Thomas and Spring cont'd

Happy girl

Ducks in the backyard...first fox, racoon, mouse, ducks....are we in the country?

Nate at the train museum

Front yard. The marigolds I planted. The rest is au natural

Happy Ellie in the backyard

A true Evans moment....can't get all three to cooperate

Thomas the Train!

Spring, Activities, Thomas the Train

At the train museum

Ellie "watching" nate at T-ball

Up at bat

Ellile exploring grass. She is not a fan.

Nathan off to soccer!

Well, spring is finally here. Hahaha. Try 90 degrees.

The good news about it being spring and Nathan being 3 is that he can finally do activities!! I think I am more excited than he is....BUT when you are 3 you can do t-ball, soccer, swimming, lacrosse, gymnastics,...there are almost too many to choose from. So we signed Nathan up for t-ball, soccer, swimming, and music class which started last week. Soccer was awesome. The kids are constantly in motion which is perfect for Nathan. Swimming was cancelled due to weather (it is an indoor pool but apparently that doesn't matter when it is raining. They cancelled class because of thunderstorms. We had to console Nathan with sushi he was so upset). Music class is Music Together, like we did in Jersey City, and something Nathan and Ellie and I can do so it was great.

T-ball, not so good. We apparently were not prepared and were supposed to have a glove for our kid which we didn't so that set Nathan up for a fit because most of the other kids had gloves and he didn't. Actually Nathan had a glove but it belonged to another kid so the kid's dad came and yanked it off his hand which was what set him off. The other bad news is that all the rest of his class is 5 years old so he is a little young for this class. The coach is great but is gearing his instruction toward 5 year olds, not a just turned 3 year old. Plus Nathan has no concept of why he has to stand around to get ready to "field" a ball and would rather hit the ball. So we (me) are contemplating cancelling out of that class and waiting until next session....

This past weekend we went to Baltimore B&O museum to see Thomas the Train! It was really fun. Actually the museum would be fun even without Thomas the Train. So cool to see all the trains. Also cool to think that my grandpa actually used to drive one for a living. They are so big close up! We took a VERY S L O W train ride with Thomas pulling, jumped in a moonbounce (did I say we? I meant Nathan), had lunch, and toured the trains. Fun fun. Then a "quick" trip to Ikea on the way home. NOT. Who can resist the hour of free childcare for Nathan at Ikea? I mean, I would drive out there just for an ice cream cone. Just kidding. Nathan loves playing in the playroom and scott and I always find things there that we "need." It is becoming like Target for me. Very addictive. But fun.

Then more yard work wrapped up the weekend. We planted tomatoes which I can't wait for, flowers, and Scott did more transplanting. If it weren't for a dreadful attack of allergies I would be out more right now but I just can't breathe. Hopefully it will pass soon as the yard is getting more gorgeous by the day and we really like enjoying it. Grilling, sitting outside, and listening to our stream rush by with our two kids is one of the most beautiful experiences. Last night we had our first power outage which apparently happens often but it was fun to just hang out with Nathan and not have tv or computers or dishes or other distractions. Makes you think that we have gotten too far away from the simple things in life.

YAY. So all caught up now and feeling good. Off to do more housework and hope that I can keep up the blog!

Easter

After a great birthday weekend, we had GG and Pop Pop come to visit (the Tuesday before Easter). They drove all the way from Orlando to bring Scott some of his childhood stuff. I will pause as some of you can anticipate my panic at having more "stuff." This house is almost full of stuff already (how did we ever live in an 1100 square foot apartment?) so I have heart palpitations at the idea of any more. The good news is that most of it was trains passed down in the Evans family and set up as a Christmas tradition so I am super excited for that, since this will be our first Christmas in our own home.

