Birthdays and Preschool Graduation...and more!

Wow...seriously, wow!  Where does the time go???  The other day I was thinking that I should probably do another blog post since it had been a couple of months.  When I got on here to see when my last post was, I realized it was actually over 4 months ago!  I couldn't believe it.  So much has been going on with us lately, but I really can't complain.  Get ready for a LONG blog post :)
January and February were pretty tame around here.  There were some get-togethers with friends, and  a few family birthday parties (mine and Sarah's included).

On March 1st, Noah and Evan turned 5 years old!  The time has FLOWN by with these two crazy kiddos and we couldn't be happier with how wonderful they are turning out to be.  They are just the sweetest, most down-to-earth kids and they bring so much happiness to our lives.  Their birthday party was at 12:00pm that day (we had originally scheduled it for 5:00pm but a big snow storm was coming, so we decided to move it to before the storm).  They got all kinds of cool stuff, as always.  Their birthday party was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles AND Power Rangers themed.

In the middle of March, Brian and I took a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with about 9 other members of his family.  The hardest part was saying good bye to the boys, even though we knew they were in amazing hands here with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Mary.  Mexico was beautiful!  We enjoyed daily walks on the beach, resort activities (I even did Zumba one day), zip-lining, and spending time with his family.  Unfortunately, I got very sea-sick while we were whale watching.  It was one of the worst several hours of my life.  Also, VERY unfortunately, Brian got very sick with the common "Montezuma's Revenge" from an undercooked steak and was very sick for the last full day there, the ride home, and also for the next 5 or 6 days.  He had to get antibiotics from his doctor once we came back home.  When we got home, we were just so thrilled to finally see our boys again!

We celebrated Mark's birthday by going bowling with Mark, Sarah, John, and Theresa and had a blast! We also celebrated with a dinner at Mom and Dad's house on his actual birthday.

At the end of March, I took Noah to the dentist because he had a cavity that was clearly getting bigger. It turned out that he had four cavities (kind of like two cavities but between four teeth) and needed two different appointments to get fillings.  His first appointment was when he needed a baby root canal.  He did amazing and the dentist and hygienist kept talking about how he was doing so much better than most adults even do!  He had his second appointment about 10 days later and did well that time too.  We think he's going to be one of those unlucky kids who is prone to cavities...just like his daddy was.

On March 29th, we went to a "Minute to Win It" party at the Harvard Sondermans' house.  It was so much fun!  That night, we went to see Disney On Ice's "Let's Celebrate" show.  The boys all liked it a lot!

On March 31st, Noah and Evan finally had their 5 year well check-up at the doctor.  They had to get a couple of shots before they start Kindergarten, but overall, the appointment went well!  Noah weighed 37.6 lbs and was 44 inches tall.  Evan weighed 38.6 lbs and was 43 3/4 inches tall.  They didn't give us their percentiles, but they seem super tall and skinny to me :)

On April 4th, we went to Brian's Uncle Mark's wedding to his girlfriend Sheila.  It was a lot of fun, but we ended up having to leave early because Evan felt very sick.  He was fine by the time we got home though.

On April 5th, Brian, John, Dad, and Mark went to St. Louis for a visit and Blues Hockey game.  They seemed to have a great time!  The boys and I had fun here at home.  We got Orange Leaf one night for dessert, went to Big Lots for some cheap toys, and even went to a new park to play.

Noah and Evan went to a school friends' birthday party on April 12th, but the big news of that day was that Joshua started potty training!  He did so awesome and was pretty much trained within a couple of days.  He has had some issues through the last month and a half, but I won't go into any details :)

Easter was on April 20th this year.  The boys had several Easter egg hunts and even colored eggs with Michael and Mia again.  It was a great time to celebrate!

Noah and Evan were registered for Kindergarten on April 24th.  They are SO excited and can't wait to be at a bigger school!

On April 28th, all three boys started some group swim lessons at the Longview Community College Rec Center.  They went through May 21st and were Mondays and Wednesdays.  They didn't learn too much, but it was more just to get them active and doing something for a while.  Joshua couldn't finish his lessons...more on why later :)

On Friday, May 2nd, our Joshua turned 3 years old!!!  We went to Chuck E. Cheese that night and then to Glace for gelato.  We celebrated Dommy's 2nd birthday on Saturday, May 3rd.  It was so much fun!  Then, Joshua had a Captain Jack Sparrow themed birthday party on May 4th.  He got a lot of new clothes, legos, Lincoln logs, sidewalk chalk, books, and more.  We are just so happy with how much Joshua has grown lately and LOVE having him as a part of our family.  He's so sweet and affectionate...even though he is very ornery too :).  His well check-up was on May 8th, and he was 39 inches tall and weighed 32.4 lbs (60th percentile for weight and 85th for height).  He did great at his appointment.

