A Day in the Park and 13 Month Update

Yesterday we went to Pioneer Park in Stillwater to meet some friends for a picnic lunch. We didn't tell Zoey who we were meeting--it was a surprise. She was so happy that it was her old daycare friend Sean. The thing that amazing me about Sean and Zoey are that they just always seem to pick up where they left off. They play shy for maybe a minute and then just start telling jokes and stories that only they understand. It turns out that they both love sitting in the purple chairs below--so it was a perfect match. I love this picture. We didn't know where they were and found that they were telling each other stories in these chairs. (A totally candid shot--I snuck up on them.)

The rest of our Saturday we spent at home, playing out in the backyard and the screen porch. Tyler and Zoey made rainbows with the garden hose.Zander sat and watched. Look at his excitement!

Zander does enjoy hanging out on the porch with me. He climbs all over and plays with his toys.

Zoey took her camera out tonight and took some pictures.

She wanted one of her pictures on the blog--isn't it lovely?

Zoey wanted to tell a bedtime story to Zander before we put him to bed. She is a fabulous story teller. Below is the video. The quality isn't great (we need to get a bigger memory card)
but the sound is good.

In other news. . .here is a quick update on what Zander is all about at 13 months 2 weeks:

• Zander is on the brink of walking. . .he took 2.5 steps on his own tonight.
  
• Zander is learning and using baby sign. He can sign 'thank you', 'milk/drink', 'please', 'more'.
  
• He can say a version of "Thank You", "Bye, bye", "Dada", "Mama."
• He sampled peanut butter yesterday and did fine with it.
• He is still the most smily content baby I know of (just like her big sister was at that age!)
  

Who can nap when the State Fair is going on?

This year, Grandma and Grandpa Nyhlen came down again to take Zoey to the fair. (Don't worry, Zander, I will make sure that you get to go with them next year!) The trio left this morning at around 9:30 and didn't return home until about 8 pm. Zoey was full force for most of the day. When she returned home, she was a dirty ball of energy! As of 10:10 this evening she finally talked herself to sleep. When I asked her about the fair, she had a lot to tell me. She went on the alligators, and the swing ride, touched a baby pig, ate a ton of fair food, played with some kids, went shopping, and so on, and so on. . . Here are some pictures from her day. Thank you for taking Zoey to the fair! I can tell she really enjoyed it!

A Name Change?

Mommy: Hey Zander, how are you doing?
Zoey: Hi Zander! I don't like that name anymore.
Mommy: Well what should we call him instead?
Zoey: Umm. . .Bogey.
Mommy: Where did you come up with that name?
Zoey: From my heart.

Summer is coming to an end. . .

I have learned a lot about myself this summer as I have stayed home with two kids for most of the summer. Here are a few of my insights. . .

• I am not as patient as I thought I was.
• Nap time is the best thing ever invented.
• I love singing with my kids. Zoey is a hoot! (I do however need to broaden the genre of music. I am a little sick of my Aladdin CD.)
  
• Routine is key.
• Play dates and good friends and family are sanity savers!
• Good daycare providers should be put on a pedestal and admired--all I know is that I couldn't do that job.

Zander has become quite the helper.

He shaved it off right after the picture--thank goodness!

The little princess.

Uh-oh!

Happy 35th Anniversary Grandma & Grandpa Nyhlen!

We hope that you had a great day!

Here are some pics and clips to enhance your day even more.

Zoey was a princess at the wedding we attended last Friday evening.

For those of you who think that Zander is always smiling. . .

Zander took off walking with the stroller--I think he surprised himself.



This is a typical "nap" for Zoey.

If you are wondering what she is saying:
". . .riff-raff. . .street-rat. . .take that. . .just a little snack guys. . .rip him open take it back guys. . .Abu. . Who?.. .oh Aladdin's hit the bottom. . .One jump. . ."

Zander likes to show off his musical ability also. . .

Carver County Fair

Our friends Roz, Kevin and Hazel invited us to go to the Carver County Fair with them on Wednesday. It was a perfect day for the fair. It was the first day and a Wednesday afternoon. There were no crowds, no waiting for anything, and the weather was perfect!

Zoey's only real reequest of the whole day was to ride the carousel.

We went to see all the animals. Zoey thought the sheep were stinky. The llamas spooked Zander and the noise was too much for Zoey--especially the chicken house.

Zoey went through the obstacle course ALL BY HERSELF. She is so brave!

Here is the gang enjoying overpriced cheese curds. Yum, cheese curds!

Zoey also drove a truck. I have a feeling that she is going to be the kid that wants to go on all the rides when she grows up--even the scary ones.

The Monkey Maze was my favorite. Zoey and I had a great time with the funny mirrors.

This was great practice for the State Fair. Zoey is ready, Grandma and Grandpa Nyhlen!

Happy 30th Birthday, Auntie Tammy!

Here are some pictures from Teddy Bear Park this afternoon:

Summer Projects

While Grandma Nyhlen was here for the last two weeks, she helped us out by doing a lot of painting. Here are some pictures of Zoey's room after we painted. Of course after it was all done, Zoey told us that she liked her room when it was white.
We also finished off the dining room and part of the living room. I love how the paint colors are making the house feel so much more cozy and warm!
Here are some more cute pictures that I had on my camera.

Zander is at the stage right now where he only likes to feed himself. He even likes to hold the spoon. He holds the spoon in one hand and then uses his other hand to shovel the food into his mouth. His favorites are applesauce and cottage cheese--what a mess!

Another Zoey-ism

Zander was crawling up the stairs and his loving big sister was following him and cheering him on. As he made it to the landing, I hear Zoey say "Ah, mom. . .he's so kickable."