scoops and kicks and monkey cheeks

Liam's Backfloat Baby 2 swim class ends on Thursday. Next week he will move up to Backfloat Baby 3.

He has come a long way since the first session in September (ironically called Backfloat Baby 1).

During the first few weeks, he clung to me and cried the entire time he was in the water. Except when he was forced underwater. Then he actually laughed. We can't figure out if it was because he was so surprised or if he actually liked being dunked. Poor child. Hopefully he does not have some strange aversion to going underwater when he gets older.

Now when we get to the pool, we have to restrain him from jumping in until his class starts. He cannot wait to get into the water. "I swimming, I swimming." He loves it!

He is learning to doggie paddle (scoops and kicks) and hold his breath in the water (monkey cheeks). He practices in the tub, which usually means I am soaked by the end of his bath. I've learned to cover myself with a towel.

Here are a few pics from last week's class (I know, my camera is awful but I'm working on it!!):

monday musings- two days late edition (march 3 but shoulda been march 1)

Yep, I am a bit behind, but I just haven't had to write this week.

Work is crazy.

Liam had a double ear infection(again)and pink eye. And then he had an allergic reaction to his medication. My poor baby had big, splotchy hives all over his body.

Thankfully he is all better and is sleeping again. The lack of sleep made me feel like we had a newborn again. I could not concentrate on anything.

Which made me wonder how I made it through the first nine months without crashing my car or lighting something on fire. I am admittedly clumsy, but getting no sleep makes me downright dangerous.

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Luckily we did not have anything financially disastrous happen this week. In fact, we were able to take advantage of the MN Appliance Rebate. $200 for a new washer makes it a lot easier to swallow. Plus, the washer was on sale AND I received an extra 10% off coupons, so with the savings we opted to get the dryer too.

Obviously, I would rather buy Twins season tickets but I am trying to find something positive out of the situation.

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Well, I am feeling a little sluggish today and don't have much more to "muse" about.

Happy Sunny Day!

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:(

boom goes the dynamite...again and again and again

So it's been kind of a crappy week. It's cold. Actually, it's not just cold, it's flipping FREEZING!

Sunday was the football fiasco.

Monday morning Phil spotted a little blood in Piccolo's urine. We took her to the vet and found out she had crystals in her bladder.

Tuesday Piccolo had surgery for said crystals. $1,100 later she is back to her old self. She is on three different drugs, but it's nice to see her wagging her tail and trying to steal Liam's food again but I sure could have gone on a nice shopping spree with that $1,100.

On Wednesday the new Sports Illustrated came in the mail. And on the cover...Dree Brees and the Saints. Who Dat? Who cares!!! The sting is still there.

It's Thursday and I am hoping something good comes my way.

Friday is our anniversary and I get to have dinner with my husband, at a restaurant, without our child.

And that, my friends, is the something good I desperately need:)

the day after

Not only is it Monday, but the Vikings season is over and done with. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I really thought this was our year. In fact, I even took a stab at guessing the final score (31-28), however my prediction favred (get it- ha ha) the Vikings. Good thing I'm not a gambler.

We went to a party at the Fairbairn's last night. Liam wore his lucky #4 jersey (hey, it was lucky up unti this point) and entertained everyone by cheering when he was supposed to- when the rest of the crowd did because that is what toddlers do. He showed off his football knowledge by giving the TD sign when appropriate. And he screamed "SKOL" when prompted.

Unfortunately, he didn't quite comprehend the results of last night's game. He woke up this morning happily screaming "football" and clapping his hands, perhaps hoping we would watch another football game today. Poor buddy. He has no idea what he's in for as a Vikings fan.

Today I will allow myself to wallow in my sorrows, and mourn the Superbowl that should have been. Tomorrow, I will remind myself that there is more to life than a football game.

But it will still hurt.

Now the question is, which QB jersey will he be wearing next year?

mommy's little helper

Liam loves to help us with what we consider boring household chores. When we put groceries away he hands us food from the bags, he knows to wipe the table with his napkin after dinner and he insists on helping me push the Dyson. I know this won't last. When he's 12 and refuses to clean his room, I will be sure to remind him that he used to LOVE being my little helper.

Since he loves his doggies, we decided his first "job" could be to give them their after-dinner treats.


Unfortunately Hank knows how to work him:)

2010!

Happy New Year and Happy New Decade!

Well, I am long overdue for a blog post and I really don't have an excuse as to why I haven't signed in lately, especially since we were off work/ day-care for twelve days over the holidays.

It's amazing how quickly the days fly by when not at work, especially with a busy almost-20-month-old.

Check back in a few days, and I'll have an update of what we have been up to for the past month.

And I have a really cute video for you to check out too! Stay tuned...

cookie monster

Liam is quite the chatterbox lately. He knows a lot of words, and each day surprises us with new ones we didn't know he would remember.

For example, he pointed to one of his books the other day and said "bee." I was so proud of my little guy because there was in fact a bee on the cover of the book (clearly he is a genius). When we opened to the first page of the book, he pointed to a picture and said "mole." Sure enough, he was right (future doctor here).

Several new words a day are expected of an 18 1/2 month old learning to talk but it always amazes me how their little brains pick up on things so quickly.

Liam's FAVORITE word, by far, is "cookie." This child probably says cookie 100 times a day!! The other night we tried to teach him to say "broccoli" at dinner. It sounded more like ba-ki, but he was really trying. He even attempted to use it in a sentence (mind you, his version of sentences are one or two words that are clearly audible mixed with a bunch of babble).


But he tries...you gotta give the kid that.

So as he's eating his broccoli, he says something like:
"I like ba-ki ado mama okie....cookie!!"

In an instant, we go from broccoli to cookie.

