I will take Real-Life pictures anyday...

I know that posed photos at the park are so popular right now.  I love looking at the pictures people post on facebook of their newborn smushed up in a basket.  Or their family frolicking at the park blowing bubbles.  They are adorable.  All of their outfits match and are coordinated.  It's a beautiful sunshiny day.  Great pictures.

I tried it once.  I have done it twice - once with just the kids and once with all of us.  They were okay.  I am completely uncapable of coordinating outfits.  We just all had regular clothes on.  They were nice pictures.  

 

Here is my attempt at "pictures in the park". 
Their outfits are almost coordinated.  There is a background.
We're at a park on traintracks.  :)

But the pictures I really love of my family are real life pictures.  The selfies we take while sitting on the couch.  The ones were we ask a stranger to hold our camera.  We are in real clothes doing real things.  I love the candid shots of us.  When I think back to my favorite memories, it's not posed at the park.  It's real life.  We're sweaty.  We're dirty.  We're tired.  We're silly.  We're family.  I just looked through my old pictures and those are my memories.  I will take these pictures of my family over the professional ones anyday.  They are not for me.  But I will oohing and ahhing and loving everyone elses.

 

My current favorite picture of us. 
We're at the track.  We don't match each other or ourselves.
We have hats and are dirty.  We're smiling.
We're busy living!

Another oldie but goody - busy living and reading. :)

 

Some embarrassing stories...

Here is another growing up issue I am working through with Laci these days.  Apparently, I am constantly embarrassing her.  Well, I'm her mother.  She needs to know that unfortunately, I will always embarrass her.  Sometimes just for my own amusement.  She is also getting very sassy and she is talking back to us a lot.  Whenever she tells me I am embarrassing her, I remind her that her being sassy and talking back to me around other people is very embarrassing to me.

But here is a funny story about them getting embarrassed now that they are a little older.  We stopped by her friend, John's house yesterday at about 6:30 to drop off girl scout cookies.  He was already in his pajamas and really embarrassed.  I tried to make him feel better by telling him that we were just going to go home, take baths and get in our jammies too.  Later that night, Laci said she was really embarrassed because I told him they were going to take baths.  I reminded her that I was just trying to make him feel less embarrassed too.  Oh the joys of growing up. 

Laci's Step Dad...

Laci obviously doesn't have a step-dad.  But we did have a discussion the other day on why she thinks she should call Charlie her step dad.  She knows that she grew and came out of my belly.  But apparently that is the extent of her knowledge.  She explained that because I created her and Daddy really had nothing to do with her, she should really call him her step dad.  At that moment at Steak N Shake, I really didn't want to get into the discussion of "where babies come from".  So I just agreed with her and took all the credit for her and Calvin.   Charlie clearly had nothing to do with it.  I was impressed with the one item that stumped her.  If Charlie had nothing to do with creating her, why does she look like him?  It really bugs her that people say she looks like him.  I mean, really... he's a boy and she's a girl!  But I loved that the fact that she resembles him and yet he had nothing to do with creating her really stumped her!  

Cowgirl Day

Isn't she cute?  It's Cowgirl day at school today.  :)

Calvin and his jammies

Sunday, we got home from church and lunch at noon.  As we pulled into the driveway, Calvin yelled out "Yeah, time for jammies!" 

Calvin loves his jammies.  He would wear his jammies all day if we let him.  He loves when we are all in our jammies together.  I think he just loves being home and being in his jammies, especially all of us together.  Jammies mean staying at home to him.  Every morning, if he wakes up early and I am still home, the first thing he asks is "Mommy in jammies?"  If I want him to go back to sleep, I will try to say "Yes, I am in my jammies" even if I am fully dressed.  He has caught on to that though.  He knows that if I am in my jammies, it is a stay at home day.  If I am dressed before he gets up, I am going to work.  :(  It makes me a little sad to have to tell him that I am dressed and leaving soon.  He is goign through a stage where he doesn't want me to go to work in the morning and cries for me everyday when he wakes up. 

We also laugh because for babies, there really isn't much difference between clothes and pajamas.  Now that Calvin is a little older, his clothes are more real clothes although he still mostly just wears sweats / athletic pants and t-shirts.  They are much more comfortable and easier to pull on and off than jeans and pants. 

The other night, Laci and I were out at her first girl scouts meeting.  Calvin and Charlie had a boys night.  Charlie later told me that Calvin wanted to put his pajamas on early and he thought it was because he was tired.  I reminded him that he wasn't tired, he just loves his jammies. 

