One More Makes Four

Tanner's 4th Birthday Party

2010-06-19T16:07:00.000-05:00

Today we went to our neighbor, Tanner's, 4th birthday party. Yep, he's just about a week and a half older than Madeline and they've been playing together a lot lately. They had a bounce house, a Slip 'N Slide & lots of yummy food.

Everyone had a lot of fun & Tanner got a lot of cool things - including abuilding set from Madeline.

What a great day for a party!

Beautiful Evening Outside

2010-06-18T20:59:00.000-05:00

We've been having some great weather lately and it's always nice to get outside after dinner. Sam loves exploring in the weeds in the lot next door and running down the sidewalk.

There were lots of hugs for Daddy tonight!

Madeline and the neighbor, Tanner, have been inseperable lately. Whenever they're allowed they dress up like a princess and Buz Light Year.

Tonight Tanner told his mom that Madeline was his "girlfriend". This may cause some problems in about 10 years, but for now they're just cute :)

Time to make some waffles!

2010-06-12T15:51:00.000-05:00

One of Madeline & Sam's favorite breakfasts is blueberry-yogurt waffles. We always make a bunch at a time and put them in the freezer for quick and easy toasting in the morning. Well, we were out so it was time to make a new batch. Madeline loves helping make them

She's a pretty silly girl, but always a great help :)

Sam's not quite old enough to help so he decided he'd just brush his tooth while he waited to help with the eating part :)

Another successful waffle-making adventure!

Fun on the Deck

2010-06-11T20:34:00.002-05:00

So, it was time for jammies and (like usual) Sam took off as soon as we had his clothes off. Out to the deck he went with only his diaper on...

As soon as Madeline saw this she stripped down to her undies and followed him out...

We'd normally ask her to come right back in and get some clothes on, but they were just too cute not to snap a few pictures first :)

After taking a look at the shots I got I noticed that we just might have a future underwear model on our hands... Check out Sammie's runway moves!

Oh - how can you not just love them to pieces :)

Another Day at the Zoo!

2010-06-06T15:00:00.001-05:00

Today the whole family went to the zoo - we're definitely going to get our use out of our membership this year! It's been over a year since daddy has come with us so there was a lot of new things to show him. The bears were probably his favorite... you can see one here in the background, way up on the rock!

We were there with our friends, the Kaplas. Maddie & Addi are the best of friends and really enjoyed the farm exhibit. They got to see baby cows, pigs and bunnies. Plus they got to pet a baby chick and feed the goats. Here you can see them climbing a gigantic pig and playing in the barn "haystack" :)

After seeing all of the animals and having a picnic lunch we put on the kids suits and headed to the splash pad. Madeline really hasn't been liking sprinklers too much this year so instead of getting wet we headed to the play area :)

The kids were pretty good all day, so we got ice cream cones as a special treat.

Sam screamed until I finally let him hold the cone all by himself...

Amazingly, most of it went in his mouth... pretty sure he consumed more sugar in that one sitting than he has had in the last month - he LOVED it!

Boogie Woogie Dance Party!

2010-06-04T17:59:00.001-05:00

This morning we headed over to the Shakopee Community center for a Boogie Woogie Dance Party!!! We met all of our friends there and had a blast dancing, catching bubbles, kicking balloons & playing guitar :)

All of that dancing made us work up quite an appetite so we ALL headed to Pizza Hut for some lunch - what a great morning!

Memorial Day!

2010-05-31T17:42:00.000-05:00

What perfect weather for Memorial Day! We spent the morning working on the yard/garden and then headed over to our friends' house for a BBQ. Lot's of friends & lots of great food :)

The kids got in a little pool time and a lot of sprinkler time ;)

What a great day! It's so nice to have such great friends :)

Peanut & Sunflower Planting

2010-05-30T17:08:00.001-05:00

Yep, that's right - peanuts! Matt wishes that he could grow all of his favorite things on our tiny plot of land in Suburbia but, since we only have 0.25 acres and coffee won't grow in Minnesota, we're settling for peanuts and sunflowers. We LOVE roasted peanuts, peanut butter & sunflower seeds, so hopefully the seeds we planted today will help us grow/make these things on our own!

She was SOOOOO excited to be planting peanuts!

Once again Sam just observed - but loved being outside :)

Quite an experiment, but it will be great if it turns out :)

Planting our garden!

2010-05-29T16:42:00.033-05:00

What a great day to plant our garden! The weather was spectacular so everyone enjoyed our morning outside planting and watering seeds :)

We planted squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas, carrots, spinach, mint, thyme, cilanto & basil!

Madeline liked helping :)

Sam just enjoyed his time outside :)

And his time with Mommy's cousin, Greta - it was so great that she could stop by for a visit!

We hope the marigolds we planted around the outside of the garden keeps those bunnies away! Can't wait for things to start growing :)

Chutes & Ladders

2010-05-28T19:16:00.002-05:00

Today our Friday Field Trip with the Prior Lake Area Moms group was to the Chutes and Ladders play area at Hyland Park. We haven't been here since last year so it was really fun to see Madeline climb higher and explore more of the park this year!

Sam had fun too, climbing and hiding :)

Maddie and her friend, Nissa, had a great time playing and pretending they were princesses in a castle :)

After lunch we went home for naps and then Aunt Melanie came to play. Sammie got his first sprinkler experience with his Godmother...

Ready, Set, Go!

We eventually got a smile out of him :)

Maddie's Last Day of Preschool

2010-05-27T17:55:00.001-05:00

Today was Madeline's last day of preschool. She had a fun year with Mrs. Judd at the Shakopee Area Catholic Schools. There were only 3 kids in her class, so they got to know each other well. Here she is with her class:

Satchel, Maddie, Mrs. Judd & Spenser

She's learned a lot... coloring, cutting, drawing, letters, numbers, sounds and how to write her name!

She loved everything about school - we hope that lasts for a long time!

Sammie's First Hair Cut!

