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Lincoln is a talker.  This can be a blessing or a curse, and can go one of 2 ways:

1)  He's talking, but it's so low, you can't hear him.  This is usually the case in the car.  We continually ask him to speak up, but often times, still can't understand him.

This scenario has found it's way into our everyday life.  When he wants the volume turned up on things, he asks us to "speak it up" - whether it's the TV or the radio.  It's totally cute. 

2)  He talks continuously, driving Brian and I crazy asking questions and jabbering.  This afternoon for instance:  first, there was an accident out near the entrance to our development.  We could see all the lights and hear the sirens.  He stood at the front door watching what was going on - telling us what was happening, and asking questions.  He was very concerned that the road was hurt from the accident, and that he wouldn't be able to go to school tomorrow.  Then, we were making apple crisp and Lincoln was helping us - and his mouth never stopped for a full half hour.  He helped Brian take the stems off the apples, then gave me grief because I picked an apple up and peeled it without him giving it to me.  Then he babbled about how he doesn't like red apples - only green ones, but then changed his tune quickly when I said he wouldn't like the apple crisp then since we were using red apples.  Then he would go into the living room to see if Jackson was still sleeping. 

It's so fun to hear him talk and tell stories - but it's also exhausting.  I told Brian maybe I should stay the 3rd night at the hospital and just enjoy the peace and quiet.  Brian contemplated staying at the hospital with me.  :-)

We love our boys...and would never trade them.  But some afternoons, we really look forward to nap time - because we need a rest!

My due date

Today was my due date. 
Back in January, I thought this day would never come.  Now it is here, and we are still awaiting the arrival of our little one.  Still feeling very blessed to be a mom again....but getting very tired too.  The past few weeks have been busy with cleaning, organizing, and preparing for a new life to join our family.  Sitting here writing my "to-do" list for the next few days, and prioritizing between what NEEDS to be done and what would be nice if it was done.  Energy will dictate how many of those "nice to haves" get done.
Looking forward to having visitors in the house.  Lyn and Nash will be arriving on Wednesday to help Brian with the boys while I am away at the hospital.  RJ, Lylah and Knox will join them on Friday, as well as my parents.  It will be a full house for the weekend, and I'm hoping that the baby and I can be home to spend time with everyone on Friday night as well.
From the looks of things, we won't go hungry.  Rod came to visit today, despite no baby.  Mom sent food with him for us - a few casseroles, chili, a pork roast, and chicken pot pie.  I have white chicken chili, broccoli cheese soup, meatloaf, enchiladas, and chicken tetrazzini in the freezer as well.  I know Lyn has been cooking for us as well - definitely won't need to cook for a little bit!
Can't believe how fast this year has went, but know that the next few months will go equally as fast.  Hoping we can enjoy and soak in more moments this time around since we'll only have one tiny, depending human being - but we also have 2 almost 4 year olds who still need our love and attention.
Starting to count the days down - 3 at most till we meet our new little boy or girl! 

Flashback: Shrimp

I promised I'd share more stories.  :-)

Yesterday morning around 3:40, I heard Lincoln fussing.  Usually I let him go until he calls out for me, but he's been fighting allergies and has been all stuffed up, so I went to check on him.  I quickly figured out what was bothering him - Jackson was in his twin bed with him!  Of course, they weren't laying end to end like you should - they were flipped sideways.  Evidently, Jackson was laying too close to Lincoln or laying on his blanket or something and Lincoln was not liking his space invaded. 

Before I scooped Jackson up and took him back to his own bed, I just stood over them.  I instantly went back to when they were babies.  They always slept in the exact same position - heads tilted at the same angle, all curled up.  It's still the same - they were both laying on their right side, legs tucked up, chin tucked under.  Then I went back even further - to one of our first ultrasound pictures - because how they were laying, the shape of their bodies reminded me of a shrimp.  And that's what they looked like in their first ultrasound! 

It was totally precious - but no, I didn't take a picture.  It was 3:40 in the morning!  So, I simply put Jackson back in his bed, snuggled both of them up in a blanket, and went back to bed, anxious to see if this next baby follows in its brothers tendencies, or if it blazes its own trail.  Only time will tell.

Are the boys ready for the baby?

A week ago, we bought the boys twin beds, and moved them into their new bedroom (the old guestroom).  It has beautiful sky blue walls, navy blue sheets, and sports themed comforters.  A perfect room for 2 little boys.

The boys helped me put their names on the wall over their beds one afternoon last week, THEN it was their room.  That night, after their baths, they found their carpet that they play matchbox cars on, and brought it to their room.  It was finally THEIR room.

Last night, Brian took down one of the boys toddler beds, and turned the other bed back into a crib.  The yellow room is no longer the boys room - its the baby's room.  The boys asked questions about what daddy was doing, partly understanding, partly not.

