Sunday, March 30, 2008

Northfield

On Saturday Morning, Mr. and myself looked at each other and realized that we had no plans for the day. Mr. quickly suggested that we hop in the van and drive to Northfield, a nearby college town about which we have heard good things. And so, after a lot of changing of clothes, escorted trips to the potty, and snack / bottle gathering, we made it out the door and loaded up the van. We were expecting an hour drive, but were surprised to find this cute little town to be only 40 minutes south. The kids enjoyed the drive, because there were farms with cows, horses, and barns to see. And, it didn't hurt that we brought all of their favorite CDs. The temperature has climbed into the 40s here in the great white north, but there was a bit of a wind chill that prevented extensive exploration. We did enjoy the historic downtown, the walk along the Cannon River, and our burgers at Rueb n Grundys. A good, spontaneous time.

Jack downtown
Ridiculous amounts of Sugar on a Stick purchased at the local candy shop.
A highlight for the kids -- a live sighting of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard from Make Way for Ducklings.

Friday, March 21, 2008

She's 5


Two years ago, I started this blog. I always remember that my first post was about the 3rd birthday of our little girl. She was then, and remains, such a fun and interesting little character. It is hard to imagine life without her, and these five years have been amazing as we have watched her grow and learn. I love her feisty spirit (most of the time), her vivid (to say the least) imagination, her love for her brothers, her random use of advanced vocabulary, and her loud, open-mouthed laugh. I have a feeling that she will always keep me on my toes, and that I will always be learning new things in life, because of her curiosity and burning desire to know everything about everything. She is a gift.

We enjoyed celebrating her birthday with my parents. We had a breakfast of bagels, at her request, and then went to the Mall of America amusement park for a couple of hours. After some down time in the afternoon, we dined on hot dogs and mac-n-cheese, followed by the requested white cake. She exclaimed with glee over each of her presents, and it is safe to say that she enjoyed every moment of her special day.




Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Quote for the Day

"Corrie, today is your Birthday Eve!"

"Hmmm. My Birthday Eve. Do you know what it will be before Jack's birthday?"

"Uh, Jack's Birthday Eve?"

"No. His Birthday Adam."

Of course.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

On a Roll


It may come as a shock to many of you to see a new post on this blog, but I have even better excuses than ever for my long absence. I will boil most of my whining, complaining, and excuse making down to one word: flu. Oh, how I hate it.

That being said, I will move on to other news of note from our household.

Our little baby butterball has learned to roll his massive self over, and is doing so constantly. Of course, this means that he is frequently crying in distress because of being stuck on his tummy with no hope of rectifying the situation without help. Unfortunately, Miss has decided that it is her big-sisterly duty to help the little fella, and her baby rolling technique needs a little refining. Ah well, soon enough, he will learn to roll himself the other direction and all will be right with the world. Except for the fact that he will be on his way to mobility and my life as I know it will be altered forever.

Master Jack has begun to steal my heart with his sweet "may I?" requests. "May I read this book?" "May I play downstairs with Sister?"

He has begun to stomp on my heart, however, with his insistence on rising *oh so* early, waking up his little brother who has only recently been moved into his room. He has discovered that he can stand on his box of legos or lincoln logs in order to reach the light switch, and therefore even darkness is no deterrent when the little man has decided that it is time to rise and play. And so, morning after morning, I lay in bed, hearing this all go down on the baby monitor, knowing that my sprint down the stairs and through the hall will not be accomplished in time to stop the inevitable waking of the baby once the lego box has been positioned beneath the light switch. Electricity is overrated.

Miss is counting down toward her big 5th birthday. She wants vanilla cake with white or pink frosting, and this is a great departure from her previous requests which always centered around chocolate. I think that she has decided that white cake is more feminine, and all things frilly and girly are of the utmost importance in her mind these days. She is constantly to be found wearing numerous beaded necklaces and plastic heels, while simultaneously attempting ballet moves and practicing her Cinderella impersonation.

Mr. and I are on the mend after our bouts with the flu. I am coming out of the fog with a desire to clean, organize, and schedule. We'll see if these feelings sustain themselves, and if we can stay healthy long enough to accomplish anything. I'm off to take some vitamins.