Baby X is getting huge

Before the haircut... it's actually recently combed in this picture, so it's not horrible.

Baby X got a haircut again on Saturday. He needed it desperately, especially as the mercury climbs higher and higher in the thermometer. I sneaked into his room last night to peak on him and was amazed at how huge he looks in general, but especially with the new buzz cut he's sporting. His alligator is even in there with him for comparison. :)


Notes on Baby X: he's been doing awesome with his signs lately. He's been signing: please, more, and all done for awhile now. And he's started signing: bird, car, more, please more (two signs together), and all gone. He pulled "all gone" out of the blue. I use it with him, but have never made him mimic it. I told him "all gone" and he signed it to me. And speaking wise, he'll occasionally say mama or dada... but still not really to us. And he can say "up."

Strawberry Patch

Friday we picked strawberries at a berry farm just south of town.


Buddy, who loves strawberries, helped me pick quite a few.
Princess Sparkley, who won't eat a strawberry, picked one
and spent the rest of the time on the playground.



Baby X hung out in the shade with his friends, M and A.

Forest Park

We've promised our kids that we'd take them on a boat ride in the lake at Forest Park near the St. Louis zoo for three years. Since this was probably our last trip to St. Louis before we move (other than the one where we drive through as we're moving) we decided this had to be the trip. B and I had gone on a boat ride a couple of years ago for our anniversary.

We started the day at the zoo. We were envisioning horrible crowds since it was Memorial Day, in Missouri, at a free zoo. We were lucky (sort of) though because it was raining. It wasn't crowded. We got slowly drenched, but it was mostly just a stead drizzle. And we got to see a baby camel. I love baby animals. Baby X enjoyed the penguins most and finally mastered the sign for bird.

We also paid extra to ride the train... another promise we'd made to the kids. $5 a person (except for Baby X)!!! But I guess I shouldn't complain since admission to the zoo is free.

We also paid extra for the new sting ray exhibit. I'd pet sting rays before at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or somewhere of the sort. So I thought the kids would enjoy it. Buddy assured me that he wasn't going to touch one, but he'd like to see them. PS thought she'd maybe touch one. Buddy ended up loving it and after about 10 minutes of just watching them, he decided to touch them and ended up petting quite a few. PS was much more scared and only barely touched a couple.

Then we headed to the lake and the boat ride. B's mom was meeting us at the lake to sit with Baby X while we took the two older kids on the boat. By now it had stopped raining so we thought we'd have to hurry over there before a line formed for the boat rentals. When we went for our anniversary we had to wait quite awhile for an available boat. We didn't need to hurry. There was only one other boat on the lake and it was heading in as we headed out. B picked a row boat rather than a paddle (or is it pedal) boat so that our kids weren't falling out the back while we went. After about 15 minutes it started to rain. The guy in charge of the boats told us if it was under 40 minutes we could get a rain check and that if it started to rain, to stop under one of the bridges. We had just passed under the last, and best bridge when it started to rain so we turned around pretty quickly but it seemed to be letting up so we kept going. By the time we got to the final (and worst) bridge it was pouring, but the bridge was just a metal grate that did nothing to keep us dry so we decided to just head all the way back to the dock rather than sit still getting wet when it could just get worse. Needless to say, we got a rain check. And drenched. And the kids got in a huge, horribly embarrassing (the dock is also a fancy restaurant) fight over their umbrella while we waited for B to get the car.

We ate our "picnic"provided by B's mom in the car as we drove to my old roommate Karen and her husband Nate's home to visit with them. Karen is from western Kansas and they moved to St. Louis last summer. We've been trying to meet up over the last year and hadn't managed it yet. It was fun to visit with them and see how much their kids have grown. I babysat their oldest when she was just a baby and I was completely clueless about kids.




