Fridge Climbing

Baby Jake's favorite activity of late.

Overheard

We went to the Children's Christmas Party at Medtronic World Headquarters today (I'll post the pictures later).  I took Avery into the ladies' room to go potty.  We managed to navigate the automatic flushers on the toliet and then when we got the sink Avery found a HUGE basket full of feminine products (clearly Medtronic is not in the midst of massive cost cutting measures like some other Twin Cities corporations that I know of).  Here's the way it went down:

Avery: Mommy I want one of those (tampons).

Mommy:  Oh Honey, those are for girls (or grils as he calls us)

Avery:  Okay, then you have one.  Get one Mommy, get one!!

Mommy:  No, Honey, I don't need one.  It's for when you are having a hard day.

Avery: (Very very serious look on his face) But, I'm having a hard day.

Mommy: (laughing)

Avery: Stop laughing!! I am having a really hard day.  I need one of those.

I hear giggling.  Out from the stall emerges a old woman dressed as Mrs. Clause.  Just enough of a distraction to navigate Avery away from the huge basket of tampons.  She just laughed and then told us she has 6 kids, 17 grand kids and 15 grandkids and she knows all about these little guys.  

We should all be so lucky.

So long little blue house

We've just about finished our siding project, just some painting on the trim and the door left to do.  This will probably have to wait until spring since its already below freezing here.  Here are some pics of our progress to date.

The Many Faces of Avery

My New Teeth!

Baby Jake's got a new smile, check it out....

Happy Birthday Baby Jake!

My little baby turned one this last week!  I can hardly believe its been a year already.  It hasn't been the easiest year for us, from housing disasters to medical issues, you name it, it feels like we have experienced it this past year.  This sweet baby of mine really keeps things in perspective for us.  He has a smile on his face 99.9% of the time and this kid's laugh can make your heart melt. He truly has been a gift to our family!

We love you little (big) buddy!  Happy First Birthday!

How Long?

How long does it take two little boys to adjust to the one hour day light savings time change?  For the past week Avery has been waking up at all hours of the morning, sneaky upstairs to our bed demanding to watch his Curious George videos.  Jake has been waking up too, but sometimes if we leave him alone just long enough, he will go back to sleep.  We re-instituted the "6 on your clock" rule by which Avery is not allowed to get out of bed until there is a 6 on his clock.  A few mornings he got up a 5:36 or 5:56 so we had to tell him its the first number, not the last.  So this morning he got up a promptly "six-zero-zero".  I promise you he was sitting there watching his clock just waiting for it to turn.  

One of the unfortunate things I inherited from my parents (besides my big head - from my dad) is a need for sleep - from my mom.  I have since come to the conclusion that my boys, at least Avery, did not get this gene.  

In other news Jake's upper gum looks like a corn cob.  He has about 6 teeth just waiting to bust through.  He continues to be an amazingly sweet and happy baby, but when those gums start hurting he can really scream.  Its just like the night he was born, I will never ever forget the blood curdling scream he let out when they took him out.

Kevin took Avery to the Minnesota/Michigan football game today.  I was going to go, but I'm too cheap to pay the babysitter and after two days straight of a screaming Jake and a bouncing off the walls Avery I opted for some quiet time at home with my sweet baby.  Yesterday Avery broke down crying while we were reading Frosty the Snowman (its snowing here already incase I forgot to add that) because he wanted to know why Frosty had to go away and where he would go.  I'm hoping a little time guy time today will toughen him up a bit.  

Finally, our niece Lindsay came down with an infection this week.  She and her parents are having a tough time this weekend.  Please say a little prayer for them tonight.

More Halloween fun!

Check out the spooky skeleton by the fish pond

Fun with flashlights

Checking out the candy basket

Avery with friends with Reese (aka Ariel) and Brady, our neighborhood Gopher

Happy Halloween!

Mission control to Daddy, all systems are go, prepare for trick or treating!

Captain Jake 

Maybe my favorite picture of all time

Apple Picking

Here are some pics from our trip to the apple orchard last weekend.  As much as I complain about the end of summer, I wait all year for Minnesota's Honey Crisp apples, perhaps one of my favorite foods of all time (second only to South Carolina Peaches).  We picked and picked until our bushel bag nearly burst at the seams!

Tractor Ride

Pure and Natural Goodness found in this row!

These trees are just the right size for Avery

Prelude to Halloween

We went to the annual Elmwood neighborhood Halloween party today.  Avery has been getting a lot of fun out of his astronaut suit.  We left the space helmet at home today an opted for the NASA baseball cap instead.  I have been working furiously on Jake's pirate suit, complete with stroller cover shaped like a pirate ship.  I still have a few adjustments to make but hope to have in ship shape by Friday for trick or treating!

Working on a Jack-o-Lantern with Daddy

Jake being interview by the MC for the parade

Mission control to pilot, we have Halloween entertainment

Jake, sporting his pirate outfit (sans hat)

University of Minnesota Arboretum

We went to the University of Minnesota Arboretum on Saturday.  It was a perfect day and the trees were magnificent.  The boys had a great time running through the woods, doing arts and crafts and chasing lady bugs.   In a few more weeks the leaves will be gone and winter will be on our doorstep!  

Avery's first day of school

Here is a picture from Avery's first day of school. He's been in his new preschool about a month now and the verdict is still out as to whether he really likes it or not. He is the youngest of 12 boys and 7 girls in the class and it seems like some of them should be in kindergarden already. He is learning to write his name. I can't seem to get him to do much more than a manic scribble, so maybe its not all bad.

WARNING! Do not get on a plane with this child!!

Here's my weekly bit of parenting advice for the masses: Just don't even try to fly with your child between the ages of 5 months and 3 years. This sweet child of mine screamed and cried for 2 out of the 2 1/2 hour flight from Boston to Minneapolis. Maybe its just a jinx because I am always bragging about what a perfect baby he is? All I'm saying is if you want to see baby Jake before he turns 3, you'd better get yourself a plane ticket to Minneapolis, because we're not getting on an airplane anytime soon. I'm not even sure Northwest would let this kid on one of their planes after yesterday's trip.

Potatoes pulled my pants down!

I'm not sure who the antagonist was in this series of photos but there was A LOT of horsing around between Avery and his cousin Mateo this past weekend. Mostly it was all fun, but some bouts ended in wining cries by Avery, ("Potatoes pulled my pants down!" or "Potatoes sprayed me with the hose!") and one in a fat lip. By the way this wrestling match took place during Mariela's baptism party.

A visit to the farm

Here are some pics from our visit to Uncle Pepper's house in Massachusetts last weekend. Much fun was had by all of the little munchkins, especially when it came to the chickens!