Birthday

No, it's no one's birthday around here, though Puckett did turn five last month and I forgot to celebrate. Anyway, I have been thinking about Mia's birthday even though it's not until July. I think what got my mind turning was the fact that the gym has parties, and Brett said he saw one that looked cool. He may have even used that exact word. So...Mia's birthday is a little less than four months away. As I was thinking, I realized that she seems to enjoy play kitchens. There is one at the gym, in fact, that she is always playing in when we pick her up. I also distinctly remember playing with my Playskool kitchen all the time. I think that was coupled with pushing around my yellow shopping cart and asking for cans from the kitchen to go in my grocery store. Anyhow, in looking for a wooden kitchen, I found a blog that used plans similar to these from Lowe's. I think we might try to make this for M's birthday. And, if we start thinking about it now, it might really happen! However, if you happen to see a used wooden kitchen for sale, please let us know! We'll be in the market for kitchen accessories, too. :o)

Potty x 2

A mere ten days after the last "potty" post, we have a new one. This evening when Brett got home, he said he had to go to the bathroom. He was playing with Mia and needed me to watch her, which is why it was announced. Mia said, "Potty," and began to follow Brett. He got out her potty (which she typically just sits on like it's any old chair), took off her pants and diaper (you might recall what happened the last time I did this), and she sat on her potty. You guessed it...she went! We were planning on working on potty training this summer when I could devote more time to it. We were a little surprised, but very excited, with Mia's hard work today, however. So, I'm not exactly sure what we'll do now.

Potty

I apologize in advance if this is too much information, but it truly is funny. Going to the bathroom by myself with the door shut has become some what of a luxury. Really. It's sad, but true. So, there I was going to the bathroom when in walks Mia. Like I said, I apologize if that was too much for you to handle. She proceeds to communicate that she wants to go potty on her potty, too. She wants her pants down. No, she wants them off. Off come the shoes and socks. Off go the pants. M has a onsie on. It needs to be unsnapped. (Please picture the little tail that is now hanging because it is unsnapped and she is standing.) And, of course, her diaper needs to be taken off as well. She sits on her pink potty. About one minute later, she is done. No potty. M decides she is done, and would like to play in the bathroom now. Doesn't everyone do that? She squats down to "play" and, wouldn't you know it, she goes potty on the floor. Not only is it on the floor, it is on her shirt, and that little onsie that was draggie behind her. Terrific.

Here comes the sun, but not for long

There was one, just one, day last week that was so incredibly nice. Of course, it's all relative, but it was so nice that when M and I got home, we went straight in to the backyard. I tried taking pictures, lots of them, but she is a girl on the move! I just love her little face and the way she really investigates the backyard. Please note: the onsie she is wearing is her cousin Noah's, and she carries her container of cereal everywhere.

Greenhouse

I finally, finally got some pictures of the greenhouse in progress. As you walk in the door to the left, there is a pile of "tools." The orange thing at the bottom is actually one of the original heaters that keeps the greenhouse warm, and, it actually works still. On Brett's day off, he got it fired up. However, I feared the strong scent of gas, so we're going to get it checked out first. The second picture is the back of the green house. Brett is making a raised bed. Since I took the picture, I believe it is all filled in with dirt and ready to go. Picture #3 shows the "workstation." This is where the starter plants will go, if I am correct. You will see this much more shallow planter if you walk in the door and look to the right. Finally, there is the picture of the outside of the greenhouse. Sorry, I did not have enough patience to deal with the order and formatting of this post. The important part is that you see the pictures, anyway.

Books

We like to read. We have lots of books. Mia has lots of books. In case you're wondering, here's what we're reading. As if any normal human being actually goes through the day thinking, "I wonder what Brett, Nichole, and M are reading right now."

