The Ulrich Family

Day #17 SAHM

2012-02-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

The kids and I spent the majority of today out of the house. We had W.O.W. this morning, a quick picnic lunch in the car, a doctor's appointment and a few other things. We came home to packages on the front porch - super exciting!

We are very fortunate to have two sets of parents that think of us all the time and spoil our children :) Both Grandmas sent the kids Valentine's Boxes which the kids loved opening and eating from! Thank you Grandma Marx & Grandma Ulrich!

Jodi and I got the kids a new book for each of them.

Paeton got 'Girls and their Horses' from the American Girl series. It has 24 horse trading cards and 2 posters. She loved it!

Evan got 'Spot Goes to the Farm' - he LOVES Spot books.

I also received a book. My new small group bible study book, 'One in a Million'. Gotta love Amazon!

Nothing exciting for dinner - just leftovers and time with each other. Hope everyone enjoys loving on their families today!

Day #16 SAHM

2012-02-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

Starting today with a question. Do any other SAHM Friends feel more productive during the week than during the weekend? By Sunday night, my house is a mess and I'm looking forward to getting the house in shape Monday morning. That's what I spent this morning doing.

For those wondering what time Evan woke up, we are making a commitment to keep him in his bed till 7am. Got that tip from my friend Joy. He was crying at 5:51am. I leaned over to Jodi and said "Don't touch him till 7am". He complied. He didn't cry the whole time; just off and on, but still.

After breakfast and morning snack, pulling out the chairs and cleaning under the bar was a must. It was a disaster zone. This picture doesn't do it justice. Another question. Does anyone ever feel like their kids won't eat any of their 'normal' favorite snacks? We're going through that right now. I need new ideas!

My morning task was getting through 2 weeks of paperwork. What a mess. I recently purchased some new file folders so I set out to organize this stack while the kids played nicely.

Paeton can't do enough crafts ever. I love how creative she's getting on her own. She made this kite this morning with Evan. I thought she did a good job. She was very proud of it. I couldn't get a great picture though because all she wanted to do was 'fly' it.

Dinner Tonight: 'Busy Mom's' Chicken Fajitas

(that's really what it's called)

I'm light on pictures today because Jodi has the camera for a project at work. Hopefully more tomorrow!

Day #15 SAHM

2012-02-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

Wow...the end of week 3 is here. And we're ending it with a snowstorm that appears to be a little worse than what Sally Severson on Channel 12 predicted! This was my toughest week yet but I'm happy we're ending it with Family #1 of our

2012 Dinners With The Ulrichs

goal. Jodi and I are trying to be intentional in having more families over for dinner this year 'just because'. Tonight we're hosting The Duty Family so we'll max out with 4 adults and 6 kids!

Jodi was gracious enough to deliver our meal this morning so I didn't have to leave the house quite yet. We went from not having morning plans to possibly going to Kids in Motion to not going to Kids in Motion to having a friend over to not having a friend over to just staying home :) By 10am, the kids wanted to do art and Paeton was itching to work on her family mural.

I love how she's starting to add hair to her faces. Not everyone is guaranteed a nose though.

Evan was content as usual sitting at the table coloring with markers. When he starts to eat them I know he's either hungry or bored.

The kids and I checked on the status of the snow many times. Paeton always makes sure the swing set is still standing.

The kids woke up groggy from nap. We watched Olivia. Paeton thinks it's so cool that Olivia has a cat named William too.

I spent the afternoon prepping dinner. Everything needed to cook in the oven at the same time so I wanted all the recipes to be as easy as possible to put together when it was time.

Appetizer: Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies

Dinner: Old Fashioned Mac & Cheese

Side: Cheesy Topped Mashed Potato Casserole

See ya Monday!

Day#14 SAHM

2012-02-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

To finish off our happenings from last night, we went as a family to Awana for youth group. I was subbing, Paeton had Cubbies, Jodi was teaching the lesson in T&T and Evan comes everywhere with us. When we were leaving I snapped a few pictures. The kids are getting big.

October 2010

Paeton: 2 yrs 5mos Evan 3mos

February 2012

Paeton: 3 yrs, 9mos Evan: 1yr, 6mos

Ok, back to today. Evan went to bed over an hour after his normal time of 7:30pm because of Awana. Jodi and I thought for sure he'd sleep later. Nope. Jodi got up with him again which was fantastic. I was up later than normal chatting with my friend Krista from TN. Can't wait for our first ever Ulrich Road Trip in March!

On the calendar for today was heading to Mayfair Mall to get a giftcard for my friend who just had a baby. I didn't really want to take the kids to the mall. I envisioned it not going well. But I pulled out the double stroller, loaded it up and made a big deal of it so hopefully Paeton would want to ride instead of walk. She did...the whole time!

The line in the store we were getting the giftcard from was SO long I couldn't believe it. Probably 12 SAHM's in front of us. Unreal! The kids were patient while we waited. A really nice lady in front of me who had a huge purchase including returns without the receipt heard me say to Paeton that we only needed a giftcard...she let me go ahead of her.

Since we were approaching the lunch hour and I feared Evan falling asleep on the way home without eating, we decided to grab a few slices of pizza in the food court. Luckily the mall was very empty so it was easy to navigate with the double stroller and our tray of food. Plus, Paeton insisted that her and Evan needed highchairs so I was dragging those too.

The guy at Sbarro gave the kids green balloons as a treat which they loved...especially Evan. I think he would have eaten more pizza if he wasn't playing with his balloon so much. He is rarely distracted during feeding time. That balloon later popped in the car quite loudly which caused both kids to cry. Other than that, we had a successful trip to the mall and didn't buy anything but our giftcard and lunch - Jodi will be happy :)

This afternoon, Paeton helped me make a breakfast casserole for my friend Elizabeth. I hadn't made this casserole in awhile so I decided to make it for dinner for our family to test drive it first.

The kids also enjoyed some coloring. Evan is so good at putting the caps back on the markers!

More fun tomorrow!

Day # 13 SAHM

2012-02-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

My poor Evan...screaming at 5:30am this morning. He's so inconsistent with what time he gets up and he screams like crazy when he wakes up from nap and from nighttime. I'm looking forward to this phase being over. Hopefully soon! Jodi got him today sometime after 6 and I fell back asleep till well after 7. Thank you hubby. I needed more sleep after staying up late last night.

My friend Leslie came over to play with her two kids this morning. Brady and Evan were good playmates. They enjoyed watching an episode of Little Einsteins together on Evan's sleeping bag.

Paeton and Riley played nice together too until Paeton screamed at Riley and made her cry. Riley really didn't like that and Paeton took awhile to get over the embarassment of A) getting disciplined in front of her friend and little brother and B) having to say she's sorry when she knew what we she did was wrong. But she did it and I was proud of her for doing it. Oh Paeton.

I know that God gives us every child for a reason. I love my Paeton dearly but she continuously challenges my patience and my daily strength. I can only hope that I will look at these younger years and laugh. And hopefully not cry like I do sometimes these days...

We had a lazy afternoon - everyone rested or napped and woke up in good moods.

Evan got mad at Buzz and put him in a timeout in the microwave. Creative.

