OOODEN!!!

The annual summer trip to MN has come and gone. I look forward to it starting around February and I'm always sad when it's time to leave. The time goes faster and faster each year. It's harder these days since I have Ethan in tow...in so many ways. Harder to get there, harder to see all of my friends and harder to say good-bye once it's time to leave. Knowing it will be a few months until Ethan gets to see Grandma and Grandpa and a full year until he and Otis can have the freedom to play and run like they do when they are at my parents.

This visit was a good one. We had perfect weather the whole time we were there. Mom and Dad set up a play area for Ethan and we spent every day outside. He even came back with a little bit of a tan! (poor kid has my pale, pale skin). He started the trip a little uneasy on his feet on uneven ground, but by the end of the week, he was running around like a pro. Otis, as always, had the run of the place and went swimming whenever he pleased and foraged through the woods...unfortunately, he brought back a little poison ivy, which I am just recovering from now. I do not remember poison ivy being so horrible when I was little.

I wasn't able to make it to Fargo like I usually do, but Peni, Aaron and Brady all made the trek to Grand Rapids, so we got to hang out with them for a night. I finally got to meet my honorary nephew Brady. What a cute kid! He is the happiest little (well, not so little ;) baby I have ever met. You can't help but smile when he looks at you. Ethan wasn't so sure about having a cute baby around. I mean, he IS the cute baby, right? He looked like such a big kid next to Brady. They grow up fast!

Jon was able to come up for only part of the trip, but since we weren't traveling around MN as we usually do, it was pretty chill and was good quality time. Dad and Jon got to hang out quite a bit and got the boat in the water and brought Ethan for his first boat ride. It was pretty successful, although Ethan wanted to get up on the boat's side to feel the water with his hand. He would have jumped if I wasn't holding him, I swear that kid has no fear.

Jon and I also brought Ethan down to the local beach area one day. I had visions of all of us in the water with Ethan peacefully floating in this very overpriced inner tube type thing that sang songs when the different cartoon buttons were pushed. So, we all loaded in the car for the 4 block drive over. We had every sand toy and water toy that we thought could be possible. Thought is the operative word. We put Ethan in his floaty device and hit the water. Took about 20 seconds for me to get sick of the show tunes blasting from the damn thing and Ethan to want to get out. Why did I think that Ethan would want to sit passively by? Has he ever done this? No.

We pulled him out and took turns trying to hold on to him as he struggled to get out of our arms and figure out the depth of the water all on his own. We were trying to keep his head above water when Ethan looked around and noticed a certain item that we had failed to pack. A ball. Beach balls were everywhere and Ethan wanted one. BALL! BALL! BALL! Crap.  We had no ball. He noticed the buoy's that closed off the swimming area and wanted to get closer, thinking that these were shiny red balls. I saw no harm in getting closer, so Jon carried him out and let him touch it. Not enough. He wanted to take it with him. Needless to say that things kinda unravelled a little after that and my little vision of a perfect family water outing deflated a bit. We managed to stick around for a few more minutes, but the water was cold and Ethan started to shiver, so after just 1/2 hour, we packed up and headed back to grandma and grandpa's house where the pool water was a little warmer and easier to manage....and there were balls.

Ethan's exploding with words these days. Apple, orange, George (as in Curious) and he's finally saying 'momma' (yay!) He has started calling his little bear blanket 'baby' and Otis has been renamed Oden. He likes to tease Oden by carrying 'Baby'  around and calling his name. Otis thinks that he can play with said baby and tries to grab it, which makes Ethan yell at him "Let Go Oden, Let Go Oden!"...all the while laughing. Poor Oden can't catch a break. Oden is also Ethan's newest obsession. If he's trying to sleep, Ethan will try to ride him like a horse or lie on him. I have to say the dog is taking it all very well, even when he got hit by a ladle last night. Poor Oden.

I wanted to wish a big Happy Birthday to Katie Larson. It was her bday early this past week and b/c of one very big storm and a bunch of water at Jen and Tom's home, we hosted her party at our house. It was last minute, but Jon rose to the occasion and ran out to buy purple balloons and borrow glittery floaty things and princess signs from the Nelson's, who just celebrated Madison's 3rd bday a couple of weeks ago. I was pretty impressed with his 3 year old party planning abilities. It was all very urban with no grass for the kids, just a rooftop deck, but they had the pool and a sandbox and I think Katie had a good time. Below is a picture of the pretty birthday girl herself and Ethan trying to sneak in to get a better look at her presents.

So, new Ethan stats. Jon brought him in for his 18 mo check up on Tuesday. He is now32 1/4" tall and in the 50th percentile for his real age, a huge growth spurt! I think it was the MN air. He hasn't gained much weight at all though, he's a skinny kid at 21lbs 3oz. He eats so much, it's hard to believe, but then again, you watch him motor around all day and realize that the kid uses every bit of energy he consumes. He's only in the 5th percentile in this department. No one is worried about this of course. He's doing great as usual and progressing more and more at his real age rather than adjusted.

To end, a little now and then. Mom and Ethan last summer compared to them this summer. My little boy is growing up!