10.31.2010

Happy Halloween!

Scott ended up on Mckenzie's floor again last night and Abby ended up in bed with me. Something is wrong with this picture, but we were both so tired we didn't have the energy to argue!  I making breakfast on the weekends and today we had eggs and bacon and pancakes! Super yummy! Abby was so excited about putting her Halloween costume on. I think she asked me if it was time yet a thousand times today and when I finally said yes, she screamed very loudly! Mckenzie put her Ariel costume on for about 2 seconds and she was done with it. So, we put her in a Vikings cheerleader uniform. She was much happier with that. Abby was loving her costume and I am guessing she will want to wear it again very soon. We went over to a friends house this afternoon to do trick or treating with a bunch of people. It was a great time and the girls had fun playing with everyone. We went out a little early so it was hit or miss as to who answered their door, but the kids had a blast anyway. It was so fun to see them run from door to door. Mckenzie got a little tired and fussy, but she is still transitioning away from naps so that is completely understandable. Also, it was windy and the girl does not like the wind. We did a second round of trick or treating with the bigger kids after it got dark. Abby loved being outside in the dark, although she started fading pretty quickly as it was getting close to bedtime. Mckenzie stayed back with Scott to watch football and eat cupcakes and whatever else she could get her little hands on! Today was so much fun for all of us. The kids had a fantastic time trick or treating and for me, I just loved seeing the smiles on their faces and the excitement in their step. I know that soon enough they will be too big to let me tag along as they go out on Halloween and I am thankful that I get to spend this time with them.



10.30.2010

 
Scott got home last night from his quick trip and he was nice enough to get up with the girls again this morning! What a great start to the day. I feel guilty about sleeping in until I remember that I will be both mommy and daddy for four months with no break. We all carved pumpkins this morning, or should I say, the girls picked out what they wanted and Scott and I carved them. Abby chose Dora and Mckenzie chose Pablo. It was a lot of fun carving the pumpkins and so much easier than the ones we (I) carved last year. The kids were so happy with them and both Scott and I had fun doing it. The girls rode bike and played ball while we worked on the pumpkins. After lunch, we ran to the Halloween store to find a wig to go along with the Ariel costumes as well as new candy buckets for trick or treating. We had a couple at the house, but since one was purple (Abby's from last year) and the other was orange (Mckenzie's), we were having sharing battles over the purple one. I didn't want to deal with that tomorrow when it was time to go out trick or treating so we bought two identical ones. We also ran to the base to do a little shopping at the commissary.

Not so excited about the inside of the pumpkin!


10.29.2010

Abby was super excited today for school because she got to wear her Halloween costume to class. So this morning, at least, there were no arguments coming from Abby on what she wanted to wear. She is very opinionated when it comes to her clothes and most days, I let her wear what she wants as long as it isn't too inappropriate. Mckenzie, was a little more difficult to get going this morning. She didn't want to wake up (probably because she was so comfortable sleeping on my side of the bed) and when she finally did, she didn't want to get dressed. I managed to get tights on with her pjs before breakfast and that was it. I thought for sure she would want to dress up like Abby so I put her in costume as well. She was fine with it for a few pictures and then she insisted she take it off. Both girls are Ariel, the Little Mermaid. Abby picked it out and Mckenzie followed suit. I decided that if Mckenzie doesn't want to wear her costume to go trick or treating, she can be a Vikings cheerleader. The kid has like three Vikings cheerleader dresses, so I think we will be good if that is what she wants to do!
We dropped Abby off at school and ran to the store to pick up some Halloween candy. We had just enough time to stop by the house to get a quick snack for Mckenzie before heading back to school to watch Abby's class do a Halloween parade outside. It was a great event to be a part of. All the little ones were so proud of their costumes and enjoyed get treats from the parents as the kids paraded by. After they finished, the kids lined up and sang "Five Little Pumpkins" for us. I love watching Abby. She loves to sing and she watches her teacher the entire time to make sure she is doing it right. Well, I shouldn't say all the time. She does give me a wave and a smile every so often! The only part of the morning I didn't particularly love was tripping in a hole in the grass and breaking my flip flop. Not fond of walking around barefoot, especially in parking lots! That's the second pair of flip flops I have broken this year. I do have to say, it was much easier to walk on the pavement this time of year than it was this summer!
Abby and Mckenzie were so excited about all the candy and couldn't hardly wait until we got home. What I thought was really sweet was how Abby offered to share her treats with Mckenzie without me asking her to do so. They both came in the house, sat on the steps and started checking out Abby's loot together. Moments like that melt my heart.
I gambled and put Mckenzie down for a nap today. She was getting very cranky (probably coming down from her sugar high) and I didn't want the afternoon to be a battle if she didn't get some sleep. I figured since it was the weekend it wouldn't really matter if she stayed up a little bit later than normal. It was a risk worth taking, because the afternoon was peaceful and the girls played together so nicely. And, Mckenzie didn't put up a huge fit about going to bed either. I let both girls stay up a half hour late and only had to put Mckenzie back into her room once. Abby didn't want to go to bed, but all I had to do was tell her she wouldn't get to carve pumpkins tomorrow if she didn't go to bed and she was in her bed and settled down within a couple of minutes.







