The Anderson's Adventures

Two Year Doctor's Visit

2012-02-17T05:47:00.000-08:00

Dawson went for his 2 year doctor's visit...

Height: 34 in (39%)
Weight: 23 lbs 13oz (7%)
Head Circumference: 48 cm (32%)

Our little Bubby is a lightweight! This time he had all his milk digested and a fresh diaper so I feel like it is a true representation of his weight. The doctor is not too concerned because he is meeting all his milestones and is a healthy boy. She did give a few suggestions about how we can pack some weight on him so we are going to try a few of those. We are also getting him tested for nut allergies. When he eats hummus and certain nuts he gets red blotches around his mouth that go away within an hour but she just wants to be sure.

Dawson is TWO!!!

2012-02-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Dawson!! We can't believe our baby boy is two already! His fun loving personality brings so much joy to our lives. Dawson
- is goofy and silly
- loves Dora, Diego, and the Wonder Pets
- is talking really well
- still loves to cuddle
- sleeps with his baba, Woody, Buzz, a construction hat, and two stuffed monkeys (oooh ooohs)
- LOVES his big sister and wants to do whatever she is doing
- plays really well by himself too
- loves birds, cats and dogs
- takes a two hour nap in the afternoons and sleeps from 8:00 to 7:00 (I hope I didn't just jinx it!)
- likes playing games on the ipad before nap time
- enjoys trying on hats
- wants to do everything for himself but isn't quite there (this makes for some frustrating moments)
- misses his sister when she is at school
- loves to be read to
- enjoys playing outside
- has turned into a pretty good eater (most of the time)
- likes to "help" make hummus, cereal, and smoothies

Dawson at one month and one year old.
We headed up to Fort Worth with my parents this weekend to celebrate Dawson's birthday and go to a wedding reception for some family friends.
He really enjoyed opening presents and wanted to do it all by himself. I LOVE this picture of the kids!Kenzie had a nutritious meal of chips and queso at the reception.

Hillbilly Sledding

2012-02-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

Cootie

2012-02-02T08:17:00.001-08:00

Things are finally looking up over here! We are almost 100% back to healthy, thank goodness. I think the past week and a half has been the longest ever! Today we got out of the house to library story time which the kids love. They also enjoy hanging out with the statues before we leave.Kenzie is really into games right now and some favorites are Zingo, Hi Hi Cherrio, Slap Jack, and Go Fish. She has been wanting a new game so the other day I bought her Cootie. She is in love! She has played this game morning, noon, and night...by herself, with me or Dennis, and while conducting Dawson's every move. Once they are assembled she will play pretend with them too. She makes the same Cootie every time and if you even think about taking her pieces be prepared for lots of pouting and whining.

Blah!

2012-01-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

It's been pretty bad around here. Kenzie has been sick since Sunday morning, Dawson woke up last night with a fever, and I've been sick since yesterday. I'm pretty sure we all have the same thing because of the nasty cough that goes with it. Dennis is the last man standing but none of us are sleeping so he's tired too. I am hoping Kenzie will be better for Dad's night at her school Thursday. Since moms don't get sick days, I've been trying to keep us busy around the house.
We've been painting.Riding motorcycles.Playing with balloons.Paper plate skating.Eating funny looking snacks.Drinking lots of tea.And it is only Wednesday!!!

On the up side, I get to look at this magnetic frame Dennis and I made for the kids artwork :)

Pedernales State Park

2012-01-22T14:27:00.000-08:00

I decided that the kids are old enough to do more fun outdoor activities. So we headed to Pedernales State Park which is just over an hour Southwest of us. I figure we need to enjoy this weather because if this is winter, we won't want to be outside at all this summer. The kids had a great time! I highly recommend it as a family fun day trip.
Picnic lunch.

Prince Charming

2012-01-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

Kenzie got a princess book for Christmas that is awful. It doesn't even tell the real story of the princesses. It just talks about how they are looking for Prince Charming so they can plan their wedding dinner, look beautiful for him and get married. It is now in the trash after Kenzie asked me yesterday, "Where does Prince Charming live?"

Rolly

2012-01-15T13:06:00.000-08:00

Hmmmm, what should we do on this beautiful day?Will you help me find a bug?We found a rolly polly!Can I hold him?Let's call him Rolly.He tickles!I don't know about this.Rolly got away :(

Jessie and Woody

2012-01-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

Dawson got a Woody doll for Christmas and Kenzie has been jealous ever since. I can't count how many fights there have been over poor Woody. So, Kenzie used her own money to buy a Jessie doll...she is so proud!
Hugging the dolls.

Illinois Christmas

2012-01-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

We had a great trip to Illinois for Christmas. There were a few crazy moments flying but it went really well considering Dawson didn't have his own seat. Thank goodness for portable DVD players! The past two years it snowed so Kenzie was a little disappointed but we had a great time playing outside.Kenzie loved playing with her cousins and asked where they were every morning.
Caitlyn was in love with Dawson. She followed him around hugging and kissing on him and telling us that he is so cute. Since she has three older siblings, it was nice for her to have someone smaller than her around.Kenzie and Cassie.
Kenzie playing a singing game with Cordelia. She got a creepy realistic raven puppet for Christmas.Posing for Grandma and Grandpa.Mission Impossible.Dawson at 6:30 p.m. after not napping for two days straight. Sooooooo sleepy!

Uncle Phillip dressed up as Santa on Christmas morning and I don't think Kenzie or Dawson knew it was him.

Aunt Sarah got a new puppy that the kids really enjoyed playing with.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T19:31:00.001-08:00

This was a great year for us! We had a nice little celebration at home and the kids loved the confetti.
I've got some big resolutions for this year. Check out my other blog: Twelve Green Months

It was wonderful coming back from our Illinois trip to warm weather (I am still working on that post). Kenzie and Dawson had a blast "helping rake the leaves."And they made a "nest" to sleep in.We helped our friend Emma celebrate her birthday a few weeks ago. This is the only good picture I got...Dawson with his icing goatee.

Austin Christmas

2011-12-20T19:53:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas last weekend with Grammie, Pop Pop, Aunt Mel, Uncle Jared, Calvin, Aunt Barbara, and Uncle Paul.
The kids in their matching pjs.The Toys R Us down the street was going out of business so Kenzie got lucky with an electric guitar...or maybe Dennis was the lucky one :)Dawson is now set to do repairs around the house.Kenzie enjoying all of the boy's toys.I love this picture of Calvin!Dawson in his new vest.Kenzie "helping" Dawson open gifts.Decorating cookies.The kids at Zilker Tree.Kenzie got a special treat on Sunday. Daddy took her to Bass Concert hall to see Beauty and the Beast. She loved it! Thanks to Grammie and Pop Pop for the tickets.Other pictures.

The Big Show

2011-12-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

Kenzie's school had their Christmas performance on Friday. Considering she missed the three days of pratice leading up to it, I think she did pretty good!
Me and my sweetie.Group shot.Of course there is a video...

What Have We Been Up To?

