Our Budding Photographer

Recently, we dug out an old digital camera and let Lincoln take a turn behind the lens. This was Linda and my first digital camera - a gift from my parents from back in 1999 - and we have taken thousands of pictures with it. That being said, when we gave it to Lincoln it took him all of 30 minutes to burn out the flash (which I didn't even realize was possible). He took photo after photo in rapid-fire fashion until the flash stopped working. His photos are now a little blurry and a bit more artistic, but he still loves it. Some of his latest works are on display below. (The first one is my shot of Lincoln in action.)

Time to go outside...Finally!

Last weekend, Linda hosted a baby shower for Joni (who is due in just a few weeks). While Linda, Mary, and others had brunch at Grand Street Cafe, me and boys hung out at home with Everett.

I was thrilled that it was warm enough to get outside and burn off some steam. I probably wouldn't have survived inside alone with three crazy kids.

We spent our outside time riding bikes, shoveling snow, and playing lawn mower crash-up. A good time was had by all.

Mr. Average

Guy had his 1-year appointment yesterday and I'm happy to report that he is pretty much average. He weighs 20 pounds (he stood on the regular scale!) and is in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height.

Guy had lots of fun at the doctor's office. First he got to play with the toys in the "kids" part of the waiting room, and then he got to play with the tongue depressor the doctor gave him.

Afterwards, he came home and participated in his new favorite hobby - "climbing on chair".

Snow Days

Kansas City has been a snowy place this year. When we're lucky enough to have the temperature climb into double-digits, we've tried to get outside to burn off some steam and enjoy some time in the snow.

Guy loves the outside but can only last a few minutes before he's freezing. In the mornings he is excited to put on his coat only to be disappointed when he gets put in the car and shuttled off to daycare. Although, as we've said before, he's really liking his new daycare room and the bigger kids to play with.

This week Lincoln got to build his first snowman after the weather finally cooperated. We used what we could find on short notice and put together a somewhat sad looking snowman with an old towel for a scarf, one acorn for an eye, and two small sticks for arms (it's tough finding supplies when there is a foot of snow everywhere). Now every morning and night, Lincoln is excited to go see if his snowman has melted.

The Toddler Room

We hope everyone is having a good start to the new year. Scott and I spent New Year's Eve in Chicago attending my cousin's wedding (and doing some shopping in the freezing Chicago winter), while the boys spent some quality time with Grandma and Grandpa King.

When we returned to the "real world" Guy had his first day in the toddler room at daycare. We had been preparing for the transition for awhile - getting him used to eating finger foods and easing him out of his morning nap. Guy has been having a bit of separating anxiety lately, so we still expected a bit of crying the first day Scott dropped him off. We needn't have worried, though, as Guy loves his new room. He didn't shed a single tear during the first dropoff, and he was happily playing with the kitchen set when I picked him up that day. I guess he's more independent than we thought!

In honor of my "baby" graduating to toddlerhood, here's a few photos of the boys at Grandma and Grandpa King's