Wii Had A Problem*

By request only, I am posting a picture of the "Wii accident". Not to worry though, we had a new TV less than 12 hours after "the accident" because we couldn't possibly go one day without a TV in our family room (just for the record, we do have two other TV's in the house, they just aren't HD).



Please enjoy the picture but do not heckle Rob (or I'll never hear the end of it).

By the way, you must now sign a consent form to play our Wii. AND...wrist straps are required, duh!

*For those of you who have not heard the story, here's the short version. I gave the kids and Rob the Wii Christmas morning (they all had been begging for it for over a year and I was sick of hearing it). We had friends over Christmas night for dinner. We were all bowling, we had 2 remotes and 4 players so players were just handing the remote back and forth. Nobody bothered to read the three warnings about wearing the wrist straps. It was Rob's turn and he released the remote just as you would a bowling ball. Wham, smack, the remote flew right through our TV! End of story.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is such a magical time of year. I have always loved the holiday and now that I have three little kids of my own, it just keeps getting better and better each year. I love the excitement that it brings to the house: kids eager to open their chocolate advent calendars (for the chocolate no doubt), eager to find our friend elfie, and eagerly counting the days left until "Santa comes."

Christmas Eve we always spend with Rob's family and it is such a great beginning to the holiday. We had a wonderful time with family, ate lots of good food and exchanged gifts. This year the drive was a bit tricky due to mountains of snow (okay it was a lot tricky, but once we got there and I had a couple of drinks I forgot all about traveling back home). The kids were excited to get home and go to sleep so that Santa would come visit.

The morning came quickly with Ellie encouraging us to get out of bed way too early. The kids waited at the top of the stairs with anticipation to see what Santa had brought them.



Ellie was lucky enough to score a brand new bike, Luke a new red scooter, and Drew was gifted a "huge, huge truck". They were grinning ear to ear.



Since my parents were in Texas with my sister Lindsey and her husband Nate, we were on our own this year for Christmas Day. We hosted breakfast and had my other sister Megan, her husband Jim and their kids Max and Makena over. It was a little crazy with the kids but we had a great breakfast, even better Spanish Coffee's (thanks Jim) and the best company.

We then had our neighbors and good friends, who were also holiday orphans, over for a turkey dinner. It was our first (cooking) and we were proud of how things turned out. We socialized and played Rob's new Wii for hours on end. Our night abruptly came to end however, when Rob threw the Wii remote through our TV! (Yes, he put a significant hole in our TV and No, he was NOT wearing the wrist strap). I had to remember what I was thankful for at that point in the evening (and it was not our TV).

All in all, it was a wonderful Christmas. We made many great memories that will not be forgotten.

Merry Christmas!

Day SEVEN of Arctic Blast

So it's day SEVEN of being held hostage in our own home. I know, I should be very thankful that we have a nice house to keep us warm in this freezing weather but honestly, I'm going a little crazy! This weather has put just a LITTLE damper on our holiday fun. So far, we've had two family holiday parties postponed, breakfast with Santa canceled, no school for a whole week which also meant no fun holiday festivities for the kids including Luke's Small Friends performance (he was thrilled to miss that however). Now that we have over 18 inches of snow and ice at our home, in Portland, Oregon, flights are being canceled left and right. My parents are scheduled to fly out tomorrow mid-morning to see my sister in Texas and they aren't sure that they'll be able to make it out now.

I know I seem to be complaining about all of this beautiful snow and really it has been quite a pain at times. But, being trapped in our house, surrounded by my wonderful family and neighbors, has reminded me to slow down, be thankful for my life and appreciate all the love that we are given and have to give. We have gotten to spend lots...and lots...of time together, reading Christmas books, watching Christmas shows, baking, playing in the snow, laughing and being together and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

I honestly am ready for a break from this weather but Christmas 2008 will be a Christmas to remember. And, how often will we have a truly White Christmas in Oregon? I should savor it!

Our Visit to Santa

With Christmas Day quickly approaching, we needed to give the kids a chance to sit on Santa's lap (okay, it's mostly so I can have the picture). So, we braved the weather, which turned out to only be wet pavement, to go visit "the Real Santa" downtown. With Gigi in tow, we boarded MAX and headed downtown. We met Megan, Max and Makena along the way and went straight to Macy's Santaland. There were very few people even downtown so the line to see Santa was three or four people deep. When it was our turn Luke stepped right up and told Santa what he wanted. He gave him lots of ideas so that he would be surprised on Christmas morning. Legos, train tracks, a scooter and slippers are among the many things that he wants. Ellie was a little more skeptical but she did approach him and told him that she wants a bike. Drew was very nervous, which is actually unlike him. He finally, quietly, told him that he wants a huge, huge truck.



After our visit with Santa we decided that we all needed a trip to Starbucks. On our short walk there, Megan and my Mom were stopped by Mike Donahue from KOIN News. He interviewed the two of them and we actually all ended up on the 5:30 news that night, Megan had a speaking part. I think Ellie had the most "face time" and boy has she loved it. Maybe our quiet little Ellie will be a movie star after all.

The Arctic Blast

When snow comes to Portland, the whole city comes to a halt. There has been talk of a big "Arctic Freeze" coming through for at least the last ten days and yesterday...it arrived.

Sunday morning the kids woke up and were a little disappointed that there was no snow on the ground (okay, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed too). We were beginning our usual lazy Sunday morning when the flakes started to fall. The kids were so eager to get outside we could barely get them to eat breakfast. They spent the majority of the day outside regardless of the below freezing temps and huge gusts of wind. We went sledding with neighbors, threw snowballs at each other and made lots of snow angels. The snow did not stop coming down. By nightfall we ended up with about 6-7 inches of snow on the ground and cancelled school for the following day.


