I have no photo of my daughter and her dad...ask him. I'm pretty sure, though, if they go next year, there will be one of said photos.

Snowed In!

2010-04-03T22:19:00.004-04:00

When we moved into our new house we were certain we had a few months before we had to purchase the necessary lawn equipment that goes with living in the country. Boy, were we wrong. February ended up being the snowiest on record. We never would have survived without our wonderful new neighbors. They took turns plowing/snow throwing/towing us out of our driveway during all of the record snowfalls that occurred this winter. I am so thankful for them! The kids had a great time playing, building, sledding, etc. in the snow. But, by the time March rolled around, Brooklyn said, "I don't want to see even one more snowflake." I agree!

Hitting the Slopes

2010-03-18T07:33:00.003-04:00

My mom offered to watch Issac so we could take the older two kids skiing for the first time. We jumped at the opportunity! We enrolled them in the two hour kids' skiing lessons at Mad River Mountain. It was worth every penny! They taught them how to carry their equipment, put their skis on, how to stop, turn, etc. All of this occurred while Andy and I had some alone time to explore the slopes. It was wonderful! When we picked them up from ski school, they were all smiles! They loved going down the bunny hill and begged for us to take them on a real lift. I was the first to give up! After years of not skiing and birthing three children, I think my feet expanded. My boots were too small and my feet were killing me! Andy took each one down the easiest green we could find while I sat with the other in the lodge. The lift and green trail were a little much for them, but they loved every moment! By the time we got home, they were exhausted. Xavier was asleep on the couch within ten minutes and Brooklyn cuddled up with Grandma. What a great day! Now that we live a mere 15 minutes from Mad River, we have grand plans to visit more frequently. I can't wait!

Happy Birthday Isaac!

2010-03-08T11:36:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Isaac's 2nd birthday with the family on January 16. He received some great gifts and was able to eat his first cake with icing! I'm not sure if he noticed his piece didn't come from the "Melmo" cake but he enjoyed every bite! Grandma made him some rice milk ice cream but he was so full from supper he could hardly stuff in another bite!

2010-03-08T08:17:00.003-05:00

Brooklyn started taking piano lessons in August. Her first recital was in January. She was very excited and nervous. She showed her skills by playing "My Best Friend."

Happy Twenty-Ten! Sort of.

2010-03-08T07:48:00.004-05:00

We rang in the new year with our dear friends, the Marshals. We cooked up the traditional fondue and ate until our bellies were full. The kids played fabulously together, which is no small feat when ages range from 2 to 7. The evening was nearly ruined when the sweet, yet quirky hound we brought home from the humane society confirmed that she was, indeed crazy.
As I've posted before, we adopted a dog and cat from the humane society in early December. The kids were under strict instructions: Do not let the cat out of the basement. Because of my allergies, the cat must stay in the basement or outside. My children are able to follow rules, but I, for some reason, had a brain lapse on New Year's Eve. As I descended into the basement to get a deck of cards for Euchre(my favorite game in the whole world!) Violet popped out to say hello. I scooped her up(I rarely even touch the cat!) and marched upstairs to show off our new friend. As I stood in the kitchen introducing the teenage kitty to our friends I heard a strange sound and saw a blur out of the corner of my left eye. The next few moments were a little surreal as the cat dug all of her claws into my arms and hands and lept onto the kitchen floor. Winnie attacked the cat! She tried to get her while Violet was still in my arms. When the cat tried to escape she chased her into a corner in the kitchen and wrapped her jaws around her belly. Andy jumped on the dog at the same time the cat sunk her claws into Winnie's nose. Winnie let go. The cat took off and ended up under our entertainment center. After we got Winnie corralled, we had to unhook the TV and unload it from the entertainment center in order to get the cat out. Thankfully, the cat was fine and was safely returned to its basement haven. Unfortunately, Winnie was a changed dog. She had some pretty deep scratches on her nose, but that wasn't the problem. She circled the entertainment center, baying almost constantly, looking for the cat. We had to crate her to keep her from obsessing over where the cat used to be. We were a bit distracted for the rest of the evening. Fortunately, the Marshals said they are still willing to be our friends!
The next morning Winnie was still obsessed with finding the cat. As Brooklyn stepped out of the basement, she wondered out loud, "Why is Winnie sniffing me so much?" In the next moment, Winnie bit Brooklyn because she smelled like the cat. That was the end of Winnie's stay with our family. She was crated most of her next few days because the humane society was full. Once there was an opening, we surrendered her to the UCHS. She was a sweet dog that can't be in a house with a cat. So sad, but necessary.

Christmas Morning

2010-02-10T17:05:00.003-05:00

Christmas morning came too early, as usual. The kids were super excited to head downstairs to check out the stash under the tree. We set up our tree in the dining room because, until the Wednesday before Christmas, we had no carpet in the living room. We had the kids trek all of the presents into the living room so we could open comfortably. They had great fun reading all of the labels, especially when we didn't use their names. For example, a Swedish Chef Jibbit was addressed to Sir-Cooks-A-Lot. They laughed at our silliness(like I said in the last post, it was a late night!) Isaac was really into opening presents this year. He put on the new hat and mittens set and modeled for everyone. He was most excited about the new Elmo Duplo set and a box full of 18 different Elmo toys and books. Xavier laughed really hard at his new bear feet slippers, but was most excited about the electronic drum set. I was most excited about the headphone accessory! He has played with it for hours. Brooklyn was happy to receive yet another American Girl doll. Mia joined the line-up in her room. It took all of about 5 minutes for Brooklyn to dive into the book.

Christmas Eve

2010-02-10T16:27:00.003-05:00

Our traditional Christmas Eve includes new, coordinating PJs for the kiddos and a birthday cake. This year we decided to attend the 6:00 service at our church...too bad it started at 6:30! I don't think we've ever been that early to any event! After a wonderful service we headed home to decorate our Happy Birthday Jesus cake. This was the first year Isaac was able to participate. Although he put a few gouges in the cake with his spreader, he did a great job! After some delicious dessert it was off to bed for the young-uns. Andy and I had saved all of the wrapping until Christmas Eve. It was a late night, but we had fun!

Here Comes the Sun

2010-01-20T10:33:00.003-05:00

I took this picture out the back door on December 23rd. This is a regular sight. I am amazed at what I was missing in my subdivision living. The sky is absolutely breathtaking.

Christmas Programs

2010-01-20T10:11:00.003-05:00

Xavier's preschool Christmas program was held on December 10th. The preschool and pre-k kids each perfomed a variety of songs then had a cupcake reception in the gym. It was so cute! I had tears in my eyes watching my adorable little boy concentrate to hard to sing and do the motions to four different songs. I wish, wish, wish I had it on video.

Brooklyn's Christmas program was held on the following Sunday. The second graders at Trinity are required to memorize 16 verses of the Luke 2 Christmas story...in the King James Version! I am amazed at the poise Brooklyn shows on stage(thanks, dance teachers!) The moment the spotlight hits, she drops her shoulders, lifts her chin, and beams. The actual program was, once again, the fifth and sixth grade show...but it didn't bore me to tears this time. Can you find Brooklyn this year? I put in her mall hair and put a GIANT bow on her head. She was pretty easy to spot!

Stockings and Stuff

2010-01-20T09:56:00.003-05:00

We didn't haul out the holly the weekend after Thanksgiving this year. Because of scheduling conflicts our Christmas decorations didn't come out of the boxes until the evening of December 5th...just in time to hang up our stockings! The ornament box was open a total of 30 seconds before the first bulb was broken. I'm not sure which child handed Isaac the breakable ornament, but sadly, it did not survive. Isaac was given the honor of putting the angel atop the tree this year. I am a very bad parent and have no photos of the older two decorating the treee.
The kids enjoyed digging through their stockings. Brooklyn received a pitcher plant and Xavier received a venus fly trap. Most of the morning was spent gathering dead flies from the windowsills to feed the new plants.

We are officially insane...or just plain stupid.

2009-12-30T11:16:00.003-05:00

Brooklyn has been begging for a cat for years. The answer has always been no.
1. I have fairly severe cat allergies
2. I do not like cats
When we moved to the country we were told we would need to get a cat. Otherwise, we would have mice. I let the advice roll off my back until, less than two weeks of living in the house, we found a live mouse in our basement. Andy and I had some discussions about living arrangements, got some advice from some cat owners, and decided to get a cat. It would live in the basement during the winter and outside during the summer.
We drove to the humane society and surprised Brooklyn with the go-ahead to pick any female cat out of the cat room. She was shocked and so excited! She eventually decided on Velma, whose name was quickly changed to Violet. She was litter trained and already spayed. So far, so good with the cat. I haven't had any allergy issues. The kids are doing a great job keeping the litter box clean. She comes running when the kids go to the basement to visit.
After Brooklyn chose her new friend, I had a blue eyed little boy looking very forlorn. "Why does Brooklyn get a pet and I don't?" We had recently toyed with the idea of getting another dog. I adore Ellie. Although she is not one of my children, she is definitely a favored member of the family. She is my therapy dog. Truthfully, though, she will be 10 in April. She is getting old for a large dog and has had two seizures in the past year. I get panicky thinking of our family without her, but I know it will come eventually. All of this to say, we looked at the dogs and fell in like with Penny the Treeing Walker Coonhound. She was sweet and gentle, got along well with Ellie, and suckered me in with her super soft, long, Ellie-like ears.
Things aren't going nearly as well with "Winnie." We named her after the Winchester brand gun because we're pretty sure she was a hunting dog. She is 3.5 years old and I don't think she's ever been inside. The housebreaking is in its fourth week and we're still having issues. She climbs on my kitchen counters searching for food. She's so skinny! She likes to chase and tackle Isaace when he's running through the room. Isaac thinks it is funny when he's on the carpet...not funny when he's on the tile kitchen floor. I know these are all behavioral issues that can be fixed with training(I hope!) but with three young kids and a new house with no fenced in yard, IN DECEMBER...I don't know what I was thinking!

Poor Xavier got scratched by one of the kitties.

How Did I Let It Get This Bad?

