Cooper Family Stuff

Miss Nora

2012-01-12T15:19:00.000-06:00

Nora's Blessing

2012-01-12T14:53:00.003-06:00

On January 1, 2012, Nora was blessed. She was able to wear the same dress that my mother and grandmother were blessed in. The dress was absolutely gorgeous with all of the antique lace, and Nora was beautiful in it.

We had a ton of family come to St. Louis to see Nora on her special day. It was so wonderful to see so much family.

Christmas Morning

2012-01-12T14:43:00.001-06:00

Our Christmas was filled with Legos, Star Wars, Lego Star Wars, and maybe a few other things. But mostly Legos and Star Wars. And Lego Star Wars. The boys were pretty excited about all of it.

Christmas Fun

2012-01-12T14:36:00.004-06:00

This year, we tried to pack in the fun with some of the unique holiday opportunities here in St. Louis. We went to the Tilles Park light display, saw Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Magic House, and enjoyed all of the neighborhood lights.

We also went to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows where we got to see lots of lights, ride a camel, see a puppet show, and play with Legos.

On Christmas Eve, we went to the Botanical Gardens to enjoy their annual train display and visit some other fun places in the gardens.

Halloween 2011

2012-01-12T14:24:00.000-06:00

Skeleton

Optimus Prime

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Baby Nora

2012-01-12T14:20:00.000-06:00

Nora Beth Cooper was born October 26, 2011 at 3:30 am. She was 8 lbs 1 oz and 20.5 inches at birth.

The Moustache

2011-09-05T23:47:00.002-05:00

There's something about moustaches that are just plain devious. Ryan brought home some fake moustache stickers that he got on campus, and the boys had a great time with them.

And when I say boys, I mean all of my boys.

Nice little 'stache twirl going on there.

Trip to Nauvoo

2011-09-05T23:25:00.003-05:00

We were able to go to Nauvoo for a day and have some fun with our family. We ate lunch by the temple and saw the beautiful sculpture of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

We took a horse-carriage ride where we were told many neat stories about historical Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the dedicated Saints.

We spent some time at Pioneer Pasttimes where the boys got to play some period games.

Ryan walking on stilts. Very impressive.

We toured many houses, including John Taylor's house with the famous rocking horse. When the Saints were driven from Nauvoo, John Taylor's son was crying because they left his rocking horse. So, John Taylor rode back, risking his life, to get his son's rocking horse back.

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-09-05T23:12:00.002-05:00

Chris started Kindergarten a few weeks ago and has been loving it. He is in the only half-day class in the school, which is comprised of 10 little boys and 5 little girls - perfect for our little guy.

The school put these signs in front of every kindergartner's house a week before school. The sign really made Chris excited for school to start. Chris has done really well in school and has loved his friends and his teacher. I love walking him to and from school and hearing about all of the things that he has been doing and learning.

Summer 2011 in Review

2011-09-05T20:43:00.012-05:00

Why have I not posted anything all summer?

Reason #1: We've been busy, as evidenced by this post.
Reason #2: Our computer was not working well enough to do things such as upload pictures.
Reason #3: I've been pregnant and tired.

So here is our summer in somewhat reverse-chronological order (due to issues with Blogger):

Max Turns Three!

We celebrated with green "Incredible Hulk" cupcakes and a water balloon toss.

Alleman Family Vacation to Lake Powell

Thanks to my wonderful parents, we were able to visit Lake Powell with my entire family. Even though we had one rough night that left my husband, father, and little brother's family stranded on the lake for an entire night, we ended up having a wonderful time after we were all safe and together again.

Me and my future baby girl under Rainbow Bridge.

A New Vehicle

Right before we left on our month-long vacation, we upgraded our car to a minivan. And with all of the miles we covered this summer, we were very grateful to have more space.

Lamoille Canyon
While in Elko, we went up Lamoille Canyon and had a cookout and explored the area a bit. Lamoille Canyon is one of my favorite places, so I was so happy to visit and see the rest of my family enjoy it as well.

A Visit to BYU Campus

While we were out West, we stopped and spent an afternoon on BYU's campus. We enjoyed some Creamery ice cream, explored the Eyring Science Center exhibits, walked around some memorable spots, and visited the football stadium.

A Wedding

Ryan's sister got married in the Idaho Falls Temple. What a beautiful and fun weekend!

Fourth of July

For Independence Day, we spent some time with the extended Alleman clan in Wallsburg, UT where we went down a giant slip & slide, rode on a zip line, learned how to longboard, and ate some yummy food.

Chris turned 5!

We had a fun party with a Lego cake, Lego games, and lots of fun little boys.

Chris with his stash of presents.

All of the little boys with their Legos. Max was pretty upset he didn't get to sit by his brother.

The Lego cake.

Our First Pet

The boys found a roly-poly bug in our bathroom and adopted him as their first pet. They named him Zach and kept him in a jar with airholes. Max especially loved to watch him and let him crawl all over his arms.

A Mid-Haircut Mohawk. Just for fun.

Tee-Ball

Chris got to take tee-ball camp for a few weeks where he learned how to throw, catch, and hit. They even got to play a few games.

Father and Sons Outing

Ryan brought Chris and Max to the Father and Sons outing this year. The boys had a great time playing with all the other boys and telling ghost stories. Since it was raining in the morning, they took off and had breakfast at IHOP.

Mother's Day 2011

Chris Graduates from Preschool

Chris with some of his good friends.

Green Eggs and Ham

2011-05-27T17:52:00.000-05:00

Chris thought this breakfast was funny and exciting.

Max took a little coaxing to try the green eggs. The ham was no problem.

After eating green eggs and ham, Chris got out the book and started reading it to Max. Max, feeling adventurous, apparently started finding other green things to eat. Very nice.

Easter 2011

2011-05-27T17:44:00.000-05:00

The Easter Bunny found our house.

And hid some eggs.

And some more eggs.

And here is a picture for Grandma. Happy Easter, you know, last month.

An Afternoon Outside

2011-04-26T15:22:00.001-05:00

Apples and Bananas

2011-04-26T15:06:00.000-05:00

My little brother Matt used to sing this cute song in preschool or kindergarten about liking to eat apples and bananas. You then repeat the phrase with all the different vowel sounds. I always liked the song because it sounded so silly. I didn't realize that there really were people that liked to eat apples and bananas at the same time and how silly that would look.

My 30th Birthday Vacation

2011-04-26T14:59:00.000-05:00

Ryan decided that for my 30th birthday, he was going to take me on a trip...without kids! After his original plans were thrown out the window due to school obligations, we decided to drop our kids off with his sister in Denver (which was part of the original plan) and stay in the Denver area for our vacation.

On our first day we went to the Garden of the Gods, which I would recommend to anyone. We had such a fun time hiking around and enjoying the beauty of these rock formations. Absolutely amazing, and a perfect part of a birthday celebration.

We also got to go out to eat at places that had cloth tablecloths and no playplaces. It was really fun to eat at this Brazilian churrascaria. We ate enough meat to satisfy my pregnancy cravings for protein, and that is hard to do.

Our last night before heading back to parenthood, we were walking downtown when we ran into four members of the BYU basketball team. Ryan was so excited, he had to have his picture taken with them. He even knew all of their names: Brandon Davies, Kyle Collinsworth, Nick Martineau, and Anson Winder. The were all very nice and courteous boys (I'm 30 now - I can call them boys). We spent the next hour or so walking around, eating gelato, and looking for more members of the team.

