Mobility

Alex is crawling...and cruising, and pulling up, and climbing stairs. Get the baby gates, quick! This baby is on the move and I wasn't quite ready for it yet. No longer is it a good thing when he's quiet in the other room. He is very fast and determined and loves cords, paper, folded clothes, stale Cheerios, cardboard, Barbie shoes, and Transformers' arms and legs left strewn about from battles to the death. Let the toddler years begin!

My sister Kim had a scar on her forehead for a long time as a result of falling against a brick fireplace edge as a toddler...so I've been a little paranoid about this one in our family room since we moved in. When Alex got mobile I went out and found this protective foam; it's not even that ugly once it's on. One afternoon I came in and found him like this...SO effective! Now he thinks it's great fun to crawl over and pull it off.

Springtime!

We have enjoyed an early and mild Spring this year - we are so thankful for it and try to take advantage of the nice weather as often as possible! Some fun we've had lately:

Jake and I drove downtown one day to get a look at the flooded Red. It wasn't as bad as last year, but still pretty impressive.

Our ward's annual talent show, which Rob was in charge of this year. He performed several songs (above with our talented friend Mary), and Haley and Jake performed "Queen of the Waves" from Barbie in a Mermaid's Tale. Haley sang, Jake danced...I'll try to post video soon...too hilarious to not share.

Our first picnic of the year - the kids and I LOVE picnics and even though it was still a little chilly we decided it was time.

Six Months of Eating Your Veggies...

Last fall when we were at the Mall of America, Jake was just barely too short to ride on the bumper cars. He was so very disappointed and so we gave him the whole Popeye story, which he took to heart. Almost every night at dinner for the past six months you could hear us saying, "Bumper cars, Jake! Think of the bumper cars!" And what do you know...

This weekend we finally got to take our trip to the Cities, and Jake finally got to ride the bumper cars. Over and over and over again. Hurray for peas! And zucchini and green beans and broccoli and cauliflower and carrots...

The weather was beautiful while we were there so we spent a morning at the wonderful Como Park Zoo. It was chilly but quite a few of the animals were out anyway. It just felt good be outside in the sun! We have felt like caged animals ourselves these past few months.

I thought this was so cute. I told Jake he had to finish his graham cracker because the signs said "No Food or Drink." Of course, he asked why and I told him maybe the animals would be jealous of his snack. The inevitable, "What does 'jealous' mean, Mom?" I explained and a few minutes later I saw him standing in front of the seal tank like this.

Jake...More Than Meets The Eye!

Jake has been waiting for this day for a LONG time - 364 days, to be exact. It has been an excruciatingly long couple of months as he and I discussed and planned his party. We were supposed to be in Minneapolis for the weekend so he could go on the rides at the "Mall-a-ca-merica" but since most of us were sick we postponed the trip until next week. Jake has been drawn into Transformers and all their fabulous good vs. evil battles since we downloaded the old-school cartoon series for him to watch on the I-Pod last year. So today we celebrated at home with Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and all the other Autobots and Decepticons. Balloons, cupcakes, and a birthday dinner at Space Aliens rounded out the celebrations.

Usually I feel nostalgic or surprised when I think about how big the kids are getting, but this time it's a little anticlimactic. For so long Jake has been telling people that he's already four (or five or six) and wanting so much to be a big kid that it's almost a relief that he is getting older! According to Jake, 4-year-olds:

Eat lettuce on their turkey sandwiches.
Play soccer on a team (he's signed up to play this Spring).
Go to preschool (he'll go in the fall).