Our Annual Family Picture - Year 9

If you don't know our family story, Charlie and I both went to Purdue.  But not together.  I joke that he didn't wait for me.  He had graduated before I started.  But Purdue has still always been a very special place for us.  We have gone to many basketball and football games through the years.  We even got engaged there at the Engineering Fountain on Valentine's Day 2004.  

I have a large family scrapbook with one page for every year.  I love that it chronicles our family and is an easy way to watch us grow in one spot.  So every September near our anniversary, we take a family picture.  Since we often go to Purdue football games, we have started a tradition of taking our family picture at the Engineer Fountain - the place where our family started years ago.  I love having that picture to watch our family grow and change. 

 

I think I need a new Purdue shirt - I am wearing the same one almost every year.  :)

 

 

I love that they get to play in the fountain that we used to run through at Purdue.  Of course, when we were there, the metal barrier was not in the middle and we could run straight through.

As we walk around Purdue, we always tell Laci about our time there - what buildings we had classes in, what dorms we lived in, why it is special to us.  When we asked her this year why the fountain was special she said "I know, I know... it's where you got married."  She is completely unimpressed already!  :)

Blue Team. Move It Out...

One of Charlie and my favorite movies is Ocean's 11... followed by the entire Ocean's 12 and 13 franchise.  It has become of those movies for us that we quote constantly and can find a quote from it for almost any occasion.

There is a scene at the end where Brad Pitt and company are the make believe squad team.  As they leave the casino, he says "Blue Team.  Move it out."  For some reason, Charlie has latched onto that phrase.  For years, as we leave the house, he says "Blue Team. Move it out."  Laci, of course thought it was based on the clothes we were wearing and would say "Dad, you can be the blue team.  I'll be the pink team.  Mom is the green team."  

This has caught on even to Calvin.  The other day, we were getting ready to go to the Purdue football game.  It was a very trying morning and Calvin had gotten up at 5:30.  Calvin and I were ready to go by 9:45.  He picked up a princess back pack and filled it full of random things - books, a baseball glove, some cars and fruit snacks.  As he was walking around the house wearing this back pack, he was saying "blue team. blue team. blue team. time to go!"  It was pretty funny.

Katy Perry and Peyton Manning

It's probably safe to say that Laci may be the only child who confuses Katy Perry and Peyton Manning.  The only reason I can think of is because Perry and Peyton both start with P?  It took me a few months to realize that this is what she is doing but it finally clicked the other day.  She loves Fireworks by Katy Perry.

1.  In February, when I put make up on Laci for the first time for her dance recital, she looked in the mirror and said "I look just like Peyton Manning!"  Seemed odd at the time but now I think she meant Katy Perry.

2.  A few months ago, she mentioned Peyton Manning and I said "Do you know even know who Peyton Manning is?"  Her response "A famous singer?"  I think we have all heard his duet with Kenny Chesney (Whatever it takes) and can confirm he is not a singer.  :)  She meant Katy Perry.

3.  A few weeks ago, we went to see Smurfs 2.  As the credits were rolling, I realized that the voice of Smurfette was Katy Perry.  In the car, I told her that.  Her response:  "The football player?"  Goodness.... now she has confused it the other way.  

It is fun to have her know a little bit more about pop culture even if she gets most of it wrong.  Justin Bieber is still Justin Beaver.  :)

Good Heavens Child - The terrible threes

We are in the midst of the dreaded "terrible threes".  Ugh. That boy is full of mischief.  He is starting to test us more and misbehave more.  When I picked him up yesterday, he was in time out for throwing a toy at a friend.  We had a long talk this morning about being nice to our friends and to not get into any time outs today.  We'll see how he does today.

 

But I will give him credit.  He does do what he is told occasionally.  The other day he was getting into trouble and I was holding him still on the love seat.  Laci said he had that "evil smile".  That smile that is full of mischief.  I told him if that he got off the couch, he better go straight into his room.  I was shocked when he wiggled off the couch and did in fact go to his room with his tail between his legs.  A few minutes later, he came back into my room with his pouty face and said "I'll be good."  And he was.  

 

A few weeks ago, we were at Charlie's family reunion and he was running around like a crazy 3 year old and getting in everyone's way.  I told him to get out of the way.  Sometimes I forget he listens to me.  A few minutes later, Laci and I started looked for him.  I panicked and looked outside.  He was outside in the corner of the entryway with a crowd of people around him.  I had forgotten I had told him to get away.  But he listened and he left.  Fortunately, people were looking for who he belonged to.  It was funny because the shirt he was wearing had a fake name tag on it and people didn't think he belonged to our reunion because he was wearing the wrong name tag!  I said, he belonged.  He's a Sprunger.  I thanked people for looking out for him and was reminded that mother's everywhere are always looking out for kids, even if they don't know them.

