Birthdays and Big Gorillas

Happy Memorial Day! And a hearty thank you to our past and present servicemen and women. We enjoyed a wonderful combo of productivity (Michael took two finals for school and painted Katelyn's bedroom), birthday celebrations, and some blissfully fun family time. Don't you love those weekends where the to-do list and the have-fun list both get the attention they deserve?

Birthdays. This ol' fella turned 6 on Saturday. He's still wondering when his party is going to start and when he'll get to eat cake. He did get a big bone and a nice serenade from his sister to celebrate the day. Happy birthday, Malone!

On Sunday, we celebrated another birthday. Our sweet little buddy, Erik, turned 3 that day and his family came over for dinner and cake (a delicious dirt and worm cake to be exact!)

And we all got to don our party hats for the occasion...

Big brother Dane and Katelyn had to give some special hugs to the birthday boy!

It was so fun to celebrate Erik's birthday and spend time with great friends!

While it was tempting to sleep in - oh wait, that doesn't happen any more take it easy and relax on Memorial Day, we opted for a day of activities as a family instead. We visited the Como Zoo in St. Paul for the morning and it was a lot of fun!

Katelyn especially liked the giraffes ("they have looong necks!") and the big gorilla.

If you look close, you can see the tiger we admired from above...

So much to see! Katelyn spotted a cougar during our photo op ("dere's a big cat right dere!";)

The tortoise was also a favorite - it was huge... and s-l-o-w. 

We went to the gorilla exhibit and within seconds, one of the gorillas walked right over to us in front of the glass to say hello (or maybe, "what's yo name?") Katelyn wasn't scared and the rest of the day she talked about how the "gorilla looked at Kate."

After the zoo, we visited the attached children's theme park, Como Town, for a couple rides before heading home for lunch.

"Cheeeeeese!!!"

With as much as Kate likes to do things on her own ("I can do it by myself"), we thought she'd like to drive a car by herself as well. She chose the "lellow" one and it was definitely a highlight!

There's nothing like a Memorial Day joy ride! Weeee!

The fun continued after nap time as we headed out to Medicine Lake for an afternoon dip! It cooled off quite a bit as the day wore on, so our visit was brief but both Katelyn and Michael enjoyed the water.

If the unofficial kickoff weekend to summer is any indication, I'd say we have plenty of fun in store in the coming months! Thanks for reading and enjoy the short week ahead!

Top 5 Weekend Highlights

1) Grill out with our friends, Katie and Luke. Katelyn was talking about these two all afternoon and had fun playing with them before bedtime. Then the adults enjoyed some drinks and games ;)

2) Saying "cheers!" with morning coffee and milk on the front porch while on the lookout for deer and other neighborhood wildlife. Perfect start to the weekend!

3) Reading the Sunday paper (and The Cat in the Hat) after church. When Katelyn spots something in an ad that catches her attention, she usually says, "Whoa, cool! Whaddisdat, Daddy?"

4) A Monday morning play date with our friends Abby, Marcy, and baby Josh. The girls even matched in their pretty purple outfits. Click here for a couple pictures of these same sweet girls over two years ago (say it ain't so!!)

5) One word: growing!

 

This is at almost 29 weeks - 3rd trimester already!?! Yoga pants and Michael's gym shorts elastic waist skirts are staples as I'm up 20 pounds now. The baby weighs 2.5 pounds and is 15 inches long these days. 

Among the long list of differences between this pregnancy and Katelyn's is the intense back pain I've had since about 20-ish weeks - not fun at all. As a result, I've started seeing a women's health chiropractor. Many people attest to the value of chiropractic care in pregnancy by preparing the body for delivery, so it should be beneficial for that as well. Other than that, I'm feeling fine - I forgot how fun it is to have a constant, wiggly - and in this case very wiggly! - sidekick along with me everyday :) We're getting so excited to meet this precious baby. He/She will be here before we know it!

Pittsburgh Trip 2012

Whew, it's been a whirlwind week! Michael was in Chicago for work Tuesday through Thursday of last week and then Friday we embarked on our second-ever flight with Katelyn to visit Michael's family in Pittsburgh until Monday. Fun, fun, fun, but definitely an on-the-go week and weekend!

