Grade 2 music program

Sidney had her music program and art show this week, and what a star up on stage was she! Sidney (like her big sis), enjoys being on stage and having special parts in these yearly music programs. This time, she had both an instrument part and a speaking part. She was nervous, excited, giddy and sweet. We loved that all 4 of the grandparents could come watch her shine on stage! They performed two times, so she had family in the audience at both shows. Lucky girl. We are so proud of you!

There are roughly 115 second graders in our elementary school. The largest grade by far. That's a lot of kiddos on one stage.

Sidney's teacher (who also happened to be Regan's teacher), was maybe hand-picked by us. He's incredible and does so well with these kiddos.

Her 'masterpiece' includes a golf cart with herself and Grandma Jan taking a spin (have I mentioned how much these kids love cart rides!? though I'm pretty sure the golfers on the course would prefer they never return!). So sweet that she included a picture of a quilt, no doubt created by Grandma Jan too!

 Sidney is gaining a pretty fun group of friends through school. These girls were so smiley and excited before the show. Us parents laugh too, how they all seem to have roughly the same hair color...a bunch of cuties!

Way to go Sidney! You did great :)

Thanksgiving 2016

Thanksgiving came and went and we're nearly halfway into December already! Although we do prefer to host the holidays (for a plethora of reasons), we opted to travel back to our home town to celebrate with the extended families. The kids enjoyed some playtime and hot tubbing with "cousins" (they don't actually have first cousins sadly), snuggling with Grandma Jan while she recovered from recent surgery, a quick golf cart ride with Papa and eating Thanksgiving meal/s. It was a whirlwind of a weekend but we tried to soak it all in as much as possible!

FMSC

With the last year of elementary school upon us for Regan, I'm doing as much as I can to stay involved in the classroom and with those cute friends of hers. I've already done my share of volunteer hours for the year and it's only November! 

Last week, I was able to tag along on the 5th grade field trip to Feed My Starving Children. 

With hairnets and all, we packed enough meals to feed 91 children for an entire year! Something like 30,0000 meals! We had a great time dancing and talking and laughing as memories were made. 

Thanks for letting me be a part of your day Regan! 

Halloween 2016

Before we get too far past Halloween, I need to quick post a picture of these 3, who had more than their share of fun on this candy-driven day. I'm not a huge fan of the whole trick or treating experience (I just think it's a bit weird), but when you toss in a little family time to our night, I jumped on board and tagged along. The kids had a blast: Greaser girl, donut and 'Baylor' (a golden retriever that we love) picked their own costumes this year and looked pretty darn cute! 

The struggle is real people

We are in week three of our renovation, and the tension level is running high. I'm not so sure anyone in the family likes each other anymore (well that's not entirely accurate but you get the picture around here). Emotions and kid behaviors are off the charts. We've moved around living spaces from section to section so the wood floors could be polished up. At one point, we had 4 couches and a fridge in about 30 square feet....it became unbearable. 

At the beginning of all this, I uttered to Ryan that this would be a test to our marriage. He now understands that comment...it's just so much darn work! There are days that I wonder why we hired a general contractor when my phone buzzes non stop from questions from sub-contractors. I've been late to work daily so that I can check in with the guys as they arrive and figure out the day's work. I'm just as late picking up kids after work because I stop home first for any updates or questions. There is a constant hum on my phone relaying updates to Ryan and ensuring he's a part of all the decisions. Of note, he doesn't give a hoot about paint colors, and it only adds to his crabbiness. 

And then there's the mess. Dust everywhere, a film across every surface no matter my efforts. New wood floors covered up with paper to protect from the stain. Countertops with 5 layers of protection which means we can't wipe them down...ever (gross!). I guess it's alright because I can't exactly "cook" anyway other than the microwave. On the positive side, our sink has remained in tact and for that I'm thankful. 

