Immeasurably More

Mahna Mahna - The Sequel

2012-02-03T21:10:00.002-06:00

A couple weeks ago now when my family was all here for our belated Gaalswyk Christmas (well, almost all - we missed you, Curt), the Crane kiddos requested that we make a sequel to our recent Mahna Mahna movie. What a grand idea! Here is the finished product...

Lookin' Good?!

2012-01-26T21:37:00.002-06:00

Whoa, dude? Who dressed this kid?

Well, on this particular day, he did. And, to his credit, he made a smashing appearance at "Mismatched/Inside Out Day" at school!

A Sweet Hint of Spring

2012-01-26T21:30:00.001-06:00

Thanks, Michael!

I Won't Grow Up

2012-01-24T21:42:00.001-06:00

Some of my favorite conversations with Z happen at bedtime. Tonight was no exception. While cuddled up in her princess sleeping bag on her bed with a mass of stuffed animals and dolls surrounding her, Z asked me this -

"Mommy, will I just keep growing and growing until one day I turn into a grown up?"

I replied, "Yep, that's pretty much the way it works."

Her response, in a very dejected voice, was this, "Oh no, mommy. I just want to be a kid for always."

I tried to assure her that she still has many, many days ahead of her to be a kid. Curious, I then asked her why she didn't want to grow up. Her response? When she is all grown up she won't be able to have all of her stuffed animals and babies sleep with her. When I told her that she could still sleep with all of those things when she is a grown up, she laughed at me and said, "Oh, mommy! You are too silly! I would never fit in my bed with all of my friends when I am grown-up and big!"

I guess you might be right, Zoe - and I sure wish you could be a "kid for always" too!

The View From Here

2012-01-07T09:57:00.004-06:00

Here's what the view inside Titus' mouth looks like these days. Front tooth number two fell out just two days after Christmas!

Ringing In The New Year

2012-01-02T14:06:00.000-06:00

We had a fun time celebrating on New Year's Eve with Pake and Beppe and our good friends, the Davis'. The kiddos started off the evening by making some crazy party hats.

Next, after a little Chipmunk flick, they decorated a Funfetti cake. Yum!

This was followed by dancing the night away with the Wii!

Finally, we rang in 2012 with some confetti filled balloons. Some had some rather unusual techniques for popping their balloons.

It was a super fun night indeed!

(And no, they did not stay up until midnight - but don't tell them that)!

An End of the Year Production

2011-12-31T14:46:00.001-06:00

(Finally) A (bit of a) Winter Wonderland

2011-12-30T20:41:00.002-06:00

Today when we woke up at the lake (aka Pake and Beppe's house), we could hardly believe our eyes. It was snowing! HUGE white flakes fell straight down for most of the morning. It was beautiful! So of course, we had to head out and play in it :)

Little Miss Z and I constructed our first snowman of the season.

Z named her "Tricia".

While we were putting together Tricia, the boys (Michael, Pake, T and his buddy E) were having fun with their own building project - "an ice fortress"!

Where the frozen lake meets the shoreline, a large ridge of ice has formed. Much to little boys' delight, rather large chunks of ice can be stomped apart creating perfect building blocks for a fort.

Sometimes the ice pieces were a little too heavy for one set of hands and teamwork was the name of the game!

And of course, what better way to end your winter play time than with a tasty hot cup of cocoa.

Good to the last drop!

A Levang Christmas

2011-12-29T00:01:00.003-06:00

Because Uncle Henrik was on call all weekend and could not leave the Alexandria area, we celebrated Christmas this year at the lovely home of the Bjorndahl's. It was a fabulous weekend filled with lots of good food, great fun and wonderful memories!

Here are some pics of the kiddos on Christmas Eve...

The Boys (Erik, Titus and Noah)

The Ladies (Sylvie, Zoe and Annika)

The Littles (Luke and Evan)

The Whole Crew (this was the best I got!)

Before gifts were opened, we had our annual Christmas Pageant - it was as entertaining this year as it was last :-)
Throughout the course of the weekend, there was a lot of playing going on - football, basketball, ballet, board games, Wii and the like.

Thanks, Bjorndahl Gang, for opening your home to our crazy crew. We had an awesome time!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T23:44:00.000-06:00

Three More To Go

2011-12-22T23:12:00.003-06:00

Today's advent activity, or rather I should say, tonight's advent activity...

Camping around the Christmas tree - the perfect way to kick off the official start of our Christmas Break!!! Merry Christmas indeed!

The Start of A Second Tradition

2011-12-21T23:02:00.004-06:00

A few weeks back, when I first started documenting our advent chain, I also mentioned that we have started what we hope will become another tradition in our family for many Christmas seasons to come. As the final days until Christmas are dwindling down, I realized that I have never come back to write down and detail what that second tradition-in-the-making is. So, here goes.

Inspired by this site and this site, we decided to have a Jesse tree this year. The tree is meant to symbolize Jesus’ family tree with ”Jesse” referring to one of Jesus’ ancestors, and the “Jesse Tree” specifically named so in reference to Isaiah 11:1 -

¹ Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

So, during the season of advent,typically each evening after dinner (or right before bedtime, depending on the night), the kids take turns finding the appropriately numbered bag from a basket under the tree that contains an ornament to be hung on the Jesse tree. On one side of the ornament is a picture and on the other, a portion of Scripture to be read that night. Each symbol and Scripture tells of Jesus’ ancestors as well as the events that led up to His birth. The kids (T especially) have really enjoyed looking at the symbol/picture and predicting which story from the Bible they will hear that night. The scripture side of the ornament has also served as a great opportunity to teach T how to read scripture references. Before reading the scripture, we also light our advent candles (another new addition to our Christmas decor this year).

Admittedly, some nights seem to be more "successful" than others, though I will never consider time spent reading God's word to my kids as "unsuccessful". Nonetheless, I will say that some nights have not gone as I envisioned, while others have been filled with really great questions and discussions. However it looks on the outside, though, we are prayerfully hoping to use the Jesse tree as a tool to bring our kids' focus (and ours for that matter) back on the reason for Christmas: Jesus Christ.

The Final Four

2011-12-21T22:41:00.000-06:00

Today's event entailed a call to Grandpa and Grandma. T and Z made the call just before bedtime and enjoyed a nice chat :)

Five Days and Dancing

2011-12-20T22:36:00.000-06:00

Today's chain event was entitled, "Dance to Christmas Songs". This was a DEFINITE favorite at our house! I had each kiddo pick a song that they wanted everyone to dance to. Z chose to sing "Joy To The World" and asked the rest of us to dance as her accompaniment. T chose this song and we had a rockin' family dance party. We even had the video camera on the computer all cued up so that we could document our moves. The performance was epic. Unfortunately, just as the song was coming to a close, M realized that someone (who shall remain anonymous) forgot to hit the record button. Alas, our stellar production will only live on in our memories - unless of course we have an encore performance tomorrow :)

Days 'Til Christmas = 6

2011-12-19T23:27:00.002-06:00

Today the advent chain activity was "Make a Gift for Someone". As you can see from the picture below, these two were quite busy at the kitchen counter making their presents.

Z decided to make a "bonnet" for his prized pup, Scout (aka Perrito and Toto). Here's Scout enjoying her new duds.

At this time, I am not able to divulge what T made as the recipient of his labors might quite possibly read this post :)

Broadcasting Christmas

2011-12-19T23:21:00.001-06:00

I realized tonight that somehow I neglected to post pictures of the kiddos' Christmas program at church. It took place a week ago this past Sunday, December 11. Here's our attempt to get a few quick pics of the kiddos in their Christmas best before leaving for church that morning.

This year, the Christmas program was a play entitled, "Broadcasting Christmas". The basic setting was a 1940s radio show, with a couple of small acts airing on the show before the main radio program. For Z and the rest of my little class of 2 and 3-year-old's, their part consisted of the reciting of a poem and the singing of two songs - they were the first act on the radio show. T's class also had a poem with individual speaking parts and sang the same two songs with my class. The rest of the radio show consisted of a story of a woman, "Miss Placed" searching for the true meaning of Christmas. It was very cute. The older boys who typically may not have been too thrilled with being in front of a bunch of people got to be the sound effects for the radio play - it was perfect! Towards the end of the program, Miss Placed and her professor friend stumble upon a church service and a live nativity scene where they finally discover what Christmas is truly all about. The boys' in T's class played the part of the shepherds for this part of the production.

All in all, my little group was pretty much the quintessential little kids Sunday School program. They looked adorable. Some kids said their part, some kids didn't. We had the sweet little girls holding hands, posing in their pretty dresses and waving to their loved ones in the crowd. We had the busy little boys who just couldn't keep their hands to themselves causing one little boy to fall down the steps. We had the cryer as well as the shouting singer. It was comical but yet so very perfect :) T and his crew did well and the older kiddos really did a super job in telling/reminding us about the real reason for this wonderful season. "Broadcasting Christmas" was a hit!

And Then There Were Seven

2011-12-18T22:09:00.003-06:00

Today T and Z wrapped gifts as part of our Christmas Countdown. Each "wrapped" the gift that they are giving to the other. First, they wrote out the gift tags.

Next, they carefully (or not so carefully) put together their package.

Then they placed the gift in just the right spot under the tree.

Z really enjoyed the secretive nature of the task. T pretty much just wanted to open his gift right away.

Eight Remain

2011-12-17T21:58:00.000-06:00

Today's advent chain activity was "Build A Snowman". Most often, by mid-December in the state in which we live, this would not be a difficult or strange task to complete. However, this year, it is not a doable feat. This year, we essentially had one bout of snow back in November that has since melted. We got a slight dusting on Friday evening but definitely nothing that can be rolled and stacked into a man. So, we took matters into our own hands and veered away from the chain today for our advent memory maker. Today, instead of making a snowman, we accompanied Beppe to a tree farm nearby and helped her select a lovely tree. Michael then sawed it down (with one hand, mind you) and we drove it back to the lake to be adorned in beauty.

