Clara Jane's Baptism

Of course the weekend's main event was Clara Jane's baptism. We all trooped over to and met up at our church, Church of Christ the King (affectionately known as CTK), for the 9:30am mass. it was Clara's day, but it should be noted that Joe sort of stole the show when, following the opening hymn, he put his hands together and said "Yea!" Catchin' the spirit. The time of the mass meant Clara's morning nap was truncated. Baby Bird had no more gone back to sleep than it was time to disrobe and get some water dumped on her head. She no likey. At CTK, the babysitas are stripped down the diaper for the dousing and the chrism oil-ing and then the gown goes on. So post-dousing and oil-ing, Godmother Kate and Julie got one wailing bird into the gown. Julie took a face full of oil, so she smelled like pine trees all day, too, which was o-kay with her. Clara Jane wore the gown that Jane and Tom had chosen for Joe, the slip of which is embroidered with his full name and the date of his baptism. Godmother Kate took the gown back with her so the next time she is in Lloyd Harbor, it can be embroidered at Pashley's with Clara Jane's full name and the date of her baptism as well.

After that, it was back to the house for the party! Bird fell asleep in Grandma Connie's arms practically straight away and so spent most of her party in her crib. But her brother tore it up for both of them! Clara Jane had a perfect day for her baptism so we spilled out onto the porch and front lawn. The party ended with Clara's cake, and a toast with the champagne brought by her Grandpa Charles.

Thank you to all of our family and friends who were able to share this special day with us!

The State Fair!

On Friday, we took everyone to the State Fair (except Clara who went to school so she would get her normal feedings and naps). We had a perfect day for it. We scoped out a few things first like the tractors for Joe and the milk stand for Nick to get his $1 endless cup of milk. We then went to see the animals - sheep, cows, pigs, horses. Joe seemed to most like the pigs because he asked to go back to pigs while looking at horses. While others took Joe to see pigs and horses, Julie pumped a bottle for Clara for tomorrow - and what better place than the Moo Booth?!? Then we went to get food - introduced everyone to fried cheese curds. Lynn shared some ice cream with Joe - that was a nice end to the afternoon! Julie, Joe, Tom and Lynn took one car home, while the rest stayed at the fair. Nick got to check out the new XBox Kinnect system at a promo booth, and he and Kate went on a few rides at the Midway. From there we stopped to see the Dairy princess having her likeness carved in butter, and wrapped it all up with the seed art and honey. We were all exhausted at the end and were glad to make it home!

Whoa, who are all these people?

Joe came home Thursday to a house full of people! He got to see Aunt Kate, Uncle Scott, Nick, Grandpa Tom and Lynn. He put them right to work at the sandbox while Clara looked around and took it all in. Welcome to Minnesota everyone!

A Bird and a Boo

Clara still nurses upstairs in the big bed in the morning. When she's done, she burps (still a big burper!), and then we read some books. Sometimes Ted makes the selections (sometimes, his selections are revised). Then, Julie makes her legs into a diamond and puts Clara between them with her head resting on Julie's feet which are bottoms together. This is the only way Belly Bird won't flip over! Clara looks at the books pretty carefully. After that, Clara hangs out on the floor while Julie makes the bed. Berenice is usually upstairs, too, and yesterday morning, she plopped herself down right next to Bird.

I Got Your Back

Joe has got Clara's back. In the morning, Clara will often hang out in her crib listening to the mobile under Joe's watchful supervision while we gather the flotilla of supplies* we all need for the day. He is the mixmaster and can be found reaching around the slats of the crib to press the buttons and change up the tune (really, as you may have guessed, he just never met a button that didn't need some pressing). All manner of animals will be brought in a sort of zoo share program if you will. In the evening, if time permits, we will play upstairs. Here, too, Joe will be busy making sure Clara has some things with which to occupy herself. Here is a selection of shots in which you can see Joe's offerings to Clara. He really is terribly sweet about it all.

