At The Beach

We headed to the beach today for a special treat. Partly because I had a really great idea for my entry in the photography challenge this weekend. The topic was "Line" and THIS is what I decided to use...
It doesn't look like much here but it's actually a shrunken version of a gigantic panaroma of 27 different pictures all stitched together. I loved how dramatic the clouds were- that's even SOOC! (that means no photoshop mom- lol)

We also took the opportunity to practice throwing rocks into the water while we watched the waves. Zack was totally enthralled and giggled histerically everytime the rock spashed into the water.

You can just see the ripples off to the right where the rock landed.

That's my uber-hot man hauling our little one away from the beloved waves. Tough guy right? I luv him!

Here I'm guessing he's showing Zach the correct form.

Then they let it fly!

Here's my 2nd place option for the challenge- in case I couln't figure out the photostitching.

I realized all these pictures don't show Zach's face, so I uploaded a few more that you can see his face with.

One of the balloon's at the end flew away, Zach was very distressed about it.

This is right as soon as he noticed the balloon flying away.

Zach and Lightning McQueen on his new race track.

Zach saying "WOW!"

Parade

Zach clapped for the horses again and againHe liked to tall people
He waved, hoping for candy...
One of the Brewer's sausages giving him 5
The tall lady blew him a kiss

4rth Parade

Zach waved at the fire engine.I just liked the fact that drug dealers used to own this truck, now the sheriff does.
Zach loved waving at the horses

Teryn taught Zach if he waved, he got candy, so because of that he waved at everyone in the parade hoping he would get a treat.

More pictures

Zach's new race trackBronze statue at the zoo
Zach and the huge tower

Zoo Playground

Teryn and Zach looking at the tigerZach finds ants more interesting than any other animal at the zoo, if you look close you can see the little black critter.

Zach loves the slide....
Sometimes he forgets it is for sliding down.

Crazy Kid

Don't worry, we're bolting the shelf to the wall TODAY!
I guess Zach has found a new play place. He's such a goofy kid.

Swimming!

Checkin' out the joint

A bit nervous...
All Right, All Right, All Right... lovin' every minute!
Wow!
Needless to say, our first experience at the local swimming hole was a success! We definately look forward to doing it again.

Happy Father's Day

I forgot to post this earlier. What was I thinking!!! This was a handmade frame by Zach. Used some great Tempura paints (another freecycle deal) and some dollar store gems. Zach loved being able to use both a paintbrush AND his own hand to make fun designs as I turned the frame around and around. He also picked out each gem and I added glue then he stuck it, very forcefully, to the frame. It was a fun little project. I really like this picture of Jason and Zach at the hospital (as long as I'm cropped out of it! I had just given birth after all)

She's a photographer!

Well.... -ish
.
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I got the opportunity to be an "official" photographer for a wedding on Saturday. I know, I know, I not a professional or anything but I had a good time and I learned a lot and I THINK I actually got a few fairly decent pictures (out of the almost 1400 that I took)
I teamed up with my friend Melinda (photography blog HERE) so that between the two of us amatuers we would be able to offer some good stuff. I've also started a blog for my photography and the link is over on the side bar here. Or just go to http://www.gundersenphotos.blogspot.com/. I hope you will leave me some feedback as I'd like to be albe to improve to the point where I might dare charge next time. Though I have no idea how much.
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What should I charge for my services and a CD of all of the pictures I took? (not for this wedding, it was a feebie- for the next one.)

She's a Decorator?

Now that I'm a certified Blog Junkie I have been storing in my very tiny head all kinds of fantastic ideas. However, not too very many of them have actually come to light.

Finally- I followed through on one of my planned projects. I found these framed "Cars" pictures at a garage sale a couple weeks ago for $1 and I thought they would be perfect for my 2 "Cars" obsessed boys. (Yes, I counted Jason there) I just didn't absolutely love the frames they came in. Kinda plain, boring, and not really my style.