Later that evening, T and Z got to work with Beps and helped her decorate the prize tree.

And I mean, come on, who doesn't decorate their Christmas tree while wearing a swimming suit over their PJ's?

Nine Days and Counting

2011-12-17T00:20:00.000-06:00

We are in the single digits now for our countdown and today's "task" for our advent chain was quite tasty!

First we mixed up some cake batter.

Then we made Grandma L's chocolate chip frosting. Mmmm!

After that, we added some sprinkles.

We decided to use the Happy Birthday candles in lieu of a certain number of candles because, well, we just didn't have enough candles!

In the end, we enjoyed a tasty treat in honor of the Baby King! Happy Birthday Jesus!

10 More To Go

2011-12-15T21:41:00.003-06:00

Today the link that came down from our advent chain suggested that we create some ornaments. Here's what T and Z came up with.

'Twas 11 Days Before Christmas...

2011-12-14T22:10:00.001-06:00

And tonight, under the direction of our advent chain, we read this - it's a classic :)

A Dozen Days to Go

2011-12-13T22:03:00.000-06:00

Today's link called for some family Christmas carols. It was a peaceful evening filled with song.

Or not.

Thirteen Days 'Til Christmas

2011-12-12T22:47:00.003-06:00

A well-loved tradition adorned our chain link today - can you guess what it was?

If you guessed constructing a gingerbread house, you were correct!

These two little builders worked for two solid hours on their creation (with some assistance from me at times).

They are quite proud of their colorful finished product :)

14 To Go

2011-12-11T22:40:00.000-06:00

Today our chain inspired us to make paper snowflakes - a fun activity indeed!

Cut

Fold and unfold

Ta Da!!!

Days 'Til Christmas = 15

2011-12-10T22:37:00.000-06:00

On the fifteenth day before Christmas, our advent chain gave to us...

A tasty mug of hot chocolate :)

Holidazzle 2011

2011-12-10T22:00:00.000-06:00

We continued our tradition this year of heading "into the city" to take in the parade of lights, most commonly known to the general public as the Holidazzle, but lovingly referred to in our home as the Frizzle Frazzle and/or Razzle Dazzle. We had to persevere this year for our annual trek as it took three attempts to finally make our plans come to fruition (a well-timed bout of snow and some other odds and ends prevented our first two attempts). But as they say, the third time's a charm, and even though it was down right frigid the day of our planned outing, we vowed to make good on our promise, and along with our dear friends, the Berge's, we bundled up and ventured out. Because of the arctic blast that was upon us, we first attempted to find a viewing spot in one of the skyways above the parade route. But alas, these prime spots were already claimed. So, with smiles on our faces (some more willing than others), we headed out into the great outdoors and staked our claim on a nice piece of curb.

While waiting for the festivities to begin, Michael volunteered to head back into the Gavidae shopping area that was positioned behind us to hit up Caribou for some toasty hot chocolate. While doing so, he noticed that one of the stores right near the coffee shop was closing up for the evening. It was a floral shop that had quite a few flowers and plants on display carts out in the common area. As Michael observed them roll their carts into the store for overnight safe-keeping, a lovely bank of windows was revealed that directly faced the parade route. Realizing his good fortune, he quickly got word to our crew and we moved our way inside just before the parade passed by. It was FANTASTIC!!!

After the parade ended, we wandered around the surrounding buildings and skyways, enjoying all of the fun Christmas decor. T turned into our photographer at this point in the evening and took some fun shots.

It was definitely an evening that was well-worth the wait -

for kids and adults alike!

Sweet Sixteen

2011-12-09T21:00:00.000-06:00

Today our link was quite sweet as we were told to make Christmas treats! First we made these little pretzel goodies - filled with both peppermint swirled and chocolate swirled kisses, then topped with an M&M. It was the perfect project for little hands :)

Doesn't everybody make Christmas goodies in their fairy costume?

We also made chocolate star cookies later in the afternoon but I guess I forgot to take pictures of that project. Oops! All in all, it was a SWEET day!

17 days 'til Christmas

2011-12-08T23:40:00.001-06:00

Today our chain revealed that we should make some Christmas cards.

Such fun!

Eighteen days and counting...

2011-12-07T23:20:00.001-06:00

Today's paper chain link instructed us to "read a Christmas book" - and so we did!

Countdown #19

2011-12-06T23:57:00.001-06:00

Today our advent chain link said, "Color a Christmas Picture". Here's what T, Z and Beppe created while I was at work today!

Countdown To Christmas

2011-12-05T16:02:00.001-06:00

This year, during the season of Advent, we decided to start a couple of new traditions (I'll write about one now and the other later). The first is our Advent Chain. I got the idea and template from this fun website that was sent to me by a sweet friend (thanks, Noelle).

Each day T and Z take turns removing a link which gives us a fun project or adventure for the day. We started on December 1 and I thought it would be fun to journal what activities we do each day as we prepare to celebrate Jesus' birthday. So, here is what we have done so far....

24 Days 'Til Christmas: Fill a box for Operation Christmas Child

We actually did this activity a couple of weeks ago and so I put it as our first link :)

23 Days: Go Christmas light looking

Friday night after baths, I loaded the kiddos into the car in their jammies with some snacks and we headed over to our favorite local "light house" and watched their near hour-long light show. You can check it out here if you are curious :)

22 Days: Decorate the Christmas Tree

21 Days 'Til Christmas: Make a popcorn garland

20 Days: Make Reindeer Candy Canes

Quick Side Note: No, my kiddos did not wear the same clothes two days in a row :) Yesterday was kind of a busy day so we didn't get to our chain. Instead, we just did two today - we're not stressing about it though. This is supposed to be fun!

I wonder what we'll do tomorrow......

Well, I guess I already know since I'm the one who made the chain but it's still fun to pretend!

He's Got The Beat

2011-12-02T15:13:00.001-06:00

After quite a long hiatus, T started up his drum lessons again today. Travels and other activities kept him and his teacher (Noah) apart over the summer and then this fall, Noah (who is a freshmen in high school), had a packed extra curricular schedule, so we just weren't able to make regular lessons work out. But now that Noah has a little bit more free time again, T was able to hook up with him today. Because they meet in the band room at Michael's school, he was able to get a quick little video of something they worked on today. So fun!

Happy Birthday!

2011-12-01T00:13:00.001-06:00

Today our little family celebrates our awesome and adventurous leader!

He's the best Daddy a kid could ever hope for,

And he's the best husband a girl could ever dream of.

Happy Birthday to you, my Michael! You are God's good and perfect gift to us!

We love you! S, T and Z

Operation...

2011-11-22T22:14:00.001-06:00

CHRISTMAS CHILD!!!

As has become tradition for our little family, we once again participated in Operation Christmas Child this holiday season. And this year, since T and Z are both old enough for the Wednesday night Kid Zone activities at our church, in addition to the two boxes that they each filled at home, this year they also got to participate in the mass packing of boxes at church. So many people donated items to be packaged this year - it was awesome. The lovely ladies in charge of the event set up the donated items in a "store" format and after carefully selecting boxes, the kids were then able to "shop" for items to fill up their boxes. Here is T doing just that.

After carefully selecting their gifts, the next order of events was wrapping and packing the shoebox.

This was followed by writing a letter to include in their boxes.

When all was said and done, T and Z each packed and wrote letters for three boxes. It is so fun to think that 3 little girls and 3 little boys somewhere around the world will be getting boxes packed with treats, goodies and love from my little kiddos in MN. In all, the Kid Zone crew packed about 50 boxes in little over an hour that evening. Such a great way to kick off the season of giving!

Hoop It Up

2011-11-13T22:53:00.001-06:00

Basketball season for T is once again in full swing. He is playing in the Eastview High School Athletic Association kindergarten program this year, with practices on Monday nights and games (I use this word loosely) on Saturdays. He is really loving it this year and is also excited to have his dad as one of his three coaches, as well as his buddy Britton (a good friend from his preschool days) quite unexpectedly on his same team. Such fun!

Tricks and Treats

2011-11-01T21:59:00.001-05:00

For Halloween this year we had a mischievous little garden gnome

and a most princessingly lovely Cinderella at our house.

We also had a sweet little cupcake join our tricking and treating bunch (as well as her brand new and wonderfully cozy pumpkin baby brother).

And the group was protected by a ferocious Berge fire dragon - who sadly arrived after my camera battery died...you'll just have to take my word for it though - he was FIERCE!

The Carving of the Pumpkins

2011-11-01T21:48:00.002-05:00

Holy Leaves, Batman!

2011-11-01T21:45:00.002-05:00

Paks and Bepps have had lots of leaves in their yard this fall.

Lots and lots of leaves!

The Leaf Pile Leap

2011-10-17T22:07:00.001-05:00

Fabulous Fall Continued...

2011-10-09T22:33:00.001-05:00

The amazing autumn weather that I wrote about here just keeps on coming so we are more than happy to spend our days outside enjoying it! And we did just that this weekend. On Saturday, Grandpa and Grandma L. came down for a fun little visit so we decided to take them to the Harvest Festival at our favorite zoo. Down on the farm, there were many fall festivities to enjoy. The kids started off with some face painting - though I guess technically on this day it was arm painting.

With autumn adorned arms, T and Z next tried their hand at apple pressing.

