The Lives of Ian & Liam

Couches Are Not For Sitting On

2012-01-29T22:19:00.000-06:00

I'll be surprised if this couch lasts until Lee-Lee is in Kindergarten.

Liam Trying to Explain Himself

2012-01-28T18:51:00.001-06:00

Lee-Lee drew on my office chair but he doesn't seem very remorseful. Instead he tries to rationalize. They are enchanting drawings, but nonetheless!

Aren't You Forgetting Something

2012-01-28T18:45:00.001-06:00

Uh-oh, someone can get into the bathtub without help.

He can do a lot of things without help and it scares his parents.

Liam's Favorite New Word

2012-01-26T23:34:00.002-06:00

Can you guess what the word is? I'll give you a hint; Liam is almost 2 years old.

He was really pretty adamant that he didn't want his picture taken.

That attitude doesn't fly in this family.

Kindergarten Registration Day

2012-01-26T23:16:00.001-06:00

Today was a momentous day. My first born will be starting kindergarten in the fall. So bittersweet. Not just for the passing of time, that seems a mere blink; soon, Ian will belong to a world into which I can't easily follow. Our paths are beginning to diverge. Everything he does from now on, learning, befriending, discovering, becoming... all of this he'll do without me. Of course, I'll be proud of him, but I'm sad for me. He won't need his mommy any more. I already feel it since he's been going to preschool.

Ian with his preschool teachers.

Though he admits he is scared, Ian intrepidly bounds up the stairs of his new school.

After we registered, we went to investigate his new room.

It was a very nice room; inviting, bright and colorful.

Ian felt at home and asked if he could take out the toys and play.

Ian was so brave meeting all the kindergarten teachers who spoke to him in French. He even told them that he knew one word in French - "Bonjour." Then he and Liam ran up and down the nice long hallways. Liam didn't want to leave. He actually sat down and cried when we tried to take him out of the classroom. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around, that he cries when we leave him there?

Bedtime Rituals

2012-01-24T23:06:00.001-06:00

In our household, we have the usual bedtime rituals; tidy up, put on 'jammies, brush teeth, stories (or as Liam says, "torie") and then finally a good frothing.

It starts simply enough when the one absconds with the other's prized possession, in this case blocks.

An attempt to retrieve the blocks is made, which results in squishing, hitting, flailing and pulling the hair...

a truce is called temporarily while they play together for a moment, in this case pretending that the blocks are pizza...

but a new insult is suffered and the turf war begins anew...

with an escalation in violence...

the frenzy attracts the taciturn Dadzilla, who brings the frothing to a crescendo with gymnastic displays, tickling and silly sounds....

this somehow has a calming effect and now...

we can sleep, perchance to sleep through the whole night.

2012 Winter Scene

2012-01-23T12:56:00.001-06:00

Finally we get a bit of snow. And it's almost February. Here are some scenes from our winterscape. And my lovely, lovely 5 year old. The snow backdrop suits him!

Our front door with antiqued brass wreath of oak leaves

Path lighting with mushroom dome of snow and some pretty heuchera stalks

Lichen and snow on a garden boulder

Stone stairs leading to the back yard

My beautiful little duck, all warm and cozy and ready for snow adventures

Trudging up the stairs to the house

Liam - 19 Month Update

2011-10-12T00:16:00.004-05:00

Forgive me, dear readers for skipping around in the time line. We'll get back to RI in the next post.

But Liam has become so interesting that I had to give you an update.

I guess the big news is that he has between 6-9 teeth coming in at once! He's not happy about this, not happy at all. In fact those little choppers are making all our lives miserable.

Things he says: He understands us more than he speaks but he does in fact use words to communicate. One could make the argument that his screams and shrieks did serve to communicate, but now he actually uses human words. He imitates our intonations perfectly. His favorite word is Ian (he says it EEAAAA, in all caps, just like that). He has named one of his stuffies "Cookie." Dadzilla mentioned that Liam said croissant and kablooey. His most often used word is ball (Baw). Other B words: Buhwe (Bunny), Bankie (Blanket) and Baby (for himself).

Things He Does: Liam is so good at throwing. He does everything with his right hand unlike Ian who still is alternating between the two. Liam likes to throw, to hurl, to smash, to climb, to triumphantly summit, to stomp, to open drawers and fling out the contents, to reach up and take things off counters, and to unplug the vacuum. He also loves to draw. Especially on walls. And furniture. And library books. For this we are going to hell.

But speaking of books, he has finally found a few he likes; among them is, Where is Duck?, a story about a missing quacker. I don't know what about the story compels Liam to sit still with his hands in his lap, staring at the illustrations and waiting all the way to the end of the story before attempting to escape. Sometimes he even says "Duck" before he runs.

Who he loves: In the hierarchy of his affections, Ian comes first. Then the cat. Then Dadzilla. Then, I suppose "Cookie." I'm pretty much bottom of the heap. If I tell Liam to give Ian a hug, he'll do it instantly but if I ask for one myself, he'll walk away.

Things he eats: American cheese, string cheese, french fries, grilled cheese, and bananas. There seems to be a theme here, a yellowish theme.

It seems that every day he's a little more sophisticated and capable and full of intention. He's quickly morphing out of babyhood!

Fort Wetherill and Beavertail Light House - Summer in RI 2011

2011-10-10T19:15:00.002-05:00

The summer evaporated before our very eyes and it's already October. It seems like forever ago that we were visiting Ajji in RI.

We had a week to ourselves before Ajji's vacation started so we decided that we were going to ride all the carousels we could find, visit as many lighthouses as possible and sample all the artisan ice cream that RI has to offer.

We started out by going to Jamestown for a picnic at Fort Wetherill, on Grandpa Steve's recommendation. There were beautiful views of Newport from across Naragansett Bay. And my boys looked so pretty posed on the cliffs.

Should have brought napkins - bad picnic planning, Mommy.

They look precariously perched but don't worry, I'm hovering right behind.

No tickling the baby when you're sitting on pointy rocks above the bay!

Perfect picture - thanks to Dadzilla.

Bizarre over-exposed picture- thanks to Mamacita.

A hidden cove where we should have had our picnic. Next time.

Ian found a rock that looked like a whale... and wanted to pet it.

Ian and Beavertail Lighthouse.

This really shows the personalities: Ian is cautious, Dadzilla is nervous and Liam is exuberant.

Dadzilla keeping Liam on a short leash.

A beautiful day, big fluffy clouds, and the salty sea spray: quite idyllic.

Um, yeah. Why am I not stopping the running boy.

Dadzilla has observed that sometimes we practice the photo journalistic approach to child-rearing.

The tide pool escapee almost got a lot of unwanted attention from an exuberant toddler.

It smells like stinky fish, says Ian.

Visiting Pijji - Summer in RI 2011

2011-09-27T10:43:00.001-05:00

Pijji is no longer able to live at home with Ajji and she now resides in a pretty villa on the bay. She seemed happy enough to see us, not really recognizing who we were, but knowing that we were people who cared about her.

She politely sat through our visit, declined the donuts, watched the kids with some interest. She did say that she liked my flowery bag and when I offered it to her, she thought about it and then declined, saying "My time for all that is done. It's your turn now."

