A Day at the Beach...

Tuesday we went to the beach...all day! We ended up driving, even though it was only about 2 blocks away, but parking is so easy and it made it easier with all of our stuff. The beach was pretty much empty and the kids played in the sand all day. Ryan was great...he'd sit and watch everyone and then take a nap. John took him on a few walks down the beach to get him to sleep, so I got some good relaxing time in with the kids.

You are allowed to drive on the beach at Daytona Beach, but unfortunately we didn't see anyone doing that :(

By the end of the day we were beat...and sunburned! I felt horrible! We tried so hard to keep the kids protected, but both Kylie and Josh had some burn. Thankfully Ryan did not. So that night we slathered on the aloe :)

Day 5 of Vacation

Sunday we woke up and decided to head to the GIGANTIC indoor flea market that was just a few exits up. I had no idea what to expect…I’ve been to very trashy sales and I’ve been to really nice ones…this turned out to be a mixture of both :)

First of all, it was huge! We had a map showing us where things were. Even though I like to go to flea markets and garage sales, I’m not one to usually buy other people’s used stuff (although sometimes I will…it just depends on the item and the condition). But then we started getting to the booths of food, and I was in heaven! First there was the spice booth – tons of interesting spice combinations and fun things, so I got a few. Then there was the salsa booth – this couple makes all kinds of homemade salsas (we ended up getting a peach-chipotle one that is awesome!).

We walked around and got tons of samples of wonderful fruit – oranges, strawberries, etc. We also got samples of and bought kettle corn and sweet and spicy nuts. We had a great lunch there (tons of little “restaurants” within the place) of corndogs, fries and funnel cake. We spent a good ½ day there!

When we left it was raining. The flea market was by the speedway, so we went over there to see if there was anything we could do there. Turns out a good part of it was outside, so we decided to come back another day and do the whole “Daytona Experience.”

When we got back to the condo we just hung out. John went out and made friends with a guy that actually lives here in Columbus and owns a local chain of dry-cleaners! The kids were running around and playing, and after the “note” we received, I was trying my best to keep them quiet. There was this couple sitting outside on their patio that looked to be about my parents’ age (so much younger than the average age of the rest of the people there :) ). I was nervous because of the kids...

But then the lady asked me how old the baby was, and then she made the most amazing comment to me…“we love hearing the children run around and play…you keep letting them play out here.” I was kind of taken aback because it was so opposite the “note” and I honestly wasn’t sure if she was serious or being sarcastic. But then she, and her husband, told me that they love to hear the kids playing…it reminds them of their grandchildren (3 of which are Ryan’s age). So I pulled up a chair and made myself comfortable! These two people, one a retired doctor and one a retired professor, were the nicest people! They talked and played with the kids, offered me drinks, and brought us out cookies. I told them about the “note” and they told me to ignore it! They confirmed what I thought in that whoever wrote that must have never had kids!

After a while we decided to head to dinner. The lady was so nice and gave the kids a huge basket of toys to play with for the rest of our trip. It was so nice to experience this kindness after worrying about that stupid note!

We went to this awesome seafood restaurant right on the inlet for dinner. Our table was right by the window, and even though it was dark, we could see the water below us and had a pelican friend to watch. I got the most amazing dinner…crabmeat already taken out of the shells and soaking in butter! And even though Ryan was a pistol (tired but wouldn’t go to sleep), we still had a good dinner. John took the kids out to the car when we were done while I waited for the check, and the 2 couples at the table behind us started talking to me. They told me I had a beautiful family and that the kids were so good (and mind you, it’s 10:00 at this point!). They told me they had teenagers at home that they were worried were throwing parties and getting into trouble and wished they could go back to this “easy” time. I was wearing an “OU” shirt, and the one guy asked me if I went there. I told him both John and I did, and it turns out he not only went there too, but he also graduated from Athens High School! They live in Cincinnati now (2 hours from where we live). Talk about a small world!

It was a long and eventful day!

Disney 2009

We went to Disney on John’s birthday. We got up early, got everyone ready, and headed out the door for our 1 hour and 20 minute drive to “the World.”

The drive was gorgeous…the sun was out and it was a beautiful temperature. When we got into Orlando it was so exciting seeing all the billboards for the nearby attractions…we knew we were getting close! We then started seeing the signs for Disney World and drove through to the Magic Kingdom to park.

Once at the front gates we bought our tickets…which had to be done a little differently since there were extra steps to get John’s free ticket. The lady also gave him a button to wear that said “It’s My Birthday” that I told him he had to wear for at least ½ hour! She also gave each of us a button that said “I’m celebrating Daddy’s Birthday,” which the kids loved.

After we got the tickets we headed onto the monorail. It was so neat seeing the castle get closer and closer! Once we were there we went into Main Street and were in awe…the weather was perfect and it was just like it had been the previous year. The same show was even being performed in front of the castle as a year ago when we first entered!

We decided that I would take Ryan and go and get the Fast Passes for Splash Mountain while John and the kids watched the show at the castle. Afterwards we met up and the kids met Donald Duck and then we headed over to Fantasy Land so that the kids could ride some rides while we waited for our Fast Pass time. Ryan decided he was hungry, so John stayed and rode rides with the kids while I took Ryan to the baby care center.


I just want to say I love Disney…really…everything from how stinking nice the employees are, to the fact that the parks are so clean, to the silly rules they have in place that make it an overall great experience. The baby care center was no exception. Inside I found 4 rocking chairs in a dimly lit room where I could peacefully feed Ryan (I was the only one in there for a while). I know there was a changing room somewhere, but I just changed him in the rocking chair room, which was nice. I just loved not having to worry about whether Ryan was going to pull the blanket down out in public, or whether I was exposing too much skin, or just being comfortable!

