Christmas 2011

We were so happy to be able to spend Christmas in Negaunee this year. It has been a few years since we have, so we figured we were due.

Our vacation started out with a bang... We left late on Thursday evening and arrived in Negaunee at about 9:30pm local time. The girls feel asleep in the car so after a few minutes waking up they were ready to go. Both girls had a snack and then we headed them off to bed. Payton was so excited she ended up with a stomach ache. Lets just say it is a good thing that Brian's parents have a steam cleaner! My mom said that my sister Valerie would always make herself sick with excitement at Christmas. Payton was fine and ended up sleeping great.

My sister Nicole and her family were up as well. We spent Christmas Eve with my family. My mom always has a get together on Christmas Eve and this was no exception. We got to visit with some of my parents friends that we had not seen in a while. That is always nice! We were back to the Stewards for the night, and Santa came there. Payton had wrote a letter to Santa before we left home and put it under our Christmas tree just in case he went to the wrong house:)

He made it to Negaunee and the girls had a wonderful Christmas morning. Brian and I were actually the first ones up. We were able to make coffee, get the girls a snack and drink ready, and even have time to spare before Payton and Addie got up! That was nice. They didn't need to wait to dive it:) Payton's favorite gift is probably the bed my Dad made her for her American Girl doll. It is wood and the perfect size. She also got a remote control car (it lights up!) from Jim and Betty, the puppy Sugar for her American Girl. Ruthie got a bunch of clothes too. Addison also loves her remote control car, her Barbie Squinkie house, and she got several "housekeeping" sets. She LOVES to play house. She was sweeping and mopping at Grandmas all weekend long! When we got home I realized just how many gifts they received! Totally spoiled, and we were able to find a spot for each one:)

The U.P. has snow on the ground so the girls were able to go sledding. Brian pulled Payton and our niece Elizabeth behind the 4-wheeler. Addie rode up front with Brian. We ended our trip watching the last Harry Potter on Blu-Ray (after the girls went to sleep that is). I LOVE that movie:)

The girls each got a Build a Bear gift certificate from my parents. Of course we have already been to the mall and spent them both! Hello Kitty and Cotton Candy are dressed to the nines! Lets hope that this tides them over for a while. They BEG to go into that store and get stuff for their animals... And lets just say that I am guessing that a lot of kids got the same gift. It was packed yesterday!

Addison's Christmas Program

Addie had her annual Christmas program last week. When Payton was her age, she was like a deer in the headlights. Addison is the opposite. She does all the motions and sings every word. Quite the difference between our 2 girls. Although Payton is getting a lot better with being in front of a crowd:) Here are some photos of the girls from last week. They are both anxiously awaiting Christmas this weekend. If they would only stop adding to their Christmas wish list! I told them over the weekend that Santa already has all the gifts ready. It is too late to change the list now:) Especially when they both all of a sudden asked for a Nintendo DS. Didn't even know they knew what one was! And as we have learned (with the arguing over the Wii, ipod touch and our tablet) we have to get 2 of everything...

Our Holiday Season... so far!

Wow, how did it become the middle of December so quickly! Seems like we were just celebrating Payton's birthday! We have been too busy I think...

Thanksgiving came and went with travel, food, and family. I was scheduled to work on the Friday after Thanksgiving, so Brian left on Thursday with the girls to spend the holiday with his parents and sister (who was up in Negaunee for the weekend). So I had a quiet day to myself! Then it turns out that they didn't need me after all and I was cancelled on Friday... At first I was upset thinking that I could be in Negaunee, but after my sister Nicole mentioned black Friday shopping and getting ready for our Thanksgiving dinner (which the Korby's celebrated at our house on Saturday) I was good. We were out early Friday morning, but not crazy early. And we didn't hit many lines and got some amazing deals! My parents and sister Val came down on Friday and we started to get the pies ready. They were here overnight, and Brian came home with the girls Saturday morning. We had a fun, but crazy, day with all my family at our house. I continue to tease my sisters about me hosting. When my mom and Nicole mentioned celebrating on Saturday I immediately said "That sounds great! Where are we having it?" The response I got was "Well.... we were thinking that you do have the biggest house..." Okay, I can take a hint;) So here it was. Everyone pitched in and it went over great. It is really fun that we all can fit into one room to eat. One year I am really going to have to take photos of that! But heads up ladies... I am showing up at one of your houses next year! lol

December started with Brian and I taking the day off for some Christmas shopping. We try to do this every year, and this year we loved that we actually made it out in December! But, we did spend more money on ourselves then on gifts. Outlet shopping is the best!