We ended our day by seeing the outside of Ulysses S. Grant's home and getting stamps for our National Parks passports (and using their bathrooms). Our kids have been to Grant's Farm before with Grandma and Grandpa M but B and I hadn't and it was sort of on the way home so we drove past so we could see it.

Train to St. Louis

One of the things Buddy got as a Christmas present was a folded piece of paper with a picture of him, a plus sign and a picture of a train. When the card was opened, there was an equals sign and a picture of the St. Louis arch. We finally got around to fulfilling this Christmas gift and he got to ride the train to St. Louis. B went with Buddy and Princess Sparkley. I drove Squeally McSqueal, aka Baby X in the car.


Baby X and I dropped them off at Union Station in Kansas City to catch the 7:30 AM train. While we drove straight east from Kansas City across the state of Missouri, their train headed southeast and went through Jefferson City instead of Columbia. The train ride was about $44 for the three of them (once we figured in discounted fares, student discounts and AAA discounts). It took 5 hours and 40 minutes. The drive from our home (about 40 minutes west of Kansas City) to Chesterfield (this side of St. Louis) takes 4 hours without stops.

Here's where I don't know the story anymore. B will have to fill it in but he's fallen asleep next to me. And just half an hour ago he was set to go rent a movie from Redbox. :)













PS has no idea what Hogwarts is. She just saw that I was making B take a picture and she wanted to be in it.


A fun caboose photo op in Union Station which isn't where the trains go anymore... it's all fancy restaurants and stores.


Union Station. Downtown St. Louis, MO.

Baby X loves books.

Graduation photo shoot

(Click on the collage to enlarge images.)

After all our extended family had left, we drove back up to campus (when it wasn't so full of other graduates having their pictures taken) and took some pictures of B in his cap and gown.

The bottom row, where B looks like he's in a tunnel is in the base of Campanile (or bell tower). The story behind this is that the first time you walk through it is supposed to be when you graduate. Otherwise you jinx it. So if you go in it before you are graduating, you have to walk out the same door you came in. Princess Sparkley followed this rule. Buddy did not. I'm recording this so that in the future, we can see if this comes true for our kids. The graduate procession into the stadium for the ceremony earlier today led them through the Campanile.

Some pictures swith the rest of us.

The sun was setting so they aren't all the best quality. And, I'm blaming it on the camera, not the person holding the camera, some pictures are blurry.

Graduation Treats

We had class of 2009 and Jayhawk plates along with lemon cupcakes, and chocolate peanut butter cupcakes (I can't get the picture to load). And these cute little graduation cap pops I saw here.

Graduation: Day 2

B's parents came back for the main University Commencement that was today (Sunday) along with B's brother's family.

We met at our house and then drove to a building on the edge of campus where we got to ride a University bus (that looks like a Jayhawk) to campus. B had picked up free tickets for all of us to eat at the Chancellor's lunch. So we spotted Big Jay (the mascot) and ate our lunches before walking down to the stadium to get seats. We were really lucky that the seats we picked were on the side of the stadium B was going to walk past so we saw him close up.


Before the graduates came in.



If you click to enlarge, you can see where I've circled B's face in red as he walked through the line of professors.

Again, he's circled in red, smiling and waving.


Walking past us. The kids were really excited because they could spot him and wave and he'd wave back.


He's circled in red, in the crowd of graduates.

Graduation: Day 1

(Click on the collage to enlarge images.)

Saturday the Economics Department had their graduation ceremony. B's parents came out from St. Louis for both days. Our kids were wonderfully behaved, especially since there were probably only six kids in the entire auditorium, and three of them were ours.\

Congratulations B, we're all very proud of you!

Four Generations

We were lucky enough to have B's maternal grandparents drive from Pittsburgh, PA to St. Louis to see Grandma and Grandpa M and then trek over to Kansas City to B's brother's house where we met up with them. It's always fun when we get to see them. I'm always especially glad when my kids get to see them since only one of my great grandparents was alive when I was born (and my only knowledge of this comes from the fact that he's in the picture of my family at my baby blessing). And all of my grandparents passed away many years ago.

