Wasup Will?

Moo Moo

2012-01-31T15:06:00.001-08:00

For those of you who know us well, we call Avery...."Moo Moo." This started as "little miss", then went to "little missy moo" then to "little missy moo moo" and now it's just "moo moo" or "moo." Anyway, Moo Moo is started to feel better! Whoo hoo!

Will's finally feeling better

2012-01-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Will, Avery and I have been sick for over a week. Will and I are finally feeling better, but poor little Avery has RSV. Hopefully, she will start to improve soon and I can post some smiley pictures of her. Right now she spends her day trying to deal with the "seal bark" and puking. So- I guess we'll be happy one kid is back to his silly self.

Avery's 2 Month Stats

2012-01-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Avery weighed in at a whopping 12 pounds, 8 ounces yesterday. She is in the 84th percentile for weight. She measured 22.5 inches long which is the 39th percentile. She showed off all of her head strength for the doctor and I was excited to say that she has started to smile!

Somebody turned 4!!!

2012-01-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Will is 4 years old. Where did these past 4 years go??? Happy birthday Will!!

More Christmas

2011-12-30T13:08:00.000-08:00

We celebrated with Will and Avery's cousins this past Wednesday. These kids sure are lucky! Will was especially happy to get the Lightning McQueen fishing pole. Thank you Santa!

Christmas

2011-12-26T18:57:00.000-08:00

You can tell my hands have been busy holding Avery, because I hardly have any pictures of Christmas. Here's what I got from the past few days.

Naked Time

2011-12-20T10:02:00.001-08:00

Yes, she peed during this picture.

What we've been waiting for!

2011-12-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday Avery's biological parents terminated their parental rights in court. This was the big hurdle we needed to cross. We are thrilled we will be able to adopt Avery and legally have her as our daughter.

Santa

2011-12-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

At first, Will was unimpressed with Santa and would not smile at all. Once Will got a chance to say he wanted a Lightning McQueen fishing pole, his spirits lifted. Santa then proceeded to tell him that he likes eating fried bluegills. This was wonderful to hear, as bluegills are Will's favorite fish.

1 Month Old

2011-12-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

Schumann Visit

2011-12-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

It was great to see the Schumanns and we were thrilled to show off Avery. As usual, Will was enchanted by Noelle and cried when she left.

3 weeks Old!

2011-11-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

Miss Avery turned 3 weeks old on Saturday and is finally staying awake a little bit more. She has graduated to the tub for her baths and continues to sleep well at night. She even gave us a 7 hour stretch one night, but 5 hours is normal. I know, we are very lucky. She does tend to get a little fussy in the evenings, but it better than 3 am, so we'll take it.

Sometimes I do, Sometimes I don't.

2011-11-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

Will has made a clear that sometimes he likes Avery and sometimes he doesn't. On this day...he liked her.

Beautiful Girl

2011-11-21T13:45:00.001-08:00

Aunt, Uncles and Cousins

2011-11-16T08:47:00.001-08:00

Avery is such a lucky girl for have so many people who love her.

Bath Time

2011-11-13T16:56:00.000-08:00

Avery has enjoyed her sponge baths and I love washing her long locks. Will was bald for the first year of his life, so all this hair is so much fun to play with.

Super Heros protect baby Avery

2011-11-13T16:52:00.000-08:00

Optimus Prime (Will) and The Hulk (Dane) promise to protect Avery from any harm!

Big Brother!

2011-11-08T15:39:00.001-08:00

Will is embracing the role of big brother. He is such a great helper and adjusting well.

Grandparents

2011-11-08T15:02:00.000-08:00

Will met Avery for the first time today and he is doing great. He brought a present for Avery and asked to hold her right away. He is great at getting nuks for her and has helped with her bottles. So far, everyone is adjusting well. Anand's parents and grandma came today, as well as, my parents. It was wonderful to have everyone here to meet the newest (and final) addition.

Dear Avery

2011-11-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to announce the birth of Avery Samantha Patel. Born 11/5 at 8:39 am weighing 8 pounds, 4 oz. 20.5 inches long. We were discharged today and settling in nicely. We are so excited to show off our new baby girl!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

Will (James the Train), Sarah (Princess), Ben (Firefighter) and Jack (Cow) hit the streets hard and came home with the mother load. I knew there was a benefit to these small lots! Will also convinced me to be the Cat in the Hat for a brief period. Happy Halloween!

Pumpkins

2011-10-31T16:36:00.002-07:00

Will and I had fun creating a witch on one of his pumpkins. It took some time, but was worth it.

