Nature Walk

We're pretty fortunate that we live close to some pretty cool outdoorsy-type stuff. One place I really like to go is the local bike trail, a 1 1/2 mile path that winds through a wooded area. There are bridges, a little stream and all kinds of wildlife around. Mike and I took the kids (and our big kid, Champ) there Thursday. The weather was perfect and it was a nice family outing!

We saw three deer only 20 or so yards away (one is hiding behind the tree). It's a real treat for an old city girl like me. The only deer I saw as a kid were smushed on the side of Interstate-75.

Taylor, sans helmet. We forgot it, but there aren't any cars around, so she was safe. Look at all the bling on that bike!

The boys.

And the girls (plus Champ). Yes, I got my hair whacked. I'm digging the short 'do.

I went upstairs to get jammies when we got home. I put Michael in a safe place in the living room. I came back down to find this:

It was all fun and games until he got stuck and bonked his head about five times. He was quite pissed by the time I got him out!

Going to hit the hay now. Young kids don't seem to comprehend sleeping in on the weekends, so I need to catch some zzzzs.

Until next time,
Mommy Kel

Happy Birthday Lauri & 9-month stats

Have you ever had someone in your life that you feel like God hand-picked for you? Well, that's my Lauri. We met 12 years ago in the Evans Scholar house at Ohio State. I loved her right away. We haven't lived in the same zip code (and rarely the same state) since those days at OSU, but we're still as close as ever. I don't know what I'd do without her.

Here's a little shout out to my bestest bud as she turns 30 something (the same 30 something I'll turn in 3 weeks and 3 days). Ho-pe you have a great day, Lauri!

Lauri and her hubby, Scott.


The kids wanted to wish Lauri a Happy Birthday, too.

The group shot didn't quite work out, haha. Three big heads don't fit into one frame very well.

Other news...Michael had his 9-month checkup today. Dr. Dooley said he looks great and is right on track with milestones (whew, got that crawling thing in right under the wire). Michael weights 21 pounds 15 oz. (75% percentile) and is 30" long (95th percentile). His big noggin continues to be just off the charts. Gotta make room for that big brain.
Here's a little video of him crawling. I'm so proud of him!

I'll end with a few token pictures of the kids:

Michael dragging a chair across the kitchen floor. Mike calls him Bam-Bam.

Taylor with her doggy Daisy. Have I mentioned how much she loves dogs?

Until next time,

Mommy Kel

Mobile

That's right, the Pear figured out how to crawl this weekend. He's been getting onto all fours and trying for a couple of weeks now and on Sunday, he got it all figured out. He's still working on getting his arms and legs coordinated but he definitely can crawl to where he needs to go now. I left him in the living room last night so I could make his last bottle and came back to find him under the end table, yanking on the phone cord. The fun starts now! I'll try to get a video or photos tonight.
Yay for Michael! (Excuse my Skeletor hand.)

Until next time,

Mommy Kel

Blown Away

Ohio is land-locked. We're about as far away from the coastlines as you can get. Buckeyes worry about tornados, ice storms and blizzards. Guess we need to add hurricanes to that list.

Hurricane Ike swept through on Sunday. The kids and I had just gotten home from the grocery store when I saw a chunk of our siding blow by the living room window. I yelled for Mike, and before you know it, nearly all of the siding on the side of our house was gone. Neighbors helped us gather the pieces and stick them into the garage. It was kind of exciting and a little bit scary at the same time. These things were just whipping by and you certainly didn't want to get hit by one! The kids watched safely from the window as we worked. All of the siding on that side of the house ending up coming down, as well as a section on the other side. We live in a total wind tunnel that goes from the back of our house to the front. Luckily, the front and back siding came out unscathed.

We also lost half a tree. I put some tree tar on the part that had to be cut off, so hopefully it will survive. We only have two trees in the yard, so I'd hate to see that one go!

Champ, surveying the damage. (He's actually probably looking for food.)

We know we were lucky. There was no serious damage and we were all safe. The entire region of the state lost power and we were fortunate enough to get ours back in 24 hours.

