winter fun

Last winter, we took James out a few times in his little sled. Just trips around the house or down the street, but he was just delighted by the snow. This winter, he didn't seem to remember the snow but he was delighted nonetheless.

We dressed him up in new snowpants, boots, and a big winter jacket. It was a long process but worth the effort.
James' favorite part of the outing was rolling around in the snow. He didn't like the sled so much (too windy) but indulged Aaron on a few trips down the hill.


We also showed him how to make snow angels and how to write letters in the snow. Good thing he seems to like winter so much -- looks like it's here to stay!

Happy Birthday, James!

This past Saturday was James' 2nd birthday -- we have a two year old! At his two year check up last week, he weighed in at 25.5 lbs and 34 inches tall. That puts him right in the middle of the 20th-40th percentile, with his weight at the lower end and his height at the higher end. He just got one shot and had a blood draw. He did really well at his appointment and was rewarded with a trip to the zoo with Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma. He loves the zoo, especially the bears, monkeys, and giraffes.

We had a small family birthday for him. Special birthday muffins, pizza, and presents. James got a keyboard from Mommy and Daddy:

He enjoyed his new blocks from Grandma and Grandpa:

And a fun new book from Grandpa:

Not a bad birthday!

Our little two year old is learning so much each day. He is starting to speak in sentences and his vocal abilities have increased so much just these past couple of months. He knows his numbers through 12 and most letters. The letters "Z" and "O" are particular favorites. He's still such an active little boy, but every once in a while, a new toy or book will catch his attention long enough that he will sit down for 15 minutes to play or read.

He's such a fun and funny little boy. I don't think we will ever tire of his hugs, kisses, and snuggles.

summer days

We've had our fair share of lazy summer weekends, most of which start with Saturday morning pancakes. James loves "cakes" and he is a good little helper in the kitchen.

He even volunteers to perform quality control on the batter.

He has gotten much better at feeding himself and not throwing food on the floor. When he can't get something on his spoon, he will announce "help!" A fork has been a bit more tricky but fortunately, most of his favorite foods can be eaten with fingers or a spoon (yogurt, soup, smoothies).

James still loves being silly. He is little shy around people he doesn't see often, like Grandma and Grandpa visiting from Egypt, but it doesn't take him too long to warm up to them.

Reading continues to be another favorite activity. Doesn't his big pile of blankets and pillows look inviting?

James got this bear from Grandma. He loves to give "Teeeee Ceeeeee" (TC bear, the Twins mascot) hugs and kisses.

Aaron and I now have to spell out p-a-r-k because any mention of the word has James running for the front door. He now goes down the slide by himself. Other park favorites include the swings and moving handfuls of sand from one part of the playground to another.

We've had some tasty treats this summer as well. Aaron took a pizza-making class at a local cooking store and produced this delicious item. It's hard to say whom the class benefited more, him or me :)

And it's not summer without a fresh berry pie:

While we're looking forward to fall, we certainly had a fun summer!

Saturday outings

Ever since we got home from our northwoods vacation, we have been seeking out a bit of nature for family outings. One Saturday found us at Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield, and another found us at the Carleton Arboretum in Northfield. James, of course, had fun running around and finding sticks and rocks to play with.

Last weekend, we went to the state fair -- and forgot the camera. It would have come in handy to catch the look of delight on James' face as he went down the big slide with daddy or rode on his first kiddie ride. Despite being confined to his stroller more than he would have liked, the fair was a big hit and we returned home with a sticky, dirty, happy, tired little boy.

a week up north

Over a month ago now, we enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing family vacation up in northern Minnesota. It worked out to have most of Aaron's family (parents + 4 of his 5 siblings) join us for at least part of the week, so James was able to spend lots of time with grandparents and aunties and uncles.

We had a 3-bedroom cabin with a kitchen and living area; beach, game room, and screen house were just a few steps away. James enjoyed running around outside and playing in the water.

He loved throwing rocks off the dock, looking for fish, and yelling "QUACK!" at the ducks.

Our days were spent reading, visiting, swimming, playing board games, or enjoying beautiful sunsets.

Just the right vacation for this stage of our life.

a day at the beach

After a few days of being sick and cooped up in the house, we were all eager to get outside. Fortunately, the weather was just perfect for an afternoon at the beach. James headed straight for the water, where he spent the next hour splashing, shoveling, and moving sand around.

We just might need to make a return trip tomorrow :)

new pool

Another hot summer day, another afternoon of popsicles and pool time. We decided to upgrade him from his infant bathtub to a more appropriately sized pool. James wasn't too sure about this big pool but he eventually decided to take the plunge. The best part was dumping water on himself with a bucket -- over, and over, and over again.






This was a pretty good way to stay cool, keep him occupied for an hour, and wash off residual popsicle stickiness.

Happy Father's Day

In honor of Father's Day, a few pictures of James and his daddy. Or "Da!" as James calls him.

Daddy is fun because he knows how to make really big bubbles.

And Daddy is silly and loves to play.

Zoom! Faster, Daddy, faster!

And Daddy reads lots of stories, encourages donut-eating, and sings songs at bed time. He's a pretty great Dad!