RILEY AND TAYLOR EXPOSED

Boys are loud!

2011-10-14T05:18:00.000-05:00

non-stop from 7AM to 8PM it's noise...airplane noise ninja noise screaming noise train noice hot wheels noise elmo noise fighting noise the list goes on and on! YIKES!!

Taylor showing off his new winter hat

and Captain America showing off his new hat

Trouble

2011-10-11T17:16:00.000-05:00

NEED I SAY mORE!!!!

Best Buds

2011-10-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

Riley and his best bud Elias! Thanks for your friendship buddy:)

It's been a while...

2011-09-30T12:27:00.001-05:00

Sorry for not being an active blogger as of the last 5 months but it was mainly due to being an overactive mommy! We have gone through quite a bit of change in the last 4 months and I think are starting to accept our current situation. I won't bore you of all the details besides to reassure you that the boys are being treated like kings and are holding up like two strong soldiers. Riley has started his new pre-school in St. Anthony and has also started going to church with his best friend on some weekends. Riley really wants to have a sleepover and everyday he reminds me he is not a little boy anymore. He is very interested ( as in this last month) in states and who lives in each state. One day he said "Mom why does Minnesota have two states you know Minneapolis and St.Paul" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He is definetly ready for all day kindergarden and can't wait to get on the bus. Taylor was also signed up for pre-school at church as well and he made it 3 days. The teacher said he would sit in the corner and not move or speak to anyone the entire time. He seemed traumatized by school and the third day I litterally had to drag him into the car because he was so hysterical. It broke my heart and I gave in. Next year he WILL be going to pre-school I'm just hoping he will not have so much anxiety. The boys got a new 4 wheeler Power Wheels Ninja that travels at a whopping 5 miles per hour. They think they are pretty cool driving it around the streets. Riley does most of the driving but Taylor drives too.

Notice Taylor's necklace in the first picture! He loves jewelry and yes I am the mom in the little girls section at Target buying y 2 year old son some jewelry! Way to rock it Tay!

Taylors birthday!

2011-03-27T21:38:00.001-05:00

Here are some pictures from Taylor's second birthday.

At two, Taylor can recite the whole alphabet,knows most of his colors and can count to 4. He enjoys reading his elmo books, playing trains with Riley, playing air hockey with his new table, watching Mickey Mouse and of course taking care of the Sesame Steet crew. He is not much for crafts, as he would really prefer to do body painting or table painting. He LOVES rides and going to the mall ( I have trained him well). He is left handed and very physical. He really enjoys jumping from the kitchen table onto a bean bag. He weighs 3 pounds less than Riley and only wears 1 shoe size smaller. Here are his two year old pictures.

2 and 3!

2011-03-26T14:35:00.000-05:00

We have had a whirlwind month, starting off with Taylor's 2nd birthday. That was a huge hit, he received over 30 presents and a special visit from Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street. Riley is busy talking about his birthday in June and he has so many plans I don't even know where to begin. I will post pictures of Taylor's birthday and his new harley motorcycle when I have time. Since Tay's birthday he has had a very tough road. He had surgery the day after his birthday and has been back to the hospital twice with complications. He finally just told me a few days ago, " Let's just take my weiny off." (He got circumsized) Note to any other parents of young baby boys don't wait until they are two to have the circumcision done. It is a nightmare! Well Tay is finally turning the corner and we were able to go on a family outing for the first time in a while........

Riley is playing floor hockey and loving every minute of it. We are headed to Anna Maria Island at the end of May and I am starting the countdown now!

I Love you!

2011-02-28T14:46:00.001-06:00

While Matt is on the road, Riley has started sleeping with me everynight. I actually dont mind it, at least I dont sleep alone everynight!Last night as I was rubbing his back, it was pitch black in the room and silent,he said, "Mom, I Love You." It was dark so I couldn't see him, but that was the first time he said it, without me saying it first. The way he said it, so natural and genuine, it just made me realize he is now a young man. I love you too RY!

Happiness!!!

2011-02-27T13:53:00.000-06:00

It's official, Taylor is in love. Ms. Lillee and Taylor are heading to the altar....

Where in the world is Taylor?

2011-02-27T13:48:00.002-06:00

That's right, Taylor is hiding and I just can't seem to find him. He is getting tricky! This picture was taken during a game of hide and seek. (If your wondering why he is naked, he takes his clothes off all the time for no reason, and I was sick of redressing him at this point!)

Sesame Street bath

2011-02-16T11:17:00.000-06:00

Taylor has a growing collection of Sesame Street plush character toys. He carries them everywhere with him, and says goodnight to each of them everynight. He feeds them and gives them juice and realizes immediately if one of them is not in his sight. So, yes, I am the mom at Target with the 2 year old in the cart with a bunch of stuff animals. Recently Taylor has introduced trains and balls to his babies, and before you know it I I'm sure I will be buying toys for the sesame street crew. Another fantastic thing about the Sesame street crew is that they "poop" and often need to be changed (all according to Taylor!). Yesterday I asked Taylor if he wanted to take a bath and he ran in the bathroom and hopped in the bath tub with his clothes on. I told him to take his clothes off. While he did this I ran to get a towel and baby wash etc. I came back and this is what I found......

Not only did the Sesame street crew need a bath, they each needed to be individually washed with baby wash.

When we were finished with the bath, I got Taylor our and squeezed out the plush Sesame street crew, I headed to the laundry room to put them in the dryer and Taylor came running after me, opened the dryer and looked at me and said, "NO!" Apparently dripping wet plush toys are fun to carry around the house. Needless to say the Sesame Street crew is clean and currently air drying!!!!

It took 3 months....

2011-02-16T09:15:00.000-06:00

The boys have finally decided that they can handle wearing boots, hats, and mittens. They wouldn't even go near them 3 months ago. Riley actually prefers his boots over shoes now and it is amazing to see how they have figured out that playing in the snow with the right gear can be fun. It took many battles of me struggling with them to get their fingers in the mittens and the hats on their heads but now they seem to be enjoying the snow. This past week has been warm (30 or so degrees) and they have spent a few days outside for more than 30 minutes. Back in early December Riley screamed just having to walk from the car to the house because he was to cold. On the cold days Riley still tells me he wants to move to his Florida house and he hates the snow, but overall the improvement is amazing!! (Just a side note- I WANT TO MOVE TO FLORIDA TOO!!) Yes this would mean another cross country move, which would put us up to 5 moves in 5 years but you can't beat 70 degrees and sunny in January. I guess we will have to wait and see what the spring has in mind for us!

Potty time!

2011-02-07T12:20:00.002-06:00

Riley went in to use the bathroom and I thought nothing of it. He does this on his own all the time and tells me to leave if i go in with him. Well yesterday after coming out of the bathroom Riley says, " Mom, I went potty!" I said, "Great job buddy!" Riley replies, "I peed all over the floor and jumped over it and it was the biggest jump I have ever done!" Sure enough the bathroom floor was soaked, but at least he is practicing his long jump, right?

Our winter escape

2011-02-01T20:38:00.001-06:00

We packed up our bags rather fastly, and jumped on a plane and headed to Anna Maria Island off the coast of Florida. Taylor decided (2 days before the trip) that he was 2. He started throwing tantrums lasting 45 minutes long and there was nothing I could do to console him. I was a little hesitant as we boarded the plane. The plane rides went smoothly and everyday was around 70 degrees and sunny. Riley got to go swimming outside twice and we made a day long trip to Busch Gardens Amusement Park. Matt met us down in Florida and we all enjoyed the beautiful weather, the ocean, the warmth, and NO SNOW! Here are a few pictures of our trip.... Note to self ( 2 year olds dont travel well and dont sleep in new beds) Thanks to my dad or Bappa for helping out so much with the boys and letting us stay at your place!
The boys on their first ride!

