tpvan-December 24, 2006- Christmas Eve

December 24, 2006 - Christmas Eve After our evening Saturday night at mom and dad's we quickly realized that the kids like to open the present and play with or put together their present right away. Instead of having to push them off from discovering their new toys we have adopted the policy of only putting one present for each child under the tree at a time. Once they have had a chance to open the present and play with it for a while we bring out another present for each. We always open stockings on Christmas Eve, but we decided to start some of the other gifts also, in order for things to be less rushed on Christmas morning. Watch the video

December 23, 2006 - Hager Family Christmas

December 23, 2006 - Hager Family Christmas We celebrated the Hager Christmas on the 23rd. What a great, yet hectic night. We started off with a nice dinner which included the Hager Family Tradition of the necessary: Ham, pretzel dessert, and of course, Christmas Bread. We barely fit around the table this year, well actually, mom and dad had to lay a great big conference table on top of the regular table in order to accomodate all of us. Next year, will probably have to include a kid's table. Then we proceeded to open gifts. This was the hectic part. Of course, the older kids just always wanted to know when they were getting another present. Joshua and Allison were often too busy playing with someone else's gift to care about their own, let alone opening another one. There were presents everywhere, and poor Uncle Shawn was trying to keep straight who's turn it was and which one Grandma wanted handed out next. Overall, it was a great night and everyone had a great time. Here are a few clips of our evening.... Watch the video

December 20, 2006 - First nap in my new bed!

Well, as you know we are soon going to be needing Allison's bed for our new addition. Even though the baby will be in a bassinet in our room downstairs for the first few months, I like to have the crib sit empty and waiting for the new baby for at least a month before it's arrival to make for an easier transition for the older child. This meant that Allison needed to give up the crib and adjust to a new bed soon. This will allow her time to see the crib as NOT hers for a while before we put someone else in it. I got 2 toddler beds from a friend of mine before Gabrielle was born. One was being used here, and we kept the other one at my mom's house. Thanksgiving weekend we brought the second one home and set it up in the girls room. Allison loved it right away, but only if she could get in, stand up and jump. If you tried to get her to lay down for a nap or anything like that she didn't want anything to do with it. We let her just get used to the bed being there for a while and then a couple of weeks ago we started trying the new bed at nap time. We would keep putting her back for 20-30 minutes and then finally give up and put her back in the crib. On Dec. 20 she finally gave up the ghost and fell asleep for her first nap in her new bed. The first of many..... ( as you can see her "friends" take up more room than her, she always comes up with something new that has to be in bed with her).

December 18, 2006 - Preschool Party

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December 8, 2006 - Coopersville Santa Parade!
Good idea, gone Bad!

Apparently, every year they have a santa parade the first friday in December. This year it got postponed a week due to inclement weather. I really didn't really think it sounded like a whole lot of fun to go stand in the cold for a parade, but then I heard that they have FREE train rides from the school to downtown for the parade. Well, anybody who knows Nicholas would know mama would be crazy to pass up a free train ride. So....we bundled up and headed to Coopersville. We waited for the train and climbed on board for our short commute to downtown. We found a great spot right up front and then we waited. However, the wind was quite a bit colder than either Paul or I anticipated and after about 5 minutes, Paul had to move to the doorway of a nearby shop to try to keep Allison out of the cold. She didn't last in the stroller and he had her bundled up with several blankets, but she was getting fussy and Paul was getting tired because she is getting heavy. Before the parade even began, Nicholas and Gabrielle were so cold that they were asking to go home. Nicholas' hands were freezing even though he had his warm gloves on. Well, of course we were on the wrong side of the street to go back and wait on board the train, because we couldn't get past the parade. So... Paul carried Allison, Gabrielle went into the stroller and Nicholas was a true trooper as we trudged uphill about 3 or 4 blocks back to the school where the van was waiting. It was really hard for Nicholas to keep up with Papa, especially with boots on, so Paul went ahead to get Allison out of the cold and I kept going with Nicholas until we got there. Needless to say the kids were frozen and very eager to get home for hot chocolate. Good Idea----but colder than we thought. Maybe we can try again in a few years!

