Leyton & Cal Thomas

Kitty Love

2012-02-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

Cal has a serious love for Sarah's cat Harold, and I'm pretty sure Harold loves him back! Several times a day Harold lays by the patio door and whenever Cal spots him laying there he runs over to him and lays down next to him and puts his arm around him. And Herold lays there for quite awhile before he moves, and usually comes back looking for more hugs! It is hilarious and adorable! Cal especially thought this day was funny when Herold was whipping his tail up and down tickling his legs!He also loves to use him as a big soft pillow :)

Ice Skating

2012-02-03T17:53:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Eric and I got Leyton ice skates. He isn't able to skate on his own, but loves to go (although its exhausting trying to hold him up...). We've only gone a few times so far but he's obsessed with pretending to be a hockey player. Tonight he was playing with his hockey stick in the house and I looked over and saw that he'd gotten the oven mitts out and put them on as hockey gloves (complete with buzz light year pj's and a stocking hat:))!

Adorable mess-makers

2012-02-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

The other day Cal got into the snack cupboard (again...) and made a big mess of the cheerios. He was so happy sitting in his sea of cheerios and loved it when Leyton got in on the fun with him. Its impossible to be mad when I hear those giggles!

Outdoors!

2012-02-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

With this unbelievable weather we've been having the kids and I have been lucky enough to get quite a bit of outdoor time in. It is a little sad to not have much snow for sledding and playing, and Leyton keeps asking when there will be more, but for now I'm enjoying the convenience of hardly any snow. I am sure it will be here soon enough! This week it was even warm enough for us to venture out to the park again. Here are a few photos from the last couple weeks. Notice some weeks there is no snow, some weeks there is a little! I think Cal looks so old in this picture strolling along...Football time! Cal tries so hard to keep up with Leyton...We dug the hoop back out of the garage the other week and Leyton was pretty excited to shoot some hoops again!Cal waiting for a sled ride:Playing with the airplane:And doing a little grocery shopping:Grocery shopping and soccer:Wishing I would pull them standing up....Finally some snow!Eric and Leyton built this cave one night: Cal was not amused when I first put him in the sled with Leyton, but as soon as we started going down the hills he stopped crying. He may have just been scared, but he didn't seem to mind it!

Goofy Guy

2012-02-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

The last time we were at my parents house Leyton had Cal in hysterics! He was laughing uncontrollably and it was too cute to not snap a few pictures of. A few short minutes later he passed out in his high chair eating...

Gymnastics!

2012-02-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

Leyton started gymnastics through Community Ed a few weeks ago and he absolutely loves it! He's so shy I was a little worried that he wouldn't want to do anything or leave my side, but he got right out there with the other kids the first day and didn't hesitate at all. He is definitely one of the quieter ones, and the coach commented on his "serious" demeanor the first week, but as soon as we get back home that's all he talks about and asks when we get to go back. And of course I love that he gets to go get some of that wild energy out!Doing some warm-up stretches:Doing some jumps on the balance beam:And his favorite thing-the bars (or bar for now, since they only have one bar at his level). He can hang pretty long in the flexed arm hang position!Doing some tuck jumps on the trampline:He also loves jumping off the spring-board:

Piano Man

2012-02-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

One of Cal's favorite spots in the house!

Bubbles... in January

2012-01-19T11:21:00.000-08:00

This weather has been crazy! Last week when it was nice out Leyton wanted to do bubbles. I never thought in MN in January we'd have the bubbles out!

Grandpa's little helper

2012-01-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

The other weekend Leyton went outside with Grandpa to do some chores and even got to help throw in wood. He did a great job throwing the smaller logs from the back of the truck!

Christmas, finally!

2012-01-13T16:28:00.000-08:00

We had a great holiday season, and I hope everyone else did too! It was filled with many Christmas gatherings, tons of good food, and lots of love! We had a so much fun celebrating with everyone and are thankful for all of our family and friends. The boys had a great Christmas, and are loving all of their new toys and games.
Santa came to Kelly's and Dave's house Christmas eve and surprised everyone! He read them the night before Christmas and had a gift for everyone. Leyton and Cal visiting with Santa. Cal wasn't sure about him... and Leyton was pretty nervous too!Cal and Leyton checking out the bulldozer Santa brought Leyton:Family photo- minus one:The Italian feast at the McNamara side Christmas was a hit with Cal (and everyone)!Cal opening his present from Santa- a puzzle that has gotten a lot of use!Cal and Leyton both really liked Grace and Lucy's "lucky ducks" game. When Cal would disappear I would always find him in their room playing with it!Leyton looking cute in Lucy's reindeer ears!Grace, Lucy and Leyton being goofy a usual:Most of the grandkids in their pj's after a long night:Santa came! This was the first year that Leyton really understood that Santa was going to come and there would be presents when he woke up (if he was a good boy...), and he didn't disappoint. Leyton dug right in and Cal had more fun climbing on the pile of presents than opening any of them.Leyton in his new fireman gear from Santa:Christmas with the Bostow's! Sarah loved the color wonder princess book Leyton picked out for her! She thought his cars one was pretty neat so we surprised her with one :)Grandma Bostow and Cal:Cal has been obsessed with the tree... points at it several times a day. Here he's making sure Grandma Bostow sees it too!Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa McNamara's. Cal was very interested in Ella's nose, and she was a good sport for him ;)The cousins helping Cal open his presents:Leyton got a packer uniform and helmet from Jessie and Dan that was a huge hit! He loves to put it all on and "be a real football player".Grandma and Grandpa surprised the grandkids with 2 dirt bikes. Leyton was pretty excited since all summer he kept telling grandma he wanted a motorcycle! One of them even has training wheels, so its perfect! Here's Dave helping Leyton take his first spin.Tina and Maggie taking one for a ride:Grace hopping on for her first ride and getting some pointers from Dave:Christmas with the Krumms! Leyton had fun trying out Cory's nerf gun, and Cory loved the Clay Matthews jersey we got him!Leyton and Cal tearing into the presents:My Aunt Kathy gave Cal "zig the big rig" which is a hit!Thanks everyone for a great Christmas!

Christmas cookie making

2011-12-30T19:19:00.001-08:00

Leyton and I made cut-out cookies for Christmas, and most importantly to leave out for Santa! Leyton was really excited to make a Santa cut-out cookie for Santa. Of course, like every year, I forgot how much work they are, and how they're really not my favorite! But Leyton had a blast helping, and ate more dough than I probably should have allowed!

Leyton concentrating on rolling out that tricky dough!My little helper covered in flour:Watching his cookies bake in the oven:And finally enjoying the rewards of our hard work!

Cousin-sitting

2011-12-30T18:41:00.001-08:00

The weekend of Dec. 10th Jessie and Dan went to the Packer game in Green Bay, so we helped watch Lauren, Ella and Luca. Tina and Kelly split Luca duties at their houses, and the girls stayed over at Grandma and Grandpa's, along with Leyton, Cal and me. We had a good time, and the girls did really well all weekend. Then the next weekend Eric and I stayed over night at Grace and Lucy's to watch them while their parents were in Nebraska for a work Christmas party. Leyton thought it was pretty neat getting to stay overnight with his cousins 2 weekends in a row, and I must say it was fun having a house full of kids, even if a little chaotic! :) We made the most of our weekends, with the first weekend sledding behind the gator thanks to Grandpa, and also attending Grace and Lucy's Christmas program at the church. By the next weekend at Kelly's all of the snow had melted but the kids still tried sledding behind their gator! It was pretty funny to see them hook up the sled and try to do it just like Grandpa had!

At Grandma and Grandpa's they had fun burying Leyton in the snow:He got a little worried when it started to get higher under his neck!After Grace and Lucy's church program the kids went up front to see baby Jesus:Ella, Lauren and Leyton ready for bed (thankfully!):Sledding behind the gator in the grass at Grace and Lucy's:Lucy's turn! We could REALLY use some snow here!

Swimming

2011-12-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago (notice the theme here, since its been a month since I've done a post...) we took the kids swimming at the Apple Valley YMCA. They had a blast and both definitely love the water. Its crazy to see how brave Leyton is getting in the pool, and luckily Cal is over his hatred of water... we had a phase for a couple months where baths were NOT fun!

Leyton loving the pool!Happy guy Cal...Taking a break from swimming, Cal discovered that he likes to chew on his toes again...Dad had his hands full in the water with both boys! (I did get in and help eventually:))I think there will be a lot more swimming in our future!

Maggie turns 2!

2011-12-30T16:54:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated Maggie's 2nd birthday! We started the day swimming at the centre in NR with all the kids, followed by yummy food and cake at Grandma and Grandpa McNamara's. The kids were all impressed by the cool Elmo cake aunt Tina made, and I was too! I might need to start hiring her to do Leyton and Cal's cakes! After all the birthday festivities were over we went to pick out Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas tree. It was a fun and busy day celebrating Maggie's birthday and getting ready for Christmas!

Maggie ready to blow out her candles...I didn't get many pictures from the day, but this is Maggie opening her presents- you just cant really see her buried in there....Cal was really impressed with Grandma's little people manger, and baby Jesus went missing more than a few times...Cal got his first (and hopefully last) fat lip. He tripped and fell into the coffee table...poor guy.Charlie was a good sport with the Christmas lights :)Grace putting the angel on the tree!

