Yike - I need to make a detailed post about our recent vacation. In the meantime, here is how the morning of the first day of School 2008 went! Kelden started Kindergarten and Audrey started 2nd grade - she thinks that is big deal!
Kids were up early and got themselves dressed - Audrey even helped Kaeden.
They ate breakfast. Sandwich was so excited about his new backpack he gave his sports backpack to Kaeden. It was so cute until Kaeden refused "No! Don wan it!" hmph.
Then as the morning wore on and breakfast was done Kelden was frustrated about how the stuff in his backpack fit (because he has to bring a few supplies that were bulky but really light) so he sat on the tile and cried. Kaeden came over to him, wrapped his arms around him and said "it's okay, it's okay Ke-den".
Then it was off to school and Kelden was convinced every car on the road was trying to make us late. I took some fun pictures in front of school and we all got to say hi to other families we haven't seen all summer.
Kelden did fine in his classroom and was ready for me to leave (I didn't linger I just walked him through the procedure of putting his stuff away). Kaeden and I popped into Audrey's classroom and said goodbye to her. Kaeden ran over to get a big hug and I got a picture of them giving each other a kiss.
Then Kaeden and I headed home and I heard this small, tiny, sad voice from behind me say: "where's Ke-den?"
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sticker Head
The boys are finishing up swim lessons for the year. Kaeden's lessons are every weekday and as grateful as I am that he can swim, I will be glad to not have to drag him up from his nap to get there on time.
On Tuesday the little boy who swims after Kaeden handed him a Tigger sticker when Kaeden was getting out of the pool. Kaeden was still mad that I made him swim that he refused it. So I thanked the little boy and kept the sticker on my finger while I soothed and cuddled Kaeden.
After a few minutes I hear this soft, hesitant, tiny voice saying "sticker?" So I gave Kaeden his Tigger sticker and having nowhere else to put it he stuck it on his forehead.
The next day when Kaeden got out of the pool he asked for a sticker. So the little boys mom pulled a Piglet sticker out of her bag for him - so sweet. And again Kaeden stuck it to his forehead. It was there when I left last night and when we woke up this morning the sticker was still on his head.
If you ask Kaeden if he has a sticker he will say: "Yes, on da head" and smack his forehead gently. Brendan thinks this is the funniest thing.
On Tuesday the little boy who swims after Kaeden handed him a Tigger sticker when Kaeden was getting out of the pool. Kaeden was still mad that I made him swim that he refused it. So I thanked the little boy and kept the sticker on my finger while I soothed and cuddled Kaeden.
After a few minutes I hear this soft, hesitant, tiny voice saying "sticker?" So I gave Kaeden his Tigger sticker and having nowhere else to put it he stuck it on his forehead.
The next day when Kaeden got out of the pool he asked for a sticker. So the little boys mom pulled a Piglet sticker out of her bag for him - so sweet. And again Kaeden stuck it to his forehead. It was there when I left last night and when we woke up this morning the sticker was still on his head.
If you ask Kaeden if he has a sticker he will say: "Yes, on da head" and smack his forehead gently. Brendan thinks this is the funniest thing.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Protein. Yum.
I never thought it would happen but I finally swore off fast food.
My last trip to Taco Bell (for food) was almost three months ago. It was such a monotonous routine that I can not remember when I was there last. Now the kids think 'Donald's burgers and fries are the best food on God's green earth so we do go there on occasion. And my boys really need the calories - I just keep the fries to a minimum and try to supplement their meal with fruit. We bring that stuff home, it makes it easier to add the fruit and the milk at home is way cheaper - plus I eat a healthier meal that way too. Although I think I had McDonald's twice in the last three months.
I traded in the grease and the grime for spinach salads, vegetable snacks and "Carnation Instant Breakfasts" which are about as close to a protein shake as I can get. I may be eating healthier but I am still not sacrificing flavor.
So after the diet upgrade I went in early May for an update with my fitness trainer. I had lost 5 pounds (yay) and 4 inches off my waste (awesome). But her calipers said my weight loss was mostly muscle. Egads. Since I lift weight so much, and it is the only exercise I really enjoy, I was told to increase my protein intake - targeting 105 grams a day.
My protein consumption before was abysmal and mostly from cheese, milk and occasional chicken, beef or pork dishes. So it was a challenge to find 105 grams of protein to eat. Of course I did my research first. Using formulas and variables that allow for extensive weight training my target protein intake came out to 95.
So that is my target range - between 95 and 105 grams of protein.
I started out with lean chicken and threw in some nuts and beef jerky - but those were hard on my gums. I have been eating more deli meat and cottage cheese along with larger meat portions at dinner. I think the key to my success is drinking more milk. I have easily been able to consume 100 grams of protein a day but I have to admit, often times I have been eating protein rich foods when I was not hungry at all.
