Not So Sneaky Sneak

The past 2 nights Gerrit has pushed down one of the 2 gates in his doorway and hopped over the gate left up. The first night he sat on the steps and I told him to go back to bed and he did. Last night he was found coloring in the dining room near the computer. Tonight we heard the footsteps but not the crashing of the gate (its a good thing Gerrit doesn't realize how loud he is when he runs thru the house). Adam and I were watching an old episode of Parenthood when I suggested he check on Gerrit. (Earlier tonight he colored all over his arm with an ink pen and I had visions of more ink on him and who knows where else!) So Adam went and found him upstairs standing at the top of the steps with Tootsie Roll juice (slobber) on his chin! He reached up on the counter and ate a Tootsie Roll!

"Muddy"

Gerrit has a new fascination with money lately. He knows where Adam keeps his money clip and will often be found taking money out of it and playing with it. He has 'washed it' in the bird bath, used it as a gun (all rolled up), and even sleeps with it at times. For a while there he would get up in the middle of the night and come downstairs to get money and then go back up to bed. We would know he did this because lights would be left on and we would later find money missing from Adam's wallet and in our bed! (Plus, he would tell us he went downstairs when we asked him.)

This weekend Adam gave him the change from a $20 to hold on to, only to realize later that Gerrit no longer had the money in his hands, nor could he tell us where he put the money! Adam learned his lesson that a $1 is about as much as you want to give a 3 yr old (the lesson cost him $15).

Tonight Gerrit went to bed just fine (so Adam thought). However, a few minutes after Adam settled down to watch some TV, Gerrit could be heard on the monitor asking for money. Once Adam gave him a $1, he went right to sleep!

So, if Gerrit asks for muddy, please be cautious in what you give him!

{I think I will try and find some play money and see if that will satisfy his needs}

In Good Hands

Living in the Theater district has been great to us! We get theater popcorn on a semi regular basis (or at least called when it is made and welcome to cover over and get some), food made for us, our garbage bins taken in, lawn watered, new lawn equipment we can use whenever we want, and tonight the boys were able to cash in on great neighbors:

That 'uncle Nick' thinks of the boys all the time! He is worried with the new cement driveway, Emmit will rough up his knees crawling this summer. He saw these knee pads and couldn't resist (even if they will be way too big for him). And the car, well that of course is for his buddy Gerrit. Its the car he bought when he got out of Vietnam (only his was brown).

We couldn't have asked for greater neighbors! I hope they stay long enough to keep an eye on the boys when we are gone like Mr. and Mrs. Flikkema did for my parents! :)

Up North: the proof

Here are the pictures I promised from our weekend.

Up North

Adam thought it would be fun to get away for the weekend and go to northern WI for a bike race with Dahlens. I thought a weekend away couldn't hurt us and was looking forward to it until it came time to packing! Ugg. Luckily we said we weren't bringing any food so I had one less thing to worry about - I still packed snacks for those unexpected moments of dire hunger by the 3 yr old (or the boys too). Gerrit ended up having way too many fruit snacks and all proper diet thoughts went out the window, but we survived and had a blast!

Adam and Dave set out earlier than the rest of us. Anne drove the rest after school/practice around 5. Luker kept Gerrit busy and Paul tended to Emmit which made my travels in the car pretty easy (until the last 1/2 hour when everyone was stir crazy!). Gerrit couldn't understand why it was taking to long to get to the swimming pool!

We finally made it around 9 and of course Gerrit had to go swimming with Luker. So the boys put their suits on, except Gerrit. Adam hadn't emptied the car all the way and they left to get dinner before we arrived. So Gerrit went swimming in his boxers. It worked and no one else was in the pool. Gerrit didn't care for the big pool as much as he did the hot tub - the water was warmer in the hot tub. Good thing the hot tub was large enough that he could play on the steps with is toys and not bother others. Finally he went to bed around 10 30 (I thought Adam was going to fall asleep before Gerrit).

Gerrit woke up bright and early wanting to play golf (they had a little indoor putting green near the pool). We told him it was too early and we couldn't get the clubs yet so he had to stay in the room a bit longer. He then asked if we could go home and get his clubs so he wouldn't have to wait. Good idea, but too far to drive!