2011-12-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

Lots of sick! Dawson has been sick for over a week and Kenzie has been sick since Friday. So, we've just been hanging around...
pretending to be kitty cats and eating off the floor.
Putting up our Christmas tree.
Making some homemade ornaments to go on it.
My family has homemade stockings and Dawson's is finished...thanks Mom! Now they are hung on the chimney with care (out of Dawson's reach).
And, thanks to Pinterest, I've been super crafty. Check out my Chrstmas card display! I bought some yard sticks from Lowes, cut and glued them accordingly, painted it red, mod podged some clothespins, hot glued them and whala!
I hope we will be back to happy soon!

Success!

2011-12-02T06:10:00.000-08:00

Our first day of Advent turned out pretty cute :)Dawson's "cheese" face for the camera.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2011-11-28T15:37:00.000-08:00

This was the first year we were able to go to the beach for Thanksgiving since hurricane Ike hit in 2008. It was so fun with the kids and the weather was perfect! Dawson "holding" the newest member of our family, Parker. He is my cousin Phillip and April's baby...only 3 months old.The kids really enjoyed playing in the sand. We had to bathe them at least two times a day.I love this one of Calvin.Me and my preggo sissy! We find out if it is a boy or girl next week and baby is due in May :)Meal prep was fun in this tiny kitchen!Boys and their sticks...The sunrises were amazing and thanks to Dawson's new wake-up time we got to see all of them :)
My two favorite boys.I LOVE the camera my dad gave us. Posting these pictures really made me appreciate it because it is so obvious which ones were taken with our point and shoot. Thanks Dad!!!

Bananas, Rain, Advent, and Old Navy

2011-11-17T19:56:00.001-08:00

I LOVE the way Dawson eats his banana for breakfast every morning.
Playing in the garage during the rain the other day.
And watch out Christmas! I totally stole this advent idea from pinterest and it turned out so cute. First, I made little envelopes from scrapbook paper. Then, I made two copies of the activities, one to cut up for the envelopes and one for reference. Yes, it only goes to 17 because that's when we are celebrating. And yes, the numbers are out of order. I thought it would be good number practice and make it look more balanced as the days go by. OCD, I know.
There are two pictures because Dennis wanted to take one with the fancy camera :)I soooo wish I had taken a picture today when we were at Old Navy. I let the kids play with the mannequins while I was checking out- bad idea. Dawson was riding the dog and they both fell over landing with a crash in the entrance of the store while Kenzie holds up a mannequin arm that she broke off...awesome!

Renaissance Festival 2011

2011-11-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

We headed down to the Texas Renaissance Festival this past Saturday. It was perfect. The weather was beautiful and fun was had by all.
We met up with my parents and Mel and Calvin.
Kenzie has had her face painted four times and every time it has been a unicorn. And Grammie got her this fairy costume to wear for the day.Calvin brandishing his sword. Watch out! Seriously... Kenzie with the fairies. She got some fairy rocks last year at the festival and she still has them. She even remembers to put them under her pillow every once in a while.Of course there was pony riding.Dawson met a big friendly giant.Fishing.
Me and my mommy.The men enjoying a cold beer.Dawson and Calvin's first elephant rides! Kenzie has been talking about riding an elephant again almost every day since last year...she was in heaven.Me and my little fairy.Kenzie took this one of Calvin :)Grammie and Kenzie.All eight of us rode this giant swing...some good family bonding.

K-E-N-Z-I-E

2011-11-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

Kenzie can write her name all by herself! She has been able to write K, E and I for a while but we've been working on capital N and Z. Her teachers at school have been working with her too. I had no idea she could write her name until today when she was making a birthday card for her friend Zoey. She drew Z's all over the card. So, I had her try her name and she did it.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

We headed down to Sophie's house for a Halloween party this year.
Kenzie was Sleeping Doody, Sophie a Ninja Turtle, and Logan, Ironman. Katie did not want to be in the picture but she and her sister were both cute little bumblebees.Dawson wouldn't dress up but he liked the pirate costume when he tried it on three weeks ago :)Before trick-or-treating, Kenzie helped Aaron give out candy. She looks very concerned that these other kids are taking our candy.Both the kids LOVED trick-or-treating.So, Tracy warned me about how crazy Halloween is around their house but it was incredible! There were a TON of people...a steady stream coming by to get candy. And there is a house one block down from them that goes all-out. And I mean, tents with scenes, a graveyard, etc. You have to get in line early, yes I said LINE, or it gets super long later. Once you get into the foyer they have a table of every possible candy bar (FULL SIZE) to choose from. You get to pick what you want.
Waiting in line...Dawson was not going to let go of his full size candy.I wish we had gotten more pictures of the house but here are a few. You can see the start of the line to the right of the stop sign.

And I made a cute dip...here it is half eaten.Thanks to Tracy and Aaron for hosting a fabulous party...we'll be there next year!

Kenzie's school had a parade on Friday and then they sang some songs in the classroom.
This video is super long but cute. The first 15 seconds is enough to get the gist of it.

Free Fun

2011-10-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

Gotta love the Old Navy mannequins!

Exercise

2011-10-20T09:03:00.001-07:00

Dawson was sick Sunday though Wednesday so we were stuck at home. Since I couldn't go to the gym, Kenzie and I did videos together. I made her some little weights b/c she kept stealing mine.

We also tried on our winter hats since it has been so cold out ;)

State Fair - 25 Years

2011-10-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

This was our 25th year to attend the Texas State Fair in Dallas with the Smiths. We started off with 9 people and now there are 22 of us and number 23 is in the oven.
This is us with Steve, the guy who runs the bird show. He has been there almost as long as us. Check out our awesome matching t-shirts.We even have bricks in the sidewalk.Dawson's first corndog. He almost ate the whole thing!The petting zoo was a hit as usual.Grammie and Pop Pop with the kids.Kenzie got to hold one of the instruments after the Marine Drum and Bugle Corp played. Calvin and Kenzie riding the balloon with Grammie.This picture was taken before the ride started and Dawson bailed right after.Kenzie is ready to be a big sister again. Too bad it is never going to happen :)

Great Visit

2011-10-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

Grandma Dottie and Grandpa Mike came to visit last week. We had a great time relaxing, enjoying the rain, and exploring Sweet Berry Farm.

We did some garden prep and Kenzie loved finding worms and digging in the soil.Grandpa loving on Kenzie.
Grandma Dottie enjoying the rain with the kids.

She loves her umbrella.
Grandpa and Daddy made this awesome train table that we have already found many uses for. We (and I mean Dennis) plan to stain it to match our other furniture.

Sweet Berry Farm

2011-10-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

We headed out to Sweet Berry Farm with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Dottie this weekend. There was a little rain when we got there but it cleared up and we had a great time.I love this one!Dawson's first face painting!
Dawson's first train ride by himself.