I started up a book club since moving to Appleton. We meet once a month at someones house to eat, drink, and talk about the book we read for the month. I hosted this past week and we did a "Yankee Swap". I was thinking back to our time in Massachusetts. I really miss holidays spent with our great friends out there! We think about everyone often:)

Last week Brian was suffering for a pretty good chest cold. I basically told him to suck it up or go to the doctor. He resisted the doctor. Last Thursday evening he had a low grade temp. Friday morning I listened to his lungs and suggested he call the doctor when the office opened. I knew what the verdict would be... He has pneumonia. Poor guy has been just miserable for a week leading up to that. I am SO glad that he went in. His doctor told him that it was pretty good sized infection. Geez, maybe he needs to listen to his personal nurse more often:) Or so I tell him! He seems to be turning a corner now though. Thank goodness for that!

Our niece/god-daughter Zoey turned 2 yesterday. We went to Valerie's on Saturday for her party. She is SO darn cute. I love that age... We walked in the door and the first thing Zo said was "Payden!" She loves her big cousin:) Brian and I (well me mostly) had started our new tradition with Zoey on her first birthday. We get her the Holiday Barbie each year on her birthday. I must say that part of me is selfish and I love to buy them. They are SO pretty, and I love that they are different every year! We did exchange gifts with Valerie and her family because we won't see them on Christmas. She gave our girls their coveted "Happy Nappers". Oh boy. Addie was running around the house just squealing over her unicorn:)

I think our shopping is mostly complete. I have a ton of wrapping to do though. I need to get motivated. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Payton's 7th Birthday Party

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Payton is 7!

So today our Payton turns 7! And as I know most parents feel, I can NOT believe she came into our lives that long ago! It is hard to even imagine life without her. And just so those of you that don't see her often can know a bit more about her day to day self... here is Payton's top 7 favorites (as we know them:))!

1. Kidz Bop : she falls asleep to it every night and wakes up to it every morning. She has several CDs, but right now Kidz Bop 17 is her favorite.
2. "Kitty Witty" : She got this stuffed kitty when she was a baby and she doesn't sleep without it. She would drag it around with her everywhere if she could, but we have a rule that it needs to stay in her room. She is a big girl now after all:) And she still gets sad when I put it in the wash.
3. Friends : she LOVES having friends over the play. What kid doesn't! She does have some best buds that include Audra, Addie (not her sister;)), Ella, and Rachel.
4. "Pancake Sandwiches" : Patyon has low iron, so we try to avoid dairy and multigrains in the morning so she can absorb her vitamins better. We found that making pancakes and smearing a little Nutella between them is a great way to get breakfast in with no fuss or mess! And it even has a bit of protein for her. Some special days (like her birthday), I even throw one in her cold lunch for school.
5. Ice Skating : This one has taken a hiatus since the spring, but she starts lessons again next week. And one of her gifts this year is a shiny pair of figure skates:)
6. Ruthie : We fought getting an American Girl doll as long as we could. She got Ruthie last year from Christmas, and she LOVES that doll. She has a little bed in her room and of course matching pajamas:)
7. Monkey Bars : our girl is so fast on the monkey bars it is just incredible! And even though she is small she can skip a bar too. She now is sporting calluses on both her hands from all her time on the bars:)

Disney World Photos

Here is a link to our photos from our trip to Disney World. There are a lot of them, and we already weeded through them all. Enjoy!

Silly Girls

So over the weekend we had 2 friends over to play. One of Payton's friends, Ella, from her kindergarten class has a little sister that is just a couple weeks older that Addie. So why not have them over together right? It was a rainy day, so it was a perfect way for the girls to spend it. WOW! 4 little girls running around the house squealing was something! And of course, I tried to get the little ones distracted so the bigger girls could play. So I broke out the play doh (this is something that we don't do often because we have a ton of it, and it gets wild and messy!). Well, that turned into a extravaganza for all 4 ladies. Then we moved on to painting (I know, I am crazy!). The kitchen needed some major cleanup when they left, but they did have a lot of fun.

