Thawing out

Last weekend we were up in Waterloo. We went up Friday after Chris's intramural basketball game (he plays with some guys from law school). I think he has played on a team since we have been married. I remember one year he played on a dental school team with Ezra C.... I think he will be sad to have this be his last "season". Anyway, we spent the evening talking it up with a childhood friend of mine and her husband that live up there now. Saturday morning I spent at a baby shower for SIL Erica while Chris and Nate were at Chuck E Cheese and Saturday night was spent at Lauren's 3rd birthday. I forgot my camera. I know, serious sin. So anyone who knows my fam with have to rely on Erica's blog for pictures of these events.


Anyone who has been to the mall with me in the last 6 months knows how disenchanted I have been with my sit and stand stroller. I thought I would love it, hence the reason I bought it, but have not liked it since the first time I used it.

So.... I sold it and bought a new one! Lalalalove it! I bought a Kolcraft Contours tandem stroller. Last summer when I was shopping in the mall in Milwaukee I saw I lady with one of these and her kids were sharing snacks since the seats can be positioned to face each other. My heart melted (okay, I WAS pregnant at the time so the emotional moment might have been a little over the top) and I thought it would be so fun to have a stroller like that.

Then when it was actually time to buy a stroller I was too cheap. Big mistake. I have decided it is worth spending good money on big things like this that I will use all of the time instead of just getting something because it is cheap- but that could just be the tax refund talking.
Anyway, I ordered the stroller last week. Set it up Monday and we took it for a stroll today. Loved it. Andy is still in his infant carrier so he was in that facing Nate instead of in the seat as pictured, but the boys still loved to see each other. Great stroller. Probably the nicest quality I have owned. And I love that there are so many options: seats can face forward, backward, face each other, recline to differnt positions, adjustable foot rest... Soooo glad I did this.



The high has been above 20 pretty much all week. Today we even reached in to the 50's. Chris was able to golf with his dad today. We all went out this afternoon.
I didn't know people could feel this happy. Feel this much love. I know I keep saying that, but it keeps getting better.

Nate got new rain boots (thanks, Gaga!)

I'm so glad.

Not so weekly update

Last week was a busy one. I went up and ran some errand for my dad's gym while the boys played with mom, did an FHE lesson group for church, dance lessons, Chris basketball game and then every day madness mixed in.


Oh yeah, and Valentine's Day.



We are so terrible about gift giving. Chris's gift came in the mail on Wednesday and that was the same day he bought my gift.



He went with Nate to the movie store with Nate.... which happens to be next to Chris's favorite jeweler... and came home with a Valentine's gift!

Of course he gave it to me immediately. So then I gave him his. Terrible, I know.

Dance lessons were sooo much better this week. Chris did great and we had a lot of fun getting into it. We actually could dance without looking at our feet:)

Weekly Review... a little late

We have had crazy warm weather here. This is what is left of that amazing snow fort Chris put all of that hard work in to. It was 64 yesterday. We had a fun day playing at the ped mall and even getting ice cream with Gaga.



So for some reason I have not been able to keep my house clean the last week. I don't know if I just have no motivation or Nate is being really messy, but I can't keep ahead of it. Finally I had it. I had to do something. Nate was napping and Andy was up. He didn't want the exersaucer or to lay on his belly so I made a makeshift play pen. He can't sit up on his own yet so I wedged him between all of the cushions. Nate already had them on the floor (first thing he does EVERY morning is take all the cushions off to make an excavator, a space ship, a boat, you name it!).




The boys are starting to play together which is really fun. Nate tickles Andy. He likes me to hold Andy and bounce him on his bum while they bounce together in Andy's crib. He likes me to put a blanket over Andy's crib so they can have a fort- I think I already blogged about that.

Me, I am itching to start running out side. I am trying to find a way to finance a jogging stroller because I have to take the boys with me (aka I can't get up early enough to run before Chris goes to school!). I have been reading a ton (just finished So Brave, Young and Handsome), about a book a week. I feel guilty every night for something I didn't get "crossed off the list" that day. I am really fighting the urge to be "checked out" or start dejunking for the move. Chris and I started a ballroom dance class that meets every Thursday. Let's just say it has been a while since I danced. I thought rhythm was something you always would have if you had it once..... I really should practice tonight before lessons tomorrow. I will put it on my to do list:)

Week Review

Okay so I have been kind of slacking on the blogging bit, so I will just try to do highlights of the week each Sunday. Here were the best parts of this week:

Nate is still a Lego Maniac. It's been really fun because it is something that we can all do together, even Andy. Though Andy doesn't help, per say, he can play with the blocks while we all build. It's been really fun to have everyone playing together.

From now until March I can pretty much count on Chris watching college basketball at night. The last few nights Chris has let Nate stay up 15 minutes later and sit and watch some basketball with him. I don't know that Nate really cares about basketball all that much, but he gets a sense that this is a special Nate and Dad thing. The other night I was rocking Andy in the boys room and Nate climbed out of his bed and told me he was going "to watch a little basketball with Dad". Of course, Chris let him, and loved it.

The boys watching basketball. Wow, Andy looks chubby!

Andy rolled over in the tub last night. I had only a little water in there so I let him. He LOVED it! He loved to see the water, not just feel it. He kept moving his hand around in the water. I put Mac Duck (Dazi's gift to him from her semester in Scotland). He's getting so fun. I hope he crawls soon because I am going crazy hearing him whine all day while he pushes himself backward and cries because is moving away from his target. He is getting so close....

Andy found his toes last week. Every time I undress him, he quickly grabs them and enjoys pulling on them. I love watching this and wish it was warmer so I could leave him in a onesie and no socks all day so I could watch this.