It's Our Favorite Time of the Year

It's our favorite time of the year; Fall!   The leaves are changing, the weather is turning crisper, and we can turn the AC off and leave the windows open during the day (and the heat on at night).  Too bad its our last Fall in Michigan.  boo hoo :(  We are getting excited for our move to Florida in a few short weeks!  The time is going by very fast and before you know it the moving trucks will be here.  It is starting to sink in slowly that we won't be living in MI any longer and although I am excited about our new move and Seth's new job, I can't help but be a little sad.  House is still for sale with no leads as of now.  We'll be living in a temporary apartment or condo until we find a house.  Aunt Laura, Uncle Dave and Emily are going to be taking Jersey for us for a couple of months until we get settled into a new house.  Shocked?  I am suprised that I agreed to it myself!!  We'll miss her like crazy but it really makes sense for the time being and the Witts are excited to add Jersey to their mix :) 

Kole's birthday came and went last month as he turned TWO!!!!  He had fun at his Sesame Street themed party and had a great birthday celebration the next day.  He has a love/hate relationship with daycare these days.  He HATES going and being dropped off; he SCREAMS and cries when I pull into the driveway there and when I bring him in.  About 5-10 mins after I leave however, he's fine.  The daycare director mentioned to me what a funny character Kole is; she hears him cry in the morning but then sees his smiling face with the toys and his friends later on in the day.  He's learning lots at daycare and according to his "report cards" every day he's having a blast!!!  He is in LOVE with his alphabet and can recognize about 20 out of the 26 letters and sometimes knows what sound they make.  He's doing great with his colors and starting to work on learning his shapes.  Kole was drawing circles tonight while coloring with Grammy!  His vocabulary is increasing day by day and just the other day he pointed to my dinner and said, "bwock-wee".  Where did he learn broccoli??  Not at our house :)  He is still as active as ever and has recently gotten over a short spell of being sick with a virus and a case of the "sleepies" where he was ASKING for 2 naps per day (at 2 hours each).  He took his 2 year old shots like a man (just a few tears) and tells people he's "two". 

Sydney is growing (not much though) and changing.  She is now taking some formula after nursing her a bit since she's not gaining a whole lot of weight.  We are taking her in tomorrow for a weight check so we'll see how that formula is working out for her.  She is now rolling over both ways, but only when she wants to.  She is not about "showing off" when you want her too.  She smiles all the time and is in LOVE with Kole.  She follows him with her eyes when he's around and makes sure he's nearby.  She's been "grabbing" lately, whether its hair, toys, or your face if you are close to her.  She loves her rattles and reaching for things.  She's still sleeping well but waking up during the night about once because she lost her paci.  I should let her cry it out or let her work on it herself but I don't want her waking up Kole who has been doing this waking up during the night thing lately too.  *sigh*

Seth went up north hunting last weekend and was disappointed that he didn't see a thing.  So disappointed in fact that he's going up north again next weekend to try again.  *sigh*

The kids and I checked out ArtPrize today for the first time.  We had fun with Nicole, Lexi, and Reese checking out all the cool art submissions.  We found out tonight who the winners were.  My favorite one (out of the few we did see since it was SO huge this year) ended up winning!!  It was a beautiful day out today---we started out in our winter coats but ended up in short sleeve shirts by the end of our afternoon :)

Check out lots of pics and videos of the kids below.

 At the pumpkin farm in Bay City

Feeding the animals at the farm

I'll buy one...or two...

Kole is lining up the pumpkins.  Typical Kole.

Running on the "shaky" bridge

Oh my sweet Buttercup

HOLY SMOKES!!!  A TRACTOR RIDE WITH UNCLE TIM!!!!  YAY!!!!!

I found out that the mall has "rides".  It occupied our time during an open house.

Kole's tool bench he received from Nana and Papa for his birthday.  He's answering the phone, "mu-low!"

Banging on the drum near the lion exhibit at the zoo

Half jammies half clothes as Kole poses next to his Elmo sign in the front yard

Kole's birthday balloons!

Technically tangled, but Kole thought the balloons were chasing him!

Cool slippers.

 

Playing one of the pianos set up at ArtPrize (out of order?)

More chasing

Sydney had too much partying for Kole's birthday

has a death grip on that rattle

Birthday/Sugar high

We were listening to kid songs in the car today and we heard "fuzzy wuzzy was a bear" and Kole completely lost it in a fit of giggles over and over.  That boy is nuts :)

 

At Toys R Us on Kole's birthday.  They also have a "ride".  I gave in and he rode it twice since it was his birthday.

Playing with Sydney

The pumpkin dance

Piano man at ArtPrize

Kids update

It has been a really busy time around our house lately.  We've been getting ready for the house to go up for sale and we finally have it listed!  Sad to see a FOR SALE sign in front of our house :(  We are in Viera now looking for homes and narrowing down our search.  Pretty much Seth and I are on the same page with homes and neighborhoods we like (give or take a couple of floor plans...).  Good trip with all of our goals accomplished.

