2011 Year in Review

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? I had never been away from the kids for more than 2 days, and in November, Phil and I celebrated our 10 years of marriage by going to St. Maarten sans kids. It was heaven, and I only regret that we hadn't gone on vacation with just the two of us sooner. I also started volunteering at the library due to now having 2 kids at school full-time.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't keep them, but I did start running this year. It's still not fun, but I do feel better about myself for doing it. I'm actually thinking of making a list of resolutions or more of a bucket-type list of things I want to accomplish in 2012.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes! I have a new nephew, Quinten William, who was born Nov. 30. And one of my dearest friends had a little boy, Jack, in early November.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes. My grandfather passed away on Dec. 6. I'm still having a hard time dealing with it, and it put a damper on my Christmas spirit. But he was 94, and for that, I feel grateful that he lived such a full life..

5. What places did you visit? Beautiful St. Maarten couldn't really top anything. We also had an overnight layover in Pittsburgh, so we saw that, too. The kids were able to experience Green Bay when we went to visit family.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? More date nights with the husband. And reminding myself to work more during the day when the kids are at school so I don't have to pull late nighters.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Aug. 11 was our 10-year anniversary. Nov. 30 is when my nephew arrived. And Dec. 6 is when my grandpa passed.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Knowing when to accept help. We've had a rough year in certain aspects, but as long as you know what to fight for and why, there are always ways to achieve that.

9. What was your biggest failure? I had said that with both kids on school, I can work plenty during the day. Yeah, that hasn't really happened. And on most days I find that the day flies by and I haven't really accomplished anything. I need to get a better handle on that..

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nope, just the occasional cold.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Our vacation.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My family. For showing me that no matter what, family will be there for you and support you.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Ignorant people and those who abuse kids. That's horrific.

14. Where did most of your money go? Hockey for Jeremy. And our vacation.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? C+D returning to Chicago! And some other news relating to them. :)

16. What song will always remind you of 2010? The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars. The kids LOVED it, and we loved tormenting Phil by listening to it. Firework by Katy Perry because Jeremy would sing it out on the ice while playing hockey.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier. It's been an evolving year, and I believe that both of us have put in the extra effort to make it so.

b) thinner or fatter? Thinner. The running has helped, but I don't run when it gets cold, so maybe I'll be getting a little fatter soon.

c) richer or poorer? Poorer. Only because sports are getting to be a little pricier.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Calming down. Sometimes I feel like I yell at the kids too much, and I hate that feeling. And housework. The house is a mess, and I've been a little negligent in taking care of that.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Laundry. But it has to be done.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2011? When all is said and done, we will have had five Christmas celebrations. The first one was moved up one week due to my grandfather's funeral. We celebrated (for lack of better words) with family after the visitation. The following weekend we visited our new nephew and the rest of Phil's brother's family. Later that week Phil's parents came out to celebrate. Then the four of us opened presents on Christmas, and then our last one is actually on New Year's Day with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. Phew!

21. Did you fall in love in 2010? I think I gained a higher appreciation for love this year.

22. What was your favorite TV program?  Modern Family, The New Girl and Community. Most things on Bravo, especially Top Chef. And all Blackhawks games and hockey in general.

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2011? I had a great birthday this year. My parents came out, and my mom and I had pedicures. Then all of us went to dinner at one of my favorite places--Hackney's!

24. What was the best book you read? I read a ton, and it's hard to remember just one. I really enjoyed Two Kisses for Madddy because I follow the writer on his blog. It definitely made me cry.
25. What did you want and get? Time to recharge.

26. What did you want and not get? A money tree.

27. What was your favorite film of this year? We only saw one in the theater this year, The Muppets, and it was hysterical! I also watched The Bridesmaids and Horrible Bosses on DVD and thought they were awesome.

28. Did you make some new friends this year? Yes,  one of my closest friends moved one block away, and she has two girls the same ages as our kids. Plus they go to our church, so we see them quite a bit. I got to know her a lot this past year.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I'm not too sure.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Indifferent.

