Another Year, Another Party!

We survived another birthday with these two! Although they were convinced that they didn't turn 4 until the party actually happened. We would talk about the party and the Frozen theme (that they decided on back in January) for the past month and Drew would throw in side comments about how he wanted a monster truck cake. Sigh. Really buddy, just get on board with the combo party and next year we will discuss separate themes OR a simple "happy birthday" theme and get them an individualized cake:)

I DO wish the weather would have cooperated a little better but that didn't stop a couple people from going outside and playing some lacrosse and driving the new big wheels! I mean 30 degrees and wind after the nice run of sun and 50's-60's we had a couple weeks ago. We really enjoyed our time celebrating with family and friends and thank everyone for coming!

At this point in their 4 years of life:

Kelsey likes to shop! (Yay!) When I ask who wants to come along shopping, she is the first one to be excited and enjoys it. She likes PINK - and if you ask her she'll say "light and dark" ;) Loves talking about her long hair and how it looks like Rapunzel. She is a big fan of chocolate (my girl) and she is our singer. We get to hear all the songs she learns in school!

Drew is a homebody! I have to coerce him to go shopping (if leaving him home is not an option). His favorite color is blue. He will talk our ears off, especially in the car on the way from the sitter (so much so that Kelsey will tell me that he is hurting her ears!). His conversations are mostly about hunting with his uncles and plans for "when he gets bigger..." Drew is the bigger dancer out of the two and sometimes hears a beat that just makes his hips wiggle:)

Kelsey chatting with the great-grandmas

Oh Baby Benson

He was so excited for a play room full of new toys!

Even Kelsey's princess castle (that Dad promptly returned to the play room:))

All the boys and Kelsey playing games

New wheels

Sometimes you gotta tell them how to do it

Gotta invite the family so that they can put together the gifts they give them!

 

Playing with cousins

Uncle Dale showing Drew how to get the cars to go really fast

Dudes and their technology

The girls going old school and reading a book

And to end the night, friendly cousin wrestling

Silly Weekend

Last weekend was our final swim class of the session. I think we are all little happy to be done - the water isn't all that warm and it fell at such an odd time that it kind of ruined the rest of the day. Of course Craig got to miss the last class for grad school so Tara accompanied us once again! We decided to do something fun after and went back to my high school to watch Donkey Basketball. It was very silly to watch the stubborn animals and exciting when someone actually scoring a basket!

4 Donkeys per team

Sometimes pretend driving a lawn mower on your way out of the mall makes your day!

Then on Sunday, we were invited to our first bowling birthday party (also back in my hometown). We talked about it a lot since the kids had never been to a bowling alley and the party was for my friend's 4 year old that Kelsey and Drew had met once. After we got going, there was lots of cheering for each other, laughing, and good times.

Drew doing a crazy dance (Kels is in pink throwing her ball down the Alligator "helper")



Of course she had to have a pink ball, even tho it was 8lbs!

Patiently waiting our turn!!

Bring On the Warm Temps

The kids have only had one birthday without snow on the ground; their first one and we were pleasantly surprised that we could take pictures outside and party-goers could enjoy the Spring-like temps. It even flurried a little on the day they were born. (I remember looking out the hospital window and seeing the snow and hoping there wouldn't be too much so that my mom wouldn't have any trouble on her hour drive down by me.) I always think about moving the kids pictures to May so that we can have a better chance of doing an outdoor shoot but we've started making a "special" day out of it - usually we head to Chicago where our photographer lives - and it gets the kids excited as we talk about the city with the BIG buildings. This time last year, there was no sign of temps in the 50's so we knew the snow and cold would still be around. And of course the fact that we are having a "Frozen" 4th birthday party, serendipity would melt all the snow and the temps will be mild while the house is decorated in a winter wonderland! (Or maybe I'm just secretly keeping my fingers crossed that all that will happen!)

We have two weeks left of swim lessons and of course Drew is just starting to get into it. At least they didn't refuse to get in the pool because the water really isn't all that warm. The high school always has a mini snack/concession stand open so we bribe them with popcorn if they do all the skills Miss Sherie teaches them. It also tires them out so there is a guaranteed nap on Saturdays:)

Kelsey placed her baby next to Drew to take a nap with him

I guess this is how one watches Minnie Mouse Bowtique 

And of course this ham said, "mom, take one of me now!"

His selfie with the camera. He LIKES getting his picture taken, unlike Kelsey and
he is very interested in how the camera works.

