Eva turns 3!

July 17th marked Eva's third year of life. She celebrated this important day with a family birthday party at our home. Unfortunately, none of her young cousins were able to join her, but she had a nice time with the special adults in her life.

She was awed by the spinning cake stand that plays "Happy Birthday."

Enjoing her new sand and water table, a gift from Mom and Dad.

Donning her Iowa Hawkeye cheerleading outfit with her relatives from Iowa.

Smiling with her Wisconsin relatives. (I recruited Jenny to join us as she is a very recent resident of Iowa.) Unfortunately, we are the outnumbered group.

4 P's!

This summer found us enjoying parks, pools, picnics, and parades!

We joined Angie and her three young men for a day of swimming at the pool. (Grandmas not pictured)

We attended the annual Curry 4th of July picnic.

There was a large turnout of the old neighborhood clan plus spouses and children.

This summer brought the Vietnam Moving Wall to town. After a BBQ with our friends from card club, we loaded up the kiddos and walked downtown to the parade route.

Will's Baptism

Will was baptized May 3, 2009 at Saint Mary's Catholic Church. Godparents were Victor Magnus and Jenny Weier. We hosted a small family get together at our home following the Mass.

Will pictured with parents and grandparents

Eva joins us at the front of the church

As we gathered on the alter to complete the baptism rituals, Eva made a last minute decision to join us up front. From my place at the front of the church, I watched as she left her seat near my parents, walked up the aisle, and climbed the steps to join us. After months of physical therapy, she was able to climb steps without holding a rail or a supporting hand. This small moment, unrecognized by many in attendance, caused my heart to swell and tears to fill my eyes.

Father Charles baptizes Will as Mom, Dad, Vic, and Jenny look on.


(6 months since my last blog update! I plan to share some highlights as I take a break from the planning and grading I am doing for work.)

Lunch with the Easter Bunny!

My mom and I took the kids to this local event today. The luncheon was held at the armory and there were a variety of activities available for the children. The highlight was seeing the Easter Bunny! After talking about it all morning, Eva was a little shy when it came to seeing the Bunny face to face. She posed for a picture but only with mom and Grandma at her side. Will on the other hand, loved seeing the bunny and was all smiles.

11 weeks old

Our group photo with Easter Bunny

Life as a Family of 4

The past seven weeks have been great ones at our house. We have quickly adjusted to being the parents of two and like our little family of four.

Our new "little man" couldn't be a sweeter baby. Will was quick to smile and shows us his grins and funny faces often. (I did my best to capture them on camera...see below). He is a very happy, content baby. He is a strong little guy and surprised us by rolling from front to back at 2 1/2 weeks. His continued growth has put this on hold recently. He weighed 12 pounds 12 ounces today at just a little over seven weeks! His favorite activities include eating, looking out the window, and "playing" with us.


Eva continues to blossom and is becoming a such a little socialite. We've noticed a big change in her recently. She is beginning to develop friendships with children and gives us detailed updates about her days at school. She likes being a big sister and is a great helper to me during my days at home with the two of them. Eva has a great imagination and can play independently for a long time with her dolls and farm animals. She is learning about peoples jobs and likes to play doctor and lifeguard. She's enjoyed the snow and winter, but like us all, is ready for warm weather. We recently took her to a waterpark for a day of swimming. It was nice to play in suits for a day.

Eva and "Frosty"

Making me "Chicken Nugget Soup"

William Allen Hollingsworth

William Allen Hollingsworth was born on January 9, 2009 at 1:04 pm. He weighed a healthy 9 lbs. 8 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. We are all doing great. Baby Will

Now I'll need to come up with a new title for the blog...

2009 Projects

So...I haven't been faithful to keeping up the blog lately. It seems that the past eight weeks have passed in a blur. We have been keeping busy with all the fun that surrounds the holiday season. This winter has brought us snow without freezing cold temperatures and we've enjoyed playing outside with Eva in the snow. Never ones to sit idle, we have three new "projects" on the burner for the upcoming year.

