Stock Show

LTs new school had a field trip to the stock show last Friday. Brian and I are not fans of the stock show, its crowded, stinky, chaotic and a variety of other negative adjectives in our minds. Steven, however, loves the stock show. I thought I would get away with just sending LT with Steve this year, but, nope. I headed back again this year with LT and his class. We met up with his class early, before everything opened. We all started out together, but within minutes, it was just Zack, LT, Shawn and I, lost from our group. First stop, duck game. Luckily the boys aren't quite old enough to know that the game really involves paying money to choose a duck and possibly win a prize. To them, just watching the ducks swim around was enough.
LT checking out the cooped up chickens.
They have all kinds of kid friendly things to do. Our little engineers were immediately drawn to the train ride. Luckily, we were the first and only kids in line and the man running it let the boys go around and around and around, for a very long time. LT was very serious (as usual), making sure I wasn't too far away, while Z laughed and smiled the whole ride.

After awhile, we wandered into an exhibit and I am not sure what set LT off, but he insisted that we leave immediately and find something else. Shawn and Z stayed. That left LT and I to wander the thousands and thousands of square feet and check out some other things. After racing through the horrific smelling cattle grooming area, we found our way into the retail section of the show. LT found this globe filled with stuffing. He kept pushing the button on it, hoping something would happen. I didn't tell him that you had to put money in AND buy an unfilled stuffed animal in order for it to work. I'm not sure how many more years I will be able to trick him into this sort of thing. He was happy just watching it.
Next stop, the John Deere tractors. When I found out I was having a boy, I was super excited, thinking I could really relate to boys better than girls. What I didn't realize was that along with boys came trucks, tractors, trains, cars, etc. I have quickly had to learn the names of these vehicles. LT helps me out when I am not sure.
I have to secretly admit, however, that a great memory of mine as a kid was visiting our farms in Iowa and driving the tractors with the farmers.
Soon after our adventure alone, we met back up with a few of the kids in the class for snack. Above is Jack, Zack and LT enjoying a little snack. After this, the boys wanted to play on the playground there and about 5 minutes into playing, LT announced he wanted to go home. It was more than enough time for me, but I was happy to see my little boy so happy.

Some holiday pictures

I feel like Kari and I are always qualifying some cute thing LT says as our favorite. Of course, they can't all actually be our favorites but the way he says Christmas has to be near the top of the list. He says, "kissem" - like kissem trees, kissem lights, etc.

Anyway, below are some pictures from over Christmas and the holidays.

Decorating the kissem tree.

Telling Papa about something important at the zoo.

We (well, really Kari) made fondu for one of our holiday meals. LT must be my son because you can see us both digging in shamelessly.

LT loved doing the fondu but it might be a meal better suited for a few years from now. He did accidentally burn himself pretty bad on one finger. He didn't cry or anything, he just suddenly announced that he was done. It took us a while to even figure out what had happened. A Scooby-Doo Band-Aid would become a fixture on his finger for the next week or so.

Doing a big puzzle with Grandpa. LT is really into puzzles lately and it's amazing to see how quickly he's learning to do them. Just a month or two ago he couldn't do even the simplest ones without a lot of help and now he's doing bigger more complicated ones all by himself.

At 2 1/2 years, this was the first Christmas where LT started to get what was going on. Here he is coming down the stairs in the morning to see what Santa had brought during the night.

Presumably inspired by The Polar Express book and move, LT asked for a silver bell from Santa. Thanks to some help from Grandma, Santa didn't disappoint.

LT loves it when his cousin comes to visit and Nicholas is great with his little cousin.

Working on his new work bench with Papa.

Adler got some tools and a tool box too. LT had to check them out to make sure they were up to his workman like standards.

"Kissem" lights at the "Tantic Gardens".

Enjoying a grape while Papa shows off volume III of the blog book.

Helping his aunt and uncle check out a new table.

Of course, with two sets of doting grandparents, LT was not deprived of the Christmas gift receiving experience. Although we do try (especially his mom!) to teach him about giving too.

What dad did on LT's first day of school

Our first baby boy

LT and Adler get a lot of airtime on the blog and Hailie even made it last week but Bowen hasn't been up here in a while and I thought this picture of him was cute.

Baby's first Christmas

A look at some highlights of the holidays though the eyes of the little guy:

Reading with my dad & brother.

