Apparently I Rock!

Ash bought a black onsie for Ryan way back in the day when he was just a babe. It read, "My Mom Rocks." I obviously made him wear it as often as possible because let's face it, I do rock, so why not share the news with everyone (I hope everyone knows I'm totally joking and am not a completely self absorbed person). Anyway, I liked it so much on Ryan, that when Lauren was born, she also sported the onsie a few times. And then, the other day I was going through Ellie's drawers trying to pull out some of the stuff she has outgrown and there it was, the "My Mom Rocks" onsie tucked way back in the corner in the top drawer. So I pulled it out, paired it with some sweet purple pants, and let Ellie share in the fun. I can honestly say that this is the only clothing item that all three of the kids have worn. That alone was reason enough for me to go through some old pictures and see if I have proof. Here are the results . . .

Ryan and Lauren were both 10 months old in their pictures, Ellie is 1 year and 1 day old in hers.  I'm going to have to save the onsie and give it back to Ashley when she starts having babies of her own.  Although, I can only give it to her if she promises to rock (let's just say she might have some work to do) - jk Ash.

And because I am a nerd and had nothing better to do with my time, I also made this collage of the kids . . .

The celebration

Since Ellie missed her birthday celebration this past weekend due to her illness, I thought it was only right to make sure she got a party on her actual birthday.  With that in mind, the kids and I headed out to Target the other day and bought all the necessary supplies . . . birthday hats, a "1" candle, lots of sprinkles (for the cake), and the perfect cake mix (Ryan picked out the flavor of the cake - chocolate, Lauren picked out the color green for the writing, and I choose the frosting - chocolate as well).  With all of our gear in hand, we headed back home anxious to make the little girl his first birthday cake.  This was the first time I actually made a "1st birthday" cake since Grandma Connie has always done it in the past, and I must say, it was very fun (having the kids help was certainly the best part).  The cake turned out just perfect . . . lots of frosting to lick, and lots of sprinkles - a great combination for any cake.  Lauren wanted some "extras" on the cake so I did my best to make a flower and a group of balloons - they weren't fancy, but she was pleased so that is all that matters.  Here is our finished product . . .

The celebration, much like the cake, was very simple. The guest list included the birthday girl (obviously), Ryan, Lauren, myself, Ash, and Colton. The party consisted of us lighting the candle, singing "Happy Birthday", and then digging in - a perfect little party for a perfect little girl! Happy Birthday (again) Ellie, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

My little 1 year old

How crazy is it that year year ago today, the family (Trav, myself, Ryan, and Lauren), were getting ready to meet our new baby girl?  We had no idea what to expect, or how our lives would change, but looking back on the past year, it has been just about perfect.  Here is a letter to Ellie to let her know all about her first year.

Ellie,

My dear, sweet, little Ellie.  You were little when I met you, and you are still "little" today (in comparison to your siblings at least).  The day you were born was not exactly what I expected.  I was thinking, easy, calm, and relaxing.  You obviously didn't agree, and instead went for, difficult, stressful, and painful (not the three best words to use when describing the birth of your child).  When it was all said and done, you came out as this perfect, little bundle of joy (although your appearance was a real surprise . . . we thought you would look more like Lauren, and instead you came out with a head full of jet black hair, and bright blue eyes - which I have been told more than once will cause trouble for us in the future).  The first few days of your life were pretty peaceful, just you and me in the hospital with occasional visitors - that is where the peace ended!  The first night at home was a real eye opener for me.  All of a sudden we had 3 kids and just 2 parents - we were officially outnumbered.  Trying to make everyone happy was tough, but your Daddy and I couldn't have been happier - we had our perfect little family.  I'm not going to lie and say it was easy, it wasn't, but it was certainly worth all of the hard work.  Eventually you found your place in the family, or should I say, we found all of our places in the family while working around your schedule?  Either way, life got back to normal and everything became easier again.  Everyday seemed to bring something new in your world.  There was the first night you slept through the night (this happened at 4 months - a day I will never forget!), the day I took my boobs back for good (at 6 months, a day I'm sure you'll never forget - you were so mad), the first time you rolled over, the first time you sat by yourself, the first time your ate cereal, the first time you crawled . . . there are so many "firsts" to list, just think of all the amazing things you have accomplished in your short life!  We're still waiting on a few important "firsts" - saying "momma" (probably the most important), walking, talking, etc., but those can all wait.  You have been a wonderful little baby (and I'm not just saying that because you are mine), many people have commented on the fact that you are in their words, "such an easy baby."  You laugh, you smile (that big gap toothed smile of yours that we love so much), and you just take it easy.  You have brought such happiness to our family and have made us complete.  We are the "Quast 5" now and forever because of you, so thank you for that.  I, or should I say we, love you more than you'll ever know.  Thanks for being the great little person you are.  I'm so excited to watch you learn and grow over the years.

