Life in March

Blake: loves work. Loves his days off when he can fish even more.  His work schedule and mine sometimes overlap, meaning we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like. I always appreciate it when, on his days off, he'll watch the kids instead of going out and doing one of his hobbies. This summer will be a welcome break from our crazy schedules. We're excited to take our boat out this year and spend some afternoons on the lake together as a family.

Courtney: Life seems like it's going at full speed right now. Hard to believe the school year is almost over for me and we're down to the last 3 months. I feel like I just started the year with my students yesterday. After my stress fracture in September, I'm attempting to run again with slow results. Pretty sad that I could run 13.1 miles 6 months ago, but now running 2 miles leaves me feeling like I might die on the side of the road. Finding the time to run is hard, and so is finding the motivation. But since summer is coming and that means lots of days spent at the lake in a swimsuit, I better find that motivation fast!

Blake and I had a fun weekend without the kids recently. They spent the night with Nonna while we went to see the comedian Brian Regan. We had a great dinner at Tucano's first, followed by some shopping, then a night at the show on the 2nd row. We loved every second of it and it reminded us that we need to get away more often.

Brooke: Loves preschool and her friends and is really excited for kindergarten next year. Would wear her PJs or swimsuit everyday if I'd let her and sometimes getting ready in the morning is quite the challenge.
Some recent Brooke funnies:

•  "Mom, we have two new rules. One's about privacy and the others about popcorn. We need privacy when going to the bathroom and no stealing other people's popcorn."
• As she was trying to ride her bike up a hill, "Wait for me! I'm running out of gas!"
• She knocked on our bedroom door one morning and Blake and I didn't answer right away. Finally, I opened the door to find her standing in the hallway with her backpack on. She said, "Since you didn't answer the door, I thought I could go on a vacation."

Porter: I am loving that the weather has been nice enough lately that the kids can play outside! This boy could spend all day outside. This makes me happy thinking about the summer. Hopefully he's easy to keep busy. He's also recently discovered movies. He loves to watch them (which is why I hope playing outside this summer will also be a blessing, otherwise he'd just be a couch potato). Still has his car obsession. Now its morphed into walking around parking lots, touching other people's car while saying "car" to each one. Since getting his ride-on car for his birthday last month, he thinks all of his toys should be ride-ons too. He was disappointed when he sat on the stuffed horse and nothing happened.

Brooke picked her own outfit. Can you tell? ;)

Porter loves riding his car around the yard

February Photo Dump

February is almost over! I am so excited. The end of February means the end of the second trimester at school (only 12 more weeks of school). It means spring is finally coming, and best of all, it means my car is FINALLY out of the shop after a pepsi truck and I collided in an intersection in mid January. No injures except for that it was very obvious which vehicle was more durable upon impact. The pepsi truck had a small dent in the door while the entire side of my car (which we've only had for a year, I might add) was smashed to pieces. Blake and I have been sharing a car for the last month and it's been tricky with our work schedules. Plus, Brooke and I miss our Frozen soundtrack we listen to everyday on our way to school :)

Here's what our February has been like:

The kids love it when Daddy comes home

 Porter rides his birthday present around the house. This picture is blurry but he has on his cowboy hat and a stethoscope around his neck.

 Porter is also my little hand holder. He'll come up to me and say "hand". Then he wants you to hold it while he leads you to wherever it is he wants to go.

 Even though we'd just had two birthdays, the Valentine's Day tradition lives on!

 And we added a new tradition: Valentine's Floats (vanilla icecream and strawberry soda. Brooke got to sip her float through a twizzler)

 This oldie but goodie was taken out of storage and set up for a few days. My friend made this for Brooke for her 1st birthday and it still looks great!

 Now let's see if it can survive this guy:

 At the beginning of February I posted some pics of Brooke playing in the snow, now only a few weeks later, the snow is pretty much all gone! The kids were so excited to play outside for a little bit Saturday afternoon.

 Brooke playing in the last bit of snow we had in our front yard

 Porter loved his stick

 Saturday night: Brooke reading Porter a Clifford book. She is such a good big sister. Porter was hanging on every word.

 Porter has started to figure out bedtime. He knows when he goes to bed, there is still a party going on without him. He resists and we usually have to take him kicking and screaming. But once he's in bed, and he has his blankies and his two stuffed animals, he usually calms down and is happy.

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

Yesterday I turned the big 3-0. Crazy that my twenties are now behind me. Crazy that I feel like I should feel old, but I don't. I still feel young. I still feel like I just graduated from high school. But then I'm around people who actually have just graduated from high school and I'm like, "yep, I'm way older than you." Or my students will talk about an actor or singer or app and I have no idea who/what they are. Yep, I'm old. 

But I really have no regrets. I was telling Blake yesterday that when I was younger and imagined my adult life, everything I thought I would have at 30, I have it now. Pretty cool, I think. And then Blake and I talked about all the things we want to do in the our next 30 years. We have so much to look forward to and discover about life. I can't wait to get started.

My 30th Birthday was a good one. We celebrated by getting our taxes done in the morning (exciting, I know). Then we got a sitter so Blake and I could go to lunch. Later I went with a friend to pick out  my new Grace Adele bag. I have a purse addiction and it was time for a new one. Mine is a little different. No bow or tassle, and it has an orange flower on the front instead of the cross looking decal. I love it and it's a nice, bright change.

