Weekends

Happy Sunday everyone. Sundays are good days in our house. A lazy morning, maybe some time for me to shop (today for sure!) then all my shows are on and I get a free night away from bedtime routines (I guess Sundays are really good days for me)! I hope my shows are still on tonight . . . I can't remember if last week was the finale (guess I am reall into them huh?) but if they aren't don't tell Jer :)
We had a really good weekend. Yesterday we had pictures done at Target then went to lunch at the River House, right off the Mississippi and next to the John Deere Pavillion. Although there were HUGE tractors to climb on Will was most excited about the train tracks. We love trains right now, possibly more then airplanes. . . I know, crazy.
Will and Maggie have been playing on the floor all morning with his cars. He shared 3 of them with her! She is just starting to learn frustration, when her car is out of her reach she lets out this little whine and Will saves her, it is pretty cool. She LOVES his cars too. As I have been sitting here she has moved in a complete circle, I don't think crawling will be too far in our future. Good or bad. She has been eating veggies, so far so good. I have tried a couple fruits but she is not a big fan so we will hold off for awhile.
This week we are off to Milton! Jer is traveling M-F so away we go! That is one huge advantage of staying home right now, just being able to go when we want.
Now the next big decision of the day is to run or not to run . . . I think due to the 1/2 pan of brownies I ate last night I will most likely be running . . .
Have a great week.

I'm Still Here!!

Times have changed since my last posting! I am so excited to now have more time to actually blog and hopefully catch up on the blogs of friends. Of course that time will most likely be nap time. Jer, Will, Maggie and I moved into our new house in Bettendorf, IA on Friday! It was a very busy day and we got a lot done but there is still stuff to unpack (like my entire bedroom), but it is livable. I already feel more at home in this house then I ever felt in our home in Hudson. Not sure why? I think the entire experience was better and this house is so much more open.Jer put shelves up in the garage so we even have a car in the garage already! The next big project is finishing the basement, which will start in the next few weeks. I do NOT know what I would do without this handy hubby I have!
So today begins my new journey as full time mom, no work to get in the way! So far, so good. It is nice to have only my kiddos to worry about and focus on. I know that there will be a huge adjustment period, but I am prepared, for the most part. . . I am going to keep us all busy! Of course today is rainy, windy and cold! The rest of the week looks nice though so hopefully we will be outside A LOT! I think this also means I have to start thinking about supper, no excuses not to I guess . . . that may be the biggest challenge!
Everyone is up, time to start our routine! We are headed to the YMCA!

Healthy in our House and some funny stories

I am happy to report our house has been healthy for a solid week (Ok, there are some runny noses but that is permanent)! I felt so fortunate the entire start of winter, no one was sick. I should have known better . . . It is such a relief now, however I know it is not over. So we will enjoy this while we can and get through whatever comes along.

Work has been crazy for me the last week, recruiting season, even in a tough economy, is busy. I suppose all the students, alum and community member who have been "hit" have kept us busy in a different way this year. I sure hope things turn around sooner then later and I am very thankful for my job. Our campus will be announcing cuts in the next few weeks so that makes me a bit nervous.

I have a Will story to share from last week. A friend at school had a birthday and brought Slinky's for all her classmates. Will loved his slinky, it was multi-colored so he kept making it a rainbow, which was pretty creative. He was doing his nightly jumps off the couch (we allow this, woops) and Jer made the comment "Who do you think you are, Tiger?". Minutes later Will is trying to put his slinky in his pants . . . Jer and I notice and I say "What are you doing?!" He looks at us, so serious, and says I need to bounce.". Obviously he really did think he was Tiger . . . Didn't take him long to put those two things together. We love Will's imagination and encourage it as much as possible, so Jer assisted him in looping it on his pants, a little easier then trying to put it in them :)

Now, on the same note, Will's imagination sometimes seems to never end . . . Like when he is getting in trouble and he totally blames it on Cheeto- who is his new imaginary friend. Actually he is one of his "football players". Cheeto pisses me off. He seems to have all sorts of smartbutt things to say, of course it isn't Will, it's Cheeto. . . How do you deal with this? Jer and I frequently tell Will to tell Cheeto to go home and find his own parents, we are tired of his opinions. I can't wait until Maggie is old enough to play with Will, maybe then Cheeto will find his way home?

