Dentist pictures + 1 cousin:)

Kaarin & Esther - cousins who are about 5 weeks apart in age!

Kaarin just got to lay on the dentist's lap.:)

Annika, doing a great job at the dentist!

Kellen finishing his cleaning.

Doctors and Dentists

The kids went in last week for their 6 month dental exams. It didn't go as well as their first exams because:
1) Annika had to get x-rays since she hadn't last time (she wasn't 3), but I didn't know this & had not prepared her for it;
2) Annika had wanted Kellen to go first, but since he had x-rays last time, she had to go first;
3) The dental hygienist poked Kellen's tongue with the electric toothbrush while brushing his teeth, so he didn't want her to finish -- but he did eventually let her;
4) Annika wasn't nearly as gung-ho to get into the chair after Kellen - she is wiser now;
5) Kellen had 2 cavities.:(

Kaarin also got a check-up, & she did great.:) After the appt., we went to get a Little Caesar's pizza & Toy Story 3 from Redbox. That is what we did last time, so it will probably become our 'tradition.' Overall the kids did great, but it was not with as much excitement as last time.

Then, the next day, we headed back to the Dr. for a check-up for everybody due to lingering colds & coughs (coughs that were inducing vomit). Turns out Annika had a double ear infection!!:( Poor baby. Antibiotics are helping her feel better.:) The other 2 were fine, but good to know.

2nd Santa attempt

Kellen did this puzzle completely by himself - no one helped him! It's 60 pieces! And, he hadn't done it with help since he got it for his birthday in July. Great job!

The girls are playing "nigh-nigh." :) Doesn't Kaarin look cozy?

Our 2nd attempt for a picture with Santa...Kellen refused to get out of the stroller. We get one more chance, when we go pick up the picture (next week) they will do a retake for free. Watch for an update...;)

Last night we went to Barnes & Noble because they were celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Polar Express. They were going to read the book, have hot chocolate & cookies, Christmas crafts, etc. It was a BIG disappointment.:( The gal who read the book was a terrible reader, had obviously not brushed up on the book, & was extremely hard to hear. Plus she didn't do a very good job of showing the pictures. Then, they brought out the hot chocolate about 3 pages into the book, so she decided to take a break for hot chocolate. Not really a good idea when you have 25 1-7 year olds already sitting nicely...she should have just finished the book. Anyway, my kids didn't really sit for it, but mostly because I led them astray.:) Kellen went to play trains & the girls looked at books & loved on stuffed animals.:) Well, mostly Kaarin did that.:) The 'Christmas crafts' that they had were coloring Christmas dittos. No thanks. The only thing that was great was they gave each child a 'polar express' bell. The kids were VERY excited about that.:) But everything else was a bust.

And our 2nd attempt at Santa didn't go very well either. Apparently we only have 2 children this Christmas.:) Kellen flat out refused to get out of the stroller, & totally freaked out if I tried to move the stroller closer. Not even the bribe of a present from Santa could lure him there. Hmmmm. It may have helped if I had known that he was sick (he'd had a runny nose, but after his nap that day he had a fever of 101), we probably would have gone a different day. We have one more chance: when we pick up the pictures we can do a retake - AND go straight to the front of the line!:) I don't think it will matter, he already has his mind set against it. But I am always willing to try!;)

Well child exams

I took the girls in for their well child exams yesterday. Kellen was supposed to be at school, but he had been running a small fever (101) the day before, & they wanted him to be fever-free for 24 hours before he came back, so he was with us too. Annika kept telling me, "I don't want to have a check-up." I would then tell her that it was not a choice, & then she would say, "No, thank you." Ha. Sorry, you still have to go. So here are their stats:

Annika, 3 yrs. old: 40 inches tall, 30 pounds (EXACTLY the same as Kellen at age 3)
Kaarin, 19 months old: 31.25 inches tall, 19 pounds. Runt.

Annika & Kaarin each got one shot, & we decided to give Annika's first so that she wouldn't see Kaarin cry & then not want to have it. So, she got her shot & CRIED & WAILED & went on & on. Kaarin got her shot, said, "Oooowwwww." Then went on her way.:) Too funny.

*A little side note -- Annika is still doing AWESOME without her binky. We are so proud of her! And SO HAPPY to be binky-free!:)*

Updates

Christmas program at school - Kellen is a modern-day shepherd.;)

Apple Cup 2010...Huskies won, so they will wear these shirts again next year.:(

Annika's first day with no more binkies! She is resourceful!

Updates:

Annika: We had decided that Annika would give up her binkies when she turned 3, since they were starting to be a hindrance to her, & she wouldn't leave them alone & only use them for sleeping. We came up with the idea that she would give them to a baby, since she is now a 'big girl' at 3. We have been talking about it for a few weeks, & at first she was really excited! I think 2 things happened: 1) she thought she'd feel different when she turned 3, meaning she was now a big girl; 2) reality hit when she actually turned 3, that now she was going to have to give them up! I finally talked to a friend with a baby who said we could bring them over & we set a date to do it (today). I told Annika that we were going to give her binkies to Baby Sophie, & she said, "No, I want to give them to the baby where I jumped." Huh?! I finally figured out that one of the places we had the conversation about giving the binkies to a baby was at our small group, where there is a very little baby who was crying & needing his binky, & then later Annika went out & jumped on the trampoline.:) So we decided to split the binkies between Baby Sophie & Baby Aaron.:) Last night we put them all in a box, & today we delivered them! She did AWESOME! We celebrated by going to McDonald's afterwards. At nap time she did cry for her binky, but if you see the picture above she figured something out.:) I don't think she'll use her fingers as much as she used her binky, so I'm not too worried about it. YAY, ANNIKA!!!! ( I am SO glad to be rid of binkies!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have any of ours at your house, throw them away immediately!;) )