Taylor and I at Sesame street!

Riley playing with the guns on the splash pad!

Things that melt my heart

2011-01-11T08:15:00.000-06:00

Yesterday the boys were playing in the living room, while I was cleaning up dishes etc. They were just goofing around and then I heard Riley say, "Taylor wannna kiss?" Taylor responded, "YEAH!" Riley then bent down and kissed him on the lips. I just about dropped my dish! Keep in mind these are the two boys that I spend 90% of my day spliting apart due to fighting. Anyways back to the story, then Taylor says to Riley, "Kiss?" and gives Riley a kiss back! I told the boys how nice that was and they both rolled their eyes and started wrestling again. Isn't it funny how just two minutes of your day can make your day brighter? I know deep down they love each other, but it just is a love-hate relationship.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T20:55:00.004-06:00

Santa finally came and the boys received a ridiculously amount of presents, I lost count after 30. Considering they both have double ear infections and strep throat, they seemed to have a great time. Every year my wish is for a cute picture of the boys together and every year it fails. Here are my two goofballs on Christmas.....

Here is our family Christmas photo, thank you to my Sister Kellie for getting the best shot possible!

WRESTLEMANIA!

2010-12-10T16:32:00.003-06:00

Grandpa came over for a visit and brought some pizza too. It started off as a nice little visit........

AND THEN TURNED INTO THIS!

Three Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed!

2010-11-25T14:47:00.004-06:00

Last week we went out to some friends of ours to see their new house. Their duaghter Lillee is Taylor's girlfriend. Here is our three little monkeys....

20 Months

2010-11-25T14:29:00.002-06:00

So i broke out the picture flash cards with Taylor and decided to see what he could do. Usually he just dumps them out all over the floor and throws them around. This time i took one out at a time and asked, "What is this?" while showing him the picture card. If he got it right I would scream and cheer and he sat anxiously waiting for the next one. I was floored by his knowledge and verbal skills. There were 40 picture cards and he got 32 of them right the first time. Here are all the words he is saying: monkey, snake, crab, bathtub, dog, flower, turtle, bed, tiger, sink, slide, hat, bird, bike, ball, pig, pants, boat, car, truck,swing, lion, cake, ketchup, hot dog, work, coat,eat,go, shoes, and shit. I am writing this post for my own sake, so i have a memory of what Taylor was like at this age. I didn't journal Riley at this age and I wish I had. So I'm not boasting but just writing for a keepsake, because my baby is no longer a baby:(

Boys will be boys

2010-11-17T15:25:00.004-06:00

The boys have come to love swords and after many many outings to Target I gave in and bought the darn things. I hate them! Couldn't we do some painting or play with playdough, or Barbies?? We are obviously too cool for an art project, instead we like to try to beat the crap out of each other, and oh yeah knock down the living room blinds 50 times a day. I think this was the worst investment I have made:)

Notice the blind on the floor in the background, I think Santa might magically take the swords with him when he leaves!

What the boys have been up to....

2010-11-15T21:52:00.003-06:00

Riley finished his fall soccer with the North Oaks Mini Kickers and he seemed to enjoy it. He is excelling in school and improving on becoming more self sufficient. Tantrums are still a major issue but there are days where he goes without. He is a full chatter box and comes up with very elaborate ideas and stories. He also started swimming lessons and seems to really look forward to them. We got our first big snow last weekend and I bundled the boys up to go play out in the snow. riley lasted about 10 seconds and then started screaming that he was to cold. as we were walking in he said, " i want to open presents now." Apparently when it snows that means it is Christmas. When it stops snowing, Christmas is over with.

Taylor, well hmmm, is getting more and more physical by the minute. He is just non-stop energy and love. He has the sweetest personality and has begun to voice what he wants or where he wants to go. he has decided that he really just likes to drink out of a 20oz soda bottle and nothing else. His vocabulary is also growing by the second and he is one bright little munkin!

Itchy Butt Store

2010-11-15T08:11:00.002-06:00

Riley and I ran to the post office on Saturday morning, in the middle of the tropical storm we were in. The minute we get in line, Riley starts screaming, " My butt itches, my butt itches, I NEED TO GO TO THE ITCHY BUTT STORE, THE ITCHY BUTT STORE, THE ITCHY BUTT STORE...." it got louder and more intense as he went on. Needless to say, we didn't wait in line, as all of the people in the post office were now staring at me. I left with Riley screaming to the entire building, " I'm going to the itchy butt store!" I have no idea where he came up with the idea, but Riley is convinced that when you have an itch you go the itchy store and when you have a itchy butt you go to the itchy butt store. So far age 3 has been more challenging than 2, and it is exhausting to think that in 4 months I will have a 2 year old and a 3 year old ! UGH! I guess I will just hope for the best and count my blessing each day:)

Happy Halloween! ( A Little late:))

2010-11-12T21:20:00.008-06:00

Hope you all had a wonderful and safe Halloween. We went to a birthday party in the afternoon, for Riley's friend Madison who turned 3 ! All the kids were so cute in their costumes, and they didn't even really get why they were dressed so funny. Riley was Batman, and he didn't just wear his costume but he played the part. He really thought he was Batman and took his role seriously. We got loads of candy and ended up with a tired dinosaur and an even more tired Batman.

Taylor decided he wanted to ride Maddy's new bike, so we had a green dinosaur on a bike cruising around for most of the afternoon.

Today in the car

2010-10-29T22:53:00.002-05:00

Riley: "Baby Lucas is my sister not Taylor, and oh boy he is one nice baby."

Me: "Riley, Lucas is your new cousin, not your sister."

Riley: " Oh that baby Lucas and I had a picnic, he had to go to the hospital because he had a bad owie on his head but then we had a picnic and he got so much better. Taylor is not my sister anymore, just Lucas. Pretty soon Lucas will go on the scary rollercoaster with me, and fly in the plane, and play soccer too!"

I guess Riley has high hopes for his new sister.... or I mean cousin!

A Star Is Born

2010-10-16T14:43:00.007-05:00

Riley and Taylor are proud to announce the birth of their very first cousin! Lucas Keith Chamberlain was born last week and the boys are so excited to have a cousin. I am sure by next summer the three boys will be best of friends. Lucas was born three weeks early but weighed in at 6 pounds 4 ounces and is doing great. Auntie Nikki is also doing wonderful and is adjusting to the new life as a mom. Congrats to Nikki and Keith, Lucas is adorable.
Here is Lucas at 12 hours old, trying to suck his thumb!

Lucas with daddy!

I'm going to spoil you little guy!

soccer practice

2010-10-11T15:47:00.006-05:00

Here is the new North Oaks 3 year old soccer team!

Riley started his new soccer team, which meets right after school is done. He really seems to love it, and looks forward to it every week. I have to bring Taylor with me to watch, and this week Taylor decided that he would join the team. The coach gave Tay a ball and I hate to say it but he was one of the best players on the field. The kid has coordination.
Here is Riley in action!

Tay showing off his skills.

Tay taking charge of the team.