I get measured again in another week so I will stick with the same diet to see where I am at and then I will adjust accordingly to see what is ideal for my body. I did gain a pound or two this month so I will be curious to see if I gained muscle or not.
Either way I think I am eating too much and after the next measurement I will make some more changes.
My last trip to Taco Bell (for food) was almost three months ago. It was such a monotonous routine that I can not remember when I was there last. Now the kids think 'Donald's burgers and fries are the best food on God's green earth so we do go there on occasion. And my boys really need the calories - I just keep the fries to a minimum and try to supplement their meal with fruit. We bring that stuff home, it makes it easier to add the fruit and the milk at home is way cheaper - plus I eat a healthier meal that way too. Although I think I had McDonald's twice in the last three months.
I traded in the grease and the grime for spinach salads, vegetable snacks and "Carnation Instant Breakfasts" which are about as close to a protein shake as I can get. I may be eating healthier but I am still not sacrificing flavor.
So after the diet upgrade I went in early May for an update with my fitness trainer. I had lost 5 pounds (yay) and 4 inches off my waste (awesome). But her calipers said my weight loss was mostly muscle. Egads. Since I lift weight so much, and it is the only exercise I really enjoy, I was told to increase my protein intake - targeting 105 grams a day.
My protein consumption before was abysmal and mostly from cheese, milk and occasional chicken, beef or pork dishes. So it was a challenge to find 105 grams of protein to eat. Of course I did my research first. Using formulas and variables that allow for extensive weight training my target protein intake came out to 95.
So that is my target range - between 95 and 105 grams of protein.
I started out with lean chicken and threw in some nuts and beef jerky - but those were hard on my gums. I have been eating more deli meat and cottage cheese along with larger meat portions at dinner. I think the key to my success is drinking more milk. I have easily been able to consume 100 grams of protein a day but I have to admit, often times I have been eating protein rich foods when I was not hungry at all.
I get measured again in another week so I will stick with the same diet to see where I am at and then I will adjust accordingly to see what is ideal for my body. I did gain a pound or two this month so I will be curious to see if I gained muscle or not.
Either way I think I am eating too much and after the next measurement I will make some more changes.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Who needs Disney Land when you can go furniture shopping instead
Big transitions will be hitting the household this summer.
Audrey is quite the slob so it is going to be a boot camp summer. With vacations and events sucking up 3 weeks of her 8 week summer break the rest of the weekdays will all begin with big chores. I know she can clean up after herself in school, so she can do it at home. All school year it has been a push and pull with her to clean up after herself and most days I let her mess sit until she got home from school. Using the "get it done or you can't play with your friends" technique she always picked up. But it is time for her to learn to do it out of habit. I think I am going to start with the bathrooms since she is so messy with her toothpaste, and her brothers make a mess in there. She needs to learn to take pride in her work and understand how it feels when someone comes along and messes it up. It is going to be fun!
Kaeden is just amazing. At 2 years old the child can clear his plate into the trash and then put it in the sink. He needs to teach his 7 year old sister this technique.
Bedrooms are changing too. We have decided to close up the loft wall but have not decided when. Due to noise I think it should wait until Kaeden has outgrown his nap routine, so hopefully it will be awhile. Currently we plan to put Kelden and Kaeden in the same bedroom and move Audrey back into her original bedroom where Kaeden is now. This will open Audrey's room as a guest bedroom (and more storage!) again.
The economy here is holding well but I think spending is down. So it seems everyone is having big sales on big ticket items, and we are taking advantage! We had a security front door installed and it looks really pretty. It is so nice to have the breeze from the front of the house now. We also bought two boys bedroom sets. We got two captains beds, two dressers and two nightstands - all matching. The boys are going to share the room and we are probably going to decorate with a train theme. The furniture that doesn't fit in the boys room will probably go in the spare bedroom. I figure eventually they will want their own space and this way they both have enough drawer space and matching furniture. When that happens the loft will be enclosed and will be usable as a spare bedroom!
My other goal for the summer is to install cabinets and a counter top along the short (7 foot wall) in the loft. This will be the location for doing homework, "minor crafting" and the kids computer. And hopefully this will make sure I don't find Audrey's bedroom floor covered in stamping ink again.
When we went to the furniture store to look at the options the kids just went nuts climbing the bunk beds and the loved climbing through the "storage" doors in a lot of the furniture. There is some neat stuff out there and I bet we are going to find our K's hiding inside their captains beds when they are installed. Kaeden loves to hide in the tall cabinet in his diaper changing table. The kids would not calm down, we made sure that Kaeden could get up and down on the captains bed well enough, then Brendan took them out to the van for containment.
