Life: Sublime

Au Revoir!

2011-01-17T17:40:00.003-07:00

Dearest Friends and Family-

All good things must come to an end, and this is the end of this little blog. Life gets so busy and complicated, and sometimes things have to be left behind.

If you'd like to see photos of the chickens and read updates on the comings and goings of our crazy family...please be my friend on Facebook. Send me a friend request after you've signed up for a free account. I feel much better about having only one place to update, and it seems the majority of the people who view this blog, are my friends on Facebook already. Just makes sense, right?

Thanks for your understanding...and see you on Facebook!

Lots of love,

Kelly, Anno, and the Chickens

August/September Catch-Up

2010-10-05T16:55:00.007-06:00

There's a big hole in my posts this summer, as I've been messin' around with my new Mac, and trying to figure everything out. So, I want to post a few more things from the months of August and September...

Off to Kindergarten for this squirt...no looking back from here! He's excited every. single. day. to get up, get ready, and ESPECIALLY to get on the bus!

There has been increased sibling love and cooperation...the single greatest development of the summer (even trumps my new Mac...and that's HUGE!) Well, I guess Tyce doesn't look too happy in this picture, but he's feelin' the love!

We had a wonderful morning in Fish Creek Park with our little neighborhood friends...

"Fishing" in the creek with the butterfly nets was a highlight for the littles, but an absolute nightmare for the mommas! There was actually a bit of a current and the mud/rock combo was slippery. There were several scary moments, but the fun ones were worth it!

We had so much fun with Grandma, Grandpa, Meg and the boys when they came to visit. Including a beautiful HOT day at the lake...

We also enjoyed a day in Waterton (one of our favorite spots!)...

And, just to prove that we indeed do own a Mac now...a few Photo Booth shots (ohhh...we've been having FUN!)

Princess Ballet

2010-09-07T14:14:00.004-06:00

First Day of Princess Ballet today...and it was LOVELY! Macie listened and followed directions perfectly in her first un-parented class! I was so proud and so sad that we're at THIS stage already! Of course I want her to be independent and confident...but could she please look back just once...or be a little unsure? Totally selfish, I know...but my heart was aching a little bit today, just watching her find her place in a room full of little ballerinas...and fitting in perfectly.

Smells like Summer to me...

2010-07-15T09:41:00.005-06:00

Canada Day at Calaway Park. Macie is still terrified of this robot, QT-1.

Soccer season consisted of many rained-out matches, but lots of fun too. Tyce LOVES soccer...

Our yard is finally starting to take shape. God bless this Bobcat guy who took a few minutes for the kids...

And, we got our driveway poured! YEAH!

And there has been lots and lots of backyard fun (all still in our neighbors' yards)...

Trampoline hair...
And World Cup madness. Maybe we shouldn't have built it up like we did...when we lost in the Finals, Tyce cried and cried. Oops.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!

Preschool Graduation

2010-06-23T16:36:00.005-06:00

Tyce was so excited for his graduation from preschool. The kids preformed a few songs, they each received a diploma from Miss Trudy, and then there was a slideshow and refreshments. Tyce decided to be the class clown and put in a few extra dance moves and actions during the songs. Anno and I kept looking at each other in amazement..."that's OUR kid??" It was hilarious.

Oh, and she was lovely...

Overload of Photos

2010-06-14T08:24:00.010-06:00

Sorry for the absence, we've been very busy...

This guy turned 5...

We attended a wedding (still don't have photos!), and a high school graduation in Utah,met a new baby cousin, rode on trains, went to the park, went ice skating, ate more popsicles in Grandma's hot tub than you can imagine, and had an overall wonderful time...

It was the first time all of my siblings have been together in MANY years...

It was a long car ride home, but we survived, and actually kind of enjoyed it...

We stopped at Fairmont Hot Springs on our way home, just the four of us, and had a BLAST...

We returned to a half-finished driveway, parking chaos in the neighborhood, and more mud than you can imagine...

We celebrated Anno's birthday...

We wished for sun and got more rain...and more mud...and more delay in pouring our driveway...

But now we're looking forward to Tyce's last week of preschool and the beginning of REAL summer (enough of this teasing stuff.)

Oh, and with summer comes mosquitoes, of course. Tyce is so allergic. Just look what happened to his poor ear last week...

Oh, and with summer also comes lots and lots of fruit, especially berries (my kids faves.) So, quite often, I see this...

(this pic is for you, Meg!)

This is what TWO looks like...

2010-04-14T12:29:00.004-06:00

It's with amazement in my heart and a big huge lump in my throat that I have experienced and celebrated this day with our birthday princess. She's TWO!!! I literally do not know where the last two years have gone. She was so excited for her birthday and has been telling people all week, "be happy for me...it's my birthday!"

A random number of random things I love about my girl...

1. She tells us all the time, "I love you SOOO much." She also says this to her food, her toes, and any stranger who will listen!

2. She is as smart as a whip and has been using full sentences for months.

3. She loves to read (definitely my child!) and will sit on my lap with a pile of books beside us and listen to every word of every book, asking questions and pointing to pictures constantly.

4. She already understands the art of bribery and bartering and uses these skills every day while playing with Tyce (who she definitely learned these skills FROM!)

5. She can count to 10 in three languages, and practices every time she goes up stairs. When she gets to 11, she always switches to English. Weird.

6. She has a sweet tooth, big time.

7. Once in a while I get a glimpse into the teenage years and it's both hilarious and terrifying. Like the other day when she was upset with Tyce and stormed out of the room, then came back in to proclaim: "I'm leaving...forever!"

8. Her favorite foods are pancakes (dipped in syrup), ALL green vegetables (especially green beans and broccoli), tacos (the guts, not the tortilla), CANDY, smoothies, and every single fruit which exists on the planet earth (that we've tried, anyways.)

9. She is Tyce's greatest cheerleader, best friend, and biggest adversary...and I have a feeling that it's supposed to be this way.

10. All she wanted to do for her birthday afternoon was to go to the car wash. Easy to please. Sometimes!

11. She still loves to be held and cuddled and makes it very difficult to get anything done during her waking hours. Most of the time she is in my arms, sitting on my lap, or hanging on my leg. Frustrating sometimes, but mostly just delicious.

Happy Birthday Macie!

We've landed!

2010-03-13T09:42:00.004-07:00

I definitely like the idea of moving more than the actual process. I love the thought of going through things, organizing, and getting rid of the JUNK! But...when it comes right down to it, it's a LOT of work! Good thing I had my parents and Mandi AND Jamahl (he surprised and DELIGHTED us when he jumped out of the minivan!) here to help, before and after the actual day. And, lots of other family (aunt, uncle, cousins) who came through and helped out BIG TIME on moving day. We had perfect weather and lots of laughs as we relocated our little family. We love our new house. I'm doing a fabulous job of pretending that the basement is NOT full of boxes waiting to be unpacked, and just enjoying being HERE. We're super excited for the next step of landscaping, but for now, we bought rain boots, pants and jackets and let the kids go WILD in the mud and rocks outside.

An afternoon at our trying-to-melt lake...

Tyce started a new preschool and I'm so proud of his ability to pick up and start over again making friends and getting to know new teachers, rules etc... My Mom gave him a plant while she was here ("taking care of a plant is a big responsibility" he told us), and after nearly drowning it in water the first day, we've started the syringe watering method, and it is working out much better...

Macie is becoming more and more vocal: she has a full repertoire of songs, numbers (up to 20), full sentences, and even a joke or two (knock-knock. who's there? Boo. Boo who? Don't cry it's just a joke!) Pretty impressive for a not-even-two-year old! She got a haircut this week, and looks so cute with her new little bob. We wish Aunt Meg could have done it...but her mullet and fuzzy nintendo hair could not wait a day longer!

Here's the new do... As the little lady herself would say: TA DA!!

Olympic Pride

2010-02-13T20:48:00.004-07:00

This weekend we've been loving the Olympics! We've definitely had several "proudly Canadian" moments. Tyce loves that we have so many teams to cheer for: Canada...Holland...and the USA too! It's fun that he's starting to get excited about these kinds of things. We had an Olympics party and watched the Opening Ceremony. Wasn't it great?We waved flags...marveled at the lights and music...and loved all of the dancing and special effects. Tyce went missing for a moment, and came back "decorated"...

Macie needed to participate too, of course...

These two are becoming better friends, and one of their favorite things is playing in the tub. This was the scene tonight...

Here's a favorite picture from "library day" this week. Macie is an avid reader and she LOVES new books! She must be my daughter!

SOOOO close...

2010-02-06T19:22:00.009-07:00

Two weeks away to possession date (sounds ominous, doesn't it?) We may feel from time to time that WE'RE the ones being possessed by this experience of buying a home...but it's fun to think that we'll actually be doing the possessing. Stopped by today, and we're delighted with some of the finishings and fixtures that have been installed this week. Such as carpet and hardwood and tile and our shower surround and light fixtures and doors!
Trying to capture the color of the carpet...but there's a lot of glare from downstairs because there's cardboard covering all of the hardwood...
LOVE our railing...

Here's a little video we made this morning with Tyce and Macie and their new favorite friend...Fergus! Good thing we'll be able to put this one away after Valentine's Day...we hear this song a hundred times a day! The things we do to keep our little ones smiling...

The Never Ending Advent Calendar

2010-01-29T10:52:00.003-07:00

Almost February and we're still working on our Christmas advent calendars! My mom gave them to the kids at the beginning of December, and then we forgot to take them to Holland with us...so when we got back in January, we started up again. Tyce and Macie both love opening the little doors to find the tiny little chocolate. And, we've found out something interesting about Tyce...he is an expert SAVER! Unbelievable, because both Anno and I are more in the "eat it and enjoy it now" camp. Take a look at this baby...

Tyce can make one of those tiny chocolates last 3-4 days. Most of the doors have little chocolates in various stages of consumption in them. This calendar may be with us until May! I must say, however, we are super proud that he has the self control to do this. Pretty good for a 4 year old, right?

And here's a picture for J & J (Mand, make sure you show them, okay?) Tyce is really proud to be a "hockey guy" just like his cousins! Miss you guys!

Oh, and check out this lady. She's still in the "hair-challenged" category...but that doesn't stop her from wanting every clip and bow in her hair...all at once...everyday. I love it!

Comin' Right Along!!!

2010-01-16T19:27:00.004-07:00

We are just amazed at how fast our house is progressing! Since we got home from Holland, things seem to be moving even faster! This is what we saw today...

Stonework and shaker shingles are DONE, and the man was there doing the last of the siding.

From the back...(I was trying to peak in the window, but everything was masked for the painting (the guys were working on the FINAL coat!)

Last week we went through for our "cabinetry walk-through" and saw the early stages of the kitchen...

and more...

We're WEEKS away now, people! Well, probably a month...but...SCARY!!! After this weekend they pretty much only have flooring and tile work to do (plus appliances.) We have so much to do to prepare...good thing that we're pretty experienced at the whole moving thing, and hopefully we'll have some helpers coming our way (in the form of Grandma, Beeps, and Aunt Mandi!)

Oh, and these little rascals are pretty excited too. Tyce is looking forward to a new house, but constantly asks why we can't move back to Ohio to our "HUGEST house ever!" We lived in a condo in Ohio, our smallest square footage since our tiny apartment in Holland...I mean, Macie slept in our CLOSET for the first 11 months of her life! But, for Tyce, nothing will compare to living in that HUGE building. Yeah...you just can't win. Gotta love the mind of a four year old!

Resolute

2010-01-04T09:03:00.011-07:00

I'm all about the anti-resolution this year. I've set New Years resolutions for as long as I can remember. I've always been a very goal-oriented person. And, I've always thought of this as one of my "strengths". But, over the last few months I've been reevaluating...and now I'm not so sure. Most of the time, for me, working towards a goal just becomes an excuse to be crazy and obsessive which only leads to misery. So, as an experiment this year, I'm not going to make a single goal. Instead, I will just chill out and trust myself to do what is good for me...and YES, I know what is good for me. MODERATION. Doesn't sound revolutionary? For me, this is HUGE! Sure, there are things that I want to accomplish this year, but I'm pretty sure I will get there, just as a matter of natural course and following what makes me feel good. That's what I'm hoping for, anyways.

