Love,
Kevin and Sarah
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| This digital greeting created with Smilebox |
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Merry Christmas!
With all the craziness of moving this December, we did not mail out Christmas cards. This year, I created a Smilebox virtual card and it was so much fun! My favorite part was looking through all of our pictures this past year and seeing how much Luke and Ella have grown. They are such gifts. We are blessed to be their parents and are loving seeing Christmas through their eyes this year. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
Love,
Kevin and Sarah
Love,
Kevin and Sarah
Friday, December 10, 2010
December 10 on the 10th
Memories from the Apartment
This month has been crazy so far, and it's only the 10th! We are moving in 2 days! Packing and cleaning with two small ones underfoot is challenging, but I have to say that my kids have been great! They are very excited to move to Grandma and Papa's house. Luke asks me everyday when he gets to move in. So, this month's 10 on the 10th will be a tribute to our apartment, who held our little family for 3 full years.
1. The miles and miles we walked around the Lakewood loop. Lost some good baby lbs that way!
2. Luke's first time rolling over, first steps, first words.
3. Finding out we were pregnant with Ella.
4. All the playtime we spent in the grass outside, honing and perfecting Luke's baseball skills!
5. The meals we shared together in our little dining room.
6. Bringing Ella home from the hospital. (Not that I remember it too well, huh Ali? :))
7. Ella's first smiles, rolling, steps, words.
8. Kevin and I sleeping in the living room for months so Ella could have her own room for awhile.
9. Dancing in the kitchen to make the kids giggle while I cook dinner.
10. Rocking my sweet little ones to sleep in their room.
Thanks, little apartment. You've been good to us!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Blessings and Love!
This month has been crazy so far, and it's only the 10th! We are moving in 2 days! Packing and cleaning with two small ones underfoot is challenging, but I have to say that my kids have been great! They are very excited to move to Grandma and Papa's house. Luke asks me everyday when he gets to move in. So, this month's 10 on the 10th will be a tribute to our apartment, who held our little family for 3 full years.
1. The miles and miles we walked around the Lakewood loop. Lost some good baby lbs that way!
2. Luke's first time rolling over, first steps, first words.
3. Finding out we were pregnant with Ella.
4. All the playtime we spent in the grass outside, honing and perfecting Luke's baseball skills!
5. The meals we shared together in our little dining room.
6. Bringing Ella home from the hospital. (Not that I remember it too well, huh Ali? :))
7. Ella's first smiles, rolling, steps, words.
8. Kevin and I sleeping in the living room for months so Ella could have her own room for awhile.
9. Dancing in the kitchen to make the kids giggle while I cook dinner.
10. Rocking my sweet little ones to sleep in their room.
Thanks, little apartment. You've been good to us!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Blessings and Love!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
November 10 on the 10th: A List of Thanks
Ahhhh, Fall is finally here in Phoenix! Thank you Lord! It is beautiful outside, and I am coming around to the idea that Thanksgiving is in just a couple of weeks. Bring on the pie.
1. Marriage. I am so thankful for our marriage and the fruit it has produced (literally and figuratively) so far. These days, when the idea of commitment in marriage seems to be dwindling, I feel like we need extra protection for our marriages. Kevin is the man that God made just for me. I am so blessed to have him for a husband. He makes me laugh every day, he balances me out so well, and he’s just so handsome. :O) More than all of that, he is a strong leader of our home, he works extremely hard for his family, and he is kind and genuine to everyone. I couldn’t ask for a better husband, and I thank God for him every day!
2. My fellow mommy-friends! I don’t know what I’d do without these wonderful women in my life! Molly, Ali, Toni, Lanna, Donna, Amber, all my old co-workers from Horizon that I keep up with on Facebook, all the ladies from the Bridge Community Church that I don’t see often enough, and all the new friends I have made at Arizona Community Church: I am so grateful for you. To have women who are on a similar journey and who strive to honor the Lord in the way they parent is priceless in this stage of my life. I can count on encouraging words, honest and real demeanors, and a good laugh from any of these women!
3. Change. I am thankful for the changes we go through as a family, because that means we are growing, moving, and learning. This time our change is literally a move. We are so fortunate to be able to move in with my parents for a few months to pay off some debt, save up some money, and get us further on the road to financial freedom! My parents are welcoming us with open arms, which I am so grateful for. I just pray that the transition will be a smooth one for all of us, especially the kids.
4. Potty training! Earlier this year, I would never have guessed that I would be thankful for potty training. My experiences potty training Luke made me question ever wanting to birth more children, just so I wouldn’t have to potty train any more children. Dramatic, you say? You weren’t there. Ha ha! Well, in the last 5 days, Ella has pooped on the potty 4 times! She is only 17 months, but since she is showing these signs, we might just go for it! I’d like to get the hard part over with before we move in with my folks (to protect their carpet!). If it doesn’t look like she’s catching on in the next couple of weeks, we will probably wait until we are in our own place again.
5. The way Ella and Luke balance each other out. There have been times where I was frustrated with how different these two monkeys are, but now I am seeing the good in it. Ella’s adventurous side will bring Luke out his shell a bit and Luke’s cautious side will keep Ella from doing anything, for lack of a better word, stupid. At least that is how I am praying their strengths will help one another as they grow!
6. My family’s health. Last year was a bit rough on me, but as I learn about what my body handles or does not handle well diet-wise, I am feeling much better. I still have to wait until January to see the special-specialist about the pelvic/stomach pain, but even that has improved with moderate exercising. I have also been going to Holy Yoga, which has been a huge blessing to me and given me confidence in my strength and abilities. The rest of the family has been very healthy as well. As I pursue better health in my diet, it is fun to teach Luke about all the good things to eat to make his body healthy too. Let’s just pray we make it through cold and flu season unscathed!
7. Our families. Whether near or far, we are blessed with wonderful brothers, sisters, nieces (a brand new one last month!), nephews, and parents. We are so thankful that Laura has moved back to Phoenix for a while so we get to see her more!
8. The hail storm last month. Weird thing to be thankful for? Well, it happened to be a storm that changed our financial life dramatically. Kevin drove the PT Cruiser to work that day (which was unusual because he had been doing the park and ride bus for the past few months). On the way home, the car was totaled by the hail. We were thankful that Kevin was not hurt, because it hit while he was driving and the front windshield was smashed up pretty good. But, by being totaled, nearly $11,000 of debt was wiped out overnight. And we had planned on selling the other car anyway to help pay off other debt, so switching to one car was no big deal for us. So now we have no car payment and are saving up to buy another car, Dave Ramsey style! Huge blessing.
9. Luke. He is getting so big I can hardly take it. When he wears his Superman pajamas, my heart melts. When he is confident and happy when I drop him off with the other kids at church, my heart sings! When he picks flowers for me at the park, my heart grows. When he tells me he can read the words in a book, my heart fills with pride. When he smiles and I see that little bit of baby fat under his chin, I want to freeze time. When he catches a baseball in his glove and his eyes open big with surprise and delight, I nearly burst. I cannot say enough how much I love this boy.
10. Ella. We call her Ella-Bella-Booboo-Head. She is no longer a baby, which is fine by her because she never wanted to be one in the first place. This girl has an incredible zest for life. All fun, all the time please. And I’ll do it my way, thankyouverymuch. Oh, how I love her. I could write an entire post just about her eyes. They are big, they are filled with soul, they are beautiful. Ella loves the swings at the park. She loves to go really high and then lean her head back. She loves when I put the windows down in the car and feels the wind in her hair. She loves hot dogs, but not fruits or vegetables. She loves Elmo and calls him “Elmo-bur,” which we think means “Elmo bear” or “Elmo’s world.” She loves her daddy. She likes to play rough and wrestle with her brother, which nearly gives me a heart attack every time. She loves to tick-o (tickle). She loves purses and getting her fingernails painted. She is my girl. She is a gift.
Happy Thanksgiving!
“…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
1. Marriage. I am so thankful for our marriage and the fruit it has produced (literally and figuratively) so far. These days, when the idea of commitment in marriage seems to be dwindling, I feel like we need extra protection for our marriages. Kevin is the man that God made just for me. I am so blessed to have him for a husband. He makes me laugh every day, he balances me out so well, and he’s just so handsome. :O) More than all of that, he is a strong leader of our home, he works extremely hard for his family, and he is kind and genuine to everyone. I couldn’t ask for a better husband, and I thank God for him every day!