31. What kept you sane? My girlfriends. I'm trying to be better about keeping in touch with everyone because my girlfriends are my sounding boards and help me get through life's rough patches.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? There are so many...Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper...

33. What political issue stirred you the most? Issues involving education and cutting back funds for kids in school.

34. Who did you miss? I already miss my grandpa. Like I said, I'm having a hard time dealing with it, and I'm not quite sure why. I think maybe because it signifies an end of traditions of getting together where he lived.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. Marriage takes work. It isn't always easy. And it's OK to ask for help; nobody is going to think less of you for asking.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Time just keeps getting away from me.

Here are a few things that have made me laugh within the last few (rough) weeks.

While driving to dinner with my parents, we passed a house with Christmas lights reaching high up on the family's evergreen tree. I told Jeremy I had no idea how the family was able to get the lights up that high. Jeremy's response?

"I bet someone has long arms like (Marian) Hossa." (Leave it to my boy to reference hockey.)

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Jeremy told me the other day that he has two new favorite animals. The cow and the llama. Why the llama, I asked.

"Because they make bacon." Sure. Makes sense to me! :)

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And lastly, I found this video online. It's about the Blackhawks, and all four of us couldn't stop laughing. Enjoy!

Ponderings

I'm sorry I've been so lax in posting here. I wanted to post pictures/provide an update about what all we did this summer.

I want to post my thoughts/feelings about losing my grandfather. He passed away on Dec. 6, and we had the visitation and funeral this week. He was an amazing 94-year-old man who farmed all the way up until he was 92.

I want to talk about the kids and how they still amaze me.

But that will have to wait. I've been trying to get into the Christmas spirit, but, not surprisingly, it's been hard to find this year. My best friend pointed out that I never tend to be in the Christmas spirit no matter what the year, which is true, but I'm finding it harder than ever this year. I'm hoping that within the week I can get happy and finish my shopping.

I did want to share an article I found that is perfect for this time of year, when we're thinking about the new year and re-evaluating our life. So enjoy this for now, and I hope to get back on here soon.

Giving Thanks

This post is a few weeks behind (ah, story of my life!), but with some recent changes, I wanted to take a moment and count my blessings.

*My new nephew. Quinten William was born Nov. 30 two weeks early at 7 lbs. 15 oz. This is going to be one tough little guy. He's been through so much already (and so have my wonderful BIL and SIL), and on the day his mom was discharged from the hospital, he was transferred to another children's hospital NICU. He was having issues with his oxygen saturation levels, and until today, he hadn't been able to breathe on his own for more than 3 hours. Then today he was off oxygen for 12 hours! The other concerning aspect was that he hadn't eaten since he was born. Today he was able to take a bottle! Small victories. The doctors still don't know the full extent of what's wrong, but we're hoping he'll be home within the week.

*My family. Gosh, I can't say enough about how much I love these kids and the husband. The kids (and the husband) do make me crazy at times, but they are the lights of my life. I can't wait to hear all about their days at school, and they are literally growing up right before my eyes. School is 1/4 over (already!) and both are doing remarkably. Riley is reading at the 4th grade level and is the smartest kid in her class when it comes to math (I'm not kidding--that's what her teacher said at P/T conferences). And Jeremy, my gosh, that kid can remember anything! Today we went to the local Christmas holiday walk, and he remembered some of the things we did last year. And he's still adamant that he wants to be a hockey player when he grows up.

*My grandpa. Unfortunately, he's not doing that well. His health is failing, and he often wonders why he's here. He's in his 90s, and is now living in a nursing home. We were able to celebrate Thanksgiving at his nursing home, and I'm just so thankful for all that he's done for this family. I used to spend so many summers hanging out down at grandma and grandpa's, playing with my cousins. I remember my mom would let me stay down there for weeks at a time, and we'd help milk the cows, get them from the pasture, gather the eggs and just play. Grandma would let the kids pick out the Kool-aid or burn stuff in the wood-burning stove. I love how close our family is, and it's something I hope to pass along to our kids.

