Happy 7th Birthday to Mason!
Before Mason's party at Monkey Joe's today, I had another photo shoot. I took Trenton's two year photos last year and this year he came back for some three year old shots. I love the themes we did! I also did a few shots of Claire so she could model the capes a lady on Etsy made. I had made a deal with her...she sent me capes to use for photo shoots and I will send her photos of the capes in use.
Busy day!
Ty's photo shoot was this morning. He was determined not to sleep and make it easy for us, but we still got some very adorable shots. After the shoot the girls and I went in to the bank to visit Papa and take the ladies at the bank treats as a thank you for buying Girl Scout cookies. We stopped by to visit Granny before we headed home, too. I spent so many nights with my friends sitting at Granny's kitchen table and talking (and eating). For as long as I can remember, no matter what time of day we stopped by to visit, Grandma would stop what she was doing to sit down at the kitchen table with us and talk. Love those memories.
It was a scary ride home. The roads looked completely clear and safe. They weren't. Around Weyauwega I came around a slight curve and saw a car sitting in the left lane and a truck in front of me, slowing down, in the right lane. I began slowing down also when suddenly the car in the left lane shot across to sit in the right lane (which I was in!). The van began skidding and I just knew we were going to crash. I glanced back at the girls and started aiming towards the cement side rail because I figured it was better to hit that than to hit the other vehicles. Somehow, by the grace of God, the van straightened itself out and I managed to get between the cement rail and the other vehicles. My leg shook most of the way home. Scary, scary, scary.
Happy Birthday to one of my bestest friends from high school. Have a great day, Daniel!
After I picked Ella up from school today we headed to mom's house. We watched Mackenzie and I set up for baby Ty's photo shoot tomorrow. I love that mom has the sunroom. It works awesome for doing photo shoots at her house.
Ella is an awesome helper with working on Claire's speech homework. She'll pull the folder of materials out on her own and call Claire to the kitchen table.
One month from today we leave for Florida!!!
Today was Claire's turn to do a project since she felt left out the other night. She loves owls, so we made handprint owls. I thought they turned out so stinkin' cute. We made another version, too, but this is the one she wanted to share.
I just have to say, I am already dreading homework in the coming years. Ella is in first grade and for the most part her homework is short and simple. Spelling test practice. Correcting math problems. Daily reading (with the occasional response journal added in). However, even though it takes a small amount of her evening, she hates missing any part of play time. I don't blame her. She is in school all day and she has such a small amount of play time now between dinner, baths and homework. Add in the extra grumbling she does and homework seems to take all night. So, once homework increases in amount and intensity I am sure the grumbling will increase x100.
Tonight's homework was fun though. She came home with a plain blue circle and the instructions were to create a winter themed snow globe . She chose a hot chocolate themed snow globe and this is what we came up with.
Side note: When Jeremy told them it was bedtime, Ella reminded Jeremy that Martin Luther King Jr. wanted everyone to be equal because apparently it just isn't fair that Claire didn't have to spend as much time on homework and got more play time.
Today was a special day. Our sweet little nephew, Gage Anton, was baptized and Jeremy got to be his Godfather. (Well, technically he is a witness since he isn't Catholic, but an honor is an honor). We also got to spend time with Miss Hannah. She adores Ella (and visa versa)...it is so adorable to watch.
Lounging in jammies, donuts from Manderfields for breakfast, ice fishing for Jeremy & the girls, house stuff for me, Culvers and grocery shopping. That is our Saturday. Oh, and I made these fantastic Cranberry Bliss bars tonight, too. Going to have to send them to work with Jeremy so I don't eat them all.
TGIF! Homemade Chicken Orzo Soup and Beer Bread to kick off a (mostly) low key weekend. Perfection.
Claire loves having homework, so today we worked on her speech homework and then pulled out some letter and number practice. Little stinker knows more than she has let on before!
A huge pet peeve of mine...messy sink right after cleaning the bathroom. I will be saving this photo to show the girls when THEY complain about their own children or spouses making a mess.
Thanks to Winter Storm Braden, Ella had an early release. I was perfectly fine with having her come home early since they closed school at the same time that Claire was finished with speech. Plus I (almost always) love having both girls home.
I shoveled the driveway, we relaxed with popcorn and Despicable Me 2 (current favorite movie!) and then I cleaned the bathrooms upstairs. While I was cleaning the bathrooms I realized the girls we being very quiet. I peeked into Claire's room and saw them quietly reading together. I love, love, love that they love to read. Definitely my daughters!
Jeremy & I and the girls (plus Mason) met Heather & Wes on Partridge Crop today to do some ice fishing. We didn't catch a single fish, but the kids had a blast taking a sled ride behind the four wheeler, scooping ice out of holes, playing with a dead minnow and karate chopping snow chunks. The highlight for Jeremy was watching me step into an open hole and getting my right leg soaked up to my thigh. Jeremy said I was a trooper and didn't complain once about being cold. Who said girls were the weaker sex???
Busy Saturday. My first photo shoot of 2014 was this morning. The Rice kiddos (who all 3 share a birthday!) came to get their one year/three year photos taken. I love watching my clients grow!
After the shoot we ran errands and then headed to Stevens Point for a high school get together. We got to hang out with the Eschenbauchs, Bradleys, Ruzickas and soon-to-be Banks, eat Polito's pizza and drink wine. The kids had a great time all playing together. I love that almost thirteen years post high school we can still pick up our friendships like no time at all has passed.
