3 Little Kittens....

Tonight was Grace's first (and probably only) ballet recital. They danced to 3 Little Kittens and did WONDERFUL. She was so excited to go on stage and actually smiled for most of it. 2 weeks ago the teacher, Miss Diane, asked if anyone would be able to help with her class on the night of the recital. I waited and waited for someone....anyone...to step forward and volunteer but no one did so of course I raised my hand. Of course I could volunteer. So tonight I got to help get the girls on stage and then sit with them in the back of the auditorium for the 2 hour program. They were a bit tired and wild little kittens by the end. We only had one little kitten crying before the finale and luckily her mom was the other victim...errr...volunteer with me. Luckily my mom and Jared's mom were there to help with Kate and Jared had Jack as his buddy for the night :). Here are some pictures from tonights performance:

Our little Kitten

All the Kittens in formation before the curtain went up

During the performance

Grace and her friend, Lydia

Me and my Kitten Friends

Some call me crazy...

Every year we give Jack a couple options for his birthday. Here are this years:

1. Go with the family to a waterpark in the Dells

2. Have a sleep over with 4 friends

3. Have every 3rd grade boy over for a movie party

In the past, Jack has almost always picked going to the Dells with us and not having a "friends" party. This year he wised up to the fact that he is missing out on presents :). He decided as much fun as a sleep over would be, it would be more 'beneficial' to have all the boys over for a movie party and he was so excited to not have to leave anyone out! So I sent out 22 invitations thinking that surely most people would have plans and we would probably end up with 10 boys. Well, we had.....20, 9 year old boys for 5 hours! My house turned upside down for a short time and I am sure shook the neighborhood a couple times :).

The day started off with Jack's favorite breakfast: Pepperoni and cheese omlet on the Birthday plate (a plate I had decorated when Jack was a baby that we use just on birthdays). Of course I put a candle in it and sang for him (poor kid had to listen to that so early in the morning).

As boys started getting dropped off, Jared asked me how many more we were waiting for and after taking a quick count of the shoes I realized we were only 1/2 way there!

We "watched" the Fantastic Four: Silver Surfer movie, ate popcorn (or at least I think they actually got some in their mouths), downed 10 pizzas and 20 cupcakes and drank 30 cans of Sprite.

Then after I realized we still had them for another hour, we sent them out to play basketball.

Did I mention it rained for most of the party? Yep, 20 boys IN THE HOUSE for 4 out of the 5 hours. By 5:00 I didn't care how muddy they got, they were going outside!

Jack has been saving up for a bike for the past month so he when he was asked by his friends what he wanted for his birthday he told them Target gift cards so he could hopefully buy the bike of his dreams.

Here is the bike he was saving for ($189)

He couldn't wait to go to Target after school today. Then the dilemna started. He found another bike that was cheaper. He even told Grace she could pick ANYTHING for $10 or less and he would buy it for her. She was the happiest little sister EVER and came home with some Littlest Pet Shop toy. Here is the bike he decided to get after finding out it was only $114) and he would still have a bunch of money to get other cool things. (his bike is just like this, only yellow). After he paid for his bike and Grace's toy with his gift cards, he had to pay $1.85 out of his change...he was so excited that he still had actual money to spend later!

Jack had a blast (as did the other 19 boys) and Jared and I survived....how will we ever top this party :)?

Sleep

I have heard that sleep is important. I have tried to explain this to Princess Kate and she disagrees. Why is it that when she was a newborn up to the age of about 5 months she slept GREAT? She used to go to bed around 9ish (usually by 8:30) and sleep until 4:00 am. Now at the old age of 6 months, I am begging her to close her beautiful eyes at 10:30 and then she is up by 1am and then is up at 3 am, 5 am and is up for the day at 6:15 a.m. She even started doing this before the time change so that isn't it. Last night she woke up at 1:00 a.m. (after going to sleep finally at 11:15 pm) and STAYED AWAKE until 4:45 a.m. She didn't want to eat, she wanted to kick me and poke my eyes if I tried to close them.

Yes, she sleeps with us (all of our kids did). I can't let her cry it out...I just can't do it. I have tried but I am too weak. Tonight I put the rocking chair & CD player in her bedroom and have tried to rock her with some quiet heartbeat music and she would not let herself go to sleep. She would almost be asleep and pop her head up and smile at me and start playing. So I put her in her crib and came down here. I could hear her crying and crying so I went up and she had somehow kicked her sock off inside her sleeper and both her feet were trapped in the body of it. She was MAD. I fixed her all up and she calmed right down and I came back down here. So far I don't hear any crying. My plan tonight is to keep her in her crib and hope that maybe the bed is just getting too crowded for her and since Daddy doesn't like to sleep on the couch I guess that means it is time for Miss Kate to try sleeping alone.

Does anyone out there have any idea's beyond "just let them cry". I can deal with her making noise and fussing in her crib, but not the horrible, sad/mad cry that makes real tears....

We don't need no stinkin' sleep!

Thanks Bethany...

Another blog that I am always on to see the adorable kids was talking about geocaching. Here is a brief intro to Geocaching I found:
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.
I told Jack and Grace about it and of course we had to go online to see if there was any "caches" near our house.... and of course there was. So afterschool we went for a quick search (in the car...it's cold here!) and couldn't find it. My Garmin GPS doesn't do coordinates so we had to rely on looking at a map on google and then going out and searching :). After coming back home and looking I knew where it was so after dinner we all went out and actually found it. It was a tiny magnet that someone has put on a dead end post. In the magnet was a paper rolled up with all the names of people/families that had found it and the date. The kids were not happy that there was no treasure for them to take. We did find out through the geocache site that there is a box hidden back on our nature preserve. I told them as soon as we hit a day without snow/ice/rain/flooding we will trek out there and dig it up. So anyone else out there that would like to join our fun times this summer looking for buried treasures, let me know :). Here is the site link if you are interested:

http://www.geocaching.com/

Jack's turn!

In honor of Jack of turning 9 this month I thought I would do a post just for him. It seems like Grace and Kate (mainly Kate) get the spotlight on here more often. Happy Birth-month Butter!

Jack was due on March 9th, 2000. March 9th came and went and I was pretty sure he was going to live in his "apartment" in my belly forever. Finally on March 23, 2000 (yes, 2 weeks late) my 1st baby was born. It was the best day of my life (and the most painful!). Jack weighed 10 lbs 6 oz and was 20 inches long. My pumpkin was finally here and I was finally a mom. I remember being so excited (and tired). Our journey with Jack has been wonderful. As he has grown into a young man we have watched his hobbies change, but the one thing that has remained the same with Jack is his love of babies. To this day he LOVES LOVES LOVES babies. Probably because they all laugh at him and his funny faces and noises. Jack is the king of noise making...the kid has a rhythm in his head all the time! When he was about 1 1/2 years old he had a baby doll and he would love his doll and carry it around and give it rides on his bike. I thought "what a wonderful little guy to be taking such good care of his baby". The next thing I know he is running it over with his bike....oh well! Now, Jack is in 3rd grade and has learned how to multiply & divide, knows his 50 states and their capitals (and how to spell them all), loves to read and has read 1000 pages in the 1st quarter of school and plays football at EVERY recess. His favorite things to do are hunt, play football, read (when he is suppose to be sleeping), hunt, play football and hunt some more. He also loves to make Grace and Kate laugh. Kate gets so excited when she sees Jack coming and cries when he walks away. He is the best big brother I could ever hope for and we look forward to seeing what God has planned for the rest of Jack's life. Here are some pictures of Jack from birth to almost 9 years old...enjoy!

2 weeks old

6 months old (sorry, I couldn't get it to rotate)

1 year old (playing football already)

2 years old (I love the white hair)

3 years old (ready to go fishing)

4 years old (Jack posed himself)

5 years old (his 3rd trip to Walt Disney World)

6 years old (at his kindergarten science fair)

7 years old (he seemed to grown up between 6 & 7)

8 years old (Jack's dream: A Packer Game)

And there you have it....Jack Arnold Holthe!

Day 7......

Ok, so I have blogged for 6 days straight and trying to come up with a topic for today....and not having much luck! Does anyone have any questions for us?

How about anyone looking for a great house on the lake in Verona, WI? We had another Open House today and it poured rain...AGAIN. This is our theme. We have an open house and it rains. Is God trying to tell us something? Well, tomorrow we have already advertised that we will be having another open house and guess what....Winter Storm Watch with 4-8 inches of snow and ice coming. At least my house is clean :). I will try to get back down here after we read the bible verses for today and wrangle the kids into bed and try to convince Kate that it is her bedtime too. If I don't make it....then this is officially my blog for the day :)

The Happy Painter

Grace LOVES to color. She will color all day if we let her and had the paper to do it! We should have known this would be something she loved when as a 2 year old she used yogurt to color on the stair railing going downstairs and then butter to color on her bedroom wall and then desitin to color on her bedroom door and then foundation makeup to color all over the TV set. This was all in 1 week....yes, we all survived!

