Carlson Happenings

I officially have a case of the winter blahs. I am so ready for spring! It is this time of year that makes me miss living in North Carolina. March down south is BEAUTIFUL, while March in New York is just...well, dirty. (I know it is not March yet, but it is coming!) Any snow that remains is black with dirt and everything just looks plain dingy. BLAH! Oh, and you can bet we haven't seen the last of the snow...there is always one more storm that sneaks up on us just when we think we have seen the last of it. BLAH!

James bought me red tulips (my favorite) for Valentine's Day. They were a reminder to me that though winter is making me a bit stir crazy, there is a promise of spring. I should have taken a picture of the tulips yesterday though. I woke up this morning and they were all drooping WAY over the side of the vase. Hmph. I guess they agree with me on this winter thing (or perhaps it was that they had sucked up all of the water in the vase?).

In an effort to cure these winter blahs, I have been trying to get out and about with the kids despite the cold temps. I joined a local Mom's group and through that have found some really neat local activities. We have been attending story hour at Barnes & Noble once a week, at which the kids often do a craft and then, of course, there is the train table that Ryan loves. We have also been introduced to "Johnny Only" (kind of like a local Wiggle). He provides a free show every Friday at Highland Park (inside the gym during the winter months and outside at the pavillion in the summer). He sings, juggles, has puppets, and really gets the kids singing and dancing. Ryan seems to really enjoy it and it has been a great way for me to meet other Moms!

Our search for a church in the Binghamton area continues. We have recently attended Northpointe Church, which is a new church plant in our area. I went by myself the first week, as James was working and my Mom stayed home with the kids. It was kind of nice to be able to sit through an entire service, without wondering about the kids. Ryan had a bad experience with the last church we had attended for a few weeks...they had the WRONG person running the Sunday school class for 3 and 4 year olds...NO PERSONALITY and she really didn't know how to interact with the little ones. I am finding that what I am looking for in a church has drastically changed since I have children. I want a place where my kids will enjoy going to church, where they will have fun while learning about Jesus at the same time. I also want a place where James and I will grow and be challenged in our Faith. Northpointe is VERY new, and they are still trying to get "off the ground", so to speak. It is kind of exciting to think of being part of a church from the beginning. We have had some negative experiences being "newcomers" in some of the churches we have attended (both here and when we were in NC), so perhaps this is an opportunity for us to take those experiences and help to make sure that nobody else has to feel that way coming into a new church? I may be getting ahead of myself here...but just a thought.

In other news...Ella is 7 months now. At her 6 month check-up she was in the 75th percentile for weight (17lbs, 10 1/2 oz) and the 100th percentile for height (28 inches). She is doing well. We have started her on baby food and have gone through all of the fruits and vegetables. I think green beans are the only vegetable that she doesn't really care for. I am taking the introduction of new foods very slowly with her because of the tummy troubles she had as a newborn. I am hoping she will outgrow any sensitivities she had (we think it was from milk/dairy products) and that she will be able to eat a normal diet.

Notice the carrots smeared on the high chair pad...thank goodness for Shout!

Again, I am looking forward to spring and to tackling some of the outdoor projects we hope to get done. We have two more decks to rip out when the weather gets warmer, and we hope to get some landscaping advice for the spot where the pool once sat. We planted some grass seed last fall, and it grew in nicely, but the slope is still too steep and slopes toward our house...not good. And, without the baby bump that sat in front of me last spring/summer, I hope to be able to tackle the flower gardens that surround my house! Lots of work ahead of us, for sure! And with two little ones...HA! Right...

Similarities

I have always thought that Ella looks a little like my Dad. I can see it most in her eyes. Recently I took Ella to have her 6 month photos taken and noticed that in one of the shots I can really see the similarities. See for yourself...

I so wish he could have met her.

6 Months and Funny Quotes from Ryan

It has been 6 whole months since our baby girl was born and I am having a hard time believing it! After a rough little start, she is continuing to thrive and has turned into such a happy baby! She LOVES to laugh her big belly laugh at her brother's antics and her smile just lights up the room. At her last appointment she was in the 70th percentile for weight and the 97th percentile for height...long and lean as the doctor says. Some of her latest tricks are sitting up (mostly unassisted), rolling over from back to tummy, and saying "dadadadada". I think she is going to like singing, as most of the time she is making sing-songy noises (she may even be practicing to be a back-up to Michael Jackson with her "woo-hoo" sound she makes...not that Mommy would let THAT happen!!). At any rate, it is a joy having her as part of our family and I cannot say enough how blessed we are to have these two beautiful children.

Here are some recent pictures of Ella:

Lounging in the tub--what a life!

Pretty ballerina girl

"Helping" with the laundry

Sitting up like a big girl


Poor Ryan hasn't had a very great start to 2009. We all caught a NASTY stomach bug just after the New Year. For James, Ella and I it only lasted 24-48 hours. Ryan was unfortunate enough to get it for 7 days. He was just miserable. He was over that for about a week before he got hit with another virus. This one consisted of a sore throat, high fever, nasal congestion, and loss of appetite (like he could afford to lose any more weight from the first virus!). Fortunately this one is known to last only a couple of days. The sore throat and fever are gone and he is just left with congestion at this point. Ryan hardly ever gets sick, so to have two viruses back to back has really knocked him out! Poor little guy hasn't been out of the house more than twice this month!! I think we are all getting a little stir crazy at this point. Anyway, in between viruses, he continues to enjoy his sister (I imagine it is because she hasn't yet gotten into his toys!) and loves to make her laugh. He continues to make US laugh by the funny things that he says. We decided to keep a running list, so here are a few quotes I thought I would share:

1-9-09

A conversation between my Mom and Ryan as Ryan was recovering from a stomach bug:
MiMi: “Ryan, do you want to rest for a little while and watch a cartoon?”
Ryan: “No, my head will turn to mush!”

