Back to School!

Thursday. August 23. 2012

Helping Mommy at School :)

This week marks the end of my summer/maternity leave, and the beginning of another school year. As hard as it is for me to leave home, I have to remember that it is just 2 1/2 days a week. The thought of heading back to work is always painful, but now that I am on day 3, I'm realizing that it's not so bad after all. I get a shower first thing in the morning, which is always a plus, and a little "me" time in my drive to and from work - and Maggie, Ben and Kathryn get to enjoy play time with Stacy and Nonnie :)

Here is a peek into some things we were able to do this past week...

Cecelia, Theresa, Owen and Maggie at the Chief's game

Last Friday night, friends invited us to a Chiefs game. They won a sky box suite for the night and were so kind to ask us to come along. The kids had a great time. There was an indoor space for them to run and play, as well as out door seating for them to watch the game. Maggie, of course, loved having her own seat :)

"This little piggy" play time with Nana <3

We stopped in to see Nana last week. Maggie and Ben love to go to her house, just as I do. It's fun to see how excited they get to play with the toys in Nana's closet that I used to play with as a kid. Maggie colored and Nana showed her how to use scissors, and Ben played with the phone and was fascinated with the laundry shoot (of course) - and as always, the second we walked in the door they were on the hunt for Nana's "big fat kitty cat!". The cat is smart and chooses to hide when we are around! I snapped this picture of Nana singing "This Little Piggy" with Ben. His belly laugh was contagious as he tried to wiggle away from her :) Watching them play was a moment too precious for words.

Coloring special pictures from Gaga :)

Being in Peoria, we are lucky to have so many family members around us. However, we do everything we can to keep in touch with those who are away. To stay connected, we use Skype and Face Time - send text pictures, videos and messages, and the kids LOVE receiving packages from Gaga and Pop. The latest package included coloring pages for Maggie. I snapped this picture as she was coloring a rainbow from Gaga. Maggie will spend hours drawing and coloring. She is our little artist.

Hi Aunt Katie!

To keep in touch with Aunt Katie, we do a lot of Skyping. Technology is so great! Katie and I often talk about how great it would be if we just all lived in the same house. I guess Skype is the next best thing! Miles apart and we can still hang out, unshowered, in our jammies and chat away as our kids run wild through the house :)

 

 Miss Kathryn turned 3 months this week! The time is going by so fast! She is rolling from her belly to her back and just about rolling from her back to her belly. She will roll side to side, but just isn't quite strong enough to get all the way over yet. She has huge smiles for us and is beginning to babble on and on. She just can not wait to join in the fun with her big brother and sister. She is truly a joy!

3 months old!!!

Up close and personal with the tigers at Glen Oak Zoo!

Yesterday we spent the morning with Poppo at Glen Oak Park and than headed over to the zoo. We enjoyed a nice picnic and strolled through to catch a glimpse of the animals. Ben especially loved the tigers and Maggie was fascinated with the giraffes and snakes!

Playing at the park with Poppo :)

Cherishing every single moment!!

Mommy Myers :)

A Thousand Words!

Wednesday. August 15. 2012

Breakfast! 

The saying holds true that a picture is worth a thousand words - and with Ben, this picture literally does. I snapped this photo of him this morning after finally meeting ALL of his requests for breakfast. The second I lifted him out of his crib he exclaimed "water baba! oatmeal!" - We came downstairs and he demanded (in his oh so sweet Benjamin way) "Maggie's seat!" - "Place mat! Elmo Ernie! Bibbie!" He knows his routine and he likes to stick to it - which means I better be on my toes the minute he pops open those big blue eyes. 

2 of his greatest loves -
daddy and the garbage truck

Since today is Wednesday, that means garbage day - and for Ben, this is a BIG deal! He loves to watch the garbage truck and always has a wave and a smile for the garbage man as he says "Dank do!" This morning was an extra special Wednesday morning since Dan just happened to leave for work at the same time the garbage truck arrived. Two of his most favorite morning routines happening at the same time! Saying "Bye Bye!" to daddy and greeting the garbage truck :) Life is good! 

