Movie night

I took Xander to see Monsters University 3D last night.  This was his first time watching a movie in a theatre.  He did amazingly well.  He sat for the first hour and 15 minutes watching the movie.  Then had a little bit of ants in his pants for about 15 minutes and then finally sat still for the remaining of the show.  We met our friends, his girlfriend, Lily.  They were so cute together and this was her first movie also.  We also went to lunch earlier in the day at our favorite place, Thai That.  So the kids were set up on an official day date :)  We were asked if they were twins.  Nope, told them they are future husband and wife :)  Pictures were taken on my crappy phone so they're not the best.

Have a great day!

Not much longer

I've been busy around here getting the house ready for inspection.  On Sunday I painted over Xander's mural.  I was sad, but knew that day would come.  It wasn't perfect, but in my eyes it was a masterpiece!  It was rather easy and fast to paint over.  Only 2 coats and maybe 45 minutes of my time.  Not bad!

I have 2 weeks to get the home ready.  Not in a huge rush, but I want to have it done before the pre-inspection so the last week will just be spot clean.  With 2 small kids, it's hard to concentrate on any one in-depth cleaning project, so I take small tasks and spread them out...for the next 2 weeks.  This next week I have to get more serious about it though because the pre-inspection is the following.

It's also getting harder and harder to create meals.  I only kept 2 pans behind, so it seems like I can only work with 2 or 3 ingredient meals.  Hard!

Do you remember how I asked for the cooler weather and rain?  Well guess what?!  I'm ready for the cooler weather to stay, but the rain to go away!  It's hindering our outside time and driving the kids and I bonkers staying in the house ALL. DAY. LONG!  We made a dash to the store this morning to get some stable ingredients.  It was rather cloudy but the rain held off...all day!  We played at the park this afternoon.  It was cold, but we survived.  It's better than being in the house.  And we got to play with bubbles and meet a new friend, Amelia. 

We even had a special treat tonight.  We listened for Fabio the Gelato man to ring his bell and I made a run for the door.  We rarely take advantage of all the yumminess, but we have so much Euro coin, why not!  Xander was SO excited to hear the bell that he screamed ice scream.  When I came up he was still shouting ice scream.  I go to give him some, but he didn't want anything to do with it.  Finally after awhile, he took one bite and screamed...not in a good way!  It was cold.  He's not a fan of ice scream, never has been.  But maybe one day?  I just thought it was funny because he was so excited and then wouldn't eat any.

Tomorrow we are going to our friends to have lunch and play with the kids' friend, Lily.  Xander has been asking for Lily for about 2 weeks now and we are finally making it to see them.  It would have happened much sooner if our rental car was an automatic.  The move to the states in just a few days.  Lucky!  I'm SO jealous of them right now!  I'm going to miss them the few days they are gone but will see them shortly after we arrive at our new station...because they are going to the same place!  How awesome is that!?!?!?!  We came to Germany 3 years ago, met them at our hotel and have remained friends since.  Now we are getting stationed together again!  I love it!

Later tomorrow night we have a skype visit with Nicks mom.

Well, that's it from here.  Not much happening other than cleaning and trying to stay sane.  Pictures are rare lately  But I guess those are our daily lives right now, so maybe I should show the craziness.  We're not doing anything besides driving each other crazy and those are not good looking pictures, lol.

Rain...you can go away and come back after we board the plane.  You're welcome!

Have a great day!

Mud play

We received the cooler weather I asked for!  YAH!  It also brought along some wicked rain and wind.  Today as the kids and I were going stir crazy I took them to the park in the back.  Well I decided we were to go on an adventure.  We walked through the "forest" and came to a bunch of water puddles, which in turn are mud puddles!  We took shoes off and...At first Xander didn't know what to think, but quickly started jumping and having a blast.  Sterling, well she thought she was in the pool and wanted to splash with her hands.   All I thought was of the fun my little brother and I had playing in mud puddles when we were very little too.  Fun!  We played for probably 15 minutes.  My great idea wasn't so great though.  Before naps today I started a load of towels.  You know, the only one towel 1 left out for each.  When we got in I started the bath water, only to realize the towels were not hanging. Oh my!  We did a spot cleanup (hands/feet).  Enjoyed a snack and Dora.  And finally getting the much needed bath.  Because my great idea was so random and not planned, no pictures.  When the kids and I go out to play, I don't usually take anything but the house key.  Maybe we'll do a planned mud play and I can get some pictures then?

