The Schulz's Big NY Adventure

Domo Arigato

2011-02-25T12:34:00.002-06:00

On a much lighter note, I thought I needed to post this. Oliver got this card from his friend Teagan for his birthday. This is the only card he still has from his birthday. As you can tell, he loves this song, which makes me die laughing! I'm glad he enjoys 80s pop like his momma. If you know Oliver, you know he doesn't have much to say. (It is a real weak spot for me, so I really don't like to talk about it... Even if that is the first question out of my mom's mouth EVERY time I talk to her on the phone...) But, you will notice he does say, "Thank you" in his own way! Also, I couldn't stop recording, I apologize. Oh, and Ollie has no pants on because he was rolling around in the snow on the way into the house... Enjoy!!

Keep Calm and Carry On

2011-02-25T10:40:00.004-06:00

So I got a tattoo. A pretty big tattoo... But, there is a reason I got a tattoo.

Everyone seems to know, so it isn't a secret, I had a miscarriage. I was probably 6-7 weeks along and it threw us way off guard. Never did I think that would happen to me, especially since Oliver was a surprise blessing. I find the most annoying part of it all is how taboo the subject of miscarriage is. It just isn't talked about and why not? I'd like to acknowledge the child that I will never get to meet or hold. I, luckily, I do have friends and family that do that. I greatly appreciate that.

Anyways, on to the tattoo. As part of my grieving, I got it. I figured if this poster helped English citizens during WWII to go on with their daily lives, it would help me with the day to day happenings. It was supposed to be a small little dainty thing on my wrist. Well, my tattoo artist told me that is would be a big black ball of gross by three years or so. So, I moved it down and made the giant leap to be a visibly tattooed gal. The red gems are for Bill, the white are me, the yellow/gold are Oliver, and the blue are for what the baby's birthstone would have been. It hurt, but the pain was good for me. I believe it helped me bring closure to the situation.

A Train ride with Santa

2010-12-18T12:30:00.005-06:00

Today we went on a train ride with Santa. Like most kids Oliver's age, he is obsessed with trains! It was a great time. Ollie wasn't really into Santa. In his defense, our Santa looked like he has been living a hard life for awhile. All Aboard!

Um, we have snow here...

2010-12-08T15:22:00.002-06:00

A couple weeks back I remember seeing all my midwest friends mentioning the amount of snow they were getting. I kind of chuckled and thought, "HA! I'm glad that it is them and not me..." Well... I shouldn't have mocked you all because we are getting HAMMERED with the white stuff! If you didn't watch the Today Show, we have been getting 98 hours straight. REALLY!?! Yes... here is some proof!

The Zoo Crew Birthday Party

2010-12-06T13:20:00.002-06:00

So, I live life by the Jane Austen's quote, "One cannot have too big of a party," but I also like to add, "or too many parties for the same occassion." he he he This past weekend Oliver got to celebrate his birthday along with five of his birthday friends. Ollie is the oldest one out of the group and then Jordyn is the youngest (12/25 is her birthday). Then, the other four kiddos birthdays are in between. So, the mommies decided we should just do one big celebration. It was a fun time at My Gym.

Our little man is 2!

2010-11-15T06:59:00.005-06:00

Friday was Oliver's second birthday! I'm in shock and disbelief to be honest. But, it is exciting all at the same time. We were lucky enough to have my parents come visit for the occassion. We haven't seen them since June, so it has been nice to have them around. We had Oliver's two best buds and their families come over for a little dinner. My thought is was that this is my last year where I can design a party that I (yes I) want. So, we had a little man party. I sewed all the kids (and myself) bowties. It was fantastic!

Ollie got his haircut

2010-11-05T06:33:00.004-05:00

It is with great sadness that I write this. Oliver... got a *tear* haircut. Whew, that was hard to type! My vision of my little blonde curly surfer boy long hair was in reality a frizzy, mullet mess. It was time for a trim, so my vision will be a little bit more uniform. My friend, Judith, and I scheduled back to back appointments for our boys so we could get through it together! Here are some pictures. (The watching TV pic is the after result.)

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T06:50:00.005-05:00

I LOVE HALLOWEEN! I would spend all day and night crafting things for it if I didn't have to be a functioning member of society. I also seem to live for dressing Oliver up. I couldn't resist and got him two costumes. (In hopes that one would fit him next year, but that isn't happening...) So, he was a blue furry monster and a plaid elephant.
.

This year, I was blessed to have two good (equally crafty) friends from Wisconsin come to visit the weekend before. We went and picked pumpkins and apples and then carved some masterpieces. We had a little pumpkin carving evening playdate here at the house. It is always fun to see all the kiddies in their costumes.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..

.
.

Then, the day after the girls left, we had another Halloween playdate at our friends Seth and Emmas' house. (Ollie's costume turned a little au naturel there...)

.
.
.

.

The weekend of Halloween we went to Zoo Boo with our friends the Phillipson family. The zoo needs to be open at night more often. Ollie was really enjoying the active penguins. And, Sunday, brought a little trick or treating. Luckily for Oliver, both his grandmas made sure he would get candy! He really didn't even need to walk out his door. Did I mention I made beef stew with ghosts made out of mashed potatoes for dinner? Yep, I love halloween!! .

Park date with mommy

2010-10-08T19:40:00.005-05:00

Ah, today was BEAUTIFUL!! You couldn't NOT go outside today. Daddy was in Boston for a meeting, so we needed to do something all day. To make it a little more difficulut, Ollie got diagnosed with thrush (YUCK!), so we tried to stay away from our kiddy community activities. So, we went downtown Syracuse and got both of us some Starbucks. (Yes, Oliver is addicted to coffee. I bring a sippy cup 3/4's full of milk and then fill the rest with my drink of choice. And, he does love scones like his momma.) And then we were on the hunt for some fun mustache goodness. (Why? Well, we are having a small "mustache bash" for his actual birthday dinner. We were successful!!)

After nap and lunch, we ventured to Thorden Park. It was a fun time, minus the tube slide that makes children go mock speed out of it. Oliver didn't go down it until a 3year old boy pushed him aside to go down. Well, nothing like a little peer pressure to make him go. I made it to the end just in time to prevent him from breaking his neck... Oh, and there also was the time he went down the slide on his tummy and ate a mouth full of dirt. But, all is a days' trip to the park for a boy!! Oh, and no trip to Thorden is complete without a run down the hill!

Our first apple picking

2010-09-25T06:37:00.004-05:00

While Grandma Emmy (Jordyn's Grandma) was in town, we went with them to pick apples the first time this year. I wasn't very wise and went deathly close to nap time. I guess one of these days I will have it figured out... We even met our friends Christina, Seth, and Emma out there! We packed in apples, cider slushies, sitting on a tractor to try and make Oliver calm down, chickens, and goats all into one quick trip!

Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE!

2010-09-23T20:10:00.014-05:00

*Prewarning all my readers, after an hour and a half trying to format this correctly, I have given up, sorry for the crappy layout!

What, what?!?!? So, for Oliver's birthday, I got to take him to the Yo Gabba Gabba concert. Oh, but I should say it isn't just the concert, we went to the after party, too. We got to meet all the characters and DJ Lance ROCK!! Awesome!! But, I forget our adventure included going the day before with Jordyn, Phin, their mommies, and their grandmas! We went a day before so we could go to the Strong Museum of Play. It is one of the country's largest children's museums and it is awesome! But, since I'm so super behind on this blog, I'm focusing on the awesomeness that was the concert!!

I have to say I had just as much fun at YGG than I did at Foo Fighters. If you know me, and know how much I love my music, that is saying A LOT! (Personal note: Foo Fighters is ranked #2 just under Radiohead.) Oliver wasn't really sure about what he was doing there and was generally over stimulated, hence the darn nuk in most of his pictures. (Can't win them all!) But, the one picture of him seeing them the first time is priceless!

..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Since we got the Party Package, we got AMAZING seats! It was like the whole gang was about to jump off the stage and come sit by us. Now say it with me, "YO GABBA G-A-B-B-A!".

They sang all their hit songs. I found myself singing along to every one... Dang catchy lyrics that are meant to teach children things! "Balloons Make Me Happy," "Magic Bubbles," and the ever popular, "Party in My Tummy" closed the show.

Other highlights of the show included Biz's Beat of the Day. And our super music friend show was the band Mates of State. I don't think I could have been more excited. They are from the episode, "Games," and well, they are sign my favorite song out of all the episodes. Julie and Judith just turned and looked at me funny when I was standing up and cheering when DJ Lance announced the band. (The more I write this blog entry, the more I'm afraid I watch YGG as much as Oliver.)

Here are some other fun shots from the concert. It was so fun to be able to go with our friends. It would not have been the same without them! Even during a concert, the child swapping can not be stopped! :)

Then came the AFTER PARTY!! We had food, a private shopping area, and a plethora of balloons, confetti, and a dance party! But, by this time, Ollie was getting tired and whining. We got in line to take our pictures and meet the characters. We did individual family pictures with all the characters, since their are so many of them. But, then, we went as a big group for DJ Lance Rock. Do you notice everyone's shirts? I made them. DJ Lance liked Oliver's so much that he asked for my business card!! What a flattery. I have yet to hear from him, but still, that was pretty cool. It was the best way to end the experience for me!!