2010-05-25T15:33:00.000-05:00

Probably a little overdue, but today Sammie got his first hair cut! Here's the before shot:

He was so enamored with Dora on the TV that he barely noticed the first snip :)

Hardly any fussing the whole time -

Who knew this would be so easy?

He thought the blow dryer was a little strange, but he handled it well :)

Now we have one dapper little dude!

A Tuesday trip to the Zoo!

2010-05-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday, so that means time for our Tuesday Playdate! Today we headed back to the MN Zoo - first trip there in a long time. First we checked out the monkeys and fish inside. Then we headed outside -

of course the play area was a hit with all of the kids!

After prying the kids out of the play area we headed to our favorite spot - the grizzly bears!

We also saw wild boars, the tail of a leopard and the ear of a tiger... Most of the animals were hiding in the shade trying to stay cool!

A Day with the Kapla Family

2010-05-22T19:37:00.002-05:00

Warm weather has made it's way back to MN and we were so excited to have a chance to take advantage of it today...
Forecast: 84 and Sunny - chance of rain 10%!
A perfect day to participate in the Shakopee Wheelies Bike Ride/Expo. We packed the kids and a picnic lunch in the Chariot (bike attachment for the kids) and left the house around 8:30. We got to the park, where the ride was scheduled to start, a little before 9. We met Holly, Drew, Addi and Zac and headed out for our 10 mile ride to Chaska (neighboring town). It was cloudy, but perfect for riding.

When we got back it was getting darker and darker and then the lightning and thunder started. So much for 84 and Sunny!!!! We all huddled under the playground equipment to wait out the rain. Unfortunately the rain didn't stop - it just rained harder! We made our way to the covered pavilion and set out our blanket for a picnic there. We were all wet and the wind was COLD! As soon as it started to let up we packed all the kids in their carts and biked the 2 miles back home.
Of course, as soon as we got home the rain stopped and the sun came out, but the kids were plain tuckered out from our adventures that morning...

Since we didn't get the picnic lunch and park play time we had planned with the Kapla family in the morning, we invited them over for burgers and hotdogs for dinner! The kids had a great time playing outside.

Maddie and Addi are two princess peas in a pod - I think they could talk about and dress up like princesses all day, every day! Once dinner was done we started a bonfire and the girls put on their Tinkerbell jammies.

We had marshmallows and the kids ran through the weeds in the empty lot next door with flashlights, picking flowers - they had a blast! We can't wait to have the Kapla family over again :-)

Playdate at the Caldie Residence!

2010-05-18T17:08:00.001-05:00

This morning we made our way to Elsa & Edwin's house for a playdate...

No pictures of our kids today, but some fun ones of our friends!

Edwin showed us his T-Ball skills...

Michael and Kevin had a blast playing on the "roller coaster"...

And Elsa Picked flowers for everyone :)

Thank you Yaro for being such a great hostess!

The weather is FINALLY nice!

2010-05-16T21:23:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful day!

After rain ALL last week it was to spend the whole day outside...

Mommy went kind of crazy with the picture taking :) Here are her favorites...

and here are the rest!

After all that playing outside the kiddos were ready to settle in with Grandma Sonja for a few books before bed!

We're sad that she has to leave tomorrow :(

The Stats are In!

2010-05-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

Sam had his 1 year well-child visit with Dr. Tracey today. Aside from a little eczema he looks great! He's meeting all of the developmental milestones and keeping on track with his growth:

Height: 29.75 inches (50th %)

Weight: 21 lbs. 1.5 oz (25th %)

Head Circumference: 47.4 cm (80th %)

He must be a smarty because his head is growing faster than the rest of him ;) He doesn't weight very much, but seems big compared to Madeline at this age!

Playdate with the Kaplas!

2010-05-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

Today we had Zac, Addison and their Mommy, Holly, over for a playdate at our house!

The girls spent the entire morning dressing up like their favorite princesses :)

The boys enjoyed trucks and cars while the girls danced around the living room :)

It's so great to have such good friends to play with!

Sammie's First Birthday!

2010-05-13T22:01:00.004-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!

We can't believe it's been a whole year - look at how big you've gotten!

Grandma Sonja arrived just in time for the big day and brought a few BIG boxes!
Sam really enjoyed finding out was inside...

A Big Boy chair just the right size for Sam...

It even works for two little kiddos!

Basketball was the next gift from Grandma Sonja - and oh, what a hit!

After presents, it started to rain while the sun was out so there was a beautiful double rainbow just for Sam on his birthday!

What a great way to end Sam's first year!!!

Celebrating Sam's birthday - just a little early ;)

2010-05-10T20:29:00.015-05:00

Sam turns One on Thursday!

Today we celebrated with family.

Godfather Keith was here...

Godmother Melanie was here...

and so was Grandma Judy, Dave, Great-Uncle Marv...

Great-Grandma Weiers & Great-Grandma Jen...

Sam loved the balloons and REALLY liked his cupcake!

Madeline liked the cupcakes too!

Time for Presents!

There were puzzles & toys and LOTS of clothes!

We just can't believe our little man is one already!

Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T20:48:00.002-05:00

We started off Mother's Day with a great breakfast with Mommy, Grandma Judy, Great Grandma Jen & Great-Aunt Kim! It was yummy :)

Then we headed to Grandma Judy's for a nap before heading over to Great-Grandma Weiers for our annual cookout with the Weiers clan! We got some great shots of ALL of the mommies and the kids...

Sam enjoyed talking to Great-Grandma Weiers and

Maddie loved running around the farm...

What a great Day!

Uncle Keith FINALLY gets to meet his godson!!!

2010-05-08T23:48:00.002-05:00

We haven't gotten to see Uncle Keith since we went to Cayman way back in January of 2009, but he finally flew in to town last night for a visit! This morning he got to meet Sam and see our house for the first time :)

He spent the whole day with the kids... building a Handy Manny birdhouse

Helping Sam with lunch...

Working on the yard...

Then, that night we had people over for a bonfire!

Maddie and Sammie sure do love having Uncle Keith around - we hope he comes back more often!!!