Kellen: Kellen had his school Christmas program last night. He did well. He did not want to wear a costume, but he went up on stage with his class. He didn't sing either, but at least he was up there - & we did see him almost crack a smile a few times.:) Maybe he was just laughing at his friends who were dressed like shepherds & angels, or maybe he actually was having a bit of fun. Who knows, but I'm just glad he didn't freak out about the whole thing! He is doing more & more at school each week. His goal is more peer interactions, & last week he threw a ball back & forth with a friend, played in the sandbox, & also moved away from the art table (BIG deal) to play with legos & make a collage. He is moving right along. Another year of pre-school will be a plus for him

Kaarin: Kaarin may very well be our 'ham.' I think every family has to have one, right? She is so funny.:) We were at K-mart the other day, playing in the toy dept. They had a 'Dance Party Mickey Mouse' that played music & moved its arms & legs to 'dance.' She kept pushing the button, & DANCING along with Mickey! It was hilarious. I wished I'd had a video camera! Maybe she's on closed-circuit K-mart video.:) She is getting very independent, & really wants to do a lot more by herself. She also wants to do what Kellen & Annika are doing. Her favorite words are 'hi' & 'bye.' She says this to everyone she passes!:) Kellen even said to me yesterday: "Kaarin says hi a lot." :) She cracks us up.:)

Another funny

Today we were getting ready to go pick Kellen up from school, & after that we were going to go see Santa. Annika was wearing a red/black/white plaid skirt (which she didn't want to wear) & started putting on her pink floral tennis shoes. I told her to put on her black shoes because they matched better & she said, "Miss Kathi (Kellen's teacher) love these shoes, that why I want to wear them." :) Miss Kathi has told Annika how much she loves those shoes & that she wishes she had some just like it. Cute.:)

As you can see in the photo below, our visit to Santa was not a success. Kellen refused to get out of the stroller, even after the promise of a treat. Annika was ready to go & she got her candy cane. Kaarin just looked at me & CRIED. Hard. I think we'll try again next week on a day that Kellen doesn't have school so that we can go earlier. I will also think about wrapping up a small gift for each of them for Santa to give to them if they cooperate. That might be more enticing than a treat.

More pictures

Chasing in the snow

Tacoma Children's Museum

Children's Museum

Our first attempt at a photo with Santa - Annika was the only one who cooperated. We'll try again next week.:) Kellen told me that he didn't want to see Santa today because he hadn't decided what to ask Santa for for Christmas. Good reason, I guess. Kaarin just CRIED.

Fallin' in the leaves.:)

Birthday photos

Birthday ice cream.:)

Lite Brite!

Her presents.

Happy Girl at Charlie's Safari!

At her birthday party.:)

Kid funnies

A couple of funny kid things:

Mommy: "Annika, come here & let me comb your hair."
Annika: "Why? I beautiful."

Tonight I was reading Kaarin stories before bed, & she was tooting up a storm.:) Finally I said to her, "Kaarin, where are all these tooties coming from?!" She pointed to her bottom & said, "Der!" LOL.

We rode the Light Rail to the Tacoma Children's Museum today, & then walked down to the Learning Sprout toy store (we had some make-a-plates to pick up, & Annika has some birthday $$ to spend). We ran out of time today, but we will go back when we have more time to play. Anyway, Annika was so cute: she got the kid-sized shopping cart, put the things that she wanted into the cart, wheeled it around the store, then when it was time, she wheeled it up to the counter, took her things out & put them up on the counter to pay.:)

Kaarin is starting to be a bit of a pain to take grocery shopping - she is small enough that she can slither out of the buckle in the cart, & then she thinks she can get out (she has already fallen out once!!:( ). When we get to the check out I let her get out & she & Annika help me put the stuff on the belt. Then she likes to look at all the candy, which of course is right at her level. She takes on in each hand & then takes off running down the store, as if she can get away, they're hers to eat. LOL.

Kellen is totally in to legos these days (the little tiny ones) & is getting really good at building things all on his own! He builds diggers & dump trucks & cranes...without any help at all! I am amazed. He is 100x better at building than I am.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Annika!!

Annika is 3!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Her birthday was actually on Thanksgiving this year, but we let her think it was the next day.:) Turkey & stuffing weren't really her idea of a good birthday dinner! So on Friday we went to Charlie's Safari for a fun time of jumping around. The kids REALLY love it there.:) Kellen did have a meltdown toward the end (he still hasn't said what was wrong), but other than that we had a great time. It was a little bit more crowded than we are used to, since we usually go when the 'bigger' kids are at school. But it wasn't as bad as we thought it might be! After that, we went to Round Table Pizza for their lunch buffet. I think the kids were hungry, as Kellen ate 3 pieces of pizza & Annika & Kaarin both ate 2! Then we came home for 'naps' (or something - K&A didn't nap) then presents & ic cream. Annika got some new pjs, a shirt, a puzzle & a LIGHTBRITE!:) It does say ages 4+ on it, so she had a harder time with it than Kellen did. He loved it.:) We try to put it up when Kaarin is awake, so the pegs don't go everywhere!! All in all I think Annika had a very fun birthday! She was a bit disappointed, however, when I had to explain to her that just because she is 3 now doesn't mean she gets to go to pre-school TODAY.:( She has been wanting to go ever since Kellen started!

