Dino hoodies!

Yesterday it was brought to my attention that I MUST be in my third trimester due to the fact that I have these impulses and then I have to do them right then and there... apparently a sign that we are hitting the home stretch.  I may or may not have cut Gaetan's hair and then saw these little DIY dino hoodies that I just HAD to do... haha.

So, we went out yesterday and got the kids some hoodies from Old Navy and some fabric from Jo-Ann's to indulge my impulses.  Since completing my photo album task, I have been left without something to 'do' at night after the kids go to bed.  So, I thought that this would be a nice little project for me!

On accident I got fleece instead of felt (which the project calls for) but with the input and help of my very crafty Mom we worked it out.  :)  The only issue with having fleece was that it wouldn't be as stiff as the felt so the spikes wouldn't stand up as much, but we worked it out.  The nice part about getting the fleece by accident was that it's nicer material, more washer friendly, softer and if we can get it work stand up then it's better!  :)  The solution we came up with is putting a couple of layers inside so that there is more substance... my Mom suggested 4 layers, but after trial and error I thought that 3 would suffice.

http://diyingtobedomestic.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/dinosaur-hoodie/

I got started and while I was crafting away I got to talk with my good friend Amy via Facetime then Skype.  Unfortunately for her because of the Skype my face was as big as her TV!  haha.  So, I got most of Dude's back done when it was time to get serious about finishing this craft as it was getting late.    After Dude's hoodie was complete (which I was pretty happy with) I started on Lucy's.

HUGE face haha

Dude's took me probably close to 2 hours due to the learning curve, chatting it up and just trying to figure out how to sew again!  But, I figured out a more efficient way to do Lucy's and I got hers done in about 45 minutes.  :)  After I got done with Dude's I HAD to get Lucy's done... something about being OCD and really wanting to give them to the kids the next morning.

Dudes finished product

One for our Goose of course too

So, about 1:15 am this was all finished.  I was really excited about them!  :)  The kids loved them the next morning too.  I was happy with my first excursion into crafting... much more to come!  Looking forward to making Norah one once we find out how big she is :)

Showing the kids their new hoodies!  They seemed pleased

Dino sibs hugs!

Duder-saurus!

Who doesn't want to have dinosaurs over for breakfast?

Dino riding a bike?  Could it get cuter?

Flying dino!

Snuggling with a dino never got so good :)

JVG

Friend visit

Last night Ratty came over and spent the night!  :)  I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but for this Momma it sort of is!  Having Lucy potty training and being sick we haven't really been anyplace since my parents for Christmas... so to have somebody come to us was a real treat.  And, of course, who doesn't like a nice little visit from our friend Ratty?

It was something that we were all looking forward too... kids included.  Dude was just asking us if he was going to have a visitor soon, and then we hatched this plan for her to come over... and she was on the top of his list of people he did want to visit.  She came over after work, we had some dinner, a new recipe which was good and it grew on you the more you ate it, but definitely not something that is going to make the rotation.  Then, we just chatted, gorged ourselves on some snacks and drinks and had a good time.  After awhile Gaetan did some chemistry review with her (another reason for the visit) as she is hoping to start a nutrition program and wanted a refresher course on some things before she jumped into classes.

This morning the kids woke up rather early... it was actually kind of nice because that gave me an opportunity to hang out with them for a bit, and make sure they got their bath in before we really had to start the day.  She had to leave around noon as she had some other engagements back home, so we wanted to capitalize on the time we had with her!  We went out to breakfast, stuffed ourselves silly there, and came back and played with the kids.  Dude is all about coloring now and was having a blast coloring different things with her.  And she's such a champ... very patiently coloring the things he wanted colored a certain way.  :)

Coloring some dinosaurs

This is color by alphabet that he did!  I thought it was really good!

Since the kids woke up early around the time she had to get going was about the time they started to melt down, so it worked out.  We had a nice little visit, but as always, they're to short.  Looking forward to the next time we can hang out.

JVG

Craft day

I've been sick for the past 1.5 weeks or so... so I haven't been doing a whole lot around the house.  Basic things like, cooking, cleaning, dishes and such but I haven't really been interacting with the kids a whole lot :(  I have just been so tired and feeling miserable that I just didn't have it in me.

