The Townsends

Bunny skirt

2011-07-20T08:08:00.001-07:00

Sewing project #3

Heat wave

2011-07-19T21:18:00.001-07:00

Tips for beating the heat, from Greta Townsend:

1. Watch movies in the basement while sitting really close to your brother. Movies about penguins or other cold locales are encouraged.

2. Don't let the heat put a damper on your fashion. Work it.

3. Evening swims in Lake Harriet are the best. Even better if you spot a mysterious blimp!

4. If mom and dad insist that you ride your bike to go get bagels for breakfast, for gods sake do not pedal. Put your feet up an enjoy the ride!

5. Minnesota Pops Orchestra concerts at the bandshell are clothing optional. Take advantage, and lay really close to your brother!

Hope you've found these tips helpful, apparently this heat wave isn't going anywhere any time soon!

Chicago

2011-07-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of June we decided last minute to tag along on a business trip that Isaac had in Chicago. It was really a blast. The kids travelled so well, and it was fun to be back in our old stomping grounds, but this time with new eyes. On Friday while Isaac was in a training I took the kids down to the Shedd Aquarium, which was chaotic but fun to see. Then we walked back to our hotel north of the river thinking that would be the most likely way to get kids to nap. And both actually did nap! It was a hot hot hot day, so we stopped in Millennium Park to run around in the fountain.

And to take the obligatory "bean" picture.

In the afternoon we packed back up and went to the Field Museum, which was a real highlight of the trip, as Soren is going through a big dinosaur phase, so he was stoked to see the dinosaur bones, including Sue the T-Rex. Unfortunately all of those pictures are on my phone, so I'll have to post them separately.

Saturday we took the train out to the Brookfield Zoo and were given an awesome tour by Isaac's uncle Jay, who is curator of primates and wild dogs there. He had so many stories to tell, it was really a special thing to be able to do. Again it was really hot, so we cooled off by watching the spectacular dolphin show.

And riding the carousel with Uncle Jay.

We also got to see our friends Sam and Erin and their munchkin Liam, which was a blast, but unfortunately I have no photographic evidence of this. Sunday we flew back to Minneapolis. The kids were so well behaved and slept so well on the trip that we might actually consider doing this again at some point!

Crafty

2011-07-08T14:48:00.001-07:00

I've taken up a new hobby, and it's super sexy and not at all matronly- sewing! My friends and I worked out how to make these bags together:

Not the best photo, but it turned out great! But I'm really excited about this reversible dress and bloomers I whipped up in one night for Greta:

Ack! The cuteness is almost too much!!

Memorial Day weekend

2011-06-21T20:59:00.001-07:00

We headed up to Fox Lake for a long weekend, and it was so nice to be able to hang out just the four of us. The weather wasn't ideal, and the bugs were horrendous, but the kids were real troopers.

Soren wore this ridiculous get-up for half the weekend. He was pretending to be a "baseball goalie" (catcher). Next Joe Mauer?

Poor Goosey got eaten up by mosquitoes. She was saying "iiiiiittt-sseeeee" over and over.

Not pictured, but a highlight of the weekend was that Isaac took Soren out for a two hour canoe ride. Soren was so excited to tell me about all the animals they saw, and how they took a bathroom break on an island. Thrilling stuff for an almost four year old!

Randoms

2011-06-21T20:46:00.001-07:00

Sometimes if I know the next post on the blog is going to require a lot of picture sorting and posting I find it too daunting to handle. Just in case you're wondering where I've been.

Piggies!

What is wrong with this picture?

Mill City farmers market

Melting

2011-06-07T22:18:00.001-07:00

In the midst of a record breaking heat wave we are finding ways to stay cool: popsicles, watermelon, sprinklers, and margaritas.

girl with a curl

2011-05-28T16:32:00.001-07:00

When I was little my Grandma Larsen would say this little poem to me, and I've been thinking of it often with Greta lately:

There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very good,
But when she was bad, she was horrid.