Yesterday although it was cooler out, we still did the pool in the afternoon.  We just added warm water instead of the colder water.  I think water play will be out of our days for the next week.  It's going to be a cool one!

Tomorrow I'm so sad!  I'm painting over Xander's mural that I hand created for him.  I'm not sure if we'll do a new mural at our new home or just some fun decor.  We'll see.  But for now, I'm just plain sad!

Have a great weekend everyone!  

It's been a HOT one

The temps have been over 90 degrees for the past 4 days.  Over here, it's been pretty miserable.  No air conditioning in homes.  Fans that blow the hot air around.  Less than 30 days and well have some comfort.  We are expected to have temps in the 60s for the next ten days.  Well except for tomorrow, it will be in the 70s with storms.  But the weather forecasters are never correct over here so we will wait, see and pray that we get the 60s or 70s for the next 10 days.

The kids and I have had a nice schedule with the weather though.  It's like the weather kicked my butt into gear to get moving early in the day (I'm not a morning function kind-a-gal).  I learned that if I take the kids out before lunch (to the park and/or walk) its bearable.  After we get home, I make lunch.  We eat.  We clean up.  Kids take naps.  Mom gains sanity back.  While the kids nap, I fill up the pool on the patio.  I get back to relaxing.  Kids wake up.  Usually Xander first.  He puts on the blue diapers (swim) (no suits necessary)...with my help and then starts playing with the water.  Sterling typically sleeps for another half hour.  She wakes up, gets her blue diaper on and we sit and play on the patio for about an hour.  Kids have Oma and Opa hands.  So cute and squishy.  Bring Sterling in, get dry diaper on and lotioned up.  Xander's next.  Snack/Juice time.  Most favorite time of day i think.  Xander is in love with apples lately so I've been taking advantage of giving them to him since he wore himself out on bananas.  After snack time, we have about an hour of playtime before I start making dinner.  The kids have been loving this schedule.  And so am I!  With not much to do, we enjoy our time outside for about 2 hours in the AM and about an hour and half in the afternoon on the patio.  I like the patio routine because it's shaded and even though its scorching hot, it don't feel miserable because the sun is not beating down on us.  Love love love it!  I'm going to need to find a new afternoon activity because if the weather drops like it's supposed to, I don't think we'll be swimming.  We'll see if its a warm 60 or cold 60.

Looking forward to cooler temps :)

Have a great day!

Outdoors

Not much happening around here.  We are totally outdoorsy people with everything gone from the house.  It's fun, but I'm also ready to have our own yard.  Kids are loving running off their energy.  Naps are going great.  Maybe because of the extra fresh air?

Xander has still been doing well sleeping on the airbed in his room.  He's been waking up around 5 most mornings, but I put him back in his bed and I think he falls back asleep.  Sterling is starting to be an early bird.  She's been waking around 630 the past few days.  She's down to one nap a day and it's a good one!  3 to 3 1/2 hours!  Man how I wish Xander would sleep like her!  He's been doing an hour or two, tops.  I'll take what I can get!

I've been hiding toys (since we don't have many right now) so when I pull them out they are something "new".  This little music box became a camera.

getting ready for our walk one morning

makes daddy so proud when his little me is cleaning

weekends are pretty boring around here.  we've been taking advantage of the outdoors when the weather cooperates.  Friday and Sunday we went to the lake.  Friday we let the kids walk the entire thing (only like a mile, I think).  It was fun!  Xander kept saying "I go dinere (in there)", he wanted to go in the water.  I told him maybe we can go visit uncle Cory this fall and he can take him on his boat. Fun!

oh the lovely family photo shot taken from an arm sticking out.  not always so great, lol!

this girl loves her some Happy Hippo.  it's a crunchy treat with 2 types of chocolate inside.  she's in heaven! (she's not the only one that loves these treats, ha!)

Have a great day!