There have been deadlines which have been pushed out, supplies that were delayed, colors that had to be redone and budgets that have been blown. BUT...., I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. We are getting there. By this time next week we should at least have full use of every part of the house again. Tho it won't yet be completed, it will be very close. Eventually, we will look back and laugh, but right now, we understand why most folks move instead of renovate. 

House reno

We are in the midst of a bit of a renovation around here.....

Emotions are high and the stress is the same. Nothing is where it's supposed to be (fridge is in the dining room, tupperware in a random tote), and feeding this family of 5 has never been so difficult (it's microwave and grilling)!

  

There are so many decisions to be made and not a lot of time to do so. I think I stared at these options for 10 minutes without saying a word (until Lincoln took a flying leap off the counter height table nearby and got my attention quickly!).

All of our "stuff" is crammed into other parts of the house and hiding out in various boxes. It's a giant mess and we are doing our best to hold it together. There are nails and staples requiring shoes on when you need to walk into the kitchen or family room. There is dust everywhere and I'm trying to let it just be for now. We are forever thankful for this beautiful weather so we can get outside to play.

I can't tell you how long I looked at these two pieces of limestone...and Ryan wasn't much help with that decision "I like them both, you pick". Ugh. I had an easier time with the stacked stone than I did the limestone hearth. Only two options and I still couldn't make a decision! 

I commented to one of the workers this past week that doing a kitchen reno with 3 kids is not easy and all he could reply was "I cannot imagine". I know in the end it will look wonderful and we will be so happy to have it in our past, but living through a renovation takes a lot of patience!

Here's hoping to a smooth flooring install tomorrow and the remainder of this week. In a few short weeks we should have our lives back to normal :)

Lincoln-age 3

 

 And just like that this little guy is already 3. How in the world could that be? One friend commented to me on Lincoln's birthday, "it seems like he was just born!". Isn't that the truth. I remember the moment he was born, just like it was yesterday. How quickly he arrived (45 minutes after my water broke!) and the up and down of that delivery where it felt like I might not be awake to see it all unfold (I have some odd interactions with epidurals that we may have forgot to tell anyone in the rush of everything). I remember the exact moment that the door to our room opened and the girls walked in for the very first time, the flood of emotions having our entire family together for the very first time. I remember every detail. And so, yes, it does feel like he was just born; oh how quickly those 3 years have gone.

He continues to touch so many people with his outgoing personality, and cute sweet voice. People will forever comment about his beautiful curly locks and his darkest brown eyes. He has the hearts of almost the entire elementary school and it seems that everyone knows him. He is Mr. Loved, that is for sure. He gets high-fives and 'knucks" from friends, fellow students, teachers and staff. And then there's his most favorite friend (of Regan's), Addyson who gets hugs and kisses. Lucky girl :) 

How do I describe him at 3 years old? Here's a bit of our favorite little boy

* Biggest toy interests: trains, cars, balls.
* Biggest sport interests: hockey, football and watching the girls play "fofball" (softball)
* When he sees/does something he likes, he screams "NICE" only he says it like the way a man would scream at his football team for scoring. It's hilarious! 
* The boy is learning empathy, always concerned when someone gets hurt and quick to offer support. 

* He loves to hop from one foot to the other, slowly and methodically. It's so funny that he belly laughs at himself doing this. 

* He eats his meal and then, when he decides he is done, will take one last bite, chew it up and spit it back out. This little habit needs to stop. Cuz Regan can't stand the sight of it anymore. 

* He still loves his nuk (mostly only at nap or bedtime) and we can't seem to break him of it. I keep reading he will ditch it when he's ready....but I wonder if we should just cut off the tip. There are 1.5 left (one's partially broken) and I refuse to buy more. 

* He plays hard and sleeps hard, still napping 2-3 hours/day. 

