Ryan's new "friends"

Ryan has been very interested in bugs lately. Luckily, we have a family of ladybugs that live in the window in our laundry room so Ryan has plenty of time to poke and prod at them. When he first saw them, he wanted nothing to do with them. Trav finally convinced him to hold one in his hand, and since then, he can't get enough of them. He actually wants to go in that room just to "play" with the ladybugs. Unfortunately for one of the ladybugs, the play got a little physical one day. For some reason, Ryan decided to step on one and boy was he made when he lifted up his foot and the ladybug was no where to be found. I told him to look on the bottom of his shoe and once he saw it smashed to the sole, he started to cry. He told me to take it off, so I did. When the bug didn't start moving, he looked at me with a look of complete horror and said, "Mommy, it's dead?" When I said yes, he cried even harder. He wanted me to make it move again so bad, but I told him that just wouldn't happen again. After he finished crying, we made a rule that there would be no more stepping on ladybugs. So, if you happen to be around Ryan and a ladybug in the near future - do NOT step on it or he'll let you have it. Here are some pictures of Ryan and the bugs. Ryan has also taken a liking to some outside bugs - worms actually. With all the rain, there are always plenty in the driveway - I'd say he's touched about half of them so far. Here is one of the lucky ones who got to ride in his car with him - lucky little fella.
In other news, Ryan and I have been checking out preschools for next year. We visited two in the past week and both were great. Ryan had a chance to participate in each class for about a half hour while I observed. All the teachers were great and Ryan had a blast at both. The final choice was made based on the school size and "cirriculum." One of the schools was actually in an old middle school and there were tons of different classes going all the time. This preschool was run more like an acutal school - they stuck to a strict schedule, had a recess time, snack time, and sessions each day that focused on science, math, and reading - to me it seemed a bit much for a 3 year old. So I opted for the other preschool that was a smaller group located in a local church. There are only two classes in the building at a time, and the teachers really seemed to know a lot about the kids, and not just "school" stuff about them - they knew about their families, the child's likes and dislikes, etc. This school also stuck to a schedule, but were more flxible if things didn't get done exactly on time. I also liked that this preschool focused on a new subject every week, but weren't so focused on getting the math, science, and reading part in everyday. I figure if he learns all that stuff in preschool, what will he have left to learn in kindergarten? After all the visits were done, Ryan of course wanted to start going right away - I have to keep reminding him that school doesn't start for a while yet. I'm glad he is so excited though.

Wedding weekend

We attended the wedding of Stefanie and Stephen this weekend back home. It was great to see everyone again and have some adult time. The kids skipped the wedding in order to take naps, but we made sure to get Ryan up in time to get to the reception with us. When we got home from the church, he was out cold, but the minute I said, "do you want to come dancing with us?" he was up in a flash. He literally jumped out of bed and started walking around signing - it was pretty cute. We took a couple of pictures of the family since we were for the most part all dressed up (with the exception of Lauren). Ryan had a great time dancing the night away. He can hardly wait for the next wedding!

Grandpa and Grandma Loken, Uncle Aaron and the family

I also thought I would throw in some pictures from the bachelorette party from two weeks ago. One of our friend's grandpas drove us around in a large school bus - talk about good times!

He is so helpful

Ryan has been asking to help me a lot lately with Lauren so I started thinking about all the ways Ryan has "helped" me since Lauren has been born - I thought I would list them out for your pleasure. Things started out really basic. When Lauren cried, Ryan would say "Mom, Lauren is crying." After a few days, he started taking a more hands on approach and would rub Lauren face and say "it's okay, it's okay, it's okay" (always 3 times) when she would cry. During these times, he was also very helpful in getting burp rags when Lauren spit, and handing me diapers when I was changing her. Unfortunately Ryan's helpfulness came with a price for him as he would usually start gagging at the sight of her puke or dirty diapers - what a trooper. As Lauren got older, he realized he wasn't getting the results he wanted so he started giving her toys to comfort her - what a good big brother. After that got old, he got a bit more creative and started feeding her invisible candy when she cried. I have no idea where he got this, but let's just say Lauren didn't really like the idea. By this time, I think Ryan was running out of ideas so one day while we were taking a walk Lauren started screaming. Ryan tried the old candy bit with no success so he took things into his own hands literally and covered her mouth. He was so proud he finally got her to stop crying that he told me to look. I of course laughed like any good mother and told him that was not a nice thing to do and it has never happened again (so far). The last example of Ryan's help came as we were driving. Lauren was screaming again (I promise she doesn't cry all the time) and Ryan had had just about enough. He gave her a toy, some fake candy, even broke out the "it's okay", but nothing worked. He finally asked me, "Mom, can I hit her?" What a sweet little boy. I guess I should just be happy he asked before he did anything. I obviously said no and he said okay and left it at that. To date, there hasn't been any hitting - let's hope it stays that way.On a sad note, my parents had to put down the family dog, Bailey, yesterday. She was getting old and having some health issues so it was time. Ashley went home to spend the day with her and then they took her to the vet - Ash said it was the worst thing in the world to see, but at least Bailey had someone with her as she passed. I'm sure she is in dog heaven having a blast right now - may she rest in peace. Here are some pictures Ash took on her last day.