Perfect family picture :)

Open Gym

2011-10-01T05:50:00.001-07:00

Friday I took Dawson to his first open gym at Capital Gymnastics. I used to take Kenzie all the time before he was born. He was a little timid at first but once he warmed-up he had a blast!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-09-26T12:31:00.001-07:00

I have to say that it turned out to be a pretty good birthday. A slight wrench was thrown into my plans when Kenzie got sick this weekend. We were still able to do most of the celebrating except that she had to stay home from school today and I missed my girl's lunch. But thanks to my wonderful friends and family who stopped by, called, e-mailed, texted and facebooked, I felt very loved. And the best part was that I spent the day with my two favorite small people.
We took an early morning walk and hung out at our neighborhood playground.The kids even scored some tennis balls from the retired men playing tennis.We headed to The Domain for a little shopping, cookies, and playing.Saturday night we celebrated at my parent's house. This is the best picture I have of Dad and me, (his birthday is tomorrow).
Kenzie helped make the cake and Dawson helped decorate.The most beautiful and yummy cake ever!
And a big thanks to Dennis for the best present ever, my girl's weekend a few weeks ago :)

Stuff and Stuff

2011-09-19T03:09:00.000-07:00

We haven't been up to much lately so I've scrounged up some pictures from the past several weeks.
Fun at the park!Dawson feeding his baby.Our little chef.Helping Abby celebrate her 1st birthday!
Dawson thought it was a cupcake eating contest and you couldn't use your hands.Cute little ladybug!

Girls Getaway

2011-09-13T11:44:00.001-07:00

This past weekend my friends Tracy, Marnie, Gabby and I headed to Port Aransas for two nights kid-free. It was wonderful!!! We relaxed and read on the beach, enjoyed the water, and had some great food.

First Day of School!!

2011-09-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

Today was Kenzie's first day of school. I don't know who was more excited, her or me :) Of course I took a ton of pictures.She had a great day and I think they made her smarter already! During rest time today she asked for her princess puzzle (a 46 piece floor puzzle). I told her that I couldn't help her with it until rest time was over but she said she could do it herself. Well, she was in there for over half an hour and finished the entire puzzle by herself!!
My proud little princess.

Rapunzel

2011-09-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

Kenzie and I went to see Rapunzel today at the Scottish Rite Children's Theater. She LOVED it! They have a pretty cool set up where the kids can sit on the floor and the actors move through the audience.
Kenzie with Rapunzel.Getting ready for the show.

Wet Wednesday

2011-08-31T05:53:00.000-07:00

September, 2010

Living Without

2011-08-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

I decided to stop watching TV (except for one movie a week) three months ago. The reason I did this was because I felt like there were so many things I wanted to do but never had time. The funny thing is that I didn't really do a whole lot and it was perfect! In place of TV, I have been minimizing/simplifying the stuff in my life as well as taking that time to breathe. I have sold a ton of stuff and cleared my house of items I no longer need or use. It may sound strange to some but I feel that the reduction in stuff and TV time has made more space in my life to enjoy my kids, relax, and just be. It is difficult, in today's fast-paced, consumer driven society, (especially here in the burbs) to just be happy with what we have and that is one thing I've been working on; wanting less and being happy without.
I have been reading like crazy. Right now I am rereading the Harry Potter series. I just finished number four and am loving it all over again! I have also decided that I am not going to be a seamstress. In all my spare time I never really wanted to sew, sew I didn't ;)

Here are the shows I was watching last season:
The Biggest Loser (2 hours)
Survivor (1 hour)
Modern Family (30 min)
Office Space (30min)
Parks and Rec (30min)
Grey's Anatomy (1 hour)
The Daily Show (1 hour)

I have decided to keep my favorites, Parks and Rec, The Office, Modern Family, and an occasional Daily Show. Luckily these are all 30 minute shows! I am giving up The Biggest Loser because I feel like two hours on the couch makes me the real loser. Grey's Anatomy and Survivor are going to be tough to give up but I'm going to try :)

I have done some cute activities with Kenzie that I found on pinterest.
The first activity here was really good because it was multistage. First we colored some coffee filters with washable markers. Then we sprayed them with water to get the colors to bleed. Once they dry you can use them to make butterflies, flowers, or whatever.Don't be jealous of our awesome princess puppet!We made our own mailbox and the kids delivered all the junk mail I have been saving for three months now. Tomorrow we will make our own mail :)Outer space day!

Too Hot Tuesday

2011-08-23T05:43:00.000-07:00

Our snow angel, February 2011

Super Hot Sunday

2011-08-21T20:00:00.001-07:00

So I totally forgot to post something Tuesday so here it is...Valentine's Day 2004, Dallas, TX

Eighteen Month Doc Visit

2011-08-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

Dawson went for his 18 month doctor's visit...

Height: 31 3/4 in (33%)
Weight: 23 lbs 2 oz (15%)
Head Circumference: 48 cm (56%)

He has gained some weight but he just drank 8 oz. of milk so he probably weighs a little less than this. He only got one shot and didn't cry at all! Here is a cute video of our little cat.

Happy Birthday Calvin!

2011-08-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

We headed up to Fort Worth last weekend to celebrate Calvin's third birthday.
Birthday Boy!!
We toured the local fire station.
The three kids enjoying a bath together...I am sure they will hate us for this later.Grammie cuddling with Calvin and Kenzie.They had so much fun playing in the kiddie pool!Dawson and Calvin trying to drink the water from the whale spout.
Quick video.

Happy Half Birthday Dawson!!

2011-08-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

Dawson turned 18 months old on Friday. He is such a sweet little boy who makes us laugh every day!He...
LOVES his big sister and wants to do everything she does.
Sleeps with his Baba and Monkey from 8:00 to 7:00 and takes an afternoon nap.
Has all of his baby teeth except his 2 year molars.
Understands almost everything we say.
Loves Dora and Barney.
Is addicted to water like his sister.
Is saying new words daily.
Favorite food is strawberries.
Gives kisses (not slobbery :) and hugs.
Loves books and Kenzie's figurines.
Likes to do everything himself and will get upset if you try to help him.

Jammin'

2011-08-10T05:48:00.000-07:00

I love that she is using her undies to hold the mp3 player :)

Too Hot Tuesday

2011-08-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday, until I feel comfortable going outside for more than 30 seconds, I am going to post a picture of cooler weather to remind myself that it exists.Exit Glacier, Alaska

Surprise!

2011-08-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

Make sure someone is watching.
Ok, let's hide.Surprise!!! Just cute.

Fun with Grammie and Pop Pop

2011-08-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

My parents took the kids all day yesterday and last night...thank you!!!! I finally got the hallway painted and also mowed and edged the lawn. That evening Dennis and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner out at Mirabelle. Here is some fun the kids have been having with Grammie and Pop Pop lately.

Real tea parties, without Sarah Palin of course.Keeping cool.Beautiful artwork.
Dinner and a movie.When I came to pick Kenzie up, she had to get a photo in her pretty dress on her bed with Dawson but he wouldn't leave my side so I got to be in the photo too. I don't have any pictures of just me and the kids lately so I thought I would post it.

Grammie and Sledding

2011-08-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Grammie's birthday this weekend. Kenzie loved making and decorating brownies and decorating the house. She also wrapped LOTS of presents including her Dora figurine. Luckily Grammie was ok with it staying at our house.We also got a new clock which is not very exciting but the box it came in has delivered hours of entertainment!

Yum Yum

2011-07-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I am not a baker. But Kenzie has been asking to make pink cookies for a while now so we gave it a go. As you can see, all I have is Halloween and Christmas cutouts but she doesn't really care. They are the best sugar cookies I think I've ever made :)

Pooh

2011-07-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

Kenzie's first movie!