I'll post some pictures later.

A breakthrough?!

KELLEN WENT POO POO ON THE POTTY TODAY!!! WOOT WOOT! I can't really even tell you how long it's been...so I am celebrating huge on the inside!;) He showed it to me & I said, "O.k. Remember to wash your hands." I don't know if he was a little bit disappointed in my reaction, but he usually tells me not to say 'yay.' And I told him that I wouldn't, nor would he get any treats for going (he asked about that, too). Potty times around here are going to be just another part of the day. No hoopla. No special treats. Just what we do.

I forgot these...

Annika, while I was putting on makeup, "Why you drawing on youself, mommy?"

Kellen requested the other day that I wear my green sweater & no hat (I had worn a baseball hat on that day). I did, the next day. Then yesterday again he asked me to wear my green sweater with no hat, instead of my red-&-white sleeved sweater. He said, "You smell so pretty much better without your hat." Ha!

Kaarin also says 'banana.' :)

Funny kid quotes

The other night at dinner, Kellen & Annika were counting how many people were at the table. "1-2-3-4-5!" Then Kellen said, "When Daddy's at work there are only 4 of us." I asked him if we counted Mookie in our family how many there would be. "Six!" he said. I said that was right, & that Mookie is a part of our family too! Kellen said, "Yeah, but he doesn't really like us."


Today I took the girls to story time at the library while Kellen was at school. Annika put her finger toward me & said, "Here Mommy, it's a boogie." I told her that I didn't want it & she said, "O-tay, I put it in Kaarin's nose."


Kellen suddenly is very into guitars & has decided that he wants one for Christmas. Erik & I brought out our (uplayed) guitars for him to see. Tonight at dinner he said, "Mommy, for Christmas I want a guitar AND a drum so that I can play really loud music!"

Kaarin is saying a lot more words, some of her latest are : let go, water (wa wa), hot! (with a hand out like 'stop'), see (when she wants to see something like a picture or something), and 'no, no, no.' She has also started laughing very intentionally at Kellen or Annika when they are doing something funny.:)

Halloween Fun

At church.

Look at that candy!

This week was full of activities for the kids, & we participated in a lot more than we ever have! Overall it was a really fun week.:)

To start, the Lakewood YMCA had a 'costume parade' where all the kids in their costumes paraded around the Y & the stafff handed out candy to them. That was fun, but the real reason we went was because the kids then got to play in the gymnastics room! We went to a birthday party in that room a year ago, & it's so much fun!! The kids had a great time, the only bummer was that it was pretty short.

Saturday we went to PLU & trick-or-treated on Garfield street. The local businesses were handing out candy to the kids. It was really fun & it didn't rain at all! The kids also got to decorate a cookie. There was supposed to be 'fishing' as well, but we didn't find it. Afterward we played at the bookstore & had pizza for dinner at Farelli's.

Sunday we started out trick-or-treating on our street, which was really fun. It's nice to see our neighbors, & they enjoy seeing the kids. I was surprised at how many of our neighbors handed out FULL-SIZED candy bars! The kids were really excited about all their treats, especially Kaarin! She didn't want me to help her carry them at all...I don't think she trusted me.;) She carried at least one treat in each fist the whole way.:) After we went around our neighborhood, we headed to church for the Harvest Carnival. It was a lot of fun, & the kids did a great job at the games this year.

All in all we had a lot of fun with the activities. I will have to hide/pilfer the candy, though...they have WAY, WAY too much to eat all themselves!;)

Kid Update

I have a very short window of time during nap time lately, since Kellen has not been napping most days anymore. He still has to have Quiet Time so that I get a little break from everyone!! Really, our lives depend on it.;) Here is a quick update on each of the kids:

Kellen: Hmmmm....what to say about Kellen? I think this boy is too smart for his own good, meaning that it gets in his way of having fun. Or maybe that's his stubbornness...? He gets very specific ideas in his head, & he then has no flexibility. I am sure that when he is a teenager facing peer pressuer that we will really appreciate this trait of his, but for now, I wish he would loosen up a bit! For instance, when I ask him if he went outside at school (yes) & what he did, he tells me: "No, I don't play at school." And where did he get this idea? That's exactly what school is for!! But somewhere along the way he decided that he doesn't play there, & nothing is going to change his mind. He is doing well at school, other than that.:) He can write his name now, & is learning all about the days of the week, months of the year, etc. He has a wonderful memory (which maybe also gets in his way a little bit), so we really have to be careful what we say!! Kellen has reverted 100% backwards in potty training, & I really don't know why. Apparently he needed to take control of some part of his life, & this is how he chose to do it. I have been trying to figure out what to do (NONE of the books deal with this issue, at this age) so here is my plan: I told Kellen that there will be no more treats for going to the bathroom (we were trying to encourage it with rewards, but it wasn't working...), no one will say 'Yay', he doesn't have to tell me, & I will not ask him if he needs a new diaper -- everything is HIS responsibility. When he is ready to use the potty, he just will. No hoopla, no rewards, nothing. He will just decide that he is ready. & that will be that. Even if we can smell him a mile away, we will not ask him if he needs to be changed. Eventually, he will get it. I just hope it's sooner than later!!!!!!!! I knew I'd have 3 in diapers for a little while, but never expected it to be for 1.5 years!!!

