Juliana Sue Ziegler

Juliana Sue is now 22 months old.  She is a little spitfire.  Ketchup and yogurt become lotion to her at meal times.  She will climb anything she can reach.  She is an escape artist, and she truly has a mind of her own.  If she decides she wants something, she will persist until she has become successful.  We have two children who will sleep in gloriously LATE on the weekends.  Juliana is up by 6:30- or earlier- every single day.  We hear, "Mama, 'nuggle me!  I want to eat.  I want to eat.  I want a pup (cup), I want a pup.  Mama, wake up!  I want to eat! I want to eat!" I think you get the picture.  She's impossible to ignore.  She's impossible not to love.

Last week, she decided that she was NOT tired.  She was NOT going to sleep.  Now, I know a lot of you out there are all about the "cry-it-out" method, and more power to ya.  I have tried that with both Andrew and Juliana.  Unfortunately, crying for hours upon hours is totally within the realm of possibility for them.  I cannot sleep through this.  My other children cannot sleep through this.  Juliana is so loud, that I'm pretty sure the Heltemes, Linstedt, and Chistiansen families will all be able to hear her wails.

So, Ryan and I gave up.  We brought her into our bedroom to at least allow the other 2/5 of the house  to sleep.  I had to record her antics because, really, who else would believe that my 22 month old was THIS wide awake at 10:30 at night?!  Her last nap ended at 3:00. 

Video #1: Does she even look remotely sleepy?

Video #2: If clicking and clacking your tongue doesn't work, how about trying to convince your parents to wake up your sister "Ella/Aya" (someday she'll be able to say AVEYA).

Video #3: Or you can always pretend to sneeze a few times. 

Video #4: Maybe you can soften your daddy's heart by offering to 'nuggle him.

Video #5: Maybe mommy and daddy will give you CAKE?

Video #6: Finally, if nothing else works, just ignore your parents and SING!

Happy Holidays!

     Oh, the holiday season is here, and as a teacher, I LOVE it.  I need the break so badly from constant grading and planning.  My own kids need their mommy back, and I need some free time to just do whatever I want to do (like reading, crocheting, painting wine glasses, and writing this blog).
     Thanksgiving break was fabulously long.  If I hadn't been a new teacher this year, it could have been even a day longer for me.  However, we ended the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break doing the famous Turkey Trot.  My students made our Turkey Trot banner.  I taught them how to use my Cricut machine that I have from my scrapbooking days.  They thought it was pretty cool.

I was excited to get my very first Turkey Trot T-shirt.  Here I am with my fellow fifth grade teaching partner, Shannon.

This year, Christmas Eve fell on a Wednesday.  My school district had us work Monday and Tuesday.  After that- BAM!- Christmas was here, and I was left wondering if I was actually ready for it.

     My fifth graders performed the Nutcracker for their Holiday Concert, and then we went to see the Nutcracker ballet in Milwaukee.  It was a beautiful show, and my students were really well behaved.  We had just gone on a field trip two weeks earlier to the Mitchell Park Domes and then the Pettit National Ice Center.  I've had a lot of fun with my students this year.  

I had a small part in the Overture of the Nutcracker.  My coworker lent me this dress.  It was her sister's prom dress from the 1960s.  I'm next to the little Christmas tree I bought for my classroom.  The kids decorated it and my room for the holidays.

They also decorated my classroom door with Olaf.  Apparently, when you're in Mrs. Ziegler's classroom, you're a "happy snowman".

    Christmas Eve, we spent with my side of the family.  My kids love seeing their cousins, and I enjoy getting to see mine.  Now that we're all grown up, we don't see each other all that often anymore. 

     Christmas Day was far more chaotic.  We started the morning off with my parents' house.  My mom made her traditional Christmas breakfast- the one that Andrew dreams about all year long.  I guess scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes just don't taste as good when I am the one making them.  There's just something magical about Grandma's cooking. I don't have any pictures from Christmas morning, so hopefully my mom will send me some.  Our camera batter died.  Go figure.
     After my parents' we went to Ryan's parents' place.  We stayed there for a few hours and wrapped up the evening by Ryan's grandparents'.

