The Ryan Family

Christmas jammies

2012-01-13T18:46:00.000-06:00

Every year I buy them matching Christmas pajamas that they get to open on the first day of December. It only took me until January 5th to get a picture of both of them in their pj's by our tree (and yes, our tree is still up, perhaps this weekend I will get a chance to get everything put away!).

Two random pics

2012-01-13T18:37:00.000-06:00

Jack is becoming a great reader, and although I know that he would rather be doing math instead of reading a book, it warms my heart when I see this...

And Elizabeth decided her locker is her new favorite spot to sit and play on my ipad

my life these days....

2012-01-11T19:15:00.001-06:00

My life lately has been spent working on the silent auction and other planning for the Family Fun Night at Jack's school on February 10th. The basket above is the donation from Green Bay Oncology. Yes, no one wants a donation of cancer treatment but maybe something to Pamper Their Pooch will work instead!?

Also, we have tried to enjoy some of the unseasonably warm weather. I am getting a lot of runs in outside although my kids wish they were sledding instead of doing this

August

2011-09-28T21:14:00.000-05:00

Well, we are approaching the end of September and I have yet to post August pictures! Some day I will get organized enough to get back to the day-to-day updates. For now, I guess August and September will be a mass of pictures!

August went by too fast due in part to our vacation to Door County, a weekend in Chicago with friends, hosting my nieces for a week, and preparing for back-to-school. Here are a few pictures I captured over the month.

My little mama sporting her swim goggles

So proud that he finally captured a Monarch butterfly

Fun at Lego Land in Chicago

Jack built a truck out of his blocks...even equipped with a jump rope seat belt!

Space for Elizabeth to ride in the back!

So much fun with a gift bag. I am not crazy about the guns they made out of blocks but they were being my protectors and finding bad guys.

He was teaching her how to play checkers. Might be my favorite picture of the month!

Birthday love for Misha on her 9th birthday

A special bone for the best doggie ever on her 9th birthday

Jack and his friend Alex at Lego Land

A perfect rainbow from end to end-so big I couldn't capture it all in one picture. What a beautiful sight!

July

2011-09-15T21:10:00.000-05:00

She wanted Misha to read to her!

First tooth fairy visit!

Spent most Monday and Wednesday night at the soccer field. He made more goals than I could count over the season. So proud of his determination!

Kayaking in Door County

They could have spent all day every day at the beach!

I think I chose the hottest day in July for us to go strawberry picking. How can you resist a little girl with strawberry juice dripping down her chin and arms? And yes, I did dress them both in red since I had a scrapbook page already done for these pictures! I made my first batch of jam with the berries we picked. 19 jars total!

Playing in their little pool...some day they will have a real one to spend all day in!

Happy 4th! It was so nice to be at home this year!

Keeping mommy cool by washing my feet!

Misha the water dog! We can't keep her out of the water.

Making pesto with daddy!


I made cornstarch paint for Elizabeth. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be but definitely easier to clean up than normal paint!

We love our new patio and fire pit!

The best thing about having a fire--Smores!

She definitely takes after her mama---a true animal lover!

Back!

2011-09-13T22:16:00.000-05:00

Well, summer is over and a new year of school has started and FINALLY my computer is back up and running. I thought I would do a quick highlight of our summer starting with the month of June.

Last day of Kindergarten! Let the summer fun begin!

Little Gym graduation. We are so sad it is closed now.

She decided she wanted "boy" hair and so we said good bye to her long hair.

Spent a day at "The Farm" in Door County. Elizabeth loved feeding the goats, pigs, cows, ducks and cuddling the kittens. Jack's favorite was climbing the tractor with his friend Joey.

Playing dress up!

Roses from my love to celebrate 11 years of marriage. We spent 4 days in Las Vegas at the end of June without kids. Sun, pool and sleep=Heaven!!!

Will update July and August in the next few days. And then I'll be caught up!

Computer

2011-07-06T08:09:00.000-05:00

My hard drive crashed on our desk top a few weeks ago so please be patient while we get a new computer and I get pictures re-loaded. Thankfully, I think I only lost a minimal amount of photos because of our external hard drive, Shutterfly, and the fact that my memory card on my camera is so huge that I hadn't deleted photos in a few months! This has been a pain but a learning process to back up OFTEN! I have a lot of photos to update so will be back as soon as my computer is running again!

Proof?

2011-04-21T11:50:00.001-05:00

Is this picture proof that maybe they really do like each other despite the (almost) constant fighting between them? I guess I just need to savor these moments when they happen!

Bath picture

2011-04-21T11:45:00.000-05:00

Recently I was looking through our photo albums of Elizabeth and I realized I had very few bath time pictures of her. I guess now bath time is more of a dreaded routine for me than the fun time it should be. The other night I was able to snap a few pictures of Elizabeth after her shower (I've been resorting to showers when Matt isn't home to help since it is so much easier!).

