The Chicago Livingstons

If you were a fly on our wall...

2012-02-11T10:04:00.002-06:00

...you would have seen Ellie peering curiously into our master bathroom tub the other day, and then carefully spitting into it. Yes, spitting. I caught her in the act and said "Ellie! What are you doing?! We don't spit!" She replied calmly, "Mom, it's just a little spit. It's just a little spit, riiiiight?" Me: "No Ellie, we do not spit at all." (Nice try, sweetheart.)

...you would have observed Robbie staring at the daisy flower window clings in the kitchen, and then announcing "Those yellow things in the middle of the flowers are the eyeball."

...you would have been there when Robbie said to Maddie over breakfast one morning "Welcome to our land, Cakers!" and then turned to me and tenderly said "I missed her, mom. When she was in your tummy, I missed her in our family."

...you would have needed to hold back laughter with me at the table when Robbie was disobeying me and I said to him "Robbie, you need to obey". "Why, mom?" "Because God wants us to obey all the time, everyday!" And without missing a beat he said in all seriousness to me, "But I don't have the Holy Spirit today, mom."

...you would see a few rare and precious moments in which Maddie had woken up in the night and was pleased to be rocked back to sleep, sweetly snuggled up chest-to-chest with me. My favorite thing in the world.

If you were a fly on our wall, you would probably wonder why I am still not 100% unpacked yet from the move, you'd see Maddie practicing standing all by herself, and you'd have watched Robbie steal Reese's Pieces one morning before I was awake and hide them in his closet to be found by me later that day. You would have overheard precious conversations between Rob and I and Robbie about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and all the ways and times that we can pray to God. You would see Ellie with too much food in her hair too much of the time, and crusty snot smeared across sweet little cheeks since we are all sharing a cold. You would probably be ashamed of how much TV I allow my children right now, since that is what keeps them calm enough for me to focus on unpacking for any amount of time. You might be glad for my family that I have taken up cooking dinner again, but you would probably be disappointed in the menu. Mostly, you would be glad to see that all is well in our household, that we are settling in and that this new place has come to feel like home sooner than we thought it would, and that we are content and happy together.

Since then...

2012-02-07T13:20:00.010-06:00

The blog has been quiet since we moved but we've been busy! 3 little kids who have needs all day long make it hard to unpack boxes and get settled in, but we're getting there. Slowly but surely.

This is a hodge-podge post. Be forewarned.

Breaking in the family room the first morning...

We were so thankful the snow waited to fall until we were done moving! However, it meant that Rob had 2 driveways to shovel. By the afternoon, he had overdone it - not nearly enough sleep and too much physical labor with the move / shoveling and his back went out. I felt awful for him - at one point he literally could not get up off the bedroom floor.

The kids had fun rediscovering their toys as we unpacked. I'm not sure what Ellie was going for here, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say it works.

Oh dear goodness this kid cracks me up.

The third child of course - snacking off the floor. I had to put this one in here because I love her pointed little toes.

I've been offering her little dices of ok-to-eat foods. She seems to like it - it's entertaining for her and I think she's kind of over baby food. It doesn't seem to fill her up or satisfy her. Right now her favorites seem to be melon, cheerios, and pasta. Not a huge fan of hot dogs:

Speaking of the little lady, we dedicated her on Sunday at church two weeks ago. We were barely able to make it, with Rob's back being so bad, but he toughed it out and we stood up to publicly affirm that we will raise Madeline to know the Lord and hopefully teach her how to love Him with her whole heart and life.

I hope it's understandable that I didn't take any pictures!? 48 hours after moving and 24 hours after Rob's back injury, the last thing on my mind was finding my good camera. We are all just happy that we made it that morning in one piece and dressed! (*I dressed Maddie in our seats at church, actually. But it was intentional - I didn't want her pretty little dress to get wrinkled in her car seat. ha!) I also knew that we would receive a DVD of the dedication from our church, and my mom was taking pictures too.

In my distracted state (remember - unpacking), Robbie keeps stealing my phone and has figured out how to turn it on, get into it (that swiping motion), and use the camera app to take pictures. Seriously - I have never shown them how, nor do they play games on it. It's strictly off limits. Aren't kids so smart? I was secretly glad that he snapped this picture of Ellie's cute pigtails as they were running around the family room the other day.

This past Sunday morning we stayed home from church because Maddie had been sick with a cold on Saturday. I think it is her first significant illness EVER! We have been so grateful for her health.

Little snuggle bunny with a fever...

Still beautiful even when she's feeling horrible.

The kids didn't want to be split up and wouldn't let Rob or I take them unless we were all going. So we stuck around here and got a lot done. By the afternoon we were getting stir crazy so I took the kids for a walk around the neighborhood to meet some of our new neighbors.

Not sure what is happening here...

Then the superbowl started, and we realized that it is incredibly frustrating to try to watch the game on TV with the kids awake. We are a Giants household, and so I did what any good wife would do for her Giants-loving husband. I put the baby to bed and took the older kids to Target to get them out of the house! Haha.

I got them chicken nuggets and nestled them into a shopping cart and we got a few groceries and generally meandered up and down the aisles. It was actually pretty creepy - the whole town was quiet, and Target was empty.

Since then we've been plowing through laundry...

...and happily adjusting to a new rhythm in a new home.

Every day is bookended by these two playing in Robbie's bedroom, always with Robbie in the center of his track, and Ellie close by with "Sevie-Lala" as she calls it in her hand.

The story of 'Sevie-Lala': It used to just be a 'lala' before she could say 'lovey'. Then she would call it 'lovey-lala'. And then, because she would beg for more loveys in her crib after I had given her all of them at once, including back ups that she had rejected in favor of the cat-headed one, I would tell her "Ellie you have SEVEN LOVEYS in your crib! You don't need any more." She's a bit of a gatherer when it comes to soft blankets and animals. So now she calls her favorite one 'sevie-lala', in reference to 'seven lalas'. If you don't follow, that's fine. I wrote it more for my own documentation of her at this age!

Also entertaining about Elle-belle as a 2 year old: her continued love affair with accessories, namely hats.

And her insistence to use the potty by yelling "POTTY!" just like Robbie does throughout the day, only she has no idea what she's supposed to do once she's arrived bare-bum in the seat. All she knows is that Robbie yells potty, sits down, and then gets a whole lot of attention and praise afterwards, so she wants in on it. :)

We had a little incident involving the older 2 in the bathtub while I was putting Maddie in her pj's. Robbie may have emptied a huge bottle of bubble bath that was sitting nearby and was not of the tear-free variety, and before I saw it happen Ellie was wiping her face like mad trying to get the bubbles out of her eyes. Which of course made it worse and made her want to wipe her eyes more. Vicious cycle! We got her all rinsed off as she screamed, and by morning she was good as new. Which made me feel better, because I was sure those eyes would be red and swollen for much longer!

We continue our snuggle-in-mom-and-dads-bed-after-baths routine.

But have added a mom-lays-with-everyone-for-a-few-minutes-in-their-beds-at-bedtime that isn't long for the world because it makes it impossible for Rob and I to eat dinner anytime before 8pm!

Oh, and Ellie has found (where, I actually have no idea!) what she thinks are 'band-aids' and keeps coming downstairs to bandage us up. It gets my funny bone every time.

I took my first bath in years and I'm so glad I had forgotten what I was missing because ohmygoodnessbathsaremyfavoritething. Now that we have a legitimate tub that is deeper than 12 inches, I'm trying to squeeze one of these in whenever I can! I can't believe how relaxing it is before bedtime. Which brings me to: why are my kids rambunctious in the tub when they could be calmly soaking!? Baths and naps are wasted on little people. When you want them, need them, and are old enough to appreciate them, they elude you. ;)

Back to blogging as usual...

MOVING DAY

2012-02-02T17:15:00.004-06:00

Rob and I woke up well before the sun had a chance to rise. We kept throwing things into boxes, that awesome part of packing and moving where you can't even label the box appropriately because how does one assign a room to a box full of random kids' toys (those found beneath the couch once it was moved), cable splitters, a fly swatter, and ponytail holders? :)

My mom showed up at 7am, just as the kids were waking up. I snapped a few pictures before I got each of them out of their cribs, because at this point we had decided not to build 2 of the 3 cribs at the new house. Goodbye, days of 3 kids in 3 cribs. We probably hung out there for far too long anyways.

Welcome to the start of all of my days for the last year:

For some reason it made me very sad to send the kids off for the day.

However, I don't know how one moves with kids around / underfoot. It was so much easier to have them gone as the trucks were loaded up and we continued to make individual car trips of our valuables over to the house.

Our moving company was REALLY good. If you need a recommendation, let me know. I thought this picture of the truck as they were about to unload it at the new house was hilarious.

(I wonder if a moving truck has ever been T-boned? What a mess that would be.)

And then we started to pile boxes up everywhere in the new house. I had asked our wonderful babysitter to help me unpack and get the kids settled on the afternoon and evening of the move, which was such a good idea if I do say so myself! Ha. Cheryl came back over as well to help unpack and she also brought an amazing dinner - chicken cordon bleu, seasoned roasted veggies and fruit salad. My parents brought the kids back and my sister came with them, and we had a full house. It was so much fun.

Cheryl had also brought us lunch over during the move, and had posted signs on the kids' bedroom doors that had pictures of them and their favorite toys. It was the cutest idea to help them be excited about their new (separate) rooms. And because I'm a sucker for any excuse to put a bunch of balloons by the front door, I brought a few home to welcome the kids with when they arrived.

During the day as the movers unpacked the trucks, we were able to meet one of our neighbors when they came home and realized that someone was moving in. We were warmly welcomed and it was a nice way to begin our relationship with them.

We spent the evening unpacking, talking around the table, and getting the kids down for bed. They all went to sleep without a problem in their new rooms, and Robbie and Ellie both slept for the first time in big kid beds like it was no big deal. No one even fell out of them through the night! I love it when transitions like that go smoother than you are expecting.

I realized that with an additional bedroom, I was now short one monitor and one sound machine, so Cheryl and Kelsey ran that errand for me so that I could keep an eye on all 3 kids through the night.

And that is the story of how we moved across town!

Countdown to the move - Day 1

2012-02-01T20:26:00.003-06:00

Well last Thursday was day 1 - our last full day and night at the old house.

What I remember is that we packed boxes as quickly as we could, and our stuff just would not go away. I packed bags for the kids for the next day, we got Chipotle for dinner and the kids played in our bedroom as we all got ready for bed. There was a spare rubbermaid container out so Maddie had fun playing in it while the kids hid in Rob's closet.

And then I flipped the container over, stood Maddie up and put her hands on the top of the container - and she surprised us all by not only standing confidently but pushing it forward as she took a few steps behind it!

I was so proud, and shocked! (We don't expect walking until well after 1st birthdays around here. Maybe Maddie will be our earliest walker!?)

The kids polished off the last of the guacamole before heading to bed.

Robbie requested to play footsies with me. What a little love.

We put the kids to bed and thankfully they fell right to sleep. My sister came over to study and be at the house while Rob and I packed and made a few trips over to the new house with things we didn't trust the movers to move. My friend Cheryl had offered to come over and help us take all of our food and refrigerator items over that evening, so we filled boxes and coolers with food and made trips with that stuff as well. She came bearing scones so that we would have breakfast the next morning. She thinks of everything.

Rob and I thought we had a pretty good handle on finishing up the packing until it became 11pm and we still had a LOT yet to box up. (At this point we realized that we would have been SUNK without Kelsey and Cheryl's help!) Around this time, he was sort of wandering around with eyes glazed over, just looking in closets, and said something like "I didn't realize how much more we had to go! I don't think we are going to be able to sleep tonight." And I responded, "We HAVE to sleep! Just keep throwing things in boxes and don't think about it. It'll get done." Ha.

Well around 1:30am I had had it and insisted that we go to bed for a few hours. The thought of pulling an all nighter, then moving, then having the kids back with us and trying to settle in to the new house and unpack made me nauseous. We slept for almost 4 hours and got up again at 5:30am to keep packing.

Still kicking

2012-01-27T22:56:00.001-06:00

We are here... Exhausted and without Internet (thank goodness for the 3G network!) but with happy memories made today as we moved across town. More later. Bed is calling! Thanks for all the well wishes, offers to help, and food you threw our way. We felt very cared for and loved.

Sidenote: I find it unlucky that of ALL the boxes we moved today, the only one that has gone missing is the one that has my undergarments inside of it. I wish I was joking.

Countdown to the move - Day 2

2012-01-25T21:56:00.002-06:00

Only 2 days left until we move!

Wednesday mornings are preschool/Bible study mornings, and I wasn't about to give that up just because we are about to move. {Yeah, I like our small group that much.} If we are all healthy, we're there.

We needed to let the painters into the new house again, and they start at 8am. Preschool starts at 9am, and Bible study at 9:30am... so, that meant we left the house at 7:45am, stopped at the new house to unlock it, and got to church 1/2 hour before preschool began. I had packed a picnic breakfast for the kids (including Maddie's oatmeal and prunes!), anticipating the gap of time between activities, and we ate in the church lobby. And yes, I was tired by the time I dropped Robbie off!

I put the girls in their classrooms once Robbie was settled, and had a wonderful morning with my girls at Bible study. Have I mentioned that I love these women? I always leave feeling challenged and encouraged, with deeper relationships to show for the time.

I gathered the kids from their classrooms, and the girls were happy and perky but Robbie is always a hot mess by the time I pick him up. The later night last night had caught up with him and he was all out falling onto the ground in dramatics, begging for a snack and his juice cup and eventually losing his cool in the lobby. We got home and I put all 3 kids down for a nap right away. It took some convincing for Robbie to lay down but after a while he was out like a light. Then of course Ellie woke up an hour later, thus waking him up. I can't win with those 2 at nap time! Maddie woke up as well and everyone was a little cranky.

So I did what most mothers do in my situation - I gave them food and we got out of the house for a change of scenery. Forget packing, you can't get anything done on a normal day with fussy cranky kids underfoot! I took them back over to the house to check the painting progress, and then we stopped in at Miss Kate's store. I let Robbie put the quarter in our parking meter, like always, and they asked to see the compost worms right when they walked in the door. Kate always obliges, even letting Ellie squirt the worms with the water bottle.

I left Kate's store feeling encouraged (as usual - she is the sweetest!), and thankful for the break that stop provided us. We picked up a prescription at Walgreens and a stack of empty boxes on the way home, thanks to our local Christian bookstore Johnsen & Taylor. They are so nice over there in Town Square! I love their boxes for books and small heavy things as we pack.

