Pumpkins and Stuff

Q was napping upon my arrival at Trisha's after my last (??) day of work in Farmington. Well, she woke up with some crazy hair. This was a shot when she was looking down, but it was pretty much sticking up this way even when her head was up. Thanks for all your great day care services, Trisha!! We've loved knowing that Q has been in great hands these last few weeks.



Last Sunday, we stopped by Jill and Tim's new house. It was a VERY cute place, and Q enjoyed handing the candy out to all the kiddo's. OH, and it was so nice Q, Jill and I enjoyed a trip to the near-by school park!





And, of course, last Saturday was a Halloween/Carving party at my sister's house! We had a blast and Q seemed to enjoy cleaning out her first pumpkin. And since she REFUSED to wear Yoda, I did! She would've been the cutest Yoda ever...we'll see what comes for Trick-or-Treat here tomorrow!!

And I wish I had a photo...but I won the "ghoulish dish" award! I made stuffed noodles that looked like monster heads. Maybe Mom and Dad got one that I can post soon.

Wisconsin

Wow, what a week we've had since the last blog!

This week will (hopefully) be my last week of work and I can go back to being a SAHM again! I must admit, both jobs are very challenging and rewarding...but OMG, the rewards with Q can be seen immediately! We had a GREAT weekend together at my parent's house in Wisconsin. However, the refusal to go to bed last night after I told her "we're going home tomorrow and we'll see daddy" was UNBELIEVEABLE. It took almost 2 hours of stories, singing, playing, letting her "cry it out" and FINALLY a cuddle and singing until she fell asleep. She cried for daddy and home for too long! And now we're home and Daddy's not here. But she's okay with "just" being home.

I'm still amazed at the toll my car takes when I travel 7 hours alone with her. It looks like a cereal box exploded...but really...how else do I get from point A to point B with minimal stops so the trip doesn't take 12 hours? I have to give her the food and drink and hope for the best...this weekend wasn't so much her best! Not to mention it's already looking sad from our month of trips to Farmington and back each day.

Right now she's running circles around the house singing "pants, hanging, chair, kitty, pants, hanging, chair, kitty". I'm not sure what the relationship of those 4 words is quite yet...maybe by the end of my post??

I really need to get planning for Quinn's first party for her second birthday SLASH open house. At least I think it's going to end up being our 'housewarming' party too. It would be nice to have a date to have decorating and furniture placement "needed" to be done. And as long as Friday is my last day in Farmington, that should come true. Not to mention it'll be right before the crazy holiday season, so "just" one party could be a good thing! I'll keep you all posted.

I have photos from the weekend. I'm saddened that Q loved her Yoda costume here but did nothing but yell NO NO NO NO NO when I put it on her at Kristin's and wouldn't even look at it for trick or treat at Jill and Tim's. HOWEVER, she did enjoy handing out the "can-ney" to all the kiddos and was sad when they only took one then walked away! She would've donated the whole bowl to some kiddos. It was super adorable (and not caught on video or camera...oops).

She had her first pumpkin carving and gutting experience too. She enjoyed it, I guess. There were way more exciting things to do like spill bubbles, play with bikes, and enjoy her cousins. And without a nap for the day!

I need to, also, find a pediatrician! Her 2 yr appointment is coming up and we need to get that set up soon. Any suggestions?

For now, time to go enjoy some more time with Q (who took a short nap in the car on the way here and may be heading to bed soon).

Weekend Alone

So, Q's headed to Eagle Lake to spend the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa...without me! I'm so far feeling a little bored and that I'm forgetting to do something. Seeing as this is usually the busiest time for me at night...bed time! Good luck to grandma and grandpa the next couple nights!

Work has been going well. I'll only work a few days next week and maybe a day or two the week after. It's been nice working again, but man I miss my girl all day long!! Now with the weekend and her being away...I miss her crazy already and she's only been gone an hour!

