NYE @ ICM

Our third year going to the Children's Museum for New Year's Eve!

Pre-balloon drop!  

Look at all these balloons!  (where's Oli's nose?)

wow!

Knock Knock

Scene:  Lying in Oliver's bed, new Mickey Mouse sheets from Santa, lights off, trying to teach a knock knock joke...
Oli:  Knock Knock
Me: Who's there?
Oli:  Oliver!
Me:  Oliver who?   (wondering what will come next!)
Oli:  Oliver Neppl.
CUTE.

We'll keep working on it.

The News

Scene:  Last night, in bed, lights out, and out of the blue - - -

Oli:  "When I get bigger I'm going to watch the news, too, Mommy."
Me:  "With me?"
Oli: "Yes."

Merry Christmas!

Ivy taking a much needed Christmas nap!

Santa put green olives in Oliver's stocking!  He was SO excited he  jumped up and down with the olive jar above his head!!

A nice day with my parents and kiddos! I'm a lucky girl.

Christmas Card 2011

SMC

SMC = I wouldn't change a thing! I have the two Best and Cutest kids on this planet! xoxo

A Cart Full of Cute

Wish I had these pics when I made our Xmas card!

More car talk

Oli: my voice is different.
Me: what do you mean your voice is different?
Oli: it's different because I am talking.

Fart

Scenario:  Changing Ivy's diaper/clothes...smelled something stinky.

Me:  Did you toot, Oli?

Oli:  huh?  (playing with Cars.  Who has time to talk, right?)

Me:  Did you fart?

Oli:  I don't fart anymore.

Me:  *laughs*  (he is pretty funny...where does he come up with this stuff?)

Oli stats

At the six Oliver weighed in at 34.3 pounds and he is 3 feet 2 inches tall.

Swimming

Today was Oliver's last day of swimming lessons:  Swim Tot Level I.  He will be moving on to Level 2 in January!  I've already got him all signed up!  Usually, on Swim Lesson Sundays, we arrive and Oli starts his class at 4pm.  When they start lessons, they also close the pool/hot tub from 4pm - 8pm.  So, he has never been able to try out the hot tub - and he always wants to!  So.

Today, we arrived about a half hour early.  We sat in the hot tub and we swam around the lazy river.  It was really good Mom and Oliver time.  I love that kid's smile.  I love to watch him swim and have fun in the water.  He is so comfortable in the water.

After swimming, we celebrated with a really big smoothie that we shared.  It was really nice time spent together.

Love him.

Herky Hat

Scenario: drop off at Apple Tree this morning, putting Oliver's Herky hat on.
Oli: Noooo! That hat is in my face!
Me: Do you want this orange hat? (also fun)
Oli: Yes.
Me: Should Mama wear the Herky hat?
Oli: Yes. Not at my school. At your work.
Me: Ok. Is it embarrassing if Mama wears it at your school?
Oli: uh-huh. (yes)
Me: Oh. Do you know what "embarrassing" means?
Oli: No.

Hey Ivy

Did you know that Oliver calls you "his baby"?

My Girl

Her new bibs.  Love them!

First Snow

oh I love that face.

Brrrr

and I love this face.

So many funnies to save!

Oli:  Mama.  I was playin' with her and I didn't bite her.
Me:  Good.
Oli:  That's good manners.

(At dinner Oli tried some jalepeno /cilantro hummus.)
Oli:  Does hot food make us poop?

(Talking and getting into his chair for dinner.)
Oli:  I can get in my chair while my head is talking.

The Gym

I've decided to quit the gym.  Then, join another gym.  Why?  I NEVER go to the gym - that's the one I'm going to quit.  (It's on the other side of town and other reasons).  The new gym?  Well, it's downtown (UI Rec) - it's on the same side of town as Apple Tree Daycare, my work...there's a parking lot over there and maybe the UI will let me switch lots.

So.  I'm trying to make it easier for me to get to a place to walk on a treadmill.  or swim.  or sit in a hot tub.  This could work.

Adelaide's 3rd Birthday Party

Jeff and Adelaide play tunes for the birthday crowd!  So fun.

Ivy loved the music!  Jeff played guitar and she clapped and danced!

Oliver brought home two balloons from the party.  He fell asleep in the car white knuckling those balloons.  I put him in his bed still holding those balloon.  Yes, there is a boy under those covers.  Unfortunately, the car-to-bed-transfer was not as successful as usual and he did NOT take a nap.  ugh. 

