Random 15 month pictures!

So I needed to use up the last of my picture people membership and I happened to come across a Groupon. So with two babies, one on each hip, a diaper bag, and an extra bag of clothes we made it just in time for our appointment. They were running all over the place, escaping the picture room, and Sidda almost shut down their computer, but I caught her hand just in time! We finally got settled with the photographer. Max was not having it... he did not want to sit, stand, or lay down. We tried sunglasses, hats, balls, flowers... nothing was working! We encouraged kisses... but Max didn't want Siddalee inches within his face. The photographer captured this ADORABLE picture of him pushing her away :)

It's always funny though, despite the fact that I was literally sweating from chasing them around during the photo shoot... the pictures turn out cute. Somewhere in the mix we are able to catch some adorable smiles.

Summer Sangria!

It should read Summer SangriaS, because we just made a pitcher of them and they are aMaZiNg! So Sangria is my FAVORITE drink by far, but rarely do I order the drink because it has to be just right. Anyway last night Brett and I were enjoying some Mexican that I had slaved away making (actually it was made in a crock pot... easy peasy) and we were wishing we had a nice Mexican drink. So tonight.. while eating leftovers we enjoyed some homemade Sangria.

 Here's how we made it:
 1 bottle of cabernet sauvignon
2 shots of flavored brandy (we had cherry, but next time I would do apricot)
 1/2 cup of sugar
 3 strawberries
1 orange
 1 lemon
1 lime

 Let it sit for at least an hour and serve on ice. On a different note I only have two weeks of summer left... AHHHHH! Honestly, I am ready to go back... need some adult social interaction. I think my kids are extremely bored as well. I am too scared to venture out by myself with two terrors angels. We went to the public pool once and Wonderscope (when I was armed with 2 other adults). A few trips out and about with my buddy Jenny, but she has a baby too so it's still pretty crazy!

 Today we had our 15 month checkup. They tested Sidda and she does NOT have celiacs. Thank goodness! I am not sure if this totally rules out a wheat allergy or just celiacs, but based on blood work she's good! She has also gained 7 oz. in two weeks! So she is at 17 lbs. 1 oz. and Max weights 23 oz. Doctor said we need to focus on getting him to talk, apparently his word count is low :) You would think with me being a teacher they would be pros... but with two they are impossible to get focused. They just feed off of each other and not in a positive way :) I also took the kiddos into school and they really did a good job keeping entertained, Sidda did rip down part of my bulletin board but I can fix it pretty easily! They were so exhausted after lunch they took a 2 1/2 hour nap! Woohoo!

Noodles and Company

We have had a very busy week and so this morning once the kids realized we were stuck at home they began to go stir crazy! They were being ornery and I couldn't keep them entertained. So I went to the pantry and pulled out a couple of bowls and some noodles. Wa-la! They were busy emptying and filling bowls for a good 20 minutes. That is a new record for sitting in once place and staying busy! It was a lot of fun and then even helped pick up all the noodles when we were done!

This afternoon we went to the city pool for the first time this summer. Shortly after we arrived everyone had to sit out of the pool for 30 minutes due to an "accident." After another 15 minutes of swimming the kids were getting tired and ready to go home. Perfect timing because as we are heading out it started thundering and then lightning as we reached the car they had everyone evacuate the pool again! Now the kiddos are in dry clothes and nestled in the beds for nap time!

We love our friends!

Today the kids and I drove to Topeka to spend time with our friends. Kelly and Kevin are in town from Chicago for Kinsley's birthday. We went to the Discovery Center in the morning. It was really fun until the 2 bus loads of kids came in, which was really funny because they ended up being from Gardner... small world! So I got/ had to see several of my past students! Then we headed to Cici's for lunch and topped it off with naps and some swimming. Before heading home I swung by my dad's house so they could see "papa."

Aren't they such great artists?

Celiac disease?

Well we took Siddalee to Children's Mercy today, because the doctor was concerned with her not gaining weight. I was sad to hear she still has not gained an ounce in 3 months!!! She has been drinking 16 oz. of pediasure a day and we have been trying to beef up what she eats. Without going into too much detail she has also been struggling with some nasty and frequent stools, which has also resulted in yeast infections. The poor girl is miserable due to her bottom! We are stopping the pediasure to see if that is what is causing the diarrhea. We are also wondering if she may have a wheat allergy or Celiacs Disease. If the absence of pediasure doesn't heal the bottom we are going to an allergy specialist to check on the wheat allergy. Another strange piece of advice was to show her how to use her back teeth. I told the doctor's she tends to spit out a lot of food after chewing on it for awhile. They said she may be getting frustrated or is not confident with her chewing. My job now is to show her how to use her back teeth and see if she mimics. I am to observe how  she eats over the next week... hmmm, interesting. Here is the site where I found information on symptoms about Celiac's and honestly a lot of them are hard to tell with a child, but it was still interesting information.
We'll keep you updated!

South Dakota, 4th of July... I LOVE SUMMER!

We have had a busy last couple of weeks. Last week we went on a little adventure to Deanna Rose Farmstead. We tried to beat the heat and get there right when they opened at 9 am, but it got hot quick. Within the first 5 minutes Sidda got her hand pecked by a chicken, and therefore was a little timid the rest of the visit. Shortly after a goat got a hold of her dress and wouldn't let go. And being the great mom that I am I took a picture before pulling the goat away.

They both toddled all over the place seeing the cows, ducks, goats, and other animals. Halfway through the trip we picked up a wagon to lessen the walking. Afterwards we grabbed a quick lunch at Culvers with Jenny, where both of my children threw their entire lunch on the floor and refused to eat :)

Later that week we headed towards South Dakota. To break up the trip we stopped in Omaha to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo. All I can say way... awesome! I am not a big fan of zoos, in fact I hate going to zoos. But this zoo was so cool and I could tell the animals were happy! The environments and space this zoo has designed for animals is awesome. All the animals were busy moving about and fun to watch. We saw otters swimming, monkeys swinging, jelly fish swirling, and sharks pacing!

By Friday we had made it to South Dakota, for Brett's family reunion. It was great to see Grandma Lucy and all the cousins. Since Lucy moved in with Curt and Joan the family has not had their usual meetings in Salina. The kids had a great time as well. My favorite part was Bear Country. If you ever got to Rapid City, SD you must go! There were all kinds of animals that walk right up to your car as your drive along the designated path, but the best part was the bears! There was nearly 50 bears just hanging out... we watched the bears scratch their booties on logs, go swimming in the pond, take a nap on a fallen tree, and chase each other across the field.

Here is a picture of the 4, one year olds. North was born in March, my two were born in April, and Mabel in May. We got about 5 picture of this shot and this is my favorite, as North goes for the outlet :)

And finally the Fourth of July! One of my favorite holidays of the year. We decided to head to Topeka. We started at the lake for the arts and crafts, plus kiddy activities. Then we went to my mom's and grilled burgers. We hung out for the afternoon shot of some fireworks and then headed to my dad's. Over there we had grandpa Eells and crazy aunt Shellie. We grilled again. Played Uno and Croquet and then, of course, shot off more fireworks. Siddalee and Max stayed up until 10:00 as they were so mesmerized by all the fireworks in my dad's neighborhood. I was so happy they were not scared!