To Those In Iowa

CRM, OMM, and I can't wait for our visit in two weeks! Sharon, we are so excited to see you! And, if your reading this, since I don't have your email address, I am sending out a world wide web question for you: Do you, or anyone you know have a playpen that we could borrow while we're in IA for OMM?

It'll be so nice to open the front door and let the boys roam and play. CRM will have a blast exploring everything the farm has to offer, and OMM will enjoy all the space to walk. Yes, I said walk! A week before he turned 10 months old he took his first steps. Now a week later he's worked up to walking a couple feet, and is walking about 20% of the time. It'll be a lot of fun to have two boys walking this summer. Less dirt of OMM and less holding him. He's getting pretty heavy to lug around now.

Today Husband and I took the boys for their first bike ride. We bought this great bike stroller and it's perfect! To top it off it wasn't even all that expensive. CRM was laughing with delight when we first started off. It'll be great to bike the fire station to visit Husband. I'll get a work out and the boys will have a great time.

And just to leave you guys with uber cuteness!!! Because, sorry all, I really do have the cutest kids EVER!

OMM enjoying some brother free time. Music anyone?

"Trees" An abstract art demo by CRM, he finds sticks and puts them in the snow. Pretty cleaver I think.

The wagon I just bought. CRM pulls it around outside, and sometimes he's kind enough to take OMM for a ride. CRM is becoming quite the amazing little boy and big brother.

Central Alaska is no Place to Raise a Toddler

Wow, didn't think about raising a child during winter, in NP. It has been a pretty consistent -20F every day this month, with lows in the -40s and highs in the -10s. Needless to say Gumba hasn't been outside for a very long time. My cutoff is -10F, and today it's finally gotten that warm. Plus, there isn't a lot to do with toddlers anyways. Gumba is bored and getting into mischief, I'm bored chasing him around saying no all the time and getting ignored. I've looked online for ideas, and short of read to your child, stack blocks with your child, there really isn't much else to do. And, these aren't even great ideas because they'll what, keep you child occupied for a total of five minutes? We're talking hours of free time here, not five minutes here and there. I think Husband and I are going to take him to the family swim at the pool next Saturday. Gumba has never been, and we've never been with a baby, so who knows how that will go. I'll keep in touch with you all about that. I also think we'll go to the library in town. The floors are probably decently clean and he'll have lots of new stuff to look at. Ugh, winter sucks big time.

Winter is Here

Here is the view off of our deck, isn't it lovely! When it's snowing and the wood stove is ablazing, you really feel like you're in a cabin in the woods all alone.



Not sure how excited I am though. Usually I look forward to a change in the seasons, but this year winter came later than usual, and with it much warmer temperatures. Last week on my way home from work, Husband received a phone call from his crying wife begging him to pick her up on the side of the highway. I had never been so scared to drive before. I found out there's a reason my car gets great gas mileage, it weighs as much as an aluminum can. Husband, Gumba, both cars, and I made it home safely. Husband got to get the 4-wheeler out and plow for the first time this year. Gumba had a lot of fun watching Daddy:





Gumba also discovered the pot and pan drawer under our stove. The house is suddenly louder: