Last Weekend

The many faces of Jaybird Brust:

 

 

So last Saturday Jonathan was out of town. (He and Luke were attending the Wisconsin basketball game, in Iowa. Of all places.)

So the kids and I took our leisurely time waking up. Actually, I had set my alarm so I could attend my favorite class at the sports center. But the kids overslept, and I didn't want to wake them. We did end up going to the gym, although I just ran around the track for a half hour. The word "run" would probably be an exaggeration. It was more of a jog.

We got back home and the kids played while I took a really fast shower and threw on some makeup and clothes. (I am terrible at time management.) I was heading out at 11 for a lunch with my women's Bible study table at church, in nearby Glen Ellyn. Stefani was coming over to watch the kids.

The kids were so glad to see Stefani that I'm not sure they even noticed that I left. She made them lunch and had it all cleaned up when I got back a couple hours later, which was really nice of her. She had to head out to work so the kids and I said goodbye almost as soon as I got in the door.

 Saturday afternoon we relaxed and waited for Dad to get home. Well, Jaybird slept. Calla and Kelsey and I watched the Wisconsin game and then a little bit of Olympic figure skating that I had saved on my DVR. Calla prefers to watch the girls' figure skating and Kelsey prefers the ice dancing. So we watched a little of both. Calla couldn't believe America didn't "win" (the girls' singles).

Jonathan got home shortly after Jay woke up from his nap. I made dinner and then we decided to take the kids to the sports center to go swimming. They needed baths anyway so we figured we'd throw in an hour of pool time and then shower them off at the sports center.

The kids were thrilled! The pool is always more fun w Daddy.

below: Jaybird swimming like a little fish

 below: Kelsey Mae, in swimmies. We took the swimmies off and Jonathan, Calla AND I held separate "swimming sessions" with this child. I think the problem is that she doesn't really have a big "drive" to learn how to swim. She does not feel self-conscious wearing swimmies. Despite the fact that most of her friends, age 3, can swim. I told her that it is not going to be fun in the summer when we go to the pool and she won't be able to swim with her friends. She did not think look affected.

I don't remember spending a lot of time teaching Calla how to swim, but I am sure it was a process. The difference was that Calla REALLY wanted to learn how to do it. I picture Kelsey at age 12, walking through the swimming aisles at Target for "swimmies" big enough to fit her. She just doesn't care. ha!

below: Calla (swimming underwater to Daddy)

After the fun in the pool, and after their showers, we went to the ladies' locker room. It was almost 8 o'clock and the sports center was closing so it was empty. The girls put lotion on themselves and Q-tips in their ears. They were really impressed with all the "free stuff" ha! We even got cups of crushed ice on our walk out the door. YOu know, just what you want to be chewing when you walk outside into temperatures in the teens.

 

We got the kids to home and to bed!

Sunday morning was church. I didn't have to help in Jay's class during the second service, but I did check in on Calla. She has had some boils in her skin under one of her armpits and I wanted to see if they were bothering her. (They had been bothering her at breakfast.) Well she seemed fine when I walked into her class which made me regret even interrupting, but of course once she saw me she decided she wasn't fine and wanted to stay with me.

So we brought her into the service with us. One thing i will say for Calla is that she's a very enthusiastic worship singer, even if she's never heard the words. She just reads the words on the screen and belts it out. She is pretty quick at picking up on the melody; for one song I leaned over and asked if she knew it (because it sounded like she did) and she said nope! ha!

After church we went out to lunch with friends. The kids all sat at one table and the adults at the other and it was at this point (when the adults were having a fun conversation and the kids were all minding their own business) that I thought- why am I having another baby and messing this all up? Hahaha just kidding. Well, I did think about the fact that soon I'd have a little high chair next to me again!!

After awhile, the kids were no longer minding their own business. In fact, Jaybird and his little friend Bitty were running in circles around the place (fortunately it was just a Qdoba) and so we said our goodbyes and headed home.

Sunday afternoon was a day of rest. Jaybird rested, I rested. I can't recall if Kelsey did. Calla read an entire book.

A special thanks to Mimi for introducing her to the "Boxcar Children" series-

Jonathan asked if I wanted to make plans for the evening, but I didn't really have any energy. I cooked dinner (well, we had some chili in the freezer I just had to defrost!). Then we had a family worship time. Then we Skyped with Mimi and Pops. [Sidenote: Jonathan had called Pops and Mimi on Skype earlier in the evening. He could tell that someone "answered" the video call and then hung up right away. Later when Pops called us back, Pops told us that he had been leading prayer meeting at church when the Skype call came through-right over the microphone! Pops had the iPad all propped up to read his notes from...I guess he wasn't expecting to entertain people on Skype at the same time! ha!]

 We read some books before bed and played some games. Then Jonathan put the girls to bed. Once we start tucking the girls in (getting all those stuffed animals and blankets in order takes time!), Jay always runs to his room.

