WE MOVED!!

She loves books!Caleb lounging They love this little cubbard!She is chewing on a pretend whipped cream bottleThe reading chairCaleb's impressive buildingAlways lugging around a book!Mr. Potato head's glasses

Well, it has been awhile- moving took a lot more time, energy and sanity than anticipated. We LOVE our new house! Caleb's teacher even said she noticed a big difference in him as he isn't as loud and wild as he used to be (due to him being able to be himself at home now instead of being shushed and corralled into not jumping and being a boy because either Kevin or baby A were sleeping!). Annaliese takes great naps now, it's been super great, A huge blessing.

The big Kindergarten debate has been on our plate as well- Do we send Caleb this year as he turns 5 in June or do we wait another year- after much back and forth and a TON of people feeling they know the answer- We decided he will spend another year in preschool where he is and start Kindergarten in 2013- crazy to write that date! His teachers also thought he would benefit to wait another year. I feel it will give him a bit of an advantage in school and then I get to spend some more time with him before he is a big school boy! Thankfully I won't have this probably with A as she is November- whew!

Running has been terrible- I haven't been doing it! But today I did go to the Y to workout so I feel it's a good start! Well- time to lay miss A down for a much needed nap!

Recent life happenings

Caleb's guilty face
She loves hats!

And she LOVES her purse!

He is so good at putting together lego sets! Go Caleb!

So I have been consumed by packing, cleaning and showing our place!! I am so sick of people coming to look at our place, we clean, we get everything perfect, then we wait... if they show up (which half the time they don't), then we give the gig about the place, show all the nooks and crannies and then we usually hear " oh OK great!!, we are super interested, but we have 1 more place to look then we will for sure get back to you..." well... we wait some more and then we never hear from them again... WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!!! My favorite people who came were the pregnant girlfriend and her boyfriend, who were very interested in the place, when it came time for the at least 30 year old guy to give his references and last landlords information- he says "well.. I don't actually have any landlords because I just crash on people's couches", so let me get this straight... for at least 12 years you have been crashing on people's couches??!! Can we say MOOCH?! Oh brother, it's been interesting!

It seems like sleep in hard come by... it never ends. If C isn't up from a bad dream, or a earache, A is up coughing or puking, and if they both sleep through the night at the same time (which is a rare happening), then I am a awake and can't sleep! I am quite used to this drooling while you are awake kind of fatigue- but wonder if it will ever end??

Running has been going great- when I get myself to the Y! When our tax returns come back I am getting a double chariot so I can take the kids running with me- that will be so much easier than having to pack us all up for the Y! Last week I ran almost 3 miles in 30 minutes. I felt great! I may try to sneak off tonight- K, my DH has been crabby from his own lack of sleep- Going for a nice run with great music will help me cope with him better!!

We move in less than 2 weeks- can we say dishwasher? Bathtub? Sun-room? Gas fireplace? Seperate bedrooms for all???

So we adopted a new sponsor daughter through Compassion International from Bangladesh, her name is Dipali and she has a very special place in my heart. She is 7 years old and very very poor. Where I am concerned about moving into a bigger place for my family- she is concerned and faced with the challenge of just getting to eat and have clean running water. I am so excited about being able to connect with her and teach the kids that they aren't the only one's who are important to me, and that there is a lot of need in this world. We are even wanting to meet her in the future and be able to connect our worlds even more.

Well.. life in a nut shell! Never a dull moment!

I have earned peace and quiet today!

Wow! He is so quiet when he is asleep!

C has been especially challenging today- Louder than usual, doing exactly the opposite of what I ask today and sneaky! During his gymnastics class he was not listening to his teacher and it took everything in me to go redirect- but they have a very clear policy of not parenting while they are in class. I don't know what was up! I guess most days we have good days- though his energy level takes lots of patience and grace, but today was a day I needed lots of deep breaths and super natural exchanges!
We are moving into a bigger place in a month- I will be very relieved to have lots of space for C to gallop, jump and be a boy! Now it's just really using the time that he is in school to pack and clean- because it's very hard when he is there to do it! As I have been going through his room and packing- I realized how he had WAY too many toys- 2 big black garbage bags full are going to Goodwill!
Baby A is good- though she must of woke up on the wrong side of the crib today because she was crabby! She still really isn't using words- I would be worried about it as today she turned 14 months but my sister who is a child educator says no need to worry! Mr. C had 200 words at 15 months- crazy!! Well- dishes, pack up C's lunch and off to bed!

A lovely day inside!

I opted out of any kind of outside world contact as it's well below zero here! So A and I are hanging out at home while C is at school- nice and quiet around here.