Saturday the weather was perfect (I did feel a bit guilty I wasn't home planting my garden - next weekend). Sunny and low 70s. I guess last year it snowed! We'll count our blessings this year. Paul wasn't feeling well so he didn't race. Adam lined up with the long race and started it leaving Dave back at the start waiting for the short race to begin and wondering where Adam went. A few minutes later, Adam returned to the start realizing he wasn't suppose to start yet! And so the fun began. The guys started and we packed the kids up and headed into town. Luckily the race started in our hotel parking lot and ended in the town closest to us too. By the time we got to the finish line and hung out, Dave came in (28th). He was shocked to hear/see that Adam wasn't in because he knew he didn't pass him on the course. This of course gets me worried that he either had mechanical problems (he was riding Dave's single speed) or he was injured. Neither. Dave called it and said he had to have made a wrong turn. Finally, Adam came across the finish line (looking pretty ticked off too). Sure enough, he went 4 miles out of his way! He was not a happy camper for a while. Dave thinks Adam would've finished in the top 10 had he stayed on course. After a beer and a chance to catch his breath, he got over the issue and we enjoyed ourselves watching the racers come in one by one.

Luker was excited to do the kids 3 mile race. He was registered, had his number pinned on and was doing warm up laps around us all to learn that the kids race started and he wasn't there! Dave quickly rode w/ him to where we were hearing cheers and he jumped in a minute or 2 behind everyone and rode like a mad man to catch up. He only had time to get 1 glove on so Dave carried the other back to the finish line where we waited to see how much ground he had made up starting so late. He did very well and enjoyed himself despite the late start. He (and all participants) received a medal and a coupon for free ice cream! Can't beat that.

We headed to a great brick oven pizza place near the finish line for lunch. Ohh, was that tasty! (Not quite Punch, but still good). Following pizza and of course ice cream we headed back to the hotel for swimming.

I've never played so much catch in a hot tub before! Luckily no one else was in there to bother. It did feel good to relax in a hot tub again.

Dinner was at Garmish, a nearby resort/restaurant. They are known for their bloddy mary's which the other 3 adults ordered and I stuck to my trusty diet Coke. We ate outside and the weather was still warm at 6 30! We returned to the hotel only to learn that Paul was really sick and it was a good thing he didn't race or join us for dinner. So while the guys watched a romance movie, Anne and I sat w/ Paul and monitored the boys.

Sunday we all slept in. Emmit even slept longer than usual for his morning feeding - seeing he didn't really take a long nap on Sat. it was good he slept as well and as hard as he did. Gerrit too slept in till 7. He didn't have a nap and with as much as we did the past 24 hours, he needed the sleep. So at 8 Luke and Gerrit were in the pool and I sat with Anne watching them. Adam and Dave brought us breakfast from town - a gas station special b/c the grocery store didn't open till 9. It hit the spot and beat waiting for our food at the hotel restaurant like we had to on Sat. We casually packed up and headed home. The guys were going to go for a ride one more time but I think the race took enough out of them that they just wanted to get home.

We each took our own families in our own cars on the way back. Gerrit was mad he couldn't ride with Luke and Paul but we felt it be best if he didn't due to Paul's recent illness (he was feeling better this am). Both boys traveled very well coming home. Emmit slept most of the time which he probably was making up from Saturday's little sleep, and Gerrit too took a good nap. It was another beautiful day for traveling and getting home at a decent time allowed for playing outside before bed.

I don't know where the camera is so I'll have to post pictures later. This week will be interesting as Adam is out of town Tues/Wed. Luckily the boys and I will be going over to Dahlen's on Tues. for dinner to make it easier on me. With beautiful weather predicted all week, I know I'll be outside most evening managing Gerrit and trying to keep Emmit happy!

Pretty Close

I just realized I did not post the boys' comparison stats from the recent well visit...so here they are (drum roll please):

Gerrit (at 4 months):

height: 25.2"

weight: 17 lbs 13 oz

head: 17.1"

Emmit:

height: 25.2"

weight: 16 lbs 1 oz

head: 17. 01"

Wowzers! I had no idea they were that close!

Happy Birthday to Who?

Saturday, Dahlen's took Gerrit, and our friends Abby, Olivia, and Soren to House of Bounce (an indoor play area that is full of blow up bouncy things) for their birthdays. Gerrit, Ollie, and Soren all have their birthdays within a week of each other, so rather than a gift, Anne, Luke and Paul took the kids and did "something".

As much of a gift it was to Gerrit to do this fun activity and have lunch with his buddies, I too thought of it as a 'gift'! It was nice for us to have some time at home to get stuff done w/o having to worry about Gerrit. Adam did some yard work (which Gerrit would've wanted to 'help' with) and I did laundry and knitted (needed to finish up a hat for Sunday's auction). We thought they would be home by 2 after stopping at Mc D's for lunch. When it came close to 4, Adam finally called to check on them (and to see if they would watch the boys so we could shop for the lawn mower). Turns out, they had been home for a while and were baking cookies!

It's great that it did not even phase Gerrit that he would be gone most of the day from us. We missed him but knew he was having a blast with his buddies. Even though it was a later night than we had planned, he slept hard and in his own bed ALL night!