However, it wasn't until 11:15 last night when I wondered if my little guys were REALLY ready for all the changes coming their way.  If they were really ready for twin beds, a new room, and a new baby brother or sister.  See, at 11:15 last night, I heard a THUD.  Lincoln fell out of his bed.  For the second time in just over a week.  My fears were calmed though as he never cried, never even made a fuss when Brian scooped him back up, and put him back in his bed.  He never even woke up. 

So you see, the boys are ready for all of this....because even when they fall down, mom and dad will be there to pick them back up.  We'll always be there to support them.  We are just adding more love to our family.
 

Things boys say....

Each day, something comes out of one of the boys mouths that makes me smile.  Somedays, it makes me shake my head.  Other days, I just burst out laughing. 

A few weeks ago, I shared a Jackson quote with some people:  "Lincoln, if I pour syrup on you, you would be a pancake."   I'm still hearing that people think about this and chuckle. 

Lincoln lately has been calling Brian "papa" instead of "daddy".  Not sure where he picked that up from, but we've went with it.  Even the other morning when I asked Lincoln if he wanted a daddy sandwich, and he emphatically told me, "No - I want a papa sandwich!"  We roll with the punches.

I need to be better about sharing stories about the boys.  I've gotten out of the habit the past few months, but I'm going to try harder.

A few things to celebrate in July....

Birthdays

• July 1 - Denny Brunswick turns 80
• July 6 - Great Aunt Jean Muehlfeld turns 54
• July 17 - cousin Addison Young turns 15
• July 19 - Jeff Hart turns 48
• July 20 - cousin Andrea Haas turns 20
• July 21 - Kate Hart turns 39
• July 22 - Pat Brocki turns 49
• July 24 - Great Uncle John Hart turns 65
• July 28 - Great Aunt Shirley Maier turns 66;  Baby Nash Willinger turns 2
• July 29 - cousin Wes Maier turns 42

Anniversaries

•  July 2 - We remember the anniversary of Grandma and Grandpa Hart. It would have been 47 years
• July 5 - Brian and I celebrate the 11th anniversary of our first date
• July 9 - Great Uncle Shorty and Great Aunt Eileen Bruns celebrate their 64th wedding anniversary
• July 12 - Nick and Monica Wappes celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary
• July 25 - Seth and Angie Coles celebrate their 4th wedding anniversary

June celebrations

Birthdays:• June 3 - Parker Muehlfeld turns 4
• June 9 - Eli Burkholder turns 26
• June 18 - Grandma Emmie turns 85
• June 21 - Seth O'Connor turns 7
• June 22 - Uncle Ken Gels turns 82 and Aunt Lois Ann Brunswich turns 79
• June 23 - Brian turns 43
• June 25 - Grandpa Joe Hart would have turned 69
• June 30 - Brody Wyldes turns 4

Anniversaries:
• June 2 - Dave and Ruth Wappes celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary
• June 4 - Clifford and Shirley Simon celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary; Steve and Jennifer Ginter celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary
• June 8 - Jerry and Lisa Haas celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary
• June 11 - Jason and Maria Hart celebrate their 8th wedding anniversary
• June 14 - Wes and Jen Maier celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary
• June 23 - Lori and Tyler Lentz celebrate their first wedding anniversary
June 26 - Derek and Marcy Wyldes celebrate their 9th wedding anniversary

Other dates to note:
Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads/grandpas' out there on June 16th.

It's been a while

It's been a while since I've come to the blog.  It's been a crazy few weeks.

However, when I logged in, I looked at the picture of the boys at the top.  I took that picture last summer - and thought they looked so grown up.  I sit here and shake my head now...as they have both grown and changed so much since that picture was taken.

Both of the boys have been sleeping in full beds for the past few nights.  Wow - we went from cribs to full beds in about 6 months!  Jackson is working on learning to buckle his own seat belt, and Lincoln is ready for a booster seat.

Besides having physically grown since last summer, they've also matured and learned so much too.  They read books to us now.  They can count to 15 pretty well, and they recognize all of their letters (both capital and lower case).  Both boys can spell their names, and Jackson can also spell Lincoln's name and Hart.  They sing songs about letter sounds, and continue to amaze us each day. 

For example, the boys got Mobigos for Christmas.  They are hand held games. The first few times they played with them, they didn't really know what to do with them.  Now, they play the games on the difficult level!  And they don't need our help either.

Our little boys are growing up so fast...but I know that they are going to be great big brothers!  They are so excited about the baby....and I can't wait for them to meet their new brother or sister!

