Kiddos

K and I sporting our John Deere sweatshirts!

K wanted to feed sister the other morning.  He did great!

Sugar and I smiling for the camera!  She is so cheesy!

• Kayson had a rough week last week... at home and at school.  The teachers actually said that he was the worst he's ever been.  :(  He apparently thinks he's the 'leader' of things and has trouble (lots of trouble) listening.  He also seems to be the class clown.  So...  after a visit to Jan's office (the director), and lots and lots of tears...  we've had a better week this week.  I don't know if it 'scared' him enough, or he just actually learned that we don't act the way he was.  
• Kayson's been really good with Cora lately too.  Like the picture shows, he wanted to feed her... and she totally let him.  She can feed herself and does every morning and night... but she let him.  Hilarious. 
• Cora has learned to 'smile'.  She squints her eyes and smiles really cheesy-like.  Another hilarious thing.  :)
• Cora is saying more and more words.  They still aren't clear, but she repeats nearly everything we say.   She was saying something over and over tonight at supper, and I still don't have a clue what she was saying!
• Cora gets into everything.  I think that's an understatement actually.  She gets into the garbage, Kayson's things, drawers (kitchen and bath), my bath cabinets and pulls nearly everything out.  If there are things stacked or put away nicely, she's instantly into it and destroying.  :)  
• The kids have been playing with LEGOs every night.  Cora dumps them out, and they build...  well, Kayson and I build and Cora tears it all apart.  ha.  It's good playtime, and I'm thrilled that Kayson uses his imagination with it. 

Overwhelming Emotions

As the day as gone by, I'm more full of random emotions than ever.  It's been one of those days.  

We were just informed by some close friends that they have lost their unborn child.  These people are amazingly patient and have to go through the in vitro process.  So not going into any more detail - they've been through enough and it breaks my heart that this didn't happen for them.   Tears.

As I spoke an my last post - my ex's nieces were killed in a car accident Saturday.  Yes, this is heavy on my heart.  And as the day as passed, there's been more and more Facebook information and local news stuff mentioning the accident and details.  Again, it breaks my heart to know that family is breaking and will never see their young girls, cousins, nieces, granddaughters again.  Squeeze your children!

Kayson had a complete meltdown tonight...  We actually aren't even really sure what triggered it, but it happened, and it happened BIG!  We did really well at keeping our 'cool' and somewhat 'ignoring' the situation, but also talking it out...  Of course, the outburst shouldn't have lasted more than 1 minute, but we got through it.  Again, emotions - frustration, patience and proud (that we survived!) at the same time. 

A friend then turned to me to talk this afternoon...  she and her husband are struggling/not happy.  This, too, breaks my heart.  (how many times have I said that!?!)  

As I write, Ryan and I are giggling at the show 'Hollywood Game Night'.  We laughed at the kids tonight.  We specifically laughed at Cora tonight as she ate and ate and ate.  ha.  (She still doesn't eat all that well, but tonight she did!)  Ryan enjoyed quiet time with Cora reading books, while I wrangled and bathed Kayson (all during his meltdown).  So yes, we've had an interesting day/night.  

I hope we all sleep well!

Good Weekend

Quiet time has started here... kids are resting (we'll see how long Cora rests though - she can barely do 2 hours) :(  dogs are snoring, Ryan's reading the paper, and I'm sitting.  Awesome.  I should take a nap myself, but nah...  We did sleep til 8 this morning!  Cora even slept til 8:30!!!

Saturday was a nice day as well.  Kayson started swim lessons again.  This time we are trying Lifetime Fitness in West DSM.  Since we aren't members of the Y, we had a hard time getting in (during times that 'worked' for us). Kayson was excited to go...  but once it was time to get in the water - he was hesitant this time.  There are some major positives of this session - he's only got 3 kids in his little group, which I think is great.  He can get some 1 on 1 attention.  However, with him being nervous, it didn't go all that well this time.  I hope it's just cuz it was a different place and different people.  He did say the water was freezing.  I know that's no fun.

