Each to their own… November 15, 2009

When Rachael was starting to walk, she pushed around this red car.  She loved it!! 

Rachael with her walker

When AJ started to walk, there was a fisher price walker that he took with him everywhere!!  In fact, we called it his life line.  As long as he had it, he would take off in every direction.

AJ with his walker

Now Kaitlyn has plenty of options.  But she has decided to use the back of the fisher price train.  Cleary not intended to be a walker, but that was her pick!!

Kaitlyn with her walker

 

And she is the only one wearing pants... hmmm.....

When did it happen? November 11, 2009

I looked at Kaitlyn recently and I am not sure when she got so big.  I always think of her as my baby, and while she is my baby, she is getting older on me.  I truly cherish these days, even the challenging ones.

 For example, I took the kids to a bounce place the other day and I looked over at her.  Kaitlyn was climbing up the step stool to  water fountain.  Next thing I knew, she was standing there as if she was going to take a drink.  I was seriously taken back.  Here is a picture of it, taken with my cell phone.

Then today I had another moment that put things a little more into perspective.  I took Kaitlyn, Rachael and AJ for their booster flu shots (mists).  And if you know anything about Kaitlyn, it is the drama that goes along with the pediatrician.  She cries from the time the nurse touches her until we leave.  DRAMA!!  And then there is AJ…. When they called him back the other day, AJ responded to the nurse by setting things straight from the start.   ”My mom said no shots and no band aids, right?’.  Anyway, after our appointment, Rachael and AJ have always gotten lollipops.  Only this time, Kaitlyn felt that she was deserving as well.

 These are the days to remember, because they will not last forever!!

Time for the Corn Maze November 8, 2009

Favorite Picture of the Day

Every year, locally, there is a corn maze.  And every year I think that it may be worth trying and we have never tried it.  So this  year I decided that it was time.  Nate had to work today so I was trying to do something outdoors with the kids that would be a little different.  After the kids got up from nap today, we headed to the corn maze at Maryland Sunrise Farm. 

As you can see from the aerial view, we did not do the whole thing.  In fact, we did a very small part.  But the kids thought that it was great.  They took turns pushing Kaitlyn and being the line leader.  I of course had the map to make sure that we did not go too far.

After the maze, we did some of the activities that were set up outside the maze.  The kids got on the tractor and acted as if they were driving it.  Followed by the small kids maze which the kids loved.

As with most farms, the kids had the opportunity to put their heads through the holes and pose as animals.  Don’t ask me why Rachael really wanted to be the horse.

They also had a huge pile of hay for the kids to jump in; which is nice considering we do not have enough leaves on our property to make a huge pile for them to jump in.  Even Kaitlyn got into it!

This is where the saying ‘Save the Best for Last’ must come from.  The kids really wanted to go on the Kids Cow Train.  I decided that we had already been on two different tractor/ hay rides this season and that we were not going to pay to go on another one.  So the kids asked if they could go and look at the Cow Train.  Before I knew it, the gentleman that worked there offered to take us for a ride.  And the smile on the kids faces made it all worth it.  And wouldn’t you know, that was their favorite part of day!

*Here is a quick note about the picture at the top.  In order to get all three kids to look at me, I put my cell phone on speaker and Nate called their names.  And it worked!!!

If the shoe fits… November 5, 2009

Kaitlyn has had an obsession for a while… shoes.  Kaitlyn has loved to climb into the entrance way for and find different shoes.  Some of the shoes she will carry around the house as a prize (yes, in her mouth), others she simply puts on the carpet.  But most recently, she has been trying to put the shoes on herself.  She is getting pretty good too, except they are a little on the big side.

And when one does not work, there are sure to be others…

 

 

Trick or Treat November 2, 2009

Saturday morning started with a nine am soccer game for Rachael.  Yes, that makes three days in a row for soccer; practice Thursday, game on Friday and game on Saturday.   When we got home,  we brought in our pumpkins and started decorating.  It was a lot of fun.  With Halloween on a Saturday, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to have a fun little gathering with close friends and family.  Nicole, Pam and I planned a Chick Fil A party to have before we went out for our walking adventure.  Everyone brought some sides and we got some nuggets and talked for a little while.  It was really nice to get the families together.  Then it was time to get into costumes.  Here we go…

Rachael was an awesome looking cat and AJ was the cutest puppy.  And our baby was the most adorable butterfly you could ever imagine, even though I say she was a lady bug.

And then there are always attempts at getting group shots.  The first was of all the kids…  Not too bad.  And then my three.

It is amazing that even the pets that were in our neighborhood were dressed for the occasion.

 Well thanks to Nana, we were able to walk arond together.  She stayed out our house and passed out candy.  It is amazing how quickly the kids get the hang of going door to door to get candy.  And boy did they love it!!

 

 

To Disney and Beyond… November 2, 2009

With the day before Halloween upon us, we decided that a fun and different outing would be to go to Disney on Ice.  And that is what we did.  Pam, John, Rachael, AJ, Kaitlyn and I loaded in the car and headed to the 1st Mariner Arena for an exciting morning. 

 The kids loved seeing all of the characters that we have seen in books, movies, etc.  Kaitlyn was not super cooperative for the show, but here are a couple of snap shots.  It was so much fun to see AJ and Rachael’s faces lite up as they watched!

