Jocelyn Rau – Page 6

February 10, 2022February 24, 2022

They’re four!

Nat and Avit just turned 4, and it’s hard to believe there’s only 1 more year until they’re a whole handful of fingers old!

ETA: We had their 4-year well check on February 24, and here are their official stats:

Nat

Height: 3′ 6″ (83%)
Weight: 38 lbs. 6.4 oz. (70%)
BMI: 15.31 (39%)

Avit

Height: 3′ 6″ (83%)
Weight: 39 lbs. 3.2 oz. (75%)
BMI: 15.62 (50%)

Life gets easier with them by the day, which is saying a lot for how hard the first 2 years with them were. They’re full-blown little kids now, no more babies. It’s so much easier to do things as a whole family now instead of Ryan taking the big kids to do something and me staying back with the twins. I absolutely loved the newborn and baby phase of all of our children, but having the last round be 2 at once makes growing out of each baby phase much less bittersweet. It was just so much harder!!

They are funny, smart, crazy, fast, energetic, loving, and I swear I can see them growing taller by the day. They got an extra-special week surrounding their birthday this year – Grandpa came to town for a couple days, then Grandma came right after him. Lots of grandparent fun for these guys!

Avit especially is kind of a whiz. He knows all his letters, can pretty much count to 20, and can read us The Very Hungry Caterpillar (i.e., he has it memorized 😉 ). He also gives excellent snuggles. Nat knows most of his letters, is also good at counting, and is a great artist. He has been coloring and drawing for years now, whereas Avit isn’t into that as much. We need to get them to start practicing writing their names. All 3 of the big kids were able to write their name when they went to K4, which is happening this fall for these 2!

I’m so happy they got into a morning session for K4, too. It was done by a lottery drawing this year because there’s always much more interest for morning than afternoon, and we got it. It just works so much better with our schedule, and hopefully they’ll keep napping until age 5 like the big kids did.

Nat loves Cuphead, Mario, his snuggies blanket and stuffed puppy Boo, being a kitty, and the color red. Avit loves Mugman, Luigi, his snuggies blanket, running around like a crazy person, and the colors yellow and blue. For their birthday dinner, Nat requested macaroni and cheese and Avit requested cocktail weinies and broccoli. They crack me up. They also live in their pj’s, just like Morrison used to before he started school. I love it.

Happy 4th birthday, Nat Jennings and Avit Jerome! We all love you so very, very much, and I can’t wait to see how our twins turn into big kids. You’re going to do great things, my littlest loves!

For a look back, here are their prior year posts:

And here are all the kids’ 4-year-old birthday pictures. I love these comparisons!

December 31, 2021

Ciao, 2021

“Another year over, a new one just begun…”

I’ve been thinking for a while now what to write for my annual year-end post, and I honestly have no idea this year. After meeting COVID in 2020 and having life as we knew it flipped upside down and all around, this year was kind of – meh. We knew that the only way forward was through, so that’s what we did.

Not to say it was a bad year, just nothing really exciting. A look back ~

The Good:

Despite having COVID earlier this month (well, all of us except Lana, somehow!), we are all fully recovered and appear to have no lasting side effects so far. Ryan’s taste and smell aren’t back to 100%, but thankfully none of us had very serious symptoms.
Ryan’s job is secure.
Our houses are still standing and in working order.
In-person school is working out great for all the kids, even with a couple quarantine periods. Middle school has been much less scary for me than I imagined. 😉
Science! Ryan, the big 3, and I are now all fully vaccinated against COVID, and I got my booster just last weekend. The big kids were in between their 2 doses when we got COVID, and I fully believe even having that little bit of protection from the first dose helped them. They all barely felt worse than a bad cold. The poor twins were hit pretty hard, but fortunately they are better, too.
The big kids moved upstairs and the twins moved into their own bedroom for the first time in their lives!
We’ve paid down a big chunk of debt, which always helps one’s sanity.
The twins were potty trained this year, which also helps my sanity and allows us so much more freedom to do stuff as a family. No more diapers!
I lost my shit WAY fewer times this year than last year, which I’m sure everyone has appreciated.

