Look What Daddy Taught Me

Snow Day...I mean, Cold Day!

BRRRRRR! I think that pretty much sums it up. It has been one of the coldest weeks in Minnesota in years! It was the kind of cold that takes your breathe away and makes your legs feel like little needles are poking them as you walk outside. Due to the weather, school was delayed, let out early, or cancelled four of the five days this past week. Because we do not have to report, I was lucky enough to get to spend that extra time with Kelsey. Thursday was the one day of the week that we got completely off because the wind chills were -40 degrees. Here is a little recap of how Kelsey and I spent our day cuddled up inside.

We began the day with Kelsey reading me a few stories.



Next, Kelsey spent a little time in her swing.


Now it was tummy time with her toys.


Later, Kelsey helped Mommy get her scrapbook caught up.


We also spent time in the kitchen baking pumpkin spice muffins.



By the time the day was over, Kelsey was pretty tired. We sure had a lot of fun!

She has discovered her feet

On January 1, Kelsey turned 5 months. She continues to be a smiley and easy-going baby.We are still working on sleeping through the night. Up until about a week ago, she was still getting up at least 3 times a night. However, this past week, she was only up twice a night. Let's hope the pattern continues. Lately, she is really into her feet. Whenever she gets the chance, she is grabbing at them and trying to pull them up to her mouth. I cannot imagine being that flexible again. She still loves putting everything and anything in her mouth. We just bought her a new saucer and the first thing she wanted to do was put the toys on the outside of it in her mouth. She still does not have any teeth, but I am guessing that will be starting soon. She has really grown to love her bath as well. Before, she used to just lay there. Now, she kicks and splashes and of course, reaches forward for her feet. It makes trying to wash her difficult at times because she is so slippery when she squirms all over. One of the neatest things she does now is laugh really hard. Matt and I probably look ridiculous, but if we can get her laughing with some silly sound or face, she just goes with it and can't stop. Plus, we have found a tickle spot on her ribs. Combine the two and she is a little giggle box.
Kelsey is also very interested in watching us eat. She just stares at the food. I think this is a sign she is ready for rice cereal. Finally, she continues to love being read to. When she is not trying to eat the book, she seems to watch the pages and grabs at them to help me turn them. Snuggling with her in her jammies and reading books before bed--what could be better than that?

Christmas in Wisconsin

Our Christmas festivities came to an end this weekend as we traveled to Pulaski to celebrate with my family. We left Friday morning, which was so nice. Usually we leave Friday after school and feel so rushed. But this time, we had a very leisurely drive over. When we got there, we went to my dad's store to see him. We had not seen him since Thanksgiving, so it was a good feeling to finally give him a hug. Friday evening we stayed in and our dear friends, Paul and Mary, came over to see us all. Saturday brought a day of craziness. We began by opening presents with my immediate family. We again were very lucky to receive some very nice things! Then it was time to get everyone ready for the day. With 8 adults and 5 kids, it is quite the production getting everyone through showers while taking turns watching the kids. Next, we were off to Green Bay to see my dad's side of the family. We only all get together a few times a year, so I am always grateful to see them. After lots of catching up with everyone, we were off to my Aunt Evie and Uncle Dennis's house to see my mom's side of the family. My Aunt Evie put on quite the spread of food. It was all so delicious! We finally got home about 8pm. Sunday morning we all had breakfast together before packing up and heading back to Minnesota. It was a great weekend that went by too quickly. Don't they all though? So after 7 Christmases, we can officially say the Christmas season has come to an end. Tomorrow Matt and I go back to school, and Kelsey goes to daycare. Get out the kleenex--I have a feeling tomorrow morning could be a rough one.

4-0

Kelsey has received Viking's gear from her loving Skala family members. Matt has insisted on her wearing this disgusting, I mean delightful, attire for a few Sundays now. Of the last five times the Vikings have played, Kelsey has worn her gear four times. The one time she didn't was the only time they lost. Thus, their record when she wears purple is 4-0. So what does this mean? According to Matt, it means Kelsey will be wearing her purple and gold on Sunday to cheer on the Vikings in the playoffs. Now don't fret Packer fans who are reading this! She will wear green and gold again because she actually likes it more. But since the Vikings have made the playoffs for the first time since the stone ages, I figure I better let her wear purple because it could be a long time before it happens again.

Happy New Year

Matt, Kelsey and I went to our friend's house last evening to ring in the new year. It was a great time! Kelsey even woke up just in time to watch the ball drop with us. In a way, it was a little sad for me to see 2008 go. It was such an incredible year for us. We can only hope to be just as blessed in 2009. We hung up our new calendar today and I cannot believe all the dates that are already filled in! I guess we know we will be staying busy.
On a side note, we were playing with Kelsey on the floor this morning and she started to just continously roll. She normally rolls over from her back to her tummy and then is content just playing that way. But today, she just kept rolling from back to front, front to back, etc. I guess our days of her staying in one place are quickly coming to an end.

Christmas in Minnesota

Every other year we rotate which family we will spend Christmas with. This was our year to be in Owatonna. For Christmas Eve, we went to Dave and Vickie's to celebrate with our immediate Skala Family. We began by opening a few gifts and then played games before dinner. Next, we ate a delicious meal of steak and shrimp. During dinner, it is a Skala tradition for everyone to make a toast. It is always a nice way to reflect on the past and look forward to the new year. After dinner, it was time for more presents and games. To conclude the evening, we all went to 10:00pm mass. It was a beautiful service. There is something about the church being decorated and the choir singing that seems to set a very comforting mood. Little Kelsey must not have wanted to miss anything because she hardly slept all day.
She was quite the trooper!
On Christmas Day, we celebrated with Matt's mom's side of the family. It was the first year without Grandpa Ebeling. I think both Grandpa and Grandma Ebeling would be so happy to see that their family was together for the holiday. We again had great food and great company.
Finally, we had the big Skala get together. Matt's dad has 10 siblings, and all but one made it. With all the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids, it is quite the crew! I am not sure how we managed to keep eating, but of course, there was tons of wonderful food! Whenever the Skala side gets together, I always try to make a point of talking to Matt's grandpa. He is such a sweet man. I have grown so fond of him since I have been in the family. He loves to tell me story after story about his past, and I love listening to him. Even the stories he has told me many times never get old.
Matt, Kelsey and I did manage to find time to celebrate with just the three of us as well. It was fun dressing Kelsey up in her Christmas dress. I think she was sick of those tights by the end though. However, she will need to tough it out one more time because we are headed to Pulaski to celebrate with my family.