Mission Santa. . .a NO GO!

On Sunday we decided to take a trip up to Saint Cloud to see Santa at the mall. Ella seemed unsure in the car on the way there, but she often needs to be talked into things, so we weren't too worried.

When we arrived at the mall, Ella caught a glimpse of Santa and decided (FOR SURE) that she would NOT sit on Santa's lap nor would she stand next to him and tell him what she wanted for Christmas. We tried to talk her into it (Jocie will go with you, mommy can go with you, daddy can go with you, daddy will hold you, etc.) but she wasn't going for any of that! She didn't even want to look at him she was so scared! Even when she walked down the hall that Santa was in, she walked as far away as she could!!

She opted to write him a letter :)

Merry Christmas!

Ultrasound Picture

Thought you might want to see a picture or two from the Ultrasound!
Enjoy

Rosey Cheeks

When we woke up yesterday and saw all the snow falling, we knew it would be a great day to go sledding. So we got all bundled up, and piled into the van. After picking up Jocie's friend, Becca, we headed to one of the only sledding hills in Monticello. We weren't the only people who thought of this idea, because there was quite a few other sledders at the hill. When we got out of the car, we realized just how much the wind had picked up :( But we weren't going to wuss out, so off they went! In my current condition, the safety patrol (AKA Carl) wouldn't allow such activity. So I just watched (and froze) from the top of the hill. I did go into the van after a while because that wind was really brutal (I wussed out).

Carl and the girls had a great time! Becca and Jocie even went off of the jump that was built. Ella wasn't so sure about sledding right away. She and Carl went down the hill together, and she thought the hill was too big. But after a pep-talk from dad, and some baby runs (only going part way up the hill and then going down), Ella turned into a dare-devil! Within about a half an hour, she was going down the hill the whole way, by herself, backwards!!!

Ultrasound

I had my 20 week ultrasound yesterday. Although it was a little uncomfortable (having to drink 32 oz. of water 1 hour before the ultrasound, then having to hold it until the ultrasound is over....and having the tech's running 30 minutes behind schedule), it was still a wonderful experience. I am glad to report that all the baby's measurements are right on schedule. We noticed that s/he has all 10 fingers and 10 toes, two arms, two legs, two eyes, one nose, and one head...so we're on the right track! We also learned that the heart rate is 145. As most of you know, we did not find out the sex of the baby...so you'll just have to wait on that news...

One exciting thing we did learn was the date of my C-Section. The baby will be born on Monday, April 27th (that is, unless s/he decides to come early like big sister Ella)!

The countdown is on!

Girlie Christmas Tradition

Saturday afternoon, the girls and I had our annual Christmas Cookie Baking Extravaganza! We usually just bake Sugar Cookie cut-outs, and then decorate them. But this year, we went a bit further and also made the chocolate-covered-peanut butter-crackers (yummy). We had help from Aunt Dana who was in town visiting for the weekend, which made the festivities run a bit smoother than usual :)

The girls had a great time rolling and cutting the cookie shapes, but definitely had the most fun decorating. Boy, were the creative juices flowing! I have noticed, now more than ever, how artistic my girls are (. . . compared to their mother). Santa will be VERY happy with his late-night treat this year!

Today we are tackling the project of making Oreo Balls, which are one of my favorite Christmas treats! The baby will be eating well today!!

It's Game Time!

Jocie had her first basketball game EVER yesterday! The Monticello 4th grade traveling team took on the St. Frances Xavier team from Buffalo. We didn't know this going into it (not that it would have mattered too much), but this team was compiled of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade girls! To make matters a little harder, this would be the other team's LAST game of the season compared to our FIRST game EVER :).

The game was very fun to watch. Jocie played point guard, and did a great job calling the plays and being the leading DEFENSIVE force on the team (remember - she is a Lundby!) The girls got great exposure to what a competitive basketball game is really like. From the first quarter to the fourth quarter; we all saw improvement. We were very proud of their 34 to 10 defeat.

Coach Adolphson also did a outstanding job! Not only did he stay positive while the team trailed, his excitement and enthusiasm never faltered! If I had a cooler of Gatorade, he would have been drenched after the game :)

Looking forward to many more games!

Yep, I'm bragging

I am so proud of my two little girls!

