Rain, Rain

We had our Naperville Area Moms play date at the Splash Park on Wednesday until this storm rolled in. Luckily my kids were bone dry since they don't want to actually play IN the water so when 20+ moms made a mass exodus at the first thunder, we were back to our car before the first raindrops.

We drove home in the pouring rain and by the time we got home it was just a light drizzle.  Of course the kids decided it would be fun to get drenched in the rain.  Luckily our suits were still.

Charley's bike has been a huge hit and she's happy as can be just walking around with it like this.

But, big brother pushing her is way more fun!

Even Claire was out enjoying some new front yard scenery.

These days home with the kids have been so fun.  I was a little worried I would miss being with them and not want to go back to school!  So far it's been a fantastic balance.  Teaching really is the best job for moms!

Summer Days

We are loving our summer days together!  These kids exhaust me though.  It was a beautiful day on Friday so we made a short stop at a tiny zoo by us.

It's free to get in and takes about 20 minutes to walk through but it's a great little detour on the way to the grocery store.

The favorite for Jackson was this tortoise and the bald eagles.  "Look, mom!  He's coming close to me because he likes me!"

Charley loved the reptile house. She ran in circles the whole time and stopped to say hi to the turtles after each lap.

Then we found this.  Gross.

It's just so fun watching the kids play together.  It's a fun and tiring age.

What A Wild Weekend!

A couple weekends ago we had ourselves quite an adventure.  Saturday morning we did a lot of child corralling yard work.  I edged the big back beds and then Bryan and I cleaned up all the big dirt chunks.  That night we had some friends come over to grill. 

The next morning we had a babysitter come over so Bryan and I could run the Merrel Down And Dirty Mud Run. I wasn't at all excited about the idea after running a tough race a couple weeks before.  I actually hadn't run once in the three weeks between the two races.  But, the race was so fun!  We met another couple there and had a blast.  It was a 3 mile run with about 10 obstacles along the way.  The first obstacle was a giant mud pit so the fear of getting dirty wash addressed right from the beginning.  We climbed rope ladders, scaled wooden ladder walls, carried bags of sand, and all sorts of other fun!  The hills were intense.  I was huffing and puffing big time.  The photos of me don't make it look like I had fun.  I take the WORST exercising photos.  THE WORST!  Bryan looked good though.  Here are a couple bad ones of me but there are about 20 more that are worse.

When we got home from the race Jackson was acting kind of funny.  We weren't really sure what was going on.  Then he told me that he jumped off his changing table and hurt his arm.  He wasn't crying.  He was just really quiet and sat in front of the tv for two hours!  We thought maybe he was just mad at us for leaving him with a sitter or he was scared to go to the Chicago Fire game that we planned to go to later that day. 

We decided to try the game anyway and give him some time to see if there was really a problem.  He was scared as we went into the game because it's loud and he doesn't like sitting up high.  Overall he did great though.  And of course Charley went along for the ride.

It was pretty obvious something still wasn't right though.  He would cry when I asked him to reach up for something.  I was specifically asking him to do certain things to test it out.  As we left the stadium we decided we should take him to urgent care.  Bryan dropped us off and we got in right away.  The doctor could feel some asymmetry right away and ordered an x-ray.  Jackson was SO good for it all.  He was brave and patient and really cooperative.  What a sweet boy.

It took about .03 seconds to see that his clavicle was broken.  Luckily it was a midline fracture so it would heal nicely on its own.  We were sent home with a sling and orders to see an orthopedic doctor.  It took until Friday to get that appointment but that doctor said everything seemed fine and he just wants to get another x-ray in a few weeks to check the healing progress.

Overall, the whole process has been pretty easy.  The hardest part is keeping him from re-injuring it as he runs around like a crazy man!

 

Bryan and I got into bed on Sunday night and both let out a giant sigh.  It was such a long, crazy weekend!

Caroline Jane ~ Twenty Three Months

I'm late again.  Really late this time.  But at least there's only one more.  I can't believe I've been doing monthly updates for 47 months and in just one more I won't have a baby anymore.  Eeeeek! 

 

Caroline Jane, at twenty three months you:

• are still saying more and more words.  You repeat almost everything we say.  Your favorite thing to say is "yeah."  Mommy realizes she asks you way too many yes or no questions.
• love to be outside and riding bikes.  You ask for your "hat" and then you straddle your bike and walk it back and forth along the sidewalk.  Silly girl.
• rode your first carnival ride.  You were actually an inch too short but Mommy snuck you in to a super safe car and you LOVED it.
• love blowing bubbles.  You want to do it yourself but you stick the bubble wand in your mouth.
• can go up and down the stairs all by yourself.  You get really mad if anyone tries to touch you.
• had your first haircut.  You were such a good girl and sat so still.
• are still a great eater. You love fruits and some veggies and always ask for "muck" instead of milk. You won't drink chocolate milk or juice.  A complete opposite of your brother.
• are getting really interested in potty training.  You ask to sit on the potty but haven't done anything yet. 
• are slimming down and Mommy gets so many comments about how your face is changing and you don't look like a baby anymore.  Slow down, girlie!!

We love you so much!  One more month until you're two!!!

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!!!!