My Baby is 4!!!!

Each year it shocks me first that I have children after such a long road and second that the year has passed so quickly. Evan has grown up so much this year. He is such a little companion. We have such fun with him.

My mother in law came from SC to spend the week with us. It ended up working out really well my mom had some health issues and my MIL was able to watch the kids 2 days and volunteer at preschool with Sara. We had a huge party 29 people for Evans birthday. He had a blast and the kids played really well together. He did a great job thanking each person for his gifts and not showing any disappointment or telling them if it was a duplicate. We have talked about his numerous times since Christmas.

Evan has a ton of Cars toys, Legos and Duplos. He took the instruction book out for the Legos and put a few cars together himself. Evan was very proud of himself. I volunteered at his school on Monday to celebrate his birthday. During story time I heard him whisper Mom and he whispered I Love You. This kid melts my heart over and over again! I had his parent teacher conference, he exceeds all his classmates academically and is average in his coloring, writing, and rule following. His rule and procedures include not running in the classroom. The classrooms are huge and the kids often are reminded not to run. I guess if thats the worst he does I can be a really proud Mom. When I was there we did an activity where the kids had to match magnetic letters to a letter written on a heart. The majority of the kids struggled with this and couldn't recognize/name the letters. The activity was set up so two students could do it at once. Evan quickly did his and then other set and then took the sets apart to make his name. He was asked to color in a heart and wanted nothing to do with it, after a bit of prodding he did it as quickly as possible. Its funny that he is interested in letters and numbers but nothing crafty.

We still love puzzles Evan gave his Grandma some 24 piece puzzles and she struggled. His favorite puzzle is a 155 piece puzzle and he has done it more times than I can count. We have been working on a few 300 piece Charlie Brown puzzles together.

Evan is my pickier eater out of the two kids, he will eat chicken, turkey, roast beef or stew meat (cooked in the crock pot), hotdogs (not his fav), macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, Fluff and pbutter sandwiches, ravioli, he will also eat brocolli, corn, peas, and squash(only if I bread it and fry it), sweet potatoe fries, rice, and mashed potatoes and gravy, he will eat most fruits. Evan still isn't crazy about milk. I can usually get him to drink 8 ounces each day and 1-2 drinkable yogurts. He won't eat cheese except on pizza. Of course he'll eat most snacks except fruit snacks. Whoo that is a list, but it feels like I'm making him the same stuff all the time. I'm estatic when he tries something new. He doesn't even cave to peer pressure during snack time at school. He'll go hungry if he thinks he doesn't like it. Hopefully we outgrow the pickiness, but our good friend have even pickier children so I guess it could be worse.

Tonight both kids fell asleep by 8:30, this hasn't happened in a long time. I feel like I'm on vacation for an hour or two :-) We started ice skating lessons last week and Evan cried for most of the lesson. Our neighborhood is hockey crazy with 40+ little boys that have a constant hockey tournament going on. A few neighbors have ice rinks when the winters permit. We've only had 24 inches this year, the only thing I'm missing is a snowday. So this week he promised he wouldn't cry. I watched him fight it a few times, and he made it about 25 minutes before he cried. He finally told his teacher his skates hurt his feet. He did much better getting himself up off the ice and skating across the rink and back with a walker. He let go of the walker and played a game. Hopefully we will improve. Secretly I want him to learn but not fall in love. Hockey is very expensive, the learn to skate program has cost us over $175, we had to buy used skates, a new helmet, another pair of used skates the first ones were awful, and the cost of the program. They also have a snackbar there so last week it was a bag of M&M's and this week a bag of popcorn. Six more weeks to go. Last week as we took off his skates he was crying and he told us he hates hockey he just wants to play Tennis. He loves to watch Charlie Brown and Snoopy plays Tennis!

I've rambled on and on but its been way to long since I posted. Next post will be a Sara update. One quick Sara not she tells me Snow White is Dumb (she heard my Mom slip and call some TV shows dumb) and she makes us pretend to put Cinderellas slipper on her foot, sometimes its a shoe, sock or just pretend.

