Holidays in Bismarck (12-12)

 Gpa and Gma got Cook a new keyboard and Ama a new microphone and amp, so I guess they can be in a band now. Here is a video of Ama giving everyone a concert using her new stuff!

Cook, Grandma, and Chris Sledding (12-12)

One day while we were back in Bismarck for the holidays, we went over to Spencer and Tara's BRAND NEW HOUSE that is SO CUTE!! And we went sledding on the big hill behind their backyard.  It's the perfect sledding hill except that there are weeds at the bottom that you get caught in sometimes if you go really fast...

Rowan Cheering in High Chair - 9 months (12-12)

Rowan Walking with Help - 8 1/2 months (11-12)

Cook Playing with Rowan - 8 months (11-12)

Cook was trying to get a picture with his camera of Rowan chewing like a wild animal on her chewy beads at the same time that I was trying to take a video of it. She got a little distracted by him, as always, but it was still cute. Cook is so great at entertaining and helping with Rowan!

Cook at the House on the Rock (10-12)

We went to the Wisconsin Dells area for a little winter camping adventure in October of 2012. Here is a video of Cook at the House on the Rock:

Cook in Soccer (10-12)

At the start of 6th grade, Cook joined soccer at Sibley Park. His team was called the Gold Eagles, and they had games through most of October. They finished the season with a tournament where they won the championship game in overtime and became the champions in their age bracket (U13). More important than that is that Cook had a great time and made a lot of friends! Congratulations, Cook!!

Rowan Laughing at Cook (9-12)

Cook accidentally tripped over Rowan's baby gym as he was walking by and it gave her the giggles - no matter how many times he did it, it kept being funny! Rowan was 6 months old, Cook 11 years old.

ps - it's no surprise now that I think about it, because Rowan loves EVERYTHING that Cook and Ama do...

Rowan 6 months old (9-12)

At 6 months, Rowan is really good at sitting up, not so good at sleeping in her crib. We started having fun time in the crib during the day when she's in a good mood to try to make her like it more...

Ama's Kookaburra Song (9-12)

Six-year-old Ama singing a song she learned at school.

Rowan Growling at Grass (and Sitting Up!) (8-12)

I just wanted to get a video of Rowan sitting up on her own, which she started doing at 5 months, but I decided to sit her in the front lawn for the video and she was so interested in the grass! It might be the first time she's gotten to play with grass, and she talked to and growled at it the whole time.

Rowan sitting at 5 1/2 months:

Rowan Drinking Water - 5 1/2 months (8-12)

Rowan just decided that she loves drinking water out of a glass. It's extra funny because she doesn't actually seem to get anything when she drinks...it all just tumbles down her face. It's especially fun to watch what's happening inside the glass - I think I got it. She is 5 1/2 months old in this video:

1st Day of School 2012 (8-12)

Here are the kids on the way to the bus stop on the first day of the 2012-2013 school year at Seward Montessori! Ama is 6 years old and going into 1st grade (or E1 in Montessori terms), and Cook is 11 and starting middle school - grade 6. I hope they both have a great year!

Cook at Gooseberry Falls (8-12)

Here is a video of Cook playing in the water at Gooseberry Falls on our north shore Lake Superior trip. This part was at the lower falls, so we didn't have to worry about anybody heading over a waterfall...

North Shore Camping Trip (8-12)

Duluth! We explored downtown waterfront Duluth and ate lunch at a cool restaurant - a rainstorm hit while we were waiting for our food so we had to go inside. Ama ordered her first ever corn dog and LOVED IT! Cook got chicken wings and they weren't very good.

We camped at a KOA outside of Duluth and got rained on some more, but it wasn't too bad. Chris and the kids swam in the pool and sat in the hot tub. There was also a playground and a game room. We missed the hayride because they were still swimming - they swam until it got dark!

We also camped at Gooseberry Falls State Park, and explored the falls the next day. I think we could have spent all day there, but we just spent a couple of hours. There are three layers of falls, but we only went to the middle and lower falls. The kids had fun sliding and climbing and swimming. It is a beautiful place, and the weather was absolutely perfect!

We got to try out the new baby-tote backpack that Chris's dad sent to us just a day or two before we left for the trip - Rowan loved it and it was a great place for her to nap while we were busy putting up the tent or hanging out by the lake. Thank you Curt!!

We also went to Split Rock lighthouse and spent an afternoon exploring. We mainly went because Cook needed it for his blog, but it ended up being another spot to enjoy the rocky Superior coast and the views were just amazing from up there.

This is the spiral staircase inside of the lighthouse - we all went up to the top. It took Cook a couple of tries because he is a little scared of heights, but he did it!!

