Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas, Christmas

I'll have a lot to say, and a lot of pictures. Christmas was nice, peaceful, joyful, and Santa sure was generous! So generous, that I've had to stay up late and get up early to play with presents. Which means I'm tired and going to bed. Christmas flew by, but luckily, you can relive it with me when I recover enough to blog about it!

Monday, December 21, 2009

No, Ava!

Well, it's started. Ava has started reaching things that belong to Max. And Max says "No, Ava!" many times throughout the day. I remember when Abby and Nolan were this age, and I just kept telling Abby to move it out of his reach. Then when he could crawl, to switch out the toys so she could have what she wants and he had something else. And then one day that didn't work and they fought. And still do! I'm not sure what I'll tell Max to do.

I'm hoping that part of Max's "No, Ava's" are because he's sick. Ava had the double ear infection, but now that we figured out how to get medicine down, she seems to be better. Max, on the other hand, only had a single ear infection, but is getting worse. This morning we were playing at the Y and he wanted to go home almost immediately. We got here and he seemed wheezy. We then watched a movie (so unlike him!) and then he threw up. Ugh. Naptime. Then woke up and threw up again. Ugh again. And tonight he just wasn't himself--crying like his body ached. He just had the flu over Thanksgiving, and then it turned into a cold and ear infection, now he's on antibiotics, and still sick? My goodness!

One more day for the kids and then winter break!!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Mother of the Year Part II

Max has an ear infection too. Probably since Thanksgiving. Geez! Apparently kids #3 and4 get delayed medical care. Oh well... at least they're both on medicine and hopefully will be at full health soon!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

In shock

There's a guy I work with who, just last month, was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer. He's my age, has three little girls younger than my kids, has run nine marathons. After getting a biopsy and an initial diagnosis, he was able to go home last week to wait for treatment to start. He went and got a Christmas tree with his family, attended his daughters' Christmas concert, and hung out. Just this week he got a new scan and the tumor grew again and he was hospitalized, and now in the ICU. The growth of the tumor has caused irreversible brain damage, and he's on a vent. I'm truly in shock.

If you want to visit his page: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chadbordwell

Mother of the Year Award

I took Ava to her four month check-up today. I was kind of looking forward to it because she's been having some bad tummy issues that keeps her up at night. The doctor went through everything I can do for her (drink prune juice, give her apple juice with water, etc.), then we did the regular stuff--she's 15 pounds (75th percentile), 26" (99th percentile), and she can start on oatmeal (skipping rice cereal because of the constipation/tummy issues). Then she looked in her eyes--they werefine, nose--fine, ears--uh oh! Double ear infection. Yeah, a week ago Dave asked me if I thought she had an ear infection because she couldn't sleep, and I said no, it's just her tummy. When he rubbed it in that he was right, I told him he can call the doctor as well as I can.

Tomorrow I'm taking Max in. Still not 100%, and I just bet he's in the same boat.

Spits and Giggles

I've never added a video before, so I thought I'd try it. Sorry it's crooked, and that loud annyoing sound you hear is just me doing raspberries on Ava's tummy!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Confessions of a Second-Grade Abby

Last Saturday Abby had her First Reconciliation (or Confession, or Penance, whatever you want to call it). She was pretty nervous, and kept telling me her tummy hurt. She knew it was just from nerves, but I don't think that helped at all. There were 90 second graders total doing their first reconcilation, but only 45 at her group at 11:00 Saturday morning. She really wanted to go to Fr. Tom, the priest she knows and who did their practice session, but the way they were split up she got Fr. Dan, the new priest who she doesn't know as well. But you know what? She got up there, stood in line (looking for all the world that they were hauling her off to boot camp), walked up there, did what she needed to do and came back a happy girl. Which is better than I did. The parents were welcome to go to confession after all the kids went, but Abby was one of the first ones to go, so there was quite a bit of time to wait before I could go. I asked Abby if she's rather just leave and go to lunch, which she did. Oh darn! :) Not my favorite sacrament, as you can tell. Coming up... Abby's First Communion in April.