I found some pictures of her on the web (the things you can find on the internet!). I remember when some of those pictures were taken and in them, she is so vibrant, so personable. She always had this fire in her, this great drive to do, to be. I can't help comparing who she is now to who she was then... and feeling the loss of this engaging, loving, intelligent woman.

We walked her back to her room and she joined in a group activity. She seemed more engaged in that than she was in seeing us. This is her life now, in a pretty villa by the bay. We recede into the shadows. She faces her future alone even though we stand beside her, holding her hands.

What If.... Summer in RI 2011

2011-09-26T14:25:00.002-05:00

Liam and I have one thing in common. As babies, we both had curly hair. My mother, Ajji, used to get the hair out of my eyes by making a little fountain on top. So, when we were visiting her this summer, I asked Ajji to do the same with Liam. Just so I could see... I mean, imagine... well, you know... what I looked like.

He kinda looks like me...only a lot cuter and a lot slimmer!

I was never this adorable! OH, those eyelashes!

Oh mother! I'm embarrassed for us both.

Ian wanted to try it out too.

A funny story... when I first got my hair cut, my grandma, Pijji, enjoined the hairdresser not to ruin my curls! A fat lot of good it did!

The Haircut

2011-09-25T17:02:00.001-05:00

Before: One last photo shoot of those lovely locks. One last look at those curls dangling down out of the pirate hat.

During: By all reports, Liam was very cooperative. He didn't cry or throw a fit. He was curious and our dear Saeri was really quick (and patient)!

After: I thought Liam couldn't get any cuter.... I was Wrong! He's a little heart-breaker! And his hat has a lot more slop than before!

Doesn't quite fit anymore....

A new space to explore...and destroy.

So cute from the back!

That's what my baby looks like under all that hair.

He's a little dude. I miss the baby!

The Last Day

2011-08-18T18:55:00.002-05:00

I told Ian to enjoy Liam's curly locks for one last day because tomorrow, Liam will get his first haircut. Ian's was very upset. "Not his curls, Mommy! Don't cut his curls!"

I share this sentiment. Liam's lovely locks are so pretty and I do love brushing his hair and washing it and playing with it. But I wonder, what does my son look like under there.

We'll find out tomorrow.

To the Lighthouse

2011-07-29T17:23:00.001-05:00

The boys visited our inland sea, Lake Superior, for the first time yesterday. We've wanted to take them to the North Shore for some time but it seems like there was always one bad reason after another not to go. Bad parents! The beautiful vistas of the North Shore make the soul blossom.

First stop was Betty's Pies where we had ... pie. Delicious apple strawberry crunch. mmmmmm.

Next was for a little romp on the beach. This was Liam's first time in a major body of water.

And then, we were off to see the lighthouse. We're saving Split Rock lighthouse for another trip.

It was a long day and they were soooo good! It gives me encouragement for more adventurous excursions.

First Day of Summer 2011

2011-07-28T09:46:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a whole month since the first day. But it's fun to look back to a cooler time of year when it's so hot and humid and unbearable right now.

It was Liam's first time in the bike trailer and first time wearing a helmet. We probably should just keep it on him till he graduates high school since he has a propensity for head-banging.

And then, when they got to the playground, this is what they did. I'm glad Dadzilla captured the complaining baby on video - it's one of the more hilarious things he does.

And here's more playground footage. Liam is doing a bursty walk/run.

Straw Fedora

2011-07-27T17:19:00.000-05:00

Ian is both a hat person and an inveterate ham. Here, his two passions come together. Ya-ta-ta!

Proud to be American

2011-07-26T12:54:00.004-05:00

It is now official - I'm now the same nationality as the rest of my family! No longer do I endure midnight sweats about sudden deportations or lack of due process. And another benefit, I get to vote my conscience!

There were 700+ people being naturalized the same day (apparently there were going to be more later that afternoon). I sat between a Bulgarian and a Romanian. The Romanian texted the whole time, probably tweeting her naturalization in real time. The ceremony was nice but what was incredibly moving was the sense of elation from this group when we were finally declared Americans.

4 Happy Americans! (Photo by Gramma Betty)

It was a perfect June day, sunny and cool. My lovely boys were there as well as MN friends and family. Liam really enjoyed waving my flag, and Ian almost realized his life long wish.... There on the grounds of Bethel University (where the ceremony took place) was a goose family with fresh goslings. Ian took off after them, shouting over his shoulder that he was finally going to hug a goose. However, Gramma intervened. She said there was a goose in her yard and she would rather he hug a goose closer to home, and presumably closer to his pediatrician should things go awry.

This goose in Gramma's yard really needs a hug! (Photo by Gramma Betty)

Grandma treated us to a delicious Korean dinner at the end of the festivities. Ian and Liam loved the food and won over the waitresses with their cuteness!

More Cuteness from Easter

2011-07-24T18:42:00.000-05:00

Late afternoon. Such soft light. Such lovely photo subjects.

Matchy-Matchy Photo Shoot

2011-07-21T10:28:00.002-05:00

Ian likes it when he and Liam have matching T-shirts. It does make them more recognizable when in public. Here we have some photos from earlier in the year in one of their earlier matchy outfits.

What little imps. I see Dadzilla in them, especially in the last photo of Ian.

Sir Hugsalot

2011-07-20T09:44:00.002-05:00

Liam can be a crabby, demanding, and loud little creature with screams that can pierce through concrete. But he can turn your insides to goo when he gives you the sweetest hugs.

Awwwwww!

More Hugs Please!

All is forgiven.

The screaming, the crabbiness, the hitting... all is forgotten.

He has a special fondness for Uncle Mike.

But when he's had enough, watch out.

Reading

2011-07-20T09:09:00.000-05:00

Liam is not a big book person, which is surprising since he is related to a bunch of book lovers.


He'd much rather do this...

Or this. I know, we're going to bad parent hell.

Gramma Betty has gotten Liam interested in a book which he likes to read over and over and over. In fact, he'll sometimes crawl up into your lap and hand you the book. So, maybe we'll just end up in parent purgatory.

Peek-a-Who?

Unfortunately we can't interest Liam in other books. Ian has been trying. There are some books that Ian can read to his brother. Ian can read 52 words (that I've counted), can phonetically sound out many others, and pretty much knows Goodnight Moon by heart.

Saying Goodbye to the Little Red Car

2011-07-19T16:25:00.002-05:00

Gramma's red car was a fun little ride. Ian developed a strong association between that car and his Gramma's arrival. When he'd see the car drive up, he'd yell "Gramma's here!"

So before the salvage guy got there, Ian said his goodbyes. This was definitely not staged.

Last flick of the headlights.

Last kick of the driver seat.

Crawling through to the trunk.

There's space here for at least three more of his friends.

Standing room.

One last hug.

And a heartfelt kiss.

Goodbye little red car.

You were a whole lot of fun, especially to little boys who like red things that go.

And you'll be missed.

What Really Happened to Gramma's Car

2011-07-19T16:10:00.002-05:00

Yes there was an accident. Classic example of what happens when the driver is distracted by a rowdy passenger.

What's more - no seatbelts!

Oops!

The driver's not very remorseful about wrecking Gramma's car.

Okay, this whole thing was staged. No children were endangered in the making of this blog post. And Ian had his hands on the wheel at least part of the time.