Then we headed home and I did get a handful of boxes packed while the older two played and Maddie napped - and it would later be apparent that she had actually gone to bed for the night, not just for a nap. Tired girl! I made the kids dinner and played with their food before I served it to them. ;)

Robbie trying to smile like the man on his plate:

I got the kids going with dinner and then sitter arrived so that Rob and I could go to a Family Dedication class at our church. On Sunday we are dedicating Maddie to the Lord, just as we have done with Robbie and Ellie. It's not a baptism, just a public statement that we intend to raise Maddie to know Jesus Christ as the Lord and hopefully lead her one day to know Him as her personal Savior. So tonight was the preparation class... Rob met me over there straight from work, and it ended earlier than it was scheduled to. We stopped at Muldoon's for dinner on the way home and had a mini-date, which was nice! Conversation is such a luxury, especially when it's uninterrupted. And we could use the small break.

We came home and after chatting with the sitter and her husband, said goodbye and boxed up a few more things, and are now heading to bed. Goodnight!

ps. Special thanks to Matt and Suzi for making the evening so fun. :) You can have her back now, Matt.

Captured

2012-01-24T23:26:00.004-06:00

From the last few days...

Ellie accessorizes her nakedness with Maddie's paci and (what else these days) her winter hat:

Find the baby / try not to pack the baby:

Ellie, smile with the box you just packed for me:

My littlest helper, lining boxes up for me to use in the kitchen:

An important conversation:

"Peanut butter jelly time!" on Dad's iPhone at Chili's while we wait for a table:

Our dining room, currently:

Someone learned her lesson the hard way and will not be unbuckling her car seat buckle while the van is moving. 2 goose eggs and a bloody lip are apparently more effective than mommy's warnings and encouragement to obey the rules. (ps. she is fine!)

Finally, a sippy cup that works for her! Making progress:

Exploring the new house:

A cookie picnic to warm them up to the idea of a new home:

Brother approves:

Sister's not sure what's happening but she's in if Robbie is! (And why are we putting our hands in the air again?)

Still cannot believe some days that these 3 little people are my kids.

Sibling love:

Wrestling:

We love Auntie Cheryl!

Countdown to the move - Day 3

2012-01-24T22:16:00.002-06:00

TODAY was Day 3 - it's been hard to post at the end of the day and keep up! There's always more to do or pack, and if not we just fall into bed. But today was a big day and I want to get it down before I forget!

We closed on the house this morning. The walk through was at 10am, and the closing meeting at 11am. My mom came to the house and stayed with the kids while Rob and I were out for most of the day. Everything went smoothly and we got the keys. We needed to stop by the old house after the meeting to get ladders and brooms from the garage for cleaning. Then we went straight over to the new house to open it up and get ready for the painting crew, cleaning women and the man installing our blinds. They all came between 1pm and 1:30pm. I made sure everyone had what they needed and didn't have any questions, and then Rob and I ate a quick lunch and headed back to the kids around 3:30pm.

My mom had the house all picked up and the kids were happy (Maddie was sleeping). But I could see my mom's eyes that she was exhausted, and she claimed that all she needed was a little caffeine. I asked her if she had helped herself to the coke in the garage, and she laughed and said "I didn't have time!". I GET THAT. I totally do. Sometimes I get halfway through the day and wonder why I feel irritable, and it's because I've had to go to the bathroom for hours and have been ignoring my own needs. So we caffeinated my mom STAT, and she bounced right back. ;) Then I kicked her out and told my dad, who had stopped by to check in, to take her out to a nice dinner!

We played with the kids and fed them dinner, and then I told them that if they were good and ate all of their dinner and took good baths, that we would have a cookie picnic at the new house before bedtime. They liked the sound of that idea, although Robbie is still slightly nervous and unsure about it all. But I think the cookie part lured them, and so after baths we wrestled everyone into pj's with cups of milk and took off for the new house. Rob and I actually needed to go over and lock up the house behind the blind installation guy, who had just left, as well as take another load of things we would prefer to move ourselves vs. the movers on Friday. So I thought it was a good opportunity to involve the kids and make it fun.

On the drive over I called Auntie Cheryl and invited her to join us, and then picked up coffees for us. The kids were excited to go inside the house, as we've been doing drive-by's for the last few weeks. They knew their bedrooms had been painted today, so they ran upstairs to check them out. Everyone was happy with their room, and then we just let them run around and explore and wrestle. We threw the blanket down on the kitchen floor that I had brought along, and had our cookie picnic somewhere in the middle of the visit. Then more wrestling, which turned into melting and tripping and falling and lots of bumps and tears as bedtime rolled around. Ellie asked to go upstairs to bed, and when Auntie Cheryl explained that her bed wasn't here yet, she asked "Where's the door to leave?". The girl had HAD it! Put me to bed.

We loaded the kids back up in the car a little before 8pm and headed home. It was a very quiet drive back and everyone went right to sleep when we put them to bed. Then Rob and I reheated pizza for dinner, cleaned up the house and tried to sort a few more odds and ends into boxes. Oh, and I sat on the phone with Comcast for 20 minutes only to get halfway through my question and get disconnected! I called right back and somehow my call was answered right away. We spent 15 minutes trouble shooting our modem and router and got the internet connection working again. It had been down all day, and it was a really odd feeling. For whatever reason, our 3G network was down also so our iPhones and iPad were useless as far as data was concerned. But while we were out at the closing meeting it worked just fine. We can't figure it out but it's resolved now.

And now we just throw the rest of our belongings into boxes and head for the finish line - Friday morning!

Countdown to the move - Day 4

2012-01-23T16:50:00.005-06:00

Monday was Day 4 - and it would have been posted sooner but our internet was down! {*I wrote it yesterday and am not going back to edit it from present tense to past tense.}

I'm feeling energized and got up and ready before the kids woke up. I don't want to waste any time this week so I think this is a necessity. I brought everyone downstairs ready for the day, passed out milk and as soon as my mom came over we served breakfast. Then I laid Maddie down for her morning nap and while the kids played with Mima, I ran to the dry cleaner and grocery store. When I got back, we all took off for Two Toots - and Mima treated Robbie and Ellie to lunch by themselves while I ran to Babies R Us with Maddie. {Sidenote: we have a diaper genie, the original one, and they do not sell the green garbage liners anymore that go along with it! I have now checked B R Us and Target. I am so annoyed - we have 2 of these diaper pails and nothing to line them with. Thoughts?}

I picked the kids up on my way back, and my mom left from there to volunteer at ReNew. On the way home Ellie unbuckled herself from her car seat, and before I could pull over to buckle her back in, I had to brake just hard enough that she tumbled forward and conked her forehead on the little metal bars in the floor where one of the seats usually is but is currently removed. She bit her lip as well, and I think she learned her lesson the hard way and will not ever unbuckle herself again. I felt awful, obviously. But she has done this before and received stern warnings. What are you going to do? She had quite the pair of goose eggs on her head for the afternoon but they've gone down and she is fine.

The girls took their naps while Robbie played and I worked on my Bible study. It was so nice to have an hour to myself to take a mental break. My friend Suzi stopped by and brought us coffee cake for breakfast to have this week, and we had fun catching up for a few minutes in the foyer while Robbie snuck from box to box pulling out snacks and eating them just out of sight. I could hear the crinkle of wrappers and boxes being opened, but had no idea he was eating my special treat from Whole Foods - French donut holes called Mini-Beignets! He polished off 4 of them before biting into one that was jelly filled, and gave up. Little stinker. I tried one and they are oh so good. I will be back for more! And this time I'll hide them out of reach.

I made a few phone calls before the girls woke up from their naps, and then the kids played while I made dinner.

Rob came home and we put the kids to bed soon after. Then I folded baskets and baskets of laundry while watching The Bachelor.

Monday: The End.

Countdown to the move - Day 5

2012-01-23T16:24:00.002-06:00

Sunday was Day 5 of the countdown. We decided to really make a big push to get as much as we could into boxes, and so we stayed home from church and got started early. But not before I ran out to pick up donuts {with sprinkles!} and coffee to celebrate our last weekend as a family in this house. I think there is too much to think to be sad over these little 'last moments'. I'm just thankful that I have my family in tact and that we will all be moving together, simply across town. We have loved this house but the next will feel like home soon enough, and I'm excited for the memories we will make there.

We skipped showers and even putting on clothes, and in our stinky pj's we happily packed until the dining room had stacks of boxes as tall as I am. It was a wonderful day.

I would venture to say it was educational for Rob, as he brought box after drawer after ziplock baggie full of office supplies into the living room to be boxed up. After we spread out and sorted what we thought was all of it, we taped boxes up only to find more binder clips or sharpie markers or notebooks.

I can't help it. Pens and paper and supplies CALL TO ME. They make me want to write and create and organize! Which is ironic, since I have no time for any of that right now. Whatever, the result was a strict rule that no office supplies of any sort are to be purchased for the remainder of my life. Deal. It was slightly embarrassing to discover the hidden stashes, but after dealing with my tea, coffee, and mug obsession these things hardly come as a surprise to Rob anymore. {He hasn't found my lip gloss box and I pray he never happens upon it accidentally. I cannot even explain that one.}

So we literally packed for hours, and my mom came over midday to help entertain the kids so that we wouldn't be bothered. As a result, we are feeling really good about where we stand as far as being 'ready' for the movers on Friday. We still have things left to pack but I think it's doable in our spare time in the evenings after the kids go to bed.

We decided to call it quits around 5pm, in preparation for the big game. I laid Maddie down for her evening nap and took the older 2 kids with me to drop off library books and pick up pizza and salad for dinner. {Ask me how excited I am that we will soon live 1 minute away from Lou Malnati's!} I let the kids eat nuggets and apples in the car as we drove around, and we swung by the new house so that they could see it again. We do this several times a week - by now they are asking by we aren't getting out and going inside! Ellie actually said "Put my boots back on mom, and I go inside the new house!" and I said "Oh no, honey, we're just driving past it to look at it!" and she let out one of her disappointed adolescent sounding "Awwww!"s.

Just as I was serving dinner Cheryl stopped by to check in on us and offer her help, and I enticed her to stay for pizza. The last 2 times she's stopped in, which have been far apart, we have been eating Lou's. It must seem like we eat it all the time! She explained all that she plans to do to help us with the logistics of the move, and I am so grateful for her and her willingness to help. She had thought of moving all of our refrigerator items out of the old house and into the new one the night before the move, which I thought was a brilliant idea. Plus she's coming over to help me execute that. She also has a few awesome ideas to help the kids feel at home and get excited once we bring them to the new house, and I am so grateful for that since I'm sort of at capacity just trying to make sure the logistics are straight. Creativity and thoughtfulness are escaping me, presently.

We put the kids to bed and I headed up early to work on my bible study and take care of the paperwork for Maddie's dedication next Sunday. Rob finished watching the game - hmm, I wonder who won? Seriously don't know - and we went to bed. Thankful for a great day.

Countdown to the move - Day 6

2012-01-23T09:04:00.002-06:00

Saturday was Day 6 - I'm falling behind!

Everyone slept in until 7:30am, with the exception of Rob who slept until 8am. My husband is so exhausted and he just keeps moving forward - I don't understand where he comes up with the energy and inner strength sometimes to just. keep. going. But he does, even finding it in himself to remain thoughtful and gentle while feeling pressed. {So many reasons for me to love him, and I do.}

I had an appointment at the new house to get another painting estimate, so I dressed myself and Maddie and the two of us made our way across town. The roads were well plowed so we didn't have any trouble getting there. We received the estimate, decided to hire the company to do all of our interior painting, reevaluated a few of our paint color choices and swapped them for better ones, and picked up lunch on the way home. After lunch we laid the girls down and spent a few hours packing before heading out to Chili's for dinner.

Let me tell you, it is neither restful nor enjoyable to eat out right now. But we were getting stir crazy and I have now packed up our entire kitchen so our options were few. :) We had dinner and Rob took the older 2 to the van before the check came so that I could finish feeding Maddie her baby food and finish my own dinner as well. Without a certain 2 year old kicking me in the elbow and laying all over me. {Bless that husband!}

We detoured to Target on the way home so that I could pick up diapers, formula, milk and a few other essentials. Then we headed home to put the kids to bed. I have zero recollection of what Rob and I did before bed, but it was probably packing or sitting on the couch in a daze! Ha.

Countdown to the move - Day 7

2012-01-22T07:43:00.002-06:00

Friday was Day 7, and it was also the day of Rob's company party.

The sitter came in the morning so that I could run out and get a mani/pedi. The day was kind of a blur of keeping the kids happy and fed and napped as I simultaneously tried to pick up the house and get ready for the night. It was snowing pretty hard, and when the came back around 3:30 the roads were already a mess. I made it to the train on time (thankfully!) and rode down with my friends Kris and Emily, which was a lot of fun. The train was packed.

We thought the hardest part about making it to the party was behind us, but we were wrong. Once we met up with Rob at his office (which is in the same building as the train station), we stood outside trying to find a cab for an hour. It wasn't looking good! We thought about taking off and walking the 6 blocks to the hotel where the party was being held, but I was already dressed in my knee-length strapless dress. Although I had on a (dressy and short) winter coat and boots, I was already freezing. Somehow we found other company employees nearby who were in the same predicament as us, and they were being picked up by someone in an SUV. We were invited to join them in that SUV, and when it pulled up Rob ushered the girls and I in, and when it was obvious that we were one seat short, he shut the door and took off to walk the 6 long blocks in the blizzard to the hotel where the party was, in his dress shoes. I was so proud of my chivalrous husband! And we all felt awful for having a cozy ride, knowing he was trudging through the snow.

We all made it to the party, and everyone had their own story of how awful it was to make it there. But the party was very nice, as it always is, and we enjoyed having a nice dinner together without the kids! We got a cab back to the train station and made it without a problem. We even had a few minutes to spare so I had time to change out of my dress, which was a good move because by the time we got to our cars in the train station parking lot, they were covered in snow. Rob dutifully brushed and scraped snow and ice off of the van while I sat inside, then did his own car. The moral of the story of this night is that I have a pretty great husband who takes good care of me (and everyone else). It's nothing I didn't already know or appreciate but I was reminded with every selfless act.

We drove home to find that we couldn't pull into the driveway - there was probably 5-7 inches of snow on the ground plus the big pile of crusty hard snow that the snowplow lovingly leaves at the base of your driveway. So we pulled our cars up to the curb, and again Rob made me go inside with the sitter while he shoveled her car out of the driveway so that she could leave to go home. Then he stayed up and finished the rest of the driveway. It was after midnight by the time we got to bed, and we have never been so tired. A night like this after the week/month we've had was exhausting. Rob actually slept in the next morning until 8am, and we think it was a first since we've been married that he woke up after me.

Countdown to the move - Day 8

2012-01-20T09:46:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was Day 8 - Thursday.

