Take Your Kid To Work

Levi has been sick for the last couple of days.  He started running fever on Tuesday...my first day of school!  Other than the fever and being a little bit more irritable than usual, Levi has seemed fine.  He's even been running around playing like normal.

Mat stayed with him on Wednesday, and I stayed with him Thursday.  When he was still running fever Thursday evening, Mat decided he'd stay with home with him again.  Then, Friday morning, Mat had the crazy idea to take Levi into the office with him (This plan had been pre-approved by Mat's boss).

Some thing's Levi enjoyed while at Dad's office:

• Drawing on the white board while standing in the chair 
• 52 card pick up with Dad's brand new box of 500 business cards 
• Taking over Dad's chair
• Standing in a different chair to practice turning the lights on and off
• Giving Mat's coworker (Gus) the nickname Gussy 
• Participating in casual Friday by taking a nap in only his diaper
• Answering the (pretend) phone by saying "Thanks for calling"

This makes me think of the times when my sister and I would go to work with my Dad.  Our favorite things were drawing on his white board and drinking the free sodas!  Thankfully Levi didn't have any soda.  :)

It was a challenging day but productive day and one I'm sure Mat will remember forever.

22 Months

Dear Levi,

This past month has been a whirlwind!  We were gone for most of the month, but you have become a great little traveler.  This month you went on your first train ride, boat ride, and airplane ride.

You are fully of energy, and I love watching your personality grow and change.  You have become a little bit more affectionate this month.  Every once in a while you'll walk by and say "HUG!" and wrap your arms around my neck.  You've also started saying "I love you too" when your Daddy or I say it to you.  Those are the sweetest words I've ever heard!

The heat this summer kept us from spending too much time outside, but you love the time we do spend out there!

Speaking of your vocabulary- the things you say amaze me (and sometimes make me laugh!)  You've started saying "excuse me" and "yes man" which both melt my heart.  You know most of your shapes now- square, triangle, rectangle, star, oval (or obal), and diamond.  You've skipped over the first few numbers when counting and now start at 5.  It's usually "5, 6, salmon, 8, 9, 10...12"  :)  I wasn't sure where we stood on colors, but I know you know red, yellow, black, and white- those are the colors on the RCA connector cord you carry around.   :)

You HATE having your teeth brushed and your nails clipped.  You kick your legs and swing you arms around and scream!  The screaming makes my job of brushing your teeth easier, but the flailing arms and legs only complicate Dad's job of clipping your nails.

You are at a stage now where Mom's kisses can heal any injury.  You fall down...a lot...and you always come running, saying "Kisses!"  You've even asked me to kiss your eye, tooth, and bottom.  I'm usually happy to oblige...but sometimes you just have to draw the line.  :)

You have started pretending your highchair tray is a guitar.  You sang and played your guitar for almost 20 minutes this day!

This past week was your first full week back at Misty's.  You've been tired, but I think you're enjoying having other kids to play with every day!  I love hearing you talk about your friends.  The other day when we left Misty's house you cried.  As much as it pulled at my heartstrings, I am so happy that you love going to her house- it makes leaving you every day a little bit easier.

We love you, Levi!

Through the eyes of a toddler...

As I was working on my Minnesota post and sorting through my pictures (and Marilee's pictures), several from the sculpture garden made me giggle.

I love looking at what Levi was interested in while we were there...

The light (and it's cord of course!)

 The wall

 Another light

 Playing Hide 'n Seek with Uncle Clayton

 RUNNING!

Minnesota

Or "Sota" as Levi would say.

I'm going to preface this post by saying that I realize it should've been broken up into several posts...Between computer issues and going back to school, it's taken me a couple of weeks to finish this, so it's staying just the way it is!  :)

A couple of weeks (or a month...) ago, we headed up north to visit the Twin Cities and to celebrate Mat's 30th birthday.  We had a house on the St. Croix river to call home for the weekend, and it was amazing- beautiful, scenic views of the river, a deck with comfy seating, and even a kids room complete with a pack 'n play and toys!  (This made packing a little bit easier).

The view from our deck.

I have to say that I was terrified of the flight and how we would manage our very active, very independent little guy.  I researched, read blogs, and bought new toys and snacks that I thought would entertain him.  The two things that made Levi the happiest on our trip up there: Mat's seat and his seatbelt.  Mat made the mistake of getting up for a few minutes, and when he came back, Levi looked at him and said, "Webi's seat."

