Gophers and Vikings win!

I know it is Wednesday and I'm just getting to Saturday! Saturday, while daddy took Korri to swim class and Memere and Finn walked to the "Minnessippi" River, I got to go to Target all by myself! Unfortuantely, I had a massive sinus headache, so I didn't fully enjoy it. Later in the day, Auntie NaeNae and Craig came over. Memere left to go home and the six of us went to the Gopher vs. Syracuse football game! It was a little insane because that game didn't even start until 7pm, but the kids did amazingly well...probably even better than I did :) So glad Auntie NaeNae and Craig could join us AND the Gophers won!

Family picture.

Eating some cotton candy during pre-game.

Mommy's favorite part of Gopher football...the marching band making the "M".

Because on Sunday, Renae wasn't feeling well, so they had to leave before we even went to the Renaissance Festival! A huge thank you to uncle John for the tickets. Stacey and Dillon met us there and we all had a blast! The weather was perfect, the food was good and fattening and the kids were great, again.

It was a super busy weekend, but it was a perfect weekend, too (minus the fact that I missed what might be the best Vikings game of the last five years. Boo).

Arr, matey!

Korri had her follow up eye appointment for her glasses yesterday morning. While the appt went well overall, there was no improvement in her left eye...so she needs to wear an eye patch! She has to wear it on her left eye 5 days a week for one hour each day. I guess I was pretty caught off guard by this, since I didn't know we were necessarily looking for improvement, but her brain isn't recognizing her right eye like it should, hence the need for patching. She goes back in the beginning of January to see if the patching (hopefully!) helped. If not, I don't know what the next step would be...probably more patching for longer periods of time.

Thankfully, God is wise and puts the right people in our lives when we need them! Through our ECFE preemie class that we used to go to, Finn's friend Samuel had to patch for a considerable amount of time, so the first person I contacted...Lisa, Samuel's mom. She was so supportive and sent me a super detailed email (late last night after kiddos went to bed!) about what to think about, the best patches to get, the most effective ways to patch, etc. It is invaluable. Patching isn't something I've really even thought about before. I know it could always be worse (obviously!), but sometimes it just feels like "one more thing." I really hope patching is a magic "cure" and we get good news in January!

Korri patched last night for the first time, obviously since her appt was yesterday morning. And she did great! She reached up to touch it a few times, but left it alone for the most part. I think it helped that we were at Finn's tennis class, so there were a lot of distractions and lots to do to keep her busy (including a new trike to ride, courtesy for Mary Pat and Bennie...thank you, they both love it!!!).

Wonder Woman?

Korri did better at ECFE this week. She cried when I left her at snack time, but managed to stay for all but the last 15 minutes or so. Progress! During parent-time, we watched a video about the Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child. We, thankfully, don't have defiant children (or at least not yet!), but it was really interesting and we tested some of the techniques over the next couple of days and they seem to really work. Now, it is just a matter of remembering to use them consistently!

Friday after work, we picked up the kids from daycare and headed over to NeNe's house for a visit. She is doing AMAZING with her new knee and continues to improve. I think she might secretly be Wonder Woman, but it trying to hide it! The kids had a blast AND Memere met us there, so that was even better. Memere came home with us for a sleepover, which Finn was super excited for. She brought Jim's mouse costume that Nana made when he was little. We tried it on Finn and it fits...and is beyond adorable. Can't wait for Halloween :)

We had a crazy, busy weekend, but I'll save that for another day (maybe I'll actually get pictures uploaded!).

And congratulations to auntie Becca, who officially, as of this morning, made it longer in her current pregnancy than she did with Austin! Yay. Now let's hope she doesn't go over due :) Those Ross babies like to be big!

Go back tomorrow?

The acupuncture place called and...shocker...it isn't covered by my insurance. Oh, well. It was worth trying.

Tuesday night, Sharon, Laena and Braeland babysat us! Since Jim is traveling this week, they invited us over for dinner and to play. I think all three kiddos had a BLAST. On the way home, Finn said something about, "when we go to Laena and Braeland's house tomorrow night." Guess he wants to go back. Sharon completely outdid herself with dinner. It was chicken with peanut sauce (seriously, one of my favorite things on earth), pot stickers (another of my absolute favorite things), green beans cooked in a little sesame oil and brown rice. It was all really good and I think Finn ate all of the green beans, not just his...ALL of them :) They have a big train table in the basement where the tracks are glued down, so of course, Finn was in love with that. They also had an indoor slide that Korri just kept going up and down. It is nice to have an adult friend who has kids that play really well with your own. Thank you for a wonderful evening, friends! We'll gladly do it again when Jim is traveling, especially since Finn wanted to come back the next night.

Finn is super excited that it is Pajamma Day at daycare tomorrow! They did this one other time when we first started going there and Finn thought it was the coolest thing. How cute to have a bunch of preschoolers running around in their pj's! Now we just need to remember AND make sure the "cute" ones are clean :)

Last night, the three of us were running all over town, so I decided to treat them and get fast food for dinner. Finn picked Burger King and when we pulled in, he asked if we could eat inside (he saw they had a play area) and I thought, "why not?" They shared a plain cheeseburger, sweet potato fries (who knew BK has sweet potato fries? Not me!) and their own white milks. They ate really well, were in good moods and had a great time. This picture is Finn climbing in the tunnels (Korri was too small) and he went ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP, and it was HIGH!!!

Can you see him in there?  The netting blurred the picture. I didn't even know he could do it at all. He got "stuck" a few times, but I just talked him through it and he figured it out himself. When he was done, I saw that you are supposed to be 4 to play in it...oops! I think he was really proud of himself (as was his momma!).

Inner Health

On Monday night, I had my first acupuncture session. I've heard that it can help with migraines so when a Groupon came up for it, I thought I'd try it. Keep in mind, this was last MARCH! But anyway, since it was going to expire, I finally went. I was scheduled to get acupuncture when I was on hospital bedrest trying not to have Finn because of the intense joint pain I was experiencing. BUT, alas, Finn thought it would be a better idea to come into this world than let mommy get poked by a bunch of needles (maybe he was channeling daddy's fear of needles!).

