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A few minutes

Now I'm having a few minutes but no pictures to share ;)... It's always either or, isn't it?

The kids are doing great. Henry has adjusted to his new room very well and the beginning problems seemed to have had other problems and not the room. I just discovered his first little tooth sticking out :(... yes, he's gotten his first little tiny tooth. That was bothering him all of last week and until a few days ago... because since I think the middle of the week or so he slept so wonderfully, he only came ONCE / night or another time when I was ready to get up anyways and that is soooo nice! I can't tell you how much I was missing my 'sleeping through the nights'.

Zoe is so cute with him... she calls him always: Baby Kosh! I have no idea where the 'kosh' comes from but her words are getting better and better and she can name many more things now and sometimes it's still a puzzle for us!

Zoe still doesn't show ANY interest in wanting to go to the toilet (we have a little potty training pot for her with an Elmo face on it) but she makes me put Henry sit on it *lol*... she's a trip man! So before Henry takes a bath he has to make a stop on the potty but Zoe won't have to sit on it at all... she seems to be scared of potty training (Toilettentraining). I have to admit though... having two in diapers is so much easier than always have to run to the restroom with the kids so I'm dragging it out there I think.

In regards of baby planning... we're done :( :)... I'm very happy but also very sad on the other hand. Let's see the positive side... I'll be able to spend more time again with just Frank and also being able to do things for me more than being dependent on the kids (or their dependent on me). After a couple of yrs being pregnant/ breastfeeding/ pregnant/ still breastfeeding it'll be nice to get my body back and not having somebody nurturing on it but on the other hand this is so special and I really enjoyed every bit of it. Not having another little one makes you cherish these moments with Henry so much more and when he falls asleep in my arms just looking at this cute baby boy being so comfortable in my arms and secure... it makes your heart melt I tell you. But it's so nice to see the two interact with each other so nicely and I think they're a very good fit and will be happy having each other and that's ok. If there will ever come another pregnancy news that would be a big surprise and more an accident ;). So enjoy the baby pics as long as they come because they'll fade out sooner or later and then you'll see two crazy toddler on the screen *lol*...

Easter is coming up... and I tell you, having kids is like being able to be a kid yourself one more time. It's so much fun what you can do with them and what they love. So I thought we can do an egg hunt in our park in the subdivision for the kids. I'm going to color 8 dozen eggs on WED night with my neighbor and then on THU night I'll have some other neighbors over and we'll prepare some little gifts and make little gift bags that we'll hide on SAT morning. You don't have to spend much money, the board actually gave me $200 to spend but who needs all that? Color some eggs, get some candy and these plastic eggs and hide them... it's fun for the kids and little spent for the neighbors to gather and have a fun time. I really hope some will show up and appreciate this event :). I know that many neighbors are very happy about me being on the board :). They get informed so nicely, the events I'm planning for us are always very highly talked about. It's so much fun...

Jela to answer your question... I know many people here, you're right :). When you're a stranger in a new country you find your folks in every corner very quickly ;)... so I know a German 'Krabbelgruppe' which has about 10-15 german mom's in it... then I went to the Lamaze Center for a Mom's group with Zoe back in the day and met another lovely 10+ mom's with which I still meet regularly with one and the other ones I have contact with on Facebook. Then I went to www.meetup.com and found a great group that is holding about 50+ moms' + kids where I still don't know everybody but also people come and go and I just got announced Assistant Manager ;) so I schedule events as well and host events at our place or different other places. There are at least two hand full Ladies I really like a lot and also consider them friends and would probably still be in contact with if I wouldn't be in this group. THEN I have the neighborhood ;)... we have about 150 houses here and I have my close neighbor next door where we do dinner nights every month together and have lots of other neighbors we chat when we see each other. Two other neighbors I meet regularly with our kids (one of them is Jen my midmife) and it continues as the time goes on and you meet more and more neighbors. The Ladies' night has become a great event and we had about 25 people the first night and it continues ;). I think this is all of the groups I know... well and then you have these day to day things like our Music Class, there are also very nice mom's in it but so far I only met with one other mom (a norwegian girl) outside the class and she went back home to norway last year. So you see... I know lots of people ;). I think Frank is already thinking about special things on a new house that we could get in case we'll ever move to make the move easier for me *lol*... right now we're thinking about upgrading our house... the kitchen is getting stainless steal appliances and a granite looking countertop and then I told Frank he can start the basement... I think the kitchen needs and upgrade before we finish our basement! I have no clue what we'll do with all of that space but it's sure awesome for entertainment and great if people come an visit *hint hint*...

