Where the Wild Things Are...

Happy Birthday Mabel!

Mabel turned 3 on September 11^th.  We celebrated with a “Purplicious” party on September 10^th and were joined by family and a few friends.  Given the events that had occurred the previous week, it was actually a wonderful time to bring people together to celebrate our little treasures.  There was a lot of purple and Mabel loved her birthday cake.  As is becoming our tradition, we ended the day with an outdoor movie night on the driveway.  This year we watched, Tangled.  In case you haven't noticed, Rapunzel, also wears a purple dress!

 Mabel, at three years old you run the world…or at least our household.  You are the funniest little person with more facial expressions than anyone I know.  I know for certain I have looked at you and have seen 5 different expressions come out before a blink goes by.  You love the color purple, love the Disney princesses, especially “sleeking” beauty.  You are a great story teller and love to make sure your brother is listening, “right Louis?” Speaking of your brother, you know how to push his buttons and seem to get a kick out of doing it.  You enjoy being around adults and will often leave the kids behind to hang out with us by the table.  You enjoy cooking with Papa and love taste testing everything from spinach to stinky cheese, from hummus to chocolate.  You really have quite the palate for a three year old – especially one who used to be the pickiest eater in the house.  You are a pack rat and a bag lady, always carry a full bag of something (I fear what your room will look like as a teenager).  You are a little peanut with a big head of hair that makes us laugh every morning.  You bring many smiles to our house with your twinkling eyes and zest for life.  We love you Mabel.  Happy Birthday.

Loss

It has taken me a while to write this post, in fact this is why I am delayed with all of my posts.  In early June, we found out that I was pregnant and got very excited to have baby #3 join our family in February, 2012.  It was going to be crazy because I would be 39 weeks pregnant on my sister’s wedding, but to be honest, I never really worried about it and knew it would all work out.  We informed our family and Louis and Mabel over the July 4^th weekend.  It had been a rough few weeks for me with tiredness and nausea but I tried to stay positive.  I knew that that all of these things were a part of the process that I was very lucky to be going through.  The children were thrilled and dinner time quickly became a place where we discussed how big baby was (the size of a pea, then a grape, a peach, etc.) and we would all come up with ideas for baby names (Louis wanted to name the baby “Bobby” no matter what and loved to tease me about it).  Mabel would kiss my belly nightly and would constantly be trying to lift up my shirt or dress to “see baby”.  The whole family was thrilled and even became more excited when around 14 weeks my belly started to get rounder and it became more real for everyone.  On Thursday Sept 1, I went in to see my obstetrician for my monthly check up.  I was 16 weeks and 5 days.  I had a few questions but nothing overly concerning.  Unfortunately, when we tried to listen to the heartbeat, there was only silence.  The dr quickly performed an ultrasound, just in case the baby was being stubborn.  On the little screen by my head I could see the baby, but it was obvious, even to me, that the baby’s heart was no longer beating.  I quickly called Brad and he came to be with me immediately. Needless to say it was an awful day. 

When we got home that evening we knew we had to tell Louis and Mabel – which was the part I dreaded the most.  I was having a hard time comprehending it all, how could I expect a 4 and nearly 3 year old to understand.  Mabel just stared at us and Louis broke down sobbing.  He was so sad and it was so hard to that we couldn’t make it all better for him.  After the tears dried for a little while and we ate and gave hugs, it was time for bed.  Louis told me he really wanted a new baby and I told him that we would have to pray.  He responded with, “maybe we didn’t pray enough for this one”.  It broke my heart that he should feel any responsibility for what happened.  I quickly explained that we couldn’t have prayed more or been more excited.  It has been tough few weeks but we have received amazing support from friends, family and coworkers and it has really helped us through.  It reminds how good people are and am grateful to be surrounded by such people. 

Now we are moving forward as best as we can. Louis and Mabel don’t ask as many questions about the baby we lost, but make sure to tell me every Sunday that they prayed for a baby in Church and most nights Louis also prays for a new baby.  For me, I am so lucky to have the children I have, I can’t imagine how much harder it would be to not have them already.  I am hopeful that someday there will be another baby in our family but in the meantime, we continue to be thankful for what we have been given.