It is supposed to be below freezing all week and now they are saying that we might get another 5 inches of snow Wednesday night. It's fun to be snowed in for a day or so but more than two days at home with three kiddos...not so much fun anymore. I'm getting cabin fever.

My favorite things: November

I'm stealing this great idea from my sis, Lindsey. I am hoping to keep up each month. So, here are my favorite things about November...

Beautiful Oregon Fall Days
Crisp, cool Fall days are one of my favorite times of the year and this November we have been especially lucky as far as weather goes. We've had lots of them. We've been able to be outside (essential with two boys), ride bikes, play in the leaves and enjoy the sun with our warm jackets on. I love it.

No More Diapers
Drew basically potty trained himself so we are officially out of diapers (except for nighttime). Not only is it good on the environment and great for the pocketbook, it's so wonderful not to have to change poopy diapers of a 2 1/2 year old! Drew is funny, he is SO opposite of Luke, he doesn't tell anybody that he has to go potty, he just goes into the bathroom (most of the time locks himself in), lifts up the lid (yes, he stands and is barely tall enough), and goes. If you try to go in and help him he says he wants privacy!

Thanksgiving
We had a wonderful, family-filled Thanksgiving. Rob and I started the day with a 90 minute spinning class which gave us the right to eat whatever we wanted for the day. We spent time with Rob's family which was much enjoyed and then were off to eat turkey with my parents, Megan, Jim, Max and Makena. It was a quieter holiday than usual but was so fun to spend quality time with both of our families. And, we did eat lots of good food too.

Christmas is Upon Us
I love Christmas time. What I love more than the actual day itself is everything that leads up to the day. I get into the holiday spirit the day after Thanksgiving so I am entitled to say it's my favorite part of November (don't worry, it'll show up in December too). Ellie, Luke and I listened to Christmas music and drank hot chocolate while we decorated the house for the season. Rob and the kids then completed the decorating with outside lights.

We Won Civil War
Ducks beat the Beavers, need I say more?

A little catch up

Okay, so I've fallen a little behind on my blogging. My apologizes (if there are any of you who actually read this). I contimplated going back to the end of July and trying to "catch up" but decided against it. I'll try to give a little recap of the Nees family happenings....

August
We spent an awesome week in Black Butte with the entire Wolcott crew. The weather didn't really coorporate with us but we still had a great time and learned to enjoy the rain...wait, did I really say that? We came home to spend our final week of the summer, I can't believe how quickly it went by. Rob and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary (more to come on that).

September
Ellie started second grade! She was very excited to go back and although she didn't think anyone could live up to her teaching expectations after having Miss King, she really loves her new teacher (so do we). She played soccer and even scored a goal (unfortunately Rob and I were not there to see it).

Luke started his second year of preschool going three days a week. He also started soccer class again and is pretty good. He's gained so much confidence over the last six months, it's great to see the change.

Drew is Drew... He started a pre-preschool class and goes one day a week. I thought he would be my child who would be very eager to get out on his own but evidently, he is not. Independent he is, but he's still Mama's boy (which is great with me).

Rob and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary with a kid-less week long vacation to the beautiful island of Kauai. Words can not explain how wonderful it was. I hope we don't have to wait another 10 years to take a repeat trip. And, a huge thanks to my terrific parents who watched our little rascals for the week.

October
The kids enjoyed going to the pumpkin patch, dressing up for Halloween, seeing Aunt Lindsey who came home for a visit.

November
Now here it is, nearing the end of November. We are getting really excited for Turkey Day and the kids are already asking when it's going to be Christmas. This is one of my favorite times of the year and every year it seems to become more enjoyable because of the kids, they always have a way of keeping all the magic of Christmas alive!

Makin' the move

This was a big weekend at the Nees house...Drew made the move into a "big boy bed!" Rob and I had talked about moving him out of his crib for a month or so. I was having a hard time with it (emotionally mostly but also I was dreading the bedtime battles). I kept going back and forth or whether it was the "right time" or not. Then the decision maker came this week, no naps three days in a row, and each nap attempt ended with him climbing out of the crib and escaping out of his room. I think I started to realize that naps might be winding down for big ol' Drew and it was a good time to make the transition.

So Friday night it was. We took down the crib (sniff, sniff) and put him to bed in a big bed. I braced myself for a long night. Five minutes went by with no sign of Drew, then ten minutes, fifteen...after twenty minutes I went up to check on him and he was konked out curled up with his blanky and lamby. He looked adorable and so grown-up. He slept all night and called out to us in the morning. He napped Saturday and Sunday but hasn't napped since then. In some ways I haven't minded him not napping, he is absolutely exhausted by bedtime which makes it much easier to put him to bed. On the other hand, without his naps I have no time to get anything done. I'm hopeful that this "no nap phase" is just temporary...we'll see.

So, it is with great happiness, and great sadness, that I now announce, we are crib-less! Now onto the next challenge of motherhood...tackeling the toilet!

The 4th

We had a great 4th of July. We went to my parent's annual 4th of July Extravaganza which was fun as always. The kids, well really just Luke and Ellie, were so very excited about the fireworks. They went with Rob to pick a bunch of them out and then all day they kept asking when it was going to be firework time. After dinner we went out in the cul-de-sac and went fire-crazy. I was expecting Drew to really like it but after the first one he said "too loud," "fire mad." He tried to be brave, staying out to watch and covering his ears but after a couple minutes he walked toward the house. Nana and Bompa had come to my parents so Drew and Nana watched from inside.