Annika: Annika is about to turn 3, & she is SO excited about it.:) Unfortunately she also thinks that she will go to pre-school as soon as she turns 3, so it will be a great disappointment to her that she has to wait until Fall. Annika takes many cues from Kellen, until her good sense kicks in.:) Such as, over the summer Kellen decided that he didn't want to wear shorts anymore (?). Annika said that too, until she got too hot, then she changed her mind that shorts were o.k. Unfortunately she has not made this connection with the potty yet either, so she is still in diapers too. I don't care which kid is out of diapers first, just somebody!!!! Annika will also be giving her pacifiers to a baby (not one in our house) after she turns 3, so we have been talking about this to make sure she's ready. I am so ready to be done with binkies.:) I am very glad that she has been the only kid to use one. Annika is a very social girl & loves to play with others. She likes to be the leader.

Kaarin: She is such a little monkey!! Oh my goodness, the things she climbs on...& falls from. Not good. She is so small that she just kind of fits everywhere!! She is discovering her independence & is learning the power of 'no.' She LOVES running around with Kellen & Annika - it is SO funny to see them all running together.:) Usually Kaarin is following a bit far behind, but her excitement & enthusiasm to be 'one of the gang' is hilarious.:) She also has quite a bit of exhuberance, so that just adds to the humor.:)

(I think Kellen is actually napping today! Yay for me!:) )

Aloha!

With Randy & Evie at Mama's Fish House

Shave Ice. The most amazing thing ever.

Lava Fields

Us at the beach!:)

WAAAAAYYYYY too long between posts again....so I will just write briefly & hopefully update more later.:) We had an AMAZING trip to Hawaii to celebrate our 10th anniversary!! The weather was perfect, the company was great, & we didn't really have a long enough trip. Hoping to go back sooner than later. Helping to make this trip amazing was our parents, who split the week babysitting. It was wonderful to call home & hear our happy children in the background, & know that they were being well cared for. THANK YOU AGAIN!!

Here are a few highlights of our trip:

*Sun, sun sun...need I say more?!

*O.k., sun....;)

*Maui sand. Love it between my toes

*Snorkeling at Kapalua & other great beaches.

*Exploring the lava fields

*Sushi!!

*Amazing food all around...

*SHAVE ICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Pina coladas every day...

*Driving around the North side of the island, visiting Kahakuloa town for some banana bread in a treehouse.:)

*I'ao Needle

*Papaya on the side of the road

*Visiting with Erik's mom's cousin, Randy, & Evie.

*Mama's Fish House!

*Visiting with friends Melissa & Karma - Maui Taco

*Relaxing at the pool, reading on the Kindle! Love that thing. Now I need one...;)

*Exploring new beaches

*Sleeping whenever we wanted to.:)

*Ahhhhhhh.....relaxation.

Pictures, finally!

Nutella for breakfast.:)

Reaching the water so she can brush her teeth...

Brushing teeth before nap...

Spray park at Eagle Crest

Petting zoo - Kaarin & a goat.:)

A sweet kitty.:)

A zebra!!

Petting zoo in Oregon - a wallaby!

Papa's boat in Friday Harbor. A beautiful day!

On Papa's boat, on our way to Friday Harbor!

Kayaking at Lopez...beautiful evening!

It was a HOT weekend!! All the kids went into the water!:)

Daddy's big helper...

Fun at the pool...unfortunately the weather wasn't the best this summer, so we didn't get to enjoy more days there.

Sorry so small....I love this pic of the 3 of them though!!

Summer vacations

I have not updated this blog in awhile...we have been busy!! Mostly with fun stuff. We took a weekend trip up to Lopez Island in mid-August. Erik's parents took the kids up on Fri. night (I had a wedding to go to) & then Erik & I came up Sat. morning. We stayed until Tues. It was a WONDERFUL weekend to be on the island, as that is the weekend it was in the 90s here in WA. I don't know what the official temps were up there, but it was hot. Hot enough that all my kids went into the water (which is cold).:) We had a great time!!

This past week we drove down to Eagle Crest in Redmond, OR. This trip created memories, unfortunately, like our Palm Springs trip...SICK!:( We got down there on a Sat. night, & Sun. morning Kellen woke up with a fever of 103.5. This lasted for 4 days. On Monday we were on our way to the swimming pool, & Kaarin threw up in the car.:( She threw up 3 more times, but fortunately that was the end of it. Thurs. morning I woke up sick with the flu, & we decided just to head home early since no one else was sick (yet) & to just be on the safe side. Bummer!!!! I'll make a brief list of the highlights & lowlights of our trip:

Highlights:
*We got to go to a really cool petting zoo, where they had a zebra, a wallaby, pot-bellied pig, goats, alpacas, etc.!!
*Annika & daddy went in the spray park!
*We did go swimming a couple of days...
*We had really good weather
*The kids did great in the car both ways
*All 3 kids slept in the same room, & did a great job!


