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Showing posts with label Caterpillar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caterpillar. Show all posts
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Summer in Review
As the summer ends, I am realizing that I hardly documented our outings at all. We did do a few things in addition to our trip to Maine, I promise.
My parents came for the 4th of July. For the first time since having kids, we attempted to take our little wussies to the fireworks. We found a playground on a hilltop miles above the riverfront, and though we could see a lot, we could hear nothing. It was perfect for my boys, but sad for the adults. Oh the sacrifices we make for our children, lol.
We also spent some time in the backyard with sparklers. Thanks to Pinterest, sparklers are now suitable for all ages!
I always venture inside to the fancy mattress and flushing toilet at bedtime. Can't blame me for that, right?
The boys love their Daddy ...and smores, banana boats, toasted pies, etc. It's been fun to have our own "campground" just out our back door. I'm glad Ryan loves it as much as they do.
Part slip n slide + Part trampoline = Happy little boys
And now on to the fall...
Now that B has almost officially surrendered the baby's room, I am gearing up to spruce up our boy nursery one more time. I need to go through the bin of newborn clothes and sort out the stained and/or worn. We did get our Amazon delivery of itsy, bitsy diapers today though. Scary that he'll be here to fill those soon enough...
For Labor Day weekend, we are heading to Iowa to visit my uncle and his family. He is quite a bit younger than my mom, so some of my cousins - his kids - are still at home and even in elementary school. It is sure to be a great time... and they have dirt bikes, four-wheelers and property. :-)
Collin is starting preschool next week. I've put him into an afternoon class that meets three times per week. I love the teachers so far, and the curriculum is all science-y and project-based. It is right up Collin's alley. We went this week together for the first day, and he ended up picking apart a sunflower with plastic tweezers and extracting a bunch of seeds. His teacher asked if it would be okay for her to bring a pot and some dirt so they could plant the seeds and see what would happen. If you know Collin, he could hardly contain his excitement!
Brennan is going to do a co-op preschool with some kids and their moms from the ward. He'll just be meeting one day per week, but I think he's excited to have something to call his own. We got him a backpack when we bought all Collin's supplies, and he wore it around the store the rest of the trip. He is my social butterfly, and I think he'll love all the time to play with other kids.
We bought my mother-in-law's plane ticket last night for her stay when Boy #3 debuts. It is really starting to feel real now. I am big, but actually feeling quite comfortable this week. I have finally been able to give up my afternoon nap (yep, only took me until 32 weeks to start feeling some energy...). I always feel the best at the end.
Is it bad that I like to keep the baby in? They are so much easier when they don't have to be fed, changed, clothed, napped, held... Well, I am looking forward to the holding part. I hope C & B can let me do that once in a while. I like the end of pregnancy soooo much better than the rest. I love all the movement and the dancing tummy under my shirt. I think this part is fun, despite the hugeness. I figure if I'm not puking and can stand more than 10 minutes, then it's all good. Maybe I just like this part because I'm so miserable the rest of the time! lol
Have a happy fall. If this summer is any indicator of the future, I make no promises for the regularity of posts on this blog. :-)
* * *
We also spent some time in the backyard with sparklers. Thanks to Pinterest, sparklers are now suitable for all ages!
* * *
Towards the end of July, my sister's husband had a business trip to Chicago. The whole family came along, and my parents picked up their girls and brought them down this way. It was rainy and cold, but we had fun at the $1 kids movie and playing around. If only my kids were better hosts - ie could share their toys and boss a lot less - then I think it would have been perfect.
Aren't they adorable all eating pizza together?
* * *
The same week that my sister's girls were visiting, Ryan found a lofted bed on Craig's List. It was just what we were looking for, and the price was right! So Collin and Brennan have been sharing the "Big Boy Room" for about a month now. B is a chatty little monkey, and Coll usually falls asleep while Brenn is still chatting away. I'd say they usually have one really bad night per week, which is much better than I expected. I think they are each having some adjustment struggles to having less to call their "own," but I guess that's just part of being in a family, right?
