Family Pictures

Shining Stars

Sage and Kai had their first Christmas program on Tuesday, December 6, 2011. Both boys sang several songs with their preschool friends. Sage did really well until the very end of his first set when he saw me and started crying. Kai was hilarious! He was having so much fun - especially during the "Happy Birthday Jesus" song. Enjoy! Sage is in the back row, second from the left. Kai is in the front row, second from the left.

"My Monkey!"

Randomly and recently, Kai has become very attached to a stuffed monkey. He takes it everywhere with him - to school, to the playground, to bed, etc. Monkey even sits patiently on the stool while waiting for Kai to get out of the bathtub every night. Here he is with his monkey!

'Tis The Season

Here's our picture with Santa. We waited in line for 90 minutes only to have the professional camera break before it was our turn. Santa let us take this pic with our camera though. I love Kai's face! You would never know that thirty seconds before the picture was taken he was screaming because he was terrified when Santa tried to hold him.

We have thoroughly enjoyed the holiday season thus far. Sage is totally into Christmas this year. He especially enjoys looking at Christmas lights and seeing Santa Claus. Every night on our way home from preschool, the boys Oooh and Ahhh over all the Christmas lights we see. So much fun! As a parent, I find myself saying, "Santa's watching you" way too much! It just works so well! Ha!

Two Thanksgiving Turkeys!

Our little turkeys (Sage and Kai) give us a million reasons to be thankful. This Thanksgiving, we are thankful we survived!

Thanksgiving mishaps round 1:
Thanksgiving morning started when Sage puked all over our bed at five am. He had an upset tummy all day, but stayed in good spirits.

Just before we left for the first meal of the day, Kai locked himself in the car with the only set of keys. You've got to be kidding me!!! After fifteen minutes of cajoling, we finally got Kai to unlock the car door! Woo hoo!

Thanksgiving mishap round 2:
Saturday morning, the entire Kelly family gathered to take family pictures at the Jewel Box. On the way to the car, Kai fell and hit his nose on the concrete step! Poor baby skinned his nose from between his eyes to the very tip. We are thankful it wasn't broken!

Dance Machines

Last night, we attended my cousin's wedding reception. Sage and Kai had a blast! They ate lots of sugar and then danced their little hearts out!

Pledge of Allegiance

Here is Sage reciting the Pledge of Allegiance...

God is Good!

Christian preschool is quickly rubbing off on Sage! Here he is saying a prayer.

World Champions!

Pictures from the World Series Championship Victory Celebration...




Our family has been enjoying the Cardinals baseball season since we attended Opening Day back in March. But, this season may have been the best ever! At the end of August, the Cardinals were 10 1/2 games out of the wild card race. We had pretty much given up hope. The Cardinals did not give up though. They ended up winning the wild card race on the last day of the season, beating the first place Phillies in the first round, and beating the Brewers in the second round to win the National League Championship. World Series...here we come!

The World Series was the best I've ever seen - a back and forth, up and down battle between the Cardinals and the Texas Rangers. After an epic game 6 in which our hometown hero, David Freese, hit a winning, walk-off homerun, we went to game seven. And, we won! What a comeback! The Cardinals won their 11th championship in 2011! Amazing! It's a season we will never forget!

Baby Parker

We have been fortunate to spend more time with Parker in the last few weeks. Here are some pictures of our time together...





Sidenote: After an evening of watching Parker by myself with the boys, I quickly decided that it wouldn't be good to have another baby right now. Kai was not having it! He kept trying to push Parker off my lap and would say, "No baby!" When he wasn't doing that, he was acting out trying to get my attention. Sage, on the other hand, was so sweet with her. He wanted to help feed her, change her, hold her. He was so gentle - it was cute! Maybe another year from now, Kai would be that way too!

Sticker Face Strikes Again!

This is what happens when Kai gets a hold of a sheet of stickers...

Happy Halloween!

Our little pirates - they may not be scary, but they sure are cute!


The boys really enjoyed Halloween this year. On Saturday, we went to Trick or Trunk at my work and the boys took home LOTS of candy! Kai was on a sugar high the whole ride home. He was sitting in his car seat shaking his whole body, screaming, and laughing! Hilarious.

Then, they had a party at preschool on Monday. So, when it came time to trick or treat - we didn't. The boys dumped their buckets of candy into a bowl and gladly passed it out to the trick or treaters who came to our house. Sage and Kai were more than happy to pass out candy! We still ended up with a whole bowl of candy which they've been working on finishing ever since.

So In Love

...with my family. I love my boys (Jared included)! I'm sitting in Kai's room listening to him sing himself and his baby doll to sleep.

