dingman daze

little thoughts

2010-04-26T22:10:00.001-05:00

I was yelling up to Eli, to come down stairs the other night. I finally said, ‘Babe, just come down, please!’ When Eli got down to the kitchen, he said, “Don’t call me Babe, ‘cause I’m not that pig!”

The other night Eli said to Mike, “Daddy, when I get bigger, maybe I’ll have to borrow your underwear.”

spring days

2010-04-26T22:07:00.001-05:00

It’s finally spring, and the boys have been loving being outside. This was our first picnic lunch outside in mid-March. The boys loved being out without their coats.

Silas loves making Eli laugh….and vice versa.

‘How does that work?’

Silas is a daring boy…he headed down this hill, and I couldn’t help but grab on. He has no fear. I sure hope he gets a little some day. I just hope he doesn’t have this look on his face the day he gets his license.

My littlest guy in the shadows of the bare spring trees.

Eli playing ball with uncle Al.

We had a great time at cousin Max’ one warm March Sunday.

Si loved his ride from ‘uncle.’

Eli takin’ a ride with baby Lilah. Not sure that stroller was up for all those pounds. Both of these babes are in the 95th+ percentiles.

The boys trying to get the snowmobile running. They didn’t succeed….thankfully, but it kept them busy for almost an hour. Who needs toys, when you have an old snowmobile to play with?

easter 2010

2010-04-03T22:29:00.000-05:00

Our Easter weekend entailed putting our company to work helping us put up a fence. I’ve been wanting to do this since we moved in. Now I know why I was procrastinating. It was a lot of work! But we got it all done in 1.5 days, thanks to lots of good help.

Silas was enthralled with egg dying.

Eli loves projects….and the little wires used to pick up the eggs.

Easter bunny brought the Jungle Book, and a few other things.

Silas got some new cowboy boots. They were his favorite. I think the bunny was hoping we could pry the winter boots off his little feet and replace them with something a little cooler.

Some egg hunting thanks to anutie Esa.

The new boots got a work out.

Tired boys needing a nap, but with eggs and candy in hand.

The boys love their auntie Esa.

pirates, paints, beasts, and bags

2010-03-07T16:45:00.001-06:00

We are so patiently waiting the arrival of spring. The boys enjoy the snow, but aren’t super excited about it. Our adventures outside don’t last real long. Silas’ gloves either come off or get wet, and Eli usually decides a movie inside sounds like more fun. This day, Eli was a snow pirate, and Silas insisted on wearing his rubber boots outside(probably the reason it didn’t last long).

Kind of a Viking pirate, I guess.

The boys are really into coloring and painting. Silas is interested in whatever his big brother is doing, so that makes entertaining him a bit easier.

Our paints were no longer separate colors, but all more of a brown after this day of painting.

Brothers sharing an artistic moment.

After watching Beauty and the Beast, Eli decided he wanted to be a beast. He decided he wanted a beast costume in 10 minutes, and felt I should be able to whip one up. We had to improvise, as I wasn’t ready to sew an entire costume that day. His lion costume was slightly altered to add some horns, some gloves with claws sewn on, and part of a pirate costume made a great-looking beast. While watching the movie, he attempted to transform himself from the beast to man, as it was happening on the screen. His expression when he saw himself as a ‘man’ was priceless.

Silas had fun with the bags one Sunday, and it encouraged me to clean the closet out. :0)

The guys hanging out…they love each other lots!

winter waiting

2010-02-09T22:06:00.000-06:00

Mid-January, Eli got pretty sick with wheezing, coughing and a fever. We came home from the doctor’s with his first antibiotic, steroids, and nebs. He wasn’t a huge fan of the nebs, but enjoyed trying to give Spidey some. He was a trooper, and bounced back quickly.

Silas is pretty good at stacking blocks….even better at knocking them down.

The boys got into some shredded paper. Eli had fun pretending it was hay.

Future underwear model? Sorry, Eli, it’s just too cute not to add. :0) (I think he was pretending to be a barn animal).

Boots always seem to bring fun when Silas gets bored.

Santa in January? Eli made a sleigh, had his reindeer ‘ropes,’ and bag of toys one evening. He delivered toys to Mike, Silas, Ollie and me. Such a thoughtful guy.

There continues to be lots of dressing up around our house. What an imagination our big boy has!

3-year-old wisdom

2010-01-25T21:46:00.001-06:00

The other day we were in line at a store, and Eli was staring at the lady behind us. I had the boys in the cart, and Eli said after noticing the lady had an almost empty cart, “Mom, where are her kids?” I whispered to Eli, “Some ladies don’t have kids.” He looked kind of confused. I said, “Like Aunt Esa, she doesn’t have kids.” He replied, “Mom! We’re Esa’s kids!”

The other morning Eli said to me on the way to daycare, “Mom, why does it take so long to grow up?” One of the reasons he said he wanted to grow up was because then he could use knives. Anyway, I started telling Eli all the reasons he should enjoy being a kid. I said, “You don’t want to grow up too fast.” He said, “Yes! Esa said we grow up too fast!”

Tonight, I was changing into my pajamas. I have put on a few winter pounds, but not to the point where I was self conscious about it. As I was getting into my sweats, Eli said, “Hey, Mom, you have BIG legs!” Entirely innocent. I hope he was just comparing mine to his. :0)

christmas tid bits

2009-12-22T14:07:00.000-06:00

We bought the Polar Express in 3-D, and the boys had fun one night watching it in the basement with their neat glasses. Silas kept them on long enough for this picture. I think the paci really makes the outfit.

Eli was pretty serious about it, and kept them on for the whole movie.

Eli decided to be backwards, inside-out Spiderman one day at home with dad. That costume has gotten more use than most of his clothes.