We had a wonderful time, and so did our boys with their awesome Aunt Kristina. While we were off playing, they got to go to the zoo, go to McDonalds, and play lots of Wii. It was quite a vacation for them as well. Many thanks go to Kurt and Kristina for taking care of them and letting us stay for a few days.

Homeward Bound

2011-02-01T17:22:00.000-06:00

You know it's a long drive when your toddler takes off all of his clothes and then builds himself a fort out of all the blankets, pillows and clothes that he can grab. Yup, he fell asleep in there.

Chris enjoyed his drive watching movie after movie after movie and then drawing with stencils and playing I-Spy and 20 Questions.

Visiting with the Atkins

2011-02-01T17:19:00.000-06:00

On our way home from Elko, we were able to stop in Denver to visit Ryan's sister and her husband. We had a great visit. They took us out to eat at their favorite Indian food place, and the boys played nonstop with their dogs and their Wii. Who could ask for anything more?

The Elko Museum

2011-02-01T17:13:00.000-06:00

The Elko Museum has entertained my boys for many, many hours. The museum has an animal exhibit with all of these animals that big game hunter Jack Wanamaker has donated. It is quite an impressive display. The boys had quite a game of acting and posing like all the different animals on display.

The little boys weren't the only ones that got into the museum displays. Here Ryan is a an Old Western bartender.

Playing with the New Camera

2011-02-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

AKA Look how adorable my boys are.

Elko Enjoyment - Inside

2011-02-01T16:53:00.000-06:00

While we were in Elko, it was pretty cold, so we spent a fair amount of tim in the house. Here are a few things that we did to occupy our time.

Watching movies on the huge television with their own bowl of caramel popcorn.

Building all sorts of things with their new blocks.

Playing in the bathtub. Max liked the little bathtub.

Chris tolerated the little bathtub once he discovered Grandma and Grandpa's big bathtub that he could swim in.

Christmas 2010

2011-02-01T16:46:00.000-06:00

The Christmas season welcomed us with lots of driving and lots of time with family. We drove out west with Ryan's parents and brother a few days before Christmas. We stayed in Utah for about a day to visit with family and then continued on to Elko to see my parents and and brother Matt's family. In Elko, we played with cousin John, read books, watched movies, visited the Elko Museum, played some basketball at the church, and ate a lot of really good food.

Christmas Day brought matching pajamas for the boys, a Batcave and Batman action figures for Chris, puzzles galore and a Tag Junior Reader for Max, and lots of toys and books and goodies. Ryan and I got a wheat grinder (really, that's for me, but Ryan and the boys benefit from homemade bread), a new camera, and an external hard drive for our computer.

As a Christmas tradition, I have decided to make a gift for everyone in my immediate family. I really enjoyed spending time making the gifts that I gave this Christmas, and I actually ended up making many more of them than I anticipated. Below are some of the things that I made:

We had a wonderful Christmas and can't wait to see our families again.

Cousin John

2011-02-01T15:12:00.000-06:00

The boys loved meeting and spending time with their newest cousin John. Max especially liked trying to show him how to do things like roll over and turn upside down, although you can see Chris in the upper right picture trying to get John to smile. They loved reading books with him and doing silly things to make him laugh. What fun new cousins are!

Teaser/Promise

2011-01-27T17:22:00.001-06:00

I know that I need to post something. About Christmas, our trip, and all that jazz. This will have to do for now, with a promise for more within the next few days (as in, before February. . . I hope).

Playing in Snow

2010-12-08T19:18:00.000-06:00

We haven't had any real snow here in St. Louis yet although it has gotten colder. We have been getting packages with what seems like snow.

That's Not Fudge

2010-12-08T19:09:00.000-06:00

My little Max has been a busy little 2-year old. On Monday, he decided he wanted to spread butter all over the kitchen floor in the morning and then paint a mural in the afternoon. His handiwork was hiding behind our dinner table. And on the dining table. And on the carpet. And in his hair.

What is his preferred medium, you might ask? It's not paint. And it's not fudge. And it's not supposed to be anywhere near a kitchen table. That's right. It's poop.

And here he is after the incident and after a bath. He's eating raisins. Who thought that was a good idea?

Holy Halloween, Batman!

2010-11-01T22:00:00.003-05:00

The Dynamic Duo

Chris and Max were Batman and Robin for Halloween (and every day that their costumes haven't been in the washer). Chris, as Batman, was extremely opinionated about what his costume should look like: grey and black (not the all-black costume or anything with blue or purple or any other color), the bat should NOT have a yellow circle around it, his mask had to be covering his nose, and his cape should have the bat curves at the bottom. He got most of what he requested. Max didn't request much when I was making his costume, but he has since come forth with his demands: to wear only his "greens" at all times. He often comes up to me and asks for a certain part of his costume: "Mom, where is my Robin mask?" or more accurately, "I wanna be Robin!"

Chris had a ton of fun this Halloween season. He had a Halloween party in Preschool on Thursday and a friend threw a Halloween party on Friday. He has loved being Batman and flying around the house for days now. Plus, my sister sent him another Batman costume that he has worn every day as well.

We went to a trunk-or-treat with our church on Saturday night. The kids loved it and came home with very full buckets. They have been climbing up on the counters and on top of the fridge to get candy every chance the get. Here they are with a fellow Batman.

Annual Autumn Hike

2010-11-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

A few weekends ago, we went to Pere Marquette State Park in Illinois where we spent a glorious day picnicking and hiking. The weather was perfect and all of the trees were changing colors, which made the views spectacular. There were lots of rocks to climb on and sticks to carry, so the boys were happy. We even met up with a group of teenagers who showed the boys the walking stick insect that they found and lovingly named Rick the Stick.

Both Ryan and Chris got in extra workouts. Ryan got to carry Max on his shoulders nearly the entire time. And Max had a stinky diaper nearly the entire time as well. Not a good combination. Chris liked to run ahead until we would call him back, and we estimate he hiked (ran) about twice as far as the rest of us.

Update on Max

2010-10-25T18:12:00.003-05:00

Max is at a really fun age right now. Being two years old, you never know what you are going to get with Max: he can be the sweetest boy in the world, caressing my hair and wanting to give hugs and kisses, or he can be an absolute handful, refusing to nap or freaking out because big brother says, "No, you're wrong!" Either way, we love him and enjoy his humor and mostly cheerful attitude.

This is what happens when he refuses to nap. He screams and cries at the door until he figures out that I'm not going to let him out. Then, he undresses and falls asleep on the floor. Sometimes he tries to put new clothes or a new diaper on, throwing around all of his clothes in the process.
Max cracks us up most of the time. In the car, the two boys have taken to telling each other knock-knock jokes. You know, the bad ones they make up and don't make any sense? Luckily we are in the car a lot and I get to hear all of them. Lately, Max has gotten a few of the jokes and can tell them pretty well, when we can understand what he's saying. His go-to joke goes like this:

Max: Knock, knock.

Me: Who's there?

Max: KNOCK, KNOCK!

Me: Who's there?!?

Max: Boo.

Me: Boo who?

Max: Don't cry. Why why why! That's funny!

We have no idea what he's trying to say with the "Why why why," but it's so funny how he says it and he says it every single time.
Max likes to do just about everything that Chris does. And that means puzzles, and lots of them. Max loves helping us do Chris's puzzles and the two boys argue a lot over who gets to put in which piece. Max is really good at figuring out where the pieces go and how to position them so they fit. He's quite methodical in how he goes about doing these puzzles, and it's fun to watch him.
And of course riding his tricycle. On the couch, which has no cushions. With the superhero cape. Awesome. Kind of sums up the life of a two-year-old boy, doesn't it?

