In case you were wondering...



photo brought to you by sunbeam
I just wanted to share with you that my coffee maker when you open the lid to pour the water in reads "not recommended for use in dishwasher". Does this make any sense to anyone? Someone please help me out because to me this can only mean two things: a) I have now read the dumbest thing I have ever and b) someone probably in Sheboygan tried to use their coffeepot in the dishwasher...weird wild stuff.

Garage Sale



Its official, I'm having a Garage Sale. Well I wouldn't call it official, but its pencilled in my planner! We are having it at my Grandma's since I don't have a garage to speak for but she has two. Nick thinks I am nuts for doing this as it will be way too much work but truth me told, I am super excited! I love organizing things so I now have another project to work on. Yeah! I am also excited about getting all of this crap out of my house so we have extra room. Most of the stuff that I am selling is baby stuff so all of that will be out of the attic and I will have room to morph that into our home office. Hooray! I am so excited! If you have any preparing-for-a-garage-sale tips let me know...this is my first one!

I hate Mondays

I hate Mondays, don't you? Here are my reasons why I wish Mondays would never come around:

The children are still not old enough that they can turn on the tv and graze on cheerios until we get up. So as inticing as the weekend seems to be to catch up on sleep, reality always smacks me in the face on Monday that here it is yet another week and I am still exhausted.

Leaving my children. Yes I know I only work part time but having to leave their warm snuggly little bodies so I can go throw hash is physically painful. I feel like I can't breathe. Every morning but Mondays especially I have this fight within myself that is one of those like in the movies where they are taking someone's child away...think Gabrielle on DH when they took the adopted baby...that's what's on my inside.

Summing up all that needs done. Monday mornings to me are that moment where you come to a wall look up and realize its not a wall but a huge giant you have to overcome...oh crap. Between laundry, ballet, meal planning, mommy and me classes, library reading lists, scrubbing toilets, making beds, scrubbing the grit out of the refrigerator gaskets...it all is just a lot of work. Oh and lets not forget all of the thank you cards to write, preschools to find, doctor's visits to set up, tree trimmers to find, bills to pay, friends to keep up with, yada, yada its never ending.

So do you hate Mondays too?

Out on his own

Calvin is gaining such independence these days. Of course he has those times when he just wants his Mommy (or his Daddy!) but he has completely gotten over seperation anxiety and is focusing on how things work, how they come apart, and how to squash them into a million pieces.

These pictures were taken at the zoo when he didn't want to be in his stroller...he wanted to push it. So we let him and as you can see he hit a wall...literally. I just love this little man and his spirit. He is so much like his father...easy going unless he is passionate about something...then watch out!

Precious Princess

I caught Emma playing and thought I would share it with you...isn't she just too precious? I love that she's a real live little girl! Everytime she sees the ballerina in her jewelry box her little eyes just light up. Okay I am getting off of here...the kids are with their Grandma all day and this is making me teary eyed and missing them. Have a good weekend everyone!

Parade Time

They were having such a good time!

Here's Auntie Bean and I with the kids getting ready for the parade

Last week we went to the parade in Nicholas' hometown. Its always been so much fun and this year having two children enamored by it was an incredible experience. Thankfully, God held the impending rain off too so we were had great weather!

Isn't Emma adorable?

And here's Mr. Handsome pants!

Preschool?

I just had to tell you we are preschool shopping- who would have known this time would be here already? I just can't believe I have a three year old already. We are putting in Emma in preschool more for socialization than anything. She knows her right/left, alphabet, numbers, etc. What she doesn't know is turn taking and sharing...oops. How did this time get here already?

The little Sweetheart

This is Emma. She is three. She has just recently started realizing her emotions. Its the most precious thing you have ever seen. Tuesday she was going to spend the night at her Grandma's but instead decided to come home because she would miss us. That's the first time she's really just come out and said it...she has figured out what missing us is and how it feels. This morning she woke up while I was getting ready to go to work (which was about 4:30 in the a.m. by the way). I tucked her into our bed with Nicholas and she was very snuggly!
When I left I said goodbye and was explaining to her that Daddy and I would be home tomorrow for the holiday when we really should be at work. She said "When you and Daddy are home with me, it just makes my little heart feel so special." Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard? That made me want to call work and tell them I am never coming in again, instead I will be devoting all of my time to making sure my children have little hearts that forever feel special.
But she is getting it...she knows when she misses us, when she's sad, and when she's happy. I love that she is learning all that there is in this life. She is uncovering herself and we get to see her emerge...to see what makes her feel one way and something else makes her feel completely polar opposite. I love that, I love being here for that.