MN Landscape Arboretum Playdate

2010-05-05T16:23:00.004-05:00

This week our Tuesday group went to the MN Landscape Arboretum. We explored the learning center, played in the twig park

and saw so many beautiful flowers

and waterfalls!

The kids even found a neat bridge to play on!

After a quick lunch we hopped back in the car and headed to Maddie's preschool.

Another great morning with our friends!

Yard Day!

2010-05-02T20:10:00.039-05:00

We spent this morning at Grandma Judy's house for Mommy's cousin's fiance's wedding shower. While mommy and the kids were enjoying the yummy food at the shower, Daddy was hard at work outside digging up hostas and raspberry bushes for us to take home and replant in our yard! When we got home Daddy got right to work planting them while Madeline climbed on top of his truck and watched!

Mommy and Sammie worked on cleaning up the house while Daddy and Maddie worked outside... as usual Sammie found the pantry door open and headed straight for the recycling - his favorite thing!

Why can't I pick just one...

2009-08-29T19:32:00.002-05:00

Sam's weekly photo shoot resulted in way too many cute pictures for me to choose just one! So you get a slide show of all of my favorites :-)

Zac's Birthday Party

2009-08-22T16:27:00.001-05:00

Today we went to a birthday party for Zac - one of our friends from our Shakopee Mom's group. The party was at a near-by park and there were a lot of Maddie's and Sam's friends there. We had a yummy dinner of hotdogs, noodle salad, fruit, veggie's and chips - sooo good!
Then it was time to sing Happy Birthday and watch Zac blow out the candles on his lion birthday cake. Madeline & Ava really enjoyed their cupcakes. Then it was time for a water balloon fight - what a great idea! The birthday boy even got in on the action :-) Next we watched Zac open all of his gifts - Madeline did such a good job not sharing our secret about the Thomas the Train bath toy we got for Zac :-) Then it was off to the playground to wear off a little more energy.
All the while Sam just sat in his stroller and took it all in :-)

New Sandbox

2009-08-21T16:19:00.000-05:00

Madeline got a brand new sandbox (built by Daddy & Davey) for her birthday from Grandma Judy, Dave & Godmother Alyssa. We finally got it out in the yard after we laid the sod. Now it is something she plays in almost every day! Tonight her and Daddy spent the evening building sand castles! Sam fussed when he couldn't join in the fun, but we told him he could play in it when he was a little older - he seemed to calm down after that :-)

Family Time

2009-08-19T14:58:00.000-05:00

Tonight Daddy snapped a few pictures of Madeline, Mommy & Sam.
Madeline held Sam for a little bit, but she was way more interested in her bedtime show than holding her little brother... So Mommy took a turn :-)

Madeline's First Gymnastics Class

2009-08-18T14:47:00.000-05:00

With all of Aunt Melanie's gymnastics meets that Madeline has gone to, she has really taken an interest in gymnastics so we've finally decided to get her in a class. We are still trying to decide which gym to have her go to, so we had our first trial class at the Classic Gym in Chanhassen today. The other kids already knew the routine, so Madeline just followed along as best as she could :-) They did some stretching, jumped on the trampoline, practiced on the balance beam, swung on the bars & tumbled over obstacles. She really had a good time. We'll choose a gym soon and have her start in a few weeks... I have a feeling she'll be flipping all over the place before we know it!

Plus, here are a few more pictures of our smiling Sam!

Big Boy in the Bumbo!

2009-08-16T13:52:00.003-05:00

Sam has been doing such a good job holding his head up we decided to pull out the Bumbo and see what he could do! It didn't last for more than a minute or two, but we think he liked it :-)

Rolling Over

2009-08-13T12:38:00.000-05:00

His Smile is Contagious!!! So, he did it a few times earlier this month, but this past week Sam started rolling over from his back to his tummy whenever he wants!!! Now he just gets upset that he doesn't know how to get back over :-)

Uptown Art Fair

2009-08-08T12:24:00.003-05:00

Today we went to uptown Minneapolis to check out the 3 art fairs that were going on. Since the art fairs were somewhat spread out we took the shuttle between them... Madeline & Sam got their first ride on a city bus and they thought it was great fun! Grandma Judy, Dave, Marv, Kim, Troy & Greta met us there. There was so much to look at but, unfortunately, we didn't find anything to bring home. Later that night Madeline helped Daddy give Sam a bath - it was too cute! We even got a giggle out of him (he just started giggling earlier this week!) :-)

National Night Out

2009-08-04T11:46:00.001-05:00

Tonight our whole neighborhood gathered at the park to celebrate National Night Out!
15 out of the 17 families were able to make it, so it was a great night to get better acquainted with everyone. We all brought a dish to share and something to throw on the grill. As usual the food was great and the company was even better :-) The kids had a blast playing at the park, but the highlight was getting to climb on the firetruck and in the police car that stopped by!!!

BBQ at Marv & Kim's

2009-08-03T11:31:00.001-05:00

Tonight we headed to Great-Uncle Marv & Great-Aunt Kim's house for a BBQ! We do this at least once every summer and it's always a lot of fun. Along with the usual crowd (Marv, Kim, Greta, Jake, Melanie, Grandma Judy & Dave) were a few fun additions... Great-Uncle Willy & Great-Aunt Alvina, PLUS cousin Troy made it all the way from New York!Madeline wore off some energy picking flowers, playing hide and seek and chasing Grandma Judy. Sam just relaxed and let everyone enjoy his contagious smile :-) We love BBQ's!

Derby Days Parade

2009-08-02T10:45:00.000-05:00

Today was the last day of the Shakopee Derby Days Celebration and they had a parade! We went packed up some sandwiches and headed downtown to get a good spot! We had enough time before the parade started for a picnic lunch :-) Then we waited for the parade to start! Madeline thought the fire trucks were too loud, but she thoroughly enjoyed the rest of it! She waved to everyone and got a TON of candy - we may not even have to go Trick-or-Treating because I'm sure this stash will last us until the new year!!!