After that we headed over to Splash Mountain and Kylie and John went to ride while Ryan, Josh and I went down to the little play area below. Josh had so much fun playing there and I had fun trying to make Ryan smile :) Unfortunately Kylie didn’t have as much fun on the ride this time because she got wet right away :(

After that we decided to get some lunch. It was hot dogs and McDonald’s fries! Then the kids went on Dumbo with John and Ryan and I hung out. After that ride we went over to the Peter Pan ride – the kids had loved that so much last year! And it was so nice because I could take Ryan on it, so we got to all go!



We then headed to the front of the park to look for Kylie’s Minnie ears. She had been wanting them the whole time and she knew she wanted the ones that had a veil. So we found them and as we were going to leave, Joshie saw the “make your own” ears and you know what he said? “Hockey helmets!” The base part (the hat with no ears) looks a lot like a hockey helmet, and since we know he’s obsessed with hockey, he loved it!



After that we headed over to Mickey and Minnie’s house. The kids love playing in their houses because they get to touch everything! I had to feed Ryan again and this time it was not such a lovely experience, but we survived :) John and Josh went to ride Goofy’s roller coaster and then we got to do the parent swap so Kylie and I could go and ride (another wonderful thing I love about Disney). After that we headed to the barn and shopped around while Kylie and John participated in the parade :) Then Kylie spent the rest of her money on a baby Minnie doll (it’s so hard being a parent and trying to teach kids what are good things to spend money on and what aren’t).

Joshie was getting tired at this point so I carried Ryan in the sling and put Joshie in the stroller to nap. He fell asleep and John and Kylie decided to drive the race cars. They were in line for about 45 minutes, so I got an ice cream bar and planted myself in the shade. I gave Ryan some licks of the chocolate, which he loved, and just enjoyed watching all the people. After John and Kylie were done, we parent swapped and Kylie and I went on the race cars.


After that Joshie woke up and we spent more time in Tomorrowland (which was nice because we didn’t get here at all last year). We went to the Monster’s Inc. show and at the end when the little monster says “you want to know what’s cute?” they flashed a shot of me holding Ryan on the big screen and the monster says “a baby! And that one’s fresh out of the oven!” It was fun!

We took the tram thing around tomorrowland and got to see a lot of neat things (including the inside of Space Mountain with all the lights on because there was some sort of problem – it was neat seeing all the tracks!) Then we headed over to the Buzz Lightyear ride…it was so nice because I could take Ryan on it, so we all got to go as a family! It was a very cool ride…we got more Fast Passes to ride it again!

By this time it was starting to get dark, and cold. We forgot to bring in the kids’ jackets, so we were planning on leaving soon. We rode the astro-ship-ride-thing (parent-swap again!) and then I told John to take the kids back on the Buzz Lightyear ride while I went to feed Ryan one last time before leaving. Unfortunately I got up to the front just as the light parade was starting. I couldn’t cross the street! Luckily, Ryan had fallen asleep in his sling, so I wrapped him up in the blanket and watched the parade. When it was over I started to make my way up to the front, wondering how I was going to find John and the kids, and I happened to run into them! What are the chances of that? We also saw a guy wearing a Blue Jackets shirt (our hockey team) and Joshie yelled “go Jackets” and the guy yelled “go Jackets” back! We made our way back to the monorail and the kids got to ride in the front car which was a really nice treat for them! Back at the car we had two very sleeping kids and little man that wanted to eat! So I fed Ryan while John talked to his parents on the phone (since it was his birthday and all). The kids informed us that they were too tired to stop for dinner :) So we headed out and were back at the condo by 10:30.

It was a long day, but so very much fun. It was nice because the kids really didn’t have any interest in seeing any characters (we saw a line for some princesses and Kylie didn’t want to see them) so we didn’t waste any time doing that. We just rode the rides and relaxed!

Spring Break 2009 - Day 3

What a relaxing day! Today we got up and headed outside as soon as the sun was over the pool. The temperature was high sixties at this point, so it was perfect to lay out, but a little cold to be in the pool (even though the water was 83 degrees).

We came in to eat lunch and put the kids down for a nap and John and I got to spend some time laying in the sun by ourselves (huge benefit of having a condo so close to the pool!).

After the kids' naps we were back out there again, and this time John and the kids got in the pool.

After that we came inside to get showered and dressed and headed to this great place for dinner called "Aunt Catfish's." They had a live singer outside, along with a play area for the kids for while we waited. The food was really good, and aside from Ryan being his usual pain, it was a great dinner.

The whole day, and trip really, went sour when we returned back to the condo. We found a note attached to the door addressed to the "112 Visitors." When we opened it up, we found a note telling us "that people were complaining about our kids screaming."

Let me back up here. When we were getting ready to come down here, my aunt and uncle kept telling us over and over again how this place was full of "old people" and that they weren't used to kids splashing in the pool and stuff like that. We figured we would have no problems as 1.) we have wonderfully well-behaved kids, and 2.) they had experienced my cousin coming down with his buddies - drinking and being crazy.

Nevertheless, as soon as we got down here we talked to everyone we saw and tried to make sure we were on everyone's good side. And let me tell you, this place is full of people that are of "advanced retirement age" (trying to not offend anyone out there :) ). But everyone we met was so nice, and of course all the ladies oogled over Ryan. And I know I brag on here about how good our kids are...not perfect, but definitely very good, and yet we still were so careful with them...they never splashed when they were in the pool, and we tried to keep them so quiet - we were expecting them to act like adults instead of kids with how quiet we were making them be.