Science Fair

2011-04-19T20:20:00.000-05:00

Jack participated in the science fair at his school at the end of March. It was so fun to do his project with him and to teach him more about the scientific method. There were only 28 students that participated in the fair but all the projects were wonderful! I'm so glad there is a science fair for him to participate in and am so thankful for the parent volunteers who put on the fair. Can you tell Jack's mommy is a scientist? I couldn't let him go with a poster that didn't include materials and methods (Matt was laughing at me when I was typing up the power point presentation!).
It was a great experience for Jack and he explained his project very well. He is already thinking about his project for next year's fair!

Snow

2011-04-19T20:04:00.000-05:00

This is the view out our front door a few hours ago and this is why I am beginning to absolutely HATE Spring in Green Bay! Seriously, 10 inches of snow on April 19th? Mother Nature really must be mad! It was a mad dash this morning to get boots and snow pants back in the school bags. At least I was smart enough not to wash them yet!

Dance

2011-04-19T19:57:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth has been taking a movement class for the last couple of months and LOVES it. Each Wednesday morning she out of bed and dressed in her dance outfit before I am even out of the shower and then asks for the next two hours (or so) "if it is time to go to dance class yet". Last week was picture day so I had a chance to bring my camera into the studio and snap a few pictures of her. I'm so glad she has found something she is so excited to do.

January and early February highlights

2011-02-12T13:56:00.000-06:00

Jack was excited when he saw these deer out our front door the other day. In total, there were 7 and they ended up crossing the street and hanging out in our empty lot. I am hoping they found the pumpkins we put out there for them to eat and not my landscaping!

She loves to help me vacuum!

I spent most of December and January preparing for an author to visit Jack's school. Barbara Techel, author of Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog, and her dog, Frankie, gave a presentation at the end of January to the entire school. A local Starbucks graciously donated hot cocoa for all the kids to enjoy. The afternoon was a big hit for the students and was worth all the hours I spent preparing for it.

Elizabeth modeling her new hat

I found this puzzle at Barnes and Noble and knew that it would be perfect for my family to attempt at our Christmas gathering over New Year's. It is a 2000 piece puzzle of one of the villages comprising the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. It was part of our Italian tour in September and we spent a day cruising in and out of each village. It was absolutely beautiful and I hope to take Matt there in the future. I knew when I saw the puzzle that we had to attempt it. After working on it over New Year's with my family, Matt and I spent countless hours in January working on it and finally finished it the night before the Super Bowl (we needed the kitchen table for our party!).This picture was taken in early January, a few days after we started the puzzle.

Jack and Elizabeth have fun playing dress up with the fun accessories in the suitcase that Elizabeth got from Grandma Ryan for Christmas. I know that I can use these pictures to black mail Jack when he's a teenager!!

She had been begging me all morning to paint so I moved her easel into my scrapbook room and let her create. She lasted an HOUR. Yes, an entire hour she painted and was just thrilled with each creation she made.

Best way to keep her happy and entertained---giver her a bunch of stickers!

Jack was the Star Student of his kindergarten class this past week. Yesterday, Matt, Elizabeth and I went to watch the Star in action. It was cute watching him make decisions for his class, like who got to be dismissed first, etc. Jack wanted Matt to share his doctor "tools" with the class and I read a book and told them about my old life as a scientist (new life as mommy is probably not as exciting!). Here is our Star in front of the star student board.

Picture of mommy

2011-02-10T20:11:00.000-06:00

I went downstairs a few days ago and saw this picture on the easel. I figured Jack drew it but when I asked him he said it was Elizabeth. When I asked Elizabeth who it was she said "it's a picture of you, mommy". Love it! There are two arms if you look closely, one just got attacked by the eraser. And for the record, this is probably how good I can draw a person!

Super Bowl

2011-02-08T11:15:00.000-06:00

Living in Green Bay we can't help but be excited about the big Packer Super Bowl victory. The town is crazy, roads are blocked off for the parade and the celebration at Lambeau, and schools in Green Bay are canceled today (Jack has school since we aren't in the GB district).

Here are our two Packer fans celebrating (this is actually the picture taken after the Packers beat the Bears to go to the Super Bowl since Elizabeth was sick and fell asleep by halftime of the big game). We had a party so Jack stayed up to watch. My favorite quote from Matt "Jack, you need to sit down and watch the end of this since you never know when it will happen again. I've waited my whole life and never have seen my team win the Super Bowl." Jack doesn't realize how lucky he is....

Some of the goodies we served at our party (Thanks Caitlin!)

Three....

2010-11-29T23:13:00.000-06:00

We celebrated her third birthday today. I can't believe my baby girl is three already. Where really did the time go? In between the sleepless nights and all the craziness of the past few years she turned into a beautiful little girl. I always am sad when my little ones have a birthday but I am so looking forward to this next year with three-year-old Elizabeth.