* He cannot let me say "I love you" back to him. He has to end with an I love you; it can't come from me. This is a funny dialogue to hear.
* Ryan repeatedly gets hollered at for pulling down the upper sunglasses compartment in the car "no up daddy!".
* The kid is a wiz at our iPhones, iPods and iPads...even has taught me a thing or two.
* He speaks in full sentences, but his listening skills are horrendous. Five thousand times a day he says "what?". Which is met with "Listen Lincoln!", to which he replies "ookkaayyy"
* The boy doesn't know what a fork is used for, nope, he eats like a cave man.
*He loves to show us things that are "koo kiny" aka: too tiny. It's Ryan's favorite saying :)
* He is a spit fire. Fast and fun, always on the go.
* But incredibly sweet, always ready to give a hug or a snuggle.

Love you birthday boy!

Lincoln-birthday eve

Tonight I put to bed our 2 year old for the very last time. For tomorrow he will wake as a THREE year old!

So tonight, let's take it back a few years.... to the last time I went to bed pregnant. I loved being pregnant. Every single time, every single minute of all 9 (10 really!) months! I'm one of those people who had pretty easy pregnancies and never seemed to mind the nausea, lack of sleep, waddle in my walk, or any other "perk". I knew it was a blessing and I never took it for granted. I'd do it all over again another 10 times!
Thankfully, as my coworkers so lovingly tell me, I "tend to deflate well"!

This was taken roughly 18 hours before Lincoln was born (also my easiest birth).

  

And the day these two got to meet their little brother for the very first time. Having our sweet little boy enter our family was the most precious time of our lives. He has been a ball of joy and we have loved him from the very start.

Oh how I miss those big squishy cheeks (and arms and legs and button nose), which have now slimmed down with his always-on-the-move demeanor and non stop chatter. He was, by far, the easiest baby I have ever known. From birth-12 months, he slept, he nursed and he played. He let me hold him all day long when I could, and boy did we snuggle that first year.

And then he started walking....and he hasn't stopped moving since! He's hard to keep up with and I'm convinced a mom invented hoods for my own sake (yes, I have been known to grab his hood just in the knick of time).

Tomorrow when he wakes, we will celebrate our 3 year old and love him up just like the day we met him.

Happy Birthday Eve Lincoln!
We love you :)

Lincoln is (almost) 3!

With a birthday approaching, we had a pretty fun-filled weekend of celebrations. It's always a little bittersweet to celebrate another birthday, especially for the littlest of the bunch. I'm so excited to watch him grow, but a little sad to let go of the baby stages. Let's be real, he will ALWAYS be my baby. And the best part, is that he knows it :)

Friday we were blessed with Kari and her kiddos. They spent the entire day hanging out with us and the kids ran around the back yard until their legs could no longer move, and then they did it some more. Kari and I got a lot of girl time talking in during that afternoon. A win for all!

The next day, we hosted Lincoln's family party with all sorts of cousins and aunts/uncles. He wanted a fire-truck party and that's what this little boy got. He loved the balloons picked out by daddy and Regan and didn't mind a bit to pose.

I'll write a little more about him turning 3 later this week, but for now, I'll write my 3 favorite things:

1) the way he talks. He says the word "yes" in response to questions. Not just 'yea', but "yes", with an accented S at the end. And darn it is it cute! When he's frustrated, he says "dane-it", as in dang-it. Oh boy is it adorable!

2) he takes each day in stride. Sure he gets upset about things, after all, he's a typical toddler. However, in the grand scheme of things, he is the most easy-going kiddo around. We run here-there-everywhere almost daily and he's always up for our plans.

3) how much he loves his mama, and frankly, his whole family! Now it's no secret that he has a thing for me and I love it to no end. But when it's just me and him, he asks constantly about everyone else: "Where's Sinney", "Regan go?" "daddy workin?" He loves his entire family and it melts my heart.

Back to his party day...., with all of his food allergies, he gets the shaft when it comes to cake. We can't trust a bakery to make anything safe for him yet, so sadly I get to test my talent (or lack thereof) once a year. The cake itself tastes pretty good, but the decorating is.... well? Let's just say I won't quit my day job :)  

It's a good thing that Lincoln clearly doesn't care what the cake looks (or tastes) like! He just loves it when we sing Happy Birthday to him! He loves loves loves that song! It's the most adorable thing ever to watch his face light up when he realizes it is being sung to HIM!