Then he "hides" in this very spot next to his crib every night and waits for me to come to him. It's so funny- he even does it if his room is all dark. I took a pic so I'd remember years from now that one day he fit in this little spot. (-:

below: Hiding!

The End of Last Week

Thursday morning we started off with some cinnamon rolls. Nothing gets the kids out of bed as some Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (with some fruit on the side). It even works for Jaybird, who usually likes to pencil in a ten-minute cuddle.

 

We dropped Cal-Cal off at school and then Kels and Jay and I headed to BSF. BSF wraps up at about 11:15, so it's usually 11:30 by the time I've picked up Kelsey and Jay from their classrooms and we've used the bathrooms and said goodbye to the fish in the fish tank.

 

We had twenty minutes to kill so we stopped at Mariano's the grocery store for a couple items I needed. Mariano's has a gelato counter so I got Kels and Jay each a mini-gelato and we picked one out for Calla. Then we got in the car and went and picked up Calla from school.

 

Calla was in tears when she got in the car because she had hurt her elbow (funny bone?) getting her stuff together. I asked her if anyone had seen her cry and she said no...I think she had held it in until she got in the car. Well the gelato cheered her up.

 

Thursday afternoon, after lunch, Jaybird took a nap. I made the girls have some quiet time because they seemed tired, but they ended up starting to play and then just playing and playing. In fact, the whole house kind of turned into a disaster. I was hosting small group that night, so after making a dessert I told the girls they better get their act together and clean up their mess. I don't usually disclose when we're hosting small group (because otherwise it's very difficult for them to fall asleep!--> I think they'd much prefer to listen in on adult conversation then fall asleep at 7:30pm). Well this time I did and Calla snapped into high gear. She was even vacuuming the house when Daddy got home from work.

 

I made spaghetti for dinner to keep it simple. Jonathan gave the kids a bath and everyone was in bed when our small group members arrived (although all three children were awake!). Fortunately they eventually fell asleep without being too disruptive.

 

We're studying the book of Philippians.

 

Friday morning I had bad news/good news situation for Jaybird. The bad news was that I had to wake him up to take Calla to school. The good news was that he could stay in his pajamas! This makes him so happy! hahaha.

 

We dropped Calla off and came back home. Kelsey and Jay messed around. I am not sure how they made it around our long hallways without the use of this Christmas gift from Mimi and Pops-

 

It is never hard to talk Jay out of his PJs when we are headed to the library. He loves that place. He loves the combination of Thomas books, a train table, and the computer games.

 

below: lots of concentration

 

 

It was the morning of Kelsey's last storytime. I told her she should go and she agreed, although she asked to bring Samantha (her American Girl doll). I also asked her if she wanted me to sign her up for the next 7-week session and she said no. Ha! Alrighty then.

Jay wore a girls' raincoat to the library. Of course.

below: Jaybird and Pepper (a dog stuffed animal...his absolute favorite)



We picked up Calla from school and headed home. We ate some lunch and the kids played. I put Jay down for a nap at 2 and then put myself down for a nap. Nothing beats a Friday afternoon nap. Calla read one of the Boxcar children books that she got from the library. Like, the whole thing. (187 pages.) Kelsey Mae likes to pretend to read too, although she gets bored after awhile and just makes messes. You know, not on purpose. Just gathers toys in purses and hauls them around the house. Or cuts paper into tiny pieces. Or digs out all her lip glosses and organizes them in her rainbow loom kit. (Which still has yet to see a rainbow loom band...she is really attached with using it to organize her makeup at this point.)

Jonathan and Luke Moo headed out after work for an overnight in Iowa. They were staying with a former co-worker of Luke's (although they ended up staying with his brother because he got water in his basement...wow I felt terrible for him; I can definitely relate to that!). Then they were attending the Wisconsin basketball game on Saturday morning.

So meanwhile we had the whole evening free. We started off with a gourmet dinner.

below: I served grilled cheese with a side of chicken noodle soup. I made this for Kelsey back when she had a stomach virus in December and she often requests it! haha! All three kids ate it like it was candy.

Jenny was solo with her kids obviously (since Luke was with Jonathan) and so she invited us to come watch Norah's basketball game. Norah plays on a team of 1st-2nd graders with three other girls who are daughters of close friends of mine. Jenny said all the moms would be there and of course all the "younger siblings" of the girls so I thought it'd be fun to go.

Calla and Kelsey packed their purses and we headed out. The basketball game was not even two miles from our house. When we got inside it was a little cramped, but the girls still had a good time with their little friends. Jaybird was a little harder to entertain, since he wanted to play on the bleachers with the big kids (I told him he had to sit with me) and then of course he had a hard time sharing some of the toys he brought along. Oh Jay!

