Gatherings

For the past 2 weeks, I have been busy with a translation job, some peg doll orders and getting together with friends. Since we moved to Mooresville nearly a year ago, I have met so many nice and genuine people and I feel blessed to be part of an awesome MOPS group (mothers of preschoolers). Over the past few months, our group has grown and we now have 36 active members, and more joining every month.  While the children are being cared for in another room, we ladies enjoy spending 2 hours every other Thursday morning together to fellowship, have small group discuss, do some creative activities and to learn something new. The group regularly hosts speakers on topics relevant to us mothers. This is also a great way to meet and build friendships and I'm happy that I'm part of this fantastic group. We also have a monthly bible study group, a play date for the kids and a Mom's Night Out. 

This month, I hosted two events at my house: a 31 party and a get-together for a dear friend, Betsy Jo, who was back in town for a short visit. Our house may not be grand, but it is cozy and the carpets are clean to sit together, drink a glass of wine and have good conversations. 

The theme of the party was based on the board game Clue, which was a fun way to see the new products Thirty-one sells. I love their organizational products and ordered some bags for myself and as gifts. It was a low-key evening, where we enjoyed chatting with each other while eating some desserts, drinking wine and hot apple cider and doing some shopping.  

The next week, I had 13 lovely ladies over for a get-together. It was a late night, where we all were able to catch up with Betsy Jo, fellowship while eating appetizers, desserts and drinking a glass of wine or two. Originally, we had planned to go out to a bar, but it would have been very loud there which makes it difficult to talk to each other, so I offered up my house to meet. It worked out great as Derrick was out of town and I was able to participate while the kids slept upstairs.  

This month, our MNO (mom's night out) was held at a local pottery studio. So yesterday evening, 18 people showed up to paint some pottery and fellowship. It was a fun evening and I truly enjoyed painting a big platter while hanging out with friends. Here are some snapshots from last night:

 The almost finished product. It needs to be glazed and then will be ready for pick-up in a week.

Our fun troop:

Also, bi-weekly, a few of us from the MOPS group meet on a Monday night for our book club. Sometimes, we are as many as 9 people and some days it's only a few but every book discussion is great for my soul as we exchange our stories and support each other in this thing called Motherhood. So far, we have tackled two books ("For the Love" and "Desperate: Hope for Moms") and each of them gave me good insights, inspirations and laughs. This picture is grainy but these are some of the wonderful ladies from our book club. 

As you can tell, my social schedule is keeping me busy but I would not want to have it any other way. Having friends to hang out and talk with is so important because it keeps me from going insane when raising two little ones. 

Celebrate the Arts Day

Today, Amelia's preschool hosted their 4th annual Celebrate the Arts Day and everyone was invited to watch the children perform some songs and then view their fine arts. The kids were excited and ready to sing their 5 songs in the sanctuary for us. They all did a great job!

Look, even Elliot joined in on the fun for a few minutes:

The entire preschool:

Amelia's class with her teacher, Ms. Susan:

After their performance, the parents were invited back to the classrooms to view their children's art work and have some refreshments. Elliot felt right at home and took over the teacher's seat. 

Amelia was so proud to show off her art and happy that I was able to be there for her. 

The art wall: 

While Amelia stayed and finished her day at preschool, Elliot and I went to story time at our local library. He loves listening to stories and singing songs there and had a great time. Here is a look at my little guy having fun:

Selfie with my boy:

I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with my kids and be there for their special days/ events. I know I won't be able to do this forever, so I enjoy it while it lasts.

My Little Handyman

Lately, Elliot has been interested in tools, so I pulled out some from storage one morning and he has been fixing things around the house ever since. The first time I gave him the tools, he spent all day fixing the cat post. I guess it was broken after he climbed up on it in the morning. 

He is very focused when he is working. Of course, safety goggles are a must.

 

My favorite picture:

Just being cool: 

Of course, he has to help Daddy whenever there is something that needs to be fixed:

I'm surprised Amelia is not scared of the tools but she rather enjoys drilling holes in to things too. 