So we get that note, and my blood is boiling. I want to scream at these people and tell them this is why old people are not liked...they can't adapt! And the only one doing any screaming so far has been Ryan, and even then I'm right there quieting him down. I can't figure out what these people expect. And the nerve...this is a condo, that my uncle OWNS. There are no rules about no kids or anything like that, so for them to send a note like that is uncalled for. If I weren't so thankful for the use of this place, and if I didn't respect my uncle, I would have marched my butt right down to the couple that sent us the note and given them a piece of my mind.

I don't know why it has affected me so much...I really want to go home now. I'm sick of spending the energy trying to keep these kids so well-behaved for these people. Most of them had kids at one time...don't they remember??? I'm so sick to my stomach over the whole thing. I can't wait to get to Disney just to be in a place where kids are appreciated and accepted. Right now I wish we would have done an entire Disney trip and just forgotten about this place.

But I have to let it go...this is not my house, and therefore I have to be respectful. But, I can tell you that I'm no longer going to waste any energy on keeping the kids quiet. They will be as loud as they are...if Ryan screams, he screams. If the kids splash a little in the pool, then so be it. This is my vacation and I want to relax too.

Spring Break 2009 - Days 1 and 2

I didn’t fall off the face of the earth…just relocated down a few states for a week :) We are in Florida for spring break!

Our plane took off at 7:00 AM Tuesday morning, which meant that we had to leave our house at 5:30 AM, which meant I had to be up at 4:00 AM. And to make matters worse, I didn’t go to bed until 12:30 AM, so I didn’t end up with much sleep.

The funny thing, that we didn’t really think about until we were on the way to the airport, is that we packed 5 suitcases, a diaper bag, each of us had carry-ons, a stroller, the baby carrier, and a boosters seat…how on earth were two adults and two kids going to carry all that???

Luckily we had a lot of help along the way…the bus guy helped us with our bags from the car to the airport drop-off, and then once we were in, two very nice ladies (who happened to be our flight attendants on our flight) helped us with our bags because poor Kylie was having a hard time pulling one of the suitcases.

Security wasn’t too bad to get through, but there was a line that we waited in for about 20 minutes (and because you have to put everything on the belt, at one point Ryan did end up being laid down on the floor).

Once on the plane Ryan decided he was hungry, which was perfect because he had not eaten since midnight, and had he been on his normal schedule (every 4-5 hours) we would have been in trouble as we really did get on the plane just in time. He then slept for an hour of the two-hour flight, which was very nice. Kylie and Josh did great on the flight as well.

We got into Florida around 9:10 AM and headed to get our rental car. It was so warm and sunny! We drove the hour from Orlando up to the condo we’re staying in by Daytona Beach. The condo is my uncle’s and it’s amazing! We are on the first floor and about 10 feet away from the pool. So the kids can run back in by themselves to go potty, and I can still sit at the pool when Ryan’s sleeping. And it’s a very close walk to the beach!

Once we got here, we all took naps! After that we got our suits on and got into the pool. Ryan was a bit of a pistol, but once I sat him on the edge of the pool with me with his feet in th water he was happy. Joshie started off playing hockey on the shuffle board thing (complete with winter gloves because "real hockey players wear gloves") and then wanted to go in the pool.

After pool time we headed out to get some dinner and groceries. We decided to drive down Daytona Beach and were extremely surprised to see how dead it was. I always figured it was a big, happening place, but there were so many businesses closed, and even some hotels for sale. Needless to say, we didn’t find any restaurants that looked good and the kids were really starting to whine. Joshie’s nose was really stuffed up and he refused to breathe through his mouth, so he kept crying and saying his nose hurt. Kylie was whining about being hungry and Ryan started getting fussy.

We finally found a Chinese restaurant and got dinner (the food was so good!). But right away Joshie was whining about being cold and wouldn’t eat, and then Ryan started losing it. We finished up, stopped at the grocery store for some breakfast foods and lunch meat and then went back to the condo.

I got the kids to bed and then climbed into bed myself. Ryan was up a few times to eat and I just generally didn’t sleep well. The kids came in to wake us up at 7:15, which was way too early considering they didn’t get into bed until 10:30. So John let me go back to sleep while he kept the kids. Turns out Ryan fell back asleep and John sent Josh back to bed since he was back to whining. Kylie came in to be with me and started complaining about a headache. This went on for a while, and after Ryan fell asleep again in my arms, Kylie actually fell asleep again.

After Joshie woke up, he and John played while I watched TV in bed between two sleeping kids. When Kylie woke up she said her head really hurt, so John and Josh went to get her some Tylanol. She was really in bad shape…she asked for soup and took a nap – she never does those things on her own :) After we gave her the Tylonal, she was so much better! We finally headed out to the pool and had a fantastic afternoon!

So while the first part of this trip was a little shacky, the second half of today has been wonderful. Tomorrow we plan on being outside (pool and maybe beach) and then Saturday we head to Disney!

A Contest!!!!

About a year ago, Emily Listfield contacted me about reading her book and writing a review on it. It sounded like a great idea and I was so excited. The only problem? I'm a busy mom that has no time to read books (even though I LOVE to read).

Last summer I read the book. I got smart and took it outside during my lunch hour and enjoyed the gorgeous weather and got some reading in. The problem was I never wrote the review, because I procrastinate and can be forgetful**.

So to make up for it, I'm going to give away two of her "Waiting to Surface" books - one I read and the other one is brand spanking new.

All you have to do is leave a comment, and then make some mention of it on your blog with a link back here. I will leave it open until Friday night at midnight and draw two winners this weekend (I'll let you know Monday who won).

**It was a good book...I really felt like I was in the middle of the story!

Ice Skating!!

What a fabulous weekend!

Friday night we had a nanny interview (we really liked her), and then my parents watched all three kids while John and I went out to dinner.

