Spring Break 2011

This is the first Spring Break that I have been home with Ethan.  In the past, he has gone to daycare like any other day - I just had to pay $100 more for that week for him to be there all day, every day.  I have been looking forward to spending more time with him and wanted to make sure that he had fun.

Monday:  I had a dentist appointment in Vienna, so we went there and then went to my friend Shasta's house who lives nearby (and was in our old ward).  It was so good to see her again!  And she graciously gave us a lot of baby toys for Baby! :)  We then had lunch at McDonalds, went to Kohl's to return some things, Michaels (to get yarn for Ethan's blanket he wants me to make him) and then to Target.  After a busy morning and afternoon, we came home and relaxed.  In the evening, we went to the park and Josie and I watched Ethan run around and play with his friends.  Good day!

Tuesday:  This morning we made bugs with the Creepy Crawlers Bug Maker - Ethan had so much fun making a spider with it and then having it "stick" to the wall! After lunch, we went to Aldie, VA and met Meg at a nail salon where we got pedicures (Ethan was so good at the salon and sat patiently and played his DS!).  Then, we went to my parents house for a little bit and Meg and Bobby joined us and we all went out to dinner to celebrate Meg's 30th birthday.  We tried a new Japenese Steak House... good times!  The staff were really nice and when they found out it was Meg's birthday, they sang to her, gave everyone (except Ethan and me) saki, and topped it off with a peice of cheesecake with a candle.  Aftwerards, we went to Mom and Dave's for ice cream cake and presents  It was a great day and I hope Meg had a great birthday!!

Ethan making a spider

Out to a small Japenese Restaurant to celebrate Meg's 30th birthday

Meg's Yummy Birthday Cake!

Wednesday: I cleaned the house in the morning and then my good friend Annie came over.  We went out to lunch, followed by a trip to Costco.  I love that store almost as much as Target:)  After coming home and relaxing for a little bit, we went to a friend's house who lives nearby - she has four kids and her son is about Ethan's age.  The kids had so much fun playing and it was nice to get to know Kim better.  Sean came home tonight since he is taking the second part (out of four) of the CPA exam tomorrow morning.

Hangin' Out

Thursday:  Sean left very early to take his exam and then go into the office and Ethan and I met some friends from our old ward at a fun little park in Vienna.  It was so good to see them and their kids!  Afterwards, we came home and relaxed.  Sean surprised me and sent me flowers to celebrate our six month wedding anniversary:)  He also came home early from work (4PM) and we all went to our neighborhood park for a little bit.  Then, to celebrate even more, we went out to dinner - yum!

Kiddos at the Park in front of the fort they made

Friday:  Today we decided to take it easy, especially since it was raining outside.  We went to see the movie HOP (I ended up falling asleep during it, so sorry-I can't give you my personal review on it, but Ethan liked it!).  We went to a theater in Old Town Leesburg, and it was old and had the "old fashioned" feel to it, but it made it a little more fun. 

Life Update

Here is a quick update on what we've been up to...

Ethan:  Ethan started basketball through our rec center and he LOVES it!  I really like the coaches and they teach the kids the basics, as well as let them scrimmage.  We got his report card last Wednesday and it was great:)  He is still above the reading level, so his teacher is still adjusting his reading assignments to keep him challenged.  Now that the weather is getting warmer, we have met more of our neighbors and the neighborhood kids.  Ethan loves going to the park and playing with Nurf guns with the other boys and also playing kickball with them.

Baby Prince:  Baby Prince is also doing great!  He is moving a lot, and its so fun for Sean and Ethan to feel him move.  You can also "see" him move if you look at my tummy while he's moving.  I have another ultrasound on Monday (April 25th) to check on his kidneys, and also another regular check-up and I will be tested for gestational diabetes (where I have to drink a lot of yucky tasting stuff before the appointment!).  His baby bedding has been ordered and I'm anxiously waiting for it to be delivered.  I'm so excited to get his nursery set up!  We have decided on the crib and dresser we want to get for his room, but I want to sell my old dresser (that is currently in his room) before we buy the crib and stuff.  Does anyone want a really nice light-colored, solid wood dresser?!  ;)  We are all very excited to meet Baby, but are being patient as he continues to grow!

