Tomorrow is the Big Day!!

Tomorrow is the day...Alice is super excited to meet her new baby brother! (and mommy is ready to be done being pregnant) Wish us all good luck!

Penelope's Baptism

Alice watching the Choir rehearse before the service.


Alice rubbing Mommie's tummy, saying hello to little brother.


Carrie and I are Penelope's Godparents, so we had to help out with the ceremony.


Alice helping with pictures.


Proud Pappa Bongo.


Alice, Carrie, Lon, Penelope, Jaime


Auntie Michele holds Penelope.


Alice gives it a short, awkward, but enthusiastic try.


Godmother Carrie and Penelope.


Alice and her new best friend, Uncle Carl.

Como Town

My pal Justin and his family (Laura and Peter) were in town last weekend for the Twins/Brewer's game. We met them on Sunday and checked out Como Zoo and Como Town. I didn't even know about Como Town, but it's a mini fair place with rides and the whole shebang. Alice didn't even care about the lions, penguins and giraffes we were seeing...she just wanted to ride the choo-choo-train...so we did.


Here comes the train!


We were first in line, and Alice picked the Caboose to sit in. It was a bit tight for Daddy, but we managed.


I imagine she'll have the same expression on her face when she gets her license at 16.


Riding the tea-cups with Daddy. Yup. She's ready for Disney.

Spring Fun Part 2

Sizing up the sprinkler.


Carrie shooting hoops.


This looks a little low and too the left.


Getting her courage up.


Drying off with a little help from "sunny sunny."


Ready for round 2, now armed with sunglasses and deflated floaties.


Climbing the plastic "rope ladder" at Totem Park.


Suspension bridge? No problem.


Alice is getting pretty good at working the camera.


Descending the apparatus.


Time to climb!


Had fun, but now she's ready for the bike ride home.


Flying her Spiderman kite in the backyard. Yes, I noticed the powerlines, and we no longer fly the kite in the backyard.


Doing a little dance after trying on Daddy's socks.

Party at Kindercare!

The whole family headed out for Kindercare's Spring party. Here's Alice dragging Mommy and Auntie Carrie across the parking lot.


Having fun in the jumpy thingy.


Ice cream? You bet!


Alice showing off on one of the school's trikes.


Catching some air!


Alice loves face-painting


Especially when it's Elmo.

Spring Fun

This photo may explain why Jaime and I often call Alice "little monkey."


Trying on a new hat.


Alice came home from daycare one day with two pigtails. It was the cutest thing. She won't let us put them in for her again.


Helping Auntie Carrie water the lawn.


She did eventually realize how fun it was to spray Auntie Carrie and Daddy.


Alice making a cheese quesadilla.


Flip it over!


A pretty double rainbow right in front of our house after a spring rain.


Alice's tulip that bloomed in the front yard.

Easter 2009

Kicked off Easter this year the same as last: Painting eggs! Alice is getting ready here in her apron.


I'm just following orders here, as my hands are steadier than Alice's.


After we colored them, we drew on them with markers and put stickers on them. Fun!


Alice on Easter morning, after finding her basket of goodies, and a cool stir-fry toy set from the Easter Bunny.


Alice running through cousin Cheri's backyard looking for eggs.


Found one!


Still looking. Eventually found them all with help from Mommy, Daddy and her aunties Joanna and Jenessa.

That night (April 12th) when we got home was Alice's first full-night's sleep in her big-girl bed. She's been out of her crib since.


A very pregnant (29 weeks), very happy Jaime talks to her friend Liz on the phone, congratulating her on her new baby girl, Melody.

Alice Mae: Reading

Swimming/Hunter Girls '09

Well, we had fun last weekend up in Detroit Lakes at the annual Hunter Girl's Reunion, but we forgot to take any photos, except for some swimming pics and a a Great Grandkids photo. Enjoy!


Carrie took Alice into the pool while I made a last second run to Wal-Mart for a suit and a floaty toy for Alice.


Alice enjoyed dipping her toes and her body into the warm whirlpool.