Last Day of School

2011-07-19T15:27:00.001-05:00

Ian has become such a little guy. I notice this especially at the end of the school year when he seems so grown-up, so mature and so capable compared to when he started.

Last-day-of-school T-shirt courtesy of Ajji.

Ian and his favorite bus driver, Jerry.

Taste-testing ice cream flavors. Surprise, surprise Ian liked all the flavors.

Every meal is an opportunity for a science experiment. Cupcakes, let it be known, are crumbly.

Liam sat through most of the presentation! This always surprises me.

Every year, we're invited into the classroom to see what the kids have been up to and to see all the neat new technology the school has.

Liam really liked the computer station. Ian tried to show him how it was done, but Liam liked doing things his way.

Teacher Sara - a SAINT! Ian always says how much he misses her.

Preschool

2011-07-16T22:37:00.002-05:00

I've been remiss in getting any images of Ian's preschool... I thought I'd have lots of time to take photos and there the year went! Luckily Gramma Betty took all of these.

I love the reading nook in the corner.

Ben's lunch is in the foreground. Ian's teacher is right in the center.

The culmination of the school year was a circus performance (so appropriate!) to which parents were invited. Ian was part of the penguin act, waddling, sliding down a platform on his belly and catching fish.

Those penguins were the first act of the circus, and for the rest of the hour they sat so nicely with only a minimum of fidgeting.

Penguins are being lined up.

The girls in Ian's class were gymnasts.

What a fine-looking flock of flightless birds.

Ben and Ian penguins.

An Attempt to Catch Up

2011-07-04T14:42:00.001-05:00

Was Easter really 3 months ago? My apologies for not being a more faithful correspondent on the front lines of toddlerhood. With the newly mobile, Time feels less like a steady trickle and more like a mudslide. All I can do is look around at the destruction around me and wonder how it all happened so quickly!

Ah well, here's some cuteness for what feels like soooo long ago! These photos are from Easter when Janelle was here.

A sweet enigmatic smile.

The photographer at large.

Uncle Steve and the Screamapillar.

My three boys.

Liam counts his booty over and over.

He thought the grass in the basket was for eating.

Bella turns 10!

Ian has a Easter tea party for his bunnies.

He dyed that egg all by himself!

Liam update: as of today, he is two inches taller than he was when he turned "1" and no less inclined to experience the world around him through his taste buds.

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T19:16:00.000-05:00

Liam is using his choppers more and more and so for Easter, I gave him some bunny brioche... well just the head of the bunny. The audio is terrible but maybe you can hear Dadzilla crooning. And yes, I know those brioche look more like bears.

Speaking of bunnies, it seems our long, cold winter did nothing to their numbers. As I write this, I'm watching two fat rabbits grazing in my neighbor's yard.

First Playground Adventure

2011-04-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

... for Liam, that is. And it was the first playground adventure for Ian after a long cold winter. Liam was very unsure of everything.

He wanted me to put him down but then he wanted to be picked up right away. He didn't know what to make of the slide or the swing or the little bouncy whale.

I'm not too concerned - if he's anything like his brother, this cautiousness won't last.

Decisions, Decisions

2011-03-26T11:43:00.000-05:00

I feel like something's missing....

Maybe, I need a hat to complete my look.


But which hat? Which hat is me?

Pirate, Fireman. Pirate, Fireman.


Maybe this one. It's so nice and red.

It fits!

Do I look spectacular?!

It's a good look all around.

The patient big brother watches on.

Not Another Cake-Eater

2011-03-26T10:17:00.001-05:00

I forgot the birthday cake-eating pictures! As you can see, Liam was pretty ambivalent about cake, in stark contrast to the rest of us.

Must ... Destroy ... Texas

2011-03-25T15:29:00.001-05:00

Playing nearby, seemingly innocent.

Little Liam is a walking source of entropy, as I suppose most babies are, leaving in his wake toppled block towers, puzzle pieces asunder, and innocent books torn. Whatever big brother makes, little brother must unmake.

Here he is going after a puzzle that Ian has just put together. It's all Ajji can do to hold on to the 22lbs of fury.

Ajji's Visit - Liam's Birthday

2011-03-24T10:59:00.000-05:00

We had to cancel Liam's party because of illness but his birthday was still extra special because of Ajji's visit.

It was funny hearing the squeels of laughter coming from the living room while I was in the kitchen, making lunch!

Attack of the Year Old Toddler

2011-03-21T19:38:00.000-05:00

With his first steps, a whole new world has opened up to Liam. And he is eager to explore it. So much to see, knock down and eat. Poor second born. It's his own fault that I never update the blog anymore. If he'd just hang out and sit in one place or sleep more often, I'd get a lot more done.

Alright, enough complaining. I'm really quite pleased that he's mobile and curious, a budding gourmand with an unusual palate. The milestones this month really center around his mobility, and his teeth. Yes there are more teeth at least three more and I swear there are molars in there too!

In the last month, Liam has done the following:

1. Walk walk walk walk walk
2. Abscond with at least two remote controls
3. "Plays" Wii with his brother... and then absconds with the Wii remote

4. Plays tag with his brother and does this with vigorous squeeling
5. Bathes in the big tub
6. Put things in other things, but soon tires of this and scatters things around the room
7. Ate cake - but didn't like it
8. Ate cat food - liked it a lot
9. Picks up his toy telephone and says "gama? gama?"

10. Puts just about anything to his ear and says "gama? gama?"
11. Still won't sleep in the crib and won't take a pacifier
12. Will accept a sippy cup... sometimes
13. Never hesitates to howl his disapproval, even when asleep

And his hair just keeps on coming out curly. As long as it doesn't mat, I'll keep it long!

Too pretty to be a boy!

Tentacles No More!

2011-02-26T04:12:00.001-06:00

Yesterday evening as Ian and I cheered him on, Liam took six unassisted steps towards toddlerhood. He was tentative, but he didn't careen. Added to that, he was wearing a pair of little dude pants that Ian used to wear when he was one. It was a beautiful and bittersweet moment.

The title of this post makes reference to this hilarious book, Earthlets: As Explained by Professor Xargle.

The Opossum

2011-02-23T22:14:00.004-06:00

Ian who has a soft spot for animals, now has an unrequited longing for an opossum, an animal whose existence he has only recently become aware of. It's very endearing how he tries to describe why he likes the beast and why wants a stuffed animal opossum.

His rationale is based on the opossums he saw in the movie, Over the Hedge.

Ian's First Excellent Cross Country Skiing Adventure

2011-02-22T22:10:00.001-06:00

Dadzilla finally has a companion for his wintry sports, a companion who is as passionate about the gear as he is.

The adventure started out so well...

But, it was more cold, wet exertion than he was used to (read "death march"), and Ian stopped being his usual cheerful self.

Liam's First New Year's Eve

2011-02-21T19:19:00.000-06:00

After this, I'll be all caught up on the events in Liam's life - just in time for his birthday!

So, after Christmas in RI, it was back to MN for New Year's and party at Gramma's.

Hey! I have a shirt just like this!

The last of the gummy smile! Sigh!

The book doesn't lie. Children really are the worst pets.

The magpie finds more bling.

I'm king of the world!

The sisters

Auntie Cousin Siri

Silliness about to erupt. Wait for it... wait for it....

As always, all eyes are on Ian.