The Bad:

I lost both my grandmas this year. I didn’t see either of them very often anymore, but knowing I’ll never get to again stings. I will be forever grateful that I got to have one last conversation with each of them before they died, but I’ll always wish I could’ve been there in person to say good-bye.
The global pandemic caused by COVID is still raging, and I don’t know that there’s really any end in sight. At least not for a while. Which reminds me, I need to get some new masks.
Politics in general, racism, unnecessary hatred, war. All topics that I’m not going to touch right now but that I’ll just leave there.

In looking at my list, I’m very thankful the goods outnumber the bads. That’s the sign of a pretty great year, right?

I will say, this winter break has been one of the best times I’ve had with our kids. This Christmas was exceptionally fun and magical, and I’ve just had an incredible level of happiness the whole time. We tracked Santa and loved all the preparations for him and the reindeer, we’ve played lots of games, had a couple movie nights, gone ice skating for the first time for the kids, walked to the beach to hunt for sea glass, and just hung out all together. The twins get a little bit easier daily, and watching all 5 of them play together and interact more as people instead of kids and babies is amazing. We got very lucky with this bunch, that’s for sure.

Here is a pictorial look at this winter ~

All at home to start the month thanks to COVID

So there’s 2021 in a tiny nutshell. Not overly good or bad, but there. Like I said last year, this recent history has taught me to have an even more take-each-day-as-it-comes outlook than usual, which I think has helped me, personally, immensely. I do feel much more stable and optimistic going into 2022 than I did going into 2021, so we’ll see what it brings.

Good-bye, 2021. Thank you for everything, but it’s time to move on. Hello, 2022 – we’re ready!

December 9, 2021

Up Nort-giving

We took our 4th annual fall trip up to Eagle River with our good friends last month, then 2 and a half weeks after that I took the kids down to Peoria for our family holiday. It was so great to spend time with everyone again after not having the big, fun family gathering last year.

So no, we didn’t spend Thanksgiving up north, as the title might imply, I was just trying to be efficient by combining all these pictures into 1 post instead of 2. Or lazy, whichever.

So, so much to be thankful for, not just on Thanksgiving, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking for the rest of this one (go ahead and click on each picture to open it up larger).

4th year in a row in Eagle River in fall – so much fun!

December 8, 2021December 8, 2021

Life-changing

NO, I’M NOT PREGNANT AGAIN! I just wanted to shout that out there, because I know that’s where many of your minds jumped as soon as you saw that title. Have no fear. And yes, all babies are miracles, but we’ve had plenty. No, this is something far, far better for our family right now.

THE BIG KIDS FINALLY MOVED UPSTAIRS!!!!!

Yes, that deserves to be shouted in all caps, because if you know me at all, you know how long I’ve been waiting for this. Oh, you don’t? Well here, let me explain…

On December, 31, 2013, Ryan stood in the kitchen and promised me that 1 year from that date, we would have a finished room upstairs (we turned our attic into a giant bedroom for the kids). At the time, we only had Della and Lana, so it was going to be the girls’ bedroom, and the second downstairs bedroom would become a guest room/playroom. I even painted on the wall leading up the stairs to the attic “Della + Lana’s Room ETA: 12.31.14”

Total cosmic jinx.

Fast forward to December 31, 2014, and there was no room up there. Not even close. Ryan had knocked down the only walls that needed to come down up there, but I think that was about it. I honestly can’t remember. This was supposed to be the easiest project of the entire house, since it was simply building a room that already had a full skeleton. We didn’t need to rip into any existing walls, replace any old wiring, nothing. Simply start from scratch and go. Ha.

Morrison came along the following spring, still no room up there. The twins came along after that, still no room up there. It was getting a little cramped in here, but nothing crazy. Many more people have lived in houses much smaller than ours and survived splendidly. We’re all healthy and happy, just cozy.