Well Norah obviously has the build for basketball but she has the talent too! I am positive it is not going to be the last game I will be attending of hers! Calla and Kelsey had plans for cheering Norah on but they spent a lot more time jumping rope with Anna (a younger sib of Brooke, who was also playing).

As soon as the game ended, we headed out. We had some ice cream with sprinkles to cheer us up since Daddy wasn't around. We read some books and then the kiddos went to bed. I let Calla and Kelsey sleep with me since Jonathann wasn't home. Don't tell Jay. He didn't know he was missing a slumber party!

Jayism~

~ Jay pointed to a shape on his computer game at the library and said "oval!" I am pretty sure I can thank Calla for teaching Jay his shapes. I certainly have never taught him what an oval is.

More Snow

monday morning we got to have a low-key morning! Calla didn't have school because it was Presidents Day so the kids hung out in their pajamas for the first half of the morning. It was so fun to watch them playing together; Jaybird is definitely part of the crew now, although the girls will sometimes complain if he's "messing things up." Sometimes he doesn't catch the "vision" of what they are trying to play. ha!

 

We decided to go to the library mid-morning. Calla had just finished the first "Boxcar Children" book (Mimi brought it for her for V-day) and wanted to see if there were more at the library since I knew it was a series.

 

We started by picking out books...we found some Boxcar Children books which Calla was excited about. Jay's book selection is usually limited to the Thomas the Train collection. Kelsey Mae is super random with her choices, although she does always pick out dozens and I end up putting most of them back.

 

I let them play some of the educational games on the computers before we left.

 

below: Jaybird playing a Thomas the Train game. 

 

When we left the library, it had started to snow. We headed home and hunkered down! We ended up getting about six inches that afternoon/early evening.

We ate some lunch and Jaybird took a nap and I let the girls watch one of the DVDs they picked out from the library. We cleaned the house and made dinner and then heard from Daddy that it was taking a long time for him to get home. (Which was no big surprise in the snow.)

Jaybird was asking me to play with him, so I decided that he and I should put ourselves to work. We got dressed up in our snow gear and headed out to do some shoveling at about 5.

below: So happy to be outdoors!

The girls ended up putting their snow clothes on coming out. They didn't helping with the shoveling, although they did get the snow off the minivan.

Jaybird and I shoveled the entire driveway. He was a big help - he would shovel his little pile of snow into my big pile.

Jonathan got home and was happy he didn't have to spend his evening shoveling the driveway. We ate dinner and then he gave the kids a bath. They fell asleep quickly; an hour in cold air will do that to you! haha

Tuesday morning Calla had to go to school. ha! It felt like a Monday to us. (-: On the way to school, my girlfriend Ali asked me if Kelsey Mae wanted to come over for the morning. We dropped Calla off and then I shared with Kels the good news. She was so excited! I drove Kelsey over to Ali's house to play with her daughter Anna.

Then Jaybird and I headed home. I took a shower (originally I had planned to go to the sports center but didn't want Jay to have to go instead of a fun morning with just me...not that him waiting for me to take a shower sounds much fun). Then we headed out to Mariano's to the grocery store.

When you're the only child along on an errand, you pick out a nice big donut with rainbow sprinkles.

below: score

We even sat down and had a heart-to-heart. Actually, we mostly just looked out the window. ha

I did all my grocery shopping and then discovered my credit card wasn't working. OH brother! (I got a new one and it's been having issues.) So I called the bank while Jaybird waited patiently. I got it resolved and paid for the groceries. I was glad Kelsey Mae wasn't around! No offense, but she is not the most patient girl to stand and wait while I sat on "hold."

We swung by and picked up Kels on our way to grab Calla from school.

Tuesday afternoon was our last Tuesday in awhile without Kelsey having preschool. I am not really looking forward to it starting up again! I am glad Kelsey's speech is improving (well, on track to improve...) but the preschool-in-the-afternoons schedule is not super fun. (You know, waking Jay up from his naps to pick her up, shoveling lunch down Kelsey's throat on Thursdays between BSF and preschool, remembering her show-and-tell items each week, etc.!) But I definitely could not do it on my own; that was obvious on her 7-day break when I kept forgetting to go over her "speech homework" with her. yikes.

We did have the girls' ballet lessons at 4. Jaybird brought along his favorite game of late, which is mini-golf with his plastic clubs and his little plastic ball. He brought two clubs, one for me and one for him, but most of the time the other "little brothers" (of the budding ballerinas!) took turns playing with him.

We got home and I made dinner and Jonathan got home. I have no clue what we did that evening. Must have been pretty dull!

below: I did take this pic on Tuesday of Jay's shovel. He dragged it outside from the house to put next to Daddy's.

 

Wednesday morning we had a busy day! First we took Cal-Cal to school. Then Kels and Jay and I headed to the women's Bible study. We are doing a Beth Moore study on the "tabernacle" and it's really interesting.