11+ Month Update

2011-02-20T19:05:00.000-06:00

Just a few short weeks till we have a one year old! And this has been such an eventful month!

The Numbers
Liam now has had
- 4 teeth erupt (and 4 below the surface),
- 1 haircut ( an ill-fated bang-trimming that mommy deeply regrets)
- 2 new nicknames. These nicknames were bestowed upon him by his adoring brother. First was "Baby Two-Teeth" but that only lasted 8 hours until the third tooth popped out. The second is my favorite: "Baby Happy Pants."

The teeth have changed everything. As Dadzilla has said, "No good thing will go unbitten." And all the progress we made sleeping in the crib has been undone. But especially sadly, the adorable gummy smile is no more. He's becoming less and less of a baby!

Preferences
- Loves to rip paper
- Loves to pluck at eyes and pull at hair
- Enjoys cords, connectors, plugs, phones, remotes, and loose DVDs especially if they're from the library
- Fancies rabbits (I think the ears make a good handle)
- Likes to hear the sound of things as the fall from some height
- Enjoys mushed-up table food

Progress
- Takes every opportunity to stand and explore, even in his high chair.
- Now scoots more than he crawls. He has taken some tentative unaided steps but looses his nerve.
- Talks constantly! He imitates our intonation. For example, he will imitate a scolding tone when he is playing with wires and cords
- Makes "broom broom" sounds when he sees cars or trucks. Actually likes to watch car shows and "This Old House" with his dad. Not sure this should go under progress.
- Has made his first movie using Dadzilla's iPod about his blanket.

Personality
- This little critter is determined and not easily dissuaded. He's got the stubborn gene from both sides of the family, poor thing.
- Liam has shown signs that he understands what's funny! He laughs and laughs at the way Ian imitates him trying unsuccessfully to get the DVD into the player.
- He's a busy baby like his brother, but unlike his brother, he doesn't really care for books. At this age, Ian couldn't fall asleep without reading "Goodnight Moon."
- Liam likes to knock things down, especially things that is brother is building. I hope it's just a stage....

Some Cute Pictures That Are Hard To Tie Together in a Narrative

2011-02-07T17:59:00.001-06:00

Saying goodbye to Auntie Rachella and wondering aloud what that thing on her head was.

Is it a llama? Is it a cow? The pom-pom is throwing me off!

Getting down tonight!

Are you jealous yet, Auntie Rachella? (photo by Uncle Peter)

You don't know what it is either, do you? (photo by Uncle Peter)

They could be sisters but we can use the crown to tell them apart. (photo by Uncle Peter)

That's good, but next time, could you win Uncle Peter? (photo by Auntie Rachel)

Not on the lips! NOT on the lips!!!

The forbidden Lego is the sweetest.

The wheels on the caterpillar go round and round, but not when I'm holding them.(Photo by Uncle Peter)

4 Generations - 2010

2011-02-07T15:50:00.002-06:00

The more generations you add to a photo, the less likely it will be that you'll have everyone looking at the camera at the same time.

Pijji and her Great Grandsons

2011-02-07T15:44:00.000-06:00

Even though she's right in front of us, we miss Pijji.

She has been slipping away for years, and now she is with us so seldom.

Pijji was a teacher for most of her life and has a natural affinity for children but I like to think that in these pictures, she is relating to her great grandsons.

The Ballad of Lemon and Pepper

2011-02-06T20:10:00.004-06:00

There once were two teddy bear hamsters

Who wanted so to be rapsters

One was named Lemon
The other was Pepper

but Ian thought they were terrible songsters

Okay, not a ballad by a long stretch. It hardly makes sense. Just more hamster doggerel.
(All photos by Uncle Peter)

Liam's First Christmas 2010

2011-02-05T21:05:00.001-06:00

For Liam's first Christmas, we went to Rhode Island to visit Ajji.

photo by Uncle Peter

Lurking in the presents is a cat's idea of fun.

When we first touched down, it was a sunny afternoon. There was no snow on the ground and the grass was actually --- GREEN! Ian said, "Mommy, it's summer in Ajji's house!" Ha! That didn't last long. And I'm sure that right now in RI, summer feels a long ways away.

This was the first time Liam met Auntie Rachella and Uncle Peter.

Liam was very sweet on Rachel and especially enjoyed all those baubles around her neck. Like my side of the family, he's a magpie.

Photo by Uncle Peter

photo by Uncle Peter

Photo by Uncle Peter

photo by Uncle Peter

It was crazy, good fun with a beautiful tree, lots of delicious meals one after another, an obscene number of presents and unadulterated time with Ajji, Pijji and Grandpa Steve!

First ride-on toy

He loves having ''wheels.''

The train table was perfect for cruising around.

The giant cardboard boxes were the best presents of all!

Liam also got his first taste of wheat in the form of teething biscuits. He thought teething biscuits made a nice sound as they hit the floor.

Not a wheat biscuit. but much more delicious.

Daily Ian and Liam 1-31

2011-01-31T22:23:00.000-06:00

My honey bunny wrote me a message on the fridge. He spelled it out himself! Dadzilla and I were so excited!

Yesterday at Uncle Ernie's birthday, he "made" Ernie a cake and spelled "Happy Birthday Ernie" on it. Ernie was spelled "R-N-E."

And, Liam who didn't take a nap this afternoon, fell fast asleep during dinner. It was such a civilized dinner.

Where's the Remote

2011-01-31T09:05:00.000-06:00

As Dadzilla said, we spend too much on toys for the boys. We should just let them play with the remote. It's the only thing they want anyway and it can be a phone or something to toss or to gnaw on.

Sidney (aka Sid Vicious) 1998 - 2010

2011-01-29T19:09:00.003-06:00

Sid, my mother's devoted terrier and member of the family, passed away before Christmas. He had the spunk of a room full of electrified cats, an intelligence beyond that of a mere hound, the jaws of Jaws himself and the smile of a true terrier.

We will never forget you Sid. Your spicy comments here on the blog will be missed as will your whining impatience whenever I got on the phone with mom. We'll always remember your silky ears and tailless waggle, how you loved a good bath and a good foot to nip (we know they were just love-nips).

May you have all the balls to puncture, all the squeekie toys to dismember, a lot of aromatic things to roll in with impunity, all the skunks and night critters to bark at and a never-ending supply of doggie treats up there in the shady dog park in the sky.

First Tooth Sited!

2011-01-28T21:24:00.002-06:00

At long last, the first lower central incisor has appeared! It is so cute and sharp and still very much at the surface of the gum. I noticed it around 11:15 today and I don't know why, but I'm awfully pleased! Hurray! It seemed Lee-Lee has been teething for the last 6 months and now finally, some results!

I tried to get a picture of it, but you know how cooperative teething babies are.

Jack's Birthday

2011-01-27T18:31:00.002-06:00

We're still in last year... now it's December. Can't believe little Jack turned three! He's really into power tools and Thomas the Train, regular boy stuff.

We went over to celebrate, and it was the first birthday party that Liam attended.

He made his rounds, was extremely pleasant and charming, and he even let non-family members hold him while he slept.

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-01-27T18:22:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I'm trying to catch up with blog posts from last year! The more mobile Liam becomes the fewer chances I have to upload any new content!

For Liam's first Thanksgiving, we were all set to go to Iowa when the boys fell sick, all three of them. So at the last minute, I made a turkey. Ian helped me make the cornbread and the sweet potatoes.

