This is how we do it

This is how we do it.  It's Friday night and I feel alright....la ra ra raaaa.

We have been humming/singing this song since the 4th.  Montell Jordan is catchy even 10 or so years later.

We celebrated a 3rd birthday with cake, candles, water fun and family.  Daddy made me set an alarm clock on the 1st (my friday off) so that we could beat the traffic up north for Riley man's b-day.  Needless to say, the traffic was non-existent at 8:30 and I might have rubbed that in his face a few times but this is how we do it.

We packed up the Tahoe to the brim with a baby bouncer, a bumbo, 2 suitcases, a diaper bag, presents and 5 pillows.  Yep, we are particular about our pillows and body pillows.  Sleep is precious these days and comfort is everything during those precious sleeping hours.

That is how we do it.  

We frollicked in the 'big wake', browsed a few fish houses and finally watched our big boy blow out 3 candles with gusto, have his cake and eat it too and then nap for nearly 2.5 hours in just a pull-up cuz it was really hot in that little trailor.

This is how we do it. 

We slept over at Uncle 'Tevins' cabin and enjoyed a good storm, a wonderful sleeping through the night baby, lots of laughter from the cousins, a midmorning walk through the woods and lots of eating.  We got calls from little boys who were catching all the fish.  We perused the Setzler yard and invaded the dock with buckets of all shapes and sizes that were continuosly filled and dumped with fresh, cool lake water. We (I) go ahead and give persmission to stay one more night cuz we are having fun, baby girl is sleeping awesome, cute cousins ask us to stay and frankly we are a-okay with not showering for one more night.

This is how we do it.

We sneak out Sunday morning before any of the Kevin Theisen family is up careful not to wake them (succussfully, I might add) and run home to thoroughly shower down, get a quick nap in and head to the annual Hutchie 4th of July party.  We play bocce ball, badminton, cards and eat a tremendous amount of food.  We take in my Auntie Judy filling water balloons, setting up sprinklers and handing out water guns for the kids.  We get squirted by sneaky little boys who are rather stealthy for 3 years old as we continue our game of bocce and watch from a distance at all the water fun the kids are having.  Daddy and Lyssa get dropped off at home for baby girls 7:15 bedtime while Riley and I settle into pj's play some more badminton and head off to fireworks at the highschool.  My Dad starts directing traffic as the library parking lot becomes well a parking lot of staggered and badly parked vehicles who are all clammoring in to watch the display of colors in the sky.  We watch on a blanket and Riley ooh's and ahh's and then promptly falls asleep in my lap on the back seat of the convertible with the top down and the night stars shining above us.  It was totally worth a late bedtime and I smiled as I spent special time with my boy and my parents.  We come home to Daddy who is a wreck at 11:15 because he was worried about us and quote "doesn't know how to be alone anymore in a quiet house."  We spend the Monday holiday relaxing, running through sprinklers (the boy begged us to join), lighting sparklers and falling asleep to the endless big booms of neighbors who bought way better fireworks than we.

This is how we do it.  

I survive a tumultuous week of a new EMR computer system and by Friday am thinking that my short 4 day work week might have been the longest week ever experienced.  But there is no rest for the weary and a 3rd fishing b-day party to prepare for so we write a list, go shopping twice in 12 hours and prepare.

This is how we do it.

Saturday mornings are 'casual' dress and we all run around in unders or pj's (just to clarify you can only run around in unders if your under 42 inches).  Most weekend morning our couches are transformed into boats and the boy piles all of his faves into his boat.  All morning Riley begged for "nappy poo" time as he knew full well that after naps were fishing, cake and presents.  Daddy drops off Riley and I at my parent's house so he can nap before party time and I can setup.  He wakes up and is crushed to find out my parent's went to a grad party without him.  In his words "I wove adduation pardies and I willy willy want to go Mommy."  He sheds a few tears at being left out and gets over it quickly as he spots his cake, his Daddy with a bucket full of minnows and his up north Nana.  We watch the all boy party fish for minnows, paint cute fishies, play in the sand and finally eat cake, watch present opening and then leave red in the face from the heat and fun.  We watched Riley obssess over the minnows and sucker minnows, picking them up incessantly and proudly standing over them and finallly joining them in the pool because he just couldn't get close enough.  We take in an old friend sitting on a blanket watching the baby girls smile and babble to eathother.  We look around happy and satisfied that the party was a success and that our boy was ecstatic, celebrated and looking tired.  We finally crash at home put the kids down promptly and sit on our couches waiting to see if Riley will indeed fall asleep in his tent.  An hour later we check and he is "waiting for my Nana."  Nana follows him to bed and we follow her and take a right crawling into bed and immediatley falling alseep.

