This girl learns too quickly.
And I'm not as fast as I used to be. This is not a good combo.
Pull Ups
Ella has perfected the art of pulling herself up on things. And tonight she swung her body from side to side and moved from the chair to the sofa.
This girl learns too quickly.
And I'm not as fast as I used to be. This is not a good combo.
This girl learns too quickly.
And I'm not as fast as I used to be. This is not a good combo.
Giving Thanks
We had a different type of Thanksgiving this year. We didn't have turkey, we didn't have ham and we ate at 9:00 am. We had a Breakfast Thanksgiving over at mom's. Unconventional: yes. Stressful: no. It was perfect and if we hadn't planned on making a surprise run to Grandma Bricker's we would have done it in our pajamas.
We certainly didn't need to sit around a twenty pound turkey in order to remind us what we're thankful for.
And apparently you can actually achieve a "turkey coma" without consuming any turkey. Go figure.
After Dustin and Ella got their beauty sleep we headed to Victor, Iowa. Dustin's grandmother lives on a farm there with an aunt and uncle. We arrived just as they were finishing dinner so we arrived just in time for dessert and visiting!
The kids played Foosball most of the time we were there and the adults stayed upstairs to visit. That is, until Lauren and Josh realized what an adventure Grandma's house is. They were running in circles and playing hide and go seek until they were both sweating and out of breath.
And that was our cue to leave - while they're still having fun but right before they terrorize the place.
We had to head home so I could get to bed at a good time because Gretchen and I were heading out on Black Friday.
I have only ventured out on Black Friday one other time. Well, I take that back. I've done Black Friday before but every other time it was from the OTHER side of the counter. Lets just say that we certainly learned a few things.
#1 - Best Buy Black Friday people are a breed of their own. And I'd love to see a throwdown between a person at Black Friday shopper from Best Buy, Menard's and Wal-mart. I'm not sure who I'd put my money on.
#2 - There is no deal worth getting to Old Navy at 3:00 am.
#3 - Kohl's never fails to disappoint me with good deals.
#4 - There is no deal worth waiting in line at Old Navy for two hours.
Yes, we did #2 and #4. And here's my proof.
The line wrapped around the store three times. Unreal.
And after an entire morning of shopping I can say that I am just about done with my Christmas shopping. And after an entire afternoon of wrapping, I can say that I am just about done with my wrapping.
Each gift for a person I am thankful for.
And several gifts to three people for whom I am most thankful for.
Three little people. Three people who make me laugh. Three people who make me cry. And three people who constantly remind me how blessed I am.
My cup runneth over.
We certainly didn't need to sit around a twenty pound turkey in order to remind us what we're thankful for.
And apparently you can actually achieve a "turkey coma" without consuming any turkey. Go figure.
After Dustin and Ella got their beauty sleep we headed to Victor, Iowa. Dustin's grandmother lives on a farm there with an aunt and uncle. We arrived just as they were finishing dinner so we arrived just in time for dessert and visiting!
The kids played Foosball most of the time we were there and the adults stayed upstairs to visit. That is, until Lauren and Josh realized what an adventure Grandma's house is. They were running in circles and playing hide and go seek until they were both sweating and out of breath.
And that was our cue to leave - while they're still having fun but right before they terrorize the place.
We had to head home so I could get to bed at a good time because Gretchen and I were heading out on Black Friday.
I have only ventured out on Black Friday one other time. Well, I take that back. I've done Black Friday before but every other time it was from the OTHER side of the counter. Lets just say that we certainly learned a few things.
#1 - Best Buy Black Friday people are a breed of their own. And I'd love to see a throwdown between a person at Black Friday shopper from Best Buy, Menard's and Wal-mart. I'm not sure who I'd put my money on.
#2 - There is no deal worth getting to Old Navy at 3:00 am.
#3 - Kohl's never fails to disappoint me with good deals.
#4 - There is no deal worth waiting in line at Old Navy for two hours.
Yes, we did #2 and #4. And here's my proof.
The line wrapped around the store three times. Unreal.
And after an entire morning of shopping I can say that I am just about done with my Christmas shopping. And after an entire afternoon of wrapping, I can say that I am just about done with my wrapping.
Each gift for a person I am thankful for.
And several gifts to three people for whom I am most thankful for.
Three little people. Three people who make me laugh. Three people who make me cry. And three people who constantly remind me how blessed I am.
My cup runneth over.
June Mom Meetup
When I was trying to get pregnant with Lauren I joined a website called Fertility Friend. Anyways, all the women who got pregnant around the time that I did became "Due Date Buddies" and we went through all the ups and downs of pregnancy together.
Well, after we had our babies we stayed a group and started our own website where we post things that are happening in our lives, share pictures of our families and even a few of us have shared subsequent pregnancies. These women are literally from all over the world. Most are within the United States but some are from Canada, England, Australia, South Africa and various other places I'm forgetting.
We've been friends for over three years now and talk (a/k/a post) daily. So when one woman realized that she had family that also lived in Marion, we were determined to meetup some time. Well, we had tried one other time but it just didn't work out. But this weekend we FINALLY met!
They came over for breakfast on Saturday morning. She has a little boy that is Lauren's age and a little boy that is only a few months younger than Ella.
It was great to finally meet her and it's funny to know so much about a person (and their family) yet not know what their voice sounds like.
