Maddie on her new rocking horse sent from Aunt Amy and Uncle Sean
Maddie and Papa playing
All smiles!!
Maddie has really started belly laughing out loud even harder than before. Of course Nanny can bring that out in her!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Nanny and Papa's Visit
When Nanny and Papa come for a visit, our kids are quickly all smiles. They bring car loads (no joke) of toys and endless laughter and love to our little ones. This last trip was no exception.
Maddie on her new rocking horse sent from Aunt Amy and Uncle Sean
Maddie and Papa playing
All smiles!!
Maddie has really started belly laughing out loud even harder than before. Of course Nanny can bring that out in her!
Maddie on her new rocking horse sent from Aunt Amy and Uncle Sean
Maddie and Papa playing
All smiles!!
Maddie has really started belly laughing out loud even harder than before. Of course Nanny can bring that out in her!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Oldies but Goodies
I was going through a bunch of pictures and videos on my computer and let me tell you, I have A LOT Of pictures and videos!! Unfortunately, most of them don't make it to the blog because there are just oh so many. But, I did find a few that were very blog-worthy so I'll post them here. I could spend hours and hours going down memory lane...
Jacob at 16 months:
Jacob at 13 months:
Jacob at 16 months:
Jacob at 13 months:
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
It doesn't get much cuter than this
This might be, by far, one of my favorite parts of having 2 little ones. Watching them play in the bath together is priceless!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
A blog worthy story
Jacob's soccer game yesterday went infinitely better than the first even though the game fell right smack dab in the middle of nap time at 2:15 pm. We decided to run Jacob ragged in the morning and get him down for a nap early and just wake him up early. Thank goodness we did that. Some of the other kids on the team skipped their naps entirely and let's just say that wasn't really working out for them.
We talked ad nauseum to Jacob about the fact that there would only be one ball in the game and he would have to chase after that ball along with 9 other kids on the field. To which he kept replying "Okay, I can do that." As soon as the game started, he was running like a mad man all over the field but he wasn't really chasing the ball. He was chasing the other kids and running wherever they went. He had a big smile on his face the whole time so we were relieved he was at least having fun this time. Since he wasn't really going after the ball, we told him that if he actually kicked the ball, we'd go for ice cream after the game. Sure enough, he finally got his foot on the ball and was so excited we were going to get ice cream! As an extra incentive, we told him if he kicked the ball in the goal, we'd get him a Lightning McQueen CAKE (we don't condone these tactics, by the way. They are desperate measures to get our child to do what we want him to do, and they rarely work. So, do as we say, not as we do!) When he heard that, he really wanted to kick the ball in the goal, but in his defense, he never even got close enough to the ball (let alone close enough to the ball and the goal at the same time), that it was virtually impossible for him to accomplish this. So, our plan backfired and he started to get upset because he really wanted that cake!
So, he came running up to me in the middle of the game saying "Mommy, I kicked the ball in the goal, okay? I kicked it in the goal" (even though he hadn't, he just REALLY wanted cake.) I just started laughing and said "Okay, Jacob, keep playing. Go get the ball!" But, he wanted to convince someone that he had kicked the ball in the goal, so he pulled his coach aside and kept telling him over and over again, "I kicked the ball in the goal, okay?" The coach didn't understand Jacob-speak so he had no idea what he was saying. So the coach called the referee over and Jacob started telling her that he "kicked the ball in the goal." She didn't understand Jacob-speak either but together, she and the coach decided that Jacob was saying, "I tinkled by the goal". So the referee STOPS THE GAME, comes running off of the field and into the concessions area (to get something to clean up the "tinkle", I guess?) and the coach comes running over to me telling me that Jacob "tinkled by the goal." I looked at him like he was insane (don't you think someone would have seen him peeing by the goal? These things don't just go unnoticed!) I picked Jacob up and said "Jacob, what are you saying?" And of course he says to me "Mommy, I kicked the ball into the goal, okay?" I explained to the coach what was going on, we called the referee back over and the game began once again. Oh holy night. We all got a GOOD laugh out of that one. And we also learned a lesson. Bribery certainly doesn't always work on our child.
