Date Night

Last week on our date night we ate dinner, shopped, and caught a movie. Um, I am not even a dog lover, but of course cried like a big ole' baby. My husband finally heard my sniffles and snorts and looked at me like I was nuts (he fully knows that indeed I am). Brad gets to pick the movie next, any suggestions?

Paci? Where are you?

My little love bug has coined a new phrase...."where are you?" It is hilarious, she tags it on whatever/whoever she is looking for. Whether it be "Daddy, where are you?" or her sissy, or her shoes, or me, but generally just the paci. The real kicker is when she finds what she is looking for she giggles and then says "Hi paci." or "Hi Daddy."

Oh, what a big girl. Where does the time go? Each day goes so slow, but each year so fast!

Old school Jilli.

Random Things

I was tagged on Facebook to write 25 Random Things About Me. I thought I would share them with you......

1. Thank God everyday for my healthy husband.
2. Thank God everyday for my girls; they are a blessing, every minute of every day.
3. When upset, angry, whatever, I sleep. I love sleeping in and napping.
4. Can’t stand clutter, over organize, my closet is color coordinated and the hangars all match.
5. Avoid confrontations at all costs.
6. Loved my college experience, it changed my life.
7.Enjoy shopping alone.
8. I want to have another little girl.
9. I go to Sonic everyday.
10. I love white wedding/birthday cake. Once the guests leave, I get a fork and eat it straight from the platter. Seriously, once they shut the door.
11. I make my bed each day before leaving the house.
12. I should quit worrying about everything and enjoy each moment of life.
13. I secretly enjoy when Jillian wakes up crying in the night, she is my snuggle bug.
14. Love reading, and usually finish the book within 48 hours, if not 24.
15. My grandma does my ironing.
16. Honestly enjoyed teaching and never once thought about it as a paycheck. Can’t wait to teach again and have my girls in the same building with me.
17. Love to run and walk outdoors, but am extremely bored on my treadmill.
18. Keep a pair of high school jeans in my closet, just to make sure they still fit, they do.
19. Obsess over my freckles, often asking Brad daily if certain ones have changed.
20. Plan my children’s Halloween costumes and birthday parties too far in advance, like at least 6 months.
21. Love my church community and feel like I really belong there.
22. Am living my dream, I have always wanted to be able to stay home with my kids. Would do anything to return this favor to Brad.
23. Have a goal to travel to all 50 states. (31 to go, better get a move on!)
24, Knew I would marry my husband after dating him for a month. He is genuinely a really good guy.
25. Every time Brad takes me on a boat ride I visualize my little family doing the same thing in 15 years. I think he will age gracefully, I will probably wear long sleeves and a big floppy hat (see #19), and the girls will probably be testing us with skimpy bikinis. I hope I see this day!

Little Messes Everywhere

I found this today in the hallway.

One of the many little piles of a mess left by little hands. I often find myself thinking, another mess for me to pick up, or corral a child to help. Instead, seeing this pile today I thought, I should be thankful for this mess. It means that I was blessed with .....

a child healthy enough to use her fingers to pry each individual tissue out of the bag

a child healthy enough to walk down the hall and drop them

a child healthy enough to come find me and say "more tissues"

a child healthy enough to sing "clean up ebrboody ebrywhere" when asked to help pick up

Thank you God for this child and the messes that she makes!

A few minutes after this short praising session, this blessed child was left coloring with her sister in their new coloring nook.

Her parents were moving a dollhouse from upstairs to the basement. We heard "Mom, Dad, Jilli is doing something BAD!" I pray "Dear Lord, Please help me be patient. Amen" Run to the nook, look, snatch her, shriek and say "In my life I have never had a child do this!" and reflect that I was blessed with.....

a child healthy enough to grasp a crayon and color on the wall

a child healthy and smart enough to at least use light pink

an older child healthy and creative enough to say "I didn't want to take it from her, I was afraid she would get mad!"

Thank you God for this child and the also the patience that you have bestowed on me to raise her!

Enjoying our time with Daddy!

It is very bittersweet, but this is Brad's last week at home with us. The silver lining in the ugly cloud of unemployment was getting to spend quality time with him. We have been rotating days getting up to make breakfast, which allows each of us for a few extra snoozes. The first week and a half was stressful with interviews and the unknown. The second week was exciting with me starting to sub and a couple of job offers for Brad! The third week was productive with the painting of our basement and other household chores. Now the fourth week, will be for peace and play. Brad is trying to squeeze himself in a movie day, which he says would only be successful if he were able to watch 4 movies in one day. Today he took us out to play and for lunch. Mia Kate had the choice of Wonderscope or back to the Jo Co Museum and she chose the museum. Here are some pics of our fun!