Payton is LOVING first grade! She brings home a math worksheet home to do every night. She gets home and is quite good at sitting at the counter in the kitchen and work on it when she has a snack. And every night we read (or she reads to us) for about 15 minutes before bed. We have moved bedtime earlier since school started and she doesn't seem to mind one bit. It has been a good start to the year for her.

Addie is as silly as ever. She is at Pre-K this year, and that is going good. If we could just remember show and tell for her is every Monday morning! Before we are leaving to school on Monday morning... We will get there! She is taking Ballet/Tap combo dance again this year. I can really see that she has really gotten better! She is with a group of 3-4 year olds, and I can tell that she is one of the older ones just by the way she listens to her teachers. That, and the fact that Addie is pretty tall and a lot of the 3 year olds are TINY:) Last night at dance she found her gloves from last year's recital in her dance bag. So, of course, she had to wear them in class. Her teacher (who is the director of the studio) just thought that was "SO fun" that Addie wore them the entire class. And the best part? Looks like we mixed up the gloves after their last show in May because we only have 2 left ones:) Didn't faze our girl a bit!

Addie's Turn...

Addison started Pre-K this week. She attends at the same place that she has been going to daycare for the past year (part of the reason why we wanted here there). Being that I only work part time, she is only there 3 full days a week. And of course she was getting a bit jealous of everything that Payton does/has, so we made a big deal about it for her. She has a new teacher, Miss Jodi, and there are some new faces in her class which is always fun. Only one more year until our "baby" starts the "big" school. I am going to enjoy every minute of this year with her;)

First day!

Payton is on her way to first grade as I type! Of course she is riding the bus again. She LOVES the bus. And we were happy to see the same bus driver as last year as well. Here are a couple of photos from this morning. Her teacher this year is Mrs. Henrikson. We met her last week, and I think she is going to be wonderful for our girl. And Payton was happy to see many familiar faces in her class. Her "best" buds from last year aren't in her class, but she does know about 5 other little girls in her class and she is super excited that they will be together. Addie starts Pre-K next week, so we will be doing the first day photos for her then:)

We almost made it.....

Addison was playing on the computer today, and Brian was walking into the office when he said "Why is there pieces of hair on the floor?!" It only took one glance and we knew the culprit... the hair was blond. I looked at Addison as said "Did you cut your hair?" She said "NO!" The black chair she was sitting on I then noticed was FULL of her beautiful blond hair. Sigh... I didn't know what to say to her. Thank goodness Brian was here because I probably would have lost it if he wasn't. She confessed to him that she did cut her hair and showed us where. On the landing of the steps leading down to the basement, where there were literally chunks of hair sitting there (they were several inches long). I then had her stand still so I could get a look at her. Thanks goodness the pieces she cut were underneath and you can't notice them unless you are looking hard. I brush the remnants of her haircut out, and I felt very relieved that she hadn't don't a lot of damage. We were heading to the salon this week anyway... I had delusions that were would make it though their childhood without haircuts with the craft scissors, but Addie had different plans!

June 2011

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Mackinac Island 2011

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We have been planning to go to Mackinac Island for months, and the girls were really getting excited out it. It only took 5 hours to get there, and honestly even the car ride went smoothly! The ferry ride was a HUGE hit of course. We had been there with Payton 5 years ago when she was only 18 months old. So of course it all seemed new to her. Brian and I had been back a few years ago without the girls, but we really were looking forward to the weekend ourselves. It was Lilac Festival time! Of course one of the first comments out of Payton's mouth was "What is that smell?" For those of you that have not been to Mackinac it is an Island between the Upper and Lower Peninsula of MI where there are no motorized vehicles. You get around on foot, bike, or by horse/carriages. It is such a special place, but of course it smells like horse at times! Brian and I have been there many times of the years (it is only 3 hours away from where we grew up), but each time it is just as fun for us as well. We met Grandma Betty at the dock and our first stop was to buy fudge of course! Another big thing there. It is like taking a step back in time. We were looking back at the last time we stayed at the Grand Hotel, and because it is a victorian style summer hotel, it doesn't change either. No 2 rooms are the same, and Betty put it the perfect way. It is almost like Christmas when you get your keys and open the door. You just never know what you are going to get! We stayed in the Barbara Bush Suite this trip, and the best part? An adjoining room to Grandma and Grandpa's room! Although we had some rain we were able to hit all the things we set out to see. The butterfly house, a carriage tour, and shopping. And I can't forget to mention that Brian and I were a bit worried about how the girls would do for dinner. It is a formal event in the Hotel's dining room, and the adult menu has 5 courses... I was all prepared with a bunch of worksheets, coloring, card games, and Brian put some movies on our Ipod just in case. And our beauties were like ANGELS! That may have something to do with the fact that the staff were all calling them princesses and giving them whatever they wanted, but I'll take it! Payton and Addison could not get over that housekeeping came to turn down our beds while we were at dinner. "Why would they do that, and then leave a chocolate for me?" Not to mention lining up their stuffed animals all cozy on their bed. So fun! Sunday was the best weather day, so we had to spend some time throwing rocks into the water. Always a big hit. We had a great time, loaded up on fudge to bring home, and the girls are already hoping we go back next year!

