Can't seem to find enough time...

I have good intentions of blogging at least twice a week but so far have not been doing a very good job! I am attempting to study for the CPA exam (BEC section) and have not been doing very well at that either. I take the exam August 27th so hope to have a little more time after that (at least until I start to study for another section!)

Updates on everyone: Abby is still in dance and loving it. She is a very independent child that can be rather difficult but can also melt your heart! She picks out her own clothes and doesn't want help with anything. She is going through a "mom has to do everything with/for her" stage so Pat doesn't get to do much with her lately.

Gavin just finished his 5 week tumbling class at the Y and loved it so we signed up for the next 5 week session. that starts next Wednesday! He also LOVES hitting his ball off the tee and having someone "catch" it for him! We also went to the Barron County Fair last weekend and he loves animals. He didn't want to leave. His sister spent the entire time at the fair glued to mom's leg or being carried.

Since my last post I have lost 1/2 a pound! better than going up I guess. I also went to the doctor on Tuesday because I have been having lots of headaches. At my appointment I also had very high blood pressure, which is very unusual for me. I have never had a bad blood pressure reading. So...today I went in for a CT just to rule out anything abnormal in my head causing the headaches. I go back to the doc on Friday for a follow up and will discuss plans to stop my headaches. so wish me luck. Last night at home I realized that my high blood pressure is most likely related to two little kids that won't listen to their mother and are constantly testing the limits!!!

Never a normal illness at our house!

Last Thursday Abby woke up in the middle of the night with a 101 fever. I gave her Tylenol and that helped for about an hour and then the fever started coming back again. She went to the doctor on Friday. They did a strep test and it came back negative. The doctor thought it was something viral and sent her home.

She had a fever all weekend and kept complaining that her mouth hurt. I thought maybe she was getting her 2 year molars. We did the Tylenol/Motrin cycle all weekend to keep her comfortable and took her back to the doctor on Monday. She ended up having Aphthous Stomatitis...little canker like sores on her tongue and throat! So no wonder she was complaining that her mouth hurt! I looked in her mouth several times and could not see anything but it is also very hard to get a good look in a 2 1/2 year olds mouth!

She is finally starting to feel better so hopefully now she will start sleeping at night again! Well as well as she did before anyway! (she has never been a sleep through the whole night kind of kid!)

Gavin loves to play with his bat and ball! He likes to hit the ball when you throw it to him but misses quite a bit...so we got him a t-ball set and he is really, really good! I was amazed how well he did and how far he can hit it!

And I am going to steal an idea from a fellow Mother of Multiples club member and start posting my weight loss progress (failure) on here!

I don't want to share my actual weight but will share that to start I would like to lose 35 lbs! I will try to post weekly on how I am doing

Making progress on getting rid of the nuks!

I have learned over the past week that the kids only "need" their nuks when they are with Pat and/or I! They don't use them at all during the week while we are at work. On Saturday they spent the day with my in-laws and didn't use the nuks all day...not even for nap. the minute I got there to pick them up they started whining and asking for their nuks!

so yesterday we didn't give them their nuks all day until bedtime. both kids had a few meltdowns and tantrums when I told them their nuks were only for bedtime. I am hoping within a week we can get rid of them for good. I am tired of looking for them when they misplace them!

Potty training is still going really well for Abby and Gavin will occasionally go on the potty. I think he will be a little bit yet!

Gavin started Tumble Tots at the Y last Thursday...he loves it and it allows him to run off some energy! Abby still loves dance class and likes to show off the things she has learned!

What's new with the Kennedy's

Last Wednesday I had a ganglion cyst removed from my left wrist. I thought I would be back to work on Friday but my doctor has me off until May 19th. I am trying to get him to release me early but so far no luck. I should be making good use of my time off and be studying for the CPA exam but I always seem to find better things to do!!

Abby has a follow up appointment on Friday for her ear infection. She has been on 2 antibiotics and it still isn't completely cleared up...hopefully soon!