2. My fellow mommy-friends! I don’t know what I’d do without these wonderful women in my life! Molly, Ali, Toni, Lanna, Donna, Amber, all my old co-workers from Horizon that I keep up with on Facebook, all the ladies from the Bridge Community Church that I don’t see often enough, and all the new friends I have made at Arizona Community Church: I am so grateful for you. To have women who are on a similar journey and who strive to honor the Lord in the way they parent is priceless in this stage of my life. I can count on encouraging words, honest and real demeanors, and a good laugh from any of these women!
3. Change. I am thankful for the changes we go through as a family, because that means we are growing, moving, and learning. This time our change is literally a move. We are so fortunate to be able to move in with my parents for a few months to pay off some debt, save up some money, and get us further on the road to financial freedom! My parents are welcoming us with open arms, which I am so grateful for. I just pray that the transition will be a smooth one for all of us, especially the kids.
4. Potty training! Earlier this year, I would never have guessed that I would be thankful for potty training. My experiences potty training Luke made me question ever wanting to birth more children, just so I wouldn’t have to potty train any more children. Dramatic, you say? You weren’t there. Ha ha! Well, in the last 5 days, Ella has pooped on the potty 4 times! She is only 17 months, but since she is showing these signs, we might just go for it! I’d like to get the hard part over with before we move in with my folks (to protect their carpet!). If it doesn’t look like she’s catching on in the next couple of weeks, we will probably wait until we are in our own place again.
5. The way Ella and Luke balance each other out. There have been times where I was frustrated with how different these two monkeys are, but now I am seeing the good in it. Ella’s adventurous side will bring Luke out his shell a bit and Luke’s cautious side will keep Ella from doing anything, for lack of a better word, stupid. At least that is how I am praying their strengths will help one another as they grow!
6. My family’s health. Last year was a bit rough on me, but as I learn about what my body handles or does not handle well diet-wise, I am feeling much better. I still have to wait until January to see the special-specialist about the pelvic/stomach pain, but even that has improved with moderate exercising. I have also been going to Holy Yoga, which has been a huge blessing to me and given me confidence in my strength and abilities. The rest of the family has been very healthy as well. As I pursue better health in my diet, it is fun to teach Luke about all the good things to eat to make his body healthy too. Let’s just pray we make it through cold and flu season unscathed!
7. Our families. Whether near or far, we are blessed with wonderful brothers, sisters, nieces (a brand new one last month!), nephews, and parents. We are so thankful that Laura has moved back to Phoenix for a while so we get to see her more!
8. The hail storm last month. Weird thing to be thankful for? Well, it happened to be a storm that changed our financial life dramatically. Kevin drove the PT Cruiser to work that day (which was unusual because he had been doing the park and ride bus for the past few months). On the way home, the car was totaled by the hail. We were thankful that Kevin was not hurt, because it hit while he was driving and the front windshield was smashed up pretty good. But, by being totaled, nearly $11,000 of debt was wiped out overnight. And we had planned on selling the other car anyway to help pay off other debt, so switching to one car was no big deal for us. So now we have no car payment and are saving up to buy another car, Dave Ramsey style! Huge blessing.
9. Luke. He is getting so big I can hardly take it. When he wears his Superman pajamas, my heart melts. When he is confident and happy when I drop him off with the other kids at church, my heart sings! When he picks flowers for me at the park, my heart grows. When he tells me he can read the words in a book, my heart fills with pride. When he smiles and I see that little bit of baby fat under his chin, I want to freeze time. When he catches a baseball in his glove and his eyes open big with surprise and delight, I nearly burst. I cannot say enough how much I love this boy.
10. Ella. We call her Ella-Bella-Booboo-Head. She is no longer a baby, which is fine by her because she never wanted to be one in the first place. This girl has an incredible zest for life. All fun, all the time please. And I’ll do it my way, thankyouverymuch. Oh, how I love her. I could write an entire post just about her eyes. They are big, they are filled with soul, they are beautiful. Ella loves the swings at the park. She loves to go really high and then lean her head back. She loves when I put the windows down in the car and feels the wind in her hair. She loves hot dogs, but not fruits or vegetables. She loves Elmo and calls him “Elmo-bur,” which we think means “Elmo bear” or “Elmo’s world.” She loves her daddy. She likes to play rough and wrestle with her brother, which nearly gives me a heart attack every time. She loves to tick-o (tickle). She loves purses and getting her fingernails painted. She is my girl. She is a gift.
Happy Thanksgiving!
“…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Monday, November 8, 2010
A Monday Triumph!
After I got the kids dressed this morning, I realized that they looked extremely cute and I needed to get a picture of them. Ella just got a new batch of clothes from our friend Jen (who has completely blessed us by passing on all her girls' clothes to us!) and I put a new dress on her. A-dor-able. Luke just got a haircut by Daddy yesterday and was looking extremely dapper in his new outfit from Grandma. So I took them outside to a take a picture, and something miraculous happened. They BOTH looked at the camera and they BOTH smiled, and it wasn't the super cheesy smile that Luke has been sporting lately!!! I was so pleased with how these pictures came out, I went straight to Walgreens to have them printed. I am horrible at getting actual prints of pictures, but this was worth the trip. Here they are. Enjoy!
Oh, how I love them so!
Oh, how I love them so!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
These are a few of my favorite things...
Tell me you don't automatically sing the song when you read those words.
Anyway, I tried last week to post this adorable video of Ella, but for some reason the video wouldn't load. I guess it was too big of a file, and there is a way I can format it for the blog, but I can't figure it out. There goes the credibility of my Educational Technology Masters degree. Oh well.
Today, I want to quickly list a few of my favorite things about my kids.
I know I am biased, but I think my kids are incredible. They are so stinkin' cute and so smart it blows me away. Luke remembers things with incredible detail. He can tell you all about our red car and how it got ruined by the hail and how the tow truck took it away. Today, he found a bag from our gift bag/wrapping paper tote and asked where the little Diamond backs dog is. This is the bag that held the little Diamondbacks dog for Ella on Luke's birthday. Incredible. Also, the other day I was taking Luke potty and he asked for a sticker. "You didn't poop yet, so no sticker," I told him. "I want a sticker because I'm awesome," was the response. He got a sticker.
Ella has been sportin' pigtails lately. It keeps her her out of her eyes and makes her look extremely cute. The combination of her big brown eyes and the spunky pigtails can be lethal, I tell you. She is also talking up a storm!! The other day she said her first full sentence. "Uh oh, dropped my blankie." Ok, the grammar nerd in me has to point out that, in fact, this is not a complete sentence because it lacks a subject, but it is still pretty amazing. She picks up a few new words a day. This age is so much fun!
Whenever Ella sees or touches her blankie (we call it the 'magic blanket'), her thumb goes right in her mouth. I also noticed that anytime she touches a similar material, she also sucks her thumb. This afternoon she was looking through a touchy-feely book called "That's Not My Monkey" and on the furry page, she put her thumb in her mouth. Sucking her thumb and turning pages proved to be a big challenge!
Resting the book on her headHappy November to all!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
10 on 10/10/10: A list of 30
In honor of the awesomeness of 10/10/10 and of my upcoming 30th birthday, this month's post is a list of 30 things I would like to accomplish when I'm 30. I am so excited to embark upon a new decade. My 20's have been wonderful in so many ways: graduated college, Master's degree, had a great job, married the love of my life, had 2 amazing, beautiful children. I also had a lot of health issues in my 20's as well, and I am looking forward to my 30's being full of health, wellness, and happiness!
Here's my list, in no particular order:
1. Donate my hair to Locks of Love, get a cute "bob" haircut
2. Submit one of my children's book ideas to some publishers
3. Do P90X when I get in good enough shape to start it.
4. Read 1 book/month
5. Take a road trip
6. Go to the beach
7. Move
8. Take kids to Sea World
9. Get a tattoo??? (I may add one extra item to swap out for this one. Still undecided)
10. Get credit debt free and get our debt snowball rolling!!
11. Learn to knit
12. Fly a kite
13. Revive Date Night
14. Make a cake from scratch
15. Make a compilation CD
16. Wear high heels
17. Visit a museum
18. Go to First Friday
19. Happily (Kevin made me add that key word) hike Camelback
20. Play the piano
21. Frame more pictures
22. Update babybooks and keep updated!
23. Concert
24. Camping
25. Fishing
26. Visit Ellisons
**These last four are general, everyday goals
27. Get organized
28. Be more "present" with my kids, family
29. Follow through with goals and ideas
30. Remember everyday to be thankful for all of our blessings
There they are! I will keep this list and cross them out as I accomplish them!
