My Cutie Patooties

Girls Day out, we went to some hardware stores. She just loves one-on-one time, and so do I.


He started playing peek-a-boo a couple days ago on his own. He's such a happy little man.

Littl' Leo

... you're the one. You make my life so much fun! Little Leo I am absolute in love with you!

He's just so stinkin' cute! He was hanging out with me while I painted some of the front of the house. Such a great boy!

My Littl' Princess

Sharing has been a challenge in our house. She sees her brother has something she wants and she takes it and gives him an alternate toy that she doesn't care for... he's not really down with that most of the time!

She brushes her hair and says, "my hair is getting so long, like Rapunzel's." What a sweet girl.

Huge Bin

Yet another bin that she can fill up and cart her things around in... surprised that she didn't call this a boat. She loves to hide and play Peek-a-Boo with her brother from here.

Car Wash

I started to was the car and Lulu quickly found a sponge and started to wash "Daddy's car" and at the time I didn't realize that a 2 year old with a bucket of soapy water and a sponge means more cleaning for Mommy. She washed Daddy's car, her car, her slide, her wagon, her swing, her water toy, and was about to start on her sandbox when I stopped her.

Lulu Flying a Kite

Going to Work

We were playing outside and I was swinging Leo who was doing so good at holding onto the ropes of the swing. He has good hand/eye coordination, but at 6 mos old that is probably right on schedule. Anyhow, Lulu was wearing this backpack with swag in it... playing on the slide, etc... and got into her car and said "Goodbye" so I asked where she was going and with her little attitude says "Going to work." Duh, of course, how didn't I know that!



Watermelon

He enjoyed watermelon in the mesh bag. When I took it away to add fresh melon he screamed!

Making Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lulu and I like to bake things together. I hope this is something she remembers about me when she grows up and has children of her own. I measure everything into separate dishes/bowls and she pours them into the Viking and turns on the switch, then turns it off when I tell her so that we can add the next ingredient. She loves it, and when we are done she always comes to my legs and hugs me and says, "So happy now!"

Lulu's First Circus

Juggling with Fire Hula Hoop Hoopla

Sky Dancer

Horse Trainer (Lulu's favorite part)

Contortionist

Acrobat Frame Twirling

Human Cannonball Circus Balloon (Lulu's second favorite thing)

Lulu and I went to the Family Circus. It was perfect for her age, and the size of the gig (relatively small) was also perfect.

Tattoo (temporary)

If you didn't know... I have been apprenticing at a tattoo shop in Fergus Falls, MN. Since I completed a certificate training program the state laws changed and I needed to complete more hours under a Tattoo Artist. Friday the family drove with me to Fergus where they played in the park for a few hours while I worked. They stopped by and my boss gave Lulu a tattoo, which fell off, so then Daddy tried with the same out come, so I finished up what I was working on and put this one on her. She picked it out of the bunchs... she was looking for kitty's but she's at the wrong shop for that!

Outside

Sitting Up

Now that Leo can sit up we are trying to spend as much time outdoors while the weather is great. Before the sitting up he was wanting to be held nearly all the time, he definitely hated to recline, he wanted to be a part of the action and conversation. He contorts to reach toys near his toes too, but he prefers newspapers and computers within reach.

Lulu Painting
I found some of Ally's old finger paints that were probably from when Z was a baby. Put them into yogurt cups and away she was painting one sheet of paper after the next. She's prefers paining with brushes... but not opposed to painting on or with body parts! Fortunately I picked up a $5 inflatable pool in town so she would paint her leg and then go wash up in the pool. Unfortunately, she's been coloring a lot of things as of late. First it was chalk on the screen porch floor, then chalk on my treadmill. Then it was crayon on our front screen door, on my bamboo rug (not a biggie), and on my curtain! Eek. I took her crayons away. Walked her around to the colorings she's done and told her they were naughty and if she wanted to color she had to ask so I can watch her or color with her. She likes when I color with her so it's a win-win for both of us. I didn't tell Strict Daddy* of all her naughtiness. She just doesn't respond to confrontation the way he presents it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I Love YOU

First Haircut

Lulu's 1st haircut at Gabriele Zanutto's Hair Studio

She wasn't particularly good or particularly bad. She wasn't very still, and yet she wasn't jumping out of the chair. As usual she wouldn't lift her head so someone (in this case Gabriele) could see her face either. So I had her only cut bangs... now she can see!

Sunny Days

Another swell day outside. The house got painted a little more, the kids hung out in the pool and Lulu had her first experience running through her sprinkler... and I weeded the front flower beds for the first time this summer (scary).

An Afternoon at the Lake

Bouncing Babies

LOVIN' EVERY MINUTE OF IT

Caring for B

Clean Diapers

and food

After 5 1/2 months of watching me nurse Leo she's finally decided that B should also get fed from her chest.

She's a clever little girl. Although in this photo she's using my Boppi, she found a baby neck pillow about 4 months ago and excitedly hollered "my Boppi." So for months now she gets out the baby Boppi and puts it around her waist and either rests B or Elmo on top then gives them a bottle.

Inspection Day

Nana & Tata's House

On the day of the inspection Leo, Lulu and I sat around and watched shows while getting results on the house my parents are going to buy to retire to. They should be here in about 30 days!

I never in a million years would have thought my family would relocate to where I am at.

A Random Sunay Evening

Leo's First Peas.

He's eating bananas, rice cereal, peas and carrots.

Lulu's First Potty Training Book

Grandma gave Lulu her first Potty Book. It's about a little girl named Hannah. She likes it read to her at least 2x's in a row. When Hannah has an accident, Lulu says, "Poopoo on the floor" and "Poopoo in her pants." So although our bathroom is small, I bought a small potty for the floor. She prefers her seat that fits on the big potty, but she has gone in the little potty one time. She's on her way to potty training, but not willing to take the time out of her activities yet.

Mid-Summer Celebration

Parade watching, jumping castle & fireworks baby! The first time she's ever picked candy out of the street at the parade. She was a little hesitant and wanted me to hold her hand while she did it... but she watched my friends kiddos do it and caught on by the end of the parade.

"Jumping High" with her friend Matthew.

"Jumping High" with her friend Aiden

Holding on to the corner wall when the big kids come in jumping and doing flips. There really should be one jumping castle for just the little kids!

Afterwards we all enjoyed the fireworks. Leo stopped eating to watch the colors in the sky, and surprisingly he wasn't bothered by the noise at all, pretty good for a first firework viewing. Lulu loved the fireworks! She had a sample of what fireworks were the weekend before when we were at the Lake for the 4th of July. She sat on her Daddy's lap putting sand on his legs saying "Oh yeah BABY!"

What a Difference a Year Makes