Happy Birthday to Bear

Happy 34th to The One that I Love.

It seemed like just yesterday you were the hottie from History class. I secretly stole a copy of your schedule, placed myself in all the right corridors, I sat at just the right angle behind you, then we ended up at the same venue and come to find out you think I'm the hottie! I think you knew all along that I was scoping you out. We were just kids, 16 and 20, but we knew we would be together forever. I love celebrating each and every birthday. We can look back and see how far we have come. The birthdays change a bit from year to year and now it seems like we do them more for the kids, but it gives us a reason to act silly if we want. So Happy Birthday to my Bear, my hottie! Here's to many more birthdays...

takesy backsy

Can I please have a redo? I take it back, I TAKE IT BACK!!!

We are working so hard on potty training. I can't say that he is in fact trained but I can say he wears big boy underwear 95% of the time. We have graduated to pull ups a bit as we try to get rid of the size 4 diapers. He does pretty good, but once he is busy playing outside or inside, at daycare or at home, he just simply forgets or chooses not to use the toilet and goes in his pants. And being the boy he is, he just continues on what he is doing with wet pants.

Emmitt has officially undone his big boy status. We are back to about a year ago...like when he was 18 months old. He is back to screaming his demands at us, forgotten all manners, refuses to go potty anywhere but in a diaper or pullup, hitting kids at daycare, biting his brother, sassing his mother, AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

So this is me officially undoing the previous post and claiming today as a redo.

it's official, he's a big boy!

Emmitt Jon. 29 months old technically. But can tell anyone who asks that he is TWO! We had some big milestones this month with our little man. We are working so hard on potty training. I can't say that he is in fact trained but I can say he wears big boy underwear 95% of the time. We have graduated to pull ups a bit as we try to get rid of the size 4 diapers. He does pretty good, but once he is busy playing outside or inside, at daycare or at home, he just simply forgets or chooses not to use the toilet and goes in his pants. And being the boy he is, he just continues on what he is doing with wet pants.

We just officially moved the toddler bed/crib out of the boys' room and combined them into one big bed. Every time I have put him in the new big bed he says, "I want my pib back". He keeps telling us he is sleeping in Parker's bed, when in fact it is also his bed. So far so good with going to bed in the "new room". Bedtime has been a battle with the boys lately. We are out of routine with the summer, debating on taking naps away from Parker so bedtime is easier for him. If we put them down together they play, run from one bedroom to the next, steal our pillows and blankets from our bed. One night I found Emmitt all curled up our bed with a dirty workout shirt of mine. Ish!

Currently we are trying to put Emmitt down first and then letting Parker stay up 30 minutes later. He's the older brother after all. Well so far it's not working so great. They both get out of bed, want a drink, need to pee, want you to lay with them, etc...some nights it's 9:30 before Parker gives up and goes to bed when we all do! Super frustrating.

Emmitt is basically talking in full sentences now. I must get video of him actually asking or saying a sentence. He takes his voice to the next octave and gets higher and higher as he says it. He is bordering shouting when he speaks to be sure he is heard. It is so funny. Parker gets a laugh out of Emmitt saying a really long phrase.

I budgeted and am making payments with my Spot tips on this bad boy. The giant chair and a half is actually called a "snuggler". I had to have it just for the name! Actually part of our bedtime routine being messed up is that we out grew our pimped out momma nursing chair and our story time, snuggling time, just got out of whack. It was super frustrating. We no longer fit 3 in a row in the rocker/glider chair so I moved it downstairs to the living room. I then made a nest of blankets on the floor where we would have our storytime. Then the boys wouldn't sit on the floor nicely for the story and it eventually became a battle. I can say that we all fit nicely in the snuggler and the boys love it. We are back to reading many stories at night and enjoying the new investment. Emmitt is still such a mommas boy. He is always asking for help from just momma. That is if he isn't demanding to do it "me self!". It is so cute how he mixes up some of his words. He always say yours for you or your. Plural. Like, "wash yours hands, Parker!" It's adorable.

