Donkey Kick

The house is beginning to consume whatever other time we have - decisions to get in front of. All the while, the speed at which Connor and Carter are developing in there own way is pretty amazing.

Funny story of the week is that at school, GymStars came for a visit - its a gymnastics, active group that does activities with kids. Its a class you need to pay additional money for to have your kid participate in - as if $540 a week for two kids isn't already enough. Anyways, Connor's teachers sent him, along with a couple others to try it out - as apparently, they thought he was disciplined enough to pay attention and participate (which I guess is a positive!). Well, he apparently loved it - but for whatever crazy reason - they decided to teach the toddlers the "donkey kick" - basically just kicking your leg straight out. Well, in a 2.5 year olds mind - that meant donkey kicking everything and everyone when he got home. Carter got a few donkey kicks to the knee caps, as did mom and dad. "Dan-key keck" was the word of the rest of that day.

However, the more funny part - it wasnt but two days later and Carter was getting ready for bed...wanders over to Bridget...and mumbles out "dan-key kick" and proceeds to go for the ankles. Carter probably has a vocab of 10 good words and the rest are all mish mash - yet, he has the ability to mimick his older brother within 36 hours.


The "two stooges" watching TV. Connor can't be anywhere without Carter - soon as he wakes up its "get carter". If were eating, its "sit by Carter." If Carter wanders out of the room, its "where Carter go."



And Connor likes nothing more than to pile on Carter...of which Carter not always the biggest fan of.

Somewhere, Carter learned to close his eyes and smile when you say "cheese." And yes, he is doing "perfect pushups".

Jan 14th

One word for this weather - crap! I though I left northern Wisconsin for this reason years ago. It figures, year we are going to build a house, and are in a 1920's rental with crappy windows, a detached garage, no mudroom and probably two football fields worth of corner lot sidewalk to shovel, Chicago is tracking for one of the worst 5 winters in its 14o years of history...we have already had more snow that we would normally get in a year (most in the past 10 days)...and now its like we are living in Siberia temp wise. What happened to the winters of 2000-2007 where maybe we would get 2 or 3 storms per year??

Anyways - all the shoveling is making up for my inability to run outside...

Connor is doing well - seems to be open to the idea of using the potty now - they have started to sit on the potty at school (everyone apparently does it together) and will do it at home for "candies". His language is rapidly expanding and he has a laser sharp memory. If he or Carter throws something, say a binky, behind the couch on Tuesday, if you ask him on Friday, he will know exactly where that binky is.

Connor, however, is no longer being the nighttime "champ" though - as he is starting to resist bedtime and typically, will wander into our room at 2 or 3 am and crash with us. Hopefully it is a phase - we got him a new nightlight the other day and he stayed in his room to 5:30 - so hopefully it works. However, when we say its bedtime now, his response is usually "i'm done" - as in done sleeping (before he even starts).

Carter is getting a load of teeth in and seems to be forever cranky about it. He says random words here and there - but seems to be much more advanced than Connor was at his age...


Carter, helping redesign the kitchen blueprint...

Saturday morning "MM Clubhouse"


No, your not seeing in reverse, the 15month old is pushing the 2.5 year old around...


Carter, going all out to pick up the ladies at the Children's Museum (actually, its a wind tunnel that requires goggles).




My new iPhone is apparently a hit with the 2.5 year old age segment...


Thank you grandma and grandpa for the "truck"...I say it is "fun".

Jan 3

Long time since last post – been busy w/ the holidays and house construction stuff. The kids got to see both grandparents - the fitzgeralds came to town on xmas day and then we met grandma cook and uncle david/aunt bernie in Wausau, WI. Worked out well meeting in Wausau – saved several hours of driving on both sides versus making the trek to Minneapolis.

Santa was good, with too many toys for the kids (remote control Hummer, indoor jungle gym, fake too bench, dvd player/screens for car) – not all from mom/dad – most from the grandparents. All Connor would say he wanted for xmas when we asked was “fruit snacks” – so he did, indeed, get some fruit snacks wrapped up from Santa.

A ton of pictures….

Connor got is fruit snacks.




Carter getting some balls...



The jungle gym.
Christmas in Wausau, WI with Bernie and David.


The trip did not start too well when Connor took a header onto the hotel room floor.

Carter "The Tree Dismantler"


Cousin Alexis and the boys.


Way too difficult to get a good pick of everyone together w/ grandma and grandpa - this is as good as it got.

Pushing 'big' Carter in a stroller made for dolls...


The first white christmas in Chicago since 2003 ...

...it lasted about 36 hours before it hit 62 degrees, with 2 inches of rain and wiped the snow away in mere hours and flooding made a visit downtown again.


Thank you Aunt Kathy for the Edible Arrangements Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (note the pineapple in the shape of mickey - pretty creative).

Our first attempt to see Santa at the RiverWalk Santa House...long story short...because Santa spend 5 minutes with each kid/family...45 minutes in line was not going to happen...so this is as close as we got. We went to return on Dec 23rd, and Santa had already left to start his duties :(


Nothing buy one, get one shirts to make them look like the "dork" brothers...


Excited, I guess...