* * *
Ryan has spent several Friday nights outside camping with Collin. Brennan finally survived a full night outside about two weeks ago. (That was the requirement to earn going to the Father-Son Campout, which is next weekend.) 
The boys love their Daddy ...and smores, banana boats, toasted pies, etc. It's been fun to have our own "campground" just out our back door. I'm glad Ryan loves it as much as they do.
* * *
This summer was also marked by making our final goodbyes to my parents, who arrived in the Philippines this week. We were able to go to St Louis the weekend they spoke in their sacrament meeting and hear their testimonies in Tagalog. We sure are going to miss them.
* * *
We also spent a random Tuesday doing Nauvoo. (Ryan has all this vacation time left still to use this year, and we found out a few weeks ago that he has to take two weeks off in Oct & Nov for lay-off - a strange method Caterpillar uses to supposedly save money when sales are lagging. So he has been sprinkling in days off here and there the last few weeks and will continue to do so through the rest of the year.) Anyway, our Relief Society presidency arranged to babysit kids in Nauvoo so the sisters could go to the temple, and Ryan took the day off and came too. We were able to attend the temple together, pick up the boys at the Stake Center, have a little picnic in the park, and tour the town. Brennan is getting old enough (and is generally a pretty happy camper if his dad is around) that he skipped his nap, and we learned about brick-making, cooking over a fire, horseshoe-making, rope-making, candle-dipping... you know, all the fun Nauvoo things. Anyway, we didn't take the camera, but it was a thoroughly-awesome day together as a family. I would say it was my favorite single day of the summer.
* * *
Last week was probably the most exciting thing of the summer for the boys though - They got a giant trampoline. Nana and Papa sent us an early Christmas present, and they love it! Right after we got it set up, it got really hot. In fact, this week's heat indexes have been over 100, so we put the sprinkler underneath. Good times.
And now on to the fall...
Now that B has almost officially surrendered the baby's room, I am gearing up to spruce up our boy nursery one more time. I need to go through the bin of newborn clothes and sort out the stained and/or worn. We did get our Amazon delivery of itsy, bitsy diapers today though. Scary that he'll be here to fill those soon enough...
For Labor Day weekend, we are heading to Iowa to visit my uncle and his family. He is quite a bit younger than my mom, so some of my cousins - his kids - are still at home and even in elementary school. It is sure to be a great time... and they have dirt bikes, four-wheelers and property. :-)
Collin is starting preschool next week. I've put him into an afternoon class that meets three times per week. I love the teachers so far, and the curriculum is all science-y and project-based. It is right up Collin's alley. We went this week together for the first day, and he ended up picking apart a sunflower with plastic tweezers and extracting a bunch of seeds. His teacher asked if it would be okay for her to bring a pot and some dirt so they could plant the seeds and see what would happen. If you know Collin, he could hardly contain his excitement!
Brennan is going to do a co-op preschool with some kids and their moms from the ward. He'll just be meeting one day per week, but I think he's excited to have something to call his own. We got him a backpack when we bought all Collin's supplies, and he wore it around the store the rest of the trip. He is my social butterfly, and I think he'll love all the time to play with other kids.
We bought my mother-in-law's plane ticket last night for her stay when Boy #3 debuts. It is really starting to feel real now. I am big, but actually feeling quite comfortable this week. I have finally been able to give up my afternoon nap (yep, only took me until 32 weeks to start feeling some energy...). I always feel the best at the end.
Is it bad that I like to keep the baby in? They are so much easier when they don't have to be fed, changed, clothed, napped, held... Well, I am looking forward to the holding part. I hope C & B can let me do that once in a while. I like the end of pregnancy soooo much better than the rest. I love all the movement and the dancing tummy under my shirt. I think this part is fun, despite the hugeness. I figure if I'm not puking and can stand more than 10 minutes, then it's all good. Maybe I just like this part because I'm so miserable the rest of the time! lol
Have a happy fall. If this summer is any indicator of the future, I make no promises for the regularity of posts on this blog. :-)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Bubble Bath
So Ryan is doing some shift work now. In the words of my mom: "I thought someone with that much education wouldn't have to work funny shifts." Well, not a Caterpillar. Ryan's engine shares an exhaust system with the neighboring engine. The other engineer is working 10/4s (10 hours per day, 4 days per week) from 7am to 5pm. In order to maximize the time to run their engines, Ryan is now working 3pm to 11pm.