Here's my list, in no particular order:
1. Donate my hair to Locks of Love, get a cute "bob" haircut
2. Submit one of my children's book ideas to some publishers
3. Do P90X when I get in good enough shape to start it.
4. Read 1 book/month
5. Take a road trip
6. Go to the beach
7. Move
8. Take kids to Sea World
9. Get a tattoo??? (I may add one extra item to swap out for this one. Still undecided)
10. Get credit debt free and get our debt snowball rolling!!
11. Learn to knit
12. Fly a kite
13. Revive Date Night
14. Make a cake from scratch
15. Make a compilation CD
16. Wear high heels
17. Visit a museum
18. Go to First Friday
19. Happily (Kevin made me add that key word) hike Camelback
20. Play the piano
21. Frame more pictures
22. Update babybooks and keep updated!
23. Concert
24. Camping
25. Fishing
26. Visit Ellisons
**These last four are general, everyday goals
27. Get organized
28. Be more "present" with my kids, family
29. Follow through with goals and ideas
30. Remember everyday to be thankful for all of our blessings
There they are! I will keep this list and cross them out as I accomplish them!
Monday, September 13, 2010
September 10 on the 10th: Discombobulated
1. Akkkk! How is it September 13th and I've just remembered the 10 on the 10th thing I do on this blog?
2. My allergies are HORRIBLE this time of year. Last year was when I first started having allergies but I didn't know I had allergies so I just thought I was dying the entire Fall. Now I know I have Fall allergies. But it still doesn't change the fact that I feel like I'm dying.
3. I've taken more Benadryl than I care to admit lately. But I can't stand being itchy. Any other allergy remedies out there? I also take a Claritin knockoff and my prescription nasal spray daily.
4. We took an awesome trip about a week ago to Denver. We had a great time and I will blog and post pictures of it later. But ever since we have been back I feel like I'm running about 3 steps behind normal.
5. Lately, to keep myself somewhat more organized, I have been making a to-do list everyday of the tasks I want to accomplish. Everyday I write on the list: "Shower". At what age will my kids be that showering is just a given again? Because chances are, if it's not on the list, it's not happening.
6. Kevin and I started P90X on Saturday. We took Sunday off to rest. I don't think that is how it is supposed to work. And it hurts my sore arms just to type this post.
7. Yesterday I wrote a rough draft to a children's book. I have a dream of writing a children's book someday. And on Saturday, when I was in my Benadryl haze, I came up with a really cute idea. So I wrote it out, and it's not half bad. Definitely needs some developing and reworking, but I'm pretty excited about it. I wonder if when I come out of my Benadryl haze (sometime in the winter), I'll read the story again and wonder what the heck I was thinking!
8. Next month I turn 30. Holy moly, that is a real adult age! I think I'll start a list of the 30 things I want to accomplish in my life or something to that effect.
9. Luke is getting so darn big I can't believe it. Today we went to Target and I bought him this little pre-K workbook and he did three pages out of it! He's such a little smartie that I don't worry about him academically. I do want to keep putting him in situations with other kids so he can practice his social skills. So if you want to hang out...
10. Ella has legs for days and is talking so much now. Her language skills really exploded while we were on our trip to Denver. One of her new favorite words is "no." Oh boy, here we go!
11. I'm not gonna do 13 things even though I forgot to do this post until September 13th.
12. We are gonna start looking for a house to rent soon because our lease here is up in December. I am soooo ready to be in a house!
13. Ok, I lied. There are 13. It is officially football season and while I don't love football, I love the cooler weather it brings! Happy Fall Everyone!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Happy Birthday Lukey Pie!
My little boy is 3!!!!!!!!!
These are the ABC's of Luke:
Athletic
Brilliant
Caring
Determined
Energetic
Funny
Grateful
Honest
Imaginative
Joyful
Kind
Loving
Musical
Neat
Outstanding
Player
Quiet
Rambunctious
Smart
Talented
Undies wearer
Valuable
Wrestler
X-traordinary
Youthful
Zippy
Happy Birthday, my little man! I love you to the moon and back again.
These are the ABC's of Luke:
Athletic
Brilliant
Caring
Determined
Energetic
Funny
Grateful
Honest
Imaginative
Joyful
Kind
Loving
Musical
Neat
Outstanding
Player
Quiet
Rambunctious
Smart
Talented
Undies wearer
Valuable
Wrestler
X-traordinary
Youthful
Zippy
Happy Birthday, my little man! I love you to the moon and back again.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
10 on the 10th August: All about Luke!
The Lukester is turning 3 this month, so I will dedicate August’s 10 on the 10th to our precious boy!
1. This kid is seriously good at baseball. Since it’s been so hot outside these past few months, we have been playing catch indoors, and miraculously haven’t broken anything yet. He was allowed to hit soft balls inside until A.) he got too good and was a serious hazard to the windows, lamps, and us and B.) Ella “somehow” got struck by a bat a few times. So that bat is now for outside use only! But he loves it. He can even wind up like a pitcher does, but he also likes to sit in a catcher’s stance. We have big baseball hopes for Luke!
2. It’s been a few months now, but it’s worth repeating: Luke is totally potty trained!!!!! Hallelujah! No diapers at all! We’ve stopped giving him toys/candy as a reward. Now he’s satisfied with putting a sticker on the bathroom mirror. It is now half way filled with various trains from Thomas!
3. Luke’s imagination is really taking off. A few posts back I recorded some funny things he has been saying. He keeps us laughing every day. Along with the wild imagination comes more fears though. So we are working with him on what is real and what is just pretend. Sometimes he will surprise me that he is not scared of something I thought he would be afraid of. He loves to play with his fire truck, so we tell him about “fires” around the house he needs to put out with the truck. No fear of fire!! But don’t even show him a fly or a butterfly. Man, those really freak him out!
4. Luke has sort of turned into a TV junkie. Due to the hot hot weather, we have been watching much more TV than normal. I wish it wasn’t so, and have plans to change things around this Fall. But, I must admit, it is nice to sneak in a shower or a load of laundry or dishes and know exactly where he will be. Luke’s favorite shows/movies are: Curious George, Sid the Science Kid, Cars, Thomas, Clifford, Dinosaur Train, and the Elmo’s World portion of Sesame Street.
5. Luke has been doing a great job with his letters and numbers. He can now recognize almost all the letters and numbers with pretty good accuracy! Not very scientific, I know, but it doesn’t matter right now!
6. Our guy has been really into drawing lately. It all started a couple of weeks ago when I was trying to teach him all the positions in baseball. I drew out a little field and was labeling the positions on the white board. While I was teaching him, he started drawing a big “thing” in the outfield, which he described as a big fish. He even drew out the tail and head, including eyes and a smile. Then he drew little squiggly lines to show that the fish was in water, and told me that this is where the baseball players would go swimming after their game.
Since then he has been practicing drawing circles, snakes, and the letters L and U. He also drew a picture that he described as a glove and a ball, which actually looked like a glove and a ball! Hooray!
7. “Let’s just be happy” This is what Luke says when we get after him about something. If he needs a “stern talkin’ to” about his behavior, he squirms through the whole lecture, says “ok” or whatever will get him out of it, and then finishes up with “Let’s just be happy!” It makes me crazy and makes Kevin laugh! I do have to admit that it’s funny!
8. When I asked Luke who is girlfriend was the other night, he promptly replied, “Ella!” Luke and Ella have a complicated relationship right now. She adores him and he likes her a lot too, as long as everything is going his way. He likes to be in control of the toys and really gets bothered by her touching any of his toys but still wants full access to hers. This age difference can be tough, but I think it has a lot to do with their personalities. He is very methodical when he plays, has a plan for his toys; and she likes to carry things around haphazardly and get in to what he is playing with. We are working on this. The only thing they play really well together is “chase,” but it usually ends up with someone crashing into a wall!
Here is an example of Luke playing with Ella's toys
9. Socially, Luke is still progressing with being able to play with other kids and share toys. He plays really well with kids that are either older than himself or younger, but has a harder time with kids that are right at the same level as him. Luke and Ben (Toni’s biggest little guy) are finally starting to play really well together! Although Luke will not be going to pre-school this year, my goal is to get him in some classes so he can work on some of these skills. We also need to do more play dates in smaller groups. So if you ever want to hang out, let me know!