 

At the grocery last weekend, he ran away several times.  Laci is so funny because she used my phrases.  As we were walking around the store, she kept saying "Good heavens, child" - exactly the way I say it.  I had told him we could get new bubbles because we were out.  No bubbles for Calvin.  He started to behave so by the end of the shopping trip, he got a cookie.  Unfortunately, at the check out line, he ran away again.  Fortunately, Laci was fast enough to catch him before he got to the parking lot!  I wish I could have gotten that cookie back out of him! 

 

But he is a smooth kid too.  Wednesday night, he got into trouble and kept throwing a cup of water on Laci's friend.  I scolded him.  It's hard to scold him when he is wearing a Tinkerbell sundress.  This happened twice.  I picked him up and told him that I was disappointed because he was doing what he was told not to do.  He gave me a big hug and said "Does this hug make you happy?"  That boy knows exactly how to play me! 

Ramona Quimby and Judy Moody

I loved Ramona Quimby books when I was a kid.  The other day we were watching Judy Moody and the not so bummer summer.  It reminded me a lot of Ramona Quimby.  I love the imagination of those characters.  I think those characters are pretty accurate.  I remember myself at 10 or even older with that same imagination.  Whatever I would be doing, I could concoct a crazy backstory to go with it. 

Yesterday, we took a walk after dinner.  Actually, we have been trying to finish most nights after a family dinner with a walk.  It's really nice.  Last night, Laci had on her gymnastics leotard, purple shorts and boots.  I loved her look.  It was a Ramona Quimby look.  I have a feeling that Laci is going to have a Ramona Quimby life and childhood.  I love Laci's imagination and her fearless-ness.  She knows who she is and is okay with that.  I'm really glad for that.  

A Wedding - The Reception.... Time to Party!

I just realized that I never wrote the final part of my wedding recap.  The Reception.

I was really looking forward to the reception or "The Party" as I told the kids.  I knew we would have fun.  I promised dancing.  I promised cake.  I know now that going to receptions with kids is completely different.  Priorities are different.  Timing is different.  There is a lot of waiting around at receptions.  Receptions are still about the bride and groom, not the guest.  Without kids, waiting is no big deal.  Drinking, dancing and having fun. 

About 10 years ago, Charlie and I went to a wedding with a friend of ours.  He had plans to go out after the reception.  There was a lot of waiting around.  Our friend said "They better get this show on the road.  I have places to be."  To this day, that is one of our favorite lines.  Wedding receptions are not about the guests.  The bride and groom didn't care about our friends plans for later.  There were many times during this wedding reception that I wanted to say "They better get this show on the road.  I need to get my kids home!"  But after mocking our friend for so many years, I couldn't say the same thing.  :)

The reception started fine.  There was the waiting outside the dining room with drinks and hor derves.  Of course my kids didn't want any of it.  I always bring a bowl of cereal or snacks in the kids bag so we were covered.  The reception was at a golf course so they went outside for a bit.  Laci spilled her orange juice and I was hoping that would be the only catastrophe.  I was wrong.  I was in the lobby chatting with the bride's mother when I turned and the bag knocked over a glass frame on an easel!  I was mortified.  The worse part was that I couldn't even blame the kids.  It was my fault. 

By 7:30 we were finally in the dining room.  Fortunately, at our table was just the 4 of us and some good friends of ours.  They were wise to serve the kids first - fruit, chicken fingers and fries.  During the dinner, we were good to go.  But as we all know, there is a lot of waiting at receptions.  I promised the kids dancing and cake.  It was getting close to 9 and we had had neither.  "They better get this show on the road!"  The kids were getting antsy.  We were taking trips to the bathroom and hanging out in the lobby.  There were family pictures, toasts, bouquets to be throw.  This wedding was not about us and the bride and groom needs to enjoy every minute of it.  But by 9:30 after the special dances were done, it was finally time to get down and boogie.  Laci was ready.  Calvin was about to fall over he was so tired.  We only stayed for little longer but Laci got to dance a few dances.  I made Calvin dance - I had to hold him because he was too tired to stand.  And by 10:00 we were out of there.  Pajamas were put on in the car and the kids were asleep by the time we were out of the parking lot.  All in all, it was a great reception.  We had a wonderful time.  I am very happy for the bride and groom and wish them lots of happiness.  