Wrestling-Our New Pastime

Recently my children have taken on practicing for WWF matches. Calvin usually starts it by full force running into Emma. Before I know it they are on the floor trying to kill one another. The weird thing is they both LOVE it...all they do is giggle the whole time. I swear you would think they were a couple of boys instead of my sweet little baby and precious little girl trying to pummel one another. I definitely think Calvin's down.

Bad Mommy

The kids are awake. Naptime ends at 4:00 in our home. Its 2:39 according to the clock on the computer. They are in bed. I am on strike against getting them. Sometimes Mommy needs a break. The problem with this is the guilt has started to set in and so with each passing moment I feel a little worse about leaving them up there to make what can only be identified as jungle noises to one another through the hall. Why am I still not getting them you ask? First let me ask you if you've ever dealt with a child who has not napped? Hmmm? So you know why I am resisting with all of the strength I have to not go and get two unnapped children out of their dens. Things will be thrown, kids and Mommy's will cry, rears will be swatted and by the time Nick comes home the draperies will be torn from the windows, I'll have gum in my hair and we probably won't know where Calvin is. Oh and inevitably a shoe will have been flushed down the toilet...again. So no I am not getting you, no matter how many times you call "mama" or say " Yoohoo, I'm done with the nap!" You can sit...reflect, pray, practice your Yoga moves; the chaos is going to have to wait just a couple more moments.

Fisherwoman Emma

Emma and Uncle Marcy with her first fishy!

Emma put her hand on his shoulder, patted him, and said Thanks for this...so cute!

Doesn't she look proud?
This past weekend Uncle Marcy came home and took Emma fishing. She loved it! Months ago I was driving her around and she randomly decided she wanted Uncle Marcy to teach her to fish. Hm, random. So we went home and she called him to ask him to take her fishing. After that its all she talked about.
Grandma Peggy got her a Dora fishing pole complete with cute pink bobbers. Emma was a little freaked out by the worms and the fish when she caught them but overall had fun. Emma caught a small-mouthed bass and Uncle Marcy had her kiss it! Since then she's been talking about how she kissed that fish with the little mouth.
She was thrilled when we would throw the fish back to their Mommy's and Daddy's. Overall it was a great experience and I know she can't wait to go fishing the next time.


Pea Scooping

I keep forgetting to post on here! My Aunt Jan sent these to us and oh my goodness Calvin LOVES them! I didn't think they would make that big of a difference in eating habits but they definitely have. I love them! Now Emma wants them too even though she's been off training silverware for sometime now. Aren't they cute? Don't you wish they made them for adults? I love that it comes with a spoon and fork and instead of a knife it comes with a pusher to push food around your plate or to pile our peas onto your spoon. Anyway, this is a FANTASTIC gift idea for that little boy or girl in your life who may be a finicky eater...this will make them want to eat!

Thank's Aunt Jan!

Saturday I got a package and in it was this book from my Aunt Jan! I am so blessed to have her as my Aunt and Friend! It was so encouraging to get a gift out of the blue and so much fun. This is now my favorite book...it has everything you could ever want! It made me remember the kinds of aprons my Aunt Rella wore or seeing pictures of my Great Grandma, what a treasure...just like my Aunt Jan! Thanks so much, I love it and I love you!

Calvin Alone

Friday night Emma spent the night at her Grandparent's for the first time. It was so hard to have her go and I may write about that more later but what was kind of cool was the fact that Calvin had his Mom and Dad all to himself. He is such a funny, funny guy. I can't believe how similar he is to Nick already. He is going to have a wife someday that he makes laugh as much as Nicholas makes me laugh...I just know it. Calvin is such a different person when Emma is not around, it is uncanny how different his personality can be. Here are a couple of pictures from our time with just Mr. Calvin:

Him and Daddy at the zoo...we have a membership and we were able to get in before they opened!

This kid's got class!