This poor Rudolph’s nose stopped glowing. Eli was insistent that it could be fixed with a new battery. Well, this toy didn’t have an easily accessible battery compartment. I told Eli we could cut it open and try to fix it, or leave it as it was with a nose that didn’t glow. He chose the more aggressive approach, and we did a little surgery(thankfully most of Mom’s surgery subjects don’t end up this bad). Needless to say we were unsuccessful in fixing it. Eli wasn’t too sad, and I wasn’t too sad about losing a stuffed animal – there are many replacements in the boys’ rooms.

Fun in the tub. It’s a lot of monkey see, monkey do in our house these days.

This was an interesting day. I decided we better get the boys to Santa before it was too late(it was the 22nd). I already had a busy day planned, as I needed to pick up a friend at the airport. We made it to the mall with just enough time to see Santa and get to the airport(so I thought). Thankfully I had asked aunt Sarah to help out, and she met us at the mall. The boys hadn’t had naps, so I knew I may have my hands full alone. As soon as we got in line, Santa went to lunch. By the time Santa returned, I realized that we were going to have to leave to make it to the airport in time. We gave Eli the choice of waiting with Aunt Esa(Sarah) or leaving the mall and returning the next day to see Santa. Of course, he wanted to stay. Silas and I went to the airport and Eli and Sarah stayed in line.

Eli got a little crazy in line with Sarah. Apparently, he was confident he was on the ‘good’ list already.

Finally, the moment they waited for. Eli told Santa he wanted Spiderman gloves and boots to go with his Spiderman costume. At least this year he didn’t leave disappointed that he didn’t get all his gifts from Santa in person. What understanding a year can bring. :0)

holidazzle via the polar express

2009-12-12T13:50:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago, we headed to downtown on the newly opened Northstar light rail. We’re lucky enough to have the light rail come right to us in Big Lake. It took us to Target Field, then we hopped another light rail train to Nicollet Mall. The boys were so excited when the train took off. We pretended we were on “The Polar Express.”

The train horns were a highlight – not as loud as a regular train, but still train-like.

We pulled out the snacks in an effort to keep Silas sitting.

Food always makes trips more fun :0)

Our train with conductor outside. During our ride, the conductor was walking around the train checking on passengers. Eli said, “Mr. Conductor, who’s driving the train?” The conductor explained that the train drives itself! Well, sort of. Apparently the Engineer was controlling it.

Dad and his buddy in the skyway.

We found some people we knew in a downtown hotel.

Mike’s family and siblings stayed downtown for the night, so we met them at their hotel and they joined us for the parade and Macy’s display.

Waiting to see the 8th floor Macy’s display.

Waiting with Paige – they held hands the whole wait.

The guys(and momma) were tired after the 40 minute wait to get in, but we made it through the display…it was neat(a repeat from my childhood, I believe). The highlight for Eli was reindeer trying to push their way out of barn doors.

Elves makin’ cookies.

Dad and Eli ready for some Holidazzle fun. We bundled up, but it really wasn’t too cold.

Si hanging on my back – kept us both a little warmer.

Little Red Riding Hood was a highlight – the wolf came right up to us. Of course Eli’s favorite was “The Wizard of Oz.”

A tired crew on the way home. After all the walking, playing and no napping, we were beat. What a fun, Christmastime day with our boys and family.

season of giving

2009-11-13T20:56:00.001-06:00

Tonight, Eli had his shirt pulled up around his neck and was checking out his chest. He pointed to his nipple and said to Silas, “Buddy, you want me to feed you?”

We’ve been reading “The Night Before Christmas” book for a couple weeks. Eli and I were in Home Depot the other night and there was a Christmas set up with a tree and electric fireplace with stockings hanging on it. Eli noticed it and said, “Mommy, there’s the chimney with cares!”

eli(aka bruce wayne) turns three

2009-11-04T22:08:00.001-06:00

I’m going to borrow an idea from a friend, and share Eli’s birth story.

Eli was 8 days overdue, when my midwife decided to induce me. It was a Friday morning when we went in to get things started. Mike and I were so excited….I remember the night before thinking how this would be the last night of our life alone….also our last night of sleeping through the night for a while! That morning it was warm – I remember what clothes I wore as we walked into the hospital – a purple tank top, jeans and sandals. It was dark as we walked into the hospital. Around 8:30 a.m. I got the induction pill and nothing much happened for most of the morning. I remember that the Early Show was on with Justin Timberlake(It had been declared ‘Justin Timberlake Day’). We spent our time talking, watching T.V. and trying to pass the time until our little boy would arrive. Mike and I walked the hospital halls most of the day, trying to get labor going. Around 1 p.m. my midwife broke my water, and still we walked and walked, with nothing happening. Around 4 p.m. Sarah, Oscar, Alex, Grandma Pat and Grandpa Dobie came. I was still feeling good, and sent them off for some supper around 5, as I was getting a little crampy, and Grandma Pat was getting nervous. Sarah and Mike stayed with me, and around 5:30 p.m. (abruptly) the labor pain started….from that time until 9:30 p.m., I went from the tub to the bed, trying to get some relief. Around 9:30 p.m. it was time to push, and after about an hour of pushing(which seemed like an eternity), Eli came into the world. He seemed so small, and was just perfect. My first response was “He’s a peanut.” It was so great to have my sister, husband, and great nurses/midwife to help me through labor. I really wanted to try to do it without drugs, and without them I wouldn’t have been able to do it. Eliott Dale Dingman was 7 lbs. 13 oz., 21 inches. He had dark hair, daddy’s fingers, and mommy’s nose. It wasn’t ‘til the next day that he had the name Eliott. We picked Dale as his middle name, after my dad, but hadn’t decided on the first name yet. Before we went to bed that night, Mike told me I could choose between a couple names we had picked(after he watched me go through labor). I stared at our new baby the night he was born(when up feeding him), and decided he looked like Eliott.

back to 2009…

Eli’s birthday fell during the week, so we had a little party at home one night on the actual day then had family over on the weekend. Here he is with his 3 cupcakes on the night of his birthday.

