Boogie-Woogie dance party

The kids and I attended a local Boogie-Woogie dance party on Tuesday to start the Halloween celebration early. Ryan was thrilled to be able to put on his ninja costume again, and Lauren absolutely loved her dalmatian costume. Up to that point, we had never put her in the costume, and once she got it on, she couldn't get enough of herself. She would stand in front of the mirror and just smile at herself - it was pretty funny. With the kids looking good, we headed off for some dancing fun.

The dance party, as with all the others we have attended, was great! The place was decked out with streamers, big blow up monsters, bubble machines, disco balls, you name it, they had it. And the music was all focused on the kids - think lots of "Wiggles" music, repeat plays of the "Hokey-Pokey" - you get the idea. It took Ryan a while to warm up to dancing (he was too busy checking out every one's costumes), but Lauren got right in there. She was a dancing machine. Here is a clip of each of them dancing. Ryan's moves look eerily similar to those of his Uncle Mike - not sure if that is a good thing or not!

And here are a couple of pictures from the big dance. Lauren had that balloon pretty much from the time we arrived until the time we left. If anyone (god forbid) would try to take it, she made sure they didn't get away. Let's just say there was a few pulling/pushing matches in order to keep her beloved balloon. We're already looking forward to next year's party!

Frogs, pigtails, and pee

We have three topics of conversation from our day today . . . frogs, pigtails, and pee.

First, and most importantly, Ryan is now officially a "frog". Not literally of course, but in the world of swimming lessons. He had his last day of lessons tonight and passed his "crayfish" class with flying colors. Trav, Lauren, and I all went to support him for the big event and we were very impressed with what we saw. The biggest surprise, Ryan jumped in (with a life jacket on) and went completely under water and resurfaced all by himself without crying. Trust me, this is a big deal with him. I can only think of a few times in the past when he has went under, and there have always been tears. To see him do it without crying, and with very little support from the teacher was just great. I was even that mom that clapped and cheered for him from the stands - what a nerd, but I was so proud of him. After lessons we hit up McDonalds for a Happy Meal to celebrate his big accomplishment - way to go buddy!

Onto the pigtails . . . Auntie came down today for a surprise visit. As is customary with her visits, she tried out a new hair do on Lauren. And, as usual, it looked super cute (I seriously have to figure out why Lauren lets Ash do her hair and not me). Anyway, Ash tried out some new hair pieces I bought and Lauren of course loved it and pointed out numerous times how "piddy" (pretty in her world) she looked.

After Lauren had her hair done, the kids took their turn making Auntie look pretty too. If this is pretty, I don't know what is.

And finally, onto the pee. So I've had a cough for the last couple of days, and as if that isn't annoying enough, it seems that every time (or at least every couple of times) I cough, I also pee my pants a little - oh Trav would be so disgusted with me right now. Anyway, I figure the cough, coupled with the babe in my belly, and the fact that I've already had two kids makes for the perfect combination for this little problem (little being the key - at least I'm not full on peeing my pants - that would be disgusting). I'm hoping once I get rid of this cough, my bathroom issues will stay in the bathroom and not in my pants - is that too much to ask for?

Pumpkin patch

This weekend we took full advantage of the nice weather on Saturday by making our way out to the local pumpkin patch. Our mission - find 4 perfect pumpkins, 2 big, 2 little, and make them into the best jack-o-lanterns possible - easy enough. So off we went bundled up in our boots, hats, and mitts. When we got to the pumpkin patch, it was packed (apparently everyone was taking advantage of the only nice day in what seems like forever). Ryan could hardly wait to get out of the van while Lauren was too busy crying about her mittens to notice we were even there. Once everyone was out, the kids started right in crawling on, through, and around all of the pumpkins - so many to choose from, so little time - what a dilemma. After looking at some of the "already picked" pumpkins, we decided it was time to head out into the field and find our own pumpkins. With a wagon in tow, we headed out, and then we headed right back in. The field was so muddy that people were actually slipping as they walked. Once we saw that, along with the fact that our boots were already covered in mud, we decided it was best to go back and pick pumpkins from the "already picked" pumpkins lined up at the front of the farm - way easier, and no mud.

heading out to the field

heading back in 2 minutes later

Ryan took his time finding the perfect pumpkins - so long in fact that Trav and I ended up speeding the process along by making helpful suggestions. After a half and hour of searching, we finally found four of the most perfect pumpkins ever - hallelujah! With the pumpkins packed up and a fresh bag of popcorn, we headed home to start the carving process. Trav did the cleaning out of the pumpkins, I did the carving, Ryan and Lauren supervised and helped when they thought it was necessary. About an hour later we were done and this is what we came up with . . And yes, that is a little green pumpkin on the right. Ryan picked it out for Lauren and she loved it - apparently she likes to be different.

After the pumpkin madness, we all laid down for a well-deserved rest. When we got up, we headed over to the neighbors to roast hot dogs and make s'mores (we had to enjoy every minute we had to be outside). The kids enjoyed running around and playing in the leaves while Trav and I kicked back and relaxed as our neighbor made us a delicious meal of brats/hot dos, potatoes, and baked beans, all cooked over an open flame - so, so good!After the outdoor meal, the kids burned off a little more energy before we all headed in for the night. A perfect ending to a perfect day - lots of quality time with each other and the kids - what could be better then that!

