92 Candles!

If you see my Great Grandma Irene today - be sure to wish her a very happy birthday! If you have never had the pleasure of meeting this great lady then you wouldn't know that she makes the best donuts on the planet! Whenever there is a birthday or a special event going on, she makes a big batch of homemade donuts and brings them down to the cafe in town where everyone gathers for coffee in the morning. It doesn't seem right for her to have to make donuts for your own birthday, but then again, I doubt that anyone elses could possibly measure up to hers!







Brian's vocabulary gets better and better with each passing day! In fact, some of the words he is saying we didn't even know he knew! For example, a few days ago we were driving down the road when he said "Walmart". Yes we were driving past Walmart at the time but Mommy thought maybe she just THOUGHT she heard him say it so didn't think anything more about it. A few days later they were driving down the same road when just as we passed the store, he said it again. Mommy pointed out a few other things for him to identify. He got them right but he kept pointing to the store saying "Walmart". This wouldn't seem so unusual if this was a regular shopping location for us but we rarely go there since we live much closer to a Target. The other strange thing about this is that Walmart doesn't have a logo on their sign - just the store name spelled out. We haven't been to this store for well over a month so how did he make the connection? We have absolutely no idea!

Gentle Cycle Only

Seeing Mommy and Daddy's hamper sitting empty was just too tempting for Brian to ignore so after tipping it over.....in he crawled!

He was trying to hide from Mommy and Daddy but his non-stop giggles quickly gave him away!

I'll Take What's Behind Door #1!

Several of the door knobs throughout our house now have child proof caps on them. This serves a couple different purposes. For one, it limits certain little boys (who shall remain nameless) from going where the don't belong. It also helps to keep another little boy from being shut into a room, closet, etc. Again, the names have been with held to protect the innocent - as well as the guilty! This particular picture shows a foot peeking out from behind one of the doors that is now "child-proofed". Any guesses as to which door it is?











That's right - it's the coat closet door in the living room! Is that an innocent looking face or what?!?!

You Can Babysit Us ANYTIME!

Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Kevin, Aunt June, Grandma and Grandpa attended the funeral service for Sgt Joshua Harris today. Brian, Spencer and their cousins Krista and Erika were all able to stay at home thanks to our wonderful friends Uncle Ralph, Aunt Karen and their daughter Jamie who came over and spent the majority of the day playing with the kids. The good times began shortly after all the parents left the house, starting in the back yard!

There was swinging and there was sliding and there was riding on the roller coaster! Brian offered Erika some tips on his technique for riding the roller coaster but she seemed to do pretty well on her own!

Uncle Ralph offered Brian a helping hand as he took his cousins scooter for a ride!

Thank you again to Uncle Ralph, Aunt Karen and Jamie! The kids had a BLAST having some time with you all to themselves! Today was an emotional one for us so knowing that they were here with you - it was a huge load off our minds and for that alone, we can't thank you enough.

Remembering a Hero

A friend of our family gave the last full measure in defense of our American way of life.

SGT Joshua Harris was killed in Afghanistan September 17, 2008.

His family and friends will join together Saturday to celebrate the life of a true American hero.

Our family owes a debt of gratitude to all of the brave men and women who like Josh, fight to defend the freedom and safety we live in every day.

May we never take that freedom for granted.

God bless you Joshua......

....and God bless America!

Shawn and Heidi

Tool of the Day!

Today is a monumental day for Brian and his Daddy because today they are retiring an old friend. The Bostitch F80 28 degree Stick Nailer has been a tried and true tool - one that any one would be proud to have in their shop. Daddy was so proud of it that it had been in his shop for nearly 20 years! However, as is the case with many things, when improvements can be made sometimes we have to say out with the old and in with the new so that we can upgrade our equipment. So, with that Brian would like to introduce you to his new Bostitch F28ww 28 degree Welded Wire Framing Nailer! It's a beauty isn't it!?!?

"Now THAT'S a Spicy Meat-a-ball!"

Brian's went Italian for dinner tonight and had a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs. He loves macaroni and cheese or just plain macaroni. He's had spaghetti noodles but he's never had them with sauce so Mommy and Daddy were prepared with a backup dinner plan just in case he wasn't willing to give this a try. Plan B was not needed because he was all over his pasta dinner! He started out taking big bites but after awhile he figured out how much fun it was to eat one noodle at a time so that he could slurp them all the way in!