*My parents. After having kids, I realize how important it is to live nearby to your parents. I cannot imagine not speaking to them more than 2-3 times a week and seeing them 2-3 times per month. Due to Facebook, I see that more and more of my friends are losing their parents, and that terrifies me. My parents aren't old enough for that! I hate seeing them age, because in my eyes they're still energetic and full of life. Oh wait, that's STILL my mom! I love them dearly, and I cannot imagine what it would be like if they weren't here.

*The husband. Our vacation was so desperately needed and wonderful. It was refreshing to remember what it was like to be husband and wife and not mom and dad. We didn't have anyone vying for our attention. It literally made me fall in love with him again (or maybe that was the Caribbean rum that made me do that). Kidding. He puts up with a lot, and sometimes I feel like I don't give him enough credit for all that he does. He's a wonderful husband, father and best friend. And I love him more than anything.

I know there are more things that I'm thankful for, but these are the main people. I love you all.

Happy Birthday, Riley!

8 years old. Wow. Several times within the last few weeks, when people ask me how old my kids are, I stumbled trying to remember how old Riley is. How is it possible that she's 8 now?

8 years ago she entered our lives, reluctantly. After about 2 hours of pushing, out she came. I was convinced she was a boy, and when Phil announced: "Oh my God, it's a girl!" I think my first reaction was "No way!" She was a fantastic baby (especially when compared to her colicky, non-sleeping brother) and such a fun toddler. But in all seriousness, she has really come into her own this year.

We had her parent/teacher conference earlier this month, and we were told she's a stellar student. She's currently reading at the 4th-grade level, and her math skills are astounding. The school will take these specialized tests in January, and her teacher believes that Riley will qualify for advanced placement for math.

School comes so easily to her, and it's amazing to see her learn. On the other hand, when she can't understand something easily, she tends to shut down and burst into tears. She's her harshest critic, something I believe she picks up from me, as I'm my own worst critic. She's had her moments of drama, but I have a feeling this is just a glimpse of what we have to look forward to during the teenage years.

She's an outstanding soccer player, something else that she has really come in to. Her soccer coach from when she was 5 asked her to play some 3-vs.-3 this summer just for fun, and she really improved with her play and her self-confidence. In fact, earlier this fall, an opposing coach, whom we had never met, came up to us and raved about her and said he wanted to recruit her to play for his team in the fall. Then tonight we got a call from her old coach who wants her to play indoor in January. She absolutely loves sports, especially swimming, softball and soccer. 

Happy birthday to our beautiful girl. We love you so very much!

8 years ago yesterday. I had no idea my water
would break just a few hours after this was taken.

8 years ago today. Poor girl had to get an IV after she was born, so she
had a splint on her left arm. Look at all that hair!

7 years ago at daycare.

6 years ago today.

5 years ago today.

4 years ago today.

3 years ago today.

2 years ago today.

 

Last year.

Today. My newly minted 8 year old.

11-11-11

Phil and I just got back from our 10-year anniversary trip to St. Maarten. Wow. It was a fantastic trip, and I hope to post pictures and write about it soon. But tonight Phil posted this on Facebook, and I thought it was important enough to share. It's moments like this that make me speechless. (But on a less-serious note, Riley told us that on Friday it was veterinarian's day.)

I know it is a couple of days late, but my son learned today at church that it was Veteran's Day and they gave him a flag and asked to put it by a tombstone of a veteran who served our country. This is something he really wanted to do, a boy of 5 years old... My wife took him to a cemetery and placed the American flag on a soldier named Carlton who served in the 2nd world war. It is moments like this that make you stop and think about the men and women overseas that are protecting us and are so far away from home and their families. Thank you Carlton for you service to this country. I am honored to know you even if it is only by your name.

Halloween 2011

We had a fantastic Halloween today. In fact, we had a pretty nice Halloween week.

It all started last Wednesday night at 9:30 when I received a phone call from one of the moms from Riley's class. The mom was scheduled to help out at the classroom Halloween party, but her other daughter was sick and she couldn't make it. Riley's teacher had mentioned that I would be willing to help, which I had said when I volunteered the week before. (Sidenote: I LOVE that I can help for any activity at the school since both kids are now in school!). Anyway, I said I would help, so Thursday I went to Riley's class and helped facilitate the party. It was a lot of fun!