And of all the people in the world...who would think that her brother-in-law lives .78 miles away from us. It's just crazy!
Well, after we had our babies we stayed a group and started our own website where we post things that are happening in our lives, share pictures of our families and even a few of us have shared subsequent pregnancies. These women are literally from all over the world. Most are within the United States but some are from Canada, England, Australia, South Africa and various other places I'm forgetting.
We've been friends for over three years now and talk (a/k/a post) daily. So when one woman realized that she had family that also lived in Marion, we were determined to meetup some time. Well, we had tried one other time but it just didn't work out. But this weekend we FINALLY met!
They came over for breakfast on Saturday morning. She has a little boy that is Lauren's age and a little boy that is only a few months younger than Ella.
It was great to finally meet her and it's funny to know so much about a person (and their family) yet not know what their voice sounds like.
And of all the people in the world...who would think that her brother-in-law lives .78 miles away from us. It's just crazy!
Chopping block
Lauren's hair was getting pretty long and since Dustin, Josh and I all had our hair cut last week I figured she should get one, too. I debated whether taking her to my stylist for her first "professional" cut but I figured I'd give it one more try and see if I could get it even.
She absolutely loves getting her hair cut. And honestly the only reason I didn't take her to the salon was because she's a bit shy when it comes to strangers and I'd rather have an uneven hair cut than have to deal with a meltdown in the middle of a salon.
She loves it. I love it. And I am happy for that, because our family pictures are this weekend...and it could have ended badly.
She absolutely loves getting her hair cut. And honestly the only reason I didn't take her to the salon was because she's a bit shy when it comes to strangers and I'd rather have an uneven hair cut than have to deal with a meltdown in the middle of a salon.
She loves it. I love it. And I am happy for that, because our family pictures are this weekend...and it could have ended badly.
Rosy Cheeks
You can always tell when babies are working on teeth. Well...at least you can always tell when "my babies" are working on teeth because their cheeks are fire engine red and glossy.
So when my daily note from my daycare provider starts with "fire engine red" or "rosy cheeks" I know what kind of night it's going to be. Luckily, my children were born in the era of Tylenol and Motrin because usually I can stay ahead of the pain and even though Ella may be teething, she's still smiling!
So when my daily note from my daycare provider starts with "fire engine red" or "rosy cheeks" I know what kind of night it's going to be. Luckily, my children were born in the era of Tylenol and Motrin because usually I can stay ahead of the pain and even though Ella may be teething, she's still smiling!
Fun times!
Boy, oh, boy. What a weekend!
Josh's front bottom teeth have been a bit of a problem for him. After his last dentist appointment, Dr. Livengood told us that they needed to come out soon or he was going to have to pull them. So I've encouraged him to wiggle, wiggle, wiggle those suckers so that we could avoid the whole "pulling" thing. He lost one a few weeks ago and Friday night Josh told me his front tooth was really loose. He went and got me a Kleenex and said, "Pull it, mom!"
It didn't take much effort and I had it barely hanging on. I told him to let it be for awhile and that it would for sure be gone by the end of the weekend.
Dad and Thomas arrived for a weekend visit and he was showing them how loose we had gotten it. We tried one last pull and TADA!!!
He has officially lost three now and we don't have to worry about getting anything pulled! Woot, woot!
Saturday was the big Iowa vs. Minnesota football game. Dad and Thomas watched the kids for us and we went and enjoyed Dustin's birthday present from Dad. I have to say, we had a great time.
I was sort of hesitant in going because I hated spending a whole day away while Dad and Thomas were in town. Between that, the crowds, the traffic, etc...I just didn't think it was going to be worth it.
Boy...was I wrong!
We went down and parked and rode the train. We paid for our tickets, got in line and ten minutes later the train whisked us off to Kinnick. We got right into the stadium, walked right to our seats and had three minutes to spare before kick off.
I know how important it is for parents to get out, just the two of them. I really do. But getting yourself to do it is really hard. I know that I say my kids drive me nuts, and they really do sometimes, but I must be a glutton for punishment because as soon as I'm away from them I miss them. So, for the first hour every red head I saw I thought of my Ella Bella. And I wondered what she was doing. Then I saw a little girl that looked like Lauren and then two little boys right in front of us reminded me of Joshie. Ugh.
Eventually, that angst passed I was able to enjoy myself and enjoy some "alone" time with my husband (and the 60,000+ other people at the game). The weather was beautiful (for November 21st), the seats were great, Iowa won and Dustin and I made the first train back to our car and were back in Cedar Rapids by 3:00. It was perfect.
Sunday morning Ella slept in as long as she could. So I brought her into our bedroom and told Dustin I was going to hop in the shower. I came out and Dustin was asleep and Ella was cuddled up with him, wide awake, but resting her head on his body. I ran to get my camera but she sat up. You can see where she was nestled into him (and the pool of drool on the comforter).
She is such a cuddler!!!
Sunday was pretty laid back. We went and got breakfast at our favorite place and came home and Dad helped me decorate for Christmas. MAN, does that go faster when you have someone helping you!!
Josh and Lauren had put a bunch of ornaments up the night before when Dad and I ran to pick up some more red ornaments. So they had given us a nice head start.
