Goodrich Thanksgiving

Friday we had our 'social committee' outing for work. We decided to go to the Iowa Wild hockey game! We went to Buzzard Billy's beforehand for some dinner and then enjoyed the game! It was fun and we had a good turn out!

Saturday we hung out and got ready for Steve's family Thanksgiving in Earlham. Presley was very shy at first (like always) but Piper joined right in. Grandpa Jerry is always very impressed that she is the first grandkid (out of 12 kids) that doesn't cry at the sight of him! LOL! They had a couple bonding moments, he would put his hat on her or she would hand in the stuffed lion...but this is the only crappy picture I got of them!

Jason and Christie got two new kittens....Piper loved them! She followed them, growled at them and was just overall excited to see them in the room. Presley on the otherhand was NOT impressed and didn't want them around her at all!

Even cousin Derek tried to play with Piper and she didn't mind....Presley ignored everyone that talked to her. Everyone kept commenting on how different Piper is from Presley! TOTALLY!

We got home about 9 pm (which is usually early for us) both kids went to sleep right away when we got home......and they didn't get up until after 8:30 this morning! It's one of those moments as a parent when you wake up and wonder if you should go check on them to make sure they are still alive! But I am not complaining!

We knew we had to get our Christmas decorations out this weekend since we won't have time before the weekend of the 13th and that is just too close to Christmas! Presley was excited and a very big help. She was excited about every ornament she pulled out, like she had never seen them before!

Piper, was NOT a big help. She was a pain in the ass! We basically took turns occupying her AWAY from the tree b/c all she did was rip things off the tree. When Presley was this age we had the tree in the living room at our old house, so it wasn't in sight! Out of sight, out of mind! Not with this girl!

Then me and the girls headed to my parents house to watch the Packer game. Originally we weren't going to go but then decided it would be easier to get stuff done around the house if the kids weren't there! So Steve stayed behind and did all the cleaning! (yes ladies, he cooks and cleans...bathroom floors, toilets, kitchen, oh yeah!) Piper took a nap all afternoon, perfect timing for me to actually watch the game without having her as a distraction. :)

We have a busy, busy week ahead but I'll try to post again before we leave for Mexico!!!! :)

More blab!

There are sometimes I feel like we have more control of this parenting thing. Other times, not so much. We went to Applebee's last night for dinner....I don't know why we keep trying to eat out. We do it about once a month and then realize that right now, it is not worth the stress, hassle and money! We thought mac and cheese for the girls to share, we had goldfish to keep Piper occupied while we waited.....Piper threw the mac and cheese on the floor, she wouldn't eat it. She loves the shells and cheese at home, is she really a mac and cheese snob??? So we ordered a corndog, she LOVES hotdogs so we figured this would work.....NOPE! She threw that on the ground too. So she basically had goldfish and applesauce for dinner. UGH! I guess we'll give it another try in December! HA!

Presley's bedtime routine has been awesome for the last couple months! They don't really have the option for naps anymore so school nights she is almost always asleep before 8:30 now! And most of the time she doesn't even make it until 8:15! It's AMAZING considering 6 months ago it was a struggle to get her in bed and asleep by 9!  The nights seem so long now....and I still get nothing done!

Parenthood (the show) I hate you. I hate you b/c there are always tears! Why do you do this to me? But I love you!
I'm excited about the live performance of The Sound of Music on NBC!
I'm excited about the Sing Off coming back to TV! I LOVE American Idol and The Voice...but the Sing Off, might be the best singing competition on TV!

I feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day if all the toys are picked up and the dishes are done. It makes the house seem a little less chaotic when I wake up or when I get home from work.  It never lasts long but I'll take what I can get!

Thankful

I don't like the whole November Thanksgiving posts on FB. It's the same people, same things, different year. Yes, I understand people are thankful and want to express themselves, we all get it. Day after day, we get it. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for all those things too....family, husband, kids....that 'great cup of coffee', friends who understand me...blah, blah, BLAH! (I'm a bitch and I know it!)

However, I wanted to take this Thanksgiving season and thank one person. One person gets all 30 days of thankfulness for me. My mother.
There is no possible way I can ever thank her enough for anything and everything she had done for us, especially when it comes to my children. I hope no one out there thinks I take advantage of my mothers kindness b/c I truly try NOT to.
My mommy has always hoped to do daycare for her grandchildren. This was always the plan for her and us and I don't think I could've ever realized how lucky we were/are! And probably still don't realize how lucky we have been!  Most of my friends don't even have parents who live in the same city as them and we are within 15 miles!
I don't think my mom realized how much work it would be to be daycare and grandma b/c she tries to separate the two which I think takes a toll on her. It's a lot of work and let's face it, she isn't getting any younger! (TOTALLY KIDDING MOM!!!!)
She has volunteered to watch the grandkids overnight one night a month, however we rarely do this. The last time she watched them overnight was in September when we went to the KC football game. And we are lucky enough that she is watching them when we go to Mexico. And I asked her if it was okay before I booked the trip, I didn't want to just assume that she would do it! :)
And she will say no! I think it takes a lot to say no to us (even though I always preface my request with 'you can say no!'). I think she has to hit her limit of 'kid' time but she will say no to us!