Saturday Riley had her last soccer game (more about that later), and then Jeremy had a birthday party for one of his old preschool friends Ryan, and then we had a gathering with the neighbors. There was a ton of food and lots of fun for the kids and adults. Even pumpkin Jell-o shots!

Sunday one of the local churches had a trunk or treat where the kids got candy inside the church and did all kinds of activities. We hung out with a bunch of friends and had a blast. That leads us to today, Halloween! The kids both had school, and they wore their Halloween shirts. No costumes were allowed at school. They got off the bus around 4:15 and we came home to change, have some snack and meet up with our friends.

At the trunk or treat.

We have a Ghostbuster, angel, viking, 2 witches
pirate, karate guy and a sorceress.

Jeremy lasted about 1 hour, and then he asked if I could take him home. Phil had stayed at home to hand out candy. Riley and the older girls kept going for another hour. The two other girls were done, and Riley wanted to visit some of her friends from school. We stayed out another 15 minutes. The amount of candy the kids gathered is ridiculous. And I'm sure I'll be "forced" to help them eat some of it. :) But if that's the price I have to pay...

My pirate.

My pirate and angel.

The motley crew.

Trying to stay still.

We asked them to make funny faces.

 

That's My Boy

At dinner tonight, Jeremy was telling us about his day.

"Did you know my teacher likes spinach? And broccoli? Yuck."

So we told him that Dad likes spinach and that Uncle Kevin likes broccoli. He said that his teacher was asking the kids if they liked certain foods, and the kids responded by giving a thumbs up. He said she asked who liked spaghetti, and he put a thumbs up.

"And then she asked if we liked chocolate chip cookies. And I gave her TWO thumbs up."

Yup, that's my chocoholic, dessert-loving kid. :)
 

First Days of School

I'm not even going to acknowledge how behind I am...but I am. This post took me longer than normal because I needed to scan a picture I found. Why? You'll see in a minute.

Riley's first day of second grade was on August 24. And thanks to the advances of Facebook, I was able to find one of her old preschool friends was going to be in her class (for Miss Betty's reference, it's Kaitlyn T.). We met Riley's teacher the Monday before school started so we could drop off school supplies, see her classroom, and of course meet the teacher. Riley's desk was all set up, and she was very excited to see that there were a few other people she knew in her class.

We met Jeremy's teacher the following evening (the school does kindy on one night, and the other grades on the other evening). Again, thanks to Facebook, I found that one of his preschool buddies, Hunter, would be in his class as would one of our neighbors. His teacher was so excited and bubbly--just what you'd expect a kindergarten teacher to be. He was able to find his cubby, and we turned in all his supplies.

So on August 24, we loaded Riley up and headed her off to school. She's a pro at this, and nothing seemed to bother her. She's now one of the oldest kids in the school, as the school is only a K-2 school (with almost 1,500 kids!). 

Riley with the traditional sign.

Posing for the camera.

The reason behind my posting delay.
This is me in 2nd grade. See a resemblance?

Here we are today.

Dad and his girl.

The kids.

I had the rest of the day with Jeremy all to myself. I was pretty sad about it, mainly because it would be my last day with the guy. I'm sure many of you are/were tired of hearing/reading me lament about these waning days. He's my baby, my boy. And he still is. But now that we're almost 1/4 done with school (WOW!), I can't be prouder of how well he's done.

Anyway...we enjoyed our day together full of parks and hockey, but of course. The following day was Jeremy's first day of school. The school lets the older kids go first and then all the kindergartners start the next day.

Jeremy's first day of school.

My boy.

Mom and her boy.

The kids.

The school sponsored a Boo-Hoo Breakfast for moms/dads of the kids just starting school. We put J on the bus, and I drove over to the school to meet up with his class. He got there a little late--I think the bus was late. But our neighbor kid was very excited to see me. He kept telling me that he was having hot lunch that day and he couldn't wait. And then he offered to take a picture with him and Jeremy. Too cute.

