This will get you in the Christmas spirit!
30 Easter Basket Stuffers for 2024
2 months ago
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Drew reads to Grandpa Dave
Our kindergartener is learning to read!
Drew reads to Grandpa Dave (November, 2012) from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.
Drew reads to Grandpa Dave (November, 2012) from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Our Thanksgiving
I love when the boys bring home art projects from school. They are so thoughtful and crafty and I want to keep each and every one of them to enjoy when our boys grow up to be adults so that we can spend time discussing what each were thinking when they created such masterpieces. In particular, I have a few questions about one of Drew's most recent masterpieces. While I LOVE the "Kissing Hand" book and we've read it many times together at home, I'm curious just how my first born son sees me. In his eyes, apparently, I have the biggest boobs in America. Wow. Dan is a very lucky guy.
Our Thanksgiving was great. I feel very happy, rested and full (probably 8 pounds fuller than I was last Wednesday). We hosted Thanksgiving for Dan's side of the family at our house on Thursday afternoon. Check it out - I made my very first turkey:).
And anyone that knows me well, knows that I enjoy a nicely set table. I have a thing for nice dishes. And flatware. And crystal. And chargers. So Thanksgiving was very enjoyable for me. I got to use my Christmas china AND our wedding china.
The little turkeys had their own table . . . far away from the china!
We started a new tradition at the Mathews Family Thanksgiving this year. We rented out a hall (since we're growing to be too big for anyone to host this fabulous event) and we had a table decorating contest. Each family was to decorate a table and a prize would be awarded to the table that earned the most votes. Check out the Stirnaman Family table (i.e. the winning table for 2012!)
We had so much fun! Thanks to all that put it together and many thanks to Aunt Krissi for making our table shine!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
18 months
My sweet niece Harper is 18 months old and I had the privilege of taking her photos again. You can view the past year and a half in photos here: My sister Karen's (maternity session); Harper's (newborn session); Harper's (three month session); Harper's (six month session); Harper's (Nine month session) and Harper's (Twelve month session). Yes - although this is actually my blog, Harper has been quite a feature here and I'm happy to share this space with sweet baby Harper! Such a sweet little lady she is becoming!
Here are some favs:
Karen and TJ: Please enjoy the video!
Here are some favs:
Owen was my photography assistant on this particular day. He knows the secret to making Harper laugh!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
My Heart Swells
My mama heart is swelling. I have so much to write about. The shutter on my camera has been clicking away lately capturing so much goodness and as of late, unfortunately, I've connected so little with my dear blog. Well, problem no more as I use this post to share some of of the goodness that has been accumulating in my mind and heart and is spilling out onto my keyboard as I frantically type this afternoon. I must type quickly because (as all mothers are), I'm always "on the clock." I've granted myself a few glorious hours of computer time this afternoon, but of course, it will be at the expense of other competing priorities that must take a back seat today (who needs to eat dinner, or have groceries in the pantry, or have clean bedrooms and bedclothes, anyway?) Not us . . . at least, not tonight.
I was so proud of Drew. He never hesitated and demonstrated incredible bravery. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed sweet conversation fifty feet above a gorgeous ocean and breathtaking scenery. Drew was on a mission to spot dolphins from way up above and given our view, we were able to take it all in. It was so cool to sit by him way up in the air and watch him experience this; definitely brought tears. Thank you God for giving me this opportunity.
And speaking of my Drew bear and his bravery, I experienced another proud mama moment in October as I watched Drew get two casts put on his legs. Drew did not break any bones or hurt himself in any way (our most commonly asked question since Drew's casts were put on), but rather, he is a "habitual toe walker" and the serial casting is a means to correct him from walking on his tip toes 100% of the time. From the time that Drew learned to walk (at 10 months), his heels have been elevated. When he was a toddler, we recognized that Drew was walking on his tip toes, but honestly, weren't terribly concerned about it and figured that surely he would grow out of this behavior. Unfortunately, we were wrong. His toe walking persisted and grew to be more severe. During the past year, Drew was walking so high on his tip toes that he could have worn the highest stilettos ever made. He was playing soccer and having to run on his tip toes and of course, this eventually created pain for him. The pediatrician initially sent us to therapy, but the impact was extremely slow and we needed to take more aggressive action. After sending us to a neurologist to confirm that the toe walking was not the result of spinal cord or neurological disease (thank God!), our pediatric orthopedist started us on the serial casting treatment which effectively retrains his brain how to walk. He gets a new set of casts every 7-10 days and each cast will stretch his tendons a bit further (kind of like braces for the teeth). Drew will likely have the casts for a total of 6-8 weeks and he is responding very well to the treatment.