Gill

2011-07-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

We would like you to meet the newest member of our family, Gilbert Finnagin Anderson, or Gill for short. As much as the rest of the family is ready for a dog, I am not. We compromised with a fish. We predicted that Kenzie would want to name him Fishy and were right. So, we gave her some choices and she chose Gill. We also had pictures and lunch with Grammie and Calvin today.And Dawson got some desperately needed new shoes.

Butler Park

2011-07-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

I was surprised they had the water so high, with the drought and all. We had fun!

Sewing, Grammie, and Cowgirl Sue

2011-07-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

You know you are going overboard on the minimizing when your three year old comes to you and says, "I can't find Dawson's neck pillow, did you sell it?"

In totally unrelated news:
One of the things I wanted to do when I gave up TV for the summer was to sew a few pillows. Well, today was step one. Mom came over to show me how to use my grandmother's sewing machine. We figured that it is almost 60 years old. Kenzie being Grammie. We went to the library today to hear Cowgirl Sue. Both kids really enjoyed it! Thanks Sara for letting Kenzie hang on to you :)

All Sorts of Stuff

2011-07-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

I've been really bad about taking pictures and blogging lately so here is what we've been up to instead.
Only Going Outdoors If There Is Water Involved

Playing Games With Minimal Preparation On My Part
We tied a string to the tail of this blow-up fish from Michaels ($1) and have been "fishing" for hours on end.Long-distance puzzles- I stole this idea. You put all the pieces of a puzzle at the end of the hall and put the puzzle across the house. They took turns running to get once piece of the puzzle at a time and racing back to put it in the right spot. Dawson also managed to land on the corner of the wall to score this awesome bruise (not playing the puzzle game).
Minimizing/Selling Stuff
My friend Kristen G. has been into minimizing and has inspired me with some great articles and her own minimizing efforts. We've gotten rid of a ton of stuff and it feels so good. It is, however, time consuming, especially if you want to sell the things you are getting rid of. But the bonus is that we've made a little money.

Gymnastics, Swimming, Playgroups, and the Gym
The kids and I keep ourselves pretty busy with all of our summer activities. I love going to the gym every morning...it is like Mother's Hour Out. I get to exercise and the kids love playing there. Kenzie has swimming and gymnastics two afternoons a week. And we meet up with friends when we can.

Frugal Shopping
My friend Sara told me about this great blog My Frugal Adventures. It has inspired me to use more coupons and do some comparative shopping but I haven't gone extreme or anything.

Our blooming Crepe Myrtle and Kenzie in boots when it is 100 outside.
This is a rare moment when Dawson is drawing with instead of eating the chalk. (And, no he didn't draw the happy face).

The Cabins 2011

2011-07-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

Last week we drove to Lincoln State Park, Indiana for Dennis' family reunion. Yes, we drove 16 hours (according to Google) TWICE with a one year old and a three year old. Our first thought was to drive through the night while the kids slept but my friend Sara had a botched attempt at this so we went with plan B. Drive 10 hours Saturday, stay in a hotel and then 6 hours Sunday to arrive at the reunion for lunch. We woke at 2:15 and were on the road by 3:00 AM. The kids were awake for about an hour but they were quiet since it was dark and the middle of the night. Then they slept until about 6:00 but we kept going until 7:00 when we stopped for breakfast. So we had already covered four hours! For the rest of the drive, we watched movies, sang, stopped for breaks and lunch, then they fell asleep again until they woke at our hotel in Forrest City, AR at 2:00 PM. It really couldn't have gone better. This was also the first time all four of us had slept in a room together. We turned off all the lights at 8:30, Dawson cried for a minute but we prepared Kenzie so she kept quiet and went right to sleep too :) Sunday we were on the road by 4:00 AM and arrived at 11:00 AM. Success!

We spent so much time catching up with family, relaxing, and playing that we didn't take many pictures. We didn't even get on a computer for seven days!!!
The cabins.Hike to the fire tower.You can't really see in the picture but Kenzie and Dennis are at the top.Kenzie and her cousin Caitlyn.My cousin Marylynne showed me how to take these pictures with my camera!
Grandpa Mike and Grandma Dottie with their thirteen grandchildren.Kenzie trying to give Dawson a piggy back ride.Dawson hanging out with Uncle Phillip.Too cool for school.Grandma and Kenzie.Mudtacular.Kenzie and her cousin Cordelia.Shark attack!!!

Happy 4th!!

2011-07-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

We celebrated this morning at Tracy and Aaron's house with breakfast and then walked down the street for their neighborhood parade. The kids really enjoyed watching...especially the dogs and rabbits.

Dawson and Isabella were so cute holding hands on the way back.Kenzie's first slip and slide fun.
Use the force Dawson.Dennis showing off his skillz at DJ Hero.

We Made It Back

2011-07-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

And we all still love each other!I will post stuff from our trip after some sleep :)

Grammie and Pop Pop's House

2011-06-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

Kenzie spent the night with Grammie and Pop Pop the other night. She had a blast as usual. Kenzie put all the stuffed animals on her bed and had Grammie take a picture. She is spoiled with her own room there.

They made pink cookies!
Feeding the fish with Pop Pop.

Happy Father's Day and Stuff

2011-06-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to Dennis, Pop Pop, and Grandpa Mike!!! We are so lucky to have these men in our lives. We celebrated with my parents and lots of yummy food and wine :)Pop Pop got this soccer jersey for Dennis...he was very excited.
In other news we've been busy hanging out with friends and Kenzie is doing swimming and gymnastics this summer. Here she is ready for her first lesson.Playing at the Domain.

Oh, how things have changed! These photos are a year apart. Dawson is now strong enough to give his big sister a ride.

The Many Faces of Kenzie

2011-06-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

HAPPYSCARYSADSILLYDON'T MESS WITH MESURPRISEDAnd here's a fort we built the other day...it kept the kids busy for a long time!!!

Beach Videos

2011-06-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

Beach Trip 2011

2011-06-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed down to Galveston with Grammie, Pop Pop and Calvin. The kids really enjoyed playing in the sand.
First step into the water. Calvin was not a fan but Kenzie warmed up after a while. She loved riding around in her "boat."
Dawson had a blast surfing with Dad. He also loved chasing the seagulls around.Breakfast at the Galvez.Annual visit to the candy store for ice cream and horse riding. I've also got some cute videos I'll post once they are edited. Hanging out at Murdochs with push-up pops.

Ugggh, these boys are too much! Is it time to go home yet???
Dennis and I also got a chance to sneak away one night to walk on the beach at sunset and grab a drink without the kids....thanks Grammie and Pop Pop!

Our Little Fishy

2011-06-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Kenzie's last day of her first semester at Emler was today. They are amazing...she has become a little fish! We can't wait until next semester when our friend Annie is in the same class :)

I Know, I Know!

