The Lows

Sledding

2012-01-15T14:21:00.000-05:00

The first couple snow falls we got seemed to happen on Mondays, when I work. The whole way driving home, Brendan would ask if we could build a snowman, but of course it was dark by the time we got home. Finally this time, the snow seemed to stick around for a few days, of course it was bitterly cold and it was a powdery snow, not a wet snow. So it was not ideal for snowman or snowball building. Brendan was a little disappointed...

It was however, a pretty good day to go sledding.

Train Show!

2012-01-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

GrandBob read in the paper that a train show was going to be at the State Fairgrounds. We decided to check it out, figuring it'd keep Brendan amused and probably Katelyn as well. Unfortunately, we wasted entirely too much time in the front exhibit hall (I didn't realize that there were two and Chris didn't comment until we were almost done with the first!) which was mostly places selling various model train stuff. A few had train tables and such for the kids to play at and several had Thomas HO gauge set ups that were cool to watch.

But the two best things (besides tons of huge model train set ups) were in the second exhibit hall. A Thomas the train engine with Annie & Clarabel coaches that kids could ride in. The line was super long by the time we got in there and I wasn't a 100% certain that Brendan would actually ride it once we got to the front of the line...they were both getting tired and hungry by this point. They also had a huge pile of Thomas Trackmaster stuff on the floor that all the kids could play with. They had track, some train station buildings, tons of Thomas engines that go on their own, plus carriages and Annie & Clarabels for Thomas to pull.

Brendan can be pretty rough on his trains...he likes to see them have accidents, i.e. fall off the kitchen table, couch, etc. So for that reason (& the fact that we currently have tons of Thomas Take n Play as well as more hidden in the basement for birthdays, etc.) we have told him that he can't have Trackmaster until he's 5. I was super impressed with how nicely he played with the Trackmaster stuff. It doesn't have magnets to couple the trains, but actual plastic couplers which he was able to do for the most part.

Children's Museum with Daddy

2012-01-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

Chris got an extra day off work as a Christmas present this year. :) We took advantage of it, by visiting the Children's Museum. I had taken the kids a week or so before hand, but Brendan showed interest in the big slide, but I couldn't figure out how to do it with Katelyn as well, plus our stroller, backpack, etc.... Of course this time, when we got there, he didn't want to do it. (At least we didn't wait in the mile long line for him to finally say "no!")We managed to do plenty of other stuff...the Jolly Days Exhibit. We "played" big games - they didn't quite get the concept of Connect 4, did some cooking in the kitchen, and a little ice fishing!

Then we checked out Playscape for a little while...mostly for the trains, but eventually Brendan played in the sand and the water very briefly.

Of course, we had to end in the basement with all the trains!Katelyn had other ideas and wanted to check out these sculptures.

Jingle Rails

2011-12-26T13:38:00.000-05:00

Before Bisia & Grampy had to drive back to Rochester, we headed downtown to visit the Eiteljorg Museum again to see Jingle Rails. This was our second year going to this and it was even more amazing this time around. They had added some more trains on a high track all the way around the room.

Brendan was of course very into watching all the trains. Even got a rare smile on camera!

Afterwards, we walked across the street to the new JW Marriott hotel. One of the super nice managers of the hotel let us upstairs to the 31st floor to look out the windows. It was an impressive view! Lunch was also very, very good. Highly recommend the Osteria Pronto!

Christmas Dinner

2011-12-25T23:10:00.000-05:00

Final meal to enjoy as part of the Christmas season. :)

Mamaw & her two littlest grandbabies

Sibling hugs!

Tickling toes with Daddy

Driving the Polar Express!

Cake Pops!

I really want to eat this cake pop, but I'm so tired after this long fun filled day!

Building the Island of Sodor

2011-12-25T13:06:00.000-05:00

The island where Thomas the Tank Engine lives is named Sodor. While Katelyn had her nap, Brendan decided that we need to build the Island of Sodor for all of the engines.

Christmas Brunch

2011-12-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

After opening at our house, we drove over to Mamaw & GrandBob's house where we had a yummy brunch with them as well as Aunt Jenny, Uncle Rob & Bobby. Brendan of course had to bring a ton of trains which he played with while we ate. He was such a nice boy and shared very nicely with Bobby who was loving all the trains. :)

Really all the kids enjoyed the trains, even Katelyn...

Katelyn had to bring her new baby doll too.

All the kids got "talking" books. Thomas for Brendan. Katelyn got Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - read by Mamaw & GrandBob and Bobby got "Frosty the Snowman" read by Mamaw & GrandBob in honor of Uncle Robbie's "Frosty No-Man!". :)

Brendan of course got more trains...

Katelyn got some Elmo things, play dishes as well as "Slave Toys" as Mamaw calls them...a vacuum cleaner, broom, mop, etc. It all came on this little cleaning lady cart. So cute! We all got a lot of laughs out of it and Katelyn was into them of course. Such a little Mommy...cleaning, cooking, and taking care of her babies.

Brendan & Katelyn gave Bobby a Little People Train set. Hopefully he's enjoying it! Brendan was tickled to give him a train. :)

Looking at the calendar the kids made for everyone

Katelyn being cute. :)

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T09:02:00.000-05:00

Brendan actually slept in a little bit, 6:30am...granted he was in our bed. It was awful cute though, the first thing he asked was, "Did Santa come?" Then he said that he heard reindeer during the night. :) So we woke Katelyn up and headed downstairs to see what Santa brought and open presents. As Rob & I would always say on Christmas morning...."He's been here! He's been here!"

Katelyn was initially a little blind sided by the gift unwrapping chaos, but soon came around. :)

Brendan unwrapped with rapid speed on a search for trains...with each present, as he'd start unwrapping, he'd ask, "Is it trains?" If it wasn't, he very quickly moved on.

Bisia & Grampy were very nice and got Brendan a Strider (Balance) bike as one of his gifts...he looked at it and asked, "Is it a train?" Hopefully once the weather is nicer, he'll come around and get lots of use out of it. If nothing else, Katelyn will try to get some use out of it now - riding around the kitchen. :)

Leaving Cookies for Santa

2011-12-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

Once we got home, we still had to put out cookies and milk for Santa. We also left out some carrots for the reindeer. :)

Christmas Eve Celebration

2011-12-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

Aunt Julie & Uncle Mark once again hosted the annual Christmas Eve party. It was a wonderful evening! The "aunts & uncles" all pitched in and got the kids each a gift to open.Brendan got a Hot Wheels Wall Track...which he LOVES! Aunt Julie was even nice enough to let us set it up on her wall and he played with it for half the evening!

