Cabin Fever

January has been a fairly boring month without a lot of updates! Jack cut 3 more teeth! In Jack standards, has gotten much better at using a spoon! Is trying to communicate with words and gestures more! And is generally a happy little boy! We have our tantrums and about once a week I'm finding myself "sleeping" in the guest bedroom because he refuses to sleep in his crib. Thank goodness for the Starbucks 3 doors down from work! We've found ourselves running the halls of AHS on Friday/Saturday nights during basketball games! (I think I'm more worn out when its time to leave!) And, we're definitely thrilled when its warm enough to run around outside!

Happy New Year!

Wierdos! (Trying on Mark's new jacket!)

No help necessary!

Where we play when we can't go outside! (I really need to organize!)

"Helping"

"Crack" (aka Ranch sour cream and chips!)

It's 60 degrees on 12/31! I love outside =)!

No bud, that's not a ball, it's an ornament...

The halls have been un-decked! The Prince is sleeping, the King is otherwise occupied with Xbox, and the servant/maid/cook has retired for the evening, thus leaving the queen, with a glass of wine and drying nail-polish to update her 3 readers of the past months events! I tell ya, December was yet another whirlwind!

Checking out the tree!

It all started with the Queen traveling to the far away land of Effingham, IL for 3 days for New Employee Orientation. Yes folks, Effingham is indeed a place on the map. Don't blink though, or you might miss it! While I was gone, Nana came down to help the King for a few days and spend time with the Prince. Not one of my boys was spoiled while I was away ;-)!

Aside from NEO, our weeks were filled with work...LCFD, AHS, and basketball! And, our weekends consumed with family, holiday events! There was even a snow day to help break up the hustle and bustle!

Christmas Eve morning we woke up bright and early! Nothing a little Mickey Mouse Club House can't cure!

We all got to open 1 gift...the house was dirty so the boys gave me the steam mop I'd asked for! How appropriate...the 2 people who make the biggest mess gift it to the person who is const

antly cleaning up after them! I did test it out when Jack took his nap =)!

We attempted Christmas Eve Mass. Mark and I both had a hunch we'd gotten dressed up for no reason whatsoever but I love Christmas Eve service and we both knew we needed to give it a go. We arrived 15 minutes early...and made it through the opening hymn before heading out the door. Atleast I got to sing 3 versus of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful"!

Santa did miraculously visit while we were at church! After calming a tantruming toddler, we uncorked a bottle of wine and tore into the gifts! Santa was good to all of us!

Christmas Day we headed to Coldwater! We hoped Jack would nap in the car and he had other plans. Hube and Avery came to Mike and Donna's before Katie and Madison came over...and thus began Christmas. We were spoiled!

And the month ended with a Kraman Family wedding on New Years Eve and both our guest bedrooms being utilized by grandparents! Thank goodness for Lolly & Poppy babysitting! (And waking up in the morning with Jack! Momma was tired =)! NYE pics coming soon!)

Jack's December Fun-Facts:

He's turning into Mr. Independent...feeding himself with a spoon...oatmeal, yogurt, applesauce...all things I was still attempting to have control over...gone! Not to mention brushing his teeth. He wants to do it too! His need for independence has also caused a month of tantrums! (Sometimes I really wonder why we want another one! We can hardly handle the one we have!) He's figured out how to climb onto the toilet while waiting for a bath, is a great helper when it comes to cleaning, and is attempting to talk more! He's begun to say "chooch" when referring to a train and "watch" means he wants to watch Mickey Mouse Club House (or, one of the many DVDs that is constantly out of the cabinet..."Cars" and "Toy Story" have become favorites). He cut one more tooth and I'm anxiously awaiting 3 more (the canines are causing great problems (and yes, I should know the letters for his baby teeth but lets face it, I'm still learning the adult teeth numbers!)) And, I suppose this really counts for January since its just begun happening but...he's able to point to his eyes, nose, and mouth when we ask where they are on his body, and he knows a doggy says "fff, fff" and a froggie says "rah, rah", says "horse" and bread is "bre"!

I'm Thankful For...

This big Cheese

Haha! Typical! Atleast Mark looks good!

Once again November came and went with a blink of an eye! I know I say this every month but this month, I really mean it. I started full time at Liberty Commons Family Dental and the days are flying by I don't even realize I'm hungry until I'm on my way home! We have made the adjustment to our new schedule. Well, the boys seem to be doing better than I am, but, we're surviving. And Mark has been doing lots of extra Daddy duty by picking Jack up most days and I'm swinging by school to get him during basketball practice.

On top of our busy work-weeks our weekends have been pretty busy too! Lolly & Poppy came down early in the month so we could go to a wedding. We made a trip to Columbus so Mark and Dad could go to the Penn State/OSU game, and then there was the first ever "Thanksmas" (def: Thursday = Thanksgiving; Friday = Christmas). Mom and Dad arrived just after I broke the cooking bag for the turkey (thank goodness I had another) and Mom happily took over my kitchen while I corked a bottle of wine!