So thank you mom for always being there for us and mostly for Presley and Piper!  We are incredibly lucky to have you in our lives and to be such a close family. There is no way I can ever thank you enough (though I'm assuming you would accept a bonus? baked goods? random days off?)

Thank you!!!!!!!! (notice there are 8 exclamation points just for you momma!)

My brain doesn't stop

My lists of things to get done are getting shorter, but really my lists are only for Christmas not for anything between now and then. If I wake up at night, I think....I think....I think. I worry, I plan, I try to convince myself that I will remember everything if I don't get up and write things down. And sometimes I'll get up and write them down just so I can stop thinking about them.
Some day I just want to think like a boy.....you know minimal thoughts, not having to remember much and no worries b/c the wife does that for you. That is what I need! I need a wife! LOL!

Another kid post

- Piper is amazing. I just love seeing her learn. Little things, if I mention going on a walk and that we need to find our coats, she'll walk over to the coat rake and point. If I ask if she has a dirty diaper or a stinky butt, she'll walk to her bedroom for diaper change. If she's hungry, which is all the time, she'll tug on her highchair.
- Piper will put her arm up in the air when asked what an elephant does. She knows what a fish does, but her waddling for a penguin looks like she is shaking her head no and she scrunches up her face for a bunny (which is hilarious and I will get a picture!).
- Piper loves hotdogs, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, green beans, broccoli, mandarin oranges, applesauce, strawberries, bananas, waffles, fish, mashed potatoes, goldfish, crackers, cheese...she does pretty good eating for a little girl!
- Our Ipad has that photo booth camera app and the pictures make me cry they are so funny! I'll just post two of the girls and none of me and Steve b/c it would be embarrassing! Only you, my blog followers get to see these pictures! Aren't you special?

Isn't this so bad and so funny and so wrong and Steve really wants me to delete them! But I'm here for entertainment purposes and you deserve a good laugh! :)

Day by day!

So my parents are out of town for my cousins wedding in Texas, Samantha had Friday off and watched Piper for us (thank you Sam!) so Steve took Monday off to watch Piper and I have today and tomorrow off! Today Steve didn't have much to do at work so he was home by 9 and was able to join me and Piper in our trip to Target and the mall to do more Christmas shopping (I WILL have this done before Thanksgiving!) .
We took Piper to the mall play area.......Piper is out of control. She is full of energy, not scared and on the go.  She ruled that play land like she was the oldest kid there and she was the youngest! Presley wouldn't go down that slide without us RIGHT next to her (and probably still wouldn't), Piper would probably leave with a different parent and not even think twice (scary, I know!) It's so interesting to see how different they are!
We came home, Piper took a good nap, Steve put up the Christmas lights, I did some crap around the house and read my book. Good afternoon!
Then Steve 'volunteered' to take Presley to cheer, since I refuse after what happened last week. She did good! So he has a new parenting responsibility by taking her every week now! LOL!

Tomorrow I have Boston, Piper and Presley in the morning. I'm being nice and taking Presley with me to her old preschool when we drop off Boston. In hopes that she'll remember her teachers and that they will remember her. Maybe now she'll actually talk to them?! Wish me luck in having these 3 kids in the morning! :) and then wish me luck in getting Piper and Boston to nap at the same time tomorrow afternoon! HA!

Lazy Sunday

Last night Presley was HOT by bedtime. We forced her to take some Tylenol, she had been coughing so hard and ended up throwing up in her bed in the middle of the night. It was sad. Just sucks when your baby doesn't feel good and there is nothing you can do about it.

This morning was my morning to sleep in! I always hope I can actually sleep in to take advantage of it. Both girls were up about 7:30 and Steve was nice enough to let me sleep until 9:30! Oh yeah! Today we did a lot of nothing! We didn't have any errands to run and with Presley recovering from her fever and cough we decided to just lay low! We watched a lot of TV, played computer games, cuddled, colored. Piper took a good 3 hour nap, we did a little cleaning, some laundry and just lounged around! Great lazy day!

Steve went to watch football with the boys tonight, I figured with whiny Piper and tired, sick Presley it would be a rough night for me. However, they were both great and were both asleep by 8:15. I've done some online shopping, working on another shutterfly photo book (I just ordered my 2012 photo book, another thing to cross off of my to-do list!), caught up on my DVR'd shows and will finish my glass of wine and head to bed. One day of work and then I have two days off! :)
Goodnight all!