Best deal in town

Earlier in the summer we discovered that the area drug store (Hartig) sold ice cream cones for $.27! (kid size which were at least 2 scoops) Since then they have raised the price to $.39 but it's still an awesome deal! There's a park right across the street and so we usually go play before or after we get ice cream and the whole deal costs me $1.25! Today we ate our ice cream inside because I'm pretty sure it would have melted in 1.5 seconds flat! Enjoy a couple pics of my little ice cream lovers:) Note the red faces...we played in the park before ice cream today!

Grass Heads and Trolley Rides

While we were up at the cabin a few weeks ago, Chris's mom did a few projects with the kids. One of them was making these fun grass heads! I didn't see them do it, but I'm assuming they took some pantyhose, put grass seed in the bottom, put soil in after that and then tied a knot on the end! The kids decorated the faces with buttons and felt fabric. When we got home they started watering their heads with a spray bottle and voila! Grass grew in for hair! Here's a picture of them. Ours are a little beat up because they tend to carry them around, they've been left out in the rain and they've been shown to everyone who has entered our house! Now they want to give them a haircut which we will probably do today!



Last week we went on a trolley ride here in Dubuque. The kids have seen these trolleys riding around and a friend of mine found out that it only cost 50 cents to go for a ride! So our playdate group met one morning and we toured around Dubuque for 20 minutes or so! The kids loved it, but it may have been the longest 20 minutes of my life. I was "trolley-sick" in the first few minutes from sitting in the back, going around blocks and trying to keep my kids sitting down! Not sure I'll be going on a trolley ride anytime soon...at least while I'm pregnant anyway!

Happy 3rd Birthday Miss Mya Pat!

Dear Mya,

Today was your 3rd birthday! Hard to believe, but we can't even remember what life was like without you! You bring so much joy to our lives and we are so happy you are our daughter. This morning when you called me to come and get you, I knew it was a little early for you to be getting up, but there was no way I was going to tell my birthday girl that you had to go back to sleep for awhile! Most mornings are met with a "I ready to wake up" followed by a "I sleep all night!" Whether or not the second one is true, it's pretty cute.

Your daddy and I definitely have some complaints about your little ways,(mostly revolving around eating and bedtime and your middle of the night habits) but the good moments outweigh the bad by a long shot. We laugh at you constantly...the things that come out of your mouth and the faces you make are absolutely hilarious. You have a very sweet and sensitive side that comes out every one in awhile. The other day you were going potty and looked up at me and said "I love you mommy" and I about melted. Your hugs are to die for and when you get giggling it makes us fill up with love for you.

You can run in high heels better than most 3 year olds can in running shoes. You are half girly girl, half tom boy. I never thought I'd have a girl who loves dresses, make up, fingernail polish, and shoes as much as you do. You told me recently that when you turn 3 you are going to be a boy. We'll see if you remember! You also told me that you weren't going to wear diapers anymore when you turned 3 and sure enough you remembered it tonight at bedtime! I told you that a few months ago as a way to hold you off, but you are a looooooong way from not wearing diapers at night so I need to think of another excuse!



One of the best things about you these days is that you haven't really figured out that you can get out of your big girl bed whenever you want! You still call for me after naps, in the morning and unfortunately also in the middle of the night once in awhile! Speaking of nap time....you're sort of hit or miss these days. We're lucky that you're not a total basket case in the late afternoons/evenings if you don't get a nap. You're still pretty little, but are wearing almost all 3T clothes and size 6 1/2 shoes. At your 3 year check you weighed 27 pounds and were 34 inches tall (both 8th percentile) You continue to love juice, waffles, butter sandwiches, and noodles. You dislike peanut butter which I still have a hard time understanding. You can recognize and write the letters M, Y, A, T and O (Tara and Olivia respectively) You are also pretty skilled at operating the iPad. My hair continues to be your best source of comfort, but your hair is becoming a close 2nd:) You love to get your hair done and think that chapstick is make up. As long as you still think chapstick is make up in 10 years I'll be a happy mommy. You can wear all the chapstick you want.

You love the new swing set and are getting close to being able to pump on your own. You are an awesome bike and scooter rider. By next summer you'll be riding as fast as your brother I'm convinced! Your favorite phrase these days is "I'll do it mine helf" (myself) Most of the time it's a good thing but it can be bad too like when you want to pour your own OJ and the pitcher ends up on the floor.