Calvin Bieber

Calvin's hair is so ridiculously long right now.  Almost embarrassing long.  But I love it.  He had it too long over the winter and when we cut it, it was like he was a whole new boy.  He was adorable.  And then as hair does, it started to grow and grow.  It's been months and we still haven't gotten it cut.  But as my neighbor said, it's trendy long right now.  He's a teen heart throb. Except it is getting so long it is starting to curl on the edges.  Even cuter!  His birthday is in a few weeks.  We'll definitely cut it before his birthday.  But for right now we'll keep the ridiculously long, embarrassingly adorable hair.  

Boys and Girls

Calvin is currently obsessed with giving us a running commentary, particular with what the boys and the girls are doing.  For example, the other day we got out of the car and Laci and Charlie walked on ahead.  As I carried Calvin out of the car, he said "Two are walking and one is being carried."  Usually it is "one boy is doing this and one girl is doing that."  Or "two boys are doing this."  This morning, I took Laci to camp and Charlie took Calvin to school.  Calvin usually isn't up before we leave.  As we walked out the door Calvin said "Two boys are staying home."  On the way to school, he said "Two boys are quiet."  It's pretty funny to have running commentary on what the boys and girls are doing.

He is also very authoritative on what everything should be doing.  For example "Monkey's eat bananas.  People don't eat bananas."  Yes they do Calvin.  "People eat food, people don't eat feet."  And everything is funnier in his little old man voice.  

Don't worry Mom. We're good.

Here is another story of me trying to be a "fun mom".  Last week it rained.  A lot.  i know it rained a lot everywhere.  Thursday night, it still hadn't turned cold yet so I let the kids play outside in the rain.  It was fun.  We splashed and jumped in puddles.  After about 15 minutes I brought them in, ready for a bath to warm up.  I stripped the kids in the foyer to get them out of the wet clothes and I went upstairs to get the bath ready.  They kept saying they were still cold.

A minute later, they yelled up that they weren't cold anymore and found a blanket.  I looked over the edge expecting to see them wrapped in a blanket on the couch.  Nope - they were still in a foyer, naked wrapped up in the welcome rug!  We have about a 6' long runner that they were wrapped up in.  They are so resourceful.  :)  

It was so funny so I ran to grab the camera and took a picture.  Calvin asked to the see the camera and then deleted it!   Apparently, he thought that a naked picture of him wrapped up in a rug might come back to haunt him some day.  He's probably right!

This Is Engineering

I have always been very proud of my Purdue engineering degree.  I am very proud of my professional engineering license.  They are just two letters but they are important to me.  There is a Youtube spoof "This is Engineering" done by Purdue engineers based on the Thrift Shop song.  The Thrift Shop song is pretty inappropriate for Laci.  But I showed her the This is Engineering video.  She loves it.  I explained what engineers do and how important it is to be an engineer.  I explained the engineers design everything we use and everything we do.  I convinced her that she could become a Purdue engineer too. 

While we were in Nashville, the Thrift Shop song came on.  She randomly asked "Mom, how can you be an engineer if you don't design anything?"  Ouch.  She put me in my place!  The only comeback I had was that my coworkers design things and that I went to school and passed a test.  You really can't get anything past her. 

Swimming Costumes

We're back from Spring Break.  And we had a great spring break.  I am sure I will have several blog post and stories from our week away and at home.  Laci's spring break started last Friday and my parents came to visit and spent the day with Laci and Calvin at home.  Saturday morning, the four of us went to Nashville for a few days.  We came home Tuesday night and spend the next 5 days at home.  It was nice to get away and to have some downtime at home.  I tried to do something special each day.

Before we get into what we did, I'll start with 3 nights in a hotel.  I have blogged before that nights in a hotel are not easy with some children.  They are impossible.  Our old routine was to have Charlie put Calvin to bed early - around 8.  Laci and I would go swimming and then sit in the lobby until she was tired enough to be able to go to bed.  Mornings were tough because Charlie had to get a run in before we left.  It's hard to entertain two small children in a hotel room. 

I think we are starting to get past that hump of hard nights in the hotel.  Laci assumes staying in a hotel means swimming.  It was hard to find a hotel in Nashville with an indoor pool but it was totally worth it.  We took the kids swimming all three nights.  Calvin got to go too.  When he saw the pool, Calvin asked if we could go put on our "swimming costumes".  I have no idea where he heard the phrase "swimming costumes" but I thought it was so funny, that I called it our swimming costumes the rest of the visit.  One of the highlights of the trip was Charlie throwing Calvin in the air and then Calvin giggling, pointing one finger and saying "One more time, Daddy.  Again!"  We are in the process of transitioning Calvin into his new room and a bed.  We decided to get a crib in the hotel just in case but planned to have him try a bed.  After Laci fell asleep on a bed with Calvin, he asked to go into his crib at 10:00.  I guess he isn't ready yet for a bed.  Monday, he was so exhausted, at 8:30 when the kids were roughhousing, Charlie threatened to put him in his crib and turn off the lights.  Calvin agreed and asked to go to bed and have the lights turned off. 

