Hustle and Bustle

Tangie's turn

8 months

Kohlden - 18 lbs 6 oz - getting heavier

Madelyn - 16 lbs 15 oz - getting longer

So I unwrapped an early Christmas present I bought for us on black Friday, which was a new camera. Somehow in doing so and interchanging the SD card, I think we deleted the week's photos.  Still trying to figure out how it works.  We did get the development highlight of the week on the HD video but Allen's working late this evening and I can't figure out how to download and upload it.  So...this will be short and sweet :)  Definitely more activities to report on next week!

You'll soon be able to see it but yes, Maddy can now go forwards.  It's official.  one day before her 8 month birthday she has learned to crawl.  She's even starting to pull up on some things.  Kohlden....couldn't care less.

Now its included....

The week started out with a lay-low weekend as Allen was trying to get over his cold, so the rest of us didn't venture out to church on our own.  We did however all get out to Bass Pro Shops Saturday evening as they had some holiday activities for kids.  Braelyn enjoyed writing a letter to Santa.  She wants a Barbie and a Telescope like Diego.  Hmm...two things Santa hasn't gotten her...yet.  We then fought the holiday traffic out of there and went to Stacy's for a game night with Adam and Annette in town.  I think we've seen more of them since they moved to TN then we had here for a while.  It was a new challenge to try and play Rook with a baby trying to grab the cards, but we had a lot of fun.

Sunday Allen worked so I was on kid duty. We finally finished putting up the Christmas decorations and I think I did 10 loads of laundry.  Didn't even leave the house.  I considered it a success when we survived with Braelyn only watching about an hour or two of TV.....when I was folding laundry.

Allen's had a busy week at the store.  The shoppers are out in full force (wish I was one of them..I'm a little behind).  I finally got an audit at work wrapped up which was running a couple weeks behind. So it was very busy for us.  Last night I had to make a mad dash to Target after all the kids were in bed and Allen made it home as we completely ran out of formula.  Not a good feeling when you are starting to make 10 bottles for the next day and realize you have enough for about two.

We are anxiously awaiting Nana and Papa coming soon.  Braelyn has been planning out all the fun things she wants to do with them. Miniature golfing, bowling, park, movie, bouncy house, swimming, coloring,...

We've been enjoying the holiday music.  It also helps to have it a little chillier here to make it seem more like Christmas.  We keep reminding Braelyn it's Christmas in a couple days and she responds "yeah, we're going to get snow!"  I guess its true that there is snow in most all the holiday stories.  I explain that it doesn't snow in Florida and of course her response is "why" and then asks if there will be snow in Avon Park. We'll eventually get the geography and concept of time thing down.  She is, however, enjoying the Christmas lights all over the houses in the neighborhood.  Whenever we see a nativity scene, she points to the manger that holds "Baby Moses".  Sorry Baby Jesus.  One day we'll get it right.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Vicious Cycle

Week 34.5

Kohlden 18 lbs
Madelyn 16 lbs  9 oz

Development Highlight:  Although Maddy has one up on Kohl for being able to go from lying on her tummy to sitting, Kohl has shown that he has an affinity for music and rhythm, as shown here:

'Tis the season...for colds and cold weather!  As  I type this we had just endured the coldest 2 nights of 2010, a record for us in December, which probably led to my being sick today.  That, and the thousands of people that walk into work day in and day out, as well as sharing the confined space with 40+ staff who are also fighting the same thing, it's hard staying immune.  It is a vicious cycle, one that I hope and pray the children don't catch this time around.

Let's see, last week Tangie did a cookie exchange for work.  She and her assistant made her world famous Mint Bars, a concoction of Nestle mint pieces, mint m&m's, Andes mint pieces, peppermint pieces, along with butter and flour and a tiny hint of sugar.  I'm exaggerating about the "tiny" here.  Holy Delicious Batman!  So much for me trying to even think about losing weight for the new year.  I'm sure it didn't help my immune system neither.  But they were so good, your honor.....

Sabbath and the weekend came with Lolo and Lala staying with us.  They hadn't seen the kiddies since Thanksgiving weekend and they were having withdrawals.  Lala would've been up the previous weekend but had the worst case of the stomach bug that had landed her in the ER for an IV and fluids.  Anyway, she was feeling much better and so they came up to help us get some much needed rest Friday and Saturday nights.