The girls perform, M.K.'s favorite part!

Stage mom?

The girls work on a collage, while their dad eagerly helps them.
Uh, I mean plays solitaire on his phone.

Hard at work in the boutique.

See, the week of play, Brad got in a couple of holes too! ;)

Explanation

After looking at this blog I decided that I should explain something. On the side of this blog you see the Blue Eyed Team and the Brown Eyed Team. Brad appointed these teams when Jillian was born. Obviously it is our eye colors, Brad and MK brown, Jillian and I blue. I think it was an easy way for him to let me handle Jillian as an infant (screamer!). Nowadays, when it is the four of us somewhere we stick with our teams, I buckle in the blue, he buckles in the brown, etc.

Mia Kate understands the concept of these teams and refers to them often. Case in point, we were looking at a picture of Brad and I on our wedding day. MK asked where she was and I responded "Oh you were just a twinkle in my eye." She responded "No Mom, I was a twinkle in dad's eye, because we both have brown, Jilli was a twinkle in your eye, because she is blue."

Junior Brad

Daily I see traits of my husband in my oldest child. This afternoon she revealed another, dedication and neatness to painting projects. Brad is painting our basement (my Christmas wish!) and Mia Kate was dying to help. During Jilli's nap he said she could use the roller if I helped, so we dressed in our finest paint smocks, grabbed a roller and began. She painted for 45 minutes straight before leaving for dance class, never complaining, or making a mess. I on the other hand was trying to move the drop clothe in la la land and "doo de doo" touched the wet wall. Who does that? Geniuses like me apparently.

Once home from dance she begged to paint again, this time alone with her dad. Jilli and I went down to check after she had been gone for another 45 minutes and there she was painting away. She told her dad that "This is more fun than coloring and painting with my little brushes." 45 minutes is good for me and a paint brush, it is the project completion that is my issue. Also, for the 2 minutes I was down there, Junior Staci did this.

Rock Chalk Blue turns to Johnson County Beige ;)
(FYI: Blue paint NEVER turns out like the paint swatch!)

The world's neatest painter, my husband.

His apprentice.


What's gonna work? Teamwork!

"I sleeping Momma."

Jillian Elizabeth 20 months


If my sister can do it, so can I!

Our sweet baby is not so much a baby anymore. Her vocabulary has exploded, yet again, combining several words. She has the same vocabulary Mia Kate had at this age, and daily amazes me with her words. Jillian loves to go ask her sister "Sissy? Come with us?" meaning if I go to the basement Jilli has to come with me and she wants her sister to as well. I also found her in her crib jumping like a monkey, when she was supposed to be napping, her response when I opened the door "I sleeping Momma, I sleeping."

Brad and I are so pleased with the girls' budding sister relationship. Having them 26 months apart at times was a challenge, but we always knew the day would come when they would play together. That time is now! They play together most of the time or just putter around the house. Meal times are interesting as they interact across the table, mostly in giggles.

Kidscape

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon alone with Mia Kate at the Johnson County Museum. Children's Mercy is sponsoring an exhibit called Kidscape, and it is fabulous. When we arrived we were the only ones there for about 45 minutes, allowing Mia Kate to explore each area. It has been really nice having Brad at home (nicer too that Brad accepted a job offer last week!) because I can take Mia Kate places during Jillian's nap. On Monday afternoon we did a little shopping, just the two of us. If you have children and live in this area, I completely recommend checking out this free exhibit. Here is the link with more information http://www.jocomuseum.org/kidscape.htm

I don't think so.....

This is what Jillian does when her sister is at preschool and her mom is changing the laundry.

Notice the pink rocking chair that she drug from her room to use as a ladder.

With a cherry on top!

Today the girls received THE CUTEST cupcake hats ever! My friend Alison is the knitting queen and gave these to the girls today. It has been a good 30 minutes now since they opened the gift and Mia is running around in hers while Jilli carries it in one hand and plays dollhouse in the other. Thanks Alison!

Shin Splints

I completely enjoyed my day substituting. It was really nice to see my old colleagues and so nice to start my day with morning prayer. As I watched kiddos play at recess it seemed as if I hadn't left. It was like I was some type of rockstar, "Mrs. Reuter!" my old students waved at me in the hall. Actually they do this when they see me in public or at church. Earlier this winter at Wal-Mart one saw me and after we passed Mia said "Mom, what was that all about?"