     For New Years, I took the kids over by Cheyenne's house because CECELIA was home!  I only got to spend a couple of hours with her, but Miss Aveya was QUITE smitten with Cecelia.  Cheyenne and I stood back and watched as Cecelia taught Cali and Aveya how to play Miss Susie patty cake from our own younger years.  She was like the Pied Piper, attracting all the kids to her.  It was great to see her again- as it's been two years since we last were together. She and her family live in Guam, which is where her husband is stationed.  Cecelia finally got to meet Miss Juliana while she was home.

All our kids! Noah, Sam, Cali, Colton, Caeden, Mitchelle, Andrew, Aveya, and Juliana!

Kid Magnet

The girls

Ah, patty cake!

Juliana meeting Cecelia

 New Years night, we had the Teskas over for dinner and fun.  I miss my Kristin!

I made us matching Damon- Vampire Diaries pajamas.  She's just about the only person I know who appreciates my love of that show and character.

Thank you Pinterest for the fun Wine Glass Art ideas.

Best Friends to Infinity and Beyond

Happy New Year, friends!  Here's to an amazing 2015!

And We're BACK!

Family of Four....

To say that life has gotten crazy in the last year, would be an understatement.  We went from a diaper-and-sippy-cup-free family of four to a family of five.  We've started that baby phase all over again.  I'm talking bibs, diaper bags, middle of the night crying, Cheerios on the floor, booster seats, crying, food on my clothes- full on baby phase AGAIN.  We were home-free.  Andrew was 8, and Aveya was 5.  We were going to Great America without a stroller and without any baggage.  People willing babysat for us because our kids were "easy".  And they were.  I could sleep in until 10 AM in the summer and on the weekends if I wanted to.  The kids could get their own cereal.  They played quietly in the toy room.  I wasn't worried that either of them would choke by sticking a marble in their mouths.  And yet, there was this little voice in my heart that kept saying that someone was missing. I'd look at a picture and see an empty space where this little person was supposed to be.

I always felt like someone was missing next to Aveya in this picture.

The baby belly

And, so Juliana came to be.  And despite the fact that adding a baby to our family has made things a million times more difficult than they were, I wouldn't trade her for all the sleep-in days in the world.


She created all kinds of chaos when she first came into this world.  She stopped breathing four times within the first hour of her life.  It was frustrating and scary.  They whisked her away from me and took her into the NICU.  It was hours before I got to see her again, but Ryan was able to stay by her side, and he was really good at giving me frequent updates on her progress.

  She has a HUGE, fiery personality that amuses us on a daily basis.  She sings, dances, claps, scolds, tattles, and is constantly MOVING.  She loves me almost obsessively- I can't be far from her sight, or the sound of "Mama? MAMA!" fills the house repeatedly.

Look at that little elf's face!  I can't imagine life without her in it!

Juliana was named after my favorite character in a young adult book called Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen.  I've read this book for years with my 6th graders, and it's a personal favorite.  Julianna in the story is everything you'd want your daughter to turn out to be.  I hesitated to use the name because one of my cousins has a daughter named Julianna, but she was fine with me using the name.  We pronounce it Julie-onna, and so I chose to spell it Juliana.

This is mostly old news for anyone else who's reading this, but this blog post is really for me.  I want a written document of this time in my life.  At some point, I'd like to print this blog out as a book, and I don't want one of the most important moments of my life to be missing from it!

Welcome to Mrs. Ziegler's Classroom!  It's still a bit of a work in progress.  Getting hired four days before school starts will do that to ya!

My beautiful Aveya Rose on her Kindergarten Orientation night.

This spring, I interviewed at Lake Denoon Middle School in Muskego, and I was hired!  I gave my resignation to Phoenix Middle School in Delavan, where I've worked for eleven years.  I knew I'd miss all my Phoenix family, but my tiny little family was struggling with the hours I was keeping. Ryan had to work late, and it seemed silly to keep driving such a long distance.  THEN- in August, the kids' school was hiring, and I went after that job as well.  I was hired there and had to give my resignation to Muskego.  So, I'm an elementary teacher now at Rolling Hills. It's incredibly different, but I do love it.

What a Difference Two Years Makes!

It's been a really long time since I've posted on this blog, but since not everyone I love is on Facebook, I thought I'd update it.  Obviously, a lot changed in two years!  The Ziegler family is growing, and Avianna Ziegler is due to arrive in August!  Last weekend we went to Baby Preview and got some great 3D shots of our baby girl.  Here are some of my favorites!