The kids love taking turns (haha...loosely taken) with this random pair of glasses we found under our couch 2 weeks ago. They are so cute on both of them. Paeton uses them as her 'goggle glasses' for when she races her horses. And Evan just wants to do what Paeton is doing.

Dinner Tonight: Penne Pasta Casserole

It's Wednesday which means it's an Awana night. We're all going as a family because I'm subbing in the Honeybees classroom for my friend Amy who just had foot surgery. I also have a phone date with my friend Krista from TN tonight which I'm so looking forward to. Planning our trip in March!

Day #12 SAHM

2012-02-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

Not feeling like myself today so this entry will be short. If I wasn't doing a 30-day journal series, I'd skip posting today but I really want to reach my goal so I have a nice book to remember at the end of this. Anyway, Mr.Evan was up right at 6am. I rolled over to tap Jodi on the shoulder to go get him (since he had to get up for work anyway right?) and I ran into Paeton and didn't find Jodi. Ah...Tuesday morning. Jodi was already at bible study and I guess Paeton crawled into our bed in the middle of the night. This only meant one thing...I had to get Evan. Fine. He's still cute at 6am.

We snuggled on the couch till 7am watching the news and he slowly drank his cup of milk. He ate breakfast and then we headed upstairs for showers and getting dressed. Paeton woke up early today - 7:45am. She watched cartoons with Evie while I finished getting ready. We were out of the house by 8:45am for W.O.W. I needed to remember a bunch of stuff and was thankful that I layed most of it out the night before. I never want to do that at night but I'm always so thankful in the morning.

I'm really digging the flowers I added to the kitchen the other day. It's brightened things up a bit especially in this transitional weather time.

After W.O.W., Evan napped and Paeton set up a sleepover party in the living room. I still think her favorite Christmas present this year was her sleeping bag. I asked if I could attend the sleepover party and be one of the sleepers.

I just finished reading this book and we're discussing it tonight at my once a month study. We've read so many books together - I love those girls.

Dinner Tonight: Kielbasa Potato Skillet

More.Energy.Tomorrow

Day #11 SAHM

2012-02-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

The beginning of week 3...wow. This transition has been easier in some ways and harder in other ways. The hardest part for me so far is that I'm just not used to not having 'me' time during the day. At work, I could for the most part do what I had planned all day. Some things were not that way as I had to respond to the needs of the day. But I felt very in control of how my day was going to go. I feel as though that control has been taken away...by my kids. I'm okay with it - I just need to get used to it.

Today...Evan slept till 6:45am. Amen. He still wet through his double diaper, his pajamas and his sheets. Maybe he wet for the final time at 6:45 and that's what soaked through and woke him up? I'm going to try a tip from my friend Gretchen tonight - change his diaper before I go to bed and see if that helps. Paeton slept till 8:30am - my teenager.

Couple of notes from the weekend. I spent a good portion of Saturday organizing my recipe situation. Jodi was at a conference all day so I knew I needed a project to get me through day #6 with just me and the kiddos. I was getting frustrated with the chaos of my recipes. I had recipes in books, recipes in a basket, recipes in an old organizer, recipes everywhere. I photocopied every recipe or multiple recipes on one sheet so they'd all be the same size. Then I organized them by topic. Today I'm going to start laminating them and then hopefully I'll have a neat binder to put all my favorite 'these taste good and are approved by Jodi' recipes. Jodi knows cooking is not a natural love of mine nor do I really love the taste of food. I just eat because I have to. Now don't get me wrong...there are some foods that I crave and I love. But I've noticed over the 30 years that I've been around that my take on food is different from most others.

I learned this weekend that the top of the fireplace gets very hot - somehow I just lightly tapped my hand to it while putting another log on the fire. Ouch.

Saturday was such a beautiful day - 50 degrees and sunny. It felt hot out to me! The kids and I got some good outside time which provided for great naps.

Oh, and if you missed Pastor Chip's sermon on Sunday you need to check it out online. He focused on the Tower of Babel and how important it is to live our lives following 'God's Way' and not 'My Way'.

Back to today...

Evan's morning snack has been lining up with Paeton's breakfast these days which works out great because when Paeton has a snack in between breakfast and lunch, she doesn't eat lunch.

Evan always eats. Evan made his way into the large cereal bar box from Sam's Club to eat his snack...whatever works.

My friend Alyssa and her daughter Eva came over for a few hours to play and hang out. After they left, Paeton rested, Evan napped and I caught up on some chores. When Paeton was done resting, we baked together. My mom had sent me a recipe for 'Double Decker Confetti Brownies' and I couldn't wait to make them.

We were practicing writing familiar words on the chalkboard when we heard Evan getting up from nap. He always cries pretty bad when he wakes up from nap. But today...the crying lasted for almost 45 minutes. I just couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. I tried a cup of milk, snack, oragel and a teether for his molars...I even showed him the bottle of tylenol to see if he'd light up. Nothing was working. Finally I checked his diaper and realized he had poop. I didn't smell anything the entire time I was holding and rocking him. This was his third poop of the day already. I'm done giving him blueberries. Every time I give him blueberries it turns it into continuous poops which results in a horrible diaper rash.

Finally got him in a clean diaper with lots of diaper cream and watching a show with Paeton. He's in her sleeping bag and she's in his. I thanked her for choosing her battles with Evan today and letting him rest in her sleeping bag. She told me she made that choice because she couldn't stand to hear him cry anymore. I agreed.

Dinner Tonight: Rosemary Roasted Chicken & Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad

Dinnertime - enjoy the night.

Day #10 SAHM

2012-02-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

Wow...it's Friday. I made it 2 weeks! We've had a lot going on and the exhaustion is starting to set in but I'm having fun and enjoying all of God's Graces & Blessings. On the calendar for today?...my first ChangePointe Playdate...yay! This playdate was at our church in the gym. Everyone brings toys/bikes/ride-ons for the kids and us moms try to have conversation while fixing boo-boos, steering bikes away from each other and taking the older ones to the potty. Such fun!

Just wanted to let everyone know we did get a great toaster and waffles are back and better than ever for breakfast.

Paeton read, watched a movie and worked on letters fireside while I sold my bench I put on Craigslist 36 hours ago...yes! We had a peaceful afternoon while Mr.Evan napped.

Evan woke up at the end of Secretariat and finished watching with her.

My sweet little Evan is 18months today - wow. He loves to play dress up, watch movies with Paeton, read books and be at my side.

To celebrate we're ordering pizza tonight and watching a family movie.

So.Happy.It's.Friday

Evan - 18 Months

2012-02-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

Day #9 SAHM

2012-02-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

Got a good night's sleep last night...I've decided that helps to make a successful day. Jodi was able to help with the kids this morning while I took a great shower and got ready. That helps with my happiness too :) The kids were in great moods this morning. They complied the first time with getting dressed, making beds, cleaning up their rooms and brushing teeth. LOVE.

Paeton entertained Evan with crafts and his fave - tape. I was able to get everything ready for errands and Evan's 18month checkup.

We checked the weather like the Berenstain Bears do - look outside. It was pretty foggy today which I tried to explain to Paeton but she kept thinking this is what happens when snow melts. Oh well. William went out for his early morning walk.