Anyways, my mind easily fit right back in, however my body did not. This is kind of funny, but honestly my shins are aching from standing all day long. I usually wear memory foam slippers all day padding around the house. Not a good idea to wear my cutest little zebra print flats on zero padded carpet all day. Poor me, just kidding!

This was an awesome sight when I got home...........

Yippee, my one load for the day, finished by Mr. Mom. He rocks, plus made dinner!

Ouchie

Last night I was helping Mia in her room with something when Jillian appears with what appeared to be an emergency. "Ouchie! Ouchie!" she protested as she was pointing to her leg. I had no idea what she was talking about, couldn't see any blood. She then turned and plopped her bottom in my lap and kept pointing insisting "Ouchie."

Um, it was not an ouchie, unless 90% of my body is covered in ouchies. Low and behold Jillian discovered her first freckle! One might think that after carrying them for nine (actually more like 9.5, neither were early let alone on time) months, let alone delivering them, they could get one of my better attributes. Last summer Mia Kate's nose was dusted with some angel kisses and now Jillian is sporting one on her leg.

Back to Jilli, we all kissed it like it was an ouchie, and then Mia whispered in my ear "Mom, that IS NOT going to go away like an ouchie, it is there forever." Yes honey, trust me, I know.

p.s. What else do you notice about Jillian's legs? ANKLES! Wahoo! No more cankles on this one!

Reality

Come Monday I get to substitute at my old stomping grounds while Brad becomes.....



Have fun honey!

Stace, you created it.

When I was teaching and taking Mia Kate to her sitter, my favorite thing to do was dress her up, matching bow, tights, shoes, the whole nine yards. Her fabulous sitter would return her to me, 3:20 in the school office, in mint condition, not a stain or wrinkle.

Flash forward.........

We have little battles with clothes already, and Brad walks by her room while saying the above statement. Under my breath multiple times I have uttered "I can't wait until you wear a uniform." We have a deal, I pick out her clothes for preschool, church, pictures, special occasions, and she gets everything else. Shhhh, don't tell her that sometimes I hide outfits that I KNOW she will pick, such as mini KU cheerleading outfits.

On Valentine's Day she is going to participate in our friend Alison's wedding, taking up the gifts, with her dad, Jillian, and I. She is SO excited and looks at her calendar daily talking about it. I found the girls really sweet little black and silver sparkly dresses. Out of the blue this afternoon she informed me about her shirt choice. The following statement is apparently what "I created."

Mom, for Alison's wedding I do not want to wear a black turtleneck under my dress or a shirt with a Peter Pan collar. It is a wedding and (clearing her throat for emphasis) you are supposed to be really dressy. Please Mom, I NEED to be dressy and sparkly.

What 3 year old knows what a Peter Pan collar is? She overheard me talking about it on the phone.

I have learned my lesson, on Monday Jillian wore pajamas all day, who needs to get dressed to go to Sonic? I took them off of her before bath and put her in a fresh pair for bed. Her sister, was dressed by 8:00, pink dress, matching bow, tights, shoes, the whole nine yards. Old habits die hard.

Candy Land Conversation

While playing Candy Land Mia Kate and I had this enlightening conversation......

MK: Let's stop, I don't want to play anymore (because she hadn't drawn Princess Frostine yet).

Me: We aren't quiting, Reuter's don't quit. If you say you are going to do something, do it.

MK: Jada quits (as in her imaginary friend).

Me: Sweetie, Jada is imaginary (we just recently broke this news to her).

MK: No she isn't, Mom, I can see her, you can't because she ALWAYS is playing hide and seek.

I love this child.

New Year's Resolution

One of my New Year's resolutions is to spend more quality time with Bradley. I always read about the importance of date nights, but we just never, ever do anything with just the two of us. Tonight was our first "date" night and it was great. We had 75 cent tacos and a ball game. My girls even went to bed very well for our dear sitter! :) Next week we are going to the dinner theatre compliments of a unused gift certificate from last Christmas, hooray!

Odd Years

Happy New Year!

Last summer as Brad and I were driving home from the lake we had a conversation about how big things happen to us in the winter/spring of odd years.

1999- We meet! (In the kitchen of my sorority, but really don't talk.)
2001-We graduate from KU!
2003-We get married!
2005-We welcome Mia Kate!
2007- We welcome Jillian Elizabeth!

Will the pattern continue? I am crossing my fingers and praying that our "big thing" is something good, but the way things are going now, not counting on anything special.
Wishing you and your loved ones a bright and happy New Year!