Happy Birthday, Buddy!
Home Day
14 years ago
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thanksgiving & Joey's (Early) Party
While I'm sure everyone is already into Christmas mode, I thought I'd give a little update on how our Thanksgiving was up here in Michigan. Grandma and Grandpa Meinhart and Uncle Matt arrived late on Wednesday night, so the kids woke up Thanksgiving morning with visitors. Uncle Mark and Aunt Sarah were also around so they came over as well. We relaxed and caught up in the morning and early afternoon and then got to work on dinner. The preparations were actually quite fun, with everyone being involved and lending a hand.
With a little coaching and only one break to watch and instructional YouTube video, Jon successfully carved his first turkey.
No, we didn't have snow this Thanksgiving. The guys were sporting the hats that Uncle Dave and Itxaso picked up in Peru, while Marie tried on her cute headband.
Friday morning, Marie was back at work helping to frost and decorate cupcakes for Joey's first birthday party. Grandma and Grandpa Shibata and Aunt Jess drove up from Ohio and were able to spend most of the day with us. The kids loved all the attention!
Joey was a little uncertain about the cupcake and though we had practiced, was unable to blow out his candle. Marie to the rescue! He didn't really eat the cupcake, he only smashed it and licked his fingers a couple of times. Marie was also a big help with opening presents. They have both enjoyed the new toys and we've gotten lots of practice sharing. Marie frequently corrects herself saying, "I'm playing with my...I mean Joey's...new [fill in the blank]." Bless her heart.
On Saturday, we hung out around the house again and were able to head outside for awhile. It is sometimes a struggle to get Joey all dressed up (recall his dislike for putting on clothes), but once he gets outside he generally loves it. We played on the swing and slide long enough to get their noses cold and cheeks nice and rosy. Marie did inform Uncle Matt that he should have been wearing pants.
We hope your Thanksgiving was as great as ours and that you are having a blessed Advent season!
With a little coaching and only one break to watch and instructional YouTube video, Jon successfully carved his first turkey.
No, we didn't have snow this Thanksgiving. The guys were sporting the hats that Uncle Dave and Itxaso picked up in Peru, while Marie tried on her cute headband.
Friday morning, Marie was back at work helping to frost and decorate cupcakes for Joey's first birthday party. Grandma and Grandpa Shibata and Aunt Jess drove up from Ohio and were able to spend most of the day with us. The kids loved all the attention!
Joey was a little uncertain about the cupcake and though we had practiced, was unable to blow out his candle. Marie to the rescue! He didn't really eat the cupcake, he only smashed it and licked his fingers a couple of times. Marie was also a big help with opening presents. They have both enjoyed the new toys and we've gotten lots of practice sharing. Marie frequently corrects herself saying, "I'm playing with my...I mean Joey's...new [fill in the blank]." Bless her heart.
On Saturday, we hung out around the house again and were able to head outside for awhile. It is sometimes a struggle to get Joey all dressed up (recall his dislike for putting on clothes), but once he gets outside he generally loves it. We played on the swing and slide long enough to get their noses cold and cheeks nice and rosy. Marie did inform Uncle Matt that he should have been wearing pants.
We hope your Thanksgiving was as great as ours and that you are having a blessed Advent season!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Falling Leaves
The days are getting shorter and the weather cooler. We don't make it outside as much nowadays, but still try to get out whenever we can. Marie got to spend a good part of a Saturday outside with Dad, fixing the flagpole, taking apart the basketball pole and hoop (that had fallen over during a heavy wind), and raking leaves. No snow yet, for those who are wondering. It may seem early for snow, but by this time last year we had already had a good blanket and had been sledding!
Lately, Marie has been taking very good care of "Baby Abby," short for "Baby Abby-Cadaby." Baby Abby is a "two-napper" (meaning she takes two naps a day), she goes for walks outside, she checks the mail with us, she gets regular baths, she cries when she gets stuck in her stroller, and yes, she occasionally has to have a time-out. Sometimes I even get to hold her. But, she soon gets fussy and Marie needs to take her back and make her feel better.
Marie has also been looking forward to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. This weekend, we made fall sugar cookies. An activity she always enjoys and, as you can see, that she takes very seriously.
