Ben is 6!!

I know I don't post anymore, but here it goes anyhow.

Ben had an awesome birthday yesterday. I seriously can't believe he is SIX YEARS OLD!
Paul and I took him to the Mall of America per our tradition (this was our 5th year) and had some dinner and rode rides. I asked Ben the night before, "If you could have anything for dinner on your 6th birthday, what would you pick?" Ben says "Well, you know Mom, I would pick mini corn dogs."
So I had to find a restaurant that served mini corn dogs, and of course, I did. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings and he got his dream birthday dinner. We also got a free piece of chocolate cake and ice cream. Delish.
He opened his present from us right away when we sat down - a Nintendo DS with a game and accessories. He has been asking for one since January 2010 and I told him he could get one when he was six. He remembered.
So next, we went on to Nickelodeon Universe. He loved it and rode as many rides as he could. I am always so impressed at his manners compared to other kids in line and on rides. He is just so GOOD.
Anyways, we had fun and I am sure that the year will fly by and before I know it, he will be SEVEN. God help me.....

Funny Kid

Ben : "Mom! Look at the bird! It would be so fun to fly like a bird"

Mom: "What do you need to do to fly like a bird, Ben?"

Ben : "Wear a bird costume"

Mom: "Yes Ben, a bird costume would do the trick"

A little something to get you through....

Ben's Mom here. He is SO busy every day, we may need to change how we post. More soon. Until then, here is a bit of his art work (signed by the artist, of course) that he completed when he came to work with me on President's Day. He also helped me scan documents. He loved that "game".

Halllllooooooooowweeeeeen

Halloween was pretty cool this year. Mom started asking me a long time ago what I wanted to be. She said I could be Superman, a Fireman or a Baseball Player. I went back and forth for a while, leaning towards Superman or a Fireman. But finally I decided on Fireman. Mom bought me a costume, but kept it a secret. Then one day the week before Halloween I came home from school and told Mom I wanted to be a bat. Because Diego is a bat for Halloween and Brockton at school was going to be a bat. So, naturally, I wanted to as well. Mom shook her head and said, "Well, you already told me you wanted to be a Fireman, so you will have to be a Fireman." Can't a kid change his mind? I guess not. Later that night, after my bath, Mom took out a green bag and do you want to know what was in it? It was a really cool Fireman costume. It looked just like the one I got to try on at the Fire Station a couple of weeks before. As soon as I had that costume on, I was very serious. Fireman have to be very serious, because their job is very dangerous. So, being a bat for Halloween was thrown out the window, and once again, I was going to be a Fireman.
So, on Halloween I got to go to my party at school and see everyone else's costumes. Then when Grandma Peggy brought me home, it was time to go Trick-or-Treating. But first Mom and Dad brought me to the FIRE STATION. All of the fire trucks and fireman were sleeping but we took some pictures outside. Some by the fire dog and some by the Number 3 sign. It was cool. Then it was time to start walking. We waited until we got down by Tommy and Caitlin's house then we started going up to people's doors. We would ring the doorbell and then Mom would say Trick-or-Treat and they would give me candy! How cool is this? Soon I started saying Trick-or-Treat myself and Mom and Dad made sure I always said thank you. Eventually I tried just taking candy from the bowl, but Mom and Dad said I couldn't do that, I had to wait until they offered it to me or put it in my Elmo bucket.
Along the way we saw a lot of cool decorations in people yards and on their houses. There were funny looking pirates (dad said they were skeletons), ghosts and SO many pumpkins. I also saw some pretty flowers. Mom and Dad let me smell them. Some smelled like red and some smelled like yellow. Mom said she didn't want to smell them, I guess she already knows what red and yellow smells like. After a while I was pretty tired, but Mom and Dad said that if I wanted to keep stopping at houses for candy, then I needed to keep walking. Uff, it was hard, but I made it most of the way...slowly. It was fun and I didn't want it to end, so Grandma Peggy took me to a couple more houses on the way to her house.
Pretty fun day. Why don't we dress up and ask for candy more often?

Birthday Weekend

Last weekend was my birthday weekend. Mom and Dad get Birthday Week, and they say when I get older I get one too. But for now, just Birthday Weekend J

On Friday, Mom and Dad came to pick me up from Grandpa Mike and Grandma Peggy’s house. We had already had a great day running around at the lake, but it was about to get even better. Mom had my fireman costume with and I got to put it on because we were going to Nickelodeon Universe to trick-or-treat and ride rides. I rode the trucks by myself, then Blue Clue’s with Mom, then the Hayride Rollercoaster with Mom, then the Merry-Go-Round with Dad, then the Train by myself and then Swiper’s Cars with mom. SO much fun. And it was cool to see all of the other kids in their costumes. We saw a bunch of Hannah Montana’s (what’s so cool about her?), Ironman, frogs, bears, dogs, Buzz Lightyear, and lots more. But mine was the best, people asked me why I wasn’t out there fighting fires. They REALLY thought I was a fireman. Mom told them I was on a break because it’s hard fighting fires all of the time.
We also got to trick-or-treat at different tables. I got crayons and candy and chips and a duck. Pretty neat.

The next day was DIEGO PARTY day! We hung out in the morning. Grandma Lola came over for a bit and gave me some presents. I love presents. Then when I got up from my nap it was PARTY time!
There was cool colored paper on the ceiling, Diego and balloons all over. Mom and Dad got me a really cool game that has basketball, golf, baseball, hockey, soccer and football. They set it up for me so we could play with it during the party. When everyone got there we played with my new trains, my new car track and all of my other toys. Owen and Zach were there and they like that stuff too. Maddie, Noah, Abby, Caitlin, Tommy and Caleb were all there too. Mom and some of the other moms helped us all decorate our own placemats with crayons and stickers. Then Owen’s and Krissy’s mom put some plastic stuff on them so they would not get ruined if we spilled. Next we went outside to play in the leaves and slide down the slide. This is where things get C-R-A-Z-Y. We were all throwing leaves and chasing each other. It was all in good fun. But somehow everyone though they should get me with leaves and all of sudden they were all over me. The leaves were in my face, in my hair and down my pants. It was fun for a while, but then it got to be a little much. Someone pulled me out and Kristie brought me inside for a bit. We ate grilled cheese sandwiches cut into star, circles and other shapes, French Fries and juice boxes. I didn’t want much, but why would I? There were so many fun things to do. Soon it was time to open presents. What a mess! All the other kids sat really close to me and I barely saw what I was opening. It was nuts! I got some really cool toys though. When it was time for Diego cake everyone came in and watched as mom lit the candles. I blew them out when she was done. Then everyone laughed and Mom lit them again. Guess I was supposed to wait. They all sang to me, which I though was kinda weird and then I blew them out again. Yay! Time for cake and ice cream! I ate one or two bites and then it was time to play again! Yay! We played with toys for a while and everyone started to leave. I wanted to stay up and play with toys all night, but Mom and Dad said no. But that’s okay because…
On Sunday I was going to Chuck E Cheese for another party! Sunday morning we played with all of my new toys for hours. Then after my nap we went to C.E.C. for more birthday fun. Mom, Dad, Uncle Mark, Aunt Kelly, Grandpa Mike (it was his birthday on Saturday, he is 52 years older than me), Grandma Peggy and Grandma Lola were all there. They ate pizza, I ate crackers. Grandma Peggy made a fire truck cake and a burning building cake for me and grandpa. It was cool, but once again, no time for cake, only playing. We played for a couple of hours until all of the grown-ups were tired.
It was an AWESOME weekend, how long until next Birthday Weekend?

PS – I’ll leave you with this – Sharing is cool. And if anyone tells you different, they are wrong.

Peace.