I had our sitter come over in the morning so that I could run some errands, including returning the dress I had originally picked out for Rob's company party on Friday night and hopefully finding a different one. I don't know what got into me when I picked out the first one, but it was sequins with horizontal stripes in 2 shades of charcoal. Really cute, but not me at all. I like to try and blend in at events like this, not wear something that screams "look at me!". So I found another dress pretty easily which was great since the party is in 36 hours. It's black and simple. :)

I got home and Maddie was ready for a nap, so after putting her on the kitchen floor while I made her a bottle we headed upstairs for some quiet time.

This is her favorite position when she's just hanging out watching what's going on around her - she rolls onto her side from her belly and it makes my back hurt to watch her twist like this!

Below: My little yogi. I'm so proud. I think Maddie was attempting a modified 'side plank'. She's certainly got 'happy baby' nailed.

Just like our days in this house, these days of her taking a bottle on my lap are numbered and coming to an end.

Both girls napped and I forget what Robbie and I did during that time! But when the girls woke up, they were in very sisterly moods. Ellie helped Maddie keep her balance while standing.

Had a moment of shoe envy and tried to jam her foot into Maddie's dress shoes.

And played 'where's the paci?'.

The afternoon passed in a blur of picking up the house, breaking up fights, and getting one last nap in for Maddie before we left to have dinner at our friends' house.

Kris and Steve just moved this year, also across town, into a beautiful house that they built. They invited us over for dinner, knowing that it's really not easy to cook decent meals for your family just before you move! The kids and I went over around 5, and the dads got home from work around 6. We had fun catching up, and our kids loved playing together. Robbie and Jack wrestled, which was awesome to Robbie. Jack also has a train table in his bedroom, so whenever we couldn't find Robbie we knew just where he was. I went up to check on him once and found him using Jack's bathroom. You know, like he's been potty trained for years and can just find a potty when he needs one and use it perfectly. Anyways, I was incredibly proud of him! Ellie and Molly are the same age, and are still in the independent play phase. It'll be fun to watch them play together as they get older though, because their personalities are very similar! And they are both hilarious and adorable.

We fed the kids dinner at Kris' island counter, and thankfully neither of my kids fell off the stools (*I was a little worried). I had talked to both kids before we left, explaining that whatever Mrs. Roth served them for dinner would be wonderful and yummy, and that I expected them to try at least one bite of everything and to say thank you for their dinner. I said in the unlikely event that they didn't like what they were served, they could try it and then quietly tell me that they didn't care for it.

Well Kris served hot dogs, apples, raspberries, animal crackers... a kid's dream dinner! Robbie was thrilled, and Ellie's a little dust buster so they were fine.

I scooted Maddie's high chair close to Ben while he ate his dinner, and turned my back for 2 minutes and this is how I found them:

Oh my word if those 2 aren't the cutest babies you've ever seen! They seem very serious about their relationship.

After dinner Kris served the kids a cake that her kids had helped her make. The adults were sitting at the table, and I could hear Robbie praying again over his dessert so I walked over to listen and this is what I heard:

"Dear Jesus, Thank you for Mrs. Roth's cake."

Kris said that might be one of the only prayers of thanks God has heard for her cooking! Hilarious, but untrue. She made us a fabulous dinner and we were so grateful and satisfied.

We didn't head for the door until after 8pm! All the kids were melting, running into things, etc. It was getting comical. As we walked towards the front to put our shoes on, Jack was head down in the exersaucer with his legs in the air. A wonderful send off if you ask me! I'm still laughing at the thought of that sight.

Ellie tried to put herself to sleep on our way out.

We got home and put the kids right to bed - they were all asleep within minutes of their heads hitting the pillow. Isn't that wonderful when it happens? We needed a few necessities from the grocery store so I went back out in the 5 degree weather and raced home to tuck into our warm bed.

Another wonderful day, much to be thankful for and sweet memories to take across town!

An honest take on parenting

2012-01-19T13:10:00.002-06:00

More encouragement for those of us raising kids... click the link below to read it. Well said, Glennon.

"Don't Carpe Diem"

And to the anonymous person who led me to this article in the comments of my last post - thank you! (Who are you?)

Countdown to the move - Day 9

2012-01-19T06:47:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was Day 9, and it was Wednesday.

I have been looking forward to this day for a long time because our Wednesday morning Bible Study started back up at church. Our small group of women reunited (plus one - excited to get to know her!), and it felt so good to be back around that familiar table. I have loved every group I've been able to be a part of but this one is unique. I'm so thankful for it.

Getting the kids up and out the door is always a juggling act, and this morning we had to be out by 8 before someone else came to do a few things around the house. The kids were not especially obedient and I was tired from having woken up the night before at 3am unable to get back to sleep quickly, which made me less than patient and less able to put energy into coaxing them into clothes, shoes, coats, and hats and away from toys that needed to stay picked up. Sometimes I think it's a small miracle that we go anywhere, when the baby is crying in her carseat for a bottle while the older 2 run away from me as I try to dress them for the cold weather and convince them their breakfast (milk cups and baggies of cereal) are in the van.

I lost my temper and yelled at the kids before we even left the house, which I think might have worried Robbie because even though he went to the bathroom at my insistence before we left the house, he completely unloaded his bladder in his car seat on our way to Bible Study/Preschool. I was so disappointed, mainly because I only pack one spare pair of pants and one or 2 pairs of extra underwear in his backpack for preschool. So I pulled over and made him try again on the car potty before changing him out of sopping wet pants and into his only spare pair of underpants and jeans. Since his car seat was soaked I had to buckle him into the car without it, which made me so nervous.

Then Ellie dumped her baggie of cereal all over the car, and when I ordered my coffee and drove away I realized they didn't make it right and it was too strong and not very sweet. I think I was just feeling irritable because my jeans felt too snug and uncomfortable (which is fair, my gym attendance lately has been lacking), and I also hate not having a shower each morning and yet I had showered last night and woke up this morning with curly hair, so I went with it and skipped the shower, opting for the curling iron instead to save time. Yuck. Not doing that again, I felt dirty all day!

I felt a little defeated and it was only 9am when we pulled up to church to take Robbie to his Preschool class first. Just one of those days where things seem to go wrong if given the chance, no matter how insignificant. When I dropped the girls off, I realized that Ellie was not placed in the same class as her best friend Fallon (whose mom is my good friend Kacey). It was a huge bummer since they had been in class together last semester and both Kacey and I had been talking to the girls about how fun it would be for them to reunite again in their class!

I brought Maddie with me at first so that I could try to feed her oatmeal before putting her in the nursery but it was too loud and busy for her to concentrate. She did fine without it, even napping in the swing in her class! Sweet baby.

Robbie and Ellie had done just fine, and Robbie's teachers gave him a glowing report about how well he had done using the bathroom all morning. One teacher said that he actually does have to go more frequently than the other kids, but that he does a good job now paying attention to it and going when he needs to, and even when he doesn't if a teacher asks him to try before going to the gym, etc. I was so proud of him and relieved that he hadn't had another accident since we had no back up clothes and it was below freezing outside!

We made our way home, picking up lunch on the way as is our Wednesday routine. All 4 of us are tired by the time we get home, so we eat fast and then everyone naps or rests. I tried laying Robbie down for a nap along with Ellie because he was so tired and hasn't napped in maybe 2 or 3 weeks? No go. I have to give up the dream of him ever napping again. He rested for an hour or so which was good.

The kids played in the family room while I fed Maddie again in the kitchen and then started to work on cleaning out the cedar closet in the basement that was full of clothes no one is wearing right now. I wasn't feeling well - sort of dizzy - and so the fact that the kids played well all afternoon together with minimal fights needing my intervention was much appreciated. Even the one time both kids showed up at the top of the basement stairs naked turned out to be a blessing - Ellie wanted to try using the potty so we sat there together for a little while and she actually peed on it! I put her in a pull-up for the rest of the night and although she tried before bed, she didn't have any repeat success. I was proud of her effort though.

I got the closet cleaned out, which took hours, and brought all the tupperware bins up to the living room. Box count: 7-10! The kids had all the cushions off the couch and were playing in them on the floor when Rob walked in. I said I was picking my battles. :) I made chili for dinner and we fed the kids while Rob cleaned up the family room and kitchen, bathed them, put them to bed, and ate dinner ourselves.

I was thankful for the good parts of the day in light of a hard morning! And now we are in single-digits as we count down and get ready to move, which makes me feel very conflicted. I cannot believe I actually have moments where I feel like "What have we done? I don't want to move!" because really, I know that I do. It's just unnerving to face transition, and I think more so when your kids are involved and you don't know how it's going to unfold for them. I think I'll feel better once I spend some time thinking through what is best for them the day we move and the first day at the house, what I can do to make it a fun transition and not scary or sad, etc. I haven't gone that far down the road in my mind yet, and I think the Type-A planner side of me is panicking that there is not a fully formed plan in place yet!

My friend Becky...

2012-01-18T14:31:00.002-06:00

...has the greatest encouragement (or maybe a challenge?) for moms today on her blog. You can read it by clicking this link HERE.

Countdown to the move - Day 10

2012-01-18T13:44:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was Day 1o - Tuesday.

Kind of a rough day since Maddie ended up having a worrisome breathing episode the night before and needed to be checked out. Everything was fine, but it was late by the time she and I finally crawled into bed. So I was not at my best the next day, tired and a little anxious still from the night before.

One of our sitters was scheduled to come over in the morning so that I could get some packing done, but instead I slept in with the kids until she arrived, and spent the time showering and going to the grocery store. Then my mom came so that I could go to the doctor, and by the time I got home we all needed a nap or rest. So she left and we all laid down.

The afternoon was pretty mundane, picking up, running laundry and doing dishes. Then my friend Carly dropped off dinner for us, which was really humbling. She also moved homes recently (in-town, like us), and I hate that I had no idea what a gift it can be to bring a meal to a family that is trying to pack up and move. I wish I could rewind time and do the same thing for her in the days before her move! Now I know. I'm so thankful for the ways that my friends teach me about serving each other, and about expanding my sensitivity and compassion. Thank you again, Carly!

Rob's train was slow so he was a little later than usual, and so I fed the kids dinner and put them to bed on my own. It wasn't especially pretty, and so he helped calm them down and settle them in to sleep right after he came in. Then he let me escape to the gym for a much needed run. Some days are like this, right?!

Countdown to the move - Day 11

2012-01-17T14:14:00.007-06:00

Yesterday, Monday, was Day 11 of the countdown to our move.

It was also Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which meant Rob was home from work for the day. Too bad holidays are overshadowed by the moving process right now, or we would have done something more fun with the day!

Instead, we hung out upstairs while the painter finished his work around the lower level of the house. Then we all started to get stir crazy and lose our minds, so I took the older 2 kids to Target while Rob stayed home with Maddie while she napped.

We brought lunch home and the painting was finished, so we ate at the kitchen table (GASP!).

Still wet, so the knobs were off, but the cabinets look great in a bright new shade of white!

Ellie took a nap, Maddie hung out with me in the kitchen and snacked on Cheerios and prune/apple juice, and I started packing up our mixing bowls, tupperware, and other things that we don't need for the next 2 weeks.

Rob worked on packing the garage while Robbie played in the family room with trains, his Leapster... let's be honest, I really have no idea what he was playing with but he was occupied.

Then at just the right moment, Kelsey called to say she needed a study break and could she come play with the kids? {UM, YES}

She helped me bundle them up and took them outside to play in the snow. Good thing, because I'm a horrible mother and had no intention of taking them outside to play! Too much to do, didn't really want Maddie out in the frigid temperatures, etc. Everyone needs an Aunt Kelsey in their life (kids and moms included).

Ellie looked hilarious and adorable to me in this getup... is it the tiny body and huge hat? I can't figure it out. But I love it.

Oh my word. Those eyes. The lips and cheeks.

Packing just takes forever, doesn't it?! I got about 10 boxes done and I must have about 100 to go because when you look at the places I packed things up, they aren't empty. Sheesh. {And I thought being a mother eliminated any sense of satisfaction of being able to complete a task. It makes me happy and fulfilled but it sure doesn't make you feel like you've gotten much done! Packing = the very same feeling.}

I just found Ann Voskamp's January Joy Dare HERE, and want to follow along.

Here's my catch-up...

1. 3 things about yourself you are grateful for: my health, my compassionate side, my love for writing.

2. A gift outside, inside, on a plate: mild temperatures in January, freshly painted cupboards, dinner that will come from a friend this evening.

3. 3 lines you overheard that were graces: "We are best friends..." {the kids}, "I have felt the same way you are describing and it's hard..." {a friend who shares a similar internal struggle}, "She's so sweet, we're sad to see her move up to the next class because we enjoy her in here..." {childcare workers in Maddie's class about a little girl who needs to move on from the 'crawlers' room to the 'walkers' room - they really love the kids!}.

4. One gift old, new, & blue: God's Word, our new home, my kids' matching blue eyes that watch me every day

5. Something you're reading, you're making, you're seeing: Humility by C.J. Mahaney, a book about our old and new house for the kids to help them understand the transition, my own faulty ways of thinking about my abilities and limitations vs. the way God has made me and sees me.

6. One thing in your bag, your fridge, your heart: my lost-without-it day planner, homemade roasted tomato basil soup, the desire to be courageous.

7. 3 graces from people you love: Kelsey's gift of time yesterday, my mom's willingness to help me with the kids in the next 2 weeks, Rob's quiet help around the house as the tasks pile up.

8. Light that caught you, a reflection that surprised you, a shadow that fell lovely: the early sunsets this month, walking down the street with my 3 kids (so many blessings in just 3 years), the dark spaces in the arboretum that go unnoticed.

9. A gift in your hand, a gift you walked by, a gift you sat with: Our Arboretum and Gym membership cards {places that give me energy in different ways}, a dear friend at church in the hallway, a bowl of soup and a piece of chocolate cake.

10. A gift that's sour, a gift that's sweet, a gift that's Just. Right. : the limitation of time, waterproof mascara from a dear friend who knows the tears that will come, flowers from my husband.

11. 3 yellow things that strike you as fresh mercy: sunshine during a dreary month, candlelight, tulips as I enter my favorite grocery store.

12. Something above you, something below you, something beside you: A great cloud of witnesses, lovely new rain boots from my parents for Christmas, Maddie content to be with me as I cook, pack, write...

13. 3 sounds you hear: happy shrieks from the baby, endless clacking of plastic trains on plastic tracks, nonstop singing and the narration of everything as it unfolds.

14. 3 ways you glimpsed the startling grace of God: observing another's heart that warms to the things of God as He is rediscovered, studying Colossians, health when illness was feared.

15. One thing you wore, one thing you gave away, one thing you shared: daily my cherished engagement ring and wedding band, my time for others in little ways (on the phone, in the church nursery), my experience as a first time mom with a friend who has a new baby and is uncertain.