Reading his "Gaga Pop" book :)
and wearing Maggie's shoes (of course)

The rest of the early morning, Ben played quietly while he waited for Maggie to wake up. One of his favorite books  is"Gaga Pop" book. They recorded it for  the kids when they moved to Florida and Ben LOVES to listen to it :) 

Kathryn just rolled over for the first time!
8.15.2012
12 1/2 weeks old 

 
 Sweet Kathryn rolled over for the first time today! And yesterday, I found her playing with her fingers. Having three little babies so close together, I am always worried about missing their "firsts" - or having enough time to give each one enough attention - I was so thrilled to actually witness 2 of her little milestones and be able to capture a photo as well! 
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A Few More Memorable Moments form the last few days :) ...

"Mother Earth" singing a happy song!

I snapped this photo as she
pretended to "color daddy green".  

The other night, Dan and I took the kids for a drive (We often do this when they are antsy or on the verge of a melt down and it's too early to put them to bed). This particular evening, just as we are about to leave, Maggie felt compelled to dress as a crayon - so why not?! Moo never fails to make us laugh. She is always up to something goofy! On our drive, Maggie requested we watch the "Planet DVD". There are no words to describe this show - except for that it is from Nonnie. Nonnie never ever fails to buy the most entertaining movies for our children. This particular one stars all nine planets (yes, Puto included) with talking/singing faces. Though a little obnoxious - it is educational! Maggie even stated "Nonnie buys the best shows!" - 
                                                                  and she does!! 

I'm enjoying capturing these simple moments - 

Love,

Mommy Myers

play time! 

My Four Favorite People :) 

"Donut, Mommy, Donut!"

Friday. August 10. 2012

"Donut, Mommy, Donut!" These were the words out of Ben's mouth when he woke up this morning. He is talking all the time now. His words are more clear everyday. This was a bitter sweet moment because he used to say "daddy" for "donut" - which was confusing at times, but still very cute. I remember this happening with Maggie - she would say "mank you" for thank you - "gridge" for bridge - "hand-band" for band-aid - "listers" for blisters - "brice" for rice - and the list goes on - I just can't remember them all. One thing she still says all time is "mom, we've been here for hours" - when she is trying to say "we've been here before". They are all things that some people would correct them for - but as a mom  - I think it's sweet. I know they will learn the correct words eventually, so why rush grammar lessons now :) 

Maggie thought the park bathrooms
were loud and smelly.

After he face-planted
into the mulch.

As for Ben's darling request for donuts - which I just could not say no to - we packed  up for the morning and headed to the drive through at Dunkin' Donuts. We took our tasty breakfast to Glen Oak Park and spent a beautiful morning playing on the slides and swings. Maggie enjoyed the bucket swings for almost the entire time - while Ben made sure to try every activity at least 30 times before we left the park. There is truly a difference between boys and girls. For instance, at one point, I turned to see Ben trip and face-plant himself into the mulch. He looked up at me with dirt and mulch all over his face and body - and just  laughed and went on to the next thing. Maggie, however, sang every Disney song peacefully to herself as she was swinging away. I look at Kathryn and wonder what her little personality will be. Dan and I see a lot of spunk in her already. She can give us the biggest smiles and 

Playtime with Petunia :)

belly laugh one minute, and the next minute she is screaming mad. The good thing is that she is easy to soothe. A diaper change, a feeding, or a walk around the house is usually all it takes. 

That is a little glimpse of our morning - Ben is down for a nap now, so we'll see what the afternoon brings when he is up and "round 2" starts. 

Happy Friday <3
Mommy Myers

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I've always wanted to write down some of the nicknames we have for Maggie, Ben and Kathryn - so here they go:

*Maggie - Margaret - Margie - Margery - Moo - Magoogles - Mags - Magpie - 

*Ben - Benjamin - Benny - Bennyhana - Hana -Jammin - Jam - Pajama - Benny boo - 

*Kathryn - Katie - Katie Jane - Janes - Birdie - Petunia - Petunia Rose 

So Much to Celebrate!!