I just have a few other things I can put up, but for the most part I'm done. We got the stairway and railings trimmed with lights, greenery and cranberries. The bookcase, the piano, the archway are all done as well. I still have one more strand of greenery and a small bunch of cranberries, so I'm sure I'll find someplace to put it. ;-)
After Dad and Thomas left yesterday afternoon we ran some errands and grabbed a bite to eat for supper.
When we got home the kids got baths and I started laundry. Then it was family time. The Wizard of Oz was on again last night so we all cuddled up in the family room together.
While we were watching tv Ella crawled over to the stairs and showed off her new talent.
Yes, she can officially climb stairs; a trick she discovered on Friday night. Fun, fun.
We want to wish everyone a very, Happy Thanksgiving. Safe travels and good eats to all!
Josh's front bottom teeth have been a bit of a problem for him. After his last dentist appointment, Dr. Livengood told us that they needed to come out soon or he was going to have to pull them. So I've encouraged him to wiggle, wiggle, wiggle those suckers so that we could avoid the whole "pulling" thing. He lost one a few weeks ago and Friday night Josh told me his front tooth was really loose. He went and got me a Kleenex and said, "Pull it, mom!"
It didn't take much effort and I had it barely hanging on. I told him to let it be for awhile and that it would for sure be gone by the end of the weekend.
Dad and Thomas arrived for a weekend visit and he was showing them how loose we had gotten it. We tried one last pull and TADA!!!
He has officially lost three now and we don't have to worry about getting anything pulled! Woot, woot!
Saturday was the big Iowa vs. Minnesota football game. Dad and Thomas watched the kids for us and we went and enjoyed Dustin's birthday present from Dad. I have to say, we had a great time.
I was sort of hesitant in going because I hated spending a whole day away while Dad and Thomas were in town. Between that, the crowds, the traffic, etc...I just didn't think it was going to be worth it.
Boy...was I wrong!
We went down and parked and rode the train. We paid for our tickets, got in line and ten minutes later the train whisked us off to Kinnick. We got right into the stadium, walked right to our seats and had three minutes to spare before kick off.
I know how important it is for parents to get out, just the two of them. I really do. But getting yourself to do it is really hard. I know that I say my kids drive me nuts, and they really do sometimes, but I must be a glutton for punishment because as soon as I'm away from them I miss them. So, for the first hour every red head I saw I thought of my Ella Bella. And I wondered what she was doing. Then I saw a little girl that looked like Lauren and then two little boys right in front of us reminded me of Joshie. Ugh.
Eventually, that angst passed I was able to enjoy myself and enjoy some "alone" time with my husband (and the 60,000+ other people at the game). The weather was beautiful (for November 21st), the seats were great, Iowa won and Dustin and I made the first train back to our car and were back in Cedar Rapids by 3:00. It was perfect.
Sunday morning Ella slept in as long as she could. So I brought her into our bedroom and told Dustin I was going to hop in the shower. I came out and Dustin was asleep and Ella was cuddled up with him, wide awake, but resting her head on his body. I ran to get my camera but she sat up. You can see where she was nestled into him (and the pool of drool on the comforter).
She is such a cuddler!!!
Sunday was pretty laid back. We went and got breakfast at our favorite place and came home and Dad helped me decorate for Christmas. MAN, does that go faster when you have someone helping you!!
Josh and Lauren had put a bunch of ornaments up the night before when Dad and I ran to pick up some more red ornaments. So they had given us a nice head start.
I just have a few other things I can put up, but for the most part I'm done. We got the stairway and railings trimmed with lights, greenery and cranberries. The bookcase, the piano, the archway are all done as well. I still have one more strand of greenery and a small bunch of cranberries, so I'm sure I'll find someplace to put it. ;-)
After Dad and Thomas left yesterday afternoon we ran some errands and grabbed a bite to eat for supper.
When we got home the kids got baths and I started laundry. Then it was family time. The Wizard of Oz was on again last night so we all cuddled up in the family room together.
While we were watching tv Ella crawled over to the stairs and showed off her new talent.
Yes, she can officially climb stairs; a trick she discovered on Friday night. Fun, fun.
We want to wish everyone a very, Happy Thanksgiving. Safe travels and good eats to all!
Out of the mouths of babes
Conversation #1
Lauren was throwing a fit about something immaterial. I was trying to get Ella to sleep and a screaming two year old isn't really conducive with a sleeping baby. I was extremely frustrated and said...
Me: Gah! Sometimes I could just smack her!
Josh: Uh...could I do that for you?
That made me laugh right out loud!
Conversation #2
We went out for dinner on Saturday night as a reward for all of our hard work and to mourn the Hawkeye loss. Lauren was tapping her fork on her plate over and over again.
Me: Lauren, stop that.
Lauren: No, mom. It's my exercise.
Conversation #3
Lauren has been singing "Take me out to the ballgame" a lot lately. This is her version:
Take me out to da ballgame. Take me out to da ballgame. Peanuts! Strike! Take me out to da ballgame. One! Two! Three! Six! Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten! Eleven! Twelve! Take me out to da ballgame.
Lauren was throwing a fit about something immaterial. I was trying to get Ella to sleep and a screaming two year old isn't really conducive with a sleeping baby. I was extremely frustrated and said...
Me: Gah! Sometimes I could just smack her!
Josh: Uh...could I do that for you?
That made me laugh right out loud!
Conversation #2
We went out for dinner on Saturday night as a reward for all of our hard work and to mourn the Hawkeye loss. Lauren was tapping her fork on her plate over and over again.