16. 3 ways you witnessed happiness today: Robbie eating snow and expressing contentment around the dinner table as we spent a quite evening as a family, Ellie being picked up by anyone, Maddie with her siblings.

17. One gift that made you laugh, one gift that made you pray, one gift that made you quiet: Ellie's dancing while she watched Wonder Pets, a friend's vulnerability in sharing her chronic pain and current struggle with it, traveling in the car by myself.

Counting joy brings a new sense of thankfulness.

Latest and greatest

2012-01-15T22:44:00.002-06:00

Robbie and Ellie are so hilarious right now, and I know this phase will be over before we know it which is so sad.

After our big snowfall last week, Robbie was looking out the window and said "Mommy, I can see the snow but I can't see any grass. The grass is hiding under the snow because it needs privacy."

And then, to Ellie while they played for the 100th time with a box containing Robbie's comforter that simply needs to be taped up and labeled for the move, "Ellie you can curl up in this box like an armadillo!"

Ellie can be heard saying:

"Leapsturd" for Leapster

"Baby Soup" for bathing suit

"Macktin Akerikta" for Captain America

"I HAVE A CRUSTY!" for anytime anything is stuck to her that she doesn't like, food or dirt

And the other day, the kids had been particularly naughty all morning, and after a pleasant afternoon, I must have taken a deep breath as I sat down to rest because Ellie was right next to me saying "Mom? Sometimes you are frustrated? Don't be frustrated, Mom. Just take a deeeeeeeeep breath!"

I love these two and the precious things that come out of their mouths.

Countdown to the move - Day 12

2012-01-15T21:55:00.008-06:00

Today was Day 12, Sunday.

Why are Sunday mornings so exhausting?! We went to church (noteworthy: Maddie moved up a room and is now in the Snails class where everyone crawls and eats cheerios! Adorable. Embarrassing: I was looking back at Ellie as we walked through the hallway because she was lolly-gagging and I ran smack into someone. Although I knew him, aren't those moments always just mortifying? Then I walked out of church without my purse. I was not feeling like I had my act together this morning!). We came home, ate lunch quickly, and put the girls to bed. We tried unsuccessfully to nap Robbie because let's face it, Rob and I were hoping to get a nap in as well.

Rob scored huge points by letting me crawl back into bed while he kept half an eye on Robbie. I slept for 2 hours and it was glorious. Meanwhile, we did not realize that while Rob rested his eyes on the couch, a certain 3 year old snuck away to scavenge the kitchen. Only later in the day (including just now at 10pm!) did we discover what Robbie had gotten into... the sugar bowl (floor was covered with sugar and I could see finger poke marks in the dish), as well as my dessert cereal Reese's Puffs (laying sideways and open on the living room couch) among other things. Apparently Robbie inherited my sweet tooth.

After my nap the girls were up and the kids were basically mine since the Giants were on today! I tried to keep the kids occupied while I also made lasagna for dinner. I've been a little anxious to get back into my kitchen so I made it a big night and baked a chocolate cake, too. Deprive a cook of her kitchen for a week and culinary therapy will be in order. Carry out holds very little appeal to us anymore. I'm sad to begin packing up my kitchen this week! I may start to dream about the first meals I cook in the new house. But enough about that.

The face plates we got the kids for Christmas have been a lot of fun to use. I called tonight's dinner "Afro Lasagna" (with cucumber earrings and a cucumber beard/mustache). Also notable, Robbie discovered tonight that he loves garlic bread and asked to have it tomorrow morning for breakfast.

I gave Maddie a sippy cup of water and some puffs as I cooked and she kept me company, sweet thing.

I love this little scene...

I gave Maddie her baby food and milk bottle as I ate with one hand. Lately she's been messing with her bottle while we try to feed her - and won't finish her milk, ever! I don't know if she's tired of it or likes her food better or what the deal is. Tonight she kept squeezing the nipple as the bottle was tilted towards her face and this happened...

Too cute. It surprised her.

Robbie wanted to make faces in my camera phone so we goofed off while the girls finished eating.

Never one to miss out on an opportunity to goof off...

He loves his baby sister and was trying to help her figure out how to use her sippy. Something was hilarious!

I cannot believe how big Maddie is getting. I feel like I was just taking pictures of her all naked and tiny as a newborn. We snapped a picture just the two of us before bath time.

I let all 3 kids start off in the bath together. I usually have to keep 2 hands on Maddie as she frequently loses her balance between her rowdy siblings in the water. But something has shifted without my notice, and tonight she needed zero assistance from me!

While I was significantly bummed out by her independence (why do babies have to grow up!?), I was happy to snap way too many bath time pictures.

The Bath Sessions...

And then Ellie refused to let me wash Maddie, insisting that she could do it by herself (a theme lately...)

We wrapped slippery wet kids in warm towels and dressed them in fresh pj's. Once Maddie was tucked into her crib, the older two nested between Rob and I in our bed with sippys of milk for one episode of Olivia. This is the kids' favorite end-of-day ritual. Robbie always starts out by Rob, with Ellie by my side, and then halfway through Robbie asks to switch places with Ellie so that he and I can snuggle too. They both went to bed without a fuss, even though I thought Ellie would not be tired because of her midday nap and let her take a book to bed. She was out in record time! Lesson learned.

Rob and I watched the Golden Globes and then he tucked in just as I was starting to get this post together. There is something wonderful about looking back over images from the day before going to sleep, remembering the sweet things the kids did or said, seeing their adorable faces in all of these pictures that I know I'll be glad I took in the years to come (even though it always seems like overkill now). It has helped me appreciate what I have, WHO I have, much more than simply thinking about how tired I am at the end of the day or what I need to accomplish tomorrow. Just enjoying each day for what it brings, and not getting too far ahead of myself, is a good practice.

That being said, I packed zero boxes today. At some point this needs to change. If I keep saying things like this at the end of every post, I'll actually start to pack again, right?

Countdown to the move - Day 13

2012-01-15T07:27:00.003-06:00

It's a black and white post for Saturday's recap, Day 13.

We had a slow morning - Rob had gotten home late the night before and so we just hung around the house when the kids woke up. I made breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, and while the kids played and Rob did laundry I drank a cup of coffee, blogged and read a few home magazines. The middle of the day was made up of thrilling things like a quick grocery store trip, picking up dry cleaning, and cleaning up the house. The kids got in a lot of train/dollhouse time, and also wrestled with daddy. I painted another foam core board with a color I'm considering for the playroom walls (Benjamin Moore's Hancock Green), and I think it'll work.

While I was at the grocery store, Robbie complained to daddy of a tummy ache. I came home and when Rob told me, it made me so nervous. We were planning on going to a movie that evening so as I got ready for the sitter and fed the kids dinner, I kept asking Robbie how he was feeling (always "Fine!" or "Good."). The sitter came and we left without having to put a single child to bed - how nice - and although the movie we saw was good, I was nervous the entire time thinking about whether or not Robbie might have the flu, whether I'd be up all night with a sick kid, who else would get sick, etc. I could not snap myself out of it! It was very annoying. I texted the sitter and she told me he was happy and played the whole night and then went to sleep without a problem, and wasn't sick. I was relieved, but only sort of. It's hard to explain.

And now I need to really get serious about moving since it's happening in less than 2 weeks!

Countdown to the move - Day 14

2012-01-14T12:45:00.010-06:00

Friday - Day 14 - was the day after our big snow storm, and my general exhaustion trumped the alarm clock, preschool, and getting out of the painter's way. I slept until the kids woke up, then brought them into my bedroom for a slow morning.

Ellie poked around in my toiletries closet until she found what she thought was a bandaid. She kept trying to open it and put it on my foot. It was highly entertaining.

I fed Maddie her breakfast (where else) in our bed. I would consider myself a pro baby food feeder at this point. Unless she sneezes or coughs her food across the room, I have yet to spill a drop of it anywhere.

Ellie pulled the cord belt out of one of her really cute dresses and while I'm not happy about that, it provided entertainment for us as she wrapped it around everything in sight.

Well I know this is all sounds fantastically fun, *and it was, but once I laid Maddie down for her morning nap I got the rest of us ready so that we could get out of the house when she woke up. Being in the house and not really being able to function in it was a little maddening.

*sarcasm.

We ate lunch in the van while we drove through the Arboretum. It is so peaceful there in the winter, I love slowly driving along the frozen paths and soaking in the quiet.

I love this little tunnel with its vines.

Winter is so beautiful here, and that makes it a little more bearable.

The Thornhill Annex - I'm sure it's run down and just a small functional office inside, but doesn't it make you want to renovate the inside and turn it into something gorgeous and cozy? Guests could come inside with a hot drink and tuck into a good book.

The frozen lake, which always makes me think of Robert Frost's poetry.

This is Auntie Cheryl's beloved tree by the lake. Which made me realize - friendship is being in an Arboretum full of hundreds of trees and knowing exactly which one is your friend's favorite. We think of her whenever we pass by it, and Robbie is on the verge of being able to point it out without my help.

After one trip through the Arboretum, we needed a few groceries so we stopped at Whole Foods. Which was a bold move, especially just before nap time. The older 2 had to be allowed to walk, which meant they insisted on pushing the kid-sized carts. I have to be firm and attentive and quick with the shopping in this scenario or else we risk knocking over towering displays, pulling the bottom apple out from under the carefully stacked pile, and threaten the vast collection of fragile wine bottles with our battering rams, I mean kids' carts.

Their behavior was nothing short of stellar. I was so proud of them.

No thanks to the random woman working there with a name tag that said "Visitor" who was holding a stack of little papers (?) and kept trying to make small talk with us in various aisles. I'm not sure what her agenda was. Had she been particularly attentive to my crew, I might have stopped and chatted. However, she kept asking if Maddie was a boy (dressed in pink and purple, and clearly looking feminine) and was oblivious to the fact that my 3 year old and 2 year old were in fact 3 and 2 and therefore ticking time bombs in a grocery store that could explode.

We came home for the girls' naps, and Robbie played while I tried to clean up a little bit.

Then it was meal time again for Maddie, in the living room.

And she was being so cute I couldn't help but put up each of these shots of her. Robbie was making her laugh and anytime he is near her, she's captivated.

A little standing at the front window as the kids walked home from the school down the street.

She was getting a kick out of feeling me blow on the side of her face and leaned back into it.

And then the witching hour hit and I was rendered useless as far as providing snacks or dinner or an appropriate craft area was concerned (as all require the kitchen). So we took turns melting.

I texted this picture of myself to Rob after the painter told me he'd have to come back for a 6th day (the job was supposed to take 3 days total) and had spent 2 whole hours trying to get the cabinet doors back up in our kitchen and they weren't fitting right. Underwhelmed.

I raided my own kitchen, dodging pools of paint on the tarp, and found Teddy Grahams and Puffs.

Not at all entertained by the current situation.

I did finally catch Maddie's "EEEK!" face, this time with flapping arms:

Sister got a Puff stuck to the bottom of her foot and was absolutely disgusted by it.

"MOM! I HAVE A CRUSTY ON MY FOOT!"

She kills me.

Daddy needed to work late again so I fed the kids a living room picnic dinner that looked more like a lunch. Thank goodness 2 and 3 year olds don't know any better and could care less.

We skipped baths but brushed teeth and hair, and wrapped up the evening with a little Bible reading before everyone was tucked into bed.

Maddie was especially cute after falling asleep, as she signature-snuggled her stuffed animal. Those shiny things on her back are silver little angel wings on her pj's... how fitting!

Once the kids were asleep I was able to finally put things away in the kitchen (it's nearly dry and almost finished), clean the countertops, and fold baskets of laundry. Rob brought home Lou Malnati's at my request (sometimes you just have to eat your feelings of frustration! ha) and we settled in on the couch for some quality time with our neglected DVR.

Countdown to the move - Day 15

2012-01-12T20:01:00.005-06:00

Only 14 days left until we move. Our closing meeting was scheduled today (we got the morning slot we were hoping for!) so it's feeling more real and very close. Eeks. Need to get back to packing like a crazy woman.

The painting continues here at home, so we relocated to Mima and Papa's house again today. We made breakfast, played in the basement, and I nursed a strong cup of Christmas Blend all morning, wondering when it would kick in.

Maddie got in a little carpet inspection. I love that little index finger that she rakes across the fibers ever so carefully until she traps whatever minuscule scrap she had her eye on. Such patience and precision.

Showing off her mid-crawl arabesque.

We were hanging out in the upstairs hall while Ellie settled in for a nap. She had a hard time getting comfortable - we're trying out the big girl bed (on the floor).

I laid with her and that was enough for her to drift off. Sweet girl.

The girls napped, and we all had lunch together when they woke up. By then it was really snowing and I decided to get the kids back to Wheaton before the roads got too bad.

It wasn't quite 4pm when we got to Wheaton so we stopped by to see Miss Kate at her store. We were the only ones there so we enjoyed catching up with her and passing the late afternoon. She is so sweet and gave the kids juice boxes, and since she reads the blog - Hi Kate!

She really is the best.

This girl and her hats...

"Whatcha doin', Elle?"

"I'm lookin' at the letters, Mommy." - how she explains trying to read.

We got home before the painter was done for the day, so we tried to stay out of his way. Everything was wet, and the kids needed dinner. So I grabbed the simplest meal that I could find in the kitchen while the kids played in the living room, and when I went to gather them up I found Ellie with a pair of Robbie's (clean) underpants from the laundry on over her jeans, just walking around like it was no big deal. I didn't even notice at first.

I decided that dinner would be a picnic... in the bathtub. You know, because we haven't had a meal there yet this week! It seemed easier than eating on the carpet somewhere, cleaning up the inevitable mess that would stress me out, and then bathing them.

So, 2 birds, one stone. They loved it.

Just as I was getting their pj's on, Maddie woke up from her late nap. I put the older 2 to bed early (6pm!) because they were both exhausted. Robbie fell asleep in minutes, Ellie needed a little more assistance but was asleep soon after.

Maddie seemed hungry so I fed her a tub of baby food - Chicken and Vegetables - on our bed.

I have yet to capture this hysterical face she makes all the time now, but this is the closest I've come so far:

It's like an "EEEKKK!" face - she shows her lower gums and tenses all her facial and neck muscles, and makes fists while her whole body trembles. She does it on command or when she's excited, and I just love it.

We hung out after her dinner and I put her back down, but she fussed and got a little worked up, so I got her back out of her crib and gave her half of a bottle.

Usually she's the first one down for the night, so it was nice to have a little extra time with my baby this evening. Rob was working late, and she was so thoughtful to keep me company!

So many sweet little moments throughout the day that I'm thankful for.

Countdown to the move - Day 16

2012-01-11T21:38:00.009-06:00

Today was a great day.

