They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree....

Look no further.....

Kids meet Santa

Last night the kids school had a Christmas party. They can call it a Christmas party because they are private and receive absolutely zero money from Uncle Sam! The kids had a great time! They started the night by making their own snowman stuffed animal, naming it, and then getting a birth certificate for it. Gavin lost interest fairly quick, and just wanted to run around, but Cole had fun. Then they got to decorate their own cookies. Cole went all out making a small mountain on top of his cookie with icing, sprinkles, and colored sugar. Gavin was much more conservative! Lastly each of the kids sat on Santa's lap. Gavin was not afraid at all! At one point he jumped the line and went right up to Santa while another kid was on his knee, tapped his leg and said "Hey!" Cole told him he wanted a real race car with a real engine so he could drive fast. Gavin just wanted the candy cane he had in his bag! The kids had a real good time, and we didn't have to stand in line at the mall for an hour and pay a ridiculous sum of money to get a picture!

Oh Christmas Tree

We finally got the tree up. We let the kids stay up late on Saturday and we spent the evening putting up the tree and decorating the downstairs living room. Cole really got into it this year and it was a lot of fun!

Look Mom- Poop!

Well, I would have never guessed that I'd be writing in a blog about poop but....

We had some excitement this week when after taking his shower Gavin sat on the toilet and pooped! He likes to sit up there, however he has never done anything before so, I was not expecting anything this time either. After the kids shower he climbed up there, Cole was standing next to him giving him some pointers and showing him how to do it. It was so cute I snapped a photo. All of a sudden Gavin gets up and points into the toilet and says, "poop." We were all surprised and clapped and cheered. Gavin was so excited! Cole wanted me to take a photo of it, however I did not. He then suggested we "save it for Daddy." Gavin waved goodbye to it and flushed it about 5 minutes before Todd got home, but both kids were toppling over one another when Todd got home trying to tell him! He's not gone on the potty since, but at least I know the end of diapers is in sight!

Jolly Ol' St. Nick

We kicked off December with a whole lot of cold weather and snow. For those of you who don't live in this area, you're not missing much. The beauty of the snowflake is surpassed by it's own evil! In other news- we could not reach an agreement with the couple who was bidding on our home. Apparently they were the ones who couldn't reach an agreement- their realtor has said they have had some sort of falling out! OH well!

The kids celebrated St. Nick's by putting up their own Christmas tree. We bought them a small 3 footer and put in in the upstairs living room and allowed them to decorate it. It's full of Transformer, Tiger, Diego, M&M, and Nascar ornaments! Since it's resurrection I've gotten good and creative with the Super Glue! We've had multiple ornament casualties which have required doctoring. A few of the M&M guys have had bilateral lower leg amputations, performed in our living room by Dr. Gavin. So far their legs are MIA. A few of the transformers have had limb amputations as well, but luckily for them I've been able to reattach them!

The kids got their St. Nick gifts and have been happily playing with them since. Cole got some Spiderman and Friends action figures. He has however pointed out to us that they are not Spiderman's friends, they are his enemies. Technically speaking he is right. He also informed us he has been wanting them for 15 years and was so glad he "finally" got them! I've posted some pics here of the kids tree and them playing with their gifts!

