Here's the video of Olivia enjoying her Christmas "snack" of beef tenderloin. Although the video isn't too long, if you could times what you see here by four or five, you might get an idea of how much Olivia ate! As you can see - she takes after her daddy. Gotta love it!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Christmas 2010
What a great way to end the year! We had a wonderful Christmas this year that lasted a solid 4 days filled with lots of family, fun, and, of course, presents! To sum things up...
December 23rd
Cousins Max and Mya arrive - Olivia only naps for 25 minutes as she knows she gets to see them when she wakes up! Snow, Snow, Snow! Appetizers and Presents! Olivia's becomes obsessed with carrying around her Dora backpack and feeding her baby! Gracie enjoys eating much paper, pulling herself up on all the boxes, and climbing on mommy at every possible minute. I open most of Olivia's presents as she just wants to play with Mya and the toys already opened. The kiddos bond with Auntie Tara and her iphone! Olivia and Mya are joined at the hip and confirm that they are sisters at heart. They manage sharing, trading, and playing together without any need for parental intervention the entire two days! Kids in bed by 8:00. It's still snowing! Chris, Beth, Tara, Brian, and I enjoy a few adult beverages, a game, and some laughs!
December 24th
Santa arrives! Mom and Dad learn that one present would probably be sufficient. The kitchen from Grandma and Grandpa Thornton is the biggest hit! Olivia potties a little in her jammies because she doesn't want to stop playing with her kitchen. Olivia has to be prompted to stop playing with one gift and to open another. Fun times at Luther with the cousins racing around the track and riding bikes (no pictures as I forgot my camera). Back to Grandma and Grandpa's for lunch. Olivia and Mya take charge of their own cleanliness and start their own bath after lunch and then stay in the bath for almost 45 minutes. Long naps for everyone. And, it's still snowing. Frantically get ready for church as naps were longer than expected. All kids manage to behave at Children's Mass - Olivia has to be chased down by Uncle Chris after Children's Moment as she has her dad's sense of direction and missed our pew even though we were in the 3rd row! A delicious adult dinner while the older cousins watch Dora and Gracie sleeps. Olivia shocks us all by coming out for a snack and proceeding to eat an adult size portion of beef tenderloin. We all end up sleeping at Pat and Roger's so as to not move the kids in the snowy, cold weather.
December 25th
Late wake up times make for a crazy morning of packing for the trip to Northfield. On the road by 8:45. Christmas with the Thornton family - kid gifts, white-elephant gifts, and family gifts. Olivia has no interest in opening her last presents, just wants to play with the open ones. Both girls illustrate amazing behavior and take wonderful naps. A delicious dinner is enjoyed once again. Bed time for Gracie includes some special (because it's so rare) cuddle time for mommy. Olivia's bedtime doesn't go as smoothly - over-stimulation perhaps! Gracie gives mommy a Christmas present by sleeping through the night (teething issues), but Olivia puts the kabash on it by getting up twice.
December 26th
Olivia starts the morning by finishing opening her gifts. Mom catches some extra z's. Lots of playing with Auntie Thyme. Mommy gets to satisfy her Target-fix. More playing and making a mess of Grandma and Grandpa's house. Baths by 6:30. In the car by 7:00. Gracie asleep by 7:15 with Olivia watching Dora on her new DVD player. Potty stop at 8:00. Home by 9:00. Lights out by 9:30. Mommy dreaming of someday having a clean house without boxes, paper, plastic, and toys everywhere. :)
Wow! Enough said! I love Christmas, but it's also a good thing that it only happens once a year! It took me two whole days to get our living room and family room in order. I've truly enjoyed being a temporary stay-at-home mommy, but because of exactly that, I don't think things will be ever completely put away either. I've decided that it's impossible to have a clean house if your kids are in it all day long! But that's okay, I'll fall back on the old saying: "A messy house is a happy house."
December 23rd
Cousins Max and Mya arrive - Olivia only naps for 25 minutes as she knows she gets to see them when she wakes up! Snow, Snow, Snow! Appetizers and Presents! Olivia's becomes obsessed with carrying around her Dora backpack and feeding her baby! Gracie enjoys eating much paper, pulling herself up on all the boxes, and climbing on mommy at every possible minute. I open most of Olivia's presents as she just wants to play with Mya and the toys already opened. The kiddos bond with Auntie Tara and her iphone! Olivia and Mya are joined at the hip and confirm that they are sisters at heart. They manage sharing, trading, and playing together without any need for parental intervention the entire two days! Kids in bed by 8:00. It's still snowing! Chris, Beth, Tara, Brian, and I enjoy a few adult beverages, a game, and some laughs!
