Oshkosh B'Gosh

We spent last Saturday down in Oshkosh visiting with my family. It was Kelsey's confirmation the next day, and although we couldn't make it to that we decided to head down and visit on Saturday instead. Liam had a great time running around the yard and playing waffle blocks with his aunties! He and Auntie Kimmy created the "power fist" illustrated here:

Max got in on the fun as well...although it looks like he may not be having the best time here:

Ok, that's better!

He didn't get any attention all day long!

Liam either:

The boys with Grammy Pammy!

(Liam seems to think that the crazier you act for pictures the better they turn out.

Sorry, son. You are mistaken.)

Max and his Auntie Sarah! Please ignore the copious amounts of drool...(from Max, not Sarah)

Awww...(please ignore that lazy eye...I know my sister will be overjoyed to see this picture!)

Even Fab Da (Great Aunt Brenda) got some smiles from Max!

And Liam got to see some elk! Fab Da's boss runs an elk farm and Liam got to go and check it out!

It was a great visit! Can't wait for the holidays when we can all get together again!

And I thought my husband was accident prone...

You know it's a sign your day may not go so well when the first thing you do is fall down the stairs in the morning. That's right. I fell down the stairs. I'm ok, overall. I fell on my butt, so that isn't feeling so hot, but at least it wasn't my head! I will soldier on...but no marching for now, just limping.

I have yet to download any pictures from our visit to Oshkosh this weekend. I know. I could ask you all to give me a good swift kick into gear but, given my aforementioned accident, I don't think I will.

I will leave you with a cute little Liam anecdote, though.

Liam's favorite song for me to sing at bedtime is still "Over the Rainbow." He likes for me to sing it while rubbing his back. He has both one and two piece pajamas, so on nights when he's wearing the one piece sleeper I have to just rub his back through the fabric. He doesn't mind that so much, but each night he has to check to see which kind of pajamas he is wearing. Last night he reached back and felt his bare back under his shirt and smiled widely.

"I have a rubber backer!" he said excitedly.

A rubber backer! Hilarious.

Pictures tomorrow? I can't promise anything. I'll probably fall in the shower next...

I felt bad for you all and decided to post these photos to hold you over until tomorrow!

Max's default pose.

Liam in a tree.

T Minus 3 days!

Well, really only two days if you don't count today! That's two more days of working until I become a stay at home mom! Two more days of working until we fly off to Vegas. Lots to do and I'm running out of time! A real post will be up tomorrow. I promise!

Angels & Headlights

It is overcast and rainy this morning, and the drive in was a little gloomy. The kids were in a good mood though, so that brightened up the car a bit. Liam looked out his window about halfway through the trip and told me he saw "a star, Mom!" He told me how beautiful it was, and then said that it looked like an angel, maybe. I looked out my window and realized he was seeing the reflection of headlights on his window that looked like they were up in the clouds. I asked him about the angels; what did they look like?

"Yellow. And white!" he said.

"Where do the angels live?" I asked.

"In heaven..." and then he thought for a second before adding, "with God!"

He then told me that angels look like birds (the wings, of course!) and that they also look like fairies.

"Who else lives in heaven?" I asked.

"Jesus!" he said. "Jesus takes care of us!"

To me it doesn't matter what faith, if any, a person identifies with. I just know that faith plays an important part in my life and is a guiding force for me. Whatever path our kids choose, I hope they never lose the belief that someone or something is greater than they are. There is something to be said for feeling small, humble. It helps me not take anything for granted, and to look at the world with new eyes. We're born with a sense of wonder too easily lost when the noise of the world surrounds us, but seeing it all through the eyes of my children helps me to find it again.

Liam VanWinkle

We spent last Saturday watching cartoons and eating eggs, pancakes and turkey bacon. Yum! Aaron had both boys downstairs before I was up, so I stumbled down after everyone had been awake for a bit. I snuggled Liam as he watched cartoons and asked him about his night.

"How did you sleep, buddy?"

"Good!" he said.

I then pointed out that he had "slept for a long time this morning!"

"Yep!" he said, "for FIFTY HOURS!"

Rice cereal and peas and sweet potatoes, oh my!

Our baby weighs a little over 20 lbs. now (my ripped arm muscles are proof) and is ready for solids! We started him out on a little peas and rice cereal, which was also Liam's first real food! Liam loves vegetables to this day, so we're hoping that by sticking to mostly veggies at first Max will get a taste for them as well! He's also tried sweet potatoes now, and seems to be slightly confused, disgusted, excited and/or interested in this whole solid food thing. I'll work more on this when I'm home with him full time, but we wanted to try it for now and get him used to the idea.