Anyway, Monday night, Super Dad Jim picked the kids up from daycare, made a picnic dinner, brought them to the park for said picnic, went to sports class (the first one I've missed and it was TENNIS...boo!), played at the park after class, came home, gave baths and put the kids to bed by himself! I was impressed. I did get to help put Finn to bed for a minute or two.

My appt was at 6pm in Edina, so I didn't even go home after work. The session started out with a medical history and talking about my migraines. She explained acupuncture to me a little. Then I laid on the table and she put in about 15-20(?) needles and let me lay there for about half an hour. I have to say, maybe it is the power of positive thinking, but I had a headache when I got there and I did NOT when I left! However, because I was laying on my back, my sinuses filled up and I got stuffy (I think it is...allergies!). She is going to see if they are covered by our insurance, but I'm not holding my breath. I think I would like to try it for a while to see if it would help with my migraines (obviously, after one session, there isn't going to be lasting change)...but it is REALLY expensive if you have to pay out of pocket. So, we'll see. If nothing else, I got to try something new and have a half hour of complete silence and relaxation, or as relaxed as you can get with needles poking out of you!

Me, Koko.

On Sunday, we went over to Laura, Matt and Daphne's house to watch the Vikings and help celebrate Laura's birthday. They have a monster projection screen downstairs, which made watching the game even better (although, when they lost, it was that much harder to watch!). She totally outdid herself with the food and while I tried not to overdo it, Operation Get Skinny for Hawaii had a small set back! My job was to bring something for dessert. So after several emails asking for suggestions, I had her narrow it down and decided on a rhubarb cake! I had given them some rhubarb bread earlier this summer and apparently Daphne LOVED it, so I thought it was a good choice, although it was a new recipe, which always stresses me out. Yes, I know it was Laura's birthday but once we become parents, it is all about what the kids want, right? Daphne did an amazing job sharing her toys and the kids played and ate and had a great time. My kids didn't nap there because I just didn't know how well it would work. Of course, they both fell asleep on the short ride home and then would NOT sleep once we got home. Oh, well...the price we pay to watch the Vikings with friends :) The kids colored a "card" for "Daph-a-ne's mom" and we sang happy birthday, so I hope she had a nice birthday!

Oh, and Korri is now Koko. This weekend, she was sitting in her highchair and I thought she said, "koko." I wasn't sure, so I asked her what koko is. To which she replied, "Me, Koko." I said, "is your name Koko?" and she said, "yes." When daddy came down, I said, "Who is Koko?" and she pointed her to chest and said again, "me, Koko." I guess that settles that! I actually think it is really cute and Finn called himself "Gangan" for a long time when he couldn't say his full name. Finn thinks "Koko" is hilarious because there is a train on Chuggington called Koko...so we had to watch an episode of Chuggington before bed that night! I just looked up the character Koko and she and Korri have very similar personalities:

Koko'll often challenge others to a race, Koko loves going flat out, whooshing ahead of the others, and has yet to learn that speed isn't everything. Koko is very confident and loves to explore and have adventures. Although mischievous, she is well meaning and gets upset if she causes her friends to get into trouble. Koko will always own up or apologize and try to put things right, once she has understood the full implications of her actions.

Fitting, I guess :)

Balance bike?

Friday, we went over for a short visit at NeNe's house. Korri was SO cute when I told her where we were going. She ran over to the front door and repeated "NeNe, NeNe!" over and over. I think she thought NeNe was coming to OUR house. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see that DeAnn looked amazingly well for being one week post-knee replacement! She even got up and walked around. The kids loved the visit, but I could tell it tired DeAnn out a bit to have the chaos of two kids running around and climbing (yes CLIMBING) on her. Korri just wanted to be by her and I was freaking out, but she left the knee area alone, thank GOD! Now DeAnn just needs to remember to take her pain meds and NOT over do it :)

Saturday, Jim and Finn went to the Gopher football game again (win #3), while mommy and Korri went to swim class and hung out together. Jim said that Finn warmed up a lot more this week and was yelling and cheering. He totally conked out when they got home and we had to wake him up at 5pm from his nap! Korri loved swim class, as usual. I checked and there are spots open for the Waterbabies classes this fall, so now we need to decide if we are going to just have Korri go again or if we are going to try to find a class somewhere else for Finn. I feel like I've looked everywhere and either they don't have the kind of class we are looking for OR their schedule is too early or late in the fall! Argh.

On the way home from swim class, we stopped and picked up a balance bike from a friend for Finn to try! Rebecca warned me that it might take a while for him to warm up to it and he might just walk with it and not even sit on it. So, my expectations were low. I wish Finn had been with so he could have seen Jaleah riding it...she was zipping around. After Finn's monster nap, we went out to the van to show him. He LOVED it immediately and couldn't wait to get on it. He sat right down on the seat and off he went. Last night we went for a "bike" ride and when he got on his bike, he said to me, "Mommy, now I'm just like the other kids with their bikes." It almost made me cry!

So, what is a balance bike and why use it instead of a trike or regular bike? I've known what they are but I've thought the same thing for almost two years. A balance bike is a bike without pedals (or pedals removed from a regular bike). Weird, I know. The rider first walks the bicycle while sitting on the seat. Eventually, the rider feels comfortable enough to run and "scoot" while riding the bicycle, then to lift both feet off the ground and cruise while balancing on the two wheels (there are spots for his feet to rest when he gets to this stage). The purpose is to learn to balance and steer first and THEN learn to pedal, with the hope/thought that you will transition to a regular bike with NO training wheels!

We are also going to borrow Finn's friend, Bennie's, trike, so this way Finn will have options. I'm just so pleased that he loves it so much. We have set the rules very clearly and last night before our "bike" ride (Finn is the only one with a bike and goes slower than walking speed!), I told Finn that we get off our bike and walk it across the street. The first intersection we got to, he was off and walking it before I even turned around. And then he had to explain to daddy that we don't ride our bikes across the street because we do safety first! Man, I love that kid. He also LOVES wearing the helmet and calls it his racing helmet (I think because there are flames on it). We mentioned putting the seat all the way down and letting Korri try, but Finn did NOT think that was a good idea. Poor guy, he has to share everything. I think we'll wait until it isn't so "new" to have Korri try (however, she was VERY interested in it, so we'll see)!