1. This kid is seriously good at baseball. Since it’s been so hot outside these past few months, we have been playing catch indoors, and miraculously haven’t broken anything yet. He was allowed to hit soft balls inside until A.) he got too good and was a serious hazard to the windows, lamps, and us and B.) Ella “somehow” got struck by a bat a few times. So that bat is now for outside use only! But he loves it. He can even wind up like a pitcher does, but he also likes to sit in a catcher’s stance. We have big baseball hopes for Luke!
2. It’s been a few months now, but it’s worth repeating: Luke is totally potty trained!!!!! Hallelujah! No diapers at all! We’ve stopped giving him toys/candy as a reward. Now he’s satisfied with putting a sticker on the bathroom mirror. It is now half way filled with various trains from Thomas!
3. Luke’s imagination is really taking off. A few posts back I recorded some funny things he has been saying. He keeps us laughing every day. Along with the wild imagination comes more fears though. So we are working with him on what is real and what is just pretend. Sometimes he will surprise me that he is not scared of something I thought he would be afraid of. He loves to play with his fire truck, so we tell him about “fires” around the house he needs to put out with the truck. No fear of fire!! But don’t even show him a fly or a butterfly. Man, those really freak him out!
4. Luke has sort of turned into a TV junkie. Due to the hot hot weather, we have been watching much more TV than normal. I wish it wasn’t so, and have plans to change things around this Fall. But, I must admit, it is nice to sneak in a shower or a load of laundry or dishes and know exactly where he will be. Luke’s favorite shows/movies are: Curious George, Sid the Science Kid, Cars, Thomas, Clifford, Dinosaur Train, and the Elmo’s World portion of Sesame Street.
5. Luke has been doing a great job with his letters and numbers. He can now recognize almost all the letters and numbers with pretty good accuracy! Not very scientific, I know, but it doesn’t matter right now!
6. Our guy has been really into drawing lately. It all started a couple of weeks ago when I was trying to teach him all the positions in baseball. I drew out a little field and was labeling the positions on the white board. While I was teaching him, he started drawing a big “thing” in the outfield, which he described as a big fish. He even drew out the tail and head, including eyes and a smile. Then he drew little squiggly lines to show that the fish was in water, and told me that this is where the baseball players would go swimming after their game.
Since then he has been practicing drawing circles, snakes, and the letters L and U. He also drew a picture that he described as a glove and a ball, which actually looked like a glove and a ball! Hooray!
7. “Let’s just be happy” This is what Luke says when we get after him about something. If he needs a “stern talkin’ to” about his behavior, he squirms through the whole lecture, says “ok” or whatever will get him out of it, and then finishes up with “Let’s just be happy!” It makes me crazy and makes Kevin laugh! I do have to admit that it’s funny!
8. When I asked Luke who is girlfriend was the other night, he promptly replied, “Ella!” Luke and Ella have a complicated relationship right now. She adores him and he likes her a lot too, as long as everything is going his way. He likes to be in control of the toys and really gets bothered by her touching any of his toys but still wants full access to hers. This age difference can be tough, but I think it has a lot to do with their personalities. He is very methodical when he plays, has a plan for his toys; and she likes to carry things around haphazardly and get in to what he is playing with. We are working on this. The only thing they play really well together is “chase,” but it usually ends up with someone crashing into a wall!
Here is an example of Luke playing with Ella's toys9. Socially, Luke is still progressing with being able to play with other kids and share toys. He plays really well with kids that are either older than himself or younger, but has a harder time with kids that are right at the same level as him. Luke and Ben (Toni’s biggest little guy) are finally starting to play really well together! Although Luke will not be going to pre-school this year, my goal is to get him in some classes so he can work on some of these skills. We also need to do more play dates in smaller groups. So if you ever want to hang out, let me know!
Here's Luke with Dylan and Eric
10. I can’t believe my baby will be 3 in just a few weeks. I am so proud of who he is and pray every day for who he will become. He brings us so much joy and makes us laugh daily! Last night he tried on his suit for his Uncle Brian’s wedding and my heart nearly burst! Such a handsome little dude. I just love this little boy with everything that I have!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
14 months
Sweet little Ella is 14 months old today! What?!! She is our spitfire, our joy, our ball of energy, our tornado. She never really liked being a baby and that hasn't changed. She's all about being a big girl and tries her darndest to keep up with her big brother.
At 14 months, Ella is running everywhere she can, getting in to anything she can, and exerting her will whenever she can. But she is also sweet, cuddly, loves giving kisses, and extremely smart. She likes to play ball with her brother, shoot baskets, and play with cars. But mostly she loves her baby dolls, making anything she can into a purse, and carrying her blankie around. It is so amazing to me how those "girly" qualities are a part of her nature. We really didn't do a whole lot to push the girly toys, dolls, etc. It is just a part of who she is. And I love that.
I tried to make a list of Ella's words so far. Here's what I came up with:
hi, bye bye, doggie, thank you, mama, dada, papa, nana, uh oh, banana (balala), poo poo, stinky, keys, cheers, beep beep, bottle, baby, cookie, cracker, ball, eat, please, bum bum. Signs: please, thank you, more, all done.
She still does a lot of baby babbling, but she understands a lot of what we're saying to her. I'm really looking forward to her communication improving even more. I am hoping it will cut down on the tantrums she throws out of frustration. :O)
We are really enjoying our girl. She is the perfect edition to our family, the perfect counterpart to Luke, and just so so beautiful.
At 14 months, Ella is running everywhere she can, getting in to anything she can, and exerting her will whenever she can. But she is also sweet, cuddly, loves giving kisses, and extremely smart. She likes to play ball with her brother, shoot baskets, and play with cars. But mostly she loves her baby dolls, making anything she can into a purse, and carrying her blankie around. It is so amazing to me how those "girly" qualities are a part of her nature. We really didn't do a whole lot to push the girly toys, dolls, etc. It is just a part of who she is. And I love that.
I tried to make a list of Ella's words so far. Here's what I came up with:
hi, bye bye, doggie, thank you, mama, dada, papa, nana, uh oh, banana (balala), poo poo, stinky, keys, cheers, beep beep, bottle, baby, cookie, cracker, ball, eat, please, bum bum. Signs: please, thank you, more, all done.
She still does a lot of baby babbling, but she understands a lot of what we're saying to her. I'm really looking forward to her communication improving even more. I am hoping it will cut down on the tantrums she throws out of frustration. :O)
We are really enjoying our girl. She is the perfect edition to our family, the perfect counterpart to Luke, and just so so beautiful.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Funny Things Luke Says
Just a couple of things I wanted to write down before I forget them:
When playing catch (which we spend probably and hour a day doing right now):
Luke: Mama, you will be the catcher and I will be the glover.
Driving
in the car:
Luke: When I was a little boy, I threw a rock and hit Goliath in the head and he fell down.
Me: That wasn't you, silly, that was David.
Luke: No it was me. And then I poked him with my sword.
On our walk this morning:
Luke: When I was a monkey, I swinged in those trees.
When Kevin was tickling him:
Luke: (giving Kevin a serious look) I am rooting for the Diamondbacks! (He sure knows how to cut deep!)
The other day when we were swimming, we found a dead cicada in the pool. We scooped it out and put it on the pool deck. A few minutes later, a bird came and got it and ate it. When we got home he told Kevin, "A bird ate the cica-duck. It was so, so gross."
Pointing to a painting of tulips in our living room:
Luke: When I was a fireman, I painted that.
Not sure where he gets some of these, but it keeps us entertained! What a goofball. But he is our goofball, and we love him.
Happy face. And I love that little pudge under his chin. It's the last of his baby fat.
Sad face
Surprised
Mean/Angry face...hilarious!
When playing catch (which we spend probably and hour a day doing right now):
Luke: Mama, you will be the catcher and I will be the glover.
Driving
in the car:Luke: When I was a little boy, I threw a rock and hit Goliath in the head and he fell down.
Me: That wasn't you, silly, that was David.
Luke: No it was me. And then I poked him with my sword.
On our walk this morning:
Luke: When I was a monkey, I swinged in those trees.
When Kevin was tickling him:
Luke: (giving Kevin a serious look) I am rooting for the Diamondbacks! (He sure knows how to cut deep!)
The other day when we were swimming, we found a dead cicada in the pool. We scooped it out and put it on the pool deck. A few minutes later, a bird came and got it and ate it. When we got home he told Kevin, "A bird ate the cica-duck. It was so, so gross."
Pointing to a painting of tulips in our living room:
Luke: When I was a fireman, I painted that.
Not sure where he gets some of these, but it keeps us entertained! What a goofball. But he is our goofball, and we love him.