You are excited about the baby coming and lately have even been caught saying you want it to be a boy! You are going to be such a great helper. A lot of times you want to help Max get dressed and he wants nothing of it of course, but I can usually distract you by telling you how much you'll get to help with the baby. This fall you will start preschool 2 days a week. I think it will be great for you (and for me:) You are very comfortable at this school already because Max went there last year and will be there this year as well, but in another class.

The very best part of my day today came around 8:00 p.m. when you were in your bed. We were listening to the monitor and you started in on a rendition of "happy birthday to me" and it was quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever heard. I know you had a great day today with your best friend Livi, Grace and all of your other friends. You had been waiting to be "free" (3) for a long time and I'm so happy it is finally here. We love you so much and can't wait to see how much you'll grow and change as a 3 year old!

Love, Mommy

July 18, 2008


July 18, 2009


July 18, 2010


July 18, 2011

 

Cabin Trip 2011

Last week we went up to Chris's family cabin on Lake Mille Lacs in Minnesota. We broke up the 6 1/2 hour trip by stopping at my sister's on Friday night and had a great time catching up with her.



Saturday morning we took off early so we could spend most of the day up at the cabin. The kids (and Chloe) were thrilled to be there. Chloe jumped in the water in the first 30 seconds and the kids' swimsuits were on in the first 10 minutes! We had beautiful weather and had a wonderful time. It was busy, yet very relaxing. It's so nice not to look at a clock all of the time. Most days Mya didn't get a nap because by the time we looked at the clock, it was too late! This made for early bed times for both kiddos and lots of card playing after they were in bed for the adults! Here's a run-down of what we did.

Chris and his dad got the sail boat out this year. Chris said sailing was like riding a bike even though he hadn't done it in 10+ years! He took Max out for a spin and Max really enjoyed it as well.



The old silver boat started right up again this year so we enjoyed a few short rides around the lake to check things out and enjoy the water. Chloe got her first ride this year and it will probably be her last! I wasn't on the boat, but apparently she was pretty skittish.


Max got over some of his fears of "creatures" and took to liking the crayfish! Chris taught him how to pick one up, so he was pretty pumped to show me and get his picture taken! Mya wanted no part of the crayfish.


On the 4th, we went up to Crosby, MN for a parade. It wasn't the best parade ever, but the kids had fun despite the heat and enjoyed collecting the candy. I've never seen so many firetrucks in one location. We just kept saying we hoped no one had a real fire within 50 miles of this parade because we were sure there wouldn't be any firetrucks left!


One day we spent a few hours power washing the cabin. Sounds like a chore, but it was actually really fun to spray all of those lake flies and spider webs!


Here's Max acting goofy for the camera while throwing sticks out to Chloe. She had to have lost 10 pounds this trip with all the swimming she did. It's a good thing my heightened sense of smell has gone down slightly or I would have been throwing up from the wet dog smell the entire week!



We had a couple fires which was another highlight for the kids. They haven't had many experiences with fire, so it was a little stressful for the adults. Max out-ate the adults with the s'mores and Mya preferred to eat the marshmallows and chocolate straight out of the packages!



Family photo 2011


All in all, a great trip once again! Wish we lived closer so we could enjoy it more often!

halfway there!

Yesterday marked the halfway point in my pregnancy! Time has flown the past 4-5 weeks or so, mostly because I feel great. There are many times daily that I forget I'm even pregnant! This was not the case from weeks 6-15 so it's very welcomed!

We took Max and Mya to the ultrasound yesterday. Max absolutely loved it. He kept asking tons of questions and the tech was really patient about answering all of them. He kept asking if she could scroll down so he could see "his" penis! Apparently he really wants this baby to be a boy:) Mya was concerned that something was wrong with me. She wanted to know if I was okay and kept rubbing my arm as it I needed to be comforted. It was pretty cute. She didn't care about the baby.

Everything looked great in the ultrasound. It's unbelievable that something that weighs 11oz can have all of the vital organs. His/Her fingers were uncharacteristically long (for our family that is) and he/she was moving around tons. The tech had a really hard time measuring the heart because he/she was folded over with the feet on the head most of the ultrasound! The heartbeat continues to be pretty high (161) and my due date was only off by 1 day so it will remain the same. That's pretty much the update for now! Enjoy a few pictures of our part alien, part fish and part dinosaur baby! (at least that's what Max says:)