Then we visited some of the farm animals. After initially getting a bit startled by an overly friendly "kid", Z really enjoyed grooming this more mellow goat.

We next enjoyed some blue grass music and ice cream treats,

followed by a few runs through the hay bale maze,

and then a walk through scarecrow alley. These were our favorites...

No big surprise here - Z really liked the ballerina character,

as well as this lovely butterfly.

T's favorite, on the other hand, was this penguin (he took this photo).

After leaving the farm area, we also visited many of our other favorite zoo animals. We just happened to pass by the camels as they were having a check-up from a couple of the zoo keepers. We hadn't ever seen people so close to them before.

We ended our visit with an impromptu stop at the splash pad. Who would have ever thought it would be warm enough to do this in OCTOBER?! But with a high in the mid 80's, a quick little frolic definitely felt refreshing to these two munchkins.

Today's weather was pretty much a carbon copy of yesterday, so since T was invited to a birthday party after church for his good buddy E at a corn maze, we decided that we would stick around and let Z enjoy a few of the festivities after we dropped T off with his friends.

However, following her busy, no-nap Saturday at the zoo, Z didn't last a super long time. Prior to the sleepies taking hold, though, she did have fun tromping in AND on this hay bale maze.

And the three of us also enjoyed meandering through the corn maze. This year's maze was a space theme so from above, it had a space shuttle, a few planets and multiple stars carved out. You can see an aerial view by clicking here. Apparently, it's the largest corn maze in the Midwest - at least that's what "they" say. I don't have any shots of T because we tried not to intrude on his "friend party", but upon his return home, he declared that this was "the best birthday party ever", so I guess that means he had an enjoyable afternoon, too.

Yes, indeedy! We are love, love, LOVING this fabulous fall!

A New Little Buddy

2011-10-07T21:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, after T was done with school, the kiddos and I were able to go and meet their newest little buddy, Mr. Finn Joseph, born to our dear friends, the Ryan's. He was a mere two days old when we met him and we all thought he was absolutely precious. Welcome to the world, sweet Finn! We are so thankful you are here and can't wait to watch you grow and be a part of your life. We love you!

Fabulous Fall

2011-10-03T20:59:00.004-05:00

We are most assuredly enjoying the beautiful autumn weather that has been gifted to us these last few days! The air is a bit chilled in the morning, warms nicely in the afternoon to summer-like temps, and then cools off again in the evening. It's splendid! Here's a peek at how we have been spending these last couple of awesome days!

On Saturday, we headed out for some biking on the Cannon Valley Trail that runs quite close to Paks and Beps. I got to pull this little princess in her "coach".

It was a lovely day on the trail - many were enjoying it. In fact, we even got Beps to join us on our ride. She did fabulously on her fancy new wheels :)

We took some breaks along the way to enjoy the scenery (and eat some snacks) . Here our rest stop brought us right near the Cannon River and allowed a nice opportunity for some exploration.

And then it was time to hit the dusty trail again :) I followed these two handsome fellows the majority of our ride.

Lovely day!

Today, after Z and I picked T up from school, we headed over to our local market to check out all the pumpkins. There definitely is not a shortage this year.

We do still plan to venture out to the pumpkin patch and orchards soon - but we did select a few of the jolly orange fellows to bring home today, too.

We are loving FALL!

Annual Check-In's

2011-09-25T21:18:00.000-05:00

The kids had their annual well-checks this past week - Six years for T and 3 years for Z. And because this is as much a "baby book" for them as it is a family blog, I wanted to be sure to post their stats for this year (I also mixed in some photos from today - just for fun - and so you could see the ensemble that Z put together AFTER we came home from church today). On a side note, a highlight for me for this year's visit (and them, too, I'm sure)...NO SHOTS NEEDED! They both got the flu mist in their noses but that was a breeze, making this visit completely tear free! Awesome! OK, on with the updates.

We'll start with T.

This year's weigh-in: 50 pounds (73rd percentile) - he typically weighs around 53 pounds on our home scale but I guess he was a little light this day :)

This year's height: 49 3/4 inches (99th percentile) - he grew a little over 2 inches since his 5-year check up.

And now for Z.

This year's weigh-in: 39 pounds (96th percentile).

This year's height: 41 inches (99th percentile) - she grew nearly 3 inches since her 2-year check up.

And so the trend continues - our kids are long. More importantly, however, both were given a clean bill of health. So thankful for this blessing!

An Afternoon at the Museum

2011-09-19T22:22:00.004-05:00

We scored another Passport to Play from the library last week so on Friday afternoon, following our Gingerbread Man adventure, we headed up to the MN Children's Museum for a picnic lunch and a few hours of fun. It was uncharacteristically not busy so we really got to enjoy the exhibits and activities to our hearts' desire. There was a new exhibit in one of the rooms that we had never explored before. It was called Storyland and it featured six children's classics and lots of interactive activities to coincide with the books. The Chicka Chicka Boom Boom portion was a favorite. Here, on a small conveyor belt, we matched upper case letters to lower case letters, watched them climb to the top of the coconut tree and then come crashing down (I only had my phone along so I apologize for the quality of the photos).

Not too surprisingly, the steel drums in this area were also a hit with this guy.

In The Snowy Day area, we got to play in a replica of Peter's bedroom and also enjoyed following his snow tracks and actually hearing the crunch of the "snow" underneath our feet.

We made cookies for the fun loving mouse in Laura Numeroff's If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

and then wrote him a letter.

We hunted for Spot,

delivered a newscast and made some calls in the Tuesday area,

and explored Lady Liberty in the Abuela exhibit.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with some of our "old favorites" -

Lots of grocery shopping in the market,

Working as a school patrol in the town square,

Moving lots of "packages" in the factory,

and of course, decorating faces with face paint.

Such fun!

Run, Run As Fast As You Can....

2011-09-18T22:25:00.001-05:00

On Friday, Z and I got to accompany T and his class on a pretty fun adventure. It's a kindergarten tradition around these parts. It was the annual Gingerbread Man Hunt. On Thursday, T and his class mixed up the giant cookie and dropped it off at the "big oven" in the school's kitchen. But, on Friday when we went as a group to pick it up, the strangest thing had happened. That feisty little ginger dude had run away! And so began the group's hunt around the school in search of their snack. So cute!

Here they are listening to a version of the Gingerbread Man - this one was called the Gingerbread Girl (they read the classic version, along with lots of other versions of the story throughout the week).

And here they are at the kitchen, hearing for the first time that their gingerbread man had gone missing.

As they hunted around the school, it was so fun to hear them explain to the adults they encountered what the problem was. "We lost our gingerbread man!" "Have you seen him?" "He's about this big and he's brown and he has skittles for buttons!" "He says, 'Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man!". Oh, they were such good little detectives.

Finally, they found that rogue cookie on my desk (which is why I was invited to be a part of the hunt). One of my coworkers who I share my room with told the kids that that cookie had been so wild, doing cartwheels and somersaults and the like, that she had had to tell him many times to please be quiet. In fact, he had been so wild that he had worn himself out and now he was taking a little snooze on the pan on my desk. T really got a kick out of that part.

After locating the snoozing cookie, T and his class quietly returned to their classroom with their treat in tow. Here they are with their hunted treasure - just shortly before they got to eat him up. T said he was SUPER YUMMY!

Princess Pearly Whites

2011-09-12T20:53:00.000-05:00

Z had her first "official" visit to the dentist today. Previously, she has come along as a spectator but today was her big day in the chair. She did fabulously - just like an old pro. She told our hygienist that the floss she used on her was "spicy" and that the bubble gum fluoride she personally selected tasted "really good". Ummm, ok. The highlight of the visit for Z was definitely selecting her new toothbrush. Wouldn't you know they had just replenished their princess supply and so Z is the proud new owner of a Cinderella toothbrush. Getting her to brush her teeth at bedtime tonight was a piece of cake now that she has a "royal" brush. The highlight for me was that she did awesome - totally cooperative and comfortable, and the fact that she had no cavities was simply icing on the cake (sugar free icing, that is). See you in six months, Mr. Dentist!

Wrapping Up Summer

2011-09-10T22:19:00.000-05:00

As we grudgingly put the summer of 2011 in the books, I have realized that there are some important summer happenings that I have not yet blogged about. In the following posts, I remedy this situation and consider myself fully caught up in the realm of blogs :)

Fourteen 14ers

2011-09-10T22:06:00.001-05:00

In mid-August, Michael headed out to CO with two other brave souls for his annual climbing trip. This adventure usually takes place immediately after school gets out in June. This year, however, the trip was postponed a couple of months due to his Achilles injury in April. During the five day excursion, Michael managed to climb three 14ers, two of which he had never climbed before, bringing his number of conquered 14ers to.....FOURTEEN.

We were so proud of him and so very thankful to have him home safe and sound!

T's First Sleep Over

2011-09-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

While Michael was out in CO (the first time in August for the National Youth Convention), the kiddos and I spent part of his absence out at the lake with Beppe. During our stay, I decided to let T invite his buddy E out for an overnight - their first official sleepover. They stayed quite busy...

Building Legos

Swimming in the hot tub

And jumping in the lake. Over

and over

and over again.

A great summer memory indeed!

See Ya At The Fair!

2011-09-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

We managed to squeak out two visits to the Great MN Get Together again this year. Our fam of four went on Thrifty Thursday (opening day) and enjoyed a good balance of kid stuff and grown-up stuff. Oddly, most of our pictures are of the kid stuff :). The second time around we went with Pake and Beppe and enjoyed some repeats from our first visit (more Sweet Marthas, corn dogs, milkshakes and rides) as well as some new sights and tastes (I tried a deep fried Twinkie - I like the unfried version much better). Here's a look at both outings!