Addison Dance Recital 2011

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Here are some photos from the weekend! The dance recital weekend process started on Thursday night for "staging", Friday night was dress rehearsal, Saturday 2 shows, and Sunday 1 show. So it was a BUSY weekend. Oh, and we threw in a garage sale just to torture ourselves:) On Saturday morning I brought Addie to have her hair done at the salon. Man, she still has glitter in her hair! And I have washed it 3 times since Sunday! But she loved it. In some of the photos you see our niece Elizabeth. She was in 3 different dances, so that made it nice that we could see her as well. Addison was pretty much "locked" backstage with the other dancers during the entire show, and she loved being back there with all the girls! My sister Nicole was backstage Saturday night and told me that she was running around with the big girls (Elizabeth is 9) and they just loved her:) Sunday I was backstage with another mom and we were "in charge" of Addison's group. And let me tell you, keeping 10 girls ages 3-5 occupied for 3 hours is no easy feat. And don't even get me started on lining them up, tying shoes, leading them onstage, fixing hair, finding gloves etc. I was exhausted when we got home. But it was SO nice to share that with Addie! She loved every minute of the weekend!

Easter 2011

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March 2011

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New jobs

There are some big changes in the Steward house this month. Brian and I both are starting new jobs... Brian starts next week, and I am starting on March 28th. It is a long story, so here is the abbreviated version!

Brian's current job is crazy stressful with long hours at work AND at home in the evening. So he started looking internally at his company for a better fit for him. He found it in the Design Center as a Senior Product Engineer (hopefully I got that right Brian:)). He interviewed in January and was offered the position in February. His boss asked him to give his current team some time before leaving, so he did. This is the final week for the old job and Monday starts his new one! He has been in quality for about 6 years so he is really looking forward to get back into design. We are excited to have him home more and not as stressed!

I am currently working at a local hospital (Appleton Medical Center) on their inpatient oncology floor as a stand-by. That basically means that after the unit staff are scheduled I can go online and pick and choose if and when I want to work. It has worked out REALLY nice for us. The one down side is that because I am stand-by, I am the first to be called off if the patient census is low. Over the holidays our numbers dipped and I was called off for several shifts. Not a big deal, it was a busy time for us and I was happy to have more time getting things done. Then at the end of January I was canceled for 6 weeks straight, now this time it REALLY was not a good thing! So Brian and I decided that I really needed to look for something more consistent. I found it at a cancer center in Green Bay. Other than it being a half hour drive, it is the perfect job for me! Again, this one is casual, so I will pick up shifts after the unit staff is scheduled. But I am assured by the managers that once I am on the schedule the chances of being canceled is very slim. That is good! So our hope is that I can pick up all I can in Green Bay (because that is the job I know I will love), and fill in hours I can't get at the cancer center here at my job in Appleton. I am so excited to get started! I miss the outpatient world! And this cancer center (it is called Vince Lombardi Cancer Center at Aurora Baycare Medical Center) is a truly amazing place. I met with the Medical Director on my interview and his philosophy is just inspiring. I think this may be the job I have been waiting for:)

Addison's 4th birthday

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Addison Turns 4!

Addison turned 4 on February 20th. We had the Korby's over for dinner and cake. I attempted, for the first time, to make Addie a Hello Kitty cake. It turned out okay. Addison loved it, but since she isn't a big sweets kid, she didn't even have a piece! She is really into Hello Kitty and her gifts reflected that. We did sorta miss taking photos that night, but we had a good time.