Oliver won on Kid Quotes

November's Kids' Quotes contest winner is Oliver!!!

After talking about why we don't bend our books...
O: Why I do that?
Me: I have no idea. Because you're 3?
O: I still learning.
Oliver, 3 
He is so awesome. Love him.

Sleep.

I'm here to say that SLEEP is important.  Without sleep, everything seems hard and frustrating and complicated.

I need to sleep.  For some reason, I've not been able to sleep for awhile - and it's difficult.  It's frustrating.
Not sleeping is crazy making.

I've been told that sleeping medications can be addictive.  I'm wondering if the meds really are addictive...?  OR is it that finally a person gets to SLEEP and that SLEEP is what is addictive?!

Yesterday morning I felt pretty good.  I had gotten a bit of sleep.  Sleep is my new high.  Forget alcohol.  I want my sleep.

Yesterday

Yesterday, I picked up my sick boy from school.  He talked and chatted all the way home.  I started to respond to something he said when he replied, "No.  I don't want to talk.  I sick."  oh.  Never mind he's been chatting the entire drive!  LOL  He paused for a tiny bit then kept talking.  That boy!

Sick boy

My boy was sick today. He barfed at school after nap on all his stuff. When I picked him up, the first thing he said to me in a tiny quiet voice was, "I threw-up on Mickey.". We came home and threw Mickey and his blankies into the wash. Mickey needed to be washed anyway. So this pic show Oli and a clean Mickey!

My sweet boy.

Oli for Ivy

Oli wants to get Ivy a Barbie for Christmas.

Broom shovel

Scene: Oliver is shoveling with his kid sized broom.
Me: Are you shoveling snow?
Oli: I am shoveling Yellow snow.
Me: oh.

Thanksgiving Egg Sale

Here is Oliver with CJ and Eleanor.  The girls let Oliver help sell eggs.  I think he was a good helper...until he dropped an egg.  I think he really just LOVED being included with his cousins!  It was really fun to watch.  Oli would run into the house to get a drink and then run back out to help.  Then, he would run in the house to get pie...and then speed back outside.  At one point he brought his pie outside so he wouldn't miss anything!

Heart visit

Today Ivy had her visit with Dr. Reinking, the pediatric cardiac doctor.  It turned out to be a great visit, really.  She weighed in at 15 pounds 9 ounces!  yay!  AND also awesome was that Dr. R said that her murmur is softer!  He said before you could "hear it across the room" and now it's softer - that's good news and hopefully means that the holes are closing on their own!  So far, it looks like she won't have to have surgery!  I sure hope she continues on this path!  What awesome news.  Her next visit is in three months and she will have an echo at that visit.

School Pics

I have been waiting what seemed like forever to get Oliver's pictures back.  Today was the day.  I was so excited to look at the picture of Oli and Mickey Mouse together.  I had handed in all the paperwork that said what color background you wanted for the picture and if you wanted something special in the picture with your child there was a blank to write what that something special was to be.  I filled in the blank:  Mickey Mouse.

So, I look at the pictures when I picked Oliver up and instead of Mickey with my smiling Oliver, it was Goofy sitting there in that picture.  Now.  This wouldn't be so disappointing if I didn't specifically write "Mickey Mouse" on the special paper that was sent home for pictures.  I wrote "Mickey Mouse" because I wanted Mickey (not Goofy) in the picture with my son.  I wanted Mickey because that is who Oliver loves.  That is who Oliver takes to school just about every day.  Mickey is his baby.

Oliver has a stuffed Goofy and he is super cute.  If OUR Goofy was in the picture, I would *almost* be okay with the photo.  But.  It's not OUR Goofy.  It's some random Goofy that the photographer has or something.

So now, I look at this picture - and it's the best of three shots of Oliver - and I want to love that picture - but then there's someone else's Goofy.  Not Oliver's Mickey.  It makes me sad.

So then.  I have to be "that parent" that asks why isn't Mickey Mouse in the picture with my kid?  It almost sounds silly as I ask the questions...I'm trying NOT to be cranky about it - but I did write "Mickey Mouse" on that blank line!

If we are given the opportunity to "fill-in-the-blank" and then it's ignored....well that's just not right.

I'm just disappointed.  I waited for these pictures.  I knew they were going to be SO cute!  Oliver & Mickey.

Oliver has never really carried a blankie or had a 'lovey' until now...and it's Mickey Mouse.

Look how cute he is!  

