Thanksgiving 2012

Well thanksgiving has come and gone (as well as all the other holidays since Memorial Day!) and the Christmas season is upon us! We spent thanksgiving in Marysville with our folks. Had to much fun staying up til the kids were waking up with our Black Friday shopping! We hit up Walmart at 8pm, target at 9pm, I stood in line with my mom at best buy til midnight, went to kohls right after that then Matt and and I stood in line at cabelas from 2:30-5am! They handed out free Starbucks coffee and ginger snap cookies and random door prizes to the first 600 in line. Matt received a $5 gift card and I won a sweatshirt. After cabelas we headed to Kmart, Fred Meyer, and lowes. We finally made it home about 7:30 am. Took a quick nap and then headed back out around 8:30... Yes we are crazy, yes we will probably do it again just not to the same extreme (I still think I'm paying for the lack of sleep!) all in all it was a great time at home, but we are happy to be back in our home and in our routines. It's a lot of work traveling with 2 young kids.
Just some random pictures!

Memorial Day Weekend and catch up

It has been awhile since I have checked in to let you all know what the Tait family has been up too!
Matt has been accepted into a Masters program and will be starting that the end of June. He is also preparing for speaking at a conference in July for the Quincy school district and the PEP Grant, that is keeping much of his days busy!
Jacoby is busy! Busy with everything. He loves to make music, pretend and real. He will drum on anything, or play the air guitar at any given moment! His vocabulary is growing daily, as is his pronunciation. It is hard to believe he will be 3 in just a few short months!
Makinsey has 4 teeth now, crawls all over the place, over things, under things, and through things! She will pull herself up and balance or cruise along holding on to furniture or toys. It won't be long and she will be running after her brother.
I have been busy with daycare. (Matt was able to see what I did during the day and told me that I have a very hard job!) I love everyday I am able to stay home with my kids and the other kids that join us, but it is challenging on days (and just so happened to be on the day Matt saw!)
This past week we went to CA to my cousins graduation party. The kids flew great. On the way to the airport Jacoby says "I'm so excited to get on the airplane!" it was really cute. Makinsey slept most of the flight there and back. Jacoby was busy looking around and talking to the other passengers to sleep, but he did great. We went to the Santa Cruz Beach Board Walk and Jacoby was able to go on many rides. His favorite was the Loggers Revenge much like splash mountain. We also went to the beach at Carmel-by-the-sea (Clint Eastwood was the mayor there). Makinsey found a new enjoyment in the swings!

Spring Break!

This spring break has been nice! Both of the families that I provide child care for were on vacation this week so I was able to close down the daycare and have a week off! Matt's mom and brother came to see us on Sunday afternoon. With their arrival, Matt and I were able to go on our first motorcycle ride together! It was great. Just a short ride to the Gorge then into Quincy for a meeting and then home, but it was nice to go out. I did some organizing in Jacobys room on Monday and Tuesday. Jacoby attended his very first baseball camp (not sure if he learned anything or if he was just a distraction for the other kids...) Wednesday Angela and Juan went home with 2 extra passengers! I let Jacoby and makinsey go with them! First time in about 2 years we have been without kids for longer than just an evening. My parents are bringing the kids back this afternoon.
On a more personal note, I have been working hard to get back into shape, and have a healthier lifestyle. With that being said, I have about 4 lbs to go til I reach a goal and get to set another! Matt told me once I get to a certain size I can go shopping! So I'm working! I started a jogging exercise program and it seems to be doing the trick right now! I am going to try and find some photos of me a year or two ago and do some comparison shots.
This weekend is Easter, we have an Easter egg hunt on Saturday. Church on Sunday should be a fun filled weekend!
Some kid stats:
Jacoby- 2.5 years 37 inches 36.5 lbs still working on potty training... Can repeat pretty much anything you ask him to.
Makinsey- 8.5 months not sure on height or weight but we go to the dr for her 9 month check in a few weeks. She is crawling has 1 tooth and tries to pull herself up on everything. Says mama.
HAPPY EASTER!!!!

Baseball = busy

Baseball started so that means Matt has long days and is super busy which then means I have long days and I am super busy! The Quincy Baseball team played on Saturday in a jamboree. They did great! They split won one game and lost one game. Matt was happy with their performance, and he was able to really see what areas need to be worked on. Dave and Angela came over to watch Matt coach and see the kids. It was great to have them here for the day. The extra set of hands was nice during the game. (this is one of the reasons we love Quincy, close enough parents can come visit but still far enough they need to plan a bit!) Kathy and woody are heading over this next weekend to spend sometime with the kids. Matt has been in Boston since Monday, he gets home on Friday. Saturday he has a double header in Toppenish.
Makinsey is 8 months today and started really crawling yesterday! Still no teeth, but I'm sure they are coming!
Jacoby is still working on potty training, but his abc's are getting better as well as his counting we are up to 12 and working on 15!

