Happy New Year! I am not big into resolutions; but I always like to take some time to reflect on areas of improvement. I like to evaluate the four F's in my life every year. Faith, Family, Finances, and Fitness.
My number one goal heading into 2015 is to focus on being PRESENT. I am sure that there are many people out there that struggle with this. I find it extremely challenging, simply due the fact that I am constantly juggling work obligations, the kids' activity schedules, house work, and time to take care of myself (sadly, this often falls dead last on my list of daily priorities). 2014 was the year of organization for me; I purged, simplified, organized our lives (thank you, Cozi), and developed systems to help my manage our day-to-day lives without feeling like I was going to loose my mind. I am hoping my organization will help me in this year's resolution. I want to take time every single day to completely engage with my children (and NOT be thinking about all the items on my to do list that need tending to). Same goes for time spent conversing with my hubby. When working, I need to focus intently on my daily tasks. I want to make sure that each work day is maximized; eliminating the need to do ANY work in the evenings when my focus will be family. This will be a BIG challenge for me, as I am a Type A control freak on many levels (so unfinished To Do lists don't sit well with me).
Luckily, having kids has mellowed me tremendously. I have learned to appreciate the messy living room, and sticky kitchen table more then ever this past year. I know that these are signs of LIFE, and FUN taking place everyday within our home. These moments are precious, and there is no need to waste this time cleaning. My boys will never remember whether the house was clean or messy, but they will remember building massive forts that sit in the living room for weeks on end. They will remember the time that their mother worked on a nearly 900 piece electric Lego train set with them; how that train is recommended for children ages 6-12 is beyond me. This 30-year old felt as though an Engineering degree was needed to complete the task.
Wishing all of our friends and family health and happiness in the new year.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Monday, September 15, 2014
How My Really Good Day Was Squashed (Literally)
Today was not your typical Monday. Everyone woke up happy, and raring to go. I'll take it! The day proceeded to go splendidly. I secured a large remediation project for work, which I had been working on for the last several months. This is a thrilling way to end my year, as my industry tends to slow WAY down in the late Fall. My Mom offered to pick James up from school today, so I had time to do all of my dinner prep before he came home. The menu for this evening: harvest soup, cornbread, and baked potatoes. So I chopped away.....carrots, onions, celery, apples, and an entire butternut squash. The boys and I decided to get some fresh air at the park before dinner, so they were more then willing to sit and play with Lego's quietly while I prepared dinner. Now it is Murphy's Law that your entire day can not continue to chug along sooooo seamlessly when you have two toddler boys to contend with.
Cut to 6 p.m.- my soup ingredients had been simmering on the stove and were ready to be blended. I do not have a handheld mixer (much to my dismay), so I opted to use our blender. Don't even worry about the details, because by 6:03 p.m. I was wiping squash off of the wall, counters, stove, and kitchen cabinets....... The soup was excellent though! 6:30 p.m.- I had managed to get dinner plated for both boys and they were happily enjoying the meal. I sit down to savor some myself and after about 3 bites, Henry has an explosive bowel movement. Upstairs I go to start the bath. Husband walks in the door at this time.....it was about 6:40 p.m. Both boys jump in the tub, while I tried to get back to my soup (I was determined to enjoy the meal that caused such a commotion in the kitchen). 6:45 p.m.- cue James "Mom, come look at what Henry is doing." I walk into the bathroom to find Henry using the water cup (which is usually placed out of reach and only finds it's way into the tub when it is time to wash hair) to dump several cups of water onto the floor. 6:50 p.m.- I am skating with towels in the bathroom and interrogating James as to how the water cup made it's way into the tub......all the while he gave himself aways with his devilish grin. 7:15- Everyone is finally in bed and reading books. James proceeds to ask me who my favorite boy was today. My response was, "your dad because you gave Henry the cup." Tonight definitely called for some wine. I settled for Advil and H20 though, because I feel James' cold creeping in on me.
