Thanksgiving 2013

 Me and my babies:) I can call them babies until they are at least five right?  These are two of the things we are most thankful for today, this Thanksgiving, and every day.  Happy Thanksgiving and hope you are able to count your blessings on this day:)

Last Moments of Fall 2013

 Kieran sat still for 2.2 seconds and I was able to snap this quick photo.  It's been awhile since I've gotten a picture of the two of them.

We put Kieran down for a nap on Friday and Svea came outside with us while we finished the last of the leaves.

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She got super goofy and silly and was a big helper.

She would bring her own big handfuls of leaves to put into our garbage bin.

So happy to be doing something fun!

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Kieran, aka "the monkey" crawls and climbs into all kinds of conspicuous places.  Here he is snuggled in the corner where he plopped down to read some books. 

 Smiley man!

 He knew I was taking pictures of him here and he kept making this cheesy face for the camera and then would come over to see what it looked like.  I wonder where he got that from...big sister:)

Kieran is starting to get into cartoons.  Before he'd always ignore it if it was on for Svea, but here he is before church this morning while I was trying to finish getting ready.  Having a 1 year old in the bathroom playing around the toilet is not what I like to have going on while I'm getting ready.  Anyway, someone is super relaxed and digging "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood".

Dan had to work a lot and was out of town Friday night through Saturday, but we still managed to do a little bit together.  We started putting up Christmas decorations tonight while both kids were up.  We drank hot apple cider, made brownies (they did not turn out/I don't think I even need to mention who messed them up), and listened to Bing Crosby Christmas songs.  It was great.  We only got 1/3 of the way done, but that's ok.  We'll finish slowly.  It'll be a short week and I'm so excited for the long weekend of my birthday, Thanksgiving, cake, and my Mom is coming too!!!

Our Week

I have the best titles don't I?  I am in no way a good blogger, but I like to think that I am an ok at documenting some of the things that go on in our world:)

 I think Kieran looks SO grown up in these next couple of pictures.  I remember when that happened with Svea in pictures.  They seem to grow up over night!  Kieran is starting to assert himself more with his sister.  When she tries to take a toy away from him he now hangs on for dear life and squawks at her in protest. 

 The kids were playing with play dough parts last Friday and Svea wanted to try some silly looks for the camera and then look at them right after.

 We bundled up on Friday afternoon and spent about 45 minutes outside.  Svea practiced on her new bike and did ok.  I think the training wheels might be too high because she kept spinning the back tire.  I had her get on Kieran's bike and she took right off.  It'll be fun to watch her next spring.

 Kieran sat in his car and talked to us:) Dad and he snuggled a bit with a book before bedtime.  He looks so comfortable here.  I love that little smirky smile he makes sometimes.  He has started something new while we read to him.  He brings you a book, he plops in your lap, and then while you read he swings one of his legs (usually his left) and kicks it back and forth in a rhythmic pattern.

 The little dude is also OBSESSED with the iPad.  He goes and gets it off the end table, pulls it down, and well you can clearly see he makes himself comfortable and has at it.  He knows how to push the home button and swipe it to get to the apps.

 Kieran the chef.  It's a girl's french hat, but oh well:) 

 Sorry Dan.....He actually liked wearing it:)

We didn't do much this past weekend.  Dan worked basically the whole time and the kids and I hung out at home playing ballet school, reading books, we broke out the mini tent again, or making turkeys for Thanksgiving.  Svea's new thing is telling Halloween jokes, which are just things she says that she thinks are funny.  Now that Halloween is over she started telling almost Thanksgiving jokes:)

I started volleyball last Monday night.  I am super excited about it and happy to be back on the court. Dan had an awesome worship tonight and church right now is growing like crazy.  It's really fun to see the increased involvement of the younger people and the potential of meeting more people our age. 

Little Mommy

 "I feed Kieran, Mommy"

He enjoyed his applesauce bedtime snack and the attention as well.  This guy loves his big sister.  She has to beware of him though because if she even remotely lays anywhere near the floor he is on her like glue and wants to wrestle.  

I'll have more posts this weekend. Dan and I have been completely preoccupied and have taken every ounce of extra energy to accomplish one of two things.  Dan took care of the kids while I tried not to lose my lunch:)  I am so thankful that Dad was able to take over and take care of me.  It was one of those sicknesses where you just have to lie there, feeling like you may be dying, and beg and allow someone to take care of you.  Thank you Dan for taking care of me and our kids all by yourself when I was sick.  Now we wait and PRAY no one else in our family gets it.

Dr. Appointments

Svea and Kieran each had their check-ups last Friday. They each checked out very healthy and are growing well. I would have posted this sooner, but blogger was acting up the night I was going to do it and then I got sick. So here we go.