It was a cozy, quiet meal of thanks. The thing I was most thankful for was Liam who completes our family. I'm also thankful that Ian likes to help me cook even if he doesn't eat what he makes. Liam enjoyed my chile-encrusted turkey pureed with sweet potato.

Is it a Car? Is it a House?

2011-01-25T21:44:00.000-06:00

Ian is always building things for his Peepo mice. This is a car/house, a very elaborate and well-built structure that deserved to be added to the archive.

More Aunt Janella Party Pictures

2011-01-24T17:25:00.002-06:00

Some of these photos were taken by Janella and some by Aunt Elaine who got some really adorable shots of Liam.

Ian loves the picture of this cake. He wants to blow it up, poster-size. (Photo by Aunt Janella)

Liam being totally winning with Aunt Siri. (Aunt Janella's photo)

Some pirate party carry-over. (Aunt Janella is credited here)

Those big eyes, long lashes and curly locks... he's too cute to be a boy! (Photo by Aunt Elaine)

Gramma Betty's little guy! (Photo by Aunt Elaine)

Gramma Betty's other little guy, lurking under the piano bench. (Photo by Aunt Elaine)

This happy hippo brought to you by Aunt Elaine

And this one was Aunt Elaine too. What a cutie!

More Snow Man Pictures

2011-01-24T17:15:00.001-06:00

Once again, these pictures were on Aunt Janella's camera. Since Janella's the subject of some of them, I'm going to guess that Dadzilla took them.

Ian's first snow man!

What a party animal!

More Pirate Photos

2011-01-24T16:19:00.001-06:00

Being part of Dadzilla's family, we have access to some serious photographers. Aunt Janella had some different takes of Ian's pirate party, so I'm including them here!

Pirate Captain Ian proudly displaying pirate puzzle

Pirate Captain Ian about to turn FOUR officially, once he blows out his birthday candles

Pirate candles on a plate, not on the cake, because pirates don't like to eat spit on their cake!

Pirate tableau to get us in the pirate-y party mood! Arrrrr!

Two scurvy rascals

Warming up with a little pirate yoga. The pose shown here is "the palm tree."

TREASURE!!!!!!! Arrrrr!

Pirate-in-training Black Jack Liam trying out a parrot... on his ankle. Doh!

Pirate-in-training Black Jack Liam wears the wrong hat. Oh, arrr.

Ah! There we go! Much better - Arrrrrr!

"Does this hat make me look like a baby?"

Rockabye Baby

2011-01-17T22:13:00.000-06:00

How can this adorable little sunbeam make me dread nap time and bedtime so very much!

But today, I have good news to report. I successfully put down the shriekapillar in his crib. He was awake when I put him in, and he fell asleep as I sang soothing songs to him. Ahhhhhhh! Sweet relief. I bet he was exhausted after shrieking all day long and then he had such a nice bath with his big brother.

Big brother actually taught baby a game! It was pass the rubber ducky. You play it by passing the duck in a circle from Ian to mommy to Liam. And Liam played along!

Baby Ate Texas

2011-01-08T17:01:00.000-06:00

And here is evidence of what Liam likes to do to maps.

Yes, I mention that he ate Texas. That came later, but the film was edited for succinctness.

I Forgot This Cute Picture

2011-01-08T11:59:00.001-06:00

Awwww!

Liam - 10 Month Progress Report

2011-01-08T11:55:00.002-06:00

On the road to becoming a human.

Movement
Liam is no longer a stationary baby but rather he's on the edge of toddler-hood. This is good and bad. Good for him, bad for me. He tries to wriggle off the changing table, off the bed, off the sofa, off my lap. He still does the army crawl. He can pull himself to standing and he can get into the sitting position all on his own. He also likes to bop in time to music.

Speech
We are now convinced that he is saying some words:
Dada, Diya = Daddy
Baba = Mommy
Kidde = Kitty
Mum Mum Mum = Hungry

Food
Yogurt is now on the menu. Table food too, mooshed up of course. He gums hard biscuits and still eats the regular jarred baby food. He loves chicken.

Teeth
Not a one in sight. Doctor's not too concerned. The alternative is to cut his gums. Uh... no.

Preferences

Likes to tear up and eat paper.
Likes to tear up and eat maps.
Likes to play with a dust bunny despite being surrounded by a plethora big, loud, colorful toys.
Still interacts with most objects by putting them in his mouth.
Likes to chase down the cat and squeeze his tail or pull his fur or stick his finger in the cat's ear. (Cat objects only vocally but doesn't run away)
Doesn't like his crib, but will sleep in it after crying for an hour and a half.
Doesn't take the bottle or a pacifier and has no defined lovey to speak of, which makes life very difficult for mommy.
Loves bathing.

And Lastly
He'll crawl over to the TV, take the remote and try to change channels.

Another Party

2011-01-08T11:17:00.001-06:00

This time, it was Aunt Janella's turn. It's quite unusual for her to be here for her birthday so we took the opportunity for a family card game with birthday cake! Yum. Aunt Janella made that gorgeous and delicious cake.

There were no pirates, no giant squid and no swash-buckling.

Ian's really growing up... he didn't even try to lick the cake.

Great Aunt Elaine, the patron saint of all our parties, and Aunt Siri.

The Cousins

Ian really wanted to learn how to play this game.

It was a very quick party before Aunt Janella had to head to the airport.

A Pirate Pajama Party

2011-01-04T21:48:00.001-06:00

What Ian wanted more than anything for his birthday party was to have a sleepover ...with pirates. So we compromised. We had a pirate-themed party where everyone came in their jammies and we served brunch.

We invited four landlubbers to join our crew. We had a treasure chest, a giant shark, a plank for walking...

some wonderful pirate books for "bedtime stories,"

there was a pirate cake with giant squid guarding it,

and finally there was Pirate Aunt Janella, complete with parrot and fearsome golden belt buckle.

Last but not least, we had a giant blizzard that very day! Very auspicious. It didn't dissuade most of our guests! What true Minnesotans!

Aunt Janella, though a tropical pirate, readily donned a snow suit and helped Ian build a large snowman which until quite recently was still standing.

Ajji and Liam

2010-12-10T22:30:00.001-06:00

Liam didn't miss a beat when he saw Ajji again after this summer. He instinctively knows who are the members of his tribe. They were instantly old pals.

Ajji's Visit - Fall 2010

2010-12-10T22:20:00.001-06:00

We had a lovely but brief visit with Ajji on the occasion of Ian's 4th birthday. We stayed in for the most part, hung out, read a lot, ate cake, did school projects, played incessantly...nothing out of the ordinary.

Then we dropped Ajji off at the airport. Ian was sullen all the way there. Ajji hugged him goodbye (forgetting by the way to say goodbye to me) and walked into the terminal. Ian turned to me with such a forlorn expression and then cried the whole way home. I tried to comfort him but I ended up crying myself.

When we came home, I told Dadzilla that I felt my heart had broken. Ian, who by that time was feeling a little better, turned to me and said, "I'll fix it for you." I'll never forget that day, when my son fixed my broken heart.

Liam - 9 Month Progress Report

2010-12-06T21:21:00.002-06:00

Nine months since we first fell in love with little Liam and oh he is so different from the sleepy little grub we brought home from the hospital. But one thing is the same; still no teeth!

