If you hadn't already guessed, this is a Connor update.
Connor has learned a few new tricks lately (other than climbing on anything he can get his belly over)
1. Kisses. He learned this fun trick at Thanksgiving with my mom's family. We were trying to keep Connor entertained for a few minutes while we were getting ready to leave, so we passed him around to give hugs and kisses, not knowing he would ACTUALLY give everyone a kiss. But not just any kiss, that big, wet, slobbery, wide open mouthed kiss that everyone tries to turn their heads away from! Unfortunately for everyone involved he had no interest in giving cheek kisses.
2. Hugs. When Aiden gets ready for bed at night Connor will now make sure he gets a kiss, but in the process he usually ends up getting a hug too. This is because most nights he has to wrap his arms around Aiden's tummy to get him to hold still so Connor can give him one of his big ol' slobbery kisses!
3. Cardboard boxes. Connor has become the master of putting things into them, taking things out of them, pushing them around, climbing into them and sitting in them. I'm pretty sure Santa doesn't need to bring this kid a single toy, as long as he gets LOTS of empty boxes!
4. Duplo's. Finally, something that will keep Connor entertained for more than 30 seconds! Now that he has figured out how to get them to stay together he will sit with a pile of Lego's and stack them, pull them apart, and repeat for a good 10 minutes (which is an eternity compared to his attention span 2 weeks ago!) He is still working on the gravity thing, but he learning to build something other than just a perfectly stacked tower.
He is also working on his talking.
- 'num num' is probably the most frequently used word he has.
- The next two are his versions of tractor and cracker, which unless you see what he's referring to can be almost impossible to tell apart.
- 'bah' means ball
- 'ba' means bath
- mama, dada, budda (brother), oopa (grandpa)
And his sign language..
Please, more, and drink are the main one he uses. We're still working on 'Thank You' (he's usually too busy eating whatever he asked 'more please' for to bother with 'thank you')
It's hard to believe he's 17 months old already, but he's growing up so fast!!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Stitches!!
Yesterday I had the joy of going through an experience almost all moms of boys go through at some point... stitches. To my amazement it was Aiden that needed stitches, not Connor.
I was getting Connor a snack so we could all head out the door for a Mary Kay thing as soon as Aiden got off the bus. The phone rang and it was the school nurse, Aiden was in her office with a bloody head. From what she could make out, he had missed a step and hit his head on a pole or something. She thought I probably needed to go get him and have a doctor look at it. I dropped everything, loaded Connor up, called the clinic to see if there was someone available to check him out, called to reschedule the Mary Kay appointment, and pulled into school as the last of the buses were loading up.
Aiden was still in the nurse's office, paper towel and an ice pack on his head. Somehow it was a head wound that didn't bleed very much. We determined he could stand on his own two feet, and I got him out of the building and into the van with him whimpering "I don't want to get stitches, mommy don't make me get stitches" I had no idea what they were going to do, so I just told him he needed to take deep breathes so his head didn't start bleeding again.
The nurse took us back right away when we got there, cleaned out the cut, and asked the usual how did this happen, who was there type of questions. Since it happened at recess at school he only had to answer them twice, not 4 or 5 times. The doctor looked at it, determined it was deep enough we had to do something, and let me know that gluing it COULD work, but since it was right on the hair line, it would probably be better to do stitches so it would have a better chance of healing without pulling back open.
This time there was no whimpering, it was sobbing..."I don't want stitches, no stitches, mommy, don't let them do stitches" Luckily I had backup that time. The doctor and nurse were able to convince him that they would tell him what they were doing, the actual stitches weren't going to hurt, the stitches would work much better than the glue, etc etc. So we got Aiden calmed down and they put on some numbing cream so the anesthetic shots wouldn't hurt so much.
Meanwhile Connor had decided to start investigating the cubpoards, drawers, and garbage cans, so the other nurses and receptionist offered to keep the cute little blonde boy occupied with balls, coloring, and wheelchair rides out in the hallway.
Once Aiden's numbing cream had soaked in a little they started cleaning the cut out again, and I realized I wasn't going to be much help passed out on the floor. They gave me a stool to sit on and I watched Aiden's toes wiggle while they gave him the anesthetic shots (the worst part by far), then put in 'three little stitches', and bandaged him up (with a pretty cool Cars 2 band-aid). All done!
We collected all of Aiden's goodies from the nurses station (he made out pretty well) and retrieved Connor from the wheelchair he had been riding around in and we were free to go. The first thing we did was call daddy to tell him all about it, then we headed home.
Once I got everyone unloaded and inside, Connor headed to his favorite perch... the top of the kitchen table. I took him down, but he climbed right back up. I heard Aiden say "Get down Connor, I don't wanna go back to the doctor!"