On the 26th we had a big party for her the The Building for Kids here in Appleton. It is a fun children's museum. we had never been there before so it was BIG fun for us. The kids loved it. Grandma and Grandpa Steward came to chase after kids as well as both auntie's families, and our friends Jess and Amy and families. We had a nice crowd, and it was really nice because the kids were really able to go off with their family and enjoy the museum after the cake and gifts were over. Addie departed with a HUGE bundle of balloons, which she insisted on carrying to the car, and more fun toys.

She had her 4 year appointment last week and as we read the "normal things for a four year old" sheet the office gave us, we realized that Addison was EVERYTHING on the sheet. Our favorites are "has a penchant for silliness" and "fancies funny exaggerated stories" (this last one is especially true in the things she tells us!). Addison is a pretty care free, sweet girl. She loves pretty much everyone she encounters, and she will tell us all daily "I lub you!"

November and December 2010

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Busy Month

This month is just going by SO fast! Payton and I headed out to LaCrosse, WI to meet my friend Dawn and her daughter Ava (Payton's best bud from MN) for the weekend this month. Payton has been missing Ava (we have not seen them since Memorial Day weekend) so this was a special treat for her. And it is the first time Payton and I have been off on an overnight without Brian and Addison. We were able to get adjoining rooms, so Payton and Ava could play in one room and Dawn and I could talk in the other. The good and bad thing about the trip was that we had rooms right off the pool. Great for running in and out, but bad for falling asleep for the girls. The hours of the pool were until 10:30pm... But the girls had such a nice time!

Last weekend we made the trip up to Duluth to visit our friends Amy and Mark and family. We were only 3 hours away when we lived in MN, but now are about 6 hours (with stops). Our girls get along SO well with their 2 kids. They just love visiting there. And we always have a good time. I always feel nervous about traveling that far with Addison in the car because she gets car sick. But we made it just fine without her getting sick, and we are really hoping that she has maybe outgrown that. She has been traveling well for almost a year without "throw ups"! This is huge news for me:)

This weekend we are home:) And Payton finally is going to have a couple of friends over to play on Saturday. She has been begging for weeks, but we have been too busy. After talking with the girls moms it seems that there has been begging on their end as well. So it should be fun! And Payton and I may head out to a couple of houses in the neighborhood to sell girl scout cookies. I am really not looking forward to it, but Payton came home from her meeting on Tuesday saying "MOM! I need to get out there and start selling cookies!" She didn't realize that I have already started that process with our friends and family:) So anyone in MN, WI, or MI that wants any let us know! I will get them to you!

5 Favorite Things

So apparently I am a creature of habit. Here are 5 things that have really been making me happy lately:) Other than my family, friends and kids that is!

1. My Kindle! It has been attached to me since Brian gave it to me for Christmas. And I don't see that changing any time soon.
2. Pandora internet radio. I listen to it every day, and it was especially great during the holidays. I set up a station for the girls and they now love it too.
3. Aqua fresh Isoactive foaming toothpaste. The bottle may get messy, but I love it:)
4. Soap.com - I have been using them for a couple of months. SO easy to order all my stuff online when I am thinking about it. I usually forget to write it down until we are totally out of some things. And how can you beat the online coupons and 2 day (free) delivery?
5. My UGG boots. Got them from my friends in MN when we moved and never got to wear them until this year. I wear them every day and LOVE them:)

Happy 2011!

New Year's Eve started at the mall. Payton received a gift card from Grandma Betty for Build a Bear Workshop. So we brought both girls (we had never been there) and they both loved it. I don't think we will be able to pass it in the mall again without stopping in to look at accessories!

We had a low key New Year's. I was scheduled to work 7am-7pm on New Year's Day so I ended up going to bed early. Then I got a call at 5am saying that they only had 5 patients (we usually have around 20), so I was on call. I went to work taking down all our Christmas decorations and did some cleaning. It was a free day to me:) I did get a call early afternoon asking if I was willing to float to the ER. So I did end up working for about 5 hours, and everyone that knows me knows that I am not an ER fan. Been there, tried that. But it ended up being okay.

Yesterday we were able to spend some time at our friends Jessica and Eric's house for some food and football. And ended the day with Payton going to a birthday party for a friend of hers, which equaled a couple of hours of shopping for me! We had a really nice weekend, but I am very happy that Payton is going back to school today! This Christmas vacation has showed me that Payton does much better with the structure of school! I will be looking to put her in "summer camp" at Addison's pre-school/child care center this summer!