Happy 60th Birthday & Happy Retirement

We had a 2 great big reasons to celebrate with a party this past weekend - my dad turned 60 and retired! I know I was elated to "retire" after only working for 8 years, so I can't even imagine how he feels after 33! Especially with all those years (25?) of working shift work - ICK! I don't remember him ever complaining about it either.

 

Ry flew into town for the party and surprised my parents.  We drove him Up North, so it was fun to be in on the surprise and see how happy my parents were to see him. Then kids had a great time playing with Uncle Rylan. I thought it was pretty funny how Ry was trying to 'out-why' Campbell. He just kept saying 'why' to 'her all the time (like she does to us). At the end of one long why exchange, Campbell finally said...'Just because!'

And would a blog post be complete without some incident or illness? At the pre-party on Saturday night Campbell slipped and hit her head on the floor, vomited and shortly after fell asleep. We talked to the peds nurse and she told us if she vomited again we'd have to take her to the ER. She ended up being fine, but the next day was very whiny and clingy - just in time for the much anticipated party - ARG! I'm guessing she had a headache - a big bump is bound to do that. All she wanted to do was be held by me and didn't want to socialize at all or be her normally spunky self. I guess the good thing is I got some cute cuddling pictures with her, but it's not easy to carry around 36 pounds for 4 hours. 

We love Uncle Ry!

Happy Retirement & Birthday Papa!

Poor baby!

Another Fun Filled Weekend

Garet & his family came down to visit for the weekend. Campbell had a blast wresting her big cousins way past her bed time on Friday. Then, we all headed to the Mall of America Saturday morning. I couldn't believe how CRAZY busy it was. We drove around for a long time and couldn't find a parking spot so when we saw valet for $6, Gabe & I both said simultaneously - "Worth it!!!" I don't know exactly what made it so busy, but I heard that the Boys State Hockey tourney had over 110,000 spectators & I think they may all have come to the Mall at the same time we did.

Campbell was shaking with excitement when we walked into Nickelodeon Universe. She was dragging Gabe around all over the place eyes wide open in awe & Blake was a trooper as usual. She got to meet Ming Ming & Linny from the Wonder Pets & wander around the American Girl store. I'm so happy that she's not at the stage where she asks to buy things/want to go on rides - she was happy as could be just looking. We managed to escape from the Mall only spending money on the valet parking. Now that must be some sort of record!

Campbell & C deep in conversation at lunch with the family. 

Blake's first deep fried food - a french fry yum!

When we got back from the Mall, all Campbell wanted to do was play with Lucy, her Bitty Baby & kept talking about 'American Girl' this & 'American Girl' that. For example, 'My American Girl wants to go potty on her American Girl potty.' I guess that's what we get for bringing her to the American Girl store!

Saturday evening Blake was standing at his car seat in the back hall trying to get his paci when he said 'ma, ma, ma.' He's making the 'ma' sound - now I just need him to say it to me!

On Sunday Gabe & Campbell went to meet everyone at the Waterpark. Campbell had a blast. As I'm writing this blog, she's in her swimsuit & she's pretending to be at the Waterpark.

While Gabe & Campbell were gone, Blake and I took advantage of a gorgeous day - it was in the 60's for the first time in forever. It was so nice to not have to be all bundled up - Blake wore only a sweatshirt. Blake got to ride in the Japan stroller for the first time & he really thought he was a big shot standing up looking all around. He had a couple exciting firsts on the walk. He pointed. And he said something that sounded like 'dog.' There was a dog on the path ahead of us & he pointed at it & said a sound like "DG". I'm not positive that's what he meant, but it sounded something like it.

We ended the weekend with a walk on Sunday evening. It was so warm we didn't even have to wear jackets & it's so nice to have more daylight at the end of the day!  Notice Blake's new shades.

Miss Independent

Last week Campbell started washing her hands by herself. We hung a hook at her level in the bathroom so she can even reach/put up a towel by herself. And I thought I'd take advantage of her eagerness to help out by making her clear her plate after every meal. These things may not seem like a lot, but it has made meal time clean up so much easier! Yesterday Campbell surprised me by putting on her pull ups all by herself. Earlier this week she started putting on her dress shoes all by herself (shiny black mary janes with a velcro buckle) - so now she wants to wear those everywhere. And then today when I found her in her closet - she had picked out pants and put them on - the right way even! And was attempting to put on her own socks. It's nice to have her learning to do these things independently, but I find myself getting a little sentimental - I've done those things for her whole life up until now. Little baby steps to becoming a self sufficient person, I guess.

Clicker

Last night when I was getting Blake ready for bed, he started doing this clicking noise. I would do it back to him & he would repeat. He thought it was hilarious & now it's his favorite trick.

In this video I'm trying to get him to do it & then he starts looking over at Campbell who is clicking & trying to get him to do it, too. 

What a Day!

What an action packed day we had! Campbell and I went to A's 6th bday party...Cupcake the Clown, face painting, balloon characters, cake, pizza & a pinata. Campbell was so excited about the clown she was squealing and rolling around on the floor when we first got there. Campbell passed out in the car on the way home which was good because...

