Santa Visit

Last year Bradley was deathly afraid of Santa while Sean nervously smiled not knowing what to do. This year, I prepped Bradley beforehand, reminding him that we will only see Santa for a few minutes and Mommy will pick him up right away. He refused at first but after Matt and I told him he could ask Santa for dinosaurs, he changed his mind in a split second and happily sat on his lap. He also asked Santa for toast, while Sean asked for a flying pig and a window shield. I later asked Sean what that was, and he was describing the window guard that Matt put on our kitchen window to keep out the cold. What funny kids we have! Here are my adorable, funny kids.

Frozen

Sean and I saw Disney's Frozen last weekend. This was the first movie Sean sat through from beginning to end. I was pleasantly surprised with how great the movie was. The songs are still in my head and Olaf the snowman is hilarious. I have always liked Idina Menzel since Wicked, but I had no idea Kristen Bell could sing! The story is about sisters, which reminded me of my sister and I (even though our lives weren't remotely like the characters in the movie). Even though there were two sisters, I also thought about Sean and Bradley's relationship as brothers. I really hope they remain close brothers throughout life. They love each other's company now so we are on the right track. Family is so important and I have been realizing that more each year, especially after having kids. Friends will come and go, but family will always be there because they have to be and hopefully because they want to be. The movie is about two princessess but it's great for girls AND boys to see of all ages. I am going to add the Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen on my books to read.

My new coat

The temps have been arctic-like and it's not technically winter yet! I am assuming we have a long winter ahead and my wool pea-coat was not cutting it anymore, especially since Bradley insists on walking and getting in/out of his car seat "BY MYSELF". This make my time outside much longer.

I now understand why all of my seasoned mom-friends (those with older kids) wear long down coats when taking the kids to and from school. I have joined the bandwagon, and am now much warmer. The faux chinchilla hood is so soft- I love it. Too bad I don't have a one sided red braid, or I would look just as stylish as the model.  

We moved!

If you told me a few months ago that we would be moved into a new house by the end of October I would have laughed. We weren't planning on looking for a house until 2014. Well, we decided to look at ONE house in September and then proceeded to put an offer on it the day the listing came out! With the market the way it is right now, there are less houses than demand for them so if you want a house you have to snatch it up. The house had a great location, great schools, and a lot of space. Because it needs a little work, it was also at a great price at a great interest rate. How could we say no?
We closed on October 25th and moved in a few days later. We are still in boxes but are excited to make this our new home, and possibly our "forever" home. I am really excited for the boys to grow up in our new wonderful neighborhood and have lots of  memories to remember.

Puzzles

My boys are puzzle geniuses-

Sean does 100 piece puzzles several times a DAY. He hands me the box and says that he doesn't need to see the picture anymore, haha.
Bradley does 48 pieces, which is quite insane for a 2 year old. I wonder what kind of skill this turns into later- spacial reasoning, math? hmmm

Pre-K for Sean

Sean now goes to PreK 4x a week, in the mornings. It has been quite a change (for me!) to take him and pick him up almost every day. Bradley is more lonely because he misses Sean when he is gone. One of the days, Bradley goes to "school" himself, and another day we hang out with my parents, which he LOVES.

Sean's first day of Pre-K

However there are two days where we have to find something to do without Sean. I am going to look into some classes soon because I don't want to take Bradley to the gym daycare during the winter.
Bradley and Sean love playing together so it's really cute when I pick Sean up and Bradley runs to him and nearly tackles him with a hug. I will try and get it on video one day.
Sean is loving his new preschool. I am glad we made the switch because most of the students feed into the private school we are thinking of sending Sean to for kindergarten. The teachers are so nice and the families have been so inviting. It's a really great environment for the boys.

Sean's school is located in this beautiful church-

Mona's visit

More visitors came and this time it was Mona and her family! We were able to make the most of their week with us by taking trips to the park, Wing Lake, and celebrating my dad's birthday at his favorite restaurant, Mongolian BBQ. We also had a sisters' Zumba class where Mona helped teach Sab's class. Lastly we had an adults' dinner at 220 in Birmingham. Here is a cute picture of our boys at Firefighters Park.