Gavin went to the allergist and they didn't anything he is allergic to but he did have a slight reaction to cats and since we have 2 cats we have to keep an eye on him! So I guess all his health problems are related to his tonsils/adenoids.

Abby starts dance class tonight...I hope she has fun. I am still looking for an event for Gavin to do!

The illnesses continue!

We met with the ENT doctor last week and he thinks Gavin is on the path to having his adenoids and tonsils removed...but thinks he is too young to do it now. So his advice was to try and get him through the summer and re-evaluate in the fall. He did not think it was allergy related so I cancelled the allergist appointment!

Gavin is still miserable so I called our regular doctor and he thinks we should see the allergist so we are back on for Tuesday!

Abby went back to the doctor last Thursday...her ears were still draining and they stink! So we found out the antibiotic she was on did not work and she is on a new antibiotic that she hates so medicine time has become a real challenge...thank goodness for M & Ms!

The kids did get to play outside quite a bit this weekend...Gavin has a new motorcycle that he LOVES and rides it all the time. Abby sometimes rides with him or she rides her little 4 wheeler but gets really mad when the battery drains (which is quite quickly when they ride in the grass!)

I will post pictures of them riding together tonight or tomorrow and will keep everyone updated on our illnesses!

Crabby, Crabby, Crabby

Today Gavin woke up on the wrong side of his toddler bed!!! And it continued until bedtime! This morning he screamed (not cried, screamed) about having to get dressed. He didn't want clothes on, he wanted to wear his PJ's. Then he screamed because he didn't want shoes on, or his coat. After we finally got everything on so we could head to daycare then he didn't want to get in mommy's car, he wanted daddy's car. We finally get in mommy's car and he is screaming because he doesn't want to be buckled. So I try some reverse psychology and close the door and get into the drivers seat...of course then he is crying because he wants to be buckled! We get to daycare and he wants to be carried in. When we get inside the teacher peels him off me and I tell them good luck, have a good day and head to work. I like my job but I have never been so happy to go to work!

Abby is still having sleep issues. She has to have someone in her room to fall asleep and she ususally wakes up between 12 and 1 and comes in our room. I keep hoping it is a phase that will pass but I am starting to think we might have to go back to the cry it out method to get her to go to sleep on her own. Usually when she comes in our room I carry her back to her bed but sometimes I don't even really know she got up until I wake up and she is next to me! I might try the sleeping bag on the floor next to our bed and tell her she can sleep there!

Both kids are really talking a lot and their "stories" are quite entertaining! Both kids heard a girl at daycare say someone was having a pity party for themselves and they were all excited and wanted to have a pity party! If they only knew!!

Not sure I will get back on before the weekend so if not Happy Easter everyone!

Fun with Stickers!

The kids had lots of fun decorating my car for me with their stickers! We were on our way back from the play area at the mall and they kept themselves very busy! I was brave one night and took the kids by myself to the mall to run off some energy! I was happily surprised at how good they were...sometimes they run wild and don't listen to me!

Abby is now in her big girl bed! She likes her bed but she started last weekend not liking bedtime so she wants someone to sit in her room with her until she falls asleep and often wakes up in the middle of the night and ends up in our bed! Hopefully this is a stage that will soon pass!

Yesterday Gavin got sent home from daycare because he threw up. He continued throwing up until about 8 PM and then was fine. The weird thing is he really had no other symptoms than throwing up and he wanted to eat, he just couldn't keep any food down. I am hopeful he is the only one that gets it!

Weekend

Friday night Pat and I went out with some friends and had a blast! (a much needed break!)

On Saturday I took the kids to an Easter egg hunt put on by the mother of multiples club. Our babysitter Shanel came with to help out with the kids so I could help set up. The kids didn't really get the concept of finding eggs and putting them in their bags. They would find them and tell us they found them but just leave them on the ground! Abby is scared of the Easter Bunny so she would cling to whoever was near her when the Easter bunny came around!

Saturday night Abby screamed when it was bedtime and did not want to go to bed. She wanted mommy or daddy to sit in her room with her and when we would leave the room she figured out how to climb out of her crib and would scream at the door. So Pat laid on the floor in her room to calm her down. She has a cold so I thought maybe that was the problem but she did it again last night. She is also a huge fit/tantrum thrower and it is very trying on the patience!!

