We’ve Moved…

Hey, blog-world! It’s been awhile…just wanted to let you know I haven’t forgotten about you. It’s just this pesky “space capacity” thing that wordpress has; not letting me add any more photos of the littles and such. So, I’ve decided it’s time to move on. New blog with LOTS of upload space for all those adorb photos of my kids (yes, you WILL look at them!) and a new title to go with it.

Check it out at Mommy’s Time Out

Sophia Says

I first asked S this list of questions when she was three and a half (I didn’t know about them when she was three, or I would have asked her then)…well, I continued when her 4th birthday rolled around and here’s what she said (answers that stayed the same are in blue):

1. What is your favorite color? Pink

2. What is your favorite toy? hedgehog (stuffed animal)

3. What is your favorite fruit? pineapple…actually, banana

4. What is your favorite tv show? Dora & Thomas

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? carrots

6. What is your favorite outfit? Princess dress

7. What is your favorite game? Candyland

8. What is your favorite snack? Cheeze-its

9. What is your favorite animal? Dolphins

10. What is your favorite song? Old MacDonald

11. What is your favorite book? If I Ran the Zoo

12. Who is your best friend? Alyse, Isla and a girl she met at the park (once).

13. What is your favorite cereal? Chocolate Cheerios

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Go down my slide

15. What is your favorite drink? milk

16. What is your favorite holiday? Valentine’s Day

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Rosco the kitty (she named him)

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Chocolate Cheerios

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Scallops

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Princess

These questions were asked on June 26, 2012. S is 4 years old.

Black Table

You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a black dining table. I mean, a  SOLID black dining table. Most of the tables at Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and the like feature black tables but they are distressed. No offense to the country-style-lovin’ folk, but I have enough stress in my life…I don’t need to add to it with rough edges on my black furniture.

In all seriousness, I really dislike that style of paint. I can’t understand why anyone would go to the trouble of painting wood furniture with a luscious coat of black paint and then RUB IT ALL OFF! And that is why we turned to Mr. Steve at Schueler’s to create us a table just to our liking. We had searched high and low on the internets for a solid black table to no avail. One spring day, we had a sitter (thanks, mom!) and made the trek to Janesville to meet with Steve. Such an easy-going guy, he answered all our questions during our hour and a half visit and gave us some advice. A few months and some mailed paint samples later, we had this sitting in our kitchen…

Now this new table had been on our “to-do” list since…well, since we got married, I guess. One of those things that takes a backseat once you have children. I’m so glad we took the plunge and met with Steve to get the ball rolling. I love eating at our new table. As much as I love the table (he got the turned legs exactly like the picture we showed him), I’m really digging the X-back chairs. I love how our dining area finally flows together with our Ballard Designs chandelier and our laminate wood floors. I think it’s safe to say we are officially finished with the kitchen…well, that is unless someone wants to build me a solid back wine cabinet hutch! 😉

Goldfish Party

For M’s 1st Birthday, I decided to go with a goldfish theme. Goldfish are cute and so is M. Honestly, I have no idea why I landed on that idea, but when it came to me, I just went with it, as many of my creative geniuses go…there really wasn’t much to do for this par-tay, as it was just close family and no little guests to entertain.

After I found a cute 1st birthday hat, goldfish shirt and some invites on etsy, I pretty much did the rest myself…making the high chair design out of different color ribbon tied on some twine. We took M’s smash cake pics early at JCP so we’d have them to display at the party (and they made my thank-you’s already!). I also found this cute banner at Kara’s Party Supply and added some pics of M as he grew to each pennant.

The food theme was anything “orange”. I served pulled pork sandwiches with wheat and white buns, cole slaw, orange slices, carrot and celery cups w/ ranch dressing, cheetos and sun chips, goldfish crackers and sixlet candy. For dessert, M got to dig into his smash cake (courtesy of Craigs Cake Shop) as the rest of us ate some orange and blue cupcakes.

M had fun opening his gifts. Can’t believe he is 1 year old already!

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Happy 1st Birthday, Myles! Hope you had fun! We love you so much!