But I meant to include this little story in yesterday's post because the craziest thing happened... a car flipped through an intersection and crashed into a house in Wheaton yesterday afternoon. In our neighborhood at a major cross street, 3 blocks from our house. And the man who's doing the painting inside our house this week was sitting at the stoplight when it happened, and helped pull someone out of the car! Yikes. You can't really tell from this picture but the house had to be boarded up because apparently the house as well as that tree were damaged.

ANYWAYS...

Today I had decided that we wouldn't pack up and go to my parents' house. I was too tired to wrap my mind around what I had to do to make that happen last night, and my awesome mom offered instead to come out here to stay with the girls so that I could pick Robbie up from preschool while they started their naps.

So our morning went like this: get everyone up and out the door by 8ish, out of the painter's way. Get donut holes (kids) and coffee (me) on the way to preschool drop off. Take Robbie into his class, where one of his teachers casually commented on the fact that I looked sunburned and had I...? No, I quickly interjected, we hadn't gone on vacation someplace warm, I just didn't have any makeup on. {Yes, it was embarrassing for both of us. No, I will probably not show up at preschool without having showered and gotten ready ever again.} Then the girls and I headed to the gym. To work out? Nope, not today. Just to take advantage of that childcare I pay for monthly, whether or not I use it. The girls played in the childcare area while I showered and got ready in the locker room, and I left feeling guilty that I hadn't really 'earned' the shower! I also wish I had actually exercised, but I hadn't planned enough time to do so, thinking I'd be too tired.

Oh well. At least no one would be asking if I'd been on vacation when I picked Robbie up! Ha.

Well-hid freckles beneath Laura Mercier's magic-in-a-tube. We all have our secrets.

I brought the girls home, and my mom was here to greet us. She helped get the girls down for naps while I turned back around to pick Robbie up from preschool. I brought him home, and because there is wet paint in most of the downstairs portion of our house, we stayed upstairs. My mom left, and Robbie rested on my bed with me until Ellie woke up. Then we had a picnic lunch of finger food that is not messy and entertained ourselves in my bedroom until Maddie woke up (Leapsters for the kids, blogging for mommy).

Everyone's lunch location was unconventional today, and Maddie was no exception as she was served her baby food in the foyer.

I wanted to keep out of the house as much as possible, and it was a gorgeous afternoon (with a major snowstorm predicted for tonight/tomorrow), so we hit the streets of downtown Wheaton.

First stop: to see our favorite local pooch, Quincy, at mommy's favorite baby boutique, The Stork's Cradle. See him in the window?

Sweetest dog ever. The kids love him almost as much as I love Bonnie and Julie, the mother/daughter who own and run the store.

{This is the same window that those adorable ballerinas danced inside at Christmastime! }

Next up, a walk around the block to The Popcorn Shop for gummy worms and then on to Starbucks for mom's coffee (yes, that's the second cup of the day, stop counting). As if on cue, several trains passed by, freight AND commuter, always highly entertaining to everyone.

{Robbie is in a sensitive phase sensory-wise right now, plugging his ears if anything is remotely loud. This has caused problems at preschool with potty training, as the automatic toilets in the bathroom adjacent to his room unnerve him to the point that he refuses to go alone while he's there. To be fair, they flush while he's sitting there if he leans too far forward on his knees, and who enjoys THAT?!}

Monkey see... she is clearly not concerned with the noise.

I gave the kids 2 quarters to spend at The Popcorn shop and helped them put 5 gummy worms and one strip of colored sugar dots into each of their little white bags.

The deal was ONE gummy worm could be eaten immediately, and another after dinner if their meals were eaten. Ellie shoved an entire worm into her mouth before I could finish explaining the rules, and had a death grip on a second worm before I could snatch her bag away. Little turkey.

Waiting at the corner for the stoplight to change, with my goofy toddlers.

I picked up a vanilla latte and we walked another block or two over to the library, cutting through Adams Park just as the sun was setting. The result was a slew of gorgeous pictures that I could not resist posting in their entirety, for my future blog book's sake:

The kids know exactly how to get to the children's section and eagerly push the elevator buttons, march inside the elevator, and promptly sit down for the ride to the lower level.

We always stop to check out the newest collection in the display cabinets.

Then on to select a handful of books to read on the couch. Robbie picks the same train books every time, occasionally finding a new one he's never read before like today.

He's growing up so fast - he sat on the couch by himself for 20 minutes or so, just paging through his books contentedly. I was nearby and just let him have his quiet moment.

Busybody Ellie ran from toy to puzzle to activity station, surprising me with her complete knowledge of all of the shapes on the puzzles, including hard ones like oval (not circle) and diamond (not square). She's a smart cookie.

Our "Library Haul"...

Robbie mentioned that he wanted a hot dog for dinner, and since it was only 4:30pm I decided that we would stop at Shane's Deli on the way back to the car.

We barely made it to Shane's before Robbie had a complete meltdown. Our 2 or 3 block walk was peppered with mini fits and protests to all the walking, and he begged to be carried a few times (I don't give in, we are working on stamina and being a big boy, etc. in the wake of his complete refusal to nap). At some point while I was distracted we lost Ellie's Nalgene sippy cup, which annoys me to no end when those things disappear because 1) they hold the most liquid of all the kids' cups, 2) they are spill-proof, and 3) they aren't cheap.

But we made it to Shane's and had a hot dog party once I found the only door my double stroller would fit through (embarrassing).

Thankfully the car was parked right outside the restaurant and so we packed up and headed home to greet daddy when he came home from work. I fed the kids a second dinner of yogurt and melon, and then we headed upstairs to put Maddie to bed and get pj's on.

Ellie got distracted and attempted to try on her new bathing suit by herself.

She absolutely kills me. I wish we could have our own reality show (not really) so that someone is always filming her. It's impossible to convey her hilarity via the blog, unless you just witness it for yourself.

{TRIPOD!}

Oh dear. I love this girl so much. I think I fell deeper in love with all 3 of my kids today, if that is possible.

That adorable little swimsuit is a size '4 years'. {Ellie is 2 years old.} And it's snug on her, so I have to take it back for a size 5. To be fair, Gap's children's swimsuits seem to always run small. But that sweet belly isn't messing around, and the suit is nearly edible so size 5 it is!

Doesn't she look like a cross between a cupcake, a ballerina, and a flapper girl? And a teenager.

We put the kids to bed and I got take out salads for Rob and I for dinner. We watched the monitor in amazement as the kids fought sleep and jumped/sang/happy-screamed in their cribs. After numerous trips to their bedroom for shushing and eventually threats to separate them from one another {the ultimate punishment} they finally fell asleep.

And now it's our turn! Another wonderful day. Goodnight.

Countdown to the move - Day 17

2012-01-11T13:07:00.006-06:00

I am too tired to blog at the end of the day so these daily posts are trending 24 hours late! ha.

Yesterday was Tuesday, Day 17. We didn't have to accomplish anything so we spent the day in Aurora at my parents' house. We packed up as soon as we all woke up and got dressed, and I decided to bring a few bags of groceries that would go bad this week so that it wouldn't spoil here at the house while we're gone and also so that my mom doesn't have to feed all of us 3 meals a day!

We made breakfast once we got to Mima's house, and although I made myself a full french press of coffee, I couldn't get past my exhaustion. My parents entertained the kids in the basement while Maddie napped and I took a nap on the couch. It is amazing what an hour of rest can do!

We fed the kids fruit and pretzels to hold them over and headed over to the mall. We checked out a few stores on our way to the fountain, where the kids were excited to throw their pennies into the water. They'd been fighting all morning over the ziplock bag of pennies. Why is it so hard for me to remember to bring 2 of everything? (Bags of pennies.) Also, why must they fight over everything if one has something the other does not? :)

I think we spent a good 1/2 hour doing this.

Then my mom offered to take a picture of me with the kids.

A great outtake - Ellie in the background literally crawling into the fountain. She was only trying to get her pennies back out so that she could throw them again, and I knew she wouldn't actually go all the way in. Also, the water is about 2 inches deep in case you can't tell. Zero chance of falling in and getting into trouble as far as going underwater is concerned.

We do a lot of settling when it comes to pictures with all 3 kids. This is the best we could get.

Maddie was cracking up and loving this little ride Mima gave her.

(Eeks, sorry about the background. This is a family blog!)

We had lunch at Panera after all the excitement at the fountain. While we were standing in line getting ready to order, Robbie climbed into a booth and Ellie wandered back to the entrance of Panera that is still on the inside of the mall. She had passed by a toy kiosk in the hall on our way in, and fell in love with a battery operated doggie that yipped and jumped around. She was trying to see it again, but when I called to her and asked her to come to me, she glanced back at me and kept walking away, towards the toy kiosk. I walked closer to her and the kiosk came into sight, as well as the man working at it. He was smiling right at Ellie from 50 or so feet away.

I looked him right in the face, and then back down to Ellie and said "Ellie, come back to me right now."

And do you know what the guy did?

HE CONTINUED TO SMILE AT ELLIE AND MOTION HER TOWARDS HIM, AWAY FROM ME AND THE RESTAURANT.

(*What would you do?)

The toy kiosk, after the fact.

Well I picked Ellie right up and rejoined my mom in line and we ordered our lunch. As we were paying, I told her that the man at the kiosk tried to lure Ellie away from me even as he saw me trying to get her to come back, and my mom was livid. So was the woman behind the counter as she heard me telling my mom what had happened, saying "That is just wrong! I'm mad, and I'm not even a mother." So we decided that I should address it directly rather than let it go. I got everyone situated with their lunch and while my mom sat with the kids, I marched over to the toy kiosk and did my best to be appropriate but firm with the man selling toys. My heart was beating hard and fast it was a mother bear moment if I've ever had one. I don't think I've ever had to confront someone about an issue involving my kids like this, and I felt fiercely protective.

I said something to the effect of "I didn't appreciate you trying to lure my 2 year old daughter out of the restaurant away from me. You could clearly see that I was trying to get her to come back to me, and it is completely inappropriate to lure a child away from their parents. Don't ever do that again, to anyone!" I wasn't yelling but I think my tone of voice shocked him at first.

He smiled and apologized, and I bit my tongue and walked away (he didn't seem especially remorseful). Ellie was never in danger, but what he did was upsetting.

We returned to Mima's and Maddie napped in her pack and play while Ellie napped on a blow up mattress on the floor. It was a success and I hope that when we move, Maddie will be the only child in a crib in the new house. I think Ellie and Robbie will transition to twin beds but we'll see. I don't want to overwhelm them with too much change at once. And I'm not sure we've decided whether we'll put them in the same bedroom or separate them... so many things to think about that I have been ignoring!

Our afternoon was low key - the kids had a snack, played, ate dinner, took a bubble bath and got into their pj's before we headed home. They all went to bed later than usual, but I was sort of stalling turning out the light until Rob came home around 8pm so that they could see him. Robbie went right to sleep once we tucked them all in, but Ellie laid awake until 9pm. Rob and I stayed up and talked for a while, and then ate dinner at an hour no one should be eating anything, and headed to bed.

I was so tired from the day, that as I thought through my plan for the next day (Wednesday), the thought of how much I'd have to prepare and pack to get us through another day outside of our house started to overwhelm me. Robbie would need to go to preschool, the girls would be tired from their late night and a nap schedule that's been a little off, and I felt like given how tired I am as well, it would be a recipe for disaster. So I called my mom and cancelled our plans of coming out to her house after preschool and we made other arrangements for the next day that gave us a little more of a margin and felt a lot simpler.

Although it had its moments and challenges, another great day full of happy memories.

Forgotten

2012-01-10T17:09:00.002-06:00

A few images that fell through the cracks in the last week or two...

Countdown to the move - Day 18

2012-01-10T15:58:00.006-06:00

Yesterday (Monday) was Day 18 of our countdown and Day 1 of Camp Armbruster. Today the painter started in on all of the painting projects we have on the inside of the house, including the kitchen cabinets, and what was supposed to be a 3 day job has turned into 5. So the kids and I have all but moved out of the house (except for sleeping overnight) and are spending each day this week out at my parents' house. Camp Armbruster!

Loaded for fun and on our way first thing yesterday morning.

My mom made a big breakfast, and then got out some foam Valentine's Day crafts for the kids. They made Papa wearable pieces of art.

Then it was down to the basement to play.

My dad's signature move with the kids is to play little games with them and give Smarties out one by one as rewards or prizes. He hid them around the Thomas train table and let the kids hunt them like Easter eggs.

Then it was up to Papa's man cave to explore and play on the swivel chairs.

Papa impressed Robbie with a few magic card tricks.

Mima had the kids' favorite mashups to go with lunch.

And then we ran over to Target to get a set of diapers, wipes, formula and nursery water to keep here for the rest of the month. Mima and Papa offered to keep the kids on a few of the big days surrounding the move and we want them to feel well prepared!

Maddie took a nice long nap and I kept the other 2 awake so that they'd go to sleep early and easily once we got home. We watched a few cartoons...

...and then Maddie woke up...

...and we fed the kids dinner and ran a bubble bath.

Mima got a towel warmer for Christmas so we pampered the kids with hot towels after their bath. I can't believe they didn't fall asleep immediately after getting their pj's on!

I packed us up and the kids ran around the house one last time before heading home. I think Ellie had tried to get her own pajama shirt off, because it was up over her head and she was running around for quite a while with it like this.

Daddy got home just after I had put the kids in their beds, so he helped me tuck them in and then we ate the chili and salad that my mom had sent home with us. I did a month's worth of ironing while watching The Bachelorette and Rob talked on the phone. I can't decide whether I enjoy that show or am drawn to it more like a train wreck. Either way, I'm officially sucked in.

File under...

2012-01-08T22:59:00.001-06:00

"Could use a vacation in the near future"
or
"Isn't it obvious why I'm not good at interior decorating?"
or
"Not getting enough rest"...

So I am enjoying flipping through home decorating magazines with purpose, but have come across something that bothers me. In nearly every magazine I read, someone addresses the challenges of living in small spaces. You know, like mostly urban settings (and most frequently NY) where apartments have sorry hallway-esque excuses for kitchens and little to no closet space for storage.

There's this phrase that is repeated: "make smaller spaces work harder".

I get the point. But every time I read it, I'm like "leave that 1 square foot between the counter and the wall ALONE! It just wants to exist by itself. It's not demanding anything of you, so just let it be. Back away, put the power drill and shelving unit away, and give it some space."

That's all.

Countdown to the move - Day 19

2012-01-08T16:47:00.004-06:00

Sunday morning we were all sluggish! But we made it to church and the kids went right into their classes like champs. Robbie didn't have an accident all morning, Maddie didn't fuss, and Ellie came bouncing down the hall after her class happy as a lark. The church service was good, and our Pastor's sermon was really important for us to hear. It was well timed - thank you, Lord, for speaking to us. Pastor Bugh spoke from Colossians 1:21-23. Powerful stuff.

