Cold with a Cold and Kindergarten Round-up

Last week started out kind of rough! Emmitt had a bad cold and so he stayed home from church. I took him to the doctor on Monday to make sure it hadn't migrated to his ears. He got a prescription to be filled if needed...and a sucker! This was his first ever. He got to the stick part and was done at that point!

Then it turned COLD!!! Like wintry mix cold! Ice and snow. Mostly ice though!

This was the tree in ice. Below was the tree just a few days prior to...on a nice warm spring day.

Our trees are relatively young, so they fared better than the one below:

In the meantime we kept ourselves busy. And by Friday it was at least warm enough to go without coats by the end of the day. Today we are back to 40's temps! :-(

Watched a LOT of Mickey Mouse. Nothing like cuddling Mickey while watching him on TV.

Oh and of course there were basket rides. Picture him saying, "WIIIIIIIIDE!!!"

Jesstine is just hoping it stays warm enough so she can wear her NEW bathing suit soon!

Our like-a-family-member friend, Johnna had a friend who was selling this at a garage sale. It was full of little animal toys and things. Jesstine was IN LOVE! Emmitt liked it too, when his sister would actually let him play with it!

Friday was also Kindergarten roundup at Jesstine's soon-to-be new school.

She learned how to put a ducktail and a bubble on.

Later that night was Daddy/Daugther date night. And Emmitt and Mommy had Mommy/Son date night. Stephen took Jesstine to "Color Me Mine." Emmitt and I looked at toys and bicycles at Target.

Color Me Mine is a place where you pick a piece to paint. Paint it. Then they glaze it, fire it in a kiln and you come pick it up later.

Emmitt is just like his cousin Noah! He LOVES the "Icles."

And of course he is back to feeling crummy. We aren't SURE what it is, but we finally filled the prescription the doctor gave us last week and hopefully that will kick in soon! For now it is alternating tylenol and ibuprofen four hours each, two hours apart. No fun for him, Mommy OR Daddy!

This was before dinner when he was literally a hot mess.

But both kids were happy during and shortly after dinner!

And this is what I look like the morning after Emmitt doesn't sleep well at night! :-/

And of course our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the explosions at the Boston Marathon. Today was wear a race shirt day in support of them. This was the closest I could fine and it wasn't even originally mine! Three of my siblings were runners in Middle School and High School. I pray that there are no other fatalities and that the people responsible are held accountable for their actions. If not here on Earth, we know who will judge them later on!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

A Few Things

Well, the cold bug has struck again. Poor Emmitt always gets to be the one to test viruses out before the rest of us. Stephen seems to have a touch of it too though. After Emmitt woke up twice in the night, I begged Stephen to stay home (I used my last sick day at work LAST Tuesday) so Grandmom wouldn't have to spend all day wiping the faucet that is Emmitt's runny nose. He agreed and perhaps was able to relax and feel a little better himself. So now, a few photos of some things that have been going on since I last posted.

Spring is here! And as I type this the wind is blowing and earlier today the temperature plummeted by about 15 degrees. It is supposed to get worse as the night goes on and there is a "wintry mix" headed our way for the morning! :-/ So here is a picture of my pretty tree in my front flower bed...before the wind blows all the pretty petals off. (Notice the Wichita State flag??? We are bummed about the game, but are proud to be Shockers!)

Aunt Jenni gave Jesstine a fairy garden for her birthday last summer. The plants have since died. It was looking kind of yucky on our counter, so we decided to save all of the non-living articles of the fairy garden and re-do it. I had some aquarium rocks that I had intended to use for Jesstine's fish (who is looking rather sickly...), so we used those. Now all it needs is a little sprinkle of fairy dust!

Last night was Lasagna night in our household. Emmitt was SO incredibly messy (our kids eat lasagna and speghetti nearly naked so as to keep their clothes from getting stained), he had to have his bath in the sink. He didn't seem to mind much!

And last but not least, Jesstine had her school pictures on Monday. I was on the phone with my friend Kelly who was gracious enough to remind me that it was picture day! So I grabbed the springiest thing I could find in her closet. Luckily her hair was still in a pony from the night before. I just redid the pony and slapped a headband on her and viola! I love the results! I haven't cared for the school pictures all too much! These, I like! It is just sad because she looks so grown up in them! 

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Week In Review

I have been remiss about posting lately, so here is a post about what has been happening this week! We are gearing up for a HUGE game this weekend for the Shockers!