My mom taught me well

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the boys are sparking more memories about Brian's childhood.  Well, they bring out memories for me too.  It's amazing how 30 years can change a person's perspective!

I was putting the boys to bed one night when a memory hit me.  I was rocking Lincoln for his 2 minutes, then I was going to rock Jackson.  Just going through our normal nighttime routine.  That night, Jackson wasn't very patient, so he started asking me questions while I rocked Lincoln.

At first I ignored him as I was trying to enjoy my time with Lincoln.  But then, Jackson kept asking me the same question over and over and over.  So, then I ignored him out of principle.

That was when it hit me.  I remember my mom sitting and reading her books when I was a kid.  We never learned to say "Excuse me Mom, can I ask you a question?".  No - we just started asking, and we would keep asking over and over again thinking that would make her answer us.  I used to get so mad at her....why couldn't she just answer my question?

Now I understand that she needed her own time.  She needed to decompress from the day, and take just a few minutes to do something she enjoyed without having to deal with us kids.

Now, whenever I'm busy doing something and one of the boys starts in with questions, I ignore them....just like my mom did so many years ago.  When I'm finished with my task, I will turn my attention to them and address their question - but on my terms.  They need to learn to respect other peoples private time, and to patiently wait for my attention.

And someday, they will laugh when they do the same to their own kids!

May celebrations

Birthdays

• Aunt Lisa Haas turns 46 on the 6th

• Eli Hart turns 4 on the 8th

• Uncle Ralph Gels turns 69 on the 12th and Aunt Lorae Gels turns 68

• Grandma Janice Hart would have been 66 on the 17th; and Aunt Janet Gels turns 65

• cousin Taylor Zank turns 22 on the 20th

• Brian's Goddaughter Ashley turns 6 on the 21st

• Uncle Rodney Muehlfeld turns 43 on the 24th

• Alyssa Maier turns 14 on the 27th

• cousin Chad Muehlfeld turns 35 on the 29th, and Davis Brown turns 19



Anniversaries:

• Nate and Jess Wappes celebrate their 5th anniversary on the 17th

• Jay and Tracy Wagner celebrate their anniversary on the 21st

• Matt and Jennifer Schug celebrate their 17th anniversary on the 25th

Saturday naps

Saturday afternoon naps have been a challenge for us for quite a while now.  Three years olds have so much energy, and they don't think they need to nap.  Parents of three years olds are tired, and need three year olds to nap.

Last month, my sister Rachelle and her daughter were in town for a soccer tournament.  They arrived shortly before noon, and we enjoyed a nice lunch and visit with them before they had to head off to Addison's soccer game.  Since we had visitors, the boys were later getting to nap time than usual.

Brian went out to mow the lawn.  I was extremely tired that day, so after I put the boys in their room for a nap, I tried to take a nap myself.  I heard them singing and talking (which isn't uncommon), but let them go.  It was probably about an hour later when I heard the most horrific noise - followed by both of the boys crying.

I raced down the hallway to see what had happened.  Their door was closed - and LOCKED!  I could hear them both crying, but couldn't get the door to open.  I begged them to open the door if they were able to.

Lincoln sheepishly unlocked the door, and I peered in to find Jackson standing in the middle of the room crying.  Then, I saw their big chest dresser in the corner with all the drawers pulled out leaning against the rocking chair that sits in front of it.  All of the boys things that were on top of the dresser were on the floor.

I put both of the boys in Jackson's bed, and went and set the dresser back upright.  I went back to the boys, checked for blood, asked if they were ok, and hugged them tight.  Once I knew that they were fine, I let them have it.

It seems, they thought it would be a great idea to lock the door, pull all the drawers out on the dresser, then climb up the drawers!  As they climbed higher, the weight pulled the top of the dresser over.  Thankfully the rocking chair was in front of the dresser or they could have been crushed.

The incident scared the boys pretty bad, as when I told them to go sit on the couch while I went and got daddy, they did exactly what I told them to without a word. 

Now, climbing up the dresser drawers has been added to the list of things we NEVER EVER DO...like skiing down slides!

This morning....

For having a rough night with a belly ache, Jackson woke up happy as can be.  Only problem was - he wanted a gator!

Where is Pawpaw when we need him?

Pizza

This week is a busy one in our house.  We have company coming, and we're traveling this weekend.

I was trying to be proactive, and made Tuesday night's dinner on Monday night so that I could put it in the oven and get things done when I got home from work.  As usual, the best laid plans didn't go to plan.

Brian had some issues at work, and we were late getting out of work.  Traffic was horrific, so it was after 6:00 before we got to daycare to get the boys.  Having something that will take 30-40 minutes to heat in the oven doesn't work when you get home at 6:15.