Anyways...we're back home from a wonderful three weeks in Holland. It was so great to spend time with friends and family. It's really too bad that a fantastic trip has to be framed on both sides by crappy travel and jet lag...but there's no getting around it! We're limping our way out of it, and are looking forward to the day when breakfast happens later than 4:30 a.m., and we're ready for bed later than 2:00 in the afternoon! I was going to do a full December wrap-up post. But, I'm just not feeling it. So, I'll just leave you with a few favorite shots...

In one of Tyce's tender moments (he has MANY...believe me) he was brought to tears over the thought of his snow ball melting. He can break my heart...

We braved the frigid temps and gusty wind (by that I mean hurricane force) for a moment on Anno's beloved beach. His parents live within a few minutes from the coast, and some of his best memories happened on that beach. Tyce loved the idea of playing in the sand, but when we got there, it was really too windy. It was fun anyways!

Tyce holding one of Joshua's pet turtles at Daan and Sabrina's house (Anno's brother and his wife.) Their house was PARADISE for our pet-deprived kids (they have turtles, fish, rabbits, a cat and a dog!)

In Rotterdam at Annie and Zeeg's apartment. They have a beautiful view, and Tyce loved looking at the boats going by. Tyce still talks about going back to see "Oma Annie".

We spent one morning at a beautiful little animal park close by Daan and Sabrina's house. Macie was feeling like a big kid that day, and didn't sit in her stroller once!

A special photo for Aunt Mandi. Tyce wanted her to see that Linda is in Holland too!
Tyce and his cousin Joshua (he's 8 months older than Tyce)...

Tyce LOVED the buses and trains in Holland. This was probably one of the highlights of the trip for him!

Browsing around in Alkmaar...love that place!
Santa came...Santa came!!!!
Macie with her "pretty things" from Santa.

Tyce wearing Opa's wooden shoes.

Happy 2010 everyone!

Merry Christmas from Holland!

2009-12-25T06:22:00.005-07:00

It has been a VERY white Christmas! We've been having a great time.

Can you see us through the snow! It was REALLY coming down!

For Tyce, it's all about the snowballs!

A few favorite gifts...

Little Miss in her new jammies, serving up tea with her new tea set from Oma and Opa...

And Tyce with his first "real" Lego set (aka the kind that I've been dreading with all of the TINY pieces. Anno is THRILLED, of course...and Tyce too!)

I'll post a full December round-up after we get home. But, for now...Merry Christmas to all!

A Work in Progress...

2009-11-11T13:05:00.003-07:00

This post is mostly for my Mom and Sisters. I realize that they may be the only ones interested in seeing step-by-step progress of our house rising from the earth...the rest of you can just come and visit when it's all finished and fabulous! Here is a recap...from the beginning, with two new pictures added from the past two weeks. So, bottom right is the latest picture.

Oh...and I have to add this one too. It seriously almost brought me to tears to look in our back window and see our stairs (going to the big open sky...but they're there!) And, I was pretty excited to see that big walk-in pantry next to them! It's just so weird to see a house in this state and imagine that your LIFE is going to happen within those unfinished walls. Crazy stuff.

I drove by with the kids this morning to see the "worker guys" and they've done so much just since last Saturday...they've done tons more framing and we actually have a roof! Too bad I didn't have the camera with me. I'm feeling the need to get on with the packing!

The Day After...

2009-11-01T12:26:00.003-07:00

So here we are, the day after Halloween. We had a wonderful day that began with a lazy morning and then an afternoon matinée showing of Where the Wild Things Are (Anno and I enjoyed it, Tyce liked it, but thought it was "too sad", and Macie was a nightmare...so Anno actually saw very little of it, I guess!) Before we went, we took a moment to read the book again, so Tyce would be aware of the monster factor before we were in a dark theater! Funny...I thought the monsters would scare him, but in the end it was the sad parts that had him wailing like a banshee.

Later in the evening, the kids had a blast Trick-or-Treating.

Today, Tyce spent the whole morning, after breakfast, FEASTING on his loot, and hardly made a dent in his HUGE bowl of candy. He was literally bouncing around the house with a crazed look. He needed an intervention. Enter the second phase of the plan: the trade. This worked so well last year, so we thought we'd try it again. We went to the store and he got to pick out a toy (within reason) and then when we got home he traded us the whole bowl for the race track that he picked out. Now, I've just got to make sure that the candy makes it into the garbage before I make my own dent in it! Now he's happy, we're happy, and the dentist will be happy!

For Grandma and Beeps and Meg...

2009-10-20T14:50:00.002-06:00

...what we've been doing this afternoon (special thanks to Oma and Opa for this gift! Echt een geweldig cadeautje!)

October

2009-10-18T10:29:00.004-06:00

Seems I can't keep up with anything these days! Every time I post on this blog, I vow to post more regularly...which never seems to happen. Oh well! So, what's been keeping me busy?

Well, we're building this...and so excited about it! Should be done in the Spring...stay tuned!

We're loving this little whirlwind...

and trying to keep up with his 4 year old mood swings...

We were SHOCKED with this blast of early winter...

And that's us in a nutshell! Life is good!

Happy Long Weekend!

2009-09-07T19:28:00.004-06:00

I don't even care WHAT we're celebrating...I'm just happy to have Anno home for an extra day! We had a great weekend, with mostly beautiful weather. There's definitely a twinge of fall in the air, but the sky is blue and clear! Love it!

On Saturday, we FINALLY had our yard sale. We've been preparing for it for months, and dreading it for even longer than that. We weren't sure how to swing it with the kids, especially Little Miss, but it all worked out in the end. We set Tyce up with a cookie stand, and that kept him busy and motivated all day long! And, Macie wasn't feeling that great, so she either just wanted to be held, or was asleep. Hated that she was sick, but loved that for once, the timing of sickness wasn't totally off.

Macie had to get in on the cookie action too (with a leopard that she rescued out of the 25 cent toy box!) Today we spent the afternoon at Big Sky Garden Railway in Nanton, Alberta. What a random little place. But, with all of the model trains buzzing around, AND the miles and miles of track to play on with dozens of Thomas and Friends trains...Tyce was in heaven! And, Macie had a great time too.

So, September is off to a SUPER start! We're hoping for many more beautiful fall days, and maybe even a few hot ones, so we can sit and soak like this:

Hello!

2009-08-04T13:41:00.002-06:00

Summer is going way too fast. We're back home after a wonderful trip to Utah. So sorry that we missed seeing friends this time...I guess it was a mostly family affair! July was so packed full of activity that I'm not even going to try and recap. I'll just say it was full of parades, concerts, movies, plays, shopping and eating out. And, of course, lots and lots of swimming and sun. Hope everyone is having a lovely summer!

No Way!

2009-06-06T08:22:00.006-06:00

Seriously? SERIOUSLY??? This is what we woke up to this morning...

AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Please, let me go back to some May memories...to some sunnier days...when things made SENSE!

There was a visit from Grandma...

for lots of play time and, of course, for a birthday party!

Happy Birthday Tyce! He is so much fun lately. I'll definitely dedicate my next post to him, and all of the things I love about him. I have a very good feeling about life with a 4 year old!

There was LOTS of sunshine and LOTS of MUD at the backyard "construction site"

Yes...I let this happen on a regular basis...I may be sacrificing flower beds, but the HOURS (literally) of entertainment for Tyce is well worth the mess!

We had a glorious evening picnic and play time at a nearby spray park...

And then there was THIS lady...

getting so big! She's walking all over the place and trying so hard to communicate.

PLEASE, come back summer!

Weekend Scenery

2009-05-11T08:23:00.003-06:00

We had a beautiful Mother's Day weekend spent down in Cardston with lots of family! The two and a half hour drive (which I always secretly dread with the kids) went relatively smoothly. We had the opportunity to enjoy the scenery "up close and personal" as we stopped MULTIPLE times for potty breaks. What is it with boys and the obsession with poop and pee and what happens to it after it leaves the orifice? Well...leaving "his mark" in a field or a ditch resulted in much intrigue and excitement for Tyce. Poor Anno was on official potty duty and was feeling the strain and wet pant legs by the time we got home! He'll hate these bum shots, but if you've got it, you might as well flaunt it, right??? Sometimes Anno and I just look at each other and marvel at what has become of our lives! But, for the most part, it is a SWEET life! Thanks to Anno for the extra pampering and alone time, Tyce for the Sponge Bob Square Pants talking card, and to Macie for all of the cuddles and loves. It was a great weekend!

Fireman Tyce

2009-04-30T12:15:00.005-06:00

We had so much fun yesterday visiting my cousin Kristi's husband Doug at his fire station nearby. Honestly, Tyce was so excited that his teeth were chattering and he was shaking like a leaf. Must be a boy thing. But, I have to admit that being up in the basket on the fully extended ladder WAS pretty thrilling (Macie was holding on to me for dear life!)

Doug was such a good sport...I just love it when people take time for kids and "indulge" their curiosity and excitement. He's definitely in the right job!

Lately, we've started this new bedtime ritual to help Tyce understand what dreams are. Every night I ask him what he's going to dream about. He scrunches his eyes closed and says, "I'm checking" and then describes his toddler boy dreams to me (trains...trucks...cars...whatever!) It's so cute. Of course, last night it was all about Fireman Doug and Fireman Chris and spraying the fire hose. I have a feeling I'm going to be hearing a lot of Fire Station dreams in the days to come.

Unsprung

2009-04-22T20:04:00.007-06:00

Weird title, I know...it's my way of expressing our current weather situation. It was spring...oh, it was a lovely two days! And now, winter is back, the snow is falling and I cannot believe it! I'm sure it will be gone within a few days, but COME ON!!! Anyways, seeing as April is coming to a close, I thought I'd post an update of what we've been up to.

Slowly, slowly we're getting settled in and feeling "at home". April has been a whirlwind of unpacking, meeting neighbors, finding Spring classes and teams to register for...we've definitely been keeping busy!

These two are the best of friends and the worst of enemies, a hundred times over during the course of a day...pretty normal, I guess. Here's a moment of being best of friends, which quickly turned into Macie pinching Tyce's cheek and Tyce flipping her onto her head. sigh...

We did have a visit from the Easter Bunny, which Tyce still hasn't stopped talking about! Hidden eggs and chocolate bunnies...Yum!

We had our lovely traditional Easter breakfast (yummy breads, cheeses and boiled eggs) and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day. I also made "green smoothies" to balance out all the sugar and chocolate. We've been LOVING these lately! I just load the blender full of berries, a banana, some orange juice concentrate, some crushed pineapple, plain yogurt, ice cubes and as much spinach as I can pack in. It is very green, so for the longest time I put it in colored cups for the kids so that Tyce wouldn't be able to see (he's not a fan of green veges), but eventually I found out that it doesn't bother him at all and he asks me to make them all the time. Macie loves it too. Skeptical? You've gotta try it. Seriously yummy.

Last week we went to "Canada's Largest Model Train Show" at the Calgary Soccer Centre. It was a Tycie feast! Along with all of the amazing trains set up, there was a whole area with miles and miles of track on the floor and Thomas and Friends trains that kids could actually play with. It was a zoo...can you find Tyce?

Macie was a trooper. This day was definitely all about Tyce!

Here are a few pictures of our Spring. It took Macie a long time to actually put her hands down and touch the grass. But, of course, Tyce was all about the dirt and his "mighty machines". He was building rock quarries and setting up construction sites for two days straight! Please come back Spring! We miss you!

A Very Merry UNBirthday...

2009-04-06T12:09:00.008-06:00

To you, Miss Macie! No, she's not "officially" one yet (still another week), but we decided to turn a dinner party with dear friends into a birthday party. Honestly, we probably wouldn't have done a birthday party if it wasn't for Tyce and his love of birthdays. This was basically all for him, but Macie seemed to have a good time too! Being the youngest, she, like all other "youngests" got some special treatment that older siblings (ie. Tyce) wouldn't have gotten in a million years from us when he was one...CAKE! Yes, we've loosened up (big time!) And, she LOVED it!

