Snowed In

We are on day 4 of being snowed in thanks to our good friend Hercules. I had to drive to and from the daycare while the city was in a state of emergency. The roads progressively got worse, not better. Technically we could get out, but the roads are a sheet of ice and I have no desire to put the kids in the van and drive on it. So here we are, day 4, stuck at home. 

When all the snow was falling on Sunday it was warm enough to get out and enjoy it. Enjoy it, we did. Brooke didn't like touching the snow, but she liked being outside and playing. Harry loved everything about it. 

The dogs loved it too.  

Harry watching football in a big boy chair drinking out of Daddy's cup. 

The temperature started dropping Sunday night, and by that evening it was so cold the dogs refused to be outside for more than 30 seconds.  So we've been inside since then.  We read lots of books. Our new favorites are the full versions of Go Dog Go and Hop On Pop as well as Put Me In The Zoo and 10 Apple Up On Top.  

We've done lots of puzzles, played with Legos, even watched a little Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We've taken full advantage of the Wonder Wows from grandma and all the coloring supplies from Santa. New toys and games have been a lifesaver.   

Our favorite new activity is our Roll & Play game by Thinkfun. It's a soft cube you roll, and each color corresponds to different cards with actions on them.

Some of the actions include: Give 1 hug, quack like a duck, pinch your nose, find something red, make a surprised face (aka the Macaulay Culkin). The kids love it and I do too.  It keeps them entertained for a good 30 minutes. 

Brooke giving Harrison a hug.  

Now that we're past the -45* windchill

and back to positive temps, the roads should be clearing up today. I'm hoping we'll get out this afternoon and if not, definitely tomorrow. Meijer is calling our name. If we don't get out today, I may have to pull out some Pinterest magic and make rainbow spaghetti noodles or glitter goo. We're all getting cabin fever and need a change of scenery. I'm glad the polar vortex is on it's way out. Maybe spring will come in its place.  

Tell me, how do you handle cabin fever?

Introducing, Jules

We have always been a multiple dog household, at one point we had 4. When Layla passed we went back and forth on if we should add another dog to our family. Rob was all about it, and I was very much content having just Tyson.  

A month or so after Layla passed it became very obvious that Tyson needed a friend. We contacted a breeder, talked to our local shelter and started looking on Petfinder. A few weeks into our search we found "Lucy." She was being fostered by one of our local rescue groups.  She's an 8 month old, although I think maybe a bit older, brindle boxer girl and as sweet as can be.  

Meeting her at the pet store before her adoption. 

We decided on Jules for her name, too many Lucys at daycare. She was in love with Tyson from the start, and he tolerated her but was not a fan.  We had a few scuffles, but they are getting along really well after a couple weeks. 

She has been great with the kids from day one.  They can play in her crate, take her bones and toys and crawl all over her.  She doesn't care, she just insists that in return they tolerate her constants licks to the face. 

She loves to snuggle and is in constant need of contact. She walks well on her leash when it's just the two of us, but goes crazy when Tyson and the kids are with us. On more than one occasion I have caught her standing on the kitchen table. She is super fast and loves to tear around the back yard. From what her foster parents said, and what we've seen, she doesn't seem to be a runner which is great, because Tyson isn't either, yay for off leash play. She has gone to daycare a few times already and is doing well, but she does get a little too over excited. She has already learned her name, the hand signal for sit, and almost has down perfected.

Harrison and Brooke can both already say her name, although it comes out missing a consonant or two. "Ju" as they call her, is a perfect addition to our family. I am so glad we decided to get another dog, and glad we adopted an older puppy. Welcome JuJu Bee, we love you already!

She sleeps like this all the time!

New Year's Resolutions

Today I am linking up with some great ladies to talk about resolutions, goals, and making 2014 count.

What is something you want to change, or a goal you want to set for the New Year & what is your plan for making it happen?

My goal is part of a two year plan. In 2015 we would like to buy a house. We'd like to buy a house that will be the home our family will grow in and where Rob and I will grow old. We'd also like not have to pay PMI, which means it's time to really start saving for that down payment. 2014 needs to be the year of saving.

It's no secret that I like to shop. It used to be for shoes and purses. Now it's for every cute thing that Brooke and Harrison have to have. I want to only buy the things they need and not the things I buy just because they're cute. Brooke doesn't need 20 summer dresses like she had last year, and she doesn't need more headbands, and I don't have to buy Harrison that cute sweater that coordinates with Brooke's dress, he already has more than enough. It may be time to limit the gap.com purchase to once a season instead of once a month.

I also need to get finances in order for the daycare. I used to be really good about entering in every purchase right after it was made. Now I have shoe boxes full of receipts and bank statements all piled up. I pushed all of the accounting b/s to the back burner when the kids were born, but I need to get it taken care of this year, and before April 15th.

Aside from curbing spending habits, I have a few smaller resolutions to share.

• Cut back on the caffeine. 3 cups of coffee in the am used to be essential for survival. Now that I can get enough sleep at night, I want to cut it back to 1 cup in the am and only an occasional afternoon pick me up.
• Put down my iPhone. Maybe even just leave it in the other room. Too often I'm checking Instagram or Facebook when I should be watching Brooke do a puzzle or laughing at Harrison while he plays with Tyson. I really want to make every second with them count, and that means the love affair with my phone will have to wait until nap time.
• Cook dinner more often. Some weeks I'm really good and I make dinner 4 times and other weeks the kids and I snack for dinner or pick something up on our way home almost every night. I want to get a homemade dinner on the table 4 nights a week and have leftovers or carryout the other nights.

