Valentine's Day 2011

Doesn't this sum up Valentine's Day? Give me some chocolate!!!!


For Katelyn's Valentine party, we had to design and decorate a shoebox to hold her valentine cards and treats. I found this cruise ship idea in Disney's Family Fun magazine and we did our best to copy it. We named it the "USS Katelyn" :-)

Katelyn selected Barbie valentines to give to her classmates (big surprise).

I'm embarrassed to admit I have no pictures of Katelyn!! She had on the cutest valentine top and black leggings, too.

On of our dear friends, Abbie, hosted her 3rd annual Valentine playdate at her home for the little ones. Katelyn was at school, so Brady and I headed over and played with his buddies Brooks, Ella, and Ryan. Abbie set up this craft table for the kids. Brady LOVES to do crafts and worked on a valentine card for his Papa (my Dad).

This was the most popular toy, Brooks' crane. Brady loved it! So did the other boys, so there were a few fights over this! I can see why...it's a fun toy no one else has. Brooks was so good about sharing it with everyone else.

Our Wednesday morning playgroup hosted a valentine playdate/valentine exchange. Each of the kids brought a decorated shoe box and valentines. I spent so much time on K's cruise ship that poor Brady didn't get as much detail. His was Lightning McQueen with his name on top written on hearts. He loved receiving Valentines and must have gone through them 5x during the day...just looking at the pictures on the valentines.

He selected Toy Story valentines and we attached a pack of Toy Story fruit snacks to each card.

Our Wed. am playgroup ready to pass out valentine cards and treats.

The night before Valentine's Day, we took the kids with us to Carrabas for dinner...one of our favorite places! Bryan gave me flowers and chocolates and we got him a scuba lesson, heart boxers, and a fun coupon book we made at my mom's group (no diaper-changing for a weekend, cheerios in bed, sleep in one morning, etc.).

A very fun Valentine's day!!

Meet the Magic

On Saturday, February 12th, the Orlando Magic hosted "Meet the Magic" at Amway Center for season ticketholders to meet Magic players, cheerleaders, play at Stuff's Magic Castle, and they gave us free soda and popcorn as well. I have to tell you, this is an organization that does things right.

We renewed our season tix for next year, so we were able to obtain a "fast pass" and jump to the front of lines to get autographs and pictures with the players. A definite plus with 2 small kids!! And one of them (and I'm not naming names, but he is 2 yrs. old and is stinkin' adorable!) did not nap...again! He started falling asleep on our shoulders a few times.

Katelyn and Bryan with Ryan Anderson at Stuff's Magic Castle (the awesome indoor playground at Amway).

Brady making a dunk at Amway. The kid's area really is awesome!

Bryan, Brady, and Katelyn with Bo Outlaw, former Magic player now in charge of community relations. He's such a nice guy and we've met him several times. Last month, he was with us at a dinner at Amway...he has great stories!

The kids and I with J.J. Redick...one of K's faves. So tall!!

Jameer Nelson, one of my faves. We took a family pic with him as well and they had a professional photographer there and you got you 5x7 for free. It's a great pic! I need to figure out my scanner!

As we were leaving, Dwight Howard was walking to the outdoor terrace/bar "Gentelman Jack's." We followed him and he greeted the small crowd out there and did some karoake with some fans. He is such a cool guy!

The absolute highlight: Katelyn had drawn a picture of her and Dwight playing basketball outside. She carried it all day long in hopes of seeing him. Bryan was able to pass the picture to a Magic employee, who gave it to Dwight. He held up the picture as he was doing karoake for everyone to see. You should've seen K's face! Total shock and happiness! He made our day!

Dwight doing karaoke with some fans.

Challenges & Milestones

I can't believe we are into the 2nd week of February already! This first week and a half have been eventful...as always with 2 kids!
I started working a little this month, subbing at Brady's preschool. This is the perfect job for me right now. The hours are ideal...9-2..and Brady comes with me and gets to be with his teachers/classmates while I am in the classroom down the hall. This schedule doesn't interfere with Katelyn's pick-up and drop-off--it really is the perfect job.
I love peeking in on Brady and seeing him "in action." He really is so well-behaved at school and listens v. well. He sits nicely and eats his entire lunch and snack (unlike at home!! I miss the high chair!! He is all over the place!) and listens to his teachers and follows class rules (cleaning up toys, walking in a quiet line, etc.). This is unlike Katelyn. When she was in the 2 yr. old room, she had MANY time-outs for not listening to her teacher and doing her own thing. He received a progress report and his teachers have very positive things to say :-) The only "never" boxes checked were "Asks to use the toilet" (we are working on this...slowly, but surely) and "removes clothes on his own" (don't we want him to keep his clothes on at school??? LOL...I've never actually given him an opportunity to dress himself. We're always in such a rush!
So, the milestone is I'm (very slowly) returning to work. The challenge was Katelyn. She was VERY upset I was working instead of volunteering at her school. When I was called for a second day and told them I'd be there, she was upset again and said, "why can't you just say NO???????" So, I had some guilt there...even though it did NOT affect her schedule in ANY way. Knowing I wasn't home, incase she needed me, upset her so much. I haven't worked since she was 4 months old and it was a big change for her. As Bryan said, "she's going to have to get used to it!"
Another milestone: Katelyn is reading. Really reading. Not just sight words...not making up words to fit the picture on the page...reading. Very exciting!
Here she is reading to Brady :-) One of her favorite things to do.