I can hear clearly now

Finally, an ENT appointment with good news and no need for follow up for a year! I honestly don't remember the last time that happened. Jim and I took Finn to the ENT for his post-op appt yesterday afternoon. Not only did the doctor say everything looks good and Finn doesn't need to be seen for up to a year...they also did a hearing test and for the first time...Finn passed with flying colors! He is well within normal ranges and absolutely NO hearing concerns. Seriously, it brings tears to my eyes. Now, if those darn tubes will just stay in (unlike his first set), we should be set for a LONG time, hopefully. I really like Dr. Soumekh, but I'll be happy if we don't need to see him again...ever!

Thank you to everybody for your feedback, suggestions and support about Finn's pedaling. We are borrowing a trike and a balance bike from friends (thanks, Mary Pat and Rebecca!), so we'll see what we can accomplish yet this fall. I have such wonderful memories of Austin riding back and forth and back and forth in front of our house and turning around at the corner and the alley. His darn big wheel was so loud, but I loved it. Now I'm just praying that Finn will have a good attitude about it...we all know he tends to be VERY "cautious" with new things.

We had our third ECFE class last night. I'm definitely warming up to the new location and my overall attitude is improving. Finn painted a picture last night...something he has NEVER done for me before. It was a red and yellow "road." I told him it looked like a bumpy road. I'll have to take a picture of it. I really like the mixture of parents and the feedback/discussion during parent time. However, the first night, Korri separated just fine. After an hour of playing and singing songs, the kids stay in the room for snack and more playing while the parents go across the hall. Last week and this week, Korri was so upset, she was almost hyperventilating. I was/am frustrated by this since she separates just fine every day from both Jim and I for daycare, but Jim wisely suggested that perhaps because she IS away from us all day, she doesn't want to be away from us even more. Hmmm...hadn't thought of that. So, Korri hangs out in the parent room with us and while she does behave really well, I'm hoping it gets better because I pay attention to the discussion a lot more when I'm kid-free.

To pedal or not to pedal

Finn doesn't know how to pedal, as far as I know. They have trikes at daycare and I think he rides them, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't actually pedal them. We do not have any pedal toys at our house except a bike that is far too big for him. Do most 3 1/2 year olds pedal? I miss Finn's PT appts when things like this come up. I've been thinking lately that we should get him something to pedal. I know, getting one in Sept in MN isn't exactly the best idea, as we MAY have a month to ride it outdoors. I think I would feel better if he demostrated that he COULD, then I'd probably just wait until the spring. And if we do get him something, should we go with a trike or a bike with trainers? If we do a trike, is it better/easier to pedal pushing forward or down (you can sit in different positions on different types)? I'm not OVERLY concerned about it, but while watching Teen Mom (yes, a guilty pleasure of mine!), the younger than 3 year old was riding a bike with trainers and I even think they were trying to teach him to ride WITHOUT trainers! It got me thinking that if there is something we can do to help Finn, I'd like to do it. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Mom, do you still have the bike from Lisa? Would Finn fit on it and does it have trainers?

Not Water Tot

I'm so frustrated! Today was the first day of fall registration for swim classes at the Courage Center, where we go. You have to go in person to register (which I think is beyond dumb) but since I work downtown and Jim is traveling, I knew we couldn't go in today. So I called this afternoon at 2pm just to find out what times Finn's Water Tots classes are offered and guess what? Yup, they were already full and one person was on the wait list, which I did add my name to! Seriously?!?! I asked if they are going to open up an additional class and was told no. Which is another thing I think that is dumb because these classes generate revenue at a rehabilitation facility where most of their programs don't. So now we need to figure out what to do. Do we sign Korri up for fall and hope winter will have more Water Tots openings (I'm not holding my breath) or do we try to find a class somewhere else? I looked at St. Anthony Village and Maple Grove, both of which looked like good options, except their start dates don't work with our vacation and you can't make up classes. The UofM - St. Paul has classes, but Finn would have to be in a parent/child class until he "passed" it, which is silly, but that is the rule. Argh!

So, keeping in mind that we are not members at the YMCA, where do you take your kids for swim classes/lessons? Have you heard of any places I should check out? A lot of the suburbs close to us only have outdoor pools, which, obviously, wouldn't work for fall/winter lessons.

Ski-U-Mah, Skol!

Korri had her first and second time out today. I was just telling Kristine yesterday that I think 12-18ish months is the best as far as listening and cooperating. And then today, Korri has decided not to listen! Both time outs had to do with her taking her glasses off and throwing them. I'm so sad because we always PRAISED her for listening with the hope that she would continue to do so and we could avoid as much of the "terrible twos" as possible. I think we were living in a fantasy world. Oh, well. High frustration comes with high expectations.

Yesterday, Jim and Finn went to the Gopher football game while Korri and I went to swim class. Who got the short end of that stick? Auntie Kristine and Baby Zander met us there. She is thinking about taking Zander to lessons there and wanted to check it out. Korri did a great job. She LOVES jumping in from the side of the pool and would do it the whole time if she could. She is also really good at blowing bubbles, something Finn just learned to do this past spring! Fall registration begins tomorrow (Monday) and you have to register is person (which I think is dumb), so I'm hoping we can sign Finn up for Water Tots...a class designed for children who have completed Waterbabies, but are not quite ready for Level 1 Preschool Swim. Children will float, splash, increase comfort level in the water and play without their parents in the water. I'm really excited and will be sad if he doesn't get in for Fall session as they don't offer many Water Tot sessions AND they fill up fast.

Jim and Finn had fun at the game and the Gophers WON! They are now 2-0, which is a rarity in Gopher football. Jim said Finn wouldn't sit still and was all over the place, but they had fun. AND Finn got to see Goldy, so he was in heaven. Oh, and Zander got to stay and play while his mommy had other plans. He is so stinkin' cute and such a good boy. I wish he could give my kids a lesson or two!

Today was the Vikings' season opener, which is something I look forward to. Sharon, Laena and Braeland came over to watch the game with us (and play with toys!). Brae is a Bears fan, so it was tough for me to let him in the house, but he DID cheer when we got the first touchdown...after he told me the Bears had more touchdowns than the Vikings! What a good. The kids all played super well together and while I didn't get to watch the entire game, I did get to see the super exciting end of the 4th quarter and OT. Vikes won! I hope it is the beginning of good things to come.