Sweet Martha's cookies - YUM!

Little Farm Hands

Cool Toys

Fun Exhibits

Crazy Hats

And some awesome rides on the KidWay.

Another memorable State Fair in the books!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

2011-09-07T22:38:00.000-05:00

As is seemingly becoming a tradition, we had a joint birthday party over Labor Day Weekend with family and close friends to celebrate T and Z's birthdays. This year's theme was "Knights and Princesses" and it was indeed a most royal celebration! Thanks to all those who came and made the day so special for our kiddos. They had an awesome time! Here's a peek at some of the festivities!

The Birthday Princess, all ready for the royal celebration to begin!

Pake and Beppe rented a bounce house again this year for the party. This time around, it appropriately was in the shape of a castle. The kids had a blast with it.

After some jump time, the princesses and knights all headed into the house for some royal projects. The girls decorated tiaras while the boys created their own shields. They all did such a great job (I think it was the quietest part of the whole party)!

With shields in hand, the knights headed back outside for the "Knights in Training" obstacle course. Here they are receiving their instructions.

With their trusty horse and lance in tow, they first had to cross the castle moat via a drawbridge.

Many of the princesses even got in on the action (we did not discriminate).

Then they had to make their way through the Dragon's Lair.

After successfully avoiding him, the trainees had to maneuver their way to the castle, climb the tower and save the princess.

Following the training course, the ladies (along with a few of the gentleman) played a game of "Pin the Tiara on the Princess".

This game was followed by some pinata action - a princess crown for the girls...

And a dragon to slay for the boys.

The games were then followed by some supper which, in turn, led to some gift opening.

As you can likely tell from the "OH MAN" reaction, the Cinderella dress-up outfit was a big hit with Princess Z. She wore it for the rest of the evening (and many hours and days since then).

Here she is with her friend Sweet Pea, the giver of this special treat (though word on the street is that Sweet Pea's daddy actually purchased the gift for Z all on his own - she likes to tell people, "Tom bought this for me").

When the gifts were all opened, we ended the official party events with some cake, cupcakes and ice cream.

The rest of the evening consisted of some more jumping and sliding and just having a ROYALLY AWESOME time!

Thank you so very much to all of our family and friends who took the time to come down and celebrate our kids. We so enjoyed having each and every one of you with us! Thanks so much to both grandmas who helped me A TON the day of the party, as well as to my sweet sisters-in-law who helped with set-up and clean-up. And a super big thank you to my parents for letting us once again invade their home :). It was a super special memory maker for T and Z - one that they continue to talk about. 'Twas a wonderfully royal celebration indeed!

The Start of A New Adventure

2011-09-06T21:38:00.000-05:00

When you live in a house where both parents work in the public school system, the day after Labor Day is always a big day. However, today was an even bigger day because today marked T's first day of kindergarten (though technically his first full day will be tomorrow). Today, I got to accompany him for a shortened version of his day. And because T is attending the school I work at, I had the privilege of being the teacher who got to open the door to my mom's car when she dropped him off and say, "Good morning! Welcome to Parkview!"

We spent the morning helping him get a bit more acclimated to his classroom and his teacher. We put away his tool box and all of his supplies and found his "locker". He was able to meet the rest of his "kindergarten team" as his teacher calls them - the kids who, prayerfully, will become his friends over the course of the school year (only about half of them are pictured below).

We went on a scavenger hunt around the school so he could find important places, like the bathroom, the drinking fountain, the office and the library :) His classmates sang Happy Birthday to him and his teacher gave him a birthday crown. All in all, I think he liked it - though tonight he definitely was feeling a bit nervous about going on his own tomorrow. After talking through with him some of the things that had him worried, he then was able to fall asleep. And so tonight I pray that he will begin this next adventure in his career as a learner with as much excitement and enthusiasm as he ended his preschool career with last spring. I pray that he will be kind and that others will, in turn, be kind to him. I pray that he will have fun and that his love for school and learning will continue to develop and grow. I pray that he will be confident and that he'll remember that the Lord, his God, will be with him wherever he goes. And I pray that I will not cry when I drop him off with his teacher tomorrow :)

Six Years Ago This Day...

2011-08-31T22:28:00.002-05:00

we welcomed this little bundle into our lives.

Life has never been the same :).

One year later, he had grown into this sweet little man.

On his second birthday, our love for him grew more and more.

And by the time he was three, his contagious laughter rarely ceased to fill our home.

In his fourth year, T continued to turn our lives upside down.

Then he entered into his fifth year with great fanfare.

And now, today, he slides into being six with great excitement and anticipation of what this year will hold (starting kindergarten will be first on his list)!

With great joy, we celebrated these six years of living life together.

T, I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that today you are SIX! Time has gone by so quickly. How I love your silly sense of humor, your inquisitive nature, your endless imagination and creativity, and the constant rhythm that courses through your insides :). I love the way that you have started to drum a beat while you pray at bedtime, creating your own little psalm each night, asking God to make you a mighty warrior for Him. How I pray that this will be so......and oh, how I pray that you will be strong and courageous and that your heart might be fully captured by Jesus. I love you, T! Happy Birthday!

Love,

Mommy

Aaargh Matey!

2011-08-25T23:47:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, our two children's birthdays happen to fall 16 days apart in the month of August. For the last couple of years, we have celebrated their birthdays with family and friends in a joint celebration over Labor Day weekend. For months now (my kiddos start planning and scheming for their birthday parties FAR in advance), T and Z have been collaborating and thinking up what their party for this year should be like. At the end of the school year, though, T was invited to a trio of "friend" parties for little boys in his preschool class. This planted a new idea in his head and around early June, he started asking if he could have a "friend party with no grown-ups". I told him we would wait and see, thinking that his interest in this idea would fade as summer progressed and the friend parties were not so fresh in his memory. But alas, I was mistaken, and T continued to request a "friend" party for when he turned six. So, after some discussion, we decided to allow him to invite three of his buddies to join us for a small birthday bash at Grand Slam (a mini golf, lazer tag, bumper car, arcade, indoor play area place near us). T chose a pirate theme for his party, which coincidentally went along quite nicely with the pirate themed mini golf and play area at our location of choice :). We mailed out some pirate invitations and to say that T was excited is an understatement. He routinely counted down the days to his "friend party" each morning at breakfast. And yesterday, the big day finally arrived!

Here are T and his three buddies getting ready for their first round of mini golf. None of them had ever played the game before so the excitement level was quite high. They were great!

Much to her delight, Z also got to join in on the fun (last night when my mom was over Z told her that she had been to Grant's Land that day - who knew my nephew had his own land)!

Here are the golfers with their best pirate faces :)

Following their round of 18 holes, the boys (and Z) headed over to the Play Zone where they shot off some cannons (loaded with foam balls) as they tried to defend their ship. This area was also a hit!

After such an intense battle, these pirates were ready for some grub. So, we headed into the party room for pizza, which was then followed by cake.

After cake, T opened the gifts from his friends before they headed off for more adventures (the arcade, bumper cars, and another round of mini golf).

All in all, it was a great day! I decided a party of four little boys (and one littler sister) was the perfect size for me :). And it was a lot of fun to watch T have fun with his friends. When we got home, T told me it was the best party of his whole life. No small compliment coming from Mr. Party Boy.

Indeed, it was a swashbuckling adventure filled with loads of fun! Aaargh!!!

Visiting the Grandmas

2011-08-23T22:04:00.001-05:00

This past weekend while Michael was off climbing mountains, the kiddos and I teamed up with Beppe and drove down to Iowa for an overnight so that we could visit both of my grandmas. My grandmas still live in the same small town where my parents both grew up. In fact, they both live in the same nursing home, just a few hallways away from each other. This makes visiting them quite simple :) It was a nice visit - so good to see both of them.

Grandma Sue is a youthful 101 years of age.

We wowed her with the technology of today (the iPad) - her eyesight is not real great (as you might imagine when you've been looking around for 101 years) but we were able to show her some pictures of mom and dad's house and some other family events on a nice large screen. She was quite impressed when we took a picture of her and the kids with the iPad and then turned around and showed it to her right away. "Well, I didn't know cameras could do such a thing" was her comment :)

Just down the hall, through some doors and around the bend, lives Grandma G who, I believe, is a spry 86.

T and Z, I believe, did a good job entertaining both grandmas, as well as a few other visitors who stopped on by. But they did need to roam about from time to time, as all young children do, I suppose. Thankfully, there was much in and around the nursing home to entertain them.

The two horses in the pasture right across the street from Grandma Sue's window were fun to watch.

And in one of the courtyards not far from her room, there were these lovely ducks

as well as some very stately hens.

Z really enjoyed showing the hens her chicken dance. I'm not sure they were overly impressed :)

The hands down favorite, though, was the resident dog, sweetly named "Kissy". Apparently, Kissy belonged to a couple who moved into the nursing home back in the day when small pets were allowed. However, after both husband and wife passed away, Kissy was left without a family and so the nursing home decided to adopt her as their own. She now freely roams the hallways and courtyards. For two children who ask on a weekly basis when they can have a puppy, this little dog was an instant companion. She, in turn, seemed to enjoy some "youthful" attention.

And finally, when they just needed a little bit of gross motor movement, the hallway that held a bit of a descent proved to be an excellent place to practice rolling :) This activity was Beppe's bright idea.

All in all, we enjoyed a great visit - we look forward to another one soon!