Mckenzie's skirt is a little big and for some strange reason, the waist isn't adjustable. Maybe that is why it was on sale!


10.28.2010

Today was filled with laundry, laundry, and more laundry. I don't want to go to bed now because it is filled with all the clothes I never got around to folding today... I took the girls to Chick fil A for lunch today and they had a blast playing with a couple of other kids there. I wish it were only so easy to make friends as an adult as it is for many kids. Then we ran a couple errands before heading home. Mckenzie had a complete meltdown in the grocery store checkout line because she dropped her paci and I wouldn't give it back to her. She was tired as it was her normal nap time and she was not happy I didn't just wipe her paci off and give it back. At least the customer in line behind me was very nice during the whole thing and even mentioned how someday I will look back and miss days like today. I'm not sure I will ever miss loud meltdowns in public... Mckenzie fell asleep on the way home, so I guess technically she did get a nap in today, but it wasn't long enough to keep her awake at bedtime. We played outside for a bit before supper. Abby just loves to kick around the soccer ball. Mckenzie was just happy to pick up leaves and twigs that have blown off the trees. I finally got around to trimming the bushes in front of the house. I have been wanting Scott to do it all summer, but I couldn't take it anymore and did it myself. I just had to pretend there weren't any bugs or spiders crawling around on my toes as I reached over around the bushes to get to the ones in the back. I gave the girls a quick bath and dinner and set them up in the playroom to watch a movie. I had a preschool board meeting tonight at the house. The girls did pretty good entertaining themselves. I think the dog was more misbehaved than both girls put together. She was pushy with the other ladies and even barked at people a couple of times for attention. What a crazy dog! I didn't get any pictures today. Maybe tomorrow I will be better...

10.27.2010


Abby came to our room a couple of times last night and finally ended up kicking Scott out of the bed. I felt bad that he slept on the floor. I am thinking we need a king sized bed... but that is just one thing on a long list of wishes. Mckenzie went to bed without too much trouble last night so I am thinking that cutting out the nap is a good thing. Abby had school again today and for once, I managed to get out of the house without too much nagging. Makes for a much better day. Mckenzie and I ran some errands and I managed to start my Christmas shopping. It has been raining off and on today so we didn't play outside. The girls were good though and played nicely together. I guess maybe they thought I needed a break after yesterday! They even helped pick up the house tonight! Scott was nice enough to help me clean since I am having a school board meeting at the house tomorrow and just didn't have the motivation to do it all by myself. Not sure how I got so lucky to have such a fabulous man, but I am so thankful for him. Love ya babe! Now, it is time to sit down and check out the sunflower seeds that came in the mail today. Scott ordered some Dakota Kid sunflower seeds and they arrived today. I think we will have enough to last for a really long time!