At first I groaned too and it is only Day Two, but so far I am really liking...
1 - Spending time during the day together.
2 - Not having to argue with him when I want to go to bed early.
3 - Running errands together as a family.
4 - Ryan getting to see Collin at "good times" and not just when he's grumpy and ready for bed.
On the other hand, there are drawbacks...
1 - Putting Collin to bed by myself.
2 - Being lonely in the evenings.
3 - Getting into a cold bed by myself.
4 - Getting woken up at 11:30pm when Ryan climbs in next to me.
5 - Eating dinner by myself.
6 - No more socializing with friends in the evenings for me.
We'll see how this goes. Obviously, we are going through some re-writing of how I spend my day with Collin. One such re-write is Collin's bath time. I have always given him a bath first thing in the morning after his breakfast and before Sesame Street comes on. Tonight I had NO IDEA what to do with him during his "grumpy time" from 4-6pm. After some webcam-ing with Grandma, she suggested a bubble bath. Of course, most moms do bath time before bed, so maybe this will become a new tradition for us. Until tonight, I had never given Collin a bath with bubbles; I guess I'm a mean mom. I've plopped him in with toys and scrubbed him up, but no bubbles.
Yeah, he wrote his own name. No, just kidding. But yes I do spend time talking to him about the letters. The teacher in me can't be silenced!
He usually just chews on his toys. Of course, he usually chews on everything, so I shouldn't be surprised this is how he spends his bath time too.
Look at those smiles. You probably don't believe that this is his grumpy time of the day. 
At first I groaned too and it is only Day Two, but so far I am really liking...
1 - Spending time during the day together.
2 - Not having to argue with him when I want to go to bed early.
3 - Running errands together as a family.
4 - Ryan getting to see Collin at "good times" and not just when he's grumpy and ready for bed.
On the other hand, there are drawbacks...
1 - Putting Collin to bed by myself.
2 - Being lonely in the evenings.
3 - Getting into a cold bed by myself.
4 - Getting woken up at 11:30pm when Ryan climbs in next to me.
5 - Eating dinner by myself.
6 - No more socializing with friends in the evenings for me.
We'll see how this goes. Obviously, we are going through some re-writing of how I spend my day with Collin. One such re-write is Collin's bath time. I have always given him a bath first thing in the morning after his breakfast and before Sesame Street comes on. Tonight I had NO IDEA what to do with him during his "grumpy time" from 4-6pm. After some webcam-ing with Grandma, she suggested a bubble bath. Of course, most moms do bath time before bed, so maybe this will become a new tradition for us. Until tonight, I had never given Collin a bath with bubbles; I guess I'm a mean mom. I've plopped him in with toys and scrubbed him up, but no bubbles.
Yeah, he wrote his own name. No, just kidding. But yes I do spend time talking to him about the letters. The teacher in me can't be silenced!
He usually just chews on his toys. Of course, he usually chews on everything, so I shouldn't be surprised this is how he spends his bath time too.Look at those smiles. You probably don't believe that this is his grumpy time of the day. He is such a daredevil. It freaks me out, but he reaches and grabs for everything. He definitely doesn't just sit and let the world go by around him.
He wasn't a big fan of the taste of the water with bubbles, but I appreciated the modesty they provided for my photo shoot.
He doesn't really mind getting his face wet, which I'm sure will be nice when we go swimming again next summer.
And when he's all done (or if he has to pee), he stands up to let me know. What a cutie!