We talked ad nauseum to Jacob about the fact that there would only be one ball in the game and he would have to chase after that ball along with 9 other kids on the field. To which he kept replying "Okay, I can do that." As soon as the game started, he was running like a mad man all over the field but he wasn't really chasing the ball. He was chasing the other kids and running wherever they went. He had a big smile on his face the whole time so we were relieved he was at least having fun this time. Since he wasn't really going after the ball, we told him that if he actually kicked the ball, we'd go for ice cream after the game. Sure enough, he finally got his foot on the ball and was so excited we were going to get ice cream! As an extra incentive, we told him if he kicked the ball in the goal, we'd get him a Lightning McQueen CAKE (we don't condone these tactics, by the way. They are desperate measures to get our child to do what we want him to do, and they rarely work. So, do as we say, not as we do!) When he heard that, he really wanted to kick the ball in the goal, but in his defense, he never even got close enough to the ball (let alone close enough to the ball and the goal at the same time), that it was virtually impossible for him to accomplish this. So, our plan backfired and he started to get upset because he really wanted that cake!
So, he came running up to me in the middle of the game saying "Mommy, I kicked the ball in the goal, okay? I kicked it in the goal" (even though he hadn't, he just REALLY wanted cake.) I just started laughing and said "Okay, Jacob, keep playing. Go get the ball!" But, he wanted to convince someone that he had kicked the ball in the goal, so he pulled his coach aside and kept telling him over and over again, "I kicked the ball in the goal, okay?" The coach didn't understand Jacob-speak so he had no idea what he was saying. So the coach called the referee over and Jacob started telling her that he "kicked the ball in the goal." She didn't understand Jacob-speak either but together, she and the coach decided that Jacob was saying, "I tinkled by the goal". So the referee STOPS THE GAME, comes running off of the field and into the concessions area (to get something to clean up the "tinkle", I guess?) and the coach comes running over to me telling me that Jacob "tinkled by the goal." I looked at him like he was insane (don't you think someone would have seen him peeing by the goal? These things don't just go unnoticed!) I picked Jacob up and said "Jacob, what are you saying?" And of course he says to me "Mommy, I kicked the ball into the goal, okay?" I explained to the coach what was going on, we called the referee back over and the game began once again. Oh holy night. We all got a GOOD laugh out of that one. And we also learned a lesson. Bribery certainly doesn't always work on our child.
Friday, May 14, 2010
All About Jake
Believe it or not, I have many moments of guilt when I think the blog might be favoring one child over the other. How do I make sure Jake and Maddie get equal air time? This is a tough one folks, but rest assured, I'm on it.
The posts lately have been focused on Maddie so I wanted to make sure I recapped what Jacob has been up to. Have I mentioned that he is playing soccer? In a real league? Blue Sky in Keller has a league for 3-4 year olds called "First Kicks". I think it should be re-named "First Rate Chaos" but that's another story. His team is called the "Ball Hawks" and they practice twice a week at 7 pm. Twice a WEEK. At SEVEN in the evening. These kids are 3 years old! Despite the crazy practice times, Jacob loves soccer. He absolutely loves kicking his own ball around and he is great about following directions and doing the practice drills. Here's the kicker: In a real game, there is only one ball. Jacob is not a fan of this. In practice, he has his own ball and gets to kick it into the goal and dribble it down the field at his own pace. During a game, he can't for the life of him understand why there is only one ball and everyone is chasing after that one ball. So, at his very first game last weekend, he spent the entire game crying waving his hands wildly above his head as he chased the ball around with 9 other kids on the field. Unfortunately, he's not the fastest or most aggressive one out there so he rarely gets a chance to actually get to the ball. This is entirely too frustrating for him and I completely understand why!
So, we're working on getting him to understand the difference between a practice and a game. Let's hope this catches on soon or we may only be in the soccer league to go to the practices.
But man, is he cute in his soccer gear or WHAT?!
Yesterday morning, my Mom's League set up an event at the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) where the kids got to make pizza. How cool is that? We took a tour of the whole restaurant (freezer, kitchen, etc.) and then each kid had their own dough they could top with any toppings they wanted. They got to spread the sauce on the dough with their little hands! They even had "certified pizza maker" certificates made up when we were done. CPK definitely won points in my book that day. Jacob had an awesome time and the pizza was great too!
