Monday, August 30, 2010

TWO!

Dear Nate,

It is amazing to this mama how two years can go by in the blink of an eye.  I feel like we just got you, but also that we have always had you.  You have completed our little family, and every day I am thankful for sweet, wonderful you.



You are such a fun little guy to be around. People have always commented on what a happy baby you are, you just seem to love life in general. As a little thing, you were always laughing, and generally pretty content. You laugh all the time, and lately have decided you are a "bad guy". You and Ben play Batman for several hours a day, and you always want to be the bad guy. We love how you make one guy go up to another and say, "what's up?" It's usually, "what's up Batman?". For some reason, that is just so funny



We had your birthday party about a month before your birthday (it was a joint party for you and your brother). You all had a Batman cake and you insisted that it was Batman's birthday, and sometimes Ben's-but never yours. I think we have finally convinced you that you had a birthday, because you have been telling everyone, "I this many" for a few days. You try to hold up your pointer and middle fingers in a v, but you can't keep the thumb down, so it looks a little crazy. But you are cute enough to pull it off.




You must be growing, because you are always hungry.  You are a pretty good eater, and will try most things.  You're not a big fan of odd textures though.  (ground beef, for example, usually gets spit out).  Some mornings, you are in the pantry, bringing innapropriate things out to eat quite a few times.  And your 2 obsessions are "feeze po'sicles" (those little popsicles in the clear tube) and "a-pops"  (lollipops).  The lollipop thing started on our Minnesota trip.  We had them for the flight, to help you and Ben equalize your ears, and now you ask for a-pops many, many times a day.




You are a pretty well traveled little guy.  Just in the last year, you have been to the beach in the Outer Banks, to Virginia, to Canada during the Olympics, and to Minnesota.  Not bad for a 2 year old.  Luckily for us all, you are a fairly easy going kid and being away from home doesn't bother you.



We tease that you are our Sweet and Salty kid.  You are one of the sweetest, most affectionate 2 year olds. You are very quick to give hugs and kisses, you even sneak up and kiss us quite often-always with the best smoochie sound.  You also have a very quick temper.  You get mad pretty easily, and because your speech is still pretty limited, you can get frustrated-which unfortunately results in you biting us from time to time.  Ben is usually your victim, but Daddy and I are not safe from your little vampire fangs.  You have also been known to throw a mighty tantrum.  You usually know just want you want and are not at all pleased when it is not forthcoming.  Luckily for us, this seems to be getting much better lately.


I can't believe that you start preschool next week.  You are going to be in the 2 year old class in the same school as your brother.  I can't wait to see how you do and hear about all the new friends you will make.  Now, when you see pictures of kids you know, you get excited and yell, "that's my friend".  I know you'll love getting to know some new friends at school.




Taters,
Mommy and Daddy and Ben love you to pieces!

Friday, August 20, 2010

You betcha, fer sure

So, we just got back from Fargo, oops, I mean Minnesota.  I know, I know-Minnesota?  Are you serious?  You betcha!  Gil knows someone through work that has a lake house up at the top of Minnesota and kept offering it to us for a week, and we finally took him up on it.  And I am so glad we did!


The house, or cabin, itself was really nice.  The main house was very comfy,with 2 bedrooms, a nice den, totally decked out and stocked kitchen, and a huge screened in porch.  And very nicely, satellite tv-a lifesaver when 2 little boys got a little overstimulated-or stir crazy.  Then there was a bunkhouse with 4 more beds and a big bathroom.



We got really lucky with the weather.  It was so nice the week we visited.  Some days would even get up to 90, but with 0% humidity.  I really forgot what dry air feels like-heaven mostly.

The house is on Ten Mile Lake, one of about a million lakes in the area.  The water was chilly on overcast days (but that didn't keep us out of it), but if the sun was out, it felt great.  On both sides of the long dock, the water was very shallow, the boys could touch, and then at the end it was maybe 4 feet or so deep.  And the water was so clear and clean, there was actually soap and shampoo on the boat and we cleaned up out there a few times.

Joe also had a really nice boat he graciously let us use.  It was really fun to zip around the lake.  Most days we went out a few different times.  Our favorite thing to do was to boat over to the "beach".  There was a nice area with no houses and really shallow water that you could just tool over to and put down your anchor.  We would take lunch out there and swim and play for a few hours.


Mimi-Riffic and Nate playing at the beach.


Gil spent a lot of time looking like this..


Nate would fall asleep on the boat on the way to the beach (on the long 5 minute ride!)  and would spend our first 30 minutes or so snoozing.


This will have to be part one-I hear this little sleeper waking up and it has already taken me almost a week just to get this much.  Part two to come.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Poor little thing

This blog, that is.  I have been very neglectful and have oh so much to post-when we get back from vacation.  I have Charleston pictures with my cousin, Brianna to the rescue (as Nate would say).  And I have a post in my head from my sister's visit with her two boys-so much fun.  Cousin-poolaza.

And in an hour or so, we leave for a week in Minnesota at a lake house.  We don't anticipate having phone or internet service, although we are pretty sure we'll have satellite tv. 

I'll be sure to take a ton of pictures. 

See you soon!

And because a picture-less post is extra boring, here a few oldies that are on Gil's parents computer...
(sorry about the resolution)


The happiest this kid  has gotten with anything remotely involving Santa....


Mullet!!



Right after his first haircut-love those blues!