Crazy Times

Things have been crazy around here lately. First the sad news, then to the happy news. My Grandpa Kelly passed away on Sept. 29th and my Great Grandpa Len passed away on Oct. 12th. Mom has been trying to explain it to me, but all I know is that I don’t get to see them anymore. Mom and Dad, Grandma Lola and Kristie were having a hard time for a while, but we are all trying to get back to normal now.
The happy news is that the sad things brought all of the people we never see into our lives for a while. Mom said it is a blessing to have such a good family and nice friends. We are lucky. I met some uncles that I haven’t seen since before I could crawl. One uncle was from Texas and one was all the way from Germany. Sometimes he would talk to me and I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but it sounded cool.
Then last week another whole group showed up when Great Grandpa passed away. Jyllian, Cohl and their Mom and Dad all stayed in our house with us. Jyllian and I had so much fun. I even shared my toys. We were silly together and I loved copying her. Mom wishes that I would have copied her eating habits.
Kristie, Mom and I were going to Wisconsin to see Great Grandma Lynn in the hospital and we had a cool adventure. I had just finished eating my chicken mcnuggets when 2 deer came in the road and the car hit one. The car broke and the deer got really sick. I was scared at first because of the screaming and the loud noises, but I quickly found out that there were a lot of cool things about this situation. We got to hang out on the side of the road and watch cars go by. A policeman came to help us and he had his lights on. He was really nice and he called a tow truck (that’s like Mater from Cars if you don’t know) to help us move the broken car. Since we couldn’t ride in the broken car Mom and I got to ride in the tow truck. How cool is that?!? It was awesome. Kristie got to ride in the police car, which is also very cool.
They gave us a ride to the hotel which was right by where we crashed. Then Cousin Tim came and picked us up so we could sleep at his house. He’s a fireman! It just gets better and better.
The next morning we got up and got a car from the airport. Weird, right? Don’t you go to the airport to ride on planes? No, we got a car. It was a nice car though. But I didn’t see any planes. Not so sure that was an airport. So we drove to see Great Grandma Lynn in the hospital. She was getting ready to leave with Uncle John and Aunt Karen. So we hugged and then got in the car again. When we got to her house she had a hospital in her house. Well, not really. But it had all of the same things in her living room that they have in the hospital. A cool bed, a rolling table, tanks and tubes, all of that stuff. And a nurse came over. Great Grandma Lynn was in a good mood and she looked fine to me. We stayed for a little while and then started driving. Again. Now we are going to the reservation in the youpee. Our hotel was connected a building with a bunch of games where people sit and push buttons for a long time. I wanted to play too, but Mom said I was not allowed. So we went to the restaurant. Jyllian was there, yay! We ran around with Maddie and I got to play a real video game with Maddie. We raced cars. She won, but I did pretty good. Later Mom and Kristie swam with me, Jyllian and Maddie. It was really fun. Mom and I went back to the room. I watched some Diego and went to sleep.
The next morning we went to another party where we all had to be quiet and listen. There was a man in the front talking to us. He was nice and all, but I got bored. It didn’t last too long and we got to look around a little bit. Mom said I did pretty good.
We had a lunch and then we got in the car again. We stopped to see Great Grandma Lynn one more time and played cars with her and continued on our way home.
The next day we all went to the zoo. Jyllian and I shared a cool stroller and we got to see SO many animals. We really are very lucky.
I was sad to see everyone go, but my birthday is VERY soon and that will be lots of fun. I am having a Diego party with my friends one day, and the next day I get to go to Chuck E Cheese’s with Grandpa Mike (it’s his birthday the day before mine!), Grandma Peggy, Uncle Mark, Aunt Kelly, Grandma Lola and maybe Aunt Kristie too. Oh yeah, Mom and Dad will be there too.
Like Mom told me, we are very lucky.

State Fair Experience

Have you ever been to the State Fair? I have. And it’s fun. And hot.
Mom and Dad took me to the State Fair to celebrate Mom turning old. Mom loves the State Fair and says she used to go for her birthday when she was younger. She is 3o, which seems way old to me.
We got up really early and drove to the fair. We parked way in the back and started walking. Actually, I strolled. Sweet ride. Anyhow, the first thing we did was go into the Miracle of Birth barn. There were lots of baby animals barely bigger than me. I got to pet some of them and see a pig feeding a gabillion babies at one time. Super cool.
When we left the barn Dad saw a Taco sign and immediately went over there. Mom looked like she was going to puke. She said it was too early for tacos, but they had a Breakfast Burrito and Dad looked happy and Mom stopped looking like she was going to puke. Then we went looking for some breakfast for me and Mom. While we were looking, Dad found Cheese Curds. Mom got that look again. Dad said he wanted to get them before the lines got long. I think he just wanted to see how early in the morning he could puke, or make Mom puke. So Dad has his cheese curds and Mom and I set off again in search of breakfast. I wanted waffles. They are kinda hard to find. Mom found something called a Fudge Puppy. Seriously? You think I would eat something called a Puppy? Nope. Mom said it was a waffle with chocolate. But, no, I don’t think so. Dad helped Mom eat it and surprisingly he has not puked. (BTW, we have been at the fair for less than an hour).
Finally we found a nice place to eat pancakes. Mom orders some for us to share. Yum. But I freaked out because they wanted to push my sleeves up and so I decided not to eat. I thought I would just yell, show them whose boss. So Mom ate it all. Who do you think will eat the most today? (Here’s a hint – it’s not me)
We started walking again. We stopped in an exhibit. Like that’s what I came for. I yelled some more. Mom and Dad don’t seem too happy with me right now. Oops. Mom took me over by the rides while Dad looked at the stuff some more. She took pictures of me and I became happier as I figured I was now the center of attention.
I rode some cool rides. I was a little cautious, but didn’t want to leave those rides at all. I rode on dragon boats, some really fast cars and airplanes. We should get some of those for the back yard. Fun. Then Mom and Dad ripped me from the rides. So cruel. But soon we arrived at TRACTORS! Millions of them. Maybe not millions, but lots. I climbed and drove and steered and shifted and did it over and over. Heaven. Sometimes I let Mom or Dad drive with me because I love them and want them to experience the utter joy that is tractor driving.
Somehow Mom and Dad conned me into leaving the tractors, not sure how. We wandered over to a Farm Experience. Dad told Mom and I to go in and he would wait by the stroller. Mom and I went in and they gave me an apron and a bucket. This was going to be so cool. I got to feed fake animals, drive a pedal tractor, bury some wooden seeds and sell my goods to get Cheerios. Good times, but it took like 45 minutes and Dad thought someone stole us. Of course, Mom’s phone was in the stroller and we were stuck in the big long line going through everything. But then we popped out and Dad was so happy to see us J
We walked some more. We looked at boats. Dad wants one really bad, Mom wants one too, I think. Mom got a Chicken on Stick. Weird. And French Fries. Awesome. Dad just drank pop. I think he ate himself silly earlier. Then we got some smoothies and went and sat on the grass in the shade. I took lots of photos, and so did Mom and Dad.
Then it was time to start going back to the car. There were lots of bands in the parking lot practicing and I got to see them play all of their instruments. Pretty cool. I stayed awake the whole way home and had a fantastic nap. Mom’s real birthday is tomorrow and she starts her new job. What a fun day…..

An Action-Packed Weekend

Mom and Dad have been very busy lately, so they set aside some time this weekend for Family Fun Time. We had such a good time. But before I get to that, let me tell you about all of the fun I had on Friday. I got to hang out with Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Mike ALL day. I got to GO! GO! GO! all day. We went to the lake and played for a while. I was so busy and had so much fun. We played baseball and ran around and had a really good time.
Back to Family Fun Time. On Saturday, Mom gave me my new baseball t-shirt and we all got in the car to go to a baseball game! We went to that big dome in the city. I wish you could run all over there, how much fun would that be? Anyhow, we had popcorn and watched baseball and it was fun. We could see really well from our seats, but we ended up moving all the way to the top. Mom and Dad didn't want the people around us to get mad because I kept bumping them. Well, do they really think I want to sit still for baseball? It's not like Dora was out there. This is sports, people! Anyhow, up there I had a couple of rows to run up and down. The only time Mom got mad is when I tried to play on the stairs. Caroline even brought Tommy and Caitlin over to visit. They gave me one of their hats! It was Free DQ Hat Day, but they were all out of hats when we got there. It was nice of them to give me one of theirs. I want to wear it all of the time, but Mom says I have to grow into it a bit more. I guess the Twins lost, but we had fun anyhow.
The next day was HUGE. We drove over by Dad's work and guess who was there! Thomas the Tank Engine!!!! It was so cool. I've never met a celebrity! I wanted to go talk to him right away, but we had to wait until it was our turn at 10:45. Apparently we had to buy tickets to meet him. It didn't matter though because they had a big area to hang out in while we wait. They had slides and bubbles and jumpy things and music. They also had a really cool Lego exhibit where I could sit in a Thomas made of Legos. They also had the Island of Sodor made out of Legos. So cool. Finally it was time to meet the big man. I mean train. We stood in line and saw him pulling into the station. I was so excited. Soon we were getting on a car that Thomas was pulling. We got to go to the top. We had a really good view from up there. It was a really cool ride, we saw corn fields and cars and an airport. I had snacks and Mom took pictures. It wasn't very long, but long enough for me! When we got off the train we went up to Thomas and took pictures. It was very fun. Then we went back over the the play area and I played with bubbles and played guitar in the band.
I was sad when we left, I cried for a long time. How often to do you get to meet someone as famous as Thomas? It was a very fun weekend. I love Mom and Dad so much.