Katelyn really enjoyed having some snacks on the coffee table at her level. :)

Katelyn also enjoyed her Christmas present - cooking things and a little apron, chef's hat, and oven mitt/pot holder.

Sweet Natalie enjoyed playing with both girls in the kitchen downstairs and the Cozy Coupe. Natalie also made Katelyn a little tiny friendship bracelet with her new bracelet making kit that she got. So sweet!

Katelyn enjoyed one of the reindeer cake pops...a before picture. :)

Brendan enjoyed playing with the brio trains as well...

...even after being distracted by Christmas jammies. :)

Katelyn and Cousin Alana

Leaving Food for the Reindeer

2011-12-24T07:57:00.000-05:00

We left food (oatmeal with sprinkles/sparkles) outside for the reindeer before we left for our Christmas eve celebration. This way the reindeer would be able to see where our house was in the dark so they'd know to bring Santa our way. :)

Making Christmas Cookies for Santa

2011-12-24T07:50:00.000-05:00

I hosted a Christmas Cookie Decorating party in mid-December. I made close to 80 sugar cookies that day for the kids to decorate, but we ended up with a ton left. The Mommies got into decorating, but the kids really enjoyed playing with toys more once they each decorated and ate a cookie. :) So, I saved all the left over stuff and instead of spending time cutting out the cookies, we just had fun decorating a few for Santa.

I think that they turned out pretty good! :) Santa's gonna love all these cookies tonight!

"Cousin" Exchange

2011-12-23T07:35:00.000-05:00

Brendan, Katelyn, Bobby & "Cousin" Lily (really my cousin Molly's little girl) all exchanged presents on 12/23. Brendan got more trains...of course from Bobby! Charlie and Colin at the Wharf plus some flatbeds and a box car. He played with the most of the evening. :)

Katelyn got a bus with Sesame Street characters...including of course Mel-mo! (Elmo, but she still calls him Mel-mo!) And Lily even wrapped it in a Elmo bag. :)

Brendan gave Bobby a Busy Ball Popper as well as a Thomas, Sir Topham Hat's Musical Caboose and some track. I think Bobby carried his trains around the rest of the night too. :)

Katelyn gave Lily a little Elmo with a talking Elmo book as well as some coloring books and new crayons.

The girls were so cute together. Even though they hadn't seen in each other months they got along great. :)

At one point, Katelyn got Uncle Joe to read her part of the Silent Night book. She then got up and tried to pick up Lily to bring her over to listen to the story too. :)

Christmas Eve Eve

2011-12-23T07:08:00.000-05:00

I did manage to get a few pictures of them though. :)

Terrible Twos...

2011-12-23T07:06:00.000-05:00

So it looks like the Terrible Twos may start before she actually turns 2!

We've started to enjoy the tantrums...crocodile tears...and laying on the floor crying when we don't get our way. I just wanted a picture of the two of them dressed up for Christmas Eve Eve in front of the fireplace. Katelyn just wanted to hold the camera...

Decorating the "Kids" Tree

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

I bought this foam tree at Target recently thinking that the kids (esp. Katelyn) would enjoy putting the foam stickers on it.

21 Months

2011-12-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that a month has gone by since Katelyn got her tubes put in. I can't say that she's a completely different child, as she's still pretty clingy. But I guess I should enjoy the snuggles - but it's hard to cook dinner and hold 20 some pounds of toddler. ;) The good news is that despite a lingering cold/runny nose/congestion, she has not had an ear infection! She is also becoming quite the talker! It may take a couple of days for me to figure out all the words that she says...she will repeat just about anything we say to her now. :) It's music to my ears!Just today, Chris went downstairs and a few seconds later I heard, "Where Dada go?!" eggcheesemilknana (Banana)juicesnackeatdrinknight nightbe-be (Paci)de-do (blanket)Mel-mo (Elmo!)Mine!MommyDadaMamawGo-GoShoesBalloonBabyBearSantaElfTrain/Choo-chooNo-no!Bye-bye!DoraElliekittydogfishyhorsey/neighbaa baa (sheep)Duck-duck!Monkeytree

Daycare or "Regular School" Christmas Party

2011-12-10T13:23:00.000-05:00

The Play School had a Breakfast with Santa party today. They had fruit, bagels, yogurt, donuts, plus juice, milk and coffee. The kids of course loved the donuts - Brendan more than Katelyn. She mainly just ate the yogurt. :) Then we discovered the bouncy house in the 4's room. Brendan had his friend, Ryan, had a ball! Katelyn enjoyed it too - although she couldn't figure out why she couldn't get in there with the big kids.

They also had set up "Santa's Sweet Shop". The kids could decorate goodie bags and then fill them up with little treats and favors. Brendan was all over filling up the bags...even helped Katelyn fill up hers. :)

They also had set up the North Pole for "ice fishing". Brendan was really into it and was very persistent in trying to hook a duck/fish with the big kid pole. I was so proud of him!

They even had a professional photographer there for pictures with Santa. We attempted a family picture, but the kids were starting to come down off their sugar highs (donuts & candy canes!) and were not feeling it. Then I attempted pictures in front of the Christmas tree...

Cookies 'n Santa

2011-12-03T23:15:00.000-05:00

Aunt Jenny is a member of the Fishers Tri-Kappa. One of their annual events is called Cookies 'n Santa. All of the members bake dozens (24!) of Christmas cookies. You can come and pick out a small box of cookies for $10. They are super yummy! So, we went to sit on Santa's lap and get some cookies as well.

Luckily the line wasn't terribly long and the kids were relatively good waiting in line. Brendan took some warming up to Santa - I thought after talking to him on the train, he'd be good to go, but apparently not.