We are camping this weekend with my girlfriends from college. 4 of the 6 of us together, spouses, significant others and kids. Maybe a dog too. 3 days in a family cabin down by Walker. I cannot wait. Last year we camped and had to lug along the stroller, the pack-n-play, diapers, etc...this year-it just got a little easier.

4th of July

The 4th of July, every year is super entertaining for us. It is a busy weekend around here. This year it was just a bit more chaotic. On the first of July the city sewer backed up on our road/block and ended up shooting poop water up through our basement toilet and therefore "flooding" our fully finished basement with sewage. Ick! That is a whole other story that may never be told again. I get a headache just reliving moments of that morning and the days to follow.

We did the best we could with the clean up and the organizing for our 7th Annual Olson Family 4th of July BBQ. Everybody was super understanding about the state of our house (nobody really cares, but I do), all brought food over to celebrate and the pool of water that had accumulated in our neighbors yard proved to be a 2+hour hit with the kids! Bear assured us it was simply "rain water".

The kids spent hours literally picking worms out of the grass. We all just stood there and watched them. First with anticipation of actually touching the worm to putting it in the buckets. Parker, I don't think, never touched a worm with his bare hands. He had a stick the whole time.

The Karsnia's came for a visit and brought a long new baby Easton. I got asked no more than 10 times that day if we were going to have another one. I held him each chance I got. Then when Bear took him from me, I changed my mind briefly to wanting...just one more. Then Jessalynn disappeared with a glass of water to nurse for over an hour and I remembered how isolating it can be. So I drank my sangria and told my uterus to shut up.

The Pavlecks came this year too. Elise napped on Molly in the shade...more babies.

My baby. Emmitt wiped out and I tossed my camera at JP to hold on to and what do ya know? He turned it on and took a picture just so you all would know that I attended my own party.Davina. AKA My "hot 30 year old friend" via my 17 year old nephew. She still 29 bud! And happily married, but I thought it was funny that that is how he referred to her. I passed Easton to Davina and actually got JP to hold him too. They'll be next. Garret. What a cutie. The kids were all dressed in some form of Red, White and Blue.Emmitt is in mid-form to shove more popcorn in Gracie's mouth. She just sat in her stroller and took it from him. She is literally surrounded by boys.Grandma and Emma hanging out on the deck. She's 14 and never too old to sit on Grandma's lap.
It helped that the 5K was the day before the 4th. It was a little less rushed. It also helped that I ventured downtown with just Parker. No stroller. No napping toddler. Just us. We got free cotton candy for everybody because Bear had donated his electrical skills and fixed the machine. Shared a corn dog and just as the parade was finishing up the clouds let loose and the rain came down, we left. We made it back to our house just as our guests were arriving and had a great time!

I write it down so I don't forget

This happened a couple of weeks ago, but I have to write it down so I don't forget...hence the reason I do this blog.
Parker at suppertime saying the prayer:

"Thank you Jesus for the food, our health, the beautiful weather, our clothes, when you're doing a puzzle and it's not going quite right to not give up, and when you're playing hockey with the big boys don't cry, Amen!"

Bronco Fun Run

Well...4 years ago we started racing this race and every year it has grown and gotten more fun! Parker was just 18 months old 4 years ago, Emmitt was but a seed growing in me. We took a chance starting an Annual 4th of July 5k Fun Run and it has been so much fun! Fun for me, since I don't really have to work at it, but sponsor it and of course have the kids and I participate in it. And my mom too of course!Emmitt ate an orange in preparation of the race and when the whistle blew he took two strides and turned around to find me. That was it. Parker on the other hand ran the whole lap and actually did really well. He started out 4 years ago being carried part of the way around, to being encouraged the rest of the way, to running the entire lap and doing great!

Grandma Audrey picked up her pace this year and took 3rd in her age group! She even got a medal to show for it. It is such an honor to brag up my mom. She is the stellar of health and loves being active. She gets it. A lot of people just don't get that you only get one chance with this body of yours. She does! And it shows!

Emma and Debs came up for the 4th again this year. We had no broken bones this year to interfere with the race so they were able to compete. Debs ran the whole thing! I am so proud of her. She did great. The heat was bordering unsafe this year. The humidity and temperature were not a great combination. We had a few people getting sick from it.