Party Animal :)

On Friday I had a really busy day with Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Mike. I ran and ran and played and played. It was so fun.
The next morning I slept in a little and then I played with Dad while Mom went to the store. Later, this guy Mark (not the Uncle) showed up at our house. He was big, but very nice. I played it safe for a while before I let him talk to me. He was nice and it turns out he likes to play the guitar game like Mom and Dad. So we all went downstairs and played for a little while before my nap.
When I got up, Mom said it was time to go to a party! I love me some parties. You know what they have at parties? That's right. Presents! It turns out that these presents weren't for me, but I wasn't gonna let that ruin my good times. There were lots of people (and kids) at this party. It was a baby shower for Connor, Keri and Noah's baby. He was not even 3 weeks old. Weird that they call it a shower, no one even got wet when I was there. They must have done what Mom and Dad did and showered before. Anyhow, Zach and Caleb were there, so I ran around and played with the toys. They had a fun sand table there and my favorite - Ice. In a cooler. I like to play with the ice and eat it too. So much fun! I also got to eat watermelon - tons of it! Later we all ran around and jumped on Dad and Amanda. HOGPILE! It was late when we got home, but I had so much fun.
The next morning when I got up, Dad was working in the living room. So Mom and I decided to go to the park. We went to the fun one that I can run around the whole thing and there are water squirty things and a rock garden. OH - waterfalls too. It was really windy, but I didn't care. It's still nice out, what's the big deal? Mom and I played for a little while and then Grandma Lola showed up. She ran everywhere and anywhere I wanted to go. We even played McDonald's drive thru with some other kids. When Mom told me it was time to go home, I was understandably upset. But I knew there was a party that night, so the sooner I got down for my nap, the faster I would get to the party.
When I woke up, I scarfed down half of a PB&J and we were off! Super far, again. This time we were going for Caleb's first birthday. Wow, does time fly! He's gonna be running around with me in no time! This time Zach was there AND Owen was there. We all ran around, playing with Zach's cars and the squirt guns that Caleb's mom gave us. We had a lot of fun playing with the bean bag game and being silly. I got to eat watermelon again, and pineapple too! Mom even let me have some chips. She was holding another baby, Will, for a while. He was cute, but not as cute as me! After a while there weren't very many people left. We ate cake and stuff and then it was time for presents! Caleb had not interest, so I was recruited to open them on his behalf. I did a good job. I already have some of those toys, so I didn't need to try and sneak them in the car. We all had a really good time.

Welcome to Our Group Connor

and

Happy Birthday Caleb!

Fun Post 4th Weekend

So, I thought that the 4th was really fun. But the fun did not stop there! Mom and Dad and I had a great weekend!
We laid low for a while on Saturday to regroup after a very active 4th of July. We watched some TV, played outside and in the basement. Mom set up my pool in the backyard while Dad worked on my swingset. After my nap Deanna came over and she and Mom took me shopping. We went to a store with lots of fun papers and fun art things. Mom and Deanna could have stayed in there forever! But I let them know it was time to leave. We also went to Target, may favorite. Normally I am really well-behaved at this store, but they pushed me too far at the last store. I ran around a bit, rammed my head into a shelf and wanted everything I saw. Not my best behavior, by far. So we got out of there as soon as possible. Yay! I win! We went home and had dinner and watched Enchanted. Mom loves that movie so much, it's ridiculous. I like it, but I got sleepy during it and went to bed.
The next day after we ate breakfast, I got to give Dad his Father's Day present. Thanks, Mom for helping me with that - even though it was VERY late. I gave Dad matching shirts. They are so cool. Dad's says "Kingpin Keeler" and min says "Future Kingpin Keeler." We looked awesome. Then Mom took us to the Bowling Alley - I got to roll! I was a little upset when they made me stop after rolling 2 balls. I was getting so good. But I learned that we had to take turns. Everyone gets 2 turns, unless they get all 10 pins in the 1st turn. I really only liked bowling when there were 10 pins there, but I never got them all down. We played one game and then I decided to play a car game they had. So we left the lane and went over there, but then I wanted to roll again! So Mom went and asked if we could play again. I kinda lost it during that last game though. I wanted to only roll if there were 10 pins and I would freak out of there weren't 10. So Mom and Dad finished the game while I sat on the bench eating cookies. I was kinda tired.
When we got home I had a snack and went to sleep. When I got up Grandpa Mike was there! He was helping Dad fix my swingset. It looked fine to me, but they said it needed to be fixed. Mom came out and played in the pool with me and before I knew it, there were swings hanging from the swingset where my slide is! So I went in and changed and then came out to swing. SO much fun! THEN, Dad and Grandpa took me on a bike ride! I know, the fun never stops! We went a long ways, then played at a park and then made the long ride home. Gosh, Dad sure looked tired!
The day after that Mom and I chilled at home. We played in the pool and on the swings and watched some Dora and Diego. When I got up from my nap Grandma Lola was there. What a surprise! We played kitchen for a while and I made her a hamburger! Later I went home with her while Mom and Dad went to softball and then out for Caleb's dad's birthday. Today I get to go swimming at Grandma's with Auntie Kristie.
Can you even believe how lucky I am?

Fourth of July 2008

What a COOL day.
On the fourth of July, Mom & Dad and I went to meet Grandma Lola, Grandpa Mike and Aunt Lori at a parade. We took the wagon (which I love to ride in) and saw some really cool things. Dad took me for a walk before so we could check out the area. On the way we found Grandpa and Lori. Then the parade started. There were lots of cars, fire trucks, Sweaty Old Men with their names on their shirts handing out stickers and CANDY! There were even some nice clowns riding little bikes and some guys in tiny little cars speeding around. It was cool.
After a short 10 minute nap in the car we were at the lake for a picnic with Grandma Lola, Grandpa Q, Aunt Kristie, Great Grandpa and Uncle Mike & Aunt Bonnie and Deanna and Nate. There was tons of food that I didn't want to eat, but everyone else seemed to enjoy. Best of all, there was sand and water. I made lots of castles; mostly with Dad, but with Mom, Kristie and Grandma too. After everyone ate a ton of food, it was time for swimming! I wasn't so sure at first, but Mom made me go in the water. Sometimes she can be so pushy. I started to have fun and then Mom and Kristie made me go in my Nemo swim ring. I was freaked out, until I figured out that I could swim almost all by myself. Then they couldn't get me out of that tube! SO much fun.
When we got home I took a nice long nap to refresh myself for fireworks. Uncle Mark was there and when I woke up I got to play Wii with him and Dad. Later we went to the fireworks and I got to play with Caitlin while Mom and Dad talked to Caroline and Kevin. When the fireworks started, I was in shock a little and then decided that maybe I should hide behind Mom. She laid down soon after, so I just cuddled up between Mom & Dad until I got bored. They were cool for a while, but did they need to last that long?
When we got home, Mom put me too bed. I wasn't convinced that I should go to bed yet, but I got sleepy really fast - what a fun day!

Family Reunion

Last Friday Mom, Dad, Mark, Kelly and I all piled in a shiny white car to go on a long car trip. They weren't kidding. It was very long! We got in the car when I woke up in the morning and when we got to Michigan it was time for me to go to bed. They said I did really good though. I am awesome. They were surprised that I did so well when the car was barely moving in Chicago. I was just excited to see so many trains going by the car. So cool. Mark, Kelly and I started watching Finding Nemo. Awesome movie.

The next day when we woke up we went to a BIG party at a park next to a HUGE lake. I saw a bunch of people that I had met in March. I kinda remembered them, but they were all so nice, it didn't matter. We got to play in the park, play baseball, play in the sand and play with the ice. The ice was all in a swimming pool with a bunch of bottles and cans floating in it. Weird, but very fun. Later on, Mom and Dad took me down to the lake. It was so big! There were huge waves that were very loud and, to be honest, a bit scary. Mom brought me out into the water a little ways, but I asked to go back to the sand, please. So I played in the sand next to the water with Kelly while Mom, Dad and Uncle Mark went swimming way out in the water. We all had a lot of fun. Later we went to Uncle Tim's house and had a ton of fun playing with everyone.

The next day we got in the car, again. This time we were driving all the way around the lake to Milwaukee. We went to visit Mom's friend, Katie and her husband, Chuck. They have a nice house and they let me watch some cartoons. I got to sleep in my very own room all night. I slept so good. Then the next day we had to get in the car again. This time to go home. We stopped twice, once for pizza (I had crackers) and once to change my diaper, run around and get M&M's.