As soon as it got dark we went to the Oak Hills show. It really is an amazing show for a neighborhood to put on. We met our good friends there so the kids had a ball hanging out with their friends Zoe and Hannah. Again, I thought Drew would enjoy these fireworks because they were further away (and I thought not so loud...wrong about that). He was scared so Rob took him home early and put him to bed. All in all it was a great night.

Happy Birthday Eleanor

Eleanor,
Today you are seven years old. How can that be? Each year on your birthday I take time to reflect back on the day that you came into this World. It was such a surprise for us, we weren't expecting you quite yet, but you wanted to give Daddy a Father's Day gift that I'll never be able to top...his precious little girl. That day was one of the best days of our lives and every day since then we have enjoyed you more than you will ever know.

You are such an incredible little girl and I am so proud that you are my daughter. You are so kind and caring and are a wonderful friend to everybody. You have so much love and are the best big sister to Luke and Drew. You are so patient with them and you teach them so many things, they look up to you so much. They are very lucky to have you.

I probably will say this every year, but you have grown so much. Not so much physically anymore but in many other ways. You have become a great reader, you are a math wiz and are so interested in doing well in school (thanks to Miss King). You have gained so much confidence in yourself. Miss King tells us that you are always happy and have a smile on your face, not hard to believe.

I enjoy our time together so much and look forward to our outings. I can't go very many places anymore without you asking to tag along. You are a great shopper, you spend hours looking at things. You ask for everything but when it comes to spending your own money, you rarely will buy anything - like mother like daughter :)

You still love anything that has to do with art and you write all the time. You go up to your room and write in your journal or make little books, complete with illustrations. You are so creative. You have sort of grown out of the princess phase and into the High School Musical phase - I have to admit, this makes me a little sad.

You had a great birthday party - an "almost sleepover." You invited eight of your friends over for crafts, a pinata, a scavenger hunt, pizza, cake and ice cream. Then you all got into your pj's and watched High School Musical. It was very fun, you had a great time but it was a real eye-opener for me - it will be a long time before you have a real sleepover.

Ellie, I love you more than you know. You are the sunshine in my life and I am so proud of you. Now, please don't get any older...

And he's off

I know it's a scary thought but Luke is now riding a two-wheeler. When he got his new bike for his birthday he requested that we take off the training wheels. Both Rob and I told him that if we did that he wouldn't be able to ride it. He insisted that he would be able to and since then he's been asking to ride Ellie's bike (without training wheels). So for about six weeks now, when we have a nice, non-rainy day (not many), Luke and I have been out practicing on Ellie's purple Princess bike. I hold on to the seat, he pedals, I let go, he rides and I grab him before he falls. This went on for several weeks. About two weeks ago he finally "got" it and just took off riding...after that he didn't want me to help him anymore. He would tell me that he could do it by himself.



Determination and having no fear were the two ingredients that it took for him to learn. After we started practicing he would ask several times a day if we could go ride Ellie's bike (I wanted to make sure he really could do it before I took his training wheels off). Then, once I let go for good, he would fall, pick himself back up, get on and try again. I know that there will be a lot of times in his life when it will be beneficial to have the determination that he does, the no fear thing...I don't know if I like that.

Busy just keeps getting busier

We've had a wild and crazy week, well actually it's just been super busy. Ellie is now officially a big 2nd grader and is preparing to celebrate her 7th birthday in just a few days. Rob and I were talking the other night and we both decided that we didn't do a very good job of planning Ellie's "birth" day (granted it was really her decision since she arrived over 3 weeks early, she was already on her own terms at birth). Not only does her birthday always coinside with Father's Day but now it's the end of school which seems to get crazier and crazier each year.

I always seem to find a way to over commit myself even though most everything I do, I really WANT to do. I volunteered to do the slide show for Ellie's class which turned out to be a much bigger undertaking than I was expecting although I am SO glad that I did it. I really did have a great time with it and seeing the end result made it worth all those long nights. I also put together a memory book to give Ellie's teacher from the class, again, ended up spending way more time on it than I should of but it was fun. So, I've been spending all my free time on these projects and am feeling totally unprepared for Father's Day and Ellie's birthday. I have some catching up to do...

Rob is playing golf twice this weekend (I'm letting it slide since it is Father's Day), I have a Junior League training Saturday morning, then we have dinner at my parent's to celebrate all the wonderful Father's in our family and then we have lunch on Sunday with Rob's family. Monday is Ellie's party, Tuesday is her birthday, Wednesday I can breathe.

What a weekend

Our weekend started out great...my mom took Ellie and me to see High School Musical at the Keller Auditorium. We went out to Mother's before the show and had a delicious dinner, enjoyed a very cute show and then as we were walking back to the car we caught the fireworks show that they had down at the waterfront to kick off the Rose Festival. The whole night I kept thinking how grown up Ellie is getting...almost 7 years old! Wow, can't believe it.

Saturday we had our neighborhood garage sale which is always interesting. We got rid of a lot of junk and made a little money too. Then we were off to my cousin's Grad party. The kids ate so much junk so when we got home nobody was really hungry for dinner. Luke said, "I'm not really hungry because I ate so much at Mary's." I asked what he ate and he said "those chocolate things, those red things (hot tamales), m&m's with nuts, and chocolate cake." Yikes!