Sunday we just hung out at home and did some cleaning and playing!

oh...the kids had a lot of fun on their field trip but I forgot the camera so no pictures! both kids went down the big slide by themselves!

Field Trip

On Wednesday I chaperoned my first field trip for the kids. We went to Wild Air with their daycare. The kids had a lot of fun and Gavin was a daredevil. His teacher tried to get him to go down the big slide on the big kids side but he got sidetracked by all the video games! Maybe next time!

When we were leaving the daycare to get on the bus to go to Wild Air one of the other chaperones mentioned that the bus driver was Santa Claus (he looked just like Santa) and Abby immediately started crying! She is terrified of Santa! I had to carry her onto the bus and then when we sat down the bus driver came over and tried to talk to her...she started trembling and buried her head in my shoulder and stayed that way until we got inside Wild Air. Then she started asking about Santa and I told her he was still on the bus and was not coming in. She was okay then and started playing!

They are not babies anymore

Gavin got a hair cut last week (his 2nd one) and after this one there is definitely no baby left! All the whispy baby hair is gone and he just looks older! (very sad moment for mom!) He did awesome while getting his hair cut and after when we got home he kept wanting me to lift him up so he could see himself in the mirror!

Abby wanted a hair cut after watching her brother get one but she really doesn't have enough hair to cut yet! We finally have enough for a tiny pony tail on top of her head so there is no way we are cutting it yet!!

Abby is still doing really well with going on the potty but hasn't quite figured it all out! Gavin says he wants to go potty but he just sits on it and then goes in his diaper!

We are really getting cabin fever here and can't wait for Spring so we can get outside! (and wear off some of the endless energy the kids seem to have)

I will post pictures tomorrow for wordless Wednesday

weekend update

On Saturday we had a family Christmas celebration in Osseo, WI. It is about a 3 hour drive from Appleton. The kids did really well on the ride there and had lots of fun playing with their cousins! They got to open stocking stuffer gifts and eat candy! Gavin loves his candy! Abby got some jewlery that she loves! I will post a picture soon of her wearing her new necklace, bracelet and earrings!

On Sunday we we went to some friends for the superbowl. They have a 2 year old son and an 11 year old son. Abby has her first crush...on the 11 year old. She followed him around like a little puppy dog and wanted to know what he was doing all the time. He was very patient with her and let her tag along and watch him play his video games! Then later in the day he came back down to watch the game with all of us and Abby ran up to him and smiled and then before I knew what was happening she was taking her pants off. Next came the diaper and then of course Gavin thought this was hilarious so he had to follow suit! I cannot believe she took her pants and diaper off somewhere other than home. At home she often has to wear a onesie or she gets duct tape around her diaper to keep her from taking it off! Hopefully when she is potty trained she will leave her clothes on!

The kids played hard all afternoon and evening so slept great last night and did not wake super early like normal! it was GREAT!!!

Thank goodness January is over!

I think I used over a week of leave time in the month of January due to illnesses with the kids...and Pat used 2 or 3 days! Abby woke up at 3 AM last Friday morning with a fever so she had to stay home from daycare. While we were playing in the morning I noticed something stuck in her hair near her ear...when I got it out of her hair I discovered it was her ear tube. I called our doctor's office and talked to the nurse...she said our doctor was not taking anymore patients but she knew we were taking Gavin to the ear, nose & throat doctor (I will get to that later) so she said to call them and let them know Abby's tube fell out and that she had a fever.

I called the ENT doctor and they said Abby could come along. I had the appt scheduled for Gavin because his left ear had been stinky for over a week and the ear drops didn't seem to be helping. At the appt we found out that both Abby's tubes had come out but her ears overall looked good so the fever must have been from something else. (I am guessing 2 year molars!) The doc looked in Gavin's right ear first and said his tube was just sitting in the ear canal so he took it out. then on to the left ear...that tube was also just sitting in the ear canal so he removed that one also and said the left ear was infected so prescribed more ear drops. Since using them his ear is smelling better! still not 100% but atleast I can breath when we snuggle now!