I tried to get a better shot of my Valentine's Wreath - I handmade the rosettes out of old pajama pants on the left.

Paeton's been asking when she can have waffles again. I said when we get a new toaster. She said when are we getting a new toaster? I said when I find my Kohl's coupons. Found them...off we went. Paeton obeyed really well in the store and stayed right by me. Baby steps.

After we picked up our toaster and a few $4 sweatshirts (Love Kohl's), we ran into the dollar store next door to grab some felt. Hopefully my project turns out okay!

The kids sang in the car on the way to the doctor's office. Paeton taunted Evan with the fact that he was getting shots...so nice. She even told him the sticker at the end doesn't make it better. Ouch.

The kids played great at the doctor's office while I made the next appt., updated insurance, turned in forms and oh...took these pictures.

My mom sends Evan these fantastic ties and he loves to wear them around the house. This one came with us to the doctor's office. He refused to take it off when I had to get him undressed for his weigh-in.

Paeton was quite devastated when Dr.Kirschner said Evan didn't need any shots. She asked him two times why Evan wasn't going to get poked.

Our appointment was followed by lunch. I had Dora on while they ate and I sorted laundry. Things in the kitchen were really quiet and I wondered why. Found Evan sleeping in his highchair...oops. He can fall asleep in seconds just like me.

Everyone in the house rested/napped today - for 90 minutes. I'll take it. The afternoon was spent watching a movie, playing in the basement and making some more t-shirts that my neighbor is helping me stitch tonight.

Dinner Tonight: Chicken & Roasted Vegetables (crockpot)

Jodi should be home soon so I'm going to work on getting the table set. Or maybe Paeton can do that...

Day #8 SAHM

2012-02-01T16:33:00.000-08:00

SO TIRED TODAY. My dinner party was tons of fun but lots to cleanup after the ladies left and I stayed up too late. Evan started to cry at 5:38am but I didn't get him till 6:31am. Don't think I or he got much sleep in that hour. We layed on the couch together for a little bit when we got up but he immediately started signing 'eat' so I loaded him up in his highchair and got him some breakfast. We used our time before the appearance of Miss.Paeton to unload the dishwasher, reload the dishwasher and watch the news to see what the weather would be like today. We snuggled a bunch a read some books. Definitely need to figure out how to get Evan to sleep even later...Paeton sleeps till 8:30am so that's my goal.

Evan fetched his own morning snack today promptly at 10am. He brought it to me but when Big Sis Paeton snatched it from him he lost his mind.

Morning craft today was using colored pencils from my work of which Paeton taught Evan to make dots. They pounded the pencils really hard which resulted in vacuuming and some sharpening needed. Paeton also used a pen (because that's what 'dults' use) to practice her writing.

For DailyNews and Letter-Of-The-Day we talked about the day of the week, what we do, what the weather is like, what we had for lunch and named all the S words thought of by Paeton. Sam's Club was the first letter she said...cute.

After lunch, we did flannel board stories. Paeton requested Noah's Ark which I obliged because Evan LOVES animals right now.

Paeton's final story board

Evan's final story board

Flannel stories are so easy to make and you can get the boards for super cheap online. Fabric scissors (small ones), puff paint and felt are they key ingredients.

And I know there might not have been such huge honeybees on the ark...those are from a different storyline :)

My only project for today was a new dishsoap dispenser for the kitchen. The Reeva bottle from Aldi just wasn't working for me anymore. And I was inspired by the Nate Berkus show the other day.

Materials: Mason Jar, Mason Jar ring & lid, old pump, hot glue gun, screwdriver, hammer

Dinner Tonight: Spicy Cheeseburger Pizza, Salad, Green Beans, Pineapple Slices

Jodi is off to Awana with Paeton...Evan and I are cuddling on the couch reading books. There are no toys, sippy cups, books or anything on the ground...I'm at peace :)

Day #7 SAHM

2012-01-31T19:59:00.000-08:00

Back to our new normal...Evan slept till 6:20am and Paeton crawled downstairs well after 8. Rockstar. Evan woke up in a fabulous mood - so snuggly, talkative and of course, hungry. I was up at 5:30am so I had a peaceful shower and got almost all the way ready before his arrival...just needed to do my hair which could easily be done downstairs while he was dining...I mean, eating breakfast. He fed himself his yogurt and didn't make much of a mess. He's cleaner with yogurt than he is with applesauce.

Beautiful sunrise today...

Evan occupied himself with books while I got 3 crockpot recipes going...Mexican Dinner Party tonight, chez Ulrich!

By 8:45am, we were out the door and off to church for my Tuesday morning bible study. I'm so happy I joined this study...and I love that I get to see so many friends there!

After W.O.W., the kids and I stopped to pick up some flowers for our dinner party. Paeton chose red roses - probably because we've been talking about Valentine's Day. I felt like the Bachelor prepping these vases.

During Evan's fabulous nap today, I finished up a bunch of projects I had been working on. One was my 'Fruit of the Spirit' subway art for the laundry room.

Second was my Valentine's Wreath - the lighting wasn't great for this picture. I'll try to grab a better pic tomorrow.

Lastly was my photo wall that I mentioned yesterday I've been working on since Christmas. There's still a few holes so I need to hunt a little more in the basement but it's coming along. I'm determined to do this wall for no cost.

Evan woke up from nap in a good mood and played nicely till our friends arrived for dinner. We had 6 guests and a great time. It was so nice to see my friends from work and catch up.

I'm exhausted now and ready for bed.

Day #6 SAHM

2012-01-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends! Missed you this weekend. We had a busy weekend with the family. Some highlights include Jodi's 'Holiday' work party Friday night, a visit to Oshkosh for Grandpa's Birthday on Saturday and the purchase of our new indestructible Evan-proof t.v. on Sunday.

Evan really enjoyed cupcake time as well as playing 'high-fives' with Aunt Joanie.

Now it's Monday...are you wondering what time the kids were up?? Evan started yelling at 4:30am, but I won't say why. Well ok...after asking Jodi to put the 2nd diaper on him last night before bed, he announced, "he'll be fine". Um, no. He was drenched. Jodi got him at 6:08am after Evan cried off and on from 4:30am. I didn't even have to ask what had happened when I got up...evidence of the wet pjs was in the hamper. Jodi did breakfast with Evan while I showered. Paeton slept till 8:20am.

Before P got up, Evan and I tackled some laundry folding. He brushed his teeth while I stood at the bed folding. He is getting so big - almost 18months already!

Paeton came down for breakfast in a decent mood today - yay! She LOVES birthdays so she immediately dug out her crown from when she turned 3 at the Kohl's Daycare and wore it during breakfast. The kids were thrilled that I picked up the promised animal crackers during my shopping trip yesterday. And no, they didn't have those for breakfast today...morning snack :)

So I'd like to announce that last week was the week of broken in our house.

In order:

The roller on the dyson stopped rolling...in the shop.
Jodi's car had a loose clutch...in the shop.
My car had the check engine light on...in the shop.
Evan threw a block into the flat screen in the great room...in the basement.
The cable went out so the one other t.v. we had also wasn't working...I went to the basement.