Then the big excitement all started Sunday morning. Luke woke up with the flu. If his cousin Max hadn't had the flu on Friday I would have just thought he was sick from eating so much the night before. Then while I was gone, Drew fell asleep on Rob's lap around 11:30, a little unusual. Luke fell asleep on the couch, Rob and Ellie went to take a load of unwanted garage sale items to Goodwill and I was getting ready for a friend's baby shower.

Drew woke up from his nap around 1:30 and felt a little warm but no biggie. He was really clingy and didn't want me to put him down at all, a little difficult because, as I mentioned, I was trying to get ready to leave. I was carrying him down the stairs when I suddenly felt him go totally limp, I looked at him and his head had fallen back, his lips were blue and his eyes were rolling back in his head. I totally freaked out! I ran into the kitchen put him on the floor and tried to get him to "wake up." He was completely non-responsive. I dialed 911, grabbed him and ran next door to my neighbors (she's a nurse). I was banging on their door and when they finally answered I was hysterical. Cathy was great and knew exactly what to do while I was on the phone getting instructions from the 911 dispatcher. The ambulance couldn't get there fast enough. He finally "came to," started breathing again (after Cathy gave him mouth-to-mouth) but was still out of it. Rob and Ellie pulled up and the ambulance arrived right behind them. The paramedics asked a lot of questions and finally decided that from the information that I had given him, Drew had had a Febrile Seizure.

Drew and I got to ride in the ambulance to Emmanuel Hospital (same place we had been only weeks before with Ellie). When we got to the ER his fever was 104.3. They also concluded that he had had a seizure and found that he had two ear infections (the cause of the fever). We had to stay in the ER until his fever went down. It was really difficult keeping him still for that long...4 popsicles, a couple packages of saltines and a cup of Jell-O helped.

I was quite shaken up all evening and didn't sleep a wink that night. I went in to check on Drew at least every half hour. I was so worried that he would seize again in his sleep (I was assured that even if that happen, he would come out of it on his own). There were a few minutes when Drew was lying on the doormat that I thought we were going to loose him, I don't ever think that I will forget that feeling...ever. It was so scary and I just can't imagine our lives without him. When I see that cute smile and bright eyes looking at me it just melts my heart. Even just that little event has made me rethink so many things in my life. Is it really worth it to get stressed out because my kitchen isn't clean or because I've had a load of laundry in the dryer waiting to be folded for a few days? Every moment I spend with my kids is so precious but it's so easy to over look that and get caught up in the hustle of life. I thank God everyday for what He has given me. I'm very lucky!

Going Green

What exactly does "Going Green" mean? These days, a lot of things. It seems there is so much emphasis on changing things in our day to day lives to benefit the world and rightfully so. As there has been more and more talk about being "environmentally friendly" I have changed the way I do many day to day things. I use reusable shopping bags, we have changed out most of our light bulbs, I buy organic foods, I use reusable containers to pack Ellie's lunch (it was making me sick to throw away 3-4 ziplock baggies each day), I recycle EVERYTHING. And, finally, we bought a composter...

I know, it sounds like to totally "hippie" thing to do but I started hearing about compost piles, did a little research and really thought that it made sense. We throw away so much food waste and have so much yard debris (which is recycled), why not put it to good use and at the same time, cut back on all this garbage that is going to our landfills. Rob is such a "yard guy" that he thought the idea of making our own dirt was great.

I took Luke and Drew with me to pick up this monsterous compost bin and immediately Luke started asking all sorts of questions. I explained what we were doing with it and the minute we got home he began finding things around the house asking if they could go in the composter. I explained a little better so now he just asks if his leftover lunch can go in. We have a compost pail on our kitchen counter (I know, sort of gross) and the kids get so excited to go dump it out. The other day they went to dump it and came back all worried. They told me there were bugs all over it...I reminded them that was the idea!


I really think I've turned over a new leaf, if you would have asked me several years ago if I would consider using a composter I would have laughed. The thought of recycling my leftover foods would have totally grossed me out. Now though, I really think that we need to be conscious about the environment and this is just one little way that we can help. Plus, it's kind of fun. I'll keep you posted on how the dirt making goes.

I know it's going to be a GREAT day when...

- I'm in the shower and I hear "Mom, Drew just pooped and peed on the carpet." I get out of the shower only to find several little piles of poop all over my bedroom carpet...what a wonderful way to start my morning!
- I walk into the kitchen and see Drew standing in front the refrigerator dropping raw eggs onto the floor.
- I hear "Uh oh" and go into the bathroom to find an entire roll of toilet paper stuck in the toilet.
- The kids are arguing over who gets to sit in the "special spot" at the kitchen table (I mean, come on, does it really matter where you sit, the food still tastes the same doesn't it????)
- We get halfway to preschool and I realize that I forgot to put shoes on Drew.
- As Ellie is running to the bus, she trips and falls, skinning her knees and putting a hole in her tights. I send her on the school bus crying...
- I go into Drew's room, he's up on the changing table with Desitin all over his face and feet.
- I find Drew with Bag Balm (similar to Vaseline) smeared all over his hair. I attempt to wash it out...yeah, right! I then put him in the shower with me to try washing it out with Vinegar and dish washing soap. While I am drying off, he poops in the shower. (I finally get it out...4 days later...with cornstarch.)
- We get to Luke's soccer class and I realize that when Ellie helped him get dressed she forgot his underware.


All of these have actually happened however, luckily for me (and the kids) not all in one morning. I am hoping that one day soon I will be able to look back at this and appreciate the constant chaios that has taken over my house.