Love, Mom

And here are a couple of pictures and a quick video showing the little lady working on her walking skills - enjoy!

The Monday after Easter

Today was a great day! Ellie seems to be getting over whatever it is that she had, Ryan did not get sick, and Lauren was entertaining as usual. On top of all of that, the weather was great too! The kids and I took full advantage by getting outside, riding bikes, going to the park, and playing a little kickball with the neighborhood kids. And after all that fun, Troy, Nicole, EJ, and Grandma Connie all stopped over for a visit and a mini birthday party for Ellie (her party was supposed to be on Sunday, but considering we missed Easter, we also missed the party). A couple of pics to recap the day. The first is a true sign of the time . . . a 1 year old texting on her mom's cell phone - really Ellie?

And here is proof that not every member of the Quast family had a "Not So Happy Easter" weekend . . .

This explains why all of our kids are dancing freaks.  Next time Trav gets the sick kid and I get to go out!!

A not so Happy Easter

Easter turned out a little different than planned this year.  The original plan was head to Mom and Dad's place on Friday, Trav and the big kids would then go over to his parent's place and Ellie and I would stay in St. Pete so I could catch up with some friends.  After that, we would all meet up again on Saturday over in Gaylord to spend the rest of the weekend there with the Quast family.  A nice, simple plan - too bad Ellie didn't get the memo.  The poor little girl starting running a temp on Wednesday, by Thursday night she was on fire.  Sometime during the wee hours of the morning on Thursday, it seemed like maybe her fever had broke (she was laying with me in bed and when I picked her up, the sheets were soaked with sweat).  When the "real" (I consider this anytime after 6am) morning finally came, her temp was back to normal so I thought all was good.  Obviously I was wrong though, otherwise the title wouldn't be "A not so Happy Easter", it would've just simply been, "Happy Easter."  With Ellie doing much better, we packed up and headed south.  With Trav, Ryan, and Lauren packed and on their way to Gaylord, I sat back and relaxed while Grandma and Grandpa tried to hold Ellie.  The thought was nice, but the reality was that she didn't want anyone but me (that should have been my first clue that all was not well with the little gal).  By the time bedtime rolled around, Ellie was once again running a temp.  She was super crabby, super clingy, and super annoying (is that mean of me to say?).  She was so uncomfortable, she didn't know what she wanted so she just cried.  When I did finally manage to get her to sleep, it was short lived.  By 1am, she was up and back to her not so normal self.  I rocked her, laid with her, walked with her - nothing did the trick.  When I finally did manage to get her back to sleep it was 3:30am and by 6:40am, she was back up again.  Nights like that are a distant memory considering Ellie has always been such a good sleeper.  The day didn't get any better.  Think lots of crying, lots of rocking, and little to no sleeping (for her or me).  I finally called the nurse's line back home and they recommended that I bring her in considering she had had the fever for 4 days now.  The doctor at Urgent Care checked her out (very briefly, and not so thoroughly I might add) and said she had a virus and a yeast infection to boot and that there was nothing he could do.  So back to Grandma's house we went and proceeded to suffer through the rest of the day with Ellie crying, almost sleeping, and then crying some more.  By bedtime I was getting really annoyed of everything so I figured it was best that I just pack up and head back home where maybe Ellie would be a little more comfortable in her own bed and where I would be close to the clinic if needed.  The only problem with this plan, the van was in Gaylord with Trav.  After some dropping off and picking up, we managed to get everybody where they needed to bed and Ellie and I headed home.  Once we were home, it was just easier to deal with everything.  I rocked Ellie to sleep, and she slept for almost 4 hours before she woke up around 1am with jammies and sheets that were soaked once again (is it possible that she had another fever and it broke, I don't know?).  On top of the wet jammies, her face was now also covered with a rash - super.  But, other than that, she was pretty good.  We rocked some more, and about fifteen minutes later she was back in her crib sound asleep.  By the time 7am rolled around, Ellie was in pretty good spirits - there was no temp, and the rash on her face wasn't as red as it was earlier - I'm taking this as a sign that she is on the road to recovery.  We celebrated Easter together by going to Walmart to get some groceries (can you believe Cub Foods wasn't open?), taking a stroll around the neighborhood, and then topped things off with a Chicken Tender Melt from Perkins (not a bad Easter meal if you ask me).  At around 4:00pm, the rest of the gang came back home.  The kids were tired so we ate supper, took showers, and got ready for an early bedtime.  But before things got too easy, Ryan told me his stomach hurt and his head was hot.  Great, just what I need, another sick kid!  Keeping my fingers crossed that he'll wake up tomorrow finally just fine.