He was so excited to get a batman costume. He LOVES costumes, and had been admiring this one in the stores. He said, “This is what I wanted!” as he opened it.

He was so excited, he had to put it on right away.

Silas enjoyed some frosting in the meantime…

Here’s the day of his party….lots of kids and lots of costumes….it was fun. Here he is opening up a Spiderman costume. (It has had LOTS of use, and has a few holes in it since getting it 2 months ago.)

Cousin Paige as a vampire.

Si taking a break.

Fireboy.

He looks kind of scared of himself.

Independent alligator.

Roboguy.

Trying the skates on for size.

Silly clown girl.

Eli with his Batman cake and cousin Paige. What a fun day with lots of family to celebrate. What a joy you’ve been in our lives these last 3 years Eli….we love you!

family pics

2009-10-13T21:49:00.001-05:00

My cousin, Jennie, took some family pics of us. She did a nice job, and even got Oliver in a few. Of course I was planning fall pics, but the day was actually pretty warm(1 month ago). We got a little warm in our sweaters, and I think the boys were a little happier in the overalls.

Eli is my serious boy.

Ollie looks so huge compared to Silas. It’s all hair.

My smiley guys.

Such sweet friends.

Mom and Dad’s pride and joy.

Momma’s boy.

Daddy’s boy - lookin’ for an albino squirrel.

Tickling always gets laughs.

The Dingman gang.

“Cheese!”

Si loves the boots.

Looks like trouble…

Boys in blue.

Family of four.

apple jack

2009-10-12T21:58:00.001-05:00

These pics are a month old already! I was having some trouble with Windows Live Writer, so I got frustrated and stopped blogging for a bit. 9.13.09 we headed out to the Pumpkin Patch. It was a HOT day…kind of weird to be at a pumpkin patch in summer-like weather. We actually picked raspberries and apples. Before we headed out we had lunch. Well, some of us did…Silas was going…

going…

gone!

Silas got his turn at the wheel before being pushed out by some older drivers.

I gave Eli the choice between a tattoo and a pony ride. He chose the pony ride, but decided Si needed a bat tattoo.

Eli picked “Chip” to ride.

First time on a pony…he smiled, but thankfully didn’t ask for one as a pet(yet).

While Eli was riding, Silas met a few goats…

and chickens.

Nothing like real apple cider – and a ride when you’re tired.

Silas had lots of fun picking apples, taking a bite, and throwing them. I was hoping no one would notice. Now I know why parents sometimes seem oblivious.

Silas threw a tantrum, and threw out our apple picking maps…and anything else he could find.

Eli had a ride in Jane the cow.

The boys and Sarah spent some time checking out the pumpkin patch.

the great mn eat-together

2009-09-17T21:56:00.001-05:00

We made it to the fair…wow..what a hot day. I think we actually ate less than normal…maybe because we were constantly buying lemonade. It was a great day and we actually spent a lot of the day there. I never plan out my day when we go someplace where the kids will have to spend a lot of the time in the stroller. They did great, though, and Silas took a long afternoon nap which helped. Mom, Dobie, Sarah, and Oscar joined us too, which makes it all the better. I love the fair, and have such great memories of it as a kid staying there with 4-H.

Eli and Sarah found some rocks to climb on.

Silas found some bluegrass music that he liked…well I think he actually liked admiring the people in the front row more.

Esa braved the big slide with Eli…he wanted to do it AGAIN!

Another trip on the dinos – he did this one last year.

2009

2008

A partial family pic at the DNR building. The squirrel looks kind of scared of that chainsaw.

I had to add one of Silas from last year…what a little sweetie he is :0)

stylin’ si

2009-09-15T21:28:00.001-05:00

Silas has needed a haircut for a while. I’ve been putting it off, as once it’s cut they look so big. Also, I really didn’t know how he would sit - he’s such a mover.

Before…

This isn’t so bad.

I’m not so sure about this mohawk.

Mmm…maybe I do like haircuts.

Finished job…

Our baby isn’t much of a baby anymore.

the boys of summer

2009-09-08T21:47:00.001-05:00

We have been washing lots of dish towels lately, as Batman and Robin need their capes. Eli likes to pretend he’s Batman, and of course Silas is Robin, like it or not. I was scolding Silas the other day as he was on the kitchen table….”Silas Michael!,” I harped. Eli corrected me, “No, Mommy, it’s not Silas Michael it’s Robin Michael!”

Silas tried out his first Harley. I’m hoping the excitement wears off before he can drive.

Silas has become a true toddler, tantrums and all. He puts up a fuss and lays down, but thankfully he’s not too persistent.

Then, only a minute later, he’s all smiles.

Watching them explore together is the best.

popsicles, pirates, and parks

2009-08-23T21:55:00.001-05:00

The boys have enjoyed lots of popsicles this summer….even though the weather hasn’t been all that hot. Silas is used to his big brother feeding him popsicles, so this night he decided to be the feeder. He is starting to imitate us a lot. This includes a fascination his brother had at this age –vacuums. Unfortunately, Eli’s fascination with them has worn off.

My popsicle-licking smiley guy.

Eli LOVES to dress up. Grandma Pat brings a costume or two when she sees us. She found this little devil costume that fits Silas perfectly. He kind of liked it.

A pretty innocent-looking pirate. The beard didn’t want to stick :0).

Cowboy Si.

A fun night at the park….the boys love to swing.

I love this one….Eli wants to swing on the big swings.

All my guys swingin’.

Silas wants to stand on everything.

He liked this horse….and was admiring a couple sitting on a bench.

Mike climbing a big rock wall.

Eli too…careful!

Well.…guess it wasn’t too big.

why, why, why?

2009-07-30T20:48:00.001-05:00

Eli is in the ‘why’ stage. It’s a challenge at times, to keep patient with him. A lot of his ‘why’s’ involve animals, and I’ve found myself answering ‘Cause God made them that way,’ when I’m at my wits end giving answers. Here are a few funnies he came up with today.

