A few of my favorite clients. . .
Mae loves her cheerleading outfit. Thanks, Miss Lauren!
Our little Rock Chalkers!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Santa at The Henry Ford
Luke with the Batmobile
Daddy, who is this weird guy, and why am I sitting on his lap?
All is ok. . . I found my thumb and have my blankieSunday, November 2, 2008
Happy Post Halloween!
Halloween turned out to be one heck of an event. Luke and Mae started the evening a little sluggish but perked up a bit during the Halloween festivities. Luke made out well, while Mae rode with her good friend Finn in the wagon (a nice workout for dad). The evening ended with a post trick-or-treating party across the street. The kids stayed up late playing and eating candy. Luke wrapped up the party by throwing up on Amy and David's couch. Thanks for the cleaning bill, son. Anyway, here are some photos from the weekend.
Mae and Finn enjoying the ride. Mae went as our princess as she finally melted down so dad would pick her up and carry her the rest of the way.
Luke as the Dark Knight (you had to be very specific when referring to his costume). Luke brought home a bucket full of large candy bars.
Dad got to unwind after trick-or-treating with friends Kevin and Kevin. Kevin is the one on the right. Okay, horrible joke.
Mom and Luke after trick-or-treating rest on the back patio. Luke was extremely tired and didn't want to keep playing with the other kids. We thought something was wrong....
....and this is moments before Luke shut down the party by throwing up on the couch. At one point, Luke laid on the floor asleep while the other kids climbed over the top of him. He was sick most of the weekend, throwing up during dinner on Saturday night. Thankfully Mae didn't come down with anything.
That's it for now. We hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween.
Mae and Finn enjoying the ride. Mae went as our princess as she finally melted down so dad would pick her up and carry her the rest of the way.
Luke as the Dark Knight (you had to be very specific when referring to his costume). Luke brought home a bucket full of large candy bars.
Dad got to unwind after trick-or-treating with friends Kevin and Kevin. Kevin is the one on the right. Okay, horrible joke.
Mom and Luke after trick-or-treating rest on the back patio. Luke was extremely tired and didn't want to keep playing with the other kids. We thought something was wrong....
....and this is moments before Luke shut down the party by throwing up on the couch. At one point, Luke laid on the floor asleep while the other kids climbed over the top of him. He was sick most of the weekend, throwing up during dinner on Saturday night. Thankfully Mae didn't come down with anything.That's it for now. We hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween.
Monday, October 27, 2008
And How the Pumpkins Turned Out...
By request, here's one more photo from pumpkin night showing the final results. Not so bad for a bunch of rookies.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Pumpkin' Carvin'
Bevvies for the ladies. . .
The adults arguing over proper scoopage and carving techniques. . .
Mae's absolute disgust with the whole process. . .
Scoopage of the guts and entrails. . .
The stenciling of the pumpkin. . .
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Mae, Mae, Mae
Mae is growing into quite the little pill. She's pretty much decided that it's her way or the highway - and if you ask Luke, it's usually her way. Here are some recent photos of our little princess:
Mae waiting for our plane to Kansas City. She did okay on the flight, except for the sitting still portion. Luke is behind her watching the planes land and take off. His third future profession after cop and fireman is pilot. And as you would expect, the pilot knew Luke's name when we got off the plane.
Mae is 17 months old and already has a shoe fetish. We like to try on everyone's shoes, especially mom's high heels. Here she's cruising in mom's 4-inch red heels.
Mae has become extremely active, and most times refuses to be carried when we're walking somewhere. The bump and bruise under her left eye is the result of a walk down the street. She tripped over her own feet and landed on her face.
Mae waiting for our plane to Kansas City. She did okay on the flight, except for the sitting still portion. Luke is behind her watching the planes land and take off. His third future profession after cop and fireman is pilot. And as you would expect, the pilot knew Luke's name when we got off the plane.
Mae is 17 months old and already has a shoe fetish. We like to try on everyone's shoes, especially mom's high heels. Here she's cruising in mom's 4-inch red heels.