So today was the first day that I've actually felt semi-human.  I am still a bit sick, but WAY better than I have been.  Gaetan so graciously let me sleep in yesterday til 11:45!  I had a pretty rough night, so the few extra hours in the morning really made all the difference.  So, today, I thought that I would try and return the favor.  :)

The kids got up at a more normal time for them... around 8 or so.  We started their morning ritual of taking a bath, having some breakfast and seeing where the day went.  While they were in the tub I thought that it would be a great arts and crafts day.  Dude has been so interested in coloring lately, and Lucy really loved finger painting I thought it could be a nice indoor activity since it's been pretty bitter cold out lately.  We ran out of finger paint (so I found out this morning during tub time) so I thought we'd just run to the dollar tree and get some cheap arts and crafts.  Dude LOVED it.  I think it was just nice for the kids to get out of the house too... even if it was just to the Dollar Tree.

Goose doing some coloring

That's a heart sticker she wanted on her cheek...

She was clapping for herself on a job well done

She was REALLY excited

I got some coloring books, more finger paint, this fun days of the week thing (school stuff) and a math book for Dude.  I was really looking for a cheap water coloring thing but I didn't really see any... so we went home with our crafts to see where it led!  They literally did crafts all day.  They did crafts when we first got home, took a break for breakfast, went back to crafts and then nap time hit.  After naptime we did some more, we did a craft I had sitting around and then I taught Dude how to play Go Fish.  He did really well... actually, he beat all the times we played!  He was very polite too... every time I would give him a card he would thank me very sincerely and any time he had to give me a card he did it very joyfully.

The craft that I had for a rainy day (or snowy cold one for that matter) was a candy bar cozy.  It was just a bunch of stuff to make a snowman to hold a candy bar... the kids thought it was great.  Lucy decorated hers in a way that only Lucy could, and Dude did a really great job with it.  And, of course, they got to enjoy some of their big candy bar after they were done.

Dude putting the mouth on his snowman

Lucy showing Papa where she'd like some of her facial expressions

Momma helping Dude tie some stuff

Dude and his finished product!

Goose and her finished product!

Lucy's is on the left side... a bit more modern art if you will.  Dude's is on the left.  I think they did a great job!

I couldn't believe how fast the day went by!  I guess when you keep yourself busy like that it will... I had a lot of fun with the kids today... coloring, taping, gluing, more coloring and card playing.  It really was the pick me up I needed after feeling so lousy lately.  Nothing lifts this Momma's spirits like some QT with the kiddos.  :)

Hippo in on the Go Fish game

JVG

Jon and Megan

On New Year's Eve I invited my brother and his wife, Megan, over for dinner.  Even though we had spent a lot of time at Mom and Dad's, and they were there too, we didn't really get a chance to hang out much.  They got married last year, but for 10 months of the 12 he was deployed, so they haven't even really been around each other!  I'm sure that there are things they are still finding out about each other, but they seem to be doing well.  :)

I had a couple of reasons for inviting them over.  1.) Get them out of Mom and Dad's house.  Because Megan is so painfully shy it seems like she just doesn't want to hang out with anybody there... which is sort of hurting my Mom's feelings.  I can see both sides, so I was just trying to get them out of an awkward situation.  2.)  Everybody seems to be sick, so I thought that this would give Mom a nice break/rest from having company over.  3.)  I wanted to spend more time with Jon and Megan to try and get to know them a little better.  I can't even really say that I know Jon that well, so it would really be beneficial for both of us really!

At first the visit was a bit awkward.  We had dinner right away and through the entire meal it was pretty hard to pull conversation out of them.  For those of you who don't really know my brother he's not really the talkative type.  He really is much more of a grunter, and a huh, yeah, type of guy... so when I say that Megan is so shy that she makes Jon seem like Mr. Socialite of the year, I hope you understand how severe it is.

After awhile though they loosened up and started to talk a bit more.  They really liked those pineapple upside down cakes, which was a nice ice breaker.  It was Jon's favorite birthday dessert, since we weren't really cake people... and she really seemed to like them as well!  We had a nice time just talking and knowing more about what they do in CO.  The kids eventually went to sleep... Lucy still doesn't want anything to do with Jon.  In fact, she usually runs away from him... but Dude is OK with them.  Megan watches her sister's kids all week so she's pretty used to being around smaller kids, which was evident.