December 24th
Santa arrives! Mom and Dad learn that one present would probably be sufficient. The kitchen from Grandma and Grandpa Thornton is the biggest hit! Olivia potties a little in her jammies because she doesn't want to stop playing with her kitchen. Olivia has to be prompted to stop playing with one gift and to open another. Fun times at Luther with the cousins racing around the track and riding bikes (no pictures as I forgot my camera). Back to Grandma and Grandpa's for lunch. Olivia and Mya take charge of their own cleanliness and start their own bath after lunch and then stay in the bath for almost 45 minutes. Long naps for everyone. And, it's still snowing. Frantically get ready for church as naps were longer than expected. All kids manage to behave at Children's Mass - Olivia has to be chased down by Uncle Chris after Children's Moment as she has her dad's sense of direction and missed our pew even though we were in the 3rd row! A delicious adult dinner while the older cousins watch Dora and Gracie sleeps. Olivia shocks us all by coming out for a snack and proceeding to eat an adult size portion of beef tenderloin. We all end up sleeping at Pat and Roger's so as to not move the kids in the snowy, cold weather.
December 25th
Late wake up times make for a crazy morning of packing for the trip to Northfield. On the road by 8:45. Christmas with the Thornton family - kid gifts, white-elephant gifts, and family gifts. Olivia has no interest in opening her last presents, just wants to play with the open ones. Both girls illustrate amazing behavior and take wonderful naps. A delicious dinner is enjoyed once again. Bed time for Gracie includes some special (because it's so rare) cuddle time for mommy. Olivia's bedtime doesn't go as smoothly - over-stimulation perhaps! Gracie gives mommy a Christmas present by sleeping through the night (teething issues), but Olivia puts the kabash on it by getting up twice.
December 26th
Olivia starts the morning by finishing opening her gifts. Mom catches some extra z's. Lots of playing with Auntie Thyme. Mommy gets to satisfy her Target-fix. More playing and making a mess of Grandma and Grandpa's house. Baths by 6:30. In the car by 7:00. Gracie asleep by 7:15 with Olivia watching Dora on her new DVD player. Potty stop at 8:00. Home by 9:00. Lights out by 9:30. Mommy dreaming of someday having a clean house without boxes, paper, plastic, and toys everywhere. :)
Wow! Enough said! I love Christmas, but it's also a good thing that it only happens once a year! It took me two whole days to get our living room and family room in order. I've truly enjoyed being a temporary stay-at-home mommy, but because of exactly that, I don't think things will be ever completely put away either. I've decided that it's impossible to have a clean house if your kids are in it all day long! But that's okay, I'll fall back on the old saying: "A messy house is a happy house."
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Grace Elizabeth - 10.5 Months
Yes, I've been delinquent in my posts once again.... However, if you knew what my desk looked like at work (organized chaos) and how big my grading pile is, I think you would understand my delinquency. Enough excuses - this post is about Gracie! (FYI - These pictures were all ones I took right around 9 moths - Gracie ate so many leaves during the photo session that she later puked a couple up!) At 10.5 months, here's what Miss Gracie is up to.
1. Pulling herself up from sitting position.
2. Finally figuring out how to go from tummy position to sitting (however this still requires her to have something to pull up on however slightly).
3. Walking with hand support and just a little behind her push toy.
4. Eating anything and everything put in front of her - she has an amazing appetite despite fact that she's still a peanut - at her 9-month check she was 16 pounds 15 ounces (20th percentile) and 27 inches tall (20th percentile).
5. Drinking out of a sippy cup.
6. Waking herself up at night to stand up in her crib and fuss till we come.
7. Attaching herself to her mommy at every waking moment.
8. Complaining rather loudly when Olivia takes something away from her (or when mommy takes it away too).
9. Eating yummy things like dirty kleenex and food off the floor (sorry, not a perfect house cleaner) and attempting to eat things like socks, shoes, paper, blankets, books, etc... You get the picture - teething!
10. Clapping, kissing, and waving goodbye (although this last is delayed in coming and looks more like "come here" than "see you later").