I just knew that after all those major things happened, this week would be much better. I went to make some rye toast for myself this morning...pushed the handle down on the toaster and the handle was in my hand. Awesome.

R.I.P. Toaster

The kids played hide-and-seek and peek-a-boo this morning - I love watching them play together.

Here's a sneak peak at my almost finished project from last week, or last month (started this after Christmas)...just have to hunt for a few more frames in my basement to make sure my wall redo is zero cost.

Our afternoon was not fun :( It was borderline awful today! Evan screamed for 45 minutes in his crib when I put him down for nap. He sounded like someone was hurting him. I finally went up there, brought him to the couch of which he immediately fell asleep. Paeton refused to 'rest', 'sleep' or not make noise - therefore I had no break. Ugh - I need that break.

Evan woke up in a toddler rage 45 minutes later. He screamed for another 20 minutes at which I decided it was time for a car ride. We needed to get the emissions test done on our car and I needed to pick up a prescription. This saved my afternoon.

When we got back from running errands, I attempted to get into the house soon realizing the door from the garage to the house was locked. Paeton. I had no key to the house on me...we were officially stuck in the garage. Called Jodi and he came home to save us. The kids played in the garage while we waited and luckily I had my camera.

Well, Jodi's home, dinner is made and time to start the evening. Hopefully tomorrow goes a little better!

Day #5 SAHM

2012-01-27T21:25:00.000-08:00

Today...up at 5:55am. Not bad. Needed to shower, wash my hair and get a lot of stuff done before Carol arrived at 7:30am. Carol is our FABULOUS cleaning lady. We hired her a year ago when the housework was piling up and no one was home to do it. We are hoping to continue using Carol but we've been honest with her that if we need to make budget cuts, she's the first to go...but just from the budget, not from our hearts.

Before I continue, here's a few shots of my quick redo of the kid's playspace. Not too bad. Now I want to add a magnetic board to the right wall for some newness.

Paeton slept till 8:20am this morning. Love it. I woke her up saying, "Let's go to Lilly and Calvin's house!" She jumped out of bed, cooperated getting dressed and we were off. We listened to KidBop on the way there - I have to be honest that I think I like that CD better than they do. Honesty is the first step in recovery right?

Gretchen and I wanted to get together to A) celebrate the fact that I can! and B) to make some fabric applique tees. The kid's played great just as long as Gracie the dog didn't come near Evan and as long as Evan the great didn't torment Hazel.

We made a mess...

I'll post pictures of my tees for the kids when I finish them!

Date night tonight (first time in a long time I don't feel guilty leaving the kids) and btw, I'm not counting my weekend days as my SAHM days so my journaling will continue on Monday :)

Umbrella Play

2012-01-26T17:26:00.000-08:00

The kids had been in the house ALL day so by after dinnertime, they were stir crazy. They had played with every toy and nothing was exciting. So...we got umbrellas out and had some fun.

Hope this doesn't mean we're going to have more bad luck with things breaking...

Day #4 SAHM

2012-01-26T15:40:00.000-08:00

Starting today with a few highlights from yesterday. The kids wanted to do some crafts so we got out the dotters and made some pretty pictures. Evan had more paint on his face and hands than on the paper so we bathed before dinner. It was pj night at Awana so that worked out perfect.

Just before dinner last night, the kids were playing in the living room and I was putting the finishing touches on the meal. I came over to where they were playing just in time for Evan to make his best throw yet - a perfect pitch into the plasma on the wall. The screen went black but the sound continued to play. I immediately started to cry.

24 hours later I have recovered, explained things to Jodi (this was my Christmas gift to him 2 yrs ago), called Samsung and have a technician coming in a few days to see if it's repairable. One of my goals for 2012 is to watch less t.v. That shouldn't be hard now.

Paeton continues to not want to eat her dinner. She looks at it each night, takes maybe one bite and then walks away. I leave it on the shelf above the stove till she's in bed. If she says she's hungry, that's her only option. Still hasn't worked - she won't eat any of my dinners.

On to today...up at 6am. Slept in! Showered assuming Evan would be screaming when I got out. He wasn't! In fact, he slept till 6:45am. Was it the double diaper?? I gladly fetched him out of his crib so proud of his improvement.

We ate breakfast and started our salad for the very sad Matt Hill Funeral, a young 34 yr old man who's life was too short.

I think Evan ate half a pepper and multiple cucumbers while I was making this. He's so weird.

No plans on the calendar today so I decided to take on redoing the kid's playspace. Here's the before picture.

What a mess. And the kids' tree is still up! I've got some ideas for this space so we'll see how it turns out. More to come!

My favorite picture of today...

Dinner Tonight: Steak (nope, that's just Jodi...not jealous at all)

Beef Tacos, Spanish Rice, Fresh Pico & Chips

Today I had my first feeling of loneliness. I don't enjoy being alone; never have. Eating dinner with just me and the kids felt lonely. Normally I'd turn on the t.v. to fulfill my craving for noise but that wasn't an option. Oh well.

Oh, forgot to mention my Dyson is back! The roller in the front stopped spinning so we took her in for a tune up. Luckily it was still under warranty. I L.O.V.E. when things break under their warranty. BTW, the t.v. warranty ended in November. O.U.C.H.

The many faces of Paeton Violet. My daily prayer is to love her for all she comes with and to use grace.

I'm getting better about packing Jodi's lunch when I'm putting dinner away at night.

Alright, the kids are fed and we've got 2 hours till bedtime.

Oh boy...

Day #3 SAHM

2012-01-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

Eyes open at 5am. Ugh. Layed in bed till 5:41am when I heard Evan start to cry. I was determined to not get up...he'll be fine. Jodi and I tossed and turned while we tried to ignore the crying baby in the room next door. I'm pretty sure he went in and out of sleep till 6:45am...as did I. I felt like that was a big accomplishment so when he cried that time I got up with him. He was completely soaked through his diaper which could have been the cause of not being able to get fully back to sleep. I need to find better overnight diapers - he soaks through all the time! Maybe tonight I'll do his normal nighttime diaper with an old pull-up of Paeton's over the top.

No plans on the calendar today till this evening. I was fine with that. Paeton slept till 7:45am and woke up with her normal 'I should really be 16 yrs old but I'm only 3 attitude'. I've learned to wait till she comes to me and asks for breakfast - I literally don't talk to her till she approaches me and it works best. She enjoys life on her terms anyway :) Not sure where she got that from...

We bummed around the house till 10am and then ran to the grocery store for just a few items. Not a horrible trip in comparison to others. Evan is great at the store, Paeton always melts down over something. Even when she's holding daddy's IPAD she's crying over something. We came home, played outside for about 20 minutes (I swept the dirty garage) and then headed in to watch Paeton's pick, 'Secretariat'. I made lunch at 11am because they were hungry early and I knew if they snacked at that point they wouldn't eat lunch.

Evan got kinda messy

After lunch we finished watching Secretariat...Evan fell asleep. Understandable; we have watched that movie a lot.

While the kids napped, I painted a $2.99 pickup from Goodwill, made 2 phone calls (Alyssa & Mom), touched up the striped back foyer and made a fire.

When Paeton got up, we tackled a drawer in the kitchen that I've been meaning to do for years - the baking drawer. Took 20 minutes total; amazing what you can do when you have time!