Elizabeth at age 3:
Loves Tinkerbell, playing dress up, having her nails painted, wearing lip gloss, building with blocks, coloring, riding her bike, and playing mama to all her baby dolls. She claims her favorite color is pink but she always chooses blue when given the choice (m&m's and her drinking cups). Loves blueberries, yogurt and suckers. She is very particular and has to have her blanket wrapped around her pillow perfectly at bedtime. Her bed is filled with her "treasures". She adores her daddy, her brother, and her dog. Her favorite friend is Ayla. She is so compassionate and is always the first to give a kiss if you are hurt and countless times a day she comes up to me just to give me a kiss and hug. She is always concerned about her daddy and wants to make sure he "turns his lights on at dark and wears his white doctor coat". She is often the first awake in our house and always crawls into bed with me to snuggle. She is so stubborn and could outlast anyone in that category! She is the sweetest little girl and I'm so blessed that she's my "sassy cat".

"Enough with the pictures!!"

Frankenstein

2010-11-13T22:53:00.000-06:00

After we went trick or treating, the kids had fun opening their box of creepy crawly things that they received from Frankenstein (thanks Grandma Ryan...they love them all!!)

Tinkerbell and Peter Pan

2010-11-13T22:38:00.000-06:00

When I asked Elizabeth what she wanted to be for Halloween she instantly knew she wanted to be Tinkerbell. I thought it would be cute if Jack was Peter Pan and he reluctantly agreed (he was thinking Spiderman or Buzz Light Year) UNTIL he found out his costume came with a sword AND a bow and arrow set. Boy, was he excited to be Peter Pan after he found that out!

Some photos from Halloween of the cutest Tinkerbell and Peter Pan ever!

Had to get a shot of her wings


Can you see her shoes? They were at least a size too big but she was a trooper and kept them on the whole night.She is getting her practice for when she is older and has to wear uncomfortable shoes all day!!!

Pumpkins

2010-11-08T14:19:00.000-06:00

I spent a weekend with a good friend a few weeks ago so while I was gone Matt and the kids carved pumpkins. I think they had fun...

Girly Girl

2010-11-08T14:10:00.000-06:00

Elizabeth found her tutu in her closet a few weeks ago...she is such a girlie girl. She loves pretty princess dresses, her tutu, and of course she has to have her nails painted and her lip gloss on!

Leaves

2010-11-08T14:05:00.000-06:00

Jack was so excited to rake the leaves in our yard (this is the biggest pile we could get since we don't have too many trees yet!). The kids loved running and jumping in the little pile. The simple joys of fall!

Enjoying the sun

2010-11-08T13:50:00.000-06:00

It is a beautiful fall day here today. Elizabeth and I spent the morning outside on the swing set and then took Misha on a long walk. I know these nice fall days are limited so I am glad we got to enjoy today!

My conversation this morning

2010-10-11T07:43:00.001-05:00

At breakfast this morning Elizabeth asked me what was wrong. I replied "I'm tired." She said "No you're not, you just had a long nap last night."

Her new "golf" hat

2010-10-07T11:22:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth and I went shopping yesterday at Gymboree and she fell in love with this "golf hat" (her words). After seeing it on her, there was no way I could leave the store without buying it for her. I even had to buy a few new outfits to match her hat. Sometimes having a girl can get expensive!!!

Home...

2010-09-30T22:14:00.000-05:00

After 9 days away, it was so nice to see this smiling face

And to come home to these beautiful roses that Jack bought me. How I missed my loves! Will post some pictures soon of my trip, still fighting jet lag!

Another favorite

2010-08-31T22:35:00.000-05:00

We went to Rochester for my sister's surprise birthday party this past weekend. Elizabeth discovered another new favorite thing, chocolate covered strawberries. I guess no one can resist giving a cute girl in pigtails chocolate!

Ready?

2010-08-31T22:22:00.001-05:00

We have taken the supplies to school. He has a new back pack and lunch box. We met his teacher and he knows where his classroom is and what bus to ride. I know he is ready for kindergarten. But, is this mama ready for her baby to be gone all day? 8 hours is such a long time. I am going to miss all his questions, miss hearing "Hey Mommy" 1000 times a day, miss the random hugs and kisses and hearing "you rock mommy" when I do something totally cool, and I will definitely miss my favorite checkers partner. 5 years seems like such a long time when they are tiny babies. In reality, it goes by all too fast. Sure, I am excited for him to go and I can't wait to hear about his days, his new friends, and all he has learned. I am just not sure I am ready to watch the yellow bus take my first born to school in the morning. I know I will be standing at the curb wiping the tears as the bus leaves my sight. If the last 5 years have gone this fast then surely the next 12 will go even faster, and then I will be wiping the tears as I send him off to college.

The lone Packer fan

2010-08-31T22:04:00.000-05:00

He is the only one in our family that is a true Packer fan. We surprised him on Thursday night with tickets to the Packers/Colts game. He went with Matt and had a great time. At least he won't get picked on in school for not wearing green!

Sand table

2010-08-18T14:48:00.000-05:00

She loves playing in the sand (and her momma hates to clean it up!)

Blocks

2010-08-18T14:41:00.000-05:00

He can spend hours building and is always thinking of new things to build with his blocks. Here are a few of the creations he has made this summer...