This is how we do it.

We forget candles so we roll with tea lites...this is how we do it!

We love giving away party favors!

We smile at good friends as we share recent gifts

We celebrate alone time as a family of 4 with sprinkler fun, hand stirred blizzards with oreos, bathtime and finally bedtime.  Both of our kids are sleeping within seconds and we talk about our weekend.  Smiling at the mental memories, smiling at the pictures and smiling as we peek in the occupied rooms to find 2 of the sweetest kids around.  We marvel at how busy life is and we try to remember what the H we did before we had kids.  Relax?  What is that?  We go to bed early and try to fall asleep before the storm hits.  Bummer, we didn't make it and we listen to heavy rain, loud booming thunder and finally nothing as we fell asleep somewhere in between.

This is how we do it. 

I call home twice Monday morning because weekends make me miss my kids something fierce and I ask D the same questions everyday.  "What time did the kids get up?"  "Did they ask about me?"  "Do they want to talk to me?"  Daddy then replies "You are on speaker with Riley and Alyssa, say hi to Mommy guys."  I smile and fight back jumping in the truck to race home and hug them and eventually get back to work and race through my day just to get home to them.

This is how we do it.

and randomly...

we rejoice because vacuuming is so fun with this new pretty purple pal

We gift Daddy with all kinds of goodies inlcuding homemade brownies and all the yummy fixins for blizzards just cuz he's the best.

We squeal (okay just I squealed!) with joy over the cutest frame for our girls' room!

We love on and can't get enough of chubbers and cankles which only she can pull off.

We look back and smile because life is so sweet!
This is how we do it.

Lyssa Lu: 5 Months

5 months is such a fun age!  Alyssa Marie is so animated in her expressions and her laughter is too cute.  She is the sweetest baby and just loves to be around people.  She smiles for strangers, bats her blonde lashes at her Daddy and reaches for me when she wants a snuggle.  She cracks Riley up with her chatter and he laughs so hard when she toots.  I just love having her around.  It's comfortable with two at home now and we love our life with our big boy and sweet girl.

A peek at our Lu:
*She had her first sleepover June 18th and she rocked it sleeping all night til 5:00!
*She started jumping around in the johnny jump up in the middle of June and she loves it!
*She also started rice cereal on the 20th and it is slow going.  She spits most of it out but I think I finally figured out that if you let her teethe on the spoon most of the cereal stays in.
*She goes to bed at 7:15 like a champ and sleeps until 6:00 most days.  We are loving this schedule (knock on wood!)
*She puts her hands on my cheeks when I hold her close and I can feel her love when she does it.  Nearly knocks me off my feet when she stares at me with her pretty blues while I feel her soft hands.
*She is eating 6 ozs every 3-4 hours and we mix up rice cereal 1-2 times a day.
*She just used her last size 1 diaper : (
*She is wearing lots of onesies these days with the heat and most are 3 months but we have started pulling out the 6 month ones.
*She gets us soaked at bathtime with those chubbers kicking up water furiously.
*She loves to grab at everything and nothing is safe in your hands if you are holding her.
*She loves to shop.
*She wants to sit up on her own so bad!
*She is gnawing on everything and loves her teethers!
*Last night she said "dadadadada" but it was just babble, D was pretty excited though.
*She still has sparkly blue eyes (I think maybe she is keeping them? :) and her hair gets lighter everyday.


We are so excited that we get to experience every new and exciting stage with her all over again.  She is just so darn pretty and is literally getting cuter everyday.  We are so lucky.

Three, 3, tres, drei, III...

3 years ago we didn't have a child to hold.  

3 years ago we went to bed dreaming of our boy who still hadn't met yet.

3 years ago I woke up the happiest I have ever been when my water broke in the wee morning hours.

3 years ago the most beautiful boy was born to us and we are celebrating, unbelievably,  his 3 years in this world.