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!!

So I heard you had neck surgery

Ryan went over to his buddy's house today.  But before he left, I reminded him that Gavin's (the friend) mom just had neck surgery and would be wearing a brace (I did this to prevent him from walking into the house and saying something crazy about his mom's appearance).  My talk was simple . . . "Staci (the mom) just got home from the hospital and had a cool looking neck brace on to make sure she didn't get hurt anymore.  Please be extra careful around her and use good manners."  Ryan shook his head and said, "sure thing Mom."  So off we went.  When we got to Gavin's house, Gavin opened the door.  The boys said hi then Staci came around the corner.  She said hi to Ryan.  His reply, "so I heard you had neck surgery - how are things going?"  The kid definitely has a way with words!

Onto other things . . . Ellie graduated to eating at the table with the "big" kids (well, at least for today so Colton could have the high chair).  She thoroughly enjoyed being at the table and smearing her grubby little hands all over the place!

Old like you Mom

The girls and I were driving back from Target today when Lauren says, "I have a cut on my finger."  I responded with, "oh, that is too bad."  Lauren says, "yeah, it hurts."  And goes on with, "it's coming off just like yours, I guess that means I'm old like you Mom."  I'm not exactly sure what she meant by the "coming off" thing (I'm guessing she is referring to my old skin), but at least now I know my precious little three year old refers to me as "old" - super.  I was so annoyed with the comment that I made the girls get out the van and find their own ride home . . .

Thank God Ellie had her helmet on because Lauren has a tendency to be a bit of a crazy driver!

Aside from that uplifting moment, we also took today as our opportunity to dye our Easter eggs (yes, I know we are cutting it a little close, but at least we got it done).  Here are some pictures of the kiddos working their magic and revealing their finished products.

Lauren's #1 fan

We had the whole gang over this weekend - Grandma, Grandpa, Aaron, Ann, Colt, and Ash - for Ashley's going away party (only thing, she isn't going anywhere - she was supposed to fly home Monday, but instead, has extended her stay here in MN for another couple of weeks).  Anyway, the party was already set so we all still got together and hung out for the night.  With so many "watchful eyes", Lauren took full advantage and put on a good show.  She used the opportunity to showcase her dancing and singing skills for everyone.  There was booty shaking, kicks, and lots of good lyrics.  We all enjoyed watching her, but Colton thought it was amazing!  The kid could hardly take his eyes off of her.  And Lauren, being the good big cousin she is, didn't disappoint.  The more she danced and moved, the more Colt laughed and squealed!  Check it out.Apparently the kid knows good talent when he sees it.  I'm seeing "talent agent" in his future, "rockstar" in Lauren's - what a deadly combo that would be!

And here are a couple of pictures of Ellie in her shades - such a stylish little girl!

Ugh, rain

The beautiful weather of the past week is gone - in it's place . . . rain, sleet and cold! Here are some picture memories of the girls enoying the sun while we had it.  Can't wait for it to come back again!

And here are some random shots from inside.  Check out Ellie's new hair-do.  Lately, it is the only way to keep her long bangs (which is the only "long" hair she has) out of her face.  And Miss Lauren all dolled up (thanks Auntie for the hair and outfit) for her first day back at school after a 3 week break (oh, to be a speech teacher!).

"Do I get a vacation?"