Mothers' Day was the next weekend.  We had fun celebrating with Grandma Cathy on Saturday night, going to church with Grandma Mary and that entire side of the family on Sunday morning, having breakfast at Panera, playing at a park, and then having dinner at Grandma Mary and Grandpa Mike's that afternoon/evening.  The boys got me a very pretty jewelry set of pink, red, and orange beaded necklace and three bracelets.  They also got me new workout clothes and beautiful flowers.  I loved everything I got!  I am such a lucky mommy!

On Tuesday evening, May 13th, Joshua fell off of the rope ladder that is attached to our swing set at about 7:20pm.  He was crying loudly, his arm looked "funny," and he wouldn't squeeze Brian's fingers with his hand.  Needless to say, I took him to the Children's Mercy ER and of course, his arm was broken.  The X-rays showed that he actually fractured the two arm bones near his elbow and had actually dislocated one of the bones.  He had to go through a procedure that night/morning at 12:30am to try to put the bone back where it's supposed to be.  They had to try his IV for his sedation medicine FOUR times before it actually worked.  Then they had to redo the cast because they didn't like the way it was set.  We finally got home around 4:00am...it was obviously a crazy night!  The next morning (well, really like 5 hours later), the Ortho clinic at the downtown Children's Mercy hospital called us to say that he needed "surgery" on Friday morning to reset the bone and possibly do pins because it wasn't set perfect.  We obviously agreed and said we'd see them Friday morning.  That morning was very difficult.  Joshua couldn't eat or drink anything because he was going to be fully sedated with general anesthesia for the procedure, but he took it like a champ.  We got to the hospital at 9:00am and checked in.  We were taken back to a room where the put on Toy Story for him to watch and we got to talk to his nurses and surgeon about what was going to happen that day.  Then they gave him some medication to calm him down so that the separation from us wouldn't be too difficult for him.  The nurses took him away on a wagon and we were told that we would be able to meet him there after his surgery within about 45 minutes.  We waited in the waiting room, and sure enough, within about 45 minutes, his surgeon came down to tell us that everything went great and that Joshua was in recovery.  We were so happy that they didn't have to do any of the other "scenarios" that they were saying might have to be done (that would mean putting pins in his arm).  Then they called us back upstairs about 15 minutes later to tell us that he was being wheeled out of recovery.  It was great to see him!  He was very groggy and grumpy when he woke up, but after he let it all out and cried for a few minutes while I rocked him, he fell right to sleep and slept until we left the hospital.  He was such a trooper!!!  Now he is obviously still in a cast and will most likely be in one for at least 3 more weeks.  He goes back to his orthopedic specialist this coming Tuesday for x-rays and a new cast.  It's been a crazy week and a half!!!

 

Last night, May 22, Noah and Evan graduated from preschool and are ready for Kindergarten in the fall!  We were so proud of them.  They even got to speak into the microphone and tell everyone their name and what they want to be when they grow up.  Noah said he wants to be a builder and Evan said he wants to be a policeman.  Their family all showed up to cheer them on!  It was a great night!

Winter 2013 - Branson, Christmas, and more

As always, the Quirks have been busy!  We've had a ton of fun over these last few months hanging out with friends, family, and each other.  In October, we had a neighborhood movie night where the movie "Hotel Transylvania" was shown on the side of our friends' house and the kids all watched it from the lawn on blankets and in sleeping bags.  It was a ton of fun! Noah and Evan finished their fall soccer season in October as well.  At this point we are not certain when they will play again, as we would like to give them a little bit of time off from it.  Halloween was a blast this year.  Noah was Wolverine, Evan was Superman, and Joshua was Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  We went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood first with some friends and then with Michael and Mia when they came to join us.  It was so much fun and the boys got way too much candy!

On November 16, we took the boys to Branson for a weekend getaway.  We drove straight to Silver Dollar City and spent about 5 or 6 hours there.  The boys all rode rides including the kid roller coaster, the flying elephants, the teacups, and even Fire in the Hole!  They didn't care too much for that one, but it was neat to say that they all rode it for the first time.  Noah even got to ride it next to the fire marshall!    After that, we drove to the Chateau on the Lake, where we were staying in a suite.  It was the best hotel for us.  It had a movie theater where we watched some of The Little Mermaid one night and some of How to Train Your Dragon as well.  It had an awesome playground that the boys loved as well.  The next day, we went to the outlet mall for some shopping and then ate at The Great Steak and Chicken restaurant right there by the mall.  That afternoon, we rode The Polar Express on Branson's Scenic Railway.  We got to drink hot chocolate, eat a cookie, and picked up Santa from the North Pole, who gave each boy a bell.  The boys got to wear their pajamas.  It was fun!  The next day, we got up in the morning and headed home.