2011-10-31T16:36:00.001-07:00

Packer Game

2011-10-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to my very first packer game. We had a blast watching the packers win and spending time with great friends.

The Patch

2011-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

It's official, Will loves the pumpkin patch. We could have stayed all day. These are my favorite pictures from the day.

Where's Will?

2011-10-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Will strolled out of his playroom looking like this, as if it were no big deal.

Caramel Apples

2011-10-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

We decided to try to make caramel apples for the first time. It was fun, but caramel dip with apple slices would definitely be much easier.

Apple Picking

2011-09-29T15:13:00.001-07:00

Fire Safety

2011-09-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

We had a fun family outing at the Verona Fire Department open house. Will loved the Fire Engine ride and shooting the hose. There was also a fun bouncy house and emergency vehicles to tour.

Stylin'

2011-09-14T18:01:00.001-07:00

This was my pretend photo shoot at the park. I rarely put gel in Will's hair, but I always think he looks so stylish when I do.

Tractor Ride with Aidan

2011-09-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

Will and his cousin love rides with Grandpa. Going down the hill was definitely the best part.

The Appleton Crew

2011-09-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

We spent Friday and Saturday in Appleton enjoying time with friends and family. Will LOVED the kitty at Courtney's house and still inquires about Butterscotch.

Govenor Dodge

2011-08-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Camping was a wonderful highlight to the summer. The kids loved the campfire and beach time. We went for a little hike to see the "waterfall" and spent a lot of time at the park riding scooters and bikes. When I asked Will his favorite thing about camping, his answer was, "Daddy, you and me." Looks like we'll make it a yearly tradition.

Tom's Visit

2011-08-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

It's always a good time with Tom around! He came for a visit last weekend and we hit the pool with Casey and Noelle. Then we went downtown for dinner. I had to post the picture with Joe, wondering...does anyone have a picture with Joe with his eyes open?

Eugster's Petting Zoo

2011-08-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last week Will and I needed a change of pace. We went to Eugster's to feed the animals and had a ball. It was a nice change from the zoo and Will especially loved holding the kittens. We finished out visit with some awesome ice cream. Yum!

Neighborhood Picnic

2011-07-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

Each year our neighborhood puts together a picnic for all the families. Will and his buds bounced their hearts out!

The Family that fishes together...

2011-07-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

Will is a very positive fisherman. As soon as grandpa casts out the line, Will is pretty sure they caught a fish. Sure enough, he would reel it and see that tiny minnow and say "See, we caught a fish!" A good time was had by all.

Stoughton Fair

2011-07-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

It was quite a warm day last weekend at the Stoughton Fair. Will, Sarah and Ben got to pet and hold baby chicks and ducks and go on some rides. The highlight for Will was getting 3 out of 4 baskets at the basketball shoot and winning a stuffed dolphin. Not a bad Saturday!

A great weekend!

2011-07-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

We loved having the Mullibergs here this past weekend. We spent a lot of time playing outside,visiting with friends and taking a trip to the zoo. Thank you so much for making the trip to Madison!

Cabin in the Dells

2011-06-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend in the Dells. We rented a cabin with the Motelets and enjoyed the beach, boating, and the Chula Vista waterpark. Will still says his favorite part of the trip was the waterpark, but I think my highlight was taking him out on a canoe without tipping it.

Bay Beach

2011-05-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

Even though Will rarely smiled on the rides, he did have a great time at Bay Beach. The highlight was the pony ride. Will actually convinced us to let him ride 2 times, so he could ride "Suds" the white pony on his second turn.

K'nex

2011-05-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Anand said he needed to go to the store and he came home with this. The box said for 9+. I guess he meets the age requirement. Will enjoyed "helping" to put it together and is very proud of their creation.

Mr Handsome

2011-05-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

This is Will all decked out for an Indian party he went to with Ba and Bapa. Will's "Ma" (greatgrandmother) brought this outfit back from India for him. I think he looks adorable!

Mother's Day at the Terrace

2011-05-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

My day started with Will waking me up with a mother's day gift in bed. He and Anand gave me a box of chocolates and a gift card. Then I got a homemade skillet for breakfast and a trip down to the terrace. It was a beautiful day to spend with my family and friends.

All Aboard

2011-05-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

I got this outfit at a rummage sale and I think Will is adorable in it. Will LOVES trains and "James" is definitely one of his favorites.

Easter

2011-05-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Will had a wonderful Easter celebrating with his cousins. The kids not only found eggs on the Easter Egg Hunt, but a turtle too!