A typical Brendan look. :)

Katelyn would NOT sit on Santa's lap. She did let Mrs. Claus hold her, but that was close enough to Santa for her. :)

The Polar Bear Express

2011-12-03T20:50:00.000-05:00

After trying to get tickets last year to ride the Polar Bear Express train, we bought tickets the day they went on sale this year. :) We decided to do an early morning trip in hopes of catching the kids at their best. ;) Maybe next year when they're a little older we can go in the evening. All in all, we had a good time and Brendan really enjoyed the train ride, as we figured. Mamaw even got to come along with us.

Having a blast on the train!

The train staff passed out juice and cookies for everyone. Brendan had two cookies during the train ride!

Katelyn was much more into the stuffed bear and the juice than the cookie. She was however scared of the Polar Bear that was greeting the passengers with Santa. She wanted nothing to do with him!

Brendan was all about telling Santa what trains/freight cars he wanted him to bring this year. In a fast & somewhat high pitched voice, "Bash, Dash, Ferdinand, Donald, Douglas, three orange flatbeds, and 2 blue freight cars..." or something along those lines. The engines I usually understand, but I'm not sure where he's seen all the flat beds & freight cars that he talks about.

An almost family picture. :)

Happy Girl!

Checking out the "blue" engine after our ride.

Talking with one of the volunteers.

We saw some people getting into the "black & yellow engine" and asked if we could too. Sure enough, they let us climb aboard! The engineer actually carried Brendan up to the front of the train. Brendan was in hog heaven!

He could hardly sit still he was so excited...not that the kid really ever sits still. ;)

Pointing and talking about the signals that go across 116th Street.

I think that this just might have made Brendan's year!

New Traditions

2011-11-30T21:00:00.000-05:00

A holiday idea that I found online is to wrap 24 Christmas/Holiday books individually. Each evening of December leading up until Christmas, the kids get to unwrap a book and we read it together as a family. We started a day early, to add in an extra book and another new tradition - The Elf on a Shelf.

Decorating the Tree

2011-11-27T20:53:00.000-05:00

I really wanted to get the house decorated so that I could focus on other tasks and hopefully get to relax and enjoy the Holiday season. Once I got the tree up and lights put on, it was time for ornaments. I got brave and let the kids help. They both really got into it! Brendan wanted to group all of the red glass balls together. Otherwise, we ended up with a lot of ornaments on the bottom couple feet of the tree, but that's ok. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T20:10:00.000-05:00

After spending most of the day in pjs and playing around, it was time to head over to Mamaw & GrandBob's for dinner.

We spent some time just hanging out, coloring, building towers, and of course playing trains!

Bobby tried to take some steps while playing with some of Brendan's trains.

The kids both made Indian head dresses at school, so we brought them to wear during dinner.

The kids both enjoyed dessert. Brendan finally ate some "turkey" with his ice cream. I think that Katelyn had 3 scoops of ice cream...and would've had more if A.J. had his way. ;) He was having a hard time saying "no" to Katelyn's sweet little "more?".

Happy Turkey Day!

2011-11-24T20:06:00.000-05:00

A co-worker posted a picture of these oreo turkeys that she had made earlier in the week. On a whim, I decided that I wanted to make some too. It was kinda tedious, but I loved the finished result.

Thanksgiving Eve

2011-11-23T19:58:00.000-05:00

We went up to Anderson again to celebrate with the extended family for Thanksgiving Eve. Brendan and Bobby enjoyed playing trains together.

Katelyn and Brendan both enjoyed burning off a little energy and running in the hallway.

20 Months

2011-11-15T23:56:00.000-05:00

Obviously this picture was not taken the day of her tubes being placed. ;) The biggest thing that I wanted to do at this milestone was to document what words she says and compare to next month how many more words she picks up now being able to actually hear!MamaDadaBaby - usually means herself ;)BrotherMamawMilkJuiceAlso signs "drink"Also signs "more"SnackBookBallDe-Do (Blanket -just like brother)Me-Me (paci)Dora DogEllie DogNo-No!GoBye-byeNight-nightShe probably has a couple more words

Tubes!

2011-11-15T20:56:00.000-05:00

I was really hoping for an uneventful night prior to Katelyn's tube placement, but I did not get my wish. She was not allowed to have anything to eat or drink after midnight, so the plan was to wake her up at the last possible minute and just put her in the car pjs and all. Unfortunately, Katelyn woke up crying at 11:30pm. We gave her a dose of Tylenol and tried to get her back to sleep. Just about midnight, we heard a terrible coughing fit over the monitor followed by near hysterical crying. Poor baby had gotten sick all over her bed and was so upset. She had a terrible runny nose, cough, and was pulling at her ears. The night kind of spiraled down from there. We ended up changing her bed two more times before she finally stayed asleep between 3 and 4am. At which time, I fell asleep in the rocking chair in her room. Needless to say, I was so glad to see 5:30am and our 6:30am departure time!

She finally passed out in the glider during on of her crib changes, but woke up when I laid down on the floor next to her. Granted, I was terrified, she'd fall out of the chair in her sleep!

We checked in without major incident. Katelyn was pretty quiet, but didn't seem to miss her breakfast, which was good. She had a low grade fever, but luckily there was no discussion of postponing her procedure. We met briefly with the anesthesiologist, who I happened to have shadowed his wife (a local pediatrician) back in high school. Dr. Isenberg also stopped by to say good morning. After some coloring for Katelyn and paperwork for Mommy, one of the surgery techs came to take Katelyn to the OR. (I was very proud of myself and did not cry when they took her away!)

Waiting patiently. :)

We then went out to the waiting room for about 10-15 minutes while the procedure was done. Dr. Isenberg met with us afterwards and said that her ears were terrible! They both had pus behind them and one had a blood blister between the first and second layers of the ear drum. No wonder the poor thing couldn't sleep!
Then we were able to go back and see Katelyn. She was sucking on her juice cup while being rocked by one of the sweet nurses. I was so happy to see that she wasn't crying. (The girl in the next room woke up before she even got back to her room and was so not happy!) After a few minutes of drinking her juice, she did wake up and was definitely upset. :( She kept pointing at the door and saying "go". She was very much done with all of this. I fully expected to have to spend a significant amount of time afterwards sitting there while they monitored her, but it was luckily only 30 minutes. We tried to pass the time and make her happy with snacks, and Elmo movie on my phone and walking around, but she just wanted to "go"! Finally, we were allowed to go. They gave Katelyn a balloon as well as one for her brother. :)

I got Katelyn buckled into her seat and stuffed the balloons in the car. We pulled out of our spot and were almost out of the parking lot, when she puked all over herself and her seat. :( So, I got to drag her back into the hospital to find a place to change her...complete with the two "Get well" balloons tied to the diaper bag. ;) Once in clean pjs, and back in the car, she fell asleep and slept for about an hour even with being transferred to the pack n play at Mamaw and GrandBob's.