*If you are curious, you can click HERE to listen to it online (click the "Image of the Invisible: Christ in Colossians" link, and click on "Part 8 - Alienation to Reconciliation, Colossians 1:21-23").

We visited with my family in the hallway at church after gathering the kids from their classes, and headed home for lunch and naps. The boys put on their Giants jerseys and settled in to watch the big game while the girls slept, and I went to the hardware store (for paint) and to the grocery store.

"The G-MEN!"

Practicing the football hold. Or tuck. Whatever it's called. ;)

Dad offering Robbie some assistance with his form.

We <3 #10.

We lost all control after the game was over. Both Rob and I were tired (and lamenting the end of the days where we would eat Sunday lunch and immediately pass out on the couch - oh, the glory days!). So we were totally slacking in our parenting. The kids were entertaining themselves well enough, and so I closed my eyes on the couch after being tucked in by Robbie and Ellie, and Rob rested on the other couch (eyes open). Before we knew it, Robbie had pooped in his underwear, gone into the bathroom to take care of things himself, and had dumped his lump of solid poop out of his underpants in the sink, plugged the drain, and was filling it with water. We felt disbelief, disgust, and could not decide between laughing at him and disciplining him. Good parents that we are, we simply cleaned up the mess and offered a "Robbie, we don't dump our poop out in the sink."

I'd say A+ in parenting.

Oh, except that then a few minutes later, after just getting the poop off the sink, I found that Robbie had snuck off to the living room and gotten into the stamps. There were huge flower prints next to the dining room table on the carpet, and he had also decorated himself with the letter stamps, up and down his arms and on his face.

Trying to tell me he wants to go shopping?

{*He chose the letters H & M...}

Clearly unaffected by my stern reprimand.

Since Sunday's almost over, I'm going to go ahead and predict the evening instead of waiting to publish today's post (BOLD MOVE!).

Dinner (that has a 50% chance of being cooked by me). Baths. Bedtime. And then getting a few rooms of the house ready for our painter in the morning.

Countdown to the move - Day 20

2012-01-08T16:18:00.004-06:00

January 7th - Day 20 of the countdown, and the 3rd to last Saturday we will spend in this house. We made it count and got donuts and coffee from DD's for breakfast. Then we played around the house in our {batman and princess} pj's and set up Ellie's new Leapster, which she got post-holiday with cash from relatives because whenever Robbie has his out she goes ballistic.

{Oops, out of order. This was Maddie's dinner last night - cooked ground chicken and melon chunks. She did great with the melon, and hacked her way through the chicken.}

Ellie has a thing for hats. She walked around the house for the better part of the day yesterday in her winter hat, carrying the purse-case for the Leapster on one arm and Robbie's VReader backpack on her back.

The bag lady:

This one's for Auntie Cheryl!...

It took a while to load the software and get the Leapster up and running. Ellie insisted on watching the whole process, and chattered nonstop, just narrating everything that was happening to no one in particular. Rob was like "She is nonstop now!" and I explained that this is part of the reason I appreciate peace. and. quiet. so much these days. I love and adore our kids, and they are just energy and noise and talking and questions from the minute they wake up until they are passed out in bed at night.

{And even then, sometimes Ellie talks in her sleep. Ha!}

Precious girl.

We got out one of their new cartridges that had a Toy Story 3 game on it, and both kids were mesmerized. They even shared one of the Leapsters for a while. Miracle of miracles.

Saturday night was sort of a disaster. The kids were playing, I was trying to cook dinner, and we had a few other things going on that Rob and I were on the phone dealing with. At one point, it got quiet and when we asked Robbie and Ellie where they were, Robbie came bounding out of the living room, with chocolate all over his hands and face, pretty pleased with himself. "Um, just go look over there behind the living room couch!" he happily announced.

So we did. And we found a pile of chocolate Nesquik powder all over the carpet, with Ellie still scooping it up with her hands and eating it. I startled her, and when I reprimanded her, she freaked out!

{*I think it was the sugar rush.}

{Sidenote: I mistakenly dressed the kids in their Giants shirts, thinking the big game was Saturday. I am not exactly the sports-fan-wife, but I do try to go along with it all as much as I can. Fail!}

Robbie: proud.

Ellie: still shaken up and devastated by being told "no".

Both: hilarious.

Stripped down for bath time, he decided he wasn't ready to end his big day of fun and took one last hit of technology - playing the Leapster with his VReader strapped to his back. We call him Captain Underpants when he is down to his skivvies like this, much to his embarrassment.

See?!

They actually went to bed very well, for how eventful the evening was. Rob and I also slept hard. I think we were all exhausted!

Countdown to the move - Day 21

2012-01-08T15:35:00.007-06:00

Friday morning, day 21 of our countdown to the move, was a preschool morning. After we dropped Robbie off (which is quite a process since we have to walk him into his classroom - all 4 of us together!), the girls and I headed to the gym. After some quality time with the treadmill and a quiet shower to myself in the locker room (it's the best part of going), we headed back to church to pick Robbie up. A quick lunch, and the girls were down for naps.

Then our beloved sitter came over so that I could run a few errands by myself. She texted me a picture of Robbie while I was gone, at his request. I sent him this one back, telling him I'd be home soon.

It was a beautiful day, and in the 40's, so when I got home we played outside. The fresh air was good for all of us. I took the bulk of the day's pictures during this time, partially because I was happy to have a few last frolicking-in-the-yard images to take with us when we move. Also because the kids were being so funny and were in a photogenic mood.

Maddie hung out in the stroller and watched the kids run around.

Ellie is into wearing things with pockets, and puts her hands in them all the time. Today she discovered that she had 2 sets to choose from.

Pocket model:

Our friend Dee was walking past with her dog, Shane, so she stopped by to say hello. Talk about a welcoming party - the kids just stand and stare at people if we're in the yard and someone comes by. Whether we know them or not. I feel like I should explain to whoever approaches that yes, my kids are fully socialized and leave the house. It gets weird at times.

Poor Dee, possibly wondering on her way across the street why she agreed to come over. (Just kidding, she loves the kids.)

Shane loves to jump up on the kids, so they were keeping a good distance. Ellie was being dramatic the whole time and shrieking that fake shriek she does when she isn't really scared but wants to act like it. Maddie legitimately did not appreciate the dog being within 2 feet of her, and started to get very anxious and even cried! Not a dog lover (yet). I realized that she hasn't really been around dogs at all in her short little life whereas Robbie and Ellie have.

Asserting her independence and taking a hike.

Since we were in the front yard, the kids could see the neighbor's house down the street who put a huge snow globe in their yard for Christmas. They wanted to check it out up close, so we snapped a picture of the 4 of us and went for a walk.

This was a big deal. They have LOVED passing by this house every time we leave to go anywhere, because of this snow globe. I wonder if they'll remember it when they think back to this Christmas (I think there's a good chance).

They both wanted to help me push Maddie on the way back.

Robbie got out in front to help with a little lift since there was a huge crack coming up in the sidewalk. He seems so old when he does things like this.

Looking big and little in the stroller at the same time.

I asked if anyone wanted to help me pull the garbage cans in since it was trash day and they were empty on the curb. I had 2 takers.

Everything is a race.

We wandered around to the back and the neighbor kids were playing football in their back yard.

The back side of our faithful first home. I love how little the kids look walking around behind it.

"I climbed to the top of the mountain!" - Ellie

{*the mountain = the small hill on the far side of our yard}

Robbie's 'precious'

{*Note to self - remove this and take it to the new house. Neither he nor I can stand to part with it.}

How is he big enough to grab the bell?! I used to have to hold him up just so that he could ring it.

Hands and noses started to get cold, and Ellie fell down in the mud and started to lament "I'm DIRRRRTY!". So we headed back inside.

And on our way to the garage (to remove muddy boots), Aunt Kels showed up!

We had milk and cookies and caught up with Kelsey while I cooked dinner. Daddy came home, Kelsey left, and we ate together. It was a typical Friday night after that - baths and bedtime, then Rob and I rented a movie from On Demand (I scanned home/decorating magazines at the same time) and hit the sack.

Love this

2012-01-07T15:55:00.004-06:00

We have really great friends. One of them in particular is very good at blogging. Click HERE to read about the history of our friendship if you would like, it is so precious to me!

Countdown to the move - Day 22

2012-01-07T09:56:00.004-06:00

Thursday was Day 22 of our countdown to the move. Rob had an appointment in town in the morning, so we got to have breakfast as a family on a weekday! What fun.

I made pancakes and gave Maddie her first taste of pancakes, in tiny bite sized pieces. She did not enjoy it! She's too young for syrup so they were pretty dry.

The kids were in great moods, having daddy at the breakfast table!

Daddy left for work, and I was picking up the house and continuing the never-ending project of organizing our chaos when Mima stopped by. The kids enjoyed showing her their new artwork. She was impressed!

Mima left, and while Maddie napped, Robbie and Ellie played in (what else) boxes. Which included pulling whatever I had packed IN the box OUT. It's two steps forward, 3 steps back around here. I don't care a whole lot as long as they are playing nicely and not making a huge mess.

Plus then I happen upon moments like this one.

I'd like to say that the rest of the day went as well as it started, but it took a pretty steep nosedive from there on out. I laid everyone down for midday naps, and Robbie refused to sleep, keeping Ellie awake until 2pm. I finally pulled him out of the room so that she could sleep, and he was a whiny fall-to-his-knees mess whenever I would ask him to do something, saying he was too tired. This is his new go-to phrase - "I'm too tired!" - with dramatics to punctuate his point. It's a tough phase. He has clearly outgrown any sort of nap during the day (never sleeps no matter how long I leave him in there or what time of day I lay him down) but he's so tired for the second half of the day. This too will pass before I know it, but it makes for a lot of cancelled plans in the afternoons because I know I will end up somewhere in public with a melty almost-4-year-old. And with 2 other little ones with needs of their own, not much is worth chancing that situation.

I fed everyone dinner and we made our way upstairs, killing time before daddy came home from work. Bath time is much smoother when I can send kids out one at a time for diapers and pjs. But daddy called and said he'd be coming home late, so it was a solo endeavor.

I ran the water, and Ellie got into the Q-tips.

"Whatcha doin', Ellie?"

"Ummmmm, I'm cleanin' my nose."

The kids emptied their beds of all blankets and animals and pretended to sleep in various locations around their bedroom. They settled on under-the-crib as the best spot.

The bath started out cute, with Maddie between the older two and my hands on her the entire time (otherwise I would have adorable pictures to show you!). Both older kids offered to help hold her up, with Ellie grabbing her arm and Robbie steadying her with a hand on her thigh. They offered her toys and gently scooped water with their hands and washed Maddie's shoulders and back. At one point Robbie started to plant kisses all over her and got right up in her face and cooed: "Aw, Maddie! You're so adorable!"

But then I had to get her out of the tub and get her ready for bed, and the bath tub antics started and my instructions were ignored and it wasn't pretty. I got Maddie to bed, washed the other two, diapered and jammied them and put them to sleep. They fought me tooth and nail before I finally walked out of their room. One more prayer! Tuck me in again! And lots of annoying giggling when I asked them to please be quiet, and jumping and screaming. Ending the day this way stresses me out, because all the work I go to putting Maddie to sleep is undone, and then no one is down for the night.

Rob came home and I was pretty much in tears, and needed to go to the grocery store, so I left while he ate dinner and got ready for bed. Boo to not getting to hang out and talk before going to sleep. It was late by the time I unpacked groceries and cleaned up the rest of the house. But even on the hard days, there is so much to be thankful for.

Madeline is 9 months old!

2012-01-04T21:26:00.005-06:00

CAKERS!

You are 9 months old. I took you to the pediatrician this week and your stats are:

Weight: 17.5 pounds - 34th percentile

Height: 28 1/2 inches - 80th percentile

Head circumference: 17 5/8 inches - 75th percentile

You are the happiest little girl in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. You were all smiles and giggles and even pulled out a few new tricks for the doctor at your well visit - saying "Ma Ma" and "Ba Ba" when I asked you to.

Your sweet little personality keeps unfolding and we are anxious to know: will you stay mellow and sweet or will your spunky side win out!?

(*I'm putting my money on SWEET AS PIE. But you never know...)

You turned 9 months old on the 29th of December, and that's when you started to cut your third tooth - the upper left middle tooth. The right one is hot on it's heels.

You became a crawler this month, and have no trouble getting to what you want now. Sadly, you were the first child in our family to choke on something other than food. (Rob reminds me that you didn't actually 'choke', but it was not good.) You found a large piece of sequins on the floor in the upstairs hall one night as I was bathing the older kids, and I looked over at you as you hacked and coughed and couldn't clear your throat. I picked you up as you continued to struggle and gasp and yelled for your dad. (I tend to be dramatic in these awful moments, it's a flaw.) I grabbed the bulb syringe, at a complete loss as to how to help you, and your dad calmly watched as you vomited all over me. A few of those and I decided to do the finger sweep and caught the sequins with my index finger, and all was well from that point on.

You know, after my heart resumed beating at its regular rhythm.

You are absolutely in love with your big brother and sister, and they are really starting to love entertaining you. If you're sad or fussy they'll come up to you and laugh at you or start talking with you and playing with your hands and you immediately crack up. Tonight Robbie laid next to you as I changed your diaper and said "Maddie, say ba-ba-ba!" and when you obeyed and said exactly what he asked of you, he looked up at me and beamed! I think it surprised him that you are now able to interact and respond, and I share his wonder and excitement over you.

We are going to have a lot of fun teaching you all sorts of new things. ;)

You are still in size 3 diapers, and have moved to size 9 month pjs and size 6-12 month clothing.

You eat baby food for 3 meals a day but still love your precious bottles. We're starting slowly with finger table foods as well. You're having a hard time adjusting to the new challenges, digestively. It's only a matter of time (probably this week) until you get your first miralax juice bottle. Thankfully it's nothing new to me, as Ellie traveled down this road before you and you are like a carbon copy of her with these issues. No biggie. We know how to deal with it.

Your hair is still a beautiful shade of strawberry. Your eyes, pretty and blue. Your cheeks are full and your torso is narrow and there isn't an inch of you that I'm not head over heels in love with.

You still love a good round of Peek-A-Boo.

Your teeth are still a novelty and that little tongue is constantly poking around to feel them, even behind pacifiers.