Anyway, the rest of the day, we just hung out!  Mike and JeanAnn came up and took Kayson to the movie, Frozen.  Cora and us just played at home... it was nice.  Saturday night (after they were back from the movie), Ryan and I went out for dinner just us, while Papa and Grandma stayed with the kids.  We tried a couple different places, but it was more than an hour wait at all of them... (I guess we don't go out often enough to remember that!)  So we landed at John & Nick's in Waukee - only a 30 minute wait!  We sat at the bar and just enjoyed ourselves... and had an amazing meal.  I was more than stuffed!  It was a good couple hours out.

In the mean time, Saturday afternoon, I was notified (through Facebook postings), that my ex's two nieces (sisters) were killed in a car accident.  They were 19 and 15...  too young... tragic.   It made me stop a couple times, and is still on my mind some today...  I knew the girls (they were young, very young) when I was in that family.  It really makes you think how life can end that quickly.

Anyway, today we slept in, like I said... which was great!  We've played and played.  Tonight I'm going out with Nikki and Nicky for some dinner... something we've had planned for 2 months.  And more talk of another terrible cold front coming through.  I am pretty sure I'm ready for Spring!!

I only have pictures of Cora this time.  K wasn't having it this weekend!  ha.

We tried a 'bow' and she's starting to get used to it.  She now looks like a girl!  ha.

She loves to get into the LEGO 'box' and have you fill it up!

Just another day? Or is it?

Today I turned 36.  I'm over the hump... closer to 40.  It seems ridiculous!  ha.  I've been saying (for weeks now) and even to my Mother in Law just this morning --- "It's just another day."  I got to work and got some very nice 'stop bys' and emails from friends... and one of the emails stuck with me.  A dear friend said to me (after I said that it "was just another day") - "It's not just another day Janelle - birthdays are a celebration of your life.  It's important to celebrate that you and have the people who love you dote on you!!!"  True.  Very true. 

I'm not sure if it really changes my views (for today!), but it definitely made me think!   I think in the future, I will make a little bit bigger deal about it (including Ryan's, and of course, the kids).  If you really do think about it - it's is a big deal.  If my parents wouldn't have had that 'oops', I wouldn't be here.  I wouldn't have lived a great childhood, had awesome experiences with sports, went through a crappy marriage, and found Ryan and became a mom.  So my friend is right!  ha.

It has been a good day...  the kids and Ryan sent me flowers, which are always so nice (a great way to pep up a day!)  Another good friend sent me flowers as well, which was a great surprise!  I got some awesome notes on Facebook and through email and some nice phone calls as well. 

We've stayed in tonight.  Ryan mentioned doing dinner out - but the kids (mostly Cora) make dinner out usually not very fun!  (We are at that stage with her!)  I think it's been about 4 weeks since we've went out!  ha.  So we stayed in - ordered Chinese, and have been playing.  Cora was tired, so she's down now... and now we'll just have some quality time with Kayson.

 

Kayson - 5 Year Well Check

The famous 5 year well check was Tuesday morning.  I can't believe we were doing a 5 year check already - time just goes too fast.  This years was a little different.  The questions the doctor asks and expects from Kayson was just different.  He's bigger - he understands - he is expected to answer questions.  They also did a quick eye check.  Kayson hasn't ever been to the eye doctor before... and we will be taking him sometime this summer.  He didn't do terribly, but I felt like he didn't do great either.  It could have been that he's just never done it before (didn't know what to expect).  But we'll get his eyes checked for sure.  

The shots SUCKED.  I mean, stuff like that is just terrible - for the kid, for the parents, for the nurse.  No fun.  :(  He cried and cried - hard...  those darn skinny legs!  It does break my heart, even if we do try really hard to make him 'not a wuss'!  He limped around all day (at daycare) [yeah, nice]...  but by this morning, he was fine. 

Here are his stats:
Weight: 39 lbs. (35%)
Height: 44.5" (75%)

Dr. Beebe asked if he eats (since he only gained 2 pounds since his 4 year check).  I told her yes - I didn't have any concerns.  He goes through stages of not eating much, then we'll have 3 or 4 days, that he eats everything.  I'm not worried.  