Sean:  Sean is a busy man!  He is still traveling Monday morning -Thursday nights to Charlotte, North Carolina for a project there.  Hopefully the end to this project is soon!  He is also studying for his CPA exam.  He has taken one of them and passed with flying colors (you need a 75 or better to "pass" - Sean got a 90!) and has the other three sections scheduled, so hopefully he will officially be a  Certified Public Accountant by July 1st.  Aside from work and travel, Sean is enjoying playing basketball on Saturday mornings with other guys from our ward.

Me:  I'm adjusting to life as a stay-at-home mom:)  It has definitely been an adjustment-I've worked since I was 16, so it's weird not going to work.  I miss the socialization of work the most, but often I meet my friends for lunch and have made some friends in the neighborhood.  I have also been busy with my long project list...  working on Holly's scrapbook, crocheting Baby Prince's baby blanket (which I finished on Saturday!!!  Now Ethan wants me to make him one, and we just found out this morning that one of Sean's sister's is having a baby in October, so I have a lot more crocheting to do!), decorating and constantly cleaning the house, etc.  I can't wait to get the nursery set up and decorated!  I have also been enjoying cooking and trying more and more new recipes.

Josie:  Josie, Josie, Josie... She has been in our family for about six weeks now. She LOVES being wherever anyone is (so during the day, she is literally my shadow) and is just as sweet as can be.  When we come home, she greets us with a happy 'dog smile' and a bum wag (she doesn't just wag her tail, but her entire back end!)  We were told she was spayed when we adopted her, but come to find out, she is not.  So, the last three weeks I have learned more about that than I ever wanted to know!  But thankfully, the shelter is going to pay for her to be spayed soon (apparently you have to wait 2 months after a dog goes through heat until she can be spayed).  Josie is so patient with Ethan - she lets him pull on her tail and ears, and generally annoy her - and she still follows him around! 

Yesterday we were all very busy - I taught my cute Sunbeams during the third hour of church (Sean taught the Youth during the second hour), the missionaries came over for dinner, and Sean and I spoke at the Youth Fireside.  It was a great day!  I was really nervous about talking at the Fireside... I've never been to one, let alone speak at one!  No one was asleep when we were done, so I guess they liked us;)

So there you have it... what we all have been up to!  Hopefully I'll post some pictures tonight to add.

Another Cute Conversation with Ethan I Don't Want to Forget

[setting: Ethan is going upstairs to take a shower, I am cleaning the dishes from dinner]

Ethan:  Mom, did you go to the temple today?

Me:  No, I didn't make it today...  Why?

Ethan:  Because you look gorgeous!

<3

Even though lately he has started acting out more, he is still so sweet!  Also, during dinner, the baby moved around higher (and closer to my ribs!) than he has before.  It totally caught me off guard and I told Ethan that his brother was moving.  He got a concerned look on his face and said, "did it hurt?"  I told him it didn't, and he said that when it does hurt, he will help me and cover my tummy with Jelly (his favorite blanket).  :)

Ethan's Future Plans

So on Friday Ethan came home with a whole bunch of stuff from school.  I always love seeing the things that he did in school and reading the things that he writes!  Here are two things that he brought home that I'm definitely keeping in his school portfolio!

Good News/Bad News

This one says:

Good News!  My mom let me watch TV!

Bad News! My mom said 5 more minutes!

Good News! I don't have a watch!

Bad News! Mom does! :(

Good News! Tomorrow I will!

I honestly laughed out loud when I saw this!  

Ethan's (Life) Plan

1. Get Born.

2.  Get baptized.

3.  Get a phone.

4.  Get my drivers license.

5.  Get a job.

6.  Get married.

7.  Be a volunteer.

8. [Get a] Bonus and get a child.

