21 months and counting

Oh how time flies! Just one year ago, I had this sweet baby boy draped over my shoulder, peacefully sleeping (multiple times per day) in a milk coma. 

His chubby cheeks and long eye lashes snuggled up against my neck as he rested his sleepy head. 

And here we are now, just 12 months later, he is a busy, talkative, happy toddler! Each day he is learning new words and makes our hearts full with his sweet demeanor. He is determined to make a good husband someday, and is in excellent training. I love that he is right there to 'help' me at every turn. Whether it's cooking, cleaning or yard work, he wants to 'help. And it makes me so happy to have him next to me! 

Of course we have a lot left to learn in the grand scheme of using tools appropriately. But that isn't stopping him from trying to rake the driveway :) 

He adores his sisters as much as they love him. At any given moment, I can hear him playing with one of them (or driving them crazy by getting into their barbies!), and to see moments like this melt my heart. 

He really does help us unload the dishwasher. And like he watches us, he dries off all the excess water before placing the item on the counter near the appropriate cupboard. It's quite impressive, especially for a 21 month old! Now if he does this when he's 21 years old, we'll be in good shape! 

He is happy, 

 and silly,

determined, 

and oh so sweet! 

At 21 months, he is:
* about 27 lbs and into size 18-24 mo clothing
* naps about 3.5 hours in the afternoon and 10 hours overnight
* running around like crazy, climbing onto couches and chairs and even up into his high chair!
* getting brave and learning to walk (versus scoot on his bottom) down the stairs...this gives me a heart attack.
* adores riding on toys, in toys and playing outside. Loves, loves, loves outside. I'm already dreading 6 months from now when I'll be sitting outside in -10 weather while he plays until Ryan gets home.
* has been very safe around the pool, never darting in or jumping in unless a parent is ready. I tell people, he may accidentally fall in, but he won't jump in.
* his allergies are under great control thanks to a lot of homework on our part and complete elimination of allergens. we use words like "safe foods" and have scaled back eating out (sniff, sniff) because it is proving difficult and not worth the risk. But he's healthy!
* is just starting to show some interest in Elmo and Mickey Mouse. His preference still is to watch a video of himself on my phone, but sometimes I need 10 minutes and so Elmo is the choice. Too bad he can't stand Mr. Noodle and whines until Elmo returns.... :(
* although he can't say "sorry", he knows when he's done something wrong (biting lately), and will snuggle in for a hug to apologize.
* is our sweet 'baby' boy and we are so in love with him!

Happy 21 months buddy! 

~we love you!~

a morning date with the girls

The kids don't get a whole lot of one on one time with either of us (or two on one unless Lincoln is one of them). During my week off, they asked to go to the bakery. Not the bakery hidden inside a grocery store. Nope, they wanted the real deal bakery. 

Well, when your youngest has an allergy to milk, egg and peanut, going into a bakery is not advised. Sadly, their request had to wait for the weekend. 

But I think you can see by their faces, that it was worth the wait! 

Regan had wanted a bear claw but apparently so did everyone else that morning and they were clear out. So she settled for this giant, big-as-her-head donut! Thankfully she stopped and didn't finish the entire thing :) And our chocolate lover Sidney was thrilled with her choice!
I stuck with coffee :) 

Yippee for a morning date! 

Videos of Lincoln

Lincoln is like a sponge these days, learning more and more each and every day. Often, I will hear him repeat a new word out of my mouth and look at him with that "say it again!" look. In the last few days he has added the words: see, please, mine, dog and my favorite....no-no. 

I know!!!

How in the world can I be excited that he says "no no"?! Well, it's something that I've been working on with him for a few weeks. He mastered the word yes long ago, but then everything turned into 'yes'. It's like at my work when a patient perseverates on a word and that's all they say. Makes it unreliable.

So the other day during bath, Lincoln took a giant amount of water and dumped it out of the tub. My response was "no-no!"

His response.....click HERE.

I love it :)  

One word that he has yet to master is 'more'. He has his own version of the sign, and it is beyond adorable. For those that are unfamiliar, it is normally signed like this

Lincoln only puts his first fingers together, and it is so delicate and adorable. 

Click HERE to see his reaction to a police car zooming past and his perfect expression of what he would like to happen next.

We see that sign constantly, especially when he sees a dog, an emergency vehicle, a semi truck and more recently, when he 'toots'. :) What a boy!!

