Time Flies

Wow--little Oliver is 6 months old today! To celebrate his half-birthday, we took his rocking chair picture (below), went for a walk, ate some cheesecake, watched some football, and played a game of darts. Take a close look at the dart board. That was my first shot--and I still beat Joel! :-)

(watching football, of course)

Cubs Win the Division!

Last night, after D. Lee hit a home run, (to put the Cubs up 4-0) Ollie decided to show his team spirit by cheering for the Cubs. It was a big game, because they clinched a spot in the playoffs. Here he is waving his Cubs rattle:

My New Talent

Guess what everybody?! I can sit! Yep. All I do is use my strong back and leg muscles, and I sit for minutes! And my new favorite game is to play with 4 little balls that roll around in a metal bowl. Thank goodness mom had the visit from the Parents As Teachers lady--that day, mom found out about this game, and the fact that I can sit on my own! (This picture doesn't do me justice--I really AM sitting!)

Ladeeth Man

Well, tonight Ollie joined us as we went out on the town. Tomorrow is Joel's birthday, so we ate out tonight in Wichita at Abuelo's. Next, we went to Home Depot (what is a trip to Wichita without a stop at a home improvement store?) and finally, we ended at Coldstone. Can you guess who picked that? :-) Here are two cute pics of the boys I love most...

Monkey Boy

We seem to have quite the "active" boy on our hands. He loves to hang upside-down (and Joel certainly doesn't mind playing with him like that!).

He also decided that to just sit in his swing was WAY TOO BORING! So he found a different way to play...

Ollie's First...

Motorcycle ride. Sheesh--the things grandparents do when the parents are away...will we ever be able to trust them? :-)

Cubbies Win!!

We are enjoying our weekend with Joel's sisters Sara and Roanna and their husbands, Kris and Mitch. We're in St. Louis, staying at a Marriott, and we got back from the Cubs game (they won). It was fun. It's actually cold enough that we wore long sleeves and jeans and I bought a hot chocolate! Here are a few pics of us today:

Do My Eyes Look Sick to You?

Because Mommy told Grandma that they do. The truth is, I'm NOT feeling well. I mean, I put on a good face--I still laugh and talk and scream (in a happy way) but I'm just not myself today. My nose is quite runny, I'm coughing, and mommy has to keep using the interesting blue bulb...I think I actually like it! Food isn't so appetizing today either. And I think I'll revert back to when I was 6 weeks old and get up 2-3 times a night...just to cuddle. I don't think Mommy minds it that much, actually. Usually I'm kicking and trying to wriggle out of her arms! The one thing I do like is this reddish cherry flavored delicacy they've been feeding me every 6 hours. Mmmmm!

The other benefit to being sick is that Daddy stays home with me this afternoon! Yippee! Hopefully he won't make me sleep though...hmmmm..I hadn't thought of that yet...

Happy Grandparent's Day!!!

To commemorate this day, Ollie decided to write a song for the World's Best Grandparents. I'll let him share from his heart:

(by the way, Happy Grandparents Day Grandpa and Grandma Smith and Grandma and Grandpa Johnson!)

Hairdressers

You know how, when you get a hair cut, you kind of judge what the quality will be by the salon and the way the hairdressers have done their hair? Just a random thought...well, not really. This weekend my sister, Courtney and I went and got haircuts together. We both wanted the same thing. It was pretty fun! We both were going to go dramatic...but I didn't. Actually, I was willing to! But the hairdresser said this would look nice with my face...I do like it. But upon walking in, I will admit I was a little hesitant. The hairstyles I was seeing were, well, not what I would have pictured myself in. But it ended up being lots of fun! She cut lots of layers and made it less heavy.

Here we are with our new do's. I will say, I didn't like the part she gave me, or the way she combed my hair back. But that's pretty minor!

Other exciting happenings this week? Well, Joel has been furiously working on something out in our garage. I can't say what though...in case a certain couple reads this...and I really can't give clues.

I watched Taylor (the 11-month old daughter of my good friend that I teach with) on Friday--Ollie and her bonded...

And finally, my parents bought a motorcycle today. Yup. And I actually called THEM to make sure they had helmets. Their answer? "Not yet...but we will by the time you visit!" Sheesh. Parents...

And finally, I'll end with a cute picture of Ollie. Just because I think this one is darling! Courtney took it last weekend...ahhhh.....

Our Labor Day Weekend

Hi! I hope you had an un-laborious Labor Day Weekend! I know I sure did. First of all, I should tell you that I am currently getting a tooth. Well--I have one, but another is coming, mom and dad think. So I have been a little off lately. I've been pretty happy--but am not sleeping as well. Anyway--here's the run-down of my weekend:


I got to go to Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's house Saturday and Sunday. It was so much fun! I got to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Tyler and Aunt Erin, Aunt Courtney, and my cousin Addilyn. Here we are being told false tales by my crazy Uncle Tyler. Don't ask me why he has his shirt off--apparently with him, clothing and shoes are optional!

This is me entertaining the crowds. I did this lots this weekend by screaming at the top of my lungs, smiling my very big smile and standing with no help...(okay, I was leaning on the couch...)

This is me with my Great-Grandparents from Wisconsin. I had never met them before! We had so much fun with them, as you can see. I was dressed in my Sunday best for this photo. So was Addilyn.

All in all it was a fun weekend. I decided Saturday night to have a screaming fit around 11:30pm while mom and dad were sleeping in the tent. I was inside--and they could hear me! As soon as I was picked up, though, I was fine...(of course). I did go back to sleep--but I sure like to keep things unpredictable!