What a beautiful day for a picnic and parade :-)

Sawdust Tearsure Hunt

2009-08-01T10:24:00.000-05:00

The Annual Shakopee Derby Days continued today with a sawdust treasure hunt for the Kiddos! Sam is still a little too young to participate, but we convinced Madeline to join in. There was about a 20' x 20' "Pile" of sawdust. Hidden inside was over $100 worth of quarters, nickles, dimes and washers. The first round was for all kids in Preschool and younger. She did a little digging, but seemed pretty overwhelmed by all of the kids, so she just decided to play with the sawdust instead :-) She ended up with a whopping 15 cents!!! She was so excited to bring it home and put it in her "hat" bank (MN Twins hat piggy bank)! We'll definitely go back next year to see her progress every year :-)

Kiddie Carnival Games

2009-07-31T16:38:00.000-05:00

Last night a few of Mommy's & Daddy's college friends came into town from Chicago. This morning after breakfast Mommy, Maddie, Sam, Kelly & Hans headed out to the Shakopee Derby Days Kiddie Carnival. Madeline played a bunch of games and won some cool prizes like a rainbow baton & a bouncy ball! Both Kelly and Hans spent quite a bit of time holding Sam and seemed to be really good with him.... maybe it's time they have one of their own?!?!?!
After playing all of the games we could take, we played at the park and then got a sandwich for lunch before heading home.

While Maddie took a nap Sam had his weekly photo shoot - pretty cute :-)

It was great the see Kelly & Hans and we hope they have a great time at the wedding they were going to in northern MN later this weekend... we REALLY enjoy having visitors so just let us know if you ever want to come and see us!!!

Taste of Shakopee

2009-07-30T16:32:00.000-05:00

The Taste of Shakopee was this evening so we headed out to see what kinds of food our great city had to offer. Nothing noteworthy to write about - just your typical festival foods, but it was still pretty good :-)
It started to sprinkle on us so we decided to head home a little early - on the way out we got a great shot of the beautiful rainbow we saw!

2 Month Stats

2009-07-28T13:15:00.003-05:00

Sam had his two month check-up today. He sure is growing fast!

Height: 23 1/4 inches (55th %)
Weight: 12 lbs. 2 oz. (55th %)
Head Circumference: 40.7 cm (70%)

Dr. Tracey said he looks great and she was very impressed with how well he is holding up his head :-)

He had his first round of shots today... he cried, but Madeline helped by telling him is was going to be ok - what a caring big sister :-)

Playdate/Reunion

2009-07-24T14:40:00.001-05:00

Today we met up with mommy's high school friends for a playdate! It was so fun to see everyone and meet all of their little ones. We went to a giant park in Minnetrista. The kids played while the moms caught up. All that playing (and talking) made us tired so we all sat down for a picnic lunch. We had a great time, and all agreed that we should get together more often :-)

Just the Two of them...

2009-07-23T14:34:00.000-05:00

I snapped a few shots of Big Sister & Little Brother today... I just hope they always love each other this much!!!!

Tuesday Playgroup at the MN Zoo

2009-07-21T14:24:00.000-05:00

Our Tuesday playgroup met at the MN Zoo again today - we just love having our zoo membership and being able to go whenever we want! Keven, Michael & Noah (and their mommies) were all there. Maddie & Michael admired the new water play area
(we'll have to bring our suits next time) before we headed out to see all of the animals. We learned all about bear claws and the kids liked watching the big piggys sleep. We enjoyed a great picnic lunch before we headed home. Another great playdate :-)

P.S.... a BIG congrats to ALL of the mommies in our playgroup - Joanne, Birgitta & Christine are all due with Baby #2 in the beginning of February!!!!

A Day at the MN Landscape Arboretum

2009-07-18T14:12:00.001-05:00

What a fun-filled day! When Madeline woke up Grandpa & Grandma Frantz took her out for a very special breakfast at McDonald's - what a treat :-) They said she ate pancakes, eggs, sausage, apples, milk, juice and too many other things to remember!!! When they got home we packed up and headed out the the MN Landscape Arboretum. There were so many good pictures that we put them in to a slide show instead of posting the all separately...

After a LONG day at the Arboretum, we came home for naps. Later that evening Grandma Judy and Dave came over and we headed into town for dinner. Mexican was a hit... Madeline LOVED her chips and salsa and her cheese quesidilla - yummy!!!

Grandma & Grandpa Frantz Visit!

2009-07-17T14:07:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa Frantz made the long drive from Indiana today. Grandma dove right in to reading the kiddos a few books - just what they love :-) We're looking forward to a great weekend with them in town!

A few shots of our little man

2009-07-13T13:56:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share a few shots of our little man - his smile is just too stinkin' cute!!!

July 12: Last Day

2009-07-12T19:47:00.000-05:00

It's our last day here in WI and our little stinker just woke up... she peeked out of the tent just in time to get swept up for a big Morning hug from Aunt Melanie :-) Sam was still sleeping so we cooked breakfast over the fire and started to pack up. We left the campground around noon and made one final stop at the Lake Owen Gymnastics camp to get the tour and say our good-byes to Melanie and Christianne. It was a long ride back, but it was worth it! We had such a great time!

Camping: Day 2

2009-07-11T15:01:00.004-05:00

Our first night went really well! Madeline put herself to bed in her tent (inside Grandma's tent) at about 9:30 and only got up once to go to the bathroom. Sam slept about 7 hours before he got up to eat - mommy liked this :-) He slept right between mom and dad on our air mattress, so he was toasty warm

We cooked breakfast over the fire eggs, toasted beagals & sausage - it was fantastic!
Madeline enjoyed exploring while we got the bikes packed up with lunch. Then we headed out to the beach. It was pretty chilly, with the wind blowing in off the lake, so we only stayed long enough to build a sand castle and eat lunch. Then we headed back to camp and played a few games Daddy's not really a "gamer", so while Madeline napped and the rest of us played cards, he and Sam just sat and relaxed and eventually fell asleep . After a delicious dinner cooked over the camp fire, Sam took another nap, Madeline read a few books, and then snuggled Daddy by the fire before bed. We all just LOVE camping!!!