This was us at church.  Now I can empathize with parents that can't seem to get that "perfect" picture together.

Even behind the passy you can tell that Madelyn is smiling.  Kohl looks like he's about to fall asleep!

Saturday night we treated the family to an outing and so had dinner at the luxurious restaurant Sweet Tomatoes and then on to Disney's town of Celebration to see the annual snow fall.  We had so many comments on the twins at the restaurant, which seemed to be filled with 2 major demographics:  Senior citizens and families with very young children.  I guess it may be because the babies can scream at the top of their lungs and nobody can hear them!

After a few tense moments of frantically driving around finding a parking spot (this is a huge event each year and for some reason many people want to participate) Tangie found one and I did some evasive manuevering to position the van at the right moment to nab one that just got free.

The night was a fair 55 degrees and a little chilly, so we bundled up and headed to mainstreet, where it snows on the hour from 6-9 every night up until Dec. 31.  Braelyn was excited at first, until she realized they were only soap sud bubbles that looked like snow.  Maybe the highlight was the boy band concert that was playing, Disney Radio's version of Justin Bieber, but obviously not famous enough because I can't remember his name.  You should have heard the tween girls screaming though.  We'll be there in time, soon enough.

Another crazy work week has landed us to yet another Thursday blog, and only 9 days before Christmas.  My how this year has flown, and as we take a look back at our lives and adventures so far, I cannot help but feel grateful for the people and moments that made this year so memorable...even the sicknesses.

Next week we'll blog on Christmas Eve's Eve.  Until then, stay warm and survive the holiday madness!  Have a great week.  J

Family time!

Week 33.5

No weights this week! Ahh!! Forgot to weigh them before their baths, but they feel heavier everyday!

Development Highlight: Maddy can now officially go from flat on her back, rolls on her tummy, props herself up with arms, up to a sitting position, all by herself!!



So, what the heck happened to the week?!? The last time I re-call, Tangie was writing the blog. Now it's my turn. That means a whole week has flown by already!

Before I go on to this week's highlights, I wanted to show a picture of me and my goatee I had grown since we had all gotten sick with the stomach bug 4 weeks ago. I had gotten a little lazy about shaving but used it as a motivational ploy for my team at work: I was going to grow the beard until after the holiday season was over, or we hit our goal of $6 million this year, which ever comes first. Well, we had formal pictures taken of the whole family for our annual Christmas cards and unfortunately my boss (Tangie) told me the beard had to go. That and Braelyn kept saying it was prickly "like a porcupine!" everytime I would give her a kiss. Well, so much for that!

Saturday evening we joined the Grodacks and their extended family to see the lighting of the Christmas tree and fireworks at Crane's Roost in Altamonte Springs. It was a little chilly, but the real cold front wasn't due to come in until the following day. Nevertheless, we donned our long sleeve shirts and jackets, grabbed some extra blankets for the little ones and wandered through the throng of people enjoying the holiday festivities.

Braelyn and Calleigh as usual got very silly when they hung out together.

This picture cracks me up. Duncan and I are always taking pictures together with our children but it always looks like we're a culturally diverse gay couple...

It's nice to belong to a big family! Here we pose with the Grodacks, Duncan's mother and stepfather, Ron and Elaine, and Corey's cousin David and his wife Yully (joo-lee), and all 5 kids not counting the tiny bun in Corey's tummy. Yup, the Grodacks are expecting their third, how very exciting! We are hoping for a boy for Kohlden to hang out with and have a buddy of his own.

Brae topped off the evening with freshly popped popcorn and cookies Mommy and I baked that afternoon.

On Sunday I had the day off, as we were treated to a free day at Sea World for being in the Leadership Club with United Way. The day started very dark, dreary, sprinkling, and overcast, and we were a little worried that it wasn't going to be a good day to spend outside. But we took a look at the forecast and it said it was going to clear up and be a beautiful afternoon, so we packed up and made our way to I-Drive and the park. It was definately an adventure lugging the big stroller and having all 3 kids with just us two adults. But the kids did great, and the twins enjoyed seeing all the hustle and bustle of the tourists throughout the park.

