Friday, July 23, 2010

SUMMATIME!!!

Emilee on the 4th blanket hopping!
Ethan enjoying the sun.

Our family trip to Lewis and Clark Caverns.


I really thought I was further behind in post than I actually am. That is good I guess. It has just been a SUPER busy summer so far. We have moved, Ethan is walking, Jimmy is in Canada and Emilee turns 3 on Monday! Those are just the highlights!



We decided to downsize and have moved into an apartment. It is a newer 3 bedroom and really nice. I love the kitchen since it is more than double the size of our old one and I actually have work space and storage space. The only bad thing about moving was having to find a new home for Cody. Luckily I was able to find him a really great home in Polson with a loving family. He is very happy with his new family and is enjoying his summer.



Jimmy's surgery did NOT fix his stomach issues and ended up going to see a specialist. He has something called gastroparesis and he thinks a lot of it was due to stress at work. He was offered a position to help out in Canada for four months training and opening new stores. So we are flying solo for awhile and not really enjoying it so much. We have signed of for skype and we all enjoy our nightly video chats. They are taking care of everything for him while he is there and he was told they will fly him back for visits. I hope so because we miss him so.



I have started school through Western Governors University for my degree in special education. I started on July 1st and wish my first class would not have to Language and Communication Research which includes a 10-15 page paper. Yikes! It is a little harder than I had realized it would be finding time enough to concentrate. I WILL succeed though.



Ethan is moving right along and I mean literally. He took his first steps July 7th and has not stopped since. He is now walking from room to room and stands up on his own. He has gotten two teeth in now and loves to eat real food. He is a small fry though according to the dr at his last check up. He is below 5% for his weight and 25-50% for height. He is so much fun and still my little snugga buggga!



Emilee turns 3 on Monday the 26th and I can not believe it. I am hoping her listening skills return once she turns 3. Whew! I has been rough. She is definitely looking forward to her birthday and her Dora party. Even though she had Dora last year there was no way getting away from it as hard as I tried. She is also very much looking forward to starting school and honestly so am I. I think she is getting quite bored staying home with me day in and day out.



Anyway, I think that is enough for now since I should be doing school-work anyway.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Spring!

Sarah and the kids on Mother's Day!


It has been awhile since I have posted so I thought I would catch up. It has been a little crazy around here. Jimmy has been sick for almost a month now. It started out with an infection in his prostate that spread to his gallbladder and kidneys. this past Thursday he had his gallbladder and appendix taken out and has also been diagnosed with another bacteria infection called H.Pylori. The surgery was supposed to be out patient but they were having a hard time keeping his O2 levels up and managing his pain especially since it wasn't really the gallbladder causing the pain in the first place. Anyway, he finally came home after 2 nights stay in the hospital and has been resting at home. We are still not sure if he is getting better yet or not. I keep thinking he seems better and then there is a set back of some kind. I hope this ends soon and he gets feeling better so life can get back to normal.
The kids and I were going to drive to California to see my family but with Jimmy being sick we cancelled the trip. I am a little bummed but I know we will have more opportunities when the time is right. I have been trying to take the kids out so Jimmy gets some rest and we have been learning some things since we have. We went on some different trails at the refuge and found that Em loves chasing ground squirrels, we also went to the Memorial Day Parade in Corvallis and they really enjoyed that. We are enjoying the warmer weather even if we have to share it with the rain.
I have decided to take courses online to get my teaching degree. Starting July 1 I start classes through Western Governors University and I am really excited but also a little scared. It should take me two years and then I will have my teaching degree for K-12 in special Education. Jimmy has been telling me to go back to school for awhile now and I wish I would have listened to him then instead of wasting a year. He is a little nervous about me doing it online but I have researched it and think it will be a great opportunity for me.
Ethan is growing so much. He is cruising along everything and right now is pushing his walker toy across the front room. He still doesn't have any teeth which is fine with me. He loves to chase his sister around and get into things that he is not supposed to. His favorites are the dogs dishes, Em's potty seat and her white board crayons. The other day he had drawn all over his face with the brown crayon. Luckily it all came off very easily.
Emilee is not quite so thrilled with Ethan being so mobile because he often goes after her toys or whatever she has at the moment. She is a great sister though. She is very much looking forward to starting school and her birthday. This past month she got her first hair cut and had her first visit to the dentist. She did great at both. Her hair cut was more of just a trim in back to even it up but she still has CRAZY hair. She has no cavities and has a beautiful smile but we need to start flossing because her teeth are close together.
I guess that is about it for now. I am sure I can go on but this is the most important happenings around here. I added just a few of my favorite pictures from the past month.