Saturday we woke up and did some things around the house (Kylie and Josh had stayed at my parents’ the night before, so we only had to worry about entertaining Ryan while we worked). Then I went next door to my parents’ house and hung out for a while.

After that, we all headed to the ice rink! Joshie is obsessed with hockey, and has been dying to go skating. So we all went, and even my sister and her boyfriend met us over there (her boyfriend, “big Josh,” had never been skating!). We had a blast and the kids got better at it each time we went around! My arms were sore the next day though :)

Afterwards we all headed to our house and had a nice big dinner. Then we played some Wii and my sister and I tried to do some gymnastics and ended up laughing our butts off as we realized we no longer had the muscles we used to have :)

Sunday I stayed home from church with Josh and Ryan because Joshie was sick :( I was able to get all the laundry done and tried to organize some things. Between loads of laundry the kids and I would play and scrapbook.

It was fun and relaxing and I can’t wait to take the kids skating again!

Happy, Sad, Confused, Relieved, Scared...Plus a Million Other Emotions I'm Feeling

We filed our 10-K yesterday. It feels so good to have that done! This year went so much smoother than last year, which I would like to attribute to me being better at my job (since last year I had just been thrown into my position and kudos to my boss for putting up with my lack of knowledge and experience!), but who knows. I do know that I had virtually no over-time and very little weekend work the past two months, which is just amazing!

On the flip side of that we had to let our nanny go on Monday. It was one of the hardest days I’ve had in a long time. The previous Saturday Kylie had told me that when they were at McDonald’s, Ryan had fallen out of his carrier, onto the floor. I was caught off-guard and John and I kept going over the whole scenario with her again and again. I contacted the nanny and her response was “Ryan woke up and startled himself and started crying.” Kylie and Josh both said that they saw him on the ground, on his belly. The nanny informed me that she had laid him on the ground to un-swaddle him. I just had such an uneasy feeling the whole weekend.

John and I talked and talked…it was hard because she was so good with the kids! We had some minor issues with her, but we were working through them. But it all kept coming back to judgment. She acknowledged that Ryan was not buckled into his carrier when she was swinging him, and that’s why he got startled. There have also been other judgment issues – Kylie told us that the nanny asked if Kylie could flat iron her own hair one day (my flat iron gets up to 425 degrees) and my fantastic little girl informed her that she’s not allowed to touch my flat iron! But the kids loved her, and she played with them all day, and Ryan really loved snuggling with her.

But Sunday night John and I agreed that we could not worry about the safety of our children, no matter how good she was with the kids. And while we weren’t 100% sure it happened the way Kylie said it did, too many things seemed off and Kylie has no reason to make up a story like that. So we agreed that we would let her know Monday night that we were done, and that whole day I was sick to my stomach.

I mean, my head knew that’s what we had to do. But I have such compassion for this girl, and I knew how much she truly loved the kids, and how hard this was going to be for her (she had cried on the phone when I confronted her about the whole situation on Saturday).

On Monday Kylie called me crying saying that the nanny told her to call me and tell me that she was lying. That she didn’t actually see Ryan fall. I told her and the nanny that they should not be talking about this and that she shouldn’t bring it up again. I guess at one point Kylie went downstairs and found her laying on the floor crying. Kylie asked her what was wrong and she said “I just can’t do anything right.” Later Monday night we learned from Josh that when he was upstairs laying down for his nap her heard Kylie and the nanny talking about it (which was after I specifically told her to stop).

So after work we talked to her. And she cried, but went on her way. And then I cried. A lot. We asked Kylie and Josh again what happened, and realized by this point, with listening to the nanny all day, she didn’t remember what happened…she kept saying “the nanny said he didn’t fall…” But Josh told us that he saw Kylie crying when it happened, and we asked her why she was crying, and she told us that she was worried about Ryan. The nanny said that Kylie “assumed the worst when she heard Ryan crying,” but I’ve never had Kylie come up to me crying when she hears Ryan crying…she just assumes he’s hungry!

Here I go again…trying to convince myself that we did the right thing…which we did….right? I’m just surprised at how many people aren’t shocked when I tell them that Ryan fell out of the carrier. I see more sympathy towards having to let the nanny go than compassion about us having to worry about his safety. These encounters are not helping me feel better about our decision. Am I crazy???

Right now we have our first babysitter watching the kids. She’s the one that started watching Kylie when she was 8 months and had Joshie since he was born. She lives ½ hour away, and while we tried taking the kids there for 6 months after we moved, we just couldn’t keep doing it (she lives ½ hour in the opposite direction of work and home). She comes to our house and has picked up where she left off…the kids know they have rules to follow and I feel so comfortable when I’m at work knowing that they are safe and loved. So that has been a huge relief! I’m trying to hard to convince her that this would be a great job for her and she should take it permanently!

So that’s what has been going on with us. We are now interviewing nannies again and just trying to spend as much time together as a family as possible!

Valentine's Day

What a great Valentine's Day weekend (a little late :) )!

Friday John and I went to Kylie's class party. Her class put on a play and Kylie had the lead! She was the only one that had lines that only she said (the rest of the class was broken into groups and said their lines together). These were her lines:

I'm a lost little Valentine

I'm a sad little Valentine

And I'll tell you why

I must find a home or else I'll cry

Knock, Knock, Knock, is this the home where I belong?

She was so cute!

Friday night John and I went to dinner at Hyde Park. It was a fantastic meal! The only downside was the John had the hiccups :( and when he gets them, he gets them bad! We were there for 2 hours and we got to talk, which was so nice!

My mom called me on the way home saying that Ryan was screaming and she had tried everything. I know it's bad if my mom calls me because she can calm any baby down! So we rushed home and of course, the minute I take him in my arms he's fine. He's such a momma's boy and while it's annoying at times, I really do love him so much, so I can usually tolerate it well.