A Battleship

His fleet of fighter planes

Finger painting

2010-08-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

In an effort to get more organized for the start of school in two weeks, I am going to be slowly adding some pictures that I have taken over the summer in the next few blog posts. This first set of pictures was taken at the beginning of August. I wanted to give the kids a chance to do some finger painting since I had been saving some large pieces of cardboard specifically for this purpose. Thank goodness for washable paint (although we did do this outside so I wouldn't have to clean paint off every inch of the kitchen island!)

Check out my dirty hands!

Nothing is better than a drink from the hose!

Cooling off!

Learning to Read

2010-08-16T19:58:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine recommended the Bob series of books to help Jack learn how to read. We have already gone through the first four books in the series and I am very impressed with his progress. I see his confidence grow as he reads each page and he gets so excited when he can read the whole book without any help from myself or Matt.

Her new favorite food

2010-08-09T18:24:00.001-05:00

Cooling Off

2010-08-08T20:34:00.000-05:00

Thanks Grandma Ryan, we love our frog pool! It is a great place to cool off on hot days. Today, Jack and Elizabeth (and Misha) spent most of the day playing in their pool.

Our deck...finally!

2010-08-08T20:23:00.000-05:00

Our deck is finally done. What was supposed to be a 3 week project turned into an 8 or 9 week project because of the record amount of rain we received this summer and a few other things beyond our control (the treated wood frame had to be torn out because it was sagging). All is good now and we are enjoying this beauty.....and let me tell you, it was worth the wait! I absolutely LOVE it!

Random Pic

2010-08-07T21:48:00.000-05:00

Just a picture I snapped of our sassy Elizabeth the other day...

Robot

2010-08-07T21:14:00.000-05:00

I found a neat art studio for kids that offers a variety of summer classes. Looking at the class offerings, I knew I had to sign Jack up for the class "building a robot out of recyclable material" since he can spend hours a day building robots with his blocks. When I dropped him off for the two hour class, I stayed a few minute to make sure he was comfortable and would be fine alone. Miss Donna, his teacher, told him to start thinking about his robot and to look through her bins and piles of recyclables for items he wanted to use. The first two things he grabbed was two metal cans which he immediately knew he wanted to use as ears. I could just see his wheels turning as he thought of the robot and he was so excited to look through everything and decide what he wanted to use. When I came back at the end of class and he showed me his robot, I almost cried. I was amazed that what he envisioned out of all the garbage/recyclables that I would consider "useless" was this....

You probably can't tell from the picture, but the "legs" are the springs from a mattress and the "feet" are the inserts to a pair of shoes. The other item that really amazed me was that the "hair" is the fruit/vegetable sack. He decided what he wanted to use and where to put the items and Miss Donna used her glue gun and a lot of tape to get them to stay. The robot is standing proud in the corner of Jack's room. I smile every time I walk into his room and see what he created.

A trip to the ER

2010-07-29T18:38:00.000-05:00

Our first trip to the ER with a kid...Matt always said it would be Elizabeth that would be the cause of the first trip and he was right. This morning, while on vacation in Door County, she threw a tantrum for some reason unknown to us (her breakfast cereal that she poured was somehow not satisfactory) and she threw herself back and her chair flipped over. She hit the back of her head on the wall and somehow cut her chin (probably on the chair). We took her down to Sturgeon Bay to the ER and luckily she didn't need stitches; the doc was able to glue her chin together. She was so brave, didn't even cry in the ER. I rewarded her bravery with a couple of M&M's (the only thing in my purse at the time). Not sure I should have rewarded the result of a tantrum but had to reward her bravery. Hoping for no more ER visits in the future. This mama doesn't do well in that situation!

One of the best parts of summer....

2010-07-06T21:08:00.000-05:00

is enjoying a piece of this....

My mom's homemade raspberry pie, made with berries from their backyard patch. Even Jack found a new dessert favorite!

Came home from vacation to see this

2010-07-06T14:02:00.000-05:00

They are making progress on our deck. After three summers of having no outdoor escape, we are ready to enjoy it!

From 4 wheels to 2

2010-06-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

We took the training wheels off Jack's bike today and with just a little help from daddy he successfully went from 4 wheels to 2 wheels. We had him riding on the driveway and then on the grass in case he fell. I need to buy some knee pads and then he is probably ready for the street. I am so proud of him!

Slippy Slide

2010-06-20T21:40:00.000-05:00

The seemingly unending days of rain finally stopped and we have now been enjoying some beautiful weather. Elizabeth was so excited yesterday to get on her swim suit and play on the "slippy slide" (her words). We are loving summer and hope this beautiful weather stays!

Last day of school picture

2010-06-20T21:31:00.000-05:00

Jack's last day of 4K was on June 3 and I am just getting around to posting his last day of school picture. I am not sure how the last few weeks have flown by so fast! He had a great year in school, he learned so much and I can't believe how much he grew and matured.

Bed?