"I love you. You love me. We're a happy family. With a great big hug (insert hug) and a kiss (insert kiss) from me to you. Won't you say you love me too?"

Earlier, we heard the song on the radio in the car and Sage was belting it out! After the first verse, Sage yelled, "Let's sing it louder guys!" So, we did.

"I love you. You love me. We're best friends like friends should be. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you, won't you say you love me too?"

Then, both boys exploded with applause and a resounding, "YAY!!!"

They are so cute and SO much FUN!

Kai's First Crush

Every morning when we drop off the boys at preschool, there is a little girl who just gushes over Kai. As soon as she sees him, her eyes light up and she runs over to him. She says, "Come on, Kai. Come play." Then, she bats her long eyelashes and they go play. It is too cute to see them!

Music, Magic, and Movies

Our family has had a wonderful few days together starting with:

MUSIC:
On Thursday nights, all 4 of us meet for dinner at a kid-friendly restaurant on South Grand. This week it was Natty's Pizza. Then, we all go to Music class where we sing, dance, and play instruments. The boys absolutely love it! At first, Jared and I were like, "What have we gotten ourselves into having to sing and dance and be silly in front of other people?" But, we've come to really enjoy our Thursday nights together and it makes us feel like kids again. We must be having fun because we find ourselves singing the songs outside of class too. :)

MAGIC:
Friday night, we all went the the Balloon Glow in Forest Park. It's one of my favorite events in St. Louis with about fifty hot air balloons tethered to the field and lit up in the night sky. It's really quite magical! This time we even stayed for the fireworks which, I dare say, rivaled downtown's 4th of July fireworks. We all had a fantastic night riding ponies and trains, eating funnel cakes and popcorn, and watching the balloons glow!

MOVIES:
Tonight, I took the boys to their first full-length movie! And, it was quite successful and super fun. Carondolet Park had an outdoor showing of Disney's "Tangled." So, the boys and I snuggled on a blanket, shared some popcorn, and enjoyed the show. It was perfect because the boys didn't have to be completely quiet or even sit still like they would have to in an actual theater. Instead, they were singing and dancing along to the songs and just having a great time. The weather was perfect too because it was just cool enough for snuggling.

What a great weekend - and it's not even over yet!

Fredbird!

Sage's head in Fredbird's mouth! First time meeting Fredbird!

Thrilling Threes - Here We Come!

Happy 3rd Birthday Sage! Daddy, Momma, and Kai love you so much!

Sage's Favorites:
Movies: Toy Story, Cars
TV show: Thomas the Train
Activities: watching Thomas videos on YouTube, playing trains, riding his tricycle, sensory activities (playing in water, dirt, mud, sand, etc.)
Toys: trains, tricycle, puzzles
Sayings: "bust my buffers," "what happened?," "why?,"
Foods: hot dog with ketchup, fruit, yogurt, bacon
Color: blue
Animal: frogs

Words that describe Sage at 3:
Intuitive, sensitive, intelligent, playful, loving, mischievous

No More Tears!

Sage did really well this week during preschool drop off. He actually had two days where he didn't cry at all. He seems to really like it there and he talks about his teacher, Ms. Tricia, all the time. Yay! I feel so much better knowing that he is happy and doing well.

Kai is thriving in preschool. He LOVES it and already has lots of friends. I'm finally feeling like we made the right decision!

All About Kai at 2

Kai's Favorites:
Foods: turkey dogs, French fries, chicken, broccoli, fruit, chips, popcorn
toys: babies, books, balls
activities: singing, dancing, playing sports
colors: blue and red
tv shows/movies: Shrek, Calliou
books: one with pictures of real babies
words: no, mine, Momma, Dadda
animal: dogs - especially Rosco

Words that describe Kai:
lovable, loving, affectionate, giggly, funny, sensitive, verbal, caring, helpful, coordinated, athletic, creative

Feel free to comment if you'd like to add more words to describe Kai.

Happy Birthday Kai!

My baby boy is 2! I can't believe it...he's not a baby anymore. Happy Birthday to you, Kai - our ray of sunshine. You are full of giggles and grins. We love you with all our hearts and wish you a wonderful year.

Surprise!!!

Cora and I successfully surprised Jared and Justin with a 30th birthday party last weekend. Yay! We had it planned for about four months and well over a hundred people knew about it, but no one spilled the beans. Thanks to all our friends and family for helping us celebrate the big 3 - 0.