We have been potty training lots this week, and he is rarely having an accident….I’m so pumped to soon have only 1 in diapers. Hence this comment tonight…

‘Do testicles help you pee, Mama?’

We were walking through Home Depot tonight and he noticed a balding guy in the store and said, “Mommy, that guy is losing his hairs just like daddy is too!”

sand, swings, and water

2009-07-13T22:05:00.001-05:00

The sandbox keeps the boys busy…lately they’ve been making pies, drinks, and happy meals. Silas seems to think his brother is pretty funny. Of course, the 2-year-old in Eli loves to have an admirer.

Silas doesn’t seem to get tired of Eli’s cooking…

Eli likes his ‘big boy swing.’

Silas loves to swing, and often gets pretty sleepy in his swing.

The hose is one of the kids’ favorite toy…they’d ‘water’ for hours if I’d let them. They washed the car tonight…and filled the tank. Guess water is cheaper than gas.

My littlest guy is starting to look like a little boy.

4th fun

2009-07-08T22:01:00.001-05:00

We had a fun 4th of July at a cabin in Cold Spring. I sadly forgot to charge my camera battery, so the only pics I got were with my phone. It has about a 5 second delay, so the pics are not good…and none of Silas. He’s not into posing for more than a millisecond these days. This is the cute little cabin we hung out at. We actually stayed in a camper, but ate meals and relaxed on the cabin porch overlooking Lake Bolfing.

Eli absolutely LOVED the water and beach. Between him and Ollie, I’m not sure who loved it more. Ollie cried if he was tied up away from the lake.

Eli having fun playing in the sand and water.

He cooked up some mud/sand pies.

This is Eli and his cousin Leah out in the kayak. It was such a beautiful evening.

One more of them paddling off. The sunset and lake was so beautiful. Silas had a difficult night in the camper on the 4th….between the firework noises and sleeping in a camper, it didn’t go so well. We got a taste of a ‘family bed’ that night. Eli was already sleeping with us, and Silas ended up with us too. We were all so tired, we actually slept well lined up like little sardines.

radio bull

2009-07-02T23:27:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we went to Watertown, and then to the Crystal Springs Rodeo in Clear Lake, SD on Saturday night. We had a picnic supper at the rodeo grounds. Eli was so excited to see the radio bulls i.e. rodeo bulls. He went down where the bulls are kept and stared at them. He loudly announced, “Testicles!” when he saw the bulls. He recently got a bull toy, that has full bull anatomy, so we had this conversation about bulls and steers prior to the rodeo.

We froze at the rodeo…who’d think at the end of June we’d need mittens and jackets?

Mike got a chance to sit next to a very loud, drunk college girl(you can’t see her in this pic). I think it kind of reminded him of his college days.

Our view from our perch on the hill.

Silas was surprisingly content sitting in the stroller. The hills were steep and with all the people, he spent most of the night in the stroller. He even took a little spill when Eli kicked the stroller….he’s such a trooper…Grandma grabbed the stroller and Silas came up still strapped in with a huge grin on his face. Eli got his first cotton candy, and they both enjoyed popcorn.

Thanks for a fun night, Grandma and Grandpa!

bits of summer

2009-06-19T22:13:00.001-05:00

I’m behind on blogging, so I’m going to get a few random pictures posted to hopefully catch up. It’s my goal to try to do something fun for the kids often and on weekends, since the weeks are full with work and daycare. We’ve been busy and enjoying the warm weather. The boys love to be outside, and with that comes popsicles…

A weekend at the lake in SD….Eli was very excited about fishing from Grandma and Grandpa’s new pontoon.

Silas enjoyed the view from his seat. The life jacket was slightly confining, so he became quite angry shortly after this picture was taken. As you can see, there wasn’t much wiggle room for his head :0)

Eli enjoying the captain’s seat with Grandpa Dobie.

Eli took a turn at the wheel…he’s his momma’s son…loves those steering wheels.

And he’s his aunt Sarah’s nephew….we had lots of dramatic interpretation throughout the weekend. Here he is as the wicked witch. Grandma Pat provided the costumes.

And here he is reenacting the ‘melting’ scene from ‘The Wizard of Oz.’

Grandpa Dobie even found the Tin Man to hang out with the Cowardly Lion.

While Eli was acting, Silas was looking for other forms of entertainment.

I’ve learned to pick my battles, and if there isn’t too much danger involved I try to let it slide….yes…it was empty :0)

My little lion.

Grandpa and Eli trying their luck at fishing.

I’m ready for sun!

a lion at the zoo

2009-06-11T21:52:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago, we spent the weekend at Grandma Pat and Grandpa Dobie’s house. It was a chilly, windy weekend, so we spent Saturday at the Watertown zoo. Grandma Pat gave Eli this lion costume, and he decided he wanted to be a lion the rest of the weekend. There was no convincing him to take it off, so we headed to the zoo with Eli in full lion attire. First, we checked out the indoor exhibit. Eli especially enjoyed the stuffed giraffe and parrot.

Eli tried to scare the ducks, but they huddled together and kept their distance

We did a lot of walking – Silas watched the animals from his stroller. One of the zookeepers saw Eli and said, “One of our lions must have escaped!” Eli thought that was pretty neat.

Kind of a cool bird…can’t remmeber what it’s called.

Little lion-penguin and mommy-penguin.

Eli found lots of roaming birds to try to scare.

I don’t think this peacock was too scared.

Eli liked this little deer….he had a little talk with him.

The zebra didn’t seem to notice the lion lurking nearby.

The buffalo slept while the prairie dogs barked and dug.

A lion-tiger and grandma-monkey.

Silas and the donkey checking each other out.

Eli loves elephants…

Eli tried to convince us to leave him in this ‘cage.’ He was not happy that he had to get out of the cage to go home.

Eli and Grandma saying goodbye to the indoor animals(both stuffed and alive). It was nap time, so we told Eli that the parrot needed a nap too. He looked hard at it and asked, “But where is his bed?” Mom and Grandma explained that parrots don’t lay down to sleep.

