Jokes

James and Campbell are at the age where they have started telling jokes. All morning Campbell has been asking everyone "Why did the chicken cross the road?" she got the answer "I don't know." she replied "I don't know either." Until James came in the room and then it went like this.

C: "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
J: "I don't know."
C: "Because it wanted to get to Grandma's house!"
(squealing laughter)

Busy or Overwhelmed?

I think I am a little of both! We have had so much going on lately and then the holidays are starting and wow! So, I will just list a couple things from our lives lately.

• James participated in the Math Bowl at school and was very disappointed that she didn't get a trophy. (A trophy for a 2 hour activity? Seriously?) So, we discussed how it is fun to participate and how it is not important to get a trophy. I had just finished talking to the mom of the boy who won in Kindergarten and she told me he is at a 2nd grade math level. Way to throw the curve!
• Also, with the weather change James has been having problems with her thumb sucking making her thumb all wrinkly and dry. It started cracking and it was just a mess. We have been putting a sock over her thumb all lotioned up at night and she told me this morning that she thinks she is done sucking her thumb! Like totally done! We are going to keep up the sock thing for a little while longer and hopefully she will be over it.
  
• Attempting to potty train Campbell. I know, she is 3, but she just really doesn't care. And my excuse is we have had a lot of change lately and do I really want to take on one more thing right now? Yesterday she was pretty successful. She likes wearing panties and diapers. Do not try to put pull ups on her! Hopefully it will happen before Christmas.
• I had the opportunity to accompany James and her whole school to a Ballet performance of The Snow Queen. The only problem was the teacher read a synopsis to the class before we went not knowing that we were only going to get to see the first half. The kids from James' class were pretty confused because we didn't see half the things the teacher talked about. I was impressed they were paying attention enough to be disappointed. (the other kidergarten kids put their coats on as soon as the curtain closed.)
• Bill has been busy with work. It is going to be like this for like the next three years because they are ramping up the new factory. Adding a new produciton line every three months. We love any time we get with him.
  
• We had family pictures taken. And when Bill and I both saw them we just thought we look so tired. I think it is just the reality that we are getting older. AHHH! I can't believe we aren't in our early 20's anymore! We do love the pictures, at least the girls are young and way cute!
  

• I am off to finish my cleaning and laundry and then make a pumpkin pie. James has a half day and my parents and Luke are coming down tonight for Thanksgiving. I am excited to watch Bill play some football tomorrow. (One of my favorite things! I wish I knew him in High School, when he was in his prime.) HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

ps I am so thankful for my family, immediate and extended! I wish we could see more of you. I really wish we could fly to Boston (where a group of my side will be for the holiday) and then to Phoenix (where a gathering of Bill's side will be). And I am thankful for all the blessings we have had in the last year. They are so many I will have to make a list sometime!

This is for Maegan.

I bought a new pair of shoes yesterday because I have an upcoming Holiday Season with parties (well, one so far) and a wedding (yeah!). I had called my sister Maegan from the store because I was having second thoughts about buying red shoes. But I really love them and they had my size, which is a HUGE challenge (huge because I wear a 10). And they are comfortable. So, now I just need to find the perfect dress and I will be set! And no mom I do not have a shoe fetish. The last pair of shoes I bought were my running shoes 4 months ago, and they were replacing my old running shoes that were 5 years old!

Campbell and her friend.

Campbell was reading her dinosaur book to the kitty yesterday.It was really cute, the kitty likes dinosaurs! Then the cat got a little interested in the popcorn.

And Campbell wasn't too sure about that.This morning James brought these things to me. She told me she found them under Campbell's pillow. Last week Bill was getting Campbell's bed situated for bedtime and under her pillow he found lots of trinkets. Including my barretts that I have been searching for! She is a little collector, and she knows where to keep them hidden.

It's over!

Oh, how we will miss you, our first little house! (stock photo, it doesn't look like this right now!)All the changes we made to you and how you always felt like home! Oh, how we will miss your tile floors (I don't think anyone knows what tile is here in Iowa, so we will be doing that again).
And the cozy feeling you provided for our little family. All of your storage space.And the big garage we loved.The huge Cottonwood in the backyard that put a tree swing in and we loved to swing on.
As you can tell, we sold our house last weekend. It is bittersweet. We really loved that house and we are happy to be moving on with our life's journey. The people who bought it were this cute little couple that have only been married for a year. I'm just happy to know that they appreciate it, and hopefully will love it as much as we did. Now, we are no longer home owners. The search begins!

