Baby Steps with Tool of the Day!

Brian has countless hours of experience under his tool belt but not everyone is as comfortable around tools as he is. That being said, Brian wanted to take a moment to go back to some basics. Since Brian's younger brother Spencer is new to the world of tools, he has a lot to learn. It only makes sense to start at the beginning, which can include using toy tools - at least until you are ready to move onto the real things!







Brian may be almost 2 years old, but he is still a kid at heart when it comes to playing with toy tools because he just loves them! We want to send a big thank you out to our very good friends Uncle Freddie, Aunt Karen, Anthony and Christopher who gave Brian these fun tool toys!

The Road To Recovery

Brian is definitely not back to feeling 100% yet, but he is showing signs that he is getting there. He had a little more interest in playing with some toys today and he seemed to appreciate getting to go outside for some fresh air too. He still has very little appetite but he requests lots of drinks of water throughout the day which is good. Hopefully he will wake up tomorrow feeling better and more like his old self!

Gone Fishin'!

Brian and Mommy paid a visit to the pediatrician today. The doctor did some tests in order to rule out a lot of potential problems and determined that he has a pesky virus. She said that they are common and it's also very normal for a high temperature to accompany them. She said it should run it's course in about 5 days or so. Over the past few days, it probably goes without saying that Brian hasn't been his normal upbeat self. He has had many more moments of fussiness, tears, general cranky-ness than is normal for him. But knowing that he doesn't feel well has made it easier to overlook this temporary attitude change. That being said, we decided to take a risk tonight so we went out for dinner at a local restaurant very close to our house. As you can see, both Brian and Spencer loved the fish tank!

I'm 23 Months Old......and I don't feel so good.

Brian has been under the weather for the past couple of days. He has a temperature and little to no appetite. When you combine those things you get a little boy that feels, well, I guess the only word for it is "ucky"! When a rambunctious little boy who normally goes about 100 miles an hour all day long prefers to snuggle up under a blanket on your lap (or in this case, on the Big Bird bed next to Daddy) for several hours at a time......you know he doesn't feel well! His temperature has been slowly dropping but if it is not gone by the time he wakes up, tomorrows blog post will probably have some details from a trip to see the doctor.

Happy Birthday!

Brian and the rest of his family all joined in celebrating Grandma's 70th birthday today! It's been a year for memorable birthdays since Grandpa turned 70 just this past February too! The official celebration took place today and you know what that means.........cake, cake and more cake! Since all four of Brian's grandparents were on hand we made it a three way celebration for Grandma H (who had a birthday in June) as well as Grandma and Grandpa D!

Brian has talked about Grandpa's wishing well before, but today he introduced his little brother to the well. Spencer LOVES to splash so he spent a good portion of the afternoon dropping wishes into the well!

With everyone on hand today, we were also able to update the family photo frame with a current one! We hope you had a very Happy Birthday today Grandma!

Surprise Surprise!

We got a terrific surprise today........Uncle Corey came to visit! There is a reason behind his being here and we will go into more detail on that in tomorrow's blog post. Unfortunately Mommy and Spencer were out when Uncle Corey arrived but Brian filled us in on everything when we got home. He started by tell us about the cool car Uncle Corey drove up in! Even though this will be a short visit, we love getting to see you so we are extra happy that you could come home this weekend Uncle Corey!

Haley's Visit!

Grandma and Grandpa came over for a while today and they brought someone else with them.....the boy's cousin Haley! We love it when Haley comes to visit because not only is she very cool, she is also a lot of fun to play with! Shortly after she got here, we all headed out into the back yard. Haley and Brian played on the slides first and then they tried out the teeter totter.

After countless goes down the slides, it was time to head over to a blanket that we had a pile of Mega Blocks on. Haley was very patient with Brian's lack of "sharing skills" and she managed to have fun even though she had to chase him down a few times in order to get some of her blocks back! Thanks for coming over to play today Haley - hope we can do it again real soon!