Mae has become extremely active, and most times refuses to be carried when we're walking somewhere. The bump and bruise under her left eye is the result of a walk down the street. She tripped over her own feet and landed on her face.
"I'm so Stressed Out..".
Luke made it known that he's "so stressed out from playing all the time." I wish I had his problems. Does this look like a kid that's stressed out?
This kid looks like he's ready for the upcoming Sigma Nu party this weekend. Sorry about the clarity of the picture. The camera got dropped again and dad hasn't made time to go out and get a new one.
This is the pose of a kid that's had a long day of playing. Notice his legs are at a 90 degree angle.
This kid looks like he's ready for the upcoming Sigma Nu party this weekend. Sorry about the clarity of the picture. The camera got dropped again and dad hasn't made time to go out and get a new one.
This is the pose of a kid that's had a long day of playing. Notice his legs are at a 90 degree angle.
Monday, August 18, 2008
It's Been a Long Time
Obviously these summer months are killing our free time. The summer scheduled combined with Mae's continued ear infections (aka chronic adenoiditis) and a drop of the MAC have made it difficult to come up with summer postings. So, without further ado, here are some shots of the kids:
Mae having fun in the pool. Anyone else notice she's smaller than the hosta?
Mae likes nothing more than going for a ride in the stroller. She likes it so much that she often goes into the garage, climbs in, and hopes for someone to come along and push her.
Luke playing with a remote-controlled boat given to him by Nana and Papa. He had a lot of fun with it.
This is Luke cheesing it up before playing his "Olympic sport." He described it as tennis with a hockey stick. Also notice the scraps on the face. He fell face first into cement/gravel twice last week. The first time left him with a large welt under his right eye. The second time scraped up the face.
And this is the pose and expression given by Mae when you ask her where her belly button is. She normally sits down and bends over as far as possible to get a good look. She also knows where her eyes and nose are located.
Mae having fun in the pool. Anyone else notice she's smaller than the hosta?
Mae likes nothing more than going for a ride in the stroller. She likes it so much that she often goes into the garage, climbs in, and hopes for someone to come along and push her.
Luke playing with a remote-controlled boat given to him by Nana and Papa. He had a lot of fun with it.
This is Luke cheesing it up before playing his "Olympic sport." He described it as tennis with a hockey stick. Also notice the scraps on the face. He fell face first into cement/gravel twice last week. The first time left him with a large welt under his right eye. The second time scraped up the face.
And this is the pose and expression given by Mae when you ask her where her belly button is. She normally sits down and bends over as far as possible to get a good look. She also knows where her eyes and nose are located.
Monday, July 7, 2008
My Turn. . .
Mae likes to climb on our couch and try to topple over it, nearly giving her dear parents a heart attack. How cute!
Lincoln's chair at Ford Theater
The Rosa Parks Bus
No Caption Needed
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Our Week Off - With Grandparents
The second half of the week featured a visit from Nana and Papa. We had a great time visiting and showing Nana and Papa our neighborhood. We spent the 3rd walking around downtown Royal Oak, stopping by a brewery for lunch and Borders for books. It's a nice, eclectic downtown not too far from our place. Later that we evening, we headed to a party on the Lincoln Hills Golf Course with our neighbors. We hung out for hours playing, drinking, and talking. The night ended with a 45-minute fireworks display.
Nana enjoyed her time with Ms. Mae. Mae was sporting her new glasses that Nana purchased while visiting up North.
The 4th was spent at the Henry Ford museum. We were all surprised at the size and quality of the museum. We spent a good four to five hours walking around. The museum was impressive enough for us to buy a season pass so we could go back later to see more of the exhibits. The museum includes the chair Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot and the Rosa Parks bus. A few photo highlights of the trip.
Luke clearly has a train fetish. We spent 30 minutes hanging around this train - one of the largest ever built. Luke enjoyed playing conductor as people climbed the stairs to see the controls the train. I'm guessing he sounded the whistle 100 times.
