Lots of Changes & Some Updates

It seems 2013 has brought lots of changes...

Alex: 
1. Finally put the booster seat away and he sits like a big kid at the dinner table.  I realize he hasn't needed the "booster" for quite sometime, but I kept it so he would sit still!!!!

2. He has been showering by himself for quite some time, but it still makes me stop and think...gee he doesn't need my help!  Have to say it is nice to only have to really worry about one for the most part.  Bath time is not my favorite time of the day--never has been.

3. Starting to get into music.  Asks for me to turn up the radio when it plays.  Fun to see him rock out!

4. Told me I could give his little blanket away to another little boy...said "he was big enough and didn't really need it anymore and some other little guy might like it".  While the sentiment is wonderful, I told him we weren't getting rid of his personalized baby blanket!  Yes...I left it in his bed!

5. Although he doesn't fight us to take them, and still goes to bed pretty well when he does take them--I have started to let him decide if he feels like a nap (that is unless he has been a "bear" up to that point--then he doesn't have an option).  I figure he is five.  He doesn't HAVE to have one, but sometimes I think he is the type to still "need" one (otherwise the kids can get some serious dark circles!).  He knows that if he doesn't take one--there is NO whining later on in the day.

6. The kids eats like a grown up.  98% of the time he packs away the whole meal and doesn't complain.  Especially nice now when we go to restaurants--it isn't such a battle (which frees us up to battle with his younger sister instead)!

Brecke:
1. The biggest news: No longer sleeping in a crib.  Finally, at 33 months of age she moved up to a big girl bed!  She loved her crib, but we started to see a leg fling over the top sometimes and just knew it was a matter of time.  The furniture came this past Tuesday (15th) and with the exception of the first night (TONS of tossing and turning and not a lot of shut eye), she has done great!  As I type this, I am trying to get her down for her first nap in the big bed, and that is NOT going so well! UPDATE: It didn't go at all.  Period.  It is going to be an interesting rest of the day.
----Alex LOVES that sister has a big bed too!  They play a lot upstairs now and he loves to go get her in the morning when her clock turns yellow!

2. Thinking about the potty training (at least Mom is--she is probably only when I bring it up!)!  Since I know she knows what she is doing...cuz she comes and tells me as she is DOING it...I keep saying it is time to use the big girl potty.  This is our consistent conversation:
Me: "time to use the big girl potty"
B:"nope, because you and Susan (daycare lady) will change my diaper".
Me: "no we won't"
B: "yes, you will"
Me: "the diapers are almost gone and there aren't anymore"
B: "yes there are--at the store"
Me: "nope-they are all sold out"
B: "No they aren't!"
Me: "yes they are"
B: "then go to a different store"
At this point...I start to laugh.

I told her that big girl panties have princesses on them.  She seemed interested and got excited.  I went to workout today and when I got home she asked if I bought her princess panties!?  :)  Guess I might have to buy her some!

3. Got about 2.5 inches cut off her hair.  Trying to even it out and have it grow in better.  I think it is a cute look for her and she was pretty proud too.

No More Crib

Brecke is so excited for her big girl bed and it came today!!  She was even home in time to see the big truck deliver it!!

In preparation for a new look, big brother helped me paint the bottom half of Brecke's walls to a slightly darker shade of green.  He is a good little painter and would have like to do the whole thing all by himself if I would have trusted that the carpet and everything else wouldn't have also been painted!!

The new furniture is all set up, but where is that big truck going!?

Checking out the dresser 

Her first crawl up!  She was just so excited! She kept saying "my big girl bed, my big girl bed!"

She grabbed a book and settled right in 

Even let brother come up and read with her

One of the few times it will look this perfect! ;)

I would be lying if I didn't say it wasn't tough to take the nursery apart.  It was.  I tried not to think too hard about it as you never know what is in store.  Lots of wonderful memories of rocking and bouncing adorable babies in there!  I will say, I had TONS of stuffed stored in her closet.  Who would have ever known!?  Baby things really accumulate!

Some More Celebrating!

Alex got to take treats to his preschool class today!  What did he choose???  FUDGSICLES!   Yum!  As you can imagine they went over really well! He got to be snack helper and everyone sang to him--he loved it!

Here is a picture of him with his hat and certificate...