It is absolutely shocking to look back on video of Riley at 2.  The change and growth he has done from 2-3 is incredible.  He was hardly talking when he turned 2, he still wore diapers, he loved for us to do everything for him.  These days he is potty trained and likes to pee standing up "just wike Daddy." He loves the challenge of getting dressed himself and as long as he is leaning on the couch can successfully put unders and shorts on.  He is a big brother and his favorite line is "me do it."  He doesn't have any baby chub left (he didn't really start with much either though) and he never stops talking.  His understanding and comprehension of everything is shocking and his innocent insight into life is breathtaking.  

"You sad Lyssa?  Here watch Wiley wing a bat and it make you happy."  

"Mommy, I make you happy?"  

"Mommy, you and Daddy weal tired?  

I LOVED 2.  I loved everything about it.  He was such a good natured, happy, easily pleased 2 year old.  With 3 tomorrow we are steadily noticing that it might not be such a cake walk.  

He is stubborn.  He needs to do everything himself and if you try to help him with just a pinky finger nudge he has to start all over.  He asks one hundred million questions such as "who he Mommy?" as we drive or "Why is you driving so fast?" as we cruise down the highway.  If you get him dressed in the morning there is no changing his shirt later.  He cries out "no, me like this shirt, me only want to wear this shirt," and of course it's either a sweatshirt with 95 degree heat or a t-shirt and low 50's with a strong breeze.  He gets something in his head and it it like life or death for him.  We always heard 3 was usually the start of the terrible 2's and we are realizing everyday that indeed the rumors were true and that this is going to be a turbulent season.  

Although he tries our patience with outbursts and whining as of late he is still our sweet boy.  He hugs me and tell me how much he misses me when we have our reunion at the end of each workday.  He says "wank you" for everything even when we simply compliment him on his good attitude.  His imagination is endless and he plays so well by himself if we are tied up with his sister.  He is nice to every little child he comes in contact with and patiently waits his turn for toys or swings.  He is outgoing and has a smile on his face 90% of the time (watch out if it's the other 10% though : )  He is incredibly thoughtful and tells me how "pwetty" I am when I have been playing at the park with him, dripping in sweat with 2 days past when I should have shaved my legs.  He often tells us we are the best Mommy/Daddy "evwer" and we don't get tired of that : )  

He is all BOY.  He recently received a party favor 'purse' and as we left he quickly turned it over to me stating "this for girls Mommy, me not want to carry it."  He will be happy for hours if he is in the boat and fishing is just the start of the spectrum for his excitement.  He is getting harder and harder to take pictures of because he either does a fakey smile, or he quickly ducks as my camera clicks.  I sometimes cannot have my shutter speed set high enough because he is to darn fast.  

We love him with everything in us.  We cannot wait to wake up and give our big boy his birthday hugs. Every fiber of me is proud of him and misses him every second that we are apart.  I have shed a few tears at the thought of leaving 2 behind but the future is now and I am slowly accepting of it as I look forward to my preschoolers first day by himself, date nights with just my little man, t-ball and that last hug and "wove you this much Mommy" as we close out everyday.  

We are so thankful for this child.  

Happy 3rd Birthday Big Man!  

These balloons lasted about 3 camera clicks before he let them fly away...I will be re-doing them soon!

Bestest buds and 3rd or so cousins!

Last 2 pictures of the swing courtesy of the lovely and talented Annie Schaber Photography! : )

Father's

I love this picture.  The "3 Dad's" in my life.  

Bob- You are our angel.  You were remembered this Father's Day while we watched our children play, while we ached to hug you and while we sat down to look at your pictures.  It's just not the same without you here and we miss you dearly.  I hope you had a fabulous Father's Day peering down from the clouds  as you watched all of your boys and your grandkids.  

Dad-I have never wanted to disappoint you.  You were/are a softy.  You almost always made it to all of my games and I can imagine most were uber boring especially the fast pitch ones starting out.  I appreciate you so much more now that I watch Riley follow you around the yard and sit on your lap to mow the grass.  He adores you and so do I.  Thank you for being patient and almost always making us laugh.  

Derrick-you are the Father to our children.  In my eyes you are perfection and I hope you know that.  Riley looks up at you with sparkles in his eyes and our little Lu looks just like you as she smiles.  You are the best Daddy and our kids are so very lucky.  We are all so very lucky.  

I hope we show our appreciation and love for you everyday because you deserve nothing less.  

Happy Father's Day to the 3 men in my life that are all extraordinary and exceptional men, Father's.