What’s a Father’s Day without a little crisis
This Father’s Day was special day that I got to spend with my boys doing boy stuff (with mom also). We went to the Badger’s Sport Park and played a round of mini-golf, got to drive go-carts, hit a few balls at the batting cages and play a few video games. We ended the fun with a lunch at a local British themed restaurant.
However fun the day it almost ended with Stuart in the hospital. Little boys tend to have a fascination with putting things in their noses. This time it got stuck… and it wasn’t small. All of a sudden I heard “Matt can you come up here… Stuart has something stuck in his nose.” Yup, I came a running and this is what we finally got out of his nose.
But all was well and after some tweezing. Sara was able to get Stu to sneeze the little bugger out.
Here are some other pics from the day.
Yup, that’s a donut smile there.
Just playing through…
Speed 1 and Speed 2.
Stuart isn’t sure about the really happy guy next to us…
Working on the basics
It’s better to be safe… than to see.
This is what happens when dad gets a bloody mary and Stu get’s oreos
No one’s camera shy here.
Things that make you feel old(er)
So tonight after we had take a bike ride to a nearby park we returned home and were getting ready for bed. This task now consist of many little half naked boys running around with their “man stuff” free as a bird. In that process they happen to find the toilet and deposit any remaining liquid before bed. Well tonight after Stuart had laid down to bed I went into George’s room and waited for him to stop squirreling around so we could read a book before bed. To my amazement he read 4 books to me cover to cover while sounding out the words and after finishing was quite proud of himself (as was I). Looking back its fun to see the evolution of as George enters a new phase and Stuart begins another, but boy does it make me feel older.
Waiting for our bike ride.
Little Stuart had snuck away and we found him upstairs with the iPod...
Two for two.
So after traveling for work I returned home to find that our family had grown. George & Stuart both were able to pick out two new friends for the house and they selected two goldfish (one average and one with rather large eyes and swagger in his swim). The cute part was when I asked what their names were. George quickly pointed out that his fish was named “Pluto.” A trendy name for a small goldfish with big eyes. When Stuart was asked what he names his fish. He gently raised his arm and placed it over George’s should and said “George” like my brother and proceeded to give a great big smile.
I just hope George realizes just how much his little brother really loves him.
Big is only relative…
So today we had our second successful “extraction” on the potty chair for Stuart. I believe his pure incentive and motivation for the process is the gratification he receives when he dumps his contribution to the big toilet. Although he is proving to be interested, able, and willing participant in the process now it has taken a little while to get acclimated.
On another note, the boys are getting older and bigger. Bigger tends to be relative as George grows like his body has mission to be 7 feet tall and Stuarts seems claw and scratch enough growth to barely make a 1/2 inch. George is nearly 5 (March 15th) and wears a size 1 in boys shoes. Stuart just started wearing a 7 which was the first pair of shoes George even wore when he was around a year old.
Valentine’s day used to be fun for George until we made him write his name 30 times for all his friends at school. Well were looking forward to a quiet end to the month and the planning for George’s birthday party with family and one for friends.
One, Two, Pee
Today we began a new chapter in Stuart’s world as he put on his first pair of big boy underwear. Although this is a big step for him, Sara and I find ourselves in a similar boat as before. We will be patient and get prepared with towels, wipes, and a ton of changes of clothes as a he soils one after another before he figures out that if he has go to the bathroom he should do it in a potty.
Attempt #1: Lasted 1o minutes before Stuart came running to Sara “Mommy poop in my underwear.” It wasn’t that traumatic though as he stood and pee’d down his leg.
Attempt #2: Last approximately 10 more minutes before it was bath time. A success as I think he crossed the 11 minute mark.
Even thought we have been through this before we have a new tool in our toolbox. We have a big brother who with the right motivation can lead Stuart down the path to potty training success (or teach him how to pee in the backyard by the bushes “just like camping”).
Bye babyhood…hello boyhood!
1st Haircut Certificate
Stuart's First Haircut
Well, Stuart got his first haircut tonight. Though not very thick yet, it was getting a bit long in the back and right down the middle. He has a certificate to show for it too! More & more we are reminded that he is not longer a baby…but a little boy. Stuart often walks around the house ‘talking’ to us as if we understand all he is saying. Lately he has taken to carrying things around the house…cups, stuffed animals, his winter coat. It doesn’t seem to matter what it is, as long as he has something to carry. A real steward. 🙂
We have had an exciting couple of weeks. George is doing better in his classroom and is learning to write his name. He is also working on identifying all his letters and numbers up to 12. He pretty much has that down but seems to confuse p, d, q, and 8. He is excited to have nicer weather and loves playing outside…..walking in mud & playing in puddles. Though we cringe, I think we just need to remember he is a little boy who should be playing like that. However, we have quickly realized that whatever George does….Stuart is not far behind.