That was better news than I thought we were going to get...I was sure he had stuck something up his nose...since the day before I got a call from daycare that he had torn part of his goldfish cracker bag and put it up his nose and they had to use a tweezers to get it out!

Happy New Year

Gavin is starting out the New Year with a new bed! Last Friday I spent the day cleaning and reorganizing his room which included getting his toddler bed made up. We got him a 4 pc Thomas the Train bedding set so put that on. The toddler bed has been sitting in his room for about 3 weeks now along with his crib. When he got home from daycare I told him to go look at his new bed. He was so excited! since then he wants to sleep in his new bed. as you can see from the photo he is very proud of his new bed.

Abby has not attempted to climb out of her crib yet so we bought her a new princess sheet for her crib so she didn't feel left out! I am fine with her staying in her crib as long as possible!

The kids seem so grown up lately and are really talking up a storm! After the holidays we had some extra cookie dough leftover so I let the kids help me decorate the leftovers...as you can see they had a great time and they really love sprinkles!

Fun at McDonald's

Tonight the kids and I met my friend Lisa and her three kids (twins girls and a boy) at McDonalds. I forget how little you actually get to talk to people when you have young kids. I spent the evening chasing kids that were trying to escape from playland, taking kids to the bathroom to change diapers and helping them eat! But the kids had lots of fun...they love chicken and french fries!

Yesterday Santa came to visit the kids daycare and Abby is very afraid of him. The teachers told me that she cried when he came and then was very emotional after he left! The teacher also told me that when the kids start getting wild and naughty at daycare they have been telling them that Santa is watching and has his eye on them and I guess Abby has a meltdown when they say it. So we have to try to convince her Santa is not all that scary! I am sure she will love the presents he leaves (if she can be good that long :) )

Gavin is still sleeping in his crib even though we brought the toddler bed up. Hopefully this weekend we will take naps in the new bed and get him used to it so we can just have one bed in his room.

And lastly, I can't believe it is only 2 weeks until Christmas and I haven't even really started Christmas shopping yet! I better get moving before everything is sold out! maybe I will just do it online this year and hope it arrives on time!

My Little Escape Artist!

I think I jinxed myself last Thursday at the Mother of Multiples Mom's holiday party! I was talking about how lucky I was that my kids had not tried to climb out of their cribs yet! Saturday I put Gavin in his crib for a time out and when I started walking down the hallway to get him out he met me in the hallway! Saturday night I had my work Christmas party so we had a babysitter and I told her that Gavin had just learned how to climb out of his crib so I wasn't sure how bed time would go. She said it went fine, he laid down and fell alseep almost instantly. Sunday night I put him in his crib and a couple minutes later I heard him trying to open his door...he wanted more juice!

So tonight I decided to bring up the toddler bed and let him get used to it...apparently it looks more like a trampoline than a bed! I couldn't keep Gavin and Abby off the toddler bed so finally we closed the door. Gavin talked about his "new bed" all night but didn't really want to sleep in it so he is back in his crib tonight and so far has not climbed out. Hopefully in a few days we can get him to sleep in his bed (and stay in it!)

Yesterday some friends came from Rice Lake...Dad and son went to the Packer game and Mom and 2 daughters came to our house to visit. Gavin had a great time playing with the girls but Abby just wanted to hang on mom. But when the guys got back Abby was in love with Jason, who is around 8! After the Packer lost Emily and I said the Packer stink...so now Abby says the Packers Stink...PU!!

Weekend Fun

We didn't do much at all on Saturday except play and clean! Gavin is such a good helper when cleaning. He loves to have a "job" to do!

I did get the kids inflatable chairs to sit in. Abby got a princess chair and Gavin got a batman chair. They really like them. Now Abby will sit in her chair and look at books for a little while before wanting to sit in our laps! I took a couple pictures of her in her chair...Gavin wouldn't cooperate in his chair but we got some pictures of him in his fire truck. As you can see in the pictures Abby thinks tights are pants! She wanted to wear her tights but no skirt or pants!