Patience and Perseverance

2011-08-21T15:27:00.000-05:00

Our T has always loved the water. But, true to his cautious nature, he has not been overly daring in what he was willing to do while in the water. He and I took swimming lessons together (the parent/child type) a couple of summers in a row when he was little (the summers when he was 2 and 3). Last summer we took a break from formal lessons because he really did not want to take lessons on his own and we decided not to push it but rather allow him to just enjoy exploring. That being said, last summer's major accomplishment was getting him to put his head completely under water. The use of goggles was instrumental in this task. He also started to enjoy jumping off the side of the pool, as long as the water was not very deep. Throughout the fall/winter/spring, we swam off and on at the indoor pool and with his goggles in tow, T became very comfortable going underwater and "swimming" around but he was never too keen on venturing into an area where he was not able to touch. When the pool opened this summer, and when Pake and Beppe's lake was warm enough to venture into, T continued to show increasing confidence in the water - though he still was not overly daring. He wouldn't jump off the dock or off the side of the pool if he thought he might totally go under. He really didn't like swimming (by this I mean taking his feet off the bottom of the lake or pool) or attempting to do so, even if he had a life jacket on. But, about a month into summer, a switch seemed to turn in him and one day he just decided he was going to jump off the side of the pool into deeper water and the next thing we knew, he was jumping off the dock, off the side of the boat, and attempting to truly swim (taking his hands and feet off of the bottom surface). When I approached him in late July to see if he would like to take swimming lessons, he very enthusiastically said YES! So, we got him enrolled at our health club and he is LOVING it. He is actually learning to swim, unassisted and without any glimmer of fear or hesitation. It might seem like a small feat, but I am so very thankful for his change of heart and see it as a direct answer to prayer :) It is so fun to watch him enjoy something that used to be a little unnerving and to see the sense of pride and accomplishment he exhibits after each lesson is just awesome!

Patience and perseverance are definitely paying off!

Z is THREE!

2011-08-15T21:30:00.001-05:00

Today we celebrate this sweet girl!

She came to us like this three years ago.

One year later, she was full of smiles.

And two years later, her quest as princess had begun.

Another year down the road and she still loves, loves, loves all things princess. Here's a look at how she spent her special day turning three.

She opened some gifts (with the welcomed help of her big brother).

We then ate a birthday lunch at the restaurant of her choosing. After much deliberation, she chose The Rainforest Cafe.

Lunch was followed by a stop at Build-A-Bear where Zoe had her first experience at creating her own stuffed animal. She selected a pink-daisied bunny which she then dressed up as a ballerina. Yep - she's girly :). Pink bunny in tow, we then headed to the carousel for a little ride.

Following our spin, we headed back home for some cake and ice cream.

Z took a moment to contemplate life as a newly turned three-year-old.

We love you, Z! We thank God for you each day and love the LIFE that you bring to our family! May you learn to follow Him more and more and may your heart be captured by Jesus!

Built To Last

2011-08-01T23:12:00.000-05:00

We just returned from an awesome family camp weekend at Inspiration Point Christian Camp and Retreat Center. This is the third year in a row that we have ventured out to camp with all of the Levang crew. This year's summer camp theme is Built To Last, focusing on the idea that we have a master carpenter who has created us, and when we build a solid foundation on Him, we in turn are built to last. It was a super great weekend, filled with lots of great food (prepared for you and cleaned up after you), fun (swimming, carpet ball, boating, Gas Light Theater), worship (chapel, the Christ Hike, campfires) and more. We also got to celebrate our nephew, Luke's, first birthday. Michael put together a video of the weekend - he did a great job of capturing so many of our favorite memories. Enjoy!

Movin' On Up

2011-08-01T22:08:00.002-05:00

The bedrooms in our home, especially Miss Z's, are not overly spacious. So for the past couple of months, as our kids are getting bigger and their toys and things seem to occupy more space, we have been tossing around a few different space saving ideas. After not too much deliberation, we settled on an option and decided to implement it last week. For Z, we ended up purchasing a kid's sized loft from IKEA (the best space saving store around). It's not a full height loft but is much more Z-friendly. It is high enough to give her some play space underneath but not so high that she is sleeping right next to the ceiling :). Here's a look at the finished product.

After purchasing Z's loft, Michael was quite certain he could build one for T for less money. He was right. And because T has a basement bedroom that has a ledge on two of the four walls, Michael customized the loft to sit on that ledge, thus maximizing the space all the more. After it was constructed, Michael, T and I all painted it - a real source of pride for T. Lifting his bed off the floor, as well as downsizing his previous queen-sized bed to a twin, allowed us to also move T's drum set into his bedroom - a definite favorite for him. Now he can shut his door, put on his protective ear gear, and drum away to his heart's content. Check it out!

Aquatennial '11

2011-07-31T22:25:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we continued what has become a bit of a tradition by heading into the city to watch what we think are the best fireworks around these parts. The show in the sky is part of the Aquatennial Celebration that takes place the last part of July each summer. This year we were joined by our pals, the Berge's, who introduced us to a new location for viewing the fireworks - a great little park on Nicollet Island. We arrived early, eating supper nearby and then spreading out blankets and chairs in the park in anticipation of the show. The kiddos each found a stick within about five minutes of our arrival to the park - providing a good source of entertainment for a fair amount of time - they were bubble wands, swords, conductor sticks, instruments, fireworks-shooter-offer-thingies.....you get the picture.

There was also some frisbee playing that took place,

which was paired with a bit of frisbee instruction.

When one was tired of playing this particular game, it was a great discovery to find out that his frisbee could also double as a quite dapper hat.

Because there was a chance of scattered thunderstorms that evening, we did come prepared with some shelter from any rain that decided to pop up. The kids also used the umbrellas as a source of entertainment, even using them to build a small fort. Great kid stuff :).

Unfortunately, about 30 minutes before the fireworks were scheduled to begin, a light show of a different kind started to take place in the skies north of where we were sitting. Some in our group thought we should pack up and leave but others were convinced that we had come too far to just turn back and go (I was of the second opinion, as were all of the kids). However, as foreshadowed by the umbrella above, just as the show we originally planned to watch began (albeit 15 minutes early in an attempt to beat out the weather), rain drops began to fall. They increased in size and frequency quite quickly, causing us to take shelter near some bushes. We could still see the show, though, and it did not disappoint. My one photo of the actual show does not do it justice, but, once the rain started, I was a bit too busy trying to give shelter to some kiddos to take photos.

To say we looked like drowned rats when it was all said and done would be an understatement, but we all agreed once we were back in the van that this was the kind of night that memories are made of. "Remember that one year when we watched the Aquatennial fireworks in a downpour.....?" Aaahhh. Good stuff.

SonSurf Beach Bash

2011-07-27T00:33:00.000-05:00

Last week was Vacation Bible School at our church and this year's theme was SonSurf Beach Bash. It was an EPIC adventure - one in which our entire family was able to participate. Each day had a different action point (Meet Up with Jesus, Join Up with Jesus, Look Up to Jesus, Open Up to Jesus and Fire Up for Jesus) as well as a Big Question and Big Answer, all of which centered around the life of Jesus. Our church was transformed into an ocean/beach oasis. Upon arrival, beach goers were greeted by this giant "sand" castle. Kids could send their offering down the slide each day into the pool.

Here's Z ready to catch a wave.

And here's T checking out the totally awesome octopus!

I was able to be a part of the week by teaching at the Bible Story Center - here's a look at Bonfire Beach where the kids came to chill out and hear amazing stories about Jesus.

And here are some of the kids I hung out with each day.

Michael was the leader at the game center - they played lots of beachy/water games and the kids loved it!

And even though Z was too young to participate in the actual programming, she got her own version of SonSurf Beach Bash each day in the nursery, making some of the same crafts and eating the same snacks as the "big kids".

We opened and closed each morning with a group time of singing, the daily Bible Verse, and other "sick" stuff.

It was a super busy but totally radical week and it served as a great reminder, to both kids and grown-ups alike, that, hey, it's all about Jesus, dude!

Around the Campfire - the final installment

2011-07-24T21:44:00.001-05:00

And for my final family vacation entry, I'll just share a few pics from a favorite evening activity - roasting marshmallows and eating s'mores around the fire.

It seems these two little boys thought they needed a little bit better seat on this particular evening :)

We had a good time, didn't we, Grant?

Some Indoor Activities

2011-07-24T21:30:00.001-05:00

While everyone was home, we DID spend some time inside as well. We spent one day at the Mall of America and made stops at the Lego Store, Build-A-Bear, the Rainforest Cafe, the MN Sea Life Aquarium,

and Nickelodeon Universe. Here we encountered some very famous people,

and rode a few rides, like the Log Chute (only Pake and Grant wanted to take a gander on this one),

and the Ferris Wheel (somehow it was me and all the kiddos that ended up on this ride). We had fun!

On a separate day, some of the ladies had dessert at the American Girl Store restaurant - it was a hit with this little lady :)

Back on the home front, there was also some game playing,

a bit of Just Dance Kids on the Wii,

and of course, some building of Lego creations (inspired by our visit to the Lego Store).

Good times!

Hangin' Out At The Lake

2011-07-22T21:49:00.001-05:00

My family vacation extravaganza update continues......

Much of our time spent together was simply hanging out outside at the lake. Here are some snapshots of what it looks like when twelve or so people (and two pups) invade Pake and Beppe's backyard/backlake :).

There was definitely A LOT of playing.

Some chatting.

And even some relaxing :)

All of the above were wonderful!

An Afternoon at Target Field

2011-07-20T14:58:00.000-05:00

The day after Erin and Kevin joined us at the lake, we headed into the city to cheer on our MN Twins. Ironically, they were playing the Tampa Bay Rays - the team of Erin's current home - though this day, she says she cheered for the Twins :) After a train ride to the stadium, we found our seats, which thankfully were in the shade the whole game, as it was a pretty warm day!