Brian and I were discussing options for dinner when we picked the boys up.  They were insistent that they wanted pizza for dinner, so we headed to a local place.  They had a special on medium pizzas, so we ordered 2 twelve inch medium pizzas.  Each pizza had 8 slices.

When the pizza arrived, the boys dove in.  Each of them ate 3 whole pieces of pizza!  Then, they brought out little dishes of ice cream for the boys, and Daddy got chocolate chip cookies.  Their eyes had to be floating by the time we left the restaurant....but they were sure happy!

Bath time went fine, and the boys settled into bed.  However, about 1/2 hour later, I heard Lincoln making noises.  He quickly informed me he had too much for dinner and his belly hurt.  I rocked him a bit which settled him down and he went to sleep.

Jackson however decided to wait until 11:45 to cause trouble.  We were up most of the night (till almost 3:00) because his belly was too full!

I think next time we'll stop after 2 pieces of pizza!

Silly boys....

Most of the time, I'm really happy to be the mom of 2 healthy, active little boys.  So many people tell me that rough housing boys are better than the drama that comes with little girls. 

But as the boys are getting older, this mom feels left out.

The other day, I tried playing cars with Lincoln, but he is used to playing cars with Daddy.  Daddy is more creative talking about going to the diner for lunch, and getting donuts at the grocery store.  Even Brian told me I wasn't doing it right.

Last night after bath, the boys were good so they got to color for their "fun time".  Jackson was drawing letters and telling me what they were, but once Brian picked up a crayon, Mommy didn't exist.  The boys were fighting trying to help Daddy color his picture.

Now, they are creating their own little secret phrases. 

• I was putting Lincoln to bed the other night, and I straightened his pillow.  He very quickly gave me the business, insisting he wanted it like a rectangle!  Luckily, I turned his pillow just right to accomodate his request. 
• There is something else about blueberries that they talk about at night - I still haven't figured that one out, but it makes both the boys laugh and laugh!
• And this morning on the way to daycare, we were talking about letters and animals, and Jackson asked Brian what a dog says.  Brian barked like a dog - and the barking and laughing continued for the whole 10 minute drive!

Don't worry - I still get lots of hugs, kisses and "I love you's" from my boys, but I am a bit jealous that Brian is able to channel is inner boy and connect on a different level.  Guess I need to learn to be more silly and just join in!

Reflecting....

I met Brian just over 11 years ago.  We worked together for 5 months before we really talked or interacted much.  But once we went on our first date, it was all history.

Brian was in his early 20's when his dad passed away.  For most of our dating relationship, I didn't really know much about his dad.  Brian talked about time he spent with his Grandma Hart, but didn't really talk about his memories of his dad often.  When I would ask him about his dad, he would laugh and say he has a bad memory, and I partially felt like maybe it was too painful for Brian to talk about.

Over the years, I've heard different stories about Joe from Uncle John and I've learned a lot from visits with cousin Steve too.  From those interactions, I have come to realize that Brian just needs some prompting to remember things about his dad - which was something I didn't think I could do.

However, I was wrong.  I gave Brian the biggest prompt possible - 2 little guys.  Each day of interacting with Lincoln and Jackson brings more childhood memories for Brian.  He talks about his dad and growing up more now than he ever has. 

This has been the greatest gift imaginable.  Although I never had the pleasure to meet Joe, I feel like I know him.  I see him almost every day, when my husband plays with our sons.  His interests and passions were instilled in Brian, and Brian is now passing those traditions down to our boys.  We listen to the Reds on the radio, watch the games on TV, and are looking forward to taking the boys to many games in the future.  The boys also love being outdoors and helping daddy do yard work.  They are definitely country boys! 

So, thank you God for blessing us with these amazing little boys.  Although they will never know Grandma and Grandpa Hart personally, they are helping to keep their memories alive for Brian forever.




 

Being a mom of twin 3 year olds

Wow - people asked me when the boys turned 2 if I was ready for the terrible 2's.  Well, if the 2's were terrible, the 3's are TERRIFYING!

There are so many good things about them being 3:

• they can talk and communicate and tell us what hurts, what happened at school, etc.
• they are more independent and can dress themselves
• they can entertain themselves most of the time

The flip side of it is:

• you never know for sure if what they are telling you is the truth or not
• although they can do things themselves, they don't always do it when you ask them
• they still crave our attention, usually when we just need a few minutes to ourselves

We definitely have our good days and bad days.

Recently, I started noting the things that I seem to repeat OVER AND OVER AND OVER.  I really should get a fancy machine, tape record these sayings, then just push the button when it's appropriate.

