LUKE at 2 1/2 years

Luke is such a busy kid that I feel like I am always trying to come up with something different to spice things up for him! He is talking more and more and can be very entertaining to listen to. He loves to play and especially loves it when someone plays with him.

He is adapting to the Colorado winter of 60s one day and 8 inches of snow the next!

Luke loves his hot chocolate after shoveling the driveway with his dad.

He was really into play doh for awhile and loved to make cookies. He would even set the timer before putting them in his pretend oven. 

He is WAAY into 'Thomas the Train'. He loves to color and his favorite coloring book is the one that Grandma Kotter sent, Thomas the Train. We picked up a few more books about Thomas and Friends from the library to read at bedtime. The other night, Luke corrected me in regards to which train was Edward and which one was Gordon. Got it. 

He keeps busy playing with his 'Big Loader' set. He is content to watch it go around once or twice on its own, but is convinced that it needs his tender touch to do it correctly.

Lastly, Luke really does love to help out. I've started giving him little chores around the house. I think his three favorite chores are (1) emptying the dishwasher, (2) vacuuming (the vacuum is actually off because Luke is not too trusting of the vacuum) and (3) "washing" the windows with his own spray bottle of water. 

Luke is such a spunky, fun kid. We love his vivacious personality.

Emma at 8 months

Emma continues to be such an oh-so-sweet baby. She does have a playful/teasing side to her that Luke doesn't find as sweet when she demolishes his train tracks.

She went swimming for the first and LOVED splashing around.

She LOVES crawling under, through and rarely around things.

Manages to get into tight spaces rather easily, but has a hard time retracing her pathway in and usually "calls" for assistance. Her favorite (and most frustrating) place to crawl and climb is under the dining room table with all of the chairs. Inevitably, it ends with bonk and a few tears.

She LOVES to go shopping and is a good sport when the shopping cart gets a little bit cozy.

She is officially crawling, and LOVES being mobile. If she really wants something (like Luke's toys)  she will revert back to her speedy army crawl.

I can't believe how fast time is going. We sure LOVE this cutie.

5280

For several weeks in late February and early March every year Denver restaurants offer a meal for two for $52.80. There are some restaurants that this is an amazing deal, where others it is just a few bucks off. It is always fun to try out new restaurants, especially when they turn out yummy! This year, our neighbors, The Millers, arranged a dinner date at a Hibachi Grill with several of our other neighbors during '5280 week'. It was a fun night. We feel so lucky to have such great neighbors and friends.

For the Grandmas and Grandpas

Luke is really into holding Emma and singing her a song before nap time. Emma actually really likes this new addition to her routine. ***TAKE 10...here is the correct video, not sure what happened.***

The 'P' Word

We are officially potty-training Luke. He actually expressed interest and when I baited him with a treat, he was hooked! Things have gone, shockingly, very smoothly. He loves his "Thomas the Train" underwear and takes great pride in keeping them clean. Here is a pic to enjoy of our days at home while potty-training. As much as I love this picture, Luke is going to hate it someday.

Lookin' good, Luke!

Friends and Fondue

We did our annual "Friends and Fondue" with couples from our church. I wish we could invite everyone, but our poor house was bursting at the seams. We had a great time and it appeared that others enjoyed themselves, as long as they didn't have a personal space issue. :)
I did the usual three stations:

1) bread and apples with cheese fondue 

2) meat and veggies with oil and broth fondue

3) dessert with dark and milk chocolate fountains, caramel and strawberry fondue.

Bryan was a bit aggressive with the fondue fountain and took some "to go".

2 of the 3 adorable little guys at the party! We ask that children (except babies, of course) be left at home for (1) safety-way too many cords and pots with boiling broth and oil and (2) it is nice to have a party where couples can mingle and not chase our kids! 

After fondue, we played a round of Pictionary-or made up Pictionary. I made the rules as we went (to favor my team, obviously, and I could NOT remember the rules). People were good sports about playing and it's always fun to include a game at a party.

A quick snapshot of the hosts. 

Until next year!

Valentine's

We had a nice, simple Valentine's Day.

We opened our Valentines' in the morning from each other and then later the kids and I went to a Valentine's party for Luke that his pal, Charlie, hosted.

Each guest took a turn getting their picture taken at the party.

Luke loves to hug his sister. (sometimes it resembles more of a choke hold)

After lunch, the kids decorated Valentine cupcakes. Luke managed to decorate most of his treats before the demolition began. This was the highlight for Luke. He woke up from his nap that day asking to go back to Charlie's to eat more cupcakes.

Emma chasing after Paxton, who according to his T-shirt, is taken. 

Already going after the wrong guys. :)