Tool of the Day!

Over the past several months Brian has used this segment in an attempt to pass on what he hopes has been some useful information about a variety of different tools. When you are working on a larger job where you need a variety of tools and supplies, you also need a way to transport them. Brian and his Daddy have had good luck with this 2001 Ford F150 XLT 8 cylinder extended cab pick up with a 24 x 60 x 30 Jabox tool storage carrier. That's not to say that you have to have a truck though - a back seat or the trunk of a car might also do the trick!

Snack Time!

Between crawling and walking, now that Spencer is getting around easier it has become a little more challenging for Brian to enjoy an uninterrupted snack. Today he sat down with his sippy cup and was quietly nibbling away on his raisins when out of no where came Spencer who was trying to grab anything he could!

Brian's solution to this problem was to simply pick up his stuff and move to a new location. He was able to remain a step ahead of Spencer long enough to finish his snack today but who knows what will happen tomorrow!

Breakfast Guests!

When Brian woke up this morning, he had a wonderful surprise awaiting him - Grandma and Grandpa were here! After showing Grandma what an amazing waffle eater he has become, we piled into the van to take them to the airport. Even though we only had a quick little morning visit, we are looking forward to this weekend when they will be back for a much longer stay!

My First Fort!

Showing just how easy a building project can be, shortly before dinner Brian and Daddy decided to built their first fort together. Since time was quite limited, they went with supplies that were immediately available. Using nothing but a pack-n-play and a blanket, wha-laa.......instant fort!

Let's Go To The Fair!

Brian went on what he now refers to as his "second annual" trip to Kane County Fair today! It was a warm day in St. Charles but that didn't stop us from having a great afternoon. We walked through the animal barns first and Brian very excitedly introduced himself to the animals as he named off what they were ("sheep!") and what sounds they make ("baa!").






From there we went to the petting farm area. Last year Brian was just starting to walk so he was held the majority of the time we were in this tent. Last year he was also somewhat hesitant of touching the animals. He wanted to look at them but wasn't sure he wanted to take it any further than that. My what a difference a year makes! This year he raced into the tent and had absolutely NO fear of anything. He was very gentle as he pet the donkey, the goats and even a chicken. Mommy had to help him hold the animal feed in his hand and even though he wanted to let the animals eat out of his hand, he giggled and squirmed away as he felt their warm breath and mouths nuzzling on his hand.

After looking through some exhibit booths, our final stop was the horse barn. This was a particular favorite area for Brian which was evident by the negative (and vocal) response he gave us when it was time to leave and head for home! We had a great time and are all looking forward to coming back to Kane County next summer!

Saturday Night with Lawrence!

It's Saturday night and that can only mean one thing.......The Lawrence Welk Show, Brian's favorite program is on! So put on your dancing shoes and join him for a spin around the living room.

If the number is exceptionally good, don't forget to clap and give the performer a bow!

Dog Pile!

It doesn't take much to put a smile on Brian's face! If you are sitting on the floor, he is likely to come up behind you and hug you around the neck. While this is fun, it's absolutely hysterical when he hears you say, "who's back there?" Similarly, if you are on the floor, then you are pretty much asking to have a certain young man come lay (or sometimes jump) on you!

Tool of the Day!

"Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!" No, you are not watching an old episode of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, you are watching Brian pull, well, just about anything you could possibly need out of his Berlands 16 inch canvas and leather model 2207 tool bag! Brian likes to have his most commonly used hand tools at his disposal when on the job site so using a tool bag makes that simple and still allows you to be organized. Of course, sometimes Brian gets so many tools in his bag that he likes to have Daddy carry it around for him but that's just another perk of being the foreman on the job site!

Yum-er-ific!

This picture was taken about a week ago after Mommy had baked some mini cupcakes. Brian had the opportunity to sample both the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes she made and in both cases, he gave Mommy a thumbs up rating. He found the frosting to be especially yummy!

Mmmmmmm!

