So much fun at Rieman Gardens

Yesterday we took a ride to Ames to visit family and went to the butterfly exhibit at Rieman Gardens. The butterfly house was indoors of course, but we were also able to explore the outdoor ponds and gardens.

They gave Kevin a magnifying glass to examine the butterflies and bugs, he loved that!



Wow, it is hard to get 3 kids to pose for one picture...


The Ants were invading the picnic...!


Great Grandma had a wild ride:


James is adorable wearing Kevin's Cub's jacket. I am thrilled to see another cute baby boy wear it.


Happy belated birthday to Lana, we were so glad to come for a visit. Kevin loves going to Lana's house! She has a fun basement, park in the backyard, cool fish pond, and he tells me that Lana is way nicer than me. She is!

Kevin, almost 4 years old!

I can't believe Kevin will turn 4 in a few weeks!

Today I said "Kev, you're almost 4, you're getting old". In return he smiled and said "I'm not old, I'm new"!

He is so excited for his super hero themed birthday party. Yes, he will wear the cape, mask and cuffs to his party!

Katie; 9 months, 19 days

We finally made it for her 9 month checkup today:

Katie weighs 19.8 pounds (56 percentile), 29.3 inches long (90 percentile).

Tall and thin... huh? She did not get that trait from her parents, but we both have some tall relatives.

Side by side

Can you really ever have too many pictures of your kids playing side by side in their jammies? (Yep, this would be weird when they get into junior high. I better enjoy this phase while it lasts).

She's 9 months old, already!

Miss Katie is getting big! At just over 9 months, here are her stats:

- 5 teeth
-done with baby food off the spoon, she loves to feed herself. (miracle: sometimes all 4 of us are able to eat the same meal, at the same time!) I am so lucky that my kids are great eaters.
-one morning nap, a longer afternoon nap
-"dada" is still her only word
-favorite game to play with Kevin & Daddy is when they chase her around the kitchen & playroom floor. She is surprisingly so much faster than she looks!
-she loves to clap, especially if you sing "If you're Happy & You Know It"
-pulls up to standing, but can't quite cruise yet.
-is a human dustbuster. It does not matter how minuscule the crumb on the floor, she will find it. She chews on everything, we've done another round of tiny toy removal from the playroom.


Just like Kevin at this age, my most favorite thing about Katie right now is that when she smiles she smiles with her entire face, even her whole body. When she does something she is proud of or when you open the door to her bedroom after a nap she will greet us with a HUGE smile.

Jailbird?

We are all getting tired of the snow gear, we are hoping for warmer days:

A childhood first...

This story makes me sad, but I know this is a childhood first (not all milestones, or "firsts" are happy occasions):

Yesterday we had 2 friends over for a playdate. One of the boys turned out to be a real brat and shoved Kevin off couch and called him a loser. The moms heard the thud and crying and ran to the playroom. Both boys were upset because they bumped their heads, Kevin got a bloody lip. Once Kevin stopped crying a little bit, he was able to tell me that "boy x" shoved him and called him a loser. Boy X confessed and his mother was embarrassed.

The part that still gets me is the look on Kevin's face and tears in his eyes as he said to me, "Mommy, I'm not a loser". Later that afternoon Kevin and I snuggled on the couch to watch cartoons during Katie's nap. Normally, I am busy doing chores or cooking dinner, but decided my time was much better spent snuggling with my sweet boy.

Needless to say, there won't be anymore playdates with boy X. I know that this was not the most awful thing that could have happened. I recognize that he will learn words much worse than "loser" on the bus to kindergarten. But for now, this hurt him and because of that it makes me sad. I know he will face much harsher words from mean kids at school someday. For now, I am so proud that Kevin is not the mean kid. We must be doing something right.

Snow Fort!

Not sure who had more fun, Kevin or Nate?

Last weekend we had decent weather and Kevin was able to enjoy the snow. Nate did a terrific job of wearing Kevin out by sledding, skiing, and building snow forts. This was Nate's way to enjoy the Super Bowl, Kevin was exhausted :) It was a win, win!

It's brutally cold now, -9 today, but the weekend is looking better and we hope to get back outside again soon. Our countdown to Florida has officially started... bring on the warmth, I want to wear flip-flops and feel the sand on my toes.