Dance, dance, dance

Today I pulled out the carousel that my Grandpa Cal (Pops) set our way last winter.  It is a source of much ooh-ing, aaah-ing, laughing & dancing.  The boys love that they can turn the thing on and off.  That’s the part I don’t love quite as much.  Turning it off means when they turn it back on, the song set starts from the beginning.  By the end of the Advent & Christmas seasons, I have a feeling I’m not going to want to hear Jingle Bells for another 12 months.

We had a visitor for a couple of hours this morning.  Little J came over to play with the boys.  She joined was just as enthralled with the carousel as the boys were.  I captured still shots of them checking out the little horses as they went up & down and around & around, but the video is way more entertaining!

Advent countdown

We made an Advent chain with the boys tonight.  I cut strips of purple and pink construction paper and had the kids help staple the ends together to create a chain.  Then they decorated the paper rings with stickers.  I don’t know if they totally understand the concept of counting down to Christmas, but I know they enjoyed creating the chain itself.  They also really had fun running back and forth under the rings after Jake hung the chain from the ceiling in the porch.

5 days of fun

Wednesday night we had to scrounge up some pj’s for Nolan.  I was a tad behind on laundry, so his “normal” pajamas were still in the dirty laundry pile.  We made due with sport pants and a Twins shirt.  Not to be left out, Lincoln “requested” a t-shirt of his own.  Actually, he requested one of Nolan’s and we put it over his sleeper.  He was SO proud of the fact that he was wearing the Corn Dog shirt.  It’s a Sheck boy favorite.

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Thursday was Thanksgiving Day.  Nolan and I worked on a special project Wednesday afternoon & Thursday morning.  We made turkeys using an outline of his hand and finger paint prints of his fingers.  He had a lot of fun gluing on the beaks, “gobblers,” googly-eyes, and feathers.  After the glue dried, I had him decorate the place settings at the table.  He was pretty proud!

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We hosted my family and our friends Teri & Nate for Thanksgiving dinner.  My parents brought the main course (turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing & gravy,) I put together a couple of side dishes (the token green bean casserole and squash & apple dish I made a couple of weeks ago,) Tony brought fruit salad, and Teri made two delicious desserts.  We dined with a couple of pilgrims who gobbled up the food on their plates like old Turkey Day pros.  It was really nice to spend the day with family.

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Can you tell they’re brothers?  Lincoln has started smiling the way his big brother does.  Both of them really know how to ham it up for the camera.

After Thanksgiving dinner I made the mistake of drinking two cups of coffee (with lots of flavored creamer.)  The kids went to bed at 7 & 9.  Jake did the same around midnight or so and I was up until 3AM!  When I laid my head down at 3, I laid awake for another hour.  It was ridiculous.  I don’t know what I was thinking putting that much caffeine into my body so late in the day.  Lesson learned…the hard way.

Friday we spent some time at Larissa’s apartment.  She had a group of us over to swim in her pool.  It was a tad on the chilly side, so we didn’t stay in the water long.  We gave the boys a warm bath to raise their body temps and then had pizza for lunch followed by ice cream sundaes.  Yum!  Jake then took the kids home for a nap while I went in to the office for a few hours.  When I got home, we put the kids to bed and went out in the porch for a while.  Not much was on TV on Friday night; somehow we ended up on QVC.  I ended up making my first purchase thanks to the TV pitchpeople.  (I didn’t call in though – I made the purchase online.)  I’ve been looking for sleeping bags for the boys’ Santa presents and found the perfect ones on QVC.  Who would have thought?  And not only are they sleeping bags, but they’re sleeping bags with cots!  So as the boys get bigger and we’re able to bring the cots with when we travel, the kids won’t have to make camp on the hard (and nasty) hotel floor.  Thanks QVC!

On Saturday we made the annual trip to Menards to pick up our Christmas tree.  We thought about going to a tree farm to cut one down this year, but I think we’ll wait a bit longer before we go on that adventure.  At this point, the kids are more excited about just getting the tree inside the house and decorating it.  Down the road when they’re able to enjoy seeking out the “perfect” tree, we’ll head to the tree farm.  Until then, Menards will bring the tree selection to us.  We convinced the kids to take a nap after we got the tree home, telling them we’d decorate it if they napped.  It worked perfectly.  We all got some much needed sleep and then later in the evening, enjoyed hanging lights and decorations.  We put the tree in the porch so little fingers can’t get to it unless they’re monitored.  Thanks to the former owners of our house, some of the outlets in the porch are on a switch that is in the toy room.  So even though they can’t get up close to the tree without mom or dad, the boys can turn the lights on and off by themselves – it’s perfect.

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Having two little boys in the house means we build a lot of forts.  Sunday afternoon was no different.  The card table we used on Thursday was still in the living room, so we covered it with a sheet and then placed the kids’ hut next to it to extend the width of the fort.  Jake crawled in to see if he would fit.  😉 His feet stuck out one end and his head peered out the other.  Being the helpful toddler, Lincoln checked on his daddy and then proceeded to try to rescue him by pulling on Jake’s head.