Today flew by and after the girls and I went to the Girl Scout Cookie Kickoff I just didn't feel like making supper. So, Stevie B's it was!
Claire headed back to preschool after a three week hiatus. I was braced for some resistance from her, but she happily got ready for school and once we were there she quickly settled in for some coloring with her friends Emma and Sophie. I somehow managed to lose track of an hour and a half at Target while Claire was in school and then made a quick dash to Bath & Body Works and Maurices (I now own jeggings...not quite sure what my thoughts are on that now).
After preschool we headed to the elementary school for Claire's speech class. There we learned that the other little boy who was in class with her had a stroke over break and is at Milwaukee Children's Hospital. Prayers are being said for Colton!
After speech it was a quick run to Walmart and then back home for a little while before we picked Ella up from school. Claire is having so much fun with her marble run that she got from the Woyaks. I'll admit, I think it is pretty fun as well.
No school again today because of the arctic temperatures. That was completely fine with me. It was a great day to hibernate, stay in our jammies and catch up on little things in the house. The girls played (nicely, most of the time!) while I cleaned out the fridge, did dishes and laundry and cut coupons. We had a picnic on the living room floor and used the Chat Pack to answer some silly and some serious questions. We snuggled in and watched Despicable Me 2, complete with popcorn. I love snow days! I don't love the fact that now Ella will be in school until at least June 10th though :-(
Aunt Lorraine was laid to rest to day. I am also going to mention it was the coldest day in over 10 years! With the wind chill, it is estimated to be around -44 degrees.
On the way to the funeral, we passed by the home my great grandparents used to live in. I remember the house very clearly and was so sad to see how neglected it now looks. Memories from that house: playing lawn darts, the yodeling man on the living room wall, spinning M&Ms in a pretend blender, visiting on the porch and being so worried every time the train came through because the tracks were SO close to the house.
Ps. Ignore the poor quality of the photo. I snapped it quick with my phone from inside the car because it was too cold to even open the window for a second.
Tonight we had visitation for my great aunt, Lorraine, who passed away on New Years Day. Not only are all of my grandparents still living, I also have extended relatives that I am blessed to know. My dad's side of the family is fairly small, which gave even more opportunities to really know family members.
Aunt Lorraine did not have any grandchildren, so in a way I think my brother and cousins and I acted as her surrogate grandchildren. Ever since Ella was born I sent Aunt Lorraine letters and pictures and she sent me letters in return. In the day of emails and texts, a hand written letter is truly a treasure. Just this past spring at Wes & Heather's bridal shower both Aunt Lorraine and Judy told me how much Aunt Lorraine appreciated my letters. I sent my last letter to her at the beginning of December and received my last letter from her about two weeks ago.
Rest in peace, Aunt Lorraine. With love, Lindsay
I've been stalking Target for the last couple days, waiting for Christmas items to go to 90% off. I was rewarded this morning finally. My most exciting purchase was a portable speaker for Claire's mp3 player. No more having the girls try to listen to music while each wearing an ear bud. They thought it was even more exciting that it lights up! We turned off the lights in the kitchen/dining room area and listened to music with the fancy lights. Ella watched it the entire time that Round Here (her current favorite song) by Florida Georgia Line was playing.
Courtney asked me to go to the wedding show in Green Bay with her tonight. I had more fun going as the bridesmaid than I did when I was the bride! I got to wander off and eat lots (and lots and lots) of amazing cake while Courtney chatted with vendors. After the show, we stopped at Applebees for margaritas and appetizers. Yum!
Thanks, Courtney, for asking me to come along! Can't wait to help with the big day!
It was back to school for Ella today. I am usually a fan of routine, but it is hard to emerge from the cozy holiday cocoon and get back into the routine. Heather, Hannah & Gage came to visit. Heather did a little shopping and left the kids here for a couple hours. I got to get in some Gage snuggles and playtime with Hannah. Love those kiddos!
Claire stayed with Heather while I ran to pick Ella up from school. When I got home Heather told me that Claire had a little accident in the bathroom but very proudly said, "My mom is going to be so proud of me. I got a little pee in the floor but I cleaned it up!" Yeah, she may be overlooking the fact of why that pee got there in the first place. Gotta love her.
I attempted Project 365 two years ago and failed. I forgot about it completely until I stumbled upon the blog again a couple weeks ago. I then spent a couple hours rereading everything from round one of Project 365 and was reminded of so many things I had forgotten about. I really need to restart this and (hopefully) keep up with it because having our life in words and photos is an awesome thing to look back on.
We rang in 2014 with some of our closest friends and all the kiddos. Ella & Claire made it until just after 11 pm (their first time getting to watch the ball drop in NYC!) and Jeremy & I waited until the official new year before heading off to dreamland. The first day of 2014 was spent mostly at home just chilling. Truthfully, that's how most of Christmas vacation looked this year and I was more than okay with that. I am sad to send Ella back to school tomorrow and emerge from our cozy little cocoon of home, back to the routine of our daily life.
We already have lots of fun planned for 2014...Disney in February, a trip to Maine in June, Jellystone with the crew pictured above (plus 4 more) in July, weddings of friends and family and so much more. Here is a to a new year and many new memories!