10.26.2010

What a day! I am so glad it is finally over! We got an email in regards to the closing on our house in Florida and I had to jump through a few hoops today in order to get everything done and shipped out today. But, it is done and we shouldn't have to do anything else with the house now. If I still wasn't so anxious about the whole thing I would probably be sad that we are really saying goodbye to our first home. The kids were in a mood today as well as me so the three us of didn't make a very good team today. I thinking they forgot they had ears to listen and I forgot my patience somewhere. But, the girls are in bed and I think I should head there soon too! We have gymnastics this evening and the girls had fun there. It was a little challenging to get Mckenzie to focus, but she didn't get a nap today and I am sure that is why. We are going to try to stop naps because she is resisting her bedtime. Last night it was 10pm before she fell asleep. I would rather give up naptime in order to have some time in the evening. Abby got really cranky during dinner and we put her to be early. I think she is going through a growth spurt because she was complaining her legs hurt earlier today and she was acting very tired. I hope she feels better tomorrow. 

10.25.2010

Another school day for us. I had to be a parent helper today, but it was for the other class, not Abby's. The parent that was supposed to do it for that class was unable so I was the lucky one to fill in. lI wasn't too excited about doing it, but it turned out to be a pretty good day. Mckenzie had fun playing in the nursery and I am glad she got a little social interaction. Scott came home early today so he could watch Mckenzie for me since I was also the parent helper for Abby's afternoon class. Fun day of school and cleaning for me! After Mckenzie's nap, we all played outside for a little while. Mckenzie wanted to go inside at first because it was windy, but she finally decided she could stay outside with the rest of us. Abby really enjoyed kicking around the soccer ball and her coordination is improving.

10.24.2010

Another birthday party today. This one was a soccer party and it was a lot of fun. Abby really enjoyed running after the ball even though she wasn't the fastest one out there. She even commented to me about being slower than the other kids. I think maybe I should get her started in soccer or some other sport she has to run around in to give her more confidence when it comes to things like that. After pizza and cupcakes, the kids got to play in a play area with slides and stairs. Abby and her friend Sophia had a blast running around together and it was a little hard to round them up when it was time to go. Abby asked if she could eat one of her goodie bag treats on the way home and since she didn't eat her cupcake, I said sure. Well, she tried gobstoppers for the first time and told me how much she liked them. When we got home, I opened her door and she handed me a whole handful of half eaten gobstoppers. Apparently she didn't know how to eat them and thought that all you do was suck on them for a little bit then spit them out. Guess I should have been a little more detailed when I told her not to bite them because they are so hard they could break her teeth! Mckenzie and Scott spent the morning coloring while we were out. Mostly Mckenzie colored her body, namely her belly and arm pits. Scott said she was a green mess when he went to get her out of her chair! Oh, I forgot to write that the girls had their first sleepover last night. It started out with Mckenzie wanting to sleep in Abby's room, but that didn't work and so I ended up putting Mckenzie in her own bed. Abby thought that they were both moving to Mckenzie's room for the night so while I was getting M into her bed, she brought her sleeping back and pillow pet on over. She looked so cute snuggled up on the floor I couldn't say no. So, I gave them one last chance to settle down and go to sleep and they did.

10.23.2010

Abby had a birthday party to go to today for one of her school friends. It was a bowling party and it was a pretty good time. Mckenzie was upset that she didn't get to come with, but it is so hard to manage both of them at a party like that. Abby had lots of fun hanging out with her friends. They were having fun playing ring around the rosie and carrying each other around. Abby was a little disappointed she didn't do better at bowling. Should have let Scott take her to help her out. Scott and Mckenzie did a little yard work while we were out and the rest of the day was pretty laid back.
Best way to bowl is with your friends!

