Random Cuteness

I've been very bad about keeping up on this blog, and even worse about actually taking pictures of my kids lately, but have managed o take a few over the last few weeks- and finally put them on the computer.... In case you don't already know- Mike got a job, and it's pretty much in his field, he's working part time at the University and in the department he just graduated from!! There is a chance it'll go fulltime, but for now us both working part-time works and his hours are "normal" work hours unlike when he was in school and worked late most nights- now we can have dinner together! Yippee... Anyway, here's some random somewhat recent pics of the boys.

Rowan drew a self-portrait the other day- his first time actually drawing a picture of a person (and it kind of looks like a person..). I was very excited about it! The 2nd one he drew he actually added some crazy afro looking hair to his head....forgot to get a pic of that one!

I'm thinking the self-portrait might have been based on this picture.. :)

Crazy Eli

Sweet Eli (or just got done crying Eli, or possibly pooping Eli... can't really remember)

Everybody loves a baby in a bowl- right?

"CHEESE!" I've been trying to get a pic of his cheesey smile for weeks, Mike took this one, but it's as good as some of his smiles.

Rowan insisted I take a picture of his belly button the other day, I'm sure he also meant for me to post it on the internet for everyone in the world to see. He would probably also want everyone to know (or at least will by the time he's a teenager) that he and Eli were around the living room like crazy- N-A-K-E-D- there are much better pictures I should be posting. Maybe after I learn how to make a black bar on them!

How Old is This Kid?

Oh Eli, my sweet, smiley, super cute almost one year old is going to make me crazy. Recently Freak passed down some outside play stuff to us (Thanks Freak!!), a swingset and a climbing cube with a slide. At first Eli would try to climb up the slide, of course he is only 11.5months so he barely moved up and then slid back down. He thought it was hilarious and I was able to sit back and enjoy watching him safely play (from the comfort of my swing). So last night we're watching him again and all the sudden he just keeps going at first he gets like half way up, but it didn't take him long to figure out how to get to the very top. Of course once you're up there and go in the cube it is a ledge, that he could fall off of- so no more relaxing for me outside! After the slide fun he decided to climb the kiddie picnic table....stay tuned I'm sure there will be more!

See the diaper falling off? I was actually trying pins so he could go w/o a cover- the pins SUCKED, I obviously couldn't do it right. Thank goodness for Snappi!

All the way up, the next time Rowan wasn't sitting there.

going down

Pictures

I don't really have much of an update so just thought I'd post some random pics from the past few days. I feel like we have been so busy, but at the same time like we don't really do anything- still job searching...
I can't believe Eli is almost 1! He's developing his personality more and more everyday! I didn't say that was a good thing though ;) He seems to be trading in his 2 crappy naps a day- but, is (so far) replacing them with one decent nap!!!!!!! We've had a few 2-3 hour nap days! Very Big news for my formerly non napper, and a change I will defeinetly take! Rowan drives me absolutly CRAZY at least a few times a day, but he usually knows the right time to crawl on my lap and say "I Love You," so I can usually forgive him.

He walks!!

He sleeps!!




He hugs trees!!

and He's Up!!

Time to lower the crib mattress...

Eli's Alternative to Pillows

The Day in Pics...A LOT of Pics

Today we went with our meet-up group to Chuck E. Cheese. We had an absolute blast- but how could you not when spending an obscene amount of money and ending up with curly straws and suckers... Oh well, we always have a blast when we go there, and by always I mean the two times we've been there.

Rowan on his favorite ride

On the phone with Chuck...

Eli chillin in the sling...not easy to play skeeball with this- luckily we brought the stroller!

So after we spent 3 hours- and all our money- at C-E-C, we decided to head to the children's museum. We had never been there and I've heard great things about it so wanted to check it out. It was a lot of fun, although I do have a few complaints about it- but sometimes I'm just bitchy so maybe it's just me.

Rowan's reaction ....

me telling him THIS is what the inside of his body looks like- apparently you CAN be too young to know that!

Surprise!! A train table!!

Mike send the corn up the thing(?) kind of look like peas to me!

Rowan putting the "grain" in the bucket. AKA- Rowan cleaning up something withOUT even being asked!!

Pounding on the big wall of nails thing(I don't know what they're called).

