Happy August Birthday!

As you have probably notice from the posting on here over the past week or so, our family lumps quite a few birthdays together in late August. That being said and with so many of us all in South Dakota at the moment, we decided to have a "multi-birthday party" today! Brian loves chocolate cake and Grandma made him a very yummy one!
















This party not only had cake and ice cream, it also came with entertainment! Jeff the Balloon Guy was a hit with not only the kids but with the adults too! Check out the balloon hat that Grandpa wore (at least the part of the hat that would fit in this picture) while he helped Brian open some gifts!


















Even though the boy's cousin Nolan's official birthday was yesterday, he was a very good sport in re-enacting it by blowing out his #6 candle today too!










Brian had a great time playing with Nolan and only wishes that he lived closer so that they could do it more often! We also can't say thank you enough to Grandma for all the extra work that she did putting all the details together to make today's party such a success! We were very happy that so many people could be with us today and hope that you all had as much fun as we did!

South Dakota State Fair!

Brian and his family had the pleasure of getting to take in another fair today......this one in South Dakota! It's also very handy to have a State Fair going on just a few blocks away from Grandma and Grandpa's house! Even though it officially happened a couple days ago, we think it is very cool that Brian and his Grandpa share a birthday on August 28th. To help celebrate, we thought we would surprise Grandpa with a belated party today. Since he is busy campaigning for the upcoming election this November, we took the party to where he was, that being the Republican building on the fair grounds!

After helping Grandpa do some politic-ing, Brian went to take in a little more fair. He had a great time petting and feeding some animals......

......and topped off the afternoon with a ride on the carousel. It wouldn't really be "fair" to try to compare the Minnesota and South Dakota State Fairs other than to say - we sure had fun at both of them and can't wait to do it all again!

PS - Happy Birthday to Brian and Spencer's cousin Nolan who turns 6 years old today!

Where To Now?

Uncle Corey was a wonderful host and we had all kinds of fun playing with him and staying at his house but as of this morning, we had to say goodbye so that we could head for South Dakota. If you have ever driven from Minneapolis to Grandma and Grandpa's house, than you know that it's about a 5 1/2 - 6 hour drive. We made a stop for lunch but with only about 70 more miles to go, both boys voiced their suggestion that we make a quick stop so that they could stretch their legs for a few minutes. We were very close to South Dakota State University so we paid a visit to the campus. After the boys checked out the Campanile (which is a very prominent landmark on campus) we walked down the campus green to have a special treat.

The Dairy Micro department has a facility on campus where they make their own cheese and ice cream and as Brian will tell you, it is really yummy! After enjoying our scoop, everyone was much more exciting about finishing the final leg of our trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Today is Brian's 2nd birthday! After having some breakfast we stopped by Uncle Corey's office for a little tour. Granted, Uncle Corey is also on vacation but it was still fun to see where he spends his work days.

From there we headed off to attend the big party that the state of Minnesota was throwing for him! They called it the Great Minnesota Get Together (aka: the Minnesota State Fair) but we all knew it was really Brian's birthday party! There were countless sights to see, taste and ride - including this carousal!

Instead of having a birthday cake, we had birthday 'bucket of chocolate chip cookies'! Yummy!!! Happy 2nd birthday Brian Thomas - you are a little boy who is loved very very much!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

To celebrate Mommy's birthday today, Uncle Corey, Daddy, Spencer and Brian took her to the Minnesota Children's Museum. The last time we had been here Brian was just a little older than Spencer is right now. He had fun that time but this time, he had a BLAST! In the area designed for toddlers and younger children that he had cautiously walked around in before, this time he now raced from display to display!

Another exhibit area that we went into has a rotating theme. The current theme was about fairy tales. Brian and Uncle Corey checked out this stories but no matter what Brian saw, he always seemed to end up back at the Jack and the Beanstalk area. (The beanstalk was a slide that he could climb up and slide down - way fun as far as Brian is concerned!)

After taking in the museum, we treated ourselves (and Mommy) to a birthday dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. Even though every one's dinner looked very yummy, Brian highly recommends the macaroni and cheese from the children's menu! We hope you had a wonderful birthday today Mommy - we love you very much!

And They Are Off!!!!!

