Happy baby

I just had to put these up as Lauren was in a super good mood this day and I apparently took a thousand or so pictures of her to prove it. She was laughing, giggling, crawling, and doing her "so big" pose. Did you notice the little curls on her head - love them! Watch, she'll turn out to be a blond haired, blue eyed little girl with curly hair - the exact opposite of the rest of us!

Last weekend of summer

We decided to enjoy the last official weekend of summer by taking the kids to the Como Zoo/Como Town for one last time before the weather turns ugly and cold. So Saturday morning, we packed into the mini and headed off for some fun. Both kids fell asleep on the way there so by the time we arrived, they were in good moods and ready for some action. We hit the zoo first where Ryan showed Daddy all of his favorite animals, which happened to be the lions when we were looking at lions, monkeys when we were looking at monkeys, you get the idea, let's just say all the animals were his favorites. Trav's favorite animal was the buffalo. He said if there were just a couple of guys running around in cowboy hats, it would be just like old times when he used to visit me in South Dakota -whatever, he is just jealous he wasn't one of those cowboys instead of him!. After the zoo, we headed over to Como Town to have some fun on the rides. We let Ryan pick out 3 rides he wanted to go on and bought just enough tickets for these rides. The first ride of choice, the roller coaster. Trav had to go on this with him as he was too little to ride by himself so the boys got on the ride, and Lauren and I found a place to watch. The minutes the ride started up, Lauren started freaking out. Every time the roller coaster went around a corner, it got super loud, and she got super scared. Before I know it, my hand feels warm and I look to see what is going on and sure enough, she got so scared, she peed herself a lot. So off we went to find a secluded area to change outfits. By the time I finished up, the boys had found us and Trav seemed really excited about something so I asked him what. He pulls out a handful of tickets (the ones they had for the roller coaster) and says the guy never took them form him, and he didn't think about it until half way through the ride so now Ryan had an extra 8 tickets to use - talk about fun! With this good news, we headed back towards the rides to find a few more to try out. By the end of the day, I think Ryan got to go on about 6 rides for the price of 3 - not a bad deal. After all of our tickets were gone, we packed the van back up and headed home for some much needed rest. That evening, we went to the neighbors for one last summer cookout, and some adult time as the kids both went to bed very early. Although, Trav and I only lasted until 10:30pm so it wasn't exactly what I would call a crazy night, but fun none the less.Today we have no big plans, just hang out and maybe watch the Vikes win a game - if that is even possible. So now we say goodbye to Summer and hello to the best time of the year (in my opinion) - Fall, when the leaves change colors, the apple farms and pumpkin patches are in full swing, and it is the perfect time to cuddle up together during the chilly (but not freezing) cold nights.

I finally get it

Today I did a horrible thing, I forgot that it was show and tell day at Ryan's school so he didn't have anything to show or tell - bummer. I knew Thursdays were the show and tell day, but for some reason, it just slipped my mind this morning until we were walking into school and one of the dads asked his little girl if she remembered that her show and tell item was in her backpack - oh crap, Ryan is going to be the only kid without something - I'm such a bad mom. Anyway, there was nothing I could do at that point so I just dropped him off as usual and drove home wondering how I could have forgotten? That's when I remembered a similar situation that happened to me when I was in college - sorry Mom, this one is about you. So, it was getting close to Christmas and our RA (resident assistant) decides to surprise everyone on our floor by sending home letters to our parents stating that we will be having a big shin-dig one evening that will start with all the girls getting a present at the door to their dorm rooms. Well, this present is supposed to be a care package from our parents who got the RA's letter and carefully put together a thoughtful care package for their lovely daughter. One problem, Mom gets the letter and tosses it in the garbage before she actually reads it because she assumes it is junk mail. So there I am walking back to my dorm after a long day filled with classes and basketball practice and to my surprise, I see beautifully decorated packages sitting at everyone's door - I can hardly wait to get to my door and see what is waiting for me. I walk past my friend's room where she is quickly ripping the paper off her package, I'm so excited, I can hardly wait. There's my room, only a few steps ahead, but wait, it doesn't appear as though there is any package there - I must be mistaken, it must be there. So I get closer and closer, and there I am at my door . . . one package with "Penny" on the name tag, not "Angie" - how could this be? There must be some mistake. My friend next door comes over to show me all of her goodies and asked what I got, my response, "nothing." I guess whoever left the packages didn't want me to get one. That is when she says, "the packages are from our parents, you have to have one." I guess that seems logical as I did, and still do have two parents, but I'm sure there is nothing waiting for me. After a short chat, my friend leaves, and I get on the phone to call my dear parents to clear up this mistake - it is clearly a mistake, right? I do some quick chit-chatting with mom until I can't take it anymore so I simply ask here about the care packages and the letter she received from the RA. That is when the truth comes out and I realize that she either didn't really read the letter, or she completely forgot about it, either way, I'm devastated. My only option at that point is to go over to my friend's dorm and help eat all of her homemade Christmas cookies - thanks Mrs. Sperling.

So the whole point of telling that story is to say that now I finally get it, and forgive my mom for not sending that care package. It seemed so simple to me back then - I was her kid, number 1 (or 2 or 3) in her universe, she did everything for me and never, ever screwed up - it was her job to be perfect. Now that I'm a mom and screwed up today (which Ryan probably didn't even notice), and many other times in the past, and many more to come in the future, I realize what a hard job it really is. Remembering every little detail about school, schedules, doctor appointments, and endless other things is not as easy as it seems. So I'm putting it out there right now to my own kids that they should absolutely not expect perfection from me - this way they won't be so disappointed when I fail them (hopefully not too many times). Although, when they are in college and it is getting close to Christmas time, I will certainly be on high alert for any mail sent to me from the college so Ryan and Lauren will never have to experience the pain I felt on that cold, cold night in Brookings, South Dakota.