Kole has had a busy couple of weeks.  After a busy Labor Day weekend with Nana and Papa in GR, Kole ended up catching something from daycare.  He was sent home early last Wednesday with a fever of 102.9.  Gave him some Motrin and some time on the couch with a video and he was better.  However, that night while we were up north visiting Dad and Deb, he got up with another fever plus some vomiting!  Poor thing!!!  He couldn't keep anything down so Dad had to "run" to Cadillac in the morning for some Tylenol for Kole to be given "where the sun doensn't shine".  His fever did break after a few hours, a nap, and a bit of time outside.  He was as good as new by the evening but ended up falling asleep around 6pm in his clothes and slept until about 6:30am the next morning!!  He ate a good breakfast since he was so hungry and was good to go.  Must have been a 24 hour bug or something.  Kole stayed at the cabin for a few extra days while Seth and I headed off to Florida.  Sarah the wonder-sitter came to watch Sydney for a few days and Dad dropped Kole off at home on Monday so he could go to school during the week (we pay way too much for him to miss voluntarily!).  Sydney is a little love and smiles and coos all the time.  She LOVES Kole and watching everything he does.  She is sleeping the whole night like a good little girl.  The weather has turned a little chilly so I had to buy a few long sleeve shirts and pants for her since she didn't have much.  She's still a little peanut and wearing some NB things and finally some 3 month things. 

Check out some new pics below---they are all out of order since I've been having a bunch of issues with posting photos and videos so this is all I have for now.  sorry....

Sydney playing with one of her toys she likes

Fishing

Hungry much?

Fun with Meghan and Morgan at the cabin



Dinner at the cabin

So tired

End of Summer Update

Well, as most of you know the BIG news of the Summer is that we are moving! To Florida, that is. Seth has accepted a management position with GFS and we'll be living near Melbourne, FL. That's almost on the eastern coast; we'll be about 15 minutes from Cocoa Beach (so I've heard). We make the big move at the end of October and we'll miss our families terribly :( But....if any of you want to escape the cold winter you know where you can find us (probably in shorts and tee-shirts)!!

Other big news is Kole starting "school" two days per week at a local day care center. He is IN LOVE and so am I!!! Kole LOVES going to school and has done really well transitioning. However, he doesn't eat the lunches there b/c he's so picky lately and probably b/c they won't let him sprinkle cinnamon on everything. He comes home with a "report card" and his teachers say he's a great kid who is happy and BUSY all the time. No kidding he's busy, why do you think he goes to school twice per week?? Unfortunately, Kole had a bit too much fun at school because he caught a bug that turned into a double ear infection AND he picked up pinkeye on top of it (in both eyes of course)!!! However, I think the pinkeye MIGHT just be from the germy horse ("sha-sheee" in Kole speak) at Meijer and not daycare since it didn't appear until Sunday, but who knows. So he's skipping tomorrow because of the pinkeye but going on Wednesday since he'll have the antibiotic in him for over 24 hours. Poor kid. Kole's new favorite word is "No." He says it so cute though with a little inflection at the end, almost like a question. "nooo?" And he know how to use it too... He is crazy about his alphabet lately and will point out letters to me that he sees at the store, on TV, at home, or anywhere. Same goes for his colors. We are getting ready for Kole's birthday party in a few weeks; let's just hope a potential buyer doesn't want to see the house on that day :)

Sydney has caught Kole's cold AND pinkeye as she woke up with a green boogery eye and now a cough with nasal congestion.. *sigh* She is doing awesome and smiling up a storm. She LOVES to hear her own voice and squeals all the time. She loves her brother and smiles in the morning when we both go get her out of her crib. She's kicking like crazy in her bouncy (which Kole never did....) and just loves to check things out. She is such a good baby and is still sleeping through the night :)

Seth and I are getting the house ready (so much to do I don't know where to start) to put up for sale. I think we may have to have a sale or something to get rid of some of our stuff.

Another piece of BIG news is the arrival our niece ANNA JAYNE!!!! She arrived via c-section on Friday August 27th and she weighed in at 8lbs 14oz and 19.5 inches (I hope I got that right Keri). She has lots of dark hair (better for hairbows!) and is doing well. It won't be until Christmastime but we cannot WAIT to meet her!!! Another little girl to spoil, I LOVE THAT!!!

Well, that's all to report as of now, but I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on our move. Enjoy some pics and vids.  I have been having issues posting videos so there are only two now, sorry!!!

Snack time

Poor Kole has resorted to hiding in Jersey's dog crate so he can eat his pretzel in peace without the threat of Jersey snatching it from him.

Kole wearing his Bob the Tomato backpack

Kole ready for Winter---too bad we won't be needing that gear buddy.

Second day of school (yes...I forgot to take one the first day)

Sydney and her dolly.  She gets excited when she first sees it :)

Kole's new tool bench.  His "tooooools" according to him!



Sydney "talking"

What's goin' on...