Thanksgiving!

2011-12-10T21:29:00.000-08:00

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! Hopefully you all had a great day! We headed to Dave and Kelly's for the day to have Thanksgiving with the Krumm side. There was so much delicious food as usual, and it was great seeing everyone. It also happened to be gorgeous weather, so Leyton was in heaven getting to play baseball outside with my cousins Cory and Andy! Later that evening we headed to the Bostow Thanksgiving and enjoyed Eric's first thanksgiving turkey (ok, I didn't, but the kids did...). His dad is still talking about how good it was! Since I don't eat meat I didn't pay any attention to what he did, but at one point I did see him stuffing a couple oranges inside of it! The evening concluded with me staying up way too late scouring the black Friday ads, and Eric going out to try to get me the deals!

Here is our attempt at a family photo... I don't even know why we try!Cal enjoying some pie:I think Leyton mainly stuck to the cool whip....Lucy and Lauren enjoying some pie:Hanging out after the feast- this was me trying to get a picture of the boys together:Cal was/still is obsessed with Luca. He couldn't stop checking him out:He decided he liked him so much he was going to rest his big head on him:
Not exactly sure what he was attempting here, but I'm guessing just basically trying to get as close as possible to Luca!Back in Apple Valley, Cal played with his Little People Zoo he got for his birthday from Grandma McNamara. For some reason he always hugs these animals! He hugs them by sticking them under his neck!Lots of hugs!Giving the Gorilla a break and actually playing with the zoo :). He loves this toy! When I was going through the ads I found this turkey coloring contest in the paper and since Leyton loves coloring so much he got right to work on it!Here's a photo of the gourds he painted and glittered (we got the idea from Aunt Jessie) before I threw them (they were from Halloween). He asked just the other day where they went and I felt terrible!The turkey took about a week for him to finish! He worked and worked on it, and by the end I think the kid that could color forever actually got a little sick of coloring!

Cal's 1 Year Check-up

2011-12-10T18:34:00.000-08:00

Cal had his one year check-up on Nov. 21st. Eric had to be down in Dodgeville for work that day so we were able to go to our Dodgeville Pediatrician, which was nice since I hadn't even started looking for a Dr. in Apple Valley yet. Anyhow, Cal was a happy boy for Dr. Valyo, and demonstrated his talking (mostly babbling) and walking for him. And thankfully for me he even managed to entertain himself while we waited for the Doctor!

Cal's 12 month stats:
Weight- 23.4 lbs, 60%
Height- 30", 60%
Head- 18.75", 80%

Cal hanging out in the waiting room:He discovered something new at this appointment- the cupboard doors under the sink open!He decided to get a better look by crawling right in!And of course every child's favorite thing to do- spin the Dr.'s chair:Getting checked over by the Doc- everything looks good!

Birthday Week!

2011-11-29T05:55:00.000-08:00

On November 19th Cal turned 1! Of course I'm shocked that my little baby is already one, even though he's getting so big! About 2 weeks or so before his birthday he started walking a bit. Hes getting pretty good when he wants to do it, but generally still crawls most of the time. He takes about 4-5 steps at a time and sometimes more. He usually walks the most when no one's telling him to or looking and we'll catch him walking across the entire living room out of the corner of our eye! This post is called birthday week because my birthday was on Tuesday the 15th, Eric's was Thursday the 17th, and Cal's Saturday the 19th! And that's just my family- not including Grandpa Bostow's on the 6th, Uncle Dave's on the 16th, and Jessie's on the 19th (same as Cal's!). Here's a lot of photos from our birthday week:

Aunt Sarah had to be gone for work over our birthdays so she made us our cake early. It was pretty and delicious! We celebrated with this cake on Monday, which also happened to be the Packer/Viking game...

Cal dug right in and I was not surprised that he loved the cake and frosting! This seemed sort of mean to do for his birthday (since we all know how the game turned out....) but Eric couldn't resist putting Cal in a vikings jersey (its actually for Sarah's cat, but happened to be Cal's size!). I made sure to take it off right away so we wouldn't jinx anything for the Packers! For Eric's birthday Leyton and I made his favorite cupcakes. Leyton got to frost and decorate his own and i was amazed at how well he did frosting it! On the 17th Grandma Bostow came over and we celebrated all of our birthdays and went out to eat.Opening presents from Grandma Bostow:Cal was pretty good at opening his presents!
On Saturday we headed to New Richmond. This is Cal on the morning of his birthday with the cool cat toy Aunt Tina and Susie brought him!Such a big boy!The brothers raiding grandma's game/craft cabinet:Cal wished there were real cupcakes in these play cup-cake liners...
Cal taking a morning birthday snooze at coffee at Grandma Krumm's house:When we got to Grandma McNamara's she had this cool rocket toy for Cal that all of the kids loved!Cal and his buddy Grace:The two birthday kids on their birthday! Cal and Aunt Jessie:The cake is kind of a funny story... I called it in the morning of his birthday because we weren't having an actual party (Tina and Susie were headed out of town for thanksgiving and Jessie and Dan were headed out to celebrate her birthday) but I decided I should still get a cake. So the options were very limited and it was Deer hunting opener... They told me over the phone that they had a cow that said "Holy cow another Birthday!" which wouldn't work b/c he was only turning one... or a deer one. I asked if it was really "hunting looking" and they said no, it just had a deer head on it and some trees. So I am picturing a cute cartoon-ish looking gel frosting deer head and some trees... I just about died when i went to pick it up! I wanted to ask for the cow so bad instead! Oh well, it still tasted good anyways, and made us laugh!

Cal couldn't wait any longer to get a taste of the cake...Cal opted for a cupcake instead of ice cream cake, although he did get a little of that too :)
All gone!Opening some presents that night from mom and dad:Happy birthday everyone!

Kelly Park and a life update

2011-11-28T17:33:00.000-08:00

Leyton loved these really steep slides the best:Cal is still not a fan of swinging- no matter how slow I push him... I think he has a really weak stomach!He is obsessed however with trying to climb up everything, like the slides and any steps he can find...
This day he made it all the way up these 2 sets of steps by himself: (ignore my pink striped mittens on him- they stay on much better than the baby ones!)I need to back up a little in my blog posts... Here's a brief life update that I should have posted about a month ago. My last day at Lands' End as a Technical Designer was October 28th. As stressful as my job was a times, it was still really hard to leave! It was my first and only job after graduating college, and I worked in my department for over 5 1/2 years. Over that long of a time you develop a lot of really great friendships and saying goodbye was hard! Also, saying goodbye to Julie and the LE back-up center was very hard, as they were the boys' only daycare. Julie was amazing with them and I know Leyton misses her and his daycare buddies a lot. On Sunday Nov. 20th we headed back to Dodgeville because Eric had a work business review on Monday so we were able to visit Julie and his friends for the day. When we were there we also had Cal's one year Dr. check-up (post to follow... hopefully soon!). Anyhow, the weekend of Oct. 28th we packed up a lot of the house and moved to Apple Valley. So far the transition has gone well and I love being home with the boys. These photos are from Kelly Park which is very close to the house in AV. Leyton loves this park and also thinks it's pretty funny since we have an Aunt named Kelly :). We've also gotten to take advantage of the Eastview HS tennis courts a couple times too that are just ascros the street. Poor Cal just sits in the stroller and watches, but Leyton and I have a blast!

Twin Cities Christian Fair

2011-11-20T08:05:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday Eric took Leyton to the Twin Cities christian fair at the convention center. They have lots of fun things for kids to do and see like fishing, bouncy houses, a fire truck, and even a motorcycle that looked just like Leyton's favorite motorcycle toy at home! They had a ton of fun! I couldnt believe Leyton was brave enough to down this huge slide all by himself!Shooting some hoops...Posing with one of his favorite things- a Fire Truck!

Beautiful Fall Day

2011-11-18T16:18:00.000-08:00

The last time I was at my parents it was gorgeous outside (not nearly as cold as it is now!) and the kids and I were able to spend lots of time outside swinging and playing in the leaves. Here are a few photos from the nice fall day.Cal and his best friend Charlie. All of the grand kids love this dog. Probably the most kid-friendly dog I've ever met.This picture cracks me up...When Leyton was playing in the leaves and throwing them up in the air I tried to get a picture of them falling around him and this is what I got... He's getting a little big for this swing, but he loves it for making me do "under-dogs" over and over again in...

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! On Monday morning the kids and I headed to NR for trick or treating that night with all of the cousins. During the day Jessie and Mom ran to town for groceries and called and told me that downtown was having kids trick or treating and bouncy houses, etc. So I loaded up Cal, Leyton and Lauren (they had Luca and Ella with them) and we did some pre-trick or treating! The kids had fun and TC the twins mascot was even there! Then around 5:30 we all headed out to the relatives. First stop was Lindsey's, then Kathy's and Diane's, then to Pat and Terri's, and then Grandma Krumm's. We ended back at mom and dad's for super and candy eating. It was a late, fun night everyone! Thanks!

