After bribing Eli with M&Ms (they work for everything) we finally convinced him to ride his bike. He did great. Riding a big boy bike is very different from riding a big wheel so he has to get used to not pushing backwards as he ends up putting on the brakes. And on his hot wheel the pedals are connected to the wheel so once he gets started the momentum keeps him going, but on the big boy bike he has to push quite hard to keep himself moving. But, as you can see, he's getting the hang of it already.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
The Blog Gets a New Look for 2008
As you may have noticed, I have been playing around with some of bloggers fine options. There is the great new picture of the kids, a list of links to places that we love to frequent, and a new poll. I changed the colors awhile back to Scarlet and Gray in honor of The OSU Buckeyes. It may change again, but give me some feedback.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I'm a little late at posting Christmas pics. but they're really not all that exciting. As I'm sure I've stated before, this was the first year that Dennis and I have not made it to North Dakota since we were married (a whole 5 years ago yesterday!). We greatly missed our families, but we did enjoy the peacefulness that comes with not traveling over the holidays. We ate Christmas Eve dinner before mass at 5:30 and opened presents as soon as we got home. We spent most of Christmas day in our pjs eating and playing and napping. It was splendid.
The kids got way too many presents which I guess is the American way. Eli got lots and lots of new games: Cariboo, Candyland Castle, Elefun, and Treasure Quest. He loves them all and wants to play them ALL THE TIME! Not that Dennis and I don't love games. It's just that Sadie is not quite ready for them so it ends up being a battle everytime. Sadie loves Elefun though. She just stands there, holding the net and laughing as the butterflies fly out of the elephants trunk, but she never catches any butterflies.
This was the year of the stuffed animal for Sadie. People must know how much I dislike stuffed animals. No, it's not that I don't like them, it's that I don't have the room for a gazillion stuffed animals. And now Sadie has about 50. Don't worry. We keep them caged in her crib and she sleeps on the floor.
Opening presents was a very serious job for Sadie. She really preferred playing in the paper and boxes.
Eli got the job of "gift opener" this year. He opened everyones presents and said, "Wow!", "That's nice." or "I like this." after opening every gift, even if it belonged to me or Dennis.
Santa Claus came and brougt Eli just what he asked for for Christmas-- a big boy bike. So, why isn't Eli sitting on the bike in this picture? Because, Eli will have nothing to do with the bike. He tells everyone he got a big boy bike and how much he likes it, but that's about as far as it goes.
Santa brought Sadie this way cool retro-kitchen. (Notice the stuffed animals falling out of the toy box in the background.)
The kids got way too many presents which I guess is the American way. Eli got lots and lots of new games: Cariboo, Candyland Castle, Elefun, and Treasure Quest. He loves them all and wants to play them ALL THE TIME! Not that Dennis and I don't love games. It's just that Sadie is not quite ready for them so it ends up being a battle everytime. Sadie loves Elefun though. She just stands there, holding the net and laughing as the butterflies fly out of the elephants trunk, but she never catches any butterflies.
This was the year of the stuffed animal for Sadie. People must know how much I dislike stuffed animals. No, it's not that I don't like them, it's that I don't have the room for a gazillion stuffed animals. And now Sadie has about 50. Don't worry. We keep them caged in her crib and she sleeps on the floor.
Opening presents was a very serious job for Sadie. She really preferred playing in the paper and boxes.
Eli got the job of "gift opener" this year. He opened everyones presents and said, "Wow!", "That's nice." or "I like this." after opening every gift, even if it belonged to me or Dennis.
Santa Claus came and brougt Eli just what he asked for for Christmas-- a big boy bike. So, why isn't Eli sitting on the bike in this picture? Because, Eli will have nothing to do with the bike. He tells everyone he got a big boy bike and how much he likes it, but that's about as far as it goes.
Santa brought Sadie this way cool retro-kitchen. (Notice the stuffed animals falling out of the toy box in the background.)
"Don't send anymore stuffed animals. I have enough."
Sunday, December 23, 2007
How To Make Cookies From A Kid's Perspecitve
It was one of those days that if I didn't find something to do I was going to go crazy. Eli and I had a bit of an argument over him pushing Sadie and to make the day better, I suggested to Eli that we make cookies. He said that he wanted to eat cookies and I had to tell him that it would be awhile before we got to the eating part, but it would be fun!
Here's how Eli makes cookies (from his point of view):
1. Go to the internet and pick out a recipe. Have your mom get all the ingredients together. Put on your apron and wait patiently while she measures out the ingredients so you can pour them into the bowl. Then, whenever you want turn the mixer on and off and change the speed to whatever you want. It is really fun to put it on high right after your mom adds the flour! Make your sister sit and watch telling her "No touch" the whole time.
2. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, put it in the fridge to chill, eat lunch and take a nap while dough chills.
3. Roll the dough out. Do not let your sister help. She might eat all of the dough.
4. Cut out the cookies using your favorite cookie cutters. Let your sister make ONE, but only with the cookie cutter that you don't like very much.
**We put sprinkles on our cookies before we baked them. Sprinkles are pretty boring, but mom didn't have any powdered sugar to make frosting which would have meant a trip to the store which normally wouldn't be a big deal as it's only a couple of blocks away, but dad was working and had the car which houses the double stroller in it's trunk. Mom just didn't feel like carrying me and Sadie and powdered sugar for 3 blocks especially when the wind is blowing at 50 miles an hour. AND she tells me that frosting is really messy (I love messes) and that no one really likes cookies with frosting on them anyways (I have other opinions.) I tell you, that woman is just plain old lazy!