So we are all home now. Today I got to go to Auntie Kristie's house to play. I missed her. Tomorrow Gamma Lola is picking me up and I get to to play with Benjamin and Zach. I am very excited :)

Great Grandma Lynn and the Big Lake

I went with Mom and Grandma Lola to go see Great Grandma Lynn in Wisconsin. We drove for a couple of hours and stopped and a big lake with lots of rocks and a really cool bridge. I got to throw lots of rocks into the water and watch 3 boats go under the cool bridge. Then we started the rest of the trip to GGma's house. She was so excited to see us. We hung out on her back porch where I rocked and rand around as much as I could.
The next day we all got in the car and went to see the same big lake. We drove over 2 hours the day before and we were still by the same lake? It must be huge! We went to a really pretty beach with tons of rocks for me to throw. Mom stepped into the lake and made a funny face, so I thought I would try it. It was SO cold, but there were some really cool rocks just a little ways into the water. So I went to get them and got some chilly toes. The GGma thought we should go to McDonald's. I was excited at first, but I was just so tired that I had a hard time being happy. Oh well.
Later Mom and Grandma made a huge meal for GGma and I once again decided that eating was not for me. I had some milkshake and a snack. GGma's nice friend, Pauline came over to visit too. A couple times Grandma brought me outside and I got sit on huge rock and run around it.
On the way home the next day we stopped by the cool bridge again and threw rocks. It just never gets old. We had a very nice trip and it was so nice to see Great Grandma again. She is just so nice :)

Another Fun Weekend

Mom and Dad said it was time for a reunion with young Josephine. If you have been a longtime reader of my blog, you will know that we met Memorial Day Weekend 2 years ago. It was a very hot and miserable day, but we found time to have fun and play.
This time, it was a bit cooler out when we got to the cabin. We ran races and played games and went out on the boat. We drove the boat together and had a really good time. We even played with their dog and ate watermelon together. It was a really nice time, even if I was a bit tempermental :)
The next day we went to Mom's friend, Tanya's house. They have a really big house kinda far away from our house. I got to run around and play with Noah and Abby while Mom and Dad talked with their Mom and Dad. Talking can be so boring, I like to run! There were big storms and we watched from the porch until it was too crazy, then we watched from inside. They had burgers and hot dogs and I ate strawberries and chips. Later I fell asleep watching Sponge Bob Squarepants cuddled next to Abby. Abby's dad even put me to bed next to her that night. She hugged me like a teddy bear. In the morning I ate Cheerios and Noah gave me some of his cars.
It was a very good weekend.

School is Cool

My Grandma Lola came and picked me up from daycare today. It was cool because I thought she was in California with Grandpa Q! She said they came home last night and she was so excited to see me! When Mom got home we went to the place where she went to school when she was a little girl. There were so many kids there with their families! First we saw Caroline and she sold us tickets to use for games and to buy food. We went into the gym and saw so many things to do! We played a fishing game, a hockey game, a frog game. There were more, but I can't remember them all and neither can mom. They gave me prizes even when I wasn't sure I did it right. Mom looked really excited for me. Then we went and bought a prize with tickets. It was a big squishy bat that was bigger than me! I carried it through the crowded halls of the school and tried not to bump into people. On the way to go get food, Mom spotted a tattoo table. We went over and I chose a very cool Dora the Explorer tattoo. I got it on my forearm. I looked AWESOME! We went and got some food then - I had popcorn, juice and a cookie.
Before we left Mom let me play on the playground. Pretty fun night - I can't wait to go to school!

Finally – I Get to Go Outside!

Mom and I flew on an airplane all by ourselves to go to California. I love that word. California. I am very good at saying it too. I did pretty well on the plane, I think. Mom doesn’t really agree. Her favorite part was when I was crying on the floor and then I fell asleep for an hour. I was still kind of crabby when I woke up. What can you expect? I expected to be on the ground in the big C.A. When I saw Grandma and Auntie Kristie, I was SO excited! We went back to Grandma’s house. Mom and Auntie went straight to the pool and Grandma and I played in the little pool after my nap. It was nice outside.
We spent our days out on the patio watching the golfers, riding bikes, playing in my pool and playing with cars. My favorite was riding in the golf cart. I went on rides with Grandpa, Grandpa and Dad, Grandma and my mom. I can’t wait until I can drive all by myself. Don’t think I didn’t try. I made it roll backwards by myself once or twice.
Dad came for a few days to hang out. He played golf twice and hung out around the house with us. It was super windy when he was there, but he didn’t seem to mind.
Grandma also had her 58th birthday while we were there. We all dressed in green (her birthday make us all Irish for some reason) and had lunch on the patio by the big pool where they have “happy” flowers. Grandma opened her presents – I gave her a picture of me and her from just a few days before. We made an adorable pair. Later Mom and Grandpa cooked a very good-looking dinner. They said it was good, but I didn’t want any. I like chicken, myself. Mom and I went Walmart for fun, where I played my new favorite game, “What’s That?” I think I asked mom about 104 times. She was very patient and kept answering, but it was fascinating. She knew the answers to all of them. She’s so smart. S M R T.
When we got back from Walmart Grandma had the counter covered in cups with colored water. Guess what we did with that water? We colored Easter Eggs! SO much fun, so many opportunities to get messy! I thought I was doing pretty good, by the look on Mom’s face told me otherwise. She kept wiping me up, and I was only in my diaper. She took all of my clothes off before we even started. But the eggs came out BEE-YOO-TI-FUL! We did one for all of us, even Daddy who was not there. We didn’t take them home, but we had fun anyways.
The next day we had to go home. Grandma came to the airport with us. I was not excited about getting on the plane again. Airplanes are fun, the ride is SOOOO long. I did well though. I colored and then I watched the Incredibles. Then Mom and I went into the teeny bathroom to change my diaper and then we started watching Cars. I fell asleep 5 or 10 minutes in and Mom had to wake me when we landed.
Daddy was waiting for us by the bag merry-go-round. I was happy to see him and to be home. I will miss Grandma and Grandpa and California though.

Getting Better

I have been sick off and on for about a month now and I think I am finally starting to get better. Our house has been a sad place to hang out lately. I try and make it fun with cars and trains and movies and books and I think everyone appreciates that. We all try to stay in a good mood even though we are sick and icky.
I have had a chance to do some fun things though. I went to the zoo with Mom and Cousin Deanna. We had lots of fun and saw SO many things. Every time I go there I notice something new. I think I have new favorites every time. This time I liked the wolves, tunnels in the Tropical Trail and the Kids Discovery Room. I also really liked the rocking chair in the Minnesota Trail. The next day I got to go over to Zach's house and play trains with him. We ran around and acted silly. It was really fun.
One day Mom was sick so Dad took me over to Louie's house and we watched football. It was the Super Bowl and there were a lot of people there, even Uncle Mark! I talked a lot and gave people candy. Half way through the game we went over to Noah and Keri's house to watch the rest. Their niece, Josephine, was there. I haven't see in her in a long time. We played and had a good time. Dad didn't get me home until alost 10:00!
A few days ago Grandpa Gary came over and played and watched a movie with me. Then he took me to McDonalds to have chicken mcnuggets and french fries. I declined the ice cream, it was too cold! Then I ran around in the play area for a while. It was pretty fun, I missed him!
I am still a picky eater, although I have started to eat some of things I used to like. For a while all I wanted was fruit snacks, goldfish and pancakes. Last night I had fish sticks, french fries and a banana. And fruit snacks. Mmmmm, fruit snacks.
I love my big boy bed, it gives me freedom. Freedom to get out of my bed in the middle of the night and get books, toys and puzzles. A couple of nights ago Mom found me reading a book over by my night light. Oops, was I supposed to be sleeping? :) I do like it though and I stay in it most of the night.
That's it for now. More later!