Braelyn has definately grown! We know this because she is now able to ride the Shamu roller coaster in the kiddie section, albeit with adult supervision, but still able to ride! It was actually pretty fast and bumpy, surprisingly, with a few sharp hairpin turns, but she loved it. She rode on it twice, once with me and once with Mommy, so we could take turns staying with the twins. Here is me being cheap and taking a picture of the picture taken of Brae and me during the coaster ride. There was no way I was going to pay $15 for it, so I unashamedly whipped out the camera and took this picture:

Here's a couple shots of the children waiting patiently for Mommy while she shopped. We're looking for a "Marge" for Kohlden and Madelyn, something they can call their own, like Braelyn has. No such luck at Sea World.

Brae and Mommy did have fun riding all the rides. I can't wait 'til all 3 can join in the fun together.

She topped off the afternoon with some pink cotton candy, which gets quite sticky when a 3 year old eats it, as shown by this picture.

We got home around 7, exhausted, but still had to get everything ready for school and work the following day. It never seems to end. But what a great weekend and some quality family time together. Tangie and I are so looking forward to many more of these.

After a busy weekend Maddy decided to come down with pink eye and on Monday she started on some antiobotic eye drops. Cross our fingers no one else gets it!

Work is getting busy. Big crowds, lots of money spent. I'm so looking forward to the bonus after this quarter is over! Kah-ching!!!

A little more than 2 weeks until Christmas. Have a great weekend!

"Babies, it's cold outside!"

Week 32.5

Kohlden 17 lbs 10.5 oz

Madelyn 16 lbs 8.5 oz

Tangie's turn again.

It's been two weeks since an update and lots of activities in this household. We'll see if I can remember it all. It's officially winter in Florida...time changed so its dark when getting out of work and we are finally having a cold spell where its actually getting down to 38 tonight. The kiddos have been bundled up and the heater is working full blast at night.

We started off a couple sabbaths ago going to the Bergherms for a pre-thanksgiving potluck lunch and the holiday giving spirit with proceeds from our collections going to help a women and children's shelter here in Orlando.

By the time everyone came, the table was loaded and overflowing with food and supplies. I wish I could have seen their faces when it was delivered.

All of the kids enjoyed playing with each other in and outside.

Jennifer went all out with the holiday decorations which included cupcakes shaped like turkeys as well as a fun turkey fruit and cheese presentation.

Allen ventured out and made veggie "crab" cakes modified from the Princess Cruiseline recipe book and I made the standard family meatball recipe.

Allen has been all prepped and got the tree out of the garage and set it up...its been up for two weeks (love the pre-lit feature!) and I have yet to decorate it. Once I get home from work and we get the kids to bed, I'm too tired to work on it and the weekends have been full of activity. Maybe this next week....after all it is only the 2nd of December. I still have time.

The twins are starting to become mobile as mentioned in previous posts. Can't leave the room as they soon can't be found. Madelyn is getting up onto all fours and rocking. She then sees something she wants in front of her but then starts scooting backwards. So much so that she keeps getting in to trouble...under a chair...legs under her crib...and even back behind the Christmas tree and into the curtains.

We are starting to get into the holiday spirit..and these were taken even before Thanksgiving. Trying to get a head start.

The Saturday evenings of old usually entailed a new restaurant and movie out. That's not happening much anymore as to be expected, so we have to make the most of it. After we got the twins down, we decided to have a "slumber party" in the family room while watching Toy Story 3 with Braelyn. Blankets out and popcorn for everyone (She didn't get scared this time).

I had the kids on Sunday while Allen went to work. We ended up doing a little shopping but primarily hanging out around the house. I'm getting pretty good at taking all 3 kids to Target - either putting the twins in the stroller in their carseat or bringing the stroller in. They like to watch the surroundings. When home, I was able to actually get Braelyn to take a 3 hour nap so she was ready to go when Daddy got home and we ventured down to Downtown Disney to see the lights and see what else might be happening. Brae enjoyed the Lego store creating her own "map" as she called it, playing on the little playground, seeing Cinderella, wandering through the disney store, watching the dance program, and seeing Santa. The twins slept for most of it, but did show they were enjoying it for parts. I kept giving them stuffed animals to hold to see if it looked like one would click to become their "marge". Haven't found it yet.