Our Little Guppies

I tried real hard to get a picture of these cute kids in the locker room before we headed out to the pool on Saturday. Kelsey was being pretty shy and Drew was being a total ham! Total opposites, per the norm. This past class, we had to ask Auntie Tara to help because Craig had grad school. And of course, it was not the usual "fun" class but the "water safety" unit. So Tara learned how to save Kelsey and swim back and forth from the "island" to home! My sister was/is a natural in the water, kinda like Kelsey.

After swim lessons, we stopped at the farmer's market at the Domes. We went the first couple weeks of the season but it is SO busy that we only go now as a special treat. We got all the essentials: eggs, apples, valentine's cookies, and ice cream:) Kelsey used a valentine's gift to buy homemade peanut butter ice cream and shared with her brother! (Thanks Aunt Mary!)

On Sunday, we made a road trip down to IKEA! So fun and it's been years since I've been there. Since we were in the area, Craig contacted old college friends to meet up for lunch. Drew buddied up with Brian pretty quick and by the time we got to their house, they were old pals! (It only makes sense that anything belonging to Craig would fall in LOVE with Brian; Craig's dog Martin, would whimper and cry any time we mentioned he was coming or when he saw him. Of course, Marty lived with Brian for 4 years.)  Brian was showing them all his cool police stuff, gave them "badges", and was goofing around in the basement until everyone was tired out:)

Toddlers No More

Kelsey and Drew have been in their cribs with the one side removed for a year and yes, they were in their cribs until they were 3. They never tried to climb out, so we had no reason to convert the cribs and they dislike change. We had been talking about getting big beds since before Christmas. Everytime I looked online at beds, mattresses, and comforters, I tried to get Kelsey and Drew involved. There were a couple times Drew told me to stop looking at new beds ;). We are still easing them in to the whole idea of twin sized beds. The mattresses were delivered over the weekend and we are going to start with them on the floor and get use to sleeping on a bigger area.Then this weekend we are going to pick up the beds. Drew already told me last night that he wants his bed to be higher - guess he doesn't want his mattress to be on the floor for too long!

From this...

...to THIS!

First EVER Teacher Conferences

Well, besides being at my OWN parent-teacher conferences as a kid (and I wasn't surprised by what any of my teachers said), I had no idea how this was going to go. Overall, she didn't tell us anything we didn't already know about their personalities EXCEPT I was surprised to hear that Kelsey really leaves Drew alone at school - which is mostly the opposite at home and at the sitter. There are times she will be in the playroom without him but I see her "mothering" him a lot - making sure he has his buddy, his blanket, that he gets his coat on when it's time to go. Mrs. W said that absolutely doesn't happen in class. When I volunteered in their classroom one day and Mrs. W wasn't there,  Drew was throwing an "I'm done with this whole learning business today" attitude and it upset Kelsey as well. She said she has never seen Kelsey affected by Drew's tantrum's but we see the opposite at home.Overall, they are learning and growing on track. We do need to work on tracing squares and circles to help build the muscles in the hands necessary for all the writing they do in 4k and kindergarten.

What is happening here kills me. They put the chairs like this and had
their own little conversation. They are becoming best friends.

I signed the kids up for swim lessons and trying to find a class that fit my call schedule, their gymnastics day, and Craig's things we decided on a Thursday night beginners class. And we ended up being the OLDEST kids in class. Since it is a full class of 16 kids, 14 of them 2 and under, she asked if we wanted to move to a Saturday advanced class with less kids. I don't want to force these classes on them but I really want them to learn to be safe around water. (Pictures to follow because in the older class, they have to wear swim caps!!)

1st Birthdays and Prayers Needed

We had a pretty busy weekend. Grad school started up again for Craig on Saturday. We also celebrated baby Benson's first birthday! It was so great to see how he's grown and what a happy little man he is. What a ham! He was just eating up all the attention and it was a fun party.

For a late Christmas present, Craig and our friend Jason were going to take the boys to see monster trucks at the arena downtown, Well, Saturday morning, we both had texts on our phones from Jason telling us that their son was rushed to Children's. He had a 45 min seizure and a blood sugar of 23. Jaxon has been in the ICU ever since and his parents are still waiting for answers. Things have definitely gone from worse to better but please keep this brave little man and his family in your thoughts and prayers - we love them so so much and to see them go through this breaks our hearts.

I borrowed this pic from Annie. It was taken shortly after the new year.

Drew still went to see the monster trucks with Craig. They had a pretty good time from what I could get out of Drew - he was on day three of no nap :/ We have conferences with the 3k teacher this week and I am interested in what she has to say that is different from the progress reports. They still enjoy school and are learning so much. We are going to give swimming lessons a go starting next week. I've heard some parents talk about the water not being warm enough in the high school pools but it is so close to home we are just going to hope for the best.

Drew wearing his Gravedigger monster truck hat