Princess and the Frog

Today I took Sophia and James to their very first movie at a movie theatre. I didn't know they would be FREE!! I think Sophia and I will have to attend a few more movies before she turns 3. Anyway, Suzanne, Sarah, and Maggie went with us. Maggie and Sarah were great! Maggie took care of Sophia and Sarah walked James around at the end when he didn't want to sit anymore. They were very helpful...Thank You!! Oh, I forgot to mention we saw the Princess and the Frog. So Cute! I think it may be one we will have to purchase.

This morning we also opened gifts from each other. Jim and I hit the jack-pot with underwear and I also got some chocolates from James...yummy! James LOVES his Geotrax and Sophia LOVES her Smart Fit. It was a full day of fun. Now, with snow on the ground, I can't wait for the kids to go out and play in it.

So Much Catching Up To Do

It has been a while since I have blogged and it seems there has been so much to share. I will try to keep it short. Last Sunday (not yesterday but the last, last Sunday) the kids and I picked up Mom. They were very excited to see Grandma and Grandpa. James grabbed Grandpa's hand and started walking around Kohl's while Sophia told Grandpa she needed $6 to buy a toy. Grandpa of course said no and we went on our way. He did treat us to McDonald's though. We then went home and had fun with Grandma. Monday was the kids last day of school before Christmas so Mom and I went shopping and then met Jim at the Japanese restaurant for a Bento Box before picking up the kids. We then spent the rest of the time with Mom making candy canes out of yeast. Yummy!!

On Tues. last week we had another doctor's appointment. Everything checked out okay and the baby's heartbeat is 160. Back in 3 weeks for another check-up and another 3 to see if it is a boy or girl. Put your vote in to see if you are correct.

Mom went to Beck's on Tuesday but we still had another busy week. We checked out a preschool for gifted children for Sophia on Wed. It was fun and the school looks prefect for our needs....except it is a 45 minute drive from our house in rush hour traffic....and it is really expensive. We are checking out a Lutheran preschool in Jan. as well as a Catholic school (although the Catholic school doesn't take children until the age of 4). We are entering into a whole new era.

Sophia has started to mention more and more that she wants a big girl bed..."Not one with a rail Mom, but one like your and Daddy's". Well, I guess it is time. I think we will wait until after the Holidays though. I have not been looking forward to this but hopefully it will go smoothly. I just don't want James to then want a big boy bed.

Thursday Sophia had a play date with her friend Cole. They have so much fun together. She told James later on that day that "You don't make a very good Cole". So cute! James go to go to the Children's Museum with Daddy while Sophia was at Cole's. Jim took him down the big slide which I guess was the highlight of the day for James....that and the carousel of course.

Friday and Saturday we stayed at home...Thank You God! I was tired! Jim took the kids sledding for the first time of the season and they loved it. There were tears when it was time to come in but I suppose I should expect that.

Sunday Sophia had her first friend's birthday party to attend. It was at Monkey Joe's, which is where we will have her birthday party in Feb. She had a blast. We rushed home for the Beeson Christmas Party at our house then. Grandma Beeson made it over which was wonderful. It was a full house. The kids loved playing with their older cousins. I loved it because the cousins played chase and hide-n-go-seek with James and Sophia and by bedtime, they went fast asleep.

Today starts another work week for Jim and we are getting final touches together for Christmas. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving here was fantastic! We had it at our house and I was so happy to see our basement get some use. We wanted a big house with gatherings like this in mind, where people have plenty of room and lots of things to do. The food was great, the company was wonderful, and I think everyone had a good time. Yeah!

Today we started putting up the Christmas decorations. It is fun trying to find out where everything will go. I think I have decided that we need more decorations. I don't think I have many decorations for the basement...unless I put a tree down there but I was planning on putting the cluster of 3 trees in the kitchen and the fancy tree in the nice living room. We'll see. We put up the big, fancy tree tonight except we didn't get any ornaments on. We were spending too much time trying to get James out from under the tree. He kept crawling under it! He is like a cat! Anyway, the outside lights are about 50% done too. I think we need to buy some more though.

Oh...James had his 18 month check-up this past week. He has reached or is past all developmental milestones. He is 26 pounds and 35 inches tall. He is definately built like Jim! James has been doing a really funny thing...he tells jokes. You can't understand what he is saying but he will tell the joke, wait a little bit, give the punch line and then bust out in a fake laugh that Jim taught the kids to do when someone tells a joke. It is so funny becuase you can tell that to him, he is really telling a good joke. Other things he is doing...he runs, climbs, tackles, throws, and does everything that is an active "boy". He has lately tried to go up the stairs while riding his Nemo car (a ride-on car). He lifts up the front while he is still on it tries to go up the stairs. He has a few times tried to ride the car down the stairs in the garage but thankfully hasn't been successful yet because I have caught him in time. (thank goodness for door alarms) He continues to drink about a 1/2 gallon of milk everyday and enjoys eating pancakes, cereal, green beans, and crackers with cheese or peanut butter or Nutella (but not all in the same meal).

Cute Conversation

On the way to Aunt Beck's tonight for pizza, Adam, Sophia, and I had a conversation. It went something like this.

"Why are all the cars on the road?" Asked Sophia.
"Because everyone is on their way home from work."
"From Daddy's work?"
"No. Everyone works someplace different. There are doctors, lawyers, accountants, bankers, teachers, bakers, pilots, construction workers, and lots of other jobs that people are on their way home from."
"What do you want to be when you grow up Sophia", I ask.
"Hmmm, I'm going to be a princess."
"Like a fairy princess?" asks Adam.
"Nope, just a princess with a tiara....a really big one. That's what I am going to be."

