First Day of Preschool

Katelynn did awesome on her first day of preschool. She was excited and I took the morning off of work to hang out with her and Junior and take her the first day to meet the teachers. She was a little nervous the night before saying that she only knew one kiddo that was going to be there and what if another kid hit or kicked her? After answering her always 1 billion questions about everything she was ready.

So Much to Do; So Little Time

Wow! There is so much coming in the next 2 - 3 weeks I am starting to feel a little stressed out. I have list after list after list that I have created and left here and there and everywhere so I don't forget. I will try to break this down and maybe thoughts will stop floating through my head when I should be sleeping at night!

Katelynn
Katelynn was one lucky little girl last week. One night she received a call from Makayla and was asked to be the flower girl in her and Josh's wedding! I don't really know at first if she knew what that was or that it was a big deal, but I think after she saw my excitement she knew it was something pretty big and pretty special. I am so excited for her. The wedding date is set for August 28th, 2010 - so off to MN we go! The very next night I received a call around 8:30 / 9:00pm at night and it happened to be the preschool that Katelynn has been on a wait list with for awhile now. Well, it seems they ended up kicking out a kiddo in the 3 year old class because he needed too much one on one time and there are only two teachers. Yeah, for us because Katelynn got to start the following week and she couldn't have been more excited to go shopping.

Junior
Junior has started taking his first steps. He is now motoring ever so slowly around the house. He is still crawling and has gotten fast now that he is up on all fours and not army crawling, but is really trying to do whichever pleases him at the time. We are transitioning him to sippy cups which now he is doing fairly well at except for in the morning and at bedtime (which happen to be daddy times?! hmmm...). We have taken him completely off of formula and he is doing well with milk. We are anxiously awaiting his first birthday - wow, January is going by fast.

The List of Things to Come and Plan for:
(So here is where I was last week on my list)
1. Buy a Backpack for Katelynn for preschool.
2. Fill out paperwork with signatures and Doctor signatures before Tuesday.
3. 4th Quarter Taxes are due at the end of the month.
4. W-2's need to be done by the end of the month.
5. 2009 Taxes need to be done for the accountant to pick up.
6. Accountant appointment set for Monday.
7. Junior's Birthday list and invites
8. In-Laws are coming for about a week to celebrate Junior's birthday and Grandma's birthday (they are on the same day). Need to make plans.
9. Need decorations for Junior's party - do I buy two cakes ? One for the b-day w/ Grandma and one for the party?
10. My mom comes 2 days after Dan's parents leave.
11. Super Bowl Party - (obviously this can now be taken off the list, still licking wounds here)
12. ViVa Las Vegas - Dan and I are leaving for Vegas on Feb. 8th for a few days without the kids.
13. HOA meetings - Annual Meeting is coming up; still fighting the town on Manufactured homes; meeting with the Town Administrator; and our January meeting
14. I need to get my hair done ?!
15. Junior's 1 year check-up
16. Katelynn's 6 month dentist cleaning
17. New JOB !?

I will stop there; the stress is starting to come back I think. So appointments for this and that and the other thing. I get this new job and I feel like I have been asking for time here and time there and a week for a vacation. Good thing my boss has the same age kids as I do and I think he gets it. So my additional stress is I need to get in and get my hair done, especially before the birthday party and before our trip. I finally broke down this week and am taking a long lunch and with either use another hour of leave or just work an extra hour because I have no weekend time to get it done with company coming.

We have all of these things going on and what happens this week: Dan gets sick and then I get sick. We both have horrible cold sores on our mouths - don't we make the beautiful sick couple together and are exhausted. We continue to plug along.

We could also use a couple of extra prayers for my grandma who is in the hospital and having some ups and downs this week.

Engagements, Engagements, Engagements

Congratulations to Courtney and Chris and McKayla and Josh. 2 of my wonderful cousins got engaged over the holiday season. We will have one busy family this summer and a lot to celebrate. Our family is so happy for them all!

General Mills Cereal

Time for a healthy breakfast?! Yes, it is - read the info below and start a new healthy trend in your household with General Mills Cereal.

Some important health information:

Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children´s diets. Other cereal benefits:
Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.
Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.
More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures. Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office. For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

Right now if you visit the link below you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals to help your family come together at the breakfast table every morning.

Link to a coupon for General Mills Cereal - Enjoy!

http://bricks.coupons.com/bstart.asp?o=60627&ci=1&c=GM&p=NY8LmWB2

I received 4 VIP Coupons from General Mills for free boxes. We just used 2 of them about 2 weeks ago and I chose the always mom favored Kix and a box of Golden Grahams. Both of the cereals so far have been a hit in our house. My four year old has enjoyed both for her morning breakfast and my 11 1/2 month old loves them for snack times while mommy is busy getting supper ready at night. I have used them as a snack for them during football games to keep healthy munchies in check and have even grabbed some in a baggy for a snack for me at work.

I would like to thank both General Mills and BlogSpark.