Me: Lauren, stop that.
Lauren: No, mom. It's my exercise.
Conversation #3
Lauren has been singing "Take me out to the ballgame" a lot lately. This is her version:
Take me out to da ballgame. Take me out to da ballgame. Peanuts! Strike! Take me out to da ballgame. One! Two! Three! Six! Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten! Eleven! Twelve! Take me out to da ballgame.
Our Fall "Spring" Cleaning
I don't have too much to update from this week. Work has been crazy and I've already begun working overtime thanks to the huge bankruptcy case I'm working on. So sorry folks, no photos this week.
Friday night I went shopping at Kohl's with mom. We started about 10:00 pm and were done some time around 11:00. In that time I saved $316.76!!! I spent $199.45 but got $30 back in Kohl's cash. But what was even more exciting was that mom and I basically had the store to ourselves AND I was able to get a chunk of my Christmas shopping done SANS KIDS!
Saturday morning we got up bright and early and gutted the upstairs. I mean, every drawer, every closet and every toy was analyzed and determined to be "Kept", "Thrown" or "Given Away". With three kids, and Christmas rapidly approaching, it is necessary to purge the house of toys that are broken, missing pieces or just not played with. Out with the old; in with the new.
After the upstairs was cleaned we went out for lunch and did a bit of shopping. The last place we had to go was Target. Hmmmm...Target on a Saturday, before a big Iowa game, two weekends before Thanksgiving, during the beginning of the Christmas shopping season is pretty much a nightmare. We decided to divide and conquer after we picked out a new Christmas tree for the family room upstairs (Yes, that makes it a total of six Christmas trees in our house.). Dustin took Ella and Josh and I took Lauren. I picked out a few Christmas gifts for Josh and told Dustin to hang back a bit so I could pay with out Josh's spying eyes.
Just as I was about to swipe my debit card I looked up to see Dustin walking towards the checkout. I gave him "the nod" that the coast was clear as he neared my lane. That's about the time that I heard *pop* *pop* *pop*. Everyone in the lanes around me gasped and instantly Target employees were on their walkies shouting "Clean Up Lane 27". As I struggled to see what was going on, the other people in my lane cleared a path so I could see a huge blob of wine and broken glass at the end of the lane.
Right next to the spilled wine was my husband. And right next to him was Josh. And Josh had the exact same look on his face that he had during the Michael's debacle: a mix of shock and "I'm not with these people".
Yes, my husband had not accounted for the extra length of the Christmas tree box and taken out a shelf of wine at the end of the check out lane.
As my cashier said, "Why don't people watch where they're going?", I said, "Yeah...what a moron!"
At that point I took my cart, my daughter and my purchases and ran for the door.
The good wife in me should have stayed and supported my husband, but when I thought about how much crap he gave me from the Michael's cart incident...I thought he was just getting a taste of his own medicine.
We met up outside...
Me: God, THAT was embarrassing!
Dustin: Ya think?
Dustin: I totally knocked off all those bottles.
Me: Yeah, I saw!
Josh: Mom, did you hear all that *pop* *pop* *pop*??
Me: Yeah, that was loud!
Me: **laughing** This is totally making the blog!
Josh: Too bad you didn't have your camera. Huh, mom?
Dustin: Thanks, guys.
Dustin: Oh...and Ella lost both her socks somewhere in there.
Me: So...it's not as easy as you thought, huh?
I'm thinking he won't be so judgmental of me from now on.
Sunday was more of Saturday except with a lot of laundry in between (eleven loads to be exact).
Hope everyone has a great week!
Friday night I went shopping at Kohl's with mom. We started about 10:00 pm and were done some time around 11:00. In that time I saved $316.76!!! I spent $199.45 but got $30 back in Kohl's cash. But what was even more exciting was that mom and I basically had the store to ourselves AND I was able to get a chunk of my Christmas shopping done SANS KIDS!
Saturday morning we got up bright and early and gutted the upstairs. I mean, every drawer, every closet and every toy was analyzed and determined to be "Kept", "Thrown" or "Given Away". With three kids, and Christmas rapidly approaching, it is necessary to purge the house of toys that are broken, missing pieces or just not played with. Out with the old; in with the new.
After the upstairs was cleaned we went out for lunch and did a bit of shopping. The last place we had to go was Target. Hmmmm...Target on a Saturday, before a big Iowa game, two weekends before Thanksgiving, during the beginning of the Christmas shopping season is pretty much a nightmare. We decided to divide and conquer after we picked out a new Christmas tree for the family room upstairs (Yes, that makes it a total of six Christmas trees in our house.). Dustin took Ella and Josh and I took Lauren. I picked out a few Christmas gifts for Josh and told Dustin to hang back a bit so I could pay with out Josh's spying eyes.
Just as I was about to swipe my debit card I looked up to see Dustin walking towards the checkout. I gave him "the nod" that the coast was clear as he neared my lane. That's about the time that I heard *pop* *pop* *pop*. Everyone in the lanes around me gasped and instantly Target employees were on their walkies shouting "Clean Up Lane 27". As I struggled to see what was going on, the other people in my lane cleared a path so I could see a huge blob of wine and broken glass at the end of the lane.