 

...she needed to get charged up for the second party of the day. Next we all headed to E & H's 1st birthday at My Gym. Singing songs, trampoline jumping, being buried in the ball pit, sliding, climbing, bubbles, space ride, rolling balls, parachute, pizza, cake & pinata - wow!

Blake even went for a space ride. He liked it except at the end when I took out his paci out to try to get a picture. Can you see the mohawk Blake is sporting in the ball rolling picture? Today was the first day I put a little 'product' in his hair to make it stay up. He got a lot of compliments on his edgy style.

  

  

 

  

  

We ended the day with our first video chat with Cousin Alex in Singapore. Campbell had a blast seeing her cousin and showing her a lot of things...like her Elmo balloon, her cow, her room and many other random things. They told knock, knock jokes back and forth. Campbell got to see Alex's room and her hamster and dog! We definitely need to do that more often.

What a fun filled day!

(Side note: Campbell stayed dry all day today - which was awesome considering the day she had.)

Earache & Reverse Psychology

We took Campbell into the doctor & she has an ear infection too! I had no idea. Now both kids are on antibiotics so hopefully they can get well & stay that way for a while.

I promise - no pictures for this one! Campbell (finally!) did more than tinkle on the potty. Grant, you'd be proud of me - I used reverse psychology. I said, "Campbell - don't go poop in the potty! Don't do it! You should go in your practice underwear." She said "NO!!!" And then she just went like a pro. It was pretty funny. I don't know if that would be approved by my ECFE Parent Educator, but I've tried so many other tactics that haven't worked that I thought I'd give it a try.

Rasberries

Blake was really into his raspberries this morning...



Campbell is going on her 4th day with a fever so the nurse wanted me to bring her in this afternoon to have her checked out. Her runny nose is better today though - thank goodness. I thought we were going to run out of kleenex!

It was so nice and sunny out yesterday. I thought a little fresh air would be good for all of us so we went out for a walk even though the kids are sick. It's warm out again today (47 degrees - heat wave!), so maybe we'll head out again depending on how Campbell is feeling.

Dress Up

Campbell was playing dress up today & she got all decked out in 2 tutus and 6 purses.

 
Then she said "I only want to wear 1 tutu at a time and I want Blake to wear one." So we tried to get Blake to wear a tutu, but he cried because he was tired. (Or maybe he knew we were trying to dress him in a TUTU.) Then Campbell started crying and said "But I really wanted to play dress up with my baby brother!"

Campbell-isms

• To Gabe: You said it big guy.
  
• She's started to call her stuffed animals her 'pals.'
  
• Run real fast like the wind is in your ears.
  
• The WHY? WHY? WHY? has started! Campbell asks it to EVERYTHING that I say. I just read this in a Parenting magazine, "A University of Michigan study found that preschoolers ask info-seeking questions such as "Why?" and "How?" at then mom-boggling average rate of 76 an hour." I wouldn't have believed the 76 per hour until it started happening to me. She actually asked me 'why does a cow moo?' Oh my gosh! I don't know!

Recent Pictures

 

SO BIG! The other day Blake was standing up playing with a toy & he let go & stood on his own for a split second. It was funny how he didn't even realize he was doing it. I don't think I've blogged this yet, but Blake has been crawling on his hands and knees now for a couple weeks. No more army crawl - I kind of miss that move - he looked like a little iguana wiggling his little body back and forth across the floor.

 

Drinks with Daddy.

Funny girl in the bath. Campbell has just LOVED the bath lately. I can't get her out of there. On the other hand, Blake all of a sudden is TERRIFIED of it, screaming the whole time he's in there. So I started bathing him in the sink and he does better.

 

All Campbell wants to do when we play outside is eat snow.

 

Trying to get a picture of Blake's 'faux-hawk' and I catch him coughing. Which is actually pretty appropriate considering how much he's been coughing this past week - poor little tough guy! 

 

I can't get over how cute she looks with the long awaited pig-tails. 

 

 All ready & so excited to go to the "work store" (Home Depot) with Daddy. 

 Blake having a blast playing in the slide. 

Blake thinks that Campbell is hilarious - she can just get him rolling. She's been so sweet to him lately - tickling him, doing such a great job sharing, NOT pushing him over & asking where he is the second she gets out of bed. I love how she imitates the little nicknames we have for Blake - she calls him Blakey Blake. Mr. Man. Sweet Pea. Stinker Binker. Mister. Baby Boy. She never calls him just 'Blake'.

Climber

Go Blake! He was trying to climb up the slide last night & after some practice he got about half way up. Then today he took one look at it and conquered it like a pro. I couldn't believe how fast he scooted right up there!

I think we may have a climber on our hands. The other day the step stool was out and I found him just about up on top after leaving him unattended for about 1 second. Also, probably the most challenging thing about Campbell's potty training right now is trying to keep Blake off the foot stool at the base of the toilet when Campbell is sitting there. He just wants to be in on the action I guess.