Jocie was just awarded the "Arts, Academics, and Athletics" award at her school. She was the only student to be awarded this honor from her class, and one in only 7 4th grade Pinewood students (about 200 4th grade students total)! This is a big deal...she got her name announced over the intercom during morning announcements and also got her picture taken while enjoying milk and cookies with the principals. Way to go Jocie!!

Ella just started dance class last week. She is attending a ballet/tap class every Thursday evening. She is VERY excited about this class, and does a great job during it. She follows directions from her instructor right away, and tries her very best at everything she does! Yeah Ella!

Pictures to follow...

Oh the FUN mornings!

Although I adore being a mother (I'd better since I've got another one coming), I have to say, being a working mother in the morning in not the most rewarding part of my mothering job. Mornings are, without a doubt, the hardest part of my day (followed by bedtimes at a close second). I know I am not alone in this thinking. To all you mothers (and fathers) out there that can relate to my AM situations, I thought it might be fun to do a quick run down of the festivities.

5:45am - The alarm clock rings for the first time, and without even thinking, I hit the snooze button

5:51am - The alarm goes off yet again, and again I hit the snooze

6:02am - The alarm goes off, and I finally surrender to the inevitable. Roll out of bed, trip over the dog and step into the shower

6:03am - I just remember that this is a horrible time to take a shower because our water softener is recycling, so have little to no hot water

6:04am - hop out of the icy waters and freeze some more

6:05am - regular morning getting ready time

6:30am - realizing I'm having yet another bad hair day, rush into Jocie's room to wake her up

6:32am - go into to Ella's room to (try) wake her up. "Ella my baby, wake up sweetheart"..no response

6:35am - pour myself some cereal while Jocie is eating her cereal in front of the TV

6:36am - the dog needs to go outside, so put my cereal down and stumble into a jacket and boots to stand outside to freeze until Mario does his business

6:38am - come back inside to finish soggy cereal

6:45am - go back into Ella's room "Ella girl, time to wake up. Do you want some breakfast? Arthur is on! (bribe)" - still not a stir

6:46am - after failed attempt #2 - I just carry her sleeping body to the couch. Still no signs of consciousness.

6:55am - rush Jocie in the bathroom to get hair brushed and done, teeth brushed, and face washed.

6:58am - "Ella, we really need to get up now honey. Mommy can't be late".....nothing

7:00am - give up and try to dress Ella while she is sleeping. This pisses her off and she starts crying and kicking. Instead of getting dressed she decides to run back to her room and into her bed because "my eyes won't open, mommy!!"

7:15am - after and major battle with my second born, she is now dressed (finally), and is in the bathroom and crying while I do her hair (while she is shaking her head), and get her teeth brushed and face washed.

7:20am - Sign Jocie's school planner, while Jocie just remembers that I have to proof read an assignment for her. Also get her snack packed and make sure she has hat, gloves, and scarf packed.

7:30am - officially running late. Jackets, hats, mittens on. Pile in the car. Garage door won't close, have to get out of the car, close it from inside the garage, walk around back and get back into the car. Driving down the driveway, Ella shouts, "I forgot Donna!!! Mommy please get Donna!!" Get out of the car, open the garage door, back into the house, dig through her room to finally find Donna under the bed. Ella is soooo happy to see her, it's hard to be mad....but still kind-of am.

7:42am - REALLY LATE - drop off Ella at daycare

7:45am - realize I have no gas, quick stop to gas up

7:58am - arrive to school 8 minutes late, and slip into my office unnoticed (woo-hoo)

8:00am - boot up my computer and take a deep breath...now I can relax....before 30 screaming kids run into my gym...ugh

I did not write this as a pitty party, because I know every mother is reading this and asking herself if I'm actually writing about their morning! I usually spend most of my morning wishing to be a stay-at-home mom, until I realize that their mornings are just as busy as mine, and then they have to continue dealing with the craziness all day!!

To all you mothers (and Fathers) who have to deal with what I'm dealing with, I raise my glass (of non-alcoholic wine) to you!!

Cheers!

A lot to be Thankful for!

Wishing all of you had as great of a Thanksgiving as we did! My step-sister Sarah and her family hosted again this year at their home in Eden Prairie. The house was crammed with food, fun, and family! It was fun watching Ella and Jocie run around with cousins, having a great time :) After dinner, we had fun playing around with their new Wii! I never knew I could laugh so hard at a video game!