Right next to the spilled wine was my husband. And right next to him was Josh. And Josh had the exact same look on his face that he had during the Michael's debacle: a mix of shock and "I'm not with these people".
Yes, my husband had not accounted for the extra length of the Christmas tree box and taken out a shelf of wine at the end of the check out lane.
As my cashier said, "Why don't people watch where they're going?", I said, "Yeah...what a moron!"
At that point I took my cart, my daughter and my purchases and ran for the door.
The good wife in me should have stayed and supported my husband, but when I thought about how much crap he gave me from the Michael's cart incident...I thought he was just getting a taste of his own medicine.
We met up outside...
Me: God, THAT was embarrassing!
Dustin: Ya think?
Dustin: I totally knocked off all those bottles.
Me: Yeah, I saw!
Josh: Mom, did you hear all that *pop* *pop* *pop*??
Me: Yeah, that was loud!
Me: **laughing** This is totally making the blog!
Josh: Too bad you didn't have your camera. Huh, mom?
Dustin: Thanks, guys.
Dustin: Oh...and Ella lost both her socks somewhere in there.
Me: So...it's not as easy as you thought, huh?
I'm thinking he won't be so judgmental of me from now on.
Sunday was more of Saturday except with a lot of laundry in between (eleven loads to be exact).
Hope everyone has a great week!
Out of the mouths of babes
Tonight was bath night and after Josh and Lauren get out of the bath they are supposed to get themselves dressed for bed while I take care of Ella. Tonight I got Ella dressed and went in to check on Lauren's progress. She had her nightgown on but still needed to get her Pull-Up on. I told her to get her Pull-Up while I made Ella's nighttime bottle. I came back up and she was playing.
Me: Lauren, where's your Pull-Up?
Lauren: I don't know.
**she spins around and around looking for it**
Lauren: Where'd it go, mommy?
Me: I don't know, Lauren. Where'd you put it?
Lauren: Where'd I put it, mommy?
**continuing to look around**
Lauren: Mommy! I know where I put it!
Me: Where?!?
Lauren: ON ME!
Me: Lauren, where's your Pull-Up?
Lauren: I don't know.
**she spins around and around looking for it**
Lauren: Where'd it go, mommy?
Me: I don't know, Lauren. Where'd you put it?
Lauren: Where'd I put it, mommy?
**continuing to look around**
Lauren: Mommy! I know where I put it!
Me: Where?!?
Lauren: ON ME!
300
My 300th post!
Holy cow! That's a lot of pictures, words, time, energy, stories and memories!
Thanks for continuing to share in our lives!!!
Holy cow! That's a lot of pictures, words, time, energy, stories and memories!
Thanks for continuing to share in our lives!!!
Another year of marriage in the books!
When I look at pictures from our wedding I am amazed. Not by how young we look. Or by how our weight has changed. Or by Dustin's dopey look in every single photo. Or by how eight years and three kids can really age a person.
I can get past all that.
But what amazes me the most is how well rested we look!! Ahhhh. The good ol' days of sleeping in, going to bed early and solid, uninterrupted sleep.
All kidding aside, I can't believe we've been married for eight years already! The years just keep coming and going faster and faster. I can remember our wedding like it was yesterday but it seems so funny to think that the kids weren't there.
Dustin and I squeezed in an anniversary lunch date in between meetings today and when I got back to the office I was greeted by my one of my favorite things!
Happy Anniversary, Brick! Each time I don't think I could possibly love you more, I do. You truly are my best friend and I am lucky to be able to call you my husband and blessed to have you as the father of my children. Even on the roughest of days I can't imagine my life without you.
All my love.
Shoulda gone with my gut
You know when you get those gut feelings about certain things? And then you go ahead and do it anyways and realize you should have gone with your gut?
Yeah...that happened to me tonight.
The main piece to our annual Christmas craft was on sale this week so I figured I'd take the kids to Micheal's tonight and pick it up. And as long as I was over there I figured I stop over at the Factory Card Outlet and pick up an anniversary card for my husband. And considering the amount of time it takes to get three kids in and out of two different stores, I figured I would just go ahead and pick up dinner.
Should be easy enough, right?
Well, we were off to a great start! I got rock star parking at Micheal's and we made the Bricker Train (holding hands) and got safely inside. I put Ella in the seat portion of the miniature grocery cart and Josh and Lauren followed behind.
Lauren immediately started pushing the cart, jumping on the cart, standing in front of the cart, etc. Each time I would tell her to stop, yet like Lauren does best...she continued. So after searching the entire store we finally located the item(s) and we loaded up the cart and headed to the checkout lane.
When shopping with three small children, the checkout lane is pretty much the equivalent to the finish line. By that time usually the worst of the shopping trip is over and the only thing to contend at that point is getting the kids past all the candy without spending an extra $5 on mini M&Ms.
Micheal's is notirious for only having a few lanes open and tonight was no exception - two lanes and at least six customers in each lane. And, of course, all of their Christmas candy is out and Josh and Lauren were running between all the displays shouting, "Can we get this?"
Finally it was our turn to pay. I told Lauren to get off the cart one last time, turned to pay with my debit card and that's when I heard the woman behind me scream.
I turned just in time to see the cart flip over on top of Lauren and Ella fly out of her seat.
Before I go any further, they are both fine. Ella actually landed on top of Lauren and Lauren has enough of the sturdy Bruni gene in here that it takes more than a miniature shopping cart to do any real damage.
