Tap, tap....is this thing on?

Hi friends,

I'm sure you've long given up on this blog. If you read this, good for you, you're a person of incredible faith and hope!

Our kids continue to grow like weeds. In our last micro-update, we let you know that Jackson started walking at 10 months. He sure hasn't looked back since (if he did he'd surely see a path of destruction behind him)! Kallie is growing up to be quite the "big girl" - no more booster seat, regular use of the potty, all those liberating things that parents dream about.

Both the kids are ultra-sweet (if I do say so myself), mostly obedient, great sleepers, and masters of the routine. Jackson still clocks two naps a day, and you could almost measure his nighttime sleep with a calendar. I love kids that sleep!

Life is going to get even more entertaining this August, when Kari delivers baby #3! We're obviously excited and slightly apprehensive about adding another to the mix. Jackson will be about the same age that Kallie was when Jackson was born (if that makes sense). Kallie is sure to be a big help as always.

I'm going to be turning 30 this year, but I don't mind. I definitely feel that I've lost a step (or six) in the past few years, but that's mainly due to lack of exercise. For some reason, chasing kids around the house doesn't qualify as a cardiovascular workout! I think my long-term fitness goal is to be more fit at 40 (or 31) than 30. Recently I've been dropping a few extra pounds, mainly by declining to join my pregnant darling with her evening snacks. She's served notice that after the baby is coming, both of us are going to be doing lots of sit-ups. Yikes!

At work, there were some lean times through the recession and the rebound has been slower than expected. I'm very busy right now, and even working some overtime. Kari continues to be a stay-at-home mom, loving every minute of it. In her "free time" she started a small home-based business making products for babies, kids and moms. If you haven't heard about it, check out www.snugglywunkins.com . We did a craft show earlier this spring, and she sells her products in a couple of local stores. This fall, she's planning to do a few more craft shows and we'll just see how it goes. I'm very proud of her for doing this because it gives her a creative outlet.

I'm sure there's so much more to say, but someone wants to play "Candyland". :)

Hello World (again)

Is it November already? At least I'm on schedule for my annual post. I just took a few minutes to review my post from last year. So, to recap our lives since then:

• We still have two kids, though they are significantly larger and more mischievous than their photos from last year indicate
• Kallie is probably in the descent from the pinnacle of the "terrible twos"
• Jackson started to walk at 10 months.
• We still live in the same house
• We finished painting said house, and even painted three sides of the exterior just for fun
• I (Eric) finally caved and signed up for a FaceBook account (though I give my profile as much attention as this blog, ahem)
• we traded in our car and bought a van, which we love!

I just realized that I shouldn't give away all these details, I'm cutting down on available material for the Christmas letter. Maybe I'll get that out before Christmas this year. No wait, I think I actually made it last year....maybe not....well, clearly I'm a confused individual. Cut me a break, I've got a few kids to chase after.

Our annual update

It's really quite pathetic when it comes to this...annual updates. Such is life with two under 2 years old (more on that later). With never enough precious sleep, I (Eric) feel pretty darn unmotivated to put posts and pictures on the blog. I don't even email that much anymore (sorry everyone!).


Well, the Poppleton clan now numbers four. Jackson came along in late October, and we are all very happy about this. Kallie is thrilled with her little brother, and she is pretty unaffected by his crying. I don't think she's woken from a nap or nighttime sleep because of it (shhh, don't tell other parents).


It's hard to believe that he's already a month old! Time definitely flies. We were only in he hospital for a day and a half this time (hooray!). Everything this time around was, shall we say, quicker (delivery included). Sorry to all the birth story addicts out there, this is the man's version. We were actually overdue, and went to the hospital to be induced. We went into the hospital for our first dose in the evening, went home, and were supposed to come back the next morning. Yeah, about that. So, we went home, and Kari woke up early in the morning to labour pains. She woke me up at about 4:30, and we left the house at about 5:00am (yes, there is a 5:00am, I know this because I have small people in the house!) after we had taken care of important matters like taking out the garbage. By the time we left the house, Kari's contractions were a wee bit more intense than either of us thought (or gave attention too apparently). So, we drove to the hospital, which, thankfully at 5:00 am is only about 22 minutes away (but who's counting). As we were walking across the parking lot the emergency room entrance (which is the only hospital entrance open at that hour), Kari felt the baby coming. Yes, as in this turkey is going to come out in a few minutes! Thanks to some swift action by the security guard at the emergency room entrance (who clearly cannot be blamed for not wanting to deliver a baby) and his trusty wheelchair, we made it up to the obstetrics unit and Jackson was born a few minutes later. Triage? Pretty much skipped that. Drugs? Way too late for that. A flurry of nurses took care of us and delivered the baby. It all happened amazingly fast.


So here's the star of the show, little Jackson, our little "pumpkin". We actually had to go back to the hospital a few days after he was born to get him treated for high biliruben (sp?) levels. So, basically they stuck him in an incubator and treated him with some special lights. That was not so much fun, especially for Kari, who stayed with him in the hospital while he screamed his little heart out for being in the incubator. We are so grateful that this is behind us.

Kallie loves Jackson, and she is going to be a great big sister!

That's all for now. Please don't be upset if we don't respond to comments for a like a million years. If you know us, email us! (that will cut down our response time to days instead). ;)

P.S. Did I mention we moved this summer? That's a story for another day (famous last words)

Does absence make the heart grow fonder?

Our sweet, happy little girl...



...who is sometimes a wee bit dramatic...



...and who sometimes doesn't want her picture taken! :)

And we love her to bits!! She is so busy now... crawling all over the house, pulling herself up on anything she can grab, attempting to climb stairs, learning new words, and jamming every little thing she can find into her mouth!

Baby vs. Baby - Part II

Needless to say, Kallie was defiant. During the car ride home, she defiantly stuck out her tongue (we assume at Josiah for his relentless jabs) as if to call for a rematch - this time on her turf.
Kallie has always been a very determined child. To prepare for her rematch, she embarked on a rigorous exercise regimen (insert "Rocky" music here).

After working her core muscles on the jolly jumper, she moved to the exersaucer and practiced her balance and putting up her dukes.


With her exercise regimen well in hand, Kallie turned to solid food for more calories, vitamins, and minerals!



With her body quickly coming into shape, Kallie turned to mental preparation, and of course, practicing mean faces...Grrr!!


Finally, the big day came. Josiah, Krista, and Evan (shown here as the referee) came to Winnipeg to visit for a few days. The picture below shows the "weigh in", where each competitor attempts to psych out his/her opponent by acting tough.

The moment is upon us....Kallie says "bring it on!!"

Stay tuned.......