Project #1 is expected to arrive this Friday with the birth of our second child, assuming all goes according to plan. I think we are ready! The baby gear has come up from the basement, been cleaned up, and is waiting in the baby's room. We've made multiple last minute trips to stores to buy all of those last minute items that we are sure we'll need in those first few days/weeks.

Project #2 involves a recent decision to finish our basement. We can think of many uses for the space and with the low interest rates, now seems as good of a time as any. We're currently having plans drawn up and hope to have a family room/rec room, guest bedroom, bath, and office when the project is completed.

Our final project is continuing to work with Eva’s large motor skill development. Her current PT program will be wrapping up this summer and she’ll be transitioning to the school district’s PT program. Also, at a recent visit to the pediatrician’s, the doctor recommended that Eva see a neurologist for a few tests since her muscular development still isn’t where it should be. Eva’s other developmental areas have really been doing well so lacking in the large motor area is worth additional fact-finding.

Disasters Avoided

There are many joys of being a parent of a two-year-old. This week, I also got to experience two heart dropping moments.

The first one occured on Wednesday. About a month ago we moved Eva out of the nursery and into the "big girl room," complete with a twin bed, new dresser, and her many cherished things. The transition went so well! (Sometime when the room is cleaned up, I'll post pictures). Anyway, after her nap, she called to me as she usually does. When I went to open the door, I found it locked. Before I panicked too much, I asked her to turn the knob. She did and it unlocked easily. Luckily, I didn't have to move forward with the "how to get trapped daughter out of her locked bedroom" plan.

Then there was yesterday... Our whole family was dressed and ready to get out the door when I decided to run downstairs to get a water bottle out of our basement fridge. As I was opening the door, I heard a little voice say, "I come too." Immediately after that, I heard the sickening sound of a toddler falling down the stairs (augmented by the sound of her frantic father dashing down behind her in hopes of helping). Needless to say it was a very unpleasant experience for all three of us. Eva, although scared, managed the fall with ease and had no signs of injury. She even calmed down surpisingly fast. As one of my coworkers quotes "her guardian angel was watching over her." (Common lingo at the Catholic college where I work.)

Reflecting on the week, I feel very blessed that both incidents were minor. And, for the sake of my poor heart, we'll hope we can breeze through the next few weeks without any more potential "disasters."

Happy Halloween!

Our family really got into the spirit of the holiday this year! We have been very busy with recent Halloween activities. Tonight was beautiful, perfect for treking round the neighborhood and making a few stops at friends' houses. Eva poses on our front porch with our pumpkins. This is the first Halloween that we have lived in the country. Although I left a big bowl of candy and a "help yourself" sign, it doesn't appear that very many people visited our house. We did have one neighborhood family visit before we took off for our evening.
On Thursday night, Grandma and Grandpa came over for some pumpkin carving fun. Grandpa and Dad proved to be very artistic...and efficient. They had these carved in no time while Grandma and I played with Eva, who was wearing out from the week's activities. (The Hollingsworth pumpkin pictured at the bottom is a ceramic one made for us by my aunt.)

Eva and Les pose with our big pumpkin, purchased from the Amish at Farmer's Market. Eva was hesitant to reach her hand into the pumpkins, but loved to yell "gooey" as we cleaned them out.

On Wednesday, the Children's Center hosted a "Spooky Supper." After the potluck, we visited Dobson Hall where the college students put on a bash and trick-or-treating for the little ones. Eva is pictured here with her friend Emelia.

Crazy for Uncle Ryan

Lately, Eva shows an affection for young men. She often talks at home about "Unko Wyan" and Mr. Aaron (her teacher in the 2-year-old room.) She had a riot with Ryan during our trip. Every morning she ran into his room and acted as his own personal alarm clock. While we worked to clean and organize his new place, she would often tag along after him, being his little buddy. Hitching a ride during our hike. She is wearing her WP fleece, a gift from him last year.
Notice the hands in the pocket...she was quick to imitate his every move.

Enjoying a gourmet McDonald's meal on our hotel room floor. Ryan and Eva dined and swam while Les and I went out for a grown-up evening with his coworkers. We had dinner at Maggiano's in downtown Denver. We were big fans but felt that one dish alone was enough to feed an entire family. Those Italians know how to eat!