Of course they both started crying immediately - more from shock than anything. I immediately lifted Ella up and tried to get the cart off of Lauren. The lady right behind me was actually an employee shopping so she grabbed Ella and I attempted to console Lauren.
Meantime, the manager was being paged by another employee and the sixteen year-old cashier was repeatedly asking me what my zip code was - because that was obviously the most important thing at that moment.
And that's about the time when Ella realized she was being held by a stranger.
Holy freak-out!
I can only imagine what the rest of the customers were thinking as they watched the entire thing unfold. I should have turned to them and said, "I assure you. I will not be having any more children to screw up."
All this for a few homemade Christmas crafts. **sigh** That'll teach me.
Even after all that we still stopped at Factory Card Outlet to get my dear husband a card. When he called during his break tonight I told him that while a card may seem like nothing much, what I went through to get it certainly made up for it.
One half hour later waiting in line at Subway and we pulled into the drive way at 6:45.
I think I will sleep well tonight. And this Christmas craft better be a good one!
Yeah...that happened to me tonight.
The main piece to our annual Christmas craft was on sale this week so I figured I'd take the kids to Micheal's tonight and pick it up. And as long as I was over there I figured I stop over at the Factory Card Outlet and pick up an anniversary card for my husband. And considering the amount of time it takes to get three kids in and out of two different stores, I figured I would just go ahead and pick up dinner.
Should be easy enough, right?
Well, we were off to a great start! I got rock star parking at Micheal's and we made the Bricker Train (holding hands) and got safely inside. I put Ella in the seat portion of the miniature grocery cart and Josh and Lauren followed behind.
Lauren immediately started pushing the cart, jumping on the cart, standing in front of the cart, etc. Each time I would tell her to stop, yet like Lauren does best...she continued. So after searching the entire store we finally located the item(s) and we loaded up the cart and headed to the checkout lane.
When shopping with three small children, the checkout lane is pretty much the equivalent to the finish line. By that time usually the worst of the shopping trip is over and the only thing to contend at that point is getting the kids past all the candy without spending an extra $5 on mini M&Ms.
Micheal's is notirious for only having a few lanes open and tonight was no exception - two lanes and at least six customers in each lane. And, of course, all of their Christmas candy is out and Josh and Lauren were running between all the displays shouting, "Can we get this?"
Finally it was our turn to pay. I told Lauren to get off the cart one last time, turned to pay with my debit card and that's when I heard the woman behind me scream.
I turned just in time to see the cart flip over on top of Lauren and Ella fly out of her seat.
Before I go any further, they are both fine. Ella actually landed on top of Lauren and Lauren has enough of the sturdy Bruni gene in here that it takes more than a miniature shopping cart to do any real damage.
Of course they both started crying immediately - more from shock than anything. I immediately lifted Ella up and tried to get the cart off of Lauren. The lady right behind me was actually an employee shopping so she grabbed Ella and I attempted to console Lauren.
Meantime, the manager was being paged by another employee and the sixteen year-old cashier was repeatedly asking me what my zip code was - because that was obviously the most important thing at that moment.
And that's about the time when Ella realized she was being held by a stranger.
Holy freak-out!
I can only imagine what the rest of the customers were thinking as they watched the entire thing unfold. I should have turned to them and said, "I assure you. I will not be having any more children to screw up."
All this for a few homemade Christmas crafts. **sigh** That'll teach me.
Even after all that we still stopped at Factory Card Outlet to get my dear husband a card. When he called during his break tonight I told him that while a card may seem like nothing much, what I went through to get it certainly made up for it.
One half hour later waiting in line at Subway and we pulled into the drive way at 6:45.
I think I will sleep well tonight. And this Christmas craft better be a good one!
Clark Griswold
While the weather was beautiful this weekend, the Hawkeye game was not. So after a quick morning shopping trip, the kids and I played outside on Saturday while Daddy steamed inside.
Who would have thought after such an awful October that we'd almost be hitting 70 in November?!?!
My office had the October 15th party this weekend and, since we had relied on family so much during our two weeks without daycare, we decided it would be best if Dustin stayed home with the kids. It's always nice to get out with the staff to "let loose" a bit, but given the fact we only really get one night a week together as a family it's kind of hard to give that up for another whole week. By the time I got home on Saturday night all the kids were asleep and Dustin was only half awake.
Dustin had a rough night sleeping with his shoulders (they are a constant battle lately) so I let him sleep in a bit and fed the kids breakfast. When he woke up he felt inspired to put up the Christmas lights outside and take advantage of the gorgeous weather. It seems most of the neighborhood had the same idea as most everyone was out doing the same thing!
Every year he is responsible for the outdoor display. And every year he comments on how he really wants to line the frame of the house with lights. And every year I tell him that if he wants to climb that roof and string lights, more power to him, because there is not a chance in "you know what" that I will get up there and do it.
After going through the box of lights and testing each strand, I took my inventory list and ran to the store to buy some more of the old lights and some new big bulb lights. Then the spectacle began.
We started at 11:00 and Dustin went ahead with the usual stringing of lights on the trees.
And then two of Josh's friends from the neighborhood came by and asked Josh to play, so Dustin lost one of his helpers. And then Lauren found the instructions and thought she could fix all the broken and damaged strings from last year (that's all of them on the ground behind her). Good luck with that, honey.