Ahh, I remember having that dream once too. Wait...I still have that dream :)

Baby Number 4

That's right...we are having another baby. I am still rather early along but I can't keep it to myself this time...I need the support...especially after Christian's death. I am not for sure of the due date yet...somewhere in the middle of June. I am about 7 1/2 to 8 weeks along. I am trying to stay calm, relaxed, and positive. I will admit though at my first ultrasound, I cried so hard I couldn't see the screen. Sarah was my ultrasound tech and I feel as though we have become somewhat friends so I felt really comfortable just letting my feelings go. My ultrasound was great...actually I think it was the best one out of all of our children. Heartbeat was 149 and you could see the spine forming. I have had labs drawn twice already, once at 4 weeks and another at 5 1/2. My labs are the best they have ever been and this is the first time I haven't been put on progesterone. All positive news. I am just going to continue to let God lead the way. Thank you God for another blessing.

Field Trip Week

This week was full of fun activities. Here is a recap:

Monday: Jim's Birthday - The kids were in school all morning so Jim and I ran errands and had a nice lunch at Kincaid's. We went out to eat that evening too at MCL and the kids ate Free - I love that part of it. We did something after that but I can't remember.

Tuesday: We went to Tuttle's Apple Orchard and it poured down rain the whole time we were there. We were all soaking wet and cold but we still spent almost 2 hours there and had a blast! Everyone picked out a pumpkin and lots of apples were purchased. Again - I will post pictures as soon as I take the time to download them.

Wednesday: We went to the Children's Museum. Jim and I became donor members which means we can take at least two extra guests with us to the museum for free. The kids LOVED the dinosaurs and the carousel.

Thursday: Jim worked and it rained again. The kids and I went to Gymboree and then took Jim lunch. Jim was on the Indianapolis news that night talking about H1N1. What a celebrity!!

Friday: Sophia had school and Jim's mom had a dentist appointment, which upset her a quite deal. James and I went out to lunch and shopped. I got my flu shot at Walgreen's because the hospital is all out (meaning Jim couldn't get me one) and while we were there a mother took her son into the store and he had just tested positive for H1N1 - leave him in the car or at home!!!!! I was furious and shocked at her ignorance!

Saturday: Back to the Children's Museum to see the King Tut exhibit. Very Cool!! Again we saw dinosaurs and road the carousal. Lunch was at Cracker Barrel - Yum! Then we went to the nursery and picked out more plants. They start landscaping on Tuesday. I need to remember to take before and after pictures.

Sunday: Finally a slower day. Church then donuts then bike rides then park. Home for lunch and then everyone napped. When we all woke up we got Halloween decorations out and playing with the kids. James pooped and peed on the potty again (again I haven't done a thing to train him except get some books and let him watch a video. He tells me when he wants to go - amazing). We ended the day with playing on the "mountain" and taking the trash out. Jim is watching the Colts game and I am going to look for Disney on Ice tickets for Sophia, Sarah, and Maggie. Tomorrow begins another week.

Quick Update

I don't have much time but I have realized it has been a while since I reported anything new so here are some quick updates:

1) James pooped on the potty for the first time two days ago and yesterday he peed on the potty for the first time. What makes this a big deal is that I haven't even started potty training yet. The only thing I have done is bring out the potty and showed him "Once upon a potty". He has come to get me when he needs on and - bam - poop and pee. I have learned that the pee guard is a necessity on the potty chair.

2) We became members of Conner Prairie and have had a great time there so far. We even went up in the hot air balloon. It was so much fun - just don't look down. James and Sophia loved being up there.

3) During the State Fair James and Sophia each rode a pony and still talk about it to this day.

4) Sophia is going to be Cinderella for Halloween and James is going to be a monkey. FYI - Tom Arma makes great Halloween costumes. Google him to see for yourself.

5) Jim and I have 2 adult only Halloween parties this year and are in need of good costume ideas. So far we have agreed upon a Spartan Warrior and Helen of Troy.

6) We love our new neighborhood. The cul-de-cac location is awesome. The women of the street get together once a month for "Book Club". I went last month (there wasn't a book, just everyone getting together) and met a lot of my new neighbors.

7) John - I have new Titlist golf balls for you.

8) I have been decorating the kids' playroom as well as the bathroom in the house (we have 5 full baths). Visit www.potterybarnkids.com to see our playroom - it is one of the ones shown - and my new favorite home decorating website is www.touchofclass.com

9) James is sharp as a tack but stubborn as a mule - does he get that from me or Jim?

10) Once a week we try to have field trip days. It has been fun. That is how we joined Conner Prairie. On the schedule for October is the Children's Museum to see King Tut, a pumpkin patch, the zoo, and Brown County.

11) Jim's 53rd Birthday is tomorrow. The kids got him a new tool box and I am getting him a new electric shaver. Isn't it funny how the gifts seem to get less exciting the longer you are married?

12) The landscaping project is starting in a week! Yeah!! I am getting lots of roses, hydrangeas, peonies, Rose of Sharons, Miss Kim Lilacs, and trees, trees, trees! There are many other things in the landscaping too but those are the ones I am most excited about.

13) The doors to the gym are FINALLY getting underway. The contractor is only two weeks behind and one day short of getting fired but I think we are starting to make improvements.

14) I went to a conference Friday on Apraxia and started to miss work a little bit. Then I got home and the kids were screaming and I started to miss work a whole lot more. Then they slept in until after 8 on Saturday and I totally forgot about missing work :)

I will start posting pictures again. I just need to take the time!

I Think Yep

Sophia's new thing this week was she started to say "I think..." When asking her for an opinion she was say, "I think yep", "I think not", or "I think yeah". It is very cute.

James the other day, via video monitor, called out "Dada and Mama" and then on a walk said, "I want down"- three word phrases from the little boy who lets Sophia do all the talking. Amazing little man.