We stayed busy the entire time we were there!  We made it back to the house each day for nap time (for Levi and some of the adults!), but we definitely pushed Levi to the limit every day.  He did so great though!  A few of the highlights of our trip:

- We spent some time hiking at Willow River state park (in Wisconsin).  We took a 2 mile trail up to a beautiful waterfall.  Levi made all the way (with a few rides from Uncle Clayton and Mat).  He enjoyed making stops to dig for rocks or pick up sticks.  We were all tired by the time we got back to the car!

 One...two...threeeeeee!

- We took a boat ride down the Mississippi River.  It was a laid-back evening, and we really enjoyed getting to see some of St. Paul.  

 - Levi tried his first salsa on the boat too!  He kept reaching for it, and I tried to tell him he wouldn't like because it would be too hot.  I was wrong!  Grandad gave him a bite, and he loved it!  He ended up eating handfuls of it out of our bowl.

- Of course we made a trip to see the capitol building.  It was under construction (and the state was closed!) so we couldn't go inside and see it, but we were there and got a picture!

- The next day we spent some time at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.  The temperatures were not as cool as we'd hoped they would be, but it was nice to let Levi have a chance to run around and explore.  There were some neat things to see and beautiful flowers.  (It's amazing what some rain will do for your plants!)

- One of the main reasons Mat chose the Twin Cities was to visit Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins!  The weathermen were forecasting several storms the day of the game, so we were worried we wouldn't get to see the stadium!  Luckily the storms went around us and ended up cooling things off considerably which made spending the afternoon outdoors much nicer! 

Levi did ok...9 innings is a long time to ask a toddler to sit in a seat.  Mat took him and walked him around for a little while which helped get some of Levi's wiggles out.  Mat said as soon as they got down the stairs, Levi spotted a Mickey Mouse figure that apparently he needed.  Mat told him that it was behind the glass, but Levi knew better than that!  He looked at Mat and screamed, "Wallet!  Money!" and tried reaching for Mat's back pocket.  Levi ended up getting his Mickey, but almost as soon as we took him out of the box, Levi threw him on the ground and smashed him into a couple of pieces.  Mickey is now mended and sitting high on a shelf in Levi's room.  :)

Levi was exhausted when we left.  He was almost asleep in my arms before we made it out of the park.  I started singing "Jesus Loves Me" to him, but whenever I would stop, he would sit up, scream "JESUS" and then lay his head back down on my shoulder.  It was a challenging afternoon, but I'm so glad we were able to go and make it through the entire game!  

We took a couple of short road trips to Chippewa Falls and to Stillwater to do some sightseeing and also ate at some delicious restaurants!  We went to the Mall of America on our way to the airport on Sunday.  Levi rode his first carousel and loved it, but he was most fascinated watching the top of his horse trying to figure out how it worked.  :)

Our trip home was a little bit easier for a few reasons- Uncle Clayton and Aunt Marilee sat in front of us and didn't complain when they suddenly had a toddler patting them on the head or kicking their seats.  Levi was also exhausted and slept for the last hour or so of the flight.

We loved our trip to Minnesota, but we missed having the whole family there.  We're looking forward to the next Kelso Family Vacation that we are all able to enjoy!

P.S.- Thanks Mar and Clayton for sharing your pictures with me!

The Lake

A couple of weeks ago my parents rented a lake house for the week.  Levi and I were able to spend the entire week with them relaxing.  Mat sacrificed a lot and commuted 3 hours (round trip) each day to be there with us in the evenings.  Blair and Kyle were able to come down for the weekend, and we enjoyed having the entire family there for a few days.

It was a wonderful week!  We spent a lot of time lounging by the pool, playing games, and relaxing.  Some of my favorite memories of the week:

- Feeding the Cows- There were 5 longhorns on the property that would eat out of your hand.  The owner had a bucket of cow cookies (not to be confused with cow patties) that you could feed the longhorns.  Levi would go out with Grammie and say "C'mon Cows!"  He had absolutely no fear of these huge animals!  He got right in there and stuck his hand INSIDE the cow's mouth.  He also thought it was funny to try and stick the cow cookie in the cows' noses.

Levi walked right up and said, "Hello, Cow!"

No fear!

- Landry's Birthday Party- We were close enough to drive down and meet my cousins and their kiddos at the zoo to celebrate Landry's birthday.  It was a hot day, but the kids did great.  Levi wasn't really interested in the animals, but he did love trying to get the doors and windows to their cages open.  :)  He did enjoy the elephants and the anteater. 

 "Hmmm...How can I get this open?"

Levi's favorite part of the day was the train ride.  As long as it was moving, he was happy.  He sat so still and took it all in.

 Happy Birthday, Landry Beth!

