Holy Temper Tantrum, Batman!

Last night we decided to take the family out to a family dinner at Wallery's Pizza. Quinn spotted the mechanical horse and chicken and immediately wanted to ride. We let him try out each until our number was called. "Dinner time!" When I went to get Quinn off the pony, he threw himself on the ground and began to beat it with his fists and feet - screaming all the while. Faster than fast, quicker than quick Adam swooped him off the floor and to the car they flew. I threw the pizza in some tin foil and grabbed Ella and we were in for the longest 1 mile adventure of our life. On the ride home, Quinn screamed the entire time - "I want my raisen bran." (meaning restaurant, I think) & "I need to listen." & "I want my pizza." The drama did not end when we got home leading Quinn to bedtime early after a tiny dinner and shot with a beer chaser for Adam and I both - helping us calm our nerves.

When Quinn woke this morning, the first words out of his mouth were, "I want my raisen bran!" and he began to cry. It's gonna be a long day. I had better lock the liquor cabinet. :)

So as it turns out, our perfect little boy is in fact far from it! But we love him all the same. I will admit though, that our family dinners out are probably a thing of the past... for a while anyway.

Ella's Progress

12 weeks old
8 lbs, 11 oz

She's on the charts at the 50% all across the board. This is a great and unexpected thing. She is a great eater - every 3 hours and is napping a little longer periods at night. She loves to stare at our ceiling fan and stained glass lamp. Her tongue is really fascinating to her as well. She flops it around in her mouth over and over again.

Stormy January

The rain has been falling (HARD) for weeks now and the river has spilled over in several areas. We were fortunate enough to avoid damage to our store and home, but unfortunately my brother Paul's gas station had a stream running through his lot. They are dealing with the damage now - water in the tanks. We are all praying for a speedy fix.

Ella is growing like a champ. At her last dr. appointment, she was already at the 50% for height and weight. This exceeded everyone's expectations as she wasn't even expected to make the chart at this point. She's a wonderful baby. Smiles often, coos and sleeps like a dream. Last night was our first full night - 7 hours, quick snack and back to sleep for another 2 hours. I can't tell you how great I feel after some quality sleep.

Quinn loves his school. On the ride home, he tells us what he learned, who he played with and that he loves his teacher Betsy. It's so cute. Quinn also loves to help clean and cook. He helps me with every meal and also makes my cup of coffee (Kuerig) in the mornings. It's so much fun to have him help in the kitchen. You should see that boy crack eggs. He's a master!

Adam has been manning the store and is doing a great job. After the crazy holiday season, business has slowed, but remains steady.

I am scheduled to return to work on the 6th of February. I've loved my time at home with the kids, but feel ready to get back on schedule and to reality. I know time will be shortened with the children and that saddens me, but I feel ready to get back in the grind.

Here are some recent pictures of the kids.