Backflip Bonanza at Bottle Lake

James posting - So I find the schneeman family to be overwhelmingly athletic. Evidenced by the video below - and the fact that the adults (a tad less synchronized) completed the same backflip roundtable an hour later - including Anne, Anne's sister and brother-in-law. Unfortunately, I'm the sole member of the family unable to complete at this time. (Although, Seamus and Finn haven't tried yet - hope they got the athletic gene) I'll have to continue to rely on my good looks and charm to keep me in good standing in the family - we'll see how that goes.

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Is That A Woodtic On Your Back?

What can I say - Seamus still hasn't crossed over into "leave me alone" phase. Soon enough I'm sure, but while it lasts, this "buddyship" is so much fun. Note that Seamus's turn on both bikes included his hanger-on.

Neighbor Friends!

Nick, our neighbors' grandson who is just a little older than Seamus, has been visiting for a few weeks. I have a photo of them playing together the first summer that we lived here - Seamus still hadn't learn to walk and Nick was about half the size.

I have a feeling we'll take lots of summer pictures with these boys before they get sick of us fawning over them. Here are some photos of the boys "racing" bikes. It's a little scary that in a few short years, I can imagine them asking to walk over to St. Kate's to play ball or walk up to Groveland because "there's nothing to do in the yard". Plastic bikes and a 15 foot sidewalk will only last so long...

Seamus Under the Weather

Seamus wasn't feeling so hot yesterday and so we watched a little movie before bedtime. Finn was having a pre-bed bottle on my lap, but after a few minutes couldn't be consoled. Squirming, whining, just being a stinker.

I finally set him down on the sofa so I could pick something up he'd kicked off the table, when I watched him scoot immediately over to Seamus and lay down on his side. Just hung out there and finished his bottle, looking up at the ceiling, just happy to be close to his brother. Periodically, he'd sit up and look and Seamus and than just lay back down cuddled up next to him. These boys will just kill you sometimes.

Let There Be Light...

and tile and closet doors...

We are nearing completion of this project - and yet it still feels like the little stuff is going to take forever to get finished. One of the problems stems from the fact that I seem to be able to avoid actually doing any work without much problem. The crazies will be back soon - so not to worry...

James on the other hand has been very hard working - today he's making good progress on the shower tiling project. He's working so hard that it makes me want to nap...

Windows!

I'll post some remodel pictures tomorrow - but the windows are in! FINALLY. James is going to spend most if not all of his time this weekend tiling the shower. Good times, good times.

On a separate note, I asked Seamus if he had fun with Helen yesterday, and he replied: "Good times, mom. Good times."

When The Chips Are Down, The Buffalo Is Empty

And other word of wisdom we learned while visiting NorthLand Bison Ranch...

So You Said You Wanted Pictures...

So...we thought we left the camera at the lake - actually just sitting in the car. So here's some snap shots of our little vacation. Do you get the sense that if Finn could say more than three words, he'd sound as loud and mouthy as a New York taxi driver (or maybe more appropriately, like a Schneeman)?

We're Back!

Camera is not unpacked yet - but I'll get some pictures posted soon. We had a great long vacation at the cabin - the boys just seems to grow in leaps and bounds at the lake. Highlights include Seamus and his highspeed dive off the shallow end raft (he doesn't know this is a highlight as he got into HUGE trouble for doing it - but Lord, it was funny). Finn ate more sand than any one child should ever try and ingest - he got to the point where when he saw me looking at him, he's just spit out the rock. Nice, Nice. It was fabulous family time and in the midst of all our remodeling it was nice to be some place where daily activities for the adults included napping and stories.

We're so excited to be back though - I feel like it's been ages since we've seen anyone and can't wait to catch up with all our favorite people!

On the off chance that Bob and Paula are checking in - fountain looks fine and we're missing you tons! Seamus asked to see you as soon as we got out of the car yesterday - he wasn't so happy that you weren't around.

We told him that life is a series of unexplained disappointments and he should get used to it (actually, we said that you didn't love him anymore...) Kidding.

Mr. Harley Davidson, I presume?

The boys have been sharing extraordinarily well considering that Finn is now all about Seamus's toys. Here's a glimpse at their problem solving skills for sharing the bike - sometimes I'm sure I'm having more fun watching them than they are actually playing.

Yesterday I made an unusual foray into baking. We're being bombarded by apples from the tree constantly and so I started making pies. So far so good (how hard is it to combine apples, sugar and crust, really?).

Seamus got to help with the dough while Finn was sleeping, and after a while my patience had worn thin and so I told him he had to "back up and watch" for a few minutes. At which point he put his hands on his hips, looked me strait in the eyes (he was on a kitchen chair) and told me - "You know better, Mamma. Go chair. Right now. Get happy." Think he's heard that before? For those of you who haven't spent a lot of time at our house, we have a chair that Seamus has to sit in when he's in a sour mood or when he's not listening...

Summer Sweetheart

Our neighbor's daughter, son-in-law, grandaughter, Bridget (age 2), and brand new baby are staying with them for a few months. Seamus LOVES having Bridget over to "play" - which has finally turned into real playing verses standing near each other and periodically bumping into each other with toys. Obviously she's warming up to the boys. :)

Corn Husker

So the other day, Seamus announced he could "clean" the corn. I gave him a bag and set him loose on the porch. To my complete amazement, he did a fabulous job, almost no hair or husks outside of the brown bag. I ran inside to get the camera and got a little distracted (it happens) so it took me a few minutes before I made my way back with the camera. He had happily sampled one of the raw ears of corn and was very satisfied. I could hardly blame him.

Peachy.

Finn wouldn't eat the cut up peaches in his highchair, but as soon as we got him out he devoured Grandma's whole peach.

My Boys.

Potty Time

See How Big I Am?

Seamus has FINALLY crossed over into the land of the potty trained. I cannot explain in any way that doesn't sound psychotic how great this feels. I'm not claiming that we're completely done with accidents, but he totally "gets it" now, which is a HUGE milestone. Grandma Barbara spent two days with him and we had him whipped into shape in no time (like I said before, not sure what I would have done without Grandma).

My favorite part of the potty training saga was arriving after a long and hot drive to the lake, Seamus went straight down to the beach and into the water. After a few minutes he looked a little anxious and ran up to me: "Need to go potty, Mamma!" He was looking urgent so we headed into Uncle Eric's cabin and he proceeded to resolve a lot of digestive issues (maybe an entire strawberry shake was a bit too much for a two year old). In any case, Seamus's visit to Eric's one room cabin lingered for quite some time for all 9 family members. Seamus told Eric as we walked back down to the beach "Welcome to the lake."

Hee hee.

Remodel Mania: Part Deux

How Happy Are These Boys?

"I Go With Her?"

Sorry for the long delay in photos - we've been soaking up Grandma time for the last week. We took Barbara to the airport yesterday afternoon and Seamus cried most of the rest of the day. We felt very spoiled by all the treats, love and attention. Not only was it great to have Grandma around, but I ended up having a little bit of a crazy week with the remodel (i.e. plumber was upstairs, pedestal broken, toliet doesn't fit...) So really, I'm not sure what I would have done without another set of hands around to take care of the boys. I'll post some more pictures throughout the day - unfortunately I didn't take as many photos as I should have (which happens when you're just having too much fun).