Examples:

1. One at a time - This phrase applies to so many things....how to eat our snack/breakfast/dinner;  how to go up the stair steps (the boys have seen daddy take the stairs 2 at a time);  taking turns washing our hands;  trying to put our pants on (ok - this is one LEG at a time);  when both of them are trying to ask or tell me something;  how many books we can pick out to read - I could go on and on!
2. Do you have to go potty? - yes, now that we are potty trained, we still need to prompt them to ensure we don't have any accidents
3. Did you hear me? - this one is frustrating, as I know they can hear me, they just aren't listening
4. Please stop touching your weiner - oh the fun of boys!
5. Let's go get in the van - I bet I say this at least 5 times each weekday morning
6. Sit down - like #1, this one applies to so many things....getting in their car seats;  eating dinner;  when they are standing on the couch, etc.

There is one phrase that I also say a lot too, but I'm not going to record this one.  It has too much meaning to simply just record it and play it over and over....

I love you!

April 2013 Special dates

Birthdays:

• April 1 - Barb Miller, Bowen Reed turns 3
• April 5 - Jennifer Ginter turns 41
• April 10 - Lyn Willinger turns 36, Steve Ginter turns 43
• April 11 - Lori Hart turns 25
• April 13 - Alex Tallarigo turns ONE!
• April 18 - Marcy (Bruner) Wyldes turns 38
• April 22 - Tyler Lentz turns 25

Anniversaries:

• April 22 - Joe and Rachelle Young - 18 years
• April 22 - Nick and Jenny Tallarigo - 7 years

Potty training....

I looked back, and the last potty training post I made was just after the boys 3rd birthday.  At that time, I was very unhappy with our status on potty training.  I never thought the boys would be 3 and still wearing diapers.  I even wondered if I was a bad mom.  But thankfully, other moms of boys assured me that boys are different.  You have to wait till they make up their minds to do it, and it wasn't uncommon for 3 year old boys to be in diapers.  Most of the moms assured me they had no tips either, as daycare was responsibile for their boys being potty trained.

Fast forward 2 months, and I am so happy to say that the boys are both potty trained!  We wear Pull-ups at nap and bedtime, but big boy underwear the rest of the time.  We do have accidents from time to time (I'll share more below), but overall, we are in a much better place than we were in January.  The boys can even go potty standing up, and Jackson insists on going potty by himself most of the time (and yes....he keeps it in the bowl).

Accidents....yes, we had a very trying night a few weeks ago.  Brian was in Toledo for work for a few days, so it was just me and the boys.  Our first night went great - we finished dinner, did baths, and watched part of a movie before bedtime.  I should have known not to push my luck.  The second night, I had dinner in the crockpot, and needed a few things from the store, so off to Meijer we headed after I picked the boys up from school.  The boys were behaving pretty well, and we were almost done when I thought about asking the boys if they needed to go potty.  Then, I got distracted by what I needed yet, and didn't ask. 

Next thing I knew, Jackson had a strange look on his face, and I knew immediately he had an accident.  Ordinarily, accidents aren't a big deal.  However, on this night, he was in the big part of the cart, and the groceries were beneath him!  Luckily it was just #1, and it pooled on top of the package of Pull-ups.  However, the bathroom had air driers (not paper towels), so I had to find some napkins at the eatery.  I wiped off Jackson and the Pull-ups, and we got out of there fast.  Once home, I got the Clorox bleach wipes out and disinfected the Pull-ups.  Jackson got new pants. 

We proceeded to eat dinner, and then I was trying to get the boys to undress for their shower when....it happened again.  Jackson had another accident, which left a little puddle on the kitchen floor.  But this time, he was also pooping in his big boy underwear.  As a mom - we always wish we had another pair of hands, but that night, I really needed them!  I got Jackson to the bathroom and took off his pants.  I was yelling for Lincoln to stay out of the puddle in the kitchenand washing  Jackson's big boy pants out in the toilet, and then realized he wasn't done.  Before I could get him on the potty, he had squatted down right there in the bathroom and (you guessed it) POOPED on the floor!

After a few deep breaths, and more Clorox bleach wipes on both the kitchen and bathroom floors, we headed off to the shower....and then directly to bed.

As mad as I was that night, it still wasn't as bad as Lincoln's Bob Evans stunt.  Check this one out!  (I have to share a store about each of them, right?)

Early this month, the boys had haircuts.  Brian and I had talked about just doing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at home quick before the haircuts, but after work, Brian decided that just wasn't going to cut it for dinner.  We didn't have a lot of time before the haircuts either.  I hadn't packed a diaper bag, so we asked school for a couple of Pull-ups - just in case.  We stopped into Bob Evans for dinner.  I took each of the boys to the bathroom, and put a Pull-up on Jackson (as he had been having more accidents at that time).  Lincoln went potty, so I left his big boy underwear on him.

