A little eye candy

Because apparently a few people are still reading this

Been away for a while, but we got busy? Dog ate our blog? I think it would be easier to bring you up to speed if I really put some effort into it, but I just spent over an hour working on a slide show to put on here but UGH foiled again!! Ugh. Instead of taking extra chemistry classes as electives...why didn't I study web design or computers?? Eh, bye-gones.

Anyway. Since last posting in November so much has happened. I will try to keep it quasi chronological and then upload a a couple updated photos of the kiddos and then try, try, try to keep it up to date moving forward. [I promise.]

• Jeremy and I caught a football game at Notre Dame and experienced the ultimate in tailgating.
• We hosted a nice Thanksgiving at home with a full house and PUMPKIN ROLLS!!!
• Claire busted her mouth, BAD. Complete with two fractured front teeth and an intruded incisor that has since dropped back down from below her gum line. This prompted a series of questions and several discussions regarding the frequency in which she trips over and into things she ought to be able to see her way around. Enter the A Ha Moment: Maybe she can't see! And that is how Claire came to have glasses at 2 years old.
• We celebrated a wonderful, wonderful Christmas at home. Jack got ROCKED, ravaged and leveled by the stomach flu, starting on the 23rd and finally calling it a wrap on Christmas morning, poor little man. We had Nana and both Papas over to share the holiday. Each year with the kids is more and more fun. Jack was happy to explain to anyone that would listen that Christmas is "Da Baby Jesus' birthday and I get my blue sword with the red button." He got his blue light-saber, no worries. Claire asked EVERY single mall and Salvation Army Santa for a "Pink kitty cat named Livia". She got that too.
• Our beloved dog Tika lost her battle with cancer and we had to say a very tearful goodbye on New Year's Eve. We must have cried every single day for 2 months. Claire says her prayers each night before bed and asks "Jesus take care my Tika." And tells anyone who will listen about her Tika in Heaven with Jesus. Heartbreaking.
• We finally accepted that we needed a puppy/dog to liven our spirits and adopted an instantly loved boxer we named Ruby. She is a sweety and has brought happiness back to our other dog/large cat Bailey who had been rather depressed after Tika passed. Bailey is genetically a dog but is only a litter box short of actually being a cat.
• We had a case conference regarding Jack's progress in school and whether he was moving on to kindergarten [he is], but at that conference they gave us his file which listed his anticipated graduation: May of 2022 Ha, ha, ha....that means we are all old.
• I lost my job a couple weeks ago, not so funny...but we are dealing with it and I am in the hunt for a new one along with a TON of other people. Apparently, despite years of my parents telling me so, I am not special but am in fact like a lot of other people.
• It is time for some Spring Break fun!! I promise to chronicle our week! Stay tuned!

Thanks

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, so Jack's preschool class has been discussing what it means to be thankful. Each student was asked to make a list of the things for which they are thankful. Jack's list is as follows [Please note who took the number 1 spot]:

1) Mommy
2) Daddy
3) Sissy (Claire bear)
4) Nana
5) Papa Chip & Papa Fred (apparently a combo)
6) Papa Jimmy (Jeremy's Uncle who loves to rough house and give them candy)
7)Sharks
8) Food
9 Tika & Bailey (our dogs)
10) Jonas & Robert (two of his classmates)
11) Jesus
12) Mrs. Eaton & Mrs. Fleak (his teachers)
13) Our House
14) "Mans" (action figures)
15) Breakfast Corndogs (corndogs, but made of pancake and sausage)
16) Human Torch costume
17) Mr. Fantastic (super hero)

Back and Throwing 7 different kinds of smoke!

Maybe I first!!

Jack has this thing with starting every sentence with either Maybe or Because. Maybe we can have ice cream. Maybe I need to go to the bathroom. Because why did you do that? And so on.

He has another issue with being first or being the leader. No I am the leader. He has to get out of the car first (before Sissy) he has to walk ahead of her, etc. Maybe they will end up track stars, because don't think for a minute that Claire isn't ALWAYS trying to do whatever it is that Jack has in mind. She will counter with No, Jack, I first. And so it begins.

Our Girl...

Claire-bear turned two.

If you call her Claire, Sissy, Hey You, etc... She will promptly correct you and tell you "No [insert name], I Care Bear", so now you know.

Her latest thing is playing Simon Says. In the effort to keep her from touching all uncharted surfaces of a public toilet, I distracted her with the game...that was 2 weeks ago and she hasn't stopped playing since.

It is do or die, we have given her a two week window to adjust to the idea of pony tails (she calls them princesses) or we will be cutting back the Canadian passport; mullet; her golden camaro hair; the ol' yep nope; hockey hair...... because she is all business in the front and party in the back, but the party has come and gone. Time for pony tails or a trim, her call.