Playing with my brother.

Practicing my moves in the "bumblebee chair"

Getting bundled up - again and again and again.

Being cute.

Being held by all my family.

First day of school

A couple of big firsts recently - Adler slept in his own room for the first time on Thursday night (most of the night anyway) and LT's first day of preschool was Friday.

Z is in his class.

Z's whole family came to drop him off for his first day.

Just like we did (except for Adler who was at home with Papa). Photo courtesy of Z's mom.

Isaac is in his class.

And so is Jack.

Everyone had to wash their hands first thing upon arriving to school (presumably to tyr and prevent the spread of snotborne disease) here's LT running out of the bathroom still trying to dry his hands.

LT got right to work on some play dough.

Kari and I went to a yoga class (taught by an ex-wife of Hunter S. Thomson no less) during LT's just over two hour class to take our minds off this milestone of our little boy growing up - which actually worked pretty well.

We came back a little early and caught the last few minutes of class. The first thing I noticed was that although LT's name tag said "Landon" his teacher was calling him "LT". Anyway, all the kids were sitting in a circle on little carpet squares and saying goodbye. One at a time they took their carpet square to the teacher. Z was among the first to go and, once he'd dropped off his carpet, he ran to hug his mom and told her that he was so proud of her. LT was near the end and he intently listened to the directions waited patiently for his turn. From what I'd observed, it seemed like a very successful first day of school, however, LT did report to us that, "I was a yittle sad 'cause I wanted mommy." And his teacher said he kind of stood back and just observed for a long while before participating in class - which doesn't really surprise me based on his personality as well as both mine and Kari's. In spite of all that, he did admit to having some fun and I think he's even excited to go again.

Adler's first trip to the mountains

Is going very well so far...

A happy baby!

And his tired brother reading books before his nap.

Jumpy Thing

LT never really got into his Bumper Jumper when he was younger but that didn't stop him from taking it for one more spin when Kari got it out for Adler the other day.

With his knees scraping the floor, he insisted that he needed some snacks for the little tray (the dogs are hovering over him hoping to get some of his snacks). You couldn't really describe what he was doing as "bouncing" or "jumping" but at least he had fun.

Then it was Adler's turn and he clearly enjoyed himself.

Maybe with regular exercise in his jumpy thing, he can work off some of those huge cheeks!

Big boy bed

Our plan had been to have the basement finished well before Adler's arrival. My office was moving downstairs so LT could have that room (arguably the best room in the house!) and Adler could have his old room. We'd planned on having LT move into his new room and his "big boy bed" at least a few weeks before his little brother was born. So much for plans.

His new room has been all ready for several weeks now. Grandma helped decorate his new bed with zoo animal sheets and, although he seemed excited about his new room and bed, whenever we'd ask if he wanted to sleep in there, he'd say something like, "I yike my cib. Maybe next time."

Ad that's how it's been - until yesterday when I bought a couple of new space heaters for his new room and the basement. Apparently his love for tools and putting stuff together trumps everything because asking him to help me set up the new heater in his new room changed everything. He was so excited about it that he declared that he was going to sleep there that night. Wanting to capitalize on the opportunity, Kari had me hang up the organizer that Grandma had gotten him for his animals (seen in the background of the picture) which was great 'cause it meant even more tools. And it worked - 1/2/10 he slept in his new room in his new bed with me on the floor next to him all night (not the first time and probably not the last).

Hailie has no problem making herself at home anywhere. Before we were even done with LT's bath, she'd already put herself to bed on the pillow next to his bed that I use when lay down next to him for a few minutes before he falls asleep. Almost every night I lay next to him and we sing songs and talk (the book "Dog go go [Go, Dog. Go!]" is a favorite and, "daddy, what doggies do in the book?" has been said more times than I can count). Kari says we're like a couple of middle-school girls at a slumber party. I can't really argue with her on that one.

Birdhouse fun

My mom is collecting birdhouses and so we thought we would make her a special one not found in stores. LT had a blast! It started out all white, then he painted it completely yellow, then purple and by the end I think it has more coats of paint than any other birdhouse. And, I am pretty sure the accrylic paint I bought for multiple projects was all used up, but he had a blast! He narrated through the entire thing as well and luckily Bri was smart enough to video some of the narration.
In the first video he is saying, "more orange paint right there" over and over again.