Update on Chris

2010-10-25T17:54:00.003-05:00

Chris has been doing so many new and wonderful things, I thought I would share...

Chris is learning how to read and spell. He spelled, "I am a child of God" using refrigerator magnets while I was doing dishes one day. He used a wall-hanging in his room for a reference a few times, but he did most of it himself. He loves spelling words and reading beginner reader books like Dick and Jane.
Chris loves playing games. Usually when Max takes a nap, we have to play a few different games. For some reason, he wanted a pillow and makeshift blanket (a kitchen towel) while we played Go Fish.
He is enjoying school now that he has made some good friends. Through his school, we get to take home "reading bags" that have different activities and books in them. Here, Chris is playing with tangrams and creating his own spaceship (don't ask him how it works or you will get a full explanation, just a warning).
Puzzles, puzzles, puzzles. He has started being able to do 100+ piece puzzles by himself lately. This is an awesome puzzle from my sister. He has probably done this puzzle as many times as there are pieces. And that's a lot.

Family Fun at the Farm

2010-10-25T17:25:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, we went to a local farm to enjoy the beautiful fall weather as a family. We had a wonderful time. We were able to play miniature golf, go through a "haunted" house, work our way through a corn maze, go on some rides, watch some pig races, and enjoy the sites.

After the farm, we headed over to McDonalds where we ate some lunch and learned how to really fight. We learned the art of thumb wars. What a great day!

First Day of School 2010

2010-09-20T19:33:00.001-05:00

Chris is a proud preschooler! He was a little nervous about going back to school, but he has had a great first week. He has made new friends and has had a great time doing fun art projects.

Going back to school silliness. Always a good thing.

This is what Max thins about leaving Chris at school. He cries and cries every time we get back int he car from dropping big brother off. I'm not sure if he's so sad because he has to spend the morning without his best friend or if it is because he doesn't get to go to school and play with all of the cool toys they have there.

A Day in St. Charles

2010-09-16T15:49:00.003-05:00

On Labor Day, we went visited historic St. Charles for the day. St. Charles, MO. It is a beautiful city with lots of fun historic places to visit, including a Lewis and Clark Museum. The boys enjoyed searching for all of the animals in their displays and dressing up in the historic costumes.

Then we went on some nature trails around the museum. The boys enjoyed their time "exploring."

After the museum, we went to a state park where the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers converge. Sadly, the park itself was closed due to flooding, but we were able to walk along some nature trails on the outskirts of the park. They had this fun bridge and lookout area to do some birdwatching and such.

No Use Crying...

2010-09-02T16:58:00.001-05:00

Lately, Max has been feeling like he is big enough to be doing certain things on his own. Like getting whatever he feels like out of the refrigerator. Yesterday, he was feeling like he wanted a bit of juice. So he got some. And spilled it all over the kitchen floor. It was a full pitcher of juice that I had made that morning. Lovely. So, I cleaned it up and mopped the floor just in time to rush out the door to pick up Ryan from school.

Today, we got home from playing outside with some friends and Max wanted something to drink again. Again, without saying anything, he opens the fridge and gets out a full gallon of milk. It slipped from his hands, busted open, and poured milk all over the kitchen floor, including the near-impossible-to-reach region under our refrigerator. All I could think was, "It's no use crying over spilled milk." I guess I should have cried yesterday.

"I didn't do anything!"

"No comment!"

Put Me In The Zoo

2010-09-02T16:20:00.006-05:00

Our awesome friends, the Whites, invited us to go to the Sea Lion Show with them the other day. We had never seen any of the shows at the zoo, so we were pretty excited. I know the kids don't exactly look full of enthusiasm, but believe me, they thought the show was spectacular.

We could even get up close to the animals after the show was over. They are remarkable creatures.

After the sea lion show, we went and looked at some big cats, snakes, and other animals. It was pretty hot that afternoon, so we took a short train ride to go visit the penguins and bears.

After we had experienced enough of the animals, the heat and humidity, we ventured over to a nearby McDonald's to cool off with some ice cream.

Star Wars Pancakes

2010-08-12T09:25:00.001-05:00

Yes, my boys are nuts-o about Star Wars. And my parents decide to feed their obsession, literally.

We received a package in the mail last week with Star Wars Pancake Molds.

Little Max knew each character by name, without any promptings or reminders.

While they were eating their syrup-soaked characters, Chris exclaimed, "Mom, I just cut Darth Vader in half!"

Max goes around telling everybody, "I Darth Vader." You are what you eat, I guess.

Warning: This is GROSS!

2010-08-03T16:34:00.003-05:00

A little background: I lose a lot of hair. And I have long hair. So, I have made it a practice to try to clean out the shower drain every so often when I am cleaning the bathroom. It prevents clogs and whatnot.

Please note that we have not lived in this house even a month. I was out of town for over a week of that time.

I cleaned out the shower drain yesterday, and I pulled this out.

This is not my hair. It was covered in a foul slime that made my hands stink for hours. Sadly enough, this is not the first time I have dealt with a massive hairball of someone else's slimy hair (Thank you, college roommates with disgusting personal habits). I just had to repeat to myself that I am a better housekeeper than the previous tenants.

Sunday Best

2010-08-03T16:22:00.003-05:00

These pictures were taken Sunday morning before church. The kids were dressed a little earlier than normal, so I had to capture their cleanliness and willingness to wear ties.

Chris is contemplating heaven and all its mysteries. Actually, he's watching whatever VeggieTales movie we had on for him so that Ryan and I could get ready for church. And you can't see it very well, but he is wearing a tie at this moment. He took it off before we even got in the car, though.
Max, on the other hand loves wearing his tie. With whatever outfit he has on: t-shirts, polos, no shirt, etc. He loves his tie.

Say "Cheese"

2010-08-03T16:15:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I won a free photo shoot with a professional photographer here in St. Louis, Stephanie Cotta. It ended up being on one of the hottest days of the year, but she was so good and patient with my two boys. Plus she got some awesome shots. And she actually got them to smile sometimes. What a feat! You can check out some of the pictures on her blog here.

Max's Birthday

2010-08-01T18:32:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Max's second birthday just a few short days after returning home from Nevada. Luckily, we had Ryan's mom and sister here that evening as they were driving through, so they got to celebrate with us. We started off the evening with some angle food cupcakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Yum.

Then we opened some presents, with an older brother's encouragement and help.

After presents, we went to Ted Drewes for some heavenly frozen custard. Max even got his own cone since it was his birthday. We usually make him share. I love little kids' faces covered in ice cream.

Happy Birthday, Max! We love you, chunky monkey!

Summer Vacation

2010-07-31T22:41:00.006-05:00

The boys and I went to visit my parents in July, and oh what a trip we had. We flew into Salt Lake and spent a few days there before we headed to Elko. We were able to spend some time at the condo and go swimming a ton. Chris turned into a fish - never wanting to do anything but swim and dunk his face in the water and negotiate with my Dad for more time at the pool. I think the sentence most uttered by my parents was, "You've got to bet that boy in swimming lessons."

While in Utah, we got to go down to Springville to visit Uncle Dutch's farm. It is the coolest place ever. Uncle Dutch owns tons of farm and exotic animals (like kangaroos, emus, Scottish Highland Cattle, etc, etc). The kids got to hug the kangaroo, feed the chickens and try to catch the pigs. They also have the biggest horse of a dog I've ever seen. Plus, their daughter runs a preschool at their house, so in addition to awesome animals, the kids can play at the playground or in the sandbox or in the school, which has tons of Star Wars toys, so it was a big hit. Little Kid Heaven.