10.22.2010

Abby didn't have school today because of teacher education. I had big plans for getting laundry done, going to the post office, but none of that happened. We did get to Target to buy birthday presents for a few of Abby's little friends. It was so hard because both girls wanted to play with every toy, but we finally managed to find something for her friends. Scott did a night sim this evening so it was just the girls and I. No pictures today. I really need to charge my camera :)

10.21.2010


I had to take the car to the dealership because the service engine light was coming on. Seriously? There are only 8k miles on the car and the darn light is on. We drove the Tahoe over 100k and never had to have it serviced. When I took it in, they told me it was a sensor and it should only take 20/25 minutes to fix. They offered me a car, but since it was only going to be a short time, I figured the girls and I could wait in the waiting area. Well, 25 minutes turned into an hour and the girls were still doing ok. The service guy was great and kept giving me updates. At the two hour mark, the girls got a little restless and started acting up. The service guy came to tell me they were still having troubles, but since the kids were acting up, he told me I could get it serviced next week. Sounded good to me. 2.5 hours in a waiting area with the kids and I was done. I should have just taken the rental and been done with it. We had to break the no food in the car rule because we had an appointment to get our wills done and there was no time to go home to eat lunch. Abby was so surprised when I let her eat in the car. She was so worried about making a mess, but we made it without even so much as a fry dropping on the floor! The girls were so tired from sitting at the car dealership all morning that they were a little tough to handle at the lawyer's office. But, we managed to get what we needed to get done and I got the girls home and Mckenzie down for a nap. She fell asleep on the ride home, but she was so tired that she didn't wake up when I put her in her own bed. The girls and I raked leaves and played outside after nap. They had a blast playing with the leaves and the soccer ball.
Sorry for the terrible photo quality. I am not happy with our p&s camera.

10.20.2010

Abby had her first day of school after our long vacation. She was so excited to see her friends and I had fun watching her give hugs and jump up and down with her little girl friends! Abby was also very excited to see her teacher. Mckenzie and I just chilled at the house this morning. I had good intentions of doing laundry, but that never seemed to happen. Scott was still on vacation today so he stayed with the girls while I finally treated myself to a massage/pedicure/facial that I had gotten as a mother's day present. It was a nice treat and it never fails to amaze me at how tired I am after getting a massage. I could have fallen alseep when I got home. Since the housekeeper was here, I didn't feel like getting in the way to cook dinner so we just ordered in and ate in front of the tv. It was a nice relaxing day.

10.19.2010

Ah, what a day. A very early start at a little after 3 to get to the airport on time. It's a good thing we got going so early, because we just made it to the gate in time to board the plane. We had to find a gas station open so early in the morning to fill the rental car and the one Scott anticipated on being open wasn't. Luckily, we didn't have to drive too long to find an open one. Once we got to the airport and checked in, the baggage lady was a real stickler for the 50 pound rule and told us we would have to pay $90 for our 51 pound bag. Yep, one pound over and she was going to make us pay. Crazy. On the way out, our bags were all over and they didn't say anything. I guess some places have more to do than nag over one pound. So, we decided to check another bag, but we had to get that bag out of the suitcase that she had already sent back to be loaded. We waited quite awhile before she got around to getting it for us and we just made it to the gate in time to load. I was a little nervous we weren't going to be able to sit together since we had four seats scattered around the plane. Luckily, there were some very nice people that moved to make it possible for Scott and I to sit by the girls! The girls were tired and cranky and I don't blame them. They were up late last night and had to be up before the crack of dawn. Mckenzie didn't even wake up until after she was dressed and in her car seat! Mckenzie finally fell asleep at the end of the flight to Minneapolis and she was drowsy the rest of the day. When we boarded the flight to Philly, she was super cranky and crying as we boarded. As we walked down the aisle to our seats, you could see the dread on people's faces as we walked near them. No one wants to sit next to a cranky, crying child. So, I bribed her with some Mike and Ike's. That calmed her down until they could start watching the Wiggles. Once her movie started, she was asleep within minutes and didn't wake until we landed. The flight attendants were great and didn't make us put her back into her seat. Scott just held her as we landed. Abby did pretty good on both flights, only getting a little cranky when she didn't get her way. She did cry when I had to switch seats with Scott so I could sit with Mckenzie because she needed her momma, but otherwise, she was good. Thank goodness. I don't think I could have handled both of them being cranky at the same time! The drive home was quick and easy and it was so nice to walk in the door to our house. I love visiting family, but I also love being at home. I cannot wait to sleep in our own bed tonight. We all fell asleep on the couch after lunch. Kind of nice to have a couch big enough we can all stretch out on! Abby woke me up asking when we could get Dakota, so I got in the shower and got ready to pick her up from the kennel. Dakota was so excited to see me and I was excited to see her too! She didn't want to get in the truck though, so I had to lift her up in the truck. I'm sure that was quite the site if anyone was watching! Then, she tried to escape the truck when I opened the driver's door and she ended up laying on my lap the whole ride home. She is NOT a lap dog and driving was difficult! The girls were so happy to see the dog when we got home. Scott gave the girls a quick shower and we headed out to the grocery store. Not a fun trip. The girls didn't want to sit in the cart and I wasn't in the mood to let them wander. Even though we picked up groceries, it was so late that we stopped at the Subway to get dinner. They must have had the 'D' team working because it took forever and the sandwiches were not the best. Mckenzie fell asleep in the car waiting for Scott to come back with the sandwiches and she was not happy to be woken up. But, dinner is over and the girls are in bed. I am hoping tomorrow is a better day as we get back to our normal routine. I have lots of days to blog about, but I am way to lazy and tired to do that now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day. But, if I don't get around to it, we had a great time visiting our families and sharing in their special events. Thanks for letting us be a part of your important events!

