We went bowling on Saturday

We took our first ever family trip to the bowling alley yesterday after and early supper. Calvin sat in the stroller and munched on cereal, and Violet, Dave and I rotated turns through 2 games. The bowling alley put up the bumpers on the lanes and gave Violet a light 6 pound ball and a metal ramp for her to set the ball up on. She pushed it down the ramp and it would roll...veryyy...sloowwly to the end of the lane and knock down some pins. At first she thought we were going swimming because she didn't recognize the word "bowling" so when we got there she was confused why there wasn't any water. And as we were bowling, she said "We're going to go bowling soon!" She got pretty into it the first few times, but towards the end of our second game, she was losing interest and wandered away from the lane a few times getting into trouble. It was still a fun time, though, and I'm glad we made the effort and went. At one point we let Calvin out of the stroller because he was getting pretty fussy, but it was crazy - he was just running every direction possible and impossible to contain, so back in the stroller he went. Violet let him push the ball down the ramp once, which he seemed to like.

This week flew by so fast

I don't know where it went! It seems like it was just Sunday evening, Dave and I were both sort of dreading the beginning of another long week. Work for him lately has been really, really crazy busy. And now its Friday. We did have a busy week with stuff in the middle of it - I guess those are the things that make the time fly. Monday night Violet was sick, Tuesday I was supposed to be at MOPS but I didn't take Violet (even though she was ok), Wednesday morning I had Bible Study, Wednesday night Dave watched the kids while I went to help a friend move, Thursday afternoon I was babysitting my friend's kids while she got her house more in order and the beds set up, and now its Friday! Its not exactly gorgeous outside, either. Its sunny though, which I'm thankful for. Violet kept walking out onto the deck going "Is it nice outside yet?" and saying "Oh! The cold makes my hands freeeezing!" and coming back in and saying "This house makes me all cozy and warm." Awww. She's just dying to go out and take a walk with her stroller. I got distracted by deciding to post a blog entry. I was just in the middle of printing out our bank statements from online banking when my printer ran out of paper. I don't really feel like going downstairs and getting more paper. If I had a desk, I might have some storage for extra paper. I really, really would like a desk. I'm using a card table right now, which isn't comfy. I don't have a chair, either...I'm sitting on a dining room chair. This room I'm sitting in could use a little color and some decor. Violet's room is starting to look really cute. My mom came down this week with a big truck (she was on her way to Cedar Rapids to take Jay a desk) and dropped off some furniture for Violet's room that used to be in my room when I was a child living at my parent's house. It matches the headboard and dresser that she currently has in her room. She got a desk with a matching hutch and another dresser with a mirror on top of it. We rearranged the room and moved her bed to the opposite wall, and put the desk with the hutch on the wall right when you walk in the door, and moved the bookshelf/lampstand right next to her bed in the corner. I just need to put some other things on the wall...I'm getting there. She was crazy excited to get the furniture. She said "Oh my room looks so cute!" and loves to climb up in the chair and pretend to do things on the desk even though its bare and empty. Calvin's room still needs the wallpaper taken off. Since we got the steamer it works so much better than the DIF stuff. Its hard to find time to work on that wallpaper removal project, since when we have down time, he's sleeping in that room. Maybe we'll have to temporarily move him somewhere else. I don't know.

Not the best night (do not read while eating!)