She was definitely a little happier once she woke up there and was even better after a second nap at home later in the day. I'm not sure that this is how Katelyn wanted to spend her 20 month birthday, but I know that she'll be so much better in the long run!

ENT appointment

2011-11-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

Katelyn's been off antibiotics for six days now. Today's her appointment with the ENT to decide on tubes or not. She's been acting OK, with just a little bit of a runny nose. When we saw Dr. I, one ear had some clear-ish fluid, but the other had more gunky think fluid in it. He said that she's a tube candidate if he's ever seen one. We made arrangements for her surgery to be done on Tuesday morning, so just 4 days from now! Nervous, but very ready for this to get done. I'm so glad that I called and made the appointment even though the NP wasn't convinced.

A November Day

2011-11-08T21:52:00.000-05:00

Almost long enough for a pony tail!

Making some ghost cookies...yes, it's a little past Halloween. ;) They really didn't care...they were thrilled to get to eat cookies!

Watching them bake

"cookies!" Not that she can actually say it, but I know that she was thinking it. :)

I don't remember what I was doing, but I realized that Katelyn was quiet and I saw her moving around on the other side of the island. So I went over to investigate...this is what I found...

Reading "Brown Bear" to the bears. :) She's becoming such a good little Mommy!

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T21:32:00.000-04:00

Halloween was on a Monday this year, so I raced home from work and Mamaw met us at home with the kids. We wrestled them into their costumes...Katelyn cried, not sure why. Brendan (after some convincing that he couldn't get candy/go trick or treating without a costume) only put up minimal fight.

For those you that really know Brendan, you know that it's a small miracle to see him in a costume AND smiling for a picture! This was the best picture we got of them together - Katelyn's pointing at an airplane that flew over.

Our little lady bug

Thomas the Tank Engine...what else would he be?!

Our neighbor was so sweet to take a family picture when we trick or treated at their house.

Towards the end of Trick or Treating...when do we get to open these?!

Big Brother showing Katelyn how to Trick or Treat

So cute!

Finally getting to eat some candy!

The sweet tarts were a huge hit...Brendan actually clutched 3 or 4 in one hand for half of the time we were out Trick or Treating. He didn't want them to get lost in him pumpkin.

Reading an Easter book in my Halloween jammies...whatever works, right?! The book is Peter Cottontail and is one of their current favorites...we read it at least once every night it seems.

They might have enjoyed watching for and opening the door for other Trick or Treater's more than actually trick or treating themselves. At one point, we sat outside on the driveway and watched for other kids. :)

Carving Pumpkins

2011-10-30T20:57:00.000-04:00

We almost didn't carve a pumpkin this year, but I finally decided this afternoon that we needed to carve at least one of our two pumpkins. I'm so glad that I did!

Both kids got a big kick out of seeing the inside of the pumpkin...the goo!

I had fun flinging the goo at Brendan and listening to him laugh!

The finished product Maybe next year we'll carve two pumpkins. :)

IU Homecoming 2011

2011-10-29T20:50:00.000-04:00

I drove down to Bloomington with a former classmate, Sara. (Hi Sara!!) Chris and the kids came down with my parents at a more reasonable hour. But they got to Bloomington in time to see the Alumni Band march to the stadium.

The kids enjoyed watching their Mommy in the pre-game show. :)

And Mommy enjoyed seeing her kids up in the stands watching!

Brendan was a little tired during the game...apparently he was playing trains and just laid down and was quickly sound asleep on the concrete floor of the stands.

The Alumni & Junior Bands at Homecoming 2011. Go Hoosiers!

Another ear infection...

2011-10-27T21:49:00.000-04:00

We made it 16 days past Katelyn's well baby check before getting another ear infection. I actually took her in because she was coughing much like I was earlier in the week, having been diagnosed with bronchitis. Low and behold at least one ear was infected...I can't remember if the other was or not. The NP we saw wasn't real convinced that we needed to see an ENT yet, but I said, that's fine, I'm making an appointment and called later that day. We have an appointment on Nov 11th to talk about tubes. So for now, we do 10 days of Augmentin and hope to get some sleep.

A budding musician?

2011-10-26T22:06:00.000-04:00

I decided to participate in the IU Homecoming festivities this year. So, I dug out my clarinet to see if I could even remember how to play. Katelyn was very curious. :)

Brendan turned around from watching his Thomas video to say, "Hey! I'm trying to watch TV!" ;)

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-23T21:43:00.000-04:00

Once again, we made a trek to Stony Creek Farms to get pumpkins. This was our third year and it's always been an adventure. :)

It was a nice day, so there were quite a few people there. We bought some kettle corn to munch on while waiting in line.

Although Brendan enjoyed the hay pile more than the popcorn. :)

Enjoying the hayride out to the pumpkin patch

Trying to find the perfect pumpkins! Apparently it's a race!

Brendan likes this one...but the rule is, you have to be able to pick it up!

Katelyn's putting forth some good effort. Granted, if she'd stop clutching her handful of popcorn, she might have a little more success.

How about these, pleeaase!

The ride back...

"Why is this not moving!?"

Packing up to go home

2011-10-21T20:49:00.000-04:00

The kids were so helpful in getting the car packed back up to drive home. ;) At least they had lots of fun!

The Last Sunset

2011-10-21T19:19:00.000-04:00

Fishing!

2011-10-21T17:00:00.000-04:00

Pics to follow soon!

Checking out Uncle Rob's bait fish that he caught with his net.

Examining the fish...up close!

A rare smile on camera from Brendan

Katelyn getting in on the action too!

"Here's more bait Uncle Rob!"

