coloring eggs

this little stinker was so pumped about coloring easter eggs.  

he was the one that brought it up.  

i am not sure if he had seen the packages at the store, or if it was a result of the easter egg hunt that we did earlier in the week, or if he just plain remembered coloring easter eggs last year; 

but he was very excited!

these colored cups really made it pretty painless, and i felt pretty relaxed to let him take the reins and just do whatever he felt like.  he loves projects, and likes to be in control; and i enjoyed watching him do his thing. ;)

he made a pink one for blaire

and a blue one for himself.

he loved the sparkles

and double dipped several of them.  i think that little metal tool was his favorite part.

we are all ready for easter now!

spring is in the air

first walk of the year.

happy kiddos.

even happier mama.

can't wait for warm weather to become the norm!

wordless wednesday {pretty in pink}

two is better than one

i love this sweet sibling moment.

hendrix is so proud of these shirts we made, in fact he wants to wear his every.single.day.

love him.

love her.

they are the best!

getting my body back

I have spent far too much time letting my kiddos be my excuse for why my body looks the way it does.  Sure, carrying them around in my belly for 9 months (or actually only 8 since they both were little earlybirds) does take a toll on the figure...

but, i finally decided that enough is enough.

i want to be healthy and fit to set a good example for my kids, and i just needed to find a way to do it that worked in my crazy busy life.  
but mostly, i just needed to have the motivation to. do. it.

swimsuit season.

it came a little early for us this year, as we are heading up to the wisconsin dells to go splashing in the waterparks, and i knew that i didn't want to be the one wearing a maternity swimsuit while holding my five-month-old daughter!  

before photo                                                            3 weeks later

i joined weight watchers after seeing success with this program from several of my friends, and am pleased to say that it is easy and really manageable.  i love the social aspect of it, and the e-tools make calculating and tracking points a breeze. 

while i haven't reached my personal goal yet, i am really pleased with my progress in a relatively short amount of time.  

before photo                                               3 weeks later

i am learning how to make healthier food choices, yet am still able to splurge and enjoy some of my favorite treats - the key is just keeping things in balance.   i am confident that the changes i am making are things that i can keep up long-term which really encourages me!

before photo                                                             3 weeks later

stay tuned as this journey has really only just begun!

my preschooler

yeap, that's right. 

i just signed this tiny little mister up for preschool.  

after our classroom visit we decided to enroll him at adventures preschool; a less traditional, co-op preschool here in town.

since he turns 3 just a week before the age cutoff, we feel really comfortable that this preschool environment will be the best fit for his energetic, enthusiastic and adventurous personality.

while there isn't a strict lesson plan scheduled for each day; there are so many opportunities to learn important skills in the midst of everyday play.  the classroom is full of awesome learning centers, and the emphasis on art seems strong, which is perfect for my "project" boy!  

There is also quite a bit of parental involvement in the classroom, and i am looking forward to having the opportunity to interact with and observe my son at school.

when we left after registering, he was sad because he thought we were coming back to class again, and he kept calling it "my school", so i think that is a good sign!

while a small part of me worries that we might be rushing him and sending him before he is ready, another part of me feels confident that he is capable and even needs the stimulation that this social environment will bring for him.

i am also genuinely excited to think that i will consistently have three mornings a week to spend solely focusing on blaire and the things that might interest her.  she honestly doesn't know what that is like right now!

i am going to resist the natural instinct to let this milestone make me feel old (hey, i'm not even 30 yet!) and instead just take a moment to reflect on how much joy this little man has brought to my life!  i am anxious to see him grow into a successful young student ;)

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

hendrix loves playing in the snow.

since we didn't get our first real snow this winter until the week of christmas, i thought that the snow playing season was going to be cut short.

i was wrong.  it is mid march and we have had 5-8 inch snow storms at least once a week for the last month.

this has just given hendrix more chances to perfect the art of snowman building. ;)

thankfully it has been sunny and warm many of the days he has wanted to play outside, so it has been possible to take blaire out in the snow too.  she loves watching what brother is doing, so she enjoys herself with smiles and giggles ;)

the getting ready process is so time-consuming.....and now that hendrix is potty trained, we better make sure we go potty before we get outside!

he is serious about shoveling....

rolling snowballs.....

and even throwing snowballs at our neighbor!

or course, no snow playing event would be complete without a nice warm mug of hot cocoa!

love creating memories with this kiddo.....he's the best!

girlfriends

it is so fun to see my niece as she grows up, and even more fun to watch her grow up with my own daughter.  i love that we live close enough to get these two little bugs together often!

blaire - 5 months

annalise - 4 months

they are going to be pals for life!

they are starting to interact with each other just a little bit, and i am beginning to get giddy thinking about when they will start crawling around, chasing after the same toys, and babbling to each other in baby talk that no one else can understand!  

the fun has only just begun! ;)

these cousins are so lucky to have each other!  

5 months

my dearest blaire,

you've made the last five months the happiest (and busiest) our family has ever been!  

you are just starting to figure out how to interact with your toys, and are enjoying grabbing them, shaking them, and even bopping yourself in the face.

you refuse to wear socks.  even though it is winter, and our old hard wood floors are cold. 

you. don't. care.

you talk, and talk, and talk....

you make some of the most adorable little scrinchy-nose faces.

you love to chew on your fingers.  no teeth yet.  but you are practicing for when they decide to show up.

your smile is the absolute best.   and you flash it all the time.  you are so happy-go-lucky.

you can roll from your tummy to your back, but you don't do it often.  your new favorite position is either sitting (assisted) or standing in your jump-a-roo.

you still have the most gorgeous, piercing blue eyes (though these photos don't seem to do them justice....the lighting wasn't quite bright enough).

  

your chubby little fingers and toes are just so sweet.  i want to just nuzzle into your sweet baby smell, which seems to be getting fainter and fainter everyday....

and just for comparison, here is your big brother when he was 5 months old.  you two most definitely do look like siblings!