EXPLORING THE QC: JOHN DEERE COMMONS & ROCKET PARK

This past weekend, we were looking for something fun for Quinn to do.  Lately, she's been coming home from daycare and wants to sit on her butt and watch YouTube for Kids for hours.  We aren't having it.  I wanted to take advantage of the weather and get out while we could since our Saturday was wide open.

I took to Facebook asking all my friends for suggestions on where to take a four year old (and her four month old brother).  They were all really good suggestions, some places we've taken her before, some new places we could try.  But they were all so costly.  Quinn is the type of person who can blow right through a museum at super sonic speed.  She blew through the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, in 45 minutes.  Some days I think it takes her longer to get ready and get out the door for our activities than she spends doing the activity.

We decided to head across the river to the John Deere Pavilion for our first visit.  How we've been living so close to it but haven't visited before is beyond me.  It's really neat in there...basically every farmers dream.  Plus, it's all completely free.  The coolest part is that everyone can climb up, explore and touch all the equipment.  There is a place where you can experiment with computer generated back hoes and excavators at a construction site.  It even estimates how much damage we were causing and money we were making.  I walked away after unsuccessfully dropping a load and causing $68 in damage.  I think Quinn may have racked up thousands in damage.

After exploring the pavilion, we headed back across the river to Iowa and took Quinn to her favorite park, Rocket Park.  It has a rubber like mat under the entire play ground so even though it was warm and messy everywhere else, the playground was pretty clean.  Chase received his first swing ride and got to go down the slide a few times with his sister.

If you live in, plan on visiting or are passing through the Quad Cities, I highly recommend checking out the John Deere Pavilion!

CHASE RYNE: 2 AND 3 MONTHS OLD

MILESTONES/MOMENTS TO NOTE:
-he grabs for toys and will shove anything that fits, into his mouth.
-he starting to sleep for longer stretches - about 9:30/10 until 7ish.  At 6 weeks, he started sleeping through the night sporadically but at 3 months he started consistently doing it.
-not sleeping in his own crib yet but we transitioned him into the pack and play which sits by our bed.
-eats 4-5 ounces every 2-3 hours.
-the hair that rubbed off is starting to grow back but we are still missing a spot on the back of his head.
-has the most handsome and lovable smile.
-celebrated his first Christmas
-had a very mild case of colic and as he's growing, he's coming out of it.  There would be stretches of time during the day where I couldn't get anything done and if I did, it was because I was carrying him.
-rolls over from belly to back and back to belly.
-got his first cold (thanks to his sister).
-rolled over between 2 and 3 months.
-wears 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers.
-at 2 months he weighed 12 pounds, 8 ounces.
-at 3 months he weighed 14 pounds.

LIKES:
-His sissy.
-Car seat naps.
-LOVES getting his diaper taken off.  Will be bawling something fierce but the second we start stripping clothes and taking the diaper off, he lights up.
-soothe and glow seahorse.  This things is a lifesaver at bedtime.

DISLIKES:
-being overtired
-getting stuck in traffic or stopping the car for any reason, especially when he's tired.
-not having a bottle asap when he's hungry.
-having his hands and arms contained so no swaddling here.  Actually both of my kids are/were very anti-swaddling.
-gas, burping, farting and pooping.
-has a love/hate relationship with his Baby Bjorn.
-belly time.

RECIPE: MONSTER COOKIE PROTEIN BALLS

In an effort to feel better about myself, both inside and out, I've been incorporating more clean and healthy options into my lifestyle.  I'd say diet but I'm not one to diet.  It's more about eating foods that actually taste good and are healthy versus just eating something because 'it's good for me'.  I'll watch what I eat but I'm not going to go crazy.

When I was pregnant with Quinn, 5 years ago, I developed this raging sweet tooth that unfortunately has never gone away.  So how does one suffice their sweet tooth and eat better at the same time?  PROTEIN BALLS!  Not just your ordinary protein ball but one in the form of the Monster Cookie and packed with super foods!  Who doesn't love that chocolate, peanut butter combination?  Well, I guess someone allergic to nuts probably wouldn't....

Anyways, these ball are legit!  They smell and taste like a Monster Cookie and they are just so good.  These will definitely curb those sweet cravings without hurting the waistline!

Recipe:

1/4 C. honey
1/2 C. peanut butter (natural, no sugar added)
1 C. quick oats
1 scoop/packet Vanilla Shakeology
Mini semi-sweet morsels and mini M&M's to taste

Combine honey and peanut butter together and then add oats and shakeology and mix well.  Add in chocolate morsels and M&M's.  Roll into one inch balls.  Chill in fridge until set.  Makes approximately 18 balls.

2016 GOALS

If you could choose one word that will describe your 2016, what would you choose? 

My word is growth.

Whether it's my career, coaching business, personal development, kids, marriage, blog and so on.  I want to see growth in all areas.  I feel like every single day, I'm going through the motions and life is pretty status quo.  This year I want to see and do something different.  Get outside of my mundane life and make it an exceptional life or at the very least, a better one. 

The breakdown:

Career/Coaching Business

Finish the AINS (Associate in Insurance) designation.  I started this 3 years ago, passed the first 3 classes with ease but haven't had the time or motivation to finish the Commercial portion.  

Reach the next level in my coaching business.  Be a product of the product: finish 3 programs, start to finish and drink superfoods religiously.

Personal Development

Read 12 fun books and 12 personal development books.  I usually set a goal of a certain number of books for the year but I'm taking it up a notch by reading half of my total in personal development.  

Kids

Do more creative projects with Quinn.

Take more time to spend quality one on one time with each kid.

Work through the Brain Quest workbook for Pre-K with Quinn.

Use more patience.  This one is going to be hard but it's something that I need to practice.

Marriage

Schedule in more date nights without the kids.  I could count on one hand alone the number of times we went out last year without the kids and I'd probably have a couple of fingers leftover.  

Read a personal development book that will guide us through some marriage based activities.

Wake Up Earlier

Waking up is very serious struggle for me.  My kids typically sleep until 7:15 in the morning during the week, probably longer if I let them and around 8 on the weekends.  While this is great, it doesn't help me get out of bed.  I'm always in a rush in the mornings and waking up even 15 minutes earlier would be a big help.

Back Up Pictures

This is a project that I had for maternity leave that I never got around to.  I started it a few weekends ago before the holidays and never finished.  I will feel so much better knowing that I have an extra copy of my irreplaceable pictures around.

Blog

Blogging didn't exist for me the last couple of years and I want to change that.   I had loads of fun when I used to blog and I want to get back to a point of writing throughout the year.  I documented everything about my pregnancy, week by week with Quinn and even did monthly updates.  I have done zero documentation with Chase.  It makes me sad that I didn't document my pregnancy but I was really depressed during it (dang hormones) and blogging about my pregnancy experiences was the last thing I wanted to do.  I'm hoping to document more of Chase's life outside of the womb.  My goal is to write 10-15 times per month.

So, what are your goals for the New Year?