Here's the big one...
Well, I've seen tons of women (bloggers) who just rave about the magical powers of SPRAY PAINT so I figured this would be the perfect time to test them out.

TA DA!!

P.S. My latest favorite crafty blogger is The Thrifty Chick, I'm all about thrifty these days! She is also one of those who does the spray painting stuff.

Oh! And as I was getting these frames ready to paint I discovered that the pictures are actually taken from an old calendar! Genious!

After all is said and done though I do wonder- How is it that these women can be spray painting away on everything and not get terrible cramps!?! I did 3 measly little frames and I tell you what- I am hurting! (but I am known to be a pretty terrible wimp)

This Week's Favorite Toy

Zach has taken a liking to trains lately and this mega blocks one that I got from freecycle has been all kinds of fun. He drives it around all the kitchen chairs, under the table, around the living room, up the stairs and basically anywhere it will fit. The only problem is when it comes apart he has to take it to mom to fix it... which is a lot.

Zach Walks!!

New Landscaping

When we bought our house 3 years ago it had these beautiful shrubs in the front. A deep purple one and two green with pretty purple flowers. Unfortunately, these very shrubs seem to go through a regular "awkward teenage" phase each year. That phase actually seems to last most of the year, especially with the help of our neighborhood bunnies that keep eating the one closest to our door.

Here they are in all thier glory!

But as of today... THEY ARE NO MORE!

Replaced by some evergreen boxwoods that may not have as pretty of colors but they will actually stay looking nice all year around. I'm not completely finished yet. I plan on surrounding them with mulch and some flowers. But so far, I think they look pretty. darn. good.

Especially since I planted them MYSELF! (Well, Jason dug up the old ones and I replanted these.)
Don't worry, we didn't throw out our old pals. They just found new homes where they wouldn't be the center of attention durring thier dead months.

Here's the darker purple one under the garage window in the back yard.
And the other two have been moved to the side of the house.
Notice: they are about 10 times the size that they were when the original picture was shot. That's what I was talking about. They actually look really nice for about 3 months of the year, it's just the other months that they look like a pile of sticks. I was just afraid we would end up getting stuck trying to sell our house during the stick months so I figured evergreens were a safe bet. I'm sure glad for the change.

MOM! Look what I can do!

Since Zach has learned to say "keys" he also had to demonstrate that he knows what keys are for.
I LOVE that he's up on his tippy tip top toes. So cute!!

A new toy...

Yesterday we had a family garage sale trip. We came across some real treasures and I'm pretty excited about them. So is Zach.
This is one of those Mellisa&Doug puzzles but instead of having removable pieces to lose like the traditional puzzle, this one has locks and latches to practice opening and closing with a different color of animal hidden behind each door. They are also numbered so he can learn his colors, numbers and coordination all in one spot.

I thought I might be more impressed with it than he would be. I thought he was probably too young to understand all of the different latches. I was WRONG!

He has spent long stretches of time analyzing each and every door. I watched him meticulously latch and unlatch the yellow one probably 15-20 times today. Practicing and analyzing. It was really fun to watch.

Yesterday he was so excited about his new toys that I couldn't get him to take a nap. I finally sat him in his crib with this puzzle and went downstairs. I could hear him clickety clacking away for at least 20 minutes before he finally went silent without making a peep, he was sound asleep. I think this was ABSOLUTELY a dollar well spent.

(more garage sale treasures to come)

Happy Soon-to-be Anniversary

Since our 7th anniversary is coming up, 20th of July- I guess it's still a little ways away but I'm EXCITED, we decided to finally get a nice picture to put up in our living room. We had these taken for our engagement but never actually ordered a full sized one.

Jason jokes that we aren't ever going to look this good again so we really ought to use the pictures. Sadly, I think it's true. I don't think I will ever fit in those pants again and that shirt... HA!

Anyway, we actually purchased the negatives (dirt cheap too- I think he just wanted to get rid of them after all these years) and we are scanning them so that we will have a digital copy. We've only done a few so far but this one is one of my favorites.