Camping: Day 1

2009-07-10T18:23:00.003-05:00

Today we packed up all of camping things and headed to northern Wisconsin for the family's first camping trip of the season. We went to Two Lakes Campground on Lake Owen/Bass Lake in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The campground was beautiful - all of the campsites were right lakeside and covered with big beautiful trees.

Grandma Judy and Dave came with us -
it was both Dave's AND Sam's first time camping :-)

Once we got there we set up camp...

Sam loved watching all of the action!

Madeline was hungry so she ate her peanut butter sandwich while we got everything situated.

The reason we chose this area to camp is because Aunt Melanie is the camp director at Lake Owen Gymnastics Camp and wanted us to come and visit. After we got everything set up we drove to her camp and watched all of the gymnasts show off all of the new skills they had learned that week. Madeline loved all of the balance beams and trampolines - I think we have to get her signed up for a gymnastics class soon!

Later that evening Melanie and Christianne came to stay with us. We cooked some brats and pepperoni pizzas in our sandwich makers... Mmmmmm. We hope to get some biking in tomorrow!

Big Smiles

2009-07-09T14:47:00.001-05:00

Sam's smiles were big and plentiful again today - it was just 2 days ago that he started smiling when we ask him to - you've got to love it :-)it's so fun to see him so happy :-)

4th of July

2009-07-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

Today we headed out to Great-Grandma Weiers house for the annual family golf outing and picnic. It rained the whole time mommy & daddy golfed, but it was sunny skies for the kids at grandma's house :-) Madeline especially enjoyed her ice cream cone with cousin Alyshia! Sam got to meet our new cousin Jacob who's only 2 weeks younger than him - I'm sure next year they'll have a blast playing together! We played lots of outdoor games and snacked all day - you've got to love holiday's right?!?!?!?
Once it got dark we headed into town for fireworks. Maddie generally likes fireworks and told us what color each of them were, but the ones that just made noise were a bit too loud for her liking! It had been such a long day that she actually fell asleep half way though - a great end to a great day!

Mommy & Sammy Yoga

2009-07-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

While I was pregnant with Sam I went to quite a few yoga classes at this wonderful studio, Blooma, tailored especially for new and expecting mommas. I was so excited to go back again today and bring Sam with me. One of my favorite instructors (Jen), was having her weekly BYOB (Bring Your Own Baby) class and it was outstanding! Sam really seemed to like it and so did mommy :-) We twisted...and scrunched...we were warriors...and goddesses... We learned all sorts of great moves - even some that may help alleviate upset tummies! I'd love to go to class every week, but I'll be heading back to work on Thursday's soon - we'll have to find time to squeeze a class in here or there whenever we have the chance!

When we got home Maddie enjoyed the beautiful day by eating her lunch outside :-) Then she helped mommy & daddy plant our new tree in the front yard - what a great helper! She also helped with the retaining wall daddy is working on... she made sure that all of the flags were lined up just where she thought they needed to be :-)

2 Week Well Baby Visit

2009-05-27T13:21:00.002-05:00

Today was Sam's 2 week well baby visit... wow he's growing fast!

Height: 20 3/4 inches (50th %)
Weight: 7 lbs. 15.5 oz (20th %)
Head Circumference: 36.6 cm (25%)

Everything else checked out well - we have one healthy little boy :-)

Sledding with Aunt Melanie

2008-12-20T19:45:00.002-06:00

Mommy and Daddy are taking a few days to celebrate Mommy's 30th birthday and find the perfect Daycare for Miss Madeline, so Aunt Melanie and Grandma Judy volunteered to take care of Madeline.
Today Aunt Melanie took Madeline sledding... and taught her how to eat snow!!! After wearing off a bunch of energy outside they came into the house to warm up. Madeline didn't hesitate for a second when Grandma Judy asked her if she wanted to help her open a few Christmas gifts she received from her Kindergarten students. Last year Madeline wasn't too "in to" opening gifts, but we're pretty sure this year will be a whole different experience!

We'll miss you Uncle Phil...

2008-12-19T19:29:00.000-06:00

Mommy's Uncle Phil had been battling Non-Smoker's Lung Cancer for over a year and earlier this week his courageous battle came to an end. Services were held over the past few days with so many caring friends and family there to support Aunt Mary & Cousins Erin and Emily.

It was very sad to see him go, but we know that Uncle Phil is in a better place now and undoubtedly having a great time with his brother - Grandpa Ron :)

Uncle Nick flew in to town for the services and Madeline really enjoyed getting the opportunity to see him. We spent quite a bit of time at Grandma Judy's over they last few days remembering Uncle Phil with other friends and family. Madeline didn't really understand what was going on, but was happy that she got to spend time with so many people she doesn't get to see very often.

Tuesday Playgroup Christmas Party!

2008-12-16T19:08:00.000-06:00

Almost every Tuesday Mommy and Madeline get together with a great group of Mommies and Toddlers at various location in southwest Minneapolis. It's a great excuse to get out of the house a great chance for Madeline to play with other kids her age & a great time for Mommy to talk with some other adults!

Well, mommy just recently got offered the part-time job that she has been wanting for over a year! She'll be the new Product Manager of Single-Use Dosing Systems for Bosch Packaging. She used to work with this company while at her first job at Eli Lilly and is very happy to be getting back into the Pharmaceutical industry... now she just has to get the Engineering part of her brain working again! She'll officially start at the beginning of January, but had the opportunity to head out to Philadelphia to meet the project team this week - nothing like getting thrown into things quickly... Just two days of being away from home, so Daddy took the time off work to spend with Madeline :-)

Since Mommy was going to be gone on Tuesday and didn't want Madeline to miss the Tuesday playgroup Christmas Party, Daddy took Madeline to the party. Daddy dropped Madeline off with the other mommies and went out to do some Christmas shopping - THANK YOU other mommies for letting Madeline participate even though her own mommy couldn't be there!!!
We know she had a great time because it was ALL she talked about when she got home. It looks like there was some tickling that went on along with an art project...and treats!
What a great party!