GG and Pop Pop (especially tireless GG) helped a lot in the yard and around the house again. My husband is obsessed with yardwork and is out there daily with new projects and ideas and plans. It is funny and neat at the same time. He is really turning our yard into a work of art. I know that the owner of our house really appreciates it. Bad news is he'll probably get burnt out by the time we buy our own house and have no desire to do any more yard work. Oh well. We really do have the most amazing backyard and the house is our home however long we stay here so we are going to make it beautiful and special for us and the kids to enjoy. Scott put his mom to work pulling weeds, mulching, and transplanting lilies, while Lee dredged the stream. While they were here we had beautiful, chilly weather and the flowers were just starting to bloom. Since it was cherry blossom time, they went and saw the blossoms (there's always next year), took Nathan to an easter egg hunt, and then we all celebrated Easter Sunday with brunch at Scott's club in DC. It was great, especially because both the kids were very well behaved. Another fun time with GG and Pop Pop.

The rest of April has been filled with illness as we are becoming frequent visitors at the doctor's office here. Ellie has had thrush and a couple of colds and Nathan has had an ear infection and colds too. Can't seem to get everyone well as they just seem to pass it back and forth to each other. That's where their sibling love has gone bad...

Hopefully now that warmer weather is here, kids will get well. Today was 90 degrees which is amazing considering it was in the 50's last week. Craziness.

Other than the colds, Ellie is doing well. She has been sitting up for the past couple of weeks all by herself, rode in a shopping cart for the first time sitting up which she loved, and we have been gradually introducing new finger foods (tofu and avocado today) for her to try. She has an amazing pincer grasp and as I said before an insatiable appetite. Unlike Nathan she does not have an inner sensor that says when to stop eating which could mean trouble in the future. She seems to always have an eye on what anyone around her is eating and on her next meal. Hmm actually that sounds familiar. Maybe she is adopting her mommy's "food mood" quirk. She is not moving much otherwise though I think she can do it. She does an army crawl when she really wants something but otherwise prefers to sit up or stand (when we hold her). As with Nathan, her favorite activity is the jumpy which hangs in the kitchen doorway. She is WAY too big for it now but we just can't stop putting her in it because she loves it so much. Also like Nathan she loves being outside. The similarities and differences between the two kids is just so amazing to watch. Between the gender and birth order differences, combined with natural genetic differences, it is fascinating.

Nathan's 3rd Birthday

Nathan with the babies

The ladies - me, Ellie, Virginia, Olivia

Nate and Evelyn

The moonbounce

Nathan jumping in the moonbounce

Ok, so here we are in April...it's not over yet so I still have time to post about Nathan's birthday without feeling dreadfully behind.

Nathan's actual birthday was on a Wednesday so we spent a little family time going to sushi (his favorite) for lunch and giving him a new bicycle to ride in the afternoon. Then we had cake and presents (throughout the day actually). Balloons too. Nathan loved opening presents and kept saying "more presents" even after we were done. He got some good ones...we had asked for outdoor items so that we could enjoy our new yard and we got some great garden tools, picnic table, Big Wheel, wheelbarrow, etc. Very exciting.

For Nate's birthday weekend, Virginia, Patrick, Evelyn, and Olivia drove down for a visit which was just awesome. Nate and Evelyn resumed their friendship just where they left off and were so excited to see each other. They also played nicely (almost) all weekend which was really great for the adults. On Saturday we had a party for Nathan in our backyard, renting a "moonbounce" with a slide for entertainment and having hot dogs, hamburgers, cake, and beer for refreshments. Beer was for the adults. Scott and Nathan had made the rounds of the neighborhood inviting anyone they met so I struggled to follow their verbal invitation up with a written one (boys just don't know how it works in the world of etiquette and that no mommy is going to allow her kid to just go over to someone's house on a verbal invite...). So I had absolutely no idea how many people were going to show up, especially because Scott didn't remember where some of the people he invited even lived so I couldn't give them an invitation. It culminated in a panic around 11:35 when no one was at our house for the party! Nathan could have cared less at that point, as his moonbounce arrived early and Evelyn was there so he was happy as a clam. He had been running around with Evelyn all morning and didn't eat..so I should have seen the recipe for disaster coming. The day was gorgeous and sunny though a little windy and we ended up with probably 15 kids and 20 or so adults. It was really a great time. Nathan came out of the moonbounce only to blow out the candles on his cake and then went right back in....Around 1:00 he told me he went poo poo in the potty and I discovered he was having diarrea. In my head I thought "uh oh. there goes potty training." BUT diarrea really put him to the test and Nathan responded. He went to the potty every time. ALL DAY LONG while his stomach was upset and then kept going outside to run and jump. I finally had to kidnap him and take him to his room to force him to lie down and drink some water. At this point he had a fever too so he was a mess. I think the combination of no food except cake and juice, crazy activity and excitement, and no nap really made him a mess. He had a great time though and the next day recovered just fine. My favorite part was having our friends in town. We miss them.

