Our days...

One day I may want to remember these crazy days =)

These pictures are random ones I have taken this month. 

 

We wake up early... Colin is up by 7 and Addison is up anywhere between 5:30 and 7.  Once we are all awake, the kids play in the living room while we get breakfast together. 

Breakfast is eaten by 8 each morning.  You can see that Addison is a dainty eater... she will eat pieces of food one at a time...

 

And Colin... he just shoves it in his mouth =)  note the watermelon seed on his chin

 

After breakfast, we get dressed.  Colin plays with cars most of the time as I get myself and Addison dressed.

Once we are all dressed and ready for the day it is usually around 8:30/9.  If it is Tues/Thursday we drop Colin off at preschool.  Any other day we will run errands at this time.  Sometimes, when Addison wakes up earlier, she will "nap" in the car on the way to wherever we are going for the day.
Sometimes we go to stores.
Sometimes the park.

 

 Sometimes the library. 

 

 Sometimes we stay around the house.  We get outside, or the kids play in the playroom while I clean or something.

 

Around noon we eat lunch.  At some point when I am in the kitchen this happens: 

When I am cleaning up from lunch, lots of the time, Colin takes this time to turn into a race car and "race" around the house.  I count the laps he does.  The most he has done was 28.
Between 1 and 2 I put the kids down for their naps/quiet time. 
Colin usually doesn't actually sleep during this time.  He will read books or something.  He just has to be quiet.  Randomly he will fall asleep though...

 

Addison always naps at this time.

 

By 3/4 they are up and ready for snacks.  Little Miss Addison is very very interested in food.  So, I make sure to give her a snack while Colin is eating his or she will try her best to get at his food =)

Once snack time is over we usually head outside, unless we have any other errands to run for the day.  When it is really nice, I turn on the hose and Colin is in charge of that.  This day he was "washing his trucks".

When Garet is home we go on walks in the afternoon, or bike rides.

Colin takes a dip in his pool... or sends his cars into the pool via the slide...

Addison really likes riding in the wagon.  Which turns into a "race car" when Colin drives his Jeep.  We race.  Colin wins.  Always.  Oh, and he wrecks us.  Always.

 

Around 5 or so, depending on what I am making, I head in to start dinner.  Colin will either stay outside, or head in with me and drive me crazy play in the kitchen with Addison, or I will put on a movie or t.v. show.  (Normally it's the latter.  It makes dinner making go so much smoother!)

Dinner is around 6.  After dinner, when Garet is home he will take over with the kids and I will shower or just go enjoy a bit of quiet time.  Either way the kids usually end up in the playroom playing for a bit before we wind down. 
At 7, Curious George comes on.  Colin watches this as his way to wind down.  Addison gets her bath and is put to bed.

 

When Colin's show is over (at 7:30) he gets a bath and goes to bed. 
When Garet is home, we are able to catch up on the day or watch a movie or show on Netflix (House of Cards is our current fav.)
Then we are in bed by 10 or so...

 

Colin randomly will wake up during the night with a bad dream.  It just takes reassuring him that everything is okay and he goes back to sleep.  I usually hear Addison once a night or so, but most of the time it is just her moving around and she goes back to sleep too.  If she does cry in the middle of the night I go in, rock her for a couple minutes, lay her back down, and she goes back to sleep.

Then we start over =)

Spring Sing and Egg Hunt...

Last week at Colin's preschool, they performed their "Spring Sing" for the parents!  It was adorable!

 

They had eggs that rattled... this is when they were supposed to put them up high.  =)

 

I was on the front row videoing.  Colin kept ducking behind Zion (the cute little girl in front of him).  This is when they were rolling the eggs...

 

See him peeking? 

It was so so precious!  Colin did great!  Although, once again, he didn't sing =)  Just stood up there looking cute.  We managed to get a family shot...

 

Then on Thursday, Colin's class had their Easter party.  They were supposed to be out this week for Spring Break, but since they missed days for snow they have school this week.  That's why their party was Thursday instead of this week.

They got cookies and snacks...

 

Colin was the last one eating.  Which I found out, is normal when he is at school.  =)
Then we headed outside to hunt for eggs!

 

They made Easter baskets to collect their eggs.  It was so cute watching all the kids looking for eggs!

 

It is adorable to see Colin interacting with the other kids in his class.

After the egg hunt, we went to the playground where all of them ran off the sugar they had just eaten!

 

Addison was with me at the Easter party and did so well.  She had a great time watching all the big kids =)  Then she fell asleep on the way home.  I tried to wake her up for lunch when we got home, but she was SOUND asleep.  So I thought, "if I just put her on the floor she will surely wake up!" 