Katelyn has a straw slot!! She is now drinking everything out of a straw :-)

Finally, after 6 weeks of being loose...the front top tooth fell out!! I was starting to think it was would hang by a thread for a year! Another milestone!

Katelyn's new smile...it's so darn cute!

Challenge: Perserverance.

Katelyn is learning about perserverance at school. She asked me to play this new candyland 3-d game with her one night while Bryan was working late. It was close to her bed time, but I figured we'd have time to play a quick game of Candyland...right?? I did not realize this game had lots of pieces to assemble. I also had not eaten my dinner yet and was hungry...which makes me aggitated. So, I was not in the best state of mind to do this. I was getting annoyed and frustrated and told her I was going to throw the game out the window (half-joking). Katelyn sat next to me and said, "Perserverance, Mommy!!" She asked me how to spell it and then made me this sign. I keep it on the fridge now. I did put the game together (while I ate my dinner) and we played a game before bed. There was no way I could give up after that!!

Challenge: No more naps/short naps/and finding Brady in his bed!!

This is such a rare sight these days, so I had to take a picture!!

Brady is fighting his naps like you wouldn't believe. He's always been a GREAT sleeper, went down for naps without a problem, but a few days after the new year, we took his pacifier away. Since then, naps have not been going smoothly (night time on the other hand has been great). He is jumping on his bed, banging his sippy cup on the wall, yelling for me, screeching on the top of his lungs and he will keep this up for 2 hours. By 4pm, he is a walking disaster...very bad mood, hitting walls with his hand, clinging to me...just a nightmare. This is a boy who still NEEDS his nap! I keep putting him down for a nap and just hoping he will sleep. Hoping this challenge passes quickly!!!!!!!!!

January Days

Hard to believe January 2011 is over tomorrow!! Here are just a few of the everyday happenings from this month:




I know this picture is a little confusing...I was waiting in the car pick-up line for Katelyn and was quite surprised to see this large Crane standing behind my car. Soon after I took this pic, a car pulled up behind him and the the bird didn't move. It stayed in line with the cars, almost wanting to be one of us, picking up it's little one from school. As the kids were dismissed and the cars moved forward to pick them up, the Crane quietly disappeared. I don't know why it struck me, but I was totally mesmorized by this silly bird.


First of several wipeouts...Katelyn is learning how to ride a two-wheeler. As a Christmas gift, she asked us to remove the training wheels so she can ride a big girl bike. She did well and Bryan and I got a work out chasing her and running with her. We still need some practice, but she is determined to get it and told me, "I'm never giving up!

As a reward for earning 5 blue days in a row (blue is the best color on her class's behavior chart, blue day is a "wow!" day), we took Katelyn and Brady kiddie bowling at Firkin Kegler. Katelyn selected this reward and was so excited to bowl!

Brady's new best friend, Woody. My parents gave him this Woody for Christmas and they have been inseparable for weeks. Here they are sharing a meal...and yes, he does get food jammed in his mouth. So sweet!

So, about 3 wks. ago, Brady was playing in his room. He ran out, trying to pull down his pants and rip off his diaper, and told me he had to go potty. I was frozen in shock. Just days before, I couldn't even get him to sit on the potty. Once I snapped out of it, I took him to the potty, he sat there and did nothing. Then Katelyn squatted on the little potty, pee'd in it and emptied the cup into the toilet and flushed it (thank goodness she actually had to pee then!). Brady sat back down and a few drips of pee went into the potty. We made a big deal out of his accomplishment and gave him m&m's and he called Bryan at work to share the good news.

I got so excited (oh, how I've been dreading potty training! And everyone keeps telling me boys are so, so difficult to potty train. And Katelyn was not easy-talk about battle of the wills!)...so, I went to Target the next day and bought his Toy Story and Thomas the Train undies. The smallest undies I could find were 2T and our little Brady is only wearing 18 months pants, so the underwear is a little saggy...but soooo cute! Brady was so excited to get his big boy underwear that he carried them on our playdate with DJ and wouldn't let them go.