Now, my house should be in tip-top-shape with three people fixing it up. If you need something fixed, just call me and I will send a little handyman your way :)

I Love You Day

Yesterday, we celebrated "I Love You Day" (aka Valentine's Day) with some little treats for the kids and a love letter for the husband. We are not very fond of this commercialized day that's why we renamed it to "I Love You Day" and only do a minimal thing to express our love for each other. The kids received a little note and some cotton candy, some heart-shaped jelly beans for Derrick and I got some pretty pink roses. Of course, some decorations were necessary to pretty up the house!

The loves of my life!

For some years now, Derrick and I decided not to give each other gifts for Valentine's day or anniversaries. And this year, we even skipped the cards but instead wrote out a list of ways how we can show love to each other. A speaker during our last MOPS meeting suggested that idea and I just ran with it. This card is an easy way to remember what exactly makes your partner happy. 

We didn't go out on a date or ate at a restaurant as we are happiest at home. But we'd rather invited some dear friends over for a simple dinner (chicken corn chowder soup, meat balls and cannoli dip) to enjoy each others company. The Wesley's have moved to Ohio recently and are only back in town for a few days, so we were all delighted to see them. Amelia loved playing with her girl Eva, I loved chatting with my friend, Betsy Jo while the husbands and boys enjoyed hanging out together and we all enjoyed some good laughs.

Our Valentine's Day was maybe a bit unconventional, but perfect in every way. It just reminded me of this saying:

Amelia also celebrated Valentine's Day at preschool this week and was all excited to hand out her handwritten notes and little goody bags (lip gloss and nail polish) to her classmates.  

 Each of the girls handing out their Valentines:

Her class had a little party on Friday where they enjoyed yummy treats, good fellowship and some special little gifts for each other. 

It's amazing how much the little things in life can make one so happy. Especially for some young girls when all it takes is some creativity, decorations and cookies.

To love is nothing...

To be loved is something...

 To love and to be loved in return is everything!

Finally, the Weekend!

This past week was a rough week. Derrick has been gone for work since Sunday and just came back today. Amelia must have had a (mental) growth spurt as she was extremely emotional and distraught that her Daddy was not here. I have never seen her so sad before. It broke my mommy-heart when I fixed her hair on Thursday morning and she said: "I'm not pretty. I don't feel pretty!" Of course, she looked as beautiful as ever and we always tell her that she is pretty inside and out and that we love her to the moon and back. I don't know what was going on with her that day but luckily we were able to Skype with Oma and talk to Daddy and both told her that she looked especially pretty in her dress that day. She was back to her normal self once she was at preschool. I guess she just needed a pick-me-upper. 

In anticipation of the big game (SuperBowl 50) tomorrow evening and the fact that our local team, the Charlotte Panthers, are the favorite to win this game, our entire area is in uproar. Every one is wearing their "Panther colors" (black and teal) in support of the team and so it was no question, that Amelia's preschool asked that all the kids will wear their Panthers shirts on Friday. But since we don't own any fan gear yet, we made due with a black shirt and pants and a teal t-shirt. I think it looked pretty good and she even tried the Cam Newton pose. Let's hope the Panthers win tomorrow. Keep pounding!

While the week was tiring, we finished it off with a fun after school play-date at the playground with Amelia and her classmate Vera on Friday. While it was cold, the sun was shining, the sky was blue and the kids loved being outside:

Unfortunately, my Saturday didn't start off too well. 

Here a few reasons why: 

1) Elliot's diaper leaked this morning while he was in my bed, so I have been doing laundry since 6am. 

2) This meant we all got up at 6am. 

3) After washing two loads of laundry, I discovered that the air vent to the dryer was disconnected and so the dryer didn't work. Hanging the laundry outside to dry was not an option at 32F (0C). Unfortunately, I was not able to reconnect the old air vent and we all had to bundle up to go Lowe's this morning at 8am. 

4) Hubby was still out of town...