I tell you, we have a very special little family going here... everything is very harmonic and we're in a very nice and smooth groove over here... enjoying our lives and having the happiest kids you've ever seen :). So... Ms Zoe is ready to get up and my 'few minutes' come to an end. Have a wonderful weekend guys, I'll enjoy mine with a hairdresser appt. in the morning and DATE NIGHT with my hubby for dinner *YEAH*... :) looking forward to that a lot...

Cupcakes

Goofing around

Mommy, I've finished my lunch and you told me I could get a cookie afterwards!
Ok Ok!!! I did say that... but only without frosting ;)
Somebody was super excited but only ate half of it ;)... that's the cool thing about kids not being experienced with sugar... they're not a big fan of it either ;)

6 Months!!!

Henry's Room

Tomorrow my little man turns already 6 months young!!! WHAT??? Yeah, I can't believe it either! Since Frank was so concerned about SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) we had to keep him in his crib next to our bed until he's 6 months old... well, I squeezed ONE DAY out of Frank ;)... he'll turn 6 months tomorrow and he's right now sleeping, the first night of his life, in his own little room I just finished decorating just in time for bedtime ;).

We sold my old bedroom furniture to buy the changing table, the chest and the crib for Henry's new room. I totally wanted to get dark brown color (called: espresso) and I really like it. His theme is: Monkey Mania. Even Zoe likes it and always says: Monkey and points to the monkeys on the wall. She enjoys having a neighbor (the two kids rooms are connected via a bathroom that they both share, it's pretty cool). The only thing... I still need to find another throw for the chair... that blanket does it for now but has to be replaced soon. I hope he'll sleep very good in his new room. We had some rough nights behind us this week and we assume the teething is on its way... :( Mommy needs her sleep!

In the winter time (when the leaves are off the trees) this room has a lake view!!! In the summer time you can also see the lake but not as good of course.

Shopping on Saturday

What can I say... a woman loves to shop :). Well... summer arrived all of a sudden, nobody was really prepared for that one... and kids' feet are just growing fast ;). Therefore, mom2mom sale here I come... on Saturday was another famous Mom2Mom Sale... Moms or Dads or Grandparents are selling their kids stuff that is too small and the other moms or dads can make great deals :) - wie Flohmarkt. So I bought all Zoe's summer clothes and a few items for Henry of course and two toys I brought home as well... look how long the line was to get in first thing!!! CRAZY!!! But it went very fast once the doors were open.

Then in the afternoon I took the kids to the mall and Zoe got two pair of new shoes since her feet grew again another size since last fall and Henry got some very cute dinosaur shoes as well... he was cracking up when I put them onto him, it was the cutest thing ever, he loves his new shoes :).
Zoe found her favorite Ice Cream bus ;)

Sisters United

Henry grows too fast and the summer season arrived rather quickly so I needed to go through the clothes again and make sure all the new sizes are ready to go and old clothes that are sitting too tight have to go. I barely have summer clothes for Zoe but there is a Mom2Mom Sale tomorrow in one of the churches where I'll be first thing in the morning ;). Henry has plenty of stuff... I already bought in advance for him when I had the chance and also got some things from Janos' old days.