After reconciliation, Abby and I headed to lunch. It was really nice, just hanging out with her. We had Ava, but she slept the whole time so I could just talk to her without interruption. It gave me the opportunity to save Santa. A few weeks back Abby went in the store room and saw the pogo sticks that I got her and Nolan for Christmas. I knew she saw them, but she didn't want to tell me because she though I would be mad. But finally she did, I said it was no problem, it was just a gift from Dave and I to them, and now she could share the secret. No problem. BUT... last week before Dave and I went Christmas shopping, I needed to know what we had for everyone. So, while the kids were watching a movie, I hauled out the gifts, put them in piles and made mental notes of it all. The kids went to bed, I put everything away, and that was that. Or so I thought. A few days later, Abby asked me about the toys that were in the piles in the basement. I gave her a blank look and said, "What toys? I don't know what you're talking about." And she went to bed. Well, Saturday those toys came up again. I acted so surprised. I asked her what toys they were, where she thought they came from, where they went? She didn't know. We decided together that the elves must be preparing for Christmas, and that's the only way they can do it. (Did you see Prep and Landing, anyone?) I figured if she believes in the man with a big red suit coming down our chimney, delivering toys to everyone in the world, flying reindeer, eating cookies, I could make up anything and she'd be ok with it. And she was. Phew! I have a feeling that this will be the last Christmas that she believes, so I'm glad she was ok with the story. While it'll be fun to have her as a partner in crime, I'll miss her believing days for sure.

It's snowing again here! Another 1-3 inches they're saying. The kids were delayed 2 hours this morning because of icy roads. It was actually a welcome delay--Ava was up most of the night with tummy issues, so I didn't have to push so hard getting ready. The kids had fun, too, playing Wii, card games and hoarsing around. Maybe they should shorten the school day? :) Nah, maybe not.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

A picture is worth a thousand words

So this post is certainly worth a million bucks! I feel like I haven't posted pictures for awhile, so tonight, it's what you get!

Abby and Nolan unpacking Christmas ornaments. I remember loving doing this as a kid. But then you get done, and the tree is still getting put up (yes, I'm a fake tree kind of person) and the lights are still getting put on and you have to wait. And it feels like you wait forever!


But Nolan can always find things to do to amuse himself.


And we made them go down and make paper chains. We had a million of these last year. I guess now it's tradition!


Here's the kids with santa at my Christmas party. Check out Ava! I was so busy getting the picture, I didn't realize that santa was going to drop her!


Either Abby or Nolan took this picture of my dad. Looking nice, don't you think? It was so nice to have him and my mom there. Even if Dave could have made it, the extra hands are always appreciated!


Ready for the Christmas party.


Bowling over Thanksgiving.


Merry Christmas!

Ava was afraid we were going to eat her instead of the turkey.


All the grankids at my mom and dad's house the Sunday after Thanksgiving for a Christmas parade.


Max, Ava Pie, and MineAva.


Ok, this is my favorite face. The pouty mouth just before the wailing begins.


The kids being reindeer. Max just cracks me up!
There you go! Hope you feel a million dollars richer after that!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

First snow day of the year

Well, last year it was December 1. This year we made it to December 9! Our first snow day of the year was here. The kids enjoyed the 2 inches of snow we got on Sunday night, but now we're going to get 12! Yikes! Last year the first snow day was fun... baking, crafts, playing outside. These days can go either way--very fun or very long. We'll see how this first one goes!

Monday, November 30, 2009

A little less structure

Abby has decided to not sign up for swimming the second half of the year. At first I was a little bummed. I think she could be good, and selfishly it was nice when Dave was home and I had that whole hour to either work out, shop or just hang around. And then reality came through. I don't have to haul four kids to the Y, three days a week, past bedtimes, in the snow. (Although, sometimes it is nice just to have somewhere to go on those long, cold, snowy days when Dave is traveling!)