Also, Luke has been making a lot of faces lately. I captured a few of them for you.
Happy face. And I love that little pudge under his chin. It's the last of his baby fat.
Sad face
Surprised
Mean/Angry face...hilarious!
What's Wrong With Me
Nice title, huh? As many of you know, I have been struggling for the past year with a pain in my abdomen. I've seen my doc several times, always with the same issue and we've not been able to figure it out. While searching for the problem, I found out last year that I have a little tumor in my pelvis, a bone cyst. But after 2 MRI's they figured out that it's benign and it's probably something I've had since I was a teenager and it wasn't what was causing my pain. Good to know, but frustrating.
So when July rolled around this year, I had a small (ok sort of big) meltdown to Kevin. It had been a year. A year of the same pain, off and on, but mostly on. And no one knew what was wrong with me. I haven't been able to work out because I was afraid of hurting worse and not being able to take care of my kids the way they deserve to be taken care of. Needless to say, my post baby belly is still there since having Ella. Sigh...Anyways, I went back to my doc, Dr. Tosca, who has been awesome and has listened to me and managed all the information from the different specialists I've seen and different tests I've had. He ordered some blood work to check for Celiac's disease and a bacteria in my stomach lining. Both came back negative. Then he ordered a CT scan of my stomach. I had one last year, but didn't have the contrast with it because I was nursing Ella and didn't want her to glow afterwards. :)
I had the CT scan on Tuesday this week. I was really nervous about the injected dye, but it went ok. Side story: Before they stuck me in the machine, the nurse checked my pants to make sure there wasn't any metal on them. Then she asked me, "How old are your kids?" I told her. Then she said, "Wow, they really stretched you out." I wish I was kidding. Geez, lady, have some tact! Anyways, I got the results of the scan yesterday.
Warning to any boys, fathers, or father-in-laws who may be reading this: I will be using the words uterus, ovaries, and pelvis. If any of these words make you squirm, go ahead and stop reading and know that I am fine. :O)
According to my doc, the scan showed that I have something called "Pelvic Congestion Syndrome." He said it's sort of a contraversial thing in the medical community as to whether or not it is a real condition. Lovely. Basically it is vericose veins in your pelvis, specifically the veins leading to the ovaries and uterus. My scan showed an enlarged or "congested" vein going from my kidney vein to my ovary on the right side. Exactly where the pain is. So he referred me to a specialist guy who is one of the best in the country when it comes to this problem. Luckily he works at St. Joe's hospital. I'm sure it will take a while to get in to see him, but I'm ok with that.
I can't even express how relieved I am just to know what is wrong. That has been the most frustrating part of this experience. And it's no one's fault, really. I guess it's pretty hard to diagnose. The bad part is, from what I've read on it, is that it can be just as difficult to treat.
So we'll see where the next step takes us. For now, I can live with the pain as long as I know what's causing it. I am so thankful for an attentive doctor who listened to me and followed through. I'm also thankful for my husband, for enduring my melt downs and frequent complaining. And lastly, I'm thankful for Ali, who stayed with me until I got the phone call yesterday depsite her tiny newborn needing a bottle. What a sweet friend.
So when July rolled around this year, I had a small (ok sort of big) meltdown to Kevin. It had been a year. A year of the same pain, off and on, but mostly on. And no one knew what was wrong with me. I haven't been able to work out because I was afraid of hurting worse and not being able to take care of my kids the way they deserve to be taken care of. Needless to say, my post baby belly is still there since having Ella. Sigh...Anyways, I went back to my doc, Dr. Tosca, who has been awesome and has listened to me and managed all the information from the different specialists I've seen and different tests I've had. He ordered some blood work to check for Celiac's disease and a bacteria in my stomach lining. Both came back negative. Then he ordered a CT scan of my stomach. I had one last year, but didn't have the contrast with it because I was nursing Ella and didn't want her to glow afterwards. :)
I had the CT scan on Tuesday this week. I was really nervous about the injected dye, but it went ok. Side story: Before they stuck me in the machine, the nurse checked my pants to make sure there wasn't any metal on them. Then she asked me, "How old are your kids?" I told her. Then she said, "Wow, they really stretched you out." I wish I was kidding. Geez, lady, have some tact! Anyways, I got the results of the scan yesterday.
Warning to any boys, fathers, or father-in-laws who may be reading this: I will be using the words uterus, ovaries, and pelvis. If any of these words make you squirm, go ahead and stop reading and know that I am fine. :O)
According to my doc, the scan showed that I have something called "Pelvic Congestion Syndrome." He said it's sort of a contraversial thing in the medical community as to whether or not it is a real condition. Lovely. Basically it is vericose veins in your pelvis, specifically the veins leading to the ovaries and uterus. My scan showed an enlarged or "congested" vein going from my kidney vein to my ovary on the right side. Exactly where the pain is. So he referred me to a specialist guy who is one of the best in the country when it comes to this problem. Luckily he works at St. Joe's hospital. I'm sure it will take a while to get in to see him, but I'm ok with that.
I can't even express how relieved I am just to know what is wrong. That has been the most frustrating part of this experience. And it's no one's fault, really. I guess it's pretty hard to diagnose. The bad part is, from what I've read on it, is that it can be just as difficult to treat.
So we'll see where the next step takes us. For now, I can live with the pain as long as I know what's causing it. I am so thankful for an attentive doctor who listened to me and followed through. I'm also thankful for my husband, for enduring my melt downs and frequent complaining. And lastly, I'm thankful for Ali, who stayed with me until I got the phone call yesterday depsite her tiny newborn needing a bottle. What a sweet friend.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Arizona Grand Resort
Yesterday was a trying day. It seemed the kids couldn't get along even for a few minutes at a time and I was cranky from the extreme heat. Luke has been refusing to nap, and I have been refusing to give up on him taking a nap. We needed a change in routine.
Thankfully, we've been planning to go to Arizona Grand Resort's water park all week. Our friends, Caleb and Oneida, are staying there this week for a conference and graciously offered their water park tickets to us. We decided to take them up on it, and I'm so glad we did. It was just what we needed!
Here are some thoughts from last night:
1. It was a BLAST.
2. Yesterday's highs hit somewhere around 115, so even though it was hot outside, the water was so refreshing.
3. I actually wasn't overconcerned with displaying my body in a bathing suit for all to see. This is a first for me. Maybe I've matured, or maybe I was just more preoccupied with keeping my children from drowning.
4. I need to start working out. (Ha! Ok, maybe I did think about how my body looked in a bathing suit, just a little bit.)
5. I want to go back there with just me and Kevin sometime.
6. I want to go down the lazy river with a cocktail in hand next time.
7. The sky was perfect. As the sun went down, the clouds glowed pink and orange and the moon was a perfect crescent. Beautiful.
8. If my daughter turns this many heads in her bathing suit already, we're in trouble.
9. Going down the lazy river with all four of us in one raft was something I'll never forget.
10. Seeing Luke's face as the waves hit him in the wave pool made me want to drive to the ocean immediately. He will love the beach.
11. We're going back tonight!
Thanks, Oneida and Caleb. It was just what we needed!
Thankfully, we've been planning to go to Arizona Grand Resort's water park all week. Our friends, Caleb and Oneida, are staying there this week for a conference and graciously offered their water park tickets to us. We decided to take them up on it, and I'm so glad we did. It was just what we needed!
Here are some thoughts from last night:
1. It was a BLAST.
2. Yesterday's highs hit somewhere around 115, so even though it was hot outside, the water was so refreshing.
3. I actually wasn't overconcerned with displaying my body in a bathing suit for all to see. This is a first for me. Maybe I've matured, or maybe I was just more preoccupied with keeping my children from drowning.
4. I need to start working out. (Ha! Ok, maybe I did think about how my body looked in a bathing suit, just a little bit.)
5. I want to go back there with just me and Kevin sometime.
6. I want to go down the lazy river with a cocktail in hand next time.
7. The sky was perfect. As the sun went down, the clouds glowed pink and orange and the moon was a perfect crescent. Beautiful.
8. If my daughter turns this many heads in her bathing suit already, we're in trouble.
9. Going down the lazy river with all four of us in one raft was something I'll never forget.
10. Seeing Luke's face as the waves hit him in the wave pool made me want to drive to the ocean immediately. He will love the beach.
11. We're going back tonight!
Thanks, Oneida and Caleb. It was just what we needed!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
10 on the 10th: July Edition
I realize I skipped June's 10 on the 10th post, but we were sick for the first 2 weeks of June, so I am excused! We are so happy to be healthy again, so this post will be about Summertime!
