December 2010

Time is flying by and it has been hard to carve out time to keep up with our blog! I think I started this post 2 months ago, anyways....

The whole month of December was filled with fun holiday outings and traditions. We came up with different activities we wanted to do as a family and filled our advent calendar. I was so excited to see Willem's face each morning as he opened the drawer and we read what we were going to do. And then December 1st rolled around... Willem anxiously opened the door and I don't remember what the paper said but I can tell you it did not say "go to the train park". So his look of excitement quickly dissipated. Willem did enjoy the festivities throughout the month but December 9th was definitely at the top of his list when we went to the train park to see Santa and ride the Christmas train. Of course, in honor of Jason's birthday.

Willem also got a kick out of helping Oom Rik put up the Christmas lights.

This was the 1st year Willem was really into all the festivities and he went all out in decorating his tree. Grandma, Willem and I were working on decorating the main tree and he was so excited, he would put a few ornaments on the family's tree and then run to his room to decorate his tree some more and then run back to the family room.

The finished product!

In December, Ellie headed to Vegas with Mom and Dad to celebrate Dad's Birthday. Willem stayed home with Grandma and was spoiled greatly while Ellie enjoyed the town that never sleeps. It seems to be an unintentional family tradition that we take our kids to Vegas in their 1st year, so we kept the tradition alive. Ellie did great on the flight and loved watching the water show at the Bellagio.

Also in December:

-We enjoyed being able to walk over to the APS Light Parade and both Ellie and Willem were fascinated by the floats

-Ellie continued to be our night owl so she joined us at a holiday party with some of Dad's co-workers. She was definitely a hit at the party and was ooh'd and ahh'd over

New Years Eve

Yes, it is cold in Phoenix!! The boys were heading out to the train park, gloves and all we can't stay away from the trains.

December 28th: Ellie's 1st Bowl Game

Too bad Mizzou lost, we had a great time sitting in the Mizzou section. Unfortunately we had some Iowa hecklers with us (Jason and Brad)

Mizzou Pep Rally

Luck would have it that Mizzou played in the Insight Bowl here against of all teams Iowa, so we had to go. We took the kids to the pep rally for their 1st Mizzou experience.

Us with a famous Mizzou golfer we ran down for a picture and then forgot his name.

Willem started Preschool!!

August 31st Willem started preschool! Trains in hand, he headed off to Discovery Tree and has been having a wonderful adventure ever since. That first day was hard for Mom but Willem went into the class, found a train set and was in heaven.

Willem's 1st, 1st day of school picture

"Mom, enough with the pictures!"

Willem relaxing with Ellie after school

He loves seeing Ellie when we pick him up. He'll give me a hug and run to Ellie and say "hi Ellie, hi Ellie". One day I didn't bring Ellie and he said "Mommy, where is my Baby?". He was so concerned that I left her.

According to Willem, his uniform usually consists of a train shirt and his boy shoes (Tennis shoes). Though now as I write this he has moved on to any shoes he can put on himself.

At preschool he likes doing art, playing in the house outside and loves circle time where they read stories. He loves when Dad or Mom are the classroom helpers because he gets to sit on the star mat and be the leader for the day. He's still doing a lot of parallel play but has gained a lot of confidence in talking with his classmates and taking toys away from other as he sees fit(some preschool skills we'd rather not be learned).

Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family, hanging out in our PJ's and playing with new toys. Unfortunately Ellie wasn't feeling the best that day but she had lots of people attending her every need.

Some highlights:

Willem loved his piggy bank and got straight to work at filling it up! A few months later he told us he was saving for a blue car though the color changes fairly often. Watch out if you have coins in your pocket as Willem "NEEDS" coins.

Ellie snuggling as she watches big brother open gifts.

Willem's reading his book from Mom and Dad about a train adventure where he is the conductor.

"Finally a toy I can work with" -Ellie hanging with Gigi

We were very blessed to get to have Christmas breakfast together as a family and then spend the day laughing, playing games and enjoying the time together. The weather was beautiful and the company was fantastic.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2010

Very frustrated with the blog software right now as it keeps deleting my pics, so this story is going to be told a bit backwards...

An attempt at a family picture after new toy overload and a lot of candy. Still Willem's favorite pjs 6 months later!

Heading out to go to Paw Paw and Gigi's house

Ellie loved playing with the wrapping paper and especially appreciated anything that served as a good teething toy. Mom and Dad were so busy trying to figure out how to get Willem's new toys out of boxes that very few pictures were taken of the kids this day.

Christmas Eve our entire family gathered at Paw Paw and Gigi's house for a feast and to celebrate the holidays.

Of course we did the annual reading of "Twas' the Night Before Christmas". This year Tia Julie and Grandma had each person in the family record a page and gave the book to the kids. It's still a little strange when we hear through the baby monitor someones voice who we know is not in town and they are reading a Christmas story.

