Never a Dull Moment

We have successfully completed three weeks of school!  Success in many ways!  No Covid outbreaks, no calls from the nurses' office, no broken limbs on the school monkey bars, no headlice... So far, so good...

The girls are loving their teachers, and they seem to be doing very well with all the Covid regulations.  I think I said it before...but I feel that they have an upper hand because they know no different!  The girls hold hands from the entrance door to their classrooms, and I was told they give each other a hug each morning before they go their separate ways.  I may have a few spies on them throughout the day that report back to me.  

Academically, we're finding that it takes Johnalyn a bit longer to process things.  She's an extreme critical thinker, and it's shining thru even in the first few weeks.  She needs time to process her thoughts.  Her teacher, Mrs. Bushman, told me that she is a "Natural born leader" and is very social and helpful.  We work extra hard with English.  She is starting to read in the three short weeks of being in school.  She LOVES math.  She will sit at the kitchen table every morning and write out addition problems, greater than and less than equations... Math seems to be her comfortable subject right now, and we are SO proud of that!!

Johni working on homework with daddy

Johnalyn's math that she did completely on her own just 'for fun' before school one morning.  

Danika... everything seems to be coming to her quite easily to her right now.  She breezes thru everything, so we constantly tell her to slow. down.  She takes no specific interest between math or English... but the girl LOVES science. Anything science, she is so inquisitive.  Her retention of knowledge is quite impressive.  She is taking off with word recognition, and is very fluent with math (greater than/less than symbols, addition, subtraction, learning fractions).  She has been struggling a bit with the social aspect of being away from her 'social leader' sister.  She is realizing that she needs to make her own friends, and not piggy back with her sister.  She'll get there!  

Dani being silly during homework.

Onto the little mishaps in the past three weeks!  

Two days into school, we had friends over at our house on a Friday night, and Johnalyn got a bit... cocky. She wanted to do a flip on the trapeez bar on our playset.  I'll let the picture speak for how that went...  We're just glad school pictures were done, but she had quick the scab on her eye for the next week.  It was easy for the teachers and their classmates to tell the girls apart!  

That was Johnalyn... so of course we had to have a little incident with Danika too, right??  I got a text from daycare last Wednesday... "So, Danika decided to cut her hair.  😐"  Not sure if anyone would remember, but Danika was the one we have always had hair issues with... from 13 - 20 months she would obsessively pull her hair out... and ended up bald on one side. She has always hated ponies, and 'things' in her hair.  She decided this day, she wanted short hair.  She was obviously cutting it for quite some time... because we ended up with LOTS of different lengths.  

I asked her WHY... she said "I just did it once to see... but I liked the sound of it, so I kept doing it."  She knew what she was doing was wrong, because where did she put the hair?  Hid it under the rug at daycare...

Even at five years old... they're keeping us on our toes, constantly!   She promised me she will "never ever cut my hair again... until college!"  

Pandemic and school aside, we're enjoying what we can of Fall!  We went camping last weekend to celebrate Jojo's 7th birthday!  Always a good time... its SO fun watching the kids build a forever cousin bond!    Next up... Halloween!!   :-)  

Hello, Kindergarten!

The long-anticipated day, the day that I knew would tear my heart into shreds, came and went. The girls were SO excited and were 'counting sleeps' to kindergarten, starting at about 70 sleeps. Although, it didn't quite go as I had it all planned in my head... we got thru it. 

Ever since they were little, I had dreams/expectations of little life's milestones. Preschool graduation was one. Seeing all those little kiddos lined up with a graduation hat, not knowing what the heck they were doing or why they were doing it... but standing in front of their moms, dads, and families being SO proud of themselves...I was SO excited to experience that moment with the girls. That didn't happen with the pandemic. I thought, "Okay... that's okay. Totally understand. At least I'll still get to experience the first day of kindergarten with them" (At our school the parents get to spend the first day with them.) Two weeks before school starts, we got an email saying that was cancelled. This was also after their Kindergarten Open House was cancelled last March. I like to know what's going on... I always have to have a plan. So, I was slowly starting to unravel... selfishly because I had 'this vision' and these moments I wanted to have with them... and because NOTHING has gone 'normal' for my girls. Pregnancy... birth... infancy... and now pre-school... Pitty party? Yep. But damn it!!! The girls don't know what they're missing. It's made it quite a bit easier, and we just buck up and keep going forward.

Even before the girls were born, Donny and I both agreed that we were going to separate them into different classes when they started school. Our main reason was that we knew they were going to be spending every. waking. minute. with each other... it's time to spread their wings! They had NO problems with knowing they'd be separated when we told them they would have different teachers.  