Aren't we cute!!! And so in luuuuuuurve!

Camping Adventure

So, here's the story. This past weekend was one of those few weekends that I actually had a husband so we wanted to take full advantage. Some friends of ours (also med students) had the same idea so we joined forces for a fun filled camping weekend. They were a lot better at time management so they got a head start for the campground and we followed about an hour behind them. The plan was to leave around 2:30 and reach Buckhorn National park around 4:30 with plenty of time to set up camp and enjoy some campfire food. (My Favorite!)

We ended up making it out the door probably around 4:00 and about halfway there we got a phone call. Our friend's car had broken down on the highway and they were stranded at the side of the road. Luckily they knew we were on our way so they didn't have to panic. We stopped and bought some oil at a gas station in case that was the problem, in HOPES that was the problem. Sadly... it wasn't. They did manage to drive it off the highway and made it to a truck stop where we met them and, instead of campfire dinners we had truckstop diner food. Our waitress was really nice though and helped us find a mechanic.

We ended up leaving thier car at the mechanic's and then just making two trips in our car to the campground. When we got there it was already pretty late and completely pitch dark... OH! And there was a WALL of mosquitos waiting to greet us. We still managed to get our tents set up, built a fire and doused ourselves with bug spray. Unfortunately, bug spray isn't 100% so we still walked away with a good number of itchy bites. Check out my Mission24 challenge to see what Zach looked like when we got home.

That night it didn't just rain it POURED! And apparently there were racoons because they ate almost all of my bananas. Bummer! It was one of those "count your blessings" deals though. We had left most of our food in the car just in case and there wasn't any rain at all untill we were all snug in our sleeping bags for the night. The next morning the sun was out and the ground was dry and we were greeted with a beautiful day- and fewer mosquitos. Horray!
Jarom got to enjoy his kyak.

The water was glassy and beautiful.

The younger boys loved being packed around by thier moms. That's right... We're superwomen!

Here's the Gang!

Here's the camp.

Aren't we cute? I just love Zach's grin.

Cool photography Andrea.

Zach loved pushing his stoller around. Though he did try to make a run for it on more than one occasion.

All three boys thought our camp cart made a great jungle gym.

We did find these creepy web sacks around the camp. They gave me the heebi geebis like something from a horror film.

I was relieved to learn they weren't spiders though... still creepy.

On the way home I snapped this shot of a cool tilty house.

All in all we ended up having a great time. Maybe it took some extra effort in the beginning but I still look forward to many more camping trips to come. I was most nervous about how Zach would handle it and he was a real champ.

Unfortunately, the car is still in the shop. Our friends stayed an extra night. Since I was playing my violin on Sunday we had to hurry home. It worked out well though because Jason left right after church and went back up to pick them up. He didn't end up making it home until 8:00 but he's just that kind of guy. My Hero!

You know, I love that guy. He's just the kind of guy that will drop everything to help out a friend. I know he would have made the trip for them even if it had been 4 hours each way, and I love him for it.

Art Museum

WARNING: This is a VERY picture heavy post.

Of course, how else can one document a visit to the art museum without tons of pictures right?
Here we are in the world famous lobby overlooking Lake Michigan. Not only is the view fantastic but the architecture is amazing.
You could see the "wings" open above if you peeked through the windows just right.

We got there early so the first hallway was completely empty which made for a pretty cool picture.

I've always loved this crazy blown glass sculpture. It sure made for some pretty neat "bokeh"- see me speaking photographer-ish?

Zach enjoyed coloring pictures in the new children's room. It was nice to find an area where we were ACTUALLY allowed to touch things.

I traced Zach on the chalkboard wall. Quite an accomplishment if you know of my phobia of chalk.

This is Zach's art. I thought he did a pretty darn good job. Great use of colors and parallel lines. : )

I made friends with the "janitor"- he didn't talk much.