Physical appearance wise, Gracie has a pretty decent amount of hair that looks like it'll be just slightly, if at all, darker than Olivia's. Her hair in the back (where she was once bald) is now a solid inch long, and in the front, it's long enough that it's in her eyes most of the time. Brian wants me to cut it, but I refuse. Gracie's eyes are still a solid blue though slightly faded and her skin is very creamy and soft except for random dry patches - I'm actually going to make an appointment because I think we've got a little eczema happening.
Overall, Gracie still continues to be a little sweetie. I have many moments where I think she's the easiest kid in the world, but, as of late, I've also had a few moments where I think we're going to be in for it! For instance, Gracie frequently slaps me in the face (Yikes!), throws a royal, back-arching fit when being put in her car-seat, and, most recently, cries hard when being laid down for a nap. I am making a last minute attempt at getting her to "attach" to some comfort item as I think it's really nice that Olivia has something other than me to help her relax and feel good, but I don't have a whole lot of hope that my attempt will work. Sometimes I feel badly because Gracie is not a cuddler - she literally finishes her bottle at night, squirms around in my lap, and then reaches for her crib - but I also think it's nice that I don't spend 45 minutes putting her to bed like Olivia recently requires - more on that in the future!
Gracie favorites include - listening to music, Olivia, dancing, Olivia, jumping, Olivia, playing peek-a-boo with anything but especially the living room sheers, diving off the couch (without any doubt in her mind the mommy or daddy will catch her), playing around in the cupboards (see picture below), putting balls into her toy (understanding cause/effect), Olivia, crawling all over mommy, drinking out of Olivia's sippy cup, looking at herself in the mirror (recently this is the way to stop fussing), Olivia, acting mortally offended if someone takes her out of mommy's arms, taking baths, and dropping things on the floor and watching Olivia pick them up. Did I mention that she loves her sissy too?
Oh, Gracie girl, you are quite the sweetie with a lot of personality. And while I hope you out-grow your obsession with your mommy at some point, I also secretly love that you think you need me so much. And one more thing, even though I might not have another post about you until you turn one, I sure love you to pieces!
1. Pulling herself up from sitting position.
2. Finally figuring out how to go from tummy position to sitting (however this still requires her to have something to pull up on however slightly).
3. Walking with hand support and just a little behind her push toy.
4. Eating anything and everything put in front of her - she has an amazing appetite despite fact that she's still a peanut - at her 9-month check she was 16 pounds 15 ounces (20th percentile) and 27 inches tall (20th percentile).
5. Drinking out of a sippy cup.
6. Waking herself up at night to stand up in her crib and fuss till we come.
7. Attaching herself to her mommy at every waking moment.
8. Complaining rather loudly when Olivia takes something away from her (or when mommy takes it away too).
9. Eating yummy things like dirty kleenex and food off the floor (sorry, not a perfect house cleaner) and attempting to eat things like socks, shoes, paper, blankets, books, etc... You get the picture - teething!
10. Clapping, kissing, and waving goodbye (although this last is delayed in coming and looks more like "come here" than "see you later").
Physical appearance wise, Gracie has a pretty decent amount of hair that looks like it'll be just slightly, if at all, darker than Olivia's. Her hair in the back (where she was once bald) is now a solid inch long, and in the front, it's long enough that it's in her eyes most of the time. Brian wants me to cut it, but I refuse. Gracie's eyes are still a solid blue though slightly faded and her skin is very creamy and soft except for random dry patches - I'm actually going to make an appointment because I think we've got a little eczema happening.
Overall, Gracie still continues to be a little sweetie. I have many moments where I think she's the easiest kid in the world, but, as of late, I've also had a few moments where I think we're going to be in for it! For instance, Gracie frequently slaps me in the face (Yikes!), throws a royal, back-arching fit when being put in her car-seat, and, most recently, cries hard when being laid down for a nap. I am making a last minute attempt at getting her to "attach" to some comfort item as I think it's really nice that Olivia has something other than me to help her relax and feel good, but I don't have a whole lot of hope that my attempt will work. Sometimes I feel badly because Gracie is not a cuddler - she literally finishes her bottle at night, squirms around in my lap, and then reaches for her crib - but I also think it's nice that I don't spend 45 minutes putting her to bed like Olivia recently requires - more on that in the future!
Gracie favorites include - listening to music, Olivia, dancing, Olivia, jumping, Olivia, playing peek-a-boo with anything but especially the living room sheers, diving off the couch (without any doubt in her mind the mommy or daddy will catch her), playing around in the cupboards (see picture below), putting balls into her toy (understanding cause/effect), Olivia, crawling all over mommy, drinking out of Olivia's sippy cup, looking at herself in the mirror (recently this is the way to stop fussing), Olivia, acting mortally offended if someone takes her out of mommy's arms, taking baths, and dropping things on the floor and watching Olivia pick them up. Did I mention that she loves her sissy too?