Our seats spanned from seat number 1 to number 12 so it was tricky to get a group photo. This was the best I got (Thanks Amy and Mom for "smiling" for the camera).

These two kiddos were closest to me for most of the game so I did get some shots of them.

As previously mentioned, it was a pretty warm afternoon (though nothing like the heat we are currently experiencing - yikes!) so I had stuck a spray bottle in my purse just in case we needed a little spritzer. Turns out that it was a great source of entertainment around the seventh inning when the kiddos were getting a bit restless.

Though the Twins did end up losing late in the game, it was still a good memory maker! Go Twins!

It's Been Awhile....

2011-07-19T23:35:00.000-05:00

To my faithful blog followers (if any of you even exist anymore ), I know that it has been almost a month now since last I blogged. Summer does seem to get away from me sometimes. However, take heart, because over the next few days, I intend to get you up-to-date and share with any of you who are still reading just what, exactly, we have been up to these last weeks. The above picture gives you a good idea of how we have spent much of our time, or rather who we have been spending time with. You see, we have just completed a two-week family extravaganza out at the lake. Pake, Beppe, The Crane Gang, Erin, Kevin and their pups - yep, the whole gang was at the lake for two whole weeks (give or take a couple of days for a few poor souls who actually had to go to work). To say we had a blast is a bit of an understatement :) So, for the first installment of our "staycation", read on....oh, and keep on checking back as I sort through lots of photos and attempt to get caught up!

Swimming at the Cliffs

2011-07-19T23:34:00.000-05:00

Our family fun started the weekend of the fourth of July (although the Floridians were not able to join us until just after the fourth). The weather was insanely beautiful and as such, we enjoyed much time out on the water. A favorite new spot on the lake this summer is "the cliffs". They are just across the lake from Pake and Beppe's place and consist of some sandstone cliff/walls that have a nice smooth, sandy bottom running right in front of a portion of them. It is a popular place to park/lodge your boat and swim. Along with that are the actual cliffs - a place for thrill seekers to take a 30-40 foot plunge into the lake (some in our group did do this activity though I did not have my camera along on that particular outing). Here are some pics of the fam hanging out at "the cliffs".

Ten Years Ago Today....

2011-06-23T09:32:00.000-05:00

I said, "I Do."

It was one of the best days of my life.

I love you, Michael! I am blessed beyond all I could ask or imagine to walk this road with you! Happy Anniversary!

Happy Dad's Day!

2011-06-19T22:20:00.001-05:00

To my Michael, thank you for walking a path that I confidently pray for T and Z to follow. And to our Dads (Grandpa and Pake), thanks for teaching us which path to choose. We love you! Happy Father's Day!

Play Ball

2011-06-19T22:18:00.003-05:00

We had a special visitor this weekend for Father's Day. Grandpa!!! He came down for the Back-To-The-Fifties Car Show while Grandma was on a "girls only getaway" up north. After he accompanied T and I to t-ball (aka Rookie Camp) yesterday morning while Michael and Little Miss Z went to the Father/Daughter breakfast at church,

we treated him to a Father's Day trip to Target Field last night. And we had a grand old time doing it! Check it out!

The first 10,000 fans got Twins Cowboy hats (sponsored by WeFest). Turns out we were one of the chosen so we all sported a little bit of country :). After a pretty rainy afternoon, the waterworks finally took a break right before the opening pitch and we thankfully enjoyed a very pleasant evening. The kids did great and had a lot of fun watching all of the action. T told me he wants to marry me some day - this after watching a couple get engaged on the big screen during the game (a favorite memory for me). And to top it all off, the Twins won!!! Yeehaw! Thanks for coming, Grandpa! We had a blast with you!

Make A Joyful Noise

2011-06-16T23:16:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday afternoon and evening, we headed out to the Joyful Noise Family Fest with our good friends, the Davis', for some awesome fun and music. The annual event is sponsored by our local Christian radio station. And boy, oh boy, did we have a blast! For starters, there was a huge field filled with most any type of inflatable bounce house, obstacle course and/or climbing structure you could imagine. It was a big hit with the kiddos for sure. I was only able to capture this little lady on camera - the boys were just too quick :)

She also managed to snag this cute face painting for the day.

In addition to the inflatables and other activities, the main event was truly the music. Inside the outdoor stadium, there were various concerts going on throughout the day. The three of us ladies took a break from the inflatable action and enjoyed listening to Laura Story (Mighty To Save and Blessings are two of my favorites). But I think it is fair to say that the highlight for our whole clan was Go Fish. They are hands down the favorite kid band in our house and it was SO FUN to see them in person. Here we are, anxiously awaiting the start of their show.....

GO FISH!!!!!!!!

The kiddos danced, clapped and sang their little hearts out.

It was such a GREAT day with GREAT friends and GREAT music - a truly joyful noise indeed!

Rookie Camp: Week 3

2011-06-16T22:33:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday brought along the third week of Rookie Camp for T. Because it was the third and final rotation for this group of stations, he only cycled through two different drills this go around. Here's what was on tap.

Station One: Batting Practice (without the T)

The second part of this drill was teaching the kids how to turn when a pitch actually comes at their body - they are supposed to turn their back to the ball. T was successful. Oh, and just in case you were concerned about child safety - they used wiffle balls for this drill.

Station 2: The Game

Patiently waiting their turns on the bench

I loved seeing all of their dangling little feet.

Batter Up

Waiting at first

A high-five at home plate

Once in the outfield, the campers used soft mitts rather than traditional mitts. It's supposed to help them learn to scoop and catch the ball (I think).

Chasing a hit

Checking out his unusual mitt

Ready Position

Sneaking in a slide between batters :)

Talking over their game plan

Game Over. Time for snack!

Another "Last"

2011-06-08T21:53:00.007-05:00

Today was one of those "lasts" that was so bittersweet. You see, for the past 5 1/2 and 3 1/2 years respectively, while I have worked part-time, T and Z have spent many of their Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Miss Tricia's house. But with the end of the 2010-2011 school year also comes the end of their time with her. It was a bittersweet "last" because they have LOVED going to Mr. Tom, Miss Tricia and Piper's house. They have so enjoyed playing with their pals Piper, Nathan and Madison. And of recent, they have become quite enamored with Miss Chelsea, who is currently living with the Ryan clan. Saying good-bye to all these things has definitely resulted in some tears shed the past few days. However, the reason behind the parting is the "sweet" in all of this, for our precious friends are embarking on new adventures in a new home a bit down the trail from us (about 30 minutes) and their family of three will become four in October. Both are exciting new adventures! Yet we will miss having them a few short blocks away and we will miss our Tuesday and Wednesday visits. Thus, bittersweet pretty much sums up today :). Miss Tricia, thanks so much for taking such precious care of our precious gifts. We could not have entrusted them so confidently to anyone else. Thanks for all of the hugs and kisses you gave and received. Thanks for all of the tears, noses and bottoms you wiped. Thanks for all of the meals you prepared and the stories you read. And most of all, thanks for loving T and Z like they are your own. We have been blessed by you!

Zoe The Explorer

2011-06-07T23:14:00.002-05:00

Z has been especially enamored with our big magnifying glass lately. She likes to use it to "go exploring". I was invited along on one of her adventures the other day. She spotted all sorts of interesting things. I especially liked her choice of wardrobe for this particular expedition :).

Rookie Camp: Week 2

2011-06-07T23:06:00.003-05:00

After two straight weekends of rain outs, followed by Memorial Day weekend which meant no Rookie Camp, we were super blessed with an absolutely beautiful Saturday this past weekend. As such, T was able to participate in his second week of Rookie Camp. Here's what was on the schedule for this week:

T-time: Batter Up

Pop fliesGroundingThese stations were then followed up with an abbreviated game (just one inning). It was a great week, though I think the highlight for most of the kids was the fact that it was also "Bring your squirt gun" day :)

Z's Treasure

2011-05-31T21:00:00.005-05:00

A couple weekends ago, our church had its annual garage sale (put on by the women's ministries as a fund raiser for our youth group). We helped with the set-up on Wednesday night, helped man the sale on Thursday and part of Friday, and then helped with clean up on Saturday. T and Z both really like the garage sale adventure - mostly because they like digging for "treasures". Pictured below, you will see Z wearing one of her most prized possessions from the sale.Michael found this shirt in one of the many clothing piles and put it on Z. She "loves it because it's pink" and she begged to take it home. I told her it could go in her dress- up box. Whenever she wears it, she proudly marches into the room and declares, "Life's better BLONDE!".Oh my - she cracks us up!

Wednesday Was A Big Day

2011-05-28T10:04:00.000-05:00

For two very different and distinct reasons, Wednesday was indeed a big day at our house. Read on to find out why.

Reason #1: Preschool Finale

2011-05-28T10:02:00.001-05:00

The first reason that Wednesday was a big day at our house was because it marked the end of T's preschool career. With tears in my eyes I dropped him off at Hosanna! Preschool Wednesday morning for the last time. He has spent the last two years there and it has been such a GREAT place for him (and for us). We have loved his teachers, as has he, and it has been so fun to watch him grow as a student, a classmate, a friend, and most importantly, a child of God. We got to go to his classroom for the last part of the morning and have a "farewell friends" party. It was bittersweet. Here he is enjoying his ice cream treat.And Little Miss Z enjoyed hers as well.Here's T with one of the boys from his class named Britton. These two have become good friends this year and we have already made plans to have some summer playdates because T could hardly bear to not see him anymore. The teachers often commented to me and Britton's mom that T and B were "such good friends" and raved about the creations that the two would build with the foam blocks at free choice :) Here's another little boy that we heard a lot about this year, Matt. T was impressed with how fast he could run and the two have a shared love for Legos :)Here is a shot of all of the boys from the Sunshine Room this year. And here are the two lovely ladies who I think had their work cut out for them managing this silly group!