2011-05-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

So you would think, not watching TV, that I would have had a ton of time to blog about not watching TV. Luckily I did not resolve to blog more, in fact, I am trying to be less connected to the internet. It has been such a busy weekend that I've really only had two nights without TV since I started this thing.
We hung out with friends on Friday, went to a wedding Saturday, and watched our weekly movie last night. This morning Dennis and I worked out together and then took the kids to the pool. I am happy to say that I have spent a lot of time reading. I am reading a great book, The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. I also started reading my new activity book: And I have prepared two boxes as per their suggestion. First, I made a "Rainy Day Box." It consists of a new toy, an art project with all the supplies ready, new playdough, punch balloons, the recipe for some goop, stickers, and tattoos. It will come out sometime this summer either when it is 100 degrees for a week straight or when one of the kids is sick for a few days.
Then I made Kenzie a "Busy Box." It has stickers, paper, glue stick, scissors, tape, stamps, crayons, and a pencil. This is to keep Kenzie busy for a little bit while I am with Dawson or cooking or whatever.

Three Months

2011-05-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

Lately I feel like I have been parking my butt in front of the TV at 8:00 pm and letting the hours melt away into bedtime with nothing to show for it. There are so many things I've been wanting to do but feel like I never have any time. So I decided that I need to make time.
I am giving up TV for three months. Yes, it sounds like a long time but all my shows are on vacation so it really isn't that big of a deal. And I am sure I watch much less TV than the average American but it feels like a lot to me. The one caveat is that I get to watch one movie a week with Dennis. Since The Biggest Loser finale is tomorrow night, I will start Wednesday May 25th and go through August 25th. I am also going to cut down on playing Hearts on the ipad (I am sooooo addicted). I get to play one game during the day and one at night. Here are some of the things I hope to accomplish during the hiatus:

1. Learn to use my grandmother's sewing machine. My Mom said she would give me a tutorial on how to thread a bobbin and how to get the ancient thing working. Maybe my 8th grade sewing class will come back to me! I would like to start by making two throw pillows for the living room and then we will see where it goes from there.
2. Plan more activities for the kids. We keep very busy with playgroups, friends, the gym, etc. but when we are at home I want to get more creative with our time. I bought a book called The Toddler's Busy Book by Trish Kuffner that has some great ideas. And there are a ton of ideas on the internet of course.
3. Read!!! I love to read and am in two book clubs so I plan on reading as much as I can.
4. Sell stuff on ebay and become rich. Or at least sell stuff on ebay.
5. Try to find more coupons for groceries, etc. I was in line at HEB the other day and the lady in front of me had $40 in coupons...Are you kidding me!! She did have a crazy amount of stuff but it made my $2 in coupons seem like pennies. The problem is that we buy lots of organic stuff that usually don't have coupons but I am going to do some searching.
6. And, as always, appreciate these two cuties...

It's Finished!!!

2011-05-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Our hard work finally paid off! We are so happy with the final result, it looks totally different. The only thing left is to get a new fridge :)
Before:
After:Before:After:Before:After:

Fifteen Month Doc Visit

2011-05-19T06:01:00.000-07:00

Dawson went for his fifteen month doctor's visit...

Height: 30 1/4 in (30%)
Weight: 20 lbs 11 oz (6%)
Head Circumference: 47 cm (44%)

He did great with his shots and is small but healthy!

Happy Birthday Dennis!

2011-05-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Dennis turned the big 32 today! Kenzie loved making him a card, shopping for a present, and buying cupcakes (we don't have a sink in the kitchen right now so we couldn't bake them...not like we would have anyway). We celebrated with my family on Sunday morning in Fort Worth and had a family dinner out tonight.

Biggest Loser

2011-05-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I love to work out and I love the Biggest Loser. So I was really excited to hear that Jillian Michaels was at an HEB event at Texas School for the Deaf on Saturday morning. We took Dawson, had great workout and got to hear Jillian taunt the audience...so fun!!

Graduation

2011-05-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

Congrats to my sister who has been working on her Masters degree for the past two years while working full time and having a two year old. She is amazing! We headed to Fort Worth this past weekend to celebrate.
She looks so official!
Kenzie loved the cake...And she loved playing with her cousin Calvin.

Fifteen Months

2011-05-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Dawson is 15 months old today! I forgot how much fun this age is. He he understands so much and can follow simple directions. He is starting to form words like...mm = milk, sh= shoes, bir = bird, dah = dog, k = clap. He loves his big sister and Barney. He also is really into Daddy right now which works out well because Kenzie is really into Mommy. He enjoys swinging and has gotten the courage to go down the slide in the backyard by himself.
Kenzie headed to Fort Worth with Grammie and Pop Pop today and Dennis got a random half-day from work so we took Dawson to the Domain for a snack and some fun.

Happy Mother's Day to Me :)

2011-05-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

This was my best Mother's Day yet :)
Dawson wasn't ready to get into the water but enjoyed the sand pit and dipping his hand in the water.
Kenzie loved the giraffe pool!
My boys.
Attempts at a good pic of the kids...
They had a Mother's Day Tea at Kenzie's school on Friday.
She made the cute little ladybug magnet with her fingerprints and drew a picture of me. I am so glad I am smiling :)

Sleeping Doody

2011-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

Anniversary, Wipes, and Potato Head

2011-05-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend Dennis and I escaped to Fredricksburg to celebrate our sixth anniversary. Thanks to my parents we left the kids behind and enjoyed 28 hours of freedom :) We climbed Enchanted Rock, checked out some live music in Fredricksburg, took a nap and had an amazing dinner.
The kids were a little too quiet for a little too long today. They found my stash of wipes from Costco...Dawson really wants to be in Toy Story 4.

Big Boy!

2011-04-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Dawson got a big boy haircut today! He still has a few spots where the hair is not quite as thick yet but it still looks good.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

Dennis had off Friday so we had a great three-day Easter weekend. It was filled with lots of fun and good friends. The Solomon's were so kind to invite us over for brunch and an egg hunt today.
Dawson and Abby...so cute!Emma and Kenzie. We tried to get them to look at the camera at the same time but you know how that goes. Kenzie on the hunt.Family :)
Saturday morning we joined in on a BBQ and egg hunt with some friends. Kenzie and Leili had a great time showering themselves with confetti shouting, "Happy Easter!"Dawson hunting eggs.

Saturday afternoon was Sophia's fourth birthday party!The pinata was huge!!Kenzie really enjoyed getting the prizes and candy.Friday morning we headed out to Gohean Beach for some splashing fun.Dawson soaking up some rays.In the afternoon Kenzie and I planted some flowers.Anderson Playground is finished!!!!! Thanks goes out to both sets of grandparents and our neighbors across the street. Without all of them it would probably still be sitting in the boxes.

Crafty McCrafterson

2011-04-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

Watch out Gohean Girls :)

Big Girl Ballerina!

2011-04-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

So I know you don't want to hear any more about Kenzie's potty training but you are going to anyway. She is totally potty trained!!! I know, I can't believe it myself!! The last post was at the end of day five. Since day six she hasn't had an accident and has been dry 24 hours a day...yes, even through the night! On day seven she started asking to go to the potty. Now we don't even worry about it anymore...she wears panties all the time and just goes when she needs to. I am amazed that it happened so quickly but a lot of people told me that if you wait until they are ready then it should be easy. Now what am I going to do with all the money I am saving on diapers :)

Happy Birthday Leili!

