Yogi turns 8!

It's been almost two weeks since my last post. A bout of nice weather and a brief Facebook addiction were the culprits keeping me from blogging this time. In the two weeks that have passed, Yogi celebrated his 8th birthday.

It's so cliche, but it seems like yesterday he was just a baby. Now he's 8. Yikes!

Bella has started piano with a new teacher and we love her! She's also proud of the three loose teeth in her mouth. I keep teasing her that if they all fall out, we might have to feed her with a straw! She's so excited about Valentine's Day. I guess it starts with girls at an early age!

And Little Red has forgotten about binky (I think). She's also learned some more useful words and phrases too, such as: "shut up," "whatever," and "Nana nana boo boo." Couldn't be prouder. Hopefully she will un-learn them soon or she might be suffering from a sore bottom. On the bright side, she also now says, "OK mommy," "Lub you," "I help you mommy." Overall, she's our sweet little Strawberry Shortcake.

The new house is coming along with most of the interior walls up. It's starting to be time for all those pesky little decisions: brick color, trim, wall color, etc. Hopefully we'll be able to choose many of the same styles we have in our current house. We really still like what we picked when we built 7 years ago. Or maybe we're just lazy :)

I love going out to the new house; it's so peaceful and quiet there. Sometimes it already feels like home. I hope the kids get used to being in the country fairly quickly after we move. It's nice to look around and see the huge yard and pond they'll be able to play in. But when B and I look around, we also can't help but think about all the work there is to be done. And... all the work it will take to keep the lawn mowed, weeds pulled, etc. One day at a time I guess.

Grown-Up Clothes

Every year for the past three or four years, I've taken the kids' pictures in "grown-up" clothes. The idea was to measure their growth from year to year by comparing how much better the clothes fit each year. To make a good comparison, I used the same article of clothing. For the girls, I chose my wedding gown. For Yogi, I chose a pair of B's jeans and a t-shirt.

We've had so much fun each year when it's time to get the grown-up clothes out. Unfortunately this year, I'm about six months behind. So next August, it probably won't seem like they've grown that much. Of course, that's if I can still find the clothes after we move. Ughhh!

Yogi can't keep a straight face whenever he puts these huge jeans on. It must seem like a daunting task to grow into clothes that fit his 6'4" dad! He always pretends that's he's Jerod in the Subway commercial, modeling his fat clothes. Even though his dad is not even close to being fat, Yogi swims in these clothes.

Princess Bella probably enjoys this activity the most. Although I can tell she's growing up because each year she is more self-conscious about the gaps in the front of the dress (since it would fall off her shoulders if it weren't pinned.)

As a side note, I did not think this whole activity through enough. I am not sure what I'm going to do when she no longer fits in the dress. She will definitely (and maybe Little Red) be taller than me. I guess we'll cross that bridge later...

And Little Red probably enjoys this activity the least. I have yet to get her to actually try the dress on. It is pretty heavy and probably looks intimidating to her (I wonder if this is a sign of her future - ha ha!) Tonight we coaxed her into putting on the "princess crown" and holding the dress. We'll have to wait to see what she does next time.

Just for fun, I got out the last picture we took of her in my wedding dress. Ahhhhhhh....... I took this in May of 2007. I had planned to take pictures again in August of 2008, but now we're into January of 2009. So being six months behind in taking this year's pics makes a big difference in a really small child. Just goes to show how quickly they grow!

Thank goodness for a sweet babysitter who was not busy last night!

B and I got to see the movie Gran Torino. Loved it! Clint Eastwood was his usual stellar self and the storyline was great.

After the busy week we had, it was great to relax a little. Sometimes movies (and books) make me feel better. Seeing other people's problems helps put a little perspective on my own crazy issues. Another plus is that it's something B and I enjoy together. I think it takes us back to those high school dating days. We got to see a lot of movies then. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember those days of freedom (LOL!)

Also got to post a bit on Facebook (after the kids went to bed and at the expense of sleep, of course) But it turns out a lot of high school and college classmates are playing there and it's been great to catch up.

I sure hope this week isn't as busy as last, but time will tell.