Tyce and I spent the last week making decorations and talking about how to make it Macie's "best birthday ever!" Which according to Tyce, it definitely was!We had fun making these stained glass looking flowers for the windows (found here .) You can

see them behind Brett and Paula below...(sorry Paula, I know you won't like me posting this picture, but it is a GREAT picture of the two of you, and of the flowers!)

Happy Birthday Macie!

Fab Friday

2009-04-03T15:52:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I just like to sit back and watch the interaction between Tyce and Macie, and marvel at how they communicate and "play" together. I have to rush in and save the day every 10 minutes (save Macie, that is!) But, I try to let Tyce work it out for a few seconds first. He does try to be a good big brother, most of the time. I laugh a lot at what I see and hear. This is the scene that I just enjoyed...sorry, no photo...I try to be as invisible as possible! Anyways, Tyce has been crouched under Macie's high chair for the last 15 minutes, while she's been eating crackers and grapes. He has a broom and dustpan, waiting for her to drop stuff. Everytime she does, he sweeps it up and says, "that's okay little lovey...you're just an itty bitty." Of course, by now, Macie thinks it's a game and is dropping EVERYTHING on the ground, which, of course, is exactly what Tyce wants to happen. Ahhh...good times! Happy Weekend Everyone!

A MOVING Experience

2009-03-15T21:02:00.006-06:00

It all started out as a kind of love fest...

I truly loved that movers came to pack us all up...
Tyce loved the movers and the moving truck...
Little Miss loved all of the empty cupboards...And then we were loving the IDEA of a few days in a hotel (ever striving for the "vacation feeling".) Until the reality of living in close quarters with two little lovies settled in (after about 12 hours of our "vacation".) We lasted long enough to find a house and do all of the essentials until we fled to my Grandma's lovely house a few hours south for some much needed breathing space. Then, back up to Calgary to get moved into our new house. We were greeted with multiple moving trucks, bringing us not only everything that we used and needed for the last year and a half in Ohio...but, of course, all of the "stuff" that was in storage for the last year and a half...all of the "stuff" that we haven't needed, or used, or even THOUGHT about. Oh boy.
Take a look at the work of art below (the list...not me!) This was my master list, with every box listed and a description of what was inside and which room it came from, and as the movers came into the house, they called out a number and I had to quickly read the description and then tell them where to put it. Pretty intense.
***ADDED NOTE*** While I'd like to take credit for this list...it was provided to me by the movers...it wasn't my creation!

Definitely not a love fest anymore! I thought it was going to feel like Christmas...instead it's more like living in someone else's really bad garage sale. We've got a LOT of work to do. Good thing I've got LOTS of help...

Change is a comin'...

2009-02-20T15:32:00.004-07:00

You know something big is around the corner when we bust out with a paper chain to count down the days! Tyce is SOOOO excited to go "back to Canada" he can hardly stand it! He asks dozens of times a day "how many sleeps until we go back to Canada??" The paper chain helps...a little. We're all pretty excited and overwhelmed at what has to happen in the next 9 days...yes, 9 days! The movers come on Monday...the car goes on Wednesday...lots of "lasts" will happen(school day, work day, doctor and dentist appointments) and then we will fly out next Sunday. It will be a VERY BUSY WEEK! Please excuse me if the blog is even more neglected than usual! Calgary here we come (back) !!!

Happy Love Day?

2009-02-14T06:06:00.004-07:00

We're definitely not in love with our runny noses, yucky coughs, and sore throats. We'll spare you the sight of our unhealthy faces...no pictures on this post! Hopefully this "V" Day finds you happier and healthier than what we have going on in our house this weekend. That, my friends, is my Valentine wish for you. Can you tell that I'm an exhausted, sick mommy trying to parent without a voice? I need a hug from my Valentine.

Global Warming? I think not!

2009-02-07T16:43:00.004-07:00

This...

is the kind of snow we've been dealing with lately...(Tyce's tricycle on the back patio.)

I am officially a non-believer in Global Warming...sorry Mr. Gore (please sir, come to Ohio and be compelled to rethink your science.)

Luckily...Tyce LOVES the snow. So, when the thermostat creeps past freezing, we get bundled up and go out for snowy adventures.

This is him on the "hills" in the parking lot...

Good times.

On a different note...Macie is getting bold and brazen in her ability to stand. Here she is showing off with a one handed hold...

Impressive!

Green

2009-01-28T16:37:00.003-07:00

After spending a few weeks observing cousin Tommy's vegan habits (with a ferocious inclination towards broccoli), Macie decided he might be on to something...

First there was a tenative finger lick...

And then there was the broccoli binge...

yum.

Thanks Tommy for showing Mace that broccoli is cool.

Hair

2009-01-04T16:31:00.002-07:00

What she lacks in volume...she makes up for in height!

Impressive, right??

Merry Christmas To All...

2008-12-25T14:38:00.004-07:00

Ours was certainly Merry and Bright!

Our traditional Christmas Eve Family Band and new jammies were just a few of the highlights...

"Mr Harmonica"...we could hardly get a picture of him, he was moving so fast!
The "clacker" was Macie's instrument of choice...but she was amazing on the tamborine too!

This was our first Christmas with just us. And while we definitely missed the big family Christmas with Grams, Beeps, and the whole crew...we have certainly enjoyed the cozy, simple pleasures that come with a little family of four!

Merry Christmas everyone!

T is for Tyce

2008-12-20T13:26:00.005-07:00

For almost a year now, Tyce has been obsessed with his name...specifically the spelling of his name. I taught him how to spell it out loud...he'd say, "I'm T-Y-C-E!!!" everytime anyone asked him his name. So cute. He'd say it, but he didn't really know what he was saying and couldn't recognize or write any of the letters. We started working on that. Then, he started obsessing over the letter T. He looked for Ts everywhere (Target is "his store", intersecting cracks filled with tar in the pavement are Ts etc...) He also loves to make Ts with his food, toys, magnets etc... He'll be playing something by himself and I'll go to clean it up later on and see that he left everything lined up in a perfect T. Very funny.

Here are a few of his Ts that I caught on camera:

The "body T" on the beach...

The "branch T" (look close)...
The "grapes T"...

The "pretzel T"...The "fancy painted T"...
And this was my favorite. I was in the other room when I heard Tyce shouting, "Mom...hurry get the camera...Mace is making a perfect T!" Too bad I wasn't quite quick enough with my camera, so you see her making more of an X!

Which Craft?

2008-12-11T14:24:00.009-07:00

Being a mom has forced me to be all kinds of things that I probably wouldn't be sans kiddos. Being crafty is a good example of that. I'm really not very creative...I've always left that to my mom and little sis. I've tried to force it in the past, because I would truly LIKE to be crafty. Eventually, I had so many started and never finished projects, that I was going CRAZY! One day I packed every non-completed project into a suitcase and the next time I went to my Mom's house, I took them with me and handed them over to much more capable hands. And, since then, unless it is in Photo Shop...I don't even think about starting "projects."

Fast forward to life with an artsy 3 year old. Tyce LOVES "art projects." Coming up with different projects has actually been a lot of fun for me. There are SO many blogs out there, full of amazing projects...and step by step instructions...to do with kids. I started by going to the "favorite sites" of friends of mine who I know are crafty. For example, my friend Megan. I added tons of her favorites (on the left side of her blog) into my Google Reader, et voila! A million different projects to do with Tyce (thanks so much, Meg!) I always make sure that I have our "art closet" stocked full with all kinds of supplies and treasures, and we've had so much fun.

Here's a sampling... (I wish I could remember all of the blogs that I got these ideas from, but I can't...sorry!)

One variation of our Halloween spider webs (there were MANY):

Our Thanksgiving turkey made from cereal boxes:
Paper chain for Grandma and Beeps' arrival (excuse the mismatched pajamas!):

A painted and decorated race car (we've also done planes, trains, and trucks) :

Snowmen out of home made green playdough:
And the grand daddy of them all (and I do take full credit for the creativity behind this one)...

Photo puzzels made with our new found favorite, the Cuddle Bug (the fact that I actually purchased a die cut machine tells you that I'm pretty committed to this whole art project thing...it's so much fun!)

We chose some favorite photos and mounted them on sticky-backed foam paper. Then Tyce's favorite part: running through the Bug with the puzzle die cut. We put a different color on the back of each photo, so it makes it a 2 step activity...

first separate all the pieces into colors...

and then put the pieces together! So much fun!

Oh, and one last little crafty thing I did when my Mom was here...advent calendars with mini muffin tins! We cut out the numbers with the cuddle bug and then decorated the squares. They just have little magnets glued to the back to hold them in place. Tyce is having so much fun taking one off each morning, putting it in the little box, and then eating the chocolate surprise!

Feelin' Blue

2008-12-08T08:05:00.005-07:00

I've been flying high this last week with my parents in town! Today, I'm feeling that kind of let-down feeling when something you've been looking forward to, is over. I kind of forced them into coming (found their tickets online, booked them, and then forwarded them the flight details!) We just love having them here. Tyce honestly had the best week of his life sharing his room with Grams and Beeps. My poor parents had a VERY enthusiastic wake-up call from him every morning (once at 3 am!) He thought he had hit the toddler jackpot! I don't know how I'm going to compete with the attention and excitement that they POURED on him...I've got my work cut out for me!

Decorating a gingerbread house...

Putting the decorations of the what-we're-calling-the-Christmas-tree (who says a Christmas tree has to be pine??)...

Playtime with Beeps...

One day while they were here, they watched Tyce and Macie while Anno and I went to Chicago for the day. We had such a great time. It was our first time in the city (except in the airport) and we were definitely not disappointed. We went by train from Toledo, which was so much fun! We slept and read and couldn't stop smiling...just SO excited to have a day to ourselves, knowing that our kidlets were safe and happy at home. The weather in Chicago was BEAUTIFUL: cold and sunny. We spent time on the top of the John Hancock building, had amazing pizza for lunch, and went to see Wicked (we were on the 2nd row...awesome!) When we came out of the theater it was dark and twinkly and snowing. It was just perfect. We ducked into a Borders book store and drank coffee, read our books, and...couldn't stop smiling!

This was the second year in a row that my parents were with us for our Dutch Sinterklaas party (that officially makes it a tradition, Mom and Dad...) We made finger foods and opened presents...Tyce had a blast! Mace sat back and observed. It was a fantastic night.
Sinterklaas brought us new Christmas stockings...
We also celebrated my Mom's birthday...

Come back soon, Grams and Beeps...we miss you already!

P.S. Don't you want to eat her up???

Unexpected

2008-11-22T08:47:00.005-07:00

ADDED NOTE: This is not a review of Twilight or any other movie (no spoiler alert needed here!)

You know when you go to a movie with super high expectations, and then come out disappointed 99% of the time? Or, on the flip side, when you go into the theater with low (or even no) expectations, and you come out pleasantly surprised most of the time? Well, this week was like scenario two for me. I was DREADING this week: a whole week of crappy weather, a sick and miserable Tyce at home from preschool...ALL those hours to fill...yuck! I was expecting frazzled patience, cabin-fever, indigestion, and anything else that might accompany a mom at the end of her wits and sanity!

But...I got this instead...

Angel boy, gazing out his window "looking for cloud shapes." I literally felt my heart squeeze in my chest when he said this. Granted, this is how I caught him when he was supposed to be in his room having a nap, but, I'll take it! He has been an absolute PLEASURE this week. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed being a mom, and loved our time together. He has been an active, engaged, polite little man and I couldn't be happier (TRULY...and not just for the sake of blog land fantasies!)

Oh yeah...she has been pretty delicious too!

Something's missing...

2008-11-16T17:04:00.006-07:00

...Tycie's GIGANTIC tonsils! He got them out a few days ago. He has never really had problems with them ie. infections, but he did have snoring and choking issues, so the E.N.T. recommended that they come out sooner rather than later. So, we went ahead. I was a wreck. I had major anxiety and almost chickened out a dozen times during the last few weeks. But, in the end, they came out, and it has honestly been a breeze. He hasn't even mentioned having a sore throat once! He is just SO happy about all of the popsicles, ice cream, and extra TV time..

I didn't explain anything to Tyce until we were at the hospital waiting for our appointment. In retrospect, this was definitely the right thing to do. He didn't have any time at all to fret and worry. He was so curious at the hospital that he was all too happy to put on his "funny hospital jammies", jump on his "funny bed with wheels" and be wheeled off for "his turn" with perfect strangers. He even gave me a little wave as he left the room. Unbelievable.

