Easter Fun

So, it only took me a week to get around to posting this, but better late than never. We had a delightful Easter last Sunday. Lainey had her first Easter Bunny visit (could've done it last year, but we were a little busy with a one-week-old Nick) and her first attempt at dying eggs (could've waited another year on this...patience is a virtue and we all needed a little more).

While the dying of the eggs left everyone a on edge, the hunt for the eggs Sunday morning was really fun! Mark had little faith in our girl, considering she sometimes can't find her own feet, but she found all the eggs and was super adorable doing it. She got a ladybug magnifying glass in in her Easter basket and took it with her for the hunt. It was pretty early (7:00 AM) when we hit the backyard, so we tried to hush her enthusiasm for the sake of the neighbors, but eventually, I was like "eh, it's one morning; they can deal."

We had beautiful weather, so we hit the park for a long-awaited visit, however, when we got there, Lainey was not very enthused. We thought she would go crazy, but it took her a long time to warm up to the swings and slides. She totally freaked out when I pushed her "too high." Last summer, I could never get her high enough. Just another sign that my little bug is growing up; she's starting to realize she's not invincible and can get hurt. Eventually, she came around and then we had to be tricky to get her to leave. Nick loved the swings (see video below), but he was struggling a bit at the park. He already had a cold, but he was allergic to something in the air. Within the first five minutes his eyes got super red and then were quite swollen by the time we left. But, by the time we got back home, his eyes were perfectly fine again, so we're pretty sure it's not just general seasonal allergies--a big relief.

After the park, we had lunch and then Lainey got to eat her first chocolate rabbit ears. She loved them!

The picture that will let us look back on this as a happy memory.
A flagrant example of airbrushing reality for my social media feeds.

Mark made Lainey a Mike Wazowski egg

Video of the great egg hunt

Nick swinging

A Vacation for Me

This past week I enjoyed one of the great perks of being a working mom...two paid days off from work with an open daycare and two healthy kids that I could send there. AKA...two days for ME, ME, ME!!!

I wasn't completely selfish with the time. I did use it to tackle some projects around the house. I finally cleaned out and organized the office, which had been dubbed the "room where things go to die."  I also finished unpacking the last four boxes from the move (clearly things we really need), tidied the basement, organized the pantry, cleaned out the kids' closets, and did a handful of little projects we just couldn't seem to get to on the weekends. I took a huge haul to Salvation Army, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a KFC in the same strip mall. I am a closet KFC fan (love me some original recipe), and since it was lunch time and I'd been busting ass all morning cleaning, I decided I had earned the treat. And, yes, it was finger lickin' good! Not to mention, I got to enjoy it in peace without the kids screaming (or Mark judging), while taking in the latest episode of The Mindy Project.

In between all the house projects, I still managed to take a nap, do a little reading, and catch up on some email. The best hour of all, however, was watching Mad Men. I poured a cup of coffee, left my phone in the kitchen, and settled in on the couch to enjoy an hour with no distractions. No multitasking by folding laundry. No browsing instagram or checking email my phone. Just me, my coffee, and Don Draper. Bliss.

I am already planning my next me-cation....

What's New with Lainey?

It's been a while since I did a Lainey update, so here is what's new with our girl.

1. She's still a pistol, but the rewards chart helped a lot with her tantrums and behavior issues. She loves getting her manicures, although they are proving to be exercises in patience for both of us, so I prefer when she picks a different reward. As far as her behavior at daycare, she's been great (or so I'm told). No more daily write-ups about having to practice "gentle touches" with her. 
2. After many issues with the delivery, we finally got a big girl bed and it has helped with her sleeping habits. But, since we got a full size, when she does wake and insists on having me sleep in the room, I now have a nice comfy bed to crawl into versus sleeping on the hardwood floor. And I have to admit, I don't exactly hate cuddling with her. The practical side of me knows I should be working harder to break her of our co-slumber, but the sentimental side of me knows this is a short-lived period in our lives and I'll miss it one day.
3. She knows her left from her right and can completely dress herself, although shirts are still a struggle. Again, I get to practice my patience, because she insists on doing it herself.
4. She is completely potty trained! She's been dry through the night since Nick's birthday and the best part is, we did absolutely nothing to get her there. She just did it. Nice!

So, those are the big things. We head to her first swim lesson this Saturday, so stay tuned for a post on how that goes down. This round of sessions will be with Mark or me by her side. Not sure if that will help or hurt the situation.

Enjoy a video that Lainey's daycare teachers put together. If you just want to skip to the biggest Lainey highlight, go to the 2:13 marker, where you'll witness her dope dance skills. Crack me up!!! Go get it, Lainey!