Maggie is doing wonderful! Smiles all the time! Sleeping fairly well and growing too fast. Funny how fast it goes the second time around. I am trying to enjoy every second. Soon she will need new clothes! She is wearing 6 mths and they are not big at all! Bummer, time to shop :)

This weekend is the Hot Air Affair in Hudson, hot air balloons from all over the country come to rally here in Hudson. Will is loves anything that flies so we will plan to attend the parade and a night launching. I think we may hit the BIG MALL this weekend for some indoor fun too . . .

I love my phone

Yesterday I decided I wanted an iphone. I knew I was going to get a new phone at some point, I had a Motorola Q (lots of issues), I don't like Blackberry and I wasn't sure what my other options were. I really hadn't put much thought into an iphone. Then yesterday I thought about it, did some research, consulted one of our IT Interns with the College of Business and BAM! Just like that I have to run out and get one and am now addicted to not only facebook but my iphone too . . . I love it. It is full of endless entertainment and I am sure I will NEVER understand it's full capabilties, but I will try. The best part, my plan is cheaper so I actually will save money each month! This, my friends, is called being "frugalicious". A practice that my co-worker, Staci, has created and follows, she educated me and now I participate too. A smart way to be in tough times, yet still have nice things. I like this theory very, very much and try to follow it often. You can't always buy the best, especially in time like these when you should be wise and save, yet you don't have to totally deprive yourself of nice things, you are "frugalicious". I am frugalicious.

Should be an exciting weekend of playing with my new phone! Will has already figured out how to use the touchscreen. . .

Woops . . . It has been awhile since the last posting. I have to stop beating myself up over the frequency of my posts. Something is better then nothing. A week ago I almost closed this down, but I have had a change of heart.
Christmas was great, although a little crazy. We spent 9 days between my parents and inlaw and also celebrated out 5th anniversary in Chicago on NYE. Will and Maggie are super travelers but 9 days is a long time for anyone.
It is hard to believe that we already have been married for 5 years! Time flies and I think the positive thing is it doesn't seem like it has been that long. Our night was great, we bummed on Michigan Ave, had a super dinner and drank lots of wine. Our hotel had a chocolate, cheese and wine bar- it was like heaven on earth for me! The chocolate was unlike any I have ever had and was pretty enough to put on a shelf. The highlight of the night may have been the 10, uninterrupted, hours of sleep we both got! It was need.
Since then we are back to the grind. I went back to work on the 5th, Maggie went to daycare, was there 4 days and got RSV. NOT COOL. She is doing much, much better but in the middle of that week Will got the stomach flu- that is all I am going to write about that, we are trying to put that week behind us.
This week will be historic. I am really looking forward to watching the inauguration- I have a lunch meeting but luckily on campus so hopefully we can sit near the TV Lounge! Perks of working at a University.
We are scoping out a new daycare, we have been disappointed with things happening at the Y and have found a new center that seems awesome. This is a daunting task, it makes me just want to stay at home but right now that is not an option. Not sure it will ever be. I just hope things work out.
This week I need to get back to the gym! The stomach flu kindly gave me a head start on a few pounds, but not really worth it! My friend Jennifer and I are going to compete in the Danskin Sprint Tri this summer and after talking to her on the phone yesterday I think I may be developing some nerves . . . .Time to get in tip-top shape!
All for for now . . . .Until next month? No, it will be sooner!

Lump of Coal

Tonight we tracked all the way to Eden Prairie (about 40 minutes) to see Santa (well and to return a dress too). It was great, there really wasn't a line and you didn't have to purchase their pictures- you could take you own! I am still wondering if this was a dream, especially in the Twin Cities! Last year at one of the Metro malls my brother and sister in law received a pager which vibrated when it was your turn to see Santa- I think they waited an hour and a half!

