To a family of 4 when Eli came into the world!
We are looking forward to 2011 & are so excited to see what adventures, discoveries & surprises the next year will hold! Many blessings to you this New Year!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Goodbye 2010!
2010 was a fun year for the Luiken family! We enjoyed a fun trip up north, listening to Breena learn to talk & sing, a job change, and an addition of a little neice! We were so blessed this year when our family went from a family of 3
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Typical Day
A typical day for me goes like this...
5:20am Awake to the sound of Eli whiny in his crib. Go in to give him a bottle. Lay him back down awake in hopes that he will fall back asleep.
5:30am Crawl back into bed trying to ignore Eli’s talking through the monitor
5:50am Receive a tap on the head and hear “mommy, I have to go potty” by Breena who was sleeping on the floor on our room. Rush to the bathroom. Watch her applaud herself after she pees. Wash hands.
5:55am Crawl back into bed with Breena. Try to convince her that it is sleepy time.
6:10am Give up on convincing Breena of sleepy time. Turn on cartoons.
6:12am Give up hope that Eli will fall back asleep. Bring him to bed to cuddle.
6:30am Give up hope that I can at least lay in bed for a bit longer. Eli is trying to crawl off bed. Breena is pretending to be a steamroller and is rolling over Allie. Get up and go to playroom.
7:00am Head into kitchen to make breakfast. Try to quickly throw together a healthy breakfast.
7:01am Pull Eli’s hands out of Allie’s water dish. Wipe up spilt water on floor.
7:05am Get kids seated. Give them food. Head over to sink to do up the dishes from the night before.
7:07am Turn to look at kids find Eli with banana’s up his nose. Discover that Breena is finger-painting with her yogurt all over the kitchen table. Remove banana from nose. Contemplate whether or not to stop the finger-painting. Decide it is not worth a fight. Allow finger painting to continue. Finish dishes.
7:20am Get Eli out of highchair after he screams because he is sick of sitting. Remind Breena eighteen million times to finish her milk.
7:30am Head into bathroom for a potty break. Listen to Breena yell that Eli is going to touch her pee.
7:31am Breena finishes going potty. We wash our hands. Turn to find Eli chewing on a bar of soap. Take away soap and shut bathroom door. Head into bedroom.
7:40am Spend the next half hour trying to get Breena to wear clothes. Tell her that it is not okay to be naked all day. Listen to her cry when I implement the “naked in bedroom only” rule. Get Eli changed in the meantime. Breena eventually agrees to put clothes on.
8:10am Free Play
8:50am Give Eli bottle. Try to keep Breena quiet so he can fall asleep.
9:00am Attempt to shower. Let Breena play in bathroom sink to stay entertained. Rush through shower.
9:10am Turn on Ellen & have snack with Breena
9:15am Breena is bored so head into bathroom to play makeup. Dry hair. Clean lipstick off of Breena’s face.
9:40 Eli up. Attempt to go somewhere fun.
11:00am Lunch followed by a cartoon. Try to clean up a bit while kids have quiet time before nap. Fold laundry. Walk to bedroom to put away a stack of laundry. Find the rest of my folded clothes sprawled out in living room. See kids on top of laundry mountain giggling. Refold said laundry.
12:30am Try to get both kids to take a nap. This takes 45 minutes. When one falls asleep the other wakes up. Respond to the requests a nuk, water, bear & baby a million times. End nap war with a raised voice and cranky mama.
1:15pm Try to gain some sanity by having “me” time
2:00pm Hear Eli whine. Rush in to get him
2:04 pm Breena up too. Go to bathroom for a potty break. She is cranky after nap and refuses to pull down pants. Help her with pants. Bribe her to pee. Fight with her to put pants back on. Lose the battle & let her run around in undies.
2:15pm Turn on a cartoon to cheer up cranky Breena. Realize I lost Eli. Search for Eli. Find him in the dog kennel playing in water dish.
2:20pm Get Breena a snack.
2:30pm Head to playroom. Play until Daddy gets home.
5:00pm Dave home. Finish supper. Hand him kids. Go to the bathroom alone for the first time all day.
5:20am Awake to the sound of Eli whiny in his crib. Go in to give him a bottle. Lay him back down awake in hopes that he will fall back asleep.
5:30am Crawl back into bed trying to ignore Eli’s talking through the monitor
5:50am Receive a tap on the head and hear “mommy, I have to go potty” by Breena who was sleeping on the floor on our room. Rush to the bathroom. Watch her applaud herself after she pees. Wash hands.
5:55am Crawl back into bed with Breena. Try to convince her that it is sleepy time.
6:10am Give up on convincing Breena of sleepy time. Turn on cartoons.
6:12am Give up hope that Eli will fall back asleep. Bring him to bed to cuddle.
6:30am Give up hope that I can at least lay in bed for a bit longer. Eli is trying to crawl off bed. Breena is pretending to be a steamroller and is rolling over Allie. Get up and go to playroom.
7:00am Head into kitchen to make breakfast. Try to quickly throw together a healthy breakfast.
7:01am Pull Eli’s hands out of Allie’s water dish. Wipe up spilt water on floor.