All three kids on the beach

Little Bobby ended up clutching one fish in each hand for a long, long time while watching his daddy fish. It was so cute!

One of the fish that Uncle Rob caught - and threw back.

From a River to a Lake

2011-10-21T15:30:00.000-04:00

Brrr! Swimming!

2011-10-21T12:30:00.000-04:00

Despite the cooler weather, we decided to try one last dip in the pool. It was very short lived!

Last Morning at the Beach

2011-10-21T10:30:00.000-04:00

Even though the weather was cooler, we had to spend at least part of our last morning on the beach! Another family that was staying in the same complex, caught three crabs. We let them borrow some of our buckets so all the kids could watch them for a little while.

Katelyn enjoyed some time walking on the beach with Mamaw. They spotted a butterfly and collected some seashells.

Then it was time to bury Daddy's toes in the sand. Brendan was pretending that they were worms or snakes that were escaping and going to get him. He just laughed and laughed about it!

Then we all decided to build a "river" down to the ocean.

Family Breakfast

2011-10-21T09:57:00.000-04:00

On our last full day in Florida, we had a family breakfast...well, mostly. Rob was trying to squeeze in some last few hours of fishing. ;) Jenny went out and got some donuts from the Donut Hole. Yum!

We did save some for Rob to enjoy later. :)

Dinner with the Murrells

2011-10-20T21:48:00.000-04:00

We got smart this year and hired a babysitter on two different evenings to enjoy a nice meal out. The Murrells came over early one evening to see the kids before they went to bed/the babysitter arrived.

Random Thursday Pictures

2011-10-20T21:44:00.000-04:00

More sand...and more birds...

2011-10-20T21:11:00.000-04:00

A Walk/Stroll on the Beach

2011-10-20T20:55:00.000-04:00

Rob & Jenny went out on a fishing boat this morning, so Chris, Mamaw, GrandBob and I were in charge of the three kids.

"Are they really going to take us down the beach in strollers?!"

Both kids got stuck a few times!

Brendan found lots of shells along the beach, as well as many jelly fish.

Cousins

2011-10-20T20:45:00.000-04:00

I think that Bobby & Katelyn really have enjoyed spending some time together.

Little Girl

2011-10-20T20:39:00.000-04:00

Katelyn is becoming such a little girl lately. It's been so fun to watch!

Random Pics from Wednesday

2011-10-19T20:37:00.000-04:00

Playing trains with Uncle Rob

Bobby reading stories with Mamaw

More and more trains.

One tired little girl...she didn't actually fall asleep here, but did agree to take a nap after this. :)

Chasing the Birds

2011-10-19T20:24:00.000-04:00

The other advantage to having the beach to ourselves, was that I felt safe letting Brendan run and chase the birds. I'm sure that the birds weren't too happy about it though.
This might have been the highlight of Brendan's trip!

Chilly!

2011-10-19T15:04:00.000-04:00

The weather turned chilly mid-week unfortunately. The kids didn't seem to mind so much once they had an extra layer of clothes on. Plus, it meant that we practically had the beach to ourselves.

The Puff-a-holics

2011-10-19T14:58:00.000-04:00

Pictures while taking Family Pictures

2011-10-18T14:11:00.000-04:00

Family Pictures

2011-10-18T14:05:00.000-04:00

On the balcony

On the beach

Swimming in the Pool!

2011-10-18T13:55:00.000-04:00

In return for letting Chris go Scuba diving for a day, I got to meet Nikki for a girls' lunch out while Chris watched the kids. They went to lunch with the rest of the family and then came back to do some swimming in the pool. I got back while they were still swimming, so I got to enjoy the fun too!

Our swimming lessons are finally paying off!

Oreo Cookies!

2011-10-17T23:43:00.000-04:00

We let Katelyn try an Oreo cookie. Needless to say, it was a hit! She seemed to know exactly what to do!

Enjoying the condo

2011-10-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

During the afternoon, we spent some time playing PlayDough,

Then we did some bird watching,

This was actually about all that the binoculars were good for! They were a kiddie set and really did nothing except blur everything!Then Katelyn & Bobby played with the barn and Brendan of course played trains.

Katelyn & Aunt Jenny played with some stickers.

Brendan was a really nice big cousin and shared some of his trains with Bobby.

The kids enjoying some dinner together.

Night-night sun.

Poor Katelyn

2011-10-17T20:39:00.000-04:00

We just brought her along so she could clean up! ;)

She also failed to grow into her size 18 month swim suit before the trip as well.

Playdate with Leah & Nikki

2011-10-17T13:45:00.000-04:00

We were staying in a town very close to were Nikki & Leah are living. Nikki was nice enough to bring Leah over this morning, so Brendan & Katelyn could play. We went down to the pool to do some swimming. The kids had a great time and Nikki and I got to do a little catching up! It was a fun morning. I forgot to try to get a picture of all three kids together. :(

Watching the sun set from the beach...

2011-10-16T20:37:00.000-04:00

Before headed to out to dinner, we ventured back down to the beach to watch the sunset. Mamaw and Brendan watched her flip flops float away in the current before getting washed back up on the beach.

Mr. Serious...but at least he didn't hide from the camera for once!

Two Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

2011-10-16T20:30:00.000-04:00

Anyone want to play a little golf?

2011-10-16T20:28:00.000-04:00

Mamaw found this kids golf club set on clearance and decided to bring it along for the trip. The kids got a pretty big kick out of it.

A little bit of fishing with Uncle Rob

2011-10-16T20:24:00.000-04:00

Fishing was slow today, but Brendan still enjoyed watching his Uncle. :)

Sunday on the Beach

2011-10-16T20:22:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, we headed to the beach. Daddy got up super early to go Scuba diving, so it was just us, with Mamaw & GrandBob. The kids loved playing in the sand! We attempted some sand castles - but they had more fun destroying them than actually making them.

Of course they had to have a snack mid-morning. :)

They loved digging "ponds" and filling them with water. GrandBob was a big helper in bringing the big buckets full of water.

Some people who were on the beach yesterday left these huge holes. Almost deeper than Brendan was tall!

Katelyn wasn't so sure about the holes - she was trying to get into this one, but kept sliding down. She was also very good at trying to rearrange the beach, two handfuls of sand at a time!