But lo and behold, some of the stars finally aligned in some miraculous pattern, and on October 27, 2021, IT BECAME THEIR FUCKING BEDROOM!! (see, i told you i’m behind on this blog…)

Sorry for the swear. We’ve just been waiting a REALLY long time for this, and my heart almost exploded with joy that afternoon. The kids had a half day of school, and I spent every minute I wasn’t walking to/from school rearranging, moving furniture, carrying furniture upstairs. It was exhausting, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I got them up there! Ryan did all the dirty work, I did the minor lifting. Teamwork makes the dream work.

So the big 3 now have a gigantic bedroom upstairs (the bathroom will come much later), the twins have their own bedroom that is also a playroom, and there are no more cribs in our bedroom! All toys are out of the living room, and the house finally feels like our home again instead of a nursery/daycare/insane asylum. It was touch and go there for a bit. 😉

The Christmas tree is finally back in its right spot!

December 8, 2021February 24, 2022

Nine!

I am SO far behind on this blog, but no better way to catch up than to start catching up, eh?

Lana turned 9 in October, and I continue to be amazed daily by this wondrous creature.

ETA: We had her 9-year well check on February 24, 2022, and here are her official stats:

Height: 4′ 7.75″ (86%)
Weight: 68 lbs. 12.8 oz. (56%)
Blood pressure: 106/64
BMI: 15.56 (32%)

She still hates putting away her laundry, leaves her dirty clothes and pajamas all over the floor, and despises brushing her hair, but the creativity that exudes from her constantly is almost a force of nature.

She loves to bake, enjoys playing with the twins and teaching them games, tucks Nigh-Night into a comfy spot each morning before we go to school, gets into some of the most ridiculous arguments I’ve ever heard with Morrison, and often acts as crazy as a loon with Della.

I have, however, seen a level of maturity emerge from her this school year that I’ve never seen before. They were given an assignment notebook by her teacher at the beginning of the year, and since day 1, she has taken complete ownership of that task. She writes down her daily assignments and to-dos in it, checks each one off as she finishes them, and dog-ears each page as the week is completed. The pride and responsibility I saw from her when this little task began was incredible. I didn’t want to jinx it either, so I very nonchalantly told her how proud I was that she was taking her schoolwork and assignments so seriously this year a couple days in. No big deal, you’re just actually becoming a big kid.

She started taking piano lessons with Della this summer and will complain until the end of time about having to practice and do them, but she’s getting good. She also mastered diving during their swim lessons this summer, and she is now always called on to be the diving example in their weekly lessons. Della is still trying to catch up, much to her chagrin. And the year of schooling at home had nothing on this kid. Lana’s standardized test scores from the beginning of this school year in both reading and math were her highest yet at the top of the charts, and her percentile rankings were the highest of all the big 3. I was blown away. Especially because she always says how much she hates math.

This one. My little Lana Marie. My sweet baby girl. My fairy spirit. I will never be able to put into words how much I love you, but I hope you always know. Even when my body is dead and gone, my spirit will come out and bug you forever. Happy 9th birthday, Lana Marie! Our last year of having a daughter in the single digits! We could not be prouder of the wonderful big kid you’re becoming, with just enough goofiness of your little-kid self still fully intact. You are the beautiful definition of one of a kind, and we love you so very, very much. We are so lucky you’re ours!

Here are her annual birthday posts:

And here are the pictures. I just love this one!

September 16, 2021September 17, 2021

Back at it

We are back in school, we are in person, we are masked, we are 5 days a week, and we are at 2 different schools now. Whew!

Della had her first day of school a week before the other two started.