Wednesday. August 8. 2012

Tonight, we went out to Nancy and Mark's house to have dinner with most of the Thompson's and Julia :) Nancy made a delicious Italian meal and we had Emack's for dessert. Ben loved the lasagna and garlic toast - and Maggie loved the ice cream! The kids really enjoy playing with their cousins. Maggie and Olivia played an intense game of hide and seek and Ben spent most of his time climbing the stairs.

As we near the end of Summer - we are thankful for the time we've had with family and we look forward to an exciting Fall ahead. At dinner, we toasted to Olivia as she leaves for Georgia tomorrow to begin her first year of college - to Rachel as she begins her new internship on the Conan O'Brien show (so exciting!) - to Kurt for graduating from Southern and to his new music adventures in Austin - to Dan for his new position at CAT - and to Maggie as she starts pre-school :) Cheers also to Gaga and Pop as today is their 31st wedding anniversary! We are blessed with a wonderful family and I am so thankful are children have wonderful role-models to guide them every step of the way.

Love you all!

Moments that made me smile today -

* Hearing Maggie sing Mulan and Little Mermaid songs to herself when she woke up

* While doing a little art project - Ben decided to paint his belly instead of his paper 

* Wathing Kathryn work so hard during some tummy time today

* Watching Dan feed Kathryn - he is such a great daddy!

* Ben wearing his camoflouge shoes :)

* Maggie singing Twinkle Twinkle to Ben before he went to sleep

Mini trip to St. Louis

Wednesday, August 8, 2012 

Over the weekend, Dan and I drove the kids to St. Louis. We woke early, Friday morning, and packed the van - Dan picked up donuts and coffee - and we were on the rode around 9am. We decided that we'd head straight to the zoo. The first hour into the drive went well. That's when Dan and I started discussing our Christmas plans to Florida. Should we spend the money, save our sanity, and fly? Or make it an adventure and drive? Seeing that the first hour of our little road trip was going SO well, we started punching numbers - and Dan, being Dan, was even tracking our gas mileage and having me calculate  gas prices...etc.  So with that - it was decided - no problem! we can drive to Florida...save some money...the kids are doing so great now - what's another 17 hours?! 

Foolish - foolish parents we are! The last half of the trip was screaming babies and smelly diapers. With a couple of breaks, books, snacks, silly songs (and patience) we finally made it! 

We parked the van - loaded up the strollers and headed into the zoo. We had lunch inside - and than headed out to find some animals.  Maggie's favorite animals were the giraffes and Ben's were the bears :) Dan took Mags and Ben on the merry go round while Kathryn and I watched. Maggie rode on a jack rabbit and Ben was on a hippo :) 

Aside from the heat - our zoo trip was a success. My favorite part were the sprinkler fans - every time we'd pass one I would spend a good 5 minutes in front of it. 

We left the zoo and headed to the hotel. Ben took a short nap as we settled in and prepared to go down for a swim. Maggie was in awe of the hotel room - she was so excited that we were all going to sleep in the same room!

After a very brief rest we went to the pool and than out to dinner at TGI Fridays. 

          Vacations are rough! 

Kathryn relaxing by the pool! 

 
 The children slept all night and the next morning we checked out - had breakfast at Einstein bagels - and than went to the Magic House. It was a rainy day so it was really crowded but the kids had a great time. Ben enjoyed the slides and climbing the stairs while Maggie was entertained by the water and sand play. There was also a 2 story, swirly slide that she had a chance to go down! Our sweet Kathryn slept in the carrier the entire time. 
Overall, the Magic House was really cool and we'll look forward to going again when it is not so busy.   

             
What a great weekend :) We did survive the ride home - although it took us a very long time. I guess this was practice for Florida. Dan says it will be good bonding time for our little family! We'll be as ready as we can be - prepare for the worst and hope for the best, right!!??

Faith of a Child

Tuesday. August 7. 2012

I felt this was too sweet not to share...

