Bend it like Becker

Saturday was Jack's first soccer practice and game. He's on Team Argentina! Friday night he wasn't sure he wanted to play...despite MONTHS of prepping in the basement (thanks, winter).

We headed off to the fields for his 9am game. It was windy and chilly - but Jack's Fan Club persevered through the weather.

He was actually really good! He scored 3 or 4 goals and even PASSED the ball to a teammate for an assist! WooHoo! (I was actually more exited about the PASS than the goals!)

In the end, Team Argentina was victorious and more importantly - Jack had an AWESOME time! Here he is posing with his buddy Owen. Such clowns.

It was hard to tell who was more pumped - Tyson or Jack. I know we have MANY, MANY, MANY more years of soccer/baseball/sports in our future...but there is nothing like watching a bunch of 4 year olds play a game, give high fives, and walk off the field smiling (win or lose).

Tervis - the way to our hearts

We got back to Michigan on Wednesday last week and we had a package waiting for us from Uncle Jon. He knows the way to our hearts - Tervis Tumblers! Jack got a Ninja Turtle Tervis...

And Josie got a Minnie Mouse Tervis. They were SO excited to have cups of their own. Tyson and I aren't good about sharing our Tervis's.

Visit to Warsaw

We spent some time in Warsaw after Easter and it was so great to see my family. We hadn't seen Joe, Gina, and the kiddos since Christmas! Too long! Jack discovered the awesomeness of dominoes. He loved setting them up and watching them fall.

Sunday afternoon all the kiddos did an Egg Hunt in my parents' yard. Jack, Amelia, and Josie had fun searching.

Emma discovered there was chocolate inside...and she was just interested in eating everything she could before her parents caught onto her.

People think I'm kidding when I tell them Josie wants NOTHING to do with babies or her mommy having a baby. This is proof. She was playing on the golf course with her cousins when she spied me holding Walker. I heard shrieks of "NOOOO, MAMA!" And the next thing I know, she's bawling and trying to push Walker off my lap. We have a very jealous little girl.

On Monday, everyone was working...so the kids and I spent some time at Winona Lake Park. Then we had lunch with Grandpa, napped, and spent some time with Katie (Beehler) Maile and her two boys. She just had baby #2 - Beckett Matthew. Surprisingly, Josie handled me holding him much better than expected.

 Fearless Jack.

Jack re-discovered golf and LOVED it! He convinced Grandpa to give him some lessons. I'm not going to call him a Tiger Woods type prodigy - but I will say that he can hit it! Perhaps Grandma & Grandpa would be interested in hosting Jack this summer for Golf Camp!?!?

On Tuesday Gina & I teamed up for a fun morning of play. Five kiddos, 4 and under...(with #6 on the way). We might be crazy. It was so fun to see all of them play together. Jack and Millie are a match made in heaven...while Josie & Emma proved (in typical middle child fashion) they are happy entertaining themselves. Walker was just happy.

So fun to see so many people we love! We hope people will come visit us in Michigan this summer! It's really a great place - when we don't have perpetual snow on the ground!

23 Weeks - Busy Baby & RAOK reminder

I had my 23 week appointment yesterday and I made the mistake of dragging both kids along with me. Never again. Josie waited until I was securely fastened into the blood pressure cuff before she bolted down the hallway - laughing the entire time. Hilarious? No. Then Jack announced that he was "bored" while I chatted with the midwife. Thank you, Dear Children. Your manners are impeccable.

In other news - the midwife tried to find a heartbeat for our little guy...but every time she found it, he moved or kicked. Finally she said, "okay, he's in there...things sound good, but I'm not going to chase him around." Seriously. I looked over at my "bored" four year old and thought "HERE WE GO AGAIN." Check out THIS POST from my 23 week appointment with Jack {October 2009} - I kid you not...SAME THING! Freaky! Anyone who knew Tyson as a child and knows Jack now...knows the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Silver Lining: Baby Brother will have Jack to keep him busy and Josie to keep him in line {unless she runs away}.

Finally, today would have been Christian's 3rd birthday...and it's a great day to make someone smile! Do a RAOK in his memory! 

Busy Bunnies

 

We were back in Fort Wayne for Easter Weekend. It was a gorgeous weekend and we had a great time with family & friends. On Friday I got to swing by Whispering Meadows (my old school) to see teachers and my {now} first graders. The kiddos gave me some interesting looks when they saw my belly. One of the first grade teachers joked that she would tell them "Mrs. Becker has really been hitting the Ho-Ho's hard lately..." Would love to hear what they tell their parents.

Saturday morning we stopped by for a play visit with Greta. She, like Josie, is preparing for a new role as BIG SISTER...in June! It was fun to watch these two play together.

Saturday was supposed to be a baby shower for cousin Billy's wife - Mallory. Unfortunately, the stars did not align and poor Mallory is on bed rest for a while. Baby Lynch was trying to make an early debut...and we can't have that...we're Becker's. Becker's are late...or at least RIGHT on time.

