Adam's Soccer Team

A couple weeks ago Adam started talking about his soccer team.  My coworker Carl is apparently on the team and Adam's new Michigan Tech shirt came from the team.  He has games and talks all about it on a daily basis.  His imagination is great and it's really fun to listen too.  I think someone needs a little soccer goal for the backyard for his birthday?

Sliding Little Men

Algona at the Con-no

We had an unexpected weekend in Algoma.  We always knew every visit with Grandma Marge was special and could be our last- especially since last July when she broke her hip and had to move to the nursing home.  The weekend was a celebration of her wonderful life with the family and we had fun remembering wonderful memories of her.  The following pictures are from the Saturday gathering at Uncle Dennis and Aunt Linda's house.

 We picked up the boys at 5:30 on Friday from daycare with a packed car and had a fairly easy drive to Algoma.  Adam was in such a good mood, because he new we were heading to "the con-no in Algona".  He was singing songs about loving his buggers and just being a ham, so we enjoyed him and didn't turn the DVD player on.  When we showed up a little after midnight the family came out to help us get the boys.  Adam woke up and saw Auntie Annie and had a huge grin on his face- normally in that situation we'll have a crabby Adam on our hands.  And why wouldn't he love Algoma when the beach is right across the street from the condo.

So even though the reason the family gathered was sad- we made the best of it and enjoyed our family time together.  And honestly that's what Grandma Marge would have wanted!

High Chair No More

Trying to get Eli in the high chair is a work out.  He arches his back and twists and turns and screams.  One morning this week I finally gave up and said that's it you can eat breakfast when you get to daycare and put him down to the floor.  I left for work and Dave was busy packing up with Adam when he heard a strange noise in the dining room, so he sent Adam in to investigate.  And Adam reported back that Eli was sitting in Adam's chair finishing Adam's breakfast.

So Eli uses Adam's chair and Adam sits in a regular chair.  It works and Eli eats.

Wonderful Grandma Marge

The world lost a wonderful woman today, but at least she is finally with her husband.  I met Grandma Marge almost ten years ago at Ann's graduation party.  Although the short term memory loss had started to affect her she knew my name and how I fit into her family.  Dave says I never really got the chance to meet Grandma Marge, but I could see her truth.  She has the most beautiful personality and is always so truly and deeply happy.  We love you  Grandma Marge and we'll miss you.

Happy Mothers Day

Last summer I was so excited to think about family biking this summer.  I couldn't wait for Eli to be one and our family to be able to go for bike rides together.  We're even hoping to bike to work and do drop off with the carrier and spend less time in the car around town.  So to celebrate Mother's Day 2012 we went for a bike ride with my parents.

 It wasn't a very long ride and even though it was Mother's Day and everyone offered to pull the boys- I still pulled the heavy load that is my precious cargo behind my bike.

We even stopped to enjoy the beautiful day along the trail.  Then we packed up and headed to my grandparents farm for supper with several of my aunts and cousins.  My dad made spaghetti and everyone except us brought desert.  There was Humming Bird cake, chocolate ice cream cake, strawberry pie and peach cake.  It was mother's day- so I had one of each and a Latte on my way home!

On Saturday I ran my first 5K of the season.  I finished 25th with a time of 25:35.  I was actually a little nervous because I was placed on the fast team for the 3M team of the Triple Crow Series of races in Hutchinson this summer.  My team is firmly in first place and I don't think I let them down!  

Bye Bye Baby Mullet

Last weekend my mom came out to help watch the boys so I could help out with a Habitat fundraiser on Friday night.  After three years of wanting it, but not winning it I finally brought home the toy train.  It wasn't cheap, but this year I actually enjoyed bidding during the live auction (last year I got a little scared and lost).

Then on Saturday mom took the scissors to Eli's baby mullet.  It needed to be trimmed, but now he looks like a toddler.

And he is toddling.  Every day he walks more and more.  He still crawls a lot, but he puts lots and lots of steps together.

Little Man Party

I wanted to throw Eli a little Man themed Birthday party.  It kind of all started with the invitations, well and Pinterest.  I'm addicted to pinterest and pinning and searching for ideas has been a lot of fun.  So this was the invitation I created on Snapfish and the minimum order was 20, so we ended up sending out almost that many invites.  And we only got two no's so our house was packed!

Then I got to work crafting everything I had pinned.  I started Easter weekend making t-shirts with ties that I cut out and glued and my mom sewed.  I also started cutting out felt mustaches.  My in-laws gave me some New Years top hats and derby plastic hats.  I used the leftover tie fabric to make a pennant banner which will now hang in the boys room.

I spent a lot of time using my cricut for ties and mustaches.  Tie welcome banner and felt mustaches on a stick for decoration/funny photos.  The picture of the month banner was also super cute and easy to make (I threw that one together as my inlaws showed up).

The tie shirts turned out so cute and they took a long time, so I decided to use freezer paper as a stencil with fabric paint to make some bibs that fit with the theme, but using the cricut to cut out the design and then slowly painting each bib in multiple sessions made the project drag on, but they turned out so cute it was worth it. Ties and Mustache's for the Little Men and a bow necklace for the Little Lady.

I wanted to have Eli's favorite foods- so we had to have macaroni and cheese, pigs in a blanket, squeeze apple sauce and fresh fruit.  I also made onesie cut out cookies and frosted them white with a blue tie and then there were cup cakes, lots and lots of yellow cake mix cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  Half the cupcakes were filled with chocolate pudding, half without.  I made 12 cupcake toppers so many cupcakes went without a cute little topper.  We also had salsa and chips, fresh veggies and pulled pork sandwiches.

Eli got a special smash cake.  Double layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles please.  Don't worry we pulled the candle and sticks holding the banner out before we him touch the cake.

Little Man tasted his cake,

 decided he liked and dived right in face first:

 He got cake and icing up his little noise because he just kept face planting the cake!  Everyone was laughing so hard.  I have to admit I've never seen anything quite like it before.

All of the kids changed into their tie shirts and some how I managed to get one picture of them all.  Surprise-surprise Adam was the last one to agree to a picture!

Happy Birthday Little Man!  Your first birthday party turned out great.  I hope you had as much fun as I had planning your special party!

 And now to plan a three year old's Construction Party!

12 Months

Well you're almost walking.  A lot of times you push yourself up to standing takes some steps and when you fall you finish getting where you wants by crawling.  I can't believe my little mover didn't start walking before his first birthday, but honestly I'm happy he crawled for so long.

You started eating school lunches this last month.  One day I got a call from daycare that you had asked for school lunch and they fed it to you and you loved, so the next day you started getting lunch from school instead of us sending purees.

The weekend before your first birthday you were teething and now you have your eye teeth.  Having more than just the two bottom teeth makes you look like such a big boy.

You absolutely hate the bottom gate.  Dave and I finally put it up and whenever you notice it's closed you throw a royal fit.  Most likely because you love climbing up the stairs.

It's time to cut your supper soft silky blond hair.  It breaks my heart to cut it, but I can't handle the doctor calling you Ellie one more time when I bring you in to urgent care.

Both sets of grandma's and grandpa's can't believe how much more vocal you were this weekend compared to the last time they saw you.  You really are trying to communicate through pointing, yelling and imitating what we say.

Happy 12 months Little Man!  You really were an awesome baby and hopefully the toddler months will be just as much fun!