Another one bites the dust

Another tooth, that is...

I don't know what it is with my kids and their teeth. On Sunday night, Ellie knocked out her top front tooth! It was a little loose and maybe would have fallen out on its own sooner than I thought but still, it was quite the ordeal...

We were eating dinner on Sunday night and Ellie was playing with her shopping cart with her feet, sitting sideways on her chair. Suddenly the cart slipped out from under her and flipped up and hit her mouth (I guess, I just saw a blur out of the corner of my eye). Her tooth went through her upper and lower lip and she started crying histerically. I grabbed her and noticed that the tooth was GONE! I felt my stomach do somersalts...I tried not to overreact because I knew it would upset Ellie even more. Blood was everywhere (hmm, this sounds all too familiar). We had Luke on the floor looking for the tooth but couldn't find it and meanwhile Rob and I were trying to calm Ellie down and get the bleeding to stop. I kept asking about the tooth, assuming that she'd probably swallowed it. All of the sudden, she starts crying again saying that it was IN HER LIP!!! Well there was a huge hole in her lip and we couldn't find the tooth so it might be...

The pediatric nurse told us we should take her to the ER at Emanuel because they have a Pediatric ER and would have someone in plastic surgery to consult with us since it involved her face. Ugh. Ellie really did NOT want to go to the hospital but we convinced her otherwise. The whole way there I was thinking "they are going to have to surgerically remove this tooth that is stuck in her lip."

So, we finally make it to the waiting room at the ER and are sitting waiting to be called back. Rob pulls back the ice pack that was on Ellie's mouth and out of the corner of my eye I see something falling...I look down to see Ellie's TOOTH! It is now in the very gross crevice of the couch cushion, I reach down and retrieve the tooth. Rob and I looked at each other in amazement. Where did it come from? Did it shimmy itself loose from her lip? Was it in her clothes? How did it not come loose after moving from the house to the car to the hospital??? All of these unanswered questions...mostly though, we were relieved. No surgery!

The Dr. still saw her to make sure her jaw and other teeth were fine (they were), she had a popsicle, got an antibotic and we were on our way home to put the miracle tooth under her pillow.

I now have two toothless children, won't that be a cute picture? I will post one as soon as Ellie's bruising is gone (request of her). I am now going to get Drew a mouth guard....

Litter Patrol

Last Tuesday Ellie got off of the school bus and announced that she wanted to "Clean up the World!" I thought, Great! she's finally "getting it" (I've been talking to her a lot about litter, being Green, etc). So, she and Luke grabbed their gardening gloves, Rob's Home Depot 5 gallon bucket, and set off to pick up litter in our neighborhood. They ran into our neighbors (and great friends) Zoe and Hannah who wanted to join in the fun. I honestly didn't think this would last very long but the four of them went around almost our entire neighborhood picking up garbage (I was amazed at how much their was on our very clean streets) for over an hour and a half. I was very proud of them. Brynne and I joked that we were going to get them bright orange vests made that said "Litter Patrol" on the back. Now the four of them want to go to the Terra Linda park to continue their good work there. Way to go guys! Cleaning up our World, one street at a time....

We also had Ellie's conference last week, she's doing great in first grade. Rob and I are very proud of her. It's amazing to see how much she's grown over the course of the year. Rob joked to her teacher that we didn't know what we were going to do next year when Ellie wasn't so eager to impress her teacher (she idolizes Miss King). There is a slight chance that she might move with the class to second grade...we're keeping our fingers crossed.

Is Spring here?

As of last week, NO! We have had the craziest weather and of course it happen to be over Spring Break. Oh well, it's sunny today which makes me soo happy. And, we had a great time in Black Butte, you should have seen all the snow. Rob took Ellie skiing on Thursday and had a great time with her. He is so impressed with how well she's doing, she's got her turns down and isn't afraid to go down "really steep hills." The boys and I stayed at Black Butte but had so much fun playing in the snow. We went on a couple nature walks and did lots of sledding. Friday morning we woke up and it started to snow, it didn't stop ALL DAY! We probably got about 7 inches in 10 hours, it was crazy. We went swimming a couple times at the indoor pool (very cold for me though) and did some relaxing too. We had a great time.

An update on Makena, she was discharged from the hospital last Tuesday and is doing great! When she left the hospital on Tuesday she weighted a little over 6 pounds and at her Dr. appointment on Friday (3 1/2 days later) she was up to 6lbs, 14oz. I think she must be feeling better....Yeah! We are so thankful.

Say a little prayer

My sweet niece Makena is sick and was admitted to Doernbecher's Children's Hospital on Saturday afternoon. As second children often do, Makena caught a cold when she was about a week old. She had been very stuffed up and was having a little trouble nursing, but nothing serious. Then on Saturday, Megan and Jim noticed that she was having difficulity breathing. They immediately called the Dr. who told them to take her to the ER. They were admitted to Doernbecher's that day. After many tests, x-rays, etc. they discovered that she has RSV. It is pretty serious but luckily, she will get better. She is under watchful eyes and many monitors and has the most wonderful Dr.'s helping her. She's on oxygen but other than that she's doing well on her own. I know that Megan is anxious to get home to Max but also doesn't want to go home before Makena's ready to. Please keep Makena, Megan and Jim in your prayers.

Happy Birthday Luke!

What a fun birthday you had! It was beautiful outside so you were able to do what you love most...be outside. You were also able to enjoy your brand new big boy bike. How exciting to have a bike "the same size as Ellie's" and you did a great job on it too! You even successfully attempted to go off the curbs (however, not with my approval). We went on several bike rides through out the day and then ended the day with a birthday dinner at, you guessed it, Red Robin!

