I'm still here!

Monkey is attached.

Waiting to board the airplane. 

Waiting to take off.

I can't believe I haven't posted anything in over 2 weeks! I've been busy. Really busy with work. I'm actually working today because I have to meet deadlines. So, you may be wondering how our Arizona trip was? Well, all I can say is I learned a lot and I'll never do it again. Traveling with a 3 year old and 1 year old is hard, nearly impossible. I wish I would have given them something to make them sleepy or drugs to make me calm. I sweated. A lot. It was intense. You want details, don't you?

Here's how it started. Saturday, we woke up, packed and got ready. Ellie and Jack even napped during the day before we left. It was exciting getting to the airport and making our way to the gate. We had a really light lunch before we boarded, went to the bathroom a ton and happily got on. They don't pre-board families or kids anymore. That's okay though, because I would rather get on last then first and sit and watch everyone get on. Less time for the kids to be in their seats the better. We strapped both Ellie and Jack in the middle seat between Nick and I. It was going great until the flight attendant told us that it was against the law to have them in the same seat, but it was okay until we landed. Phew. I thought there was going to be a breakout! Well, 10 minutes later the flight attendant jerk from first class, told us that we had to take Jack out. He basically yelled at us and told us it was against the rules! So, we took Jack out and from then on, the 4 hour flight was sucky. I was so relieved when we landed and couldn't wait to get to Nick's parent's house. We did a lot of fun things, like go to Goldfield Mine, the Phoenix zoo, shop, eat and play. Despite the poor sleeping nights that Jack and Ellie had, Nick and I managed to see three movies! Lincoln was good, at least the 15 minutes I saw. I fell asleep. I was just so exhausted. We also saw Flight w/ Denzel Washington and Skyfall (the 007 movie). The weather was so perfect. Mid 80's all week, but it feels like 70's because it's so dry. The plane ride home, was the worst. Ellie was a terror and should probably be put on the terrorist list and not be allowed to travel on airplanes. I'm kinda being serious. Jack was whiney and irritable. He did manage to take a sweaty, uncomfortable nap in my arms though. It was a great nap, until they flashed the lights on the plane for about 20 minutes, even though we had another 40 minutes before we landed. I hate those lights and I forgot Jack's eye pillow. Ugh.

After the flight, on the way to Nick's parents.

Overall, we had a great trip, but it was nice to get home, get Jack and Ellie back into their normal sleeping routine and sleep in my own bed. My bed is my favorite thing. I just love it.

The flight home.

I will post some pictures of our trip soon!

Ellie and Jack

These two crack me up.

Lately Jack has been doing....

• Knows what the light switch is and will go to it if he hears that someone wants the light on.
• Has been waking up in the middle of the night wanting to play, eat or just whine. The other night he wanted 6 oz. of milk at 2 am. Really!?
• Has been putting the different shapes in a ball toy he has. He can now do it all by himself!
• If he wants to go 'bye bye', he grabs his shoes!
• He can take the baby gate down to the mud room. (this sucks)
• Wants to eat by himself, doesn't want someone shoving a spoon down his throat.

Ellie has been just as active....

• Doesn't want anyone in the bathroom with her.
• Wants to 'help' me do everything, wash the dishes, brush my hair, fold laundry. I need to teach her to massage my feet :) lol
• Has been crying when she has to go to school. She wants to stay home and hold baby Silas :(
• Loves baby Silas!!
• Pushes Jack on the floor :(
• Is really starting to copy everything we say, including phrases such as "Meeko get a away", "Aw shoot", and "Thank you, Mommy."

Leaving on a jet plane....

Man, have I been bad at posting or what!? Work has been really busy as I'm working on a really large website redesign. School is starting to wrap up and we only have 4 classes left, including the final exam/presentation night. I can not believe Thanksgiving is in a couple days. It's one of my favorite holidays, including Christmas and Halloween :)

So we are in Arizona and made it through a four hour flight with a one year old and three year old! It wasn't too bad but I could have gone without Jack pooping mid flight and Ellie not acting like a crazy girl. I took suckers which didn't do much. Jack didn't care about and Ellie dropped hers a couple times, probably because she wanted a new color. Neither of them slept which was a big bummer for us and the people behind us!! The kids are sleeping as i type this morning but the last few nights getting them to bed has been a nightmare. I'm excited to go to the zoo today and let Ellie and Jack run around like monkeys. They will fit right in.

So, I will be out of touch for awhile and will update with some pictures as soon as I can.