Luke and Papa were hand partners most of the afternoon. This was mostly because Luke refused to standstill while the rest of us looked at the exhibits. There were some interactive displays along the way. This one shows how hard you have to spin a wheel to generate electricity. I don't think Luke quite made it to 200 watts.
Mae spent half the time in the stroller and the other half trying to climb every set of stairs in the museum. Needless to say she was tuckered out by the end of the day.
The green screen exhibit was a hit with Luke. You can see him on the monitor rocking out with Eddie Van Halen in Van Halen's "Jump" video. You could choose from a variety of songs to dance to. I'm glad he appreciates the artistic capabilities of David Lee Roth.
Nana enjoyed her time with Ms. Mae. Mae was sporting her new glasses that Nana purchased while visiting up North.The 4th was spent at the Henry Ford museum. We were all surprised at the size and quality of the museum. We spent a good four to five hours walking around. The museum was impressive enough for us to buy a season pass so we could go back later to see more of the exhibits. The museum includes the chair Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot and the Rosa Parks bus. A few photo highlights of the trip.
Luke clearly has a train fetish. We spent 30 minutes hanging around this train - one of the largest ever built. Luke enjoyed playing conductor as people climbed the stairs to see the controls the train. I'm guessing he sounded the whistle 100 times.
Luke and Papa were hand partners most of the afternoon. This was mostly because Luke refused to standstill while the rest of us looked at the exhibits. There were some interactive displays along the way. This one shows how hard you have to spin a wheel to generate electricity. I don't think Luke quite made it to 200 watts.
Mae spent half the time in the stroller and the other half trying to climb every set of stairs in the museum. Needless to say she was tuckered out by the end of the day.
The green screen exhibit was a hit with Luke. You can see him on the monitor rocking out with Eddie Van Halen in Van Halen's "Jump" video. You could choose from a variety of songs to dance to. I'm glad he appreciates the artistic capabilities of David Lee Roth.
Our Week Off - Without Grandparents
Happy belated 4th! We decided to take a little time off from work to coincide with a visit from Jenny's parents. The week off was split into two parts - without grandparents and with grandparents.
The first half of their trip was spent up North visiting Mackinaw City. From their reviews, it sounds like we'll need to make our way up there soon. We were originally supposed to spend the weekend in South Dakota, but had to change plans after airfares skyrocketed. Instead, we took the week off to hang with Luke and Mae. While Nana and Papa spent a few days by the lake, we enjoyed the Children's Museum in downtown and the city Zoo.
Luke enjoying the train ride to the back of the zoo with his friends Lauren, Davey, and Lindsay. Mom and Amy sat in the seats behind. Mae and Daddy rode in our own car.
Luke wanted to visit the Rhino's. This was the first stop after getting off the train. We saw plenty of cool animals, including polar bears, sea lions, tigers, giraffes, and lions.
Mae was content most of the day to ride in the stroller and suck the thumb. She ended up passing out on daddy as we made our way to the front exit. It was a good day overall. The zoo is only about 10 minutes from our house, so we bought an annual pass so we can go back more this summer and fall.
The first half of their trip was spent up North visiting Mackinaw City. From their reviews, it sounds like we'll need to make our way up there soon. We were originally supposed to spend the weekend in South Dakota, but had to change plans after airfares skyrocketed. Instead, we took the week off to hang with Luke and Mae. While Nana and Papa spent a few days by the lake, we enjoyed the Children's Museum in downtown and the city Zoo.
Luke enjoying the train ride to the back of the zoo with his friends Lauren, Davey, and Lindsay. Mom and Amy sat in the seats behind. Mae and Daddy rode in our own car.
Luke wanted to visit the Rhino's. This was the first stop after getting off the train. We saw plenty of cool animals, including polar bears, sea lions, tigers, giraffes, and lions.