Oh my goodness it's been so long since I've kept everyone up to date on what's been happening around our house lately. I'll start with our vacation to Bay City:
We drove to Bay City and spend some time there with family. We had a nice dinner for Mary Rose's retirement celebration at an Asian restaurant. We had a room all to ourselves and we ate hibachi style. Jay, Keri, and Emma were in Bay City as well so we had a chance to spend time with them. Kole and Emma got along just fine but since their styles of play are SO different they didn't have a chance to fight over toys anyway. Emma plays so nicely and quietly and doesn't get "into" anything. Well, my son on the other hand is all over the place and trying to get "into" everything. Emma was stunned to see Kole "playing". Kole had fun swimming at the neighbor's house, going on bike rides with Emma, and playing with Nana and Papa. The sleeping arrangements for Kole was challenging since he can't sleep in a crib or pack n play. Someone had to sleep with him at almost all times so he wouldn't get into anything. *sigh* We had a great time with everyone and Sydney was a little angel for us. She bonded with her Aunt Keri (and her baby cousin in her belly) and hopefully told her how to sleep through the night :)
Kole ended up sick with the croup for awhile. Poor kid sounded horrible and was just miserable. He slept on the couch during the day and LOVED the fact that he got to drink Gatorade, suck his paci, AND watch Sesame Street all while lounging on the couch. He started feeling better about 4 days of being pretty ill. He had a cough that lingered but was totally fine after about 2 weeks. Naturally, I caught a cold since I cuddled with poor Koley when he felt so crummy. Seth caught my cold days later and wouldn't you know....Sydney had a stuffy/runny nose for a few days. Seth said what can we expect since we were living in a petri dish for a full week. We are finally all better :)
Kole is talking up a storm and trying new words every day. He is in LOVE with Sesame Street (still) and also taking a strong interest in dinosaurs. We've been doing puzzles together and he's been liking those (as long as I play with him and guide him to turn the pieces in order for them to fit). He loves hearing the alphabet song and can recognize some letters, point them out, and tell me what they are as well as a couple of numbers too. He begs for crackers, cookies, and chips all day long. He hardly ever gets his way with the exception of crackers, especially at the grocery store. Thanks to Emma he is LOVE with waffles for breakfast in the morning with peanut butter on top :) His new "thing" is to put cinnamon on his food---oatmeal, applesauce and veggies too. I suppose if he eats it I could care less if he wants to sprinkle cinnamon on it. We've gone through an entire container over the past month!!! This past weekend he's been in love with tacos. Pretty much anything wrapped up in a tortilla is a "taco". He loves his sister, "dee-dee" and she smiles when he's around. It's so sweet. He loves to hold his sister and has a proud look on his face when he does it. Kole has been sleeping well but getting to bed in his big boy bed is a battle. He is in and out of the bed constantly before he finally goes down to sleep. *sigh* The BIG news is that Kole is starting "school" on Tuesday!!!! He is going to start going to AppleTree Christian Learning Center two full days per week to get a little socialization. He LOVES kids but isn't exposed to them and this is a perfect way to get him ready to be with other kids on a regular basis. I am SO excited for him (and for me and Buttercup!). I'll be sure to update everyone on that!!
Sydney is growing like a weed, or at least I think so anyway. She's still pretty darn tiny but also pretty darn cute too!! She had her two month check and is gaining weight appropriately even though she's in the 10th percentile for weight and height. She had some shots (poor girl) but did well otherwise. She rolled over last week and laughed out loud all in the same day!!! She's been sleeping like a champ; still all night long and now in her big girl crib in her own room. She smiles all the time and has just discovered her hands. They are now always in her mouth and you can hear her slurping on them from the other room. She loves watching her brother play and smiles at him when he's close. The other day he decided to take his magnetic letters from the fridge and put them in Sydney's bouncy seat while she was in it. She thought it was great and smiled the whole time!!
Seth has been busy with work and doing some projects outside of the house (with the exception of cleaning up the water in the basement) while I just try to finish one project without being interrupted and sidetracked. I'll be working on some house projects like organizing and cleaning out our storage room in the basement while Kole is at school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We are also getting ready for Kole's second birthday party!! I have lots of work to do with that as well.
Jersey is a good dog most of the time and puts up with Kole's antics all day. He tends to be rough with Jersey but she likes it and plays back and sometimes just as rough and Kole gets hurt. I'd probably play rough too if a toddler was teasing me with food and toys then taking them away or wacking me over the head with toys and pulling my tail. Poor Jersey :)
Well, I think that's all for now. Check out some pics and vids below...enjoy!!!


We went to a birthday party with a pirate theme. The goody bags for the kids had some pirate things them for the kids to play with.


This was during naptime. Kole emptied his dresser drawers (only two of them). Thanks Kole.



Eating breakfast at his toddler table.

Yes, this is Kole sucking on an empty bottle of Sydney's.

Cute face Buttercup.

Papa Tom and his grand-daughter

Kole fell asleep in the doorway of his room. How is this comfortable??

Another time Kole fell asleep somewhere besides his bed. Although he IS sleeping on a large pillow in the corner and hugging his favorite blanket that my friend Laurel made for him.





Oh....all those interuptions are so worth it!!!

Alphabet girl.