First, the big development: Liam has been doing a proto-crawl for the last 4 days. He's experimenting with two types of crawl: an army crawl and the inchworm. He makes slow progress scooting across the floor to his favored targets: big brother's toys, my pile of magazines, the cat. He can execute some fairly sophisticated maneuvers like crawling backwards and turning. He cruises the furniture with help and is becoming quite adept at flipping over, even on soft surfaces.

In other news:

It's too hazardous to wear earrings, necklaces or glasses around him any more.
He loves to rip paper to shreds. This might be his favorite activity.
He has taught me a few games. For example we have "Footie" where he brandishes his foot at me and I try to grab it.
There are now many more shrieks of delight than shrieks of distress.
Like his brother, he tries to catch water flowing out of a faucet. And then he looks at his fingers to make sense of where it went.
He likes people and very endearingly snuggles with those brave souls who hold him. This before he grabs at earrings or glasses or noses or lips.

Dadzilla and I are trying to harden our hearts in order to sleep train this very stubborn baby. You'd think we would have done it sooner especially as he wakes up about 4 times a night.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-23T14:46:00.001-06:00

This wasn't always going to be Ian's costume. He had wanted me to make him a wrecking ball! But because I didn't have the engineering skills to create a black fleece sphere, we opted for the cheeseburger, a very scary costume indeed.

He got good use out of it. In addition to trick-or-treating, he got to wear it to school twice. We were invited in to take some pictures. Unfortunately, Ian's Li'l Devil costume made Liam break out in hives, so Liam went as himself.

A little play house at school that Ian especially enjoys.

Painting scary toast.

No toast for baby?

The end result - Abstract in Green and Orange.

First School Photo

2010-11-22T06:24:00.003-06:00

This one's my favorite!

With much trepidation, we sent our first born to school on Photo Day. He cleans up pretty nice and he's most photogenic but... he's better at candids and not so much at portraits. So we practiced at home and here's what we got. I hope the school photographer did better.

"Wait, I wasn't ready."

"CHEEEEEEESE."

Distracted....

The Mug Shot

More Cheeeese!

Liam - 8 Month Progress Report

2010-11-21T06:26:00.018-06:00

This comes a little late... we're almost in to Month 9, but unfortunately blogging hasn't been my first priority. Still Month 8 has been eventful, for example, we were able to capture more and more of Liam's gleeful smiles. Here are other highlights of Month 8....

Still no teeth but lots of drool and, we suspect, tooth-related agony.

His communication has become more nuanced. He now shakes his head from side to side to indicate he's done eating instead of slapping the spoon out of my hand. He also scrunches up his nose and smiles a full-blown gummy smile as a way of greeting. If you were to do it back to him, he would repeat and you could continue that way for minutes. I think Ian taught him this.

Liam declaims to an invisible interlocutor. He punctuates his oratory with hand gestures! We need this on video.

He "walks" when held up, putting one foot in front of the other. He sits without support and he has started eating baby food meat! Still no luck sleeping in the crib, or taking the pacifier or the bottle. And he's extremely resistant to sleep training. After 3 hours of his furious cries, we beg for mercy and let him have his way.

He's almost ready for a haircut.

And I loved the way that Ian introduced Liam to his friends at his birthday party: "This is Liam. He is a baby. And he loves to grab!"

Late Summer at Wood Lake

2010-11-20T22:02:00.001-06:00

26 F today and the lake has ice. These pictures make me miss lovely Summer. Especially knowing what it's like in the middle of winter with a little victim of cabin fever.

Dadzilla brought over a trampoline from Gramma Betty's so we could jump our sillies out on inclement days. Ian has also expressed an interest in ice skating, which I'm beginning to suspect he might enjoy.

Blast From the Past

2010-11-20T09:05:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures of Liam 4 days shy of being 6 months old. He's been passionate about jumping ever since.

And here's a picture from 40 some years ago of Dadzilla around the same age. It's eerie how similar they are.

Found It!

2010-11-20T08:52:00.001-06:00

Finally, I have the infamous photo! Note the look of intention on Aunt Janella's face and the terror on Dadzilla's! Now compare it to the post below.

History Repeats

2010-10-09T23:00:00.002-05:00

This picture makes me laugh because it reminds me so much of a similar photo of Aunt Janella and her apprehensive younger brother, Dadzilla.

Liam Seventh Month Update

2010-10-08T19:19:00.000-05:00

My little Liam has now been on the "outside" for 7 months! Here's an update of all the adorable and (marginally less adorable) things he does.

He loves to stand in his Exersaucer and sit in his Bumbo but doesn't care to sleep in his crib.

He definitely has an emotional range from ecstatic to silly to playful to grumpy to demanding to anxious. He can play that in the span of 10 seconds.

Still no tooth though there's plenty of drool and gnawing.

He uses his hands for grabbing pens, pulling earrings, and finding foreign objects to taste.

He is more expressive with his vocalizations:

"Mamamama" = "I'm hungry and/or thirsty and/or in need of cuddling and/or in need of sleep. " Sometimes it means "Get me out of this highchair, Bumbo, etc."
"Bababababa" = "How abouts you play with me and/or tickle me and/or put me in my Johnny Jump-up."
High-pitched gurgling sounds mean he's very pleased or interested.
He even does some really angry noises when he's doesn't feel like he's being noticed enough.
He still says "Agoo" but this is mostly reserved for his father and brother, and I think it is a sound of supreme contentment.

He has now eaten the following pureed foods: bananas (doesn't like), peaches (doesn't like), peas (doesn't like), apples (likes), pears (loves), squash (loves).

He still turns up his nose at bottles and pacifiers.

He sleeps at least 6 hours through the night but unfortunately this doesn't perfectly coordinate with the 6 hours I'd like to sleep through the night.

7 sweet months of Liam.

Summer in RI: Liam in the Black-eyed Susans

2010-10-07T23:15:00.000-05:00

And here are the last photos from RI, a twilight shoot with my littlest darling in among my mother's lovely flowers.

Summer in RI: The Pony Ride

2010-09-23T22:12:00.002-05:00

Ajji was excited to take Ian for a pony ride on the beach. Perhaps it was nostalgia for when she used to take me for pony rides. I wasn't along on this excursion, so I'll have to take some license with the captions. Ajji, feel free to correct me.

"I don't need a pony when I have Grampa Steve."

"Can I have a donkey, please? I promise I'll walk it and feed it and water it! And it can stay in my room with me!"

"I have to wear a helmet?! I'm so outta here!"

"Hi Pony! I'm gonna call you Thunder."

"Thunder doesn't seem to be in the galloping mood."

"Hey Lady. What happened to the kid wearing THAT helmet?!?"

"Does this saddle make me look fat?"

"Yeeha! Go Thunder Go!"

"Little help? I need to go stare at those bunnies."

"That's funny. Bunnies smell an awful lot like ponies."

Liam - 6 Month Progress Report

2010-09-21T22:00:00.001-05:00

Liam is now weighing in at hefty 18lbs 2oz and has tripled his birth weight. He's a solid little creature.