Aiden did pretty well the rest of the night. His head started to get a little sore so he got some Motrin, and he needed some help getting his PJ's on over the stitches, but nothing major... and no concussion! After 12 hours of sleep he was still exhausted, so he ate a few pancakes and headed back to bed. By 10 he was bouncing around the house, so I fed him lunch and sent him back to school with a new, bright pink bandage that he was VERY proud of!
I was getting Connor a snack so we could all head out the door for a Mary Kay thing as soon as Aiden got off the bus. The phone rang and it was the school nurse, Aiden was in her office with a bloody head. From what she could make out, he had missed a step and hit his head on a pole or something. She thought I probably needed to go get him and have a doctor look at it. I dropped everything, loaded Connor up, called the clinic to see if there was someone available to check him out, called to reschedule the Mary Kay appointment, and pulled into school as the last of the buses were loading up.
Aiden was still in the nurse's office, paper towel and an ice pack on his head. Somehow it was a head wound that didn't bleed very much. We determined he could stand on his own two feet, and I got him out of the building and into the van with him whimpering "I don't want to get stitches, mommy don't make me get stitches" I had no idea what they were going to do, so I just told him he needed to take deep breathes so his head didn't start bleeding again.
The nurse took us back right away when we got there, cleaned out the cut, and asked the usual how did this happen, who was there type of questions. Since it happened at recess at school he only had to answer them twice, not 4 or 5 times. The doctor looked at it, determined it was deep enough we had to do something, and let me know that gluing it COULD work, but since it was right on the hair line, it would probably be better to do stitches so it would have a better chance of healing without pulling back open.
This time there was no whimpering, it was sobbing..."I don't want stitches, no stitches, mommy, don't let them do stitches" Luckily I had backup that time. The doctor and nurse were able to convince him that they would tell him what they were doing, the actual stitches weren't going to hurt, the stitches would work much better than the glue, etc etc. So we got Aiden calmed down and they put on some numbing cream so the anesthetic shots wouldn't hurt so much.
Meanwhile Connor had decided to start investigating the cubpoards, drawers, and garbage cans, so the other nurses and receptionist offered to keep the cute little blonde boy occupied with balls, coloring, and wheelchair rides out in the hallway.
Once Aiden's numbing cream had soaked in a little they started cleaning the cut out again, and I realized I wasn't going to be much help passed out on the floor. They gave me a stool to sit on and I watched Aiden's toes wiggle while they gave him the anesthetic shots (the worst part by far), then put in 'three little stitches', and bandaged him up (with a pretty cool Cars 2 band-aid). All done!
We collected all of Aiden's goodies from the nurses station (he made out pretty well) and retrieved Connor from the wheelchair he had been riding around in and we were free to go. The first thing we did was call daddy to tell him all about it, then we headed home.
Once I got everyone unloaded and inside, Connor headed to his favorite perch... the top of the kitchen table. I took him down, but he climbed right back up. I heard Aiden say "Get down Connor, I don't wanna go back to the doctor!"
Aiden did pretty well the rest of the night. His head started to get a little sore so he got some Motrin, and he needed some help getting his PJ's on over the stitches, but nothing major... and no concussion! After 12 hours of sleep he was still exhausted, so he ate a few pancakes and headed back to bed. By 10 he was bouncing around the house, so I fed him lunch and sent him back to school with a new, bright pink bandage that he was VERY proud of!
Monday, November 28, 2011
the EXTRA long holiday weekend
So the long holiday weekend started a little earlier than expected when Aiden came home on Tuesday with a note letting us know that there would be no school on Wednesday (due to needing to shut the water off for a water main repair that never actually happened). Therefore, instead of a quick afternoon of decorating cookies on my own, we started the process fairly early Wednesday morning and had them ALL decorated before lunch without eating a single cookie!
Thursday we headed over to the in-laws for our first turkey dinner of the weekend. Connor played with his cousin Kaylee, no matter how little she wanted him to touch HER toys. Every time Kaylee set a toy down, Connor would immediately pick it up, and she was NOT a fan of that. By the end of the day they did learn to play nicely together, and were actually scheming to help each other tear the house apart! Aiden helped the boys, mostly uncle Jim, outside with the logging project, and I helped Tanya & Anita get the food ready before everyone else got there for lunch. Aiden set the table with all the handmade decorations/party favors for each place setting and Bev contributed chocolate turkeys for everyone. After a Kwik-Star run for chips for the taco salad dinner was served, and everything was delicious! Eventually we decided we were hungry again and repeated the above meal for supper. Aiden got permission to have a sleepover, and Brian and I headed home to put baby Connor to bed.
Friday morning I got to sleep in because I didn't have to be to workout til 7. I was REALLY glad I didn't over do it with the desserts on Thursday, because we ran and ran some more! After workout I came home to 2 sleeping boys, yes Brian AND Connor slept in past 8! I got everyone moving and went back up to the in-laws to wait for the Menard's truck so Tom & Brian could get a few hours of work in. 2 hours later they finally let us know the truck wasn't coming until after lunch, so the boys and I headed to town to run some errands and play with the Chyma boys for a little bit. The next step was feeding the boys lunch, packing everyone's stuff for the next 2 1/2 days, cleaning the van, and loading everything up so we could leave after Brian got home from work and in time to let Connor take a nap on the road. Somehow I succeeded, though I could have used a little more patience during that 2 hour time frame.