5. Then you put them in the oven to bake. The hardest part is waiting for the cookies to cool off so you can eat them. It takes practically forever.
6. Eat them with a glass a milk. They're delicious.
Here's how Eli makes cookies (from his point of view):
1. Go to the internet and pick out a recipe. Have your mom get all the ingredients together. Put on your apron and wait patiently while she measures out the ingredients so you can pour them into the bowl. Then, whenever you want turn the mixer on and off and change the speed to whatever you want. It is really fun to put it on high right after your mom adds the flour! Make your sister sit and watch telling her "No touch" the whole time.
2. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, put it in the fridge to chill, eat lunch and take a nap while dough chills.
3. Roll the dough out. Do not let your sister help. She might eat all of the dough.
4. Cut out the cookies using your favorite cookie cutters. Let your sister make ONE, but only with the cookie cutter that you don't like very much.
**We put sprinkles on our cookies before we baked them. Sprinkles are pretty boring, but mom didn't have any powdered sugar to make frosting which would have meant a trip to the store which normally wouldn't be a big deal as it's only a couple of blocks away, but dad was working and had the car which houses the double stroller in it's trunk. Mom just didn't feel like carrying me and Sadie and powdered sugar for 3 blocks especially when the wind is blowing at 50 miles an hour. AND she tells me that frosting is really messy (I love messes) and that no one really likes cookies with frosting on them anyways (I have other opinions.) I tell you, that woman is just plain old lazy!
5. Then you put them in the oven to bake. The hardest part is waiting for the cookies to cool off so you can eat them. It takes practically forever.
6. Eat them with a glass a milk. They're delicious.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
My House Is A Mess and A Bonnet
I LOVE having a clean house that has everything picked up and is clutter free. It makes me happy. I sleep better, I am more comfortable, and I breathe easier. With that being said my house, since having kids, usually looks like this:
And this:
And this:
It drives me crazy. Want to come visit? (OK, I started cleaning up right after I took the picture because I can hardly stand it. I would say I pick up about 300 times a day...)
I've been working on this bonnet for weeks. Not that it was hard, but Christmas crafts came up and then my sewing machine was being fixed for another 3 weeks and then I had to bake and blah, blah, blah... I love it. Sadie hates it. Whatever.
Even Eli wanted to wear it. Check out this outfit. Eli picked it out. It's part of his "Big Boy" phase. You know, the I-don't-wear-diapers-I-sleep-in-a-big-boy-bed-I-can-dress-myself phase. I think he thought it matched. The shirt and pants are both green and both have stripes. Like father, like son.
And this:
And this:
It drives me crazy. Want to come visit? (OK, I started cleaning up right after I took the picture because I can hardly stand it. I would say I pick up about 300 times a day...)
I've been working on this bonnet for weeks. Not that it was hard, but Christmas crafts came up and then my sewing machine was being fixed for another 3 weeks and then I had to bake and blah, blah, blah... I love it. Sadie hates it. Whatever.
Even Eli wanted to wear it. Check out this outfit. Eli picked it out. It's part of his "Big Boy" phase. You know, the I-don't-wear-diapers-I-sleep-in-a-big-boy-bed-I-can-dress-myself phase. I think he thought it matched. The shirt and pants are both green and both have stripes. Like father, like son.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Random...
Here are some random pictures from the past week.
Sadie: It's what's for dinner.
Getting rides in the laundry basket.
Our first snow of the season. (Sadie really really does not like the snow!)
Sadie: It's what's for dinner.
Getting rides in the laundry basket.
Our first snow of the season. (Sadie really really does not like the snow!)
Eli talking to Grandma.
Some other things that were not photographed this week: Eli peeing on the big boy potty instead of the potty chair (yea!) and a true test of Eli's potty skills as we traveled to Pittsburgh and Eli had NO ACCIDENTS the whole trip--not even in the car on the way (yea, yea, yea!!!). Me going completely insane with two crazy kids at the library. Sadie just could not stop pulling everything off the shelves or pulling the names out of the reserved books, and kicking her boots off every second and me carrying a baby, 2 bags, 3 coats, and a whole lot of books (at the time, I swore I was never going to the library again.). A trip to the doctor for Sadie's sinus infection and oozy eyes. Dennis and I going on a date for the first time in a long long time to see John Prine and getting lost a gazillion times in Pittsburgh (I tell you, that city does not have one straight street.). Eli telling Santa that he wanted a bike for Christmas, but refusing to sit on his lap for any length of time. AND one third year pharmacy student (and his wife and kids) checking off yet another finals week!! Bring on Christmas Vacation.
Some other things that were not photographed this week: Eli peeing on the big boy potty instead of the potty chair (yea!) and a true test of Eli's potty skills as we traveled to Pittsburgh and Eli had NO ACCIDENTS the whole trip--not even in the car on the way (yea, yea, yea!!!). Me going completely insane with two crazy kids at the library. Sadie just could not stop pulling everything off the shelves or pulling the names out of the reserved books, and kicking her boots off every second and me carrying a baby, 2 bags, 3 coats, and a whole lot of books (at the time, I swore I was never going to the library again.). A trip to the doctor for Sadie's sinus infection and oozy eyes. Dennis and I going on a date for the first time in a long long time to see John Prine and getting lost a gazillion times in Pittsburgh (I tell you, that city does not have one straight street.). Eli telling Santa that he wanted a bike for Christmas, but refusing to sit on his lap for any length of time. AND one third year pharmacy student (and his wife and kids) checking off yet another finals week!! Bring on Christmas Vacation.
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