Mae was content most of the day to ride in the stroller and suck the thumb. She ended up passing out on daddy as we made our way to the front exit. It was a good day overall. The zoo is only about 10 minutes from our house, so we bought an annual pass so we can go back more this summer and fall.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
When Mom's Away.... PT 2
Saturday was beach day. We spent most of the morning getting the pool stuff ready, but only an hour in the water. Later that night, our neighbors across the street were kind enough to have us over for dinner. Luke enjoyed playing with Davey, Lauren, and Lindsay. The night ended up with a little Wii bowling. Luke was in the zone. Mommy comes home later today. We might have more shots depending on what we decide to do this afternoon. Here are some shots from beach day:
Luke showing off his new Spider-Man swimsuit and his abs of steel. Most people agree that he gets his abs from his Dad. I'd also like to point out that the swimming pool takes up about all of our yard space in the backyard (great for mowing). But it actually turns into a cozy little area for swimming. You might mistake it for a beach paradise if it weren't for plant life that requires cooler temps and shade.
Daddy's princess. This will be the last bikini she wears. Mae spent about 5 minutes in the water and decided it was too cold. She sat next to me for quite a while before playing with the water from outside the pool.
The kids played well together for about 25 seconds. I spent plenty of time separating toys and making sure both were happy. Mae has a loud scream and she's not afraid of using it when she doesn't get her way. Also notice she has her Dad's belly.
Mae moved on to other endeavors shortly after getting splashed by Luke. She sat there for a while watching the action. She kept trying to pedal, but didn't get anywhere. Mae was pretty tired after the fun and took about a 3-hour nap.
This is the funniest picture of the day. The boy came inside and started to take off his swimsuit on the towel. In the process he wrapped himself up in his new Hulk towel and feel asleep in the kitchen. He slept on the hardwoods for about 2 hours. Dad was pleased that both decided to take an afternoon nap. Unfortunately I didn't take one myself. Luke woke up and we watched some of the Euro 2008 tournament. I was hoping he'd get some pointers by watching elite soccer players. Instead he was fascinated with the bright orange uniforms worn by the Netherlands. That's my boy.
Luke showing off his new Spider-Man swimsuit and his abs of steel. Most people agree that he gets his abs from his Dad. I'd also like to point out that the swimming pool takes up about all of our yard space in the backyard (great for mowing). But it actually turns into a cozy little area for swimming. You might mistake it for a beach paradise if it weren't for plant life that requires cooler temps and shade.
Daddy's princess. This will be the last bikini she wears. Mae spent about 5 minutes in the water and decided it was too cold. She sat next to me for quite a while before playing with the water from outside the pool.
The kids played well together for about 25 seconds. I spent plenty of time separating toys and making sure both were happy. Mae has a loud scream and she's not afraid of using it when she doesn't get her way. Also notice she has her Dad's belly.
Mae moved on to other endeavors shortly after getting splashed by Luke. She sat there for a while watching the action. She kept trying to pedal, but didn't get anywhere. Mae was pretty tired after the fun and took about a 3-hour nap.
This is the funniest picture of the day. The boy came inside and started to take off his swimsuit on the towel. In the process he wrapped himself up in his new Hulk towel and feel asleep in the kitchen. He slept on the hardwoods for about 2 hours. Dad was pleased that both decided to take an afternoon nap. Unfortunately I didn't take one myself. Luke woke up and we watched some of the Euro 2008 tournament. I was hoping he'd get some pointers by watching elite soccer players. Instead he was fascinated with the bright orange uniforms worn by the Netherlands. That's my boy.
When Mom's Away.... PT 1
Jenny spent the weekend in Chicago her friend Angie from KC. Luke and Mae got plenty of quality time with Dad over the weekend here are some photos from the fun.
Friday night:
We took it easy Friday night. The kids played outside while Daddy grilled up dinner. The kids were kind of grumpy. Both fell asleep on the car ride home.
Mae took down half a quarter pounder and worked over a piece of corn on the cob. She was quite entertained with the corn for about 20 minutes.
Luke decided he didn't want his picture taken. It must be the paparazzi that chases him around day care all day. Both kids hit the hay early, giving Dad a little peace and quiet. I paid for it the next morning at 5:30 when Mae got up.
Friday night:
We took it easy Friday night. The kids played outside while Daddy grilled up dinner. The kids were kind of grumpy. Both fell asleep on the car ride home.