Before & After

I used a Melissa & Doug tray that Paeton got for Christmas. It originally held a magnetic doll kit but once you open them, they never get put away to look as pretty as before. I needed something with dividers for my drawer and I had that in mind.

Dinner Tonight: Italian Chicken Skillet & Salad

Got this recipe from Scrapper's Hideaway - they give you all the recipes they make throughout the weekend. Hopefully my version is as tasty as theirs.

Oh - here's my Goodwill finds to add to the back foyer.

Shelf was $2.99 - repainted it with chalkboard paint. Basket was $1.99 - it's a faded white and I kind of like it that way. Maybe a drop zone for umbrellas and such?

More tomorrow - almost dinner time and I'm starving!

Day #2 SAHM

2012-01-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

Day 2...went to bed at 11pm last night. I was determined to A)finish the stripes in the back foyer (did it!) and B) be up for Jodi (did it!) when he got home from basketball because he always says I'm sleeping when he gets home and he can't tell me about his amazing shots :) So at 5:30am when Evan started whaling, I was planning to start day 1 of morning sleep training a.k.a. let him cry it out. I should have told Jodi that plan...oops. I'll start tomorrow. Thanks for helping hun!

That's okay...I needed to shower (it was a hair washing/straightening/torture session day), feed and dress the kids and be out the door by 8:50am. I decided to start W.O.W. today - Women of the Word. Here's my new book!

Bible study went great, the kids got some good play time with their friends and off we were, back home by 11:30am for lunch. My biggest challenge during meal time right now is Mr.Evan likes to continuously throw his food. The frustrating part about today is I knew he was hungry! But he still launched pieces of cheese and ham all over the kitchen...ugh. No matter how many times I took his plate, he still did it. No lunch for Evan :(

Got the kids down for nap by 12:45pm, I did a 20 minute sweep of the house tidying up and then spent the last 1/2 hour beautifying myself for a commercial shoot at my church...yep, I said it! My neighbor thankfully watched the kids for a few hours while I ran over to Spring Creek and had a really cool experience. I'll post more details when I have some video footage to share.

Came home, played with the kids and got ready for dinner.

Dinner: Asian Porkloin w/veggies, Fried rice, Carrots

These carrots remind me of the gourmet carrots in the movie Mrs.Doubtfire. Remember the first dinner she/he cooks to prove to Sally Field she/he can handle it?

On a side note, William is insistent on being let out like a dog. He's such a weird cat.

While getting dinner ready, Paeton and Evan consumed themselves with our extensive collection of Mr.Potato Head supplies. I think we have 12 large spuds, a few babies and oodles of accessories. Here was today's creation - Paeton said, "Mom, come take a family photo"!

Are you wondering what Paeton is holding? That's secretariat, her bouncing horse. She REALLY likes horses right now. 4th birthday party theme? Sounds fun!

Other highlights from today...

Mischief and Sharing

Daddy's due home in 15...talk to you tomorrow!

Day #1 SAHM

2012-01-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

Decided to journal the first 30 days of being a Stay At Home Mom - SAHM. Hope this doesn't get too boring! Just want to remember when I look back 10 years from now what I did, what we ate, what life was like...

Woke up at 4:45am - why? No clue. I do find that whenever I have the 'chance' to sleep in, I don't/can't. Frustrating. Oh well. Layed in bed till 5:30am debating the whole time if I should get up and start taping the back foyer that I was planning to stripe today. Decided against that and just got in the shower.

We had 4K registration for Paeton today...it technically goes all week long but I wanted to be the first there. And I was! My friend Karen verified that later as she asked the staff if I had come yet?! We arrived at 8am sharp with our paperwork in hand. They had a great playspace for the kids while Jodi and I filled out a few more sheets of paper.

After registering and taking a quick tour, we drove Jodi to work and headed over to my friend Joy's house to help with a 'space-themed' mural she's working on for her son Casey's birthday. Sneak peak - more to come.

After Evan decided to eat some of the grey paint I had used on the moon (yup, not kidding), I decided it was time to go. Joy called the poison control number on the back of the paint can to see what the next steps should be...all in all, we determined he'd be okay without heading to the doctor. Just watch out for decreased breathing and excessive vomiting. No biggie :)

Came home, napped the kids and started painting some stripes. Couldn't wait to get started - I LOVE stripes!

First Wall Done

Before Evan woke up, Paeton made some foam snowmen as a present to daddy. She made them out of orange foam and when I announced that snowmen are usually white, she threw a fit and crushed them before I could get a picture. Snowmen can be orange...noted.

Evan woke up super crabby but that could have been the sticky tongue he had. He drank of lot of fluids and then decided to hide from me. Soon after, he was content with chalk while I cooked dinner.

Dinner: Cheeseburger Pie

Delicious

After Dinner and clean up, the kids bathed while I put folded laundry away. I was almost done putting everything away when I heard those terrible words from Paeton. "Mom, Evan pooped in the tub!!" Ugh. He did...a lot.

So while the kids are playing right now waiting for Jodi to get home, I'm sanitizing tub toys in my kitchen sink. I'm blaming this on the paint Evan ate this morning.

Alright, Jodi's home...time for family time.

Breakfast Buddy

2012-01-22T04:34:00.000-08:00

Evan is going through an 'early morning' phase. We're lucky if he sleeps till 5:30/5:45am. I remember Paeton going through this as well. We let him cry for as long as we can and then one of us goes to grab him and take him downstairs. This morning it was my turn. I let him choose an item from the 'Breakfast Bar' - this week's choices are muffins, cereal or a cereal bar. He chose the cereal bar - his fave.

Now we're going to start taping off the back foyer for a new paint job - stripes!

Winter Fun

2012-01-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

Finally warm enough to go outside and enjoy the snow - the kids were so excited! We got all our chores done early, ate lunch and went outside for some playtime before nap.

Last Day...

2012-01-20T17:32:00.000-08:00

Last Day...getting ready for daycare. Paeton zipped Evan's coat on her own. He had 'pajama day' in his classroom - his favorite theme.

Last Day...making beautiful clothing at Kohl's.

Last Day...working in a cube with beautiful scenery.

Last Day...with the best co-workers I've ever had.

Last Day...eating cupcakes with daycare friends in Preschool.

Last Day...eating cupcakes with daycare friends in the Toddler room.

I know this is the right decision; it was just a really sad Last Day...

Time Flies...

2012-01-17T18:04:00.000-08:00

I've realized recently that Evan is growing up SO fast. I still call him my baby because he's my youngest but he's really not a baby anymore. He loves to be right by my side doing whatever mom is doing. He was so interested in my new pin board...well, maybe a little distracted by the printer at the time but I knew he supported my Sunday Craft Project :)

Evan is very aware that Paeton goes to Cubbies on Wednesday nights. We always get to spend extra time together which is nice but his favorite part of Wednesday is putting on Paeton's Cubbie vest and carrying her Cubbies bag around.

Evan is over his highchair. He wants to sit at the bar with his Big Sis. So...there the highchair sits in the corner all lonely while Evan has moved on. Maybe we should fill that highchair with someone else??