Emergency? Call Mom

So last night, while all of us were snug and warm in our cozy beds sound asleep at 2:45 AM...our house alarm goes off. I yell,"Jim! Alarm!" as I am jumping out of bed and sprinting down the hallway to James and Sophia. Must save the kids!! The alarm woke James up so I snatch him up and run into Sophia's room. I wait just inside Sophia's door, waiting for Jim to follow closely behind when I realize...he is not coming. He is just getting out of bed! I hear him starting to move a little faster in the bedroom and then he starts running around (for what I am not sure of). Then the phone rings - it's our security company. Jim answers the phone and starts talking to them. They turn off the alarm and I hear Jim say, "Karen, Zone 9 is a bedroom downstairs...is that the basement?! Should I go down to check?" I am thinking to myself "Hello!!??? Get your a** over here and have them call the police! Oh, and by the way, bring my cell phone." After that, I decided to take over with the course of action. Apparently if it isn't medical, Jim has to think things over before he reacts...he did this type of thing when we had our house fire too. (Of course all of this took about 20-30 seconds from the time the alarm went off but it seemed longer than that at the time. I shouldn't be so hard on Jim. He's been working hard.) Anyway, to shorten the story, the police came over to check out the outside of the house. No forced entry anywhere. A very friendly policeman came in and looked things over again inside the house. (I am sure he had a giggle at Jim's underwear and my old nightgown from college. He laughed at James' hair.) It turns out it was nothing, maybe a book fell and made the sensor go off. We all settled down and went back to sleep at around 3:45.

4:30 - House alarm goes off again! I am up and down the hall again like a lightening bolt. No time to think...must save the kids. Same thing happens. This time Jim is a little more awake. However, when we found out it was Zone 9 again we kept the police away and went down to check it out ourselves with the security system on the phone. Apparently we have a faulty glass break sensor. They are coming to fix it soon. Everyone back to bed, go to sleep. I finally went to sleep at around 5:15. What a long night.

Jim, James, and I were all very tired today.

Sophia, on the other hand, had a peaceful nights sleep. She didn't wake up to either alarm nor did she wake up when we were all in her room talking to the dispatcher.

School and James' 15 Month Check-Up

It's been a while since I have blogged. We have been very busy with moving/unpacking/etc. I will have an update on the move another time. Today was have some exciting news...the kids went to school today!! It is a Mom's Day Out program since the kids are not old enough to start a preschool. Either way it is great. They didn't cry or make a fuss. We dropped them off and 4 hours later picked them up. I loved it. Hopefully Sophia and James can start making friends and we can have play dates. Fun! I took a picture of the first day and will post it once I have downloaded the pics. Sophia talked about school all evening. She said she couldn't remember any of her new friends names but that Mrs. Neitzal found the mouse in the house and that was funny. Everyone laughed. Ahhh, to be a child again.

Before school we went to James' 15 month appointment. Suz (Dr. Bielski) said that James is doing great and is right on target. All developmental milestones have been met, which we already knew but it is always reassuring to hear it from the pediatrician. James weighs 25 pounds 6 ounces (70%ile) is 34 inches long (100%ile) and has a head circumference of 19 inches (80%ile). A few vaccines and he was ready to go.

This evening I interviewed a new babysitter and we love her. I told Sophia that she went to the same school as Kara so Sophia was very excited to meet her. It turns out the new babysitter goes to Chatard (Kara went to Cathedral) but we won't tell Sophia. Her name is Ellen and I think she will be around for a while. Yeah! What a good day!

Flowergirl for Hire

Does anyone need a flowergirl? It turns out my little Sophia is quite the performer. After preparing her (with books, videos, and talks of Princesses) for the important job for her cousin Jessica's wedding, Sophia was ready. She wore a yellow and white gown from Vietnam (which is where Jess Beeson - now Tocco - lives) with a flower crown of white daisies. She walked down the aisle holding hands with Lige (the other flowergirl) and carefully dropping yellow and white rose petals down the aisle. Every once in a while she would stop dropping flowers to look up at her Mamma and yell "Hi Mamma" with a sweet wave. She won the crowd! If there wasn't a beautiful bride getting married, I think Sophia would have won the show ;). Sophia is now ready for any other wedding as a flowergirl...Lisa - are you ready?

Anyway, now that the wedding is over, next on the list is Dad's birthday party. Dad turns 60!! I can't believe it! We (Beck, John, Carol, and I) rented the whole bowling alley in Brazil for the occasion. So far we have 125 RSVP yes but who knows how many will show up. Hopefully it will be a lot of fun for Dad. I know Mom has been stressed out (or at least doing a good job of stressing everyone else out) for about 3 weeks. She keeps insisting we do not have enough food. Luckily for us we are having appetizers and cake which means we are not responsible for starving people not getting a meal that day. Ahh, I love appetizers.

Story Time

Here is the conversation I had with Sophia today:


- Hey Mom! Hey Mom! Hey Mom! I have something to tell you.

- Yes Sophia. What is it?

- One day there was a girl and she was riding her bicycle. And she rode around and around. And then the storm cloud came. And then the prince said, " let's dance." And they dance and dance and they live happily ever after. The End. It was Cinderella Mom. The girl was Cinderella!


Story telling just started this last week but I haven't been able to remember them by the time I had a chance to blog until tonight. She told me this story after supper so I was able to remember it better. I am very impressed that she can do this since she isn't even 2 1/2 yet. She also told me the other day that leaves were green because of chlorophyll.

A funny thing about James. He has been going up to the refrigerator and yelling "Ahhb". I had no idea what he meant until he went up to the van before we left on errands and yelled "Ahhb". He is saying 'abre' (open in Spanish). Sophia does this to her van door and then I push the key fob to make it open. She thinks that by saying "abre" her door automatically opens. Apparently now James thinks the same thing too.

Pedal!

Today we were in the driveway playing and the neighbor boys came over (Jackson and Taylor). Sophia and James love playing with the boys. They had their bikes today. Sophia was watching the boys ride their bikes. She told us she wanted her tricycle so we got it out for her and she hopped on and with a little push, she started pedaling!!! She pedaled all around the driveway. We were very excited. She's funny though because as soon as the boys left, she went back to using her feet to push it along. Silly girl.