Summer

We had an excellent summer.  While we were incredibly busy and we felt like we were never home (I was gone 6 weekends in a row, Brad and the children with for 5 of those), summer never felt rushed or that it was going too fast.  Now, I would love to have a few August days back, but we appreciated them when we had them.  I took a trip to Vegas for a bachelorette party, we celebrated Father’s day in Milwaukee, took a trip to the dells, spent time at the cabin and overall just enjoyed summer.  I think as the children get older, it is so fun to see how they recognize the return of various seasons and what those seasons mean. This summer meant running through the sprinkler, playing with water and just being outside whenever possible.  I feel bad that I didn’t do a better job keeping up with all our activities, but I will let the pictures do the talking.

backyard camping with papa

cooling off on one of the many super hot days

pack us up!

And she did it…

Last Monday morning, I arrived at work and noticed that I had two missed calls from home on my work phone.  There weren’t any messages and I didn’t miss any calls on my mobile phone so I was a bit confused.  I immediately called home and Brad answered.  Instead of talking to me, he handed the phone over to Mabel.  Mabel very proudly announced to me, “I went poopy in the potter chair!” I apologize to the non-parents who may be reading this, but I was thrilled.  Thank goodness it was very early in the morning so no one had to hear me congratulate my daughter on pooping.  This was a huge deal!  The day before Mabel was to afraid to go even in her diaper and I kept telling her it was bad to keep it in and to let it come out.  I was getting very nervous about what might come of this situation.  But on this Monday, I was thrilled.  She went by herself, while Brad was in the shower. She didn’t tell anyone until it was all done.  Since that time she has successfully gone #2 in the potty two more times (she only goes every 5 days or so).  Mabel had been wearing her underwear to school and we always kept pull-ups on hand in case “her tummy hurt”.  But now, we can happily stop buying pull-ups and enjoy have two potty trained children!  I am so excited to get out of buying diapers for a little while.

Food Glorious Food

This year for Lent, Brad and I decided to abstain from meat for the entire Lenten season. We allowed eggs and seafood but it was still a challenge. I was concerned about ensuring we got enough protein in our diet which was one reason the kids weren’t included. Prior to Lent we made a list of 40 different meals that would meet our requirements which helped significantly in meal planning. It is very helpful (wonderful) to have a husband who is an amazing and imaginative cook. About halfway we both hit a wall and had a couple days of crabbiness, but we persevered (even though many people thought we were crazy). When it was all said and done, we experienced some amazing outcomes. My children became excellent eaters. While they got to eat some meat, they also had to eat of lot of the stuff we did. I was surprised to see how much more and better they ate. Secondly, Brad and I decided to continue being meatless Monday – Thursdays. We have found that we almost prefer to not to eat meat and have realized being full from meat leaves us feeling heavy. We were fairly healthy eaters before, preferring fruits and vegetables to snacks and considered ourselves entry-level foodies, but now I feel like we have come to appreciate flavors so much more and look forward to the meals we can create.

As a further result, we have joined a CSA in Shakopee. Above is a picture of our first pick up. To my surprise, Mabel thoroughly enjoyed the pok choi and more recently last night was eating raw spinach and kale leaves.

What Happened to Spring?

Between the cold/rainy weather and the constant moving and shaking, I am amazed that we are in the beginning of June! I surprised myself when I realized I haven’t updated in over two months. So here is a quick recap.

March:
Mabel has been working on potty training since November. Around Christmas I thought she was getting close, so we started buying pull ups and giving her a M&M for each successful potty trip. Well, months went by and it would come and go. With Louis he just told us, “when I am 3 I will go potty” and the day he turned 3 a switch went one and it was done. So this one foot in/on foot out approach of Mabel’s was driving me crazy. I figured I just needed to find something appealing enough to make her jump.  My bribe? A big girl bed with purple blankets! The catch: she had to do #1 and #2 in the potty. Finally, one night in March she did it, but in typical Mabel fashion is was emotional and rather dramatic. When she was finished, with tears rolling down her face and whimpering she said, “I get my big girl bed, right mommy?” So what did this mommy do? Well the very next day I went to the store and bought her a new bed, strapped it to my car and drove home. The following day we went to Pottery Barn Kids to pick out her bedding (Brad thought that maybe we should make her do it twice or at least wait until the weekend, but no, that wouldn’t work, “I promised her” I kept telling him). So here she is in her big girl bed. She was thrilled, and amazingly, she has only fallen out once so far. Oh, the part of the story that proves I’m a sucker? – She hasn’t gone #2 in the potty since!