Got my hairs did

Since my wonderfully talented sister graduated college and got a "big girl" job, my hair has been severely neglected. SO, I decided to treat myself to a Groupon for a cut and color. I played hooky a little on Wednesday (or rather took a VERY long lunch!) and got my hairs did. It was so nice to be pampered and the head/scalp massage is worth every stinkin' penny! I stuck with my normal color and she trimmed a little, layered a bit and thinned the heck out of it. So THIS is what normal thickness feels like! Then, she dried and straightened it. Seriously, there are few times a woman feels better about her self than when she walks out of the hair salon. You think everybody is looking at you and thinking, "Wow, what gorgeous hair she has!" Of course they aren't, but there is a bounce in your step that isn't otherwise there. And I found myself feeling sorry for the other women I saw because their hair wasn't NEARLY as pretty as mine! Now, if only I could do that every day! The stylist even said she doesn't blame me for not drying my hair in the morning because it would take so long. Ha, anyway, here is a pick I took at work when I got back (it is a self portrait, so not the best, but you get the idea!):

My hair looks good, but my eyes sure look tired! Yikes! I'll blame it on the lighting :) Nobody missed me at work during my THREE hour lunch. Hmmm...I wonder what would happen if I were to do that every day...

Just hire a professional!

Korri had her first class of swim class for this session. We signed up late, so she will have five weeks of class before the next session starts, at which time Finn will take classes (by himself for the first time!!). I'd be remiss to not post a picture of the cute grill before her lesson:

Daddy took her by himself because Finn chose to stay home with mommy instead of going to watch (I was a little sad, but it wasn't a big deal). I will be taking her at least three of the week by myself because daddy has Gopher football at the same time. Finn is going with daddy to the football game this week, so I won't have to make alternate plans for him during swimming.

On Sunday, Grandpa Egg came for a visit. Our garage door has been in need of repair/replacement since we bought the house FIVE years ago and finally last winter, the door started pulling off the hinges, so it was time to do something about it. Commence with the biggest fiasco EVER! It started out fine...disconnected everything, took old doors off, put new doors on and then...started reconnecting and assembling and that is where all hell broke loose. The new doors were light weight aluminum where the old doors were very heavy wood/particle board that were builder grade so the equipment that was there was not assembled correctly and it wasn't the right stuff for the new doors. Long story short, dad and Jim spent ALL day Sunday and half of Monday and got it to function until it came off the chain on Tuesday and we gave in and had a garage door repairman come and fix it yesterday. It ended up costing twice what we thought and we wish we'd just had it professionally installed from the beginning, but I honestly didn't think it would cause this much of a problem. Anyway, the proper parts are installed and it works, so hopefully it continues to do so since Jim is traveling! Let's just say dad and Jim almost killed themselves Sunday night when the door came off the track and Jim sweat out EIGHT pounds of sweat between the two days. Yikes! It was nice to see dad and spend a little time with him. I'm just sad he spent the whole time out in the garage (wait, reminds me of my childhood!). Here are some pictures, but I don't have a final one yet.

Before

 

Old one down, new one going up



Almost done? Nope!

Mixed feelings

We had our first evening ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) class last night. It was at a new location which is a school right by our house. I was really looking forward to it because it is one of the schools Finn will go to Pre-K/High 5 next fall AND we could do it as a family. Jim's negativity at doing anything new and/or unknown rubbed off on my by the time we got there, but I was determined to have a good attitude and enjoy myself and the kiddos. Until...we turned the corner and the teacher I HATE (yes, HATE and I hardly ever use that word, especially to describe people) was standing in the doorway. I am/was SO disappointed, coupled with the fact that it had to be 110 degrees in the building and the children's play/activity room was less than half the size of the other ECFE locations we've gone to. Still, I kept a stoic face and carried on. After "warming" up to a new space, the kiddos seemed to have a good time. Korri even did an art project with daddy...something Finn has done with me maybe three times in the three and a half years we've gone to ECFE!

This is Jim's first time going to an ECFE class where the parents separate from the kids to have "parent time." He didn't seem too sure about it, but if he doesn't like parent time, he can always go back and play with the kids instead! After class, we talked and decided that we would keep going to this class until THE teacher did or said something to put me over the edge and in the meantime, I would be positive and hopeful that she had changed. I REALLY hoped she had retired when they changed locations. Boo! The other aids/teachers are the same as well and they all remembered my kids (even though it had been over a year since they've seen them). The timing of class is going to be tough. It starts at 5pm, which means I will either need to leave work early OR Jim will need to pick the kiddos up from daycare and we will have to meet at ECFE every week. Also, it is right during dinner time and while they provide a snack at ECFE, my kids will be starving by the time class is over and there isn't time to feed them beforehand. AND it doesn't get over until 7pm, which is fine, but that means Korri will be going to bed late one night per week. It's always something, isn't it?!?!

Great MN Get Together

Last night, I had a much needed Mom's Night Out with Sharon and Pam! We went to Coopers at West End in St. Louis Park. I've driven by it a million times, so I wanted to try it. I LOVED the atmosphere and the service was pretty good, but I wasn't overly impressed with the food. It was good, but not great. It labels itself as an Irish Pub, so to be fair, I'll have to try their fish and chips next time to see if it is good or not. The conversation more than made up for the food, as we stayed over for THREE hours. Thanks for the great evening, ladies!

Since I was otherwise occupied for the evening, Jim took the kiddos to the Great Minnesota Get Together BY HIMSELF! The three of us mom's thought he was a little crazy but more power to him. Due to "Operations Get Skinny for Hawaii," I wasn't overly excited to go to the state fair this year (how can you go and NOT eat all those yummy, horrible-for-you foods?!?!), so I did appreciate him finding an alternative. He said the kids were kind of overwhelmed a bit but LOVED the animals. Finn said there wasn't any horses (must not have made it to that barn!) and Jim said the tractors were too far away. I hate missing family events/memories like that, but I'm glad they still got to go. And I'm so glad Jim remembered to take pictures. Here are a few (more on our picture website, which is now fully updated, I think):

Countryside Wine Tour

Friday evening, Dillon, Grandma and Austin all came over (Grandma and Austin for the weekend). It was a little hot, so we waited until after dinner to go to the park. There is a skate park by our house that Dillon wanted to try, but once we got there, he was a little intimidated and decided he’d rather play with Austin! Fine by me, as opportunity for injury scares me with skateboarding! I’m pretty sure fun was had by all.

