Storybook Land

This Friday was the final day of the Christmas Storybook land, and since our attempts to go last weekend were foiled by a little ice, we had to go then. We met Grandma & Grandpa at the fairgrounds at about 6:15 (not knowing that it didn't actually open until 6:30) which was a good thing, because there was already a line!

There are Christmas trees with lights making a path through the building, and scenes from various story books set up to look at, they also have a big section with teddy bears doing all kinds of things, and some huge model train sets, and a victorian doll house version of town. My personal favorite part is the smell of all the Christmas trees!

At the entrance to the path there were 2 life sized toy soldiers, and I thought that that would be the end of our trip. Dean saw them and started to freak out, but I whisked him past, and we skillfully avoided any other life sized characters.

It took him a few minutes to relax after the scary statues, but once we got to the Frosty the Snowman station, he started to point and laugh and "What's That?" to everything again. He loved watching the trains and the teddy bears and pointed at everything.

We decided not to risk a trip to Santa, plus it was getting late and the line was long, and we were still going to go eat (Dean also had his first public meltdown, Grandma & Grandpa were shocked!).

Wordless Wednesday

Shopping

Thanksgiving fun

We went to Grammy and Grampy's Thanksgiving weekend and had lots of fun.One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to a cider mill & farm. The hot apple cider & apple fritters were super delicious (as you can see).
And there were lots of farm animals for us to see. Dean kept going back to see the pig.

And he liked making noises like the goats.

The goats, in turn, liked his hat!

Gates

DH and I have fairly different ideas about what D is and isn't allowed to do. When he is home with me I let him run around the house, but I go along with him to make sure he stays out of things he shouldn't be into. DH tries to blockade him into the living room so we can keep an eye on him. Dean at this point can climb over anything we use to blockade the living room with ease. This causes lots of "angst" between DH and I, particularly when I'm trying to cook dinner.
To solve one of the main problems of D going into our bathroom where all the cat stuff is DH brought home a gate, hoping that the cats could fit through but the kid could not. To help our old blind cat get in and out he set the gate about 5 inches above the ground.
Once it was all set up D and I went to check it out. At first he was MAD that he couldn't get into our room, but it took just a moment for him to lay flat on the floor, turn his head, and wiggle under the gate. Then he sat (on the far side of the gate) grinning at us. I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time!

Sharing

After school D and I often have snack. He enjoys goldfish (plain, no cheese allowed) and even more than the goldfish themselves he likes to share with (feed them to) mommy. Cute, neh?

Oh NO!

Now he can really climb!

Wordless Wednesday

15 months! (and a week)

Playing with the table paper

Trying to climb up on the chair

Like everything else in my life, this post is running late. Dean turned 15 months last Friday, and we had his 15 month appointment on Monday. He looked great according to his doctor, and got 4 shots. When the nurse brought the shot tray in he asked "What's that?" it broke my heart!

At 15 months he:

• Weighs about 24 pounds 11 ounces (on the baby scale)
• Is 32 inches tall (he's growing again!)
• Is between 18 & 24 month clothes, but is growing out of the 18 months 1-pieces
• Wears size 5 shoes & size 4 diapers
• Runs all over and climbs on everything
• Loves to wear hats (particularly his dad's)
• Thinks the cats are Hilarious
• Is starting to be good at using a fork & spoon
• and Refuses to be fed
• He loves steps (but isn't very good at them)
• Is still a mama's boy (but in a good way)
• Is a great sleeper for dad, but a bad sleeper for mom
• Loves to wear his bumblebee costume
• Can say "What's that", "apple", "dada", "ball", "bumble", & "bye-bye" and says DA for about everything else (he still won't say Mama except in Dire circumstances, stinker!)

Wordless Wednesday

Autumn Leaves

We have two beautiful maple trees out in front of our house, and I love the red color they turn in the fall. The light wasn't very good, but some of my pics turned out cute I think! (This is good because my keys almost got lost in the grass in the process, can you see them by his knee?!)

Horseys

On Monday we decided to take Dean to the arena to see Grandma & Grandpa ride. D loved looking at the horses, but was a little unsure when he got to sit on them. The pictures aren't great but you get the idea. Grandma's new horse is SO docile & sweet, she was happy to have us pet her. She's pretty too, don't you think? After seeing the horses D was pretty happy just to run around in the dirt & climb the stairs, it really doesn't take much to entertain him!

