Tuesday, November 25, 2008

August in Review

Here are some random shots from August.

Nana and Emmet getting the corn ready. This of course is a favorite summer time job!


My cool corn man


Ada and Nana getting the corn ready to cook.

Sweety corn lady!

Emmet showing off his tattoo....mommy got a new one this summer so Emmet had to have one too...temporary of course.

Ada's new tattoo to match mommy's!


Mommy's newest addition. Kind of a crooked picture.

July in review

I know I posted some pics already from July but I've decided that in my attempt to organize and get caught up I'm going to post my favorite pics from each month starting in July.



Ada & Emmet enjoyed going to Story Time at the library this summer. Here they are showing off a couple of their projects...spider hats and crabs!

Bed Bug Emmet and winking Bed Bug Ada

More bed bugs

Ada says, "Look at my balloons!"

Ada had a big long story of what this picture was...I've since forgotten. I do remember that it included balloons and trees.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

First trip to Olbrich Gardens

We finally made a trip to Olbrich Gardens for their butterfly extravaganza. It's been a long time since I've visited and I was taken aback by the beauty of it all! Ada and Emmet loved all the butterflies, flowers, greenery, waterfalls, streams and of course the paths that led to knew places to explore. On our way home we stopped at McDonalds for some lunch as a treat.













Okay, so my pictures are a little out of order. I'm okay with that....

Still trying to play catch up - my life story

So, where was I?

In early August (thanks to Erin's updated blog I can be accurate on this) we took a trip out to Menomonee Falls to spend the day at Erin's house with her family, as well as, Andee's family. I need to interject that every time I say Menomonee I want to sing that "Ma-na-ma-na song " by the muppets. Anyway, we had a great day. The weather cooperated, the food was DELICOUS and the company was even better. Emmet preferred to play by himself most of the day until it was time to leave, as is typical Emmet fashion. Ada kept having potty accidents, which I will blame on being in an unfamiliar place and all of the water she drank from the self-serve pitcher - she LOVED this. So, although I didn't get to converse much with my friends it was great to be together watching all of our crazy kids have fun and get to know one another. I only wish we all lived closer - who am I kidding - I wish none of us worked, lived closer to each other and could hang out ALL the time. Dream, dream, dream!


Sophie did such a nice job playing with the little ones. I can't get over how grown up she is!

Ada absolutely LOVED being in the water with Eileen - who by the way was also such a good helper with the little ones, as you can see here in this picture. Roger had a good time as well and even though he didn't actually get IN the water he ended up being drenched.

Love this pic with Emmet and Diego peeking in the pool.

The is the water pitcher I was referring to above. Joseph looking on in confusion at this mommy who feels the need to be in control!


The kids absolutely inhaled the delicious cupcakes Andee brought. YUM!


The adults...most of them anyway, hanging out. (L-R) Luis, Roger, Andee, Erin.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The most beautiful pictures!

These pictures are a little out of order...still trying to play catch-up but I absolutely HAD to post them. They are so precious. Thanks to Pops for capturing the pure, angelic-ness of my beautiful little ones. I am in awe every time I look at these pictures.


Emmet and Ada coloring together

My precious Emmet

My Ada-love

2 Year Check-up

Okay, okay...so the blog is not the only thing I am behind on.

I finally got Emmet and Ada in for their two year old check-up on July 25th. The appointment went fairly well, except I found out that they both had ear infections, which I had suspected and had them checked 5 days earlier but they were fine then. Emmet is so laid back, he just lets the doctor do her thing. Ada on the other hand needs to be reassured through most everything and then when it comes to looking in her ears....HOLY MOLY - look out. She has these tiny little ear canals so it's alwasy really hard for doctors to get a good look anyway and I always wonder if she has more discomfort because of that. Then on top of that she always seems to have so much wax in her ears that there is a need for the doctor to dig it out. The poor girl screams and writhes in agony during the whole thing and she is getting big enough now that it is hard for me to restrain her completely. We left the appointment with a script for both Ada and Emmet even though the doc could not see in Ada's ear. We were told to use drops 3-4 times a day to help loosen up the wax. HA! Try putting ear drops in a toddler's ears by yourself. Next to impossible!

So anyway here are their new stats...
Ada: WEIGHT ( 30 lbs 8 oz, 77%) HEIGHT (36", 71%)
Emmet: WEIGHT (27 lbs 8oz, 28%) HEIGHT (34 3/4", 27.5%)

Despite the ear infections and drama while diagnosing them the doc was quite impressed with my little duo and all that they are accomplishing and of course how stinkin' cute they are!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Potty Training

Oye...I'm still so far behind and I only have 3 more days before school starts for the year. Sob.