Housing update: things are going smoothly. I don't remember is I updated everyone but we bought a new house. It has plenty of bedrooms (5-6 - any visitors?), a playroom for the kids, full basement with pool table, poker table, and bar, exercise room, etc. The kitchen has lots of room and two seperate sinks (one for vegetables at one area of the kitchen and then one double regular sink by the window) so I am excited for that. Inspections are done and they went well. Expected repairs are needed on our current house, no surprises were reported. Our new house had a good inspection too with a few things that won't take long to get fixed by an electrician or plumber. We still have to negotiate on those items but I do not anticipate it being too bad. Let's pray that everything keeps going smoothly. I have lists galore of things to do. I even have a list of plants that I liked here at our current house so I can buy new and plant them at the new house. Can you believe that there are no maple trees planted at the new house?! I believe they have all River Birch and White Pines. I am going to need a maple tree that blooms yellow in the fall and a Colorado Blue Spruce.

Jim is working a lot this month. I hope he is getting enough rest. He had to do a lot of trades to be off dates in August and it just so happened that they all fell in July. He is doing well so far. Jim seems to have a good attitude most of the time and he hasn't lost it yet. I hope that doesn't change by the time he is finished working all of his shifts.

Let's see, James is the only one I haven't updated. He is cute and rotten at the same time :) He loves his school bus and if you try to play with him with it he will scowl at you. He is walking and climbing very well. He signs 'more' and 'want' when he needs something. He says daily: done, down, up, hi, Dad, high, no, yeah. He is started to get a better accuracy with pointing to pictures and is attempted to name pictures or say parts of a story now. He's so cute. Mostly though he is spoiled and Mama's/Sophia's Boy. What more can you ask for!

SOLD!

Well we finally sold our house - Yeah! Finally a good offer came in and we accepted, after a few counters of course. I do have mixed emotions. I love living where we do, especially the yard. But, I am very excited about our new house. We don't have one yet but we are going out tomorrow to look. Jim and I have looked for the past 3 years and only found a handful that we would be happy living in so wish us luck that we will get one that we want. Luckily there is one on the market that we really like.

Happy Independence Weekend!

Let's Pray

Yesterday James started to pray with us at meal time. It is so cute! Sophia has always been really good about this. She stops eating if she has already started and will pray with us before the meal. Sometimes she even reminds us that she is waiting to pray. Well, now James has joined in. He had the biggest smile on his face while we prayed and he kept his hands together. ADORABLE! Also tonight, at bedtime prayers, Sophia said, "Stop Mom. I want to say my own prayer." Then she did the sign of the cross and said her usual prayer. It was sweet because it was the first time she did the sign of the cross all by herself.

Not Much Going On

Well, there doesn't seem to be much going on here this week. Jim is working the banker's shift this week (which I hate). He is supposed to get off of work at 4 everyday but it always ends up being 5 or 5:30 or 6. Yuk! Anyway, the kids and I have been holding down the fort while he has been at work. We tried to go the to zoo 3 times this week but thunderstorms around the zoo kept us at home.

Jim and I did have a date night this week. We started off looking at 3 houses with our realtor. I found the house I LOVE. Unfortunately I am not so sure it is the one that Jim likes. He likes the other house we looked at better. We'll see what happens. The third house was way to modern for us but looked great on the outside. It all really doesn't matter though because we have to sell our house first. We have had several people who supposedly want to buy the house but have to sell their house first too. Last week we had someone who really likes it and they have an offer on their house but it hasn't been accepted yet. I guess they are still trying to work things out. We will see what happens there.

Tomorrow I am taking the kids to the Fishers Farmer's Market again. There is a women there who makes gerbera daisy hair bows (I have to call them bows otherwise Sophia won't wear them. They are really clips). I put in an order for 4 "bows" in specific colors last week and I am going to pick them up tomorrow. I can't wait!

Sunday we are going to pick up Mom. She is staying with Beck this week to help prep for baptism. I just ordered a new skirt for baptism and I hope it works out.

To Change or Not to Change...

Here's a question. Let's say, hypothetically of course :), that you have two small children in the bathtub. One pees in the water at the beginning of the bath. The other one thinks its funny and pees in the water also. Do you:

1) bath them in the pee and say "oh well, pee is sterile"
2) change the water immediately
3) Decide that you will only change the water if there are floaters in the bathtub (and by floaters I mean poop).

I'll see if I can add this as a poll and see what people think.

Tiny Tidbits

Here are some interesting tidbits on my lovely children:

* They both eat a banana (or part of one) and drink a glass of milk before bedtime every night....EVERY night.
* Sophia picks her nose and then asks me to take the booger off of her finger.
* They both love french toast and eggs for breakfast. Pancakes are a big hit too...James will eat 2-4 pancakes at one sitting.
* Sophia went a full year of eating only oatmeal in the morning before Daddy introduced her to french toast. Gone are the days of easy oatmeal.
* James like to wear only one shoe (of his Stride Rites...he will wear his Robeez without any problems)
* Sophia procrastinates at bedtime by having you name all of the people in the Bible.
* James drinks about 36 - 48 oz of whole milk every day ... and he is still skinny as a rail!
* They both LOVE playing in their play kitchen.
* Sophia wants earrings so she can look even more like a princess.
* James loves wagon rides.
* Sophia doesn't want to learn how to pedal...."that for boys" is what she says.
* I think James is happier when he is dirty from head to toe.
* Sophia is happier when she is clean.
* Sophia requests that her feet are washed with soap and water when she comes in from playing outside...even if she does have her shoes on.
* James' side of the table is always clean when we are done eating...because all of the food he doesn't want to eat is on the floor.
* Sophia will eat fruit all day long if I let her.
* James will eat ice cream all day long if I let him.
* Sophia gets excited when the neighbor boys come outside to play. She says Taylor is her friend.
* Sophia has put in a request for a new baby sister...and when she says it, she says it like it is all that she has ever dreamed of.
* James is right-handed. It is very obvious already.
* Sophia seems to be right-handed too but she will still use her left hand for things.
* James tries to open the door to his bedroom from his crib. He is getting close to actually opening it.
* James loves to ride on Daddy's shoulders...it's a good view from there.
* Sophia wants to feed all of us with a spoon. Open wide!
* James laughs at people dancing...Hello Ellen!
* Sophia thinks a bandaid fixes everything. Yesterday she had on 8 bandaids and tonight she wanted one on Daddy's lip for "a red spot".
* Sophia says some books are for boys and some books are for girls. Where she gets this we have no idea.
* James will take off the floor register covers and throw his toys down into the duct work. I have no idea how many toys we have lost this way. Today he threw his Stride Rites down there but I was able to get them out.