She spent the morning of her party in the ER with Daddy. She had dislocated her radius at the elbow, apparently more commonly known as a "milk maid's elbow" commonly to who? Dairy farmers, I dunno. This was probably just the start of trips to the ER with this one. Jack, so cautious... "Mommy, can I jump off this?" Claire- "YEAH!!! [as she jumps]. All is well, and the doctor taught Jeremy how to pop it back into place.

She loves her baby. She was nice enough to teach baby to crawl over the weekend, albeit face down on a tennis court. That lucky baby got scuffed up one side of the court and down the other. Baby enjoys rousing games of Simon Says, jogs in the stroller, and a taste of every beverage and meal.

She has already started lying about her age. She tells everyone she is five.

Claire likes for Mommy to cradle her in her arms and sing Rock-a-bye Baby to her twice before bed, this being the only time Mommy is permitted to sing...EVER. Likewise, Claire enjoys singing to her babies, Rock a Baby in treetop, as well as Happy birfday, and Tinkle Tinkle little Star.

Our girly girl is the greatest thing her un-fancy family could EVER hope for!!

Happy Birthday, Claire Bear.

Love, Mama, Daddy, and Jack

Claire turns TERRIBLE two

We had originally planned to be out of town for Claire's birthday, but had to make a call at the last minute not to go, long story. BUT, we did not want to let Claire's birthday pass without some pomp and circumstance. Additionally it was the Nana's 60th birthday. I give you Super Cupcake III and Super Cupcake IV, in honor of these two fine ladies. (Note: we finally painted the dining room and finished the wood trim, so yes that is our house).

Nana and Claire-bear enjoyed a wonderful party together on Nana's birthday, incidentally on our 6th Wedding Anniversary, June 29th. We had a nice family lunch full of presents, food, and cake. Claire was a lucky girl and got a dollhouse, Cool Bake Magic Oven (like an easy bake oven but uses "cool technology" instead of heat from a light bulb), My little ponies, doll house accessories, a super hero memory game (guess who picked that out!), a baby doll.....and on and on. We were very happy to have Papa Fred feeling up to coming over as well. I think the promise of cake is always a great motivator! Claire bear had a "Costume Change" mid party. She is a girly, girl full of girlish ideas, if I hadn't been present at her birth I would question the authenticity of my maternity! She had to change into her "pincess skirt" in order to take her baby for a walk in her stroller..or maybe I should say a RUN in her stroller. I could hardly track her with the camera at the pace she takes her babies burning through the yard!

Summer Lovin'

Summer is flying by in a blur of trips to the park and pool. Both of the kids took swim lessons. Claire, our dare-devil, immediately tried to jump in and took to it with gusto. Jack was reduced to tears, but won the heart of Rebecca, one of the two swim instructors. Thanks to Rebecca, Jack now loves swimming and the pool; a modern day miracle. We haven't forgotten that long winter and have enjoyed getting outside as much as possible. But the midwest was hit with an unbelievable amount of rain and days outside were few and far between for a while. Enjoy the pictures from swim class and the park.

Super Cupcake II

The Jack Rochford 4th Birthday Extravaganza began on Thursday and didn't wind down until Saturday. We gave him waffles with strawberries for breakfast (his request) and let him unwrap presents to start his day. At school, they partied some more. It was his snack day (he has to bring the snack for his class). He got to pick and decided on Oreo Cakesters and Goldfish Crackers, yum. Usually it is Kashi granola bars and fruit- brain food. I had taken the kids out on Monday while J played basketball to pick up a cake pan for Jack's big day. He wanted the "Super Cupcake". I think Williams and Sonoma calls it the Giant Cupcake, whatever...it is a big frickin' cupcake right. So I think, I can do this and I give it a try on Tuesday...FAILURE, complete and utter failure. Had to scrape the ginormous cupcake out of the pan kicking and screaming. Try, try again... I give you: Super Cupcake II

We took Jack out for the night to Bounce Zone on Thursday and jumped, bounced, dove, ran, slid, and climbed for as long as his attention span could take it. (roughly an hour) and then we were off to play the arcade games. We headed out of bounce zone to meet Nana B for dinner and then home to crash.

Friday was another celebration at Betsy's with his friends and then out on the town with Mommy, Daddy, and Claire-bear. Saturday was Jack's special day of fun out with Mommy and Daddy. We took him to lunch, walkin' around, and to see Iron Man. Now before you tsk, tsk and cluck, cluck too much. We kinda went back and forth as to whether or not he was ready for it or not... and decided we would leave if it got bad. Jack gave the movie... ** (two stars) which translates to "Can we go home now?" but the action sequences got **** he loved watching Iron Man fly!!! His favorite present was the talking Iron Man action figure that Nana B and Papa Fred got him. On Saturday the whole family came over to celebrate with pizza and a super cupcake. Papa Chip, Mommy, Daddy, Claire-bear, Uncle Riley, Aunt Missi, Cousin Xander, Nana B, and Papa Fred all came over for the festivities. We had an amazing weekend full of fun and CAKE. Gotta run!

The Paparazzi's got nothing on me!!!!