We stopped at a restaurant for dinner on the way home and the kids went all ga-ga over a 3 month old baby at the table nearby. They were really sweet blowing her kisses and giving her lots of smiles. The family was very receptive and turned the car seat so the boys could get a clear view too. They all entertained each other for a good while.
Audrey is quite the slob so it is going to be a boot camp summer. With vacations and events sucking up 3 weeks of her 8 week summer break the rest of the weekdays will all begin with big chores. I know she can clean up after herself in school, so she can do it at home. All school year it has been a push and pull with her to clean up after herself and most days I let her mess sit until she got home from school. Using the "get it done or you can't play with your friends" technique she always picked up. But it is time for her to learn to do it out of habit. I think I am going to start with the bathrooms since she is so messy with her toothpaste, and her brothers make a mess in there. She needs to learn to take pride in her work and understand how it feels when someone comes along and messes it up. It is going to be fun!
Kaeden is just amazing. At 2 years old the child can clear his plate into the trash and then put it in the sink. He needs to teach his 7 year old sister this technique.
Bedrooms are changing too. We have decided to close up the loft wall but have not decided when. Due to noise I think it should wait until Kaeden has outgrown his nap routine, so hopefully it will be awhile. Currently we plan to put Kelden and Kaeden in the same bedroom and move Audrey back into her original bedroom where Kaeden is now. This will open Audrey's room as a guest bedroom (and more storage!) again.
The economy here is holding well but I think spending is down. So it seems everyone is having big sales on big ticket items, and we are taking advantage! We had a security front door installed and it looks really pretty. It is so nice to have the breeze from the front of the house now. We also bought two boys bedroom sets. We got two captains beds, two dressers and two nightstands - all matching. The boys are going to share the room and we are probably going to decorate with a train theme. The furniture that doesn't fit in the boys room will probably go in the spare bedroom. I figure eventually they will want their own space and this way they both have enough drawer space and matching furniture. When that happens the loft will be enclosed and will be usable as a spare bedroom!
My other goal for the summer is to install cabinets and a counter top along the short (7 foot wall) in the loft. This will be the location for doing homework, "minor crafting" and the kids computer. And hopefully this will make sure I don't find Audrey's bedroom floor covered in stamping ink again.
When we went to the furniture store to look at the options the kids just went nuts climbing the bunk beds and the loved climbing through the "storage" doors in a lot of the furniture. There is some neat stuff out there and I bet we are going to find our K's hiding inside their captains beds when they are installed. Kaeden loves to hide in the tall cabinet in his diaper changing table. The kids would not calm down, we made sure that Kaeden could get up and down on the captains bed well enough, then Brendan took them out to the van for containment.
We stopped at a restaurant for dinner on the way home and the kids went all ga-ga over a 3 month old baby at the table nearby. They were really sweet blowing her kisses and giving her lots of smiles. The family was very receptive and turned the car seat so the boys could get a clear view too. They all entertained each other for a good while.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Mother's Day
Mother's Day just never goes as planned.
This year I secured lunch reservations so we could skip the crowded wait, and hungry and cranky children.
The morning started off unusual. Audrey woke up early and came into our bedroom like an elephant - she started me awake and she reacted to my startle by screaming. Freaked us out.
Since I was up late with Kelden I did not get enough sleep!
When I did get out of bed Brendan informed me that Audrey was running a 102 fever. Pair that with her recent coughing and it was obvious to me that she has ANOTHER sinus infection. The blessing about sinus infections is that I do not have to worry about the boys catching them too.
So Grandma came over to stay with her while we went to lunch, and the boys decided grandma would be way more fun to play with than sitting at a stuffy restaurant. So what was supposed to be a Mother's Day celebration turned into a date. We had a lovely time.
Audrey had been crafting all week so I believe the final count was 15 Mother's Day cards from her, Kelden made a "jewelry box" at school and then all three decorated a scrap book page.
Kaeden said some really cute things worth remembering:
Momma. Sit here.
Up.
Hug. *big hug*
Love you too Momma.
*kiss*
*gets down*
Stay there Momma. Ok?
*wanders over to Daddy and gives him a hug.*
*comes back and does the process over again*
I just sat there and enjoyed it.
This year I secured lunch reservations so we could skip the crowded wait, and hungry and cranky children.
The morning started off unusual. Audrey woke up early and came into our bedroom like an elephant - she started me awake and she reacted to my startle by screaming. Freaked us out.
Since I was up late with Kelden I did not get enough sleep!
When I did get out of bed Brendan informed me that Audrey was running a 102 fever. Pair that with her recent coughing and it was obvious to me that she has ANOTHER sinus infection. The blessing about sinus infections is that I do not have to worry about the boys catching them too.
