Rough Night....

Last night was definitely a rough one!  Rachael went to bed fine & woke up at 1015pm with trouble breathing.  We tried her inhaler, but it wasn't helping.  She also had a fever, but the breathing was the scariest part.


We went to the Ridges Hospital where she was treated.  She has croup, again.  She has had it every winter since she was born & it seems worse each time!  Her asthma complicates things, but after nebulizer treatments, shot of steroids & lots of rest, she is finally sounding a bit better.  We got home at 430am & I had to get up 1 hr & 40 minutes later for work.  It was a LONG DAY!!!


Unfortunately, Rachael wasn't able to go down to Iowa today.  It is best she sticks around home, not chancing infection in her baby cousin Lucas, or her bestie Jordan.  Daniel was sure excited to go, regardless of his sister not going.  I was surprised, but I've talked to him & he seems happy, so good thing he went!  


Tomorrow after work I'm going to pick up some movies...Rachael & I will have a quiet night at home, make it a fun girls night!

Day with Baby Cece

Today we watched baby Cece all day long!  She was so cute & so much fun.  Rachael loved making her smile & giggle while Daniel played peak a boo with her.  


She snuggled me a lot, and fell asleep on me when it was nap time.  I sure do love her a ton, but boy oh boy, I could not do an infant again!  I am happy with my big boy & big girl who can be patient when I am fixing a meal...when Cece wants to eat, she wants to eat NOW!


What a fun day we had, we love that little girl so much!

Christmas with Cece!

Monday night was pretty special, we celebrated Christmas with Becky, Nick & Baby Cecelia (Cece)!   They drove all day from Greenbay, went home to unpack then headed over for a quiet Christmas with us.  We had enchiladas (their favorite) & then did presents.  

 Darby Claus with Rachael & Daniel

Daniel & his new scooter

   Beautiful Cece playing with her mommy!

 Becky & Nick got Daniel a knights dress up costume & weapons...yes, weapons.  Daniel was pretty proud & I think Nick figured out quickly, giving a 3 yr old boy a sword isn't such a great idea! 

 

Sword fighting & Nick in a fireman's outfit!

Uncle Nicholas (as the kids call him) with Rachael

Rachael showing off her new earrings from Santa!

Christmas is finally done, now on to the New Year.  

Bring it on 2012, we're ready to make it the best year yet!

Merry Christmas 2011

I am about all Christmased Out!  I worked Christmas Eve & then came home to eat dinner & get the kids ready for church.  I sent them with my parents so that I could go to midnight mass later.  While they were gone, I took a nap & just like every other year, Santa came while they were at church!  I was awakened by a very excited 6 year old informing us that our stockings were full.  

 After Church, posing by the tree.  Santa brought Rachael a Dora Tennis Racket & a telescope.  Daniel got the fire engine he wanted & a radio flyer scooter, which he's downstairs scooting around on now!

 Every year, the first gift they open is matching pj's!  Don't they look cute in these?!

 Now here are the kids this morning...they opened some presents Christmas Eve & the rest Christmas Morning!  Below are the kids with a Chuggington Movie, Chuggington book for Rachael's V-Reader, Storybook Collection & Dora book, all from Daddy...he doesn't know it, but he bought perfect presents!!!   ;)

We went to my brother's house for Brunch this morning.  Here is a picture of us before we left.  What a brown Christmas!  It felt more like Easter than Christmas, no snow & just a tiny bit chilly.  Are we in MN still?!

My brother Bobby

The kids watching a video the boys got for Christmas, 

on Billy's new tv!

Grandma & Boppa with their grandkids, 

except little miss Cecelia, who is in Greenbay.

Tommy (5), Rachael (6), Daniel (3), Billy (8)

waiting patiently to open presents

Billy's new game!

Daniel got Mator Golf!

 Boppa & Grandma got a picture frame

of all their "Little Elves" in matching

Elf Pj's...Boys in One Set 

& Girls in another! 

 Rachael got a train a puppy 

Tommy J. got the Trash Pack Garbage truck & Trashies...I have NO IDEA what they are, but I did wait in line to get them for him...they were a hot item this year!

It was a really good Christmas...just exhausting.  I've been told with time it will get easier to celebrate holidays with someone missing.  This year was certainly easier than last year, but it is still tough to put on a happy face & feel "celebratory" knowing Christmas, nor any other holiday, will ever be the same.  