We got a letter in the mail two weeks ago that Danika has Ms. Tuohy, and Johnalyn has Mrs. Bushman.  The girls had Meet the Teacher/Assessments on Tuesday. Johnalyn was so nervous, she didn't do the best on her assessment. Danika rocked it. They found their rooms, their chair, put their supplies away, and got the rundown on ALL the 'new' social distancing rules. Again, I'm SO thankful they know no different, because for me as an adult... it was overwhelming and heartbreaking. BUT, if this prevents any kind of covid outbreak, it's 150% worth it. 

Parents are not allowed in the building. Their class sizes are 20 per teacher... but they are separated in two groups. So, really, their class size is 10 (classmates they have contact with). They get to eat in the cafeteria, but are spaced 6 feet apart. They have to wear masks in the room, except for designated mask breaks. They have phy ed, but it will be outside. Once it gets cold out, they will be doing 'moderate' activity next to their desk in the classroom. The library is closed, and there is a 'mobile library' that will come to their room. The water fountains are shut off, and must have a water bottle (This is important to note...). When they stand in line, they have to have an arms width between each other. So much for these little ones to remember and change in habits, especially when they're Love Language is physical touch (Danika - as you can see in the pictures below)... Even with all these new guidelines, the girls were still SO excited.

SO! Yesterday came... first day of Kindergarten. The girls were way more excited than I thought. I was struggling to keep them in the door at 6:30am! 

 One thing the teachers iterated to me, as the adult/parent, "Just make sure they have their name tag, mask, and their water bottle." Yep! Got it! I can do that... right?? Apparently not... 

I got the girls to school... Waited for the doors to open at 7:46, a para came out and got the girls and other kindergartners and walked them to their room. I was pretty dang proud of them... They didn't even ask for a hug and kiss (talk about breaking mama's heart)... The school's organization was incredible. I got back to the van, decided to drive into Rochester and get some coffee... and sulk. Got home, and CRAP!!! Right on the table were their name tags and water bottles. Mom Fail Day 1!!! I emailed the teachers quick.. and then I ran it to school to drop off the tags and water bottles. I got an email from both teachers around 11:30 that the girls were doing great. Dani was the helper for the day and "hasn't stopped smiling." and Johni was pretty quiet but doing well.  

I picked them at 2:45, and was met with two little scowling girls. They did NOT want me to pick them up because they wanted to ride. the. bus. Oh they were angry!! Danika was also sad because her feet hurt and they didn't do ANY science experiments. Tough. Crowd. They had about an hour-ish meltdown...BUT, they were up and ready to do it all over again today!    I thought it would be easier for us since we're so used to a daycare center, but I don't think that's so true... So many little puzzle pieces, and a whole new slew of emotions!  It's such a change of pace for us, but we'll find our groove... just like everyone does.

These girls have a strong willpower and a great thirst for knowledge.  We are ready to tackle a great year... not matter what gets thrown at us!  

Walking into school with their daycare friend, Chelsea

School dismissal for Johni

She made it to the end of the day!

Our Yearly Tradition

Ever since I was about 10-ish years old, my family would always head up to Duluth for a long weekend every summer in August. Those would turn into some of my best childhood memories. There's something about the north shore, no matter how old you are, that puts all of the day-to-day stresses to rest. There were a few years in there that I broke away from that tradition, but when Donny and I started (seriously) dating, we jumped back into that tradition with my family, and are now carrying out the tradition with the girls in tow. It's always filled with giggles and chaos, but an absolutely priceless time we get to spend up there with my parents, sister, and her family. Here's some pictures from memory lane: 2016 (I think it was too chaotic, we didnt get a picture of the four together)