Halloween pre-view

2010-09-15T19:33:00.000-05:00

If you call the Schulz household, you may get to hear Oliver do his best monster impression... Well, we are training him to get the most candy he can! Hope you enjoy! Oh, and it giggles!

The Great New York State Fair 2010

2010-09-05T13:41:00.008-05:00

Happy Labor Day Weekend friends and family! With Labor Day comes the Great NY state fair. We gave the fair another chance this year, even if it didn't live up to our high midwest standards last year.

One thing that was different from last year was Oliver was big enough to ride some rides. As most of you know Oliver isn't afraid of much and a friend has even said he may be jumping out of planes by age 13. Well, by no surprise, Oliver loved MOST of the rides. The Ferris Wheel was first for the family. It was cold on the top!! (We have had a temperature drop of 20 degrees in two days!) Of course the one that mom brings him on made his whole entire body physically shake. Poor buddy... The Fire Chief wasn't his favorite, but he did think he was pretty cool when he could go on a ride by himself.

We visited the circus tent again this year. We got to feed the giraffe again. Ollie gets so excited to put that carrot in his mouth... BUT, when that tongue comes out his head is shaking "NO!" so fast! Too funny... He did have quite a conversation with a pygmy goat, but I don't think the goat really understood him. (Little goat, I totally know how you feel!)

And the last picture shows some sweet success for the day! We hadn't even gotten out of the parking lot at this point! He is still napping and it is 3 pm. Okay, I just jinxed myself, so I will bid you adieu!

Alexandria Bay

2010-07-26T07:56:00.009-05:00

I thought I was being so good. I had these pictures loaded in here for two weeks so I could quickly type and post. Well, nothing is really quick in my life these days!

Bill's folks came to visit all of us two weekends ago (I'm writing this on 8/10) and we drove up to Alexandria Bay. What a beautiful place! It is right on the St. Lawerence Seaway. It reminds me a little of Door County, WI, but with more mansion.

We went to Boldt Castle on Heart Island. It is a huge place that was completely abandoned when the inspiration for the whole project, a man's wife, unexpectedly passed away. The place stood unfinished and neglected and it's been in the process of being restored since 1970.

We took a ferry over on the gorgeous day. Oliver enjoyed all the "Ca-Ca's" that were flying around. After we went through the castle, we enjoyed the expansive grounds. Oliver's monkey backpack got its usage. The day was complete with ice cream for all. I think that could have been Oliver's favorite part.

When it rains... Go Play!

2010-07-23T19:18:00.004-05:00

Well, Oliver and I had plans of swimming in a pool today. Instead, he and I played in a pool... on the sidewalk! He had a blast and so did I actually. Of course, outside is never complete without a push or two on the swing! We ran around so much, that he actually napped for 2 hours while his socks and pants were drying in the dryer. The highlight: Dumping out an two entire rainboot fulls of water! I laugh at his outfit. In my world, one can never wear too many patterns. Ollie is pushing the fine line of too many! HA! If I ever have a girl, Lord help her!!

Almost Famous

2010-07-19T06:29:00.003-05:00

Oliver is at it again! My modelling son is being used for a Sproutlings ad. When we were in Minnesota over Easter, Ollie took some pictures for Missy. She has been using them for various things like pictures in the store, used for her website www.sproutlingsinc.com, & now Oliver will be hanging in numerous bathrooms in some of Duluth's finest establishments. Missy sent me a file of the ad & it is great! But, I can't figure out how to get it on here. So, I'll keep trying!!

For good measure

2010-07-08T20:49:00.002-05:00

So here is something that makes me chuckle.

Hi, it's me... Kim...

2010-07-08T19:39:00.004-05:00

Um, yeah, I haven't written on this for a long time. A L-O-N-G time! Honestly, this blogger format drives me nuts. It is such a pain in the a**! But, it also has to do with us going on a lot of trips, Oliver's lack of napping, and my lack of picture taking.

Since the last time I wrote, the snow has melted and has been replaced by a heat advisory. We may have gotten rid of the snow, but we are still in the house avoiding the 100 + degree heat!
.

At the end of May, Oliver and I went to Wisconsin for his Auntie Anna's baby shower. Then, for two weeks in June we went to Duluth to help my sister start her store, Sproutlings. It was fun to have a purpose for two weeks other than changing diapers. I got a chance to hang with my oldest pals, the Helland sisters, which was great, as always. Loudon, Heather's little guy that was born 3 days before my little man, and Oliver got to meet. They are both busy boys, so they literally ran opposite directions when they were in the same room.

And, then, when I thought I was done traveling for awhile, our newest nephew, Samuel Robert Schulz made his debut two weeks before he was due! Little Sam arrived early, so we (Bill, myself, and Oliver) got to make a trip to Wisconsin to meet him. I totally forget how extremely tiny two week olds are! (Not to mention how heavenly they smell!) Oliver was pretty good with Sam. He gave him a few kisses and pet him. Pet him... Yes, I told him to be "gentle" with the baby and that is the phrase we use with the cat. So, basically, Oliver thinks babies are pets. We also got to enjoy the 4th of July weekend with the Schulz family. Swimming, fireworks and boat rides abound!

.
,
.
.

.
.

Anyways, we are now trying not to melt. The heat will hopefully break soon enough. And, I hope I will be updating this more often!!

Snow Day!

2010-02-26T21:13:00.002-06:00

So, Oliver and I have had some cabin fever recently. Here is what we did today with our snow day! I realize I appear to be imitating Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window with all the peeping that was done out my windows!!

Jolly Elephint Preview Post

2010-02-09T12:22:00.021-06:00

I've been going through an identity crisis lately to say the least. Going from an engineer, to a retail crafter, to a mom and just a mom has taken a toll on who I am. To make this better/worse/whatever, I'm turning *hold my breathe* 30 this year. I'm not sure why, but it bothers the crap out of me. Anyways, what to do about it... Well, like most people that have watched Julie and Julia, blogging came to mind. There are thousands of blogs, but oh well, I will feel like I'm contributing to something other than my household!
.
So, enter Jolly Elephint... A blog of craftiness, cooking yumminess, with the occasional fun kiddy thing here and there by three (and sometimes more) transplant Syracuse residents that are making their time here as fun as possible.

.
Crafty Sundays... A way for us to work on our huge craft to-do list and focus on ourselves. (Until one of the kiddos has the death clutch on our leg.)
.
This particular Crafty Sunday, we taught Julie how to sew, Julie & Judith made yoga pants out of t-shirts, we noshed on delish quinoa & shrimp ala Julie, and I sewed some overalls for Oliver.
.
I should not say "we" talk Julie how to sew... Judith is a teacher. JUDITH taught Julie how to sew. I just interjecked some tips, gave her some scrap fabric to practice and that was my contribution.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Jordyn checking out her momma's first successful seam!

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
While I went to a craft retreat back in... 2006? put on by Crafty Planet, one of our projects was to upcycle some old t-shirts into yoga cropped pants. I mentioned this as a possible project & the gals loved the idea. I found the tutorial here and a video here.
.
Here, Julie is learning how to pin!

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Everything was going great! Between the two links, it was easy for Judith to navigate through the project. Until we hit the waistband. The tutorial's waistband instructions are what we went with. With many craft projects, by the end of the day, your brain is done. The imaginary wall was approaching. We pressed the waistband in half, but basting the waist band would be our handy suggestion.

.
.
.
.
.
Judith, amidst a wall and the decision of how to pin the waistband to the pants... Well, we screwed it up! That is okay, though. No harm done! .
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
It just gave Julie the opportunity to learn how to use a seam ripper!
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
In between the yoga crops project, Julie busted out her amazing cooking skills. It was my first time having quinoa and if you haven't tried it, you should! It is a great, healthy alternative to rice, with much more fiber!

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Julie's Shrimp & Quinoa
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. shrimp (scallops have been tested and approved as well!)
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 can canellini beans
flat parsley
1 serving quinoa
.
Make quinoa according to directions. While quinoa is cooking, continue below in seperate pan.
Saute garlic in olive oil, for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add shrimp and saute over medium heat until shrimp are slightly opaque. Add beans with liquid and lemon juice. When shrimp is cooked thoroughly and sauce slightly thickened, add coursely chopped parsley to taste.
Serve over warmed quinoa.
.
Yumminess that didn't make me feel like I had to run a marathon afterwards.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.My project has been sitting in my craft room since August. I cut it out back when my parents were last visiting. It was time to finish it to say the least. It was a Jackie Clark baby overalls pattern and the fabric you can grab here. It is hard to come across cute handmade boy clothing patterns. I snapped this pattern up as soon as I saw it! The project is easy aside from the application of the snap tape. The other thing I would change is the legs. I would turn the seams in at 1/4" twice, so you would have a nice finished edge around the snap tape. I have to thank my mom for that suggestion. We discovered it the first time we made these.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Here is my babe modeling his new traffic jam overalls. SO CUTE!