Preschool update

So, the first DAY of preschool was great! The following two WEEKS of preschool - not so much. Sigh! Sage and Kai both cried every morning - even when Jared dropped them off. Kai got better as the week went on, but Sage was worse. By the end of the first week, he was crying as soon as we started getting him dressed. He wanted to stay home with momma. (Insert tears here.) Once they got to school, they did pretty good though and they were always happily playing when we got to the school in the afternoons. The second week was better - we would actually make it to the door before tears fell. And, amazingly, we were tear free on Friday!

The boys have been having a hard time being separated though - like I worried about. The teachers say they ask for each other and when they do see each other they give big hugs, but also start crying again. :( Fortunately, they spend about 2 1/2 hours a day together (outdoor play and lunch). So, at this point, they are doing okay, but still having a rough time with separating from us and each other.

Honestly, this has been the hardest two weeks of my life as far as feeling guilty and worrying about them. I cried every day (not when the boys could see me).  I also just really miss them because I went from spending 24/7 with them to only about four hours a day. I'm sure this is normal, but I really hope it gets easier and soon...

First Day of Preschool

Today was the first day of preschool for Sage and Kai. I was stressing about it all summer because until now, they've always been together and in a home with no more than four kids. I was mostly worried about Sage because he has been extra clingy since I've been home with him all summer (he even cried about going to PaPa's last week).

As it turned out though, Kai, who is usually really laid back, was the one who sobbed when I left. Then, I cried too! I felt sad because Kai cried, but more so because I already missed my boys. Lots.

When I called to check on them, the boys were happy. They missed each other more than anything. Kai cried again when he had to separate from Sage after outdoor play. After nap, Sage asked for Kai-Kai.

At the end of the day, however, both boys were smiling and didn't want to leave! I am so proud of them for being big boys and being brave! I'm proud of myself too for being brave. Yay! We did it!

Sleepover Sillies!

Last night, the boys and I stayed at the lake house and had to sleep in one bed. Both boys were up WAY past their bedtime. Kai gets quite silly when he's tired - actually quite crazy! Needless to say, two silly boys and one tired Mama all in the same double bed does not make for a quick transition to actual sleeping. I was trying every trick in the book to get the boys quiet and still. So, I thought I'd read to them from the book I was reading on my phone hoping just the sound of my voice reading quietly would lull them to sleep.

It was at a very serious part of the book where two characters in Nazi Germany are speaking to each other in hushed voices (one character is hiding the other Jewish character). The Jewish character briefly touches the fire in the fireplace. I read the other character's part in a solemn voice, "Did you burn your elbow?" Kai looks up at me with his mischievous brown eyes and says, "Mmhmm." All three of us dissolved into a fit of giggles! Little stinker! He has some true comedic timing!

Although sleep was still more than thirty minutes away, I couldn't help but be delighted by the cause of the delay. I love these boys!!!

A Whole Lot of Pottying Going On

With summer, comes more time off for mom and that means...time to potty train! Sage has been experimenting with pottying for awhile, but we really it hit hard about a week ago. The first few days there were many accidents and Jared and I were perplexed. We really had no idea what we were doing! After a week of patience, washing many pairs of underwear, lots of M&Ms, and a brand new train set, we think we might have figured it out. Now, the accidents are few and far between. And, as of last night, Sage has even pooped on the potty!!! Such a big boy! (Kai is just experimenting - we'll try again with him at Christmas break...)

Celebrating Mommy's Birthday

Here are some fun pics from my birthday celebration - complete with cake (made by Jared) and ice cream!

Close Encounters of the Trash Can

The other night, Jared and I took the boys to dinner with some friends. Sage and Kai behaved really well during dinner. But, they soon reached their limit on sitting still at the table so I took them outside. Sage and Kai decided to race up and down the sidewalk while I cheered for them. Kai had just finished running and I was giving him a celebratory hug. We looked over at Sage who had drawn the attention of all our friends. He was so excited with all the attention and cheering, he closed his eyes. But he kept on running...and...BAM! Hello, trash can!

Sage ran full speed into the side of a trash can earning a collective "Oooohhhhh!" from the crowd of onlookers. I set Kai down and ran to Sage on the sidewalk who was crying, but relatively unscathed. He walked away with a bruised thumb and a swollen lip and perhaps a lesson in life (always watch where you're going).

Of course, everyone was initially sympathetic to Sage, but when we replayed the scene in our minds, we couldn't help but giggle. Poor buddy!