Getting into her new bed for the first time



I don't think she could be more excited!

UPDATE: Mabel is now wearing underwear on the weekends. She stays dry all night and most nights. We are still working on #2 so she needs to wear pull-ups to school, but we will stay patient.

Mabel using one of her "stay dry" presents: chapstick

 April:
In April the family got together for my mom’s 60th birthday party. It was a nice relaxing weekend in Melrose. My mom wanted something laid back and private. So the family all get together at my parents place. Everyone had a great time. We all wore beaded necklaces and party hats for “Grandma Gold”. From what I could tell she was very happy with the weekend, and so were we.

Time for baseball



To the park with cousin Owen



Later in April we all gathered again for Easter. My sister Mindy and her boyfriend Brent surprised us on Good Friday announcing their engagement. We were all very excited and happy for them, and very grateful that my parents had champagne in the house. All of us are eagerly anticipating the February wedding. Little Louis gets to be a ring bearer and I couldn’t be more excited to see him all dressed up.  The rest of Easter weekend we spent travelling, staying at Brad's mom's place and getting together with Brad's dad's side of the famliy on Easter Sunday.

Easter at Grandma's

Spring fun while cleaning out the winter drawers

Happy Birthday Louis

Louis turned 4 on February 10th. He really wanted to go to the “Noodle Store” (Noodles) on his birthday and we then invited some neighbors over to share his ice cream cake. A couple of days later, we hosted a birthday party for him with family and a few friends. Overall it was a great night (even though I bombed the cake). Louis had a great time and loved being able to watch movies with his cousins and friend Sophia in his pj’s.

Happy Birthday Louis.


I can’t believe you are four. You are such a special boy, so inquisitive, smart and fun. At four, you try harder and harder everyday to read. You are constantly sounding out words and trying to figure out what a series of letters means on your own. We have found ourselves referencing the dictionary multiple times a week to answer your questions on what various words mean. I am so surprised at what you know already. A recent conversation with Mabel went like this:


Mabel: There is the moon. It is up abobe.
Louis: Mabel, did you say abobe? It isn’t abobe Mabel, it is above. There is not two “b’s” in above, just one. Okay, Mabel?


You still love your superheroes and love your new superhero calendar. If it were up to you, everyday would be a superhero day. For your birthday you received a new bike. You can’t wait to ride it this summer but are very clear that you need a helmet and papa does too before you can ride outside. You also love to make silly faces (rolling your eyes back into your head) and to tackle those around you whenever it is appropriate (and sometimes inappropriate). You love sports, in fact you just started baseball and love it.


You love your family, immediate and extended. At night you pray for your cousins, friends, aunts and uncles and whoever else made an impression on you that day.


We love you very much Louis and are so thankful for what you bring to our lives. You love to play and be silly but are so sweet and have such amazing empathy for a 4 year-old (you promised me that even though you are growing up you will always love me and even when you are 90, you will give me hugs). I hope you always will have that glimmer in your eye that teases mischief and the willingness to hug so tightly. Happy Birthday baby Lou.

Winter Recap

It has been forever since I gave a real update about the happenings in our lives!


The holidays were wonderful. Louis and Mabel thoroughly enjoyed Christmas. Watching their faces as they opened gifts is such a wonderful experience. I truly wanted to buy them the world just see their joyful faces over and over again.

We were lucky to host Christmas evening at our house with my family and then to have my brother Brian and his family stay with us for a couple of nights. On Christmas night we had 12 people sleeping in our house…it was a tight squeeze but actually rather fun. The day after Christmas we had baptism for my niece Quinn. It seemed like our celebrations were going to go on forever (unfortunately life got back to normal).