The water wasn't cold, but it also wasn't really warm enough to actually get in and swim. Fine with me! They're too little to really swim in the ocean anyway...

Sand!

2011-10-15T18:05:00.000-04:00

As soon as we got the cars unloaded, we headed down to check out the beach. It was getting late in the day and we still needed to make a grocery run, but the kids enjoyed the little bit of time. :) Katelyn was initially a little scared, it's hard to walk on the sand when you're one! But quickly warmed up and attempted to re-arrange the beach one handful of sand at a time.

Brendan just right into digging and running from the waves. :)

Driving to Florida!

2011-10-15T14:49:00.000-04:00

We left Indy about 1:30pm on Friday. Spent the night in northern Alabama at a hotel and then continued on Saturday morning. We ended up arriving at the condo in Santa Rosa Beach (near Destin, FL) about 2:45pm local time, which was perfect, since we couldn't get into the condo until 3pm! The drive went fairly well...only complication was my laryngitis...hard to entertain kids with absolutely no voice...they don't do well with charades!

We splurged on a portable DVD player for Katelyn. Mamaw's big red truck has a built in DVD player, but since she's still rear facing she couldn't really see it.

Brendan got to sit in the 3rd row surrounded by the luggage. :) He didn't seem to mind to much...he had a great view of the video screen and was surrounded by his trains.

19 Months

2011-10-14T14:38:00.000-04:00

Posting a day early since we're leaving for Florida today!Katelyn had her 18 month well visit earlier this week, and I updated the 18 month post with her height/weight. Her ears were amazingly clear at the visit, so we're off the hook with tubes for now. We'll see how long it lasts... The NP we saw suggested that we get rid of Katelyn's paci completely by Halloween...I nodded and smiled and said we'd work on it... This lady has no idea! :) We're working on not having during the day, but even that is a struggle...anytime she gets hurt or sad, it's her source of comfort. This is somewhat an old picture, but it gives you an idea... ;)

Leaves!

2011-10-09T14:37:00.000-04:00

We absolutely love our new house and much like our old house, we love the trees that are in our yard. The only down side is all the leaves to rake. This year, Brendan was actually able to help out and had a lot of fun with it! Katelyn - always wanting to be like her big brother - was helpful too!

We put the huge pile of leaves at the bottom of the slide and they enjoyed sliding into all the leaves. Once that got old, they enjoyed throwing leaves at each other!

More IU Football

2011-10-08T21:48:00.000-04:00

Brendan's favorite part - eating the peanuts...although this one was trying to eat him!

Our pretty little cheerleader!

Giving some love to cousin Bobby.

Braids!

2011-10-05T21:22:00.000-04:00

I picked Katelyn up from daycare today and Miss Kim & Miss Bobbie had put a little french braid in Katelyn's hair. It was so cute! I only wish that I could do it myself.

Orange Day!

2011-10-04T21:16:00.000-04:00

At preschool this morning, Brendan's class celebrated the color Orange. So we decided to have an orange lunch once we got home!

Cheddar cheese, carrots, mandarin oranges, and pumpkin cake

Bobby's 1st Birthday!

2011-10-02T20:56:00.000-04:00

Rob & Jenny hosted Bobby's 1st birthday party today at their house.

Molly & Lily got to stop by for a few minutes before catching their flight back to South Carolina.

Jenny had this awesome idea of having some people make cakes in the shape of letters to spell out Bobby's name. They turned out really cute! There was lemon, funfetti, chocolate cinnamon, pumpkin & white. Plus, Bobby had his own little funfetti cake to smash. :)

Brendan had a great time running around outside in their huge backyard and even got to attempt to climb the apple tree with the help of cousin A.J.

"Cake!"

Katelyn with her party hat

Opening presents... "Fish!"

Bobby was so nice in letting Brendan help open some of his presents.

Brendan brought some of his trains to play with at the party and by the end of the party, he was doing a very good job of sharing with another little boy there. When we left, he was so cute and said, "See ya at the next party!"

Another IU Football Game

2011-10-01T15:16:00.000-04:00

Before kick off, we got to go down on the field to see the band and players up close!
Enjoying some popcorn!

Enjoying some peanuts!

Cousin Lily & Katelyn with their pacis!

All the kids playing...Bobby stayed home to rest up for his big birthday tomorrow!

A visit with Cousin Lily

2011-09-30T14:44:00.000-04:00

My cousin, Molly, came into town with her daughter, Lily for a long weekend. The girls got to see each other again - it'd been several months. But it was so cute to see them together. :)

"Look Mommy, another baby!"

"Cheese!"

"Let's play in this fountain together...we're so cute together, they can't get mad at us!"

"This is fun!"

Reading a story with mommy

More apples!

2011-09-24T14:36:00.000-04:00

I made applesauce and apple pie with most of the first round of apples. I really enjoyed myself, so I decided that we should take Chris apple picking too! So we headed back to Tuttle's Orchard this afternoon.

Brendan loved pulling the wagon through the orchard

He also had to pick apples in groups of "3's", since 3 is his favorite number.

IU Football

2011-09-17T14:19:00.000-04:00

We have season tickets again this year for IU football.

Our little cheerleader :)

We've discovered that a great (& safe) way for the kids to play at the tailgate is to be in the back of the big red truck!

Katelyn of course enjoys the food and a little relaxing :)

All the grandbabies

Brendan doing what he does best...playing trains

Aunt Jenny & Cousin Bobby

Katelyn catching a 3rd quarter nap - There does not seem to be a game time that allows for a good nap time.

The solution to squirelly kids in the stands...popcorn! Katelyn loves it!

Apple Picking!

2011-09-16T14:31:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure that I'd ever been apple picking. I don't remember going to an actual orchard to pick. Anyway... :) I met up a fellow Mom with her two girls at an orchard near Greenfield, IN (Tuttle's Orchard) and we let the kids pick some apples. I ended up taking home almost 20 pounds of Jonathan and Cortland apples.

18 months!