Despite going on day SEVEN with a migraine, on Saturday, Jim and I went on a wine tasting tour (not very beneficial for “Operation Get-Skinny-for-Hawaii”). We’d been looking forward to this for quite a while, since we ended up having to reschedule twice. Grandma and Austin “babysat” the kids (Austin was VERY proud to be a babysitter!). We left downtown at noon and got home just before 6pm and went to three wineries in the west metro area (one in Delano and two in Waconia). Neither of us had ever been wine tasting before, so it was a new experience and each winery was SO different. I even found some red wine that I actually liked, go figure.

Now, I think we should open a winery! These pictures are with my lame phone camera...need to order a charger for my camera battery, as we were unable to find ours. Boo. I don’t think we’d do a tour again (it was pretty expensive), but I am interested to go to other wineries in MN. Oh, worth noting: it was the first tour for our “guide” since giving birth to twins SEVEN WEEKS ago! Seriously?!?! I think she liked getting away for a while.

The minute we got home, I took some medicine and slept until 8pm! I felt bad since I was away from the kids all day and then all evening, too, but I did FINALLY feel better when I woke up. I spent all day Sunday trying to keep the migraine away and now I woke up this morning with a sore throat and sinus pressure. Seriously?!?! Can’t I get a break? I could be worse…it could be worse…it can ALWAYS be worse…

Anyway, Sunday, Mom and I took the three kiddos to church. Finn whined non-stop, which was hard for me to handle and Austin had a hard time listening. Honestly between the three of them, I did NOT expect Korri to be the best behaved! Overall they weren’t “bad” so I’m thankful for that. Oh, and thank goodness for snacks! We had plans with Laura, Matt and Daphne for the morning, but with my migraine teetering on the brink of reemergence and not making plans ahead of time (can you believe I didn’t?!?!), I thought it was best to just hang out at home. Mom and Austin left when the kiddos went down for nap. Honestly, it was such a pleasant surprise to get to spend all weekend with Austin. If the consequence is us getting to have Austin for the weekend, I wish Mike would flake every one of his weekends (not for Austin’s sake, though). And I know I sound like a broken record, but thank you to Mom/Grandma the Super Hero! She mowed, did dishes, did laundry, made meals, watched three kids and even picked up the house (and probably more things I’m forgetting right now!). I love her visits, mainly so we can see her and spend time with her, but I SO appreciate the help, too!

River Rats Ski Show

Finn is feeling MUCH better and just doesn't understand why he can't run and jump! Daddy had to postpone the trip to Choo Choo Bob's but they FINALLY got to go today. Can't wait to hear how it went and also get Jim's take on the place since it was his first trip there. I just wish I could have gone along :(

Last night, even though the weather threatened to ruin our plans, we went to Broadway Pizza for dinner and then to the River Rat's Ski Show! Laena, Braeland, Lilly and their families went with us, which was so fun. It sounded like a big crowd when I said, "6 adults and 6 kids!" We had the caboose all to ourselves, which was kind of fun and the kids were all great. We walked over to the show and, probably because of the weather, there was hardly anybody there! We got a good spot where the kids had room to dance and play (or eat grass, ask Levi!). Korri got LOTS of Sharon-time, so she was happy (and she even got some Pam-time, too!). No matter how many times I've watched a ski show (which is a LOT since we grew up watching the Little Crow Ski Team), I just don't understand how they can do most of what they do. My favorite: the four-man 360 degrees AROUND THE BOAT! Seriously, it just shouldn't be able to happen! They also did a four-man jump with a forward flip, which I don't remember them doing before.

We got home late, but both kids crashed pretty much the second they got into their beds. No time for a bath, even! Hope we can do it again next year, but maybe a little earlier in the season, since it was getting dark by the time it was over. Thanks for going with us, friends!! We had a blast. Of course, no pictures because I can NOT find my camera battery charger anywhere. Guess I better order a new one! Boo.

Jim and I are going to Kaua'i for our five year wedding anniversary! Has is really been five years already? Crazy how much has changed in five years. Can't wait for some much needed time away with the love of my life and best friend (that is the same person, in case you were wondering)! Consequently, today is Day 1 of "Operation Get-Skinny-for-Hawaii." Both of my children have asked me if I have a baby in my tummy...hmmm, time to lose weight! Wish me luck! I don't want people to run away screaming when I put on a swim suit ;)

School ready?

I've always liked the idea of sending my offsrping to a Christian school AND I've had a very bad image/idea of what Minneapolis Public Schools are (I'm starting to come around, but Jim said I'm just getting brainwashed!). As Finn gets older and school looms on the horizon (yes, that is a tear in my eye!), I've started thinking more and more about school, what options are available to us and where we will send him/them. One good thing about MPS is that they have a strong Pre-K program, which not all school districts even offer. Basically, Pre-K seems like what kindergarten used to be! The kids who are 5 after the Sept 1 cutoff for kindergarten go every day for half a day and then in kindergarten, they go all day, every day! I think it is a great alternative to preschool and gets them ready for kindergarten.

Another good thing about public school (not sure how MPS compares) is that Emma and Austin are both gifted and have thrived in public school and gotten the attention they need to continue to excel beyond expectations and their peers. One major concern I've had about MPS is I don't want the classroom to go at the speed of the slowest student. Maybe that isn't the case (see, more research is needed on my part!).

It is also funny how your perspective changes! I used to think that private school was just too expensive and how could we justify sending our children to a private school when public school is "free." Well, now that we pay daycare, I've come to realize that private school isn't THAT expensive! Side note: I think daycare is ridiculously expensive!! The bottom line is that if I continue to work, we CAN afford private school.