Over all, she's still loving day care. She's been feeling a little under the weather lately, but nothing keeps her down for long! She may get to meet her new cousin this weekend! Mike's cousin had her baby early yesterday morning...a darling baby boy named Briley Joseph. He's adorable and I'm excited to meet him. I got to stay home tonight to finish up some cleaning projects and enjoy a night of QUIET!!

I'm actually enjoying the quiet a little more than I thought, but like I said, I keep feeling like I'm forgetting to do something!

Finn, Quinn and Teddy

Finn is so close to rolling over from back to tummy..watch out Stacy! The days of rolling all over the floor are all TOO soon!! :) Oh, and this was outfit 3 for the day. I forgot what the days of poop explosion after poop explosion were like...until Finn did a great job of reminding me today!



Both Teddy and Finn were refusing their afternoon naps. They heard the final score of the game and knew their Daddys would soon be there to get them. Teddy was even trying to share his Pirate Booty with Finn here...ha ha.



The toy of the day...the floor play mat. Q and Teddy were very excited to have Finn take a nap..they got to play with all the cool baby toys and rattles (don't worry Stacy, I cleaned and sanitizer sprayed the whole thing when they finally got off of it!)



When I finally found a sucker for Q, I went back in to give it to her and this is how I found her...well, she didn't move after I gave her the sucker I found and got the camera. Too funny that she propped the pillow up so she didn't have to deal with the bars on her back! :0



Teddy is the biggest camera ham I've ever seen at this age!! ANY time the camera came out and was pointed his way (this morning), he was all smiles!!



And MAN am I tired!
So, 8 poopy diapers, 4 naps, 6 attempted naps, and several changes of clothes later. Three happy Dads came home from the homecoming game that started with snow on the field from last night! SNOW in OCTOBER! Humph. Well....it'll be a long winter, I guess.

And prior to my call to work this week, Ted and Beth came over to help Q and me make pumpkin bars. Yummy yum yum they were!!

Photos

And she's making new friends at Day Care!! The boy is Trisha's nephew and is 2 1/2. They seem to enjoy playing together!









So, she loves day 1 and 2 at Frog's Day Care in Farmington!

Frog's Day Care

That's right, Quinn had her first day at an official day care today!

Why?

I got a phone call late Monday night from Trinity wanting some help this week, next week and casual call afterwards...depending how things go for all parties involved.

So far so good!

Quinn had a FABULOUS time at day care today. One of my friends actually just started up the business and word is still getting around. She, so far, only has one 5 month old every day with her nephews (2 1/2 and 4) about 2 days a week.

Quinn colored a pumpkin, a pound puppy picture and made a snow globe today. Additionally, she went for a stroll around part of Farmington and was just getting home as I picked her up. As we walked into the house to get her goodies to bring back home, she said "shhhh baby" as we walked in the house. She apparently figured the baby was sleeping as the baby was gone when she woke up from her nap! Yep, she even took a 2 hour nap at day care!

I'm so glad I was able to arrange last minute, seemingly awesome, day care for our little gal! However, working is nothing like taking care of a toddler! It's really like I haven't left in 2 years, either. It feels not much different than it did after a long vacation. Just piles of stuff everywhere and who knows where to start!? :)

So, for the next few days, Q will be enjoying day care and Mike and I will be working! The hardest part has been getting up and out the door by 7:30!!!

No photos right now...maybe some to come later!

Quinn-isms

Since this photo was taken, the onesie and pants are too small! I've pretty much given up trying to fit her into too much 2T stuff because I get sick of looking at her belly and diaper all day! So, there are days when she looks like she's drowning in her clothes, but that's a much happier sight for me...not to mention she just seems to be getting so tall again! Need to find a pediatrician and make her 2 year appointment for next month (I think...not sure how advanced I need to make appointments here...)

On to Quinn talk:

Cat Cereal = cat food, they're bowls are empty, mama!