Yep, that's right, Mommy and Daddy are pretty crazy trying to take on a new Baby, building a new house AND starting a new job, but we're sure everything will fall into place :-)

Christmas Card Photos

2008-12-14T18:59:00.002-06:00

Christmas card photos were a bit of challenge this year... Madeline just doesn't want to sit and look at the camera for very long, but eventually we got a few good shots and this is what we decided on: With the help of the Gimp photo editor we were able to come up with just the right combination for another nice Christmas Card this year :-)

Oak Hill Light & Sledding

2008-12-13T22:44:00.000-06:00

The weather was so nice outside today (38 degrees), that when daddy got home we decided to get all dressed up in our winter attire and head out for some sledding! Daddy pulled Madeline in the sled all the way through the park across the street from our apartment and then up a BIG hill to another park where all of the trees are decorated with Christmas lights! This is the same park that has the splash pad that we play at in the summer, but in the winter it has an ice skating rink and fun places to sled. We looked at all of the fun characters lit up with Christmas lights (Madeline's favorite is Frosty) and Daddy pulled Mommy and Madeline all around.

On our way back to the apartment Daddy and Madeline went sledding down the big hill 3 times - Madeline thought it was great fun :-)

Another New Cousin!

2008-12-12T18:36:00.001-06:00

Mommy's first Cousin, Gretchen, and her husband, Frank, had their first little baby on November 23rd! Her name is Kensley and Madeline & Mommy have been anxious to go and meet her. Well today we got all bundled up and headed over to their house. Madeline hasn't been around a whole lot of new babies, but she got a kick out of getting a turn holding Kensley... We hope this means she'll be very welcoming of her new little brother or sister in May!!! As Kensley grows up we hope these two can be good friends :-)
Kensley has her own blog too!
Kensley McQ Makes Her Debut

Another New Christmas Dress

2008-12-11T16:34:00.000-06:00

Today Madeline got ANOTHER package in the mail! This one was from Grandma & Grandpa Frantz and it was a new Holiday Dress :-) Madeline loves new dresses and this one is a beautiful gold color. Mommy just hopes there are enough chances to wear all of these beautiful dresses - especially with is being sooooo cold outside!

THANK YOU GRANDPA & GRANDMA!!!

Macy's Holiday Display 2008: A Day in the Life of an Elf

2008-12-09T17:29:00.001-06:00

Once again this year, Mommy and Madeline drove downtown Minneapolis to go and see the annual Holiday Display on the 8th Floor of Macy's. This year the theme was "A Day in the Life of an Elf". We went with our Tuesday playgroup and all of this kids thought the display was amazing! First we saw the Christmas Tree Forest, then Michael, Kinzie & Madeline found a polar bear decorating a tree. Next we were off to Santa's workshop - so much to see! After a fun-filled morning we took a break for lunch. Another great Tuesday :-)

Saint Nicholas Day!

2008-12-07T17:17:00.001-06:00

Saint Nicholas showed up at out apartment a little late this year, but we're thinking that Miss Madeline won't mind :-) When Madeline woke up from her nap to find that Saint Nicholas had stopped by while she was sleeping and left a few things for her in her pink shoes. We told her the story of Saint Nicholas and hope she learns a little bit more about this great man every year.

She was quite taken back that this year St. Nick brought her a brand new Christmas outfit, a Dora book, and a few treats... YUMMY! She must have been a good girl this year :-)

A day full of Santa

2008-12-06T16:54:00.001-06:00

Today we had 2 Christmas parties to go to! First we went to Daddy's work and did all kinds of fun things. First Madeline sat on Santa's lap for a picture: She was such a good girl that she got a brand new book about Marley the Dog and little Marley stuffed animal. Then it was off to the Christmas Clown, who made Madeline a very special hat. After that we colored some Christmas pictures and sat very still while one of Santa's helpers painted a picture of Rudolph on Madeline's cheek. All of these fun activities left us feeling kind-of hungry, so we headed to the cafeteria for a few snacks - What a great party!

Then it was off to another party at our Realtor's office. It was so nice for Bob to insist that we come, even though we had already decided to build instead of buying - yep, that's right, we're building a house!!!!

We've decided to build with a custom home builder (Knoblauch Builders) in Shakopee :-) John Knoblauch is a family friend and got his start selling homes for Great-Uncle Marv over 15 years ago! Great-Uncle Marv will be doing all of the concrete work and giving us advice along the way. It's a HUGE undertaking, but we've just gotten so frustrated with our (seemingly unending) house hunt. We've spent the last year trying to find the right house for us and it just hasn't happened.
We've very excited about getting to help design the house that we want!

Santa was at this Coldwell Banker party too! Madeline thought it was a little strange that Santa was at 2 different parties in one day, but she still sat on his lap and told him what she wanted for Christmas. She told Santa that she wants "Presents" for Christmas. When Santa asked what kind of presents, she very quickly replied "Blue Presents!". I think Santa should be able to handle that :-)

Parachute Playdate

2008-12-02T11:40:00.002-06:00

Today Madeline & Mommy went to the Eden Prairie Community Center with our Tuesday playgroup. We had a tone of fun and even got to play with a parachute. All the kids thought it was great fun crawling underneath the parachute and watching the balls bounce all over the place!

Christmas Tree Decorating & Thanksgiving #2!

2008-11-30T23:11:00.002-06:00

This morning Daddy & Grandpa Steve went out on the hunt for the perfect Christmas Tree for our apartment - and they found it! It is the most beautiful tree we have ever had!!!. After we moved all of Madeline's toys out of the way we set up up in the corner near the big window facing the road so we can look up at it every time we drive by. First Daddy put on all of the lights and then we added all of our ornaments!