This morning, our playgroup organized a tour of the Grapevine Fire Station. We missed the tour of the Southlake station a few months ago so I was super excited that they were going to do it again. Jacob loved it! He especially loved sitting in the captain's chair in the fire truck. I couldn't get him out of that thing.
Finally, Jacob is still in swim lessons once a week. His lessons have not gone as smoothly as I had hoped. They generally involve a lot of crying because at some point in the lesson, the teachers ask the kids to put their faces in the water and Jacob is not at all a fan of this. Week after week, I leave there in frustration because the lesson has turned into another 30 minute cry-fest and I end up calling Mark wondering if we should just stop going. Then, Mark took Jacob to a make up class in the evening a couple of weeks ago and he didn't cry AT ALL and put his face in the water SEVERAL times! He had the same teacher and everything (and no, we don't go in the water with them.) I thought it had to be a fluke because sure enough, at the next regular lesson, Jacob cried for me when they asked him to go under water. He at least wasn't crying through the whole lesson though. So tonight, we had another make up lesson and Mark went with us. Would you believe that kid went under water multiple times and was smiling and laughing the whole time! Is he showing off for Dad or what?! I think we might have to rearrange our schedule and start doing night lessons.
A couple of pics from tonight:
So, as you can see, we have been quite busy over here. Jacob's 2nd soccer game is tomorrow. Wish us luck that he actually enjoys this one!
The posts lately have been focused on Maddie so I wanted to make sure I recapped what Jacob has been up to. Have I mentioned that he is playing soccer? In a real league? Blue Sky in Keller has a league for 3-4 year olds called "First Kicks". I think it should be re-named "First Rate Chaos" but that's another story. His team is called the "Ball Hawks" and they practice twice a week at 7 pm. Twice a WEEK. At SEVEN in the evening. These kids are 3 years old! Despite the crazy practice times, Jacob loves soccer. He absolutely loves kicking his own ball around and he is great about following directions and doing the practice drills. Here's the kicker: In a real game, there is only one ball. Jacob is not a fan of this. In practice, he has his own ball and gets to kick it into the goal and dribble it down the field at his own pace. During a game, he can't for the life of him understand why there is only one ball and everyone is chasing after that one ball. So, at his very first game last weekend, he spent the entire game crying waving his hands wildly above his head as he chased the ball around with 9 other kids on the field. Unfortunately, he's not the fastest or most aggressive one out there so he rarely gets a chance to actually get to the ball. This is entirely too frustrating for him and I completely understand why!
So, we're working on getting him to understand the difference between a practice and a game. Let's hope this catches on soon or we may only be in the soccer league to go to the practices.
But man, is he cute in his soccer gear or WHAT?!
Yesterday morning, my Mom's League set up an event at the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) where the kids got to make pizza. How cool is that? We took a tour of the whole restaurant (freezer, kitchen, etc.) and then each kid had their own dough they could top with any toppings they wanted. They got to spread the sauce on the dough with their little hands! They even had "certified pizza maker" certificates made up when we were done. CPK definitely won points in my book that day. Jacob had an awesome time and the pizza was great too!
This morning, our playgroup organized a tour of the Grapevine Fire Station. We missed the tour of the Southlake station a few months ago so I was super excited that they were going to do it again. Jacob loved it! He especially loved sitting in the captain's chair in the fire truck. I couldn't get him out of that thing.
Finally, Jacob is still in swim lessons once a week. His lessons have not gone as smoothly as I had hoped. They generally involve a lot of crying because at some point in the lesson, the teachers ask the kids to put their faces in the water and Jacob is not at all a fan of this. Week after week, I leave there in frustration because the lesson has turned into another 30 minute cry-fest and I end up calling Mark wondering if we should just stop going. Then, Mark took Jacob to a make up class in the evening a couple of weeks ago and he didn't cry AT ALL and put his face in the water SEVERAL times! He had the same teacher and everything (and no, we don't go in the water with them.) I thought it had to be a fluke because sure enough, at the next regular lesson, Jacob cried for me when they asked him to go under water. He at least wasn't crying through the whole lesson though. So tonight, we had another make up lesson and Mark went with us. Would you believe that kid went under water multiple times and was smiling and laughing the whole time! Is he showing off for Dad or what?! I think we might have to rearrange our schedule and start doing night lessons.
