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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Go Hawks!!


GO HAWKS!!


I’m sure I don't have to inform you on how absolutely terrible the Hawkeye football season turned out- and quite frankly, I don’t want to relive all of the ridiculous losses.  So, instead I am going to share a few pics of our night out with Nate and Kelly to celebrate the Hawks miraculously getting a good bowl bid (although I hate to ruin it for you if you didn’t already know but WE LOST)!  It was hard to be upset with how the boys were playing though when you’re having such a great time with some of your favorite people in an IOWA bar (with black and gold Coors Lights cups.  This girl was in Heaven).  A great time that is until we received a phone call that William was vomitting every 15 minutes and wasn’t holding down any fluids.  Nothing like a midnight train out of the city to go home to a very, very ill Lil’ Nugget.  Thankfully it only lasted 12 hours.  Thanks to Nate and Kelly for having us.  Ps- my best friend is coming into town tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited to see her!


Saturday, December 24, 2011

Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays
From our family to yours,
Dennis, Kim, Michael Lincoln and William Reagan

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Boys and a Skirt

The Boys and a Skirt
I have been doing a lot of blog reading as of late.  I was hunting in fact.  Hunting for the perfect tree skirt for our oh, so perfect tree.  I searched high and low, all over Pinterest.  And then... there it was.  The perfect tutorial for our perfect tree.  You can see the tutorial here.  Wanna hear something crazy, this blogger and I shared the same “fugly” tree skirt from the start.  We made over the exact same skirt from Target (that I got on clearance two years ago for $1.80- so what a cheap project)!  Silver with way too much glitter and not enough PIZAZZ!  A little burlap, pretty generic red fabric and six hot glue gun blisters later and she was finished.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!  I love everything about it- but my favorite part has to be the loose ends on the burlap.  It gives it this unfinished, used for forty years, handed down kind of appeal that I was shooting for.  I dressed the tree with it this evening and (posed) the boys joined me in admiring our perfect tree.  The photo of the boys may just be adorning next year's Christmas card.  They look like little angels don't they?  But, back to the tree skirt... such a wonderful way to spend the afternoon!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Shop Sweet Lulu


Shop Sweet Lulu
Every year the week before the holidays my husband puts me to work- I’m in charge of client gifts.  I don’t know about you but homemade treats during the holidays melt my heart so I put together little treat boxes for all of the people who trust my husband so very much.  Well, ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit when I say Dennis puts me to work because I absolutely love doing it and it gives me a reason to shop at my favorite gift/party/anything your little heart desires online store Shop Sweet Lulu.  If you have not had the chance to peek at this wonderful lady’s stuff you are missing out.  Really- anything you could possibly need for a cutie patootie event or item you can find here.  Personally I’ve jumped on the Kraft box and bakers twine bandwagon and am loving every second of it.  Everything this season has been wrapped in Kraft boxes and candy striped twine (well, except I think Santa still has some fun wrapping paper somewhere).  I stuffed these must-have boxes with cookies and other small treats and then Dennis and I drive around and hand deliver them to each of his clients.  I love doing this with him every year and seeing the reaction on some of his newer clients’ faces is priceless.  ‘Tis the season.


Monday, December 19, 2011

Donut King


William has become a bit obsessed with powdered donuts as of late.  I think he's hiding them around the house because every time I turn around the kid's face is covered with powdered sugar.  Either that or Michael is sneaking them for him...

Sunday, December 18, 2011

29 Years!

Today I turned 29.  A number that would bother some, well most actually.  For me I had this moment where I was sad it wasn't 30.  My early to mid twenties were such a crazy time in my life, then I met Dennis and we had the boys.  Since our life together is everything I have dreamed of.  Life just keeps getting better believe it or not.  So, I'm very much looking forward to my 30s.

To celebrate 29 Den and I went on a (long overdue) date on Friday night- we were in bed by 9:30.  We are getting old.  It was a wonderful night, something we don't do very often so I am so grateful when it does happen.  Gramma and Boompa took the boys overnight, which also meant we could sleep past 6:00.  We actually slept until 10:00 on Saturday.  I was confused when I woke up and looked at the clock, and then simply smiled and snuggled up to Dennis knowing I didn't have to get up.  Sunday morning I went to mass with my father-in-law, came home to watch the Bears lose (again) and then we were off to the Holiday Lights Display at Brookfield Zoo with the boys, the in-laws and Auntie Pup who is home from school.  The weather cooperated very well, no snow on the ground and a balmy 35°.  The boys stayed warm under a blanket while we trekked through the zoo gazing at the wonderful displays.  Afterwards we went out for dinner and then came home to my favorite cake with some of my favorite people.  It truly was a wonderful day!  I'm one lucky 29 year-old.