After the farm adventure, we headed over to Pirate Island to celebrate the boys' birthdays with my parents. Oh my. The boys had tons of fun pretending to be pirates and winning tickets from the arcade games. Very fun atmosphere.

After a fun-filled weekend in Utah, we headed to Nevada. I had forgotten how fun Elko is in the summertime. My mom and I took the boys hiking up to Island Lake in Lamoille. It was a little long for the boys, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Even when Max fell into the lake and refused to walk a second of the way down. So, I carried a soaking wet Max (who is none too light) the entire way down the mountain. Proof that I love the little guy.

We also had a cookout in Lamoille, a few swimming excursions to the local pool, a safari through the Elko Museum, and a playtime lunch with a bunch of my friends from high school. We also played with Grandma and her toys a lot.
My Dad took the boys for rides on his ATV. They sure do love Grandpa's yellow bike, Chris more than Max, but still. My Dad even took Chris way out in the hills behind our house one day, and Chris loved every minute of it. And it was a lot of minutes.

Thanks for an awesome vacation, Mom and Dad! We love you!

Chris is Four!

2010-07-04T15:57:00.006-05:00

Chris has turned four years old! I can't believe how birthday excitement started to encompass his entire world. He could not wait to be four.

In the morning, we went to IHOP for breakfast. Chris asks me almost every day if we can go to IHOP for breakfast as we are taking Ryan to work. Finally, we got to say "Yes!"

After breakfast, we got ready for the big birthday party. We even had some spontaneous naked time while I was trying to frost the cake.

Chris has come a long way in the past year in regard to his interests. He has officially moved on from animals and has entered the world of Star Wars. And boy, are we ever in the world of Star Wars.

First, we played "Pin the Light Saber on Yoda."
Then, we had a treasure hunt. Jabba the Hut had stolen Han Solo's treasure and had hidden it. The rebel forces had obtained a map to the place where the treasure was being hidden, so the future Jedis had to work together to find the treasure.

The treasure was candy (STARburst and Dum-Dums - like Darth Vader's theme music), Star Wars yo-yos, and lightsaber pencil holders. After the treasure had been secured, all of the boys had a chance to go through the Jedi training course. First, they had to slide down the tarp and ride through the roller coaster.

Then they had to run through some water and shoot storm troopers with a water gun.

Next, they had to find a lightsaber in Dagobah Swamp.

The final challenge was to block flying disks with their light saber.

And then we had cake. Yes, we had to have three different colors of lightsabers.

After cake, Chris opened presents, which included some swimming goggles, books, a McDonald's gift card, giant Toy Story 3 coloring pages, two sets of Star Wars Legos, and a Teeange Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. What a haul!

After the festivities, the boys just wanted to hang out in the pool. It was a scorcher of a day!

After the party, we relaxed a bit and then went off to an Independence Day barbeque. After the barbeque, Ryan took Chris to see some fireworks while I stayed home to let Max go to sleep. So, Chris got to see fireworks for his birthday.

The next day, Chris busted out the Star Wars Legos promptly after church. They have provided hours of entertainment already. This is Chris with the Darth Vader TIE Fighter.

Now that is pure joy on that child's face.

Excitement

2010-07-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

Chris was so excited for his birthday. He was a little impatient with Ryan waking up in the morning. He originally asked for a bell to go wake Dad up, but we didn't have a bell. So, he resorted to this: the happy-and-you-know-it duck that sings a song and jumps, a wooden spoon hit against our dresser, and the Swiffer vaccuum to add just a little more noise to the mix. Fun times, just not for Ryan.

Sorry the picture is blurry - he was too busy working to take a proper picture. At least he turned and smiled.

Eat Your Heart Out

2010-07-01T17:02:00.002-05:00

That's right, ladies. He's almost 2. And available. And he loves to go around without his shirt. Or with seven shirts on. That's how he rolls.

Oh yeah. Pucker up.

When Buffy and Sparky Come to Town

2010-07-01T16:57:00.002-05:00

When Buffy and Sparky some to town, we:

have daily Sonic runs,

watch FIFA World Cup soccer games,

have fun at the Science Museum and the Turtle Park,

play lightsabers,

read books and do puzzles,

go to a Cardinals baseball game

where we eat lots of cotton candy

and get very sticky fingers

and mouths.

Most of all, we enjoy all the time we had with our wonderful parents and grandparents.

We love and miss you, Buffy and Sparky!

Helping Out Around the House

2010-07-01T16:46:00.002-05:00

My sweet Max decided to surprise me and set the table one day. He unloaded four bowls, one regular spoon, one orange plastic fork, and a funnel and set them on the table, in their appropriate places. Dinner that night was not bowl-appropriate, but we ate it in bowls anyway since he did such a great job. We did have to supplement his table-settings with some more utensils and a few glasses. But all in all, a job well done.

Memorial Day in Madison

2010-06-11T14:18:00.004-05:00

For the first time ever, we spent Memorial Day in Madison, Wisconsin. Yes, we lived there for four years and were never there on Memorial Day. We had the chance to have a Memorial Day BBQ with our friends and old neighbors, go to Brat Fest, and enjoy the loveliness that is Madison in the Spring, including super hot weather that toasted our little boys and cool, cloudy weather that made our fun at the splash park last not as long as expected.

We had many friends in town, those that lived there, those that are moving soon, and those who have moved away. This picture is of all of our kids. The crazy part is that most of us moved in without any kids at all.

We got dirty. Very dirty.

We got a little cold playing in the water.

We got to go to an awesome cowboy birthday party.

We got to play, play, play with everyone.

We had so much fun seeing everyone. Madison will always feel like home because of the friends we made there. Thank you to all of our friends: thanks for letting us stay at your house, for feeding us food, for planning and executing parties and good times, for driving miles and miles, and for just being our friends.

Just Keep Swimming...

2010-05-27T16:46:00.001-05:00

St. Louis has been incredibly hot this week, and we have been coping by using our little pools in the backyard. The nice cold water from the hose feels so nice on these hot, humid days. We might invest in 4 or 5 more just to say that we go pool hopping.

Missionary Activity

2010-05-27T16:39:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Chris had a Primary Activity based on missionary work. He was called on a mission to Korea, got a nametage and a passport, and went off to the MTC. Here he is awaiting instruction from his mission president.

After their MTC experience, all of the children had a chance to follow the Iron Rod (as represented by a rope) to reach the fruit of the Tree of Life (as represented by Krispy Kreme donuts).

Fathers & Sons Campout

2010-05-27T16:13:00.002-05:00

Ryan and Chris had a wonderful first Father's and Sons Campout.

There was an unfortunate incident with a puddle when they first got to the campsite. Luckily Chris had another pair of clothes.

This is one of Chris's good friends, Mack. These two boys had lots of fun together.

Both Ryan and Chris came home exhausted, wet, and happy.

Cardinals Game

2010-05-27T16:09:00.000-05:00

Last Monday night for Family Home Evening, we took the boys to see a Cardinals game. We took the Metro train up to the stadium, and I think that was the highlight of the outing. It was funny to see how the boys reacted to being at the game: both boys loved the popcorn and the "Charge" Baseball Song that they play, Chris was very interested in the Cardinals mascot and where he was at all times, and Max just wanted to interact with all the people around us and play on the bleachers. And then it started to rain; luckily it didn't rain very hard. By this time, it was past bedtime and we had made it through 5 innings, so we considered it a successful outing and made the trip back home.

