Playground fun... or not...

Mike had some work to do so I decided to take the kids out. My mom was nice enough to offer to come along to help. I thanked her but explained that we would love her company but that she didn't have to if she had other stuff to do because the kids are always so nice and good to me when we go out anyway. Well, lets just say I'm glad she came with!!!

When I told the boys where we were going, I expected a shout of excitement. Instead they both said they were tired and didn't feel like playing at the playground today. WHAT? I didn't believe them! I knew they would have fun once we got there - like they always do! Boy was I wrong!

The first half hour was constant wining, arguing, falling, and complaining. Apparently they meant it when they said they were tired and didn't want to go there. Luckily, my mom was there to help motivate the boys to run around and have fun.

After a couple hours of playing, we went for a walk to the pond to look at the ducks before we headed home. Not all days start out as great but we ended up having fun eventually. And although I like to be stubborn and not accept help, it sure was nice to have my mom there when I was out alone with all three!

After our outing, we went back to my parents' house where my dad had his grillpit ready for grilling hotdogs with the kids.

What started out... well, not so great... ended up great after all ;)

My three favorite people!

This picture was in the newspaper of my kids. Although the quality isn't that great since it was scanned, I think the picture turned out great! All three of them look amazing!!!

Siblings :)

I can't believe it - we now have three kids! I was expecting chaos, noice, and craziness... but so far things are going absolutely wonderful. Elliot and Aiden are proud big brothers who want to hold and cuddle with Olivia anytime they get the chance.

If she cries, they try their best to talk softly to her, sing a song, or kiss her on her cheeks and forehead, while they tell me to hurry up because she wants food or a diaper change. Olivia is so lucky to have such great big brothers. I'm so proud of them!!!

Elliot's first day of school

Tomorrow is a BIG day!

The time is here. Tomorrow is a BIG day: Elliot starts FIRST GRADE and Aiden is transferred up to the big boys group at daycare!!!

Where'd the time go??? How are my little boys so big already???

Their backpacks are ready to go by the door. All of their things are marked with their names. Their new outfits are laid out. The list we received from Elliot's teachers has been checked off and we're now ready to send our big boy off to his first day of school.

I'm not sure which one of us is more excited, but either way, wish us luck! :)

Soccer finals

Today was the last day of Elliot's soccer weekend. The weather wasn't quite on our side, but the kids still had fun and that's what's important! Elliot had learned a lot the first two days and had definitely improved, so it was really fun to watch him out there today.

Elliot's number one fan was there along the sidelines all day with a big smile on his face (and lots of great remarks being thrown at the players... hehe)!

Note the Lego guy in Aiden's hand - he doesn't go anywhere without Legos these days! ;)

After three long days of hard work out on the field, the kids lined up around the center circle to receive their award. The youngest players' names were called first. Elliot was so adorable when his name was called. My once-shy-and-quiet son jogged proudly into the center, shook the leader of the soccer club's hand, and jogged back to his spot.

Here are the youngest players at this year's soccer school :) Elliot is in the front row and all the way to the right (when looking at the picture).

It was a successful weekend, definitely worth the time and money, and something we guarantee we'll sign up for again!!!

Second day of soccer school

Today was Elliot's second day of the soccer school. On our way down to the field, he was full of questions: What are we going to learn today? Do you think the other kids will be a lot better than me? Do we get any breaks? Will we have the same coaches as yesterday? It was endless! He was so curious! He was concerned about his skills compare to the other kids. He was excited to learn. He was anxious to meet new people.

It was raining pretty good in the morning, but by the time his team finished their warm-ups, the sun was out and umbrellas were going down. Mike and I had brought chairs and coffee (along with food and drinks for the kids of course), and Aiden had brought a couple toys, so we were prepared for a long day of cheering from the sidelines.

Although Elliot hadn't played as much soccer as some of the kids on his team, he did really well and had a lot of fun!
His coaches were teenagers from an older soccer team - they were fantastic! They were fun and energetic, while giving a lot of individual attention to each kid. They used positive feedback like you'd never expect from teenage boys and were so encouraging towards the little kids. I was quite impressed!I am so glad we entered him in this soccer program. He was in the youngest age group so we had considered waiting one more year like many parents do, but I'm so glad we gave it a shot. It taught Elliot a lot both about soccer and himself, and Mike and I were so proud of him as we watched him out on the field with his teammates!

Soccer weekend!

Elliot has "soccer school" all weekend, where teenage soccer players coach the younger kids.

Tonight was just the introduction with a couple hours of playing, while the real deal starts tomorrow. Elliot wasn't so sure about playing when we first arrived tonight since there were so many big kids there that were obviously pretty good, but once he got into it, he had a blast and did really well. I was such a proud soccer mom standing there along the sidelines ;)

PS - I forgot to take pictures while he played, but here's one I took with my phone on our way there. I'll have to get a few tomorrow...

Preparing for a little sister

A friend of mine visited us at our camper this weekend. She brought along her hubby, her 2-year-old daughter, and her itty bitty little baby who was only a few weeks old.