.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So, what do you think? Would you like to see more step-by-step crafting fun, recipes, with a dash of some paper crafting? I know I want to find a different blog site other than blogger. I hate having to use a bagillion periods to keep the damn thing formatted correctly!

Wow, sorry for the delay!

2010-02-08T15:53:00.002-06:00

It's been awhile... This kid has more energy these days, it is crazy! Our schedule during the week is jammed packed: Monday: swimming lessons at the Y, Tuesday: Music Together class, Wednesday: My Gym, Thursday: rest, Friday: Free play at My Gym & repeat. I think I am more tired out than Oliver is!

Olivers favorite new past times are running & tormenting the animals. He has waged quite the war with Java & let me tell you, Java is taking no prisioners! The current score is Java: 3, Oliver 0. (Scores entitle using your teeth to bite &/or break the skin's surface producing blood.) Now, before you start thinking, "OH MY GOD, they need to get rid of that cat!!" I'll have you know, Ollie deserves it. The poor cat is grabbed by the tail and then lifted off the ground like some pesky rodent. After sounding like a broken record of "NO OLIVER! GENTLE OLIVER! AH, STOP IT OLIVER!" I've let nature run its course. He also enjoys trying to co-habitat with Porter. Porter's anxiety level can be physically seen rise at the sight of Oliver climbing in the kennel with him. Actually, Porter doesn't even have to be near it & he will get nervous. (I made those bibs Oliver is wearing. *pat myself on my back*)

Running... lots and lots of running... I'm thankful for My Gym. It's like a huge padded room that there are like 2 things he could maybe bust his head open. Odds in my favor!

And finally, some proof that the wild man does rest. As much as I talk about his hyperactivity, the O-man has become quite a snuggle buddy. It makes me smile when he comes up for a big hug after his naps. He also loves to sit on laps while watching his mind numbing tv. :)

Recent Activity

2010-01-15T19:30:00.005-06:00

Poor Oliver Schulz, in the lonely living room, not know what time his next snack will come, all because he can't read! He can't get through his board books, so he chews them out of anger and frustration.

He does get rewarded by getting to help in the finer things in life like cleaning the floor. He doesn't need to read for that! *This post brought to you in part by Auntie Missy who got Oliver this shirt from a rummage sale.

Kazoo You!

2010-01-15T15:59:00.002-06:00

Music is typically streaming out of the Schulz household. Ollie's new instrument of choice, the kazoo! Enjoy his "skills!"

Holiday Recap

2010-01-06T13:49:00.008-06:00

Well, its 2010 and I haven't blogged in a while. We had a... um... well... interesting holiday. It was 13 days, 40 + hours in the car, and about 7 different beds all rolled into holiday cheer. Throw in Oliver infesting at least 7 people with the flu, a car dvd player that didn't work, a freezing rain storm, a typical lake effect snow white out, and you can call it our Christmas adventures. But, that is all the crazy stuff! We had a great time seeing all the family and a few friends during our time in the Midwest! And, luckily there is a whole year in between so I can try and forget how hectic it was.

Butte Des Morts, WI: We discovered Ollie LOVES the sled. Grandma & Grandpa Schulz got the appropriate present!

This is right before Ollie gave Bill quite the Christmas Eve gift. (puke right down his shirt)

Grafton: WI: This was at the Schulz Family Christmas, four generations of Schulz gentlemen. Wilmer-the-Great trying to keep Ollie in line.

.

.

Almena, WI: The Krecker Family Christmas: GG Ede & Gordon-the-Great with all their grandkids. And then Santa appeared out of no where! Ollie was clinging to his Yo Gabba Gabba DVD & his nuk since his blankie was out of reach.

Duluth, MN: A small present opening session with the Natales. Oliver got a little help from his cousins and discovered a Yo Gabba Gabba boom box. It came in real handy in the car ride on the way back to NY!

Aurora, MN: Grandpa Jon had to bring Ollie out on the MULE even if it was pretty frigid out. By the look of it, Bill had a good time too.

The Schulz's go to a Hanukkah Party

2009-12-13T08:56:00.006-06:00

Ah, the holiday season is in full swing! Being from the north, the only real different religions we were really exposed to were varying degrees of Christianity. Since we've moved here to NY, out of the tight-knit three amigos, I'm the tolkien Christian! It is so interesting to learn about Judaism. Last night was the second night of Hanukkah. We were lucky enough to be invited to our first Hanukkah party at the Wilkofsky residence.

The party was a delicious feast! Julie's mom, who is lovingly refered to as, Grandma Emily, was in town to help. The menu for Hanukkah is highly revolved around oil and frying. Yum!! :) Grandma Emily had been frying food since Friday!! Chicken cutlets and potato latkes were the highlights. Here, you see me supervising Judith as she giving Emily a break in the latke department.

.
Here, we are in full swing co-mothering. Judith is already getting the 3 amigos food distributed before I even have Ollie down. Julie is ready to get some pictures of Jordyn's first Hanukkah party.

I was personally touched when Judith asked Oliver and I to light Phin's menorah. I was very attentive when I was getting my menorah lighting lesson from Judith. Isn't the puppy menorah the cutest!? It was a beautiful thing to be a part of and witness for the first time. The Hebrew blessings that they were singing were enchanting. I could have listened to them all night.

.

.
.
..
.
.
..
.

.

.
.
.
.
.

After the lighting of the menorahs, we got to relax and enjoy great company. Oliver, Jordyn, and Phineas flocked to Grandma Emily. They have grandma radar! We like to joke that when Julie had Jordyn, Emily didn't realize that she got triplets! When it comes to the three amigos, if you like one, you must like them all! :)

.

.

In all, it was a great first Hanukkah experience. I always apologize for my lack of knowledge on Judaism. They have been more than nice to teach me! Thanks ladies!!

WI Birthday and Turkey Day!

2009-11-27T06:20:00.005-06:00

Happy Black Friday everyone!

I've been slow at updating this. Last week, we ventured home to Wisconsin for Bill to deer hunt and for our family and friends to help celebrate Oliver's birthday. Ollie's party was a monster bash, fitted with another amazing cake! (My son is spoiled in the pastry department!) It was a classic case of trying to jam too much stuff into too few days. It was nice to see all the family, including my side. We also jammed in Oliver's 1 year pictures. Here is a link: http://www.picturepeople.com/sso/publishconfirm.sso?data=oYi6GlkxOr3ytxAU2iHuG7eFvx8EjKN%2bN4h5mYiDiQZdoxgn4rkWNJK%2f6SSlcciz data=oYi6GlkxOr3ytxAU2iHuG7eFvx8EjKN%2bN4h5mYiDiQZdoxgn4rkWNJK%2f6SSlcciz

The trip went so fast!! But, Christmas is now right around the corner.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
Yesterday, we had a "transplant" thanksgiving. We definitely have been blessed to have found amazing friends here. It has made our relocation a lot easier to know we have good friends to celebrate holidays with. Our spread was amazing. We had delicious foods. It was fun to have everyone's family favorites all on one table. Ollie's friends Phin and Jordyn helped him enjoy his thanksgiving too. Phin displayed his thankfulness to Oliver. Baby kisses are so cute!!

Wow... we have a one year old!

2009-11-14T17:13:00.006-06:00

Wow, I don't have too much else to say other than that. We have all gotten through year healthy and safe! Oliver got to celebrate on his acutal birthday, the 12th and today. Here are some pictures from his actual birthday. We were able to Skype with the Voelz family and we were able to have them watch Ollie eat his cupcake!

Today was Oliver's robot party. Most of you know how I am... I chuckled in the kitchen when I heard my friend Judith say, "Julie told me Kim has been planning this party since Julie's know her." (I met Julie in May.) Ah yes, my ability to go overboard peered its head for Oliver's party. My sister asked me if there was going to be ponies... Missy, it is a ROBOT party! Only if I could have found robot ponies, silly!! It was a great time today. I could have fed about 40 poeple with the amount of food I had. The kiddos all had fun. I was glad I made the kids bibs and onesies. Ollie wasn't the only one that needed a change of clothes and a bath after the cake! As a side note, we had to actually hose down the high chair!

Someone is turning one soon!

2009-11-08T15:22:00.002-06:00

Here is a little preview of Oliver's robot birthday. These turned out way too cute! Thank you to our friend Christina that taught me the ways of the cupcake pop!

Squishing the Squash

2009-11-07T15:51:00.003-06:00

Again we found ourselves at the zoo today. Today, the special event was called Squishing the Squash. The zoo provided the animals with pumpkins and squash to see what they would do with them. We made it pretty late but met up with our favorite pals Phin, Judith, Jordy, and Julie. We even got to meet Phin's Papa! We didn't really see any of the animals interact with their pumpkins, but the kids got to squish their own squash. A 450lb gourd was donated to the zoo for a great place for photo opportunities! I love that the kids make this gourd/pumpkin/whatever look that much bigger! We hope you are having an enjoyable weekend!

This is Halloween!