I even got Emma to run the last lap with me. We walked the entire way with Emmitt in the stroller. But the last little leg I had her run to the finish with me.

What a way to burn off some extra calories the weekend of the 4th. I think I was the only one of us three that made a point to have a (bite or two of) corn dog. We topped off the race this year with 202 racers and over 50 kids in the kids race. We are growing. If you are around next year for the 4th of July be sure to come out and walk or run it!

the best of buds

The three musketeers. Aubrey, Jillian and Parker. All just one month apart. Actually in order! Aubrey will turn 5 in September, Jillian in October, Parker in November. We call these three the "originals". They were our first babies together. Molly, Regan and I were all becoming new moms at the same time. It's crazy to think almost 5 years have gone by already.

We all met at Regan's house today for swimming, playing and lunch. The kids had a blast in the pool together. Parker has to figure out how to wind down and play with the girls all over again. He is around boys 98% of the time every where he goes. He just needs to be retrained once in awhile to be nice to the ladies!

Aubrey. Such a cutie. Molly keeps saying that if she flirts with you she really likes you. She has played hard to get with me for almost 5 years...now she's flirting. This is the girl who used to hate having her picture taken. I am the girl with the camera attached to her head all the time. Finally we have reached a point where she looks at me and flirts! It's awesome.

Aubrey has a new baby sister. Elise. She is a doll. Just shy of 4 months. My boys are super gentle around her and love her tiny toes. Emmitt was kissing all over her today. She had fun just kicking back on a blanket or with momma today.

Emmitt. Took him awhile to remember he really does like the pool. Once he got in there was no getting him out. This was the first of many days in the pool.

Jillian. Parker says he is gonna marry Jillian someday. Jillian says shes gonna marry her Uncle Jonny someday.

Aub

The girl were over at the neighbors picking pea pods for everyone. The neighbors actually planted peas just for the kids to pick!

Needless to say, everyone loves pea pods fresh out of the garden!

The kids had a great afternoon of fun in the sun. With Molly and Regan teaching during the school year it is just my schedule we need to work around to get us all together. I forsee another BBQ in the future this summer.

the end of t-ball...again

Another year of t-ball come and gone...this year was even bigger than last year. We had a total of 72 kids sign up! Yep, that's 72, 3, 4, & 5 year olds. Steph and I split the kids into 4 teams this year instead of the 2 like last year. It was a blast. A busy blast, but a blast. For some reason, by the end of the 6 weeks 2 of the teams dwindled down and less and less kids were coming. That made it a little challenging but it worked out.

Steph and I made the executive decision to split these 3 up this year. Nate, Parker and Max. What a trip. Finally, the last game of the season we had the orange team play the blue team and coerced parents from the yellow and green teams to "coach" for us. It worked out great and the kids had fun.

It was definitely a challenge to keep all the kids in line, but overall they figured out the basics of t-ball. Take turns batting, always wear your helmet, drop the bat after you hit, don't swing when the coach is behind you, run to first base (that's the one over to the right!), pay attention when you are in the field so you don't get hit with the ball, BACK UP! when the other team is hitting, don't tackle a person for the ball, if you get the ball throw it to first, last person up to bat hits a home run, have fun, yes you are allowed to pee in the woods, try to finish the game before running to the park and come back next year!

God help me! We have 12-18 inches of sewer water in our basement...every time the sump pump kicks in to drain the backup from the city sewer line, it comes up our toilet in the basement. it's poop and toilet paper and urine and it's GROSS! our backyard has the backup also, like 12-18 inches of sewer water...Bear is home. Milo, Jon F, Derek B, Donny are all over there trying to get it under control. The carpet is trashed. Literally. We may need to move the 4th party elsewhere if there is unsanitary sewer water all over. Apparently the sewer line on our block of 8th ave and 11th street backed up. Ish. On top of that, all the rain made our roof up in the upstairs hallway buckle. Somewhere between the roof and the rafters there is a leak that caused the ceiling (popcorn) to crack and leak onto that carpet. So...I am going to smile at work all day, super fakey, cram 5 days of work into 2 due to the holiday on Monday and our corporate office is closed. Please pray for my sanity! I just may lose it...