When I asked Abby why she didn't want to swim anymore, she simply said, "I just want more time at home." Fair enough. I think that's the same reason I quit work. :)

Sunday, November 29, 2009

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming

Tomorrow is back to normal, such that it is. It was a little of a crazy week, mostly really, really good. Max was sick Monday, seemed better Tuesday, and then had a fever Wednesday and Thursday, better Friday and is mostly better but is still just a little off. Ava has been up nearly every night, very often. She has a cough pretty bad but is getting better and will hopefully be 100% soon. Nolan threw up Wednesday morning a couple times, but then was fine after that. It's been strange! Dave was already scheduled to be home Wednesday with the kids, so he did that while I went to work. Otherwise we've just been hanging out at home.

Thanksgiving was very nice, at my mom and dad's new house. It was the first time we were all there, my mom and dad, my sister and husband and three kids, and Dave and me and the four kids. That's a lot of people in anyone's house! But it worked out well. The kids got along great and mostly stayed in the basement, and the adults hung out in the kitchen and living room. We all brought something so the food was covered and it was a holiday to be thankful for for sure.

Friday was just a really nice day at our house. I slept until 9:30 (which is really quite late for me, but considering I'd been up for hours at a time the past two nights with Ava, it wasn't so bad), then we all hung out in pjs while we put up all the Christmas decorations. Max went down for a nap and I played games and did puzzles with the big kids. Then we got dressed and went bowling and out to dinner and home to watch a movie. It was just really perfect despite the regularness of it all!

Saturday Abby and I took lots and lots of toys to St. Vinny's, which was nice and cleansing. Then I saw Paranormal Activity with a good friend of mine, which was nice and disturbing. Luckily we did the movie first and then dinner so we weren't freaked out all night.

Today was back to my mom and dad's for a Christmas parade. It was very nice, but got cold. By the end walking back Max and my nephew Cole were screaming because they were so cold. That was a bummer, but once we got back they were ok pretty quick.

And now it's now. It's bedtime and back to a regular week and it's almost December. The good news is all the time off at the end of the month that will be so nice. The bad news is January is hard. And February. And, well, March and April too. Not much vacation, cold, dark, did I mention cold?

But I am thankful... my kids, Dave, my family and my in-law family, my friends that I see and talk to often and those friends that I don't see or talk to so often but still hold a great place in my life and heart, and thankful that I get to be at home, enjoying Max and Ava lots and Abby and Nolan around school, that I don't have to juggle work with sick kids and try to push them to go back to school or daycare just because I have a meeting. Thankful for this day!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Doing better

Last night, Max asked to go to bed at 7, Nolan went to bed at 8, Abby got home from swimming at 8:40 and was in bed at 9, and I went to bed at 9:06. Then Ava got up at 9:30, Max at 10, and Ava again at 10:30. But after that, all was quiet until 7 this morning when the craziness resumed. Max seems to be feeling much better, Ava is still under the weather, but hopefully all will be well for the coming days off school.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Poor Nolan

No, no, Nolan has not been sick since last Tuesday. In fact, he was pretty sick Tuesday, Wednesday he was better but still at home, and then Thursday he was fine. He still has a cough, but nothing major. Now it's Max with the fever, 102, and didn't get off the couch today until medicine kicked in, and then it was just to play for 20 minutes, eat dinner, and then back to the couch and asking for bedtime at 7. Ava is also sick, bad cough, runny eyes, but no fever luckily. Last night she was up about every 45 minutes screaming her head off. Strange thing is that it didn't seem to be cold-related, but more tummy related. She always has gassy/poopy issues (tmi, I know!), but last night was bad, making her scream bloody murder. I'm just hoping tonight goes better.