Grace is sad when Daddy asked who put the "yogy" on the stairs

The door of either butter or Desitin...I am thinking butter on this day:

Butter on her bedroom walls and floor (not easy to get out or wash off):

A couple months before all of this, I found her downstairs with red ink (Holiday Red from my stamps) all over her hands and face. Here is our conversation...

Mommy: "You MUST BE KIDDING!"

Grace: "No, I not kidding. I a clown!"

I stuck her in the bath and did what any normally perfect mom would do....I called Grandma to save her little butt! We are thankful that she now colors in coloring books and on paper...granted she is 5, but I am still thanking God that she has outgrown her naughty coloring. So, onto the reason for this post (it really wasn't to tattle on my princess)...Grace was sitting and coloring one night and I walked into the livingroom to check on her and found this:

Yep...sound asleep coloring! Notice the Color Wonder markers and paper....Santa is soooo smart!

Bethany, I have seen your wonderful colorer and she would get along GREAT with Grace...however, we probably wouldn't want to see what masterpieces they came up with!

Just keep swimming....

Today's post has nothing to do with the kids....it is all about ME :)

When a very good friend (that would never steer me wrong) challenged me to doing a triathlon 2 years ago, I said "sure"! Then, I got out of it by being pregnant with Kate. Now I have had Kate and she didn't forget I said "sure" 2 years ago, so I am signed up, paid for and committed to doing a triathlon this July. This is considered a "sprint" triathlon. That means the really good people do this at top speed with no problems. For me it means: I hope I finish without drowning, falling off my bike and fainting while I "run". I have to swim 1/2 mile, bike 12 miles and run 3.1 miles (5K)...all in one day :). I am now able to "run" 2 miles without stopping..it is more of a very slow jog, but I am technically getting both feet off the earth at the same time so it is running :). Granted I have only ran that far once, but I know I can do it. Today I did some cardio on the eliptical (sp?) machine for 20 minutes and then hit the pool. When I first started training 5 months ago (Kate was only 4 weeks old) I was only able to swim 1.5 laps without stopping (it was pathetic). Today I swam all 16 laps (1/2 mile) without stopping :). I now know that I will not drown in the tri! Tomorrow is supposed to be 53 degrees outside so as soon as the snow has melted and the bike trails are open I am going to be out biking. Another friend (what kind of insane friends have I found) has talked me into doing a run 15 minute/spin 30 minutes/run 15 minutes class at the gym on Wednesdays. That scares me a little but I am going to give it a try! Anyone else out there reading this that wants to join me this summer let me know...Missy, want to TRI?

Tempers....

So, our littlest princess has developed quite the temper if she isn't getting her way. When did that little connection in her little head develop? It seems like one day she is perfectly fine sitting in her exersaucer while I fold laundry and the next day she is throwing her arms out straight, her head back and screaming with her eyes closed tightly the entire time I fold a pair of socks. As soon as I move toward her....the huge smile comes out and she reaches up to me. What is a mom to do? On one hand I know she is playing me like a fiddle and on the other hand she is reaching out to me with that big smile and bigger blue eyes saying "I love you mama, hold me NOW" and how can I ignore that? I am in so much trouble....and am learning how to fold socks with the help of a 6 month old. It also takes a bit more time to type this one handed because a little certain someone doesn't want to play on the floor...the keyboard is SO MUCH more fun. Did I mention I am creating a monster...a very cute monster :). Here is what happened when I was trying to get pictures of her yesterday for her 6 month shot...she had enough and tipped herself over and the temper started :)...isn't she cute?

Happy 1/2 Birthday Kate!

Today our princess-in-training turns 6 months. I have truely enjoyed EVERY minute of her 1st 6 months and am eager to see all that God has planned for her in her future. Everyone asks how it has been going from 2 kids to 3 kids and my answer for everyone is always the same: EASY! I think it has to do with the fact that the other 2 kids are in school everyday so in a way it is like having my 1st baby all over without all the questions of a first time mom. Kate is such a happy baby and loves to flash her gorgeous smile at anyone that looks at her. She is just starting to show her "little" temper when she doesn't get something she wants (usually it has to do with us not giving her a drink of Sprite or a bite of ice cream). In 6 months she has grown 8 inches and gained 6 pounds. She can sit up on her own for more than a minute and has her 1st two bottom teeth. She has got the BIGGEST blue eyes that just sparkle and a smile that will melt your heart. She LOVES LOVES LOVES Jack and Grace and is determined to poke the dogs eyes out. She is our little Tater and we love her sooooo much. Happy 1/2 birthday peanut!

A post a day for a month....