We learned that with casts, your risk of breaking a bone is elevated because you are immobilized and cannot protect yourself in a fall as you normally could if your legs/arms were not restrained; consequently, Drew is not allowed to participate in recess or PE at school and needs to take it easy with physical activity at home. Telling a five-year-old boy that he cannot participate in recess/PE at school with all of his friends is not an easy task. Fortunately, his kindergarten teacher totally helped us out. She made an announcement to the class that Drew Niebruegge needed to take a rest during recess/PE and were there any volunteers that would be willing to sit out and play with Drew during these times? She told us that they all raised their hands! This made me so happy! We've allowed Drew to bring a toy in his backpack each day so that he would have something to play with and occupy his time during recess/PE and fortunately, he's always had a friend willing to play with him. I think that rather than feel left out, his casts actually help him feel special! One afternoon after I dropped Drew off at school after having just got his casts changed, I walked him out to the playground where his class was playing. Upon noticing Drew's arrival, all of the children immediately ran to Drew to see what types of casts Drew selected this time (we've had dinosaurs, bright orange, camouflage and most recently, very patriotic American flags). The sweet little girls in his class asked me all sorts of questions about why he has casts and they agreed to help watch Drew to ensure that his level of physical activity was appropriate (I just fell in love with these "little mommies").
Other Things that I am loving right now:
Halloween Parties
I volunteered to be one of the room parents for Drew's kindergarten class this year. I absolutely love this. We are responsible for the Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day parties in the classroom. It is so fun to get to participate in Drew's classroom and see all of the elements of his day in kindergarten.
I was so excited (and determined) to the find the perfect recipe for "Witches Brew" for our Halloween party. I saw the impact of dry ice on Pinterest and immediately fell in love with the idea. Unfortunately, dry ice is not in plentiful supply and I had to make a series of stops to Wal-Mart, Schnuck's, gas stations, etc. only to learn that no one carries dry ice. Urgh. Fortunately, my resourceful brother found an ice manufacture that supplies it and coincidentally, it was located close to my work. We made a mysterious brew in my "caldron" and the dry ice vaporized perfectly (I learned that it is -107 degrees)! It was a success!
Our other boys loved the dry ice too! I had left overs and we got them out the evening of Halloween. Owen was so taken by the dry ice that I noticed him in the shower that evening pouring out all the contents of my shampoo and conditioner bottles!
Mommy: "Owen - what are you doing and why are you wasting all of mommy's shampoo and conditioner?"
Owen: "Mommy - I am making a magical potion just like you did!"
Having fans to cheer you on during games is sooooo awesome!
Kindergarten field trips
Drew's class ventured to Eckert's this fall for an apple picking field trip. It was Drew's first opportunity to ride a school bus and it was so exciting for him! I volunteered to be a chaperon and quickly realized how special kindergarten teachers are. Incredible patience, control and tolerance levels. Incomprehensible. They are gifted for sure!
Uncle Tony and Aunt Amy's Wedding (October 20, 2012)
I love that Uncle Tony asked all five us to be in his wedding and I get to gush as my three little "gentlemen" are all dressed up in TUXEDOS and look as handsome as ever. Oh my, is my heart ever smiling at my three little boys right now.
Halloween = fun
For Halloween 2012, we had three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Super tough, but oh, so cute.
Kids that are growing up
Our boys are getting bigger and bigger and while it makes me sad to think that the baby days are passing us by in a hurry, my boys amaze me everyday with their maturity, resourcefulness and interesting perspectives. I enjoy them so very much. Drew is growing up and doesn't need his mommy or daddy to hold his hand anymore (although he still lets me hold his hand sometimes). He is an independent little boy and I am so unbelievably proud of him. Owen has done beautifully at preschool this year as a "rainbow kid." We thought that he might be a bit timid once Drew "graduated" from preschool and was no longer with Owen at Creative Kids preschool, but Owen showed no insecurity. Drew who? And my little man Evan. This two year-old refuses to hold a back seat to his older brothers and has dug his heels in and commands attention. Look out.
I took a quick survey today of the boys' favorite things. Here's what each had to say:
1.) What are your favorite things right now?
Drew: Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Owen: I want my very own kindle fire just like yours mommy. I also love the Illini and the Cowboys.