This was one of my favorite rooms. I took one picture with the flash to show what the room looked like. It was basically a bunch of suspended glow sticks.

Here's my picture with the flash off. The shutter stayed open for a whole 25 seconds to get the light. I held as still as I could but I kinda like the way my slight wiggles make it all look. A bit "Matrix-y" don't you think?

I call this "Pensive Boy at the waterfront"

I call this one, "Pensive Boy at the waterfront with his Mom"

I loved how this sculpture looked with the hazy lake behind it.

And this was a whole table of blown glass sculptures that looked like a very messy dinner party.

So, there ya go. Our trip to the museum in a nutshell. Hope you enjoyed it- Farewell all ye art connoisseurs. I bid thee adieu and good night.

Sandbox!

As his Memorial day project today, Jason decided to build a sandbox for Zach. He saw a really great deal on sand at Home Depot and figured it was the perfect time. He even built a lid to cover it so that animals and leaves wouldn't get in. 

Here's Zach with his classic question hands. "Where'd my legs go?" He was pretty excited to play. Now we just need to collect us some sand toys. 
After filling his pants with sand Zach had to go on a walk with Dad to shake some sand off before I could let them both in the house again. He's getting really good at walking. We're up to 7 sturdy independent steps now!
I love watching babies walk. 
And those little legs, and that bum! I just love them to pieces. 

Holy Moly

I think we might have a future skyscraper architect on our hands. I realize that this is NOT my best photography but I was racing to get the shot. I couldn't adjust my camera settings fast enough and just after this was taken, the tower took a tumble. I almost missed it! I was actually in the kitchen and when I stepped in to check on him I found this! WOW! I promise I was NOT involved in this creation at all.

Winner Winner!

I really didn't expect much from this picture. I was just experimenting with shutterspeed to practice some of the things I've learned on this new blog. I guess it worked!

WORMS!!

BIG NEWS!!!

I've noticed this funny trend with my son. There are certain landmarks in a child's life that mark his progress and growth. All of the big firsts. First solid foods, first sippy cup, first haircut. Periodically, a child's physician will check in on these firsts to see that said child is on track with the norms. There have been several times now that we have visited the doctor and had him ask about something only to have me look worriedly at my son wondering if he really should have been doing this particular task by that time. (example: crawling- he was slow to take the leap to mobility) The funny thing is, whenever we talk to the doctor about these benchmarks it's like a cue for Zach to suddenly decide it's time. We talked to the doctor about him not taking sippy cups- suddenly he took to them like he had always loved sippy cups. We talked to the doctor about him not sleeping through the night. Suddenly- 8:00 to 7:00- OH bliss! We even talked to him about Zach's apparent lack of interest in crawling and all of a sudden he was scooting accross the floor.

Are you wondering what our big new is yet? Have I left you in suspense long enough or did you already guess?

Well... yesterday was another doctor's appointment and we visited over all of the expected benchmarks. Stacking blocks- check! Finger feeding or using utinsels- check! Using tools for thier correct purpose- check! Following instructions- check! (still in suspense?) Walking and Talking? NO CHECK!!!! So we talked about some possible solutions, even checking into some physical therapy. He was ahead of the curve on everything except walking and talking- something you would think would be the basics. Our doctor wasn't too nervous about the speech stuff because Zach is actually really good at communicating non-verbally. He has some signs that we've taught him and our doc said that was great! It was more the walking that he said we might want to get some help for.

SO... right on cue with our past experiences Zach finally decided it was time to take the leap. Of course the day AFTER our check up. This morning he found some keys that had fallen off our key rack by the door. He brought them to me giggling and said, quite clearly "KEYS!"

HE SPEAKS

Then just as Jason was getting ready to walk out the door to go to work we decided to practice walking a bit. I held Zach, helped him stabalize, and then let go and WA LA! 7 whole steps to dad. I think he would have had more but they ran out of room.