Moving on up

It seems our little girl is taking another step toward being a "big girl." The past couple of days she has moved up from her trundle bed (which lays flat on the floor) to her real "big girl bed." I thought about trying it out the other night because she has been waking up so much lately for no real reason. I thought maybe a change of sleeping arrangements might just make the difference, and so far, it has - no more unexplained waking up at 1:00 am. And we all know that makes for a very happy mom! Here are a couple of pictures of the sleeping little beauty during nap time. I don't know why, but I just think she looks so cute in that big bed all tucked in with her peeps (Ruby the Rabbit and her duck) surrounding her. The "big girl bed" is so fun for her, the other day when I was reading her a story before nap time, she actually pushed the book closed, climbed down off the rocking chair and stood pointing at her bed (yes, she is still not talking). Obviously she couldn't wait for the entire story to be done before she crawled into bed - no complaints from mom on that one. For the time being the trundle is still pulled out under the bed just in case there would be any middle of the night falls, but for now, that hasn't happened and Lauren is loving her new bed.

As far as everything else is concerned with the little girl, well, not much else new to report. Like I mentioned before, she still refuses to talk. I know we are partly to blame considering we've all been forced to learn what her pointing and grunting means and now we just give her whatever it is she wants just so we don't have to listen to her go into full meltdown mode. And trust me, I've tried to make her talk and not give in to her, but sometimes it is just not worth it. Apparently we all still need some work in this area. Her potty training (or lack of training) has come to a complete stop. The cute little Dora potty ring we bought her is never actually on the toilet, but many days you can find her running around the house with it on her head - yes, she uses it as a hat. She loves her panties and hates to wear her diapers, but until she agrees to sit on the potty, she'll just have to get over it. On a positive, she continues to be "mommy's little helper." If she spills something, she is the first person to go and get a towel and wipe it up (granted, sometimes she doesn't get it all, but at least she tries and I love that!). She is also a big help when it comes to passing out dishes and cups. She loves to be in control so having the power to give out dishes in whatever order she wants is right up her alley. And finally, she is a big help when baby Robbie comes to visit. She is "johnny on the spot" when the baby cries. First thing she'll do is find his nuk if it isn't in his mouth and put it there. If that doesn't make the crying stop, she'll sit down next to him and rub his head while quietly shushing (is that a word?) until he calms down - amazingly enough, this usually works. Maybe we have a little "baby whisperer" on our hands - that would really come in handy in the future. Here she is in action "dancing" with baby Robbie. As you can tell, he doesn't have much choice in the situation, but he seems to enjoy it given his constant smiling (of course he is not smiling in this picture though - that would have made the story too perfect).

I have to pause real quick and let you know that Lauren is currently standing in the kitchen pointing at the ceiling and whining. Now, people that don't know our house, and don't know Lauren, would probably be a little confused, but not me. I know that this means she wants music on so she can dance. She isn't really pointing at the ceiling, rather at the speaker that is in the ceiling, which she knows is where the music comes from. Yet another reason the kids should start talking. If someone else saw her doing this, they would have a hard time figuring out what she wants, and all I can say is, good luck with the meltdown that is sure to follow!

Alright, back to what I was writing about before (and no, I did not turn on the music, I gave her breakfast instead and that seems to have occupied her time). Anyway, for all of Lauren's quirky little things she does or doesn't do, there is still one thing she can do for sure that will make you forget about everything else. Lately when she wants to give you some loving, she'll grab your head, force you down to her level, and then ever so gently plant a big kiss on your forehead. It is seriously the sweetest thing ever and no matter how crappy the day has been, that pretty much makes up for all of it and nothing seems as bad as you originally thought. Gosh, I wish my kisses had that kind of power!

So there is our baby girl in a nutshell. She is growing up way too fast (just like her brother), but we are loving every minute of it and can't wait to see (I say this now knowing I'll be eating my words later) what the future brings with her. If nothing else, it will be interesting for sure!