World Bird Sanctuary

2010-05-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, we went to the World Bird Sanctuary that is just a short drive out of St. Louis. It was really neat to see all the cool birds from all over the world. We saw a Golden Eagle devouring his dinner, a Bald Eagle spread his wings like he was putting on a show, an owl so big it can eat small deer, chickens that lay turquoise eggs, and numerous other cool birds. The boys loved being outside, being able to see these birds up close, and being with their dad. Ryan had spent the last few weeks of his semester starting a new job on top of all the other time-consuming end-of-the-semester projects and tests as well as being a performing Scoutmaster duties. Needless to say, the boys hadn't seen a lot of him, so an outing with Dad was very fun.

A Little Something About Me

2010-05-18T15:00:00.006-05:00

A dear friend recently requested that I post something about ME instead of just my kids. I've been thinking about this a lot and wondering what in the world I could write about that would be interesting to anyone else. I'm still not sure this will interest anyone, but here it goes:

Since the beginning of the year, I have been wearing makeup. Shocker, I know. As a teenager, I never wore makeup. Sometimes on picture day. Sometimes. Even in college, I didn't wear it very much, although I started wearing makeup to church because I felt like I should start caring about my appearance. When I started dating Ryan, I tried harder to wear makeup, but I wasn't ever consistent. I think the fact that I have gotten older and therefore can actually tell a difference when I wear a little mascara has made me motivated enough to wear makeup consistently. I have only missed 5 days since the beginning of January. Holy cow, just 5 days. This is quite the accomplishment for me. Please note that I still can't do my hair every day. That's way too much work. We've got to leave something to work on next year, right?

I've started sewing, and I really quite enjoy it. I never thought that I would sew or care to sew. My parents gave me a sewing machine for Christmas the year after I got married, and it sat in its box for a long time. I opened up the box to sew some very basic curtains with a lot of help from a friend. That was a little overwhelming. Then I sewed a buttonhole into a pair of pants that I got on clearance because it didn't have a buttonhole. And then back in the box and way in the back of a closet. Since I've been in St. Louis, I've sewn quite a number of things, including 2 quilts (small ones, but still), superhero capes, a purse, and some other little things. I've realized how fulfilling it is to make something totally on my own. I have a list of about 15 different projects that I want to start soon.

I am trying to become a runner. I go running, but I don't think I enjoy it enough or go fast enough to be termed a "runner." I might consider accepting a title of "lazy runner," but that might be pushing it.

These are three things that I've been working at that are just about me, and I think that's enough for now.

Miscommunication

2010-05-14T11:57:00.000-05:00

When Chris said that he and Max would do puzzles while I showered, I thought that meant that they would put together a few puzzles in the 7 minutes it takes me to get ready. Nope. This is what is meant by "doing puzzles."

Please note that this room was completely clean before I left it, minus 2 puzzles that were out.

They even got into the stored clothes bins and dumped them out in the closet.

See how there is a puzzle on top of the pile of mess? I thought that was funny. I would have expected it to be on the bottom.

Preschool Graduations

2010-05-07T11:53:00.000-05:00

To celebrate the end of the preschool year, Chris had a graduation ceremony, which he termed "Graduations." They got to wear white shirts and have construction paper caps. The teachers had taken a bunch of pictures throughout the year that they put into a slide show. The director of the preschool had each child come up to receive their certificate, and she told everyone what all the teachers thought that child would be when they grew up. They think that Chris will be a Marriage and Family Therapist because he is easy to talk to and a good listener.

Chris's best friend Jackson is in preschool with him, and when it was Jackson's turn to go up, he got a little shy and didn't want to go up to the platform. They invited Chris to come up with him, and they both jumped up, held hands, and came up to the front together. The director even said that Chris and Jackson are the best friends that they have in preschool.

Chris has learned so much in preschool this year. He uses slang words like "awesome" and "super cool." He has learned to wait in line and work with his friends to solve problems like how to unstick tricycles. He has learned lots of new songs and games. He asks lots of good questions and surprises me all the time with how much he understands and what he has opinions about. He is learning how to read and loved to do math at preschool. He is already asking when it's going to be Fall so he can go back to school.

Star Wars Shirts

2010-05-07T11:10:00.000-05:00

Chris has really gotten into Star Wars lately, and his best friend Jackson has a Star Wars shirt that he's a little bit jealous of. So, when I found out how easy it was to make your own shirts using freezer paper stencils, I knew that Chris nad I could make our own Star Wars shirts. We have done this Yoda one and a C3PO one as well. Coming next are Darth Vader and R2-D2.

Batman

2010-05-07T11:01:00.001-05:00

One day I found my boys sitting together on Chris's bed reading, or rather finding the hidden pictures in a Batman book

with their Batman capes on.

How awesome is that?!?

Stephanie comes to St. Louis

2010-05-07T10:35:00.004-05:00

April was our month for visitors. The weekend after the Birds were here, Ryan's sister Stephanie came to visit us. We had a great time with Stephanie, and we are so grateful that she could take the time to come visit us.

We went to the Turtle Park, a bizarre little park by the zoo with big statues of turtles that kids can climb on. I had never been here before and didn't know exactly where it was, but we eventually found it and had a great time exploring in, on, and around the turtles.

We also went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens. All of the flowers and trees were blooming, and it was gorgeous! The trees were exploding with flowers and everything was so fragrant. It was amazing to walk along the paths from one smell to the next. There was even a little maze and lookout tower that the boys got to play in.

We are really glad that Stephanie could come and play with us in St. Louis. We even got to have her here on her birthday! We can't wait to see her again!

Birds Come to Town

2010-05-07T09:48:00.006-05:00

In April, my sister Kori and her family all came to visit for their Spring Break. What a weekend! Chris and Max love their cousins, and Ryan and I absolutely love Kori and Steve, so it was a great combination. We had a wonderful time with them. Here are a few picture highlights, courtesy of Steve Bird (Kori may have taken some, too, but Steve was the master photographer for this trip).

Ate frozen custard at Ted Drewes, a St. Louis tradition. Kori and Steve were shocked at the number of people waiting in line to get some of this deliciousness.

Max trying to figure out how he feels about Lizzie. At this point, I think he would take his rocks and sticks over his cousin. At this stage, he prefers his rocks and sticks over anyone and anything, so this is not a slight to Lizzie.

Telling secrets at the zoo. Isn't this picture just priceless?
Chris hanging out with his buddy Carter. Chris idolizes Carter and wanted to sit by him and be with him the entire time they were here.
Eating snacks in the tunnel.
Max just being Max. I seriously love this kid, and I love Steve for capturing this face.

We went swimming at the pool in the Birds' hotel. Chris asks to go swimming all the time now. I think his cousins' examples really made him want to swim (they are all excellent swimmers). I think we'll do some swimming lessons this summer.
Max enjoyed the swimming pool by the end. He liked mimicking Lizzie as she jumped into the pool from the edge.

Max and Lizzie fighting over the musical hopscotch pad.
Building our own arch at the Science Museum.
Trying to launch our space ship, or Death Star. Same thing.
Made birds' nests with rice crispy treats and jelly beans while the men were at the Priesthood session of General Conference.

My sister posted about their trip to St. Louis here if you want to see more pictures.

A big thank you to Kori and Steve for coming out to St. Louis, dealing with all the crowds at the zoo, celebrating my birthday with me, and for being so amazing. We love you!

Waterproof Goo

2010-04-30T11:26:00.000-05:00

Max somehow finagled a tube of waterproof mascara and got it open.

Apparently, he was eating it. And painting with it. And generally making a mess of himself and our furniture.

