1. We started the extended weekend off with a quick trip to the Science Center of Iowa Saturday morning. Ellie loved it and cried when it was time to leave. We informed her that we had a pass and could go back again (and again and again).
2. Ellie got sick with the stomach flu on Monday AM (think 1:30 in the middle of the night). It was a long night, long day and another long night. She was still getting sick yesterday and kept saying that she didn't want to stay home. Poor girl!
3. Because of #2, Ellie has watched more TV this week than we ever have.
4. Ellie's day-care class went to the zoo on Wednesday. She was really sad that she was unable to join them. We told her we could go to the zoo lots this summer since we have our zoo pass.
5. Neve's new thing is to say "I" aka "hi." It is so cute and she is pretty proud of herself.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
1-year old
This is the one that made our wall. It is amazing how much she has grown in a year. Love her.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Student Interview
In the older classrooms at day-care they have started doing "Student Interviews" each quarter. They give them to the parents at their parent-teacher conferences. Here are Ellie's:
1. We think she meant that she likes to play on the deck (like our covered deck at home). We had just moved back into the house and she was spending a lot of time with her basketball hoop on the deck.
8. The interview was right before Halloween, and she dressed up as a duck for Halloween.
*I love being able to take a picture with my phone and send it to my e-mail account! You may see more and more pictures this way in the future since I am awful about pulling the pictures off the actual camera.
From October 29, 2012
8. The interview was right before Halloween, and she dressed up as a duck for Halloween.
From February 26, 2013
4. I wonder if she is very good at singing 'Baa, Baa (Black Sheep)' since Neve is a big fan of the song and she sings it to Neve.
6. She must not get angry very often if the doesn't know.
From May 15, 2013
4. We are very glad she is 'good at daycare', although we are not sure what that exactly means.
5. We were shocked that going to bed makes her happy! We will have to remind her of that one.
9. Her favorite food of peaches was also a surprise. She likes peaches, but not as much as Mac & Cheese.
I hope you enjoyed Ellie's interviews as much as we did. I love that day-care did this and it will be fun to show Ellie when she is older.
Friday, May 24, 2013
5 on Friday
1. Our garden was built last week! We are so excited for fresh veggies and being able to walk outside and pick green onions for recipes.
2. Saturday I had a practice exam downtown for most of the day. Once I got home from the exam, we made a quick trip to Earl May to pick up plants for the garden and other garden supplies that we forgot to replace after the fire. The girls did great and enjoyed eating popcorn while Nick and I discussed which kind of pepper to buy (we ended up with pretty much all the kinds they sold--- we must like peppers). After the girls went to bed Nick and I each grabbed a beer and planted the garden. It went really quickly and I loved being able to spend time with Nick without the feeling that I needed to be studying (because I had already put in 7 hours that day). Here is what we planted: green onions, carrots, cauliflower (Nick), bush beans, peas, spinach, salad lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers (8 different plants!) and tomatoes. We may have over planted... we will see. I still need to get some rhubarb from my mother-in-laws farm... that is a must as I LOVE rhubarb.
3. On Sunday Ellie and I ran and bunch of random errands. I had a list of things I needed to do and was not able to do on-line (because I have been doing anything and everything I can on-line the past few months). Ellie was on her best behavior, and a random lady at the mall even came up to us and asked if Ellie was always that well behaved. I smiled and said "Yes, she is." I love it when we recieve compliments on how well behaved our children are! They each have their moments (ex: Neve is not a fan of grocery shopping at Hy-Vee), but for the most part they are very well behaved.
4. Ellie received her visiting letter at day-care, which means that she will start transitioning from the Pinwheel classroom to the Big Wheel classroom. She is very excited. We love the teachers in the Pinwheel classroom, but understand that Ellie developmentally ready for the next level up. We are excited for the teachers in Big Wheel classroom as well, as one of them is the lady that has babysat for Ellie and Neve (and they love).
5. Ellie and Neve both had parent-teacher conferences at day-care this week. I love hearing about how they are doing in 'school' and the cute little stories the teachers have to share. Both girls had awesome conferences and we are so proud of how they are developing.