November News

Well, not much has happened this month except it's definitely gotten COLD. The winter coats are out to stay, I'm afraid. For those of you who do not live in this area, we had our first snow the night before Thanksgiving. The kids woke to a white covered yard and were thrilled, Todd and I were less than thrilled but put on a good show for the kids.We've had a lot of activity on the house and are actually in negotiations now with a buyer. They have really low-balled us so we'll see, since we are not really willing to budge much. It would be nice if we could reach an agreement since I'm really sick and tired of showings.
We've stayed busy with the kids. We took them to the train fest, which they loved. This is the 2nd year in a row they've gone. State Fair Park hosts the event and their is a large building devoted to nothing but huge model train exhibits. The kids thought it was really cool, and we didn't have to pay for them to get in.
The following weekend we took them to BaloonApalooza, which is at the Domes. Huge balloon exhibits are set up all over the place. Good idea, poorly executed, especially since they don't want the balloon displays touched. (Try telling that to Gavin.) While we were there we did go through the Domes which the kids were somewhat interested in.
We had a really great Thanksgiving. My sister Amber and a very good friend of mine came over for the day. I made the usual holiday fare and everyone stuffed themselves to discomfort. Gavin ate a couple sardines (courtesy of his Dad!) and his breath stunk like rotting fish for a while. This of course did not stop him from wanting to plaster tons of kisses on me. I was completely grossed out and thanked Todd accordingly.
We went around the table at meal time and everyone said what they were thankful for. Just like last year my sister cried when I said what I was thankful for, which made me cry, and the kids told me it's not nice to cry at the table. Cole was thankful for pumpkin pie.
Todd ate and drank himself into a turkey/champagne coma and us girls stayed up drinking and laughing. We ended the night by renting a scary movie, and staying up way past our bedtimes. In the morning the mess was somewhat reminiscent of college days.
I did not however get up early and face the crowds for the day after Thanksgiving Sales. My friend that stayed the night however wanted up at the crack of dawn to make it to the mall to get something her daughter was wanting for Christmas. I think it goes without saying that she didn't make it. She got their late, and they still had some left, everyone is happy!
I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping and now have to look forward to all the wrapping. We have not put up the tree yet but hopefully will soon. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Fall Festivities

Well as Halloween drew near there was no shortage of activies for the kids. Cole wanted only to be Power Ranger Red - Operation Overdrive. The world could rest at ease on Halloween, from the look of things there were enough Power Rangers out and about to save the world from evil at least a couple times! Gavin was a pirate, however instead of taking his booty, he frequently tried to give the person the candy he had gotten from the previous house!

They started all their fall fun with hayrides and a pumpkin patch at school. Tyler's dad owns a farm and he brought in his tractor and gave the kids hayrides around the parking lot, then the school set up a pumpkin patch and let the kids go and pick out pumpkins. Later that evening Todd took the kids back to school for a Fall Festival. They had an outdoor candy hunt with flashlights. They also had each of the rooms set up with games and different crafts for the kids to play and enjoy.

Next the kids went trick or treating at Todd's work. This is something they have every year for the kids. Many of the departments really get into it, with themed costumed and decorations. The kids really had a good time.

The weekend before Halloween we carved pumpkins, it was too cold to do it outside so we broke down and allowed the kids to do it in the kitchen. Fortunatley things didn't get too messy!

The day before Halloween the kids school had a costume parade. It's quite funny to watch actually. The kids come out with their classrooms and parade around the parking lot while the parents stand on the sidelines cheering them on. Usually within a few minutes however the order and motorcade of kids has turned into chaos and the kids all just run around the parking lot in their costumes while the parents try to find their kid to get that keepsake photo! Then the teachers have to try to find all the kids and round them back up into groups with their class. This is usually when you will hear crying because as the littlest ones realize their mommies and daddies are leaving there is usually some heartbreak. What fun!

We ended the festivities with trick or treating in the subdivision on Halloween night. Most of the houses participated. The kids and I passed out candy here at the house until Todd got home from work. Cole and Gavin really love passing out candy. They were so excited they would usually open the door and run down the walk way to meet the trick or treaters instead of waiting for them to come to the door! Then Gavin would shout "thank you! thank you!" over and over again! After Todd got home we took the kids through the subdivsion. They really had fun despite how cold their little fingers got. They got enough candy to last them probably till Christmas or after!

Family Pet dies...