2009-12-30T11:00:00.004-05:00

On November 30th, Isaac had his first hair cut. He is my only child to have anything that resembles a curl. He looked so adorable with the little ringlets sticking out from behind his ears. I wanted to get his 18 month photos done with the curls. I was afraid once we cut his hair, the curls would be gone. Well, days turned into weeks, which turned into months, etc. My sweet little boy was being called a girl on a regular basis. Because we have to put Aquaphor on him twice a day, his hair was a frizzy, greasy mess. When I combed it after a bath, it was past his shoulders. I'm embarrassed that I let it get that bad! Finally, I'd had enough. I made an appointment at Cookie Cutters and prepared myself for the end of my curly-locks. He was excited to get into the driver's seat at the hair salon and picked an Elmo movie to watch. Then, he got a look of terror and started to scream. We tried distractions. We tried suckers. Nothing helped! Then, Andy's mom showed up at his side with a balloon and started whacking me in the head. He cracked up! All was well after that. When the haircut was over, the stylist left it a little longer, and his head was covered with tons of little curls!

The Before Picture. Yikes!

The After Picture. Doesn't he look sweet?

Hot, Hot, Hot. Hot Chocolate!

2009-12-30T10:41:00.003-05:00

Brooklyn's dance studio participated in Marysville's Christmas Walk. The downtown businesses stay open late and usually serve treats to the visiting patrons. This is the first time in 5 years that it wasn't raining, sleeting, snowing, or bitter cold. There were a lot of dancers and a lot of parents this year! Each age group performed a Christmas song on the street outside the studio. Brooklyn's group performed Hot Chocolate from The Polar Express. She worked really hard to become one of the kick line members and felt really proud when she succeeded. I love being able to prove to her that hard work pays off. She already had her splits, but had to practice almost every day to get the counts of the kick line correct. Good job, B!

Giving Thanks

2009-12-29T22:30:00.003-05:00

We shared Thanksgiving with Andy's family this year. We had delicious food and wonderful family time. After the meal, Andy and I perused the Black Friday ads to plan our annual shopping trip. We decided to head out at 11:30pm on Thanksgiving night. We returned home the next day at 11am. Twelve hours of shopping on no sleep is too much for me. The lines seemed much longer this year and people seemed grumpier. We'll still plan on shopping next year.

Home Sweet Home

2009-12-29T22:06:00.004-05:00

I've heard that having two mortgages while trying to sell a house can be extremely stressful and taxing on a marriage. It was nothing short of a miracle that we never had to experience this. When we went to the Sheriff's Auction on August 4th, we didn't believe we would actually win the house on which we planned to bid. When the unbelievable happened, we had to get our current home on the market as quickly as possible. In six weeks we had to get our master bath finished(it was still studs and subfloor), the house decluttered and clean, paint the entire main floor, stairs, and upstairs hallway, and still live as a family of 5 with 3 small children. We managed to get everything done, thanks to some wonderful parents. Then, we waited. We had one showing in two weeks. I was starting to feel extremely nervous. How could we afford two mortgages when I stay home? On the day our house was on the market for 3 weeks, we had another showing. They put in an offer! In this market! After countering a couple of times, we came to an agreement. They wanted us to be out by the end of October, if possible. After a few weeks of waiting and wondering about closing dates we were told we would tentatively close on November 13th. We planned to move on Nov. 7. On Wednesday, October 28, we were notified we would be closing on Friday, November 6. We had to move on a weekend in order to get help from friends, which meant we'd be moving on October 31. We now had two days to pack up the entire house, get a truck, and get some help from friends. Yikes! It was a frenzy of boxes and tape, but we managed. The only problem? We didn't yet own the house into which we were moving! Yes, we moved into a house that we didn't own. We were squatters. It was a very unsettling feeling. Nobody felt at home. Finally, after some pestering by my husband, we had a close date. We are now officially homeowners again. The house is lovely, although we're starting to refer to it as the money pit because of all the repairs we're having to do. But, we love the yard, we love the neighbors, and we're loving being home.

Halloween

2009-12-29T21:49:00.002-05:00

The kids were easy on me this year with their costumes. Brooklyn wanted to be a witch which(ha!) we borrowed from a friend. Xavier wanted to be Jack Sparrow. My mom made this costume for him two years ago! We dug it back out of the dress ups, stuffed him into it, and sent him on his way. We borrowed an adorable Mickey Mouse costume from another friend for Isaac. Done!
The kids enjoyed their last trick or treat on Saffron Dr. We moved on Halloween day and came back to the empty house to hand out candy, trick or treat, and eat our traditional chili and cornbread supper. Isaac was too cute! He is able to tolerate Dum-Dum suckers without too much of a reaction. The first 10 houses we visited all had dum dums! He wouldn't put them into his bag. He carried them all in his hands while repeating, over and over, "I got two la!(lollipops)" After our supper, we took the 10 minute drive to our new house to sleep for the first time.

The Rest of It

2009-12-29T21:35:00.003-05:00

Xavier's birthday celebrations continues with a family party. We had apple crisp because I couldn't fathom decorating another cake. On his actual birthday, we purchased a s'mores cupcake from a local bakery. Sad, I know. This year, we lost our minds and purchased a skateboard for our new five year old. So for, he hasn't broken anything. Hopefully I won't eat those words.

Xavier Turns 5!

2009-12-29T21:16:00.004-05:00

This year, I actually planned Xavier's friend party more than a week ahead of time! I was so proud! We knew we had to have a destination party because our house was on the market(little did I know we'd already be in contract) and I didn't want to have to worry about quick clean-up if we had a showing. We held his party at the Watson Wellness Center on Honda's campus. What fun! We had 45 minutes in the pool where the 14 kids splashed, jumped, and swam as much as their little hearts desired. The gender division was still lopsided with 3 boys(including Xavier) and 11 girls. But, what a great group of kids! After the pool, we headed into the gym for 30 minutes of party games and a great rendition of Tootie-Tah. After a few rounds of pin the tail on the donkey, knocking down cups with marshmallows, a pinata, and the fabulous sing along, we headed to the party room for cake, snack, and presents! Xavier wanted a Bakugon party, so I had to come up with a cake that fit the theme. Now that I am such the experienced decorator and have watched a few episodes of Cake Boss, I decided to make a round cake with styrofoam head, arms, and wings. Andy set to work on creating all of the appendages while I started to decorate. I was really happy with the result and Xavier was thrilled! It was a great party.
A special thanks goes out to Brenda for wrangling Isaac during the party and to Beth for taking photos while I was in the pool. You guys are awesome!

P.S.-It has been brought to my attention that I failed to mention that though I am blogging about this at the end of December, Xavier's birthday actually falls at the end of October.

My Funny Guys

2009-12-29T21:00:00.003-05:00

It is so fun to see my boys growing up together. I didn't have a "normal" sibling experience, but what I'm finding out is we were pretty normal. They love on each other, crack each other up, and fight like cats and dogs. I can't wait(insert sarcastic tone here) until they are making armpit farts, giving each other horse bites, and torturing their sister together.
Their different personalities are obvious:
Xavier is my intense guy. Whether he's playing board games or sports, laughing like crazy, or fighting mad, he does it with all his heart. He loves it when I pile the warm laundry on top of him while I'm folding.
Isaac is my ham. He'll do anything for a laugh and loves to make us smile. His most recent material includes knock-knock jokes. They go something like this...
Isaac: Nah-Knock
Us: Who's there?
Isaac: Sue(aka shoe)
Us: Shoe who?
Isaac: Ah ha ha ha ha!
I can't help but laugh!

Finally!

2009-12-29T19:40:00.002-05:00

On October 5th, Brooklyn finally lost her first tooth! I do not like teeth. I used to cry when I had to pull my own teeth. I wasn't looking forward to the job of removing my daughter's pearly whites. On this day, I was in luck! Brooklyn was in the bathroom, wiggling desperately so she would no longer be the only 2nd grader that hadn't lost a tooth. She chased down my mom, who was visiting for the day, and asked if she'd pull her tooth for her. My mom tried to decline because she was afraid she was overstepping her bounds or stealing my joy. Brooklyn told her I'd be happy to pass on that responsiblilty. So, my mom ripped her tooth out...literally. It wasn't quite ready. It still had a bit of a root attached. There was blood everywhere. The giant gaping hole showed no sign of the new tooth emerging. Yuck. Brooklyn was THRILLED! She ran outside to show the neighbors. She skipped up and down the street. She couldn't get to dance class fast enough to show everyone her new missing body part. Did I mention the blood? It took forever to stop bleeding. Yuck. But, I'm so happy for her!

Massive Update for Kid #2

2009-12-29T19:06:00.004-05:00

As everyone noticed, most of my last post focused on Brooklyn. I do have two other children!

Sept. 9(I was wrong in the last post)
Xavier started pre-K(aka four year old preschool) at Trinity. He was so excited to meet up with his buddies(Molly, *sigh* Megan-he adores her!, and Matthew.) He continues to do well academically and (although I can't believe it) is a joy in class.

August 29-October 17
Xavier once again dominated the field with his mad soccer skills. He is so intense and aggressive. At times it makes me cringe. But, he is developing some great ball handling skills. If only we could keep him off the ground! He goes so hard, he loses control and falls down. Yeesh. It got to a point where the coach wouldn't put Xavier and another boy on the field at the same time because it was unfair to the other team! Andy assisted with coaching again. Unfortunately, the team jersey was "safety green." The team's nickname was "The Highlighters." Ugh!

October 5
Xavier's pre-k class went to Leed's Pumpkin Farm. What a blast! The weather was perfect! Xavier ran around with his friends, fed goats, jumped on a giant orange bouncy thingy, drove pedal cars, rode the zip line, rolledand picked a "pie" pumpkin. In true Xavier fashion, he had to find the largest pumpkin in the pie patch. He found a massive pumpkin and volunteered me to carry it back to the car. The employee of the farm took one look at his pumpkin and said, "that's not a pie pumpkin." but didn't make him find a new one. Since I am such the rule follower, I still feel guilty about taking a non-pie pumpkin home.

Massive Update

2009-10-12T20:53:00.005-04:00

For Michelle and Beth:

I know, I know...It's been a while. I have way too much on my plate for any sane person. Guess that means I'm not sane, right? Here is the quick version of my blog updates.

July 28-29

My friend Julie and I took our daughters to the American Girl Store in Chicago for their seventh birthdays. Brooklyn and Avery opted for a road trip, a stay at the Hilton Suites, and a day in little girls' paradise(aka the AG Store)instead of a birthday party. I'm truely not sure which would be more expensive! We had a wonderful time! We did some shopping, toured Navy Pier, ate at Gino's, and wandered the store. Twenty-four hours in Chicago is definitely not enough, but I could do without the traffic.

August 1

Brooklyn's dance team performed at the Union County Fair. Big time! Brooklyn waited 3 years for her class to be selected to dance on the big stage.

