Sleep Over Guest

Brian has been spending quite a bit of time lately hanging out with his stuffed Curious George. Because of that, no one was overly surprised when they both showed up together at the breakfast table. Daddy welcomed our guest by setting a chair for him next to Brian and making him up his own plate! George doesn't eat much, he is very quiet and well behaved so he is welcome at our table ANY time!!!

Brian made a phone call tonight to his Great Grandma (aka: Gram) who lives in South Dakota. He sang her one of his favorite songs. "Happy Birthday to you......Happy Birthday to you......Happy Birthday dear Great Grandma.......Happy Birthday to you!" We won't reveal Gram's age but we will tell you that she is exactly 90 years older than Brian. Brian just turned 3 so..........we will let you do the math. :-)

Happy Birthday Gram......we can't wait to see you when we are back in SD for the holidays!

My New Bathtub!!!

Our bathroom is SOOOOOOOOOOOO close to being finished! The tub is in.....the plumbing and electric are in place.....the dry wall/green board/concrete board have all been installed. Our new floor and wall tile have been delivered so, the days of running across the street to use Grandma and Grandpa's bathtub and shower are nearly behind us! True, the walls will look much nicer once the tile is on them, but until then, they are water proofed to the point where we can use the bathtub. The boys had their inaugural bath in the new tub tonight!

Making Snakes!

The boys got some play dough and accessories for it as birthday gifts. Since they had already opened up several new toys, Mommy and Daddy tucked the play dough away in a closet for a "rainy day". Clearly, it wasn't hidden very well because Brian has come across it more than once and asked to play with it. Mommy and Daddy broke down today and they opened the little containers of brightly colored squishy dough.

Brian was particularly interested in making "snakes". He needed a little help pushing the lever down but watching the play dough come oozing out was wayyyyyy cool!

Baby Kendall!!!!!

Last night Mommy and Daddy were explaining to Brian that when he got home from church and had his nap, he was going to have a wonderful surprise. We told him that he was going to be able to play with Haley AND baby Kendall! (Kendall is the beautiful little girl whose Daddy happens to be cousins with Brian's Daddy.) Kendall, as well as her Mommy, Daddy and her Grandparents (who we refer to as Uncle Glenn and Aunt Ronnie) came over to Grandma and Grandpa's house this afternoon for a dinner. Since Uncle Colin, Aunt Karyn and Haley were able to come too......we had a GREAT time! Brian and Haley are no strangers to Grandma's "Bonus Room" so they got right to work playing with toys.

It didn't take long before Kendall was ready to play too. The boys suggested playing some dress up and Kendall was quick to join right in!

An Apple For The Teacher!

One of the things that Brian's class at school was studying this week was apples. Each student brought 2 apples from home and they made all kinds things. They saw and tasted several different varieties and colors of apples. They painted pictures, made "apple crowns" and apple prints too!

***Update on Potty-gate 2009: Brian is continuing to rack up his M&M rewards! (Translation - the potty training continues to go very well!)

I Need Sand!!!

When Brian got to school on Wednesday, he collected the raffle prize that he won at the schools Monday night fund raiser. Knowing that there would be lots of time to play with all the new prize goodies after school, he was very willing to let Mommy and Spencer take it home with them. After school, lunch and an afternoon nap.........Mommy and the boys headed out to the McCook Park District's sandbox to break in some of the new toys!






We had the park all to ourselves so Brian and Spencer went back and forth between the sandbox and the playground equipment. Brian took a few moments to spin the tic-tac-toe game on route to one of his many trips down the slide.

Tool of the Day!

Brian was taking care of some temporary home repairs today.

Here he is caulking the countertop with a Metco 1600 10 oz. caulk gun.

On a separate note, here is an update on Brian's "Potty-gate 2009". Yesterday, on three separate instances Brian successfully used the potty!!! The reward system of 2 M&M's per productive potty use appears to be working very well!

I'm Ready!!!

Brian loves hearing that it's time to go to school! He had his backpack on and we were just about to leave when he said that he needed to get one more thing. He ran into the play room and came back with this little shape sorter toy. "Mommy, I need to take my briefcase."

We mentioned that last Monday evening we attended a school fund raiser at a local McDonald's. We bought a bunch of raffle tickets all for one particular prize. When we got to school this morning we found out that........WE WON!!!!!!!!!! This was probably the most expensive set of sandbox and bubble toys we have ever had but hey, at least it was for a good cause!

CELEBRATION!!!!!

We had a couple reasons to celebrate today. First of all, today is Uncle Seth and Aunt Ann's anniversary! Secondly.........*drum roll please*........Brian used the potty today!!!!!!!!! He is in no way potty trained yet, but it was still a banner day at our house!

While Brian is playing at home, often times he will go through the motions of some things he does when he is at preschool. He sings the songs they sing ("clean up clean up, every body do your part.") The kids have a routine that happens each day before they have snack time. That routine is what Brian was recreating today. "Everyone needs to go potty and then wash their hands!" He may have just been playing but when Mommy heard him say this, she put his idea into action!

