My Little Helpers

Nolan has always been a great helper and hard worker! I try and have chats with him about his sister wanting to do everything he does so he should be a good example and finally, it has paid off! Nora wants to help too! Nora will not go as long as Nolan will (we have to tell him to stop working and go have some fun or take a break) with helping around the house but at least she is picking up good habits!

 Nolan is really into washing dishes and Nora is really into saying "Me too, like Nollie"

Nolan helping my Grandpa (his GranPo) clean the garage. We stopped by for a lunch visit and he immediately wanted to help!

 Nora helped my Grandma (her Nermo) water the flowers.

 Nolan and Dad installing his new fan and light fixture (every light fixture in the house has now been updated!)

This has to be my favorite! I was washing windows and he was suppose to be getting dressed and wanted to take over! So serious! (I always wondered what the neighbors think of us? lol)

Believe it or not, we do lay around and take a load off! This was one of the many rainy days we had.

August went fast!/Illinois State Fair

Wow! Time is getting away from me! I had such a great routine down, posting at least once a week but I haven't had time to gather my thoughts and write. So much has happen this past month, we packed up a good portion of our home so it would be ready to put on the market, looked for a new home, Nolan started preschool, Nora has been potty training/sleeping in a big girl bed for a month now and my small crafting business that I started in the beginning of this year, has really taken off! My "free moments" at home are spent making things to sell! Keeping up with everyday tasks has been a challenge!

Fair Time!

Between the rain and Ryan being out of town, we did not get a chance to take the kids this year. My mom, Aunt Sara and I all had a morning free and decided to take the kids the last Friday of the fair. I think we got just about everything in before naps!

Farm animals, check! Fair food, check! Butter cow, check! Milking the cow, check! Conservation world, check! Big yellow slide, check! Riding rides, check!

Nora must have gotten a fry with vinegar on it!  

 Butter Cow

 Nora loved the farm animals. Not sure they loved her...she screamed every time she looked at a different animal!

 Having fun!

Vose Corn Dogs!

Dip n Dots

 This was their favorite thing they did and had been waiting weeks to do it! When we would drive by the fair, Nolan would ask if we could go down it! MoMo and Nolan in the back and Nora and I in the front.

 This is Nolan's first big ride. MoMo and I were a little scared once the ride got going...it went pretty fast and was jerky!

Nora loved this ride!

It's All About Nora...No Crib, No Diapers, No Problem?

Update on Big Girl Bed:

Not even two hours after I posted about Nora's big girl bed, we were out at a garage sale (looking for old furniture to redo) and came across a twin bed that included a mattress, box spring and frame for only $30! I hesitated at first but after looking at it (and knowing we were in a nice subdivision) I realized it did not even look like it was used...Nora's bed is newer than Nolan's! Problem solved! Twin bed it is! Pictures coming soon!

Potty Training:

Nora was forced into potty training this past Friday when Ryan took the wrong car to work. It had both the car seats in it and the big box of diapers we had bought the night before! I still can't believe he got in the wrong car and the kids and I were waving to him on the porch as he was pulling out of the driveway! Anyway, when I say forced...I mean it more or less forced me to start the training! She has been "ready" for awhile now but because she did not like the idea of being without her diaper, I thought we should wait a little longer. Nora was taking her diaper off after she went potty and that was not ok!

Of course she cried when I told her we really didn't have anymore diapers and that she had to wear the pretty big girl pants that I had bought for her (glad I picked them up ahead of time, so not like me) in her drawer. After throwing a fit, she got out a pair of big girls pants and we have not had a diaper on since!

To my surprise she is really picking up on this potty training thing. She drinks so much, which means she has to go a lot but all in all, she gets to the potty 75% of the time? A few accidents a day is not too bad. The candy reward helps! For the next week, as the accidents decrease, we will stick close to home...too bad Ryan had to go to San Diego until Wednesday...he's missing all the excitement!

Nora's In A Big Girl Bed!

Last night was the second night Nora slept in her big girl bed! She was so excited, I was not:( Do I really not have a baby in a crib anymore? I remember when both kids were in a crib and bedtime consisted of reading, rocking and putting them in their crib and shutting the door. Now I have two sets of little feet in the hall, trying to think of a reason why they should be able to come out of their rooms!

The other morning, Nora fell out of her crib for the second time in a week (I already had pillows around her crib and all furniture was moved away from it because I knew this was coming) and we immediately got rid of the crib and big girl bed it is! There's just one problem. I can't seem to make up my mind (shocker) on which bed she should have? We may or may not move within the next few months and I have two beds in "storage" but one needs a few additional items we have to buy or do I just get a twin bed? Until then, because this was something that happened over night, this is her bed for now...

Nolan was just as excited as she was and wanted to sleep with her!

 

 

Surprisingly, it did not take as long putting her to bed as I thought it would. This girl loves to sleep and after escaping a few times, she was tired and gave up!

 

 

Before I went to bed I checked to make sure she fell asleep in her bed and found her laying like this...so sweet! The next morning, Ryan and I found her in the middle of the room curled up in a ball. I guess it's good she has a small bed to get out of in the middle of the night!

 

Next up, potting training! I really do not want to do two "new" things at once but Nora makes me change her every time she goes potty and sometimes brings me "stuff" that's in her diaper (ewww!) so I think and hope she is ready!

Queen Chaperone

The other day my brother Cory asked for the web address to my blog and told me a few days later that my blog was just about my kids! I said that I already knew that and explained how I was tracking memories...blah blah blah...so I decided to write about a memory that I made with my cousin Anna who just won Miss Sangamon County Fair Queen 2014-2015. She asked if I could chaperone her to a county fair (the Queen must have someone with her at all times when wearing the crown and can not drive herself while attending events) and it worked out with Ryan and the kids for me to go, so we were off to the Jersey County Fair! It was a beautiful evening, maybe even a little cool as we were sitting outside watching both the Miss and Little Miss pageants. It was so nice to get to spend time with Anna and to experience what a great queen she is!

 

 

 

 

Just a fun Friday at the Fair

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this past week, who would have thought it would be 78 degrees in July! When Friday rolled around, I wanted to do something fun with the kids (Fridays can make you feel like pushing the cleaning and errands aside) that was outside before it got really hot again. Just as Ryan and I were discussing if the Vose's Corn Dog stand at the State Fair was open or not yet, my sister sent me a text that read "When does Voses open?" I swear we have esp or whatever it's called, we do this all the time! The plan were set. Aunt Sara came over and we headed to the fairgrounds to play at the park (great park and there was no one else there) before we got a Vose's Corn Dog and Lemonade Shakeup! Mmmmm! The kids were really intrigued by the fair and wanted to know what things were so took a mini tour before heading to my grandparent's house for a visit before we headed home to take naps. I can't wait to take them to the fair in a couple weeks! Nolan keeps asking to go down the big yellow slide. What a great day!

 

 

 

5 Years and Counting...

Ryan and I celebrated (well the celebration part has been moved to this week) our five year wedding annivesary last Thursday! I can't believe that we have been together for 11 years, in our first house for six years, married for five years and have two beautiful children! I can't imagaine my life with anyone else. Love this exciting adventure we our on called life!