Thursday, July 30, 2009

A Love Story

My Grandparents will be celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary on Friday July 31 st! They have a great story of how they met 59 years ago! From what I recall, Grandma was engaged to be married to another man. She worked in a record store where one day my Grandpa came in and told her, "You aren't going to marry that guy." She asked, "Why not?" and he said, "Because you're going to marry me!" Apparently he must have been a very persuasive (and handsome) young man because indeed they were married within just a few weeks of meeting! He bought her a cherry coke for 5 cents and off they went to Pocahontas, Arkansas to elope (there were less requirements in that state). What an adventure that must have been! Now 59 years later, they compliment each other so well. I hope they have a wonderful anniversary!
It sounds like love at first sight. How about you? If you are in a long-term relationship, did you know right away you had found "the one" or was it a gradual process of falling in love? I'm curious so please leave me a comment and let me know!
Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa!!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Knee, Work, and Bumbo Fun

Well, with the help of his physical therapist and lots of exercises, his knee is doing pretty well. He still is supposed to wear a special knee brace for a year post-op when working. He was released from Workman's Comp. a few weeks ago, but was immediately laid off. We aren't sure how long he will be laid off but we are hoping that business picks up soon. He was bummed to not go back to work. I was bummed to not have him go back to work! haha However, this is allowing him to try to finish up projects at home (i.e. CHARLOTTE's Nursery!!!), spend more time with the kids, and work on his online Ethics course he is in the midst of completing as part of his Associate's degree/Journeyman Electrician courses. So our weeks seem to be flying by and I really want to put the brakes on! I am starting to get a sick feeling in my stomach when I think about having to go back to work full time after being home for so long! I am blessed to be able to have5 months at home with Luke and my new baby girl, but sometimes I wish I could at least work part time. Maybe someday, huh? The way things are going right now, I am afraid JW will be the Stay at Home Dad and I will be the full time worker (bleh!). When I am working, I can't imagine staying home all the time and when I am home all the time, I can't imagine working. It may take me awhile, but I will find a balance again once school starts. I am also venturing into becoming a part-time supervisor this year. I will still remain at the same schools but also adding a few others. I will supervise a 4 year Bachelor's level speech aide. This means she will be doing the therapy with kids while I complete lesson plans, do all testing, paperwork, conferences, etc. I also hope I can find the right balance in this new position and that it doesn't add too much stress! :) In other less downer news, Nana found a Bumbo seat on sale today! I have wondered whether this would be a useful product since Charlotte gets restless and wants to sit up all the time, but doesn't quite have the trunk support yet! I was surprised that it was hard to get her chunky little thighs through the leg holes! Luke had to sit in it as well and his thighs must be thinner than hers because he just popped right in! Both of them had fun looking at each other and interacting from the Bumbo seat. Charlotte REALLY loves watching her big brother. She is fascinated by Luke. I can't imagine how they will be interacting when they get older. I think it's going to be hilarious!
Other things that are popular in our house this week:
* Luke's "Cars" light up sneakers (Diego shoes have been worn down to the rubber inside)
* Humpty Dumpty (Daddy even knows from memory that it's on page 55 of the Mother Goose book)
* Ronnie crying on Big Brother (I get to pretend to cry & Luke pats my arms and says "There, there, it's okay"
* Grapes
* Attempting to do hand sign (thumb & pinkie out) and say "Hang Ten Dude!" or "Cool Dude!"

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Cooper Ate The Sassy.... ;)


Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Luke has just been using his pacifier at nap and bedtime for quite awhile and that was a surprisingly easy transition for him. We lovingly refer to them as "Sassy's". We have been to slowly convince him he doesn't need it anymore because he's a big boy! Lately, he has been refusing to give up the Sassy and leave it in his bed when it's time to get up in the morning. I finally decided we had enough because we were headed backwards instead of forwards on this getting rid of Sassy task. This morning he still had it in his mouth after he was brought upstairs. I told him that he's a big boy and he doesn't need a Sassy anymore. We talked about ways to get rid of it... here are some suggestions I have been told:
1. Cut the end off. (Most of Luke's had chew marks and open spaces on the sides already so I'm not sure he really sucked on them too much anymore and he didn't mind them being slightly broken)
2. Take it to Build-A-Bear workshop and have them put it inside the stuffed animal you are making. (Cute idea but he doesn't know what Build-A-Bear is and I'm not sure I really want to go there myself! Haha. I can see him throwing a fit in the middle of the store after the bear is all sewed up with the Sassy inside!)
3. Tell child that babies in Heaven need Sassy's and tie a helium balloon to the Sassy and send them up to Heaven. (For one this kind of depresses Mommy and two I could see him chasing after that balloon!!! Funny to be the old fisherman out on the lake who see's balloon floating by with a pacifier attached!)
4. Throw it away. (I think this is what my family did with me as a child. I was easily convinced that I was a big girl and ready to throw it out. Luke doesn't seem too keen on that logic so far!)
5. Have a Sassy funeral. Set a date, dig a hole, and let them say their final goodbyes. (Again, I find this depressing! I can also see Luke attempting to dig it back up anytime he is outside).
6. Make up a fable about the Pacifier Fairy. Have child put Sassy under pillow before bed so the Pacifier Fairy can come in at night and take it away. (I'm pretty sure he would pop it back in his mouth as soon as the door was shut).
So this morning when discussing a few options of what might happen to Sassy. Luke said "Cooper eat it?" and I said, "Yeahhh Cooper knows you are a big boy and you don't need a Sassy anymore." Luke threw the Sassy on the ground behind him and said "I don't need Sassy". I did a "psst" to JW and mouthed for him to grab the Sassy off the floor and hide it. Then I said to Luke, "Whoa did you see that? Cooper just ate the Sassy!!" He looked at me in disbelief and looked at Cooper and said "nooooo!" I just kept telling him Cooper knew he didn't need it so he ate it! Luke soon forgot about it and we went to the grocery store and on the way back home he started saying he needed a Sassy because he was getting tired. I have just been repeating that Cooper ate it. He said, "Cooper poop it out?" and I said "Ewww gross! Even if he did poop it out, I wouldn't want a Sassy that was in doggy poop!" and he agreed that would be "Ewwy". Naptime came and he cried and looked pitiful but I am sticking to my story. He eventually fell asleep and I'm sure he will do fine in a few days. It's hard not to give in... but I know it's time.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Girly Girl



Charlotte seems to be growing, growing, growing this week! She looks and feels bigger and heavier. She now pushes up on her elbows and holds her chest up off the ground so she can watch what is going on around her. She also likes to sit in the jumperoo and dance her little feet on the ground to bounce! She's still sleeping through the night and I will probably jinx myself to say again that the child has only given me 2 rough nights in her entire life! We have been feeling pretty girly around these parts lately. We have made tutu's and I've been out trying to find matching hair bowbands for getting her picture taken next week! Picture People has a great coupon right now for a free portrait package, so this is a great excuse! (E-mail me if you want me to forward you the coupon- I think it's good until July 25th!) I think she looks adorable in her tutu and all her little dresses. There are so many great summer dresses at Wal-Mart for like $3.00! Can't beat that when you are on a budget! I also found cute black metal letters to spell her name out on her wall in her bedroom. The walls are pink so I think the black will look nice against it! She has such a long name and Luke had nice big white wooden letters which cost $5.00 each. So fortunately these were only $1.50 each so I could spell her whole name out! :) Now when Charlotte is on her tummy she constantly kicks her legs and tries to crawl. She scootches around pretty well! She loves to hold on to dolls and stuffed animals when she is sleeping on her side. She also still loves watching Luke whenever he is in close proximity- I suppose his wild antics are pretty entertaining! Her head also swivels around as soon as she hears Daddy say anything. She locks in on him and starts to grin right away! I guess that is what they mean by a Daddy's girl. I can't wait until she is big enough to do dance lessons and other girly stuff. I will be her proud mama watching on! Sorry nothing like 'Toddlers in Tiaras' though- that would be a little extreme! I think we will keep her au naturel! I took this picture today... who do you think she looks like?? A Kompagne or a Rehling??


Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Momfinitions!

Here are my five favorite Momfinitions (Motherhood inspired definitions). This link has tons of great funny ones! http://www.parentsconnect.com/articles/mom-definitions.jhtml





Motherload: (Noun)- As seen pictured above- All the baby junk you have to cram into the diaperbag to be able to go anywhere. May or may not include diapers, wipes, pacifiers, toys, blankies, sippy cups, bottles, hand sanitizer, powder, changing mat, extra clothes, wetbags, snacks, bandaids, crunched up cheerios and countless crumbs at bottom of the bag are a constant feature. Forget anything crucial-(i.e. extra change of clothes for baby or Toddler's juice cup) and your heart may skip a beat. "I'll be ready in a second, I don't want to forget the motherload!"


Twurse: (Verb)- Tweeting your thoughts while nursing on Twitter. Much easier done if you can tweet from phone or laptop and not the desktop like I have to do. "Baby is having a growth spurt, I've been twursing for the last hour"


Twump: (Verb)- Similarly, filling the often boring minutes when you must pump by tweeting on Twitter. "I hate pumping, twumping makes it a little more entertaining."


Death Spiral: (Verb)- When holding Toddler in the store and he chooses to spin wildly in your arms like an alligator in the attempt to be released from your arms so he can run away. "Watch out, he's going into the death spiral!"


All-Night-TV-A-Thon: (Noun)- Those first few weeks with a newborn when you are resigned to the fact that you will be up all night and the only way to stay awake is by watching re-runs of House Hunters, Info-mercials, and my favorite early news program World News Now. I'm sure many a steam mop has been sold to new mother's while they wait patiently for baby to eat and go back to sleep. "I THINK I may have purchased the Debbie Meyer greenbags during my all-night-tv-a-thon, but I can't remember if that was real or not."