Mrs. Best (she really was the best)

Mrs. Trygstad

Mrs. Trygstad has been T's teacher for the past two years and she truly holds a special spot in my heart. She always had a kind smile and a gentle hug for the kids just when they needed it. She understood T's cautious and observant nature and gave him the time he needed to adjust and feel comfortable, while at the same time gently nudged him a bit out of his comfort zone. And once he came into his own, she had a genuine appreciation for his silly little heart :) We will miss both of these amazing women. But......

Hopefully, our paths will cross again in a little over a year when this little lady makes her way to Hosanna! Preschool. She's already quite comfortable in the Sunshine Room......

Reason #2: A Matching Pair

2011-05-28T09:59:00.006-05:00

To the untrained eye, this may simply look like a pair of Nike running shoes. But, if you had been living at our house for the past seven weeks, you would know that it is much more than that. You see, it's a pair of running shoes. That's right. A PAIR. For the past seven weeks, when Michael would come home, there would only be one shoe left on the rug by the front door. That was because his other foot was strapped into a walking boot as a result of his torn, then repaired, then healing, achilles tendon. But on Wednesday, he got to say "adios" to his walking boot and is now back to wearing a matching pair. A big day, indeed!

Fun Flix Friday

2011-05-27T20:03:00.000-05:00

Once upon a blogtime, I used to post a video every Friday. I named my weekly tradition "FunFlix Friday". To the displeasure of some, this tradition faded into oblivion for awhile. This week, because I had some good material, I decided to try and revive the weekly video posting. So, here goes!

The following is a clip of Z from this past Sunday when we went bowling (not something we do all that often, but that is what T chose as his reward for his responsibility/behavior chart and since he reached his goal, a bowling we did go!). We had a great time :)

Pics from the Past Week

2011-05-25T07:08:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures from this past week that I wanted to make sure to post :)

Wacky Hair Day at T's school last Wednesday - his real hair is not all that wacky so we got this silly twins hat for him to wear instead. It seemed to do the trick!

Z with her pink curlers in her hair before bedtime this week. My mom used to put curlers just like these in our hair every Saturday night so we would have curls for church on Sunday. She found them for Z at the dollar store. She loves them :)

And last but not least, a fun visit with our friends Mr. Mack and Miss Ellie (and their mom, Tutu and Papa) at the MOA as they passed through town, traveling from Little Rock, AR via MSP to Grand Forks, ND. So fun to meet Miss Ellie and catch up with them!

A Little Bit Of Pluckin'

2011-05-22T14:32:00.003-05:00

Nearly eight years ago, Michael decided that he wanted to learn how to play the banjo. He had already become a bit versed in the harmonica, so he felt the banjo was a natural progression. He bought himself a Deering, a "how-to" book, a cool backpack carrier, and a little later on, an instructional video. He taught himself some chords and a few little ditties. But after about a year, the banjo was...well, not exactly neglected, but, let's just say it didn't get played all that often. During that time, it sat on a stand next to our piano and every once in awhile, was taken off, strapped on and plucked.

Things started looking up for our little banjo a little over a month ago when we got a new worship director at our church (a talented guy who has been part of our congregation and worship team for quite a few years). He recalled a conversation that had taken place months back in which Michael mentioned that he had toyed around with playing the banjo. Drawing on that knowledge, he asked Michael if he would like to play with the worship band when they played, "Just a Closer Walk With Thee". Michael agreed to at least practice with them and see how things went. Turns out a few chords got him a long way, and he made his debut three weeks ago. Unfortunately, I did not think to video the grand event. Thankfully, this week, the praise team was getting ready to play another little bluegrass number and Michael was again given the opportunity to play. He agreed and this go around, I was ready with the camera :) Take a look at our banjo boy!
Great job, Daddy! We are so proud of you!

Rookie Camp

2011-05-16T21:28:00.009-05:00

This is T's second season of playing T-ball. Last spring/summer, he played through the YMCA program, which was a good intro to the "game" of t-ball, as well as cheap entertainment for those watching a group of 4 and 5 year-old's play an organized game of said sport for the first time. This go around, though, we opted for something a little different for T. We had heard good things about our suburb's baseball association's rookie camp, so we decided to check it out. The "camp" is about 6 sessions/Saturdays for an hour and 45 minutes each time and it stresses the development of the fundamentals of the game of baseball, while at the same time encouraging a lot of fun and requiring a great amount of parent involvement. We've had one camp session of yet (we got rained out this past weekend), and so far, it has been great! The kids have been placed on teams of about 10 kids, and each week they rotate through 3 of 8 stations, 6 of which teach a specific skill and the other 2 of which simulate an actual (though abbreviated) game. After 3 weeks, the kids have all cycled through the stations and then 8 new stations are created, which they then cycle through for the remaining 3 weeks. Pretty cool set-up! Each child is required to have one parent involved in each station at all times, plus there are 2-3 "team leaders" or parent coaches as well. Michael is one of the leaders for T's team. Z and I just have fun watching :)

So, here is what was on tap for T's team on Week #1 of Rookie Camp:

Warm-Ups before camp started

Check out the number T chose for his shirt! Like father, like son :)

Station #1: Throwing a Split Seam Fastball (sounds pretty technical, don't you think?)

Station #2: Sliding (Feet first only!)
Station #3: The Pitcher's Stance, aka "Kill the Coach"
Arms UpPower PositionArms OutAimFire

(The voice that you hear in the video is the commissioner of the baseball association, former head coach of the high school baseball team - he definitely stresses the element of FUN to the kids!).

There you have it! Week 1 of Rookie Camp complete! Can't wait to see what happens next week!

Mommy and Me Day

2011-05-13T15:47:00.004-05:00

As eluded to in my last post, I had the privilege of attending my second Mommy and Me Day at T's preschool right before Mother's Day. To be certain, it is a highlight in his school year (for the both of us)! This year's morning did not disappoint. We were treated like royalty :). There were lovely hand-made corsages awaiting us upon arrival. We were then given premium seats for a concert. Here are some of my favorite songs (they sang about 10).

The singing was followed by a number of different centers that we took part in together. There was the wall of fame - drawings made by the kids of their moms. Each mom needed to guess which portrait was theirs. Here is T's portrait of me.So cute! Under each picture was an informational sheet that each child had filled out about their moms. This is what mine said.I think I've shown some improvement since last year when T's response was, "My mom looks beautiful when....she takes a shower and gets dressed."

We also had our pictures taken, made a scrapbook page for our photo, read books together, played a game together and I also had a snack made for me by T. The kids had also made us our very own purseswith a sweet message inside.I had a grand time! Thanks, T! I love being your Mommy!

Happy Mom's Day

2011-05-08T15:01:00.006-05:00

Happy Mom's Day to all you lovely moms out there! Hope your day is simply grand! Thought I'd give you a little mother's day wish via song, courtesy of T's preschool class. This is one of many cute numbers they sang to us at Mommy and Me Day this past week. I'll post more about that day soon, but for today, here's wishing you a special day!

A Simply Sweet Bedtime

2011-05-01T20:54:00.004-05:00

On nights (like tonight) when Michael is away at bedtime, I have started changing up our typical bedtime routine. Instead of going through our bedtime prayers/songs/tuck-in routine with each child individually, as we typically do when there are two parents and two kids, I have recently begun having both kids crawl into one of their beds and the three of us do our routine together, after which they are then tucked-in to their individual resting spots.

Some nights, a whole lot of goofiness sets in and in the end I have two wound up kids and one slightly frustrated mom (think two kids jumping on the bed and prayers said in silly voices - which is then followed a gentle reprimand about how important it is to show respect to God when we are praying). Other nights it simply is just not pleasant ("She touched me," "He bumped me," "I'm too squished!"). And then sometimes there are nights like tonight, when: sweet words + sweet voices = just what this slightly tired and a little bit weary mama needed to hear. And so, in an effort to not forget nights like tonight but rather be reminded of how God knows just what we need, when we need it, I am writing down what happened at bedtime tonight.

T's prayer: "Dear Jesus, Thank you for my family. Thank you for my friends. Please heal Daddy's foot. Please heal Mommy's headache. Help me to make good choices and help me do the things that I need to do in my life. Amen."

Z's prayer: "Dear Jesus, Thank you for my brother, Titus. Please make Daddy's foot better again. Please heal mommy's headache. Thank you for my ballet slippers. I really want to give my ballet slippers that are too small to Sylvie. Amen."

After their prayers, I sing a little song to each of them about how special they are. Most often, it is just me singing to each of them. But tonight, Z joined me in singing to T, telling him how special he is. This was followed by T singing with me, declaring to Z how special she is. We conclude our singing with "Jesus Loves Me." Z often sings along with me but T often chooses to just listen. However, tonight both of them joined in with me for a rousing (but respectful) rendition of the song :). I then tucked Z in and as T and I left her room, he said, "Good night, Zoe. Sweet dreams."

Such a simply sweet end to our day. Just what this heart of mine needed, exactly when I needed it.

Easter Celebrations!