We took the giant air bed and Chris and Rowan and I slept on it. It wasn't the warmest, but it sure was more comfortable than the ground, and it was nice to have a place for Rowan to stretch out!

Here is Ama with JuJu, the baby owl that she got at the lighthouse gift store. Cook got a bat that he named Split Rock. We ate burgers and smores and hot dogs and tiny boxes of cereal - all the things you need to eat when you're camping! We had a fire and looked at the beautiful starry night at Gooseberry campground, but everyone was too tired to stay up for very long.

Here are Cook and Ama all settled into their sleeping bags with their DS's - what a fun, cuddly sight!

Here is a video of Rowan getting dressed on a picnic table at the campground at Gooseberry:

Rowan's Giant Smooch - 4 Months (7-12)

Holy cow! Look at that amazing juicy awesome smooch!! Why am I so lucky to get a smooch like that?! Yummy! And then look at this face after the kissing was over - she's a crazy baby:

Cook Surfing at Waterpark of America (7-12)

Chris's brother Mike came to visit and took us all swimming at the Waterpark of America. It was the first time any of us had ever been there and it was awesome! Cook's favorite part was the surfing simulator. There was a long line for it so he only got to try it once, but when he got done he asked if we could come back EVERY DAY because he wanted to do that EVERY DAY!!! Thank you Mike!

Summertime! (7-12)

Chris made Ama into a beautiful mermaid on the beach at Lake Nokomis. I think she got the idea from Malaya.

Rowan and I on a date with Chris - we ate at Amazing Thailand and it was SO GOOD!

Chris did a "Rowan and a pumpkin" photo shoot on the porch.

Cook with two different harvest bowls. We had such a wonderful garden this year we are already planning on expanding it for next year! We grew rainbow carrots, cucumbers, radishes, cherry tomatoes, pumpkins, peas, green beans, and the most beautiful red peppers ever!

Family Bike Ride (7-12)

Well, after Chris's dad got the baby trailer for us, we were technically able to go on a family bike ride. It goes like this: I pull Ama's double bike behind me, Chris pulls Rowan's trailer behind him, and Cook rides his own bike. Pretty fun, but the car is WAY easier...

Favorites (7-12)

Ama (6), Rowan (3 months), Cook (11)

Favorite Foods

Cook: Watermelon
Ama: Cake
Rowan: Boob

Favorite Cars

Cook: Mitsubishi Eclipse
Ama: Ice Cream Truck
Rowan: Boob

Favorite Colors

Cook: Purple
Ama: All the light blues, Purple, and Pink (she likes to call them the "heaven colors")
Rowan: Boob

Ama Gets Her Ears Pierced (7-12)

Ama decided it was time to get her ears pierced, so we went to the mall of America and did it! She got purple titanium studs. She was super brave, but she did cry a little - I think the pain surprised her. She recovered her good mood in no time and was very proud of herself. What a brave little six-year-old!!

Cook thought about getting his ears pierced, too, but he decided that he wasn't quite ready. We'll go back when he is more sure. I think seeing Ama cry kind of freaked him out.

Rowan Laughing & Jabbering - 3 1/2 months (7-12)

Rowan 3 Months (6-12)

Minnesota Zoo (6-12)

We went to the Minnesota Zoo one hot, hot day in June. It was really hot. We spent more time at the indoor exhibits than the outdoor ones on account of the fact that it was really, really hot.

The best part of the zoo was the super cool playground they had. There was a fountain that the kids ran through to cool off, and a whole bunch of neat play stuff like a giant nest and spiderweb and wasp nest, a cave, and a lighthouse and tree house connected by rope bridges. WAY cooler than a bunch of sleepy animals!

Say Hello to my Little Friend (5-12)

This picture and the title of this post were Cook's idea.

That's a big dart gun for such a little monkey.

Ama's 6th Birthday! (5-12)

 On Ama's real birthday (which was on a Wednesday this year) we had a family party with presents and a mini cake, and she brought mini cupcakes to school. Then she had a party on the weekend and invited six friends from school to our house. They cracked open that cupcake pinata and played with water balloons in the yard, and they also did a craft project where each kid make either a bracelet or necklace out of wooden beads.

Ama picked out this monkey for her birthday balloon. She had princesses on her paper plates, and Dora on her napkins, and Hello Kitty treat bags. She said she wanted her party's theme to be all of her favorite things instead of just one thing. It was a great birthday! Love you so much, darlin!

Here is a video of the Party Rock dance party that spontaneously happened during her birthday party:

Rowan loves the bathtime!! (5-12)

Rowan is such a water baby and she loves taking baths! She is six weeks old in these pictures, and is already almost too big for that little baby tub. The moment she discovers how to splash, we'll have to find a better spot for bathing than on the dining room table, but for now she just sits there quietly and relaxes while we wash her.