The Dynamic Duo

This weekend found us at Graham and Connor's house where Joe and Graham quickly got busy with their favorite activity these days: putting out fires. Fans, the way you put out fires when you are two and a half or three, is you grab one of your blue, plastic, toy golf clubs, and you find a piece of furniture to beat with it. Graham's bed is on fire A LOT. By the time that well had run dry, Connor was up from his morning nap, and as the fires were all but ashes, Derek took the boys to the basement. Julie and Sara stayed upstairs. This is what they heard (and Fans, you'll want to turn the volume WAY up for this one):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz3JJ5nIg4M*

Derek had asked the boys to "do a duet." You may have guessed this bit.

*Special thanks to Derek for filming this moment.

Spring Cleaning

There may still be snow on the ground, but Julie and Joe were doing some spring cleaning. Joe chose to do it in the buff, I guess he didn't want to get his clothes dirty. With the weather still cold, we didn't venture out much except for a brief visit to the library on Saturday to pick out a couple "Olivia" books for Joe. We are hoping the snow finally melts by this weekend!

Birdie Busts a Move

Brigade, Our Birdie likes her a groove, and to bust a move. It's pretty fabulous. She likes to be-bop to the farm on the refrigerator that has six animals in two pieces and has songs for when a match has been made, and not.* She also likes to throw her hands up for her "La cocina! It's the kitchen!" mini-kitchen. All this week, the reports of her daily doings from school have been filled with commentary on her busting a move: "Today I showed teacher how I dance by swinging my arms back and forth and rocking too! :) "; "Today Clara had a good day playing music with her friends. She enjoyed making music and exploring new sounds." We can report that both of Clara's teachers are country music fans (her new teacher Ms. Shelby is also a native Texan!), so today, Clara reportedly enjoyed listening to some country music for kids. Here she is showing off her moves at dinner. (Joe shows off eating and talking at the same time.)

*e.g. "You've made a match! Look what you've found! You've made a match! Hear a cow sound! MOOOOO!"

"You put a cow in front you put a duck behind! Put them together and what do you find? A cow duck?! That's silly!"

Ted and Joe's Excellent Adventures Part 2

We were in the home stretch, it was 3 pm, and it was a sunny day with a warm spring sun slowly melting the 4 inches of snow from yesterday, so outside adventure it was! Ted started in on making a snow man - the Minnesota snow is usually so powdery that we only get snowman snow in the spring. Joe pattered around the yard after absconding with the grill brush, and watched Berenice run around in the snow with her toy. Joe occasionally helped pat the snow man but found many other things to play with - like his sandbox which was uncovered from snow for the first time in about 4 months. After the snowman was built Joe immediately asked if we would put a scarf on him and named him Frosty the Snowman. So we got a scarf form inside and Frosty was complete.

From there Ted decided to use the roof rake for hopefully the last time this season. Joe watched and kept asking why we were getting snow off the roof, which got us into explaining the effects of ice dams on a house (it's never to early to learn these lessons). After our roof raking we went to get our shovels, but in all the distractions, Ted left the gate open. When he realized it and saw Joe standing near the gate, Ted asked Joe where Berenice was, and Joe calmly pointed behind him. So Joe was told to "stay there" while Ted jogged out towards the street to see Berenice down the block barking at a school bus. Joe was again told to "stay there" while Ted walked down the street to Berenice, who when she saw Ted, immediately laid down to wait for him (impressive actually!). Joe was within eye sight the whole time and was mostly staying put, slowly walking down the front path. With Berenice back inside, Joe requested more shoveling. So we went to the driveway and shoveled away some snow. Ted told Joe that Mommy would be home soon, and so Joe requested that we sit and wait for her. So we hauled out a couple lawn chairs, put them in the sun, and enjoyed a few minutes of snow/sun bathing until Julie and Clara showed up. Clara inspected the snow man, approved, and soon we were all inside for our normal evening wrap up. It was an interesting day, but we had a lot of fun!

Ted and Joe's Excellent Adventures Part 1

If you read the previous post, then you know why Ted and Joe were home today. We pattered around for a while, Ted canceled some stuff at work, and then we went to the basement to change around the laundry (which included Joe's stuffed animals and blankets to rid them of any pink germs). Joe had his usual adventures pulling out toys from the dark corners of the basement, pretending he is going to "starfox" and commenting on Ted's every movement. Joe was coaxed upstairs with promises of fruit snacks and Ted prepared for the next adventure. Joe made a stop to the potty, and I won't share the details, but let's just say I missed a spot. From that lovely task, we departed the house for, what else, Target!

We drove across the river, which means tunnels and bridges for which Joe clapped in delight, and went to the St. Paul Target. First stop was for Joe's cookie at the deli counter, and then to pick up a few items in short supply at the house, and to allow Ted to call into work while Joe was mesmerized by all the shiny and colorful things in the store. We burned up enough time so that we could drive to William Mitchell down the street and meet Julie for lunch.

Lunch was at the beloved Bread and Chocolate where we ordered our sandwiches, and as Ted was reaching the cash register he sees Julie and Joe conspiring at the cookie counter, Joe slapping the glass by the M&M cookies and Julie probably mentally joining him. So we sat down with our lunches and a big M&M cookie sitting in the middle. You are probably not surprised to know that Joe asked for his cookie about 57 times while we ate lunch, and he picked at his food while looking longingly at that cookie or at the other kids in the room who all had red balloons because the Mommy and Me reading session at the Red Balloon Bookstore had just let out. Well we finally shared that cookie, and it was good.

We made a visit into Julie's work where Joe sat down and colored some admissions handouts in Kendra's office matching the marker color to the paper color. He spied some colorful post-it notes as well and claimed them his own before saying goodbye to everyone and heading out the door. On the ride home, Joe fell asleep, so at home Ted scooped him up and got him to bed after a quick diaper change, and leaving his pants off for nap. With his animals in the wash Joe was allowed to keep his newly prized colorful post-it notes for nap time. Scene.

(open on Ted working upstairs) Because Joe had a cat nap in the car, he wasn't very sleepy anymore, so Ted heard him for the next hour babbling and banging. At one point, Joe called out for Ted, which is unusual, so he crept downstairs and opened the door to see Joe kneeling up on the bed facing away from the door babbling at post-it notes scattered all across the bed. Ted quietly closed the door and hoped for the best. A little more time went by, boy still babbling, father still working, and again Ted heard his name being called. Went into his room again, this time to find Joe with pants on, no shirt, diaper laying open faced on his stool at foot of the bed. Joe requested that his diaper be put back on. Ted calmly obliged, reminded Joe that he should keep his diaper on, told him it was still nap time and left the room. And another hour of work for Ted until again he heard his name as well as the curious sound of the door handle being jiggled. It was nearing the end of natural nap time so Ted went downstairs and just as he got to Joe's room, the door was opened and out came Joe happy as a clam and greeting Ted as if it was no big deal that Joe has never gotten out of his bed on his own in his 32 months of existence. To add to the scene, his upper teeth were bright pink because as it was soon realized, he had spent that last hour munching on all the post-it notes. Joe's bed sheets had pink stains, and there were wet wads of paper scattered in his bed and on the floor. After the mini-panic attack of thinking Joe's mouth was bloody, Ted and Joe got some yogurt for snack and planned the final adventure...