2011-04-24T20:55:00.012-05:00

What a great day we had today, celebrating our risen Savior! Our day started off early, with a quick photo shoot (and I mean quick) of T and Z before heading out the door.Our first stop was our church (which included a yummy breakfast hosted by our youth, an egg hunt for the kiddos and a great worship service). This was followed by our second destination - the home of our good friends, the Berge's, where a bunch of other great friends were also gathered. The afternoon started off with some playing and definite enjoyment of the sunny skies and mild temperatures!This was followed by a very yummy Easter dinner.
With full tummies, a very enthusiastic bunch of kids headed back outside for the much anticipated egg hunt in the backyard.The two big boys decided to join forces.And for a little while, the two little boys,as well as the two little girls, followed suit.Some eggs were easy to find.
Others required a bit more assistance.
Once all of the eggs had been hunted, we attempted to gather the troops for a group photo.They quickly then began assessing the fruits of their labor.We concluded the afternoon with some creatively yummy desserts.
It was a day filled with fun, friends, food, and sunshine, centered around the One who conquered the grave! What a great, GREAT day!

Egg Dunking

2011-04-21T21:16:00.004-05:00

Playdate with Sweet Pea

2011-04-11T14:23:00.005-05:00

Not too long ago, Z got to have one of her best pals, Sweet Pea, over for some girl time. The two little ladies played so well together and were oh so busy.

First, they cooked up some delectable treats in the kitchen.
This was followed by some cupcake decoratingand a tea and treats party with some other little ladies.All that time around food meant that these two little princesses were feeling a bit famished for a "real" snack .Once replenished with energy, the two were put to work and helped me clean Toot and Puddle's fish bowl. It didn't seem like too much work to them, though. They had a jolly old time doing it.And since Sweet Pea's pets are of a much furrier nature, she seemed especially intrigued by our water dwelling duo.The girls rounded out their bustling morning with some more relaxing type activities, including drawingand reading.
Thanks for playing with us, Sweet Pea! Come on over again real soon!

FINALLY!

2011-04-07T15:53:00.004-05:00

I know the pictures aren't award winning but the reality of what they represent certainly is. Because you see, today, TODAY, we finally got to play at the park - without snow, without boots, without snow hats, even without COATS (we traded our winter hats for baseball hats because the sun was just that bright!) . We basked in the sunshine and got rid of all of those winter wiggles. It was GRAND!

He's Still Drummin'

2011-04-01T21:51:00.009-05:00

T continues to enjoy busting out rhythms on the drums (or whatever other surface is around him). In addition, he continues to enjoy his lessons with Big Noah - one of Michael's students (the "big" has been added to distinguish teacher Noah from T and Z's cousin, Noah). The two typically meet about once per week for nearly an hour in the band room at Michael's school. Michael took some video at the end of this past Thursday's lesson. Admittedly, it is a bit lengthy so only grandparents are obligated to watch the entire footage :).

Not The Dirty Part

2011-03-22T16:39:00.008-05:00

Both T and Z have a photo album that contains snapshots of their first year of life. For the last couple of months, Z has been very captivated by hers. She calls it her "Butterfly Book" - for obvious reasons....Anyway, the butterfly book sits on the night stand next to her bed and nearly every night before she goes to bed, Z asks me to "read" the book to her. Reading a photo album simply consists of commenting on the pictures. Our little creature of habit loves routines and though I did not realize it the first time I commented on the pictures, the words that I used to describe the pictures the first go around may as well have been written in the book because Z makes sure that I make the same comments each time we read her book.

For example, on the first page are these two pictures. Apparently the first time we read the book, I said something like, "There you are, still inside mommy's tummy."Followed by, "And here you are - right after you came out of mommy's tummy".Then the next picture, which she recites as, "Baby Girl Levang. Look at those cute little toes!". It's a pretty good little script she has going. And though she might deviate from her commentary ever so slightly, there is one thing that Z is guaranteed to say before we start reading the book each time. Without fail, as we crack open the first page, Z emphatically states, "Don't read the dirty part, Mommy!"

Lest you wonder what kind of photos I have included in Z's photo album, here is a picture from the "dirty part".We've only looked at it one time - the first time through the book - because it seems that for as much as Z enjoyed getting dirty and eating that cupcake on her first birthday, she now chooses not to relive the "dirty part".

OK, Z - we won't read the dirty part. I promise. But I will show it here just one more time :)

Daddy and Me Day

2011-02-27T16:04:00.003-06:00

This past Wednesday was "Daddy and Me" day at T's school which meant that Michael (along with a whole lot of other daddies) got to accompany T in his classroom for the last hour of the school day. It seems that they had a great time together - playing games in the gym, rotating through different science centers in the classroom, singing some songs and the like. Michael also got to see the portrait that T made of him.And he also got to learn some interesting facts about himself with T as the reporting source.Gotta love it!Gotta love them!

Even Princesses Get Sick

2011-02-24T13:57:00.003-06:00

Our little Z is having kind of a rough week. She started out with a runny nose and cough on Saturday but I wasn't super concerned because T and I both have had the same thing over the course of the last couple weeks. However, on Monday night, she developed a fever in the night so I stayed home from work Tuesday and took her in to the pediatrician. I decided to have T checked out too simply because his cough was lingering.

For Z, a throat culture was negative for strep and her lungs and ears seemed clear so the doctor felt it was just viral at that point. For T, the doctor felt like he might have the start of sinusitis so he started on an antibiotic (which he simply loves) that day :).

During the night on Tuesday, as her ibuprofen started to wear off, Z's fever spiked pretty high. She peaked at 103.8. After a call to the after hours nurse care line, we were told what to watch for and just monitored her throughout the night. Michael stayed home with her yesterday (with a little help from Beppe during Daddy and Me Day at T's preschool - more on that later) and when her fever went back up around noon, he decided to call and take her in again.

So, on her second trip to the doctor in the same number of days, Z got to have her nose swabbed for influenza. The test came back negative. Her ears still looked good and her chest sounded clear but the doctor ordered a chest X-ray just to be sure. The X-ray revealed the source of her issues - the beginnings of pneumonia. In T's explanation (who got to sit on a "big chair and look at pictures of the inside of Z"), the X-ray showed some white stuff where there should only be black :). Bummer.

She started on her own antibiotic last night. She had a rough night with more high fevers (which prompted another call to the nurse line) but she seems to be coming around today. Her fever has dropped into the more normal range (with the help of ibuprofen) but even when the meds wear off, she is not spiking into the 103-104 range but hovers around 100. For this we are thankful. She just woke up from a 3-hour nap which was much needed - she has not been sleeping well with such high temps (though she still musters up the energy to wear her tiara).

Her temperature is a wonderful 98.6 right now (still on ibuprofen) and I think she is making a turn for the better. We have an appointment with her pediatrician tomorrow morning just to make sure things are progressing as they should.

Sometimes it's tough being a princess but we are trying to give her the royal treatment as best as we can :).

More Grace-Me-Downs

2011-02-17T16:23:00.007-06:00

Not too long ago, I wrote a post about how much fun it is for Z to receive hand-me-downs from her cousin Grace (aka "G1"). The joy just keeps on flowing as Z received a Valentine treat in the mail this week - one of G1's dance costumes. It consists of a sparkly, sequined red and silver leotard, a very poofy red tutu and even a red feather boa to boot! Z immediately has fallen in love with it and has paired it with the tap shoes that G1 also passed down to her to create quite an ensemble. Last night when I came home from work, she was in all her glory - though she had chosen at this point in time to pair the leotard with one of her other pink tutus, as well as a butterfly winged headband that Beppe treated her to at Target yesterday. Oh, and in case you are hard of hearing, she is also wearing the beloved tap shoes :)

THANKS G1!!!

Another One Bites The Dust

2011-02-17T15:03:00.004-06:00

Wednesday morning, just after finishing his breakfast, T realized something. His second bottom tooth that has been wobbling back and forth so precariously for the past few days had finally broken free. And we are happy to report that this time, T felt the tooth in his mouth and took it out before it could meet the same fate as the first. So, for the second time in just under a week, T put a treasure under his pillow for the tooth fairy. He emerged from his bedroom this morning quite pleased with the gift that she had left behind - five gold dollar coins (that's what the fairy delivers at this house). His smile looks a wee bit different now :) Oh, and on a side note, lest you think that I let my children run around with shorts on in the winter time (although, come on, it was 52 degrees here yesterday), let me tell you that it was "Beach Day" at preschool :)

Well Hello Warmer Weather!

2011-02-14T16:12:00.003-06:00

We could not be more ready to welcome milder temperatures here in the land of never ending winters (OK, they really aren't never ending. They end. Sometimes it just feels like they are never going to end - I think you get the idea). Anyway, over the weekend, we took advantage of the warmer temps and invited some friends out to the lake (aka Pake and Beppe's place) to do a little sledding. The sunshine, snow and 40's were a welcome respite from the gray days of winter.We now have a renewed hope that spring indeed will come...eventually :)

It's Official

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

Yep - it's true. T's mouth has one less tooth in it than it did yesterday! Our not quite 5 1/2 year old has lost his first tooth! Here's the story:
It was parent-teacher conference week this week at school for both M and me. That meant two long 12 hour days on Wednesday and Thursday for us. Thanks to Beppe (as well as a visiting Auntie Erin), the kids hardly even knew we were gone. On Thursday, I met the gang for lunch at a restaurant near my school. Soon after I got there, I asked T if he had shown Erin his wiggly teeth. He had not - so he then did. We proceeded to eat our lunch and just before we were getting ready to go, I asked T if I could see his teeth again. I wanted to see for myself how loose they had become. When he opened his mouth, to our great surprise, one of his teeth was gone! We searched through his remaining bowl of Mac N Cheese but alas, the little bugger was nowhere to be found. T did not seem the least bit dazed by the whole event. His gums did not even bleed. So what shall we do about the tooth fairy, on this her inaugural visit to our house? We told T that we would write her a note explaining what happened, along with a drawing of his tooth, and he could place those under his pillow for "proof". He was fine with that idea. We are now watching that second loose tooth like a hawk :)