Kayson is still waking up 'wet'.  He's still wearing diapers at bedtime (we tried Pull-Ups, but they are too darn expensive - and he was never dry in the morning).  So I asked the doctor about that.  She isn't concerned at all - her words were "Is he a hard sleeper?"  I personally think so.  He sleeps great... never hears Cora.  So... we wait.  She said we'd revisit it at his 6 year (if nothing has changed).  But she said it's very common.  

All in all - Kayson is a 'normal' 5 year old.  :)

Love/Hate Relationship

I have a love/hate relationship with Sundays.  
Typically we don't have much going on for Sundays, which is nice...  even better this week - I have tomorrow off, so that's super nice.  I am going to spend the day with Lacey, and I can't wait!!  But most Sundays, our kids are crabby, sick of us, we are sick of them, and they don't listen!  [Nice huh?!?!]

Cora has been, let's call it, a cry baby.  Today, she literally cried all day.  She didn't eat much, she napped terribly, she whined (oh she whined), and rarely got a smile out of her.  This makes me SO sad.  Kayson had trouble listening...  both at lunch and supper, we had complete meltdowns.  At lunch, I had a meltdown too!  [Call me a cry baby too!]  It was one of those moments when NOTHING was going right.  I had two kids crying, Cora throwing things off her tray (which she does A LOT), Ryan and I are hollering (which I know we need to get better at) and all I kept thinking was "I just want my kids happy today!!!!"  Tears for me.  

So this Sunday was not fun... not going to lie!  :)  Tonight got a little better...  after Kayson's meltdown at supper, he finally asked for his supper (at about 7:15), so Ryan warmed that up... and he did pretty well the rest of the night.  Cora went to bed much better tonight than she has in weeks.  She's still not sleeping well through the night... it's like she cries in her sleep too!!  Oh lord!  :)

.............

Yesterday (Saturday), on the other hand, was great.  We watched Tate for a couple hours while Blair and Martina did some errands...  the kids actually played great.  Only one 'fit' from both K and Tate and that was at the end of the night.  Otherwise, they did awesome. I love having Tate here - he is so fun and has such a great little personality.  Blair and Martina stuck around through supper, so that was nice...  just hanging with them for awhile.  Ashley even visited for a couple hours too.  So Saturday was great!  :)  Too bad we can't erase today!  ha. 

Anyway, I did take some pictures over the last few days...  

Proud big brother.  He really is good with his sister. 

C found Tate's sunglasses and wore them for over 30 minutes.  :)

Cora, Uncle Blair & Tate

We can get a TINY pony in Cora's hair.  Hilarious.  And she hated it.

Tate playing football.  His softie was his 'towel'.

Cora Update

Since Wednesday's coughing and getting Cora early from daycare... I stayed home with her on Thursday.  She definitely wasn't feeling right.  She had a super runny nose... terrible cough, and low fever.  I got her into the doctor just to get her checked out.  My gut was 'virus'.  But the result was a double ear infection.  So that ear stuff was causing all the other bad stuff.  Poor girl.  So... we started ear drops again... and I can see a difference already.  I need to get better at just doing the drops more often just to maybe prevent...?  Either way, her ears are starting to drain, which they should... she still has the cough, but I can tell it's loosen up, and no fever!  So... we are on the mend.  I'm glad we are in the weekend! 

Thursday we had all that blowing snow come through...  with me staying home with Cora, K was at school.  We headed out at my normal time to get him... and the roads were TERRIBLE!  I'm so thankful that I have an AWD car!  I saw so many people not getting up hills or making corners, etc... I know I (and anyone else) can't do anything about ice, but it definitely does help a little to have that AWD.  So the trip to and from daycare was LONG!  But not as long as Ryan's drive home from Kansas.  He had said he should be home around 5:30/6:00...  but with a call at 5:15, he was at a stand-still on I80.  After hearing reports on the news and radio - there was a 25 car pile-up of accidents.  Oh Man!  Ryan (and his two co-workers) were at a stand-still for nearly 2 hours!!  I literally would have went crazy!  ha.  