After an uneventful, though windy, drive back to Carroll, we stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up a few things for Alayna then headed to Templeton to check Alayna's newest residence. Connor learned he had to go down the steps backward if he wanted to cover the entire house, and Aiden got a few wrestling tips from Kenny. We took the boys back to my parents, decided where everyone was sleeping, and crashed on the couch with a movie.
Friday morning was cinnamon rolls in the waffle maker for breakfast (apparently something Alicia found on Pinterest) then 5 people showering and getting ready in 90 minutes with 1 shower, and another half bath. Amazingly, we were all ready to go on time (even dad), and we were on the road to Omaha to watch the first half of the ISU game at Clancy's pub before we headed to the Ortner residence for turkey dinner number 2. Everything was delicious, and the boys had a great time playing with my cousins and their kids. The big boys left a little early for their shopping date at Cabella's, and my sisters and I took the boys back in the van.
The ride was pretty tame while Connor slept for about an hour, but once he woke up things really started to liven up. By that I mean we started Alicia & Aiden's DJ Dance party in the back of the Chevy Venture. Everybody was havin a great time dancing and singing all the usual songs (and a few less conventional ones such as J-Lo's 'Sweep the Floor') I'm very thankful that there were no cops on the road, because between trying to keep the van from blowing all over the road, controlling my speed going down the hills, and trying to keep an eye on everyone in the back seat my driving couldn't have been the best ever. But we made it back to Alayna's safe and sound and waited for mom & dad to get back with the pizza.
After pizza the boys went with grandma & grandpa, and my sisters and I and the 3 significant others decided we should play a few card games to stay awake. I think it was the first time we had all three of us and our significant others had been together without parents or kids, ever. everyone had a good time, and it was quite a bonding experience for everyone. We're definitely getting old, cuz everyone was asleep by 11:30 so we could get up and get to church the next morning.
After church the boys played Trouble and Connect 4 while we got brunch ready. Connor decided he'd had enough, so we were back on the road for hours 7-10 in the car for the weekend. After back tracking a few miles to retrieve the purse I could have sworn I'd never taken out of the van, we were actually on the road. Unfortunately it was just as windy as the rest of the weekend, but we made it home with plenty of time to eat supper and turn the Thanksgiving tree into a true Christmas tree with lots of ornaments before the boys went to bed.
I thought I had done a pretty good job of pacing myself on all the delicious food, but I'm pretty sure the Saturday night beverages did me in. 5am workout was a challenge this morning, but I survived and its a good thing because this week is a very busy one...lots of appointments and a few extra morning workouts to undo all the eating!! Looking forward to a great week this week :D
Thursday we headed over to the in-laws for our first turkey dinner of the weekend. Connor played with his cousin Kaylee, no matter how little she wanted him to touch HER toys. Every time Kaylee set a toy down, Connor would immediately pick it up, and she was NOT a fan of that. By the end of the day they did learn to play nicely together, and were actually scheming to help each other tear the house apart! Aiden helped the boys, mostly uncle Jim, outside with the logging project, and I helped Tanya & Anita get the food ready before everyone else got there for lunch. Aiden set the table with all the handmade decorations/party favors for each place setting and Bev contributed chocolate turkeys for everyone. After a Kwik-Star run for chips for the taco salad dinner was served, and everything was delicious! Eventually we decided we were hungry again and repeated the above meal for supper. Aiden got permission to have a sleepover, and Brian and I headed home to put baby Connor to bed.
Friday morning I got to sleep in because I didn't have to be to workout til 7. I was REALLY glad I didn't over do it with the desserts on Thursday, because we ran and ran some more! After workout I came home to 2 sleeping boys, yes Brian AND Connor slept in past 8! I got everyone moving and went back up to the in-laws to wait for the Menard's truck so Tom & Brian could get a few hours of work in. 2 hours later they finally let us know the truck wasn't coming until after lunch, so the boys and I headed to town to run some errands and play with the Chyma boys for a little bit. The next step was feeding the boys lunch, packing everyone's stuff for the next 2 1/2 days, cleaning the van, and loading everything up so we could leave after Brian got home from work and in time to let Connor take a nap on the road. Somehow I succeeded, though I could have used a little more patience during that 2 hour time frame.
After an uneventful, though windy, drive back to Carroll, we stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up a few things for Alayna then headed to Templeton to check Alayna's newest residence. Connor learned he had to go down the steps backward if he wanted to cover the entire house, and Aiden got a few wrestling tips from Kenny. We took the boys back to my parents, decided where everyone was sleeping, and crashed on the couch with a movie.
