Life of a 15 month old...

Will is getting better at self entertaining (even if that involves picking on his sister). I'm frustrated that he is 15 months and still on the bottle. But, our life is a bit crazy right now and I haven't been home enough to worry about it or try too hard to break the habit.
He is starting to talk a lot more. Sometimes the kids watch the "Teach your baby to read" videos and he has started to repeat words and follow instructions as they are shown on the video (examples: arms up, arms down, etc.) We can understand the following words: Daddy, Momma, Tractor, Jodi, Tucker, See ya', Hi, and Bye. He is doing well even though his hearing test showed that he (like both Gabbie and I) has left ear hearing loss. He is eating like a horse. We get home now between 5:30 and 6:00 and as soon as I open the fridge, cupboards, or stove to start supper he goes straight for his chair, then he goes to bed shortly after 7:00. I'm not used to having one go to bed so early! Seems like once the kids hit 1 year old I forget when they are supposed to go in for 'well child' check ups, so as far as I can remember Will is done with shots, etc for awhile.
We have been plenty busy lately with Thanksgiving, picking out our Christmas tree, decorations, visiting Santa (who even knew Gabbie and Will by name!!) Next weekend on Saturday morning we get to have breakfast with Santa at the hospital, then go to a movie-the Grinch I believe. Hard to believe, especially since my noon time run today was in a T-shirt!

Fun Fall

The warm fall continues, and the kids love being outside! I was so happy today to get home fairly early so we could work in the garden and play on the swing! It is so neat to swing under the moonlight on a warm night in November

Getting ready to surprize Ashley...I guess I thought one of these kids was mine, but doesn't look like it. Guess I need that eye surgery sooner than later ;-)

Gabbie's pre-school program for Thanksgiving, she did a good job! A little more shy in front of a group than when we practiced just her and I, but that's okay

I love Oreos!

Eating at the pre-school Thanksgiving feast! Spaghetti, jello, and hot dogs were a good feast to me!

We made a scarf! Gabbie thinks she helped a lot. She's interested in learning for sure so trying to encourage that while still getting something accomplished can be a challenge

 

Thanksgiving

Gabbie was already in Christmas mode after a trip to WalMart this week and commercials advertising all the most wanted toys of Christmas. This irritated me to no end. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I just can not raise a child who will give into the societal tendency to skip straight from Halloween to Christmas! We have plenty to do this weekend, but the next 10 days (basically up to Thanksgiving) already look pretty full on the calender. So this afternoon is all about Thanksgiving..the main event being making turkeys that include things we are thankful for (for which I am thankful to Pinterest for the help!) I underestimated my daughter. I was certain her list would include 'Spongebob', 'Dora', 'Thomas the train', 'Super Why', etc. But...she didn't do too bad! I prompted her to start with things she was happy to have. Her response was 'my room', then I just said what else or what next, and her list kept going. It included the following: Doors, Jodi (daycare provider), The Grandmas and the Grandpa, Books, Everyone, Juice & water, Storytime, Toys, Mirrors, Balls & Preschool & Dance, Scissors, Tory & Kenzie & Zander & Emmet & Mommy & Daddy & Will, Trees, Tucker, and Blankets. Not too bad! When we were done she said "Good idea Mommy!" Now we are going to finish our candy turkeys. We did start them earlier in the week (the reason for the trip to WalMart after dance the other night), but Gabbie was less interested in helping and more interested in eating Oreos. Today has been better so far!

Mr. Dan!

On a side note...Gabbie has become way interested in watching You Tube videos, especially of trains!

 

 

Anyway, the point of the post is that Gabbie and I went to see Dan Wardell from IPTV at the Wall Lake Library this week! He was great! He read some great books, and encouraged the kids to shut off their TV's and check out 3 books after the program. He really involved the kids in the program, and if the adults didn't participate we had to get up and dance!

He gave everyone a jump rope!

 

 

It was a fun program. Afterwards Gabbie came back to work with me and colored pictures for a few residents and insisted on hanging them on the doors. She is actually starting to draw what she says she's drawing, so that's fun too!

 

 

Another 'fun' note of the week is I have finally/officially scheduled Lasik surgery for January 4, 2013. After several months of headaches I went to my eye doctor this week. After listening to my symptoms he did refer me on to rule out sinus problems. But he feels that with my low blood pressure (85/50 that day) and my frequent motion sickness that I am just 'one of those people' who will get headaches. He also noted a significant increase in my astigmatism (spelling?) of the right eye the past couple years-and especially the past 6 months since I saw him last. So, the options for dealing with it were either wear my glasses at least 75% of the time or consider Lasik. Wearing my glasses a lot isn't much of an option; in the winter they fog up when I help Brice with the hogs, plus I can't stand being outside on a sunny day without sunglasses on-and I get annoyed with the clip on ones for glasses. My eye doctor had 2 coupons left worth $1000, and my health insurance will cover some of it, so I'm going for it! The last day I will be able to wear contacts is December 10th. I have been wearing contacts for 16 years, glasses for 23 years...I won't know what to do without them!! I'm already excited for the first day I can wake up and not search for my glasses before I get out of bed!