Brett:
Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan
The Complete Compost Gardening Guide
The Athlete's Shoulder by Andrews, Wilk, & Reinold
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
The Pruning Book by Lee Reich
A new physical therapy article each day (really)

Nichole:
The Love Dare by Stephen Kindrick
A Catholic Woman's Book of Days by Amy Welbourn
The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule
Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert (This is the sequel to Eat, Pray, Love and, I have to say, she's Debby Downer when it comes to marriage. Consequently, I am moving very slowly through this book until Danielle Steel comes out with her new one next month.)

Baby M:
Bo Saves the Show (This is her favorite! I even had to tape it up this morning.)
Ten Apples Up on Top!
Elmo's World, Love
Sesame Street Storybook with music player
Elmo's Piano

What a cutie!

We sure do love this little pumpkin! She was kind enough to stand in the snow for a quick photo before we left. I can't quite remember what Brett was doing to make her laugh, but it definitely worked!

Snowshoeing!

It was finally nice enough outside to go snowshoeing with Mia. The weather was just perfect. So, we headed out to a nice little place to take in some snow and try out the new backpack outside.

12k

We did it! We are officially registered for a 12k race in May. Don't be fooled. I'm not excited, nor will I pretend to be. I don't like running, and I'm not good at it, quite frankly. But, it's something to do, healthy, and we can all (meaning Brett, Mia, Puckett, and I) do it together. So, we'll try the 12k in May!

No!

Last month, or even a couple of months ago, when Mia said, "No," it was just cute and sweet. She really had no concept of what it meant. Times are changing. Last week, I said, "Mia, let's go (do something)." I was quite taken aback when she gave a "No!" with such conviction and proceeded to run away. She surely knows what the word means now. It doesn't matter if we're trying to eat, change diapers, put on clothes, brush teeth, leave, or anything else. The answer is always no.

Green Thumb

Our new house has a green house in the back yard. I'll need to charge the camera and go get a picture for you. Brett is in heaven! Over the last couple of months, he's been out there getting things ready, cleaning up, tearing things out, etc. Yesterday, he was able to get the heaters fired up as well. Yes, it has heaters. So, today, Brett placed his order for everything thanks to his Christmas gift from his parents. He was also given some pretty handy gardening books for Christmas from his sister, Suzanne, and cousins, Ali and Brent. By the way, he loves those books! Anyway, here's what he ordered today:

• Onions
• Pickling cucumbers
• Romaine lettuce
• Sweet bell peppers
• Connecticut field pumpkin
• Butternut squash
• Zucchini
• Roma tomato
• Cauliflower
• Blueberry
• Cherry
• Hops
• Slicing cucumber
• Tangerine
• Fig
• Beans
• Carrots
• Asparagus
• Cherry tomato
• Raspberry
• Broccoli
• Jalapeno
• Blackberry

Resurrection

Just when you and I were both sure this blog was obsolete, it has breathed new life. It has been resurrected! That sounds like a lot of excitement for one little blog, doesn't it? It's not so much the blog, however, it's life altogether. I'll explain. But, readers beware, I could get rather windy on this one.

It has been 19 months since we had our first little offspring come along. I know we're biased, but she surely gets cuter, funnier, and smarter each day.

Food: M recently went through a phase where she didn't really want to eat dinner, no matter what it was. She sure loved to snack though. Thankfully, I think she's hit the end of that phase and is now eating dinner with us again. While she still loves her snacks (crackers, goldfish, fruities, etc.), she also loves peas and enjoys eating meat with some sort of sauce on it, hot dogs, mac and cheese, and spaghetti.

Activities: Wednesdays are the highlight of my week. We take M to gymnastics for 30 min. with a group of about 4-5 other kiddos. The first two weeks were quite challenging, but now we've got it down. M enjoys jumping on the trampolines, will jump into the pit by herself (there's foam blocks), and truly excels in the area of somersaults. She also loves to read. Her favorite book going on months now is Bo Saves the Show. It's a Muppet book. Elmo is also tops on her list. Coloring has also become a favorite as of late. We also try to get the gym to go swimming once every other week or so. M got a new swimsuit recently, and I'm sure it's contributing to her stellar speed and form in the pool. (Did you notice how many times I said "also" in that paragraph?)

