Gentleman

LT met some friends at REI on Tuesday to play. He took it upon himself to grab Sofi's hand and escort her all the way through the second floor of REI, onto the elevator and through the first floor to the bike section.
Here he is patiently waiting as she pushes the down button.
Riding down on the elevator.
Escorting her through the 1st floor to find the bikes.

One more picture from City Park

City Park Jazz

Trying to think of things to give/get for father's day is pretty hard, especially for dads who want nothing. My brother and I managed to come up with a perfect way to at least spend time with our dad, take him to city park jazz with a little picnic. Brian and I used to go pretty regularly, but with our little man's early bedtime last summer, we never made it. However, he had a great time and I think we will head back another time for sure this summer.
So far the Phil and Teds double stroller has come in handy with taking Z and LT places and then again for carrying all our food for the jazz concert. With the way this thing is already packed, I don't know where baby #2 is going to go.

LT brought a backhoe (might be something we cut out when LTs little brother comes and we are strapped with space for carrying things for both boys, but for now, its fine entertainment).
Brian and I absolutely love City Park, we feel at home there having both grown up within a mile of it. The park has its quirks for sure, and its interesting folk, and other assorted good and bad things, but it is really a nice park. It has definitely improved from the drug deals we witnessed during soccer games. The lake, for one, has been upgraded and this fountain in the background is one of the nice new features.
LT has a very special relationship with each of his grandparents, which we feel very lucky for. I am so glad that we were able to spend fathers day together with Papa.
Chugging juice.
I just couldn't cut out any of this series of LT wearing mama's glasses.



Although my parents moved out of Park Hill a few years ago, they still manage to ride their bikes to the park for the music (and this was just a short ride after their 80 mile ride earlier that day!) I hope I have their energy when I am their age.

Paris Hilton?

LT has taken a strong liking to wearing "mama's gasses". Shawn says he looks like Paris Hilton, but he just needs a purse with a dog (he's not getting those!) This started about a month or two ago. They fit him pretty well (maybe because his mom wears kids glasses herself?) For a few weeks we were sharing, which meant that LT always got them and I was stuck glasses less. I finally bought a second pair. These are some of the fun places to wear stylish shades for LT.
Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, but yesterday he wore them on all our afternoon errands, into target, inside REI and all through Hailie's vet visit. Both Brian and I think he looks pretty cute and are happy that he wears sunglasses at all!
On mom's lap, eating lunch by the Dillon lake in Frisco.
At the farmers market in Dillon.
On a date in the mountains with Joss.
Playing Thomas INSIDE.
At jazz in the park.
Playing with your friends at REI.

scew-vu-diver

One of our favorite LT words is "scew-vu-diver" which is my best guess at spelling how he says "screwdriver." Several weeks ago we tried to get some video of him saying it and ended up with even more than be bargained for. With that, I present a few short videos along with subtitles and rough translations.



Me holding up his toy screwdriver: "what is this?"
LT: "scew-vu-diver"
Me laughing a little: "what is it?"
LT holding up the drill bit to the toy power drill: "dis [this] scew-vu-driver too"
LT comparing the drill bit to the screwdriver: "yittle [little] scew-vu-driver"



We are having our basement finished to make some more room for LT's new brother and let me keep a nice office at home. Unfortunately for us we discovered some drainage issues around the house as well as a leak in the foundation and the finishing work is on hold until those other problems get fixed. LT must have picked up on us talking about it because I'm pretty sure that in this video he is talking about how he is going to fix the house for us with his tools.

LT: "Scew-vu-driver... ???... on house, fix fix. Up top, Etti's house... too. Drill drill drill. Inside [outside] drill. Scew [screw] scew scew.... ?????????? ... Up. Top. Etti's house! Too."




LT suddenly notices that I'm taking a video and runs over demanding to see it. He likes watching the little videos of himself on the camera and calls it "pictures."
LT: "Daddy, more pictures! Daddy..."


Kari trying to get him to say screwdriver: "Do you need tool to do this? What is this?"
LT going to get the toy power drill bit again (to his credit he sees me use my power drill with the screwdriver bit all the time): "Um, scew-vu-diver. Dis scew-vu-diver too."
Kar: "Is that a screwdriver?"
LT: "Yeah!"
Kar: "Where's your other screwdriver?"
LT: "No, dis scew-vu-diver. I yike [like] it!

other people's pictures

A few more pictures from LT's birthday party last month. Kari and I didn't take as many pictures as we would have liked at the party but we've managed to collect a few more from various sources over the last few weeks.

I'm not sure who gets credit for the photograph but credit for the cool Thomas cake goes to LT's Grandma (Kari's mom).

Riley with her party favor.

Baba (my mom) playing with LT and Elise under the table.

My friend and coworker and father of three, Craig, fancies himself a self taught semi-pro photographer. A real pro would have made sure the batteries in his equipment were properly charged. In spite of the equipment issues, he did manage to take a few nice family portraits as a birthday gift.


Me, Kar & LT with Kari's parents.

