The Big Move to Maryland!

We made it!!

Last Friday we made the big move to MD. We woke up early and made the 4 hour drive with our packed car and made it just in time for the final walk through of our house and then headed over to the title company to sign the papers. Then it was straight back to the house where the movers were waiting to move in our stuff (they were actually already waiting for us when we did our final walk through).

The next day was a day full of unpacking and getting organized. Steve's Aunt Gwen, Uncle Brooks, and Nikki came from Virginia to help (and I am so glad they did since I couldn't stay on my feet for too long). We took a break in the afternoon and the kids played in mom and dad's new bathtub...for an HOUR. And they didn't want to get out! We have a funny video of them in the tub that we'll have to upload, but here some of the pics.

Since then it has been more unpacking and trips to Lowe's for little things here and there for the house. Our tool collection has been growing like never before! :)

We are really liking our ward, the neighborhood, our neighbors, and my new doctor so far. We'll get some pictures of the house soon now that we are almost done unpacking.

Cody's Kindergarten Journal

Cody brings home SO MANY papers every day. Some of the things he brings home are so cute that I have a hard time knowing what to do with them. So instead of just throwing them away or keeping them around in a file that I will never look at I decided to just put them on the blog. That way we can "save" them without the clutter.

Every day the Kindergarteners write in their journal. They are supposed to write the date and then they are free to write whatever else is on their mind and just do their best at sounding out the words. I have noticed that Cody has really improved his writing skills because of all of the writing he does at school. Here are some of his journal entries from January.

Today is January 11, 2011. It is snowy outside.

Today is January 14, 2011. We go to gym. I love mom and dad.

Today is January 18, 2011. It is a fun day. I like my mom and dad.

Toda is January 19, 2011. We will have fun today.  :) Happy days. love my mom and dad.

Today is January 20, 2011. We go to gym today. I love you so so so so so so much mom and dad.

Today is January 26, 2011. We have 15 days until day 100! I love you mom and dad!

Today is January 28, 2011. It will be day 100 in 13 days.

Doodles on the back of his journal. I think this is a robot.

Heart Attacked!

The kids were extra excited about Valentine's Day this year. I think it was partly because at the end of January I checked out a bunch of books that were Valentine themed: Berenstein Bears, Arthur, etc. The kids even started making their own Valentines for grandparents and even Steve and I any chance they got. So the night before Valentine's Day we "heart attacked" the kids' room while they were sleeping.

It was fun to wake up to their squeals and laughter...

P.S. Kylee has a big bed now (pictured above) and is mostly potty-trained too. 

"Big Sister Boot Camp" is going pretty well so far.

Keep Smiling Berta!

Remember when Kylee got her new Monkey Berta?

Well, she still loves her!


Yesterday while I was getting lunch ready I noticed that Kylee had Berta by the neck and was hitting her head first into the fridge. It was sort of disturbing for me so I asked Kylee to be nice to Berta.

Kylee stopped and held Berta up to me (still holding her by the neck) and said,

"It's OK. Berta likes it. See? She's still smiling!"

Happy Valentine's Day from Cody!

Cody is all ready for his Valentine's Party at school on Monday!

We {Heart} Punxutawney Phil

Tonight in an effort to redeem our lame sick selves we decided to have some fun decorating cookies. Regardless of how we each felt about actually eating the treats by golly we were going to at least decorate them. 

Let's just say it was all in celebration of Groundhog Day. 

Cody was so excited this morning before school when he saw the baked cookies just waiting to be decorated. And poor Kylee was completely not herself a good portion of the day (about the time we pulled out the cookies she seemed to perk up...but only a bit, poor girl)

 Gotta have a cookie to celebrate the famous Groundhog.

Cody says this one says "Cody" written fancy 

Kylee liked nibbling on hers while decorating it.

I could tell she wasn't all the way herself yet because she didn't even eat one whole cookie by bedtime. 

 Cody chose chocolate blue frosting...? Hence the weird color.

Taking time out from nibbling her cookie to decorate it some more.