2017

2018

2019

2020

This year, we decided to lengthen our journey up north and we went up to Beaver Bay, just the four of us, for two additional nights. We stayed at Cove Point Lodge. It was wonderful! They have their own little private rock beach, and a beautiful cove to walk out to and enjoy. The lodge was incredibly quiet, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. The kids (all three) loved climbing boulders (As my anxiety is thru the roof watching them conquer those huge boulders with nothing but a 20 foot drop into the lake underneath them if they would happen to slip or step wrong). They (again, all three kids) loved exploring anything and everything... and questioning anything and everything. We had to inspect and name every rock, and make rock families (two identical little rocks, a mommy rock, and a daddy rock to create the 'family')... and then find a special spot for them. Their imagination ran wild as they played Elsa and Ana when they saw big waves coming up to the shore... and the floor is lava as they jumped from boulder to boulder with the lake underneath them. We did about a 2-1/2 mile hike at Tettegouche State park... where we had to stop at every mushroom sighting and say 'hi' to the fairies living inside of them. (Side story, for documentation purposes, the end result of the hike was absolutely breathtaking... but there are no pictures, because I decided to have a complete panic attack while walking across a bridge that I had NO idea was called the 'suspension bridge'. I thought we were plumeting right into the water under us. I absolutely hate bridges anyway, and this one put me over the edge, literally. Hike and fun was over). We visited Split Rock Lighthouse... they were pretty unimpressed with the lighthouse but LOVED the rock beach, and I took full advantage of photo ops. I think our favorite places were Black Beach and a little waterfall off the side of the road in Beaver Bay, it wasn't full of tourists, off the beaten path of sorts, and they girls were able to climb and walk on rocks until their hearts were content. Sleeping was a bit rough. If you remember in past blogs... sleep has always been an ongoing issue, so when we switch up their routine, no one gets much sleep. But, we had a great time... and the memories these girls made I hope stick with them for a long time.... and if they keep up with the memory they have, they definitely will remember for years and years to come! Some pictures from our adventures. Enjoy!

Well, Hello There!

 Where should I start?  

This precious little blog-diary that was completely ignored for nearly four years.... Four years gone, and I have no documentation of it...just packed away in my memory (until that starts failing me, too).  

That's okay... I'll just pick up the pieces from here.  

I went to my cousin's baby shower a week ago, and my cousin's wife struck a chord... She mentioned this blog and how she loved reading our journey.  It's something that never came to my mind... someone following our journey and feeling connected to us... and it not just being my own little drama-filled diary.   I know we had a lot of people reading this to follow along our rocky beginning of parenthood, but when she said she felt connected to us thru this blog... that stuck.  Thanks Jessica for bringing it up... it's exactly what I needed to hear to give me a kick in the... to dust this blog off!    

So, we're back.  It's the perfect time too... because we're about to embark on a HUGE milestone.  KINDERGARTEN... during a pandemic!!   

I'll keep this one short since it's my 'first' (2.0?) post... but man do I have some catch-up to do! I'm finally in a position in life where I actually have time to do this now (and the set up).  I'll do some reminiscing along with updates on the girls journey thru Kindergarten.  

I'll leave with a picture of these grown up girls from this past weekend during our little family vacation up north, where they conquered an amazing hike without a single complaint!   💗

Farewell 2016!!

Hello!  
Happy New Years!  Two years ago tonight, I was working on a blog, and I think the feelings of that exact night will forever haunt me on this night for years and years to come... My words didn't reflect it in the blog, but I was terrified of the future.  I was terrified for the next day, the next weeks... for the next decade.  The fear of not knowing was consuming me, and I hid that so well, but the feelings won't ever go away... with that being said, I remember typing these words and today, these words were proven more than true.... " I was laying on the couch last night thinking how this will be our last quiet New Year Eve.  From here on out we'll have giggles, whining, and crying... "  I remember begging for this... to be able to have this... and now I do... and I had no idea how complete life would be with all of those giggles, whining, and crying...  Motherhood in 2016 has just been amazing... and frustrating... and exhausting... and fulfilling... and magical... 

ANYWAY.... SO, six months since my last post... whoops!  I think I'm done promising myself and anyone who is reading this that I will post more often. I just don't know where time is going.  Heck, I didn't even get Christmas cards sent out this year! So, I clearly fail at keeping everyone up to date... we'll just go with that.  No more promises of blogging every week, or month... but thank you for randomly checking back here just to be set up for disappointment yet again, only to find out that - WHOA! - there's a new blog this time!!

With that said, I don't think it would be a proper farewell to 2016 without some kind of update... But I have NO idea where to begin.  I have over 4,000 pictures from the year.  That's the only way I've been documenting.  SO, I'll post one picture from each month!

 January:  Donny's brother, Nick, got married to Liz which officially made the male/female ratio bend in our favor!  (Don is the oldest of four boys)... so it's time that the girls rule!

 February:  The girls turned ONE on February 12th.  It hard for me to process that a whole year had went by since that dramatic day of their birth.  We didn't do anything big for their birthDAY, but we dressed them up for daycare, they had a party there, and were spoiled and pampered all day.

 March:  We decided to have their first birthday party in March.  It was a beautiful warm day, and we had such a fun time with our families together.

 April:  Both of the girls got tubes placed in their ears.  They were getting multiple and recurring ear infections, and we thought by getting tubes, it would help their sleeping... NOT.  Gosh those robes were SO cute... and they were great patients!!