Ella napped and Lauren and I did our best to help him. Mostly we just laughed and looked busy. After a late lunch, Josh returned and we started on the house. The kids helped with the clips and Ella was happy to stay in her walker and just watch.
And then we started working on the house. Dustin is certainly more daring than I. I couldn't get past the fourth step on the ladder so he gets "mad" props for even getting up on the garage.
But by the time he got on the main part of the house, Lauren was freaking!
"Daddy, come down!" "Daddy, come down now!" "Daddy, don't fall down!" "Mommy...get Daddy down!"
Nonetheless, her persevered and was ready to move to the very top of the house.
I took this picture....
and then he shook his head at me and said, "I'm done."
I said, "Good."
So Lauren helped me hold the ladder one last time and Daddy finally came down from the roof. He turned to me and said, "I'm not as daring as I once was."
My response was, "That's what three kids will do to ya!"
The house still looks great and even last night as we were finishing up, people were hollering out to us telling us how nice it looked.
I'm glad it's over and I'm glad no one fell off the roof. And according to Josh...it can snow now.
Who would have thought after such an awful October that we'd almost be hitting 70 in November?!?!
My office had the October 15th party this weekend and, since we had relied on family so much during our two weeks without daycare, we decided it would be best if Dustin stayed home with the kids. It's always nice to get out with the staff to "let loose" a bit, but given the fact we only really get one night a week together as a family it's kind of hard to give that up for another whole week. By the time I got home on Saturday night all the kids were asleep and Dustin was only half awake.
Dustin had a rough night sleeping with his shoulders (they are a constant battle lately) so I let him sleep in a bit and fed the kids breakfast. When he woke up he felt inspired to put up the Christmas lights outside and take advantage of the gorgeous weather. It seems most of the neighborhood had the same idea as most everyone was out doing the same thing!
Every year he is responsible for the outdoor display. And every year he comments on how he really wants to line the frame of the house with lights. And every year I tell him that if he wants to climb that roof and string lights, more power to him, because there is not a chance in "you know what" that I will get up there and do it.
After going through the box of lights and testing each strand, I took my inventory list and ran to the store to buy some more of the old lights and some new big bulb lights. Then the spectacle began.
We started at 11:00 and Dustin went ahead with the usual stringing of lights on the trees.
And then two of Josh's friends from the neighborhood came by and asked Josh to play, so Dustin lost one of his helpers. And then Lauren found the instructions and thought she could fix all the broken and damaged strings from last year (that's all of them on the ground behind her). Good luck with that, honey.
Ella napped and Lauren and I did our best to help him. Mostly we just laughed and looked busy. After a late lunch, Josh returned and we started on the house. The kids helped with the clips and Ella was happy to stay in her walker and just watch.
And then we started working on the house. Dustin is certainly more daring than I. I couldn't get past the fourth step on the ladder so he gets "mad" props for even getting up on the garage.
But by the time he got on the main part of the house, Lauren was freaking!
"Daddy, come down!" "Daddy, come down now!" "Daddy, don't fall down!" "Mommy...get Daddy down!"
Nonetheless, her persevered and was ready to move to the very top of the house.
I took this picture....
and then he shook his head at me and said, "I'm done."
I said, "Good."
So Lauren helped me hold the ladder one last time and Daddy finally came down from the roof. He turned to me and said, "I'm not as daring as I once was."
My response was, "That's what three kids will do to ya!"
The house still looks great and even last night as we were finishing up, people were hollering out to us telling us how nice it looked.
I'm glad it's over and I'm glad no one fell off the roof. And according to Josh...it can snow now.
Another step towards toddler-dom
Well, Miss Ella is going through some sort of "Pay attention to me. I'm the baby. You don't have to do anything but look at me." phase. I'm working on about two hours of sleep right now and would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit cranky.
Ella literally started screaming around 9:30 last night - better known as two minutes after I got comfortable in bed - and didn't stop until around three this morning. If you think I'm exaggerating...just ask Dustin. He didn't even get to sleep last night and physically collapsed this afternoon when the house was empty.
Nothing was wrong with her. I changed her diaper (three times to be exact), I gave her bottles, I rocked her, I took her temperature, I patted her back, I put her in the swing, I gave her Tylenol for the heck of it, I did everything I could think of. And each time I got her settled down and left her room she would start screaming again. I'd let her cry for awhile and then re-enter and she would immediately stop crying, look at me and smile and/or giggle.
Let me tell you...at 2:00 in the morning that is infuriating. Especially given the fact that we've all been battling sickness in this house and sleep has been pretty limited this week.
And after all that I had to make a change in her bedroom tonight.
Can you see what it is?
Here's a hint:
Yes, she is officially pulling herself to a standing position now and I had to lower her mattress. Normally a big change like this would make me all sentimental and I'd be all weepy at the fact that my "last" baby is quickly becoming a non-baby.
But tonight I'm just happy that she can't fall out of her crib and that she is so exhausted from the lack of sleep that she will hopefully sleep for me tonight. **knock on wood**
Yet even as tired as I am tonight, I took some time to enjoy our newest addition.
This is the piano I learned to play on. I have spent hours upon hours practicing on this bench. And even after the piano lessons stopped I spent countless hours pounding away at these keys.