 Kieran at 15 months is still not 20lbs yet!  He weighed 19 lbs. 6 oz, which is still smaller than his sister was.  He was 30 inches long.  He is in the 8th % for weight and 12% for height.

 Svea is 35 and 3/4 inches tall and 30 lbs. right on the nose.  She was 42% for weight and 21% for height.

 Kieran had three shots and Svea had a the flu mist.  It was an adventure.  Svea had a hearing  and vision test.  She thankfully passed her hearing test, but we had to abort the vision test because she kept calling the shapes different things.  We'll try again later:)  Kieran crawled all over the office in his diaper.  Up and down and around the stroller and played with the drs. chair. 

 That's about it.  They are much easier to take places alone now that they are older and you have at least one stroller:)

Fall Review

I feel like this was the fastest fall of my existence...it flew by SO fast! I thought I'd share some of the cute and fun things the kids are doing right now and recap some of the fun things we were able to share together!

Svea is in this stage where she says things or asks things of us and then says, "ok, okay?"  She says this in a way like she is trying to convince us with a big smile on her face.

Kieran is in love with Svea's new dollhouse that she got for her birthday.  We are constantly putting up the smallest pieces so he doesn't eat them and he loves to play with the furniture. He loves to rock on the little horse we have, tackle us, and give hugs.  The best part of the day is how much his face lights up when you get home or pick him up from daycare.  It is simply the best gift ever:)

The two kids are getting to the point where they are interacting with each other all of the time.  Play, eating, baths, and getting on each others nerves. Most of the time in love, but often in frustration with each other.  Here they are playing on the ipad with Dad.  I think they were working on the new app that Dan downloaded, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.  Svea could make her own avatar and carve pumpkins.  She loved it and spent a lot of time playing.

Little ballerina.  She loves having her shoes on and I believe right now she is sleeping in them. Gaga gave her the little outfit and she wears it until she gets food on it and then she changes.

Fix those legwarmers!

Hello Batman!

We had a busy fall.  If I had to guess I'd say the highlight for Dan and I was going to Wicked one weekend, Football Starting, Svea's 3rd birthday weekend, and Halloween candy.  You can figure out which one is most exciting for which parent:)

Happy Halloween 2013

 Halloween 2013....we tend to measure years by Halloween at our house.  Svea was born four days before Halloween so it's always an easy time to remember.  This was her fourth Halloween, which is weird to think about since she's only three.  She was going to be a bumblebee and we had the wings and outfit ready to go, but at the last minute she changed her mind to a fairy.  It was a a big to do costume, but she liked it:)

 Kieran went as Superman!  Batman last year and now Superman.  You can tell who his Dad is right?

 It was a cold and drizzly night here and Kieran was super crabby.  I finally found out the reason per crabbiness in his mouth the other day when I was holding him upside down to make him laugh.  Two molars coming in at the same time.  Ouch!

 Svea got the fairy costume from someone at church.  One day she was a fairy ballerina dancing around the living room.  By the way, Mom....she wants to wear her ballerina outfit every day and she does....until she gets some type of food on it and then it comes off.  Svea does NOT like water, food, or any type of mess on her clothes.  They must immediately come off. Trust us, we've tried to teach her to shake it off and let it go.

 Here's Superman!  He's ready to go now, but it was hard to get a picture of him.  He kept chasing after me.....pick me up...I crabby Mom!!!!

 First time going door to door trick-or-treating!  (Last year she was sick and we couldn't go anywhere, but over to Larry and Darcy's house.

 After we came back the kids and I (Dan got a church call) handed out candy at the door.  KLieran would just stare and smile at the people while Svea helped me put candy in their bags.  The last group of treaters Svea grabbed some candy up off the floor that had fallen out of the bucket and gave it to two Duck Dysnasty boys.  After they left I realized I couldn't find Kieran's paci.  It had been right on the floor....uh, oh!  Yep, she gave it to them.  They had gone over to the neighbors across the street so when they left that house I called out to them and they came right back and sure enough it was there.  Imagine their surprise if they would have made it all of the way home! 

Yeah! There it is...we got it back!  It was a success this year, but a few people informed us of how you can take your kids to the mall up in St. Cloud.  I think we might do that next year.  Indoors for the wee ones sounds good to me!  Plus, there will be more little ones and not so scary costumes. I thought Svea was gonna be scared from a few masks, but she did ok.

Happy Halloween everyone!  The new thing we learned this year is the greatness of knocking on people's doors and receiving candy!  Now every time it gets dark outside Svea asks if it's Halloween again!