And here we are at 220 (minus Ashwin who had to stay in GR)

Summer with friends

We have been playing with friends every week, whether it's friends who live close by or far away. Our Nebraska friends came to visit us, which was a great treat as we haven't seen them since their wedding 6 years ago. They brought along their 14 month old, Carter. We hung out at the zoo, a few restaurants and had a bbq for them at our house. Ashley and AJ were so fun and it had been like no time had passed. Here is a cute picture of the 3 boys at the zoo.

Sean also has a few friends now. He talks about the kids at his summer school and how they talk and play together. This is different from last year when he was still in "parallel play" mode. Having friends is a 4 year old milestone and I'm glad we are finally there! Here are a few pictures with my friend's daughter, Amelia. Sean and Amelia play very well together!

Working on an art project together

Holding Hands at the Park

My sister is coming into town tonight so we will have even more summer fun!

2 and 4 are the BEST age

I listen to Blaine and Allison on the radio sometimes while I drive the kids around. And they were talking about how kids say the darndest things, especially around ages 2 and 4. I am a little biased since my kids are 2 and 4, but I couldn't agree more. Sean and Bradley are both so cute, adorable and DO say the funniest things. Just the other day, I was telling Sean how the Starbucks near my parents' house was not there a few years ago. I said, "Aiji (my mom) and Grandpa moved in, and then they built a Starbucks later." And Sean said, "I didn't know Aiji and Grandpa built the Starbucks". He was totally serious. haha LOVE that. I was technically grammatically incorrect, but little kids take everything so literal! These conversations take place many, many times a day.
Bradley is starting to talk and he's in a phase called "word explosion". The crazy month where everything you've ever said to him in the last few years starts coming out of his mouth. He had been listening to me! He says everything and wants to know every word. Bradley points at anything and says "that" meaning what is that. He even says expressions like "oh gosh", which is totally MY thing. haha.
I am loving ages 2 and 4. They want to play and talk to me all the time, and I know this won't last forever.
Here is a cute video of Bradley happily sharing crackers with his friend, Charlie.

Birthdays

Today, July 5th, is Sean's birthday. Bradley had school and Matt did not have work so Sean got the entire day with Matt and I. We went bowling, went out to lunch and spent the rest of the day playing with his new presents, mostly his Star Wars guys and his new toy house. Sean also got a Star Wars bike (see a theme here?)

 Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Opening gifts

High 5 after a good bowl

A few weeks ago we had Sean's birthday party. We have to have it a little early because everyone is on vacation during Sean's real birthday. We had it at Troy Gymnastics. They did a great job setting up the gym so it was age appropriate for 3-4 year olds. After the gym part, we went into their upstairs room for food, cake and presents. We ordered the cake through a friend's recommendation and it came out amazing!

Between Sean's birthday party and his actual birthday, Bradley had his 2 year birthday. Since it was Saturday, we just relaxed in the morning and had our first bbq in the evening. My parents are out of town exploring the world (Russia and Eastern Europe this time) so when they come back we will celebrate the boys' birthdays AGAIN with them!

Summer and BBQs

We had a long, cold winter so when spring finally set in May and then summer came as scheduled in June, we were all in very happy spirits! Our neighbors invited us over for a bbq and since then we've been hanging out with them quite a bit. They have 2 kids who are also 2 and 4 so it's a pretty perfect set up. Sean now asks if he can play with Kaley a few times a week!
Having bbqs with the neighbors has convinced us to finally get a grill. I have been wanting to get one forever but our previous places have not been ideal. Therefore a few weeks ago, we went to Lowes and bought a grill, grill cover, grill utensils and propane. Our first attempt was on Bradley's birthday, June 29th.

It turned out well, but I think our second attempt on Independence Day was much more organized! Besides bbqing we have been soaking up the sun outside while playing, eating ice cream, and splashing in our new baby pool. I also signed Sean up for a few preschool camps at lifetime so he can play with other kids his age.

The Dairy Mat below (my first time, it was GOOD!).

With my favorite holiday (4th of July) and my kids having birthdays the same week, this time of year will be the best every year!!

Preschool Graduation

Sean graduated from 3 year old preschool. He is going into Pre-K in the fall and then will be in Kindergarten. The kids in his class put together a very cute play called "Going on a Bear Hunt". Sean has grown up so much this past year and you can really tell in this picture below juxtaposing his first and last day of school.

