Memorial Day Weekend

We left for Omaha Wednesday night at about 6:45pm.  We left later than planned due to severe thunderstorms and tornados in the area.  Thunderstorms have not bothered our kids much at all until very recently when Drew learned about them during his weather unit at school!  Thanks a lot PALS!  Drew was in a panic when Andy went outside at one point.  Kayley is fine as long as you aren't trying to put her to bed during a storm.  If she is playing, she is oblivious to the weather. 

Even though we left late, driving at night was the right decision.  Drew and Kayley slept most of the way and we only stopped once.  On the way home today, we had to stop 4 times and it took 45 minutes longer.  Night driving is best for us right now!

We had a great time in Omaha with family.  While Andy and his brothers golfed, the girls met my parents and took the kids to the zoo on Friday.  We spent a lot of time at the zoo when we lived in Phoenix.  After going to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, I don't know that I would ever go back to the zoo in Phoenix.  There is no comparison!  We were there for only a couple of hours and didn't get to see that much of it, but it was amazing.

Drew and Kayley had a great time playing with their cousins and staying up late.  We will see how long it takes for them to get back into a routine with rules.  We stayed with Andy's brother Mitch this weekend and he told the kids he has no rules at his house and they can do what they want!  At one point I overheard Drew say, "We don't normally get these in the morning."  Next thing I know he is walking by me with a popsicle.  It was 9:45am.  Then Kayley came walking by with one.  About 10 minutes later, I went out to the kitchen and found Kayley eating a cupcake Mitch had just given her.  I wish I would have had my camera to catch the smirk on that girl's face!

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Kayley, Drew, Macie and Noah at the zoo

Making s'mores

Kayley's first s'more

Kayley's first ever sparkler.  "Fireworks" as she calls them!

Drew and Kayley

Macie

Kayley, Drew and JD

Macie, Kayley, Drew and JD

JD

Attempt at a cousin picture.  Kayley needs a nap and I had
just caused her to hit her head on the wall to make matters worse.

Noah, Macie, JD, happy Kayley, Grandpa and Drew

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

A few weeks ago, I decided it would be a great idea to take the train up to Chicago for the day so the kids could go on a train ride.  Because we were going to be in Chicago for the day, we naturally decided to go to a White Sox game, but the whole point of the trip (in my eyes anyway) was to take the kids on a train ride.  I ordered the train tickets and Andy ordered the White Sox tickets.  Drew was so excited for our train ride.  Kayley didn't really seem to care.  Andy was excited for the White Sox, but didn't care about the train ride.  In fact, I could tell he didn't think it was as great of an idea as I thought it was.  He said it was because he likes to drive and be in control of his own schedule, but I think it may have been because he tends to get motion sickness!

I found out on Monday that there was an "issue" with our train tickets.  Turns out they were going to be doing scheduled maintenance on the track on Saturday.  Why would you allow people to buy tickets (much less run a special - kids ride free) when you know you have scheduled maintenace coming up?  They do have alternate transporation available I was told.  A bus.  Oh my gosh, Andy would go through the roof if I were to tell him we were taking a bus to Chicago!  Ha!  I told him no and that I would like my money refunded. 

So the whole point of our trip was no longer happening, but we had the White Sox tickets so off we went in Andy's Tahoe.  Drew was a little confused and kept asking when we were going to get on the train.  I explained again that the train wasn't working today.  He saw a few trains on the way and quickly pointed out that the trains were working. 

The kids enjoyed the drive to Chicago and pointed out every airplane they saw.  There were a lot.  And he made sure I looked at each one!  When we got close to Midway, Drew could hardly contain himself with all of the airplanes he saw! 

The White Sox won and the kids got to see fireworks, which Drew loved and Kayley did not enjoy.  The kids ate hot dogs, nachos and ice cream - they were in heaven.  I think I was in the restroom at least 8 times.  Two young kids, one of which is still potty training, means lots of trips to "go potty." 

After the game, we drove downtown for dinner and a train ride.  We got on the "L" and Drew was in heaven.  Who needs Amtrak when you have the "L"?! 

Before the game.  Kayley being Kayley and refusing to look
at the camera.



Finally!



Enjoying their ice cream.