So Grandma came over to stay with her while we went to lunch, and the boys decided grandma would be way more fun to play with than sitting at a stuffy restaurant. So what was supposed to be a Mother's Day celebration turned into a date. We had a lovely time.
Audrey had been crafting all week so I believe the final count was 15 Mother's Day cards from her, Kelden made a "jewelry box" at school and then all three decorated a scrap book page.
Kaeden said some really cute things worth remembering:
Momma. Sit here.
Up.
Hug. *big hug*
Love you too Momma.
*kiss*
*gets down*
Stay there Momma. Ok?
*wanders over to Daddy and gives him a hug.*
*comes back and does the process over again*
I just sat there and enjoyed it.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
I'ts Coming! It's Coming!
Kaeden, please do not outgrow this cute toddler stage. Audrey and Kelden are certainly still very cute in their own way too. I am so glad I wrote down their toddler stories and took a lot of photos for the scrap book too.
Kaeden likes to delay bed time and he is almost as good at it as Audrey was. Somehow he has suckered us into a hide and seek game every bed time. He does not have any interest in playing in the middle of the day. It has to be at bed time. There is a cabinet section of his changing table that is almost as tall as he is. When he is ready to play he runs off towards his room shouting:
It's coming! It's coming!
He runs and runs glancing over his shoulder to make sure I am following. He emptied out the cabinet and he hides inside and directs me to hide behind the door. Then he creeps out, finds me, giggles with uncontrollable glee. Then he runs back to the cabinet shouting:
It's coming! It's coming!
And we play again. He never gives up until I tackle him, turn off the light and put him to bed.
****************************************
Kaeden tried watermelon for the first time yesterday. He liked it as slices on the rind but today he did not like it cubed on the plate today. I got an awesome picture I will put up on flickr next chance I get.
****************************************
Kelden has been enjoying watching his Dad play World of Warcrap. Not my preference for time spent. He is looking forward to taking a break from school and Audrey has him nervous about the bears at Yellowstone Park. Thank you Audrey.
****************************************
Audrey got her first sunburn yesterday, it cleared up a lot over night so it should not bug her much at school tomorrow. She was so tired tonight, she played hard all weekend. I think I barely saw her. She was swimming at a friends yesterday - hence the sunburn since they didn't put sunscreen on anyone. And today she went to a movie with a friend. Usually the kids hang out here so it was nice for her to be invited places.
She and I have plans to make some home made cards as teachers gifts.
Kaeden likes to delay bed time and he is almost as good at it as Audrey was. Somehow he has suckered us into a hide and seek game every bed time. He does not have any interest in playing in the middle of the day. It has to be at bed time. There is a cabinet section of his changing table that is almost as tall as he is. When he is ready to play he runs off towards his room shouting:
It's coming! It's coming!
He runs and runs glancing over his shoulder to make sure I am following. He emptied out the cabinet and he hides inside and directs me to hide behind the door. Then he creeps out, finds me, giggles with uncontrollable glee. Then he runs back to the cabinet shouting:
It's coming! It's coming!
And we play again. He never gives up until I tackle him, turn off the light and put him to bed.
****************************************
Kaeden tried watermelon for the first time yesterday. He liked it as slices on the rind but today he did not like it cubed on the plate today. I got an awesome picture I will put up on flickr next chance I get.
****************************************
Kelden has been enjoying watching his Dad play World of Warcrap. Not my preference for time spent. He is looking forward to taking a break from school and Audrey has him nervous about the bears at Yellowstone Park. Thank you Audrey.
****************************************
Audrey got her first sunburn yesterday, it cleared up a lot over night so it should not bug her much at school tomorrow. She was so tired tonight, she played hard all weekend. I think I barely saw her. She was swimming at a friends yesterday - hence the sunburn since they didn't put sunscreen on anyone. And today she went to a movie with a friend. Usually the kids hang out here so it was nice for her to be invited places.
She and I have plans to make some home made cards as teachers gifts.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Cute things Kaeden does
Just a collection of cute things little Kaeden does.
Mommy: Who is my cutie cutie!
Kaeden: Meeeeeeeeeeeeee!
When he is about to run off he will make a wooooosh sound that Brendan calls his "jet assist" which is probably from the movie The Incredibles.
Kaeden likes the Scooby-Do song as his lullaby. This is because we call our iRobot Scooba "Scooby", and he thinks Scooby is cute.
Mommy: Who is my cutie cutie!
Kaeden: Meeeeeeeeeeeeee!
When he is about to run off he will make a wooooosh sound that Brendan calls his "jet assist" which is probably from the movie The Incredibles.
Kaeden likes the Scooby-Do song as his lullaby. This is because we call our iRobot Scooba "Scooby", and he thinks Scooby is cute.
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