When the Parents are Away...

Tony and I had the good fortune of spending the last week soaking up some sun in Mexico with some great friends. It was nice to get away from everything for a while and de-stress, but we sure missed Harper and Jack and their antics (this is what I looked like the day before we left on vacation- I was art-ha)

 

 Our trip abroad was made possible by Nana and Pop who stayed with the kids for a few days. I called to check in each day and every time I called, the kids were happy, the grandparents were doing well, and even Abby dog was having a good time. Knowing the kids were in such good hands allowed us to relax and really enjoy our vacation. Here are some highlights from Harper and Jack's time with Nana and Pop:

They went to the public library to read some books, put on a puppet show, and check out the toddler story time.

Mom said Jack really enjoyed story time, but Harper was a little nervous with all the other kids and spent most of her time observing while Jack sang songs; they both enjoyed the story that was read.

Another day Nana and Pop filled up the water table and let the kids splash and play. Harper was excited to tell me about it on the phone, and she let us know that Nana put bubbles in the water- so exciting!

Jack and Harper also shoed Nana and Pop the park, played all over the house, took good naps, and ate well while we were gone- I think Tony and I should vacation more often :)

When we got back from our trip on Friday, Harper and Jack looked so big to me and Tony said they must've grown overnight. They now have some new phrases like "I want to show you something" and "whatcha' got" that took me by surprise the first time I heard them.

Our little family of four had two days together before Tony head's back to work tomorrow, so we made the most of our weekend. Jack was so exciting about going to library with Nana and Pop that Tony and I decided to take them to toddler time again Saturday morning. The class wasn't as crowded and Harper knew what to expect, so she had a little more fun this time and both kiddos sang and danced along.

After class was over, the kids got to spend some time on the computer playing toddler computer games (they looks so big here to me) and we let the kids pick some books to check out. Jack was super excited that he got to check out books- the first time we've ever done this- and he had a hard time just picking a few. When we got home from the library, both kids sat down and went through all of their books first thing.

This morning it wasn't too terribly hot, so we decided to take the kids to the park. I take the kids to the park quite a bit, but Tony is usually at work when we go, so today was a treat for him.

The kids had learned a few new things like:
- climbing up the tunnel slide (Jack likes to get up to the top and then slide down backwards on his tummy)

-hanging from the ring above the little slide (Harper is so strong)

-pushing each other down the slide (they do this and giggle; we're not to malicious pushing...yet)

It was also nice to get a few shots of Tony and I playing with the kids- a great way to end the weekend.

On a different note, Harper also had an epic temper tantrum during lunch today (we waited too long to eat and she had a meltdown). This was a cold dose of reality and a reminder that we do have two-and-a-half year-olds that we're trying to guide through life (a task not for the faint of heart).

I am starting a "bucket list" for summer now that we're home from vacation; the list includes things like "trip to the zoo", "eating snow cones" and "potty training". I have 30 days left until I have to report back to school, and I hope to make the most of each day and work on that list.

We are also very happy to welcome a new little boy into our family. We are happy to announce that we have a new nephew born this week! I can't wait to see all 6 Collett grandkids together- they are going to be one adorable little gang.

That's all for tonight- we are so glad to be home in our own beds, with our little family, and can't wait to start planning our next vacation- ha!

2 1/2 Years Old

This week Harper and Jack turned 2 1/2 and had a check-up at the pediatrician's office. We have had some dicey doctor's visits in the past (not at the pediatrician's, but at other specialists), so Tony and I hold our collective breath when we walk into any doctor's office. Thankfully, this check-up was great and the kids both got an "A+" for developments and physical exam.

We waited on the doctor for a few moments, and the kids decided it was a great time to check out the doctor's stool and make sure it was working right.

When the doctor came in, Harper was so cute insisting that it was her turn for a check-up first and eagerly opening her mouth and saying "ahh" or offering her ears to get checked. Harper is a big fan of a cartoon about a doctor, so she was ready to pretend she was a doctor too. 

When Jack went to get his check up, he was interested in all the instruments and spent most of his time talking non-stop to the doctor.

Our pediatrician said they looked great and she'd see them back in 6 months for their three year check-up...are we really only 6 months away from having 3 year olds? Unbelievable. 

After the doctor's office, I decided it was important to celebrate the 2 1/2 year milestone so, I sat down with the kids during lunch and conducted an impromptu interview with each one.

So here are the doctor's stats on both Harper and Jack, and their answers to the questions I asked them:

Jack:

Height- 36.3 inches (53%)

Weight- 27.13 lbs (33%)

Head- 19.8 in (83%)

Harper:

Height- 35 inches (31%)

Weight- 22.5 lbs (3%)

Head- 19.8 in (97%)

*Note, Harper is no longer on the preemie growth curve; she has finally made it to the "real" growth chart! 

Interview Questions:

Jack:

Favorite Color- Red

Favorite Toy- Golf club and golf ball

Favorite Book- The Pancake book

Favorite Food- French Toast Sticks

Favorite Stuffed Animal- Peter Rabbit (aka Peter Cottontail)

Favorite Song- "Pop Goes the Weasel"

Favorite TV Show- Miles from Tomorrow Land

Harper:

Favorite Color- Yellow

Favorite Toy- Little People

Favorite Book- The Animal book (complete with noises of baby animals)

Favorite Food-Mac and Cheese

Favorite Stuffed Animal- Mospy (Peter Rabbit's sister)

Favorite Song- "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"

Favorite TV Show- Doc McStuffins

I am so proud of these two kids everyday- they are learning so much and doing so many things, like drinking out of real cups, and growing so big. 

