Catch up time!

Over spring break our persistent, patient puzzle pro (who happens to have less of an attention span for books than big brother) enjoyed a focused, snuggly book time with Grandpa. We're so pleased he's up for longer reads each day!

Great Grandma Amba had trouble seeing the words. No problem, said Kaj! Just give me your glasses and I'll "read" to you. Our read is really more of a retell at this point, but that's beside the point. Going through San Souci's Little Pierre took twenty minutes! Amba loved every minute.

I see Grandpa sitting on the couch with his feet on that black thing, but I just can't seem to get it to work with my little boy body!

This makes me very happy! Have I mentioned I loved being a music teacher this week? I really do have great kids who challenge me in all sorts of ways. Most of them make me a better teacher, mother and person, so thank you, young people of Iowa City! A high point: Running into a boundary-testing first grader at ICPL's story time and observing him dote on Leif for twenty minutes. Talk about making a personal connection...I will be calling him to babysit in five years!

Give Kaj a pencil and a piece of paper, and you never know what you're going to get. This time he and Grandpa Hawley worked on music notation at Kaj's pace. I love this...

Left: Grandpa H. Right: Kaj Guy

Man, you're a cheerful kid, Leif!

"Huh huh...I get to ride with Ella. Score!"

"Hey, what's happening, Blondie?"

Di: "Be an animal!" I'm going to say Kaj's a bison and Annie a sweet hedgehog. The others didn't have enough time to commit to a character, I'm convinced.

After returning from spring break, Leif was scared of both Ella and Mingus! Like run-to-mom-pick-me-up-now scared. I'm so glad they're back on affectionate terms with each other.

We're SO happy that another family with a four-year-old boy has moved into our family-friendly neighborhood. Kenji and big sister Keiko have been great additions to the Raven Ct. community! So now we have three four-year-old boys on our cul-de-sac. Thank goodness they let Leif tag along!

Mom, get out the stain remover STAT! I love my new Lake Nokomis fish shirt!!!

Have I mentioned we like pirates?

Mo HAWK (eye) - groan, I know...

Arghh...

Kaj's "Water Park"

Tinker Toys, I love you.

April = 60s = A picnic in Kent Park = Where are all the people = Stay home, we're having a great time without you = Two-year-old girl arrives = Hey, you = Dirty John's Fried Chicken, y0u are the ultimate success-guaranteed picnic maker ever! (Yes, I know "= " is not really what's going on here, but we were on a roll...)

My favorite Wookie of all time

And on a personal note, I just realized I have not had a picture taken of me for MONTHS, so I Photo Boothed one tonight and changed my Facebook photo. I've been doing well with slow-and-steady weight loss (with accountability provided by WW) during the last few months, and I'm happy so say goodbye to my most extreme facial "fullness" on record. We're down 14 with just as many to go. We're moving in the right direction... 7K check - I'm 10K ready. Bring it on!

Leif turns Two (and two months)!

This may be a bit after the fact, but I definitely don't want to miss my opportunity to celebrate the youngest (and perhaps most easygoing) of the Larsens of Raven Street. Leif turned two on February 7 and celebrated in style, complete with the requested Yoda cake, with family from Iowa City, Edina, Minneapolis and down the road in Lone Tree.

Leif, you are a sweet, loving, beautiful boy,

and we are so happy to have you in our lives.

Before you were born we tried to figure out who you most resembled...

And were so happy to meet you on the morning of February 7, 2009.

You were greeted by this image of downtown Bangkok out the hospital room window...

...and this image from the side of mom's bed.

Your big brother has been your number-one fan since day one.

Not every kid gets to share a birthday with his Grandpa...

on his actual BIRTH day.

(That's what a breech presentation/planned C-section can get you...

an accurate, time-sensitive cake.)

The whole family celebrated you on your first birthday...

...and your second. (You were more into it this year.)

Happy 2nd Birthday, Leif Peder. We love you!

(Notice you're wearing the same soccer jersey as Kaj did

on the day he met you in the last photo.)

The Family Strom visits IC!

Yes, yes, this is all a bit after the fact, but better late than never!