2011-09-15T16:04:00.000-04:00

Wow! This "year" is half over! So very hard to believe. Katelyn hasn't had her check-up yet, but will in about 3 weeks. New pediatrician is very hard to get into for well visits - which is really frustrating to me. Stats as of 10/11/11: Height: 31.25 inches (51st percentile) Weight: 21 pounds (weighed with shoes and a wet diaper!) (6th percentile!!) Head circumference: (Don't remember - need to find her paper)Sleep: Katelyn sleeps pretty well currently - 7:30pm or so until around 6:30 or 7am. She generally takes one nap - 90 minutes to 2 1/2 hours in length in the afternoon. She would like to nap earlier in the day that we'd like, so sometimes she'll sneak in a cat nap in the car in the morning, but that generally messes up her afternoon nap. Eating: She pretty much likes just about everything! Veggies are not her favorites, but she'll eat peas and green beans. She absolutely loves fruits - I'm not sure of one that she doesn't like. Otherwise, she eats typical toddler foods - cheese, chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, hot dogs, etc. She is starting to drink some milk for us, but prefers her juice. She still nurses once per day at bedtime, but seems to be losing interest in that. Play: She loves Brendan's trains, but also loves her animals - we have a Little People barn that she enjoys as well as some Play Mobile toys. She's starting to really show interest in books, which I hope will help with her talking more. Speech: She is still a little behind on her words. I would say that she has a few more words than last month. At her well visit in October, we'll check her ears again and if they aren't better, then we will be talking tubes with the ENT. We're finishing up some antibiotics now - I think the fourth round since May.

Jumperoo

2011-09-11T15:19:00.000-04:00

Aunt Jenny brought back our Jumperoo as Bobby was done with it. Katelyn instantly wanted to get into it. (I think that she feels deprived since when she was at the right age to spend time in a jumperoo, we had our house on the market and only had it out in the basement. So now, she's making up for lost time. ;) )

IU Hats

2011-09-05T14:51:00.000-04:00

Mamaw & GrandBob bought IU baseball hats for all three grandbabies. Mamaw really wanted a picture of all three of them wearing there hats... This is the closest we got!

A Ball Pit

2011-09-05T14:45:00.000-04:00

We went to a Labor Day Picnic at a friend's house in our neighborhood. They had out a kiddie pool full of ball. We apparently need to invest in something like this...both kids had an absolute ball!

Porch & Deck!

2011-09-04T14:28:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of our newly finished deck & porch, complete with furniture. We are absolutely loving the new space. The kids enjoy playing outside and Chris & I are enjoying having an occasional meal outside. Plus, it's a great place to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning.

Preschool/Mother's Day Out

2011-08-30T15:42:00.000-04:00

Today was Brendan's first day of Preschool at Fishers UMC. So hard to believe that he's old enough for preschool. Katelyn is going to a Mother's Day Out program one day per week while Brendan will go two days per week. Both kids went one day a week last year and really enjoyed it. Hopefully this year will be the same!I'm not entirely sure whose child I have here as he was giddy and smiley for the camera!

Bon Voyage Alana!

2011-08-28T15:36:00.000-04:00

Cousin Alana is traveling to Kenya for the next two months as part of her medical school training! We are going to miss her so much. We got to have a nice dinner with her prior to her leaving. Here's a link to her blog detailing her travels! http://alana-louise.tumblr.com/

Playing playdough!

Yummy dessert!

GrandBob even got in on the playing playdough. :)

Swinging with Aunt Julie & Cousin Alana

Big Corn

2011-08-26T15:19:00.000-04:00

As I said in the last post, there isn't much that Katelyn doesn't like to eat. Brendan decided that he didn't want to eat his ear of corn tonight. Katelyn climbed up in his chair and helped herself!

Ice Cream Cones

2011-08-24T15:17:00.000-04:00

I bought ice cream cones awhile back with the intent of letting the kids eat ice cream outside during the summer. But the evenings kept getting away from us and we'd finish dinner just in time to start our bath/bedtime routine. Finally tonight, we have a little extra time and the weather was nice. So we headed outside to enjoy a little ice cream treat.

Brendan being a good big brother. One of his current "things", is to "introduce people". We got to Mamaw & GrandBob's for dinner one evening and they were waiting for us. He walked up to Mamaw, and waved his little hand back at all of us and said, "This is my sister, Katelyn, and my Mommy & Daddy."

Katelyn likes ice cream...actually Katelyn likes just about anything, especially if it's sweet. :)

Sharing :) These are the moments that make we want to have more kids!

Toddler Picnic

2011-08-21T20:42:00.000-04:00

Laura had a wonderful idea of having a picnic for the two toddler rooms at The Playschool. The teachers, kids, and all of their families were invited. We met a local park for a pitch-in picnic dinner. All the kids had a great time running around and playing. The adults had a good time too, getting to know each other besides just in passing at drop-off/pick-up!

Brendan loved this water table...he barely left it for anything!

Where'd they go?!

Playing Corn Hole...kinda ;)

Having a pre-dinner snack.

The roller coaster was also a huge hit. Although none of them here are actually riding on the car part, are they?!

New Deck & Porch

2011-08-19T21:28:00.000-04:00

Our new porch and deck is about 95% done and our new outdoor furniture was delivered this afternoon. We had some family over for a cookout and to help assemble the furniture. Brendan really got a kick out of helping. At one point, he ran back inside and got all of his own "play" tools to help outside. Once everything was put together, Brendan got most of his trains out to play with him. He was a nice boy to share with Katelyn & even Bobby got in on the train playing.

Once everything was put together, Brendan got most of his trains out to play with him. He was a nice boy to share with Katelyn & even Bobby got in on the train playing.

Earning her keep!

2011-08-18T21:12:00.000-04:00

If you give Katelyn a wipe or a napkin she will start cleaning whatever she thinks is dirty. Apparently the floor was not up to her standards today! I can't wait until she's old enough to really clean. ;)

17 Months

2011-08-15T14:23:00.000-04:00

Baby Elephant!

2011-08-11T20:47:00.000-04:00

I braved a playdate at the Indianapolis Zoo with both kids. Overall, both kids were remarkably well behaved. We even got to see the new baby elephant out with her mommy. She is so cute!

Indiana State Fair

2011-08-09T21:17:00.000-04:00

We rode the train down to the State Fair again this year. (Almost missed the train due to running a little late...)

