Obsession...

My little guy has been obsessed with tape lately.  I should've bought shares in 3M apparently!  Little Man is having a blast wrapping up everything in the house.  He has used up most of my wrapping paper and when he ran out of that he started wrapping things up in blankets.  yup.  I consider it cheap entertainment for a 3 year old!

Birthday Boy's Party...

I meant to post these awhile ago but the whole month was such a busy time that I'm just getting around to it now.  Little man had a great birthday!  He's been asking for his birthday cake for months already!  He wanted a Blues Clues birthday cake.  It was a fun time and so wonderful to see him so full of joy.  He was spoiled rotten, to put it mildly!  Here's a few pics from the party...

We are looking for Blues Clues, we are looking for Blues Clues...

Isaac's been asking for a guitar and a wheelbarrow for months now...

Auntie Kim surprised all the kids with handmade signs for their rooms!  Thanks Auntie Kim, they're beautiful!

Isaac also got a 'scooper'! (aka scooter)  He loves his new 'scooper'...

And of course there's the 'some assembly required'....

A few of our party guests....

We are thankful for this little man who lights up our lives.  His sense of humour brings us all so much joy!  It is truly a blessing to be  parents to Isaac.  Happy Birthday Little Man...we love you!

Birthday Boy

Here's our man...growing up so fast!  Yesterday was Isaac's 3rd Birthday.  Party pics to follow...

Big Boy Bed...

 How can he be ready for a big bed already?  It's impossible!  Our little man is growing up so quickly.  He's been able to crawl out of his crib for a long time already but he rarely did.  Until a month ago.  We could not get him to stay in his crib at all!  I was worried he was going to fall and hurt himself so we decided to do the big transfer.  I was prepared for a few weeks of tough transistion from crib to bed, and possibly back to crib.  Guess what?  He hasn't looked back!  He LOVES his 'big boy bed'!  We had a spare bed in his room already so it was just a matter of getting it ready (well, really, a matter of me figuring out where I would move my clean laundry dumping grounds to).
I got out the toolbox and removed the 'somewhat' feminine brass headboard.  Isaac picked up his tools and lent a hand in the project.  Since the only single bedding available in the closet was flannel princess sheets a trip to the store for 'manly' bedding was necessary.  I have much grander plans for a cute bedroom for him, but this will have to do for now!  The crib is still there, I'm not ready to take it down yet.  He might be, but not me. (sniff) So, first night in his big bed, and every night since he's doing just fine.  Each night he says...'goo-night mom, I sleep in my BIG BOY BED!'  Now that the novelty has worn off a little he's pushing his luck a little getting up a few times right after we put him to bed, but really he's doing great all in all!  So proud of our little man.

Fun with Felt...

Bet you thought I was going to post something that Isaac had destroyed with a felt pen right?  Well, I could, trust me.  This is a post about a different kind of felt...thank goodness!  I've been meaning to post this one for awhile and am just getting around to it now.  These cute creations were made especially for Isaac this Christmas.
If you know my little man at all you know one of his first words was 'onut'....aka 'donut'.  This little man loves his Tim Horton's timbits and donuts...thank you Grampa.   Auntie Kim picked up on the idea and created these adorable felt donuts.  She even went in to Timmy's and requested an empty box to finish the project off.   (Just between you and me, I heard they gave her a really funny look when she asked for an empty box)  Isaac loves his felt donuts....a little too much.

These next creations are adorable. Olivia and Emily & Julianna made these critters for Isaac back in the summer. It was the perfect project for a trio of friends to do on a summer day. Julianna made the bird, Em made the butterfly and the beautiful bag, and Olivia made the bear.

All made with love for little man.  He loves his animals and carries them around daily.  Isaac has all the women in his life wrapped around his little finger...and, if we're going to be honest, all the men too!

Who Says Mennonite Boys Can't Dance?

The proof is in the post...

Obviously he takes after his mother father. Obviously.

Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?

Here's who stole the cookie from the cookie jar!

Our favourite Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 cup butter (room temp)
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 (4 serving) size pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups choco chips

Beat together: butter, sugars, pudding mix, baking soda, and vanilla.  Beat in eggs.  Add flour and mix well.  Add chocolate chips and mix.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. (I use a cookie scoop).  Bake for 10 - 12 minutes at 350*.
You can substitute chocolate pudding powder for vanilla if you like.