Preparing for Easter

2011-04-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Will could have dyed eggs all day. He really enjoyed it AND the 3/D glasses that came with the kit.

Children's Museum

2011-03-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning exploring the Children's Museum with Casey and the kids. Noelle was an excellent tour guide and showed us all her favorite spots. We might just have to get a membership, Will did not want to leave!

I Need Some Privacy!

2011-03-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

This is the conversation Will and I had yesterday while I was going to the bathroom...

Will: Mom, you don't have a penis.
Me: I know.
Will: Well, Daddy has a really big penis.
Me: Mmmhmm
Will: Well, I just have a widdle penis.
Me: I know
Will: Well, you can buy one tomorrow.

Zoo

2011-03-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Will and I decided to take advantage of a "warm" day and head to the zoo. It was fun to see how much more he gets out of it compared to last year. One thing did remain the same...his favorite animal. One might guess the tiger, polar bear or chimpanzee. Nope, his favorite is still the turtle.

Proud

2011-03-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

Will was very proud of his tall tower. I'm more impressed with the awesome train track he put together, but either way, we are both proud.

The Wilderness

2011-02-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

We had a great time at the Wilderness in the Dells. Will had a ton of fun splashing around and hanging with his buds, Sarah and Ben.

Holiday Inn Waterpark

2011-02-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

Will crashed a Van Groll/Motelet gathering at the local waterpark and loved every minute of it.

Packers Win the Super Bowl!

2011-02-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

Legacy Academy

2011-01-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

We found a new place to play near by; and it's a hit with Will. It's even more fun with our friends Kendall and Dane.

First Day of Preschool

2011-01-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

This is Will on his first day of Preschool. He started a couple of weeks ago and is doing great. He really likes his teacher and has made new friends already. We are extremely proud of Will for making a smooth transition into school!

Bouncy Town USA

2011-01-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

We had a fun family day out at Bouncy Town this morning. It was a little busy , but will LOVED it! He loved it so much, he had quite the melt down when it was time to leave. I guess we'll be back soon!

Gianna, Nick and Will

2011-01-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

Allison and family + Tom came to visit over the holidays and it was just wonderful to see everyone. Thank you for making the trip!

Not a Good Start to 2011

2011-01-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess I'm ready to talk about the incident. We had a Rose Bowl party on Saturday and Will was playing in his room with friends. He must have been jumping on his bed, because he fell off, and sliced the back of his head on his brand new fish tank, shattering it. Our friends were so awesome, and cleaned up the 10 gallon mess as we went to the emergency room (urgent care closes at 5:00 on holidays). He ended up getting one staple on the back of his head, which was a very tramatic experience (Let's just say he had 2 staples put in and one pulled out right away). Luckily, he is doing fine and we are scheduled to get the staple out on Friday. One lesson learned...NO MORE JUMPING ON THE BED. Oh- and my kid will never have a fish tank. One other side note- our ER copay went from $75 to $150 on Jan 1st, just as an additional slap in the face.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely New Year's Eve gathering with the Motelets last night. We did our count down at 9:30 and the kids loved the kazoos and hats. I consider the kids staying up to 10:00 a huge success! Happy New Year!

Will Turned 3!

2010-12-31T11:52:00.000-08:00

Will had a great birthday on the 29th. He was super excited to have friends over and celebrate. He especially loved the balloons and blowing out the candles. Thank you for making his birthday so special!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T20:20:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year in our new home. Will was thrilled to see all the presents under the tree and especially enjoyed opening the gifts in his stocking. After celebrating here, we headed to Gigi and Grandpa's house for more presents and time with family. Will must have been a good boy to get so many gifts. Thank you Santa!

Sledding with Friends

2010-12-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

Will was invited to go sledding earlier this week and had a great time with his friends!

Sunday

2010-12-20T15:41:00.000-08:00

This is what I find on a Sunday afternoon.

Our First Gingerbread House

2010-12-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

We had a great time making our first gingerbread house. It will definitely be a yearly tradition.

Excited for Santa!

2010-12-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

We have been talking about Santa for quite some time now, so sitting on his lap was pretty exciting. Will froze at first, but then opened up and said what he wanted for Christmas....a drum. I quickly reminded everyone that Will needs to be a good boy and listen to mama and daddy to get this coveted item. We'll see...

Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

A Nice Sunday Visit!

2010-11-28T13:40:00.000-08:00

We were thrilled to see the Werbergs, Schumans and 1 Frontier today. We were especially excited to meet Max for the first time. The kids had a lot of fun together, as did the grown-ups. Thanks for coming over everyone!