We had a wonderful dinner, and the boys thoroughly enjoyed their pancakes.  They were covered in maple syrup from head to toe!  Brian took Jackson to the bathroom to clean him up and to go potty while Lincoln and I stayed in the booth and waited for them.  The plan was for me to take Lincoln to the bathroom when the boys got back.  Then, I saw the "poop" look on Lincoln's face.  I wasn't prepared for this.  No wet wipes, no additional clothes.  Oh - this could be bad.  I tried to quietly tell him "No" and to "Stop" without drawing attention from the nice couple in the booth next to us.  He didn't stop.  He pooped his big boy pants right there in the booth.  I tried to get him to walk to the bathroom so I could assess the damage, but he wouldn't walk as he wasn't done.  So, I grabbed my purse and my son - left all of our coats in the booth - and headed for the bathroom. 

The silver lining - it was a solid one! 

I had to use a wet paper towel to clean his bottom, and thankfully I still had his Pull-up to put on him.  However, he got some poop on his sock, so we had to go home and get the poor kid another sock.

Once we got in the van, I let him have it pretty good.  Not one of my proudest mom moments, but honestly - he never pooped his pants (not even his Pull-up) again!

Hummingbirds....

The days just keep flying by.  Seems like just a few weeks ago we went through the traumatic transition from Toddlers to Chickadees, and now my babies are Hummingbirds!

As Chickadees, they did spend time each day in the Hummingbird room.  They have also officially visited their new room several times over the past few months.  We had a few little hiccups with the boys - Jackson wanted to stay home with Mommy all the time and stop going to school;  Lincoln wanted to stay in Chickadees with Jackson.  Overall though, the transition is actually harder on me and Brian than the boys - because we keep calling school Chickadees.

The boys continue to learn so many new things.  They have learned about their 5 senses, what things are hot and what are cold, and now they are talking about the 4 seasons.  Their ability to logically think through a situation is amazing to me.  A few weeks ago, I was talking to Jackson about needing help with the laundry and dishes (chores that the boys will need to pitch in on as they get older).  Jackson pondered what I was saying for about 30 seconds, looked me straight in the eye and confidently declared, "Mom - we need Cinderella!"

Cinderella would be nice....but a Fairy Godmother would be even better!

March 2013 Special dates

Birthdays:


March 2 - Hunter Muehlfeld turns 6, Tim Zank turns 55

March 4 - Kelly Willinger turns 30!!!!

March 11 - Uncle Shorty Bruns turns 88

March 13 - Derek Wyldes turns 37

March 15 - Lylah Willinger turns 5

March 16 - Pat Burkholder turns 50!!!!

March 17 - Rachelle Young turns 41

March 18 - Dave Wappes turns 62

March 20 - Jason Hart

March 28 - Jim Wolff turns 57

March 30 - Jess Wappes turns 28

Dates to note:

• Saturday, March 30 - Our Relay for Life team is holding our 3rd annual bake sale to benefit cancer research.  Stop by the Edon State Bank or the F&M Bank in Bryan to pick up some sweet treats and support a great cause!  If you want to support our Relay for Life team, but can't stop by the bake sale, visit our team website to make your donation online!
  http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY13EC?team_id=1244196&pg=team&fr_id=49621 
• Sunday, March 31 - Easter

Writers block....

I know, I know....it's been forever since I've posted.  I guess I've been suffering from writers block in these cold winter months.  You'd think I'd have more time for writing....but I haven't.  Other priorities and two busy boys.  When I do sit down to write, the words just aren't flowing as easily, and I'm struggling to say exactly what I mean.  So, I start entries, save them, come back and edit them....and repeat the process.

I have pictures on the camera from before the boys birthday yet too - so writing isn't the only thing I'm behind on.  I guess I'm just focusing on enjoying each and every minute with our boys....soaking in the memories instead of trying to document it all.  I promise to share more soon.  Maybe when we get more sunshine....

Hope you are all enjoying your winter, and we hope to share more stories with you soon!

Daddy's broken heart

One night a few weeks ago, I was making dinner, and I heard Brian wince in pain.  I turned around and saw him rubbing his chest.  My first thought when this happens is always that he's having a heart attack.  He quickly assured me that he had pulled a muscle reaching down for one of the boys, but I urged him to sit and rest.  I must have made a comment about making sure he wasn't having a heart attack, and Lincoln picked up on it.

I made Brian take it easy the rest of the night, explaining to the boys that Daddy was ok, but we just wanted to give him a rest.  The next day, Brian took the boys to daycare, but I picked them up.  They were confused when I arrived, and asked where Daddy was.  Jackson first asked, "Is Daddy sick Mommy?"  I assured him that Daddy was fine.  But Lincoln prodded...."Did Daddy break his heart again Mommy?"

