John running like a foodie

A couple of weekends past, John ran the "4 mile foodie." A neighborhood race around a park and along the Mississippi river with entry fees supporting one of the local farmer's markets.

We biked over from our neighborhood and had a blast watching John (dada)
run while Jack and I played in the grass and even met a puppy!  Then we headed over to the little farmer's market and met up with some good friends. All in all, a very fun day. 

Staple guns are very fun! and very handy.

I finally recovered a chair that the cats destroyed with some real purty fabric and  my handy dandy staple gun. Check it! I also felt really powerful while using the staple gun. Like I could create anything with just some material and a staple gun. 

Hmmmm.... 

we shall have to see about that. 

Garden

Here you can see John's very inventive raised-bed garden enclosed in chicken-wire to keep out the critters, both wild and domestic (particularly our own critters). The chicken-wire raises up in three separate panels to allow access to the beds. In the fall and spring, we can cover this structure with plastic to creat a "hoop-house."  A hoop-house is kind of like a greenhouse and the plastic will trap heat in the colder months and keep the garden beds (and of course the plants in them) warmer. 

What's in those beds you may wonder? Well, most of the usual suspects: tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, kale, brussels sprouts, basil, lettuce, leeks, green onions, oregano, and thyme. Hopefully we will have a bountiful harvest come late August,

so stop on by!

Finger painting and a little dirt eating.

Well, last week the little dude and I decided to try our hand at some finger painting. It was very fun and very messy! Though eating dirt seemed much more fun and interesting most of the time for one of us. I see many more colorful handprints on clothing (and paper) in our future.

Everything and the kitchen sink.

Well I've seen play kitchens all over the place since becoming (and much before) a parent and decided Jack needs one of his very own. Rather than purchase one, I grabbed the box my sewing machine came in, covered it in some walnut-woodgrain contact paper (purchased at a yard sale last summer for $1.00) and even made a back-splash out of some paint samples I got from Home Depot (maybe 7 years ago?). I grabbed some Tupperware (yes the real deal most likely filled with bpa), some old kitchen sink piping and two yogurt containers -- and boom. Homemade kitchen play sink with kind of a mid-century look. Next up, fridge and stove!

Dancin' fool.

The little one is becoming a dancing fool! He mostly bops his head (kind of on beat) to the tunes on the radio and sometimes even throws in a hand flare or two. I do hope he inherits more of his mama's dancing skills than his dad's, but it's truly just a joy to see him enjoy music!

BOOM!

Boom! This is Jack's new favorite game and word. The game involves throwing oneself on a soft surface (a bed or a couch)... over and over again. Possibly forever if we let him. Every time we head upstairs he says "boom, boom!" and heads for the daybed we have in the guest bedroom. Or if he takes a tumble while walking, he says "boom!" Or if he drops something, he says "boom!" So we're thinking this is also his word for anything or anyone that falls. But who really knows the intricate mind of a toddler...

Swinging and walking and generally on fire.

This guy has been on fire the last few weeks! He's walking fairly well now. Singing and saying his proper bye and hi. Chasing cats. Exhibiting a healthy amount of disobedience. And very awake! As in, not sleeping. We're tired over here but thrilled with our guys budding and increasingly explosive personality.

Hi! Bye Bye!

There's been a lot of "hi's"and "bye bye's" being practiced by the littlest Bolnicaria in the past couple of weeks. Hi to the cats, the dog (also being practiced is jade dog), random toys, and us! Bye bye to the above mentioned, as well as to the entryway of our house :). This morning as little J finally fell back to sleep after squirming around in our bed for over an hour, the cat meowed and dread filled my heart as a little head popped up and said, hi? As I cracked a sleep hazed smile, I decided that our cats are pretty lucky they have such a fan in little J. Otherwise...

Swim!

Today was our second swim class at our local YWCA. The parents and kids get together in a circle in the pool with an instructor and we go through a series of songs and practice kicking, paddling and "dunking." It is pretty dang fun! We definitely have a little swimmer on our hands. He also may enjoy drinking the pool water a little too much; we may have a chlorine-aholic on our hands someday as well.

Walking! Kinda.

Our guy started to take a few steps last week and has been working really hard at it all weekend. He's up to 7 steps in a row!

A one-year old Bolnicaria!

John Lee turns 1! We had a lovely small gathering with a few friends on Sunday, February 17th and proceeded to watch this "big boy" eat his first sugary treat (carrot cupcake with cream cheese frosting).  He approached it with caution and took a few bites here and there and then...Bam...the smashing began.  Followed by a thankfully brief and hilariously spastic sugar rush.  The adults also ate cupcakes and washed it down with some delicious champagne.   Cheers!