We stopped and fed the kids at Chick Fil A which was fun.  We then headed home. The kids were so wired that we then headed to a friend’s house for a kids Halloween party.  AJ was the only boy and he hung in there, even without a nap.  The kids were really cute and they really enjoyed their afternoon.  They played with a parachute , jump ropes, sack races, and coloring. 

We then rushed home to eat a quick dinner and head to a soccer game under the lights.  Everyone hung in there and it was a great day!!! 

 

 

 

Going for a Group Rate October 29, 2009

There is something to say when there is enough people in the family that we qualify for a group rate….  And that is what we discovered when we discussed going to Green Meadows Petting Farm.   We got up and out on Sunday morning so that we were at the petting farm when it opened at 10 am.  We started with the kids trying to milk a cow and moved on from there.  The farm was great!! The kids loved being able to pet different animals from those we have been able to pet at different places.  For example, there was a zebra and a llama.  And the kids loved the 6 day old pigs; which were adorable.  Who ever knew that pigs are the cleanest animals on the farm? As well as the most intelligent?  The kids loved everything, including the good old tractor ride and a maze.  Here are a bunch of pictures from our fun-filled morning…

AJ’s Family Party October 28, 2009

How could we not have a birthday with multiple celebrations?  Given how much AJ loves his birthday, it was a ton of fun to have a second party with out family.  It was really nice to have everyone together. 

AJ was a Lightening McQueen Birthday cake, so that is what we made for him.  When he got up in the morning, I brought him over to the cake to get his response.  And what do you think he said?  ‘Mom, there needs to be more race cars on the race track!’ 

But before we started the singing, everyone enjoyed each others company just catching up. 

But seriously, the kids were ready for the cake, and so was I.  So back to the table where we do all of our birthday cakes.  In fact, this was our 8th kid party in which we have lite the candle in the same spot for each party.  Kaitlyn is even into it now, but I think she was a little surprised that we when we sang Happy Birthday that it was not directed towards her.  And AJ was concerned that mini lightening was cleaned up so that he could use it with his mini Mac truck.  Boy does AJ love his Cars.

But we were able to get AJ to crack a smile…

Next on the agenda, presents.  AJ was really into it this year.  He loved opening everything, so it was really fun to watch.

Kaitlyn enjoyed playing with AJ’s new toys as well as just playing with the boxes.

Thank you to everyone that helped make AJ’s Birthday so special.  He loved his birthday and can’t wait until the next.

A Vander Roest Visit October 27, 2009

 It is not every day that Nate and I care able to get together with family.  So we were thrilled when we found out that we would have some over night guests!  Matt, Heather, Brandon, Justin, Papa Woolley, and Gigi all came into town to help celebrate AJ’s birthday; and everyone stayed with us.  From the minute they got here, the cousins hugged and did not leave each others side. 

Brandon, AJ, Rachael and Justin

To get some energy out, we got the kids dressed and we headed to the park.  With two bikes, two scooters, and a push buggie we successfully got all five kids to the park for some time to run around!

Rachael and Brandon

AJ and Justin

Kaitlyn

Gigi and the kids

But they did not get all of their energy out…. Go figure!  Matt and Nate had a ton of fun wrestling and tossing the kids.  The kids loved it.

Matt, AJ and Justin

But seriously, there were a few minutes when we got everyone to settle down.  Like at story time right before nap time.  It may have only lasted a few minutes, but it did happen!

Looking tired...

After nap time, we had dinner for the eleven of us.  And surprisingly, I had enough food.  It was a fun-filled dinner, having everyone together.  But right after dinner, we headed to the soccer fields at GORC because Rachael had a make-up soccer game under the lights.  It was a little cold and dark, but everyone did enjoy themselves.  And Rachael had her own cheer team.  Surprisingly (haha), they lost the game but at least Rachael tried.

AJ and Brandon

Papa Woolley and Justin

Brandon and Rachael

When we got home it was bed time for the kids, but it was the start of the next project for me.  Pam, Heather, Gigi, Nate, Grandpa and I stayed up late and decorated the birthday cake for AJ’s birthday.  By midnight, Nate and I were doing the final clean up but we were proud of the finished project.

Michelle, Pam and Heather

An extra thanks to Heather and Pam for all of the hard work on the cake! It turned out perfect!!!

 

 

Three Year Update October 26, 2009

It is hard to believe that it was only three years ago that AJ was born.  He now weighs 36  1/2 pounds and is 38 3/4 inches tall.  For the three-year well visit, the pediatrician gave us the thumbs up for AJ.  AJ has a ton to say and is pretty fun.  AJ is a very fun-loving child.  And, his dimples just melt my heart.

I remember the night that we went to the hospital to have AJ.  I think back now at how worried I was that I would never be able to love another baby as much as I loved Rachael.  But the day AJ was born, I realized that I could.  AJ is my sweet, sensitive, loving boy.  He has such a warm heart and he is  by far my biggest cuddler of the kids. 

And Rachael’s love for AJ started as soon as she saw him.  Looking back now, she looked so young.  But Rachael has always taken good care of her baby brother.

It is amazing how much life has changed over the past three years!!  Our kids are such a blessing to us!!!! We cherish all of the time we have together and look forward to all of the years ahead of us!