Brothers...

Typical interaction between brothers, at least in our house!

"I think my brother is so funny!"


"I love him so much I will give him a kiss!"


"...and chew on his tummy!"


"...and lick his face!"


"Come on, let's play chase and have lots of fun!"


"Until I push you down and make you cry!"

Disney, Day 1 continued!

Oops, start with the post below!

We arrived at our room around 11:15 am, and the kids were wound up! We'd promised them swimming and lunch, then a nap. We really wanted to stay through the Spectromagic parade at 9 pm that night, since it would be our only chance to see it. My hope was that if we all took a rest for a couple of hours, the kids would make it.

We had signed up for a fridge swap, so the grandmas took the kids to start swimming while Chad and I got the fridge from the nice gentleman who had it before us. It was kind of a pain, we had to check out a cart, wheel it back to the room, drop off the fridge, then drop off the cart. Whew...worth it for a free fridge though! While we were doing all this, we realized the pack n play we requested wasn't in the room. So Chad went to the front desk, and I went to help the grandmas with two very hyper boys.

I met up with them at Goofy's Splash Fountains, which were really cute.




After a little while, we headed over to the kiddie pool. Can I just say that my boys loved this pool all week? Perfect for their age, cute, and they loved the water jets shooting up. They had a blast!



When Chad got done retrieving the Pack n Play, he and I went to get us and the kids lunch, and bring it back to the tables by the pool. We figured this would avoid meltdowns about having to stop swimming. We told the grandmas we'd be right back. Well...that food court was insane! It was 12:15, prime eating time, and it was so chaotic and crowded. Plus it was our first meal, so trying to figure out what was a counter service credit was a little complicated. Eventually we did figure it out, but we were both exhausted! I got the Chicken Penne Alfredo with Tie Dye Cheesecake for dessert, Chad got the Shrimp Lo Mein and a blueberry muffin, and we got the kids a kid's cheeseburger meal to share. It was all really good. It took us so long the grandmas thought we'd been abducted, but eventually they got their food as well, and we all sat and ate poolside, which was nice.

Around 1 p.m. I took the boys back to the room for a nap. This was where the first meltdown of the day (mine!) was about to occur. Chad was going to stay by the pool and relax-I wanted a nap! Well, after the winding walk back to our room, I discovered that the luggage people had plopped our suitcases immediately in front of the door (not so cool when you're pushing a stroller into the room), and Chad had dumped the pack n play onto the bed without setting it up. So I had two wet, tired, cranky boys, I wanted them to take a nap so we could go to the MK already, and the room was a disaster. Oh, and Chad was off sunning himself by the pool. I got cranky too! After moving stuff, setting stuff up, and finding them clothes, I went to put them down, only to discover that they were absolutely wired! Like literally bouncing off the walls! I could see the whole plan going down the drain for the day, so I turned into Mean Mommy. You know, the one who yells at her kids for having too much fun at Disney World? It wasn't pretty, but by 2:15 they were both out. I rested a little, but Cooper woke up at 3:30, waking Griffin up too, of course.

I called everyone to get ready. My mom had rested in the connecting room next door, and Chad and his mom had relaxed by the pool. My plan had us getting to the Magic Kingdom at 4 p.m. (what I thought was a reasonable goal), but it was 4:25 before we even left our room! This was when I quickly realized that planning only takes you so far, and I needed to just let go of my Type A ways and go a little more with the flow. I really did very well with this for the rest of the week. At least, that's what I say!

Finally, we were on our way to the Magic Kingdom!

Disney, Day 1!

Well, we did it! We survived (and mostly thrived) our first family trip to Disney World. We stayed at POP from 9/7-9/14, and enjoyed 7 days in the parks with free dining. We were blessed to be joined by my mom, Grandma Kathie, and Chad's mom, Grandma Sue.

And we're off! Sunday we tried to tucker the boys out as much as humanly possible, in the hopes they would sleep well that night. It mostly worked. Once they were asleep, I worked on packing up the last of things, and then Chad brought what we could down to the car. This was our room that evening.


Our alarm went off bright and early Monday morning at 4:30 am. We had both woken up on our own around 3:30, which actually made getting up easier. The plan was to do as much as possible, then ease the boys into the car and maybe get them a little more sleep. Not so much...Griffin woke up at 4:45 and came in to see if today was finally the day! He was very excited to hear that it was! One thing I am so glad we did was dress them in their clothes to sleep the night before. In the morning, Griffin just had to potty, and we changed Cooper's diaper when we got to the airport, so it was super easy getting them out the door. We loaded them into the car, then drove the 6 miles to my parents house. We picked up my mom, and my dad took over to drive us to the airport-our minivan was packed to the gills! We had originally thought of driving to WDW, and seeing the car packed up convinced me that it was the dumbest idea ever. So glad we flew!!