One final video..., he has his hands on Regan's recorder from school this past year (lucky for us, she gets to keep it forever which means we get to hear Hot Cross Buns on a daily basis). Lincoln has picked up on her tunes but has no idea how to actually make the sound come out, and so he hums a tune rather than blow. Oh how we love him so!! Click HERE to listen. 

Diving board cartwheel

Regan learned how to do cartwheels off our diving board this summer...click the link : 

http://youtu.be/V4q2dRvmFlM

I was a bit apprehensive at first, nervous that she would hit her head. She's done well with them and is gaining confidence in herself! I on the other hand, am still quite nervous! 

Soak city at Valleyfair

We decided to check out Soak City waterpark at Valleyfair last Friday. It was predicted to be 90+ hot and humid and the weatherman did not disappoint! It's a fun waterpark and Ryan/Regan were really excited to try out the new slides. 

We spent a few hours going on water slides, splashing in water, napping (Lincoln did that), and soaking up some rays before we decided to brave the heat and enjoy some rides. 

Lincoln is following in his big sisters' footsteps and enjoys all of the rides that Valleyfair will let him attempt. This lady bug was one of his favs and we could hear him giggle each time he came around as his bug went up and down a small hill. He loved it! 

Since he can walk, he is allowed to go on most of the Planet Snoopy rides along with an adult, so yours truly got to go round and round on all of the kiddie rides with him! 

And while he and I went round and round, the other 3 went way up high!! Before we left in the morning, we measured Sidney (wearing shoes) and the girl is just at 48" exactly. That happens to be the sweet spot for Valleyfair big kid rides (most of them). So she happily went on the Extreme Swings, Renegade and Wild Thing without any hesitation, even dragging me along with her for some! She'll be thrilled to go back in a few weeks for the rest of the coasters when we attend Ryan's work outing. 

In the picture below, she's in the 3rd seat from the right, then Ryan, then Regan. 

Yippee for fun family memories! 

Minihaha falls-summer edition

I'm off work this week and we've been spending a lot of time traveling around the metro, checking out all the sights that this wonderful area has to offer. Today it was off to Minihaha Falls for a picnic lunch-Regan's request. With the recent downpour that we had 2 nights ago, we were not let down when it came to the falls. Talk about raging water! All 3 of the kiddos were impressed and I heard a "whooaa" out of Lincoln followed quickly by "cool"!

Sadly, Lincoln took a major fall turning the corner just before I snapped this picture (needless to say he was NOT in the mood for a picture to be taken)! But these two sisters sure are cute :) And who would've thought just hours prior they were fighting and slamming doors at each other. 

To say that Lincoln wanted to see the water up close is an understatement. Sidney had to reach for him at one point because she was just too nervous with how close he was to falling in. Oh little boy, you simply have no fear! 

Sidney willingly posed for me throughout our morning....Regan on the other hand was not interested. I sure hope this isn't a glimpse into our teenage years where she finds my nagging for pictures to be 'uncool'. Funny thing is, when she flips through pictures she will comment "where is one with just me?!". 

Lincoln wanted to do many of the steps going down by himself, so it was slow going for the rest of us. But I had to carry him up all of them, and I took that as the bulk of my workout for the day :) All of those stairs are one thing, adding an extra 30 lbs is another. 

We rounded out the morning with a picnic and a quick moment at the play ground. This crew was beyond ready for a little A/C and begged to cool off in the pool! Love a Minnesota summer! 

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Ryan and I have spent almost all of our adult lives living in the cities, and we had yet to get to visit the historical "cherry and the spoon". That statement was often met with "seriously?!" from our friends. Yes, seriously, we just never thought to get there. And the kids have learned about this place all on their own. So on Monday, I grabbed the littles of the house and loaded up into the car destined for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. 

I think they were pretty impressed.....

Eventually I got them to turn around and give me a smile and their first impressions; both girls announced "it looks more red in pictures. I think it needs a paint job". 

And with that, we spent another hour walking around the gardens as the summer sun heated up. 

Some friends had mentioned that Lincoln would love going across the nearby footbridge where two major streets run below. Oh were they right, he was in love watching cars and trucks go by. But his strut?, now that was something that had to be replicated by the girls. Not sure why he was walking with his hands on his hips, but we got a good laugh out of it! 