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Birthday part 3

Nolan had his first preschool conference this morning.  From the sounds of it, he’s doing pretty well 🙂  I’m glad he is enjoying it as much as he is.  I catch him singing things he learns in class from time to time.  Those moments really make me smile.

After conferences, I took the boys to MG to swim.  We picked up Nana and headed for the pool.  Both boys had a blast going down the kid slide and playing in the zero depth area.  I wish I had brought my camera to capture the excitement on their faces when the fountains and waterfalls came on.

Tonight we celebrated my birthday for the 3rd time.  How’s that for a three day party?  My parents and brother came over for cake (Angel Food this time) and ice cream.  Afterward, we hung out in the porch with a nice warm fire and Nana read to the boys.  I love that my kids have opportunities to spend time with their grandparents, aunts & uncles.  They are loved by so many people.  What a gift that is to me as their mom.

Today’s randoms from Nolan:

For some reason he wanted to attach balloons to his pockets.  I don’t ask why anymore, I just roll with it.  (See the last picture above)

While in the porch this evening, he told Nana & Papa the “mometer” (thermometer) on the wall “measures the number of colds outside.”  Papa then asked if it measures the “number of hots” outside in the summer.  Good question, Dad 🙂

Happy birthday!

My view of birthdays changed a few years ago.  I’ve reached a point where I really don’t keep track of how old I am, but still enjoy having a birthday.  (As I’ve mentioned before, I love cake!  Especially birthday cake!)  I’ve come to realize that once you’ve hit the “milestone birthdays” – 16 (driver’s license); 18 (voting); 21 (legal consumption); 25 (insurance rates go down) you don’t need to necessarily make as big of a deal about your specific age.  Birthdays become more about celebrating with family & friends and reflecting back on the year God has given you, with thanksgiving.

Today, I’m specifically thankful for the disappearance of the migraine that plagued me most of the day today.  I was hoping to get out of the house with the boys this morning, but instead, laid on Nolan’s bed while the kids played in their room.  We only had one casualty in the form of the barnyard lamp that was on their dresser.  Jake came home at lunch armed with Tylenol and a Coke so I could try and combat the pain while resting.  It seemed to work.  When I woke from my nap 3 1/2 hours later, most of the migraine was gone.  Unfortunately, so was most of the day.  But we made the most of the few hours we had left before the boys went to bed.  The kids had been waiting since Saturday to give me the presents they wrapped, so I had them help me open them .  Before I could open my 3rd gift, Nolan said, “It’s an iPod!”  He actually slipped up and mentioned something about it a while ago, but I had forgotten until that moment.  He was SO excited for me to remove it from its packaging.  I think it’s crazy how at 3 1/2 he knows what an iPod is.  Maybe I should have him teach me how to use it.

After we opened presents, we had dinner as a family and had birthday cake again.  Thanks, Larissa!  Nolan even sang the Happy Birthday song to me 🙂  Here’s to another year of good times with family & friends!

OTW – nature, family, scrapbooks & cake

We met friends of ours at Springbrook Nature Center on Friday morning.  There is a visitor center with live and formerly live animals that the kids enjoyed looking at.  I’m not much for snakes, but they had some pretty cool ones that were native to MN.  Maybe I didn’t mind them so much because they were contained in their aquariums.  Once we were done with the inside part of the visit, we ventured outside to walk one of the trails.  The older boys had fun running ahead of us while my friend Brooke & I pushed the little ones in strollers.  It was a beautiful morning to be outside.  We ended up finding a grassy clearing and hung out there for a while so the kids could explore, play & eat a snack.  They had so many animal crackers I don’t think any of them needed lunch.

Side note…Nolan has a book called Help’s on the Way! It’s about rescue vehicles.

Firehouse Tales

In one part of the book, Red, the firetruck helps rescue Milky, the ice cream truck.  Milky is a big, white, boxy, truck.  On our way to the nature center, Nolan said from the back seat, “Look at all those Milkys!”  I paused for a moment, wondering what in the world he was talking about.  When I looked in my mirrors, I noticed that we had just passed the RV sales lot with all of the big, white, boxy, RVs.  I couldn’t contain my laughter 🙂  To his credit, the RVs DID in fact resemble Milky.

Friday night & Saturday I was able to spend time with friends organizing pictures and putting together a scrapbook with pictures from our engagement & wedding.  This has been a project I have been meaning to start for quite a while, but just haven’t gotten to it.  (I wonder why.)  Now that I have things organized and also have a scrapbook to put the finished pages into, I’m hoping to be able to complete the book some time in the next year.  We’ll see…

While I was doing my thing on Saturday, Jake took the boys to Hastings to see Auntie Kari (who was in town for the weekend), Grandma & Grandpa.  From the looks of the pictures, they had a good time playing outside!  They also helped wrap my birthday presents, which was pretty cute to see.  I made sure not to look closely at those pictures until after I opened the gifts.