2010-06-20T21:24:00.000-05:00

She really does have a bed she just prefers to fall asleep on the stairs after she sneaks out of her room. It was cute the first couple of times we found her, now, we have had to take drastic measures to keep her in her room so no more stair sleeping.

Visiting Zuri and Hodari

2010-05-23T19:51:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures from our first trip to the zoo this spring to feed our favorite giraffes, Zuri and Hodari. These pictures are a few weeks old which is why the kids are wearing jackets. Today, it was almost 90 degrees here! If you are wondering what Jack is holding it is a project that my nephew Max sent us for a couple of weeks. It is Flat Max based on the book Flat Stanley. We showed Flat Max our favorite places in the area and took pictures of each thing we did. I combined everything into a book and then sent it back to my nephew and his kindergarten class in Rochester. It was so fun and Jack and Elizabeth would fight over who got to hold Max for each picture.

My loves

2010-05-23T19:35:00.000-05:00

No more untied shoes

2010-05-23T18:23:00.000-05:00

Jack has successfully learned how to tie his shoes by himself. We've been practicing for awhile so he would be able do it by the time he started kindergarten so he wouldn't have to wear velcro shoes to school. I told him that he would run a lot faster in shoes with laces instead of velcro. He finally figured out how to put the steps together a couple of weeks ago. I admit, it is a bittersweet milestone for me. After tying his shoes for years, it is nice to just tell him to get his shoes on when needed; however, it is also another reminder that my little guy is growing up so quickly.

While waiting for Jack's bus this afternoon...

2010-05-10T19:42:00.039-05:00

She hung out in her favorite spot

She learned how to blow bubbles She showed me her pouting face

and her goofiest grin

Take the time to stop and smell the flowers

2010-05-06T21:09:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed an afternoon at the botanical garden last week and these pictures of Elizabeth and Jack reminded me how important it is to take the time to stop and smell the flowers. More pictures to come!

Good friends

2010-05-05T22:13:00.000-05:00

Love this picture of Elizabeth and her friend Ayla. They are such good friends and always have so much fun when they are together. Elizabeth always asks me "when is Ayla coming to play?" and we also think that Ayla has a small crush on a certain 5 year old boy that lives in our house.

No more pictures!

2010-05-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

Is this a sign that I took too many pictures of him when we were at the botanical garden last week?

Sunday Snapshot

2010-04-25T17:03:00.000-05:00

What a weekend! We are all sick, Matt is on call, and we have been stuck inside since Friday because of the rain. At least the powdered donuts we had as a special breakfast made one of us feel a little better :)

Happy 5th Birthday Jack!

2010-03-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

Five years old. I can not believe that my little baby boy is now five. I've been in denial the past few weeks and even, at times, have resorted to begging Jack not to turn five (just kidding him, of course). One morning, while cuddling in bed, he promised me that he will still give me hugs, kisses and lots of cuddles when he is five. I guess that makes it easier on momma! Jack, however, was so excited to turn five and has been planning how he wanted to spend his birthday for the past few weeks.

We started celebrating on Saturday with a small party at The Little Gym. Jack and his friends had a great time running around the gym, playing games and jumping on the air track.

Matt is on vacation this week so Jack enjoyed having a "daddy day" birthday. We let Jack decide the menu for all the meals today. For breakfast, he wanted egg pizza and for lunch he wanted to go to Curly's at Lambeau Field and have lunch and play games. He enjoyed his first bottle of root beer at lunch and was on a sugar high the rest of the afternoon! For supper, he requested meat pizza (he is quite the pizza lover!) and to once again drink out of a coconut. We enjoyed ice cream sundaes for dessert since we had cake on Saturday.

Of course, the highlight of his day was opening presents and he received a lot of fun gifts. He told me that today was his best birthday EVER! Happy birthday buddy we love you to the moon and back!

"It's amazing mommy!"

2010-03-28T20:04:00.003-05:00

When Jack saw this on Thursday in our back yard his first words were "It's amazing mommy!". I don't know who is more excited about our splurge, the kids or myself. I am envisioning many days spent reading a book on the picnic table under the play system while the kids play and even better, I am envisioning many picnics on the picnic table so I don't have to do dishes and clean the kitchen after lunch!

Ready to ship?

2010-03-28T19:59:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when two curious two year olds find the priority mail stickers.....(I apologize, I forgot to rotate the pictures and I am too lazy tonight to re-upload them to blogger!).

Shoes

2010-03-28T19:53:00.004-05:00

I love how she can now put her shoes on by herself; it is even cuter when she puts them on the wrong feet.

Snapshots of Jack

2010-03-28T18:32:00.010-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Jack from the past few months. Since he was busy going to school each morning, our afternoons were filled with classes at The Little Gym (he loves his new karate class), playing in the snow (he perfected the art of making a snow angel), helping me make (and eat) cookies, practicing writing his letters and words, building every imaginable boat, rocket, missile launcher and castle with his blocks, playing pirate with Elizabeth, and doing various art projects on days it was too cold to go outside. He is probably the happiest out of all of us that Spring has arrived so he can ride is bike around the circle again and is anxiously awaiting the day we take of his training wheels.

