Friday, February 19, 2010

My little veggie lover!

I had to post a quick picture of Millie.  This girl will eat just about any veggie you put in front of her.  Here she is eating a piece of FROZEN broccoli...and loving it!  Sometimes I have to get creative (or desperate) to get her to stop squawking while I make dinner...

Broccoli Pops anyone?

Noah and his 'God Book'

Last night it was bedtime for Noah, he requested his 'God Book' for his bedtime story...of course I was happy to oblige!  We usually ready a few stories from his children's Bible on the nights he asks and so far we are about half way through. The only bad thing about reading to him from his Bible is where to stop...since it isn't his usual book that we can read start to finish it is always a struggle to find a stopping point we both agree on.  After reading a few stories it was time to turn off the light and of course Noah resisted, but let me turn off the light and say goodnight.  Ten minutes later, Jon went downstairs and noticed Noah's light was on in his room...he was up 'reading' his Bible.  Jon came up to tell me about it and said 'How do you tell your kid to stop reading the Bible?'  Yikes, that's a sticky one!

Today, our neighbor stopped down for a little bit to visit.  While she was here we were talking and she said..."Oh God, Tonya you have to hear this story".  Noah took off running into his room and came back with his 'God Book' and said, "I have that book!"  (proof that you have to watch every word you say, because you never know who is listening!)  Needless to say, we both had a good chuckle over that one.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Noah the Builder

Beginning last December Jon and Noah started a monthly 'tradition' of attending the Home Depot Kids Workshops and have attended each month since.  If you aren't familiar with the program, on the first Saturday of each month HD offers a FREE workshop at all of their locations where kids (with an accompanying adult) can work on that month's project.  The program is recommended for children ages 5 - 12, but Noah does just fine...he just needs a little more guidance (and I'm sure a little more patience is also needed, hehe). 
Noah with his projects.
The wagon is a favorite, but the racecar display (Noah calls it his garage) definitely gets the most use!


He also loves the apron. 
After each visit they receive a new pin to add to their apron. Each pin is a picture of that month's project.

Noah and Jon both look forward to going and spending boy time together and I always look forward to seeing what they create and hearing the stories about how it came together. I highly recommend making a trip to the 'ol Depot some Saturday to find out for yourself...I mean, it's free, what do you have to lose (except maybe a couple fingers!...just kidding)!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day...a little early.

Just wanted to wish everyone a
Happy Valentine's Day!
...eventhough it may be a little early. 
We are leaving to go out of town tomorrow for a long weekend so I wanted to make sure I posted it.

Noah's Valentines for school. 


Monday, February 8, 2010

A tasty treat!

Millie and I were running errands this morning and had a little time to spare while we were waiting for some locks to be keyed.  We stopped into one of my favorite breakfast places for a quick treat - Ann Sather.  I haven't had these cinnamon rolls in YEARS!  Jon and I used to frequent the Clark Street location (no longer there, boo) when we lived in Lincoln Park, but today we visited the Southport location.  Millie and I split one of their famous cinnamon rolls (okay, actually she had about 4 bites and I devoured the rest) and we brought one home for Jon and Noah to have for dessert tonight.  Delicious!


Millie couldn't shove her little bites in fast enough!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Noah's Art

Two nights ago Jon and I were preparing dinner while the kids were playing in Millie's room.  Millie had taken a baggie of crayons in with her and dumped them all over the floor (my ultrasensitive Mommy ears heard that much), she likes to do this and then picks them up and starts all over again.  Well, Noah was in there too and it sounded like he was kicking them around the room (one of his new favorite things to do it seems...kicking things out of his way, ugh), so I asked him to help Millie pick up the crayons before dinner was ready.  Well, it was quiet in there for awhile and Noah came out and said they picked up the crayons...I wanted to check and he said "No Mommy, you can't go in Millie's room."  That response usually means I absolutely need to go in Millie's room....here is what I found...
I couldn't believe my eyes.  He has NEVER EVER done anything like this.
Aparently he made his way around the room to the dresser...marking everything on his way...cushions (3), more wall (4spots) , the crib (3), the changing table (2)...the more I looked, the more scribbles I found...including some in the hallway, bathroom, my room and master bath...ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
Needless to say, we had a little (okay, big) discussion regarding what we do and do NOT color on.  And hopefully it will not happen again!  Just to reinforce the topic a little more...
Noah and Mr. Clean got to work.
Usually I have a tough time tossing my kids' artwork, but this time I had NO problem with it.
Thank goodness for Magic Eraser!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

My challenge this week.

I am very attached to my phone.  I would not say addicted, but just very attached.   I have had an iPhone for over two years now and for those two years I have had a love - hate relationship with it. 
I love it because... 
It allows me to have so much information at my fingertips. 
I hate it because...
It allows me to have so much information at my fingertips.  
I have grown so attached to being able to check my email (personal and work), look up something on the web, find directions (gps), read blogs, etc whenever and where ever I want.

Last week I was thinking about how many times a day I check my email via my phone and how much time that probably consumes without me even realizing it.  On top of that, I do not want my children to think it is acceptable to be tied to your phone.  How bad would it be if 60 years from now someone asks them about their childhood and what they remember about their mother and they say...'Well, I remember she always had her phone.'  Well, that might be a little extreme...I'm not that bad...yet :o ) 

Anyway, on to the point of my post.  As of yesterday I have disabled the email functionality on my phone, have sworn off the internet button and no more flipping through and reading my blogs (via my phone).  For the next week, my phone will just be a phone...nothing else.

Monday, February 1, 2010

My little book worms

After lunch I usually try to clean up quickly before Millie and Noah get into playing with something only to have me pull them away minutes later for naptime.  Well, today while I was rinsing the dishes I realized it was pretty quiet...too quiet.  That usually means I will find the hallway covered in toilet paper, two soaking wet kids playing in the sink, a mountain of pillows on my bed with N & M burried at the bottom, or any one of  a million new messes they happen to come up with that day. 
Well, much to my surprise, this is what I found...
Two little book worms.
It was so quiet I could almost hear the gears spinning in their little heads!  LOVE it!

Although I was slightly surprised, this is a sight I have been seeing very often lately.  Millie loves books and Noah really wants to be able to read...really read...not just look at the pictures and make up the story (eventhough he does like to do that too).  Millie does well with recognizing objects in books by name, pointing to them and trying to say the words while Noah is working on putting the sounds of his letters together to pronounce the words.  I guess that is what I get for reading a naptime story and bedtime story to each of them everyday since they were 2-3months old...I only hope their love of reading and learning lasts the rest of their lives!