Friday night Kylie and Josh got to go to Aunt Mimi's for a sleepover! They played games, ate pizza and watched a movie. They said they had so much fun!

Saturday the kids went to a party in the morning, and then we met them at Lowe's for the kids project. After that we went over to the mall so the kids could play in the play area. After that it was home for naps!

Sunday was church and relaxing! It really was a nice weekend!

Valentine's Day Plans

John thinks he's funny :)

We have decided to celebrate Valentine's day on Friday, for a couple of reasons. One of those reasons being that we had not made any plans as of last weekend, and the chances of us getting a reservation anywhere were pretty slim.

The other reason we decided to celebrate it tomorrow night is because Kylie and Josh will be spending the night at my sister-in-law's house (she's hosting a nice big cousin sleepover), so we only needed to find someone to watch Ryan (thanks mom!).

So John was in charge of making reservations. he sends me this e-mail:

Much better. Dinner, Friday night, 7:00PM… http://www.kgtechnology.com/dinner.html

-Hubby-

Go there. Now.

Funny guy, isn't he?

So I play along and tell him I'm so excited that he's taking me to Hawaii, and that I'm leaving work now to go and pack. Then he comes back with "Bobby (CEO of my company) texted me and said you're not allowed to leave...too much work to do...sorry"

When I got home that night he did tell me that we had reservations at Hyde Park, which I'm so excited about because I hear about it all the time but have never been there.

A Fun-Filled Weekend!

What a fantastically crazy busy weekend!

It was my sister’s birthday, so Friday night, she, my mom, Kylie, Ryan and then my other sister went to dinner together (nice girls’ night plus Ry-Ry :) ).

Saturday we got up and went to the gym and then ran to the store. I made the cheesecake for my sister because she doesn’t like normal icing (it was Paula Dean’s recipe and it was the best cheesecake ever!). Then we headed to Buca Di Beppo for dinner. It was so much fun and the food was fantastic!

The fam at dinner

After dinner we headed to the Columbus Blue Jackets game. Joshie is REALLY into hockey, so it was so much fun to watch his face during the game. And his favorite player, Rick Nash, scored one of the three goals, and the Blue Jackets won in OT! Both Kylie and Josh did great during the game, and even Ryan did pretty well (I think it’s funny that he’s 4 ½ months and has been to 2 NHL games already). After the game we came home and ate some great cheesecake and my sister opened her presents.

Ry-Ry enjoying his second hockey game

Blue Jackets Game for Cindy's Birthday from Debbie on Vimeo.

Sunday we went to church where John and I completely lost control of the Sunday school kids :) Not really, but we had a lot of criers, so it was a difficult morning. After church we headed to hockey fest. The Blue Jackets put on this whole event to raise money for their charity. My sister’s boyfriend works for the Blue Jackets, so a big thank you to him for the tickets! We also got to see him a few times while he was working, which was nice. I also really appreciated my mom and sister for watching Ryan so that I didn’t have to worry about him and a stroller while we were there!

Kylie, Big Josh (my sister's boyfriend) and Little Josh

The kids went down and first got their picture taken with a real hockey player. Then they went and took shots at the goalie (who was fantastic! He kept pushing the pucks in when little guys like Joshie didn’t hit them hard enough).

The kids with a real hockey player!

Trying to make goals

Making Goals! from Debbie on Vimeo.

After we spent too much money on the real hockey stuff, we went up to enjoy the free things like the bouncy house and slide and a friendly game of street hockey. The kids had a blast!

Playing Hockey at Hockey Fest from Debbie on Vimeo.

We then went home and took naps, said good-bye to the fam as they headed out, and just tried to rest up for this upcoming week. It really was a great weekend!

Last night I put Ryan in his crib so that I could finish putting away some clothes. I put him on his belly and then put some mirrors in front of him. Kylie was playing with him for a while, and then I had her help me put away her clothes. When she went back, he was on his back! I was shocked, because it usually takes so much longer for kids to roll from their back to their belly since they’re not used to being on their belly. And he hasn’t really rolled much from his back to his belly – he’s happy just being a fat log :) So I turned him back over and sure enough, he rolled again!

Here is Kylie video taping him. He didn’t roll again, but at least you can see some cute smiles :)


Kylie Taping Ryan from Debbie on Vimeo.

And when I got home from work yesterday, this is how I found Josh:

I asked him if he was a girl and he said “yes.” Kylie thought it was funny to get him all dressed up, put lotion and perfume on him, and even put sparkles on him! This is my football loving, hockey playing, always getting in trouble because he’s starting fights with boys everywhere little boy! John actually got home before me, and I couldn’t figure out why he was so calm (those of you that know him know that he is not into Joshie pretending to be a girl…to put it lightly). He then told me that he was going to take a picture and show it to him on his first date.

What am I going to do with this little boy?

New Gadget For Kids...

This morning on two different news shows, I saw the story about how Leap Frog has come out with this new toy that looks just like a smart phone. On each of the shows the people were talking about how bad it was going to be to let your child get addicted to a "phone" so early...and what kind of an example are we?

Give me a freaking break!

Toy manufacturers have made kid-friendly remotes, keys, purses, tools...you name it. Why? Because kids want to be just like mommy and daddy and want to play with things that have buttons and make noise. And I don't know about you, but John and I are attached to our phones (and while I don't have a Blackberry, I do have a Palm Treo so it's very similar-looking). Our kids watch movies on our phones and play games...so why the heck would I not want them to have one of their own so they will leave mine alone?

Technology is moving forward at light speed...and our kids are naturally going to be at the front of it, if not ahead of it.