Friday morning was cinnamon rolls in the waffle maker for breakfast (apparently something Alicia found on Pinterest) then 5 people showering and getting ready in 90 minutes with 1 shower, and another half bath. Amazingly, we were all ready to go on time (even dad), and we were on the road to Omaha to watch the first half of the ISU game at Clancy's pub before we headed to the Ortner residence for turkey dinner number 2. Everything was delicious, and the boys had a great time playing with my cousins and their kids. The big boys left a little early for their shopping date at Cabella's, and my sisters and I took the boys back in the van.
The ride was pretty tame while Connor slept for about an hour, but once he woke up things really started to liven up. By that I mean we started Alicia & Aiden's DJ Dance party in the back of the Chevy Venture. Everybody was havin a great time dancing and singing all the usual songs (and a few less conventional ones such as J-Lo's 'Sweep the Floor') I'm very thankful that there were no cops on the road, because between trying to keep the van from blowing all over the road, controlling my speed going down the hills, and trying to keep an eye on everyone in the back seat my driving couldn't have been the best ever. But we made it back to Alayna's safe and sound and waited for mom & dad to get back with the pizza.
After pizza the boys went with grandma & grandpa, and my sisters and I and the 3 significant others decided we should play a few card games to stay awake. I think it was the first time we had all three of us and our significant others had been together without parents or kids, ever. everyone had a good time, and it was quite a bonding experience for everyone. We're definitely getting old, cuz everyone was asleep by 11:30 so we could get up and get to church the next morning.
After church the boys played Trouble and Connect 4 while we got brunch ready. Connor decided he'd had enough, so we were back on the road for hours 7-10 in the car for the weekend. After back tracking a few miles to retrieve the purse I could have sworn I'd never taken out of the van, we were actually on the road. Unfortunately it was just as windy as the rest of the weekend, but we made it home with plenty of time to eat supper and turn the Thanksgiving tree into a true Christmas tree with lots of ornaments before the boys went to bed.
I thought I had done a pretty good job of pacing myself on all the delicious food, but I'm pretty sure the Saturday night beverages did me in. 5am workout was a challenge this morning, but I survived and its a good thing because this week is a very busy one...lots of appointments and a few extra morning workouts to undo all the eating!! Looking forward to a great week this week :D
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!!
So I got a late start on my 'Month of Thankfulness' posts on Facebook, and I'm pretty sure I've missed more days than I've hit. Really not because I'm not thankful for anything, I think I just put too much thought into what to be thankful for each day, then got distracted and never posted. So here's a very random list, because one per day just doesn't work for me.
I AM THANKFUL FOR...
a husband who helped fold 4 loads of laundry when I got home from my meeting last night because he was going to start working on it when I called to let him know I was on my way home.
Christmas music to sing along to on my way home from my MK success night (even tho I forgot to call to let Brian know I was on my way home.)
a 16 month old boy who finally decided to start sleeping past 5am!
my mom for getting up with said little boy at 5:30am when she comes to visit for the weekend so the rest of the house can get some sleep.
parents that come to visit just because they miss us!
a 5 year old who wants us to read him chapter after chapter of 'The Box Car Children' books, and not even just to stall before bed time!
kindergarten teachers that keep parents in the loop and tell you how much they enjoy your child at school.
a great group of women to work out with EARLY in the morning and an awesome trainer that pushes everyone to do their own personal best, whatever that may be.
my health and my aching body after a really tough workout, I never thought I'd have the strength to do many of the things we do!
a new house with warm floors and a hot shower each and everyday (and for a husband that fills the woodburner so I can stay nice and warm)
amazing Mary Kay women that keep on going no matter what they've been through. Such an inspiration and such awesome friends.
having a 'job' with a company that not only thinks its important for women to have 'balance' in their lives, but provides free training on what balance means and many suggestions on how to find that balance.
kids that have the most fun when they are playing with empty boxes and creating 'crafts' out of paper plates and scrap paper. Reminds me of stuff I did when I was little.
a mom that made us cardboard box castles and provided us with all the craft supplies we could ever imagine using.
sisters that want to spend an entire weekend crafting (never thought I'd see that day)
growing up with parents that never pretended that life was always going to be easy, and always working hard to make it better.
parents-in-law that welcomed me into their family from the very beginning and that get along great with my parents.
an adorable niece that makes my children look like the 'wild things' from a certain story book compared to her.
an extended family (on all sides) that loves and supports us no matter how far apart we are or how often we get together.
having not just one but THREE Thanksgiving celebrations in one... long... turkey filled... weekend! (We'll see how thankful I am for all that food at 5:15 on Monday morning!)
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Day (and weekend) filled with lots of great food, surrounded by people who love you.
One last quote... "What if you woke up this morning with only what you thanked God for last night"
I AM THANKFUL FOR...
a husband who helped fold 4 loads of laundry when I got home from my meeting last night because he was going to start working on it when I called to let him know I was on my way home.