To join the link up, head to any of the blogs listed below and follow the instructions.

Casey Wiegand

In Honor of Design

Kelly Murray

Little Baby Garvin

Oh Dear Drea

Small Fry Blog

Summer Saldana

Tell me, what are your resolutions for the new year? How do you plan to make it count?

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

We had a great 2013. I thought it would be fun to do a little year in review post. It was so much fun writing this post and looking back at all the pictures from the past year. 

January

January is always full of milestones for us. Tyson turned 7. Rob turned 28. Rob and I celebrated 8 years of marriage. The kids became little fish and started their first swim lessons and I decided to start paying attention to my much neglected blog.

February

In February we celebrate the kids' first Valentine's day and they had a fun mini photo shoot with their dogs.

March

March was a fun month full of snow, the kids' first St. Patrick's Day and their first Easter. It was also when the kids' made the transition into their own beds.

April

In April the kids got to go to the park for the first time and we visited the lake for the first time of the year. Brooke also took her first steps in April.  

May

In May we took a long weekend in Chicago and celebrated Mother's Day. Harrison and Brooke turned one and we celebrated their birthday with a milk and cookies birthday party. Harry, never one to be left behind, started walking in May so he could keep up with his sister.  

June

Layla turned 7 in June. The kids got a water table which meant we spent a lot of afternoons in the back yard. We all attended my cousin's wedding. It was H and B's first wedding.

July

July was full of popsicles and trips to the zoo. We celebrated the Fourth of July with a cookout at our place and a trip to the lake for swimming and sun. We also had family pictures taken.

August

In August I turned 31. The kids got their very own chairs. We spent a majority of our mornings at the zoo, and our afternoons inside staying out of the heat.

September

In September we helped close the lake cottage for the summer and we spent every free moment at the zoo. (See a trend here?)

October

In October it was all things fall and Halloween. The kids and I dressed up as Mario, Luigi and Peach for Halloween. They got to Trick-or-Treat for the first time.

November

In November we lost our sweet Layla girl to what we assume was a brain tumor. We celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends, many of whom were visiting from out of town.

December

December was all about the holiday season. We started traditions with family and soaked up every minute of the joy Christmas brings. We also added a new member to our family.

I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for us. Every year seems to be better than the last. I'm not sure how we'll be able to top this past year.  Happy New Year, everyone!

Our Christmas

We had an amazing Christmas. The kids really enjoyed everything this year.  Brooke was all about opening presents, and Harrison was all about playing with them. They still have one more round of opening to do, and Rob and I still have our Secret Santa exchange to do with my siblings. (My younger brother is in India, so we're waiting until they are back in the states.)

On Christmas Eve we enjoyed Mass with my parents and dinner, chicken and dumplings, after. They got to FaceTime with their uncles and open gifts from them, as well as open a few gifts from Grandma and Grandpa, and one from their Great Aunt. 

When the kids woke up Christmas morning, they were able to open one gift and have their stockings. Everything else had to wait until that afternoon. They were so patient. We were impressed! We headed off to the in-laws for gifts and brunch with them, and were home in time for naps.

After naps they open gifts and played all afternoon. My parents came over to watch them open and let them open their gifts from them. They finally opened their last gift 15 minutes before bed time. It was a long day, but so much fun! I'm already looking forward to next year.

Quite possibly my favorite picture of the day. I'm sure she'll hate this when she's older.

Harrison's favorite gift is definitely his mini Dyson. He has it with him all the time, and even wants to bring it to bed.  He cries when Brooke plays with is. Brooke's favorite is the Leap Frog Counting Train. They both like their tee pee, but I think the dogs like it more.

I hope everyone's Christmas was as blessed as ours. I feel so fortunate to be able to make all of these memories with H, B and Rob. Now it's on to 2014. Happy New Year!!

Enjoy the Little Things

I was going to upload pictures from Christmas during nap time today, and then this happened. 

(Sorry for the blurry picture. Blackout curtains don't make for great pictures)

Brooke often falls asleep while nursing before nap time, but Harrison almost never does. Even on the rare occasion when they do both fall asleep, I move them to their beds. I usually have things to do while they nap, and I think they sleep better when they have their own space in their beds.  

Today is no different. I have all of the ingredients for broccoli quinoa bites in a bowl ready to be mixed and baked. As I'm writing this, both kids woke up and couldn't fall back asleep laying with me. Now they're in their cribs and most likely won't nap anymore. Nap time ruined. 

But that's ok, because this is probably the last time they'll both fall asleep in my arms. The last time we'll get all sweaty snuggled up in bed together. The last time I get to watch their sweet little bodies twitch and hear their sweet snores right in my ear. 

Next week we start weaning and nap time is the first to go. If every nap time between now and January 1st is ruined because they fall asleep snuggled up with me, I'd be ok with that. It would make for some long afternoons, but knowing I got that snuggle time in would make it ok. When they sleep snuggled up with me, they're still my babies and not two rambunctious toddlers who never hold still.  

I think we'll all do just fine with weaning. Part of me is really excited to be done nursing, but the majority of me wishes we could continue forever. (Well maybe not forever, but for a while longer.) With the end in sight, I'm going to make sure I enjoy every snuggle, hug, and carress they give me. And I won't complain about the punches, kicks, head butts and hair pulls.