 

And...its a good thing we will be making trips for eye appointments, because we need to consider purchasing a toddler bed for Will! I was hoping he would be like his sister, and be almost 3 years old before we had to do that! But, he climbed out of his crib at daycare today. And, has attempted it at home. What  a monkey!

Wild Week!

We had a fun, wild, crazy week! Life is pretty darn great! Here are some pictures-some are a 'flashback' of Gabbie that I found as I worked on birthday stuff. They are in random order, sorry...

 

The gift of the year-an Ariel doll with clothing change options. Great job Aunt Gretchen! I took 5 pictures, and Gabbie would not take her eyes off the doll for any of them!

Yup, 14 months old and still on the bottle!

Little Gabbie at 1 1/2 years old with chalk on her face!

Helping clean out the truck one day before turning 2 so we could go fishing

About 8 weeks old I think

15 months old

Just prior to 2nd birthday

First captured 'real' smile at about 7 weeks I suppose.

2 months old, her first New Years Eve

Present day, kiddos playing! I love my Saturdays at home listenening to these 2 play, sometimes fight :) Will is getting naughty, doing things to make her mad on purpose!

Yeah! Taken the day before her birthday since her actual birthday was all about Halloween

 

My princess and ear of 'sweet' corn :)

We went and got some candy from Great G & G Simpson! Actually 5 minutes at the care center and we had a FULL bag

PreSchool trick or treating and field trip!

Trick or treating and supper with Grandma T

PreSchool field trip again, singing at the care center in Sac City. Yes, she did her own hair :)

Opening presents from G and G Hundling

Birthday Party! Each Disney princess had its own 'throne' until Tucker got ahold of one of them...

She got some fun presents!

Will was pretty certain that the Cars blanket was made for him...

We made her clean up after her own party :-)

 

This is pretty much what Tucker does, sit around :-)

I can't believe how much Gabbie has changed this past year. Last year at this time we were still trying to get her out of diapers and pacifiers. This year nothing seems to get past her. She asked me the other day "Mom, why are you gone so much?" I would have felt bad, except I really am lucky to be home with my kids more than most people, plus they have a great day care provider in a home that they love. I'm in 'job transition' right now and I think Gabbie just notices that things are more hectic than usual, or maybe she's tired of having to help more with laundry and dusting? :) After her birthday party Saturday night, which included grandparents, a neighbor, a great aunt, and a couple friends, she asked me "Mom, why didn't I have a big party like Will?" I told her that that was Will's 1st birthday, so we did a big party for that. She named several of the people that were at Will's party and asked why they didn't come to hers. I explained to her that she had a Week-long party, one night we had supper and gifts with Aunt Gretchen, one night we had supper with Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Charles and G & G H, one night we went trick or treating, one night she brought treats to dance, and then she got to have a party with her Princess Castle cake and more friends-after that she said "Okay, that's great but next year can I have a party with ALL my friends?" I said sure. She wasn't being selfish, just that she had noticed the difference had surprized me. She was so funny when she first saw her cake she said "Mom is that for me? Its SOOO beautiful!!" I tried 5 new recipes for her party last night so that was fun too! The leftovers will be nice for the next few days!

It is fun on the kids birthdays to just look back. Gabbie I will always refer to as my 'perfect baby'. She was soo good (other than not pooping starting at 8 weeks old!). I would take her to the rec center while I went swimming or running, and everyone would stop and say to me "Does she stay that good the whole time you are here" or "You are so lucky she is soo good!" I would always think to myself Geez, shes a baby that eat, sleeps, and poops, what's the big deal? Well, then I had another one that was not as content and I realized what they meant! Baby Will was great too, but 5 minutes in his car seat was about it. Gabbie slept through the night at 8 weeks, Will still does not do that! Gabbie held her own bottle pretty early. Will was over 6 months for sure! Gabbie was not much of a cuddler, Will is a cuddle bug! I have been blessed with 2 good eaters, and 2 healthy kids, whether they were both easy babies or not :-)

I'm so happy with my girl, and I'm glad she lets me cuddle with her for a few minutes a day before she goes to bed. I'm glad she is independent with a mind of her own (which also makes her naughty at times). I love how she compliments people, always saying "I love your shirt", "I love your hair". I love how she wants to wear dresses, but still wears boy underwear because it has Lightening McQueen on it. I love her interest in being outdoors and her love of the farm, I enjoy that she is starting to want to clean the house! She is stubborn, which makes it hard to teach her things, but she did master skipping at her last dance lesson-even if she was the last in the class to get it and it took the teacher lots of 1:1 to keep Gabbie from galloping instead of skipping. I think its great that last month when she grew up she wanted to farm, and this month when she grows up she wants to be a princess! I could go on for awhile but I better post all these pictures and get the kids ready for church, where I love that Gabbie helps every week with the collection! Happy November to all~