Still Waiting.........

Puppet Show

Not a day goes by that Soren doesn't ask for his favorite thing: a puppet show. He is in charge of the props and Randy and I are in charge of the storyline, though he adds his own imaginative diversions during every performance. You can't imagine then how excited Soren and I were when I found this puppet theater along the side of the road yesterday morning. Along with fostering my child's creative play I have taught him the value of a great dumpster dive!

Speed Boy Racer

It didn't take Soren long to master the art of two-wheeled (four if you count the training wheels) cycling. The bike was a craigslist $10 steal that he received for his birthday last winter. He couldn't wait to hit the road this summer and was a very happy cruiser, often meeting up with his buddy Max for a cruise around the block.

Yard work turns exciting with the right size tool.

October and November in Minnesota seemed to have their weather patterns mixed up this year. October was cold and rainy and now November has been sunny and warm. We spent the weekend catching up on yard work with Soren testing out his new rake. At this stage of his life, Soren is all excited to help with anything and everything. I know all too soon that we will have to drag him out to help do his share of yard work - you can already see it in his pout.

Apple Pie

Soren calls Nana Lewandowski Nana Pie since he has been spoiled with her delicious homemade pies from birth. This summer she shared her pie making secrets with him. Rule #1 - bring your own rolling pin. Rule #2 - Lot's of laughter and taste testing.

Rockstar

Yesterday we took Soren to the Minnesota Children's Museum where he had a blast rockin' out in front of a blue screen to various music artists. The video was taken off a TV monitor on my point and shoot camera, so the quality is less then optimal but the enthusiasm is well captured.

The Poser

Practicing some senior picture posing.........

The Expansion of Love

I have noticed an interesting correlation between the expansion of my belly, tied in to the decrease in the size of my lap, and my anxiety over loosing the quality 1:1 time I have with Soren. Soren has adapted to physically squeezing around the oversized pumpkin that was once my lap. I am the one hung up on the psychological squeezing in and expansion of how can one spread such great love between two children. I am often asked if Soren is excited about the baby's arrival and all signs indicate he is. But the reality is that I know there will be a lot of adjustments that will need to be made by all of us and that all of our hearts will grow with love. There is still something about that loss of individual attention a first child is blessed with by the arrival of a sibling that pulls a string of sadness in me. So I have been soaking up the moments of love and attention that Soren and I share, the quiet snuggles and toddler questioning that has taught me so much yet makes me excited in sharing this bliss with the baby.

Magic Painting Elves

We have been working hard on transforming the upstairs into a bedroom/playroom for Soren before the baby comes. I don't have any "before" shots but imagine dark brown walls and cream ceilings - basically a very dark space. We had some wonderful elves who spent a lot of time and energy painting the room. The magnetic chalkboard wall is a huge hit and Soren transitioned into the new room without a glitch. We are so thankful to all that helped, we couldn't have done it without you Nana Pie, Nana Guitar, Uncle Jeff and Matt!

Happy Halloween

Wishing everyone a spooktacular day of activities.

It's a Birl!!!

So far Soren seems pretty excited about the baby. He likes to kiss and hug it and always includes it when he shares things with mama and papa. As we wait for the big push to find out the sex, we sometimes ask Soren what opinion he has on the potential sex. On his own he came up with "It's a Birl" - oh how I love the mind of a toddler!

Little Red Balloon

At naptime and bedtime we let Soren pick one toy/book/object to have in bed with him. This so far has kept him in his bed and not be drawn to his shelves of toys, a challenge that displays great restraint if you ask me. In the past he has chosen anything from a classic toy to a swiffer and Randy's arm brace. This week his object of desire was the balloon he received at Trader Joe's that morning.

Return of the Photo Booth

Like the first time around, we hit the photo booth to document the last stage of the pregnancy. This time around Soren joined us from outside the belly as opposed to last time. We ran into similar development issues with the photo booth machine: underexposure and cutting off frames, but it still provides a fun visual.

Layout Changes

I have to thank the McKinney Family for the new look of our blog. I have been meaning to change and upgrade from the dot pattern and the styles at Deluxe Templates was just what I wanted. Change is good, and with the baby due within a couple of weeks, we may as well start with the blog.

Cyber Cuteness Heading Your Way

We hope to get so lucky in the cuteness category with baby number 2

Swingset

Auntie Lori and cousins Dani and Rachel donated their wonderful wooden swingset to Soren. Nana Nancy and Grandpa Henry hauled the whole thing up to our cottage July 4th weekend where it took many hands to reassemble. We are thrilled with the gift, especially that Soren will have a sibling to play with him on it for many years to come. Thanks again to all the Lewandowski clan - we love you.

Marching Band Protegee

Tuba player in training care of MacPhail Music and Yelena his teacher.

Father/Child Campout

Our dear friend Paul arranged a wonderful weekend of camping for a group of fathers and their kids at the Hok Si La Campground, Lake Pepin, MN. Randy and Soren had a wonderful time as Paul's pictures cleary demonstrate. Sure I missed my boys, but what a treat it was for the wives! We all ate a wonderful Italian dinner and then hit the movie theater, coming home to a nice quiet house. Thank you Paul for the perfect weekend for us all!

Strawberry Fields

Summer Lovin'

There is nothing like spending a summer swimming, biking and letting the sticky sweetness of a popsicle bring two close pals together. Thanks for a great summer Helen!

Fair Game

The Duck Game


Tooting on his duck game prize


Who doesn't love a ride on the Merry Go Round....


There's that darn sheep popping up again - even in the kiddie barn play area!



Soren loves the inflatable climbing/adventure structures popular at fairs and kid events.

We may not get to the Great Minnesota State Fair this year, but we did hit a couple of small town fairs. Personally I prefer the small ones anyway, more intimate, less expensive and far more interesting characters. It was 10 years ago this year that Randy and I had our first date at the MN State Fair - so the fair culture is in the entire Randrea clan blood.

"Me Drive That"

Since Sorens exposure to driving a plane - he has been obsessed with driving any form of a BIG moving vehicle. "Me drive that" is a phrase we hear almost daily. Fortunately we have had lots of opportunities this summer to put him in the driver's seat.

Soren's Irish Music Gig

A Dublin highlight for Soren was staying up way past his bedtime to hit the pubs. We went to one known for it's trad music and Irish dancers. Soren hung out in front of the stage and the guitarist came to him, gave him his pick and asked him to join in with the band. The packed pub gave a round of applause to Soren after his debut and he clutched onto that guitar pick for days.