Mermaid Party

A few, ok, MANY months ago, I started looking around on the internet for ideas for S’s 4th birthday party. This was right about the time that I discovered the glorious PINTEREST site and the creative juices just started flowing. I thought it would be so cool to do a mermaid theme for S. When I asked her about it, she said, “you mean, Ariel?” Uh, no hon…no Disney princess mermaids…just real (?) old-fashioned mermaids, the kind that swim in the ocean with glittery tails.  So we had a quick mermaid lesson and I continued perusing the internet for ideas. What came about was something like this…

Free banner from inkgarden.com

Purple and Aqua Color Scheme

Free sign from VistaPrint

My version of no-sew mermaid tails (fabric from distinctivefabrics.com)

Cake from Craigs Cake Shop

Foam mermaid crowns and stickers (Michael’s) for decorating when the girls arrived. You can also see S’s special seashell chair (wishworks.com)

Starfish hairpin from a seller on etsy. I had one too, but it broke off the pin before I could even use it, so I just stuck the end of the starfish in my hair and it worked well.

Duct tape on the water bottles to match the color scheme.

Favor boxes (amazon.com) with Rock Candy, Salt Water Taffy (Kara’s Party Shoppe) and bubbles.

Mermaid in a bubble activity.

Buried treasure dig. Love my dad for getting into it with the girls and helping out!

Ring toss game. Floaty animals from Party City.

Girls making their crowns. Bubble machine was a hit!

I didn’t get a shot of all the food (and I also didn’t have time to make labels for all the food like I had planned), but we served octopus hotdogs, peanut butter and jellyfish sandwiches, mermaid juice (kool-aid), seashell pasta salad and fruit salad (which was supposed to be starfish fruit salad, but apparently it is not starfruit season). I also had submarine sandwiches for the adults.

The “crew”

S posing with her mermaid cake and her birthday shirt (etsy).

It was so much fun to plan this event for S. I know she and her little mermaid friends had lots of fun. I definitely couldn’t have pulled this off without the help of J and his bro and SIL and my parents. They were my set-up and demolition crew and so much help in between! It was a lot of work, but lots of fun, too. I joked off and on during the day that next year it’s going to be a Chuck E Cheese party…but I kind of doubt that once I get back on pinterest and start thinking about the next party!

Mylestones: 12 Months

Well, look who’s ONE! Myles made it through his first year of life (and his parents lived to tell about it…). What a year it has been, one that flew by so fast I’m so glad I took pictures to prove it actually happened. M is all boy. A phrase that frequently comes out of my mouth as I watch him play and interact with his world, “He’s such a boy.” Bangs on things, investigates how everything works, shows no fear in getting what he wants…his latest trick scares the you-know-what out of me. On occasion, he will just be sitting there and then all of a sudden decide to throw himself backwards and lay flat on the floor.  He does this on the bed, which is a bit safer, but still scary since he could throw himself off the bed, on the floor, wherever he happens to be. Such a goofball. Speaking of goofball, he loves to ham it up with big sis. They are going to be quite the pair, those two. I’m just thankful they get along so well. I know that might not always be the case, but for now, the Sophia/Myles duo is getting along quite well.

Now that he’s learned to scale the stairs going up, his new thing is learning how to go back down. I know he’s said “mama” a few times now (has had “dada” down pat for awhile) and mimics my intonation when I say “all done!” He can sign for “more”…which he does a lot. This kid is seriously the world’s best eater. (knock on wood) Whatever I put in front of him, he eats…and since I like my food to have lots of flavor, he’s had the opportunity to sample a lot of adult-fare, he’s our little gourmand!

He’s 26 lbs and 29 1/2 inches. We’re moving into size 4 dipes and 18 month sized clothes for our big guy. No go on the walking front just yet. He can balance by himself and will take one or two steps forward, but then decides to move to the floor and crawl to his final destination. I thought for sure he’d be walking by his first birthday! All in due time, I guess.  Speaking of time, this momma is basically running out of it. Being with the kiddos doing my solo full-time act, is leaving me with little time in my day to finalize birthday bash plans for M and his big sister. The parties are coming up fast, but going to be a blast.

Thanks for making our hearts a little bit bigger this past year, Myles. We love you so much and are so proud that you are our son. Happy 1st Birthday!

Day Out With Thomas

This past weekend we spent the day with Thomas. Not just any Thomas, mind you, THE Thomas. You know, the TRAIN? As I expected, S had entirely too much fun meeting the real, live Thomas and his trusty pal, Sir Topham Hatt.

I wasn’t even aware of this event until my dad told me about it. And he found out about it because his company has the honor of hauling Mr. Thomas all around the country this summer as he makes his appearances at railroad museums. I even found out that they require that Thomas be loaded on the trailer backwards so that his eyes are facing out and can greet little ones along the road! How fun!