Christmas music to sing along to on my way home from my MK success night (even tho I forgot to call to let Brian know I was on my way home.)
a 16 month old boy who finally decided to start sleeping past 5am!
my mom for getting up with said little boy at 5:30am when she comes to visit for the weekend so the rest of the house can get some sleep.
parents that come to visit just because they miss us!
a 5 year old who wants us to read him chapter after chapter of 'The Box Car Children' books, and not even just to stall before bed time!
kindergarten teachers that keep parents in the loop and tell you how much they enjoy your child at school.
a great group of women to work out with EARLY in the morning and an awesome trainer that pushes everyone to do their own personal best, whatever that may be.
my health and my aching body after a really tough workout, I never thought I'd have the strength to do many of the things we do!
a new house with warm floors and a hot shower each and everyday (and for a husband that fills the woodburner so I can stay nice and warm)
amazing Mary Kay women that keep on going no matter what they've been through. Such an inspiration and such awesome friends.
having a 'job' with a company that not only thinks its important for women to have 'balance' in their lives, but provides free training on what balance means and many suggestions on how to find that balance.
kids that have the most fun when they are playing with empty boxes and creating 'crafts' out of paper plates and scrap paper. Reminds me of stuff I did when I was little.
a mom that made us cardboard box castles and provided us with all the craft supplies we could ever imagine using.
sisters that want to spend an entire weekend crafting (never thought I'd see that day)
growing up with parents that never pretended that life was always going to be easy, and always working hard to make it better.
parents-in-law that welcomed me into their family from the very beginning and that get along great with my parents.
an adorable niece that makes my children look like the 'wild things' from a certain story book compared to her.
an extended family (on all sides) that loves and supports us no matter how far apart we are or how often we get together.
having not just one but THREE Thanksgiving celebrations in one... long... turkey filled... weekend! (We'll see how thankful I am for all that food at 5:15 on Monday morning!)
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Day (and weekend) filled with lots of great food, surrounded by people who love you.
One last quote... "What if you woke up this morning with only what you thanked God for last night"
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Life updates - October
Ok, I realized I haven't updated this in over a month. Not that I have time now, but I'll never have time so I'll do it anyway.
Aidea is LOVING kindergarten. They spent the first few weeks talking about butterflies, so if there is any stage of the butterfly life cycle you'd like to know more about, ask Aiden. Today was farm day, so they got to dress up as farmers and take farm toys. I had to limit Aiden to the amount he could fit in his backpack, and made him mark them so he got all the right ones back home. I told him he could take enough to share with anyone who didn't have farm toys. I'm not sure that he believed anyone could survive without farm toys!!
He is now down TWO teeth, and has decided he will just pull the next 2 himself so daddy doesn't have to do it! With his new grown up teeth coming in, I'm having to deal with the fact that he's probably never just gonna be my sweet baby boy again. With that said, I am also having a hard time remembering he's only 5 and that "How many times do I have to tell you" is probably a question I don't want to know the answer to.
Brothers - He is a great big brother. He loves to play hide-n-seek with Connor and try to surprise him by hiding behind a chair or around the corner and yelling 'BOO'. Connor loves it! He giggles so hard he can hardly walk, then he goes wobbling after big brother for more. Yesterday the boys went to Brian's grandma's for an hour between me needing to leave for a meeting and Brian getting back from work. As we pulled up I asked Aiden to help great-grandma with Connor as much as possible. He said "OK, I'll be a good big brother and keep Connor out of stuff since great-grandma can't move so fast any more" (From the sounds of it they were all three worn out by the time Brian got there.)
Connor is a busy little boy. His favorite pass time is opening cupboard doors and pulling things out. Especially the pantry and tupperware doors. His communication is getting better. He knows the signs for please, and drink. He also says 'num num, bananana, cacker (cracker), and bye bye. Occasionally he gets out a dadada or mamama, and grandma and grandpa are 'oopah'
I have been working on getting him a little more used to not being attached to me. He seems to do fine when I sneak out of the room while he's distracted. We went to MOPS this morning and he was with people he didn't know at ll for 2 hours and did great.
Brian is STILL working up at Stacyville. They've decided to spend a couple days a week working closer to home getting small projects wrapped up before winter, so hopefully the boys and I will get to see him a little more those days.
Me - I have been getting up at 4:50 am 3 days a week since the beginning of Sept for a fitness class with about 15 other women. I can tell that I'm stronger and can run a little farther, but chocolate still seems to be my enemy. I am enjoying having more energy and the workouts are a great start to my day, even though they are REALLY early.