And Christmas was a success! Jack "oooed" over his blocks, Legos, and broom. Mom and Dad salivated over their wine, and who would've thought a new coffee maker and Home Depot gift cards would cause so much glee!

The boys and their new brooms!

So with this new work schedule, the pictures are lacking. But Jack has certainly been developing, in mostly good ways =)!

My Jack updates for October completely escaped me (I didn't make notes ;-)!) so, the unforgotten October tidbits are:

• Acting like items are a phone. He'll hold all sorts of objects up to his ear and say "hello", but as soon as you try to have him talk on the phone, he just smiles.
• His cars now make noises! "Vrrrroooom, errr"
• He wants to climb the steps like a big person. No more hands and knees.
• When we come in from outside and I say "lets wash our hands", he goes into the bathroom.
• He also goes to his high chair when I tell him its time to eat.

As for November:

• We are running!
• And climbing on the couch!
• And "jumping"!
• And dancing!
• Jack has recently become obsessed with Mickey Mouse Club House and he'll walk into the family room, stand between the couch and ottoman, and start dancing.
• The not-so-fun development: Temper Tantrums
• He's starting "throwing trash away". Since he can't get into the cabinet where the trashcan actually is, he'll open the cabinet where my baking dishes are and put his trash in a dish!
• He is saying real words: ball, truck, bowl, shoes, uh-oh, more, & block (truck = any motor vehicle)
• He will "roar" at his lion, Ryan

I walked into the family room one evening to find this...

I have to say, I like his organizational skills =)

Jackosarus

Happy Halloween!

Goodies from Nana!

Books from Lolly!

Jackasarus!

Candysarus!

Dadasarus!

The leaves on the trees come falling down, falling down, falling down...

Someone does not like being in the leaves!

(Is it bad that this makes me laugh, every time?)

October has been a fairly uneventful month in our house! Mark got a little older, football season has come to an end, and I got a new job! Yep, you read right! After 5 years of working at Financial Performance Partners, and 10 months only working 20 hours/week, it is time to move on. I accepted a position as Business Associate (aka glorified receptionist) at Liberty Commons Family Dental. It'll be an adjustment, for all 3 of us, but definitely an adjustment that is welcomed! (Especially the financial aspect of it.) In my hopes to be closer to home, I'm ending up a tad further, but as my job search proved, you gotta go where the jobs are! And, since we'll have more income, I've finally joined a gym again! How glorious! I had seriously forgotten about the endorphins that are released during exercise! Such ecstasy! And, on my first day back, I pulled a 4 mile run out of my extra jiggly a**! Who would've thought that pushing a 25lb kid in a stroller through the Federal Hills would prove to keep me in decent shape?!?!

Cheers!

Anyway, enough about me! Like I said, the month was pretty uneventful, although we did see both sets of grandparents. We made a day trip to Columbus to have dinner with the Kuenzli Klan! Mike & Jackie were in from CA (and down from the Lake) for the OSU game, and everyone else just decided to gather at Tim & Linda's. It was great to see everyone and Maddy finally had someone her own size to play with! Of course, I was too busy drinking and chatting to take any pictures! =) Mike and Donna also came down for a quick overnight because Mary was re-married! Again, the drinking and chatting to make me incapable of taking pictures!

I like to play with the leaves! (Just not be in them ;-)!)

Jack doesn't have much news this month either! We've spent lots of time outside! (I'm trying to get him out as much as possible, before it gets dark early and becomes too chilly.) Plus, he has lots of outdoor responsibilities! Taking care of the leaves, mowing the yard, and bringing in the garbage can!

As for fun Jack tid-bits...I'm running low! He is quite the character! When I ask for a kiss, he'll come to me and lean in. Sometimes its just a cheek, nose, or forehead lean, and other times he's got his mouth wide open to kiss. LOL!

And he knows that if the socks and shoes go on, we're going outside. Sometimes, he'll grab his shoes and take them to the door when he's ready to go out. Even at 8 in the morning while we're still on our jammies and I'm still working on my 1st cup of coffee!

Jack watching Mickey Mouse Club House while I drink my coffee!

And, we're transitioning to 1 nap. This is a recent transition and thankfully we haven't had anything going on that needs to be done by a certain time, as we've been playing our days by ear. Its been interesting to say the least! Some days Jack's fuse is shorter and bedtime is earlier.

A little post-breakfast read!

Getting measured!

This handwashing basin is way cooler than that cow!

Perfect Pumpkin Pickin'

Bruns Family 1st Annual Perfect Pumpkin Pickin'!

And a reminder of how little our pumpkin was! ;-)

This past weekend we made our annual trip to pick the perfect pumpkin! Jack had a much more difficult time this year picking out his pumpkin but he had fun deciding and also seeing the goats, chickens, and pigs! (We didn't get a family shot of the 2nd annual pickin' because our little pumpkin was in need of a nap!)

A goat says "meh"!

The pigs say "oink" all day and night! (Especially when someone sticks his fingers in ones nose!)

I like this one!

Hmm...how am I supposed to choose?

I need to take a break!

This one is the perfect size!