Grandma & Grandpa with the Kemper grandkids



Lastly we hosted New Year’s Eve again. The theme this year was “dips” so each guest brought a dip to share (ours were cheesecake balls to dip in strawberry sauce). We all had a great time hanging out and again it was a great way to start 2011.

Brad and Louis ready to rock on NYE

January and February flew by. Mabel started swimming lessons (Louis is taking a session off). Mabel has really changed in the last couple of months, but it is those subtle things that you can't really describe. She seems to have gotten more mature in the way she talks and expresses herself. She also has found that she can charm people. She has this magical smile that really lights up her whole face. She is pretty close to being potty trained. We have been trying for months but in the last week or so she has been telling us (rather than us asking her) and staying dry through nap time and some nights. I guess the promise of a purple bed is all she needs! Louis also continues to be so sweet – while also turning more into a rough playing boy. He turned 4 in February, but more on that in the next post.

Winter cuddles

Winter silliness

Here’s to being thankful for a great winter and looking forward to spring!

2nd Annual Budde Music Video

For the second year, Brad compiled some of the videos of the children to make a music video recapping the year.  I am always amazed to see how much they have change over the course of a year.  Louis and Mabel love watching it as much as Brad and I do.

Top Ten of 2010 (by Brad Budde)

This list could easily be filled with experiences involving our kids. They are too numerous to mention individually. The joys of being a parent arrive continuously - each event extraordinary and special - only to be outdone the next day. So recognize this list as stuff that happened outside of the general laughter, development and amazement of Louis and Mabel.

1. Poached Bald Eagle Library - "What is the origination of the town named Grey Eagle?" We found the answer to that question one summer cabin weekend at the small town's library. The story was more dramatic than one would think. You might fill in some pieces considering our new town name of Poached Bald Eagle.

2. Mexican Breakfast on the Ocean - Cool ocean breezes blew through an open patio while we took breakfast each morning in Playa del Carmen. If one happened to over-enjoy the buffet of fresh fruit, eggs and hot sauce; a harem of colored hammocks were at the ready for a mid-morning nap. If not - we would descend the stairs to our semi-private sandy beach and burn an hour in the sun before a late morning daiquiri.

3. Reusable Idea Launch - I quit my day job to start a new venture. I was blown away by the support of friends and acquaintances and most importantly the support of my family. I love all of you.

4. Reusable Idea on the Shelves - Lunds and Byerly's put my product on their shelves. This moment was the first time during the venture I felt nervous.

5. Rickshaw Racing - During Guys Golf Weekend in Denver we were having some fun in LoDo. They have rickshaws there, pulled by bicycles. We convinced two drivers to race Brad & Jeff vs Brent and Brooks. Rickshaw driver took a shortcut, almost through a man holding a giant plate of glass - reference Wayne's World II for a visual. Rickshaw driver immediately turns to us, still moving fast and screams to us with a huge grin, "can you believe that just happened?" Later he tells us it was the best rickshaw ride of his life. Yep, that happened.

6. Volunteer League at Mother of Mercy - Second Family Volunteer League came to Albany to help elderly play bingo at the nursing home. Evelyn set it all up. She's a saint. We felt rewarded.

7. USA Soccer vs Algeria - Sandwick and I were USA Soccer superfans during the World Cup 2010. It's the largest sporting event in the world you know. We watched games at Brits. I wore the official team jersey. Landon Donovan scores a game winning goal against Algeria in stoppage time to move the team into the knockout round. Pandemonium. Chris and I were in one of those celebration videos on YouTube.

8. Katlyn Budde - Missy's sister Katlyn lived with us all summer. I loved having another person in the house, especially Kate. She was a blessing.

9. Boyz II Men - One typical Friday with Kate, Missy and family eating dinner at Turtles we discussed Boyz II Men being in town for the State Fair. The girls start singing songs word for word. At 6:30 we agreed it would be a hoot to see the concert at 8:00. Drop kids with Andrew, drive fast, see the spectacle of Boyz II Men. This was far and away the most spontaneous event of 2010.

10. Christmas with Kids - Santa Claus through the eyes of a 2 and 3 year old is special. It's difficult to put into words. They loved it. Which means we loved it.