We have not had a lot of luck at home with Brian wanting to use the bathroom. He does at least try when he's at school though. We don't know what the success rate of his school bathroom breaks is but we do know that he did a great job at home today! I'm guessing that Brian's teacher probably doesn't cheer, clap and jump around quite as much as Mommy did today but that's okay. He got his "potty prize" (2 M&M candies) and he was thrilled about it!

Where's The Fire???

The Water Dept is busy flushing fire hydrants around our Village this week. We lucked out and got a great show because we had just come home from picking Brian up from school when the water dept truck pulled up in front of our house. Greg, the man from the Village was very nice and asked Brian if he wanted to come in for a closer look but Brian preferred to hang back a little bit so that he could take it all in......from a safe distance. Spencer couldn't be bothered with the whole hydrant thing - he preferred to just go play in the yard. Brian however, was mesmerized by the whole process!

Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

While Spencer is busy doing research for his weekly park review, Brian is busy too. Brian is busy PLAYING at the park that Spencer is evaluating! Talk about your win-win situation!!! This is the roller slide at the park just a few blocks from our house that Spencer reviewed a couple weeks ago.

Travelin' Man!

Brian had a very busy day planned for today. As Mommy and Daddy watched him hook his little brothers back pack to the back of his bike, we asked him where he was going. "I'm going to see Uncle Corey". He may need to pack a slightly larger back pack if he is going to ride this bike all the way to Minneapolis!

Can I Take Your Order?

Since Daddy is making a great deal of progress remodeling our bathroom, it was time for Mommy and Daddy to go pick out the tile he will soon be installing. Where do you go when you need floor tile? There's only one place we go and that is to Floors and Walls which is located in Franklin Park! Fortunately for us, this shower door display was set up right next to the floor tile selection Mommy and Daddy were looking at. It kept the boys occupied for nearly the entire time we were there! Eventually we heard Brian start taking drink orders like he was at a drive thru!

Oh yeah, Elaine.... Brian and Spencer are really sorry about the finger prints!!!

Tool of the Day!

Brian is taking a break from his final coat of mud on his bathroom project.

He is using a 6 inch flexable Goldblatt model 600-06 taping knife.

Notice not a spec of mud on his clothes?

The true sign of a professional!!!

Oh, and what mud is he using? I'm glad you asked!

Sheetrock brand light weight all purpose plus three joint compound of course!!!!

Home Work

Brian LOVES going to school! In fact, on our drive to school this morning Brian said "Okay Mommy, you take Spencer with you and I'll see you tomorrow." His class has learned some songs that Brian sings quite frequently at home too. They have a "Hello song" as well as a "Goodbye song" that the kids sing each day. There is also a "Clean Up song" they sing when putting all the toys away before they go home for the day. The school selects a theme for each school year. The song for this years theme is the one that Brian has been singing the most though. We were a little unsure on a few of the words he was singing but his teacher was happy to provide us with a copy of the song so we can work with him on it.

One of the things that they were studying at school this week was shapes. Brian brought home some work sheets with shapes that he could trace and color. Once again, we are fairly certain that Brian is left handed!

The Brother Chain

Last Thursday Mommy and the boys took a little walk to our new library. That experience is a story in itself given that it would probably have been easier for Mommy to buy crack on the street than it was for her to get a new library card - but she got it! The library is just a few blocks from our house but since we have to cross a fairly busy street, Mommy introduced the boys to something new. It may look like it's just one of Mommy's old belts but when it was renamed to "The Brother Chain", it took on a whole new life! Mommy takes one end and the boys are told to keep a hand hold on the brother chain at all times during our walk. Both boys have been taking to this very well but Brian in particular is doing very well with it!

Extra Bath Night!

The boy's don't normally take a bath on Sunday night. Considering they were playing a little game of "lets toss the sawdust into the air and see how much of it lands on us" yesterday........we decided that an extra bath this week was probably a good idea. The smiles on their faces when they were discovered covered in sawdust was adorable. The laughter at how it "tickled" when Grandpa tried to clean them up a little with his air compressor - priceless!

Happy Grandparent's Day!

"My Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Corey went to the Minnesota State Fair a couple weeks ago and all we got were this lousy Pronto Pup hats!" Okay, so they weren't lousy Pronto Pup hats, in fact Haley and the boys wore these silly paper hats most of the afternoon!

Happy Grandparents Day to all the Grandma's and Grandpa's out there!!!

Has Anyone Seen My Matches?

We are either raising two future able bodied boy scouts or two little pyromaniacs because these boys love fire! Brian has watched Daddy start enough fires in our back yard fire pit that by now that he has started making his own (less the fire pan and the actual fire of course). Today his toy hoe is acting as an ax - very important when you need to chop your firewood.