On Sunday we had a play date with a little boy that used to go to the kids daycare. We should have those everyday...the kids slept very well last night and didn't wake up until almost 7 this morning! They had a great time and I had a nice visit with his parents!

Cold Season

I was just thinking the other day how we have been pretty lucky lately and not had any illnesses! I should have never had that thought! yesterday I got a call from daycare that they had cleaned out Gavin's eye 3 times and if it gooped up again he would have to go home in case it was pink eye. I schedule a doctor appt for Gav so he could get the all clear to go back to daycare because I knew that he did not have pink eye and the drainage was just from his cold. We went to the doctor and I was correct. No pink eye but a very bad cold.

Last night Abby started showing signs of getting the cold that Gavin has so it will probably be a very long weekend at the Kennedy Household! Hopefully everyone can get healthy by Thanksgiving so they can have fun with Grandpa and Grandma!

This morning Abby finally agreed to wear her new Gymboree boots! I just love them and she refused to wear them for the longest time. Everyone was telling her how cute they were this morning at daycare so maybe she will want to wear them all the time! I will try to get some pictures of her in them and post them.

Happy Friday to everyone!

Potty training adventures!

Over the weekend Abby told me she had to poop...so we headed into the bathroom and she gets on her potty and sits for awhile. (This is the usual routine, we sit for a LONG time and nothing happens). Gavin wanted something so I went into his room to help him and Abby comes running out telling me that she pooped. I tell her good job, stay in the bathroom I will be right there (all the while thinking she is still telling me she has to poop) so I go walking in the bathroom and she was telling the truth! She went poop in her potty. so I dump the little bucket out and we flush. Abby says poop bye, bye! and we praise her. Gavin still thinks going potty is just sitting on the potty chair in your pants and diaper and filling that up! But at least he is sitting on the potty. WE will eventually get there! :)

Tonight I was changing Gavin's diaper on his changing table when Abby says she has too poop. Before I can help her she goes in the bathroom, takes off her pants and diaper and is quiet for a couple seconds. Then she comes running out saying I pooped but this time she came out a little too early...she was not completely done going! So I in a panicked sounding kind of voice tell her to get back in the bathroom and wait for mommy! I try to hurry putting Gavin's diaper on, which is hard to do when he is kicking and squirming, but finally get in the bathroom to discover that she either filled her diaper and then took it off or didn't quite make it to the potty chair!

so that is our adventures in potty training so far this week!

New Goal!

I have really been slacking on a lot of things lately...keeping up on my blog, exercising, healthy eating and studying for the CPA! So my new goal is to blog, at a minimum, every other day, workout at least 3 times a week (hopefully 4), start studying on Monday and really try to watch what I eat! I really need to lose some weight and it isn't going to happen without putting some effort into it!

Updates on the kids...both are doing well. They have been in pretty good moods lately except mornings have been a little challenging! maybe they just aren't morning people!

Last weekend we celebrated Pat's, Pat's mom and his youngest brother's birthdays. His mom recently had knee surgery so I did all the cooking. I loved it. I like cooking but don't get much alone time to spend in the kitchen anymore so it was really nice to do some cooking with no kids hanging off my legs begging me to pick them up!

Before we headed to the birthday celebrations I attempted to make Pat's favorite chocolate cake (his mom's secret recipe) of course it did not turn out quite right but was closer than the last one I tried. After making the frosting I gave the beaters to the kids to enjoy. As you can see in the pictures they did enjoy!!

Stubborn!

I recently purchased very cute pink boots from Gymboree for Abby! I just love them. Today I got Abby dressed and wanted her to wear her new boots. She said no and would kick her feet and try to run away from me when I tried to put them on her! I cannot believe that at the age of 2 she already knows what she does and does not want to wear! I thought I would get to dress her for a few more years yet but I guess I was wrong! I am hoping when the snow flies and she has to wear winter boots outside maybe she will wear her boots!