Off She Goes!

And this is why you don't teach a kid how to ride a bike indoors... Since Katie got her bike in January for her birthday, she hasn't had many opportunities to ride it outside. We've taken it along a few times to indoor play gyms; and she's been a superstar, pedaling around the gymnasium with ease. She's another (hilarious) story, however, when she has to face the challenges of riding outside. She gets nervous if there are any bumps in the riding surface, such as cracked sidewalks, gravel, or dirt. She doesn't like to take her bike's tires through mud (hee!). And, this girl can spot a 1-degree incline a mile away. Even if a riding surface is angling up or down by the smallest amount, she yells, "Hill, Mommy, hiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllll!" You basically have to hold on to her handle bar if she is going down a hill and give her back a shove if she is going uphill. But, she's getting better; and she absolutely left Mommy in the dust today, riding at a nearby park. She LOVES the opportunity for speed....unless there is a hill, bump, or piece of dirt in her path, of course.

Read, Mommy, Read

If there's one thing that both of our kids love, it is BOOKS! We don't know if it is a matter of mimicry, jealousy, or just the love of reading, but these kids will take turns making you read to them for hours, if you'll let them. One will already be standing impatiently with a book while you are reading to the other. We can only hope that this leads to a lifelong love of reading. Definitely makes a mom who focused on literacy and children's literature in grad school swell with pride!

Too Much Time on our Hands

This morning the local schools had a 2-hour delay, which also delayed Katie's preschool. This, of course, messed up our nicely set schedule. Usually, Michael catches his morning nap right after Katie's drop-off....meaning that Traci actually gets some time to HERSELF!! (Woo-hoo!) But, with the delayed drop-off, things had to be switched up and Traci had to find something to do with the little monster all morning. She opted for the free option - a quick trip to the mall play yard. However, Michael doesn't believe in staying in one place for more than five minutes, so the trip entailed running through the mall hallways, trying to scale the escalators, pulling items off of kiosks, and "riding" the mechanical rides (see picture). Whew....Traci actually needed a break AFTER preschool pick-up!!

His Own Man(?)

Isn't it truly amazing how different two siblings can be? We are amused everyday, comparing our beautiful girl and handsome son, each with their own distinct personalities. First, you've got Miss Katie, truly a wonderful, sweet soul. She adores people, but not the noises that come with them. She loves to learn new things, but doesn't always enjoy the new environments that accompany those things. She loves to take care of others, but thrives on being taken care of herself. ("What, Mommy, you actually want me to dress myself?") Then there is Mr. Michael, who is quickly becoming his own independent man. He dives headfirst into new situations, trying to learn through every single one of his five senses (taste being the top priority!). He rejoices whenever he overcomes a new obstacle, literally standing tall and squealing at the top of his lungs. And, foremost, he thrives on his independence, quickly completing tasks (like undressing himself) that Big Sis wouldn't have even cared to try. This, this fascinating difference in these two incredible beings, is what makes having kids so fun.

But....on the other hand, at least 3 or 4 people mistake Michael for a girl every day, so perhaps they really are more similar than we could imagine....

Post-Bath Routine 2.0

Way back in September 2008, we filmed Katie doing her infamous Post-Bath Naked Dance. As the name implied, she just loved boogying down and going crazy with no clothes on. Fast-forward almost 2.5 years later, and now we have two crazies shakin' their thing!

Ahhhh....Nature

Nothing beats a 70-degree day in February! (And, it's more of the same tomorrow!!) We celebrated the fantastic weather by NOT PUTTING ON ANY COATS (celebration!) and heading outside. Even though we went to a playground, the kids were more interested in exploring the nearby woods. More power - and nature - to them! Snapped a pic of Katie looking out over the rocks to the river. Meanwhile, Michael was having a blast stomping on the crunchy leaves left from last fall. Doesn't get much better that that! Off to hike with some friends tomorrow....

Ready, Set.....Jump!

Love this picture for many reasons:

1.) The anticipation and wind-up before Katie's blast into the ball pit.

2.) The fact that Michael is now old enough to play with his sister and friends in said ball pit. (He LOVES it, by the way!)

3.) The fleeting glimpse of Madeline's eye ball!


Happy jumping, everyone!

Happy (early) Valentine's Day!

Mike is absolutely tied up in a long day of work tomorrow, so we celebrated Valentine's this weekend! Daddy and Katie started the festivities by surprising Mommy with a dozen beautiful roses and a cute heart balloon yesterday. The gift was especially nice as daddy and daughter picked them out together! This evening, we went out to dinner at a fantastic new pizza place called Pizzeria Orso. (See picture: Katie and Mike, playing Tic-Tac-"Dough" while waiting for the food!) While the kids stuck with a traditional cheese pizza and mozzarella sticks, Traci and Mike ventured into the more exotic pizza territory, with toppings like arugula, prosciutto, red peppers, onions, and eggplant. Yum-yum!! When we returned home, Traci finally gave out her presents to the kids and Mike. The kids were happy with their little trinkets and candy, but Mike was definitely ecstatic with his nostalgic candy (Big League Chew, Bottlecaps, Tootsie Rolls, and Mike & Ikes). Now, Katie has a big day to look forward to tomorrow at school: Wear Red to School Day, complete with the exchange of Valentines and treats!!!