HE WALKS

Apparently Zach just has a little bit of an attitude and doesn't want to listen to his parents. Only the Doctor can tell him what to do!

I'll have to remember that when he's a teenager and wants to do something crazy. Good thing his dad will be a doctor by then right? WHEEW!

Fun Day!

Yesterday was community FREE day at the public museum so we picked up some friends of ours and headed off to see the sights.
(After a little bit of transportation hullabaloo we did arrive at our ultimate destination)
The butterfly room was very VERY cool. It's a very muggy, hot room chock full of butterflies. At the front of the room is a case full of cocoons and recently hatched butterflies. Some of them were giNORMOUS. Zach was fascinated.

As soon as he spotted the butterflies he was totally enthralled and kept reaching out as though he wanted to touch them.

Then I finally caught one and he was suddenly shy and after looking at the strange creature for a moment he buried his face in my shoulder.

This is one of the friends we brought with us. FANTASTIC photography skills on Andrea's part right? (I put this on here so you could download this one Andrea- very cool!)

Fun Day 2

You can't go to the museum without seeing giant prehistoric bones right?
Here's Zach sitting very still.

See those folded arms? I'm so proud. We've been working on teaching him to fold his arms during nightime prayers and the last couple of nights he has actually been doing really well.

Just as I was going to snap this picture he started to try to climb down from the "cucoon" so I said... "sit still for a second K?" and he folded his arms nicely and waited for me to take his picture. I thought it was too cute.

Zach tried really hard to help the school kids figure out how to put the butterfly puzzle. He was even picking up pieces and trying to stick them together. He had the right idea.

Eeeeeek! I do NOT like big bugs.

Fun Day 3

After tromping through the museum we took a pit stop at my house to play in the sun for a bit.
These guys were proud to stand watch together in thier tower

Here's Zach making his classic fish face.

I needed a break from pulling weeds in my soon-to-be garden (notice the mud crusted hands)

How cute is this face! (Here's another for you to download Andrea - great shot You're a natural)

Zach's first corn on the cob

I love summer and I love corn on the cob! So I thought I would let my son give it a try. He thought it was pretty fun.
He would bite in and shake his head. I think he really enjoyed it and ate quite a bit too.

Winner

We have another winner for my Mission 24 challenge. Apparently my black and white shots seem to be the most popular. It was a three way tie with 2 other really great pictures. Click on the picture in my sidebar to go check them out. I didn't think I'd ever win anything on this blog, it was more just for fun and practice but now I've won twice! Horray!

FUN!

After we had such a fun time at the zoo yesterday we decided we needed to make an investment so that we could enjoy more fun outside time without the crowds.

So... off to craigslist once more.
We found a winner! Only $25 and in nearly new condition.

Here's Zach showing us patty cake while standing on his new toy, this is "Toss it in the oven".

OR "I'm King of the Castle!"

And, of course, we can't miss a beautiful sunny day without some swing time.

Weeeee!!!

Zach got pretty brave today playing on the playground at the zoo.

He cautiously snuck out onto the chain bridge.

He was pretty proud of himself.

Then he figured out how to climb,

And slide sitting up.

He went on a walk with mom.

He thought she was pretty funny when she jumped up and down.

This slide was super fast!

At the end you would crash right onto the ground. That's OK though, it was kinda comfy. (Zach actually sat like this for several seconds giggling until I picked him up again.)


WHEEW! What a day!

Lions and Tigers and Bears OH MY!

We went to the zoo today and even though it was a bit windy we had a great time. They were having a special bird activity where we "flew" to different parts of the "world" and learned about how the bird lost weight in it's travels to reach Wisconsin. He weighed 6 cheerios when we started the journey and only 1 cheerio when we arrived. Zach got treats along the way and a fun bird badge when we finished the trip. Along the way we visited some cool animals. The giant fish were pretty exciting.

This is Zach's new "I dunno" face. It's really funny, he cocks his head a bit then turns his hands out. Jason asked him where the meercat was and this is what we got... "I dunno" or "where'd he go". I love it!