Saturday, April 17, 2010

April Happenings!

It has been quite busy since our last post and Spring is popping up everywhere. I love it! We had a great Easter with the family and nice weather. Ethan has had a major milestone month and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Emilee is busier than ever and loving the weather change. Jimmy is keeping busy around the house and at work and I am just excited to get out of the house.
My sister and two nephews came to visit from California and the time flew by too quickly. Austin is fourteen and has grown into a awesome young man and Luke is nine months and an adorable and busy little guy. Ethan had fun playing with him and saw how much fun Luke had moving around. Austin enjoyed playing with my other niece and nephew Lex and Mason. It was fun watching them all hang out together and made me wish they could do it more often. Since everyone was here we had some family pictures taken. I haven't seen the final products yet so hopefully we got some where everyone is looking. It was pretty cold and with so many people it was hard to get everyone cooperating especially the babies. Between shots we would all have to hurry and coat up until it was our turn again. It all went pretty quickly.
Ethan has had a exciting month. He has learned to do so much and is not slowing down. The week of Easter I think he learned something new everyday. He got some sippy cups in his basket and enjoys drinking a little water from it. Throughout the week he learned to crawl, say Mama, sit up by himself, and finally roll from his back to his belly. This week he has started pulling himself up on things. I love watching him discover new things but I hate the little bumps and bruises he will get along the way. He is still enjoying his baby food and gets very excited when we all sit down for dinner together. I think we may be getting ready to say goodbye to the Binky. Yay! He hasn't really wanting it much so I think we will take the opportunity to break the habit. he really only uses it when sleeping and I have noticed that he spits it out even then.
Emilee is really enjoying the nice weather and is ready to go out and play every morning shortly after 8:00. She loves going to the park and making new friends. She is still doing great on potty training and rarely has an accident. She only wears a diaper while she is sleeping. We have tried not to during nap time but I don't think she is quite ready for that yet. She is very excited to start school next year and to ride the bus. It is amazing to see how much she can learn. She can write most of the letters in her name. M is a little hard still but I am sure she will get it soon. She is starting to draw recognizable pictures and is getting good about coloring in the lines. She is having a little bit of a hard time adjusting to Ethan's movement now that he can get to things that he wants. We continue to work on sharing. She has learned a new game where she will knock him over so she can sit him back up. We are also working on that. Poor Ethan!
Jimmy is ...well still working away. He had inventory at work and was pretty busy for awhile. He ran the inventory and it went really well. But now that it is done I think Spring fever has kicked in. He is excited for the nicer weather so he can get out and about and do stuff. He enjoys working out in the garage and yard so I'm glad it is warm enough for him to do it. Although with the return of the warm weather also comes the snakes. Hopefully between him, my dad and the help of our neighbor they kill them all so we can go out in the grass. Eeeww! I hate those creepy little things. He has been setting aside time on his days off for family fun and we all enjoy that. It is nice to be together and enjoy this time as a family whatever we do.
I have still been running but not as much. I need to get back into it and keep it up. My photo blog has also taken a back seat but I am getting back on track with that today. I guess having company threw me off. The kids and I are planning a trip to California next month so I am planning and saving for that. I am planning on having a yard sale the first week of May to help raise some spending money for our trip. I am super excited. We are planning on going to Fort Bragg and the Sacramento Zoo while there and then spend the rest of the time just being with family.
Like I said it has been a busy month. Just a few more quick updates on the rest of the family.
My dad is doing much better and finished his Physical Therapy this past Thursday. Jamie and Justin are having a GIRL due sometime in August. They are so excited! Word is Sherry may be engaged soon. Sarah is still having problems with her ankle due to her accident last July! Hopefully it gets fixed soon. Man I can't believe how everyone is growing up.
Well Emilee is begging for me to do a puzzle with her and until I do she is tormenting her brother so I better go save him. I will post pictures later.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Pattern Crafts for Spring!