It was so sweet and innocent...the life of a 3 year old. 

February 2013 Special dates

Birthdays


February 1st - Matt Wappes turns 28
February 2nd - Godfather Jay Wagner's birthday
February 5th - Mom (Judy Muehlfeld) turns 64
February 10th - Aunt Sue Lynn turns 64
February 15th - Aunt Marie Wolff turns 56
February 19th - Aunt Eileen Bruns turns 83, Uncle Larry Maier turns 66, Madison Ginter turns 16
February 21st - Aaron (Muehlfeld) turns 32
February 23rd - Brenda Willinger turns 57
February 24th - Seth Coles turns 29
February 25th - Nick Wappes
February 26th - Aunt Pam Hart turns 67
February 27th - Tracy Wagners' birthday;  Seth Wyldes was born!

Happy Birthday everyone!

Anniversaries

February 17th - Eric and Daphne Wolff - 6 years

Mom...there's poop on the floor

As a new mom, you expect to pick your child up occasionally and find a little surprise leaking out of their diaper.  As a mom of 3 year olds, poop usually isn't much of a concern.

We were busy preparing for the boys birthday party and houseguests.  We had party supplies laid out in the dining room, and Brian was organizing.  We don't spend a lot of time in the dining room, so the boys were enjoying just running through the entire house.

Then, I heard the words I didn't expect to hear from my 3 year old son - "Mom.  There's poop on the floor."  Very matter of factly, and without much excitement.  Of course, my reaction was, "WWWWHHHHHAAAATTTT?"

I turned around, and there it was.  I little turd laying on the kitchen floor.  Maybe about as big as a quarter.

I quickly surmised (did the sniff test) who the culprit was, and grabbed Jackson for a pull-up change.  Brian tackled the turd, and sanitized the floor.  Evidently, Jackson's pull-up had gapped a little bit, and the little turd rolled down his pant leg and onto the floor.  Brian even found a second one (much smaller) in the hallway! 

I guess as long as you have kids, you always have to expect poop!

My cape

At bedtime, we've gotten into a routine where Jackson wants to "hide" with Daddy (they go into one of the guest rooms and snuggle under the covers) and Lincoln snuggles and rocks with me in the boys room.

A few nights ago, we went upstairs for our normal bedtime routine.  It was getting bitter cold outside, so I grabbed the fleece blanket out of Lincoln's bed.  Lincoln came in the room, climbed up on my lap, and started adjusting the blanket around my neck.  Then he said, "Here, let me adjust your cape."

My first thought was that I had somehow become a superhero to him.  Wow - was I wrong!

Next, he took his little fingers and started brushing them around my ears, and the back of my neck.  When he started doing this, he very matter of factly said, "Ok, now I'm going to cut your hair."  That's when it clicked for me.  When we go see Miss Shauna, they sit in the chair, she adjusts their cape, and then starts cutting their hair with the clippers!  Of course, I went along with Lincoln's pretend play - how could I not!

He finished with the clippers, sprayed me with the water bottle, and scissored the top of my hair - just like Miss Shauna does.  Next, he messed my hair all up, then carefully fixed it back to normal before declaring, "You're all done!" 

The next morning, I got Lincoln up and took him to my bathroom to go tinkle while I finished doing my hair.  Suddenly he exclaimed, "Mommy!  I cut your hair last night!"  With a giggle, I gently reaffirmed our playtime by telling him that yes he did cut my hair, and that I really liked it!

I can't wait for more interactions like this in the future!

More songs....

One night this week when we picked the boys up from daycare we mentioned to their teacher that we have been hearing them sing the colors song - alot.  The colors song is a song the boys learned at school where they sing their colors - in both english and spanish.  It's sung to the tune of Are you sleeping.  It goes:

Red is Rojo
Green is verde
Blue Azule
Negro black

Yellow is Amarillo
Purple is mercado
Blanco White

Orange is amanjado
Pink is rosado
Grey is gris

It's very cute, and both of the boys know it, and they sing it all the time. 

When we mentioned it to their teacher, she was happily surprised, and told us to ask them to sing the Three Bears song.  We've tried ever since with no luck.

Tonight, cleaning up from dinner, I heard Jackson sitting at the table....just rambling on and on.  So, I started listening a little closer, and I was astounded at what was coming out of his mouth!  I let him finish, grabbed my camera, and then asked him if he would sing it again.

For the record - I didn't coach him through any of this, as this was only the second time I heard him sing the song!  Check out my amazing little (almost) three year old!