Playing Grown-up

Mark and I are finally getting our acts together to do some long-term financial planning (the top priority being life insurance) and a formal will. We started the process of a will when Lainey was around one and met with a financial planner last May, but never got around to doing anything with the information for either. Last year was busy (and expensive) and we just didn't make it a priority. It was easy to keep saying "we'll think about it tomorrow," because it's just not fun stuff to think about...you know...dying. But, the reality is no one is promised a tomorrow, and if something were to happen to Mark or me, the other one would be left without much of  a safety net. So, the physicals have been taken, the forms completed, and we're now in the underwriting process. Soon we'll have a policy that will ensure if the unthinkable should happen to Mark or me, the other will be able to keep our home, cover the monthly bills, and pay for the kids' child care and future education.

Next on the agenda...retirement planning. A much more pleasant event to plan for...

The Magic of Siblings

Having Nick only 21 months after Lainey has presented it's challenges over the past year, but I'm starting to see the pay off for having kids so close in age. Now that Nick is fully mobile and can communicate at least through points and grunts, Lainey and he are engaging in playtime together...entertaining themselves...without me. It's amazing! Last night, they happily traded cars back and forth, pushing them down the ramp of the toy garage while I leisurely put away coats, unpacked the days bags, and made dinner. I even unloaded the dishwasher! No screaming, no one pulling at my leg...just me, my thoughts, and my chores with one alert ear for any mayhem, which never happened.

Now granted, such magic only happens when Lainey is in the sharing mood (after dinner, she had a full meltdown because Nick dared to stand next to her at her kitchen).  But, these moments are becoming more and more frequent. And even when they don't want to play together, as long as Nick can stay out of Lainey's way and interested in his own activity, I still get the same benefits. Last week, I sat and read for almost 20 minutes while they played. If Nick needed something, Lainey got it for him. It. was. awesome!!!

Aside from the benefits to my personal space and sanity, I am loving watching them become friends. Nick lights up the moment he sees Lainey in the morning, and he usually goes to her before coming to me at daycare pick-up. I often see them huddled together with Lainey "reading" to him or whispering secrets (I have no idea what she may be filling his head with, bu it's sweet to watch). And while Lainey does bully him, she also is intensely protective and tries to make him happy when he's sad. He was really wailing in the car the other night and she stretched her head out as far as she could so he could see her and said "It's okay Nick. I'm right here. Can you see me?" And he stopped crying. Talk about making my heart melt. Sure, she often tries to mask a choke hold as a hug and would sooner swipe his legs from under him than let him touch her paper dolls, but she definitely loves her little brother.

I don't expect a lifetime of bliss between them, and I definitely foresee some intense wrestling matches on the horizon, but I do hope they grow up friends and I look forward to watching their relationship grow.

Sharing a night cap...let's keep it to milk until you're 21, okay?

Happy Birthday, Part 2!!!

We had celebration #2 for Nick's birthday this past weekend in Moline. This time cousin Eleanor got in on the action. Nick dove right in again, scooping up big handfuls of icing to shove in his mouth and even stealing a swipe off of Eleanor's cake. Eleanor was pretty demure about the whole thing, but supposedly went wild when I took Nick upstairs to hose off. All I know is when I left the kitchen there was a fairly clean little girl, but when she came in for her bath it looked like she had already shampooed with icing.

Elaine was over the moon to see her cousins, Jacob and Ben, whom she talks about constantly. They were good sports and humored her. Amelia was a great big cousin, as always, taking care of Lainey and reading her books. And Oliver introduced Lainey to the joy of The Incredibles. The weekend was so much fun and went too quickly as always!

In other updates, Mr. Nick, he had his one-year check-up last week. He is a BIG boy (which my back and arms could already tell you) weighing in at 24 pounds, 3 ounces (75%), 32 inches (98%) and a big 'ole noggin in the 95%. Nick eluded his one-year shots due to an ear infection, so he gets a few more weeks before the needle.

Nick can wave good-bye, do most of the motions to "Itsy Bitsy Spider," jabbers all the time, and likes to play "drop it" with his sippy cup and say "ah uh" (Nick speak for "uh oh"). We now have all out wrestling matches when it comes time to change his diapers or his clothes, so I have to start off with a tickle attack to get him on his back for more than two seconds--not that I mind getting a few giggles out of him. Nick is building up those leg muscles and working on his balance. I could be posting a video of his first steps within the month!

Cousins

"Well, if you aren't going to eat it..."

Num, num, num