Things have been nuts around the Bricker house lately and I cannot believe how fast 2011 is going! So...I figured we'd just do a quick catch-up!
Ella -
Our little Ella Bella is talking more and more each day. She had been calling me daddy for months but she has officially realized that the term for the female parent is mommy. And she says it all the time. Over and over. Even after she has my attention. And it melts my heart every time.
She has been, and I hope always will be, my little cuddle bug. Just about every night, assuming we have the time, her and I cuddle up in the recliner and read a few of her favorite books. A couple times we've watched a cartoon and just nuzzled, but mostly that child wants to have books read. And her favorite book right now is a musical one in which each page has the lyrics to a song and has a corresponding button that plays the music. She loves that book! And I can sing the songs forwards and backwards and within 1/2 step of the key it's in. One night I sang from that book for more than an hour. There are eight songs. Yeah, I'm not kidding.
We are rapidly approaching her 2nd birthday and I still look at her and can't believe that she's almost been with us for two years!!! Where does the time go?
We are still working on getting her to stop sucking her thumb. Taking a pacifier away was much easier and I know my own personal struggles with the thumb. Let's just say....she could suck that thing for almost another whole decade before she would have me beat. But I'd also like to avoid the cost of braces so right now we're just reminding her to GET HER THUMB OUT OF HER MOUTH! :-)
My grandfather sent me a forward the other day about children praying at the dinner table. Ella is our official Prayer Supervisor. She is the first one to have her hands folded as soon as we all sit down at the table. And if she sees one of her siblings grab a bite before a prayer has been said she will point and sqwak. It's pretty funny. But...she has not comprehended the concept of seconds. She thinks that each time she gets another helping she must pray again. And while I certainly don't want to discourage her from praying....six table prayers at one meal is a bit much. ;-)
Lauren -
Oh, where, oh where do I start with Miss Lauren?
Lauren decided to cut her hair recently. She had been growing it out and I had been asking for her to let me cut it. Apparently one evening I while I was using the restroom she thought it would be a good idea to grab the hair at the top of her head and take a chunk. It's about two inches long at its very shortest and THANKFULLY blends in pretty well with the rest of her hair. While doing this she also took a chunk of her grown out bangs. Again....THANKFULLY she only took about four inches off from the bottom. So...she's back to a chin length bob. If this is the worst haircut she gives herself, or others, I'll be grateful.
This weekend I worked down at the office for awhile and decided that I should reward myself (more on that later) with a little mani/pedi. I had planned on taking Lauren last year but never got around to it. So I picked her up and we went and got our nails done. Boy, oh boy, did she have fun! They had little girl pedicure chairs and she loved watching the water change colors from pink to blue to purple to yellow to orange. She was such a good girl and did everything the lady asked her to do. We had a blast and now she can't stop talking about going back. I may have created a monster....or found a new partner in nail crime. :-)
We officially registered Lauren for preschool next year. She will be going M-W-F in the morning but still at the same school. Three days a week!! And one more year closer to Kindergarten! She is sooooo ready! And I am soooo ready to have one more out of full-time daycare!
Josh -
Josh is getting excited for his 1/2 birthday party this weekend. We didn't throw him a party in August because with the beginning of school and the ending of summer there was just too much going on and it's always hard to figure out who to invite a few days into a new year. So he was patient and has been rewarded with a birthday party at a big entertainment place here in town. We are expecting anywhere from five to nine kids at this point and my house is thanking me daily for not having the party there. He's chosen Sonic the Hedgehog theme and we went and ordered cupcakes this weekend for the big event.
We're starting to see more and more signs of teenage-dom. The most recent struggle has been his hair. He wanted to grow it out. It looked hideous. We asked him daily if we could cut it. And finally this weekend I told him that I was not going to pay for a really fun birthday party and have his ridiculous hair in all of the pictures. That did the trick because Sunday afternoon the mop was removed. I gave him a little leway and cut it longer than I normally do but the entire time I was cutting his hair he was pouting. Like he was three. It was ridiculous and hysterical at the same time. I'm just thankful I can still win some battle every once and awhile.
Me -
I officially hit 70 pounds lost a few weeks back! And right now I'm actually closer to 75! I'm pretty excited and also officially dropped another pant size. I am back in the size I wore when I was a freshman in college. Seems crazy to think of it that way! But now I have officially lost Josh. Or if you want to look at it another way....I've lost BOTH Lauren and Ella. Unreal.
I have also started a new training program for running. It's very similar to the C25k one I used last year except this is a 10k program. I just finished Week 9 of the 10 Week program and am up to running for 66 minutes!! The hardest part about the entire program is finding more than an hour to run! Once I actually get on the treadmill the time flies...but finding the time and making arrangements to actually get ON the treadmill are exhausting. I usually run between 4.5 and 5.0 miles depending on the night's routine. I absolutely love it and am happy to report that I have found my waist again! Who knew?!?!?
Dustin -
Not much is new with Dustin. He keeps plugging away and curses every morning the temps drop below zero. He's hanging in there and trying to help me make it through tax season all at the same time. Poor guy!