Mommy confession: I love bath time...I do. The kids play...or scream...and water gets everywhere and James and Sophia crawl all over each other and pour water on each other and laugh a lot oh, it's so much fun. However, there are many days where I would rather wash the dirty bed sheets in the morning than wash the dirty child at night. Sorry, but I have those days.

Birthday Birthday Birthday

So last week was so much fun. First of all, James turned 1! I can't believe it! On his birthday we went to the zoo. Every school in the state of Indiana was there. It was also Zoopolis so there were a lot of activities. The kids got to feed the giraffes (which Jim liked the best) and we saw the penguins being fed (which I think James liked the best). I liked the brown bears and the walrus (always entertaining) and Sophia liked the butterflies...and the ice cream. This time at the zoo, Jim and I packed a picnic lunch and that saved us a lot of money. I think we will do that again. We were going to ride the zoo train but it was closed for painting. Sophia always gets excited when we see the merry-go-round and she says she always wants to ride it...but she never does. She is actually afraid of them...funny girl. We topped off James' birthday with homemade manicotti and birthday cake and ice cream. Beck and the boys came over along with Marc and Leann. It was a nice time.

On Friday of that week we spent the whole day at Gymboree and had a great time. Both James and Sophia had a music class and then they had their regular Gymboree class. In between we ate at Cafe Patachou's. I love eating there. All of the food is organic and most of it comes from Indiana farmers. I had blueberry iced tea for the first time - YUMMO! I recommend sweetening it.

Saturday was my birthday. Jim and the kids surprised me by buying a new bike. There wasn't anything wrong with my old one, I just wanted one that was a cruiser. You know...old fashioned...high handlebars...maybe a bell or basket...big white wall tires...big seat...and mint green! I love it. It has the old fashioned brakes and doesn't even have gears. It's great. It makes bike rides fun again. So, after I received the bike, we went on a bike ride. I loved being able to relax and look around. After the bike ride, we all got ready for the day, ate lunch, took naps, and then it was time for James' Gymboree birthday party. I made a train cake. It turned out pretty neat I think. Everyone said it tasted good too.

Sunday was again a relaxing day of family time and bike rides. Monday Jim went back to work and we went back to the same ol' activities. James did have a doctor's appointment today. He is in the 97% in height (32 inches), 65% in weight (23 pounds 4 ounces) and 90% in head (I forget what size). In other words, he is built like Jim...tall and skinny.

As soon as I get my pictures downloaded I will post them. My laptop is sooooo sloooooow!

First Year Pictures

We went back to Celebrity Kids for James' First Year pictures. I loved how they turned out. I will have to fill you in on our Birthday Week next time (it's midnight and I'm tired) but here are Jamesie's pictures.

Tulip Time

Last week Jim and I took the kids to the Tulip Festival in Holland, MI. It was a great time. Jim and I had been there before but it's been several years. Since Jim is half Dutch, we want to take the kids there to enjoy some of the Dutch heritage. The kids really enjoyed themselves.

We first went to the Tulip Farm and walked through all of the fields of tulips. They have all of the tulips numbered so you can order which ones you like at the very end. The problem was that I liked almost all of them! Sophia liked to "help" the tulips out that had not actual bloomed yet but peeling back the petals. James just walked along and, fearing what he might do to the tulips, we kept him away from them. At the tulip farm you can also watch wooden shoes being made. Of course Sophia made us each try on some shoes. She loves shoes.

Then we went to the hotel, got checked in, and went back out to watch the dancer. Everyday they have people dance in the street with Dutch clothing on and wooden shoes. It is fun to watch. Sophia and James really enjoyed that. Sophia still talks about the parades we saw.

The next day we got up early and went to Windmill Island. They have a windmill that is actually functional and from Holland! We took a tour inside and walked through all of the shops. Then we watched a parade, which was full of people! The neat thing about this parade was that they washed the street. Hundreds of people in Dutch clothing and wooden shoes had brooms and buckets and they cleaned the streets. They used the water in the fire hydrants. It was Wed. afternoon and it seemed like the whole town was there. The parades have themes and that parade was the marching band parade. It was very noisy.

We then decided to go the the Dutch Village. It was fun. They had some animals there and shops and parks, etc. It was a miniature version of a real Dutch village so it was pretty neat. They actually make Edam cheese and it tasted really good. By the time we finished that the kids had had enough and so we went back to the hotel and went to bed.

The last day we checked out of the hotel and went to Tunnel Island. It was nice but chilly. The children did not care though. I was surprised that Sophia didn't mind getting her feel dirty and sandy (she is on a clean feet kick right now). It was a wonderful trip and everyone had a great time!!!

I have tried to load pictures to show the fun but it seems to be taking forever tonight so I will post them later.

First Steps

James took his First Steps today!!! He has been walking holding onto things for quite some time now but today he walked without holding onto anything. He took four steps at most but just give him a little time and he will be moving (running) all around. It was a lot of fun and he was squealing the whole time.

Here is James holding onto his Bear. He sleeps with his Bear and waves good-bye to it when he wakes up in the morning. It is really cute. Jim discovered that holding onto the Bear seemed to give James what he needed to walk on his own. Jim started off holding onto the Bear with James and then would let go.

WATCH OUT!!! James took a lot of falls but he always laughed. Funny Boy.

And here he is taking some steps on his own. What a Big Boy!! He was so excited. Sophia gave him a hug each time he would walk on his own. It was so cute. Of course though, Sophia then wanted to "do it like Brother". Anytime he does something that gets attention, Sophia then has to do it. She pretended today that she didn't know how to walk and needed help learning. Instead of a Bear she held onto a pink blanket.