Merry Christmas to all & to all a Good Night!

Super Cute Videos

Tonight we were supposed to be going to see the play "A Silent Night for Peef" at the Stages Theatre.  We have 6 tickets & were bringing our friends Amy, Chris & Linnea Meyers to the show.  Linnea turned 3 yesterday & Amy turns 32 tomorrow...Happy Birthday to both of you


I laid the kids down for a nap, ran to Target & came home to two sick kids!  It doesn't seem fair that anyone could get sick at Christmas time :( 


I guess we will have a quiet movie night at home, maybe some take out for dinner will make it not so bad that we're missing the play.    


Tomorrow we have our Christmas Dinner with my parents, open presents & go to church.  Usually while we are at mass (night time) Santa magically comes!  So, we've got that to look forward to.  Sunday, we go to my brother's house for brunch & gifts.  Monday, my sister, brother in law, & baby Cece get back from Greenbay, so we will have our 3rd Christmas!  


Rachael is officially on School Break until January 19...such a long time!  I sure hope we can find enough activities to keep us busy so the kids don't drive me nuts ;)


Here are some videos of the kids talking about Christmas...they're pretty funny!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS & FAMILY!!!!

Christmas is almost here!

What an exciting time of year...Christmas is only a few days away.  All the presents are bought & wrapped, all waiting under the tree.  Rachael has school tomorrow & Thursday & then she is done. It is so strange weather wise though...no snow!  The meteorologists say we've got a pretty quiet weather system too, looks like we might be stuck with a brown Christmas.  The kids are anxious & excited for Christmas Eve to finally be here!  

Yesterday in school the kids had a reindeer parade.  The Kindergarten classes put on their handmade reindeer antlers & marched through the school.  The Upper Academy loved it & thought the kids were too cute :)

Today Rachael was coming down the stairs from Spanish with her class, when somehow she tripped & tumbled down half the flight of stairs, hitting her head.  She was crying pretty hard & had to go to the office to get ice.  She was upset when we came to pick her up today & said she had a headache.  She seems to be alright this afternoon, but say a prayer that she doesn't deal with a migraine again.

Tonight I am going to the play Cinderella at the Ordway Theatre with one of my best friends.  She got the tickets for my birthday present, and boy am I excited.  It will be a nice adult evening, something I don't get very often!  

Playdate with Mira & Sami

This afternoon/evening we had so much fun!  We went over to our friend's home in Inver Grove Heights.  We haven't been able to get together for a while, it always seems one of us has a sick kid or something else comes up.


Not today!  We went over around 315pm, and waited for the school bus to drop her off at 330pm.  Rachael, Sami & Daniel were at the door waiting for her & cheering as she came inside.  They were so happy to see each other.  The kids exchanged Christmas presents & then they played with them.  We got Sami a very funny Hummer that plays music & the truck dances back & forth to the beat.  He & Daniel thought it was hilarious & played with it for quite some time!

Rachael, Sami & Mira 

(she had pajama day at school)

 Best friends, Daniel & Sami!!!

 Rachael & Mira in front of the 

beautiful Christmas Tree!

Sami's new Hummer from Daniel!

We had tacos for dinner & then the girls went downstairs while we kept the boys entertained (& out of the girls' hair) upstairs with the game Concentration.  When the timer would go off & it would pop up, the boys laughed hysterically, for some reason that got them every time.


The girls played on the Wii for a while & then it was time to head on home.  What a wonderful & fun playdate!


Earlier in the day, Rachael & Daniel saw their pediatrician one last time, before she retires in a week.  Both kids were very sad to say goodbye & she said it's been so hard saying goodbye to all her "favorite" patients.  We are sure going to miss her.  She has been fantastic.

Daniel, Rachael & Dr. Nicholson

Rachael's Kazoo Band

A few Sundays ago, Rachael & Daniel had a Kazoo Band they had to attend for Grandma Barb's church.  



Following are a few pictures from the parade, Rachael with a pink kazoo & Daniel got a pom pom.  The girl with the Orange bow in her hair is Rachael's friend Ella.  Ella's Father works for Grandma Barb & they live in her neighborhood.  So once in a while the girls get to have a playdate & are in Sunday School together when Rachael is up there.  They saw The Muppets Movie together on Sunday.

