Ready, Set.. BLOG!

I finally started knitting!  Auntie Dev taught me several years ago and I got about half way through a scarf and hit a dead end.  I am so much better at crocheting that it was hard to want to keep going.  I still have that half knit scarf somewhere in the craft room.  Krisha decided she had done all the crocheting she could stand and taught herself to knit a few months ago.  I have always loved the diversity in design that's available in knitting and I could no longer resist.  So I grabbed some yarn and some needles and headed over for a play date/knitting lesson.  To my surprise, I picked it up pretty easily.  I started again with a scarf, but this time with easier yarn and yarn that I was excited about....  I still fizzled out.  I just got board going back and forth row after row.  And again, I can crochet without hardly thinking about it.  But training my hands and brain to knit doesn't work so well if I'm board.  Anyway, I decided to do a hat, on circular needles and I loved it!  It was fun.  I lost count, I made mistakes, my gauge was all over the map, I nearly lost stitches, I think I added a stitch somewhere along the way and in the end I still had a slouchy swirl hat like intended.  Wooooo Hoo!

The kids had a BLAST eating the ginger bread house.  I'm not sure how good it was, but I guess as long as it's cram-packed with sugar they don't care!  We are still loving the new van.  It's a little bit weird to be so in love with something you thought you'd never want.  But it feels totally natural and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Ty is getting to be such a big boy.  He's kinda tall and skinny and his feet are huge!  He is getting to be a really good helper.  I love how much he is starting to love cleaning up at the end of the day.  Not always, of course, but he like the routine and enjoys feeling useful and accomplished.  I wish I facilitated more of that for him.  Good thing we have Daddy!  Thursday night we went to Kindergarten Sneak Peek at Lily Lake Elementary where our kids will attend.  It was exciting and nerve wracking.  There will be an orientation later in the spring.  This was more of an introduction to the school.  We got a brief peek at the Kindy teachers and then had a chance to hang out in each of the 4 Kindy rooms.  We checked out the library, which was huge!  And poked our heads in the music room.  Several of the rooms had dinosaur figures to play with and that is mostly what Ty spent his time doing - anyone surprised?  Not a chance.  But one of the rooms had a whole shelf of dino books.  He sat very happily reading for quite some time and was not pleased when it was time to move on.  Which makes me smile.  My favorite part was sending him to check out the boys bathroom all by himself!  Most of his big boy toilet experience has been with mom in the women's restroom.  So as we passed the bathrooms I excitedly told him that this one was for boys only and mom couldn't come and he should check it out!  The door was propped open so I could peek in - with no other kids of course.  It was nice and small with one stall and two urinals, and the hand washing station was out  in front in a very cool set up.  I circular basin with a pedal to turn on the water that spouted out of the center like a sprinkler!  Anyway, I'm sure that's enough about that.  Ty had a good time and was really bummed the next day when he wasn't going to Kindergarten.  Poor guy has a long way to go yet.

Aubree seems to have mastered her potty training and is very proud of herself.  She will easily use a big potty when we're out and about, but still like the little one at home.  I think it's more comfortable and it's her very own.  She and Owen are getting to be good buddies as they get older and have some time together without the older siblings.  It's so much fun to watch them play.  That reminds me that Ty and Aubree have been playing together really well lately too.  It rocks!  I love it when they enjoy each other, it's the stuff dreams are made of.  Aubree and I went to Valley Preschools open house last Saturday.  I wanted to take her so she could explore the rooms all on her own.  I'm sure we could pop in any day Ty's at school and have a look around, but it's not the same thing.  She's excited to get to start preschool this fall.  She asks every day if it's her day to go to class (ECFE).  I know she's dying to do more, so we're going to look into finding a dance or gymnastics class for her soon.  I think most things start at 3 years like swimming and I think karate does.... Anyway, Aubree and Owen will be going to preschool together and she already knows or at least has met many of the other children that will be in her class too.  

It is SUPER warm today, 39 degrees so I think after naps we are going to spend the rest of the afternoon outside.  Daddy and the kids went swimming before lunch today.  Have I mentioned how much our kids love to swim?  They seriously love it and it makes me proud.  

Holy Intense Weather Batman!

8am
-23F degrees

Yikes!

I can not believe I'm actually going to leave the house.  Ty has preschool, Aubree has ECFE, which she loves and will be totally upset if we miss.  Then after we go home for an hour, we have to go pick up Ty.  This afternoon is Tys 5 year pre-K check up and Kindergarten sneak peek tonight.......

Breaking news - the phone just rang and it's Krisha letting me know that all Stillwater schools are closed!  No ECFE since that is school related.  Well, we're going to bundle up and run over there for a morning of fleece clothes and coffee.

Later!

January's Off To A Good Start

I mentioned before that I was starting the South Beach diet a few months back.  We've done really well, Daddy and I.  I am proud to be back to eating healthier and setting a better example for our kids.  It's been an off year with getting settled into a new life again.  But we're back!  Eating well and managing money are big on my list this year.  Anyway, I am so glad to have Dad's support in this, there is no way I could have done it without him.  He did ALL the cooking for phase 1, and if he hadn't I would have quit.  No question about it!  We did 2.5 weeks on phase one and I finally didn't feel like I was going to split the seams of my pants.  Phase 2 is much easier and feels like something I could do long term.  I haven't eaten real ice cream in about 3 months now and I don't plan on going back - well, until Nelsons opens!   I even made it through the holidays without too much back tracking.  I lost 12 pounds total and maybe put one back on.  I am happy with that.  Now I have to get back on track now that Ty's Birthday party is over.  Not sure I'm up for the whole phase one deal again though...

