Bubbles!!

If you really, really want something

and you beg your mommy to let you hold the bubble wand

and you concentrate reeeeeeeeaaally hard,

if you're lucky......

you just might blow a bubble!

TA-DA!!!

SO much bubble soap was consumed but so many smiles and giggles were given!  She was pretty sweet for ear infection four since February!

Mother's Day Fun

There are some weekends when Bryan and I climb into bed on Sunday night and high five after a great weekend.  The perfect balance of productivity, relaxation, fun, good food, and minimal tantrums.  This weekend was one of those weekends!

 

Friday, I picked Jackson up from school and he looked pitiful.  He had giant tears in his eyes and told me he couldn't eat his cookie because his throat hurt.  Poor boy.  Luckily, it didn't last long and he was fine the rest of the weekend.  Saturday morning I ran a 5k with my way faster than me friend Amber.  She hung back with me for a couple miles and then she took off.  I wasn't really feeling it so by mile 4 I was walking a bit.  I think I officially broke up with running during that "race."  I was SO slow.  It's done though.  And then the rest of the weekend could go on. 

 Bryan brought the kids to watch.  I like bringing them to as many races as possible because it shows them how important and fun an active lifestyle is.

 The great thing about running slower than 98% of the people in the race was that I finished almost alone and the kids could run with me!  Jackson was so excited after we crossed the finish line and he yelled, "We won the race!!!"

 Then he gave me the flowers that he picked.  I tried "setting them down in a special place" but he totally called me on it as I walked away so to the van they went!

 Saturday night we called a last minute sitter and went to one of our favorite date spots for dinner.  We love White Chocolate Grill and we were home by the kids' bedtime. 

 

Sunday we went to church and then to Golden Corral for breakfast.  Bryan makes fun of me because I love it so much.  You can't take the Missouri out of the girl......

 

After nap time we headed to the carnival by our mall.  It's there around Mother's Day and since we went last year too, we went ahead and called it our tradition. Jackson was excited for the rides.  His face on this slide kills me!

 Here's Momma with her babies who are getting way too big.

 Really, Jackson loved every ride.  This truck ride was his favorite.

 Charley was sad she wasn't tall enough to ride.  She kept saying "car?'  Poor girl.

 She liked the carousel but was sad that Jackson wasn't on it.  She just waited to go by him every time it went around.  She would should out his name and he'd wave.  She calls him Shacksee and I'm loving it.

 A great smile. :)  He hasn't stopped talking about how much fun he had at the "varnicle."

 And then there's this.  Ha!  We cheated on the height requirements because she was so sad.  Despite the faces, she really did like it.

 I can't believe I've been a mom for 3 years already.  What a blessing!

We're looking forward to more great weekends coming up!

Caroline Jane~Twenty Two Months

 

Caroline Jane, at twenty two months you:

• have officially moved to the Toddler room at school.  For a while you were going back and forth between the classes but you're always there now!
• LOVE playing outside.  You stand at the back door and say "ah-side" over an over.  You love the slide and to play tee ball.
• have moved to the Explorer room at church.  The sweet ladies in the nursery were so great that mommy didn't want to move you but you do well in your new room.
• have developed quite the personality.  You say no often and make it very clear when you don't want to do something.  You are starting to tell Mommy you don't want to go to bed but you always fall asleep right away.
• have had your fifth ear infection since September.  The pediatrician is waiting for one more before you turn two before we get evaluated for tubes.  Mommy wants them!
•  are very attached to your dolly, lovie, and paci ("bossy".)  You whine and moan when someone takes one from you in the morning.
• have become very interested in books.  You like reading them independently and you gibber jabber while you read them just like you are actually reading the words.

 

Just one more update before you're TWO!!!!

 

Happy Easter

We had a great Easter weekend with Mimi!  This year we decided to skip the Naperville Egg Hunt which is always super overwhelming and just do the Oswego one.  This time we invited several friends to go with us!  The kids had a good time.  Charley was a little unsure of the Easter Bunny but Jackson was in heaven.

 They do a new hunt every 30 minutes all day which makes it much more relaxing and the kids can take their time.  Inside are small games for the kids to play.

 

 

 Jackson knew just what to do but this was Charley's first time.  Here we caught the egg flying OUT of Charley's basket.  We put some in her basket and she threw them out.

 It took a lot of adult supervision for her to end with any eggs in her basket.

 

 Our friends all enjoyed the hunt too and then we went back to our house to grill hamburgers on our new grill.

 JJ had a massive tantrum on the way home and then Charley was screaming too so both kids went to their rooms when we got back to the house.  It was only 10:30 so we Charley fell asleep almost immediately I figured we were in trouble for nap time.  But..she slept for FOUR hours and missed the whole party!  The kids had fun finding even more eggs.