Keeler Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family tree template - Ancestors

What I'm Up To

Well, Mom says we need to get cracking on this blog because people check it out and get nothing new. Apparently that makes some people sad. So we are planning on starting from now and maybe going back and filling in some of the gaps when we get a chance.
So, what's new now? My favorite things are Thomas Number One Train, Cars (specifically Mater and sometimes The King and Chick Hicks) & Thomas' friends (Percy Number Six, James Number Five, Edward Number Two, Henry Number Three, Gordon Number Four, etc, etc…) I talk ALL OF THE TIME. I have a lot to say. I usually start off with some grown up words, but sometimes revert back to my own language that I made up and then Mom and Dad look at me and laugh. I love to run. I especially love to run in CIRCLES. I love circles. They are so great. We just say, "Ready, Set, GO!" Off I go running in circles. Hours of endless fun, I tell you.
I love spending time with people. I love my grandparents and Mom and Dad. Aunt Kristie is SO fun and Uncle Mark is just silly. I love them all.
Gamma Lola was just here from California. When she first got here, I kept asking where Gampa is. They kept saying he was still in California. I didn't believe them until I talked to him on the phone. I guess I will see him another time. Gamma and I had lots of fun though. We played and played and played. She brought me to see Great Grandpa a couple of times. He likes to give me cookies and candy. I don't like candy very much, but I love cookies! Mom, Gamma and I also went to the big playground inside one day and guess who showed up? It was Ben and Zach! We ran all over that place and kept those silly adults on their toes. Honestly, they can use the exercise :) We had a great time climbing, sliding, running and jumping. We also had Christmas with Gamma a few days after she got here. More presents! I don't even know what to do with all of the stuff I got over the last month. Mom says my drawers are super full and Dad says that we might need to give some toys away. What?!? Give toys away? That's crazy!
I was sick off and on for the last few weeks, so I decided I should not eat very many things. You know - Simplify. All those adults were getting kind of annoyed, but hey - I know my body, and my body said, "NO!" I am starting to eat more now, but I am one slim and trim dude.Well that's all for now.
Hopefully Mom and I can keep this blog up so my public is not disappointed.
Love You All!

Bunnies and Eggs and Toys!!

So I guess Easter really started a week ago. Mom and Dad and I all sat around the table with a bunch of eggs. They gave me one and I smacked it on the table. So from then on, that was MY egg. Mom took the rest of the eggs and put them in little cups and when she took them out they were different colors. Crazy. I didn’t really care though. Mom and Dad were having more fun than I was. I just watched and smacked my egg around. So apparently we get to do that every year. Hopefully it will be more fun when I know what is going on.
I also got an Easter present from Gamma - it was a big red wagon. It has 2 seats with belts so I don't fall out and a holder for my milk cup. It's pretty cool since I like to be pushed/pulled around outside.
A week after that it was Easter! Mom said the Easter Bunny came and left me a present. She said that he didn’t hide it this year because I was too little to look for it. It was cool! It had a MagnaDoodle (because I love coloring), a fun spinny light thing, a MN Twins hat, and movie about happy penguins. It was great. Aunt Kristie also came over that morning and brought me a cool bucket that had fun rubber snakes in all different colors and eggs shaped like frogs and basketballs that had cookies in them. It also had a t-shirt and sunglasses. I loved it all! Mom is afraid she is going to step on one of the snakes in the dark and get scared. Silly mom - they're not real.
Later we went over to Great Aunt Pam's house for a big feast! I played with Anne for a long time and she even got down on the floor with me and played cars and colored pictures with me. It was so fun. Grandma came and gave me an Easter present - it was a huge chair shaped like a dump truck. I sat in it right away, then they flipped part of it and I could climb all over. Then Anne pushed me around in it and then I pushed it around. It was so fun - I can't wait to play with it at Grandma's house. Then for dinner I had a banana and fruit, I didn't want any ham or potatoes, why would I when I can have fruit? After dinner I went on along walk with a bunch of people. It was so fun - there was so much to see! As soon as were all piled in the car to go home, I fell asleep. I was tired from all of the fun!
How long is it until the next Easter?

I've had a pretty good week. It all started last Monday when Mom brought me to the zoo. We walked inside because the wind was so cold, I though it was biting my face! We saw lots of animals - birds, monkeys and FISH! It was really fun, I just sat back and relaxed.
A few days later we met Grandma and Grandpa at a restaurant because it was Grandma's birthday. I had rice, chicken, PB&J and fruit. I loved the rice, it was so much fun to eat! We all had lots of fun. After we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house and played, then I got to sleep over!
On Saturday Mom and Dad took me to the shopping place to welcome the Easter Bunny. He was very big and wearing funny clothes. I got my picture taken with him and that was the last I saw of him. We saw some real live bunnies that we could touch. They were even softer than my kitty. We also got to color. They had a big table with pictures that we could color and they had out tons of crayons. It was fun. Mom and I stayed and colored for a while. I would draw a little, then watch the kids next to me. I love watching other kids play, it's my favorite.
Then on Sunday we went to the zoo again! This time Dad came too. It was really nice out so we decided to take the trail outside. It was beautiful and we were seeing lots of animals. Then when we got to the Wolves, it started raining. It wasn't bad at first, so Mom and Dad just put the roof on my stroller, but then it started pouring! We ran over to the tiger exhibit and hung out there for a few minutes. Then we decided to make a run for it. We were cruising, because it started raining even harder. We finally made it inside and we went to see the fish. I was up there looking at the fish and this girl came out of nowhere and started hugging me and kissing me. It scared me at first so I ran over to Mom and Dad. But then next time I went to see the fish she found me again! So I just let her hug and kiss me, it wasn't so bad.
So those are my many adventures - lots of fun!

Good Times in the Sun

I love being out in the sun and being with my Gamma. Luckily, Mom brought me to CA so I could enjoy both! Last week Dad dropped me, Mom, and Aunt Kristie off at the airport. Soon we were on a plane and heading for Gamma's in CA! I did not enjoy the ride very much. I just wanted to see Gamma so badly and they wouldn't let me run around. So when we got there I was very relieved. Mom let me out of the stroller when we were getting close to Gamma and Grandpa Q. I got to walk right up to her. She was so excited; it was the first time she got to see me walk in person! They gave me lots of hugs and kisses and let me run around a bit.
We were all pretty hungry and even though it was getting close to bedtime, we went for pizza at Shakeys. We had to because it's Grandpa Q's favorite. At the restaurant Gamma and me ran around and played with the rides and games. I had pizza and it was good! Everyone else must have like it too, because it was all gone when we left.
The next day we just kept it pretty relaxed. We hung out and played and went outside. We played in the BIG pool and I met a lot of new friends. We didn't stay too long though because I wanted to run as much as I could, and they didn't think that was very safe in the pool area. Gamma and Grandpa Q took me back to the house on the golf cart. It's like a little car where there are no doors! So fun.
The next day Mom and Gamma and I went to the Living Desert. It's kind of like the zoo, except it's all outside. I was kind of grumpy though because it was really hot out and not very many of the animals were out. I guess they were really hot too, so they were hiding. Gamma bought me a neat rubber snake that I can wave around; it likes to hang around my neck while I walk around the house. I also got a t-shirt and a book.
Even though they didn't think I should hang out at the big pool, Gamma had one in the backyard for me. It was really fun. I could sit in there by myself and play with cups and squeal; I loved it! After the first few days I started feeling kind of icky. It was sad, but I made the best of it when I could. I had a tummy ache, so I didn't eat as much as I normally would. I still had fun and went in my pool and went for golf cart rides. Gamma had lots of toys at her house, so we just hung around the house a lot.
The last day we were there we got to celebrate Gamma's birthday. It was supposed to be 4 days later on St. Patrick's day, but we just pretended. We went to lunch at a neat place called Tyler's Burgers in downtown Palm Springs. We had to sit outside and we could see birds on the ground and people and dogs walking by. We had a yummy dinner that night that I did not eat and then Gamma opened presents. I was having so much fun and was excited that I got a really bad tummy ache and almost ruined Gamma and Grandpa Q's bed and carpet. I was very sorry, but she didn't mind. She was sad that I didn't feel good.
The next day it was time to go home. I hadn't slept well and I felt pretty icky all day. Mom gave me some medicine when we got on the plane to help me relax so I could feel better. I woke up a little while before we landed and watched my movies and played with Mom and Aunt Kristie. It was a pretty good trip overall and I can't wait until I can see Gamma again. It should be warm and sunny here by then :)

Making My Move....

So I have some news, and it's kind of big. As some of you may know, I have been taking steps lately, but have not really felt like replacing crawling with walking yet. Well, this week I finally made my move! I had been walking around our living room for a while now, but now I can go everywhere. This is so great, I can go anywhere, reach more things and get my hands on more than ever before! Boy, Mom and Dad are going to stay very busy!
In other exciting news, Mom brought me to a bookstore the yesterday for a birthday party. It was ELMO'S BIRTHDAY PARTY! He was turning 4 and I was there to witness it! First there were some storytellers who were pretty fun to watch. I prefer watching and playing with other kids though. All of sudden the storytellers got very excited and out came Elmo! We all got line up and get our picture taken with him. I was kind of tired and ready to go home, so Mom had to be in the picture too. After that they gave us each a birthday cookie, some coloring pages and stickers and off we went. It was a pretty neat day.