Evan: Ummm, I love sharks. I really like brown things. I want a lion.
2.) What is your favorite food?
Drew: Chicken strips
Owen: Chicken and rice casserole (just like at preschool)
Evan: Ummm, I don't know
3.) What do you want to be when you grow up?
Drew: I want to be like you mommy because your office is awesome
Owen: I want to be a super-hero like a power ranger because of their weapons
Evan: Ummm, I don't know
I love these boys. They are truly the light of my world. Motherhood has blessed me with joy unlike anything I have ever experienced. The boys occupy my mind and my heart and I want to guide them with patience, grace, love and joy to help them to continue to be gentlemen in the eyes of all they meet. I want to teach them unconditional love. And forgiveness. I want to teach them to be grateful for all of the wonderful things around them. I want to encourage them to communicate their fears and questions to us. I want to live by example—by making choices to be happy, to be compassionate to those around us, to educate myself and my family about the people of the world and their stories, and to embrace the sadness and unfortunate events in life with honesty and strength to overcome. Today we have so much to be grateful for, and there is comfort in recognizing that fact.
On Thanksgiving, I feel very close to God, indeed.
I will leave you with a recent video of Owie as he gets his groove on . . .
I'm so very excited about this time of year. I love that Christmas melodies will soon occupy the radio stations and that homes will soon be lit up with white lights and garland. I love that the next item on my agenda today is to put up our own decorations and that our boys have so much anticipation for the 4 upcoming birthdays in December that we will celebrate (Dan, Jesus, Drew and Evan).
I love that the true heart of the things that I enjoy the most (my kids, photography, decorating, party planning, shopping, reflecting on all of our blessings) all collide harmoniously during the Christmas season. And of course, how beautiful the true spirit of the season in the celebration of God's enduring love for us.
My strategy for Christmas planning in 2012: Less is more. Dan and I are going to try very hard to clean out our toys and sort through the things we don't use and donate to Goodwill. For new Christmas gifts, I want to focus on quality and purchase items that will last and place a lessor focus on the quantity of gifts. I want to monitor sales and make purchases that maximize value. My goals are to simplify my boys' rooms and belongings for not only an easier life (it stays clean!), but more appreciative children. We volunteered to adopt 3 children through a local "Christmas Angels" program at Drew's school and I'm excited to give the boys the opportunity to experience true sacrificial giving by providing Christmas gifts to children that are less fortunate (they will be partially funding the gifts through their very own piggy bank contributions). After years of buying Christmas gifts, I've realized that "less is certainly more." Hard to do in the kid department, but feels good when you stick to it. I'd rather have a few really nice things that will last for my boys than a living room overflowing with gifts for them to rip open and forget about later.
More to come as we prepare for the holidays, but in the meantime, here goes with some fun stuff that occurred awhile ago, but deserves proper documentation and preservation on the blog nonetheless.
More to come as we prepare for the holidays, but in the meantime, here goes with some fun stuff that occurred awhile ago, but deserves proper documentation and preservation on the blog nonetheless.
*********************************************************************************
Gulf Shores Vacation
Back in May, we took a vacation to Gulf Shores, AL (see some of the pics here). One of the highlights of the trip for me was a special experience that I shared with my 5-year-old Drew: we went parasailing together. Five is the minimum age allowed for parasailing and when I suggested it to Drew, he was immediately excited. Not sure if he really knew what he was signing up for, Dan and I cautiously guided him through the process and Drew insisted that he wanted to do it. A part of me was thrilled to give Drew such an amazing experience that he would likely remember for a lifetime, but another part of my "mothering brain" caused me to hesitate and question whether such a risk was appropriate; particularly for a five-year-old. Dan is conservative, cautious and generally our worrier and likely would have preferred that we all stay home and not willingly agree to tie his wife and five-year-old son to a speed boat with a long rope and dangle our bodies fifty feet above the Gulf of Mexico.
But we only live once and memories were waiting to be made.
Back in May, we took a vacation to Gulf Shores, AL (see some of the pics here). One of the highlights of the trip for me was a special experience that I shared with my 5-year-old Drew: we went parasailing together. Five is the minimum age allowed for parasailing and when I suggested it to Drew, he was immediately excited. Not sure if he really knew what he was signing up for, Dan and I cautiously guided him through the process and Drew insisted that he wanted to do it. A part of me was thrilled to give Drew such an amazing experience that he would likely remember for a lifetime, but another part of my "mothering brain" caused me to hesitate and question whether such a risk was appropriate; particularly for a five-year-old. Dan is conservative, cautious and generally our worrier and likely would have preferred that we all stay home and not willingly agree to tie his wife and five-year-old son to a speed boat with a long rope and dangle our bodies fifty feet above the Gulf of Mexico.