We do quite a few crafts at our house so I thought I would start sharing some. I am always looking for ways to reuse things and incorporate a lesson as well. Yesterday we had some fun painting and working with patterns. Em is really enjoys patterns! I found some spring foam stickers at Michael's and have been waiting for an opportunity to use them. For the eggs I just drew and cut out the shape and let them paint it how they wanted and once they dried I helped them put the stickers in color patterns. Super simple and they loved it!
For the caterpillars I just cut an egg carton bottom in half and let them each pick two paint colors. I put a color dot on top of each section so they knew what color to paint to make a pattern. For the head I used pipe cleaner antennae, hot glued googly eyes on and drew a mouth. They loved both projects and when the little girls mom came to pick her up she was proud to show her mom the "tattern."

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Six Months Old!

Emilee hiking up Kootenai Creek. She was like a little mountain goat and loved it!
Ethan hamming it up for his mommy. Six months old 3/16

It has been somewhat of a busy month around here and the time just keeps on flying. We are finally getting a break in the gray weather and it seems to make the days busier but it is so nice not being trapped inside the house.
My dad seems to be doing much better although his heart did go back out of rhythm after they got it back on track. they did a procedure where they stop his heart and then restart it and hopefully it gets back into normal rhythm. To me it sounds scary but it was an in and out procedure and it just made him tired for a day or so. Hopefully now his heart doesn't give him anymore trouble. He says he is feeling much better now except his shoulder is still hurting pretty bad. Hopefully it is just still healing.
Jimmy is enjoying the nicer weather and has decided to redo our bedroom. The popcorn ceiling is gone and the walls are now a nice light blue. He is replacing all the trim with nice new white trim. It is going to look really great in there and be light, crisp and clean. I can't wait. We have been camping out in the front room which is not bad except for the mattress taking up half of the room plus Ethan's room is a wreck. It is making me decide what we really need and what we can get rid. Can you say SPRING CLEANING!?!
Ethan is doing great. He had his six month appointment today and just over 15 pounds and 26 inches. He is in the 10-25% for weight and 50% for height. He seems so small compared to Em at his age but she was such a chunky monkey. She was always in the 75-90% for weight and at six months weighed just over 17 pounds. He is starting to enjoy baby food and still loves his cereal. I love feeding him because he gets so excited and its fun to watch. He is really sitting up well and reaching for everything as well as getting ready to crawl. When he is on his tummy he looks like he is trying to swim and gets his little arms and legs moving and if you put him on his hands knees he will rock for a little bit before going to his belly. It won't be long now!
Emilee is doing great. We are working on potty training and she does really well when she is willing to stop what she is doing long enough to go. She is just so busy all the time and "doesn't have time" for this silly potty business. She is becoming quite the social butterfly too. I subbed at the pre school one day and she came with and had a blast. She made a bunch of new friends and enjoyed having someone to play with other than Mom. She also has a couple neighborhood friends and can't wait to play with them at every opportunity. I love watching her interact with other kids and see her having fun.
As for me, I'm just doing the mommy thing and enjoying being with my kids. Babysitting has switched to Mondays and Tuesdays and starting next month will be going to four days a week. It is nice making money and I am saving my earnings for a trip to California this June. I am still keeping up with my Photo blog although some days its more of catching up with it. I am also still running with my friend three days a week. We are up to running two miles and within the next couple of weeks hope to make it to three. Next month we are thinking about running a race in Missoula so we need to keep training.
This next month should be exciting. Jamie and Justin will hopefully get to find our if they are having a boy or girl and Shawnee, Luke and Austin will be here on the first. Dad and Marsha also will celebrate their 25 year anniversary. Looks like it is going to be busy busy busy!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