We went over to Aunt Linda & Uncle Bill's to eat the shower food {and cake}. Josie and Kinley got to go out for an Easter Egg Hunt. It was Josie's first of three.

The best way to describe Josie on an Egg Hunt is this: Imagine Nancy Becker at a HUGE Vera Bradley blowout sale. If you see a woman on a mission...who refuses to let ANYONE or ANYTHING get in her way - well, that was Josie, hunting eggs. Woman on a mission.

Kinley was looking for the pink eggs and was really thoughtful about sharing with Josie. They both had a fun time! It's so awesome that they're 2 weeks apart. Lots of fun ahead for these two!

Sunday morning we did Egg Hunt #2 {for Josie} and #1 for Jack.

This time - older brother proved to be stiff competition for Jos! But she still managed to get her fair share. I guess with two brothers in her life - I'm happy to know she will fend for herself just fine.

Sunday afternoon we joined the Becker Crew at Pine Valley for a brunch. We'll pretend that everyone was looking at the camera for the picture above...

Once again, both of my kids proved they are still OBSESSED with the creepy Easter Bunny. Jack was kissing it and yelling "I WUV YOU!" from all areas of the clubhouse. Embarrassing. Luckily, Nancy & Denny took over Bunny Duty - so Tyson and I could eat.

Jos and Kinley got to "play" together after lunch. Bubbles and running around on a golf course are the perfect combo for two busy girls!

Of course, the King of Busy was all about running! He found a hill to run up and down. Aside from a few grass stains - it was time well spent {mainly because he wasn't harassing the Easter Bunny}.

More pics to come from our visit to Warsaw!

Brusha Brusha

Friendly reminder from Josephine - if you're eating Easter Candy (like she is), don't forget to brush those teeth!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Flashback Friday: Boots

It's really no surprise my children have always had an obsession with boots. I start them young. And I love boots because they can put them on by themselves (at a really young age). Over the past few years we have "invested" in rain boots - which have proven their worth a hundred times over. So take note: a perfect gift for a little kid is a good ol' pair of plastic boots.

PS: Moms like boots, too...but they're usually a little more pricey.

Outside

Until we got - yet MORE snow - we'd been spending lots of time enjoying Spring. We took our first wagon ride through the neighborhood.

We spent a morning doing a RAOK for Christian at a local park. We picked up trash. Can you tell I'm not a germaphobe?

The kids have been spending lots of time on the play set and attracting other neighborhood kids - which in Jack's eyes, is awesome! Here they are eating some carrots for an afternoon snack... I may, or may not, have been sneaking Easter Candy from the kitchen.

And finally, Tyson & Jack held open tryouts in the front yard on Sunday. We're building a Little League Dynasty in Northville. You heard it here first.

Director of Operations

A high-five to all of the fellow Director's of Operations out there... To those who are full-time Director's and those who are Director's while holding down other careers, too.

It's a...

BOY! See - dreams really do come true...

Our ultrasound went great! The baby is growing well and is healthy. We are so thankful! He was acting like he might not cooperate for a gender reveal...but he finally turned and - well - clearly a BOY. Jack heard the tech say, "Looks like a boy." And he yelled, "YES! I'm so happy!" He can't wait to have a little brother.

And while Josie said she wanted a girl...her mama has advised her that it's not so bad being a girl with two brothers! I had plenty of fun shopping with my mom & grandmas. Not to mention, sisters get to boss brothers around - no matter where you fall in order and FOR YOUR WHOLE LIFE. My Uncle Jim & my dad bought my Aunt Sue a Mother's Day card when they were younger (she's the youngest). So Josie will grow up - sandwiched between two rowdy boys - and, in my opinion, she'll be a stronger woman because of it!

Other interesting facts:

• My Grandma Peg had 2 boys, 1 girl. My mom had 2 boys, 1 girl. And I'm about to have 2 boys, 1 girl.
• My brothers and I are spaced out ALMOST exactly the same as my kids will be...
• Nancy is one of 3 girls. All of the Netherland sons (Swihart 3, Becker 2)) have married girls that do not have any sisters. AND - so far, all of the babies produced from those marriages, the GIRLS don't have sisters. Weird.

Baby #3 Gender Scan

Tomorrow (Monday) is our Gender Scan for Baby #3. I was seriously considering not finding out... But I guess we will. But, honestly, it would be great motivation during labor if I didn't know. Just saying.

So here are my thoughts:

• I was 2/2 at predicting gender at conception. Yes, you read that right. With Jack I told Tyson "I just got pregnant. It's a boy." And with Josie I said, "I just got pregnant. It's a girl." True story. This time - I honestly wasn't paying attention {no offense, baby} and I just said, "I just got pregnant." So that doesn't help...
• With Jack I was super nauseous, but not sick. With Josie I was super sick, but not nauseous. This time - I was pretty evenly divided between both. Again, that's not helpful.
• I have had very vivid gender dreams with each baby...which were also correct (at least with Jack & Josie). A few nights ago I had a dream that I announced to a big group of people ; "IT'S A BOY!"