The surgery went well, and while Tyce had a hard time waking up (lots of tears and confusion), as soon as he was with it, he was more than happy to gobble up the popsicles and slushies the nurses presented him. I was told beforehand that we wouldn't be able to leave the hospital until Tyce ate at least something. Well...5 popsicles (the DOUBLE ones) and 2 slushies later...we were on our way home.

I dutifully gave him his pain meds every 4 hours for the first 24 hours, and expected a whiny, sleepy child (I even had a secret pile of magazines I wanted to read during all of his sleepy down time.) But, with the exception of being pretty mellow/lethargic on day two, he has been completely normal, and after day two, he has just had normal Tylenol a couple of times a day..

I say completely normal...but there are some differences. This is really weird, so if you have had a similar experience, PLEASE comment and let me know! It seems like the surgery has changed his character/personality. His voice is different...higher pitch (not weird.) But, he's also using different words and just sounds different, besides just the pitch. He is using super sweet, kind of baby talk constantly. Kind of whiny, but not in a super annoying/I'm not getting my way kind of deal. Just like...baby talk. This is really hard to explain. I told you...it's weird.

Anyways, our biggest challenge is getting him to choose quiet activities, because he's supposed to have two weeks of calm and quiet (no jumping, running etc...) AND a soft food diet. Well, he wants to dance and practice gymnastics and eat EVERYTHING. Try telling a 3 year old he can't do what he wants because he's supposed to be sick.

Tyce's "quiet time"...

Oh...and look who's lovin' solids and sitting...

Congratulations, Mr. President...

2008-11-05T06:13:00.004-07:00

You had my "heart vote"...which counted about as much as my "Canadian vote", I guess. But still...I'm celebrating today! Today, I'll look at my fellow Ohioans with greater pride & appreciation! Now, if only we could do something about the Proposition 8 situation in California. That's the only shadow on my happiness today.

***UPDATE: Another ray of hope and JOY: I just paid $1.99/gal for gas! I didn't think we'd EVER see dollar days again!

Spooky Stuff

2008-11-01T06:47:00.007-06:00

Halloween was so much fun this year. Tyce was SO incredibly excited about everything: party at school, dressing up, trick or treating (of course!) Anno and I took him out around 6 pm, when it was still light, thinking we'd just hit a few houses and head home. 2 HOURS later, Tyce was still going strong. He'd find the houses with porch lights on, run up to the door, knock and wait until someone answered and then SHOUT: "Happy trick or treat!" It was so cute. Anno and I could not believe how big he seemed this year compared to last. His bucket was so full that we had to help him carry it between houses (now...what to DO with all that candy???) Macie was happy to stay snuggled up in the stroller and just...stroll!

Giraffe Tyce (we had to choose a costume that was neither scary, nor superhero oriented for his Christian school that celebrates HARVEST not Halloween...so giraffe it was! He asked us what sound a giraffe makes....hmmmm...dumb parent moment!)

Spook Baby...
Cute spider clip...
All bundled up and ready to go!
It was such a fun night. For all of the lows that come along with being 3 1/2...there are a lot of HIGHS! Everything is so exciting through Tyce's eyes. It's fun to watch him see and experience things for the first time. Now, SERIOUSLY...what to do with all of that candy????!!!!!

Blahg

2008-10-03T08:43:00.007-06:00

I've been suffering from a case of the blogging blahs...big time. I think it's because I don't want my blog to be my hobby for some reason, and I don't want to experience my life through a blog lense. Does this make sense to anyone but me? You know those lists you see: "You know you're a true blogger if..." and the list is composed of things like "you plan fun things to do just so you can blog about them" etc... So, when I start to notice that my reaction to things is to mentally spin them into the next blog post, I start to get bugged. So, what does this mean? I'm not sure. It's probably just a phase I'm going through. It's weird that adults go through phases just like toddlers do...do we ever stop? Tyce is going through the "spit on everything" phase, or "cleaning with drool bombs" as he likes to call it. Lovely. Maybe my phase is not so different.

Anyways, while I figure out what this blog means to me, I'll post a few photos of what we've been up to the last few weeks...

We went for a ride on "Bluebird" the train...

We've been enjoying the shift into Fall (and yes, that sometimes equals shorts and rain boots...)

We've been growing thighs...

And eating toes...

and making friends...

Tyce looked at Macie a few days ago and said, "Mace...you're getting HUGE!"

I have to agree.

Girl Talk

2008-09-07T08:47:00.002-06:00

This wee lady has A LOT to say!

P.S. You'll probably only appreciate this video if you're a grandma or an adoring aunt!

August Rush

2008-08-31T18:07:00.005-06:00

August 31st???!!! What??? I can't believe that tomorrow is September 1st and I haven't posted once in August! I have so many photos from the last few weeks..we have experienced August in a BIG way! Here are a few of my favorites:

We celebrated my Grandma's 80th birthday at Fairmont Hot Springs in Montana with lots of family...

We said goodbye to Anno and went to Utah to spend extra time with Grams and Beeps, and the rest of the fam swimming and PLAYING...

And Tyce got a new haircut from Aunt Meg...he's SUCH a big boy now!

And check out Mace...this chunky monkey is changing every single day! AHHHH...give me back my baby!

Guy Stuff...

2008-07-27T07:58:00.003-06:00

Hi everybody...this is Anno writing today. Sorry to all you English speaking people that normally read our blog...for a change I am writing a bit in Dutch for our family overseas.

***Kel’s quick translation of text below: Tyce and Anno had a WICKED time watching the Monster Trucks at the Toledo Speedway last night. They came home with more testosterone than could fit through the door, and exciting tales of crushing, stomping, and fire breathing dinosaurs! Fun times for the guys… I got to stay home with this sweet girl:
...and now from Anno...
Het is wel een keertje tijd dat we ook eens een stukje in het Nederlands schrijven. En natuurlijk is de eer dan aan mij om een stukje te schrijven. Annie dank je voor de inspiratie, zij is de eerste geweest om nu al twee keer een berichtje achter te laten op het blog (in het Nederlands). Heel erg lief vonden we dat, moeders moest hier maar eens een voorbeeld aan nemen. Annie, de volgende keer dat je een berichtje achterlaat kun je dan ook even je e-mail adres opschrijven.
Tyce en ik hebben gisteren een mannen uitje gehad. We zijn met zijn tweeen naar de MONSTERTRUCKS geweest. Tyce is al een tijdje gefascineerd door deze grote, luide, krachtige, typisch Amerikaans vorm van racen. En nu, dat ze hier in Toledo waren, was dat dan ook een goede gelegenheid om eens te gaan kijken. Gehoor bescherming mee en daar gaan we, motor fiets stunts, quad racing, hot dogs, hamburgers, luide muziek en natuurlijk de MONSTERTRUCKS. Vanaf zes uur s’avonds en dan om negen uur s’avond (erg laat voor Tyce) komt daar de Dinosaurus tank. Nog steeds enorm gefascineerd zat Tyce te kijken hoe deze vuurspugend truck zijn weg naar de auto’s baande. Toen deze Dinosaurus auto’s kapot begon the scheuren, dit vond hij een beetje eng, was het de perfect tijd om terug naar huis te gaan. Een erg geslaagde avond, en zeker voor herhaling vatbaar.

Dear Aunt Meg...

2008-07-21T16:27:00.006-06:00

Thanks again for the ice cream money...

My Mr. Freeze Soft-Serve was really...

REALLY yummy!

Love, Tyce

P.S.

Macie really likes her headband too!

Watermelon Rebellion

2008-07-16T12:41:00.005-06:00

Once in a while, I love being rebellious. It doesn't happen too often, and can manifest itself in a variety of ways: eating something ridiculously unhealthy, riding on a train without buying a ticket, staying in my pajamas all day, not returning my shopping cart to the return area...you get the drift, totally immature. Rebellious? I'll let you be the judge. Definitely my kind of rebellious, which actually might be defined as "responsibly rebellious" because I make sure that I'm the only person who could possibly be hurt by my actions. Ridiculous? You bet! I think my need to rebel comes from the fact that I never went through your typical rebellious phase as a teenager, so I've been trying to make up for it ever since!

Anyways, my latest episode happened a few days ago. Background info: my family eats a lot of watermelon in the summer. My Dad has a special gift which enables him to pick out the ripest, sweetest watermelons every time (a gift that I am happy to have inherited!) Anyways, growing up, all of us kids always wanted to have "the bowl" (the end piece of the watermelon.) My Dad always cut off the skimpiest "bowls" and to this day has a comment for anyone who dares to cut one that's too big. So, the other day I brought my perfect watermelon home from the store, cut off the "bowl", marvelled at it's perfect deliciousness, looked at the rest of the watermelon, and felt a ripple of rebelliousness that I knew I would indulge.

And sure enough...

Yes, the rest of the watermelon became my "bowl" (that's the top of my spoon that's poking up.) And I enjoyed every single bite (and didn't even mind running to the bathroom every 5 minutes for the next 3 hours!)

Sporty Tyce and the art of WAITING

2008-07-12T14:58:00.005-06:00

I haven't posted any photos or videos of Tyce and his little sporty self! Getting him involved in team sports has been an excellent way to help him learn how to take turns and WAIT...lessons that are hard to teach an only child! Now that he's not an "only" anymore, I'm totally convinced that creating situations for him that require patience and waiting are EXTRA important.

We started him in Swim lessons last fall in a parent/child class with Anno. He's now in his second session of an un-parented class and is doing great! I could barely watch the first few lessons...I was just sure that he was going to fall into the water while the teacher was busy with one of the other kids. Most of the class involves sitting on the side of the pool, feet in the water, waiting for his next turn.

At the beginning of the year we signed him up for soccer, which he LOVED! Anno has definitely passed on his love of all sports but especially THIS sport to Tyce. And, Tyce seems to be a natural. Once again, I was a total sceptic that he'd actually wait with the group, listen to the coach and actually...yes, WAIT! Imagine my surprise and delight when he proved me wrong on all accounts.

Now, we've started T-ball season. We've just had one game so far, but Tyce had a lot of fun. He really doesn't know anything about T-ball, not even the concept of running around the bases, so the first game was...interesting??? Just getting him around the bases took a lot of coaching and jiggly camera work by Anno! Check out this video...

All of these team sports are so much more about the bigger "life lessons" than about the sports themselves...which is a great place to start, I'd say!

Swaddle Me!

2008-07-02T18:17:00.005-06:00

We all feel the need to be swaddled once in a while, don't we? Tyce, who would really rather be Macie lately, asks me to swaddle him at least once a day! And, how can I say no? When he's swaddled, he lets me rock him like a baby, and it has been a LONG time since he has let me do that! Yummy, yummy cuddle time!

And then, there's the occassional stint in Macie's bouncy chair...

But, on the front lines of operation POTTY...we've made great advances this week! I think it was the day after I posted my potty woes that Tyce decided to start going poop on the potty...just like that! I don't know why, but I am THRILLED! Just like magic. Parenting seems so random sometimes!

I better post a shot of this little lady. She's my little "thinker." So often I'll go check on her while she's napping and she'll be striking this pose:

So cute!

Next Step...

2008-06-23T18:40:00.004-06:00

I've put off posting about this because it's kind of embarrassing. I'm sure I've passed judgment on plenty of moms who had 3 year olds who weren't potty trained. And yet...here I am. But, I kind of got nervous about something the other day in the store, so I thought I'd better post and ask for advice.

So, I'm standing in the store, looking for size 6 Huggies for Tyce. They're not easy to find and only a few stores sell them. And then I thought...what comes next? When he grows out of size 6, is the next step...

Diapers for adults??? Seriously...they don't make kid diapers bigger than size 6!

I'm TRYING not to stress over potty training. But, I have the feeling that if I don't stress and force the issue a little bit, Tyce will be wearing his Depends to sleepovers when he's 16 years old!

