And Breathe

Christmas break is here!

After Thanksgiving, we had just three weeks of school as we charged full speed ahead towards Christmas.  Now that it is the first official day of break, I can sit down, relax a bit, and share some of what we've been up to.

I decided to try something new this year.  I used a Pinterest photo as inspiration and crafted our own advent tree.  

The pouches were filled with various activities to complete each day.  I'll admit there were some days we just didn't get to whatever activity we had planned, but it was something to look forward to this December.  In the future, I would love to include advent verses leading up to Christmas Day.  Here's what we had this year:

• Make “Grinch cookies” and watch “How the Grinch stole Christmas.”
• Make salt dough ornaments.
• Decorate ice cream cone “Christmas trees.”
• Write letters to Santa.
• Make reindeer food.
• Red and Green dinner.
• Go to the Live Nativity - Dec. 14th.
• Bring cookies to neighbors.
• Make footprint reindeer.
• See Santa.
• Write notes to each other and put in Christmas stockings.
• Drive and look at lights.
• Winterfest - Dec. 7th
• Go sledding.
• Go Christmas shopping.
• Have hot chocolate and watch the “Polar Express.”
• Decorate cookies.
• Make paper snowflakes.
• Make Thank You notes.
• Make a snow angel.
• Make a cotton ball Santa.
• Make glitter.
• Wrap presents.
• Christmas Eve service at church.

We've also had various Christmas activities here and there for small group, junior high, etc., middle school concerts, a dance recital, and a teething four-year old, the latter which has made for some rough nights this month.

Greatly looking forward to our time with family soon as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior!

Thankful

So many things to be thankful for.

We are thankful we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with both of our families this year.

We started the holiday the weekend before with Steve's family.

And we were able to travel to my grandma's house in Iowa on Thanksgiving day to celebrate with some extended family.

The only drawback of our travels?  As we were driving the 3+ hours back to my parents' house Thursday night after being in Iowa, I realized I had forgotten to give Toby, our cat, any supply of accessible water while we were gone.  Eek!

We had planned to be gone Thursday morning through Saturday night and didn't want to come home to a dead cat, so I decided I would just make a quick four-hour round-trip Friday morning to deliver water.   When Friday morning came, Steve thoughtfully volunteered, and all was good.  Until...he called me about 45 minutes into his drive with a blown tire.  So he waited a couple hours on the side of the road while my dad made some calls to get a new tire.  They worked on that while I took my mom's vehicle to Stewartville.  I had a grateful cat.

And we all made it back to my parents by 2:45 or so.  Just in time for the kids to wake from their afternoon nap, and Christmas tree decorating to begin.

And a Beauty and the Beast puppet show.

Steve even caught the Auburn-Alabama football game. As I said, thankful.

Megan and Cody

"Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a mom just like you."

Heart. Melting.

"And I'll name my babies Megan and Cody."

Span-ese

I remember as a child, one of my friends told me that when we were babies we all spoke Chinese.  Children must have this notion of foreign languages simply being gibberish sounds and vice versa.

This theory has further validation now from my dear daughter.  She has recently started saying things like "paka" and saying it means, "pack" in Spanish-Chinese.  Huh?

It kinda reminds me of how my older brother used to insist that "elephant" in Spanish was "elefant-O," just to annoy me.  :)

And this is Maggie's artistic interpretation of a cat.  They don't have bodies because, "I don't know how to draw a body."  We also had to count Toby's feet to make the correction from 5 feet in the pink picture to 4.

Nervous Nelly

In trying to think of a fun competition for the middle school's assembly today, Steve decided to channel the show Minute to Win It.  He attached a pedometer to an arm and leg of two participants from each grade level.  The students' job was to be a "nervous Nelly."  Whoever had the most combined clicks after a minute was declared the winner!

First Snow. Since May.

We escaped an October snow this year, so we'll actually have had five months with no snow in 2013.  June, July, August, September, and October.  But our first snow of the season arrived yesterday morning, and Maggie and Bode have been in heaven.

No More Perfect Moms

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Hearts at Home conference in Rochester for the second year.  This conference is a time for moms to get refreshed and renewed!

I was able to make it back to Rochester from my all-day professional development day in Maple Grove just in time for the Moms Night Out at the Civic Center.  I met up with Evie, who drove down from Isanti, and the other Stewie gals.  We enjoyed worshiping through song, laughing with a comedian, and just being out!