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Sunday evening, Jake’s parents came over so Jake and I could go out to dinner (a day in advance) for my birthday.  We went to Biaggi’s and had a fantastic meal!  Our server was a friend of my brother’s, so it was fun to catch up with him a little, too.  We ended the evening with pumpkin pie and funfetti cake (made by Larissa).  It was a great birthday-eve!

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Gophers with ribbons

This is one of those posts that my boys will probably ask me why I did this to them, but it was too funny to not record.  For some reason, we have a gold ribbon that has floated around the house for quite some time.  It has been many things – a belt, a string of xmas lights, a fishing line.  Today, Lincoln finally “asked” for his own ribbon, so I pulled a blue one out of the stash of them I still have from when my mom used to put them in my hair as a kid.  Both boys were playing with their respective ribbons tonight when Nolan asked Jake to tie it around his head.  I think he was asking for more of a bandanna on the forehead look, but both kids ended up with bows in their hair.  Sorry guys, I couldn’t resist posting these.  (I swear Lincoln looks like our friends’ daughter J in the 3rd picture.)

Grandparents’ Day

In honor of Grandparents’ Day, the preschoolers invited their special loved ones to come to school and enjoy cookies together.  Nana & Papa and Grandma were all able to join Nolan for the special event.  Afterwards, we all went out for lunch at Paninos.  Yum!  Once Nolan and I returned home and put Lincoln down for his nap, we headed outside for yet another beautiful afternoon.  I really wish the weather would stay as nice as it has been for at least another week.  We’re hoping to participate in the Turkey Day 5K and warmer temps would be preferable, especially since Jake and his mom are planning on walking with the boys (they’ll be in wheeled vehicles) and I’ve never ran (or walked) a 5K event before.

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Tonight I spent a few hours at my parents house going through old pictures.  My friend Michelle is organizing a scrapbooking/craft weekend and I am hoping to get a start on a book of engagement & wedding pictures.  I had a lot of fun remembering the different things we did to get ready for 10/18/02 as I flipped through package upon package of photos.  Little did I know just how many pictures my mom was able to take during the 11 month time period .  I’ve really got my work cut out for me.  It should be fun!

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Thank goodness for visitors

Today got off to a bit of a rocky start – I had to raise my voice and ask God for patience too many times. I was happy to have visitors this morning that brightened up the day and took my mind off of the fact that I was feeling like a crummy mom. My good friend from college, Heidi, and her son J, came to spend some time with us. It had been a while since we last got together, so we had a bit to catch up on. Little J is now on the move, so it was fun to see him crawling and pulling up on things. He is getting so big! My boys enjoyed the company. They’re always captivated by other people their size, but especially when the kids are younger than they are. Lincoln takes an extra special interest in the wee ones – so much so that I need to keep a close eye on him because he tends to think the babes are sturdy like he is. Not to fear though, I’m sure J will catch up to my boys soon enough. It will be a fun day when all 3 of them tear around the house 🙂

I’m writing this entry at work tonight.  I had to come in to take care of a few things and now I’m heading home to try to finish the workbook chapter for my moms’ group study tomorrow morning.  I feel like I’m in college lately – trying to keep up on my reading, but not having much success unless I have a deadline staring at me.  Some habits are just hard to break.

One more tidbit for the day.  On the way home from the grocery store, Nolan said to me, “I’m not a boy anymore.”  I questioned, “So what are you?”  He replied, “A preschooler!”  In a way, I guess he’s right.  He is no longer a “little” boy who needs his mom all of the time.  He’s definitely becoming an independent, preschool boy.

Reading, sleeping, dinner & movie

Jake was the “Mystery Reader” for Nolan’s class today.  To add to the surprise every week, the kids cover their eyes once they are seated on a rug on the floor.  Once the mystery reader comes in, the kids uncover their eyes.  Nolan was pretty happy to see his daddy 🙂  Jake read the kids Harry the Dirty Dog.

Lincoln fell asleep on our way to pick up Nolan from school.  He stayed asleep while I unbuckled him, brought him into the building, picked up Nolan, re-buckled him into his car seat and drove home.  I was hoping I’d be lucky enough to complete the trifecta and bring him up to his crib for a nap, but no such luck.  Instead, we all had lunch and THEN took naps – all 3 of us.  I feel guilty taking naps lately, because it seems like when we wake up, there’s so little light left in the day.  But at the same time it is difficult to fight the urge to sleep when I’m tired.  I suppose I should just take advantage of the fact that I can still get both kids to sleep (if I sleep too) and just go with it.

After a trip to Sam’s Club and Cub, we joined friends of ours for a delicious lasagna dinner at their home.  It was so nice to have a chance to eat a warm meal (the kids had their own little table, so they weren’t reaching/asking for food off my plate) and adult conversation.

We put the overly-tired boys to bed once we returned home from our dinner & visit.  Lincoln was so tired he didn’t even fuss when I put him in his crib.  He is usually not quite ready to lie down, so there are generally at least a few tears/whines from behind the crib rails – but not tonight.

Once the boys were in bed, Jake and I watched UP.  It was a cute movie & good way to end the day.