Poor baby girl makes a nice meal for the mosquitoes at the cabin.

Happiness is...

2011-05-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

....a warm fire in a cold cabin in the north woods, huddled together waiting for the heat to come. Love.

A girl and her glasses

2011-05-21T21:42:00.001-07:00

best buds

2011-05-21T21:39:00.001-07:00

Here is Soren and his "best bud" Logan. They've been pals since they were wee little babes.

self portrait

2011-05-11T08:32:00.001-07:00

skipping spring

2011-05-11T08:25:00.001-07:00

So apparently we're going directly from winter into summer, because it has suddenly gotten hot and humid. I took the kids to a shady park but all they wanted to do was run around in the sun on the tennis courts. As a result they got pretty sweaty:

But Greta managed to find a way to cool down:

A popsicle and a bath were in order when we got home:

post-bath error

2011-05-09T19:50:00.001-07:00

I'm not naming names here, but someone made a rookie parenting mistake after tonight's bath. "But I thought it would be fine to put her on the bed while I went to get a diaper!"

May 9, 2011

2011-05-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

raaaawwwwwrrrr!!

2011-05-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

Soren is going through a major dinosaur phase, so in *theory* you'd think that he would love this awesome sweatshirt that I labored over sewing spikes onto. You would think wrong. I have no idea what his deal is, but he refuses to wear it for more than ten seconds. Kids.

Well, at least if he doesn't wear it I can give it to Mary.

Here is the link to the inspiration, and if I can do it just about anyone can!

Ginger & George Dino Hoodie

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T18:37:00.001-07:00

At Burger Jones eating the Baby Elvis- peanut butter, banana, and Nutella- YUM!! "I love this restaurant!"

"cheeeeeeese!!!!"

And Soren's preschool present for me, can you guess the two that he only *almost* got right?

my girl

2011-05-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

cabin fever

2011-05-03T20:35:00.001-07:00

This has been a particularly awful spring, even by Minnesota standards. We keep getting little teases of warmer weather, and then more snow and rain and grey. But whoooo boy, it sure makes us appreciate those nice days even more!

Back in business

2011-04-28T20:00:00.001-07:00

Alrighty then, back by popular demand. I'm not even going to attempt to fill in the last 8 or so months, so let's just pretend that never happened.

Here are Soren and Greta as they usually are, quietly and cooperatively playing. *ahem*

Now I should explain that I might not have as many pictures of Soren, and it's not because I find him any less adorable than Greta, but hr currently hates having his picture taken most of the time. That being said here are two that I feel capture some of the awesomeness that is Greta- cute and super dramatic.

And no, there is not a yellowish glow in our house, my phone camera is just goofy.

One last one, from ECFE this morning. This is my girl, who spent all of free play time wandering around chatting on her cell phone and complaining that her coffee was too hot.

anyone still out there?

2011-04-27T21:03:00.001-07:00

Errrr....so I know I've been gone for a really long time, is anyone still out there? If so I promise to resume posting pics of the two cutest kids in the world!

Here's a few to keep you coming back for more!

girls weekend

2010-08-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

Isaac and Soren took a last minute trip to Montana for a wedding, so Greta and I headed north to my parent's cabin, and to visit Tom and Liz at their new house. Greta, of course, was laying on the charm thick!

soccer

2010-08-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Soren played soccer this summer with a bunch of friends from ECFE, and had a blast!

number one fan

you have a little something on your face

2010-08-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

One hot day on the way home from the pool we drove through Dairy Queen for ice cream. I thought Greta would do okay with a cone if I removed the ice cream above the cone. I anticipated a bit of a mess, but I underestimated my girl.

little fishies

2010-08-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

This summer we got a family pass to the Edina Aquatic Center, and we've been using it a ton! They have a fun kids pool that the munchkins never get tired of!

Miscellany

2010-08-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

maybe the cutest kids ever

2010-08-02T21:47:00.001-07:00

Greta is 1!!!