"I did it"

I felt like Xander last night.  I did it.  I did it.  See I did it.  He says this all day, every day.  Last night I had to say it too!  Yesterday morning after he woke up from the horrible nights sleep, I put the airbed in his room.  Best decision of my life!  He took an hour and a half morning nap on it.  He spent an hour resting and reading in the afternoon on it.  The only time he screamed was as I left the bed and walked out the door.  As soon as I stepped out of the door, didn't close the door, he was quiet.  Amazing!  Last night at bedtime, he did the same as earlier.  Quiet as soon as I left the door open, but was out of the room.  He fell asleep about 15 minutes of being in there and he slept all night!  He even woke up later than normal, at 7!  It was the sweetest sound this morning listening to him open his door.  Such a big boy!  We do a big boy happy dance and song for him.  Hopefully we won't have to do it for the rest of our lives to get him comfortable to sleep in his room.

Although yesterday started out rough from the lack of sleep, the kids were both really well behaved.  We went for a walk to the store and to the park on the way home.  Great day in the end!

Have a great day!  

2nd night

A disaster!  Horrible!  Exhausting!  

It took 3.5 hours of being so upset that he finally went to sleep.  He then woke up at 608.  Not much for sleeping.  Does he not understand that kids need sleep.  Okay, not just kids but mommy's too?   I'm starting to think I should deviate from my plan and just let him go back to falling asleep with us, then transferring him to his bed.  That would be the easy way out.  Is it teaching him anything?  It lets him win.  His way.  Nick is totally on board with making him fall asleep in his own bed and room.  He thinks I need to just ignore his whines because we know he's not hungry, in danger, or sick.  I told him this morning that I wish I could just "ignore" him but it's a mommy thing and I just can't.

Sterling actually slept through all of his screams last night and this morning.  She's a champ sleeper...just like her daddy!

I put the airbed in his room this morning and have him on it to get some more sleep.  He's fussing, but it's not loud and obnoxious like normally is.  Maybe that bed will work?  I doubt it!

I'm losing my mind in the place!

Have a great day!

1st night

Our first night going back to using the Ferber method with Xander wasn't terrible.  He actually did well.  Of course he screamed, it was expected.  It didn't scream the entire time.  It was off and on.  All this lasted a total of 45 minutes.  Not bad.  He was out and slept in his bed all night!

I know using the Ferber method is not for everyone and it's a very controversial topic, but we feel it's important for a child to be comfortable in his/her own bed/room.  We don't feel it's bad to let the child cry, scream, fuss, whatever.  It's a self soothing method for them to find their own rhythm to fall asleep.

The hardest part of doing this is for me.  It's extremely hard to listen to him being so upset.  He's a mama's boy, through and through...it just sucks listening to him being upset.

Yesterday nap time didn't pan out too well.  You guessed it.  A new plan!  I'm going to let him nap wherever I am, as long as he falls asleep.  It works.  He naps.  I get a break.  Win win!  In the end, we'll only have to have an upset little man at the end of the day.  Hopefully he'll get used to it quick.  I just don't understand why he goes months to going to sleep fine (fussing for less than 5 min), then suddenly just does not want to go to sleep in his bed.  It's strange!  He's always fussed when we put him down, but longer than 10 minutes is not "normal" for us.  

We did a little happy dance and song for him when he woke up this morning.  I'm hoping this will encourage him that it's okay to sleep in your own bed in your own room and that you don't always need mommy or daddy right by your side.

On another note...we shipped the BMW today.  Now all the major/important stuff is taken care of for the move.  Nick still has some of the military stuff to do, but other than that, we can relax for the next month.  We have just over 30 days.  Every time we see a plane, Xander now says "I go".  Too cute!  I'm so excited to see his face at the airport.  He's in love with airplanes.  He's been on 12 planes so far in his 2 years.  These next plane rides will hopefully be memorable for him.

Have a great day!

Ferberizing

We are going back to Ferberizing Xander to get him to sleep in his own bed.  It worked well when he was a baby.  We also didn't have Sterling at the time and it was easier to let him scream, cry, wail...whatever it was he decided he needed to do.  The only reason I haven't done this lately is because of Sterling and I don't want her to have hours of interrupted sleep.  I'm sorry Sterling, but mommy really needs brother to sleep in his bed when she puts him to bed.  I'm hoping it will only be a week long event (or less would be better).  We shall see.

