Countdown to Disney Cruise!

We leave for TX in three days....we'll be gone for 8 days, so I'll be MIA for a while :) We will have super limited internet access on the cruise, so I feel like it will be family boot camp for us--ha! I am looking forward to the break from cell phones, ipads, tv, computer, etc. Actually, I'm excited to have time with Nick without him constantly being on his phone/computer/ipad...ahhhhh...it takes over so easily. Hopefully when we come back it will be warmer and we can start spending more time outside. Hunter starts flag football shortly after we get back, so I hope he likes it! He LOVES basketball and soccer, so hopefully this will go just as well. Until then I am busy getting ready to go. These two cutie pies below are super excited too--Jack has a hard time understanding the concept of counting down to the cruise, so it's an argument each morning about how many days until we leave! 

 They were asked again to do a photo shoot for My Urban Toddler spring catalog, so we are doing that today after school. I am not sure how that will work with it being 40 degrees out, but maybe it will be indoors...who knows. I just hope they cooperate for the photos. We got haircuts over the weekend, so they will be cute. Jessica, our nanny, is helping me b/c I can't manage getting these two both changed into several outfits alone! 

Do these kids have any idea of how good they have it? I doubt it. Rare moment of them NOT fighting these days. 

 

Bring your parents to school day

Last Sunday they had "Bring Your Parents to School Day". Nick and I traded off so we could see each child in their classroom. Hunter had a plan written up of all the "work" he does. It included word building, the six chains, and four place addition. He is considered one of the math experts in his room, which he is clearly proud of (and so are we). The younger kids are supposed to ask him for help before getting a teacher. I really have no clue how they teach kids math in Montessori and honestly, I don't recall how I was taught math, but I'm sure it wasn't like this. It's a really interesting process and clearly it works b/c he is quite good at math! He can do long addition problems, read numbers really well, etc. It takes quite a long time to put all this together, so he was so happy to show me the entire work. 

I didn't take any pics of Jack, but he just switched into a bigger kid room and they can't really just do what work they want, they have to have a lesson on it first. I did have to laugh b/c Jack's new teacher said he says "NO!" a lot. Ahhhhhh....he was a great two year old, but a more challenging 3 year old. He's pretty easy, but getting more opinionated and becoming more of a stinker by the day!! 

7 days till Disney Cruise and counting.......So much to do in such little time!!! 

Catch up!

Life has been SO busy lately! We got back from AZ last Thursday and leave in 8 days for our Disney Cruise...yay! Jack asks every day if we are leaving that day after school. He is so excited and so is Hunter :) I am freaking out about packing and getting organized.

Arizona was fun. I hung out at the pool most of the time, the resort was awesome (5 pools, spa, yummy food, etc.). This was the view from our room--nice pool, palm trees, and mountains in the back. 

 This was at this party thing they had the last night--it made me laugh b/c my grandma used to tell my one cousin something about not dating any loose women with bad manners...I know she will laugh when she sees this!  

Hunter's attempt at push-ups. He's in a class with 5-7 year old kids and the coach is a little tough. When the kids are told to hold the basketball and not dribble, most kids can't focus long enough to listen and then they do push-ups for not listening. This was cracking me up b/c the kids are all so funny trying to do real push-ups. The coach looks to be an ex-college bball player and no kids--or he clearly would not have expected kids to do push-ups the "right" way. 

 Jack's latest hang out in the morning when I get ready for work. Since we are leaving again no sense in putting suitcase away! He is so cute! 

 They did soccer pics the other day and I decided to give this a try since really, what am I gonna do with single pics of each. I was hoping they could be nice to each other for five seconds and yes, success!!! Love it!! 

St. Patty's Day we went to our club with some friends--we had a good time!! We for sure need more date nights with good friends-- It's so fun to catch up and hang out!! Actually, last year for St. Patty's day we invited our friends Mike and Jacque to try to suck them in to joining and it worked--ha! (upper left is Jacque). However, last year we sat outside with three couples and it was like 70 degrees where it was snowing this year--boo! 