The lions were pretty fascinating too. Zach's getting pretty good at his "growl".

Rocking Horse

Zach loves his rocking horse. He's even just tall enough to climb on it himself. He really got it rocking at one point. THANKS GRANDPA HAYMOND!

A New Toy

Jason helped some friends of ours pack up some of thier belongings in preparation of moving accross the country (bummer!!). As a thank you they sent him home with the great new toy.
Zach was THRILLED! The battery only lasts 10 minutes but my boys sure made good use of that time. Zach was even driving it all by himself- while I curled up on the couch cringing every time he got near me. I was quite sure he was going to take off one of my toes! Boys will be boys though and I really don't think they could have been happier.

Straight from the Chocolate Factory

What do you get when you try to give a sleepy baby Spaghetti-Oh's?
One Cranky Ooompa Loompa!!

(No this is not an effect of the lighting- his face really IS orange! Even more so in real life)

What the...?

We have a very structured schedule when it comes to nap time at our house. 12:00 sharp we head to Zach's room for 3 stories and then straight to bed. He's gotten so accustomed to this he never EVER gives me trouble. Still, THIS
Never happens!

He was playing with our shoes and watching Music Man while I finished cleaning up breakfast and ZONK... by the time I peeked in on him from the kitchen he was completely out. And it was only about 10:30! (I know, kinda late for breakfast- it was a late morning today)

It got stranger though- when I tried to move him he woke up so I took him upstairs, read our two stories like usual and put him in his crib. By that point he was wide awake but he was just talking to himself and singing and whatnot and I knew he had to be tired (as seen above) so I just let him be. After about a half hour of squeels, giggles and "singing" he just laid down and went back to sleep for another 3 hours. I even got my work out in! I was pretty excited. I tell you what- I sure got lucky with this kid. He's just such an easy kid. I love him... and I think I'll keep him. :)

P.S. Since I had a little extra nap time today I got to finally finish a project- check out Teryn's Treats to see my latest design.

Sunday at the Park

Sunday was a beautiful day to we took a bike ride to the park. Zach and Jason started out by building a sand castle. Well... Jason built the sand lump while Zach guzzled milk. I loved how he was kicking his feet back and forth, back and forth.
Then after an unfortunate bloody nose incident, (less than 15 seconds of tears though) Zach attempted to build his own sand castle. He actually filled the bucket about half way all by himself then tried to turn it over. He's a quick study.

Here Zach is actually squeezing the sand with all his might. He has started doing this with bananas too sometimes. It's really funny- he scrunches up his face and shakes his head and arms. The first time he did it I thought he was pooping but then realized he was just smooshing the banana.

We missed the best part, when his face was all contorted but you can kinda get the idea. It's pretty funny.

All in all- despite the bloody nose- it was a fun day.

What's he up to?

Zach is really becoming a little busy body. He absolutely LOVES to play the piano. He even pushes the buttons to change the sound and twists the volume up and down. I'm sure the nieghbors are pretty curious about what sort of music this family is into- especially now that we've been leaving our windows open for the fresh air.
I remember the days when Zach would just buldoze any attempt I made at building a tower of blocks. Now, on the other hand, it's all about the building. I love his look of total concentration here. And YES- he did build this one All By Himself!

By Popular Demand...

By popular demand of the grandparents... we proudly present...

THE EASTER EGG HUNT!!!

I know they are a bit long but they crack me up. I love how fast he jets after the eggs once he spots them and the way he fills his cheeks with goodies like a hampster. He definatly enjoyed himself that's for sure.

p.s. Sorry it took me so long to post these. Jason put them on the computer but I couldn't find them.

Felt Board Project

I've been working on this project for a little while now and I am really excited about it- thus the double post (see Teryn's Treats). I'm actually hoping to find a couple more books to copy and my next set is going to be for counting. Zack really likes the "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" one. We sing the words along with Twinkle Twinkle as he puts each of the animals on the board. Anyone have any other ideas?