Mae took down half a quarter pounder and worked over a piece of corn on the cob. She was quite entertained with the corn for about 20 minutes.
Luke decided he didn't want his picture taken. It must be the paparazzi that chases him around day care all day. Both kids hit the hay early, giving Dad a little peace and quiet. I paid for it the next morning at 5:30 when Mae got up.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Some Photos
It's been a while since we've had time to get some photos online. With travel and illness, it's been a wild couple of weeks. Things are going well here in MI. Luke and Mae are doing great in school, and we're starting to get comfortable with the area. Enjoy the photos. We'll get more online soon - as soon as I find the battery charger for the camera.
Luke passed out one Saturday afternoon after a long night of partying with Davey from across the street. He didn't move for a good couple of hours, which was good for Mom and Dad. Luke is loving all the kids in the neighborhood. We get together quite often for family BBQs. We're getting new neighbors in July that have a 4 year old girl and a 1 year old girl. More kids in the same age group. It'll be tough to leave this street.
We have found the driving laws in MI to be much more lenient than in KS. Even Mae has a license. She's still learning. Most times she stuck in reverse. Hopefully we'll figure out how to move forward soon.
Could this face ever do anything wrong? Notice the summer dress. We're in the middle of a heatwave in MI. Temps are in the low 90s with high humidity. The normal high this time of year is the upper 70s. We thought we left this back in KS.
Jenny and I boiled lobster Friday night - a special gift from one of Jenny's former external sales managers. The live lobsters were a big hit with Luke and Mae. Mae was extremely curious and wasn't scared at all to reach out and touch the lobsters. Luke tried to hold one but they weighed too much (1.5 lbs). He's starting a weight program next week.
A good shot of Luke in his soccer shirt. Monday night is our last game. Luke has had a couple of opportunities to score his first career goal. Unfortunately he's slower than his Dad and the other kids stop before he can kick it in. Nonetheless, Luke has had a great time on his team with the other kids from the block. This photo was taken for a poster that is to be given to the coach. Luke missed the team photo when we were back in KS. Next sport? We're debating. Davey across the street is playing lacrosse. He'd like for Luke to go with him, but we're not sure the boy is ready to wield a stick and run at the same time. We might hold out until next soccer season. Mae's sports of choice are climbing, drooling, and getting into her brother's business.
We hope everyone is doing well.
Luke passed out one Saturday afternoon after a long night of partying with Davey from across the street. He didn't move for a good couple of hours, which was good for Mom and Dad. Luke is loving all the kids in the neighborhood. We get together quite often for family BBQs. We're getting new neighbors in July that have a 4 year old girl and a 1 year old girl. More kids in the same age group. It'll be tough to leave this street.
We have found the driving laws in MI to be much more lenient than in KS. Even Mae has a license. She's still learning. Most times she stuck in reverse. Hopefully we'll figure out how to move forward soon.
Could this face ever do anything wrong? Notice the summer dress. We're in the middle of a heatwave in MI. Temps are in the low 90s with high humidity. The normal high this time of year is the upper 70s. We thought we left this back in KS.
Jenny and I boiled lobster Friday night - a special gift from one of Jenny's former external sales managers. The live lobsters were a big hit with Luke and Mae. Mae was extremely curious and wasn't scared at all to reach out and touch the lobsters. Luke tried to hold one but they weighed too much (1.5 lbs). He's starting a weight program next week.
A good shot of Luke in his soccer shirt. Monday night is our last game. Luke has had a couple of opportunities to score his first career goal. Unfortunately he's slower than his Dad and the other kids stop before he can kick it in. Nonetheless, Luke has had a great time on his team with the other kids from the block. This photo was taken for a poster that is to be given to the coach. Luke missed the team photo when we were back in KS. Next sport? We're debating. Davey across the street is playing lacrosse. He'd like for Luke to go with him, but we're not sure the boy is ready to wield a stick and run at the same time. We might hold out until next soccer season. Mae's sports of choice are climbing, drooling, and getting into her brother's business.We hope everyone is doing well.
