Everyone's got something going on

It seems like everyone has something going on, and I guess that is the way it should be.

We got back from Spring Break and Jack had his 4 yr. old check-up. He is doing just fine. He can do everything except draw a stick person or the equivalent. We aren't too worried because when they asked if he knew 4 colors I wanted to say, "Yes,in three different languages-German,Spanish, and English, what about you?" I didn't though. He got to wear a little hospital gown so I had to take a picture. I wasn't sure if he would get shots this time or not so I didn't promise one way or the other, and when he found out he would he was none to pleased. Still, he did very well. His face got a little red (like he might cry) but then he looked up at me and goes, "See Mom I am brave- I didn't even cry." Aww, for some reason that almost made me cry. I just gave him a hug then a five for being so brave.

15 weeks and more wide than round

I did have to make the switch to maternity clothes though

Diaper Cake I made

We went to Henderson and Morehead for our little break. In Morehead Jack and Luke got to play in the creek, with the mowers, and go for a ride in the trailer. Jack is holding on tight to Luke so there are no jumps or climbs out while they are driving. We also had the opportunity to watch the high school boys basketball tournament. Pete's high school made it all the way to the championship game but lost in double overtime. So we went to Rupp Arena to support the Vikings.

Luke is starting to say shoes, Jack, and hi. He learned to clap so he does it almost all the time. I am sure we all look like fools because once he starts we do it too. Still not walking but hey he will get there when he feels like it. He has stood solo for a few seconds when he didn't know what was going on. Once realized it he promptly sat right back down.

Pete just received a grant/fellowship for the next three semesters. So yay and congrats to him!!!! That will be so awesome!!!

I think that sums up what we have been doing the last week or two.

More Exciting Weigel News

We do have some more news but first you have to look at pictures of Luke. I would have added Jack pictures but he has been naked a lot so you know-- not really picture appropriate.

Luke was going through my purse when he found a sucker. Within moments he had it open. I let him try it out for a few minutes then took it away. He really seemed to enjoy it.

This is just Luke putting frog hat on and off.

Sometimes Luke gets to try his hand at brushing his teeth. After he ate one of Jack's bath crayons and had yellow wedged between his teeth I thought it might be a good night to practice.

Ok so the news-- I may be announcing it a bit prematurely, but people are starting to find out anyway so I figure why not share it on a large scale.

After about a year of not feeling 100% comfortable with the math path he(Pete) picked a change is in the process of being made. He hasn't made the change yet- this is why I say it is a bit premature. Still, here it is. A slightly different area of math(differences I know nothing about so I can't tell you the details) and a new adviser have been selected. The change seems like nothing exciting until you find out that the new adviser is moving away from Purdue. We will spend next school year here at Purdue while his new adviser spends it at Princeton. Pete will get to visit Princeton a couple times next year. Then in June 2012 the big news happens---we will move to Germany for 1 or 2 years. Yes, I will be readying a family of 3 kids and maybe a dog to move to Germany. At the time of the move our children will be 5,2,9months and our dog will be 7. Since we are still a little more than a year away I am currently making lists of questions, concerns,and thoughts to be worked out once we get more details and are a year or less from move day. We will be moving to Munster Germany so I have provided a map of Germany so you can see where in Germany we will be.

Things we do know: 1. this is the univeristy Pete will be working at in Munster.
http://www.uni-muenster.de/en/
2. His degree will still be from Purdue

Ok so that is all we know. It isn't a ton, but it is a start. We will take what we can get. I have decided that Pete likes to make big life changes when I am pregnant. Perhaps he feels left out or something-- not sure. It was when I was pregnant with Jack that he let it be known he wanted to quit his job, sell our house, and get a PhD. Now that I am pregnant again decisions have been made that put us on the path to European living. I never expected to be the the type of girl to just go with it but apparently I am. It will be a stressful time and the getting there part will be difficult with packing and kids and etc., but once we are there it will be a great time. I have been looking at pictures and it really is a beautiful and very historic city. Plus, Pete is already feeling more at peace which is a wonderful thing to see after a year of seeing him struggle.

OOPS.... We did it again

If I hadn't known, these things would surely have given it away.

-Gagging at the mere thought of drinking coke. Bending over and actually coughing so much that Jack comes running into the kitchen to find out what is wrong. When he asks if it is a cold and will I be sick forever I can simply say yes it is and I really hope not.