 

 

 Above: She's smiling!  Can't wait to kiss those little cheeks!

 

 Above: A good 2D profile shot

 

 She has my chin!

 

 Above: Her little profile.  The tech. said that she has a cute little nose.  She also said that she's a really pretty baby.  Maybe she says that to everyone, but I like to think that Avianna is already a pretty girl!

 

 Above: I don't know what it is about this picture, but it melts my heart!

 

 

Above: Hands on her head from all the poking of the tech.  Get used to it kid; you have an older brother AND sister!  There is a lot of poking in your future.

 

Speaking of the other two Ziegler children....here is what they've been up to!

Above: Here's Miss Aveya Rose at her ballet Open House.

 Above: She may LOOK like me, but she ACTS like her daddy!

 Above:  Soooo excited to dance for Nana, Bumpa, Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, and Andrew!

 Above: We brought my grandparents to see Aveya's Open House since they'd get front seat tickets to her cuteness.

 Above: Andrew took this picture!

 Above: Aveya's "happy dance". 

 Above: Her "Take My Picture" pose for the recital.

Above: Cali (Cheyenne, my BFF from high school's daughter) and Aveya- Mini versions of Cheyenne and me.

 Above: All through college I babysat for an incredible family with two girls and a boy.  The two girls are all grown up and cheerlead for the UW-Milwaukee Panthers.  They invited Aveya to their cheerleading clinic, and she had a blast!

 Above: She did the lift!

Above: Kelly, Aveya, Kate, and me- My grown up babies with my baby!

 

Above: I can't believe I've known them since they were five and seven!  How beautiful they turned out to be!

 Above: And here's the big guy!  He loves gymnastics: flipping, somersaults, launching himself on a trampoline, hanging from bars....yep, he's right at home here at the Gymnastics Center.

 Above: "Mom, it's okay- I can do flips on here."  This is the look I get when I freak out on him to be careful.

 Above: Monkey Man

 Above: At a My Little Pony Birthday party- they got their unicorn horns.

Above: Of course, it would be MY two children who decide to fight with their horns.

Above: Aveya, Cali, and Andrew- neighbors and buddies

 

 Above:We spent a weekend at the Great Wolf Lodge in the Dells for spring break.  We were SUPPOSED to go to Disney World, but the kids are getting a baby sister instead.  We thought we'd make it up to them with a short trip to the Dells.

 Above: The hot tub in our hotel room.

Above: We decorated Easter eggs with the Heltemes family.  Thanks to Cheyenne for hosting us.  Even Colton got to join us this year.

 

Above: Aveya at Andrew's play performance.  I love my little fashionista!

 

 Above: Andrew played a bat in his school play.  My mom made his costume for us.

Above: Summer fun with the Teska Twins.  I love action shots....Gotta love dumping water on yourself!

 Above: Besties- Andrew and Bella:  He loves making her laugh by pretending she's kicking him while swinging.

 Above: He's always there to help her out!

 Above: I think this might be what's in store for Andrew having two sisters!

 Above: Last summer, we went on a family vacation to the Dells with the Teskas.  The four kids shared one room, which was pretty awesome!  We had a condo adjoined suite, so Ryan and I had a master bedroom, as did Evan and Kristin.  We had two nice sized bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room with a big screen TV and fireplace.  Not only that, but there was enough to do within walking distance....including an outlet mall across the parking lot! Fabulous trip!

 Above: Andrew got his MagiQuest wand- fun times!

Above: The girls look like triplets when they are together.  They make quite the cute little scene when they are out together.

 Above: Surprise, surprise, Bella and Andrew are together!

 Above: Following Big Guy Andrew- the Leader.

 Above: Posin for a picture in one of the hallways.

Above: Watching Andrew go on a Quest at MagiQuest.

 Above: The kids on our patio at the Great Wolf Lodge.

 Above: Mini-golfing in the Dells.

Above: The kids with their clubs.

 

Above: Aveya and Bumpa play Dominoes together every week.

 

Well, that's all for now.  I tried to post a bunch of pictures to showcase some highlights of the year.  We really can't wait until this summer when we can play with our friends more! We're looking forward to completing a Bucket List of Things Before Baby.  ;o)