Friday Funnies: End of August!

How about the weather we've been having lately?  I am so thankful I have an inside desk job on days like any of them in the past three weeks.... Yuck!  Not just hot but non-stop high humidity for three weeks straight.  You all know how much John likes this weather.  This was his reaction to it:  "I don't think it's quite hot enough outside.  We better turn on the heat..."  Yeah...

John had a great time at the state fair with his parents on Friday.  This is a picture of something that caught his eye while walking through buildings....  A Kawasaki motorcycle crossed with a John Deer riding lawn mower.  Women will think of anything to get their husbands to mow the lawn, huh?

John came home with a lot of free stuff from the fair.  Among the loot were several tattoos.  He gave all the tattoos to Megan and jokingly told her that the lightbulb one needed to go on her forehead.  It was so cute when she went to put them on and started assigning places for the tattoos.  She held up the lightbulb and really was ready to put it smack dab center of her forehead.  Wouldn't that be a funny sight!

This is how my mom keeps Megan entertained and out of the way when I'm giving bassoon lessons!

Megan likes pony rides both from real ponies and from people.  But she likes to give them too.  She now gives me pony rides up the stairs when going to bed.  She crawls and all I have to do is walk with my legs straddling her.  Of course I also have to keep the same pace as her or I will get left behind.  I ask her why she is going so slow (a prompted question by Megan) and she answers with "Because I'm pulling a wagon"!

I picked Megan up from my mom's yesterday.  Earlier that day Megan had a sore stomach for a short while.  How Megan described it?  A Tummy-Egg!

Friday Funnies: First Half of August Wrap-Up

Alright, with the posting of this blog post I think I am officially caught up!  Wow, has this been a busy month.  Let's get started!

Do you think it's a concern for her brother or a sign that I don't vacuum much when I start vacuuming and Megan says, "Mom, don't suck up Owen!"?

We have some fun with Megan's Baby Alive doll.  She said one day, "Where is that thirsty baby?"  We pour water into the mouth and have the baby perched over a glass so the water comes out.  Don't worry - I stopped Megan before she could drink the newly full glass!

Megan is all about bandaids lately.  Any little boo-boo will require a bandaid.  Princess one if we're at home so she can guess which princess will be inside.  We were at a garage sale one day when a dog got a little annoyed with Megan and scratched her arm a little.  She cried all the way home and we talked through what we would do when we got home.  I told Megan I would give it a kiss.  She told me that kisses do not help.  We needed to do three things: wash it, put cream on and a band aid!  Later that day she also asked me if she could use a band aid to keep Noah's ark door shut!  Now that's thinking!

At the Carver County Fair I asked John if we should put our names in for the drawing of a brand new truck.  John said no and that he does not want a new truck.  Megan quickly piped up and said, "I do!!  You can teach me how to drive!!!"

Megan didn't eat much of her sunfish one night for dinner.  Sure enough, she was hungry when bedtime rolled around.  I bake them in the oven, contrary to how my mom makes them by frying them on the stove.  Megan informed me that if I was to make better fish that she would eat them.  Better fish like Grandma makes.  Sunfish like Papa catches....

Megan also informed me that same night that while I might be medium now I will "soon grow up to be a man like Daddy."  Boy - I can't wait for that one...

Megan's not a big fan of the pointy things in the middle of peaches.  I have to cut them out.  I also have to cut out the nuts in the middle of the plums :)  Gotta love her!

None of us knew that Owen could say Papa until my cousin's wedding.  My dad was usher and just walked the groom's parents into the pew in front of us.  Everything was quiet and all of a sudden Owen let out a big "Bop!"  He is Grandpa's boy for sure!

Megan was a little disappointed that she couldn't throw flower petals down the aisle when she was flower girl for my cousin's wedding.  I told her she got carry a beautiful little basket instead and she should pretend that she was Little Red Riding Hood going to Grandma's house.  Her reply?  "So I can skip down aisle?"

I mentioned earlier that Rachel's boyfriend Nate played a game with John's softball team.  Megan was pretty protective of him because she went up to Grandma Lewis as she was drinking out of her own water bottle and said, "Save some for Nate.  He is playing really hard!"

Megan and I made some zucchini muffins one day.  We decided to give some to Grandpa Lewis when he picked the kids up one day.  Megan, remembering what I told her about eating healthy foods before going to the fair, told this to Grandpa as she handed him the bag, "Papa, these are a treat.  You have to eat your fruit first."

All four of us went to my cousin's place for dinner one night and to let the kids play together.  Megan had played with Alex once a couple weeks ago and just his oldest brother was also around.  As we pulled into their driveway Megan saw Alex's other older brother Nate.  Confused, she said, "Alex growed up?"

Megan is becoming very aware of where we live and the names of cities.  When we're driving around town she will say stuff like "are we still in Waconia?"  Also, when we go to the cities and leave Waconia on CoRd 10, she will tell us all the places that road leads to, such as: Grandma & Grandpa Lewis's, Home Depot, chiropractor, Auntie Rachel's, Alexa's, the zoo - you get the idea.

