Christmas Fun!

On Sunday we took the boys to Bentleyville.  We enjoyed some shopping at the mall first, where Leif and Mikko got to see Santa.  After a long discussion about the pronounciation of Leif's name (and Leif Erickson park) Santa assured the boys he would be dropping of their gifts on Christmas and then he gave them candy canes.  That made a big impression on Mikko, who was still talking about those tammy tames at bedtime.  Leif was thrilled to get his picture taken with Frosty and Santa's Reindeer.

Daddy and the boys.  It is so difficult to get everyone to look at Mommy, but in fairness to them, there was a lot to see there!  WOW!

Leif and Mikko ready to explore the rest of Bentleyville!

And we truly live in a small world.  We ran into our neighbors and we moms had the boys pose for a picture.  Aren't they all cute????

Mikko and I hit Duluth for our H1N1 shots in November. Luckily we hit a beautiful day and got to enjoy some time in Canal Park, along with an apricot wheat free lunch at the Brewhouse. Actually, we did bring home a growler or two for daddy and to share with the neighbors.

 

Leif has really enjoyed building with his blocks.  Mostly he builds StarWars characters and then he knocks them down.  He finds it most frustrating, though, when little brother imitates him and knocks down perfectly good statues. 

Leif and Mikko finally got to enjoy some outside time at grandpa and grandma's in Ely.  They went sliding and exploring and four-wheeler riding.  Leif even got to play StarWars as he pretended his icicle was a light saber.  Have I mentioned his love of StarWars????

Leif and Mikko with Santa.  I took the picture with my phone and of course my Christmas wish would be that they both look my way.  Oh well, at least Mikko is not afraid of Santa.  He will tell you that Santa says "Ho! Ho! Ho!"  He also likes the 'noman (aka Snowman).  Leif is happy to see happy, but also happy to be staying later at Giftstock with daddy.

'Tis the Season

We have been quite busy with the daily adventures of two growing and busy boys.  But, I promise to soon post pictures of our adorable little guys.

They are both quite excited about Christmas.  Leif ~ for obvious reasons ~ Santa's much anticipated visit, presents wrapped and under the tree and the chocolate advent calendar.  (I have also been trying to impart upon him the main reason for the season, and I am quite proud that he told his grandma that we also celebrate God at Christmas - I guess he does listen to me.).  We are also trying to remind him that there are other children who may not get as much if anything this holiday season.  We discussed this as we prepared to head to Giftstock.  I explained why we were bringing a new toy ~ but he reasoned that even if moms and dads couldn't get much for their children surely their grandmas and grandpas would come through.  Is this spoken like the first grandchild all the way around?

Mikko, too, is excited and was happy to see the tree up and presents underneath.  He is, of course, excited for whatever reason his brother is excited.  We have a bad case of monkey see ~ monkey do in our house.  For the most part it is pretty entertaining, but a little overwhelming if Mikko is copying a case of the naughties.  I am not sure what we will do when Santa isn't watching anymore!

Mikko also loves the chocolate advent calendar and is always ready for "Tandy" first thing in the morning.  After dinner, of course, it is "I Peem" or ice cream as the rest of us call it.  Though he is small, he knows what he wants and we are enjoying hearing him demand - or ask - for what he needs.

Pictures to follow soon!  Along with the story of when and why the tooth fairy came to visit (let's just say she didn't come to see Leif!).

HAPPY FOURTH

Today we get ready to continue our celebration of our Nation's independence. We look forward to being able to enjoy our family and friends, while acknowledging that without the sacrifice which some have made, we would not be able to sit back, relax and enjoy on this special holiday. May everyone enjoy today! Happy Fourth of July!

We started celebrating last night at the parade in Gilbert. Leif LOVED the candy and had fun rushing for it with his friends. Mikko didn't love the parade as much since he is too little to run on his own, but he did manage one sucker out of the deal, so he fared well too.

Hangin' With My Boys

So much has been goin on since my last blog post. Whenever people ask me "What's new?" it is easy to reply "Nothing, how about with you?" But, as I browsed through pictures I realized that we have been quite busy living life as parents of two busy boys. As you can see, Leif has been busy enjoying fishing. On our way out to Tamarack one day, he declared he was going to catch a walleye. With the help of grandpa and grandma, he did just that. He can hardly wait to head back for a fish fry. Leif also started T-ball. He plays for Mountain Iron Team #2 with some other friends from the neighborhood. He is on a team with one friend, and his other two friends in the neighborhood play for Mountain Iron Team #1. They shook hands after their first game and happily posed for pictures after the game. Of course, the moms bribed them - smiles now, dairy queen later.

Mikko could, quite possibly, be Leif's number one fan. He can clap, and seems to know when to clap and yell for his brother. He is now walking, or toddling, around. Here he took a break from cheering to stop and smell the flowers. I was just happy he wasn't eating them!

We have also been busy enjoying summertime festivities in the area. We partook in the Land of the Loon activities - parade watching, candy gathering and walking through the park. We stopped and enjoyed a silly bar as we got ready to leave. Mikko was the only one who didn't get his own. He got to share with mom and dad. Though, he certainly wanted Leif to share his. Then again, can you tell how much Leif enjoyed his ice cream treat???
The next few pictures are of me and my boys. The first one was taken when Leif was sitting on my lap. Mikko gets so jealous that he will push Leif away, grab at him and yell trying to get him to move it. Leif just laughs at Mikko and says "Jealous?" Then he laughs and Mikko gets more upset. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come...

In the Spring

In the spring we get to do those things that others in warmer climates take for granted. Going to the park is an exciting sign that spring is here. Yesterday, I walked with the boys to the park. Leif was quite excited to go back, and also excited for Mikko's first time at the park.

Since there was not much equipment for Mikko to "play" on, Leif spent a lot of time running back to check on us. Let's just say, daddy had an easy bedtime routine with Leif. I was with friends, and when I came home learned Leif had put himself to bed. I took that to mean that, as Leif sometimes does when he is really tired, he told Karl it was time for him to go to bed. (Note: I am totally prepared for our second child to not be this easy to get to bed).

While Leif was also busy trying to avoid having his picture taken, I did manage on a couple of occaissions to snap a photo.

So, did I say earlier that there wasn't much to play with for Mikko. Let me correct myself - there was a lot of dirt for Mikko to play with. He was quite taken with the sand, dead leaves and sticks. Every time I put him down to do something with Leif, he toppled over and sprawled out in the sand. He also managed to bite off part of a stick, but I had other more nutritous snacks so he wasn't that upset when I made him spit it out.

And finally, I really wanted a picture of the boys at the park. Have you ever tried to get two boys to smile and look at you at the same time? Nearly impossible. But, I do like this photo as it captures a typical occurrance in our house....Mikko watching Leif do anything. I am sure Leif will love and hate this as he gets older, but what else are big brothers for.

We tried the swings first. The little guy swings are super far away from the big guy swings, but Leif was a good sport.