Katelynn and the months of the year

Junior Video

Katelynn Funny

We had a joke going this Christmas because my mom had gone to China a few months ago that we had a China Christmas, our presents were either from China or made in China. Katelynn has heard this joked about a few times. The other day we were all four in Juniors bedroom and for some reason Katelynn was talking about her "private parts". Dan always gets uneasy around mention of this and tells Katelynn that it is her "Front Butt". I of course just shake my head at him, the poor girl is going to think she has two butts. I tell her that it is called her crotch. Dan scoffs at that word and so I tell her it is her vagina. Katelynns response: It was made in China?

We laughed so hard.

Christmas Even Pictures

Here are a few pictures that I took Christmas Eve when we opened our presents.

Katelynns new Do

Katelynn had been asking for a little while if she could have bangs. I really went back and forth over this issue and wasn't sure what I thought. On one side I was scared of cutting in bangs and then after a few additional hair cuts half her head turns into bangs and they start so far back (I've seen this happen to kids!?). On the other side, I wanted her to try new things and make decisions and this was one that I thought she could make. I did make her wait until after our Christmas pictures were done (and again was reminded by my friends that I am a picture snob). So the weekend after we were off to cost cutters. She wanted to look like Strawberry Shortcake. I really think she looks cute now with her bangs and it is nice to not have to pull her hair up in a pony every single morning/day. I wasn't so sure after we got her hair cut that I liked them and neither was she. Once we got home she thought it was cool for about an hour and then decided that she didn't want them cut anymore and thought that after she went to bed that night her hair would grow quick enough while she slept and be long again the next morning. Sorry sweetheart, but it doesn't work that way.

A Princess in the Making ?

Katelynn has started to really enjoy dressing up. I was starting to wonder when it would happen. She received princess dresses last X-mas and an entire trunk of crowns, necklaces and gloves and slippers, but she really didn't show much interest in them. Now, an entire different story. Every weekend and some days during the week she will be in her room putting on a dress and crown and loves to dress up in them.

It's Official ! Business Analyst.

I am officially now a Business Analyst for Larimer County, Health and Human Services! Yeehaw!
This has been a long wait to get this promotion, but it has finally happened and I am excited for the opportunity. I now work for Health and Human Services instead of Human Services, although most of my projects, reports, and work will still be entwined with Child Protection. I received a 15% pay increase with my promotion as well. I have a new supervisor who is a computer genius and pretty easy going.
I received a memo at work on Christmas Eve (too bad I left early on leave that day or it would have been a nice X-mas present to me) that it was approved by HR and all the powers that be signed off on it and the change was official as of January 1st.

Free Calendar from Shutterlfy ?!

I saw this on another blog so I am going to test it out and see if it works, I need to order a few prints, I have our Fall 2009 photo book ready (that is also 20% off right now) and need to order Jr.'s b-day invites. (maybe my husband is right, I really do need to stop spending)!

Enjoy a FREE 16x20 calendar poster from Shutterfly and Target when you check out and use code FREECALENDAR. Offer ends January 17th. Taxes, shipping and handling charges will apply. (it will be around $5)
This information brought to you by JANE4girls.

Junior Update

Okay, Okay, Okay - it has been way past his 9 month appointment and in less than a month I should have an update for his one year, but here it is anyway!

9 months - Dr. appt. on 11/16/09
Height: 30" - 90%
Weight: 22 lbs. 3 oz - 70% (we were all, even the Dr., a little surprised at the percent)
Head: 46.7 - 82%

His appointment went good and he is a growing boy.

Junior is still just a happy guy and a fun to be around. He wants to be in Katelynn's area or face all the time and depending on what she is doing decides whether she is okay with it or not. He is now saying mama and Dada, but not much else. He got a bunch of Tonka trucks for X-mas and I taught him to go "Barroom, Barroom" when he pushes them around. Everything is now a truck and he makes that noise, it's pretty darn cute. He has 4 teeth on top and 4 on the bottom. He is basically eating whatever we are eating. He does not like eggs, at all. We have tried scrambled eggs, eggs over easy (or whatever that one is called?) and even egg bake, he puts a bite in his mouth, makes a face and screams because it's sitting on his tongue. Anytime after we have tried to trick him with a bite of egg he is then unsure about the next bite of anything that you are going to feed him. He has been army crawling for awhile now and just recently is starting to crawl like a normal child! He is pulling himself up on everything and can stand without hanging on pretty well and maneuver up and down and around the furniture. We have tried to get him to walk with us holding his hands but he seems pretty uninterested in it. He climbs the stairs like there is no tomorrow and anytime there is not a gate up and you put him down that is where he is going. This has definitely been a new adventure for Dan and I and him being moving around all over the place. We never dealt with any of this with Katelynn, she didn't crawl or roll to anywhere, she walked when she turned one. One night, a few days after he starting pulling himself up I took him upstairs to make a bottle and put him to bed and placed him sitting in the middle of the living room floor and didn't think anything of it. I am standing in the kitchen going about the business of making his bottle and "CRASH". He crawled over to the kitchen table and grabbed a chair and tried to pull himself up and the chair toppled right over on him and he fell straight back with chair following. Whoopsie's! Lesson learned after that, he needed to be in the line of sight at all times.
We are anxiously awaiting his first birthday and it's hard to believe that it's already been a year. I look at some kids that are 2 years old and think in another year that's where he will be and there are no more babies in my house, it's exciting, scary and sad, all at the same time.