Great vacation checklist

You know you've had a wonderful vacation when:

• You've spent quality time with friends you don't see often enough (bonus points for meeting friends' kids you've never met before!)
• You've spent quality time with family you don't see often enough
• You've gone somewhere you've never been
• Your son can't stop asking where you're going next
• You got to spend a full twenty four hours alone with your spouse while knowing your child was having a grand old time with grandma and grandpa
• You felt the physical feeling of hunger twice in 10 days
• You can't count how many glasses of wine you consumed
• You're happy to be home, but already counting the days until your next adventure!

A look back

For the first time, Zach has been showing an interest in his stuffed animals, and today ended up throwing them all in his crib, and wanting to crawl in after them. It reminded me of a day long ago, so I ran for the camera.

May 29, 2009; 28 months old

May 5, 2007; 13 weeks old

Just a friend

Thanks to its revival in the Heineken commercial, many of us are now singing the Biz Markie song "Just a Friend." So in our house, that means Zach is singing it too, since his dad thinks it's hilarious to teach him things that your average 2 year old doesn't know (like who the starting pitchers for the Twins are, including the guy who is subbing while Perkins is hurt).

Anyway... that brings me to this morning. Zach has been getting a lot better at playing by himself, and lately I've heard him using this high voice when he's talking as or to (not sure which) his toys - whether it's a car or a pretend ice cream cone. So this morning he was sitting on the couch, apparently creating a conversation between his cowbungadee and his stuffed kitty. Again, he was using that high voice, which is a little disturbing, since it's not like his voice is that low to begin with! But it was what he was saying that caught my attention...

Ohhhh baby youuuu, you got what I need! And you say he's just a friend, you say he's just a friend!

Memorial day weekend

We need a nine-year old around our house. I came to this conclusion after my long-time (we've known each other since we were 6) friend came to visit with her family this weekend. Carrie's son Brandon, who is nine, basically entertained Zach all weekend long. Her five year old, Jacob, did his best too; but I think Brandon's older brother experience really made the difference for Zach. He followed "Randon" around everywhere; together they played endless games of soccer and baseball, and basically whatever else Zach wanted to do. Anyone else have a nine-year old we can borrow?

We had a fun weekend; a good combination of kid fun and adult fun too. We made a trip to the Mall of America, so the boys (the older ones) could spend their hard-earned money on unlimited rides at the amusement park. The first ride they went on was the kind that drops you straight down...
In case you can't see the look of terror on Jacob's face (far left) - it was not the right ride to start with. So after lots of false starts, the next ride Jacob was willing to go on was:Yep, the kiddie balloon ride. Brandon was doing his best to humor his little brother, but this was clearly not what he had in mind. They eventually graduated to the swings, then one of those nausea-inducing spinning rides, the non-upside-down roller coaster, the log ride, and so on. Jacob fell asleep, exhausted, on the way home, so I think a good time was had by all.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story - a great weekend made so by beautiful weather, good food, a few drinks, and some wonderful friends.

Ok, I have to comment on this last picture. I think it may be my new favorite picture of Zach. Do you think he likes corn on the cob?

Lawson's Legacy

One week ago was the 6th annual Lawson's Legacy ~ a Heart to Remember golf event (http://lawsonslegacy.org/default.aspx). Lawson's Legacy is a charity benefitting Children's Hospital; created by our friends Kara and Mike in memory of their son Lawson. So every year I look forward to the opportunity to not only support a great cause, but to also get out on the golf course with some friends - the only time of the year I ever golf 18 holes (it's a scramble). We had an absolutely gorgeous day, so I toted along my camera to take some pictures on what is truly a beautiful golf course...

Our (ahem) last place team; Sean providing background music for Melissa's putt

Pam avoiding the water; my *textbook* swing

Goofy putting for prizes

Ladies who golf; the Reagans canoodling... newlyweds! :)

Oh, and we started the morning off with a visit to the Kray household, since we hadn't see little Katelyn in a few months. Look at those eyes!!

When grandparents visit...

When grandparents visit, you get to go out for a nice long dinner with friends, at a place you would probably never take a food-throwing little boy.

Then, you get to take a leisurely trip to Home Depot to pick out the lumber you need for some projects, without having to simultaneously keep a two year old entertained. And then you get to easily load it in their spacious minivan to transport home.

Once home, you get assistance (some helpful, some not so much) on building the new shelves in your garage.

While at the same time, the dandelions, which are causing you to be the scourge of the neighborhood, are disappearing...

And then, your new garden gets prepared, without lots of back-breaking digging.

And all the while, your son is as happy as happy can be. All because, as Zach would say, my grandma and grandpa are here!

PS... and then for days afterwards, you get to be greeted with "I don't want you I want my grandma" when you go to get your son out of his crib in the morning. This morning, after I reminded him that grandma and grandpa had to go home, Zach thought for a second and then said "maybe my grandma is downstairs watching the Twins with my daddy." He was equally disappointed to learn his dad was at work. I am a second-class citizen these days! :)

Chatter

I’ve been trying to remember to write down some of the things Zach says that make us laugh… here are a few I captured:

Daddy – do you want to look at my eyebrows?
- riding along in the car, apparently trying to entertain himself and us by making his eyebrows “quirk” the way his dad can.

Blow away wind!
- Perhaps this is obvious… Zach is not a big fan of wind, which means he hasn’t enjoyed our weather the last few weeks.

Mama - my nose is running!
- From his crib, a blatant effort effort to get me to come and get him out, despite the fact that he'd napped for about 30 minutes. He's well aware I’ve been trying to get him to stop wiping his nose on his sleeve/hand/blanket/stuffed animals…

Mama – you don’t sit down when you go potty, you stand up like Daddy does!
- No explanation needed.

Grandpa, you kicked the ball and hit the fireplace. That’s a bad idea!
- Quoting daddy to grandpa

This car matches my shirt!
- While playing with matchbox cars, shortly after I tried to convince him that red shoes with an orange shirt wasn’t a good idea.

Mama, you can take me out and put me down, and then I’ll hold your hand and walk downstairs to see my grandma!!
- this morning in his crib; then, after I told him grandma and grandpa had to go home…
But I want them to stay at my house just a little bit more!