Box Head Brothers
Matt interviewed and secured his position as Asst. Director for Business & Retail Services at Reeve Union. We are both pleased to be continuing in our positions and feel fortunate to be part of such a good organization. Matt also went to Florida to become a certified dragonboat steersmen. He will help with practice sessions for teams competing in the Oshkosh festival. While he was away I had some good time with the boys…but we were all happy to have papa back home!
Last week Saturday we went to celebrate my grandparents’ 60th anniversary. How cool is that? Geez…..60 years is a long time….and it was wonderful to see them still together & enjoying all that life has to offer. My grandparents have shown lots of love to our family….and we love them very much.
Celebrating Gr & Gr Kratzke's 60th Anniversary
‘Baby’ George is 4
Well, our baby George turned 4 this week. I’m amazed on his ability to formulate & share thoughts (quite clearly). At his 4 yr old dr check up the Dr. said “Oh, he’s a big boy” and he has always been tall and talkative/expressive for his age. We realized he has reached the height & weight to use a booster seat in the car which will offer flexibility when needed. He was also invited to his first schoolmate birthday party…he didn’t go but it made me realize we are heading into new territory.
We had a small celebration with family & a few friends. It is nice to have a home to celebrate in….and George had a blast. It was a pirate themed party with eye patches, treasure hunts, pirate pinata, treasure cake & a cardboard ship.
He was fortunate to get so many great gifts including indoor & outdoor toys, some new trains and great clothes. It is fun to watch his personality emerge as he is playing more intently with his things.
Happy 4th George
Treaure Chest Pirate Cake
Mexico & More
Time flies. It has been over a month since my last post, but as usual that means its been pretty busy. Last I wrote I was applying to have the Asst. Director for Operations position permanently and I will be interviewing next week. Matt has since also applied for his position, Asst. Director for Business & Retail Services, in hopes to fill the position permanently as well. We are both excited about the positions as they are a great fit for us. Some wonder what it is like to work with your spouse…well, it is very nice. We have parallel positions so we don’t overlap daily responsibilities however we do have some project work together and that has been just fine. It is even nicer to have each other down the hall for the calls about sick kids, thoughts of having lunch & holding each other accountable to get out of work around 5 pm (Matt is better at this than me).
We also went to Mexico! The long awaited trip arrived and was wonderful. We spent 7 days at the Barcelo Maya Palace and enjoyed every day. The flights were direct but with Stuart growing & becoming more active it was a bit of a challenge to keep him still as a ‘lap baby’. George did great, he plugged into his iPod & watched movies, read books & played with stickers. While in Mexico Stuart was introduced to sand (he loved it) and George to the ocean (he liked the sand more). We saw fish in the ocean, played at the wonderful waterpark with Brycen & Aidan and swam in the big pool (and to the swim up bar) with all of the family who was there. The food was great, the staff was understanding to the expected mess made by our 1 year old….and we stayed free of sun burn.
The reason we made this trip was to watch my brother Eric & Patty get married. It was beautiful. They were married on the beach with a sunset not far away and then celebrated with dinner on the beach as well. It was like in the movies, complete with their son Brycen not wanting to carry the ring pillow down the isle. It was a beautiful wedding & celebration…..and being in sandals all week felt great!
We are now getting ready for a year of celebrations….starting with George’s 4th Birthday this month and our Pirate themed celebration. Then on to celebrate weddings for Eric/Patty, John/Lena, and Heidi/James. In there we will also celebrate my Mom & Dad’s 40th Wedding anniversary AND my grandparents 60th Anniversary. Let the good times roll!
Happy New Year – 2011 is a year of celebrations!
Christmas Morning
We had a great Christmas with the typical travels and characters but lots of love, hugs, great food & generous gifts. We got to the Kratzke, Kleinhans & Suwalski extended family celebrations where we saw many family members, opened fun gifts and ate amazing amounts of food. In addition we celebrated with our parents, siblings (in person & via chat), and nephews. We are so grateful for the time we spend together. We often reflect that our gatherings and get togethers are pretty much the same each year and we know what to expect….but if we weren’t there we would miss them. I guess that is why traditions become special…not because they are intentionally planned but they just develop and become part of us.
The boys had a nice Christmas. It took George a few minutes to notice gifts under the tree and then he was astonished. We wrote to ask Santa to come early as we would be on the road over December 25th…..George inspected the cookie crumbs, partly consumed milk and gnawed carrot and wondered why they weren’t all gone. Some days I think he will take DNA samples or something…he is so curious. Who would have known we were so right in naming him our curious George.
Family Christmas - Boys Club
Stuart was pretty excited and understood the gift opening…but didn’t really want to open more than one gift. Bagel was excited for the paper and kept taking & hiding under the couch. Overall, it was wonderful to be in our home for our first Christmas.
We decided to invite some friends over for New Years Eve and had a nice time…I think there were 7 kids under the age of 5 in the house. Sure is nice to have a place to host comfortably! I think it is one of the first years in a long time I made it to midnight…along with George. We watched the movie Despicable Me…Matt took a snooze but George stayed strong til midnight.
