Who needs toys?

It is snowing...again. We are supposed to get 6-14 inches depending on what weather channel you tune in to. So, the kids and I stayed in. It is a LONG day when we don't leave the house.

So, we played with a house that mommy made out of cardboard boxes. It is amazing how many we have in our basement!

The kids had a blast and will again after their naps.

The front door

The side window

Hello Katie!

What does the President of the United States do?

I keep meaning to "blog" this because I don't want to ever forget this conversation I had with Katie.

Katie, Andrew and I were watching the inauguration last week...

Mom: Katie, you know, you can be president someday. Would you like to be president?

Katie: Nah

Mom: How come? The President of the Unites States is an important job and by the time you are grown up I bet you can be the President if you want. When you are President you get to make a lot of important decisions. You get to do a lot of things.

Katie: Yeah, I guess I will be President. Then I can pick pumpkins whenever I want.

The innocence and simplicity of a three year old is priceless.

Obama have fun picking pumpkins!

Picture from the party

One year, 365 days, 8760 hours, 525,600 minutes

What a year. We went from a family of four to a family of five (if you include the dog, and we do). It was a rough first four months...lots of colic...But, we survived and now there are more happy and fun moments that frustrating and difficult.

Andrew has changed so much in a year, as he should I suppose. It is hard to believe that an entire year has passed and he went from this tiny helpless baby to a toddler who walks, feeds himself, laughs and plays.

His personality has definitely surfaced in the last few months. He tends to have a stubborn streak and a little bit of a temper. If he doesnt get his way, he falls to the floor and tears start streaming. If I simply utter the word "no", the bottom lip starts to quiver. And I thought girls were supposed to be full of drama! He is quick to smile and laugh. Just turn him upside down or tickle his chin and his laughs are contagious. He adores his sister and thinks she is so funny. He watches her every move and has learned a lot from her. We couldnt love him more and can't wait to see how he changes in the year to come.

My party invitation
(zero to 11 months - left to right, top to bottom)

(inside of invitation read:)
My first year went by in a flash, As you can tell I had quite a blast

Month by month I changed and grew, My smile stayed with me the whole time through

It is hard to believe that I am turning one, I hope you can join me, we'll have lots of fun!

Love the Birthday Boy, Andrew

For Katie's first birthday I made a clothesline with pretty ribbon and had enlargements made of my favorite 0-12 month pictures. For Andrew, we ordered a poster using Snapfish. Just as cute, but didnt take as much time. It is a different ballgame when you have a second child.

The poster shows Andrew's and his many smiles. Andrew is a very smiley boy and has been since birth. If you look at the top left picture that is from one day old in the hospital...he is smiling!

Waking up...with a smile. Time to celebrate his birthday!

Appropriately wearing his birthday suite!

Katie "helped" Andrew with his presents. Andrew really wasn't as intersted as some babies in the paper and ribbon. Instead, he kept climbing on the boxes. He must have climbed on this box 10 times and walked off. He thought it was SO funny. He loves to climb and has NO fear.

Daddy got Andrew this shirt in Holland, the bunny has a #1 shirt

Andrew LOVED the cake. He was curious and timid at first but once he tasted the frosting, it was ALL OVER. I made him a #1 individual cake. Don't worry...no one else had to eat this one! I have never seen a baby dive into a cake like he did.


Before.... And After....

Waving!

Andrew is learning to communicate! He can wave hi and bye and also has learned that a scream with his arm up will get him things like a drink, crackers, etc. Time to be more diligent about teaching him sign language.

Ya gotta start somewhere...

This book may look familiar to most parents, but look closer. It is in Dutch.

The title is My first 100 words.

We bought this for the kids when we were in Holland in November. Time for me to start studying!

Squeeze Me

The other day, we were trying to leave the house and for those of you who have a two or three year old, you know how difficult it is to leave the house. I think on average, I say "come on, Katie" 2 dozen times per day, at least. Putting shoes on, brushing hair, getting dressed...It is a painful process.

We were almost ready. Keys in hand, about to give Tucker his "sorry we are leaving you again" treat when Katie says, "I gave Andrew a sticker." Naively I think she is sharing one of the many stickers Santa recently brought her. Nope. Not the case. She took one of the stickers off a new dog toy and stuck it to Andrew's forehead.

Katie thought it was hysterical. Andrew couldn't stop grinning ear to ear. I laughed out loud. Neither of them knew what it said.

I gave them both a squeeze!





These are the little moments that I hope I remember for a long time. It will probably be years before it is actually easy to get out of the house, but I must remember to keep my sense of humor.

Thuis

Thuis: (dutch) meaning: house

It's official. We the Galkas are moving. Well, temporarily anyhow...

For the last year or so Ned's work travel to the Netherlands has been quite extensive...about 50%. His company recently acquired the dutch company he had been working so closely with and Ned was offered a position managing the new division.

We will be living in Maastricht. Our house is in an area called Heer. Pronounced like "here." It is a modern home with a small fenced in backyard (they call backyards gardens over there). It has a guest room so we hope you will visit.

Ned started his job at the first of the year. He will be traveling back and forth from Holland to Rochester, NH for the next few months until me and the kids join him in mid March (hopefully).

We have a lot to do in the meantime!

Front of the house and garden area

Office and dining room

One of the 4 bedrooms and living room

kitchen

Christmas Tree take TWO

December 11 we got a perfect spruce variety christmas tree. The sales "guy" said spruces last forever.. Said it would last until "March" to quote him. Full branches, exact fit in our house, wonderful smell. Ned and I commented more than once that this was indeed the BEST tree we had ever had.

So we thought...

Ned and Andrew stringing the lights on the perfect tree

December 24 after un-stringing the lights on the perfect tree
(notice the pile of needles on the floor. You cant even see the tree skirt!)

Not so perfect anymore.

Starting roughly one week after purchasing the perfect tree, pine needles were dropping by the dozen. December 24 ornaments were dropping off the tree by the dozens.

We had a decision. Risk having a tree with no ornaments and no needles on Christmas morning or trudge out in the cold and purchase another tree on Christmas Eve.

We went with the second option. Katie was thrilled!! She got to decorate a second tree! Ned and I however were not to thrilled with buying another tree (no, the place did not give us a refund) and putting up another tree on Christmas Eve.

Katie helping to decorate tree #2 on Christmas Eve

The second tree...After Santa came.

Guess the first tree wasn't so perfect afterall...We won't be buying a tree from that place again!

Merry Christmas from the Galkas!

Sing it Katie!

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...

It has been snowing and snowing and snowing...

I think we got 4 inches between Thurs and Fri and are supposed to get another 10-15 inches today.

What better a time to make our Christmas cookies. Katie was too little last year, but a good age to introduce her to baking sugar cookie cut outs this year. Lately, she has to do everything herself. She floured, rolled, cut them out and then used the "shovel" (spatula) to put the stickly ones on the cookie sheet.

It was messy but fun!

...Before

After...

Oh to be a Second Child...

Ned let me sleep in the other day...When I came downstairs , he we eager to show me the cute pictures he took. He was so proud.

I looked at the camera to find indeed a cute picture of Andrew eating a frozen Stoneyfield yogurt tube or, as they are called in our house, yogurt pops. Not a problem. EXCEPT that it was strawberry! Oh Daddy...Babies aren't supposed to have strawberry for a year... Well, they aren't supposed to have egg whites until a year too and Andrew accidentily had those at 8 months. Whoops!

...And, I don't think they are supposed to have Tootsie Pops either
(that one he snuck off Katie's little table when I wasn't looking)
Boy was he angry when I took it away!

First Steps

As of Tuesday, Andrew is walking!! He has taken up to 10 steps. He lets go of furniture all the time now and walks and falls gracefully. He just bends his knees and crawls.

In this video, he is walking towards me. If I had moved back faster, he would have taken more steps.

Oh Christmas Tree

Had to be done or I fear Andrew would scale the tree!
(I am not exaggerating)

Decorating with Grandma

At least he has a sense of humor about it...

(Thanks, Blanchette's for loning us your gate)

Happy Birthday Katie!

We had quite the eventful birthday weekend.

As most of you have probably heard, NH is in a state of emergency. There was an ice storm Thursday, the 11th. We lost power at midnight. Ned's mom was already staying at our house. My parents, Rich, Carolyn, Charlie, Jeanne and Dino and Ned's dad were all on their way for the weekend festivities. Their hotels were closed. This meant a very full house for us. We had all the Magers plus Ned's mom at our house. 10 people in total.

Next, Katie's kids party was canceled at Rumble Tumble in Portsmouth. So, we scurried to call all our guests and rerouted them to our house.

Timeline --I found out the party was canceled at 8:45am. I started calling guests at 9:15am. Party was set to start at 11am...

I delegated...one person went to pick up the Backyardigans ordered cake (thank god the bakery had a generator!), one person got some balloons, one person pastries, one person to the grocery store...Good thing there were 7 adults staying at our house! It was hectic but it all turned out in the end. We had a great party with great friends and family.

Every year I make an invitation for Katie's family party complete with a poem. Thought I would share this years --

From toddler to preschooler and Big Sister too
No title will ever change how much we love you

You said goodbye to binky and moved to a bed
Both were easier than everyone had said

You can pedal a trike and can do a front roll
You are learning to swim and can count in espanol

Your smile is so big, your hugs so tight
Your happiness tells us we're doing something right

We love your imagination, it is silly and sweet
Always making up songs and "cooking" up treats

1095 wonderful days to date
What's in store for next year?
We cannot wait!

Before I sign out, I feel compelled to write a little note to Katie. I guess I am feeling a little sentimental...

Dear Katie,

Happy 3rd Birthday. I really can't believe you are three years old. In a blink I fear that you will going to kindergarten. I am not ready for that. You will always be my baby.

You are a smart inquisitive little girl. Full of spunk mixed with a little sass. You have a great sense of humor. You crack me and your Dad up on a daily basis with your silly antidotes and songs. Although you come across as shy in groups, we know that you are developing into a confident little person. You are very affectionate. You love to give hugs and kisses to friends and family. Your brother is enamored by you. You make him laugh the hardest and smile the biggest. I love to watch you play with him. It truly melts my heart.

I love you. You are a beautiful little girl. I can't wait to see how you change this year and in the years to come.

XOXO,
Mommy

Joint birthday party for the December "babies".

Katie met these friends when she was two weeks old.
Right to left: Uma, Katie, Jillian, Ryan and Mickey
Singing of "Happy Birthday": Take ONE

Class of 2024 display that Jillian's mom made.
Each row captures how each child has changed.

Birthday breakfast
Pink frosted donut with candles and lucky charms
(does it get any better than that???)
Singing of "Happy Birthday": Take TWO

December 9th birthday dinner
Katie requested steak and cous cous .
For dessert, one girlie cake with candles.

Signing of "Happy Birthday": Take THREE

Ad hoc friend birthday party at our house December 13th.
(Several people at the party still did not have power at this point)

Singing of "Happy Birthday": Take FOUR

Family birthday party Saturday night.
Singing of "Happy Birthday": Take FIVE

That night, putting Katie to bed, she said "Mommy, is my birthday over?" It was such a sad little question. I told her, yes, but we celebrate her every day.

Playing Together