2011-04-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning we headed to the Austin Children's Museum for Leili's birthday party. I haven't been there since Kenzie was 18 months old or so. I think she is at a good age now to really enjoy it. Both kids had a blast.Birthday Girl!

All Aboard the Potty Train

2011-04-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

We tried potty training Kenzie earlier this year but after a three day weekend we felt like she wasn't really ready and I didn't want to live my life in fear of her peeing all the time. Dawson was younger too and couldn't walk. I worried about him crawling on public bathroom floors when I had to take her. I consulted a few friends who have potty trained girls and asked for advice on what worked for them. Of course everyone did something different at different ages and it took each child a different amount of time to be fully trained. I have searched the internet and got the same stuff. So you really just have to choose a time and a way that will work for you and your child.

Now that Kenzie has been three for a month, we decided to give it another go. She has still been going on the potty every now and then since our last try but nothing consistent and she has been wearing diapers. I went into it with zero expectations, good or bad. So this past Saturday morning we woke up and talked about being a big girl, etc. It was time to wear panties!! Here is how the conversation went: "No, I will wear a diaper, thanks." We don't have any diapers left Kenzie. "Yes we do, I know where they are." Crap...we forgot about the diapers in the living room. So, this is the last diaper and then we will start wearing panties. "OK" We decided that she needed some motivation so I told her I would take her to get some new panties and a big girl haircut. By the way, Dora is out and Hello Kitty is in! So we got the haircut and panties. Luckily the one diaper lasted through all of that. When we got home she put on her new panties and was good to go. That's really all it took to get her motivated. I don't have to reward her except with lots of praise. She hasn't mentioned diapers since then except that she doesn't want to wear her night diaper any more, but that's a good thing. Over all I think it has been going really well. She wears panties at home, pull-ups when we leave the house, and a night diaper at night.
At first I felt like potty training consumed me but I am starting to know when she needs to go and don't feel like I think about it every second. Today is the fifth day and I do feel like she is getting better. The past two nights her diaper has been dry. She was dry all day at preschool today and when I dropped her off at the gym yesterday she went to the bathroom by herself and stayed dry. I know that sounds like she is potty trained and ready to go but that is not the case. She is not telling me she has to go to the bathroom. I either have to convince her that she needs to go because she doesn't want to sit on the potty for nothing. Or she starts to pee a little, tells me and we say, "Hold it, Hold it, Hold it" and she is able to hold it until we get her to the potty. Tonight was a big milestone when she went potty on her own without us asking her. I feel like potty training is a roller coaster. Just when I am amazed at her staying dry, she has an accident. But there have only been a few full fledged accidents and a poop mishap but overall it hasn't been bad. I think it will just keep getting better.
My friend Cassie told me about a portable potty with disposable liners called Potette Plus that we got and it has been fabulous! We put it outside when we are playing in the backyard or in the dining room. Having it close by saves me from running around and it reminds her to go.I am sure this is more detail than you want to know about Kenzie's potty training but maybe it will help someone out there :)

14 Months

2011-04-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

I love this age! Dawson is so fun and really good at communicating. I realized I hadn't taken many pictures lately so I kept the camera with me all day.
Kenzie loves to greet Dawson in his crib in the mornings. Today she convinced me to let her get in with him.Playing in the backyard.Our neighbor has a bunny and brought it over for the kids to play with.
This afternoon we enjoyed some time at the park. Dawson and Abby were so cute together.Kenzie and Emma.He's getting so big.Dawson "bowling."

Someone's Got a New Do

2011-04-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've gotten tired of tangley long hair so we got a "big girl" cut today. It isn't exactly what I asked for but it is still cute and so much easier!

Grandma Dottie and Grandpa Mike Come to Town

2011-04-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa this past weekend. It was full of fun and hard work! Saturday both Grandmas and I took the kids to Kenzie's school carnival. Kenzie's friends Emma and Annie joined in on the fun too.
Dawson's first time in a bounce house was a success!Kenzie rode the ponies twice!Dawson loved petting the animals. I had to watch him carefully because he got a little rough with the ducks.Kenzie and Annie hand in hand on their way to the train.Kenzie getting ready to share her winning cupcakes from the cake walk.As most of you know, we are working on a playset in the backyard. The kids enjoyed playing on the giant mulch pile.They also had too much fun in the water table together.Grandma and Dawson testing out the playset. Dawson learned too quick how to climb up the ladder.We got so close to finishing but still need to put the swings and slide on. Hopefully I can convince Pop Pop to come over sometime soon to help :)The majority of the time they were here was spent redoing the kitchen. We got all the cabinets and appliances installed...yay!! All we need now is the counter, sink, faucet, disposal and fridge and it will be finished! I LOVE having the microwave above the stove. It opens up a lot of counter space. Our new dishwasher is so quiet compared to the 1980's model and our stove has a light so you can see into it. We love the 21st century!!

School Picture 2011

2011-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

I think it turned out really good. Gotta love the Dora band aid on her arm. At least she let me take off the tattoo that was on her other arm.

Much Better!

2011-03-31T19:33:00.001-07:00

This week has been a million times better!
Kenzie set these chairs up so Dawson could sit next to her...one of her sweeter moments.Dawson "walked" Kenzie's dog around the house for 15 minutes. And Grandma Dottie and Grandpa Mike are in town for the weekend...yay! They just got here today and two cabinets are already hung :)

What a Week!

2011-03-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Kenzie got her shot on Tuesday and had a slight fever that evening but seemed fine otherwise. On Wednesday her leg started to swell and she had trouble walking. It didn't get any better so we called the doc Thursday morning and she was concerned because it did not look like a normal reaction to a shot. Thursday afternoon we went for x-rays. I did not think ahead about how the x-rays would go but soon realized that she was not going to lay still on the scary table willingly. We talked it out...I proposed a lot of great bribes but it still was not going to happen. So the entire staff at the place came in for the big event. Two x-rays had to be taken. Me and two other people held her down while one person took Dawson behind the screen and pushed the button. On the second one she moved and we had to do a third. By that time, Dawson is crying too and on our way out the waiting room was completely full with lots of sympathetic faces....they heard the whole ordeal and the front desk lady had to leave her post to help us out. CRAZY!

Thursday evening the doc calls and says that the x-rays show some soft tissue inflammation and if the swelling isn't down by 80% tomorrow we will go in for an ultrasound. Friday morning we are back at the doc and then heading to Dell for an ultrasound. I learned my lesson with the x-rays so Dennis came home to watch Dawson so I could take Kenzie by myself. She was reluctant at first but since she didn't have to lay down and be still, she warmed up quickly. I don't think the lollipop hurt either :)

So after all this hullabaloo, and probably lots of money on our high deductible plan, it turns out that there is some fluid running along the vein in her leg and the swelling should go down in the next week. We just need to make sure it doesn't get worse and that her fever doesn't come back. The doc thinks it is just a fluke that the shot got too close to the vein or something.