So anyway, back to poor Nolan. He didn't really get mom time when he was sick. With Max and Ava still home, and not sick, there was too much to do--mostly chasing after Max! And then on Wednesday, it was just Nolan and I home (littles were at daycare since I was supposed to be at work), but I had to get actual work done so my time on the couch was very limited. Unlike today, where Ava slept all morning and most of the afternoon so I just hung out on the couch with Max, I maybe did 10 minutes here or there with Nolan. Poor kid was bored out of his mind by the end of the second day home, too, but he did good just sitting on the couch and relaxing. It was really quite amazing watching him sick, though. He's a big kid, and a little kid. He's BIG--long legs, arms, feet, but yet still so little, especially when he's sick. It's a crazy time of growing up, and I don't really remember it as distinctly with Abby. Maybe it's a boy thing.

Luckily, before the kids got sick, my mom and dad babysat for us and we headed to a Packer game yesterday. FUN! Well, fun for me. :) And they won, so even better. And it was 57 degrees (instead of the 5 degrees it was when my mom and I went three years ago!) so even better yet! It's amazing to me to watch a pro football game. It truly shows me how larger than life tv makes things. Even in that big stadium, those big men are just boys playing a game. Without the instant replay, stats at every turn and announcer analysis, it's just people throwing a football. And fun to watch.

Other than that, not much, but lots of everything going on here. Huh? It's just the regular work, school and busy time of year. Thanksgiving, then Christmas parties, the Abby's first reconciliation, then Christmas, Christmas and more Christmas! Now until the end of the year will go very fast. And then the slow, slow winter. January, February, March... can't say I'm looking forward to it. When is spring??

Anyway, here are some pics for your viewing pleasure...

Go Pack Go! Rodgers was nearly as fun to watch as Favre was last time.


This was the concession bin... only in Wisconsin is it "Beer here! Get your meat stick!"


The Big G. Lambeau is just a cool place to be. It was made even better this time because the UW Marching Band played. They're always fun to watch, and throughout the game the randomly appeared in the stands to play On Wisconsin.


What a difference three months makes! It was easier for all the kids to hold her back in the hospital!


Max loves to share his toys with Ava and then wants me to take pics. Here's Ava with his frog and "Nayva" (short for Mine Ava).


Max, Ava and puppy Annabelle (who's really Abby's, but Max claimed as his own).

Sometimes crying pictures are funny. She gets a really cute pouty face before this one, but it's hard to catch in time!


Thank goodness we have three excersaucers... what will Max do when Ava wants to be in one?


The little big with the little little.

Monday, November 16, 2009

102.3

That's Nolan's temperature tonight. I hope it doesn't go higher. We left church class early because he was hot and white, never a good combination. He was all ready for bed by 7 and didn't complain at all. You know he's sick when that happens!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Happy Veteran's Day, among other things

Happy Veteran's Day to all the veterans out there! Ok, ok, I know I'm a day late, but still. Abby and Nolan came home from school talking about Veteran's day. Abby informed me a veteran is someone who fought in a war. I asked if she knew who was a veteran, but she didn't. When I told her Grumpy and Grandpa were veterans she said, "Really? Did they fight in wars?" And then I told her Vietnam and Korean wars. She then asked if they won. Ummm, well, they won our respect. Does that count? Does for me! Thanks, vets!

I have officially become one of those parents. I let the kids watch a movie for 10 minutes in the car. Well, really not the kids. Just Max. Hey, where else would I find 10 minutes of quiet? (Yes, I count Elmo in the background as quiet. I don't have to answer Elmo, although I do find that he talks to me every now and then. Is that strange?) Bottom line, cut me some slack!