Note the use of a regular spoon. I couldn't find my rubber baby spoons. Clearly proof that parents love second children less. Or that they're just so tired they can't be bothered this time around.

Not even missing the rubber baby spoon...

Yummm! And then gag...but he ate it!

What?!

Lots of things are changing very quickly for our family over the next few weeks! As you know, I'm in my second month of coursework that I need to finish up before applying for nursing school. You've probably also heard a little bit about my two adorable children who keep me quite busy. I also work 35 hours a week and try to keep my house clean. In other words...I am tired! (*Note: I just typed "I tired" there and didn't think anything looked wrong with it. That should be proof enough of my brain atrophy.)

Everything has seemed off over the last few weeks. Nothing is going well and everything is crashing down. Something had to change because it wasn't working anymore. So I've decided to quit my job.

What?! Yep. You read that right. I'm leaving one of the best jobs I've ever had to stay at home with the boys. I'll be done on October 28th and then Aaron and I will jet off to Las Vegas to celebrate! (Well, that trip has been planned for awhile, but it seems like a fitting way to celebrate to me!) And then we'll never go on another trip again in our whole lives because we will be poor!

It will be really hard, I know. Adjusting to just one income scares me, but I know we can do it. My parents have dealt with my mom's seemingly constant layoffs over the past few years, and said that they always end up with way more than they thought they'd have when it comes right down to it. I know this will be true for us. We are no strangers to cutting back or budgeting. We're not great at it, but the need for it hasn't always been there. I have no doubt that we will be fine.

My sanity, however, I am concerned about...! I never thought I could be a stay at home mom. I have enjoyed being able to go to work every day and do grown up things while the kids play with their friends. I needed that time to just be me. But, time is scarce for us now. I don't see Max at all 3 nights a week! Liam is in bed by the time I get home a lot of nights as well. He is showing a little bit of separation anxiety lately, and it breaks my heart. I know that nursing school is where I'm supposed to be, but I hadn't anticipated the toll it would take on all of us. I can't do it all, and I'm starting to see that I'm struggling because I'm trying to.

Everyone I've shared this news with, both friends and family, have responded the same way: "You'll never regret it." And I don't think I will.

Liam's Christmas List

I recently asked Liam what he would like for Christmas. Last year he told us he wanted a "big, big truck", which Santa then delivered to Grammy Pammy's house. And there the truck remains...I shudder to think of actually bringing it home with us next time. For some reason an oversized dumptruck in our 700 square foot house doesn't sound appealing.

This year Liam said he would like "a big, big dinosaur that says ROAR!" I know exactly which dinosaur he has in mind, but the elves will be way too busy to make it this year! This dinosaur is at least two feet tall with red glowing eyes and an animatronic body. He does indeed say "ROAR", and I will make similar sounds if this creature enters our home. That's not to say he won't get a dinosaur, just not this one.

I steered his thoughts toward other ideas for presents he might have.

"What else would you like for Christmas?" I asked.

He thought for a minute before saying, "spears."

"Spears?" I asked, "What do you want spears for?"

"For Christmas!" he answered.

Ah, duly noted.

Morning Breath

Liam likes to have me whisper "secrets" in his ear. He'll ask me to tell him a secret and I'll whisper something like "I love you" or "You are my sweet" in his ear. He wanted me to tell him a secret while I fed Max this morning, and then he wanted to tell me a secret, too. I put my ear close to his mouth and he whispered -

"You should brush your teeth!"

Oh Googly Eye, I Love You So!

This is the infamous "googly eye," at least that's what I call it. I have no idea where this treasure originates from, but it found its way into my husband's possession long before I met him. He saw great value in this car antenna topper, and has kept it around...much to my chagrin. I have repeatedly tried to "dispose" of this thing, but it has always somehow found its way back onto my antenna! Trying to destroy the googly eye has become my main objective, and trying to salvage the googly eye and sneak it back onto the antenna has become Aaron's!

I will remove the eye from the antenna and hide it somewhere, thinking Aaron will never find it. Then Aaron will somehow track it down and put it on the car in secret. I'll be driving around one day and finally notice the eye staring down at me through the windshield! I'll whisper obscenities under my breath and vow to burn the googly eye in a dumpster at midnight the next time...only I can never quite bring myself to do it! I know that my inability to truly destroy the eye is the cause for its frequent reappearance, but I guess I've come to love him...albeit begrudgingly.