Anyway, everyone got home safely...  

I'm glad it's the weekend...  Today Tate is coming to play for awhile, so that'll be fun for the kiddos.  It's a 3 day weekend for me, which I'm thrilled about!  :)

More to come with pictures!!

Tonight

We are on night 3 of Ryan being gone...  (just found out he'll be home tomorrow night - YEA!)...  but so far, this week with the kids has been really good.  Kayson's done really well for me...  a few outbursts [that's my nice way of him talking back/getting wound up!].  He's played really well - he's had quiet time really well - and has went to bed for me really well too.  All of those things add up to a successful few nights. 

Cora has been good too...  fighting a terrible cough.  This morning when I dropped her off at school, I was hesitant.  She was fussy... and a tad warm too.  I told the teachers just to watch her...  we almost made it the entire day.  At 2:50, I got the call.  Cora was warm and 'shaky'.  I didn't understand the shaky part...  they explained that she just wanted to be held and her arms and legs were twitching.  I got nervous, but the more we talked, we realized she was probably cold, but warm (due to the fever).  She sometimes gets a little 'nervous' when she wakes in the morning... so I wasn't TOO worried, but I knew that I needed to get her home.  I picked the kids up... and she was a mess.  Oh my goodness - she looked TERRIBLE --> red face, warm, snotty nose, messy hair... and such a sad face.  Poor thing.  

We got home... and literally just sat on the floor and watched Kayson play.  She did really well - she ended up playing a little...  being happy for a short time, then not happy too.  We made it through.  I'm hoping she sleeps well, and we'll get into the doctor tomorrow afternoon.  I need to get that cough checked out... hope she's not croupy.  

Anyway, that's all I've got.  I'm tired...  and I'm just going to relax tonight.  Here's to a better tomorrow for Cora May.

16 Month Comparison

Cora is almost 17 months, but I have been wondering how the kids compared... and really - I honestly don't think they look as much alike as I thought!!!  

Kayson had more hair - especially in the back, he even had some curls - and I remember we cut them off when he was 17 months!  Kayson's face was much more 'round' and his squinty Taylor eyes!  I was thrilled to find that they were both on some sort of Lightning car! 

Weekend

We had a nice weekend...  Saturday was our 'busy' day.  And Sunday was our quiet/lazy day.  Friday night we had some friends over; Heidi and Chris and their little boy, Brady.  Heidi provided supper, we did the sides, and it ended up perfect, and such a great night.  We just hung out and got caught up... and watched the kids play.  Kayson and Brady did really well together... and Cora just watched and giggled!

Saturday Kayson and I headed out early to get his hair cut.  We are so lucky that Lacey does this for us...  for the most part, Kayson is pretty good...  She goes fast, so I can't imagine how it would be if we had to sit there any longer than 15 minutes!  ha.  Then we headed home for about 20 minutes, then back out the door to Kayson's little girlfriend, Riley's, birthday party.  He told me that I could 'leave him there, he would be fine.'  So I did.  Ryan, Cora and I left him there.. we did a few errands, which was nice.  I took them home, then back to the party to pick up Kayson.  I got there a little early to watch and talk with a few other Mom's.  Now that I'm starting to know some of the Mom's I'm bummed that we won't be seeing them on a regular basis cuz Kindergarten will be starting sooner than we think!!!  I hope to keep in touch with a few of the kiddos and their families.

We headed home... quick lunch, then the kids napped.  We needed to head out the door by 4pm to get to Tate's birthday party.  Again, we had a great time... we just hung out, let the kids run and play, we ate a lot and celebrated with Tater.  He's such a busy little 3 year old (as of tomorrow!)  I just watch him and love him even more than last year.  All of the kids did really well... K and Tate are really starting to play great together... they 'pretended' a lot, which is awesome to see.  We stayed super late, but that's ok...  Cora crashed on the way home, but Kayson stayed awake... bedtime for him at 10:45!!!