August 5

Brooklyn's dance team's 'end of the year' party. Played, danced, canoed, received the coveted "competition team" trophy.

August 11

Brooklyn asked for a trip to Libby Lu's from her Oma for her birthday. Unfortunately, the glitter infested store has spritzed its last giggly customer. The Polaris mall just opened a close sibling so we visited Sweet & Sassy for a spa day. The diva for the day had her hair cut, mini mani and pedi, mini facial, makeup application and hair style. Brooklyn loved all the attention!

August 25

Brooklyn started the second grade.

I haven't even uploaded the pictures of Xavier's first day(September 12th) because of this...

We purchased a forclosed property at the sheriff's auction on August 4th. We have been getting our current home ready for sale(it's already in contract. Yahoo!) and muddling through piles of paperwork, boxes, etc., to get ready to move. The new house is twice the size of our current house and on two acres in the country...all for close to the price of our current home. It will be beautiful when we fix the cosmetics. I'll post more photos when I have more time. Maybe 2011?

Pop Starz

2009-08-12T09:03:00.002-04:00

Brooklyn attended a week-long Pop Starz dance camp where they learned dances to Hot and Cold, Tell Me Something I Don't Know, and the Hoedown Throwdown. It was a hoot! As usual, Brooklyn's favorite day was Friday when they got to dress like pop stars and perform for the audience.

Reunited

2009-08-12T08:46:00.003-04:00

Andy's mom's family hosts a reunion every year. It rotates houses from Indiana to Texas, Ohio to Phoenix, with an occasional Wisconsin thrown in. We rarely make it to one outside of the midwest. This year, the reunion was held at Andy's parents' house. It was wonderful to catch up with family we hadn't seen in a few years and meet some new faces.

Marysville's Best Kept Secret

2009-08-12T08:11:00.003-04:00

During the month of July, we joined the Bautsch family on some of their park adventures. When Julie invited us to meet her at the Allen Township park, I wasn't sure I remembered the park even existed! We ventured a few miles out of town to join her at the best park I've been to in quite a while! The park had a beautiful covered bridge, swings, climbers, sandboxes, a walking path, tunnels, and multilevel slides. It was awesome! After lunch and some playtime, we headed next door to visit the fire station. The firemen were above and beyond helpful and friendly. They took the kids on tours through the trucks, let them sit in the driver's seat, and showed them all the equipment. The kids were in heaven! Little did we know, we'd be bidding on a house just down the street in a few weeks. Amazing!

A Month of Fundays

2009-08-10T13:55:00.003-04:00

Between two vacations and two weeks of Honda shutdown, we've had our share of good times this summer. While Andy was home and not working on our yet-to-be-finished bathroom we ventured out to the zoo and the Powell splash pad. We saw the baby elephant, visited the lions, and were transfixed by the manatees. I love watching Isaac discover each of the animals just as much as the other two kids. It never gets old! The splash pad was fun, but chilly. We spent most of our time at the playground. I have realized that my greatest happiness is when my family and I can enjoy all of God's and man's creations together.

Dublin Spray Park

2009-08-10T09:58:00.002-04:00

My mom and I took the kids to the spray park this summer. It was Isaac's first experience with the Bunny Hill. He slept through half of it! The kids ran through the fountains like maniacs. Brooklyn was concerned because she was stung by a bee there when she was 3. I really think she is part elephant. She doesn't forget anything! Xavier thought it was hysterical to hang his bum over a low fountain and wait to get sprayed. Boys...I don't think I'll ever understand.

July 4th

2009-08-10T09:06:00.003-04:00

We started the day with the fabulous Marysville parade. Brooklyn walked the parade route with her dance team while Xavier and Isaac gathered candy. By the time evening rolled around, it was raining and yucky. We had to improvise on our usual s'more and fireworks tradition. We made patriotic sundaes before we left for the fireworks, changed the kids into their PJ's, grabbed our umbrellas and headed off to the fireworks. Isaac was asleep before we arrived and Xavier fell asleep under his umbrella during the show. It was a great day!

Norris Lake

2009-08-10T08:48:00.003-04:00

Each year, we travel to Norris Lake in Tennessee for a week of boating, fishing, swimming, and relaxing. It's always a wonderful getaway! This year, our vacation in TN fell just one week after returning from Myrtle Beach. I barely had the laundry done when I had to repack it for our next adventure. Thankfully, it is only a six hour drive compared to the 12 hour trek we'd just completed. We loaded up van and SeaDoo and headed south again. Norris Lake is always a true vacation. The kids are constantly occupied by their Oma and Opa, and the owners of the lake house, Kevin and Betty. I read three "adult" books while I was there! We spend our days putting around the lake, skiing, tubing, swimming and fishing off the dock, playing games, and sleeping. Paradise!

The weather was a little cool this year and it rained more often, but we made the best of it. Xavier did really well with his broken collarbone until he fell off a barstool midweek and reinjured it. Poor kid! Isaac was definitely Daddy's boy while in TN. He wanted to be with him every waking moment. He wasn't a big fan of his life jacket, but the boat almost always relaxed him to sleep. Brooklyn was happiest when she was fishing off the dock. She'd wake up each morning and beg someone to take her down to the lake. We are already looking forward to next year!

Broken

2009-07-20T22:14:00.005-04:00

We were home from Myrtle Beach a total of 30 minutes before the next noteworthy event occurred. As I was unloading the car, I asked Xavier to carry the buckets back to the sandbox. After complaining, arguing, and negotiating as only Xavier does, he begrudgingly took the sand toys from my hand and headed for the backyard. Less than 15 minutes later, I couldn't find him. I went into the house and found his shoes in a pile at the bottom of the steps. I yelled up to his room and the only response was the click of the lock on his bedroom door. I picked up his pillow and headed upstairs. I used the key to get into his room only to be greeted by a very panicked little boy telling me to "get out!" I kindly told him he was welcome to stay in his room, but he was not to lock his door. I assumed his odd behavior was from being tired from our trip and left him alone.
A while later, Andy called him for supper. When he finally came down, he acted very strangely and didn't touch his food. I was really starting to worry about the little guy. I began planning to get the bucket from the basement and wondered how many times I was going to have to change his sheets that night. I assumed he was getting sick.
Finally, when it was time for bed, Andy couldn't get Xavier's clothes off. Xavier couldn't raise his left arm at all. Andy coaxed the truth out of him. He had climbed the fence(which we'd told him not to!) and fallen off. He was wearing his bike helmet, but landed on his shoulder.
We decided there wasn't much we could do at almost 10:00pm, gave him some ibuprofen, and sent him to bed. He was up 4 or 5 times in the night, literally, screaming in pain.
Do you think we went to the doctor in the morning? Noooooo...we went to soccer camp! Xavier was supposed to have a week long soccer camp. He really wanted to go and really didn't want to go to the doctor. He convinced me he could do it. As I watched him try his best on the field, really favoring his arm, I called the doctor. After a trip to the family physician, a trip to Dublin Close to Home for x-rays, and a visit to the Urgent Care, Xavier came home with a figure eight brace/Clavicle strap to wear for the next two weeks. No soccer, no gymnastics, no bike riding, etc. No fun!

The next few days were a little rough. His face was so pale and he complained he was cold all the time. The doctor prescribed some Tylenol with Codeine that really helped!

The moral of the story? Xavier will tell you...Don't climb the fence when your parents tell you not to.

A big shout-out to the Marysville soccer camp at the high school. They not only refunded my money, they gave Xavier a camp shirt too!

Myrtle Beach...Finally!

2009-07-20T21:40:00.003-04:00

It's been so long, I barely remember what happened! So far, summer has been a whirlwind of vacations, camps, trips to various medical facilities, etc. So much to post, so little time!

Myrtle Beach was a fun vacation. We spent almost every morning on the beach, back into the condo for lunch, then on to the pool until it was time to drag the kids in for baths and dinner out. The hotel was right on the beach so the sand was just an elevator ride away. The kids searched for shells and sharks' teeth, built castles in the sand, swam in the ocean, and rode the waves to shore. At the pool, they floated in the lazy river, dove for rings, and cartwheeled into the pool. All this, plus their best friends at their disposal. It was wonderful!

I'd have to say, supper out was not the top of my list. I love seafood, especially fresh seafood, but with Isaac's allergies, we were fearful of setting foot in any seafood restaurant. Plus, it seemed all the seafood options were giant touristy buffets. Not my thing. Almost everything seemed to be large and touristy, but I guess that is what defines Myrtle Beach.

Isaac loved the beach. He carried buckets, poured water, and ran up and down the sand for hours. He wasn't a huge fan of the water temperature but eventually let us carry him out into the waves. The sunscreen, salt water, sand, and chlorine didn't help his skin, but it could have been much worse. Our biggest problem was that he was allergic to the sheet on the pack 'n' play. He kept me up at night listening to him scratch in his sleep.

Xavier loved our vacation! He spent most of his time playing with Jack and Cole in the waves and sand. I think he was thankful for some guy time. At first, he wouldn't get into the pool without his floatie. He was sure it was too deep. By the end of the week he was diving for rings in that same pool. I think the highlights of his week were seeing the real Power Ranger costumes at Planet Hollywood and throwing paper at everyone at Dick's Last Resort.

Once we found Brooklyn, all was well with her. She was fearless in the waves, a fish in the pool, and hung out with her dance buddies every day. Her dance team performed on Thursday. They received a First Place ranking and won the Best Costume award for all the groups ages 11 and under. Not too bad for their first year of competition dance! After the competition, we housed four six year olds in our hotel room for a sleepover. Wow, girls giggle alot! They were all so tired from the sun, swimming, and dance, it wasn't too difficult to tell them it was time for bed.

The drive was long in both directions. I don't know that we are in any hurry to return to Myrtle Beach. But, we had a great time with my family and friends!

Was Lost...But Now She's Found

2009-07-09T22:22:00.003-04:00

I've been putting off this post because it is not something I enjoy reliving, but the story must be told...