He wasn't a big fan of the taste of the water with bubbles, but I appreciated the modesty they provided for my photo shoot.He doesn't really mind getting his face wet, which I'm sure will be nice when we go swimming again next summer.And when he's all done (or if he has to pee), he stands up to let me know. What a cutie!Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
To Lindsey: 
Another hour ALONE in front of the fire with my new book
Dinner of heart-shaped pizza, ice cream floats and chocolate chip toffee cheesecake
Breakfast in bed with heart-shaped pancakes, grapefruit and orange juice
A hair cut and hour of shopping ALONE
Another hour ALONE in front of the fire with my new bookDinner of heart-shaped pizza, ice cream floats and chocolate chip toffee cheesecake To Ryan:
A little something to remind you how much we love you while at work...
A little something to remind you how much we love you while at work...
Happy Valentine's Day!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Thoughts
Picture Perfect
I love having a fireplace to hang with our cute little stockings in a row. We even bought some of those environmentally-friendly logs in a box to burn every once in a while.
We decided we'd keep our "mini-tree" as our only tree for at least one more year. I think it looks quite cute standing guard there in the corner.
This is our tribute to Caterpillar.
Fireplaces, Christmas trees, stockings, Charlie Brown movies, hot chocolate, Christmas lights, candles... These things make me happy.
When I got home from Seminary today, I was feeling huge and thought it would be a good day to take some more pregnancy photos.
It's funny - now looking at myself - I don't think I look nearly as humongous as I feel. The last week or so I have been feeling all the uncomfortable parts of carrying around my 6 lb. 11 oz. friend: lower back pain, sore feet and calves, pressure behind my hips, pain in my ribs, difficulty catching my breath, a constant need to use the restroom...
And all the while, my little guy is poking and jabbing and moving and grooving. I'm glad he's comfortable. I don't know how much longer my body can survive being beat up.
I love having a fireplace to hang with our cute little stockings in a row. We even bought some of those environmentally-friendly logs in a box to burn every once in a while.
We decided we'd keep our "mini-tree" as our only tree for at least one more year. I think it looks quite cute standing guard there in the corner.
This is our tribute to Caterpillar.Fireplaces, Christmas trees, stockings, Charlie Brown movies, hot chocolate, Christmas lights, candles... These things make me happy.Week 38
When I got home from Seminary today, I was feeling huge and thought it would be a good day to take some more pregnancy photos.
It's funny - now looking at myself - I don't think I look nearly as humongous as I feel. The last week or so I have been feeling all the uncomfortable parts of carrying around my 6 lb. 11 oz. friend: lower back pain, sore feet and calves, pressure behind my hips, pain in my ribs, difficulty catching my breath, a constant need to use the restroom... And all the while, my little guy is poking and jabbing and moving and grooving. I'm glad he's comfortable. I don't know how much longer my body can survive being beat up.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Engineer-In-Training
Ryan and I have been emailing back and forth all day.
To My Engineer -
I just "built" a box to ship Kim's buckeyes to her. There was a piece of cardboard lying on the floor in the basement from the water softener, and I cut it and molded it and taped and taped and taped. 
I am so proud of myself.
Sounds like I'm rubbin' off on you after all. Pretty soon you'll be out in the garage fixing the car yourself... Or maybe not (tee hee).
Love Ya!
-Proud Husband of my Not-as-big-as-she-thinks Engineer-in-training
* * *
To My Engineer -
I just "built" a box to ship Kim's buckeyes to her. There was a piece of cardboard lying on the floor in the basement from the water softener, and I cut it and molded it and taped and taped and taped. I am so proud of myself. Love - Your Not-so-Little Engineer-in-Training
PS: Who needs to buy a box at the post office in a car anyway!? Maybe I can learn to do more things around here, and we could just have one car... Or maybe not.* * *
Sounds like I'm rubbin' off on you after all. Pretty soon you'll be out in the garage fixing the car yourself... Or maybe not (tee hee).
Love Ya!
-Proud Husband of my Not-as-big-as-she-thinks Engineer-in-training
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Welcome to the World of Blogging!