2009-10-31T19:30:00.010-05:00

Friday, Oliver and I met up with Judith and Phineas for the My Gym Halloween party. My Gym is a relief for me. Oliver has been there enough now that he understands that it is safe. I get at least a half hour of cling-free time. That makes me one happy mommy! His favorite place there is this little house they have there. He is very territorial of "his" house! We also watched The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown movie. It is sure to be a Schulz Halloween tradition!

Well, it is 8:30 and we have been out of candy for about a half an hour now. We dressed little Yoda up one last time. Before candy time, we carved our first pumpkins as a family. I forgot how fun carving pumpkins is! Bill mocked me for the amount of time I put into mine, but you can't rush pumpkin perfection! :) (Plus, there were a ton of pictures taken of our pumpkins, which I thought was kick a**!) Can you guess whose is whose? Mine on the left, Ollie's that I carved in the middle and Bill's on the right.

The Schulz's did a little reverse trick or treating. Bill loaded up Oliver's one-eyed monster basket with his homebrew. We then went and handed out Spruce Stout to our neighbors. Once we went through our stout, we had a ton of tick or treaters! I'm so excited for next years fun!..

Keep it together I will not

2009-10-28T18:30:00.006-05:00

So, today was our Halloween playdate. I guess I haven't learned my lesson yet. When I really want things to be *perfect* on any given day, it goes completely opposite. Today was one of those days. Last week, Ollie was really good at My Gym and the Y. I really thought we turned a less-clingy corner. Well, I've found this to be a two steps forward, one step back type situation.

Anyways... If you didn't understand my title, Oliver is going to be Yoda for Halloween this year. My first choice was pirate, but once Star Wars came into the debate, I could tell he really wanted his son to be something Star Wars related. Okay, done and done!

He looks pretty cute, right? Let me introduce you to some of friends. This is Scott, the Globetrotter. Can it get any cuter? The answer is NO! I don't care how cute your kid is, this is the CUTEST THING EVER! That is Scott's real hair! I love it!! I always want to pet him. His mom, Shakira, is probably weirded out by that. The giraffe that is kissing the monkey is his friend Lauren. The monkey that is receiving the affection is Phineas. These are the three amigos. Scott and Oliver are both rough boys. Mac, in the stripes is in the middle. Then, the cute girly monkey is Jordyn. Those are all his buddies that are his age.

Here are the kicker pictures. The pictures I will show his girlfriend when he is 17 and trying to be a stud. This kid couldn't keep himself together. Poor Yoda... Luckily, I brought the pumpkin home. I'm hoping for a second try this weekend.

What, What, What!!

2009-10-22T14:09:00.003-05:00

So, I will first apologize for the tone of my voice in this video. It is crazy to hear how excited I got over this milestone. Give me a week, I won't be this excited about this new found freedom. Also, this video again is quite terrible quality. Picture this: Ollie taking some steps and me seeing it out of the corner of my eye. Me, rushing to the diaper bag and literally ripping all the contents out, not finding the flip. Then, I rush to the piano and see it under the flap of the SLR bag. I tip-toe to the kitchen to capture more of the OFFICIAL first steps! AH!!!

ENJOY!

Ha!

2009-10-18T07:23:00.006-05:00

So, certain shirts for kids, I'm not a fan of. I don't need anything for Ollie that says, "Troublemaker" or "I'm in charge," etc. I don't need to curse my child's behavior!! But, I do appreciate funny shirts. "Mommy's alarm clock," "I can't read," "I'm not a girl," etc. So, when I saw this, I needed to purchase it. Because, once Oliver gets to the age where he is actually a fan of people his own age, the novelty of this shirt will wear off. I find it hilarious to put this on, since he doesn't have the warmest reception to kids his own age these days.

Dads out there: Especially lock up your daughters when my son puts on this charming face. Lady killer!!

Pumpkin Patch Craziness!

2009-10-11T19:22:00.004-05:00

Today we ventured to Tim's Pumpkin Patch. Actually, we were talking about going to a pumpkin patch and we got invited to go to Tim's with the Wilfkoskey family (Julie, Jordy, and Ian too). The story of Tim's is that 20 years ago, Tim planted some pumpkin seeds and sold his crop for a dollar a pumpkin. Each year he planted more pumpkins and kept selling them for $1 until 2006 when they got raised to $2 each. It was crazy to see the huge fields full of pumpkins. There was a little hobby farm, a great selection of specialty pumpkins (picture green and white ones straight out of Martha Stewart Living), a food stand (yummy pumpkin funnel cake), and much more. It was a chilly day out there, so we didn't stick around too long to take in the extra activities. We did find 3 pumpkins that called our name. I also bought a large pumpkin that went to our friends Judith and Phins' house. It is going to be hallowed out to stuff kiddies in at our Halloween playdate. Another cute photo op waiting to happen! Happy Fall, y'all! (Even if my midwest friends and family seemed to have lost out on this season and went straight to winter!)

This is how I roll now

2009-10-08T14:18:00.004-05:00

It is funny to look back at what I thought my life was going to be like... in high school. Never did I think I would be married, let alone have a kid! I was going to be a professional with no thoughts of ever staying home. So, today just made me chuckle a little about how much my life has changed from my original plan.

This afternoon was the epitome of a great fall day for me these days. Oliver has made some more new friends from My Gym. All the mommies, except for our friends Shakira and Scott, met up at the zoo today. So instead of being a labcoat like I always thought I would be, I am knee deep in nuk retrieval and puffs. This is how I roll now...

Here is the crew from top to bottom: Lauren, Phin, Ollie, Jordy, Emma and Seth

All the kids from My Gym are basically the same age. Ollie is the oldest and the youngest is his girlfriend Jordyn. All the other boys and girls are in the middle. So, it is great that at about the same time they had a huge meltdown. It was like clockwork... around 2:30 they all started crying. We all scrammed said a quick good bye and off to nap time.

Having a bad day?

2009-10-08T08:18:00.002-05:00

So, I have these videos that I watch if I'm having a bad afternoon. I hope it has the same effect on you. My camera skills got a little out of control once Ollie busted out that sweet move. Please forgive... Oh, and weims play with their mouths. No, Porter is not trying to eat Oliver!

Sorry for the delay!

2009-09-28T08:01:00.003-05:00

So, it has been too long since I've updated this. To catch everyone up, here we go: Oliver and I took our first flights alone. It went fine and everyone has sympathy for a gal with a baby and arms full of carry-ons. He did well with Grandma Sherrie and Uncle Efrem for the long weekend. He loved playing with Emma and Ava. This weekend, Grandma and Grandpa Schulz watched him while Bill and I went to NYC for our 6th anniversary. They took him to an apple orchard and they did a lot of fun things. Ollie is now walking around with the help of the walker and the dining room chairs... actually any furniture that slides easily now gets rearranged on a daily basis. He also stands up and claps, but I haven't gotten that on tape yet. So, here are a bunch of videos and some pics to keep everyone at bay!

Apples and a Parade

2009-09-13T13:23:00.004-05:00

In the past two weeks Oliver got to experience more firsts in his life. Last weekend, we went apple picking. I, myself, have never been apple picking, so it was exciting for me too. After we took a fun wagon/tractor ride, we got dropped off to pick to our hearts' content. I have to admit, I was slightly nervous when Bill started climbing up the ladders with Oliver strapped to his back. But, all involved were safe. There might have been some apples that plummeted to the earth before they were ready. I think my eyes were bigger than I realized. But, we did make some delicious apple sauce and some wontons stuffed with apples. Quite tasty if I do say so myself!

Today, there was a cultural fair up the block from our house. If anyone has talked to us, we probably tell you that our neighborhood is pretty hip and happenin'. And, today just showed us, aside from the annoying college kids across the road, how cool it really was. As I type this, I can hear the bands playing. The city closes down the "main drag" in our neighborhood and there is basically a festival all day. I also have seen about 40 kids racing past our house as part of today's festivities. Ollie got to witness his very first parade today. He is a puzzling guy to me. He will cry when his girlfriend Jordy laughs or makes noises. But, put a 15 person drum corp in front of him and he is quite. What? What was that? He is going to be a drummer like his mommy. That is what I think too. :) He really wanted the drummers to come back.

And, lastly, if you are a mom, I probably asked you about Oliver's "condition" last week. Yep, my son now has five chompers! Again, I will say this, teething... a necessary EVIL! Here is a glimpse of his "ugly face" that shows some of them off well.

Okay, I must go. Oliver and I are leaving on a jet plane on Tuesday to go to MN for a week. I will have four days without Oliver. I think that is the longest I've been alone since I've had Oliver. It should be interesting to say the least.

Biking, Cows and Giraffees are GREAT!

2009-08-30T16:01:00.009-05:00

This weekend, Ollie had another fun weekend full of firsts! Earlier this summer, I got a sweet lilac bike cruiser. I haven't gotten to take it anywhere much, since Ollie is always with me. Well, I found a decent bike trailer on clearance at Target, so we finally got it all together and we went for a family bike ride. We did the right thing and all got bike helmets. My son's head is the size of a 3 year olds! 48 cm and that is the starting size of bike helmets! Ollie did pretty good with the helmet on the first leg of the trip. The second leg, he was not having it. He was flaying and screaming... We had to pull the party over and take it off him. He magically stopped crying as soon as the helmet was off his head. Weird... :)
.
We also went to The Great NY State Fair. I'm not sure if NY sure really use Great to describe their fair. I know for a fact the food at the MN fair is much, much better. Where were the buckets of delicious chocolate chip cookies?? My splurge for the day was a corn dog and it was sub par! So sad... :( But, there were a few fun things to experience. Oliver got to feed a giraffee!! How freakin' cool is that?!? His eye grew exponentially when the giraffee's huge tongue came towards Bill's hand to fetch the carrot. And, the fair didn't have a shortage of things to put his head through. I'm not sure why, but the kid LOVES to stick his head in this things! *Shake my head*

And, while we got into the dairy products area, we came across this adorable cow ride for little ones. There is nothing like a ridiculously cute purple holstein to make you miss home! Ollie really enjoyed the ride.

My Kid is a Genius!

2009-08-27T09:57:00.002-05:00

Who knew he already knew this!? Ever since Ollie's top teeth have broke through, he has been "talking" a lot more other than his usual screaming.

Stupid Baby Tricks

2009-08-25T15:53:00.004-05:00

Yep, I treat my kid like an accessory and a pet in a way. I'm guilty and I admit it. Yes, at times I dress him in a mini version of what I would like Bill to wear. Whatever... But, I also teach him funny charming things. But our last visitors taught him the last trick. Unfortunately, it has turned into the same reaction as his first. Oh well, still cute, still something he is going to kick my a** about when he is entering his angst-ridden teen years. Deal with it Oliver! :)

In other news, Bill and I swore/signed our names to Ollie's passport book. We swore that Oliver wouldn't try to overthrow the US government. Be good Ollie or it is your parents' a** on the line!!

So, I just got a huge bloody lip... Oliver decided to headbutt me with his giant bowling ball head! OUCH!!! I feel the blood ballooning in my lip like a freak show. Nice...

The Next Justin Timberlake

2009-08-24T15:21:00.003-05:00

So, if you have had the pleasure to meet Ollie, you have probably gotten the chance to see him dance. The kid has been blessed with an internal soundtrack! It doesn't really matter where he is at, what we are doing, he is going to bust a move! Before we got the camera, he was dancing while standing at the end of the coffee table. He was bouncing so hard, he knocked his chin on the edge and got a bloody lip! Once it was cleaned up, he went right back and started to break it down. He also enjoys dancing for his gal, Jordy. We hope you enjoy our now constant stream of obnoxious videos! :) And, I hope my recording skills get a little better.

Holy Waterfalls Batman!

2009-08-17T07:40:00.005-05:00

Three weekends, three amazing trips. Friday our friends Jeff and Sara Seidling arrived from the Fox Valley. Saturday we went through the Seneca Lake winery tour. That was our third time through there, but we went through the other side of the cake, so we went to new wineries which was nice.

Sunday, we went on a day trip to Niagara Falls. It is approximately 2 1/2 hours away from Syracuse, so it was feasible. We get there and Bill finds an "information" center. Well, Bill just hears "shuttle to Maid of the Mist" and we are scooped into a van. Little did we know, we just got put on a full-fledge tour van, not just a shuttle to Maid of the Mist. To make it even more interesting, we are on a tour with this guy:

He also took pictures for us, but there is no guarantee that they were good. Stroller may be included...

Our tour guide, who refers to himself as The Candyman, was a fast paced guy. Because we just thought we were going to Maid of the Mist and not a crazy town tour, we didn't feed Oliver. He was also on schedule for a nap... The little guy fell asleep on Bill in the van right before we were getting to the whirlpool of the falls.

We finally got to Maid of the Mist. I packed Ollie's rain coat, but as you can see Maid has baby sized ponchos. The temp was hot that day, so Bill opted out of the poncho. Because you get pretty wet, I became Bill and Olivers' human shield. Ollie enjoyed it and thought it was the best way to drink water. It was amazing to be that close to both the American and Canadian Falls. After the boat ride, it was time to get back into the van. One problem... The Candyman couldn't get it to start. So, he piles all of us on the trolley. No problem... except it is packed and we have our monster stroller. It would have been much quicker if the trolley driver didn't come back and chew out Candyman for putting his tour groups on his trolleys. Akward...

The last stop was the Cave of the Winds. Oliver had had enough by this time. So, I decided to stay back and not wait in line with Oliver for two hours for 15 minutes of walking on algae ridden slippery stairs.

All in all, it was a fun day trip. It was a beautiful place. But, I think Bill learned a valuable lesson in asking more questions before we just hop into a van.

Let’s pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd

2009-08-11T08:44:00.007-05:00

Little Ollie is becoming quite the traveler already. My folks are here and we all took a trip to Boston. We stayed in Cambridge just steps away from the MIT campus. (I asked my parents why that college was never brought up in my higher learning choices!) Boston was an extremely interesting, historic town. The Freedom Trail, the New England Aquarium, and the yummy seafood were highlights of the trip. (If you look at the reflection of the seal picture, you can see little Ollie sound asleep.) I love walking cities, although, Oliver wasn't all about sitting in the stroller all day!

Vermont trip!

2009-08-04T09:30:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, my sister flew in from Minnesota to be Oliver's nanny for our trip to Vermont. What an amazing auntie Ollie has! We all had a great time. The reason we went to Vermont was for our college friend, Dave's, wedding. Dave and Colleen had the most spectacular day for a wedding! Stowe, VT is an amazingly beautiful place. Enjoy some pictures from our most recent adventure.

Beach day!

2009-07-28T19:23:00.006-05:00

Today was the first day that was nice enough to take Oliver to the beach! We had a wonderful day for fun in the sun. We went with Julie and Jordy and met our new friends Judith and Phineas! Can I tell you how hard it is to get three babes under the age of 9 months to look at the camera? I figure it is pretty self explainatory... He loved, LOVED the water. He would have stayed in there all day. He was busy splashing and kicking. Poor guy was so tired after we made it home. Oh, and something else happened today... Um, Oliver started crawling! WHOA!! It is crazy to think that in a week Oliver can't be wrangled into his baby carseat and he is now officially on the move. It's sad and exciting all at the same time! Enjoy the pictures!

Super Oliver

2009-07-28T09:21:00.005-05:00

By day, Oliver is a mild-mannered, big headed babe that has to get his clothes yanked off his head. Sometimes they get stuck...

But, at dawn of naptime, the Oliver you know and love transforms into: SUPER OLIVER! Through the shadows of mommies everywhere trying to get their children to nap, Super Oliver swopes in to save them!

All of this, while keeping his eye on the prize... rice cakes!

With his trusty chair by his side, he will save kids from naptime, while learning his abc's! (Do you see the baby man cleavage?)

All in a day's work ladies! But, sorry, ladies, he already has his Louise Lane in his girl Jordyn!

My poor kid... That onesie was suppose to be 6-12 mo! It was freakin' tiny, so I jammed it onto him to take some pics.

In other news, Oliver has another "big boy" week. We had to get him a new car seat! The days of wrangle-ment are OVER! He has has another tooth coming in. His 4th one and it is coming in on the top. He is moving around now, which is uber scary. Well, Oliver is ready to go, so that means me too! We are going to the beach today. Yippee!!

Really Oliver... do you have to do that?

2009-07-23T20:28:00.005-05:00

These days, it seems like Oliver grows leaps and bounds during his naps. It's nuts!! My little guy is becoming a dense, eating machine. If Bill and I are eating, no matter if Ollie just ate, Oliver thinks he needs to eat too. I recently witnessed him down a silver dollar pancake single handed. It was kind of amazing to watch him wolf it down.

This is Oliver's homage to Wisconsin outfit. I thought it was all too cute to pass it up. As you can see, he is up to his normal shenanigans on his chair. I do tend to think, "Really, Oliver, do you have to fill in the blank?" Notice in picture 3, that he doesn't really sit normally in his chair.

These pictures display the new perspective that I've been seeing Oliver. Mr. Ollie spends a lot of time pulling himself up onto the coffee table, his chair, and his tonka truck. Won't be too much longer and he will be getting into more than just the coffee table!

Doggies, Bubbles, and Girlfriends... Oh My!

2009-07-16T18:46:00.005-05:00

We were fortunate enough to spend last weekend exploring the area again. We came across the Jamesville park which was great. It was a place that we could actually bring Porter and let him run, which he desperately needed. We also found a "dog oasis" which was a good and muddy creek for Porter to take a dip with some new doggie friends. Oliver had a great time during his first picnic and watching all the pups take a dip.

I couldn't resist and exposed Oliver to another summertime must have. Bubbles!! He was pretty curious about them. He enjoyed batting at them. He also enjoyed watching them float out of reach. Of course, he did get a few popped in his face, but still, he couldn't get enough of them!

Some of you know, Oliver has a little girlfriend from My Gym. (Yes, such a ladies' man!) Her name is Jordyn and she is ridiculously cute! Today, Oliver, Jordyn, Julie (Jordyn's mom), and I made our way to Skaenatles (or Skinny Atlas)'s sidewalk sale. It has been great to find an equally fun and fabulous mom to hang out with! Yes, we have matching strollers. To add to it, we also have matching Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bags. We also share a liking for an occasional designer baby clothes outfit or 4. :) Oliver was teaching Jordy how to chew on her new knob puzzle. We enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and also found out ducks like Gerber Puffs.

3rd time is a charm

2009-07-10T21:20:00.002-05:00

If any one has talked to me lately, they know that Oliver has been good and crabby. Well, I finally found out why. Again, for whatever reason, I stuck my finger in his mouth. This time, his tooth is not coming in the top, like it should, normally. He is getting one that is half way in the back of his mouth on the bottom! To make it more interesting, it is poking through the side of his gums, not the top. Poor kid... Now I know why he has been jamming his nuk way in the back of him mouth. No photos of the piranha teeth, though. Every time I say, "AAH," to try to get him to open his mouth, he just ends up cracking up. My mouth is pretty funny, I guess...

The breaking in of the kiddie pool

2009-07-10T14:35:00.009-05:00

So, I've been DYING to get Oliver into water. Pool, lake, stream, puddle... I don't really care. I just want it hot enough to put him in a vessel of water. Today, it was warm enough by my new mommy internal thermometer. Here are some pictures of Oliver's first dip in his kiddie pool today. After about 2 minutes, his poor little teeth were chattering. I took him out. But, as soon as he was out, he proceeded to wiggle all over my lap to play in the water. Needless to say, I was soaking wet... He was having a great time, so I didn't care that we both looked like to soggy messes by the time we came in. Hope everyone has a phenomenal weekend!

Now what is this lady doing to me...

You have wronged me one too many times elephant!

This is pretty cool!

Busy week with Grandma and Grandpa Schulz

2009-07-08T19:56:00.004-05:00

The Schulz family has been going non-stop for a little while now. I apologize for the delay in posting new things lately.

Oliver has been very active on his toy chair. He doesn't feel it is for sitting necessarily... He enjoys launching himself out of it! He spends most of his time with one butt cheek off the chair or in some form of standing around the thing. It makes me realize my "relaxing" days are numbered... very numbered. Enjoy the video! (And, no, we don't sit at home and watch TV all day like the videos would lead you to believe! And, yes, I said up from the attic...)

.
In more modeling news, Oliver is potentially going to be in a postcard for my favorite kid's store back in DePere, Sweetpea's. I still get their newsletter and I wrote a quick email to the owner telling her how great her store is and how I missed it. I attached this photo and she asked if she could use it in a postcard for them. No, I'm not a stage mom! This truly was unintentional.

.
Bill turned 30! CRAZY!! For the momentus occasion, Bill's folks came for a visit. (Well, I think they came to see Mr. Oliver, but we can pretend it was for Bill's b-day.) I was going to boycott making a cake for him, since I just got done with my Wilton class, but I couldn't. I had my mixer going at 6 am on the big day. I made him a chocolate stout cake with peanut butter filling. After we went out for breakfast, I decorated it in about 10 minutes. Not my best work, but I think it was my best tasting! (It is suppose to be the top of a beer mug...)

.

For his birthday, I decided it would be fun to be the sober driver on a Seneca Lake winery tour. I must say, even if I only did like 3 tastings, it was fun to see the progression of tipsy-ness with Bill and his folks. Too bad the wineries only stay open 'til 5! We could have hit so many more!! This extremely unflattering picture was taken at the third winery we were at. I already look exhausted and I wasn't drinking!

.

The 4th was pretty uneventful. We had a good bbq rib cookout in the evening. The morning was spent swinging Oliver and working on Bill's b-day gift. He is now a proud owner of a stainless steel hopper for fermenting his beer. His dad and he were deligently onion drilling his stainless steel for all the valves he needed put it in. Of course, the 4th wouldn't be complete without Oliver being in the cutest outfit ever! Or, the cutest outfit that his mom thinks he could have for the 4th. I do feel like a bad mom for not taking him to a parade, though. I guess it isn't the same when I have to walk more than a block like back in Aurora to get to one!!

.
Some of the other days that Oliver and I spent with Bill's folks included going to the zoo (of course) and going to Skaneateles. Where? I can hear you saying. It is just like it looks, a place pronouced Skinny Atlas. Not sure if the people that settled that town were good spellers or what! No matter what it looks like, it is pronounced Skinny Atlas. Anyways, it is a beautiful little town that reminds me of Door Co. in a way. We had a great time and some great seafood and shopping!

.
It was so nice to have familiar faces around for awhile. It is always sad to say good-bye to visitors. But, I just have to remember it is only a temporary situation. It has been a great time nonetheless!

The pictures are in!

2009-06-27T20:20:00.004-05:00

Well, the highly anticipated pictures are in! All of them can be viewed by clicking onto the shutterfly site. This picture actually got chosen for a marketing campaign for Feather Baby. I don't know if it will be used for anything else. The photographer didn't really seem to know. He looks so sweet and innocent in the picture!

In other Schulz news, Oliver thinks he needs to stand up against furniture... often... too often for me to feel comfortable! This kid is going to up and at 'em too soon. I also brought Oliver to the doctor earlier this week. He has been putting his ear on his shoulder a lot. I was talking to a fellow mommy, Heather, and she said her little man was doing the same thing and had an ear infection. I felt like a terrible mom and brought him in immediately. No ear ache... come to find out he was breaking his second tooth! The N.P. also told me that his top two teeth are, "Not far behind." Teething... a necessary evil! Oliver and I have a play date with his girlfriend Jordyn and her mom. We are going to the zoo on Monday. It should be fun! We are both excited about it.

What a week!!

2009-06-21T12:31:00.005-05:00

It has been quite a week, to say the least. For anyone that didn't know, Oliver and I got into a car accident on Monday... on the way home from the DMV! A gentleman decided it would be a good idea to turn left into us. Both of us are just fine. Oliver was shook up, but no injuries. After releasing the car to a different body shop, the Progressive agent called and said my beloved Mazda 3 was totaled out. It was a sad day for me. I loved my orange hatch back!

Oliver, again, tapped into his artistic side. He was making a masterpiece out of Bill's Father's Day present and some cards for his great grandpas. Both he and I needed to take a bath after he was done. It isn't a good idea to hold your son like you normally do when he is this covered in paint! The tub had quite the colorful ring around it.

Saturday, we unfortunately had to cancel our camping trip to the Adirondacks. It has been raining here all weekend. I didn't think that was the best condition for Oliver's first camping experience. We did, however, spend the entire day car shopping. It was a close race between a Subaru Tribeca and the Mazda CX-9. Ultimately, the CX-9 won. This is my new vehicle, the grape ape. She can fit up to 7 people. So that is the entire playgroup and their moms... if there were a playgroup and moms in existence.

Lastly, Happy Father's Day to you dads out there! Bill is busy putting his gift together. He got a duo gas/charcoal grill plus a bunch of stuff for smoking. His grill is a smoker as well. It has been amazing watching Bill be a dad. Every day when he walks in the door, Oliver just lights up. Melts my heart everytime...

Big Day for Mr. Oliver

2009-06-09T16:16:00.002-05:00

Today was the big model photo shoot. I won't get to see the results for about 2 weeks, which is going to kill me. He was the model for the Organic Line for this Peruvian clothing line called Feather Baby. The photographer told me they were going for a snug-fit look. As I was jamming Oliver into a 3-6 month size, it was snug to say the least. The poor kid was proudly displaying his little buddha belly. He got to wear some brown pants and a ivory kimono style, hooded sweatshirt with ears on the hood. The hood hardly fit over his big head! Then, he had a cute striped one piece. All in all, he did really good and I won't mention it again.... Until the photos come. Stage mom is kicking in! Really, I need to stop talking about it.

On other fronts, Oliver just cried through his whole dinner. Thinking my poor guy is sick, I, for some reason, stuck my finger tip in his mouth. The poor little guy is cutting his first set of chompers. He isn't happy about it. He is screaming about it right now as a matter of fact. (Actually, he is screaming because he is tired and I'm trying to make him take a nap. He isn't having it...)

Well, I will post pictures when I get them. The campaign needs to be finished by the end of the week. Then, she will get to the actual pictures we took for what should have been his six month pictures, but now they are his seven month pictures.

Good day for the park

2009-06-08T12:13:00.004-05:00

Our house is ridiculously deceptive for weather. I decided we needed to go to the park today. I went and got Ollie's coat and I got a sweater and we were all set. I get off our block that is densly covered in trees, to be hit by a wave of heat! Luckily, I always dress Oliver in layers. Anyways, here are some pics from Oliver's trip to the park. You can tell by the time we were sitting on the grass, someone was ready for a nap! Enjoy!