In Joey news, he is really cruising around on all fours and along the furniture. He's been a little out of sorts lately, but we think it's because he's getting his third tooth (upper left). He generally likes to be wherever Marie is and to have whatever Marie has...which is problematic at times. He doesn't like for his clothes to be put on and would much rather crawl around in his diaper. He loves the bath (another opportunity to be without clothes). And, he can still eat like a champ. He could really spend most of his waking hours eating if we let him. Maybe he's loading up for his weigh-in at his 1 year check-up in a couple of weeks. Marie does have him on an exercise program, but since his mobility is somewhat limited, we're not sure it's really too effective.
All in all, things are great...kids are great (and staying healthy so far), job is great, life is great. We're looking forward to the holidays and to spending some time with our families.
Stay tuned for updates on snow and current sledding conditions! Marie has already been talking about it and the hill is always open!
Lately, Marie has been taking very good care of "Baby Abby," short for "Baby Abby-Cadaby." Baby Abby is a "two-napper" (meaning she takes two naps a day), she goes for walks outside, she checks the mail with us, she gets regular baths, she cries when she gets stuck in her stroller, and yes, she occasionally has to have a time-out. Sometimes I even get to hold her. But, she soon gets fussy and Marie needs to take her back and make her feel better.
Marie has also been looking forward to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. This weekend, we made fall sugar cookies. An activity she always enjoys and, as you can see, that she takes very seriously.
In Joey news, he is really cruising around on all fours and along the furniture. He's been a little out of sorts lately, but we think it's because he's getting his third tooth (upper left). He generally likes to be wherever Marie is and to have whatever Marie has...which is problematic at times. He doesn't like for his clothes to be put on and would much rather crawl around in his diaper. He loves the bath (another opportunity to be without clothes). And, he can still eat like a champ. He could really spend most of his waking hours eating if we let him. Maybe he's loading up for his weigh-in at his 1 year check-up in a couple of weeks. Marie does have him on an exercise program, but since his mobility is somewhat limited, we're not sure it's really too effective.
All in all, things are great...kids are great (and staying healthy so far), job is great, life is great. We're looking forward to the holidays and to spending some time with our families.
Stay tuned for updates on snow and current sledding conditions! Marie has already been talking about it and the hill is always open!
Monday, November 2, 2009
No Tricks...All Treat
As Halloween approached this year, Marie was periodically asked what she was going to dress up as. Her response was always immediate...a cow. Jon and I were both confused as to where in the world she came up with the idea. Needless to say, we didn't have a cow costume hiding in a closet somewhere. At first we thought she'd just forget about it or choose something else the next time asked. No such luck.
The closest (and easiest) thing we could come up with was a cowboy outfit. We made the transition last week by getting a book from the library, "I Want to be a Cowboy" and also by watching Toy Story 2. Thankfully it worked. By Friday, Marie was just as excited about being Jessie (a cowgirl) as she had been about being a cow. Whew.
By the way, she also told people more than once that Joey was going to dress up as a lion. I happened upon a tiger suit at a Mom-2-Mom sale, so that wasn't too much of a stretch.
On Saturday, we loaded up the kids and went to Northville. Our good friends the Roberts' and their girls (Rosie - 3; Lilly - 2) live near there and the city was having activities in the afternoon for younger kids prior to their annual Halloween extravaganza. Marie was tentative at first, but then realized that all she had to do was look cute and people would put candy into her bag! Later on, she and I were both a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of people out trick-or-treating. Northville really goes all out!
We didn't stay too long...the girls' feet got tired after visiting just a small portion of the Halloween stops. We decided to go out for a yummy dinner before heading home with one tired cowgirl and a snoozing tiger. Unfortunately, we weren't home to hand out candy ourselves and now we have LOTS around the house. Jon's going to end up with treats in his lunch for a long while...
The closest (and easiest) thing we could come up with was a cowboy outfit. We made the transition last week by getting a book from the library, "I Want to be a Cowboy" and also by watching Toy Story 2. Thankfully it worked. By Friday, Marie was just as excited about being Jessie (a cowgirl) as she had been about being a cow. Whew.
By the way, she also told people more than once that Joey was going to dress up as a lion. I happened upon a tiger suit at a Mom-2-Mom sale, so that wasn't too much of a stretch.