One more

2010-03-28T18:05:00.003-05:00

Missed this picture in my previous post...it's one of my favorites so I wanted to make sure to share it.

Snapshots of Elizabeth

2010-03-28T15:35:00.015-05:00

I'm back....here are a few pictures of Elizabeth from the past few months. We have had a lot of fun playing in the snow, doing art projects, playing pirate, cooking and just being silly (and oh so sassy!). After successfully crawling out of her crib and finding her momma in the morning and during nap time, Elizabeth has graduated from her crib to her big girl bed and is sleeping so much better at night. We are happy Spring has finally arrived and with it, the warmer temps and longer days mean we can spend more time outside.

Thoughts from a 4-1/2 year old

2010-01-28T12:58:00.003-06:00

Here are a couple of things Jack said today and last week that I didn't want to forget. I will be back soon with more picture updates. My free time the past few weeks has been filled with planning and organizing a few projects we are starting in the house and so updates have by necessity taken the back burner.

"Mommy, I know why ants are so small; it is their protection from dinosaurs. Since ants are so little big dinosaurs can't see them to eat them.".

Also, recently I told him that he was growing up too quickly and could he please stop growing. He said "no mommy, I want to grow up so I can be the boss and not have to listen. It's too hard to have to listen all the time."

More pictures

2010-01-11T15:49:00.003-06:00

Just a couple more pictures of my cuties....I love these two!

Reading

2010-01-11T15:30:00.004-06:00

She didn't know I was watching her...I love how the book is upside down and she is wearing Jack's robe.

Washable markers

2010-01-11T12:04:00.001-06:00

I was on the phone this morning scheduling an appointment with the electrician and turned around to this....thank god for washable markers!

Sunglasses

2010-01-04T19:22:00.004-06:00

Two pairs of sunglasses and so much silliness.

GO CLONES!

2009-12-31T13:13:00.004-06:00

We are ready to watch Iowa State in the insight.com bowl game tonight and will be cheering our cyclones on to a victory. Thanks Grandma Ryan, we love our new ISU sweatshirts!

Love it when...

2009-12-29T16:55:00.004-06:00

I love it when they snuggle so nicely together and watch a Disney movie so I can make dinner.

Decorating the tree

2009-12-09T15:25:00.004-06:00

A few pictures from the night we decorated our Christmas tree.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

2009-12-09T15:08:00.003-06:00

My dear friend Caitlin spent Saturday afternoon decorating our house (she loves to do that kind of stuff and is so talented). Our house looks so festive now and smells like fresh evergreen. I love it!
Here are a few pictures of what she did in our Hearth room.

Hot cocoa

2009-12-09T15:00:00.003-06:00

Jack and Elizabeth were outside with Matt on Sunday afternoon hanging lights on my Christmas trees by the front porch. They sure enjoyed the hot cocoa I had waiting for them when they came inside. It was Elizabeth's first taste of hot cocoa and she loved it!

Winter wonderland

2009-12-09T08:21:00.005-06:00

Winter has finally arrived in Green Bay. So far at least a foot of snow has fallen, with up to 6 more inches today. We are under a blizzard warning since the winds are supposed to be around 45mph. This is the view out our front door this morning. I always think the first snow of the year is beautiful so I always take a picture, but by tomorrow I will be sick of the white stuff!

One more

2009-12-02T22:04:00.002-06:00

Just one more cute picture of my little sweeties since it is so rare to get them to smile together. This was taken on Elizabeth's second birthday on Sunday. I have a lot more birthday pictures to add but my bed is calling my name tonight!

So very thankful

2009-12-02T21:38:00.003-06:00

So very thankful for these two...

Peek-a- boo

2009-11-23T15:49:00.003-06:00

Is there anything cuter than a little girl playing peek-a-boo by herself? I think not.

Dinosaurs

2009-11-23T15:41:00.003-06:00

Matt and Jack were busy building with blocks this weekend. Here is one of their projects, a mommy and two baby dinosaurs. Later there were two more baby dinosaurs to add to the family, I missed getting the picture before they were destroyed.

Better off without a shirt

2009-11-23T14:52:00.005-06:00

Elizabeth refused to let me help her to put on her shirt after lunch. After numerous tries, she finally decided it was more fun to run around without it (I wonder if she will think the same thing when it is -30 out!).

Terrible 2's

2009-11-23T14:48:00.003-06:00

Can you tell from this picture that we are going through the terrible 2's?! Actually, Elizabeth is a delight most of the time with the exception of the no's and the tantrums when she doesn't get her way.

Lazy Friday

2009-11-23T14:26:00.003-06:00

We love Friday mornings. Jack doesn't have school and I try not to plan anything so that we can enjoy one morning a week not having to rush to get out of the house and can instead enjoy a lazy morning in our jammies.