Cut to 6 p.m.- my soup ingredients had been simmering on the stove and were ready to be blended. I do not have a handheld mixer (much to my dismay), so I opted to use our blender. Don't even worry about the details, because by 6:03 p.m. I was wiping squash off of the wall, counters, stove, and kitchen cabinets....... The soup was excellent though! 6:30 p.m.- I had managed to get dinner plated for both boys and they were happily enjoying the meal. I sit down to savor some myself and after about 3 bites, Henry has an explosive bowel movement. Upstairs I go to start the bath. Husband walks in the door at this time.....it was about 6:40 p.m. Both boys jump in the tub, while I tried to get back to my soup (I was determined to enjoy the meal that caused such a commotion in the kitchen). 6:45 p.m.- cue James "Mom, come look at what Henry is doing." I walk into the bathroom to find Henry using the water cup (which is usually placed out of reach and only finds it's way into the tub when it is time to wash hair) to dump several cups of water onto the floor. 6:50 p.m.- I am skating with towels in the bathroom and interrogating James as to how the water cup made it's way into the tub......all the while he gave himself aways with his devilish grin. 7:15- Everyone is finally in bed and reading books. James proceeds to ask me who my favorite boy was today. My response was, "your dad because you gave Henry the cup." Tonight definitely called for some wine. I settled for Advil and H20 though, because I feel James' cold creeping in on me.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
I Know The Answer
James is still loving everything about school. His teachers have informed me that he LOVES to participate and contribute in the day-to-day classroom discussions. He has the gift of gab, which clearly he must get from his father. Last week the whole school attended mass; oftentimes the students are encouraged to participate by answering questions that Monsignor Steve asks throughout the sermon. James' teacher informed me that she was amazed that every single time he asked a question, James would be nearly jumping off of his seat and frantically raising his hand to share the answer. After mass she asked James if he really did know the answers to all of Monsignor's questions. He replied, "yes...the answer is always Jesus when you are in church."
Henry is really coming into his own, especially since he gets so much one-on-one time with Olivia (or Livia as he likes to say). I have a sneaking suspicion that even though Henry was a fairly easy-going baby, his Toddler years are going to prove to be challenging. The terrible two's have already started to show themselves in some of his actions. Of course, he is also proving to follow in his brother's footsteps. He likes to bang his head on the ground, wall, or anything that may provide a hard surface.....cue the SCREAMING. I would be concerned, but I am smart enough to know that it is just a phase and he will grow out of it. As James' vocabulary grew, the head-banging frequency lessened. You just have to pray that they have enough brain cells to spare with all the head banging going on around here.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my morning conversations with James on the way to school, we have time to talk about anything and everything without the interruptions of Henry screaming.....bus, truck, car, stop, and various other traffic related words. The other day we were talking about people being married. I asked him if he was planning on getting married. He told me that he probably would after he was a teenager. Does he know who he wants to marry? Of course! His response, "Since you are already married to Dad, I will probably marry Sarah (his 3rd grade crush)." Already chasing the older women.
Henry is really coming into his own, especially since he gets so much one-on-one time with Olivia (or Livia as he likes to say). I have a sneaking suspicion that even though Henry was a fairly easy-going baby, his Toddler years are going to prove to be challenging. The terrible two's have already started to show themselves in some of his actions. Of course, he is also proving to follow in his brother's footsteps. He likes to bang his head on the ground, wall, or anything that may provide a hard surface.....cue the SCREAMING. I would be concerned, but I am smart enough to know that it is just a phase and he will grow out of it. As James' vocabulary grew, the head-banging frequency lessened. You just have to pray that they have enough brain cells to spare with all the head banging going on around here.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my morning conversations with James on the way to school, we have time to talk about anything and everything without the interruptions of Henry screaming.....bus, truck, car, stop, and various other traffic related words. The other day we were talking about people being married. I asked him if he was planning on getting married. He told me that he probably would after he was a teenager. Does he know who he wants to marry? Of course! His response, "Since you are already married to Dad, I will probably marry Sarah (his 3rd grade crush)." Already chasing the older women.
Monday, September 1, 2014
The End of Summer......Sort Of
Today did not truly feel like the end of Summer, last week Sunday did. With James already having a week of school under his belt, we have mastered out new "routine."
James L O V E S school; on Friday he was incredibly disappointed to hear that he had a long weekend. St. Patrick's does have a dress code (very standard, khakis & polo); however I failed to realize that the 4K kids do not have to follow said dress code. This came to my attention after James and I spent a Saturday afternoon organizing a drawer for school clothes, and one for comfy clothes. I was thrilled about the dress code. I could finally look at something other then a TMNT shirt. Even after finding out about the lack of dress code for James' class, I decided not to mention this detail to him. I much prefer the "tailored" look over the "roll out of bed and throw on your dirty athletic shorts from the previous day" look. Of course, it was only a matter of time before James noticed kids coming to school in Superhero attire. On Thursday he woke up and decided to try to win me over with flattery. He walked into my room and saw that I was dressed up more then usual, due to an afternoon work meeting. He proceeded to tell me about all the kids that wear "awesome clothes" and that he would really prefer to wear something other then his "handsome clothes." He went on to say, "Mom you look really beautiful today, but can I just wear my awesome clothes instead of my handsome clothes?" I told him nice try, but no. End of discussion. He didn't even think to try asking again. I win!