Baby Gap Photo shoot

2010-10-11T08:46:00.006-05:00

Tay took part in the Baby Gap Casting Call, here are a few of the pictures.

"BEND YOUR KNEES!"

2010-09-25T04:25:00.003-05:00

Growing up I played basketball, not just a little bit but year round for 18 years. At everyone of my games, as I was shooting a freethrow my mom would scream, "Bend your knees Chels!" That was always her advice, not quite sure why she felt the need to scream it from the bleachers everytime I shot the ball, but it was a nice gesture of advice! When we went to the state fair this year we checked out the MN sports building and I snapped this shot of Taylor and it reminded me of my mom and her advice. Will I be the mom in the crowd who yells "bend your knees"???

Nature walks

2010-09-23T18:46:00.006-05:00

We live across the street from a rather large pond. The boys have come to love the ducks, turtles, deer, and beavers that live in the pond. Anytime we go outside to get into the car, Taylor has to say hello to the duckies and blow them kisses. Taylor has a special bond with the ducks, a bond that I can't use words to describe. He will sit or stand for hours and talk to "his" ducks. He often cries when we don't have time to go visit the ducks. I often talk about the big crocodile that lives in the pond, which seems to be working to keep the boys out of the water. We fed the ducks every Saturday morning and each week more and more come. I'm not sure how we are going to handle the winter months without the ducks! Most afternoons I take the boys on a nature walk, mostly for the exercise and the educational value. THEY LOVE THESE WALKS!
Saturday morning feed.

Riley often tells me that he was in the jungle and he wasn't even scared. Today as we were entering North Oaks to go to school, Riley asked, " Mom what is this jungle called?" I explained to him that it was the North Oaks jungle and he gets to go to school there this whole year. Today was also the start of the first day of the North Oaks soccer team, made up of 3 year old boys and girls. It was pouring rain so they canceled, so next Thursday the team will take the field after class.

Riley not to happy about the group shot.....

Other updates:
Riley is starting to read. I realize that it is word recognition and memory but still the time I have invested in books is starting to pay off. He can also write his name, spell his name, and complete dot to dot exercises. He is learning Spanish in school so I better start studying! Every night before bed, we practice tracing letters, and learning new sounds.

Taylor is 18 months and has learned that public restrooms are quite a lot of fun. As I am trying to hurry to use the bathroom he has climbed under the stall and is splashing away in another toilet. Taylor's vocabulary is expanding by the day and he can easily say 50 plus words. He also says "thank you" and "excuse me". ( my boys may never be clean but they will have proper mannors!) Both boys are looking forward to Halloween, the costumes are already bought and hung.

Do you know this guy?

2010-09-09T15:39:00.002-05:00

Lunch

2010-08-31T12:56:00.002-05:00

Today at the lunch table this is what the conversation was:

Riley( as he is picking up his grape) " I love you grape but I have to eat you."

Taylor(as he is slinging his noodle across the living room) " Shit"

Riley (picks up his second grape) "Oh you are really a grand grape but I must eat you too."

Taylor (with a handful of noodles in his hand and throws them at Riley) "YEAH!!"

It was a wonderful and charming lunch we shared, thanks boys!

Splash park!!

2010-08-30T12:19:00.013-05:00

One of the favorite things that the boys love to do is go to the new splash park in St. Anthony. It is totally free and has a playground, and a water splash pad. We have gone often and every time the boys get a little more daring in what they do. We were watching our friends daughter Lilee who just turned one, so we decided to head to the splash park, three kids in tow. ( I was pretty much in heaven having a little girl to dote around!) We all had a good time, although having a 12 month old, a 17 month old, and a 3 year old running around the park was a little hectic. Matt and I would often make eye contact from far away and then realize we were missing one. We both would scan the park and thankfully they never got loose.
Here is sweet Lilee with her new Barbie shades!

Riley decided he could climb the climbing rope tower, and did farely well!

Lily going wild in the water!

Okay I think I need a little girl!!!!

Need I say more....

Of course no outing would be complete without some fighting....

My Litle Ring bearers

2010-08-25T19:34:00.007-05:00

This is a late post, but I was reminded by my grandma that I have not posted pictures of the boys in their first wedding!

The Slice of Shoreview

2010-08-04T14:02:00.009-05:00

We took the boys to the "slice" of Shoreview and they had a ball. They both rode many rides and Taylor even went on the big ferris wheel. The whole time he was saying, "WHEEEEEEE". Riley decided he was ready to do the bungy jumping. The age limit was 8, but Riley charmed the owner into letting him do it. He did great and was very proud of himself. An old man had an antique train that he pulled with his tractor. Each boxcar was only big enough for one child, so I put Riley in one car and Taylor in another. Matt and I watched as they rode the train, and then I noticed Taylor standing up in his boxcar. Then I noticed some bouncing in his legs, he thought he would try to leap off the car while it was in motion.
Here we are on the Flintstones ride, the only ride I could stomach.

This is the boys on the old mans' train. Shortly after this was taken Taylor was standing up and jumping!

Riley jumping on the bungy ride! (Notice the age of the kids waiting in line!)

Taylor loved the big slide, and Matt was a trooper he ended up going down several times.

Popcorn and a movie

2010-07-16T06:55:00.002-05:00

Taylor decided it was movie night, and made himself some popcorn. He turned on his Elmo movie and had a wonderful time!

Walt Disney World

2010-07-13T20:22:00.004-05:00

For Riley's third birthday we took him to Disney world in Florida. He has been talking about meeting Mickey for about a year and he finally got to. We also spent a week out on Anna Maria Island, where Riley and Taylor swam in the ocean and pool. Riley and Grandpa went out on a boat and got to see a whole bunch of marine animals as well. A special thanks to Grandpa and Gram for tagging along and helping out so much with the boys! This is a trip they will always remember:)

Congratulations!

2010-06-10T13:34:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain! We enjoyed being a part of your special day, it was wonderful!

New Pool

2010-05-24T15:14:00.005-05:00

With the heat wave that has hit the Twin Cities, I decided to invest in a pool for the boys. It was the smartest $10 investment I have made! We have used it just about everyday for the last week and the boys still love it(that is when you know a toy was worth buying!!)

We have also played some golf....

And spent sometime with friends...

Happy Mothers Day!

2010-05-16T13:47:00.006-05:00

We decided to head to the Mall of America on Mothers Day so i could pick out a new purchase ( by this I mean designer handbag, sunglasses, or jeans). Totally wrong decision! The breast cancer race was just ending and it took us 45 minutes to park. Once inside we could barely move, Taylor had blown out his pants (yup diarrhea) and we had two crabby, fussy babies. I just wanted to run to the nearest store and buy something and get out of there. We ended up eating McDonalds and watching the rollercoasters for a while and then headed home. UGH! Talk about a frustrating shopping experience. Oh well, I still feel blessed to have my boys, who continue to make me laugh and cry everyday! Here is Riley at the Sponge Bob store.

We have spent most of this weekend outside, enjoying the Minnesota summer weather! We went to the park numerous times and helped clean out Grammy's garage. Taylor got a little thirsty doing all of the hard work so he just helped his self......

And how could I forget the wonderful new set of drums that my mom bought for the boys. It was so nice having the two neighbor boys over for a relaxing afternoon of drum practice!!! ( I may throw those drums in a lake shortly)!!!

Dancing!!!

2010-05-13T06:49:00.003-05:00

Riley has always been our dancer, he will break it out at any given time. Tay is learning from his big brother and is showing improvement everyday!