 

Since I help lead a table, I had a leaders luncheon right after Bible study. So I packed a lunch for Kels and Jay to eat (they remained with the other kids of Bible study leaders). Of course, since I had the luncheon I couldn't pick up Cal-Cal from school.

 

So Stefani filled in! Calla was thrilled.

 

 below: quality time with Stef


Stefani had about an hour with Calla. They had just finished lunch when Kels and Jay and I got home. Kelsey was so jealous that Calla got picked up by Stefani! She asked that Stef pick her up from kindergarten when she is in school hahahaha.

Stef had to leave right at 1 to head to work. I let Birdie play with the girls for an hour before his nap.

 

below: taxi rides

 

While Jay napped, Calla and Kelsey played out in the snow. It was mild outside so the snow was melting but it least it wasn't too frigid to be outdoors.

 

below: building a snowman

 

 

 

When Bird woke up, he wanted out too. By this point, Kelsey was ready for hot chocolate (which I think is her main reason for going outdoors in the first place!) so she came inside.

 

below: Calla leading Birdie around

 

below: throwing snowballs

 

I had to get the kids out of their snow clothes in time to get ready for Awana. I always feel like we're in a time crunch on Wednesday nights! 6pm comes around so quick!

We took Cal-Cal to Sparks and then Kels and Jay and I went to Puggles. I decided to keep Kelsey Mae in Puggles with me because she had some diarrhea in the afternoon and I didn't want her passing her bug to the other Cubbies. Plus, I wasn't quite sure if she'd be able to hold it if she had to use the bathroom and it was in the middle of storytime or something!

Kelsey loved being in Jay's class. Calla was bummed that she couldn't be in Puggles. I told the girls there's no way we're going to church on Wednesday nights for all four of us to sit in Puggles!

We headed home and put everyone to bed. Jonathan always catches the tail end of bedtime. Lucky him.

Kelseyism~

~ Me: Kelsey, you need to clean your room. You can't even walk in there! Kelsey: Yes I can. Can't you? Is it because your big feet?

 

 

 

 

The Rest of Mimi's Visit

Saturday morning Jonathan and I headed back to Wheaton from the city. I am not exactly sure what Mimi and the kiddos did that morning...but it definitely involved cleaning, because when we got home the house was spotless. Mimi makes it look easy. haha.

 

We decided to go out to lunch. Jonathan suggested Portillo's, since Mimi had never been. She had an Italian beef sandwich and I think gave it a thumb's up. ha!

 

Saturday afternoon I put Birdie down for a nap and then Daddy hung out with Calla and Kelsey while Mimi and I went to nearby Glen Ellyn to do some shopping. There's some cute shops down there and Mimi found a few treasures. (-: It was cold but we bundled up!

 

We returned home in time to make dinner. Mimi helped me try out a new recipe I got at a recent Moms Together. The beauty of it is that it's super quick-

 

Cheddar Chicken & Potato Packets (serves 6)
6T BBQ sauce
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 red potatoes, unpeeled, sliced thin
2 large red bell pepper, sliced
2 green onions, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Working on individual foil sheets, first add ½ tablespoon bbq sauce in center and place a chicken breast on top. Spread another ½ tablespoon on top of breast. Cover with ½ of potato, 1/3 red pepper, and 1/3 green onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold foil into packet. Repeat for remaining five chicken breasts.
Place packets on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully open packets. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese on each. Return to oven, unsealed, for about 3 minutes until cheese melts. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or low fat sour cream).

Saturday evening Jonathan gave the kids a bath and then headed out to play ice hockey with his buddies. haha. He always looks like he's 15 when he's in his hockey gear.

Mimi and I settled in and watched the Olympics. The girls would have been so sad to know we were watching figure skating while they were snoozing in their bed.

Sunday morning when we woke up was about the same time that Pops' flight was landing in Washington, D.C. on his long trip from Uganda.

While he was driving back from the Dulles Airport, Mimi was back with us in Wheaton going to church. The girls were excited to have her accompany them to their Sunday school rooms. We went to Sunday school and then Jonathan and Mimi went to the second service while I helped in Jaybird's class.

We went back to the house for lunch and had a few hours before I had to take Mimi to the airport. We spent some of that time watching Uncle Ben's basketball game. Mimi sewed some buttons for me and fixed Kelseys nightgown. Hahaha. Last minute fixes!

I took Mimi to the airport during Jaybird's nap. It's always hard to say goodbye! Kelsey Mae came along and took a nap in the car.

Sunday evening we were just at home. Mimi had done all my laundry so it was very relaxing! (-: We just ate dinner and had family worship and then put the kiddos to bed. The next day was President's Day so I told Calla she could sleep in. It felt nice not to set my alarm! haha.