Jake has been a firecracker since he was born, and continues to surprise us with his intensity, persistence, and energy. He is also so sweet, and loves to give hugs and "nuggle". At 4 years old, Jake loves cars (and especially the movie Cars), construction trucks, trains, Transformers, space and rocket ships, super heroes, music, sports, the Wii, playing with friends, and Fruit Loops. He is a consummate little brother when it comes to tagging along and teasing Haley, but also a wonderful big brother to Alex, quick to get him a toy or play peek-a-boo with him. Alex starts laughing when Jake just walks in the room, and it's no wonder. Jake is wild, silly, and cracks us up with the things he says. A few gems of late:

-To himself, with amazement and wonder as he munched on some mini rainbow marshmallows I finally bought him, after months of begging every time we went to the store: "This is the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"

-As he stomped into the house after I told him "no" for some thing or another: "I am Mad, Mad, Mad-agascar!" (The movie is one of our family favorites.)

-While driving home one day last week we were exclaiming about all the melting snow and how Spring was finally coming: ""We've been waiting for YEARS!"

Happy 4th Birthday to our sweet Jake!

O.B.L.: Official Beater Licker

Jake is a very focused and efficient un-wrapper.

"This is the Optimus Prime I always wanted!"

Check me out, ladies...Ka-chow!

This was the ONLY face Alex would make for the camera today..."Uhh..."

A bunch of new Transformers means lots of work for Dad...he has to memorize the steps so he can "fix" them after Jake has semi-transformed them.

Oh, how Alex wanted that cupcake. He just knew it had to be something good.

Yes, grandmas and sugar-patrol, we gave him one. Not even just little nibbles, but plopped a whole one right on his tray. There was no hesitation, that cupcake had no chance of survival...needless to say, he LOVED it.

Our Best Winter Yet

When we made the decision to move last year and stay here another 5 years (at least, Rob always reminds me), I decided that I'd better learn to love it then, gosh darn it. Bloom where you're planted and all that...you can tell I was enthusiastic. But we went to UND football games and cheered for the home team. We asked Santa for ice skates for the family (found for cheap, cheap at local thrift stores) and Haley, for one, has discovered a new passion. We persuaded my mom to visit at Thanksgiving and Rob's parents to visit in January. We stocked up on firewood and enjoyed blazing fires most nights all winter long. We went sledding and discovered a local park will lend snowshoes, cross-country skis, ice skates and hockey gear for free - add it all to the list of fun! When we sat down to make our Springtime Countdown Calendar a month ago, I thought, "Wait! We haven't made a snowman yet! Or gone sledding enough! Or taken the kids to a hockey game!" Crazy, I know.

It hasn't all been fun - we had a round of flu early in the winter and again during the holidays, and then the boys have had terrible, lingering coughs this last month. We haven't been able to use our annual passes to the indoor water park because someone is always sick. There have been days and even weeks when we could feel cabin fever setting in. I gave myself ONE day to complain about the weather back in November when it got really cold, and there have been many days when I'm stuffing the kids into their socks, boots, coats, mittens, hats, scarves, buntings and blankets that I was tempted to revert to whining and had to bite my tongue. But you know what? It seems to have paid off...this has been our best winter yet, and we're looking forward to (at least) a few more.

Grandma & Grandpa Brave the Cold

Ah, the love of grandparents is miraculous to be sure. For anyone who knows my dear mother-in-law, they will hardly believe that this is her...outside...in North Dakota...in January. We were so happy Rob's parents were willing to fly out and visit us, especially since they brought some "warm" weather with them and we got a respite from the sub-zero temperatures we'd been having.

The kids were thrilled as always to play with grandma and grandpa, and we enjoyed lots of good food, roaring fires, and our first family ice skating adventure. It was a short visit, but we all loved it! Maybe next year we can visit them in their sunny southern region - that would only be fair, right?

6 Months!

It feels like every other week I'm exclaiming about Alex, "I love this age!" And while it's true that every age has its high points (What can compare with that newborn smell? That first smile? The first blissful slept-for-six-whole-hours night?), I really do adore the 6-month mark. Maybe its just that I'm finally feeling like myself again and life has resumed some semblance of normalcy - or at least settled into the "new normal" - but I just can't get enough of this cutie. At 6 months, Alex:


-Is sitting up (mostly). We still bank him with pillows for the occasional flop.