Future mama

2009-11-23T14:09:00.002-06:00

Elizabeth has finally formed a bond with all of her babies. She loves to change their diapers and feed and rock them. Her favorite baby for awhile was her huge talking Elmo (this Elmo weighs a ton and she can hardly lift him). She would get so frustrated when she couldn't get him to open his mouth to feed him his bottle. It is so fun to watch her play mama and take care of all her babies.

Such a cutie

2009-11-22T20:13:00.004-06:00

I couldn't resist posting this picture of our cutie...

Painting Pumpkins

2009-11-22T19:36:00.008-06:00

We have been trying to spend as much time outdoors lately as possible since we have been having above normal temperatures and know that all too soon we will be spending a lot of time indoors. Elizabeth and Jack had so much fun painting their little pumpkins a few days before Halloween. I love how they are now both enjoying more of the same things and that they both love to paint (and kudos to whoever invented washable paint!).

Ta-da!

2009-11-22T19:10:00.003-06:00

Trying to get caught up....Here's Elizabeth practicing her "ta-das" after a forward roll and showing her silliness.

Future Gymnast?

2009-10-30T12:28:00.004-05:00

Our Little Gym is doing an advertising campaign and this is one of the pictures that they are using. Elizabeth loves her Little Gym class and especially loves to swing on the bars like a monkey.

Soccer

2009-10-26T21:20:00.007-05:00

Jack absolutely loves soccer so we signed him up for a Saturday morning program at the Y. It has been fun to watch his team, the black Oreos, play each week. Jack is a little maniac on the field, trying to get and keep the ball from his opponents. Here are a few pictures from a game a few weeks ago (last week it was so cold I couldn't remove my mittens in order to take pictures!). The last picture is one of his goals...thanks super fast camera for capturing the goal!

Breakfast

2009-10-26T21:16:00.002-05:00

Note to self: it is probably not the best idea in the world to give Elizabeth a chocolate croissant for breakfast!

The cutest KC fans

2009-10-26T21:07:00.005-05:00

We think that even a 1-6 season (to date) is more bearable when we have these cute fans cheering along with us. Here's hoping their cuteness can bring our beloved Chiefs some more wins or at least some great draft picks!

About Jack

2009-09-30T21:33:00.002-05:00

I love all the papers and art projects that Jack brings home from school and I am already running out of room in my storage bin for all the treasures he brings home each day. Today he brought home a book entitled "About Me" and inside was a list of questions that his teacher asked each student. I thought it was so cute to read his responses, most of which I did already know, but of course, there were a few surprises. Here are his responses to the questions:
1. What is your favorite color? Yellow
2. What foods do you like to eat? Candy
3. What do you want to be when you grow up? Work on buildings
4. What are you afraid of? Monsters
5. What is your favorite toy? Helicopter
6. What is your favorite thing to do with mom or dad? Play football

Highlights continued

2009-09-12T12:16:00.015-05:00

For some reason I could not add all the pictures last night so here are the rest of the highlights from the past few weeks.

The start of the pillow case race at the summer Olympics at our friends, The Herold's.

The winner of the pillow case race...although he "might" have had a head start (see previous pic)

The pie eating contest. It got a little ugly at the end of the contest with a lot of pies thrown at the contestants!

The egg race...only a few broken ones!

Elizabeth was too young to participate in the summer Olympics but she sure had fun going down their slide. Each time down she landed on her bottom, signed "more" and climbed up the stairs.

Jack and his friend Joey at Bay Beach

Elizabeth feeding a cracker to our favorite giraffe, Zuri

Jack feeding Zuri

Highlights

2009-09-10T20:09:00.008-05:00

We have had so much fun the last few weeks of summer and tried to enjoy as much of it outside as possible. Here are a few of the "highlights" from the last few weeks. We've enjoyed going to the zoo and feeding our favorite giraffes, spending time with good friends at Bay Beach and The National Train Museum, participating in the end of summer Olympics, celebrating Misha's 7th birthday, and of course, eating smores. Here are just a few of the pictures I wanted to post. Blogger is not letting me upload more for some reason. Off to bed and will try the rest tomorrow :)

Elizabeth checking out the engine compartment in an old steam train-My grandpa would be proud, he used to drive a steam train.

Jack checking out the wheels on the Union Pacific "Big Boy". This train was amazing and truly deserves it's name.

Jack and his friend Joey

The birthday dog, Misha (aka Gaga). Happy 7th birthday!

Lying down like Misha (this took a lot of treats to capture this picture!)

Elizabeth's first time eating smores. She loved them!

Thumbs up from Jack...of course he also loved them!

First Day of School

2009-09-01T21:31:00.010-05:00

One serious picture

And one funny picture

Patiently waiting for the bus

Today was Jack's first day of 4K. We are so lucky that our school started this program. He will go Monday-Thursday for three hours in the morning. The best part is (well, for me at least, especially in January!) is that the district is providing bus transportation for all the kids in the 4K program. Since the school is across the street (and through the woods), his morning ride is less than 5 minutes but his ride home is 30 minutes since he is one of the last kids dropped off. He was so brave this morning when it was time to get on the bus. He got on and sat down in the front row. I am so proud of him, he looked so scared but he didn't cry. I have to confess that this momma cried a little as she watched her baby ride away on the bus. I just can't believe that he is old enough to start school. I often wonder where the last 4-1/2 years went.

