A Day At The Beach

What? I've got sand where?


Four new teeth, three house guests, two exhausted parents, and one general exam coming up quickly make for a crazy time for our little family.

Evie Lu got reacquainted with Aunt Megan, Uncle Chris, and Jillian over the labor day weekend and I think it is safe to say Uncle Chris is the favorite. Evangeline took a bit of time to warm up to everyone, but once she did she chose Chris as her buddy and they played for a really long time.

Evie Lu has four teeth coming in all at once and this has not been conducive to quality sleep for anyone. We knew something was up when we caught Evie Lu trying to stuff an entire blanket in her mouth and bit down hard. Thank goodness for baby Tylenol which helps the discomfort. I think I'll go take some now.

I'm serious about snacks.

Evie Lu - Rock Star Rules

You must study your instrument.


Evie Lu has graduated for the first time in her school life. She has moved from Toddler A to Toddler B. I told her it sounded like a demotion to me and I'd talk to her manager if I was Evie Lu. Evie Lu actually should have moved two months ago, but Miss Sharon liked her so much she kept her in the Toddler A classroom for an extra month and a half. (That's what I tell people about the four years I spent in third grade.)

In Toddler B Evie Lu is hanging out with other 1.5 to 2 year olds and having a great time. Evangeline is so animated these days and you can tell she's picking up a lot from other kids. (And thankfully not just germs!)

Don't be afraid to look foolish as you play.


We are getting ready to welcome Evie Lu's Aunt Megan, Uncle Chris, and Aunt by adoption Jillian. The last time Jillian came to visit us (she actually came to visit Dave Matthews, but that is another story) Evie Lu was working hard on crawling. Jillian made it her mission to get Evangeline to crawl. Jillian failed, but it was a noble effort. Fast forward a year and I'm afraid of what they will decide to try and teach Evie Lu. She is such a mimic.

Remember to pose often. You never know where your fans are.

Our Little Cook

I like to sit when I cook.


Since Grandma Bev got a shout out in the last post, I figured we needed to get Grandpa Wayne in the mix too. (Grandma Rhonda we'll just have to take tons of pictures when you come for Christmas!) Grandpa Wayne came bearing gifts for Evie Lu from Minnesota. He brought Kaia's childhood chair/step stool and some play cookware. Evie Lu took to both right away. If you come over and ask nicely, Evie Lu will cook for you too!

I'll make Grandpa taste it first.

Sorry, Grandma Bev...

...but it was so warm, and I was so cute, that I kept my sundress on after church. In fact, it was so comfy that running outside in the sun, rolling on the ground, and splashing in my pool was as easy as pie. Hmmm...pie. Because all this dress needs is another stain. Oh, well. I'm nothing a bath and oxyclean can't handle.

Missing My Ladies

Slip slidin' away!

Travelling without Kaia and Evie Lu is never as much fun as travelling with them, but it is really hard when you are seeing family and friends. (The number one question I get, "Did Kaia and Evie Lu come out too?" The second question is, "Why didn't Kaia and Evie Lu come out?") I know I'm loved, but I'm far from the main attraction.

I'm coming to get you.


These are some great pictures from an Evie Lu trip to the park. The picture below is great because the way Evie Lu has her tongue between her teeth and smiling is just like my dad. It is funny how depending on what Evie Lu is doing who I think she looks like. There is a picture of Evie Lu staring up at Grandma Bev and you have no doubt that they are related. I see my dad in Evangeline's face in this one.

Making a face like Grandpa Ralph.

Shoes!

Sometimes I like to put two feet in one shoe.

Evie Lu loves shoes. Her shoes, my shoes, Kaia's shoes, it really doesn't matter. Evangeline will bring you your shoes if she thinks it is time to go somewhere. The best though, is when she tries to put on your shoes. It may be cruel, but I've watched Evie Lu struggle to put my tennis shoes on and I let her just keep trying. It is a hoot to see her lift one leg up really high, but not quite high enough to get her foot in the shoe.

I think you'll find I'm more convincing in mommy's shoes.


Yesterday Kaia heard a strange thumping noise in the house and upon investigating found Evie Lu with one rain boot on her foot and one in her hand. Our little girl was just clomping around the house as happy as can be.

Oh no, I'm losing the shoe.

Our Little Family

Hey now, make sure you get my good side.

One of Evie Lu's teachers asked up for a family picture so all the kids could see their friend's moms and dads. And so here we are on a gorgeous summer afternoon on the back deck. The ladies look great and they put up with me, so I'm happy.

The new game I like to play these days is, "What did Evie Lu learn this time at daycare?" I was driving Evangeline to school the other day when I asked her if she liked the song on the radio. As I looked at her in the mirror Evie Lu put an index finger to her lips and shushed me! Kaia and I certainly didn't teach her that, but now it is in the repertoire. I figured I had at least another year until my daughter started telling me to be quiet. Yikes.

Catching Up With Evie Lu

Grandma, I want to swim with the ducks!