Dave said last night marked the worst night for him ever since having kids. It may be because he got puked on twice. Poor little Violet came walking into our room at 2 am heaving. She said "I have to throw up!" Dave sprung out of bed so fast and grabbed her and took her to the toilet before I could barely sit up. She got some on him but mostly it all went in the toilet. It was all carrots that came up. Last night we shared some of the carrots that we cooked in a foil packet with potatoes and steaks on the grill, they must have been bad. We bathed her at 2 am and changed her pajamas and brushed her teeth. Dave coaxed her into drinking a mix of baking soda, salt and water to see if it would do either of two things: settle her tummy, or cause her to throw up the rest of whatever was in there. She let that hit her stomach, and more came up, landing on part of Dave's leg and the toilet. She was such a little trooper though. She cried for a little while, but most the time, she sat still and wanted to cuddle. She said "I need to throw up" and would throw up, and then say "I fink I'm all done now." She wanted to sleep in our bed last night. We caught another bout of puke in a plastic bucket near the bed. The three of us didn't sleep very well. She slept for maybe a few hours towards the end of the night. She woke up pretty cheerful, and has continued to act like her normal self all morning, having a big helping of oatmeal for breakfast as usual. She was showing her lack of sleep, with extra whining and fighting with Calvin. They both had little for lunch (neither of them showed any appetite except for some probiotic yogurt), and went down EASILY for naps. Calvin always goes down first (he's so easy, I just lay him in bed with a paci and his blanket and he's out), and I get V ready next. She laid in bed cheerfully and we prayed that she would sleep well and feel much better. I had originally planned to go to MOPS this morning, but those plans were canceled after we discovered Violet was feeling sick. I knew it was probably just bad food and she is OK now, but I didn't want to take her, and I'm glad I didn't, because she had diarrhea all morning. I had signed up to contribute a coffeecake to the morning's brunch, so I drove the coffeecake that I made the night before to the church and put it on the buffet table in the meeting room with a note that I wouldn't be there. I ran that errand around 8:15 with my sweatpants and glasses on. I made a trip through the Starbucks drive-thru and brought home two extra hot mochas, one for Dave, which he was happy to sit back and enjoy before the day started. Neither of us do particularly well on little sleep, especially Dave, so I am praying for him today that he would push through the tiredness and be able to focus on his work duties and be productive.

The weekend

The weather was perfect (70s, no wind, sunny). I was surrounded with family and had a very relaxing day taking walks, shopping, and ending the day with a yummy steak grilled outside. Friday night Dave and I hosted my parents, Jay and Molly, and Rachel overnight. We got babysitters and went out to eat Friday night with the family to celebrate three March birthdays (Molly - March 7th, Rachel - March 3rd, and my dad, March 28th). We ate at Red River Steaks and BBQ. Most of us got beef brisket. Today isn't so nice weather-wise, but I got a nap, which is a rarity. Violet and Dave are at AWANA and I have Calvin here. I started the first of approximately 6 loads of laundry, so I know what I'll be doing all night. We bought a steamer to take off the wallpaper in the living room, and it works so amazing. The wallpaper peels off as easy as a piece of cheese from the plastic wrapper. I can't wait to get the wallpaper off in Calvin's room!

Craziness

Calvin woke up again full of puke and poop. Poor kid. He must have eaten too much spaghetti last night and too soon before going to bed. He and I got a shower together while Violet occupied herself with painting downstairs. After getting all cleaned up (stripping down all his crib bedding and 5 blankets), I gave Calvin a few cheerios to munch on with some milk. He didn't seem to have much of an appetite so that is all he had to eat. His two pacifiers that were in his crib got puked on, so I boiled them on the stove for 5 minutes hoping to sanitize them. I discovered all the puke grime was stuck in the nub part of it (that you hold onto). That just grossed me out. I pitched them ALL in the garbage and vowed to get new ones. That meant a trip to Walmart if he was going to get a nap today. I dislike being victim to this pacifier. I have a love/hate relationship with that thing. He loves it, it calms him down, allows him to sleep, and that is why I love it. I hate always having to find it and keep them clean. Violet never took a paci so this whole paci thing is new to me...and if I had it my way, he wouldn't have had it in the first place, but he wouldn't sleep as a newborn with out it, and sleep was more important to me at that point! We took a trip to Walmart to get a few things (yes, more pacifiers). It was like Walmart-social hour. I saw 4 people I knew. Amy Knox, Mary Burton, Barb Swieter, and Toni Rundall. It is so neat to know so many people in Cedar Falls that I recognize people around town. That cheered me up a little bit. Plus, its 71 degrees outside!! Gorgeous! I can hear the birds chirping and feel the wind blowing through the house. The fighting doesn't seem to end sometimes with V and C. He's at the age where he'll get into something oh...for about 5 seconds. He wanted to push Violet's stroller around the patio today, but he only pushed it for about 5 seconds, then walked away. Violet FREAKS out if he even gets close to it, so the moment his hands hit the handles, she runs up to him and snatches it away. I know its just the beginning, but after such a gross and harried morning, I just wanted a little time to breathe and all they did was nit pick at each other. She pushes his buttons just to annoy him. She knows exactly what he wants. Sippy cups are the worst. If one is taking a drink, the other just HAS to have the SAME sippy. Not a different one with the same thing in it, the SAME one. Taking turns just doesn't work. I'm going to start marketing invisible sippies. At one point, I snipped Violet's cheek because she disobeyed and she said "Mom, don't snip my cheek. Cheeks are for hugs." So I said "Ok, I'll snip your hand then." and she said "No, mom, hands are for holding things. Use my butt next time." LOL