Here's the weird bit: at Preschool, so 3 half-days per week, he is totally potty trained. Yep...stays dry and goes on the potty every hour when they take him. But, he just REFUSES at home, and it becomes such a power struggle. And, from everything I've heard and read, that's exactly what I want to avoid. I thought it would get better with Macie in the house...and I've really tried to make a big deal about what a big boy he is and all of the differences there are between a big boy and a baby (including being able to wear COOL big boy underwear...which he refuses to even put on!) But, instead of being motivated, he'll just go in his diaper and then say to me: "I just went pee in my diaper...just like a baby!" And this doesn't bother him at all...he's proud of it!

So, here's my question: Will this really sort itself out? Do I just grit my teeth and keep changing the man-sized poopy diapers? I've tried every kind of bribe, chart, reward, and threat that I can think of. Advice, anyone...please??!!

A Really Good Day

2008-06-15T19:53:00.007-06:00

We spent a BEAUTIFUL Father's Day on the shores of Lake Eerie (doesn't sound very exotic, but it's actually a really nice beach at Maumee Bay State Park) playing in the sand and water...
Tyce did this...

and Macie did this...Then we went to brunch at the resturant in the hotel by the lake.

Tyce did this...
and Macie did this...And then she woke up long enough to have a picture in her yummy sundress (it seems like she's only wearing her cute dresses once before they're too small!) ...

We had a wonderful day together and wished that we could have had the other fathers in our life with us too. Anno and I are so lucky to have FANTASTIC fathers, and now my children are equally lucky to have an enthousiastic, loving "Pops" who is 100% committed to them and our little family. Life is so good. Happy Father's Day. And a special thanks to Macie for cooperating so beautifully and snoozing like an angel almost all morning long. It could have been a different kind of experience otherwise!

Speed Demon

2008-06-13T19:17:00.005-06:00

Wreckless driving at top speed...

Results in legs that look like these:

(Can you see all those bruises???)

P.S. Sorry about all of the background noise on the video...there was a very noisy truck in the parking lot!

Macie Madness and New Wheels!

2008-06-02T16:10:00.006-06:00

We're CRAZY about this girl! Here you go, Aunt Meg...new photos!

And...Tycie's new conquest...using the pedals on his new "big boy" bike (BIG "dank je wel" to Oma and Opa!)

Doei!!!

2008-06-01T06:38:00.009-06:00

Lieve Oma en Opa-

Wij missen jullie...vreselijk veel! We vonden het heel erg leuk...kom snel terug!

tot de volgende keer...

K, A, T, en M

Happy, Happy Birthday

2008-05-19T14:27:00.004-06:00

...Tycie Boy!

We started the celebration on Friday in Cleveland with Oma and Opa where we saw a BIG boat...

and big buildings...

But the REAL excitement began when we saw this guy puffing through the trees...

Thomas the Train made this the BEST day of Tyce's little life thus far!...

We closed out the festivities tonight, three days later with ice cream cake, presents, and fun friends!

Happy Birthday BugaBoo!

Time marches on...

2008-05-14T18:49:00.007-06:00

It's impossible to believe that it has been a month since this little girl made her grand entrance into my life. It is also impossible to believe that I thought I was at all prepared for the way that this sweet little bundle would rock my world and everything that I thought I knew about being a mom!

Over the last month...

We first had our first set of visitors/helpers: my sister Mandi and her four kiddos. The day after they arrived, there was a baby shower organized by some of my friends here in Ohio, and luckily Mandi, Lexie, and Emma were here just in time to join in the fun...

This cake was SO cute and SO delicious!

We spent a day in Detroit, first at the Science Center...

And then we went for lunch at Hockey Town, a little restaurant next to the Detroit Tigers stadium.

This is the last photo of me pregnant, it was about 2 hours before Anno and I went to the hospital!

And then there was a birth, which was SOOOOO different than my experience with Tyce. How wonderful for a self proclaimed Control Freak to be able to spend the day with family, stop at home to pick up a few things, and then calmly go to the hospital for a scheduled induction. Macie was born 3 hours after the petossin drip was started and honestly, I wouldn't change a single thing about her labor and delivery. It was a very good experience.

After Mand and the kids left, we had a few desperately lonely and crazy sleepless days until our next set of visitors/helpers arrived: my Mom, and little sister Megan with her baby Tommy...

And finally...our last set of visitor/helpers: Anno's parents. They've only been here for a week so far, and will be here for two more weeks before making the journey back to Holland. It's so great to see them again! I'll be posting more photos as we enjoy their stay with us!

Meet Macie

2008-04-20T08:40:00.004-06:00

Here she is...

Our little Miss Macie

Born April 14th, 2008

7 lbs 4 oz

20.5 inches long

...and SOOO delicious!

Worn Out

2008-04-07T07:58:00.004-06:00

In my entire life, I don't think I've actually worn THROUGH a pair of shoes. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that I get sick of them and move onto something else LONG before there are ever holes involved.

My little Tycie bug, on the other hand wears THROUGH everything...especially shoes! Just look at these...look at these!!!

And would you believe that this is the SECOND pair in less than 6 months (yes...I bought two of the exact same pair of Thomas shoes!) I'm pretty sure the holes are from his stubborn refusal to use the pedals on his bike...he prefers the scoot and drag action instead!

So, I need some advice here...do I spend more money on shoes to prevent the holes, or not a lot of money on shoes because the holes are inevitable???

A mighty FINE man!

2008-03-30T16:35:00.006-06:00

...MY mighty fine man! He has been so extra, extra good to me the last few weeks with my low energy and all of my aches and pains. He has definitely been stepping up and picking up major slack in the form of laundry, cleaning, taking Tyce out for extra outings, massages etc...etc...etc...

One of the highlights was a pedicure...performed by him! Thanks, babe...pampering and painting my puffy toes was one of the sweetest things ever!

Here they are in all of their swollen glory...

Okay, not the prettiest pedicure I've ever had, but definitely the sweetest!

P.S. I had to paint Tycie's toes, too...of course! The kid wants a piece of anything new! Now we both have, what Tyce calls "gorgeous red toes!" Love my boys!

Happy Bunny Day

2008-03-23T11:53:00.005-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Sunday! Anno and I were so excited to get Tyce out of bed this morning and tell him that the Easter Bunny had hidden eggs for him to find. Tyce couldn't believe his good fortune and ALL of the candy. He has asked me several times today: "Are we having a candy party today, Mom?" Okay...so maybe we went a bit over the top! Occupational hazard of being an only child, right?

Tyce on the hunt (gotta love the bed head!)

SOME of the goods...

Decorating eggs earlier this week...

P.S. We're searching for Spring here in Ohio...anyone seen it yet??? We keep getting little glimpses...through the snow drifts!

Ice Dancing

2008-03-14T07:13:00.004-06:00

A note to all readers: 34 weeks pregnant + falling on the ice = one BAD idea.

"Ice Dancing" as my Mom called it, makes my very awkward belly flop on the ice sound way more glamorous than it was...believe me! One moment I was coming out of the gym, planning the rest of my Tyceless morning, and in an instant I had slipped on some ice, fallen off the curb and landed straight onto my belly, without even catching myself (I'm not sure how this happened except that I had my water bottle, my cell phone, and my keys in my hands, and I guess I just didn't let go.) Laying there, face down in the parking lot was one of the scariest, surreal feelings that I can remember in a long time. I wanted to rewind and take it back SO bad. The weirdest thing was that my baby bump kind of disappeared...totally flattened out, and I just started freaking out big time.

I'll skip over the major melt-down, all-out panic attack and just say that I ended up in Labor and Delivery being monitored for a few hours (Anno met me there, which was so great) and the baby is just fine. Besides a twisted ankle and a bunged up knee, I'm just fine too. It could have been SO much worse. Things can change so quickly...which is my humbling lesson of the week.

How excited am I...

2008-03-07T07:27:00.003-07:00

to have the inside of my washing maching looking like this:

I decided today that I better get serious about the arrival of our little lady. So, I started washing all her clothes (Thanks Mand...we love the "Emma Collection!") How fun to fold all of the little jammies and dresses. I've got the "playing house" feeling today!

Bring on the pink!

A "Stolen" Day

2008-02-27T11:50:00.009-07:00

I felt like such a kid yesterday. I was SO excited to have an unexpected day with Anno at home after his project was closed because of weather (we got tons of snow!) As an added bonus, it was a school day for Tyce, so we had the whole morning to ourselves! I seriously got the giddy vacation feeling (pathetic, I know) and really enjoyed our time together. We did a bit of grocery shopping (not too exciting, but totally necessary) and then had lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, where we lingered and talked and ate. When we picked up Tyce from school, he was so excited to see both of us there...it was really cute. We went together to Starbucks to warm up and continue the Saturday feeling...oooohhhh, I was really loving it!

After a failed attempt at an afternoon nap, we put on our warm clothes and went out to play in the snow:

By the way...here is a photo of the 33 week baby bump (don't know if you can call this MOUNTAIN a bump anymore...but here you go!) Sorry about the weird angle, I was trying to take it by myself. Hopefully you can see it okay! Who am I kidding? Like you could miss it...I'm very bumpalicious these days!

Necessary Evil

2008-02-25T06:12:00.005-07:00

I'm starting to feel it. REALLY feel it. All of the sudden I'm undeniably pregnant...along with all of the aches and pains. I remember when I was pregnant with Tyce, there was a moment when I just couldn't face putting on my normal shoes, because of all of the pain and pressure in my feet...well, I'm there again. Anno, Tyce and I were enjoying the beautiful sunshine this weekend, and were walking around at an outdoor shopping place, when I felt like I could hardly go a step further. I hobbled into a shoe store and started looking for something comfortable, meaning FLAT, but cute...and came up pretty much empty-handed. The very smart sales guy must have recognized the look on my face, and led me over to the display of Crocs. Now, I don't want to offend anyone with my opinion of these "shoes", but I'm really not a big fan. My sister is a nurse, and her Crocs are an essential part of her work attire, and in my opinion, they go perfect with scrubs...and are cute on kids too, but not so great on the rest of us! Anyways, the sales guy wrestled me into a pair. These, to be exact:

I stood up and...HALLELUJAH! I felt like I was walking on clouds. So comfy...and so stinkin' ugly. But, I HAD to buy them, and I haven't taken them off since. This just reaffirms my opinion that all is fair in love and war AND pregnancy, and I can't take myself TOO seriously (I remind myself of this often when I'm standing in front of the pantry dipping pretzels into the jar of Nutella!)

Be Mine

2008-02-14T17:44:00.003-07:00

I decided to be a bit of a Domestic Diva today and make a special V-Day treat for my sweetie. Of course, I had LOTS of help from my little buddy Tyce. We made a seriously yummy red velvet chocolate cake (I found the recipe on the Martha Stewart website.) It has been a really long time since I've made a cake from scratch, but it turned out really good. Yes, it took twice as long to make with Tyce helping, and the kitchen was COVERED in cake batter (not to mention him and me!) But, it was a fun way to fill a cold, snowy, napless afternoon! We made it as a sheet cake, and then cut out hearts with a cookie cutter.

It turned out like this:

And here is my Valentine enjoying it (I know the way to his heart...definitely through his stomach!)

Tyce was pretty impressed with our creation, and ate his weight in raspberries and whipped cream...like father, like son!

Yippee!!

2008-02-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

We finally decided on a preschool for Tyce. Today is his second day, and so far...so GREAT! I was a nervous wreck on Tuesday (his first day), and had the BIGGEST lump as I left the building and drove home by myself. Then I felt the cloud begin to lift as I went to the gym, for a completely non-hurried workout. Then, the sun began to peak through as I took a long, leisurely shower at home, BY MYSELF. And then it was nothing but blue sky and blazing sunshine as I got dressed, did my hair/makeup while watching The View...oh blissful paradise! What a great feeling to know that Tyce is enjoying himself and getting some much needed socialization and structure that I've been struggling to provide for him since we moved here. BONUS: I get 4 hours, twice a week to do whatever I want, or nothing at all (which may be more like it over the next few months!) We were going to wait until he turned three, but we found this school with a really good toddler program (pre-preschool) and I just couldn't resist. PLUS, I didn't want Tyce to feel like he's being shipped off to school just because the new baby arrived.

Today, when I dropped him off, he was excited to be there, and the teachers were so happy and enthousiastic to have him there. I left without the slightest hint of a lump, and am now fully enjoying my "alone time." I briefly toyed with the idea of feeling guilty for a)needing this time alone or b) not being able to meet all of Tyce's needs. But, then I decided...nah...I'm just going to enjoy it and feel SO lucky to be a lady of leisure!