 After a big rest time we headed to the Outlet mall to pick up a couple things and enjoy the amazing weather.  We stopped soon before we left for a small snack.

 And then he crashed on the way home.  We went for pizza after the mall and he laid on the floor for about ten minutes because he was so tired.  I was slightly worried he was getting sick but as soon the pizza came he pepped up again!

 And of course he had plenty of energy left for ice cream.  What a "helper!"

 Charley is getting so independent.  She sat her forever eating her ice cream and she wouldn't accept help until the end.

 This morning we got up to see the Easter Bunny baskets and then headed to headed to church.  I wasn't thinking when I put him in Christmas pajamas.  We're really festive.

 Charley loved her new swim suit cover up from Mimi.  She wore it all morning and even left it on to eat her cereal.  She has been loving this rocking chair lately!

 Those bangs...  I reeeaaallly don't want to cut them but they are always in her face until I get pull her hair into a ponytail.  She says "mess" and tries to push it out of her eyes.  I'm hoping it will get easier to deal with when it's long enough to tuck behind her ear.

 SHE LOOKS SO OLD!!!!

 Tripod and self timer!  This was the first photo and they kept getting worse and worse.

 We tried a new way of dying eggs but we'll be going back to the old way next year.  The color on these didn't stick well.

 

 It was incredible outside today and we played in the backyard for two hours and grilled dinner too.  It was a great weekend!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

Caroline Jane ~ Twenty One Months

Let's just pretend that Charley juuuuust turned 21 months old instead of focusing on the fact that she'll be 22 months in 12 days.   Ooops.

There are just a couple more of these updates to do.  I can't believe my baby is almost two and that I have done monthly updates for the kids for 4 years! 

Caroline Jane, at twenty one months you:

• weigh 28 pounds.  Mommy took you to the doctor before our trip for Spring Break and she was shocked that you had gained a couple pounds.
• are still mostly wearing 2T clothes but a couple things are starting to fit you at 3T.
• are walking everywhere.  You haven't crawled in so long.  You are getting better at walking on mulch too.  The first trip to the park was hard for you because you kept falling and your hands were dirty but you kept trying.
• love going down slides.  You call them "sides."  Mommy still has to help a lot though because you lay down almost completely flat.  It's another sign that we still have a lot of strength building to do.
• are spending more time in the toddler room at school.  You are kind of split between the two rooms. 
• are talking so well.  You are even starting to put a couple words together.  It's still pretty mumbled a lot but it's getting better and better.
• love singing Gonk Gonk and Itsy Bitsy Spider.
• ask to take a bath ("bats") every night.  You love splashing in the water with Jackson but you aren't a fan of getting your hair washed.
• are still sleeping and napping like a rock star!

We love you so, so much baby girl.  You are growing up so fast and we're so proud of you.

Take Me Away

We are off on our Spring Break trip!  The first part of the trip is a 500 mile drive to Kansas City.  We were a little scared of this trip because out last couple trips have been brutal.  Traffic.  Blizzards. Screaming, sick kids.  But this trip has been great!  Jackson is still a "threenager" and we can't get around that but at least he NAPPED!!  

Charley's been pretty happy too.  She's slept a little, read some animal books, and ate teddy Grahams while taking her socks off.

We will be in KC until Monday and then we leave the kids behind and head for MARCO ISLAND!  We are ecstatic and Nana is really excited to spend so time with the kids!  Can't wait!

Keeping On.

Whoa!!!  It's been 3 weeks without a post!  I'm just going to post several photos from my phone tonight and then later this week I'll get Charley's 21 month post up!!  Time is FLYING!!  We just finished parent/teacher conferences, Bryan has been working a ton, and Spring Break is next week.  We're busy people right now!  The kids are healthy (mostly), happy (mostly), and doing well!!

Charley is getting pretty good at brushing her teeth.  She takes it very seriously.

Jackson is getting better and better at being able to sit and focus.  He loves these Perler beads and will sit long enough to fill a whole shape board.  We have several of these ironed shapes floating around our house.

Last week is was warm(ish..50s?) and sunny so we played outside after school.  We were using our sand toys to build with the snow.  We have had lots of warm days and there's still lingering snow.  I'll be interested to see how everyone's lawns do because everything seems flattened from the weight of all the snow.

We went to our friend Josefin's third birthday party at Kids Town!

Charley knows how to party!

She also knows how to get around quickly which is why JJ plays in the dog kennel.  "She'll never get my toys in here!"

"Who, me?"  She's getting SO big.  But not really. All this walking is slimming her down.  She's lost a pound since her 18 month appointment!

We have one more week before Spring Break and then we're headed to Nana and Papa's!  I'm so anxious to leave the kids:/.  It'll be fantastic to have a real vacation!  We're headed to Marco Island with some friends while the kids stay with Nans and Papa!  So exciting!!