10.18.2010







No hunting for Scott today! We packed up our stuff so we could stay at Jenny’s tonight. Her house is much closer to the airport and we leave very early again tomorrow. Thanks so much for letting us stay at your place Jody and Paul. We really enjoyed it out there! We headed into town and picked up some lunch on our way over to Grandma’s & Grandpa’s. We spent the afternoon visiting with everyone and the girls had fun playing with Kadence (as well as everyone else!) Jenny and I ran to Target and then came back to make dinner for everyone. What a shift in roles it was. Usually we were the ones hanging out while dinner was being made and tonight we were making it. We headed back over to Jenny’s and Scott’s Dad and wife stopped over. It was nice to see them again before we left.  We called it an early night since we have to get up early.

10.17.2010

Day two of hunting for Scott! He went out road hunting again with his grandpa, uncle, and cousin.  The girls and I ran into town to the mall to find a baby gift and we then stopped over at Jenny’s house to see how the honeymoon went! Mckenzie missed her nap again today and she was acting so silly when we were at Jenny’s. Abby was a little sad because Kadence wasn’t back from her dad’s yet. Abby and Kade really got along well this visit. We headed back to Jody’s for dinner and the girls fell asleep on the way out there again today. We took the girls out to see the calves at cousin Betsy's place tonight. The girls were fine with them until we saw the cows being milked and Abby got squirted by fresh cow milk. She was absolutely horrified at the milk being on her clothes. Mckenzie thought it stunk and kept saying disgusting! I thought for sure the girls would go to bed easily since they were both so tired, but again I was wrong. Although tonight, I gave up way earlier and let the girls play until Scott got done with hunting! They had a much better day of hunting today! I am glad Scott could end his 2010 hunting season on a good note!



10.16.2010

Well, today was the first day of hunting for Scott. He went with his Dad and cousin to do a little road hunting. He was so excited that he could barely sleep. I wish we lived closer so he could do a little more hunting, but then again, I am glad that we don’t because I refuse to be a hunting widow! The girls and I went to a women’s expo along with Aunt Jody. It was a nice day and I got the cutest little purses for the girls and cute little crocheted hats. Turns out, Abby is willing to wear hers and Mckenzie could care less! We went over to Grandma’s house for a bit after the expo before we headed back to Jody’s place. The girls had fun seeing their Grandparents again. Both girls fell asleep on the car ride back to Jody’s and I let Mckenzie sleep a little bit when we got home. She was super grumpy when I woke her up and nothing I did seemed to make her happy. I even gave her a bath while dinner was being made, but that didn’t seem to help either. She has picked up a cold and she just doesn’t feel good and didn’t get a long enough nap. Of course, I would have thought she would have gone right to sleep tonight, but she and Abby stayed up until after Scott got home from hunting. They didn’t have a very successful day on the road and Scott is hoping that tomorrow will be better!