Flat Kira

Our family was very privileged to host an honored guest this week! Traci's cousin's daughter Kira had to complete a school project where she would send a "flat" version of herself (ala Flat Stanley) to a host family, who would take pictures of the little doll wherever they went. For some reason....even though she knows people in way cooler places than DC...she chose us as that host family!! We were excited to do a good job with Flat Kira, so we took her to a lot of fun places. We also had a blast drawing and cutting out appropriate attire for Flat Kira to wear at our various locations. In this picture, Flat Kira wore a coat and hat to visit Katie's preschool class for the day.

In addition to the school visit, Flat Kira got to do some cool things in Northern Virginia. She attended our friend Madeline's first birthday party, where she got to "sit" at the kids' table for cake and ice cream. We also took her to a big Super Bowl party - sporting Troy Polamalu's #43 jersey, of course - where she got to watch us scream at the TV in frustration.

Flat Kira also got to venture into the city for the day, when Mike took her to work and showed her some sites at his lunch hour. Not only did she get to "see" the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Headquarters, but she also visited the Verizon Center, the International Spy Museum, and the Capitol. Since she was in such formal surroundings, it was only natural that she would wear a suit and tie!!

We hope Kira's class has as much fun seeing the pictures and reading the stories as we had conjuring them!!

Big Boy Meets Water Fountain

We know, we know....it's moments like this that have probably given Michael every virus he has had this winter... But doesn't the big boy just look so cute trying to do things on his own? He has actually mastered climbing up on a stool, pressing the button, and bending down to get the water. He's just not tall enough to catch the water before it touches the germy basin. Unfortunately, he has become obsessed with this water fountain (found at Katie's dance studio), so it is a fight for 45 minutes to keep him away from it every dance class.

Vrooooom-vrooom!

Check out Katie's new motorcycle! No, just kidding...this is what, I think, is called a balance bike; and she just hopped on one available at today's Open Gym. They're nifty, little contraptions that help kids learn how to balance on two wheels without the worries of pedals. Katie had fun zooming around on it for awhile, and I had fun chuckling at my little Harley chick.

Wait 'Til Next Year!

Being Cubs' fans, we are used to repeating the mantra "Just Wait 'Til Next Year!" over and over again. It's a little more disappointing when it applies to the Steelers, who actually know how to win the Big One. As everybody knows by now, our beloved football team fell to the better squad on Sunday. It was an exciting, but ultimately frustrating, game to watch. Traci's only solace? That #7 basically looked like a buffoon with those two interceptions he threw for touchdowns. During the game, we were treated to fantastic food and hospitality by Mike's boss and co-workers. Too bad at least one of us was continuously chasing Michael around the house while the other was making sure that Katie was eating. Well, at least that kept us from having to pay too close attention to a horrible first half.... Congrats to the Packers and their fans (Aunt Maggie! McGs! Forsbergs! Fogue!), and we'll see you next year!!

Go, Katie, Go!

Yesterday was such a beautiful mid-winter day that Daddy and Katie spent some of their pre-Super Bowl time outside with her new bike. Katie still has a lot to learn, such as how to brake properly and go up and down steep hills. But Mike reported back that she did a great job riding around the neighborhood with her awesome wheels.

Oh, and as for the Super Bowl itself? :( More on that tomorrow...

She's the 1!!

It was one year ago today when, in the midst of one of Northern Virginia's worst blizzards, our good friends Maureen and Brian gave birth to their daughter Madeline. Today we all gathered for a festive celebration, complete with cake, balloons, and plenty of Super Bowl talk. (Ahem...Maureen's entire family was in town from Milwaukee...ahem.) Katie had fun playing with any girl that would talk to her, whether kid or mommy or Grandma. Michael just ran around screaming, with a balloon trailing behind him.

Here's a cute shot of the kids' table. We don't think more than two words were exchanged once the cake and ice cream were served. Michael has not yet graduated to the kids' table since he still has a habit of throwing his plates around. Maybe someday he'll graduate...

PS - Huge birthday week...birthday wishes also go out to Aunt Tabby (February 3rd), Col-leenie-leenie (February 4th), and Uncle David (February 5th)!

I'm Gonna Git You, Sucka!

Nothing beats a yummy post-lunch lollipop treat on a Friday afternoon. Perhaps we should have taken the same picture about 10 minutes later, when Michael's face, hands, and hair were covered with a shade of sticky blue. Ahhh, the joy of kids!

Speaking of Learning New Things...

We are in so much trouble when it comes time to scrap Michael's crib... Our little dude, who has a knack for tinkering and figuring things out, has already learned how to open his bedroom door. There goes the strategy of just shutting him in when he switches to his big-boy bed. Geez, Katie didn't even contemplate the possibility of opening her own door until she was like 3 1/2! (What a timid, little angel we had with her...) Oh well, we'll deal with that bumpy transition when the time comes.

Proud of Themselves

One of our fun mantras that we go by in this house is "Let's try to learn something new every day!!" Of course, we don't always succeed with this mantra, but it sure is fun trying. The kids are always SOOO proud when they (well, at least, Katie) can announce that they've learned "___________." The above video illustrates Michael's triumph for the day. I had set him in front of the sink with a bunch of toys for some water play. After awhile, all he wanted to do was figure out how to drink with the big-boy cup. Way to go, Michael! (Yes, he was a bit of a mess, wasn't he? But, look at how proud he was of himself!!)

As for Katie, she was in the other bedroom, learning how to "double-click" our PC's mouse so that she could do more on her own with the computer. It only took her a few tries before she was mastering the art of the double-click. I could literally hear her chanting to herself, "Click, click, real quick." Wish I had taped that as well. She cannot wait to show Daddy tomorrow!!