Mommy your fired

Evan told me last night as he was very tired and miserable and headed to bed, that I'm fired. I asked him what happens since I'm fired he told me he is going to spray me with a fire hose. Guess he took that word literally! We have still been happy playing with our Christmas toys and planning Evan birthday party.

Last week when I stayed home with Evan I let him choose invitations and an edible image for his cake on etsy. He chose and edible image we could personalize much to my relief. I made Sara's Minnie Mouse cake and it was so much work. Without two preschoolers running around it may have been easier. Evans image goes on a frosted cake and presto magic its done. Last year he was obsessed with Gordan from Thomas the train and we made an edible image cake after I was quoted $95 for a cake!

Sara is talking up a storm. She repeats anything we say and is putting 3-4 words together on a regular basis. Her speech isn't as clear as Evans was but she understand everything. She has also been prone to temper tantrums when she doesn't get her way. She wants to do everything Evan does.

I took her grocery shopping and she saw corn on the cob. The 3 ears weren't terribly expensive so I bought them. Sara at 1 1/2 ears. Well Sunday Marc experienced blowout diapers. He called me yelling and telling me the new limit on corn was one ear! I couldn't help but laugh all the way home. Evan kept asking why I was laughing. I'm the one that has to deal with all the bodily fluids on a regular basis, so I guess it was relief and happiness it wasn't my turn. Its been a long time since she blew out a diaper!

This afternoon I had to attend smartboard training. It was offered by one of my friends that I had carpooled with for two years. It was so nice to see him. They also have two young children and we could commiserate on our lack of social lives! We had a 40 minute ride to school and had so much fun riding together. I haven't seen him since I lost Rachel and the twins and his wife invited me over for dinner. We keep in touch on Facebook but only live 15 minutes a part. I told him we would have to do a playdate.

Speaking of playdates we invited our good neighbors over on Saturday night. It was so nice to entertain and have the kids play. They had a blast playing in the basement and in Evans room. They a have two boys and Evan is right between then age wise. Evan is best friends with the oldest Joe and Sara plays with Dominic. Last summer she would stand on the driveway yelling "O, Ominic" O was Joe and we heard it all summer long! We spend lots of time with them in the summer but tend to hibernate in the winter. We decided it would have to be a regular Saturday night ritual - I hope so!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012

Wow where did the past month go? It seems like we just celebrated Sara's birthday and fast forwarded to the holidays. We had a fantastic Christmas. Santa brought way to much as always but the kids had a great time and it was so wonderful to have two little smiling faces Christmas morning. Evan received his first video game a Mobi-Go by Vtech and he is very proud that he plays one game by himself. the other games he hasn't mastered yet. I wasn't sure he would even like it but last time I went to a moms group at Fisher Price we were the only family without any type of video game and I figured a little exposure wouldn't hurt him. The games include number and shape sequences, finding the missing letter in words and following directions (left/right/up/down). He still prefers his toys and puzzles. Sara received the Loving Family dollhouse (paid for by our modeling gift certificates). Both the kids love it and play very well together.
We finished 2 - 500+ puzzles over break and last night did a 300 piece puzzle. He does well but the pieces are so small. He has mastered the 100 and 150 piece puzzles he has on his own. The frustrating thing was we did one of the manger scene and it was missing 3 pieces. Out of the 50+ puzzles we have we have never lost a piece. I checked out the website and it must be common because they will send a replacement puzzle.
Sara has been obsessed with watching Frosty the Snowman and the Polar Express. The Polar Express is not a favorite of anyone except Sara. Evan has fallin in love with Kung Fu Panda, again not one of my favorites.
Today was supposed to be my first day back at school but Evan has had a fever/cough the past few days and although he seemed better he burst into tears when I said he was going to the sitters. One more day home will hopefully cure us. Tomorrow he goes to my Mom's and preschool, we may be skipping preschool. Hopefully Sara will make her preschool class and my mom can have a break. Sara's class is 2 hours a week and she is the youngest but most independent in the class. Sometimes I think that means stubborn too!
We are debating what to do next year with Evan, our choices include 1/2 day prek at the public school district I teach in, the catholic school, or a nursery school that meets 3 days a week. I am leaning towards the nursery school. The public school worries me since he is so advanced I think he won't be challenged enough. Even now he isn't challenged with curriculum but loves playing, songs, games. The socialization is great for him and he is very outgoing at school Sara will move up to Evan's class if I can completly potty train her. She has zero interest, I even bought a princess potty for her and she will sit on it but won't go. There have been many mornings/naps she has woken up completly dry. Maybe we'll try hard core when I have my February break.
It is January in Buffalo and we still haven't had any real snow. December was green and there is a dusting on the grass. This weekend its supposed to be 40's again. I'm loving winter but wishing I was the plow guy collecting $400 per house and not having to plow. Oh well I'm thankful when he does plow multiple times a day.
Sara is talking more and more, and the few words Evan mispronounced he now corrects himself on, breakfast, girl, and cheez-its. Sara tried telling me snowflake this morning and I struggled to figure out what she was saying. She puts multiple words together but loves to wake up and say Momma Home, Daddy home. She loves to be home with us, I guess tomorrow its back to the grind until Martin Luther King day. Hopefully we can stay healthy.