So my prediction this time is: BOY

Tyson isn't willing to participate in predicting...because he thinks he'll feel bad if he's wrong. I'm not sure what that's about. I think maybe he's just sick of being wrong.

Tyson's prediction: HEALTHY (?) Which actually means - he's not choosing. (of course, we all want healthy!)

Here are Jack & Josie's predictions:

Jack: BOY

Josie: GIRL

Obviously, we are all just excited to be welcoming another member to the family! No matter what, we know this baby is a blessing. We pray for a healthy baby...and a healthy mommy, too!

Go ahead and make your prediction. We promise not to tell him/her what everyone thought...

My Favorites & a call to Action

Here are couple of my favorite pictures from the past two days. Jack and Tucker are "best friends," so I was excited to catch "a moment" between them. I'm not kidding when I say that Jack calls Tuck his best friend. The other day he told on Tucker because he wouldn't play with him! It went like this:

Jack: (yelling from his bedroom to Tucker in the kitchen) Tucker come play with me or I'm not gonna be your best friend anymore
*No response from Tucker
Jack: Mom, tell Tucker to come up and play with me or I won't pet him anymore
(I relay the message to Tucker, who is sleeping on the floor)
Jack: Is he sad, Mom?

Seriously. Is that not a) the cutest? and b) a SERIOUS cry for a brother to play with?

While Jack was riding his bike with his buddies - Josie insisted on a stroll through the neighborhood. And if we're walking around the block - she MUST hold my hand. In a store? Nope. Parking lot? Always a struggle. But a stroll around the block? Of course! She's becoming so independent. It makes me a little sad.

And finally - a CALL TO ACTION! One of my friends from grad school, Erin, lost her sweet baby boy, Christian, {almost} three years ago. She always finds such special ways to remember him and this year, she's asking people to do a Random Act of Kindness (RAOK) in his honor. When I read her blog post about this I was in tears (because I'm on the brink of tears 99% of the day, thanks to hormones) and thought it was an AMAZING idea.

Here's the thing - how often do we go out of our way to think about a total stranger? How often do we do something just for the sake of making a person's day a tiny bit brighter? I know I don't do it often enough. So this is my mission for the month: three RAOK in honor of Christian...and the HOPE that some of you will join me!

It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive or time consuming. Buy coffee for the person behind you at Starbucks, take a treat to your local firemen or police officers, pick up someone's tab at a restaurant, or drop a card in the mail to a friend you haven't talked to in a while... You never know how your small act could make someone else's day better. And honestly, we need more kindness in this world. We really do.

You can read Christian's story HERE, you can read Erin's post about the R.A.O.K. HERE, and you can print cards (if you want to pass Christian's story on when you do a RAOK) HERE. Find the event on Facebook HERE!

Thanks, everyone!

Parks & Rec Nville Style

Sometime in January, when we were buried in snow...I vowed to spend my spring and summer and fall outside as much as possible. So yesterday when Jack suggested a visit to the park "with a big, big slide" I decided the chilly weather & cloudy skies wouldn't keep us inside all day.

Amazing how much more active Josie can be at the park this year!

Jack said he was in a cage. I think it was the perfect place for him.

Josie in her yellow jacket with a side of CHEEEESE.  Jack is in the background going around & around on the merry-go-round.

This is the "big, big slide" - and of course he had to give me a mild panic attack before he came down it.  Josie, on the other hand, went up about 4 steps and came back down. She's not really into pushing the boundaries. Totally fine. One daredevil in the family is plenty for me.

Weekend Wrap Up

Grandma Nancy headed back to Fort Wayne on Saturday morning...and about two hours later Tyson and I both agreed that she is welcome back ANY time. We spent the day being kind of lazy. Saturday night we toasted with Gator colored cupcakes. But sadly, Florida lost. And then Wisconsin lost. And NO ONE in this house was happy. Here's the thing about blue food coloring - when it comes out, it's still blue. So this morning Josie greeted me with a blue poo in her diaper...and that can only mean ONE thing: Kentucky must lose. (There, I said it.)

Sunday we got our behinds in gear and did some work around the house. The kids played outside ALL day and loved every minute of it.

Tyson was on a mission to clean out the garage...this is the AFTER picture, so you can imagine what the BEFORE picture looked like... I was on a mission to find my maternity clothes. At almost 21 weeks, I was involved in a heavy rotation of three pairs of jeans, some leggings, and about 8 shirts. Luckily I found all of them (or at least 85%) as I opened up the LAST box in the garage that was marked "Yard Tools" (note to self: don't believe the movers when they label boxes). Also, this is what happens when you move TWO times between pregnancies.

And finally, we officially welcomed SPRING by hanging up the snow shovel. Thanks for your hard work this winter, brother.

Oh wait, one more thing: it is NEVER okay to ask a pregnant woman if she is sure there is "only one baby in there" upon seeing her stomach & hearing her due date. Never okay.