It's been about 21 months since our last visit to Pittsburgh and it was fun to see how much Katelyn has grown up! (Meanwhile, the rest of us have not aged a day ;)

This time around, Katelyn was well aware that we would be flying on an "air-pane" (and talked about it for days prior). In music class, the theme has focused on all kinds of transportation modes, so the timing of a real-life airplane ride couldn't have been better. On the way there, the novelty of the experience kept her entertained the whole time (as well as her new backpack stocked with activities), but the way home wasn't quite as exciting (it never is!). The on-board apple juice, however, was a real treat both there and back!

Friday afternoon, Michael's cousin Marissa and Katelyn had fun getting (re)acquainted.

We enjoyed lots of quality time catching up with family. Here's Michael chatting with Aunt Marlene (our hostess with the mostest!) and Grandpap Howard.

Uncle Jason, Aunt Cassie, and cousin Emerson made the trip too! 

A few days before we left for Pittsburgh, I told Katelyn all the people we would get to see once we arrived - including Great Grandpa Howard. She put her own spin on his name and proceeded to refer to him as "Big Papa Howard" the whole time. Ahhh-dor-able.

The little girls first thing in the morning: Marissa, Kate, and Emerson.

Big Papa Howard with his great granddaughters...

A Mlakar reunion calls for a picture of Grandpa Howard with all of his grandkids (except for Jen whom we missed!) and two great grandkids.

And a goofy one...

Katelyn had fun playing with cousin Alan too - who came all the way from California. She has a way of roping people into tossing her into the air over and over again - an arm workout that Alan probably wasn't expecting! Of course that activity called for a relaxing rest in the grass...

Katelyn played with cousin Josie as well!

Michael with his Uncle Eddie and Uncle Dan (our gracious host for the weekend)

We enjoyed some time outside around the fireplace during the evenings.

Sunday morning we went to church and the kids enjoyed the fountain and flowers at the front of the church. This is also where we attended Joshua's baptism 4 1/2 (!) years ago.

The kids dressed up in costumes for a dance party after church. And since it was Mother's Day, Katelyn's costume choice was made in honor of mommies everywhere - especially Gramma Kathy and Gramma Debbie ;) Superwomen for sure!

The superhero dance-off was a lot of fun and the costumes are just a riot, don't you think?! We're not sure if the kids or the adults had more laughs!

Later that afternoon, Michael, Uncle Ed, Katelyn, and Marissa took a walk in the rain for some fresh air. It was quite an adventure as Marissa led them through the neighborhood - they may or may not have gotten lost ;)

Three generations of Mlakars!

On our last night, there were fierce Wii bowling, baseball, golf, and tennis competitions going on between  the guys. But they chummed up in the end for a photo - here we have Neil, Alan, Dan, Marlene, and Michael.

As we were preparing to go to the airport on Monday morning, Katelyn had a special escort down the stairs. How sweet!

We had a great weekend visiting and catching up with our PA family (as well as family members who traveled from California, Tennessee, and Illinois). Katelyn had so much fun playing with Marissa, Josh, and Emerson and continues to inquire, 

"Where'd Marissa go? Where'd Josh go?"

"They are at their house in Pittsburgh."

"And Big Papa Howard and Emerson too-ah?"

"Yes, Big Papa Howard is in Pittsburgh, but Emerson is at her house in Illinois."

"With Uncle Jason and Aunt Cassie?"

"Yes, they are there with Em too."

"Oh, oh-kay." 

Big, huge thanks to the Millirons for taking us on as house guests for the weekend - we look forward to returning the favor someday soon!

Burley Bike Ride and Fiesta Fun

Is it just me or are the weeks a'flyin' by now that the days are getting longer and warmer? We sure are enjoying it though! 

Last week we bought a used Burley from a colleague of mine. Michael has wanted one for awhile now and this was a perfect opportunity. Good timing too because Friday wasn't just Kate and Mommy day... Michael took the day off work and we had a great day shopping, going out for lunch, and giving the Burley a whirl-ey!