Third time is a charm and Watkins Glen

2009-06-07T09:36:00.014-05:00

Oliver and I took another trip to the zoo. It is quickly becoming my, I mean Oliver's, favorite place here. This trip we got approached by a crazy-eyed goat. I, being the animal whisperer I am, called him over to have Oliver see him. Little did I know, he quickly climbed the fence and wanted some attention. I was aprehensive to pet him, since there are signs that state, "French fries and fingers, I can't tell the difference. Don't feed me." Well, I wasn't going to feed him, but I also didn't want to go home without a finger either. But, the penguins are still Oliver's favorite.

Well, to be more accurate, the people there are his top priority. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. He is going to be a people watcher like his mom, his auntie Missy, his Grandma Sherrie, and his GG with the cows.

We took a trip to Watkins Glen on Saturday. It is on the tip of the Seneca Finger Lake. It was about an hour and a half from Syracuse and it was amazing! It was worth the drive and the ridiculous amount of stairs. (Boy was I thankful that I brought tennis shoes and not just my flip flops!) I've included a few pictures, but I plan on putting all of them on our shutterfly site. It is just to awesomely beautiful for just 5 pics! On the way home, we stopped at two of the approximately 20 vineyards that were on our route. No, Ollie didn't stay in the car, he came with. He was picking up the ladies, as usual. Too bad I didn't get a picture of him sitting on the tasting bar... Next time!

And, I'm including this last picture, because he just has a cute outfit on today. Can it get any better than a huge eagle on a baby butt? I don't think so...

Movin' and Groovin' Time

2009-06-02T21:15:00.010-05:00

It is scary to type this, but Oliver is now semi-mobile. For a guy that usually hates being on his stomach, he sure is on it more and more. I can't believe it! He is definitely a guy that knows what he wants. He ends up in these positions 9 times out of 10 because he needs to get a specific toy that is just out of reach. But, as you can also see, he still rolls out of it. His 97 percentile head comes in handy for something!

Oh, and I attached this photo with my commentary for your viewing pleasure.

Deep thoughts, by Oliver Schulz, "Yea, mom, I get it. The bib is cute, because it has sushi on it. Now get the camera out of my face and start shoveling the food in!"

Lastly, if you click on the new cute picture of Ollie in pjs to the left, it will hook you up to our shutterfly site. I wish I would have just done this site to begin with. It is my new way for the family to get all the obnoxious pictures of Oliver that I take. So, I may be switching. We will see. It depends on how easy it is to work with. I will keep you posted!

America's Next Top Baby Model

2009-05-29T06:16:00.002-05:00

Oliver, some how, booked a modeling gig. Our friends that moved out here met a gal that does photography. Well, she was talking about how she needed a little guy around 6 months old. *Poof* my kids a model. I need to first get his eczema breakout under control. I have until Monday to get his face cleared up.

No pictures this time. Your time of free photo viewing is going to come to an end. Your going to have to pay for em like the rest of the world soon will. HA!! THAT IS HILARIOUS! :)

Have a great weekend!!

Yo Gabba Gabba & our abused cat

2009-05-28T10:22:00.005-05:00

So, I really should be showering right now, but instead, I will post some videos. Watching these makes me realize I sometimes treat Oliver like another pet. I really shouldn't be talking all high to him... But, it also makes me realize he really beats on Java. She finally walked away from him last night when he pulled her tail one too many times. It also doesn't help that he will stand and lean against the couch where she is, so she really doesn't have a chance to get away now.

If you have ever seen Yo Gabba Gabba, you know it is crazy. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out, because it is crazy. But, for some reason, Oliver LOVES it! Every time DJ Lance Rock comes on, he can't stop laughing. It is quite a treat. And, the only reason we started to watch it was because Auntie Missy gave Ollie a Brobee for Easter. Well, now I have it down to when it is on and he gets pretty excited to watch it. Yes, I'm terrible because I let my kid watch TV. Mom needs a break too!

My Gym was fun. Ollie was the youngest. He enjoyed doing a sommersault and going on the swings and jumper. He didn't enjoy a little guy named Gino stealing the toys he was playing with and trying to knock his nuk out of his mouth. I think we need to go back so Ollie will get a little more exposure to children.

Okay, on with the videos!

Where the heck are we!?

2009-05-26T09:16:00.005-05:00

Happy belated Memorial Day! Our weekend was pretty quiet. We had Bill's coworkers over for a bbq on Saturday. Sunday, Bill and I went to Blues, Brews, and BBQ at the fair grounds. I was excited to get a taste of "home" with brews involved. Brews in Wisconsin consititutes at least 50+ beers. Sadly, brews here in NY means 2... Labalt and Labalt Light. We aren't in Wisconsin anymore... *tear* Also, we tried to get coffee from the coffee shop near our house twice. Once, we were too early! You are a coffee shop, you should be open at like 6 am! Again, we aren't in Wisconsin anymore... :) Here are some pics of Ollie and my beautiful new ride. My face of determination is me thinking, "Don't dump this kid!" Although, I did teach him the "tuck and roll" technique before I jammed him in there!

.

.
This week, Ollie and I will be going to My Gym in hopes to find some friends for the both of us. I'll keep you posted!

Pee-u

2009-05-22T13:47:00.003-05:00

It is hot here, so we have the windows open to get some fresh air. Our neighbor, the pediatric oncologist, has a lawn care service. They spread some manure fertilizer today. The air in this house isn't so fresh right now. Yuck!

They grow 'em big in Wisconsin

2009-05-21T08:39:00.002-05:00

So, it was Oliver's 6 month check-up yesterday. I don't really look forward to his doctor visits. But, I was amused by the nurse and Oliver's new pedetrician. The nurse was physically taken aback when she walked into the room. She then says, "WOW! They grow 'em big in Wisconsin!" Didn't really know what to say to that... His pedetrician was so excited that I was slightly Finnish (don't ask how we got on that subject), that she got up, left the room, and came back with a piece of nisu bread in a sandwich bag for me. Anyways, Oliver is now a healthy 18.5 lbs, 27 inches long, and has a 46 cm head. His head is huge!

Ollie has been busy the past week or so. I have let him tap into his inner creative self. I let him "paint" some cards. By the time he was finish, he had paint caked into his belly button....

My "big" helpers, Oliver and Porter, also assisted me in making my first attempt at homemade baby food. As you can tell, they were very good at what they do. Although, I didn't have to get any mop out with Porter following me around. Of course, the stuff that took the longest to make, Oliver wasn't a really big fan of. So, if you come over and we are having mashed root vegetables... I'm feeding you baby food that Oliver rejected. :)

He also got to experience his very first storm. Our house has great covered porches, so he got to watch it first hand. He was sure what to think about it though.

.This past weekend, we also went to the park. But, Oliver really didn't have the energy to stay awake to watch Porter play fetch.

He and I are now members of the local zoo! I think everytime we go, he seems to experience something new. This time, his favorite was the red panda. I'm not sure if it was the panda or it was the fact that he secretly moved his nuk and was chewing on the wood fence. Hey, a little extra fiber never hurt anyone, I guess!

And, this pic is purely to show everyone that Ollie does have hair. I never realized how sensitive I was to this subject until people keep saying, "There goes a cueball." No, darn it, there is hair!! It is just super fine and blonde!!

Happy 0.5 Ollie!

2009-05-12T10:29:00.009-05:00

Little Ollie is half a year old today. That blows my mind, quite honestly... It is going fast, too too fast!!

Well, this will be quick, *hopefully* because he is not amused on my lap or on the floor where every toy that he possesses is. So, I'm putting pics from our hike at Pratt's Falls, Mom's Day, and him in a shirt that honors his in utereo nickname, Blueberry. Oh, and some quality videos. (Never said I was a film maker....) Enjoy!!

.
.

Pratt's Falls near our house. Ollie enjoyed looking around on Dad's back. It was a nice little hike. It was a beautiful day for one.

My first Mother's Day was pretty low-key. We went shopping for a bike for me the day before. I will find out which one I got in 5-10 business days. Ollie and Bill picked it out for me. But, I do know that I got an Electra bike. It is pretty FABULOUS if you ask me. It is a cruiser bike, so I got a big seat, some large handle bars, and I have to back pedal for my breaks. HOLLER! :) Ollie also got me a iTunes gift card and a pretty hanging plant. They, then, treated me to a clam boil at the house. But, my best presents were all the sloppy kisses he gave to me and the fact that he is here.
.

Yes, Mom, it's Mother's Day, but that doesn't stop me from being hunger-stricken!

My Boy BLUE! (He still has his eczema flair-ups... Plus he is drooling so much. Poor Kid!)

What the heck do you want me to do with all of these?

Our house, First Flight, & Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-07T09:47:00.007-05:00

Well, it is time for another exciting entry from Casa de Schulz. Oliver is busy playing on the bed, so I have some time to put something on here!

Bill and my folks took some pictures of our house and neighborhood, so I thought I would show everyone. When we found our place, we never realized that we had a beautiful magnolia tree in our front yard. It was a great surprised, although the blossoms blow away much too quickly!

.Oliver and Grandpa in the backyard.

The view down our street.