Toddler Determination

2008-01-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

Look who made it around his "race track" several times in the snow...

Even after being told many times by his reluctant Mom that it couldn't be done!

Never underestimate the potential of a determined toddler!

Flash Points

2008-01-17T05:23:00.000-07:00

Before I get to the subject of this post, I have to take a minute to celebrate Tyce and his toddlerhood. He really is a good kid, and for 90% of the day, he makes me smile and laugh...I'm so proud of him.

*He's so polite..."please", "thank you", and "you're welcome", all the day long.
*He's generally very helpful...loves to throw things in the garbage, put things away etc...
*He's such a social little creature...says "hello" to everyone we pass on the street, starts up a conversation with someone, wherever we go.
*He's so loving...there are plenty of "I love you, mommy" moments during the day.
*He's very accommodating to my daily needs (ie. exercise)...I know the gym daycare isn't his favorite place in the world, but he goes...and everyday when I pick him up, he greets me with a smile and a little jump/cheer routine (literally) along with a, "you're all done exercising, mommy?" Love it!
*He is becoming very independent, but more cautious at the same time, which is a great duo to develop simultaneously. However, the independent part is leading to a few issues (see below)

So, what can I possibly complain about with such an angel by my side. Well, he IS a toddler. There are a few things that we do everyday that are really difficult and press me to the screaming-Walmart-mom point...and I don't want to be there. First of all, every time we get in the car, he won't just jump in his car seat. NO...he has to scurry over to the other side of the backseat, just beyond my reach, and then refuses to climb into his chair. If I try to reach for him (which is getting more and more difficult with this growing belly of mine) he starts crying, "I want to do it...don't touch me!" Maybe this doesn't see like such a big deal, but in these FREEZING cold temperatures, with snow swirling around my head and blowing into the car, let me tell you...it feels like a big deal. So, I've gone the "let him feel like he's making a choice" route: "Okay Tyce...do you want to hop like a frog or slither like a snake into your chair." That worked about one time. I'm currently working the bribery angle: "Tyce, you can have these fruit snacks if you get into your chair...now!" This kind of works, but I HATE doing it.

Our second daily flash point is getting ready for bed. He's just so difficult (won't lay still to get his diaper on...twisting and turning and running away...throwing his toothbrush...crying and shouting the whole time.) It makes me so mad because even if the day was fantastic, it leaves me with a pit in my stomach if it ends like this. Plus, it's the only 45 minutes that Anno gets to spend with him, which really sucks.

So, tell me, is this just a toddler phase that we need to ride out with as much of our sanity intact as possible? Are we doing something wrong? Do difficult behaviours maybe have something to do with his anxiety about my growing belly and all of our talk of "baby sister?" If so, what can we do about it?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

A Holiday Wrap-Up

2008-01-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

So, we're back in Ohio after a very nice visit to Utah. I'm in full-blown "New Year=New Start" mode, and Christmas feels a bit "old news" at this point, but I think I better post some photos for those who we missed so dearly during the holidays (Oma en Opa, bij voorbeeld!) I was going to split it into several posts because I have lots of photos to share, but for some reason I feel a HUGE need to wrap it up, put it on a shelf, and move forward. This probably has to do with me being very forward-thinking right now, focusing on baby prep and my all time favorite symptom of pregnancy...NESTING! I'm actually a compulsive nester, even when I'm not pregnant. But, a bun in the oven gives me an excuse to organize compulsively, and focus on decorating projects...yeah!

So, let's see...

We crammed in as many pre-Christmas activities as possible, including making a gingerbread house and a train cake...
There was the VERY HAPPY reunion with Anno after two weeks of being apart...
Then before we could blink, we were spinning around in Christmas Eve festivities!

We acted out the Christmas Nativity...
We played some VERY noisy tunes in The Family Christmas Band...

Even Baby Tommy got into the groove!

And then it was Christmas morning...

We posed for the annual photo on the stairs...We marveled at the generosity of Santa...
...and Mother Nature for giving us a white Christmas!

There was at least one very happy little boy......and a very happy little girl...
During the week following Christmas, there was more food and more fun!

Tyce had his first try at ice skating with Jayden, Jamahl, Anno and Uncle Mike...

There was the big SURPRISE graduation party for my scholarly, ever-inspiring Mom at our good friend Colleen Bigler's house...

And even a trip to bounce around at Kangaroo Zoo...
And then it was over. We sat in the SLC airport, dazed and confused and suffering massive food hangovers and sleep deprivation...And now we're home...happy to be here but missing the hustle and bustle of life in Utah with so many friends and family around. Tyce has slept 15-17 hours per night since we've been home, poor kid! He looks around at our quiet condo and asks me, "where IS everyone, mom??" But, give us a few more days and we'll find our rhythm again. We'll have a few more months of NORMAL before we introduce the next tornado...a new baby!

Weekend Getaway

2007-12-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

Tyce and I are in Utah and having a great time (We miss you Anno...but from what I hear, you're having fun too!) This weekend we stayed up in Salt Lake City with my sister Mandi, her 4 bambinos, and my parents. It was VERY cold, but we all got bundled up to ride the light rail (Trax) from our hotel up to Temple Square to see the millions of lights on the trees. Tyce loved to look at all the twinkling lights...everything was "BEEAAUUTIFUL, Mom!"

Jamahl and Emma...

Waiting for Trax...
Grandma and Tyce...
Mom and Tyce...cheese!
On Saturday we went to the Children's Museum (Discovery Gateway) and had a blast. Tyce loved all of the different types of blocks (giant ones, tiny ones, magnet ones, tinker toy type things) to build with. There was also a wind tunnel that he sent bits of paper up into for about 45 minutes! If we lived around here, that would definitely be a place we'd get a yearly membership to. But...nothing could compare to the excitement of riding on the "train"...so we went for a few more rides before coming back to Provo.

Tyce, Jamahl, and the crane...

BIG blocks...

A "train track" of Dominos...Going up, up, up!

Paper or Plastic? This is what I would have loved when I was 3...

Thanks for the fun weekend everyone!

Club Pink

2007-12-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Is Club Pink ready for a new member? It looks likes #2 is a little girl! Wow! I'm super happy...overwhelmed...and full of questions about being a mom to a girl. Am I ready for this??

Life with a Seal

2007-12-03T08:02:00.001-07:00

Tyce woke up in the middle of the night barking like a seal...poor kid! He was coughing so hard it really scared him because he couldn't catch his breath. We gave him some medicine (he said, "thank you giving medicine me, mommy"...too cute!) and held him for awhile and he eventually wanted to go back in his bed. I had a very restless night...waiting for the next bark...which didn't come until this morning. He still has it, but not as bad as during the night. Now, he has a fever to go along with some seriously heightened emotions...he's so teary and sad and wants to be held (this is a SERIOUS sign of not feeling good...and the only part of sickness that I enjoy!)

Every time he coughs he looks so surprised that he's making those weird noises...and then starts crying again. I'm going to need to reach into my secret reserves of patience that I save for emergencies. I am going to try to just focus on how CUTE he is...just picture him sitting next to me on the couch, still in his Thomas pajamas, watching a movie and sipping his tea (decaf tea, milk, honey, and lemon juice...yummm!) I love this kid...seal bark and all! Get better soon Tycie...PLEASE!

Double Whammy!

2007-11-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

The food and festivities have gone on for days! We have had so much fun celebrating Thanksgiving AND Sinterklaas with my parents. Tyce was so excited that they came all the way to Ohio (he says ooooh-HI-oh!) to play with him. My Dad cooked the turkey, and Mom, Anno, and I worked on the rest of the fixins' for a very tasty Thanksgiving spread. Then, two days later, we all awoke from our turkey-induced comas just in time to prepare our feast for Sinterklaas! My mom and I had so much fun experimenting with all kinds of hor d'oeuvres (the stuffed mushrooms: huge hit...mini corndogs: not so much.) We also had a cheese plate with crackers and baguette. mmmmm...I ate WAY too much and enjoyed every single bite! Around 7 pm there was a loud knock at the door, and when we opened it there was a big bag of presents from Sinterklaas himself. We all had fun opening gifts, but, of course, Tyce had the biggest score of the night. Along with lots of smaller gifts, Tyce got a train table which was a HUGE hit!

Here are the two big boys and their little helper putting up Christmas lights...

And a few more photos from the last few days. We're going to go into major withdrawal when our visitors leave! Just a few more days....sigh....

Sinterklaas Kapoentje

2007-11-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

Oh...it has been a HUGE weekend. Sinterklaas arrived on his big boat from Spain...with his black-faced helpers (zwartepieten) and his beautiful white horse Witje. Of course, we weren't there, but we're just as excited. Dutch children wait all year for that boat to come ashore and officially begin two weeks of celebration leading up to the Sint's birthday. Tyce sets out his little shoe every night by the furnace (hey, we improvise...no fireplace here!) and he sings a song to Sinterklaas and his helpers, hoping he'll find a present in the shoe in the morning. He must be a VERY good boy, because so far there has been a present waiting every morning. Lucky kid! It's so much fun to see him get excited and kind of understand what is going on. This is the first year that I feel like celebrating the holidays is as much for him as it is for us and it's awesome! Anno's having a great time teaching him the songs and telling him stories about Sinterklaas and the zwartepieten.

I think it will be a few years before Tyce understands the difference between the Dutch Sinterklaas and the American Santa Clause. The other day in the store, he was holding a Santa Clause stuffed animal, and asked me, "where's his horse, Mom!" So cute. It's too bad the Americans had to switch to reindeer and a sleigh...oh well! For now, Tyce will just enjoy his good fortune...celebrating both holidays (and getting twice as many presents, of course!) Next Saturday, we'll be having our big Sinterklaas party (a little bit early, but we wanted to have it when my parents are in town!) I'll be sure to post photos as the festivities unfold.

Pop Rocks

2007-11-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Remember these? The little crystal candies that did CRAZY things on your tongue? Didn't we all love them? Well..."Pop Rocks in my belly" is the only way I can describe how I feel the last few days! It makes me laugh as I feel my little belly bean start to get his/her groove on! It's that very strange, recognizable feeling that brings a little sigh of relief everytime it "pops." I'm enjoying it for now, because I know that very soon it will turn to gentle taps...then swift kicks and somersaults! And then, before I know it, I'll have this on my hands...

A full-fledged candy monster! This little monster ate every last piece of candy out of his pumpkin bucket (even the gross stuff!) And now, he BEGS me to go "trick treating" on a daily basis. It may be a long year!

Empty Tank

2007-11-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

I know I can't be alone in this. Most of the time, the day starts beautifully...happy faces, soft voices, good attitude all the way around. I have only great expectations for the hours we have to fill. And most of the time, things do run smoothly (with a few bumps and twists along the way) all the way until evening. And then somehow, in those few hours, or sometimes few minutes before Tyce's bedtime, things fall apart. I feel like I don't have any patience left, like I have nothing left to give. And, most of the time, it's a VERY good thing that Anno is home and although he's tired, he has a new store of energy for Tyce. But, when he's not home in time for the whole bedtime routine (like last night) I'm left feeling like I'm the worst Mom in the world. I know there are single moms out there who do this every night, and probably just dig deeper if they're feeling empty. I'm not sure how to do that. Any suggestions?

Halloween Fun

2007-11-01T12:29:00.000-06:00

It was hard for me to find a costume for Tyce this year. He's pretty picky about what he'll put on, so it had to be super comfy and non-fussy. In the weeks leading up to the big night, I tried many times to get him to try it on...no go. So, a few days before Halloween, I tried one more time, this time telling him that it was a Teletubby costume and...MAGIC! Manipulation is WAY too easy at this stage! :) Anyways...it was the night that the shops by our house had their big party for kids with trick-or-treating, hayrides, the works! So...we headed right over, knowing that it could and probably would be the only time Tyce would put his costume on (we were right, by the way!)

So, here are a few photos of Tyce the Teletubby Teddy Bear...

As you can see, he wouldn't keep his little hat on, despite the rain...oh well...he loved the candy and seeing all of the other kids!