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

I finally made my Christmas Cards from my Shutterfly house party. I ordered the calendar last week and was planning on doing a dressed up picture of the kids until tragedy struck. At Sara's birthday party Evan and my nephew collided. Evans front tooth is loose, it has improved a great deal in the past 24 hours, but I'm still concerned its going to change color. I plan on calling our Pediatric Dentist in the morning. Not looking forward to anther morning out of school, my poor accounting students miss me every time I have to volunteer at Preschool (3 times in the past month, now I'm good until February). We are sticking to softer foods and reminding him not to use his front teeth. It is also a way for us to rid him of sippy cups. My poor nephew felt terrible but it truly was an accident. I told my sister in law after all we have gone through a loose tooth is pretty minor. Still hoping it tightens up and stays white though.

Evan is spelling Mom, Dad, Evan, Sara, Doll, Tree, Finn. We have been watching Word World and I picked up 2 more for Christmas. If you have small children the Christmas one is cute and a favorite year round for my kids!

Happy Birthday Sara

After a decade of waiting, the past two years have passed by in the blink on the eye. Two years ago I started my day waiting for a bed beginning at 5 am. Finally getting a bed around noon and then having an Amnio to check to make sure Sara was ready. Finally at 5pm I made it to the operating room and Sara was safetly delivered.

We had a fantastic 5 day weekend. Wednesday we picked up our pictures from JCP, and did some shopping. Thanksgiving we spent at my Moms and started putting up decorations. This is the earliest I have ever put the tree up. Next weekend we have Sara's birthday party so I figured we would decorate the house for it. Evan loves the decorations. We started decorating the tree while Sara napped. After putting on a few boxes of ornaments he told me " I love your ornaments, I love you, I love your hugs, I love your kisses, and sometimes you are so sweet" So many endearing words at once. I told him he was melting my heart.

I have a ton of ornaments, my Grandma would give me a box of ornaments each year for my Birthday and I told Evan this he told me I love your Grandma. My Grandmother passed away two years ago.

Sara has been such a joy. I had to travel to Philadelphia during November and it was my first trip away from the kids. She keeps telling me Momma home. Evan did surprisingly well, I left him a small gift each day. We have a countdown to Thanksgiving calendar and this helped him count the days until Mom came home.

The kids are making great strides, Sara is singing learning a few colors and saying the words for everything when we prompt her. She usually only strings 2-3 words together. She loves her dollies, and Elmo.

Evan is counting to 50, and wants to spell everything. He reads the letters on every sign he sees. The other day it was Pharmacy on Targets sign and he attempts to spell his own words. He can spell Mom, Dad, Evan & Sara. He has no interest in writing or learning to write. We can correctly identify all lower and uppercase letters.