2. Saturday I had a practice exam downtown for most of the day. Once I got home from the exam, we made a quick trip to Earl May to pick up plants for the garden and other garden supplies that we forgot to replace after the fire. The girls did great and enjoyed eating popcorn while Nick and I discussed which kind of pepper to buy (we ended up with pretty much all the kinds they sold--- we must like peppers). After the girls went to bed Nick and I each grabbed a beer and planted the garden. It went really quickly and I loved being able to spend time with Nick without the feeling that I needed to be studying (because I had already put in 7 hours that day). Here is what we planted: green onions, carrots, cauliflower (Nick), bush beans, peas, spinach, salad lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers (8 different plants!) and tomatoes. We may have over planted... we will see. I still need to get some rhubarb from my mother-in-laws farm... that is a must as I LOVE rhubarb.
3. On Sunday Ellie and I ran and bunch of random errands. I had a list of things I needed to do and was not able to do on-line (because I have been doing anything and everything I can on-line the past few months). Ellie was on her best behavior, and a random lady at the mall even came up to us and asked if Ellie was always that well behaved. I smiled and said "Yes, she is." I love it when we recieve compliments on how well behaved our children are! They each have their moments (ex: Neve is not a fan of grocery shopping at Hy-Vee), but for the most part they are very well behaved.
4. Ellie received her visiting letter at day-care, which means that she will start transitioning from the Pinwheel classroom to the Big Wheel classroom. She is very excited. We love the teachers in the Pinwheel classroom, but understand that Ellie developmentally ready for the next level up. We are excited for the teachers in Big Wheel classroom as well, as one of them is the lady that has babysat for Ellie and Neve (and they love).
5. Ellie and Neve both had parent-teacher conferences at day-care this week. I love hearing about how they are doing in 'school' and the cute little stories the teachers have to share. Both girls had awesome conferences and we are so proud of how they are developing.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Parent-Teacher Conferences
A few take-aways from the parent-teacher conferences we had this week:
Neve
- Happy
- Independent
- Loves art
- Loves to eat
- Interacts with all teachers and does not have a 'favorite'
- Plays with a select couple of girls in her class
Ellie
- Can follow 3+ directions at a time
- Communicates with adults and kids, each at their own level
- Falls down frequently
- Soft spoken
- Plays with everyone (teachers and all the kids in her class)
- Can identify her name and her friend's names (a step towards reading on her own!)
Both of the conferences were very positive and the girls are doing awesome! I love meeting with the teachers and hearing how the girls are doing. We get notes home each day and talk to the teachers frequently, but it is still fun to have one-on-one without little kids around. We also recieved a portfolio for each of the kids. Check out Ellie's hand-writing skills:
Not bad for a 3 1/2 year old!
Neve
- Happy
- Independent
- Loves art
- Loves to eat
- Interacts with all teachers and does not have a 'favorite'
- Plays with a select couple of girls in her class
Ellie
- Can follow 3+ directions at a time
- Communicates with adults and kids, each at their own level
- Falls down frequently
- Soft spoken
- Plays with everyone (teachers and all the kids in her class)
- Can identify her name and her friend's names (a step towards reading on her own!)
Both of the conferences were very positive and the girls are doing awesome! I love meeting with the teachers and hearing how the girls are doing. We get notes home each day and talk to the teachers frequently, but it is still fun to have one-on-one without little kids around. We also recieved a portfolio for each of the kids. Check out Ellie's hand-writing skills:
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
5 on Friday
1. Last Friday was our 5 year anniversary. We lined it up so Ellie and Neve would go to my sister's house, while Nick and I enjoyed a dinner without children at Latin King. Nick had flowers that matched my bridal bouquet sent to work for me to enjoy. It was the annual Mommy and Muffin's at day-care that morning. Then Neve got sick Wednesday afternoon.... she was still sick Thursday.... and Friday! Nick had work meetings he couldn't miss Friday morning. Which meant a frantic call to my mom at 7:20AM to see if she could come down and watch Neve for an hour while I went to Mommy and Muffin's with Ellie (Ellie was already really sad she was not going to get to go to Mike and Megan's). My mom dropped everything and was at our house a little before 9AM. Thanks, Mom! Nick brought the flowers home with him over the lunch hour, so I could start enjoying them. And we ordered take-out from The Cheesecake Factory in lieu of a dinner out. It may not have been what we planned, but it was still amazing.
2. Saturday we were able to help a dear friend celebrate graduation with his Masters. We were super proud of him and all the work he has put in over the past couple of years. Nick is also excited to have a buddy to play video games with at night (since he won't be studying anymore).
3. I had an amazing Mother's Day. I was able to sleep in, and awoke to a very excited Ellie showing me the Mother's Day card she had made me. I got some studying in, organized the pantry, went on a family bike ride to the ice cream shop and enjoyed watching the season finale of Revenge. I am so lucky.