Dancing Machine

Mom and Caroline brought me and Caitlin to a show the other day. We walked through a super long hallway and into a HUGE room. There were a whole bunch of chairs and a big stage. Mom let me pick something out from the little store, I picked a soccer ball with Elmo and Ernie and Oscar and everyone on it. I was throwing it around until Mom put it away because I kept throwing it at the lady's head in front of us.
Soon the show began. Loud music and lights! I could hardly contain myself! I had to DANCE! I surprised Mom so much when I started dancing like nobody's business! The music was in my bones! Elmo and Ernie and Bert were all out there singing and dancing. I had to join in the fun. Mom was laughing so hard, and I was have a great time! I got to sit next to Caitlin and she seemed to really like it too.
The show was great, but after a while I started watching all of the other kids that were everywhere around me. Talk about crazy. I thought I loved Elmo the most, but I'm pretty sure some of these kids live and breathe Elmo.
It was a fun night. I love seeing and doing new things. I think Mom was pretty worn out.

GGMa. Revisited

Mom, Aunt Kristie, Gamma and I went to visit Great Grandma Lynn (GGMa) way up north again. We stayed at her house this time and had lots of fun. We left Friday afternoon. We got in the car and it seemed like we drove forever! We got there around dinner time and I was ready to eat. Mom told me that the one thing about going to GGMa's is that we will never go hungry. She was right!
I really enjoyed getting to know GGMa and Aunt Nonnie. They are so nice and seem to think I can do no wrong. They gave me back scratches and laughed at everything I did. Could it be any more fun than that? They also have a dog named Maggie Leigh (Mom is not impressed) that wanted to be with me very where I went. Seriously, everywhere?!? She followed me around and licked my face and tried to get my toys…while I was playing with them. Silly dog. She is not at all like my cat, Cassie.
I slept pretty good the first night when Mom was in the room with me. The second night, not so much. I got a cough and Aunt Kristie was the lucky one bunking with me that night. I kept her up a lot, but I couldn't sleep! She didn't get too mad though, we just hung out in the big bed together a lot.
We had a really nice weekend there and I was sad to leave GGMa, she is so nice. But it was time to get in the stupid car again. I sure love seeing GGMa, but MAN, the ride is SOOOO long. We decided to make an extra stop. We went to visit Maddie, Kari and Ryan. Since they live SO far away, we only get to go there every once in a while.
Since it was Maddie's birthday pretty soon, we brought her presents. We also got to see Great Uncle Jim and Great Aunt Connie. We had lots of fun, I crawled around everywhere. Maddie and her friend played with me lots. Maddie was my favorite and I kept walking a couple of steps over to her and hugging her. That's a pretty big deal, because I don't walk so good yet. She's worth it though. I can tell she loves me a lot. I love her a lot too!
I got pretty tired, so we jumped in the car, again, and headed home. Dad was pretty excited to see me. He missed me a lot. I missed him too, but I had a great weekend!

Jingle Baby

You know what song I love? Jingle Bells. We could sing it over and over and over and I would still love it. I also love Christmas. It’s a wonderful multi-day event! We had a fun Christmas party at school. I got a Pooh bear in a blue santa suit. So cool.
Then on Christmas Eve, Grandpa Kelly and Grandma Pam came over for a visit. They brought me a fun truck and clothes. I was getting pretty good at the present thing. Later we went to Gramma and Grandpa Q's house. The grown-ups ate a big dinner, I wanted no part of it. Why can't I just eat PB & J all of the time? I had a tummy ache anyhow. Later they brought out more presents. I got some cool stuff. When the grown-ups were eating dessert, my tummy started rumbling. It wasn't long before the tummy got really rough and I got sick. It was pretty sad. I had to change out of my fresh jammies and back into my day clothes.
When we got home I went to bed, but I didn't sleep very well and neither did Mommy. She got the same thing in her tummy. We were quite a pair. Dad had to get up with me when I got sick in the night. It wasn't pretty.
I was feeling a little better in the morning and I think Mommy was too. Everyone came over to our house for breakfast and then we opened presents! Santa came during the night. I don't know how he snuck in with all of us up all through the night. There were so many wonderful things, I am so lucky. I started opening presents. Rip. One little piece of paper done. Hand it to Mom. Rip. One more little piece. Hand it to Mom. Rip. One more little piece. Hand it to Mom. Everyone was laughing at me. I was doing the best I could AND trying not to make a mess. What do they want from me? Well, they decided to help with the presents, to speed up the process I guess. I got so many toys and some clothes. Lots of books and cups. It was nice. I don't know when I'll find time to play with it all.
After my nap we went to the Keeler gathering. There were Keelers all over the place. We played and I walked around the table and charmed all with my smile. I got some toys and a sweatshirt and some books. Seriously, every where I go, they give me stuff. It's great, but definitely getting out of hand! I even got a HUGE chocolate cake from Great Uncle Pat and Great Aunt Michele. They remembered how much I liked cake on my birthday, so they thought I should have Christmas cake too. It was GOOD! I got really messy though and Mom and Dad had t throw me in the bathtub and hose me down. That's when I decided I had had enough and started yelling at people. I was tired and coming down from the sugar high. I fell asleep before we went a block in the car. I was SO sleepy!
Are all Christmas' going to be this crazy?

Oh My Turkey!!

So I think I like Turkey Day. Mom and Dad said it was called Thanksgiving, but all I hear about are turkeys. We watched a parade on TV and then after my nap, we went to Great Uncle Pat's house. There were a whole bunch of Keeler's there. We played and laughed and I crawled around really fast. Anne is my favorite. She is so funny. Dinner was great! I got to sit up at the table with everyone. I ate bread, turkey, mashed potatoes and corn casserole. I also had a little bit of pie. I love when I get to see everyone and have good food.
The next day, my cousin Aidan came over to play. Mom says he is my first cousin, once removed. She thinks. Anyhow, Aidan's mom and dad were going to a hockey game and they didn't think Aidan was old enough to have fun at the game. He's only 3 months old, so he didn't do a whole lot. Mom put him on the floor on a blanket and she just laid there. It was funny. At one point he got kind of sad. So I gave him my toy, but it didn't seem to help much. Mom said he would play with me, but she was wrong. I'm not so sure I like babies. Then Mom gave him a bottle and it looked just like mine. She said it wasn't, but it looked like mine. So I cried until she got me one too. Then Aidan and I hung out and drank milk together. I'm pretty sure we bonded. He's pretty cool, but maybe he will be more fun next year.

What A Week!!

Mom and Dad started bring me to this new place last week. I think I like it, but I am still trying to decide. There are lots of little people like me and we all get to play together and hang out all day. My teacher, Carrie, is very nice. She thinks I'm cute. Her son, Gavin, loves to play with me. He's 5 and very fun! For now I am just watching everyone and sticking to the sidelines. I think I will jump in to all of the fun soon, but not yet.
Mom and Aunt Kristie brought me to this fun new place. It's has a giant mouse outside and they have pizza. I discovered that I love pizza. Inside there are kids everywhere. Their parents just let them run around and scream. I found that very entertaining. I got to ride in a little car and drive it all by myself. It didn't seem to go anywhere, but I enjoyed it all the same. I definitely want to go back to this place.
AND, I got to go with Mom and Dad and play outside. Dad had to meet someone for work out by Taylors Falls, so we made a day of it. It was so nice outside. Dad's work took a little longer than planned, so I got a bit crabby. Mom and Dad decided to let me sleep for a bit while they ate lunch. Then Dad threw me in a big backpack and off we went! We climbed around on rocks and saw a big river. We took lots of pictures, I think Mom is going to use one for Christmas cards.
I am pooped. All these exciting adventures make me want to take a nap.

It's not much of a tail, but I'm sort of attached to it.

