Rob's last day in the grey cubical

We made him a poster, because it was a special day.

more photo updates

Family photo
little lambs waiting for their turn in the Christmas musical

I guess we should have investigated why it was so quite upstairs...

making dog treats for our four legged friends

Gingerbread house 2010 version (like the toilet in the background?)

Our first naps at home and not in car seats in three days. Noelle slept for three hours, Dallas for three and half. I think they were so happy to be stretched out. They even slept through the destruction of my pantry and the start of the new shelves being put in!
My present under the tree from Santa was new pantry shelving. Really a gift for Rob and a I but I will be happiest about it. The note from Santa said my contractor would show up Monday and get to work, and be devilishly handsome. A win-win!

minivan Express

in our pj's with our blankets and 3D glasses
I find this adorable, he is wearing adult glasses, has a candy cane in one hand and two cookies in the other

Tonight we did our own version of this

We climbed into the van in our PJ's and drove around looking at lights, eating festive snacks, and listening to Christmas music. It is a perfect outing, Rob gets to drive, the kids giggle and get to stare at things, and I get to relax. The 3D glasses were left over from a movie we saw at the theater.

super post...

I feel like I am way behind blogging about our wonderful December happenings. Today was the first time this month I had downloaded photos to the computer. This is my attempt to catch you up, fast, in no particular order!

Dallas and his birthday ice cream at Hickory Park

Noelle loves to sit up straight and look at the world

Dallas frosting his first sugar cookie, and his last. This was as far as he got, then he proceded to eat all the frosting and one bite of the cookie

Sweet Noelle

Emily and Robert met Dallas, April and Jen in Dubuqe to see Manheim Steamroller in concert

Dallas and our first snowfall, yes he is wearing sandals

Watching Rudolph the red nosed reindeer

my dear friend Sarah gave birth to Libby, and I got to hold her, she was about 12 hours old

Dallas is two! He thought the tractor on the cake was the coolest thing

decorating the tree in their room

Noelle and I posing in front of our Cyclone tree

Emily's thankfullness tree (Nov. carryover), designed/executed by Aunt April

Dallas 2 year well visit

We went to check Dallas out today. For all the concerns we had all year about his wheezing and his lungs he is a healthy big boy.
He weighed 29lb, and was 35.5" tall. His head is still in the 90% but height and weight were even-steven at 50%. He gained two pounds and grew two inches in six months. Pretty good for a kid who has probably eaten 10 veggies total in six months. I guess we get to start vitamins with him. Any suggestions on kinds, I think he will think the Finestones or the gummies would be candy. I will keep putting a balanced meal on his plate, but the Dr. agreed with me that you still can't reason with him eating yet, and it is better to make meal time as pleasant as possible so we are not going to force food (yet), but there will be no treats either!

He is just finishing up another round of amoxicillin for last weeks ear infection. He has had two infections since the tubes, lets hope that is it. It also appears that one tube is clogged, so we will try to fix that with some drops. Developmentally he is a star. I encouraged him to say "good morning Dr. Swanson" and that was a big hit!

Christmas letter

I finished our 2010 Christmas letter. Click on button to the right indicating letter and it will take you to the Christmas letter page.

popcorn Sunday

Is anything more awesome than a dinner of popcorn, cheese and apple slices? Yes. That Sunday is Rob's night to cook. He makes the best popcorn ever, the kids are so excited to eat popcorn for dinner. I love the break. It seems that most of the battle is deciding what to eat, I have recently gone back to planning our meals for the week, which really helps. I took a big break.
We have a stir-crazy popcorn maker, but every now and then he makes it on the stove in my soup pot, and it is extra good.

if you still need to buy your kids a Christmas present

Buy this YooKidoo bath fountain. I bought mine (actually a couple for birthday presents too) through diapers.com. They have a great first time customer discount and often you can find a coupon for free shipping.

We got this for Dallas for his birthday. We have used it twice and I bet our water bill is already lower. I don't know how it will hold up long term as we have only had it in use a couple days. Every kid likes the bath better with running water, and this makes bath time super fun. The fountain head swivels and do does the cup holder. You can put three different cups in the holder. The colors are bright and fun. A great toy for $20. Watch out because it will elicit a tantrum when trying to remove the kid from the tub.

Dallas is 2

Dallas and his daddy, (iPhone pic)

Dallas and his namesake 1 year

Dallas in 2008 minutes old

Tomorrow I will be a mom to a 4 year 5 monther, a two year old and a 12 week old baby. I am in awe of how I got here, how I handle or not handle it, and what my life has become.

I am really happy with my life, I want to do a better job of living in the moment. I see time passing so quickly, how is Noelle 12 weeks already? I am putting away 0-3 month clothes that she is to long for. I am reflecting on the fact that I am lucky enough to have had another baby to wear these clothes, but sad that this might be the last time I see my baby wear them.
I am busy taking in Dallas's language, he will say anything you ask him to, and it is so stinking adorable. I know soon he will be able to pronounce the words more correctly and I fear I will forget the adorable way he says "mini loader" or "skid steer".
And quite honestly I spend quite a bit of my day negotiating Dallas and Emily. I dwell on the precious moments where they play wonderfully together, and make up some new activity that causes them both to giggle. But many times it is breaking up quarrels, how does Em know already that repeating everything her brother says will annoy him so? They fight over the same silly toy when they are blessed with so many toys that go unplayed with. And they hit, each other all the time!

I have these grand plans for how our day should go, all the activities I want to do with them, and then the daily house stuff. I get irritated that I mean for us to leave the house at 9:30 and we arrive some place at 10:15, because we can't find a hat, or we want to wear a spring jacket not a winter coat. I should relish in these fits that occur daily, but instead it annoys me, that I am a bad parent for letting it happen, that we will be late, that I don't have the patience in the moment to be helpful and redirect a kid throwing a tantrum and instead I lose my cool! My goal for this month is to live in the moment, really enjoy these blessings I have. As my friend Jen's blog says... The Days are long, but the Years are short