All the walking and animals tired little Silas out.

silas is 1!

2009-06-02T23:09:00.001-05:00

Our baby turned 1 on May 26th. I can’t believe he’s 1….time sure flies…maybe faster with #2. The day he was born was so great. He came in a hurry, and changed our life just as fast. Our ramp ticket for the hospital says 2:10 a.m., and our little boy came into this world at 2:35 a.m. The nurses taking care of him said, “Wow, he’s sure mad at us for messing with him.” I knew then and there that we had a spirited boy on our hands. The first 6 months of Silas’ life were a bit of a challenge for Mike and I. Both getting used to another child, and learning how to calm our littlest boy. He loved to be swaddled and held. He has always been such a smiley guy. He’s definitely got some of Daddy’s humor and looks.

We had a little pool party/barbeque for Silas’ birthday. He opened a few of his gifts at the beginning of the party so the kids could play with them. He got his first hockey stick from anut Sarah and uncle Oscar. He loves long sticks of any kind, so this was right up his alley. It’s got a foam end, so hopefully this will limit the damage done?

He loved the attention he got at his party. It was as if he knew he was supposed to smile and be gracious for his gifts.

The ‘big’ kids enjoyed the little pool.

Silas wasn’t so fond of the water.

The kids sure had fun…and we got lucky with a beautiful sunny day.

Eli helped Silas open his gifts.

Silas got a good book on how to grow up. Slowly, I hope.

Silas preferred the sand to the water…..he even had a little sand appetizer.

Eli tried out his new watering can from grandma Kay and grandpa Wayne.

Silas tried out his party hat.

The bubble mower was a hit.

Elmo took a few hits before supper….guess it was a little too tempting with 2 year-olds sitting within reach of the cake :0).

Silas was pleasantly surprised at the taste of frosting.

Mmmmm…this stuff is good.

Fatigue set in, but he attempted to clear his tray.

What a fun day it was. It was so great to have our family gather to celebrate Silas.

Daddy took Silas for his 1 year check. Eli wasn’t a fan of the nurse giving Si shots. He told her, “Don’t hurt my brother!” Then proceeded to hide under the exam table. Our little Silas is on the small side (only 20#, but 95% for height). He’s a great eater, but a mover too. He’ll be taller than me before we know it.

my auntie esa and salad hostas

2009-06-02T22:34:00.001-05:00

Eli was swinging on our swing set the other night, and talking to Jordan, our next-door neighbor girl who is 2 1/2 too. He said, “Jordan, my auntie is called Esa.” Eli has always called my sister Sarah, Esa. It started when he couldn’t say Sarah, and it kind of stuck. Anyway, Jordan kind of ignored Eli, so he repeated….”Jordan, my auntie is called Esa.” Finally after a few times of repeating that, Jordan said, “Oh.” Eli replied, “and she loves me very much!” It was so sweet.

Eli and I planted a vegetable garden this spring. I also have a perennial flower garden. Eli loves to help water, and Silas loves to explore in the mud. Our vegetable garden is coming up, so I was showing Eli what everything was….carrots, radishes, peas, etc. A while later we were up by the perennial flower garden and Eli stopped and looked down at a tall hosta leaf and said, “Mommy, what’s this one….salad?”

weekend review

2009-05-17T22:03:00.001-05:00

Friday night we went to Applebees for supper. I love the thought of someone cooking for us, but going out is sometimes interesting with 2 under 2. It started out pretty smooth. Here’s Silas with his latest battle scar. He reached up and grabbed the iron cord(thankfully it wasn’t on) and down it came. He is such a fast little guy. He’s had more bumps and bruises in his short life than Eli has yet.

Eli waiting patiently for his food. He ordered a corn dog, though I’m not sure he knew what it was. He peeled all the “corn” off, and ate the hot dog on a stick.

Silas was getting sleepy waiting for the waitress to figure our out bill. He ate shrimp for supper….he’s turning into such a great eater. He eats more than his big brother.

We let the boys out of their seats thinking we were minutes from settling our bill. Fifteen minutes later, we were chasing the kids around the restaurant waiting for our bill to get figured out. We finally got out of there, and had a nice rest of the weekend.

Saturday we helped a relative move, and Sunday we spent a lot of the day outside in the great weather. We got some planting done, and lots of swinging on the new play set. Our gross funny for the weekend happened when Eli went poop on the potty Saturday…when he was finished he looked down at it and said, “Mommy, I made a Luke and a Logan”(our next door neighbor boys).

hiccups

2009-05-11T21:10:00.001-05:00

Silas has had a number of ear infections this winter/spring, so we have been using lots of Tylenol. Tonight the medicine dropper was sitting on the kitchen table and Eli grabbed it and licked it and then smiled big at me….I said, “Eli, please don’t, that’s medicine and we only get medicine if we’re sick.” He said, “Mommy, I’m sick! I have a cold.” I said, “Well, I don’t see your nose running.” He replied, “But I have the hiccups, Mommy, I do!”

elbows and milks

2009-05-08T21:08:00.001-05:00

Tonight I was lying on the couch and Eli pointed to my chest and said, “Mommy, can I pat your elbows?” I didn’t reply(I wasn’t sure what to say), he questioned again, “Your milks?”

I know he may not enjoy hearing this when he’s 16, but it was just too cute not to remember…

ex-stincked

2009-04-29T21:32:00.001-05:00

Last night Eli was talking about wanting to see dinosaurs. I told him that we couldn’t see dinosaurs, because they no longer lived…..they’re extinct. I explained that we can go see their bones in a museum. He thought for a bit and said, “No, Mommy they’re not extinct…..they’re clean!”

dancin’ fools

2009-04-26T21:52:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, we went to my cousin’s wedding in Duluth. It was a beautiful weekend for a drive. Mom, Dobie, Sarah, the boys and I made the trip. We checked into the hotel and decided to do a little swimming. Eli loved the pool and “hot water,” i.e. hot tub. He worked on his swimming skills and even jumped in by himself and dunked his head by himself. Silas got in with Mom, but wasn’t so fond of the splashes in the face from the 20 teenagers playing football in the pool. We had some laughs, as Sarah got hit by the football, and it skimmed my head at one point and drenched me. Silas spent most of his time on Grandma’s lap wrapped in a towel. He was content just watching the action in the pool. After swimming we got showered and ready for the reception. The boys love to be naked…at least we got some diapers on them before this shot.