My elephant Leyton:
Lauren was a beautiful butterfly, and Ella looked too cute in the frog costume!Luca the baby calf:Stopping for a treat break...Leyton loves team mascots, is fascinated by them and stares at them, but is also terrified of them! He would not go near TC. Eric's a die-hard Twins fan so I guess this photo of Lauren with TC will have to do :). She had no fear of him!Leyton thought the helicopter was pretty cool! My turtle Cal:Lindsey, Cal & Leyton:An attempt at a cousin picture- Cory was even there!Lauren was in the photo above, but I accidentally didn't get Luca in it.... in this picture below Luca is present but Lauren isn't... It is not easy getting those photos!Kelly and Uncle Steve surprised us by dressing up... we were shocked! Way to go guys :)The happy turtle hanging out at Pat & Terri's: A shot of the shell...Pat and Terri always give the kids fun things, including these creepy fingers...They also got activity books, Slinkys, and too much other stuff! Cal spent his evening dreaming of tearing into his brother's candy...After we got home and into our jammies, Leyton was super excited to see that Luca has the same police man pj's as him!That night at Grandma and Grandpa's Cal kept finding Ella's nook and seemed to know just what to do with it as he'd pop it into his mouth over and over again... he liked it so much it almost made me want to dig some of his baby ones back out that he never seemed to like!

Packers vs. Vikings

2011-11-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Obviously Leyton and I had a great day :), but Dad's team didn't fare so well...

Peck's Farm

2011-11-01T12:38:00.001-07:00

The first weekend in October (yes, I am really behind!) we went to Peck's Farm in Spring Green. We've gone the last few years and its always interesting. They have all kinds of things for kids to do and see, and also sell things like apples and pumpkins. There's a train ride, some bouncy houses, lots of animals to feed and pet, and basically a lot of other random things to look at. When we went this year it was a beautiful day and we all had fun... except for the part when Leyton got crazy scared by some creepy life-size Halloween decorations- like people that screamed and rocked and talked.... yeah, he is not yet a fan of scary Halloween humor!

Enjoying the train ride...The mini pigs were definitely our favorite! Cal was in love!We were impressed by the round bale/straw bales tractor... We took this picture so Grandpa McNamara can create this next year!Cal woke up when we got there and wasn't sure what to think of it all at first...The bunnies were pretty cute!Leyton and his favorite construction thing... the excavator.Cal was super excited about the rocket that was just his size!And Leyton did great feeding the aggressive goats corn!

4-wheeling!

2011-11-01T12:14:00.001-07:00

As you know, I'm super behind on blog posts... So I'm finally trying to get semi-caught up, but I have a long way to go! About a month or so ago, when we got to Grandma and Grandpa's house they surprised Leyton by having his 4-wheeler working! It hadn't worked pretty much since we got it, so grandma ordered some parts, got a new battery, and grandpa and Aunt Kelly & Tina got it running! Leyton is in LOVE. He feels pretty special giving all the cousins rides too! Taking Maggie and Ella for a spin!Not related to 4-wheelin', here's a photo of Cal enjoying a go-gurt. He ALWAYS wants Leyton's, so he was pretty excited when he finally got one himself! And just a goofy picture of my happy guy enjoying some tacos!

Full Van

2011-11-01T12:01:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago Mom, Jessie and I headed to Woodbury for some shopping. Luca road in Jessie's car with her, and the girls wanted to ride in my van with me (who wouldn't want to? ;)). All 4 of them fell asleep on the way there, and I couldn't resist snapping a photo of my full van while my mom and Jessie shopped. Cal's in his seat facing backwards so you cant see him. Cal woke up crying so I had to quickly grab him out before I had a van full of crying kids! He thought it was pretty fun to sit up in the front seat and play!

Grace & Lucy Cheering!

2011-11-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago Eric, Leyton, Cal and I went to the St. Croix Central football game to watch Grace and Lucy Cheer. I'm not sure who they were playing but I'm pretty sure they won... :) We ended up Leaving at the end of the 3rd quarter because it was freezing and Cal (and maybe me) was getting antsy, and Leyton was not happy about it. The few times this year Eric has taken Leyton to Dodgeville and Eastveiw games he makes Eric stay until the very end. Anyhow, Grace and Lucy did a great job on their cheers! Good job girls!

Grace is in the middle below. I joked with Kelly about how her kids were in pink and not blue, but it did make it easy to spot them!Lucy looking cute...Grace getting the instructions for the next cheer...Lucy cheering...And Leyton enjoying the popcorn and game!

Some random updates

2011-10-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos/updates from the last week or so. This past weekend Eric ran the Twin Cities 10mi, and we stayed down here to visit with Kelly, Dave, Grace and Lucy. We had an awesome time going to the Children's museum, swimming, shopping and to dinner at Kelly's college friend LaNae's parent's house. On Saturday I took the boys out for a bike ride in the burley all by myself :) This may not seem like a big deal, but Eric is always the one that takes Leyton for rides, so I was pretty proud that I was able to get it hooked up, and decided to let Cal go for his first ride too (since I was alone with them both I had no other option)! We just went around the couple blocks by our house over and over again since I didn't have a helmet for Cal... pretty dumb I know. Getting him a helmet is on the list! Anyhow, when I put Cal in it next to Leyton he started bawling, but as soon as we started moving he was so happy! Didn't make a peep the whole time besides a few happy squeals. I'm guessing his initial crying was from fear that I was strapping him down to something right next to Leyton... and I cant really blame him for how Leyton treats him sometimes... Anyhow, here are a few random photos!

Cal has been walking behind his little push toys a lot lately, and he gets so excited after he goes a long ways! This nice weather has provided Leyton lots of crazy football time outside, and is a nice relief for me, Cal and the house!
Another thing Leyton likes to do lately is bring his tractor and bobcat stuff outside and put "hay" (grass) in the wagons. It brings back so many childhood memories of my sisters and I doing the same thing! We got the boys new chairs awhile ago, and when Eric was here a couple weeks ago we finally got them out and put together. They seem to like them so far! Leyton loved watching the Packer game in his new chair!

Milwaukee Zoo!

2011-10-01T12:37:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Eric came down to Dodgeville. Friday night Leyton and Eric went to the Dodgeville HS football game while Cal and I hung out at home. I expected them to be home after half-time, but they stayed until the very end, because Leyton didn't want to leave! Dodgeville lost by a lot... but Leyton still had fun! Then Saturday we headed to the Milwaukee zoo. I've always wanted to go, and heard its a great zoo, so we finally did it. Leyton had gone twice with Daycare, once last year and then this year, but he was still excited to go with us! He probably thought it was neat that he'd been there and we hadn't ;). Anyhow, it didn't disappoint! They have a lot of neat animals, and there's also a train ride around the park that was probably the highlight of Leyton's day. The only bummer was that Leyton really wanted to show us the Gorillas and that's all he'd been talking about, and they were not on display the day we were there. Oh well, maybe next year!
To say we were all obsessed with the Elephant would be an understatement... He was SO cool! It was neat to see one up so close, and you forget how big they really are! Leyton thought it was funny how his feet were "circles" on the bottom, and Cal could not stop starring! Seriously, the whole time we were by him Cal did not take his eyes off of him (see photo below). I tried to get a picture of him and Leyton and Eric in front of the elephant but every photo was just the back of Cal's head b/c he was cranking his neck around to see the elephant! The tiger was kind of scary because he kept coming right up to the glass and starring at us, and pacing back and forth! Leyton was a little nervous, but I'm sure that's because he could tell I was!We thought maybe we could skip the farm portion, since Leyton gets to see cows quite a bit at Grandma and Grandpa's, but he was not going to let us get away with that. We had to go there, and what did he only want to see? The cows.... for a long time....Cal did great considering he was in the stroller for a large portion of the day...The aquariums are always neat to see... and Cal really wanted to touch the fish!The bear in the hammock was way too cute! It was a long, tiring day, but well worth the trip!

9 month & 3 year Check-ups

2011-09-11T14:35:00.001-07:00

Last week Cal had his 9 mo check up and Leyton had his 3 year check up (just a couple months late...). Cal was smiley and happy for the Dr., and seemed to like getting checked over by him. Everything looked good on both of the boys so thats always good. I was a little surprised that Cal has thinned out, and Leyton has grown quite a bit! Leyton is done with shots for awhile, so didnt have to get any, but thought it was neat to see Cal get them for the first time (usually he isnt with at Cal's appointments), although he did say he felt bad for him a few times too... Below are their latest stats:

Cal's 9month Stats:
Height: 50%
Weight: 20.4lbs, 38%
Head: 75% Leyton's 3 year Stats: (plus a few months...)
Height: 82%
Weight: 75% Hanging out waiting patiently for the shots. Poor Cal was once again happy and smiling at the nurse, and then suddenly screaming bloody murder!

Mt. Olympus!

2011-09-10T16:37:00.001-07:00

The last weekend in August we went to Mt. Olympus to get in one last fun summer activity. We have been twice before, and it was just as fun as always. The weather was perfect and there was tons for Leyton to do, including rides this year. We all had a great time and cant wait to go back again sometime! Cal absolutely loved getting to be in the big waves!Leyton wanted to do the rides over and over again... we did the planes and train at least 3 times each. He was bummed that he was too short by about 2" for a few of the roller coasters and the big family tube water slide. Cal mastered crawling without having to put his knees down on the cement :)Leyton went down his first water slide all by himself! We were pretty proud that he was brave enough to climb the steps by himself and go down once he got up there! Snuggled up and ready to head home. They were both asleep before we even got out of the park...