A small glimpse of a silly face. 

There's nothing like frosting to make you happy.

A volcano of love...? Steve said it represents how "his love erupts for me."

 I think he just wanted to load on the frosting because he ate it right after he made it :) ha ha

Tonight after singing songs at bedtime, telling Cody I loved him more than turquoise frosting, and giving Kylee her goodnight kiss Kylee said something in a super quiet whisper that I couldn't understand. Something about cookies. She had to say it again before I got it...

"I love you more than cookies."

I haven't done "I love you more..." with Kylee before. She came up with that one all by herself.

Happy Groundhog Day to ya!!

Big News for the Cramer's...

There are so many things I have wanted to update on but we haven't been very alive or well these days. We have had the flu at our house for quite a few days now...and just when I thought it was over Kylee threw up today! Looks like we are starting over again!

Let's just say that I am really grateful that I have a washer and dryer and that it can run constantly day and night for a week at a time (or longer?)

And now for a few bits of BIG news for our family...

First of all, we found out that we are having another

girl!

So fun! And now the name game begins. Only now we have two kids who are old enough to have opinions. I thought it was tricky enough between Steve and I to come up with a name. Now Cody and Kylee chime in with their "no way" or "yeah" in response to our name ideas. Kylee has even figured out that she can really bug Cody if he overhears her saying, "Cody likes the name Sally." She sure knows how to get a rise out of him. Pretty entertaining for the rest of us though!! And not only do we have a name to figure out, but we have a little girl who is currently the baby of the family who will have to scoot over a little and make some room for a new little Miss. Hmmm. Never had to figure out that one before. :)

Second bit of news is we have a

job!

Steve's first day of work is May 16th at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. Hooray for not being unemployed!!! And now to find a house in MD so that we aren't homeless...and so we can move a few weeks before bundle of joy #3 is born. Some moments I feel like I am completely looney--graduating, new job, moving, and new baby? What?! I am just grateful that all of those things are GOOD changes! :) When we had our ultrasound a few weeks ago the technician was surprised to find out that we were possibly moving right before we had our baby. Steve said, "moving is a good thing! It means we will have a job!" SO TRUE. And we are so grateful for that! What a blessing!

And now for a little story:

The other night Cody was laying in bed and as I was saying good night he said, "Mom, did you know there's only 7 more days until the Super Bowl?"

(Hello! We live in Steelers Country! If this kids learns anything in Kindergarten it's how to be a Steelers fan!)

I said, "Yeah. Pretty cool."

(We aren't the best fans. We really are shameful for living in Pittsburgh, but I at least knew that the Steelers were going to be in the Super Bowl even if I couldn't tell you who the other team is...Don't worry! Steve's mom educated us on that one so I know now.)

Then I asked, "Do you know what the Super Bowl is?"

Cody, "Nope. What is it?"

Easy Bake Cakes

We got a Christmas package the other day from my parents...the kids had so much fun opening up their gifts.

Kylee got an Easy Bake cake and cookie set. She was so excited! Cody was just as excited to open it and has been anxiously waiting for a day that he would be home to make cakes too.

Kylee putting the raspberry cake mix into the molds.

A fun little letter stamper for the fondant modeled by Cody.

Licking the batter.

Then they mixed up the fondant frosting and we decorated the cakes with fun shapes and designs.

Kylee and I made the square one, Cody made the round one, and Steve made the heart one.

Then the kids licked and licked the bowls and spatulas clean and then started in on the cakes.

They were having lots of fun.

Cody ate his cake in two seconds and then started in on the heart one, but we made him split it with Kylee.

Good thing there are more cookie and cake mixes! These kids are hooked.

THANKS MOM AND DAD!

Cody's Treadmill Trick

More Than Other Mares

Cody came up to me and said, "Mom, sometimes I get nightmares. Sometimes I get nightmares A LOT."

I said, "Oh, really?" (He is a very good sleeper and never wakes up from bad dreams).

Then he said, " Yeah! I have nightmares way more than I have any . . . other . . . kind of . . . mares."