Quote of the day

She says to me as she tries to itch a scratch (or is it scratch an itch?) "Mommy, something is bugging me. I think its a caterpillar." Today was another really beautiful day. We all took a walk around the neighborhood when Dave was done working. Violet pushed her stroller in front of me and kept stopping at random times. I hit her with Calvin's stroller more than once. She didn't randomly stop anymore for fear of her heal getting clipped. She said "Mom, if you hit my foot I'll just do this." *she stands there and shakes her leg* Towards the tail end of our walk, we saw our old (new?) neighbor Dale Geerdes. He's the guy who used to live next door to us on the river. He is our neighbor on Briarwood Drive also, down about 6 or 7 houses. He was sweeping his driveway and we walked by. It was sort of comforting to talk to him. Not that he had anything comforting to say, but talking to him was like standing in our old driveway saying hi to him like we used to and jabber about the weather and other things. As we said goodbye and walked away, we were like "Ahh! That felt familiar!" There's just something settling about comforting things. We were so used to living at the river house. Things still seem really new about this house and I feel like each season brings a whole new learning experience. I'm just wanting things to be familiar like they always were. Once we go through a whole year in this house I might feel better.

Calvin - 14 month update

He's picking up on so many things lately! Today everybody was outside for a few hours enjoying the beautiful weather after naps. Dave was edging the grass by the sidewalk, and Violet was picking up all the leftover clumps of grass and putting them in the yard waste bin for him. Calvin joined in. He grabbed a clump, walked over to Violet, handed her a piece so she would put in the container, and he would go back for more pieces, and hand them to her. She would say "Oh look! Calvin is helping! THANK you, Calvin!" and go right along with it. When we load the kids up in the car and open the garage door, the moment it opens up the whole garage floods with light. He consistently says "Wowww!!" when the garage door opens. He sits rear-facing in his car seat still, so he can see the door open right out of his window. He also likes to flap his arms against his body many times over and over and say "YA!" when his arms hit his body. He also loves to respond to people when they say "hi" to him. Especially Dave. He says "Haaaa!" very enthusiastically and will repeat it if Dave says hi to him again. He likes to randomly lie down on the floor and rest with his head to the side, just observing what is going on. He has also gotten a thing about putting stuff on his head and letting it fall off. He gets a kick out of watching us copy him. He seems to love music as much as his sister. As soon as he hears the alphabet song come out of the word whammer on the refrigerator, he stops what he is doing, grins from ear to ear, and starts bouncing to the beat. He hums along what he knows...its so adorable. Along with all this fun and exciting progress comes a little temper. When he's not happy, he's not happy. And nothing is going to change it. He has started to throw little tantrums. If I direct him to walk somewhere else, or tell him "no", he runs away screaming and throws himself on the ground. I try to ignore it. He gets over these little fits very quickly and is usually up and running off to do something else with in a matter of moments, but its starting. His worst behavior is always when he's tired or hungry, which is easily remedied. He's an excellent sleeper who always takes a nice 2 1/2 or 3 hour nap in the afternoon and goes to bed between 7:15-7:30 and sleeps in til around 8 am. Otherwise, he's a VERY happy little kid who loves to climb stairs and interact with his big sister in a new way every day. His favorite little thing to do (and I think he KNOWS it annoys me) is to go up into our bathroom and take my glasses case out of the drawer, throw the glasses on the ground, and run around with the case. He likes to open and close it repeatedly and carry this little black case around the house with him.