Well about a month ago I gave into the constant requests for another fish. After some research, I discovered you can have Goldfish in the same tank as a male Beta. The lady at the Fish Dept. confirmed this and was more than happy to sell me a larger tank, filter etc... and all the other "essentials" I might need. Cole and Gavin picked out the fish they wanted, a medium sized white goldfish with black and orange spots. Being that our blue Beta is named Blu, I'm sure it won't take you long to guess what they named this newest member to the family.... Spot. Things were going well, Blu had adjusted to yet another tank change and Spot appeared to have ADD with Hyperactivity Disorder, but seemed happy nonetheless! Two days after our return home from my mom's I found Spot wedged between the filter and the tank. I broke the news to Cole as he watched me fishing Spot out of the tank and placing him onto the paper towel coffin I had fashioned for him. I think Cole took it pretty well since after I placed Spot on the paper towel he said "Yep- he's dead." I couldn't bring myself to flush him, so we wrapped him in the papertowel and put him in a Ziplock baggie, which I later took out to the trash. Blu seemed to be taking it quite well as he sought out solace in his much larger, new and improved tank which he suddenly found all to himself! Gavin still goes to the fish tank and points and says "Spot, Spot." Cole suggested we solve this problem by placing a sign on the tank that says "Spot is dead. " As for Blu, Cole has suggested we place another sign on the tank that says, "Blu: you will never see Spot again. He is with Red." (Red is his other Beta that he got at the same time as Blu, three years ago.) We have decide not to replace Spot. I only hope things go much better when we decided to get a dog...

Fish Story- A visit to Grandma and Papa K.'s

Well at the beginning of October we loaded up the kids and braved another long trip. This time we went to Winter Wi, were my parents live. The kids actually did pretty good, they started to get restless the last 45 or so, but hey who's complainin'! Cole discovered the joys of peeing outside (Todd chose the ideal location- A Mennonite Church!) and then feigned a full bladder at the most inopportune times. Overall we got there unscathed and all still friends. The weather did not cooperate quite as we had hoped and unfortunately the kids had to spend much of the time indoors. We did spend an afternoon in Hayward, shopping and having lunch during which time Cole announced to one particular shop owner that he had to "get out of here" because "this store is old!" With that we quickly exited while Grandma and Papa finished their purchases! The highlight of the trip for Cole was when Papa and his his Dad took him fishing. Grandma bought him a new Spiderman fishing pole and he was ready to go. He had saved some Gummy worms from the day before for bait, had multiple layers of clothes on and was ready to go! Cole caught his first fish, a bluegill, and a smile from ear to ear! By all reports Cole loved casting- A LOT-! Gavin just had fun running around seeing how quickly mom and dad and everyone else could get up to save him from the stairs, and he loved looking out the window for the dog, Lilly. He has not stopped calling for her to this day! We all had a great time visiting with my parents and seeing their new home and business. The trip back was fantastically uneventful, Cole watched movies, (or I should say a movie, over and over) Gavin called for Lilly and Todd and I listened to Cole's movie "Everybody's Hero" for the 7th time that week! We returned home to find everything just as we had left it!

Dancing Cole

Cole loves to dance! Over the summer I used to take him to the zoo on Wednesday nights when they would have bands playing. I caught him on video with my cell phone- Enjoy!

Anniversary

This Wednesday, October 17, 2007 will mark our 9th wedding anniversary and 13 years together! It's hard for me to believe I'm even old enough to have been with anyone that long, but it's true! We celebrated the occassion with an excellent meal in downtown Milwaukee, at Bacchus. If you have not been I highly recommend it- you will not be disappointed. Afterwards we headed over to the Bradley Center to see a performance of the Blue Man Group. It was really great, and I would definately see them again. Todd and I really had a wonderful evening. When we got home both kids were tucked nicely into their beds, rooms clean, with nothing but shining reports from their babysitter- what more could we ask for!

HOME: For Sale

Back in the end of July (I think) we decided to put our little abode on the market. We've been here since April of 2002. We are ready to move on to bigger and better things, so to speak. I will be a little sad to say goodbye to this place (if it ever sells!), since there are so many wonderful memories here! So far lots of lookers, no takers!

POLL RESULTS

The results are in! 66% of you think Cole looks more like his mommy!

Favorite photos

Looking back through photos came upon these two.... I love them! They look more alike then I remembered them to!

Stone Fire Pizza CO...

If you have kids and have heard about this place and have not gone yet, all I can say to you is GO! It's well worth the money. Forget Chuckee Cheese. It's ok, it will do... but it pales in comparison after going here. We all had an awesome time, and the food is acutally good! Cole got to bowl, go on miniature rides, which Todd and I went on as well, and hey! they were pretty fun! There was so much interactive things to do with him. It is more expensive then Chucke Cheese no doubt, but well worth it! We all had a blast!