We were outside playing one morning couple weeks ago when Megan stood next to our tree shouting something that sounded like "toilet paper".  Here there was a caterpillar climbing the tree.  She tried to get it off and couldn't.  I failed too.  Leave it to Owen to rip that thing loose from the tree - Owen sure was good at pulling him off!  He was a sticky little thing and Owen didn't want much to do with him - he probably didn't know if he should eat it, squish it or put it back on the tree!

 

Auntie Janno - this one is for you!!!  You make Megan's moustache look great!  Thanks for playing along!

Megan is loving dress up lately.  One night she got all decked out in Cinderella dress, tiara, "glass" slippers, gloves and wand.  She waited on the two-step landing and had us "announce" Princess Megan's entrance.  And then she made me be the prince because you can't have a princess without a prince!

Owen, you are so sweet to tolerate your big sister.  She loves to "help" but sometimes I wonder how much help it really is.  She just thinks of you as her little baby.  Today she wanted to carry you around the house!

Seriously - how could this be more comfortable than your bed?  When going to bed she needs a pillow to put her head on and another pillow over her other ear.  Sometimes she wiggles halfway into the bathroom!  We just want our hallway back.  At least she's happy when she wakes up!

My sister and I joke that when we were little we played with "pencil people".  Megan's taking that concept to a whole new level with "toothbrush people".  The kid toothbrushes are the babies and John and mine are the mommy and daddy!

Guess who got put in the police car at Como?!

Suckers and stickers at the clinic after two good checkups!  Owen's first sucker.  Not so funny cleaning him up though!

A Fair Time At The Fair

Our lucky kids were able to go to the Carver County Fair twice this summer!  We took them Saturday the 10th and my parents took them the very next day.  We had a nice little family outing there too and a fair this size is just perfect for kids their age.  We drive by the fair grounds all the time so it's fun for the kids to see what goes on at the fair when it's that time of year.

John likes to go through the buildings but the kids love the animals and rides.... Which did we spend more time on?  You got it - animals and rides.  Good thing we didn't miss too much in the vendor buildings and tents because we pretty much had to breeze through them.  We started out in the 4H buildings but Megan had to ride the pony.  I thought if we went through the large livestock buildings that she would be fine... Nope - not even a corn dog and milk could get her mind away from riding the pony!

  

John walked with Megan while she was on the pony but she didn't want him to.

 

We thought after she rode the pony she would let us do our thing for awhile, but no... Then she wanted to see the chickens.  So we walked through the smaller animal buildings.  She loved the sheep- especially when they climbed onto the pen rungs.

 

Owen absolutely went crazy in the poultry barn.  He loved every minute of it!  Probably because they both make the same sounds?

 

The exotic petting zoo was kind of a joke this year.  We actually paid for a handful of feed to but we were there so late in the day that they were all stuffed - it obviously can't take too much to fill up a wallabe!  We finally found a large animal to eat the feed.

Lastly, Megan wanted to go to the carnival.  I gave her the choice between the Ferris Wheel and Carousel and she picked Carousel!  And a purple horse, of course!  A bag of mini donuts as promised and we were ready for home!

Owen at 15 Months!

Gee, I waited until Owen had his 15 month checkup to write this 15 month update and realized we're halfway through this month already!  It was pretty cute when the doctor came into the exam room yesterday and she took one look at Owen and asked what month checkup we were doing again.  He is just one big guy as you can see below.  I compared these stats with his one year's and he grew two inches and gained a pound and a half since then!  But all in all, right in like with where he should be.

Height - 33 1/2 inches - 99%

Weight - 27lbs 2oz - 94%

Head Circ - 18 3/4 inches - 71%

Thank goodness Owen can walk because my back would be extremely sore if I had to carry him around more than I already do.  He is an excellent walker and practically running, in fact.  He tries to keep up with his big sister in so many ways - speed of walking, climbing, jumping on beds, pushing the handicap buttons to open building doors and pushing things around like strollers!

I did it and got Owen off the bottle.  We've been on fast flowing sippy cups or straw cups for close to a month - Heaven forbid if you give him a cup where you have to work to get anything out.  Owen continues to have a great appetite loving meat, broccoli, hot dish, pasta, yogurt, grapes, he even ate a few brussel sprouts the other day!  He also knows that sometimes the food at the table is hot and needs to be blown off before putting it in his mouth.  Definitely one of the cutest things he's doing right now.

Owen's vocabulary is off to a great start.  He really didn't take to the sign language but he does just fine with pointing to what he wants and being insistent on it.  Words he can say are: Mom, Dad, Papa, more, that, hi, bye, ball, cheese (when taking pictures), fish (as in the goldfish crackers), shoes.  I'm sure I will have a lot more to add to the list next month!  Owen loves to make car and tractor noises too - just a typical little boy!