Captivated...

by airplanes!  Our little man Isaac is growing so fast.  He's all about the 'terrible' twos these days.  Although I prefer the term 'typcial' twos a little more.  He's not terrible, but he sure is giving me a run for my money!  He's managed to break more dishes than I can afford to replace, color on everything but paper, lock me out of the house, and...oh, the list goes on.  But, amongst these crazy moments we have wonderful times my little man and me.  It's the first time it's just him and I alone each morning.  We have fun...usually outside....watching airplanes!  Isaac is obsessed with anything airplanes.  We thought it would be tractors, since Daddy is a farmer, but nope, it's airplanes.  Oh, don't be mistaken, Isaac is all about trucks and tractors, but he LOVES airplanes.  There are two things that contribute to his obsession: 
1.  His adoring love for his Uncle Ken, who happens to be an airshow announcer and a pilot. Isaac and Ken have a wonderful bond.
2.  His bedroom that's wallpapered with vintage aiplanes.  (This room just happens to be the room that Uncle Ken grew up in...original wallpaper:)
If we're in the house then he's saying 'shissen mommy, shissen' (listen, mommy, listen)  He expects me to drop whatever I'm doing so we can listen for an airplane far off in the skies.  He is so attuned to the sound of an airplane it's unbelievable! 

If we're outside then his eyes are in the skies and he's waving and yelling, 'hi unca Ken, hi'  It really is amazing.  This evening I was working in the kitchen and he was so quiet.  I looked over and saw him laying on the floor.  What's that book he's reading you ask?  Why, it's the 2010 Abbotsford Airshow official program.  He reads it everyday.  He flips to the page with his uncle ken's picture, then over to the page with his favorite:  'mannos'.  'Mannos' is code for Snowbirds, our beautiful Canadian Air Force Squadron.  It will be interesting to see where this love of his takes him.  I find it fascinating that he is already expressing such an interest at this age.

Sand-A-Box

We decided earlier this year that Isaac was more than ready for a sandbox.  He loves to play outside, and especially in the dirt.  His birthday was back in June and we decided it would be the perfect b-day gift, but it wasn't until August that we had the time to do this project.  Rob was really excited about doing this for Isaac and he put a lot of time and thought into the project.  Once we were back from holidays we got to work.  First decision was where to put it.  I wanted it to be in the front yard so I could keep track of him easily. There just didn't seem to be a great spot for it.  So, after staring at the yard for awhile we talked about removing an overgrown, dying shrub that was really just taking up wasted space.  Talking turned to doing and before we knew it we were well on our way to a sandbox.  Isaac watched with wonder as Rob took the next few days to build it.  Rob had his plans all in his head and I just supplied extra hands and cold drinks and snacks....and took pictures, of course.  Isaac is loving his new 'sand-a-box' as he calls it.  I can't seem to drag him out of it...it's all he wants to do now!  Thanks Rob for taking the time to do this, you've made your little boy so happy!

Pretty Boy...

OK...so hubby's gonna have somethin' to say about this post, but it's just too cute.  Isaac has always had a shoe fettish...shoes of any kind, 'blip blops' (flip flops) are his favorite, so we finally got him a 'manly' pair.  But he walked into the kitchen the other day with this headband on and I nearly snorted my milk out!  Yes, I know you wanted to know that.  Anyway...here's my pretty boy.  Even if it only lasted for a moment.  The point is, he's cute no matter what he does.  He desperately needs a hair cut but he's so darned ticklish that he won't sit still enough for a professional haircut...

 

I have this feeling...

That I may just be a 'Hockey Mom' one day. 
Just a feeling.
And I'm fine with it.

Like Father....

Like son.Oh how I love these guys.

Turning Two...

Today's the day our little man turns 2! I could write so much...and I will, but for now I'll just say "Happy Birthday Baby". Busy day here...Olivia has track challenge meet all day and I'm home for a quick break so the birthday boy can nap.

All Boy...

Here's Isaac doing what he loves most...just being a boy, exploring, usually outside. Anything mechanical intrigues him. Here he's having fun playing in the farm's old 1969 Ford.

Cookie Monster...

Doesn't this picture just melt your heart? It sure melted mine. Little man is adorable (almost) all the time, but this was the sweetest thing. Isaac was so excited to see cookies, or as he calls them "KooooKeees" baking in the oven. He kept turning around and smiling and saying it over and over again. He's starting to talk so much now! I'm not use to it and it means we're moving on to a new stage again....please don't grow up in a hurry little man...in the meantime, I'll bake you lots of 'koookeees'.

Outdoorsman...