1. It is hot, hot, hot outside! I really can't complain though, because it didn't get hot until June this year. We had 2 days in May that hit 100 degrees, but that's it! And that is unheard of. So I have resigned myself to not complaining about the heat until September this year, when I won't be able to take it much more.
2. Swimming! Mr. Luke is quite the little fish this summer. He is getting better and better and braver and braver in the water. He loves to go under the water, hold his breath and try to swim to us. He just needs to strengthen and speed up his kicking so he actually propels himself when he is under water. Ella loves the water too, but is really only happy in mama's arms. Must be a security thing.
4. My grandma is turning 80 this month! We are having a big party for her at my parents' house. She is an awesome lady and has so much energy. Literally, she runs around with my kids. And picks up Luke like it's nothing. She does all her own yard work and mows the lawn, even though I think she should take it easy. She works out at the gym three times a week. She cooks amazing meals and the BEST chocolate chip cookies you will ever eat in your life. I love her so much!
Side note: She and my grandpa will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary this November. 60 years!!! Wow.
5. Vacation. Oh, how I wish we could go somewhere to escape the heat. Right now we're following Dave Ramsey's plan to "live like no one else so you can live like no one else." So that means no trips to San Diego or Disneyland or even a weekend away in Flagstaff. But that's ok. I get to stay home with my little kiddos every day, and that is worth way more to me than taking a vacation. I am planning on going down to Sierra Vista for Molly's 30th at the end of the month, which is vacation for me and a little bit cooler, so I guess I do get to go on a vacation after all!
6. Recipe search. We have made a goal to not eat out at all during the month of July. We are really trying to get our finances in order and stick to our budget, and eating out is always the area where we go over. So, for discipline's sake, and money's sake, we are eating in. This means lots of cooking. And cooking + extreme heat outside = extreme heat inside our little apartment. So I'm looking for nice cool summer recipes to serve the family. If you have any, feel free to e-mail me at sarahmann80@gmail.com. My friend Toni is compiling recipes from a bunch of moms and putting them together for us. I'd love to add some heat-free ones!
7. Indoor adventures! We are trying to get out and about as much as we can so no 'cabin fever' takes us over. We have gone to the Science Center and the Children's Museum lately. We've also started going to storytime at the Tempe Library again. Luke has a little crush on the storytime teacher, Ms. Jessie. Stinkin' cute!
8. The spray bottle. Anyone who lives in Phoenix in the summer knows just how brutally hot the car can be. I feel so bad taking my little fair-skinned Luke out in the middle of the day, as his face can turn from ivory to tomato-red in a matter of minutes. And poor Ella. While her skin is more olive-toned, her carseat is still rear-facing so she gets very little air conditioning. So my solution to these problems has been the spray bottle. I fill it up before we leave and the kids take turns "playing" with it in the back seat. It's like having a built in mister-system in the car!
9. World Cup! Sheesh, how could I leave this one for #9? We've (Kevin, mostly) had a blast watching and keeping up with the games from the world cup! The U.S. gave a great effort and we are proud of our guys. The emotions, highs and lows, fake injuries, vevuzulas, penalty kicks, overtimes, celebrations, crazy fans. There's really nothing like it.
10. Just a random string of updates...Luke is pretty much potty trained!! He still "works" for stickers and prizes, but has no fear or hangups about going. It's pretty much the greatest accomplishment of his life, and mine. Ella is goofy, happy, and talking up a storm. The kids are sharing a room now, which has worked out great for the most part but has meant very early mornings all summer long. Hoping that changes. Kevin is still playing baseball, icing his arm, and getting really sore. In that order. But he loves it, and Luke has his dream fulfilled that Daddy is a baseball player. I wish I could just take Luke to one of his games and leave Ella at home, since taking her in public at this age is a chore. And me, well, I am really enjoying my kids. They are my joy, and I love serving my family.
Here's a cute picture from last night. Poor Ella has a terrible diaper rash right now, so we were letting her run around naked after bath. But, being only 22 lbs, she gets cold really fast so we broke out her robe.
And I had to throw in this one of Luke. So meticulous with his cars. This kid is so much like his daddy!
1. It is hot, hot, hot outside! I really can't complain though, because it didn't get hot until June this year. We had 2 days in May that hit 100 degrees, but that's it! And that is unheard of. So I have resigned myself to not complaining about the heat until September this year, when I won't be able to take it much more.
2. Swimming! Mr. Luke is quite the little fish this summer. He is getting better and better and braver and braver in the water. He loves to go under the water, hold his breath and try to swim to us. He just needs to strengthen and speed up his kicking so he actually propels himself when he is under water. Ella loves the water too, but is really only happy in mama's arms. Must be a security thing.
3. Babies! This is the summer of babies it seems. Toni had Oliver on June 20th and Ali will have baby Blake any minute now. Actually, she is scheduled to be induced tonight, so unless he comes today, he will come tomorrow! I am so excited for her. It's been a long time coming. Amber is having Elliana sometime in August and then Vanessa is due to have Felicity at the beginning of October! It is so fun to be around and snuggle all these precious miracles! Is it giving me baby fever? Well, I must admit that my heart says yes but my body is still saying NOOOOO! Maybe next year at this time??? We'll see!
4. My grandma is turning 80 this month! We are having a big party for her at my parents' house. She is an awesome lady and has so much energy. Literally, she runs around with my kids. And picks up Luke like it's nothing. She does all her own yard work and mows the lawn, even though I think she should take it easy. She works out at the gym three times a week. She cooks amazing meals and the BEST chocolate chip cookies you will ever eat in your life. I love her so much!
Side note: She and my grandpa will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary this November. 60 years!!! Wow.
5. Vacation. Oh, how I wish we could go somewhere to escape the heat. Right now we're following Dave Ramsey's plan to "live like no one else so you can live like no one else." So that means no trips to San Diego or Disneyland or even a weekend away in Flagstaff. But that's ok. I get to stay home with my little kiddos every day, and that is worth way more to me than taking a vacation. I am planning on going down to Sierra Vista for Molly's 30th at the end of the month, which is vacation for me and a little bit cooler, so I guess I do get to go on a vacation after all!
6. Recipe search. We have made a goal to not eat out at all during the month of July. We are really trying to get our finances in order and stick to our budget, and eating out is always the area where we go over. So, for discipline's sake, and money's sake, we are eating in. This means lots of cooking. And cooking + extreme heat outside = extreme heat inside our little apartment. So I'm looking for nice cool summer recipes to serve the family. If you have any, feel free to e-mail me at sarahmann80@gmail.com. My friend Toni is compiling recipes from a bunch of moms and putting them together for us. I'd love to add some heat-free ones!
7. Indoor adventures! We are trying to get out and about as much as we can so no 'cabin fever' takes us over. We have gone to the Science Center and the Children's Museum lately. We've also started going to storytime at the Tempe Library again. Luke has a little crush on the storytime teacher, Ms. Jessie. Stinkin' cute!
8. The spray bottle. Anyone who lives in Phoenix in the summer knows just how brutally hot the car can be. I feel so bad taking my little fair-skinned Luke out in the middle of the day, as his face can turn from ivory to tomato-red in a matter of minutes. And poor Ella. While her skin is more olive-toned, her carseat is still rear-facing so she gets very little air conditioning. So my solution to these problems has been the spray bottle. I fill it up before we leave and the kids take turns "playing" with it in the back seat. It's like having a built in mister-system in the car!
9. World Cup! Sheesh, how could I leave this one for #9? We've (Kevin, mostly) had a blast watching and keeping up with the games from the world cup! The U.S. gave a great effort and we are proud of our guys. The emotions, highs and lows, fake injuries, vevuzulas, penalty kicks, overtimes, celebrations, crazy fans. There's really nothing like it.
10. Just a random string of updates...Luke is pretty much potty trained!! He still "works" for stickers and prizes, but has no fear or hangups about going. It's pretty much the greatest accomplishment of his life, and mine. Ella is goofy, happy, and talking up a storm. The kids are sharing a room now, which has worked out great for the most part but has meant very early mornings all summer long. Hoping that changes. Kevin is still playing baseball, icing his arm, and getting really sore. In that order. But he loves it, and Luke has his dream fulfilled that Daddy is a baseball player. I wish I could just take Luke to one of his games and leave Ella at home, since taking her in public at this age is a chore. And me, well, I am really enjoying my kids. They are my joy, and I love serving my family.