Finally some nice weather!

Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day and we made sure to make the most of it. We took the kids outside after their naps and pretty much the entire neighborhood was out and about. There were kids running around everywhere - Ryan was in heaven. To top of the good times, our neighbor got out his riding lawn mower and was giving rides around the cul-de-sac. Auntie happened to be driving back to school so she stopped by as well to spend some time with the kids. Let's just say Ryan got plenty of attention. After all the running, we ended up having the neighbors over to grill some steaks and brats and then it was off to bed for the kids. I think everyone was tired after the action packed day. Here are some pictures of the kids from the day.

Hanging out on the deck (this is oneof Ryan's old outfits)

Ryan hiding under the table

Doesn't he remind you of Wilson from Home Improvement?

Cleaning up after a long day

I almost forgot, Lauren is cutting her first tooth. She had been having a couple of rough nights lately - I really didn't think anything of it, then today, I was changing her and saw a little white popping out of her gums. When I saw that, I figured out that the sleeping issues coupled with the constant drooling and messy diapers probably should have tipped me off earlier, but they didn't. I missed Ryan's first tooth signs as well - I guess I didn't get smarter with the second kid - sorry to put you through the misery Lauren. Now that I know what's going on I'll be sure to have the Orajel handy.

Fun little Saturday

We had a fun little family Saturday. The day started out as usual, Ryan wakes up and climbs into bed with us. About 15 minutes later, Lauren is up and ready to see everyone. Notice who is not in this picture - yeah, that's right, me. I lose my spot once the kids get up and daddy is usually still comatose so he is not going anywhere. I get Ryan his morning cocoa and turn on some tunes and everyone is good for about 20 minutes. I use this time to catch up on bills, read some blogs, and grab a bite to eat - a real treat in the morning. Once Lauren gets sick of laying with the boys, she calls out to me with a cute little - "come get me now cry" and the day officially begins. Breakfast is had by all and we figure out what to do with the day.

Trav and Ryan head to the gym for a workout and "school time" (the gym's daycare) while Lauren and I stay home to get some sleep (Lauren) and do some major cleaning (me). By the time the boys are back, Lauren is still sleeping and I'm in the middle of a good Lifetime movie. Unfortunately I have to spend the last half and hour watching through Ryan, Trav, and Lauren (who is awake by now) - luckily the movies on this channel are usually shown about 100 times over and over again so I should be able to catch the ending uninterrupted some other time. After the movie wraps, we grab some lunch and get ready to go back to the gym for some swimming. I think Ryan has forgotten what swimming is when he initially gets in (as shown in the picture below) - he is scared, but overcomes that very quickly once he remembers what he is doing. Trav and I took turns swimming and sitting out with Lauren - a good time was had by all. Ryan used some dumbbells floats and even swam by himself a couple of times. Summer should be a blast once we get to the pool and lake - I can hardly wait.

The rest of the day was spent lounging around the house and just relaxing - something we all needed after our busy weekend and long week with colds. I hope everyone else had a fun, relaxing Saturday as well.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Why is it that when Trav gets Ryan ready for bed at night, he always throws his dirty clothes on the floor right next to the hamper, or puts them on the dresser? I've been curious about this now for quite a while so I asked him tonight, and he just laughed a little and said, "I don't know if you want to use them again." Really Trav, like I'm going to put dirty underwear on our child for a second day, or let him wear the clothes that he just spent the last hour and a half in at some germ infested playground again - nice try, not going to happen. For future reference, I went ahead and told him to go ahead and put everything in the hamper and that if I need anything, I'll just dig it out - I'll be sure to write about it when that happens. I also asked if he knew where the hamper was (just to be sure) and how to use it. Hopefully I won't need to write about this again.

Onto more important things . . . the kids still both have their colds, although Ryan seems to be doing much better than Lauren. She got this nasty cough today that will last for minutes on end. I feel so bad for her, but I called the doctor today, and they said there is really nothing I can do for her other than comfort her and wait for it to pass - poor thing. We were able to get outside today for a couple of hours and burn off some of Ryan's energy. We walked down to the park after the kids got up from their naps. Ryan had a blast and was even more excited when daddy came and met up with us after work. He even got to help Trav drive the car down the cul-de-sac and into the garage - talk about fun! I have some laundry to finish up and then it is off to bed. Until next time . . .