After the presentation the kids played with each other and the parents on the playground. We were able to find Ms. Sally, one of his three teachers, albeit his main one. 

The proud parents and brother Bradley with the graduate

Wine Tasting

We had a wine tasting at our house. I bought it off of a deal website and wasn't sure what to expect. We had the Sackins and Salazars come over and all of us were very happy with the wine and company! Both of our friends even bought a few bottles. Matt and I didn't buy any since we had so much leftover. Bruce, our wine expert, was really knowledgeable and great. He even let Sean "present" with him for a few minutes (Bradley was asleep). I recommend pcp wine company if you can get Bruce.

Mother's Day

The boys and Matt took me out to Ocean Prime, one of my favorite restaurants. They were very well-behaved and Matt and I were able to enjoy some yummy food. I splurged and bought a mocha capp complete with a sugar stirrer. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. We have the best and hardest job in the world!

Downton Abbey

Matt and I started watching this after several friends and my in-laws said that it was really good. It IS really good. We finished the first season and I am 15th on the waiting list at the library for the second season. Last night, I found out I can watch them online for free with my amazon prime membership! Woo hoo!

Colorado Trip

My parenting group has been a wonderful blessing. Beaumont Hospital puts moms together that had similar due dates so everyone in my group had babies between June and August of 2009. We got together every week from when our babies were 4 months old to almost a year old. It was nice to go through the challenge of being first time moms together. Now that our lives are much busier, it was surprising that so many of us could drop everything and spend a weekend visiting one of our fellow moms, who had moved to Colorado recently. We had a great time seeing Boulder and spending time at a dude ranch/spa. A huge thanks to all of the dads who took care of our kids while the moms went to play. It was the first time I had ever left the boys and I was pretty anxious about it. I don't think there is any other way I could have left them, unless it was with my Beaumont group. We were in this together again!

Spring Break in Orlando

We went to Orlando mid-March. We were going to just stay in Michigan but Sabrina kindly let us use one of her timeshare weeks. We stayed at the Sheraton Vistana resort, which was just minutes from Downtown Disney. Activities included Gator Land (cool place!), Disney World, Downtown Disney, and going to fun restaurants like the Grand Floridian brunch, the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian, and Cheesecake Factory. We needed a break from the cold weather, and were able to even swim one afternoon. Although it's nice taking trips, nothing beats coming back to the great state of Michigan and appreciating our home. =)

Brunch at the Grand Floridian

March Madness

Update#2: We were in the FINAL, but we lost =( Great run boys!
Update: we are in the Elite Eight now! 3/29/13

Go Blue! We are in the sweet 16 for the first time since 1994. Wow!

Spring Lineup

Starting in April-

Monday - Gym, park or zoo

Tuesday - Sean, preschool until 11:30
Bradley and Mommy hang out with Jennifer and Isabella

Wednesday - Hang out at my parents' house (probably my dad's favorite day!)

Thursday - Sean, soccer class

Friday - Both boys have full day school, I can work out and grocery shop

We also recently bought membership to the Cranbrook Science Center so I would like to fit that in once or twice a month. And obviously, we get together with our play group now and then, but that isn't on a consistent basis.

Now if only I could schedule "independent play time" for Bradley while I make dinner...haha

I joined Lifetime Fitness. I really like spinning at Go Cycle, but since we've moved out of Royal Oak, the drive time has made it hard to go on a consistent basis. Also the classes are only in the morning and evening, and I need to get my workout in while the kids are at school. Lifetime is closer, has classes during the day, AND has a daycare so I can even go when my kids aren't in school. I am even going to try yoga, something I've been wanting to do for a while to increase flexibility. I think there are also kids swimming classes, family swim times, and kids summer camps. The monthly price is a little higher, but I think the benefits will save me time and a little money (in gas and babysitting). Hopefully this decision was a good idea!!

Cruise Booked!

I think I have a similar heading a few years ago! We booked a cruise yet again. We wanted to try out the new Disney Fantasy ship and were able to book a family ocean view room, which are some of the biggest standard rooms on the ship. If you have ever been on a cruise you know how SMALL most rooms are! We will be heading to Grand Cayman with Matt's parents, but not until 2014! Let the long wait begin. 