Luke, I am so proud of the little boy that you have become! You are very sensitive and aware of other people's feelings. You are the most wonderful big brother to Drew and he looks up to you more than you know (and will continue to) and you care so much about what Ellie thinks of you.

It has been so fun to watch you grow socially at school. For the past several weeks now you've been coming home and telling me that you've made new friends. I don't know whether or not you really have, but it makes me so happy to see you have such confidence in yourself. Your buddy Hannah still seems to be your favorite at school and that's more than okay with me (she's a sweet little girl).

Luke, you can be challenging at times but every time I think I've had it with you, I look into your sweet eyes and see that big toothless grin of yours and all of those challenging moments seem to escape from my mind. Happy 4th Birthday Lukey! I love you.

Happy Birthday Drew!

Happy Second Birthday Drew! It's hard to believe that two years have come and gone so quickly. You will always be my baby but you have grown into such an amazing little boy. You have a wonderful sense of humor and keep us laughing all the time. Your facial expressions alone are enough to put a smile on my face. You are full of energy and are "all boy" yet you have a very loving, sensitive side to you. Every night before you go up to bed you make sure that you have given everybody a good night kiss, even Kirby. You are so curious and eager to keep up with the "big kids." You see Ellie and Luke doing things and must think to yourself, "why can't I do that too?" You always try... which has gotten you into trouble more times that I can count! You are very strong willed and determined (which has proven to be very challenging for me...at times). You are obsessed with batteries, shoes, and anything with wheels. You also LOVE apples, pretzels, cheese and your milk!

It has been such a year of change for you. A year ago you could say "hot," now you are talking all the time, putting two and three words together. You know what you want and most of the time you can tell me. You are constantly learning and give a whole new meaning to "stop and smell the flowers." You make me appreciate all the little things that life has to offer and for that, I thank you.

I love you Drew and, please, stop growing.

Birthday Week

Yes, it's that time of year...Birthday week at the Nees house. I still can't believe that Drew is turning 2 and for that matter, that Luke is turning 4. Seriously, where did the time go? It seems like we were just bringing Drew home from the hospital...

So it's a busy week, Monday Drew gets his stitches out of his finger. Tuesday I'm working in Luke's class for his birthday celebration, he's decided to bring donuts for his "treat." Tuesday afternoon I have a meeting at Terra Linda for the enhancement committee that I've volunteered to be on. Wednesday it's my turn to work in Ellie's class then we go straight to ballet and then I have a Junior League meeting that evening. Thursday is the big day for Drew! No big plans really, I'm making homemade Mac n' Cheese for dinner - one of his favorite things to eat (we'll go to Red Robin on Saturday night to celebrate both boy's birthdays). Friday is Drew's party at Pump It Up Jr. He can't wait!! Saturday is Luke's day and Sunday is Easter. Whew! What a week!!

Welcome Sweet Little Makena

I am a proud new Aunt! Yep, little Makena Karlin (named after her two favorite Aunts) arrived into the world on Friday, March 7th at 8:32am. She weighed 6lbs. 3oz, has light peach fuzz for hair and looks so much like Ellie! It's actually weird to hold her because it brings back memories of when Ellie was that little. She is the absolute cutest little girl ever (besides my Ellie of course). It has been so much fun to have new baby in the family again. And, it's especially fun because I don't have a baby of my own this time. I called Megan earlier this week and told her I was having Makena withdrawls! I have to get my fix!! Anyway, Mom, baby and the rest of the family (Dad and Max) are all doing great. Max seems to be adjusting okay and I can't believe Megan. She's been out and about and has even taken Max to his little tumbling class. Ellie has been in heaven and asks several times a day when we can go see her new GIRL cousin. She is in love with her. It will be so fun to see her grow up...but not too quickly please.

And, as if Makena's birth weren't exciting enough, on Monday, Drew decided that he didn't want to wait for me to cut him an apple. He climbed up on the counter and tried to cut into it himself (while I was helping Luke go potty). I heard him start to cry and walked into the kitchen to find his finger dripping with blood. After a few phone calls to the Doctor, I finally took him in to get 2 stitches in his pointer finger. He was such a brave boy!! Poor little guy!

"You are posh"

Ellie loves to write. It has been so much fun to watch her writing skills develop. When she first started writing last year she sounded out every word, sometimes it was tricky to read but she put so much effort into thinking about what she wanted to say. Now she has developed this great vocabulary, she uses punctuation (although not always correctly), and spells a majority of her words the way they should be spelled. She loves writing notes and cards to people. Almost everyday when I empty her backpack there is a note for either me, Rob, Luke or Drew. It is so sweet to know that she's thinking about us while she's at school.

Yesterday while I was gone, Ellie wrote a note and gave it to Rob. It was for both of us (see scanned picture). It read "Dear Mom and Dad. I love you so much. You are posh. Dad wine (when) can we go to Hawaii!" I could not help myself from laughing out loud. Since when does she say "posh?" I finally figured it out - it came from reading Fancy Nancy! Too funny. I had to post a copy of it because every time I see it, it just makes me smile. What a vocabulary Ellie!

(I should also mention that she is obsessed with going to Hawaii! She talks about a trip to Hawaii at least once a week and she and Luke play "Hawaii" all the time. She obviously doesn't know that you don't just "go" to Hawaii - if only... Keep dreaming or go after Papa my dear!)