Table For Three And One High Chair Please

Most of Brian's meals are spent in his booster seat with the tray firmly snapped into place in front of him and he is very content with this setup. However, every now and then he gets into his booster seat but goes without he tray and instead, sits at the table "just like a people"!

Today's Nap Adventure

Brian has officially been re-classified as a "1-nap a day boy". When it's time for his afternoon nap though, we keep running into the same problem. The yawning boy who moments earlier was rubbing his eyes is suddenly re-energized the moment he gets into his bed! One of his sources of entertainment has been to empty a drawer or two from his dresser. In his defense, at least he doesn't just leave his clothes laying around, he puts them into his clothes hamper! After refolding and putting his clothes away for the um-teenth time, Mommy finally took the hamper OUT of his room just prior to today's nap time. He left the dresser drawers alone (at least for today) and instead, this was his project!









After 2 hours of playing in his room, he finally gave in and fell asleep for a nice long nap. I wonder what his afternoon adventure tomorrow will involve?!?!

Zoo Snacks!

We spent this afternoon at the Brookfield Zoo which always translates into...."good times had by all!" Today we decided to do something new so instead of walking around aimlessly from exhibit to exhibit, today we took the Motor Safari Ride which goes through the entire zoo. Apparently we weren't the only people who had this ride in mind because we had to wait in line for quite a while. Considering they were both low on naps, they were great sports as we waited patiently in line. We had great seats, saw lots of animals and the boys enjoyed some very yummy snacks. What snacks do you eat at the zoo you ask? Animal Crackers of course!

Sweet Ride!

Our Mailman has had a few days off this week but he was back on his route today and Brian just happened to be outside when he arrived. As Brian raced over to greet him, Mailman Bruce asked him if he wanted to check out the truck. As you can see, he didn't have to ask twice!

I'll Have an Ear!

After Brian nibbled on some of Mommy's ear of corn the other night, it was clear that the next time we had corn, he needed his own. A few nights ago corn on the cob was on the menu again and this time Mommy made him his own (half of one that is) and boy did he eat it up! When he was finished, there wasn't a kernel left in sight! In between his "mmm's" we think we heard him say...."I believe that corn on the cob is one of the best vegetables on earth. I'm Brian Thomas and I've approved this statement."

Tool of the Day!

If anyone tells you that you have to have big fancy expensive tools to get a job done, they are probably just trying to sell you a big fancy expensive tool. Sometimes the best tools for a job come with the project. That was the case with today's tool of the day.......the Allen Wrench. Both Brian and his brother Spencer have convertible beds, meaning they go from a crib to a toddler bed to a regular full sized bed. Since Brian just assisted Daddy in changing his crib into the toddler bed, he utilized the Allen Wrench that came with the bed. Sure, he could have gone out into the shop and found a brand named tool with a model number that would have also worked but, why bother? The wrench that was provided with the bed, while not a tool Brian will probably use for any other project, was perfect for this job.

***Update on today's afternoon nap. After a little over an hour of his playing in his room, Daddy laid down in bed with Brian. Within 10 minutes, he was out and he took a nice long nap. Daddy was concerned that he may be becoming very boring if spending 10 minutes with him can put a young boy to sleep! However, in Daddy's defense, I think that it will just take a while for Brian to loose interest in all of the little temptations in his room so that he can just concentrate on his nap. Some things have been removed or elevated but others (like his dresser and book shelf) he will just need to accept.

Last night Brian also had an added bonus. Thanks to the wonders of the VCR, not only did Brian get to watch some Lawrence Welk after dinner - something that is normally just a Saturday and/or Sunday evening treat, he also had a special visitor. Uncle Seth flew into town for a meeting here tomorrow and he got in early enough to be able to stop by for a visit! Knowing that it's probably been a while since Uncle Seth has seen an episode of "Larry Welk", Brian talked him through and reintroduced him to some of his personal favorite band members and singers. Thanks for coming to visit us Uncle Seth - come back again soon!

The Big Boy Bed!

