New Haircut

Here is Howie at 6:31 pm:
Daddy gets the clippers out. Howie gets his first "Daddy Cut". There is lots of giggling, the clippers must feel funny against his head. After about 3 minutes, Howie announces, "Done!" and starts to squirm in the seat. We have to turn on the TV to watch "Huh's" (sheep) to keep him from bouncing out of his chair.

This is Howie at 6:48 pm:

Nice Job Daddy!
Howie- This is just the beginning of the rest of your life...

www.SweetPeaStyle.com

I started making belts for Howie out of necessity. As soon as he started to walk, his pants were falling down all the time... it was driving me nuts. I could not find a belt for young toddlers, so I made one! As a result, I started making other items and really enjoyed it. My IT husband has launched a little online boutique where I can feature my stuff. (Thanks Honey) For now, it is a great hobby that I truly love.

If you are interested... www.sweetpeastyle.com

Messy Afternoon

Howie and Mommy enjoyed an art day together on a cold, cold January afternoon. Note the shirt- it has been designated as the "art smock".

New Beginnings in 2009

The year of 2009 has started with a band for me (Becky).  It seems that life sort of sped up with the change of the calendar. 

I just launched a little online children's boutique which is getting a lot of traffic.  It's called Sweet Pea Style and the website is: www.sweetpeastyle.com I love making baby clothes and special gifts.  It's been a fun resource for me to unwind.  I feel that sewing is rather therapeutic. 

My job with UC started on January 5 with an orientation for all practicum students.  I will be supervising 8 students throughout the quarter as they do their preschool classroom experience (sort of like student teaching).  I observe them twice throughout the quarter, but it mostly consists of communicating via email as they turn in their assignments to me for feedback.  So far, I am loving it!

I also am completing training for www.academicbenchmarks.com  It's a company that aligns educational materials with state learning standards.  I work from home to manipulate a search engine to find matches for clients.  This too seems like a good fit so far. 

But my most important job continues to be Howie.  We just enrolled in a gymnastics class that meets Wednesday mornings.  We also just purchased a pass to the Children's Museum.  Our play dates continue to be very important and we spend lots of time throwing balls, reading books, and zooming cars.  And of course, we make the occasional time for Shaun the Sheep- have you seen Shaun the Sheep?!  www.shaunthesheep.com  Check him out!

Crib Running

We bought a new video monitor a few months ago which has proven to be both insightful and amusing. Here is a video of what Howie likes to do after he has been put to bed. My son, who is forever burning as many calories as possible, enjoys running around his crib in a game that looks similar to racing. We are watching you Howie!

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.