Cole is 4!

June 25th Cole turned 4! It's hard believe he's that old already! He had a great time on his birthday with many visits over the week to celebrate from his aunts and from his Grandma and Papa, and of course everything was Baseball themed! Todd and I took him to Stone Fire Pizza Co. as well which we truly loved!! Todd and I are continually amazed and how fast he is growing and how truly smart he is! Having children is the best decision (second only to saying YES! to Todd) that I have made. Their birthdays for me are reminders of some of the best days in my life! Here's a few pics of Cole on his happy happy day!

Nikki turns 32

Well we celebrated the day as a family. The kids and Todd made me a cake, yellow cake with Chocolate frosting (my favorite)and Todd made me dinner. He made me a pork soft taco with grilled red onions and mangos with some cilantro and rice. It was quite tasty and I didn't end up sick so I think he dun good!

St. Jude's Trike A thon

Cole and Gavin's school had a trike-a-thon to raise money for St. Judes Children's hospital. Cole participated and raised I think $190! They set up cones in the parking lot at school and had all the kids ride around in circles. I volunteered and handed water out to the kids as they went around. Many of them I had to force to stop and take a drink because their little faces were getting so flushed! He had a terrific time, and he learned about helping and giving to others. I hope this is a lesson we are able to continually instill in him and as an adult he gives back and tries to make a difference!

T-Ball

Over the summer we enrolled Cole in T-Ball through the Waukesha Park Dept. He had so much fun. We were quite impressed with his hand/eye cooridination and can really hit the ball. He does so well that we've had to start using a less dense ball here at the house because he was hitting the neighbors house! His first session he played for the Dragons and the second he played for the Brewers. He couldn't have been more thrilled! He did an awesome job and made some new friends. He loves baseball so much. He wants to be a "big hitter" like Prince Fielder. His aunts and grandparents have spoiled him loading him up on Brewer gear. He also went to 2 games this year which was a gift from his Grandma and Papa K. He got to sit right behind the dugout both times and one of the base coaches threw him a game ball after the game was over. At the second game he got to run around the bases. Here is a link to see him cross home plate: www.brewers.com/fanfoto then click on "Sunday, September 16th vs CIN" Gallery 37. He amazes me continually!

Meet Isabelle a.k.a. Elizabeth, a.k.a. Belle

Meet Isabelle. I rescued her out of a dumpster at school in the fall of 1999. She is lovable, and huggable. Her friendliness and perseverance for attention usually wins over even dog lovers and so called "cat haters!" She is known as Elizabeth by my father-in-law, and by just "Belle" at the top of his lungs by Gavin. Other times Gavin simply points to her and says "MINE!" That's usually her cue to make a run for it!

The kids also have 2 fish. Blu and Spot. Blu is a three year old Beta Cole recieved for his birthday from his great grandma Swanson. How we have managed to keep it alive this long is a mystery even to us! Spot is a goldfish I bought the kids 2 weeks ago. They have lived harmoniously together so far...

KEY WEST!

For Mother's Day this year Todd took me to Key West! After the trip to Texas it was definately a nice change of pace! We flew into Miami and rented a convertible and drove down along the highway into the Keys. It was a beautiful and well deserved trip! Todd and I enjoyed the sunsets, seafood and shorelines! We did some sight seeing, some shopping and mostly just enjoyed the time we had to spend with each other. I highly recomend this as a vacation spot. It's an island you don't need a passport to get to and there is plenty to do no matter what your interest is. Also the atomsphere is laid back and friendly. We will definately go back. My inlaws kept the kids and wore each other out with hikes, museums and birthday parties!

Texas Reunion

Well, April brought us our first official "family vacation." We traveled many times down to Southern Indiana to see my in-laws, but this was going to be different. We were driving across country to Texas! We are also taking my in-laws with us! My husband's cousin, Meredith, was getting married. We hoped to be present for her nuptials and give my mother in law a chance to see her sisters. They are spread out over the country so it was in deed a rare occassion to have them all in one place. Also in the almost 13 years Todd and I have been together, I have never met any of his mother's family! So, for me it was a first!