Safety first! It's up for debate which part of the experience Katelyn enjoyed more: the ride or the "hat" (she kept tapping her helmet saying, "knock knock!")

Daddy and Kate with matching hats!

Don't you just want to eat these chubby cheeks?!

She liked the windows too. "I see you, Mommy!"

The two bikers were gone for well over an hour, so I figured they just couldn't get enough of it. Turns out Katelyn wanted out after awhile, so they walked... for a mile (!) I wish I was there to get a picture of Michael pushing the bike with one hand, holding Katelyn's with the other - a precious daddy moment indeed!

We enjoyed more outdoor time after the bike ride. Swinging never gets old for this girl!

She also has learned how to climb the rock wall all by herself and whenever she reaches the platform she announces, "I made it, Daddy, I made it!"

Saturday was Cinco de Mayo, which called for a couple obvious things...

1) a dance party (complete with fiesta dress and shades)

2) a double date for dinner at a Mexican restaurant, naturally

(this also marked Katelyn's 2nd official "babysitter night" - by a non-family member anyway. Our neighbor girl, who happens to be my colleague's daughter, watched her and she even handled the dinner and bedtime routine both without a hitch. Katelyn loved having her older buddy over and we loved a festive night out with friends, Matt and Shelly!)

3) and lastly, moustaches. Yes, definitely moustaches. 

Hope the first weekend in May brought you some fun and laughs too!

Conference Recap and Conversations with Kate

"Say cheese!" Katelyn had her school picture taken a few weeks ago and we got the proofs back recently. Yes, proofs. There were 5 pictures to choose from with two different backgrounds and props - my, how things changed from the Olan Mills days of my childhood! Here's (a picture of) the picture that we decided to order.

We also had Katelyn's school conference last week with her teacher, Ms. Kelly. It was a great opportunity to ask some questions and hear more detailed accounts of Kate's school days and development. Here are some of the items noted on her summary that we enjoyed hearing about...

- Social development: Kate is a social butterfly and one of the leaders in the classroom.

- Physical development: Kate is very physically active and one of favorite activities is dancing!

- Language development: Kate is excellent at communicating her wants and needs. She has small conversations with teachers and friends. She is also able to count to ten in both English and Spanish. (We did not know about the Spanish speaking skills! I know our friends, The Sandates, will be especially proud of this :)

- Literacy: Kate enjoys sitting for stories and can read along with most books read at group story time.

- Art: Kate loves art time and her favorite projects involve painting and glitter!

We are so proud of our growing girl - she continues to amaze us with the things she says and does. In the last 6 weeks or so her language development has simply exploded - we are fielding all kinds of questions and engaging in more detailed conversations these days. It's so much fun!

Katelyn is loving her Sesame Street finger puppets (thanks to Great Grandma Verla and Aunt Ronda). She wanted to line them all up on her bench to admire each one - don't you just love all those colors?!

I kept saying, "Katelyn, say cheese and look at mommy!" (I should know better because those words usually prompt her to look the other way!) Meanwhile, she was really feeling like Bert needed a talking-to. She picked him out of the bunch and said rather insistently, "Bert! Say cheese. Say cheese and smile, Bert!" Ha!

Sesame Street friends got a little harmonica concert too :)

Here are a few funny things Katelyn has said recently:

- We had new blinds installed this week by a guy from Lowe's (Wayne). The whole time he was here, she kept asking, "What's Wayne doing?" He was still at work when she went to bed that night and what do you think the first words out of her mouth were the following morning? "Where'd Wayne go? Is Wayne downstairs?" How does she remember this stuff?!

- I was getting ready to vacuum and Katelyn wanted to sit on the stairs with Dora to watch. I was about to turn on the vacuum and heard her say to Dora, "Mommy vacuuming, Dora. Kinda loud, Dora, kinda loud." A fair warning indeed!

- We ran out of pickles last week (a slight tragedy for us girls :) and I mentioned to Katelyn that we'll have to get more the next time we go to Target. We ended up at Target for a few things earlier this week and Katelyn said, "We need to get pickles and cheese at Taw-get, Mommy."

As always, thanks for reading and enjoy the day (and weekend ahead)!