June 14th, we left for Myrtle Beach to allow Brooklyn to participate in a national dance competition with her team. We left REALLY early in the morning(~5:15) to make the 12 hour trek to South Carolina. The drive was uneventful, but long. We arrived in time for supper, checked into the room we were sharing with my parents and brother, and prepped for the week ahead.
We woke up Monday morning and decided to take a walk on the beach before we gathered all of the beach paraphernalia for the rest of the day. The kids were suited and sun screened and we headed out for our walk. Brooklyn and Xavier headed straight for the ocean while Isaac got used to the giant sandbox. Every time a wave rolled in, Brooklyn would scream like a Fourth of July firecracker. Isaac walked between Andy and I as we made our way up the beach. The older two walked knee-deep in the water behind us. After a while, I noticed I didn't hear any more screaming. I turned to check on the kids, and to my horror, found only Xavier frolicking in the water behind me. I scanned the beach and water, looking for the adorable, pony-tailed, pink suited, slow as molasses, little six-year-old that holds at least one quarter of my heart. SHE WAS GONE.
The next hour was nothing but a nightmare. My dear friend Julie watched the boys while I ran/sprinted up and down the beach, through hotel pools, and into the water, looking for her. I asked everyone I encountered to look for my baby. The lifeguards were on alert, many strangers were looking for her...but no one had seen her. I truly thought Isaac's trip to the ER was the worst day of my life...until now. I honestly entertained the thoughts of abduction and death. I couldn't breathe. I was in a complete panic. Andy said it best when we talked later. He pleaded with God that this wasn't the end of Brooklyn. "She's too special. This can't be it for her. You have more of a plan for her life than this!" He started walking down the beach...he almost turned around twice because she couldn't possibly have gone that far...when there, walking toward him, was our beautiful little girl. As he ran to get her, she looked up and said "Oh, Daddy, I'm so glad I found you! I tried to stay calm, but I couldn't find you!" No one could find Brooklyn because she didn't look lost. Silly girl! He took her hand and led her back toward our hotel. She was a mile from where we'd lost her. Andy yelled to me as they got closer. I couldn't believe my eyes! I ran to her, scooped her up, and sobbed like only a mother could. I walked back to the hotel, never putting her down.

I now understand the panic, heartbreak, and hopelessness felt by parents of lost children and I only had to experience it for an hour.
Brooklyn is safe!
The rest of the week was a blast!(more on that later)

An Incredible Soccer Season

2009-06-24T13:42:00.004-04:00

The spring soccer season has come to a close. It was a great season for the Incredible Hulks! During the last game, our team was playing two players to the others' four and still dominating! Xavier loved playing and is looking forward to the fall. He was so excited to receive a trophy after the last game! Brooklyn felt a little put out because the season she played she only got a medal. Let the rivalry begin!

We Are Family

2009-06-24T11:54:00.005-04:00

Brooklyn's dance recital was May 30th. She danced wonderfully. The year of competition dance has done wonders for her stage presence. She looks like she loves to be on stage! I didn't make a fool of myself(I hope!) during my tap dance. Great fun was had by all. We're already debating which classes Brooklyn will take next year.

Is This Homemade?

2009-06-24T11:32:00.003-04:00

We shared Memorial Day with some good friends. They provided a delicious meal, cooked with plenty of propane. Ultra-cool mom, Beth(not me!) allowed the kids to make their own ice cream dessert with Ziplocs, ice, salt, half and half, sugar and vanilla. The kids had a blast shaking and making their treat. The funniest quote of the day came from Brooklyn. As Beth set the cups and drinks on the counter, Brooklyn looked up at her with breathless excitement and asked, "Is that homemade?" She was asking about the ice! She was completely enamored with the ice trays and couldn't believe that they'd made the ice themselves. Goofy girl! Thanks to the Marshals for their wonderful hospitality!

Slacker

2009-06-11T16:45:00.002-04:00

I know, I know. I'm way behind in posting. I have lots of updates but no time! It may be tonight...It may be two weeks from now...But I will update my blog. I promise!

Preschool Graduation

2009-06-02T16:58:00.004-04:00

Xavier graduated from Trinity's preschool program on May 20th. He had a wonderful year and adored his teachers, Mrs. Lambert and Mrs. Jacobsson. They had nothing but glowing things to say about Xavier. At times, I wondered if they had the right kid! I'm happy that he's so well behaved and attentive at school, but why is it such a fight at home? When I reviewed his report card, it stated he mixed up M and N when identifying his letters, which has been my experience too. The surprise? He could count to 20?! When I asked Xavier what happened, he looked at me and simply said, "I got tired of counting." That's the Xavier I know!
The four preschool classes celebrated the end of the year with an ice cream social. He was able to pal around with his buddies one last time before summer vacation. Next year, pre-kindergarten.

Three of Xavier's friends from school. They will all be in his class next year.

Xavier and Mrs. Jacobsson. She does the best silly songs!

Xavier and Mrs. Lambert. This is what happens when you ask Xavier to smile. When does the fake, ridiculous no-upper-lip grin go away?

Having a Field Day

2009-05-30T21:44:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, Brooklyn's school held their annual field day. They competed against two other schools. Let's just say running is not Brooklyn's forte. As I helped run the boys' long jump I watched my dear daughter in action. She was entered into the broad jump, the 400, and the 50 yd dash. The start sounded and the group of girls took off to run the 400. My daughter is the SLOWEST runner ever! She jogged the first 200 and finally caught up with a girl that was walking. Instead of passing her, she slowed up(if that's possible) put her arm around the girl, and encouraged her to keep going. She then moved to the outermost lane to encourage another girl. She zig-zagged her way around the track encouraging each walker until the final turn. As all the kids cheered(they were instructed to cheer for everyone) she turned toward the "fans" and waved the entire rest of the race. Yeesh.

Note: two weeks later she came home from school announcing that she'd run TWO miles that day. Her gym teacher informed her no other first grader has ever attempted such a feat, but she and three of her classmates completed the task. Obviously, endurance is not the issue with this girl. Why is she so dang slow?

The 50 yard dash was more of the same. Most of the girls in her group had finished the race, had a snack, and were boarding the bus by the time she finished the race.

I finished the day with the parents' relay(which was fun!) and an almost blistering sunburn(not so fun.) Note to self: When sunscreening three children, sunscreen yourself too!

I don't know what's up with the microscopic pictures. Sorry about that!

Anyone?

2009-05-20T08:06:00.002-04:00

Missing: One Nikon D60 battery charger.
My battery lost its charge and I have no way of recharging until the charger is found. Translation: no more photographs until the battery is recharged. I feel like a piece of me is missing without my camera in hand. Has anyone seen my 1 1/2"x2" dark gray wonderbox? Anyone?

Not Me!

2009-05-11T08:28:00.003-04:00

Inspired by My Charming Kids blog, I decided to write my own "Not Me!" entry.

I so did not come home from an errand to find my toddler fast asleep in his carseat. I would never open his side of the van and just leave him there, in the driveway, alone. I didn't go in the house, put away the groceries, return a phone call, clean up the breakfast dishes, check my email, facebook, blogs, etc. I most definitely didn't put my four year old in charge of making sure he was safe while I completed numerous tasks inside the house. I didn't return to find the preschooler had unbuckled the toddler's seat belt, "just in case he woke up," because that is definitely keeping him safe. Because it is neglectful and unsafe, I will never do this again. Not me!

What a Wild Weekend!

2009-05-10T21:57:00.004-04:00

After being completely and totally exhausted from the competition, I crashed on the couch before 9:00pm on Saturday. I had yet to plan for the events to come on Sunday. Why do I do this to myself?
I got up around 7:00, much to the disappointment of my children(they wanted to bring me breakfast in bed) and got to work. Andy and I managed to get the children and ourselves ready, plan a meal, go shopping, clean up the house, actually enjoy breakfast together, and get to church by 10:20 all with little or no stress. Amazing!

We had Isaac dedicated at church this morning, only seven short months after the first attempt. We were scheduled to dedicate him in October, only to have him get the pukes. When we tried to reschedule, we were told the next one landed on Mothers' Day. Yikes!
This morning went off without a hitch. Isaac slept through everything! We promised to raise Isaac in the church and teach him the Gospel in hopes that one day he will accept this as truth for himself. The pastor prayed Psalm 25: 4-5 over him.

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long."

After church, my parents, Andy's parents, and Andy's brother headed to our house for lunch and plenty of photo ops. Although a bit chilly, it was a gorgeous day!

Enough, already!

2009-05-10T21:33:00.004-04:00

I'm sure all my loyal followers are bored to tears with Brooklyn's dance adventures, but I will never tire of watching her on stage. I'm sorry to say that we still have a recital and a competition in Myrtle Beach ahead of us!

A couple of weeks ago her dance studio held their annual picture week. Finally, I have photos that don't include the giant fuchsia water lilly(although, I absolutely love it!) on her head. Her musical theater class is dancing to "It's a Hard Knock Life" from Annie. It's the cutest thing ever! Her competition group is doing a tap dance in the recital to Sweetie Pie Kids(I'd never heard of it either, but I adore the costume!)

Lastly, Brooklyn's team had their final local dance competition on Saturday. We had to be up before 5:00am to be fully dressed and at the Columbus Convention Center by 6:15am. They were on stage by 7:30. Ugh! Her team received a High Gold ranking, a special judges award for "cute concept" and one of four costume awards for the day. Brooklyn was devastated that they didn't place in the top five. She was sure that it was all her fault and she needed to practice more. I tried to explain that this was a much tougher competition with many, many more dance teams, but she is a perfectionist in the making. What am I going to do with that girl?

Go Twins!

2009-05-03T09:07:00.003-04:00

Xavier's first t-ball game was Saturday. The game has two innings in which both teams bat through their lineup. They get three coach pitches. If they don't connect with the ball they get three swings off the tee. Xavier's team took the field first. He was positioned just in front of the outfield behind the shortstop. Nothing came his way and the top of the inning was over. He was near the bottom of the order but it was worth the wait! He connected on the first pitch and headed for first base. Safe! He was so happy to cross home plate. Back onto the field. The coach rearranged the players but Xavier ended up in the same position. I turned to Andy and asked, "Is he really that bad?" Unfortunately Andy confirmed that he can't catch and gets nervous when he throws. I see some time in the backyard in our future! He was able to field and throw one ball without any major embarrassment during the rest of the game. He had to hit off the tee at his next at-bat. But, he still made it on base! Considering this is very new to him, he didn't do too badly!

Golden Girls

2009-04-27T16:27:00.003-04:00

Brooklyn's dance team had their second competition this past weekend. This was the qualifier for nationals in Myrtle Beach this summer. The team had to receive a Gold ranking in order to qualify. We were all a bit concerned we were going to lose the deposit on the hotel we'd already booked for June. Five of the nine girls put in a 2 hour practice(complete with lots of playtime) on Saturday. Boy, did it pay off! The girls received "Top First Place" which is the highest ranking, first place(highest point value) in their age division(5-6 years) and fourth place out of all acts ages 8 and under. This was huge! We were so excited for them! Brooklyn is so proud of her first trophy. Way to go Huma Girls!

