Guess who looks like Daddy?

Couldn't resist snapping a picture of Quinny and Daddy out at dinner one night. Quinn is starting to look more and more like Daddy, well except for the coloring.  Aren't my boys sweet?

 (Excuse the red eyes.  The boy has big, baby blue peepers and they almost never show up right on film.  Especially from my IPhone.)

The Nutcracker

This year I decided Megan was old enough to see the Nutcracker. We made it a Mommy and Megan day. 

 We prepped by going to the Nutcracker story time at the library.  That is the ballerina who plays the sugar plum fairy and the Nutcracker, of course.  How neat that they came to our library to read the story?

Megan wouldn't get her picture taken with the Nutcracker or the ballerina, but she loved looking at them from afar.  And she loved making all of the nutcracker themed crafts. 

Megan at the Ohio Theater before the show.  She was so excited she couldn't stand still!

A post Nutcracker treat to end our Mommy and Megan day.  How did she like it you wonder.  She LOVED it!  She got a little antsy after intermission, but declared that we need to go every Saturday. I told her that wasn't going to happen, but we could go every year.  Megan announced that would be great.  But only if we could take Quinn next time.  She decided that Quinn will be old enough next year.  Lately, she's on the lookout for all things Nutcracker, pointing out Christmas ornaments, decorations, cookies, anything with a Nutcracker on it. I'm sensing a tradition! 

#3

That's right. Baby #3 is due March 15 which makes me 12 weeks pregnant. Be back later to do a more thorough update.

update

So it's been a long time since I posted last.  As can be expected with 2 little ones and a full time job things have gotten busy.  So here's an update of our crazy busy life. 
Megan is 4!  I can't believe my baby girl is 4.  She is spirited, serious, smart and coordinated.  Meg likes to be in charge (wonder where she got that from?) and is a leader.  She seems to inspire other kids to follow her.  Megan says things that are just plain funny. She has an interesting way of looking and taking in the world. Meg has perfectionist tendencies and can get upset things aren't going the way she had in her mind.  All I can say about that is we're working on it.  She is playing t-ball and after the first couple of weeks of watching and crying she decided to get up and play.  Of course, she loved it.  Meg has to watch and decipher things before participating.  She know all her letters and the sound each letter makes.  At daycare she was working on short and long vowel sounds.  We're working on reading and I think she'll be reading within the next year.   


Quinn is....well,...a boy.  He's my little engineer.  He loves to take things apart and try to put them back together.  I don't believe there is anything in my house that hasn't had Quinn's little hands on it trying to destroy, I mean take it apart.  He's smiley, and happy most of the time.  He knows EXACTLY what he wants and will throw what seems like a never ending fit until he gets it.  He doesn't always get what it, but he sure does let you know how unhappy he is about it.  Quinn likes to help, especially when you cook.  I can't look at the stove without Quinny pulling up a stool to help.  He is a huge cuddler.  There isn't anything he loves more than to curl up in your arms, and give you a big hug and kiss.  Q is beginning to love books and frequently brings you a book to read.  He's adorable and knows it.  When he gets into trouble he'll cock his head and bat his long eyelashes while flashing his big grin.  He's starting to talk a little more, now that he's been referred for speech therapy.  Each week the little stinker decides whether everyone in the house will be called Mommy or Daddy.  More often than not we're all daddy, even though he can say both Mommy and Daddy.  So no matter who he wants he screams for Daddy.  Then storms past Daddy to get to me. 
The district I teach for is going through some changes.  They shut down all 3 tiny elementarys, and are putting trailers on the lawn of  the middle school for prek-3, turning the middle school building into a 4-6 building, putting trailers on the lawn of the lawn of the high school for 7-8, and the high school is staying the same.  It is actually a good change and, I believe, will work out for the better but it was crazy packing up our entire building to be moved over the summer.  I weathered the storm and will still be teaching 4th grade next year.  I'll be teaching 4th grade math.  I'm nervous about it since I'll be teaching 4 different sessions of math -1 hour per class.   But change is always hard and I ended up teaching what I wanted to so I know it'll be a great year!!! 

Long time no see!

I know it's been a looong time.  Maybe one day I'll actually complete everything I mean to in a day.   So here are some pictures to tide you over until I get to typing.

 Nathan and Quinn at a women's basketball game.  Go Bucks!!!

 Visiting an inflatable Easter bunny at an egg hunt. 

The kids investigating a tunnel at the art museum.

 Daddy's shoulders make a great seat! 

Safety days at the firestation.  Meg and Q are inside a hazmat truck. 

 Megan is feeding the birds at the zoo. 

 Loving the Joovy stroller. 

Quinny the land shark. 

Megan my swimming beauty. 

 A big girl bike!!

Can you believe she's 4 already? 

boys vs. girls

I never really put much stock in boys and girls being all that different.  I figured most of it was conditioning.  If all you bought your daughter was baby dolls and dress up clothes then of course that's what she'll play with.  Right?  Then I had a boy and a girl.  Quinn is like Godzilla and my house is Tokyo.  If it can be knocked over, thrown, pushed, hit, bitten, and generally destroyed it will be.  In fact, Quinn will dump out a tub of Lego's and gleefully spread them all over the house.  Then he'll pick them up and put them back in the tub just so he can dump them again.  He'll do this over and over - dump, spread, pick up, dump, spread, clean up- until I get fed up and wrestle the Lego's away from him.


I now know how football was developed.  It wasn't by a group of men sitting down to figure out a game.  A bunch of boys got together got a ball and started tackling.  When Quinn is trying to get Megan out of the way he'll drop his shoulder and go barrelling at her chest.  That's right my 16 month old instinctively knows how to tackle. 


Quinn will run up give you a big hug, lean back, smile then hit you.  Yup, that's my son.  Aggressor.  Here is what I imagine Quinn thinks-.  "I want that toy.  I think I'll hit you in the face to get it.  What I can't hit?  Oh, I'll bite you instead.  It's OK, I like biting better anyway.  WHAT???  I can't bite?  Now that is just completely unreasonable.  I'm going to throw myself on the floor and SCREAM like I've never screamed before.  Now repeat this 100x a day.  Reasonable yes?

Now I'm sure lots of things play a part in this - Quinn's a little brother.  Goodness knows Megan loves to push him down and grab his toy, or shove him out of the way so the boy had to learn how to stand up for himself whereas Megan didn't have any competition when she was a toddler.  He's a toddler.  Toddlers destroy.  It's not as if I haven't dealt with this before.  Megan was, and still is, aggressive. Yes she loves her babies, but she's usually wrestling with the boys at daycare.  But I swear Quinn is bringing it to a new level.  It'll be very interesting to see what skill my little lineman will develop as he grows up a bit.