2010-08-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

the birthday princess

Because Isaac was going to be out of town on Greta's actual birthday she got three celebrations! One with family, one with our friends, and one on her actual birthday! We didn't get any pics of the second one, so you'll just have to trust me. Here she is getting some assistance on opening presents from Soren.

ride 'em cowgirl!

Auntie B and Greta

First birthday cupcake. Woah. Shiny.

But dad, I want to touch the pretty!!

it's my party and I'll cry if I want to

oooh, much better!

yeah, I have chocolate on my foot, so what?

cupcake also makes a fabulous hair product!

For Greta's actual birthday we had blueberry pancakes for breakfast

bubbles!

and of course more cake

and more tears!

get in ma belly!

I'm ONE!!!!

Fourth of July

2010-08-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Once again this year we headed to one of our favorite places on earth, Isle of Pines. It was extra super fun this year, as Soren was absolutely in heaven. Boats! Giant spaces to run around! Dogs!

Driving the pontoon with Patrick

taking a snooze with dad

Greta's favorite place for napping, Pipsi

Laura, Jared, Patrick and Kaitlin

Soren and his best bud Lucy ("Wooooooocy!")

poor baby had a horrid diaper rash, so some naked time was in order

a little blurry, but such a great pic

worn out from all the excitement

Soren is 3!!!

2010-08-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Birthday boy!!

Soren and mom spent the morning at the zoo, and when a birthday boy asks for ice cream at 9:30 in the morning, ice cream he gets!

Soren and half of his aunties!

birthday cupcake!

Greta at 11 months

2010-08-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

Oy! This was the best we could do:

a trip to Duluth

2010-08-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Fox Lake

2010-08-01T21:17:00.001-07:00

the beginning of potty training

10 months

2010-08-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

It has gotten increasingly hard to get a good monthly picture, this is the best we could do for month ten.

and two years eleven months

interesting fashion choices

2010-08-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

This next one is my favorite, because I think he looks super special

thank you for your patience...

2010-07-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

We've been experiencing technical difficulties here, but I just got a new computer, so as soon as I can figure out how to upload photos we'll be back in business!

a dad and his munchkins

2010-05-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

baby farm animals

2010-05-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

This was our third year visiting the baby farm animals exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo, and it was fun to see how much more into it Soren was this year. His favorite far and away was the goats.

Feeding the goats with Aunt Mary

Greta had fun too!

both kids were also big fans of the giant aquarium

Uh-oh!

2010-05-06T13:56:00.001-07:00

Greta officially has a first word! It's "uh-oh" and it's just about the cutest thing ever! And now that she's gotten all sorts of attention for it she says it all the stinkin' time!

5k, take two

2010-04-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

This time with friends!

Greta at 9 months

2010-04-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Sweet baby girl is nine months old! She is just a little ball of happy 95% of the time, but if you cross her whooo-boy look out! She is right on the cusp of figuring out crawling, but manages to get around pretty well by rolling and scooting. She loves to clap and wave, especially when it manages to get a smile or an audience. She is a champion sleeper, and will eat just about anything you put in front of her.

I had a hard time getting a good picture of her, she was not very willing to sit still AND smile.

At her 9 month check-up Greta's stats were:

height: 29 inches (90th %)

weight: 20lb 11oz (85th %)

head: 18.75 inches (off the charts)

At 9 months Soren was:

height: 30.75 inches

weight: 22lb 10oz

head: 19.5 inches

Here are a couple of more representative pics of our girl!

Human Race

2010-04-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

For my birthday this year I decided to run my first 5k, and since misery loves company I invited my sisters to join me. I know 3.1 miles isn't much for some people, but for me it was a big deal. I worked my tail off and I'm proud to be able to check it off my life to-do list!