On another note, Campbell had fun at her princess birthday party. It took bribing with sparkly lip gloss to get the dress on, and it came off as soon as she got home. Then James wore it for the rest of the day. So different!
We had so much fun at Grandma and Grandpa's for the weekend. Sunday morning Campbell was up bright and early to help with the farm chores. When I got up she was camped in front of the TV with her boots and sweatshirt on holding a chicken feather.
I said "Good morning farm girl."
To which she replied "I'm not a farm girl."
Me "Well, you have boots on and you are holding a chicken feather, so I would say you are a farm girl!"
Campbell "Oh, but these are my boots that I am going to ride Ruby on with Grandma!"
My mom is getting a horse, named Ruby, and Campbell is already looking forward to riding her. I think she is totally a farm girl!

What I have been up to!

My friend, Nancy, and I were asked to put together some inexpensive Christmas decorations and gifts for a Enrichment Activity at church. So here are some things that I made for it.

Campbell was invited to a Princess party and me, with no fore thought, did not get a costume around Halloween time. So I was left to my own devices. Our dress up clothes are totally used up and need to go in the garbage so I had to come up with something for her to wear. I started with a $1 T-shirt and used a couple pieces from a pattern I had. The results!

Now, the bat costume. The easiest thing to make EVER! You take a black hooded sweatshirt, I used a picture of a bat to make a pattern for the ears and cut them out of black felt, double layered with fabric glue (or sew if you will be washing it in the future). Then hand sew to the top of the hood. The wings I cut out of black knit fabric (you could use fleece, too) so no need to hem the raw edge. Make them big enough for the wing span (the first set I cut out only went 90 degrees and she couldn't lift her arms all the way up). Then hand stitch along the seam under the arm and down the torso. Voila! Bat costume! Have fun!

Differences

While we were in Illinois for the Halloween/Campbell's Birthday weekend we were able to see some of our wonderful friends the Briscoe's. Of course, Kaylin, had a birthday present for Campbell. She is a mother I look up to. Five kids, and she always is so calm and loving with them. She is a someone I use as a gague to my mothering. How would Kaylin react to this situation? (I have never heard her raise her voice or say something hurtful to her children, even out of frustration.)

The next day after we were home James asked Campbell if she could play with the playdough she had received from the Briscoe's. Campbell said yes and for a while James was able to play by herself. First she gently dumped each color out. Then one by one she built a snail.Campbell came to join in the fun and the first thing she does is grab as many colors as she can and smoosh them all together. They each enjoy the playdough in their own different way.Another little story: James opened a piece of Halloween candy, puts it in her mouth, looks at the wrapper and spits it out. I witness this whole thing and ask her why she spit it out. She told me that she looked at the wrapper and if you eat that candy then you get chicken pox. Of course I have to see what is on the wrapper. Bill and I laughed for only like 5 minutes, then we explained why the person looks like that.

The rest of the brithday party.

After the cheesecake we headed to Navy Pier to go to the Children's Museum. It was lots of fun. Digging up dinosaur bones. Playing in the water.Pretending to be a turtle eating fish.Overall I would say Campbell got to do her favorite things and hang out with her favorite people for her birthday (well, not all of her favorite people).

Halloween and Campbell's Birthday

This was our 6th Annual Halloween at the VerCautren's. We all always have fun. And just 3 years ago we were celebrating before Campbell was going to join us the next day.Here is a better picture of the girls costumes. They were super easy to put together and they loved them. Win-win for everyone:) Now, for Campbell's birthday we met my parents and brother Luke at Jay's Beef. We ate a great lunch and then headed over to the Eli's Cheesecake World (the actual factory where they make the cheesecakes, they have an outlet and a little cafe where you can eat) to celebrate. Luke and Campbell in front of one of the Chicago Cows at the cheesecake factory.
Family picture: Luke, Dad, Mom, James, Campbell, Bill and me!
The VerCautren clan and the Wicke clan.
Campbell, candles and cheesecake!After the celebrations we went to the Chicago Children's Museum. I will post more tomorrow!

The Bean turns 3!

Campbell is three today. I really can't believe it. (I guess lots of things are surprising me with how fast life flies by) We have a day of fun planned with family and friends. She is such a wonderful little girl and we can't imagine a day without her. She recently started doing a new chore. All on her own. I couldn't find her the other day in the house so I called out her name and she was in the basement. I asked her what she was doing (the basement is unfinished). She replied "I'm cleaning the kitty's poo-poo." I had to go investigate. Sure enough, she had scooped all the poop into a bag, and didn't really make that much of a mess. I guess that I wasn't that surprised because she can always do more then I think she can. What a big helper. At that moment I vaguely remembered her telling me earlier that the cat needed to go pee-pee, I guess that sparked her concern for the kitty litter. She always has to help with with EVERYTHING. Cleaning, cooking, reading. And she is no follower. She will always come up with her own answer and break away from the group. We love our little spunky Campbell Colleen (she really takes after her great aunt Colleen, what big shoes to fill!).

ps I will post pictures later of Halloween and the party.