The next day after our mandatory Caribou stop, Evie and I made our way back to the Civic Center for a full day of speakers and workshops. (I also got to see my good friend, Becky!)  The theme for the event this year was "No More Perfect Moms."  We were challenged to take off the mask and not compare our insides to others' outsides.

With perfect family photos, tales of adorable children, amazing vacations, and picture-perfect home decor being blasted at us through Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media outlets, it's often a temptation to compare ourselves and think we are not measuring up.  Guilty.  I love Pinterest, but can find myself getting very discontent as I browse all of the wonderful meals, homes, and educational activities I wish I had time for.

And I'll be honest, I often post photos and stories of our family's good times.  This is not necessarily because I want to hide the junk in my life, but because, really, who wants to hear about all that?  I, for one, don't really care to document my less-than-ideal days on the internet.  And I reserve the deep stuff for face-to-face conversations.

Anyone that really knows me knows my life is often chaos, but in the spirit of full disclosure, here are some photos of my house from Sunday.  But let's be honest, they could be from any given day...

On Saturday I attended workshops called "Boys R Us," "Killing the Spider," "What Your Man Most Wants You to Know," (Shaunti Feldhahn) and "The Magic of Parenting Preschoolers."  Some good info!  Candance Cameron closed out the event.  Even though things got a little wishy washy doctrine-wise, I really did enjoy the conference, spending time away with friends, and being encouraged.

Steve and the kiddos survived with minor injuries.

Autumnal Bliss

I am a fall lover. It is so delightful.

When asked to pick a favorite season, I always gravitate towards autumn, but then second-guess myself as I think of things I enjoy in all seasons and really hate to commit to just one.

But that's just me. Anyways, I do love fall. It has been a crazy busy last few weeks between work (end of quarter) and social life, but here are some photos of our recent activities:

 Halloween! We don't go crazy, but Maggie and Bode love to dress up. Maggie has been fantasizing about her Belle costume for months, so my mom created one for her birthday. Maggie also decided Bode should be her Beast (he may have his own opinion next year), so my mom again amazed us with her masterpiece and attention to detail. She should totally open a shop, in my opinion.

 The next day was our Moms in Step group's first-ever Craft Night. I have been designated as the Craft Lady, so I was in charge of organizing it for this moms' group at church. My committee (oh yes, I have a craft committee!) decided on burlap ornaments and stockings, so I was able to sit with friends and craft away while my kiddos were with a babysitter and Steve was with the Stewartville football team, tragically getting their butts kicked in the Section Championship game.

Photo by Z. Breitenbach from an earlier game. Game face!  Stewie had a very successful season.

My stockings.  Still need to add embellishments.

And the following night, Steve and I hosted our small group. I decided on a dual theme: Costumes and Thanksgiving Appetizer Dinner.  They humored me.

Our version of Anchoman.  I had to do something with Will Ferrell to get Steve on board. Hehe.

And even though we were without heat for two weeks while a part was ordered for our furnace, it gave us an opportunity to have a perpetual fire in our fireplace.  Ahhhh.

So now we're speeding towards Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I'm excited for the holiday season. I can deal with winter right up until January 1st. Then I'm ready to move down south for the next 3 months...or 4.5  (I'm talking to you, 2013).

My Entertainment

I love listening to Maggie and Bode interact when I'm not in the room. That is, when they're getting along.

This morning as I make breakfast, I can hear them singing their own rendition of "Any Dream Will Do."  Maggie is singing Joseph's part and Bode is the "Ah-ah-ah" chorus.  Future Donny and Marie?

Skip ahead to 2:20 and picture my little sweeties singing.

Two

While I was pregnant with Bode, I remember wondering how I could possibly love another child as much as I loved Maggie.  Other moms always said the love just multiplied, but really?  I wasn't so sure.  Then he arrived on October 17th, 2011.

Bode Christian Gibbs.  All eight pounds, seven ounces of him, with a sideways cone head (thank you, thank you, epidural!).  And my bond with him was immediate.

Photo by Lemon Peel Photography

My son.  The soft dark hair, the deep blue eyes, the perfect little lips.  Oh my heart.

Since then, all of our lives have been enriched by the arrival of this sweet and rambunctious child.  Steve's. Maggie's. Mine.

And now he is two.

So who is Bode at age 2?

He is a mama's boy.  When I see him running toward me after any time apart, with the happy cry of "Mama!" my heart melts.

He is all about physical touch.  Morning cuddles, rough-and-tumble wrestles, just-because hugs, crazy tickles, and hand-holding.  That boy just has to be close to those he loves.