First I want to start with how much I LOATHE shoe shopping for toddlers! I am SO over the high price you pay for shoes that your kid wears at MOST for 6 months! Luckily we are MOSTLY past that for Jesstine for now! She has been in the same size for almost a year and we were fortunate enough to come by a decent sale at the Nike outlet on our summer vacation last year, so she is set to start kindergarten next school year! Aside for the pricing, the selection is slim! Nearly all toddler shoes have velcro. I get the thinking! Velcro is MUCH easier to have when putting shoes on a squirmy toddler right? Well, the flip side to that is, they are also MUCH easier to get off! Again, we never had that issue with Jesstine. She just didn't touch them. That was how she was! Emmitt is a whole other ballgame! Throw in the fact that he has one foot bigger than the other and has a wide foot to boot, and you have the reason I LOATHE shoe shopping! After scouring nearly every shoe store on the west side of town, I finally decided I would just go with the classic Converse All Stars. Even those at most places are at least $30! I remembered that I was able to get some for Jesstine for around $20 a couple of years ago at Dillard's.

 (Note: Jesstine was only in a size 5 when I bought these for her at just over 18 months of age!)

So I decided to look there and sure enough, they were only $22!! I decided on black, brought them home and found some old sweatbands that I didn't use nearly enough with little wushocks attached. I pulled them off and sewed them to the shoes. Now he is the coolest kid in town! See for yourself!

These are a size 6. 7's were too big and he has a LITTLE wiggle room in the 6's.)

This week, Stephen started going to a little hockey clinic at the local ice rink. He hasn't played since we were first married. Here he is decked out in his hockey gear (minus the jersey, socks and skates of course).

LOVE this one!

Jesstine brought me a picture this week. She wrote: "For Mom From Jesstine" on the back. Can you read it?

She didn't ask for help! This was all on her own!

My younger sister and her family were in town for a few days this week. I wasn't feeling the greatest, so I stayed home on Tuesday and waited for my doctor's appointment. Ola and the kids joined us here at the house so the kids could all play! Logan is the youngest and he followed Emmitt around EVERYWHERE! They were two peas in a pod! Jesstine and Corbin hit it off as usual. Luke took a while to warm up to playing. He didn't like my house for some reason! 

Emmitt got some Cars socks in his basket this year from us the Easter Bunny. He was being a stinker the day these two pictures were taken. I had changed his diaper and tried to put his pants back on. He threw a fit because he couldn't see his socks anymore! So, he went around most of the morning like this: 

Later he had to try out the slippers we gave Noah when he was about 2 and they have been passed down back to us:

The kids also really enjoyed the toys from Grandmom this week! Jesstine hardly had any room to sleep in her bed she had it piled with buddies! Just a few were added by Grandmom over the last few months! 

We are looking forward to what HOPEFULLY is a Shockers WIN this weekend!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Easter and Before

Just some of the few things we have been up to since the last post.

I want to start off with one of my FAVORITE things that Emmitt does right now. It is something I NEVER want to forget and I hope he keeps doing it until he is too big to sit on my lap! Wishful thinking, I know! Emmitt LOVES books! Here's the scene: Emmitt picks a book (usually a "pillbook," one of the tiny board book sets we have with Cars, Toy Story, Mickey Mouse and Sesame Street characters). Then he toddles to me with book in hand and says, "Mamma!" flashing me a big grin. As I place him on my lap, he giggles with delight. He nestles in and lies his head back on my chest so my cheek can rest on it. Then, I read. At the end, he says, "EEEEEE Ehnnnn!" and goes to grab another book. This scene usually repeats a few times before his attention is drawn to a toy or whatever his sister is playing with at the time.

It usually looks something like this.

 One of his favorite books at Grandmom's. It is a barn book where you have to open the flaps to find the animal behind. He knows it by heart and says the sound for each animal and sometimes the name.

Earlier in the week we geared up for a BIG game! It is NCAA Men's Basketball tournament time! Stephen and I's alma mater, Wichita State University, had already made it to the sweet 16 by knocking off THE number one seed, Gonzaga. We were gearing up to hopefully watch them make their first Elite 8 berth since 1980. We even got the kids all ready!

Future Wichita State Baller in the making!