Drew on the "L"

Drew

Drew has never had a blog post dedicated to him so now is the time! Drew is a sweet, sensitive soul. He has always been on the shy side and continues to be shy until he warms up to you. From what I hear about Andy as a child, like father like son! But, once he knows you, he will talk your ear off (must be another trait from Andy, not me. Ha!). He loves going to "school" and is always proud to tell you what he has learned. Right now, he likes to practice writing his letters. We work with Kayley a lot on her shapes and colors and he is always right there trying to help teach her. It is adorable to watch.

Poor kid has a little of me in him and is very particular about things and has some Type A personality traits. His toys need to be put away just right and his monster trucks need to be lined up exactly how he wants them. He and Kayley could not be more opposite. She is anything but Type A!

One other not so desirable trait from me is that he is a super picky eater. To make it worse, the older he gets, the harder it is to convince him to eat something that I am not willing to eat!

Drew generally does not like to be in trouble or disappoint us. Not to say he is never in trouble because he certainly is, but we usually only have to say something once and he'll stop. Again, could not be more opposite than Kayley! However, he is starting a new phase of talking back to us. His new favorite saying when you tell him no is, "I can do what I want to do." The first time he said it, I laughed out loud because it was so unexpected. It isn't nearly as funny anymore.

Anyone who knows Drew knows he has always been a huge Thomas fan. Trains, trains, trains! Andy took him to Monster Jam in January or February and ever since, whenever he is in the house, all he wants to do is play with his monster trucks or watch Monster Jam on the DVR. His new favorite shirt is his blue monster truck shirt in the picture. We watch it so much that I even know all of the monster trucks. He can also tell you who drives each truck. I love pretty much any sport, but I think I have to draw the line at watching monster trucks so frequently.

As much as he loves monster trucks, he prefers to play outside. He had quite the adjustment when we moved from Phoenix to Illinois!

This blog will force me to do a better job of taking pictures of the kids! In the meantime, here is one my mom took when she was here. :-) Maybe someone can tell me how to add the pictures to the bottom of the post.

It's Been Awhile

Where does the time go? So much has happened since Andy's last post in 2009! I've decided to start the blog back up again for our family and friends who want to keep track of the kids. Andy wants me to make it clear that I am blogging and not him - I think he thinks I won't be as witty as he thinks he is and he doesn't want me to give him a bad name! :-)

Little Miss is coming up on her 3rd birthday! Wow, that went fast! She has come such a long way since her NICU and her feeding aversion days! Long gone are the days of refusing to eat! There are very few things she won't eat now. Everything should be eaten with ranch and ketchup, preferably mixed together. A few of her stranger loves are blue cheese dressing, lima beans, and braunschweiger (who doesn't love braunschweiger though?!). This cannot be the child that came so close to a G-tube (feeding tube in her stomach) because she refused to drink her bottle!

Kayley can be the sweetest little girl. She LOVES to take care of her babies. She is always telling them she loves them and patting their backs. She loves to cuddle and give hugs. She also loves all animals, especially dogs - she squeals with delight whenever she sees a dog. She is happy as can be . . . as long as she is getting her way.

The rest of the time she is a sassy, independent, mischievous little girl. And so stubborn - just like Daddy! :-) She loves to test us every chance she gets. You ask her to do something, she gives you a little smirk and tells you no. If you tell her again, she gets a little louder and a more forceful "no" comes out. Perhaps a little of that came from me (according to my parents anyway). She holds her own fighting with Drew and is usually the aggressor in every fight with him. Luckily, she is still shy at daycare and doesn't give them any behavior problems. Yet.

Healthwise, she is doing great. She still has some reflux, but it doesn't seem to bother her too much. Her coordination is improving. She used to fall while running and run into things, but she has really improved. We put her in gymnastics a few months ago to help her balance. She certainly has lots of confidence. She will try anything and is so proud when she attempts a new move, whether she gets it right or not!

We did have a rough winter as it was the kids' first winter in daycare. I think they both got everything a few times. On the bright side, they are building up their immunity!

Developmentally, her daycare teachers say she is right on track. Learning disabilities were the last major unknown for her and still are. So far, she seems to be doing well, but time will tell. She knows all of the main colors, but sometimes she calls something green that is red. We are still working on a few of her shapes too, but overall she is doing very well. She would sit and read books with you all day if you are willing. Her vocabulary seems to be one of her stronger areas and I think the reading has had a lot to do with that.

Next time I post, I'll give an update of our monster truck loving boy, Drew!