Home & Garden Show

This past weekend weekend we went to the West Michigan Home & Garden Show at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. First, I have to mention that as we were getting off the elevator from the parking ramp, a random couple who we did not know gave us a free ticket to the show. They apparently had an extra ticket and decided to give it to us. It was an unexpected random act of kindness that we will have to 'pay forward' somehow . . . . .

Anyway, the show was great! There were not very many little kids there, so Kyle and Clara drew a lot of attention. Fortunately, it was for good reasons, not bad reasons. :) There were also a lot of free giveaway items, such as candy, popcorn, water bottles, and even cinnamon rolls . . . . . so that kept them happy, too.

Craig and I enjoyed the various exhibits and vendors. They had everything from replacement windows and gutters, to mattresses and jewerly cleaner. I think our favorite exhibots were for landscaping projects (water features) and pools. Kyle liked the hot tubs, too. In any case, if you have a project to do around the house, or just need a little inspiration for one, I would recommend going to the Home and Garden Show. It was a fun time for our whole family.

Laying Low & Other Updates . . . . . .

We didn't do a whole lot this past weekend, except lay low, mostly. I am getting over a sinus infection (yuck!) and Kyle was sick the whole weekend. He has a really bad cold, and his temperature has been between 99-103 degrees since last Wednesday. Clara has cold symptoms, but is in good spirits otherwise, and Craig is developing a sore throat. All this . . . . . . . just when we thought we made it through fall and winter (almost!) with no illnesses. Oh well, at least we came close. I'm sure it could have been much, much worse. It has been a long winter, and we can't wait for spring.

In other news, Clara has transitioned beautifully into her 'big girl' bed. We haven't had any issues so far. From the very first night, she got in, laid down, went to sleep and never climbed out of her bed. Our children are challenging in many ways, but they are both excellent sleepers! We feel very blessed in this regard. I think it helped that we waited until she was 2.5+ years old.

Kyle is still going to cooking class once a week and he loves it! Last week they made banana pancakes and fruit smoothies. He told me he ate two pancakes, but not the fruit smoothie because he doesn't like blueberries. :)

That's all for now. :)

Running Cold

This morning I met some of my running crew at John Ball Zoo for an 11 miler on the Riverbank Run course. It was super cold - 12 degrees at 7am. It didn't take long to get warmed up though, and by the end of the run I was sweating pretty good. It is nice to have the 11 miles in the books and have the rest of the weekend to relax.

I'm a Big Girl!

Clara's 'big girl' bed arrived today! It came sooner than we expected, but we are glad it is here. Last night we took her crib and changing table out of her bedroom. She is officially a big girl now. Here are some pictures of her trying out her new bed. She seems pretty happy it in, huh? We hope it stays that way . . . . . . and that she stays in it. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love is in the air in the James-Heer family. :) We are having a great Valentine's Day so far. We hope you are, too.

We have been keeping busy as usual. This past week, I signed Clara up for three year old preschool next year. I can't believe she is almost old enough for preschool. Kyle didn't start preschool until he was four, so this seems very young to me. In any case, we are excited about it and hope she enjoys it.

This past week was also spring soccer registration for Kyle. He will begin practices sometime in April. We can't wait! Kyle has gotten a lot bigger since the fall, so we are anxious to see how he performs, and whether or not his growth helps him on the field. Plus, he will finally be one of the oldest kids on the team, since he is in the 4-6 year old group.

In the meantime, we decided that Kyle needed something to help keep him busy until soccer begins, so next week he starts a kids cooking class. That's right - a cooking class! I don't think Craig was overly excited about the idea when I first mentioned it, but warmed up to it when I told him there were three other boys and one girl in the class. Plus, I have said this before, but I need all the help I can get in the kitchen! :)

Clara is still going to feeding therapy one day a week, so that is her extracurricular activity at the moment.

In other news, Craig is training for the Fifth Third River Bank Run (25K). This will be the 11th year in row he has run this race. Despite the snow and cold today, he still managed to get a nine mile run in.

As for me, I am working out (indoors!), trying to prepare for some late spring/early summer races. I am considering training for a duathon this year, but am taking it one step at a time.

Well, that's all for now. Happy Valentines Day!

Finally!

Well, it finally happened . . . . . . . . .

After nearly 12 years of marrige, we did it!

We ordered a grown up bedroom set. :)

For those of you who have seen our bedroom, you might agree that this was long overdue for us. Now we can finally get rid of our furniture from college!

Does anyone know someone who might need/want a full bedroom set for a reasonable cost? If so, please let us know. Thanks.

Big Girl Bed

Today we ordered Clara a big girl bed! She has been climbing in and out of her crib for a while now, so it was time. Plus, she turns three in June and the goal was to transition her into a big girl bed by then.

Last week we ordered some bedding for her big girl bed. We are anxious for everything to arrive so we can redo her room and see it all put together. It should be a little more girly than what she has now. Unfortunately, about half of the bedding pieces are on back order until June, so we may need to come up with a temporary solution in the interim. Her new bed will be here in 4-6 weeks.

Clara is very excited for her new bed to arrive. I just hope we can get her to stay in it. :)