Lowlights:
*Kellen's fever
*Kaarin throwing up
*There were fires in the area, & the winds picked up on Thurs. & the smoke smell was REALLY strong!
*We were (attempted) scammed by 3 kids who were about 8-10 years old at McD's our first night there...they told Erik they were hungry & had no food at home & wanted him to buy them some food. Erik talked to the workers at the counter who said that was not true, & that those kids were in a lot...she finally came back & talked to them & told them to leave or she would call the police!
*We couldn't take our bikes with us -- we discovered the night before we left that our back rack doesn't work on Honda Odyssey vans...:( Turns out it didn't matter, anyway.
*We spent A LOT of time in our room watching movies.:( Again.
*We didn't get to stop in Portland on our way home to visit our friends Tom & Karin.:(
*Coming home early from vacation, that didn't really feel like vacation...:(

Hello?

Are you there? Yes, I am here...I know! I know! It's been a long time since I've posted anything!! That is partly because we have been SO BUSY (now that the sun & summer have arrived) but also because we haven't really done a lot.:) Does that make sense?! We've really been enjoying our time at home, spending time outside. We've gone to the pool a few evenings, & it has been a blast. All the kids love it -- yes, I said ALL! Kellen has gone in each time, & this last time he only waited about 10 minutes before changing.:)

So, we have a few vacations coming up, to close out August, & other than that just plan to keep enjoying the weather while it's here!

Here are a couple of kid highlights:

*Kellen is using the potty again, probably about 80% of the time we're at home!! This is a big deal. He has still never used any other potty than ours, but we'll get to that. At least he'll use ours. He still, however, refuses to wear his underwear...

*Annika sang the ABC song for the first time today!

*When I put Kaarin in her crib for nap or bedtime, she pats the rail & says, "Da done! Da done!" Yeah. Nice try, sweetie, but you can't be all done if you haven't started yet!

*Annika has been working hard at using the potty, & has even gone #2 once!:) She isn't quite ready for underwear, she still has too many accidents.

Update

Time sure gets away! I'll chock it up to the fact that we have just been having fun now that summer is here.:)

We celebrated Kellen's 4th birthday on July 9 -- I think in my last post I listed all the things we were doing that day.:) It was a fun day, though Kellen didn't take a nap that day so that always makes for a less-than-fun evening. We didn't have his birthday party until July 17th, it was a lot of fun! We had about 45 people here & it was a beautiful day. Kellen was...less than social, but he also didn't take a nap that day either. Plus he got so many cool presents he really just wanted to go play!

A few other highlights from the last couple weeks:

*We have gone swimming in the pool a couple of evenings, & Kellen has gotten his swim trunks on & gone in the pool every time! Granted, it takes him until 7:30 to reach this point, so by that time he is down to 20 minutes of pool time...but who cares! I'll take it!!
Kaarin & Annika LOVE the pool, so they have been having a blast. The evening is such the perfect time to go, there are only a couple of people still at the pool!

*Annika has been doing awesome at going pee pee on the potty, & even went poo poo for the first time ever!! (on the potty, that is) She has been spurring Kellen on a bit, as he usually goes in to go when she does.:) But he still won't wear underwear, & still isn't using the potty 100% during the day. Sigh. Baby steps with him...If I can just get 1 out of diapers (I don't care who!!) I'll be happy!

*We are loving the sunny weather!!

*Papa & Bestemor came to stay with us for several days, & daddy & Papa played in a golf tournament. It is always fun having them here!

*Grandma has babysat a couple of times, while mommy, daddy, Papa & Bestemor went to dinner for the golf tournament - yum!

*Annika said to me one morning: "I like you, mommy - you pretty!" All this with wet hair & no makeup.;)

*Yesterday I made Kellen & Annika a sandwich & Kellen said, "What kind of sandwich is this?" I said, "Cheese - grilled cheese." Kellen said, "No, I'm a boy - it's a boy-cheese sandwich." :)

Happy 4th Birthday, Kellen!

Today is my sweet boy's 4th birthday! Here's what we have planned for the day:

*His choice for breakfast (he picked waffles, but didn't eat much of it, so I'm not sure he loved them - they were homemade!)
*A visit to Toys R Us to pick out a toy with his birthday gift card (he picked Rheneas the train -- I tried to encourage him to look at other toys as well, but he was set on a train...)
*Lunch with Daddy at Round Table Pizza! Kellen ate 3 pieces - guess he was hungry from very little breakfast...
*Nap time (right now)
*TOY STORY 3!!!!!!!! We are just taking Kellen & Annika, Kaarin is going to go hang out with her cousins.:) This will be the first movie in the theater for them!
*Cake & presents! Kellen chose cherry cake, so we'll see if he likes it...:) We baked it last night so we wouldn't have to worry about running out of time today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KELLEN! WE LOVE YOU!

Trains!