So here are some pictures of these big kids, these 2 1/2 year olds, doing some fun stuff this week: finger painting, visiting Dad at his office, playing at the park, watching some tv with Abby, and running errands with Dad.

Here's one final funny picture of Harper. She bought me her baby doll and insisted that I help her take of her doll's clothes. She then put some shorts on the doll and announced that the doll was going swimming; moments later, I looked over to see this...

Apparently Harper decided to go swimming her baby doll as well. :)

The other "big" thing that the kids have been doing this week is "pretending". Jack will now announce that he's pretending to be a character from a book, or a character on a tv show. Harper has picked up on this and will talk about pretending now too. I was amazed that they understood this concept of "pretend", and now I smile at the things that they pretend to do- everything from climb a mountain to swim in the ocean.

I can't imagine what the next six months have in store for us, but Tony and I are both excited for the journey. Happy 1/2 birthday, Harper and Jack! We love you!

What We've Been Up To...

I'm not sure where our summer has gone- I am finally done with work for the summer, and just like that it's almost July, and we are only two short days away from having official 2 and 1/2 year olds living in our house (1/2 birthday post to come soon).

I haven't posted since we got back from Thrall, so I have quite a few pictures to document our summer thus far. We haven't done anything monumental, but we have had lots of fun...

Uncle Tanner stopped by to see us before he headed back to his new apartment and new job in the "real world". I was so glad Tanner came by, and I know the kids were excited to see him too. They're already talking about getting on a big plane to go visit their uncle soon.

Last weekend the kids and I were feeling a little under the weather with a summer cold (I was so sick last Saturday that I could hardly move off of the couch and slept for 2 hours in the middle of the day). Tony was the only who was feeling more or less 100%, so he took on the lion's share of caring for the kids (even giving them a bath after swim lessons). The kids had Tony doing all sorts of things to entertain them, but I know they were happy to spend time with their daddy...and to spend time with each other.

I am beyond thankful for Tony, and I am so thankful that after 24 hours of rest, I felt like a new person on Sunday. While I was sick, we decided to let the kids watch their first movie- Toy Story (the original). Harper watched about 30 minutes of the movie and then spent the rest of the time playing, but Jack sat glued to the tv pretty much the whole time. Jack announced today that he's going to ask Santa to bring him a Woody doll and a Buzz doll for Christmas (where does he come up with this stuff, and does he know Christmas is a long way off!?)

Harper has busied herself doing a variety of things. She helped me style my hair (a ponytail, of course), helped me make some homemade granola, and threw a tea party for Abby.

Jack has been into sports lately and spent his time golfing and playing baseball- I'm not sure how much longer these will be indoor activities because he's starting to really whack the ball.  Jack also helped me make some cookies for the neighbors who were nice enough to give the kids some hand-me-down toys and a sandbox, and Jack got some new Spider-Man pjs (he's been singing "radio active Spider-Man" and running through the house all night).

The other thing that has kept us busy has been our trips to the park. Durinda was taking the kids to the park most days, and since I was officially done with work on Friday, we went to the park to celebrate. These kids played hard for an hour and had a blast. They are climbing all over the platforms and going down all the slides now. The park is close to a golf course and Jack would yell "hit that ball, golfers, please!" when he saw them driving by in the golf carts. I can't wait to spend some more time at the park this summer.

We took a little trip on Friday after naps to check out a new store in town- a little shop that offers farm fresh goods. Harper was excited to shop, and she even brought her purse for the occasion. We didn't buy anything, but we did have a snack at their snack counter and the kids got their first taste of snickerdoodle cookies (they were a hit).

Saturday morning Harper and Jack finished up their swim lessons. We just did a three class session, so they're not actually swimming yet, but I think they do feel a little more comfortable in the water. Harper, who loves the bathtub and getting her face wet, didn't really like the swim lessons. She was okay the first class, more scared the second class, and spent a good majority of the third class screaming. Harper does like to blow bubbles, "monkey crawl" on the side of the pool, and climb out and "jump" back in. Jack, on the other hand, does not like getting his face wet (cries when washing hair in the tub) and he did not like the first swim lesson, if you'll recall. But, by the last swim lesson on Saturday, Jack was really enjoying himself. He went underwater twice (during "ring around the rosy") and came up saying "that's blastastic!" (a tag line from one of his favorite cartoons), and then Jack asked Tony to dunk him underwater one more time. Jack got great at kicking and floating, and was starting to work on pulling with his arms. Tonight at dinner, Jack asked if we could go swimming "right now, please!" I think that he's going to be a water boy, and I'm sure Harper will come around to like the water too. Here's a shot of them right after the swim lesson- they were both chattering their teeth and talking about how cold it was.

This afternoon Tony and I decided that needs to venture out to the mall. So, we loaded up the kids and the stroller and walked around trying to make decisions. We were at the mall long enough to need a pit spot for lunch; once we got the kids out of the stroller, they were not excited about going back in. We hit up one more store after lunch- with the kids in tow- and then headed out. The good news is, Harper and Jack did just fine walking through the mall...the bad news- poor Tony had to push the empty double stroller while the kids and I walked.

On the way out, Harper decided she needed to look at some shoes...

Our weekend was capped off with some outside playtime outside in the backyard. Harper walked around picking grass and requesting Abby to come to her by yelling, "Abby- woot woot- Abby!" and patting her leg.  Meanwhile, Jack played in the new sandbox (minus the sand for the moment) with Tony. I love our little family and I love all the time we get to spend together in the summer.