The rest of us are less than exciting compared to M. Brett has been working hard. He got to take a trip to New Orleans at the beginning of February and is now a certified golf fitness professional. He has also been spending time in the greenhouse trying to get it ready. Yes, we have a greenhouse. Last fall while working with the rookie league team here, he was invited down to spring training in AZ to "work." I think he and his dad are going to head down there in April.

I have been teaching the same group of sixth graders all year. The highlight of the last two weeks has been watching the kids plant their seeds (barley, corn, peas, radish, and clover), cringe at some of their watering practices, and see the excitement when something sprouts. We are beginning our state testing tomorrow, so we'll see how well I've done. Also, you may have known that I was hired into a one-year contract because it was so late in the summer. In saying that, I have to re-apply for my job this week. Yes, it's a bummer. I also have to interview for it. Ick.

And, so as not to leave anyone out, Puckett is doing well. However, we had a little incident where he broke his two front teeth. Please refrain from singing songs about what he might want for Christmas. This resulted in two extracted teeth and a large bill. Thank goodness we still have that pet insurance.

Sorry, still no new pictures. I'll get there though.

Hello Again

Often times, I think to myself, "I really need to update that blog of ours." And then, something else comes up and the ol' blog is pushed out of my mind yet again. Maybe it's quite unrealistic to think that people will actually be upset if I don't update it. Nevertheless (I love that word), I feel the need to sit down and give you another update. One of these days, it won't be so much of an update as much as me just blabbing again. That's my goal, anyway.

Baby M isn't quite a baby anymore as she is now 14 months old. Aahhh! How did that happen? I swear one day she was laying on the couch without supervision because she didn't move, and now she can crawl up the stairs and walk away before I tie my shoe. And, I can tie my shoes pretty quickly. So, yes, she is now walking. I always knew it would be fun when she was walking, but I also foresaw (Is that a word? Yes, I just looked it up.) the amount of work that would be involved. Goodness, that little girl is a mover, always has been though. It's easy to see that she loves being able to walk. In the past week, I think she just decided to walk because she knows she can. She'll walk all over Grantie T's living room, kitchen, dining room, etc. Playing on the green couch is almost taking a backseat to walking now. I never thought I'd see the day! M also loves to feed herself (string cheese, anyone?), run with her dad, and play with the kids at day care.

Neither Brett nor I have too much going on besides work. We did; however, buy a house. I can't quite remember if that was on the last blog post. We are hoping to be able to move in at the end of the month. Get this - it has a green house. If you know Brett, you know how happy this makes him.

Puckett is anticipating the move to our new house where he will have much more room to run, wander, explore, get into trouble, etc. It will also be easier to take him on walks as there won't be so many hills. Who am I kidding? The hills aren't the problem. :o)

And, one last thing, I just need to put in a plug for Scentsy. I am still a Scentsy consultant, so if you are intersted in buying for the holidays (they're coming quick) and/or hosting a party (online or otherwise) to get free goods, let me know!

Catch up again

Goodness, I feel like I'm always playing catch up on this blog instead of actually keeping up. July was a busy month though. Yes, I say that even though I was unemployed for all of it! Here's what we've been up to:

Brett has been working as usual, but has also been able to spend some time with the baseball team. What baseball team? Great Falls has an MLB rookie league team here. They are an affiliate of...the White Sox! Yes, I said that. But, since it's not the actual team that plays the Twins, we're okay. I do hate to say that one game Brett had a Sox jacket on though. What kind of loyalty is that? On a positive note, the minor league rehab coordinator was in town last week and invited Brett to spring training next year. Given the option, I'm sure he'll be on the next flight to Arizona. Also, I'm not sure (and too lazy to go back and check) if I blogged about Brett's test. We had moved to Boise so he could complete his sports residency and take his Sports Certified Specialist test. He took the test in March; we found out in June that he passed with flying colors. Good work, Brett! Now, his title is: Brett, PT, MPT, SCS, CSCS.