Birthday and Western WA

Saturday Feb 18 was Matt's 27 birthday. He started out his celebrating a day early. His mom and brother came over to spend the weekend with us and got here around 2 on friday. We went to Ace in Ephrata and bought Matt a Traeger BBQ. He was so excited to get this really cool BBQ! Friday night he grilled us some amazing steaks (beef from "Boss" Faw!) Then Saturday morning Matt and Juan went golfing, Juan is trying out for the MPHS Golf team and wanted to get some pointers from his brother. We ended the day with pizza at Chico's in Moses Lake with Shaun and Andrea Elliott and Aaron Reimer! Chico's pizza is amazing, and it blew my diet out the window for the day... So the cookies and cream ice cream cake was just the thing needed to really blow me off track. After dinner and cake we went to Lake Bowl in Moses for some family bowling. Matt, Jacoby, Juan and I all bowled, while Nana had Makinsey duty! Sunday morning Matt and I headed to church and sunday school while Jacoby and Makinsey stayed home to get some one on one time with nana and uncle Juan. When we got home Matt fired up the Traeger and made some beef jerky and goose jerky, he also made chicken on it that evening. Angela and Juan left on sunday afternoon. The week is kinda a blur... They go by pretty quickly. Matt is all done with girls basketball now, but today is the start of QHS Baseball! Matt is super excited to see what this season will bring.
The kids and I went to Western WA this weekend. We left on friday afternoon and hit the pass right when the snow was starting to fall, so it was a slow drive on the pass but we made it safely. Saturday morning we spent some time with Papa Dean and Grandma Ella, and saturday evening my parents had a house full of guests wanting to see the kids. I don't think they really cared about seeing me, it was all about the kids. Jacoby had all the adults singing their ABC's and counting with him. He was even calling people out if they were not singing or counting with him. It was pretty funny! Yesterday was Kayla Simon's bridal shower that I hosted in Sumner. It was amazing! She has a great group of family and friends. (and she made out like a bandit!) We got back over the mountains around 4:30ish and just relaxed.
Some tidbits about the kids:
Jacoby-almost 29 months- he will tell you he is "potty training", we are working on this. Some days are good, some days aren't so good. This morning he pooped on the toilet all by himself, with out me asking him! He knows is ABC's, can count to 12, knows his whole name, tries to spell his name, knows lots of shapes, knows his colors but wont always let you know he knows them. most favorite sayings right now "Me, I don't know" and the dreaded WHY?????
Makinsey- 7.5 months- sits by herself, gets up on all fours and will rock or push herself backwards. still no teeth, eats pretty much anything you put in front of her, peas, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, pears, peaches, applesauce, avocados, bananas we tried yogurt melts this weekend and she likes them, but doesn't get them small enough before trying to swallow them...

New Years resolution fail

So it seems I am not very good at this blogging thing. I sit down with the best of intentions to fill everyone in on what's happening but then I get side tracked with diaper changing, feeding, playing, cleaning... All things that are a part of life I guess.
Matt's basketball season is just about over. Then he will jump right into baseball.
Jacoby is working on this potty training thing... Some days are really good some days are really bad. His vocabulary increases everyday, and continues to amaze me with the things that come out of his mouth!
Makinsey is working on crawling. She gets up on her hands and knees and will rock or she will move her hands or she will move her knees, but never both at the same time. We are close though!
I am just taking in everything life has to offer me! I am enjoying this time home with my kids and the joy they bring me as well as the other kids I get to watch! We are looking at the possibility of starting a preschool learning center in Quincy so that has been exciting to get that process started. We will see what is in store for us now!

Snow!

We finally have snow! I love the snow! I was wishing and hoping for a white Christmas but that didn't happen!
This past weekend Kayla and Matt came from Portland to visit. Matt and Matt went hunting, Kayla and I got to spend some much needed girl time! Angela also came from Marysville to spend some time with the kids. She graciously watched both kids on Saturday for a few hours so Kayla and I could go to Wenatchee. Monday was Makinsey's 6 month well child check up she is healthy! 18 lbs 6 oz and 26.5 inches. She got 4 shots and did pretty well with them. Tuesday morning Angela left on the train and had an extra little traveler with her. Jacoby went with to spend some time with grandparents in Marysville. So far he has been able to spread his time with nana and grandpa tait, papa dean and grandma Ella, and papa woody and Amma! He has been having fun, but I think I am ready for him to be home! It gets pretty quite around here with a very busy 2 year old!
Matt is at his first basketball game with the 7th grade girls. Hope they will come home with a W! My parents are supposed to be bringing Jacoby back tomorrow and then spend the weekend with us. I am hoping the weather will allow for them to get here safely, once they get here the weather can do what it wants. I just want them here!