(As you can also see, Clara has started to work on sitting up with support. But nothing beats being on the belly.)

*Flotilla of supplies: Ted's work bag; Julie's bag; the pumping bag; the bottle bag; diapers, wipes, diaper cream, swim suit, swim shoes as necessary; show 'n' share item as necesary; and whatever toy Joe has deemed necessary to make the journey to school with on any given day (today's special guests were two elephants).

Dada Helicopter

As long time readers know, when Julie stopped nursing Joe, we changed the before-bed-storytime location from the couch (where we'd also nursed) to upstairs in the reading nook. But when Julie got further along with Clara and wasn't able to hoist The Giant up and down the stairs anymore, the Dada Bus was born. We're back downstairs on the couch for before-bed-storytime now, but Joe is still ferried to bed on either the Daddy Bus or, of late, the Mama Choo-Choo Train. Monday night, when Ted was taking Clara off to her bath, she rode the Dada Helicopter. She's a little lighter than Our Hero so this works!

One Exhausted Bird

Clara was TUCKERED OUT on Monday! She snoozed all the way home, all the way into the nursery, all the way to bathtime. And no wonder. her report said "Today I. . .was busy pivoting around in a circle during tummy time. WOW." It's true. She is everywhere on her belly. Put on her back, she continues to flip over immediately and head on off to see what she can see. Her little knees are often all ruddy at pick up at day's end from her using them to push herself around on the carpet at school.

The girls

Look at my two girls. Aren't they a pair?

Haircut

This morning Ted took Joe to get his haircut (Joe's, not Ted's). The waiting area was the best part though. He lined up all the lotions, stacked all the face creams and did a little dance while shaking the nail polish (Joe not Ted). He was good while he was getting his haircut, too. We now have a few standard distractions--a couple stickers and the hair clamps that can be pretend ducks. And as usual he was fawned over by all the ladies.

Hey, Soul Sister

Tonight, Joe was on the hunt for his purple straw cup which is MIA. While he was out on patrol, Clara had a dance party with Julie. They hit the truly obscure (Skinny Dippin', an original composition by Whitney Duncan, Nashville Star finalist, when it was still on USA and uncorrupted by Big TV) as well as the familiar current hits (Train's Hey, Soul Sister) before we moved on to the hits of yesteryear (Rolling Stones' Beast of Burden and The Manhattans' Shining Star). The purple straw cup was never found, but Joe had his own musical moment when he was taking a bath. Ted turned the radio on so Joe could hear a "guitar song" which is what he calls all songs on the radio after hearing Night Moves one morning in the car on the way to school and was told it was a guitar song. (At least we get to listen to the radio more often now, because that's where the guitar songs are heard.)

Wildermuth

Tonight after bath we were looking at some pictures of friends and family. When we got to Elsa, Joe said "first name Elsa" I said, "you're right, her last name is Wildermuth....can you say Wildermuth?" At which point I grabbed the camera. A nod to our friends in Salt Lake...

Joe's Favorite Things, Part One of a Four Part Series*

1. Miss Nicholle. Fans, as you know, it is a true love affair and thus, we do need to give Miss Nicholle top billing.

2. The broom.

3. Soccer balls. GOAL!

4. Books. Current favorites include Goodnight Moon and Put Me in the Zoo. Tonight, Down by the Cool of the Pool and Little Gorilla were requested. Neither have been in the mix for some time.

5. Out-tide. Go out-tide?

6. Porch. Go on porch?

7. Mexican food. Our Hero does love him some black beans, quesadillas, burritos, guacamole, and Chipotle.

8. Going to Target. Shopping cart! Cookie!

9. Running around naked.

10. Water. In the sink, in the water can, coming out of the hose, at the splash pad, in the bath tub. . .

11. Apple juice and pancakes.

12. Mommy, Daddy, Baby Clara Jane, Berenice, and Raleigh. He seems partial to us. Lucky for us, as we could never do without him.

