Comatose

This calm, quiet, relaxed toddler is brought to you courtesy of The Wiggles (I promise he doesn't want much TV...30 minutes a day maximum).

Random Cell Phone Pictures

Mike finally decided that he is ok with flip flops, and now wants to wear them ALL.THE.TIME.

Tasty popsicles (photo courtesy of my mom)

This is what happened when I asked him to "smile big"

Ready to fight off the neighborhood ruffians (photo courtesy of my mom)

A better version of "smile big"

Monday Picture: Jump

I know this picture is blurry, but it was too good of a jump picture not to post. 

Sprinklers

It has been hot in St. Louis lately.  To be fair I think it has been hot almost everywhere, with the heat index between 105-115 most days this week it feels plain miserable.  Getting into your car at the end of the day is akin to climbing into an oven.  Breathing is hard and being outside is miserable.  However, when you have a toddler that constantly asks to either "wa-CH" (watch TV) or go "ow-side" (outside) there is only so much Thomas any adult can stand before you give in to oppressive heat.  Last night after an evening walk we turned on the sprinkler and let Mike play.  Mike didn't exactly know what to make of it so Brad stepped in to show him how it was done.  After some good natured teasing, I was encouraged to join the party as well.  

U2

As you may have guessed from the  Monday picture this week, Brad and I went to see U2 at Busch Stadium.  I am not a die hard fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I figured (correctly) that they would put on an amazing show and I feel like they are one of those bands you just have to see.  Brad reluctantly came with me and we had a fantastic time.  I bought the least expensive tickets available and they turned out to be amazing seats.  We were six rows back and had a very good view of the stage and the band.

Top of the "Claw" (nickname for the stage) while Interpol was playing

The circular screen descended down to the stage in a honecomb like fashion and they proceeded to display a really cool light show on it

Oh hello Bono!  How are you doing tonight?

    

Things to remember: Elmo

While my mom was here last week she bought Mike some new bibs.  One had Elmo on it.  Mike has seen Sesame Street once but somehow he knows exactly who Elmo is and even happily shouts "Elmo" whenever he sees him.  Brad and I are both a little confused about how he knows Elmo so well.

Anyway, on to the purpose of this story - so the bib.  We put it on him for dinner tonight and he happily exclaimed "Elmo, Elmo" as soon as he saw it.  He then proceeded to pat Elmo's little face and give Elmo kisses.  

Thanks Mom!

Thanks for all your help last week mom!  We really appreciate everything you did for us.  Mike has been asking for "Nanny" all evening.  I'm pretty sure he misses you lots and lots too.

Monday Picture

Guess who went to U2 last night!

Grandma's here!

I've been working a ton this week and my mom is in town to visit and help with Mike.  Since I have been a big blog slacker this week I have recruited her to keep you entertained.  Enjoy!

Hey Blog Fans! Mike here.

I asked grandma to show you some of the fun things we've been doing this week. Mama and Daddy have been working hard and I haven't had to go to daycare even once!

Saturday Daddy came to swim lessons with me and we splashed a lot.  Grandma took pictures.

You already saw my Monday picture.

This is the watermelon and I tried to eat all of it!

On Sunday we all went to Grant's Farm and I got to ride the carousel with Mama.  I saw some GIANT tortoises and some big, red parrots.

Then we went to the elephant show and saw Bud do a lot of tricks. 

 He was REALLY big!

Did you notice my cool outfit? Grandma and Grandpa sent it to me.  It's Carhart, just like Grandpa wears! (Did I mention that Grandma likes to take LOTS of pictures of me?  She really does.)

On days when the heat index isn't in the 100's, we go for walks, sometimes in the mornings and sometimes in the evenings.  This is me stopping to smell the roses.  It's nice of my neighbors to grow them right on the edge of the sidewalk!

Mommy and Daddy are having an anniversary soon and Grandpa sent them a nice gift.  I got the best deal, though - a whole box of "Poppy Peanuts!" I threw them and stomped on them and sat in the box with them.  Thanks Grandpa!!!