On Saturday, we loaded up the kids and went to Northville. Our good friends the Roberts' and their girls (Rosie - 3; Lilly - 2) live near there and the city was having activities in the afternoon for younger kids prior to their annual Halloween extravaganza. Marie was tentative at first, but then realized that all she had to do was look cute and people would put candy into her bag! Later on, she and I were both a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of people out trick-or-treating. Northville really goes all out!
We didn't stay too long...the girls' feet got tired after visiting just a small portion of the Halloween stops. We decided to go out for a yummy dinner before heading home with one tired cowgirl and a snoozing tiger. Unfortunately, we weren't home to hand out candy ourselves and now we have LOTS around the house. Jon's going to end up with treats in his lunch for a long while...
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Meet Jack
Compared to last year, Marie has been much more interested in all of those fun fall activities this time around. She has been talking about pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns since September.
A couple weeks ago, we caught up with our friends Brian and Laura and their two little girls, Rosie and Lilly on a Sunday afternoon. Marie and Rosie are close in age and got to go to the pumpkin "patch" to pick out pumpkins. The "patch" was a bit comical to me seeing as how we needed to ride a wagon to what turned out to be an open grassy area where others had placed already picked pumpkins. No stepping over vines and the like this time around. But, the girls loved it all the more because then they could run around chasing each other without being hindered by plants, ruts, or holes.
The following Sunday, Marie and I decided to give our pumpkin a face. She knew exactly what "Jack" should have, two triangles for eyes, a square nose, and a big WIDE smile. She even helped to scoop out some of the slimy pulp...though most of that job was reserved for me. By the time we were finished, it was starting to get dark, perfect timing for lighting a candle. She was so excited to see the "glorious sight" and ran to the end of our driveway to make sure that she could still see "Jack" from there.
Marie has really been enjoying our walks lately, seeing all the colorful leaves that have fallen, and making them go "crunch, crunch" beneath her feet. We've been having some rain lately, so puddles are an added bonus. Thank goodness we found some rain boots on clearance a few weeks back.
Joey is continuing to grow. He's got two solid teeth on the bottom, but nothing on the top so far. He is pulling himself up more and taking a few steps along the furniture. He LOVES the stairs and can go all the way up (with mom or dad following closely behind). He has even started to figure out how to come down...sliding down on his belly. He seems to have a little bit of an ornery streak...he knows he's not supposed to go up on his own and laughs in delight when we have to come retrieve him. He loves balls and tackling anyone who happens to be laying down on the floor. He's also started to realize that he can get things if grunts and points, a skill that he tends to use when he wants toys or the ever-popular Cheerios.
A couple weeks ago, we caught up with our friends Brian and Laura and their two little girls, Rosie and Lilly on a Sunday afternoon. Marie and Rosie are close in age and got to go to the pumpkin "patch" to pick out pumpkins. The "patch" was a bit comical to me seeing as how we needed to ride a wagon to what turned out to be an open grassy area where others had placed already picked pumpkins. No stepping over vines and the like this time around. But, the girls loved it all the more because then they could run around chasing each other without being hindered by plants, ruts, or holes.
The following Sunday, Marie and I decided to give our pumpkin a face. She knew exactly what "Jack" should have, two triangles for eyes, a square nose, and a big WIDE smile. She even helped to scoop out some of the slimy pulp...though most of that job was reserved for me. By the time we were finished, it was starting to get dark, perfect timing for lighting a candle. She was so excited to see the "glorious sight" and ran to the end of our driveway to make sure that she could still see "Jack" from there.
Marie has really been enjoying our walks lately, seeing all the colorful leaves that have fallen, and making them go "crunch, crunch" beneath her feet. We've been having some rain lately, so puddles are an added bonus. Thank goodness we found some rain boots on clearance a few weeks back.
Joey is continuing to grow. He's got two solid teeth on the bottom, but nothing on the top so far. He is pulling himself up more and taking a few steps along the furniture. He LOVES the stairs and can go all the way up (with mom or dad following closely behind). He has even started to figure out how to come down...sliding down on his belly. He seems to have a little bit of an ornery streak...he knows he's not supposed to go up on his own and laughs in delight when we have to come retrieve him. He loves balls and tackling anyone who happens to be laying down on the floor. He's also started to realize that he can get things if grunts and points, a skill that he tends to use when he wants toys or the ever-popular Cheerios.
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