Fun weekend - long recovery

So I finally got my girl's weekend and boy did I pay for it! I had my first night without Lauren on Saturday to attend a friend's bachelorette party. The party was a blast - it is always fun to see old friends and catch up on everyone's lives as it seems the older we get, the less often we see each other. There was games, drinks, and lots of dancing - what more could I ask for. But, all good things come to an end, and when this night did, I knew I would be paying for it the next day - I was wrong, it's Wed, and I'm just starting to feel like myself again. I'm not sure if it was the drinks or the lack of sleep (bed at 3am, up at 6am), but whatever it was that caused me to get a horrible cold in April, I'm just glad it is done. Ryan and Lauren were also lucky enough to get the same horrible cold - let's just hope this is it until next winter. They are both doing much better now - just a little cough and some runny noses left now. Luckily the weather has been improving and we have been able to get outside and get some fresh air - Ryan has really enjoyed this after spending two days in bed. I think the whole family needs a weekend without running - it seems like we have been gone a lot lately. The weather looks like it is going to be nice so maybe we'll just enjoy some time outdoors together - easy, fun, and relaxing! I'll leave you with some recent pictures of the kids.

Daddy helping Ryan climb his first tree

Not meant to be

It's 7:30pm on a Friday night, what are you doing? Let me tell you what I'm doing . . . Trav is fast asleep (he didn't sleep very well last night because he said his boxers just didn't feel right - whatever), Lauren is also sound asleep, and Ryan is at Grandma and Grandpa Quast's house. That means I have no kids and no husband - talk about an ideal Friday night!

Well, almost ideal. Trav and I were actually supposed to be in Duluth right now, but due to the April storms we are currently having, the trip was cancelled. It actually almost seems like we were never meant to go on this trip. Ryan was sick a couple of days this week and Lauren was having some serious issues taking a bottle, but by Wed morning, everyone was happy and the trip was on. That is when I was watching the morning news and saw that Duluth would be under a blizzard watch from Thurs night through Sat morning, the exact time we were going to be there, so with that, we figured it just wasn't meant to be. We've rescheduled for the end of May, hopefully we won't have weather issues by that time. With the change of plans, here I am typing away on my blog - almost as good as Duluth - not really. At least the weekend isn't a complete bust. I have a friend's bachelorette party tomorrow. I'll take Lauren with me and my parents will have a day with her and I'll get a day with the girls - I can hardly wait to see everyone. All the hard work of breaking Lauren from the boob (which I accomplished this week in preparation for the trip) will payoff and I'll get my first night away from the babe. Reading this makes me sound like I can't wait to get away from the kids - not true, I just need a little "me time" with the girls so I can remember what life was like before two babies.

I'll leave with that. Maybe I'll go an enjoy watching an entire tv show without someone interrupting - the good times just keep coming!

"I got the sharts"

We had an interesting day yesterday. The morning started like every other Monday morning. Marley came over and the kids played until 10:30 (which is nap time for the girls). At that point, I asked Ryan if he wanted to paint his birdhouse he had built. Of course he said yes and off we went. About ten minutes into painting, Ryan said he wanted to go lay down and watch a movie. I thought this was unusual, especially since we were finally painting the birdhouse - something he had been asking to do for a while now. So we put everything away and Ryan laid in our bed and watched the "Incredibles". I went to check on him about 15 minutes later and he was out cold. He slept from 10:30am-1:30pm. I just figured he was catching up on sleep after a busy weekend. When he finally did wake up, he was burning up. I of course couldn't take his temp as he broke the thermometer (mentioned in a previous post) and we hadn't bought a new one yet. I was sort of concerned at this point, then he had to go potty and the sharts came out in full force - this is when I knew he might not be feeling so hot. So the rest of his day was spent relaxing in bed or on the couch - not too much fun for a two year old. Ryan slept good during the night, but still woke up feeling hot and had some messy trips to the bathroom - that means another day of rest for the boy - we're hoping he'll feel better soon.

Lauren is having some tough days herself. I am still trying to get her to take the bottle. This is even more urgent now as Trav and I have planned a weekend trip to Duluth without the kids. If she doesn't take the bottle, the trip might have to be adjusted - we'll see. So far she is playing with the nipple, but not really sucking. I have two more days to make it work - keep your fingers crossed.

No pictures to post this time around. I'm sure no one wants to see Ryan's sharts or his sickly little body curled up in bed so I'll hold off until we have some happier times to share.