Yesterday was Halloween!! I got to dress up like Eeyore and go on a walk outside in the dark!! Last year I was soooo small and I didn’t even know what Halloween was. Mom and Dad dressed me up anyways and I looked pretty cute.
This year I didn’t feel so well, but I was a trooper. I got to hang out with Aunt Kristie and Gamma all day. I wore a shirt with a pumpkin on it and orange socks. I was pretty festive. Later when Mom put my costume on, I was kind of mad because I didn’t want it on my head. But I let her do it and I looked cute. I wasn’t gonna let them know that I liked it though. Then Mom put me in the stroller and I was happy again.
Mom and Dad and I went walking and at first we didn’t see very many people, but then there were kids running around everywhere. They were going to the doors of other people’s houses and coming back with candy. We got to go to Tommy and Caitlin’s house. They weren’t there, but their Grandma gave me some M&M’s in a tube that I could shake and make noise with. Then we found Tommy and Caitlin too. We walked to different houses together. It was fun, even if Mom and Dad didn’t let me get more candy. I guess next year I can have some.
When I got back to the house, Gamma, Kristie, Grandma and Uncle Mark were all waiting to play with me. We played and played. I had some dinner. It was good times. Soon it was just Gamma and me. We went in my room and played together. She rocked me and read books to me and told me she would be in California with Grandpa Q for a while, but she would be back before I knew it. I tried to tell her I would miss her and couldn’t wait to see her again. She told me we could see each other all the time on the webcam. She gave me lots and lots and lots of kisses and put me to bed.
If you’re reading this Gamma, I love you VERY much!!! Thanks for the kisses.
XOXOXOX

Jyllian Returns

The day after my birthday Great Aunt Diane, Kylea, Justin and my buddy Jyllian came to town. Mom picked them up at the airport and they came over to play. It was so fun to see her again. That night Great Uncle Terry, Great Aunt Lyanaya, Karrissa, Makayla, Noah and Layla all came over to play too. The kids had the run of the house and it was awesome. We had a yummy dinner and then we all played on the floor. That night I went to Gamma’s house to sleep and Auntie Diane and Jyllian came too. We had a sleepover!
Yesterday we took a long car ride way Up North. Mom’s cousin, Dustin was getting married. I slept through the wedding; I had quite a busy week you know. Then there was a huge party. I crawled around everywhere and I even got to dance with Mom and Gamma. It was a great time. Today we had to get in the car and drive all the way home. I did pretty well, but I don’t want to do it again any time soon.
When we got home we played with Jyllian for a little while longer and then it was time for them to get on an airplane and go home. I will miss them. I’m glad we have all of the fun weekends together.

I am a One Year Old Man!

Today I turned One Year Old! It’s a big day for me. Mom and Dad gave me a BIG party last Sunday at our house. EVERYONE I know was at the party. There were people in the kitchen, living room, hallway, my bedroom and downstairs. People everywhere. Mom bought a bunch of Elmo stuff to decorate the house, it looked SO cool. I even had Elmo on my shirt!
I had tons of fun. I played with my buddy, Owen and a whole bunch of cousins. After lunch, Mom put me in my chair and everyone gathered around to watch me. They put a pretty cake in front of me and sang me a birthday song! Then they told me to dig in. I wasn’t about to get all messy, and ruin my birthday outfit. But them Mom helped me along. She put my hand right in the pretty frosting and helped me taste it. Mmm, it was good and it felt so cool. Then she pulled off a piece for me and I went to town! I had grabbed handful after handful and put as much into my mouth as I possibly could. Some of it got on my face, but who cares!! It was great.
After a quick bath and wardrobe change, we got to open presents! I wasn’t all that interested in the opening part, but once the toys and books were out, I had great fun. My favorites my Elmo boombox, maracas, Elmo chair and really, I loved it all! Later, I went downstairs to watch the Vikings play with Mom and Dad’s friends. We played and cheered.
What an exhausting day! Then today (my real birthday) Mom and Gamma and I went to Target to get my pictures taken. I stood all by myself and I looked so cool. I also got pictures in a bathtub (because I love bathtime!!) and in my Halloween costume. It was a long shoot and I was tired afterwards. Later I got to have dinner at Old Chicago with Mom, Dad, Gamma, Kristie, Grandma and Grandpa. I got to eat a little mini cake. Again, it was SO good. When I got home Dad and Grandpa had a present out waiting for me. It was tunnels…in the basement! One of them even had a whole bunch of balls in it. Holy cow, it was great! I also got more presents, clothes, toys and books.
How much stuff does one kid need?? A lot! I can’t wait until Christmas…..

The Exciting City of Eau Claire

Mom and Dad brought me to Eau Claire, Wisconsin the other day to meet Dad's friend Gene and his wife Kaia. I heard Mom and Dad talking about when Dad and Gene were in high school together. It sounds like they were pretty big nerds, but they had lots of fun. They played in Band together and pretty much did stupid stuff. So I was kind of anxious to meet him.
We got there on Friday and man, was I ready to get out the car! We hung out for a while and sat by the bonfire while we ate. I got to sit in a chair like everyone else, only I was strapped in.
When we got up the next morning I decided that I would chase all of there cats. They have 4! I only have 1 at home, so I had a great time. We took a long walk to the Farmers Market. I had a super time looking around at all of the people and colors. I fell asleep on the walk back. They thought I would stay sleeping when we got home, but boy were they wrong! I got to play outside while Dad and Gene played bocce ball. Silly game, if you ask me. It was a good trip.
Today I got to try on my Halloween costume. I loved it. It's like wearing a toy! Bet you can't wait to see pictures......

Hey! Where Did My Comb-Over Go?

Mom and Dad and Grandpa Mike and Grandma Peggy brought me to see this nice man, Doug. Dad said that he went to Doug for his first haircut and so did Uncle Mark. Grandpa Mike said it's a tradition for the Keeler men. I guess I'm one of those. Anyhow I sat up high in this special chair and they put a big cape on me, I looked like a floating head. Next thing I knew, this Doug guy was flying all around my head and my head kept getting lighter. Mom and Grandpa and Grandma would make smile and then I would see that Doug guy out of the corner of my eye. I would turn around and give him a look so he knew I knew what he was up to. He said "Done!" and my comb-over was gone! Poof, like that! I look pretty snazzy now, good enough to eat, mom says. Afterwards we went to get Aunt Lori and went and had pancakes! Mmm, they were good.

Later we went to celebrate Owen's 1st birthday. We had fun. There were SO many babies there. We played and played and we ran into each other and crawled over each other. Owen got really messy eating cake and then he got TONS of presents. Mom and Dad said I get to do that in a month. Yay for me! I must be getting old....

My Zoo

Mom brought me to my zoo today. I call it my zoo because we were pretty much the only people there and Mom let me do whatever I wanted. She let me out of the stroller to explore. I crawled to one side and saw birdies and then the other side had monkeys and ducks. This is a whole new world! It was really fun. My favorite part is when we went down to the fish tank. Mom took me out of the stroller and I went right up to the window and tried to touch all of the fish. We were down there exploring for at least 15 minutes and only a couple of people came through. It was great! I also got to see the ZooMan feed the sharks, crazy! She also brought over to the monkeys. I sat at the window and watched them play outside. There were some babies that were smaller than me! Mom made us leave when I tried to suck on the window. Oh well, it was worth a try. Mom bought me some books for my birthday, but I am not supposed to know that so I will act surprised at my party. We had to go home so I could get ready for kickball. Zach and I are going to hang out and make fun of our dads.
I can't wait to go back to my zoo again.

My First Wedding

I need to say one thing before I tell you my story. Happy 5th Anniversary Mom and Dad. You guys are great. I'm not just saying that because my mom is typing this for me. I mean it. I love you guys!

Now to my story. I went to a wedding yesterday! I got all dressed up and I looked GOOD! The wedding was outside by a golf course. How cool is that? I read books, jumped from Dad to Mom to Uncle Franklin. I talked a little bit, and threw my books. Mom looked real worried like someone might get mad, but we were sitting in the back and we didn't seem to bother anyone. After the pretty girl in the white dress and the guy she was with left the wedding we got to stand up and talk to people.
I got to see all of the pretty girls and flash them my famous smile. Let me tell you, they ate it up. They were talking to me and wanted to sit by me and hold me. I bet I could've gotten their numbers if I knew how to ask. When it was time for dinner, Dad's friend Jason held me. We played and I talked and before I knew it Grandma Lola was there to pick me up. Pretty good time. I can't wait until the next one.

Eating Rocks and A Walk Around the Lake

I am a very well-rounded baby. I will try anything! Mom and Dad brought me over the Kramer's house last weekend. I got to play with John and Jessica and Shirley. I had a great time, and I found out that I really like to eat rocks. Seriously. They're good and they feel nice and cool on my poor gums. Don't worry, they weren't little sharp rocks. They were big smooth flat rocks that they had sitting out for me on the coffee table. Mom says they weren't for me, but I like to think they were. The Kramers are fun people. They sure can be silly!
Yesterday I went on a big long walk with Mom and Grandma Lola. It was cold out, so I was bundled up. I was wearing two shirts, a hoodie and a big t-shirt over that . We were walking with hundreds of other people in a walk to prevent child abuse. There were a lot of other kids there and I had a GREAT time watching everyone. Especially the dogs that were wearing t-shirts just like mine. Before the walk we got our picture taken with TC from the Twins and after we got our picture taken with a giant shark! It sure was fun. And who says walking long distances is hard? It was a breeze, I didn't even break a sweat!