We met Sue at the curbside check-in, got our checked bags taken care of, and were off to security. We found out that somehow Sue had paid for 3 bags instead of one, so we were able to check two of our carry-ons. This was a nice surprise. Security was super easy, and I was surprised that they said we could take the kids' sippy cups of milk through.

We ate Munchkins and donuts while we waited, and a short while later, we heard the boarding call!

The flight was uneventful, which, when you're traveling with small kids, is perfect! Griffin sat with the grandmas, and Cooper sat with Chad and I. He was a little bored, and would have done much better with his carseat (we didn't want to haul it just for the plane). He watched a DVD about firetrucks for a while, and kind of hung out. Griffin was an angel. After only 2 hours, we were in Orlando at 9:17 am!!

We stopped to potty, and Griffin had the first of our week's tears when he banged his head on the stroller and cut his temple somehow. I put a band-aid on him, which was a lovely addition to our pictures the first couple of days! We found the Magical Express easily, and were ushered right onto a bus with no wait at all. Awesome!
Griffin and Grandma Sue

Grandma Kathie

Chad and Cooper

Me (taken by Griffin, who did pretty well!)

The ride was great and the kids liked the video. Around 10:30 we pulled into POP and went off to check-in.

I had done online check-in, and we had no wait at all to check-in. I had faxed some room requests a few days prior, and we were thrilled that all of them were honored. I hadn't specified a section, just top floor, quiet, connecting rooms that were hopefully ready early. All were met, and we were put in the 90's section, rooms 8422 and 8423. I wasn't thrilled with this since they were so far away from Classic Hall and the bus stops, but we quickly learned that if we walked through the parking lot, the walk wasn't bad at all. I got the water I had ordered from Costco, and we went off to find our rooms.

A long, meandering walk through several decades later, we made it to the big laptop icon and found our building. Our rooms were great, clean, and we had towel animals waiting in the windows.


I was able to take a couple quick pictures before the kids destroyed the room!

Up next, Crystal Palace, Spectromagic, Wishes, and two whiny kids!!

Sunday morning traditions

I love tradition and ritual. I thrive on it, and I am pretty sure I am creating two little ritual-loving little boys as well. One of our favorites is Sunday morning pancakes. After we are finally able to drag ourselves out of bed and downstairs, Chad starts making them for us all. He is very talented! We all prefer chocolate chips in ours, though we try blueberries every so often as well. Yum!

Look Out Disney World!

So most everyone knows this, but in case you haven't had a conversation with me recently (because Disney is all I talk about now, ask anyone!)...we're going to Disney World! Our trip is officially set for September 7th through the 14th, and I could not be more excited! I first suggested Disney to Chad last fall when they came out with a "Buy 4 nights, Get 3 nights free" promo. But after some research, I learned we could go this September, get free dining, and since my birthday is the 7th, also get a $75 gift card. Well, Chad likes the word "free" A LOT, so I sold him.

Parts of our plans have changed some since we booked. Just ask our travel agent, who has had to send me 5 (yes, 5!) confirmations as we've played with dates. The first (and best) change was that my mom and Chad's mom are coming too. We are super excited for them to get to experience their grandkids' first Disney trip. For two grandmas who are so involved and in love with their grandsons, it's only fitting!

We had been planning to drive to Disney. Have you met Chad? He's cheap. Flying costs money! But after we added two more people and realized we would be cramming 4 adults and 2 kids into a Honda Odyssey, and after seeing how reasonable airfares are right now, I convinced him to fly! Woo Hoo! I am so excited about NOT spending 30 hours in the car with two cranky kids. Plus this way the adventure starts as soon as we get on the plane-no two days each way to get there.

So this is our big news and the cause for much excitement around here. I am of course planning like crazy-Disney is a planner's dream!

First Zoo Trip of the Year

We LOVE the zoo! Aunt Amanda has given us a membership each of the last two Christmases, and we use it all the time. Yesterday, with the weather so beautiful, we decided it would be a great day to visit. We got to see the new brown bear cubs, who are SO cute and super active. This was an especially fun trip because Cooper is really into animals and animal noises right now, and it was the first visit he's been really "into" seeing everything. He was so enraptured by it all.