So, now the search/research on schools expands from our three neighborhood public schools to private schools, too! Sheesh. Talk about being overwhelmed. Thankfully, there is a good Christian/Catholic school attached to our church, so I obviously am partial to looking into that one. Oh and to throw another wrench into the mix...we don't know how long we will stay living in Mpls, so all of this planning and research could be for naught!

I know kindergarten is two years away, and we've already decided to send Finn to our neighborhood public school for Pre-K next fall (just have to decide which one!), so it gives us a little time. But I know it will sneak up on us and I feel like so much is at stake. Our parents had it so easy...your child went to the closest school from K-12 with no other options! Okay, that isn't fair (Jim did transfer from Oville to KMS in 5th grade after all!), and there were private options in our area, but let's just say there were FEWER decisions that our parents had to make. One step at a time...figure out Pre-K and then figure out things after that!

FYI: Finn woke up this morning with a fever and very uncomfortable. It was super hard for me to leave for work, but I left my boys snuggling in daddy's bed with the promise that daddy was going to take Finn to Choo Choo Bob's today. I hope they have a good day!

74th Annual Ortonville Cornfest

Not only was last night uneventful, when Jim went to give Finn a dose of codeine around midnight, Finn refused it. So, he must have been feeling okay. This morning, I brought Finn into our bed when I left for work and he wanted some then, which is fine with me! Bring on the meds.

In all the excitement of yesterday, I didn't get to post about our weekend in Oville! It was Cornfest, which we go back for every year. It is so much fun when you have kids. We ate lots of food, walked around (and pushed the stroller up and down those darn "mountains" in Oville), watched the firefighter barrel water fights, ate waffles at the waffle breakfast and went to the parade on Sunday.

Here are some pics from the parade:

Since the parade was smack dab in the middle of nap time, both kids were pretty tuckered out by the end (hence the snuggle time with NeNe above!). Korri fell asleep on the stroller walk home and didn't even budge when Jim picked her up and buckled her in the car. Finn has become quite the parade aficionado. He knows if he waves at the people, he gets more candy! It wasn't the normal route this year (because of a detour) but I like that it was a very wide road with a wide shoulder...allows for the kids to move around a bit more without us freaking out that they will get run over. The kiddos got quite the candy haul...not sure who is going to eat it!

Of course, I woke up with a massive migraine on Sunday that completely disabled me. I often get nauseous with migraines, but rarely vomit...not so lucky on Sunday! Thankfully, Jim took care of me while Memere took care of the kids (even took them to church by herself!) and John and Dave figured out a way for me to get some Imitrex, which I did around 1pm and felt better enough by 2pm to go watch the parade. Yuck! I've started charting my headaches/migraines since I plan to go see a specialist after the first of the year. It is really sad when you SEE how many you get and how often.

Home again, home again

Finn had surgery for tubes and adenoids today. We left home a little after 6pm in order to be at Children's Hospital by 6:45am. Thankfully, since daycare isn't open that early, Memere and Grandpa Ron stayed over last night and watched Korri all day for us. Neither Jim nor I slept at all last night. We both know it is as routine a procedure as you can get, but regardless, it is still your little baby going through it.

Once we got there, Finn was in a good mood and just wanted to play with toys. The little jammies were super cute.

Cuddling with mommy and daddy while waiting for them to be ready for Finn's surgery and watching some PBS Kids.

They were really good about showing, telling and explaining to him about what to expect and what was going to happen. I think that helped him a lot. I was doing okay until we were waiting in the room for them to be ready for Finn. And I pretty much lost it when we went to the OR with him and they put him under. No matter how many times you go through it (this is the fourth surgery for Finn), it never gets easy. And seeing him laying there so helpless just tears my heart apart. Later this afternoon, Finn told me his favorite part was his bed rolling down the hallway! So innocent and sweet.

Surgery was done very quickly (less than 45 minutes) and he had to go into recovery until he started waking up. Then they rolled him into his room, which is where we were waiting.

I have to say, things have changed since his last surgery (two years ago) and I really liked being able to wait in his room vs. having to wait in the waiting room. He was pretty groggy and uncomfortable right away. He eventually rolled over and said his back hurt. But I think he just wanted to sleep on his tummy! My little tummy-sleepers!

Once we un-kinked the IV, he was out for a super long nap. The nurse said she finds if they take a good nap, they recover much better. In the OR they told him if the pulse monitor was red (which it always is), it meant he was being a good boy, so he had to keep checking that after he got back to his room. I was told when I pre-registered we should be able to leave around 11:30, but since he took such a long nap, we didn't leave until almost 1pm. He was super excited to go home and thought it was hilarious when the nurse said, "now get out of here!" He really is a remarkable kid.

He was in a very fragile state of mind for the rest of the day...in a great mood one minute and crying the next.  We kept him on the meds they gave him and that helped a lot. Memere got him some new Cars2 cars to play with, since he can't run, jump or exert himself for up to two weeks and auntie Becca, uncle Pete and Austin sent him a super cute lovable monkey called Junglie, which he just loved.

Thank you to everybody for thinking of us and saying some prayers. If we've learned nothing through Finn's journey, we've truly learned and understand the power of prayer. Also, thank you to Memere and Grandpa Ron for spending the day with Korri and thank you NeNe for coming over tomorrow. I, unfortunately, have to go back to work tomorrow, so it will be nice knowing NeNe is here for some extra cuddling, loving and spoiling. Here's to a quiet and uneventful evening!

Watch that baseball soar

I keep waiting to mention the Twins game until I get my pictures off my camera, but at this point, it might be next year! Ha. On Sunday, the four of us went to the Twin's game for March of Dimes and got to walk out on the field, again! This was the third time for us, but it was still really neat. The temperature was perfect. Oddly, the game we went to in April was so hot, we were afraid the kids were going to get heat stroke. But in August (last weekend), it was in the 70's, cloudy and actually had to bring along and put on sweatshirts for the kiddos! That's just crazy MN weather for ya. Game time was 1:10pm, which is always tough because that is nap time. We made it to the start of the 7th inning and then had to leave. The one nice thing about Korri being older...she walked all the way from our car and back again! No more carrier, which always hurt my neck and back. The bad thing about Korri being older...she just wanted to walk around and explore the whole time. Luckily, the lady next to us was very nice and didn't mind Korri trying to climb over her to get to the aisle! I'm bummed we didn't get a family picture this year, which we've done every year, but oh, well. And for the record, the Twin's lost, but we did get to see a homerun and Finn didn't completely freak this year...he must be growing up (or was just prepared this time!).