Regan and I worked our tails off trying to take this artsy picture, but in the end, I think we need more practice. And maybe less distractions by the little guy splashing in nearby puddles and screaming at the top of his lungs in a sculpture garden. 

I was in love with the nearby flower gardens and couldn't resist snapping a few pictures. The morning dew still dripping off this yellow flower. 

I was a second too late to catch all 3 of the kids pressing their noses against the double sided mirror exhibit. I'm telling you though, it was pretty hilarious to see our three little piggies with their faces pressed against this; noses smashed upwards :) 

We are really loving all the exploration we have done in the past few days. Over the last year, Ryan and I have talked about wanting to travel here or there and see this or that. And recently, we realized that there is so much to see in our own state, let alone our own community! I'm so happy to be able to have a gorgeous week off from work to take advantage of all these places! 

Cookie

Lincoln learned a new word recently: cookie. The way he holds onto the ooooo sound is precious!  I'm really not even sure where he picked it up, because frankly we don't eat a lot of cookies around here. Especially now with his egg and dairy (and peanut) allergies. 

Regan started to feel really sorry for him and his pleas for a "cookie", and asked to bake him some safe cookies. Easier said than done. No butter and no eggs. Oh, and no chocolate chips (milk)! Yikes. I had some research ahead of me. 

Thankfully there is Pinterest and I came across a receipe without a million foreign ingredients. Just needed to find vegan chocolate chips-aka: dark chocolate chips made in a peanut free facility (those suckers are pricey!). We made our own egg replacement and used his vegan butter. Ryan was a bit skeptical about the end result. 

But you know what?!, they were good and we all liked them! And Lincoln finally got his cookie. Thanks for being such a great big sister, Regan! 

Around town

When I first moved to the metro area, I lived in the cutest little neighborhood in Southwest Minneapolis. And every time I go back and visit the area, I feel at home. There's just something about it that makes it so very welcoming. I secretly hope one (or all) of the kids will make this neighborhood their home when they begin their adult life. 

Today, we decided to head to that same area and do a little exploring. Sidney's pre-school had been on a field trip to a nearby book store last summer and she couldn't wait to show her siblings how cool it is. Wild Rumpus is one of those tiny little bookstores designed especially for kids that you will go back to again and again. It's not Barnes and Nobles....nope, it is soooo much better! One of the biggest reasons is that there are animals, roaming free, around the store while shoppers browse the aisles. Animals!! Plural! 

I can't think of a word strong enough to describe how much Lincoln loved being in that store. From cats to parakeets to chickens and chinchillas. Every time he turned around, there was another animal for him to explore! 

The chinchilla was hiding out in her cage but that didn't stop Lincoln from sticking his finger in for a little pet. 

And the white chicken?!, oh my goodness! At first, Regan asked "what side is the head and what side is....not the head?" because these things are just a fluff ball! Turns out, Lincoln was petting the "not the head" side and the girls sat on a nearby bench giggling like crazy that he needed to wash his hands :) 

As we walked out, this feline was taking a break in the chair on display in the window. She plopped right down on a pile of books like it was no big deal. Seriously, talk about feeling at home! 

Sidney had to demonstrate walking through the kid sized door. See how her head nearly touches?, it's a pint sized door just for the kiddos. Cool! Not to fret, the typical door does open too so we don't have to squat down low to exit. 

After we left the store, we were so close to Lake Harriet that we thought it was good time to head over for a snack and some play time. Again, it was a feeling of being right at home for me. My first apartment was just about 6 blocks from the lake and I spent nearly every summer day running or rollerblading around the lake. The girls have grown to love the lake as much as we do. We've had a lot of good laughs as a family on that sidewalk and we are so excited to experience it with Lincoln too....even if he wants nothing to do with a picture. 

because he had spotted the ducks in the water and wanted nothing other than to see them up front and close. He kept saying "quack" or "cuck" as he raced over to them. Thankfully he stood far enough back from the edge as he admired those floating 'cucks'. 

And going down to the band shell, I can't resist the urge to take some fun pictures of all the kiddos. The girls were pleased to let me click away for a few minutes. 

"mom watch this!" 

"mom take a picture when I jump!"

"ready....go!"

He's quickly learning and though he wouldn't look at me, he half smiled a fake smile and I love the way it turned out :)

Because he knew when we were done at the band shell, it was off to the super fun big-kid play set and he would have a B.L.A.S.T! 