Take two!

Living in hotels

2010-05-04T06:31:00.003-05:00

We have been living in hotels for about a week. Taylor and Matt are highly allergic to my parents house (cat dander).The boys have gotten pretty creative at finding all the fun things you can do in a hotel room. Taylor enjoys using Riley's toothbrush to scrub the inside of the toilet.Riley found out that the hotel soap is not so kid-friendly. Riley has been enjoying room service and all the pay per view movies he can order. He reminds me of Richie Rich. We also found out that Taylor doesn't mind just jumping in the deep end of the pool, and Riley prefers the hot tub. For all the craziness we have been through, the boys have been pretty well behaved. If I have to pack or unpack another suitcase today I may just retire....HAHA!

Here is Tay making a run for the pool!

Tay contemplating his next move....

Riley being a ham, as always...

Dad giving me the "let's get out of here" smile...

DESTRUCTO!

2010-04-24T06:45:00.002-05:00

His favorite toy: the toilet brush.
His favorite snack: Comet cleanser.
His favorite activity: pulling all the dirt out of potted plants.
His best defense against his brother: biting!
Most amount of time sitting in one place: 3 seconds.

NEED I SAY MORE...???

Communication

2010-04-12T20:57:00.002-05:00

Both boys are making great progress on their communication. Riley is talking up a storm, making up elaborate stories.The other day Riley woke up and told me that we were going to go on the big rollercoaster and that I better buckle in and be careful because it might be scary (rollercoasters are one of our favorite topics). This morning Riley opened up the fridge to get his juice and Taylor sprinted towards the fridge. I was still trying to wake myself up, and didn't run to Taylor to hush him away. Taylor looked in the fridge and then decided on the peanut butter jar and the new loaf of bread. Taylor dragged his items across the kitchen and carefully placed his selections on his tray. He then turned to me and pointed at his chair! I couldn't believe that he was able to tell me that he had picked out his breakfast!! I made him his peanut butter toast and he inhaled it in about 3 minutes.

That was AWESOME!

2010-03-31T17:38:00.001-05:00

After Riley goes down a slide, he throws his hands in the air and says," THAT WAS AWESOME!" He then runs to get in line to do it again.

Shopping!

2010-03-30T15:23:00.003-05:00

Grammy bought Taylor a shopping cart and the kid can shop! He loves his cart so much that he will push it around the house, wherever he goes. Yesterday he developed a "route" with his cart and he would get highly upset if someone got in his way! I taught him well!

Sunshine!

2010-03-19T15:22:00.003-05:00

We took full advantage of the last few days of sun, and have spent hours outside playing in parks, streets, fields, you name it! When there are no other kids at a playground, I get talked into chasing Riley through tunnels, down slides, and across bridges. This never was a problem in the past, but with Taylor it was a bit tricky. We managed to all three race around the playground and enjoy the spring weather.

Emotion

2010-03-14T07:17:00.003-05:00

Riley has been really interested in learning about emotions lately. I went and found some books and some online games to help him understand emotion. Now everyday he has to explain to me who is feeling sad, who is happy, who is mad etc. etc. etc.

Riley:"Mom I might just have to cry now."
Me: "Why honey, what is wrong?" (We were getting into the car, leaving Target)
Riley: "Well sometimes it's hard to say goodbye."
Me: "I know but you will see them again soon." (Not knowing what he was referring to)

Then there was silence and then a few minutes later Riley asks, "Mom, do you think Thomas is sad like me?" I held back my laughter and told Riley that Thomas missed him but that he could go back to Target to visit Thomas soon. That seemed to resolve the issue for at least that day.

Saturday

2010-03-07T05:25:00.003-06:00

Taylor decided he knew how to run. He ran around with a green hat on his head while he did this loud grunting sound all day. Riley went to the train musuem with grandpa and had serious stomach issues. Grandpa and Riley returned both covered in poop, from head to toe. It turned out to be a nice little Saturday.......

Nothing like a fresh, ice cold Coke!

2010-03-05T06:27:00.002-06:00

I had a major blonde moment and decided that leaving my coke on the coffee table was a great idea...opps!

All dressed up!

2010-02-28T15:01:00.005-06:00

Taylor and I got bored (or I did) and so I decided to try on some of his dress up clothes. He didn't seem to enjoy the whole idea but he did look so grown up!

Taylor has learned that he can point. He points now to tell you where to go and when. He also says, "HI!" in a really high pitched voice. Here is his signature point.

He finally just layed back in surrender, I took the clue that our photo shoot was done!

Shnooki Albertson

2010-02-21T22:17:00.003-06:00

I bought Taylor a push walker a few months ago, and he insists on pushing it backwards. I think he wants to be able to push the musical buttons, while walking, but it makes for the funniest walking kid ever. Everytime I turn the walker around for him to hold the handle and push, he manages to turn it backwards and continue walking while trying to manipulate all the buttons. He no longer needs the assistance of a walker but still enjoys hobbling along pushing that toy with him. Here is my little schnooki...

And here is Riley stealing the walker and making a run for it.

11 months

2010-02-16T08:32:00.002-06:00

Mr. Taylor is now 11 months! I can't believe we will be celebrating his first birthday next month. What a delight it has been to revisit all of the baby stages and compare the two boys as they grow. Besides Taylor's health issues, he is an extremely happy, active baby. He has a new found love for trash cans. Something about them, he just can't resist pulling them down, and sorting through all the neat things inside. Seriously hide your trash cans!!! Tay is slowly walking more and more on his own but really likes me to be within close reach still. When Riley is napping and Taylor is not, Taylor will casually make his way to Riley's bedroom door, and pound as hard as he can, brotherly love.

To celebrate Tay's 11 month birthday we took him swimming for the first time. I knew he would like it, because he loves baths. We got in the pool, and Taylor did a face first dive into the water he was so excited. He then found that trying to eat my bathing suit was pretty amusing. After eating my suit for a while he got really adventurous and was walking through the shallow end all by himself. Riley was like a fish, and loved every second of it. Here is the one picture I got before I was told by the lifeguard that there is no photography at the YMCA! Who would have known??? Blah... I told him I was going to take a picture of my childs' first time swimming. The 16 year old lifeguard slowly walked away!

New Project....check!

2010-02-12T01:59:00.005-06:00

One thing that I have always admired about my mom is that she is very creative and crafty. She can sew and fix almost everything. Growing up she always made our halloween costumes, bedroom curtains, and she has made both the boys numerous handmade things. That being said, I think I got an itch to try to get creative and start a new project. Ever since I bought Taylor's crib set, I started to dislike it more and more each day. It was the modern uptown set, and I was having trouble finding anything babyish to match. Finally I decided it was time to get a new crib set and start all over. I chose a cute animal safari crib set, with many colors and animals. I painted wood letters for a wall decoration and found some matching wall art at the thrift store. I headed to Michaels to get some more ideas and found some paint and safari animals. I painted an old wall shelf and added some animals and wala, my very first artsy project!!!

Oh yeah, I also got new curtains and a new lamp at Target, both of which were on clearance. During this new redecorating kick, Matt has slowly noticed the transformation of Taylor's room. I didn't really feel the need to tell him that I was going to do it, because we all know men and what the response would have been! I realize that Taylor and Matt might not get much satisfaction out of the new nursery but it feels wonderful to me.

I am a person who has to try really hard to be creative and artistic, so my first time I think I did alright! Now I am dreaming of a sewing machine, but we don't need to mention that to Matt quite yet!!!!