I spent last weekend in Mankato at a Mary Kay retreat. It was great to have a girls weekend, and very refreshing to spend time with women who were focused on moving forward and improving their lives and businesses despite everything life had thrown at them. One of the women said that everyone has their own problems. If we were all told to lay our problems out on the table for everyone to see and then choose a set to pick back up, we would all choose take our own problems back over anyone else's. We talked about how to keep a positive attitude and having someone to be accountable to in order to help stay on track. We also talked about the necessity of getting out of our comfort zone, and expanding that comfort zone, in order to grow and reach our goals and dreams. As always, I came home excited about my goals for my business and the dreams I know it can help our family achieve. And then I got on the phone and stepped out of my comfort zone.
Aidea is LOVING kindergarten. They spent the first few weeks talking about butterflies, so if there is any stage of the butterfly life cycle you'd like to know more about, ask Aiden. Today was farm day, so they got to dress up as farmers and take farm toys. I had to limit Aiden to the amount he could fit in his backpack, and made him mark them so he got all the right ones back home. I told him he could take enough to share with anyone who didn't have farm toys. I'm not sure that he believed anyone could survive without farm toys!!
He is now down TWO teeth, and has decided he will just pull the next 2 himself so daddy doesn't have to do it! With his new grown up teeth coming in, I'm having to deal with the fact that he's probably never just gonna be my sweet baby boy again. With that said, I am also having a hard time remembering he's only 5 and that "How many times do I have to tell you" is probably a question I don't want to know the answer to.
Brothers - He is a great big brother. He loves to play hide-n-seek with Connor and try to surprise him by hiding behind a chair or around the corner and yelling 'BOO'. Connor loves it! He giggles so hard he can hardly walk, then he goes wobbling after big brother for more. Yesterday the boys went to Brian's grandma's for an hour between me needing to leave for a meeting and Brian getting back from work. As we pulled up I asked Aiden to help great-grandma with Connor as much as possible. He said "OK, I'll be a good big brother and keep Connor out of stuff since great-grandma can't move so fast any more" (From the sounds of it they were all three worn out by the time Brian got there.)
Connor is a busy little boy. His favorite pass time is opening cupboard doors and pulling things out. Especially the pantry and tupperware doors. His communication is getting better. He knows the signs for please, and drink. He also says 'num num, bananana, cacker (cracker), and bye bye. Occasionally he gets out a dadada or mamama, and grandma and grandpa are 'oopah'
I have been working on getting him a little more used to not being attached to me. He seems to do fine when I sneak out of the room while he's distracted. We went to MOPS this morning and he was with people he didn't know at ll for 2 hours and did great.
Brian is STILL working up at Stacyville. They've decided to spend a couple days a week working closer to home getting small projects wrapped up before winter, so hopefully the boys and I will get to see him a little more those days.
Me - I have been getting up at 4:50 am 3 days a week since the beginning of Sept for a fitness class with about 15 other women. I can tell that I'm stronger and can run a little farther, but chocolate still seems to be my enemy. I am enjoying having more energy and the workouts are a great start to my day, even though they are REALLY early.
I spent last weekend in Mankato at a Mary Kay retreat. It was great to have a girls weekend, and very refreshing to spend time with women who were focused on moving forward and improving their lives and businesses despite everything life had thrown at them. One of the women said that everyone has their own problems. If we were all told to lay our problems out on the table for everyone to see and then choose a set to pick back up, we would all choose take our own problems back over anyone else's. We talked about how to keep a positive attitude and having someone to be accountable to in order to help stay on track. We also talked about the necessity of getting out of our comfort zone, and expanding that comfort zone, in order to grow and reach our goals and dreams. As always, I came home excited about my goals for my business and the dreams I know it can help our family achieve. And then I got on the phone and stepped out of my comfort zone.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
I love Fall !!!!
Finally... the weather is cooling off, we're back into a school routine, and FOOTBALL has started :D This is by far my most favoritest (yeah, I know it's not a word) season.
Aiden is back to school...he's in kindergarten this year. He is already on his 3rd 'full' week. The first day he informed me that he got to ride the bus twice, had THREE recesses, they had cheeseburgers (his favorite) for lunch, and snack was a really yummy yellow thing with white frosting (honestly I think it was a Twinky). After all, those ARE the most important parts of kindergarten!
After the first or second day of school grandma Sullivan came down to ask how Aiden's day went, but he was busy watching TV. (I think his brain was fried) I finally shut the TV off and he talked for about 5 minutes, got up and turned the TV back on, and said, "Ok, you can leave now" I think the big kid attitude has struck!! Luckily for his teacher the attitude only seems to happen at home. They get 3 pennies at the beginning of each day, and their goal is to make good decisions so they can keep their pennies. Aiden has only lost one penny so far, although I have not been informed how he lost it.
Oh yeah, he also has 2 loose teeth...yeah, loose teeth already. I told him to just keep wiggling them, which is kinda freaking Brian out. Apparently he prefers the yank 'em out approach :S Well whenever they fall out, Aiden is very excited for the tooth fairy, who will be delivering a surprise to the kitchen counter, NOT under the pillow!!
Connor is adjusting pretty well to having mom and most of the house to himself all day. He's not always too happy that he has to go back in the house after Aiden gets on the bus, but I think its more because he loves to play outside than wanting his brother to come back. By the end of the day, however, he is VERY excited when big brother walks in the house.
Connor has definitely given up on the crawling thing. He walks everywhere and even carries things with him, which is great news for my floors! He doesn't really talk yet, but there are recognizable sounds such as uh-oh, and buh (book), bah (bath) and who dah? (whats that?) He is also starting to learn that words mean different things. I can tell him to go get something like a book or a toy and he can go find it and give it to me. He is a goofball pretty much all the time, and loves to play with Brian before he has to go to bed at night.
For as little effort as we put into the garden (after we planted it) we got a pretty decent crop this year. The rabbits took care of the peas, beans, lettuce, and most broccoli, but we got a few ears of corn before the coons took over, and lots of carrots. We even have a few peppers, which I forgot were even still buried in all the weeds. Next year I think we will skip the corn (the coons are impossible to keep out) but at least attempt to keep the rabbits out so we can have a little larger variety.
Well this got a little longer than anticipated...I guess I will do a part 2 for anyone who cares what I have been up to lately (oh, and Brian, can't forget about him!!)
Aiden is back to school...he's in kindergarten this year. He is already on his 3rd 'full' week. The first day he informed me that he got to ride the bus twice, had THREE recesses, they had cheeseburgers (his favorite) for lunch, and snack was a really yummy yellow thing with white frosting (honestly I think it was a Twinky). After all, those ARE the most important parts of kindergarten!
After the first or second day of school grandma Sullivan came down to ask how Aiden's day went, but he was busy watching TV. (I think his brain was fried) I finally shut the TV off and he talked for about 5 minutes, got up and turned the TV back on, and said, "Ok, you can leave now" I think the big kid attitude has struck!! Luckily for his teacher the attitude only seems to happen at home. They get 3 pennies at the beginning of each day, and their goal is to make good decisions so they can keep their pennies. Aiden has only lost one penny so far, although I have not been informed how he lost it.
Oh yeah, he also has 2 loose teeth...yeah, loose teeth already. I told him to just keep wiggling them, which is kinda freaking Brian out. Apparently he prefers the yank 'em out approach :S Well whenever they fall out, Aiden is very excited for the tooth fairy, who will be delivering a surprise to the kitchen counter, NOT under the pillow!!
Connor is adjusting pretty well to having mom and most of the house to himself all day. He's not always too happy that he has to go back in the house after Aiden gets on the bus, but I think its more because he loves to play outside than wanting his brother to come back. By the end of the day, however, he is VERY excited when big brother walks in the house.
Connor has definitely given up on the crawling thing. He walks everywhere and even carries things with him, which is great news for my floors! He doesn't really talk yet, but there are recognizable sounds such as uh-oh, and buh (book), bah (bath) and who dah? (whats that?) He is also starting to learn that words mean different things. I can tell him to go get something like a book or a toy and he can go find it and give it to me. He is a goofball pretty much all the time, and loves to play with Brian before he has to go to bed at night.
For as little effort as we put into the garden (after we planted it) we got a pretty decent crop this year. The rabbits took care of the peas, beans, lettuce, and most broccoli, but we got a few ears of corn before the coons took over, and lots of carrots. We even have a few peppers, which I forgot were even still buried in all the weeds. Next year I think we will skip the corn (the coons are impossible to keep out) but at least attempt to keep the rabbits out so we can have a little larger variety.
Well this got a little longer than anticipated...I guess I will do a part 2 for anyone who cares what I have been up to lately (oh, and Brian, can't forget about him!!)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
three weeks
I just finished reading a novel about 3 women who were given the chance to go back in time and relive any three weeks of their life they chose. At the end of the 3 weeks they were brought back to present time, and given the choice to continue their lives the way it played out originally, or to choose the new life created by changing three weeks. (Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux) Of course to make the story interesting the women chose to go back and change encounters they had with men and choices they made in the past that they felt were making them miserable now.
Not that I am anywhere near being miserable, but my mind wandered off into "What if's", and I started wondering which three weeks I would choose if I was given the choice. A few years ago, I may have chosen a path that would let me pursue my "career" as an engineer with no worry of day cares and school systems, or how often we would be able to visit grandparents. Maybe I would have used my foresight to convince Brian to choose a position where he wasn't going to get laid off after a couple years, or where I would certainly have an engineering job available to me even if he didn't. I could have chosen a life that provided a more substantial income, more vacations, a bigger house with a bigger TV, more shopping trips just because.
But then I came out of 'what if' land and looked around me. At a house that I had helped design every detail of and had a hand in almost every step of building. A view that is gorgeous even on a day that makes you want to curl up and hide inside. Two adorable blonde boys that I wouldn't trade for the world (even when they are driving me and each other mad). An amazing husband who helped make most of those things possible, and even puts up with me when I can barely put up with myself.