Brendan had a great time, "riding the rails" and Katelyn enjoyed herself too. They were only a little wild and crazy, but luckily we were among a lot of other families/kids.
Brendan liked seeing the train pull back out of the station, but didn't enjoy the loud horn and was also then sad when it was no longer there.

First stop of the day...baby pigs!

Then onto the dairy barn where they had an information session going about how the milk gets from the cow to the grocery. Brendan was intrigued for a few minutes as to where his milk comes from, but it wasn't long enough for the whole demo.

Then we checked out the DNR building...Brendan was checking out the fish...luckily he did not fall into the pond!

Then there was time to feed the goats. This might have been one of Brendan's favorite parts. He got to help put the quarters in the machine and then turn the knob. One goat had the machine figured out and his pen was close enough to it, that he could just eat out of the machine and wouldn't let you get the food out for any other goats. We luckily only put money in that one once!

Katelyn enjoyed her turn too! I love the second picture in that she looks surprised!

We briefly visited the small barn near the Little Hands on the Farm exhibit, but it was super crowded.

But they did have a baby lamb...9 days old, I think.
Little Hands on the Farm
After getting their baskets, the kids got some corn & soy beans to feed the pigs.

Then they each got hats. Of course Katelyn wore hers...at least for a little bit.

Then they got to plant some seeds...

...and then harvest the vegetables from their garden.

Then they were able to pick some apples...they had a hard time picking just one...

Turkey Hill was kind enough to provide us with free ice cream samples (as well as plenty of coupons for their ice creams) in addition to the $2 admission to the Fair. The kids enjoyed theirs as much as Mommy & Daddy.

Then it was time to head to the Midway. We have never taken the kids on any rides before, so this was a big first. I wasn't sure that Brendan would actually want to ride something. Initially, we were going to try to ride the Ferris Wheel, but I freaked out a little bit about the kids being up so high. Call me whatever you want, but when Brendan decides he doesn't want to do something and throws a fit, I'd rather it not be 50 some feet in the air without "seat belts". :)

But he loved the dragon rollercoaster! He was so excited when he got off and was jumping up & down telling me & Katelyn that he rode the dragon ride. :)

Brendan (& myself!) weren't so sure about the Strawberry ride...think Teacups at Disney

Katelyn on the other hand, enjoyed herself! :)

The carousel, as always, was a hit.

The the boys rode on the semi truck ride in an attempt to use up all of our ride tickets before catching the train. We had a hard time finding rides that Brendan was tall enough to ride.

The kids both made it home on the train awake, but poor Katelyn fell asleep before we could even get the van out of the parking spot...

Blueberry Pancakes

2011-08-07T15:14:00.000-04:00

We over bought blueberries at the Farmer's Market, so we made blueberry pancakes this morning. :)

Our new house!

2011-08-02T14:12:00.012-04:00

I've been meaning to post some pictures for awhile now, but I was hoping to get some projects finished up and get rid of the last of the boxes too!
We are so thrilled with our new house and it was well worth the trials & tribulations of a house on the market for so long, plus the hassle of packing, moving, & unpacking. However, I do hope that this time is really is a long, long time before we have to do it again! :)

Outside:

This is pre-porch/deck addition...

Entry way:

Dining Room and Living Room:

Kitchen & Breakfast area:

Family room (Probably my favorite room in the house):

Loft/office area (Definitely still a work in progress - we are missing all the closet space of our old house):
But, we created this awesome wall of shelving/cubbies and so far it is working out really well.

Master bedroom:

Brendan's room:

Katelyn's room:

Sprinkler!

2011-07-28T20:59:00.000-04:00

It's been so, so hot out. Our grass was in desperate need of water and the kids need to cool off/burn off some energy.
Waiting very patiently for the sprinkler to come on...
Running!
They were not such big fans...
So we retreated to the shade of the backyard to swing and run!

Home grown tomatoes

2011-07-26T18:53:00.000-04:00

We harvested our first tomato today! There are two more that are just about ready as well. It made for an excellent accompaniment to our Sunday dinner...Caprese salad with our own basil and fresh mozzarella.

Behind the Scenes at the Zoo - The rest of the pictures!

2011-07-24T23:44:00.001-04:00

Yes, I took way too many pictures, but it was such a fun day that I want to remember! :)

We saw the sharks and Brendan once again, LOVED getting to touch them. Then we got to see a dolphin show and sit on the stage during it. It was neat, but not the most relaxing experience...two tired, squirrelly kids and no railings on elevated stage! Also, the lighting is terrible in the dolphin pavillion, so most of the pictures did not turn out well.

Then to maintain tradition, we had lunch at Shapiro's Deli downtown. No pickles for Katelyn this year, but plenty of "pink meat", i.e. pastrami, chips, cottage cheese, and applesauce was enjoyed.

Behind the Scenes at the Zoo - New Tiger Exhibit

2011-07-24T23:35:00.000-04:00

The next stop on our tour was the new Tiger exhibit and the 10am feeding of the tigers. So cool! Definitely something to check out...it seems that they only feed them (for the public viewing) once per day, at 10am. But they have these new chutes that they send "meatballs" down for the tigers, so they come right up to the glass!

Behind the Scenes at the Zoo - The Pengiuns!

2011-07-24T23:33:00.001-04:00

Our next encounter was to see the penguins up close! Brendan loved this as well! He has always enjoyed watching them swim in their exhibit, but he was grinning ear to ear when he got to pet one!

Behind the Scenes at the Zoo - Part 2

2011-07-24T23:31:00.000-04:00

While waiting for our next encounter, we walked by the Lion exhibit. It was still relatively cool out, so the lions were a little more active. One came pretty close. Brendan and Katelyn both roared at her. :) Well, Brendan more than Katelyn, but she definitely tried to mimmick him!

Then we saw the cheetahs. At one point, Katelyn walked up to the class to "touch" one of the cheetahs and he swatted at her! My heart stopped for a minute! Katelyn was deserveably startled and fell down on her bottom and cried. :(

But Katelyn recovered nicely and was so into looking at all the animals. Maybe we have a future vet in the family!

Little Bobby (well, he does out weigh his older cousin!) was such a good little man the whole day! He just took it all in! :)