After I had cleaned off his hands and face and taken his shirt to try to get the mascara out, I let him go. He went and got a small wooden chair and was using it as a step stool, but he tipped it over. Since he was shirtless, the chair scraped his belly pretty bad.

Lesson learned that day: Never have waterproof mascara in the house.

Signs of Spring

2010-04-18T16:10:00.002-05:00

I don't know of anything better than enjoying the signs of spring all around.

We enjoyed signs like ice cream melting.

Being able to suck the melting ice cream through the bottom of the cone.

Standing in the shade of some green trees.

Looking for animals and chasing bunnies. Some might say a pants-less toddler is another sign of spring.

Playing with sticks, sticks, and more sticks.

Easter Morning

2010-04-13T12:07:00.001-05:00

We woke up Easter Morning to find that Max had pooped and wanted to play with it. So, we quickly had a bath and got him dressed. Chris, in the meantime, was required to sit on the stairs and wait for his brother before he could search for the eggs the Easter bunny had left. He used his time wisely and successfully spotted many eggs.

Chris found almost all of the eggs and was extremely excited about it.

Max discovered that the eggs held candy and therefore was quite content to park by the bowl full of eggs Chris had found, open the eggs, and eat the goodies.

The Easter Bunny also left a basket with some bubbles, so we went outside and played with the bubbles before watching General Conference.

Baseball

2010-03-11T09:22:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was such a lovely day, we went in the yard and played some baseball with the boys. Max received this tee-ball set for Christmas, and he liked it. He enjoyed putting the balls on top of the tee, knocking them down with his bat or his arms, and simply carrying his bat around. At this stage, he like playing in the dirt and trying to run into the street a little more.

Chris is quite the hitter already. He was hitting balls into the street over and over again.

We even had our own America's Funnest Home Videos moment.

Here is one of Chris's good hits.

Tattoo

2010-03-11T09:13:00.001-06:00

Chris got a tattoo in his McDonald's Happy Meal (thanks, Grandma!). And this wasn't just any regular tattoo; it was an Annakin Skywalker tattoo. He was super excited to get home and put it on. He chose where he wanted it and then insisted that he wear a shirt that did not cover it. He even showed all of his friends in Primary the next day.

Trains!

2010-02-10T17:09:00.000-06:00

The boys received a train table with lots and lots of track and building pieces from my parents for Christmas this year, and they have loved playing with the trains and discovering all the fun things they can do with the trains. Our fun has been too large for the train table itself lately, as the trains tracks have cascaded down the train table, out the door, down and up stairs, and all around the house.

Max loves having a new surface to color on, with or without a coloring book. And he most often plays standing in the drawers. I wonder what the weight limit is for those drawers...

Growing Up

2010-02-06T16:14:00.004-06:00

Max just turned 18 months and for some reason, I feel more sentimental about this half birthday than I did when he turned one. I love how much I've gotten to know Max and his personality just in the short while we've been together.

Max is extremely affectionate. He loves to give and receive hugs and kisses. He quickly and easily says (or signs) that he's sorry and he loves to cuddle with anything that's cuddly.

As gentle as he is, he is still a little boy and loves to play at whatever his older brother introduces him to and longs to be included. He has been playing with wands and saying what he thinks sounds like spells since Chris fell in love with Harry Potter. He loves his light saber and throwing blocks and wrestling with Chris.

He has amazing focus for a boy so small. He has recently developed a love of coloring, and he will sit and color for longer than Chris can. He loves to color different parts of a picture different colors. He also loves books and songs, which thankfully we have found distracts him from crying or any sadness he might feel.

Max communicates very well despite his small and developing vocabulary, and it is so amazing to see his vocabulary and understanding grow. For example, a few months ago Max would say "no" for no and "uh-uh" (the grunting form of no) for yes. This was extremely confusing for most people. Then about a month ago, he transitioned to saying "uh-uh, yeah!" for yes. Now, he just says "Yeah!" when he answers in the affirmative, which is a lot. He is most agreeable. This is especially fascinating for me since Chris did not say anything close to yes until he was two.

I love this little boy more than I can express and I am so excited to see how he continues to develop.

Of course, we celebrated with cake. With sprinkles per the boys' request.
When there's cake, there's always a bath...

Brothers

2010-02-06T15:56:00.002-06:00

I love watching these two grow to love each other and play with each other. Chris is learning how to be a good big brother and learning that Max looks up to and emulates him being good and bad. Lately, they have been getting along and playing well with each other. Here they are watching a movie together. Chris and Max like to sit right next to each other and snuggle.

The bathtub has proved to be a favorite playground for these two, especially if there are bubbles involved.
We like to do easy crafty projects, and the boys get into it. Max loves coloring, and Chris enjoys doing things with his hands. I've usually just done these projects with Chris while Max naps, but I've been trying to do some that can involve Max now. We made these little crowns out of paper plates.
And of course, our favorite winter activity: jumping and dancing on the couch.

Pancakes

2010-01-28T12:56:00.003-06:00

Breakfast was always a big deal growing up. My mom had her schedule of what we would eat for breakfast everyday (Monday Pancakes, Tuesday French Toast, Wednesday Waffles, Thursday Hot Cereal, Friday Eggs). On the weekends, though, we didn't always have it planned out and sometimes when I was quite little, my Dad would take over and make pancakes in requested shapes. I always loved these pancakes, especially when he would use food coloring for rainbows and teddy bears and such.

Pancakes are a favorite of my boys. Chris eats them really well and Max two-fists them until they're gone. One day, I remembered my Dad's influence on the pancakes and decided to write their names with the batter. Since then, Chris always wants me to make his name in pancakes. I commend my Dad for his talent at making things really look like whatever shape we requested because I understand now how hard it is to do this freehand.

Package Forts

2010-01-28T12:48:00.003-06:00

One benefit of living so far away from family is that we get lots of packages, especially around the holidays. We received lots of boxes in the mail with presents and such. Chris and Max loved the boxes and packaging material so much they built a big fort that kept them occupied for a while. Chris made a house, a path, and lots of things to climb on/in/through. They love everything about getting packages, even what's inside sometimes.

Exploring

The proud fort builder

"Hey, come on in!"

Holiday Festival of Lights

2010-01-22T13:06:00.002-06:00

While in Charleston, we were able to go to their Holiday Festival of Lights. We saw lots of light displays, which captivated the little boys. Plus, they had a merry-go-round and fire pits to roast marshmallows. How much more could you ask for?

Chris got to ride a tiger, his favorite animal

After Max had his ride on a dog, he also wanted to ride on the tiger.

Roasting marshmallows.

Christmas in Charleston

2010-01-22T12:40:00.003-06:00

Seeing as how January is almost over, I thought I would report on how wonderful our Christmas was. We were able to spend three weeks with Ryan's family in Charleston. We played lots of fun games, ate lots of fun food, and enjoyed lots and lots of family time. The boys had a great Christmas with lots of presents and fun things to do.

Both boys received lightsabers from Santa Claus. Chris has been introduced to Star Wars and loves his light saber. Chris has been talking about Obi Wan and Luke and Anakin and the Emporer almost nonstop. Max just likes to wave the lightsabers around.
The boys also got Superman/Batman capes (they're reversible). The only thing that gets Chris to stop talking about Star Wars is to mention superheroes. They are really cute running around the house saving things from bad guys in these capes.
Chris peeking up over his mound of presents. This kid got lots and lots of games: Hungry, Hungry Hippos, Smatch, What's Gnu, Crazy 8s, Go Fish, and Old Maid. Since we play games almost everyday during Max's nap, I am very greateful that he got some new games to play. He also got a castle Trio block set, a Spiderman blanket, some books and some play money.
Max cuddling with his gigantic lion. Max loves stuffed animals and smothering things, so this huge stuffed animal has been a hit. He also received a tee ball set, some books, a quilt for his crib, and cars.