Bradley's firsts

Brad has been babbling for months, but I can now make out specific words. His best word, and first that I officially would count a word besides dada and mama, is duck. He gets excited when he sees ducks, swans, geese or anything that resembles a duck. His favorite game is to repeat words that I point out in his books and on his B. squishy blocks. We do this for a LONG time. He is pretty good at turtle, and of course mommy and daddy (mama and dada). He is getting better at Sean but still says "ja".
Yesterday, Bradley started "school". I was pretty nervous, but handled it better than the first day Sean went to school. Bradley goes to an in-home daycare center. It was highly recommended and the owner has been doing this for over 30 years. She teaches everything from cooking, history, and art to potty training! And the best thing is that Brad can play with other kids his age. He will only go one day a week until next year. I was going to wait a few more months but my babysitter who I have used since Sean was 1, took a new job and I couldn't get anything done between Brads naps and driving Sean to and from preschool!
Bradley cried on drop off and pick up but apparently was fine in between. He will hopefully be more adjusted as the weeks go by.

Bradley at 18 months

Bradley turned 18 months on December 29th, but his appt wasn't until the second week of January. His stats were 23.3 lbs and 33 3/4 inches in height. He wasn't as heavy as his curve suggested he should be, but he had been having cold after cold this past month. After being extremely healthy last winter, he now has something every few weeks. Even though I have been upping the hand washing and putting a humidifier in his room everyday, these germs are unstoppable. I hope this means his immunity will be that much stronger next year!
At 18 months, Brad is still a ball of sunshine when he's not very sick. His favorite toys are the Little People Noah's Ark set (from Grandma and Grandpa Herstein), fake food (especially ones where he can put them in its container and take them out), stacking blocks, and playing in his new indoor cottage. Because of Sean's recent obsession with the Ipad and watching Disney movies, Bradley is also into those things as well.
We started music class, library story time and have weekly play dates with Jen and her daughter Isabella. Bradley is also a very good sport when he has to come with me to take Sean to and from school. He is an excellent eater, although he still throws his food when he is done eating. We are working on that!
He signs lots of words and is starting to talk, although most of it sounds like babble. He will be starting "school" one day a week in three weeks.
Here he is with Isabella, "taking turns" with her chair.

Christmas Festivities

We had a lot going on this holiday season! We had many parties to go to, including Matt's work party, a play group party, and a friends' party (with Erin and Steph's families!). There were a few other get togethers and it was great seeing everyone! Sean had a Christmas pageant at school that told the story of Jesus' birth. It was so cute watching the infants, toddlers, and preschoolers attempt to tell a story and act out a play. At one point, a toddler grabbed the baby Jesus doll from the manger and tried to run out of the chapel! Sean was a camel in the nativity scene. He performed well and he may have an acting career in his future! =)

Sean, center, as a camel

 Bradley and I watching the play

I was very excited to celebrate Christmas this year just because I was excited to give the kids their gifts! Santa did not disappoint (and neither did the grandparents!). Our boys must have been very good this year!

We celebrated Christmas Eve with the Hersteins and Christmas Day with my parents. We had our first snowfall and Brad was able to play in the snow for the first time. To the left, you can see a huge smile on his face, which was a little different from Sean's first time, two years ago, which you can click on here. We went up north for the weekend of New Year's and rang in the New Year at home with our tradition of ordering in PF Changs. I had a wonderful 2012 and hope 2013 is even better!

Matt's Birthday

Matt opted to see a movie for his December birthday this year. We saw the very long movie, the Hobbit. It was similar to Lord of the Rings since it was directed by Peter Jackson and is also written by Tolkien. I was adjusting to Sean's new non-nap schedule where I am a little exhausted, so I might have slept a little bit, but from what I saw, the movie was pretty good and I felt refreshed after it was over! hehe I was surprised to see the main character, who I think is a good comedic actor, played by Martin Freeman who was in the Office and Love Actually. Since Matt likes these kinds of movies, I assume I can catch what I missed after it comes out on DVD. The boys and I bought him a cake, two balloons, and some presents (The hobbit on cd, a green lantern usb drive and several dark chocolate candy bars from reeses, kit kat,etc). Matt turned 33 years young. Happy Birthday Matthew!!