Milestones

This past week has been full of milestones for this Mom!

1.  Gavin is half way done with 1st grade!  How did this happen?

2.  We took Kyra to school for a Kindergarten Tour and meet the teacher day!  How did this happen?

3.  And by far the most difficult for this Mom...The crib that has been a crib for more than 7 years in this house was turned into a toddler bed for Little Miss Reagan!  Gavin was the only one of our kids to ever get out of the crib (and he climbed out safely - no falling), Kyra was kicked out by Carley long before she was probably ready to be done with the crib and Carley was kicked out by Reagan but it was just about perfect timing.  Reagan, we decided, needed to get out of the crib before she became out first one to fall out of the crib.  So, yesterday Jed converted the crib into a toddler bed.  She did AWESOME!  We put the girls to bed like we always do and Reagan was sitting up in bed and we thought "this is never going to work."  We never heard a peep out of her.  She stayed in bed and when we checked on her she was sleeping as she always does - baby, sippy cup of water and favorite blanket.  On another positive note she also did not fall out of bed last night.  We had pillows strategically placed on the floor, just in case, but she did great.  I checked on her this morning and she was in the same exact place except turned around the opposite way.?!  She came down on her own this morning definitely thinking she was big stuff!!!  How did it happen that we no longer need a crib in our house?!

Random January Pics

 Random pics from January!

 Bedtime story time.

Lego man, designed and built by Gavin.

Carley has recently learned the art of computer games!  Sometimes that is good, sometimes that is not good!

 I have never seen a baby hold a pen, pencil, crayon correctly - but Reagan has always held her writing utensils this way.  Genius!  Or just lucky?!  :-)

 Reagan got out of the bath tub and would not stop staring at her hands.  We finally figured it out - they were wrinkled from the water and she was trying to figure out what was going on!?  Too cute.

 This is Kyra's "Face" when she and Gavin are playing the "quiet game".  The quiet game is just what the name says - they see who can be the quietest for the longest period of time.  For some reason, to be quiet, Kyra has to have this very intense face going on, but it works - she beats Gavin 100% of the time!  Something she is very proud of and something that drives Gavin bonkers.

 We spend many, many hours a week playing Legos!

 The girls snuggling with Dad.  Notice who is sleeping in this picture?!  Par for the course - they put him to bed all the time.

 Reading her stories on her "perch".

 I found Jed and Gavin like this one Friday night, must have been a rough week!

 Gavin lost a tooth last week with his sisters help.  They were playing "fishing" and they were literally fishing.  Carley was on top of the bunk bed with a string hanging over the edge.  Gavin was the fish down below and he grabbed onto the string and didn't let go when she pulled up on it - she caught her fish (or rather her fishes' tooth).  That's right "fishes".  He proceeded to loose the other top middle one two days later but I cannot seem to find the picture we took of that - stay tuned.

 Playing tea party. 

 Carley and Reagan riding horse.

Toothless boy ready for school.

Dance Recital

Okay, sorry, but I think her actual dance videos are too long, I cannot get them to load.

Water Park

We went to a hotel in Owatonna and enjoyed their water park on Kyra's birthday.  The kids (and adults too) enjoyed almost 4 hours at the water park (the adults worn out before the kids did) and then we enjoyed pizza after - does it get much better than that?!  :-)

 Mommy & Carley coming off of the water slide.

 Kyra was VERY certain that she did not want to go on the water slide.  We didn't push her and she was perfectly fine playing in the pool while everyone else was going down the slide (including her one year old cousin who LOVED it).  But finally after about 2 1/2 hours I found Kyra at the top with Aunt Stacy just watching everyone get loaded onto their tube and head down.  A few minutes later she was ready to try it with Stacy.  An hour later, she hadn't taken a break from it! She loved it!

 Gavin must have gone down the slides more than 100 times.

Mom and Gavin.  

 Kyra splashing in the pool.

 Reagan and Grandma in the kiddie pool with the elephant, giraffe and monkeys.

