Happy 1st Birthday Connor

I cannot believe how fast Connor and Nolan are growing up. I love that they are so close together and can be best buds, if only we could live closer to each other. Happy Birthday Connor!!

The Perfect "Forward Roll"

Rylee has mastered the "forward roll!" She has been getting closer and closer to getting all the way over, without falling sideways, and she finally got it. Tonight she was showing Daddy her progress, and I caught a few of the rolls on video.

Shopping With Our Best Friends

On Friday we met up with Maddi and her Mom for a fun afternoon. We started with lunch for the kids and then went to My-Gym for an Open House. My-Gym was a bit crazy and crowded, so we stayed for a few minutes and then headed out to run some errands. Toys-R-Us had a good sale on Leapster Games, so we went to check out the sale. The girls wore matching outfits, they had taken off their jackets already but the matched too. They had a great time playing with all the toys and running around everywhere together.


Nolan has become a little bit crazy lately, in a fun and adventurous way. He saw the girls walking through the store and thought that he did not need to be in the cart, so he tried to get out. If you look close in this picture he is buckled, quite tight too, but he still managed to stand up and try to get out.

Las Vegas

Last weekend we took a road trip to Las Vegas for a soccer tournament, we managed a little fun between games, but not as much as Caity would have liked. Caity was my savior for the trip, coming along to help with the kids and make it possible for me to coach and not worry about what the two of them are up to. We ate some yummy food, we did some great shopping, and we had really good kiddos in the car, truly they were amazing.



While shopping Rylee and Caity spotted a Build-A-Bear store and since the kids had been so good, I let them make a bear. Really Rylee made a bear for both her and Nolan but I could not just get one for her and not him, that is not fair. Rylee picked out a cute puppy stuffed animal for both of them, so they would have the same. After stuffing the puppy and giving it a bath, Rylee picked out a Tinkerbell outfit for her puppy and a Woody (from Toy Story) outfit for Nolans. Caity made a bear too!




When I say the kids were amazing in the car, I mean they were truly outstanding. For a 3 1/2 year old and a 1 year old in the car 6 hours there and 6 hours back, we probably had a total of 5 minutes of crying or whining. They both took good naps and mostly entertained themselves. Rylee enjoyed watching movies and playing with her Leapster, and Nolan took some good naps and played with toys.

Aquarium

Last week we went to the Aquarium with our best friends. We had not seem them in over a month and we were so excited to play. Rylee and Maddi ran from one exhibit to another so fast we could barely keep up. They had so much fun showing each other their favorite fishes, but the hit of the day was the octopus. The last time we were at the Aquarium the octopus was probably 1/2 the size it is now, and the girls were amazed by it. Nolan had a great time because he was able to get out and explore on his own. This is my favorite part of the Aquarium, that it is so kid friendly and kids can easily walk around and roam and be safe while doing so. We had so much fun and can't wait to go back to the "Fishy House" again.

Reminder, Keep Dishwasher Locked

If the dishwasher is unlocked this cute little boy think it is a fantastic place to play, however I am not so sure the dishwasher is made to hold his weight! I was on the phone this morning and the next thing I heard was the sound of dishes clanking together, I looked over and found Nolan had climbed right on into the dishwasher. The only time Rylee ever did this was to help unload it, Nolan just wanted to play he was not too happy with me when I unloaded. So, if you stop by our house and happen to stick something in the dishwasher, please lock it or else I think I may be buying some new hinges for a dishwasher.

Hyper Girl

On Sunday we went to a Superbowl party at a friends house, and everytime I saw Rylee she was eating a different cookie. I would ask who had given it to her and our friend would just smile and say, "She asked so nice!" When we got home after the game, I got the kids ready for bed, but Rylee was a little hyper from all the cookies. I tried to snuggle her and sleep with her, but she was way too wiggly to sleep. She wanted to sing songs, so I asked if she would sing for the camera, and she was happy too. She has quite a few songs memorized, here are three of her favorites.

Sleepy Kids

This has been a long week for the kiddos. With Daddy out of town for work since Sunday, the kids have been forced to come to soccer with Mommy every day. That does not sound to bad except that soccer practice goes until 9:00 pm each night and then we are 40 minutes from home. So, these poor kids have been averaging a 9:45 bed time all week, and they do not know how to sleep in.
Today after I dropped Rylee off at preschool Nolan and I went to get the oil changed in the car. While we were there one of the workers gave Nolan a Dum-Dum sucker, which he loved, but on our way home he was so sleepy he fell asleep with it in his hand.
We head to Vegas tomorrow for a soccer tournament, I just hope the kids sleep well for there sake and my sake, they are both so exhausted.

Baby Sienna

Our close friends had a baby girl on Monday, so when I told Rylee they had the baby she insisted on going to see her. I got a babysitter for Nolan, and surprised Rylee after preschool with a quick trip to the hospital. We stopped by Target and I let Rylee pick out a toy for baby Sienna and then we went to meet her. When we first arrived the doctors were in the room so we waited in the lobby and Rylee was beaming with excitement to go back to the room. When we did get to meet her she became as shy as I have ever seen her. I held baby Sienna for a little bit while she snuggled her buddy Jake. She almost fell asleep in the chair with Jake, so I figured it was time to head home so she could take a nap. I could not believe how little she looked, it is amazing how quickly you forget about floppy heads and scrunched up bodies, they are so cute. We are happy that everyone is doing well and they are healthy!!

My Explorer

Nolan has become a bit of an explorer in the last week. Walking is his only means of transportation these days, and he is loving the world from his new viewpoint. He thinks climbing is the best thing ever, and even climbed our TV stand the other night. I have to keep the dishwasher locked or else he opens it and helps rearrange the dishes inside or he just climbs in. He has searched every nook and cranny he can find in our home the last week, and he does all of it with a big happy smile. The other day he was looking through diaper bin, and he proceed to climb in and play with everything versus sitting next to it. It most have been fun because he sat in there for nearly an hour playing with the thermometer, the diapers, the changing pads, and the closed bottles of lotion. He is adventurous and very brave and I love every minute of it.

*not the best picture quality, but my camera phone was all I had handy*

Fun Night With Caity

Last Saturday Caity offered to baby sit the kids, so Matt and I could have an evening out. We were excited because it had been a little while since just the two of us went out, plus I had been craving a Ruth's Chris Filet! We had a great time together, but it looks like Caity and the kids had the most fun. They played and played together, but the kids had a lot of fun sitting in the block bin and playing. Since last week every time the bin is out both kids are trying climb in it versus just play with the blocks. We are so lucky to have Caity here to watch the kids and the kids love her. It is a lot easier to go out when you know your kids are being kept safe with someone that loves them.