Back in the saddle!

Thank you for all of your sweet words of encouragement to me! Evie and I had a much better day. She was up a lot last night beginning around 9 but settled down before I went to bed. Carl heard her again beginning at 4 so we think she is growing her canines. Let's hope that was the problem!

   Evie went to school this morning and was so excited when we pulled up. She kept saying "play" and "school" but her excitement for school was diminished when I dropped her off in the classroom. Her tears began immediately and she reached right for Ms. Lori since she seemed to know that I was on my way out. I kissed her and told her that I would be back real soon. Guess who was fine two seconds later! She sure knows how to turn on the tears. Evie was so excited to see me when I came to pick her up. Levi was standing in the gate and Evie barged right over to say "Mommy." That's music to my ears.

 Evie napped for a really long time which gave me a chance to mop the kitchen floor that is always dirty and fold the laundry that continues to grow in huge piles. After nap, I tried to take Evie to get her hair cut but there was a two hour wait. Needless to say, we will go another time. It has been an absolutely beautiful day! Evie and I went to the park and she made a little friend. She patted him, held his hand and even gave him a kiss. That girl is something else! She had so much fun and said "HI" to every single person she came across. We went down the slide 11 times . . . yes, I counted. Evie took a turn in the swings and ran over the suspension bridge. We had a great time!

   Carl was home when we got back. He took Evie for a run and I heated up some Cincinnati chili courtesy of my dinner swap. It was so yummy! Evie threw her bowl across the room but we gave it right back to her (what was left in the bowl, anyway) and she seemed to like it too.

Tough Day!

Really good days are usually followed by really tough days! We have had one tough day at The Niemeyer Nest. Evie has cried and whined all day! She woke up really early which started the day off on the wrong foot. I am not at my best at 6AM which is funny because it used to be my best time of day back when I taught school.

    We read some books and made cinnamon toast. Evie was just not happy at all and she kindly let me know that she was not happy. Too bad that she cannot tell me what her problem is so that I could help her out a little.

   We met some friends at a local cupcake store to decorate cupcakes and that did not go so well either. She wanted a cupcake at right that very moment! They finally were ready for us and then she wanted more than her share. It was fun but crazy!  I am pretty sure they were glad to see us leave with all of our toddlers. We did enjoy some yummy cupcakes!

   Evie was very happy on the way home and chattered all the way. We played outside and she took her nap. She woke up on the wrong side of the crib and just could not be appeased. We went back outside and she wanted her baby to participate in everything. Baby had to swing, ride in the wagon and take a turn on her riding toy. Evie was so mad that baby would not sit up. It was so comical because she was just getting so annoyed with her baby. She finally settled on walking around the yard with her baby and cupcake purse, tossing her baby in the air over and over. That amused her for a good long while.

   Carl had a dinner meeting again! So we met some friends for an early dinner at Chick fil A. Evie loves chicken so it seemed like a great idea. Well, not so much because she kept saying "play, play" because she saw the play area which is naturally way more fun than eating dinner. Oh goodness, it was a disaster for what felt like an eternity but she finally settled down enough to eat her dinner. We let the kids play and Evie ran around a bunch trying to kiss a little boy that we did not even know. Oh dear!

    Carl was here when we got home so she got to see her Daddy for a few minutes before he left for his work dinner. Evie jumped in a mud puddle and had so much fun which works for me. Clothes can always be washed but then she was mad because she was dirty. Evie does not like to be dirty at all! She gets that from me. I carried her kicking and screaming into the house to take off her clothes. My patience was GONE at this point! Thank goodness she is so cute because she sure can drive me crazy!!!!Tomorrow has to be a better day - it's a school day after all.

Fun Day

Evie and I had a really good day. It was a bit chilly when we woke up at 48 degrees. Evie and I decided that a breakfast of warm blueberry muffins would be nice so we set to work making them bright and early. They were so yummy and it's so cute to see my little girl with blueberry all over the place. She loves to help in the kitchen.

   We hung out around the house reading books, playing with dolls and singing songs. She watched a few You Tube videos of toddler songs such as Raffi and the Wiggles. It's one way to keep her occupied while I get dressed. I started a 5 minute video for her and then she toddled down the hall to find me when it was over. Evie will not sit still for TV but she loves music. I love that it gives me a chance to get dressed by myself!

   Tuesday's are story time at the library. Evie loves the songs at the beginning and she made it half way through the book before deciding that she'd rather go visit her owl. Totally normal for her age! We played at the train table and met a new friend.