Did I mention that we love the zoo?

Unexpected Surprises

Let me tell you, a day in early March where you can wear shorts is a very welcome blessing! This was March 10th, and we had a blast playing outside. Sure the next day we needed our winter coats. That's just springtime in Indiana-but I'll take what I can get!

I think it's obvious...

Why I married this man.

Just some cute pictures!

My Valentine

Here we are, in all of our "royal" glory. I love this man. I've loved him for more than 10 years now. Every good thing in my life is as a result of him. He has given me everything I've ever wanted...beautiful children, the chance to stay home and raise them, a wonderful house and secure lifestyle, and a partner who is always, always on my side. I could not ask for more.

Only 6 Months Late!

For Cooper's 1st birthday party, I made a slideshow of some of our favorite pictures from his first year. I meant to share it with friends and family who were not at the party, but my computer crashed, and techno-unsavvy me wasn't sure how to post it from the DVD copy. I'm still not sure, but I had also made one at a website, so I'm finally getting around to importing it here.

I can't believe how big my baby has gotten. He is such a joy!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Little Paleontologist

Warning: completely biased mommy report about to commence!

It's no secret to anyone who knows us that Griffin is into dinosaurs. It's been almost a year now, and the obsession isn't close to waning. Like every interest he's had so far, Chad and I have run full out with this one. We get new dino books every week at the library, have 1,236 dinosaur toys (not really sure this is an exaggeration!), and dig for dinosaurs on a regular basis, either at home with kits or at the Children's Museum. Christmas day, surrounded by dozens of new toys, he spent 5 happy hours digging in a mound of rock for T-Rex bones!

But what I was unprepared for is the depth of Griffin's dinosaur passion. He doesn't just like the toys, or think dinosaurs are cool because they roar. Oh no, my boy loves his particular favorites (right now Compsagnathus and Velociraptor) for intelligent, well thought-out reasons. He refuses to work on identifying letters, but can name upwards of 75 dinosaurs.

And now my new favorite development: he has a favorite paleontologist! He watched a documentary on Jack Horner, who discovered Maiasaura bones, and then we read a book. Now he talks all about him, tells us random people in restaurants looks like him... It's a riot! A few days ago we wrote a letter telling Jack Horner that he's our favorite and asking him some questions. We're very hopeful we get a response. What 4 year old has a favorite paleontologist? He thinks he's cooler than Superman right now!!

I know that every kid develops interests and then they pass. We've seen that a few times already. But I don't think it's a bad bet at all to predict a future as a paleontologist for my baby. Lucky for me, he said I can come on his digs with him...as long as I stay by the flagged areas!

The Big Kid Bed

The benefit of having a child who refuses to eat or grow is that they can stay in their toddler bed way past most other kids their age. So Griffin (who is 4 years and 2 months old!) has only recently outgrown his (and really, he hasn't, it's just that his stuffed dinosaur family has grown so immense there was no room left for him in the bed). We had to decide between a normal twin bed or bunk beds. So what did we end up with? The totally impractical loft bed complete with slide and fort! We found it on craigslist and paid $175 for it, but we've seen it new for $600, so I feel pretty good about the price. And what boy wouldn't love this bed? It's in great shape, and thus far, Griffin is in love. He keeps his most of his "family" up on the bed with him, and the overflow lives in the fort below, along with a comfy beanbag chair and a bunch of books. As soon as we come up with a good light down there, it will be an awesome reading nook. He looks so little in that bed at night, and he's still getting used to the idea of a top sheet and comforter, but I think it's a match made in heaven right now!

Less.

What's your word?

I follow a blog by one of my favorite scrapbookers, Ali Edwards (http://aliedwards.typepad.com/) Every year, she suggests finding a word that best encompasses who you will be, want to be, strive to be for the new year. For instance, some people on there have picked "patience," "nurture," "balance."

I think there is a very intrinsic value to consciously picking a word that you want to BE, and sharing it with others to help hold yourself accountable. As soon as I heard the idea, I took the process seriously. I have been struggling for three weeks now to choose my word. Chad and I have had lengthy discussions about what I should pick (he really does humor me!). I had it narrowed down to "play" (because I wish I would relax and enjoy the kids more than I do), and "blessed," because I really want to just enjoy what I have and realize how lucky I am. But neither of those was absolutely THE word.