 We even purchased sweet 16 shirts despite the chance that it would jinx the team into loosing! (This was taken at the store where I purchased said shirts. Emmitt found something he REALLY liked! It is Mickey Mouse in a Dallas Cowboys jersey hugging a Dallas Cowboys throw blanket! Mommy didn't like the price though! :-/)

How did that turn out you might ask? Well how's this for an answer:

They EEKED out a win versus Ohio State after blowing a 20 point lead. They are now in the final four for the first time since 1965! We are of course hoping that they make it to the championship game. The next game is against Louisville who is the ONLY number 1 seed left in the tournament. Wichita State is a 9 seed. The other half of the bracket pits Syracuse against Michigan. It seems petty, but we are praying. Either way it goes, we are proud to be from Wichita State!

If I know my blog followers well enough, I know that you aren't here to see sweaty basketball players (or even pint sized wannabe basketball players). So on to what you are REALLY here for!

On Wednesday, Jesstine had an Easter party at school. One of the perks of attending a private Christian preschool is that she got to have an EASTER party and not a "spring" party! Here are a few pictures. I was able to go and help with the party thanks to my wonderful mother-in-love for watching my pint sized baller wannabe. :-)

The whole class showing off their Easter baskets!

There was an egg hunt.

This is Jackson. He is the grandson of the minister of the church I grew up attending from the age of 4 to 19. It is a fun story if you are ever interested!

The snack.

Jesstine, where did your strawberries go?!

The whole class (minus two that have already moved for one reason or another).

Jesstine and Emmitt had fun with a glow Easter egg hunt in our downstairs office/guest room. It is so simple and perfect! Simply put glow bracelets (found in the party section at Target or Walmart) in an Easter egg. Find a dark room (I had to put a blanket and towel over a window) and have fun!

We weren't sure how well Easter was going to turn out. The Saturday before Easter Sunday, Jesstine had been sick in her bed in the night. She spent the majority of the day on the couch and eating the brat diet. It was business as usual that night though and she seemed fine. She did have a slight fever for about half of the day. We are thinking it was either food poisoning or something to do with the drainage we have all been fighting for the last several days!

Easter morning the kids woke up to baskets full of goodies and an Easter egg hunt ensued at home.

 Emmitt went straight for the cars.

 Jesstine's basket, minus the princesses SHE went straight for.

So as to not forget what this holiday is TRULY about!

Traditionally we have had the kids hunt eggs in their pajamas. For time sake, Emmitt was already in his Easter best.

In hindsight, we probably should have picked up the pool toys that had been left since the last time the baby pool was out...at the end of summer! After he saw those, the eggs lost all their appeal!

Despite recording every egg's color and how many, we still managed to lose one...somewhere. Time to mow the grass perhaps? Well, that will have to wait because it snowed/sleeted/rained today! :-(

Overall it was a success and Emmitt cried because he didn't want to go inside!

Two beautiful blessings!

SOMETIMES they love each other!

They were so beautiful! I couldn't stop looking at them or taking pictures!

Traditional yearly picture of Jesstine and Kara, our babysitter and great friend, at church! (Also credit for the next several photos goes to Kara! I took Emmitt to the nursery where he had goodies waiting for him there as well!)

After a trip to both grandmothers' houses, baskets from the Easter bunny, and egg hunts at home and church, my table looked a little like the Easter bunny had thrown up all over it! :-P

One final picture. You may have noticed (if you are a follower of my blog) that the little boys in orange and white stripes/orange plaid were my nephews. My sister is visiting from North Carolina with her husband and children. It has been great to see them again! The littlest is not in the pictures, but is cute as can be! She has put her sewing machine to work and created a wonderful treasure for Emmitt with her talent! I have a taggie blanket for Emmitt that my mom gave him. He is attatched to it! I thought rather than having to take it back and forth to Grandmom's each week and risk forgetting it or losing it, I would commission Ola to make me one in a smaller size that would stay permanently at Grandmom's. When Emmitt was born, Jesstine brought a soccer ball up to him at the hospital when she met him for the first time. It is a taggie soccer ball and it was one of his favorite car seat toys. It wasn't being used very much, so I had my sister attach it to a small taggie blanket and VIOLA!

She knows him well! She even included some Disney Pixar's Cars fabric and some Cars ribbon! She attached it to the ball and he hugs the ball while stroking the tags on the ball and the blanket! JUST what I was hoping for! Thank you Aunt Ola!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family