Jeremy and his buddy Hayden.

Boarding the bus.

Jeremy in his class.

Jeremy and our neighbor Luke.

I went to the breakfast and met up with some preschool moms (Kaiden and Kiley's mom). It was a ton of fun. And it helped me deal with the fact that he would be gone all day. The first few days was rough, honestly. But Phil was working on painting Riley's room, so I was busy taping, and I talked to some girlfriends. And now we've gotten into a nice swing of things, and both kids are really thriving at school, not that I had any doubt. They're both finishing up their soccer seasons, and J's last hockey for this session is tomorrow. I'm so proud of the kids!

Two Touching Articles

Some days I don't feel like I do enough to help others. Now that both kids are in school, I have stepped up my volunteering efforts. I've helped out at school for both kids (I was able to attend my first field trip with J's class last week!), I've helped with Market Day, with PTA stuff, and I spend 1.5 hours every week at the library. (Sidenote: I thought about helping at an animal shelter, but I thought it would be too difficult to leave the animals there and not bring them home.)

And then I read something like this. Or this. And then I don't think I do enough to help others. I look at my brother and sister-in-law who've touched so many lives in their travels. They just returned from Guatemala where they helped build schools for low-income families. This was after a 3-year stint teaching in Lebanon. And prior to that they served in the Peace Corps.

But for now I just thought I'd share with you those two articles that affected me. I hope maybe they can inspire you, or make you go home and hug or call your kids/loved ones. And know how much you all mean to me.

Animal Crackers

We have a very busy sports schedule. Mondays and Wednesdays Jeremy has soccer, and Tuesdays he has hockey. Fridays and Saturdays Riley has soccer. Most people would think that's a bit much, but I think the kids thrive on scheduling and, let's face it, sports. They're both super athletic. You're welcome, Phil. (kidding)

So a few Fridays ago, I brought some snack along for Jeremy to munch on since I knew that he would be hungry. We usually eat dinner before soccer since practice starts at 5:30. I look over at him, and he's meticulously eating animal crackers. He's taking a few nibbles and then giggling.

I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was eating their butts. Why, you may ask? In Jeremy's words:


"so they can't poop."


Yes, that's my son. I'm so proud. On most days.
 

Life with Two in School

Earlier this year when I signed Jeremy up for kindergarten, I was hit with a wave of sadness (as evidenced by my numerous posts about how I was coping with his impending full-day schooling). I wondered how sad I would be, knowing that I wouldn't have anyone around for most of the day. It made me prematurely miss the baby phase and how Jeremy starting school would signify another aspect of his independence.

(I still have to upload the pics from the first day of kindy, so bear with me.)

The first week was sad, there's no doubt. I would come home to an empty house, or when Phil would work from home, he'd go off and work and leave me be. I spent much of the first week just taking time for myself. 

And then it became fun! I could catch up on my DVR, I could rent movies from the library and watch them, I could go to Target and walk around without having to enter the toy area or worry about children getting tired and wining about when we could leave. Granted, I haven't been able to get a whole lot accomplished--I did have these grand plans of cleaning out some closets and doing a thorough cleaning of the basement. 

But I have made progress in other areas. My parents came out and helped me clean out the garden. I canned 4 full jars of pears, I've made jelly, I've cleaned up the office and sorted paperwork, I switched the kids' closets around and I've been freelancing more during the day. I was able to attend my first field trip with the kids when I traveled with J's class to the apple orchard. I've had lunch with both kids this week. And I've started running daily.


Overall, life is pretty good. And J is totally loving school, not that I had any doubts. I don't know what I was so worried about.

Summer Roundup Part 2

Janis and the kids. Notice Jeremy's ode to
Janis' hometown: Edmonton Oilers.

Ah, the rest of our summer!