Trains, trains, and more trains

We went to the model train museum on Thursday and it was a big hit! We got there about 15 minutes before the place opened - I think it was the longest 15 minutes Ryan has ever had to wait. Once the doors finally opened, Ryan was in heaven. The place is basically a huge table in the center and you get to walk around and look at the different scenes. It is really nice because they actually have little ledges built in for the kids to stand on - someone was really thinking when they did that! Ryan would point and yell every time a train went by - it never got old for him. They also had a little section where kids could push buttons and start and stop trains and turn on different lights in a town, or lower railroad signs - pretty cool. I would highly recommend this place for both kids and adults - there were some pretty interesting "train facts" posted throughout the place which made for some good reading.



As always, Lauren was a trooper and seemed to enjoy the day (even more so once she had her daily blowout and was changed into her clean outfit). Until next time . . .

Cruisin'

So Ryan has been going a little stir crazy with this crummy weather. He is a kid who likes to get outside and go whenever he can. With the snow melting, today was just a mess outside so to hold him over until the nice weather arrives, I let him ride his "motorcycle" (that what he calls it) in the basement. He got this bike for his first birthday and hasn't really had any interest in it until the past couple of days. I think he finally figured out how to make the thing go and even how to turn when he is headed toward something so it is finally fun for him to ride. To top off the experience, I dug out a bike helmet he had never used. I thought for sure he would never put it on, but right when he saw it, he had to have it. The helmet is for sizes 2-5 - do you think it is a bit too small for Ryan? He doesn't care though, he loves it and even had to put it right next to his bed while he took his nap this afternoon . We probably spent a good hour or two playing racer. Basically Ryan would sit there and wait for me to say "racers start your engine" then he would tell me to tell him to go. Once I did that, he would take off toward the bedroom and try to make it through the doorway without hitting anything - I was very happy when he accomplished this goal and so was he. Once he made it through the door, he would turn the bike around and we would do the same thing over again going the opposite direction. I wish I was as easily entertained as a two year old is! The girls (Marley and Lauren) just sat and watched Ryan with Marley throwing in an occasional clap for his good work. As you can see in the pictures, they also spent a lot of time looking at each other - good times.

I hope I don't see you again until next year!

Trav and Ryan took advantage of the nice weather today to build a snowman. They did a great job, but I hope I never have to see another snowman until next winter - please stop the snow!

We went to the last story time at the library this morning. Today was all about trucks, trains, and tractors so Ryan was in heaven. To top off the trip, there was a police car parked in the parking lot right next to us so Ryan had to check it out. As he was standing there looking at the police car, the policeman (as Ryan called him), came out and started talking to him. They chatted for a few minutes then the police officer asked if Ryan wanted to see his lights. Of course Ryan said yes and was very excited to see the flashing lights - what a nice police officer - he made Ryan's day. We'll have to find a new activity to fill our Tuesdays with now until story time starts up again in September - we'll be waiting . . .

On a different note, does anyone else think "The Biggest Loser" is super emotional this year? Trav and I have been watching for most of the season and I think I've seen tears shed in almost every episode. I have to admit I've shed a few myself - I'm just so happy for those people, they've worked so hard! Can't wait for the finale!

My baby is growing up already!

It is true what they say, kids grow up way too fast. Lauren has reached a couple of new milestones this past week. First is her introduction to solid foods. We started with cereal a few days ago and Lauren seems to be adjusting so far, although she doesn't seem to get the idea that the cereal is given to her instead of nursing for a meal, not in a addition to nursing- we'll keep working on that. Lately she has also started to gag a little while eating. Gagging is kind of Lauren's thing though, anything new or different usually gets the old gag reflex to kick in, we just sit and wait and hope that nothing comes back out.

Her next milestone is using the "Johnny Jumper" - do they even make these things anymore? She loves to push her legs against everything so I figured she might enjoy it. It took her a little while to figure out what was going on, but once she got the hang of it, she was jumping like crazy. Of course once Ryan saw how much fun Lauren was having, he wanted his turn. When I told him he was too big he said, "No mom, I'm little." It took a while, but we were able to convince him that only babies could sit in there.

Ryan also has reached a milestone this week . . . he peed on the potty completely by himself. Usually someone has to go in and help him get on the toilet (a regular toilet, not a potty chair), but this morning, he yelled to me,"Mom, I peed." I of course assumed the worst and was ready to go and change his clothes, but to my surprise, he was standing there pointing at the toilet. When I looked, I saw his pee in the toilet and I was very happy and so was he. I asked him to show me how he did it, so he did - down went the pants, next the undies, and before you know it, he is pushing his little butt up on the seat - what a BIG BOY we have!