Getting things in order

Now that Christmas madness has come and gone Rob and I have decided we need to start getting things is order. Since we are 99% sure we will be moving in 2012 either to Oswego or South Carolina we want to start getting out current home in order and finish some of the projects we started and never finished.
So for Christmas we decided to get a Dumpster. I know super romantic. Every year we just get something for the house and this year that's what we are doing. They are dropping it off tomorrow and picking it up on Sunday so we will have a few days to go through the house and really clean out all the random shit that is in it. Hopefully it will give us some more space.
We have also decided it is time to figure out what we are going to do with our stairs. We are going this afternoon to look at runners and stains and hopefully figure something out. It has only taken a year or so! And we are also going to get some quotes for the bedrooms to be recarpeted. Our room and Addies is not that bad but the boys room defiantly needs new carpet. At some point I am sure I will repaint their room as well, maybe something a little more neutral than a dark blue, or I may just touch it up a little.
Hopefully we can get everything taken care of sooner rather than later. I will keep everyone updated on the progress!

Christmas

Well Christmas was yesterday and ours started with a VERY early wake up call from the boys running in our room screaming that Santa came. Alex had given Zach specific directions the night before to wake him up when he woke up and then they would get slippers on and come get us. They we oh so excited! After doing a few gifts at our house we headed to Robs moms house for even more presents, playing and eating. After a long day we pulled back into our driveway around 8pm with 2 sleeping boys and a little girl that was very much still awake! Here are a few pics from our day!



Hopefully I can figure out where I am going to put all this new stuff the kids got!The big hits this year were Addies kitchen, Zachs trains and Alexs circuit board and remote control cars ( which the boys are driving around as I wrote this) I hope everyone else had a very Merry Christmas!!! Time to start saving for next year :)

Christmas Week

You can always tell when it is the week of Christmas Around here. We have friends and family coming over almost everyday and bringing the kids gifts. The toys are piling up and we still have a few days until actually Christmas!!
We also still have our cookies to bake. Aaron, Sarah and Elle are coming over Friday night. It is a tradition of ours to do cookies and presents right before Christmas. I am going to get the kids Kung fu panda 2 for when they get bored of baking and decorating the cookies. We ALWAYS make way to many but we also have a lot of fun doing it.
On Christmas Eve I always make a really nice big breakfast for everyone and we have a low key day. At night the kids get to open their stockings which are usually filled with a movie for each of them, and candy, and some other little goodies. Rob and I watch a movie with the boys and then put them to bed and once we KNOW they are passed out we wrap the gifts and get everything set for the morning.
Christmas morning we do their gifts here and then head to Robs moms house about mid morning to open all the other gifts and spend time with his family.I swear we need a moving van just to get everything back home! I can't wait. I love seeing how excited they are on Christmas morning. And I love just staying in our jammies all day and relaxing while the kids play with all their new toys. And I also like that Rob has time off work so we can spend time together as a family and also as just the two of us. It has been a very busy week and the next few days will be just as busy, but I know they will be fun! Hope everyone is ready for Christmas!

Toddler Terror

You see that cute little girl??? She looks so sweet and Innocent but let me tell you it is all a act. Well maybe not all of it but most. She is a little terror!!! Compared to her the boys were angels at the age of 2. But she is a sneaky little ninja child that will and does get into anything and everything. She is OBSESSED with ice. And we have a fridge where the freezer is on the bottom and she is drawn to it. She will grab my pots and pans or tupperware out of the cabinets and and put ice in them. And yes we have tried to lock the freezer/fridge to keep her out but it is pointless. Childproof locks are something she laughs at and then figures out within seconds.
The bathroom door HAS to stay closed at all times because if not she will sneak in and put monkey in the toilet...along with any bath toys or rolls of tp she can get. And I can not leave my purse anywhere in eyesight of her because she will be digging in it in seconds.She especially loves my keys. There have been many days where I have spend at least 20 mins hunting for my keys.
And if you are a kid in this house and you turn your head for a minute she will grab your toys and run. She thinks it is funny but the boys usually are not so amused. This girl is giving us a run for our money. I am surprised my head is not full of gray hair yet. She can be the sweetest girl, giving kisses and hugs and just cuddling. But I am warning you don;t be fooled. Between her beautiful eyes and adorable smile she is plotting and planning a new way to drive any and all adults crazy!

Snow

Yep it finally came to Illinois!! If I had my way I would live somewhere where it did not snow! Maybe it is because I have a winter birthday, or the fat that I was born on the coldest day even in Illinois ( up to that point...I think there has been colder since) but I HATE the winter.
I love the sledding and the skiing but that is about it. I would prefer to be sitting on a beach, looking at the ocean and sipping a margarita. The boys however LOVE the winter. Maybe it is because almost every little kid loves snow or the fact that cold weather doesn't seem to bother kids. This morning the boys were very loud in letting us know there was snow. Zach was up and asking to play in it by 8 am and Alex looked out the window before school and let the whole house know that it had snowed.
Most of it has melted by now but Zach and Addie did play in it a little before we went to the store this morning. Zach just liked walking around and making foot prints all over and Addie was trying to figure out what the cold stuff on the ground was. I am sure that we will have many many more days with snow on the ground. I am sure we will have many days of sledding and snowboarding this winter. But hopefully it does not stay too long.... I prefer the heat.

its back to work i go......

Since we have been planning on building a new house I have decided to go back to work part time. I am going to be coaching gymnastics again and I love the gym that I will be working at. It is totally different than any gym I have coached at before. I will be coaching classes in the afternoons/evenings at the gym and a couple mornings a week I will be going to park districts and daycares to coach.
My bosses seem really cool and so do the people I will be working with. They really focus on having a positive attitude with the kids which is awesome. There are some gyms that are so strict with kids that it takes the fun out of the sport. And the best part is that my kids get lessons for free. Yep...FREE!!!!! I can not wait to have the boys back in gymnastics and start Addie on her Olympic training. Plus it will be nice to be able to get out the house a little and do my own thing. And most nights I will be coming home to a quiet house which is also nice! I love the sport...every aspect of it. I may no longer have my gymnast body but I can still do some tricks and the splits. And I hope that at least on of my kids will love the the sport as much as I do!
So now i am a part time stay at home mom and a part time worker!