I have wanted a piano so badly for years now and my mother knew how much I wanted one. She knows how important music is to me and how much I missed playing so she made the extremely generous offer for us to use the piano for as long as we would like to have it. OMG. When she made the offer I started bawling. I cannot even begin to describe how much that meant to me. Truly...there are no words.
She has played the organ at church for the past several years so she spends more time practicing at the organ than playing the piano anymore. And when I made some comment about how after all these years - a new camper and a new truck for my husband - and I still didn't have my piano, she decided to change that.
I called and arranged to have the piano moved and today it has found its new home in my formal dining room.
I haven't played out of some of these books since I've had kids and amazingly my fingers remembered where to go for the most part. It was like riding a bike. Well...some were like riding a bike. And some were more like crashing and burning.
Oh, well. I learned them once. I can learn them again.
Thanks again, mom. I'd say you have no idea how much this meant to me...but I know you do.
Ella literally started screaming around 9:30 last night - better known as two minutes after I got comfortable in bed - and didn't stop until around three this morning. If you think I'm exaggerating...just ask Dustin. He didn't even get to sleep last night and physically collapsed this afternoon when the house was empty.
Nothing was wrong with her. I changed her diaper (three times to be exact), I gave her bottles, I rocked her, I took her temperature, I patted her back, I put her in the swing, I gave her Tylenol for the heck of it, I did everything I could think of. And each time I got her settled down and left her room she would start screaming again. I'd let her cry for awhile and then re-enter and she would immediately stop crying, look at me and smile and/or giggle.
Let me tell you...at 2:00 in the morning that is infuriating. Especially given the fact that we've all been battling sickness in this house and sleep has been pretty limited this week.
And after all that I had to make a change in her bedroom tonight.
Can you see what it is?
Here's a hint:
Yes, she is officially pulling herself to a standing position now and I had to lower her mattress. Normally a big change like this would make me all sentimental and I'd be all weepy at the fact that my "last" baby is quickly becoming a non-baby.
But tonight I'm just happy that she can't fall out of her crib and that she is so exhausted from the lack of sleep that she will hopefully sleep for me tonight. **knock on wood**
Yet even as tired as I am tonight, I took some time to enjoy our newest addition.
This is the piano I learned to play on. I have spent hours upon hours practicing on this bench. And even after the piano lessons stopped I spent countless hours pounding away at these keys.
I have wanted a piano so badly for years now and my mother knew how much I wanted one. She knows how important music is to me and how much I missed playing so she made the extremely generous offer for us to use the piano for as long as we would like to have it. OMG. When she made the offer I started bawling. I cannot even begin to describe how much that meant to me. Truly...there are no words.
She has played the organ at church for the past several years so she spends more time practicing at the organ than playing the piano anymore. And when I made some comment about how after all these years - a new camper and a new truck for my husband - and I still didn't have my piano, she decided to change that.
I called and arranged to have the piano moved and today it has found its new home in my formal dining room.
I haven't played out of some of these books since I've had kids and amazingly my fingers remembered where to go for the most part. It was like riding a bike. Well...some were like riding a bike. And some were more like crashing and burning.
Oh, well. I learned them once. I can learn them again.
Thanks again, mom. I'd say you have no idea how much this meant to me...but I know you do.
Another one bites the dust!
Josh lost another tooth tonight! Well, it's been hanging there for three days now and I just kind of pulled it. He is ecstatic and I'm not worried he's going to swallow it in his sleep anymore!
He came home from daycare tonight and looked awful. He said his neck (a/k/a his throat) hurt. He felt warm and was really lethargic.
So Daddy called into work and took his little boy to the walk-in clinic since there were no available appointments at the pediatrician.
He had a 101.8 temp and turns out he's got strep for the hundredth time.
So...Ti-ti's on duty tomorrow with the girls and I'm wondering what she's going to say when she finds out she has all three kids.
Wish her luck!
He came home from daycare tonight and looked awful. He said his neck (a/k/a his throat) hurt. He felt warm and was really lethargic.
So Daddy called into work and took his little boy to the walk-in clinic since there were no available appointments at the pediatrician.
He had a 101.8 temp and turns out he's got strep for the hundredth time.
So...Ti-ti's on duty tomorrow with the girls and I'm wondering what she's going to say when she finds out she has all three kids.
Wish her luck!
Already?
I'm home with the girls today. We are starting Week 2 of no daycare. Our daycare provider's oldest child had the swine flu last week and it appears her daughter has it this week. So, we are continuing to cross our fingers that no one gets sick and making it day by day.
I digress.
This morning I had Ella down on the floor and she crawled over to the vacuum and started to reach for the cord and I hollered, "No, Ella." She sat up turned and looked at me and shook her head 'No'.
I stopped what I was doing, walked over to her and said, "No" and she shook her head again.
I'm like..."Did my seven and a half month old child just tell me, 'No'?"
Apparently so.
The girl can't even talk and she's already talking back.
I blame Lauren for teaching her this.
I digress.
This morning I had Ella down on the floor and she crawled over to the vacuum and started to reach for the cord and I hollered, "No, Ella." She sat up turned and looked at me and shook her head 'No'.
I stopped what I was doing, walked over to her and said, "No" and she shook her head again.
I'm like..."Did my seven and a half month old child just tell me, 'No'?"
Apparently so.
The girl can't even talk and she's already talking back.
I blame Lauren for teaching her this.