Yea for finding some fun around town on this warm Friday morning! We packed a lot of fun into a few hours and can't wait for another adventure! 

Sidney says

well folks, she's at it again. Sidney's on a roll with her statements again and last night, I could barely breathe I was laughing so hard. She was laying down in bed for the night and hollered downstairs:
"mom!"
"what Sidney?"
"I'm so tired"
"go to sleep!"
"but I'm so tired"
"ok dear, then just close your eyes"
"well I can't do that. I can't pretend sleep all night long!"

wait...what!? Oh my goodness. We sat downstairs and just laughed our pants off!!

The 4th, done right

We kinda love the 4th of July around this place. Let's be honest, it's July, and that alone makes me happy! But add to it, family, heat, sun and a celebration of our independence and I'm one happy girl. This year was pretty similar to our years past. Our city celebrates on the 3rd with a whiz bang of a fireworks display and we have a good time with some friends beforehand. That translates into a late night and some tired kiddos the next morning. Ryan skips out and headed golfing with my mom so he doesn't deal with our sleepy heads..... 

This sleepyhead woke up with a note and some cash from the Tooth Fairy having lost her FIFTH tooth the afternoon prior. She popped it right out herself, just like she had wished for. 

So now we've hit Labor Day and the 4th of July with lost teeth from this girl. I think she has a secret wish to lose a tooth on every holiday :)

Our little ones sure clean up well. The out takes of this shot are pretty funny, Lincoln continually spun in circles and then screamed whenever either girl tried to get him to stop and take a picture. I had to act like a clown to get him to stop and smile at the camera. Oh the things that I do for a picture of all three. 

After a round of golf by Ryan and my mom and some food prep from me and the girls, our doorbell started ringing and soon the back yard was filled with outdoor fun. The kids and I found the new water balloons (the ones that fill 40 balloons at a time and a 120 in less than a minute....a new kind of awesome!) and it was time for a water fight! Ryan kept running around yelling "why am I the intended target??" as everyone was going after him :)



Lincoln and Grandma Jan found a cool place in the shade to relax. She taught him how to clink his cup and say "cheers". He's kinda proud of himself with that big boy cup. Ryan on the other hand, is not loving the sticky mess he kept spilling all over the deck because he insisted on something, anything, other than water to drink! 



Ryan's pretty good at doing all sorts of tricks in the pool. Here he's trying to land on the magic carpet and stay standing on it...not as easy as it looks! Took him a few tries but eventually he mastered it and we all cheered for his success!

And teaching Arnie to throw an alley oop....well that was a sight too! The first time he tossed the ball at Ryan's feet and we all got a good chuckle at how impossible that ball was to catch. I'm telling you, it's like having an extra kid with him around sometimes! He sure likes to goof around :) 

Once evening settled in, we took the party out front for a fire works display. Ryan got his hand on some pretty awesome fireworks while we were in Wisconsin last month, and so our 'show' was a little more exciting this year!
Lincoln just kept on drinking and drinking all evening, but at least I knew he wasn't going to get dehydrated in that warm July humidity! 

Check out his curls

For some reason, Grandpa Arnie thought Lincoln was hilarious. I just love this picture of Arnie's expression as he talks to Lincoln, priceless! 

There was simply no way that Regan was going to let us forget that she was going swimming after fireworks. So much so that she wouldn't even change out of her swim suit/cover up! Swimming in the dark might just be her most favorite part of the 4th. 

As for this cutie with her glasses, oh is she our little fire cracker! She was so happy for everything about the day: the food, the swimming, more food, some fireworks and give her some more food. I mean it, she has a wild metabolism as she weighs roughly 45 lbs and eats c.o.n.s.t.a.n.t.l.y! 

With Lincoln in one arm and my camera in the other, we ooed and ahhed as we watched Ryan's display :) 

All the kiddos lit up themselves with glow sticks around every limb and more in their hands! 

At the end of the night, after saying our goodbyes, the 3 oldest of us in the family hopped back in the pool for a quick night swim! It is so peaceful (and super warm!) to swim at night. I know why Regan thinks it's so fun! 

Late at night, as we cleaned up around the pool, Ryan looked at me and said "we do the 4th right: swimming, grilling out, awesome fireworks and pool in the dark. What could be better?". I must say that I have to agree with him :) 

Happy 4th!