    We walked to the park and had a little photo shoot in the leaves. Evie was not so sure at first but then she really got into it throwing leaves over her head. Notice her cute Hanna Andersson outfit. I bought it last year and it fit her fine That's one great outfit when you get two seasons from one outfit at this age. Hanna Andersson clothing is measured in centimeters and allows for a lot of growth. Evie wore an 80 last year and this year I will buy her a 90 which should still fit next fall. Hanna's wear really well and are super comfortable - not to mention they are adorable. They are having a terrific sale right now so it's a good time to check it out.

   Evie protested her nap for a few minutes before falling asleep. We played outside and Millicent came over to collect acorns with Evie. She said we have more acorns than anyone else in the neighborhood. Our bumper crop of squirrels are already on to that information.

    Carl had a dinner meeting so it was just us girls tonight. Dinner is always interesting when Carl is not here. Evie had tortellini, nachos with salsa, banana with peanut butter and some apple sauce. What a combination! I gave her a bath and she had a grand time playing with her boat. Evie usually hops in the shower with her Daddy so I was not sure how bath time would go tonight. Evie's in bed and it's time for me to get a few things done. Hope you are enjoying the crisp temperatures and the beautiful colors of the foliage at your home.

Change of plans

Our day started off with a change in plans. We were supposed to go to the zoo with some friends but there was a 75% chance of rain. I canceled the zoo trip and we met some friends for breakfast at Chick fil A. Evie had a ball playing in the play area and I had fun chatting with the moms. It still has not rained!

   We came home and played outside. Evie is really into running so we ran around the yard for a bit. She ate tons of lunch and went down for the count.

   She woke up saying, bye bye so we went to run a few errands. Our sweet friend Maura had her twin girls this morning so we went to get them a gift and to get Evie a few things. Evie found the table of Raffi's again and every single Raffi was on the floor within minutes. I was a little embarrassed but the owner told me that every single child under 2.5 that comes in the store does that because they recognize their lovey from home. Evie got a new Raffi because we have lost one.

   We came home for some more outdoor fun and a walk to the park. Evie was upset that the airplanes flew away. Carl got home after Evie ate dinner so they played otuside some more. Evie would be thrilled to live outside. It's her favorite spot. Maybe the rain will come tomorrow . . . our grass seed needs some H2O.

   Evie sure has changed since this time last year!

Weekend Wrap-up!

We had a very low-key weekend. Carl aerated and seeded our yard which was a huge undertaking! He loves that kind of thing though so he was as happy as a clam. It looks great already and hopefully some little grasslings will be popping up soon.

    I got a lot of cleaning done while Evie napped. There's something about a clean fridge that just makes me so happy. We headed to Costco after nap time to get a few things. It looks like we will not need to buy outdoor trash bags or dishwasher detergent for a VERY long time.

    Evie slept until almost 8 both days which was so nice! Carl took Evie jogging and then we took a walk to the park. Our legs are so sore but that's probably a good thing.

   We went to Toys R Us to get a present for a little one and then we headed to the Halloween store. Evie is still undecided about her Halloween costume this year. She just is not sure if she wants to be a lion, an elephant or a peanut. We took Evie to get her first smoothie at Smoothie King. She loved having her own cup and thought it was so delicious.

   We came home and played outside. It has been such a gorgeous weekend! Evie wore some fall clothes and I wore my jeans for the first time. Carl is still in shorts but he wears shorts most of the year. We had seven kids in our backyard and an assortment of parents and one puppy dog. Evie was thrilled and did not pay us one bit of attention. She just loves all of these big kids! We do too because it gives us a break. Evie will be getting a little roller coaster from Declan and Erin this week so that's another great surprise. We love hand-me downs!

   We had one of our dinner swap meals tonight. It was stuffed shells with sausage, spinach and cheese. We all loved it! Evie loved about two bites but we loved a lot more than two bites. I have received a few questions about my dinner swap. Here's how I did it: I emailed about 8 of my friends and asked them if they wanted to participate. I set a date to swap, set the perimeters of the meal as frozen and enough food for 4 adults. We met at the park before our monthly social and swapped meals. I tripled my favorite recipe for Chicken and Wild Rice casserole, packaged it in disposable freezer pans, and labeled it with cooking directions. I came home with lots of yummy dinners so it was a success. All of our meals have been delicious and it has saved me lots of time in the kitchen and cut down my trips to the grocery store. Can't wait to do a dinner swap again in Novemeber. Hope your week gets off to a great start!