I want some!

2011-09-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

Cal has become very interested in food, and seems to notice everything Leyton is eating that he isn't lately... especially Popsicles, Push-ups and yogurt... he will grunt and squeal and follow Leyton around until he gets a taste! On this night he finally got his first taste of a push-up and he loved it! Leyton thought it was pretty funny so he kept on sharing!He wasn't quite sure what to think of the cold on his lips, and would make a really funny sour face after each lick, but then go back for more!

Rub a dub dub

2011-09-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Now that Cal is standing up more it is getting really hard to give him a bath in his little tub. He screams and arches his back and tries to climb out the whole time, and we thought maybe baby Luca would enjoy a blue bathtub more than a pink one :). So now Cal gets to sit up in the big tub with Leyton like a big boy and he seems to really like it. He likes to stand up, and tries to crawl around in the water too. He especially likes it when Leyton brings monster trucks in the tub for them to play with! Leyton driving monster trucks down Cal's back...

Go Pack Go!

2011-09-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

We were pretty excited for the start of the football season last night! Leyton wore is Clay Matthews Jersey to daycare, and all night of course. And the Packers didn't disappoint us- what a good game! Leyton also got a haircut after daycare last night, and when the lady who cut his hair kept asking him about the Packers and Clay Matthews he was pretty excited. He looks so old with his new short haircut (definitely the shortest I've ever had it done), and she even gave him a bit of a styled do when she was done- that Leyton also thought was pretty cool! :)

Grandma and Grandpa's New Toy!

2011-09-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa McNamara got the kids a fun surprise last week, a big trampoline! Leyton was so excited, and to be honest, so was I! We had one growing up and I cant even imagine how many hours we spent out on that thing jumping and making up games. I hope Leyton and his cousins have that kind of fun together too! It has a safety net- don't worry, we just hadn't gotten that part up before we just had to try it out!Thanks to Brian and Eric for putting it together, and Grandma and Kelly for getting the safety net up!Leyton was a good helper too...Cal thinks it is so funny. Every time we put him on it would start burning acorss it crawling so fast, and usually face planted it at some point every time...Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

So Big!

2011-09-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

Cal has mastered pulling himself up into standing position on just about anything. His new favorite thing to use to stand up with is my legs, like when I'm making supper for example, and I suddenly cant move! He's started walking along furniture the past couple weeks also, which is exciting and scary at the same time! I'm not ready for my baby to possibly be walking in a few short months; I feel like he was just born!Checking out the tub...Hey, Leyton's in here! And a non-related photo of my happy guy in one of his favorite places- the high chair! (as long as food is coming of course...) He's been working on getting those front 2 top teeth in for awhile now. It looks like they are really close, but nothing has popped through yet. Until then, he enjoys chewing on anything he can get his hands on!

Play time and Tomatoes...

2011-09-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this post is kind of random, but I wanted to share some photos of Leyton and Cal and their new favorite thing to do- play farm! Now that Cal is mobile it is fun to see him crawl right over to Leyton and start playing with things he's playing with. Its cute until Leyton gets mad of course... Some days are really good and Leyton thinks its cool and talks so sweet to him and laughs at everything Cal does, and other days he has no patience for Cal grabbing his tractors, cows, hay etc., or knocking things over that he's just carefully set up as he comes barreling through!

The other part of this post is about Leyton's love of tomatoes. He has always loved them, and eats them like apples whenever he gets the chance, so we had to plant some again this year. He has really enjoyed coming home after daycare and checking to see if there are any red ones, and eats them immediately (even if they're not that red!). The cherry tomatoes seem to be the favorite.

Leyton enjoying some fresh picked tomatoes the other night...Cal eyeing up Leyton's tomatoes...This night we had gone to the grocery store and I let Leyton open the cherry tomatoes in the store while we finished shopping (whatever works...) and by the time we got home there were hardly any left. He ate them throughout supper and I was shocked (and a little worried!) when I realized he was on his last one! He ate the entire container in less than an hour!

And I couldn't resist posting a flashback photo... In this photo Leyton was just over a year old and helping himself to a tomato from our garden!

Things that GO!

2011-09-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

Like most little boys, Leyton continues to be obsessed with anything that goes. These pictures are from a few weeks ago at Grandma and Grandpa's where he definitely got his fill of riding on things that go. He got to mow the lawn with Grandpa, go for a motorcycle ride, and of course ride the pedal tractor. I didn't get any pictures of him riding his 2 favorite things though- the new big farm tractor and the bobcat! Maybe next time...

2 weekends ago...

2011-08-18T05:14:00.000-07:00

In my effort to get caught up, this post is from 2 weekends ago. The kids and I headed up to Apple Valley where we got to visit with Jeff and Sarah for a bit, and have dinner with Sharon. During the day Friday I headed to the Mall of America with Leyton and Cal while Eric was working, which turned into us getting locked in 77 kids for about an hour and a half, and eventually being escorted down the back tunnels to get out... Apparently a person had told a woman he had a bomb, so the section of the mall I was in was locked down for a long time while the bomb squad came in. Of course I'm grateful that it was a false alarm and that we were safe, but let me tell you trying to entertain 2 hungry kids for an hour and half in a store they don't want to be in is tough work! Too bad we weren't locked in Lego Land or something. Anyhow, after a couple days in Apple Valley we headed to NR where we went to the lake with my mom and dad, Tina, Susie & Maggie, and Uncle Pat. Leyton and I went tubing for the first time this year which was fun. We even fell off at one point, so that added a little extra excitement! I was terrible about getting the camera out and taking pictures this weekend, so the only photos I got were from the lake, thanks to Tina and Susie!

A busy weekend

2011-08-16T16:32:00.001-07:00

Summer sure is flying by! I cannot believe its already Aug. 18th, and that its been 3 weeks since I've done a blog post! So, three weekends ago, Eric came down here and we made the most of our weekend. We got stuff done around the house, Leyton got in a lot of much needed Dad time going for bike rides and at the baseball diamond, and on Saturday we headed to Milwaukee for a day at Bradford Beach, some outlet shopping and a good meal at the Cheesecake factory. Here are a few photos from the weekend:
2 boys really excited to be at the beach!It was a real struggle to keep Cal from eating sand, which I knew it would be from our trips to the cabin this year. So while Eric and Leyton had a blast in the water, Cal and I played a game of Cal grabs handfuls of sand with both hands, while I try as fast as I can to grab one hand and get the sand out. While I'm doing that he tries to stuff the other handful of sand into his mouth as fast as he can. Cal gets made at me for trying to dig sand out of his mouth, repeat. Needless to say I didn't get too many pictures. When he wasn't eating sand he did love splashing in the water. He has no problem splashing water in his own face over and over again, and thinks its quite funny!
A view of the beach: When we go out to eat now Cal gets to sit in the high chairs and is always pretty happy about it! I think he feels like a big boy...After the day at the beach Leyton fell asleep on the way to eat. He stayed asleep while I carried him in, and slept for about the first 1/2 hour we were there in the booth. He woke up right when the food arrived- perfect timing. (Ignore the shorts pulled up so high- it was just from me carrying him in!)Leyton was pretty excited to ride Pumbaa at the outlets...Getting ready for a bike ride back home. Don't worry, he always wears his helmet, and shortly after I took this picture he got out and ran down the driveway to get it from the garage...This is what happened next... Our driveway is pretty steep, and it always makes me cringe how fast he gets running down it. This was the first time he totally wiped out, leaving a really skinned up knee and a hole in the hand, ugh. The Toy Story band aids cheered him right up though.

Goofy Boys

2011-07-31T14:25:00.001-07:00

Leyton climbed into the crib with Cal the other day when Cal woke up from his nap, and Cal thought it was pretty funny! I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures before telling him he was probably too heavy for it...

On the move

2011-07-31T07:56:00.001-07:00

Cal started crawling just a bit before 8 months, and on his 8 month birthday my daycare lady confirmed that he is officially crawling now, telling me to mark it down in the baby book (which of course hasn't gotten done yet)! This weekend he seems to have really improved, pretty much crawling wherever he wants to go now. Here are some photos of him making his way all around the living room Friday night.

Going for the remote (its a little hard to see- its on the green blanket in the background)...Look what I found mom! Hmmm where should I go get next? He likes to turn around and smile at me periodically when he is crawling, especially if he sees the camera! A little bribe so mom can get some more crawling photos... :) Making a move for that camera lens cap and phone!Got 'em!She keeps moving them farther and farther away from me! Ah, finally I can chew on that precious cap...and make a phone call to let some people know I can crawl now!

We have a boy cousin!