Luckily, we all slept pretty well, and Kayson slept in.  Sunday was our lazy day...  a little cleaning and laundry for me, kids played pretty well and Ryan got the cars cleaned out!  I did my grocery shopping, which I hate more and more each week!  ha.  I told some friends that if I had all the money in the world - I would have a personal shopper!!!   

Pics from the last couple days.

I love how she looks at Kayson...  but also dread it too!  She's learning a lot!

Jumping off the couch.  Don't judge.

My sweet clean baby!

This & That

• I think I should add to my goals for 2014 to blog more.  I feel like I don't get on here as often as I used to...  I'm chalking it up to having two kiddos now!  I'm exhausted by 9pm.  :)
• Tonight Kayson and I went to WalMart.  We needed to get birthday gifts for Tate and his little girlfriend, Riley; plus other 'stuff'.  What could have taken me about 20 minutes, literally took us an hour.  Oh he slows me down!  ha.  But overall, he did pretty well...  but once we were home (and it was way late), he was pissed it was time for shower and bed.  
• One of our burners on our stove isn't working.  Weird.  I don't think I've ever had that happen.  Ryan might attempt to fix this on his own.  
• My throat is better.  My neck and back (and head) was sore on Monday, so I went to the chiropractor - explained to her that I had a terrible sore throat... she proceeded to try an 'all-day' acupuncture treatment on me.  Instead of the acupuncture needles for 30 minutes, she inserted small pins in four spots covered by bandaids.  [Some people, including my husband, think it's crazy!]  Anyway... I am willing to try it!  So...  Tuesday she wanted to see me again...  this time we did full 30 minutes acupuncture and a good adjustment (and a nap for me!).  Today, I feel great.  Now, I'm not saying that this 'fixed' my sore throat.  I did take some nasal spray and some motrin to 'kick' the pain a little...  basically it was my sinuses draining down to my throat making it sore and swollen.  So with all of that and (giving it some time), my throat and sinuses are better.  Success. 
• I haven't gotten my camera out in awhile.  Cora refuses to sit or stand in one spot for a picture, so I guess pictures will have to wait!!  
• Kayson's class at school is starting to limit naps...  typical naps are from noonish til 2:30 (I think)... they are now limiting to 1 hour.  So far, he's done okay. They need to get used to it - because in 9 months, there will be no naps.  I'm fine with this, he IS 5.  Not very many 5 year olds take naps, but we've been lucky!  (I think it shows that we chose the right daycare/school for our kids - routine, structure and lots of learning).  We will still offer the nap (as long as he wants) at home on the weekends... I feel like he still needs them. 
• Cora's been eating better at school.  According to her daily gram, she's eating some fruits and veggies.  Success!  She won't do it for us, but if she's eating at school, I'm happy! 

Saturday

It's been such a weird couple weeks for work...  off a bunch for the holidays and at random times during the weeks.  This coming week will be a 'full' week...  oh boy!  ha. 

Thursday I started having a sore throat...  felt ok, just hurting.  My glands were swollen, etc.  I woke up today, and it was even worse.  I still feel ok, besides being super tired, but the swallowing is pretty much impossible.  So I went to the walk-in clinic around 9:20 this morning...  the place was packed.  It was going to be a 2.5 hour wait.  Um... no.  I couldn't imagine waiting in that place with everyone else having masks on and other sick things going on.  No.  So I left - got groceries, and got home.  Like I said, I've felt just fine...  no fever, still have an appetite, etc...  I was able to snooze for a little bit while the kids did, and then my sister and her family came for a visit.  All the while, still feeling fine... just swallowing was hard.  :(  

I may try the walk-in clinic again tomorrow...  will have to be in the afternoon, cuz we have stuff going on in the morning.  I don't know... we've obviously used the walk-in clinics before and it's been fine, so I'm not sure why I'm having such a hard time doing this for me?  Maybe cuz I don't think it's that important as my kids' illnesses?  We'll see what happens!  

Anyway, it's been a nice day...  through all of this, I got a ton of laundry done, kitchen floor scrubbed and baths cleaned.  Pretty productive!  

Love seeing empty laundry baskets.  It lasted about 4 hours.  :)

Kids tonight.  Yes, Cora was naked.