Owen is definitely understanding a lot of what we say which goes hand in hand with his good vocabulary.  I tell him to go get his shoes and he comes back with the pair, trying to get them on his feet.  He is getting better at laying down for diaper changes once I tell him diaper.  I even got him to put the plates and forks on the table for me one night.  Guess he knows the household routines!

We have a new bedtime routine since weaning from the bottle.  There is no more rocking to sleep.  We read a couple books and cuddle while eating animal crackers and drinking milk but that is it.  It took a few nights of Owen crying but he caught on quickly and is doing well with it.

Owen got his top two 1-year molars on the 28th of last month and a couple weeks ago got his bottom left one.  The bottom right molar is a stinker and is taking its time to cut through.  I hope it's soon because Owen has been a drooling machine for the past couple months!

Owen's motor skills are developing too.  Owen is pouring water from cup to cup in the bathtub.  He is clapping to the song If You're Happy And You Know It.  He is giving high 5's.  He is playing peek-a-boo - or as far as Megan's concerned, playing along to "What's Missing".  If you're on your knees and touch your shoulders there's a good chance he'll even try to climb onto your back for a horsey ride - he just doesn't get the concept of holding on yet, so watch out!  Oh, and of course he is liking to play on my computer.  He'll climb up onto the bench, wiggle the mouse and press all the buttons - unfortunately, that includes the power button.

Owen loves to sit in the driver's seat of the car to play with the keys and buttons.  Megan was the same way at this age but does he ever throw a buck if he doesn't get his way!  He does a good job riding in the car but we're finding he would much rather look out the window than sleep during the drive.  He has to be really tired in order to doze off.

I still love it when Owen comes to sit on my lap to read a book - he is all boy but still has a sensitive side!  One other thing we've discovered lately is Owen likes to sit down at Megan's desk and mark in her coloring books with crayons.  Since she isn't really an artsy kid she doesn't even mind him doing that!

One last thing.  Owen's becoming very giggly lately.  Want to hear him squeal?  Just bonk your head with a hard object and scream "Oh".  He thinks it's a riot!

Oh, and of course pictures!  Enjoy!

Where's Owen?!?

 

I wish you would look at the camera... but still sweet.

 

And fun in a the bounce house last weekend!

 

 

Beep... There's my button!!!

Go, Owen, Go!!

Here's our big boy at his checkup yesterday!!

Family Day At The Zoo

Yesterday we had a fun family outing to Como Zoo!  John had the day scheduled off and I decided to take a vacation day as well and do something as a family before the summer is over.  The kids were excellent and we had a fun time, despite the heat and humidity.  The animals must have been feeling the heat as well because there were really only a handful that were actually moving in their pens (giraffe, zebras, gorilla moved once).  The lions, tigers and polar bear just laid around. We didn't even see the wolves because of the heat.  That didn't both Megan - what was her favorite part?  Reading the map and telling us where to go next!  That and her with her binoculars, she was quite the little tour guide!

Mommy and Daddy were not supposed to hold the map.  Megan was looking at all the pictures of the animals which had arrows to their location on the map.  Nevermind that we were right next to the giraffes... we had to go to the wolves' home first because that was "next".  Eventually we were able to see everything in the four hours we were there.

We quickly learned that it wasn't worth it to try and go to any of the demonstrations since you can't hear or see much anyways.  But we did make it to the Sparky the Seal show.  It was right around lunchtime and the kids were asking for snack breaks anyways so we sat down to eat our picnic lunch while watching the short show.  Hydration was key in the heat and we went through lots of fluids.  Owen hung in there not taking a nap until we got to the car around 2:00!  

Stoller loaded and ready to go!

Like I said earlier, I didn't take many pictures of the animals since they weren't doing anything too exciting but it was fun watching the kids look at them!

 

Owen looked good on the turtle statue!

We liked the giraffes!

 

And we LOVED the goofy mama gorilla!

John was exhausted but kept a smile on his face!

Last on Megan's itinerary was the Como Town Train ride.  We put some money on a ride pass and she was able to ride the train, as the co-conductor, all by herself!  She was absolutely in her glory!

We still had some money left on the card so we put the kids on these little cars.  I wasn't sure how Owen would do since he was trying to climb out before the ride started but after it got going he just rode with a big grin on his face!

As we started driving for home I asked Megan what her favorite part of the zoo was.  She didn't reply and I asked her if it was reading the map.  I got a tired little response of, "I think so..."  Owen was sleeping before we left the parking lot and Megan was shortly after that.  It was a successful family outing!

Touch 'Em All, Megan Lewis!

Last Wednesday John took the Megan to her second Twin's game of the summer!  John was especially excited to find out that there was a special event after the game where season ticket holders could run the bases with their kids!  They drove to the game instead of taking the bus since they'd be around awhile afterwards.  Megan cheered her hardest and had a blast running the bases after the game.  (And I think John had fun running the bases, too.) 

 

 

Target Fashion

I have some catching up to do with family updates and while looking back through pictures I came across some fun pictures from a Target outing last month.  John was in the market for a new pair of shades so while he was trying on sunglasses the kids and I had a little fun!