Annaliese has been great about no more bottles- way easier than I thought it would be! She is having a hard time learning to use her sippy cup, but it's fine if I hold if for her. Caleb and I have been working on reading, I checked out some fun materials to help him learn to read, puzzles and flash cards, also with every story I have been having him sound out some of the words- he gets very irritated though and says "ughh! can't you just read it!??", so the puzzles are more fun for him. I can't believe he will be 5 in June- where has the time gone??

I got a new camera- a NIKON 8100, so far I have just been learning how to use it! I really want to get photoshop- but right now our budget doesn't allow it. I want to get more into photography- I use to love it! amazing how much things change when kiddos come along!

Running is going really well! I got up to running 2 miles without stopping- which is good for me! I am taking a day off today but will hopefully do my Windsor Pilates video a bit later.

Here are a couple picture with the new camera.

Here, have a cheerio!

Last night, her bottle before bed, she LOVES this time!

Cheese!

She is such a cutie!

Gratitude

Today I reflect on gratitude, I feel so blessed as I look at my life right now. My kids have enriched my lives so much and my husband is my best friend, I can't imagine life without him. So here is my list of just a few of the things I am super grateful for!

- My relationship with God
- My kids
- My husband
- Our health
- Our duplex
- Being able to only work every other weekend
- 2 running cars
- A garage
- Money to buy food
- A membership to the Y
- To not have much debt
- Heat/running water
- To no longer have to be a single mom
- That Kevin spoils me
- My sisters/family
- My friends
- Our church
- That Kevin and I are on the same page as wanting to move soonish
- Kevin's job and that he got grants for school
- Caleb's preschool

My list could go on and on and on, I feel like we have been given so much right now. It's easy to get caught up in what we don't have but when I look at all I do have I feel so blessed! Thank you God!

It's very very cold today and baby just went down for a nap- C is playing Legos and I HAVE to PUSH myself to get to the Y before the childcare closes!

Overcoming that thing called fatigue

So C gets up at 7 again asking to watch Curious George and get him a "snack", I am already awake but SO tired. My instinct is to just 'sleep a little more', but I know if I do that there is no way I will get a quiet time in, so I force myself to get up. Spending time with God was good this morning- short and sweet but enough to get my fill for the day. Of course C woke up baby A and when she is awake there is no quiet time. I always say I will sleep a little longer and then spend time with God when A goes down for her nap- but it never happens, I know that I have to do it right away in the morning before the kids are up.
Well Kevin came home from work at about 8 and I was lucky enough to have Caleb all ready for school so I didn't have to drive him... lucky me! I did get to go back to sleep for a bit but I am convinced I could sleep all day and I would still be tired- the answer- not coffee! Coffee actually seems to make me MORE tired- hmmm.. crack? No... Going to bed earlier- yes and running- I feel so great after I run! I have energy, motivation and inspiration- So after I watch my darling little "niece" Jovie today I am off to the Y! If I had to take C to school today I would of gone right after I dropped him off- but it's so dang cold out! Well, I am staring at a large basket of laundry who has my number!

Motivation

Caleb has gym/swim this morning- it's so hard to get going! When I am already at the Y it's much easier to run and I feel great after- I signed myself up for a 2.65mi race coming up in March so that has been my motivating factor to really reach that goal!

Gym and swim is a great way to keep C busy and a trick to get me to the Y! I love the way I feel when I run- but my legs break out and itch/burn until it's so bad that I have to stop- I googled it (I love google) and found out it's an allergy to something going on while exercising- I started taking a claritin and subsided that feeling! Thank God!

With baby A- we are working on getting her to eat more- she has been drinking too much milk so getting full enough to where she has been very picky- it's harder for Kevin to hear her cry it out more than me- (my second time around and I know that 13 month olds will live even if they cry), (his first time going through this and it sounds awful!) So no more bottles during the day- only a cup of milk with meals at the table- the only bottle she can have at this point is before bed, but not in her bed and then her teeth need to be brushed really well before going to sleep- we can handle that.

I worked a 4 hour shift last night- I always dread going but when I am there it's fun- and it goes very fast. That was my last Tues evening shift, after this I am only going to work 5 more half shifts for a nurse at work and then I am not going to pick up anymore- just keep to my every other Sat. and Sun. Well, times to get out the door! Here's to motivation!

A good Monday

Great day today! I snuck off to the Y this morning for a run, Got some good playing in, had mom's prayer group, I got a nap while Caleb played on PBSkids for a bit, got outside to enjoy the nice "spring" weather, Caleb had gymnastics - I am pooped, and he is still rearing to go! Why why why is it that kids have the most energy when they just need to play and learn when us adults need it the most?? That will be one of the 1st questions I ask God someday!