We decided to stop at Canal Park before going to the reception. It was a beautiful day, but chilly. We walked down to the canal and Eli had a ball running after the birds. I was a little paranoid around all those squawking birds, but Eli ran around and tried to catch one for quite a while. He was so tired by the time we left….and of course those white pants weren’t so white. He sure had a blast.

Here’s Silas eating some supper. It was a great meal….fried chicken, Chinese food, and lots of salads. Silas is really loving real food lately, though he still loves his milk too.

Eli told us that he was going to dance with the “grils” at the wedding. We weren’t sure where he got that, but once we got there he quickly found a group of girls that he followed around. They made laps around the reception hall, and pretty soon he was holding one of the girls’ hand walking laps. As you can see, the girls were a bit mature for him, but they sure all had fun. I was relieved to find out that the girl he was holding hands with is my cousin’s daughter(Mike says that’s not necessarily a good thing). Well, all in all, I decided I’m not ready to have my baby interested in “grils” yet…..after all, the diaper changes may put a damper on things.

Silas got a kick out of the camera flash. He kept squinting and laughing when we took pictures of him. Grandma helped a lot with the boys….changing diapers in bars without changing stations gets tricky alone.

Eli danced himself silly. He normally isn’t much of a dancer, so it was fun for me to see him really let loose.

Silas, on the other hand, just started dancing a lot at home and loves music. He loves his dancing Elmo doll and he dances by squatting up and down. He was mesmerized by the band at the reception, and wasn’t happy unless he was on the dance floor. This picture was at the end of the night…..he was so tired, but just wouldn’t give up.

The microwave in the hotel was right at Silas’ level….he found lots of fun at the hotel including putting the TV remote in the toilet.

here comes peter cottontail

2009-04-17T21:56:00.001-05:00

We’ve been singing a lot of the Peter cottontail song lately. Eli wasn’t sure what Easter meant, but one thing he knows is that he loves candy. Dad and Eli got busy dying eggs the night before Easter.

Eli wanted to do all the dipping…..he sure had fun.

In some of our dinosaur books it talks about dinosaurs eating other dinosaurs’ eggs….I think this is where this came from.

The Easter bunny hid lots of eggs around the house. Eli found them all(with a little help) and was so excited.

Eli and Silas opening their loot from the Easter bunny. Eli got some stuffed Peeps, and he quickly decided that the Easter bunny meant them for Silas.

Eli hunting for eggs at Bolfing’s house.

Eli and his cousin, Max, opening and attempting to eat all the candy they could before being stopped by their parents. What a beautiful day it was!

sharks at the moa

2009-04-12T21:49:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we took a little Saturday trip to the Underwater World at the Mall of America. We had never been there, so it was on the ‘to do’ list. Eli loves animals, so he was pretty excited to see some sharks and Nemo, of course.

Dad and Eli about to enter the stuffed animal area…(if you’ve been there you know what I’m talking about)

A huge turtle.

Checking out the fish.

Eli checking out a shark….he loved the sharks.

Mom and Silas at the end of the walk.

Eli ordered some shrimp for lunch at Kokomo’s. To our surprise, he ate it up.

Si helped Eli eat his kiddie meal dessert cookies.

Dad and Eli ended the day by having some fun on the beach.

hanging out in the kitchen

2009-04-07T22:50:00.001-05:00

Our kitchen is where we spend a lot of our time….well I can’t really say that’s because I’m cooking, but we do like to look in the refrigerator and cabinets. Silas doesn’t like to be far from mom and dad, so if we’re busy he lays on the kitchen rug and eats his bottle. Eli decided he wanted to drink his sippy cup lying next to Si. He loves his little brother so much…

Eli teaching Silas to do ‘So big!’

“I know I’m not supposed to be up here.”

“But, Mom, it’s so exciting. I can’t stop clapping!”

“……I think they put the soap here….”

“Maybe I’ll just unload it. Silverware is my favorite!”

eat meater

2009-04-02T21:19:00.001-05:00

Tonight on the way home from daycare/work, we were eating supper in the car(yes…I admit, I am a little lazy after work and it’s supper time). Eli told me he was done with his hamburger. He had only taken one bite, so I said, “I think you need to eat a little more of your meat.” He said, “Mommy, I’m a eat meater!” We’ve been reading books about dinosaurs lately. Made me laugh.

pee in the pump

2009-03-29T12:31:00.001-05:00

Today I was cleaning up lunch, and I walked into the living room to find Eli sitting in the recliner without a diaper on and holding my breast pump over his penis. I asked him what he was doing, and he said, “I’m going to pee in there.” Glad I caught him before that happened :0).

nap funny

2009-03-26T19:57:00.001-05:00

I’ve been keeping a little' ‘funnies’ journal of cute things Eli says….but now that I’m caught up here, I’m going to just try to add them to my blog.

Tonight in the car on the way home from daycare, Silas was sleeping in his carseat. Eli said to me, “Daddy’s REALLY lucky, Mommy!” I said, “Why?” Eli replied, “’cause Si sleeps A LOT!” Guess Eli realizes that moms and dad appreciate naptime too.

pool time

2009-03-22T22:13:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, Mike, Sarah, the boys and I headed out for a Sunday at the Maple Grove community center pool. Silas had never been swimming, and it had been since summer that Eli had been in a pool. The pool was busy, but we had a good time. I was paranoid about one of the boys having an accident in the pool and the need for evacuation of a pool packed with parents and kids. I’m not certain why swim diapers are required, as they aren’t too reliable…..anyway…thankfully we didn’t have to worry about that.