She loves to read books her own way

This morning Violet was reading a book to me. She comes up with the most random lines. She turns the page, says "Okay! And....be thou my vision." then turns the page and says "So! The neighbors said...let's go!" and then turns the page, and says "Ok! So...its time to go! He needs to pick up his room!" so on and so forth. We need to video tape it...it makes us laugh so much.

Portrait session

It went amazing! I really like that studio. I took them to Portrait Innovations in Waterloo. The place is open, bright, and not dark and scary like JcPenney's little tiny studio. They were a little unsure at first, but I had told Violet we were going to get pictures taken a few days in advance, and she kept telling me that she would be happy, smile big, say cheese, and not cry. I was so proud of her. The photos turned out GREAT. I couldn't make up my mind. The photographers took 120 shots (all digital) and I narrowed the choices down to just 12. I know I spent more money on them than I wanted to, and probably got too many pictures, but oh well. I love them, it was worth it to me. It was a little crazy...I was by myself, and each kid was doing a photo shoot while I was changing clothes on the other, so I was surprised to see the end result of all the pictures because I missed "seeing" the pictures being taken. They print the pictures right in their photo lab so you can take them home right after your photo session, I really liked that - since the place is so far away. No extra trips. I will probably just take them there once a year - I won't be able to afford doing it very often!

And another one...

It was actually worse. Violet puked twice during the night time last night. She made it to the toilet the second time. Calvin woke up with so much poop in his diaper that there was poop smeared down his pajama leg into the footie. GROSS! They both went straight to the tub for a good scrubbing, and my washing machine got a good work out cleaning tons of bedding. It was a smelly morning! I think Calvin said a different word today other than "MA!" I was using the camera to do something, and he must have heard Violet say "Cheese!" over and over. He sat on the steps with Violet and said "Eeeeessh" over and over. It was so cute. He smiled all proudly after he would say it - he knew what he was saying. Maybe that will come in handy tomorrow. I'm taking them to a different portrait studio to get their 3 and 1 yr pictures taken (yeahhh I'm late) finally. I hope it goes well.

Poopy/Pukey morning

I had intentions of going to work out class this morning, but they didn't happen. The kids slept in til 8:45-9 am. This time change keeps the morning nice and dark, I think that is why. Violet ate eggs and toast with us for breakfast while we waited for Calvin to wake up. *warning, do not read while eating!* I think Calvin ate too much last night. When I heard him wake up, I went into his room and the smell was overwhelmingly gross. I looked in his crib and he was covered with poop and puke. I grabbed him, undressed him and stuck him right in the tub to clean him up. After he was cleaned up I dressed him in clean clothes and left him in Violet's room. Of course, he screamed through the whole clean-up process, and to be ditched to go clean up his bedding just made him even more mad. Violet was annoying me because all she wanted to do was SEE everything and TOUCH everything. I was shooing her out of my way almost the whole time. I rinsed off chunks of stuff before throwing everything in the washer on the "sanitary" cycle - this makes the water extra hot and runs for almost 2 hours. I spent most of the morning cleaning up after this mess - using a disinfectant cleaner in his room, on his crib, and on the bathroom floor and tub where he was. We made a trip to Walmart to get out of the house and got some basic stuff like bananas, bread, and other random things like light bulbs and vinegar. We got home, I fed them mac and cheese, and then got Calvin's bed re-made and put them to MUCH needed naps. They were so tired. Violet WANTED to go to bed...for the first time in a long time. She picked out her own pajamas for nap time, climbed in, and told me to pray.

