Christmas Pictures

On Christmas Eve, we had a candlelight supper and read the Christmas story. The kids were so excited about blowing out the candles that they didn't even notice that we were having spaghetti for the second time in a week.
baby's first christmas

Reagan with her new dollhouse.

Reagan with her dollhouse -- safe from Riley-the-one-man-wrecking-crew.

Grant playing with his new remote control car. He can't control it and he's scared it will run over his feet, so he climbs up onto the couch or the toy shelf before he starts it.

Riley with a box of Nerds from her stocking.

Reagan and Grant sledding after visiting the neighbor's house.

Riley watching Reagan and Grant sled.

Reagan and Daddy's snowman :)

Christmas bubble bath.

Christmas Letter 2009

(Note: My neighbors all got plates of cookies this year, and consequently no one got a Christmas letter. Christmas letters are my very favorite things to receive in the mail, and I felt that I cheated this year by not sending one. Some of you didn't receive a card, and for that please accept my apologies. Some of the people who received cards, won't read this. It's a flawed system and I promise to do better next year.:)

Merry Christmas!

Reagan is 4 ½ and sends her greetings in the form of talking. She is my brown-eyed, sweet, chatterbox and I think she only stops talking when she is sleeping. She started preschool this year and loves it. Her teachers are great and since there are only six kids in her class, she gets lots of attention. Reagan's favorite part of school is craft-time and her favorite "job" is to be the line-leader.

Grant is 2 ½ and sends his Christmas greetings in the form of shouting. He has two volumes and they are "loud" and "louder". He is easily excited and that makes him both fun to be around and also a challenge to train. He's working on developing self-control and on talking. Reagan uses enough words for both of them, so Grant has become a very late talker. Just recently, he's started putting 3 or 4 words together to communicate his thoughts. That has been great, because it means fewer fits.

Riley is 11 months and sends her greetings in the form of smiling. She's always been my happy baby, while also being my squirmy one. She won't sit still anymore and can army crawl and scoot on her bottom to get almost anywhere. After her rough start in the NICU, she is very healthy and has only been to the doctor for her well-child check-ups. (*knock on wood*) She is still toothless and has been the tiniest Bartlett baby so far - she is in the 30^th percentile for her height and weight.

Joel sends his greetings in the form of playing. Joel is still Joel and when he's home, he spends a lot of his time playing with the kids. (He is upstairs right now building GEOtrax with Reagan and Grant.J) He is also still a Mechanical Engineer working at The Baker Group and really likes it there. This year he designed the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems for JD Credit expansion – a 9000 sq. ft. office building in Johnston, and an Ambulatory Surgery Center in Clive, among others.

Finally, I send my greetings to you in the form of sighing. This was my first full year as a Stay-At-Home mom and I sometimes worry that I might always be this tired for the rest of my life. J I love being with the kids during these critical years, and I'm thankful that I am able to be with them as they learn and grow. Some days are tough though, and I feel like I am more referee, disciplinarian, and housekeeper, than I am a mom. …or maybe that's what being a mom is…? I'm still learning. J

That's it for us in 2009… We send you our love and well-wishes for a healthy and happy 2010.

 

Elf Yourself

Day 3 of being stuck: Elf Yourself, inflate the jumper, make paper snowflakes... :)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Snow Day!

Making Christmas cookies:
Our driveway:
We found this snow sculpture in our garage:

Reagan on Tuesday night. She and I went outside to look around and carry up some wood for the fireplace. We ended up making snow angels and then I taught her how to sled. :)

Wednesday Morning

We haven't been out any farther than our porch, but this is the view. I'm so thankful I'm not pregnant this year! :)

let it snow

...because it was going to anyway...

Conversations with Reagan - Part 2

Reagan talks so much. So. Much.

When you talk that much, you're bound to say some funny stuff. I've forgotten most of them, but here are a couple I wanted document before I forget them, too :)

At Fareway:
(Last year for the Superbowl, we made homemade chicken wings in the Fry Daddy.)
Reagan: (seeing a bag of frozen chicken breasts as I was paying) "Mom! Mom! I know what that is for!"
Me: "What, Reagan?"
Reagan: "Its to put in our chicken machine!"
She was so loud and so excited, that people 3 aisles over were chuckling. The Fareway checkout girl was surprised we owned a chicken machine, and I'm sure she was a little curious. :)


Reagan and Grant playing:
Reagan: "Come on, Grant. Let's pretend that you're my orphan."
Grant: "Ye-ah."
Reagan: "You're my orphan and let's pretend that I named you... um... Grant."

(later)

Reagan: "Come on, Grant. Let's pretend that you got hit by a car."
Grant: "Ye-ah."


Reagan: "Mom, do you know why I like Grant so much?"
Me: "No Reagan, why?"
Reagan: "Because he oinks when he laughs!."
[He snorts :)]



Me: "Reagan if you flip your hair over and shake it, it might dry faster..."
Reagan: (flips her hair over and shakes her head) "I'm just like a rocking star!"


Reagan: "What is taking Grandma and Grandpa so long?!"
Joel: "They have to drive, and they live a long ways away."
Reagan: "I know - I know - they live in Cedar Rabbits."
(She used to say Peter Rabbits. :)

Chocolate Fondue

Because Reagan saw chocolate covered strawberries on a Dora episode, she begged and begged to make some of her own. She didn't care what strawberries cost in November.