Jayism~

~ Jay woke up his nap and wondered where Mimi was. It took a couple days for him to get over accidentially calling me "Mimi" instead of "Mommy." haha

*** How pathetic is it that I have like zero pics from Mimi's visit? Maybe she can send me some of hers!

Our Valentine's Day

Last Thursday was such a fun and packed day! We started the morning with Mimi staying home with the kiddos while I dropped Calla off at school. I had about an hour back at home before I headed right back to school to help with the Valentine's Day party at Calla's class. Mimi got to hang back with Kels and Jay.

 

The Valentine's Day party was so cute. I didn't get a chance to take any pics because I was up to my elbows in glitter, but I'll have to post some once I get some from Calla's teacher. (She's really good at taking pics!) I had five other moms helping me with the party, and so the kids were able to do cookie decorating and necklace making and a couple V-Day games. For my craft I had the kids trace and then cut out their fingerprints on a piece of paper that said "God Loves _______" (write in name!). Then we put glue on the fingerprints and added the glitter.

 

The kids' different personalities always crack me up. Most of the girls were very concerned about getting their fingerprints just right, but there were a handful of boys who were cheerfully gluing fingerprints on the paper that had just four fingers, or an extra thumb. Ha! I don't think they noticed. Or cared! One of the boys decided to skip the glitter. Manly.

 

Calla headed home with me when the party was over, because by then it was noon. We had lunch with Mimi and the kids. I put Jaybird down for a nap and then headed out for a OB appointment. I even ran a couple errands afterwards. It is such a treat not having to pay for a babysitter when Mimi is in town!

 

We had a couple hours before we headed out at 4 to my friend Jenny's. Jenny hosted a Valentine's Day party for our friend Kate and her kiddos and my kiddos and me...in addition to Mimi and Jenny's mom (Nana) and Kate's mom (Gigi). It was fun having the "grandmothers" present! Mimi has met "Nana" and "Gigi" before.

 

Norah had helped Jenny plan out the party, so she had put together a couple "stations" for her buddies. It was so cute. I told Jenny that her daughter has a future in event planning. ha!

 

below: Kelsey Ann and Kelsey Mae at the "craft station"

 

 

below: The cookie decorating station! Braden, Eriksen, Calla and Norah busy at work...

I should have taken a pic of Mimi and me! I definitely didn't take enough pics while she was around.

Jenny had a spread of appetizers and a couple desserts and so we pretty much ate "dinner." We said our goodbye at 5:30 (and our thanks! --> so sweet of Jenny to put that together).

Our evening was just beginning, because we had decided to head up to Madison for the Wisconsin basketball game. Mimi has never been (obviously) and so we thought it'd be fun to go.

below: our seats!

 

The game didn't even start until 8pm, which is obviously the kids' bedtime, so I wasn't quite sure how they would do. We've only ever attended day games! But thankfully there were three adults (Jonathan, me and Mimi) so it least we weren't outnumbered!

 

Calla does a nice job of actually watching the game, and Jay was pretty content as long as someone was holding him. Kelsey Mae got tired of it pretty quickly, but thankfully there were some friendly college students seated behind us. By halftime they were playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with Kels and by the end of the game she had moved to their row and was sitting on their lap and playing a game on their phone. ha! 

 

below: Jaybird and daddy

below; Kelsey talking to the college students, Calla dutifully watching her uncle, and Mimi holding Bird...

below: Jay is not starstruck by his pic with Jordan Taylor (he was the team's star player two years ago). Jonathan saw him at halftime.

 

below: Before we left, I got a pic of the kiddos and the college students. Jaybird didn't realize they were strangers, obviously. hahahaha 

 

Uncle Ben scored twenty points, AND Wisconsin won, which made it a very good game to attend! It was past 10pm by the time we pulled out of there, so the kids were asleep within a couple minutes of getting on the road. We got home at about 12:30 or so. It was a late night!

below: Group pic!

 

On Valentine's Day, I hoped the kids would sleep in. They didn't really, which was shocking. It turned out ok though because I got a call from Jonathan at 8am. My friend Jenny's sister had experienced a stroke in the early morning Friday hours. She was in the hospital and so I contacted Jenny right away and asked if I could help somehow.

 

She asked if maybe Maya (Katie's daughter...Katie was the one who had the stroke) and Britta (her youngest) could come over for the morning. Our mutual friend Julie was going to keep Jenny's oldest kids at home.

 

It really did work out perfectly. We had zero plans for Friday morning, and Calla didn't have school. Jenny said she wouldn't have felt comfortable bringing the babies over if it was just me, but since my mom was there to help she didn't feel so bad. (She wouldn't have had to feel bad!)

 

So the "twins" (they are cousins, six weeks apart) arrived at 9:15 or so. Calla and Kelsey were actually a big help playing with them! It really did take a lot of eyes, since they are both very mobile!

 

below: Maya just turned one and Britta turns one in March. Britta can walk but thankfully she prefers to crawl (a little easier to manage).



 

I had bought Valentine's Day-pink pancake mix so we had a late breakfast. Stefani our baby-sitter (I guess I can drop the "our baby-sitter" at this point) also stopped by with a bag full of Valentine's Day goodies for the kids. She is so gifty!

Jenny picked up her niece and her daughter at around lunch, and we got an update on Katie. [Sidenote...to sum up...Katie is 36 weeks pregnant. She had a stroke on Friday evening and lost feeling on left side of her body as well as her vision. As I write this, she is taking steps and is now at home. Her vision is not fully restored, in fact it is still not doing well. You can be praying for her! It is very scary. A praise is that her unborn baby girl is very healthy and hopefully she can carry her to term. Jenny has daily doctor's appointments and rehab in front of her. I can't even imagine enduring all that, especially at 9 months pregnant.}

Friday afternoon Jay took a big nap. In fact, Kels and Mimi and I napped too. We were so tuckered out after our late night! Cal-Cal laid next to me and kept asking me every five minutes if she could get up. I couldn't believe she wasn't tired enough to take a snooze.

Jonathan and I had plans to go out for Valentine's Day that evening, so that afternoon I threw together a lasagna for Mimi and the kids to eat for dinner. Jonathan got home at 5 or so and we put together an overnight bag, straightened up the house a bit, and then Mimi and the kids dropped us off at the train station. I felt bad that the kids had to watch us get off at the train station- what they would do to go for a train ride!! It seemed like we were putting salt in the wound.

Mimi and the kids headed back home and had lasagna and garlic bread and then made a Valentine's Day theme confetti cake for dessert. Yum. Other than Jaybird being a cry baby at bedtime, I think the evening went well.

In the meantime, Jonathan and I went to downtown Chicago and checked into a hotel. We got all dressed up and went to a fancy steakhouse for dinner. It was such a fun splurge. The food was AMAZING and we even got to witness a proposal! So cute.

below:
I heard black was slimming. hmmmm

We were so thankful to have an overnight! Shoot we should have referred to it as our babymoon.

Mimi comes to Town

Wednesday of last week was the day Mimi arrived! Her flight didn't get in until 4:30, so we had plenty of day before she got here. (...Much to the girls' dismay - the day seemed to crawl by for them!)

 

We passed the time in the morning with the women's Bible study at church. We took Cal-Cal to school and then headed to church. Jaybird likes to complain when he asks me "Where are we going?" and I don't say "Home." He was still complaining he wanted to go home as we pulled into the parking lot. We always have a half hour between our arrival at Bible study and when it officially begins, so by the time Jay had changed into his sneakers (from his snow boots), and waited while his sister got her hair combed, and used the bathroom, and took a drink from the water fountain....he forgot he wanted to go home. He went into his classroom without a word of complaint.

 

After Bible study ended, we headed back to Calla's school to pick her up and head home.

 

below: while we waited, we took some selfies.

 

 below: Jaybird with his legs crossed. Looking out for Big Sis.

 

Wednesday afternoon Jaybird napped and the girls played and I straightened up the house one last time and folded one last load of laundry.

 

At 4, we woke up Jaybird and headed to the bank. I needed to get a new credit card (my old one was one of those "Target" targets or what not). The kids were happy to go to the bank because they remembered they could get a lollipop.

 

Mimi landed shortly after we were on the road headed to the airport. I wasn't sure how the drive would be with it being close to rush hour, but we got a head start on the traffic and the drive to the airport was pretty quick.

 

Kelsey Mae fell asleep on the drive there, so she actually missed the big welcome when Mimi got in the car. ha! Well we wish we could have offered Mimi a back rub and a cup of hot tea when we got back to Wheaton but instead we didn't even pause at home. We drove straight to Calla's friend's Annie's house to pick her up and then headed to the church for Awana. We got fast-food on the way so the kids wouldn't be hungry for Sparks/Cubbies!

 

Mimi and I dropped Calla and Kelsey off at their classrooms and then she "helped" me in Puggles. Nothing like a welcome-to-IL for Mimi like a fast-food green salad and seven random Puggles kids. Ha!

 

I am sure Awana could not end fast enough for my girls! They were excited to see Mimi again. We all headed out of church and Mimi finally got a chance to unpack her things and put her feet up.

 

I put the kids to bed and then Mom and I watched some Olympics. She brought her own decaf tea for a cup of hot tea. You know they don't sell that stuff here. haha.

 

*More on Mimi's visit tomorrow!

A Daddy-Daughter Date

Last Sunday we headed to church. It was a pretty typical Sunday morning! Our Sunday afternoon felt a little different, because Jonathan was gone for the Wisconsin basketball game (in Madison). While he was gone, we had a low-key afternoon at home.

