ScrumpyDaddy

Growing up the Easter Bunny (my Mom) would leave both my sister I a trail each year to find our Easter baskets. It was known as the bunny trail. Each clue would have a small gift or candy with it and directions on where to go for the next clue. We loved it and kept it up all through high school.

Last year, when Abby was 2, was the first year we started doing it with Abby. It went fairly well and she seemed to like it. Though, with each clue she would get distracted by whatever was there and we would have to redirect her to keep going on the bunny trail. Today I have just finished making the clues for the bunny trail. We still need to go out and get the candy and whatever we want to put in her basket. We aren’t extravagant with this holiday, but just do some candy and maybe some small gifts like art supplies.

I’m glad I was able to be home yesterday and today so I could get this done for Abby. Zach is sick again with a double ear infection and a cold. Poor guy! It seems like every time he gets a cold recently it turns into an ear infection.

I will let you know how the bunny trail goes this year.

Zach at 8 1/2 months

Check out my baby blues.

I have 2 teeth on the bottom. Check them out.

Abby with Anna in Kentucky.

Daddy ended up carrying the bike instead of Abby riding it. Though, I love them all holding hands.

I can’t wait for spring to officially start. This past weekend (even though it rained) and the past 2 days have felt like spring is finally coming. Over the weekend we saw are first robin of the season eating worms out of our backyard. Abby is starting to learn and remember names of birds so we showed her the robin and made sure she learned its name. She already knows cardinal (Grammy’s favorite).

Then tonight Abby got out her bike and she rode it up and down our street for a bit and then we took a walk. Mind you when I say rode I use the term loosely. Abby does peddle, but it is so slow you might as well walk. She is so distracted by the world around her and all its wonders that she doesn’t really ride her bike. I hope she continues to find so much joy in the world around her and in nature. We then got to see our friends from 2 doors down outside. Abby loves playing with their daughters. It is great to start meeting up with people after work to converse about life and kids.

I can’t wait for summer!!!!!

I typically write about my 2 children Abby and Zach, but today I wanted to give tribute to the other love of my life, my husband Dave. He has been my other (better) half for over 10 years now. We started dating when I was a freshman in college in 1999 and were married in June of 2003. These past 10 years have been wonderful. Sure they have had there ups and downs. What relationship hasn’t? This past year has really made me appreciate all he does and how much he means to me.

This past year has been a roller coaster ride. We had our 2nd child in July, so now we are both full time parents and we each work. It has been quite the adjustment with two. Getting one child up and ready for school wasn’t too bad especially since we would pack a breakfast for her to take to school, so pretty much we just had to get her up, pottied, and dressed. Now, with our 2nd child it has become more intense, stressful, and labored. Zach is still nursing (8mo old), so he has to eat in the morning, get dressed, and he has to do daily breathing treatments of Pulmicort every morning and evening. The breathing treatment takes about 15 mintues to complete. On top of getting Zach and Abby ready of course we both have to get ready for work as well. Dave is wonderful at helping to get the kids up dressed and ready for the day so we each can get off to work at a reasonable time.

In the evenings Dave makes the dinner since he is the first one home. Typically dinner is hot and ready when the kids and I get home so we can eat right away. We then have time to play with the kids for a bit and give them baths. Dave typically bathes the kids and we both get them ready for bed. Each child enjoys their time with both of us at night. Then after all that is done the chores don’t stop. Currently, I am still pumping milk for Zach so we have to clean all the pumping stuff and make up his bottles for daycare the next day. Some nights it is hard to get time to relax with just the 2 of us, but we try.

Dave is also willing to take on my crazy projects and deals with my constant need to change things around in our house. I think I have moved the furniture in the playroom at least a dozen times in just the past year. I’m always trying to find a way to make it better for playing in and to find room for the increasing number of toys. For Christmas this year Dave and I made Abby a wooden, Barbie size doll house. Dave worked hard on getting this done in time for Christmas morning and making sure it was sturdy and fun. In the past we have remodeled closets, put in attic stairs, refinished our kitchen cabinets, put in laminate flooring, painted every room (exception is the playroom), redid the retaining wall, put in a garden, and various plumbing repairs as needed. He is hard worker.

This past year has also been emotional roller coaster ride. My cousin lost her 1 year old daughter this year to complications to the H1N1 flu and my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Dave has been there for me and my family every step of the way. My mom had a lumpectomy on New Years Eve and is now in radiation for the next 6 weeks. My cousin has been blessed to be able to adopt a new born baby girl. The adoption when through this week and Haylie Lynn is home with her new family. Dave has been my comfort and my rock.

Today especially Dave was amazing, which is what inspired me to write this post. He went into work last night for some stuff he had to do off hours. He went into work around 10pm and returned home around 8am this morning. I missed having him to help me in the morning, but we managed without any major breakdowns or tantrums. After working all night, with no sleep, Dave worked on getting us ready for our trip this weekend to Kentucky to see our best friends from college. He washed all the dishes (which was a large pile – we both hate to do dishes so sometimes it piles up until we can’t take it anymore), did laundry, and still got a wonderful dinner ready. He then played with the kids after dinner and helped get them to bed. He is tired, but he doesn’t complain. Now he will be heading down to the car to put in the kids DVD player for the trip. Wow! He is just amazing! Thank you Dave for everything you do to keep this family going.