Coffee Walk = insulated coffee mug for when we play outside/walk/drive in the morning

GREEN! = the color of everything. The problem I think I'm seeing with her and learning her colors: she only seems to comprehend color as a verb. "I want to color" is very much in her comprehension. "What color is that" often gets the response "geen" or "caok" (chalk) or "ra-an" (crayon). Eh, she's learning. :)

Happy Mama Hot = coffee (she also says coffee hot, but more often it's happy mama hot)

Getting on coat, socks, or shoes, means a car ride or park. If any other action happens after seeing a coat, shoes, or socks...we have a very unhappy toddler.

Closed blinds and curtains means nap/bed time. There were a few days last week she was opening and closing the living room (well, unused room in front of house). When asked to please stop, she simply stated, "nigh nigh" and proceeded to her room.

If you turn the tv on, it means it's time for Elmo, Wyatt or (rarely) Clifford. When none of them appear on the screen she will either repeat "emo, wy, emo, wy" until she gets bored or she will continue playing.

The ice machine making noise means Daddy is home...then daddy never comes in! The ice maker and the door closing sound pretty similar...she gets excited too many times a day to count. At least she got some good Daddy time on Sunday morning and early afternoon as Mommy nursed her first hangover is several years! Yep, a gal night out. It was good times!! Until the next morning...

She's a goofy toddler and I love learning her "Quinn-isms" each day.

Going, Not Going, Going...

Not going.

What a week.

Ends up I'm not at TCF Stadium today, but with the rainy, cold weather, I'm not terribly upset about it. At the last minute (or later last night), Jim called and wanted his ticket for the game. After I had debated the entire day about where to put Q for the day and how bad I felt as she's got a runny nose and crazy diapers. Sigh.

Really, though, Jim has WAAAY more interest to be at the game today, so no hard feelings at all.

And there's another girl's night to Gastoff's for Oktoberfest tonight, so that'll be fun. Especially since I feel a little more healthy to actually go tonight!

Third day of rain...yeck. Really, I don't like the weather. The heat went on yesterday. It was COLD in here...54 is cold. SO, now it's a balmy 65 and it's just about right for cleaning temp. Today my goals are bathrooms, windows, and folding the rest of yesterday's laundry marathon (washed all sheets, blankets, and pillows yesterday...in addition to the "normal" week's worth of clothes).

I don't think the game is even on "normal" tv today, so that's a bugger. Now thinking back, I should've had Mike take his truck so I could've gone out with Q to see the game somewhere...Oh well. Way too late now!

Hmm....not much is new in our world. Hope all is well elsewhere!

My Gym

Well, we finally made it to preview a "My Gym" class; fourth time's a charm, right?

I think this class is exactly what we need right now. It's an hour long and it's a great combination of sit and listen along with run around and explore! Q definitely needs help with the "sit and listen" part. (should make story time fun next week...)

The "studio" is basically a large room with TONS of climbing toys, a ball pit, a trampoline, and tumbling mats galore. The start of class was sit in a circle and stretch your muscles...Q didn't like that so much, but the teachers insist that the kids stay with their guardian...not run in circles. So, after that is 30 minutes of "free play" and every 10 minutes, the teachers have a different "fun" activity going on. Today, we climbed a ladder and then fell onto a mat and did a somersault; hung on rings; walked a balance beam carrying a ribbon; and drove a car down a ramp.

Guess which was Q's favorite?!

After that it was group time again (yep, Q kept running away). Then it was 5-10 minutes of just the kids and teachers playing in the circle..mommies were to be "hands off". Q did MUCH better than I anticipated. She was sharing balls, playing basketball, and only ventured from the group twice (towards the end )...but not towards me! So, it was good to see she didn't freak out with "strangers" playing with her and sharing with other kids older than her...a few younger. The class she's in is technically for 23months to 4 years...and she's not even 23 months yet. SOOO, I think she did pretty well. Class ended with a goodbye song. And as SOON as it ended (no lie, the last note of the song) Q BOLTED out of the circle towards her shoes and door because we said goodbye! No wanting to stay and play, no hugs for me or any teachers or anything...just, "bye bye, car car". She cracks me up.

