i eat too

As I have mentioned in previous posts, our little man is becoming very independent. When he is hungry, he says to us "I eat too."

He is pretty good at using a fork and spoon but there is one thing that I haven't allowed him to tackle by himself...yogurt.

It's just too messy. And very sticky.

And I want my 21-month-old to look like the Gerber baby- he must have a clean face and fingers, clothes with no stains and hair that is nicely combed- at all times.

So last night he wanted to had a screaming fit until I gave him the spoon and let him eat his yogurt without my assistance.

Pure joy on this child's face...

Trying not to spill...

Mission accomplished...

Well that wasn't so bad. There were a few dollops on his tray and a few dribbles on his face. Nothing that a wipe couldn't take care of.

As far as nicely combed hair and clean clothes are concerned, I had to let that go a looooooooooooong time ago.

monday musings- february 22 edition

Mondays are not Fundays in the Berndt household. It seems like lately we've started out the week with one costly expense after another.

Last night, the washer broke down. While I was washing our comforter. Wouldn't have been a big deal, except the comforter was soaking wet, full of soap and really heavy. Phil had to take it to the laundromat to wash it.

The washer can be fixed, however spending $250 to repair an old washer seems like a waste, so we are going to purchase a new one. While I would love a fancy schmancy front load, we are going to settle for a top load for under $500 that we can leave at the townhome when if we ever move.

Last week we had a $500 car repair and the week before it was Piccolo's surgery. We could have take a nice vacation for what we have spent in the last three weeks on unexpected expenses. Either that or I could have gone on one heck of a shopping spree. At any rate, no new clothes for me this month.

Considering we've had our share of lemons lately, I am wondering when we'll get the lemonade?? The lottery would be nice but I would settle for a win on Pioneer Woman or even tickets from a radio station.

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The Olympics have taken over our TV, as is probably true for most. We watched several hours of curling over the weekend. I never realized how much strategy is involved.

The skip (Debbie McCormick) on the US women's team made some costly mistakes in the match against Canada yesterday.

I am thinking about taking curling up as a sport. Perhaps I can replace Debbie in the 2014 Olympics?

But more importantly, I have to get me a pair of those sweet curling shoes.

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Liam has a new trick. He dumps milk from his sippy onto the coffee table (or the floor) and laps it up, just like his dogs.

This thoroughly disgusts me. We clean our floors regularly, but we have dogs and FEET touch the floor. Ick!

When we tell him to stop, he laughs and does it all over again.

He also likes to stick his fingers in places he shouldn't- up my nose, in my ears or mouth and down my shirt.

I wonder if girls do these kinds of things or if he is just trying to ready me for what life will be like when he discovers dirt, snakes and bugs...

monday musings- "things I love" edition

~Inspired by Valentines Day and The Pioneer Woman~

baby giggles

red velvet cupcakes

new shoes

80's hair band music

cookbooks

sudoku

tiny toes

my iPhone

vanilla lattes

dining out

brie cheese

my boys

tulips

silver jewelry

shopping

plain white golf balls

my subi

live music

pizza

ocean waves

kisses from Liam

snowmen

receiving mail other than bills:)

bare minerals make-up

red wine

candles

a fresh hair cut

airplanes

berries

scoring a good deal

girl's nights

snacking

my family and friends

cupid says...

Happy Valentines Day!!!

monday musings- february 8 edition

I am starting something new today- Monday Musings. These posts will involve nothing in particular. Whatever happens to be on my mind will appear in the blog. I will limit it to a few thoughts...trust me, you do not want to know what's going on in my head 99% of the time.

Another big storm to talk about (seriously, the weather is everyone's favorite topic here in MN). A snowy commute is the perfect way to start a Monday...NOT!

I found a couple of quotes that are appropriate for this wintry morning:

"Every mile is two in winter." ~George Herbert

"Winter is nature's way of saying Up Yours." ~Robert Byrne

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And the other big story- Saints are Superbowl champs. The interception Manning threw at the end of the 4th quarter was vaguely familiar...

The big question all Vikings fans want answered is "Will Favre return?" Check out this billboard in Hattiesburg, MS. If that isn't enough to convince Brett to come back to Minnesota, maybe this photo is:

On a happier sports related note, the Twins have a billboard on the corner of 6th Street and 1st Avenue reminding us that there are only 63 days until opening day at Target Field! I predict snow.

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And lastly, a funny Liam story, because I couldn't do a post without an account of his latest shenanigan:

Phil was at the grocery store and Liam was down for a nap yesterday afternoon, so I figured I could get my run in before the game (justification for the cheese dip and chips I would devour later). However, Liam would not cooperate. Two minutes into my warm-up, he started jumping up and down in his crib. No nap for Liam.

Plan B: Diego. I turned on the DVR and sat him down on the couch. He watched quietly for about 10 minutes (this is a record!!) and only tried to hop on the treadmill once (while I was running at 7). He actually listened when I told him no, he could not not play with mommy's toy.

A few hours later we were watching the game and I hear him laughing. I turn around to find him on the treadmill, running in place and singing the Diego theme song.

Clearly he has already realized that an elite athlete needs to be in top form and train regularly:)

Happy Monday!

it's STILL winter

That silly little groundhog predicted another 6 weeks of winter. Based on the calculations, the coming of spring would be around mid-March. But this is Minnesota, so you all know that we have another 3 months of winter- grrrr!

So far we have escaped extreme sickness, however Liam started the month with a double ear infection, cough and a slight fever. I played SAHM for a couple of days, which is always interesting. I have a new respect for my friends that stay home. It is HARD WORK, especially when you have two little terriers that bark at every single squirrel playing in the tree. Annoying.

After the doctor's appointment was out of the way, we had a lot of fun. Surprisingly, he was in a good mood.

We played "B Ball", which is Liam's term for golf. See the connection? Other than the fact that there is a ball involved, I don't either. But that's okay. In his little head, there is a connection.

He loves books, so we also did a lot of reading. I have read "Let's Go to the Zoo" 200 times over the last two days. Out of 30+ books, this is his favorite.

And then there is Diego. I let him watch a few episodes that were DVR'd (this is not the smartest move- he now thinks Diego is on 24/7 AND he knows how to turn on the tv). Liam loves to sing along and answer Diego's questions. However, at the end of each episode we have to deal with a mini tantrum- he throws his hands on his head, arches his back and screams "noooooooooooooooo, Dago!"

He is so dramatic, especially for a boy.

Last night I couldn't wait for Phil to come home and relieve me, but this morning I am missing my baby terribly:(