 

below: Calla gave out rides ha!

 

 

We watched the Wisconsin basketball game, and took some naps. Sunday evening Jonathan got home in time for dinner. We ate together and then had family worship and then watched some of the Olympics.

 

Monday morning we all had to get out the door on time, and looking presentable, because after we dropped Calla off at school we headed to church. About five times a year, the womens ministries hosts a "Moms Together breakfast" and Monday was one of those. Kelsey Mae and Jay were looking forward to it, because they remembered that they saw each other at the last Moms Together . (There is a portion of the children's program when the kids' classes combine together in the chapel for singing and a Bible story.) They also get a breakfast, which is much more fun than a regular graham cracker (their snack on Sunday mornings).

 

Kels and I took Jay to his classroom first. He was in a room he has never been in before, so he looked a little nervous. I took him to the potty in the bathroom at the back of the room. After I helped him wash his hands, I gave him a big hug and kiss. He stood, frozen, at the door of the bathroom as I started to walk to the door. I said, "Goodbye Jay! Love you!" And suddenly he called, "Mommy!" I looked and his bottom lip was quivering. "Come here!" he said, waving me back over, as he started getting weepy. Poor little Bird! i gave him a hug and one of the teachers came over and put him on her lap. He wasn't crying when I checked on him after dropping Kelsey off.

 

After the Moms breakfast was over, I picked up Kels and Jay. They told me about seeing each other in chapel. It was cute. We drove over to Calla's school to pick her up and headed home.

 

Monday afternoon I spent doing laundry and cleaning the house. It was thrilling, really. Birdie took a long nap and the girls played. Kelsey Mae debuted a pair of new earrings.

 

below: She cut out pieces of paper and scotch-taped them to her ear lobes. Fancy!

 

Monday evening was very exciting for the girls! Jonathan took them for the annual Daddy-Daughter Date Night at Chick-fil-A. Jonathan didn't get home from work until 6:45, and the girls and I were still in the midst of "beautying" them! ha! I curled their hair and they picked out their clothes and soon they were ready.

Jaybird and I decided we were going to drop them off, since I had a gift card to Wal-Mart (which is sorta out of the way...past Chick-fil-A) and a list of Valentine's-related stuff that I needed. Jay and I said goodbye (thankfully he saw the cow through the window when we stopped at Chick-fil-A...Jay is scared of the cow so he was not tempted to join Daddy and the girls at the event). We had our own mother-son outing at Wal-Mart which Jay thought was just terrific.

I am pretty sure we did not have as much fun as these three though!:

It was SO cold outside (single digits) and so we warned the girls beforehand that Chick-fil-A may not offer horse and carriage rides this year. (That has been the highlight for them for the past couple years.) Well we were right, but Chick did itself one better - it had a limo! The girls were THRILLED! They could not stop talking about their limo ride!

In fact, it took awhile for them to settle down and get ready for bed once we got home!

Tuesday was an exciting day for the girls, because they were down to the one-day countdown until Mimi was scheduled to come.

Kels and Jay and I dropped Cal-Cal off at school and then we went to the sports center. I worked out and took a quick shower and then the three of us headed to the grocery store. We also headed to Kohl's for a return, and had just enough time for me to empty the groceries before we went and picked up Cal-Cal at noon.

Tuesday afternoon, my friend Kate texted and asked if Kels and Cal-Cal could come over for a playdate. I took them home first and we ate some lunch and then Jay and I dropped them off. Jay said he wanted a playdate with Maggie too. Oh Birdie.

Jay had a couple hours to nap and I had those hours to clean the house before we headed back over to Kate's to pick up the girls. Her house is on the way to ballet, which worked out perfect since the girls had their class at 4.

Jaybird always arrives to ballet in a bit of a daze, since I have to wake him up from his nap. He walked in with his blue lovey (blanket) and favorite stuffed animal ("Pepper"). We got the girls all set (it takes a bit of doing, between putting the leotards and leg warmers and ballet slippers on, and tidying the hair...). Jay must have been hungry because he spent most of the 45-minute class chowing down on a couple of clementines.

After the girls got done, we headed home. It was snowing a bit. The kids played while I made dinner.

below: A typical Kelsey moment...playing quietly, surrounded by a big mess! ha!

 

 

Tuesday evening we ate dinner with Dad, then he gave the kids a bath. The girls and I cleaned up their room a bit before bed. Preparations were underway for Mimi's visit!

 



Calla is 100

Last Thursday {February 7th} is worth about a paragraph of our time. Kels, Jay and I dropped off Calla that morning on our way to BSF. It was frigid outside. There's always about a half hour to kill between the end of BSF and picking up Calla from kindergarten, but I didn't even want to stop at home because that meant we'd have to get out of the warm car to go inside. So instead we just headed over to Calla's school to wait.

