Swimming ... Kicking ... Jumpin'!

James has taken to the water again this winter and he's been excited to share with us his new skills and play with his swim classmates in the pool - splashin' and kickin'!  Although some of the class is still "fun time" this class is the transition class where eventually James will be in the water by himself with the instructor so safety and some general water skills are necessary.

Dad's been in the pool each week helping James gain confidence and just last week he was able to float on his own in the pool with the help of a float belt.  He remained steady and had quite the smile on his face.

He's signed up again to start the next session after the New Year and we're excited to see him making strides in his skills and learning to "kick, jump and scoop!"

Santa is Coming!

We weren't sure what to expect last week when Santa was due to make his appearance at both daycare and our annual outing with the Atkinson family for the Holidazzle parade and Macy's display/Santa.

James has been quite fascinated with the jolly ol' man from reading several Christmas themed books at home for the past several weeks.

Last Thursday was daycare's annual winter party and Santa made an appearance earlier in the day before Mom and Dad arrived for the festivities.  James recently transitioned to his new room at daycare and is still getting to know new friends and teachers, but he gave Santa and Mrs. Claus a great smile ... but perhaps that was because they offered to read him a book.

Thursday's party and Santa experience we're quickly followed up by a trip on Saturday evening to downtown Minneapolis to see the Holidazzle parade and visit the Macy's display and see Santa with both Elliot and Louise.  Best plans typically go awry and with the great MN weather we were having downtown was crazy!?!  The boys had left earlier in hopes of catching a free ride on the Northstar train into downtown but the trains were so full they ended up driving into downtown as well.  After we all found spots to park and meeting up we thought we'd visit the display.  Much to our surprise a 1.5 hour wait was what greeted us when we got upstairs.  Waiting that long would be not allowed us to see the parade so instead we ventured to IDS center for dinner.  After everyone's bellies were full we went outside to see the parade.  With boys on the shoulders of their Papas they got great views of the lit up floats and characters.  James' eyes were saucers and baby Louise cuddled close with her Mama!

We quickly darted over to Macy's following the parade for another attempt at the display and rather than waiting forever to weave through the display and due to timing and some restless little boys we decided to visit Santa only instead.  We still had to wait about an hour but when the time came to walk into the room and greet the big man in red James was cool as a cucumber.  This happened to be the only pic in which both the boys were somewhat looking at the camera - though James' expression here is priceless. 

James has been getting into the spirit of the holidays donning his Santa hat at home and telling Momma and Papa that Santa is going to come through the front door (since we don't have a chimney) and is excited for Christmas Eve to come so we can leave Santa cookies and egg nog - yes, it's true Matt's love for nog has rubbed off on James. He loves it!!  He loves playing his drum to Christmas music too! 

We are looking forward to some family time over the long weekend and are excited to see Christmas through the eyes of a child once again.  It's been fun to see him ask questions and take to the holiday and his surroundings.  Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

Transitions

As we prepare for the holidays and for baby #2's arrival in early 2012 the inside of our home has taken on some new looks and James has been adjusting to some changes in his world as well. 

In addition to him moving into the early-preschool room at daycare in the next few weeks and adjusting to new teachers and making some new friends he also has moved into his big boy bed at home.  He has done extremely well with it thus far and hasn't crawled out overnight or fallen out (thankfully!) since we started him in it last week.  It is funny now to hear his feet pitter patter across his floor in the morning and open the door to greet us when he wakes up.  We've started with the box spring and the mattress on the floor to get him used to it all - eventually we'll add the frame too, but for now he's happy to snuggle with his blankets and his new pillow!  We've moved the crib out of his room into the other bedroom and he's already telling us that, "baby is going to sleep there."  I think he's catching on to the changes that are forthcoming here soon!

We decked out the house for the holidays over the weekend as well and James was quite excited about it.  He hung several ornaments on his own and continues to be fascinated by his new "fire truck" ornament and the "Goldy" ornament that just so happen to be hung right at his height so he can continue to admire them.  He's also been running around the house with his Santa hat on and loving wearing it while we read some Christmas themed books that have come out of storage - so perhaps this year he won't be scared of the big man in red?  We aren't holding our breath on that one.