Once he and Spencer had built their "fire", Brian looked at Mommy and asked her to take a picture of it.

We Will Never Forget!

Brian wasn't around eight years ago when the lives of so many were changed by the horrible events of September 11th. As he grows up, we intend to make it very clear to him how lucky he is to be an American. We also intend for him to have a deep appreciate for the brave men and women who have and/or continue to fight to ensure our freedom and safety.

Tool of the Day!

Here Brian is showing Daddy the finer points of operating his new Makita BDF452 lithium ion compact18 volt cordless drill driver.
It took Daddy a while to get the hang of it but Brian is a patient teacher.

Son of a Preacher Man

We take the boys to church each week and apparently between eating his snacks, drawing and playing with his quiet toys, he is actually paying attention to what's going on! Lately Brian has started playing church. He has been pretending to light candles (like he sees the acolytes do at church) for quite a while but recently he has added some new stuff. He likes to start his "services" from the top of the back steps with a welcoming "Good Morning!" This is usually followed by some words that we can't make out. He ends with raising one hand into the air and saying "in the name of the Holy Spirit, Amen." He has added some new material to his services which include his version of the ending of the Lords Prayer......"one God....for never and never, Amen." In addition to passing the peace, he has also started giving blessings as well as communion. It's amazing to just sit back and watch him!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

If it seems like we have been singing Happy Birthday a lot over the past 2 weeks......you are right!!! While Daddy was off at work today, Mommy and the boys headed to our pediatrician for their yearly checkups. Brian's new stats are as follows. In the past year Brian has grown 3 inches. He was 34 inches a year ago and is now 37 inches tall. He is in the 35th percentile in height which is very average. A year ago he weighed 26.8 pounds. He has gained an even 3 pounds and now weighs 29.8 which is also very average as he is in the 30th percentile for weight.

When Daddy got home we went out to Culver's for dinner. When we finished dinner, Mommy went up to the counter to order our dessert. While she was gone, Daddy and the boys were playing a game. Daddy would ask the boys what they liked better. "Brian, which do you like better......grilled cheese or hot dogs." "Spencer, which do you like better.......hamburgers or pizza." When Mommy came back with our dessert, she and Daddy were talking as the boys ate their ice cream. Daddy asked what size his dish was and Mommy answered that it was a medium. A few minutes later Brian wanted Mommy to play their little game. "Mommy, which do you like better........pizza or medium!"

Pogo!

This little toy hoe is a new toy every time Brian gets ahold of it! Today it was his pogo stick! At first we questioned how he even knew what a pogo stick was but we think he just saw one being used on a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode. Stay tuned to see what else this toy will become in some upcoming blog postings!

An Early Party!

Daddy's birthday is next week. Since Uncle Kevin, Aunt June, Krista and Erika were coming over to Grandma and Grandpa's house today - we decided to have a little surprise party. After dinner, Brian made sure that he sat next to Daddy so that he could help him blow out the candles on his cake!

The kids got a lesson on proper flag etiquette today. Grandma and Grandpa have a lot of flags that they use to decorate for their 4th of July party. Over the years, a bunch of them have gotten to the point where they need to be disposed of. What is the correct way to dispose of a flag? That's right......they are to be burned. Krista and Erika got to participate but Brian and Spencer were required to watch from a safe distance.

Stop, Drop & Roll!

There is a small slope in the lawn along the front of our house and it makes for a perfect playing spot. The boys can have races down it or.......

........do full body rolls!!!!!!!!!

Brian Speak

Brian has some phrases that just crack us up! One that is very popular is said when he doesn't like something or doesn't want to do something.

Daddy: "Brian, what kind of cereal would you like this morning?"

Brian: "No Daddy, I can't like cereal, I want pancakes."

Mommy: "Come on Brian, lets put on your shoes. Do you want to wear your sandals or gym'ies today?"

Brian: "I can't like shoes Mommy!"

Tool of the Day!

Now that we have our move as well as several August birthdays out of the way, Brian is anxious to get back to his tool of the day segments!

Here Brian is sporting the Milwaukee 12" Axman model 80-8027 sawzall blade.

NOTE: Yes, sawzall blades are sharp and the average person should NOT hold a blade the way Brian is here. However, Brian has built up such callouses from all his years in the trades that he really doesn't need to worry.

My Family

Brian's preschool class is currently talking about family. Each child was asked to bring in a picture of their family......their whole family, pets too. Fortunately for us, our good friend Henry came over this evening. He was willing to be our photographer and snapped a couple pictures for us.

Watch This Grandpa!

Daddy was doing some landscape work today (removing some bushes that just needed to go). Brian was very anxious to watch him do this. He and Grandpa stayed back at a safe distance and watched as Daddy hooked a chain around the bushes and pulled them out with his truck!

As you can see......Brian was VERY impressed!!!

He was also very happy to pitch in with the clean up duties as well!