-Loves his pacifiers, but ONLY the green newborn ones. Not blue, pink, or anything else. Santa brought him a bunch of green ones so we'll always have a back-up. Several times a day we can be heard shouting to one of the older kids, "Find me a green bink!" Don't believe me? You try putting him to sleep with the wrong one. You're welcome to try anytime.

-Has decided he loves mashed potatoes. Also bananas, but not much else besides milk.

-Is rolling over consistently enough that we can no longer leave him on elevated surfaces or in the bouncy seat.

-Love, love, loves bath time. He starts kicking as soon as he hits the water, with a very intense look of concentration on his face. Alternating-leg kicks and froggy double-leg ones that soak whoever is watching him. Maybe we have a future swimmer on our hands...watch out, Michael Phelps.

-Is a big fan of my hair. Or anyone's, I guess, I just happen to be holding him a lot. I have to admit that I kind of love when he'll fall asleep with a handful of it clenched tightly in his pudgy little hand.

-Is universally adored by everyone in the house. He gets so excited when we pick Haley up from school and seems to save some of his biggest smiles for her. He laughs at Jake, who bounces around and plays peek-a-boo to get a giggle out of him. He is so sweet, still mellow most of the time, and smiles at everyone we meet. It's hard to remember when he wasn't part of our family. I can't wait to see what fun the next 6 months bring.

Not Getting Any Younger

As requested (and reminded, year after year after year), we did not make a big to-do about Rob's birthday. We had dinner at Texas Road House but since he was sick and really not feeling well, we were very kind and didn't make him sit on the saddle. However we did surprise him with a cake and candles - it would be unforgivable in our house to let a birthday go by without cake! Just look at them - what lucky kids to have such a great dad. They keep him young, no matter how many birthdays go by.

Happy Birthday, Bo!

Haley's going to look like a hockey player soon, her teeth are falling out one after the other! She was so excited that her first top front tooth came out.

Christmas and a Blizzard, 2009

Nothing makes you count your blessings like being snowed in for Christmas. A major blizzard blew into town Christmas Eve and we were so grateful that we had everything we needed for the holiday. Haley and Jake were counting down the minutes, it seemed, until Santa would arrive and we somehow managed to corral them for a Christmas Eve dinner & telling of the nativity story before letting them open their one gift that night. They both knew to expect pajamas but Haley was thrilled to discover that hers was a nightgown to match her Samantha doll, and Jake was excited that he and Alex had matching ones. Once we wrestled them into bed Rob and I had a great time playing Santa - we always go overboard but no one seems to complain.

The next morning we listened to Jake get up at 6:30 to use the bathroom, then pause in the hallway before racing into our room to announce that Santa had filled all the stockings and left them in the hall. This was our first Christmas in this house and it was fun to figure out how to do the "reveal." It was also fun, as always, to watch Haley and Jake and their drastically different reactions to their Santa presents. Jake bounces and shouts and races from toy to toy, while Haley freezes with a huge grin on her face while she takes it all in. These kids are so amazing and we feel so blessed to be able to surprise and delight them; Christmas is certainly 100 times more fun with kids!

We spent the entire morning opening gifts (with lots of play-breaks), and the afternoon snacking and playing and reading by the roaring fire as the snow drifts grew outside. The entire town was shut down and we were grateful we hadn't planned any travel, as all the highways and airports were closed. But despite being stranded from friends and far from family, we felt the love from you all and hope that your holiday was just as wonderful!

Woohoo! New pajamas!

Alex was not very good at unwrapping. Good thing he had a big brother and sister to help.

Santa surprised Haley with a bed for her doll Samantha. Painted and decorated and with sheets and a real quilt! Santa was very proud of herself - ahem, himself.

Santa brought ice skates for the whole family, even Samantha!

So Christmas-y and cute!

Laying among the stocking spoils.

Ready for the morning.

Santa brought new sleds for the kids so they braved the blizzard to play with them. The snow drifts were big enough to sled down...it would be a while before we could try out the ice skates at the rink in the nearby park.