February 2016

I remember when my 3 kids where 3 and under and parents would say - "Just wait until they are in activities" and I would think to myself "Nothing will be as busy as bottles, 3 kids in diapers, and an unknown nights sleep.  I was definitely wrong.  Parenting just continues to bring new and different challenges and schedules and you just go through doing the best you can and hope that your kids turn out polite and humble.  February was a wonderful month, but the activities for the kids and Pete and I seemed at an all-time high so it definitely flew by!

Pete is busy with soccer and trying to get spring registration and teams situated and organized.  On top of that, he is a full-time engineer with new projects arising and more successful ideas from recent travels and his inquisitive mind.  

I do my best to juggle work, school, household duties, mom and wife but I'm sure there are days when I fail way more often than I succeed.  I am in the middle of taking Advanced Pharmacology and it brings me back to my days at Purdue, but still extremely fuzzy!  

Claire ended her co-ed basketball league and is starting her girl's basketball league in early March.  She really enjoys basketball and continues her love for soccer.  Claire's big thing this month was preparing to get her expander placed in her mouth.  Her expander was actually placed today and she did wonderfully.  She was so brave and although she is continually slurping and slurring - she is starting to get the hang of it!  Girl Scouts was in full swing this month as well and she attended a "Manners and Etiquette" class and preceded to correct me when my elbows were on the table at dinner and correctly showed me how to lift your pinkie when you have tea.  I told her I don't drink tea.... :)  Claire is also beginning prep for her First Communion in late April.  We have had a couple of activities this month and she is really excited to get started on her banner that will hang on the end of our pew on her big day.

Grace continues to do well in school and loves to read and practice spelling.  When we tuck her into bed, she is constantly asking for us to quiz her with words to spell.  She has piano lessons on Wednesdays and is enjoying showing us what she has learned.  I've always wanted to re-learn the piano so I am also enjoying learning with her.  She started back into swim lessons at the end of February and enjoys that they are so late in the evening that she is up past her bedtime!

Jake is going to kindergarten in the fall!  After evaluating him ourselves with questions and workbooks, we really think that he is ready.  I'm not even sure why we questioned it before.  He is growing so much and his listening has gotten better - still room for improvement - but better!  He is so excited about being in kindergarten and Grace is doing a great job of getting him ready.  We plan to request Claire and Grace's previous kindergarten teacher (the one I met with to discuss Jake).  Jake also started swim lessons at the end of the month at the same time as Grace - so its a late Monday night!


Here are pictures from our month of February...

Jake is almost passing up Grace!

Pete took the kids up north to see their cousins Lilly and Bently to play at the park while I worked on school work - they had a blast!

Claire with orthodontist prep work

Keith, Beth, and I went to Florida for a few days to escape the cold of the midwest.  We had a wonderful time and the weather was fantastic!

Jake had a "Mom's Day" Valentine's Day party at his school - it was fun to spend a couple of hours just Jake and me.

One random Friday night, we played poker with chocolate chips - we are teaching the kids young since we love poker and that's how I was raised! :)

On Valentine's Day weekend - we surprised the kids with a trip to an indoor water park.  It wasn't until Friday that we realized we hadn't even told the kids our plan so we decided to surprise them.  We went into Claire's basketball game and when they came out they found these gift bags.  Each had a new swimsuit and that's how we told them we were going.  Everything was packed in the back and we headed straight there.  It was really fun and the kids loved it!

Here are pictures from our overnight...

Playing in the snow in Ohio - Jake insisted on wearing a Santa hat :)

Claire got really into the local high school girls and their basketball tournament!  Here we are at the first tournament game.

We took the kids for hibachi and Jake and Grace were loving eating the salad with chopsticks...

Claire, not so much....

In the middle of February, on a unseasonably warm day, Grace's Girl Scout troop went to feed birds.  One girl had a bird eat from her hand but Grace was dedicated and stood super still in hopes a bird would eat from her hand.

Her face in this picture lets you know it did not happen...

Claire at First Communion prep when she learned about the meaning of the mass

School Spirit Day!

The Hoover tournament game - they lost but played hard!

We have recently started 1000 piece puzzles and the kids (and parents) really enjoy them.  This one took us forever!