Evan looks up to Paeton and is willing to play anything of her choice. What a good sport he was when she chose to play fairies and few weeks ago. He did great.

Evan also knows that he struggles to breath in the winters and that he needs the 'cow-machine' to make him feel better. He tolerates the nebulizer and sits on the couch reading books while he takes in his medicine. What a big boy.

2012-01-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas with the Ulrich Family

We had a great time celebrating Christmas 2011 with the Ulrichs. Jodi's parent's hosted providing a yummy meal, lots of presents and a cozy new couch for everyone to snuggle on. The kids had a great time and were exhausted when we left. Jodi and I both agreed on our ride home from Oshkosh - we need to get all the cousins together more often in 2012.

Winter Decor

2012-01-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

I finally have transitioned the house from 'Christmas' to 'Winter'...this is my first year doing this and I'm really happy with the results. I think I will make this a tradition. Here's a few of my favorite spots around the house right now.

I tried to handmake as much as I could; other items were thrift store buys or after-Christmas clearance buys. If you want any how-to's, leave me a comment and I'll explain.

Oh - thanks Gretchen for the new website. I enjoyed trying it out on these photos :)

Making A Come Back

2011-12-27T14:38:00.001-08:00

While eating breakfast with Paeton (3.5years) this morning, we were reminiscing about 2011 and all the cool things we did. Despite the great conversation, in the back of my mind all I was thinking about was all the craziness this year entailed. I sat there with a pit of guilt surrounding me...thinking of all the memories I felt I missed because I was too busy 'rushing' to the next task I had to get done.

In 2012, I'm making a come back. Coming back to my life, my family, my husband and me. More to come...

Taking a Break!

2011-07-06T17:53:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I'm taking a break from blogging for the summer. Hopefully I'll be back at it in the Fall. I'm just trying to make sure I'm not missing making memories by focusing too much on recording the memories.

Happy Summer!
:) Marlaina

Evan's On The Mend

2011-05-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

Evan is breathing a little better each day - praise God. I can tell he knows the medicine in the nebulizer helps him because he's tolerating it better and better with each dose. Paeton and Evan were playing together so nice tonight and for a bit, Evan seemed back to normal.

1st Zoo Trip of 2011!

2011-05-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

Super Sick Evan

2011-05-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

Mr.Evan is pretty sick these days. He had RSV when he was 3 months old and his lungs never fully recovered from it. For the past 6 months, he's had weeks where he's okay and weeks where he struggles taking a breath. He got really bad on Tuesday and finally they said he needs to take a nebulizer home and receive treatments daily.

Here's the drawer of all of Evan's medication. He receives one type of breathing treatment every 4 hours and another type of treatment twice a day for the next 3 months.

Here's the cow breathing machine - he hates it.

Not a happy boy but after his treatment he feels so much better. See below.

Paeton was really upset this week because Evan got to stay home with mommy and she had to go to school. We made a sign for her, took some pictures and e-mailed it to her classroom.

Evan also missed seeing his teachers so we made a sign for them and sent the pictures over.

We're hoping to go back to work and school on Monday. Until then, I have to say, I'm enjoying the extra time with my little man even if he's sick.

Evan - 9 Months

2011-05-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

Kings & Queens

2011-05-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

The kid's daycare had a 'Kings & Queens' themed day - here's what Paeton and Evan wore. Paeton was insistent on needing a yellow hat but we couldn't find one.

My 30th Birthday

2011-05-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Wow...can't believe I'm blogging about my 30th birthday...yikes! My co-workers in coordination with Jodi threw me an AMAZING surprise party last Friday night at Habaneros, my favorite Mexican restaurant. I thought Jodi and I were going out to dinner but when he couldn't get reservations till 8pm, we had to kill some time. Let's get a margarita on the way? Surprise! It was really well planned and I didn't suspect a thing. Well...except when we HAD to get the car washed on the way to the restaurant because all of sudden the mud was REALLY bothering Jodi. That was weird. Turns out we just needed to kill some time.

My actual birthday was interesting. My co-workers organized a great breakfast for myself and another co-worker of mine - she was May 2nd and I was May 3. I received 3 bouquets of flowers which have made my desk look beautiful. However, later that day, we found out that Evan was having a real hard time breathing and needed to get to a doctor asap. I spent 3 hours with him at the doctor getting breathing treatments and oxygen. We now have an at home nebulizer and he's getting treatments every 4 hours. We came home at 8pm that night to dinner and cake that Jodi and Paeton had prepared. They made my birthday so special despite all the craziness of the day.

More about Mr.Evan in my next post.

Thanks so everyone who made my birthday so special!

Jodi's 30th Birthday

2011-05-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jodi's 30th Birthday on Thursday, April 28, 2011. I ordered pizza (our favorite family meal) and we had an ice cream cake. Paeton LOVES birthdays and was SO excited for it to be Daddy's Birthday.

Easter 2011-Part 2

2011-05-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

Personalize a free slideshow

Easter 2011-Part 1

2011-05-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here's our Easter pictures from Easter Sunday - just our family of four.

Digital slideshow customized with Smilebox

Laundry Room Revamped

2011-05-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Here is what our laundry room looked like before our washer went out. We had a nice counter and a built in washer and dryer. The only issue is that the washer and dryer were very small. Upon purchasing a new washer and dryer we had to rip out the counter.

Before...

Here are our new shelves where a cabinet and drawer used to be.

New built in shelf to replace the counter. As you can see the new washer and dryer are significantly bigger than the old washer and dryer. We have actually cut the amount of loads of wash we do each week in half!

Sink put back in place and still functional.

Finished Product!

My first blog post ever....Jodi.

Movin' & Groovin'

2011-05-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Evan is certainly figuring out how to get around the house and how to play with his sister. When they are both in good moods, they play very nice together which makes me so happy.

Taste of Summer

2011-04-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

We raced home from church today, changed into play clothes and ran outside to enjoy a few hours of great weather - 80 degrees today!

Cuties

2011-04-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ready for church mom!

So much love for her little brother.

Smooth Operator

Evan puts up with a lot from Paeton.

Evan was all done with pictures at this point.

Mexican Cooking Night

2011-04-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

All the ladies feverishly making their dishes - can't wait to eat!

All the tasks that needed to be done were posted on the wall. Once a task was completed, it got checked off.

My friend Joy had a bad reaction to serrano peppers and had to soak her hands in milk...poor thing :( Learning to make our own chips and taco shells.

We had a lot of dishes at the end of the night.

We had some leftover food...

and some leftover tortillas.

1st Annual Mexican Cooking Night - Success!

Matthew's Party

2011-04-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Paeton LOVES to go to birthday parties and she's had quite the streak this spring with Matthew's party being her 4th in 4 weekends!

Happy 3rd Birthday Matthew!

More Onesies

2011-04-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

I can finally share the other onesies I made with my mom when I was in New Jersey. For Gerrianne's little girl on the way, we made a watermelon, elephant, heart and bow. I love them!

Evan in NJ (Part 2)

2011-03-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Evan was an amazing travel companion on my recent trip to New Jersey. This was a special trip for just him and me to take. I loved every minute of cuddling with my little man and giving him some much needed one-on-one attention.