Every few days Brian has a waffle for breakfast. It had been about a week or so since he had one and when Daddy opened the freezer door and pulled one out Brian literally started jumping up and down saying "Yeah!!!" He does a very good job feeding himself but sometimes - like today - using a fork is just unnecessary. So with a fork in one hand and a bite of waffle in the other, in the mouth it goes!

***Moments before, Brian was using his finger as a fork as he pushed his finger through the waffle and then stuck it into his mouth. Too bad Mommy couldn't get the camera out fast enough to catch that!

BUTTONS!

We stopped by to visit Daddy today and within seconds Brian found something very exciting to entertain himself with. The stove had some great buttons which of course all needed to be pushed!

Check Out These Guns!

Brian spend the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's house today. Along with getting to play with his cousins Krista and Erika, he also got to go swimming in the pool! He absolutely loves being in the water but when he started to get a little cold it was time to call it quits for the day. Once he was dressed, he still wanted to get back onto the pool deck to at least watch his cousins swim. He was required to wear a pair of "muscles" since he liked to watch his cousins swim while standing very close to the edge of the pool!

OUCH!

Brian's day got off to a bit of a rough start. While he was playing in the living room this morning he tripped and fell down. That in itself is not an unusual event but today, when he landed, he gave his bottom lip a good bite. The sight of your own blood is never good but having two tooth sized cuts in your lip on top of it - well lets just say it was not Brian's idea of how to spend a morning! There were a few tears but after he sucked on a cold wash cloth for a while, the bleeding stopped and he was ready to head back to his toys. His lip is swollen and there is a nice little bruise under it but he is taking it all in stride! Shortly after this happened, Brian and Daddy went on an outing which included Brian getting a haircut. He thinks this is great fun (especially since he goes to a place designed specifically for children). He sits in a little yellow car and can watch a cartoon if he wants. He is very good about turning his head when asked and sitting still while the snipping is taking place and of course, he always looks adorable when he's done!

Baby Sitters!

Mommy and Daddy went to see a play tonight so Brian and his brother got the best deal of all - they got to stay home and hang out with Grandma and Grandpa! Brian wore Grandpa's hat as they watched some baseball.

Nothing beats some snuggle time before heading off to bed for the night though!

Tool of the Day!

Uncle Kevin and Aunt June are thinking about having Daddy and Brian add a front porch onto their house. So, Brian sat down at the drafting table with Daddy tonight to help him sketch out some ideas for them to look at. Some people use fancy schmancy computer software to create their drawings but Brian is "old school" and prefers to use his Dansig 36 x 42 Drafting table and his Mutoh Model EH12 Protractor arm.

Is This Tea Unsweetened?

Brian drinks milk with all his meals and sips on ice water throughout the rest of the day. Occasionally he will have some of Daddy's orange juice but aside from that, we haven't given him any other kinds of juices, soda, etc. The other day when we were outside playing in the yard Mommy had her own "sippy cup" that was filled with iced tea. Brian took a drink of it and apparently he liked it! Today as Brian sat down to have an afternoon "nack" (other wise known as a snack), he again grabbed Mommy's iced tea instead of his sippy cup of water!

Square - Circle - Rectangle....

Mommy and the boys went to Target on a diaper run today. While there we went through their favorite part of the store - the $1.00 isle! Today they had some very exciting stuff available for a buck and we couldn't resist the impulse to throw a couple items into our cart. When we got home Brian tried out his purchase, a puzzle made up of different shapes. He sat at the kitchen table and played with it for nearly a half hour straight while Mommy made dinner! As soon as he got all the pieces in place, he would say "again" and want to do it all over!

Biker Boy

Today's rainy day meant Brian had to find ways to entertain himself inside the house. Fortunately, he didn't have to look far to find something fun to play with!

Brynt Park

Today's afternoon outing took us to a new park. This one is located in Addison and proved to be a lot of fun! Brian immediately headed to one of the slides - probably his favorite playground equipment choice.