New team member

Welcome to Target, "can I help you find something?" It is official, mama got herself a new job! To think that only 9 short months ago, I was trying to convince Travis that I should quit my job, and this past week, I've been convincing him that I should get a job again - funny how times have changed. Not that this job is even close to my old job as a bank manager, but it is something to earn a little extra cash, get me out of the house for a couple of hours, and give us a little extra discount at Target (a good thing considering I shop there at least once a week). I'm only working 15 hours a week so it is not a huge time commitment, and the scheduling is very flexible so it shouldn't interfere with any family time. Plus, it gives Trav a little more time with the kids on the nights I work - it seems like a good thing for everyone. So, if you are ever in the area, feel free to stop by and harass me as I'm diligently restocking shelves, or running through the aisles at blazing speed to get a product for a customer - fast, friendly, and fun, that is our motto!

Onto more important things . . . Lauren discovered the joys of the laundry basket yesterday as we spent a good portion of the morning having basket rides down the hallway. I know she looks like a boy in these pictures, but she insisted on wearing her "My Mom Rocks" onsie (which was Ryan's when he was younger) so who was I to discourage it - I put on a pair of flared girls jeans with decorative pockets to help make her look more girly, but I don't really think it worked though.

She is having a Travis moment here - the tongue hanging out of the mouth is a common sight whenever he is concentrating, Lauren appears to have picked up the trait. Their one -on-one time is already paying off I guess.

Just your basic day

Not a whole lot going on lately so we've had to make our own fun around the house. Ryan continues to love dressing up - his latest favorite is being a pirate.

He has also taken a liking to some of my undergarments - not so sure about that, but I banking on the fact that it is just a stage and will pass in time - let's hope so.

Ryan has been to three days of school so far and seems to really enjoy it. Whenever I pick him up, I always ask what he did and he always responds with, "learned my ABC's." However, school always seems to get brought up later in the day when he starts having a conversation about some random thing and gets mad when I have no idea what he is talking about. For instance today, he said this is my sad face (showing me his pouty lip) than he says, this is my happy face and smiles. I thought that was sort out of the blue, until I remembered his project he brought home, which was a paper plate made into a face with a mouth that can be turned up (smile), or down (frown/sad) - now his conversation makes sense, he learned about happy faces and sad faces, how could I have not known.

Lauren continues to grow like crazy and is doing way too many things that I'm not really ready for. She has mastered climbing up the stairs and loves to sit on the bottom step, and look at you until she gets your attention, and then she takes off squealing with anticipation that someone will come gt her before she tumbles off the steps - what a fun little game. She is also pulling herself up with anything and everything she sees whether it is the couch, or the rocking horse (which usually ends up on top of her). She babbles non-stop, grinds her 8 teeth like crazy (very annoying), and grows out of clothes she has no business being in (12 month outfits are already too small, 18 month is pushing it). Other than that, she is just hanging out, watching her big brother and learning all the cool stuff he "teaches" her on a daily basis. Here are a couple of pictures of Ryan taking Lauren for a ride in his tractor (the helmet is strictly for fashion purposes) and some other random pictures.

Big happenings tomorrow . . . the first day of my new job! I'll be sure to take some pictures.

Our preppy little girl

Auntie was watching the kids the other day for a couple of hours and by the time I came home, this is what Lauren looked like . . . (which by the way, is not what she looked like when I left)Auntie spends WAY too much time dressing her up and judging by her faces, Lauren is not impressed with the look! Maybe that will be an Ivy league college sweater some day?

Children's Museum

We had a fun day on Saturday when Auntie, Grandma Loken, Ryan, Lauren, and myself ventured to the Children's Museum. Our original plan for the day was to visit a horse stable and let Ryan do some riding, but due to the rainy weather, we had to change plans at the last minute, and it worked out great! I had heard lots of good things about the museum from other people and had always wanted to visit, and I'm glad we finally did as all the talk was true and the place was great. Since none of us had been there before, we just went floor by floor and tried to check out pretty much everything we could. Some of the highlights are below . . .

Making paper

Moving blocks on a conveyor belt

Waiting to drive the crane

Splashing in the bubble tub
Racing boats in the waterChecking Grandma out of the grocery store

Rocking out on stageDoc Ryan helping an injured AuntieClimbing through tree tunnelsFun with face paints
One last picture before we leave

Ryan was a big fan of "Our Town" which was basically a real town made for little kids. There was a post office, grocery store, doctor's office, restaurant, art gallery, and too many other places to remember - Ryan loved it all. His favorite had to be the music store where he got to rock out on a stage and watch himself on tv - does it really get any better than that? Lauren also got to join in on some of the fun as she splashed around in some of the water exhibits, danced in the music store, and hung out while Ryan served us all lunch at the little restaurant - not a bad day for a 9-month old. We spent a little over two hours at the museum and were exhausted by the time we left. Besides one minor crying fit, the kids were great. It would have been very difficult to really get into all the exhibits by myself with two kids so it was great to have Auntie and Grandma along to help with Lauren, or explore with Ryan - the museum is definitely a two adults per visit kind of place - good to know for future visits. After the fun of the museum, we all packed back into the minivan and headed home for some pizza and rest - well at least for the kids. Once the kids were napping and Trav had things under control, the ladies did some shopping. Not the shopping I'm used to though, during this shopping trip, we actually took our time and just looked - no screaming kids pulling at your arm, no time constraints to stay within so we get back in time for lunch - what a treat! After the shopping trip it was back home to chat a while and then Auntie and Grandma left. Once they were gone, it was time for a quick meal, baths, and bed - just like that the day was gone. I'm glad it's over as I'm exhausted myself and can't wait to crawl into bed and read my book.

Another fun day to remember.