So after supper one night, we made chocolate fondue. Grant was thrilled to have strawberries again, and wanted nothing to do with the chocolate that would ruin them. Reagan was amazed that I would set out marshmallows and let her eat as many as she wanted. The chocolate covered bananas were Joel's favorite. And I ate my share of the $3.00/lb. strawberries. :)

Thanksgiving Weekend

We decided at the last minute to stay home and have my dad over for Thanksgiving. Joel took the picture of our Thanksgiving Spread. :)
Reagan and Grant with their turkey legs. Joel insisted on these pictures. Reagan and Grant: You passed the second turkey leg back and forth until it was gone. When you're older, you'll probably think this was gross. :)


On Friday and Saturday, we went to Grandma & Grandpa's house. It seems like I always forget to take pictures while we're there. This time, I at least got two. :)
Reagan and Riley:

Cousin Avery and Riley -- they're about 6 weeks apart, but its getting harder to see the difference. :)

What Are You Thankful For?

You can't read it, but the middle feather on the brown bag turkey says that Reagan is thankful for tacos.

Strangely, brothers with recorders didn't make the list.

The Frugal Peppermint Mocha

On the way to and from Reagan's preschool, I drive past a really good coffe house with a drive-thru. Four trips past it in one day makes it hard to say no and is dangerous to my budget...

So I've developed my own Peppermint Mocha blend that tastes just as good and costs very little. It's so good, I thought any Mocha lovers might want the recipe. :)

Mix: (for my 20oz. travel mug)
2 crushed mini-candy canes
4 heaping Tablespoons of Hot Chocolate Mix (see below)
1 Tablespoon instant coffee
HOT water

It has become my favorite hot drink for when the kids are napping :)
I hope you like it too!

----------+----------+----------+----------

Hot Chocolate Mix
Yields 15 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups nonfat dry milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 cup dry non-dairy creamer
dash of salt

Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients and stir well to mix. Store in an airtight container.
2. Just add 2-3 heaping tablespoons to 8oz. of HOT water. Enjoy!

Conversation with Reagan

Me: Reagan, what did Gabriella bring for sharing time today?
Reagan: A Leapster. That starts with the letter L!

Reagan: Mom? Did you have a Leapster when you were a little girl?
Me: No, we didn't have Leapsters.

Reagan: Why not? Your parents didn't buy you one?
Me: No, Leapsters weren't invented yet. There weren't any.

Reagan: Why? Because you lived in the olden days?

9 Months + or -

Smiley Riley actually turned 9 months on the 5th, but who made the rule you have to post on that particular day...?

At her 9-month checkup, she weighed 17 lbs, 8 oz. and was 26.75 in. tall. She was 35% for height and 25% for weight - very small for a Bartlett kid. I think Grant was this size at his 3 month check-up. No concerns, though. She eats well and is growing proportionately.

Riley lights up when she sees her siblings, though I think she has equal feelings of love and fear for Grant. For as flexible and easy-going as she has to be is, she has started to develop and express her own opinions.

I was always surprised at how young my kids were when they threw their first fit and Riley is no exception. (Though when you put her next to one of Grant's fits, she looks like an amateur.)

She sits up, and can swivel around and slide backwards on her tummy, but she's not very close to crawling and hasn't considered walking or even standing really -- which is fine with me.

She loves Cheerios, her passy, her blanket, and a good snuggle at night. I wouldn't trade this sweet one for anything. :)

The Baby Ate My List

Since February, I've been doing the bulk of my grocery shopping at night or on weekends when I have free babysitting. Since we were gone this weekend and because the kids are getting easier to manage, I thought we'd give the store another try.

I was ready. My coupons were clipped, and my list was made. I even chose a store with wide isles, and carts with pretend cars on the front.



But it wasn't meant to be.

The horns on the pretend cars worked(?!). Grant got really excited and shouted "APPLE" and "NANA" while Reagan begged for cheese crackers, pineapple, chocolate milk, and colored marshmallows. (Mom! I have a headache and the only thing that will make it go away is if I eat those baby marshmallows... so please? Please, Mom? Can we get them? It's called a marshmallow headache. Please? My head really hurts.)

Grant scribbled on my list and then Riley ate it.

I didn't even realize I forgot ground beef until I tried to cook supper tonight.

Oh, Fareway... I guess I'll see you again on Saturday.

WaTeR PaRk FuN!

We took a long weekend and went to the Grand Harbor in Dubuque. On Friday night my sister, Sarah drove in and we got to have dinner with her and the boys at Happy Joe's. It doesn't get much better for me than that!

Saturday and Sunday we swam, ate, celebrated Ayla's birthday, and hung out :)

We have a tired crew, but it was a good time.

The World's Cutest Water Baby: (I'm a little biased)
Reagan spinning Riley:





Reagan and Grant with their "worms & dirt pudding" before bed:





9 Grandkids :)

Happy Halloween!

Grant - the Bumblebee, Reagan - the Bear, and two friends from swimming lessons this summer... Trick-Or-Treating over lunch -- downtown.

Carving Pumpkins:

Our Jack-O-Lanterns:


Dressing up for fun:

Before Evening Trick-Or-Treating: