Trains, Dentist & Dance, Oh My!

On Monday, I was excited to take the kids to the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, it comes through Mauston each year and has looked really spectacular and raises lots of money and food donations along it's way. It was scheduled for 4:15 p.m., not dark yet and the train looks WAY cooler in the dark, but by the time we left it was pretty magical. The kids were troopers and most of the time were in the double stroller. It was rather cold and more than once I wondered if we should have brought them this year. They open up one of the cars and then play some music and the head to the next stop! The musical people were Kira Isabella and Home Free from the Sing Off! I was excited to hear them and they were awesome. When the performance started, Kate got to ride on Daddy's shoulders and she was pretty happy about that. Towards the very end, I took Collin out and the highlight of the night was watching his face light up as he saw the whole train. Precious. Totally worth it. There were also lots of cop cars around with their lights flashing, so it was pretty much a very exciting night for Collin:) 

Wish it would have been darker, but still pretty cool

The car that opened for the performance

We love trains!

She always has the best seat in the house:)

Dave and I drove separately as he was going to head to Baraboo afterwards and pick up a bed we bought. The kids opted to ride with him on our way to grab some pizza and we were both surprised at the hellish traffic immediately following the train. It was nuts! Took forever and Dave found a way out and across the bridge way before I did. I took a long route and was finally getting somewhere....when I had my very first fender bender.  :(   We were stopped in the right turning lane and when we got the green arrow we just started to go. There was a big truck in front of me and when I looked left before turning, I turned back to see him slam on his brakes but I didn't in time. A pedestrian was crossing the street and forced him to stop. I hit his back hitch and bumper. I wasn't going fast but man there still was some force! I instantly got upset and we pulled right over into the Kwik Trip. I waddled out of the car and was trying not to cry. He had no damage to his truck and all I could see was my license plate was busted. The guys was nice enough and very quickly I was back on my way to Pizza Hut. I cried a bit driving over and arrived at the packed Pizza Hut to my family happily getting ready to eat. Dave just kept telling me that it was okay and at least I was safe (Kate joined in) but I was just kind of bummed. Mad, sad, teary, pregnant. :) 

I went home and put the kids to bed. When Dave got back, we looked at the front end of my van in the garage and turns out, a lot more than just my license plate is damaged. You can hardly tell but all the plastic pieces up front are kind of loose, have a small crack in each headlight and the hood moved somehow...it's weird. And expensive. And I can get over that fact that I had my first accident and it was a little scary. But I can't get over how much these things cost and so mostly my emotions are in the mad realm right now:) Great timing too, right? Christmas, Babes coming...uff da. 

After the accident - how can it cost so much!

Tuesday morning brought trips to the dentist for both kiddos. After being highly recommended, I dragged us all down to Madison to a big pediatric dentist place. I'm sure the ones around here would be fine, but if I am going to be bringing three kids in, I want that place to be equipped with all the things it takes to keep a child happy at the dentist. And I want to think that my child's problem/meltdown is not the worst they've seen that day. Is that bad? 

This place was awesome. Loved it from the minute we stepped foot in the waiting room. They took both Kate and Collin back together and Miss Kate went first. She went to a dentist up here last year, but that was all. She was brave and did everything perfectly (in fact, opened her mouth so much, we had to tell her to stop:). I was concerned, she had been complaining about some teeth hurting when she would bite into hard things lately. After telling the super awesome hygienist, she said, "I know why those teeth are hurting!" A little to happy for my taste, but turns out it is because they are already loose! They were a bit surprised as she just turned 5, but said it can happen that early. Speaking of that 5-year-old, she proclaimed it the best day of her life, to have two loose teeth.  :)  She had x-rays taken with Miss Jenny (hygienist) while I tried to keep Collin occupied. Dr. Tim says all is well with Kate, she does have sort of cross bite or under bite that they are going to watch. 

Then it was Collin's turn, I wasn't sure what to expect. But he happily climbed up into the chair. Grabbed the arms and laid back. He opened for her to count teeth (16, oh and Kate has 20) and she said they look great. He even sat and let her clean/polish them with that powered toothbrush thingy. What a trooper. Dr. Tim said he's never had a 1-year-old do so well! Their healthy teeth combined with good behavior made me one happy mama. After a family trip to the restroom (ooh, won't that be fun with three...) we got in the car and Kate said we had to go straight back to school so she could tell Mrs. McGuire that she has two loose teeth:) I realized that I had forgot her school bag and we would have to go home and then to school. Going to a dentist in Madison will be interesting, I don't want her/them to miss too much school for appointments, so maybe it won't last too long, but for right now, it was what I wanted. We had to find some lunch and then ran to Target to grab some things and so we missed school that day. 

Our big boy

Photo cred to Kate:)

Tuesday night we had planned a supper together with the Plamann's, fondue at their place! Super fun to see their beautiful home decorated for the holidays and have yummy fondue. The kids played and by "played" I mean that Collin hit Harper in the head every single time she came near him. I. Was. Exhausted. trying to prevent him from assaulting her the whole night. Just Harper! He didn't bother Clara or Kate that night. Good grief. He does seem remorseful sometimes and will apologize. But he can also do some damage. Good thing Harper is one tough 17 month old. Can't wait to get out of this stage. 

Wednesday night Kate had a dance performance at one of the nursing homes. Luckily, we had done the same thing last year and knew the drill. There is not much room and so even her teacher requested that only one parent come and no siblings. No worries, that was my plan if possible anyway! Well, unfortunately, Dave seemed to come down with some food poisoning or some bad GI bug. He took his first sick day ever and came home from work in the morning. Spent the day sleeping and being sick:(  He wasn't able to watch Collin for me that evening, so we all went over and I went plenty early. We were the first to arrive and I had Kate ready and practicing in the hallway (too adorable) but I burned up all of Collin's good behavior just waiting to get started:) Praise the Lord, Kate's class was the very first to perform. We were able to get up close enough to watch from the side. She did pretty good, I know she knew the routine a little better, but I know when they are looking out at rows of elderly people it is a bit different than the mirror in the studio:) Collin clapped for her when she was done. He also went crazy when he saw tennis balls on the bottom of a walker. "Ball, ball, ball!!" I could barely hold him after he saw that. We got out of there as fast as we could after her performance and went to the Kwik Trip to grab some supper (I know, I know, awesome, huh?) I was going to grab Dave some Gatorade, etc. but it turned out that Kate was busy grabbing food and Collin was trying on all the sunglasses. Since I had to grab some things, I couldn't hold him and honestly, he is getting big enough and strong enough that it is really hard for me to hold him, especially with all our winter gear on. I've never been so happy to get back in the car and head home. Only then to realize I totally forgot to get Dave those things. Definitely a Mom/Wife of the Year kind of day.   Ugh.  :)

Kate performed Thursday night at the Sharing Supper at the Mauston High School. The Sharing Supper is a big night at the high school with a free meal and other activities and various organizations support it and volunteer. Last year, the kids danced in the middle of the lobby among the tables of people eating. Thankfully, this year they moved it into the auditorium. Kate was psyched, ran down front to sit with her class and give hugs to her dance teacher and helpers. 

Ready to go, Mom!

Complete with tutu

Hanging out until the recital starts

She did even better than the night before, she bumped into the other girls quite a bit as the others were kind of all over the place (sorry! I'm obviously totally unbiased but my daughter knows her dance and the others still wander around and do everything late! It's true!) We sat in the very back with an antsy Collin and the way it was lit our camera and video weren't showing up well at all. :( I started to video but also had Collin on my knee and he started yelling, "Tatie! Tatie!!" so loud when her class came out, I had to stop. So cute. 

When is this show going to start?

Waiting patiently...

On stage, waiting patiently to start

Her class was first (danced to The Nutcracker) and the lighting was terrible:(

I had an email from her dance teacher the later that night that praised Kate for being so well-mannered and polite, she also said that Kate knew the dance perfectly. Wow- if that doesn't make your day, I don't know what will! It is also apparent that she saves 99% of her frustrating behavior for Dave and I. I guess we want it that way?! 

Oh, Santa and Mrs. Claus were at the Sharing Supper. Kate was busy and didn't get over there. As Dave was letting Collin run around, he slowly got closer to them. When they wanted him to sit with them, he was not happy. I came out right about then and tried sitting with him - still not happy. Then, Mrs. Claus wanted a picture with just me. She put her hand on my belly and was saying, "Santa, put your hand on her belly! Put your hand on her belly! There's a baby in there!" Santa did not want to. He was like, really. no. But she insisted and we got this pic...

Last night, Kate fell out of her new bed. I've been expecting this, she prefers to sleep right on the outer edge for some reason. The bed is higher than normal (trundle + storage underneath). I was struggling with Collin that night (don't ask) and as soon as I finally had him back asleep...I hear a giant thud. Then crying. Then her brother crying. Good times. She didn't even remember it the next morning (ooh....that's not a good thing with head injuries...) and she has a scrape/bruising on her nose. Tough chica. 

Today we ventured out to an open house for a new business in New Lisbon, a fitness facility + coffee shop + little organic market + cafe/deli. Yay! It's like everything I love in one place. So happy. We also heard that New Lisbon is getting a McDonald's and a new grocery store out by the interstate. Woo hoo! Going in the right direction:)

And then...we ventured out to see Santa at the library! Kids were dressed festively, line wasn't long, same Santa and Mrs. Claus from Thursday night:) I figured Collin wouldn't want to sit with them and of course it was his nap time.  You decide if he loved it or not...

Classic. So, I jumped in and was going to squat down with him, Santa said - just sit up here. I look like a giant. Oh well. Kate loved Mrs. Claus and was a little more leery of Santa. 

What a week we've had. And it gets only more exciting from here on out!