Soren and Uncle Tom getting ready to cheer (or cry inconsolably)

starting off strong

Mary coming down the home stretch

Workin' it

Beth, glamorous as always

Greta at 8 months

2010-04-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

March, the Sparks Notes version

2010-04-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

February, the Cliffs Notes version

2010-04-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

A trip to Duluth:

mmmmm prunes!

important places to go

suiting up. Notice the jammies, and the onesie hanging out

donut holes? nevermind, I'll stay in

"No mama, my do it"

"la, la, la, LAAAAA!"

self portrait

hey duck!

2010-03-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

With the warm weather upon us Soren has been requesting daily walks down to the lake to see the ducks, and I'm happy to oblige. Oh how things have changed in the past six months though. Where a walk to the lake used to be a peaceful thing, it now comes with a running commentary, something like "green dada duck! brown mama duck! two dada duck! more duck! hey duck! bye duck! two duck! dada duck! mama duck! dooooooose! (goose)" but my favorite was when I stopped to take this picture and Soren started yelling at some ducks "Hey duck! Hey! YOU!!"

life with 2

2010-03-30T20:28:00.001-07:00

Oh, I'm so hopelessly behind. With Isaac travelling for work, and Soren giving new meaning to "terrible two's" we're all definately in survival mode here. So since I've been hearing some grumbling from the peanut galleries (ahem, gramps) I thought I would just post some pictures from today. Spring is here!

Greta at 7 months

2010-02-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

Our sweet sweet girl is seven months old!

Soren was also once seven months old...
Proceed with caution, excessive cuteness ahead.

(Happy gramps? Now would it kill you to leave a comment?)

fort building

2010-02-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

a little walk

2010-02-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

...to the front door

my little picasso

2010-02-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

naptime for Harry Potter

2010-02-14T11:46:00.001-08:00

Cheese: The Great Divider

2010-02-09T15:38:00.001-08:00

In our house cheese is a very devisive issue. I love it (must be the Wisconsin in me), Isaac and Soren do not. Except on pizza. Well, it has now become a split down gender lines. I gave Greta some shredded mozarella tonight and she was shovelling fistfulls of it in. I guess we'll find out if she's lactose intolerant!

Greta a 6 months

2010-01-18T20:09:00.000-08:00

Happy half birthday Greta! At six months Greta has two teeth on the bottom, can sit up, and is rolling both ways. She loves to play peek-a-boo, and to watch her silly brother dance around. She likes fruits, sweet potatoes, and carrots, and loves teething biscuits, but is not a fan of peas or anything too lumpy or thick. Her stats are:

height: 28in (off the charts)

weight: 18lb 12oz (90th %)

head: 18in (off the charts)

And in case you're curious, at six months Soren was

height: 28.5in (95th %)

weight: 20lb 12oz (90th %)

head: 19in (off the charts)

Greta is working hard to keep up with her brother!

Soren at 2 years, 7 months

2010-01-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

Soren was not too keen on sitting for a picture

"Huh? Candy?"

"Okay, fine"

happiness is a warm bath

2010-01-18T19:40:00.000-08:00

still feeling kinda guilty

2010-01-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

I'm taking lots of pictures of Greta now, I swear!

bath time

2010-01-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

We are always trying to find ways to coerce Soren into getting into the tub, ever since he went from loving showers and baths to loathing them. Last week we were giving Greta a bath and he asked to get in too. Hard to argue! Greta was extremely tolerant of having lots of water splashed in her face, and they both got a real kick out of having some company in the bath. Unfortunately it seems to been a one-off thing, as Soren is back to fighting us tooth and nail.

cat nap

2010-01-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

more sweetness, then not so much

2010-01-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

awwwwwwww....

not so much a fan of the peas

shout out to grandpa

2010-01-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

First a nice picture...

And then a nasty one.....