Oh, Gracie girl, you are quite the sweetie with a lot of personality. And while I hope you out-grow your obsession with your mommy at some point, I also secretly love that you think you need me so much. And one more thing, even though I might not have another post about you until you turn one, I sure love you to pieces!
Turkey Trot 2010
As copied from my sister-in-law's blog, written (as per tradition) by the winner, her husband, Chris...
AP Nov 30, 2010 - Decorah Iowa - There are many Turkey Trot races touted throughout the country over the Thanksgiving holiday, but perhaps none quite as unique as that found in Decorah, Iowa over the last 10 years. Once every year siblings, spouses and children of the Huinker family head to the local high school track and run a mile for bragging rights. No matter the weather, how much was eaten for lunch or whether or not they are pregnant, the race is held. On one occassion, it was even held at two different locations simultaneously since not all could be in the same place at once. As much as certain unnamed family sources informed me they would like to see it end, the willpower of the elder brother forces the tradition on.
2009 saw the resurgance of young Tara Huinker, winning in convincing fashion over a ill-prepared (and in some cases actually physically ill) field. Brian Huinker had won the prior year to take away the throne from multi-consecutive-year-winner Chris Hoden. This year was sure to be either a continuation of the young dominance or a rising up of the old fogies.
Race start time was approximately 11:45am on Sunday, November 28th. Temperature was a very pleasant 45 degrees with sun. In attendance were Chris/Beth/Max/Mya Hoden, Brian/Amanda/Olivia/Grace Huinker, Tara Huinker, Roger/Pat Huinker. And the dog Chloe.
Chris and Tara broke out to an early lead which they would hold the entire race. Chris hung right behind Tara for 3/4 of a mile, not wanting to let her get too big a lead like she had in the prior race. Chris appeared to contemplate passing her going into the 4th lap, but he showed patience and stayed stride for stride until with an 1/8 of a mile to go, Tara broke into a fast and furious pace. Chris stayed with her stride for stride and took the inside of the track as he moved next to her. Both were close to out of breath when with 40 meters left around the backside of the last turn, Chris found that extra gear and sprinted it out leaving his sister-in-law behind. Another nail-biter and close win for the aging ex-champion. Unofficial times were as follows:
Chris - 7:17
Tara - 7:19
Amanda - 8:17
Brian - 9:01
Beth - 9:06
Max- 15:10
The real surprise of the race was young 3 year-old Max Hoden setting the child bar high for all future siblings and cousins. He moved those little legs faster and longer than anyone thought possible, even saying he wanted to keep going after he had already run 4 laps! With 3 laps down, he turned down assistance from both Uncle Brian and Aunt Tara telling them "I can do this myself" and "No thank-you" when they offered to jog along side him. The only time he stopped was to do his "hands on the knees" like Auntie Tara told him to do if he was tired. Jerry McGuire was seen driving up after the race no doubt scouting future talent.
As for the win, Chris commented "I'm glad I ditched the eliptical machine last year. That thing was a joke for training for a run. It feels good to get my mojo back." Young Tara was discourged but showed great sportsmanship. "Chris is a competitor. I really thought after last year that I had this little race in my hip pocket at least for the next 12 or so years until the kids got older. Looks like I may have to make another call to the Luther cross-country coach for another 1-mile training plan." Amanda was very happy with her time after claiming to not train even a little bit. Those comments were met with question. If true, Amanda could have the potential to shake up the leaderboard in the future. Brian and Beth both had hoped for better finishes and looked forward to another chance. Actually, only Brian was looking forward to another chance. Beth was heard saying "Maybe we don't need to do this race any more? Then again, it did help that it forced me to take Chloe for a few runs to help her lose those 8 pounds the vet told us she was packing".