Elliot was in heaven! He couldn't stop starring at the baby, checking out his tiny fingers and toys, holding up toys in front of him, and asking question and question about him. When my friend asked if he wanted to try holding him, his face lit up! He had the biggest smile on his face and started giggling. He jumped into one of the chairs and had the cutest - both excited and nervous - expression on his face.

It took a minute to get the baby settled comfortably into his arms, but after that, both Elliot and little Nicky seemed very content!

Elliot got to hold him a couple more times throughout the day and couldn't stop talking about babies after they left. He's extremely excited for his little sister to arrive now, and will do an excellent job as a big brother!!!

Our boys are growing up!

This is an exciting year for my boys: Elliot is starting first grade in a couple of weeks and Aiden is moving up to the older kids group at daycare! I can't believe they've grown up so fast!

They're both ready for this change and I know it'll be really good for them. You could tell that Elliot had outgrown his daycare and that he's ready to move on, to learn, and to discover new things. He's such a curious kid with so many questions and so many thoughts. I'm sure there'll be plenty of "boring days" at school where he'll complain about homework, etc. but for now, I'm as excited as he is to start on this new adventure.

Aiden is also going to do well with the older kids. He loves playing with his big brother any time he gets the chance to. He loves being outside, going on walks, and learning, and all of these things he'll be able to enjoy more now that he's surrounded by the bigger kids.

Some days, I want to slow down time...

But at the same time, I look forward watching them grow up!

Perfect day for biking

It was the perfect day for biking today. Not too hot, not too cold. Aiden insisted on taking his electric motorcycle because he wanted to be a big boy like Elliot and was now "too big for the tricycle."

The motorcycle is not exactly the fastest thing, especially going up hills, but he has fun on it and Elliot is nice and slows down once in a while so his little brother can catch up to him, so it worked out well.

One of our favorite stops on our neighborhood outings is Elliot's school. They don't really have any fancy equipment there, but the kids love it!

Aiden is especially amusing to watch. He wants to do exactly like his brother so he just climbs on up like he's a pro. He has no fear so he'll just drop his feet and hang there like a cute little monkey, then jump down. He can't get up quite as high as Elliot (which I'm completely ok with... hehe), but after a few minutes of failed attempts and words of frustration, he continues to play and laugh!

Spur of the moment vacation

Mike and I have been looking at cars for a while and finally found one we thought would be perfect for our family. So on Sunday morning, Mike called the owner about his car to plan a day to go look at it. Because of the car owner's work schedule, we decided it'd be best for Mike to go that very same day. Plus we were really anxious to see the car and know if we should keep looking for one or not.

So, that very same day, Mike ordered a plane ticket and traveled down to Oslo to test out the car. It was everything he expected and it filled our demands for the price we were hoping to spend, so a few hours later, it was all ours. Since Mike would then have to drive 8+ hours back home, I decided to take the boys on a mini-vacation and meet Mike half way. Mike drove to Lillehammer Sunday night, while the boys and I packed our bags.

I woke up Aiden and Elliot bright and early Monday morning and headed to the train station. We had to bring their car seats on the train since we'd be driving our new car home. Luckily, my boys are really sweet and helpful - especially when I'm alone with them. Elliot carried his own carseat, while Aiden helped me carry his (aka. held the other side of it so I knew he would stay next to me). To make what-could-be-a-long-story short, the boys were amazing on the train!!!

I was quite impressed at how well a 4-hour train ride with two kids (at 8 months pregnant) could go. We had so much fun!

What started out as a spur of the moment trip, ended u as a fantastic family vacation!!!

Elliot's photo skillz

Elliot woke up tonight and said he couldn't fall back asleep. Then he looked outside the window and said, "Wow, that's pretty! We have to take a picture of that!" Seeing how this was probably an excuse for him not to go back to bed, I told him I've taken many pictures of sunsets from our house and that it was time to bed. He answered, "No but tonight it's REALLY pretty so we HAVE to take a picture of it." Instead of wasting time on arguing, I let him take a couple of pictures, then brought him back to bed...

He was right! The sunset WAS really pretty!!! And his pictures turned out beautiful!!!

Brotherly love

Elliot and Aiden are usually pretty good about finding stuff to do, but this evening - while I was making dinner - the house suddenly got really quiet. I couldn't help but to check on them, to see what they could possibly be doing to be THAT quiet.

I walked into the livingroom and my heart melted. They were simply relaxing after a warm day outside!

The camera was near by so I had to sneak in a picture of this brotherly love. They both gave me a cute smile and Aiden squished his big brother even more! Precious!!!

Graduation Day

Elliot graduated from daycare today. This means he is now a First Grader!!! Well, he doesn't officially start first grade for a couple more months, but I still can't believe my son has grown up so much.

Daycare had arranged a grillparty for the parents, along with a small performancy by the kids. Then they ended it by handing out a folder with drawings, photoes, and projects created by each kid throughout their years at daycare. Along with the folder and certificate, they received a little tree that is meant to be planted in your yard to watch grow along with you.

