‘Tis Better to Give and Deceive

We began Christmas shopping yesterday and the entertaining challenge of purchasing gifts for the boys while shopping with the boys added a level of intrigue and difficulty. With two boys and two carts it’s easy to hide things from Kellen but Aidan has always been able to smell out a gift purchased for him. He has a navidad sixth sense of shopping.

I recall one year when I came downstairs and found him sitting on a tub of Christmas decorations clutching an unwrapped Thomas the Train locomotive. He smiled at me and asked to have his choo choo that very moment. How he found it is a mystery still unsolved but he managed to discover it and at that age we weren’t getting it back. We also purchased a special candy item for him way back when to share with his friends at daycare. We carefully slipped it into the cart, checked out and got back to the car. As soon as we started the engine he announced that he wanted his candy now.

Yesterday we managed to successfully snag something for him twice. The first time it was a simple distraction technique and thanks to the complicated Kohl’s shopping carts with their opaque hanging bags it was behind him the whole time and he was none the wiser. He thought nothing of the three guys heading to the truck to warm it up for mama leaving her to check out by herself. The second store and item had Kellen and I cart racing Aidan and Rachel. Kellen and I took odd “shortcuts” and conveniently got lost for a few minutes. My Oscar worthy announcement that I was warm and needed to shed my coat minutes earlier had the desired effect as everyone de-coated and gave me enough material to hide the item I was about to scoop up during my absence.

VIDEO: Phone

Long distance calls are blocked on our phone for two reasons...

1. We have cell phones and can use our minutes for such calls

2. Kellen grabs the phone and "calls mama"

He hears the automated woman's voice telling him "this call cannot be completed as dialed" and talks to her. He also likes to imitate Rachel's laugh that he hears when she's talking to her sister on the phone.

VIDEO: Yogurt

Kellen loves his yogurt...

...and hates his socks

Random Report

The boys are both enjoying the acquisition of some new Baby Genius DVDs. Kellen started thinking every trip to the basement meant he could zone out and watch a DVD and these are at least getting him dancing and singing for 20-30 minutes. It’s funny because he not only sings and does the actions with the songs but he imitates the instruments as well. He’ll ask “what’s next?” at the close of each song and identify the next one immediately when it starts playing. Each DVD came with a matching CD so we have the joy of listening to the songs whenever we’re on the road (like the four-plus hour trips to and from Iowa).

The Baby Genius crew

Not sure if Kellen’s recent “I love you’s” came from the “1-2 I Love You” song on the DVDs but he’s throwing them out there to both parents. He also said “Bless you dada” when I sneezed this morning. He has been enthusiastically closing our dinner time prayers with either a giggle and a sing-song “Amen” or a fist pump and a “Yes!” Both are being acknowledged as acceptable forms of saying thanks to the Lord.

Kellen loves trailing me around the house saying “Hey Daddy! Hey Daddy!” He took that with him to Iowa perching on the stairs peaking through the rungs and identifying everyone…”Hey Mommy! Hey Grammie! Hey Daddy!”. He's also picked up on Rachel yelling for me. I walked back into the house today after dropping some recyclables in the garage and he was sitting on the stairs. He looked at me, smiled and said "Hey Trav."

We’re enjoying a new Little Tikes basketball hoop that we brought home from Grammie and Papa D’s house. It makes the basement that much more fun and has for the moment taken over Aidan’s indoor soccer field. While downstairs Kellen enjoys playing the Pipio (pronounced P-P-O) also known as the piano. He’s actually quite careful to play a string of notes and doesn’t just bash the keys. Both boys remain experts in using the hockey stick as an air guitar. They are also less inhibited dancers than their father which may warrant getting the video camera in position to capture Dance Party Deur-S-A.

Our holiday schedule is looking interesting as we work around a sibling nurses’ schedule on both sides. Thanksgiving and Christmas functions with immediate families look to be a week early or late on both sides. Hopefully that will translate into a big stay in Iowa in December.

Rachel and I are researching travel options to Maui for the beginning of 2009. We had always intended to go to Hawaii for our 10 year anniversary and once the calendar flips to January we are technically in the right year. Apparently our weekend trip to Lincoln did not suppress our desire to run away together to a warm tropical destination. Frosty rooftops in the mornings will remind us that it is time to book that trip.

I rest my case

Chillin' (Literally) With The Cornhuskers

This past weekend we dropped the boys off in Pella and headed to Nebraska to take in the Cornhusker/Jayhawk football game. The game was held at the 80,000 plus seat Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. The projected temperatures were chilly but never got that high. A biting wind made this Cyclone man very happy for his complementary Huskers stocking cap during a brief tailgating session (don't be mad Cyclone brethren...I like the way I look with ears).

We were also gifted with shirts and I donned mine quickly not wishing to offend the fine people that hosted us on Saturday. I was thrilled to wear the wrong red if it meant we got to hang out in the corporate skybox. The view was great, the all-access ticket to game food was much appreciated and there was only a slight breeze if you sat too close to the vented windows (had to inject a little legit crowd noise into the comfort of the box). We were well taken care of while footballing in the presence of the CEO and owner of a company Rachel does business with.

Windows between you and wind chill factors = feeling in your extremities

The trip from Minneapolis to Pella to Lincoln to Pella to Minneapolis in 48 hours left me a bit exhausted (perhaps the 18 hour football day did me in). It was a great experience. I did not get the full effect of the size of the stadium perched high above the shivering masses but my toes did live to see the end of the game. They suggested we needed to make the trip an annual event and with the Cyclones visiting Lincoln next year I think October 24 fits into my schedule.

I don't always get the invite to these corporate perks but this weekend I was happy to serve in the role of trophy husband.

Would You Like Icing on Your Clown Fish?

We hit the pediatrician’s office this morning so Aidan could get his flu vaccination.

Before the excitement of getting the mist squirted up his nose rather than the usual flu shot, we hung out around the fish tank while I filled out paperwork. Every kid-geared operation now seems to have the obligatory aquarium with a “Nemo” fish (clown fish) and a “Dory” fish (a blue regal tang…yes I Googled to find that). Our pediatrician is no exception.

The clown fish kept peaking out of an anemone and slowly floated back in just like in the movie "Finding Nemo". I made mention of this and pointed it out to Aidan.

I then asked Aidan if he knew what the sea plant was called. “It’s a sea anemone,” I told him. “A Cini Mini?” was his reply. Yes…Nemo is swimming in and out of a warm and delicious miniature cinnamon roll from the Burger King breakfast menu (I've not had them but I can only assume they are delicious).

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