Our Little Sports Boy

Kai has recently developed a love for all things sports related especially if it involves a ball! He loves to play catch and has quite the arm. As long as he has someone to retrieve the ball, Kai will spend all day batting balls off the tee. He can even throw the ball up with one hand, swing the bat with the other and actually hit the ball! He is quite coordinated for someone who isn't even two yet. Oh, and he throws with his left hand - future pitcher?! Definitely a slugger!

Fun at the Lake - round 1

The boys and I joined my parents and my niece, Ella, at the lake for the weekend. The boys had a blast! At first, they were a bit timid in the water, but by the end of the weekend, they were little fish. Sage loved being thrown off the dock into the water, but "not too hard." They both loved riding the wave runner with PaPa. And, the fireworks - the boys were ecstatic! Ella and Papa put on a small fireworks display that had Sage and Kai cheering, dancing, and laughing joyfully!

Can't wait to go back in August when Jared and the rest of the Clines go too!

A New Niece!

She's finally here...Ms. Parker Renee Kelly. Justin and Cora's little love arrived on Wednesday, June 29th. The boys were so excited to meet their new cousin and Jared and I were thrilled to meet our new niece.

Yay for Summer!

Summer has arrived complete with the ever changing, dramatic weather in Saint Louis. A week of near 100 degrees followed by a week of barely 80 degrees! Either way, we are making the best of it. Sage and Kai are loving our summer adventures...

to the gardens


Sage LOVES to pretend! Here he is making us lunch. Yum!


to the pools






to the parks


to the fountains



and to the zoo

Here's Kai brushing a goat - Kai LOVES animals!


Something more fun than the train? Nah, but a close second...

The Lip

Although Kai still has a couple months before he is actually two, he is fully committed to acting like a two-year old. He has perfected the fake cry and the pouty face. His pouty face includes sticking his bottom lip out as far as he can - further than one would think possible. Then, he makes sure you're looking.

Julie (his babysitter) said the other day she was ignoring Kai's pouty face, so he touched his finger to his bottom lip as if he was checking to make sure it was really all the way out there. Ha!

Another time, Kai was throwing a fake tantrum at the playground, so Julie moved away from him. Kai promptly quit "crying," picked himself up off the ground, moved in front of Julie, and then...he laid on the ground and started "crying" again! Hilarious! Julie said she couldn't help but laugh.

Tough Boy

Sage fell and scraped his knee. I asked him if he needed a band-aid and he said, "No, I a tough boy." I agreed and left his boo-boo to heal. Every time someone asked him what happened to his knee, he said, "I a tough boy." So, today, I noticed a new scrape on his other knee and I asked him what happened. He said, "I have TWO tough boys." Ha!

Sage is not only a tough boy, he also has a pretty good throwing arm. On Wednesday, I came home from a long day of work and class ready to relax and catch up on some tv only to find out it was broke. Apparently, Sage threw a little, plastic ball at the tv and cracked the LCD! Oops!

May Days

We have been so busy that the month of May flew by so fast! I'm just now realizing that it's June (my favorite month) and it's already the third day! What happened to May?

We watched Noah's opening day t/ball game.
I finished the first half of my Educational Specialist degree and started the second half the following week.
Jared graduated with his Masters!
We went to Kirksville to watch Ella Bella dance.
We celebrated the impending arrival of Baby Girl Kelly.
Summer arrived with fun on Memorial Day!

Everyday Matters

Family dance parties...the best way for the Kellys to start the day. Now that Jared and I are on the same schedule as far as when we get up and out of the house in the mornings, we've started waking the boys up with music. My preference is "Lovely Day" radio on Pandora. The boys wake up happy. Then, at some point, we all end up dancing together in the kitchen before we go about our days. Love it!!!

Side note: both boys are very musical and can follow rhythms easily. Sage can recognize songs in different contexts. For example, this morning, he recognized a song on the radio as the same one from the "penguins" movie (Happy Feet) he watched the night before.

Sleeping Beauties

And the Search Goes On...

Jared and I are in the process of looking for a new childcare situation for the boys. Their current care provider is having another baby next month and only wants to work part-time in the fall. So, Jared and I have been talking with and visiting potential care providers this week. It's such a struggle! We are so spoiled by our current situation with Julie - not only is she wonderful with the boys and affordable, but she also lives only a block away!

Last week, we visited an in-home provider, and it was bad from the beginning. As we were driving up to the house, Jared said, "is it the house with the creepy looking guy on the porch?" Sure enough, it was. After being kind and talking with the people, we got back in the car and immediately agreed to cross the place off the list. Jared said, "the house was dingy, the toys were dingy, and she was dingy." Then, Jared told me the husband's nickname is "Scary Gary" (he does production of haunted houses). Scary Gary is the creepy guy that was on the porch. So, needless to say that is out.