On Tuesday, Korri had her follow-up dermatologist appointment at Amplatz. The doctor was very pleased with the improvement and said to just keep doing what we've been doing. She is hopeful that Korri will outgrow the worst of it, which is good, but it is very likely this is something she will always have to deal with to some degree. We are supposed to go back in three months, but since that is right around her 2 year well-child, we figured we'd have her regular Ped check her out and only go back if there was a reason to.

And because I hate having a blog without at least one picture, we had our first family movie night on Tuesday night after bath.

We borrowed Happy Feet from Austin, daddy popped some popcorn and we watched the movie...for about 10 minutes. Hey, they are young and I don't expect them to sit there for very long. We tried to keep Korri from eating the popcorn, since it is a choking hazzard, but that lasted for about 2 minutes. Oh, well. It was just fun having time together and of course, because I was on the floor, it was a free-for-all to climb on mommy!

Truck Extravaganza

On Saturday, the four of us went to the the Third Annual Truck Extravaganza (but it was a first for us). Truck Extravaganza allows kids and adults to sit inside, touch and learn about vehicles they typically don’t have the opportunity to be up close and personal with. The event featured music, food, a bouncey house, art, prizes, decorate your own hard hat, dig for trucks, etc. I thought it was a neat family-friendly event and several of our friends were there, too! Korri didn't like the noise; kids were honking the loud horns constantly and Finn was just overwhelmed, but did go in a school bus and on a couple smaller tractor-type vehicles. However, I think he would have been happy playing with the toy trucks the whole time. I wish it would have been a little earlier in the day since it started at 11am and my kids were ready for a nap by 12:30. Oh, well. If we go next year, maybe we can push nap back a little bit.

We literally had a SEVEN minute drive home and Korri fell asleep! That's how tired she was. After naps, we headed over to NeNe's house for a visit and dinner. Finn'd been asking when he could go to NeNe's house for a while, so we figured we should set a date. Even though Uncle Les wasn't there (Finn was sad about that), it was nice and relaxing and we even got to eat outside on their screened in porch. LOVE that feature. All the benefits of the outdoors, but no bugs. Thanks for the hospitality, NeNe and cousin Jean!

Havin' a picnic?

Friday after work, Jim picked up our "new" picnic table:

I've been wanting one for a while but didn't know how to tell what size we wanted. So, we looked at Austin's when we were there the other weekend and I knew that was the size we wanted (there is a "jr" size that I feared the kids would outgrow too quickly). Once I found out how expensive the one I wanted was, I was on a mission to find it on Craigslist...and I did (even though this is a much older model than Austin's and has some stains on it...)! And for a really great price. And as you can tell from the pictures...the kids LOVE it. They ate on it two times this weekend already and I plan to have them eat there a lot more. Every time something is dropped on the ground, Finn says, "That's for the birds, mommy." Yes, Finn, it is for the birds! Oh and every time somebody walks by on the sidewalk while they are eating, they have to wave and say, "hello!" and ask where they are going! I'm not sure if my kids are being friendly or nosey!

New digs

Last night, I got to see Stacey and Dillon's new house! It is super cute, even though there isn't much moved/unpacked quite yet! We took one full load of my van and her car over and unloaded it and started unpacking the kitchen (Dillon needed a bowl for cereal this morning!) and Dillon's room (Dillon needed a bed to sleep on, go figure!). It is very easy to get to and seems like a very nice, quiet neighborhood. Part of me is jealous that it is a townhouse...no mowing, no shoveling, no maintenence, etc. Congratulations on your very first "big girl" place, Stacey! I'm really proud of you. Now you just need some time to enjoy it.

While I was gone, Jim and the kids had a great time. Gee, maybe I should leave more often! They played outside in the newly mowed yard and then they made brownies...

Something I would not have thought of but what a great family activity. And yes, they are baking on the floor, but it was washed yesterday. Jim warned me when I got home that the floor might be slippery since Korri poured out the oil. Oops! Guess it needs to be washed again. Ha!

While I was away, Jim and Finn had this conversation...

Jim: Are you the cutest thing ever invented Finnegan?
Finn: No.
Jim: What is?
Finn: Korri.

If that doesn't melt your heart, you aren't human or don't have a heart. Man, I love that kid!

The other day he and Jim were watching the Olympics and Jim text me, "Finn is running around chanting "USA" but he wants to play soccer ball in the olympics for Turkey." Go figure that one!

Jungle land

I mowed our jungle...er...I mean our lawn last night. Holy grass, batman. A great reminder on why it is important to mow regularly! I'm pretty sure we could have lost Korri in some of that grass. Not to mention it takes so much more time to mow when you have to stop every five seconds to lift the mower deck to get all the excess grass out. Sheesh. Also, I think we may need to sharpen the blades because it seems like it is using chopsticks under there!

And I'm pretty sure Korri has developed a fear of water...in her eyes anyway. The last couple baths, she has cried when water got in her eyes which she NEVER used to do. Guess its time for swim class again! Finn on the other hand goes under (with eyes open, I'm pretty sure), comes up, blinks and keeps on playing. Last night, I think he forgot he was under the water and tried to breathe. Oops!

More lessons learned:

Appreciate your child(ren) for who and what they are. You’ll both be happier that way.

Trust your instincts. I’ve never regretted listening to my intuition, but often regret NOT doing so.

Know and understand what your child(ren) should and shouldn’t be able to do at whatever stage/age they are currently. Encourage and support the next step but don’t expect them to do more than they are physically/mentally/emotionally able.

There is always something your child is doing that you can’t wait for them to outgrow (whining, hitting, tantrums, potty training, defying, etc.). While it is difficult, remember these phases are only temporary and be careful not to wish your child’s childhood away. I’ve found that the three years I’ve been a parent have flown by in what seems like a minute.

I’ve never fully understood and felt the importance of the staying, “there’s more than one way to skin a cat” until I had a three year old. I try to set my kids up for success rather than failure (i.e. why fight and argue if you can both feel like you get your way?). Creativity and thinking on your feet both come in handy!