I was pretty happy with all of those things that he wrote down!  He included getting baptized (yay!  We've been talking a lot about that, especially during Family Home Evening), and getting a phone - which he has asked when he can get a cell phone (I told him w he can get one when he is 16, has a job and pays for it).  Going to college isn't on his list, but that better be in his plan, too! :)

Baby Update!

Today I had my 25 week check-up.  Baby Prince is doing well!  Everyone always says how small I am and that I'm not showing that much, but the doctor assured me that the baby is ok-that it is because I don't have any fat and because I am tall so he can stretch out:)  The doctor also brought up the kidney issue that the ultrasound pickd up - she again reassured me that it is ok.  She sees it all of the time and that it is always normal, especially since his kidney was only a little bit bigger than the "average" size and that the specialists always follow up on anything that is out of the "average" range.  Whew!

He is definitely an active baby!  He has been moving so much these last couple of days, it's fun for Sean and Ethan to feel it, and if I'm still, you can see him move - it's pretty neat.  Luckily he isn't big enough to reach under my ribs yet, so it isn't painful, just sometimes catches me off guard. 

We're still debating between names - I really like one name but Sean doesn't like it at all:(  So, we have it narrowed down to two names that we both agree on, so we'll see!  I'm still keeping my ears out for name possibilities just to make sure:)

A Riddle, by Ethan

[Setting: Ethan is walking around aimlessly and occasionally antogonizing Josie; Sean is making pancakes; I am at the table eating cereal]

Ethan: Do you want to hear a riddle?

Sean:  Sure.

Ethan: A man rode into town on Friday and stayed for three days.  He left on Friday.  How did he do it?

Sean: He had a time machine.

Me: I have no idea.

Ethan: No!  His horse's name was Friday! Wasn't that funny?!

Sean: [looking at me] Wow, I haven't heard that since, well, elementary school!

:)

My Encounter with a Homeless Man

Yesterday I was sitting at a red light at a busy intersection and saw a man with a sign that said "Homeless and Hungry."  I always feel bad when I see homeless people.  I looked down in a little compartment where I keep extra change and random dollar bills and rolled down my window.  He came over and thanked me profusely for the money I handed over (which wasn't much-I gave Ethan the rest of the cash I had in the morning for lunch money).  He walked back to his "spot," and as I drove by when the light turned green, he gave me a huge smile and waved-like I had just given him $100 or something.  Throughout the rest of the day, I couldn't stop thinking about this man.  Where is he from?  Where did he grow up?  What school did he go to?  Does he have any kids?  What occupation did he have before he found himself in his current situation?  Where was he during the thunderstorm we had last night?  Maybe it is my hormones and emotions that are all over the place, or the fact that I'm not constantly running around trying to get a million things done anymore, but I often wonder these things when I see people who find themselves in these situations.

Ironically enough, as I was reading Ethan his bedtime story (Whose the GREATEST Hero: Jesus Christ - an awesome book for kids!), it starting raining really hard with thunder and lightning.  Ethan stopped me and said, "I wonder what the homeless people are doing right now?"  I was completely caught off guard - he was at school when I had my small encounter with the homeless man and I hadn't said anything to him about it.  I told him that they probably found a safe place to stay warm and dry and that we should pray for them.  He immediately crossed his arms, bowed his head, and said the sweetest prayer for the homeless people!

I am so incredibly grateful for all of our blessings.  No, we do not live in a mansion, nor do we drive cars that are thousands and thousands of dollars, but we have a wonderful home that is perfect for us, cars that get us where we need to go, food on the table, and good health.  Yes, I am so grateful for ALL Heavenly Father has blessed us with.

Anyway, I hope that I can be a good example to Ethan (and our baby on-the-way - and any other kids we may have) to always help those who are less fortunate-to give what we can, even if it means we have to sacrifice for them.