Valentines Day Party

2010-02-10T22:17:00.003-06:00

Riley celebrated Valentines Day at school this week. They painted Valentines bags and each kid brought Valentines for each classmate. Riley was bummed that Leo, his best friend at school was not there. Riley still enjoyed himself, even though all the kids didn't understand what Valentines Day meant. Of course I had to be the dorky mom to go and buy a Valentines Day shirt for Riley to wear, but he did look handsome.

Come home Tay, I miss having a little love bug!

2010-02-07T04:08:00.003-06:00

My little Taylor is stuck in the hospital, with some RSV. Those not familiar with the virus, it is common, but can be very dangerous in infants. Taylor has ha chronic respiratory problems since he was born. He has good days and bad days, but has struggled with wheezing, coughing, and even low oxygen levels. He is in good hands down at the University of Minnesota, and they are currently changing his therapy to ignite a positive response. It is really going to be a trial and error to try to find the correct medicine to let him live a comfortable life. Riley is feeling better and has improved his wheezing and ear infections. He has now had enough ear infections in one year to meet the criteria for the removal of his adnoids and placement of tubes in this ears. That means another surgery, and another hospital stay. I never dreamed that having children would land me in the hospital so many times, so early on. Riley has already undergone two significant surgeries, and two other hospitalizations so he is a pro. Taylor is starting to get really antsy in his little hospital crib, and is clawing at his door to go explore the rest of the unit. Because he is in isolation he can't visit the play room or interact with other kids on the floor. I also want to thank everybody who has stepped in to help out this last week. Auntie Nikki and Christine have been eagerly trying to help anyway they can, and that really means a lot to all of us. We are lucky to have you two in our lives. My parents have pretty much adopted Riley on the weekends, to allow Matt and I to be with Taylor, go home and shower, and get some work in. You two have helped out in so many ways, we can't thank you enough. Riley has been touring MN. via the light rail for most of the weekend (can we say spoiled much!). Now we must all send strength and prayers to my big Tay Tay, so he can break out of the hospital and head to Old Country Buffet!

Can you guess who is two and a half?

2010-02-04T15:37:00.002-06:00

Riley is in the prime of his terrible two's. It took me about 30 minutes to get him into the doctors' office last week, and about 20 minutes to leave Target. Today I told Riley I would be right back, because I was running out to grab the mail. He replied, "Wait momma I have to give you a kiss!" This made up for all of those times when I thought I was going to lose my cool. We will get you through this Ry, you are almost three!

Painting Party

2010-02-04T15:29:00.003-06:00

One of Riley's all-time favorite things to do around the house is finger paint. I usually offer to do it with him at least once a week. We are all sick, so I thought I would invite poor Taylor to join in on the fun. Fun is exactly what we had! Here is our final masterpiece.

Notice the large amount of paint on the floor that just happened to miss the paper. After about an hour of sloshing around paint, I threw the boys in the tub to clean up. Afterwards I let them try on their brand new monogramed shark robes.

Riley vs. Taylor the differences!

2010-02-01T22:16:00.002-06:00

When I was preggo with Taylor, I often wondered what the differences would be of the boys. I daydreamed about how they would be best buds, and be co-pilots in life. I also wondered how their personalities would differ. As Taylor comes into his own, I have started to notice the differences. Riley has always been cautious, analytical, and social. He is a ham to say the least. Riley loves to dance, loves music, and loves to be dramatic. Riley doesn't like to cuddle much, and seems to like some independence. Taylor is a doer. he is not cautious, and has no fear. He is also the silent instigator. I have caught him pulling Riley's hair, biting him, and hitting him. Taylor is my little cuddle bug. He loves to have human contact, and makes sure he gets his "service" at all times. He tends to do before think. Riley is a sleeper, Taylor not so much! The one thing they have in common is that they both love to eat, eat, eat.

Recent;y, among other issues both boys have decided that the sun outside is unbearable, while riding in the car. So I went out and bought some car riding hats, to help block the sun. Both boys also have custom fit sunglasses, which they refuse to wear. Here are their new hats!!

Happy 10 months Tay!

2010-01-17T15:30:00.003-06:00

The last 10 months have gone by so fast. My little Tay Tay is now 10 months old and making the transition from baby to toddler. We are certain that Taylor's first real word will be, "cheeseburger." He loves to eat, walk, cuddle and watch his brother. Happy 10 months Tay, we love you!!

Sesame Street Live

2010-01-17T15:15:00.006-06:00

Riley and I went on a special date to see Sesame Street Live at the Target Center. We had fabulous seats in the fifth row, and were less then 10 feet from the stage. Before the show, Riley and I ran the skyways and saw the new Twins outdoor stadium. Riley kept asking, "Mom can I play in there?" I promised Riley that we would go to a ballgame this spring. We then watched the train (light rail) and Riley couldn't get over all the tracks and how fast the train went. We sprinted into the Target Center and found our seats. Riley asked for a snowcone (bad idea) and some cotton candy. Before long, we also had some Sour Patch Kids and some popcorn. The show began and Riley didn't stop smiling. At the intermission, Riley asked, "Mom maybe Elmo can come home and play?" So cute.....anywho the show was very entertaining:)

The new Target Field in downtown Minneapolis.

Riley waiting for the show to begin.

And the show begins...

Friday Night Fun!

2010-01-09T16:52:00.007-06:00

Riley and I enjoyed ourselves last night with a good old playdough party. We made some very creative playdough figures, and Riley really enjoyed teaching me how to play playdough! I was amazed at his insight and strong-will, I never knew there was a right way to play with playdough.

Meanwhile out in the living room Taylor was rocking out, enjoying his toys!

Okay big guy, what happened to your clothes!?!?!?!?!?!

The new man on campus

2010-01-05T15:36:00.005-06:00

That's right, Tay is officially a student!!! Taylor enrolled in the Little Tykes class through Centennial School District. Taylor is the new kid at school and not one bit modest!!

Here is Tay waving to all the ladies on his new set of wheels.

The one major challenge for Taylor is going to be trying to make it through an 90 minute class with no snack!! I broke the news to the big guy and this is the look I got.......

Spiderman tees and trains, trains, trains

2010-01-03T14:48:00.003-06:00

Matt picked out two matching vintage Spiderman t-shirts for the boys at Baby Gap. They loved their new t-shirts. While I was at the YMCA running, Matt set up a huge train track in our kitchen. I came home to see that the boys were playing trains together! This has been Riley's dream since Taylor was born. Taylor mostly just watched Riley and clapped but would occasionally get involved and try to rip out the tracks. Riley was instructing Taylor on how to correctly play trains, and was actually being a pretty good instructor. It's hard to believe the Holidays have come and past another year, tomorrow back to school and work:(

Christmas Memories

2010-01-03T00:05:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year! We are sending prayers and positive thoughts to all of our friends and family. We wish you the very best in the next year. Riley started off the New Year by saying goodbye to his crib. He now sleeps in a twin size bed, and is so proud of himself for taking this step. Riley is still in love with Thomas the Train and has expanded his collection to hundreds of Thomas toys and trains. Riley loves to count, read books, and run. Riley is struggling with saying "bye bye" to his nook and diapers, which are two goals high on my priority list.