Then, the most exciting thing was a stay-cation Blake and I planned for my birthday for the end of February. We're getting a sitter, staying overnight at a hotel in the city and have 2nd row tickets to see this guy as he performs at the energy solution arena. So excited to get away, eat out at a yummy restaraunt, do some shopping and go to a show!

Here's to being 30!

The Birthday Boy!

Porter's birthday was really fun this year. My mom and brother Jared came out to spend the weekend and Blake's parents were also in town to celebrate with us. And this little birthday boy had no idea that this year his birthday was a triple whammy: Groundhog's Day, the Superbowl, and it was his Golden Birthday (2 on the 2nd).

 Porter loves dogs, so when I saw this idea for making "pupcakes" I knew I had to attempt to make them for his birthday.

 Porter's birthday dinner was easy: pizza and a veggie tray. The big hit was the gallon of chocolate milk pinch brought to put in his sippy cup.

 Porter loves books, especially Clifford the Big Red Dog. A new Clifford book and a Clifford stuffed animal made his night!

 But NOTHING compared to what wrapped inside this present:

 We were able to get him off of it long enough to open Jared and Nonna's gift: some new hotwheels cars, puzzles, and new books.

Porter was having a hard time deciding whether or not he could handle getting off his new toy to have us sing to him, so we just brought the cupcake to him. He even blew out his own candles! 

When it came time to eat it, however. he could not be persuaded to leave his motorcycle to sit at the table and eat it. He'd get off long enough to run over and grab a small bite, then run back to sit on his new toy. He cried his little heart out when it was time for bed and he had to leave it behind.

He had his well-child doctor's visit yesterday. He is 35 inches tall (75th percentile) and 26.11 pounds (40th percentile).

Brooke also had her 5 year well child visit today (I always wait until I can bring them both in at the same time, so much less of a headache!) She is 43.4 inches tall (75th percentile) and weighs 40 lbs (40th percentile). Do you notice a trend with my kids? They have been in these percentiles since they were born pretty much. Tall and thin kiddos!

Catching snowflakes during our last snowstorm

 Our mini snowman :)

 It's been a weekly fight for Brooke to keep her sweater on at church. She always says "But I'm sweaty!"

Here's to TWO years old for my little man! Hopefully this year is terriffic and not terrible!

For Porter {On your birthday}

Happy Birthday my little groundhog baby! Your ability to both frustrate me and melt my heart at the same time still continues to mystify me. You are one busy boy who is into everything and wants to be right by mom and dad helping out. You help unload the dishwasher, get wood for the fireplace, bring us our shoes when you think it's time to leave, and tell us you have a "poop" (when most of the time you really don't, you silly boy!).

Two years old likes:

• reading books
• wresting with daddy
• playing peekaboo
• running away and hiding from mom
• sucking on the toothpaste tube
• cars
• taking baths (but doesn't like getting washed)
• spinning around in circles to make yourself dizzy
• emptying in the cupboards and tub of baby wipes
• saying no

New words since last month:

• bite (after he's done eating, Porter will come around say "bite?" to anyone still eating.)
• poop-he tells me constantly that he has a poopy bum. Usually he's full of crap--pun intended ;)
• no or no-no--his usual response to everything we ask
• all done--says this when we finish reading a book
• here go--for here you go when he gives you something

Porter takes getting into trouble to a whole new level. If I'm not around, he'll push his high chair over to the drawers he can't reach, then climb inside, and then open the drawer to see what's inside.

I love my little boy and am so glad he's a part of our family! These two years flew by and even though you're growing up and becoming a toddler more and more each day, you'll always be my baby to me!

Like Father or like Mother?

It's funny that my family sees Porter and says "Oh he definitely looks like you!" and then people that know Blake's family say that he looks just like the M. side. So what do you think?

One thing is for sure though, Porter is ALL BOY! He loves cars, trucks, riding the four-wheeler and wearing daddy's hat. He's also wearing my shoes in the bottom pic, but we'll ignore that ;)

He really likes phone conversations too.

I love my snuggle-bug and am glad he's a mamma's boy!

And is very sympathetic towards Brooke. One night Brooke was having a hard time and sulking at the dinner table. Porter climbed into the chair next to her and put his arms out and sat just like she was. It was so cute.

and speaking of Brooke....When she's not crying over something that has devastated her she is pretending she is a vampire or a kitty. They both hiss and here is her hissing face:

Or she's with her imaginary friends and stuffed animals making up adventures for them to go on:

We recently got the "Frozen" soundtrack and Brooke knows most of the words to the songs. She can be heard belting out the songs A Capella style throughout the house.

On MLK Day we took the kids to McDonald's to get a treat and play for a minute. Brooke quickly made friends with another little girl. I hear this other girl telling her mother, "Mom, I made a friend and her name is Sadie!" I immediately lock eyes with Brooke and see her giving me this grin and her eyes wide like she can't believe she fooled someone. She was so proud of herself! What the heck?! I called her over and told her that we don't lie and made her go tell her friend her real name. She can definitely tell some whoppers and we have to remind her that Heavenly Father wants us to be honest. 

Also on MLK Day we went to the fish hatchery. Porter and Brooke loved seeing the fish swimming around. I forgot my coat so Blake let me where his.

 Then we went on a hike

 This picture was an accident, but kinda cool in an artsy-fartsy kind of way :)

 I loved the ice on the trees from hanging in the river

It was a fun day to get out and enjoy the sunshine and be together.