Then today we also played outside in the "pool". James did not like getting splashed in his face with the cold water but after a while he loved it. He also liked playing with the sand/water table but he ate the sand and learned that it was not good. They had sunhats that I bought them (Sophia matched her swimsuit of course :) ) However, the sunhats did not stay on long. Sophia decided hers was dirty and needed to be cleaned. She cleaned the hat (as well as James, Jim and mine) in the "pool" water.

On Saturday Sophia and I went to some yard sales. She made quite and impression on many people because she found a baby with a car seat and stroller that she had to have as well as a purple feather boa. She had to push the baby around the neighborhood while we looked for good buys. Anything that we bought she had to put under the stroller. It was so cute. Here is a picture of her at home with the boa and baby stroller. James likes to push the stroller too.

Brrrrr Zoo

Today we went to the zoo. It was okay weather when we left but 15 minutes later it was 37 degrees and sleeting! We went through the zoo anyway. We intended to do only the inside animals but the outside animals loved the weather so we stayed outside in the rain/snow and watched them. The Alaskan Brown Bear Cubs were playing with each other and then tumbling with a log in the water right in front of the window. The lions were chasing birds. The polar bear was pacing around. The seals were swimming and talking. It was exciting! We (Jim and I) were soaking wet even though we had an umbrella but the kids were warm and dry inside our limousine stroller. We ended up spending 4 hours at the zoo and when we came home James took his first 2 1/2 hour nap! How nice!

Cinderella

Has anyone ever thought it was weird that the mice in Cinderella wear clothing but no other animals do?

Sounding Off on Bathrooms and Plates

Here's a couple of questions...why are bathrooms SO LOUD?!! Sophia has been sick again this week (we are still waiting for blood work results but so far we know she has a UTI) and as a result she has been very clingy. This is not the problem. The problem comes when it is bath time and I can't give her all of my attention because I also have to take care of James (Jim is working this week). She has been screaming so loudly that I know my hearing has been damaged. It doesn't help that bathrooms have the tendency to echo and enhance sound. I think builders should put in sound proofing in all bathrooms. This could benefit people on so many levels!

My other question is...why hasn't anybody developed a plate for children that will actually stay put on the table. There are many suction-bottom plates on the market. I think I have bought every single one of them. So far I have not found a single one that works. James, my adorable, sweet, handsome, loving, messy, destructive little guy, has turned dinner time (and play time) into ... a very creative activity. What doesn't make it into his mouth gets caught in his bib. However, what he decides to do with the food he doesn't want in his mouth gets put into his hair and also thrown around the room. When he is done throwing the food, he picks up his plate and tosses it on the floor. Interestingly enough, being somewhat OCD, this doesn't bother me too much (of course as a result I don't feed him red jello or any soups). However, it would be nice if we could do away with the plate throwing. None of the plates with the suctions on them work and I think maybe Jim and I should develop one. You would think it wouldn't be that hard to do but it must be because no one has come up with a good one yet.

Happy Easter!

This weekend was a fun one! Especially since Jim has been working too much but had the weekend off. We started off on Friday with ladybug, butterfly, and snail pancakes. I make my pancakes from scratch so they are whole wheat and have flax seed in them. Yummy!!After breakfast we spent the next 3 hours at Gymboree class. Then we went to Mom and Dad's. On Saturday the Easter Bunny came. It was the first Easter Egg hunt for James and he had a fun time. He loved finding the eggs. Both of the kids got around $3.40.

Saturday early evening we went home and had a good night's sleep. On Sunday we went to church (James looks sooooo cute in a tie!) and the Easter Bunny came again. We are so lucky! Then Sophia and I made Easter Egg cookies and the Beeson's came over for dinner. It was a fun day!

First Haircut

For James...definitely not Sophia. Sophia says that she wants hair long like Mommy's and that is just fine with me. James on the other hand HAD to get his haircut. It was getting too long and not the kind of long that is trendy. It was thin and wispy and in his eyes all the time. He had a piece that went from the crown of his head down to the back of his neck. I decided before Easter he could have a nice haircut. He now looks like a little boy!! He was soooo good too. I took him to my hair salon, DL Lowry. He got a little cape and even got his hair washed in the big fancy sinks like Mommy gets done. Then during the haircut he sat very well on my lap. We were there for 45 minutes and the whole time he was a sweet little angel. Of course it helped that the place was full of women...what a flirt!!!

Here is James just before he gets his hair washed. You can't really tell from this picture but his hair is really long. The woman's name is J. She is my hairstylist as well.

He has his hair washed and combed. Now, do we cut it really short or keep some length to it?

Here is in getting his haircut. This is an action photo.

All done! What a handsome little boy!!

Here is again at home having lunch after his hair appointment. I know I am biased but come on...how adorable is that face!!!!!

Vomit and Diarrhea

You guessed it...our week has been full of vomit and diarrhea. Monday was good though - the kids and I went to Gymboree, which is always fun. Then on Tuesday I had my check-up with the oral surgeon. My test results came back as inflammation/irritation and NO cancer cells - YEAH!! My lymph node is still swollen though and hurts but I guess it will go away soon. I got our of my appointment early (the doctor was an old classmate of Jim's so we didn't have to wait at all and was in and out in no time) so I took the kids to Stride Rite. After buying 6 pairs of shoes, we went home (Sophia and I like shoes).

Everything was normal until that night. Sophia woke me up saying, "I have to pee!!!". I was so happy... no more night time diapers!...that is what I thought until I opened the door to her room and was hit with a terrible smell. Yep...diarrhea. We went to the bathroom where she then vomited. Luckily it was in the toilet. The funny this was she didn't cry or anything. Sophia acted like it was no big deal. She went back to her room and slept until 7. Then it started. Diarrhea, vomit, diarrhea, vomit...vomit some more, diarrhea. And it stunk!!! She not longer thought it was a big deal anymore either. When her stomach hurt, she let me know...as well as the neighborhood. It always seemed that James would scream and cry at the same times too. I think it was either sympathy crying or he was scared because she was crying. Sophia got really sick and dehydrated. Jim even got concerned around Friday (it takes him a while before he gets concerned about medical things). Well, now it is Sunday. She is still vomiting and diarrhea but she is laughing at times and played with my high-heels tonight. I think tomorrow will be a better day.