During bedtime, we could not find Bear Bear. In our house, this happens ALOT. We looked all over the house and when he was no where to be found, Maggie and I walked outside to check the van. He was not there. At that point I said to Maggie, "Let's say a prayer to St. Anthony" so Maggie said "St. Anthony, can you help us find Bear Bear?".  We continued to look around - I peered over the back fence and did not see him in the yard. So I came walking back towards Maggie, who was still by the van, and she said "Mom! I just saw a shooting star!! It was right by my head!" and I replied "wow! that is so cool! and than Maggie took my hand and said "Let's go check the backyard" - so this time, instead of just peaking over the fence, we walked into the back yard and there was Bear Bear, laying in the grass next to the swings. Pretty amazing! That was a moment that totally melted my heart. We almost always say a quick prayer to St. Anthony when we can not find something and he always follows through. I love the sweet, innocent faith Maggie has. I pray she never loses it. As for the shooting star...I've never heard Maggie ever talk about shooting stars and either has Dan. She continued to tell me about it again as I was putting her to bed. I asked if it was in the sky and she said "no, right by my head" - I asked if it was big, and she said "no mom, it was little - did you see it mom?" I told her I had not.
She is so sweet :)

A picture of Maggie and Bear Bear in July 2011

My first post - and more to come!

Tuesday. August 7. 2012

Myers' moments. They come and go. I always tell myself  "this is just a moment...whether it be a precious moment or a pulling my hair out moment...they are just moments". What I've learned is that they do not last forever and I will miss them. They will soon fade to memories and some even forgotten. So, I've started a blog to help me capture the simple moments that make me smile every day. 

Today is a typical Tuesday morning. Maggie - who will be 4 on September 25th, is watching some Big Bird, Ben is stalking the neighbors, and Kathryn is enjoying a morning snooze. Ben loves to look out the window towards the Bromm's house. Today he is fascinated by the man using a saw. He continues to say "drill momma!" as he watches him work. Usually he is looking for Theresa, or "Audrey" as he likes to call her.

Maggie made some french toast with me. She's learned to crack eggs all by herself so today is day 2 of french toast. We'll see how long this phase will last :) And our sweet Kathryn is swinging away. She was up around 630. She hung out as Daddy got ready for work and as I packed his lunch and made some coffee before he was out the door. 

Dan has started his new job at CAT. After 5 years at McGladrey and finishing his CPA in May, Dan decided to pursue another career path. So far, he is very happy with the change. He has been placed in the Earthmoving division, working as a financial analyst. He finds the job to be challenging and exciting and is happy with the team he is working with. It's exciting to see what lies ahead in his future with CAT. I am so proud of him <3

In just a couple of weeks, I start back to work after being away since May 9th, just before Kathryn was born. I am sad to go back, but relieved that it is just 2 1/2 days a week. I know it will be difficult to start a new routine and have to leave my 3 babies. We have hired Stacy Forbes to watch the kids 15 hours a week, and Nonnie will also be helping as well. Once my mommy nerves settle, I am confident everything will be fine. Maggie is also starting pre-school. She will be at First Federated, 3 days a week. She and Georgia will be in the same class :) 

We spent our morning playing outside. Maggie colored with chalk and hung in the tree - and I pushed Ben in his bike and on his worm. Kathryn continued napping in her swing while we played. Nonnie came over and we took the kids to the Bass Pro Shop to see the big catfish. :) We are home now - had lunch and Ben is down for a nap. Maggie has her last ballet class in just a couple of hours so we are relaxing until then. 

Moments that made me smile today: 

*Maggie coming down the stairs in her Tinker Bell jammies

*Ben's request to see "baby Kaphryn" when he woke this morning 

*the look on Maggie's face when she cracked all 3 eggs by herself - so proud!

*Ben's squeal of excitement when he came face to face with the big catfish in the aquarium :) 

*Nonnie getting belly laughs out of Kathryn while they were playing on the floor

*Maggie dancing her heart out to a Barbie song :) 

Happy Tuesday! 

Mommy Myers