Of course there are things that would be nice if they could be changed... a few less months waiting for paper work and excavators so we could start building our house, being able to spend more time with Aiden while the house was being built and Connor was turning his life as he knew it upside down, and having a larger budget to work with so we could have done all the "we can add that later" stuff right away.
Then there are the things that I would like to have changed that I'm currently working on... a few less baby pounds around the middle, a few more dollars in our savings account, and of course a little (or a lot) less guilt about staying home with the boys when our budget is tighter than we would like.
So which three weeks would I choose?
Honestly, I love what I do, and when I actually have the courage and the discipline to do it right it, my Mary Kay business makes life so much less stressful. I feel successful, Brian can relax and enjoy the time he has alone with the boys, and everyone is happy. So I would go back to July 10, 2009, the day after I started my Mary Kay business, and I would take all the knowledge I have gained in the last 2 years and I would take off running and never stop!! I wouldn't let the small things discourage me, I would force myself to learn the discipline to work this business as a business. I would ignore the voices in my head that convinced me not to pick up the phone to ask SO many times. I wouldn't let it take me 2 years to figure out that the only way to fail is to quit. (and of course I would choose to remember what I know now so the house would get started in May, not August, and who knows what else)
But of course, there is no magic time machine that could send me back. So I will have to accept that the house got built (no matter how stressful it was), that we will always have more projects on the to do list, no matter how many we cross off, and that right now the best things in life had better be free, cause otherwise they're probably not in the budget.
As for taking off running and never quitting... I am FINALLY at a point in my business that I feel the work I have done in the past starting to pay off, and I just have to keep myself working to keep it that way. I may not have gotten where I want to be yet, and I may not have gotten to this point as quickly as I wanted, but I'm here now, and I know HOW to get where I want. I have to keep working. Working smart, working consistently, and NEVER quitting.
And whenever I get to where I want to be now, I hope that I want to do more and be more, and that if given the chance, that I would have nothing to go back and change.
Not that I am anywhere near being miserable, but my mind wandered off into "What if's", and I started wondering which three weeks I would choose if I was given the choice. A few years ago, I may have chosen a path that would let me pursue my "career" as an engineer with no worry of day cares and school systems, or how often we would be able to visit grandparents. Maybe I would have used my foresight to convince Brian to choose a position where he wasn't going to get laid off after a couple years, or where I would certainly have an engineering job available to me even if he didn't. I could have chosen a life that provided a more substantial income, more vacations, a bigger house with a bigger TV, more shopping trips just because.
But then I came out of 'what if' land and looked around me. At a house that I had helped design every detail of and had a hand in almost every step of building. A view that is gorgeous even on a day that makes you want to curl up and hide inside. Two adorable blonde boys that I wouldn't trade for the world (even when they are driving me and each other mad). An amazing husband who helped make most of those things possible, and even puts up with me when I can barely put up with myself.
Of course there are things that would be nice if they could be changed... a few less months waiting for paper work and excavators so we could start building our house, being able to spend more time with Aiden while the house was being built and Connor was turning his life as he knew it upside down, and having a larger budget to work with so we could have done all the "we can add that later" stuff right away.
Then there are the things that I would like to have changed that I'm currently working on... a few less baby pounds around the middle, a few more dollars in our savings account, and of course a little (or a lot) less guilt about staying home with the boys when our budget is tighter than we would like.
So which three weeks would I choose?
Honestly, I love what I do, and when I actually have the courage and the discipline to do it right it, my Mary Kay business makes life so much less stressful. I feel successful, Brian can relax and enjoy the time he has alone with the boys, and everyone is happy. So I would go back to July 10, 2009, the day after I started my Mary Kay business, and I would take all the knowledge I have gained in the last 2 years and I would take off running and never stop!! I wouldn't let the small things discourage me, I would force myself to learn the discipline to work this business as a business. I would ignore the voices in my head that convinced me not to pick up the phone to ask SO many times. I wouldn't let it take me 2 years to figure out that the only way to fail is to quit. (and of course I would choose to remember what I know now so the house would get started in May, not August, and who knows what else)
But of course, there is no magic time machine that could send me back. So I will have to accept that the house got built (no matter how stressful it was), that we will always have more projects on the to do list, no matter how many we cross off, and that right now the best things in life had better be free, cause otherwise they're probably not in the budget.
As for taking off running and never quitting... I am FINALLY at a point in my business that I feel the work I have done in the past starting to pay off, and I just have to keep myself working to keep it that way. I may not have gotten where I want to be yet, and I may not have gotten to this point as quickly as I wanted, but I'm here now, and I know HOW to get where I want. I have to keep working. Working smart, working consistently, and NEVER quitting.
And whenever I get to where I want to be now, I hope that I want to do more and be more, and that if given the chance, that I would have nothing to go back and change.
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