The boys also got a nice big train table with trains before we left. The do love playing with trains and cars on the table, but mostly they love climbing on top of it and jumping off.

Random Sampler

2009-12-09T20:19:00.007-06:00

We had a friend take some family pictures so we can (a) have a picture for our Christmas card and (b) update some pictures around the house. She shot the pictures mainly in our yard and a few in Chris's room. Max was just waking up, so he is not as smiley as he normally is. We were really happy with the results. Here are some of our favorites:

A Rising Star?

2009-12-03T11:35:00.000-06:00

Chris was walking around the house after church with his shirt mostly unbuttoned and his sunglasses on his head. He looked like a movie start who didn't want to be recognized at the airport or something. What a funny kid.

Oreo Lovin'

2009-12-03T11:20:00.001-06:00

This is how we make it through the afternoon some days.

Some Artistic Exploration

2009-12-03T10:57:00.003-06:00

My boys love markers. They especially love drawing on themselves. Chris left some of his markers on the table one day, and Max had a great time exploring what he could do with them and where he could stick them...

It started with the table and then moved on to the hand...

Went directly to the nose...

Then into the ear...

And back to the hand.

I tried to draw a curly-Q mustache on him, but he didn't like that very much. Here's one of Chris's similar experiences with markers.

Halloween Weekend 2009

2009-11-02T08:44:00.005-06:00

My brother Matt and his wife Becca were able to come to St. Louis for Halloween weekend. We had such a great time with them. Matt had a dental conference during the days, but he was able to hang out with us at night, and Becca was able to spend all day with us. On Friday, we went to the St. Louis Science Center where we built and knocked down bridges and arches, saw dinosaurs, and played with lots of fun exhibits. Then we went to the zoo, which is always fun and enjoyable. On Saturday, we went to a pumpkin patch/farm with some fun autumn and Halloween activities. Chris even got to ride a horse. Here are some fun pictures of the kiddos:
The boys have been enjoying VeggieTales lately, so I made Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato costumes. They had a great time trick-or-treating. Chris was very excited about all of it until he was face-to-face with a neighbor and he had to actually say "Trick-or-Treat." He whispered it more often than not. Max, however, figured out that he was getting candy and would try to walk into their houses if they weren't fast enough with handing out the goods.

The whole gang. I love that both boys are eyeing that big candy bowl.

At home enjoying one piece of candy before bed.
Chris snuck in more than his allotted one piece of candy before bed.

Trouble Comes in Threes

2009-11-02T08:01:00.002-06:00

We've had a rough couple weeks, and I hope that the theory of problems coming in threes is true because I don't know if we could handle a fourth quite yet. Here's what we've been dealing with:

Problem #1: All three boys were sick with H1N1. Max was sick the longest at a week, but everyone is thankfully on the mend now. Max spent his time being sick sleeping, screaming and hitting his head, violently coughing, and watching movies. We had to be quarantined in our house for quite a while. This would normally not be too much of a problem, but then again H1N1 wasn't our only problem.

Problem #2: Our ceiling is caving in on us. St. Louis has seen a ton of rain this last month, and it was too much for our roof. We noticed a small drip from the ceiling on the same day Max was diagnosed with H1N1. It rained nearly every day after that and destroyed our dining room ceiling with the onslaught of water. We had to move all of our furniture out of that room to make way for the buckets and falling ceiling mess. Here are a few pictures of our dining room ceiling:

The day after the leak started.

Taken a few days ago. The hole is about twice this size now.

Problem #3: Our refrigerator died, got "fixed," but is now emanating a horrible, putrid smell that has been filling our entire house. It is such a foul odor that I could not stand being in our kitchen for longer than I could hold my breath, which means no cooking. The smell and the fact that our dining room's ceiling is falling down has been making it very hard to eat in our house. We have recently figured out that the smell is not as bad if the refrigerator is unplugged.

Hopefully today, a roofer and refrigerator repairman will come to fix our remaining two problems. Thankfully things at this point are getting better and not worse. I am very thankful that the rain has stopped and that we have found a short-term solution for the stench. I am also glad that last week is over.

Running and Running and Running

2009-10-22T16:58:00.001-05:00

During the summer, I set the goal to run a 10K. Not only did I complete my goal, but I threw an extra race in for good measure. Two 10Ks in 2 weeks. It was not what I would call "fun," but it was worth the effort. I am very grateful for Ryan for supporting me and adjusting his schedule and taking care of the kids so I could run.

Stephanie's Visit

2009-10-22T16:55:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, Ryan's sister Stephanie came to visit for the weekend. While she was here, we went to Meramec State Park to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. The boys had so much fun with Stephanie, and we were really glad she came.

Attachment Issues

2009-10-22T16:42:00.000-05:00

Max forms attachments to many things - people, stuffed animals, but mainly food. When I take him grocery shopping, he squeals nonstop for the food packages. When I give in and give him something that he can't chew through and can't break, he grabs it and holds it up to his cheek to hug it until he sees the next thing that he wants. Most shopping trips, he ends up holding at least 10 items in his hands and lap because he can't let go of them, even with another exciting food item to love. He started doing this at dinner with salad dressing and anything else he can comfortably hold.

What a Difference a Day Makes

2009-09-17T16:51:00.005-05:00

This is Chris before visiting his preschool for the first time. Take note of the timid half-smile and the tense posture. Poor little guy. He didn't want Max and me to leave him all alone at preschool.
This is Chris ready to go on his second day of preschool. He has been so exuberant about thewhole preschool experience. When I pick him up, he talks nonstop about what animal they learned about, what snack they ate, and what toys he played with. This is going to be so great for Chris, and pretty great for me too.

We love made up games

2009-08-26T18:47:00.004-05:00

When Chris split his head open back in June, he needed to keep very still and not touch his head while we were waiting for the doctor to glue his head back together. If you know Chris, getting him to lie down and not move is not an easy feat. Hence, the game of "Statues" was born. It started out with me making a simple face and having him try to mimic it. The game served its purpose while we were in Urgent Care, so I was happy, but he loved the game and kept asking to play it again and again. Then Ryan got involved and the game becamse much more than a simple mimicking of silly faces. It became hold-the-silliest-face-and-body-pose-you-can-think-of-for-as-long-as-you-can-without-laughing. And we have played it nearly every day since.

Max has even gotten into the game. Chris usually counts down to the "statue freeze" time with a 1-2-3! Max started his involvement by "counting down" with his own version of "da-da-DA!" Lately, he has been making faces of his own with his mouth open as big as he can make it and sometimes with his tongue hanging out.

Yes, that is food on his tongue. There are many problems with playing Statues during dinner.

The Duck Pond

2009-08-26T18:43:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about our house is the duck pond on our street. We've been taking the heels of our bread to feed the ducks, and the the boys love it. They love seeing all the ducks swimming across the pond and quacking for more bread. Max especially loves eating the bread himself and occasionally feeding some to the ducks. Chris gets so excited to feed the ducks, he jumps up and down as he is trying to throw the bread over the fence (you can kind of see this in the first picture).

Both boys love chasing the ducks. Luckily, the ducks are quick enough to escape every time.