Tay is still eating non-stop and continues to practice his walking. He has started to talk non-stop, and even says momma! Most recently Taylor has decided that it is pretty funny to go poop in the tub. The minute I put him in the water, he starts grunting really loud. Taylor loves to play with Riley and watches his every move. Our big guy is in the 90 percentile for weight, and 75 percentile for height. His hair is coming in thick and is a really pretty blonde (wink,wink!)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-30T21:25:00.002-06:00

We hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas. We enjoyed spending time with family and catching up. The boys were spoiled by Santa and are thrilled with all there new "prizes." I got a new camera, and tonight was my first opportunity to use it. We took the boys to the Eagles nest and I was able to experiment with my new camera. I still have to read about all the special features but I was amazed at the clarity of the pictures. Thank you to my parents, we will use the camera a lot!

Spring Training

2009-12-17T11:34:00.001-06:00

Tay is warming up his arm, getting ready for spring training.

The boys

2009-12-16T21:10:00.008-06:00

I am so blessed to have three wonderful boys in my life! They bring me joy and happiness everyday.

Due to the freezing cold weather of beautiful Minnesota, the boys have spent a lot of time at home this week. So what better way to pass time? Lets see who can pull off the wall hanging in the living room. The boys have teamed up, to successfully pull the wall hanging off of the wall and onto the ground twice. I caught Taylor ( 9 months old) trying to pull it off again.......

Not so fast big guy!

Here are my two angels showing some brotherly love.

Two and a half and cool

2009-12-12T07:33:00.002-06:00

Riley has started to tell me what he wants to wear in the morning. One morning I grabbed the closest pair of jeans and put them on him. He stood up and promptly told me, "No Mom, I'm not wearing these!" Well okay then! Most of his outfits he picks out match, so there is a relief. Yesterday I was giving Riley a bath and singing a dorky song, and he looks at me and says, "Knock it off Mom!" as he rolled his eyes. It is clear that I am no longer COOL, I never thought I would be the dorky mom!

GO VIKES!

2009-12-05T23:58:00.000-06:00

Dance partays!

2009-12-02T11:25:00.002-06:00

Riley just loves to dance, and so we have made it an daily event to hold some pretty rockin dance parties. Auntie Kellie came into town to visit, and Riley and Kellie shared their unbelievable moves. Riley just adores spending time with Kellie, they are two goofballs together! Taylor decided he was sick of watching and clapping so he busted out a few moves himself. Tay can stand on his own and is very close to walking! Riley and Taylor have begun to enjoy each others company, and Riley asks often, " Mom Can Tay come and play trains please?" Taylor of course doesn't get the whole playing trains idea, instead he just tries to eat the trains, and thus that begins a big brotherly fight. My two monkeys have been such a joy to watch and I am so thankful they are my little guys! A special thanks to Aunt Kellie and Aunt Nikki and Christine, who helped me get through this last month!! Also a special thanks to Grandma Tammy, Grandma Jackie and GaGa for keeping the boys so happy, when I was exhausted!
Here is a sample of Kell's and Ry's new moves.......

Here is Tay rockin out...

And Gaga and Tay practicing the MN. Song!

Come on Santa......work with me!

2009-11-24T23:25:00.002-06:00

So we were the first in line at the mall to visit Santa. Riley has been talking about Santa for months, so of course we headed to the mall the FIRST day Santa was available. In the past Riley has been terrified of Santa. This year he reassured me that Santa was not scary!!! As we approached Santa, Riley was repeatedly telling himself, "Santa not scary, Santa not scary, Santa not scary." The photographer and I positioned the boys and they were ready. Trying to get a 2 year old and a 8 month old to smile at the same time is tricky! I finally managed to get some smiles as I was singing, dancing, and moving around a plush Barney toy. I look over at the photographer, and she is on the phone. The camera is broken. For the next ten minutes, the boys remain on Santa's lap, and I am right next to them, trying to keep them interested and calm. I start asking Riley what he wants for Christmas, asking him to ask Santa about his reindeer etc. etc. Meanwhile Riley is giving me this terrible, uncertain stare. I know that we have limited time, before Riley wants to leave. As I am trying to prompt a conversation between Riley and Santa, I realize Santa has not spoken to the boys AT ALL. I mean come on, if you hate your job that much, than pick a different career. Santa was not friendly, did not speak, and looked overly annoyed at my persistence to get a picture taken. Finally, the camera started to work and we got our picture. Riley and Taylor left confused and I left pooped out!

I made some banana pancakes for Riley....

2009-11-20T14:53:00.003-06:00

I made pancakes for Riley this morning and then went to the bathroom to throw my hair up and throw cold water on my face. I came back a few minutes later and Riley was in his room, and Taylor was enjoying the pancakes!!! He ate every last crumble! I asked Riley if he was done with his pancakes, and he shrugs his shoulders and says, " Tay Tay ate them!"

NEW MATCHING PJS!!!

2009-11-13T07:17:00.003-06:00

The boys weren't as excited as I was about their new matching pjs. They really could have cared less.....

SPLASH WARS

2009-11-11T14:22:00.003-06:00

The boys have been very into taking baths, especially together. At first I thought it was cute but now they have figured out how much fun it is to see who can get the most water onto the bathroom floor! They literally use all of their little muscles to splash water out of the tub and onto the floor. Riley eggs Taylor on and before you know it, our bathroom is flooded with two laughing boys in an near empty tub! Riley makes sure to say, "Uh-oh it's all wet momma." Thanks Ry, I hadn't noticed. I have a feeling this is only the beginning of a little team of schemers:0)

The Hair Pulling Bandit

2009-11-08T09:49:00.003-06:00

I was up most of last night with Taylor, as he is sick. The stomach flu has hit our family hard and we have had it for over 2 weeks! Taylor would sleep for 20 minutes and then start crying all through the night. So I decided to just put him in bed with me, that way when he cries I could just pat his back until he goes back to sleep. So I put him in the big bed with me, and I hear this devilish giggle. I start patting his back the way he likes, and he drifts off to sleep. I soon follow, and then am awakened by a hard tugging of my hair. I look over and Taylor is smiling at me with this huge grin, as he is yanking on my hair. I pat him on his back, and I hear the giggle again. Finally Taylor falls back asleep, and I do too. Only to be awakened again, by the pain of hair being pulled from my scalp. I look over and Taylor is smiling the devilish grin again!!! This continued for most of the night, and I learned a valuable lesson, don't allow the kids in bed with you!

"Is the witch in there?"

2009-11-01T07:55:00.002-06:00

So Dad took the boys trick or treating and Riley decided it was appropriate to ask each person if there was a witch in their house?!?! The only problem is when Riley says "witch" it sounds clearly like "bitch" so as they made there way from house to house my little tiger was innocently asking each house, "Is the bitch in there?" .....great! I guess Matt would try to explain that he was looking for the witch, as people often wondered why we would teach our two year old such words. The hunt for the witch continued, and then they came to a house and knocked on the door. An older man answered, and Riley took a step in and yelled, "Is the bitch in there?" and the man quickly responded, "No she is not home now, I don't know where in the hell she went!" (obviously referring to his wife!!) Riley seemed to accept this answer as the witch/bitch question was finally dropped. When Riley gets something in his head it is so hard to get him to move on, thus this was a perfect example. I apologize to all of those people who we insulted along the way in our search for the witch!

MY Penguin and Tiger

2009-10-31T23:31:00.004-05:00

Riley practicing his "ROAR!!!"

Taylor looking like an innocent little penguin.