What brought me to this decision?  Last night!  It was a horrible night.  We put him in his bed at 8.  830, still screaming.  I opened his door, which he got quiet, but just stood in the corner of his bed for the next 45 minutes with a very occasional whine, but quiet.  915 I finally just go get him because I know he'll fall asleep if I just put him in our bed.  He does.  930, he's back in his bed.  Now, sometime between 1015 and 1 he was up screaming and back in our bed.  I don't have my clock anymore, but Nick told me that when he woke up at 1, Xander was already in the bed.  

Why do I do this to myself?  I'm tired!  Exhausted is more like it.  When I'm tired, I'm crabby!  It does not make for a good day.   I know why, I mentioned it above.  Sterling.  She's a great sleeper.  Just like her daddy.  She LOVES her sleep!  I don't want to mess up her sleep with all his fussing.  Then I'd have two kids with horrible sleep.  Not fun.  One is enough!  

Nick says that hopefully she's really like him and can tune him out and sleep peacefully with all his screams.

Today's plan.  At nap-time, which is at 1, I will put him in his bed.  I'll let him do what he does for 2 hours.  If after 2 hours he's still awake, I'll put him on the airbed, but in his room.  He can do what he does for another 2 hours, but hopefully this time he'll fall asleep.  At 5 nap-time will be over.  Hopefully he will have taken some sort of nap.  

The reason for the bed change.  I'm not too sure its a smart decision, but he's been sleeping for 1.5-2 hours each day in the living room on the airbed.  So, my thought process is maybe he just wants to be free from the enclosure of the crib?  If it allows him to take his naps...which are VERY important for every kid under 5, IMO...i'll try it!

Have you had this problem?  Have you fixed it?  What worked if you did?  I need help/advice.  Thanks!

I'm going to need a lot of patience over the next few days!

Have a great day!

Sick baby girl

Now that the weather has become beautiful, little Sterling has become sick.  She has a fever, runny nose and she's still teething.  All this makes one miserable, cranky, clingy baby.  I'm loving all the snuggles, but hoping she's feeling better very soon!  We're still enjoying the sunny warm weather.  Maybe the extra vitamin d will take her miserableness away.

Get better soon girly girl!

Pack out days

This week has been a busy one.  We had movers here on Monday (less than an hour), but Tuesday was chaos.  Our friends took the kids for the day, 730-6, so we could concentrate on our stuff.  Tuesday was just a bad feeling sort of day.  We'll see when we get to our new home what went missing.  I'm about 150% positive that we'll have stuff gone.  I'll pray that is not the case, but we'll have to wait and see if the packers integrity got the best of them.

Monday morning pack out.  This day was for all the stuff that we would need right away to set up our new house, aka UAB.  It's the same load, 1000 pounds or less.  We had 20 boxes, and our weight was 614 pounds.  The packers were great.  Did what they came to do and didn't expect anything more.  They were in and out in less than an hour.

Monday packers loading their truck

Oh Tuesday.  Dreaded Tuesday.  This is some of the stuff.

After dropping the kids off at our friends, Nick called and told me the movers needed to be signed onto base.  I had to go to the back gate, wait for them to get to the front of the line (8 loader trucks in front of them), sign them in, wait for them to get through the long inspection line, then finally could go to the house and get started.  It was 740 when Nick called me and it was 9 by the time we pulled up to the house.  A lot of wasted time!  I recommended to them to call their next customer before they get to the gate (like 10 minutes out) so they could meet them at the gate and not have to wait so long.  Much easier on everyone.  Or if they were like the big moving company around here, they're wouldn't be a need for customers to sign on the movers.

We showed them around the house.  Everything out (minus a few things, but all in the kitchen) got packed.  They were a bit overwhelmed.  We do have a lot of stuff and I think maybe we'll have a garage sale or something at our next place because we have so much unnecessary stuff that it's ridiculous!  Nick thinks that since we bought the stuff and its in great condition that we have to keep it.  My theory is that we don't use it so why keep it?  I'm sure someone out in the world could use it more than us!  Me, I like to donate a lot of stuff, even really nice stuff.  Nick, he likes to donate too, but he's not as quick to let something go.  Enough on the hoarding rant, ha!