Thanksgiving was fun this year.  We also continued our tradition of driving through the Christmas in the Park that evening.  This is the third year we've done that.  The boys love to see all of the lights, and this was the first year Joshua got to see it with his car seat turned around.
On December 5th, Brian turned 30!  I had been planning a surprise birthday party for him since September and we did that on December 7th.  Brian got the opportunity to go to the MLS cup game and watch Sporting KC win the cup (the game was at 3:30pm)...then he came home to a house full of 65 people waiting to surprise him!  He was completely surprised that so many people were here for him.  He was just expecting about 10 friends or so for a small get together.  It was a success, although I've been kicking myself ever since for not taking any photos.
During December, we went caroling around our neighborhood with other moms and kids.  It was very cold and a lot of snow was on the ground, but we made it to about 20 houses or so.  Afterwards, we all went to one of the houses for hot chocolate and snacks.
Noah and Evan's school Christmas program was on Thursday, December 12th at the Summit Woods Baptist Church in Lee's Summit.  The boys got to sing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" and "Jingle Bell Rock."  They pretty much just stood there with their class and didn't move or sing, but we still love watching them up on that stage!  They're the cutest kids there :)  We were so glad that Grandma Mary, Grandpa Mike, Grandma Cathy, Aunt Ruthie, Uncle John, Michael and Mia all came to watch as well.

Also in December, we went to Brian's cousin Cassy's college graduation party in Smithville.  We've actually gone to Smithville about 4 times in the last several weeks...for the Thanksgiving, the party, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Day.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were so much fun this year.  On Christmas Eve, we helped make tamales and then went to mass at St. Regis at 4:30pm.  Then we went up to Smithville for the annual Christmas Eve celebration.  We ate soups for dinner, opened TONS of presents, and even played a white elephant game where you can steal gifts (with good gifts though).  That night, we came home and prepared cookies and milk for Santa and said goodbye to our elf Buddy, who was ready and waiting for Santa (even with a packed suitcase). Buddy was great this year.  He did several funny things including turning the boys' milk pink, drawing silly faces on their photos in the living room, ziplining through the living room, wrapping presents for his other elf friends, putting red crepe paper on the outside of Noah and Evan's bedroom door, and more.  After the cookies and milk were ready for Santa, the boys went to bed.

On Christmas morning, the boys woke up at about 7:00am and we came downstairs to find that Santa had come!  He brought them a 2.5 feet tall Superman, Batman, and Red Power Ranger.  He brought Evan an electronic Wolverine claw and some other super friends toys.  He brought Joshua a Captain Jack Sparrow toy (which he has since lost and I can't find ANYWHERE).  He brought Noah an electronic glowing Leonardo Ninja Turtle sword.  He definitely came through with exactly what the boys asked him for this year.  We bought the boys several things as well, including a Monsters University playset, a new Gotham City playset, and a new Jake's hideout playset.  We got them each a talking/singing minion from the movie Despicable Me 2.  Joshua got new Mike and Sully Monsters Inc toys that talk and roar.  Noah got two new tubs of markers and crayons. (Evan technically got a little more from Santa).  Brian took Noah and Evan to the Quirk side Christmas at 1:00, but Joshua and I stayed home so I could cook and he could nap.  We hosted our Sonderman family Christmas that day at 3:30.  We ate dinner first and then opened TONS more presents.  The boys got so many new cool toys and outfits and they LOVED everything.  We even took the next day off so that we could spend family time together playing with their new toys.

On New Year's Eve, we went to some neighbors' house where there were several other families just hanging out.  We did a "kid countdown" at 10:00pm complete with sparkling grape juice and confetti poppers.  None of the kids got too excited :)  We came home at about 10:30 and let the boys stay up to watch the New York City ball drop live at 11:00pm.  We all said Happy New Year to each other and I even got New Year's kisses from my three boys.  They went to bed and Brian and I watched the ball drop again at 12:00.  Luckily none of the fireworks outside woke the boys back up.
Tonight, the boys' swim teacher Ms. Melanie is supposed to come over and babysit them while Brian and I have a short date night (dinner and maybe a little shopping). The boys (especially Evan) are so excited!
On developmental notes, the boys seem to be doing fantastic and are growing like weeds.  Noah still loves to color, and Evan has just recently taken up the hobby himself.  Just in the past week, he has been coloring so much that it's difficult to tell his work from Noah's now.  He loves it.  They are both still doing great in school.  Their teacher, Ms. Natalie, tells us the "work" that they do each day when we pick them up.  Noah likes to do the color wheel work, while Evan seems to do a lot of counting work.  They seem to enjoy school a lot.  Joshua is growing so fast too!  His vocabulary seems great and  he also loves to count, color, and is amazing at puzzles.  He does them by himself often and is always proud of his work.  He has made up a couple of new words lately.  While on our Branson trip, he started calling us all "pumies," which we had no idea what it meant.  It has become a word that is used in our household every day.  We call each other pumies pretty much all of the time.  It really has stuck :)  He also just started calling people "chokos" or "chuckos" so we'll have to see how far this one goes.  He is a nut.  He is also one of the sweetest kids.  He loves to snuggle and is so affectionate with us.  It's great. Needless to say, we are having a blast with these boys.