Last night before dinner, Brian and Spencer helped Daddy with a project. Daddy converted Brian's crib into the big boy toddler bed! He LOVES it and was crawling in and out of it for the rest of the evening! He did quite a bit of jumping on it while announcing "Mommy....Daddy....jumping!" We decided that his interest in the jumping might go away faster if we didn't seem impressed or upset at his doing it. Time will tell on that one I guess. Brian has always gone to bed for us without any drama but due to the new bed set up, last night he wanted to get into it even earlier than normal. He was out like a light moments later and we didn't hear from him until this morning!

Nap time this afternoon wasn't really a fair test of finding out if he will sleep in the toddler bed in the daytime as well as he does at night. Mommy and the boys went to the mall this afternoon and it was pretty exhausting because they both fell asleep on the drive home. As soon as Mommy laid them into their beds, they both fell right back to sleep.

Naptime (Minus the Crib)

As we mentioned yesterday, Brian's idea of nap time no longer includes the use of his crib. His morning nap time has also been renamed to "morning quiet time". He doesn't sleep but just having that unwind time is good (for both Brian and Mommy!) When it was time for the afternoon nap though we had a problem. Since he now knows how easy it is to climb out of his crib, it's pointless to even try to put him in it. He sleeps in it at night without a problem, but during the daytime, it's a no go and each time he crawls out of it, his risk of injury increases. Today Mommy brought the Big Bird bed into his room and asked him to lay on it. He laid right down and once he had his bebe's and his blanket, she left the room. After about 30-40 minutes of hearing him playing she went in and found him asleep.

He looked so uncomfortable sleeping on the hard wood floor so Mommy moved him over to the Big Bird bed and he finished the rest of his nap there.

Escape Into a Book!

Just when Mommy and Daddy start to think that Brian is ready to drop his morning nap and go with just one nap a day, he starts happily taking two a day again. Ever since we got home from vacation, Brian has been more than willing to take two naps.......until today. This morning Mommy put him into his bed like normal and everything seemed to be on track. A little while later when she went in to check on him but he wasn't in his bed. (If you have ever seen his bed, it's like a little Fort Knox that Daddy has had to build to keep him from crawling out of it.) Obviously, he has devised a new method of escaping his bed but he didn't go far. The recliner in his room faces away from the door and when Mommy came around the corner of the chair, Brian looked up at her and said "hi". He was quietly sitting in the chair reading some books. Mommy suggested the nap idea again and put him back into his bed but apparently he was reading a very interesting book because before long, he was back in the recliner with his books. He did take an afternoon nap but when he woke up, instead of asking for someone to let him out of his bed, he just let himself out (again.) It looks as though Daddy will be converting his crib into the toddler bed sooner than we had anticipated!

More Please!

Brian has always liked eating corn but tonight he had a new taste delight! Mommy was having corn on the cob for dinner and Brian wanted to try it. At first she just cut him some off of her cob but he wasn't interested in that. As Mommy held it for him he chomped right in and started munching away. After a few bites he would look at Mommy and say "turn" so he could have some more. Apparently the next time Mommy makes corn for dinner, she is going to have to make one that is just for Brian!

Start Building the Ark!

It started to rain here last night and as of this morning, we started seeing animals lining up two by two! Since we did get some water in our basement, Mommy took Brian and Spencer to their Grandparents for a sleep over so that we could get the house under control. Brian hasn't seen Grandma and Grandpa since before he went on vacation so he was very anxious to go see them!













With the basement under control, Daddy decided to take a dip in our new new outdoor pool!

Mommy, Daddy......Watch Me!

Whenever we make a long car trip, we keep our eyes peeled for any McDonald's restaurant that have a PlayLand. Granted, 99% of all the PlayLands we have visited have been designed for kids who are at least 4 or 5 years old, but when you have two little boys who REALLY need to stretch their legs and run around a little while, you don't really care! Brian has really made strides in what he is able to do though. When we stopped at a PlayLand in South Dakota last January he just kind of walked around looking at the other kids playing. This time he crawled into the tube and climbed up the steps to the first landing where there was a slide he could come down.

He was happy with this accomplishment and didn't feel the need to try to climb the next set of stairs that led to the higher landing and another slide. Mommy and Daddy were relieved to see this since neither one of them were very excited about going in after him if he changed his mind when he got half way into the tube!