You sleep from about 6:30pm at night until 7 or 8 in the morning without waking at all through the night. You have been a great night sleeper for as long as I can remember, from the beginning of sleep training. BLESS YOU! You take 3 naps each day, usually an hour around 9 or 10am, an hour or two midday when we're home, and another one around 3 or 4pm. If we are out all morning and you miss that first nap, you take one epic nap from 12 or 1pm to 3 or 4pm. You're flexible and easily distracted for a little while if I need to keep you out at nap time.

You are filling our home with more laughter and joy, but also more noise. And we do love it. The sweet sounds of siblings getting to know each other, forming relationships and playing together... and of course, of Ellie stealing her toys back from your swiping little hands.

I can't believe that we are dedicating you at the end of the month, and that soon I'll be planning your first birthday.

It's going so fast.

We love you Maddie, Maddie-cakes, cakes, cakers!

Countdown to the move - Day 23

2012-01-04T20:40:00.006-06:00

Back to reality today - Christmas break officially ended. Robbie went back to preschool, and I had to go to the dentist for my broken tooth. Boo.

I was told that when I came in to have it cleaned out, that only then would the dentist know whether I'd need a root canal, but that there was a decent chance that I would. Seeing as how I have horrible teeth and although I'm religious about brushing, get more cavities than people who hardly brush their teeth (honest truth), I wasn't hopeful.

I cranked up Adelle in one earbud and endured the awful drilling that I had become accustomed to not having in my life. I just hate the dentist. Does anyone like going?

That is just the worst view.

But good news for me: no root canal needed!

I had an impression taken of the tooth that was broken, and a temporary partial crown put on and that was that until I go back for the permanent crown to be put on.

On the way home I caught up with a friend on the phone who is beginning the adoption process, most likely international. It's such an exciting time for their family and it made me so happy for them. It's great to see the way God is putting together the families of people I love, in such diverse ways.

I was feeling pretty good about the day (having dodged a bullet with the root canal), so I decided to push my luck once I got home.

I've had acrylic paints and blank canvases set aside for a slow afternoon. So we got them out and I had the kids paint big canvases with colors that will go with their new bedrooms. I told them that we'd hang their paintings in their bedrooms in the new house. I hope that this is something else that will get them excited about the move.

It was a huge mess and I'm really proud of myself for 1) just going for it, and 2) keeping the mess pretty well contained.

The kids loved it. And I know I'm biased, but not only was the process fun, their art turned out to be really great.

I made them hold up their pieces after they'd completed them. I am so proud!

These will be proudly hung in their new rooms! I'm thrilled that they love to paint and that we made a fun memory today.

Just as we were finishing the painting project, the blinds salesman came by for our 4:00pm appointment. I pretended that I remembered that he was coming and that our art project was just running a little long, but between you and me I had completely forgotten he was coming. Art kind of sucks me in and makes me forget where I am and what time it is!

For 2 hours we talked shutter and honeycomb blinds. The kids fought, played, watched TV, ate (and threw across the room) their dinner, and were eventually put in time out. Even I was over it by the time 6pm rolled around, so I couldn't blame them too much.

We put the kids to bed after a bite of Trader Joe's angel food cake (while eating his piece, Robbie asked me: "Mom, what's on top of this cake?" {powdered sugar!} "Well what's on the bottom of it?" {Hmm, I don't know sweetie.} "It's surely butter.").

Thankfully the kids went down without a peep and Rob and I were able to eat our dinner in peace on the couch as we caught up on all the new episodes of our favorite sitcoms.

I'm so thankful for the good things today held.

Countdown to the move - Day 24

2012-01-04T20:12:00.007-06:00

Day 24 was yesterday, Tuesday. We had things to accomplish, so we got right to it.

First up: A trip to Ace Hardware to get a few paint samples for the new house. My little helpers pushed their own kid-sized carts. It was super cute and they didn't knock over any displays. Small miracle.

On the way out to the van, they found a small patch of snow in the parking lot, and so we enjoyed the moment without rushing.

Snacking on the way home. My rear view mirror is a daily reminder of how blessed I am.

After lunch the sitter came so that I could take Maddie to her 9 month check up by herself. While we waited in the room for the doctor, I was 'chatting' with her and actually caught one of her firsts on video! I asked her to say "ma ma ma ma" and she dutifully repeats right away, and then I change things up and ask her if she can say "ba ba ba ba" and she says it like it's no big deal.

My girl. She is the sweetest of babes, even the doctor said she'd take her home in a second, and that's saying something.

I brought her zebra to keep her entertained and she was cracking up! I think she was loving the one-on-one time with just mom, we talked and played the entire time. Such a fun little memory together.

We got home and the kids were wired. Per usual. I keep forgetting that not only are we not doing much other than packing and getting ready to move, but it's winter and they are not exactly getting their energy out in the backyard. Ellie gets a funny streak every now and then (or, everyday) and does weird/cute things like this:

Robbie asked to be wrapped like a burrito. {I don't know.}

We put the kids to bed and enjoyed a delicious dinner my mom brought over fresh from the oven - pork chops, a version of au gratin potatoes that was better than anything I've ever eaten, and a fresh fruit salad. It was so nice.

It was a good day.

Updates

2012-01-03T11:50:00.001-06:00

I just updated the Day 31 post of our time in Wisconsin with friends. There were too many pictures to choose from so I put them ALL up!

Countdown to the move - Days 28, 27, 26 and 25 (what!?)

2012-01-02T21:56:00.006-06:00

At the end of the post I will explain why I am counting today as days 28, 27, 26 and 25. :)

Today was Rob's last day home from work. It's been a great stretch having him home with us, but I teased him tonight and said that I KNEW he was excited to get back to work tomorrow! I think 5 solid days of being home with the kids and I, with nothing fun planned and lots of packing to accomplish, was not the most relaxing of 'vacations'.

Next time, it'll be a beach. We decided that was in order sometime soon. We have no idea how, but it's time to go somewhere with sand and water!

We had scheduled the sitter to come this afternoon, so this morning I gathered up a few more boxes worth of random stuff that needed to get. out. of. the. house. and into storage. Around 11am I left to take a full van load to the storage unit, so that at 2pm when the sitter came we could take the big pieces of furniture that take both of us to lift over to storage as well. I stopped at Home Depot to pick up a new ceiling fan for our kitchen (ours randomly stopped working or responding at all about 2 weeks ago). While I was pushing my cart and trying to read the list of items in each aisle as I looked for one in particular, a man with a cart behind me was trying to get past me (I didn't see him at first) and when I looked back and apologized and moved out of his way, he said to me "It's all right. People in Christmas sweaters don't usually move very fast in this store!". Excuse me!?

First of all, I would HARDLY call this a Christmas sweater.

So I finished what business I had at Home Depot (unwelcome as I was) and came home. By the time I unloaded the van and took care of the kids' most recent urgent needs (haha - diapers, sippy cups, etc.) the sitter showed up.

Rob and I hauled a bunch of furniture over to storage together, and it is totally shameful to admit that it felt a little like a date. When we came home, my mom had stopped by to say hi and help us with anything we had to do, but we had done most of what we could today already. So we visited, paid the sitter, and they both left. The kids were all wound up from the afternoon of attention, so I put them in the van and we picked up pizzas and salad for dinner.

We fed them and were about to put them to bed when Cheryl stopped by, so they got to have one last sugar cookie and stay up a little later while we visited with her. (*Also? She knows me so well and gave me a cute Homeowner's Record Keeper book so that I can keep everything straight for the new house. I cannot wait to use it. A place to write down where we bought our blinds and what the names of the paint colors are throughout the house? Yes, please!)

After the kids went to bed, Rob and I had a chance to discuss the timeline of this month and all that needs to happen. We made a few decisions about the move that are a big relief to me, and I'm actually looking forward to January now instead of feeling like I hope we survive it. I feel good about the progress we've made on the new house as we get ready to make it our home, and I'm feeling better each day about leaving this home and being ready to actually move out when the day comes.

Our official move day is Friday January 27th (I scheduled it with the moving company today). I had initially thought that we would move in on January 30th, so that is what I was counting down to when I initially started to blog the countdown. Today became Days 28/27/26/25 all rolled into one. One big picture-less post.

Which I will remedy tomorrow, since the pressure's off in a few new ways now.

A nice way to start the new year!

Countdown to the move - Day 29

2012-01-02T21:46:00.003-06:00

Crud.

I am not a daily blogger. I'm a lover of sleep, a woman on a mission, a wife who wants to sit on the couch after dinner with her husband, and a busy mom of 3 active babes.

Your bullet point post (again!) for Sunday...

- Got up and made the family a hot breakfast; fried egg ham and cheese sandwiches on english muffins for Rob and I, and waffles, eggs and fruit for the kids. (Prunes and baby oatmeal for the babe.)

- By the time I washed dishes, got myself ready, and dressed the kids we were out the door 15 minutes late for church. We are usually on time, which means in our seats a few minutes before the service starts. I am giving myself grace this month.

- Church was later since it was a holiday (New Year's Day) so we didn't get home until 12:30, which translates to CRABBY! HUNGRY! TIRED! KIDS! We fed them fast and threw them in their cribs.

- The dentist called me in to his office right away after lunch, so I left to go have a temporary crown put on my cracked-off tooth, which was starting to give me a massive headache.

- Came home and made hot swiss dip once I had waited the allotted time (plus another hour!) for my temporary crown to set and harden. One bite of the dip and it fell off. Shh, don't tell the dentist.

- I think we did something else with the afternoon yesterday but it escapes me. Probably packing! I know Rob left for a few grocery items at one point because he came home with a sweet bunch of flowers for me! I made a shameful dinner and we ended the day on the couch, exhausted.

Countdown to the move - Day 30

2011-12-31T22:30:00.002-06:00

I'm digging myself a hole.

Still need to blog day 31, which I mislabeled yesterday as day 32 because I was too tired to count properly.

And now I'm giving you a bullet point list of Day 30 for the same reason. So. Tired.

Today:

- Kids wake up, trickle into our bed, fresh round of diapers.

- Make breakfast, send kids down to play, make my blessed french press of Christmas Blend and sip in (semi) peace.

- Make some phone calls to schedule move related things, check some boxes off of my to-do list while Rob packs up the office.

- Shower and take Robbie with me to run a few errands.

- Check in on the kids and Rob at home, drop Robbie off and head over to the new house to meet up with the realtor. Get estimates for painting and blinds.

- While we are in the house, discuss with our realtor how overwhelming the task is of choosing paint. She goes to work with my fan deck and I kid you not, pulls colors out that I love and will probably paint our house with. If you need a realtor anytime soon, YOU NEED OURS.

- As the last person was giving me a quote, something felt funny in my mouth and I realized that I had cracked a tooth and half of my molar was stuck inside the gum I was chewing. This is a horrible feeling. I was mortified, a little panicked, and very thankful that I didn't have any pain at all. Then I laughed at the thought of making time for a root canal/crown at this point in time. WHY NOT!? Nice timing, too - on top of the move, I crack a tooth in half the night everyone is closing up shop for a few days. Excellent. Because she is more than just a realtor (interior designer, etc.), my relator calls her dentist on the phone right then and there and gets them to agree to call me tomorrow and see me even though their office is closed. I am beyond grateful. Also? My tooth is starting to hurt.

- Come home, laugh and play with the kids, feed them dinner and throw them in the tub. Pj's all around, and they were all 3 asleep by the time we got downstairs and turned the monitor on. Yesterday really wiped them all out!

Funny things to remember:

Robbie: "Hallelujah! means 'Thank You' in spanish!" {Lost in translation, thanks Dora}

Ellie: "Mommy, I need to brush your hair. You have food in your hair. I get out all the tangles." {As she drags a toy comb through my hair in the wrong direction. Poor girl, I must say this every day to her! "I have to brush the food out of your hair, hold still."}

Today while Robbie and I were out together we happened upon a man who was in need, so we gave to him. As I explained to Robbie what we had done and why (the man didn't have any money, had such-and-such need, God has given us plenty and we want to share it with others, etc.), the simple verbalization of it all brought me to tears. Robbie too, as he talked it through out loud and realized for maybe the first time that some people don't have any money or a bed to sleep in. I could tell it made him so sad and he was quiet for a little while afterwards. I pray that he has a sensitive heart for others in need and always has a quick compassionate response. These are the moments that make me wish that the world were a different place, and then on the heels of that I'm so grateful for what Christ has done for us and the hope of heaven that we all can have.

And since it's New Year's Eve (what?!), Happy New Year! We're tucking in as usual. Wild party animals over here.

Countdown to the move - Day 31

2011-12-30T22:24:00.004-06:00

*UPDATE: I've finally uploaded pictures of our time in Wisconsin!

On December 30th we traveled up to Milwaukee to the Larson's home (Jeff's parents' house) to celebrate Christmas. I think we figured out that although the adults have gotten together a few times, it had been an entire year since the all the kids AND adults had been together.

We met around lunch time and Becky had put together a great meal for us - The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti and a skillet apple pie that was amazing. The kids had fun playing together in the basement between meals and it was the first time the adults could actually sit nearby at a table and have a conversation with minimal interruptions! The injuries were minimal, the fights as typical as those between cousins, and the interactions between kids equally precious and hilarious. There is something that is so special about 'Aunties and Uncles' who love your kids almost as much as you do, and to see all of these relationships continuing to form. It is such a gift, and although we wish we lived closer together, once we get to have the Larsons back within driving distance (WI) we can't wait to make these get togethers more frequent.

We all planned to bring our kids' Christmas pjs for the annual group Christmas picture. The busy rug beneath them ended up giving us pictures that will give you a headache if you look at them for too long! Haha. Photography lesson learned.

It took quite a while to just line the kids up and get them to stop messing around or wrestling.

{Pictures are grossly out of order}

It was crazy just trying to get everyone into the pjs in the first place. There was an excess of energy and excitement!

We had decided again to do a gift exchange and Becky had drawn names for all of the kids. Every child gave and received one gift each. It was perfect. Hilariously enough, after all the gifts were opened, everyone ended up playing with the gifts they GAVE.

Ellie received a snow white princess dress and princess puzzle, and gave Charlotte some art supplies which we christened. A big drawing pad, satchel with markers etc. to go, owl window clings and a matching owl art smock.

Char insisted on wearing the satchel right away! (Isn't it fun when kids love the gifts you give them?) Matt joked that she looked like she was going to a Phish concert, with her long hair falling down into her eyes as she marched around the room with her satchel slung across her chest. She is too cute. And very independent!

Joey stayed well hydrated during our time together. No one knew whose water bottle this was.

As we packed up to go, the Bellito twins kept coming over to Maddie as she waited in her car seat, and wanted to smother her with goodbye kisses! It was the cutest thing you ever saw. Until one of them crawled in there to love on Maddie, and she grabbed for his face and accidentally clawed him on the cheek. He scooted back out, totally confused as to why Maddie would respond to his love by scratching him!?