It has been too long since we've updated you on Miss Evie Lu, but we've been busy. There are a couple of stories I want to share with you from the Minnesota Grandparents visit. Grandma Bev had a great time teaching Evie Lu all sorts of new things. She taught Evangeline that bunnies scrunch up their noses and breathe heavily through their noses and Evie Lu apparently learned how to run, jump and say "pow" from Grandma. Kaia and her mom came up with the clever cover story that Evie Lu just started "powing" on her own, but I'm not buying it.

Evie Lu was having such a great time with family in town that she did not want to go to sleep. It seemed like each night Evangeline would sing or complain in her crib for an hour or so before finally dozing. On Friday I tried to keep nap schedules in line by teaching Evie Lu what sound a wolf makes. Fast forward to Saturday night when Evie just would not go to sleep. All of a sudden Kaia and I hear this odd sound from Evie's bedroom and Kaia turns to me and asks, "Is our daughter howling?" It was with no small amount of pride that I answered, "Why yes she is."

Okay you two, hold my hands and follow me.

My New Table

No, I wasn't doing anything.

Last week we took Evie Lu's grandma Bev on her first trip to IKEA. We were looking for a bookshelf/organization system for Evangeline's room, but instead we came home with something completely different. (That is the way it goes at IKEA.) Grandma Bev picked out a table and chairs for Evie Lu which you see in the pictures.

Do you want to play too?


Evie Lu loves sitting. You should have seen her in the kid's furniture area trying out every chair and getting a little upset that we would not let her go for round two. So, thanks to grandma and grandpa Evie Lu has her own workspace for coloring and cooking and sitting. Being a toddler is very hard work.

Everybody is invited!

Evie Lu - Folk Singer

There are no captions for these pictures because I think the images say it all. Evie Lu's love of music is really cool to see and it is even cooler when she feels like she can participate in music. Evangeline's Uncle Jody gave me this ukulele as a Christmas present and Evie Lu recently discovered it. She loves playing, but on her terms. We now welcome to the stage the tempermental artist!

Birthday Month Kicks Off

Don't bother me. I'm eating cake.

What a week it has been. Grandma Bev has been in town for a week and we've just seen the arrival of Grandpa Wayne! Evie Lu has been having a ball. The big celebration was Saturday July 19 for the kick-off of my birthday month. There was plenty of food and Evangeline tried quite a bit of it. Our little lady really loved the carrot cake Kaia baked for the day. (Is anyone surprised?)

Hey grandma, I'll be your best friend if you give me cake.

Weekend Fun

Hey there neighbor, I'm just mowing my lawn.

Our little Evie Lu is a large child. We think she is adorable as all get out, but the fact is Evangeline is not pint sized. We've noticed in daycare Evie Lu sometimes gets overlooked and we think it is because she's so compliant and because she looks like a two or three year old and not the 18 month old that she is.

We're having a great time with Grandma Bev and soon we'll have Grandpa Wayne out here too! How lucky is our little girl?

Helmet law? Shirt law? How about no laws!

Beauty sleep

For a few of Evie Lu's features, it is obvious which parent she takes after. Her eyes are certainly from her dad. And I'm afraid she inherited crazy hair from her mom. And her love of sleep? Probably from both of us. In the picture above, Evie had just woke up from a nap. It is humorous to see what state she will be in after a nap. In this case, she took off her two socks, a barrette, and two hair ties at some point during her nap. Because she inherited my crazy "velcro" hair, it is still sticking straight out from the pig tails. We thought she was pretty cute.

Five Days Till Grandma!

Hmm, which of my tricks should I show Grandma?

Evie Lu's Minnesota Grandma flies in Thursday night and we couldn't be more excited. Kaia and I've been prepping Evie Lu in hopes of her being able to say "grandma" by the weekend. There have been several new words in the last few days and none funnier than "apple" which Evangeline pronounces as "bapoooooool." I taught her "baseball" while we watched the Twins and Tigers on Saturday and that sounds pretty close to the real word. Go words!

Goin' Fishin'

Hey, grab the cooler I'm ready to go!

Summer has finally arrived and our little family has been enjoying it greatly. We've been yard saleing to replenish Evie Lu's loose summer clothes wardrobe, we've been yard working to make the things clear and fun for Evie Lu, and now we are grandparent preparing as next week Minnesota Grandma and Grandpa are coming to visit! Evie Lu loves the summer.

Oh no! Extreme close-up!

Evie Lu's Tricks

I think the video will work finally! It is a little dark, but worth the watch. To explain the finger thing, Evie Lu thinks my finger is a microphone.

Feel The Burn

Watch me. This is how to stay in shape.


I am constantly amazed at what fascinates Evie Lu. Recently she has found the pilates mat we usually have in the music room. I don't know that Evangeline has ever seen Kaia or I use the pilates mat, but she seems to know what to do. If I had been just a couple seconds earlier with the camera, I could have shown you the whole workout. I try not to laugh out loud when Evie Lu is doing these sorts of things.

More Fun In The Sun

I'm coming to get you!