The night before Halloween, we decorated cupcakes and cookies for some friends and neighbors. We had so much fun! Here is what the finished goody plate looked like...

Tyce had a blast with the frosting and the candies...

Here's what his finished product looked like...

He was very proud of himself, and ate WAY more frosting and candies than actually made it onto his cookies!

Falling for Fall

2007-10-28T18:46:00.000-06:00

OOOOHHHH...I love these cool, crisp, sunny autumn days. We had such a lovely weekend getting lots of fresh air. Anno and Tyce love kicking the ball around and can entertain each other for hours with their rough and tough play. I love to watch them interact and marvel at the differences between how I play with Tyce (taking turns, teaching moments) and how Anno plays with him (kick, jump, tumble, and dive!)

I couldn't resist taking this last photo of Tyce and his "playground hair." He gets so full of static he almost lifts off the ground. So funny.

And, here are a few we took at the pumpkin patch. We still haven't carved them up yet (and we might not!) but they make festive decorations just sitting around the house!

Ouch

2007-10-22T11:38:00.000-06:00

I have a toothache...and it's killing me! I've been taking a blogging break, because I couldn't sit and concentrate long enough to post anything. I've been reduced to a barely functioning crazy lady who can barely take care of her toddler or hold a conversation...yeah, it has been that bad! And I thought pain was redefined for me after experiencing natural childbirth! It has been four days now, and I finally got into a dentist this morning. I was so scared that he was going to take a look and say, "well...everything looks great...I wish there was something I could do for you." I almost cried tears of joy when he said that I needed a root canal...anything to stop this pain!!! Now, several hours later, my mouth feels like...I just had a root canal, instead of like I was stabbed through the cheek with an acid coated pitch fork! I'm a happy crazy lady.

A Reminder...

2007-10-13T17:29:00.000-06:00

of very few days ago when the sun was hot and bright in the clear blue sky. We thought we were in a tropical paradise...pool side!

Today is cold and grey...55 degrees! Yikes! I always welcome the fall season, but need a moment to mourn the loss of summer. It's not that I don't LOVE fall...because I actually do love almost everything about it. It's just that I know what's lingering around the corner...WINTER!!! And THAT'S what I'm not ready for!

Left Behind...

2007-10-10T17:36:00.001-06:00

I'm feeling sorry for myself tonight. Anno is in Detroit with a few friends AND their wives at the Detroit Red Wings vs. Calgary Flames hockey game. I would LOVE to be there! We don't know anyone here well enough to ask them to babysit (except those who are AT the game), so here I sit. Sigh. I guess this is another one of those not-so-fabulous parts of mommyhood that goes along with the territory. Oh well. Good thing I have such a yummy little boy who makes sure that there are plenty of fabulous mommy moments to make up for it!

Life in the Fast Lane!

2007-10-07T18:29:00.000-06:00

It's kind of fun living in a condo again. Ours has a really great floorplan and LOTS of storage space, so we don't feel cramped at all. It's also kind of nice not being responsible for taking care of our backyard, because we don't have one. But, we are on the ground floor, with french doors going out onto a little patio and then a courtyard, shared by many neighbors. The courtyard has lots of pretty flowers, a fountain in the middle, and a circular path going all the way around. What does this mean for a toddler? RACETRACK!!! Tyce certainly doesn't know the difference between having no backyard and having a HUGE backyard also known as a courtyard. He thinks he owns the place. And, since we have yet to see another human being back there, it might as well be his! Our shipment from Calgary got here on Friday and in it was Tycie's tricycle. You can't even imagine how many "laps" Tyce has taken on the racetrack since then.

We're Here...now what???

2007-10-01T15:27:00.000-06:00

Since the last time I posted, I've driven with Anno to Ohio (3 LONG days of corn fields that somehow felt like a second honeymoon...weird!), flown back to SLC, spent a week with fam soaking up as much baby Tommy time as possible, and then on Saturday I flew here back with Tyce, and now here we are! Tyce was good on the plane, well...as good as can be expected from a two year old! Poor guy...he absolutely LOVES the idea of going on the airplane. In fact, nothing gets him quite as excited as mentioning going on an airplane, or even going to the airport. But, after about 20 minutes, so around take-off time, he's ready to get off and "find a different one." It was a long day. US Airways had us booked 6 rows apart, on both legs of our journey, and wouldn't change the reservation! So weird! They just had me negotiate with other passengers, on very full flights. Not that anyone gave me any grief...they took one look at Tyce's cheeky grin and were happy to switch seats with me...anything to avoid hours next to a toddler in a confined space! Anno met us in Detroit, and boy was I ever happy to see him!

So, here we are...trying to figure out what to do with all of the long hours of the day...wondering what our life will be like...filling drawers and cupboards and wondering when we'll be emptying out the same drawers and cupboards to go back to Calgary. Hmmm...life feels a little uncertain right now. Give me a few weeks and I'm sure I'll have things figured out! I'll take some photos in the next few days to post.

Tommy Boy

2007-09-16T15:07:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to announce that my little sister Megan had a little baby boy! I watched Thomas James Riskas IV enter this world...and I was amazed at Megan's strength and composure. It was such an unreal experience watching my baby sister deliver her first baby, and in these first few days since his birth, she has shown us all what a fantastic mother she will be (Teej is going to be a pretty awesome Dad too!)

Anyways...I posted my photos for them on their blog. Have a look at them there. I just wanted to share the exciting news!

Slacker

2007-09-12T18:56:00.000-06:00

I have been a VERY bad blogger lately. It's not a lack of heart or inspiration. Just pure lack of time and focus. There is so much going on right now, I've had to keep my eye on one prize: getting us moved to Ohio. Things have gotten pretty complicated (HATE immigration red tape!) But, we'll get there in the end. Anno flies in to SLC tomorrow night, and I'm SO looking forward to seeing him again. We got to see him last weekend when we made a speedy trip up to Canada for my Grandma's funeral. But, after a couple of days together, we had to say goodbye again, which was so hard. Only one more day, and then we still have some moving issues to work out, but at least we'll be together. Yeah!

Here's a picture of us last weekend...Can't wait to see you Anno!

Cousins

2007-09-02T20:07:00.000-06:00

Tyce is lucky to have the BEST cousins in the world. They are so good at entertaining him, and REALLY patient when he spontaneously changes from lovely sweetie-pie Tyce into violent scary Tyce. And believe me...that takes a lot of patience!

Here are some of our most recent photos...

Jayden and Jamahl playing dress-up with the "twin babies" Emma and Tyce.

Riding bikes and scooters around the obstacle course on Mandi's deck.
Tyce has one other cousin...his Lexi Bear...but seeing as she's going through a phase where she doesn't like to be photographed...there are no pics to post. Love you Lex!

Tycie's World

2007-08-26T20:11:00.000-06:00

I have lots of photos to post full of our adventures here in Utah, but I've got to sort through them a bit. So...here's one I took of Tyce in Calgary, playing with his cars. I just love watching him play, and I'm SO happy that he's getting better and better at entertaining himself! Trains...cars...airplanes...trucks...just about anything that goes VROOM, is a favorite right now.

We seriously never pushed "boy" toys at all...and yet he seems to be genetically wired to drive everything around, whether it's a shoe or a box of crackers!

Here, There, and Everywhere

2007-08-18T12:36:00.000-06:00

It has been awhile since I've had a minute to sit down and post...I've missed it! Since my last post, we've been on the move: Calgary to Cardston, and then a LONG drive down to Utah. Now we're here in Provo, trying to get used to this HEAT! Luckily it's a bit cooler today, and it feels great!

Here are a few pictures we've taken along the way...
At the pancake breakfast and parade in Cardston...

And here in Utah, playing at the park with Emma...

Happy Summer Everyone!

Packing Up...

2007-08-09T14:07:00.001-06:00

I'm in a very empty, lonely house, being more productive than I have been in years (2 years and 3 months to be exact!) My Dad flew in yesterday, and my Mom, sister Mandi and her chilluns' drove up from Provo to Cardston. So, today my Dad packed up my little Tycie and took him down to Cardston for a very joyous reunion with his cousins (my Dad called and said that Tyce was SHAKING he was so surprised and happy!) Anno and I will drive down tomorrow evening.

But, for the rest of today, and most of tomorrow I'm going to have lots of time to myself to get EVERYTHING done. I'm really excited. But, I'm missing Tyce, and just amazed at how quiet and clean the house can stay without him here!

Here are a few of my favorite pics from the last few days...

Mommy cuddle time...rare, but it does happen once in a while!
Sharing his apple with me...VERY rare and I was VERY proud of him!

Happy Birthday To Me!

2007-08-06T20:48:00.000-06:00

Today I turned the big 30. I'm so excited! I'm thrilled to leave my 20s behind me, and to begin what is sure to be the best decade of my life!

My boys made it such a special day! Tyce walked around singing "Happy Birthday to you" at the most random moments. Anno cooked, cleaned, and took me out for lunch at Saskatoon Farm. And...he made me this for dessert...

...mmmm....so good! The yummiest strawberries...spongy angle food cake...Breyer's Double Churned Vanilla Ice Cream...truly the stuff of dreams!

By the way, Happy Birthday to all of the other August birthdays...Michelle,Jared M, Natt C, Rebecca, Jandy, Tracey L...hope I'm not forgetting anyone!

8 is Great!

2007-08-04T00:45:00.000-06:00

Today is our 8 year wedding anniversary. 8 years! I can hardly believe it. We had a fantastic day, especially since it was a "Fluor-Friday" (Anno gets every other Friday off)...so we had the entire day together. We got a sitter tonight, and went to an unbelievably good Indian restaurant, and then to the premier of The Bourne Ultimatum (very good, by the way!)
So, on this day, I want to share a few things about my hubby, the Amazing Anno, and hopefully not embarass him too much in the process...

Top 10 reasons why I LOVE Anno:

#10: He is a true gentleman...doors open and toilet seat down.
#9: He is rough and tough and competitive when it comes to sports, but the most gentle, loving soul I know.
#8: He keeps us both up to date on world politics and current events...and still remains an optimistic, glass is ALWAYS half full kind of guy.
#7: He cleans the house...thoroughly! This is thanks to his Mom (dankjewel schoonmoeder, je bent de allerbeste!)
#6: We have the same goals and are moving in the same direction (it's quite the journey, by the way!)
#5: He GETS me...he knows when to give me space and when to pull me in. This is a very delicate science that he has mastered over the years.
#4: He gives AMAZING foot rubs and even uses the Bath and Bodyworks peppermint foot massage lotion that I love.
#3: He's a Hands-On Dad. From poop and puke, to books, teeth, and bed...he does it all. When he walks in the door from work, I take a very deep breath and know my tag-team partner has arrived.
#2: He is truly Father Extraordinaire and Tyce is almost as in love with him as I am! Seeing them together melts me, and gives me so much hope for the future.
#1: He makes me feel like the funniest, most interesting, BEAUTIFUL creature on the planet.

Do you think I'm the luckiest lady alive??? You're right!

Happy Anniversary, baby!

I'm It!

2007-08-01T14:06:00.000-06:00

My good friend Deanne "tagged" me...and I'm always up for a game. So, here it goes...

4 job's I've held:
1. Recruiter for the European Space Agency
2. Manager at Unisys Netherlands
3. Teacher's Assistant at a school for Autistic children
4. Candy girl at the Edgemont Pharmacy (my personal favorite!)

4 movies I could watch over and over:
1. Father of the Bride
2. The Notebook
3. Dirty Dancing
4. Goonies

4 places I've lived:
1. Leiden, The Netherlands
2. Duebendorf, Switzerland
3. Derby, England
4. Provo, Utah

4 T.V. shows I enjoy:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Lost
3. House
4. Criminal Minds

4 places I've been on vacation:
1. Spain
2. Portugal
3. Scotland
4. Utah...lots of times!

4 favorite restaurants:
1. Phoenix Grill (up here in Calgary)
2. The Melting Pot (my bro in-law is the Big Boss in SLC)
3. Brick Oven
4. Sabai Sabai (The BEST Thai restaurant in Leiden)

4 websites I visit daily:
1. Blogs
2. Hark The Herald (for the Utah news)
3. Yahoo.com for my e-mail
4. On-line banking (make that every other day)

4 places I'd rather be right now:
1. With my sisters
2. Any tropical island with Anno
3. Having a massage
4. Anywhere, alone, curled up with a book!