2011-07-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday July 16th Jessie and Dan welcomed baby Luca James into the world! We could not be more excited to have another cousin, and a nephew! When we got the call last Saturday that Jessie was in labor we loaded up the kids and headed to Rice Lake. We were pretty excited when we got the news that it was a boy, even though we really love having lots of girl cousins too :). When we told Leyton it was a boy he got a huge smile on his face and said "Is he going to be able to play baseball with me?". It was pretty cute, and after explaining that yes someday he would be able to, I made sure to let him know that his girl cousins are also perfectly capable of playing baseball with him ;). Here are a few pictures from our weekend. Unfortunately I didn't get many of Luca, and with all of the kids our time at the hospital was always pretty quick!

Grandma and grandkid #8, baby Luca James Weimert:After visiting at the hospital, we headed to Jessie and Dan's house, to meet up with Kelly and the girls, and Lauren and Ella. We all stayed there Saturday night. Here's cal playing with the big girls:And helping Ella with a puzzle...Grace, Lucy, Lauren and Leyton, being as cute as ever:Our crazy night tired Mischa out... She found comfort in a pink tutu:The next day Pat and Terri invited us up to the cabin and we had a blast swimming in the crazy heat...Aunt Terri and Cal hanging out:And Pat and Leyton...Cal hanging out on the dock in his big boy swim trunks:Tiny baby Luca: Leyton holding Luca!Water time outside... Leyton and Lauren love the big water globe from Grandma Bostow. Lauren requests it pretty much everytime we come home in the summer.They like to position the globe so that it sprays the slide: Leyton doing his crazy jumps off anything he can find: Thanks for the fun time everyone, and welcome to the craziness baby Luca!

Dodgeville Days

2011-07-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

The weekend of July 9th was the annual Dodgeville days as we call it, also known as Farmer Appreciation Days. Its the big town fest with a parade, rides, fireworks, etc. My friend Maria was up visiting from St. Louis, so we met up with her and Elena and Bryan, which is always a fun time! It was a busy weekend, and Leyton had a blast with all of the activities going on. Here are a few photos from the weekend. Thanks for coming to visit guys!

Saturday we hung out at our House for a bit and then headed to dinner at a really good Mexican restaurant in Dodgeville, Las Brisas. Then it was on to fireworks at Harris Park. Elena was nice enough to stay back with Cal while the rest of us went and watched.Sunday was the parade and rides. It was so hot!!! Leyton begged to go on the smaller version of the rock-o planes... Eric was super excited to squeeze in there with him too :)Cal and I waited in the shade while Leyton did the bouncy house, again...Ready for the parade!This was definitely Leyton's kind of parade... Tons of big machinery and trucks, and suckers being handed to him! He wanted me to take pictures of everything. Every time a cool big anything would come he'd yell "take a picture mom!". Here are a few of his favorites:The freezey pops they were giving out were much appreciated with the heat!Maria made sure Leyton got some Culver's they were handing out too! Also at the parade we ran into my former coworker and friend Ashley and her family. She had a baby a couple months before Cal was born, and has since moved to St. Louis to work at the same company Maria works at. It was great to see you guys! And, my friend Robin and her famly were also sitting near us, which was a fun suprise! Robin reitred from LE in March, and I miss her so much!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July weekend, going up to the McNamara Cabin and enjoying great weather, water, and of course the fireworks courtesy of uncle Pat! Thanks for the fun time everyone! Leyton is still talking about the loud fireworks and jumping off the dock! Here are a few photos, sorry I didn't take too many...

Cal enjoying his first experience at the lake:Leyton getting a ride out to the raft on Pat's back! Recognize Cal's swimwear? Yep, its the same one Leyton wore to the 4th 2 years ago, and I couldn't resist getting similar pictures :)Cal LOVED splashing in the water. Unfortunately he also loved trying to shove handfuls of sand and rocks into his mouth...Taking a splashing break to suck the thumb:Grandma, Lauren and Ella making their way down to the water: One of my favorite photos; Grace, Lauren and Ella lounging: All the swimming tired Cal out: S'mores time! Lucy and Leyton having treats by the fire:Leyton, and all the kids were obsessed with jumping off the dock. By the end they all got pretty brave and were jumping farther and farther... Swim break to play a little bean bag toss:

Wet 'n wild

2011-07-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

During the 4th of July weekend, Leyton, Grace and Lucy got a little crazy with the ice cold hose water one evening! It was getting dark and I don't know how they could stand that freezing cold water pelting them, but they sure had fun!

The Trout Farm

2011-07-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

One afternoon over the 4th of July weekend Eric took Leyton to the Star Prairie fish farm. They said it was pretty neat (I can barely remember it from when we use to go on field trips in elementary...) and they sure caught a lot of fish!
I cant believe how big some of the fish were that he pulled in all by himself!

More Shots

2011-07-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

Cal got some more shots again last week at the Dr. He's becoming a real champ about them now- hardly getting one cry out this time!

Here he is giving his saddest face to the nurses hoping they wont give him shots. (He's also completely destroyed the paper on the table...)

Leyton Turns 3!

2011-07-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

On June 17th Leyton turned 3! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone, and that I am a mom to a 3 yr. old. Its sad how fast the years have flown by, but every age seems to get more and more fun too. At 3 Leyton is officially crazy in the water- obsessed with doing cannon balls off the diving board/dock over and over again, is really into his farm and tractor/bobcat stuff right now, along with fire trucks, and LOVES playing baseball.

For Leyton's birthday I took the day off of work and we headed up north to celebrate with family. On the 17th we went to Chuck E Cheese with the Bostow's. It was the first time we had ever taken him there (although he's gone with daycare once before) and he seemed to have a blast. Then, on Saturday we went to Kelly and Dave's house to celebrate with the McNamara's. We also had Dan's birthday (the 19th) and Tina's (the 22nd). Here are a few photos of the fun!

Watching his tickets get counted while enjoying a lollipop...Aunt Sarah and Leyton with the prize all those tickets got him (and a little extra money from grandpa!)...Opening up presents! He loves them all guys, thanks so much!Me and my 3(!) year old...Grandma Sharon with Cal...For his party at McNamara's he requested a Tractor cake. So, along with the cake we got place mats, plates, cups, napkins, balloons, etc. It was a very John Deere party!

Leyton and Lucy doing some of their place mat activities... Part of the gang hanging out... Ready for presents! Excited about his fire house and fire truck from Kelly... The garbage truck from Aunt Jessie was also a big hit!He loves his new all black motorcycle from Tina, and is always having it race his orange one... Blowing out the farm candles... Grace helping Maggie get a little frosting off a candle...Leyton was most excited about his tractor pinata. It was hard work distracting him from it for the three weeks before his party!One tired birthday boy! He slept the entire 4 hours back Sunday and all night...(yes, from 5:30pm to 7am!)

Visiting the Dentist

2011-06-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

The day before his birthday Leyton had his first dentist appt. Since he is so shy I was nervous about how he would do, but he did great, and the dentist said everything looked good. Here are a few photos from the visit:

Waiting patiently in the waiting room...Getting his teeth cleaned...and flossed!He was pretty excited about getting a new tooth brush and toothpaste!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

For fathers day last weekend we were up north where we celebrated Leyton's birthday and father's day. I'll do a birthday post in a bit, but here are a couple photos of Dad and his boys on Father's Day:

I had Leyton and Cal in matching shirts that said: "You're no match for my dad"!

A Busy Weekend

2011-06-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Eric came down to Dodgeville, and we made the most of our weekend! Friday it was HOT so Eric got a blow up pool and him and Leyton had a lot of fun doing that. Saturday they were out in it again by 8 am, and by 9:30 we were off to the Dairy breakfast in Mineral Point. We've meant to go every year we've lived here, but this is the first year we actually made it there. It's basically a very small fair with some animals, face painting, tractor rides, and of course a delicious breakfast! That evening we headed to Mineral Point for Gallery night, which we've done a few times and is always fun and interesting. All of the shops are open, and neat pottery studios. Sunday was another very hot day so we made it another pool day,and that evening was a trip to Madison to do some errands before Eric left for the cities again.

Leyton loved the Dairy breakfast! Ok, he loved the apple sauce and eggs, and I loved his pancakes for him ;)Leyton really was excited about getting his face painted, I swear! He loved the turtle, but wasn't going to let the guy doing it know that...Cal enjoying the tractor ride...Back at the house in the 95 degree weather, enjoying the pool! Leyton & Cal Sunday morning. My favorite time of day is when Leyton wakes up, because Cal gets so excited to see him (Cal is always up first, usually around 5:45). Leyton always tells me to lay Cal next to him and they just smile at each other! Also, Cal started getting a sippy cup and loves it!

Gone Fishing

2011-06-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of other people we know, Eric and Leyton went fishing this past weekend! They went to Governor dodge and Leyton was lucky enough to catch a couple fish pretty quickly so that hooked him! ;) Sorry the photo isn't the greatest... It's on Eric's phone camera, but I'm impressed he took a picture for me, so I'm not complaining! This was the first fish Leyton caught this year (its a little hard to see it blending in with his shorts) and he looks pretty proud!

Cal's 6 month checkup

2011-06-03T17:21:00.001-07:00

Cal had his 6month checkup on May 24th. He was a happy boy for Dr. Valyo and he said everything looked good. I'm very thankful that we made it through the winter without any ear infections, fevers, etc. I took lots of pictures of Cal and Dr. Valyo, because with Eric up in Mnpls now, who knows how many more Dr. appts we'll have with him... :(

Here are Cal's 6mo stats:
Weight- 18.8lbs, 67% (much bigger than Leyton! Just for fun I looked up Leyton's 6mo stats and he weighed 15.10lbs)
Height- 27 1/2", 84%
Head- 44cm, 50%

Yum Yum!