I was really happy that we got to spend time with them.  Even though it was a short visit, I feel like we accomplished a lot.  I felt really good after they left!  I think that they are leaving tomorrow to go visit Megan's Aunt in MN for a couple of days before heading home.  It sounds like they are going to be staying in CO, because that's where Megan is from and she seems to really want to stay around her family.  I think that will be good because Jon doesn't really have any strong feelings about being around Mom and Dad and Holly and her family aren't in MI anymore... and who knows where we'll end up!

Hope that they get to enjoy the rest of their break and that they enjoyed their visit with us as well.  :)

JVG

Another year

Holy moly it's 2013!  its crazy to think that another year has just FLOWN by... on Monday we were talking about how tomorrow is a new year and we really couldn't believe all the things that have happened in this past year... and yet, it seems like we haven't done anything!

On my end of it I guess we've done a lot.  This past year was the first time I ever ran a half marathon, a full marathon and a 25K!  I was able to raise (with the help and support of many of you) over $2,300 for clean water!  I even got interviewed for that organization about all the awesome work you guys did!  Actually, I think that last year at this time was the first time I ever ran 13.1 miles... crazy to think that I'm eating a pan full of brownies instead now haha.

We moved to a different city and within that we moved to a different home.  We found out that we were pregnant and that we are having another baby girl!  I can't even begin to list off all the accomplishments of Lucy and Tristan... although the highlights have been that she's potty trained and he can read/write.  He did get his head glued twice, broke his foot and we thought he broke his leg (boys...)

My brother got married, then deployed and he has returned safely from Afghanistan!  :)  My sister and her family moved to West Virginia for her husbands job and through that transition I feel like we have gotten closer.

Gaetan has been rocking the physics world (of course) and continues to do so.  Not to mention the world's coolest Papa and best looking husband ever.  Looking forward to seeing what 2013 will bring for this crazy family... one thing is for sure we will be adding baby Norah to our ranks.  Our little family isn't so little anymore!  :)

JVG

Friend visit #7

This is starting to get a little crazy!  I guess I didn't realize how much visiting I do during breaks when people are home!  This visit was with a few girls that I went to high school with.  Tricia was there, whom I've been seeing more of (which is a good thing) but then Josephine was there and so was Carly.  I guess I've known Carly since prolly the beginning of high school, and we went to the same youth group and a few mission trips together... and Josephine I've known since elementary school.  We ran cross country together (along with Tricia).  We just went out to eat and caught up on life.

It was a nice little outting. Even though we are all in very different stages in our lives it wasn't awkward.  Carly has been traveling a lot doing missions trips since college, but is back getting her Masters.  Tricia is a working PA and Josephine is in her last year of med school... and of course, I am the baby maker... :)  It was nice to be able to talk with them and even though we are doing different things it didn't seem like somebody felt like what they were doing was far superior to the rest of us.

We went to Uccello's and apparently there were a lot of games on and so it was pretty busy... it actually put me on edge a bit because there were so many loud people and the entire room was lined with TV's. Something that I'm not used to at all!  So I felt a little ADD as I was trying to listen to the conversation but all the different changes on the TV's kept my attention as well.  And also, not used to being around people who yell or cheer at the TV either... guess it's just another type of life style.

Glad I could catch up with these girls.  :)  And it's nice to share about my amazing family as well!

JVG

Friend visit #6

The day that Gaetan and Joshua went out I got a visit from my KABAJ girls!  :)  Angela had moved to Alabama almost immediately after she got married so this was her first time back in MI since then.  I had seen Katie a handful of times recently due to weddings but its always nice to get together with them to chat.

The interesting thing about this group from high school is that after visits it feels good.  We talk about a lot of things and we can feed off each other.  It's not like we have a bunch of little side conversations and nobody actually knows what's going on in each other's lives.  It was a little hairy around my parents place since my sister's family was there and it was just us watching all the kiddos... but we managed to have some really good conversations and laugh a lot!  :)

I got paid an immense compliment.  Both Katie and Angela told me that they thought I was an extraordinary Mom.  They said watching me interact with my kids gave them hope for the future... I thought that was really nice!  It was nice to hear also because there are days where I don't feel like the greatest person, let alone parent.  So, I appreciated their comment more than they know.  :)  They told me that it gave them hope for when they started having kids and that it was reassuring that the world wasn't a complete loss.  Thanks ladies!  I do appreciate it.

Unfortunately the roads were getting increasingly worse and by the time Gaetan and Joshua got home they said that the roads were pretty much ice.  So we decided to call it quits so that everybody could get home safely.  I look forward to the next time I can hang with them!  :)

JVG