But we only live once and memories were waiting to be made.
I was so proud of Drew. He never hesitated and demonstrated incredible bravery. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed sweet conversation fifty feet above a gorgeous ocean and breathtaking scenery. Drew was on a mission to spot dolphins from way up above and given our view, we were able to take it all in. It was so cool to sit by him way up in the air and watch him experience this; definitely brought tears. Thank you God for giving me this opportunity.
And speaking of my Drew bear and his bravery, I experienced another proud mama moment in October as I watched Drew get two casts put on his legs. Drew did not break any bones or hurt himself in any way (our most commonly asked question since Drew's casts were put on), but rather, he is a "habitual toe walker" and the serial casting is a means to correct him from walking on his tip toes 100% of the time. From the time that Drew learned to walk (at 10 months), his heels have been elevated. When he was a toddler, we recognized that Drew was walking on his tip toes, but honestly, weren't terribly concerned about it and figured that surely he would grow out of this behavior. Unfortunately, we were wrong. His toe walking persisted and grew to be more severe. During the past year, Drew was walking so high on his tip toes that he could have worn the highest stilettos ever made. He was playing soccer and having to run on his tip toes and of course, this eventually created pain for him. The pediatrician initially sent us to therapy, but the impact was extremely slow and we needed to take more aggressive action. After sending us to a neurologist to confirm that the toe walking was not the result of spinal cord or neurological disease (thank God!), our pediatric orthopedist started us on the serial casting treatment which effectively retrains his brain how to walk. He gets a new set of casts every 7-10 days and each cast will stretch his tendons a bit further (kind of like braces for the teeth). Drew will likely have the casts for a total of 6-8 weeks and he is responding very well to the treatment.
We learned that with casts, your risk of breaking a bone is elevated because you are immobilized and cannot protect yourself in a fall as you normally could if your legs/arms were not restrained; consequently, Drew is not allowed to participate in recess or PE at school and needs to take it easy with physical activity at home. Telling a five-year-old boy that he cannot participate in recess/PE at school with all of his friends is not an easy task. Fortunately, his kindergarten teacher totally helped us out. She made an announcement to the class that Drew Niebruegge needed to take a rest during recess/PE and were there any volunteers that would be willing to sit out and play with Drew during these times? She told us that they all raised their hands! This made me so happy! We've allowed Drew to bring a toy in his backpack each day so that he would have something to play with and occupy his time during recess/PE and fortunately, he's always had a friend willing to play with him. I think that rather than feel left out, his casts actually help him feel special! One afternoon after I dropped Drew off at school after having just got his casts changed, I walked him out to the playground where his class was playing. Upon noticing Drew's arrival, all of the children immediately ran to Drew to see what types of casts Drew selected this time (we've had dinosaurs, bright orange, camouflage and most recently, very patriotic American flags). The sweet little girls in his class asked me all sorts of questions about why he has casts and they agreed to help watch Drew to ensure that his level of physical activity was appropriate (I just fell in love with these "little mommies").
Other than painful itching in the casting area (which you can't do anything about and just have to suffer through), Drew has done amazing with his casts. He doesn't really whine or complain about them and we are so proud of him. We've had to postpone his birthday party celebration for this year (because he wants to have a bounce house party), so we'll defer the party until the casts come off and we can have a joint birthday and "let's celebrate your casts coming off" party!
*********************************************************************************
Other Things that I am loving right now:
Halloween Parties
I volunteered to be one of the room parents for Drew's kindergarten class this year. I absolutely love this. We are responsible for the Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day parties in the classroom. It is so fun to get to participate in Drew's classroom and see all of the elements of his day in kindergarten.
I was so excited (and determined) to the find the perfect recipe for "Witches Brew" for our Halloween party. I saw the impact of dry ice on Pinterest and immediately fell in love with the idea. Unfortunately, dry ice is not in plentiful supply and I had to make a series of stops to Wal-Mart, Schnuck's, gas stations, etc. only to learn that no one carries dry ice. Urgh. Fortunately, my resourceful brother found an ice manufacture that supplies it and coincidentally, it was located close to my work. We made a mysterious brew in my "caldron" and the dry ice vaporized perfectly (I learned that it is -107 degrees)! It was a success!