2011-05-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

Cal got his first taste of food other than milk last week! He is doing really good with it, and seems to enjoy it. So far he has had rice cereal, sweet potatoes and squash. The first few feedings started out really messy because he likes to suck his thumb in between every bite, but he's already gotten better about that, thankfully!Here's the thumb sucking that usually leads to food in the eyelashes and eyebrows!First time with sweet potatoes... this could not have been any messier...But he loves them!

Brand new ride

2011-05-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

Leyton got his first bike last week! He's been wanting one for the last few months, and our original plan was to get him one for his birthday, but decided with the nice weather not to make him wait any longer. A few weeks ago we went and looked at them and he picked out the Toy story 3 bike, but we didn't buy it then because we still weren't sure when we were going to give it to him. Of course a couple days later I ended up ordering it for him and we surprised him with it. He is in love with it, and begs to ride it about 5 times a day!

Here he is trying it out for the first time the night he got it...When he saw the little bag on the front he said "look at this mom, for my snacks and stuff!" and the first things he put in it were a baseball and 2 graham crackers...
Biking one handed while enjoying one of his snacks out of the bike bag!And, not related to biking... A picture of the boys from this weekend. We're loving this shorts and t-shirt weather!

Happy Birthday Brody

2011-05-22T11:57:00.001-07:00

Brody turned 2 on May 14th. Leyton, Cal and I picked out some treats & toys for him at Pet Smart in Madison, and Leyton said "well we have to make a cake for him!", so of course we did. I opted to make a regular human cake for us, rather than a dog one... terrible I know! We made a plain yellow cake complete with sprinkles and ice cream . Brody loved it and loved his new toys. Leyton picked out a octopus stuffed animal and a football that's definitely more Mischa's size than Brody's (pretty sure he picked that for himself). Overall I think Brody had a good birthday, which is good considering we forgot it last year...

Dad and Leyton decorated the cake:Leyton (as "woody" from toy story) excited for the birthday cake! Leyton even picked out his favorite birthday plate for Brody to use...And Cal sported his puppy pajamas for the big party!

Play Time

2011-05-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Now that cal is almost 6 months old, there is so much more he can do. He loves to grab onto toys, and shove anything he can get his hands on in to his mouth. He is getting good at sitting up, and laughs a lot! With him getting older, it is so fun to watch him and Leyon interact more. Leyton loves to make him laugh, and Cal seriously lights up when he hears Leyton's voice. The second he sees Leyton he is smiling! Here are some play time pictures from this past week:

These are some of my favorite pictures because Leyton had Cal laughing so hard! Leyton wanted me to make a fort for them to hide in (pretty lame attempt at a fort I know) and I couldn't help but think how many more moments they'll hopefully have like this together... Leyton has gotten a lot of trike and sandbox time in in the last few weeks to make up for the extra long winter...Cal rolls all over now, and is usually in a different spot or direction than where I put him within a few minutes!He found his toes Easter weekend and has loved them ever since... any chance he gets he's hanging on to them!

Mother's Day

2011-05-10T20:27:00.001-07:00

Happy mother's day everyone!

I had a great mother's day with Eric and the boys. The day started with a good breakfast, a card, chocolates and roses! Then I opened up my presents from the boys that they made at daycare- a bouquet made of Leyton and Cal's hands, and hand prints of both boys with a picture, and of course a homemade card! Then we went to Madison and had a nice relaxing day, which included walking around the lake and snacks at the Union.

Leyton loved watching the boats...and Cal is just pretty much always a happy guy!Don't worry- we all shared that cookie...

America's favorite pastime

2011-05-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Baseball season is in full swing at the Bostow house. Besides Eric going to several Twins games, we have made quite a few trips to the "baseball diamond" (as Leyton refers to it) so Leyton can run around and play ball. Brody loves to go too and chase balls. Cal and I usually just watch from the sidelines!

Pitcher Leyton...Taking a break in the dug out...Cal enjoying a nap in the beautiful weather....
and Eric hitting some balls for Brody...

Friends!

2011-05-10T18:25:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago my dear friend Amy came to visit. It was so good to see her, since I had not seen her since she left Lands' End last spring. The day she came to visit also happened to be our friend and co-worker Kyle's last day. They came over to the house to visit and see the kids, before Amy headed back to Kansas and Kyle on to Texas. Thanks for the visit guys- it was so great to see you Amy!

Kyle is bending down in this picture so that his face is actually in the picture- he is the tallest person I have ever met!Amy meeting Cal for the first time!

Photos

2011-05-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

Back in February we had pictures of the boys taken. Cal was not quite 3 months old, and Leyton a little over 2 1/2 yrs. Kira of KJB Photography took them, and I am very happy with the way they turned out. I recommend her to anyone in the Madison area! These are just a few of my favorites.

Easter!

2011-04-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend, visiting family and having fun. We started out the Easter weekend with brunch with Grandpa and Grandma Bostow. Leyton got some goodies from them, and is still working on eating the giant chocolate bunny! Saturday Eric went to a Twins game with Jeff and Sharon, and Leyton, Lauren, Ella and Cal all headed out to get Grandma some baby chicks for her new chicken coop! Sunday was Krumm's Easter at Kelly and Dave's house. There was an Easter egg hunt for the cousins, lots of great food, and fun times visiting with everyone. Then it was time for the long drive back to Dodgeville. An accident and road construction made for an extra long ride, but Leyton was a trooper, and Cal slept the whole way again, thankfully.

Leyton excited about his egg hunt finds... Lucy, Lauren, Leyton and Grace looking so sweet!An adult cousin picture... its been a long time since we've taken one of these! We're missing a few people so we'll have to do it again at the next holiday.My cousin Amy holding Cal...Ella, Cal and Lucy hanging out...CHEESE!Maggie ready to fill her Easter basket!Grandma and Grace...Jessie and Ella (plus baby in the oven)Leyton was so excited to wake up Sunday and see the Easter bunny had come! Here he is after finding Cal's basket...Leyton's basket was hiding in the closet...Cal trying to eat his basket...Checking out what the bunny brought him...Baby chicks! They were so tiny and fuzzy!Leyton and Ella making some beautiful music...Egg dyeing with Aunt Jessie and Lauren...Grandpa Bostow and Cal...Grandma Bostow and Cal...Leyton and his Easter gifts from the Bostow's...Leyton wearing his new "Cars" gloves from Grandma and Grandpa McNamara. He wore these the entire drive back to Dodgeville!

Games, Friends & Food

2011-04-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

2 weekends ago we were running some errands in Madison, and decided to take Leyton to a game/pizza place for lunch. He loved playing the different games, particularly ski ball, and loved getting tickets even more! When it came time to turn them in for his prize he picked this blow-up green alien guy... yeah, we both tried talking him out of it, but decided it was his day with his tickets and we should let him get what he wants, no matter how ugly... :)
Later that night we headed to our friend Dave and Kelly (funny that we know 2 Dave and Kelly's huh?) Lawson's house for dinner with them and the Wersal's. We've made getting together a regular thing, and good time is always had by all! It's nice to get together with them because we all have young kids, and the "adults" are some of the funniest people I know. Also, Dave happens to be a great cook!

Kelly, Bridget and me. My shirt pretty much sums up Cal's night...(I'm soaked in spit up) Group sing along :)The kids got in on the music making also...Bridget and Grace holding baby Cal. (Grace in her favorite Christmas dress :))

A busy weekend

2011-04-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago we headed up north because Eric was going to the Twins baseball home Opener. While he was enjoying 2 baseball games, Leyton, Cal and I were busy seeing the Easter bunny, riding horses, and collecting eggs! The same weekend we were there happened to be when the Centre has an Easter egg hunt, a petting zoo, bouncy house (that Lauren and Leyton insisted on waiting 20 mins. in line for and then sat in there for their 2 min turn and watched the older kids jump...), and even a visit with the Easter bunny. It was a fun time with lots of family there. Aunt Sue and Lindsey came with Grace and Lucy since Kelly was out of town, Maggie came and LOVED all the giant dressed up animals, and we saw lots of my cousins and their kids there too! After that fun filled day, it was off to Pat and Terri's to see their animals. Lauren has been wanting to ride a horse so we did that, and we got to visit Grandma's chickens, who've been temporarily staying with Pat and Terri's chickens while her new coop is being built. Thanks for the fun weekend everyone!

Leyton was not too excited about sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap, but he's been talking about it for 2 weeks now!Aunt Sue and Lindsey helping the kids with some Easter projects... Lauren and Maggie were definitely the most excited about the Puppy, Fish and Easter Bunny...

Leyton was a little nervous about sitting on the horse...but Cal didn't seem to mind! (you can see my uncle Pat is holding him and ducking down, but looking at this picture still makes me a little nervous!)