Ulysses Grant National Historic Museum

2009-08-25T15:49:00.001-05:00

Last week, we went to the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Museum, which is here in St. Louis. We got to tour the original house, White Haven. We saw the winter kitchen and summer kitchen, the laundry room, the chicken house and ice house, President Grant's office and lots of other neat things. Chris liked trying to pump some water.

They had a neat museum and video about President Grant that had some fun things for the kids, including some dress-up clothes that my boys thought were really funny, especially this blue hat. We also walked a little ways and saw some Clydesdale horses that they keep at the farm. It was a fun, educational outing for all of us.

Our House

2009-08-25T15:36:00.001-05:00

I know that everyone is overly excited to see where we are living nowadays. I will post pictures of the rooms as I get them (1) put completely away and (2) cleaned long enough to take a picture. So, here are the boys' rooms.
Chris's Room

Max's Room

Easy to Clean

2009-08-25T15:32:00.000-05:00

This is the type of thing that happens when I try to get something done around the house. At least these were washable markers and were easy to clean.

Getting Settled in St. Louis

2009-08-14T19:45:00.002-05:00

After driving to St. Louis from Charleston and getting our stuff into our new house, my mom came to town to help us get settled in. She was such a big help, from her organization skills to her playing Harry Potter skills. She watched the boys while I took care of DMV things (which honestly took all day long). She helped me unpack boxes and arrange things. She did so much. Thank you, Mom for all of your help.

On her last day in St. Louis, we had gotten most everything done, so we did what we really needed to do to make St. Louis feel like home: we took the boys to the zoo. It was extremely hot and humid, but we had a great time seeing all the elephants, sea lions, gorillas, and other cool animals. I am so grateful that the St. Louis Zoo, like the Madison Zoo, is free because I know we will be going there frequently.

Happy Birthday, Max!

2009-08-14T19:44:00.002-05:00

Happy First Birthday, Chunky Monkey!

You have learned so much over the first year of your life. You walk and climb everywhere. You have stopped spitting up. You can say a handful of words and jabber all the time. You love to play games and can make friends easily when you simply look at someone with your big blue eyes. You love to eat, make messes, and giggle at Chris's antics. We love everything about you.

Splash Zone

2009-08-14T19:42:00.003-05:00

While we were in Charleston, we were able to go to the James Island County Park Splash Zone, which is a fun little water park with tube rides and a lazy river and everything else my boys could want. Ryan is the only one of his siblings not to work at Splash Zone, and the youngest two work there now (or did when we were there, at least). It was fun being able to visit Caroline and Collin at work. Here are a few pictures from the 2 times we went:

Chris

Max

Just a little sunscreen

2009-08-14T19:26:00.002-05:00

to protect the head

Folly Beach

2009-08-14T19:22:00.004-05:00

After we packed up all of our belongings and had lots of extremely helpful and strong men put everything in a truck, we drove down to Charleston to have a little bit of vacation time while our stuff was being transported to St. Louis. We had a lot of fun in Charleston and were able to spend lots of time with Ryan's family. One day we headed over to Folly Beach and had a great time with the sand and the water.

Chris got knocked over by a big wave and was a little afraid of the waves after that, constantly needing reassuring that the big waves turn into little waves as they get closer to the shore. Max didn't really like being in the water (as shown by his look of terror in the picture below) but prefered to watch the waves from afar.

Both Ryan and I tried skimboarding - he was a lot better at it than I seeing as how he didn't fall on his bottom like I did. However, Collin and Caroline showed us both up with their skills.

Chris's New Shades

2009-08-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Alleman sent Chris some sunglasses for his birthday. They have been making our trips in the car much more peasant. Plus, Chris thinks he should be serious when he wears them, so he always has a funny Zoolander-ish male model face. Priceless.

One Last Madisonian Hurrah

2009-08-13T12:35:00.000-05:00

Because going to the zoo has been one of my kids' favorite things to do in the whole world, we went to the free zoo in Madison one last time before we moved away. We saw all of the animals, played on all of the play structures, and even brought a picnic lunch to eat at the park next door. We are going to miss this fun, friendly, free zoo.

Max playing peek-a-boo and climbing in the dinosaur bones.

Chris has loved monkey bars lately. Only appropriate for the zoo trip, I thought.

Milk and M&Ms

2009-07-10T15:58:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, the boys were playing well with each other in the front room, so I tried to sneak away to get some dishes done. Before long, they were both in the kitchen with me sitting on the floor with their milk. This, by the way, is Max's first time drinking milk out of a bottle - or anything for that matter. I thought that this was so cute, I went to get our camera and took a picture. Then I turned around and tried to finish dishes.

Chris stealthily climbed up on top of our stove and retrieved a bag of M&Ms that we had stashed up there. He scattered them all over the floor and the two boys were having a free-for-all with the candy. I only heard them over the running water because Max was laughing so hard at his brother.

Chris would stuff his mouth full of M&Ms, then spit them all out and yell, "Yucky!" Max though it was the funniest thing ever - he was laughing so hard, he was falling over.

I should have known that Max would try to follow suit. He started putting M&Ms in his mouth, spitting them out, and shouting as well. This all produced two very messy little boys and a very colorfully stained kitchen floor.

What's in the Fridge?

2009-07-10T15:53:00.001-05:00

Chris got a new pair of shoes the other day, and for some reason he has put them in the refrigerator every day. Does this make sense to anyone?

Splash Park Hopscotch

2009-07-10T15:44:00.002-05:00

I love how a series of pictures can tell an entire story. Here is the story of our encounter with a hopscotch game at the Splash Park:

Max likes to practice his walking skills on all the fun colors.

Ryan likes to show his jumping-over-the-children skills on the hopscotch game. He didn't have a pebble, so he used Max instead.

Chris then tries to also use Max as his pebble.

Ryan helps Chris go around and not over the baby.

And then it's time to go home.

Chris's Tiger Party

2009-07-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

Chris turned 3 last Friday and we had a fun party for him and all of his friends. He wanted to have a tiger party - yes, the tiger has replaced the elephant as his favorite animal. Chris helped me make the tiger cake and tiger paw cupcakes. We made a cheater pinata out of a brown paper bag and decorated it with tiger stripes. We also played pin the tail on the tiger and had a tiger walk (cake walk). Chris had a lot of fun helping me prepare everything for the party and playing with his friends at the party. Happy Birthday, Chris!

Splash Park

2009-07-07T10:06:00.004-05:00

On Chris's Birthday, Ryan came home early, and we went to the splash park before the birthday party. It was a great way to cool down and get some of the extra energy Chris had from sneaking cupcakes. Both boys really enjoyed the water.

Roseola

2009-07-02T15:53:00.001-05:00

Last week, Max had a high fever for 3 days straight. Friday morning, his fever was gone, but he had a rash over his face and chest.

Rash - Day 1

The next day, the rash spread and looked a lot worse. It was all over his face and neck, shoulders, tummy, back, and down into his diaper regions.

Rash - Day 2

The infections was roseola. We are all better now and are back to our normal schedules. Thank goodness.

Slippin' and Slidin'

2009-07-02T14:43:00.003-05:00

Some of our good friends busted out their slip 'n slide last week. Luckily we the chance to enjoy this summer treat.

The kids didn't really grasp the sliding down the slip 'n slide.

Chris chose running and jumping instead.

Playing following the leader.

Good friends.
Gotta love the bliss that comes from friends and cool water on a hot summer's day.

Here's some video that depicts how the two kids enjoyed the water.

Rubber Duckies

2009-06-18T23:14:00.000-05:00

Rubber ducky suction cups carefully positioned.