Stay tuned for part two in our four part series. . .

*We must give credit where credit is due. The idea for this post was ripped straight from the pages of the blog of our good friend, Ms. Mia, Kendra's granddaughter.

Put me in the zoo!

This morning we decided to go to Como Zoo, which is the smaller of the two zoos in the Twin Cities - but it is also closer and free. The highlight of the trip was the baby giraffe that was born last week - it was 5'6" and 145 lbs at birth! Joe also really liked the lions and asked to "go down there" so he could be closer to them. We also saw a mountain lion climbing, a tiger pacing, two reindeer roaming, an orangutan grazing, lots of monkeys playing, a big gorilla sitting, a zebra standing, a few sea lions swimming, and a polar bear sleeping. All of that in about an hour - we had to get back home for naptime! Clara looked around from the close confines of the Moby sucking her fingers while Joe walked and hung from all the railings he could find.

Party in Orono

Yesterday we all went out to Orono for Nyla and Louis' family party. Nyla is Julie's Great Aunt on her mother's side. Joe was a little overwhelmed at first, but warmed up when he found a purple soccer ball to play with. Clara kept snug with Julie in the Moby wrap but was peeking out at people and winning them over with her good looks. After a long stretch of heat and humidity it was a beautiful day to play and eat outside!

Afternoon Naps: Same Time! Same Room!

Fans, right at this very moment, both Ekkers children are asleep in their room! We have been tracking Baby Brid's naps on her daily reports from daycare, and it seems she has pretty well sorted herself into a morning nap around 8am and so we've decided we can no longer be toting her here and there and letting her sleep on the fly. Instead, we'll do what we can to make sure she's usually at home and in her crib for naps (hence the boys' trip to Target and Whole Foods this morning without the girls).

The morning nap is all well and good in that at most we'd have to take Joe in there for a diaper change and he gets he needs to be quiet in the room when Clara is sleeping, and generally is. But we'd never attempted any mixing during Joe's afternoon nap and as we may have noted before, there is little (read: nothing) out there in books on this topic. So today, we bit the bullet!

Clara got sleepy as expected shortly before noon, and Julie put her down. All was well. But then, trouble: just before Joe was carried in, Baby Bird awoke! Julie and Ted were like, "No way, Bird." She was still tired; her cries totally gave it away! So she cried off and on for about half and hour. Joe made no sound (must have been mystified by someone making almost as much noise as he usually does before going to sleep), and now, they are both napping, in the afternoon, in the same room!

Shopping with Daddy

Today Ted and Joe went shopping by themselves, and it was a big trip to make with our various stacking Target coupons. Joe was great the whole time in anticipation of his cookie at the end of the trip. We piled the cart high with diapers, fall kids clothes, and groceries. Joe had to make room for the Cheerios! We also went to Whole Foods, aka "the cheese and sticker place." for some groceries. When we got home, Joe carried a bag all the way from the car to the porch by himself and then started taking out groceries from the bag. He is a great helper!

Ovenplace

Tonight, we read Goodnight Moon. Joe followed the little mouse from page to page, but was also intensely interested in the fireplace which he was intermittently calling the "ovenplace." No doubt because he knows the oven is hot ("no touch," "Mommy Daddy only") and had been told the fire place was hot inside, but made the room warm. He noted we did not go inside the ovenplace, and Julie quickly concurred. This ain't no wardrobe with a magical wood beyond, and we're fresh out of Floo Powder. But then, we're fresh out of ovenplaces, too.

Spiky Hairdo

Joe's Aunt Kate and Uncle Scott got him a subscription to a little magazine called Baby Bug which features short stories, songs, and poems, all revolving around the theme of that month's issue. They feature a reoccurring dynamic duo of a little girl named Kim and her ever-present companion, the stuffed bunny Carrots. In one Baby Bug, Kim and Carrots take a bath* and Kim gets a spiky hairdo as does Carrots. Joe has been asked before during bath if he would like a spiky hairdo, and has always responded in a very worried tone "no spiky hairdo," but that all changed tonight.

