Toddler Days

These days, our lives revolve around 2-3 word sentences. Trying to decipher toddler gibberish. Chasing our “mini Casey” in circles around the kitchen island. Ignoring total meltdowns…

Life with a toddler, right?!?

Some of Gavin’s favorite sayings?

• “Runnnnnnnn!” – where you are required to chase after him
• “Watch beesbawl” – watch baseball (unfortunately, the Twinkies lost…stupid Yankees)
• “Watch Ooooos” – watch Oso
• “Meme eat” – Me (Gavin) eat
• “Meme mow dass” – Me mow grass = I want to play outside
• “Ooo ‘mon” – Louie, c’mon!
• “Whooooaaaaaaa!” – Whoa…at anything fun/exciting
• “Owwwww”  - think the boy who cried wolf
• “War toos” – wear shoes
• “Bad Dog!” – yelled at Louie whenever he barks, includes the shaking of his pointer finger
• “No Nigh-Nigh” – no night-night
• “Meme niceeeeee” – usually said while sucking up to you after doing something naughty
• “NO.” -  no explanation necessary.

At our engagement/family pics on Friday (hopefully I’ll get them back soon!) I wore a green sweater, and dark blue jeans. I mention this because as I left my bedroom Gavin saw me and said, “Woooooow! Mama, bue & deen!” (Translation: Wow! Mama is wearing blue and green!) He couldn’t believe that his mom was wearing the two colors that he knows, and knows well! I immediately burst out laughing and gave my smart boy a high five.

This past weekend, we attempted to head over to a local pumpkin patch. Emphasis on attempted. I didn’t feel well, Gav was crabby, there were nasty little black gnats biting us, and it was 85 degrees (we were all in jeans). We made it to a couple of activities but didn’t even make it to the pumpkins! We’ll have to try again another day before the 31st. I have pictures, but they’ll have to wait for another day :)

Speaking of the weather? It has been hot. I was 100% wrong when I said that Gav would no longer be able to wear just a t-shirt during the day, now that it’s “fall.” Last year at this time, it had already snowed twice. This year? It’s been in the 80s everyday! Somewhere in the middle would be nice Mother Nature…I’m just sayin’….

On a side note, please take a moment to hop on over to my friend Stephanie’s new blog! Her little Logan (uber cute by the way) also has CF, and I think you’ll love her new site! For someone who says she’s not a great writer…I beg to disagree!

Flash Me! Friday

Want to take a peek into someone else's life? Get nosy without being impolite?

Ever wonder...

• What does their laundry room/family room/garage look like?

• Do they make their bed every morning?

• Is my house cleaner or messier than theirs?

Then join us in our weekly, Flash Me! Fridays! Just add your posts URL to the link at the bottom to join along

This weeks flash? Some of the staples in your cupboard/pantry!

We have several different “kinds” of staples.

My morning staples :) These Maxwell House coffee mixes are awesome. I get two weeks worth of coffee for the price I’d pay for one cup at Caribou! And extra crunchy peanut butter? Don’t even get me started…yum!

The staples that give our food that extra kick. Whether it’s pizza, a taco, or a hamburger…I need spice! (the jalapeno is from our garden!)

Our comfort food staples. Or should I say, our hotdish staples. Yea, you betcha, we’re Minnesotans! Cream of anything, noodles, and diced tomatoes are the main components of many of our dinner meals in the cold months!

You couldn’t be a true Midwesterner without a ton of cheese in your fridge. Whether it’s shredded, sliced, or blocks…we always have a lot of it on hand!

 

So what food can your house not live without? Flash us!

Tomorrow’s Flash

What are the items that are must haves in your pantry/cupboard?

Skip the usuals (milk, butter, flour, sugar etc). and show us something that makes your cuisine unique :)

Let’s see what you’ve got!

Wordless Wednesday

Food & Fall

I am pretty sure I can put the majority of the blame of Gavin’s “non” eating on teething. Yesterday I realized that he has popped three molars in the last couple of weeks, with the fourth about ready to show itself. And his canines seem to be working their way up…ouch!

But, his appetite has definitely perked up, now that three of those big‘ens have popped…this morning he drank a huge thing of milk, a nutrigrain bar, a banana and a sausage patty…yay for calories!