Anyway, back to the day…there was so much to see and do and the 25 minute train ride was a great finale to the day. There was a Thomas storytime/book reading area, model train demonstrations, magic shows, a meet and greet with Sir Topham Hatt, temporary tattoos, an arts and crafts area…and that was just the indoors activities (nice and air-conditioned, too!). Outside there was a bounce house and a slide, a sandbox and jungle gym area, a hay bale maze, gift shop, food tent, and a nursing/diaper changing area. It was definitely geared for the little ones and staffed by very helpful volunteers. We were so impressed by how organized everything was. It was very well done. They even had photographers set up at the key locations to take your group photos, which you could look up later online or view in the gift shop….which reminds me, I still need to look ours up online.

S was elated to meet Sir Topham Hatt and was not afraid of her first real “character” experience. She went right up and held his hand. And when we got there, Thomas was making his rounds around the track and she was yelling and waving like he was her best friend.

You have to purchase your ticket for a certain boarding time. Ours was 12:15. If I had to do it again (and we likely will next year), I’d get a slightly earlier time for the train and get there earlier for the activities. Everyone was getting tuckered out by lunch time.

Plenty of restrooms and room for strollers, definitely a very family friendly event. It was so fun to see S so excited about meeting him. She was pretty tired when we got back to the car (kids were both asleep by the time we rolled out of the parking lot), but she said, “I want to come back tomorrow!” Oh, and parking…there’s a shuttle that you can take in, but we just parked across the street next to the school and walked the two blocks in to the museum. Easy peasy!

And in case you were wondering…I did not hear any of the stick-in-your-head Thomas songs during the day, just some nice, soothing music on the train ride. 🙂

They’re two they’re four they’re six they’re eight. Shunting trucks and hauling freight…

Mylestones: 11 Months

Only one more month to go before the BIG ONE! This month was another tough one for Mr. M. He got an ear infection while we were visiting my family for Mother’s Day weekend, so we got the lovely experience of treating our sick little one while out-of-town. A few days after that, he was teething like mad one day and just miserable. Cranky, high temp, fussy and a nice short-lived (luckily) bout of not wanting to nurse. A few days later, another ear infection. Add that to being treated for pertussis and, well, you’ve pretty much said it all. What, pertussis you say? You mean WHOOPING COUGH? Yup, that’s the one. Three of the four of us have been treated for it, actually. Apparently there’s an outbreak occurring in our area and wouldn’t you know which family was one of the lucky ones to possibly contract it? I’m pretty sure we are the center target for all these crazy illnesses these days. If all this sickness leaves us happy and healthy during the summer months, then bring it on…if not, well, let’s just say this is NOT the summer for anyone to be sick. Please God.  

Ah, sweet little adorable Myles, you’ve been up to so much this month. One day you thought it would be fun to carry your toy truck all the way up all the stairs. Such a strong, determined little guy you are. You pull up on every thing, walk with cute little chubby leg struts when daddy holds you up, cackle laugh with your big sis, babble to yourself while you sit in your jumperoo, and screech when you see Elmo anywhere (on TV, books, at the store…). And are you crafty. One day Dadda and I watched you procure a big pink ball from behind your jumperoo without hitting your head or falling over. Such a little discoverer you are! You’ve been eating up a storm. I sometimes wonder if you are stuffing your food down the side of your high chair you eat it up so fast.

I think your words so far consist of Dada and Clap. Although these seem to have fallen by the wayside as you learn so many new skills. Talking is definitely not high on your list of things to do right now. We love how you wave at everything and your blue-eyed smile is quite possibly one of the best things to be seen.

Tonight we watched you take your first few unsupported, wobbly little steps in the living room. How fitting that it was on your 11 month milestone date. Before you strut off into your newfound world of discovery, we’ll take this time to admire your chubby baby-arm crease, the way you snuggle into our shoulders for a cuddle, the fact that you still wear onesies, those cute open-mouthed baby kisses, the sweet smell of your babyfine hair as you sleep your baby slumber next to us, and of course, your chubby baby hands that will grow more and more into toddler hands as the days pass.

Pretty soon we’ll be wishing you a Happy 1st Birthday, Mr. M. Until then, this mommy’s got a lot of planning to do. Enjoy your last month of babyhood ’cause you’re soon on your way to being a full-fledged toddler!