Birthday Cupcakes

Evie and I had a low-key but after nap I had a surprise for Evie. We went to see Abby and to celebrate her 2nd birthday. It was so fun to eat delicious cupcakes that were beautifully decorated and chat together. Evie and Abby wasted no time devouring their cupcakes. They had cupcake everywhere and on everything. They looked so adorable! Evie is wild about Abby. She hugs her, kisses her, and even pulled her hair (OUCH) to show her adoration for her friend. It's so cute to see but it must be so overwhelming to Abby. 

   I just cannot believe that Abby is 2. It seems like yesterday that Maura called me to say that Abby was born and that she was a girl. I was so excited since I knew that Evie was going to be a girl. It's so fun to see Abby and Evie grow such a sweet friendship.

   Evie was not happy to be in the car and let me know it. Nothing was making her happy and it was quite difficult to concentrate on driving.

   Carl was waiting for Evie in the yard when we got home and that made her so excited. They literally ran circles around the house and even played a little basketball.

Bring me joy!

Evie slept late this morning which was great but then we were a little late to MMO. Not a big deal but I think I'd be a different teacher now that I am a mom. Things happen and it's so hard to get anywhere on time. Evie had a little reflux this morning which involved a wardrobe switch which proves to be difficult since it's still so hot around here. Our clothing choices are dwindling quickly as she has grown out of so much of her summer stuff. Temperatures should be falling soon and then it will be too cold. My idea of perfect weather is about 75 degrees with lots of sunshine.  

  Evie was so excited when I pulled in the parking lot for her school this morning. She was chanting school, school and wanted to carry her backpack inside herself. Works for me. Levi was having a bit of trouble when we walked in but he hopped right down from Ms. Lori's lap to see Evie. They just started chattering away to each other so happy to see each other. Drop-off without tears are the best!

   I had a nice morning while Evie was at MMO. Starbucks was calling my name and it was so pleasant to sit still and enjoy my toffee nut latte without any interruptions. I even had a chance to read the paper. After my leisurely coffee break, I had two quick errands and then came home to clean house. Exciting stuff! It's so much easier to get things done without my little helper. It was so quiet in the house and such a treat to have my whole house to myself. All of the moms with young children can relate! Evie was delighted to see me and left the picnic in a hurry to see me. Her class was having a Cheerio picnic on the floor since they had an early snack. She said, "Bye, bye Mama" and was ready to go home.

   Evie was worn out and slept until 4:00 which allowed me to be more productive than I have been in weeks. I even had time to sneak in a little time on the couch watching crazy TV shows. I deserved it after working for more than three days on my teaching license. It's almost time to renew which is a little more difficult when I am not in the classroom. I have spent more hours than necessary searching for a course to take, getting it approved with the NC Department of Instruction and  explaining my current situation to multiple people and confirming the decision my previous school district. Thank goodness, I do not have to worry about renewing for another 5 years.

    We headed outside after nap. Millicent came over for a few minutes to play with Evie but had to leave because her dog was bleeding. They always have so much going on with 4 kids, two dogs and the grandparents were in town. It makes our life seem really calm. One day, we will be in the midst of the chaos too but I am enjoying this time now. Evie had on her St. Patrick's Day necklace and was investigating the Easter eggs that her Daddy had hidden for her with jellybeans inside of them. Millicent noticed the irony of the situation that Evie was celebrating two holidays that are not in September. It was so funny!

   Evie was so sad to see Millicent go so we got to work cleaning out her water table. She had so much fun playing with the hose. Carl got home and we ran around the yard a little. Evie loves piggy back rides and spinning in circles so it can count as our workout too.

   Evie is so much fun! She brings us so much joy and laughter. What a blessing! Evie is in the shower and I need to get busy making some shrimp and grits for dinner. It's almost the weekend. Hope you have something to look forward to doing!

Music Maker

Evie and I did a few things around the house this morning before heading to our first Kindermusik class. We missed last week because we were on the way to my parents house. Evie was so shy this morning and sat on my lap. I am pretty sure she remembered the place but was concerned about all of her friends since it was all new kids. She is the Our Time class this year and there is a very wide age-range of 18 months - 3 years. Evie was one of the youngest so she liked all the big kids. There was a sweet girl in the class named Jane who just loved Evie. She sat next to her and put her arm around Evie while patting her back. So cute! Evie thought this was just great and called her CiCi. Evie's pet name for all big girls is still CiCi.

   Evie is still exhausted from our trip and so are her parents. She almost fell asleep on the way home from class. Lunch was quick and then she was down for her nap. She woke up happy and ready to go play outside. It's the first day of fall but it feels like the middle of summer.

   Carl got home in time for a family walk to the park. He gave her a quick bath and I put her to bed. We are trying to get dinner on the table so it's time to run.

21 Years ago . . .

Hurricane Hugo struck the Carolina's. I was in 4th grade and Carl was in the 10th grade. My solar system project was due and my mom stayed up late helping me complete the project. My brother slept right through it and I was worried that a tree would fall on him while he was sleeping. Carl lived in Pawleys Island and was fascinated by the hurricane. His family had to evacuate from their home. They drove about 60 miles inland and the roof of their hotel came flying off in the night. There was a Huddle House when they checked in the hotel that was gone when they checked out. They came home to a huge mess in Pawleys Island with the Red Cross canvassing their street. They lost lots of Christmas ornaments and pictures. They also found other peoples items floating in their creek. Hurricane Hugo shaped Carl's life in so many ways and created his fascination with all things weather. It did not really change my life so much. I remember going to the grocery store with my dad and people using chain saws to get through the roads. We were out of school for two weeks which was pretty crazy considering we were so far from the coast. At that time, it was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit the United States. That record was changed three years later when Hurricane Andrew hit during Carl's first week at the College of Charleston. My Weather Wacko provided me with that fact just to clear up any confusion. I had to evacuate the College of Charleston my sophomore year due to a hurricane too. It's hard to believe that Hurricane Hugo was 21 years ago. That's one thing about Tennessee is hurricanes are pretty much out of the realm of possibility.

Hot air balloons

It's been a really long day. Evie always needs extra attention when we return from a trip. I must have read her 60 books today. Every once in awhile, I'd try to sneak away and she'd come find me and drag me back to the couch for more books. It's pretty cute the first time but my house is a disaster!

   Carl called to let us know that hot air balloons were outside. Evie thought this was the coolest thing ever. She kept pointing at the sky shouting ball. It was really fun to see her so excited. They were so close that we could hear them.

   I am loving my dinner swap meals.We had Christina's delicious sausage, basil lasagna. I threw together a quick salad and tossed some rolls in the oven  . . . voila dinner was ready.  It makes life so much easier when you can just pop something in the oven that someone else has already prepared for your family.

Wedding Weekend

We had such a good weekend celebrating the wedding of Stephen and Allison. It was so wonderful to see everyone especially all the little people. Evie LOVED having so many cousins to play with and had a great time.

   We arrived on Thursday around 7:30. Evie was so excited to see all the stairs and quickly starting moving up and down the two flights of stairs. She is really good at stairs but we still have a baby gate. I did not even think to take a baby gate and it turned out we did not even need one. Evie used the stairs as entertainment. We got Evie's room all set up in the basement in the bathroom. Evie was so happy to see her cousins arrive after bathtime. They played a little and then all the girls went to bed. Lollie, Kurt, Carl and I stayed up eating some yummy Lexington barbecue. It was so delicious!  We stayed up way too late. Carl's parents were not able to come because they are in Europe celebrating Tony's birthday and their anniversary. It sounds like they are having an interesting adventure that we will learn more about tomorrow when they return.

   Friday morning came very early around 7:30 which was 6:30 for us but we just had to roll with it. Carl and Kurt left to play golf with the groom. We stayed at the house and hung out all morning. Evie just had a blast! She tried on her cousin's shoes, played in their room and basically adored them. The feeling is mutual - they LOVE her so much too and it's so adorable to see their relationship.  Lollie left with the girls to go to the bridesmaid luncheon since Mary and Lucy were flower girls. Evie took a nap and I read a book. Everyone came back to get ready and we stayed home for a bit with Evie. There was a party down by the lake and Evie had a lot of fun running around with all of her cousins. It was so hard to keep up with her and she was all over the place. We left around 9 to come back to the house. It was a beautiful party and I wish that I had more time to chat with everyone but Evie needs constant supervision right now. Carl and Kurt stayed at the party while all the girls went home.