Homemade Onesies

2011-03-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

My mom and I made a few new onesies for Evan while I was visiting this weekend. We only made 2 for Evan because we were making a bunch for a special friend who's shower is this coming weekend. Can't post pix yet of those because she'll see them!

NJ Visit

2011-03-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Evan has had a ton of fun at Grandma and Grandpa Marxes house in NJ!

Tanner's Birthday Party

2011-03-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Paeton had so much fun bouncing around Kids in Motion celebrating her friend Tanner turning 3!

My Pretty Girl

2011-03-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

The Leather Chair

2011-03-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

My favorite place to take pictures of the kids is in our leather chair.

Evan is a Tank

2011-03-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Almost Spring

2011-03-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

Chalkboard

2011-03-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

Jodi painted a wall on our island with chalkboard paint so Paeton could have a chalkboard wall. She was so excited for it, she sat in front of it and watched it dry. We kept telling her it needed to dry for a few days before we could draw on it but she wanted to wait it out. Kona was a good friend and stayed with her.

The Kids

2011-02-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

Recent pictures of the kids playing at home...Paeton Violet (2 1/2 yrs) & Evan Stephen (6 mos.)

Church Silliness

2011-02-20T13:13:00.000-08:00

This picture deserves some explaining. Jodi had to help set up the stage after church last Sunday and we forgot to take separate cars. So, the kids and I hung out in the sanctuary waiting for Jodi to finish. Paeton found some of her friends and they all climbed in the back of this 'pontiac' bumper (a whole other story as to why that's in our sanctuary...) and pretended to drive. Paeton took the liberty of grabbing her friend Andrew and giving him a big smooch. She's a love!

Paeton Ice Skates

2011-02-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

Jodi took Paeton ice skating at the Pettit Ice Arena for the first time 2 weeks ago while I got some work done and hung out with Evan. They had a good time and even got to watch a synchronized ice skating team practice.

Sweetheart Dance 2011

2011-02-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

Paeton and Evan's daycare hosted the 2011 Sweetheart Dance on Friday February 11. Jodi and I attended along with a lot of the kid's friends and parents. They had cookie decorating, bubble machines, music, playdoh, crafts and more. It was a ton of fun. Paeton gave all her friends and teachers Toy Story Valentines. Fortunately, Paeton only danced with girlfriends...no boys.

Weis/Ulrich Kiddos

2011-02-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

While Matt and Jodi were at a conference with a bunch of guys, Gretchen and I got together with the kiddos for an afternoon of fun. Our kids played really well together and Evan even got a turn on the spinner. Paeton and Calvin (both 2) enjoyed watching Toy Story clutching Buzz and Woody. We feasted on Mexican for dinner and then we were off to put the kids to bed. Good times!

Cleft Event

2011-02-19T05:05:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago, I was blessed to have a friend watch Evan so I could talk just Paeton to a Cleft Lip and Palate event at Children's Hospital. They served a nice lunch and had many play and craft rooms set up for the families. We also got to sit through a Q&A time with many families that have had various cases of this deformity. It was incredible to see how many people were there - probably close to 100? We had a really good time and plan to attend future events. I was so happy to meet others who are going through the same thing as us.

We Love You Paeton!

Go Pack Go!

2011-02-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

I found this picture I had taken of a gorgeous cake that one of our managers brought in to our 'tailgate party' at work, the friday before the Packers beat the Steelers in the SuperBowl. Go Pack Go!

My Angel

2011-02-02T07:31:00.001-08:00

This picture is on Evan's Infant bulletin board at his daycare - I love it!

Ulrich Cousins

2011-01-31T18:35:00.000-08:00

Left to Right: Fern (2yrs), Paeton (2yrs), Leo (4yrs) holding Evan (5mos), Irie (6yrs) holding Frances (7mos). The Ulrich Cousins!
The girl cousins listening to hide and seek instructions from Uncle Jodi.

Paeton and Fern getting their American Girl Bitty Babies from Grandma and Grandpa Ulrich.

Frances (left) and Evan (right) spending time together and mimicing each other.

Paeton (left) and Fern (right) playing the piano together.

Just some fun pictures of the Ulrich Cousins over the holidays that I just dug out.

SoccerTots

2011-01-31T18:18:00.000-08:00

Paeton takes soccer lessons on Saturday mornings through SoccerTots - she just loves it! We've really enjoyed her class and her Coach, Dustin. Paeton is doing really well at all the skills and has even scored a few goals. Now if she could just remember not to use her hands...

Happy Evan

2011-01-31T18:04:00.000-08:00

Just a few recent pix of our very happy little man :)

Evan's New Trick

2011-01-31T17:57:00.000-08:00

Evan has become very independent, very quickly...probably out of necessity! He is such a sweet boy who hardly ever cries and fills our home with such love.

Paeton Feeds Evan

2011-01-31T17:48:00.000-08:00

Evan started eating cereal at 5 mos and since that day Paeton has been asking to feed him. We kept promising her that once Evan got better at eating, we'd let her feed him. Well, we finally did and she was so proud of herself!

Evan's Dedication Day

2011-01-26T06:41:00.001-08:00

We dedicated our son, Evan, last Sunday January 23, 2011. We had a great morning starting with the service at our church and a luncheon at our house immediately following. We were joined by family and friends and we definitely felt surrounded by love. Thanks everyone for all your support!

Life is a Highway

2010-12-26T13:19:00.000-08:00

Totally forgot about this video clip of Paeton dancing in the Toys R Us movie room in New York.

Christmas Day 2010

2010-12-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning 2010

2010-12-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

Santa brought a Toy Story Power Quad for the kids to share.
Maybe he should have brought two?

Toy Story Pajamas!

Toy Story Mr.Potato Head dolls!

Toy Story coloring and sticker books!

Hopefully she likes Toy Story for a long time....

Sledding: Kinderberg Park

2010-12-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve morning we took the kids over to Kinderberg Park for sledding. This hill was amazing - by far the fastest hill I've ever sledded down. I think it helps that we have an awesome snow tube too!

The Koch/Cronin Wedding

2010-12-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

On December 18, we watched our friends Brian Koch and Kate Cronin get married in St.Paul, MN. We had a great couple's weekend away as Jodi's parents watched Evan and Paeton forus. We visited the Mall of America for the first time, had a great date night at Kincaid's Chophouse, and I even convinced Jodi to get a mani and pedi with me! We had a fun weekend but we couldn't wait to get back to Oshkosh to see the kids.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2010-12-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

December has been a REALLY busy month for our family. We were way overbooked with trips, activities and commitments - I need to remember that next year! This month included a scrapbooking weekend for myself in Lake Geneva, only 1 Christmas party (thank goodness!), our friend's wedding in Minnesota, a ladies service event, 3 trips to Oshkosh to visit with family, and of course the creation of our family christmas cards, baking by the dozen, shopping for gifts, wrapping of said gifts, decorating the inside and outside of the house and picking out outfits for many photos ops.

Craziness but Tis' the Season!

Evan - 4 mos.

