'Big Boy' Lunch

Today Graham enjoyed his lunch 'big boy' style at General Mills. We haven't been there in a while, but Graham still remembers the routine and the route we take to the cafeteria. Once we met up with Jeff, Graham happily jumped out of his stroller, grabbed his Daddy's hand, and off they went. Graham literally took off running down the hall toward the elevator where he knows he'll be allowed to push the button. He also took great pride in pushing the large square button that opens the giant double doors into the cafeteria. Things got a bit crowded at this point, so an unhappy Graham was strapped back into his chariot. As Jeff and I surveyed our lunch options, Graham was sure to let everyone within earshot know that he wanted a hot dog....too bad that wasn't an option for him today. Thankfully, Graham appeared satisfied with his meatloaf and mashed potatoes. The real treat was dessert though. Yes, Graham enjoyed his mini donut, but he was most excited by the fact that he was allowed to sit on the 'big boy' leather furniture while he enjoyed his snack. I had to laugh on the way home though, because Graham continued to demand another donut. I didn't even know he could say that word, but apparently his dessert made quite the impression on him!

Happy 'Almost' Birthday!

This past Sunday we had a small birthday celebration for Graham. He doesn't turn 2 until Thursday, but Sunday was the day that worked with our schedule, so Sunday it was. This party was nothing like his massive 1st Birthday Bash , but we still had a great time celebrating. I still can't believe my little guy is turning 2!!!

Graham had a lot of practice in December unwrapping gifts, and he had no problem getting back into the swing of things.

This is Graham studying the Elmo cake that I slaved over. As I was decorating it, I kept commenting to Jeff that this would be the only Elmo cake I would ever create. He reminded me that Amelia may very well love Elmo, in which case, I might be creating another red monster cake in the future!

Elmo cake on an Arthur plate-what could be better!

After dinner, Graham performed for his family. He LOVES to be the center of attention and the more pleased we appeared with his performance, the more he played into his crowd! I've got a feeling this performance was the direct result of a cake and ice cream sugar high!

Piano Lesson

The following pictures are not posed...I promise! Jeff was the first one to notice Graham giving his faithful companion, Elmo, a piano lesson. Jeff motioned for me to grab the camera and this is what I found...




Apparently Elmo needed a bit more guidance so Graham moved him onto his lap. How sweet is this?!?

We're still here!

The past few days have just flown by for us! Despite the arctic air that refuses to leave Minnesota, we've still managed to stay very busy. We met our friends Tiffiny and Livia at Edinborough Park on the absolute coldest day of the year. Both Graham and Livia seemed thrilled with the space to run and play.

Graham was in the middle of throwing his wipes into the pond when I took this picture. It looks like Liv is cheering him on!

I was even able to indulge in a bit of retail therapy for Miss Amelia. I've got a strong suspicion that the longer it takes her to come home the larger her wardrobe will become! Here is Graham trying on some glasses before we headed to the mall.

And this, is just a cute video. Until Jeff starts talking, Graham had no idea he was being taped. He LOVES to sit at the piano and play. I'm not sure if you can hear him in this clip, but he's singing to himself too!

FREEZING cold!

Despite the freezing cold weather (-23 F!!!) Graham and I ventured out this morning to run a few errands and spend some time visiting with our friends Amy and Miss Alex. Graham has been working on being able to pronounce the name 'Alex' for a while now, and today he was able to do it! Alex was a wonderful host and let Graham play with anything he wanted to. Interestingly enough, we have many of the same toys but for some reason in a different house, they seemed to entertain Graham much better than they do at home! Thanks Amy and Alex for a fun morning!

Big Cousin Graham

Over the weekend, we gained an adorable new family member! Graham's cousin Miles was born late Sunday night. Unfortunately, Graham was tucked into bed and soundly sleeping when Miles made his appearance, but I was lucky enough to be at the hospital along with my parents so we got to meet him almost immediately!

Graham's cousin Miles...less than an hour old!

This afternoon Graham and I picked up Jeff from work a bit early and we headed to the hospital to pay the new Mommy and Daddy and Miles a visit. I was very curious as to how Graham would react when he saw his Mama cuddling another little bundle. Luckily, he was so entertained by the baby that he didn't care which arms Miles was resting in. I didn't sense any jealousy from Graham which is a good sign since very soon, there will be a new baby in our house too! Graham was also extremely impressed by Miles' bellybutton. He immediately noticed it looks a bit different than his own and spent some time lifting his shirt up to compare and contrast them. How fun it will be for these two little guys to have each other as buddies as they grow up. I can only imagine the mischief they'll be causing together in the years to come! Congratulations Peter and Lynn-your little guy is amazing!

No, Graham isn't winding up to hit Miles, he was actually mid-wave when this photo was taken

Grandma and her boys

Graham thought it was hilarious to offer his bunny graham crackers to Miles. I should note that Graham wouldn't share with anyone else. It didn't matter how nicely we asked Graham for a cracker, the only person to get a cracker was Miles.

How crazy is it that both Peter and I are parents????

Life with Elmo Slippers: Day 2

Graham is still very attached to his Elmo slippers and I guess I really shouldn't be surprised. He wears them constantly only to have me remove them against his will to leave the house, sleep, and take a bath. Tonight at dinner (with Elmo slippers) I noticed Graham taking bits of food and shoving them under the table. I think he was trying to be discrete, but he isn't as sly as he thinks he is. I reminded him that his food needed to stay on his plate and he very calmly pointed to his feet and said 'Elmo mmmmmmmm'. In Graham's world, that means that Elmo is eating food and enjoying it. Great, Graham finally gets over his eating issues and now he's giving his food to stuffed slippers??? I almost started laughing when I realized what he was thinking but reminded myself that he was taking this very seriously. It was dinner time for the family and since Elmo is part of the family according to Graham, it was only fair that Elmo have a meal too. I let Graham offer his slippers a few more bites then encouraged him to eat the rest of his food. I guess hunger got the best of him because he eagerly went back to his dinner. Graham and I did share some chocolate ice cream for dessert and I caught him just in time before an ice cream covered spoon was forced into Elmo's mouth. I think I finally have him convinced that Elmo doesn't like chocolate. After all, there is no way, I'm going to let chocolate be wasted on a stuffed animal!

Notice the remnants of dessert all over his mouth!

The night with Elmo didn't end at the dinner table though. As soon as Graham left the kitchen I could hear him running towards the bathroom. Things then got very quiet and this is what I found...what can I say, Graham is a fan of good dental hygiene!