The rest of the weekend was spent at our house with my sister Ali, niece Daysha, brother John and his fiance Beth. We were also visited by my dad and step mom :) We had a great time watching Sioux Hockey on Friday night at Joe Sensors. I really miss watching them play on a regular basis! We also got in some shopping on Saturday, and celebrated my nephew Jake's 1st birthday.

I am in my 18th week of pregnancy, and feeling wonderful! I am feeling the baby move quite a bit . . . I had forgotten how cool that felt :) Carl and I are looking forward to my up-and-coming ultra sound on December 15th.

Happy Holiday Season!

Halloween Shenanigans

We had yet another festive Halloween! Ella dressed up as Cinder-Ella and Jocie dressed up as Anastasia. Ella thought it would be a great idea if my mom could come down and dress up as the Fairy Godmother...and she agreed! Nanny tried her best to dress up as the famous character. . .and I must say. . .she NAILED it! The girls were ecstatic the first time they saw her in her costume.

After dinner, we headed out into the neighborhood. We were very glad to have such warm weather. Because of the great weather, we were able to stay out for 2 hours! The girls were so excited that they ran to every house (the only "healthy" thing about Halloween). Ella was a little too excited. She ended up falling twice, and also ran right into a tree. She suffered some road rash, but got over it shortly.

The girls are very lucky to have such a cool "Nanny". Ella already has an idea for next Halloween. She wants to be Tinkerbell, she wants Jocie to be Wendy (Jocie is not sold on this idea), and she wants Nanny to be Peter Pan. I would not be surprised if this idea became a reality!

From man-to-man to a zone

Hi Everyone,

I'm sure most of you know this by now, but I know I haven't been able to talk to everyone. Carl and I are expecting our third child :) I am almost 3 1/2 months along, and the baby is due May 3rd. Since I know I will be having yet another C-Section, they will probably schedule delivery for the very end of April, since delivery is usually set around 39 weeks.

I'm am excited to be into my second trimester! Although it could have been much worse, I'm glad the all-day nausea, constant hunger, and feeling like I need a nap 24/7 is over!! :)

Everyone is very excited about the idea of another addition to the family. Jocie is excited to by a big sister again, and of course Ella is looking forward to having a "real" baby in the house. We have also decided not to find out the sex of the baby early. So, unfortunately, you won't know until we know on the actual birthday.

Carl and I are also very excited, but also a tad nervous. Three kids seems like a lot more than two.....I know that sounds weird, but to us it makes sense. One of Carl's friends told him having the third child is like going from a man-to-man defense (in basketball) to a zone defense. Because now the kids out number the parents, so you need to know how to cover them all :) We liked this analogy, and now feel that we're up for the challenge!

Annual TC Kid's Marathon

This weekend was the annual Twin Cities Kid's Marathon in St. Paul. Since the first week of school, I have been training some of my fifth grade students to participate in a 5K, 1 mile, or 1/2 mile race. This year, I had 11 kids come down (4 participated in the 5K, 5 in the 1 mile, and 2 in the 1/2 mile). I made sure to get all my runners up to the very front of the pack at the starting line. While at the starting line, we were interview twice! Once by the race official (over the loud speaker!!), and once by Diana Pierce herself (Kare 11 news woman who sponsors the event) All my students did incredibly well in there races (thanks to my training of course)! One of my students actually ran the 1 mile race in 5.48 minutes and got 3rd over-all out of over 1,000 kids participating (WOW)!!

Carl, Jocie, and Ella also participated. Carl and Jocie ran the 1 mile race. I was so proud to see Jocie running super hard through the finish line. She also did an awesome job and finished the race in 7 minutes! Ella participated in the Toddler Trot :) As soon as "go" was heard, she was off like a shot, and looked as if she got 3rd place out of all the 3-year-olds. I always get a kick out of watching how serious some of the parents of the toddlers can be....scary (probably future stage parents...yikes).

We had a beautiful day, with beautiful surroundings of the State Capitol and the St. Paul Cathedral. The day was a lot of fun and a huge PINEWOOD Elementary success!

School, School, and umm, School

Sorry to keep you all waiting! I'm sure you've been on pins and needles waiting for this post (yeah, right). As you all know, school has started and we are incredibly busy.