2013! January Special dates

Birthdays

• Jennifer Schug - January 1 - 39 years old
• Katelin O'Connor - January 2 - 11 years old
• Lucia Hart - January 14 - 7 years old
• Ally Myers - January 16
• Hannah Burkholder - January 18 - 21 years old
• Natalie Ginter - January 19 - 13 years old
• Eric Wolff - January 19 - 32 years old
• Joe Young - January 19 - 46 years old
• Joyce Gels - January 22 - 82 years old
• Lincoln and Jackson - January 27 - 3 years old
• Tasha Muehlfeld - January 28 - 31 years old
• Norma Gels - January 28 - 79 years old
• Jennifer Luce - January 30 - 38 years old

Anniversaries:
Uncle John and Aunt Pam Hart will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on January 20th.  Congratulations to them!

Special celebrations:
THREE years cancer free for my mom - January 7 :-)  So proud of her and how she has faced this difficult phase in her life.

Saving room...

Last night, my almost 3 year old made me tear up.

We took the boys up to bed like usual.  Jackson wanted to go and hide with Daddy, and Lincoln wanted to rock with me.  He snuggled up on my lap, and we rocked.  We've been doing this a lot lately. 

When it came time to put Lincoln in his bed, my sweet sweet baby turned my heart into a gooey mess.  He climbed up into his big boy bed, and scooted all the way over along the rail.  He looked up at me with his big blue eyes, and said, "Mommy, I have room for you.  See?  This is your room (as he patted the mattress beside him).  Will you snuggle with me?"

I wanted nothing more than to crawl right into bed with him...the only thing holding me back was wondering what was the weight limit on the bed!  I explained to him that Mommy wasn't ready for bed yet.  I didn't know what else to do, so I told him a little white lie...I told him when I was ready for bed, I would come in and snuggle up next to him.  This brought a huge smile to his face, and he flashed those blue eyes at me again and said, "OK Mommy.  I am saving room for you...."

At first I thought he just wanted someone to snuggle with, but when Daddy pretended he was crawling in his bed, Lincoln told him no - that was Mommy's room.

Love my big guy....

Big boy beds

12-29-12 was a very big day for us.  We converted the boys cribs into Toddler beds!

We did Lincoln's bed first, and the boys thought it was so cool that they could crawl in and out of it by themselves.  They decided to both snuggle up in Lincoln's bed while we worked on Jackson's.  Check out these 2 big guys!

We had a brief discussion about their new big boy beds - there is one rule and that is they cannot get out of their big boy beds without mommy or daddy telling them that it is ok.  It worked!  When the boys wake up from their nap, or wake in the morning, they stay in their beds, and call to us through the monitor. 

The best was New Years Day.  Brian and I were up later than usual, so when we heard the boys chattering at 6:40 we were less than eager to get up.  I went down to their room, and directed their attention to their Tot Clock - it was still blue.  We discussed what "blue" on the clock means, and they both happily told me that it meant it was time to go back to sleep.  I asked them to lay back down in their beds and rest until the clock turned yellow - then it would be time to get up.  I hesitantly went back to bed.

We heard the boys continue to chatter in their room, but they never got out of their beds.  They patiently waited until the clock turned yellow (at 8:00), then they called to us again, telling us the clock was yellow and it was time to get up.

I love having the boys in toddler beds!  I can go in and snuggle them up and kiss them goodnight again before I go to bed.  And the boys are so excited to have big boy beds!

Snow....

Last winter, we barely saw snow, so the boys really don't remember snow.  We had a light dusting before Christmas, but not enough to bother with.  We were just thankful it didn't hinder our travels to celebrate the holiday with my family.

We celebrated Christmas at my parents house the Sunday before Christmas.  The boys got lots of great gifts from everyone, but one of the big hits were snow shovels from Uncle Rodney.  Jackson was especially excited about his snow shovel, and immediately started asking (and continued to ask every 5 minutes) if it was snowing yet. 

Thankfully, on Wednesday (the day after Christmas) the snow finally came.

The boys were so excited, and couldn't wait to go and shovel the snow.  After their nap, all 4 of us bundled up and headed out to clear the 3 inches or so that had accumulated in the driveway.

Here is a picture of Lincoln doing his part....

They did pretty good, pushing the snow around on the driveway.  Then, they "helped" me clear the sidewalk in the front of the house.  I was concerned it was going to turn into a snowball fight when they thought it was fun to get the snow on their shovels and throw it at each other.  But, they aren't quite 3, so the snow fell off the shovel before they could really throw it at each other.  Next year will be another story.

Jackson kept saying over and over how much fun it was to shovel snow.  He even said that after he fell down a few times on the icy driveway!

Mr. Herb wanted to know how much the boys charge for helping...I think we'll send the boys over to help him for the next snowfall!

Looking forward to more snow this winter, now that we have twice as much help in clearing the driveway!