Weekend recap

I had a great weekend. Friday was very interesting as Wendi, my Mom and I loaded up the mini-van with 3 kids and headed down to Chicago to spend that day doing some shopping and eating. It's crazy how having little kids makes things take 3 times longer. For example, we made a pit stop at the Kenosha outlet mall and stopped at 2 stores, because Silas needed to eat. I thought I would just run into Old Navy to see if they have any winter jackets for Jack, but Ellie wanted to come in too. The next thing I knew I had several Hello Kitty items in my hands and Ellie wanted to keep finding more. She hit the jackpot when we were in the checkout line and the whole 4 shelves were filled with Hello Kitty things. From nail polish, to watches, to kleenex. I was able to talk her into getting a little sticker book and I secretly bought a little carrying case with small items in it for our airplane trip coming up. She knew I bought it because as soon as we were in the car, she was asking for it. You can't get anything past her. I quickly shoved it under the carseat and showed her the bag only contained a shirt for me, and some items for Jack. I did give her the sticker book. She was not pleased.

Once we got to the Japanese grocery store we had lunch and then I wanted to test out the 'leash'. Jack didn't seem to mind it, except when I stopped to look at something and he kept walking and was jerked back and slammed his chubby little face on the floor. My bad :(  I don't think anyone saw, except Wendi who thought it was necessary to announce it. As soon as we left the store (2 hours later), we went to Ikea. Jack fell asleep in the car and slept the whole time at Ikea in the stroller. I LOVE my stroller, it reclines all the way back and the shade thingy cover almost his whole body. It was nice that he slept the whole time and we just had to worry about Ellie. Wendi strapped Silas with the baby Bjorn. After a $200 bill (I don't even know what I bought), we headed to my mom's friends house to meet her for dinner. We went to Portillo's, which was super yummy. No incidents there besides Jack throwing things left and right and Ellie deciding she needed to take her undies and pants off in the middle of the restaurant because she spilled a dribble of water on them.

Ellie and Jack slept the whole way home (so jealous) and we made a stop to feed Silas, which conveniently worked out because we missed rush hour.

Saturday was awesome! I went to a pancake breakfast with some friends and stayed for the craft fair at the highschool. 

Kim and Wendi

Saturday night, Wendi's Nick grilled beef tenderloin on the grill and we had some other yummy food, including an ice cream cake from DQ!

Sunday flew by of course after we spent the morning at my parent's house. I did find some toys for the airplane and a new suitcase! I'm excited for this week to be over so we can go to sunny, Arizona!

Jack discovering a pinecone!

Thursdays - love and hate

I have a love and hate feeling about Thursdays. I love them because it's almost Friday, but I hate them because I have to teach at night and can't give my babies a bath. By the time I get home I'm exhausted. After a long day of work (but usually a fun lunch outing, since I don't have exercise class) I pick up Ellie at 4:15, go home for about 10 minutes and then try to get to school by 5 so I can do any last minute prepping for my class at 6. I only have 5 more classes left until the end of the semester, so by this time, my class is totally getting it or the few that have been slacking and 'cheating' are completely lost. Yup, I know who the cheaters are. It sucks, but they will learn someday or they may always be a cheater. I usually get home around 10pm,  take a shower, have a bowl of cereal and watch Grey's and I'm always excited for Friday because that means I can do almost anything I want!

Tomorrow Wendi, my mom, and the kids are going to Ikea and Mitsuwa. I'm pretty excited, but have a feeling it might be difficult with 3 kids! I also think I might test out Jack's new monkey harness. Yup that's right, I got him a 'leash'. That's okay, go ahead and judge. I said I never would do this, but Jack is superflash fast.  I know we'll need it at the airport when we go to AZ too.

I took this picture last night at Wendi and Nick's. He's kicking it with his baby bottle in his old swing seat. The pants are missing because he decided to squeeze his applesauce pouch all over. Fun times!

Jack's first haircut!

Before Jack's haircut

A couple days ago, my mom thought it would be a good idea to cut Jack's hair. I wasn't there and didn't give her permission. She said she didn't think it was a big deal because I use to cut Ellie's hair and screw it up, which is true, however, you just don't cut someone else's kid's hair without their permission!  She just cut the bangs and only cut one side. Maybe she did it a little and then thought "hmmm.. this doesn't seem right". Anyways, I wasn't that mad, just surprised. 

I decided to take Jack to get a real haircut from a real professional. We went to this little salon near my house and the girl that cut his hair, was really good with kids. She was patient, gave out suckers and let Jack play with her comb and squirt bottle. Jack was good and didn't cry until she tried to put the cape on him. He did NOT want a cape on, so the hair just got all over him and me. She fixed his bangs the best she could without it looking too much like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber. He is looking more and more like a little boy :(

Right before his appointment

During

After!

Happy Hump Day

Growing older is not fun, but the more I grow the more okay I am just being me. "Keeping up with the Jone's", the latest fashion fad and the constant trying to fit in isn't me. These kind of tendencies are fading as I am growing up and going on this life journey with my kids and husband. 

Even though I'm almost 33, I feel like I'm still in high school or 22.  All I know is life is going too fast. I'm a planner, but there are things I just don't know what to do about or how to go about different issues in life. A lot has happened in the last 24 hours, which will drastically change our lives and decisions we need to make as U.S. citizens. The biggest thing that I fear in life, is the feeling of regret. I don't want to look back and regret anything, especially when it comes to my family and friends. On a positive note, I'm excited (and deathly afraid) of our upcoming Arizona trip with the kids, Thanksgiving (so much to be thankful for!), and Christmas. Even though I'm confused about some things in life, there are many things that I know for sure. 

