Update - Brett's First Day of Kindergarten!!!

He was ready to go and went in without a problem. I, on the other hand, am a wreck! Even Daddy fessed up to a tear or two.
Can't wait to pick Brett up at the end of the day and hear how it went!

Summer 2013

Wowzers. And just like that summer is over and I have a child starting Kindergarten. Brett is excited and ready. I am not. Did we read enough books?! Does he know his numbers and letters? Will he listen to his teachers and be nice to other kids?! I’m sure yes to all of these but come Monday, he will officially be off to school and will be influenced by others throughout the day more than me. It’s scary, slightly terrifying actually. And in a blink of an eye, he will go off to college…Ohio State I’m sure. That will be ok. Brett did make a couple of good buddies in his pre-k class last year. They were on the same T-ball team this summer and will have the same teacher for kindergarten. I’m comforted in knowing they are good kids and I get along well with their mothers! That’s a little reassuring.
Bailey is sassy as can be. Sweet, smart, silly and sassy. She and Brett have been attached at the hip for the most part this summer. I think she’s really going to miss Brett when he’s at school all day. They loved going to the pool the last couple of months. They are becoming quite the little fish! Must get that from their mama!
Brayden is a joy. He is such a chill, happy baby who just goes along with anything. He’s sleeping great, usually 10-11 hours at night and he’s starting to form a good nap pattern. He eats like a champ and is growing like a weed. I know he’s only 3 ½ months, but I already miss him being a little baby! He’s smiling a lot and loves to watch what Brett and Bailey are up to.

Funny things they say

Bailey woke up and asked if anyone made it through the flying nunchucks!? B1&B2 enjoyed watching the American Ninja Warrior show the night before.

Brett saw someone on the Salmon Ladders (also American Ninja Warrior), “Mom, are you seeing this?!”

After a day with mommy and Brayden, Brett said he couldn’t wait to get home and see his sister.

I had all kids at the doc for the boys’ appointments. Both were due for some shots. I tried to talk Brett into being the example for Brayden and show him it was ok. Well, that backfired. Brett screamed and cried inconsolably, which made Bailey lose it too. I’m holding Brayden, getting a screaming Brett off the table and trying to calm a hysteric Bailey. Brayden’s turn was next, but Bailey started yelling at the nurses that she didn’t want them to hurt Brayden too. A second nurse had to take the older 2 out in the hallway for Brayden to get his shots…who by the way, whined for a second and then was fine. We had to go to Portillos afterward for hotdogs and milkshakes. We all needed it.

As I said kids have loved going to the pool. Had to have a few talks with Bailey though, she was having a little much fun splashing the lifeguard on duty and then deliberately splashed the older ladies on the side who just ‘dip their feet in’.

B1&B2 phrases I hear about 50x a day…Can I tell you something? You know what? Is it ok if….

Bailey ran into my bedroom yelling there’s a bug in Brett’s room, it’s between the windows! I tried to explain this wasn’t a big deal but went in to help defuse the situation. I walk in and Brett turns from the window with a hammer in his hand….I then I had to explain that we don’t need to break the window to get a bug that is OUTSIDE!

We were listening to music in the car. I can’t remember what song was playing, something about standing up for something. Bailey GASPS! “WHAT do I stand for?!”

Another day, we had the windows down. Bailey decides it was too windy; she didn’t like it because it was messing up her hair.

Rob and I were blessed to have Camp Grantie again. (Rob and I get to go downtown for a night and Grandma Nancy, Great Auntie Barbie and Great Auntie Bobbie come watch the kids. We were doing dinner the night before and then the aunts went to their hotel. I was getting Brayden ready for bed and Bailey comes in with her head down. “This is a bad day, a bad thing!” I asked her what was wrong; we had such a fun day together. “Barbie and Bobbie LEFT!” and slams her head down in her hands. Such a dramatic little one.

Bailey insisted she needed a backpack and school supplies for her ‘play school’ that she will be doing. She wanted to be just like Brett. So we ordered her a book bag when they were on sale. She asked for it every day. I told her we would have to wait until it comes to us but I could tell her when it shipped so she would know within a couple of days. She says “NO, don’t tell me when it ships please, I want to be surprised.”

We were going to dinner and told the kids we were meeting some friends, the Colellas. Brett says “Oh no, we’re going to have too much fun!”

We were meeting our friends Colin and Logan at the Children’s Museum. Bailey ran into the hallway asking if she could wear a certain outfit. I said sure, that would look great. She said she wanted Colin to remember that he loved her. Oh boy.

Bailey was being silly as usual. I asked her if she lost her marbles. In all seriousness she says “I don’t have ANY marbles!” So I asked where did they go? She says “They died. They were with Uncle Brett and they died.” Bailey mentions Uncle Brett almost every day.

Brett has been playing military a lot. We were walking at Navy Pier and past a Marine flag. Brett said he was going to be a solider. I said something to the extent of “we’ll see when you get a little bit older.” He immediately started reassuring. “It’s ok Mom, I won’t die young like Uncle Brett. I’ll make sure that I won’t get super hurt”

Bailey and I were driving downtown. To entertain herself, she brought these flashcards on the Presidents. We were crossing a bridge and she said she wanted to go swimming. But then decided, “if we went over there, I would lose Obama in the water!”