Mylestones: 10 Months

Ah, sweet baby M, you are learning to do so many things! He climbs up stairs, stands for brief moments all by himself, claps his hands, smiles and laughs all the time, eats “real” food (and poops “real” poops)…yup, just about the only thing he doesn’t do is say MAMA. He’s got DADA down pat and will occasionally repeat it when asked. Mention the M word and you get the blank stare. It will come, I know, but S said mama on her own around 9 months and I’m so eager to hear him say it!

The big 10-month mark…so close to the big ONE mark. At his 9 month check-up, he weighed 23.4 lbs. and was 29 inches. Back ON the charts, as our pedi put it. He’s still in size 12 month clothes and size 3 dipes…he’s been holding steady on those for awhile now. Two more teeth have been added this month, which was oh so fun. He does not handle teething well. With S, I barely knew she was getting new teeth, didn’t make a peep! This one lets you know, poor guy.

His favorite toy right now is…well, ALL of them. He goes on a toy tipping, tearing, knocking down, banging together rampage all the time when he plays. I’ve decided just not to clean up after him until the day is done because it’s so not worth it. It will be messy again as soon as I clean everything up.

On the health front, M has been doing ok this month. He had a few weeks to recover when we were home for spring break and has only had a cold since returning to daycare. He did have a stomach bug on Friday night which was not pleasant and added an extra load to our washing machine’s weekend duty, but he seems to have recovered from that, thank goodness.

It’s been a very active month for Mr. M. I know he’s just going to keep on moving from here on out! In closing, I leave you with the “photo shoot dismount”:

ta da!

 

Mylestones: 9 Months

Look who’s getting bigger! More and more like a toddler every day. He pulls up, bends down, opens cabinets, explores everything, picks up cheerios with his fingers, babbles, laughs and interacts with us in so many fun ways. Not one to be held captive on the monthly chair photo shoots, either. I might have to tie him down next month…

This month was a tough one, ladies and gentlemen!  As I looked at our whiteboard command center calendar on our fridge, just about every day had a little “x” mark on it, meaning M had his daily dose of antibiotics (or THREE daily doses as in the case of the most recent antibiotic…don’t get me started). The poor guy couldn’t catch a break. Sinus infection, colds, double EI’s…ugh. We are now down to ONE MORE DAY of antibiotics and according to our wonderful pedi, we should be clear for awhile. I took him in AGAIN today due to a 101.5 degree fever that he spiked last night. Joked with Dr. E that we were back for our weekly visit and found out that devilmedicine was in fact doing it’s job and cleared up those little ears. That was the good news. The not so good was just the fact that Myles is suffering from yet another cold virus. At least we don’t have to do the 3 shot series.

Ah, so much for the sickkies. Hoping that these next two weeks out of daycare will help M stay away from the germies and start feeling better! What? Two weeks out of daycare? Why, yes, our spring break is quickly approaching. And not a moment too soon. So many fun things planned for M and his big sis. We’ve got trips to the zoo, picnics and of course, a special celebration for big daddy-o, who will be celebrating a milestone birthday himself. Yes, indeed we’ve got some plans!

So, besides the germie bugs, M has been on the move, exploring every square inch of our house and finding all kinds of new things to get in to. He loves our TV stand, which houses some super safe GLASS doors that are apparently so much fun to open and close. Oh, and then there’s the carbon monoxide detector plugged in to the wall. That’s really fun to take OUT of the wall and listen to the hysterical beeping and siren-like sound. Yup…funners.

He’s been trying new table foods, seems to love the fruits we give him, but has a strong liking for BROCCOLI! I love watching him eat the little tiny buds, it’s so cute! He’s been taking baths in the real tub now and loves splashing around. I can’t wait to sign him up for swimming lessons this summer. He still has a strong bond with his big sis. They love playing the “gookie” game, which is something S invented. It reminds me of the “near and far” skit on Sesame Street with Grover. S comes bopping along into the room and yells “GOOKIE!” at the top of her lungs and Myles cackles/laughs hysterically. S exits the room. Rinse. Repeat. About a million times. So much fun.

Another fun thing for M has been stroller rides. He loves to just chill out and be pushed along, epecially in this nice weather we’ve been having. I have a feeling he’ll be a-walkin’ soon. Look out world, here he comes!