Riding with the Big Kids

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!




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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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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...

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


Oh, and happy birthday, Andy!!!

My Sweetheart(s)

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

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!

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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!