Legos are so much fun!
My picky picky eater!

So hard to walk in this snowsuit!

Ring around the baby

Aww!

Baby fever and organization

Not a combo you would think? Baby fever has been dominating my thoughts lately.. but I have a feeling it will never go away for me. I must of forgot about my very uncomfortable last pregnancy with baby A, the losing my identity for ... well.. still, and the fatigue that made my head hurt. I talked to a mom today who has three kids (her daughter is about 8 months), and I asked her if it were harder or easier than she thought it would be and she said "a lot harder", and my amazing mother of a sister Charlotte, who has 3 always says ("DON'T DO IT! IT'S CRAZY!")... yet I feel there is someone else who needs to be here... a little person is missing. I oath if I can help it to never have a winter baby again... been there done that no fun at all for me, especially in the Midwest, where I hibernate all winter long (which is loooong!). So Kevin and I agreed to start trying late summer/fall of this year to attempt to make a spring/summer baby of 2013! I know how it goes when I plan life... usually/always God's plans prevail... so we just type a rough draft and hand it over and He does a spell check/edit, re-types and hands it back :) I am always grateful for God's modifications ;)

Now comes the organization part- Kevin and I spent countless hours (like 4, but who's counting? ;)) going through stuff upon crap upon stuff to throw away, shred and recycle. Organizing doesn't come easy for me- in fact it's my biggest down fall. It's hardest for me to get and stay organized when there is PAPER everywhere!! Why do they send so much personal information in the mail that you can't just throw away, you have to shred?? I feel way more capable of a welcoming a 3rd child if I can get a hang of this organization stuff if I can get on top of it and stay on top of it with 2 kiddos.

I am reading a great book from the library called "How much is enough?" by Jean Illsley Clarke. Basically about how to not over indulge our kids and instead raise "likeable, responsible and respectful children", I have learned a lot from it and it's really helped me set clearer boundaries and limits with C. I often feel like maybe I let him get away with more than he should- which is dangerous. Well that's all for now! Sleep time!

Too much media!

A day I wish the kids would of slept a bit longer! Caleb would watch TV all day if I let him and honestly some days it's tempting to let him! He got an hour in this morning which seems like way too much TV, yet I needed that hour of sleep! I have actually been debating putting the TV in the attic so it's not so tempting, as now Caleb just expects that it will be there to entertain him. I will admit since little A came along he has been spending way too much time with his electronic baby sitter- I finally put my foot down and am making him only have at the extreme 2 hours TOTAL in a day (which adds up VERY fast!).
Kevin worked nights last night so it's always a challenge to keep the kids quiet enough not to wake him. The house is just not big enough for a person to sleep quietly (especially if you know my boy!).
As I sit here trying to wake up with my coffee I am wishing it wasn't so much work to get to the Y! I feel great after I work out but the packing the kids, packing me, getting everyone loaded into the car, dropped off at the kids club, going to park the car is a workout enough!! Then I go workout, go get the car, get everyone loaded and get home and I feel like I had 3 workouts. Maybe i'll just wait until Kevin gets up then sneak out by myself for a bit! Though when Kevin gets up I am ready for my nap!! Oh - life as a mom!

A new year!

Well, it's 2012! I have been terrible at blogging- yet I miss doing it! It's so fun to look back at how things have changed. Annaliese joined our family on November 30th 2010 and she just turned 13 months and Caleb is 4 1/2. I have been home with the kids full time until October then I started working every other weekend (4 days a month) plus some half shifts here and there. I find it challenging to stay home- but fun. Kevin and I got married in May in Del Mar California and I am so blessed to have him as my husband! This year we are working on getting a 3 bedroom house (only renting as we would love to move out west within the next 2 years), and a bigger car- we are wanting to expand our family and go for baby number 3 but we need more room! Here are some pictures :)

Annaliese Joy Levine 11/30/2010

My goofy Caleb! Never a dull moment!

She loves to play Peek-a-boo!

In California for our Christmas on our way to Disneyland!

Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

Universal Studios

Studio Tours

My awesome family!

Sponge Bob wacked him with his arm! I didn't know that til after the picture!

Right now Caleb goes to preschool 2 days a week, is in preschool gymnastics once a week and has gym/swim once a week- he needs lots to keep him busy! We got C and baby A enrolled in Kindermusik starting in a week as well which is always fun! We are all wimps with the cold so we hibernate having lots to do in the winter keeps us out of the cave! That's all for now! Gotta get back into blogging, this is fun! Even if I don't have any followers- it's kinda like journaling which I love anyway ;)