 May:  Mom had it with their hair!  They would NOT keep ponies in, and their bags were constantly in their eyes... we took them in for their first bang trim, and mom almost cried... I didn't quite expect their bangs to get that short... and that crooked... but, looking back at them now, they were still cute!

 June:  The girls found a LOVE for outside.  Donny and I both agreed that we wanted to raise kids who loves the outdoors, but I don't think that's requiring much effort on our part... these girls LOVE being outside.  Swinging, wagon riding, water table splashing, hose drinking, rock throwing... all they cared was that they were outside, and they would find their own entertainment.  This was also month that I really saw the girls take a 'liking' to each other.  I was starting to wonder if they would even 'bond' like twin moms talk about, and it was finally happening where they were laughing together, communicating, and playing... what a gift to watch unfold!

 July:  A lot of things were starting to unravel... (more on that below)... and with all of the impending changes in our family, we went to the extreme and 'sleep trained' the girls.  Prior to this, we would rock the girls to sleep, and Johnalyn was always awake again by 10:30... and she was SCREAM.  We would rocker her, feed her, sing to her... we were doing anything and everything...even co-sleeping wasn't working.  I had a hard time wrapping my head around letting the girls scream themselves to sleep.  We got a new pediatrician who finally sat down and listened to all of our concerns and issues.  She enlisted the pediatric social worker to help us.  She was a God send.  I met with her on a Wednesday.... we put a plan in place, and we had the girls sleeping thru the night by Monday.  It was gruesome... and I, to this day, would rather give birth five more times than to go through this again... but it worked.

 August:  Our first family vacation!!!  We went to Duluth for our annual family vacation.  We shared a suite with my sister and her family... sleeping was rough, but we managed.  I'm so excited to continue this tradition with the girls as they grow.

 

September:  Oh, hi there U-haul truck.  *sigh*  I'm sure you all know that we made a huge change this year.  A change that we hadn't really anticipated to happen so soon.  Donny's job at Alumacraft wasn't panning out how we had hoped.  We looked around Mankato for quite some time and nothing ever came to be.  The decision came that it was time to move back closer to Rochester.  Why Rochester?  A few reasons.  My family is from the area, we have close friends in the area, a great job opportunity came up for Donny in Winona, and I've worked for Mayo for 11 years, so transferring back to Rochester made sense.  We didn't make this decision lightly, but it made the most sense for our family.  We left so many great people behind, and a wonderful daycare and staff that we still miss dearly.

So, August and September were stressful months.  Donny was offered his job in Winona in July.  He began in August.  He 'lived' in Rochester Monday-Thursday.  The girls and I were still in Mankato.  We put our house on the market, we were scrambling to find something near Rochester, and I needed to find a job to transfer back to.  *deep breaths*  Well, we found a house in Eyota we loved.  It was on the market for 2 days.  We put an offer in contingent on the sale of our house.  Our house went on the market 4 days later.  Our house sold in three days.  THREE DAYS.  I was offered a job in the Center for Connected Care, and I accepted.  We moved out of our house and in with my parents the first week of September....

 October:  We moved into our new house the second week in October.  We LOVE our new house, but still making it ours.  I know it'll take awhile.  Things went SO fast, I'm still processing it some days.  The girls transitioned well into their new daycare, and found a love with the new staff. I'm still learning my new job on a daily basis, and getting used to the change of pace.

 Donny's parents were able to come see our new digs the end of October and were able to help the girls pick their first pumpkins!

November and December are, honestly, a blur.  We have been so busy getting settled in our new house, new routine, new life, that I don't feel like things will ever slow down.

The girls are doing amazingly well.  Developmentally, they are blowing us away.  They are talking in three-worded sentences (that we can understand).  They sing songs together, they love dancing with their daddy, and completely exhausting mommy and daddy.  Danika loves to color and is proving to us that she is the artsy one at this point.  Johnalyn has to have things in order... she likes to 'clean'....throw things in the garbage.  Both girls are obsessed with shoes and are proving to be completely independent by insisting on picking out their own socks and shoes every morning.

The girls have great humor and love to make people laugh... and eachother.  The are very in tune to eachother and makes sure eachother's needs are taken care of.  If Danika is sad, Johnalyn will say "Sissy sad" and bring Danika her blanket and pacifier.  We were, once again, incredibly blessed this year.  These girls bring so much joy and excitement into our lives, it's still hard for me to process the blog I wrote two years ago now that I can look back on it (New Years 2015).  Farewell 2016...   Here's to a more calm and organized 2017 in the Grunloh house!   HAHA!!!