Oh Yeah Baby!

What can I say, he's a ham!

As Pretty as a Flower

We were having a day out running errands, when we decided to stop at Forest & Floral Garden Center. They had a couple greenhouses open. Lorelei gravitated to the bright flowers.

I bought this flower after she said, "mmm, they smell so good!" And of course then she called them hers.

Boots

A boy who loves his books, oh and sister's books too!

Nana & Tata bought these boots in October. At that time his foot was to small but his calf was to too chucky. It was bedtime, but he saw the boots and insisted that I put them on his feet.

"New Chickies"

The kids were so excited that we were going to get chicks. Unfortunately, the 25 or so in stock were already sold. The kids were nearly in tears leaving without new chicks. I reserved some for the following day's order.

...and despite the rain we went to pick up our new little ones.

The Piano Man

Awe, I just love my little boy!

The Adventures of Bear

This lucky Bear has the most exciting life. He gets to go on every slide, trip and then on the side he gets to be an acrobat and a dog rider... then the lucky guy gets hugs, kisses every day and every night by one special little girl.

The Big Squeeze

No matter how you look at it... they are crowded and happy.

New Trailer

New trailer/jogger so I can get my miles in. The kids love it, so much that they no matter how many miles I am out running, they ask me to go out for more.... well Leo cries.

Homeward Bound

Dropped off Tata at the airport, and then we had a picnic in the viewing park and watched Tata wave goodbye.

Daddy's Little Helper

Lulu loves time with her Daddy, and they both love the outdoors... she loves helping hauling wood, and getting rides on the pile back to the house. She also loves to help light the furnace. I could go on and on, she loves to help feed the chickens, to collect chicken eggs, to get the mail, to do the dishes, to load and unload the dishwasher.

Now if only I can get her to clean up her toys!

The Night Before Christmas

My Sweet Babies. Lulu 2 1/2 years old & Leo 10 months enjoying his first year of Christmas festivities and CANDY!

Christmas Cookies

Lulu and I make cookies all the time but I generally measure everything and let her add it to the mixer, but for this special occasion I let her do all the measuring to make cookies. Of course the only thing she couldn't do is load the cookies in and out of the oven.

It's been a very tough year in our house financially speaking. In any case it was decided that we would send Homemade Maple Syrup to our family members this Christmas. Although many may not know how much work tapping, harvesting and cooking sap to make syrup is, it didn't quite feel like we were giving enough so we also decided to include homemade cookies. In reality all the stress of gift giving is so silly because truthfully I wish everyone would send us some food for Christmas!

Crawling around being silly.

Nana's House Christmas

Lulu is helping Penny and Ezekiel put up the Christmas ornaments.

Cousins and fast friends! They were like 2 peas in a pod.

Everyone loved the train, which was later relocated to the floor around the Christmas Tree.

A new fan of the Candy Cane!

Decorating for Christmas

I am not much of a holiday decorator but since having kids I feel obligated to step it up. This year we put a fiber optic tree in the front bay window and a manger set. We let Lulu put the bulbs on the little tree for practice before the big tree.


Then Lulu helped her Daddy put up the big tree, she danced with the branches and then handed them to him.




Later when Leo was up she was I found her putting her favorite toys into the tree as ornaments. Gosh, how brilliant... an appreciation for her current toys, and nothing breakable to boot!





By the way, Leo LOVES her "jump high."

Typical Toiletry Mess

If left with bathroom door open any day of the week, any time of the day, this is what you will find! I guess I am counting my blessings that the TP wasn't in the toilet and he wasn't flusing and clogging it!

Little Playboy

I just have to post this picture because it cracks me up that Leo can often be found lounging around in this position, on his side leaning on one elbow with his top leg crossed over.

Thanksgiving Day 2011

We went to Nan & Tata's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Somehow I only managed to take a few pictures... Leo snacking and myself target shooting. Oh well, food was good and the weather for Minnesota was WONDERFUL!

The guys were suppose to go to the Twin Cities for Thanksgiving but with the Chicken pox just being over and Leo not showing any signs yet plans were changed. Lulu was going to go with The Birthday Boy* to see his family, then it was decided if either of them were carriers (which I have since learned wouldn't be the case) it could be bad for the siblings who haven't had Chicken Pox.

Chicken Pox

Oh my poor little girl got the chicken pox. One morning I saw a scab on her face and questioning what happened and looking at her face I noticed 2 red marks on her eyelid too. I checked her whole body out and found nothing, an hour later the red marks on her eye were fluid filled and one on her neck was also. Well those who know me also know that I did not do all the vaccines the government wants done... NOT that I am don't plan to do important vaccinations, but I have been spacing them out and grouping them 2 at a time because I want my children's exposure to Thimerosal to be at a minimal level.

Leo is of course too young for the varicella vaccine. So I cruised the internet and found this natural remedy link called fastchickenpoxcure. We found the first pox on her on November 19th, and the last one to heal was on November 23rd. We did 3 baths a day alternating the malt vinegar, oatmeal & baking soda and I fed her all the foods suggested that I could get her to eat, a few of them I disguised in other foods.

I was hopeful that Leo would catch them during the same time, meaning that their exposure to the source was at the same time, such as at Day Care. However, I was not so lucky. Calculating backwards her exposure was during Halloween, where we were going downtown near strangers sneezing outside in the cold, where Leo didn't join us outdoors and besides day care it was the only outing we'd done during that time frame.

Leo caught broke out with pox on December 6th, and his last pox to heal was on December 9th. He seemed to have more pox, but considering he's under 1 year old and his immune response less built that would make sense.

The Amazing B

Out of the blue after breakfast Lulu says, "Where's B?" and after peaking below the table where she was hanging out we found him!

I am guessing her newest adventures with her sidekick B on the Flying Trapeze is from the book the Runaway Bunny which for awhile she wants read to her nightly before bed.

Play Date

My friend entrusted her son to me for several hours while she worked. I am so blessed to have the friends I do and I am so glad that our children play well together too!