Alright, I'll admit it...

...I have not been blogging because I have spent most of my free time in the basement trying to figure out my sewing machine and enjoying making simple projects and fixing some items of clothing that need repair.  Its becoming very fun. :)  I made Violet a body pillow (10"x36") with a princess fabric pillowcase (she picked it out at the store with me)...and she loves snuggling up to it at night time.  I can even get her to take a short nap on the couch these days if I get her to lay down with her pillow.  She snoozed for 30 minutes today while the other two were napping and seemed to need the short rest.

A few things happened in the last couple days I wanted to record though.

Vanessa pulled up to standing next to Violet's bed last night when I was reading Violet a book.  She grabbed on tight to the comforter, and stood right up.  And proceeded to fall right back down. :)  She has not crawled since I posted her first "crawl" but she's perfecting her army crawl and can effectively get across the room now.  I am on alert if she's in a spot where she could topple down the stairs all the time!

Calvin said "I wub big giant girls." today on the way to pick up Violet from preschool this morning.  He is drawn to older girls, like Sara Klunder and the Smith girls...its so funny.  He spends any free time he has on Sunday morning surrounded by them.

Vanessa crawled today

One day after I posted her 8 1/2 month updates...she crawled today up on her hands and knees.  Only a few inches...but she did it. She's been doing an army crawl for a few days now.

Vanessa - 8 1/2 months

Vanessa is a little scooter now.  She isn't crawling, but she's learned how to tuck her legs up under her body, stretch her arms out, and push with her legs and feet against the carpet to move forward.  Like an army crawl.  She scooted across the floor several feet reaching for a cardboard puzzle Calvin was playing with.  I think I'm in for it now! 
Besides babbling "mama" she squeaks and squawks, squeals in excitement and flaps her arms around when someone notices her, plays with her, or gets any type of attention.
She dislikes being left in her highchair all alone.  This happens a lot when I'm trying to get something done or I have to deal with something with the other two kids. 
Her favorite munchies are grapes cut in quarters, cheese chunks, crackers, yogurt, clementine orange pieces (skins peeled off), cheese pizza, broccoli and dry cereal.
We end up calling her "Nessie" or as Dave calls her "Nester" all the time.  Violet says Vanessa or Nessie, and Calvin says "Ba-nessee"

Calvin's new book

It is called 101 First Words "things that go" (full of pictures of trucks, cars, tractors, airplanes, etc.  Dave picked it up for him at Sam's Club last time we were there.  He is very attached to it.  He loves looking at all the pictures, and asking us where everything is.  This morning he was looking at his book, while eating a bowl of cheerios, pointed to a red race car, and he says "Mom! Where's the wo-tus?" (lotus)  Daddy has apparently been reading that book to him. :)

