My thoughts

Okay, this is just something I wanted to say out loud and get thoughts out. I follow a couple of blogs of wonderful ladies who have had a bumpy road in the child department. And I think they all are the most amazing women I have met in a long time. I admire their strength (even though they sometimes don't think they are strong) and I think they are truly angels for going through their battles in stride.

One particular girl's name is Jenn. I have been blessed to meet her in real life (IRL) and have lunch with this amazing person. After reading her blog for a while, I felt like I knew her from how open she was on her blog. I tried to put myself in her shoes, but honestly I can say I understand but I don't. I have never been there. And then her Mother's Day post came about. I was instantly saddened. By no means was it an intentional post to make anyone feel bad (I am sure of that), she just needed to vent, which alot of us bloggers do. But here I thought I understood and was compassionate to this person who I like to call my friend and on one of her hardest days I didn't reach out other than a virtual flower bouquet on facebook. And I want to say I am sorry.

I never took the time to step back and think about the women in my life (new and old) who have wanted children that never got to have that. Or the ones that have chosen to take different paths to reach the goal of parenthood. I can think of many that either never were able to have their own children or adopted ones because they were not able to conceive. So to all of you Happy Late Mother's Day. Whether you are mommies to dogs, cats, fish, or angels I hope you all had a great day enjoying life. If you haven't yet gotten to be a mom yet, I know you will make great parents when the time has come, Jen and Jennie.

So on that note, Father's Day is just around the corner, don't forget those men who also want to be daddies.

P.S. to my parent's neighbors who just adopted a baby boy (which my mom and I would love to get to meet soon) born just 3 wks ago.

P.P.S Jennifer DeVos, Happy Mother's Day to you!

On the Move

This weekend Caelyn started really crawling, waving and she also got her second bottom front tooth. It was a weekend of milestones.

Florida Fishing

So Dave and my dad pretty much fished the entire time we were down there. Dad turned Dave into a fishing lover. They didn't have the best of luck but they had fun which is all that matters right.

My dad caught a keeper Sturgeon and yes that is a stingray in the bottom right. Dave caught that off the dock in the canal.

3 months late is better than never...right?

So our family vacation to Florida was bitter sweet. It was the first and last time Caelyn would vacation in the house I grew up vacationing in. While I know this is for the best and we can do so much more because of it, it is still really sad. I mean how many kids still could go to a special place that you shared with your Grandma. I think I took it harder than my mom and dad when they told me they were selling the house. Honestly it still makes my stomach hurt to think that this memory is gone and all I have are memories, but I know there will be so many more things we will be able to give my kids (cough~Disney in two years~cough).

So on with the happy pictures. This year we went for Chloe's birthday. We actually were there on her birthday and had her a Nemo swim party. It was so much fun and Chloe's Great Great Aunts and Uncles got to enjoy it with her.

Watch This!!

She has been doing this for about a month. And we also have started finding her sitting up in her bed in the morning. Just this past week she has tried to start pulling up as well.

Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Weekend starts the lake season for so many, but it is also a time to reflect on those who have given their lives for our country. But we should not forget the ones the currently are protecting our country. May we pray they all safely return home and the ones that are state side have a relaxing day with their loved ones.

Both my grandfathers served (one in the Army the other in the Marines) but I also have members lose siblings in WWII (my Great Grandpa Kalkbrenner's brother died in Midway - I think).

Punkin and the bubbles

Our dog likes to eat bubbles, well actually I think it is any dog, but I had fun playing with my camera getting some shots of her. I love the ones on her hind legs to reach the bubbles. Punkin loved playing with the bubbles just as much as Chloe did.

Bubbles, my bubbles.

I love this quote from Knock Up

Pete - I wish I liked anything as much as my kids like bubbles.
Ben - That's sad.
Pete - Totally sad. Their smiling faces just pout out yout inability to enjoy anything.

Have you watched a child's joy with bubbles? If you don't have kids, you are more than welcome to come to my house to see this true joy they are consumed with when bubbles are involved.

This first set was taken one night while sitting on the porch.

These next two were from this past Saturday while Caelyn was taking her nap. Chloe was so wound up she would not lay down.

A note for the collage below. Chloe was trying to "eat" the bubbles like Punkin.

Can't Forget Caelyn

Of course I took pictures of Caelyn during the SPIRIT Festival. But I felt she deserved her own post so enjoy these pictures of her.

Get on the Spirit Bus

This past Saturday was the Lindbergh School Districts SPIRIT Festival, with is an all day event full of entertainment for the entire community. It starts off the morning with a parade from Sperreng Middle School to the High School. The parade featured each school with in the district, the high school marching band, and so much more.