Incredible Hulk

2009-04-27T16:10:00.003-04:00

It's kind of funny that Xavier's new soccer team's "mascot" describes him as a player. He IS the Incredible Hulk! He towers over most of his teammates and his playing really has become incredible! He's learned how to dribble, turn the ball, and turn on his speed when necessary. I'm most amazed at his defensive skills. He tracks down his opponents using routes no one can teach. I just need to talk to him about staying to the inside of a player while defending. Really, I'm going to explain that to a four year old? We'll see...

Reality Check

2009-04-23T09:07:00.003-04:00

I am a self proclaimed blog stalker. I love reading blogs, especially those of people I don't know going through awful things with their children(I know, I need help.) The two random strangers I have bookmarked are especially intriguing to me. One woman lost a child at birth, the other's child has a very serious heart condition. They write the most amazing posts! What I find most interesting is their seemingly unshakable faith during the most trying times. They write about it so eloquently! I, on the other hand, am a faith clod. I am terrified to share my opinions and faith because...
1. I don't want to seem like one of "those people."
2. I don't want to offend anyone
3. There are days when I feel very shakable
The truth is, I AM one of "those people." My faith governs all that I do and every decision I make. I'm just afraid to admit it to everyone, including myself. I have this crazy idea that if I pretend I'm clueless, God won't give me hard things to handle. Well, I had my reality check last night.
Most of you know my 15 month old has major food allergies. His list is so long, even his allergist is shaking his head. Thankfully, although his allergies are many, thus far, they have been an inconvenience. I feel badly that he itches all the time. I'm sad that he can't enjoy the foods I love. But, it was annoying at most.
As I ran out the door to a meeting last night, Andy was cooking dinner for the kids. We briefly discussed giving Isaac the supper we were having. We decided that he'd been tested for fish, it was negative, and he could have the entree, sans seasoning. Ten minutes into my meeting I received a call from Andy. He was panicked and crying that Isaac had broken out in hives and his face was swelling in the five minutes since he'd eaten the fish. Should he use the epi-pen? I felt so helpless. I had no clue what to do! I told him to grab Isaac and go find a neighbor. Have the neighbor drive, he was sit in the back with Isaac, and at any sign of breathing difficulty, give him the epi-pen. I was afraid an ambulance would take too long. I told Andy I'd meet him at the hospital. I hung up the phone and bolted out the door. Meanwhile, Andy was heading to the neighbor's to get some help. They weren't home. He later described walking up the street, carrying Isaac in just his onesie, pleading for someone to help him. For anyone who knows my strong, confident husband, this is heartbreaking. He finally found a neighbor to help. Thanks to John and Shelley for coming to Andy's rescue! Once inside the hospital, they gave him a dose of Benedryl, a dose of Prednisone, and a shot of Epinephrine. Although acting like he was hopped up on massive amounts of caffeine and Fun-Dip, he came through the episode unscathed.
My reality is, I have a child with a life-threatening condition. Certain foods could kill him. I was always sure this wouldn't happen to me. God only gives you the trials you can handle, right? I'm trying to convince Him I can't handle it. Unfortunately, He knows me better than I know myself. He thinks I can do this. I am putting my trust in Him, no matter the outcome.
Thank you to my friends who came to my rescue through prayer, watching my kids, and talking me through this horrible experience. I am so thankful for you!

Eat your heart out, Octo-mom! My lips are bigger than yours!

Worm Farm

2009-04-22T17:24:00.004-04:00

I guess this is an appropriate post for Earth Day...

We've decided to try our hand at vermicomposting. Andy built a 1'x2'x3' box in the backyard. We shredded pounds of newspaper(we needed 17 pounds, but we're not quite there.) Xavier watered the newspaper. Then, we poured in the worms(a.k.a. red wrigglers from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm.) A pound of worms is supposed to eat a pound of garbage per day. After 3 or 4 months, we will have compost to use in our garden. The worms are supposed to be non-smelly(only if we don't compost meat)and self-sustaining. We'll see how it goes. The kids are super excited! Happy gardening!

There's supposed to be 2000 worms in this bag. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it!

Oh no, it's the dreaded shredded newpaper monster! But wait...look closely...he comes in peace!

The Upside of Rain

2009-04-22T17:11:00.002-04:00

Recently, we've seen just a glimpse of warm, sunny, weather, only to have it rain the next day. I'm so tired of gloomy days! The kids just want to be outside! Monday night, it was raining, again. As I watched out the window, it rained, then hailed, then out came the sun! I immediately ran for the front door to look for the rainbow. It started slowly. Then, I noticed there were two! The entire sky was covered with a double rainbow! It was absolutely beautiful!

Easter, Easter, and More Easter

2009-04-14T18:00:00.005-04:00

I'm trying to put all the Easter happenings into one post. We'll see how it goes...

My children left on Wednesday evening to spend some unsupervised time with their Oma and Opa. Andy spent all his time working on the bathroom(no, it isn't even close to being finished.) and I cleaned the house from top to bottom. No dates, no fun, just work. It was wonderful to get something accomplished without my helpers undoing everything in a matter of moments.

Saturday evening, Andy and I joined his family in Dayton. As we sat around the supper table, I made the horrific discovery that I'd left Brooklyn's Easter dress, complete with matching doll outfit, on her bed, an hour and a half away. Fifteen minutes later, five of us were loaded into the car to head to the nearest department store to find a replacement. The first two stores were a bust. Of course, the night before Easter, everything was picked over! At the last stop, fifteen minutes before the store closed, we hit the jackpot! We narrowed the dress choices from 15 to 4, then chose the winner. Despite all the chaos, I'm really happy with the dress we found! I'm also thankful I didn't make the dreaded discovery on Sunday morning!

Easter was beautiful! I took way too many pictures, but the brilliant sunlight caused me some problems. Once again, those photography lessons might have come in handy. Someday, in my spare time...

We enjoyed a beautiful walk in the woods, a delicious meal, and a super fun egg hunt. The day couldn't have been any better!

Does He Look Tired?

2009-04-09T23:04:00.006-04:00

I am extremely frustrated with my oh-so-sweet fourteen month old. He won't nap! I know our schedule is extremely chaotic, but seriously, why can't he sleep? Three days a week he falls asleep on the way home from the wellness center. I try desperately to wake him up, to no avail. I then give up and put him in his crib. Immediate panic strikes and he is up for the rest of the day. Total nap: 20 minutes.
Other days, I try to put him down, fed, around lunch time. He either cries for ten minutes, then sleeps for forty-five, or cries until he makes himself sick. If I pick him up, he falls asleep on my shoulder. He'll sleep there, happily, but if I try to put him in his crib, it starts all over again. I don't have time for this! It is my only chance for a shower, unload the dishwasher, pick up the house, and/or what am I supposed to do with Xavier while Isaac drools on my shoulder? He goes to sleep at night without a problem and sleeps about 10 hours. I'm pretty sure he needs more sleep, but how to you force it?

Digging in the Dirt

2009-04-09T23:04:00.003-04:00

Isaac is loving being outside in the spring weather. He's been watching us attempt to whip our sad yard into shape. Neither Andy, nor I are much of the landscaper type. While we were outside a few days ago, he stole some of his siblings' garden utensils and dove into a pot full of dirt. Every time he'd come up with a scoopfull, he'd get all excited and wave the shovels around. Almost every time, the dirt would land on his head!

Encore!

2009-04-04T21:02:00.004-04:00

Brooklyn's first dance competition was today, in Elyria. We left the house at 5:50am in order to be at the competition by 8:30. After a few minor car mishaps we arrived almost perfectly on time! We had an hour to get ready and unload and assemble the large volcano prop in the back of the van. Unfortunately, her dance instructor got lost in Cleveland and arrived 10 minutes before they had to be on stage. It was a madhouse in the dressing room, trying to get nine girls, ages six and under, dressed(complete with stage makeup and mall hair) and ready to go. Once on stage, the girls did a wonderful job! Everyone smiled and there were no major mistakes. They received a gold ranking at the awards ceremony. High gold is the highest ranking, but I thought they did a great job in their first try. I was only able to snap a couple of quick pictures as there were no cameras allowed during the performances. Even though Brooklyn and I are completely exhausted from the day, I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Riding with the Big Kids

2009-03-24T20:41:00.004-04:00

Xavier's riding on two wheels! I'm in complete shock. We tried to teach him on a 16 inch bike and he would freak out every time. Finally, Andy took the training wheels off his 12" and he was riding within two days! I think he was more comfortable with being able to plant both feet on the ground. His little legs have to pump so hard and fast to keep the momentum going. We're still working on starting and steering, but he's got the balance thing down. He wanted to ride around the block today so everyone could see his new skills. Amazingly enough, he made it!

href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_C_uvOqAImFE/ScmBOPLpJGI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/YReiv-GAFgY/s1600-h/DSC_0970.JPG">
With the last photos, I'm seeing a glimpse of the future. Unfortunately, I think Xavier has inherited both of his parents' perfectionist tendencies. Every time his wheels get close to the grass, he throws his bike to the ground and falls beside it. He then pouts and says, "I'm no good at this. This is not good!" Hello!? You're four...this is great!

Whine alert

2009-03-22T22:33:00.000-04:00

I haven't taken many pictures lately. I guess it's good since I'm so behind in my scrapbooking. Since I haven't taken pictures, I haven't blogged. I've been reading others' blogs instead...not good. These are random strangers! I find myself getting angry at their families. One woman blogged about her 9 month old eating an entire grilled cheese sandwich. I've seen lots of birthday bashes with cake everywhere. There was a less than one year old refusing baby food. I JUST WISH ISAAC COULD EAT!!!! I am honestly thankful that, otherwise, he seems to be a happy, normal child. But, it is heart wrenching to watch him beg for food he can't eat. To always be fearful that he will get into something that will make him sick, or worse. To worry that, this time, it won't just be hives and a horrible rash that covers his little body. I wish that, just once, I could take his clothes off and not have to pin him down so he doesn't dig holes in himself. Why is he like this? Why is food poison to him? Why can't it be just peanuts or milk? Why does he have to be allergic to everything? Is this going to get better or worse? Sorry for the rant, at the moment I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.

We Made It!