He had a great day at school and I managed to learn that "the sand was purple in the sand table", "I learned about swimming", "I decided not to paint", "We had goldfish for snack", "I talked just a little in circle time", "The potty isn't in the room, it's down the hall, and if you don't have to go potty you still have to wash your hands before snack", "I met an older friend" (later I learned that this is his bus buddy), and "I knew it was almost time for me to get off the bus at our house because we were going down the road we go on when we go on our long walk".

He looks so little and scared

My baby riding away on the bus

Little Gym

2009-08-24T20:47:00.003-05:00

Today was Jack's last day at Little Gym for the summer session. I LOVE Little Gym and can't say enough good things about the program and the staff. Most of all, I love that it guarantees me a nap every Monday afternoon because somehow those magical teachers have just the right formula to wear my little boy out. After 1 year enrolled in classes, Jack is still thrilled to find out "it's a Little Gym day". And here's why....he gets to run around like a maniac, play his favorite sports, practice his gymnastic skills and play his favorite games. We are enrolled again this fall so I am looking forward to many Friday afternoon naps. :)

Sassy

2009-08-24T20:26:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures from today of our sassy girl (I love the picture of her pig tails blowing in the wind). She is in love with sunglasses and is always modeling a new pair.

4K

2009-08-24T20:20:00.004-05:00

I can't believe my little guy is going to start 4K next week...I'm going to miss having him around in the mornings.

The sweet tastes of summer

2009-08-19T20:13:00.004-05:00

Nothing completes a summer meal like a piece of corn on the cob, which we enjoyed tonight for dinner. It was Elizabeth's first experience eating sweet corn and I think she was more a fan of the butter on it than the corn itself. Jack, of course, also said his favorite part was the butter. I think Matt and I are very spoiled and picky about our corn. We decided that Michigan corn (Matt bought it on the way home from his outreach clinic in the UP) just does not measure up to the Iowa sweet corn we ate growing up.

Making pesto

2009-08-19T13:57:00.005-05:00

One of our favorite things about summer is using our fresh basil to make pesto. Matt was so patient last weekend when both Jack and Elizabeth wanted to help him make (and sample) several batches. Our kids are usually the pickiest of eaters, but one thing they do love is daddy's pesto!

Too big for that baby chair

2009-08-18T21:15:00.006-05:00

She decided yesterday that she was too big of a girl to sit in her high chair to eat and instead wants to be just like everyone else and eat at the table. When did she get so big?

Popsicles

2009-08-04T21:09:00.007-05:00

I'm always amazed how offering a popsicle to a crabby child can instantly turn everyone happy, including the mommy. Here's proof....

Vacation

2009-08-02T21:33:00.009-05:00

We enjoyed having Matt home for the last 10 days and spent half of the time up in Door County. The weather was gorgeous while we were there and we spent several days at the beach playing in the sand. We also enjoyed eating a lot of ice cream and had fun just relaxing. We only did a little shopping, which is highly unusual for me, and we spent most of the afternoons on the deck reading and enjoying the beautiful weather while the kids napped inside. We definitely needed this vacation to rest and unwind since somehow we managed to schedule most of Matt's vacation weeks into the last 4 months of the year (yes, we have a LOT of vacation time coming up). Here are some pictures from our week. I took most of the pictures with my old camera since I didn't want to take my new one to the beach (good thing since I hear sand inside my old one and the dials are sticky from all the sand in them...oops). I think I have a few on my new camera but will have to transfer them onto the laptop first.

Petting Zoo

2009-07-22T14:08:00.006-05:00

The kids and I joined a group of friends and went to the petting zoo in Door County last week. We had a ton of fun feeding the goats and ducks, petting the cows and cats, and watching the newborn piglets. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and then went to a dairy farm to watch the cows being milked and had home made ice cream at the dairy for dessert. Jack had fun playing on the old tractor, and even commented on the fact that it wasn't a GREEN one like farm papa's.
A picture that warms every mama's heart

Silly girl

2009-07-19T22:00:00.004-05:00

I was trying to get a nice picture of Elizabeth wearing the dress that a friend of mine made (adorable dress, isn't it?). However, I think she knew what I wanted and decided instead to be a silly girl during my impromptu photo shoot. There was no way she was going to stand still so I could take a good picture of her. She was having so much fun running, climbing the stairs and spitting. Boy, did she think she was funny. I agree, it was funny to watch her being so silly.

Playhouse

2009-07-19T17:32:00.005-05:00

After a year of having the playhouse sit in our garage collecting dirt and dust, Matt cleaned and assembled it in the basement last weekend. Elizabeth loves her new house and Jack, at times, will play in it with his sister. It is a hit with the kids that come over to play as well. I know it will get a lot of use this winter and I'm so glad to have it out of the garage.