Eli had a great time splashing around in the bath-water warm pool.

The water spouts were fun…

Silas looking a little cold….he really liked crawling around in the shallow end.

Auntie Sarah joined us….Eli loves her so much.

I think Eli was hoping for a shower like this at home.

i like to work it

2009-03-13T22:33:00.001-05:00

Lately the boys have been having fun working out with Dad. They love the big exercise balls….especially hanging on and taking a little ride on the ball.

Hold on, Silas!

Silas loves playing with this red ball….he’s so proud when he stands and lifts it into the air. He’s got good balance and is a strong little guy. He’s looking ready to sweat here.

Here is Eli and Dad working out. Eli likes “working out,” i.e. playing in the basement. I think he’s going to be a good workout partner for Dad.

One last picture of Silas’ first shiner. He stood up in the bathtub and slipped. It was a traumatic event for a few minutes, but he got over it quickly.

practice makes perfect

2009-02-27T09:03:00.001-06:00

One early February day, I thought it would be fun to try ice skating. I got Eli some skates last summer, so we dusted them off and headed to the Maple Grove Community Center. Grandma Pat and Grandpa Dobie came along. Eli was all smiles prior to the event. He knows what hockey is, so I think he was imagining himself playing a game while we were there.

He wasn’t real sure, but did get the hang of walking in his skates pretty quickly.

Saying ‘hi’ to his brother on a little skating break. He is such a great big brother. Another kid was talking to him here, and he wants to make sure everyone knows Si is his brother.

Eli did well on the ice, but he was quite discouraged. Grandpa Dobie and I held his hands, and he stayed up well. He watched as the big kids whizzed by, and of course wanted to do the same. Afterwards he said, “I just can’t do it.” I told him, that he can do it, but it takes lots of practice. I’m not sure he’ll be up for practicing more this year, but we’ll try again next year. He did muster a smile at the end.

Silas’ new hobby is playing piano. He can just reach the keys, and LOVES to pound away on it. Lucky for us, he usually heads for the upper octaves. Maybe we’ll try lessons next year :0).

Concentrating hard.

So proud.

Si’s other latest trick is drinking out of the sippy cup. I hadn’t really given him one yet, and one morning I walked into the living room to find this. Guess we can skip the starter sippys and just use Eli’s. As you can see….Eli shares well most of the time.

Eli got some practice painting recently. He picked out a birdhouse to paint from Michael’s. He worked hard on it, and even did some interior painting on it. I think the birds will like it in the spring.

The finished product.

let’s pretend

2009-02-24T14:03:00.001-06:00

Lately Eli is into pretending to be different animals or characters. He’ll say out of the blue, “Eli be a lion,” etc. He will growl and crawl around pretending to be a lion, or beg to have Mike or I hold his hand and skip around the house singing, “We’re off to see the Wizard…” He recently pretended to be a lion at a holiday gathering where he loudly growled in the face of a 14 month old. That didn’t go over so well. On this day, he decided he wanted to be a ‘dino.’

Silas pretending to be a MN fisherman.

A month or so ago, Eli dressed up as a pirate and then came running into the living room saying, “I’m scared!” I said, “of what?” He said, “that guy,” and took off running to the hallway wall to show me his shadow. Of course my camera flash ruined the shadow, but this was him staring at his shadow. He wasn’t sure what to think.

My cute little pirate.

Eli pretending to be doing a little “work” wearing my work badge.

This is a silly picture. I think Mike took it…..I’m not sure what was going on, but you can make up your own interpretation. He keeps us smiling.

leg warmers and glasses

2009-02-12T15:58:00.001-06:00

Some of my relatives accuse me of trying to make my boys into girls. Well….I may stretch things a bit, but I don’t put them in dresses. Silas is getting so good at pulling himself up. It’s a whole new world for him, and he loves it. Here he is in the play room. I love the proud smile he gives us when we acknowledge him once he’s standing. (The leg warmers make diaper changes so much easier when we’re just bumming at home).

A very excited Silas.

Eli decided he wanted glasses. We found an old pair of Dad’s and popped the lenses out. He wore them for 2 days straight until they broke. He looked like a real scientist with his animal shirt and glasses on. He’s such a joy.

The boys can finally play/fight together…here’s one where they’re getting along well…

fun in the tub

2009-02-03T15:07:00.001-06:00

One –20 degree January day(I’m almost caught up), we got a plastic tub out and filled it with water for water play. The kitchen got a little wet, but we had fun. Eli had fun finding toys to throw in.

Eli checking to see if his animals sink or float.

Silas did a pretty good job reaching the toys.

Eli loading up the squirt toy…

to give Si a little drink.

winter days

2009-02-01T21:39:00.001-06:00

These winter days get long. The boys go to daycare 1-3 days/week(depending on the week), so the other days Mike or I are home with them. We both enjoy being able to stay home some, but these winters are just too long and cold. The boys get tired of the same things, so I try to switch out their toys and find new activities.

Silas has been eating some real foods for a month or two now. It was slow going, but he’s on a roll now, and likes lots of foods. He has 2 teeth to chew with, and is getting really good at feeding himself puffs and other finger foods.

We’ve been playing with Christmas toys, and one of the boys’ favorites is the slinky. It’s all bent up and doesn’t walk down our stairs well, but the boys enjoy stretching it out and pulling it around the house. Of course, Silas uses it as a teething ring.

Eli is still on his“The Wizard of Oz” kick. Here he is showing me his “Ozma of Oz” book that aunt Sarah gave him. He spent lots of time paging through it, though it doesn’t have many pictures. He especially likes the wicked witch and knows many of her famous lines.

Reading to Si.

Daddy and Silas have spent some time watching football together. Silas likes the T.V. a little more than I’d like. Hopefully it’s just the football he likes.