Here's a cute picture from last night. Poor Ella has a terrible diaper rash right now, so we were letting her run around naked after bath. But, being only 22 lbs, she gets cold really fast so we broke out her robe.
And I had to throw in this one of Luke. So meticulous with his cars. This kid is so much like his daddy!
Happy July Everyone!
Monday, July 5, 2010
4th of July
We had a wonderful 4th of July yesterday and hope everyone did the same! We started the day just hanging around the house relaxing and playing. After nap, we headed to Kevin's parents' house in North Phoenix. We all love going up there, especially the kids. Kevin's mom saved many of her own kids' toys from the years and now her grandkids get to enjoy them as well! We swam and ate an a-ma-zing dinner of ribs, corn on the cob, watermelon, and fruit salad. They were the best ribs I've ever eaten in my life. I'm still thinking about them the next morning.
From there we headed further north to my brother Doug's house for fireworks. We were hoping to put Ella down for bed there, but she was pretty scared being in a new place and being put to bed. So she screamed for about 20 minutes and we let her get up, hoping for the best. Doug's kids were there and some of their friends and parents and we had some chips, salsa, guacamole, and veggies and yummy drinks to snack on (I know, more eating!) while we waited for the fireworks show to start. The show is from a nearby community called Aviano and we could see it perfectly from Doug and Sarah's driveway. It was perfect! It was Luke and Ella's first real fireworks show and it was so neat to see their faces as the sky lit up before them. The kids stayed up until almost 10 o'clock, probably the latest either of them had ever stayed up, but they hung in there pretty well.
Here are some funny quotes from Luke from the night:
Kevin: Luke, did you ask him his name? (when playing with one of the kids at Doug's house)
Luke: What's your name, Parker?
Parker: Parker
Luke: His name is Parker, Dad.
Getting in the car to go home...
Luke: Mom, don't talk about bedtime.
Me: Ok, Luke
Luke: I want to play with my cars for awhile when I get home.
Me: Ok, Luke
10 minutes or so later...
Luke: (yawning) I want to go to bed
10 minutes after that...
Luke: I got an idea. I will go to bed when I get home and play with my cars in the morning.
Haha!
Unfortunately, we did not take any pictures yesterday! What were we thinking?? So I will put some American-ish pics I have taken lately instead.
From there we headed further north to my brother Doug's house for fireworks. We were hoping to put Ella down for bed there, but she was pretty scared being in a new place and being put to bed. So she screamed for about 20 minutes and we let her get up, hoping for the best. Doug's kids were there and some of their friends and parents and we had some chips, salsa, guacamole, and veggies and yummy drinks to snack on (I know, more eating!) while we waited for the fireworks show to start. The show is from a nearby community called Aviano and we could see it perfectly from Doug and Sarah's driveway. It was perfect! It was Luke and Ella's first real fireworks show and it was so neat to see their faces as the sky lit up before them. The kids stayed up until almost 10 o'clock, probably the latest either of them had ever stayed up, but they hung in there pretty well.
Here are some funny quotes from Luke from the night:
Kevin: Luke, did you ask him his name? (when playing with one of the kids at Doug's house)
Luke: What's your name, Parker?
Parker: Parker
Luke: His name is Parker, Dad.
Getting in the car to go home...
Luke: Mom, don't talk about bedtime.
Me: Ok, Luke
Luke: I want to play with my cars for awhile when I get home.
Me: Ok, Luke
10 minutes or so later...
Luke: (yawning) I want to go to bed
10 minutes after that...
Luke: I got an idea. I will go to bed when I get home and play with my cars in the morning.
Haha!
Unfortunately, we did not take any pictures yesterday! What were we thinking?? So I will put some American-ish pics I have taken lately instead.
I am soaking up this 3 day weekend with my family!! Hope you are too!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Little Miss Ella: One Year Old!!
Wow! One?! Already?!
That's right! Ella is officially 1! We had a great time celebrating her birthday and managed to stretch her birthday celebrations over a whole week. That's just the way I love to celebrate birthdays! The Saturday prior to her real birthday, we had an awesome family birthday party at Ella's Nana & Grandpa's house. We are so grateful to Kevin's parents for hosting this spectacular party for us!! We did a "color/rainbow" theme because yes, I am a teacher by nature and these things must have themes!!! It turned out great! Every family that came represented a different color. I made a rainbow cake and the kids got coloring books, colored pencils, and Skittles for their party favors. Super cute all around. Ella was so blessed to receive tons of gifts from clothes to books to dolls! It's so nice to have some pink and purple toys in the mix now.
The following week we had a mom's group celebration at the park in honor of Ella and Liam (Chuck and Toni's little guy) turning one. They are 8 days apart! We had donuts and juice and the kids got to run around and have a blast.
On Thursday, Ella's real birthday, we kept things pretty normal but got to enjoy some chocolate cake and sing to her one more time. Then we were off to watch Daddy play baseball! Oh yeah...I forgot the cutest thing of all: On Wednesday evening I took Luke shopping to get Ella a gift "from him." We wanted to get Ella a little Elmo doll since she is always stealing Luke's from his bed and she just loves him! We went to Target but they were sold out of Elmo. We did end up getting her Honkers, one of those guys who makes sound come out of his ears by honking his nose. She loves it and carried it around with her all day on her birthday! It was so sweet to watch Luke give her the present when she woke up on her birthday.
**Also, I made a slideshow of Ella's first year on One True Media. If you haven't seen it yet, please e-mail me at sarahmann80@gmail.com and I'll send you the password for it.**
So even if it's a month late (eek, she's 13 months now!), we had a blast on Ella's birthday. Now just 2 short months until our "baby" boy is 3! Wow!
Enjoy some pics from our girl's first birthday!
This is how I made the rainbow cake. First, I made a box of white cake mix and split the batter.
Then I added food coloring gel to each bowl.
Then I ladeled the batter in concentric circles, going in opposite order for each pan.
Bake it and frosted it as normal...
This is what the middle looked like! Yum yum!
Nana & Grandpa wore white for our themed party!
Team Green: Liz and Paul
Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Szanto were super colorful!
Team Pink: Dave, Vanessa, Briggs, and Baby GIRL!
Team Blue: Doug, Sarah, Eric, and Dylan
We were team purple. I just fell in love with this purple dress for Ella.
Blowing out the candle with some helpers!
Ella was so generous with her cake! She was like, "You've got to try this! It's amazing!"
Luke did not want to try it that way!
The morning of her actual birthday! One!!
Luke giving her the birthday present from him. She liked holding the bag like a purse!
Getting some help from big brother
Grandma and Papa at the party...this one didn't upload with the rest :)
That's right! Ella is officially 1! We had a great time celebrating her birthday and managed to stretch her birthday celebrations over a whole week. That's just the way I love to celebrate birthdays! The Saturday prior to her real birthday, we had an awesome family birthday party at Ella's Nana & Grandpa's house. We are so grateful to Kevin's parents for hosting this spectacular party for us!! We did a "color/rainbow" theme because yes, I am a teacher by nature and these things must have themes!!! It turned out great! Every family that came represented a different color. I made a rainbow cake and the kids got coloring books, colored pencils, and Skittles for their party favors. Super cute all around. Ella was so blessed to receive tons of gifts from clothes to books to dolls! It's so nice to have some pink and purple toys in the mix now.
The following week we had a mom's group celebration at the park in honor of Ella and Liam (Chuck and Toni's little guy) turning one. They are 8 days apart! We had donuts and juice and the kids got to run around and have a blast.
On Thursday, Ella's real birthday, we kept things pretty normal but got to enjoy some chocolate cake and sing to her one more time. Then we were off to watch Daddy play baseball! Oh yeah...I forgot the cutest thing of all: On Wednesday evening I took Luke shopping to get Ella a gift "from him." We wanted to get Ella a little Elmo doll since she is always stealing Luke's from his bed and she just loves him! We went to Target but they were sold out of Elmo. We did end up getting her Honkers, one of those guys who makes sound come out of his ears by honking his nose. She loves it and carried it around with her all day on her birthday! It was so sweet to watch Luke give her the present when she woke up on her birthday.
**Also, I made a slideshow of Ella's first year on One True Media. If you haven't seen it yet, please e-mail me at sarahmann80@gmail.com and I'll send you the password for it.**
So even if it's a month late (eek, she's 13 months now!), we had a blast on Ella's birthday. Now just 2 short months until our "baby" boy is 3! Wow!
Enjoy some pics from our girl's first birthday!