Photo by Aunt Elaine

He can now do the following:

Vocally express his frustration. Especially bad at 6:30 AM.
Sit in a bumbo, exersaucer or johnny-jump up for half an hour or more.
Eat rice cereal and apple sauce. He doesn't care for bananas, peas or carrots.
Attempt to crawl when placed on his tummy.
Grab hair, earrings, necklaces.
Put anything and everything into his mouth.
Kick, slap, claw and writhe when discontent.
Gurgle, coo and smile coyly when content but this is reserved for big brother and Dadzilla. With Mommy, he's all business.

Liam now wears the clothes Ian wore when he was twelve months. He's not content with sitting around. He insists on being carried about to a different venue every 10 to 15 minutes. He LOVES riding in the convertible. Those pesky teeth are still lurking below the surface and making him so grumpy.

And here's a milestone... he's smiling in a photograph.

Photo by Uncle Mike while Aunt Elaine tickles

Not exactly sure what's expected of him....

There's the smile! And some drool.

Sweet Liam!

Summer in RI: Flowers in Ajji's Garden

2010-09-20T10:05:00.001-05:00

"Big as your head" dahlias

Massive fields of black-eyed susans

Passion flower in the shade

~~No clue~~...but it was so pretty at twilight. Thanks to Ajji, we now know it's SWEET wilLIAM. I like it even more.

Summer in RI: The Aquarium

2010-09-16T22:57:00.001-05:00

It was the hottest, humidest day when we headed to the aquarium down in Mystic. Unfortunately, about a billion sweaty people and their children had the same idea. Don't kids go to camp and summer school any more? Even more unfortunately, the aquarium was having a power outage and was running emergency generators! It's a big facility but when you're packed in there like a bunch of sticky sardines, you're not thinking about the fish anymore.

Since I was pushing the baby and Dadzilla was being the photojournalist, Ajji had to do the heavy lifting, hoisting the 36 lb boy up over the hoi polloi so he could see the African penguins preening on the rocks.

The whole trip was worth it for the beautiful photos Dadzilla got, especially these, my favorites.

She looks so serene here, but I'm sure none of that activity was good for her knee.

Summer in RI: The Beach

2010-09-15T23:33:00.000-05:00

Most places, Ian makes himself right at home but I got the sense that he was a little out of his element at the beach.

Sure he was excited to find a giant sandbox in which to bury his stuffies, but somehow he was uneasy. Perhaps sensory overload? Maybe it was too unfamiliar?

This was after all, the first time he had played at a beach with the roar of the ocean so close by. Dadzilla had to take him by the hand and introduce Ian to the waves.

We offroaded Liam in his stroller. He was pretty unflappable perhaps even a touch bored. It didn't bother him that the seagulls were as big as he was. Next time he's here, he'll be chasing those poor birds no doubt.

Summer in RI: Hangin' with my Peeps

2010-09-14T21:49:00.000-05:00

Ajji's deck is a great summer vacation destination with the lush grape vines, the shade of the tall trees and the views of her lovely yard. It's the place to spend some quality time with family.

Summer in RI: Day at the Museum

2010-09-12T23:29:00.004-05:00

Dadzilla and I, as parents, have been derelict in our duties.

We have not taught the boy good museum etiquette, including the #1 cardinal rule: "Thou SHALT NOT TOUCH the Rothko, nor the giant felt moon, nor the Middle Kingdom statuary, no way, no how, no matter that thy mother asked thee thy thoughts upon the beauty of these objects!"

There are others:

2. Thou shalt not gallop up and down the halls displaying thy capacity for buffoonery!

3. Thou shalt not shriek like a banshee piercing the meditative silence, even if a 3000 year old mummy is chasing thee!

4. Thou must respect the velvet rope and keep it inviolate. Under no circumstance might thou duck under it to climb the giant wooden Buddha, nor hang upon it, nor use it to swing thy silly little monkey carcass about.

5. Thou shalt not befoul the Corbusier couch by setting thy filthy feet upon it, nor may thou under any circumstance lie on the floor, or on the sidewalk...

...but thou may sitteth upon the grass, far far away from the museum when accompanied by a grown-up.

You haven't seen this list of rules? Oh, they're there. On parchment at the entrance to every museum I've ever been to.

At least this child was strapped in to his stroller.

This made him quite sedate and easily posed for pictures.

Summer in RI: Let Them Eat Cake

2010-09-10T06:51:00.006-05:00

Cake for breakfast? Really?

It's healthy because it's got fruit on it?

Is this kosher!?

Mmm mmm mmm! Heaven!

Summer in RI: The Harvest

2010-09-09T21:28:00.003-05:00

We went to Rhode Island for a couple of weeks to visit Ajji, Pijji and Grampa Steve. It was Liam's first time on a plane. He was soooo perfect that the other passengers commented about how good he was. The return trip was a different story!

The boys slept soundly and the next day were amazed to discover a massive tangle of vines in Ajji's backyard. Ajji called this her tomato jungle but she was growing beans, hot peppers, broccoli, zucchini, lettuce, onions, herbs and eggplants in there too. She got Ian's help picking vegetables but was less successful getting him to eat them.

Look at those healthy vegetables! Ajji's papa would have been proud. When he was alive, he too had a tomato jungle in the backyard but not quite this extensive or ambitious. Ian was tentative at first but then got quite bold picking cherry tomatoes, even the green ones.

The eggplants ...not so exciting. They're kind of prickly and worse, nothing good can be made out of an eggplant. It's hard for a little boy to be thrilled about eggplants especially when there are so many of them. Lucky for him Ajji, Pijji and Mommy love a good eggplant curry.

Here are tomatoes in the hands of three generations.

And finally, the harvest of the day.

To Iowa We Go, We Go

2010-09-08T23:59:00.006-05:00

Summer after the 4th of July is reunion season. Having a small family that scattered in the wind, I didn't grow up with this unique experience of getting together once a year with a bunch of strangers (other than the familiar cousins, uncle, aunts and grandma) under the pretext that you're all related. In all fairness, they are no longer strangers but I am still grateful for the name tags.

At first I took a sociological interest in it all; the name tags, the potluck, the Lutheran church basement, the singing in Norwegian, the business meeting, the geneology. The wholesomeness of it all had a Garrison Keillor feel to it. But now, I enjoy the trip to Iowa for its own merits; driving in the heat of summer through tall corn, the nostalgic appeal of small towns with names like Hope, Jewel and Manly and the highlights of the potluck buffet - the various versions of Norwegian yummies like Kringle, Lefse and Harringekage.

Here are some of the highlights from this year's visit to Iowa.

1. The Adventure in the Belly of the Beast

We rented a van at the last minute and all that was left was this behemoth. May that be a lesson to all you procrastinators. In addition to ourselves, we could have transported a church softball team or a church basketball team or a church ski team. I don't know why, but this van made me think of ...church.

Here are the intrepid drivers. Yes Aunt Janella came with and for those who haven't done it, I recommend traveling with her. In fact all the trips we've taken together have been VERY memorable. VERY. Never a dull moment, no sirree. I was endless entertained by Janella and Dadzilla's animated exchanges on every subject from travel to car selection.

The passengers.

2. The Firefly

This was Ian's first real firefly siting. Oh it was grand to watch the twinkling of bugs as the curtain of night descended.

In fact, it was so special that on our way back home, we stopped at a rest area with tall grass to look at the fireflies. About two fireflies into it, we suddenly realized there were other bugs in the grass and they were after our blood! They chased us inside the rest stop and then mobbed us as we ran back to the car. It looked as though each of us was wearing a mosquito bouffant.