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Yes, we celebrate here in the Barnard household for two weeks straight it seems!  Wow!  I have to admit that by Matt's birthday I am a bit burnt out by the holidays, taking down decorations, and trying to make Alex's b-day special.  But it is important to me that we don't just slide by Matt's special day--even though he says never to do anything special.

So...today is his big day!  It started with getting sung to at 6:30AM by his wife and kids!  I am sure he probably would have preferred to sleep in until 9AM peacefully, but instead he got us!  Aunt Pat and Grandma Lyn stayed overnight and we all went to church. The flowers on the alter were in honor of Alex and Matt's birthdays.  They were very pretty and now I get to enjoy them at home this week!  We ate a lunch of leftovers ;) and celebrated with another serenade and more cake and ice cream--and of course--a couple presents!

His mini Wyffels cake.

Singing...again.  

Getting some "help" with the tape!

I just love this one because they look like they are having a
great time talking about whatever they are talking about!

Matt played with his smoker again this afternoon and smoked us some ribs for supper.  They were pretty good!  I think I am going to enjoy the smoker too! ;)

Matt was born at 8:06 AM thirty-four years ago on an extremely (-17 degree) day!  We are grateful he was!

Party Time!

Alex had a small party on Saturday complete with balloons, a great cake, presents, family and some little buddies from school!  It was a fun night and he had a blast!

The cake:

Sister wanted in on the picture!

Friends & Family:  Alex got to have a couple of buddies from preschool come for his party.  Logan Ward and Jaxson Wright came to celebrate with us!

Doing some serious playing

Logan was a superhero!

It was a fun group!

Baby Laney celebrated too!

Presents: 

The dragon was a hit!

Brecke and the boys getting ready for the hard work of eating cake and ice cream!
Good thing everyone had a hardhat!

The boys (Logan, Alex, Cousin Brody, and Jaxson)

Listening to everyone sing.

Had to get a picture of the slipper Grandma Lyn gave to the kids!

The party was a great success!  As a reminder to me for future years...when thinking about planning a party--remember two friends is plenty!! ;)

He is a pretty lucky little guy--there are lots of people who really love him!  It was a great celebration!

Those in attendance: Grandma Lyn, Grandpa Ted, Aunt Pat, Uncle Brett, Aunt Lindsey, Brody, Laney, Jack and Susan Kollross, Russ and Carol Johnson, Jaxson Wright, and Logan Ward.

Family Outing

I have been wanting to take Alex to the new CAT Visitor's Center in Peoria since it has opened in October!  I knew both he and Brecke would love crawling on all the equipment and how cool would it be to watch a movie in the bed of a HUGE mining truck that weighs over 14 tons and is 2.5 stories tall!?!

It fit the "construction" theme of this year's birthday too so it made sense to go!  They enjoyed it as much as I thought they would and so did Mom & Dad!

The mining truck's tires were HUGE!

When they found out it was his birthday...he got a free CAT hat!

She had to buckle herself EVERY time she got in a machine!
Guess we have taught her well!

They didn't want to leave...

Happy 5th Birthday, Alex!

Five...wow!  Really just can't believe that!

Anyway, to make sure we don't loose the anticipation of a little guy's birthday in and around the holidays, we have a ten day countdown that Alex rips off each morning when he wakes up!

Today's the BIG day!!

Breakfast was anything he wanted: Cinnamon rolls with sprinkles!!!

He received his first serenade of the day at the breakfast table!

From there, we geared up for some bowling and pizza!  It was a fun morning and the kids loved to bowl!

He's FIVE!

Kendra came to the party and brought balloons!!!
(She was even thoughtful enough to bring Brecke two pink ones! ;) )

Sister was quite the independent little bowler!

The best family picture we could get.  It was a miracle to get THIS!

Taking a break for a pizza party!

Later in the day, we celebrated with a cake and some presents...

Excited about some new tools...

Daddy told him he had to close his eyes and come to the garage...

Checking out his new tool bench that Daddy built 

Organizing his new tools

The day was super fun and all about what Alex wanted to do!  We didn't even watch much football!  I actually had to be reminded it was New Year's Day!  That evening we headed over to Rantoul for some El Toro, but got there only to find out it was closed for the holiday.  Popcorn for supper was his second choice!

Some five year old stats: 

Height: 3 ft. 7.5 inches

Weight: 39 lbs.

Favorite Color: Red

Favorite Toy: Tractors; garbage truck; train track

Favorite Book(s): Big Truck, Little Truck; Curious George; 

Saying: "Really Dude!?"