A couple of pics from tonight:
So, as you can see, we have been quite busy over here. Jacob's 2nd soccer game is tomorrow. Wish us luck that he actually enjoys this one!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Only Jacob can do this
This post is a bit out of order, but when my Dad and I came back from Houston (while Mark was out of town), we caught a couple of great videos of Jacob making Maddie laugh. For some reason, he's the only one that can make her really laugh. Out LOUD. I mean, I know he's funny. But she thinks he's hysterical.
Check it out:
Check it out:
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Third time's a charm?
Since I made the teeny tiny dress for Maddie that didn't fit over her head, I've been pressuring myself to complete something for her that actually fits (don't forget the shoes that I made that were too small as well.) So, I banged out this dress and was pleasantly surprised that it was actually wearable!
And really, could the dress have a cuter model? I think NOT!
She started eating the grass...
So I gave her my lens cap as a distraction...
And it went right in her mouth...
And was DELICIOUS...
I think Nikon should hire her
And really, could the dress have a cuter model? I think NOT!
She started eating the grass...
So I gave her my lens cap as a distraction...
And it went right in her mouth...
And was DELICIOUS...
I think Nikon should hire her
Monday, May 10, 2010
Just can't get enough
I decided last week that being tied to a sewing machine is not an ideal way to live life, no matter how addicting it can be. In fact, addiction it is. Do they make a patch for sewing? Ahhh, no pun intended.
Here's what I've learned so far:
Well, here they are and they are cute. But they were too small. So, off they went into Iris's gift basket.
So, my next big project was a summer dress. I love the idea of putting different fabrics together to create something unique and beautiful. So I made this. And it was too small (seeing a trend here?) Argh, isn't this a cute dress?! The darn thing didn't fit over my baby girls big noggin'. Her head is bigger than her chest! Can you believe that??
But, I think the most fun I've had is when I'm making something for someone else. I love giving a friend something that is unique and made with love, so I hope they love it as much as I love making it! If not, who cares. I still loved making it! ha.
Gifts for Iris:
And, at the end of the day, I realize that sewing has been a little therapeutic for me. There's nothing more satisfying than starting with a little bit of fabric and thread and making something beautiful. Even if it is too small.
Here's what I've learned so far:
- Sewing has a HUGE learning curve. Yes, I learned that there is a learning curve. And it's big.
- Sewing "speak" consists of a different language. One that I rarely understand. The "selvage" had me stumped for days.
- Patterns with pictures are the only way to go. Give me a picture and I understand (most of the time.) Write it out in sewing "speak" and I will likely throw my machine out the window in frustration.
- I cannot, for the life of me, estimate sizes correctly. (See exhibits A and B below).
Well, here they are and they are cute. But they were too small. So, off they went into Iris's gift basket.
So, my next big project was a summer dress. I love the idea of putting different fabrics together to create something unique and beautiful. So I made this. And it was too small (seeing a trend here?) Argh, isn't this a cute dress?! The darn thing didn't fit over my baby girls big noggin'. Her head is bigger than her chest! Can you believe that??
But, I think the most fun I've had is when I'm making something for someone else. I love giving a friend something that is unique and made with love, so I hope they love it as much as I love making it! If not, who cares. I still loved making it! ha.
Gifts for Iris:
And, at the end of the day, I realize that sewing has been a little therapeutic for me. There's nothing more satisfying than starting with a little bit of fabric and thread and making something beautiful. Even if it is too small.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
A recap of the week
I can always tell when it's been a busy week because I look at the blog and think to myself "I wrote that over a week ago? I thought I wrote that post last night!" Yet another example of how time seems to be escaping me. So, this week has definitely been a busy one.
Last Saturday (5/1) , we drove to Houston for Rachel's big birthday bash and we finally got to meet Iris!