Evie Lu loves the slide at the park. She mostly loves climbing up backwards to see how far she can get before she slides back down. This activity causes many anxious moments for Kaia and I. We both envision frantic trips to the emergency room, but thankfully that has not been necessary so far. We have a little daredevil on our hands.

Where did you go?

Fun In The Sun

Dad, you know what I say, "Live to ride, ride to live."

It looks like we are in for two nice weekends in a row. Unbelievable. Last week we went back to the great little playground near our place and Evie Lu was all about the spring loaded ram. I think adult sized versions of these need to be made. Evie Lu gets going so fast Kaia and I are afraid she'll knock herself out, but she loves it. I promise tomorrow will bring more playground pictures.

The G forces are just too much.

More Hair Fun

Watch very closely. There is nothing up my sleeve.

Last week Evie Lu came home with a new hairstyle. Evangeline's teacher Miss Sharon had put her hair into pigtails before Kaia picked her up. We had not tried that particular hairstyle yet, but it quickly became the standard. I still can only manage to get the single top ponytail, but Kaia is a pro at the pigtails.

Ta Da! The farmer is gone!

Using Her Words

Kaia and I were worried that Evie Lu doesn't seem to have a very developed vocabulary, but then we got to really thinking about it and found she actually does. Here are the words Evangeline says to us:
Tickle
Juice
Daddy
Cow
Car
Zipper
This
Cheese
Shoes
Bye-bye
Guac (this is anything in a cup)
Dog
Animal sounds (quack, moo, meow, ruff, cock-a-doodle-doo, roar)

There are two important words we have not heard yet, "no" (even though she hasn't said it yet, we hear it loud and clear) and "mommy."

A Very Happy Father's Day

Being off kilter is the coolest.

A whole week without sickness! That is what we are celebrating. Evie Lu is now enjoying her third consecutive week of daycare and Kaia and I are adjusting to a new rhythm of life. Our little girl comes home very tired from playing and learning all day so we often see a cranky Evangeline. Just like the Incredible Hulk, you won't like an angry Evie Lu.

I was blessed with a great father's day which included a walk to our local Dairy Queen, killing a colony of spiders in the toolshed (what would father's day be without some yard work?), and a whole lot of fun with Kaia and Evie Lu. The only thing better than the day was hearing on Saturday that Evangeline will be welcoming an Aunt into the family!

Dad, you need some help with your style.

Ups And Downs

Hey, do you notice something different?

For the first time as a dad I received a call from Evie Lu's school asking for me to come and pick her up right away. Evie had another fever. Yikes. Being the nervous parents that we are, Kaia and I went to see Dr. Ann who assured us our little girl was just fighting off another bug. Good times.

No, it is not my refined eating style. Guess again.


The Friday scare was followed by the absolute joy Saturday. Evie Lu was in a good mood and even though the day was gray and rainy we had a really good time. Anytime you can sleep in, clean house, and get to IKEA you've got a good day. Unfortunately, Kaia fell victim to one of Evangeline's germs and was sick Sunday and Monday. I hear cute cures, so the ball is in Evie Lu's court now.

I think wearing my hair this way gives me magical powers of cuteness.

Home Decorating

Mom, let me take a look at the feng shui of this wall.

Evie Lu is officially back! Our little girl slept through the night and was cheerful this morning. Oh happy day! The comic moment of the day was as I dropped Evangeline off she went right to the table where some of the other kids were having breakfast. She was pulling up a chair when Miss Sharon asked if Evie Lu had already eaten. She had. In fact, I cleaned her up and brought her directly to daycare from the highchair. I'm pretty sure Evie Lu ate again.

That's crooked! Move it left.


The pictures above are from Kaia's hard work at making our home beautiful. We have pictures hanging and all we need now are visitors. Come quick before the next cold strikes.

Why do we need to hang pictures? This is great.

Back On The Chain Gang

I'd feel so much better if I could just get on the couch!

Evie Lu was back at the salt mines of daycare today. (Which reminds me, I once heard an economist say, "It is not a sweatshop if the kids want to be there." Yikes.) Her teachers said she did great and remarked how we have such a sweet tempered child. Evangeline must have been saving the crankiness for bedtime, because she gave Kaia and I fits tonight. There is still something not quite right with our little girl. Here's hoping tomorrow finds a full strength Evie Lu.

Dad, you know I'm the cute one and I'm not amused right now.

Back to our regular scheduled programming...sort of

It took a day or two for the antibiotics to kick in, and we had a few anxious calls on Thursday to the after-hours nurse about Evie's high fever, but there has been no fever since Friday. In its place today was a strange rash on her head, stomach, and back. A few more anxious calls and a trip to the after-hours clinic later, and we've learned that Evie is allergic to the antibiotics. If it isn't one thing, it's another! Good news is that it doesn't seem to be bothering Evie too much. Will and I are still exhausted from a week with a sick toddler, and can't wait until she is feeling 100%. Sorry, no pictures on this post. Evie hasn't been giving us many smiles lately.