Today marked the beginning of our family vacation! Once Brian had us all packed up, it was time to hit the road for our first destination.....Uncle Corey's house in Minneapolis. Even though Brian and his brother are able to keep entertain themselves pretty well in the car, even the best of little travelers need a break from time to time. We pulled off at a nice little park along the way and ran off some excess energy on the swings, slides and various other fun stuff......like this dinosaur bouncy guy! Hold on to your hat and lock up any breakable items Uncle Corey because we will be on your doorstep very soon!

Brian's 2 Year Checkup!

Even though he is a couple days away from officially being 2 years old, Brian had his 2 year well being checkup with the doctor today. Daddy's work schedule allowed for him to come with us to today's appointment which Mommy definitely appreciated. After Brian made some small talk with the doctor, she put him on the scale and did some measuring. His head circumference is 48 1/2 which is in the 50th percentile. He has grown to 34 inches tall which is in the 25th percentile and now weighs 26.8 pounds which is also in the 25th percentile. He had to get one shot today but Mr. Tough Guy didn't even flinch when it happened - no tears, no nothing! The doctor said that Brian is a very healthy little boy who is growing and progressing at just the right pace and is exactly where they like to see little boys his age.

Spencer's Party!

Brian and his parents hosted a small back yard birthday party for Spencer today and boy did we have fun! There were lots of things to play with in the yard and all kinds of yummy food like cheese and chips and cookies. (There were a few other items on the menu but cheese, chips and cookies were the only things Brian was interested in!) And best of all, there was cake and ice cream! Our good friend Aunt Diane helped Brian have his.

Even though this party was officially in honor of Spencer's turning 1 year old, since Brian will be turning 2 years old next week, he received a few early gifts too.

When I Grow Up, I Want To Be A......

Our neighborhood had a back to school event this morning to let people with school age children tour some of the school facilities. In addition (and this was the part Brian and Daddy went for) our local police and fire departments were on hand. They brought several of their police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and even a life flight helicopter, all of which were available for the kids to look at as well as get into and investigate first hand! The public works department also had some of their equipment there. Mowers, cherry pickers and tractors were all a big hit with the kids - especially Brian and his cousins Krista and Erika who were also there. Here are a few pictures of some of Brian's highlights. The top picture was in one of the public works tractors, the middle one is in a firetruck and the bottom one is beside the life flight helicopter.

Thank You Uncle Corey!!!!!

The gift that Uncle Corey mailed the boys arrived today and it was a HUGE hit - especially with Brian. When the boys woke up from their naps this afternoon they were greeted by their new back yard toy. It was set up in the hallway in the house for today, but by tomorrow it will be out in the yard. It's a 10 foot long roller coaster and if Mommy and Daddy say so themselves, it's WAY cool! Mr No Fear (aka: Brian Thomas) immediately got onto the car and road it down the wavy track, not looking back until his car came to a complete stop. When the ride ended he just turned around, looked at Mommy and Daddy and said "again!" After just a few trips down the track, Mommy and Daddy just stood back and watched him. He didn't need them keeping a hand on the car to make sure he didn't fall off, he had it all figured out! At first he wanted someone to push him back up to the starting point so that he could just keep riding it over and over and never have to actually get off the car. Within a very short period of time though, he knew how to push the car back into the start position and climb the step to get back on it so that he could push himself off to start the ride all over again. I hope this boy will pick up on algebra formulas and diagramming sentences as quickly as he picks up on how to operate a toy!

Thank you again Uncle Corey! We wish you could be here for Spencer's first birthday party this weekend but we will see you next week when we come to visit you in Minnesota!

PS: Yes he is wearing some "stickers" that the mailman gave him.

Happy Birthday Little Brother!

Because they are only 1 week apart, Mommy and Daddy will try to make sure that Brian and Spencer each have birthday parties and don't always end up having to share them. Granted, when they are this age, they don't care, but in the future that will change. That being said, there will still be times when they get birthday presents that they have to share and this is one of those times! When the boys finished their breakfast this morning we all went out into the yard where they laid their eyes on their very own.........swing set!

Brian LOVED it! He would go back and forth between wanting to swing and then wanting to go down the slide.

With all the excitement, he doesn't always remember that it's not a good idea to walk around behind his brother swing while he's still using it, but if he gets mowed down a couple more times we are hoping that will change soon!

Mommy and Daddy are looking forward to confusing the next person who asks the question we hear quite often.

Stranger: "How old is your little guy?"

Mommy or Daddy: "He's one."