Mike and I absolutely love Aiden and Elliot's daycare, and we're so thankful for the staff that work there! They create such a safe and fun environment for the kids. They think of so many exciting activities and the boys get to be a part of so many things that we couldn't offer them at home. I'm so lucky we got into that daycare and I'm really happy that we're having another child so we can continue to be a part of it for many more years! :)

"Daddy is home!"

Yesterday was a GREAT day! Not only was it my birthday, but it was also the day Mike got home from the States. Elliot, Aiden, and I have missed him so much! We had a lot of fun being alone for two weeks, but it wasn't the same. Our family is now complete again!

The look on Elliot and Aiden's faces when they saw their daddy was the best thing I've seen in a long time. They were glowing! Their smiles were huge! They both ran as fast as they could to jump into their daddy's arms and they wrapped themselves around his neck as hard as they possibly could. They were so happy!

Seeing my boys' smiles was better than any birthday gift I could've received that day!

Elliot's big concert

Elliot had a big choir concert with his daycare tonight, which he has both talked about and dreaded for months! He loves singing and playing instruments, but refuses to stand on stage in front of a lot of strangers. Mike and I had talked to him a lot about this day in advance and Elliot had agreed that he wanted to give it a try, but I promised him that he could go off stage at any time if he didn't want to be there anymore.

Well, plans changed a little bit with Mike being in the States, but luckily, my mom stepped in to join us in the audience. I wanted to have someone with me to sit with Aiden incase Elliot needed me at all.

The concert started out well. Elliot started out back stage with all of his friends and walked in and onto the stage while singing their first song. I was so proud of him! This really was a HUGE deal - he had been dreading this moment for a long time!

He started out so well, but as soon as he spotted us in audience (even when we tried to 'hide' in the back) he wasn't able to sing any longer. He was so sad - I felt terrible! He tried for a little bit, but eventually one of the daycare staff came with him and found us in the audience. I reassured him that I was really proud of him and that I didn't care if he was on stage or sitting next to me... I was just there to hear him sing!!!

I know how hard it is to face your fears and I know this wasn't easy for him. I'm so happy that he did so well, and I know he was proud of himself too. It was a challenging day for him, but he did great!!!

Elliot signs himself into FIRST grade!!!

Elliot is starting first grade this fall!!! I can't believe my little boy is starting school already. Where'd the time go!?

Today was the big day of "Innskriving" (signing up for school) for all of the first graders. They started out with some activities outside, met their teachers, played with their new classmates, and then came the big moment: writing their name into the school book! This is a tradition that Elliot's school started with when it first opened and has continued since, so it was quite a big deal for the 6-year-olds to now be apart of this book.

Elliot is definitely ready for school and I'm so excited for him too start! He is such a smart and creative boy so I know this will be really good for him. He loves to learn, to ask questions, and to try to understand. He's really friendly and easy to get along with, so he should make friends in no time.
At the end of their day at school, each almost-first-grader received THE orange backpack that every first-grader in Norway gets. Then they lined up in front of all of the parents as the teachers and principal wished them welcome to school! :)

Elliot wasn't quite ready to leave the school after we were done there, so we stayed to check out his new playground for a little while... and of course, the first grade backpack stayed on this entire time!!! ;)
This was a special day for Elliot, and I am so incredibly proud of him!!! I love you, buddy!

P.S. Mike was in the States still at this time and was really bummed to miss out on this day, but Elliot let me take a few videos to share with his daddy so that he could feel like a part of it when he returns. He also called Mike on skype to show him his new backpack and tell him all about his day. Elliot was really excited to tell him all about it, and Mike was so proud of him! I just sat there tear-eyed watching them talk on skype about school and becoming a first-grader!

Elliot turns 6!

I can't believe my firstborn baby is now six years old! I still remember the pregnancy so clearly, the birth, the beautiful baby they laid on my skin, the gorgeous eyes that peaked up to look at his daddy, and the sweet personality that has continued to blossom over the years.

Elliot is such an amazing kid and I am truly proud to be his mommy. He has such a big heart and is going to grow into such a fine man. He treats people fair and with respect. He cares a lot about his friends and family. He likes to do the right thing. Most of all, he knows how to enjoy life and make sure everyone around him do the same!

For his birthday, he wanted to have a soccer theme party. The cake didn't turn out as well as planned since the week passed by quickly and the cake became quite simple, but hey, he liked it and that's what counts! We had two parties for him: one with friends and one with family/relatives. Mike put on candles that were suppose to look like sparkles, but ended up working more like those trick candles that are almost impossible to blow out. He blew out the first five candles without a problem, but the last one just kept lighting back up. Elliot loved it and laughed hysterically. He has the best laughter and it's absolutely contagious so it became a room full of adults and kids laughing along with him as well.

Elliot was especially excited about his gifts this year! He got everything he wanted including some "cool clothes." The birthday was a success and my little boy is officially not so little any more.

Happy birthday, Elliot! We love you!

Dog-sledding

Elliot got to go dog-sledding with his daycare today! It sounded like so much fun - I wish I got to do stuff like that! ;)

We have a fun weekend ahead of us so T.G.I.F.!!!

Have a good weekend folks <3