dear emmett,

You are now 15 months and walking like crazy! You had been ready for a couple of months, but just had to decide when YOU were ready to take off. I am very proud of you and amazed at how fast you are learning. I think your big sister helps you to catch on to things quickly. You are such a gentle, sweet boy and love to cuddle. I can already tell you are going to be a very giving person by the way you are starting to share and show affection. I also believe you will be a good listener because you obey the words you know.
I have been enjoying our one-on-one time while Ethnie is at school. You have been exploring the house on foot and doing a good job of staying away from the things you are not allowed to touch. I think you like having the toy room to yourself while Ethnie is away so you can touch "her" toys! Don't worry, it can be our secret. After your morning nap, we hit the stroller and go for our daily walk. Most days, you like to get out and help me push the stroller. You always get so excited while we wait for the bus because you know it means Ethnie is coming home!
Here are some signs you understand:
milk
more
eat
drink
all gone
all done
no
stop
sleep

Here are some words you try to say:
mama
dada
dog
milk
all done
I have a feeling one word you will be determined to master soon will be Ethnie!
I love you little man.

love, mom.

nail update.

A quick review on the Sally Hansen nail strips:
They did not peel or chip for 8 days. I removed them after 11 days because my nails were growing out; not because they were peeling. I think putting the clear coat over the top really helped. Try them sometime!

nail news.

 

This is my new favorite way to do my nails! They are GREAT for moms with small children. They are real nail polish strips that stick to your nails and last up to 10 days. They take about the same time to apply as it does to actually paint your nails, but once they are on you are done! My friend told me if you add a quick layer of top coat they last much longer. 

I got mine at Target. There are many different colors/patterns. I bought the ones that look like black lace. I think they look nice and the dark color is great for fall. Let me know if you've tried them!   

survive first week of kindergarten - check!

The first week of school shot by and Ethnie did GREAT! I was nervous for her the first morning; riding the bus and being gone all day, but she was so ready and was pumped. She gave me a quick "bye mom!" and got on the bus with confidence! She has done well coming home on the bus too. I thought she would be so exhausted when she got home each day, but she has done rather well. She loves school and everyone in her class. Here are a few I took waiting for the bus:

READY!

waiting with her friend and neighbor, Ella.

here comes the bus!

have a great day!

playdate.

We had company over two weeks ago and Emmett's friend, Josiah, came over to play. They got along really well and had fun together. They liked touching each other's faces!

ready to learn.

Ethnie starts Kindergarten on Monday and she can't wait! She is still attending JJ Hill Montessori. There, kids keep their same teacher for both Pre-K and Kindergarten years. Therefore, both age groups are in the same classroom together. It's great because they learn different things from eachother and feel more comfortable. Ethnie is excited to be part of the "big kids" in her class this year. She will be at school from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. so she will also eat in the lunchroom every day. She will also ride the bus both to and from school, which is a whopping 4 minutes. A few big adjustments this year!
Not sure if this is a state-wide change, but the St. Paul school district is offering free breakfast every day for all students. Great perk for those mornings when the alarm doesn't go off!
Ethnie has her bag packed and her outfit picked out. I know she will do great this year and will love Kindergarten. She has been wishing for it all summer. First-day pictures will be posted ASAP !

baby steps.

Emmett has been making some nice progress on his walking! Officially, I guess he IS walking, but he still only takes a few steps before he realizes he's walking on his own and gets scared. Then he stops. But, lately he has been side-stepping around the coffee table hands free! I assume he will start full-on walking VERY SOON. He needs to; my arms literally give out when I carry him for more than a few minutes!

fun summer moments.

I know we still have some nice warm days left, but I always hate saying 'goodbye' to summer. It's hard to do, especially when it is so darn short here. Nonetheless, here are some fun moments we've had over the last three months:

 It was great to have Matt home after work instead of at class!

 

fun days at the park

 

Minnehaha Falls

 celebrating grandpa Tom's 50th birthday

 

celebrating Emmett's 1st birthday

Ethnie gets MUCH more comfortable with the water.

Children's Museum

Lily's 1st birthday party

 

fun date night

 

Como Zoo

 

HOT days at the pool

noticeable bonding between Ethnie and Emmett!

 

state fair

end-of-the-summer party.

I can't believe I had to write "end of summer" in this posting. It has blinked by, don't you think? Ethnie was invited to her friend Olivia's house, who lives down the street from us. She had a party celebrating being a big kid getting ready to go back to school. It was really cute and there were many neighbor kids there. Ethnie had a great time. Emmett was grumpy so Matt had to come over and pick him up. Ethnie and Olivia get along really well. Here are some pictures from the party:

alphabet find

craft bag

marshmallow construction

Each child's name was written in chalk on the ground.

Olivia the hostess!

obstacle course

Olivia and Ethnie

most of the group!

Thanks for the great party, Olivia!