Light at the end of the tunnel

I don't even know where to start...I guess it all began last Tuesday afternoon. Rob was due to come home that evening, things had gone pretty well with him gone but I was looking forward to his return. Just as we were heading up for bed, Luke puked all over (luckily I got him to the toilet for most of it). Oh boy...I knew I was in for it. I put him to bed but he was up about every hour vomiting. I got a great workout racing up the stairs in record time that evening. I decided to go to bed because I knew I had a long night ahead of me. I left Rob a note saying "Welcome back. Glad you are home. Luke is puking." It was a long night!

So Wednesday morning I got home from my morning run, went in to get Drew and found him covered in throw up. He must have gotten sick in the night but either not woken up or not realized that puking in the middle of the night in his crib was abnormal, and gone back to sleep. I felt terrible. How awful to sleep in - the smell in his room just about put me over the edge. So Wednesday I had two sick kiddos. Luke was sacked out on the couch for most of the day, he'd raise his head every now and then to take a forced sip of Gatorade. Thursday was more of the same thing, Luke hadn't thrown up since Wed. morning but was still very sick, too sick to even think about food. Drew was better.

Friday morning rolled around and Rob was the next victim. Luke was still sick. He had not eaten since Tuesday afternoon but didn't feel like it. He was looking so skinny. Rob didn't have the flu that the kids had but had a fever, chills, a cough, and everything else... I felt fine but was going out of my mind, I hadn't been out of the house since Tuesday. Friday afternoon Ellie had a birthday party at Red Tail so Drew and I dropped her off and headed to the mall to kill 2 hours. We picked her up at 6:00 and headed to Terra Linda for their Sock Hop. Ellie looked adorable in her Poodle Skirt and pigtails but that's another story...

Saturday morning I was signed up to volunteer for the Junior League. I got up that morning and didn't feel all that great but not bad enough to stay home (at that point I would have had to be vomiting to stay home, I needed to get out). I felt nauseas all morning and then by the afternoon I had the chills, etc. Luckily Rob was feeling a little better so I laid on the couch and was asleep by 8:00.

Sunday I woke up feeling a little better. Rob woke up feeling worse. Drew woke up with pink eye AND vomiting AGAIN! Seriously, could this get any worse? I left Rob for a couple hours to go to Megan's baby shower, came home to get Ellie and Luke and we went out to Rock Creek Tavern to celebrate my Mom's birthday. Rob stayed home with Drew. We got home and Ellie complained of a stomach ache. I didn't want to believe that she was coming down with the flu, I kept telling myself that she had eaten too much. Not so, just as I was getting ready for bed, I hear her throwing up...all over the carpet! And so it started again.

By Tuesday afternoon, a whole week after it started, we were finally on the mend and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. What a week it had been. I'm hoping that with all this sickness, we have paid our dues for the year. I'm crossing my fingers that we will be healthy until next Winter. Is that too much to ask?

Ellie's obsession with HSM

Ellie has recently become OBSESSED with High School Musical. Her older cousin Gaby introduced her to the music last Spring and then dragged her along to watch them LIVE when we were in Disneyland but that was the end of Ellie's interest, until now...

It must be her friends at school that have influenced her new interest in the craze. She constantly talks about HSM, asks almost daily if we can rent the movie and drills me with questions about the movie (which I don't know because I've never seen it). The other day, after I said no to her begging to rent the movie, she was in quietly on the computer. I went in to check on her and noticed that she was on YouTube. After looking more carefully, I noticed that she was watching High School Musical on YouTube! I was amazed that she had just happened upon this site. I asked a few questions and finally she said, "Mom, I Googled High School Musical and just clicked on the link that came up." Really??? How did she learn all of this? I was in awe, and while I didn't really want her sitting in front of the computer watching the music videos that she had found (and who knows what else she might happen to stumble upon on YouTube), I was impressed with how she found it to begin with. I guess I have to come to grips with the fact that my little Eleanor is quickly growing up. (I'm also seriously looking into parental blocks for the internet).

Wingin' It

It's Superbowl Sunday and I have been stuck inside all day with the three kiddos (except for a quick excursion to the gym, thank goodness for a great childcare). Rob left this morning for a show in Vegas (for work, or so he says...). I do know that he made it there but a quick phone call is all that I've gotten so far. He was looking for a Superbowl party and it was so loud in the Casino that I could barely hear him.

I used to sort of enjoy the times when Rob would travel (luckily he travels so infrequently and is usually only gone a night or two). It used to be nice to have time to myself after the kids were in bed. I would watch HGTV or Tivo'd Oprah shows, stuff that Rob likes to watch as much as I like to watch ESPN. But things have changed, I think especially after the Drewster. Now I really dread his traveling (although I still encourage him to do stuff for himself). Dinner time, bath time, bed time, with three kids all by myself just isn't that easy (which is why we have to pay big bucks for the sitters). Now after the kids are in bed, I yearn for some adult conversation, something to do, especially with the writer's strike (there is NOTHING on TV). So I guess that brings me back to my blogging...I really have nothing else to do. I'm counting the hours until 10:00 on Tuesday night when he returns!

I’ve found a new love

Or should I say rekindled an old love…skiing! Last Sunday I put on skis for the first time in 8 years and boy was it fun. After my first run (no, I didn't wipe out), I remembered why I had once loved it so much. (When I asked myself why I hadn’t been skiing in 8 years since Rob skis several times a year I realized that six out of the last seven years I’ve either been pregnant or nursing, now that’s crazy!)