With the boys getting new school haircuts, I decided to chop some extra length off of my own locks. Jake immediately noticed the transformation upon his return from work. He told me it "looked nice." This is the first time I could recall that he actually 1. Noticed I cut my hair and 2. Commented on said haircut. I KNEW that he didn't care for the shorter length that I had opted for. Cut to 4 days post-haircut, and I FINALLY got him to admit that he likes my hair better long. UMMMMMM......I am pretty sure I chopped my hair off immediately following our nuptials 6 years ago. So, as we head into the Fall season I am going to TRY to grow my hair longer. So long summer, you were great while you lasted. Time for apple-picking, leggings, cozy sweaters, pumpkin pancakes, and the glorious Fall foliage that we get to enjoy for such a brief moment.
James L O V E S school; on Friday he was incredibly disappointed to hear that he had a long weekend. St. Patrick's does have a dress code (very standard, khakis & polo); however I failed to realize that the 4K kids do not have to follow said dress code. This came to my attention after James and I spent a Saturday afternoon organizing a drawer for school clothes, and one for comfy clothes. I was thrilled about the dress code. I could finally look at something other then a TMNT shirt. Even after finding out about the lack of dress code for James' class, I decided not to mention this detail to him. I much prefer the "tailored" look over the "roll out of bed and throw on your dirty athletic shorts from the previous day" look. Of course, it was only a matter of time before James noticed kids coming to school in Superhero attire. On Thursday he woke up and decided to try to win me over with flattery. He walked into my room and saw that I was dressed up more then usual, due to an afternoon work meeting. He proceeded to tell me about all the kids that wear "awesome clothes" and that he would really prefer to wear something other then his "handsome clothes." He went on to say, "Mom you look really beautiful today, but can I just wear my awesome clothes instead of my handsome clothes?" I told him nice try, but no. End of discussion. He didn't even think to try asking again. I win!
With the boys getting new school haircuts, I decided to chop some extra length off of my own locks. Jake immediately noticed the transformation upon his return from work. He told me it "looked nice." This is the first time I could recall that he actually 1. Noticed I cut my hair and 2. Commented on said haircut. I KNEW that he didn't care for the shorter length that I had opted for. Cut to 4 days post-haircut, and I FINALLY got him to admit that he likes my hair better long. UMMMMMM......I am pretty sure I chopped my hair off immediately following our nuptials 6 years ago. So, as we head into the Fall season I am going to TRY to grow my hair longer. So long summer, you were great while you lasted. Time for apple-picking, leggings, cozy sweaters, pumpkin pancakes, and the glorious Fall foliage that we get to enjoy for such a brief moment.
Monday, August 25, 2014
New Beginnings
My last post was dated November 6, 2013. I took a loooong break from blogging, and this was mostly due to the fact that life got crazy. REALLY CRAZY. We moved back to LaCrosse around Thanksgiving, celebrated Henry's 1st birthday in December, unpacked and organized our new residence, and slowly settled into our lives "back home."
I decided that it is time to start documenting the funny moments of day-to-day life again. As I read back over some of my old posts, I found myself laughing out loud. Some days the exhaustion of life can make it hard to recall the really funny one-liners that your kids bust out. I can only imagine what kind of stories will unfold with James' new school adventures, and Henry entering the TERRIBLE TWOS!
Today I had a wave of nostalgia rush over me as I walked James into is first day of 4K at St. Patrick's School. I honestly felt more excited then sad; he is so ready for this new adventure. Maybe a little too ready.....I had a "Mom Fail" moment today when I discovered that his morning program was cancelled. We showed up bright and early for pictures, then headed up to his classroom. At this point I told my sister to stop filming on the video camera, because I am sure James and I looked like lost sheep while trying to find the drop-off for his morning program. When I told him that we had to head home until the afternoon meeting, he was not happy. I am hoping this enthusiasm can last the entirety of the school year.
Summer had to come to an end at some point, but we sure did have fun!
The thing I am currently missing most about Summer.....Henry's Curls. He looks so grown up with his new 'do.
I decided that it is time to start documenting the funny moments of day-to-day life again. As I read back over some of my old posts, I found myself laughing out loud. Some days the exhaustion of life can make it hard to recall the really funny one-liners that your kids bust out. I can only imagine what kind of stories will unfold with James' new school adventures, and Henry entering the TERRIBLE TWOS!
Today I had a wave of nostalgia rush over me as I walked James into is first day of 4K at St. Patrick's School. I honestly felt more excited then sad; he is so ready for this new adventure. Maybe a little too ready.....I had a "Mom Fail" moment today when I discovered that his morning program was cancelled. We showed up bright and early for pictures, then headed up to his classroom. At this point I told my sister to stop filming on the video camera, because I am sure James and I looked like lost sheep while trying to find the drop-off for his morning program. When I told him that we had to head home until the afternoon meeting, he was not happy. I am hoping this enthusiasm can last the entirety of the school year.
Summer had to come to an end at some point, but we sure did have fun!