Mom's Birthday

Mom got older yesterday, so we had a party. Mom and Dad invited a bunch of old people and I invited Owen. Owen and I got off to a rough start, but then we had a superfun time. I was sleeping when they got there, so when I woke up I was not prepared for visitors. So when Owen thought he should crawl on top of me and pull my hair, I was understandably upset. He seemed very sorry for mistaking me for his dog, so I forgave him right away and we played and played. He is 1 month older than me, so he is a little faster. Of course, being the BIG man that I am, I am a little bigger than he is, but you could hardly tell. It was so nice to be with someone who speaks the same language. Overall, it was a good party. At least it seemed like it as I heard laughing and talking several hours after I went to sleep. Mom and Dad sure are crazy....

Playing with the cousins

On the way home from our Island Adventure we went to Aunt Connie and Uncle Jim's house. There were so many people there when we pulled into the driveway. I got to see Maddie again, I sure like her a lot. Jyllian was there too. AND, the new baby. Aidan James Rabideaux. He was SO small....he was only 8 days old! He slept a lot and drank his bottles. I can't wait until he's down on the floor playing with us. It will be nice to have another baby boy around. We hung out there for a few hours, I tried some ham and some other stuff, then the cameras came out. I can't believe that they tried to get pictures of all of the great grandkids again. Have they learned nothing? It was chaos. I didn't want to be there, Jyll didn't want to be there, Maddie didn't want to be there and Aidan was sleeping. Silly adults. Maybe we'll all sit together in 5 years or so, then again, maybe not.
After we left we had to get in the car, AGAIN. Another long ride, we better not be doing this again any time soon.

Island *Crawling* Baby

I just got home from a super fun vacation. On an island! There was water everywhere. Mom, Dad and I went to Madeline Island in Lake Superior for a family vacation. Grandma Lola, Grandpa Gary and Aunt Kristie came too. We had our very own house to play in. It was SUPER hot the first day. I felt like I was melting. Then we all went to the beach. What a relief! There was a nice wind and we got to play in the water. Mom and Dad went out really far into the water. I was sad to back to the house. Mom said it was like a hundred. I think that's bad.
The next day it started cooling off a little. We went to the pool and played anyways. It always feels better in the water. I met lots of other kids at the pool. They wanted to play with me, so I smiled and splashed water at them. One day Mom, Dad and Kristie went out on a HUGE boat with big sheets that went way up into the sky. Aunt Kristie and Mom said Dad tried to tip them over into the water. Silly Dad. Another day Mom and Dad and I went on long walks at a park. We went and saw a pretty beach and walked through the woods. It was very fun. Later that day Dad and Grandpa Gary left go home and Mom, Aunt Kristie, Grandma and I went back to that pretty beach and went swimming. So from then on, I was left with the ladies. We had lots of fun, and as usual, life centered around me. We went to lunch one day and they let me try a french fry. It tasted okay but what I really liked was to mush it in my hand. They didn't know, but I held that thing while we were shopping after lunch and didn't let go until we were on the front porch. Then I dropped it! And everyone laughed. I'm funny like that.
Here's the BIG NEWS: I started crawling forward. I could crawl backwards before, that was super easy. I thought to myself, "It would be so nice to see something and be able to go and get it and stick it in my mouth." So I did it! Mom, Grandma and Kristie were so excited! Mom took some video and called Dad.
We even had visitors. One day Mom's cousin, Auntie Sheila came with Uncle Martin. We hung out for a while and then cousin Carol and Cory came too. We sat at the patio next to the pool and had refreshing beverages for an hour or so then went home and had a HUGE dinner. I slept good that night. The next day Auntie Diane, cousin Kylea and Jyllian came to visit. We played on the porch, went to the pool and had a yummy dinner. I like Jyllian. Even though she older than me (but a little smaller) we get along like peas and carrots.
The next day we had to pack up and get back into that dumb car again. We had SO much stuff to take home. It was packed all around us. We took a detour on the way home, but I'll tell you about that later. It sure is nice to be home with my kitty.

I'm a little firecracker!

Today was my first 4th of July. It was really fun. Mom, Dad and I went to the parade. Grandma Peggy, Grandpa Mike, Uncle Mark, Grandma Lola, Aunt Kristie and Great Grandpa Len were all there too. I got to see big loud trucks, motorccycles and little trucks. I also became a future memeber of the Boy Scouts. Then Mom and Dad had me meet some really important guy. All these guys were holding signs and walking around with him. He asked if he ould hold me for a picture.
Later after dinner, I am going to sleep at Grandma Lola's and Mom and Dad are going to the fireworks. They said I can go next year.
Pretty cool day.

Up North with Great Grandma Lynn

Mom, Grandma Lola, Kristie and I all jumped in the car on Saturday morning to go see Great Grandma Lynn. Nobody told me we would have to stay in the car for 5 hours! I did pretty good though, we stopped and got out to stretch our legs one time.
When we got there I got to meet SO many people, but best of all was Great-Grandma Lynn (GGMa). She was so happy to see me! We hugged and talked and hung out together. I also got to meet Great Great Aunt Nonnie, Great Uncle John and Great Aunt Karen, Great Uncle Pat and Great Aunt Anni, Great Uncle Mike and Great Aunt Faye and Great Aunt Pam and Great Uncle Lance. Grandpa Kelly and Grandma Pam were there too!
We all hung out on the huge front porch for most of the weekend. I love being outside! I got to sit and visit with GGMa a lot. She is so nice. Great Uncle Pat sang a German song to me and played with me. I sure liked him a whole lot. Mom, Grandma Lola, Kristie and I also went shopping and to lunch one day. I got some very cool books and Grandma Lola got me a ball that has holes all over so I can grab on to it. It's very cool.
It was a great weekend and I can't wait to see GGMa again. What a good way to celebrate turning 8 months old.

Finally!!!

It's happening! After all of the pain, fevers and crabbiness I am finally getting a tooth! It's on the bottom in the middle. Mom felt it last night and ran me over to Dad so he could feel too. I just hope they all come in soon so people can stop putting their fingers in my mouth whenever they feel like it. I'll keep you posted on the tooth situation.
On Monday I went to softball with Dad again. Mom and I hung out on a blanket and played while Dad tried to hit things and ran around. But this time was different. Someone new showed up to play with us - Zach! He is almost 1 year old and lots bigger. We played with toys, he grabbed my face and I tried to grab his. He can crawl and stand up all by himself. I have to learn how to do that. It was so cool. After everyone was done playing they came over and hung out with us. I had a good time talking and rolling. It was a good night.

Me and My Dad

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted last! Well, a lot has happened in BenLand! I have found my first mode of transportation....ROLLING! I work really hard at it and go from my tummy to my back to my tummy to my back to my...well, you understand. I can make it really far, this means that I can get my toys when they are not next to me and I can also get my bottle and pacifier when they fall out. It's great!! This is the start of many BIG things!!!
Last weekend we went to Cousin Josh's Open House. It was fun, I got to see Maddie and a whole bunch of other people. I also got to see this big furry cat they called a "dog". His name was Cooper and he liked to lick people. Then I went and spent the night at Gamma Lola's house. Super fun.
On Friday we went to the airport because we were going to Michigan to see Grandma Peggy's family. But there were stupid storms in MN and our flight was delayed. Then I decided that I no longer would tolerate those pre-made bottles so Mom and Dad had to feed me my pears and then there was no more. So Mom and Dad decided that we would just go home after hanging out in the airport for 4+ hours. The next day Dad said that our flight was 5 hours late and there is no way that would have worked out well for us. So we went home and slept. The next day we went to the Baby store and bought a gate for the stairs (see rolling around) and some other stuff so that I am safe in my house. I soon will be free to roam as I please....(note to self: learn how to roam as I please). That night we went to Franklin and Amanda's house for a sleepover; they sure are fun.
On Sunday it was Father's Day! We all took a 3 hour nap and then Dad opened his presents. I got him a picture of me and him and a picture of me and Mom that we had taken when Dad was at work. I think he liked them. I hope so because I love him a lot! Then we went to the Zoo! Uncle Mark came too. I got to ride in a backpack on Daddy's back. It was fun - I could see SO much! I fell asleep on the way home and when I woke up we went to have dinner with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Peggy. They drove all the way from Michigan! I sure am tired. I think I'll sleep all day......