Our other boys loved the dry ice too! I had left overs and we got them out the evening of Halloween. Owen was so taken by the dry ice that I noticed him in the shower that evening pouring out all the contents of my shampoo and conditioner bottles!
Mommy: "Owen - what are you doing and why are you wasting all of mommy's shampoo and conditioner?"
Owen: "Mommy - I am making a magical potion just like you did!"
Napping in Grandpa's Chair
I love that Owen snuggles up in Grandpa's chair for naps. This kind of snuggling is what kids will remember.
Loving our Cousins
We are so blessed that our siblings had children in close proximity to ours. The boys adore their cousins and these bonds are strong. We have to remind Owen that cousins cannot marry each other because without a doubt, if cousins could marry, Owen would choose Greta in a heart beat. He seriously loves her.
Learning to play soccer
Drew played kindergarten soccer this fall and kept us very busy. As we transitioned from "preschool" parents to "kindergarten" parents, we learned quickly that the pace of life picked up a bit. The kindergarten soccer team actually travels (we had "away" games) and sometimes, we had three games in one week! I know that this is just a preview of what lies ahead for us with three boys in sports and activities . . . . am exhausted just thinking about it!
Having fans to cheer you on during games is sooooo awesome!
Kindergarten field trips
Drew's class ventured to Eckert's this fall for an apple picking field trip. It was Drew's first opportunity to ride a school bus and it was so exciting for him! I volunteered to be a chaperon and quickly realized how special kindergarten teachers are. Incredible patience, control and tolerance levels. Incomprehensible. They are gifted for sure!
Uncle Tony and Aunt Amy's Wedding (October 20, 2012)
I love that Uncle Tony asked all five us to be in his wedding and I get to gush as my three little "gentlemen" are all dressed up in TUXEDOS and look as handsome as ever. Oh my, is my heart ever smiling at my three little boys right now.
Halloween = fun
For Halloween 2012, we had three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Super tough, but oh, so cute.
Kids that are growing up
Our boys are getting bigger and bigger and while it makes me sad to think that the baby days are passing us by in a hurry, my boys amaze me everyday with their maturity, resourcefulness and interesting perspectives. I enjoy them so very much. Drew is growing up and doesn't need his mommy or daddy to hold his hand anymore (although he still lets me hold his hand sometimes). He is an independent little boy and I am so unbelievably proud of him. Owen has done beautifully at preschool this year as a "rainbow kid." We thought that he might be a bit timid once Drew "graduated" from preschool and was no longer with Owen at Creative Kids preschool, but Owen showed no insecurity. Drew who? And my little man Evan. This two year-old refuses to hold a back seat to his older brothers and has dug his heels in and commands attention. Look out.
I took a quick survey today of the boys' favorite things. Here's what each had to say:
1.) What are your favorite things right now?
Drew: Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Owen: I want my very own kindle fire just like yours mommy. I also love the Illini and the Cowboys.
Evan: Ummm, I love sharks. I really like brown things. I want a lion.
2.) What is your favorite food?
Drew: Chicken strips
Owen: Chicken and rice casserole (just like at preschool)
Evan: Ummm, I don't know
3.) What do you want to be when you grow up?
Drew: I want to be like you mommy because your office is awesome
Owen: I want to be a super-hero like a power ranger because of their weapons
Evan: Ummm, I don't know
I love these boys. They are truly the light of my world. Motherhood has blessed me with joy unlike anything I have ever experienced. The boys occupy my mind and my heart and I want to guide them with patience, grace, love and joy to help them to continue to be gentlemen in the eyes of all they meet. I want to teach them unconditional love. And forgiveness. I want to teach them to be grateful for all of the wonderful things around them. I want to encourage them to communicate their fears and questions to us. I want to live by example—by making choices to be happy, to be compassionate to those around us, to educate myself and my family about the people of the world and their stories, and to embrace the sadness and unfortunate events in life with honesty and strength to overcome. Today we have so much to be grateful for, and there is comfort in recognizing that fact.
I can't help but kiss my babies' cheeks and feel thankful for their health when I hear of mothers huddling over sick babies in hospitals; and witnessing storm damage, gas lines, and crowds of hungry people gathered in the northeast certainly makes me thankful for food and power and a structurally sound home.
On Thanksgiving, I feel very close to God, indeed.
I will leave you with a recent video of Owie as he gets his groove on . . .
Owen's got moves . . . from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.
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