Now, he's only worn the undies once and he thought they just hung on his penis and didn't know he had to step into them. But I'm encouraged that he's starting to get it!!!

Showing off his big boy undies

Theme Park Overload :-)

Can you really have too much of a good thing??? When you're talking about Orlando theme parks, I don't think so :)

On Friday, Katelyn did not have school due to a teacher workday, so we took that day to spend at Sea World. Our annual passes haven't had as much action as she's been at school and we were looking forward to spending the day together. The weather did not look good Friday morning...lots of heavy rain and wind started at 6:30am. While the kids were still sleeping, I checked out handy-dandy weather.com and saw we would have a break in the rain 10am-4pm...perfect for us. As we left at 9am, it was still POURING. I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned. There aren't many indoor places to hide from the rain at Sea World and I realized (too late!) that my windbreaker didn't even have a hood! Sea World was totally deserted...the weather was keeping everyone away and the parking lot was so empty that we were able to park in preferred parking for free :-) Nice perk. Even better...as we got out of the car, the rain let up to a little drizzle, then totally stopped by the time we were in the park. And we had the park to ourselves!! I've never seen it so dead. Katelyn, Brady, and I had a great time...we had to see the Dolphin show for the 100th time and were bummed to see Elmo and Friends no longer have a show there. Boo! Hope they're back soon!

The divers/swimmers retrieve oysters for guests and they open them for pearls. Katelyn and Brady love to see them underwater and this diver was so friendly, giving them high-fives, blowing bubbles, doing back flips for them.
We also saw the manatees, and the one we saw from the underwater viewing area was pooping...big mammal, big poop! I tried to distract the kids, but Katelyn saw. Reminded me of the time we saw a hippo pooping at Busch Gardens, then wiped it's bottom on a rock. It was so gross! We have bad timing!

Katelyn found some courage and decided to ride this crazy boat ride in Shamu's Happy Harbor on her own. She has such a sensitive stomach (she gets car sick going to Tampa!) and I feared the worst, but she asked to stay on two more times and loved it! I took Brady on with her after lunch (not a good decision, I agree), and poor Brady looked like he was having a panic attack. I held him close to me and just kept saying, "it's okay, it's almost over..." He couldn't get off that ride fast enough!! He might be traumatized for life!

On Sunday, we headed over to the Magic Kingdom for the day to meet our friends The Coopers. We haven't been to MK in a LONG time, and I think I was more excited than the kids :-)

It was only 38 degrees on Sunday morning. This actually worked in our favor...the cold kept most the guests away and we had the park to ourselves Sunday morning.

Brady and I on the monorail heading over to the park. This boy LOVES trains! Not that he had a choice...big sister made the choice to take the monorail vs. the ferry. Actually, both kids said the monorail was the best ride at Disney!

Bryan, Brady, and Katelyn (with her beloved Tinkerbell ears) in front of Magic Kingdom. We arrived about 20 min. before the park opened and I find that to be the key to a successful day there...arrive early!!

At about 8:45am, the train arrives above Main Street and several characters and princesses get off the train and do a quick song and dance. Then they open the Magic Kingdom with pixie dust and fireworks. Sweet little ceremony to see.

Bryan and Katelyn re-create the Walt Disney/Mickey Mouse statue in front of the castle. Katelyn gets the biggest thrill walking through the castle...it's like she is really in Cinderella's home!

I always get a little emotional thinking about my grandparents...all the fun we had at Disney together, all the times we shared there, and how much I wish they could be with there with their great-grandchildren. They took us for several meals in Cinderella's castle...such a treat. I hope we can take our kids there (after we win the lottery!!).



Riding the Jungle Cruise. Since there was NOBODY there in the morning, we walked right on this ride, along with pirates of the carribean, peter pan, small world, winnie the pooh, magic carpet ride and the swiss family treehouse...we knocked a lot out in a little time! Yeah!

Brady drives Bryan on the go-cart/racecar ride. My driver was Katelyn...who had a tough time with the pedal, so I took care of that and she steered. I have to say, she was a good driver and rarely bummed into the rail. At the end of the ride, she said, "Well, at least I know how to drive now!!" Whoa, not quite!!

Nothing says a day at Disney like a passed out child!! Brady crashed in his stroller at around 3pm and slept for about 45 min. So sweet. He really was such a good boy. I thought he might be too young for Disney, but he had the most amazing time and seeing it through his eyes made the day perfect. He got to see Buzz Lightyear and was in awe of his idol. He went nuts seeing Lightening McQueen, even just on t-shirts. He waited in lines patiently, never asked for us to buy him anything.

And Katelyn, pretty much a Disney pro at this point, loved it as well and was VERY well-behaved. We drilled it into her head we weren't buying anything (don't you just love how the Disney rides exit into gift shops!! ) and she was very good about not asking (even if you could see the look on her face that she really, really wanted it!). She met the princesses and I couldn't believe how shy and quiet she was with them.