Madison Zoo

2011-04-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

We went to the Henry Vilas Zoo today in Madison. It was a great day to go because it was nice out, about 55 degrees, but the zoo wasn't busy at all. And, we definitely had our best luck ever with animals being out. They must like the cooler weather better than when we normally go in the middle of summer!The Giraffes were Leyton's favorite he said. They came right over to the edge of the fence and this one was so close to us when he'd put his neck over! While we admired the big giraffes, Cal admired his...Leyton was excited for the carousel ride, and since we were one of maybe 3 families at the zoo, there was no waiting!Leyton (and Dad...) thought getting in the Kangaroos pouch was pretty goofy...Leyton taking his sliding very seriously... These guys were also a major hit- since Leyton's current favorite movie is Yogi Bear. He was amazed by them, and kept calling them Yogi and Boo boo.Cal seemed to really enjoy hanging out in his stroller taking in the sights at the zoo, thankfully.The day at the zoo tired out Cal, but not Leyton!

Swimming Lessons

2011-04-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

Leyton started another round of swimming lessons 3 weeks ago. We've sat out the last couple sessions, but since Leyton will go by himself when he is three, we figured we better get in one last mom and tot session. He is really loving it this time around. He's always loved it, but he's finally getting a little more outgoing it seems. Sorry there's not more photos, but since I'm in all of them this is all I'm willing to post! I'm still not sure its fair that I just had the baby (ok, 4 months ago.... how long can I use that excuse?) and I'm the one getting in the water with him!

Birthdays, a Farmer and a Bear

2011-03-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago the kids and I headed up to New Richmond to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa and Lauren's birthdays. It was a nice weekend to go up there and relax, especially because Eric was in Florida for work, and had been all week. Here are a few random pictures from the weekend. Lauren turned 3! Leyton loved her Mickey Mouse cake...A trip to NR means a trip to the barn...Cant forget Cal, happy in his bear jacket!

Alligator Experiment

2011-03-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kelly got Leyton this Alligator that you put in water for a week and it grows... Leyton was amazed by it, but it also took a lot of patience on his part! He would constantly pull the chair over to the counter to look at it, and we'd have to explain that he couldn't take it out of the water yet because it wasn't done growing. After a long week, he was super excited to play with his much bigger Alligator! Its hard to tell from the first picture how small it was, but it was really small compared to the end product!

More Matching

2011-03-31T19:48:00.000-07:00

These are Leyton's favorite pajama's (because of the cow), and now that Cal's fit him, he loves them even more! He thinks its pretty funny when they both happen to be wearing them on the same night. I love the saying on Leyton's shirt- "Pasture Bedtime"!

Splish Splash

2011-03-25T19:36:00.001-07:00

When I was giving Cal a bath this week, Leyton asked (again) to get in the tub with him so I decided to give it a shot. It actually went really well! Leyton liked rubbing Cal's belly with the washcloth, and washing his hair, and Cal didn't seem to mind!

Cal's 4 month checkup

2011-03-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Cal had his 4 month checkup this week, and everything looked good. The nurses commented on how easily he smiles and what a happy baby he is- right before they poked him with shots on each side! Poor Cal cried so hard for so long- definitely more sensitive to the shots than his big brother was! Besides turning 4 months, Cal had another big milestone this week- he rolled over for the first time! He went from back to stomach first, which is the same way Leyton first rolled.

Here are Cal's 4 month stats:
Height- 25 1/2", 68th%
Weight- 16.4lbs, 63rd%
Head- 42 1/2cm, 55th%

And a couple photos of Cal sporting his hot pink band aids after his appointment:

4 Months and a life update

2011-03-17T19:40:00.001-07:00

My peanut at 4 months: We've been so busy at the Bostow household lately that these past 4 months have absolutely flown by. Here's a little update on what's new in our lives:
I spent most of my maternity leave getting the house ready to put on the market. It was stressful and exhausting, but also exciting at the same time! Our good friend Andrea who sold us our house, took mom's in motion classes with me, had Izzy 2 weeks before I had Leyton, walked with me all summer to lose the baby weight, lent us storage space, (the list goes on and on) listed our house through Potterton Rule in mid February. We've had a handful of people look but no offers yet.

Onto the reason the house is for sale; Eric got a new job! He will still be working for Lands' End doing sales, but instead of National Sales he will be a Field Sales Rep for the Minneapolis/St. Paul area! Since this is by both of our families we are thrilled and of course nervous and excited all at the same time. Nervous because I have lots to figure out still... such as where I'll work, where we'll live, when I'll move up there, etc. For now the plan is for me to stay here working until the house sells (unless it takes forever to sell- not sure how long I can do the single parent thing while still working full time without going crazy...), and we'll travel back and forth on the weekends. Eric will also be in Dodgeville every few weeks for work at the office so that will be nice. He starts his job up there end of May/early June.

Cal and Leyton are doing great. Leyton is loving this warmer weather we've been having. He gets to ride trikes a lot at Julies, and go for walks. Cal and Caitlyn (born 2 days apart) both got to experience their first outdoor walks this week too, and Cal seems to love sitting in the front of the double stroller in his snowsuit! Another first this week... we had our first sitters for Cal! My cousin Max was nice enough to ask if we wanted him and his girlfriend Maria to come and watch the boys so Eric and I could go out, and we couldn't pass up the offer! Max goes to UW Madison, and Maria was here on Spring Break from UW River Falls. It sounds like both kids did great, and Leyton was really attached to Max! Tonight when I picked him up from daycare I was telling him how we were going to make popcorn and play and watch Wisconsin play tonight and he said "who's going to play with me?" And I said mommy and daddy, and he said "no! who's COMING to play with me?!" And I laughed and said "do you mean Max and Maria?" and he got a huge grin and said "yeah, I want max and Maria!" Sorry guys, this may need to become a regular thing... for Leyton's sake, I swear ;).

Day at the Museum (again)

2011-03-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

We went to the Madison Children's museum again the other weekend, but what was different this time was that is was Cal's first time there! The last 2 times Leyton has gone it's just been him and Dad while Cal and I opted to stay home and relax. Leyton's been asking when Cal and mommy were going to go so he was pretty excited when I said we were coming this time. He ran around showing Cal everything and telling him about all of his favorite things. It was pretty cute! And since the museum is right on the corner by the capital there was a little extra excitement (?) with all of the protesting going on...

This picture makes me laugh... The museum was closing so Leyton was pouting that he had to stop playing with the blocks, and Cal was crying because he was one minute past eating time-when he wants to eat, he wants to eat NOW!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

My little Leprechaun came home from Julie's today excited about his St. Patrick's Day "crown", and with some other fun projects, including this cheerio-painted shamrock. (dont worry, we rememebered to wear green today, this was just taken after baths and jammies!). Also, happy birthday Ali! :)

Sweet Baby Boys

2011-03-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

Some of my favorite pictures from this weekend:

Cal - 3 1/2 months

2011-03-04T19:57:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share some photos of Cal from the past couple weeks. He seems to change everyday!

He's started to grab at toys more now when I give them to him, which is always fun! (sorry, I have no idea why this picture wont go in the right direction...)

Visitors!

2011-03-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

Leyton taking his turn bowling!Cal did great hanging out at the Dodgerbowl... he slept the entire time!

Maria and her son David, with Leyton and Cal. Leyton loves David, and David was nice enough to play with him pretty much the whole time they were here!

Bryan, Elena and Cal:

Last weekend Jessie, Dan, Lauren, Ella and baby #3 came to visit us in Dodgeville. They came down to see Maddox's new sister Cecelia for a couple days, and then stayed at our house for a couple days. We took the kids bowling for the first time and I think they really liked it! I know Leyton especially enjoyed the deep fried cheese curds :). Unfortunately I didn't take hardly any pictures all weekend so I don't have much to show for all that we did, and I have none of Ella Bella! So sorry honey!

The weekend before they came down, we got to see one of my best friends, Maria. Her daughter Elena and future son in law Bryan go to UW Madison so she was up visiting them from St. Louis and stopped by on Saturday. It was so great to see them!

Happy Boy

2011-02-20T19:49:00.000-08:00

This onsie from my friend Bridget made me laugh, and thankfully Cal thought it was funny too (I didn't want to offend him!). It's by Small Plum which makes organic bamboo clothing, so it's not only funny, its super soft too!

Snow Removal

2011-02-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Leyton loves to help Eric shovel every time it snows. Leyton's actually on his 2nd shovel for the winter... he worked so hard the handle broke right off the first one! (which I also take to mean we've obviously gotten way too much snow this year...) And I'm sure they'll be out there again tomorrow since we're suppose to be getting about 10 inches tonight! Leyton's wearing his new favorite hat that Grandma Krumm made him. He's worn it everyday to daycare since he got it. Every morning when I ask him what hat he wants he says "I want Grandma's hat!"

My Big Boy!

2011-02-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

I am really happy to say Leyton is potty trained!!! For the past couple months he would go at our house all the time, but we usually had accidents if we went other places. About a month ago he started going at Julie's house with only an accident every few days, and now we're going on week 2 of no accidents at Julie's! Last week Julie sent all of his diapers home with me and it seemed so crazy- like are we really done with diapers? really?!
Leyton's been talking about wanting a buzz doll for awhile (he's in love with the Woody one from Kelly) so that's what he picked for his potty training present. Eric and him went to pick it out last night and he was so excited. He also got a big packer cookie last week for going all week with no accidents. Hopefully he doesn't expect presents every week because the buzz doll was the last one! My big boy in his big boy undies... makes me smile every time.