The video is of Rachael singing with the choir "We are the Saints, We are the Children...."

Daniel & Mommy @ the Zoo

This morning was a chilly one, so it was nice for Daniel & I to take a little break in the tropics at the MN Zoo. It's always bright & warm, no matter what it's like outside!

We got to the Zoo right when it opened at 9am, beating the field trips & daycare groups.  It was just other mom's & toddlers playing...so perfect.

This was funny because he stood at the tank for a few minutes waiting for the shark to swim by. He must've been hiding in the back of the coral reef. Daniel had just turned & yelled to me that "The shark is gone, I don't see him."  

He turns back around & the shark was right in front of him.  He yells "Nevermind!"  

Here are Daniel's penguin friends.  He always has to stop & show them his waddle from the commercial he was in.  The volunteer who was sitting near their exhibit thought Daniel was adorable, so he of course hammed it up for her.

We finally made it to the nice warm Tropics.  A cute picture of Daniel striking a pose with his new "noculars" from the gift shop.  He always wears Rachael's pink ones, now he has his own blue ones.  Too bad he uses them backwards making the animals seem far away.

 So nice seeing a beautiful blooming Orchid on a Chilly Winter day.  Really brightens your mood!

 Using his noculars to check out the birds flying above him.

Crabby face after exiting the MN Trail & realizing the school groups had arrived.  He hates having all the big kids running around.  He says they don't know how to be nice at the zoo.  A lot of times, he is right.  This is his warm MN winter hat, so warm & cozy :)


It was almost time to go pick Rachael up from school anyway...perfect timing.  What a wonderful morning we had.  Lunch is done, nap time is approaching.  I worked until 1230a.m & then got up with Rachael at 715am, so I'm ready for a nap too!

"Holiday" Concert @ Paideia Academy

Tonight was Rachael's Holiday Concert at her school.  She was so excited about the concert that she asked me to curl her hair 2 hours before we were even going to leave the house!  She did look beautiful & so grown up.  It's amazing to me how quickly she is growing up.  I found a video of her singing last winter & she sounds so little!  Now she's growing up right before our eyes.

 Before we left for school, she wanted a picture in front of the tree.  What a beautiful little lady!

All the Kindergarten Classes, you can see Rachael to the left, cream bow in her hair!

 Rachael & her Best Friend since they were babies,
 Ella Gray Arntz.  They're so sweet together & whenever their classes are doing something together, they always gravitate to each other.  I think knowing Ella is right across the hall gives Rach a sense of security.  These two cuties will be friends forever!

A couple videos of the classes singing.  I hope you enjoy them.  It was a delightful concert, and the kids had a wonderful time!

Carson Christmas Dinner

On December 7, we had some friends over for a Christmas dinner.  It's always tough to get together in the month of December with parties to attend & other obligations.  So, we had an early celebration with people who are special to the kids & I.

Below is their friend Linnea (my friend College Amy's daughter).  They had so much fun having a "kids table" but Linnea kept forgetting there was no back on the table & fell backwards twice!  Ooops!!!

 Below are Tracey & Brian Kane & Chris Driscoll (Rachael's Godfather) & amazing friend.

 Driscoll again & Michele & Nick Herntier.  Rachael & Daniel were the flower girl & ring bearer in their wedding.  Michele is one of my best friends & a roommate from college.  The kids LOVE Uncle Nick because he puts them up high on his shoulders or wrestles with them :)

 Oh Boy...did Linnea enjoy her cupcake.  Yellow frosting all over the place.  How cute is that messy little mouth!?!!!

 Daniel yelling THANK YOU to Uncle Chris for his presents.  He was so excited about his new book & Mater Lego set!

 The kids both walked Linnea to the door & Daniel tried to kiss her but got her hood instead.  

She was having NONE of that!

 Daniel giving Uncle Chris a huge hug goodbye & then Rachael walked him out to his car.  Such great kids with their guests :)

We had an incredible time with our friends.  The Lasagna I made was tasty, we had plenty of salad, garlic bread & dessert!  Michele & Nick brought the wine & it was fabulous.  What a wonderful kick off to our holiday season!