All posts by Justine Kougl

Kids are sweet…When they are sleeping!

Well, here is my first parenting post.  I’m nearly positive I had my first weaned off the bottle by one year, and here I am with Wildman, nearly 14 months and trying to force myself to make the change.  He is not in favor of this change!  Please tell me there are some other Mom’s in my situation?  I decided that tonight was the night, no more bottle for us, it is time!  We have been swapping bottles for sippy cups for two weeks now and I know I just need to do this.  Look at how sweet these two are….when they are sleeping that is!  (please excuse the pictures off my phone, still learning how to use it!)

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Sleeping kids!  Wonderful!

Here are two predicaments I found him in over the past two days, Boys crawl in/on/under EVERYTHING!  No one tells you that when you have one. Mind you Skeeter Bug is not innocent by any means.  She is actually a major instigator in the Wildman’s menacing skills…

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Now that is hanging out on the second story!  And Wildman managed to crawl up on the table, play in a puddle of water he created with that cup and find his sisters toothbrush, it was only 3 days ago he figured out crawling up the kitchen chairs.

Skeeter Bug transitioned so well with every change (or maybe it seemed so because she was our first and we had nothing to compare to).  Look at her, I think she is giggling at me with every struggle with the Wildman.  However, she gets into her fair share of trouble…like, getting into the Vicks Vapor Rub (great for all sorts of things).  The Rancher puts it on his lips at night, but never quit like this…

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Need Vick’s?  This little girl did, along with her little brother, and two dolls. Oh Boy!

However, this afternoon I got to take my a nap with the Wildman, it has been since maternity leave (nearly 12 months ago) that he has napped with me, so I took complete advantage of this opportunity.  Aren’t they sweet when they are sleeping?

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What are some of your biggest challenges in parenting??

 

And off we go….The ranch family hits the City!

Ok, well not the “whole” family, but The Rancher and I got a weekend off the new place.  First day/time/dining out/trip without the kids since the move.  For many people this is totally normal, traveling with their kids everywhere.  However, we were spoiled and we will fully admit it.  With myself transitioning from always working outside the home, to having a job where I work from home, being with my children and husband all day, every day has been quite the adjustment.  Not to mention moving away from both of our extended families who were always there to lend a hand if we had a big trip, or an awesome Menards/Lowes/Home Depot trip (after remodeling our first home, then building a home 2 years ago on the South Dakota ranch – those places knew us by name!).

Needless to say….I was looking forward to this time to explore Montana and Washington where there were no diapers, sippy cups, yelling for “NEMO” or fighting!  So hi-ho hi-ho it’s off to Spokane we go, 9.5 hours on the road!  William’s younger sister Jewel moved out there about two months ago and hasn’t seen any family since, so she was also excited to take us around.  Here is a visual tour of our road trip!

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These pictures were taken along the I-90 corridor through Montana, Idaho and Washington

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This is the Clark Fork River that you cross approximately 12 times on this trip  DSC07594 DSC07579

Absolutely Stunning.  However, not one place along this 640 mile trip had the amounts of snow that we do here at the ranch!

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Jewel (The City Girl!), The Rancher, and I had a blast! We ate great food (even though William wasn’t so sure on ordering at a few places because it wasn’t a steak house!), had delicious wine from Cougar Crest Winery and Patit Creek Winery’s as well as visited some local breweries!  If you ever get the chance to try Ice Wine, do it!

What are your vacation plans for the upcoming year?!