Just go mom

It's come to that place that I always hoped for, and now that it's here, I could wait a couple more years. I brought the kids to a Wednesday night children's program at the church we've visited a couple times. I arranged for my parents to watch Andrew because I figured with it being their first time there and them not knowing anyone, they would want me to stick around with them- I was wrong. They ran in the door and were ready to chase and play with any willing party. I walked them back to the room they were going to be in and Jacob said, "Mom, you can go now." I was a little surprised, and said, "Don't you want me to stay with you this time?" Together, without missing a beat they reply, "No mom, just go". I gave them each a hug and kiss and I walked away. A part of me felt so sad that they were able to interact with a group of strangers without the comfort and security without their dear old mom. But another part of me was so proud of them for not being afraid of new adventures and people.
So with no kids for 45 minutes, I cruised up and down the isles of...you guessed it, Target!

I'm ready to poke my eyes out!

There are so many wonderful things about living in Northfield, but one thing I really miss from Monticello is the community center! It's what got me through the winter last year. The kids are so wound up being inside all day. I am really ready to pull out my hair and poke out my eyes!!! The community center had a really fun kids pool and a giant play area. We went almost everyday last winter. I haven't been able to find anything here yet for them to do to release some of their energy. A friend of mine told me about a mom of 3 young rambunctious boys making an investment in one of these jump houses. I guess it works for them. We might have to start saving, hopefully by next year we could buy it!

A blessing for our greatest gifts

Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Col 1:9-14

We love you each for your own uniqueness and beauty. This truly our greatest prayer for you each as you grow and learn to be your own people in Christ.

Recalls again

When the recalls first started coming out about the toys, I really didn't think much about them. My kids didn't have any of the toys they were talking about, and I was questioning chances of a child actually ingesting enough lead from the toy to make them sick or have any effect on them. I guess my thought process was, I made it in this world this long, and I am sure there were worse things in stuff I was playing with. Probably a naive thought.
With this newest recall I am a bit more concerned about what my children are playing with. I really couldn't believe this story when I heard it. You have to watch the video or read the report. I guess there is nothing that is safe anymore- these were "Agua" dots. Isn't aqua a fancy name for water!?

BIG First day!

I am a little slow, I openly admit that! That is why today is my babies first day of preschool. The rest of the school started a month ago, but I wasn't ready to make a decision about anything then. It was a tearful event (only for mom). I can't believe they are old enough to be in preschool. It was "Share day" so they each needed to pick out something to bring that makes them happy- that is so cute. They will go 2 days a week for 3 hours- it will be a nice break!

Home check

Found this on the goodyblog. We delt with ear infections several times with Jacob, but have lucked out with Izzy and Andrew. Maybe this is something your family would benefit from.

Is It An Ear Infection?
If your child is prone to ear infections, you might worry about her ears every time she gets a cold and seems cranky—especially if she's too young to tell you that they hurt. Should you take her to the doctor? I was impressed when I met with the makers of EarCheck ($59), a brand new easy-to-use device that looks like an ear thermometer. You put it in your child's ear and it emits safe sound waves that detect fluid in the middle ear—a key sign of infection. It’s very similar to a device that pediatricians have been using for the last ten years. If it registers in the red zone, you should take your child to the doctor—otherwise, you can relax and assume that her crankiness has nothing to do with her ears.

Eating habits

Most news stories and articles that are out these days talk about childhood obesity being at an all time high. In our home, with Isabelle, it's more like childhood starvation! My daughter Isabelle won't eat! Over the past 3 days she has not sat down to eat a meal at the table. She has to be hungry, I rarely let her have a snack. It's not as if we are offering foods that she would not like. She has turned down pizza, grapes, grilled cheese, spaghetti Os and more. She will drink things so I am satisfied for now knowing that she is getting milk, water and juice throughout the day. She doesn't claim to feel sick, she just doesn't want to eat. Today, I know she hates taking a nap so I told her it was eat or sleep and she chose to sleep. Does anyone think I should be worried? She is little,always has been, only weighing about 25lbs and she is almost 3, but she is also very active. In my logical thinking-I think if she is running around, she must be hungry burning the calories. I don't want to force the issue and come down on her for it, but I make it very clear that the meal is only offered once and there are no snacks or treats if she doesn't eat a good meal. How have you handled these situations or what would you try?

My kids love it

All of my kids love to listen and watch other kids sing. We first purchased one of these Cedarmont Kids DVDs when Jake was a baby, and he loved it. We recently started playing them for Andrew and he loves them too. He stands a couple feet away from the tv dancing and clapping. The continue to sing the songs throughout the house and in the car because they love it so much. You can find them at most Christian book stores with a wide range of titles. You can also bring them along in the car and sing together as a family, I admit, Brenton and I find ourselves wanting to listen to them sometimes too.

** If you are a new parent, you might think you are going crazy for a bit because your kids will want to watch and listen to it over and over and over. You will learn like it as well, for if no other reason than because it keeps them occupied and quiet for a while.

Super Why!

Jacob has been watching this for a week or so, but this morning I sat and watched it with him. I LOVE it! It's interactive, educational and positive. All the kids are tunned into the show and participating by answering the questions the characters ask. It's technologically (is this a word? :)) current as Super Wy ( boy with green eye thingy) carries around a gadget that looks a lot like a video ipod. The show is all about these 4 kids that have super educational powers. They all come together to solve a problem, and they look in books to find their answer. They talk a lot about letters, sounds, and words. I am very excited about the kids getting into this. Check it out on PBS in the morning or on channel 17 in evening.