Violet's Valentine Party at OHCP

Dave and I got the opportunity to go to Violet's school on Monday to

Busy, exhausting, but fun weekend

Everybody was ready for daddy to come home on Friday night last week.  He had been in California training some new team members Tues am thru Friday night.  We went out to the airport at 8:30 pm to green him, and the kids were like magnets to their daddy.  Saturday morning we went out to eat together as a family, then headed to Target afterwards to pick up a birthday gift for a party Violet was heading to that afternoon.  I am reminded of how quickly a kid can burn out with one fun activity after another.  Violet went to her friend Liam's 5th birthday party at 2 pm, and we picked her up at 4:30.  She really enjoyed the party, and was running around with all the other kids at her top level of excitement.  Liam had just finished up opening presents when I got there and there were tons of balloons on the floor, the kids were throwing and hitting them everywhere.  She wasn't too happy when I told her we had to leave. 
Calvin wasn't too happy that Violet go to go off to a birthday party (a rocket ship theme!) with out him, and had to take a nap.  We waited til I got Violet home to tell her what we were heading out to do next.  Our family was invited to the ReMax home realtors group "beat the winter blahs" fun night at the WRC at UNI.  It was sort of weird to be back at that place...since it was the school I went to.  I spent many hours in that WRC place exercising and playing while I went to UNI.  Brought back a lot of memories.  It was crazy to be there with my husband and THREE kids.  Whoa!
You name it, we could do it.  Rock climbing, ping pong, basketball, swimming, etc...the list goes on and on.  The lower gymnasium was geared towards littler kids with two huge air-blown jumpers and sliders.  We came prepared to go swimming but ended up playing there for an hour before heading to the pool.  The kids had so much fun, they could hardly contain themselves.  Violet and Calvin took turns with all the other kids climbing the center stairs between the two blow up slides and going down with as much enthusiasm as they could muster, screaming at the top of their lungs.  Calvin wanted to follow Violet everywhere, she is his security in situations like that.  She picks up on his insecurity and takes over as "mom" so easily, guiding him to where he has to go, and comforting him when he seems nervous.  Violet figured out how to bounce down the slide by starting at the top of the slide with a big leap.  Calvin's favorite was to go backwards feet first on his tummy.
I bounced Vanessa on my hip and watched the other two kids while Dave caught up in conversation with his Uncle Tim (whose house was completely flooded by a burst water pipe a couple weeks ago...they can relate in a lot of ways).  So next was swimming...I got Violet into her suit and Calvin went with daddy to change.  They swam for about an hour and a half, both using their life jackets.  Calvin stayed where he could touch the whole time, and Violet ventured off anywhere in the pool that she wanted.  She went down the big yellow twisty slide multiple times.  I sat on a chair with Vanessa and watched...I really didn't feel like putting forth the effort to get both of us in the pool when we had the other two to keep eyes on.  Dave got in the water with them.  He took Calvin down the slide a couple times, and he got braver and wanted to go again and again.  Then it was time to leave.  Well...ya know how hungry swimming makes you.  They were famished when they got dressed.  We went upstairs to the top level and all had bags of popcorn.  It wasn't really enough to fill us up so we decided to go out to eat for a quick bite at KFC.  I knew they would enjoy the macaroni and cheese there.  They split a pint of cheesy noodles easily.  By the time were done eating, it was 10 pm.  I bet people were wondering why this crazy family was out to eat so late.  Oh well.  We got them home and in bed by 10:30.  You would have thought they'd sleep like rocks after so much activity, but Calvin was up in the night 4 times having to go pee.  I think Violet slept alright. 
This morning was really tough to get up and out of the house by 9 am.  We were super late and everybody took naps today.

Naptime comment

Vanessa and Calvin are both taking afternoon naps today at the same time. Violet is working at the dining room table on some perler beads and she said "Wow, its quiet in here.  This is so nice!  I like it when its quiet.  All the noise makes my head hurt sometimes."  :)  If she only REALLY knew.  Or maybe she does.  I started unloading the dishwasher, putting papers away, changing out garbage can liners, I got to work while it was quiet.  She was begging me to sit down and play with her.  So I did for a little while.  Its hard for me to just sit when I have the opportunity to accomplish a lot of chores.  I think next "quiet time" she can help me around the house instead.

I gave the older two kids haircuts yesterday

Calvin's hair was looking crazy again, and Violet's hair, even though it was long and pretty, was starting to look very ragged at the ends.  I did a quick search on youtube to find out the instructions for a basic hair cut, and tried snipping her hair by myself with scissors.  I found an easy video so I went for it.  It turned out great!  It is a nice change.  Calvin's hair was easy - I used the clippers with the attachments to make the sides shorter and the top slightly longer.  Will post pics later.  Nevermind on the pics, I am bummed, I somehow deleted them from my memory card before they got to my computer.  Oh well!  I can take some tomorrow.

hahahaha

A scenario that just took place a few moments ago.  I like having the computer in the kitchen so I can record silly things before I forget them.

Violet and Calvin just headed downstairs to play in their "kitchen".  Violet takes off down the stairs first, headed feet first on her tummy and slid the whole way down.  She says to Calvin as she rushed ahead of him to get down the stairs first "I'm first! hahaha!" so Calvin thought quickly and copied her actions...headed feet first and slid down on her tummy.  He said "I'm last! hahaha!"

I totally expected him to freak out and cry that he wasn't first...but then he decided to try make her feel bad that HE was last.  What a stinker.

Vanessa is beginning to babble

She learned how to babble "mamamamamamamama" today.  I love hearing it!