Summer 2013

June 2013

So it’s been a busy couple months! Baby Brayden is here! Our beautiful baby boy joined us on May 7th. He was bigger than the other 2. 8 lbs 5 oz and that was a week early! Rob and I found out our induction was scheduled for 12:30 am, so we got the kids ready for bed and went downtown for a date! It was great; we had a wonderful dinner, enjoyed a movie and then went to the hospital to have a baby! An older couple sitting beside us during dinner, made conversation and said she had to ask the obvious question ‘when will the baby be joining us?’. Their faces were priceless when we said tonight!

While we were in the hospital having Brayden, one of the Blackhawks’ players was also having a baby. Rob saw Duncan Keith (#2) outside the hospital during our stay. Our little boys were born within the same hour! We didn’t realize it at the time, but we also walked out and shared the elevator with his wife and baby. Maybe the boys were playoff good luck charms?!

Brayden has been a dream of a baby, sleeping and eating well. Which is nice, because an infant in addition to two others is a little crazy! Brett and Bailey adore their brother. Brett, especially, is so attentive and asks constantly to hold Brayden. We learned early on that Brayden has to sleep with his arms free. His hands are always by his face. I would put him in the tightest swaddle and he would grunt and squirm until his arms were out. Future escape artist?

Shortly after we were home with Brayden, Brett and Bailey both took turns getting strep throat. It was hard keeping them away from Brayden. One night a sick Bailey talked Daddy into sleeping in her room…in her small bed and in the ‘pink tornedo’.

A couple other things noteworthy…Brett turned 5 AND finished Pre-K!! Brett had a blast having his cousins come in town to celebrate his birthday. He received Batman and Spiderman costumes; they are often the outfit of choice when leaving the house. You can bet this elicits a comment…or many comments! It definitely makes people smile.

The funny things they say:

Bailey begged to go to wrestling with the boys one night. After she came back, she said 1. she listened to scary music (Daddy's heavy metal) on the way, 2. was not afraid of the big kids, 3. was SO tough, 4. her favorite part was 'throwing Brett'. She then asked me to paint her fingernails:) Proud daddy, happy mama!

The kids love Lucky Charms. So does mama. We have it occasionally. Brett loves to pick out the red hearts and give them to me. He says it’s his way of giving me love. So one morning Brett gave me his lucky charm heart, and I said ‘Brett its sticky!’. He said, ‘That's just because I wiped it off...because I accidentally put it in my mouth…’

Brett - ‘I'm going to work at a super big company and have an office and say 'I need 62 things of money'

Bailey – I’m going to have 14 babies

I told Brett ‘You have to eat your dinner to have a snack.’ The kids were asking for a cookie after not eating much at dinner. Brett replied, ‘ I'm going to have different rules when I’m an adult’.

When it's kids' choice for dinner, they pick Red Lobster for fish! They love fish, which is unfortunate, since mommy doesn't know how to cook it! Brett requested I get lobster tail so he could split it with me and then last night ordered crab legs with daddy!

Brett - ‘I'm going to have a convertible until I get a wife. Because then I will have a wife and kids’

Kids were running outside. Brett is very competitive and made a point to beat Bailey. She started to get upset and then said, ‘Awww I guess I need to eat more chicken so I can catch up to Brett...’

Bailey was my little helper with Brayden when Brett was at school. She loves helping to give him a bath. She says ‘are you taking him a bath now?’

Bailey loves teasing Daddy. Would say that may be her favorite thing. She told him the other day ‘I wish your name was Winniett! Oh yeah, Hey WINNIETT!!!’ Knowing full well that Rob HATES his middle name.

Bailey and Grace were playing with a Minnie phone. They were pretending to take pictures of each other. Then Bailey would say ‘Oh that was a good one, who do you want me to send that to?’ Apparently they have caught on that I take most of my pictures with my phone!

I was struggling getting Bailey to eat her lunch. For some reason if I said the Jack and Jill rhyme, Bailey will take a bite of carrots. I had to say it 20x, but we sure got the carrots taken care of!

I’m not sure if she understood the full capacity of what she said…But Bailey told me ‘Mom I like to push your buttons!’ On the other hand, she may have known exactly what she’s saying!

We were in the car, listening to the radio. I said ‘whoa’ about something. Brett said ‘MOM, did that pop your mind?’. (blow your mind)

Brett helped Bailey put on his Spiderman costume. He said, ‘Go show mom Bailey, you look so cute!’

Brett and Bailey were getting ready for bed. Brett was done with school so we said they could do a sleep over if they wanted to. Bailey said yes, then no, then yes again. She loves staying with Brett but she also LOVES her pink room, tough choice. Daddy asked her ‘Why do you keep changing your mind?’. She said, ‘that’s what girls do…’

We were watching the Voice and it was Danielle’s turn (young, pretty, blond girl). Brett says ‘I like her…she’s so good, and beautiful. I think I love her’. OH no.

We’ve been keeping up with the Blackhawks through the playoffs. Especially since Brayden’s buddy’s daddy was playing! Rob thought it was a good idea to get the kids hockey nets, sticks and pucks…to play INSIDE! They are having fun but I’m sure my poor floor is going to pay the price. Brett asks to play every time the Hawks are on and he’s getting good! The kids usually had to go to bed before the game was over. Bailey, being the first kid up a number of times would come in our room, ‘Where’s daddy? Did the Blackhawks win?!’

The kids now have Blackhawk stickers in their rooms (Patrick Kane for Bailey, Jonathan Toews for Brett). Bailey said now if she gets scared in her room, she will just look at Patrick Kane and she’ll feel better.

June 2013

Wrestling Part 1