Colorado Escape

Our family enjoyed a trip to Colorado last week. The timing couldn't have been better! Les had a conference to attend in Denver and Eva and I tagged along. Ryan had recently bought a condo in Winter Park. While Les worked, Eva and I stole away for a couple of days to visit him in his new place. We had a wonderful time. Here are some pictures (unfortunately they loaded in reverse, so we'll work backward...) Eva, Ryan, and I enjoyed a hike on a local trail. I was curious when I saw boxes that resembled file cabinets along the trail. Ryan filled us in. They were really secure trash cans so the bears can't get in them. Bears??!!

Sunday was our first full day in Denver. The Denver marathon was also going on. We enjoyed walking around the downtown and cheering for the 3 Luther runners who entered the event. In this picture, Eva shows Ronald she can spin plates with the best of them!

We landed in Denver on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed a dinner at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Shack right across the street from our hotel. Les and I split the "Big Bucket of Boat Trash." We had a lot of fun with the lobster claws.

Eva loved the restaurant. It was equipped with colors, balloons, and lobster....she loved playing with the claw and, later eating it.

All smiles on the plane. Les and I actually flew out of different airports. (His flight was booked through work and I found cheaper fairs at another nearby airport.) I was a bit nervous about traveling with my "busy" two-year old at 28 weeks pregnant. But, my fears were for nothing. Traveling was very easy and Eva enjoyed the airport, plane, train, and taxi that we took on our journey.

The Pacy Fairy

Yes, Eva is a pacifier user. For the longest while, her need for the pacifier was limited to naps and bedtime. She had a tough time while Les was gone this summer. It was very apparent she missed her daddy. Suddenly comfort objects like her blanket and pacy were used to calm and comfort herself. While this has improved, she is more dependent on her pacifier than we liked.

Last night we started to tell her about the "Pacy Fairy:" a fairy who comes to the house and takes pacifiers from the big kids who no longer need them and gives them to babies. (Yes, already we are telling our child made-up truths.) She listened carefully to our story and pondered the idea.

After some thought, she responded, "Pacy help me be happy." Followed by, "Pacy help me feel much better." (You've got to hand it to her, the kid has logic).

Later, after more mention of the fantastical Pacy fairy, Eva replied, "I think about it."

We'll let her marinate on this one for a few more days until the Fairy's appearance sometime soon.

Apple Pressers!

For the first time in many years, Grandpa Ron's apple orchard produced some great results. Earlier in the fall, we harvested the McCintosh apples and made apple crisp and apple butter. Yesterday, we shook the remainder of the McCintosh and Red Delicious apples and made cider. 50 gallons of apples yielded 15 gallons of cider. Yummy! We had the perfect fall day to tackle this project. Enjoy the pictures of the pressers at work:

Mom's Trip to Maine

Last week I was fortunate to attend a conference with a favorite coworker of mine in Freeport, Maine. Our adventure began with a trip to Milwaukee and visit to the Johnson Creek Outlet malls. We spent the night at an airport hotel and caught our 6 am flight the next day.

Our first day there was a free day. We rented a car and drove up the coast from Portland. We ate Lobster Bisque at a little restaurant on the ocean, did some sight-seeing and more shopping (Freeport is the home of L.L. Bean) before catching a little nap. We enjoyed appetizers and drinks in the hotel lobby and a beautiful evening walk before calling it a night.

The next day we attended a conference put on by Katie Wood Ray, a guru in the field of teaching writing to students. I was familiar with her work and was excited to see her in person. Her approach was new to Nancy but she found it engaging and refreshing. Our afternoon consisted of a visit to a local State Park and a great hike. Then, we enjoyed a fancy dinner that night in downtown Freeport.

The next day was our return home. All in all, it was a great little adventure!

Nancy and I at the Park.
The beautiful colors of Maine in the fall.