Henry taking his nap

Today Dana flew through DTW and had a little bit of time so we could hang out at the airport and chat a little :). It was so cool seeing her and hugging her! We had a 'picnic' at the airport *lol*... I even brought my picnic blanket... fun

Sun Sun Sun

Henry during 'nap time'!!! Yes, I asked myself the same, why isn't he sleeping? He's in a 'screaming' phase, he's quieking around like crazy / happy quiecky of course but not very cool when you're having your 2 hrs break of kids during nap time *lol*... but he was quiet in the jumperoo... 

In the morning the kids and I took a little walk and went to the park so Zoe can burn off some energy at the play ground while Jen walked over and we talked a little :)... AWESOME morning... after nap time we had a play date in our yard... full blast fun in the sun. Our three girls: Maddie, Emma and Zoe

Relaxing Mom's: Stephanie, Sarah, Jen and Katja  (Katja is a German visitor / potential sister in law from Sarah, who has to go back on Saturday)

Tobe and Crystal

We were 10 moms and lots of kids ;)... everybody had at least one child and probably half of them already two :). The weather was perfect

Preparation Summer

Jup... again another lovely day. We had 30Degrees C here today and I thought it was time to get the baby pool out and since I wanted to have a water table so badly already last year for Zoe I got it today at Walmart :)... and Zoe got a new ball for her collection as well!!!!

I didn't even arrive home and had to put it together *lol*

Mission complete... let the summer begin

I put it all up outside when the kids went down for their nap and filled up the water so it can warm up a little

Chillen in the sun/ shade... so funny... normally we have such a great shady garden but unfortunately since the leaves are not yet there, there was barely shade so I was trying to put up a blanket with the latter *lol*... yeah... whatever... wasn't all not really working out. But it was great... the water table we put in the shade and no kid had a sunburn afterwards. I guess all of us also had our kids sun creamed down real good.

Kaitlyn, Zoe and Jonos enjoying the water to the fullest

TUE afternoon - park

... and in the afternoon we quickly picked up my new glasses, got my oil changed and went to the park before we met with friends for dinner. The kids had and blast and I enjoyed this awesome day as well.

And as soon as we're home... Zoe wants to go out AGAIN... won't take her shoes off but gets her daddy's shoes and then Daddy has to go outside with her ;)... every night the same *lol*... this girl is crazy. Today we're going to get our pool out... it's going to be 31Degrees C :) :) :)... time to splash in the water. I'm also gonna get chalk (Kreide) so the kids can color the driveway... plenty of things to do they'll have a great time at our play date.

TUE morning play date with friends

Zoe with all the boys: Cash, Koston, Donnie, Gavin and her little brother Henry ;)... she LOVED it ;)

The first borns: Cash, Zoe and Donnie:

The young ones: Henry, Gavin (in swing) and Koston

Zoe with Koston and Gavin

Zoe and Cash are running:

Monday Afternoon at My Urban Toddler

Baby Sitter

Here some pics of our precious two buddies Janos and Zoe:

Today Frank and I had our first 'paid' Date Night! We finally hired a baby sitter after 2 yrs of having kids and enjoyed a wonderful Harley ride and stop by at our city party, meeting some neighbors and then we wanted to go and have a little pre-dinner but Henry didn't think so *lol*... the little stinker REFUSED to drink out of a bottle and since I fed him last before his nap and we left before he woke up... he wanted mommy's boobies ONLY!!! He was pretty good though for Alissa, probably decided he's not hungry! 

It was great and Zoe enjoyed Alissa a lot and even gave her a hug goodbye. Frank and I really enjoyed the time together and I can't wait for future dates :)... we gonna do this now regularly. Since I'm with the kids all the time I don't feel bad to have a sitter every now and then so Frank and I can enjoy ourselves again... and anyways: Happy Parents, Happy Kids, right? ;)

Since we had to go home before we even could order dinner, I only fed Henry at home and we parked the Harley in the garage and packed the whole family into the minivan *LOL* and went to have our dinner with kids... everybody was HAPPY :).