August

Well, for the first time since July of 2014, we do not have live in childcare. Really since April 2014, honestly, because so many of you came and helped when they were born. I also just realized about five of the eight years we've been married, we've had another adult in the house with us. Crazy. Andrew, my parents, my cousin Samantha and I are taking it in turns to watch the boys until preschool starts on September 5.

Picky

This morning, sure fire breakfast of raspberry kringle from Trader Joe's.

P- I want somefing else. I want yogurt.
Me- proceeds to get yogurt, gives to him
P- I don't like COLD yogurt. I don't want COLD yogurt.
P- decides to eat kringle instead

M- picks up the piece of pastry, licks the icing off the top
Me- why don't you eat the rest of it, too?
M- I don't know HOWWWW. Places pastry back on his plate and stares blankly
Me- here's a fork, if you want
M- I need it in pieces
Me- cuts up the pastry
M- what's in here?
Me- raspberries
M- you cut up the raspberry jelly. I don't like it. I will just not eat anyfing for dinner.

Phone

[talking into pretend phone]

Phin: Ehrohhh, mommy!
Me: Hi.
Micah: I like slippers and planes and cars. Bye.
Me: Bye....

2017 Parenting

Life feels just nuts these days- in hindsight, it's been nuts for a while. I somehow still have this vision for the future that is more relaxed, more fun... I hope we get there.

In any case- how does anyone do full time work and parenting and feel like a relative success at both? It seems impossible... the more time and effort you spend on one, the more you feel like you're falling behind on the other. Not that I regret my job in the least- I don't think I'm cut out to stay at home and this was the right choice for us. When I'm at work, I love it. When I'm at home, I love it... just wish they fit together a little better.

So, 2017 for the boys: should be a good one.

• See Uncle Gary and Aunt Lynn in February
• I'm sure see Grammy, Pop Pop, and Aunt Sarah at times throughout the year
• Potty training begins!
• Turn three on April 7th
• Will decide on preschool, make reservations
• Possibly move to "forever" house??? Put in an offer on one...
• Hoping to spend more time on the lake shore
• Planning to do some gardening and simple cooking with them
• Choose and meet our last au pair in June/July. Sniff, sniff.
• Summer weekend camping?
• Go to the Maryland cottage over summer
• Perhaps a road trip to Colorado
• Grammy and Pop Pop's around the holidays

2017 for the rest of us:

• All the stuff above
• Andrew takes his second and third semesters of grad school, dives headlong into new job and client
• Laura adds to her staff, does strategic planning, manages 4 summits and ~200 classes, trams and custom classes
• North Carolina wedding in April
• Laura conference in June
• Sarah's parents visit in May
• Sarah finishes in June, moves to new apartment and work/study as paramedic

A Sunday

Boys have had sniffles and fever the last couple days.

Talking abounds these days, especially for Micah. Phin understands when he tries, but just doesn't seem to care/pay attention to talking/listening most of the time. This  morning we were chatting over breakfast- Micah said "I LIKE cake!" (we were having pastry). Then Phin pointed at his plate and said, "Rye Rike!" Makes sense in this context, but when he's said it before not sure what it meant.

They're playing nicely with their new train table, in their truck pajamas made by grandma. It's nice to see them playing cooperatively for once... hoping for more in future!

Trains

Boots

Popcorn sumo

Oh dump it

Whipped cream

Readers

I win.

What helps a toddler feel calm? Putting away dishes. 

A day in the life

Today I went in to work later, to work later as a matter of fact, so I fed the boys breakfast- cheerios. Cold cereal is still a novelty, and I daresay they are not 100% successful yet at keeping that spoon level. Phin spilled at least half his cheerios on his pajamas before I taught them to lean over their bowls to eat. What a clever trick.

Sarah took them on a playdate, but they were crotchety so it wasn't the most fun ever.

Dinner tonight was all but rejected, so I countered with peanut butter and apples. They bit out the middle of the apple slices and ate the peanut butter off their fingers. We went to Target for a few things, and they were mostly whiny, but occasionally distracted by xmas light displays and the snow outside. At bedtime these days I read to them/change them into pj's, then give them horseback rides to bed. Andrew lurks until they're asleep.

We quit cloth diapers last week- they've just been outgrown. They were supposed to fit 8-35 pounds and they about did that... on to disposables a little while longer!

Andrew's last day of work is Friday, then he has two weeks off before starting his new local job.

July-October

Hi there. Here's a general Vogel update:

• July: Very travel-y. We went to Maryland for fourth of July. Lots of fun... not overly fond of the stress of flying with the boys, but they were troopers. It's just a bit obnoxious to haul the carseats and pay adult fare for them. Then Sarah went to Seattle with friends, then spent two weeks traveling from NYC to Florida with her parents, who had never been to the US. During that time, Andrew went to DC for work and dad was in Ohio. After they came back, mom and I returned the favor by going to a wedding of one of my close friends in Ohio. Whew.
• August: Went to our first Twins game with mom and dad (thanks Aunt Peggy and Uncle Lee), celebrated baby Berney at a baby shower, and went to the state fair. Laura had her first of several Summits this fall.
• September: Sarah went to San Diego for a class, and Andrew started his MS in Software Engineering program- in addition to working full time, he's also attending school one full day a week plus homework. The Vogels visited- Nancy, Brant and Sarah! Sarah started taking a sign language course. Laura had another Summit. Berney, Kurt and Anna Kitt's first, was born... hooray nephew and very first first cousin! 
• October: school continues. Laura has two Summits and several large events. Andrew and I celebrated our sixth anniversary. We went to the Minnesota Renaissance Fair. Aunt Anna and Uncle Aaron visited, and cousin Paul and Amy visited from New Jersey- got to meet Zachary for the first time, who's just three months older than the boys. 

Anecdotes about the boys:

• Trucks and trains are by far the most interesting things. When I have energy, I tell long, boring bedtime stories about a bobcat and the LOVE it. 
• Definitely know some colors, letters and numbers- green, blue, purple, black, yellow, orange, red, white, one, two, O and B. 
• They can now distinguish between pooping and farting.
• Just got them sized for new shoes yesterday- Phin is a 9 and Micah an 8.5. 
• Micah calls Trump, Crump. 
• The boys have been having a grandma and grandpa Saturday since Andrew started school, for the most part, and it's really going well. They nap there, have their own little table to eat at... this is really the first "daycare" experience for them. 
• We are leaning on tv shows more these days- some of their favorites are Chuggington, Sesame Street, Daniel the Tiger, and Dinotrux (can't tell who likes this one more, the boys or Andrew and Sarah)
• The boys have a huge pumpkin obsession right now, especially Phin. They have little pie pumpkins from TJ's, and Phin sleeps with his... should probably replace soon:-). 

Albums- years one, two and three

Hi all!

Working on some updates tonight- for now, here are links to three years of the boys:

Year one (April 7, 2014 - April 7, 2015)
Year two (April 8, 2015 - April 7, 2016)
Year three (April 8, 2016 - now)

Lazy pool

Happy Fourth!

This weekend we flew to Maryland to enjoy time with Andrew's family down at the beach. No internet access, but most likely we are swimming, playing with sand, grilling, eating ice cream, and having a pretty good time. Probably some memorable stories to come with the flying- I doubt the boys will behave the same as they did at 7 months!

Avocado toast

Afternoon sillies

Cool dudes