And now I need to go back to this post. You know, the one where I said I want the kids to WIN, to be GREAT, PERFECT, whatever I said. It turns out maybe it's not quite like that. Last weekend at Abby's swim meet, there was a mom of a 16 year old girl next to me. I knew her daughter was swimming when under her breath she muttered, "Hit the plastic? What the hell?" (She was referring to the lane divider.) Then she just proceeded to shake her head. When her daughter came over, she was partly crying, saying her shoulder hurt and that she couldn't hardly move her arm. Her mom rolled her eyes, said it was always something, and then rubbed her shoulder. The girl then started to cry more, saying she was so slow, she couldn't believe she got beat by so-and-so, and it was horrible. Her mom told her she wasn't just slow, her times were absolutely terrible. Wow! Geez lady, lighten up. Then, the girl did the Butterfly, and afterwards came over happy that she took off a couple of seconds of her time. The mom's response? And I quote... "How the hell can you get a better time on your fly but do so shitty on you freestyle?" It's a good thing the lady didn't look at me. I think my eyes were huge and my jaw was on the floor. I couldn't imagine.

So, rest assured, I'm not like that. I realized it's not even winning or being the best. I am always paranoid about being seen as one of "those". I don't want to be one of "those" moms (you know, the ones who forget to show up for swim meets or pick up fundraisers) and I don't want my kids to be one of "those" kids... they could be the ones who don't get it, the ones who are loudmouths, the ones who dress funny. Well, maybe that's us. But I also don't want them to be one of "those" who are so smart and good and perfect, with the egos to prove it. I like high middle ground. Make enough mistakes to know they and I are human, but not so many that we're one of "those."

We also had conferences tonight, and I get so nervous! But, the teachers like the kids, and the kids seem to be doing great. Abby even got an N on her report card, and she didn't cry about it like last year, and I am even ok enough with it to share it with all of you.

But, just for the record, 80% was all Es (Excellent) and 19% was Ss (Satisfactory). :)

Finally, I realized tonight why I like not working. I don't worry about it at night. I READ! Things not related to work. And I take baths. And surf for fun things on the net. It's a good thing. Oh, and I get to spend time with the kids. That too. :)

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Why do we keep the crap?

Ok, this isn't a metaphorical post or anything. It's literally about keeping the crap. I spent all day of this beautiful 70 degree November day cleaning out the storage room. Again. Because before when I cleaned it out? I never purged the crap. I moved it from bin to bin until eventually the bins just got the better of me. But Thursday we finally bought a water softener and in order to have room for it, we had to clean out the storage room. It feels good to have gotten through it, but man it was a job.

We also talked to a carpet guy Thursday night to maybe get new carpet in our living room. But then Thursday later we realized the basement has water in it, under the carpet, behind the drywall in one corner. Ugh. I guess we forego carpet for now and fix the basement.

Swim meet tomorrow! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

This week's learnings

They say you learn something new every day. I'm not sure about that, but this week I learned two things for sure.
  1. If I worked full time, Abby wouldn't be able to be in swim club. Dave was gone last night, so I brought the boys and Ava to the Y with me while Abby practiced from 7-8. I was tired from working all day and as we were running around the track, I realized there's no way I could take that time three nights a week to take her without exhausting myself.
  2. Household chores will always be there later. I know, I know, duh, right? A couple of Fridays ago, the house was actually mostly clean, it was really rainy and dreary outside, and I was tired. So, when Max went down for a nap, I just sat down with Ava and napped with her. And I think I've done that every day since. At first, I thought I would regret not using the time to get laundry done, dishes, cleaning. Now I realize I would regret not taking the time to just sit with Ava. I know that too soon I'll be writing about her being too big to do just that.

That's it! Maybe it doesn't seem like big things, but they were big things when I thought of them!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Happy Halloween!

Ok, since I used the extra hour yesterday to sleep, I thought I'd put out Halloween pics out today. But don't expect too much... I got an extra hour of sleep, but that just makes me want more! For Halloween we had a good time... neighbors and friends came over at 3, trick or treat from 5-7, and then everyone came back for a party from 7 (or until the kids were too cold and tired) until everyone went home at midnight.

Pics are random... bear with me!

Ava smiles...

The kids meditating to Wii Fit. Quietest they've ever been!