4. Not sure where she came up with it, but Ellie thinks that if the trees are moving/blowing in the wind it is cold outside. If they are not, then it is warm and she can wear shorts. It is hard to explain to her that just because it is not windy does not mean that it is not cold out.
5. Ellie had her 6-month visit to the dentist this week. She didn't want the dentist to wear a mask (I am thinking she got it from Finding Nemo?). Lucky for her, Dr. Matt does not wear a mask. She did awesome as usual and gets to start flossing on top of brushing now! She is excited.
2. Saturday we were able to help a dear friend celebrate graduation with his Masters. We were super proud of him and all the work he has put in over the past couple of years. Nick is also excited to have a buddy to play video games with at night (since he won't be studying anymore).
3. I had an amazing Mother's Day. I was able to sleep in, and awoke to a very excited Ellie showing me the Mother's Day card she had made me. I got some studying in, organized the pantry, went on a family bike ride to the ice cream shop and enjoyed watching the season finale of Revenge. I am so lucky.
4. Not sure where she came up with it, but Ellie thinks that if the trees are moving/blowing in the wind it is cold outside. If they are not, then it is warm and she can wear shorts. It is hard to explain to her that just because it is not windy does not mean that it is not cold out.
5. Ellie had her 6-month visit to the dentist this week. She didn't want the dentist to wear a mask (I am thinking she got it from Finding Nemo?). Lucky for her, Dr. Matt does not wear a mask. She did awesome as usual and gets to start flossing on top of brushing now! She is excited.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Gender Reveal
As I mentioned in a "5 on Friday" post a few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to help a friend out with a very special project--- one of my college roommates enlisted my help with the gender reveal photo shoot for her second child! They did not find out the gender ahead of time with their first child, so this was new for them and I knew it needed to be extra special. I was honored to be asked to help with such a fun event, and to be the first one (outside of the ultrasound tech) to know the gender of their little baby.
My friend had lots of ideas, and we went from there with the planning. I loved designing how the crate was going to work and how the signs would look, and was really proud that she thought I was creative enough to put it all together. She hired a photographer to capture the special moment(s), and they created a video to send to friends and family announcing whether the baby is a boy or girl.
Here is the finished product:
Who Will You Be... He or She?
How cute is that!?! I think the video captures the excitement and nervousness of them finding out the gender for the first time. I love the song they picked (I had never heard it before), and thought the timing of it and the "reveal" was perfect. Ellie loves the video as well, and has watched it many, many, many times. So many times that she now sings along to the song, comments when "Little G" (the stuffed giraffe we gave to them as a congrats present) shows up on the video, and tells the little boy to "not run away from his parents" at one point in the video.
We are so excited for them and their family of four, and were honored we could help out with such a special event!
My friend had lots of ideas, and we went from there with the planning. I loved designing how the crate was going to work and how the signs would look, and was really proud that she thought I was creative enough to put it all together. She hired a photographer to capture the special moment(s), and they created a video to send to friends and family announcing whether the baby is a boy or girl.
Here is the finished product:
Who Will You Be... He or She?
How cute is that!?! I think the video captures the excitement and nervousness of them finding out the gender for the first time. I love the song they picked (I had never heard it before), and thought the timing of it and the "reveal" was perfect. Ellie loves the video as well, and has watched it many, many, many times. So many times that she now sings along to the song, comments when "Little G" (the stuffed giraffe we gave to them as a congrats present) shows up on the video, and tells the little boy to "not run away from his parents" at one point in the video.
We are so excited for them and their family of four, and were honored we could help out with such a special event!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband! Five years ago today we started the next stage of our journey together. While the day was such a blur, I was on cloud nine and loved every minute of it.
I look forward to many more years, and the fun that is yet to come. I know there will be challenges along the way, but as long as we have each other we will get through them.
Thanks for a wonderful five years.
Back then we merged our families together into a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, no garage house. My two cats with your two dogs. We separated household duties, with you taking care of the outside and me taking care of the inside, splitting the cooking (and cooking together when possible). While we did not like the same TV shows, we loved to brew beer together, and often times found ourselves drinking a bottle of wine and talking for hours.
Now we have an amazing family of four, us and our two beautiful daughters. We traded in the Norwalk house for a slightly bigger house (with more bathrooms) in Waukee (closer to our friends). We even have a third stall in the garage for you to work on your bikes. Our household duties still stand, although they seem to have grown with the corner lot and extra little kid clothes. When we watch TV together (and this is rare), we are watching a Disney movie with the girls. We still enjoy brewing beer together, and can still talk for hours over a bottle of wine with the music playing in the background. We love our family time with the girls, and sitting down for dinner at the table each night is a tradition I hope we continue through the years.