Tool of the Day!

Now that Brian is all rested up from his vacation, he is back at work with his Tool of the Day segments! A lot of time and thought goes into what tool he will be discussing each week, after all, it is not a job he takes lightly! Even though his choice for today is what some may call "Old School", that doesn't make it any less important and in his opinion, a must have for any tool shop. Today's tool of the day is the Brink & Cotton Model 148 10-inch C Clamp. From the smallest of jobs to needing to hold the walls of your house together, a good C Clamp will not let you down!

Even though Brian was not around when it happened, one day Brian's Mommy and Daddy will try to explain to him the tragic events that happened to our country seven years ago today. Our hearts and prayers go out to all the people whose lives were affected by the horrific tragedy of September 11th. May you never be forgotten.

MAIL!!!!!

As we were going through the mail that had arrived while we were gone we found a special treasure. Our wonderful mailman is well aware of the high standing he has with young Brian. Knowing this, he gave Brian an official mail man patch. I only wish I had the camera out when Brian first laid his eyes on the patch - they were completely glazed over and the smile on his face was from ear to ear as he said......maillllllll! Our first thought was which shirt should Mommy sew it onto but given his love for

it, we have opted to just safety pin it on whenever he requests it!

Hello Illinois!

For as much time as these little boys have spent in the car lately, we thought it was only right to get a picture of Brian in his "travel chamber". We got home close to Brian's bedtime but since he had been strapped into his car seat for so much of today, we didn't know how receptive he would be to the idea of jumping right into bed for the night. After checking out some of his toys, getting into his jammies and reading a couple books, he actually asked to go to bed! Vacation's are wonderful and much needed, but when it's over, it sure is nice to be home again.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

"Happy birthday to you......

happy birthday to you......

happy birthday dear Daddy.....

happy birthday to you!"

The first stop on day two of our trip home was to Great Grandma Dorothy and Great Aunt Judith's house. Even though we would have stopped without it, Great Grandma had Daddy's birthday cake waiting for him when we got there (and it sure was yummy!) To help us celebrate, Great Uncle Dave and Great Aunt Karri stopped by the house to visit for a while too! We would have like to stay much longer but we still had quite a few miles to go. Daddy was a very good sport about having to do a lot of driving on his birthday but at least we got to spend the day together! Happy Birthday Daddy - we all love you!

THANK YOU GRANDMA & GRANDPA!

It's been a great vacation but the time has come for us to start thinking about getting back home to Illinois. As has been our method in the past several trips here, we split the drive into two 6-hour days which is easier for all parties concerned. Before we could go anywhere though, we had to see the emblem that had just been put on Grandpa's truck! Seeing the truck was okay but Brian and his brother insisted on getting into it too! Grandma and Grandpa think it might be a little over the top but we think it is the perfect truck to drive if you would like to remind people of who they should vote for!








Once again we want to say thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for everything! Mommy and Daddy especially appreciated that they could go away for a few days knowing that their boys were in wonderful hands! Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa - we can't wait to see you again!

You Look Familiar!

When Mommy and Daddy walked in the door yesterday afternoon they only had one thing to say. "Those boys better at least act like they are happy to see us!" The boys were in the kitchen playing in the cabinets when we walked in and Brian just sort of looked us over for a while. After a few moments he came over and wanted Mommy to pick him up and as soon as he was in her arms he laid his head on her shoulder where it remained. Mommy said that was probably one of the best welcome home greetings she has ever had. Within a few moments, Brian was all over Daddy too and he was busy showing us all of the new tricks that he had learned how to do while we were gone!










Mommy and Daddy had a great time on their Black Hills vacation and even though they missed two little boys very much, they know that it's good for the boys, the parents AND the grandparents to have times like these together.

Parent Free - Day 5!

Ever since Brian found out that he was going to be staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house, he has been looking forward getting out and doing some campaigning! He got his wish when he helped Grandpa put some yard signs out. He also pushed some door bells, but......that was kind of done by accident and fortunately the person wasn't home at the time.