November 2010

Willem and Ellie continue to be more and more interested in each other. Willem has taken to saying " Hello Princess" to Ellie in a high pitched voice throughout the day. I'm now wondering what exactly our voices must sound like to him. This month he helped give her a bath and is such a big help in the car when Ellie is upset!! He'll sing her the ABC's or Twinkle Twinkle and she calms down. But when Mom tries to bust out a tune when there is no crying Willem draws the line and says, "Ellie is not sad Mom, you do not need to sing." One day I had the audacity to pick him up from preschool without Ellie and he gave me no hug, instead ran to me and said "Where is my baby?".


Ellie really likes the exersaucer, she is extremely adept at getting the flower and other chew toys into her mouth to provide teething relief. She especially likes it when her brother will play with the toys from the outside of the exersaucer while she is in it.

Willem cracking himself up playing telephone

Ellie enjoying special Daddy time. Jason was on nights this month so there are fewer pictures. Plus I misplaced our camera last month, it will probably be found 5 years from now when we move, but for now we are relying on borrowed cameras and our phones.

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Chillaxing in the crib. When we put Ellie in the crib with Willem, they both seem to calm down. Our fingers are crossed as we plan for them to share a room in a year or so.

Willem and Daddy making Christmas ornaments for the grandparents.

This might be our first picture where we are all three looking at the camera. Willem keeps telling me, "Mommy, you need a bigger lap". Being the oldest, I understand what he means, but he's relishing in his role of older brother.

Willem and Paw Paw horsing around on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving tradition of making Grandma Rose's Chicken Noodle dish. Willem was a pro at cutting the noodles!

On Thanksgiving Day early in the morning, Tia Julie and Grandma arrived from Missouri. Grandma moved out to Phoenix to be closer to us and we are loving having her here!! It threw Willem off that she drove rather than flew in but he was just so happy to wake up and see Tia Julie and Grandma at our house. Jason worked on Thanksgiving, so we celebrated with the Torry's that day and the continued celebrating the next day at our house when Jason could be here as well. We had friends and family join us and had a wonderful time.

We picked out our Christmas Tree with Tia Julie and Grandma Thanksgiving Weekend. Willem fell in love with a tree a foot taller than him and said that was the tree we needed to get. It took some negotiation and a trip to Target for his own tree but we all ended up feeling that we found the right trees.
Our 2010 Family Christmas Tree Selection

Other November happenings:

-One evening I took Ellie and Willem on a walk and Willem decided to walk and push his own stroller. He loaded up the stroller with trains and we ventured out into the neighborhood. We would walk a ways and then Willem would stop and line up all the trains on the sidewalk and play awhile and then load them up into the stroller again.
-Since Willem was a baby we've been wondering what it was that he dreams about and for the first time he woke up one morning this month and told Jason he dreamed about a blue train.

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Pumpkin Farms Galore

October was the month of the pumpkin farm for us as we hit one in Missouri and 2 in Arizona with friends. Ellie was in the carrier on the photographer for these adventures so she is missing in the photos.

First we went to Tolmachoff Farms with our friends the Johnsons and Higgins. This is the first ride Willem has gone on without Jason or I. It was the mark of his newfound independence. He was 100% comfortable and loved every second of it.

The obligatory pumpkin picture. Willem loved playing in the pool of corn kernels, going through the corn maze and jumping in the bounce house. We had a great day although it was at least 90 degrees. Oh a wonderful fall in Phoenix!

Here we are at Schnepf Farms with the Vance Family who we spent a week with. They had a large wooden train the kids could climb on and needless to say, that was a winner with Conductor Willem.

Willem's 2nd ride without us in one month. By now he is a pro. This ride went up and down and in circles and he could have stayed on it all day.

October 2010

Ellie discovers the hair accessories:) They only stayed on for a few minutes but the picture was priceless. Ellie loves sitting up in the Bumbo and looking out at the world.

So smiley and yet later this week we learned you had flu a & b. Who knew? Luckily no fever or outward symptoms except waking at night, so you did great.

Our first adventure at Jump and Shout and Willem was sold. He loved climbing in the tunnels and going in the bounce houses with his friends.

Willem at 2 and a half.

Dad's 1st train park adventure with Willem and Ellie alone. They made the rounds as usual and Ellie enjoyed the train ride and watching her big brother play at the train shop.

Willem has realized now that Ellie is here for good and is very interested in helping take care of her. He likes to imitate everything he sees us do. He wants to help change her diapers, take her on walks and sing to her when she cries. He has started coming up to her in a high pitched tone and saying, "Hello Princess, Hello Beautiful". We are getting a taste of what we must sound like to him but it is so sweet:) (to this day he still does this multiple times a day)

At the end of the month Willem got his haircut at his favorite place while watching Thomas and of course playing with trains afterwards. It doesn't matter that they are the same trains we have at home, it is so much more fun at the hair salon:)

Also in October...

-Ellie has found her hands and is chewing up a storm.

-As of October 29th Ellie is 24.5 inches long and 13 lbs 5oz

-On October 30th Ellie rolled over for the first time! Opa and Lita were here for Halloween and were the first to witness this feat.