.Grandpa Schulz recently had a milestone birthday, so we needed to travel back to WI. That meant Oliver had a milestone flight. He did great! He slept through 2 flights entirely. Then, he was awake for the second half of both of his last two legs. As you know, Oliver is an impeccable dresser. Jerry's party was no exception. He had a fabulous plaid blazer that only he could pull off. I was very pleased with his party attire choice. :) But, I'm more pleased that he didn't have any trouble flying. That means it won't be such a event when we come back to the Midwest.

Ollie got to celebrate his first Cinco de Mayo recently. I thought we could invite our friends Jim and Megan over for some take out. We have an AMAZING mexican place down the street. Well, Megan replied by saying, "We'll bring the sombreros." Funny, right... I never thought twice about it. Then, they came up our porch...

So, I've learned to take Megan literally. Oliver really didn't know what to think of his hat. But, he sure was cute!

No Gyro for You!

2009-04-26T20:23:00.007-05:00

Well, the pictures are downloaded and Mr. Oliver is asleep, so I have a chance to update you all.
.

Easter was good. We got to say our final good-byes to our home church in Green Bay. We also got to spend the day with Bill's family. It was nice to be with family for the day before we left.

The move went as smoothly as it could go with a 5 month old, a dog, and a cat. Oliver only had two serious meltdowns. He was truely a trooper. I really kept it together quite well as we left the house. But, then I got to the top of our driveway and our neighbor's two kids were standing in the door waving good-bye. Talk about a shot below the belt! It was sad to watch the house get smaller in my rearview mirror. The cat had a two night stay in the Mazda, while Porter got to stay in the hotel room one night. We were fortunate enough to have Bill's mom, Mary tag along with us. She was a God sent, especially since I got a TERRIBLE cold the day we started our journey.

After our belongings got here, we wasted no time in unpacking. Bill's folks helped me get motivated to unpack our kitchen. That is when we started to find out just how fabulous our neighborhood really is. Jerry brought home these AMAZING deli sandwiches from the Greek deli just a block away. He said it reminded him of the Soup Nazi from Seinfield. I didn't really care, they tasted like heaven, so I knew I would go there again.

After Bill's folks left, we had a day to ourselves and my folks came. They continued to help me unpack boxes. My dad got the fun job of putting up pictures. I see where I get the "eyeball" method of putting up pictures. I think we put a few extra holes in our walls... Needless to say, with my mom's ability to get the job done, I only have 6 boxes left to unpack.

While my folks were here, we found all the essentials... Target, Marshall's, grocery store, JoAnn's, Micheals, etc. We have a lot of shopping here! We also got to enjoy the zoo. Ollie's first experience there was fun to witness. He liked anything that moved in front of him. So, the monkeys, penguins, and lemurs were his favorite.

I then took my folks to the greek deli for lunch. The guys there truly are like the Seinfield episode. We stood in front of this massive menu in awe. We made our decision and they are like, "Did you FINALLY come to a decision?" Then, my mom said, "I would like the chicken gyro with bacon and tomato." "THAT ISN'T A GYRO." I thought he was going to kick us out, but luckily he let us eat his delicious goodness.

.
Other than that, we seem to be adjusting well. We picked up a Syracuse visitors guide and it describes our neighborhood and hip and trendy. Can it get much better than that? Emma, the weather has been really nice here, actually. No rain yet. 80's the past two days and tomorrow it is suppose to be in the 90's. I'm not sure Ollie will be able to handle that! Speaking of Oliver, he now has to eat three squares a day or he goes nuts. He is able to sit up himself and is getting into all his toys. He isn't such a little baby anymore! :( Much to my dismay... Efrem, this outfit is for you, since it has a little vespa embroidered on the pocket!!

.Dropping my folks off at the airport really was tough today. It has now set in that we live half way across the country from our friends and family. I'm already missing everyone! But luckily technology will make us feel like we are next door!

We made it!

2009-04-24T22:11:00.002-05:00

I have been asked if we are still alive. The answer is yes. We have been crazy busy getting the house settled in. I would make this longer, but my camera isn't letting me download pictures right now. Not sure what is up with that, but needless to say, it is making me annoyed. But yes, we are doing well. I can get to Target, the biggest grocery store I've ever been to, and numerous craft stores without my Garmin. Anyways, more about the move, Easter, and Ollie's first trip to the zoo when my camera starts cooperating!

Spring has Sprung!

2009-04-08T21:19:00.007-05:00

Well, I am frantically trying to pack our essentials the Schulz's will need for potentially 10 days. I'm not made to do this type of packing. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl. I think I have enough clothes for Oliver to have a blow out at least twice a day. Oh well, always be prepared, right... I should be packing more, but if I decided to do this blog, a week and a half in between posts isn't going to cut it!

I have found a hat that fits my child's huge cabaza. Well, actually, it is too big slightly. It should be. It is a hat for a 1 year old for goodness sake. And, I had to get it because it has a cute skull on it!

As time gets closer to move day, Oliver and I have been having some good-bye lunches.

So, when I went to say adios to my old pals at Nice Pak, I made sure to put on a fabulous outfit. That would be his lil

stinkbomb onesie with skeleton baby legs. Everyone thought I put flowers on my boys legs. Oh how they don't realize that Ollie is my own little accessory.

We had a chance to visit my family one last time. We met up in Minocqua. It was nice to see them close to my birthday. We ended up going to a German bar for my birthday lunch and it was great! I got a candle in my brat. Can it get much better? As usual, Auntie Missy spoiled Ollie with ridiculously cute outfits. And, Oliver always loves to see Emma and Ava. Ollie got to spend a little while in the kiddie pool at our hotel. I think we have a swimmer on our hands.

Oliver is getting huge! We have a friend with a 9 month old and Oliver is only 1/2 lb. lighter. He is fitting into his 6-9 month old clothes already. These two fabulous onesies were designed by our friend Jeff Seidling and meticulously embroidered by his wife Sara. I told Ollie he couldn't have his candy and he had a little meltdown. Sorry Ollie, a 5 month old doesn't need a birth control pill, Viagra, or Tylenol!

The other depicits a blueberry dancing his arse off. Bill has made quite a name for himself on the dance floor, so it says "Dancing Like Daddy."

And lastly, if any of you bloggers know how to format this better, please let me know. This thing drives me nuts!!!

Stain Solutions

2009-03-29T19:40:00.004-05:00

As some of may already know that I've been having stain removal issues. I guess God has not granted me the skills to remove the baby food variety. So, I took matters into my own hands and tried to resolve the problem.

First, I tried to see if Java would help me clean Oliver off. She just rudely ignored him, but he still tried to get her to love him.

Then, I moved onto Porter. I thought he would thoroughly clean off the stains from head to toe. With Oliver's tendency to have a death grip on pet skin and pulling, Porter, too, kept his distance.

Then, I thought, why not put the food on his favorite bee. That was quickly vetoed, but he still loves it, flavored or not! Look at the drool.

So, I did what every logical engineer would do. I stripped him! One plus to having a late fall baby, by the time he eats, it is warm enough to do it naked.

And why may you ask I would make such a big deal about the stains in the first place. Well, this kid is a slob when it comes to food! He has a fun way of breathing out at the exact moment I put his spoon of food in his mouth. Mmm, squash...

But, all in all, we are getting the eating thing down. He is now having a fruit in the morning and veggies in the evening. He keeps the fruit in his mouth much better. Teething, or what we think is teething, has made him quite irritable, drooly, and constantly sucking on a nuk. We have two weeks until we move now. Exciting and anxious times ahead!

Big Week

2009-03-20T10:16:00.010-05:00

Our week was full of some firsts and a start of our good-byes.

Sunday, kicked off with Ollie's very first walk. He was bundled in his galatic vest that our friends Jeff and Sara Seidling gave him. He kept his eye on Porter the whole time. I still think he is trying to get used to the idea of fresh air.

Then, we took a trip to Great Grandpa & Great Grandma Krecker's house. We got to see the whole clan! Great Aunt Deb, Great Aunt Joan, Auntie Missy, and Grandma Sherrie all came to see us and say good bye. Ollie even got to see some cows and geese. Again, he wasn't too sure about the whole idea of being outside.

Finally, we got home and got to try some sweet potatoes. The picture says it all! I think he was scared of it. So, he went on the couch and the pets took care of him for the night.

We have an official move date! We will be starting our road trip on April 13th. Be thinking of us and our interesting journey ahead of us.

Ollie's First Cereal

2009-03-11T21:46:00.004-05:00

Can't wait to show this to Ollie when he gets older! Grandpa's commentary is priceless!

"They" are making me do it!

2009-03-10T21:21:00.000-05:00

Well, we are well on our way to our New York adventure. To keep everyone posted, we've gotten numerous requests for a blog. Well, here it is!

We aren't sure when we are moving yet. It will be either March 27th or April 13th. If we leave early, the whole family will need to live in a hotel for 2 weeks. If we stay, then Bill will be away from the family for two more weeks... The later option is what we are leaning towards, since it will be a little easier for the animals.

This week, my folks are here helping me pack up our unneeded items. They are busy taking in all of the Oliver time they can get.

Ollie learning how to play PSP with Grandpa Jon

Grandma Sherrie trying to teach Ollie to chew on the monkeys