Uh-Oh Daddy

Some time ago, Rick left some coffee sitting out on the coffee table in the living room. After it had sat for a few hours and cooled, he was shocked when Howie brought him the cup... empty. The beige carpet had a stain that could only be fixed by putting another rug on top of it. Here is Howie examining Daddy's Uh-Oh.

Alaskan Snow

Howie dresses up in Rick's snowsuit from Alaska in the 70's as he catches the first glimpse of snow.

Brrr...

The snow is starting to come down in Cincinnati. We have to bundle up before heading outside. Here are some pictures of Howie enjoying one of the first snow falls. ohhhhh...

Thanksmas 2008

Every other year, my family celebrates "Thanksmas" during the November holidays since we are not together on Christmas. It is a combination of Thanksgiving turkey with Christmas presents and the usual holiday craziness. We gathered at Nonnie and Paw Paw's house (thank you Jenny and Sarah for traveling, thank you Nonnie and Paw Paw for hosting). Here are some photos of our week together.

Jesus, Bible, etc.

Before we headed out to church yesterday, I told Howie, "We are going to church to learn about Jesus and the Bible."  He gave a thoughtful look and repeated "Jesus... Bible... Nonnie."  Congratulations Mom, you rank right up there with our Lord. 

Indoor Turtle

The weather has turned bitter cold on us.  We are enjoying our sandbox in a new way. 

Updates

Here are some updates about our family for the masses...

1. Howie is climbing like a monkey.  The other day Rick was washing the dishes in the kitchen and looked over at the dining table.  Howie was perched on top of the table, proud as ever.  He climbed up the chair, then pulled himself up on the table.  Nothing is safe on the table anymore!

2. I (Becky) have taken a position with the University of Cincinnati as a Student Supervisor.  I will be observing and mentoring undergraduate students who are doing their pre-school placements in the teaching field.  There are two sets of observations, one will be in the middle of the quarter, the other at the end.  I also receive their weekly lessons to review and give feedback.  I'm looking forward to having a job that will allow me to still be a full-time mommy.  My position starts in January. 

3. Jake has moved away to DC.  He is now living with Howie's cousins (Nate and Danny).  Howie was showing more and more difficulty with rashes when Jake was near him.  We made a choice to find a new home for Jake because 1) it wasn't fair for Jake to be alienated from the family and 2) it wasn't fair for Howie to be uncomfortable.  What a hard decision!  It is still weird to not have a dog around the house.  We always loved coming home to the sound of whack, whack, whack (Jake's tail on the wall) and the house still seems rather empty. 

4.  Rick's company is going strong.  He has several guys who are working full-time with WebReliance and we are looking forward to celebrating a successful year with the first company holiday party. 

Trick-or-Treating in the Swing State

McCain came out on Halloween night to greet all the children.

Trick-or-Treat: Halloween 2008

Republican or Democrat?

Just days before the election, Howie cannot decide who to vote for. 

Boston Baby!

Howie and I packed up our clothes and busted out of Cincinnati on a mostly peanut-free flight to Boston, MA. We enjoyed a week with cousins Frankie and Dexter. It was a fun, noisy, energetic, loving, occasionally pushy, giggly, chilly, yummy week at Auntie Jenny's house.

We had difficulty getting any real posed pictures due to our babies being adverse to the camera. But, here are a few of the better ones...

Doing the City:

Make way for Ducklings...

Shish! (tranlated, Fish!)

The only ones laughing at Brueggers were us. After evacuating the place, leaving a women mopping the protein shake off the floor, we will not be returning anytime soon. :)

Frances puts on her best for our Halloween parade.

Howie is confused by the fluffy pink thing. He got his dose of "girl stuff" this week.

This picture cracks me up. How natural!

I'm Bringin' Home a Baby Bumble Bee

While eating a pear last night, Howie was stung by a bee. Amazingly, he did not have an allergic reaction; we are grateful for that! After a little Benadryl and some serious hugs, he felt all better. He's pretty good with massaging his lips with ice now. Today he is back to normal and looking a little less like a Botox accident.

Daddy

Let the Farm Events Roll...

We head over to the Sunflower Festival at Gorman Heritage Farm.  The flowers did not come up this year due to drought, but the rest of the farm was fun with our friends!

Afternoon Activity

Howie has taken the bib game to a new level. 

Hoops and Yoyo

Hoops and Yoyo are two of our new household friends. I was introduced to Hoops and Yoyo by my dear friend Cheryl with the "Spastic Colon Sunday" sketch. They are these hilarious creatures from Hallmark that bring everyone joy and laughter. Here is their website: http://www.hoopsandyoyo.com/ I highly recommend it.
At the gym the other day, one of the other 5 am regulars (yes, contrary to what many of you believe, there are other people who work-out at 5 in the morning besides me!) was wearing a Hoops and Yoyo t-shirt. I commented on the characters and she told me that she knows the people who do their voices. I was like "WHAT?! You KNOW them?!" I realized that the conversation was quickly reaching sacred ground since Hoops and Yoyo are pretty much considered famous in my book and I was talking to someone who actually KNEW them. My 5 am friend shared that she went through a very sad time in life about two years ago and emailed them to show her appreciation for still being able to cheer her up, it was the only thing that could make her laugh. They have kept in touch since and these wonderful people have helped he family through some other rough patches. She is even planning to go out to Kansas and meet them!
Neeedless to say, I left Lifetime feeling like I had brushed up against something famous. Wow, to know Hoops and Yoyo. Now that is something.
Here is Howie enjoying some Hoops and Yoyo after a Cool Whip dessert...

Our New Normal

Just when I think that allergies have not really changed our lives too much, I find myself chuckling at something that I think is "normal".  After awhile, you get used to certain daily situations that are different due to allergies.  Here are a few things that I find normal...

6.  I never leave the house without "safe snacks" (egg-free, peanut-free, banana-free and of course, no peas) just in case we find ourselves in a restaurant that doesn't accomodate allergies. 

5. I write to Papa Johns to complain about how they don't post their ingredients on their website and their employees cannot find a list of ingredients in the store.

4. Howie has a large orange sticker on his nursery badge.  It pretty much screams, "Caution!  I am allergic!" and I love it!

3. Our kitchen cabinets are stocked with Hydrocortisone, Benadryl, and Epi-Pens instead of peanut butter.

2. I would rather wake up at 5 am to work-out than leave my child at the child-watch where they might not notice an allergic reaction happening. 

1. I am equally afraid of Howie eating eggs as I am of him sticking his fingers into an electric socket. 

New Fish!

Howie had a special night at Meijers. We picked up several toys that he can use on the deck. I was tired of him throwing his toys over the side to Jake and the flower beds. So I let him have toys that are bigger then the slats around the outside of our deck (hula hoops, large balls and a dump truck). But then, we also stopped at the fish department to pick up some new friends. Howie LOVES fish and he watched intently as the gentleman plucked our three fish from the tank.

Here is a video of the fish getting acquainted to our home.

Driving a Tractor

Harvest season is in full swing right now in the Midwest. We all push up our sleeves, get our hands dirty and pitch in to make sure the crops are brought to the table. Well, sort of. Howie has been doing his part with the help of John Deere.