And just for the record, I LOVE Leap Frog products! Their refrigerator letters and their videos taught both of my kids their letters, and their new Tag reading system is awesome!

So I say more power to them! And you had better believe that when this comes out this summer, at least two of my three kids will have it!

New Year's Eve...

I never posted about our New Year’s Eve :) I’m over a month late…so what?

We decided to have some friends over for New Year’s Eve. We had two families from church, my parents, and our great friends that moved to New York were coming in town for the weekend!

We started around 7:00 with a ton of food. I had the chocolate fountain going and some other items and each family brought something too. We had the Wii set up in one room and the projector on the family room wall for the big ball drop. We had a total of 7 kids playing down in the playroom and basement, and they were all so good the whole night!

Our friends that moved came in around 10:30…it was so good to see them! We hadn’t seen Jose in months! The girls came in and went downstairs to play with the other kids. Kylie was so excited to see Carly! We now had 9 kids playing ranging in ages from 1 to 11.

A little before midnight I started pouring everyone’s champagne and sparkling juice for the kiddos. We all watched the ball drop and there were “cheers” all around. We actually had to rewind the ball dropping a bunch of times for Josh…he wanted to see it over and over again!

It was nice afterwards because people didn’t rush out of there…they hung around until about 1:30. John and I then cleaned up and went to bed :)

Here’s a picture of the kiddos…the poor little girl on the right was so tired, so mom had to hold her head up for the picture…she was not happy!



It was one of the most fun New Year’s Eves I’ve had in a while!

The rest of the weekend we got to hang out with our friends that moved. Their house hasn't sold, so they slept there, but there's nothing in it, so them, us and another set of neighbors all rotated houses and activities. We had dinner together every night, the kids went ice skating, and Kylie was introduced to Perler Beads :) We had so much fun with them and it was hard yet again for them to leave on Sunday. Luckily they'll be coming back for another visit this month!

It's Friday!!

TGIF!!!

This week has flown by! And I'm so glad it's Friday!

Tonight we have a fundraiser dinner at Kylie's school and she will be singing. My mom, dad and sister will be coming which will be nice.

Tomorrow, John and my dad are taking the kids to the power show. This is an annual tradition for them...there are all kinds of big trucks for the kids to climb on and look at. My mom, Ryan and I will be hanging out at home :)

I really hope to relax and get some stuff done around the house this weekend. So far work is going really well so hopefully I won't have to do any of that :) I just want to snuggle up on the couch with Ry-Ry and watch TV :)

Nothing else is really going on...we're dealing with some serious attitude problems from Kylie towards our nanny. I know she's just testing her, but it's still so very frustrating to come home every day and hear how mean Kylie was. I feel like all I'm doing is punishing her! I know we will get through this...I just hope it's soon :)

Misc. Stuff...

-It took me 1 1/2 hours to get to work today (it normally takes me 1/2 hour). People have no idea how to drive in the snow!

-We're supposed to get a ton more snow today and tonight...I will be taking my work home with me just in case :)

-I'm on a serious work-out/weight-loss kick. I'm doing so well with my eating and going to the gym. I was pleasantly surprised last night when I weighed myself that I weigh 6 lbs. less than I thought I did...so I only have 14 lbs. to lose instead of 20!

-I would like to lose a lot of that before our trip to Florida in two months.

-We'll see how good I can keep being :)

-Ryan is still sleeping in my bed with me. I hate it! But he is so freaking adorable... :)

-Kylie and Josh are great...I'm trying so hard to balance my time with them!

-Work is busy...better get back to it :)

Ryan Update...

Ryan turned 4 months on January 20th. Here are the results from his well-check:


Weight: 15 lbs. 13 oz (75%) (Holy Moly!)
Length: 25 1/2 inches long (75%)


We're going to start him on cereal this weekend...I can't believe he's ready for solid foods already!


He is smiling so much now! He has also started laughing a little when he's super happy. He reaches his hands (still very awkwardly) to grab at stuff, and everything goes in his mouth!


If you kiss anywhere near his mouth he tries to eat you...I love it!


He is constantly eating his hands. I'm starting to think he likes the sensation on his fingers because when I put my fingers in his mouth, he bites for a second and then pushes them out, whereas the other kids would chomp away on my fingers too.


He has not rolled over again since the first time a month ago. I think he's too fat :) I think his thighs are bigger than Kylie's :) But he is the cutest thing!

He "talks" all the time. But it's hard to understand him because his hands are in his mouth when he's talking to us :)

He's still not sleeping well. He wants someone to hold him when he sleeps, including at night, so I usually only get a few hours of sleep without having to hold him. He is still getting up once at night to eat (and we can all see he does not need that food!).


He still has the biggest, most beautiful blue eyes. We can thank Grandma Stickel for those...she gave them to kylie and it looks like maybe ryan will be keeping his (she's the only one on both sides that has blue eyes).


He is such a wonderful little guy*!



*and by "little," I mean big and fat :)

Boobie-Feeding

I am nursing Ryan. I nursed the other kids as well…I do it for one year and then I give them the boot :) I do it because 1.) it helps me lose weight faster; 2.) it is so much cheaper than formula; 3.) it’s so nice and convenient…I can’t even imagine having to make a bottle in the middle of the night! and 4.) there is a huge nutritional value for the baby. I don’t really get the whole “bonding” thing…I’ve given my kids bottles and I bond with them just as much then as when my boob is in their mouth (and I don’t feel quite so violated which is nice). And yes, at times there is a nice feeling when the baby cries until I hold it and feed it and it really only wants me, but honestly, that’s annoying more times than warm and fuzzy. I have really enjoyed though the “excuse” of having to feed Ryan…sometimes it’s nice to lock myself in my room and watch TV and get away from everyone!

However, I am not the typical “pro-breastfeeding” type of girl. I hate breastfeeding in public (although with my third I’m a lot more apt to do it than I was with Ky or Josh)…I usually go out to the car and feed Ryan if he needs to eat. It also makes me uncomfortable to see other moms nursing…why? I have no idea! I also have no problem giving my kids formula and we stuck bottles and pacifiers in their mouths as soon as they were born. I don’t like feeling trapped…it’s too hard for John and I to go away for a weekend because I’d have to pump every so many hours which is just annoying! And my body is not my own…I go 9 months watching everything that goes into my mouth, and while it’s not even close to as bad (I drink alcohol and am able to take drugs again if I’m sick), it’s still not the same.

And the biggest way I’m not the typical “pro-breastfeeding” girl? I DON’T LOVE DOING IT!!!

Some of that may have to do with the whole pumping-thing. Yes, I pump at work…always have. I’m very lucky in that my body has no problem providing more than enough food for my little babies (my in-laws often joke about how full our freezer always was and gave me a sticker that says “got milk?”). But to take time out of my day (usually 2 or 3 times per day) to sit and pump just sucks!

But I realized I’m not hating it as much this time…and you know why? In the past I’ve always had to load up my stuff and head off to a conference room (at my old job it had a glass door so I had to tape paper all over it to cover it up) and sit there for 10 minutes doing my thing. But now? I have an office! All I have to do is close the door and go to work! I can browse the internet for a few minutes and the time goes by so quickly!

It still doesn’t change how I feel about the whole thing, but at least I’m lucky enough to be able to not have to leave my office anymore to pump! And in the end, I really do it because I believe it’s the best decision for my babies and myself (even if I do complain about it)**. And if anyone out there ever needs advice or has any questions, I do consider myself an expert now :)


**I have absolutely nothing against bottle-fed babies - the decision has to be what's best for each baby and mother/father

Misc. Stuff...

Life is definitely getting busy! This past weekend we were able to relax a little…I had to work some but other than that we didn’t have too much going on.

Last night we had some friends over to discuss Sunday school planning – John and I are in charge of Journey Kidz, which is the group of kids 18 months – 4 years. Our friends are in charge of the babies, so we’re trying to work together to get scheduling done and just try to figure everything out (we were all just put in charge of this). The kids all had a blast playing together and it was nice to do something that made me completely forget about work.

Work is starting to get really busy…I like that my days go by fast, but I’m about to get to a point where I’ll be leaving work just to go home and work some more, which I will hate.

That’s about it…oh, and I’m on Facebook now…so if any of you want to be friends, look me up or let me know!

Christmas 2008

Finally my Christmas Post :)

We worked really hard this year to try to have everything done the weekend before Christmas, and we were really, really close. This made that week of Christmas very nice and relaxing! My mom was in town, and then my sister came in from Michigan Tuesday night. Unfortunately we got a very big ice storm that evening so it took her forever to get here, but thankfully she arrived safe and sound.

The Friday before Christmas Kylie had her class party, which I got to go to:

Christmas Eve my mom, sister, Kylie and I headed out to do a few last-minute errands (I had to mail my Christmas cards, grocery shop, and my mom had to pick up a present). When we got home I started to work on our Christmas Eve dinner (prime rib, green beans and mashed potatoes).

Our church did not have a Christmas Eve service, and since we go to church all the time, we didn’t feel it necessary to attend some other church just to go. So that took a lot of time pressure off of us this year! My mom, sisters, dad and Kylie all went to a service, so we were able to finish wrapping some presents and get dinner finished up.

Dinner was awesome! I mean really, how can you go wrong with prime rib? After dinner we relaxed a little bit and then the kids opened presents. They got to open their PJs from us, and their presents from my sisters. Then they put out the cookies and milk for Santa and headed up to bed.

Once the kids were in bed we made some adult hot chocolate and my sisters and I all exchanged presents. It was so nice and relaxing! Both of my sisters spent the night and my parents were in their house next door.

Christmas morning we woke up around 7:30. The kids actually didn’t wake up until around 8:00. Kylie was so excited about everything she had gotten in her stocking. My sister put the sticky buns in the oven and we started into the presents! Joshie got his long anticipated gumball machine and Kylie got her “I Gotta Go Doll.”

My sister with Ryan:

After presents we ate a great brunch and just hung out for a little bit. Around 3:30 we headed over to John’s sister’s house for his family Christmas. We had a great dinner and watched a great family slide show that his sister prepares every year. Then it was present time!

I don't have any pictures of Kylie and Josh at John's sister's house...when we go to cousin Carson's house, we never see the kids...they are always off playing!

We got home pretty late and everyone headed to bed. My sister was able to stay with us until Sunday, so we spent the next couple days cooking with all my new toys (a new fryer, knives, WOK, and lots of other cool gadgets) and just hanging out. The time went by way too quickly!

Joshie and Daddy shaving with Joshie's new shaving kit:

Our Christmas card picture:

Misc. Stuff...

What a busy week for us! Monday night we had a meeting about childcare at our church, then last night we had house church, tonight Kylie has gymnastics and then we desperately want to go to the gym, and then tomorrow night I have my moms' group. No one is getting enough sleep with all of this craziness. Hopefully this weekend I'll get to rest up.

Work is starting to get really busy...I'm really hoping that it's not as bad as last year. The one advantage I have this year is that I'm not pregnant!

Ryan is doing a little better with the whole sleep thing. He got sick about a month ago, and before that he was sleeping through the night in his little bed next to mine. Once he got sick, all he wanted to do was sleep in my arms. And even now that he's better, that's where he wants to be. Last night I was able to put him in his bed (sound asleep of course), and then he woke up at 2:30 AM to eat (in his defense he hadn't eaten since 5:30 the night before, so he went 9 hours), slept in my arms for an hour or two, and then I put him back in his bed. I just want to get back to the way it was!

