friday with finn.

Our good friends, the Thatchers, came over for dinner with their kids tonight. They have a son one year younger than Ethnie, and Finn, who just turned one year old. He and Emmett are buddies. While we were grilling, we sat them both down on the steps to play. They were so cute touching each other and babbling together! I just HAD to grab the camera!

besties.

dining and dodge ball with dad.

The other night, we grilled and ate outside. It was a perfect evening. Afterward while I took the food inside, Matt and the kids played ball in the yard. He and Ethnie were playing some kind of dodge ball-type game. I snapped a few:

Emmett playing with his own ball.

the new ride.

I said I wouldn't do this. I didn't want to do this. But - I broke down and bought a double stroller. Sigh. I guess you could say I'm more of a 'minimal' mom when it comes to baby gear. I hate anything that takes up lots of space or looks like an eye sore. My diaper bag is the size of a clutch purse compared to most moms. Anyway, I got a great deal on it and the kids love it. It feels really big right now, but I'll get used to pushing it around. It gives me more freedom because I can walk everywhere and Ethnie doesn't complain about being tired. :) My favorite feature of this stroller is that the seats can snap in three different ways - both front facing, both rear facing, or facing each other. So, if the kids are having a rough day together, they don't have to look at each other. ;)
Yes, I am now pushing around a double stroller. BUT - you will never see me driving a mini van! Mark my word!

weekend with Izzy.

This weekend we had Izzy, Steve's dog, stay with us. She is a pretty good dog. Ethnie was in heaven. She mostly took care of her all by herself! She was very responsible; she took her outside to go to the bathroom, played with her in the yard, gave her water and treats, and made sure she always had a blanket while she slept. We have been thinking about getting a dog for a couple of years, but didn't know if it would be a good fit for our family or what kind of dog to get. We now know that Ethnie would be a great dog owner and that a smaller dog would be the best fit. Izzy is about 10 pounds and Ethnie was able to take care of her with ease. Emmett also loves dogs and doesn't care if they lick him or run by him. We had a fun time with you, Izzy! Come back soon!

to walk or not to walk...

Emmett has been giving us the impression that he wants to walk since he turned 11 months old. He is now almost 14 months and still won't walk on his own. He takes 6 steps or so and falls, but we don't think that counts. He is totally ready; he just needs to trust himself. He loves cruising around with his walker toy. Lately, he wants to walk around the block with it. He can't steer yet, so he gets very frustrated when he runs into the grass or something else. In the meantime, here are some photos to enjoy:

Out for a stroll with Papa. They were twins that day :)

cute boy

what to do with the art?

So, Ethnie has made many art projects from pre-school and day care in the past. She is also constantly drawing and coloring and wants to hang everything on the refridgerator. Well, the fridge ran out of room a long time ago and the art projects and pictures started to pile up fast. 

Luckily, I had some canvas-covered frames Emmett had gotten for a gift when he was born. Since there was no room to hang them in his room, I stored them away for future use. And, tah-dah! This is what I did with them. What do you think?

This one is still on the fridge. I need to find a cute frame.

Hanging in the playroom/office. I glued the projects onto the canvas.

 They look cute from outside looking in! 

a favorite.

 

For all you moms out there with small children: this book is ADORABLE! It's a silly spin on the classic Rapunzel. The prince tries multiple times to tell Rapunzel to throw down her hair, but each time she hears him wrong and throws down something that sounds like what he says. It's become one of Ethnie's favorite books. I love it too; so cute! 

fair fun.

Matt's parents and I took the kids to the Washington County Fair over the weekend while Matt was at class. We had a nice time! It was Emmett's first fair and the weather was nice. Here are a few pictures I snapped off:

A county fair is always a great warm up for the State Fair.

Ethnie's favorite fair food.

Having a good time!

This calf is only 8 days old.

Stilts man.

Ethnie's first time on a pony. She was so proud of herself!

favorite moments of the day.

Ethnie said two things tonight within 30 minutes of each other that I must share.
Moment #1: We had a few guys over tonight. Everyone was in the living room chatting except for Ethnie and I; we were sitting in the dining room together. I told her to go and get her pj's before I put Emmett to bed. She went and grabbed them and came back into the dining room. I asked, "Why did you bring your pj's in here." She replied, "Well, I'm going to put my jammies on in here because I don't want the guys to see my vagina."

Moment #2: Ethnie sat at the table and ate some plain tortilla chips for her bedtime snack. After she was finished, she got up and started doing a silly march/dance around the table. When I walked in I asked, "Ethnie what are you doing?" She replied, "I'm just so proud that we don't have spicy chips anymore."

Never a dull moment!!