Pumpkin Time

2010-10-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

It's the process, right? Pumpkin carving is not my strong suit, but we had fun.

Halloween Party at "Play and Learn"

2010-10-26T11:15:00.001-07:00

Will and I go to the Community Center every Tuesday for preschool activities and fun. This week they had a Halloween party and Will was very excited to show off his turtle costume Gigi made and celebrate with his friends.

Schuster's Farm

2010-10-24T13:08:00.001-07:00

We had a great time at Schuster's Farm on Saturday. It was a little damp in the morning, but the temperature was great and Will loved all the activities. Picking out his pumpkin, seeing the pigs and watching pumpkins shoot out of a cannon were probably the highlights of the day.

Apple Picking

2010-10-10T16:15:00.001-07:00

We decided we needed a break from unpacking and went to the apple orchard. The selection was a little limited, so Will helped us reach the good ones.

Baby Turtle

2010-10-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, we found a turtle laying eggs in my parent's front yard. Last week Will found a baby turtle, we assume is from her. He actually found two turtles, but here is the first one he found. The second one was even smaller.

In other news, we are officially in our new house with still a lot of unpacking to do. We are very happy to finally be here and hope to settle in quickly. Will is transitioning well and loving his big boy bed. He is also pretty much potty trained and no longer using a nuk, so it's been a busy couple of weeks!!

Only 5 more days..

2010-09-26T10:09:00.001-07:00

This is what the house looks like now. There will be some final touch-ups this week, but for the most part, it is done. We are planning a huge move-in this weekend and can't wait to have everyone over to the new pad.

A Trip to Charlotte's House

2010-09-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Will and I had a wonderful time visiting Cheri and Charlotte. We were especially excited to see Charlotte with her trach out. Will and Charlotte played wonderfully together and Will even wanted to get in for the kiss. Thanks for hosting us!

Only 1 More Month!

2010-09-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

We are on the home stretch for finishing our new house. We are super excited to move in this October. Here's what it looks like today!

A Conversation with my Son

2010-08-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

Will: (screaming from his bed) Mama! ...MaMa!...MaMA!
Me: (running down the hall and whipping the door open) What?!?
Will: Dare's somepin' in my butthole.
Me: What?
Will: (louder) Dare's somepin' in my butthole.
Me: (pause) Do you need to poop?
Will: No.
Me: Well, what's in there?
Will: Dare's a sticker in my butthole.
Me: What?
Will: It's in dare..

Cut to me checking his diaper and finding a sticker on his butt. I have to admit, I was really nervous. You hear a lot of kids put stuff up their nose, and all I could think was....Great, I'm gonna have the kid who puts stuff in his butthole. Luckily, the hole was clear.

The Boys

2010-08-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Aidan came to visit last week and Will loved having his cousin to play with. They especially had fun at the park playing on the bars. There was a little competion as to who could hang on longer, but they both did great.

An Unlikely Pair

2010-08-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

77 years separate them in age and they don't speak a word of the same language, yet these two are best buds. They play for hours and find their own way to understand each other. Will is very lucky to have his "ma".

Christmas Came Early

2010-08-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Gigi and Grandpa got the grandkids a new Jeep to enjoy this summer. As I'm sure you can imagine... everyone loves it!

The Old Gang

2010-08-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a grill out with the Frontiers and the Schumanns last weekend. Will got a little crush on Noelle while we were there and keeps talking about her all the time. "Where Noelle go?" It was espeically cute when he got on his tippy toes to give her a goodbye kiss. Super cute!

Fishing with Grandpa

2010-08-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Will had a wonderful first fishing experience. He was so excited to go fishing and catch a fish. My dad ended up getting two on his line and handing the pole to Will. So....Will caught two fish! With some help, Will reeled both fish in and did a great job. He loved looking at the worms and watching the bobber. He was so proud to pull the fish out of the water. I think we have a future fisherman here!

The Splash Park by "Hunky Bik's" house

2010-07-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

We took Will to this splash park a couple of weeks ago, and he had a lot of fun. It was an extremely hot day and I think Will was the only one having fun, as we were all dying of heat.

Smooches

2010-07-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

This was actually really cute. Anand had Will on his shoulders and Will decided to spin around and give him a smooch.

Family Time

2010-07-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Heather and family were here this past week and Will loved every minute of it. He especially loves Tristan and keeps asking for him now that he's left. Will learned how to steer his car, which is great. He also took his cousins to the aquatic center and played outside with all the fish Grandpa and Uncle Dale caught.