-Changing a diaper and having the same reaction as above. Then thinking that the next two months are going to be really really long.

-We ordered spring rolls, I took a bite only to find shrimp inside and hours later the mere thought of it caused a reaction just as bad as the original.

-Pete and Jack wanted to look at doughnuts in the store but the smell made me go hang out by the bread.

-In the parking lot I smelled someone smoking and about died. Pete informed me that yes someone was smoking---in the next county.

-Eating all day long, but only being able to eat things like: bananas, cereal, bagels with peanut butter, popcorn, eggs, grilled cheese, and occasionally peanut butter and jelly. When I would try to eat a granola bar with small bits of chocolate the few chocolate bits were entirely too sweet. Sadly, all sweet things sent shivers down my spine.

-While washing my hair with my normal shampoo I began to wonder just how many chemicals were in it and if I really need to wash my hair anymore.

-Going to bed at 8pm and sleeping until 7am 

Of course the next two things were dead give aways.

Obvious sign #1 from early January

Obvious sign #2 from early February

Early March--today

 

 

 

Early March-today

Baby's ETA is early September.

Happy Birthday Jack

Over the weekend we had much family come visit. It was fun to have so many people here to help celebrate both Jack and Luke's birthdays. We opened some presents on Saturday morning and then lunch time we headed to Chuck E Cheese. It was super crowded and we were lucky to get tables because many people were waiting outside to get in. I never knew it was such a happening place on the weekends. The birthday fun kept happening because on Monday the boys got packages in the mail and they had so much fun playing with their gifts. Then today was Jack's birthday. He opened his present from us this morning then we just sort of hung out. Jack was pumped up about turning 4. He immediately told me how much taller he was, how he got faster, how he was able to open things he never could before, and how when you are 4 even your pee turns colors(it didn't really in case you are concerned). We ate McDonalds for dinner then had some cherry cheesecake. I messed the crust up some but the main part still tasted good.

Luke getting to know Barney

Jack riding around Chuck E

Playing with Luke's new toy

Color changing volcano

Jack's birthday present

Deadly Nadder

Playing dragons

Checking out our jiggly crystals

Smile it is your birthday

Singing Happy Birthday

Blowing out the candles

Happy Birthday Luke

 It was Luke's birthday this week!!!  He is now the big 1.  Very exciting.  As you can see we had cupcakes on his birthday-- he loved it.  The thing about this child is that he loves to eat.  He eats a ton at every meal, he sees other people eating and he just has to eat, he will even go to the garbage can and root out old banana peels. When he sees food but has none he has a physical reaction.  His mouth makes an o, he starts to breathe heavy, and his body starts shaking-- it is pretty intense. If he thinks you are holding out he pants or makes some grunting noise as a warning noise- a give me the food now noise. If you don't it is just tears, turned out lips, and a why do you hate me face. The crying is so intense that he gets food all day every day. You can't say no, plus if you do and he can reach, he will just take it from you. Even when he is done and has started 'sliding' food to Tigran, if he sees you get new food he has to have it. Food is his life.  We haven't had our official doctor's appt. yet but we went to WIC today and they weighed him-- it said 21 lbs 10oz which isn't bad, but we have weighed him here before and it has been 23 lbs so we will see what the doctor's scale says. Other Luke stuff-- not standing solo and not walking.  He does pull up and cruise and go from couch to chair. We try to give him stuff to hold with two hands but he knows he can lean his chest in toward us or the couch or whatever and still be upright so no need to stand solo in his mind. Oh well, that is how sitting was for him too and he can do it now. I suppose when he feels like it he will. No real words but lots of sounds like ma and da and ah and ba and etc. He does sort of know mama and dada and uses them appropriately lots of times but there are still times he throws them out when you know he just likes the noise. Also, he makes a noise that sounds a lot like the word this so when he says it we tell him what thing he has in his hand. He likes to brush his hair, 'call' us on the phone, when you ask him about his shoes he is able to grab them and put them down by his feet, and if you tell him to go get his bogey or blankie he can do it (not that he always does). He is attempting the few signs we are teaching him but he doesn't have it down yet- he said all done today and when we took his food away he cried and wanted more.