There is still lots to do at the house to prepare for baby #2's arrival, but it feels good to have two big things off our list after this past weekend.  At least now we can take a little rest and enjoy the holiday season as it inches closer.

Happy Halloween!

Unlike last year, James was truly into the spirit of Halloween this year.  He was excited the carry his pumpkin basket and put on his Thomas the Tank costume and hat - and even more excited to visit then neighbors homes to see some friendly faces.  Last year at this time he wasn't walking just quite yet - crazy how much difference a year can make - this year he was walking the streets and wanted to continue on even though Mom and Dad made the call that we were done trick-or-treating after completing our block. 

We carved a pumpkin and James put his hand on the guts of the pumpkin once and declared himself, "All done."  Guess he doesn't like the slimy goopy stuff that boys are typically into just yet - and it goes a long with his huge dislike of bugs too.  But once it was finished he thought it was pretty cool - particularly once we got a candle in it and he could see it all lit up!

James already knows his "treats" are in his pumpkin - now if we can just hide it so he isn't continuously asking for it between meals without him noticing that'd be a good thing.  He has taken a liking to Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Milky Ways just like Mom and Dad enjoy ... that and a lot of the other things are a little tough for him to eat yet, particularly as he's working on his second set of molars.

In addition to the evening of Halloween we celebrated over the weekend in the neighborhood as the business association hosted a daytime trick-or-treating event for the kids.  It gave James a chance to see how it's done and tag along with his neighborhood girlfriend Ashley who he's quite smitten with.  I must say Abby Cadabby and Thomas make a pretty cute pair!

What will James be for Halloween next year?  Only time will tell, but I have a feeling, given his strong will that he displays on a regular basis (he is a Leo after all) that he'll be telling us what he's going to be rather than us selecting a costume for him

A Visit to the Apple Orchard and the Pumpkin Shop

No fall season would be complete without a visit to an apple orchard and selecting pumpkins, right?

We spent part of the weekend before Halloween traveling to Stillwater with the Atkinson family to select some goodies and have the boys enjoy the sights of animals, and assist us in picking out pumpkins.  We definitely didn't go home empty handed.

The boys enjoyed their apple donuts and cider (as did the adults) and enjoyed spending some time playing outside before we departed for the pumpkin store just down the road.  Although the highlight for them I think was riding the "rides" at the pumpkin patch store - though once they were on, they both didn't like them really moving around when the start button was pushed and wanted off.  So it goes with toddlers. 

We had a great time celebrating the fall season and enjoying one last outing as families before winter coats and boots will be required ... we know its coming soon!  Stay tuned for a Halloween post next!

A Visit to Rockford

Following Dan and Aimee's wedding the Clark family made a quick trip to Illinois to visit Great Grandpa Ehmann and Jeanne during their short visit to the Midwest.  Cousin Kim hosted all of us at her house for meals and we had a great time catching up and visiting with Kim's daughter Reese who was just a mere few weeks old the last time we saw her.

James had fun building towers of blocks ...

... showing Grandpa Choo-Choo how the cars work ...

... splashing in the pool for a bit with Daddy ...

... visiting the apple orchard with the entire family, seeing the animals, riding the slide and enjoying a cider donut ...

... relaxing with Aunite Mal and Grandpa while watching the big game on tv ...

 ... and spending time together with family that we don't get to see often enough.

Although it was a quick trip it was definitely a great time.  James was a great traveler and slept in a big bed all weekend (although he kicked Mom and Dad a lot during his slumber).  Hopefully this will make his transition to hig "big boy" easier here soon!

Unca Dan and Auntie Aimee's Wedding Day

On October 15 we all got to celebrate the wedding of Uncle Dan and Auntie Aimee.  James was the ring bearer and Mom and Dad were both part of the wedding party as well.  James was a trooper through it all - from the late Friday night rehearsal dinner to the day itself - even though he got stage fright and Papa had to walk him down the aisle. 

The highlight of the event for James was dancing on the bus, as you can see below.  He had a great time and the wedding party got a kick out of his antics ... someone out there has a picture that caught him when his pants fell down due to his dance moves and when he went for the bottle of champagne (no worries he just held it, but it made for another cute picture none the less!).

We had a wonderful day at the wedding and couldn't be happier for the newlyweds.  Thanks guys for letting us be a part of your special day!