Do you see what I'm saying?  This was going to be my special memory of Oliver and his baby Mickey.  And now it's Goofy.  Every time I look at the picture, I smile because Oli is so CUTE...and then I see Goofy and it bums me out.

You have to understand this.  Right?

Bedtime

Me:  Oli are you ready to go into bed and read some books?
Oli:  No.
Me:  Ok you have ten more minutes, then bed.
Oli:  No!  Five.  Five more minutes.
Me:  Ok.

Ivy and Mama

At the Museum

Ivy with Santa!

Figuring stuff out at the ICM

Ivy and I did some Christmas shopping today, went to the Children's Museum, Ivy sat on Santa's lap, and lunch at Paneras! What a morning! Ivy liked the broccoli cheddar soup at Paneras - just like Oliver!
I liked having girl time with my girl!

Sunday night dinner

Oli: Mama, look at me! I clean!
Me: (looking) oh no. Oli please don't wipe your pickle on your face...
Oli: (busy)
Me: What are you doing?
Oli: Scrubbing....(with his pickle!)

ugh.
And.  Dinner was SO long!

Play!

These two are ready to play the minute they jump out if bed!

Three

When Oliver sees something like 3 cups, 3 bottles, 3 of anything he says, "Mama, I am three like that!"

Yes, Oli, you are three like that!

Friday

I've been sick for two or three days.  Today I got to lay in bed a lot and it felt GOOD.  My dad watched Ivy and Oli was at school.
Last night and tonight, Oli has started playing in his room!  Tonight, he went into his room and closed the door.  Of course, a closed door makes me wonder what he's up to in there.  So, I go into his room and ask him what he's doing.  "I just playing with my cars."  So I leave, but he says, "Mama, can you close my door?"  He's turning into a big boy.

Ivy wants to be wherever Oliver is.  She also loves to play with her toys.  She's pretty crusty today - needs a bath!  A crusty face with her crazy hair!  She's still so CUTE, crusty or not.

Shoes

My kid loves his shoes.  Oliver got a new pair of Buster Brown shoes yesterday.  He put them on the minute he saw them.  He was ready to wear them to bed but I talked him out of that.  He put them on the floor at the end of his bed so they would be ready in the morning.  Sure enough, right after he went peeps this morning he put on his new shoes and then was ready to watch Mickey Mouse.  :o)

I have a shoe kid.

Morning Car Talk

Oliver and I have some pretty great and interesting conversations in the car on the way to and from Apple Tree.  Sometimes we talk about what we should name our cat when we get one...sometimes I answer all kinds of WHY questions...and more.  This morning out of the blue:

Oli:  Mama, I like you with a ponytail.

I thought - oh good because I wear my hair that way ALL the time!  :o)

Colorful

Me: What should Mama wear today?
Oli: Purple.
Me: Is that your favorite color?
Oli: Yes. And white and red and orange and yellow. That's my favorite color.

I'm wearing a purple shirt today!

A kind boy

Last night I told Oli I didn't feel well and that I felt like maybe I could throw-up. He replied, "Awww. You can use my throw-up bucket!"

What a sweet guy!

Sunday

On Sundays we go to the mall.  We go to Target, Panaras (for coffee, egg sandwich, and pumpkin muffins),  then we go to the "Germ Pit" to play.  Often, we meet the Brights there and the kiddos can run around.  I love the pic of Oliver and Sully playing together.  Of course, I LOVE the picture of Ivy - she is starting to be a climber!  (Yesterday was even more fun because my mom was there with us!)

Today we went to Daniel Clark's 3rd birthday party.  It was at Scanlon Gym/Mercer Park.  Oli and Ivy both had a great time.  Oliver was pushing Ivy around in the red Radio Flyer car - at top speed!  It started out gentle and slow...and then he gained speed.  Ivy LOVED it!  That fun lasted quite awhile - until Oliver started running into walls...then they moved on to new toys.  It was truly fun to watch these two kids - MY kids - play together!  Oli loved pushing his sister around the gym and Ivy just giggled!  Now, the party is over and both kiddos are sleeping!  I love watching them play.

First day to post...

As of 11/10/11 Ivy weighs 15 pounds!  Way to go, Ivy!

Today I asked Oliver if he could say "Barack Obama".  He answered, "Brock O'Mommy".  Cute!

My First Post

So.  I have been thinking for awhile that I would start a Blog.  For me.  For my kids.  For my family.  I think it will be a good place to talk about my kids and how awesome they are...how they continually do things that amaze and impress me.  I want a place to keep track of all of the funny things they say and silly things they do.  So.  Here I am.