This is how I made the rainbow cake. First, I made a box of white cake mix and split the batter.
Then I added food coloring gel to each bowl.
Then I ladeled the batter in concentric circles, going in opposite order for each pan.
Bake it and frosted it as normal...
This is what the middle looked like! Yum yum!
Nana & Grandpa wore white for our themed party!
Team Green: Liz and Paul
Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Szanto were super colorful!
Team Pink: Dave, Vanessa, Briggs, and Baby GIRL!
Team Blue: Doug, Sarah, Eric, and Dylan We were team purple. I just fell in love with this purple dress for Ella.
Blowing out the candle with some helpers!
Ella was so generous with her cake! She was like, "You've got to try this! It's amazing!"
Luke did not want to try it that way!
The morning of her actual birthday! One!!
Luke giving her the birthday present from him. She liked holding the bag like a purse!
Getting some help from big brother
Grandma and Papa at the party...this one didn't upload with the rest :)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
10 on the 10th: May Edition
Oops, I forgot to post yesterday!
All About Ella!!
1. How is it possible that in 16 days my baby will be one? This year has been so amazingly sweet, challenging, fun, and wonderful! I wouldn't rather do anything else than be Ella's mama.
2. Ella is so physically advanced. She crawled just before 6 months, pulled up a few weeks later, took steps at 8 1/2 months, and was full blown walking at 9 months. She has mastered walking downhill, uphill, on uneven surfaces, and even on the sand. Now she's working on running, and getting really good at it. Oh boy!
3. E's words so far: hi, dog, ball, duck, mama, dada, bye, pig, don't touch (sort of...it sounds like da ta), bottle, and she can roar like a dinosaur.
4. Our girl is not much of an eater. She drinks her bottles throughout the day and will take a few bites of what we are eating at meals, but hates baby food. I hope her appetite picks up as she gets older and more teeth to chew with. She's only got four right now.
5. Ella has a bold personality and a strong will. I pray that we can use these to enhance her strengths!
6. She ADORES her big brother Luke. And he adores her, unless she touches his stuff, which she does on an hourly basis. They've just recently started to play together, which results in them running all over the apartment chasing each other, screeching, and giggling! It's pretty great.
7. Ella is still waking up in the night. She will sleep all the way through the night about 25% of the time, but the rest of the time she is up once, sometime between 3 and 4 in the morning. She takes great naps in the day and will usually sleep in until about 7:30 (sometimes later), so I can't complain.
8. She is so friendly, when it's on her terms. She will gladly say hi to strangers walking by. But when someone approaches her and talks to her, she goes silent and stone-faced. Also, when we get to a place with a lot of people, she'll stand still and take it all in before she walks or talks. This can take up to 10 minutes! Once she's comfortable, watch out!
9. Her eyes are AMAZING. They're huge and beautiful and she already knows how to use them to get what she wants. I know I'm biased, but I think she's the most beautiful baby girl I've ever seen.
10. Ella's changed all of our lives this year. Our home is more vibrant, busy, happy, and complete with her in our lives. We love you so much, Miss Ella!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Summer Plans II
I've had some people ask more specifics about free/cheap places we can go that are indoors for the summer, so here is my list so far. Please comment if you can add more ideas!
Pecos Park splash pad (not indoors, but cool!)
Ikea/Dick's sporting goods (for Luke)
Brilliant Sky Toys and Books
Chandler Mall/AZ Mills Mall
Tempe Library Storytime (10:30 on Tuesdays)
Ironwood Library
Barnes and Noble, if they have the train table
Lakeshore Learning--tons of "display toys" for the kids to interact with
We have a pass to the Children's Museum of Phoenix and we're going to also get a pass to the Arizona Museum for Youth in Mesa. A.M.Y. is great for the little kids, smaller, and less busy than the Phoenix one. If anyone ever wants to go any of these places with us, we'd love the company! Getting out and seeing people is very helpful in keeping the crazies away :).
Pecos Park splash pad (not indoors, but cool!)
Ikea/Dick's sporting goods (for Luke)
Brilliant Sky Toys and Books
Chandler Mall/AZ Mills Mall
Tempe Library Storytime (10:30 on Tuesdays)
Ironwood Library
Barnes and Noble, if they have the train table
Lakeshore Learning--tons of "display toys" for the kids to interact with
We have a pass to the Children's Museum of Phoenix and we're going to also get a pass to the Arizona Museum for Youth in Mesa. A.M.Y. is great for the little kids, smaller, and less busy than the Phoenix one. If anyone ever wants to go any of these places with us, we'd love the company! Getting out and seeing people is very helpful in keeping the crazies away :).
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Summer Plans
It's been over 90 degrees here the last few days. We've been so blessed with amazing weather this Spring and I don't want it to end! I'm not ready to be shut inside this apartment with two active toddlers, one of which turns as red as a tomato in the heat. Last summer was brutal on us. Ella had just been born so we were not able to go out and do a lot, especially because my recovery from having her was particularly tough...she was 10 lbs, 9 oz after all! I get cabin fever pretty quick and usually make it a point to leave the house every day. Last summer it just wasn't possible, and I nearly went crazy from it! So...to avoid a crazy mama this summer and to keep these two monkeys busy, I am going to be proactive! I have created a summer schedule to keep us going, keep us on track, give us a plan. It involves leaving the house everyday, doing lots of free indoor activities, and seeing friends and family. I do not have to stick to this plan everyday, but it gives us a gameplan for the days we have no other plans. Movies will be a big part of our afternoons, because that is the hottest part of the day. Errands will be run before 10 a.m. and swimming will happen as much as possible. We will survive the summer, and yes, we will enjoy it and make wonderful memories while we're at it!
Friday, April 23, 2010
A Few Sweet Moments to Remember
I just had to write these down today. It's been a pretty typical day around here: Get up, watch some Clifford, eat breakfast, run some errands, go grocery shopping, fix lunch, clean up, get ready for nap, read stories, naptime. Mixed in to this somewhat normal day have been some very precious moments, exchanges between me and Luke.
Luke: I see a cross! (when driving past a church)
Me: Oh yeah, I see it. What does the cross mean?
Luke: It means God.
Me: It means God loves us.
Luke: God loves us.
Me: Yeah, God loves us so much he sent Jesus to die on a cross for our sins.
Luke: Yup, that's what it says!
Me: Hey Luke, see that school? That's where Mama, Uncle Doug, and Uncle Dave used to go to school.
Luke: I want to go to school someday.
Me: You will go to school someday, but I will miss you when you're gone all day.
Luke: I'll just be right back!
At naptime...
Me: I love you, Luke.
Luke: I love you, Mom.
Words cannot express how much I love this little boy. He is so dear to my heart!!!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Easter Weekend
We had a wonderful Easter this year! It was a very busy weekend, but it was jam-packed with tons of great people and lots of fun! On Saturday, we were lucky enough to get tickets to Disney on Ice. We had the suite for Kevin's work at U.S. Airways center, so it worked out perfectly taking both the kids. Ella's at an age where staying still is simply not an option, so it was great to have some wiggle room in the suite. Luke absolutely loved the show. He was a little nervous and didn't know all the characters yet, but his little face full of wonder was priceless. His favorite part was Nemo and the shark. Ella actually watched the first few minutes of the show and when she saw Donald Duck she said, "Duck....hi!...Duck!" So sweet. We stayed for the first half of the show and then left at intermission because I had to get home for the next event!
This is what Luke's hands looked like through the entire show!
After Disney on Ice I was privileged to be a part of Ali's baby shower. My dear friend has waited so very long for this baby and we were so happy to celebrate his coming with an awesome shower! She was showered with tons of gifts and a great time was had!
The next morning it was Easter! I feel like it snuck up on me this year because it came sort of early. Easter is one of my very favorite days of the year. A day we are reminded that Jesus rose from the dead, that death and sin have been conquered, and we have such sweet freedom in Christ! We went to church at Bridgeway Community Church, which we have visited a couple of times now. It is very close to where we live and we enjoyed the service! From there we went to Doug and Sarah's place where the kids did an Easter egg hunt and we had a lovely brunch with my family. Dylan and Ella's dresses were almost the same, but getting a good picture of them together was tricky!
After that we headed to Kevin's parents' house and had an awesome time relaxing in the sun and ate a yummy dinner. It is so nice that they live close to Doug's and we could do both visits in one day. Despite both kids having very minimal naps that day, they hung in there pretty well! Once we got home, we were exhausted, but very blessed to have such great families to spend the holiday with.
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