 

Countdown to kid-free trip, poopy experience, and other stuff

Nick and I are going to AZ from March 11-14th with no kids...can't wait. We have had a heck of a couple of weeks with kids and behavior stuff, so I'm almost counting the hours till we get a break. 

It's at a resort/spa...Nick has some classes to attend and I will gladly sit by the pool alone reading books or going to the spa! Can't wait--it is much needed!

Here is our new look of the kitchen island. I should have taken a "before" picture. Let's just say it was a dumping ground for toys, papers, and lots of other stuff. I'm trying to stick to this look minus a few important things that have to be dealt with in a timely fashion. Jessica, our nanny, even said the kitchen looked bigger! ha! We'll see how long it lasts. 

On another note, I am embarrassed to admit this...I had the worst experience with poop last night. I want to document this so I can remind my kids of this later in life. Nick had to work late last night, Jessica was sick so I was off half day, and lets just say by 6:30pm when soccer started I was TIRED and patience was worn thin. Jack had only napped for 45 minutes and was crabby. First, halfway through soccer Hunter runs over b/c he has to poop. This soccer place is not the cleanest--ugh. So both kids in tow we head to the ladies bathroom. Hunter takes at least 5 minutes pooping while Jack proceeds to check out each stall and keeps saying he has to pee....it was chaos. I get Hunter cleaned up, hands washed and back out to practice a whole 10 minutes later. Then right near the end of practice Jack ducks down behind me and poops his pants!! Another dad was like "I think your kid is pooping". AHHHHH. I'm driving my mom's car while mine is getting fixed, so I had no wipes, no change of clothes, etc. He is mostly potty trained but the poop is an issue--he still wears underwear except when sleeping.  I wait till Hunter gets his stamp and class is dismissed before dragging both kids back to the bathroom. Jack was doing a crazy waddle so I knew we were in trouble. I had no clue....we all crowd into the handicap stall and I could not believe what was going on....out his undies, smeared all the way down his legs, and onto his pants and socks. Dry toilet paper just doesn't cut it in this situation. I ended up throwing out the underwear, half way wiping him up and just pulling his pants back up and he was going straight home into the shower. It was seriously SO gross....words can't describe. Then he passed out in the car on the way home b/c of his short nap and I still had to wake him for a shower--then he had his second wind and didn't want to go back to bed! Ahhhh. I was glad to go to bed last night and have the day be over. 

Homework for my big kid!

 Who knew kids got homework in kindergarten?? Ha. He has to "google" info about rainforest biomes and bring to school. He has supposed to have done this two weeks ago and his teacher sent an email to lots of parents saying their kids haven't been doing their work. I asked Hunter and he was like "I hate homework, so I'm not doing it". Not so much dude...have fun doing homework for the next 16 years of your life!! Nick explained google, had him type in the words and read about it. 

Phrases out of Hunter's mouth lately (before this homework thing). 

1) Mommy, just download it. 

2) Just google it!!

3) Mommy, set a reminder on your phone so you don't forget. 

4) Text daddy and ask him.....whatever. 

It makes me feel old b/c non of that stuff existed when I was a kid!! Although google is was better than a trip to the library to check out books about rainforests. 

Hunter is growing like a weed. He's 5 1/2 (in a few weeks). I bought him size 6 pants back in the fall. Now they are too short, so we officially bought size 7 pants!! He says "Well, it's not my fault I'm so tall and skinny." Lucky kid!! 

Hands on Museum w/ Jessica

While Hunter and Nick were in Mexico, Jack was on winter break too, so we tried to do a few fun things with him! Jessica took him to the Hands on Museum in A2 one morning....they had fun! 

 Obligatory ambulance picture (I have at least 10....I should upload them all together to see how the kids have grown--ha!) Hands On Museum never gets old! 

 We have a toy like this at home with gears and the kids have fun with it (although I try to only bring it out when I'm ok with the mess and lots of pieces). 

 Cutie pie!! 

He must have worn himself out!!