December 6, 2006 - Playgroup Christmas Party!

Every year the last playgroup before Christmas we have a Christmas Party at Miss Shannon's. We get dressed up and head across the street for our party. This year we had to have it the first week of December because some of our friends were moving to Kalamazoo a couple of days later. It was a fun afternoon. They made ornaments for the tree out of fun foam, decorated cookies with frosting, m&m's and sprinkles. Then they exchanged gifts. Since most of the kids get plenty of toys from parents and relatives for Christmas gifts, each child picked out a $5 or less book for a friend and then they played a game to see who got what. A couple of them did end up trading when all was done, but then everybody was happy. Nicholas traded with a friend who wanted his book and ended up getting the tractor book that his best friend Carson has picked out. Carson's sister ended up with Nicholas' car book, but Carson didn't like the pony book that he got, so he traded with his sister. Nicholas and Carson were thrilled to have gotten each other's books. Nicholas will really miss Carson as he was one of the friends that moved. They love to play together building Geo Trax and other things. What a fun Christmas they had together as friends.

December 3, 2006 - Family Picture, Yeah Right! ?!?

Here is just a small glimpse of what we ended up with when trying to get a picture for the Christmas card. Too bad I though of doing this post too late, I actually deleted at least as many pictures as I saved because one kid or another was not cooperating. First, I put two different size stools down and covered them up with a nice red blanket in case it shows through. Well, the kids started fighting over the stools, I had every intention of Nicholas and Gabrielle being in the back----well Allison wouldn't have anything to do with being the only one on the floor. Then I finally got Nicholas and Allison to sit by each other and Gabrielle wouldn't have anything to do with pictures at all. When it came time to get pictures of the kids by themselves, that's all Allison did was climb all over the stools and try to play with the Christmas ornaments. Oh well, we ended up with quite a few good ones and some good outakes to go along with it.

December 2, 2006 - Decorating the Christmas Tree

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Dec 1-6, 2006 Fun in the Snow

A couple of weeks ago, Paul got the Christmas decorations and the winter sleds down out of the attic. Ever since the kids (and especially Gabrielle) have been asking for snow---they wanted to go sledding. Well, there wish finally came true, we got snow--and quite a bit. So for most of the weekend and into the next week they were able to head outside for some winter fun. Allison, doesn't last as long outdoors because she gets too cold, (so there aren't as many pictures of her) but she got out there to join in some of the time. Paul built a ramp/slide off the railing of the back deck and then built up some snow at the bottom for our very own private sledding hill. Nicholas and Gabrielle are thrilled. After a little bit of prep work to the back yard with a shovel, they have there very own "bobsled/luge" run. One night I even brought Allison out for a while and she had to try the slide too (I don't have any pictures, because I didn't have enough hands to be outside with her and take pictures), but she would lay right down totally flat on her back in the sled and go shooting down the hill, laughing all the way. She went a few times WITH Nicholas, he if finally big enough to be able to trust him to hold on to her around the chest and she didn't go anywhere, she like that too. Paul and I sat down one night after being outside and Paul said to me, "Do you think that I would have sent Nicholas down that slide when he was 16 months old?" How parenting changes as you add more kids, I guess you get more flexible, not so protective and a little more daring. Lucky for Allison I guess...wonder what it will be like when #4 rolls around? Watch the video

November 25, 2006 - Fun outside.

It was one of those nice days that we had been having, so Paul took the kids outside to get some fresh air and he got the sleds and Christmas decorations out of the attic in the garage. Gabrielle decided to ride the santa train, and Nicholas apparently decided the train would pull his sled very well. They had fun with their sleds even though there was no snow (little did we know the snow wasn't far behind). Watching them play in their sleds did, however, make us realize that we needed new sleds for both of them. Allison will get Gabrielle old one and the blue one can go away until next year.

November 20, 2006- Preschool Thanksgiving Program

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November 13, 2006

You've heard of "Monkey See, Monkey Do", well at our house we seem to have "Sister See, Sister Do".

