It's the small things

Like helping your Mommy put up a bird feeder

(and the weather being warm enough to shed your winter coat)

Being able to watch the birds eat from your own couch

Pretty cool, huh?

Playing with your best friend and his Mom

Blast off!
(from the t.v. show Little Einsteins)

Running around catching bubbles...

is soooo much fun!!!

Going for a stroller ride with your best bud

Wondering why your Mommy is constantly taking pictures.

Wearing Daddy's sunglasses and looking pretty darn cool....

Are they both making the Elvis face? ;-)

Eating a yummy home cooked meal

or maybe just the potatoes.

Daddy seems to enjoy it...

Everything tastes better when it comes from Daddy.

Delicious Florida strawberries

On their way to becoming Strawberry shortcake

Homemade shortcakes....

Almost to pretty to eat...

I did say almost didn't I?

Comments 101

Mikey 23 months

Mikey at 4 months

Alright. I keep having people tell me that they can't figure out how to leave a comment on my blog. So here are the basics. If you wish to say something (comments are welcome) please pay attention. If you leave a comment I will know you or anyone for that matter checks my blog and it then encourages me to blog more. If you already know how to comment please ignore this.

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Happy Friday!!!

Can you believe it? Mikey is potty training. I'm very laid back and letting him go at his own pace. Mikey genuinely seems to be interested so we will see where we go from here. We are giving him all the tools necessary without any pressure or stress. Wish us luck!!!

What have we been up to these days?

I'm knitting.

I first learned over a year ago. My best friend Becca (click on her name to see her blog) taught me while I was visiting her in Omaha for her b-day. I came home from the trip and knit a bit more, then I lost the drive. I didn't pick it up again until a good year later. I was rummaging through my closet and found my bag of yarn, needles and scarf (the first knitting project). Anyhow, I finished the scarf and was very happy with the outcome. Then I started dreaming about knitting a hat for Mikey. I was so afraid that it was just too big of a project for someone who has only ever knit a single scarf. Well, I started knitting another scarf (for Mikey of course). The spur of the moment packed up (literally) and decided to take a drive to Becca's new house in Chicago. Mike had been working really long hours and I'd been dying to get down there since they moved. Anyhow, while visiting Becca again I watched her knit. Becca is great. I'm very envious of her knitting skills. While I was there she was in the process of knitting her daughter a doll for her first b-day. If I'm ever lucky enough to have a little girl Becca is going to have to teach me that one. Anyhow, I took a deep breath and started knitting a hat. I have now knit 3 of them and I'm in the process of making Smoochie a hat of his own.

These are my first 2 hats
(Can you believe they are from the same ball of yarn)?

Mikey proudly wears that hat he watched his Mama make for him.
He's the best son ever!

A few pictures from my Chicago trip.

We decided the second night I was there to pack the kids up and go out for some Mexican food and Margaritas. Yummy!

Smile beautiful.
Becca is probably the only other person in the World, besides my hubby of course, that really and truly understands me.

Princess Georgia.
Mikey and Georgia have had this connection since the first time they met.They hug and give each other kisses. It is really cute... and as Becca has said before 'If arranged marriages were legal in this country it would be a done deal'. Although I don't think our little love birds need any help from us in that department.

Becca and I decided to take the kids to the Shedd Aquarium while I was there. Man was that a bad idea. We went on a Tuesday and I'm pretty sure that every school in the area was there that day as well for school field trips. Man was it packed. Shesh! It ended up being way more stress than either of us had bargained for. Trying to keep up with Mikey and Jacob, both running in opposite directions, was nothing short of exhausting. If I remember correctly we both had a very large glass of wine to settle our nerves once we returned from our trip.

This one's for you Becca... the obligatory bath picture. ;-)


Baseball anyone?

Mike and I took Mikey to the mall this past weekend to let him run around a bit. We always make a stop into Dicks so Mike can look at the latest and greatest soccer cleats. On our way over to the shoe department Mikey discovered a rack of baseball helmets. It was love at first sight. He tried several on and then when he found one that was just right. He wore it through the entire store.

He checked out the baseball bats.

He checked out the softballs.

He wandered through the isles.

He reluctantly stopped to pose for Mommy.

He got some coaching from Daddy.

Red...

or blue?
In case you are wondering, red was the favorite.
I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that red is the color of Daddy's favorite soccer team, or is it just a coincidence?

I had to put this picture up.
I can't believe how much he looks like his father.

Great success

Tonight was another first. Mikey went pee-pee in the potty for the very first time. On our way up to take a bath (Mikey was already in his b-day suit for the occasion) he stopped by his potty that I set out and decided to sit on it. Now he has sat on his potty a few times. However, this time was different. All of the sudden there it was. Way to go buddy! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you.

Maybe markers and car rides don't mix...

We had a 3 hr car ride and Mikey was getting a little tired of the car... as any toddler out there can surely understand. Well, Mommy was desperate to buy some more time so while Daddy drove I sat in the back holding the coloring book so Mikey could color. Little did I know that he would end up with a blue mustache and various other spots on his face... all on his own doing of course.

You just gotta love it!

Random acts of kindness

or something like that...


Making sure Daddy's shoes are fit for proper wearing

Checking each and every single pair...
they are all very good shoes Daddy.

Taking a ride and making friends with a blue mouse.

Showing everyone how he lights up the World with a simple smile.

Lighting up Daddy's World by wearing a Wisla scarf... go Wisla!

Stopping to pet a cold doggy. (We miss you Chloe girl)

Spending and afternoon with Daddy...

so Mommy can go to the hair salon.

Walking on a lake...

What exactly are those things?

The random family picture

Peace...

Trying to keep up with all the parenting stuff

What have they been drinking?

Smooch anyone?

Ah, the great Lego Castle

Putting on the final piece

The boys consulting each other...

OK so it was Mikey making sure he approved of where the pieces went.
If not he would yell, "NO" and remove whatever piece it was Daddy put in the wrong place.

Hard at work...
We hope everyone else is having as much fun passing the time of these
freezing cold winter days as we are. Stay warm!!!