My cousin Janis from Edmonton came to stay with us for a week in July, and I don't know who had more fun! She's headed out here a few other times, and I love that the kids remember playing with her. We spent several days at the pool since the temperature was in the 90s for several straight days. She also was able to check out Jeremy skating. We had planned all along to go to the zoo on the Friday that she was here, and we were so sad when we woke up Friday morning to all this rain! But we decided to go ahead with it and hope that the zoo was dry.

The kids and Janis at the dolphin show.

We were right! I've never seen the zoo so empty in the summer. We found a close spot and were able to enjoy an almost-empty zoo. We checked out the dolphin show, and the kids just had a blast hanging out with Janis.

Beautiful girl.

Me and my girl.

Me and my boy.

Janis and Riley.

In front of the zoo sign.

Riley took this pic.

C+D reading to the kids.

The following day we went down to great-grandpa's for a family reunion where we were able to spend lots of time with Uncle D and Casey. We spent the night down there, and the six of us shared a connecting room. The kids enjoyed having D and Casey read a book they had given the kids: Casey and Derek Take the Ice. Ha!

Uncle D sandwich! Poor Casey's on the bottom!

J playing hockey with Uncle D.

Almost all of the Ackerman clan.

Great-grandpa and his children.

Great-grandpa and the Smiths.

J getting ready to throw.

Sports dotted our summer, much like any season. J played T-ball again, and I honestly think he's ready for regular baseball. His hockey buddy Billy was on his team, and his parents and sisters enjoyed chatting and hanging out with us. His sister Kaylynne called Phil "Uncle Phil."

Nice follow-through!

Riley ready for the pitch!

Riley participated in softball, which she didn't do last year. That girl can hit the ball! She had a lot of fun, and she had a really good coach, which definitely helps. I have a feeling she'll want to play again next summer. I just felt bad that most of her games were on Saturdays at noontime when the days were about 90 degrees! 

I think she was annoyed we asked her to look at the camera.

Riley on the tram.

We headed to the zoo one last time during the summer since the kids told me they wanted one last venture. We checked out the stingray bay exhibit, and the kids attempted to touch a ray. For extra money, you could buy seafood to try to feed the marine life, but the kids weren't up for that.

J doing his obligatory smile.

Me and my girl. J took this pic.

The kids and Mom.

The stingray exhibit.

On the carousel.

Riley's turn.

J goofing around with Uncle D.

We spent some more time with Uncle D and Casey before they headed off to Brockton, MA, for a wedding and spend some time with Casey's family. They are currently in Guatemala where they helped build some schools and houses. Last I heard, they were still planning to come to Chicago in a few weeks to find a sublet!

Putting Uncle D to work!

Riley bowling.

I treated the kids to some bowling before school started, and they each had so much fun! I love that they have the bumpers, but leave it to both my kids to throw the bowling ball over the bumpers! Jeremy's actually landed on the lane next to us and caused the other person a scratch! And Riley had to have an employee come and rescue her ball!

Nice follow-through.

J waiting patiently for his turn.

Getting ready to board the train.

We capped off the summer with a trip to visit Phil at the office. I surprised the kids, and we rode the train downtown. They both did great, and we experienced an extra treat because while we were pulling into the train station, we witnessed some of the airplanes practicing for the air and water show! Two planes formed a heart with their exhaust, and the kids LOVED it! We didn't do much downtown, but the kids got to look out across the city from Phil's office, and we even walked around the Sears/Willis Tower.

Outside Dad's office.

Dad and his girl.

Our puzzle. We actually got it through
the library's puzzle exchange program.

Before school started, the kids and I completed a 550-piece puzzle. It took us 3 days, but it was SO much fun! Jeremy has really gotten back into puzzles and usually does 1-2 daily. He's notorious for finishing a puzzle, wrecking it, and doing it again. His favorites are these Disney puzzles that came 8 in a box, with the minimum number of pieces at 150!

The PONY!

Our really good friends who are our neighbors held a joint birthday party for their two girls right before school started. And no party is complete without a...PONY! How cool is that? Riley was all about it, but J wanted nothing to do with it. But it was quite a sight, and I joked that this birthday is going to be difficult to top!