For quite some time, Allison has tried to copy the big kids. She puts her clothes in the hamper, puts her dishes in the dishwasher and stuff like that. Well, recently she has become especially enamored with her big sister. Whatever Gabrielle does, Allison has to do to, as you can see in the previous post with her having to have the hood of her sweatshirt on.

I always do Gabrielle's hair with her sitting on the bathroom counter with her feet in the sink, Allison has now decided that she needs to do the same thing AT THE SAME TIME. If you spray Gabrielle's hair with water, you HAVE to spray Allisons. The same goes for hairspray and everything else. Until the other day, I could get away with pony or pigtails in Gabrielle's hair and just putting a couple of barretts in Allisons. As you can see in the pictures below Allison was absolutely insistant on having ponytails too....she was shoving the hair rubberbands at me until I gave in. I started the task thinking it was useless, but low and behold I managed to get 2 tiny little pigtails in her hair. She is now so proud to be, once again, like her big sister.

November 12, 2006 -
Baking Cookies in our new Sweatshirts

On Saturday, I spent the day with 4 other friends from the neighborhood at the outlet mall in Howell, MI. We had a lot of fun. I got new sweatsuits for the girls and a couple of sweatshirts for Nicholas from the Carter's outlet. I got quite a bit of other things too, but that is besides the point. Anyway, Sunday when the kids found out what I bought they had to wear their new duds of course. We were baking cookies in the afternoon and Gabrielle decided to pull her hood up over her head. The next thing I new Allison did the same thing. It was really cute. Sunday afternoon, the kids and me usually do some type of baking, so I got some pictures of them helping add the ingredients to the mixing bowl.

November 7, 2006 - Gabrielle's Turns 3!

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November 3, 2006 - Mama's Little Helper
Gabrielle has decided that the dust buster type vacuum we got to clean up the wood floors after meals is just her size. Recently, she has decided that she wants to vacuum after dinner.

October 31, 2006 - Halloween Fun

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October 30, 2006 - A Nice Day, to enjoy the outdoors...will we get any more?

October 23, 2006 - Class Field Trip to Nelson's Farm Market in Grant

Getting his pumpkin to make into a Jack O'Lantern - they got to take the biggest one Papa could carry all part of the cost of the field trip.
Picking apples.....Some Apple Cider.....

October 23, 2006 You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!

Just had to share this, because I thought it was so cute. The other day, Gabrielle was running around the house with Allison on her heals. All the while she just kept yelling..."you can't catch
me I'm the gingerbread man!"

October 20, 2006 - In the words of Dora the Explorer -
"We did it, We did it, We did it, Hooray!"

Well, we are calling Gabrielle officially potty trained, and so....last week Friday she got to go with us to Target to pick out her long awaited Dora Doll. (She got big sister Dora which comes with two babies, food and a bottle, so she can take care of them). She has only had 2 accidents in her pants over the past week and just seems to have figured out this whole potty training thing like an old pro!

Nicholas' Preschool Pictures Arrived Yesterday!

October 2006 - Fire Safety Month

Watch the videoFire Safety Month 2006

We went to a couple of fire safety events this year.

First, we attended for the first time an annual Fire Truck Parade in Eggleston Township which is over by our church. The parade itself was short, so we saw it at the beginning of the parade route and then moved to a different location at the end of the route to see it again. After the parade, all of the trucks were on display at the fire station for the kids to explore and climb on.

Then, on Saturday they had an annual fire safety event in for the townships of Chester, Moorland and Ravenna at the Ravenna High School. We were really excited because they were going to have a visit from AeroMed. However, when AeroMed was 3 minutes away it got called away to a bad accident in Conklin. Right after that, one of the fire trucks and one of the ambulances had to leave for the same call. We weren't able to stay and see if AeroMed got to come later because it was too COLD!!!! We did however, get to take Nicholas and Gabrielle into the fire safety house where they were taught to spot fire hazards in the house, and then they filled the bedroom with smoke and we had to crawl out the window and down the ladder to a waiting firefighter, and meet each other at a designated meeting spot where they could then practice calling 911.

