Out for lunch...

We joined Jeff at General Mills for lunch today. This is the first time we've been back since Jeff told me they had highchairs, so today's lunch was very enjoyable! Graham sat nicely in his highchair instead of cruising around the booth which allowed both Jeff and I to eat our lunch at the same time! YEAH! During our meal we had many visitors that came up to say "hi" to Graham and couldn't get over how big he's getting. Of course I'm happy to know that he's healthy and growing, but the Mommy in me isn't in any rush for him to change from baby to big boy.

Carefully choosing a piece of food to share with his Daddy. Often times, Graham will offer a warm piece of fruit that's turned mushy in his little hand, and being the good Daddy that Jeff is, he'll accept the gift from Graham with a big smile on his face and say "Thank You!"

Graham continually pointed to the french fries on one of Jeff's coworkers trays. She kindly ripped one onto small pieces and shared with Graham. As you can see, he's quite happy with the addition to his lunch spread.

Too cute not to share!

As you can tell from the following pictures, Graham had a wonderful time with his dinner tonight. He managed to stay pretty clean through the main course (pasta carbonara and peas) but decided that dessert is meant for getting messy! His interesting hairstyle is a result of dumping a container of pineapple juice on his head and fresh blackberries resulted in the mess on his face! Daddy must have been doing something pretty entertaining!

Graham is pointing at his camera crazy Mommy! :)

Adventures in Grocery Shopping....

After using yesterday as a day to recover (laundry, resting, letting Graham make a complete mess of the house and explore with freedom) from our Arizona adventure, things were back to normal for us today. We had school this morning and Graham really enjoyed himself today. Each week he becomes more comfortable and each week he surprises me with what he's able to do. For example, the teacher took out a duck puppet and Graham immediately said "quack quack". I was shocked! Apparently my "what noise does the animal make" lessons each time we're in the car are paying off! Then, while the kids were roaming around and playing another mom called out my name because she noticed Graham standing up in the middle of the room balancing all by himself! Of course as soon as his saw me and the surprised look on my face, he fell to his knees and quickly crawled away. He's balanced on his own a few times before, but he still prefers to cruise along the furniture and crawl at lightning speed. I'm sure he walking days aren't too far away though!

Here is Graham driving his car at school!

After our class ended, Graham seemed to be in a good mood and I decided to attempt grocery shopping with him. In my pre-Graham days, grocery shopping was my very favorite errand. Now though, I try to avoid the grocery store with Graham along. Let's just say that even strapped into a cart, he can pull things off the shelves faster than I can put them away! Today was no different, and I was quickly reminded of why it's easier for me to grocery shop alone. The store was decorated for spring and nearly every aisle had a few mylar balloons floating just out of his reach. Of course this frustrated Graham and he tried to stand up in the cart to reach the balloons for the rest of our shopping trip. What really bothered him though was when I added eggs to the cart and I wouldn't let him hold them. Graham had been throwing things out of the cart for most of our shopping experience and he was frustrated when I wouldn't give him the eggs.....hmmmm.....I wonder why?

This is Graham content in the cart prior to spotting the balloons!

Notice his eyes staring at the ceiling? He's just noticing the balloons and this is the last moment that he sat still for me....

Home Sweet Home!

We've arrived home safely from our adventures in sunny Arizona! It was a great few days of introducing Graham to family and soaking up the warm sun! We left Minneapolis on Friday morning and Graham treated the entire plane to a concert of sorts. He screamed nearly the entire ride....let's just say that he was not a happy passenger. He was so overly tired and just couldn't seem to get comfortable enough to fall asleep, so we ended up walking up and down the aisle for quite a while. We were very happy to get off the plane in Phoenix and I'm sure the entire crew was happy to see us go! We spent our time in Phoenix visiting with family and introducing Graham to his Arizona relatives! They had all heard so much about him and watched him grow through pictures on the blog, so I know they were happy to see him in person! Since the weather is still so cold here, we took advantage of the warm weather down there, and spent as much time outside as we possibly could. It was so nice to be able to let Graham play outside without having to bundle him up. He loved taking walks in his stroller without his restrictive marshmallow winter coat! Some of Graham's favorite outdoor activities from our trip included- meeting up with my cousin Angie and her three adorable little boys for a trip to the zoo, meeting up with my cousin Todd to watch his girls play in a soccer tournament, playing at the park, and crawling around in the grass! Spring just can't come to Minnesota fast enough!