2010-12-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

Macy's Santa Land

2010-12-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

Oops, I forgot this picture. Here we all are meeting Santa after waiting in line for 40 minutes. I think this picture is so funny for some reason :)

Sleepover in Philly

2010-12-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

We spent our last night on our trip to the East Coast at the Aloft Hotel in Philadelphia. Paeton and Jodi swam in a very cold pool; Evan lounged on a chair and kept warm. For dinner we ate at Relish, a really cool burger place. It was a great end to a great trip....until our wake-up call came at 3:20am and we had to get up for a 6am flight. Oh...and then go to work for the day :(

NYC with the Kids!

2010-12-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

My sister, Jodi, myself and the kiddos visited NYC for the day over Thanksgiving. We had such a fantastic day!

M&M World! $12.99 per pound of M&Ms!

Visiting with Elmo outside of Sbarro pizza.

Riding the Toy Story car on the ferris wheel inside Toys R Us.

Times Square.

Waiting in line to see Santa at Macy's Santaland, 8th floor of the Macy's Building.

Train ride into the city.

Paeton watching Toy Story on her DVD player while Evan cuddles with Woody. I secretly think this picture is funny because I don't think Paeton has any clue Evan has Woody.

My precious boy napping in the stroller while Paeton rides the ferris wheel.

The Toys R Us ferris wheel.

Aunt Michelle, Jodi and Paeton waiting in line for the ride.

Paeton kissing baby dolls in Toys R Us.

Paeton getting a great view of the skaters at Rockfeller Center.

Rockfeller Center - lego style.

LegoLand, NYC

This was my favorite day during our trip home. We had such a great time and I think we all felt so accomplished for being able to take the two kids to NYC and actually have fun. Thanks Aunt Michelle for all your help!

Christmas with the Marxes

2010-12-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with my parents and my sister during our trip home for Thanksgiving since we weren't coming home for Christmas this year. Evan slept through the whole thing but Paeton really enjoyed opening her gifts and receiving lots of 'Toy Story' things. She is in LOVE with Woody and Buzz Lightyear...it's quite cute.

Santa Express

2010-12-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

My mom and I took Paeton & Evan on the 'Santa Express' train ride in Flemington, NJ during our trip home for Thanksgiving. It was very cold this day but little Evan slept through the entire trip. Paeton still only enjoys large dressed up people such as Santa Claus from a distance but she did enjoy the train ride and meeting a new friend, Alex.

Thanksgiving Day

2010-12-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

We took a 6am flight out of Milwaukee into Philadelphia the morning of Thanksgiving. The kids traveled in their turkey pajamas and did really well on the flight. This was Evan's 2nd trip to NJ - he's a great traveler. Several women on the flight commented on his large cheeks; he gets that a lot :)

Blessings

2010-11-14T19:17:00.001-08:00

I started this post on November 13...I'm just getting around to adding the last picture and posting it. I had titled it 'Blessings' on Nov. 13 with no specific reason other than I liked that title and how it related to the exact moment when I took these picturess. My life has been crazy over the past six weeks but it's nice to sit down and remember my blessings.

Rainy Day

2010-11-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

Evan was pretty sick this week, staying home from daycare for a few days and several trips to the doctor. He's doing much better now but after an exhausting week combined with today's rain, we decided to stay in for the day and just hang out together. This was much needed after being back to work for 3 weeks and really missing my kiddos.

Happy 3 Months Evan!

2010-11-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

We Love You!

Halloween Night

2010-11-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

Trick or Treat Spooktacular

2010-10-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

Paeton LOVES the carousel at the zoo.

Evan was snug as a bug in the stroller.

Me and the kiddos trick or treating at the zoo.

I LOVE the weekends and family time!

Paeton's 1st Award

2010-10-31T11:37:00.001-07:00

Paeton won 'Most Original Costume' at the Flabbergast Halloween Party Friday night. This is her and I in the costume parade marching around so the judges could see everyone's costume. I was so excited for her. She even got a ribbon! Can't decide if that should hang in her room or go in the scrapbook? :)

Kohl's Daycare Pumpkin Patch Party

2010-10-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

Paeton, 'The Cupcake' and Evan, 'The Giraffe'

Our Little Pumpkin

2010-10-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here's Evan just before leaving for daycare last week...I love this picture of him!

Pumpkin Painting & Carving

2010-10-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Prospect Hills Pumpkin Playdate

2010-10-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Paeton's 1st Feeding

2010-10-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Paeton fed Evan this entire bottle on her own; I was so proud of her and it was a ton of help!

Hartland Pumpkin Farm

2010-10-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Hartland Pumpkin Farm. Paeton couldn't wait to run over to the petting zoo.

Here she is petting the goat that was sitting up on the table.

The largest turkey ever.

Paeton petting more goats.

Paeton riding on a donkey.

The kids and I in the petting zoo.

A turkey we made friends with.

Paeton talking to the huge bunny rabbit.

In the corn maze - it was endless and super hot.

Our Little Honeybee

2010-10-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

This is Paeton's first year being able to participate in Awana, Spring Creek's Wednesday night youth group for kids of all ages. Paeton is a Honeybee this year. She loves to put on her yellow shirt and get ready to go. I asked her to read some of her library books with Kona while I got Evan ready. She did a really good job listening and waiting patiently - two concepts we've been REALLY working on :)

Halloween PJs

2010-10-09T11:27:00.001-07:00

I went to a women's night at church on Thursday and I left Jodi with the kids, their new Halloween pajamas and the camera. Here's what they came up with.

Evan's Intake

2010-10-07T13:05:00.001-07:00

Today was Evan's intake at the Kohl's Daycare. We got to meet his teachers, see his classroom, drop off all his things and fill out lots of paperwork. This is Evan sitting in the waiting room reading a Kohl's flyer.

Here was the huge bag I brought with all his essentials: diapers, wipes, extra clothes

McCoy Field Park

2010-10-05T17:17:00.001-07:00

We went to a new park today and Evan had his first swing ride.

Paeton and I chatting at the park and her telling me how she didn't listen to mommy at the library :)

First Trip to the Library

2010-10-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

I took Paeton to the Menomonee Falls Library for the first time today. We got a library card - sparkling new - and we were off to the kid's section!
Paeton loved reading all the 'Big Books' - we brought home Silly Sally.

My little reader :)

Fall Family Pictures

2010-09-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

Click on the title "Fall Family Pictures" to see the pictures larger.

Kids in Motion

2010-09-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today we met up with Paeton's friends Austin & Cole at Kids in Motion, a really cool play place in New Berlin. Evan lounged in the infant area looking cool with his natural mohawk. I'm getting a little concerned that his hair isn't growing anywhere else!

Paeton, Austin & Cole enjoyed playing in the construction room.

Paeton also LOVED banging on all the instruments.

Evan was so overstimulated by everything...he didn't take a morning nap. He slept the entire afternoon!

Bubbletime came every 15 minutes and as you can see, the kids loved it!

Good Friends

2010-09-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Today we went over to Paeton's friend Riley's house to play. Their friend, Eva, joined them. Here's the girls starting a painting project together.

(In order: Riley, Paeton, Eva)
Paeton focusing on her art project.

Riley

Eva

Evan sat in his first chair today.

Riley's younger brother, Brady (7mos), played with Evan. The boys were so cute together!

Riley

All the kiddos!