As you’re well aware, it was heartbreaking for me when Della left our Cumberland gang. However, it’s actually working out pretty well. The middle school is awesome, I met all of her teachers at “Meet the Teachers” night last week and every single one is incredible, she gets to see at least some of her good friends from Cumberland every day, she’s continuing with band and has the same teacher as last year, and she still walks halfway to/from school with us. She even has her first cross country meet today! I’m so proud of how she’s handling this new independence, and I’m so relieved that I’m surviving, too. 😉

Lana’s “Roaring Start” day, where she went for about an hour and a half to meet her teacher and do some testing

I could tell the first couple days without her were weird for the other 4, so I didn’t make a big deal about anything that was happening, but they’ve gotten into our new groove, too. Morrison has some of his very best friends in his class again this year, and his teacher seems wonderful. Lana has an amazing group of girls in her class that I’m so happy she’s become friends with; she was thrilled to get a mirror and pen caddy for her locker this year, too; and her teacher is absolutely fantastic. This month Della does have cross country practice right after school, so she walks home from that on her own. I can’t even tell you how weird it is seeing her just strolling in the door by herself at about 4:45! But she has most Fridays off of practice and it’s only a month-long season, so she’ll get to meet back up with us on the walks home soon.

I’m not sure if it’s the third-grade daily processes at school, being closer to 9 now than 8, her specific teacher, or just the stars and all the cosmic juju finally aligning, but Lana has shown a new level of maturity these past couple weeks that I have never seen from her. They got an assignment notebook from school on the first day, and they are tasked with writing down all of their nightly “to-do’s,” checking off everything as they finish it, then dog-earing the pages as they complete them. She puts her nightly reading in there, she puts her piano practice in there (the girls started those lessons a few weeks ago and they are going great, too!), she puts emptying all her lunch containers in there, she puts any extra assignments they get in there, she puts any school project needs in there…it’s great. I can also tell that she’s taking pride in this, which is another thing you don’t often see manifesting from her. I can’t possibly begin to describe how proud I am of her. I’m not outwardly making a big deal out of this either, because I don’t want to hype it up so much that she shys away from this great work and routine she’s gotten in, but I did very nonchalantly let her know the other evening how happy I was watching her do her notebook and enjoying being in charge of herself like this. She has started wanting to push the stroller to and from school, too, which I just love.

The twins are still turds on the daily, but even they get in some awesome bouts of calm play time together, too. So there may be hope yet! I just can’t believe those little squirts will be following Lana and Morrison through the Cumberland doors next year, even if only for half the day. Watch out!

So here we are. My days seem just as busy as when all 5 were home for some reason, but I’m loving every one. I’m so happy they’re all safely back at school, and I just hope everyone stays healthy. The social distancing aspect is obvioulsy decreased this year with no virtual option and a full week schedule, but masks are still mandatory, drinking fountains are still off (bottle fillers are definitely on, though, so kids just need to bring thier own water bottles), and hand washing and sanitizing is constant. So fingers crossed that we avoid any quarantines or shut downs this year.

Happy back-to-school, my loves! This feels like it’s going to be a great year, and I just can’t wait to see where it takes each of you. I love you all so, so much!

All 5 were in bed at 7 p.m. after that first full day for the big 3. Cheers to that!

September 16, 2021September 16, 2021

#summervacation2021

I know – summer vacation has been over for a couple weeks now. But you know how things roll around this blog by now. Posting only a *couple* weeks late isn’t bad! 😉

I have so many pictures to dump here from our summer break this year, I’m just going to break it up into a few different galleries. Not much explanation is needed, either – we were planning to go back to Canada finally but the border didn’t open in time for our trip so we did a couple smaller trips around here, soaked up the warm weather (thank goodness for air conditioning this year!), and enjoyed as much time together as we could. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the slideshows!

The start of summer vacation back in June and a trip to Palos and Peoria to spend time with family:

Door County and 4th of July:

A long-overdue trip to Eau Claire:

More summer fun around here, our third trip to Palos of the summer, our first trip to the zoo in about 2 years, and our first Brewers game in a long time:

We are now fully back into the swing of a new school year, so more about that will be coming up next. Stay tuned!