As far as the 4 littlest competitors in the race...Max Hoden was heard asking people "Did you see me, Did you see me, Did you see me?" for at least an hour after the race. Mya had this to say: "Enough with the "Team Tara" gear. That t-shirt was like 8 sizes too big for me. Next year I'm bringing my own uniform and Max better watch out!" The only thing Olivia had to say was "I'm just mad that my mom wouldn't stop and pick me up as she ran by me on the track. I don't think she has ever blantantly ignored me like that in my entire 2.4 years of life!" 10 month old Gracie Huinker just shook her head in wonder as to why she was woken up from a perfectly good nap to witness that:) Early predictions for turkey trot 2011:
Chris - 7:05
Tara - 7:08
Amanda - 7:50
Brian - 8:00
Beth - 8:30
Max - 14:00
AP Nov 30, 2010 - Decorah Iowa - There are many Turkey Trot races touted throughout the country over the Thanksgiving holiday, but perhaps none quite as unique as that found in Decorah, Iowa over the last 10 years. Once every year siblings, spouses and children of the Huinker family head to the local high school track and run a mile for bragging rights. No matter the weather, how much was eaten for lunch or whether or not they are pregnant, the race is held. On one occassion, it was even held at two different locations simultaneously since not all could be in the same place at once. As much as certain unnamed family sources informed me they would like to see it end, the willpower of the elder brother forces the tradition on.2009 saw the resurgance of young Tara Huinker, winning in convincing fashion over a ill-prepared (and in some cases actually physically ill) field. Brian Huinker had won the prior year to take away the throne from multi-consecutive-year-winner Chris Hoden. This year was sure to be either a continuation of the young dominance or a rising up of the old fogies.
Race start time was approximately 11:45am on Sunday, November 28th. Temperature was a very pleasant 45 degrees with sun. In attendance were Chris/Beth/Max/Mya Hoden, Brian/Amanda/Olivia/Grace Huinker, Tara Huinker, Roger/Pat Huinker. And the dog Chloe.
Chris and Tara broke out to an early lead which they would hold the entire race. Chris hung right behind Tara for 3/4 of a mile, not wanting to let her get too big a lead like she had in the prior race. Chris appeared to contemplate passing her going into the 4th lap, but he showed patience and stayed stride for stride until with an 1/8 of a mile to go, Tara broke into a fast and furious pace. Chris stayed with her stride for stride and took the inside of the track as he moved next to her. Both were close to out of breath when with 40 meters left around the backside of the last turn, Chris found that extra gear and sprinted it out leaving his sister-in-law behind. Another nail-biter and close win for the aging ex-champion. Unofficial times were as follows:
Chris - 7:17
Tara - 7:19
Amanda - 8:17
Brian - 9:01
Beth - 9:06
Max- 15:10
The real surprise of the race was young 3 year-old Max Hoden setting the child bar high for all future siblings and cousins. He moved those little legs faster and longer than anyone thought possible, even saying he wanted to keep going after he had already run 4 laps! With 3 laps down, he turned down assistance from both Uncle Brian and Aunt Tara telling them "I can do this myself" and "No thank-you" when they offered to jog along side him. The only time he stopped was to do his "hands on the knees" like Auntie Tara told him to do if he was tired. Jerry McGuire was seen driving up after the race no doubt scouting future talent.
As for the win, Chris commented "I'm glad I ditched the eliptical machine last year. That thing was a joke for training for a run. It feels good to get my mojo back." Young Tara was discourged but showed great sportsmanship. "Chris is a competitor. I really thought after last year that I had this little race in my hip pocket at least for the next 12 or so years until the kids got older. Looks like I may have to make another call to the Luther cross-country coach for another 1-mile training plan." Amanda was very happy with her time after claiming to not train even a little bit. Those comments were met with question. If true, Amanda could have the potential to shake up the leaderboard in the future. Brian and Beth both had hoped for better finishes and looked forward to another chance. Actually, only Brian was looking forward to another chance. Beth was heard saying "Maybe we don't need to do this race any more? Then again, it did help that it forced me to take Chloe for a few runs to help her lose those 8 pounds the vet told us she was packing".
As far as the 4 littlest competitors in the race...Max Hoden was heard asking people "Did you see me, Did you see me, Did you see me?" for at least an hour after the race. Mya had this to say: "Enough with the "Team Tara" gear. That t-shirt was like 8 sizes too big for me. Next year I'm bringing my own uniform and Max better watch out!" The only thing Olivia had to say was "I'm just mad that my mom wouldn't stop and pick me up as she ran by me on the track. I don't think she has ever blantantly ignored me like that in my entire 2.4 years of life!" 10 month old Gracie Huinker just shook her head in wonder as to why she was woken up from a perfectly good nap to witness that:) Early predictions for turkey trot 2011:
Chris - 7:05
Tara - 7:08
Amanda - 7:50
Brian - 8:00
Beth - 8:30
Max - 14:00
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