After all of this excitement, my parents came over Saturday to help with the kids so we could start building the playset. We all headed out to the backyard for the fun and not long after, Kenzie starts scratching her eye and her face is turning splotchy and then welting up and swelling around her eye....are you kidding me!!! Luckily we had some Benadryl on hand so after that and some cortisone cream it got a lot better. We have a huge Live Oak in the backyard that is raining pollen so we think she might have wiped her hand in some pollen and then rubbed it into her eye.

So, needless to say, we had a very eventful week! Poor Kenzie had to miss school all week and went through a lot! I am happy to report that things ended on a good note. Kenzie's face looks great and her leg is much less swollen. Also, Grammie and Pop Pop took both kids from 3:30 Saturday until noon today :)

We would have loved to just relax without the kids but we had a ton of stuff to get done. We mowed, fertilized, and edged the lawn. We trimmed the hedge and fertilized and mulched the trees. Then we headed to Lowes where we spent two hours (and a ton of money). We ordered our counter top and bought our stove, dishwasher, microwave, faucet, garbage disposal, and handles and knobs for our cabinets. And finally we got to relax with a wonderful sushi dinner at Chinatown. Once we got home we started removing the cabinets and preparing the kitchen for painting. At midnight we decided to call it a night.

For those of you who are interested...I spoke to a lot of people about stainless steel versus black appliances for our kitchen. Almost everyone said they would go with stainless except for a few who warned us about fingerprints. We found that Frigidaire has a stainless steel finish that resists fingerprints and tried it out at the store with our grubby hands. So, we decided to go with stainless :)

Dennis and Pop Pop got a lot done on the playset.
All of the cabinets except one are removed and the wall is ready for painting!
That is the longest post I have ever written!

Cold Turkey, Last Doc Post, and Other Updates

2011-03-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Dawson has been off formula since his birthday but he's still been getting his milk from a bottle. I tried a few times to get him to drink out of his straw cup but he did not like it. I knew it was just a preference because he can drink water just fine out of a straw cup. I finally decided it was time for my baby to give up the bottle. Another sad milestone. I loved holding him and feeding him his bottle. We went cold turkey and he has done great. He doesn't drink as much as he did with bottles but it is plenty. It has only been since Saturday so I am sure he will get more used to it as time goes by.In other news, Kenzie went in for her 3 year check-up today. She is a healthy little girl! She had to get one shot and after the crying stopped she said, "It didn't hurt too bad." My little trooper! Final stats:
Height: 37 1/4 in (55%)
Weight: 30 lbs 2 oz (42%)
And there has been progress on the kitchen front. We scraped the popcorn off the ceiling, primed, and painted. It was the messiest process but luckily we didn't have too much area to scrape. We enclosed the kitchen and covered the floor in plastic, sealed up the vent and scraped away. It was really claustrophobic and I was a little too short so Dennis did most of the scraping while I focused on the walls, edges, and corners.
We also put up a new light fixture that looks one million times better than the warehouse light we had before. The ceiling also looks so much better. You can actually see the accumulated dust on the popcorn...I think I am going to throw up.In playscape news, we finally opened up the boxes (they have been sitting on our back porch for a month)! We (mostly Dennis) sorted all the wood and labeled it in preparation for building. I am hopefull that we will start on Saturday!!!

Peek A Boo

2011-03-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday Sweetness

2011-03-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Kiddie Acres

2011-03-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we headed out to Kiddie Acres, a small amusement park for toddlers that has been around since 1979. My mom said she remembers bringing us out there when we were kids so it must be old! Calvin and our friend Isabella joined us for the fun.
Kenzie and Calvin on the boats.Dawson's first pony ride! He didn't seem to care either way during the ride but when we got off he was sad.Cute little ferris wheel.About to take off!Kenzie and Isabella cruising in their pink car.We had lunch beforehand and Kenzie and Calvin were too cute. He put his arm around her and she helped parmesan his pizza. They were walking around the mall together holding hands too. So sad to see him leave :(

New Shoes!!!

2011-03-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

My mom lost my Robeez and I've been wearing Emma's old pink shoes...it really is tough with all these girls around! But today we finally went shopping and Grammie bought me these new kicks :)

Party Time

2011-03-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I took some cookies to school and we had a little celebration with her friends.
Dawson was so excited to be part of the group. He is ready for school!Saturday was the big Princess Party at Grammie and Pop Pop's house.Dawson loved the Stick the Princess on the Castle game :)
Calvin is not too sure about all this pink stuff. He's carrying his tools around to make sure no one hands him a wand.
She walks better in heels than I do!My parent's two neighbors joined in on the fun too. They are wonderful people and enjoy our kids so much.Our little family.My sis and me.
Quick take the picture so I can open more presents.
Kenzie helping serve cake...

Thirteen Months!

2011-03-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

Dawson turned thirteen months on Saturday! He is a walking like a champ and is eating so much better! We are off formula...yay!!!!! Next step is to get off the bottle...but that might be a little harder.

Happy Birthday Kenzie!!!

2011-03-11T04:45:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! Our baby girl is three! It has been a blast watching her grow up this year. She is sweet, fun, and wants it her way.
Here is what she is up to:
- started swim lessons a few weeks ago
- is playing by herself and pretending more
- loves/despises Dawson depending on the second
- has grown so much taller
- likes to dance and sing
- enjoys puzzles and playing Dora adventure
- could watch tv all day if we let her
- likes to practice writing her letters
- wants to play tag and hide-and-seek all the time
- loves preschool
- favorite food is mac & cheese
- favorite color is purple
- loves playing outside
- likes to play with Lilly (ipad)

For a pre-birthday celebration we went to the mall yesterday afternoon and rode the carousel. And the train. When we first started moving she was a little concerned but I broke out the snack and she enjoyed the ride.Then I got suckered into Building A Bear...

Kite Festival

2011-03-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we headed down to Zilker for the Kite Festival. Grammie, Pop Pop and the Solomons joined us for the fun! The weather was perfect....not for flying kites but for just relaxing. Kristen keeping my kids in line :)Our failed attempt at a family picture.Today was the first day Dawson's carseat was facing front. I don't know why but I felt like it was a big deal...so sad my baby is growing up :( And yes, he is using his sister's old carseat but he is secure in his manhood so it is ok :)

House Stuff

2011-03-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we got an amazing deal on our house and I'm about to show you why. We are planning to redo the entire kitchen soon and so I wanted to reflect on how far our house has come in the five years we have lived here. We've done A LOT of hard work!!! It has been really fun to see the transformations and also a great learning experience. Before I start I have to give a huge shout-out to our parents. My parents live in town and have been able to help us on a lot of little projects. Dennis' parents come visit 2 to 3 times a year and graciously spend the entire time they are here helping us with big projects. It is harder to get things done now that we have kids but we do what we can. I have compiled some before and after pictures for fun.