So, they also have an hour a week of "open play" so we'll be sure to hit that up too as that was Q's favorite part anyway. It'll be fun to see how/when Q's attention span hits so she'll get invovled in the warm up and cool down of circle time. I hope for this to help all her social skills she's missing not being in day care, as well as some fun exercise for the winter months (as our trips to the playground have already declined to twice a week if we're lucky). Any little things we can do to prepare her for preschool in a few years...and to let her have fun and enjoy life!!

As for other things, the house is settling. It's nice. We got our couch yesterday and as we were getting the last pieces into the house, my "bad" shoulder popped and now I can barely move my neck. Awesome, right? Despite the pain, I was NOT going to miss the class preview today and it made my enjoyment of the gym a little less...but the time will come. SO, we may need some help with the couch and getting the rest into the house...not sure I'll be able to do it anytime soon....BOOOO! Just when it was finally feeling better and I thought I could finish the kitchen painting and maybe even start on another room....sigh. Hey, regardless, I think I'm finally to the decorating part of moving in! Hanging pictures and putting out decoration. The whole house was vacuumed for the first time all on the same day yesterday. Much to Q's dismay (she hates the vacuum again....).

Oh well, for now, I'm off to heat the neck and rest a little. The computer is not helping me so much. And BUURRRRRRR, I knew I'd miss 70 degrees....the heat may even go on within the week! Poor Q doesn't like to sleep with the blankets over her legs and she's a little popsicle in the morning....even in her sleeper jammies!!

Five hours

That's a long time to be outside mowing, raking and playing! But, that's what yesterday afternoon consisted of. Even Mike was home by 5:30 to help out! We got in shortly after 7. Allergies plus illness made it a long afternoon, but it was too nice of an afternoon to do inside chores. Besides, I'd 1000% percent rather do outside work than clean any part of inside. I'm really NOT a cleaner and it's a chore each day to even get the dishes done and counters washed. BUT, most days at least the kitchen is cleaned 3 times a day.



One thing that's not so exciting about the cooler weather and sweating to chores...MORE LAUNDRY! You can't go NEARLY as long in the fall and winter because, like, 4 sweatshirts and a pair of jeans is a load. OH WELL, some days it makes me wish I had a different job. Then I remembered all the BS that goes along with a job and it makes me glad I'm home...catch 22 some days!

Overall, Q's enjoying her days. She's becoming a chalkboard pro! One of our friends is an OT and apparently, these skills she's showing are a few months ahead of schedule! My favorite is how she chooses colors so carefully and really wants to make the right marks in the right spots. She's so fun to watch coloring on her chalkboard...




She hates to go very far without her new shoes, Grandma Judy! Good find (we may need to replace them before long!!) :) They're a little big, but maybe they'll fit awesome before they're worn out?!




She helped pick up the sticks prior to mowing...this branch was bigger than her, but she insisted on "hep ceen up" (help clean up).



And I never ever thought a jogging stroller would make me want to jog!! Thanks to Auntie Krissy and Uncle Bill, we are now in possession of a jogging stroller! It works AWESOME on the paths in the nature park by our house and it's a smooth ride and push and ... I love it! Q seems to love it too, as she wants to go for about 14 walks a day now...



And this is not a good shot, but guess who has a black, red and blue upper lip and nose!?



Quinn! That's right! She was helping me plant bulbs (also part of the yardwork yesterday) and she someone managed to fall on her upper lip. And she was wearing her tennis shoes, so I can't figure out exactly how it all happened. She's doing fine though. Up a few times last night for some ibu relief (as I'm sure it hurts like a mother) and cuddle time. She just has one injury after the next lately...at least she's stopped bumping her head so frequently!

6:30 and dark-ish

I don't like it, I don't like it!! MAKE THE SUN COME BACK!!!

:)

Well, at least my sunshine Quinn keeps the days going...right?

One of Q's favorite words....taken while visiting Grandma Judy and Grandpa Chuck for a few hours on Friday.

Weekend

Well, another gorgeous weekend, and I get to spend it in layers and under a blanket with boxes of kleenex.

Mike spent it coaching and (today) playing ultimate.