Our nanny is fantastic! I she texts me throughout the day with little updates about how things are going. She is so great with the kids and they really like her, which makes going to work so much easier!

OK, off to work...I just want it to be Friday :)

Kylie's First Sleepover

On Friday night Kylie had her first real sleepover (the first one that started with her playing with a friend and ended with her playing with a friend...she had attempted to spend the night at someone's house another time but came back home around 11:30).

Her little friend Isabella called all week and she and Kylie were trying to arrange a playdate. Friday when I got home from work I told Ky to call her and set something up for the evening. Somehow Kylie started talking about a sleepover. I really didn't care...I didn't have anything going on and I figured that this would keep her occupied and I could guilt-free get some make-up cuddling time with Ryan. So I talked to Isabella's mom and we got the whole thing set up.

The girls played wonderfully together! And for a good part of the night they actually included Josh too, which was really nice. They ended the evening watching a movie, eating popcorn and cookies and then off to bed around 10:45.

I woke up to them giggling around 8:00. Hubby got up with them and let me have a little more sleep. We all ate breakfast and then her mom came and picked her up.

I have to admit I'm glad that her first sleepover was at our house...it's going to be a lot harder for me to let her go to other people's houses (but I know I will have to).

The only bad thing was that Isabella's mom called us Saturday night and told us that Isabella had the stomach flu. Of course she played with everyone, including Ryan, and slept in Kylie's bed. I'm praying very hard that none of us get it!

A Conversation About Where Ryan Came From...

Last night in the car John and I were listening in on the most adorable conversation between Kylie and Josh:

Kylie: "Mommy and Daddy took me on a special date to Red Lobster one time"
Josh: "I want to go"
Kylie: "No Joshie, you stayed home with Pappaw when we went"
Josh: "Was Ryan in mommy's tummy?"
Kylie: "No, this was when Ryan was up in Heaven with God"
Josh: "Huh?"
Kylie: "Ryan was up in Heaven with God before he was in mommy's belly"
Josh: "Did God hold Ryan?"
Kylie: "No, he was just...there"
Josh: "Huh?"
Kylie: "Ryan was up in Heaven with God and then God said 'I think mommy needs another
baby' so he threw Ryan into mommy's belly"
Josh: "Did it hurt Ryan when God threw him?"
Kylie: "Well He didn't throw Him...he used His magic and put Ryan in mommy's belly"
Josh: "Huh?"
Kylie: "God has magic. And He used His magic when he decided that mommy needed another
baby...He put Ryan in mommy's belly"
Josh: "Oooohhhh, I'm going to ask Santa for wings!!!"

I couldn't make that conversation up if I wanted to!

Payback - 20 years later...

When I was little I would often come up with these "great" ideas involving me going to someone's house or them coming over to my house to play. And since these ideas were so "great," I felt the need to bombard my mother with them as soon as they popped into my head. But she would always squish them and tell me that I can't tackle her with my ideas as soon as she walks in the door, or as soon as she wakes up, or as soon as she finishes doing something, etc.

I hated that. I wanted to play at someone's house and that couldn't wait for her to get dressed, or take her coat off or whatever she was doing!

Last night I experienced the frustration that my mom felt so many times with me :) I walked in the door from work and Kylie is standing in the laundry room talking on the phone. I had not even closed the door yet and she tells me "Isabella wants me to come over for a playdate...can you talk to her?"

Now my first reaction was to scold her and tell her that I just got home, I hadn't taken my coat off yet and I needed to go see the other kids and talk to the nanny. But I remembered how I felt when I was little, so I tried to find a compromise...I told her to keep talking while I put my stuff down and said "hello" to everyone, and then I would talk to her. I was also surprised because Kylie has never talked on the phone to anyone other than family before, so it was a shock to see her on the phone with one of her friends from school.

It turns out 5 year-old phone understanding is non-existent because the rest of the night was spent playing phone tag because one girl would hang up on the other one or messages weren't taken properly, so no play date was ever scheduled.

But I have to admit it was very cute to see her all grown up, talking on the phone, and so excited about playing with one of her friends.

Yesterday was OK. I did have to leave work to take Ry to the doctor - he's had a horrible cough for 2 weeks now. Turns out he has bronchiolitis (which is viral) and an ear infection. Thankfully he's still smiling and laughing and eating, so it's not too bad.

The kids loved the nanny yesterday. I loved her as well as I walked in to find my laundry done! That is not part of her job description and yet it was done. She says she loves doing laundry. She can love it and do it all she wants because I hate it!

Tonight I have dinner with the girls at PF Changs. I love that place and I love dinner with the girls, so it should be a fun time.

I hope to post about our Christmas soon...I need to get the pictures on to my computer.

Back For Good...

I'm back at work today. With no hopes of any time off for a couple months. This time is a lot harder than the other times...little Ry-Ry really has a firm grip on my heart and my heart is hurting right now. I can't figure out what it is about this little guy that has captivated me so much more than the other two did.

It is also so hard not being able to play with the kids...to talk to them while they eat breakfast, to read to them, to watch TV with them. But on the flip side, it's also nice not having to figure out when I'm going to get something to eat, or how I'm going to take a shower if Ry-Ry is fussy.

I miss daytime TV :)

Thankfully I have found a fantastic nanny. She has already texted me a few times about how the kids are doing and it's only 9:15 AM!

I know that I will get through this...I know that after a few days or weeks I will be back to normal and it won't hurt so much to go to work.

I miss my kids :(