Erik took a day off last week & we took Kellen & Annika on the Sounder up to Seattle! Kaarin spent the night/day with my parents, for the first time, & did AWESOME!!:) It was just easier not to have her with us, since she wouldn't have cared about most of it & is so squirmy now that she is mostly walking...oh yes. Anyway, we started our day out at the Pike Place Market (we have 2 books, "Larry Gets Lost in Seattle" & "Seattle ABC" that we read a lot, so we wanted to visit several places in our book! Pike Place is of course one of them) for doughnuts fresh from the oil.:) Delish as usual! We looked at the fish, flowers, etc. (Kellen received quite a scare when the monkfish he was looking at suddenly MOVED, with the help of the 'fisherman', though Kellen did not know that...not the best start to our day!). Then we went down under the viaduct (also in our book) to the Seattle Aquarium (yes, in the book).:) We had lots of fun there, then walked down to Ivar's for lunch...Annika fell asleep on the way there, & slept through lunch! Kellen & Erik fed the seagulls french fries.:) Then we took the monorail to Seattle Center where we saw the EMP (we didn't go in, but it is a site in the book) & the Space Needle! We didn't go up this time...the fountain was on, so we watched that for awhile, then got some (not-very-good, overpriced) ice cream. We took the monorail back then headed back to the Sounder. Kellen fell asleep on the way back to the train & slept the whole way home on the train!! Overall it was a really fun day, aside from a couple of things.:) I'm so glad Kaarin passed the 'spending the night' test! She got another opportunity this past weekend, though Kellen & Annika were with her this time! All 3 kids spent the night Sat. night while Erik & I celebrated his birthday. Happy Birthday!

So, yes, Kaarin is mostly walking now! She is probably at about 80%. She still crawls if she needs to go really fast.:) She is SO proud of herself when she is walking. She grins the whole time. She is so much like Annika in this way.:) Kaarin is also quite the climber. She loves the stairs, ladders, chairs, etc. She climbed up the ladder to the playground the other day, all by herself! She climbs on anything she can. Over the weekend she mastered climbing onto the rocking horse all by herself, & rocking & getting off too! She is still just a joy to have in our home, & is happy most of the time! She is officially down to one nap per day, & usually goes down between 1-1:30. She sleeps about 12+ hrs. each night, from 8ish to 9ish. I am still nursing her twice a day, & plan to continue until Sept. (we are going to Maui for our 10 yr. anniversary, so I will have to be done by then!).

Annika has been sick the last 3 days or so, with a fever. She is going to the Dr. tomorrow, so I'm sure she'll be better by then!;) She is a lot more clingy when she is sick, & is not quite as independent.:) I hope she is feeling better soon! She is doing a great job with her letters, colors, & drawing! Her pictures look a lot like what she says they are! She is not drawing people yet, but has been drawing crabs, jelly fish & dolphins! And shapes. She pretty much knows all her letters by sight (I think I mentioned this before) & knows most numbers 1-10 too.

Kellen has also been sick this week, though his fever is gone now. He is doing a lot better these days, & we are doing a better job parenting him.:) His misbehavior is less often, & is over more quickly too. He is sort of using the potty again...he did great for a few days when he got trains, then I told him he would get 1 more train but lose it if he chose to wear a diaper at home. He has not had those trains for about 4 days now.:( He certainly has his own ideas. He continues to be so funny with his words & conversations.:) I love listening to him talk when he is playing with Annika or his trains/cars. So cute! I can't believe my boy is turning 4 in a couple weeks!

A couple of funnies:

*The other day someone rang our doorbell just as I was getting Kaarin out of bed...Annika & Kellen ran to the door, & Kellen yelled after Annika, "Don't answer it, Annika, it could be a Ranger!" :)

*In the mornings the kids like to get naked either to go to the bathroom or get dressed...Kellen came out the other day all naked, so Annika started stripping. She says, "Almost naked...." Then she started jumping around & said, "We naked! We matching!" Kellen said, "We're not matching, Annika, because you have a binky & I don't." Then he pointed at her and said, "And you have that & I have a penis." hee hee

More Kid Funnies

*I asked Annika today if she needed a new diaper. She replied, "It fine, mama!"

*Annika recently has started asking, frequently, if I am happy: "You happy, mommy?" It is usually after someone has done something to make me unhappy...

*After Kellen hurts someone, I ask him to give them a kiss & then he tells them he is sorry. Sometimes when I ask him to kiss Annika, she says, "It o-tay! Me happy now!"

*Today I found Kaarin standing on her little kid table, next to the piano...I got the camera out & she looked at me, smiled, & said, "Cheese!"

*Last night we were praying before dinner & I heard Kellen say in a quiet voice, "Put your milk down, Annika."

*Today Annika was in the bathroom trying to go & I picked her used diaper up off the floor. Kaarin looked into it & said, "Poo poo!" (there wasn't any, but she knows where it goes!)

*The other day I asked if anyone wanted to listen to the story I was going to read Kaarin before I put her down for nap (they get really upset if I start without them, most of the time). Kellen said, "No, I don't want to listen because I have been reading books all year."