Wednesday came and daycare closed early, so what better thing to do than schedule a doctors appointment for the kids. A round of flu shots for all. Braelyn was so brave and didn't cry to prove to her brother and sister that it would be ok.

We welcomed Thanksgiving day with Allen having the day off. While we were getting ready, Braelyn decided that the twins needed to be dressed up like her, so she put on her new ballerina outfit and then crowned Maddy a princess. Kohlden was already wearing a firetruck onsie, so the fire hat fit him quite nicely.

Since we weren't going out of town the Z's graciously let us join them for the big meal. I made my famous mashed potatoes and we enjoyed some yummy food. We enjoyed some adult conversation with them and the Johnsons. Brae enjoyed playing with Zach and Kaleb liked hanging out with Kohlden. I didn't end up taking any pictures so thanks Amy for this one. I think Kaleb is a natural and is ready for some new friends. :)
Allen of course had to work on black friday 9-6, and with all the ads coming out and the deals included, it made me think that I might as well join the crowds as well...but couldn't really take 3 kids around with me looking for presents for them. So, the twins helped me figure out what to do.

I wrote down all the deals and planned my route. When they woke up for their 4 am feeding (which has been happening a lot lately...so much for that sleeping through the night thing), I decided to take a shower and get ready as well. Kohlden, Madelyn and I as quietly as we could snuck out of the house a little after 5a. Target was our stop. I loaded them into the cart which also had the deck for kids to sit on and I was able to put all of the items in that area as we zoomed around the store. It was quite crowded but everyone was in jolly spirits and the line to check out was actually only a few people long. success. I ended up dropping them off at daycare at 6:30 (they were open 6-3 that day) and was already across town to Altamonte by the time Allen took Braelyn to school on his way to work. American Signature (shoe storage bench and ottomon cubes), Walmart (had a whole cart of items but by the time I went to check out, the door buster camera and digital picture frame had misteriously vanished), Kohl's (saved more than I spent!), Babies r Us (diaper sale - $10 a box! the van was loaded to capacity. no room for kids), and Toys R Us completed my round (they were pretty much sold out of everything, but I asked about one item in their ad and sure enough they had one in the back stock) and I was exhausted by the time I got home at 1p to put all the stuff away before I needed to pick up the kids. Haven't really done the black friday shopping bit before (our family tradition was always skiing that day to avoid the crowds), but it turned out to be a pretty good success and I may venture doing it again.

Guess I have a little bit different view on that than Allen...since he has to participate every year with the crazy crowds. He said it turned out well for them though.

Lolo and Lala joined us Friday evening until Sunday morning. It was nice to get a good night sleep as Lala did baby duty. I hope it wasn't to her detriment though...as Monday she came down with a similar stomach bug to what we had a few weeks ago. I'm hoping germs don't last that long around here and she got it from someone at work or from some food she ate. Hope you are feeling better!

Sunday the kids went to my office with me and helped me clean up. We are renovating so I had to make room for one of my coworkers to now share my space. Wow, do things pile up over the years. Guess I don't need those training manuals from 2001 anymore. :) Brae liked putting paper into the shred bin and writing smiling faces on post-its and putting them everywhere. The twins played on a blanket for awhile as Brae tried to entertain them but they were definitely ready to go after a while. Glad no one else was around as it was getting pretty loud!

Allen and his team had a corporate visit from San Francisco this week. The Executive Vice President of Store Operations, Steve Stickel, made his annual visit to Florida to see how the stores were doing in preparation for the holiday rush. This was scheduled the Monday after Black Friday weekend, so they were very busy making sure they were ready for him after an already crazy weekend. It turned out to be a fantastic visit; He gave them a score of 9.5 out of 10, because, as he said, "There's always room for improvement!" Allen was very pleased, but more so relieved than anything.

We'll, its already past 11p and with my sleeped deprived brain, I'm sure I missed something but I gotta get a couple hours rest before the kiddos stir and before I leave the house by 5a for my flight to pensacola tomorrow for a day trip. I think Allen's already asleep since he has to get them all ready in the am..

Until next time...