Buddy is FIVE!

Buddy also went in for a well child check-up last Friday after turning five on April 28th.

Buddy weighs 43 1/2 lbs. and is 45 inches tall.

I got him a kids map of Washington DC for his birthday. He loves it. He likes looking at maps with B all the time and now, after receiving his new map, he wants to have a map collection of his own. So far he has a map of BYU, Washington DC, the St. Louis zoo and KU in his map box. Feel free to send any other kid maps his way.

He still holds his pencil wrong... he holds it in his fist. He's getting much better and letting me correct his grip. He knows all of his letters and how to write them (upper case). He can read several words. We've taught him the words: and & the. Everything else he just picked up because he loves signs. He can read: Exit, Pizza, stop, spot, go, and continually surprises us with the other little words he's picked up on. This is way different than how PS learned to read, it's fun to watch his little mind compute everything.


He's wanted this firetruck for a long time.


Baby X bought him more traffic cones. Buddy's response, now that he owns 8: "do you think real road construction guys have 8 cones, or do they have more?" He's already making plans for more. Yikes. He sets them up all over the house blocking of construction zones.


Sweet roll for breakfast on his birthday.


Birthday brownie when Daddy came home for lunch (B had class that night).


Buddy studying his new map over breakfast. Does this remind you of Jed or what? I'll have to post a bunch of pictures over the years of Buddy studying maps.

Baby X at 15 months.

Baby X went in for his 15 month check-up last Friday.

He is 33 1/4 inches tall.
Weighs 23 lb and 10 oz.
His head circumference is19 inches.

He's been fast on all of the big motor skills: rolling over, crawling, sitting up, standing, walking, climbing. But he's been slow on smaller motor skills: feeding himself with a spoon, waving, clapping.

His doctor thinks he'll be taller than Buddy. He jumped a ton in height since his 12 month check-up and is now in the 95% for height.

It's also very apparent to me that he'll have delayed speech like Buddy did. He's very expressive, but it's all just guttural noises and grunts with some consonants here and there. His doctor said after we move, when he's 18 months, then we should look into speech therapy or something, like we did with Buddy.

On a high note, he's finally started to return the signs we've been teaching him. He's been clapping for a long time now. And about a week ago he started waving regularly. And as of last week he knows the signs for please and more. And this week he's learned all done. He also now points to his nose when I ask him where his nose is. Hooray.

Nancy Drew Birthday

Here's a sneak peak at Princess Sparkley's Nancy Drew Birthday Party invitation. We're planning her party for June since we'll have moved in August when it's her real birthday. She's been reading Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew books (early reader chapter books stories starring Nancy Drew).

Kansas City Royals

B decided we should drive to Kansas City twice on Saturday so after we drove Buddy's two friends home from his birthday party, we drove back to KC a few hours later to watch the Detroit Tigers beat the KC Royals. The game was sold out. We had to park way further away than we ever have before at Kauffman Stadium and we weren't one of the first 20,000 fans so we didn't get any Royals replica jerseys. Oh well. It was still fun and being there made it so we missed the crazy weather at home including the tornado sirens going off for 40 minutes or so. And somehow it all missed KC.

Baby X was perfect for the first hour or so. I think the noise and the size and the bright lights had him mesmerized. He just sat on B's lap and watched until he spotted me and then he switched to my lap and just watched. Then for about 45 minutes he was restless. Then it cleared out a little and he could walk around our row but this mostly involved picking up peanut shells and handing them to me. At least he didn't put them in his mouth. Once he discovered the chairs and that he could climb onto them, that kept him busy. For awhile.