Jocie is loving the 4th grade. She has a great teacher and really likes the friends she has in her classroom. She is studying for her "bones" test on Thursday and is also hoping to be apart of the new Pinewood Newspaper. She is also anticipating her up and coming basketball season. She will be playing on the Monticello 4th grade traveling team (I'm being serious. . . if you ask me there shouldn't be such a thing! I think kids should focus on skills and the basics of the game . . . not traveling the state!) Carl will be her coach, and I'm sure she'll have a blast with her friends.

Ella is having a great time playing at Missy's house with all of her friends. She especially likes playing house with the babies (big shocker).

Carl is keeping (too) busy with school, coaching 9th grade football, working on his masters and trying to squeeze in a few drivers training hours! Last weekend he finally got some "me" time when we were able to go up to Argyle so he could ride horse with Jocie and his dad. Obviously some much needed relaxation time!

I have also started my master's program. I have class every Wednesday after school until around 9pm (yuck) and also have some random Saturday mornings (double yuck). It's been an OK experience so far. . . even though I disagree with some of my professor's grading procedures. I'm sure if he could, he would be correcting my blogging ability :)

I hope this message finds you in good spirits and good health. I will try to do a better job keeping up :)

Teachers' week over = Students coming!

I just finished my teacher's in-service week, which is a relief, but can only mean one thing...the kids are coming!!! On September 2nd, my school will be bursting at the seems with over 1000 students. Some will be smiling, some will be crying, some will be excited, and some will be nervous (sounds like some teachers I know).

I have spent the last two weeks getting ready for the first class to come parading into my gym. I have never thought of myself as an authentic elementary teacher (way too sarcastic and don't enjoy signing in front of my students or at staff meetings), but little by little, I am seeing symptoms of "elementary-itis". For starters, this year I have made many more bulletin boards for my hallways and gym. These bulletin boards are compete with this year's Pinewood theme, "Be an All-Star", and decorated with carefully cut letters and stars, topped off with a colorful boarder. I am pretty surprised and impressed with myself!

Jocie will be starting the 4th grade (holy crap!). Her teacher, Ms. Hagaseth, is an awesome teacher who has lots of experience, is very caring, enthusiastic, and is HILARIOUS!! I just know Jocie is going to love her! Ella is already back at Missy's daycare (because of in-service) and is excited to be back with Missy and all of her daycare friends.

I must admit, I am a little nervous for school to officially start. But as someone once told me; it's good to be nervous because it shows you care about doing a good job. I'm pretty lucky to work in a school with not only great teachers, but great people. I know this year will be a great one!

These pictures were taken by the best photographer I know.....my step-mom Barb!

a girlie getaway

Last week was one of the best weeks of the summer! Jocie, Ella and I packed up the family truckster and headed north to good 'ol Maple Lake. We joined my mom, Jessie, Ali and Daysha for a sun-soaking, female-bonding good time. I did break the rule and brought a male with me; but only because this male can't live without me (Mario - my dog). Poor Carl had to stay behind because football had started and he was booked with driver's training. Although, I don't know if he would've enjoyed it too much anyway (WAY too much estrogen!!). He probably would have planted himself in front of the beer fridge in the garage after a few hours (no shame in that).

The week started out a bit slow due to the day and a half of rain. But when it cleared up, it was absolutely beautiful. We spent most of our time on the pontoon and at the sand-bar. Daysha and Jocie had a ton of fun tubing with Casey Anderson (Mandy's husband), and Ella had a lot of fun on the paddle boat.

Had a lot of fun, sun, walks (complete with bats), boating, talking, and cocktail hours. My only wish is that it would've lasted longer!

Pictures to come!!

The Summer Wrap-up

This summer has been a whirl-wind, and I can't believe my days are numbered. Gone are the days of sleeping in and working on my tan...which is what all teachers do in the summer, right? (wink, wink) Sadly, I still have a raging farmer-tan and am as sleep deprived as ever :)

Early this summer we were busy with Jocelyn's activities. She had two weeks of basketball camp, followed by night games of softball. And let me tell you, 9 year-old girls softball is a thrilling event (liar). Most of the time, I was busy chasing Ella around, trying to contain her in one area. Jocie also just finished VBS (Vacation Bible School) where Carl volunteered as a teacher (better parent then me). Joice played a lot with the neighbor girl Tessa, where they set up many make-believe pet shops with all of their web-kins, which is her newest obsession.