After the tree decorating was finished we got ready for Thanksgiving Dinner #2. Since Grandma & Grandpa Frantz didn't get here until the day after Thanksgiving we wanted to make sure they still got a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Grandma Judy, Dave and Aunt Malanie joined us and we all ate to our hearts content. As usual Madeline wanted all of the attention and when the grown-up started leaving her out of the conversation she let us know she was still there by claiming she didn't like her mashed potatoes (her favorite). So, we made up a little game where she would eat them if her eyes were closed - she's never NOT the center of attention for long :-)After a little football watching, we all had enough room for some pumpkin pie - we think it was Madeline's favorite part of the whole day!

Minnepaolis Hollidazzle Parade

2008-11-30T10:37:00.002-06:00

Grandma & Grandpa Frantz came all the way from Indiana to help us celebrate Thanksgiving this year - yeah :-) We had lots of fun with them and even ventured out in the cold of a Minnesota November to downtown Minneapolis for the annual Hollidazzle Parade. The parade started at 6:30 and each and everyone one of the floats and people were covered in Christmas lights - Madeline thought it was great fun! Grandma Judy and Dave met us there too. Afterwards we all went out for pizza! We had a great time and hope to make a trip to the Hollidazzle parade every year :-)

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-28T22:45:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Today we went to Mommy's hometown (New Prague) to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Schoenbauer side of the family. This huge event takes place every 3 or 4 years and there were over 100 family members there (even without those that couldn't make the trip). We all brought part of the Thanksgiving meal and had the chance to talk to many relatives that we don't get to see very often. Here is all of us in one huge family picture - we are in the the top right-hand corner: After the Schoenbauer thanksgiving we stopped by Great-Aunt Janet's house to see a few of the Weiers family relatives and then headed to Grandma Judy's for some homemade Pheasant Wild Rice soup - yummy!

Cutting up a Tree

2008-11-22T13:21:00.002-06:00

Today Grandma Judy called and she needed some help... a very old dead tree had fallen down and it needed to be cut up and hauled away. Daddy got out his trusty chainsaw and we all got to work... First Madeline just wanted to scope out the situation and try and figure out what was going on - it was REALLY LOUD! But then she pitched right in and helped us carry the wood to to the CRV. She worked really hard and decided it was time for a break... That didn't last long and then she wanted to help again - she thought it was great fun!When we were all done Grandma gave her a big kiss for all her help :-) She definitely earned herself a ride in the swing before it was time to go inside and warm up!

Making Cream Puffs!

2008-11-20T22:08:00.000-06:00

Today Madeline and Mommy made cream puffs for Grandpa Ron's Birthday. They were always his favorite so we make them every year on his birthday! Last year was the first year Madeline got to eat one and this year she got to help Mommy make them :-)

First we had to make the chocolate pudding filling. We started by pouring the pudding mix into the bowl and adding the milk. Madeline really enjoyed the next part... stirring, until it was nice and smooth :-)Then is was time to taste... delicious!!! Madeline even wanted to lick the extra off the whisk :-)Next it was time to make the "Puff" part of the cream puffs. We started out by adding butter and water to the sauce pan.Then it was time to move to the stove and let Mommy take over for a while. Once the butter and water came to boil we quickly added the flour and stirred it all together.Then we turned off the heat and added the eggs. All that was left was plopping them onto the cookie sheet - Madeline loved watching them "plop"! Next into the oven and we were done! We invited Grandma Judy over for dinner (another one of our and Grandpa Ron's favorites... pork chops, dumpling and sauerkraut!) and our fabulous dessert!!!
We all thought everything was delicious :-) And we all think Madeline will love keeping this tradition alive!

Pump-It-Up

2008-11-18T11:19:00.000-06:00

Today Madeline and Mommy met our Tuesday playgroup at Pump-It-Up in Eden Prairie. This place has tons of fun things to do! All kinds of huge bouncers to jump in, inflatable walls to climb and slides to go down. Mom remembered the camera but it was out of battery power :-( Good thing Birgitta remembered hers and captured a few shots with Madeline in them :-)
Here is one with Madeline and Kevin giving Michael a ride in a car... and here's another with Madeline & Michael throwing balls around inside one of the big jumpers. Despite the grumpy look on Madeline's face in these pictures she had a blast :-)

KidCreate Art Studio

2008-11-04T20:35:00.001-06:00

Since cold weather has settled in here in the Great White North, Madeline and mommy have had to give up their park time and find other things to keep them active and entertained... One of our MeetUp.com* groups (The Mother's Connection Group) has a playgroup for kids Madeline's age and under that meets every Tuesday. We've went to story time at Barnes & Noble, goofed around at the indoor play area inside the Mall, attended Tot-Time and the Rec. Center and today we went to this great place called KidCreate Art Studio. Here the kids listened to stories about art and got to create all kinds of neat projects - and all the mess stayed there!!!

They always start of with storytime, then the kids wander around to different art stations..
Madeline made bubble art, painted with powder, dyed a coffee filter, got all full of glitter, and made some very pretty designs with bubble wrap and roller brushes. When everyone was done creating we cleaned up and listened to one more story. What a great way to spend the morning!

*We've found that MeetUp.com is a great place to find other groups of families that are getting out and doing all sorts of fun things. All you have to do is put in your zip code and do a search for Family, Moms, Dads or Kids. We've met all kinds of new people and explored all kinds of new places we never even knew were right outside our door! Check it out if you're looking for something new for the family to do :-)

http://www.meetup.com

Halloween at the Zoo!

2008-10-31T20:03:00.000-05:00

Earlier this summer we became members of the Minnesota Zoo. They host a members only HallZOOween event and we decided that this would be great for us (since we are still living in an apartment and they weren't sponsoring any kind of Trick-or-Treating). It was perfect! Madeline absolutely LOVED wearing her Monkey costume and fit right in with all of the animals. We walked along the different indoor trails and collected treats along the way. Madeline even got to touch a few of the creatures they had on display :-) They only let 2000 people in and the whole event was indoors - except for the scarecrow viewing. We can't wait to come back next year!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-30T19:56:00.001-05:00

Tonight we carved the pumpkin we got at Emma Krumbees. Mommy got it started and wanted Madeline to help her dig out all of the seeds. After one handful Madeline was done, claiming it was too "googly" in there! Instead she did a "googly" dance while mommy finished cleaning out the seeds. Daddy did the actual carving and Madeline helped him push in the cut out pieces. We had a ton of fun and were pretty proud of our finished pumpkin!!!