Claire and Grace decided that Grandma was made of money and ordered apps on their kindles that Grandma got them for Christmas.  At first, it was innocent.  Mid-January we told them to not get anything that required a password.  They continued to and then finally fessed up.  We made them do chores to earn some money back and write a letter of apology to Grandma.  The day we talked about the punishment, Claire mopped the kitchen floor twice, tried to fold and sort laundry, and dusted the 1st floor!

We had an impromptu lunch with Frank, Jan and Chris as they were traveling through town the last Saturday in February.  We had a great time at Panera and it was so great to see them!

The kids go to go to Menchie's for good behavior

Here is the mouth we are trying to fix!  Ha ha...

We went to a local vineyard to celebrate our good friend, Matt's, birthday the last Saturday in February.  It was a wonderful time with great friends.

Grace working hard to learn piano

January 2016

Our family spent half of the month of January as a family of four.  Pete spent 2 weeks in China for business and I quickly learned how much I appreciate having him around :)  It doesn't take long to get exhausted with being the only one that can open things, help them in the shower, drive them here and there, nightly homework and many other day to day demands that three kids bring.  All in all I think we did really well, but definitely missed having dad around.

This month, Claire started playing basketball and loves it.  I didn't have the highest of hopes after the first couple of games.  However, after this initial season she has improved tremendously and I think she has a future in basketball if she continues to love it this much and commit the way she has.  She touched the ball once in the first two games, but by the end of the season, she was dribbling down the court, getting rebounds and even scored a basket!  We have signed her up for the next session at the YMCA and this time it is all girls.  We love watching her play.  Here is a brief video of her in all her glory :)

Claire also started to go see an orthodontist and needs an expander.  It is a 3 step process and we are 2 steps down.  She will officially become a metal mouth on March 3rd.

Both Claire and Grace worked hard to sell Girl Scout cookies this month - and by Claire and Grace, I mean Pete and I.  Each girl sold 100 boxes.

Grace started taking piano lessons this month and really enjoys it.  She practices often and we love to hear her play.  A few nights this month, we would all sit on her bed before bedtime and listen to her play a couple of songs. (Just to clarify, the duration of the song is only about 10 seconds)

Jake is possibly starting to grow out of his non-listening, rebellious phase...possibly.  He has really started to enjoy when we do homework with the girls and we get out his kindergarten prep book.  All three kids are lined up sitting on the bar stools working on "homework".

Recent news with Jake is that his preschool teacher was shocked that we had planned to wait until next year to start Jake in kindergarten.  She thinks he is more than ready to go to kindergarten.  I asked a couple of the other teachers at the school and they agree he is ready, but also see no harm in waiting.  Yesterday, I met with Claire and Grace's kindergarten teacher to see what she thought.  It feels like such a huge decision.  After hearing about Jake's academic level, as well as emotional and behavioral state, she confirms and agrees that he is ready to start kindergarten.  So, now Pete and I have a decision to make....

Pete continues to be involved with the soccer organization and celebrated a birthday this month.  While he was in China, Grammy and Opa came over and we built a grill for him for his birthday.  We had it covered with the old cover and asked him to go out and grill after getting back from China.  The kids had a great time surprising him.  I started my 5th class towards my Master's Program - Advanced Pharmacology.  

We are immensely blessed and try to remember that in the crazy day to day life.

Here are some pictures from our January:

 

We started the month by going to the Koutsis house and celebrating the holidays with our dear friends (Koutsis and Farnsworth) and their kids.

One Sunday, I was tired of not being able to see my Colts play so we went to a local restaurant and cheered them on!

We have done a lot of 1000 piece puzzles recently and the kids have a great time with them.  Our current puzzle is a picture of the three of them so they are having extra fun with it!

More of Claire's basketball pictures...

Fresh haircuts

Chain countdown for how many days until Pete was home from China

I had a BOGO coupon for hot dogs at Sonic - I had no idea they were foot long hot dogs!

Opa and Grace working on the grill

Claire at the orthodontist

I repeat, Jake POSSIBLY is out of that phase....

Opa and Claire working on the grill

 Grace's thoughts on MLK, Jr.

One Saturday in January, we went to a local bar that had dualing piano bars

We had a family dinner at our house and celebrated Pete and Karen's birthdays

Our month ended with Grace being pretty sick.  She had a double ear infection and was throwing up all day.  She was not herself at all - we almost took her to the ER but thankfully, she turned around