Busy Week for All

Little Red has been doing well without "BeeKee." She has completely surprised me by trying to grow up all in one week. She started to use the big girl potty and started sleeping in a big girl bed with Bella. I wasn't ready for all this! She won't be two for another few months.

I've decided to let her use the potty sometimes but not start the full-fledged training yet. And as sad as I am to see her leave her sweet little crib, I must admit that her and Bella's room will have more space without it. When she started sleeping with Bella this week, she slept the best she has in weeks. So, there she goes again, growing up without me!

Yogi had an eventful weekend as he got to go hunting with his uncle on Sat and Sunday! Although I missed having him around, it was nice for him to be outside and separated from the Wii!

Bella's biggest news is that her two front teeth are more wiggly every day. Pretty soon the tooth fairy will be visiting us again. We have her on speed dial this year!

We got to go out to the house and take a few more pictures yesterday. It wasn't very nice to wake up this a.m. to an inch of snow on the ground!! I guess I wasn't really expecting that. As you can see, the roof is half on. Therefore, we had a bit of snow in the house again today. The kids thought it was funny that if you drop anything on the floor and make a vibration, snow falls drifts down from the rafters and it looks like it's snowing. Although B and I didn't find as much amusement in the spectacle, it was nice the kids were there to make light of the issue!

First Communion Meeting

I can't believe it's almost time for the oldest, Yogi, to make his First Communion. We had another parents meeting tonight to help the children be prepared for their big day in April. B had to watch the girls, so Yogi and I went by ourselves.

It seems like just yesterday that I made my First Communion. I was dressed up in my pretty white dress and veil; so excited to see what that piece of hardened bread tasted like. I did feel pretty special after my First Communion. Although that happy feeling only lasted about 20 minutes. The mass was so long and I had to go the bathroom sooooo bad. There's nothing like parading around the church hoping none of your classmates will see the small puddle you just left on the floor. Didn't feel very special after that.

But I know Yogi won't have any problems of the sort that day. Even though he's complaining a bit about wearing a tie, I think he knows he looks nice when he's in dress clothes. And I'm impressed with his attitude and excitement over the whole ordeal. Tonight, on the car ride home, he told me that he has lots of questions about God, religion, and communion. I braced myself. But they were good questions and we had a nice discussion.

However, he informed me that he has lots more questions for when Fr Apo visits our house next month. Oh boy! If you know Yogi and the types of questions he's famous for, you'll understand why his dad and I have reason to be nervous.

Bye Bye "BeeKee"

January 18th - D Day. It was marked as the day that Little Red was to give up Bee Kee. Bee Kee was was also affectionately referred to as Binky, B, and Boo One ("Blue One" was her favorite binky).

We had talked about her giving BeeKee to a new little baby, since she was becoming a "big girl." She agreed, but it was still tough.

Sunday night, she cried for 30 minutes. I finally went to her room and rocked her a bit until she fell asleep in my arms.

I can hardly blame her for crying - BeeKee was a beloved friend. And not just for her. Mommy enjoyed the convenience of "the silencer." It was like magic! So when she cried on Sunday night, I must admit that I shed a few tears too.

But it was for the best. BeeKee was holding her back. It sometimes kept her from joining in with the other kids and it was getting difficult to understand her growing vocabulary when BeeKee was lodged in her mouth.

The good news is that she gets to keep her blanky for as long as she wants.

But still, giving up the BeeKee means mommy's little baby is growing up. I'm just not sure I'm ready for that. But I know she'll grow up regardless of how ready I am. And I cannot hold her back.

Look out world - here she comes!

Taking Time To Eat The Snow

Even though I was really busy tonight after school, I felt like I should take the time to go outside and play with the kids in the snow.

The older two can go out on their own, but Little Red needs someone to help her. So sadly, she usually ends up staying inside with me to help cook supper.

But not tonight. I went outside and played with all of them. It was so much fun! They made tiny snowballs, tiny snow angels, and ate tons of snow.

Another plus was that I remembered to bring the camera!


Little Red


Snowball fight - Yogi and Bella (with Little Red as the referee)


My three snow angels


Time to go inside!