Zach's Egg

This is Zach's egg. He decorated it all by himself! I would give him a

sticker and he would stick it on the egg. Then Clap enthusiastically. When he was done we peeled it and he ate it- the WHOLE thing. I think Zach likes Easter.

Zach's First Peep

Upon first examination I decided the object needed to be disected and holes were cautiously picked into it's squishy surface to determine if it was safe.

The pokes were followed by tiny tastes and it was decited that...

The squishy object is edible.

So I dug in!

The Easter Witch Came!

We woke up this morning to a great surprise. The Easter Witch came!! (In Norway they have a witch instead of a bunny- don't worry she's not a scary witch)
We had an Egg hunt. Zach loved hunting down the eggs once he realized what was inside.

Don't worry Grandma. His treats were goldfish, pretzles, and fruit snacks. Once he spotted an egg he would race toward it as fast as he could, then pop it open and fill his cheecks with goodies. He looked like a hampster! Once his belly was full he started actually collecting the eggs in his bucket. We wondered if he was old enough to even enjoy an easter egg hunt but he loved every second of it.

Dads present to Zach was a new tree swing! I picked it up at a garage sale last year for $5 but we just hadn't ever gotten around to putting it up. Now we can swing every day!

I won!!!

I may have mentioned before, but a while back I joined this photography group online. A friend of mine told me about it and I thought it would be a fun way to practice some photography skills. Basically the premise is that 2x per week we are given a word and then 24 hours to take a NEW picture that, to us, represents that word. Then at the end of the challenge we all vote so choose 1 picture that is the best take on the challenge and 1 that is the best overall picture. I have added a picture link in my sidebar that I will update as each challenge comes along so that I can show what I've done.

Anyway! The point of this post is... this last one... I WON!!!

Me, the amatuer of the century. I actually won- Best Overall even. This is the picture I submitted for the theme of "Black and White"

This was taken on a walk over by my friend's house. It was a beautiful day with a bright blue sky but when I turned the picture black and white I got this great scary path into mystery. I was pretty excited about the picture but the others were also great so I didn't think in a million years that I would actually win! It's funny, there's no prizes or anything but it still feels really good.

Horray! I won! (I may or may not have done a little dance)

Check out Mission 24 to see my competition

Fantasy Mobile

Zach loves his Mega Blocks. He loves to drive his Mega Block car- drives it all around the house.
Here, he has created his "dream car" all by himself!
Yes- it still has a picture on the side from primary. Ah well...

New Additions

Well, we have taken the plunge and added to our family x 3

Introducing Bolt (top right), Spaz (top left), and Nosy (bottom)- given names, subject to change upon review.
Zach is pretty excited.

We've been taking Zach to the pet store every once and a while so that he could ooo and ahhh at the animals there and when these guys were posted on FREECYCLE I just couldn't turn them down. They are really cute and Zach loves when they stand up on thier back legs to look at him.

So, it's official that Zach now has his first real pets. Jury is still out on how his dad feels about the matter.

Spring Time!

The weather here may not be able to make up it's mind but I sure have. For me- spring is officially here. My seeds sprouted this morning. It is amazing to me how fast they sprout. This morning there was just the one tomato, Now there are signs of several Zucchini, and a squash to go along with these two precious beauties.

.

Better than that- I began my spring cleaning.

.

Here's a little confession, though it may be a little to much info to reveal, I'm going to own it. I don't clean. Or I didn't anyway. I've tried. I've had great intentions but it's just been something that I really struggled with. To give you an idea, as a newlywed,when my hubby mentioned his mom was washing their walls one day I thought it was a joke. I figured it was a figure of speech saying she was doing some deep cleaning. I never imagined that one would literally clean their walls.

.

I'm SORRY! I just never learned that stuff. My chore growing up was washing dishes- that's just what I did. I do dishes VERY well- walls, not so much.