The Littles taking a bath. (Have I mentioned the new nicknames? Ava=Little Little, Max=Big Little, Nolan=Little Big and Abby=Big Big)


You know that kid you see in the store with the bright yellow boots and you think, nice boots? Yeah, that's my kid.


That's a sled they're on. They were hill sledding. I guess they're looking forward to snow.


Another smile. A little evil.


Here's a Halloween party pic. One of the games was ring toss onto the witches hat.


Another game... pick out a rat, bat, mouse and spider from the vampire blood (or red jello, as the case may be).



And we also wrapped the mummies. Cutest mummy ever!


Here's a pic from the pumpkin patch. I took the kids there Thursday (they had Wednesday-Friday off last week).


We have a Big Sister, Little Sister frame we've been trying to fill. This pic might do the trick.


The annual sorting and counting of the candy. Somewhere around 135 pieces.


Ava did NOT like to be in the costume. Or she was just tired. She was a little monster and it was so cute. I also put a little bat tattoo on her cheek that was adorable.


The crew.


Pumpkin carving. Don't worry, Max was fully supervised with his knife.


Little pumpkin


The pumpkin patch again.


That's it! And now it's November. Soon the snow will fly and it will be 2010. How can that be???

What did you do with your extra hour?

I could have washed clothes, done work, gotten organized, caught up on email, downloaded Halloween pictures or updated the blog. But I didn't. Instead, I went to bed at 8:00 last night and SLEPT! And I don't regret one second of it! How about you? What did you do?

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Labels

I was watching Supernanny tonight, and while I usually like Jo's ideas, I don't usually follow them. Tonight, she wrote down all the negative words the mom and dad used to label their kids at the beginning of the show, and then she made them write down positive labels. I find myself often labeling my kids--Abby is the bad eater, the child with an attitude; Nolan is emotional and whiny; Max is wild and super crazy. Ava doesn't have any bad labels yet.

But you know what? Abby is also super helpful, social but not inappropriately so in school or other quiet areas, and goes out of her way to make everyone in a group feel included. She's always the one to befriend the new kids in school, has a great time when she's with friends, and just loves life.

Nolan is emotional, but it's because he just feels things so deeply. Tonight I told him he hurt my feelings. He didn't realize it, and when I said it he cried because he felt bad. His love is worn on his sleeve, and he so much wants to be a good friend, but just doesn't always know how to show it yet. He's also so fun and funny. He's always playing some silly game with Max and Dave and I just laugh at him all the time. Nolan is also so neat and organized. He may not always put things away, but his clothes are in his hamper, his bed gets straightened, he's proud of his appearance and his surroundings. Oh, and he's a baseball lover!

Max is just amazing in his physical ability. From potty training to bike riding, he just amazes me. But he also amazes me with his facial expressions, and his sense of humor. At two, he seems to get funny things, and how to be funny. That will be so fun to watch develop.

And everything about Ava is so amazing. I mean, she smiles! She coos! What more could you want? :)

I'd never say my kids are perfect. In fact, too often I point out why they aren't. But from now on, I'm going to try to remember (and tell them!) those really great things that I love about each one of them.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Blogging about blogging

Do you know that I think in blog? I mean, something happens, and immediately my mind "writes" it. If I could carry my computer, log on, and type at any time, you'd be amazed at what would come out. Sometimes I forget, sometimes something else happens and I don't write about one thing so I don't dull the other thing, or sometimes it just doesn't seem blog worthy anymore. It's really a strange dynamic.

The reason I started this blog was many-fold. It is, of course, a great way to keep friends and relatives up-to-date in our lives. Moreso, it's a way for the kids, as they get older, to see things they've done and said. It's my memory capturer, similar to a scrapbook. But now I'm not so sure. For one thing, Abby recently found the blog and started reading it. Yikes! I don't think I'm ready to share with her what I say about her to other people yet. And I'm also not sure how much I want them to remember their childhoods. I mean, the other day, when Nolan was whining and my mom was here, I said, "I never whined like that!" And my mom laughed. She said I was quite melodramatic at times. She always used to tell me "Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll go eat worms." That? I could have gone a lifetime not knowing. Oh well. Blogging is fun, and since I already think in blog, I might as well continue.