7:05am Get kids seated. Give them food. Head over to sink to do up the dishes from the night before.
7:07am Turn to look at kids find Eli with banana’s up his nose. Discover that Breena is finger-painting with her yogurt all over the kitchen table. Remove banana from nose. Contemplate whether or not to stop the finger-painting. Decide it is not worth a fight. Allow finger painting to continue. Finish dishes.
7:20am Get Eli out of highchair after he screams because he is sick of sitting. Remind Breena eighteen million times to finish her milk.
7:30am Head into bathroom for a potty break. Listen to Breena yell that Eli is going to touch her pee.
7:31am Breena finishes going potty. We wash our hands. Turn to find Eli chewing on a bar of soap. Take away soap and shut bathroom door. Head into bedroom.
7:40am Spend the next half hour trying to get Breena to wear clothes. Tell her that it is not okay to be naked all day. Listen to her cry when I implement the “naked in bedroom only” rule. Get Eli changed in the meantime. Breena eventually agrees to put clothes on.
8:10am Free Play
8:50am Give Eli bottle. Try to keep Breena quiet so he can fall asleep.
9:00am Attempt to shower. Let Breena play in bathroom sink to stay entertained. Rush through shower.
9:10am Turn on Ellen & have snack with Breena
9:15am Breena is bored so head into bathroom to play makeup. Dry hair. Clean lipstick off of Breena’s face.
9:40 Eli up. Attempt to go somewhere fun.
11:00am Lunch followed by a cartoon. Try to clean up a bit while kids have quiet time before nap. Fold laundry. Walk to bedroom to put away a stack of laundry. Find the rest of my folded clothes sprawled out in living room. See kids on top of laundry mountain giggling. Refold said laundry.
12:30am Try to get both kids to take a nap. This takes 45 minutes. When one falls asleep the other wakes up. Respond to the requests a nuk, water, bear & baby a million times. End nap war with a raised voice and cranky mama.
1:15pm Try to gain some sanity by having “me” time
2:00pm Hear Eli whine. Rush in to get him
2:04 pm Breena up too. Go to bathroom for a potty break. She is cranky after nap and refuses to pull down pants. Help her with pants. Bribe her to pee. Fight with her to put pants back on. Lose the battle & let her run around in undies.
2:15pm Turn on a cartoon to cheer up cranky Breena. Realize I lost Eli. Search for Eli. Find him in the dog kennel playing in water dish.
2:20pm Get Breena a snack.
2:30pm Head to playroom. Play until Daddy gets home.
5:00pm Dave home. Finish supper. Hand him kids. Go to the bathroom alone for the first time all day.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas Walker
Eli woke up this morning and asked himself "what should I get mom for Christmas?". His answer...WALKING! Seriously, what nine month old learns to walk besides Eli & his super advanced cousin Makayla?!? That's my big boy!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Giving
Yesterday the kids & I went to the mall to drop off our toy for Toys For Tots. Before we left the house Breena & I said a prayer for the kid who was going to receive this toy. We prayed that they would have a Merry Christmas & we thanked God for the gifts under our tree. I explained to her that this toy was going to another kid who really needed a Christmas present this year. The whole way to the mall I choked back tears as I thought of all the parents who cannot afford to buy their children Christmas gifts. When we got to the mall I held Breena up so she could place the toy in the bin. As she did this she said, "bye toy. here you go other kid." Her words were simple but it warmed my heart that she understood that we were sharing this toy.
I am so grateful that my kids will never know what it feels like to wake up Christmas morning without a present from Santa. Even if we both lose our jobs & fall deep into debt we have such caring families that someone would be sure Santa came for Breena & Eli. But not everyone is so lucky. With just over a week until Christmas I encourage you to purchase a gift & donate it to a local charity. It could be anything- donate personal care items to a homeless shelter, participate in a sharing tree, donate to toys for tots or Santa anonymous. This is the season of giving- a time of year where I think we truly see the best in people. We can't afford much, but I am overjoyed to give what I can to help make someone else's Christmas a little Merrier and keep the spirit of Christmas alive. At our home we believe in Santa Claus... do you?
I am so grateful that my kids will never know what it feels like to wake up Christmas morning without a present from Santa. Even if we both lose our jobs & fall deep into debt we have such caring families that someone would be sure Santa came for Breena & Eli. But not everyone is so lucky. With just over a week until Christmas I encourage you to purchase a gift & donate it to a local charity. It could be anything- donate personal care items to a homeless shelter, participate in a sharing tree, donate to toys for tots or Santa anonymous. This is the season of giving- a time of year where I think we truly see the best in people. We can't afford much, but I am overjoyed to give what I can to help make someone else's Christmas a little Merrier and keep the spirit of Christmas alive. At our home we believe in Santa Claus... do you?
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Nine Month
Nine months ago today this darling baby boy enter the world. He was healthy & beautiful. I wouldn't ask for anything more.
Happy Nine Month Birthday Little Guy! We love you!
Monday, December 13, 2010
I have to brag...
My big girl is catching on to potty training so well! Five times today! Woo Hoo!!!
She is so smart. Must have gotten my brains...;)
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