The trip started as Todd and I awoke to the sound of a crying child. Cole had thrown up all over his bed at Gommie and Grandpa's! We had hoped it was a 24 hour thing! 3 days and over 1000 miles later we found ourselves at Denton Presbyterian Hospital. They gave Cole a long medical diagnosis which amounts to inflamed lining of the stomach and severe dehydration. I spent the next two days at the hospital with Cole with many visits from Daddy, Gavin, Gommie and Grandpa. Cole was discharged under the premise we would stay in town another day. So, he was discharged only to throw up all over the restaurant floor within hours after we left the hospital!

Our stay in Texas was not as planned to say the least! My inlaws got to spend a little time with their family, but certainly not what we had hoped for them. I missed the wedding but Todd went with his parents and Gavin. I did get to meet Barbara, Sherry, and Diana briefly. I also got to say congrats to the beautiful bride, right after Cole threw up all over the floor at the reception!

So, needless to say we left Texas and did not look back! My father in law insists he's NEVER going back! Apparently after his last trip there my sister in law became sick and was hospitalized as well!

So, our trip had all the elements of a Lampoon's classic! (Ohh yeah I forgot to mention the unspeakable condition of the hotel, and the hooker!- but those tales are for another day!)

However, we did manage to capture a few photos of people smiling!

Crazy hair day at school

The kids school had a crazy hair day! We did Gavin's in a mohawk- Cole refused!

2nd surgery

Somewhere along here Gavin had his 2nd surgery in a little over 2 years. He had had a chronic ear infection since before Christmas. He had been on antibiotic after antibiotic with no results. We then resorted taking him to the doctor 3 days a week for 2 weeks to get 2 shots each time. It was a very strong antibiotic that they had hoped with clear it up. Of course it didn't and he was scheduled to have tubes in his ears. The whole procedure went pretty quickly. We were only at the hospital about 3 hours. Part of that was because the surgeon overslept! The surgery itself only took about 10 minutes they said. Acutally his surgeon told me it took longer to fill out the pre and post paperwork than it did to acutally do the surgery! However don't be fooled the cost of surgery did not however seem to reflect this! I am happy to report however that Mr. Gavin has not had a single ear infection since! Which has made everyones lives much happier!

Easter!

As usual I had to work but a few days before Easter we colored eggs with Cole, and then on Easter morning Todd hid the eggs and some plastic eggs we had bought and filled with candy and coins. We also hid both kids Easter baskets. Since the weather was not what we had hoped we hid everything in his bedroom. He had a great time.

First haircut

Well it was time for Gavin's first "official" haircut. We made the decision and scheduled it for March 6th. I know the camera says 06/06/2007 but it always inverts the month and date! I had tried here at the house several times to cut it here and there but Gavin would not sit or stand still if you can imagine that! So... I broke down and took him to Kiddo's. It's in Milwaukee on Appleton Avenue. They have special little cars/jeeps etc.. for the kids to sit in and a flat screen TV in front of each car and the kids can pick a movie to watch. It is where we have been taking Cole for quite some time now. Much to our suprise he did a great job- and looked incredibly handsome at the same time!

The Cutest Cowboy

Cole loves cowboys at it looks like Gavin is following right behind him in his footsteps! Grandma and Papa got Gavin this horse for Xmas and both kids have definately given it a work out!

Gavin's Birthday!

We started January off with a bang! January 14th was Gavin's first birthday! We kept it low key we spent the day just the 4 of us. We had birthday cupcakes, which after taking a bite Gavin decided the floor might just like it better than he did! We did get him some big balloons which he loved. His Grandma and Papa came over later in the week to celebrate! Later on Gavin's birthday Todd and I took the time to reflect on the previous year and while it sounds corny we were thankful for each other and our family. Gavin's birthday is not just a celebration of his life but a reminder to us how quickly it can all be gone.