In the middle of all of this, we had an open house today between 3-5. It went well. Despite it being Palm Sunday, Spring Break, and storming out, we had about 8 couples come. 3 were interested. Apparently one man from Chicago really liked the house but he has to show it to his wife first. Another couple had already seen the house and came again. They need to sell 2 other houses first (I guess he owns one and she owns one and they are wanting one together). The kids and I just drove around until Sophia vomited again. I saw it coming though and had a bag ready. After that I decided driving around was not a good idea so I took the kids home. We still had 45 minutes left to our open house so we sat in the car in our garage and watched a movie until the showing was over and everyone left. Now I am sitting here wondering...why are we selling the house again. I LOVE our house in the spring and summer.

Mommy becomes Mom

Yesterday Sophia started to call me "Mom". I am no longer "Mama" and I am occasionally "Mommy". "Mom" has become the new name. It makes me feel so old!!!!

I Sorry, Sorry, Sorry

Sophia has started to say "I sorry" now, which is really cute. It started off where we had her say it to James when she pushed him down. Now, she says she is "sorry" while she is doing the pushing...or kicking...or bumping. Luckily when she does push, kick, bump into James, she does is softly. It's funny to (and sweet) because she says "I sorry, sorry sorry. Sorry Brother!". She even said "I sorry Mommy" to me when I tripped over her. It was my fault but she still felt compelled to say "I sorry".

James on the other hand has entered a "I don't like to nap long" stage and the past three days only wants to nap in the afternoon for 20 minutes. Except for today when he napped for almost 1 1/2...until the phone rang. Ugh!!! The 1 day when the phone rings!! Anyway, he has also started to throw fits...which is really kind of cute when he does it. He spreads his feet apart and then lays his head down on the floor between them and cries. It is pathetic, I know, and I am probably the only one who thinks it is even remotely cute but he is my little boy. At some point I will have to take a picture of it to remember.

Sick Week and Sophia's 2nd Birthday

The kids and I have been sick for the past 9 days. We basically have been quarantined to the house until today (although James is still staying in). It all started on the Saturday we had Christian's Memorial service. Sophia woke up with an ear infection, double pink eye, and fever. James had it by the end of the day. On Tuesday, Sophia fell on her face to the hardwood floor and busted her lip. Luckily she did not need stitches (it was close though by Jim's calculations). She did require a Hello Kitty bandaid (I included a picture of it below). Then somewhere along the way Sophia got strep throat and then I got strep throat on Thursday. Now James has a new bacterial infection on top of this lovely virus that they both caught and it has settled into his ears and lungs - poor guy. He is one big green machine!! Jim and Suzanne changed his antibiotic today to something really strong so hopefully that will work. His cough sounds HORRIBLE!! Sophia has developed a deep, dry cough this afternoon. Ahh, illness. Hopefully Jim does not get it all because tomorrow he is having his knee scoped. Anyway, here are a couple of pictures of the kids while they have been sick.

To catch up on Sophia, she had a lovely birthday despite everything else that was going on. She had a great birthday party on the 14th with lots of good food, family and friends. She also got lots of fun, new toys (Thanks Everyone!!) Jim and I got her a princess robe and an apron. She loves them both. She got to have two birthday cakes (one for the party and one on her actual birthday). I made them both and it was so much fun!

Sophia and her Godparents - Beck and Len. Sophia is practicing her modeling pose.

Sophia and James

Sophia and James

James - 9 Months Old

Sophia - 2 years old

Sophia - 2 Years Old

Sophia - 2 years old

We went to Celebrity Kids and had their pictures taken. Sophia is now 2 years old and is 37 inches long. She weighs 33 pounds. James is 30 1/2 inches long and weighs 21 lbs 7 oz. Both are tall for their ages.

Baby Christian

I wanted to thank everyone for all of the prayers that we have received this past week. The prayers and sympathy cards have helped with the healing process and it has meant a lot to know that there are so many people out there who care for us and our family. It has been a very hard 10 days, especially with the extra hospital stay. In fact, the past 10 days have felt like 10 months!

We are trying to get back to our normal routine. Jim has gone back to work and Mom left on Wed. so during the day it has been me and the kids. I am starting to get more energy, especially in the morning but by nap time in the afternoon I am completely exhausted. Everyday I expect to have more and more energy. There were parts of today that felt normal again so I am taking that as a good sign. We did go to the funeral home and pick up Christian's remains. I was surprised that I didn't completely break down again, although I know that is anyone would have asked me how I felt while we were there I would have lost it again. It helped that Sophia and James were there and Sophia wanted to check out the whole place. Sophia and I kept pretty occupied with the coffee/hot chocolate machine while Jim took care of the business with the funeral home director (death certificates and so forth). That helped me a lot having Jim handle that part of it. We brought Christian home and if you ask Sophia where Baby Christian is, she will say "Up in Heaven". She is so sweet. I did call the church today to reschedule his memorial service. It will be next Sat. in the morning.

If you do want to hear a funny (kind of) story, I have one for you. When we got home, Sophia wanted to see Baby Christian's urn, which I had taken out of its velvet bag and had set down on the counter. Well, the funeral home had just sealed the top if it and the glue apparently takes several hours to dry. While I was showing Sophia the urn and explaining that this was Baby Christian's body, etc. she went to grab the urn...except she picked it up by the lid. The lid came flying off, along with strings of glue and the urn came down on the counter top. Luckily the urn came down up right and did not spill. I simply had to place the lid back on it but what a close call!!