Friday, December 16, 2011

Michael's Christmas Program



Michael and his Preschool Class

Sang: Jingle Bells
Oh, Christmas Star
We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Oh, so stinkin' cute!!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Two and a Half


Our Sweet Michael,
You are two and a half today!  It’s probably about time we started using the term “half”, because if I know anything about kiddos it’s that that half is so very important to them.  We celebrated your half birthday at school yesterday with your friends.  You treated your classmates to Krispy Kreme donuts and chocolate milk (two of your favorites).  I wanted to jot down a few things you are doing these days because I want to remember everything about you being two... and a half.  
You are amazing.  Let’s start with that.  You love suckers and just about anything else primarily made of sugar.  You don’t want to eat much of anything else, except for pasta.  That’s your fave.  Any kind of pasta, but you really enjoy elbows.  You call William “Michael”.  Your vocabulary is starting to take off.  After four months of speech therapy I am now convinced that you were just waiting for your time to talk.  Some of your memorable phrases these days:  “No, wait!”, “I said no!”, “Please, Mama!  Please!”  “I’m sorry, Daddy.”  You can name every single character in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Toy Story and Cars.  You love to pray with us at dinner.  You now know how to cross yourself and hold our hands all while being quiet.  Your favorite color is purple, but you can also identify red, blue, green, orange and yellow.  You can count to ten, although right now we are really working on the fact that you skip seven and go from six to eight!  You wear a size 4T and a size 9 1/2 in shoes.  Yes, you are still huge.  You giggle with delight when you wrestle with Daddy.  You run so fast, we all have a hard time keeping up with you.  Not a big fan of playing with balls, but balloons are another story.  We tried potty training in the fall, but it wasn’t your time.  I’m thinking in the new year we are going to tackle that goal.  You are one amazing jumper.  Now you jump from the couch to the cushions you have strategically laid about the floor not to hurt yourself upon landing.  You are still an amazing sleeper.  I secretly love when you wake up at 6:00 am and snuggle in bed with me until 6:30.  You are a wonderful cuddler.  You love orange juice, Gatorade and chocolate milk (a special treat around here).  You throw things when you are upset.  Not one of your best traits, and it’s a work in progress.  You don’t cry often, but when you do you are very loud.  You love Matchbox cars and have started laying on your stomach to play with them.  I love watching you do this.  You are starting to take a liking to your brother.  You are aware that he needs one of whatever you have and are a wonderful sharer.  When you are hurt you hate to be touched, so we all leave you alone and you quickly stop crying.  You prefer to go down stairs backwards and sometimes head first.  Gives me a heart attach every time.  You can drink from a cup and use utensils perfectly.  I love watching you eat a bowl of cereal.  You have become a huge fan of school- basically jumping out of the car when your teacher opens the door and you always run to me when I pick you up.  I remind you every single day I drop you off to be a good listener.  You hate to have me pour water over your head in the bath.  You love to brush your teeth and are getting that whole spit instead of swallow thing down.  You love to blow out candles.  You eat the middle out of Oreos and give the cookies to William.  Your smile is contagious.  You still take Blank and George with you everywhere you go.  I love that.  You are no longer a toddler to me, but a little boy who is simply growing up too quickly.   I can’t believe you are going to be THREE in six months.  

I love you, Monkey.  
Mommy



Tree Hunting

*Tree Hunting*

It happens to be one of my favorite days of each year, the day we find that particular year’s Christmas tree.  Boompa joined us this year to help haul our find to the top of Den’s car since I had two rugrats to watch at the tree farm this year.  Michael loves tree hunting.  He gets out there and examines each tree he comes across by smelling it- really, it’s adorable.  William was not such a fan of it this year.  Maybe next year the two of them will run around together and pick the tree instead of Dennis and I disagreeing about which one we’ll be taking home.  I like for there to be snow on the ground for tree hunting, but for whatever reason here we are almost mid-December and still no know.  Just a dusting two days ago.  Ugh, bummer.  The boys love the snow.  Time to hunt...
This year was an easy one.  In fact Dennis and Boompa picked it out before I even parked the car.  There she was, two rows deep in an area abandoned by other hunters because they were too busy googling over the new section of the farm that had just opened.  With a couple swipes of the saw she was down and our her way to our house.  Our best tree yet!  

Sebastian Winks

Elothe Shelf
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Day 11: The Bears lost to Denver (and Tebow).  Enough said.



Friday, December 2, 2011

Sebastian Winks


Elf on the Shelf
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Day 2: Drag racing with the Fisher Price Lil' People.  Checkered flag and all.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Sebastian Winks

Elf on the Shelf
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Day 1: Atop a pile of children's books, Sebastian was playing Christmas carols for us on Daddy's keyboard.