Fall conferences

I had Ryan's school conference tonight and let's just say it was interesting. Here are some of the phrases/words used by his teacher to describe him . . . eager to learn, sensitive, imaginative, happy, gives into peer pressure, charming, and last but not least, seductive. When I heard the first couple of words, I wasn't too surprised, but when she started in with the whole "gives into peer pressure" thing, I was getting a little concerned - until she explained herself to me. What Teacher Mary meant was that Ryan will give into peer pressure in a good way. Meaning, if one of the other kids in class is practicing their writing and they suggest to Ryan that he should practice his as well, Ryan gives it a quick thought, and then usually gives into the request. The whole peer pressure thing has really worked well to get Ryan engaged in some things he would otherwise not be that interested in. I'm just hoping he won't give in that easy to peer pressure when he is 16 and some stupid kid tries to talk him into something not so good! After the "peer pressure" talk, we moved into Ryan's love of talking (now this was something I totally expected to hear about considering the kid never shuts up). Anyway, Teacher Mary started out by saying that Ryan definitely has the "gift of gab" and he likes to share it with anyone (particularly the teachers) who will listen. She went onto to say, "he is so charming when he talks to you, almost seductive." Wait, did Ryan's teacher just refer to him as "seductive?" I know Trav would probably be thrilled to hear that his boy is charming and seductive, but I'm not all about having a 4-year-old Casanova on my hands. Teacher Mary again went onto to clarify her thoughts. She said Ryan usually starts out a conversation by smiling and getting you to focus on him. Once he has you hooked, he gets you with his eyes and never lets you break eye contact. She said at that point, you just have to sit there and listen because he is so happy to tell a story that you can't break his heart by interrupting him. Apparently this is her version of "seductive" - at least it is better than what I was thinking. When the conference came to an end I was happy with Ryan's progress in class and both the teacher and I agreed that Ryan really loves going to school. If he only knew how many more years of school he had!

One tired mom

It seems like my life lately is kind of blah. I literally wake up with no ambition to do anything other than lay in bed and sleep - exciting huh? Unfortunately, laying in bed and sleeping isn't an option when you have two busy kids waiting for you (apparently baby #3 doesn't care that his/ her brother and sister need their mom too). So instead, I pull myself out of bed, make sure the kids are fed and all of their basic needs are met, and try to get through the day the best we can. Some days are better than others and I actually feel like getting out and doing something, but most days are not. So I've been feeling bad about not doing as much with the kids as I would normally. Let's just say they've been watching more movies than usual and we haven't really done any fun field trips lately. Well, that changed this past weekend (sort of). The kids and I went to my parents place for a couple of days and my main goal was to make sure Ryan had some fun. First on the agenda, find the perfect Halloween costume. With Ryan, this was a real chore. There were so many costumes to pick from that he was a little overwhelmed. After two stores and three different costumes, he had selected the perfect one . . . a black ninja with fake boobs (there is a good story to go with that - I'll touch on that in a bit). After costume shopping, the kids and I headed home for lunch and then it was off to the Grandparents house. While we were sitting at the table eating (and Ryan was in full costume), he looked at me and said, "Now that I have big boobs like my dad, do you think I can move them?" At this point he appears to be trying to move them as he has a very serious look on his face. After coming to the conclusion that he still can't move his boobs like his dad, he takes his fingers and starts moving them and says, "I guess not, I'll just have to use my fingers still - oh well." I just hope he didn't buy the costume for the sole reason of having boobs like Dad, if so, he is probably a little disappointed. With that done, we packed up and headed south to see Grandma and Grandpa. On Saturday, Ryan and I had a Mom/son date planned - just the two of us. With Lauren safe and sound with the grandparents, we headed out to watch "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs". We had been planning this for a while so Ryan was very excited that the big day was finally here. Not only did we get to watch the movie, we also got popcorn - a huge deal for an excited 4 year old! After our date we had one tired little boy so it was back home to take a nap and relax for a while before we spent the evening hanging out. After the weekend, I was feeling a little better about having spent some quality time with the kids, but still not great. So when I woke up this morning and didn't feel like complete crap, I decided it was time for a field trip. So it was off to the zoo we went to check out the animals! We mainly stayed in the indoor areas of the zoo because it wasn't super warm, but the kids didn't mind because we had never been through these parts of the zoo before. We made it through the Minnesota trail where we saw foxes, wolves, and otters, and then it was off to the "jungle" (as Ryan called it). The Tropical Trail was really neat and took us well over an hour to completely walk through. There were all sorts of exotic animals to see, and even lots of cool little areas for the kids to crawl in and out of. By the time we finished up the jungle, the kids were ready for a snack and one more adventure to the check out the sharks and then we headed home - it finally felt like a normal day and I think the kids were very happy to get out and about for once. It also made me feel like I'm not such a bad mom. Hopefully this is the beginning of the good days out-numbering the bad days and we'll be able to have more fun in the future!

Here are some pictures from yesterday (it was actually nice out) and the zoo today. And don't worry, that isn't a real ninja, it is just Ryan in his costume (which he has rarely taken off in the last few days - hopefully it won't be ruined before Halloween).

The kids hiding out in one of the little caves in the "jungle." And no, that is not a puddle of pee coming from Lauren - the floor was a little damp as they had just watered the trees - luckily she didn't care.Watching an underwater show - they were completely mesmerized by it.

October?

So what is wrong with these pictures? Oh yeah, it is October and there is snow (lots of it) falling. With no other options but to bundle up, that's what we did and headed out the door (going anywhere takes at least fifteen minutes longer now that hats, mittens, and boots are necessary).The kids loved it. Ryan couldn't wait to get outside and play in it and Lauren, once we actually got outside, kept pointing towards the sky and saying "no" (her version of snow) and smiling. We spent a good half hour throwing snowballs and running around in the snow after picking Ryan up from school. The fun ended when Lauren lost her footing and took a face plant into the driveway - oh well, at least we had fun while it lasted. And as usual, Lauren shook it off in no time and was as good as new.