 

After we picked up Cal-Cal, we headed home. Thursday afternoon isn't real memorable; I am sure it involved some napping on the part of Bird and I. ha. And some playing on the part of Calla and Kelsey Mae. We didn't have any plans on Thursday evening. Jonathan wasn't home from work until after 6, so when Jaybird was hungry after his nap I gave him a waffle-appetizer. ha.

 

below: Birdie chowing down on his waffle. He was in his pajamas bc sometimes he likes to change into them for his nap. I guess naptime and nighttime can be confusing.

Thursday evening we ate dinner and gave the kiddos baths and tucked them into their beds and it was a regular old day. (-: Well, one thing seemed different-- before bed we got Calla decked out in a "100th day of school" outfit. (see following)

Friday morning Jonathan had a meeting nearby so he volunteered to take Cal-Cal to school. Before they left, I had some prep work to do on her. ha!

For the 100th day of school, the kindergarten class was asked to dress like a "100 year old."

 

below: How did we do?

below: Calla thought it'd be a good idea to bring a golf putter as a cane and so I covered it in gray paper. She thought it looked fabulous! ha!

 

Mrs. Olsen sent a picture of the class later. It really gave me a laugh (especially the bearded fellow in the back row):

 

While Cal-Cal was at school, Kels and Jay and I hung out at home. Mid-morning we headed to the library for storytime. Kelsey went in this time, although this was one of the last weeks and when I asked her if she wanted me to sign her up for the spring session she said "Nope." ha!

 

We left from the library to pick up Calla. It took a longer time than usual for Mrs. Olsen to let the class out (they had a 100th-day-of-school party) and in the meantime, Jay had to "go."

 

below: When you have to go, you have to go! Thank goodness we had the portable potty in the mini.

 

 

Friday afternoon we hung at home. Jaybird asked if I could build a "tent" in his crib before naptime. I may have done a pretty pathetic job (I did drape a blanket over the top):

 

 

Friday evening our friends Brad and Kate invited us over. We kept it simple and just picked up Chili's to-go (take-out) and ate it at their place. It was such a fun time! The Olympic opening ceremony was on so Brad, Kate, Jonathan and I sat and watched it in the family room. The kids spent most of the evening on the balconey above the family room, dancing around to the "Frozen" (Disney movie) soundtrack. At one point, they all disappeared into the girls' room and came out in dress-up dresses....including Jaybird. I was laughing so hard I almost cried. He makes a really ugly girl!

 

We watched USA winter athletes march in and what not and then headed home.

 

Saturday we had a low-key morning. Jonathan got up and played basketball at the sports center, and then he came home and I took a turn working out at the sports center. It was cold and snowy so we didn't want to take the kids.

 

Besides, they were busy having a storytime. of course.

 

 
below: snowy day #2,508 this winter


Calla had a birthday party at 1pm, so I fed the kids lunch and Jonathan left early to take Cal-Cal to the party. It was snowing steadily, so he thought it may take some extra time (he was right). Kelsey Mae went along.

While Daddy and the girls were gone, Jaybird and I ate lunch. He was still in his pajamas. This has become a staple of his (asking to stay in his pajamas if we aren't leaving the house).

below: quality time with the Bird


Calla had a fabulous time at the birthday party. It was at a girl's house from her kindergarten class. She came home with a craft and a goodie bag and it sounded like they had so much fun.

Kelsey Mae and Daddy went out for a donut (ha!) while Calla was gone as a "little date." I think Kelsey would have taken a donut-date with Daddy over a birthday party any day of the week. Ha!

Jaybird took a nap on Saturday and I did some housework. The girls played once Cal-Cal got home. That evening our friends Ryan and Jenny Linenger invited us to their place. We haven't spent time with them in awhile and I was really looking forward to catching up with them! Plus, they insisted we not bring anything which was really a treat.

We drove through the snow to their place. They invited our friends Bry and Ali and their kiddos too and so the kids had lots of little buddies there. They played and played.

We enjoyed dinner and had some of the Olympics on in the background. My girls were over to the TV like a moth to the flame when they caught sight of some figure skating. They ended the evening with puzzles...the kids were doing puzzles all over the floor. It gave the adults some time for nice conversation though! (Actually, the "dads" were playing basketball in the basement. Let's be honest - the nice conversation was among the girls! ha!)

We were having such a fun time we lost track of time. We headed out of there past 8. I was glad Jonathan had given the kids their "Saturday bath" in the afternoon! They went straight to bed.

Kelseyism~

~ Kelsey: "I weally [really] want a dog. Do you know why?" Me: "Why?" Kelsey: "Because I weally want one."
Lots of circular conversations with that girl.

*I have so much catch-up to do ! Mimi was in town for a visit so you can blame her! ha!