Earlier in the day the dads made a big fort, which every child wanted to climb inside. With the exception of Maddie, they got everyone inside. What a cute memory.

These twins - I can't get enough! They are turning into such big boys. They LOVE to wrestle, and will throw themselves down bum-first into another child's legs to try and start a wrestling match. It is so hilarious, I wish I had gotten it on video. Robbie was happy to oblige, until one time he ended up on the bottom of the pile, laughing so hard he couldn't get up, and everyone else took their shot at jumping on him until he finally took a knee to the head and started to cry.

Charlotte is in a precious stage of wanting to watch and help with everything. Neither of my kids are like this yet, nor do they show any interest in helping me with Maddie. But Charlotte was at my elbow with every diaper change, and asked to help feed Maddie her bottle when she needed it, totally unfazed by the awful smell of her formula. I have not seen a more patient 3 year old - she held Maddie for the entire feeding, quietly holding up her bottle and making adjustments as Maddie would squirm. And the look of love on her face the entire time!

{Mama Becky stayed close behind Char to help so that I could snap a few pictures}

This is my favorite picture from the night.

Aunt Becki with Maddie! Maddie had no problem warming up to everyone. I think she knows how loved she is by this crew.

Funny story about that beanie baby...

Beautiful Becki with some of the boys.

Miss Elle got to skip her nap but it came back to bite us around dinner time. She was soooo tired!

Sweet Joe, our godson. Talk about personality, this kid had us in stitches. Especially when he would get excited and show off by whipping toys clear across the room without warning. Everyone would duck and then try not to laugh as Becky would request that he stop chucking toys.

At one point, Char was doing a somersault and Robbie 'helped' her over. She was not pleased, and stopped what she was doing to complain.

Hilarious! Her mom encouraged her to talk it out with Robbie, and so she did. He apologized, and then as he did a somersault of his own, she 'helped' him over, evening the score. ;)

Two of my kids drew the Bellito twins, so we got them superhero capes off of Etsy. They were a huge hit! (Thank goodness, I feared that I went too old with their gifts and that they wouldn't have a clue as to what to do with the capes.)

The girls commandeered the capes and ran around the basement in circles screaming, until they needed a break to catch their breath {insert heavy breathing here}:

Aaaand, back at it.

The boys did get to try on their presents...

And are hopefully running around their house in Wauconda - saving the day and protecting their mommy from the bad guys.

******************

Long but fun day! It's late, and this post needs time and thought in order to do it justice. So just a few pictures to hold you over and warm your heart - to have friends who feel more like family is a rare blessing. We are so thankful for these sweet people and all that they mean to us.

Countdown to the move - Day 32

2011-12-29T22:04:00.003-06:00

Oops. No pictures today.

Rob took today and tomorrow off of work (translation: he asked for Friday off so that we could take a day trip to see friends, and his coworker - BLESS HIM! - told him not to come in on Thursday either). So he was home today, which was great.

We started the day as usual, in our bed with all 3 kids snuggled close, but with Daddy there too it was way more fun.

Then we headed downstairs for breakfast, and I made the kids scrambled eggs to go with leftover reheated monkey bread from Christmas. Once they all had their plates and cups and were happily tucked into their meal, I made myself a french press of christmas blend and a fried egg breakfast sandwich (this has become my favorite way to start the day, but I'm limiting myself to once or twice a week).

Then we got to work. Rob disassembled the twin beds while I packed what we don't need for the next month from the kids' closets. Note to self: you need baby blankets like you need tea, mugs, and a hole in the head. Apparently that's a thing for me.

We kept packing, changing diapers, wiping noses, throwing food at the kids, napping them randomly, moving stuff to the garage, etc. until about noon when I realized I needed to take a shower and we needed lunch. Does it go without saying that there is little to no cooking happening right now in our house? That includes lunch. I consider throwing turkey between slices of bread cooking at this point. I ran a few errands and brought lunch back within an hour, and we all ate together just before the painter came over to give us an estimate on a few projects we want to get done before listing the house.

We spent the afternoon packing more, and then I took Robbie over to the storage unit with me. We have actually filled the first unit and needed to look into renting a second one. On the way there, he needed to potty. We pulled over just in the nick of time to use the car potty I keep in the back seat, in a church parking lot. Why does this stuff not even faze me anymore? Here, son - pull your pants down in public (it's a balmy 43 degrees!) and pee on a plastic potty right off of Main Street. I will then dump its contents nearby and pretend that it is completely clean and put it back in the car, and we will continue on with our day until you yell at me 30 minutes later that you've gotta go again.

We secured a second storage unit and also learned a few new things about our facility that made me swear off ever going there alone and/or at night. When we got home, Aunt Kels was there to keep an eye on the kids so that Rob and I could drive a load of furniture over to the new storage unit. This was a really awesome thing she did for us at the end of a very long day, and I'm so thankful for her and her willingness to help us when she can.

We started the bedtime routine when we got home, and while I ran the kids' bath I let Maddie crawl around the hall near the bathroom. I had made it almost 4 years with small children and never had them choke on something other than food, but tonight Maddie found one of those large pieces of sequins (from WHAT? I have absolutely no idea) on the floor and apparently tried to eat it. All I know is that one minute I was running the bath, and the next I see her coughing and choking, and I just sort of held her up, trying to see in her mouth when she vomited all over my lap and kept struggling. Of course I yelled for Rob and grabbed the bulb syringe (? ok, I panicked) and waited for her to stop being able to take a gasping breath between chokes/vomits, but thankfully she never really stopped breathing or got into serious trouble. After a little bit I saw something shiny in her mouth and swiped through her mouth with a hooked index finger like you're supposed to, and fished out the sequins. Then I held her close and tried not to breathe through my nose because oh my goodness it is for sure now, vomit makes me want to vomit and it's not getting easier like I thought it would once I became a mom and vomit became my second job, mothering being the first.

We tucked the kids in for the night, and since the twin beds are out of both rooms the rest of the furniture has been rearranged, namely Robbie and Ellie's beds. This threw Robbie for a loop, and he voiced fears tonight about the dark, wanting his crib moved back to its original location, etc. We prayed together, I re-tucked Ellie in and he called me back over so that I could listen to him pray to Jesus again.

Robbie: "Dear Jesus, please watch over me while I sleep tonight because the I'm afraid of the darkness and right now it's a lot more light but when mommy leaves and closes the door, it's only a little light and it's darker and that makes me afraid. So Jesus please help me not be afraid and you and God watch me when I sleep."

Oh man, my little guy's first really honest prayer. It broke my heart and made me so happy all at once - to hear him talk about his fear but also to be bringing it to God at the tender age of 3! And trusting that God will take care of him. We talked for a while about the Holy Spirit, and His role in our lives. Which led to a discussion of the trinity (very basic!), and I laughed as I left the room at how some of my best conversations with the kids are the ones before bedtime. Glad I wasn't in a rush tonight, it was sweet time with Robbie.

Dinner was carry out from Smashburger (chicken sandwiches and smashfries... mmm!). And since there's still no great TV to watch, we are enjoying all the real estate shows, namely House Hunters. But also whatever the one is called where the twins in Canada get unsuspecting couples to agree to let them help pick their next home and renovate it, except the twins (who I suspect have high opinions about their own looks) are constantly squashing people's dreams as they start to renovate the newly purchased fixer-upper and come back to the couples saying things like "oh, we found faulty wiring that needs to be completely replaced" or "this plaster won't hold new cabinetry in the kitchen" etc., and then tell the couple the cost of the unanticipated project and watch them change from hopeful about creating their dream home to crestfallen as they realize they now have to choose between a brand new kitchen and adding a bathroom in the master suite. It's sort of a horrible show, but in the end everyone seems happy enough so we keep watching it (?!).

Enough about TV, my pillow is calling and we have a VERY fun but full day planned tomorrow. I promise pictures, and they'll be good...

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Funny things to remember about today: Ellie's hilarious and adorable mood; finding Jesus' birthday cake, which had been sitting out on the counter without plastic wrap covering it, with chunks missing and trails in the icing made by little fingers - we have no idea when Robbie even attacked it but we narrowed it down to sometime this morning!; Maddie refusing to give up on crawling towards Robbie's sippy cup, no matter where we moved it to be out of her reach; Robbie acting weird and doing a very awkward dance while I tried to fill out paperwork at the storage facility.

Countdown to the move - Day 33

2011-12-28T15:57:00.011-06:00

Today's big event: taking the train downtown with Robbie and Ellie to visit Rob's office and have lunch!

A day of fun to balance out all the work we've done this month... my mom came over this morning to stay at the house with Madeline while the kids and I left to catch a train just before 11am into Chicago.

Robbie checked the schedule on the wall - yep, right on time.

Ellie consulted her hard copy.

Patiently waiting for the train to arrive - we got to the station with plenty of time to spare. You never know with kids what you'll run into.

We moved to the benches outside when the train was due to arrive, and it was chilly so the kids got all snuggly.

So the train ended up being a little late... and waiting was getting boring.

Robbie threatened to go back inside the station because of the cold, so I told them to find their pockets and pull their hoods up. It's amazing how entertaining things like hoods and pockets can be.

Cozy and warm inside the train on the upper deck. Ok, so I look as tired as I feel. Kind of thought I was pulling off the "I'm awake!" look until I saw this picture. Not so much.

Sharing mom's scone.

These two had fun together on the train ride - everything is so novel to them and they are such buddies. I think they enjoyed having all of my attention as well!

A little catnap on the coats.

Group picture!

They got antsy so I broke out the Dots from their Christmas stockings. Still a big hit, even a day later. And they take forever to peel off and eat. BONUS for mom.

We got to Ogilvie and Rob was waiting for us on the platform! He walked us up to his office (he works in the building), which was just renovated. It was beautiful. We caught up with Aunt Megan inside the office and she showed us around the upper level.

Peeking in at Megan's desk.

All the world's a playground when you're 3.

Hiding under the conference room table.

Of course they found a nook that also had a ladder in it. Magnets for trouble, these 2.

Sneaking up on Daddy at one point when he had to slip away to do some work. I love how Rob's coworker is egging Robbie on and playing along! "SShhhhh... don't let him hear you!"

We ate lunch in their new kitchen area which was adorable, and walked around a little while longer before heading back downstairs to catch our train home.

The kids were exhausted. And punchy. It was a lot of work to ensure we weren't making a scene on the train ride home. Probably bad parenting, but I told them the conductor would not be happy with them if he had to ask them to be quiet / sit down / stop kicking each other on the train. Thank goodness it worked! They shaped up.

Mom, you realize it's well past my nap time, right?

Is this kid a Livingston or what?!

Sadly, our fun outing ended poorly. We walked into the space between cars just inside the doors as we were pulling up to College Ave Station, and I had a firm hold of both kids. Additionally, the conductor was standing just behind Robbie on a lower step, and as we braked I held tighter to the kids, anticipating the jolt. Well it might be my imagination but it was a very abrupt stop and I couldn't keep Robbie on his feet. He fell to the side and sort of down one step right into the conductor, and hit the side of his head on one of the metal poles. The upper part of his ear took the impact and somehow bled from the inside (don't worry, not below by the ear drum area). As I was consoling him and trying to get the 3 of us off the train before the doors closed again, I looked up to see a girl from church that I've gotten to know mostly because we are always at the gym at the same time! "Oh, hey! How are you?!" I joked amidst our chaos, crying and blood. She has twin 4 year old boys and they were there with her husband as well, and they helped us get off the train in one piece. Then they stayed nearby (so sweet!) and her boys actually ended up distracting Robbie from his woes. By the time we headed to the car, the kids were all running around playing and laughing together.

All's well that ends well. On the ride back to the house the kids looked like zombies.

When we walked in the door, I gave them milk cups, tucked Robbie in on the couch with Peter Pan and laid Ellie down for a late nap. Auntie Cheryl was home from her Christmas travels and had come over to catch up with my mom while we were out. So we chatted with her for a little while before she left.

We couldn't play all day... so I emptied out my nightstand drawer after feeding Maddie a bottle and putting her in the exersaucer, and sorted junk and receipts. Called a painter to schedule a visit for an estimate on the things we need freshened up before listing the house. Called the doctor to schedule Maddie's 9 month well check up. Called the storage facility to book another unit (who knew we'd be moving so much out of here before we actually moved?!).

Rob came home and we fed the kids dinner. Overheard at the table:

Robbie: Mom, it's garbage night tonight.

Ellie: Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way... Oooohh (pause, trying to remember the next verse)... Old McDonald had a farm (?)...

Robbie: Oh what fun it is to ride!....

Ellie: {whispering, looking over the back of her chair at me as I cut her more oranges} Trust me, mommy... trust me!

It was straight to the tub after dinner since they were literally dripping with orange juice. We put them in warm pj's and snuggled through one episode of Blue's Clues on our bed after Maddie went down. The kids went to bed, I picked dinner up for Rob and I, and we relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Goodnight!

Countdown to the move - Day 34

2011-12-28T07:04:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was Tuesday - Day 34.

Right away our babysitter Amy came over because I had a moving company coming to give us an estimate. She watched the kids while I led a man through our house, and then drove him over to our storage unit. Since I had packed the van up the night before, after he was done with the estimate and left I unloaded the van into the storage unit. So far my dad has come with me almost every time and helped me unload. Wow, did it make a difference! It's hard work pulling big heavy boxes out of the van by yourself and finding places for it in a nearly-full 12x12 unit. But I got it done, and when I pulled in at home I decided that since the seats were all out of the van and there were more bulky things to be put into storage, I'd just take another load over while I had the sitter at the house. So I loaded the van up with the kids' easel, and a few other big heavy things, as well as a bunch of things we wanted to donate. I dropped off the donations first, unloaded the van at the storage unit for a second time, and by then it was lunch time and I had worked up an appetite! So I treated myself to a warm cup of my favorite soup at my favorite place, in complete peace.

I ran a few other errands - picking up more newsprint and tissue paper at Hobby Lobby while they had a big sale running! Then headed home for my next appointment with our realtor. I picked her up (she is recovering from major surgery and can't drive yet), and she walked through our house, giving me tips and ideas about what else we could do to make sure it's ready to go on the market soon. I took her back home and since it was now the kids' dinnertime, I picked up nuggets on the way back.

We are having fun with their new face plates. They are even eating things they usually turn their nose up at, because I can say fun things like "EAT HER HAIR!" or "Dip your food in his mustard beard / her ketchup cheeks!"

We put the kids to bed, and without much guilt I asked Rob for it to be a carry-out dinner night. I worked nonstop all day and hadn't had any time to prepare dinner! We picked up Chipotle, ate it, I blogged, and we went to bed.

And no one woke up in the night last night! I am so thankful for those nights, especially when the days are as full and exhausting as they are right now.