He is a sports lover like his daddy, inevitably.  "Football!"  "Volleyball!" "Basketball!"  (Ok, they all sound more like "Ba-baw!")  If Steve is watching it, so is Bode.

What he lacks in vocabulary (it's coming along), he makes up for in expressive gestures and enthusiasm.  And if all else fails, he'll take your hand and guide you to what he wants you to see.

He loves animals, just like his sister.  Puppies are at the top of his list.

He is SILLY!  Who knows what he says half the time, but he thinks he's funny with that impish look on his face.

And that term, "all boy?"  I always used to think that was an odd phrase, and, honestly, I kinda thought it was annoying.  All boy?  Yeah...he's a boy.  Of course, he's all boy.  But now I get it.  Bode fits that description to a T.  He is ALL. BOY. 'Nuf said.

So to celebrate these first two years of life, we ventured to a pumpkin patch with Uncle Jim, Aunt Angie, and cousins Eli and Liliana.

More pictures to come.

And finally, here is a video Steve put together of Maggie's birthday celebrations as well as Maggie's and Bode's joint family birthday party a couple weeks ago.

Puppy Stickers

Today, Maggie gave Bode the option to have "a cute puppy sticker, a kiss puppy sticker, or a fabulous puppy sticker."

He chose the fabulous puppy.

I mean, who wouldn't?

The Uniform

I am feeling silly...

I almost sold Maggie's first dance uniform, and I about lost it, emotionally.

Maggie's dance teacher had asked if I would be willing to sell Maggie's uniform from last year as a Just For Kix class in another town would be wearing the same style.  I didn't think anything of it at first. "Sure!" I quickly replied.

So before Maggie's class yesterday, I went to get it down from the closet to give to her teacher.  And as I looked at the adorable pink long-sleeve leotard and poofy aqua tulle skirt adorned with the pink flower, I had flashbacks of my precious princess on stage for her very first dance recital.  She was so excited, and she looked just ADORABLE. I remembered how she wanted to wear that uniform to Cubbies for Sports Night.  I remembered how she begged to just run around the house in it.  And again, how ADORABLE she looked in it.

I had a brief internal struggle, but we had to get going, and in the end thought I should follow through with what I originally told her teacher.  I even explained to Maggie, and she told me she wanted "another little girl" to have it.  What a sweetheart.  So I placed it in a plastic Target bag and let Maggie deliver it to her teacher at dance.

But I couldn't let go.

To add to my emotional state, I ended up talking with another mom at church that evening who had had a daughter in Maggie's dance class last year.  Without me saying anything, it just came up out of the blue that her daughter just loves that uniform, and wears it around all the time.

Uhhh!  I thought I made my decision!  I didn't want to beg for the uniform back.  I didn't want to be viewed as ridiculous and childish.  Finally as I lay in bed, quite distraught  (why was I crying???), I decided to grovel and ask for it back.  I emailed her teacher, and laid it out for her.  I would definitely want another child to have it if she needed it, but if they had extra...could I, pretty please, have it back?  Talk about feeling humbled!  And to my delight, the teacher emailed me back this morning and affirmed that she would not sell it but rather return it to me next week.

Am I ridiculous?  Don't answer that.  But seriously, look at this girl.

Ok, so maybe this whole uniform thing just represents how quickly my children are growing and changing, and how desperately I want to hang on to them so tightly!  I know there are some things I need to let go, but for now, I will keep the uniform, let Maggie enjoy it a little more, and then have the tangible memory of her very first dance class.

Sibling Love

This morning when Bode woke up and called out with his usual, "MOMMY! MOM! MOMMY!" (Stewie anyone?)  I wasn't very quick to get out of bed. I had stayed up past my normal bedtime, grading papers, and was definitely feeling like a couple more hours in bed would be nice. 

Well, even before Steve could get up with Bode, I heard the little pitter-pattering of Maggie's feet running into Bode's room. And then:

"Good morning, Bode! Do you want me to get into your crib with you?"

"Depp!" he responded. (Yep!)

And there they played quite contentedly until Steve went to check on them.

Between the screaming and squabbles, it sure is fun to see them enjoy each other. Maggie is such a good big sister, and Bode clearly looks up to her so much. 

Maggie-ism Monday, 10.7.2013

~Our dog Asia serves several purposes at our house.  Companion.  Protector.  And vacuum cleaner.  Case in point?  At a football game earlier this fall, when Maggie spilled some kernels of popcorn on the ground, she very seriously asked, "Do we need a dog?"

~Recently, Maggie asked what Daddy's phone number was.  When I started reciting "Five Oh Seven..." she stops me and said, "Why is it 'O'? That's a letter, not a number. "   Oh. Right. Zero.