Oh how I miss these girls!! (Melody, Kristy, Julie, Rachel, me and Krissy)
Don't you just want to smother Iris's face with kisses?!
And there is nothing sweeter than a newborn falling asleep on your chest (Julie's chest)
Maddie and her soon-to-be Godmother, Julie! (as a side note, do you see how curly my little girl's hair is in this picture? Leave it up to the Houston humidity to have this effect. I've never seen it like this!)
We had a great time catching up and holding each others babies. I wish we were closer so we could do it all the time!
On Sunday afternoon, we had a BBQ in the park in The Woodlands with all of our cousins. Jacob was in heaven and Maddie was adored by her big cousin Hallie.
Mark left Monday morning on a flight for Phoenix, so the kids and I decided to stay in Houston until Tuesday. Grandpa, Misty and I decided to take Brookie and Jacob to the mall where they could run around and play and ride the carousel. Of course Maddie had to take a ride as well and let's just say that she wasn't disappointed! Look at that face!
On Monday afternoon, Maddie, Jake and I met up with Tara, Luke and Ava and I learned that Tara is pregnant with her 3rd baby! What amazing news! And she also just found out that she's expecting another girl. I am SO excited for her and her hubby Kelly!! I think she's pretty excited about another girl too -- just look how naturally happy she looks with a baby girl on her lap. :) :)
On Monday night, I got to have a nice quiet dinner with Julie and Rach (sans kids) which was a welcome relief from the hustle of the weekend. It's such a rare occasion for us all to be together that the dinner seemed to pass too quickly and I felt a little (okay, a lot) sad on the drive home.
Grandpa and I drove back to Dallas on Tuesday and Mark arrived home on Thursday to a most ECSTATIC Jacob. I've never seem this excited when Daddy gets home from a work trip. Don't get me wrong...Jacob is always excited when Mark gets home but for some reason, this trip was different. Jacob couldn't let go of him and was over-the-moon happy to see him. I think he's starting to feel the passage of time and for that, I hope we don't have trips that keep us away for too long at a time in the future.
Last Saturday (5/1) , we drove to Houston for Rachel's big birthday bash and we finally got to meet Iris!
Oh how I miss these girls!! (Melody, Kristy, Julie, Rachel, me and Krissy)
Don't you just want to smother Iris's face with kisses?!
And there is nothing sweeter than a newborn falling asleep on your chest (Julie's chest)
Maddie and her soon-to-be Godmother, Julie! (as a side note, do you see how curly my little girl's hair is in this picture? Leave it up to the Houston humidity to have this effect. I've never seen it like this!)
We had a great time catching up and holding each others babies. I wish we were closer so we could do it all the time!
On Sunday afternoon, we had a BBQ in the park in The Woodlands with all of our cousins. Jacob was in heaven and Maddie was adored by her big cousin Hallie.
Mark left Monday morning on a flight for Phoenix, so the kids and I decided to stay in Houston until Tuesday. Grandpa, Misty and I decided to take Brookie and Jacob to the mall where they could run around and play and ride the carousel. Of course Maddie had to take a ride as well and let's just say that she wasn't disappointed! Look at that face!
On Monday afternoon, Maddie, Jake and I met up with Tara, Luke and Ava and I learned that Tara is pregnant with her 3rd baby! What amazing news! And she also just found out that she's expecting another girl. I am SO excited for her and her hubby Kelly!! I think she's pretty excited about another girl too -- just look how naturally happy she looks with a baby girl on her lap. :) :)
On Monday night, I got to have a nice quiet dinner with Julie and Rach (sans kids) which was a welcome relief from the hustle of the weekend. It's such a rare occasion for us all to be together that the dinner seemed to pass too quickly and I felt a little (okay, a lot) sad on the drive home.
Grandpa and I drove back to Dallas on Tuesday and Mark arrived home on Thursday to a most ECSTATIC Jacob. I've never seem this excited when Daddy gets home from a work trip. Don't get me wrong...Jacob is always excited when Mark gets home but for some reason, this trip was different. Jacob couldn't let go of him and was over-the-moon happy to see him. I think he's starting to feel the passage of time and for that, I hope we don't have trips that keep us away for too long at a time in the future.
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