2009-03-22T22:10:00.003-04:00

Spring is finally here! We've spent the past few days outside in the sunshine. Even though it isn't as warm as I'd like, watching everything start to bloom is a great mood-lifter!

Stolen Huma

2009-03-16T12:03:00.002-04:00

Brooklyn, Xavier, and Andy headed to the Bautsch house yesterday for some playtime and volcano building. Andy and Brian are building a volcano as a prop for the girls' dance team. While there, the girls got in some good practice time and Julie captured it on video. I totally stole it off her blog. So, for the tiny fraction of you that don't read Julie's blog too, here is the video.

Minor Obsession

2009-03-13T08:48:00.003-04:00

Isaac LOVES balls...especially making baskets. He will spend as much time as you are willing playing basketball. The only problem...you have to pick him up each time so he can dunk. As cute as it is, it gets old very quickly. My solution? Buy more stuff! Isaac received monetary gifts for his birthday from my grandma and her friend, Alberta, who shares the same birthday. What do you buy for the third kid that just turned one? The answer finally came to me! He now has a short hoop that he can dunk the ball himself! Problem solved and two happy campers!

Almost There!

2009-03-05T07:44:00.001-05:00

We all have a major case of cabin fever. The weather was almost bearable yesterday so we bundled up and ventured outside into the dog-poop laden backyard. Seriously, it's disgusting! The boys didn't seem to mind one bit. They were so happy to be out of the house! I'm really hoping spring is just around the corner.

The Bathroom a.k.a. The Money Pit

2009-03-03T08:40:00.005-05:00

We discovered our master shower was leaking behind the wall in the fall of last year.
Translation: Purchase and install new shower.
Simple enough, right? As usual, nothing is that easy. We found out our shower was not a standard size and we would have to custom order one. We decided that since we were ripping out the shower, we may as well get what we want. We used our garden tub, maybe 5 times in the almost 7 years we've lived in this house. The kids love it, but it is a water-waster! So, we ripped it out too. We replaced the old windows with glass block and are planning to put a new, large shower in the corner where the old tub used to be. We are installing a new vanity and a linen closet. This, of course, involves stripping the walls to their studs, moving plumbing, putting up new walls, etc. Demo began the first week of December. The bathroom is still studs and subfloor. Any bets on when it will be finished?

The before picture.

The demo-man and his trusty sidekick.

We've only just begun...

News...

2009-02-23T08:40:00.002-05:00

I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!!!!
YAHOOO!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats to Joe and Catharine!

Oh, and happy birthday, Andy!!!

My Sweetheart(s)

2009-02-21T21:21:00.006-05:00

Brooklyn and Andy attended the Sweetheart Ball tonight for the Girl Scouts of Union County. It was a dinner and dance for the girls and their "male mentors." They had to dress up, complete with corsage and boutonniere for the occasion. They were too cute! Andy said Brooklyn went crazy on the dance floor and danced most of the night. At one point she and Andy were dancing to a slow dance. She said to him, "Daddy, this is boring. All we do is rock back and forth. I feel like a penguin. Look, I'm a penguin!" She then did her best penguin imitation and waddled across the floor. Goofball! I have to admit, I was secretly happy when Brooklyn said she wished I was there.

They look so much alike, it's almost creepy!

Brooklyn loved all the "canned" dances. They did the Macarena, YMCA, Conga Line, etc.

Brooklyn with her crazy dancing buds and troop-mates Grace and Lucy.

Get Your Kicks

2009-02-21T20:21:00.003-05:00

Xavier is participating in an indoor soccer camp called "Get Your Kicks." It is so much better than last year! He's not crying every week! He's able to control the ball while dribbling on the gym floor...a huge source of frustration last year. It's fun to watch him improve

Xavier and Jack were counting up their goals.

Brooklyn and Jamison were practicing their jumps off the bleachers. Way to be supportive of your brothers, girls!

He really looks like he's having fun!

I'm Stronger Than DeRon!

2009-02-21T19:55:00.004-05:00

Every week, before gymnastics, Xavier flexes his muscles and insists he's stronger than DeRon, his coach. DeRon is an accomplished gymnast with the biceps to prove it, but I'm glad Xavier has goals! Xavier usually complains that he doesn't like gymnastics, but while he's there, he loves it! He is in a class with all boys and a male coach. They run around like crazy maniacs, then stand in perfect "soldiers' stance" or pike sits. I'm sad to say Xavier will miss next session. He was absent two weeks ago, during registration, due to illness(surprise!) and his class filled up. I know I'll miss it, but we'll see how he does without it. Our schedule is so crazy, a little down time may do us some good.

Isaac does his own balance routine while waiting for Xavier.

Still Sick

2009-02-19T09:08:00.001-05:00

Xavier and Brooklyn have finally recovered from their illnesses. I think Isaac now has whatever bug they had. He started with a fever, and now has green coming out of his eyes and nose and the most lovely cough. Will winter ever end?

I'm Not Cut Out For This

2009-02-19T09:01:00.003-05:00

As previously posted, Brooklyn and Xavier had a sleepover at the Gears. From what I understand, they had a great time! Last Sunday, the kids had "Bring a Friend Night" at AWANA. With no school on Monday, it was a perfect opportunity to have the group over to our house for a sleepover. What fun!
Jack and Xavier fought almost the entire time. The girls spent most of their time refereeing which meant they weren't playing either. Yet, when Momma Gear arrived to pick up the extra kids, the tears flowed. Why can't it ever be easy?

What Was He Thinking?

2009-02-19T08:49:00.002-05:00

Xavier was sent to his room for being unreasonable. This ususally means he's overtired and needs a break. When Andy went to talk to him, this is what he found. Xavier fell asleep in his chair...with a plastic tub on his head. What?!

The House of the Infirm

2009-02-13T12:16:00.004-05:00

In the past week we've had two kids with nasty colds, complete with all night coughing, one adult with a sore throat and cold, one baby with diarrhea, and now this...

I walked into the family room yesterday to find Ellie standing in the middle of the room with all four legs buckled. Her eyes were wide open, pupils dilated, and her head was swaying back and forth very quickly. Panic! I called to her and she didn't respond. I reached out to touch her and she came right back, as if nothing had happened. That evening, Andy noticed one side of her face was bigger than the other. By morning it had doubled in size. After a trip to the vet this morning, the vet seems to think she has an abscessed tooth which caused a fever to spike, causing the seizure. She's on antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory for a week before they will determine if she needs to be put under to drill out the tooth. I'm just relieved that right now they don't think it is a brain tumor.

Now Xavier has diarrhea on top of the incessant coughing, runny nose, and refusing to eat. Yeesh.

Isaac's One Year Photos

2009-02-10T16:32:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Julie, I am now a photography snob. We had our photos taken by Jessi Weithman back in October. After that experience, I can no longer take my children to Sears or JC Penney for pictures. She does such a great job! To see Isaac's full session, go to http://www.jessiweithmanstudios.com/ then click on client proofing, and Baby I January 2009. The password is banana. I'd love some opinions!-only nice ones please!

We weren't able to do the classic smashed cake photos so we improvised. Isaac loved playing with this carrot!

He loves these drumsticks! I wish he'd been happier for these shots, but he's still cute!

Snow Day

2009-01-28T16:14:00.003-05:00

When the news says "we could see 8-10 inches of snow by the time this storm passes through the area" I groan and turn the TV off. News annoys me. They blow everything up into a huge deal when most of the time it is just a flurry. Well, this time, they got it right. It snowed from noon yesterday until noon today, without stopping! I have no idea how much snow we actually have on the ground, but it's a bunch! ...enough to keep Brooklyn home from school, my mom trapped in our house, and Andy home from work. It's been a wonderful day! I've caught up on laundry, done the dishes, updated my blog all thanks to my mom entertaining the kids and Andy working on digging us out.

Brooklyn and Xavier were dressed in their snow gear and out the door by 9:30. Andy headed out to try to fix the neighbor's snow blower. I watched from the window. My inner blogger and scrapbooker decided we really needed some photos. I opened the door to the garage and flashed my camera at Andy. He said, "in a minute." He eventually came in to grab the camera and headed back out. Within moments I had Brooklyn standing by my side begging for help with boot removal. I told her she had to go back outside for some photos. I'm such a mean mom! The kids met up with the neighbors and spent a good hour out in the snow. By the time they came in, Brooklyn's hair was frozen. They had a great time!

Snow Baby

2009-01-28T15:54:00.003-05:00

Isaac wanted to be outside with the older kids and Daddy so badly. Unfortunately, the snow would have been over his head and I don't have a snow suit for a one year old. So, we brought the snow to him! My mom scooped some snow from the backyard into a bowl and sat it in front of him. It took a couple of tries to convince him to touch the fluffy, white, stuff but after we gave him a spoon, he was happy! He scooped and dumped for a little while, then got bored. My mom made him a snowball and his eyes lit up! He threw it, chased it, then squished it so hard it exploded! So much fun!

First Sleepover x 2

2009-01-28T15:42:00.003-05:00

Brooklyn's friend Jamison invited Brooklyn to spend the night last Friday night. She was so excited! This would be her first sleepover! Unfortunately, Xavier was crushed. His best buddy, Jack happens to be Jamison's brother. He didn't understand why Brooklyn could have a sleepover and he couldn't. We tried to explain that he was only 4 and that his friend wasn't quite ready, but nothing would console him. Ten minutes later, the phone rang, inviting Xavier to stay too! The kiddos could barely contain their excitement as they packed their suitcases for the overnight stay. By the time we got to their house, it was 8:30! I have a problem with overstaying my welcome and talking too much(surprise!) and didn't leave until 11:00! Xavier was fast asleep on Jack's floor and Brooklyn was still awake in Jamison's bed. The next morning, the house was oddly quiet. Isaac and I had a nice, calm morning together while Andy was at Bible study. At 7:30, I got an email from the Gear house stating "they're up and waiting for pancakes." The boys were up at 6:30 and the girls were up at 7:00! Crazy kids! They finally came home around 1:00 and they were still complaining that they wanted to stay and play some more!

Gone!

2009-01-28T15:34:00.004-05:00

I've been begging Brooklyn to get her hair trimmed for about a month. Every time I'd suggest it, she'd get pouty and sullen claiming she wanted to grow it LLLLLOOOONNNNNNNGGGG. Unfortunately, she has hair just slightly less fine than mine and it gets extremely tangled, full of static, and stringy. After school one day, one of the first grade teachers made a comment about how long Brooklyn's hair was getting. Within an hour, she wanted to get it cut?! I called the salon and they were able to get her in. I expected a trim, but Brooklyn wanted to cut it off! The stylist took off about 6 or 7 inches. I'm regretting not saving a little bit for her scrapbook. I can hardly get it into a ponytail! She looks adorable and she's so happy with all the attention. I'm not sure how I feel at this point. It's cute, but she looks so much older!