But there are those meal/snack times when I just know that he’s gonna play the picky card. So recently, I’ve discovered that allowing him to eat at our kitchen island brings a new level of excitement to the occasional meal. Also makes me realize that we need to get some barstools that have backs, so that he can sit there rather than stand on a kitchen chair!

please ignore the mess…we were in the middle of grilling up burgers!

Although, his increased appetite may also relate to the fact that we’ve been able to spend a lot of time outside recently. While it’s frosty & chilly and around 35/40 degrees  in the morning…the temps rise to the upper 60s/ low 70s in the afternoons. (Welcome to Minnesota weather!). That fresh air will get anyone’s appetite up and running!

While our little stick tree in the front yard doesn’t exactly supply the piles of fall leaves deemed worthy of raking…the local parks (and zoo) are filled with them.  Piles and piles of multi colored leaves.

pure joy.

The two pluses? (1) We don’t have to rake up a thing! (2) it’s an instant way of keeping Gavin occupied for more than three minutes :)

 

The End of September

Gavin and I ended September with a bang. Not a huge bang…but back to back “field trips” in one week was pretty exciting for us homebodies! And guess what, neither adventure cost us more than a couple dollars worth of suggested donations :)

We live near a nature center, surrounded by crisscrossing walking paths that weave you through the woods and over small creeks. One of those places where you forget that you’re within city limits; instead the sights and smells allow you to imagine that you’re hundreds of miles away from your day to day life.

But first, we stopped in the nature center. Why I hadn’t brought Gavin there yet? I have no idea! Well actually, I had no idea how fun it would be for him…and me!

“toitles!”

He wasn’t sure about this guy…quizzically asking me, “Roar momma?”

He couldn’t get enough for the oversized aquariums, filled with local Minnesota fish. And loved to point at the animals/fish hovering above.

How does this exhibit not gross you out. That tube, and that glass case are filled with thousands of bees. Of course, Gavin was enthralled yelling, “bees…bees…beeeeeeeees!”

He managed to squeeze in some time to work on his reading skills…at least he’s got the book right side up :)

After spending an hour outside…

checking out the walking paths…and (now, don’t be surprised)…running and jumping off everything he could find…

He was beat.

It may have been one of the last remaining afternoons we got to spend in t-shirts! This morning, the grass was covered with a thick frost, the temps were in the low 30s, and we bundled up under a blanket to watch PBS until the chill in the house went away.

October…we’re ready for you! Bring on the pumpkins, the candy, the costumes, and yes…we’re even ready for that chilly weather! Any guesses on what Gavin is going to be for Halloween? His costume is hanging up in his closet, ready for the 31st!

Btw…the sunglass on his head is all him, not me! Once he gets his shades, he will not take them off. Inside, it’s on the forehead, outside over his eyes. Cracks me up every time :)

*** Please keep Gavin’s buddy Ben in your prayers today, as we speak he’s getting his first round of infant PFTs done! Crossing our fingers for ridiculous high results!

Flash Me! Friday

Want to take a peek into someone else's life? Get nosy without being impolite?

Ever wonder...

• What does their laundry room/family room/garage look like?

• Do they make their bed every morning?

• Is my house cleaner or messier than theirs?

Then join us in our weekly, Flash Me! Fridays! Just add your posts URL to the link at the bottom to join along!

This week’s flash…your fall decor!

To be honest, I don’t do a lot of decorating this time of year. I personally find the fall colors outdoors to do a lot of the decorating for me :) But, in the white covered wintertime? We decorate a lot :)

As you walk up our front steps, the summer flowers are gone. Replaced by…you guessed it, mums :)

In our entryway, you’ll probably walk right past our “fall decor.” It’s a leaf plate (can you guess the candy!?!) flanked by two small leaf candles.

And the final decor? Yep, that’s all we’ve got…is my table top with a decorative pumpkin, two fall colored (apple & pumpkin) candles, and the flowers from my cousin’s wedding last weekend :)

 
We’ve tried having the gel window clings…thought it would be fun for Gavin. Well, last fall Gavin thought they were food and tried to eat them…this year? Our dog ate them. Whoops! But it left for some “colorful” droppings in our backyard, haha!

So what do you have for fall decor? Do you also do halloween decor? Let’s see what you got!