And with my parents.

Z with mom and dad and his dad's parents visiting from California.

More playing under the table.

LT getting ready to blow out his candles.

When hugs turn to wrestling

Lately when LT wakes up in the morning, one of the first things he says is, "see fends, people coming?" He is a little social butterfly (not sure where he gets this, but we do have some pretty social relatives). Regardless, yesterday was no exception and the poor kid had to hang out with his parents most of the day. However, we did have plans to go to jazz in the park with Z. LT was crazy when we got there, climbing like a monkey all over Bri and I. Just as we were getting slightly tired of being jungle gyms, Z showed up! They played, chatted, ate and entertained each other while the adults all had some time to chat. Then, hugging started. LT starts out very innocently with his hugs and for some reason, his innocence often turns more rough (not just with Z, but the dogs, Brian and I and other friends).
Above, LT is giving Z a very innocent hug (although he's not always aware of his sheer body mass when he leans on people).
Below, you can see Albert's hand intervening as LT leans a little more and more into Z and would clearly just tip him right over if no one was there.
Above, LT starts out innocently just giving Z a pat, but below you can see his actions turn a bit more into a wrestling move. I think the wrestling will only increase in the years to come.
*** Before Z broke his leg, we let the boys wrestle a bit more, but the game isn't too fair right now, so interventions are required!

Making "pizza mato" strawberry rhubarb pie

We have had some pretty stormy afternoons in Denver this June, making for difficult outdoor adventures as planned. I had a lot of strawberries and some rhubarb and so I decided that during today's tornado/ flash flood/severe thunderstorm warnings, LT and I would make a pie (something my dad made often when I was younger)! He was very serious, as you can see in the video, about making his "pizza mato".
***Yesterday, we took him to Parisi and he watched a man make pizza after pizza after pizza (mostly tomato pizzas), which might be the reason that everything we made today was a tomato pizza.

Fathers Day outting with the Playgroup

LT has a regular playgroup on Thursday mornings. We usually go to one of the kid's houses, make a mess, eat a lot and talk a lot (oh and since they are two, there is quite a lot of toy stealing/crying, but its how we all learn, right?) Last week, Shawn had the great idea of taking the kids to the pottery studio to paint goods for all the dads for fathers day.
Z and LT waiting for their moms to get the painting goods ready.
LT was very serious about his painting...


But soon realized it was much more time efficient to dip your whole hand into the paint and just paint with your hand.
And then, Stanley style... why even bother painting just the plate and cup when you can spread paint all over the table too!
Sadie and Nicole working on their masterpiece.
Sophia and Annick working on a glass toothbrush holder for her dad.
And when they were done, they headed outside for some snacks and playing.

Etti read it!

For the last several months LT's bedtime routine has consisted of a bath followed by Kari and/or I reading a couple of books. Recently, however, LT has decided that he wants to do the reading and will demand, "Etti read it" when one of us starts to read. I shot this little video of him reading about Franklin's bike helmet. Translation and subtitles below.



LT: "Franklin new helmet, please"
LT: "Yep"
LT: "Next page"
LT: "Franklin new helmet too big" (I think he's trying to capture the conflict in the story here - he's not too far off!)
Kari: "Who's that?" asking about the raccoon character.
LT: "Craccoon. Dis Crackaroon. Dis Crac-a-roon." ("Craccoon" for raccoon is one of my favorite LT words)
LT: "Another book, too."

Rockin' the I Pod

You know your parents are true native Coloradans (word? sure) when you turn on your mom's Ipod and Big Head Todd and the Monsters comes on. He seemed to enjoy them just as much as we do.

Picnic, loft style

We have very few pictures of any two, let alone three little buddies now that they all have their own agenda. Here are Z, Sofi and LT having a picnic on Sofi's loft floor last week.

Thomas Party

LT's 2nd birthday party was a couple weeks ago. Luckily, Papa and Grandma hosted it at the community club house in their neighborhood and we didn't have to subject anyone to the disaster of a house that we are currently living in as the basement finishing project drags on. The party theme was Thomas the Train and LT's Grandma (Kari's mom) did a fantastic job with the theme down to even the little details.

The 'real' Thomas train was a hit and my mom is shown here taking the two youngest Wu's on a few laps around the track. I'm pretty sure their parents offered to let her take them home more than once.

Kaden wanted more train but even with Sofi's help they couldn't figure out how to make it go.

To help with the theme, Kari found this Thomas table on Craig's List earliler in the week and it was a hit with the kids.

Even baby Ofelia enjoyed playing on the train table.

Each kid got to decorate their own little train car cake.

Even if they didn't get to eat it...

Dylan was checking out Maike's color schemes for some ideas about how to decorate his own train.

And LT was very serous about his decorating effort.


Blowing out the candles.

LT loves to chase around girls a year or two older than him and Elise may be his favorite target.


What? You think being in medical residency and having two young kids is some kind of excuse for being tired?

Even as the party was winding down LT was still going strong. Shown here pretending to drive the train with Baba.