*We also wonder about Carrots being allowed in the tub.

Mirror, Mirror. . .

We hauled the mirror we had initially bought when Joe was in physical therapy back out for Baby Bird, thinking she might find it fun to look at the reflections. Oh she loved it, Fans! She broke out the big smile. She started out pretty far away for a Baby Bird, but she belly surfed with all her might on over to Julie's reflection and went in for the nuzzle. (This belly surfing, by the way, is undoubtedly what she is now routinely doing at night in her crib, waking up frustrated once she reaches the shore, if you will, of the crib slats.)

In the Buck

It's the best way to be! As longtime, loyal Fans know, the wee-est of the Minnesota Ekkers have sensitive skin prone to diaper rash and Our Hero had a rough go of it last week. So in an effort to get that little bum super dry, Joe was allowed to run around naked for a bit the other night. Ted reported that initially Joe was confused and wondered where his "fresh new diaper" was. But soon, the delight took over because Julie was upstairs nursing Clara and heard all kinds of joyful shrieking.

Whoooo! and Alligator Purse

Last week, Julie was in the Red Balloon Bookshop near William Mitchell where she spied a copy of The Lady With the Alligator Purse--a sing along song book. She thought she knew a little boy who would love it so she scooped that right up and brought it home (along with Ollie the Stomper, a friend of the fine flock of goslings: Gossie, Gertie, and Boo Boo) and indeed, it is now in heavy rotation. Making a comeback is Bears in the Night, probably because it features an owl and Joe has been all about his owl of late. Much hilarity ensues when the climactic "WHO!" from the owl on Spook Hill is reached. (Ollie is also requested, and it must be said, it's pretty charming to hear that little tongue try to wrap around Ollie.)

Happy Monday

Here is the gang on their way to school. Julie in a new dress from her Mom, Joe with his water and Owl ("No owl at school, stay in car"), and Clara Jane in her "rainbow" onesie.

JTMWO

Joe likes his ABCs. He has a little phonics toy on the fridge that sings the alphabet song as well as a little rhyme or lesson for each individual letter you put in it. Ted came up with a new game, in which he asks Joe to tell him a letter, Ted draws it on a piece of paper, then Joe finds that letter on the fridge and places it in the phonics player and we sing along. Then Ted tells him words that begin with that letter. It's great fun! Joe's go-to letters are J (duh), T, M, W, and O but he will go for others too. Ted took this picture when he took up the game on his own, getting the player off the fridge and mimicking the drawing of the letter ( M and W seen in picture is from an earlier game that day).

I-You

Lately, Joe can be heard saying things like "I-you up big boy bed?" We quickly figured out that he is splitting the difference on the pronouns. He seems to have doped out that when referring to himself, one says "I" which has increasingly replaced his older construction in which he would say, for example, "Joe Joe up big on bed?", but he hears us referring to him as you ("You're up on the big boy bed."). So it seems he's splitting the difference until he's got those tricky pronouns sorted out: it's "I-you" for now.

Slide

Sunday morning, the boys were off on a bike ride to the grocery store that has Fat Free Fig Newtons and oyster crackers (neither are stocked at the Super Target; boo). The girls, meanwhile, were at home and while Julie prepped the lasagna we had for dinner, Baby Bird hung out on the floor. She got after both of the toys that are in front of her here, and being pulled across the floor on the blanket. (Julie had the radio on and the Goo Goo Dolls' Slide came on which gave her this brilliant idea.) When the boys got home, we learned that they had seen a choo-choo train and rode alongside it for a bit. Joe was so excited he could barely get the words out. Julie would not, in fact, have guessed what he was trying to say if Ted hadn't sent a text while they were stopped and watching it chug by.