It was our absolute pleasure spending the day with our kids.

At the end of the weekend, we were exhausted, but it was so much fun!!! Gotta love living in Orlando.

New Year, New Updates!

...And a New Year's Resolution to get this blog up and going again! It's good to be back. I apologize for the very extended break. I just couldn't keep up with it...life was (and still continues to be at times...) totally nuts, trying to keep up with two little ones and poor Brady was at the height of ear and health issues (more on that later...), so something had to give. Our blog was one of them.

But we are back :-) In addition to keeping up with our own posts, I'm going to get better about following our friends' blogs...can't wait to catch up.

Happy 2011!!

Katelyn: aka: "Kate," "K", "Izzy Bee"

Six years old and started kindergarten this fall (gulp!). She is the teacher's right hand, always ready to help, thinks she can run the class (and tries!). Friends with mostly boys, but I just signed her up for a local Daisy troop, so she can meet new girlfriends. Katelyn had to start over in kindergarten, knowing no one. All her preschool pals went to different elementary schools. Not a shy bone in her body, so she was fine and made buddies quickly. The first week of school she had those silly bandz from classmates, given to her so she would be their friend. She is reading now and really flourishing at school. Her teacher, Mrs. Plank, is THE BEST and we love her to pieces.

Right now, she loves Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic and Barbie EVERYTHING!! Her room is bursting with Barbie toys and accessories. Arthur and Olivia are her favorite books and tv shows. She is still best friends with her buddy DJ, whom she met when she was 2 yrs. old at the Barnes and Noble train table. When she grows up she wants to be a teacher and a waitress and loves serving food from the kitchen to the table (I act as a chef at "The Burless Kitchen" and yell "Order Up!" and she bring Brady his dinner). She is sweet and encouraging...the only who notices when I clean and vaccuum, "It looks great in here! I love the way it smells!" And she is a little mother to Brady, always doting on him, ready to play with him. She does smother him at times and is constantly reminded to give him his space. But she really is an awesome big sister and is such a joy!

Brady: aka "Brady Boy," "Brades," "Brady Paul," "Brady Bear," and "B"

2 1/2 years old, started preschool (just one day a week) this fall and doing awesome!! This time last year, we (well, mostly me) were a bit worried about our Brady. At 12 months old, he was not walking, not even pulling up, and only babbling a bit. He was battling CONSTANT double ear infections, and they would drain into his lungs, causing him upper respitory issues and he had to be on a nebulizer. Poor little boy was really struggling. As a baby, he was a real trooper and handled it well...still a happy, content baby despite all the issues. As a toddler, he just couldn't take it anymore, and was sooooo cranky!! He had tubes put in both ears at 15 months old and the dr. said they had to suck out lots of fluid. Once the tubes were in and the fluid out, Brady was a different boy! He could finally hear! And the day he got his tubes, he walked across the room for the first time and gradually caught up with his speech. We haven't had an ear infection in a year and only have to use the nebulizer when he wheezes when we have a big temperature change.

Now he is talking non-stop and is agreeable most of the time. The 2's have been good to us so far! His pediatrician encouraged us to start him at school, so he would have to talk among his peers and big sister couldn't answer for him. It has worked! He loves Clifford books and books about Cars the movie (esp. Mater and Lightning McQueen). Toy Story is his current obsession, esp. Woody and Buzz and loves to play with hot wheels. And like most boys, Thomas the Train is another obsession.

Some things he says, "No, please" instead of "No thank you"

"Yes, Dear" instead of "Yes, M'am" or "Yes, sir."

"HELLO!!!" every morning!! But, in a sweet voice.

And he has 2 eggo waffles every single morning!!! I keep thinking he will turn into a waffle!

Will talk more soon....until then, here are some recent pictures!

Celebrating Christmas Florida-style!! Taking the kids to Sea World.

Katelyn lOVES to play games...board games, card games, you name it...here she is playing "Kerplunk" at her buddy DJ's house. They have a blast playing games together...but, we need to watch them for cheating!!


Brady's preschool class performed "Feliz Navidad" at their school's Christmas Program. How cute are these sombreros???

Brady was like a deer in headlights on the stage! He didn't sing a word :-)



Brady's big gift from Santa...a t-ball set.


Katelyn asked Santa for "Toy Story toys." Here's what Santa left for her...she was thrilled.

Brady and I cuddle during the boat parade in Madeira Beach. He's an affectionate little guy!


My sister Ali and brother-in-law Rob got this Toy Story ball pit for the kids and they love it!





While in Cleveland for Christmas, we tailgated and attended a Cleveland Browns game. I lost count of the layers of clothes we had on...it was sooooo cold. These football fans are hardcore!!