Got your own funny Momfinitions? Comment and leave me your own hilarious creations!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Already 4 months!


Charl0tte had a doctor's appointment today for her 4 month check-up! She did not appreciate the doctor putting her on the crinkly paper and checking her out--and she let him know that she didn't appreciate it! She weighed 15 pounds 8 ounces (90th percentile) and was 25 inches long (77th percentile).. her head was 94th percentile! Sister has got a big head I guess! :) He said she probably is just making a growth spurt here. In comparison Luke at 4 months was 16 pounds 6 ounces and 25/5 inches so pretty similar! The doctor agreed that we are very lucky that she has been sleeping through the night consistently now since about 8 or 9 weeks of age. We all went to the doctor together so Luke got to witness the shots... I think that was the only time he was actually quiet and he did look a little concerned for her! She had to get 3 shots so that's always hard to hear her cry and then cry harder with the next poke. She did however, calm down faster than the 2 month shots and fell asleep before we left the building. So far they haven't bothered her! (haha Luke just came over and yelled "Elizabeth!!"- as if calling me from another room...took me a little bit to figure out what he was saying... then he said Kompagne but sounds like "ko-pa-ness") Luke also was "dancing" in his car seat on the way to the doctor's office and said "Mommy I dancing!" then he goes "Mommy I Michael Jackson!" LOL He saw a lot of news coverage when he had passed away and the old Thriller video was fascinating to him!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Just a Little Holiday Trauma


I have always looked forward to the 4th of July. It's a tie between Christmas and the 4th for my favorite holiday. We used to sit on my grandpa's sailboat overlooking the lake where the big fireworks display occurs. I could sit on my own on top of the boat or by myself at the end of the pier and enjoy the cool summer night and some silence amongst the booms. Watching the fireworks in the dark always made me reflect on where I was in life, often what I had and didn't have and still wanted. Honestly, I remember wishing on every blown out birthday candle, shooting star, and sky lit up with fireworks that I would someday meet my soulmate. When JW was here visiting and we got to watch the fireworks together, it was so nice to share our American holiday with him and I wondered to myself, "Wow, did God really grant me my wish? Does that really happen?" haha Now we are married for 8 years and unfortunately we take a lot for granted! I need to conjure up great memories like those so that I don't get lost in the shuffle of taking care of two little kids and one annoying dog! Last year we sat out in our backyard around a fire while listening to the hum of the baby monitor mixed with distant fireworks that we couldn't see. It was really lovely just to be together and chat even if we couldn't see a display! This year we stayed at my mom's house so we could watch the fireworks from their backyard. We thought Luke would enjoy it! Ummmm not so much. The neighbors were shooting small fireworks off in the evening and he was a little worried and scared of it. A couple of teenagers were throwing poppers at each other (smart neighbors, huh?). He kept an eye on them and wanted to go inside or have his ears covered sometimes. A little later on, Luke decided he wanted to go outside and swim with Colin and Karlson. He was in the water when the neighbor threw a big one. He started flailing and kicking and crying in the water trying to get back to where I was standing. I was reassuring him that he was okay....mind you he is still screaming in terror... and was reaching to help pull him in and then the neighbor threw an even BIGGER firework into the water. I was so mad but all I could do is scoop up the traumatized toddler and try to run him inside as quick as possible. He was soooo scared. We tried going out again later for the large display because I was going to cover his ears and they are far away... but nope he saw a few and FREAKED OUT again. :( Luckily for me, Daddy took him inside and held him on the couch and reassured him). He was fine as long as he was inside. I got to watch the display but it wasn't as fun without JW and Luke enjoying it as well. The local radio station pairs music to the show and it always brings a tear to my eye to hear "What a Wonderful World" with the fireworks and of course, "Proud to be an American". So this year, I did reflect on life again but in between times I ran in the house to make sure Charlotte was still asleep and that Luke was still happily sitting with Daddy on the couch. I guess that's the life of a Mom, but I am lucky to experience that as well! Maybe I would have never had any of this, had I not been wishing on those candles, stars, and fireworks in the past.





These pictures were from a very nice cookout at Aunt Amy's house on Friday. The boys wore their matching fireworks shirts we *ahem* they made out of pasta noodle patterns and sparkly paint! Colin and Luke looked like little twins in their matching shirts. Charlotte also had a matching onesie, but had to do an outfit change so she could wear a cute patriotic summer dress as well!

As for Luke, we had three nights where fireworks were still being blasted around bedtime and I had to lay in his bed with him until he fell asleep. Hopefully, karma for traumatizing a toddler with fireworks is a real B*&^%!

 

Keeping up with the Kompagnes Copyright © 2009 • Designed by GrudgeMom