Wordless(almost) Wednesday

Love Daddy's Cowboy hat!

And Mommy's ladybug antennae

Halloween

My little bumble bee (he can say bumble now, it's the cutest!)
Dean with his pumpkin

DH was a cowboy and D was a big fan of the hat.

Wordless Wednesday

I love my new fort! (this is just the tunnel portion)

Helping Mommy with the dishes

I finally got a balloon!

(seriously, you should hear when we go grocery shopping!

Can you tell that I don't feel good?

Out to Eat

Last night DH's mom & dad took us to dinner at Red Robin. Dean usually gets a kids menu and crayons, which he is allowed to play with until he tries to eat them. Grandma was on "crayon watch" and he made it quite a while, but eventually the crayons ended up on the floor and D was getting grumpy. When "grumpy Dean" comes out, usually the cheerios do too, so I got out the cheerios and gave him a few. He ate a couple and then spent about 5 minutes trying to put them into the crayon box and then get them out again. It was quite funny to watch, he was SO serious! I only wish I'd had my camera!

Wordless Wednesday

9 & 2 halves

I can't believe how fast Dean's teeth are starting to come in. Last weekend I noticed he was getting his first bottom molar (he was a grouch, it was not hard to notice!) and so after about 3 days the 2nd half made it through and I thought we were done for a while. Not so! This weekend when my parents were here I was showing them his new tooth, and my mom said "there is another one on top". So I felt around in his mouth, and not only does he have a full bottom molar, but half of each of the top ones. Explains alot!

Words, Words, Words

Dean has not always been the biggest talker. He has been on the early side for all his physical milestones, but I feel like we've been waiting forever for WORDS! A couple of weeks ago he started to say "ball" (well ba, but it was definitely ball) and everything was ball, so that was pretty exciting. Then this weekend we had a minor word explosion. We have an owl decoration for halloween and he asked "what's that" so I said "owl" and so did he! Then my parents came to visit & brought a green apple and D said "ba" and I said "apple" and SO DID HE! Clear as day! (Now all of his little green balls are "apple" but that's OK) He will also say some other things like "hippo" and something like "alligator" when we are looking at the animals around his changing table, but they don't "stick". Regardless, I'm thrilled!

Wordless Wednesday

14 months!

My sweet baby boy (not such a baby, but he still has his baby chub) is 14 months old today. It also happens that I came back to work a year ago today after my maternity leave, and it makes me sad. That being said my 14 month old is up to all kinds of things!

• He says ball (to almost everything circular, and to all kinds of balls). It took me forever to pull him away from the ball bin at the sports store on Saturday.
• He also says bye-bye and sometimes owl, and he tries to say lots of other things, I just don't always understand.
• He loves to eat whatever I'm eating including Thai food, guacamole, and honey mustard.
• He dances whenever music comes on (is anything cuter?)
• He wears mostly 18 month clothes with the occasional 24 month thrown in.
• He wears size 5 shoes.
• He loves to climb, he figured out how to climb over the ottoman we use to keep him in the living room just the other day.
• He's fascinated by opening & closing doors.
• He wears size 4 diapers.
• He drinks soy or rice milk from a cup during the day but still has a meltdown if he doesn't get to nurse at night (so he does)
• He's currently getting 3 molars, the one on the bottom left is almost in, the two on the top are just starting.
• He LOVES cups with straws, and always wants mine!

Wordless Wednesday

Eating with big boy dishes he got for his birthday!

Start early

Last week, as we always do, D and I went to the grocery store after work. Typically by the time we get done with the shopping I am quite tired, so (provided neither of us is yelling) I occasionally stop at the Starbucks, conveniently located in our store. On this particular day I got an iced tea (it was delicious!) and Dean decided that he needed some Starbucks too (he just wanted mine, actually). The very sweet barista said, "I can get him a little water, if you'd like." as he started to yell. Once the cup (with straw) was in his grasp he didn't let go for about an hour after we got home. I have to say that the lids they get can withstand a lot!

Teeth!

Mr. D has 8 teeth now! For a while we thought he might just have 2 on the bottom for ever! (He was NOT very cooperative for the pictures, but I think you can see them!)