The Birthday Boy

2009-01-22T14:20:00.003-05:00

Isaac turned one on January 13th. He had his one year well check on Thursday. Finally, some good news! His muscle tone is right where it should be! Yahoo! He was 21 pounds, 4 ounces and 30 inches long. That puts him in the 50th percentile for length and the 25th for weight. After some discussions about his diet, the doctor recommended leaving him on Alimentum for the next year, or as long as he will tolerate it. Since he can't have dairy, soy, or nuts the only option left is rice milk. It doesn't have enough fat in it to allow for proper brain development. So, we could go to a formula designed for children over one or stay on Alimentum. Weighing the nutritional and cost differences, we are sticking with what we've been doing. I'm HOPING we will find some other things he can eat and wishing he will grow out of some of these allergies in the next year. Otherwise, he is a beautiful boy. He has eyelashes that go on forever and such a sweet disposition. If not for allergies and refusing to nap, I'd have nothing to complain about! Then what would I do?

Christmas in January

2009-01-22T14:02:00.003-05:00

Xavier's preschool Christmas party was cancelled due to bad weather. It was rescheduled for the day they returned to school in January. It felt a little strange to be celebrating after all the decorations were put away, but the party went very smoothly. We started with cookie painting. The 12 were then divided into 3 groups that rotated through 3 centers.
1. Game-pass the gift
2. Baby Jesus craft
3. Story about Jesus' Birthday
I read the story, which was almost impossible because we were sitting next to the game. All the kids were completely focused on what was in the package being passed around the circle. At one point in the story, I asked the group what they wanted to be when they grew up. The blue group...Liz: teacher, Matthew: Mommy, Xavier: Daddy, Evan: truck driver. Matthew then turns to Xavier and says "I'm gonna marry you!" Note to self, avoid Matthew at all costs! Ha!

It's Cold Outside!

2009-01-19T14:31:00.004-05:00

Brooklyn and Xavier have been waiting, not so patiently, for the snow with enough accumulation to go sledding. Instead, we got ice...lots and lots of ice. Being the resourceful kids that they are, they adapted. They bundled up and headed outside into the subzero weather. They found the biggest pieces of ice and hurled them as hard as they could at our playhouse in the backyard. As long as there's no damage, have at it! They played until they were half frozen then headed inside to thaw, still dreaming of sledding. Someday...

Isaac wanted to be outside so badly. Maybe next year?

Books, Balls, and Birthdays

2009-01-12T14:34:00.005-05:00

Isaac will be one tomorrow! We held his family birthday party on Saturday, in the middle of the ice storm. I guess it is inevitable when your birthday is in January. I created a books and balls theme for the event. Books for education, and balls because he LOVES them! It is going to be really hard to have a birthday that follows so closely after Christmas. I'm having a hard time coming up with gifts for him!

He's such a cutie!

This photo says it all. He got sick that day of the party so his nose and eyes were running. He fell out of a wagon this week and got a bruise on his cheek. AND we tried wheat this week. As you can tell by the rash on his face, it didn't go well. Oh, well!

This was Isaac's cake. It was made with a cake mix from the Raisin Rack made of rice flour, oil, water, and egg substitute. I couldn't find any icing that would work. He's allergic to too many things. I tried the cake. It was AWFUL! But, he thought it was awesome!

This was the cake the rest of us ate. Yum!

Go Bucks!

2009-01-12T14:29:00.002-05:00

The Buckeyes may have lost another bowl game, but we still enjoy cheering them on! I think my kids are most excited about wearing tatoos on their faces. Brooklyn was mad that I wouldn't let her stay up to watch the game, but I didn't want to deal with the tired, grumpy face in the morning. My kids don't have the ablilty to sleep in. They are required to stay in their beds until the clock reads 7:00am. I have no idea what time they actually wake up. I'm looking forward to when Isaac knows his numbers so I can enforce this rule with him too. I think I'll be waiting a while!

A Visit With the Fam

2009-01-11T18:34:00.001-05:00

We had my dad's side of the family over for a post New Year's celebration. We always have such a good time with them! Hannah and Brooklyn get along very well off in girlie land. They spent most of their time playing dolls and their DS's. Christopher, Grant, and Trevor were so kind to play Playmobil, Legos, and DS with Xavier. He felt like one of the big kids! I thoroughly enjoyed the adult conversation and not having to referee.

Even Isaac was able to get in on the action!

That's drywall dust(another story...) on Andy's shirt, NOT baby barf. Thanks to my cousin Rod for helping Andy carry our huge garden tub to the garage!

I had to include this rare good photo of my parents. We are not the most photogenic of families! One of us almost always blinks, looks like we've been out all night, picks our noses, etc.

The lineup of kiddos. It's amazing that this is just two families!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-05T11:16:00.004-05:00

We had the Marshals over for our annual fondue New Year's Eve party. We spent some time introducing them to Rockband(seriously, we need a life!) We sent the kids to bed at 9:30, then spent the next few hours enjoying that precious adults-only conversation. We realized the new year had arrived, unnoticed during a break in our discussion. They gathered their kids, headed for the car, and we were in bed by 1:00a.m. We are pathetic, but we like it! Thanks for coming over, Marshals, we love spending time with you!

Alliance or Bust!

2009-01-05T09:31:00.003-05:00

We traveled to see the Kings on Monday and Tuesday of last week. The kids were fairly patient in the car(thanks to the DS's and a movie) but Brooklyn has decided they need to move back to Marysville and live next door. She's seriously trying to figure out how to get our neighbors to move! We had a wonderful time and met their new puppy, Greta. It was a giant flashback to Ellie as a pup. I certainly remember those razor sharp puppy teeth! Ellie was very understanding of Greta's energy considering she is a crotchety old dog of almost nine! I wish the Kings luck with all of the Weim-isms.
1. Way too smart for their own good
2. Don't like to be alone-get used to sharing your bed!
3. Taste for Tupperware(not gladware or ziploc, but the expensive stuff!), Christmas cookies, remotes, carpet, toys, etc.
4. The ablilty to reach amazingly high places
5. Forgetting how big they really are
6. Lots and lots of energy
7. The sweetest, most wonderful dogs on the planet!

Oh, and the kids are cute too!

Wild...Lights

2009-01-04T22:55:00.002-05:00

It was 63 degrees outside the Saturday after Christmas. We thought it would be a great day to go to the Columbus Zoo to check out the Wildlights. Well, everyone else had the same idea. It was CRAZY crowded. It was the 25th(?) anniversary of the lights and they replaced all of them with LEDs to be more green. They were amazing! We had so much fun! We met up with the Bautsch family briefly to check out the light show. We wandered through Asia Quest then tried to see the elephants. We ran into the Hess family and met their beautiful new baby Natalie. It was so nice to catch up with them! After braving the crowds we'd worked up an appetite. We stopped at the Handel's in Powell and devoured some tasty ice cream.

A sample of the lights. I turned off my auto flash and my shutter speed slowed way down. Another example of why I need those photography lessons!

Everybody say, "Eating ice cream outside in December!"

Thanks, Julie for the rare family photo!

The Day After...

2009-01-04T22:43:00.003-05:00

My parents hosted my side of the family's Christmas on Friday. Xavier was so excited to receive a bunch of Power Rangers, including the huge Megazord(whatever) and a full Power Ranger outfit, down to the underwear. Brooklyn received her favorite gift; sewing lessons from Grandma. My mom bought her a mini sewing machine and promised to show her all she knows. I didn't inherit the sewing gene so I'm glad someone can show Brooklyn the ropes. My mom sent her home with homework...sewing buttons. That I can do! Brooklyn drove me crazy for the next 12 hours, begging to learn how to sew on those buttons. She did a great job! She worked really hard and only got mildly frustrated. I can't count the number of times she said "ouch!" as she poked herself with the needle!
Isaac received some very practical gifts including formula and diapers, but they were much needed items. He loves his new Mr. Potato Head. Not 30 minutes after we arrived, he hit his eye on a subwoofer and split his eyelid open. He was so tired, and being a new walker, kept falling over. For a little while, I thought we were headed to the Urgent Care. Thankfully, it has healed very quickly.

Christmas Day

2009-01-04T22:16:00.004-05:00

It already seems like Christmas was decades ago. We had a fun Christmas day. Isaac only opened one gift, then tried to climb the rest. At least he had fun! Xavier was thrilled with his new DS games and lots and lots of Legos! He is able to put the kits together with minimal help. He amazes me sometimes! Brooklyn loved her Nellie American Girl, but I think she was trumped by the pink Nintendo DS! I can't believe it, my girlie girl is a video game junkie! After a peaceful morning, we headed to Andy's parents' house. We had a tasty meal, then spent the rest of the evening playing games.

This was Andy's favorite gift. Yet, he's not in the picture??? He's not the gamer, but loves Rockband! Xavier is nuts for the drums and Brooklyn fights for the mike. I just don't know how I feel about my six year old singing Weezer, Bon Jovi, and Nirvana.

Aren't the Christmas convicts cute?