I like reading other people's blogs, too. It always feels like a little glimpse into someone's life... funny, dramatic, everything like you or nothing like you, blogs are a book in progress. Tonight I caught up with my reading from blogger/author Catherine Newman. She has a blog here and she also writes a recipe column for family.com. In this article, she was talking about a recipe for vegetable soup, and said:

It takes only the most momentary lapse in kindness, doesn't it? To snuff the glow from your children's eyes? It is devastating, the power we have as parents. I vow, again, kindness only, to let the grace of them illuminate me and dispel the shadows of pettiness.

I love the idea. I wish I could do it, be kind to my kids always. It's what I teach them to do to others. And yet still, at times, I find myself screaming at one or another--literally screaming while they cry. Don't get me wrong... fortunately it's not often. But Tuesday? When five minutes before we were supposed to leave for school, and I realized that Nolan didn't tell me about the books he was supposed to read, didn't know where his library book was, couldn't find his coat, gloves, hat? I screamed. And watched the glow leave his eyes. And I wonder if, each time I yell, if those eyes ever get the full brightness of the glow back, or if it diminishes each time, by just a little bit. Kindness only, I will try, if only so I never have to know the answer to that, and can always see the glow in his big brown eyes.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Phone call and santa and nice people

The phone rang tonight from a number I didn't recognize. The conversation went like this:



Me: Hello?

Girl on phone: Is Dave there?

Me: No, he's not. Can I take a message?

Girl on phone: Um, this is Megan, his daughter.

Me: Ha! Uh, I think you must have the wrong number. At least I hope so!!

Girl on phone: Kind of laughed and hung up.



Dave, anything you think I should know? :)



On the way to school the other day, Nolan said something about santa. Abby said, "Some people don't think santa is real." Really? Who? "Someone at school said they saw their mom and dad wrapping presents and putting them under the tree." Wow! I'm glad I don't have to do that. I'd be sad if santa didn't bring our gifts!

Just give me one more year of believing. I don't think I could handle it this year.

Shocker, I forgot another thing tonight. I ordered stuff from the kids' fundraiser and I was supposed to pick it up tonight. The lady organizing it all called me twice, but we were at the Y so I didn't get them until too late. Ugh. I called her and left a message and then felt horrible. She is the mom who does and organizes it all... school fundraiser, soccer, PTO, everything. And when she called me back? She was SO nice. She really could have made me feel guilty but didn't. I really like those people. Understanding, nice, organized. Some day maybe that will be me.





Saturday, October 17, 2009

It rained and it rained...

...but that's ok, because the babies came two by two!
You may recognize Ava on the right, and the gorgeous boy on the left is Mr. Jack Ebbs. Ava took her first plane ride this weekend, for her first play date, to visit with our friends Brian and Tammy, and their 5-month old son Jack.
Seven years ago, Brian and Tammy came to visit us, and here they are holding Abby.

And now they have their very own, who we got the privilege of holding when we went to visit them this time!

Last time we were in DC, we did a few site seeing things. This time our only agenda was to meet Jack and RELAX! Looks successful, huh?

Jack even got his first tooth while we were there, too... and didn't complain about it at all. Watching Brian and Tammy as parents is wonderful. They're so wonderful, so in love with Jack and everything he does, it's amazing to see them. Here's Brian with Ava. Now that he has a baby of his own, I think he's much more comfortable with ours!


And here's Tammy with Ava... a natural mom.


The moms and the babies...


The dads and the babies...


Dave and Jack



Two babies, no waiting! Jack is such a happy guy!


We're heading home tomorrow, and will check out the homefront. Dave's parents are with the other three... and are doing FONDUE! Have they met Max? I'll let you know how that goes!