2/17


It has been a little while since I have posted anything on here but not too much has been going on. Jimmy is back from Canada though and that is exciting. We have had some decent weather finally, I have been slacking on working out, Ethan turned five months old yesterday and Emilee is still her silly self.
Jimmy enjoyed working in Canada but missed his family. I think he worked more hours this time than he has before and they were still not ready to open the store when he left. This was the third time he has gone to Canada to help open a new store in the last year and he always welcomes the change of pace. He came home two days before the start of the Olympics and brought me home a pair of the red mittens that everyone is sporting right now. I love them! We really missed him while he was gone and are very happy to have him home. He is talking about going back the end of June for another store and hoping for a little more responsibility in an area other than receiving. I know he looks forward to that.
We have finally caught a break in the cold dreary weather lately. Yesterday we were actually able to go out in the yard in play with out getting our feet stuck in mud. The temps are getting into the 40s and we are looking forward to them getting warm enough to go without heavy coats, hats and mittens. I can already see that Em is going to be a total outdoor kid this summer. Yay for fresh air and no TV. I have not been doing to well on my workouts but I think I am just burnt out on indoor workouts and looking forward to getting exercise outside. We have been getting some walks in which is nice. I did get up this morning and weigh and have lost a couple pounds so I am 15 pounds from my goal. Yay! I am still keeping up with my 365 days of photo blog so click on over and take a look at what we do from day to day. http://rossfamilyproject365.blogspot.com/
Ethan turned five months old yesterday and is learning new things everyday. He is currently amazed with his tongue and likes to move it around and make razzing sounds with it. Very cute! He is also into reaching for EVERYTHING! It makes it hard to do anything while holding him. He is very much enjoying his cereal and I know he is going to love baby food in about a month. I can't believe how time flies! I love that he is learning and growing but I am going to miss him being my snuggle baby.
Emilee is getting ready for pre school next year. We are working on cutting on lines, tracing letters, the states, mixing colors and patterns right now. She is getting really good at tracing her name but has a little problem with the M and staying focused until the end. We got her a map of the states and are going to put pictures of family members in the different states they live in. We also are participating in a sticker exchange and put a sticker on the state where they come from. My knowledge on geography is horrible so I am hoping I learn right alongside her. This week we are also learning about the color orange. We are talking about how to make orange and I have some fun activities planned for her. It is so much fun to teach her and she always loves learning. We keep talking about school starting next year and how she can't wear diapers to school so hopefully we get her potty trained soon.
Well it has been a fun and great new year so far and I count our blessings everyday.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Lonely days and sleepless nights...

It has been awhile since I have updated on here so I figured today would be a good time to do it. Our house hold has been a little out of whack this past week with Jimmy gone and the kiddos sick with colds. With that said I have been slacking on my resolutions and need to get back on track. I am hoping this week shapes up to be a better week.
Jimmy is still in Canada until Wednesday opening a new store for Bed Bath and Beyond. It sounds like he is ready to come home. He has been working a lot of hours and when I talk to him he sounds pretty tired. A lot of the guys wanted to try and get off early to watch the super bowl so they have been working 14 hour days however they were still behind and unable to get off early for the game. Jimmy really only likes college football so he was not heartbroken about missing it. He knew they went there to do a job not watch football. We can't wait for him to get home. It was fine for a few days but we have really been missing him since day three. Emilee has sent him a couple video messages by phone and loves it when he sends her one back.
The poor little kiddos have had a cold this past week. They haven't really had fevers but runny noses, cough and congestion. Emilee keeps on trucking but I feel really bad for Ethan who doesn't really understand. I tried to keep Em from him when she first got sick but that is pretty much impossible because she loves him so much and doesn't understand why I didn't want her to play with him and be in his face. So we have been hanging around the humidifier, hanging out in the steamy bathroom and staying inside as much as we can. I am hoping we are over the worst of it. Last night she complained of her ear hurting. She said she hit it on the bed when she went to lay down but if she still complains about it today I am prepared to take her to the doctor. She seems fine right now.
I have been doing good about my 365 photo project until yesterday so today I am going to catch up on that. I also skipped my workout yesterday which I have been sticking to as well. I guess yesterday was just an off day. I have lost 11.5 pounds since January 1 and I hope I can still lose the remaining 16.5 to reach my goal. I only have 2 more weeks of my aerobics class and am going to miss that once it is done. It is nice to get out for a few hours to focus on me. I have started another thing called couch25k. By the end of three months I should be able to fun 3 miles if I stick with the program.
We have been doing quite a few crafts so I will post that in another blog maybe later today with some pictures.