I really love this little game Aaron and I have going, too. No matter how "annoyed" I am when I see that the eye has reappeared, I always feel a little bit happy as well. That ugly little guy means that my handsome guy was thinking of me...and wanted to make me smile!

All dressed up!

I'm sorry, but this baby is so cute I can't stand it! His cheeks beg to be kissed each morning when he wakes up, and I'm lucky he likes it because I can't stop! He also has quite the infectious giggle; one he knows I can't resist. He breaks it out around bedtime and forces me to tickle him and play until he's finally ready to sleep.

Today he is wearing actual clothes (instead of the pajamas he wore to bed...hey, sometimes they are still clean)! He looked so adorable in his little giraffe sweater that I had to run and get the camera. The problem was, the camera was out in the garage in the car. Another problem might have been that I had yet to get dressed in more than undergarments. You might think this would deter me from taking a picture of my cute baby. Nope! Just run through the breezeway to the garage (it's quite cold by the way!) and back, quick as lightning! No one will be the wiser. The camera was retreived, but it too was quite cold and the lens kept fogging up! So, I didn't photoshop this pleasant "softening" of the photo...that's just a foggy lens!

Keepin' it real, folks!

Why I Love Fall

Nothing compares to fall in Florence. Sure, it's fall in Green Bay as well, but it's just not the same! The colors are brighter up north, the air is crisper and I can smell apples wherever I go! I told my mom that I hadn't realized what a powerful memory I have tied to apples in the fall until this trip home.

When I was younger, as soon as bow hunting season rolled around we were picking apples to put out for the deer. The air would be thick with that sweet smell as we worked under the trees and piled a big blue tarp high with apples. I remember my dad shaking the trunk of the tree to get all of the ripe ones to fall, and ducking out of the way to avoid getting clonked on the head! All of that came rushing back when I smelled apples in the air on Friday!

I told you...nothing compares to fall in Florence:

Weekend at Grandma's!

The boys and I had a wonderfully relaxing weekend at Grandma's! Liam is learning where he lives ("Grove Road" and "Green Bay") and told us that he knows where Grandma lives, too! We thought he would say "Florence", but instead he said, "up north!" I didn't realize I called it going "up north" that often, but apparently I do!

The weekend was great, but a little chilly! We braved the brisk winds on Saturday and spent a good hour outside. Liam made good use of all the sticks in the yard, and even helped Grandpa pick apples for the deer! He helped bait Grandpa's stand for bow hunting a few times, too. He's an old pro already! Trust me...he can't wait to get out there and hunt with the grown ups! His new love is to have someone act like a bear and then he'll "shoot" the bear with his bow and arrow. I am not fond of this game, or any games involving shooting of any kind...but it doesn't seem like this interest is going away any time soon! So, I've taken to talking about how we hunt for meat to eat and that we don't shoot people or houses or cars. I guess it's a start!

What's Cooking Wednesday...Mac & Cheese!

Liam is a very healthy eater. I know lots of parents probably say that about their kids when they really eat microwave dinners and brownies for breakfast every day, but I'm telling the truth! Liam's favorite snack is apples. We take him to McDonald's occasionally and the kid is more excited for the apples than he is for the toy! He's not even really aware they serve the apples with caramel there, he just loves those apples! He also regularly snacks on raw broccoli and carrots, and then asks for more broccoli! I know! Who's kid is this?! In other words, I don't have to find creative ways to get him to eat healthy foods. I like the Deceptively Delicious cookbook, though, because it gives me a way to make foods we already eat a little healthier. This recipe is Aaron's favorite, and we're having it for dinner tonight!

Jessica Seinfeld's Macaroni & Cheese (with butternut squash)

from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup nonfat skim milk
1/2 cup butternut squash (or cauliflower puree)
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
4 ounces (almost 1/4 cup) reduced-fat or nonfat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander.

While the macaroni is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable puree, Cheddar, cream cheese and seasonings and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

Hmmmm...this isn't neon orange like regular mac & cheese...

But hey, I'll give it a go!

A little hot, but good!

He's a nut!

I'm an acorn, big and round
Lying on the cold, cold ground!
People come and step on me
That is why I crack, you see!
I'm a nut!
I'm a nut!
I'm a nut!

Brothers

"Ok, Max. See, what you do is, you put these tracks together and then you drive the train!"

"Oh, I see, brother! You are so wise!"

So photogenic!

Looking good, boys!

Awww!

Rainy Day at the Orchard!

Liam was so excited to pick apples off of a tree!

Look, Mom! An APPLE!

Max picking apples...

Oh, there he is!

Grandpa and Liam

Auntie Annie and Max

Uncle Justin and Liam

We like apples!