Stuart is just a chatty machine on feet. He walks all over, chats like we should understand him & loves to carry things around the house. He says grandma, papa, bagel & george. When he wants something he says help or just screams really loud. The later is quite irritating but unfortunately I respond and thus it continues. I’ll work on that. Stuart will often pick up Bagel toys & take them to him. Stuart has taken a liking to our recycling bin taking out the empty yogurt cups and carrying them around. He has been eating a ton lately – more than George. For breakfast he will have a full yogurt cup, cut fruit & sometimes a pb & jelly toast. I keep thinking he will grow….but it hasn’t come yet. However, we have made strides in the sleeping department. We can lay him down & he pouts and then just goes to sleep. I know other parents have mastered this much earlier, but we are happy to be in this place of easy night time without severe struggles for sleep.
Stu's Strategic Gift!
Matt & I are well. We had some time off together over the holidays and enjoyed coffee, breakfasts & getting the house put back together from traveling. Matt is awesome at taking care of the driveway….he loves his snow thrower. I caught up with printing my pictures from the past year….now to get them in the album! Both Matt & I are in interim positions that end on June 30th. So, we will apply & hopefully secure them! I’ll submit my application and then get ready for Mexico! Our next family adventure takes us to the Barcelo Maya in Mexico for Eric & Patty’s wedding. We are excited and getting out shorts, sandals & sun hats to pack.
It will be an exciting year for sure…my lil sister Heidi got engaged over Christmas to long time boyfriend James. Sounds like their wedding will be on July 3 and the Matt’s brother John is getting married to Lena on July 8th. It will be a big week! Beyond that we each have cousins getting married, my parent’s 40th anniversary, Mom’s 60th bd, Grandparents 60th anniversary, …LOTS to celebrate.
Secrets with Santa
Cookie Decorating
Stu enjoys sweets!
George - man with technology!
Grandma & Grandpa Kleinhans w/boys
Bagel w/his Christmas Ball
Is it Christmas yet?
George at his Christmas Concert - 3 years old
Matt & George in the Snow
Each morning George wakes up and asks “Is today Christmas?”….when we got snow a few weeks back he thought it was Christmas. Matt has become quite familiar and skilled with our new snow blower. Right now we have a good 8 – 10” on the ground. The first couple of days with snow were tough for Bagel, especially seeing the snow is deeper than he is tall. After a few ‘accidents’ in the house we figured he was having a tough time doing business in the snow. Matt took care of that by plowing a path in a circle within our backyard. This allows Bagel to run around, do his business & even venture into deeper territory if he is feeling it. Matt & George have played outside and made a small fort (which has since been destroyed) and a snowman. Ah, the signs of winter snow.
Grandma reading to Stuart
A couple of weeks back when we got a big snow my parents braved the weather to watch the boys while we ventured to our work holiday party. We enjoyed the time away and they had a blast with the boys. The bonus is that when we got home they had decorated cookies so we could enjoy them!
We have already started to celebrate the season with my extended family gatherings. We were in Appleton for the Kratzke Christmas & then to Chilton for the Kleinhans Christmas. The days always go quickly, I never seem to have enough time to connect with as many people as I’d wish, and the rooms are always warm. What does that mean? It means family is near. It means that there are enough of us to fill a room. It means that there is most likely more than enough food for everyone. It means that love is around….even if it is a bit too loud or warm. I enjoy seeing everyone but it is always my grandparents that I am most excited to see. This year I got to watch my grandpa play with George & his little Zhu Zhu (mechanical hamster). That was cool.
George had his Christmas program at church on Sunday. Similar to his Christmas program at Daycare he stood in front and sang approximately 3-5 words of the song & then just looked at the audience. We are just pleased that he can stand there without screaming, bothering other kids or becoming some other distraction. He is proud to be there and I think he truly believes that he sings the whole song. We just hug him & say what a good job he did.
Kids Galore @ Kratzke Christmas
Great Grandma & Grandpa Kratzke w/George
Stuart’s personality continues to unfold. Yes, he is indeed stubborn. However, he is starting to talk as well. He’s happy to say hi & bye to a number of people. He spits out sounds that are similar to “bagel” and “georgie”. In addition to loving to watch everything his big brother does, he has taken great amusement in his dad. Matt will pretend to hit his head and Stuart erupts with laughter. There are few things as wonderful as a good belly laugh from a baby. The past weekend also brought him to his feet. He could have walked for months, but this past weekend he decided to walk more than crawl. He is wearing hard sole shoes now; that seemed to help him. Either way, he is walking & enjoying his new ‘freedom’.
Matt & I have a furlough day tomorrow and then will be off for the holidays. We head to Chicago tomorrow and then to celebrate with my family on Saturday & Sunday. We’ve written to Santa to ask him to come early. We are hopeful he can come tonight so we can have our family Christmas tomorrow morning.