She did my hair

Violet found a little mini claw on the floor. She grabbed it and came over to me, saying "Mommy, your hair is all messy. Can I fix it?" So I sit on the floor, and she starts messing with my hair and clipped some hair back with the claw. Then she says "Do mine!" So she took it out and let me do her hair. We took turns doing hair for a little bit. When it was her turn, she gathered all my hair like she was going to make a ponytail, pulled a little and said "Mommy, say OW! I know it hurts, but I'll be done in a liiiiitle bit. Almost done!"

Prayer for sippy cups

Violet started her morning by having oatmeal like usual, but this time, she prayed for the food, her sippy cup, and the handles on her sippy cup.

What a B-E-A-utiful day!!

Today was such a breath of fresh air. And I know its just a teaser of a day, because I peeked at the forecast for next week and the high is around 30. Oh well, I'll take what I can get. The little temperature thing in the kitchen window said it hit 67 today. Dave and I aired out the house, opening up the doors and a few windows. The garage was actually colder than outside! I went to work out class this morning and when I came back (it was the demonstration day of the new Pilates class they're adding to Tues. mornings), Dave told me how nice it was outside. After the kids' naps, we got to walk around outside for almost three hours. The breeze felt so nice. Violet woke up first from her nap (like always) and wanted to watch something on TV, but I distracted her my letting her walk outside on the deck for a little bit. She said immediately "Oh! Its so nice outside!" I was loving the irony as she stood there in the gorgeous weather, wearing her footed snowman pajamas. We played outside for awhile. We walked all around the house a few times, saying Hi to Daddy through his open basement window and playing on the little table and chairs in the gazebo. We waited to go on a walk until Calvin got up. He woke up sort of crabby and wanted to snuggle. But when we took a step outside, he wriggled out of my arms and just wanted to get on the grass. He said "ooh! and ahh!" pointing to things. Violet brought her pink stroller outside and we took a long walk around the block. She picked up garbage along the way storing it in the little storage compartment in the stroller. Random plastic things, paper, garbage. She would notice something by the sidewalk and say "there's something else mommy! We can throw it away at our house!" Calvin was really aimless and annoying me with his wandering, so I just held him the whole time. He was Ok for a little bit, tearing down a length of sidewalk for a good distance, but if he got distracted and wanted to go a different way and I corrected his path, he would throw fits because he couldn't go where he wanted. I could tell he was just really anxious to explore the world, but walking in a straight line just isn't the way to do it. He seemed Ok with me holding him the rest of the walk following Violet. He was enjoying the fresh air and the breeze and probably listening to the random conversations that Violet and I were having. When we got inside, they went straight to the tub because they were both muddy and dirty. They are really starting to interact. Calvin is initiating interaction with Violet, which is a first for him. He would say "MA!" and throw his hands down hard in the water making a big splash, and expecting Violet to copy him. If she did, he would let out the happiest belly laugh. He kept doing it, expecting her to play in return, which she did. She seemed to love it too. I just sat there and smiled at them playing together. Sweet times.

my "Love" pants

Those pants I got that spell "love" on them have been quite the conversation piece for Violet lately. I wore them today, and a few times, she said "L, O, V, E, spells PANTS!" but today she said "L, O, V, E, spells Computer Girl!" I was sitting on the computer at the time checking e-mail. haha!!

V's special yellow pillow

She's been missing it lately. Last week she wet the bed and somehow her pillow was right underneath her, so it got soaked. Its a down pillow, so I wasn't exactly sure how to clean it. I took it to the dry cleaner's on Saturday and today we get to go pick it up. She's going to be SO excited to see it. Its a little down pillow that either Dave or I got on the Lufthansa airplane on our honeymoon trip to Greece, neither of us can remember, but it made it home in our luggage somehow. I let her start using it when she was about 2 yrs old. It says "Lufthansa" on the edge. I love that she is attached to our "honeymoon pillow". I had a fun morning at Bible Study. Lots of laughter, learning, and encouragement.