So anyway, Rob and I took Ellie and Luke up with us, this is Ellie’s third year skiing but Luke’s very first time on skis. We checked them both into their lessons and then off we went…by ourselves! We skied a couple runs and then went to check on them. Ellie was doing great, skiing all by herself down Buttercup. She’s really mastered her turns and stops and is even very confident riding the chairlift! Luke was on the rope tow and did a great job skiing strait downhill, no fear. It was so fun to watch them, they looked so cute on their little skis.

I think one of the best parts of the day (besides the stop at DQ) was that when we got in the car both of the kids asked when we could go up and ski again. Rob and I are so excited that they enjoy skiing as much as we do. It will be such a fun family activity (although expensive) in the future. And, in two years, little Drew will be joining us (this time he was at home with Nana and he had a wonderful time. Can you imagine all the attention that he got???)

Besides the fact that it was 10 degrees, way colder than that though with wind chill, we all had a great time. I can’t wait to hit the slopes again!

A Day in the life with Drew

As most of you know, I can't get a thing done around the house during the day with two wild and crazy boys. They are (usually) nothing but trouble. Today was just another one of those days except that Ellie was home sick with the flu (poor Ellie). I was trying to do laundry (since I would be home all day), trying to take care of precious little sick Ellie, and tend to the BOYS!

The first incident happened when I was putting the wet clothes in the dryer, it happened in a matter of minutes. When I left the room, Luke and Drew were playing in the family room, when I came back, I walked into what looked like a snow storm. Drew had pushed the kitchen chair over to the counter, had climbed onto the counter, opened the cupboard and gotten the salt shaker. He had then emptied the entire salt shaker on the counters, floor, of course himself and was playing in it. Then (I'm sure I'm guilty on this one) he was licking it up! I know I love salt but GROSS! What a mess Drew.

The next incident also happened in a matter of minutes (do you see a pattern here?). We were playing in the bonus room and all of the sudden Drew was GONE. I went to look for him and when I found him he had pulled almost every single one of his shirts off the hangers. I tried to clean up (once again) but he threw a fit everytime I hung something up and just pulled it off again. This was a very fun game (for Drew, not me) for about 30 minutes.

Now do you see why I get NOTHING done??? HELP!

It's a good thing that Drew is a pretty cute kid with that smile that just lights up a room.

2007 in Review

As I sit here on the ninth day of 2008 (I was going to do this on the first day of 2008 but I'm just a tad bit late), I am taking time to reflect on the past year. What a wonderful, eventful year it has been. I am reminded daily about how lucky I am to have the loving people in my life that I do! I know I always say that time goes by so quickly, and it does, but we have accomplished so much, grown so much (mostly the kids), and had so much fun in one year. Here are the top 20 highlights and lowlights of 2007 for the Nees family…

1. New Year’s was spent in Black Butte with our great friends the Nelsons. What a wonderful way to ring in the New Year.
2. Drew says his first word “hot” (ironically, that was my first word too!)
3. Drew skips learning to walk and instead just starts running (at 11 months). He hasn’t slowed down since then. Lucky me!
4. Luke looses his first tooth, no, not naturally, but had to have it pulled due to an earlier injury. His toothless grin fits his personality perfectly. I can barely remember him with two front teeth. Also worth mentioning...Ellie was a GREAT sport, she has been dying to loose a tooth and Luke gets a visit from the Tooth Fairy before he turns 3.
5. Luke turns 3 and Drew turns 1! Our Boy’s Birthday week!
6. We experience the magic of Disneyland with the kids and all of the Nees family. What a wonderful time we had. It was so much fun to see Disneyland through the eyes of the kids.
7. Ellie graduates from Kindergarten AND turns 6 all in the same week. What a big week it was.
8. We again pack up the family, this time for a wonderful week in Maui with the Wolcott gang. We celebrate Gigi’s 60th birthday.
9. My dear sister Lindsey moves to San Antonio, TX. It was a very sad day (and still is, the kids talk about her daily and how much they miss Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Nate).
10. We take our annual two week trip to Black Butte. This year we shared the fun with Mom and Dad and Megan, Jim and Max. We had such a wonderful time bike riding (Ellie is now a pro), swimming (they all LOVE the water), relaxing, no actually not much relaxing was done, walking and playing in the dirt.
11. Rob and I celebrate our NINTH wedding anniversary. Can it really be nine years already?
12. The Duck season begins with Rob taking Ellie and Luke down to a game. Yeah! They win their first game. They’re off to a great start!
13. Ellie begins first grade. Luke starts preschool at Small Friends. Drew gets to stay at home with me.
14. In October we loose Rob’s dear Grandfather, Roy Warren at age 88. We will miss him!
15. Megan and I take a trip to San Antonio to visit Lindsey and have a “Sisters (and Nate) Weekend.” We had a blast eating delicious Mexican food, shopping, and relaxing without ANY kids.
16. We learn that we will have an addition to the Wolcott family and…it’s a GIRL! (Thankfully she isn’t mine, Megan is due in March). We can’t wait, especially me…and Ellie.
17. The Duck season ends with Dennis Dixon’s knee injury. Wait, Rob (and others) will not appreciate me saying that it ends, they did win their bowl game after all.
18. Ellie looses her first (and long awaited) tooth on Christmas Day. Hooray!
19. My Dad fully retires after 35+ years. Congrats Dad! We are very proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished.
20. I again count my 4 blessings (5 if I count Kirby and he does count). It’s been another wonderful year full of love, laughter, family and friends. I look forward to an even better 2008 – if it can get any better?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!