We did a thing at the library where you say you will read 4 hours to your kids in a month and for each hour you get a prize. We read 4 hrs in the first couple days, but we spaced it out a bit on our sheet.  The first prize was just bookmarks, the second free Moe's children's meal and 4 dollars book bucks for the book sale in March, the 3rd hour was a cloth tote bag to put all our library books in when we go to the library and the 4th was a book for the whole family to enjoy.  They had picture books and chapter books, but we went with the picture books. I let Jack pick it out. They had some pretty good books in thereCaldecott winners-always a plus for the bookshelf stash, but we brought home The Dinosaur Who Lived in My Backyard. Jack loves dinosaurs, we just got a dinosaur floor puzzle and a dinosaur encyclopedia, so this was no surprise.  Haha-it isn't an award winner but it makes Jack happy.

Happy Valentine's Day

This morning started out busy--

I didn't realize that the snow melting = muddy yard so Tigran comes in and runs through the house with muddy paws. I had to trap him in the kitchen and clean up the floors. Blah. Then I stick Jack and Luke in the tub and Luke poops. I have to rush to grab Jack so he doesn't freak out. I had to clean the tub and the toys with bleach because well- you know. School was at our house today ,and in the AM, so there was a lot going on this morning.

At school today we made candy necklaces, decorated valentine bags, made little foam valentine's, ate yummy cookies, and handed out valentine cards. It was fun. Here are some pictures of what we did.


The chocolate strawberries are not from school, but from our dinner tonight. Pete grilled steaks, we had asparagus, and bread with dipping oil. It was all super yummy.

Here are some pictures of the boys.

Jack wanted some pictures with him and his sword. Crazy face.


Luke has started crawling like a proper baby-- most of the time.


Jack and Luke battling

Dear Jack, you just can't do that

Pete brought home toaster strudels, Jack really wanted one, I made him one that evening. The next morning I wake up and there is no Jack, but there are lots of signs of Jack's presence. There is a chair by the refrigerator, there is a chair by the toaster, there are tongs on the coffee maker, and there is a feeling of guilt in the air. I begin by putting the chairs back- they are covered in something crusty feeling. I put the tongs back. I move next to the garbage can, the lid isn't on all the way so I glance down, and notice two toaster strudels. I begin to imagine the scene again, and it all comes into focus. Jack put a chair up to the freezer to get the toaster strudels down, he moves another chair to the toaster and toasts both of them, he can't get them out of the toaster so he gets the tongs and uses them, and I still an not sure where the icing packets are but the crusty stuff on the chairs must be icing. My eyes move over to the utensil container, and I notice next to it are the kitchen scissors out and slightly open. I also put my hand on the table and notice that it is covered in the crusty stuff too. I go to the freezer to see how much icing he used and my guess would be about 4 or 5 packets for two toaster strudels. He comes in around this time, and acts all innocent. I send him to his room and tell him he doesn't get breakfast now since he already made his own, and then decided to just throw them away. Plus, now I have to explain to him why the following things are dangerous: 1. using the toaster unsupervised 2. sticking tongs in the toaster 3. using scissors when unsupervised. Today, which is about 3 days after this incident, I went to get something out of a kitchen drawer when I noticed our super small spatula had icing all over it. Ahh- this is how he spread the icing out-- I was wondering. * Note to Jack- please don't put dirty utensils back in drawers even when trying to be sneaky.

This is a funny Jack thing. I wasn't there but I laughed super hard when I heard it. Pete and Jack went to Wal-Mart to buy garbage cans for recycling and some groceries. In the check out line Jack asked for the black olives,threw them into the garbage can, and then turned to the people behind them in line and said, "If anyone wants some black olives just hop in our garbage can." haha too funny.

Another Jack wanting to get his own breakfast story. This morning Jack was in our bed and at 6:30ish he said he wanted to go in his room. I hear a noise so I go out and tell him to get back in bed for another hour and then I will get up. Ok. 30 minutes later I hear-CRASH! I jump out of bed and there is Jack in the kitchen with a chair up against the refrigerator and his plastic golf club on the floor. There is also the box containing two doughnuts (one for Pete and one for Jack but not to be eaten until after dinner) and my snickers stash (that I keep hidden on top of the freezer) on the floor.

I love that he can do so much for himself but we need some rules like - you can eat bars in the morning because all you have to do is open the pantry and reach in. We need other rules like- No using appliances and no knocking stuff off the top of the refrigerator.