4 people I'm challenging to do this:
1. Lexie
2. Megan R.
3. Tiff I.
4. Mom

Smooch

2007-07-31T16:52:00.000-06:00

Tyce is at the cutest age right now. He's starting to become VERY independent, which can be very helpful at times, and extremely annoying at others. His language development is AMAZING! I swear his vocabulary doubles daily, and I mean Dutch and English. And...he still gives hugs and kisses. I know this will disappear shortly, so I'm taking every single wet, slimy kiss that I can get. Anno feels the same...he loves Tycie kisses. We take the wet-chocolate- mouth kisses, the sticky-Popsicle-mouth kisses, and even the crummy-cracker-mouth kisses. We love them all. On Sunday, we went to Heritage Park, which is one of Tyce's favorite places. We went on a train, on a boat, on a horse-drawn wagon, even on a Ferris Wheel. It was so much fun. Here are a few of the highlights...which, of course, included a few stolen smooches!

Okay, this was REALLY a stolen smooch...he'll probably give me the same look when he's a teenager and I try to kiss him!

Edamame...Yes You May!

2007-07-28T08:58:00.000-06:00

I go through phases with food...doesn't everybody? I find a new food, or rediscover an old one, and for a period of time, I just can't get enough of it. I think it's pretty normal, and Tyce is exactly the same. He went through a phase where he would eat 4-5 bananas per day. This went on for WEEKS! He would wake up in the morning and instead of calling "Mommy!" or "Papa!" It was..."Banana!" Kind of weird.
Anyways...we're going through a food phase right now called Edamame! We love these little soy beans, and cannot get enough of them. It helps that they are a SUPER protein food, and very low in fat...no guilt there! They kind of seem like a very serious, adult kind of food, so I was THRILLED when Tycie picked one up, squeezed out the bean and popped it in his mouth, and with a decisive "mmmm....good!" declared himself an Edamame fan for life.
Anno took a few photos last night when we were devouring our nightly fix:

If you've never tried it...it's time! Anybody else going through a food phase right now and want to share what it is?

Ohio. Oh boy.

2007-07-26T08:36:00.000-06:00

Just when I was starting to feel my roots wiggling around and taking hold in Calgary...change is a comin'! Nothing as dramatic as Holland to Calgary, or Provo to Holland...actually just a little detour, fork in the road, speed bump...whatever you want to call it! Anno's project is moving to construction phase, and they've asked him to consult on-site with the client...so, off we go to Ohio. Ohio? Yes, Ohio. I know...it seems really random, but I'm getting used to the idea. Of course, the first thing I do when I hear big news is google for the details, and it looks like Perrysburg, Ohio is actually a really nice little place. It's right outside of Toledo, which is where Anno will be working. We'll only be there for 6-9 months, so I hope it's not THAT nice, and we'll be ready to come back when it's time. We'll be keeping our townhouse here, and renting an apartment in Perrysburg. In fact, we just signed the lease this week! You can check it out here. It looks really nice...I'm excited. For those of you in Utah, it's like the apartments up at Gateway in SLC, right by all of the stores and fun stuff. It's just weird to rent something without seeing it first...and I have to choose all of the furniture this week, which will also be a bit of a guessing game. So, this is what our timeline looks like:

August 13th: Tyce and I will drive with my family from Canada down to Utah to play for a month or so. We will be driving our car, fully packed! I can't wait to see lots of you!
September 13th: Anno will fly down to Utah to spend a few days with family, and HOPEFULLY meet our new nephew, babs Riskas.
September 20thish: Anno and Kelly will DRIVE to Ohio, along what could be the most BORING stretch of road on the planet earth (we stay on the same highway for over a thousand miles!) But, Tyce will be staying in Utah, so it won't be quite as painful.
September 24th: I will fly back to Utah (Detroit-SLC)
September 25th: Anno begins his assignment
September 29th: Tyce and I fly back (SLC-Detroit)

So...that is our summer, in a nutshell. I'm feeling really good about everything. My to-do list is longer than my arm, but hey...it will all get done in the end! In the meantime, I'm enjoying a GLORIOUS, hot summer with my boys. Here are a few photos of my littlest one, taken yesterday.

P.S. Kim...if you're reading this...are you still in Ohio???

Tomato Antics

2007-07-24T12:47:00.001-06:00

We have been growing tomato plants all summer. We have two potted plants that we're VERY proud of. One of our neighbors actually grew them from seeds, kept them inside with her all winter, and then entrusted them to our care when they were just tiny little plantlings. She is obviously very dedicated to her tomatoes. We just love fresh fruit and veg, so we usually have a few plants going every year. Anyways, it has been a bit of a struggle to keep Tyce away from them. I thought we were doing pretty well. When I'm out in the backyard with him, he doesn't TOUCH them...doesn't even LOOK at them. Well, he was out there today while I was making lunch. He came inside, ate with me, and then I put him down for a nap. I went outside to clean up the toys and this is what I found:

...with a big pile of dirt on the ground next to it! Ahh...a two year old...smart enough to do naughty things behind mommy's back, but NOT smart enough to cover his tracks! I laughed when I saw that my friend Rebecca posted today about her "stinker" and his two year old antics, too!

Back in Business

2007-07-22T12:36:00.000-06:00

After digging out our OLD digicam (which I like to call DINOcam...it really is that old), we were very sad to find that the charger no longer worked, or the camera just wouldn't charge anymore. Anyways, we couldn't use it. So, the new camera was promoted from possible-birthday-prezzy, to immediate-purchase-necessity. Do I sound devastated...yeah, not really! So, after a quick round of research, we decided on a camera and went and bought it. Yeah!

My cute, red, ultra-clean Canon has now become a Tycie toy...

And, my new camera is READY for action. I LOVE a new gadget! My new Canon says, "I'm compact enough to take with you, but substantial enough to prevent a cycle in the washing machine." Sounds like the camera for me!

Harry and Edward

2007-07-20T17:00:00.000-06:00

For the love of this blog, I'm coming out of the closet and revealing that I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. The movies? Not so much. But, the books...oh yeah! It has been my little secret for years, and sits in the same closet as my secret crush on Simon Cowell. Am I passionate enough to go to the midnight party tonight at the bookstore dressed in my most fabulous cloak, waving my wand? Probably not. But, I did pre-order the book, and I will be going bright and early tomorrow to pick up my copy and dive right in. I'm excited to read it, and also kind of excited for it to be over. It's kind of annoying waiting for the next one to come out, especially when you weren't born with the virtue of patience. But, for now, I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Fast forward 17 days to August 7th, and get ready for my second summer love...Edward...the vampire. I cannot wait for Eclipse to come out, book #3 by Stephenie Meyer. I DEVOURED Twilight and New Moon in about 2 days...they are so good. I was only slightly humbled and embarrassed when I saw these books in the Young Adult Fiction section at the bookstore...but, I know there are plenty more "adults" out there who can't get enough of Edward!

Okay, come on...admit it...I can't be the only one out there who has planned their summer around a wizard and a vampire, both to be found in the young adults section, am I?

Journey to Old Faithful

2007-07-18T16:48:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, when Anno's parents were visiting from Holland, we took a little road trip down to Yellowstone. We took it easy...toddler style...and drove just a few hours a day. My kind of road trip, for sure. My in-laws were in an RV that they rented, and Anno, Tyce, and I followed, or led, depending on the day. It was great.

The first day we went and stayed at my Grandma's house in Cardston, and spent some time up in Waterton National Park. For as long as I can remember, it has been a favorite place to visit. We went to dinner with my Grandma at the the Prince of Wales Hotel, and had great food, a killer view, and lots of laughs. After dinner, we tried to have a nice family photo of the three of us, outside of the hotel, with the amazing view behind us. It was a little windy...

But what a beautiful spot!

The next morning, after one of Grandma's famous breakfasts (she is the BEST hostess in the world!), we were off...driving through West Glacier to our destination: Polson, Montana. It's a tiny little town on the end of Flathead Lake, and was perfect for one night. We stayed at a KOA campground so that we could stay together. Tyce, Anno, and I stayed in a little cabin that was really cute and cozy, but definitely not soundproof. We had a WICKED thunderstorm that night, and almost crawled into the RV with Henk and Joke (which was much quieter, if you can believe it.)

Our cabin:

All of that rain gave Joke a perfect photo opp to take this gem of a shot:

ahhh...priceless. I love it when things are SO cliché and hideous, that they can't help but be a little bit cute again. For me, this one made it all the way around the cycle.

The next morning we were off to Fairmont Hot Springs, to spend most of the day poolside, soaking up a lot of sun, and enjoying the natural pools. Tyce loved jumping from one pool to another, and kept us all really busy.

The next morning, we completed our journey, all the way to Island Park, Idaho, where we rented a cabin for the weekend, and spent a lot of family time with my family, who met us there, and had plenty of adventures.

We did see Old Faithful, and here's the proof:

...but, the weekend deserves a post of its own, so you'll have to wait for all of the details. Here's a teaser: it was a weekend full of Buffali, Meese, and Cantaloupe. Doesn't get much better than that!

Cowboy Up

2007-07-15T15:05:00.000-06:00

Today, the cowboys are packing up their spurs, rolling up their chaps, and riding off into the sunset. Yes, another Calgary Stampede has come and gone. For those of you who don't live in Calgary (most of you) I'm going to try and describe what this very memorable week is like. This was our second Stampede experience, so I knew what to expect, but I was still surprised by the cowboy craziness. For one week in July, this city goes completely cowboy. I'm talking the cashiers at the grocery stores, the weatherman on the local news, and even some of the instructors at the gym! It's so weird to see everyone in cowboy hats and boots, but yes, very fun and spirited. Another tradition is that all over the city, businesses and organizations host pancake breakfasts with free food and usually a square dance or two. Fluor (the company Anno works for) has a really big one every year, so this was our second one, and it was a lot of fun. Tyce really loved the food and music, and seeing his little buddy Olivia. I don't have any photos to post (ummm...see previous post...), but I'll post a few from last year's Stampede when my niece Lexi was here with us. She was a little freaked out by all of the cowboys, but had fun riding the carnival rides and watching the chuck wagon races (although I'm sure she wouldn't ADMIT to having fun watching the chuck wagon races!)

I remember going through a cowboy phase. This was inspired by my good friend Natt. C.. I hope you're reading this Natt...this post is officially dedicated to you! We had the boots, we went to local rodeos, we listened to country music (I STILL have every Garth Brooks CD), we watched 8 Seconds COUNTLESS times (Luke Perry as bull rider Lane Frost...wow), and we fantasized about being married to bull riders. Ahhh...those were the days.

This city has a lot of spirit. That's one thing we love about living here. The Stampede is just one example. You should see this city painted red every time the Flames are on the ice! We love the enthusiasm of this city and the warm, fun, lively people who live here. Maybe next year we'll take the plunge and buy boots and hats too.

Clean is not always a good thing

2007-07-14T14:29:00.000-06:00

Just ask my cute little Canon digital camera that went through a full cycle in the washing machine last week...rinse, spin and all! Ouch. It came out looking very new and shiny...it's just too bad it doesn't work anymore. It doesn't even try. Not a blinking light...nothing. This could be a very sad story, but it does have a silver lining. I've been wanting a new camera, but you know how it goes: as long as you have something that works, it's hard to buy something to replace it. You get it, right? But now...well let's just say that I hope my darling hubby is spying on my blog in hopes of getting birthday present ideas!!! And before you even think it, NO, I did not wash my camera on purpose. In fact, it wasn't even me that did the laundry that day. But, I was in no position to get mad at Anno about it, as I have a history of washing things that shouldn't be washed. My worst offense was just after Anno and I got married, when I washed (and dried!) his passport. Oops. And, he forgave me, so I forgive him as well (plus there's that whole silver lining thing...)

So, today I've got to try and find our old digicam and see if it still works so that I can post some new photos. Until I get it going again, I'll post a few more from earlier this summer when we were in Utah. Tyce and his cousin Emma playing in the water, swinging between best friends and arch enemies.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!