More Snow

2011-02-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

We got a huge snow storm last week that buried us for a couple days! On Wednesday pretty much everything in Dodgeville was closed- even the clinic! (I know this because I happened to get a sinus infection...ugh). Anyhow, Cal had his first experience in the snowsuit and as you can see from the pictures he wasn't too happy... I don't think it was the snowsuit that he was mad about though- I think he's just sick of all this snow like his mom! Seriously, can winter be over yet?? Needless to say we didn't stay out very long, but it was still nice to get out of the house for a bit.

My thumb sucker

2011-02-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

Cal has found his fingers in the last week or so, and his thumb in particular the last couple days. It's nice that he's beginning to soothe himself with it, so I don't always have to run for the nuk, and I think its pretty cute too! And just for fun, here's a photo of Leyton around the same age sucking his thumb:

Look-alikes

2011-02-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist getting Leyton and Cal these matching pajamas, and I have a feeling it may be just the start of more matching outfits to come! I never thought I would do that with boys, but it was pretty funny/cute seeing them in the same thing last night!

The Boys

2011-02-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

A couple pictures of all the boys:

I am really out-numbered now- even our dog is a boy!

Play Time

2011-02-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

Leyton has become more interested in playing with Cal lately, which is fun to see, and I think Cal sometimes enjoys it too :). He's started to smile more and more when Leyton walks up to him or starts talking to him, which makes Leyton really excited and of course melts my heart. Here are some photos of the boys:

Going in for the kiss...
Leyon showing Cal his cool Toy Story sticker book from Aunt Sue. He is seriously attached to this book... asks to take it to nap, bed, etc. And ever since Aunt Diane told him Jessie's name he is pretty much obsessed with her- talks about Jessie non-stop. I'm thinking maybe its because he thinks its funny that he has an Aunt Jessie too?? (sorry, I have no idea why these are sideways and the others are normal...)

Ok, not really a play time picture, just another picture of Leyton posing with Cal with his closed-eyes smile!

2 Month Checkup

2011-01-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

Cal had his 2 month check up and its not just my imagination- he is a big boy! He weighed about 13lbs, which puts him in the 90th percentile, was 22" long- 45th percentile, and his head was 40cm- 55th percentile. In his defense I fed him right before they weighed him :). I have to say I think his rolls and cheeks are the cutest things, but it is a little sad to see him outgrow all his 0-3 month clothes already and move into the 3-6 month things. The time is flying by and I only have 2 weeks left before I have to go back to work... I am trying really hard not to think about it! Here are some photos from week 10.

Rides!

2011-01-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

This is a little overdue, since we did this right after Christmas, but Kelly, Jessie and my mom and I took the kids to Nickelodeon Universe at MOA and the kids had a blast. It was Leyton's first experience with rides and he loved them. Of course he didn't show much enthusiasm in any of the photos, but he still talks about Dora and the roller coaster! The roller coaster was definitely his favorite thing, and when it was really jerky I tried to put my arm around him and he actually said "don't hold me mom!". The only bummer was the lines were crazy long, so hopefully we can go back sometime on a not so busy day and go on a few more rides.

Leyton a little weary of posing with the Blues Clues Dog...

Pumped for the roller coaster!

He really did love this ride! I can't explain the serious face...

Grace is a great helper!

Leyton asks to go to Grace and Lucy's blog to see this picture of Dora and Diego all the time so I figured I'd put it on his too :)

Afterwards we ate at the Rainforest Cafe, which the kids (and adults) love! They were fascinated with the Alligator...

Watching the kids go on the rides tired Cal out!

Brotherly love

2011-01-18T21:26:00.001-08:00

Leyton has really gotten attached to Cal in the last few weeks. He asks to hold him all the time, and gives him lots of kisses and squeezes! The conversations he has with him crack me up. He says "Cal look at this!" about 100 times a day, and tells him lots of random stories!

Handsome Boy

2011-01-18T21:21:00.001-08:00

I got this outfit from my friend Kelly and it made me laugh- a onsie with suspenders!

For some reason I have one boy in suspenders and fancy black pants, and one naked boy...

Just another day

2011-01-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some random photos of what the boys and I have been up to. Nothing too exciting, just wanted to share some photos!

Cal trying out the swing... He isn't a fan of it yet, but I can usually get about 2 minutes to do something quick before he starts really wailing!Leyton ready to get outside and play...The other night Leyton decided he wanted to share some of his stickers with Cal... (reminded me of when kids stick things on other kids' backs and they don't know it...)Leyton and his paints... he asks to paint everyday basically, so I may have to start hiding them!Leyton is obsessed with his backpack lately. He asks to bring it every where we go, and then runs around the house and starts shoving toys in it as fast as he can! This morning he said "oh, I wanna take my picture with Cal and my back pack!" he's so proud of it... and Cal seems really impressed too ;)Bundled up and ready to face all of that snow...Cal in his Giraffe hat that is getting too small already! I still can't believe how fast they grow...And of course another smiling picture of Cal from today!

Big Smiler!

2011-01-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

Cal has been smiling more and more and I just can't get enough of it! Leyton gets so excited too and always yells "Cals smile'n!"

Finally, a Christmas post

2011-01-12T20:09:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to do a Christmas post, there's just so many pictures and Christmases I knew it was going to take me awhile, and well I don't have that much time to spend on the blog with 2 kids now! Here's a quick recap (mostly in pictures):

We started out the holiday with Christmas Eve at Grandpa Bostow's and Aunt Sarah's. Leyton's Great Grandma Theresa and Great Grandpa Dick were also there from North Dakota, along with Aunt Anne all the way from Texas. Unfortunately Grandma Sharon had to work on Christmas Eve, but we went and visited her at work for a bit. It was great to see her and open presents with her, but it was too bad it had to be so quick.

Here's Leyton playing with the giant Mr. Potato head from Grandma Sharon, it has 4 potato heads inside and tons of accessories!

Great Grandma Theresa and Leyton playing with the blocks she got him...And Leyton opening Big Foot from Grandpa Bostow. He wanted it, but was scared of it at the same time. Every time we went to Target he'd ask to see him, but then back up and cling to me! Now when he plays with him he always says "big foot not scary!"The Bostow group: Anne, Cal, Jeff (with Sarah's cat Harold :)), Sarah, Leyton, Eric, Theresa and Dick.

At 6:00 we were off to Christmas Eve with the entire McNamara side. This year the Mansell's hosted, and everyone was surprised when Santa showed up! Leyton didn't know what to think at first, but sort of warmed up to him by the end... he still kept his distance though!
Excited about the candy cane and polar bear from Santa!

Grace, Lauren, Lucy and Leyton with Santa...

Cal wasnt too impressed with Santa :)

Leyton excited to show Grandma the Tractor Santa brought him!

Our attempt at a family picture... notice not one person looking....

Remember this outfit? Its the one that Leyton picked out for Cal with Julie before he was born, and it looked huge then... fit him perfectly by Christmas!

Christmas Day with my family at Grandma and Grandpa McNamara's. Grace is giving the kid's a lesson on something... she is a good teacher- they always sit and listen! Opening more gifts...

Cal wearing the Christmas outfit from Grandma Sharon...
Leyton pumped about the the huge John Deere Tractor from G & G!Playing with all of the cool farm stuff he got!

Santa brought Leyton and Cal their presents at Grandpa and Grandma's house!This was one of the things that he constantly asked for for Christmas whenever I asked him what he wanted from Santa- "Ninja Wheelie!" (a motorcycle that does a wheelie and then takes off). That and a "big hoop!" (big basketball hoop) that aunt Tina got for him.
On the 26th it was time for the Krumm's Christmas at Grandma Krumm's house.The gingerbread house making contest this year was to build the house you grew up in... They all looked very close!

The McNamara house....The Springer House...
The Demulling house...And the Krumm House... for some reason i don't have one of the Kittel's, but theirs was really good, complete with the pool, hot tub, and even fish pond!Grandpa Mc. and Cal taking a much needed snooze...Finally, back at our house in Dodgeville Leyton found that Santa had filled his stocking!This picture says it all... we were exhausted by the end of Christmas, but we had great time with Family! It was wonderful being on maternity leave over the holidays so I didn't have to worry about rushing back for work. Thanks for everything guys, you all got Leyton and Cal way too much!

SMILE!

2011-01-04T18:24:00.000-08:00

On Friday Cal smiled for the first time for us. I had just changed him and was smiling at him and talking to him and he smiled back! I forgot how exciting those first controlled smiles are! Today he'd been smiling for me quite a bit so I finally grabbed the camera tonight and tried to get some photos. Of course I missed half of them, but I got the end of a couple.

Pizza Pizza!

2011-01-04T18:18:00.001-08:00

Leyton made a pizza for Cal tonight with his new pizza making kit from the Mansell's... I bet Cal wishes he could eat it!

Go Pack!

2011-01-04T18:13:00.001-08:00

Cal cheered on the Packers this Sunday with me and Leyton in the tiniest pair of packer socks I've ever seen. I think they were good luck!