Busy Weekend

I am exhausted. It's been a fun, sugar-filled weekend and I am really glad that tomorrow is Monday and some normalcy will reenter our lives. On Friday we celebrated 3 birthdays at our house. It was a celebration of Andrew, Aiden Freiwald, and Jacob. Our house was filled with family and friends and lots and lots of noise. On Saturday we continued the festivities with my parents in Northfield. Everyone was so generous with gifts and money for Jacob. We officially need to get a rental garage for all the new additions to the toy area. Thank you to everyone that came and helped us celebrate. We love you all!

Going crazy

I don't know what it is going on in this house today, but my kids were INSANE-O!!! Bouncing off the walls, screaming, hyper, having potty accidents (3 times). They have forgotten how to listen and obey. And the sassiness, whinning and complaining is unbelievable! I am positive that I got some grey hair today. It's been a long time since I can remember a day like this. I have tired all the strategies: loving them with one on one time, spanking, time outs, even yelling (I am ashamed to say). It's been one of those days that I wish I could blink away. My mom came up today to hang out and I felt so bad because of their crazy behavior and Brenton's mom came over and got to feel first hand one of the potty accidents. They are going to bed an hour early tonight, and I think I might have a glass of wine. I am looking forward to the end of this week, it's been a long one!

OUTSIDE!!!

What a gorgeous day! We hit the park this morning and I am sure will go again later. Playing outside really take a lot out of the kids- gotta love that!

To be a kid again

What a day! The kids, my mom, my niece, and sister-in-law all headed to the MN Children's Museum! It was SOOO fun! It is filled with "real life" things that kids can explore in. An example being "The town"- There was a post office, a restaurant, a dance club, a grocery store, a bus, and a house all accessorized with everything you would find in those places. I wish I was a kid again and I could climb, slide and get really over stimulated by all the action. It was better than seeing the kids faces on Christmas, they were running from one exciting thing to the next. Here are some photos of our time. I would love to go again with the kids. Thanks Janelle and Jason for the gift certificate and thanks mom for coming and helping not lose anyone!

Sunshine at last!

Like many others in MN, we went outside to enjoy some 50+ degree weather! How sweet it is! The kids were so excited. As soon as I opened the door they were shouting, "Yeah, outside!" It was nice to put them in the stroller and walk around. It felt like spring. Today is suppose to be much the same, so I hope we will get a chance to venture out again. Sadly, it won't last it's suppose to get cold again, BUT it is just a glimpse that spring is just around the corner- I can't wait!

Rub a dub dub three kids in the tub

Andrew's first experience in the big bath with the big kids. He was not a fan at first, but the kids did a great job of distracting him to make him laugh.

Operation Date Night

Our church offered a great opportunity that we capitalized on last night. It was called Operation Date Night. The youth and some adults volunteered to offer FREE child care for 3 hours so spouses could go out on a Valentine's date. It was so nice, and so fun to go out and be without kids and not having to worry about getting home because we didn't want to pay the babysitter more money.
We had a lot of fun sharing a dinner at Don Pablos and talking about adult things rather than who had more poopy diapers that day and the consistency of the diapers. We then browsed through Best Buy and Barnes & Noble and finished the date with a quick run through the Starbucks drive through. It was really fun!! Our kids had a blast playing games, doing art projects and eating pizza. I was afraid they would get bored and want to never go back, but they actually didn't want to leave. (thank you Jesus). I really love this concept they put together- we felt really blessed by it.

Date nights are important, I wish we could schedule one for every week, but I think once a month is something to aim for. Thanks Brenton for being a great date!

Mixing Playdates and Happy Hour

Check out the Reston baby blog about the alcohol and play dates article. Watch the Today show video and give your feedback.

Hunting

I have started the preschool hunt for Jacob, but I am looking for some advice or suggestions on things to look for, avoid, recommendations, and must knows. I do have a preschool teaching license, so I have the trained skills to do Preschool with Jake, but I want him to experience the social side of school. I am a firm believer that it's NOT the teachers full responsibility to teach my kids. I believe it's my responsibility to make sure they are learning, and I will assist and be in partnership with my kids teachers. I get this philosophy from dealing with too many parents thinking I was expected to make every child a genius especially when I was juggling 30+ at a time. People out teachers in an impossible situation, and I want to help take some of the load off. Even if it's just my kids.

So, bring it on, what do people know about preschools in this area? Is there a good resource that does yearly or quarterly reports on the schools? Who are some teachers you love and wish your child could always have? Anything would be great!

Winter Wonderland

As a child, I loved the winter. I loved playing outside in the huge snow banks my dad made with the snowblower. I loved building tunnels and forts with my brother, and I loved rolling the big balls to make my very own Frosty. Today was the first time that I got to take the kids out and play in the snow. Jake was loving it! He was making snow balls and throwing them at me and the windows. He was trying to run through the snow and then he'd fall down in exhaustion. Isabelle is still figuring this snow thing out. Her little legs had a harder time making it through, but she was a trooper! It's great being a kid, all the new things you experience and learn about. I guess as adults those things just become the norm and we look past the excitement of something normal. I can't wait to take them sledding- that should be a thrill!