So I have apparently been treating Ryan like an employee lately because for the past two days, he has been requesting, "a vacation day."  A vacation from what you might ask . . . buckling Lauren's seat belt and leaving the water on for her when he is done washing his hands - talk about hard work!  Back in the day when I was just a youngster myself, I seem to remember feeding, dressing, and basically raising my younger sister.  I do not however remember asking for a vacation day from my duties.  I guess this just goes to show how "soft" kids are becoming today.  I'm thinking it is time to toughen the kid up a bit - maybe I'll get really crazy and ask him to help Lauren put on her shoes - imagine the stress that could cause!

And then there is Lauren.  Oh my sweet, sweet Lauren.  In addition to every else she is, I can now officially add two more words to her list . . . clepto and hoarder.  If anything is left unattended in our house for more than a minute, she swoops in, grabs the item, and immediately hoards it into one of her many places (I like to call them her junk bags).  The other day I couldn't find my phone.  Twenty minutes later (and a few choice words), I (or we, Lauren pretended to help look for it) found my phone in a big purse (thanks again to our neighbor Cheryl for giving her that huge, ugly bag) amongst some dolls, a slipper, and one of my measuring cups - like I said, a "junk bag."  I don't know why she does this, but it needs to stop!  Nothing drives me crazier than looking for something I just set down and not being able to find it.

I love my kids, I love my kids - I just have to remind myself of this a few times a day!

Pictures

Playing in the laundry basket

Ready for a walk

What a pose!

She got tired pulling the wagon so she decided to carry it the rest of the way.

Sprinting off the bus

Catching up on their mornings

Playing catch up again

I see that it has been a while since my last post - apparently things got a little busy!  Let's see, where to start.  I guess I'll do a quick summary of each of the kids and inform everyone of what is going on in their lives.

First up, Ryan.  He just finished up Spring Break - that meant 10 straight days without school!  He was pretty excited about the idea of not going to school for so long, but a couple of days into, I'm pretty sure the excitement wore off.  That is when he realized Spring Break wasn't really any different from any other normal day - such a letdown.  He used his time off to fuel up on lots of play time, exercise (at the Y), and food!  I swear, the kid has finally turned into a boy who likes to eat!  Some days he'll put down three waffles, a banana, and orange juice.  This may not seem like a lot, but for a kid who usually eats a piece of toast and says he is full, this is great!  He even went as far as to order a turkey sub from Subway the other day - a first for him, and although he didn't eat all of it, he gave it a good try.

Onto Lauren . . . what can I say about her, but the usual.  She still keeps me on my toes on a daily basis.  And although she hasn't presented herself with any new mystery illnesses, she does like to fall down, or bump into things a lot just to keep me wondering.  The girl is crabby, silly, naughty, and nice all wrapped into a 40 pound ball of muscles.  In fact, she has the body I always wanted - muscles everywhere, a cute little butt, and a killer smile.  Watch out boys, whoever ends up with her is in for a real treat!

And then there is Ellie.  The babe is hardly a babe anymore.  In less than a month she will be 1 and our baby days will officially be over.  In the past couple of weeks she has went from our precious little immobile Ellie to our crazy, never stops moving, crawling, or climbing Ellie.  She mastered the stairs in one day (only going up though, going down is still a mystery to her - she has taken a couple of tumbles and has the bumps to prove this).  She is no longer the baby that sits there and watches as her older siblings run and play.  Instead, she'll crawl along, and if she has something one of them wants, she'll put up a good fight to keep it in her hands - very amusing to watch!

Besides the kids, Trav and I have also been staying busy.  Trav continues to help out with his brother's house (they are about 75% finished), and I've been staying busy with Ashley (she is visiting for a couple of weeks from California).  On top of that, we also ordered some new furniture (yes, I got the table I so desperately wanted for Trav's birthday present) and while we were in the store, Trav found a new couch as well - talk about fun!  Also in the works, helping Aaron and Ann do some house hunting (things are looking good is this area), and welcoming Ann into the wonderful world of 30 year olds!  It was a crazy night, but fun none the less (too bad Aaron was home sick - he missed out on a good time).

That's all for now.  The weather has finally started to cooperate so that means lots of outdoor time for the kids.  I'm going to try to get some pictures while we are out today.