Party Hat

Joe and Clara both have hooded bath towels with coordinating wash cloths, both of which have their names embroidered on them. It is perhaps because the wash cloths are just the right size for little hands that Joe is fond of carting them about. Whatever the reason, sometimes, they are worn on the head, and when they are, they are referred to as "party hats." (We understand party hats were featured at at least one of the birthday parties in the rash of spring birthdays at KinderCare. We trust those party hats were not terry cloth.)** Here, Saturday, Julie was making cookies when Joe appeared and instructed her to don a party hat. (Raleigh was denied this honor.)

**Co-editor's note: "Party hat" was first noted by Joe when he saw himself in the mirror after bath one day and noticed the hood on the towel was in a little point on top of his head. He dreamed up the idea of using the coordinating (and within reach) wash cloths for party hats all on his own.

Bumbo

Last night, while we were lounging outside before dinner, Julie decided to bring out the Bumbo seat for Clara and see if she was big enough for it. You can see no--she is still a little floppy for it, but she did like being able to see things like the colorful ball. Meanwhile, Joe was smitten with a new elephant that Julie bought him while out and about with Kendra and her daughter Courtney, and granddaughter Mia, on Thursday. (Joe's favorite book right now is My Elephant that he and Julie got at the library on the day he was out with pink eye; see the Library post of July 29). He also will gladly tell you that an elephant makes a "biiiiiiiiiig poop!" (which he learned in Everyone Poops). So each child was occupied with a new treasure. And Ted couldn't help taking advantage of that little round head perched just so!

Father Daughter Day

Every Saturday morning this summer, Julie has met up with Sara for a Joe and Graham play date (it's faux Little Gym/music classes!). Until this weekend, she had also taken Clara with her--partly because she loves to have Clara with her, and partly because Ted would use that time to mow the lawn or paint the windows. Now that the windows are done (thank the Lord) and Clara is starting to sort a morning nap, Ted was put in charge of the Baby Bird for the morning, as well as for a short time this afternoon when Julie ran out to the bookstore and Whole Foods. Ted and Bird's first activity of the morning was reading a book, which of course Raleigh wanted to listen to as well. Later they tried out the Exersaucer, which Clara seemed to like but was still too floppy to truly enjoy. The afternoon was spent napping on the bed because Joe was taking his nap and we didn't want to risk waking either child up. All in all, it was a nice day for father and daughter--cooing, smiles, and burping by both!

*Julie is told by her parents that she used to sleep as Clara does--on her tummy with her butt in the air!

Tour de Target

This evening, we took the family to Target. Last week, Ted revealed to Joe that at Target one could get a free cookie from the bakery so now Joe says "Go Target get coookie?!" The free cookie is acquired at the end of the trip and lasts through checkout. As an extra bonus at checkout this week, we found a pair of promotional sunglasses sitting in the corner of the cart. Our guess is they were a give away at the Tour de Tonka bike race today (classy sounding isn't it?). Joe had great fun putting on the sunglasses. Julie and Ted were reminded of Sanne's very cool yellow sunglasses and thought she would be proud of our boy. And yes, those are cookie crumbs on his mouth--calorie loading before his big race.

The Battle of the Blanket

Tonight, Joe yapped to himself for a good hour after we put him down, before falling asleep. When Julie went in as usual to pet each child on the head and say "I love you Joseph Trump Ekkers/Clara Jane Ekkers," we found that Joe had waged an especially arduous battle tonight. Tough to say who won: Boy or Blanket. The Bird, meanwhile, slept on in just the position she had fallen asleep in.

Svelte Joe

We had planned to go for a walk in the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden after Joe woke up from his nap, but we got so hot and sticky while we were out in the yard during his nap that we decided to save it for another day. Instead, we dragged out the water table and set the sprinkler to going. Now it's not your every two-year-old young man that pull off this look, but ours can, we think.