3. The Hawaiin Shirts

Was this planned? Why didn't Dadzilla, Liam and I get the memo?

4. New Friends and Crazy Creatures

Ian befriended the sweetest children. We had seen them there before but the magic of reunions is that when you see this kids annually, they seem to have metamorphosed into completely different beings. Grown ups are so boring. They never change, at least not in interesting ways.

At some point, maybe it was during the slideshow of Norway, I found the kids making creepy bats and aliens and spaghetti monsters and hanging them over the stairwell to scare passersby.

5. Liam's First Reunion

And certainly not his last. Next year, people will marvel how the sweet, quiet little baby metamorphosed into Hell on Wheels.

6. The Chicken and The Popcorn Girl

As a treat for sitting so long in a church basement, Ian got to ride the carousel.

He chose as his steed a horse at first and then a chicken.

And he stalked the girl selling popcorn.
She was so sweet to humor him.

And lastly, my favorite quote from the trip was courtesy of my firstborn. We needed to complete some van-related paper work and headed back to the rental agency at MSP airport. As we turned in to the terminal, Ian sat up and said with some enthusiasm,
"Hey Mommy! I smell Iowa!"

Switching It Up

2010-09-06T23:16:00.000-05:00

Notice anything different? It seems that while I was sleeping, Blogger got all fancy-schmancy on me and added irresistable new templates and features. Yey! And they're letting me use this new stuff for free! So, here's our new and improved look, updated yet still trying to keep the general feel simple, clean, and boy appropriate.

And look, new features at the bottom of each post! If you don't like to comment, you can still let me know you're out there by clicking the "like" button in perfect anonymity. And if you want to share some of those cute pictures with others, the email button makes it a snap!

Things have been a little nutty around these parts and I'm sorry I haven't been able to post for a while. I have a huge backlog of really awesome photos and funny stories about my two little characters that I can't wait to share.

Baby-wearing

2010-08-21T06:28:00.003-05:00

Auntie Janella is the only person to have "worn" Liam, other than Dadzilla. She looks like managed pretty well, although Ian was literally running circles around her!

Auntie Rachella's Purple Cat

2010-08-20T00:07:00.013-05:00

There he is, His Purpleness.

Usually fat and fierce, today is Rachella's birthday so he's docile...

debonair even...

but one must never be lulled into a false sense of security...

he looks soft and good-natured, but he's all teeth, claws and waggery.

A perfectionist, he cleans up around the yard, cropping the grass one blade at a time.

And he patrols the Black-eyed Susans for rodent interlopers because nothing, but nothing must ruin Rachella's happy day!

Hope it's a great one!

Congratulations!

2010-08-19T06:15:00.008-05:00

We are so excited for Auntie Elaine! She's a grandma again thanks to her lovely younger daughter. We miss the whole family because they're half way around the world in Taiwan but through the miracle of Facebook, we share in their happiness.

Here's Auntie Elaine earlier this summer, getting in a little baby-holding practice. Liam was happy to oblige.

Food is Fun!

2010-08-18T23:34:00.000-05:00

Little Liam had his first official solid food today! Yey!

2 meals of rice cereal and formula! Yey - I guess....

He has sampled other illicit stuff like cat fur and a bit of icing off of Mommy's finger. But this was way better, right? Right?

Liam - 5 Month Progress Report

2010-08-18T06:00:00.008-05:00

How quickly they grow! The little grub is morphing into a full-size smiley baby.

He now weighs 16 lbs 12 oz and is in the 90th percentile for height.
The 9 month onesies and sleepers fit him perfectly now. Good thing I tried them on!
He's fascinated by what we eat. (He must get that from my side.)
The Johnny Jump-up is his new best friend.
He drinks pear juice from a spoon - a silver spoon, thanks to Ajji.
He loves riding in the convertible with the top down. He giggles and coos and watches the world go by.

Donuts For Sale

2010-08-17T07:16:00.015-05:00

Who doesn't love a good donut, especially when they're 0 calories and fat-free like the ones you can buy at The Happy Rabbit and Dodo Donut Shoppe. Fat-free Donuts? Oh yeah, they're baked fresh out of eco-felt and are meant to be enjoyed with your eyes only. Here's a template.

photo credit: Auntie Janella

And why give it the name The Happy Rabbit and Dodo Donut Shoppe? Well you would have to ask Ian but I think he was inspired by a book we picked up, The Flight of the Dodo. This book with its excellent illustrations and winning story line has only fueled his love for all flightless birds.

photo credit: Auntie Janella

But I digress. So Ian set up shop at Gramma Betty's house where he was patronized by Auntie Janella and Aunt Elaine. They could only use bunny money (which we made from the endpapers of yet another delightful book, Bunny Money).


photo credit: Auntie Janella

Mmmm. Don't those donuts look good? They come in vanilla, chocolate, lemon, pumpkin, strawberry and blueberry with an assortment of sprinkles. And the cash register? 50 cents at a garage sale! Quelle deal!

Happy Birthday Gramma Betty

2010-08-16T17:09:00.002-05:00

She gets sweeter with each passing year!

Happy Birthday, Gramma!

July 4th, 2010

2010-08-16T08:50:00.008-05:00

Despite the fallen tree, the threat of rain and the oppressive humidity, Gramma Betty hosted her 4th of July barbecue without having to resort to contingency plans (like having the barbecue inside).

It was Liam's first time meeting some of the relatives and he was quite content to be passed around.

photo credit: Auntie Janella

Ian ran about like a mad man and we were concerned that he was suffering from heat stroke.

But all ended well with fireworks and a nightcap of cake to celebrate cousin Michael's completion of the first in a series of Masters degrees.

Liam enjoyed the fireworks from inside Gramma Betty's house. Dadzilla thought he might take the baby out like this.... but Mamacita had the veto.

photo credit: Auntie Janella

Awww! Babies!

2010-08-13T08:41:00.002-05:00

Brothers

2010-08-12T08:01:00.003-05:00

Sweetness!

2010-08-11T09:17:00.008-05:00

Liam does NOT like his car seat and he fusses every time we put him in it.

Fussing is a nice word for what he does.

Instead of getting cranky himself, Ian tries to soothe, distract or amuse the fussy baby brother.

Such a sweet gesture!

Who Approved This?

2010-08-10T22:16:00.001-05:00

Cavorting around a fallen down tree near water????

All those pokey bits on which to impale oneself? Possibly spiders too?

photo credit: Uncle Steve

Had she known what was happening, Mommy would have put a stop to that craziness!

photo credit: Uncle Steve

Small consolation that there were two grown men "supervising" this unpredictable little boy.

The Grand Ol' Willow

2010-07-20T05:04:00.055-05:00

How very sad to lose a tree that has been constant feature in the landscape of one's childhood.

Dadzilla was pretty torn up about losing 1/3 of the willow in Gramma Betty's backyard, and discovering it was full of rot and would probably have to be taken down entirely.

All the more traumatic, this happened a week before the 4th of July. Dadzilla, Gramma, Uncle Steve and Auntie Janella sweatily chainsawed and hacked through the mess. And several wheelbarrows and yard waste containers of branches later, we were ready to host the Independence Day picnic.