Now that Mommy and Daddy are GOING to parks instead of just driving by them, they are realizing that 99.9% of all playgrounds are built in direct sunlight with NO shade in sight! Even Brian started loosing interest in the first slide that he went down because it was very warm to sit on. Fortunately, this park has a "roller slide" which was not affected by the warm sunshine. It looks a little unusual so at first he wasn't interested in trying it out. But, as soon as he saw a couple other little boys going down it - we had to pry him off it when it was time to go home!

We decided that we all needed a treat so on our way home we paid a visit to our neighborhood Dairy Queen! Once in the back yard, Brian went back and forth between sharing bites of Daddy's blizzard and Mommy's ice cream cone. But, as everyone knows, the best part of eating an ice cream cone is eating the ice cream CONE - Yum!!!

The Taste

Everyone (at least everyone who lives in the Chicago area) has probably heard of the Taste of Chicago. It's a big festival held downtown that is filled with lots of music and tons of food booths, where you can purchase a "sample" (or larger size) serving of a wide variety of food dish's. Many suburbs host their own versions of this festival through out the summer and today we attended one when we stopped by the Taste of Lombard. Brian, Mommy and Daddy shared an order of cheese fries which were very yummy!

As we were leaving Brian spotted one of the entertainers who was mingling in the crowd. Brian wanted to shake hands and introduce himself, so he asked Daddy for a boost.

Happy Birthday to the USA!

Even though Brian had a good time at his first ever 4th of July celebration last year, this year he was old enough to REALLY enjoy himself and that's exactly what he did! We started our day by going to watch our hometown parade with Uncle Kevin, Aunt June and cousin Erika.

Brian's cousin Krista joined us a little later because she as well as many other members of her swim team were in the parade.

Later in the afternoon we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a big 4th of July party. Brian visited with lots of people, went for a swim in the pool and got lots of play time in as well but what made the day perfect was being able to spend some time with his girl Elizabeth!

Grandma and Grandpa's house is very close to where the Village of Lyons shoot off their fireworks display, so with our lawn chairs in the yard we waited for the show to begin. Even though Brian was tired, there was no way he was going to fall asleep until he had seen he show! He snuggled up under a blanket with Mommy to wait for the show to begin and once they did - he couldn't take his eyes off them! He didn't flinch at the noise of the fireworks, in fact, he would say "boom" after the really loud ones. When it was all over he quietly said to Mommy "more". Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for having such a terrific birthday party for America today - we had a great time and can't wait until next year!

Tool of the Day!

"Someone must be getting an early start on their holiday celebrating because I believe I just saw some fireworks go up over there!" Since lots of people will be either watching or participating in fireworks displays tomorrow, Brian wanted to stress something he is very passionate about - safety! For starters, in case things get out of control, Brian likes to wear boots so that he's prepared if he needs to grab the hose and get to some water fast. Also, he always keeps a small fire extinguisher handy. This particular one happens to be a Kidde Fire Away 110. When he isn't using the fire extinguisher around fireworks, it's also a nice accessory for your kitchen, again - just in case! Have a fun and safe 4th of July tomorrow everyone!

Ride Em' Cowboy!

When Mommy was a little girl, July 2-4 meant one thing - the Rodeo was in town! In honor of the fine folks in Mobridge South Dakota who are participating in the Sitting Bull Stampede Rodeo and festivities this week, Brian tamed and rode this Giraffe today! Granted, the Giraffe was in the entrance of the Sears store and......okay, the machine was broken so he couldn't really "ride" it, but Mommy did rock it back and forth for him so the intent was still there!

See You Soon!

Grandma and Grandpa had to leave this morning so that they could continue on to their trip destination. We sure are glad that we live on the way so that they were able to stop by and visit us for a couple days! We are also anxious to see them again at the end of the month when they will be able to stay longer! Have a great time on your trip Grandma and Grandpa and we will see you soon!