Grandpa Albright is a die-hard cheesehead, so my guess is that he won't appreciate the outfit our neighbors gave Soren. To make matters worse I actually had to hide this outfit after he wore it for two days straight (including sleeping in it). I hoped he would forget about it, but he keeps asking for his football shirt and football pants, but they seem to have gotten "lost."

hungry girl no more

2010-01-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

For Greta's first meal we decided to skip the cereal and go right to pears, hoping it would help with a certain problem she tends to have that rhymes with ponstipation. At first she was a little dubious.

But she quickly caught on and started gobbling it up!

She actually was so good at the whole eating thing that we don't have any of the classic messy first meal pictures, since most of it went down the hatch!

That was delicious!

a good day to start the new year

2010-01-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

Isaac and the kiddos at the Minnesota Zoo.

You know what's scary? I started taking violin lessons at the same age that Soren is now. Hard to believe! Although he looks like he might be ready (except that he's holding the neck backwards)

happy munchkins!

sweet girl

sweet stuff

2010-01-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

This isn't the greatest picture of Greta, but I love the way Soren is looking at her. He really truly loves his baby sister! The first thing he asks when he wakes up from a nap or in the morning is usually where Gigi is. I'm not a huge fan of the nickname Gigi, but it's what he started calling her, and it's so darn cute coming from him that it seems to be sticking. Soren was so proud of Greta when she started sitting up that he would clap and chant "go G, go G!"

this one goes out to my siblings

2010-01-15T12:46:00.000-08:00

I'm attempting to make up for the deficit in pictures of Greta, so here is our newly sitting up girl on New Year's Eve!

hungry girl

2010-01-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

What's a girl gotta do to get some grub around here?

Great Lakes Aquarium

2010-01-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

I hadn't been to the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth since shortly after it opened, so away we went! Greta insisted on gnowing on the rental stroller. I'm sure they sanitize those, right??

Soren and Mary checking out the lift bridge

Soren had a strong opinion about dad petting the stingray

But he loved getting to feed the giant trouts

Greta was totally into this bird

our fam

Soren and the big fish tank. This, people, is why swimming in lakes creeps me out.

So you say she might be teething (yes, it's all drool)

Christmas in Duluth

2010-01-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

I'm going to have to skip around a bit here, as a bunch of pictures are on our other camera and I still have to download them.

We drove up to Duluth on Christmas Eve in the midst of a blizzard. The roads really weren't as bad as they were predicting, but we were glad we got there when we did, because they got much worse later. We arrived just in time for some lefse making!

Mary is pretty much the champion lefse maker in our family

Soren loved to "help" grandma roll out the lefse

Since we wouldn't feed her lefse, Greta was forced to eat her boot. Poor child.

Christmas morning breakfast of champions- donut holes and pears.

Ahhhh, the sophisticated two year old sense of humor (that's a bow on his forehead)

Side note: I feel really guilty, because despite constant badgering from my siblings about how I need to make sure to take just as many pictures of my second child as my first, that last picture just may be the only one we have of Greta's first Christmas. Yes, that's her on the floor. Parenting fail.

Uncle Tom and Aunt Liz gave Soren a harmonica for Christmas. I will spend the next year plotting my revenge.

Soren is actually quite a virtuoso harmonica player. After putting on a show for everyone he went in the sunroom, shut the door, and lay down with his feet up to play a bit more. He was like a sad hobo in there.

mixing, mixing, mixing

Christmas Eve into Christmas Day it continued snowing. I think we got about 2 feet?? And then it started to rain. But that didn't stop the boys from all going outside to make a snowman.

I'm not sure how with Tom and Isaac working on this snowman it didn't turn out looking more....shall we say creative....but they went pretty standard.

choose your own caption

2010-01-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

I feel that the look on his face says way more than I can come up with.

Greta at 5 months

2010-01-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

Holy smokes, I'm a full month behind! Here's Greta at five months old!

And Soren at five months. I think they're starting to look a little less like twins born two years apart. I would like to note, for my dad's benefit, that Greta does indeed have a little fluff-head, and more hair than her brother did! My dad accuses her of being bald.
And the outtakes...

Soren kills me in this picture. He hasn't quite mastered the picture pose. Or has he?

Chrismagiving

2010-01-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

We had a combined Thanksgiving and Christmas celebration with our friends, which involved a top ten most delicious meal ever, sledding, white elephant gifts, ugly holiday sweaters, and general merry-making. We called it Chrismagiving, and it was a blast. Seriously, we have some really amazing friends.

We were in charge of the turkey, our first ever roast turkey! It was pretty delish if I do say so myself. Here's Isaac carving the lovely bird. It looks burnt, but it was really just a bit crispy, and a whole lot delicious!

Paul entertaining Greta, she looks amused, no?

Those who were brave enough to don the ugly sweaters (this picture was supposed to be awkward if you can't tell)

Kirsten and Pipsi, ready to eat

chow time!

Yummmmm!!! (actually I don't think he ate a single bite)

Luke. What more can I say?

Gearing up for sledding

skipping ahead for a moment

2010-01-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

I need to skip a whole bunch of stuff in order to document a milestone. Since I haven't kept baby books for either of my kids I'm relying on the blog to serve as a stand-in. So before I forget I wanted to note that today we discovered that little Miss Greta has popped her first tooth! I don't know why, but this is making me really sad. Babies aren't supposed to have teeth, and to me this just signals that she's just about ready to head off to college any day now.

scarface

2010-01-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

So much catching up to do! This is old, so for those of you who see us on a regular basis, don't be alarmed, it's not a new injury. Soren somehow managed to faceplant onto the pavement from his carseat while getting out of the car. It was highly dramatic, there was a bloody nose, screaming, and a profusely bloody scrape on his forehead. I'm blaming at least three new grey hairs on that incident.

one desperate cat

2009-12-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

Poor Peanut is so starved for attention that she has actually been letting the kids pet her.

parenting error #....oh, I've lost count

2009-12-30T13:43:00.000-08:00

File this under it seemed like a good idea at the time. Right after Thanksgiving we moved Soren to a big boy bed. It seemed as good of a time as any to do it, what with Isaac being off work for all of December. We figured maybe we would have a few rough nights of bringing him back to bed in the middle of the night. We figured wrong. Soren hated the bed so much that we actually set his crib back up two days later, but by then it was too late, he had decided that going to sleep alone was for suckers. So there was much screaming and whining, and Isaac and I ended up having to lay on the floor in his room for him to go to sleep. And now here we are a month later, and we're working on laying closer and closer to the door every day. Pretty awesome. Here is Soren when we set up his bed. He looks deceptively happy, no?

A few days after the move Isaac went to Chicago for an overnight trip. After two hours of trying to get Soren to sleep Greta woke up. I went in to rock with her and Soren followed. He knew I was fed up, so he lay on the floor whimpering. And then the whimpering stopped. Aparently the floor was better than his bed. What a punk.

Duluth

2009-12-08T15:49:00.000-08:00

Wheee! Soren is finally bigger than my parents' ginormous cat Hyde!

Soren got to go on the Polar Express, which was just about the coolest thing ever in his book. Check out the look of disbelief when he saw the train coming.

Choo-chooooo!!!!

The train went from Fitgers to the Depot, and then we got out and heard the Polar Express story and got to meet santa. Well, at least stand in the general vicinity of santa. Soren wouldn't even give the poor guy five, let alone make eye contact.

We hopped back on the train and back to Fitgers, where we met the whole gang at grandma and grandpa's favorite haunt, the Brewhouse. Seriously, they're there multiple times a week, every week. Greta is starting to be interested in this whole phenomenon of eating, and stares rather lustily at people when they're eating. She was particularly enamored of grandpa's beer, and on one pass managed to grab it. How awesome are the slightly wonky eyes?

"Hey, who's that foxy lady on the post here?"

Good times had by all, as usual!!