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Regardless, I'm now ready to turn over a new leaf. I realized that I've struggled with housework because it just seemed so overwhelming. So many things, so many different little tasks. My ADD would go wild and I would wander aimlessly through the house not knowing where to start. My other problem was, since I really didn't know HOW to clean I would look at each task as basically impossible. Afraid that if I attempted to do anything I might ruin something or asphyxiate myself with toxic fumes. I've been getting better over the years but now, I think I've hit a breakthrough with one simple quote

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"Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family"

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AHA! What have I been so worried about? It's actually from http://www.flylady.net/ a cleaning program that I recently subscribed to. It's great for an ADD gall like me because they break it down so simply. Each week we have a "Zone" we are working on and a special "mission" to complete daily. Simple stuff. This week is Living room/entryway. Today's assignment was to wash the walls of the entryway. WASH THE WALLS! (ooooo see, it really does happen)

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SO, I did. I washed the walls. Maybe not correctly but I did. Then I scrubbed the door. Washed and vacuumed the screen and it became contagious. It started to spread. I don't know what happened! I don't know if it's this Fly Lady thing or a new vitamin I started today or finally breaking the 10 lb mark on my weight loss plan but something clicked.

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Before noon today I had washed most of the windows, the mirrors. The walls in the entryway. Changed the sheets, vacuumed the ENTIRE house (even the stairs! I don't remember the last time I vacuumed the stairs) cleaned the kitchen and living room, mopped the floor, swept the porch, dusted all of the downstairs, did 3 loads of laundry and other various tasks along with multiple breaks to play with Zach. (He figured out how to put together a puzzle today)

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Maybe that doesn't sound like that big of a feat for normal people but for me it was pretty great. All that is left in my ENTIRE house is the bathroom and 1 load of laundry. I'm feeling good!

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Tomorrow.... I think we deserve to play! Any ideas?

April Fools Day

So, is this a desert OR...
Meatloaf and Potatoes!!!!
Zach got a kick out of it.

Then, he DUG IN!!!!

I didn't think he would get the joke but he laughed all the way through dinner as he dug into his cupcake meatloaf. Maybe he understands a whole lot more than I give him credit for?

Sadly, Jason didn't get home until late so he didn't get to be there to enjoy them with us. He did roll his eyes at me a bit when I reheated a couple for him when he got home.

p.s. I got the idea from U create

You can't really believe I'm that creative all on my own!

Growing up

Zach is growing up so much! His little sense of humor always has me laughing. This morning he started collecting these rings and stacking them on his arm. Then he would crawl around the living room giggling till one fell off. Then he would just slip it back on again and off he went.

He has also started comunicating fairly well considering he still refuses to learn any words. He will bring me his shoes and then point to his feet until I put them on. Then he will find his Jacket, and usually one of Jason's ties to bring to me. We don't really get out too much so maybe he's got cabin fever as bad as I do.

He signs please by frantically patting his chest and if he is hungry or thirsty he taps his lips with his pointer finger. We're not sure where he learned that one but it has helped him be a lot less frustrated when he can just tell us what's the matter.

He has also started climbing on things, anything he can find really. He's even pushed a box in from the living room so that he could climb up on it to get to a chair to get to the table. Ahhh! And he's not even walking yet.

He loves to read stories. Yesterday I was getting ready for the day and he brought me "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" a fun rhythmic ABC book. I think we read it at least three times. At the end there is a page that just shows all of the alphabet so I always sing it for him while pointing to each letter. This time, he took over "singing" at the top of his lungs as he pointed to various parts of the page. It made me laugh. I love his singing. Somehow it is just so BOY. I'm not quite sure how to explain it except to say it's more of a low wail/holler. We've actually had people turn around in church during the hymns because he almost sounds upset but he's smiling and he promptly stops when the song is over.

Oh! This picture I have of him above. He's wearing a 2T shirt! I just can't get over it. He's just not a baby anymore. He's a kid!