The Best Laid Plans

2009-01-01T22:26:00.007-05:00

Christmas Eve is always an eventful day for us. We bake our Happy Birthday, Jesus cake, I cook a fairly involved meal, we head to church, and come home in time to munch on some cake and head to bed. Everything started off as usual. Brooklyn and Xavier got to work on the cake. Isaac kept us from getting a good night's rest the night before and I was exhausted. I fell asleep on the couch and Xavier crashed on the floor. By the time I awoke, the cake was in pieces(Andy tried to remove it from the pan too early, too late, I'm not sure...) and it was two hours until we had to be at church. We'd planned on getting Brooklyn some petit fours from the local bakery for Christmas so I rushed out to purchase them. On the way, Andy ordered pizza. I picked up our hot, delicious, meal and headed home. Andy bathed the kids while I set the table. We scarfed down our pizza(and carrots) and zipped off to church. We dressed the kids in their PJs(It was a tradition in Andy's church growing up) so they'd be ready for bed when we got home. We got a few looks, but mostly compliments on our children's attire for the evening. I'm curious to see how many other kids show up in their PJs next year. After church, we headed home. We used Brooklyn's petit fours as a substitute for our sad cake. They looked really funny with a candle stuck in each little cake. Isaac had a candle stuck in a piece of rice cake, poor kid! But, all he wanted to do was touch the flame. Bad idea, kiddo! After a bite of cake, the kids headed off to dream land. Xavier was so excited for the next morning, he could barely stand still!

href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_C_uvOqAImFE/SV2Qp32EOqI/AAAAAAAABro/rNf0S3-T-es/s1600-h/DSC_0414.JPG">

href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_C_uvOqAImFE/SV2QrRRF27I/AAAAAAAABsA/AVIs4kPi-zk/s1600-h/DSC_0425.JPG">

Painting a Masterpiece

2009-01-01T21:58:00.003-05:00

We love cookie painting with the Bautsch family! Every year, Julie's mom makes the yummiest crispy sugar cookies that the kids decorate with icing and sprinkles. Julie and I dip the broken ones in the paint and munch away while the kids work hard on their masterpieces. After the kids are on a nice sugar high we let them do pose for goofy pictures by the tree.

Ewwww!

2009-01-01T21:50:00.003-05:00

Why are boys so gross? I am constantly telling Xavier to not pick his nose and not eat the treasures he finds inside. Yuck! Recently, for the tenth time that day, I told him to stop picking his nose. He turns to me with a straight face and says, "Mommy, I'm not picking my nose. I'm just feeling the boogers." Is he for real? Andy couldn't stop laughing and even wrote down the quote so he wouldn't forget. Like father, like son.

Squirrel Stand-Off

2009-01-01T21:40:00.004-05:00

Not the world's greatest photo, but Ellie and a squirrel had a duel that lasted at least a half an hour. Our dog watches this squirrel out the back door every day. Every time she spots it, she goes tearing out the back door and chases it up a tree. The squirrel then spends the next 10 minutes "yelling" at the dog. EVERY day. On this particular day, Ellie chased the squirrel up the shed. They stood, as still as stone, for what seemed like hours! Occasionally, the squirrel would flick its tail or Ellie would wag hers. Otherwise, they just stared at each other. Then, a guy came to measure our windows. As he's standing in our bathtub with his tape measure, he turns to me and says, "Have you seen your dog?" She was still standing in the same spot! I have no idea how long she stood there, or who won the duel. Crazy mutt!

Shameless Plug

2008-12-31T10:58:00.007-05:00

We had our family photos taken in October by a really talented lady. I was thrilled with the results! It was SO much easier than waiting in line at JC Penney. Plus, she captured my all time favorite photo of Xavier.

The photographer has had a contest every week on her blog for the month of December for various themes. My kiddos are up for this week under "My Favorite Things." While the photo is far from my favorite, I'd really like the prize! So, if anyone wants to vote for my kiddos, please copy and paste the link below. If you leave a comment, you get credit for an extra five votes. Can you help me, please? Voting ends Saturday.

http://blog.everydaybabystudios.com/

P.S. I PROMISE I'll update the Christmas festivities soon. My computer is having some memory issues and I can't upload photos. What good are posts without pictures?

Success!

2008-12-17T10:22:00.004-05:00

I completed my first attempt at a triathlon this weekend at the Honda Wellness Center. They held an indoor, timed, event on Saturday. We were given 10 minutes in the pool, 10 minutes transition, 30 minutes on a stationery bike, 5 minutes transition, and 20 minutes on the treadmill. The final standings were based on total distance covered. After the pool, I stood in second place. Yee-haw! Unfortunately, I got destroyed on the bike. That is obviously where you can gain the most distance. I hadn't been on a bike since Spring 2007! It was so hard! After 30 minutes of pushing myself to the limit, I thought I was going to lose my breakfast. For those of you who know me, I haven't thrown up in almost 20 years and it is my biggest fear! Thankfully, I pulled myself together and finished out my 20 minutes on the treadmill. Final standing: Number Nine...out of 10 women. The lady that won only completed 10 laps in the pool and I did 23. She was a biker and a runner. Oh well, I feel great for completing the event and learned so much from the experience. If I'm planning on doing a real sprint event this summer, I need to get my rear on the bike!

Our Little Singer

2008-12-15T14:17:00.004-05:00

Brooklyn was asked to do a solo for the children's Christmas program at church. She was paired with another boy to sing "Happy Birthday Jesus." She practiced for weeks, sometimes not so joyfully, before singing for both services yesterday. She was afraid she'd forget her words or that she'd get a frog in her throat. It was amazing, as soon as the spotlight hit her, she lit up! The first performance, she got the dreaded frog. I told her how to gently clear her throat before the next performance and she did great! I was so proud of her!

After church, we had lunch, then hurried off to Brooklyn's school's Christmas program. I've never been so bored at a school production! With the entire school on stage, it was like playing "where's Waldo?" to find Brooklyn. The only time I saw her was when they sat down between scenes. Otherwise, I could only see the little red bow sticking up on top of her head. The things we parents sit through for the love of our children...

Xavier's Christmas Program

2008-12-15T09:52:00.003-05:00

Xavier's preschool had their Christmas program on Thursday. I wasn't sure how he'd do since he's always in his sister's shadow. I was pleasantly surprised! He paid attention, sang every word, and did the motions! I wish I had the video, but it is too big to post. I'll see what I can do.

Xavier was so happy he got to stand near his buddies Whitney and Jack.

Gee, can you tell they're up to something. Jack would poke Xavier and he'd dissolve into giggles.

Aww, Mom! Not another picture!

Doesn't she look innocent?

2008-12-15T08:41:00.003-05:00

Warning: This post is not for children!

Last week, Brooklyn's teacher pulled me aside after school to ask me a question. "Does Brooklyn believe in Santa?" is what she asked. It seems that she announced to the entire first grade classroom that Santa does not exist. Yeesh.

Andy and I decided, before our kids were born, that we would not have Santa as the focus of our Christmas celebrations. We are not scrooges, nor anti-Santa. I don't look down on every other family that celebrates Santa, it is their choice! Our kids still receive plenty of gifts(it's amazing what people ask) and have lots of Christmas fun. We are merely trying to steer the kids away from the materialism of the Christmas season and focus on the birth of Christ. By the reaction of a lot of people, you would think we've chosen to dye our kids' hair blue and worship our dog.(sorry, I'm a little frustrated)
We've lived happily in our little bubble until this year. We've given our kids the canned answer of "my Mommy and Daddy give us gifts and we celebrate Jesus' birth" to the questions of "are you excited to have Santa come to your house," etc. Brooklyn has really struggled this year because it seems her entire first grade class can think of nothing but Santa. She feels left out. She WANTS to believe and WANTS Santa to be real. We've had endless conversations on the topic. We told her who St. Nicholas was and how he is represented in Santa, etc. Finally, Andy got frustrated with the situation and laid it out in this way. Brooklyn, we don't want to lie to you. We don't want to spend all our energy trying to make you believe in something that is not real. If we convince you Santa is real, then you find out he's not, what are you going to think when we tell you Jesus is real? That seemed to shut her up...until the next day. As they sit at the table, Brooklyn turns to my mother-in-law and says "Oma, why did you lie to Daddy?" Moments like that you just want to crawl under the table and melt into the floor!
Andy and I still feel we made the right choice for our family, but had no idea it would be this hard!
For the moment, Brooklyn seems to be silent on the subject. But, beware of the spoiler!

The Stockings Were Hung...

2008-12-10T11:46:00.003-05:00

Saturday morning the kids were able to open their stockings. Brooklyn was about to explode, but I made them stop and pose with their socks. They were all standing together(including Isaac!) and looking adorable when I snapped the picture. When I looked on my preview screen Xavier had put his stocking in front of his face. Arg! Anyways, it was a fun event and nice that Andy was home. Onward to Christmas!

Franken-Baby

2008-12-10T11:34:00.002-05:00

He's walking!
Isaac has been toddling a few steps at a time for about a month. In the past few days, he's really taken off! He walks for about ten feet before he loses his balance and plops down on his diaper butt. I think goose egg season has arrived in our house. The funniest thing is that when Brookln started to walk, she held her hands out to the side as if she were on a balance beam. Xavier had his arms straight over his head. Isaac is balancing by doing his best imitation of Frankenstein. Three kids, so amazingly different.

Santa Baby

2008-12-02T21:25:00.005-05:00

Marysville held their annual Christmas Walk on Monday. As with each year prior, the weather was terrible! It rained and/or snowed the entire day. We bundled up and headed uptown to watch Brooklyn dance to "Santa Baby" with her class. It was cute, as always.

Here is the video, per my mom's request. The quality is terrible!

Xavier and his friend Jack were good sports while waiting for their sisters to perform.

All the tinsel and lights

2008-12-02T20:58:00.005-05:00

Per tradition(and the begging of two children) we put up our Christmas decorations on Saturday. The kids were really into it this year! They blew through the boxes of ornaments and had them on the tree in no time. Unfortunately, the boxes were all strewn across the floor and the breakable ornaments were all on the bottom two branches. After a few adjustments, the tree looked marvelous! Brooklyn put the angel on top of the tree with some help from Daddy and Xavier threw the switch to turn on the lights. Isaac stood by in his reindeer antlers and looked cute.

I love how he's standing on his tiptoes to get to the perfect spot.

Oh, so not obviously posed!

Isn't he just the cutest reindeer you've ever seen?

This was his first touch of the Christmas tree. It's fake, so no injuries.

Mommy's New Toy

2008-12-02T10:32:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to take a photography class for a while. I love taking pictures of my kids and wish I had a better eye. While perusing the ads for Black Friday, Andy confessed that he wanted to get me a camera for Christmas, my birthday, Mothers' Day, and any other holiday that falls in the next calendar year. We ended up purchasing a Nikon D60 during our shopping trip on Friday. Over the past few days I have taken (literally) hundreds of pictures. Now I really need the photography class! Please bear with me as I get used to the new camera and learn all of its really cool functions. These are a few of the shots I took over the weekend.

The Feast

2008-12-02T10:06:00.004-05:00

Xavier's preschool class had their Thanksgiving Feast with the Pre-K class on the Monday before Thanksgiving. His class dressed as pilgrims and the pre-k class dressed as Indians. They traveled to each classroom to learn about the first Thanksgiving. Afterward they went to the cafeteria to have a feast together. It was adorable! All the kids were very well behaved and very hungry! They scarfed down their food like they hadn't eaten in days!