Walk the line

Korri and I went to Children’s Specialty Center yesterday for her PT evaluation. As you may remember, at Korri’s 18 month well-child appt, her Ped thought it would be wise to have her gait assessed since her left foot continues to point inward and sometimes drags and trips her. The appt went VERY well! Although it broke my heart to have to wake her up at daycare when I came to pick her up. She fell back asleep in the car, so it must have been enough sleep since she did GREAT at the appt (after her mandatory warm-up time). Basically, on a scale from 0 to 100 (where 0 is no need to do anything and 100 is major problems that require weekly visits), he put her at a 15 (I put her at a 10!). Basically, he “diagnosed” her with weak muscles (not to be confused with low muscle tone, which is what Finn had/has) on her left side with a preference for her right side. The more she uses the left side, the more her foot will straighten out. She has always preferred her right side (even when she was crawling!), so it has gotten much stronger than her left. I’m so thankful that is “all” it is and nothing structural. She squats symmetrically, which is a really good sign. He gave me exercises to do (ha, I’m the queen of PT homework!) that “force” her to use her left side. One is to have her play in a half kneel with her left knee up and the other is to have her walk up and down the stairs, but not letting her lead with her preferred foot…very similar to things we’ve done with Finn. He didn’t think we NEEDED to come back, but put in an order in case we wanted to or if it gets worse. I don't anticipate having to make that appt. Yay, good news!

18 month pics!

I honestly don't know how she does it! Jess manages to get amazing pictures of my kids each and every time even though they refuse to cooperate or smile. I think she has a magic wand she keeps in her back pocket!

Needless to say, Korri's 18 month pictures are done and ready for you to view! I have to say, a couple made me laugh out loud. There's no doubt, Korri's true personality shines through.

http://jessicahislopphotographydesign.zenfolio.com/

Scroll to the bottom and click on Korri's gallery then enter the password: Korri18

Feel free to order right from that page, as the prices are lab-direct prices for very high quality prints.   Enjoy!!

My Pillow

Jess just sent me this picture of Korri. We think there should be a caption contest! What do YOU think is a good caption?

I think "Whatcha gonna do about it?" kind of sums it (and her!) up. LOL. My "spirited" baby grill.

Last night after work, we headed to Rosedale to check out the opening of the first My Pillow retail store, which Stacey did pretty much all by herself.

I think you'll agree that it looks great! Now if only there were customers in the store as well. Actually, she said they had quite a few sale considering they did NO advertising for the opening. I strongly suggested a Grand Opening once they are staffed and have all the kinks ironed out. The kids LOVED the store and played on the bed and with the puppies (stuffed not real!) for the doggie beds.

I think My Pillow has two new models, if they want them! We all (us, Stacey, Sam and Dillon) went to dinner at Green Mill and it was nice to have some time together. Finn and Dillon got to sit by each other, so they were happy (and very well behaved). Two late nights in a row is tough of our kiddos. Finn ate a little food and then just wanted to snuggle with daddy. Both kids had to be woken up this morning for daycare (boo!). They will survive, though. Good luck with all of your store openings, Stacey. I'm so proud of you!!

Healthy, right?

Our kids are healthy…relatively! If you’ve ever taken more than one kid to a doctor’s appt, you know what a circus it is! Even with string cheese, goldfish, sippy cups and tongue depressors. It didn’t help that we were there over dinner time, but that way, I don’t have to miss work. Weighing the pros and cons I guess. We went to Davanni’s afterward, so the kids (and dad!) LOVED that. My tongue is still really sore, so no pizza for me. But with only a squeak here and there, I can speak again!

18 month well-child: Korri is growing right on her curve. She is 30.6” tall (16%) and weighs 24# 7oz (50%). The best thing I ever did…bring a baby doll to the appt! Korri didn’t make a peep the entire time the doctor was examining her (previous appts she has screamed bloody murder). Dr would “look” in the baby’s eyes, then Korri’s eyes; then Dr. would look in baby’s mouth, then Korri’s mouth. It was brilliant (even though I had no idea when I let her bring it…I’ll still take credit). Baby will come with from now on! Baby was perfectly healthy (although wouldn’t open his mouth). Korri had…an ear infection! It looked like it had been there a while, too. How do you know if there’s no fever and they don’t pull on it?!?! Lynn/Mom, that makes sense as to why she has been so fussy lately. This is Korri’s first ear infection and I really hope it is her last (Finn had his first at 9 months, so this is much later). She received one vaccine, which she recovered very quickly from. And because my children can’t go to the doctor without being referred somewhere, the Dr recommended Korri be seen by Physical Therapy for her gait (how she walks). Her left foot has improved slightly since she started walking, but it is affecting HOW she walks, so we all figured it was best to have her looked at, even though they will probably just say, “let’s wait and see.” That appt is next Monday! I asked, “August?” when she said, “we have an opening on the 6th.” When I called Children’s PT with Finn three years ago, they had a 6-8 week wait list, which is why we went to Gillette. I guess they’ve improved things.

Half year visit: Finn’s Ped still likes to see him every 6 months, even though at this age, a well-child is only once per year. He, also, continues on his growth curve. He is 36.6” tall (6.5%) and weighs 35# 4oz (65%). Just like always, his height:weight ratio is high, but since he carries most of his weight in his tummy (and has since he was born) and doesn’t “look” overweight, the doctor isn’t concerned. It’s just that when you are THAT short, it is hard to have a balanced ratio. Speaking of short, we talked at length about Finn’s current height and projected height. Even though his growth percentile has increased slightly (used to be under the 3rd percentile), he is still on track to be categorized as “short stature.” SO, they drew blood to test his growth hormone levels, expecting it to be fine, but just wanting to make sure. Once the results are in, the Dr is going to send his growth curve information to an endocrinologist to review. We will wait to hear what they recommend. Corrective measures are very strictly monitored, so a very strong case will have to be presented in order for Finn to receive treatment of any kind. Not sure what that all entails, but we’ll cross that bridge if/when we get to it. They also did Finn’s pre-surgery physical (yay, we didn’t have to make another appt!). Korri thought her arm should get a hug, too, when Finn got his pressure checked! No fear with that one.