Friends

2010-07-13T18:06:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed a night with friends last weekend. Thanks Addie and Rylan!

Turtle Time

2010-07-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

We were surprised to wake to a turtle in the front yard the other day. She laid her eggs in the mud and couldn't leave until she covered them up. We gave her sand and she was able to complete her duties. Will throughly enjoyed looking at the turtle, petting her and watching her head go in and out.

4th of July

2010-07-05T17:22:00.001-07:00

We had a really nice 4th of July this year. We went to the Columbus parade, which was really quite good, went on a boat ride, saw fireworks and did sparklers. We also sang Happy Birthday to America a few times, since it is Will's favorite song.

Milwaukee Zoo with Charlotte

2010-07-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Will had a great time with Charlotte a couple of weekends ago. The Milwaukee Zoo is always a hit!

Mad Skills

2010-06-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

We hung a bar in Will's doorway and he loves it! He can pull his feet up to touch the bar and he'll let us swing him up and over the bar. We might have a future gymnast here!

More Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-01T18:06:00.001-07:00

We all enjoyed our first fire of the season. The kids got a big kick out of the "biggest marshmellows ever." The boys also got their first boat rides of the season. Will loves boat rides now and demands "faster!"

Tractor Rides

2010-05-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

Will and Aidan have been having a blast this weekend. We are hoping some of Aidan's driving skills will rub off on Will, but so far, no luck.

Bouncy House

2010-05-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Will had a blast at Kendall and Dane's birthday party. He loved the bouncy house and was in there for hours! Thanks Havilands!

BIG NEWS!!!!!

2010-05-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Will pooped on the potty!!! I can't believe it! So- Will was taking a bath (notice the other fun photo!) and was acting a little funny. He said he was "all done" which was very odd for recently getting in. I asked him if he needed to poop and he said yes. So I whipped him over to the toilet for a very long pushing episode. I thought it was going to be the biggest poop ever. He was hanging on for dear life because I already packed his potty seat, but he got it out! Yes, that teensy tiny poop was Will first in the potty. I am so proud. He got 2 pieces of candy which has been promised to him for months since he's started to pee on the toilet. Way to go Will! Also- a side note- he can write a "W". I should probably be more excited for the "W", but that teeny tiny poop was a long time comin'.

New Orleans

2010-05-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our vacation in New Orleans. We planned this trip to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. We still have a few weeks until it is officially 5 years, but we were ready to celebrate early. During our stay we rode an air boat in the bayous to see wild alligators. I think it was the highlight of the trip. Pictures do not give the expereince justice. The alligators came right up to the boat and we probably saw at least 20 wild alligators. We also went on a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi which we both enjoyed quite a bit. We stayed in the French Quarter, loved the 80-90 degree weather and ate very well everyday. Anand even tried alligator! We had a great time. Now it's crunch time and we need to be out of our house in a little over a week. Time to get packin'!

Just Hanging Around

2010-04-24T08:24:00.001-07:00

We officially have a wild child with no fear. Will will hang from anything! This is his latest trick. We also wanted to tell everyone that we are moving. We sold our home and close May 21st. We are in the process of buying a lot in Verona and plan to build. We will be staying with my parents in Columbus, Wi thru September.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

This is the first Easter Will dyed eggs, and he loved it. He could have dyed eggs all day. His hands were blue by the time he was done, but it was worth it. It was especially fun to see him put the stickers on and line them up. This morning the "Easter Bunny" hid the eggs and Will was so proud when he found them. He needed a lot help, even thouhgh they were in plain sight, but eventually he found them all. Will also enjoyed his Easter basket and even convinced Daddy to take him to the park to fly the kite. It was a fun day. Oh- Don't mind the injuries on his head- he fell into the table a couple days ago.

Male Friends!

2010-03-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Will has been dominated by female friendshis whole life, but we're finally getting some more boys in the mix. Both Dane and Lucas came over for a visit the past 2 days. Will loved playing with his buddies.

Spring!

2010-03-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

We have had a taste of spring and are loving it. We've been outside everyday this week and can't get enough of it. Will finally got to try out his car, which he loves. Unfortunately he cannot steer, so we are chasing after him like crazy people.

Potty Time

2010-03-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

It finally happened! Will peed on the toilet! After 2 months of "introducing" the potty with zero success, he finally did it. I was so excited!! He didn't even think it was a big deal, but hopefully I made a big enough deal about it that he will do it again.