~Maggie loves to check out the stars whenever we return home from any outings at night.  While gazing at the stars one evening, she contemplated, "Hey, why aren't there falling stars? Are they tired of falling?"


~After celebrating a classmate's birthday at preschool, she came home with a plastic Vikings ring that had been on top of her cupcake.  She was so excited to give it to Steve, knowing his love of football and the "purple team."   While getting ready for bed that night, I overheard her talking with Steve:  "Have you got your ring on?"It's right here. We don't wear rings to bed.""When you wake  up you can wear it to school!  *squeal!*  it's really special!!!"


~On our way to Maggie's dance class today, she noticed that I still had my tiara on from our earlier princess play time, and told me I needed to take it off.  "You can't be a princess at dance.  You can just be a mom," she explained.  I pretended to be sad, at which point she reminded me, "But you LOVE being a mom!"So very true.  :)

My big girl completed early childhood screening today.  Thankfully she wore her shoes on the correct feet, unlike in this photo.

Wednesdays and Fridays with Bode

As any mom of more than one child will tell you, finding times to spend one-on-one with each child is sometimes hard (and I only have two), but so important!

With Maggie, our one-on-one time often comes after she wakes up from her nap in the afternoon.  She takes a short afternoon nap, and now that Bode is down to one nap, he will sleep a little longer.  We often do some coloring or girly things.  This is what we did one of our days last week:

Maggie picked out new fingernail polish with some birthday money, and gave me a mani/pedi.

I have to be a little more intentional finding time to spend alone with Bode, but Maggie's new school schedule has lent itself to this mommy-son time quite nicely.

Wednesday and Friday mornings, we will walk Maggie the couple blocks to school, and then Bode and I will continue with the stroller.  The kid LOVES the stroller, which is quite a difference from his big sister at that age.  I remember barely being able to get a two-mile run in while pushing Maggie in the jogging stroller, struggling to hand her her one animal cracker at a time to prolong her semi-contentment.  Often these runs would end in me carrying Maggie and pushing the empty stroller back home.  Bode on the other hand will run TO the stroller, climb in, and insist we go for a walk.

So on these mornings, we usually walk back past our house and down to the little bridge over the river.  Bode loves to say, "Hi, bwiii!" (Hi, bridge!) and "Bye-bye bwiii!"

Bode shows off the leaves he collected on Wednesday.

Friday was a special doughnut day.

Bodes shows me the "X" on the bridge.

Looking for ducks, but they were absent on this rainy day.  "Cack! Cack!"

And then he's off!

Still loves to hold my hand.  Heart. Melting.

The climber.

Giggling while running toward me because he discovered leaves will stick to my workout pants.

Our walks are never long enough for Bode, but usually by this time, I feel I need to get back and get caught up on work emails before picking Maggie up from school.

Practicing his "Os" on Wednesday after our walk.

Birthday Girl

My baby girl is four years old today.  How in the world is that possible?  I know I say that every year, and probably will say it every year in the future, but seriously, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?  I cannot picture our lives without her silliness and giggles, determination, and kindness and concern for others.

So who is Maggie Allyson at 4?

She loves dress-up, PINK, Disney princesses, and being mommy to her kitties and puppies.

Her favorite foods are pancakes, pepperonis, "little Bobs," and, like her mommy, has a dangerously strong sweet tooth.

She insists on painting her fingernails and toenails by herself, and can spend a large chunk of time coloring as long as her little brother doesn't come and invade her space.

Although a girly girl, she still claims to love watching football with Daddy and playing basketball in our driveway.

She continues to gain confidence in new social situations.

She has a thirst for knowledge, loves to discover "why," and has a curiosity for how things are spelled.

She's still gets frustrated with her active toddler brother, but when separated for any period of time, will greet him with a squeal and affectionate headlock.

She loves to dance and sing and be silly.

She needs her mommy to cuddle her when she's hurt and scratch her back while she falls asleep.

And she gives encouragement and compliments like no other.

I really could go on and on about the many facets of my girl, but I'll leave you with some pictures from her friend birthday party on Saturday.  She requested pink and kitties. (I apologize for the photo quality...bad lighting at 10 am, I guess.)

"MEOW"

Steve got video of the girls making their masks and doing games (hunting for mice - aka Hershey kisses and eating like a kitty), but I don't have any still shots.

Party favors.

 Today, we celebrated with our family by going to Chuck E Cheese and Cherry Berry.

A necklace from Bode

And a princess castle!