Happy Birthday to Rachel today!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Raaaachellllll, Happy Birthday to you!

Violet got a tummy bug

Poor girl has been on the toilet most of the day. She is really good about making it. She sometimes walks around saying "Mommy, my tummy hurts." She knows she isn't allowed to watch any TV in the mornings, only after her nap time. But she tries her hardest to get me to turn something on. She was sitting on the toilet earlier trying to convince me to turn on a baby video so it would make her rear end feel better. I took the kids to indoor park again this morning. It was only 9-11. We didn't make it there until 10, so they only got an hour of play, but that seemed to be enough. V had to take potty breaks (I didn't know she was sick until we got there!) and Calvin was a mess. He was just too tired, I guess. Maybe next time will be better. I did see someone I knew that I hadn't seen in a couple years, it was nice to catch up for a little bit, between one of us having to run off to deal with a kid which broke up the conversation. I saw Dorice Stickfort walking up on the track above the gym. She said HI from up above. This week is a busy week for us. Dave had Monday full with men's group, tonight is a work night at the chapel, Wed is small group, Thurs I'm going to a tupperware party, and Friday night we're going out to eat with some friends. Saturday we might go with the Costellos to the last women's basketball game at 3 pm, not sure yet.

Calvin's first time swimming - misc stuff

This little guy is having a tough time lately. He is cutting another tooth, that brings the total to 4 right now that are pushing up further and further. He is constantly chewing on his finger or shoving the corner of his blanket in his mouth. He bites his pacifier a lot trying to relieve the pain. He got to go swimming for the first time tonight. I went out to eat at Godfather's Pizza with some other moms that I know from MOPS, and later we all went to Holmes Elementary to use their pool from 7 to 8:30. Violet went to Puggles and Dave taught his Awana class, so they were together and Calvin and I went together. A friend of mine picked me up in her van since Dave needed our vehicle. It really stinks not having 2 vehicles sometimes. He wore a swim diaper and his swim trunks. He looked SO cute with his little bowed legs and big ol' baby belly sticking out. In he water he was hesitant at first, but it helped a lot that the kiddie pool was bath-water warm. I got in with him and he splashed a bit, then decided he would play on the steps the rest of the time. He went up and down, almost too fast and quick, I had to keep a hawk eye on him the whole time, he thought he could just keep doing down deeper as the steps went down. I looked away for 2 seconds, looked back at him, and he was just sitting on a deeper step calmly looking around under the water. I picked him up quick and he caught his breath, and giggled and started splashing again. Crazy kid. He's even more of a water baby than Violet was. She can't handle splashing in her face, he seems to love it. Dave picked Calvin and I up from the pool after Puggles was over. As we drove home, we drove South on Hudson Street. Violet caught a glimpse of the UNI-Dome as we drove past it, and she said "Look! There's something in the air! Its a big hat!" That had us laughing for a long time. She wasn't sure what was so funny, but nonetheless, she joined in laughing with us. We're starting to crack down on her throwing fits and whining at bedtime. Dave was struggling with her in her room to put on her PJs. I walked in the room and picked her up, took her to the spare room and sat her down. I said, "Violet, we won't tolerate this whining and throwing fits anymore. I am going to give you a spanking because you know you are not supposed to whine and throw fits." So I spanked her hard. She screamed (of course) and needed to cry and calm down for awhile, but after that episode, she was happy. A switch flipped, and she seemed OK. I am hoping this is the start of a happier girl at bedtime. I'm sick of the fight going to bed. As we prayed with her at bedtime, Dave prayed first and toward the end of his prayer, he said something about Violet becoming saved at a young age. She freaked out and said "Daddy, DON'T call me young age."