And then...I started freaking out about money. And worrying. And I was talking to my mom, and I told her I needed to "spend less, eat less, and own less." And that was my epiphany. My word is less!

So that's my goal for this year, and I'm writing it here to help hold myself accountable. I started with spending less (one day down!), and next up is owning less. I've been in the mood to have a major purge for months, so that one shouldn't be too bad. Eating less, well...I love my food, but I'm vowing to work on it!

Well, what's your word?

Christmas Morning (Christmas Pictures, Part II)

We woke bright and early at about 7 a.m. on Christmas morning. Luckily Griffin is still young enough to be willing to snuggle in bed with mommy and daddy until closer to 8! We and he went downstairs and started opening presents even though Cooper was sleeping, and it gave us some nice alone time with him. The very first thing he saw was Kota sitting in the corner, and he was very shy at first. It was almost like he couldn't believe it was finally in his living room after months of waiting and hoping. He wanted to feed him his leaf right away.

After Cooper woke up, he opened presents too, with a bit of assistance. One of his favorites was these maracas that light up. He is really musical, and he had a good time making a ton of noise.

Funnily enough, he absolutely loves brushing his teeth. So he had about 4 toothbrushes in his stocking, and I am pretty sure those were his favorite new "toy."

After we opened presents, we enjoyed these yummy overnight cinnamon rolls. They are super delicious, and I love that I can prepare them the night before and just pop them in the oven while we open gifts. It's become a new Christmas-only tradition (and a good thing, since there must be 10,000 calories in it!)

After breakfast and some playtime, we headed over to the Solomons for more gifts with Grandma Kathie, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle Dan, Uncle Jeff, and Aunt Meagan. What a great start to our Christmas!

Waiting for Good News...Updated

Well, we heard back from the doctor's office and Cooper's test results were normal (kind of). His lymphocytes are high and his neutrophils are low (do not Google this, every result screams Leukemia, but after my brief panic Chad assured me his white blood count wasn't high enough to put this on the differential list). Chad says it means Cooper has a very nasty virus and is having a heck of a time fighting it off. The doctor's office did say he will probably need to repeat the bloodwork again at some point, so yay for that since it was such a good time! He has been really sick since Sunday, and I am finally taking him in this afternoon to get his ears looked at again. I am actually praying an ear infection is the problem, so he can get meds and start to feel better (also start eating and sleeping and whine less!). Does it make me a bad mom to root for illness?

Hoping for Good News...

Chad and I agree, we had one of the worst evenings of our life last night. Cooper had his 18 month well-child check-up in the morning yesterday, and when they weighed him, they noticed he has lost a whole pound in the last three months. When you only weigh 23 pounds, this is a good bit. So our pediatrician ordered a round of tests to make sure there is nothing going on. We took him and Griffin around 4:15 to the hospital lab (the one that's "better with children" according to the ped.!) to get his blood drawn. Despite asking when we registered to be taken to the Peds. unit straightaway, we were told the general lab could handle it. An hour and two sticks later, we were on our way to Peds. I knew it. Well, we then waited for 45 minutes in the hallway up there, feeling horribly sad for all of the sick kids around us. We said a special prayer for them and their families last night. When the nurses finally had a chance to help us, it took an hour, 3 sticks in the arms, an attempt to get it from his head, and a last successful attempt in his foot to get enough blood for the tests. Cooper pretty much screamed for two and a half hours, and was poked a total of 6 times. It was the worst parenting experience we've had. We're waiting, hoping to hear results today. Wish us luck!

Christmas Eve (Christmas Pictures, Part I)

I have roughly 350 pictures of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so I thought I would spread them out a bit. Here's part one!

I love Christmas Eve. Growing up, we had a lot of traditions for this day, and I have tried hard to keep many of them and start some new ones for my boys. This year we went downtown and did some last minute shopping at Circle Centre Mall, followed by a morning at the Children's Museum. After naps, we had an early dinner with my family, followed by evening church service. Then home to open Christmas jammies (matching, of course!), a new ornament for both boys, and their gifts to each other. We put out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer, left out our stockings, then off to bed!

Then Santa and his helpers waited for Griffin to fall asleep. We waited, and waited, and waited. Finally around 10 p.m. he was out, and the real work began. It took over two hours to get a few last-minute toys assembled and everything out and organized. We had gifts for both boys, each other, as well as 10 other family members. Our tree was loaded down! This year I ordered Santa bags for them, and they are SO cute. I love the way they look.

We were very tired when we finally got to sleep after midnight, but excited for the morning to come!!