Homecoming Week

Eva has been living up Homecoming week...more so than her dad and I, although we do plan to take part in festivities this weekend. The Children's Center is hosting dress up days all week. On Tuesday, she wore her new pink Elmo hat for "Hat Day." Today she was a "cool dude" for sunglasses day. And tomorrow, she has the choice of three pairs of socks to wear for "Silly Sock" day. She has been having a lot of fun with all of the themes.

Every day we get a daily report on how her day was. Sometimes they have comments. I have saved a couple of my favorite ones. Oh the life of a 2-year-old! Read on:

"Eva had fun on our walk today. She especially enjoyed climbing on the big rocks with her friends."

"Eva had fun rolling down the hill outside today. She also played with boats in the sensory table for awhile."

"Eva had fun decorating a paper air balloon for art today and enjoyed crawling through the long red tunnel."

Such innocence!

Dancing Machine

Last night, we attended my cousin Nate's wedding reception. It was a beautiful event with great food, entertainment and people. Although we had an opportunity to chat with lots of my family members, the highlight of our night was watching Eva. She bounced back and forth between the dance floor and a "kids' room" complete with bouncy balls, puzzles, and art activities (what a great idea at a reception with many children.) At one point, the dance floor was full of people doing the cult classic Chicken Dance. And, in the middle of everyone...Eva was showing her stuff. I couldn't help but scan the floor and see most people fixated on her entertainment. It was a cute moment for us to enjoy.

We left the reception and headed home while she slept peacefully in the backseat. Upon arriving at home, she woke up, crying and demanding "Dance! More dance!" Apparently she was having sweet dreams of her own about the evening.

Our little party girl.

Eva adores cousin Steve.

(Although, while looking at this picture, she smiled and named him "Aunt Sue." Oops! I often pair the mother and son when I talk about them. She seems to have gotten slightly confused.)

The Negotiator

Eva's developing language is beginning to take on new functions. Lately, she has become quite the "negotiator." Here are some examples of her little mind at work:

Her newest phrase is "right now," which follows most requests. She is getting more and more demanding so I've been reminding her to say please. Tonight, at supper, she loudly announced "more milk right now, please." (We'll keep working on those manners.)

If she'd like another treat (cookie, candy, cake....anything with sugar), she'll say: "one more," then "just one more," and finally "a little bit more, please." Grandpa Ron often falls the victim to these requests.

Yesterday she wanted to stay at the park longer. While holding up her pointer finger, she announced "more park....one more minute."

I find her 2-year-old qualities more endearing than anything. Of course we cope with the occasional temper tantrums, but I am continually fascinated by her growing development. We see new evidence of it every day.

Back to School

The start of the school year has been a happy time for all of us. I think we're adjusted to new schedules. My college recently kicked off its academic year with Convocation. Faculty, students, and staff participate in the program and tree-planting ceremony. Here is a picture of my fabulous department all decked out in academic attire for the ceremony. The colorful robes indicate the doctor's (and there are four new ones this year!!) I should have stood in the back with the other ones wearing master's robes. Maybe in a few years....

Dairy Days Fun

Our local fair is in town this weekend. Les, Eva, and I made a pass through the midway last night before Les headed up to Army duty for the weekend. The parade was this morning. Eva and I walked with "Family Connections," a local agency that puts on a lot of great programming for the community. I sit on their board of directors and enjoy supporting such a great cause. We were in the front of the parade so we were able to run back and catch a good seat to see the rest. She loved the bands with the flag girls and drum lines. Anyone who threw candy was also a favorite. Then, tonight we ate dinner there, caught a few more rides, and socialized with the people in our town.

Hobbies

With the new space and land we acquired, I was excited to plant a garden this year. Despite all of the rain, our plants did remarkably well. Between my parents' garden and ours, we had an abundance of vegetables. So, my dad and I decided to do some canning. And then some more....and some more....we now have a surplus of canned goods stored downstairs in our basement. Making our second batch of salsa...

One night we canned 25 pints of pickled cauliflower and bread and butter pickles.

Our third and final day of canning salsa produced big results.

And, the fun isn't over yet. Three jars will be entered and judged at the Belmont fair next weekend. We're hoping for some big prizes!