A little over a month ago I decided it would be a good idea to start potty training...BOTH Ada and Emmet...AT THE SAME TIME. I was feeling very positive, we started talking about it, reading books and we even made the exciting trip to the store for Ada and Emmet to pick out their very own Big Girl/Big Boy underwear. It was all very exciting. I read a manual of sorts that suggested to go cold turkey, as in NO MORE DIAPERS, day or night. I knew Ada was ready. Emmet had been showing SOME interest. So, I thought I'd just go for it. The "manual" I read swore that 3-4 days would be all it would take. Ha! I'm so naive and gullible!

My expectations included not leaving the house, many accidents and lots of laundry and of course some frustration. It didn't help that I came down with a cold on Day 1 or that the kids were maybe feeling a little lousy as well, OR that Matdie had just had her toe amputated, OR that Roger was gone for the weekend. Sometimes I wonder about my sanity!

By the end of Day 1 I was utterly exhausted, feeling sick and not to mention disgusting from cleaning up pee all day long. There were some successes by Day 2. Emmet wouldn't pee on the potty at all on Day 1 and by Day 2 was willing to give it a try. Ada was actually doing okay. They loved receiving stickers for trying and of course washing their hands a million times. I thought I was going to literally lose my mind. By Day 3 I wanted to rip my tongue out after saying "Do you need to go potty? Tell mommy if you need to go potty. Remember you're a big girl/big boy now and we go on the potty." about a GAZILLION times. There were pee spots ALL over our living room and we hadn't left the house in three whole days. By the end of Day 3 I was in tears. Because we had discarded our diapers (really I just put them in a bag in the garage...just in case) I had been getting up to change sheets and take Ada potty for two nights in a row, she would wake up 2-3 times each night saying she needed to go potty. We were all exhausted! I made the decision to use diapers at night for bedtime. Once I made that decision I felt SO SO SO much better. Seriously, it was like an enormous weight was lifted off of my shoulders. That night everyone slept well! HEAVEN!

The next morning (Day 4) Emmet woke up before Ada. I brought him downstairs and hadn't changed him into underwear because I had decided the night before that the poor kid just wasn't ready and I was torturing both of us. So, Emmet is standing in front of a chair, facing it with his hands on it, leaning over it in what had become his "I'm going to pee on the floor" position and pushed a little. He tried again. He looked closer to the floor in front of him, behind him and in front again. He then stood up straight and with a highly confused look on his face and hands in the air says "Mommy! Penis broken!". I almost made my own little pee-pee mess on the floor from laughing so hard. He obviously thought he still had his big boy underwear on. My little goof ball!

So, fast forward to present day...Ada is doing really well. She still has some accidents every once in a while but I'm so impressed, and proud of course. We are still doing diapers at night and I'm okay with that! We haven't tried full steam ahead training with Emmet yet. He likes to go poop on the potty and seems to have started a routine of going potty on the toilet before he takes a bath. All of this means of course that my babies are no longer babies!





Saturday, August 02, 2008

A visit to The Children's Museum

We spent a wonderful afternoon at the Children's Museum with Nana about a month ago. Ada and Emmet seemed so grown up walking down State Street holding hands rather than riding in the stroller. Once they warmed up they seemed to really enjoy exploring all of the different exhibits. I didn't get to take a lot of pictures but I did get a few good ones. After our time at the museum we went to Noodles for lunch and then walked back to the car. They did such a nice job and I really had a good time doing something different. It seems we go to the park nearly every day...which gets a little old for mom and kiddos so, this was a nice change. Thanks for helping Nana!


Ada playing with the trucks and tractors in the rocks.


Emmet was totally in his element at this exhibit.


They thought this car was the coolest!


Emmet's turn to drive.

more Diego visit pics

Because I couldn't fit them all in one post here are some more pics from our visit.



Emmet & Daddy in the pool...Emmet didn't like being in the pool so much.


The 3 amigos..I LOVE THESE PICTURES!!


A visit from Diego

We were fortunate enough to enjoy spending some a couple of days with my good friend Andee and her some Diego. They came to our house to play for a day. We walked to the park, had some lunch and then all the kids took a nap which allowed Andee and I some time to do some catching up. On the 4th of July we were able to join them at the pool for some swim time! So much fun!


Playing cars together


In the pool with Daddy


Emmet enjoying a fountain in the kiddie pool


Ada looking pretty


Andee and Ada swimming...Ada loved being in the water.

Playing together

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the times when Ada and Emmet play together, talk together, interact and ENJOY each other. It warms my heart and gives me a little peace and quiet!