They had everything, minus the basement stuff, packed in 5 hours.

Then this truck came...well I had to go sign him on the base too.  Story of my life.  I love escorting these people on and off base.  I guess I'd rather do it the right way and not chance them doing something stupid under our name if we didn't escort them on and off.

Inside this small truck is 4 crates.  4.  That's it!  They expected all our stuff to fit.  Ha!  Joke was on them!  Our couch wouldn't even fit inside a crate.  It needed a special build couch crate, which they didn't bring.  Now, when we moved here (just Nick and I, no kids) we had 5 crates!  We've had 2 kids (Germany has been good to us, ha!), and they expected 4 crates to work!  Oh, I just laugh at how stupid this company was.  The manager how did the pre-survey didn't do a great job at his "estimations."  

Because our stuff didn't fit in the 4 crates, ALL of our basement stuff and couch went unsecured to their warehouse.  This is where I have a feeling some things will go missing.  Crate rant...done!

The military representative came and did an inspection of the packers.  He was telling us that one of the guys was fired 10 years ago from the big moving company in the area for stealing.  Thanks for telling me this!  I already had a fear that they were putting stuff in their pockets rather than the boxes.  They would randomly come out with Nicks sunglasses on.  Playing with Nick's knives.  Whispering.  Ok, I don't know about you, but when I see someone whispering, I don't usually think that person is being "good" with their intentions.  Then 2 of the guys would suddenly run out and have a smoke?  Yeah, some of my jewelry will be gone and I think an iPod.  It was Sterling's room iPod.  I wrote down the serial number the night before, but totally forgot to put it in the secure pile.  I also didn't even think about putting my jewelry in the secure pile until yesterday.  Oh the things you learn a little too late.

After escorting the men off base, I went to pick up these cuties.  I don't think it's really affected them that we don't have anything.  We're a bit bored at times, but we'll usually sit down and color at those times.  It works.  But I think a new coloring book is in order because our paper is running low and maybe picture books would be more fun.

On Wednesday our friends had their pack out, so we watched their beauty.  It was fun!

We received this lovely government loaner furniture, plus a table and chairs, and a bed.  Xander slept here.  I ended up putting those two chairs in front of the couch so I didn't have to worry about him falling off since the couch is a bit skinny.

Getting Xander to fall asleep has always been a challenge.  It seems like it's gotten worse.  I honestly think it's because he thinks his room is punishment.  Whenever he'd do something wrong, Nick would always say he's going to go to bed.  Now, he'd never actually put him in their, but he'd always say it.  So, I think Xander associates his room as punishment.  Or maybe he's ready for a big boy bed?  Maybe he's not liking being confined by 4 walls of the bed?  I've been able to get him to fall asleep on the couch, on the airbed (that we have set up in the living room for play), and in our bed.  Nick thinks that I'm a pushover.  Maybe I am?  But if he falls asleep within 3-5 minutes of putting him somewhere other than his bed, i think it's worth it.  If we put him in his bed, he will seriously scream for hours.  He won't have tears running down, but he will be beat red screaming!  Not worth it, IMO!

I'm hoping with the move and new house that he won't associate his room as punishment and that he's ready for a big boy bed.  If I was smart, I would have put his toddler rail in with the UAB stuff so we could set it up right away as a big boy bed.  We'll probably have 2-3 weeks in the crib.

Yesterday was catch up day from the crazy week.  First up was laundry.  Kids were crabby most of the day.  Sterling was clingy.  I set up the pool since it was 75 out.  Xander loved it.

Sterling, well, she loved splashing from the outside.  Maybe she'll like a pool by the end of summer?  She was actually surprising because she'd splash it on her face then wipe it away, happily. (Maybe bath time will be more enjoyable now too?) They played for around 30 minutes and Xander was shivering and lips turned blue.  Time to get out.  Neither kid liked that idea.  I guess I'd rather stay in the pool too, more fun!

We ended our day dry and coloring.  They love it when I get down and draw pictures for them.  And I love it too!  So much fun to be creative and see the joy of excitement on a kids face from the simplest things.

It's the little things that make big moments.

Have a great day!