The goal of the SPIRIT Festival is to strengthen the sense of unity between Lindbergh schools and the community. Proceeds benefit the 5,000-plus Lindbergh students from the early childhood program, five elementary schools, middle school and high school.

With an emphasis on family participation, more than 15 rides and many game booths for all ages are featured on the LHS campus.

We went twice that day. From 10-12 because Dave was going to the track from 1:30 til who knew when to be Eric's (Heavy E) pit crew and then again from 7-9. The evening times we tried to get Miss A and family to come out but they just couldn't fit it into their schedule (they are moving at the end of this month so they are uber busy!).

These pictures include the Tea Cups, The Spinning Dragons, the carousel, and the Train. It also includes her Rainbow (note the lady who did the rainbow DID NOT know her Roy. G Biv)

The next collage is of the roller coaster ride. This ride was "totally awesome" as Chloe put it getting off the first time. She loved it so much she rode it another 8 times that day.

This one is of Dave and Chloe at the end of one of those blow up obstacle courses.

Then like I said later that evening we went back after Caelyn took her nap. I had alot of fun watching Chloe enjoy the rides and even though it was alittle chilly it was still a nice day outside. So these next few shots are from that evening while we were there. Even though Chloe missed that Miss A could not make it, she didn't stay sad long.

One thing we did that evening that we didn't do when Dave was with us was walk the entire festival. That night we walked up by the bigger rides. I knew there was a Ferris Wheel up there that Chloe wanted to ride because you could see if from the parking lot. When we were walking Chloe saw something I did not. I didn't see anything she could ride on her own nor did I see anyone that I knew to ask if they would ride the Ferris Wheel with her, so we headed back to the kids area. Chloe then started saying something about wanting to ride the cars. I didn't know of any cars down at the kid's area. And I kept telling her there were no cars. We walked the game area thinking she say a car game there, but nothing. Finally I asked her to show me, well she was right. On the upper lot there were bumper cars. But I couldn't take her on them, I had Caelyn and surely they wouldn't let all three of us ride them. So once again I went on a hunt to find someone I knew. Chloe kept begging (and I do mean at this point she probably would have sold Caelyn just to ride the bumper cars) to ride them. I didn't know what to do. Then sitting on a bench right in front of the bumper cars I see a group of young girls and a mom. I walked up to the mom and ask them if I could ask a favor. I asked if one of them would mind if Chloe rode along with them. The mom jumped right in and said no and volunteered her daughter. Chloe's grin was from ear to ear. Totally worth asking a stranger. Well as Chloe rode with this little girl (who's name escapes me) I find out that this mom is a kindergarten teacher at the elementary school we think Chloe will go to.

I know I am lucky...

because I have a toddler that will eat and eat and eat. Not just junk either. She will eat good healthy things as well. I just want to brag alittle but because yesterday Chloe was an eating fool. On my mommy board I hear so many times that other moms have problems with their kids eating. I know that is completely normal, but Chloe steps out of that norm. I am not saying be any means she is perfect every meal, but I would say 90% of the time she is. Sometimes she won't eat at all and honestly has gone to be without really a full dinner because she refuses to eat what I have made her. But let me just tell you what she ate yesterday.

Breakfast - 2 c of Honey Nut cheerios
Snack (10:30)- goldfish
Lunch - 3 all beef hot dogs, green beans, and peaches
snack - yogurt
Dinner - half a cube steak, green beans, and oranges

Drinks (all day)- 3 cups of milk and one cup of juice

I know I am so lucky to have a great eater. Lets hope I didn't jinx myself by saying this out loud. She will also try new things but sometimes we have to "fib" about what it is. For example, she will eat sauteed zucchini if we tell her it is cooked cucumbers. And you remember this post right? She will eat tofu if we call it cheese. The little things I do to get her to try things. Once again, I am so glad I have a great and semi adventurous eater.

We are attempting Potty Training again....

So I got a link to an article about Naked Potty Training and that is what we are doing today. Chloe is in the nude running around like a crazy girl working on her potty skills. So far we have had a pooping success and one pee accident. I am hoping the peeing accidents help her realize when she is actually going pee.

So really the story behind this post is the fact that I can't get a song that we use to listen to growing up out of my head. So I posted it below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have/am today.