And the pestering begins, they have a love hate relationship! And I must say that Tay usually starts the battles.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T11:07:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to wish everybody a happy and safe Halloween. I am sick with the stomach flu, so dad will be trick or treating with a penguin and tiger ( pictures to follow). Here are the boys carving the pumpkins! I explained to Riley that tonight he was going trick or treating in his costume and he replied, "OH MOMMA, SANTA IS COMING!!!" So I guess we need a little more work on our holidays but we talk about Santa everyday:)

Grandma Tammy Came to Visit!

2009-10-23T20:38:00.004-05:00

We enjoyed having Grandma Tammy stay with us this past week. Riley loved having his "grammy" to play with. It was great that the boys and Grandma got to spend time together. Thanks for coming "Grammy."
Grammy and her boys!

Here is Taylor eating a magazine, the kid is an animal.....

BISCUITS BISCUITS BISCUITS!

2009-10-09T14:50:00.003-05:00

Taylor's teeth are bugging him, so I gave in and went and bought some teething biscuits. I have never seen a happier baby! He went to town on his very first biscuit, and made sure to get the teething biscuit slime in his eyes, eyebrows, hair, and ears. He was so pooped out that this is how I found him about an hour after giving him the biscuit...........

It's Time To Hibernate!

2009-10-07T14:06:00.006-05:00

We have been blessed by having the opportunity to live in warm climates the last two winters, so this winter is going to be a rude awakening for us all. I am excited that the boys will see snow, but am dreading dealing with the freezing weather for the next 6 months! Riley is still enjoying his pre-school and talks non-stop. He is such a good big brother and enjoys playing with Taylor. Taylor is almost 7 months old and can stand up on his own, holding onto something. Taylor doesn't seem to want to crawl ( his head is in the 98 percentile) but he scoots around the floor on his back. It is so funny to watch him get from one side of the room to the other on his back. We are spending more time inside, as the beach days are long gone. We recently went to the Eagles Nest in New Brighton and both boys would live there if they could. Here are a few recent pictures. ( Riley is hard to photograph these days because he is on the run 99% of the time!)
Me and the boys ( Taylor's hair is def. RED!)

Taylor playing football, he is less than 9 pounds away from Riley!

Taylor at the Eagles Nest.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I WORK FULL TIME!!!!

2009-09-23T14:15:00.002-05:00

Boys will be boys.......

First Day of School

2009-09-15T18:52:00.002-05:00

On Monday Riley went to school for his first day. He is attending Centennial School Districts Early Childhood Education Program. He went to music class, gym, story time, and art. He had a huge smile on his face the whole time and didn't want to leave. We live across the street from the school so now everyday he says "hi" to school as we drive by. He likes to tell you about his teacher and all the kids. He is really coming along with his language skills and we are so proud of him!
Here he is on his way into school.

MN State Fair

2009-08-31T05:44:00.005-05:00

We braved the crowds on opening day of the fair. Let me make a recommendation, don't try to take a 5 month old and a two year old to a crowded fair. Luckily both Matt and I were there so we each could tend to one of the kids. Riley had a blast in the buterfly house, riding the BIG yellow slide, and checking out all the animals. Taylor was frustrated because he kept seeing all this food and would start crying because he couldn't have any:( I reassured Tay that next year he could have whatever he wanted. We spent about 4 hours at the Fair and then Taylor had a melt down so we left. Riley is heading back to the fair with Gaga on Labor Day, and he reminds us about that every night before bed.
Riley in the butterfly house.

Riley and dad flying fown the big yellow slide.

Riley at the Timberwolves shoot out. He thought he would just stay there all day and play ball with all the kids. He loved this building, which had booths with all the MN sports teams.

Shakin it with the Care Bears!

2009-08-29T07:40:00.002-05:00

Riley is perfecting his dance moves once again.........

Thomas the Train The Tumbleweed Express

2009-08-16T16:22:00.005-05:00

Gaga surprised Riley and bought three tickets to go see Thomas the Train live. The event was held in Lakeville, MN and included a 25 minute train ride on Thomas. Sir Topham Hat was there as well as live music, games and tons of trains to play with. Riley scored a new Thomas the train watch and sweatshirt. He got his first tatoo done in which he picked out. He picked a helicopter out, and can't stop saying, "copter, copter!" Thanks Grammy and Gaga this was a really neat experience for Riley!
Here comes Thomas!

Gaga and Riley taking Thomas for a ride.

Riley enjoying playing with all the different trains and tracks!

Baby Boom!

2009-08-07T13:15:00.005-05:00

When I had Riley I was the first of most of my girlfriends to have a child. Times have changed, and in the last year there are six of us with babies. We have all been scattered around the US the past year but we finally had the chance to get together with our babies! My girlfriend Ashley hosted a girls dinner, and all six babies were there. We had a ball, sharing stories, comparing parenting ideas, and watching the babies interact. It was so fun to all be in the same state and see what beautiful children we have made:) Thanks Ash, you were a wonderful host!
Here are the four youngest babies. Taylor (4 months), Ethan (6 weeks), Keeghan (4months) and Beau laying down in the front is 2 months!

Here is Miss thang, Princess Sophia. Sophia just turned one and she is nicknamed "tornado".

And last but not least little, innocent Meadow. She is so calm and sweet. She is 10 months old and almost walking.

We Learned A New Word!!

2009-07-28T18:47:00.002-05:00

Riley continues to impress us with his expanding vocabulary. We read books for at least an hour a day, he loves learning! That said, Riley decided to share his new word with everybody in the elevator today. We got on the elevator and there were three other people already in the elevator. So we crunch in and I was holding Riley. I had a v-neck top on and Riley looks down into my top and yells " OH COOL! BOOBS!" So I try to ignore Riley as my face turns bright red. Riley continues as he reaches down into my top, " MAMA BOOBS!" By this time, everyone in the elevator is laughing, and Riley continues to say, "BOOBIES!" until we rush off onto our floor. I guess he was bound to learn the female anatomy at some point!

Our little fisherman

2009-07-24T07:11:00.004-05:00

Riley got his first new fishing pole, and so we decided to take the boys fishing. We stopped and picked up some bait and drove to Lake Johanna. Riley is a true fisherman, he caught 7 fish in about 45 minutes. Dad helped him take the fish off the hook, and then Riley would hold the fish for a few seconds and throw them back in the lake. Riley is scared of so many things ( slides, fireworks, rides) but he has no fear when it comes to fishing! He just grabs the live fish, like he is a pro.

Here is the bass he caught, pretty good size for just off the dock!

Here is dad showing Riley how to use his new pole.

Riley grabbing the fish!

This is what we do at 5 AM!!!!!

2009-07-21T13:48:00.004-05:00

Taylor has developed a wonderful routine of waking up at 5AM. I roll out of bed and bring him out to our living room so Matt can continue to sleep. Taylor then proceeds to hold an inservice........here is a clip of what he has to say EVERY morning. If you are interested in attending, let me know, they are held daily from 5AM to about 5:30AM. We might just have a public speaker on our hands:)

In other news, we spent the afternoon yesterday at the beach. Riley made friends and found clay under the sand. He was so excited about his find that he decided to rub it in his hair, on his stomach, and all over his clothes. Meanwhile Taylor found Riley's sunglasses (which he refuses to wear) and tried them on. He thought he was pretty much a stud in his new shades. Here are the boys at the beach.