*Tonight after dinner I was in the kitchen cleaning up, Kaarin was standing on a chair at the refrigerator (she really is a climber, that girl) & Annika was still in the dining room at the table. Erik had gone out to mow the lawn & Annika shouted, "I see daddy!" I said something back to her, & Kaarin said "Dada" & pointed straight at Erik's picture on the refrigerator.:)

Kellen has been doing a lot of pretend play lately, especially with his trains. He talks for them in different voices & talks like he is reading a book. For example, he will say in a high-pitched voice, "Look out! I can't stop!, shouted Flora." It's fun to listen to his imagination develop. Kellen is doing awesome at baseball - he really could skip t-ball all together, since he can hit on a pitch. Probably there aren't too many 4 yr. olds who can pitch, so I guess that's why they play t-ball...he has Erik hopping in the 'field' though!

Kaarin is our most verbal child so far at this age, I think -- I will have to look back to be sure, but she already says consistently the following words:
thank you
mama
dada
bubble
cheese
poo poo
bye
good night (in a sing-song way)
whoa
whee (while swinging, of course!)
there (such as after she gets something)

Annika is catching on -- today she picked up Potato Head's purse & said she was going shopping. Then she came to me & said, "Here's your coupons, mommy!" She is doing a lot of pretend play too, but not usually with trains.:) It's fun to see her imagination develop differently than Kellen's.

Tonight Kellen was in his room, playing with a deflated balloon, kind of chewing it in his mouth. I told him he needed to take it out of his mouth, that it was dangerous. He asked why, & I told him that balloons can get stuck in his throat & mommy would maybe not be able to get it out to help him. He wanted to know why again, & I told him that balloons can get stuck & make it so he can't breathe, & if he can't breathe he would die (he has been talking about death a bit lately, not sure where it has stemmed from). He asked again about that, & I said that if he can't breathe, his brain can't work, & if he brain can't work he can't eat, or walk, or play...Annika was lying on the bed & she kept saying, "Me be with Jesus? Me be with Jesus?" :) I told her yes, if she died she would be with Jesus. Then she said, "Not be with mommy & daddy & Kellen?" No, baby, not until we die & go to be with Jesus too! Quite good insight for a 2 yr. old.



Annika has learned to recognize her ABCs already! We were reading The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings yesterday & on one page thunder booms, KABOOOOM. She pointed to each letter & said its name! She is also learning what words start with what letter. She learns so much with Kellen, it's great!

Chambers Bay

We went to Chambers Bay today (it is nice & sunny, but was breezy & a bit chilly there) to fly our kite & watch for trains! The kite flew great, & Kellen & Annika both got to hold the string. And we were lucky enough to see 4 trains!!! I'll try to post some pictures later.

Some side notes:

*Today we were eating breakfast & on the back of the milk carton is an advertisement for the meerkats at the Woodland Park Zoo. Kellen asked what they were, & Erik told him meerkats. He said, "Mirror cats? Like cats that look in the mirror?"

*We were discussing (also at breakfast) what we should do on this sunny day today. Erik asked Kellen if he wanted to go to the park & watch the trains & fly our kite. Kellen said he did, then said, "Maybe mommy will come with me & you can stay here with Kaarin & Annika." I told him that daddy wanted to see the trains too, & he said, "Well, we could tell him about what we sawed!"

*Yesterday the kids stayed with my dad while my mom, Kaarin & I went to do some errands. We came back & they were all sleeping. About 1 hr. later, Annika apparently woke up & heard me, so she decided to come down the stairs all by herself! (Our rule is that the kids have to stay in their beds until we come to get them up...this is the first time they haven't waited!!)

*Kellen went poo poo in the potty again yesterday, so we took him to Toys R Us to pick out a train. Then we all went to Krispy Kreme for our free doughnut on National Doughnut Day! (Ahem...Kaarin, my mom & I also went earlier in the day, during our errands...! Yum!)

Dentist visit

We had our first visit to the dentist on Thursday, & it went.....AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was amazed, impressed, & so proud!! We had talked about it a lot, & I had also promised treats if they did what they were asked.:) We went in, & Kellen went first. He sat in the xray chair, wore the apron, & did everything they asked him to do for his xrays! Then he sat in the dental chair & let them brush & floss his teeth & paint on fluoride!! The only thing he didn't want to do was wear the sunglasses.:) As soon as Kellen was done, Annika jumped up into the chair & said, "Me turn!!" She did not have xrays or a cleaning (I guess since she's only 2) but did get her teeth looked at & fluoride painted on. I think she was actually a little disappointed that her check up was so short!:)

After the dentist, we went to get one of our 'treats.' We received a Blockbuster family night card for Christmas a couple years ago, & it expires at the end of this month...so I decided I would take the kids to each pick out a movie. Well, at Blockbuster, kids movies are only $1, so I decided not to waste the gift card on those & would just pay for them. When it was our turn to pay (Kellen picked Cars, by the way, even though we have it -- our movie gets stuck so he wanted one that didn't get stuck; Annika picked Bolt) the lady behind us paid for our movies!:) It was only $2, but it was still a nice gesture! After that we went & picked up a Little Caesar's pizza for lunch, came home & watched our movies.:) Their other treat was a sucker. They also got a balloon & new toothbrush from the dentist.

Lopez weekend

We have returned home from a weekend at Lopez Island with all of the family (well, most...). We didn't get as lucky this weekend with the weather, but we did get lucky with low tides! We haven't spent a lot of time up at the beach in the last year, & it wasn't until recently that the kids (older 2) really started getting interested in the exploration of the beach. This weekend was amazing with all the things we found on the beach, & the kids didn't seem to mind the weather for the most part (they did get cold but once they warmed up they were ready to go out again). Kellen had a blast filling his bucket with crabs, eels, star fish, hermit crabs, jelly fish, etc., & also touching sea anemones. Annika enjoyed it just as much, though she wasn't as big of a searcher under the rocks like Kellen was. It was great to see them enjoying the sea creatures & learning so much! We also had a great time with cousins & family.