Punkin and her stiches

I never would have guessed that our dog would have been the first to get stitches in our house (well aside from Dave cutting the tip and side of his finger at work this year, don't worry his finger is mended and there really is no scar). But she did. Punkin and Sam (the female dog next door) don't like each other. They constantly bark at each other when they are outside. If Sam is in the basement she will bark at Punkin the entire time she is outside. Punkin has an electric fence and will not break it. Sam get gets taken out on a leash from their side door. Well on May 24th, Sam and Punkin got into it. Punkin was outside chilling on the back porch, Wendy had Sam on a leash taking her outside. Wendy didn't see Punkin was out there or she would have waited. Well, Punkin went over to bark and Sam lunged and got on top of Punkin. I heard Punkin and Sam going at it ans jumped up and called Punkin inside as fast as I could. Punkin came inside and just was acting little weird, like she got stung. I had no idea at this point that Sam actually was on top of Punkin. Dave wasn't home at the time but just conveniently returned. I asked him to come inside to see why Punkin was acting weird since she would not let me touch her. Well come to find out her back right hind leg had been torn open to the muscle. So we instantly knew something had happened. I called the vet and got her right in to get stitched. Wendy came over to check on Punkin, she felt really bad. She covered the vet bill (can I say we have an awesome neighbor). We took her back to the vet a week later and the vet tech ripped her stitched back open when trying to remove them so currently she still has the stitched in. We get them removed this week.

Inquiring Minds

I asked my mommy board to say a prayer for Lisa and Jen. If you girls are wanting to know about the surgery and see some pictures go here. Chloe thought her "boo boo" wasn't scary at all. She really loved the picture with Roxy though.

Professional Pictures with both girls

Here are the girls Easter pictures as well as casual pictures.

FYI for my older viewers

If you click on the collages it will make them bigger in a new window. Then you can get a bigger picture of our beautiful girls. =)

Bath Time

So I normally have been giving Caelyn a bath in her infant tub. Well, that generally means I get soaked because she splashes so much. Well alittle while ago I saw a picture of Alexis (I work with her mommy Krissi) during her bath time and it gave me a great idea. Use our huge sink (click the link in Alexis' name cause she is so darn cute)! So I did and it was fabulous. I didn't get a shower and Caelyn had a mini hot tub to play in, so we now use the sink. I am so glad our sink is huge and she is so tiny. Doesn't she look bald with wet hair. It is so blond when it's wet you hardly can see it. She has a stripe (one of the mom's at Chloe school mentioned she looked like a skunk) that is reddish colored. Caelyn use to have alot of red in her hair but I am afraid the blond is taking over and the red is growing out. It would have been so cool for her to have strawberry blond hair (if you wonder where the red comes from my Aunt Lisa is a red head, a bright red head!)

Here is a little video of her bath time for your enjoyment. She really splashes. She also has really started to babble and clap so I try to get her to do both but with little success.

Professional 6 month

Professional 3 yr Pictures

Visit from the Easter Bunny

This year was the first year we really did up Easter. What I mean by that was we actually did alittle more than just let Chloe find her basket. This year we placed arrows and eggs around the house, or should I say the Easter bunny did. When she got up she had to follow the arrows and by each arrow there was an egg, which is how she got her Easter money. At the end of the line was her and Caelyn's Easter baskets. Chloe thought it was really neat. We didn't hide the eggs too hard because she honestly had never done an egg hunt before. We tried to go to one this year but we were 5 minutes late and all the eggs were gone. I know, I couldn't believe it either. So she just played on the swing set with Miss A.

Like every year we go to my grandma and grandpa Parkin's house (AKA: GiGi and PoPo). They always have Easter dinner at their house. Every year it's the same thing, ham sandwiches, mostaccioli , potato salad, salad, baked beans, and desserts (Christmas is predictable too.) This year some of the great aunts decided to reinstate the Easter egg hunt. Each kid was allowed 20 eggs (Caelyn was not included since she can't walk). Chloe did a great job finding them, with then help of mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma. I was alittle worried that she wouldn't know what to do, boy was I wrong. She was one of the first to get all her eggs. She was a mad woman..lol. All her change that she got was put in her piggy bank to save. It was a good time.

Chloe loves going to GiGi and PoPo's to play with all her cousin's she doesn't get to see on a regular basis. She especially loves Meagan and Gryphon. Meagan has babysat for us before and Gryphon has been at the lake with his Grandma and Grandpa (Uncle Rick and Aunt Cheryl, Gryphon's parents are Heidi and Tom). This time they played soccer. It was too cute. All in all we all had fun catching up, talking and playing with family.

Package #3

We got a third package for Aunt Lisa. It was a Fairy costume. It was so cute. She made everything from the dress to the shoes, there was even a bracelet and a crown.