We started Elf on the Shelf. Evan named him Gordon after his favorite train. He leaps out of bed each morning to see where Gordon is and two mornings I have had to dart downstairst ot move him. The Christmas season is so special having these miracles and now sharing the entire Christmas story with Evan. We set up the Fisher Price Nativity set and last year I thought we had misplaced baby Jesus and bought an extra baby Jesus at the Fisher Price store. Of course this year we have two. Well there was a big fight over baby Jesus. Sara insisted she needed two babies and Evan wanted one. We had a full religious war over Baby Jesus! Life is never boring.
My post is very random I've attempted this many times and its been a crazy week. Sara had her two year appointment she is 24.7.lbs naked and in the 23% her height was not measured correctly they measured her lying down screaming at 36 inches.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Working full time, taking care of the kids, trying to keep up with housework is crazy. Marc is gone by 5:30 am before we get up and either home between 6-8:30 or gone overnight a few nights each week. He is always home the weekends. I really feel like a single parent and overwhelmed at times. Maybe I need a cleaning service. Although then I would feel compelled to clean for the cleaning service. Laundry is a full time job alone, if its all done its never all put away. As I'm putting it away the kids are pulling something else out upstairs. Its and endless cycle. My neighbors house is always tidy I'm so envious. She can't go to bed unless her kitchen is clean. Mine is clean but there are nights I leave dishes in the sink or am running late in the morning and don't get everything cleaned up. I guess I'm missing the OCD gene instead I think I have ADHD !

Evan is trying to read. We picked up a book from the library about a Dog and each page has upper and lower case letters on it. He amazed me by sounding out the majority of the letters. He loves to watch Word World and I think it has made a huge impact on him. I swore my child wouldn't watch a ton of TV but the things he watches have increased his vocabulary tremendously. Thomas the Train has great vocabulary and concepts. Although it puts me to sleep, we were in love with it here for a long time. Today I picked up CARS 2, he was more excited about November 1 than Halloween. We had to watch it twice tonight, that won't happen again but it was like Christmas for him.

He suddenly is obsessed with Lego's and has added them to his Christmas list. Luckily I found some great deals at Disneystore.com and the Lego's were 30% off and I added a code for an additional 25% off. I love to shop online. I can usually find great bargains.

Today my houseparty.com kit came for Shutterfly Christmas cards. It included a code for 15 cards for each guest and a free calendar code. (If anyone needs one email me!) This is my 5th Houseparty, I had a Hershey Bliss, Sex and the City, Fisher Price, and Boston Market party. Usually I just share the wealth at another party.

Sara is a little terror lately. She hits and bites Evan. I think she has some major jealousy and wants him to play with her. When he doesn't respond she acts out. Evan doesn't hit her back and part of me wants him to. Time out hasn't worked, any suggestions? On a good note she is talking up a storm. We are up to four words at a time. She will repeat anything we say, her speech is not as clear as Evans was at that age.

Tomorrow I am off to Preschool with Sara, my Mom had to do the last one. I can't wait to see how she interacts and follows directions at school. Evan loves school but was very upset when he came home Monday. It took me a while to get him to tell me what happened. I even had to tell him if he didn't I would call his teacher. His little lip quivered and he told me I would be mad at him. After lots of prodding he told me that he got of his seat and his teacher had to tell him to sit down. He was very upset that he was scolded at school. Of course things like this don't upset him at all at home. I was surprised at his reaction but reassured him it was okay and his teacher isn't angry with him but he needs to listen. I hope he learned his lesson and behaves for the rest of the year. I guess I'll count my blessings I was waiting to hear something much worse!

Evan's Prayer

My parents gave our nieces and nephews $10 for learning the Lords Prayer. I told Evan this last Thursday and by Saturday he had most of the prayer memorized. He wants to buy a boat from Cars 2. I was amazed he memorized this so quickly. My parents were blown away when he said it for them. He is a little distracted in this video but does very well.