10.15.2010

It has been so nice to visit my family and to get to spend some time with my great nephew. He is so sweet and it was so fun to see the girls play with him. They both wanted to hold him all the time and to help me when I would feed him. Scott said I had a gleam in my eye when I was holding him. Maybe I did…Another one wouldn’t be so much work right? We said goodbye to my family and headed back to Sioux Falls today. It was another long trip, but no accidents for Mckenzie this time. We wanted to meet one of my friends for lunch today, but it just didn’t work out with her schedule and ours this time. We better meet up next time! We had dinner with Scott’s cousin and his family. It is always nice to spend time with them. They are both so nice and we don’t get to see very much of them when we do come home.  After dinner, we headed out to Scott’s Aunt’s house where we decided to stay. Thanks so much for letting us crash at your place!

10.14.2010

It was another quiet day at my parent’s place. Scott took Abby out for a drive while Mckenzie napped. They went to check out all the water around town. It is unbelievable how much Devils Lake has grown in the last 15 years. It is such a waste of money to keep rebuilding the roads and watch as the farmland is overtaken by the lake. I pray that there will be a solution to the rising waters soon, but if it hasn’t happened yet, I doubt anything will happen anytime soon. We went out to dinner at the Pizza Ranch tonight. Not the greatest, but at least none of us had to do dishes!



10.13.2010

Today we drove over to Lakota to see my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Kermit. It was so nice to see them and get to spend some time at her house. My Aunt really reminds me of my Grandma Hietala so it is always nice to visit with her. Reminds me of what a wonderful Grandma I had growing up and makes me wish we lived closer to our families so my girls could experience family the way I did growing up! I know Scott feels the same way. But, it is just one of those things in life. We make the most of the limited time we have with our family and always seem to find friends wherever we move that are just like family to help fill the gap. Anyway, we were looking through old photos and I saw a picture of my Grandparents from 1929. I didn’t even recognize them! They were so young and looked so happy! My Mom and Ashley took the girls back home with them and Scott and I headed to Grand Forks for another mini date! We went to lunch at Paradiso, our favorite Mexican restaurant! It was so tasty! Then we headed to Cabella’s and Scheels to find some UND stuff. There is a fabulous Fighting Sioux Mirror that we would love to have, but we don’t want to risk moving it around with us from place to place. We got to see a good college friend of Scott’s. Brian is now a police officer in Grand Forks and it was good to see him. We met him in the parking lot of Scheels and when Scott saw him pulling in, he started running. Of course, Brian sped up and put on the lights for Scott. Those two just love to goof off! We headed back home for a quick dinner with the family and then we headed over to my friend Crystal’s house. We had a great time visiting, although the time went by too quickly. There never seems to be enough evening hours when we are visiting!

10.12.2010

Today was spent getting things ready for my great nephew’s baptism. Brylan was baptized at the church both our girls were baptized at. It was a small, but very nice ceremony. Scott and I were honored to be one set of Godparents to this precious gift. The girls were a bit restless during the service. We let them play in the back of the church with another little girl and every so often, one of them would loudly make her way to our pew and loudly make her way back out of the church. But, it was only family and a few church members there, so it didn’t really matter. We managed to get some family photos taken, which is always a challenge. Can’t say they are great pics, but we were all there and that is what matters! It would have been nice to spend more time with my sisters, but they both had to get home. Ashley decided to stay at my parents’ house so we could spend some more time with Brylan! He is so sweet and little and I really enjoy spending time with him.






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