Mia has been moving and grooving for quite some time now. She had her first birthday at the end of July. Can you believe it? She loves to follow people, smile, laugh, say "Da da," play, and eat. Mia loves mandarine oranges, peas, and macaroni and cheese. She also had her first taste of a cupcake and enjoyed it as well. Currently, Mia is not sleeping well though because she's getting molars! Oh, the nerve of that child! :o) She also took a swimming class in July and loved it! Finally, Mia had another cousin born at the beginning of August. Piper Ann arrived August 4. Congrats, Karmen and Jason!

I spent most of July: praying for a job, taking a swimming class with Mia, playing with Mia, working out, and waiting for Brett and Terry to come home. Alas, I had three interviews last week. Monday was an interview for a public school district, but it was a teaching position at a Hutterite colony outside of GF. Didn't get it; didn't want it. Thursday I had an interview with the Great Falls Public Schools for one of about nine jobs. That afternoon, I had an interview for a position with the Univ. of GF. Long story short - I will be teaching sixth grade...starting next week. I'm really excited, enjoy my teaching partner so far, and am thankful that my prayers were answered.

Last, but not least, is Puckett. He really wants a big yard so he can run around. But, he said he appreciates the family runs we have been taking.

We've Moved (and catch up)

Sorry about the apparent blogging vacation I have taken. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to accompany this either because the camera is packed (somewhere). So, here's the update on our little family. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post.

We are officially residents of Montana. Well, not officially, but we've been here for nearly a month. As soon as we got here, we dropped off a car, unloaded another, and headed out to Brett's parent's place. It was bittersweet that Brett's sister, Suzanne, had emergency gall bladder surgery and had to stay a couple extra days. Lucky for us, we had time to drive out there to visit sweet baby Townes and Noah, too. So fun! We sure wish we could spend more time with them all. :o(

Apparently, I was extremely optimistic about finding a place to live. Many of you know we're staying with Aunt Terry right now. And, while we love staying here, we really don't want to make a habit of it. Sadly though, there aren't many rental properties to speak of. In fact, it's cheaper to buy a place of our own then it is to rent. Bummer! So, we're in the process of checking that out. In the meantime, Mia loves hanging out with Grauntie (is that how you spell it?) Terry and seeing family. Speaking of family, we've been so fortunate to see many of the Ruffatto family members!

Brett is enjoying his job thus far. This is the end of his second week. It was a bit slow to start, and is still a little slower than normal, but things are picking up and everyone has been nice. I haven't been as lucky as I would like to be in the job hunt. I had an interview for a sixth grade position, but didn't get it. I'm just hoping something comes up before the end of August. In the meantime, I have started selling Scentsy, so please let me know if you're interested. Say some prayers for a teaching job, please!

And, what is M doing these days? Boy is she fun! Mia is 11 months old, has five teeth, loves to laugh and smile, and enjoys eating. Really. The girl can choke down more peas, spaghetti, and macaroni than I could have ever imagined. In fact, in the midst of our move, she decided she didn't want her bottle anymore. She would much rather feed herself. Mia likes to crawl around the kitchen, climb on people, and pull herself up on everything though she's hesitant to let go. We (Mia and I) start swim lessons next week. We went for a test run last weekend, and Mia LOVED the water! Quick story: I brought home a yellow and white polkadot swimsuit. It had such cute little ruffles. As you can imagine, it did not get rave reviews from Mia's father. However, we came to the conclusion that the ruffles would slow her down in the water, and we really don't want that. Consequently, Mia has a state-of-the-art, long sleeve, Nike turbo suit.

We don't want to leave out Puckett. He is doing just fine. Puckett is four years old and runs, jumps, and lays around like normal. He can't wait until we have a house so he can run around a bit more.