Quinn spent it destroying the house and thinking it's kinda funny to see mommy cuddled in a ball moving all slow to try to keep me out of trouble.

I felt fine on Friday...until our road trip to Mankato--I started a cough that was more "productive" than I care to describe here. We got home and the congestion and sinus issues started. One more day of this sinus stuff and I may have a red nose, upper lip, and be very sick of purel, handwashing, and following my tracks with sanitizer spray.

Pray for me that Mike and Quinn stay healthy!! And the kiddos and moms that visited on Friday morning for finger painting!

We had a good time eating the pudding paint, didn't color as well as I hoped it would (think I watered it down too much). And as soon as the chalk was discovered, all 3 kiddos had waa-aay more fun with that. However, I think the real highlight for all three of them was running without pants in the driveway and jumping in the rain puddles.

22 Months

Wait, what?
How old?
Wow.

We're signed up for some My Gym classes, story hour at the library, and as they're very strict about age requirements in ECFE classes, we may just do the "happy hour" class at 5 instead of any morning classes in her age group. I was debating about music classes, but figured she's going to have more fun in a more active class (My Gym).

She's a word a minute now. When I say that I mean she finds one word and repeats it over and over and over for almost a minute. cup= "pup, pup, pup, pup, pup, pup, pup, pup" killer/eggo="kitty, kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty" (when they first got here I could've SWORN she changed to calling me Katie!!). She knows a TON of words and doesn't like to perform on command.

She points out about 80% of the alphabet when asked in her alphabet book. She points out shapes in her books too...with about 90% accuracy.

Potty training...wow, I think I need some pointers here. Actually, if I really tried and did nothing but potty training for 4 or 5 days, I think she'd catch on. I don't know that I'm that motivated. She's just in love with washing her hands (and face), flushing, and toilet paper! She'll sit on the potty, but can't sit there for long. Let's just say I'm looking forward to the day of no diapers and wipes...that'll be awesome.

Elmo...good golly Elmo. Actually, Elmo got booted yesterday for playing outside in the leaves! I asked her during morning snack if she wanted to watch Elmo or play in the leaves. She said Elmo (of course), so we turned him on. Then she was like, "'side, bye bye E-mo". And turned off the TV. Other than that, Elmo is much loved on her cups and in her books.

Whining=Save Me Please! I want I want I want...that's all she knows.

Sleeping = a nightmare. She was through the night prior to our move...now with teeth and new home...sigh...someday again PLEASE soon.

Nursing= 1-3 times a day yet. I know I know, all you criticizing and thinking it's ridiculous that she's 2 and nursing. But, whatever. It INSTANTLY calms her and gets her to a place she's gradually learning how to get to without nursing. She nurses in the morning and at dinner time and if she picks up all her toys and books, before bedtime. If we're out and about, she could care less. And lately, if I have a good enough juice or water or milk at hand as she runs in circles yelling "gook, gook gook" (drink), she'll settle for her cup. SO...weening is gradual, but getting there. I haven't had the heart to tell her that potty training means nursing is over...she'll learn soon enough! I don't want to discourage her from potty training, either.

When helping pick up or giving you something you've asked for, she'll often say "welcome" as she does it. The other day I could've sworn she told her new toys "welcome" when she put them to bed...who knows!?

She loves to help clean. Often pushes the broom and wants to take the garbage out every time she passes the garbage can. She asks for a paper towel when I'm cleaning and needs a new one for each surface she wipes off (each chair, desk, shelves, etc).

Using a cup without a lid is still challenging to her, but she's getting better. She'll use a straw with ease when we're out. She still loves ice...mostly now I think because it's all that can get to those pesky molars!

She's a stair pro, loving to climb up and down. Thankfully our stairs are much less steep here than in NY. I still think we'll be installing a gate, but it's not as urgent as I originally thought it would be. Mostly, if she's climbing downstairs, it's to chase the cat that's running away from her!!

She "read" Gossie to me the other day (one of her favorite books these days), saying one or two words about each page. It was pretty exciting for me.