OH I would be remiss if I didn't mention the drama at the party which was the moonbounce blowing over!! How could I forget? Thank goodness most of the kids were out but it scared Evelyn a bit. The other kids thought it was a fun ride, Nathan included. A gust of wind just got right under the moonbounce and blew it over. Crazy.

Here are some photos from Nathan's birthday weekend.

Almost There!

I am almost caught up but my hands are getting tired. Forgot to mention the most awesome of things, which is that NATHAN IS POTTY TRAINED! YAY YAY YAY YAY. We had made a lot of progress in JC before we left and then had a setback with all the transition so we started up again and were struggling to find the correct approach that would work for Nathan...Knowing how smart he is, Scott and I just got so frustrated that he would go in his diaper when he knew how to go in the potty. So out came the potty training books and internet researching and I was in the middle of about three of them when I discovered that all recommended that the child have their own potty. So off Nate and I went to Target where he picked his own potty (Fisher Price "singing" potty) and he got to pick where he would put it (basement where interestingly enough he was going to poop anyway) and we were off! We had some success with peeing and hit or miss (haha) with pooping and then he started to go more consistently. We did toys for every time he pooped which he quickly caught on to, but it just wasn't consistent enough to make us hopeful that it would ever end! What helped was Nathan going to speech therapy every week at preschool, asking to go to school, and me reinforcing that he can't go to school until he didn't wear diapers anymore...that, in conjunction with his birthday coming up and "three year old big boys don't wear diapers" seemed to be the magic pill that worked and literally the week of his birthday he only wanted to wear big boy underwear. It is still amazing to me. We have not conquered nighttime yet, but we have had a few mornings with dry diapers so I am hopeful that it will be soon. Our son is so amazing and everyone is so right about "when they are ready, they're ready." Saved me some reading.

Will post later about his birthday.... Mommy and Nathan at sushi lunch for his birthday

His potty corner with the sticker chart that didn't get used because he was 99% trained at that point

Birthday!

Daddy, Nate, and Ellie in bed. So cute!

Big Brother Nathan and Baby Ellie. Oh we are so blessed.

March cont'd

The second snowstorm...Nathan looking at our sled tracks down the driveway. I haven't laughed that hard or had that much fun since I was a kid...I think I enjoyed sledding more than he did!

Happy kid in the snow (totally unprepared...no snow pants or boots or anything...)

Ellie sits in the booster seat for the first time!

Playing in the snow

Front yard/street

March 2009

Happy girl in her jumperoo....since we had the space, I got a used one and she loves it

Visiting Will Nelson in Baltimore (so nice to be close!)

Nathan still loves his sister. Thank goodness.

ELLIE!

Showing off her cute booties and sweater from Jane Hoyt.

More pictures - February 2009

Ellie takes control. This is her first experience with "real" food...oatmeal. February 2009

This is what happened when I paused to give my cramped hand a break

"Where's the food?"

Will Nelson comes to visit!

Alex and Will

More Pictures - January 2009

Our first (of two) snowstorms...unbelievable. I moved South to escape the cold, not to have more cold. It is still not warm by the way. Mid-April and we have had less than a handful of sunny warm days. What the heck is going on?!

Eating snow

Our "retro" kitchen with blue countertops

New House

Playroom/basement

Family room

Daddy and Nathan at the "new house"

Nathan watching the movers

Moving day....in the new empty house