                                                          Enjoying our morning "coffee"

Another hotel highlight was when we went to the Gaylord hotel to walk the lobby.  Charlie loves doing that.  The simple escaltor was the highlight.  The first time, Calvin held on to be tight and told Charlie "Be careful, Daddy."  The second time he reminded Charlie to "hold on tight!"  By the third time, he was brave enough to stand on the escalator himself.  I lost count how many times we went on the escaltor.  There is a Dick's Sporting Goods near us with an escalator and they love going to that store for the escalator.  It's the simple things that they love. 

There is my first story on our vacation.  We had a great time and went to the Aquarium Restaurant, Adventure Science Center, Nashville Zoo, Easter at Brentwood UMC.  At home our highlights were Steak N Shake Happy Hour shakes, Build a Bear workshop, visiting a friend's new baby, Chuck E Cheese and my favorite - just hanging out at home. 

Calvie Updates

I love the little chats I have with Calvin while picked Laci up from school.  Yesterday we passed the party store so I asked him what kind of birthday party he wanted.  He said he wanted presents.  So I asked him what decorations he wanted for his birthday.  He said Christmas.  So apparently he wants a present theme party with Christmas decorations. :)  

On the talking to two year olds topic, all two year olds crack me up.  When I picked Calvin up yesterday, I talked to a little friend of his that I know has a cat named Calvin too.  I asked her "Do you ever get your friend Calvin confused with your cat Calvin?"  I love her response - "I like to blow bubbles!"  So random.  So 2.  

This week Calvin has had the worst diaper rash.  He poops more than any child I know - true, I am not taking any official surveys and I am sharing too much information.  There is a reason we call one child "Pooper" and the other one "Tooter" which is short for "Tootie McTooter".  If Calvin didn't poop so much, he wouldn't have these diaper rash issue.  His rash this week was so bad, he refused baths.  It was really sad.  Laci is very empathic when she knows he is hurting.  It is really sweet.   I let him skip a bath for awhile but by Tuesday, he needed at least his hair washed.  I ended up holding him over the bathtub while Charlie dumped water on his head and washed his hair.  Last night was a milestone because he was "healed" enough to at least get in the tub!  He didn't sit in the water and just stood there and played.  But really, neither of my kids never sit in the tub and always just stand there.  But his hair is washed and he is clean!  I hope his bottom stays healed enough for awhile.  

Helpful Calvin

Laci can sometimes be very demanding.  Lately, it's becoming a little rude and inappropriate.  Something for us all to work on.  The other day, she was yelling for someone to come help her. I don't even know what she was doing - reading, a puzzle.  The next thing I hear is Calvin running down the hall to help her.  "I'm coming Waci.  I'm coming Waci.  What's de matter?"  I'm not sure he was very helpful to her right then but it was pretty cute!

A Perfectionist in the Making...

One of the traits of first born is being a perfectionist.  Laci is definitely a first born with that trait.  Charlie follows this too.  I am a third born and not even close to a perfectionist.  Because of her perfectionist tendencies and my lack of, we clash a lot, especially with homework and writing.  If she goofs on something she is writing, she needs to start over with a new piece of paper.  Fortunately, we discovered white out!  She loves white out now and even has her own.  

From everything I have read and observed, perfectionism is not the way to be.  i need to figure out how to curb these perfectionist tendencies quickly before we both go crazy and / or run out of white out!

Some amusing Laci sayings: Fairies and Egypt

Last night I was putting Calvin to bed.  Charlie wasn't home yet so I asked Laci if she wanted to say his prayer.  She was happy to step in and help out.  I asked her to say the Lord's Prayer too.  She has been able to say the Lord's Prayer since she was about 2 years old but it is just now that she is learning what she is saying.  It was pretty funny when she said "and deliver us from Egypt."  I guess she was saying Moses' version.  

A little while later, we were watching a Disney Fairy movie.  I asked how Tinkerbell went from Pixie Hollow, where she lives in the Disney Fairy series to Neverland with Peter Pan.  She explained that it is not really Tinker Bell and went on to use the example of Debby Ryan and Jessie.  She's Debby Ryan in real life but Jessie on the show.  So apparently Tinker Bell is just acting on Peter Pan.  She is just a character.  Who knew?  :)