Kid updates:

Kaarin: She is so funny & happy!! I love her personality, partly because at this point she is just so happy & funny.:) She has a few moments of defiance, but they are nothing compared to what brother & sister come up with. She is really good at signing "all done" & "milk" these days, & we are adding in "please" & "thank you." She is by far our most verbal child at this age, & she is imitating all sorts of words & sounds. She doesn't really need to sign thank you because she already says it. She chatters all the time & laughs at herself.:) She is just a joy. She has been taking LOTS of steps & walked half way across the room tonight! She is so proud of herself when she does it. I am mixed: it is so cute, but I know that once she is fully walking she will just grow right into my toddler instead of my baby! She is just so sweet.

Annika: Annika took a big tumble off the couch tonight & hit the corner of our coffee table.:( The solid, wrought-iron coffee table.:( She has a large cut & bump on her head, but was such a trooper in using the boo-boo bunny (ice pack) to help it feel better! Annika is so verbal these days, though she still needs a little interpretation from mom to others.:) She loves to be a big helper around the house, setting the table, taking care of Kaarin, etc. She is so funny, though sometimes it requires looking past her stubbornness to see it.;)

Kellen: Kellen had his last days in Miss Karen & Miss Karen's class last week, & had a graduation day & class picnic! It has been a good year for him, & they were so patient & nurturing to him & his little quirks.:) I think he will be most sad in Sept., when he goes back to the same class but to different teachers! Fortunately he does know one of them already, so that will help. Kellen used the potty today (after refusing the last 2 months since our trip to CA & our remodeled bathroom) but didn't want to wear his underwear again after nap...maybe tomorrow. Kellen cracks me up with his insight & interpretation of things.:) He is still working on some behaviors, but is doing much better now that things have settled down around here.

Speaking of tomorrow, the kids go to the dentist for the first time!! Could be interesting...

Seabrook

We spent this past weekend at the new beach town, Seabrook! One of Erik's friends & former co-workers now works for the developer of Seabrook & recently moved out to the town. They invited us to come out for the weekend, so we did! The town is very cute & has a great beach just across the street...we were able to walk there. The forecast for the weekend looked very gloomy, with rain mainly in the forecast. We headed out Friday night & basically got there in time to go to bed. Saturday morning we woke up to sun & blue sky, so after a pancake breakfast we headed down to the beach in case that was the only sun we got. The kids had a great time playing on the beach, but were fairly tired from not much sleep the night before, so we headed back for lunch & naps. The kids took about a 3 hr. nap, & afterward we went for a walk around 'town' & then played at the playground. The rest of the time we spent hanging out together & playing games...it was a very fun, relaxing weekend!! We had a great time, & the weather was FANTASTIC!!! We had a little rain Sat. night, around 10 p.m., & then 2 minutes of rain on Sunday. The rest of the time was sunny!!! And warm!!! It was amazing. I'll try to post some pictures.:)

Another funny

This is one I forgot:
*Kellen was supposed to be in on his bed before nap yesterday, since he was choosing not to listen to the story. Kaarin went crawling into his room, as she LOVES to do (it's the first place she heads after I get her up from nap -- Annika used to do the same thing.:) ). I heard Kellen playing with Kaarin & yelled in that he was supposed to be on his bed. He yelled back, "I am -- but don't come check!" Sure...I did go check, & he was on his bed, but was also starting to go towards Kaarin when he saw me.:)

Kid funnies

A couple of funny kid quotes:

*Kellen: "I had to stop, I was losing my britches!!"

*Annika was taking a bath the other night (Sunday night) & looked at me & said, "God made us!"

*We were reading a story today before naptime called "God Gave us You!" Here is how it went:
Mommy, reading the book: "Every night, I prayed for you, my special child. I prayed that your bones would be straight & that your heart would be strong. But most of all, I prayed that someday you would love God."
"I love God," Little Cub said proudly.
"I know," said Mama. "I do too."
Annika: "I like Nemo."

*I bought my mom some Mother's Day flowers, which she left at our house, so I have them in a vase on our dining room table. The other day we were eating a meal & Kellen pointed to the unopened flowers & asked if they were going to turn into flowers. I said yes, that they would bloom. He then asked if that is what happened to the kitty in one of our books (Leo the Late Bloomer). heh heh.

One year stats

I took Kaarin to her 1 year well baby check today: she is 17 lbs. 1 oz. (still not on the chart), & 29 inches (50%). She actually went up in % on height, & gained an inch toward where K & A were at 1 yr. -- now she is only 2 inches behind them, not 3!:) She is technically out of her infant carrier carseat now, since she is 29". I will have to get the convertible carseat adjusted for her.

Happy Birthday, Kaarin!!

Kaarin digs into her cake.:)

The cake!

Presents at her birthday party

Presents, with a little help from brother & sister!:)

Taking some steps!!

Happy 1st birthday, Kaarin!! We love you so much!!