4 MONTHS OLD!!!

2009-07-15T07:40:00.003-05:00

Taylor turned 4 months yesterday and has already dived into the rice cereal box. He has been waiting for this day since he was born! He is a very happy baby, now that he can start eating other things! Riley is slowly paying more attention to Tay, and even gave him his nook when he was crying. Riley's vocabulary has doubled in the last few weeks! He is now saying many three word phrases, and can identify most foods by the correct name!! He is constantly asking, "What's that?" or "What you doing?" and we are very proud of him for working so hard at his speech. He also went potty in the potty for the first time last week. He makes us laugh everyday, and it is a joy to see him blossom into a young boy.

Guess who? Here are both boys at 4 months old, can you tell who is who?

Dancing in the Dells

2009-07-13T20:16:00.003-05:00

We took our first family vacation with all four of us. We traveled to Wisconsin Dells to visit my girlfriend Erin and her family. Erin has two kids, Madison (20 months) and Cash (4 months) as well. We stayed in a cabin we rented in the area and had a ton of fun! The boys did wonderful in the car ride which was about 4 hours each way. Riley and Madison hit it off from the start and really enjoyed dance parties, rolling in the dirt, and playing in the tub. Cash and Taylor are two days apart and didn't know what to think of each other. Thanks to Erin and Scott for a wonderful weekend, you were great hosts:)

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-06T06:35:00.005-05:00

We spent the fourth of July with my godparents out on Christmas Lake in Shorewood. We enjoyed seeing the Obergs, family, and friends. Riley enjoyed bubbles, the boat, little Emme, a juggling show with fire, and fireworks. Thanks to the Obergs for a wonderful day!

Here is Taylor with Grandma on the fourth.

The juggling act, Gord was key.....

Riley on the "BOOOAAATTTT!!!!"

TAY'S FIRST TWO TEETH!

2009-07-01T11:31:00.004-05:00

Taylor is officially teething! He has two teeth that are already half way down! He is so proud of his new teeth, that we had to go out and celebrate! We took the boys to Space Aliens Grill for Taylor's big celebration dinner. Riley couldn't get over all the planets and space ships, AND THERE WAS A HUGE MOON ON THE CEILING! ( The moon is a HUGE deal to Riley) Riley scarfed down his pizza and hit the arcade. Taylor enjoyed all the bright flashing lights and aliens. Here is a picture of Riley playing skee-ball with dad.

Here is a picture of Taylor enjoying all the bright lights and weird looking aliens!

And how could we forget Riley saying, "It's the moon!" hundreds of times during the course of our dinner.

Off to the ball ball game!

2009-06-26T08:06:00.006-05:00

Gaga, Matt, and I took Riley to his first St. Paul Saints baseball game. Riley had wanted to go to the "ball ball" game all day. We got to the stadium, Riley picked up a hotdog, and found his seat. In the fourth inning, Riley got a chance to swing at 7 balls. Riley got 5 hits, and won a bat. Thanks Gaga and dad for taking us to the game:)

Here is Gaga and Riley looking at the real trains from Midway stadium.

Here is Riley at bat!

FINALLY A BEACH DAY!

2009-06-22T23:03:00.010-05:00

I have been dreaming of the day where I could lay on the beach and watch my kids enjoy the summer weather. Today we packed up all our garb and headed to the local beach. The beach is located in a Regional Park and has a beautiful playground right on the water. It was 90 and sunny so I was a little concerned about Taylor overheating but we managed to all stay cool and enjoy a nice summer day.

Riley made a TON of new friends and wasn't impressed with the filth of the MN sand and lake. He is so used to cystal clear aqua blue water with white soft sand, that the mud paste of the lake beach was hard to adjust to. He kept saying, " Uck, Uck, Uck". He finally got over it and enjoyed playing with this huge water pump on the beach. Taylor showed off his baby abs and layed out and checked out some chicks. He has a lot of work to do on his tan.

Auntie Carolyn stopped by and helped us enjoy the day for a little while, which was a nice surprise.

Days like today make you realize that it is possible to live in MN. and be happy. The thought of -30 degrees is still in the back of mind and I know we will soon be dealing with the ice, snow, and blistering cold. We are thankful that today was beautiful we had a wonderful time!!

One heck of a Friday....

2009-06-20T10:50:00.005-05:00

I was already dreading Friday because Riley was scheduled to have surgery. I was anxious and nervous for my baby! I woke up Thursday morning and could barely swallow. I was SICK! So Friday morning we decide that I shouldn't go into the Children's Hospital so sick, and instead I should get into see a doctor. Matt takes Riley to the U of M in the morning and I run into my clinic....sure enough STREP THROAT!!! I have a temp of 102 and all I can think of is Riley. I wanted to be there so bad but knew it was in the best interest of everybody else if I didn't go. So I picked up my medicine and waited by my phone for updates. After about an hour and a half the surgeon comes out to report that they found Riley's second testicle in his stomach and she had to remove it, because it was so badly damaged. He did great and woke up just fine. Whew! A few hours later Riley gets discharged and Matt gets a call on the way home from the hospital from his boss. His boss informs him he has been layed off. Valpak had been sold (which we knew) and there wasn't a job for Matt. Okay great, so now Matt is unemployed, and we are facing a lot of pressure! Riley layed around for most of the evening and is kinda crabby but the incision looks great. Just as our "great " day was ending we looked out our window and saw this amazing Rainbow. This happens every so often and it is so beautiful. Here is the pictures of our view of the Rainbow and a cute picture of Taylor in his new Bumbo chair! Cheers to better days......

Well baby checks

2009-06-13T08:57:00.002-05:00

We recently went in for our well baby checks. At two months, Taylor is in the 90% for height and weight. At two years, Riley is in the 95% for height and 75% for weight. I guess our boys like to eat! We discussed Riley's speech with the pediatrician and she said that Riley is right on track. He can say a few two word phrases, and about 30 words consistently. He also always says, "See you guys!" everytime we leave anywhere. (Even if we don't know the people) Riley also had his preop. physical and got the go ahead from the pediatrician to have the surgery. This means that on Friday we will be down at the U of M hospital, while Riley gets a diagnostic surgery done. I am anxious but ready to get to the bottom of the missing testicle.
Today we are heading to get professional photos done of the boys together. I have warned the studio that Riley's favorite word is "NO" and that Taylor can't quite sit up on his own. So it should be an interesting shoot. Currently Riley has found my make up bag and has applied blush, eye liner and mascara to his face....uh the life with a two year old. In other news Taylor is almost sleeping through the night. He goes to bed around 8 or 9PM and wakes up at 4AM to eat. Then he sleeps until 7am or so. The down side is Taylor is NOT a napper. He is smiley all day long, and if I am lucky he might take one 30 minute nap! Well we are off to the wonderful studio to attempt to get a good shot of the boys. Wish us luck:) I will try to post results when we get them.

Riley getting pumped up for his birthday party!

2009-06-02T15:51:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures of his big day! I can't believe our baby is two!! Thanks to all the family who came to help us celebrate, it really meant a lot to see you all:)

Haircut!

2009-05-20T21:26:00.003-05:00

Daddy gave Riley his first ever haircut! Riley didn't really care for the cut while dad was doing it, but he seems to like his new hair cut now! Here are a few pictures of Riley's new do!

Brotherly Love

2009-05-19T14:05:00.002-05:00

I am noticing that Riley is starting to pay more attention to his new little brother. If we are all out in the living room watching T.v. Riley will come out and join us. He likes to give Taylor kisses and tries to tickle him. Before long I think they will be best buds!