1-21-09

Ryan and James were heading out to Ryan’s Dr’s appointment. Apparently, James was not moving fast enough for Ryan at which point Ryan said, “Dad, just turn the music up and go.”

James and Ryan talking about visiting Grandma and Grandpa:
Ryan: “Dad, we can go visit Grandma and Grandpa at Christmas time.”
James: “We can visit them sooner than that once you’re feeling better.”
Ryan: “Dad, Grandma and Grandpa have tissues at their house.”

1-22-09

Kate: “What are you doing, Ryan?”
Ryan: “None-ya.”

(This last one might be considered a bit disrespectful if he didn't say it with such a huge grin on his face!) Where in the world did he hear that from!?

I wonder what he was wanting to say here!?

The third time is a charm

...or so they say. We didn't try for a third picture...after getting the kids all dressed up and two attempts at getting them to smile, they were in tears and Mommy was on the verge! Ryan didn't want anything to do with having his picture taken and Ella was hungry (WRONG time of day to be taking pictures!!) But, once I uploaded the pictures to the camera, I realized how priceless they were...even without smiles on their faces! Why do we torture them so?


Ryan is thinking "What do you mean I have to sit still?"




He wanted nothing to do with holding Ella (hence my hand in the picture holding her up!)

Thanksgiving Turkey

A few years ago, when James and I were living in North Carolina, our parents came down to celebrate Thanksgiving with us (as well as James' graduation from the police academy). Our Moms thought it would be funny to buy us this ginormous stuffed turkey. Oh, didn't they think they were hilarious! I think they stopped somewhere in Virginia to buy the thing, and then the rest of the way to NC they sat in the back seat with the turkey...making it wave out the window at people and just acting silly with it. I am thinking they must have been a bit punchy from riding in the car so long! Anyway, it has become a tradition in our family that whoever hosts Thanksgiving dinner has to have the turkey. Somehow we have ended up with it at our house for the past several years. At any rate, both of my kids have celebrated their first Thankgiving with this silly turkey. Aren't they lucky?

Ryan's first Thanksgiving-November 2005

Ella's first Thanksgiving-November 2008

Girly Things

Ella received the sweetest package in the mail yesterday! It came from my friend Lindy in Utah. Lindy and I became friends when we were in high school. Somehow time and distance caused us to lose touch with one another. Thanks to blogger, and facebook, we were able to reconnect! The package Lindy sent contained the cutest little tutu (made by Lindy herself) and little ballerina slipper socks, as well as some very cute hair accessories! All things every little girl should have!! Thanks, Lindy, for being so thoughtful, and I'm so glad we are in touch again!! I miss you!

The things toddlers say...

I just love the innocent honesty of toddlers...well, sometimes!! Here are a few funny conversations that I have had with Ryan recently:



While tucking Ryan into bed one night this past week we were talking about Christmas and I asked him what he would like for a gift this year. He thought for a minute and said, "Who's that red and white guy?" I laughed and said, "Do you mean Santa Claus?". "Yeah", he said. "What does he do?" I proceeded to explain that Santa brings presents to good little boys and girls all over the world on Christmas Eve. I then explained that the real reason we celebrate Christmas is because it is the day that Jesus was born. I asked Ryan if he would like to make a birthday cake for Jesus. He thought he might like to do that. I asked him what kind of cake he thought we should make. He replied "Chocolate." So, I reiterated that we would make a chocolate birthday cake to celebrate Jesus' birth. It was quiet for a minute, and then...very condescendingly...Ryan said "No, Mommy. Santa will make a birthday cake for Jesus." Hmm...it appears that we have some additional explaining to do on that one!

My Mom, James' Mom, and the kids and I went out shopping this past week. James' Mom recently had a hair cut and a perm. I could tell that Ryan was looking with question at his Grandma, but he didn't say anything. He just kept staring at her. When we went out to the car to get a snack, Ryan asked me "Mom, what is wrong with Grandma's head?" HA! I said "Ryan, there is nothing wrong with Grandma's head...she got her hair cut and had some curl put into her hair." "Don't you like it?" He responded quite matter of fact saying "No, I don't." Oh dear.

One night, during dinner, while James was at work, Ryan was having a very hard time sitting in his chair and eating his dinner. He was, in fact, being pretty rotten. I told him that he needed to eat a couple of bites or there would be no snack after dinner. He flat out told me "NO!" so I told him if he wasn't going to sit at the table and be the good boy that I knew he could be then he would have to go upstairs and go to bed. He started crying and talking back, so I showed him the way to the stairs. I told Ryan he was not to come down stairs until he was ready to behave at the table and eat his dinner. I finished my meal and after a few minutes, Ryan decided he was ready to come downstairs and finish his. Ella was sitting next to us in her bouncy seat...happy as could be. Ryan looked at me and asked, "Mommy, are you happy?" (This is Ryan's way of making sure I am not mad at him anymore.) I said "Ryan, it makes Mommy happy when you are a good listener." He looked at Ella and said "Is Ella happy?" I said "Yes, she is." He looked at Ella again and said "Mommy, look, she's smiling at you." "Yes, she is, Ryan." "Mommy, I think she is telling you not to be mad anymore." Oh, how my heart melted!

I love my kids :)!