That's our Isaac! He loves to be outside. He spends a good majority of each day begging to go outside. Begging as in banging on the door while whining, bring me his shoes, and calling..'coat, coat'. If I say no then he proceeds to scream and lay down in front of the door crying and having a fit. Ahhh..these are the days. Luckily, last week the rains went away and we had a whole 7 days of NO RAIN!! It was so great to spend time outside each day. As soon as Isaac gets outside he has 3 things on his 'to do' list. 1. Head to the shop and see if 'Bumpa' (Grandpa) is here working on his old truck. Bumpa always has time for a visit with Isaac and there's always a snack to be had. They are best buddies when they are out in that shop together! 2. Head over to the 'Buppies' (puppies) to see if they can come out for a visit. 3. Wander into the field and go as far as he can without looking back at mommy once. He will wander all the way to the end of the field without a care in the world. Isaac truly loves to be outside. He is happiest when he is outside. He loves to explore and touch everything. He wants to ride bikes and climb fences. Getting him inside is not a pretty process, but eventually it has to happen...it usually means me carrying a kicking and screaming little one allllll the way back through the field. I wish his Opa was still here to see this little boy. Rob and I have no doubt that they would have had a special bond. I can almost picture Opa patiently walking through the field explaining the farming life to Isaac....

It's all about the food....

Right now it seems like that's all Isaac is interested in...FOOD. I can't believe how this little man can pack it away! This is definitely one of the big differences I see from when the girls were this age. As soon as we even walk towards the kitchen he starts pointing and saying 'mmmmmm...' He gets very excited about his food. These are a few pics of him enjoying watermelon at my parents' place a few weeks ago. P.S...that's my old highchair he's sitting in!

1st Haircut!

So, I have to admit, I didn't realize how long Isaac's hair was getting until I heard a few too many comments...you know...the "oh, are you growing his hair out?"...and the, "you have old man hair don'tcha buddy?" and then there were the two girls sitting behind us in church having an argument about whether or not he was a boy or a girl. Time for a haircut. I have to say, I'm not used to this yet...with the girls I just let it grow and I have to drag hubby kicking and screaming (well, ok, not really, but close) to the barber. So, all of the sudden the light-bulb came on and I realized, oh...he really needs a trim! So...we bathed him and sat him in front of the mirror. He wouldn't have anything to do with a towel around him and proceeded to bat away my hands every time I tried to get near his head. I finally gave him a new toothbrush with a bit of toothpaste on it and it seemed to keep him somewhat occupied. Needless to say, it was an exercise in patience...not one of my greatest virtues! So it's done. He looks so adorable...not because of my 'hack job' but because he looks a little more like a little boy now and not such a baby! I saved his hair, of course, and some of those locks are 2" long! Next time we won't wait so long...and next time, someone else can do it!

Daddy's Helper...

Recently Rob had a little plumbing job to do under our kitchen sink and Isaac was VERY anxious to lend a helping hand! We couldn't keep him out of there! Future plumber? Maybe. If so, then I'd better teach him young to wear a belt. No plumbers butt for my baby!

Birthday Boy - Part 2

So last week we seemed to celebrate all week! We had a nice dinner on Isaac's real b-day (June 8) and then a few get togethers during the week with friends and then the full blown B-day party on Friday night. I wanted to come up with something cool to do for his first cake but at the same time wanted it to be appropriate for his age. I'm anxious to do a John Deere cake for him but I figured he'd appreciate it more when he's a little older so I started googling cake ideas and found this fabulous idea for a Fisher Price Barn Set Cake. Now, you could order the set and do it 'by the book' but I've never been a 'by the book' kinda gal, so I winged it. Besides, there was no way I was going to make animals out of icing and break the bank ordering the pans! So, Thursday was a late night for me working on this cake, but I loved it...it was so fun to create with Isaac in mind! We used the animals from his farm set and the rest is icing and cake! We had a fun evening of opening gifts and eating goodies. Unfortunately, the birthday boy was not his usual happy-go-lucky self. We have a feeling that those 1 year shots kicked in the day of his party and he ended up in bed for most of his party...oh well, at least we got a few pics! He was spoiled with beautiful gifts as you can see above. Isaac's favorite: the ride on CAT toy....my favorite: the John Deere quilt! This quilt was a labour of love from Auntie Kim and you can read about that here. Cake was a first for him and he took a few minutes to warm up to the idea but then he dug in and made a mess! Happy Birthday Baby Boy.......you are so loved!