After the rough flight down to Arizona, I was admittedly nervous about getting on the plane today. When we got to the airport and learned that our flight was delayed I wasn't thrilled. Graham was already annoyed with the commotion of the morning, and the last thing I wanted to do was entertain him at the airport any longer than need be. We survived though...We finally made it onto the plane with all of our gear and I began to mentally prepare myself for two hours and forty four minutes (who's counting!) of screaming. Thankfully, this was all unnecessary though, because Graham fell asleep the minute we took off, and didn't wake up until we were getting ready to land! The ride home was very peaceful for all involved!

I always knew that Graham is a child that thrives on routine, and after traveling for the past few days with him, I am more certain of that than ever. He was visibly excited to get home and be reunited with his toys. He was THRILLED to crawl into his room and see his crib. He actually started trying to climb it, like he wanted to get in, so into his crib he went. Graham crawled around in his crib making squealing noises and cuddling his stuffed crib companions. It was a fantastic trip for us, but after time away, it's always good to be home and it's especially good to know that Graham is so happy with the home we've created for him!

Enjoy the many pictures of our trip to Phoenix!

Graham was in a very independent and feisty mood and would only eat his ice cream treat if he was allowed to feed himself. So, I handed him the spoon and let him go for it. About half the ice cream made it to his mouth, and the other half created a sticky mess on his shirt!

Graham is thrilled to be swinging! The squeeling noises that go along with his joyful face were just priceless!

This is Graham playing in the back of the SUV as we were picking it up from the airport. He was having a great time climbing on the suitcases. I kept calling him to come towards me so I could lift him out and get him into the carseat, but instead of coming like I wanted him to, he crawled further away and started clapping for himself.

Grahm hanging out with his puppy friends at Uncle Bob and Auntie Emily's house.

Graham is all smiles at his first trip to "In-N-Out Burger"!

Graham's cousins were playing in a soccer tournament and we stopped by to watch a game. Here is Graham enjoying his first ever bite of a dounut after the game!

Smiling in the sun! How cool does Graham look in his shades?

Mesmerized by the giraffe at the zoo!

"The Boy's" during their trip to the zoo

Playing in the water on a warm afternoon!

Tired out and fast alseep on the plane ride home!!!!

Almost time to go...

The past few days have been spent trying to pack and run last minute errands for our trip this weekend! Graham and I are leaving our winter coats and mittens behind, and heading to sunny, warm Arizona tomorrow morning with my Mom!!! Unfortunately, because of it being a busy time at work, Jeff isn't able to come with us. We'll miss him, but I'm certain that he's going to enjoy sleeping in and not having to share the remote with Graham! It's amazing to me how much "stuff" traveling with a baby requires. It's also amazing to me how difficult it is to pack while trying to chase around a very active baby. This morning I decided that I just had to get it done though. I had our clothes laid out in the guest room which also happens to be very off limits to Graham due to the lack of baby proofing. So, when I opened the door to that bedroom this morning and didn't stop him from crawling in, he was one happy little guy! I figured that he'd open the dresser drawers and try to get under the bed, but instead, he stopped at the suitcase and just stared. I think he was trying to figure out what his bottles and sippy cups were doing inside of that box. After deciding that the suitcase was "safe", Graham climbed right on in, pushing aside the neatly folded clothes and throwing around what he didn't think we'd be needing.

I've got my fingers crossed that Graham tolerates the plane ride. The last time we flew with him, in November, he wasn't too mobile and hadn't found his voice. Now, at 13 months old, he is a very busy boy who likes to voice his opinions (LOUDLY!), and I'm not sure how he's going to like sitting on my lap for 3 hours! Whatever happens though, it can't be any worse than our 14 hour plane ride home from Seoul!

I'm not sure if I'll be updating the blog while we're away, but we'll be back on Tuesday so I'll update with pictures then, if not before.

Studying the contents of the suitcase...

Graham found his new "big boy" sandals!

Tupperware and a Toy Bus

Graham has always been intersted in what's in the kitchen cabinets. I think the fact that there are baby locks holding the doors shut, make it even more appealing for him! This afternoon, I took all the glass out, and let him go crazy in the tupperware cabinet....what fun!

Graham is just getting started....

"What mess?"

And now that he's completely cleared everything out, there's room for him to climb on in!