 Carley, Grandma and Reagan - this was when Reagan wasn't so sure about all of this big pool stuff but by the end she had had her turn going down the slide too!

 Gavin hanging out.

 Carley!

Grandpa and Gavin - poor Grandpa, he was just trying to keep up with Gavin (each adult was man to man with a kid) but Gavin was non stop for 4 hours - Grandpa did pretty darn good keeping up!  Not sure who laughed harder when they would come down the slide!

Weekend with Nana and Papa - Christmas, Birthday & Dance Recital...oh my!

We had a wonderful long weekend last weekend with Nana and Papa.  Gavin had Friday off of school, Jed took a day of vacation from work and we spent a nice 3 day weekend with Jed's parents who made the long trip from ND.  Luckily the weather cooperated for the most part (although it was the coldest of the season).  We celebrated Kyra's 5th birthday on Friday, had our Christmas with Nana and Papa on Saturday (since we were sick when we were supposed to go there for Christmas) and Kyra had a dance recital on Saturday night so they were able to see her dance for the first time!

 Playing checkers with Papa.  I think Reagan won!  :-)

 Carley's new favorite blanket - Dora!

 Reagan really figured out the gift thing this year.  Now if there is a present it is her mission to get it open (no matter whose name is on the tag).

 Gavin's favorite new blanket - the Purple and Gold!

 Kyra and her designer barbies.

 Reagan insisted that her new doll (also named Reagan - REALLY) watch her open her next gift. 

 Kyra got a keyboard.  She plays this every day.  Now if only she knew a real song or two.

 Papa helping Kyra "figure" it out.

 Daddy, Reagan and Reagan.

 Reagan combing Nana's hair.

 Jed and Nana looked out the kitchen window to see turkeys roaming in our yard.  The kids loved it!

 Gavin got another lego kit and had it made within two hours of getting it.  He LOVES his lego!

 Gavin also got a Leapster which takes up much of his free time now!

 Family picture time!

To Fold or Not to Fold...continued!

I have had a few more people reply to me so I thought I would post their responses for them.  Enjoy!  (Some people are having trouble leaving a comment on my posts.  Let me know if you are and I can try to walk you through it or e-mail me your responses and I will get them posted).

In response to the "To Fold or Not To Fold" debate.



From Britton (my brother):
Take from it what you will...

We don't make our bed or fold our underwear in La Crosse but we do clean all of our dishes.


I have folded underwear before but most of the time do not take the time to do so.

Let's say conservatively we all average 2 minutes making our bed each day...that's 14 minutes a week or 12.13 hours a year making your bed.


On that same note..let's say we spend a half an hour a week folding laundry...5 minutes of that given to folding undies...that's approximately 4.5 hours a year you spend folding your grunds...worth it?

That's 16.63 hours a year making your bed and folding your unmentionables.


From Stacy (my sister-in-law):
Jacque and I had this same discussion once as well and yes, I do fold all our underwear. Our bed kind of gets made. It's more like a, crawl out of bed and flop the covers back on top, rather than a hotel style bed making. Somewhere I heard/read that it is better not to make your bed as soon as you get up because then your sheets can't dry out from sweating and sleeping on them all night.

Happy Birthday Kyra

On January 27, 2006 at 8:28am we welcomed an 8 lb. 4 oz. baby girl into our world.  Now that baby girl is 5 years old.  She will go to school this year already!

Happy Birthday Kyra!  We love you.

  

 

 1 year old

 2 years old

  3 years old

4 years old

5 years old!!!

In Kyra's first five years of life she has taught us to enjoy the little things.  She is an easy going girl but we are starting to see glimpses of what the teenage years will bring - attitude, crying, emotional roller coaster, drama and bad moods!  Kyra LOVES looking "cute", music, dancing and ANYTHING crafting.  She is Mom's helper when it comes to washing dishes, folding clothes and taking care of Reagan - Mom hopes that never changes!  :-)