Bentleyville

2009-12-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving we headed up to Duluth for a weekend of fun with Grandma and Grandpa Albright. First stop- Bentleyville. Nothing puts you in a holiday mood like an insanely gaudy light display, right?

My favorite, the aerial lift bridge and ship, complete with lifting bridge!

thanksgiving

2009-12-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year we had brunch at Isaac's dad's house, and then dinner at his mom's. Nothing like a full day of gorging on delicious food!!

Pretty lady!

sweet elbow patches!

excessive drooling allowed for a second ridiculous outfit!

jammin'

Trying on grandma's glasses. Doesn't he look just like Ralphie from A Christmas Story?!?!

cookie monster

2009-12-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

Soren and I made cookies last week and he loved every part of it, from measuring and stirring, to rolling and cutting, and of course all the decorating! But predictably his favorite part was the eating, and he didn't quite understand that not every cookie that he decorated was supposed to be for him. So we had to designate cookies for dad, grandmas, grandpas, and just about every one else we knew. He was okay with it that way! (Sorry y'all never got your cookies!)

Hmmm, Soren your cheeks are suspiciously chipmunky.

Aha! Caught in the act!

Can you enjoy your cookie even if it's just virtual? Here they are!

Getting our money's worth out of this Halloween costume.

2009-11-23T13:18:00.001-08:00

At the zoo. I told Soren to be careful he didn't get thrown in with the gorillas. He didn't seem concerned.

Edited to add: I posted this from my phone, and now realize that the picture doesn't translate well to the big screen. Take my word for it, it's a super cute picture of Soren wearing his gorilla head and staring at the monkeys at the zoo.

a trip to the mall

2009-11-21T06:27:00.001-08:00

Soren likes to spice things up for a trip to the MOA.

naptime

2009-11-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

Soren is always taking weird things to bed with him at naptime. Usually this doesn't cause any problems, he falls asleep without a fuss (unlike bedtime) and I usually sneak in and take stuff out if need be when he's sleeping. Today I had to document the craziness.

Greta at 4 months

2009-11-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

What a sweet, sweet girl we have! At four months Greta is getting stronger and stronger, can grab things and put them in her mouth, and has rolled from her tummy to her back a few times! But the most miraculous thing ever is that she's sleeping through the night! It's just about the most wonderful thing ever! Not only that, but she's a darn good napper too, falling asleep on her own in her crib for most naps! Now if only a certain two and a half year old in our house could follow her lead and sleep all night we'd really be rocking!

At four months Greta's stats are:

Height: 26 inches (95th %)

Weight: 15lbs 11oz (95%)

Head: 17.5in (off the charts) For comparison, Soren at four months was:

Height: 27in (off the charts)

Weight: 18lbs 8oz (off the charts)

Head: 18in (off the charts)

And looked like this:

Just look at these two cuties!!

fall fun days

2009-11-10T19:16:00.000-08:00

With weather in the 60s in November who can help but be in a good mood?

miscellany

2009-11-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

ridiculous or ridiculously cute?

2009-11-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

new tricks

2009-11-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

Soren is learning lots of new tricks! He loves to give people two thumbs up...

He does a wicked somersault...
He can work it like a supermodel....

And also does a mean Heismann pose...

Soren is totally spoiled by his Grandma Albright who got him fancy big-boy underpants and comfy Ugg boots. He's not really into potty training, and we're not pushing it, but sometimes he asks to go on the potty, and sometimes he asks to wear his underwear. Unfortunately the two rarely go together.

a girl and her bumbo

2009-11-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

Halloween at ECFE

2009-11-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

Rumspringa

2009-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

We were so excited to be invited back to the Pierach family farm for their annual pumpkin party. They have a gorgeous place, and who can argue with good food and fabulous friends? Thanks again Angie, Jorg, Coco, and Elliot!!