5) We found what I needed and also bought some Girl Scout cookies because it was 32F and the girls selling the cookies looked cold and cookies seemed like a good reward for a rough morning. 

6) Came home, fixed the dryer and reassembled the bed. 

7) We have a sleep number bed, which is awesome (best purchase ever); however, one of the kids crawled under the bed this week and somehow disconnected some cables and now the bed is leaking air.  So Daddy still needs to fix that before I can sleep soundly again. 

8) I haven't had a glass of wine all week long as I'm a lightweight when it comes to alcohol and I'm afraid I would fall too deep asleep and not hear the kids during the night. So, I'm looking forward to a nice glass of Rose tonight and a good night's sleep. 

Let's just say, we are all happy to have our Daddy back home (even though he felt too exhausted and we had to cancel our afternoon plans with our friends :(  ). Hopefully, by tomorrow we are all back to our normal selves and can enjoy a fun Sunday, watching the big game and cheering on our home team. 

Update on my little man

It is time to give you all a little update on my little man. He is not so little anymore and I can't call him baby any longer either (he also tells me that he is no baby!). A couple of weeks ago, Elliot had his 2-year check-up and now weighs 34 lbs (15.1kg) and measures 36.5 in (93cm) in length...a big, healthy boy for sure. He gained 5.5lbs over the past 6 months and weighs as much as his sister (she is still a bit taller than him, thanks to a recent growth spurt she had), which leads to a lot of roughhousing and me breaking up fights between them. I should add referee to my job description. But they also play well with each other, especially when Amelia teaches him new things. Lately, he loves watching her play the Ipad and when she is not around, he turns it on himself and plays her learning apps. Monkey see and monkey do!

 

Just a few days shy of turning 2, my son also started having tantrums and the "terrible twos" are in full force now.  It seems though that during the past month, he had less tantrums and is getting more control over his emotions since he can articulate himself more accurately. Overall, he is very easy going and the tantrums are quite manageable. He is still my love bug and likes to give me hugs and kisses all throughout the day. And yes, every morning (time varies between 4:30am and 6am) he shows up at my side of the bed, I pick him up and he falls back asleep, cradled in my arm and his forehead in my face. Some days, I wish I could get up earlier to get some time for myself, but then I'm not ready to give up my special cuddle time with my little boy so instead I cherish these moments before they are gone. 

His language skills are developing every day and he speaks full sentences and most of them are very comprehensible. His vocabulary is immense and just keeps on growing. This boy is becoming a talker, just like his sister. He also understands everything I say in German to him and lately even uses some German words.  

Elliot is just as active as his sister and loves being out and about. He loves to climb on everything and since he is so strong, he most often accomplishes what he sets out to do. It also helps that he has no fear of big structures, machines or animals. He just wants to do what every other big kid in the park, gym or playground is doing.  A couple of days ago, he didn't nap but instead rearranged his furniture....oh boy!

In October, after he climbed out of crib, we took the front off and put a bed rail up. This way, he can get in and out easily but doesn't fall out when he is asleep. I was a bit skeptical in the beginning and worried that he would not stay in bed to nap but so far, it is working good. Some days, I find him playing in his room but when he is tired he always stays in bed and naps. The only thing is that he shows up once or twice a night at my bed because he wants to sleep with me. But when we carry him back, he always falls back asleep easily.   

Then during a week in November we took away his pacifier and also started potty training. This was not planned but all fell in to place and has actually worked good for us. He cried a couple of times for his pacifier but quickly learned to console himself and to fall asleep without needing one. He still uses his little swaddle blanket as he never took to a stuffed animals. Potty training is also going well. Here and there are still some "accidents" but most days, he successfully is using his potty throughout the day. We are going easy about it as we don't want to pressure him but every day with less diapers and wipes is a good day. 

"Super Elliot"

Overall, my little boy is doing great and just growing like a weed and enjoying life. Ever day is a new adventure and I love to watch him grow up. We are very proud of this little guy and blessed to be his parents.