Taylor, enjoying a non-cooked meal by candlelight.

What storm?

Mike nearly had a heart attack when he realized that he would miss the Steelers Sunday night game. True fans are resourceful, though. Our neighbor Al dug out an old 9" TV that can be plugged into a car. It was funny seeing three grown men huddled around a tiny TV in Jason's garage. Eh, the Steelers won so I guess it was worth it.

Cigars and Steelers. Typical Sunday ritual on an atypical day.

We thank God that we made it through relatively unscathed. We'll be hunkering down for the ice and snow storms before you know it.

My office was closed most of the week and Mike and Taylor were out of school. I hate sitting around, so I took the kids to the zoo on Wednesday. We had a great time!

Can we go now?!

Checking out the fish.

Mommy, can I have a turtle? He kept trying to grab the turtle through the glass!

Cutie on a carousel.

Until next time,

Mommy Kel

Are you ready for some football?

In our house, the answer to that question is a resounding YES! My beloved Buckeyes and Mike's Steelers are back at it and we couldn't be happier (well, if Beanie didn't have a gimpy foot heading into USC, then I might be a little happier, but I digress). I know some parents balk at turning their kids into little walking billboards for their teams, but not us, baby! If you are going to live under our roof, you're going to cheer for the right teams.


Saturday's gear.

Sunday's gear.

Taylor has shown some interest this year. She gets the basics of the game and gets excited when Ohio State is ready to score. She'll scrunch her nose up and say, "Ewwww" when asked about Michigan. Good girl. I taught her the Ohio State fight song and she's memorized every word. She thinks Brutus is da' bomb. Hopefully, she'll help me pass it all down to her little bro.




Mike went to the game in Pittsburgh last week, but I followed my good wifely duties and decked the kids out in their Steeler gear in his absense. I was once a loyal Bengals fan, suffering through many, many bad years (worst NFL team of the 90s). But it wasn't until the recent thuggery, trash talking and self-promotion that I officially ditched them. It was Carson Palmer's off-season rant about Ohio State fans and Jim Tressel (seriously, who can diss Jim Tressel???) that forever sealed the deal for me. Rumor has it that I was spotted in a Steelers shirt last Sunday.



So happy to be supporting the Black and Gold.

We've had a few illnesses and teething issues, but overall, we're doing great. Taylor started preschool last week and is loving it. She has a good attention span for her age. She gets the fact that good kids get positive attention, and well, she's all about the attention.


Taylor, looking so proud on her first day of school.


Michael continues to learn things every day. He waves now, tries to clap, points and dances. He's pretty verbal and is still trying to master crawling. I've learned pretty quickly that the kid doesn't do anything halfway. When he's happy, he's charming the world. We're talking big belly laughs, open-mouth smiles and squeals. An older woman scuttled across the parking lot at Kroger yesterday to tell me how adorable he is and, of course, he turned it on. He waved, did the heart-melting shoulder smile and even reached for her. Unfortunately, the Pear puts the same gusto into his temper. Holy cow, that kid is loud! He's a happy kid overall, but if you take something away or don't pick him up quickly enough, LOOK OUT. Michael is seriously the loudest child I've ever been around (and Taylor's not exactly soft spoken). I think the way he pours himself into things will serve him well as a teenager/adult.

Awww, how sweet. Not.

Literally 20 seconds later after Mama picked him up.


There's not much else going on so I'll close with some pictures. Everybody loves them some pictures.

Taylor looking cute next to our wasteland of toys.

Michael with his cousin Abby...

...reading with Grandpa T...

...and watching his cousin Jacob's football game with Grandma T.

Cooling off during the Dog Days of Summer.

Future hoops star?


Or maybe golfer? (If she has ANY golf talent, let it be known that it was not inherited.)

My mom bought this rocking dinosaur when my now 11-year-old nephew was a baby. All six grandkids have loved it and all six have bashed their mouths on the second hump on his head. Michael joined the club shortly after this picture was taken.

Watching Daddy and Taylor play basketball.

Until next time,

Mommy Kel