The hospital did take some pictures of Christian for us to keep along with some keepsakes (the clothing they dressed him in, his blankets, a little teddy bear, etc). They also made us a hand print in plaster that turned out really well. I am posting a picture of his little hand because I think it is so little and sweet. If you do not want to see it, do not scroll down any more.

No Way No Way No Way

Well, Sophia is officially 2 now and with it has come the "No Way"s. For instance,

"Sophia, do you need to use the potty"..."No Way!"
"Sophia, it's time to go"..."No Way Mommy"
"Sophia, let's take a bath"..."No Way, No Way"

While at the beginning it sounded cute, it is now the answer we get for pretty much anything...except if it has to do with McDonalds or Dora.

Tomorrow is Sophia's Birthday

I just wanted to blog that tomorrow is Sophia's birthday. I will let you know all about what activities she has chosen after tomorrow. I am sure it will involve some type of shopping for toys.

Snow Pics

I finally got our snow pictures downloaded. Here are a few with the kids. James loved sledding, the faster the better. Sophia liked walking around in the snow while pulling her sled. Everyone enjoyed the snow icecream and maple snow afterwards. I would type more but Jamesie wants his afternoon snack - gotta run!

Time-Out

Well, it has finally happened. Sophia got her first time-out. The past few days she thinks it has been funny to push James down...hard. He falls back and hits his head on the ground. Well, this morning I had had enough. I warned her and then she did it again and then she laughed and laughed and laughed. I picked her up, put her in the time-out area and told her not to move until the timer went off. I was surprised but she didn't move a muscle. I'm not even sure if she blinked. After the 2 minutes (she will be 2 in 2 weeks), I talked to her and let her get up. So far there has been no more pushing but I have a feeling after naptime that will all change.

On a more positive note, this morning James started to pull himself up to standing...Big Boy!

Doughnuts

I haven't cooked with yeast since I was a little girl. I never cooking with yeast as a child because I couldn't stand the texture of the yeast when you had to knead the dough. As a result, I got good at baking quick breads, cakes, and other dessert items. Anyway, I have decided it is time to give yeast another try. The first thing I decided to try to make was doughnuts (YUM YUM). Last weekend I we made the special treat. Sophia helped every step of the way. She loves to cook and I have realized now that I need to find a little apron for her. I didn't realize how easy it is to make doughnuts!! We made whole wheat ones and they turned out great. Here are some pictures of our fun:

James didn't actuallly eat any doughnuts but he sure wanted too!!

Children's Museum

Today we went to the Children's Museum. It was James and Sophia's first time to go there. Sophia was VERY excited when we got there. She check squealing and go 'OOOHHH'. She is also big right now into saying "Follow Me" so several times while we were there she would say to either Jim or I, "Follow Me, Follow Me" and then she would take off running. There were a couple of school children there in groups and Sophia kept joining the groups too. It was funny. She seemed to like the glass exhibit and the dinosaurs the best (or maybe it was Mom and Dad who liked the dinosaurs best and that is why we spent more time there). James loved seeing all of the people and there was a section in the Toddler room for kids under 2 (most of the kids there were crawlers) which he absolutely loved. It was a very fun time. We spent a good 4 hours there and when we got home, Dad, Sophia and James all took good naps.

After supper, Jim played with James and tried to get him to walk. James walked about 8 feet using his push-walker. I was surprised!

Fun Weekend

Saturday I spent the afternoon at Beck's scrapbooking. I am a year behind and I haven't even scrapbooked a thing on James yet but that's okay. I'll catch up eventually. Saturday evening we had the Bielski's over for dinner and for a post-Christmas Christmas celebration. I got a new bracelet from Suz and Jim got a new hi-tech sweatshirt from Len. The kids got paint and crayons for the bathtub. We used them tonight and they LOVED it. Sophia stayed in the tub until the water was all cold and she was a wrinkled little prune. It is 8:40 PM and I still hear her talking in her bed. Funny girl - go to sleep! James is feeling better now that the antibiotics are working through him. He was attached to Daddy today and laughed all afternoon. He is definitely feeling much better. Jim is watching football and I am going to take a shower. Good night!!

Christmas Pics and Kids Update

Here is the annual picture with the snowman. Sophia was about James' size this time last year. My how they grow!!!

Santa brought a full kitchen for the kids. We have had hours of fun already.

Uncle John and James - we love the new hat!!

Becky came over to watch James and Sophia while Jim and I went to the Beeson Christmas at Bob's house. Sophia got to play with Matthew and Adam and as you can tell by her face, she had a wonderful time!

Sophia got a princess outfit from Aunt Beck. She LOVES it and almost everyday she asks to be a princess. She calls herself "Princess Phia".

Well, that is just a few of our holiday pictures. It was a wonderful holiday and thankfully Jim was off of work for the whole week of Christmas so that was very nice. Unfortunately that means that the next Christmas he will probably have to work but I guess that just comes with the territory.

Sophia update: Today Sophia started to sing the ABC's all by herself. She has been singing the song with us but now she just sings it on her own. She sings all the time. She doesn't always like it though if you join in with her. Apparently she wants that stage to herself :) Sophia also spelled HOT today. I don't know if she will remember it tomorrow but today that was the big buzz word. She also started to use plurals in her speech - she was looking through a book with me and she said "Mommy, two eggs." Very smart! She got to play in the snow today with Jim and she REALLY liked that. She helped shovel the driveway.

James update: James still has croup although he is sounding better at night. The steroids turns him into a little devil every once in a while but he will be off of the medicine in about 2 days. Today he started taking steps with his little walker. This was great I thought. He is also "crawling" (belly crawl) all around the house now too. When he sees something he wants, he is going to go and get it. There is part on the refrigerator that comes apart at the bottom of it and for some reason he really likes to crawl towards it and take if apart. He is starting to give Hi-5's and pointed to my nose today (although he is not real consistent yet). He still refuses to take the sippy cup or the cup with the straw and only wants his bottle. Oh well - we have plenty of time for him to learn. OH! - and James has given up the pacifier -all on his own! I love it!