So I have been challenged to do a post a day for a month. They probably won't be super long and won't always include a picture but I will try :). So for today's post:



Kate's 6 month checkup:


Stats-
Height: 27 1/2 inches (97%)
Weight: 16 lbs 3 oz (50%)
Head: not sure of the actual measurement but it is in the 19%!



So, my baby has a smallish head...we knew this and there is nothing wrong with her. She is doing everything a 6 month old should be doing so they aren't worried. We are just used to babies with big melons :). She is our little peanut and that is ok with me! If you missed our "post for everyone" keep scrolling down...that is a much longer post with an update on all of us.

Updates for everyone!

Kate is learning so much lately. She is rolling over more and more, and has grown Abs of Steel doing her version of stomach crunches. She does this whenever you lay her down to change her...she just keeps her head off the floor. She has started sitting up by herself (for about a minute).

She also LOVES food...big surprise in this family :), but only wants to feed herself or help us feed her...very messy and fun times!

She also grew a bunch of red hair...ok, that is Grace's Build A Bear Ariel wig. I knew there would be a good use for it someday!

Tomorrow she goes in for her 6 month checkup to get weighed and measured. At 6 months Grace was 2o lbs 13 oz and 28 1/4 " long...I don't think Kate is anywhere near that...and Jack was even bigger by this point! I can't find Jack's paper from his 6 month check up but at 4 months he was just under 23 pounds!!! At 4 months old Kate was only 14 pounds! I always said I wanted a "little" baby but I was really referring to when they were born :)...so far I haven't had any little newborns (I guess I have to be more specific next time). She is our peanut and we are all so in love with her! She is starting to show her temper; especially when Daddy let her try one bite of ice cream and then cut her off....man oh man, her little head went back and she started bawling and screaming....we are in trouble! Her biggest news is that she now has 2 bottom teeth. She was not happy for about a day and then they were all in and she was fine. Hopefully the rest come in that easily!

Grace is doing better now that she is over the flu. She had a 103 temp for 2 days and just sat next to me and cried and cried and cried. I felt so bad for her. She is getting ready for the big dance recital at the end of the month so I will try to post that video on here if I can figure it out! She just got the PRO award at school (People Respecting Others). They chose 2 kids from each grade every month to recieve the award then they get their picture taken and put in the school newsletter....big stuff! She was just excited that she got a free ice cream from Culvers!

Valentines was big stuff this year for Grace because she is now in Kindergarten. Our friends Shawn and Lorraine bought her this adorable skirt for Christmas and I couldn't wait until Valentines Day so she could wear it. I asked if all the kids loved her twirly dress and she said "Yes, even Logan loved it". Logan is a little guy in Grace's class that loves to tease everyone so Grace was very happy that he even said he loved it and didn't tease her :). The lady in the picture with Grace is her wonderful teacher, Ms. Embling. Jack had her for Kindergarten also. She is a wonderful Christian women that loves the kids and is so patient and quiet natured. We are very blessed to have had her for both kids.

Grace still loves to match her clothes with Kates whenever possible!

Jack is doing great. He spends his time waiting for the snow to melt so he can get back out playing football and fishing. For now he plays with Kate and is constantly making her smile and laugh...I think he may be her favorite person (next to me of course!). He is doing really well in 3rd grade and this year has to learn the location of all 50 states, their capitals and how to spell both the state and capital....I am glad I am not in 3rd grade! I need to pin him down for more pictures of him. I will put up one that I think I just posted on facebook....maybe it was here...anyways that is all your getting because I don't have any recent pics of Jack.

Jared is keeping busy with the offices and trying to sell our house. We have had a handful of people look at it but no bites YET....we are hoping that once the snow melts and we can actually show off the lake and the surrounding property it will have a better chance to sell...at least that is what we are hoping. For now I can just be happy my house is ALWAYS clean :).

I got to partake in 80's night at the Melting Pot. It is a fantastic fondue restaurant that lets us dress up, eat chocolate and laugh for hours with the posse! I will show some pictures of all of us that went. If you want to join us next time you have to dress up and have fun :)

My big news is that I have officially signed up to do a triathlon this summer. Jared has started helping me train for it by running with me at the gym. I am up to 1.5 miles without stopping...that is the furthest I have EVER run...I hate running. For the tri I will have to swim in a lake (yes, with fish...pray for me) for 1/2 mile, then bike for 12 miles and run for 3.1 miles (5 K). I am going to do this and will be in better shape before then so I don't pass out! If there is anyone out there (women only for this one) that would like to do it with me let me know! Search under Trek Womens Triathlon and I am doing the Wisconsin "Chicagoland" tri July 12th. Sign up soon!

I am going to really try to do more frequent updates so they don't get so long! Sorry...but thank you if you got this far!