 

Wrong.
Sweet baby was worn out after the fun party =)

11 months...

I am keeping track of all the updates on Addison at the top of the blog... it is an easy way for me to click and look back on what was going on.

Addison is 11 months old! 

She is so funny!

She "talks" all the time and says "Dada da da da da da da" a lot!  Sometimes she will say "ma ma" but for the most part, it's "da da..."  She will point at things that she wants, and sometimes says "Ba!"  And I think that is just a code word for pretty much anything...

She is still working on her 5th and 6th tooth... seems like they have been trying to come through for a couple months.

She sometimes takes a 30 min nap in the morning... and then a 2 hour nap in the afternoon and then sleeps from about 7-6.

She loves her blanket!

She is eating "real" food, but is already showing signs of being picky... like I will look over and she has individually picked out every piece of carrot and thrown it on the floor, then picked up each piece of whatever fruit is on her tray and eaten it... crazy.

She is wearing a size 12 months, but still fits into some of the 9 month stuff.

She is very feisty! She already gets very upset if I tell her "no" or take away something from her.  As in she will stiffen up and start swinging her arms!  I can only imagine what this means.... drama maybe?

She is so happy!  She laughs and laughs!  Colin is usually the main source of her laughter.  Those two just melt me with how they love each other.

She loves to be outside.  She is more tolerant of being in the car.  She likes going for walks, but if it gets too long she tries to turn around in her seat, and then it's over.

She is so much fun!  We love our sweet girl so much!  I can't believe she will be 1 next month!  We are soaking up every minute!

I love...

(and don't want to forget)
... when I am sitting on the couch and Colin cuddles up to me.
... how Colin squints his eyes when he gets shy.
... when Addison falls asleep in my arms.
... how much Colin loves on Addison.
... when Addison cries and Colin comes to fix it.
... how careful Suzi is around the kids.
... when Addison copies noises we make.
... how much Colin loves books.
... going on walks with our whole family.
... that Colin always wants to pull his wagon on walks.
... how go with the flow Addison is.
... our routines.
... watching "monkey's" before bedtime.
... that every time a school bus (or trash truck) passes, Colin yells "SCHOOL BUS!" (or "TRASH TRUCK!)
... that when Colin washes his hands he recites the alphabet, even when we aren't around.
... watching the kids sleep.
... that Addison will crawl after Colin and I while we are "racing" around
... having one-on-one time with each of my kids.
... how much Colin loves to play outside.
... the funny things that Colin says.
... seeing Addison try to play with Colin's toys.
... spying on the kids when they are in another room.
... when the kids both nap/have quiet time at the same time.
... that both the kids like the vacuum.
... how much easier (hope I don't jinx it) it is having two kids than I thought it would be.
... how normal it is having two kids.
... that on the "bad" days, it still doesn't compare to some peoples "bad" days.
... having a playroom.
... that Colin will randomly give us big hugs and kisses.
... watching Garet with our kids.
... having a boy and a girl.
... that Colin has red hair.
... the random times Colin talks about God.
... that Addison loves (and sleeps with) the blanket Colin gave her.
... Colin calls himself "Super Colin".
... how Suzi turns into a puppy again when she is outside.
... that Addison now says, "errrrrrr" when she is playing with a car, just like her big brother =)
... having conversations with Colin.
... that even in the touch times Garet and I are on the same team.
... this family of mine!

Want a card...

I think I have mentioned that I work (very) part time... I help out a lady in our neighborhood with her Etsy shop and Facebook account.  I also help out my BFF with her website (here)  =)

I also have a sister-in-law with an Etsy shop as well as know a couple people with one. 
I was thinking of a way to make some extra cash... and thought I would try one myself.  Now... I am very uncomfortable "marketing" myself, but I figured I would put it out there and see what happens.

I LOVE playing around with pictures and designing photo books with my pictures in it.  I have gotten a yearly photo book every year since Garet and I were married.  For gifts I LOVE making things like this for other people too.  For birthdays, I usually make my own cards and then upload them to Shutterfly and order through them.  Or for Colin's birthday's, or showers I have helped host, I love to make the invitations for them. 

So... that is what I am doing.  These are all digital cards... so I would work with you in designing a card (or you can choose one I have already done).  Then I would email you the card in jpeg format and you can do whatever you want with it... upload it to a website like Shutterfly or Walmart (anywhere you can print cards) and print a card through them, or just email the card to others.

Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KellysPaper?ref=si_shop

The cards can have a picture on them, or just the wording.  I have tons of fonts and can do any size.  I usually do a 5x7 format.  Right now I am working on making Addison's FIRST birthday invitation!