Playing with a "water worm" thingy.


Am I making boaty noises? I think I might be.








Alice's new suit!


In the kiddie pool.


All of the great grandkids.


Alice, distracted by the TV.

March 09 Catch-Up

Got some catching up to do. Enjoy!


A while back, Jaime checked on Alice after she had been sleeping for a while, then called me into the room. Seems she had arranged all of her crib friends in a row. We both thought his was funny/strange. A few weeks later, she did it again, but was up when we checked on her, and she inserted herself into the line-up. Kooky kid.


Daddy/Alice jam session. This one went for about thirty minutes. Me on acoustic guitar, Alice rockin' the "mic stand".


Alice brings the vocals.


She's a natural.


Listen while she plays her green tambourine.


Fun in the front-yard during the last big snowfall.


She liked to ride backwards.


Sure, let her dress herself.


Pushing cousin Zach around the house. This went on for quite a while.


Strike a pose, pretty lady!


What's this? Oh yeah...a BIG GIRL bed! While she hasn't had a good night's sleep in it yet, she likes it, and thinks hat it's "cool," so that's good. Someday, she'll give up the crib and love the bed. Right?


Wide shot of the bed.


The result of the first "nap" in bed was, Alice climbed out of bed and fell asleep in her rocking chair. She had emptied her sock drawer onto her lap, and yanked her shirt down through it's neck-hole.


So, the pitfall of re-arranging the room is, I didn't realize the downfall of putting the crib too-close to the changing table. Alice called to us letting me know she needed to wash her hands. She had grabbed the bottle of Vaseline and was wiping it everywhere.



Awww cute? Right? Sheesh. Late second bath and a few loads of laundry, and everything is still slippery.

Superbowl and the Zoo!

Alice loves helping out in the kitchen. We put her on "potato scrubbing duty" last week when Mommy made some delicious "porcupine meatballs."


Playing with balloons at Josh's Birthday party last weekend. Zach was going nuts!




Birthday boy with Zach waiting for some homemade blueberry cake (it was great!).


Alice liked the cake!


Zach too!


Alice and Zach spent a lot of time playing in Zach's crib. They didn't want it to end.




I don't remember what was going on here, but there was a lot of running back and forth, and laughing.






Today we went to the Minnesota Zoo. Here's Alice and Mommy checking out some Arctic Monkeys.


After watching the shark swim by a few times, Alice let me know..."No, I like fish."


Alice with Auntie Carrie.


Alice in the Jungle with Daddy. Alice thought the Jungle was very smelly and covered her nose for most of it.


Alice and Carrie looking for some exotic birds.


Looks like Alice didn't want to get this close to the Leopard.


Russian brown bears.


Having lunch before we left.


Carrie and myself enjoying our lunch.


Alice "I can see you!" through her onion ring. A fun time was had, and we even solved a mystery of a song Alice sings at Daycare (she saw the book that is tied to it in the gift shop!), but alas...no nap today, so she's getting kinda grumpy tonight. Maybe she'll go to bed early, right?

Riiiight! :)

Sesame Street Live, and more...

Alice models her New Year's Eve hat she made at school.


Then she "hams" it up for the camera.


Jaime and Alice making cupcakes. It was sort of too late to be doing this, but Jaime had just gotten off the phone with her sister who was also making cupcakes (for Zach's birthday) and Jaime said, "You don't tell a pregnant woman you're making cupcakes and then don't expect her to make her own." (or something like that)


Alice mixing.


Ready for Mommy to pour the batter in.


Tonight was Sesame Street Live. We met Joanna, Josh and Zach at the Target Center, and I dropped an silly amount of money on treats and souvenirs. Here's Alice playing with her Elmo light spinny thingy.


Bert and Ernie doing some hip-hop thing.


The whole gang.


When Elmo took the stage, it was like a rock-star was there. The kids went crazy. Alice and Zach were both screaming for him. It was awesome.


Alice making sure we don't miss any of the cool stuff.


Looking down our row.


