Family Day Out

Since I worked last Saturday, I decided to take a half day today and play with the boys. We had an awesome time! First we went to lunch at the Mead Street Station which was always one of "our places" when we lived in our old neighborhood. We hadn't been there since we moved (6 months or so ago) and we missed it so it was time to check in. When we got there, the waitress oohed and ahhed over how big Griffin had gotten, and then asked if we wanted the nachos with no meat and pico on the side- GOOD MEMORY! So she automatically got a great tip. After lunch, we went to the Downtown Aquarium. At first, Griffin couldn't really figure out what was going on... but after a few minutes, he had a BLAST! It was so much fun to show him all of the different exhibits.

right when we got there. "yeah- stingray. so what? I'm bored- what else you got?"

checking out fish with dad. this is much better.

up close & personal with the sharks

under the sea. G thought this was AWESOME & didn't want to come out.

moon jellyfish

mama & a barracuda. Doesnt get much better.

Random video while we were having our picture taken in the photo booth:

And this is just as Drew was getting hyper over a turtle:

Griffin took a nice nap on the way home and then we just spent the rest of the evening hanging out and playing! I wish we could have more weekdays like that.

Griffin will have his first partial day in the toddler room at school tomorrow. I cant believe how big he is getting. It seems like just yesterday he was my tiny baby and now all of a sudden within the past two weeks he is walking, using a straw in a cup, pointing, and using non verbal methods to communicate. Oh, AND he is using his own spoon to feed himself!

Ok, so it isn't pretty, but he's still totally doing it! I'm so proud.

Here Comes the Hotstepper

GRIFFIN IS WALKING! We knew is was going to happen any second- he's spent the last few days standing up on his own and then just hovering there before plopping down again. This afternoon we were just hanging out and I decided to take a video of him standing on his own since he kept doing it over and over again... and then he took off! So I had the rare privilege of capturing his very first steps on video!

I have been glowing ever since. I am beyond excited and proud of him. This is perfect timing too since Griffin is currently in the process of transitioning into the toddler room at school! He'll start this week with a few hours here and there, gradually increasing until he is there full time starting in April. I think he'll be so much happier in that room. They get to go outside and play twice a day, they do more arts & crafts, they have story time every day, AND his two buddies are already there. PLUS, it will cost us about $150 less every month. SCORE! So, I am officially the mama of a Big Kid. I feel old.

Yesterday it was 60 and gorgeous so we all walked downtown. It was (apparently) Buffalo Bill's birthday so we walked past several old dudes dressed up like Bill Cody which was... random. Then, it was so nice out that we had lunch outside which Griffin adored!

After that, we meandered around the neighborhood and discovered this adorable old natural foods grocery store. It's been around since the 70s apparently, so it is original hippie!

I had to work a recruiting event this weekend, but Drew got LOTS of work done. He stained and re-hung the linen closet doors, painted the office (pictures to come) and added new closure brackets to the kitchen cabinets. I am a pretty lucky lady with the two best guys anybody could have...

nothing to complain about

I don't want to jinx anything, but we had ANOTHER healthy weekend! It is sad when that is reason for excitement, but excited I am! On Saturday morning, I met my friend Stacey for crepes, french press coffee, shopping, and conversation I desperately needed. I also treated myself to fancy MAC lipstick and a Lush scrub. Ahhh, girl day.

Drew, on the other hand, worked his butt off with minor house projects like sanding down the doors to the linen closets and painting the downstairs hallway. It's all starting to come together though! This is the huge art piece we now have on the way down to the basement:

it's hard to see because of the reflected light, but it is Union Station (as Drew says, it's where our adventure started!)

We didn't do much else beyond watching movies, reading books and running errands, though we did take Griffin out for his first Chipotle kid's meal!

cheese quesadilla, rice, beans & organic milk!

He LOVED it. He adores black beans anyway, but having his own tray was just the cat's pajamas.

Drew & Griffin got to have a long weekend and spent the day playing together. I was jealous, but I had a recruiting event all morning so at least my day went REALLY fast! Work is actually getting really exciting right now so as much as I miss my boys, I actually love going every day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm not much for the commercialism of Valentine's Day. We're not buying overpriced flowers or chocolates in a heart shaped box. But I do enjoy the opportunities throughout the year that remind you to show those you care about the most that you're thinking about them.

I woke up early today and made the boys bacon, eggs, and toast. Drew got a homemade mocha and G got some sliced bananas. Just so they could start their days knowing they're loved.

...And we're back!!

So mere days after I posted about Griffin's recovery, he and I both came down with the stomach flu. Luckily the icky symptoms themselves were fairly short lived, but his subsequent hunger strike lasted for DAYS. I started to panic just as his regular one year appointment came up. They checked him out from top to bottom and deemed him super healthy and 100% normal. His RSV is gone, his ears are looking just about healed, and she said that it is totally normal for a kid not to eat for up to a week following a flu so that was ok too. His height & weight were totally on track and he took his vaccinations like a champ! Drew even asked if it was normal that Griffin is getting sick THIS often and she said that unfortunately, the first two years in daycare look a lot like this, and that this has been a particularly bad year for illness on top of it, so my fears of some kind of autoimmune disease were unfounded. Thank god.

Since our weekends as of late have been fraught with illness, the house has been in shambles and we have been beyond exhausted. That is why today was one of my favorite days in recent history. Except for an early morning excursion for pancakes, I have spent the entire day in my pajamas.

We watched a movie, got some chores done, did lots of playing and relaxing, and I even made a batch of the most incredible brownies ever. Griffin was nothing but adorable and perfect all day which made it even nicer. Ah, now THIS is the life. We totally needed this.

Fingers crossed that the good times keep coming and that my boy is over the worst of this winter's illnesses.

On the Mend

Like I said yesterday, Griffin has been remarkably chipper ever since we came home from the hospital. Today he even struggled to sip MORE of his antibiotic. Yes, folks, my child loves medicine. Has been coughing and getting congested less and less while laughing and playing more and more. It makes me so, so, so happy.

And, here is evidence! Griffin got his very own "big kid" car seat yesterday and it came in a giant box. Drew turned the box into a fort for G and the rest is history...