Do you know who this is?

Ok, stop guessing- it's Mike.

Rowan painting on the wall- this was my favorite thing- all though there were so many kids I couldn't do it too... maybe next time.








More painting- I love how hard he's concentrating.

Playing in the water table

The ride home...quiet

But we had one last stop before leaving home... and yes I actually took this picture just so I could put it on my blog!

And now my museum complaints...

-There were hardly any signs to tell you what to do at some of the exhibits, the one w/ the grain and having to crank the balls up and then get them on the other side and bring back...repeat...NO SIGNS, I only knew what to do cause I saw someone else do it first.

-They had a nursing nook- which of course should be a good thing, and I was going to go sit and nurse Eli there, but when I sat in the chair and the seat was half broke. I kind of hate those rocking chairs they have in nursing rooms- they are never comfortable the arms are too high and you can't really hold the baby right...but that's a different issue.

-TRAIN TABLES- I get that kids LOVE these things, and although we don't have the table we have tracks and they are all over my living room everyday. So, why do these places have to have these and why do they have to be right in the front so the first thing a kid sees is the damn train table. Why on each floor does there have to be some kind of track, road, rug that looks like a road w/ trucks, tractors and trains. I'm ok with it at like the library, but I don't want to go somewhere and pay money for my kid to play with a train table- he can do that at home. They should at least have really cool like rollercoaster style tracks if they MUST have them.

Alright I feel better now- sorry for my little rant- but this is MY blog!

and Just Because...

I don't want to bore anyone with only a post about my husband. Here's a few of Eli from this past week.

He is starting to nap a teeny bit better, well he is at least falling asleep by himself in the crib, even if he only stays alseep for 30mins at a time. I'm sure we'll build up to a decent nap eventually- baby steps, baby steps.

We are teaching ELi a few signs (as in sign language), this is a picture of him signing "more." Ok, if you happen to know the sign for "more" you know this is a pretty bad example of it- BUT he has done better, I just couldn't get a better picture of it.

He's doing an awful lot of this, and even though he's not technically "crawling" he is getting around-way too fast.

Christmas Wrap Up

Aahh Christmas, after all the anticipation it's over in a flash, and we are left with a huge mess of toys, way too many cookies, and some cranky overly tired kids. But we all got a lot of stuff and we are lucky to live pretty close to our family, so the drives aren't too bad- although the 1.5hr drive to Mike's Grandma's is seriously the longest drive EVER! We did decide that next year on Christmas Day we will not go anywhere, it will just be the 4 of us at home. We have plenty of other days to see our family we need time together, where the kids can actually play with their presents and not have to rush to leave as soon as they are opened.

Christmas Eve we headed to Mike's parents, we all had a great time. Mike's brother had been visiting so Rowan had a great time- he loves his uncle's and has fun showing off (constantly :)).

Eli had a little trouble opening his presents

Of course Rowan, being the excellent big brother he is, offered to "help"

Rowan and Mike playing Rowan's new guitar- one of 2 he got!!

A cute pic of Eli

Christmas morning- Eli could hardly contain his excitement!!

Rowan opening his Tinker Toys. Wen he started opening the top he said "It's oatmeal!!!"

Another present, that happened to be a box with postal tape on it, which he of course screamed"It's mail!!!" If only we knew we just needed to get him oatmeal and mail and he would've been happy!

After we opened our presents Christmas morning we headed to Mike's grandma's house. I don't have any decent pics so won't post them. Rowan got the usual kind of stuff- tractors, cars... and a really nice school print quilt. ELi got a few little toys too and a fleece fire truck balnket (well it's just fabric, but I think I might make something with it.)

Friday we headed to my mom's for lunch with her and my sister. Both boys got a lot of nice stuff and Eli got some super cute clothes- including the red sweatshirt in his 6 month pics (coming soon.) Rowan painted pics for both grandparents and his aunt and uncle- that we saw-. They turned out great, I forgot to take a pic of the other two, but here are the ones he made my mom and my sister.
He was very proud of them, I bought some canvas' at the craft store so they can be hung up easily.

Eli lookin cute (with my sister)

Of course we had to bust out the maracas and do some dancing (well Rowan did) and singing

but not too Christmas music....

to ABBA of course!