We have faced obsticles through the years (a little water in the basement, the house on fire), but there is no one I would have rather gone through them with than you. We worked hard to get where we are, and I cherish our life together every day. I still feel like the luckiest girl on the planet, even five years later. God has looked out for us and has blessed us with each other, our girls and our life together.
Thanks for a wonderful five years.
to the moon and back...
5 on Friday
1. On Friday Ellie played in the snow. In May. She was upset that she didn't have snowpants to wear (because I had packed them away), but that didn't stop her from sledding down the hill in the backyard. Of course we forgot to take pictures. At least we have memories.
2. I have to admit, I secretly love the crappy weather. It makes studying so much easier, and I do not feel like I am missing out on as much as I put my nose in a book for hours on end.
3. My parents stopped over on Sunday and gave Neve part of her birthday gift (we have not seen them in a long time). The girls loved playing with the bubble machine outside this week... we have gone through a few containers of bubbles already.
4. Genevieve's transition from the portable bath tub to the big bath tub has been a challenge to say the least. She would scream bloody murder from the minute she heard the water start to run until she was wrapped in her bath wrap and being rocked in her chair. Until last week... when after about 8 minutes of screaming she finally decided the water was not the worst thing ever, and even smiled a little. Now she goes in the bath without a single tear. Thank goodness!
5. My baby is officially done with bottles. When we used up the last of the stored breastmilk we decided that whole milk would be given in a sippy cup (as we did with Ellie). At first she was a little unsure of the sippy cup and she spit out the milk the first time I gave it to her. Once she realized that was what she was getting she drank it up. Now if we could just get rid of the pacifier... One step at a time and with the teething she has going on right now I am not going to even try.
2. I have to admit, I secretly love the crappy weather. It makes studying so much easier, and I do not feel like I am missing out on as much as I put my nose in a book for hours on end.
3. My parents stopped over on Sunday and gave Neve part of her birthday gift (we have not seen them in a long time). The girls loved playing with the bubble machine outside this week... we have gone through a few containers of bubbles already.
4. Genevieve's transition from the portable bath tub to the big bath tub has been a challenge to say the least. She would scream bloody murder from the minute she heard the water start to run until she was wrapped in her bath wrap and being rocked in her chair. Until last week... when after about 8 minutes of screaming she finally decided the water was not the worst thing ever, and even smiled a little. Now she goes in the bath without a single tear. Thank goodness!
5. My baby is officially done with bottles. When we used up the last of the stored breastmilk we decided that whole milk would be given in a sippy cup (as we did with Ellie). At first she was a little unsure of the sippy cup and she spit out the milk the first time I gave it to her. Once she realized that was what she was getting she drank it up. Now if we could just get rid of the pacifier... One step at a time and with the teething she has going on right now I am not going to even try.
Friday, May 3, 2013
5 on Friday
1. We had wine and cheese night with friends on Friday night. It was fun watching the young girls enjoy the 'fancy' cheese.
2. Ellie had a play-date with a few girls from day-care on Saturday morning. I love watching/listening to the little girls together. When Neve is not being a Mommy's girl, she gets right in there with the big girls.
3. Sunday we celebrated Nick's Mom's birthday with a lunch out. We had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone.
4. The weather. Need I say more? Crazy. We had a wonderful start to the week, and then it turned cold again. On the bright side, I can already tell what summer is going to be like--- lots of bike rides, walks, time at the park, hanging out with neighbors and grilling out.
5. I helped a friend with a project this past weekend. I cannot wait to share what it is and how it all turned out. But that is for another post in a few weeks.
2. Ellie had a play-date with a few girls from day-care on Saturday morning. I love watching/listening to the little girls together. When Neve is not being a Mommy's girl, she gets right in there with the big girls.
3. Sunday we celebrated Nick's Mom's birthday with a lunch out. We had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone.
4. The weather. Need I say more? Crazy. We had a wonderful start to the week, and then it turned cold again. On the bright side, I can already tell what summer is going to be like--- lots of bike rides, walks, time at the park, hanging out with neighbors and grilling out.
5. I helped a friend with a project this past weekend. I cannot wait to share what it is and how it all turned out. But that is for another post in a few weeks.
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