Thursday, September 18, 2014

A visit from Grandma

We've been busy outdoors, trying to enjoy these last beautiful days before the real fall/winter weather sets in.  I sadly enough had to turn the heat on last week, as temperatures got down to 39 over night.  I absolutely love the fall, it's just what comes after that that I'm dreading.

We're all doing good.  Ava started dance last week and absolutely loves it.  It is so cute watching her and the other girls dance around in the studio.  She has so much fun there.  Grant is finally loving daycare.  There are no more tears at drop off, which makes Nate's day so much better!  This daycare has been so good for him.  I left him with a sitter yesterday when I took Ava to dance.  No tears or whining, he just went off to play with her.  Same things today at ECFE.  I couldn't be happier with the situation!!!

Last week Nate was able to get away to WI for a few days with a couple of buddies to do some golfing.  Grandma had an extra few days off so she came up to spend Thursday evening through Sunday morning with us.  The pictures below will show you are trips to Minnehaha Falls, the farmer's market, a bike ride, and the park.  She even took us out for lunch at Culver's and dinner at Pizza Ranch (Ava got to pick the restaurants).  We were so glad that she was able to come and visit.  Daddy got home Sunday just in time to head to the neighbors football party with us. 

Tuesday Nate turned 34!  What did we do to celebrate you ask?  Well, he started his day out feeling very dizzy and sick.  He threw up, took the kids to daycare, and then went to the clinic to be diagnosed with vertigo (getting old sucks).  He then hopped on the bus to go to work.  He also scheduled a paint consultant to come over (forgot it was his birthday).  She stayed for 2 1/2 hours, so he had left overs for dinner since it was to late to go out.  He at least got some birthday cake.  On the up side of things, we have paint colors picked out for the house.  :)

The rest of the week should be low key here.  I'm working this weekend and Nate is thinking of taking the kids (hopefully just Ava if we can find a sitter for Grant) to the gopher game on Friday.  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

 
We all went to the gopher game a few weekends ago.  The kids did a pretty darn good job considering they were confined to such a small area during the game.  Grant was even able to take a little nap during half time.  An added plus, the gophers won!

 There is a band that goes through our tailgating lot.  They stopped on the sidewalk outside our lot and let  Ava and Grant play the drum. 
 Grant & Boppa during the game
 Daddy & Ava during the game
Ava enjoying her first ever snow cone at the game (it got much warmer out than expected)
Atticus came over for a play date
Ava very excited to start her first dance class
 
Grandma, Grant, & Ava at Minnehaha

The kids loved "hiking" on the different paths
Stopping to throw rocks
Stopping for a little snack on the rocks

Somebody was getting tired of walking


Heading out on our bike ride.
Ava getting her princess balloon from the clown at the farmers market Sat. morning
I love that she can play by herself and other kids at the park now.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

The rollercoaster of parenthood

I've learned that this parenthood thing is quite the roller coaster of emotions. I'm sure that the ride gets even crazier as toddlers eventually turn into teenagers.  Let's take today for example.  Our days at home almost always start out very nice (don't most peoples?).  The kids get to sleep in a little later and don't have to rush out the door for daycare.  We get to enjoy breakfast together and be silly while getting dressed. 

This morning we started our new ECFE class.  I always look forward to these, and know that Ava did as well.  Grant on the other hand always had to be close to me during play time, and cried when it was time for separation.  He eventually did ok, and I always found him enjoying singing songs during circle time at the end.  I was a bit leery about how things were going to go this morning since this was a new classroom with new teachers.  Let me tell you, Grant walked into that classroom a completely different little boy than he was 3 1/2 months ago.  He explored and played on his own.  He whimpered for only seconds when I left for separation.  My heart was filled with happiness as I saw him becoming more independent and confident. 

Independence and confidence, it's what we want for our children.  I was so excited for Grant.  However, with the start of school this week I've been reading all of these things about sending your children off to kindergarten and how quickly the time goes.  Ava has always been independent and social.  With that being said, my excitement and happiness for Ava quickly and selfishly turns to sadness.  This time next year there will be no more ECFE classes with her, no more play dates to the park, the zoo, the Children's Museum.  No more mid-day dance parties, or chilling in our pjs till mid-morning on snowy days.  Some days these things are exhausting and I just want 5 minutes to myself.  However, knowing that these days are quickly slipping away brings tears to my eyes.  (Then there's Grant. Grant will be 2 next month.  My baby is turning 2.  How can that be?!?  He's my baby.) 

So, I don't want my kids to grown up right?  Well, let's move ahead 2 hours.  We're getting ready for nap and Grant has decided he wants to sit on the potty while I'm changing his diaper.  I put him on, he shockingly enough does nothing.   He jumps off and runs into Ava's room as I tell him that we need to put his diaper on.  He stands at the bottom of her bed looking at me.  He's still for quite some time, which starts to concern me as I ask him what he's doing.  I go over there and step on wet carpet.  I look closer and he's peed on her bed spread, bed skirt, and the carpet.  I want to scream.  I am once again reminded as to why I am not a full-time stay at home mom. 

Fast forward 6 hours, it's time to wind down for the day.  Grant wants to try out his little potty chair.  He sits there and does nothing so I walk out to get his pjs ready.  I go back into the bathroom and step in a puddle.  Yes, it's a yellow puddle.  Really, he peed on the floor twice in one day?  I stop and look in the potty, there are about 3 drops of pee in it.  We celebrate the 3 drops of pee as I scrub the floor and my foot with disinfectant.  We give high 5's and tell him good job (hoping that next time he'll keep it in the potty, which next time will most likely be 6 months from now). 

We finish the day with bedtime stories, hugs & kisses, and rocking Grant before putting him in his bed.  There is a peacefulness in the house at bedtime.  A time to reflect on the day and be thankful for the tickle time, the time that I got to hold their little hands as we walked across the parking lot, the marching parade that we had in the house, the hugs & kisses.   It's a time to realize that even though it had its crazy points, our day was filled with lots of love, giggles, and blessings.  At the end of the day, what more could I ask for?  
 
Another trip to the zoo

Grant, our ballerina.  I may have put the skirt on him (he definitely didn't fight it), but he's the one that brought the shoes over and asked me to put them on.  He was having a great time dancing. 
We had a play date at the park with our good friend Maria and the kids.  They found the one puddle in the whole park and had a great time jumping and splashing in it.

I worked this past Labor Day weekend.  Nate and the kids headed up to the cabin for the long weekend.  From what I hear, they had a great time while I stayed extremely busy working my night shifts in the ER.  I absolutely love this picture of Daddy and Grant enjoying one last boat ride.