I didn't have my camera on hand much but managed to snap a quick picture of these guys playing with his new train table. He's one lucky (almost) 3 year old!

Happy birthday Lincoln!

Fall photo shoot 2016

Well, we managed to time it just right for another year. Each and every year, I take a picture with the same tree. And each year it doesn't disappoint. We love this beautiful maple tree and all of its vibrant colors! Back in 2015, I made a collage of all of our years with this tree, click HERE to see it.

About a week ago, I grabbed the kiddos after school and we headed a few miles up the road to our most beloved tree. It was a beautiful shade of yellow, with a hint of orange. The tippy top was red, but I couldn't seem to get a full picture with the kids in it and the top of the tree. 

This will suffice :) 

This photo shoot was an excellent warm up to our family picture photo shoot more recently. Lincoln posed and posed for me and later did a great job with our photographer too! 

We just love fall around here. The kids play outside until it's dark (which is far too early in my mind!) and have a new love of tag as of late. They grab a sweatshirt , run outside to play and quickly shed their extra layers with the way this gorgeous fall has continued. 

Although we love fall, not many of us are super excited for what is to come. So let's relish these days as long as they last! 

Here's to another successful fall photo shoot! 

UMD at Gophers

We love sporting events around here, that's no secret. And generally speaking, we are Gopher fans. But when UMD plays, Ryan's alma mater, it's a requirement to cheer for the dogs. Toss in that my cousin plays hockey for UMD and we really had no choice but to root for them this weekend! 

All of us got to experience a women's hockey game for the first time and we had a blast! Maybe because our seats were in row 4, or maybe because of all the constant movement, but the kids were in awe. 

It was so cool to see someone we know play as well. The girls didn't want to bail early and were actually sad when the game ended (even more sad that they lost in OT). It was a great game! 

Lincoln sat mesmerized for the first entire period. Barely moved a muscle. He adored watching the "teddy bear" aka Goldy and all of his antics. Eventually, Goldy came over to us and Lincoln got his hug, high five, picture and a few fist bumps. 

Great game Bulldogs!, thanks for the entertainment! 

Snapshots from daycare

Our little (or big?) guy has been having a great time lately at his "school" aka-daycare. We get frequent updates about his day, but even better are pictures they send. They stop us in our tracks and sure are a highlight of our day as we buzz about our work. He's always smiley and happy and that makes us relax knowing he is in loving hands. 

This lawnmower is one he has claimed for himself....and thankfully they have more than one available so sharing isn't typically a problem. It's the little things; and he adores this mower. Each and everyday at pick up time, he's mowing and always has a big grin on his face. 

Nap time pictures just melt my heart. Plus it's a wild surprise that he just lays down and goes to sleep. No nuk, no stuffed animals, no any extras. Just his cot and his cozy blanket. 

Seeing him at meal times, sitting beside his buddies, with his red cup (allergy identifier), puts our minds at ease knowing they are taking his needs seriously and keeping him safe. 

Oh this sweet cutie pie. He sure is a ham for his teachers and it seems they love him just as much as we do. He's still working on defending himself among the bully in the class, and we hear about it daily. Poor Lincoln is not the only kid who is pushed, hit or bit. But despite those moments, he still puts a smile on and loves his days at school! 

Pool pictures

Our girls, like most kids their age, have IPod touches, or other devices that allow them to take selfies. That said, they seem to be in love with taking pictures of themselves; not that there's anything wrong with that :) However, this summer, they discovered the joy of underwater cameras. And no matter how much I reminded them that they are not designed to take good selfies, they didn't listen! We got a lot of pictures like this as a result:

 

Oh but not to worry, we had plenty like this as well! Good think we keep a clean pool.

Eventually, sometime around August, they got the hang of it and I got a few more pictures that looked like these last two instead.

Here's hoping they pick up next year where we left off. We're missing summer already around here....