Greta and dad

Soren and Millie

Soren and Coco

PJs and storytime with Millie's dad Tony before hitting the road

PSA

2009-11-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

To my fellow bloggers:
Did you know you can publish your blog in a bound book?!? I'm so excited, I've said before that I wished I could do this, and then my pal Bjorna pointed this out. Looks pretty sweet!
http://blogspot.sharedbook.com/blog2print/googleblogger/index.html

the cuteness never stops

2009-11-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

Our neighbors gave Greta this hat, isn't it the cutest?

I think in this picutre that Greta looks a lot like Soren!

Trick or Treat!!

2009-11-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

This was Soren's first Halloween where he actually got the whole concept, picked out and was excited about his costume, and his first time trick or treating! What a blast! He was a little freaked out by some of the costumes other people wore, but overall what's not to love about getting candy from all the neighbors?

A gorilla and his banana "eating" his banana

"Ummm....Catherine, I'm pretty sure you were supposed to dress up for this. Otherwise I'm going to be really embarassed"

a happy banana

on the Brule

2009-10-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

As I mention in the next post, I just got some old pictures off our camera, so these are from this summer. We took a canoe/kayak trip down the Brule River where my family has a cabin. Soren did not appreciate his old-school life jacket.

Isaac took this picture, and there's a gap where I was supposed to photoshop him in from another picture, but I suppose that would require me owning photoshop.

State Fair

2009-10-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right. It says State Fair. We had a bunch of pictures on our "little camera" that I don't have any way of getting onto my computer, and Isaac just got around to it. So here are some highlights from our two trips to the Great Minnesota Get Together this year.

Eli and Vanessa's wedding

2009-10-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

Isaac's brother Eli finally got around to marrying Vanessa, who he'd been dating since high school! It was a beautiful wedding, and a fun chance to see lots of friends and family. Soren only lasted about 5 minutes into the ceremony before getting upset that dad, as best man, was standing so far away ignoring him. Luckily our friend Rachel was there to whisk him away. We had hoped that he would last until the dancing started at the reception, but with a skipped nap in the afternoon it just wasn't happening. Aunt Beth came to pick up the kids so that mom and dad could live it up. We didn't get a lot of pictures of the day, but a few mostly of the kids.

mmmm....cooooookieeeees!!!

Don't get your undies in a bundle, it's sparkling cider

I woke up that day with pink-eye, so I had to wear my glasses. Hot. Also, nice face Soren.

Chocolate, nom-nom-nom. I feel like these last two pictures give me a glimpse of some of Soren's teenage faces.

three months!

2009-10-15T12:31:00.001-07:00

Time flies when you're having fun! Greta is three months old!

At three months Greta is doing lots of smiling and cooing, and even an occasional giggle! She's a really happy baby overall. We're still struggling with a late bedtime for her (11-12pm) but she generally only gets up once in the night after that, and goes right back to sleep after eating. Here's Soren's three month picture. It's pretty clear they're siblings!
And a few more pictures that were too good not to share-

Greta giving dad a smile:

And of course Soren wanted to get in on the action

smooches!

ridiculously cute kids

2009-10-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

I know this probably sounds corny as heck, but I really think my kids are about the greatest thing ever. Greta is just the most laid back, sweetest little baby girl ever. And Soren- oh man, the kid is so goofy and constantly cracking me up. And to watch them together is the best thing ever, Soren is so loving and sweet, and Greta just adores her big brother. *Sigh* I'm sure I'll need reminding of this in a few months when we've all been cooped up indoors for days and they're bickering over toys or whatever, but for now it's bliss!

first day of school

2009-10-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

This year Soren is going to ECFE twice a week- once with mom, and once all by himself! He really loves it, and it's so nice to have three hours with just one (relatively easy) kiddo!

Hawk weekend

2009-10-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

This year some of our friends joined us in Duluth for the annual hawk migration. It was a bit chaotic, but lots of fun.

Soren checking out a bird release with Paul

Uncle Tom = crazyIt's all fun and games until someone's head crashes into someone else's collarbone.