The thing I am currently missing most about Summer.....Henry's Curls. He looks so grown up with his new 'do.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Hiatus
At one time, I used my blog as a way of recording some of my favorite moments of motherhood; kids first words, first steps, and various major milestones. I found it to be a form of stress-relief and a way to keep my family and friends up-to-date on some of life's happenings.
I have kind of fallen off the Blogging wagon, and this is simply because LIFE has gotten in the way. I had an amazing October work-wise; my biggest month to date with the company. Henry has been moving and shaking, so lots of chasing going on around here (no treadmill necessary). Not to mention, hunting season is upon us. I get lots of quality time with my little men, but nobody to tag-team it with!
I am going to continue my "break" from blogging until the new year, I want to sit-back and embrace the joys of the upcoming holiday season. Baking with James, a trip on the Polar Express, decorating the house, finding new forms of mischief for the Elf on the Shelf (Eddie), and of course celebrating Henry's first year of life!
Wishing all of my family and friends a wonderful holiday season; I hope I get the opportunity to toast life's good fortune with many of you in the coming weeks. Catch you all on the flip side, peace out until 2014!
XOXO- Kathryn (and the Siegert Men- Jake, James, & Henry)
I have kind of fallen off the Blogging wagon, and this is simply because LIFE has gotten in the way. I had an amazing October work-wise; my biggest month to date with the company. Henry has been moving and shaking, so lots of chasing going on around here (no treadmill necessary). Not to mention, hunting season is upon us. I get lots of quality time with my little men, but nobody to tag-team it with!
I am going to continue my "break" from blogging until the new year, I want to sit-back and embrace the joys of the upcoming holiday season. Baking with James, a trip on the Polar Express, decorating the house, finding new forms of mischief for the Elf on the Shelf (Eddie), and of course celebrating Henry's first year of life!
Wishing all of my family and friends a wonderful holiday season; I hope I get the opportunity to toast life's good fortune with many of you in the coming weeks. Catch you all on the flip side, peace out until 2014!
XOXO- Kathryn (and the Siegert Men- Jake, James, & Henry)
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
I'm Not In Your Bed
As we continue to work on Henry's night-time sleeping habits; James has started to exhibit some peculiar behavior himself. Seriously, is it something I am feeding these kids? Or is it truly a conspiracy to see how many nights in a row they can deprive me of my much needed ZZZZs before I have a nervous break-down???
As per a friend's recommendation, I have been using the Ferber Method with Henry and his sleep has improved dramatically. However, James has now become an issue. Within the past two weeks he has: woken up to use the bathroom (and peed all over the floor and himself due to not opening the lid), been sleepwalking (down the stairs on two occasions), and one night walked into the master bedroom and passed out face-down on the carpet next to our bed. There have also been a few instances where I have woken-up to James sleeping next to me. I was likely so exhausted that I didn't even notice that he crawled into bed in the middle of the night.
Sooooooo, two nights ago I had a long talk with James. We covered the following items: 1.) Use the bathroom RIGHT before bed 2.) No getting into my bed. I also decided that we better start locking the gate at the top of the stairwell to avoid any sleep-walking injuries.
The night of our talk, I was awoken by a bleary eyed James standing by the side of our bed. It was really quite creepy, as I am not certain how long he had been standing there prior to me waking up. However, upon me asking what he needed......he proudly replied, "Mom, I am not in your bed!" I truly don't know what to do at this point, but I am thinking we need to bump bedtime up a bit. Now that the days are getting shorter, this should be much easier to accomplish.
Sleep training round 2, pour me some coffee!
As per a friend's recommendation, I have been using the Ferber Method with Henry and his sleep has improved dramatically. However, James has now become an issue. Within the past two weeks he has: woken up to use the bathroom (and peed all over the floor and himself due to not opening the lid), been sleepwalking (down the stairs on two occasions), and one night walked into the master bedroom and passed out face-down on the carpet next to our bed. There have also been a few instances where I have woken-up to James sleeping next to me. I was likely so exhausted that I didn't even notice that he crawled into bed in the middle of the night.
Sooooooo, two nights ago I had a long talk with James. We covered the following items: 1.) Use the bathroom RIGHT before bed 2.) No getting into my bed. I also decided that we better start locking the gate at the top of the stairwell to avoid any sleep-walking injuries.
The night of our talk, I was awoken by a bleary eyed James standing by the side of our bed. It was really quite creepy, as I am not certain how long he had been standing there prior to me waking up. However, upon me asking what he needed......he proudly replied, "Mom, I am not in your bed!" I truly don't know what to do at this point, but I am thinking we need to bump bedtime up a bit. Now that the days are getting shorter, this should be much easier to accomplish.
Sleep training round 2, pour me some coffee!
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