After the game we asked a woman to take our picture. We have pictures of our family at every baseball game we've been to. After the woman took our picture and left, a guard standing there told us he'd take a better picture for us and had us walk down a level while he stood up top. His pictures turned out blurry. And neither of our photographers included the new, giant, crown topped big screen TV that Kauffman Stadium added with their renovations (see below).

picture from here

Buddy's 5th Birthday

Buddy turned 5 today but we celebrated his birthday on Saturday by taking two of his friends from church with us to Fritz's Railroad Restaurant where a train brings you your food.

His cake was a train of cupcakes with toothpicks holding pictures of Thomas and his train cars.

School Carnival

PS's school carnival was today. I figured we'd spend about an hour there. I think it ended up being closer to three. Yikes. Each classroom had a different carnival like game. At first Buddy was timid but after a couple rooms he was jumping up and down on hyperactive overload. He had a blast since a lot of the games are ball oriented. His favorite included: bowling, basketball (which he was way too short for but did 4 or 5 time anyway), a stomp rocket, and this one where helium tanks are balancing beach balls in the air and you have to knock them down with a tennis ball. He loved that one. There was also a cake walk. PS was all about that because you won a cake. Buddy wasn't so sure so I quickly tried to explain the game to both of them figuring they've never really done it before and then I promised Buddy I'd walk along with him. It turns out it wasn't even the cut throat cake walk I was expecting. I guess I was picturing something more like musical chairs where people would be fighting to be the last one standing. They just called out numbers. PS ended up winning us a cake. Later on, we played again to use up tickets, and even with all of our family but Baby X on a square, so we had 4/12 odds, still none of us won a cake that time.


Here's what's left of the cake (or cupcakes) PS won us. The first time we were in the cake walk room a woman came in to check on her cakes... she wanted to make sure hers were the first to go, not the last ones that no one picked.


Baby X was a trooper just hanging out in his stroller the whole time.


The kids used their tickets to buy hot dogs, snow cones and cotton candy. They were SO excited about the cotton candy and have been talking about it since PS brought the carnival flyer home from school a couple of weeks ago... turns out neither of them really liked it. So, B and I got stuck eating a bunch of it because right after we got ours they shut down so we didn't want to throw away our nearly full cones in front of all those sad people who didn't get any.


PS was very excited about the umbrella in her snow cone. She also had a unicorn painted on her face. And was thrilled with all of the cheap prices they got.

We're Astronauts!!

Princess Sparkley brought home a paper from school the other day about a thing NASA was doing at the University of Kansas where people could come and touch one of only 7 moon rocks on Earth. So, we met B up on campus Tuesday afternoon and touched a moon rock. The kids loved it. I think we were all a little disappointed in the moon rock... it was slightly larger than a quarter but not shaped like a circle and basically looked and felt like a button made from plastic. BUT, we can say we touched a piece of the moon (except Baby X because we felt weird trying to make him stick his hand under the little plastic bridge thing to touch it). These pictures were the coolest part (and the only part we had to wait in line for... a LONG line). Buddy refused. PS and I did it. Enjoy us in space...

Easter Dessert

These were our Easter desserts. I got the idea from here. We were going to do cupcakes and ribbons, but this is what we ended up with. Actually, we stacked a cookie on top of a brownie but I forgot to take pictures. PS drew the bunny faces and insisted on the bunnies for the girl's desserts had flowers on their one ear.

Spikey Hair on Baby X

I gave him "spikey hair," sort of to match Buddy's one day. Doesn't he look older? Especially in the picture where you can see him sitting on the chair.

More Easter shots of Baby X

Baby X eating his first Easter Peep (a blue one).
Cutie.
Desperate for cookies he knows are cooling on the counter.
Cutie again.
Pointing at me.
Hunting for Easter eggs... he really got into it after awhile.
Finally eating the cookie he wanted.
A funny shot of him... if you enlarge it, you can see his tongue is out.
Gathering eggs.




He SOOO wants those cookies. :)
I posted Easter pictures last week while Baby X was taking his afternoon nap. Here are some fun shots from the rest of the night...

Easter Baskets