BEFORE: This is the front of the house when we moved in. Those bushes were crazy! Mom and I trimmed them down once when we moved in and again about a year later to get them to a reasonable height. My least favorite thing was the nasty brown garage door and roof.
AFTER: This was taken last Fall so that's why the grass is so green. Thanks to a big hail storm, insurance helped us get a new roof, fascia and gutters. There is also a new front door, mail box and paint job. Mom added a nice garden out front too. :)BEFORE: Back bedrooms. Most of the trim, baseboards, and doors in the back of the house were dark brown wood. We painted all of them white, including seven doors, and it really opened things up. AFTER: Of course we painted their rooms too and my mom made some cute curtains. The blinds and carpet are new too. AFTER and BEFORE: Dining area. There was wall paper on the wall to the left, (you can't see it) so we removed that, got rid of the nasty blue curtain and replaced the fan, and the back door.
BEFORE: Master Bath. I don't know if you would call this a master bath because it is the same size as the guest bath, SMALL. Anyway...I was afraid to use this restroom for the first 3 weeks after we moved in. The people before us had removed the wall paper and medicine cabinet and left a nice big hole in the wall. We found some roaches in the tub that I am sure crawled in through the hole. Roaches disgust me more than anything so I couldn't even go into our bedroom. Side note: we slept in the living room for the first two months of living there so we could fix the back of the house.AFTER: Yay...no more roaches! I caulked every last inch of that bathroom so no bug will ever get in!!! New vanity, faucet, toilet, floor, mirror, lights, etc.BEFORE and AFTER: Backyard. Amazing what a new fence, birdbath and birdfeeder will do! OH... and 7 cubic yards of dirt plus 2 pallets of grass.
BEFORE and AFTER: Other side of Backyard. That rotting wood by the fence served as the cozy home to millions of termites. The fence was mostly hollow wood and we knocked it down in about ten minutes.
BEFORE and AFTER: Guest Bathroom. This bathroom was pretty nasty too but at least it didn't have roaches :)BEFORE and AFTER: Same Guest Bathroom. New mirror, lights, vanity, faucet, toilet, etc. And we got rid of that awesome wall paper that covered only half the bathroom.BEFORE and AFTER: Living Room. Replaced fan...we are lucky it didn't fall down on us. Removed wood paneling above fireplace and made new mantel. I will be blogging about our kitchen remodel adventure so stay tuned...
BEFORE: Kitchen. I think the stove and dishwasher are original...30 years old. It has been 9:24 and a half on our oven timer since we moved in! The ceiling and wall above the cabinets has popcorn that we will remove and we are going to paint the walls and replace everything.
Dennis is most looking forward to the sink that will be mounted under the counter top! Bye bye faux wood laminate counter tops :)

Just Because

2011-03-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

Dawson LOVES to swing!
Kenzie's Aunt Beth sent her this adorable outfit and matching bow for her birthday!

Big Boy!

2011-03-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

Dawson got his first haircut today!! I was worried about him not cooperating but he did really great. I creepily saved a few curls for posterity.
Before:After:He has a neck!Dawson's buddy Cyrus got a haircut too. We Mommys needed the moral support :)

Swim Lessons

2011-03-01T14:51:00.001-08:00

Kenzie started swim lessons Monday and she LOVED it! I wasn't sure how she would react to getting in the pool with a complete stranger but she did great. The best thing is that we can walk there in five minutes :)

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2011-02-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

We have been super busy lately and it doesn't look like it is going to calm down any time soon. This week Dawson got to go to library story time for the first time since he actually knows what's going on. He loved it! He also got to go to a baby playdate on Friday with his buddies Cyrus and Anderson. I had book club Tuesday in which there was lots of chocolate, wine, and good conversation...much needed! This weekend was crazy busy. Saturday Kenzie and I went to her friend Layla's birthday party at the Big Bounce. It's been at least six months since we've been and she had a blast chasing her friend Leili around. Saturday night the Goheans minus Dad came over for Pei Wei dinner and the girls are getting much better at playing together. Sunday morning Dennis had soccer so I took the kids to the gym with me. Then Dennis and Jared picked up our kitchen cabinets this afternoon (exciting!!!). Finally, we enjoyed a relaxing family dinner at Shady Grove :) Here are some random pictures and a video from the week:
Torturing my kids at Target.Funny side story...Dawson spit-up on the carpet and Kenzie waved her wand and said, "I can turn the spit-up into something else."
Someone needs a haircut...
So cute that they can have snack together :)

We've got some big/fun projects coming up that I hope to blog about. We are remodeling our kitchen (with the help of Grandpa Mike) and putting up a playscape in the backyard. It will be a busy month!

Walking

2011-02-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

Dawson's walking has come so far in the past week! He attempts to walk instead of crawl all the time now. Ignore the zombie on the couch in the last frame.

V Day and Other Stuff

2011-02-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

Kenzie had a Valentines Day party at school on Friday. I was in charge of this one. We exchanged Valentines, made wreaths and ate cookie cake...yum!Monday we went to a Valentine's playdate and exchanged Valentines with all of our friends. Kenzie loved dressing up and eating her pink cupcake!
I found these two videos today and thought they were cute, so here you go:
Kenzie learning to play guitar.

Dawson unwrapping birthday gifts.

One Year Doctor's Visit

2011-02-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

Dawson went for his one year doctor's visit...

Height: 29 3/4 in (49%)
Weight: 19 lbs 14.5 oz (11%)
Head Circumference: 46 1/4 cm (46%)
Everything looks good! He is only 1.5 oz away from 20 lbs. I'll have to feed him before we go anywhere if I want to turn his seat around. LOL! He did really well with his shots; he stopped crying right when they were over. He and Kenzie both gnawed on their grape flavored tongue depressors for the rest of the day. Love the party favors from the doc!

Party Time!

2011-02-14T13:11:00.000-08:00

Dawson had a great birthday! Saturday some of his baby friends came over to play.
The birthday boy and me.
It is always so funny trying to get the kids to stay seated and look at the camera. I think we did a pretty good job! (Abby, Kalyn, Dawson, Cyrus, Jack, and Eliana) And I have to give a shout-out to Gohean who left sick Baby Meg at home and came anyway to take pictures...THANKS!The cake.
Jack, Dawson and Abby...too cute!
Sunday Grammie and Pop Pop came to celebrate.Dawson loved eating his cupcake.
No expense was spared in the wine department. We enjoyed a giant bottle of Caymus to celebrate the occasion. The only thing missing was Uncle Jared to help us drink it :)Kenzie "helping" Dawson open his presents.

Happy First Birthday Dawson!

2011-02-12T06:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our Bubby!! This year has flown by! We are so blessed to have him in our lives. He makes us smile everyday and overwhelms us with love.Dawson
- loves to cuddle and rest his head on your shoulder.
- can say mama and dada.
- loves bathtime. He comes tearing down the hall when he hears the water start.
- can get himself onto his ride-on truck and is so proud.
- can stand by himself and take a few steps before falling.
- loves to play with his big sister.
- claps and waves "bye bye".
- crawls as fast as he can to the door to greet daddy after work.
- we've been bad about starting to teach him to sign but he has picked up a few on his own. When he hears Twinkle, Twinkle, he opens and closes his hands. When he hears Paddy Cake, he rolls his arms.
- puts EVERYTHING into his mouth.
- loves drinking water out of his straw cup.
- is a very picky eater. He likes crunchy things and we have to trick him into eating bites of baby food.
- loves being outside and swinging. He screams when we have to come in.
- sleeps from 7:30 to 7:00 (usually) and is starting to transition to one nap.
- likes to play by himself.
- loves to dance.