Ella is as "active" as ever. I am amused and astonished by her unending energy. Though she is hard to control at times, she has a great sense of humor and a big heart, so it is really hard to get too mad at her. She LOVES being outside riding her bike, playing in her playhouse, running through the sprinkler (or the "pickle" as she pronounces it), and her favorite of all, playing with her many babies. These babies have great names, thought up completely by Ella herself. Some of her babies include: Donna, Rosie, Kaiya, Leah, and Rock-n-Roll (her newest boy-baby). If you read my previous Blog, you already know that she is now potty-trained (Woo-Hoo)!

Being a mother and a teacher, I absolutely adore my summers!! Being able to go to the beach on a warm-sunny day, go on many bike rides, watch the girls play with our dog Mario in our backyard are all wonderful things. Although, there are some days I feel like Ms. Hannigan (the caregiver at the orphanage in the movie Annie), singing about "little girls". Walking around my house in a daze of motherhood wanting to retire to my bathtub full of gin, or in my case scotch...I am a Youngern you know....right, mom ;). In those cases I make sure to have a couple of beers after bedtime with Carl!!

Carl has had the best summer since we've moved back to MN. He is now a Diver's Ed Instructor (for you East-Siders--think Mr. Stinar but younger and hotter)! He loves having a schedule that makes it easy to go places on the weekends, and spend more time with his girls. I have taken 6 credits of elective grad classes this summer in order to get ready for my master's program that I am starting this fall (yuck). Is teaching the only profession that you have to spend a ton of money to get a raise??? Oh well...can't fight city hall!

Perhaps the high-light of our summer was our road trip to Detroit to visit our dear friends the Giersdorf's!! Justin (Dorf) and Amie opened their doors for us and showed us an incredible time!! We got to watch our beloved Twins play (and BEAT) the Detroit Tigers twice. We had great tickets for both nights. One night we actually sat in the ESPN Suite!!- thanks Amie! I was a huge loser and made "Circle Us Bert" signs and got on MN TV!!

Which brings me to our summer purchase....yes.....we bought a Mini-Van!! I was always one of those mini-van snobs, who said "I'll never drive a mini-van!" But my husband proved me wrong! He finally talked me into it, mostly because of the Detroit trip. He bribed me with it's DVD player, stow-and-go seats, and lower gas mileage than an SUV. If it would've had a beer tap or alcohol dispenser of some kind, it would have been a faster sale (think 12 hours with Ella)! I had to buy myself a tee-shirt that says "mini-van, mega-fun" on it just to make me feel better! I enjoy watching Carl trying new and exciting (for him) ways of configuring which seats should stay up and which ones he should put down. It's like watching a little boy play with his new LEGOS.

I am refusing to give up on summer yet! Next week the girls and I will be heading up to NW Minnesota's Maple Lake to spend the better part of the week at my mom's awesome lake cabin! If there is one thing I love, it is hanging out at a lake!!! So much fun to be had and sun to soak up. Carl is busy putting up a tent in the back yard for some "camping" with the girls tonight, I'd better run.

Thanks for reading...Cheers!

How the diapers disappeared!

We are very proud of our little Ella...she is officially a POTTY GIRL! We have been trying to talk her into this stage "girl-hood" since she has turned two, but she wanted nothing to do with the potty or the panties that came along with it. In the beginning, we tried the popular "potty chart" route; complete with exciting stickers to fill it in upon....successful deposits. But surprise, surprise....she could care less about it after a few attempts. Months went by without any interest, when we decided that enough was enough. My only goal as a mother this summer was to get her panty-clad by September. So I did what any loving mother would do...simply deprived her of all diapers :) On one sunny Monday morning, the panties came out and the diapers went away. Yes, I was up to my neck in laundry for a few days, but after she had a few successes (with rewards/bribes of gummy worms), there was no looking back for this driven and motivated three-year-old! In a total of only 5 days, she was foot-loose and diaper free, and loving every minute of it. She made sure to tell EVERYONE she came in contact with that she was wearing big girl panties. She often asked in return if they too were wearing panties.

There is nothing better then watching her face light up and hearing her proud shrieks after yet another success on the big-girl-potty. She is quite proud of her self, as we all are!!!