October 14, 2006 - A walk in the woods

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There is a very nice park about 15 minutes from our house that we like to go to periodically throughout the spring and summer. It has a great playground, and it's on a lake with a swimming area so we occasionally take the kids swimming there also (the water is usually nice and warm because it is a small lake). Nicholas loves to walk in the woods and this park also has walking trails. He is constantly asking to walk on the trail, and we usually tell him we can't because it isn't stroller friendly and therefore, difficult to traverse with Allison being so young. So, with this being one of the few nice days we may have left Paul took Nicholas out for a father /son adventure on the walking trails while I took the girls on a shopping trip. Nicholas thoroughly enjoyed himself and even found himself a walking stick.

October 14, 2006 - Winter Coats, YUCK!!

Nicholas and Gabrielle both fit into there coats from last year, but Allison needed a new one. Good thing I went shopping for one this morning, because she needed it. It's nasty out there.

October 13, 2006 - Potty Training Round #2 (child #2)

Well, it took us a year to get Nicholas potty trained from start to finish, so we with another child on the way we decided that if we didn't get Gabrielle interested in the potty soon, that we would have 3 kids in diapers after the new baby is born. Not a good scenario when it comes to the pocket book. We braced ourselves for a long haul and started to prepare Gabrielle to begin.

We took her to the store and let her pick out her very own potty seat as she seemed to have no interest in what we already had. She picked out a pink and purple princess potty, then she got to pick out new underwear (My Little Pony), and pick out her treats. So, Monday morning we started. It was a rough start with wet pants everywhere, but we vowed not to go back to the pull-ups she's been wearing. Ended up making a quick run Monday morning to the 2nd hand store to pick up some extra pairs of sweat pants as she was running out of clothes quickly, having no comprehension of what was going on.

Day #1 - we did happen to catch a break several times and she actually pee'd during a time we had just decided she needed to sit there a while.

Day #2 - total disaster, 5 wet pants before lunch time and then she just didn't go all afternoon, however, in preparation for running an errand she did sit there right after dinner and she happened to go.

Day #3 - what a turn around, we started the day with a wet pants, but then mid morning in the middle of the basement she told Paul she had to go and took off upstairs. This was the start of a good thing. She began telling us she had to go, and we weren't forcing her to sit there. She started staying dry even with a pull-up on when we were shopping and then going on the potty when we got home.

Day #4 - Only one accident all day.

Day #5 - Only one accident all day.


We are now well into Day #6 and we haven't had an accident yet. Could it possibly be that we will have an easy potty training experience this time around? I hope so, and we will start praying already that round #3 and eventually round #4 go just as smoothly.

YEAH GABRIELLE, YOU ARE MAKING US PROUD!!

October 8, 2006 - Apparently, Allison thinks the kitchen drawer makes a good seat.

100706 - Pumpkin Patch 2006

Watch the videoOctober 7, 2006 Van Wesep Pumpkin Patch Trip 2006 Each year we head out to the pumpkin patch with our neighborhood friends. We have 9 kids under the age of 6 (with 2 more on the way). Unfortunately, 3 (and one on the way) of our friends will be moving down to Kalamazoo the beginning of November, so it was fun to watch the kids have so much fun together at least one more time. It is so neat to see the kids interact with each other in an environment where they are not usually together. It is also fun to see how much a difference in understanding of what is going on there is from year to year. Nicholas was totally into the apple picking, and then he had to make sure Allison got a pumpkin. Of course, the rest of the time he walked around eating a Honey Crisp apple that was almost as big as him.

October 4, 2006 - Can you tell this girl loves her pasta!


And then she even loads the dishwasher when she is done.

October 2, 2006 - Movin' on up!

Over the past few days, Allison has made it her new goal to get herself up into Nicholas and Gabrielle's booster seats at the table and sit there like a queen on her throne. So, at lunch time today I decided maybe Allison was ready to leave the high chair and move up to the table. I cleaned up our 3rd booster seat and it was if she knew exactly what I was doing. As I attached it to the chair, she was practically climbing in at the same time. She's movin' on up in the world with a new place at the table next to her big sister.