I caught Silas red-handed playing in Ollie’s water bowl. Somehow the things that are off limits don’t get old like toys do.

Eli got some new safari stamps. He loves animals about as much as “The Wizard of Oz.” These kept him busy for quite a while one day. When he got tired of stamping, he decided the stamping ink pad made a nice stamper :0).

Trying out Mom’s boots.

This is Eli’s medal. He was looking for ‘courage’ one day, so Mom made a medal for him. He proudly wore it for a few days(even to daycare).

Silas and Ollie are becoming good friends. We’re lucky to have such a gentle giant dog. Silas loves to pull Ollie’s hair, but now that Silas is crawling, he doesn’t spend too much time in one spot.

Silas on his way to daycare. He is a much more content baby now that he can get where he wants and play with toys. He’s such a smiley guy.

we’re goin’ to the zoo

2009-01-22T15:44:00.002-06:00

Two days after Christmas, Sarah, Oscar, the boys and I decided to make a trip to the MN Zoo. I think I was around 7 the last time I was there. I really didn’t remember much of it. It was a cold day, so we saw mostly the indoor exhibits/animals.

The snow monkeys were a highlight. Eli especially liked the baby monkeys riding on their mommies’/daddies’ backs.

Eli taking a snack break on a turtle’s back.

More monkeys…

Some pink flamingos.

Eli found a friend who liked his tattoo.

Eli played in water…

and with his aunt and uncle…

We found a neat place to take a rest.

Eli got inside a shark's mouth.

This is where the trip got a little interesting…the look on Eli’s face may tell you something isn’t right…

We decided to ride the monorail for a chance to see the outdoor animals without having to brave the cold day. We bought our tickets and had about 30 seconds to decide which car to ride and board. We all jumped into the least crowded car, and I immediately smelled a dirty diaper. Unfortunately(for them), a few more people quickly joined us in our car just as the doors were closing. I determined that not just Eli, but Silas also had smelly pants. Thankfully, his wasn’t too bad, and he was in the sling so it was kind of contained. Eli, on the other hand, proceeded to jump around the car….sitting, standing, running, and flopping around the car. I was embarrassed, but at this point there wasn’t much to be done but wait until we were back and could get off. We did see some cool animals on the ride, but they were quite a ways off in the distance.

The bison weren’t moving much.

The camels didn’t look cold.

It was a fun day, and of course Eli didn’t want to leave. Silas spent the day people watching and napping. Eli has been talking about the zoo since, so I guess we’ll have to make another trip with Dad in the summer. Thanks for coming with us, Sarah and Oscar…..I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.

christmas fun

2009-01-19T22:28:00.002-06:00

I'm going to back up to Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at Sarah and Oscar's in Robbinsdale. Mom and Dobie were there too. Sarah and I decided it looked like a great day to get out and enjoy the MN-winter day. Eli(and I) loaded up on some sugary goodies before getting all bundled up for sledding. Here he is ready for some fast hills.

Silas stayed inside with Grandma Pat.

We walked across the park to a small hill. Eli didn't get too excited about the sledding....Sarah and I had fun, though. It has been a few years since I've been sledding, and I forgot how much fun it is. Eli played on the playground equipment for a bit, and we headed back inside.

After all that sledding, Eli needed a nap. He LOVES 'The Wizard of Oz' after seeing it on T.V. recently. He found Sarah's 'Wizard' magnet, and studied it until he fell asleep. Looks like a cozy winter's nap.

Silas did a little unwrapping(and falling, by the looks of his head) while Eli slept.

We walked to church across the street from Sarah and Oscar’s on Christmas Eve. It was a cold night, and so nice not to have to drive somewhere. The children put on a Christmas program which was really cute.

Eli ran up the center isle for the children’s lesson. He stood right next to the pastor and patiently looked up at him. After a few minutes the pastor showed Eli where to take a seat. The children’s lesson was about the barn, animals, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. At the end of the lesson, Eli didn’t want to come back to his seat. He was very upset that the real animals didn’t show up. All that talk about the barn and animals, and then it’s over? There were some tears and aunt Sarah had to take him out for a breather, but he cheered up quickly and joined us back in our pew.

We returned home and ate a great supper. After supper was time for a few gifts. Eli opened his first gift of the night, and would have been happy with just that. He loved his animal set, and played happily with it until we persuaded him to open more.

Sarah and her cat, Tigger sporting her new Christmas present.

Christmas morning we opened gifts from Santa. Eli got a game, a Wizard of Oz calendar, candy, and a new toy trumpet. He knows how to buzz his lips to play a real trumpet, so this was kind of hard because this trumpet doesn’t work when you buzz your lips….he got it to work after a little practice.

Silas enjoyed a little Christmas tree tasting.

Christmas Day we spent in Avon with Mike’s family. It was a great day with wonderful food(as always) and more family time and gifts. I left my camera in the car, so no pictures of Christmas Day. I love my new camera, but it’s larger than I’m used to which means it doesn’t fit in my diaper bag. It was a great Christmas spent with both our families. We missed Uncle Alex, but hopefully next year he’ll be home. It was such a joy to watch the boys get excited about Christmas. Eli knows Christmas is baby Jesus’ birthday, and will tell you that Jesus’ mommy is Mary and daddy is Joseph. Christmas night when I put Eli to bed he said, “Santa come and bring candy and toys?” I told him that we have to wait another year for Christmas again. A pretty tough concept when you’re 2.

welcome

2009-01-06T14:58:00.002-06:00

One of my New Year's resolutions was to start a blog. I'm doing this not only to help me remember, but also as a journal for our children. I don't journal otherwise, and find myself trying to remember the funny things Eli says and cute things the boys do. Now that Silas is crawling, I want to capture the boys' interactions and memories as they grow. I enjoy reading other blogs, and with that came the inspiration to start this one. Feel free to check up on us, and I'm going to try to keep up with this the best I can.