Here are a few:

• I would rather have a night in, than go out.
• I am passionate about organizing and wish I had more time for it.
• I like simple jewelry.
• I almost always wear neutrals, with little pops of color.
• I like minimal make-up.
• I use the same purse every single day and never change it out, until I find another one that I get obsessed with.
• I like my home to be uncluttered.
• I start listening to Christmas music after Halloween.
• I only have a few really good friends.
• I love movies.
• I have a dream to live in the mountains.

The most challenging job, ever.

Being a parent is undoubtedly the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I'm learning something new everyday and definitely have my patience tested a lot. I can admit that I have failed at my patience from time to time. Ellie is a really good tester. I mean, really good. She is too smart and always wins. I know I'm not alone though, which honestly makes me feel a little better. 

There is a blog that hits every scenario on the spot when it comes to having kids, especially a toddler. This writer is so funny and if you laugh as hard as I do, you will be brought to tears. Here's one that describes a little of what we've been going through lately at bedtime. Also, note that this is being written from the perspective of the toddler.

ENJOY!
http://thehonesttoddler.com/love/

Here is a picture of Ellie "winning" again. lol.

Happy Halloween

                                                      Dinosaur Jack and Black HK Ellie.

Last weekend we headed over to Amy and Bryon's house for a Halloween Party. I wish I would have taken pictures, because her decorations were awesome! She had a baked potato bar, chili, treats and all kinds of yummy food. Trick or Treat is a big deal in her neighborhood and it start at 6pm. We took the kids and bundled them up. It was cold out, but with all the warm costumes and the hot drinks we were set. A lot of the houses had 'adult' drinks of hot chocolate/schnapps and shots. It was fun!

This year, Jack was a green dragon. Some might say he is a dinosaur, but since his little orange spikes were sparkley, I decided he was a Magical Dragon. Ellie was Hello Kitty, but not the typical Hello Kitty. She was a black Hello Kitty! Now, this isn't a race thing if that is what you are thinking (LOL). I knew she wanted to be Hello Kitty, but I wanted to do something different and unique. Wendi came up with the idea of a black Hello Kitty, so I got some black clothes for her (which by the way is hard to find for a little girl) and got a black tail, a cute sparkley bow tie, added some whiskers and her black polk-a-dot Hello Kitty hat and we were set. She LOVED the make-up and her tail. The bow tie pretty much has been worn since I gave it to her. She calls it her necklace.

Last year, we put up the really cool Haunted House, but this year we ran out of time to figure out how we could anchor it without it blowing down. We'll for sure have it next year as everyone was asking about it! 

Below are some pictures.

Wendi, Nick and baby Silas.

Ellie's first time with a sucker!

The family.

Avery, Kim's little bumblebee.

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October is over!

Even though I LOVE October, I am SO glad it's over. We ended October and Halloween night with a trip to the ER. This is the third time I've been to an ER this month, this time for Jack. Last night we went over to our new neighbors house for chili, corn bread and cookies. It was so nice, until Jack got his two fingers stuck in the door as Ellie cranked on it. She knew she wasn't suppose to be playing with the door, but didn't realize Jack's little fingers were stuck. He didn't cry right away, because I think it hurt so bad it took his breathe away. They looked really, really bad. Inside, I was panicking and Nick was panicking outside. LOL. Someone had to keep it cool and I was the chosen adult. Next time, I'll freak out and he can be the calm one. Since Nick has been taking an anatomy class, he is learning a lot about the human body and how strong it is, but at the same time, how little accidents can really do some damage.

Luckily one of our neighbor's friends is a pediatric surgeon and Children's (how convenient, huh?)  She checked him out and recommended X-rays. I'm glad she was there, because once we got home and we looked at it, I could have easily been convinced that it was fine since he wasn't screaming anymore. So, off we went to the ER. Wendi and Nick were over (thank god) so they watched Ellie until my mom came back. We weren't there too long, just under 2 hours. They checked us in, looked at Jack, gave him some pain medicine and did the X-rays. The X-rays were the worst part of it. We had to hold Jack's hand still for several different angles and he wasn't happy. We even had to tape his little hand to the table. It turns out he has an avulsion fracture on his ring finger. His little pinky was ok. It is his right dominant hand, but he seems to be moving it okay. No surgery or anything needed, it just has to heal. The fracture is in a place where you don't need to reset it or anything.


Jack wore his Dragon costume to the ER, which was pretty funny since he looked so cute. He wasn't happy when we had to put the purple gown on though and he really, really disliked the ankle bracelet they put on him too. I think next time, I might just have them put it on his arm. He kept grabbing it and would start crying. It was kind of cute. Once we got home and he got some milk in his tummy, he was really happy and went right to sleep.