Spontaneous Fun! :)

The weekend before halloween, some friends came over and we carved pumpkins. We also had some spontaneous fun including this:

Photoshoot!

Our good old Ford was totalled in a minor rear-ending accident - our fault, everyone's ok; the person whose car we hit was fine, so we didn't have to pay for damages. Ultimately, we became in sudden need of a car. So we decided we needed to go bigger....not quite minivan bigger just yet....but station wagon bigger. It actually happened that my cousin, who sells cars, just got a 2004 Volkswagen Passat wagon in GREAT condition with LITTLE miles on it for a LOW price. He said he doesn't see deals like this very often and suggested we jump on it, so that's just what we did! He lives in Chicago, so we went there to get it last week! The girls and I went back with my mom on Tuesday, and then Joey joined us for the weekend. On Saturday, we got the new car, and we LOVE it! It is in great condition and has more room for our growing family!

While we were in Chicago, my good friend Erin came by and did a photo shoot of me and the girls! It was awesome, and she did a great job! I had to wake Ellie from her nap to get some pics in the daylight, and as a result she was a little crabby and hard to deal with, but Erin got some great pics despite that! I'm really glad we have these pictures! It was too bad Joey couldn't be there! But maybe we can convince her to come by again when Joey's around! :) Thanks, Erin!

Here are just a few of the wonderful pictures she took!

Photo Shoot with Erin Nov. 2009

What I learned in nursing school...

When working with children we were taught a very strategic way to get kids to do things they MUST do but didn't want to do. For nurses an example would be getting a child to take their medicine. I specifically remember a time in nursing school clinicals where I didn't use this strategy and had a screaming toddler who wouldn't take her medicine for over an hour! Bad move. I've since used this strategy and it has proven successful over and over (mostly for the toddler age, however older kids will go for this too, they just can't be "tricked" as easily). And I have now discovered this strategy can even work with your own children! :)

I'm sure many of you have learned this strategy naturally. Survival of the fittest. If you don't figure out a way to get your kids to do things they need to do but won't, you just won't make it! Thankfully I had nursing school to teach me. But for those who didn't go through nursing school and haven't figured it out yet, here's the strategy:

It's all about choices. Children want choices, but it's up do YOU to give them realistic choices to choose from. So here is an example of "The Strategy" working successfully with Ellie:

Me: Ellie, it's time to eat your breakfast.

Ellie: No, momma! (playing with toys in other room)

M: Ellie, do you want me to hold you and bring you to the table? Or do you want to go there by yourself?

E: Myself (starts RUNNING to table)

M: Good girl, Ellie! Here's your oatmeal! (Big smile!)

That's it folks! Give them choices surrounding the activity you want them to perform and they are happy to make a decision! :)

Ellie Singing and Sweet Siri

This video is not the perfect depiction of Ellie's singing capabilities, but you get the idea!

She's a little distracted but that was the only way I could get her to sing for the camera! :)

So amidst all of this Ellie blogging, I suppose I should give a little attention to Siri! She is a SWEET little baby! She has been so good and in my humble opinion, she is so cute! :) Siri is getting so big these days! There's just not a whole lot going on with her as she mostly sleeps, though she is becoming more awake and social! She's smiled a few times, but I haven't gotten that on camera yet! I feel bad because I know I had gotten Ellie smiling on camera the first time she did it, but as you moms know, it's a little more difficult with a 2 year old running around! :( Sorry Siri! But if you're anything like most middle children (except me, of course) you will like not having the spotlight! ;)

Thanks Scott Torgersons!

A little while ago now we received a package from Scott and Karen Torgerson with extremely cute stuff and we have captured Ellie opening it on video. So this is for them:

oops!

I never posted any pictures of Steve and Merrilee's visit during Siri's second week of life! So here they are:

Steve and Ellie:

Joey went with Ellie and his parents to the park which gave me a little break at home with Siri:

Here's a cute sequence of pics of Ellie and Siri:

Hanging out at home:

Merrilee spent an entire week with us! On this day they went to the nursery across the street where they had a little hay maze:

And pumpkins!

On our way to church! Sorry, Merrilee!

Gardening:

And after Merrilee left, my mom came back to help out. Then my grandparents came to visit (most of the pics are on my mom's camera!):

Siri's first bottle

While I was going to get my first professional massage* ever, Joey was home with Ellie and Siri giving Siri her first bottle.

SOOO Cute! I'm SO glad he got that on camera! Nice job, Joey! I had forgotten to ask him to PLEASE film Siri's first bottle but HE DID!! :)

*So my massage if you're wondering....I had gotten a gift certificate to The Face and The Body a year ago and it was going to expire on Nov. 5th. I felt I had to get something I wouldn't normally get. I didn't want to get a haircut, cause I would get one anyway! And I didn't want to get a facial because of so many hormonal changes. So I decided I should get a massage and Joey was ALL for it!

It was extremely nice! I enjoyed it a lot and felt very relaxed. I actually think God was in on this one because during the quietness I realized it had been a while since I prayed/meditated/sat still in silence (even falling asleep these days isn't silent as there is a little one I listen to breathe). Ellie's naps these days I occupy with a nap of my own! So this one hour massage was a great chance for me to sit in silence and reflect. It was wonderful and VERY needed! I realize I NEED to do that more often (not necessarily in massage form). So thank-you 8th grade volleyball team from last year! I thoroughly enjoyed my gift! :)