Mommy and Daddy's Black Hills Vacation Blog: Our last stop before heading home to hug two little boys was a drive through the Badlands. It was a beautiful sunny day which really brought the colors out in the Badlands. Even though this picture kind of looks like Shawn is standing in front of a backdrop - we were there and this honestly is the real thing!

Parent Free - Day 4!

Brian and his brother love "tickle time" and even though Daddy was away for a few days, Grandpa saw to it that they still got a good dose of tickling! Once the boys got into their position for tickling to begin, Brian would always remind Grandpa of "glasses!" Brian likes to have his tickler remove their glasses before starting so there is no risk of them being broken! What can we say, he is a safety boy!

Every now and then, Brian does something that completely surprises you. Sometimes he will go over to his brother and out of nowhere - give him a hug. While this is very cute to see, Grandma caught a moment that was even more shocking........Brian shared! The boys were playing with the toy piggy bank and they each took turns putting a coin into the slot. The sharing was somewhat short lived, but it did happen and there is photographic evidence of it!

Mommy and Daddy's Black Hills Vacation Blog: The tour of the southern black hills today included Custer State Park. There is a road in the park that is a fun drive, it's called Wildlife Loop. You will see animals of some sort - it's just a matter of how many and how close to the road they will be. We saw quite a few antelope (or prongs as the park rangers called them), deer and lots or prairie dogs. About half way through the Loop we started seeing buffalo. There were a few herds off in the distance but a little further down the road we saw herds up close and personal that were beside and/or on the road. Even though the signs say not to, we brought a pile of apples with us so that we would be prepared for when we saw the burros (nicknamed the begging burros because we are clearly not the only people who feed them.)

Parent Free - Day 3!

Working to keep the Olympic dream alive until the next games, Brian "the tumbler" Thomas works to master his somersault technique. He started by using this ottoman as his spring board but by the time Mommy and Daddy got back, he was doing it without any furniture assistance! Either way, he scored very high scores with the judges!

Mommy and Daddy's Black Hills Vacation Blog: Seeing Mt Rushmore at night is amazing but you still have to see it in the daylight. This morning we spent some time at the monument and no matter how many times you see it, it never gets old. It truly is an amazing sight. Mommy and Daddy also got to catch up with Mommy's cousins who live in the hills area. Cindy and Jerry in Sturgis and Gary and Karen in Rapid City. It was great getting to spend some time with them and we are looking forward to the time (sometime soon we hope) when they can come out for a Chicago visit!

Parent Free - Day 2!

"I got the music in me......yeah yeah yeah......if you know the lyrics join in with us......oh I got the music in me.......yeah yeah yeah....."





Mommy and Daddy's Black Hills Vacation Blog: Our first full dayin the hills was a busy one! Iron Mountain Road with all of it's tunnels and pig tail bridges, the Needles Highway and the evening lighting ceremony at Mt Rushmore. Wow!

Parent Free - Day 1!

You can probably say that Brian and Spencer's vacation officially begins today because as of this morning, Mommy and Daddy are leaving on their own mini trip and leaving the boys behind and in the care of their Grandparents which translates to one thing.........let the fun begin! Uncle Seth and Nolan spent the night with us last night but before everyone got too far into their morning, the boys joined Grandpa on the sofa for a quick picture. They have just one thing to add......."Vote for our Grandpa!" We haven't told a funny Brian story for awhile and this one had us all doubled over in laughter so here it is. TO set this story up let us just say that in the past couple times that we have seen Nolan, he has had a little catch phrase that he says. Now that Brian's vocabulary is getting so good and being the little tape recorder that he is, Nolan's current catch phrase soon became Brian's catch phrase too! At the party yesterday, each time Nolan saw something he liked he would announce "i LOVE it!" That brings us to the story. Brian has been suffering from a diaper rash for a couple days and before Mommy and Daddy left for their trip they changed his diaper. With his sore bottom Mommy held his hands while Daddy applied the sauce (aka: diaper rash cream). As soon as Daddy had applied a swipe of sauce to the affected area Brian announced "i LOVE it!" His timing was so perfect that it was hysterical!

Mommy and Daddy's Black Hills Vacation Blog: We arrived in Spearfish this afternoon and took in went on Mommy's "memory drive" from where she went to college. Any trip to Spearfish also includes a trip to the fish hatchery where Daddy posed by Tommy Trout!