Stranger: "And how old is your other boy?"

Mommy or Daddy: "He's also one."

Stranger: "Oh, so they are twins?"

Mommy or Daddy: "No."

It's a scenario that can only happen until Brian turns 2 next week, but it's still funny to see people question how two kids who aren't twins can be the same age!

Tickle Time!

Daddy has been doing something new with the boys for a couple weeks now which is known as tickle time. It's gotten to be so popular that as soon as Mommy or Daddy ask "is it time for tickle time?", Brian races to the Big Bird bed, pulls it out and lays down in anticipation of what is to come. Spencer is even getting to where he comes over and lays down next to his brother when he hears the words tickle time! When Daddy gets into his position to start the tickling, if he has forgotten, Brian will remind him by saying "glasses" so that he takes them off before they start. I'm not sure who laughs more when this is going on - Brian, Spencer, Daddy or Mommy!

Thank You Mr Mailman!

Yesterday we had a surprise knock on our door from our mailman. Our mailman knows that Brian is a huge fan of the postal service and today he went out of his way to pay Brian a special visit in order to give him some special treats. He brought a couple coloring books and knowing how much kids like stickers, he wanted to bring him some of those too. Unfortunately, the post office was out of stickers so instead - he brought Brian an entire roll of Priority Mail postal tape! As you can imagine, Brian was very excited by this generous and thoughtful gift. He carried the roll of tape around announcing to everyone that he had mail, and he had stickers! When we ask him if he wants to wear a sticker, he races over with a big smile on his face so that he can have one put on him. We normally just peel off one strip of tape for him to wear, but for this picture he wore several strips of his priority mail tape and couldn't have been happier! Thank you again to our wonderful Mailman Bruce - your the best!

Ice Cold Water!

While Brian was out shopping with Daddy and Grandpa a few days ago, he worked up quite a thirst. Being the big boy that he is, he wanted to try taking a drink from the stores water fountain. In addition to getting a nice cold drink of water, he also got a wet face and shirt! He was determined to master drinking from the fountain though and after a few more attempts, he had it down!

Door Open!

Brian and Mommy make a game out of calling out "magic door open" whenever we come across an automatic door at a store or business we are going into. Even though the door leading to Grandma and Grandpa's pool wasn't automatic, Brian still had fun making it open and close. Since he was around the water, he wore a pair of "muscles" on his arms - just in case.

Sam's Club Outing

Yesterday Brian and Spencer took their parents on an outing to Sam's Club. The purpose of this trip was so that they could pick out Spencer's new forward facing car seat. As you can see, it was a very exciting event!

On our way to the checkout isle, Brian suggested an "impulse buy" of some sliced peaches to snack on but Mommy and Daddy said no. *sigh* Maybe next time kiddo!

Anyone Home?

The other day Brian and his brother were playing by the front door. The door was open but the screen door was locked so Mommy let them play while she made dinner in the kitchen. Pretty soon she heard the front door close - not an unexpected sound since the big thing for Spencer right now is to go around closing and and all open doors. She still heard laughing and giggling so everything appeared to be on the norm. After a few more minutes Mommy went to see how they were doing and only found Brian. She knew Spencer couldn't have gone anywhere with the door locked but he was not in the living room. He wasn't in the hallway and all the bedrooms were closed off. Starting to have that feeling of panic she opened the front door and there - standing between the front door and the screen door was Spencer. He was right where Brian put him when he closed the door - with his brother IN it!

They both thought it was funny, especially when Brian would open the mail slot and talk to Spencer through it! Spencer was packed in between the doors pretty snug but lucky for him, there was just enough space to accommodate him! There's never a dull moment around the house with these two little guys around!

Tool of the Day!

A few days ago Brian accompanied Grandpa (as well as Daddy, Mommy and Spencer) to the new Harbor Freight Tools store not far from our house. While there, Brian did some browsing and spotted a tool that he would very much like to add to his shop. He promised Daddy that if he bought it for him, that he would take excellent care of it - take it for walks, feed it, bathe it - everything! He even pointed out that it was on sale for $599.99! Given that it's not out in the shop yet, Brian and Daddy must still be in negotiations over a new 1 Ton Telescoping Gantry Crane. Even though he doesn't own it yet, Brian still wanted to point out what an amazing tool it is! After all, everyone should have a hydraulic lift or two at their disposal!

