Serious Trouble

Otis loves to get into anything and everything.  It's a constant run around in our small house just figuring out where he's gotten to and what is he doing NOW?  His favorite things are getting into the cat and dog food (still) and now opening the refrigerator and getting out the food he thinks looks tasty.  He'll then toddle over to wherever I am and hand me a thing of yogurt or strawberries and smile at me.  It's hard to say no to that.

 He's also a climber.  Much more so than Ingrid ever was, I think.  He finds anything he can get his sausage feet on and climbs and climbs, and gets into more and more.  Yesterday I found this, he was sitting on Ingrid's bedside table stuffing wipes into the lamp.  Because really, what's better than playing with flannel and a lamp?  Who needs toys? 

Bubbles

Yesterday was COLD!  This is what spring is supposed to look like in Wisconsin and yet I was surprised that we needed hats and coats on...We got spoiled with that summery weather.  We headed outside anyway, to play with bubbles and get some fresh air.  As Ingrid has been known to say, "Mom, I'm just addicted to fresh air!"

Pilot hat from http://www.etsy.com/shop/betsyandco

Outside Outside Outside!

It's been SOOOOO nice out lately, we have spent most of our time outside.  Today is the first cold and rainy day we've had in forever.  I actually don't mind it, as I had a chance to clean my house...Ingrid kept complaining all morning "why can't we go to the park???"  She got used to nice weather rather quickly!

We had our home inspection last night--all is well with our little colonial!  Sturdy little house, nothing major wrong.  I am so excited to get moved in!  Brendan spent THREE hours last night with the inspector, he said the house just kept growing on him the more he was there.  Ahhhh!  Home!

Big Dude

Otis is becoming quite the little toddler.  I remember it happening with Ingrid, too--one day she wasn't such a baby anymore...This dude is growing like mad, I had to go through his clothes and get his summer stuff out and I was amazed it all fit.  I remember thinking it would be the fall before he'd fit into the 24mo. stuff we had as hand-me-downs, but nope, he's wearing it now.  Today he was a real pisser, just crying at every little thing.  I looked into his mouth while he was screaming and found a random molar on top I had no idea he was even getting!  Makes total sense now.

Fun things Otis is doing these days--dancing.  Which is really just flailing his arms around while smiling.  And pretending to eat food--that's my favorite.  He will pick food off a book picture and bring his fingers by his mouth and say nom nom.  It's incredible.  Tonight we went to dinner with the grandparents and they were highly amused by him using a fork and pretending to eat food that wasn't there.  Just as big of a ham as his sister--I think I have two major extroverts on my hands here, no quiet wallflowers in this family!

Nothing but love for this little guy.

Gorgeous Weekend

We have had sun and warm weather this weekend, so most of it was spent outside.  Yesterday we did yard work, blew bubbles, washed the car, played fetch with Cody.  Today we went to the park, the beach, and had a cookout with friends.

This park we went to, it's called Seven Bridges, because it has, you guessed it, seven bridges.  They need to change the name to Six Bridges, as one bridge is no more...We walked the upper trail, down some steps, and came to a dead end.  The bridge was out, there was a small creek and lots of mud.  I had a skirt on, Brendan was holding Otis, we must've looked so funny trekking down the slippery hill and across the creek to get to the lower trail!

It was gorgeous out.  I think we all had fun.

When we got home, Ingrid and Otis and I all passed out.  After nap time we had friends over to cook out.  They also have a little Irishman, he and Otis are buds.  The kids ate lots of food, got really messy, and then it was bath and bedtime.  It was like a summer day smack in the middle of March.  No complaints from me!

Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jig

The first house we made an offer on became a bidding war.  In this market, what a surprise!  We were in competition with three other offers.  The good thing was, we had seen another house we liked just as much.  As the day wore on, both Brendan and I kept thinking of this other house and how it was just as good, cheaper, and still in a great neighborhood.  I drove by the house that day, and he came home from work saying he'd ridden his bike past it, too, neither of us knowing the other was doing it!  When our offer on house #1 got countered, we just walked away.  We promptly had a second showing of house #2 and made an offer.  It got accepted tonight!!  We are completely ecstatic and ready for this wonderful horrible life of being homeowners!

Meet our new house:

I am already decorating and landscaping in my head.  Hopefully we'll close the end of April and can be in there for Ingrid's birthday!!  So happy right now, so happy.

Huge Weekend!

It was busy busy busy around here this weekend!  First of all, Friday night was Grandma's birthday dinner.  And cake.  Yum. 

Then Saturday morning the kids stayed home to play with Grandma and Grandpa and Brendan and I went with our realtor to look at a million houses.  Hoo boy, there were some doozies!  There was one house that had original tile in yellow and turquoise, it was amazing, but there was absolutely no space for a fridge.  Huh?  And another place that was a foreclosure and had actual holes in the walls...

Then we went to Madison to visit friends.  Ingrid loves these girls, it's so awesome to get to hang out with our friends and know she's having a good time, too!

 Yesterday we had a whirlwind day as well.  After forgetting about the time change and being pleasantly surprised that it was 7am when we woke up and not 6am, our morning flew by as I tried getting bunnies cut out for a wholesale order.  Brendan kept the kiddos busy with the guitar.

At 11 we were going to an open house for a house in our neighborhood that I was super excited to look at.  It did NOT disappoint!  Both Brendan and I were excited as we walked through it, and last night we put in an offer!  AAAAHHHH!  It's all happening!  We find out today what's going on with it and I'm on pins and needles.  Cross your fingers for us, we would really love this house.  It's three beds and two baths and a family room and only four blocks from the Montessori school!  We want it.  Bad.

Work Trips Suck.

Brendan is in Albuquerque for three days.  I know three days is not long, he's been gone for longer before and it's been fine.  But this time I am so drained.  Otis is getting molars, so his sleep has been horrible.  He has been super clingy and will not let me set him down--he arches his back and throws his head back so I can't sit him down, or goes jelly-bones so I can't have him stand.  It's been...fun. 

We have tried having fun, we went to the community center for playgroup, we even headed to the zoo yesterday to take advantage of the nice weather.  We saw baby lions and a baby orangutang.  It was fun.  For the time we were out of the house.  Then we came home and no one was happy...

It's been a long two days.  We have one more to go.  Wish us luck.