Landscaping and Pumpkin Picking!

2008-10-25T19:44:00.001-05:00

We went to Grandma Judy's again today to help her with some landscaping. Madeline thought digging in the dirt and carrying rocks was so fun! We finished up a lot earlier than we expected to in the afternoon so we went to Emma Krumbees for their annual scarecrow festival. We saw all the scarecrows, fed the goats, went down the big green slide, played on all of the fun toys, rode a train, climbed a haystack, took a hayride, picked pumpkins and apples and played along with the band!So much to do!
We took a ton of pictures - the rest of our collection can be found on our Shutterfly account :-)

Fall at Grandma Judy's

2008-10-16T19:37:00.002-05:00

Madeline and Mommy went down to spend a few days with Grandma Judy since Daddy was on a business trip and Grandma had a long weekend away from school. We were very fortunate to have yet another beautiful fall day. We had so much fun playing outside! Later on we drove down to Saint Peter to see Aunt Melanie at college and take her out for dinner. These two always have so much fun when they're together :-)

Painting at Grandma Judy's

2008-10-15T19:34:00.000-05:00

Another trip to Grandma Judy's and this time Madeline broke out the paint pens she got from Dave. She had a blast and Grandma got lots of new art for her refrigerator :-)

Snack time!

2008-10-14T19:32:00.001-05:00

Madeline and Mommy were sharing some crackers on the couch today and Daddy thought it would be a good time to snap a couple pictures...

Just Another Bath Picture...

2008-10-10T19:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we captured Madeline post bath, but her running around in her favorite froggy towel was just too cute to pass up this time :-)

Another Playdate with the Miriovsky Girls!

2008-10-08T19:21:00.000-05:00

Another playdate with the Miriovsky girls was planned for today and we were really hoping it would still be warm enough to meet them outside. It turned out to be almost 70 degrees so we met at Baker State Park and the girls had a blast! There was sand to dig in and lots of equipment to play on. Once we got enough playing in we ate lunch and then the girls read some books and sang some songs. We just love our playdates with Lauren, Kate and Ellen!

Madeline's First Visit to the Dentist!

2008-10-07T19:14:00.000-05:00

Today we took Madeline to the dentist for the first time! There are so many different opinions on when they need to start going, but we decided that since insurance covered it we would start taking her now. As everyone expected, she didn't let them do much more than count her teeth, but it was a good experience and hopefully she won't grow up with any fears. They said that she has a narrow jaw and that it might be difficult for all of her teeth to fit into such a small space, but that was absolutely no surprise to either of us - we BOTH had expanders when we were in grade school! We just hope she doesn't have to go throught that... but we guess only time will tell! Next time they will attempt a cleaning, but for now we think it was a good experience :-)

Grandpa & Grandma Frantz' House

2008-10-05T15:19:00.002-05:00

Today is our last day at Grandma & Grandpa Frantz' house in IN. Aunt Alyssa stayed here with us last night and woke up ready to play! Before brunch Madeline headed outside with Grandpa. They had a tea party! After brunch Madeline finally got dressed for the day and headed back outside. What beautiful weather! She loves playing with the tricycle Grandpa & Grandma have at their house. We spent most of the day outside and got pretty tuckered out! Before we knew it we were back in our PJ's and getting ready for bed! We can't wait to come back and visit again :-)

Trip to Indiana

2008-10-04T13:33:00.000-05:00

Time for our annual trip to Indiana! We go back every year to visit Grandma & Grandpa Frantz and coincide the visit with our Homecoming festivities at Rose-Hulman where we both went to college. After arriving late Thursday night we spent all day Friday at Grandma & Grandpa Frantz'. This morning we went to Matt's best high school friend's from house in Clinton. They have a little boy, Xander who's about 8 months older than Madeline. She had a great time playing with all of his toys and checking out all of the space he has outside to play! After visiting the Scioldo house we headed to Matt's Fraternity house for a family picnic. Aunt Alyssa drove up from Cincinnati and met us there. They always have burgers, hot dogs and a big jumper for the kids! Next we made our way to the Rose-Hulman campus for the football game. They also have a great carnival-type area for the kids to play :-) Madeline got a princess tattoo, a balloon and played some games for great prizes! Then it was back to the Frantz house for the evening while mommy and daddy went out with friends :-)

MN Landscape Arboretum

2008-09-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

Today we decided to go to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum with Grandma Judy and Dave. They have so much to see and do!
It's definitely fall - you can tell by all of the pumpkins and gourds :-) They had a building with crafts and a green house and a cool play area outside where everything was made from the surrounding trees... stick tunnels and even a pine cone house! The it was off to the Japanese garden and the beautiful rose gardens... They also had a reflection globe garden - Madeline couldn't figure out why she couldn't move the shiny balls! All of the gardens were so pretty with all kinds of plants, fountains, buildings, insects and streams :-) What a great place to get outside and wear off some energy!!!

Work-Out time?

2008-09-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

We recently went down to Grandma Judy's and brought our exercise bike back to the apartment. With the cold of winter coming mommy and daddy need something to keep them active! Madeline doesn't really need anything to keep her active - she runs everywhere, but she wanted to give it a try... We think it'll be a few more years before her feet touch :-)

Reading Books with Dad

2008-09-18T13:04:00.000-05:00

Today we took it easy at home. Madeline had a great time playing with dad, reading books and just being goofy in general :-)

Labor Day Bike Ride

2008-09-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

Another beautiful day so we decided to spend it outside! Grandma Judy brought her bike up to our place and we hit the trails. First we biked to Lake Calhoun and stopped for a hot dog for lunch. Then we continued on our way.. stopping at a few parks along the way. We went 8+ miles so it was a great way to get out and be active!