Everything is the color green. And she loves crayons (to eat them mostly yet...) and we just got her a chalkboard easel and chalk the other day and it's covered in colorful lines. We practiced circles and ovals yesterday (I guided her hand while she held the chalk). She loved it (or seemed to anyway...). And she only tries to eat the chalk occasionally. :)

She can also perform tasks when asked...it's amazing how high her comprehension is! She'll put her dishes in the kitchen sink, wash her hands, find her clothes and socks and shoes. And makes sure I have my purse, wallet and keys before leaving out the door to the CAR CAR CAR CAR CAR. Heck, where was she when I was going to work every day?! :) She's got a rock star memory for most things. It's fun to test her limits every day!

She's almost jumping. Can stand on one leg (for a second or two anyway). She has yet to do an tumbling or anything, but loves to run! We're working on catching...but I think we're early for that yet.

She's fascinated with light switches (two are at "Q height") and when it gets dark, she makes sure they're on!!

And as I write this I hear water in the other room and assume she's in the toilet water (only seen her in there once). Nope, I was wrong. She climbed onto the toilet, onto the counter, turned the water on, and was covered in water and soap (pumped it out!!). So, I guess she knows how to do that by herself too....sigh....

Gosh, I'm around her all the time but have yet to really see what else is new in Q's life. But, there are some new developments, I guess!

As for today, we have some pudding fingerpaint ready to go and Ted, Beth, Julia and Sondra are on their way over to make a mess painting with us! Unfortunately, the temp has dropped a little and now it started to rain. Oh well, garage or house it is to make a mess!! WOOHOO!

Additionally, we'll be making a quick trip to 'Kato-land this afternoon to empty out Grandma and Grandpa's house and garage a little bit. Wow, a busy day...should get in the shower before company gets here!!

Not Easily Fooled

Well, those of you that know Q, know that she has her "kiki" and it rarely goes more than 10 minutes out of her sight.

Kiki has been her favorite pink blankie for almost a year now (wow, that's odd to say). He's getting sad looking (yes, even though it's pink, I refer to it as male...don't ask why, I don't know).

Grandma Mary wanted to replace KiKi to have a bright new shiny blankie to continue to love as many more washings and not much will be left to love on KiKi (well, so it seems).

Q loves the new KiKi. But didn't buy for ONE SECOND that KiKi was just washed and turned brown in parts to be "like new". She spent AN HOUR looking for "old" KiKi this morning....let's see how nap time goes!!

Cousins!

So far, a good weekend!

Quinn and I headed to Wisconsin for my uncle's 80th birthday party while Mike attended the Gopher game slightly hungover. Eh, crazier things have happened. Regardless, we met my parents there and they brought our kitties back to us!! YAY!

Quinn had lots of good time with her cousins and aunties and uncles yesterday...as you'll see below.

As for today, we sat on our patio. We, who? My brother, his daughter, and my dad. Mike joined us after he did breakfast clean up (as I cooked biscuits and gravy yummy yum!). My brother has wanted to see the house, so since they were halfway, they spent the night last night.




Apparently, the face of the day was as seen below by my Dad, Mike and Quinn...OH, while assembling our new patio set! Mike picked it up yesterday...he got a great deal thanks to Sears end-of-season sale!!







See, Eggo and Killer are back! We have not yet given them the pleasure of back yard exploration.





Pile of leaves! Quinn didn't have the pleasure of having this opportunity last year, so I made sure we got her in a pile of leaves before we mulch them up.







Joel dunking on our not-so-high hoop.







And yesterday at the party at the park. 80 in mid-September...who would've guessed such awesome weather for an outside fiesta!!??





She has no fear of the 14 foot slide....although I wasn't awesomely comfortable with her climbing alone, between the 14 of us, we kept her from ever falling (and she was really only close once right before we were leaving because she was practically sleep walking: no nap and it was after 4!).













Quinn's play area at home. Recently upgraded thanks to Auntie Claire and her kiddos. We now have Fischer Price Noah's Ark, Farm, and Home with some animals and little people to boot! Thanks Auntie Claire!!