In addition Will and Maggie both happily sat on Santa's lap! Will and Santa had a big conversation and I over heard Santa asking Will if he was a good boy and listened to his parents. Will immediately responded with "Yeah" but then got real and told Santa "well sometimes I don't listen to them". Santa then told him that wasn't a good idea because that means you are being naughty. Well at this point I didn't hear anymore but Will filled me in before he went to bed. We read this book every night- a Little People book about Christmas with lots of flaps to open. One page takes place in a mall with Santa, there is a picture of a little boy looking at a bin of balls and when you open the flap it shows all the balls falling out. Will stated "If that little boy drops those balls he will probably get a lump of coal" I told him it was most likely an accident. Will then informed me " Usually Santa doesn't give lumps of coal, so the little boy will probably get toys." Of course I responded by saying "Oh really?" and he said "Yeah, he told me tonight usually he doesn't give lumps of coal." So, I am pretty sure Will out right asked him about lumps of coal! Guess I won't be using that as a threat anymore . . . thanks Santa.

When we got home tonight I told Will it was time to go to bed and he whispers something really quiet and then I asked him what he said and he repeated " I want to wear my clothes to bed" of course Jer and I laughed out loud at him and told him he was silly, he laughed too and then said "Nana wears her clothes to bed". Still not sure where that one came from!

Maggie was smiling lots and lots today- at me, at the noise maker on her swing, at her pink elephant, sometimes at nothing at all! Her and I took a 2.5 hour nap today too . . . oh the joys of maternity leave!

Tomorrow is Will's Giggle Factory party- should lead to some great blog stories!

Ugh, I knew I would be somewhat of a slacker on this blogging stuff, but I refuse to give up.
It has been a good week at our house. Bed times seem to be getting easier (this continously changes) - unfortunately I feel I have used the "You know I have a direct line to Santa" threat one too many times, however it works and I am shameless. Tonight Jer and I played a 5 minute guessing game with Will, he saw something on T.V that reminded him of this thing he saw and Nana and Papa's so he started asking us what this "thing" was called . . . He said it was like a light and Papa let him hold it (this is where we started guessing things like "flashlight", "battery tester"- that was all Jer) then he said it had wings (Jer, very creatively, throws in "airplane") We asked what color the light was and he said "lellow". Later I was explaining this to my mom who guesses right away- Jer and I were still clueless. I guess the biggest issue was that we were thinking this was something he saw recently, like last time we were home. . . Well finally I make a connection and say "Fire Fly?" and he gets all excited and yes, that was it! Duh right- I mean what 3 year old forgets the one fire fly they held 6 months ago while visiting their grandparents . . . It was such a cool thing though because he kept trying to explain, making hand gestures and describing every thing he could put together and never got frustrated- this is a good sign that he has his daddy's patience . . . Not his mommy's.
Of course then he informed us that they have a light and it is in their butt . . . thanks Laura.

Will's 3rd birthday was last week, and it really hit me. I can't believe he is already 3, my baby! He is an amazing kid and has taught us soooo much. We had a little party for him the night of his birthday, my parents were here and our closest neighbors came over to celebrate- Will is so lucky to have all these cool people in his life. My biggest priority of the night was to make sure he learned to politely open gifts (card first, thank yous etc)- this is a big thing to attempt but he is so sincere, it makes me very proud and he was sooooo excited about his little bash.

Maggie is starting to smile more and more! Her entire little face lights up and now even coos are included. I can't wait to see her little personality emerge in the next year. She seems to favor sleeping with her head turned toward the right and now it is getting flat on the side . . . Not too worried but still trying to combat it. I look back at Will's pictures from about 5-7 months and his head was as flat as a wall- never really phased me then, and he has a very nice little round head now!

We are all looking forward to the Holiday, lots of family time. Will, Maggie and I are heading to Milton next week to hang while I am still on leave so that will be nice. Then the first week in January it is back to work for me! This time has been sooooo nice, it will be hard, but OK.

TGIF! A big weekend of tree decorating, visiting Santa and hosting the first "friend" birthday party for Will! Should be interesting. . .