Clearly he has a one track mind.

Here is a video of Liam with one of his beloved cookies:

Don't even think about asking him for a bite:)

cookbooks and mall cops

One of the blogs I follow is The Pioneer Woman. My friend Megan turned me on to her blog (and more importantly her recipes) a year or so ago and I have been following her daily every since. Don't think I'm a stalker though. Twenty million other people follow her amazing life as as a rancher's wife, homeschooling mama, photography expert, and cook extraordinaire. I have to admit, I am a bit envious.

PW (that's short for Pioneer Woman) came out with her first cookbook and had a scheduled appearnce the Mall of America. Megan and I thought we'd wait maybe for an hour, or even two for our chance to meet our favorite blogger and get our cookbooks signed.

Boy were we were wrong.

We arrived at 11:30, an hour and a half BEFORE the signing, and were promptly told that the end of the line was behind the stage. Apparently a thousand others in Minnesota love her just as much.

Luckily I left Liam at home with Dad. They went to happy hour, which he probably enjoyed much more that being stuck in line for 5 hours.

But Megan brought David. He was an angel.














Finally! Ree came to the stage. She walked right by us, but I didn't have my camera ready, so this photo of her signing someone else's cookbook will have to suffice.














We made friends with the guys ahead of us. They were here from Seattle for the Vikes/ Seahawks game but promised mom-in-law they'd get some books signed while in town. They sure are nice guys!














I told them they'd be disappointed. But not with PW. Only with the outcome of the game (and they were). SKOL!

Here are their friends (pretty sure they spent the afternoon at Hooters):














Did you know TLC is filming a show called Mall Cops: Mall of America?

I didn't either, but here is the star:














I thought she had on a bit too much makeup for a mall cop.

You wouldn't think much can happen at a mall, but according to one of the security guards I chatted with, it's another world out at the MOA in Bloomington, especially after hours.

So four hours later, we're still in line. At this point I had made a few trips to the lovely restroom in Nordstrom. And along the way found the PERFECT outfit...except I didn't have $750 to put it all together, so I had to leave it for someone else.

Finally, we were getting close.














Sort of. We still had another hour to wait at this point. But we did get to see the mall cops in action. They had to make sure that a diaper bag gone astray did not contain any bombs.

And then, the moment we had been waiting for- thirty second meeting with none other than Ree Drummond...














She was gracious and very lovely (even after signing 300,000 cookbooks).

Was it worth it? You betcha!

treats

Eli and Liam checking out the treats in the dessert case at Ole Cafe in Northfield.

Liam thought everything was a cookie. Just like he thinks all animals are puppies.

What a sweet moment!

punky the monkey

Liam was a monkey for Halloween, which is totally fitting since he will eat five bananas a day if we allow him to. Seriously, I have to hide them in the grocery cart or he will scream for them all the way through the store.

Instead of doing the whole trick-or-treat thing, our friends had a party for those of us that have babies.

Here is a pic of the moms and babies:

Notice my child would not sit on my lap nicely like the other kiddos. What he really wanted to do was play with Lynley's birthday presents (she's the one in orange).

And another with the dads and babies:
This is just plain chaos!!

brusha, brusha, brusha

Remember that clip in Grease of Jan at the slumber party singing the jingle? Check it out here if you don't....

Every time I brush my teeth, that song pops into my head. No kidding, since the first time I watched the movie in like 1980. "Brusha, brusha, brusha get the new Ipana." It's actually quite annoying. But I digress.

It's only fair that Liam learns the song now that he is a little toothbrusher.

As soon as he gets his pj's on, we tell him it's time to brush his teeth with Spongebob. He runs right into the bathroom and points to the sink chanting "Ba-bob, Ba-bob."

First we help him brush:

And then he does it himself:

And then it's nigh nigh time.

17 months

A picture of our baby one year ago (5 months):

Notice the drool on the left side of his sweater vest? It's so cute!

And this past weekend (17 months):

Definitely not a baby any more, but a sweet little boy! I wish he would stay this way forever!!!!!

Liam's favorite things du jour:

To watch:
Spongebob, Diego, and Dora
Football and baseball
Hank and Piccolo playing fetch

To play with:
Blocks
Balls
Stuffed dog (looks exactly like Hank)
Remotes, cell phones and PS3 controllers
Books, books, and more books ("ooo go, ooo go")

To eat:
Cookies
Bananas
Spaghetti
Taco soup
Peas (what??)
Goldfish crackers

To help with:
Loading the dryer
Putting away his cups and spoons
Brushing his teeth
Shutting the car door

Words:
Cookie
Mommy
No, no, no, no, no
Hi and bye
Football
Touchdown (he even knows the sign!)
Doggie and puppy
Thanks

monkey see, monkey do

Liam is in that toddler stage where he mimics everything we say and do (which means mommy has to stop swearing at drivers on the road).

Where do you think he learned this?

uh oh! spaghetti!

It must be fall because Dad and Linda made the trip big city a few weekends ago (you know who doesn't leave DL in the summer). We had a family dinner at Maggiano's in Edina on Friday night. This is a great family restaurant and perfect for crazy toddlers. It is very loud and the servers were so taken by Liam and Eli's cuteness that they didn't care about the mess that was left on the floor after we were finished.

We ordered a family style meal that included two selections each of appetizers, salads, pastas, entrees, and desserts. By the time the pasta came the table was full, and a pasta bowl ended up right in front of Liam. We gave him a little bit on a small plate, but as you will see, that was not enough for him. He had to have the entire bowl.


Here he is just kind of playing with the spaghetti



And then he started to shove handfuls into his mouth


Next he learned to slurp it


Finally, as happens at every meal, we have spaghetti hair