It is time. I have spent a lot of time convincing Ryan that I can keep our blog private, and with all our life changes lately, I think it is time. Also, if one more friend asks me about our blog or if we blog, I may scream.
So, a little about the life changes that have prompted me to start blogging.
1- Ryan has a... career! Ryan started working for Caterpillar on Tuesday. Though he is still working on his thesis in the evenings, and we will return to Madison in August for his defense, he is unofficially graduated and will get his first "real" paycheck the first of August. We can't wait! So far, he really loves it and is enjoying himself.
2- We own a home! Though we closed on our home May 5th, we moved in... a week ago today. It is so fun to do laundry and never have to wait for an available machine and to leave it in the washer or dryer as long as I want without fear of a stranger touching my underwear. It is so nice to be able to stand in the kitchen at the same time as Ryan and cook together without stepping on each other's feet. We even have work space! It is so nice to weed the flower bed while Ryan mows the lawn (OUR lawn!). It is funny how what used to be a chore growing up is now kinda fun in your own place! It is so nice to load the dishwasher after dinner instead of rock-paper-scissoring about washing the dishes. This is definitely the life.
3- We are expecting our first baby! Today I am officially 15 weeks. My due date is December 18th. We are so excited about our little one. We are hoping for a boy who won't be bothered by a Holiday birthday. I have been feeling quite a lot better than about a month ago, but I am still waiting for the "2nd Trimester Bliss" the doctors, websites, and my friends talk about. I'm ready! I have noticed I have more energy and that I can go without eating for an hour or two, but... it is going to get even better right? (I threw up this morning, so....)
4- I'm not working anymore! June 10th marked my last day as a full-time teacher. I taught 6th grade for two years in Utah, and 4th grade for one year in Wisconsin. I had a little bit of a nervous break-down when I realized on June 13th that I'd never receive another paycheck, but my heart tells me I'm doing what's right. It is just my brain that is freaking out!
So, a little about the life changes that have prompted me to start blogging.
1- Ryan has a... career! Ryan started working for Caterpillar on Tuesday. Though he is still working on his thesis in the evenings, and we will return to Madison in August for his defense, he is unofficially graduated and will get his first "real" paycheck the first of August. We can't wait! So far, he really loves it and is enjoying himself.
2- We own a home! Though we closed on our home May 5th, we moved in... a week ago today. It is so fun to do laundry and never have to wait for an available machine and to leave it in the washer or dryer as long as I want without fear of a stranger touching my underwear. It is so nice to be able to stand in the kitchen at the same time as Ryan and cook together without stepping on each other's feet. We even have work space! It is so nice to weed the flower bed while Ryan mows the lawn (OUR lawn!). It is funny how what used to be a chore growing up is now kinda fun in your own place! It is so nice to load the dishwasher after dinner instead of rock-paper-scissoring about washing the dishes. This is definitely the life.
3- We are expecting our first baby! Today I am officially 15 weeks. My due date is December 18th. We are so excited about our little one. We are hoping for a boy who won't be bothered by a Holiday birthday. I have been feeling quite a lot better than about a month ago, but I am still waiting for the "2nd Trimester Bliss" the doctors, websites, and my friends talk about. I'm ready! I have noticed I have more energy and that I can go without eating for an hour or two, but... it is going to get even better right? (I threw up this morning, so....)
4- I'm not working anymore! June 10th marked my last day as a full-time teacher. I taught 6th grade for two years in Utah, and 4th grade for one year in Wisconsin. I had a little bit of a nervous break-down when I realized on June 13th that I'd never receive another paycheck, but my heart tells me I'm doing what's right. It is just my brain that is freaking out!
Well, those would be all the major life changes in the last month that have prompted my desire to start blogging. Hopefully, I will be able to match wit with some of you out there. One of the main reasons I haven't done this sooner is because whenever I read your blogs, I laugh to the point of crying at the humorous experiences you have. I am just not that funny (and don't have as many funny experiences), but I will try.
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