I love his little tongue sticking out when he's concentrating.  :)

- Having a pool right outside the door- Once I got over my fear of it being so close, I loved being able to walk out the door and jump in.  My mom and I spent some time in there talking "school" and both ended up BURNT!  Levi loved swimming!  He practiced jumping (or falling) in, played on the steps, and of course played with the vacuum. 

Pops and Levi in their matching hats.  Levi would also want me to point out the vacuum cord in the background.  :)

Levi's first popsicle- I took a strawberry popsicle outside for Levi and a lime popsicle outside for me.  He ended up with both, and I think the lime one was his favorite.

The lime popsicle is really tart after the sweet strawberry one! 

Levi had melted popsicle everywhere!  It had even filled up his belly button, but he was so concerned with Grammie's messy hands.

Hunting for rocks- Levi loved being able to roam, dig and just get completely filthy!  Every day, Grammie took him rock hunting and he LOVED it.  He carried around sticks and searched high and low for the best rock.  He also practiced balancing on the curb and walking with his hand in his pocket.  Such a little man.  :)

There's that little tongue again.

- Saturday, we rented a pontoon boat and spent some time out on the lake.  We had so much fun, and Levi loved the boat!  He didn't really like jumping off and actually swimming in the lake, but he ran around while we were stopped and helped Pops drive the boat.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a fun week!
(If you've made it this far, thanks for sticking with me!)

21 Months

Dear Levi,

  You are a little ball of energy.  I have loved having so much time to watch you and play with you this summer.  Here are a few things about you right now:

• You weigh 28 pounds, wear size 5 diapers and 24 month clothes. 
• To say that you love cords is the understatement of the CENTURY!  You go to sleep talking about them and wake up asking about them.  You carry any cord we'll let you play with around like most kids carry a lovie, blanket, or stuffed animal.  

• Really you love just about any electronic you can get your hands on- including phones, computers, and iPads.  When we were at the lake with Pops and Grammy, you would ask to see the vacuum on Pops' iPad.  You know how to unlock the iPad, click on the Photos app, and open up the 2 pictures he has of you and the vacuum.  You also tried to unlock the TV by sliding your finger across the bottom of the screen.
• You talk all the time, and you speak very clearly.  You are a little parrot too!  When you have a stinky diaper I usually say "Goodness Gracious!" when I open it up.  You've started saying "gracious" now when you have a dirty diaper.  I also say "I know, I know" when I am comforting you.  The other day, you had a little bit of diaper rash, and as I was cleaning you, you were saying "I know, I know"  You were also saying it while Dad clipped your finger nails the other night.

• You love to count.  You can usually get 1, 2, and 3.  Sometimes you go beyond that, and a few times you've made it to 10 with a little bit of help.  The other night, Daddy was jumping into the pool and told you to count to 3.  You said, "1, 2...4!" and looked around laughing.  It was pretty cute.
• You can spot shapes and love to point them out.  Your favorite is oval, and you love to point it out in lettering on shirts.  You also know triangle, square, diamond, and sometimes star (sometimes stars are triangles too)  
• George is still your best bud, and you love to try to sit on him.  You laid your head on George while you watched your new favorite show, The Backyardigans.

• You can throw a good fit!  Most of the time, taking to your quiet room and sitting you in your chair with your dinosaur will solve the problem.  If your dinosaur isn't there, you look for him.  In fact, I just took you to your chair, but your dinosaur was in the living room.  You came in here, got the dinosaur, and went back to your chair.  
• You love to play "Night, Night".  You will grab a blanket, lay down on the floor, and sometimes even pretend to snore!  You also love to collect your favorite treasures, your keys, and pretend like you are leaving.  You walk around saying "Bye, Bye!"

We love you, Levi!

July 4th

This year we spent the 4th of July weekend in Houston with the Kelsos.  We did lots of swimming, played Ticket to Ride, and watched the kids play.  This was the first time that Levi was actually able to play with his cousins.  Kadence and Cameron started the weekend calling him "Baby Levi" but quickly dropped the "baby" part when they realized he could keep up with them (and take their toys!).  

 Isn't that the cutest little shark you've ever seen?!

Levi also got to go on his first bike ride!  Grandad let Mat borrow his bike, and I think it was a hit!  Mat was a little bit concerned about the pink and purple princess helmet that Levi had to wear for the first ride, so he got Levi a more manly blue soccer helmet to use for the rest of the weekend.  

Levi loved riding on the cycle and  usually asks for a ride whenever we see a bike.  It was a relaxing weekend, and we enjoyed having time to spend with the family!