Today's Brian Story

Every now and then Brian does something unexpected that brings his parents to instant laughter and here's an example of one. Last Monday Mommy put Brian into his bed for his morning nap. He didn't really think he needed one so he just hung out in his bed talking and entertaining himself. Most of the time, he will do this for a while and then fall asleep on his own but on this particular day, he was especially determined not to nap. After a while Mommy went in to check on him and that's when she saw the "unexpected". Brian was wide awake in his bed, laying on his tummy, completely naked! He had taken his pajama top and bottom off, as well as his diaper and put them all into his hamper (which is located next to his crib)! When Mommy started laughing, Brian laughed along with her knowing that he had to be the funniest kid around! Even though she took a picture of the little streaker, for editorial reasons, she has opted to post a picture of him with his pajamas on for the blog. He was pointing to an airplane that he heard flying overhead from his bedroom window.

Here's Your Paper!

As Brian gets older, he is accumulating more "big boy" responsibilities. One of these responsibilities is collecting the morning newspaper. He takes his work very seriously, including throwing the plastic bag that the paper is delivered in into the "bar-bage" can.

MAIL!!!

One of Brian's favorite past times is keeping an eye out for the mail. When we are driving down the street and he sees a mail truck (even if it's several blocks away), he will yell out "MAIL!" Our mailman is a wonderful guy and Brian is genuinely disappointed if his nap throws off his time table to the point where he misses seeing our mail get delivered! Today was a banner day for Brian because we had to go to the post office to mail a package! Not only did he get to participate in the mailing of the package, the woman who waited on us also gave both him and his little brother a cool sticker to wear! Spencer was more interested in eating his sticker but Brian was all smiles as we left the building!

Taxi!!!

Daddy and a couple of his friends get up extra early Saturday mornings to go for a long ride on one of the many bike trails around the area. Daddy has explained to Brian that he's too young to go on the early morning rides, but with this bike attachment, he can go for rides just about whenever he wants now! (Thanks for loaning it to us Uncle Freddie and Aunt Karen!)














Spencer was a little sceptical about this being a good idea, but he was willing to give it a try. When it was all said and done, he wasn't nearly as impressed with their first ride as Brian was, but he said he is willing to keep an open mind and try it again.

He's Okay!

Grandma is out of town for a few days visiting Aunt Judith and Great Grandma in Iowa so Grandpa is at home and on his own. Brian wanted to check up on him to make sure he hasn't burned the house down or anything so we went out to dinner with him tonight. You can sleep well tonight Grandma because he's doing fine and your house is still in one piece!

GO TEAM USA GO!!!

It's the day that people have been talking about for months. The EIGHTH day of the EIGHTH month of the year two thousand and EIGHT. Not only are tons of people planning to be married on this date, today is the start of the 2008 Summer Olympic games! Brian was very interested in watching the opening ceremonies. He let out lots of "ohhh's" and "wow's" as he and Mommy watched all of festivities.

Unfortunately, before the parade of nations began, Brian was fast asleep in bed but he will be watching various events as they take place over the next 16 days! Go Team USA!

Tool of the Day!

OSHA isn't the only agency in charge of establishing protective standards in the workplace, Brian believes in safety first too! With that in mind, Brian would like to show you his safety harness. This is not just a recommendation Brian makes for jobs taking place at any height, in his opinion, it's a requirement! Brian uses this ATA Industries Model 2533 Personal Fall Arrestor but there are a variety of other safety harnesses available for purchase. If you do any work in an elevated area, do yourself a favor and invest in one!

Remembering Walter

There is a reason why Mommy has been behind with the blogs but unfortunately, it's a sad reason. We had to say goodbye to our very good friend and constant companion Walter the dog today. Mommy adopted him from a shelter in South Dakota nearly 8 years ago and his age was guessed to be around 4 at that time. He made the move to Illinois with Mommy, approved of her decision to marry Daddy and was one of the first faces Brian and his little brother Spencer saw when they came home from the hospital. A few days ago he suffered a seizure which the doctors felt was due to a growing brain tumor. Needless to say, it has been a very difficult few days around here but Walter leaves behind countless memories of happy times and the friendship that he provided us all. We honor Walters memory with these pictures and lots of love to a wonderful dog.

Goodbye dear friend, we will never forget you!
Adopted 9/2000 - 8/6/2008