Daddy took a bunch of time off of work at the end of 08.  It was so nice to have him home.  He's been working hard to organize the unfinished side of the basement, so that someday we can build rooms and things down there.  Also while Daddy was home, he decided it was time that Aubree got potty trained!  I was not convinced that she would be a willing participant and had decided that it was not worth my trouble to fight with her.  But, a different parent, different relationship, I figured it could work.  And if he wanted to try I sure wasn't going to stop him.  Much to my surprise, it took!!  Even after the first week of 'training' I thought it was too stressful and she'd give up.  But after a few more days she really got the hang of it.  She is so very proud of herself.  It's been 2.5 weeks since we first started and she's wearing undies every day and is doing GREAT!  After Daddy's time off, potty training and the Gramma's visits, it's nice to get back to our normal routine.  I really love our pajama Mondays.  

Last week I got to have a girls night out with my 3 best friends here in MN.  Melissa's birthday was on New Years Eve and we all went out to a fabulous restaurant in downtown Stillwater called Stones, I think.  We all put on real people clothes, and make up and did our hair and put smell good on.  The girl all wore black boots - a must have for going out in the winter in Mn, which of course I don't have.  I'm sure I've had a pair in the past, but I'm not sure what became of them.  Melissa's boots even had stiletto heels.  We were a good lookin' bunch.  We all either split dishes or got just appetizers to keep the bill down, in true Mom fashion.  We had the most wonderfully yummy dessert I've had in a very long time.  (I obviously didn't stick to my diet on this outing.)  It was like a brownie with chocolate ganache (sp?) wrapped up like a pastry with chocolate drizzle and real vanilla ice cream on top.  And whatever you're thinking, it was better. 

 We were done before 7pm and couldn't think of a thing to do that wouldn't cost a fortune.  Movies are long and expensive and no one really drinks so a bar is out.  We are so awesome, we went to Target!!  Yippeeeeee.  I needed a few things, and Target is a whole different experience when your kids are at home with Dad.  We still had a good time even at Target.  I'm so grateful for my girlfriends.  It's been a long time since I've had good friends and my life is much happier with them in it.

Ty's Birthday party was yesterday.  It went really well, we had Tucker, Jake and Katie, Dylan and Lauren, Leah and Owen, Sailor and Allie from Preschool.  Daddy made amazing snacks for everyone.  And Ty and I spent the previous night cooking up some BLUE cake that we frosted just before the party.  Two years ago he really wanted a blue cake and when I asked the store if they could do it, to my surprise, they said no!  I finally feel like life has calmed down enough that I was ready to try and make him a cake.  I thought I would always make my kids' cake, but my first try before Ty's first birthday wasn't very impressive.  I'm sure my standards have lowered since then, but I think that's a good thing.  I stress too much.  So, I was super excited to finally give Ty his blue cake.   It was 2 layers.  The bottom one was dark bright blue then a layer of white frosting and a layer of light blue cake.  Then blue frosting, for water, and chocolate for land.  Then we put a shark in the water with a creepy skeleton pirate dude riding him, and a treasure chest on the shore guarded by a saber tooth cat and a pirate and some other cool stuff.  At the party the kids ran around and squealed batting pirate balloons around the basement.  Ty raced through presents faster and more excitedly than anyone had ever seen before.  He shrieked with excitement and screamed thank you at people around him.  And let me tell you he got some amazing gifts.  We will be practicing his writing for thank you notes to all his great friends. 

Happy New Year

New year.  Such a big topic.  So many things to think about.  Where to start?

I, -- Daddy and I look forward to spending another year in the same location.  We are very happy to look forward to doing a bunch of the same old thing this coming year.  The same, but better because we won't be new to our surroundings.  I look forward to hanging out with friends doing crafty things, going to the Children's Museum, and Ikea during the rest of the winter months.  

We're getting ready for Ty's birthday, his FIFTH birthday.  Holy crap.  I think about the fact that he'll be going to kindergarten soon, every week.  I think he grew like, 20 inches last month.  Now if only he'd wipe his own butt well.  Ha!  It feels to me like kindergarten and 5th grade may as well be the same thing.  Somehow it's the undeniable signal that he's going to grow up.  It feels like once I send him to school, he'll never be mine again.  I'm not sure I'm ready to be a real grown up parent....

Then looking forward to spring - gorgeous green popping up everywhere, the opening of Nelson's Ice Cream, camping in the new tent Daddy got for christmas.  

Aubree will be turning three.  She is working pretty good on potty training right now.  I don't know if it will happen just yet, but she's making really good progress in awareness.  She's been walking around with a bare butt for 5 or 6 days and we've only had a few accidents.  We used a timer at first, until she got used to sitting on the potty.  Now that she's comfortable with it we're not doing the timer.  And she sits on it herself and goes!  It does seem that some days she's holding it until she gets her diaper on at nap time.  And if we have to go out and we put a diaper on her then she uses it.  I am very pleased with her progress.  I can't believe she's growing up too.  She's not really a toddler anymore, she's more of a preschooler now.  We've officially moved out of the baby phase into little kid land.

This fall as Ty goes off to full day kindergarten 5 days a week, Aubree will start preschool 2 days.  I can't even imagine what that'll be like.  I feel like I'm getting too far ahead of myself!  I'm just thrilled to do more of the same things that we did last year again this year.  I hope to not make too many major changes.  

My Etsy store Blue Star Butterflies  has started to do well.  I've made regular sales this holiday season and I'm having so much fun!  I love what I'm making and I absolutely love that other people are enjoying what I'm making!  I hope that this enjoyment makes me a happier person and a better mom and wife.  In true mom form, my brain is getting jumbled with the large topic I'm trying to wrangle so I feel that I should call it good.  I'm just doing a lot of smiling and daydreaming about our life and how it will unfold...