On the other hand, we visted a pretty good one later in the week. It's an actual center with various classrooms and many kids. One of the things we liked best was the diversity of the kids that were there. Until then, we didn't realize that we were looking for diversity when choosing a place. But, now, it's high on our list.

This week, we met Latoya who provides care out of her home. Great place, clean, structured, no tv time, affordable, etc. But, the lady was kind of odd - she didn't speak except to answer our questions - which she answered with one or two words or an "Mhmmm." Thinking she was just nervous, I kept trying to break the ice with funny ancedotes about the boys. But, to no avail. So, that one's out too.

I'm wondering why we're having such a hard time this time. I think it's because we are spoiled by our current care provider. She's wonderful, affordable, and so close to our house. Our expectations are very high!

If you're reading this and know someone who's looking for a job in August, let us know!!!

My First 5K!

On Saturday morning, I ran my first official 5K race. I started training months ago with the Couch to 5K app on my phone. Back then, I could barely run two minutes at a time. But, Saturday, I ran the full 35 minutes and 34 seconds it took me to finish. Not only that, but it was raining the whole time!

I am very proud of myself for setting this goal and working so hard to achieve it. In the process, I've lost over 20 pounds - woo hoo! Thank you to my friends for inspiring me and supporting me in reaching my goal.

Mother's Day Weekend

We had a lovely Mother's Day weekend. Saturday was spent with the Cline side of the family at Noah's first t-ball game followed by lunch/play time at Jon and Sarah's. Noah's game was quite entertaining to say the least! It was a beautiful day outside, so we spent the afternoon playing at Jon and Sarah's house.

Here are the boys driving Noah's car.

Feeding the fish in the pond


Sage making mudpies. This was a huge hit!


Sunday, we had breakfast with Jared's Mom along with Justin and mommy-to-be, Cora. We also spent time at the park.
Here's Sage with some flowers he picked for Momma.

Welcome to the club

Another one of my dearest and long time friends had a baby - a few hours ago actually. Jen had been in labor for many hours - since sometime Thursday and it's now Saturday. Yesterday, I told her that I remember labor being a lot like an endurance challenge on the television show "Survivor." Only the prize she was waiting for is a lot better than a million dollars! So, congratulations to Jen and Andy and baby boy Evan! There were many people praying for you and who are now so thrilled that Evan is finally here (8 days after his due date).

Motherhood is life's sweetest gift and I feel overjoyed when one of my friends tells me she is pregnant or has a new baby. It reminds me all over again of my experiences with Sage and Kai and makes me cherish them even more. I cherish their sweet little faces, their infectious little laughs, and even their attempts to be mad and throw tantrums. I cherish the moments when they are wild and crazy and also when they fall asleep in my arms. I cherish the moment each of them were born and every moment since (except the moments I have to spend away from them). I simply love being their mom!

Motherhood is life's sweetest gift and I welcome you to the club, Jen. May today be the first of a lifetime of cherishable moments. And, to all of you in the motherhood club - Happy Mother's Day!

"Those" People

We are officially "those" people. Years ago when Jared and I were newlyweds and living in Fort Hood, we spent many evenings eating out at neighborhood restaurants. We always enjoyed ourselves except for when we were stuck sitting next to a family with noisy, rowdy, seemingly uncontrollable children. We wondered why "those" people couldn't control their kids or why "those" people even took kids out to eat at sit down restaurants in the first place. Well, that was easy for us to say not having kids of our own yet.

Now, it's a different story because we are "those" people. Jared and I took the boys to Applebees tonight and within five minutes, we wondered what made us think it would be doable and maybe even fun. Sage and Kai were noisy, rowdy, and probably seemed uncontrollable. Let's just admit it- they were out of control! Sage was standing on the seat, crawling under the table, and making a huge mess! Kai was screaming, throwing things, and making an even bigger mess! Jared and I ate fast, squeezed in a few sentences about our days, and then asked for the check and to-go box (which Jared left sitting on the table when we left).

So, I apologize to those that were near us at Applebees tonight for being those people. We won't eagerly take the boys out to eat again for a loooooong time!

New videos

This video shows the boys' personalities perfectly. Kai is moving and grooving. Sage is more interested in trying to figure out how Mickey's mouth is opening and closing.


Here's a great video of Sage teaching Kai how to use a whistle. Scenes like these make my heart melt because they are such great brothers.

Baby Boys...

Playing on the computer

Eating real snow cones - in March!

Sage in the studio.

Kai in his favorite costume. He looks like some type of superhero!