Josh with Zach. It was Zach's 2nd birthday today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACH!


Alice on auntie Carrie's lap. Note Alice's long(er) hair.


Bert, Ernie and Big Bird ruled.


At intermission, they carted out the Elmo balloons (which we didn't buy--yet) and cotton candy.


Zach, after trying a bite of sno-cone.


Alice, after several.


The big finish. Alice kept asking me if she could go on stage. She was pretty upset with my answer. Overall I think she had a blast. As we were leaving, she saw all the kids with balloons and started whining for a "bayoon" until I decided I didn't want to walk 15 minutes through the skyway and into the parking ramp with a screaming kid on my shoulders. So, yes, she got her bayoon, and she was pretty excited about it.


Now, a few more sno-cone pics:

Pre-Vikings Playoff Madness

Vikings fever has swept the house, and win or lose today, we had fun getting ready for the game. Alice sort of lost her mind for a while and put a full-on tackle on her Diego doll.

One more thing...

Yup.

Jaime's pregnant again. Due date is July 5th.

Whooooooo!

So, eventually I'll have to change the title of this blog, and that will be the first of many things Alice will need to learn to share with the new baby.

Thanksgiving/Christmas and more!

Hi peeps! Long time no blog. Well, deal with it. We've been busy. :) The following 35 photos should catch y'all up.


Alice likes to build tall towers out of her blocks. Then she knocks them down. It's good to see at this young age, she's not shy about achieving a goal, then moving on to the next goal. Good for her!


As part of super-fun Saturday, Carrie and I took Alice to the Metrodome for the high-school football playoffs. Kitson County was playing, so we knew about half the people there. My friend Justin (from Fargo) even came down with his wife and kid to watch his youngest brother play.


Then is was off to Chuck E Cheese for lunch. Carrie had made the promise, and Alice would not forget, so a "just for fun" trip was just that: fun. Alice had a good time playing games and eating pizza. She's not quite big enough for all the games/rides yet, but almost!


Cool shades.


Here are Alice and her cousin Zach on Thanksgiving. Aren't they sweet?


Alice even had time to visit us at our annual No-Coast Craft-o-Rama craft fair. On the second day of the fair she spent the day with Bob and Sue (my Aunt and Uncle) and had a great time. She loves going to Bob & Sue's house.


Jaime's booth at the craft-fair.


Alice shows us the proper way to finish off a bowl of chocolate ice-cream.


Trimming the Christmas tree.


Alice puts the star on top.


She looks pretty excited for Christmas time.


My folks came into town a few weeks early for Christmas, so Carrie hosted a cabbage roll and pierogi making party that the Nordin and Jerome kids came out for. I set up Rock Band for the kids, but it was a little too advanced for most of them. Alice still gave the drums a try though.


Grandma Jerome and Alice rolling out dough.


More dough rolling after Jaime ran home and got Alice her apron.


Looking sly as she opened presents a few weeks early.


"Hey, thanks for all the toys and clothes and stuff, but I prefer this box."


Grandma and Grandpa Jerome took Alice to see Santa at Rosedale Mall.


Alice shows off her new dress from Grandma and Grandpa.


Carrie and I gave our new snowblower a go after we got about 6 inches last week.


Zach hamming it up at Christmas in front of the newly engaged Jenessa and Matt.


Alice and Uncle Jerry exchanging glances before Jerry unleashed his annual pesent-draw on us. (I got a set of four Ramones CDs, Jaime got an REM CD, and Alice got Finding Nemo on DVD!)


Opening her big present from Grandma Vicki, a DOLL HOUSE!


Everyone opening presents.


Jaime pretending to be surprised with the Vikings hoodie she helped pick out.


Christmas really takes it out of you.


Alice and Zach in their jammies, ready to go home.


Look what Santa brought!


Alice getting her first peek at what Santa brought her.


Opening some present in Mommie's lap.


Playing with her doll-house for the first time.


Mommy watching Alice play.


Alice, decorating.


"Oooooh! Another box!"


Carrie and Nipsy get some quality couch time.