     Saturday was a little calmer. We took a trip to Chimney Rock and it was gorgeous! Evie was not as impressed as everyone else but we had a great time. Only eight people are allowed in the elevator at one time. We were a group of 7 and an older lady was quite annoyed that we took up the allotted space. She commented to the elevator operating that " those (while pointing at the kids" count as a whole person. I wanted to tell her that " a person is a person no matter how small." Evie took a really LONG nap and everyone went off to do things like miniature golf. Carl and I stayed at the house with Evie. Mary and Lucy got in their fancy dresses and Evie knew right then that something exciting was about to happen. We got Evie dressed in her beautiful dress that Sheshe gave Evie for her birthday and headed down to the chapel for the wedding. It was a gorgeous wedding. Allison looked so pretty and Stephen was so happy. Evie enjoyed the wedding for about 15 minutes but then I took her out since she was shouting "wa wa" and throwing her pacifier. We went down to the nursery with Evie's cousin Taylor who is just a few weeks younger than Evie. That was a much better place for Evie although she was wild there too. She tried to take Taylor's pacifier and then started pulling thumbtacks off the wall as quickly as she could. It was a really fast wedding so we took the kids to the narthex to watch. It was baby central out there so it was a good place to be with Evie.

   Finally, it was time for the reception. Evie loved being around all the kids and devoured a bunch of tomatoes with Taylor. Again, I hardly had a chance to talk but we had a wonderful time. Evie danced a lot and thought the band was so cool. She did really well and made it to about 9:30. Carl took us back and Evie went to sleep.

     We all slept until about 8 and then got everything ready to go. Evie was so sad to say bye to her cousins. She had so much fun with Mary and Lucy! We all had a great time.

    It was a long drive back. We left about 10 and got home at 4:30.  Evie did fantastic in the car. We are so amazed at her traveling skills. She is so good at hanging out in her car seat. Evie read a few books, diapered and fed her baby, had some snacks, took a nap, admired the scenery and nibbled on five jelly beans. It was one of her best trips.

     She was ready to play when we got home. Carl had to go into the office for a little bit and I took her outside five different times to play. She had so much energy but it was obvious that she was so tired. Bedtime was early tonight. She was asleep in her crib at 6:45.

     Wedding's are always so much fun! Too bad that we are aging out of weddings. Congratulation's to Stephen and Allison!  Thank you for including us in your special day.

In the middle of nowhere . . .

We are in Lake Lure for the weekend to celebrate the wedding of Carl's cousin, Stephen and his wife to be, Allison. Internet and cell access is VERY limited. See you in a few days.

20 Months Old!

Dear Evie,

  Here we are again, another month has passed and you my sweet girl are 20 months old. Time keeps going faster and faster and so do you! We run after you all day every day watching you explore the world around you. Evie, you are so sweet and kind. You love people, animals, books and food. Your favorite place is outside and you spend most of your day "side" playing in your yard.

   You are a good friend and are always so happy to see your little friends. Your friend Abby even says your name now and you really like that. Our neighbors have become very interested in you and always come outside to see you. They think you are really fun! Mommy and Daddy think you are so fun too.

     We take lots of walks to the park and you hang out in your stroller checking out the scenery. You love all the dogs, birds, rabbits, squirrels and even deer that we see along the way. Airplanes can be spotted miles away by you.

   Books are your latest obsession and you carry them around the house with you like prized possessions. You come running with at least two in your hands and you will sit for the longest time as long as keep reading. I read to you all day long and love all the snuggles while we read. You are talking a lot now and copy everything that we say. A clerk at the shoe store told me that you were a parrot and I had to agree.

   Evie, you still love to eat and will make friends with anyone that will feed you. Some of your favorite foods are mango, hummus, french toast, taco soup, grapes and of course cheese! You also have a bit of a sweet tooth just like your Mommy. You are a good sleeper and love to be in your bed. You go to bed around 7 and sleep until around 7 most days. You nap for about 3 hours unless we are in the car. Then, you take a short nap so that do not miss anything going on around you.

   You like to take showers now but we still give you baths sometimes too. It's a lot easier to shower with you and you just love it. Daddy thinks you are a water baby.

   You started school this month and really like it a lot. Mommy likes it too since it gives me a chance to run a few errands and have a little break. Your teachers are Ms. Lori and Ms. Linda and they love you already. You have fun playing with your friends, going to music class, listening to Bible stories and going for walks in the jumbo stroller.

  You weigh about 26 pounds and like to weigh yourself on our scale. You are really tall and your feet are growing so fast too. Most of your baby look is gone but you are growing into a beautiful, independent, happy toddler. We love seeing you change! You have changed so much. We cannot wait to see what this next year has in store for us. You are getting so close to being 2! That's so hard to believe, it feels like you just got here in some ways but it also feels like you have been our daughter for a LONG time.

   We love you so much and are so proud of you. Love, Mommy and Daddy

TTTB

Too tired to blog . . . we are leaving in the morning and it's been one crazy day!