We were so happy some of our favorite folks, The Stroms of Minneapolis, made the trip south to Iowa City to see us and hang out for a long weekend. Let's see...what did we do... this is why I should have written this WHILE THEY WERE HERE! I am left with a lovely impression, but let's see how I do with the recall...

A few highlights -

*Sunday school and the service with FOUR four-and-unders in one pew. NOT recommended, by the way, if you're going for compliance and calm.

* The Iowa City Children's Museum - lots of time on "The Farm"

* A 40-minute moms-only workout in preparation for our Get Lucky 7K, which is just around the corner!!!

*Story time at the IC library with the dads while Jenia composed brilliant curriculum at the Java House and I made sense of the Iowa Core Curriculum with a bunch of colleagues.

* A lunchtime meet-up at The Wedge for pizza before going our separate ways again.

* And just hanging out. See below...

Siri has a method is mind...it seems to work!

Whee!

I am Annie, part Viking Queen, part Jedi! Pick your poison.

"Mommy, Jenia's snake charmer." (Not really, but it could have been...)

CUTE x 2!

Scratch that - CUTE x 4!

"Daddy Book Time"

A Busy Month!

Leif's early, early am mumblings have me up and at 'em several hours pre-daybreak this morning. I have done enough blog reading this morning; It's time to produce!

Yesterday Kaj and Tom worked together on a couple of fine works using sidewalk chalk. I thought their machine was especially clever!

I assumed this was a portrait of Kaj, but I was informed it was actually of Tom.

"It's just a smaller version of daddy."

I am loving some of the photos Kaj has taken lately, which could all be categorized as "My Favorite Things." Notice...my brother who worships me...artwork displayed on the wall...my latest withdrawl from the library, etc.

I love catching Leif with a book after he's run down the hall looking for something to do. This is always better than playing with toilet bowl brush and getting into mom's hair binder basket.

We're going to Disneyworld in June with my parents! Yay!

Since this went on the calendar, we have been exploring the Disney website, noting which attractions are must-dos and just getting a better feel for the place. I remember bits and pieces from my youth, but seeing things through the lens of a 2 and a 4-year-old is REALLY FUN! This is Kaj's interpretation of a Disney-style parade, complete with Fantasia Mickey, Donald Duck and Buzz Lightyear.

Leif thought this was all very interesting, but he was more interested in the Spicy Farkel game he managed to get his hands on from the off-limits shelf.
I will have to post more soon on earlier February events - like Leif's 2nd Birthday! Like before he turns 3, for sure.

Best Friends

Tom and I have been noticing lately just how much fun the boys have together at this stage. Kaj has trained Leif :) to hide behind one of the bigger chairs in our living room as soon as they hear me coming up the stairs after school. If the house is silent, I know I am supposed to try to find them. One of these days they'll learn to try under the table every now and then. We'll save the lesson on hide-and-seek tactics for a later date. Until then, keep snuggling behind the chair, and I'll pretend I don't see you.

And then there are other times...

This side-by-side, Sesame Street watching lasted all of five minutes before they insisted on having their own chairs. I think I caught this at 4:59. Notice Leif starting to turn...

Leif loves to snuggle close and stay warm after baths. Lately he has decided that he needs EVERY towel in sight wrapped around him during his transition to PJs. And while we're on pajamas, his favorites are flannel blue footies with white stars all over them. He calls the his "Star Wars PJs," of course.

Baths typically happen right after dinner around here, and if Kaj doesn't move quickly enough, Leif will run down the hall calling out the theme for the evening. Typical outbursts include either "Pirate Bath" (a foam set they got from Santa) or "Barber Shop" (see above).

Today was "Share Day" at Kinderfarm, and Kaj decided to bring one of the Vikings from his (formerly Tom's) collection. Only after school today did Tom and I question whether sending a sharp-horned little dude to preschool was the right move. Hopefully his teacher wasn't rolling her eyes at us, the checked-out parents!

Itsy Bitsy Spider

We have a new favorite activity at the Larsen's!

Did you know that Photo Booth takes video footage and is formatted easily enough for a preschooler to run independently? Score!

The World according to Kaj

One four-year-old + one camera (under close supervision:) = an interesting perspective on the world!