One of Graham's favorite toy's is a little bus. Normally, the bus is thrown around the room with Annie unknowingly posing the moving target. Today though, for the first time, I noticed Graham playing with his bus the "right" way. Not that it's wrong for a bus to fly, but I was pretty excited to see him pushing the bus along the floor.

Monday's Aren't So Bad...

When I was working outside the home (and yes, I do consider myself to be currently working, I just don't leave the house or have the privlege of collecting a paycheck) Monday's were a real drag. I wasn't in love with my job, and I knew it would be a long five days until Friday finally rolled around. Monday's have an entirely new feeling to them now, and I can't say I dread them in the least. Each day is different with Graham, and I love each minute I get to spend with him. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to be at home with him and watch him experience all life has to offer an almost 13 month old little guy!

Today, we had lunch with my good friend Sara. She was very recently engaged (CONGRATULATIONS SARA AND CHRIS!!!!) and being the girly girl that I am, I've been dying to see her ring! Graham was a pretty good restaurant patron while Sara and I got to catch up and talk about her upcoming wedding that I'm honored to be a part of...I LOVE weddings! After lunch it was time for Graham to take a nap because he had something very exciting to attend this afternoon. Graham again had the opportunity to be a part of the tv show that Grandma Greer works on. This time though, Graham invited his friend Alexandra to come too, so she could make her own tv debut! The segment filmed today deals with "organic babies" and will aire in March. After it goes on tv, I'll post the link here, so everyone will have the chance to see the movie star babies!

Here is Graham studying Sara's new engagement ring. Graham really likes things that sparkle, and her ring definitely sparkles!

This is "Mad Graham". He was pretty upset with me here because I wouldn't let him drink my lemondade.

Here are Alex and Graham at their shoot. They're playing with their organic toys for the camera!

Another Busy Day...

Graham is now fast asleep for the night and our busy weekend has come to an end. Today, Grandma and Grandpa Olson came over for lunch and a "play-date" with Graham. I think they were pretty impressed with Graham's strength as he demonstrated for all of us the proper way to throw lunch on the floor and repeatedly throw a cup of milk as far away from the table as possible. Graham does actually eat, but lately it's on his own terms, and lately his own terms often include flying food! Hopefully, the excitement of throwing food on the ground then leaning waaay out of his highchair to see where exactly it hit the ground will soon come to an end. Included in our busy day, was a haircut for Graham. I'll admit to being a bit nervous for this haircut. Graham really did appear traumatized after the last one, so we waited quite a while before taking him in again. It was definitely time for a trim though, so we decided that today was the day. Graham shocked us all though by giggling through the entire thing! Not a single tear was shed-way to go Graham!

Reading a book with Grandma ChanSoon

Haircuts are so much fun!

Today was GO, GO, GO!

Our day began promptly at 6:55 when Graham woke up and loudly announced to anyone within earshot that he wanted “Up, Up, Up”! We wish that Graham viewed Saturday mornings as a day to sleep in and take things slowly, but since he doesn’t, so began our busy day. We ended up leaving our house by 9:00 to do some shopping, and much to his Mommy’s delight, Graham was actually a pretty good shopper! I think Graham is bored shopping alone with me during the week….all the stroller wheels stay firmly on the ground and we take all corners at a safe speed. Today though, with Daddy in control of the baby chariot, Graham was treated to the roller-coaster of stroller rides. Whatever keeps the boys happy! We got home in enough time for Graham to take a quick afternoon nap before our friends Amy, Dave, and Baby Alex joined us for the evening. Trying to be the ever mindful parents that we are, it was amusing how early our evening came to an end. Both babies were showing signs of potential meltdowns, so by 7:00 Graham was playing in the bathtub and I’m sure Alex was being tucked into bed. Wow, how our Saturday evenings have changed!

Taking a break from shopping to play with the trains at the Hanna Andersson store.

Graham is desperately trying to remove his right shoe on the car ride home. This went on for about 20 minutes accompanied by very frustrated yells and screams.

Demonstrating for Alex how his bouncy seat works!

Saying "good-bye" to Alex for the evening.

Monkey Boy Strikes Again...

Some days, I really believe that Graham would enjoy living with a monkey family. A monkey mom would encourage her young to climb and swing from things. Then there's me...I spend my days pulling my young child off of things and redirecting him to toys that encourage him to remain firmly planted on the ground. This morning Graham actually tried to scale the front of the closed dishwasher-all because he watched me hit the "start" button, and wanted to push it himself. Thankfully, Graham is a boy, not a monkey, and climbing a closed dishwasher is a nearly impossible task. With his superhuman grip and bare feet (if the weather would ever warm up!!!) for traction though, I'm sure he'd be able to gain some height. Let's just say that he's going to be wearing socks at all times in the kitchen.

The second gate in our house....also known as "Graham's Climbing Wall"

In Graham's free time when he isn't attemption to scale large objects, he does enjoy playing with toys!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a very special visitor at school today....Jeff joined us for a portion of our class! Graham seemed stunned to see his Daddy at school as it's a bit unusual for him to have both of his parents with him in his classroom. Jeff was a very good sport and sat down with the other Mommies (there was another Daddy visiting today) during circle time to sing songs. Although despite knowing the words to the songs, I honestly can't say Jeff was singing too loudly. Next time, Jeff will sing loudly like he means it!!! Here we are helping Graham work on some very important Valentine's for his very special Grandparents!

Graham isn't so sure about having his hand painted.....

Graham still isn't so sure about having his hand painted..... We really don't do many crafts during this class since the kids are a bit young, but today, of all the day's for Jeff to come, of course we're doing something with paint. Hopefully he made it back to work paint free in time for his meeting!

Graham's first hand-made Valentine that is proudly displayed on our fridge.

Persistence....

The gate at the bottom of the stairs is still bothering Graham. He spends a good amount of time each day trying to get to the other side. He's tried sticking his legs between the bars, he's tried squeezing between the gate and the wall, but most often he just tries to go over the top. I wonder if I should enroll him in a "rock climbing for tots" class... If such a thing existed, I have no doubt that Graham would excel!

Bubbles in the basement...

Lately, I've been desperately trying to find indoor activities to amuse my very busy boy. With the weather still being as cold as it is, I almost feel guilty taking him out. So, I decided we would try playing with bubbles in the basement. Graham really liked the bubbles but was cautious with them at first....he just didn't understand how they were in front of him one minute and completely gone the next!

In case I didn't see all the bubbles floating around, here is Graham pointing them out to me!

I think Graham must have really enjoyed the bubbles, because they put him in a fabulous mood...all smiles!

One more cute weekend picture....

I forgot to include this picture when I updated the blog yesterday, and since I think it's too cute to leave out, here it is now....

"What mess???"

Our weekend at the lake.....

We left the city this weekend and headed up to Spooner for some down time. We were hoping to bundle Graham up and try for the second time this winter to play in the snow, but because of dangerously cold temperatures, we were forced to stay inside. Despite the arctic air though, we still managed to have a fantastic weekend up north!

Graham is studying up on his animals before dinner!

Acting like a clown at the dinner table...this wasn't even his bottle (empty by the way) of juice but Graham pointed to it, the bottle was handed over to him, and then the performance began.

Graham learned how to push himself along on his little car this weekend. He was sooo very proud of himself as he scooted around the kitchen with absolutely no regard for either Annie or Millie! I actually lost track of how many times Graham drove over poor Millies' tail!

Catching up on the latest celebrity gossip with Auntie Lynn.

Millie tolerates absolutely anything from Graham. She always lets Graham climb all over her and pet (pull) her fur!

"Answering" the cell phone...

With Peter, things are always turned into an airplane game in some way, shape, or form and this weekend, Graham taking a ride on his "Barnyard Car" was no exception. I think Graham's face says it all-he loved his flying car ride!

A happy little guy...

Mornings are always a bit chaotic at our house, and this morning was no exception. We didn't have to be anywhere until Graham's class started at 11:30, but I'm still amazed at how much longer everything takes with a baby! I was running around the house collecting things that needed to come to school with us (diapers, snacks, sippy cup, camera) and heard a few noises coming from Graham's room. I thought he was taking a nap. so I peeked into his room to see what he was up to. I'm glad I had my camera with me, because this is what I found!

I found a very happy boy who was playing peek-a-boo with me between the bars on his crib!

Happy and well-rested after a morning nap.

Graham is really into peek-a-boo right now. He likes to be in control though and will put things over his head then take them off and laugh at himself....that's what he's doing here!

When we got to school today, we found the sensory table full of water. The kids LOVED splashing in the water and playing with the toys!

Graham and all the little girls....he's apparently quite popular with the ladies!