Summer in Missouri is SO hot. Grandma fills up my water table and I get to play on the back porch.  When she's not looking I splash her toes - and the rest of her, too.  She giggles and so do I!  (Can you see her toes?)

This is me trying to sneak up on her, but she caught me.

(Did I tell you she likes to take my picture?)

Yesterday I had a play date with my friends Luke and Lillian. We went to a big park with a playground, a big lake and a lot of farm animals. I got to swing and climb and see horses and hear a turkey gobble. It was REALLY fun!

Here is a picture of us "Down on the Farm."

(I'm the tractor guy on the right - remember how much I like to drive tractors?)

All of the other stuff this week was fun, but today...

Grandma took me to the Magic House!

Oh, Boy!  This is the reason to come to St. Louis, if you ask me.  This place is wall-to-wall FUN for kids.  I just love it all! These pictures show a few of my favorites. We didn't have room to put them all or this post would go on until next Christmas.  (Really, you should go there...take me...really. Grandma will take your picture, too.)

This is the ABC wall.  You slide up the little doors and there are real things inside, like the frog under door F. 

This is one of the GIANT musical instruments.  I never saw a guitar like this before.  Grandma showed me how to turn the pick handle.

After a busy day I like to relax with a hobby. 

Today's choice? Painting abstract art.  I like to get into my work. (I painted on paper and the driveway and on Mama, too.)

That's it for today, Fans.  I have some more plans for this week and I'll fill you in later.  I hope you are all having a great summer, too!  Bye!

Busy

I've been working a lot this week.  Blogging is low on my priority list when I finally do get home.  Please forgive my absence this week.  To tide you over I'll share a picture of Mike in his "new" car (as in 1999 former Wyoming highway patrol car new...yeah, don't ask).

Monday Picture

Cardinals

Free front row seats to the Cardinals?  Don't mind if I do!

Weekend Recap (finally)

Mike here!  Since my mom was taking so long to post a recap of our fun weekend, I decided I needed to take matters into my own hands.  So our holiday weekend was great!  Both mom and dad got off work early on Friday so we had extra time to play!  On Saturday morning dad must have been mad because he started tearing stuff down.  Specifically our fence.  I'm not really sure why, but I do know that he needed my help to get the job done, so I showed him how good I was with a shovel.  After working so hard, mom cleaned me up and took me to swimming lessons, it was so much fun.  I am getting REALLY good at kicking.

Showing dad how to use a shovel

 After swimming lessons (and my nap) mom and dad packed up the car and we drove downtown.  There were people everywhere, it was crazy.  I met up with my friend Will (and his mom and dad too) and we went to the Arch to watch a bunch of airplanes.  It was really cool.  Will and I made sure to point out all of the airplanes to our moms and dads.  We didn't want them to miss any.

Airplanes!

Here mom and I are at the airshow.  I even wore my airplane shirt!

 Unfortunately, after the airshow Will's mom wasn't feeling very good. I think it was too hot.  So they went home and we went to dinner.  We went to a Mexican restaurant that forgot to put mom and dad's orders into the computer so we sat for 45 minutes waiting for their food (luckily no one forgot about me, so I happily ate my dinner).  After dinner we picked up Tracy and Adham and headed back downtown for something called a concert.  Apparently it is where a bunch of people hang out and listen to music.  I guess some guy named Steve Miller was playing.  It was so cool. I made so many friends and danced the night away.  Dad even bought me frozen lemonade and popcorn and Tracy brought an ice cream pie!!!

Me and mom at the concert, I really liked dancing to the music

The lemonade was really cold and a little bit sour

When it got dark some guy was walking around selling these glowing things.  Mom thought I would really like one for some reason.  I didn't.  I thought it was weird and would only wear it after mom, dad and Tracy wore it first.  

After the music was over the sky started lighting up in really pretty colors.  Dad told me it was fireworks.  I laid on mom's chest to watch them everyone else thought they were really cool, but I think they were kind of boring because I fell asleep half way through.

On Sunday morning dad needed more help on the fence so both mom and I got to work.  We mixed up lots and lots of cement to put big posts in.  I helped a lot by throwing rocks into the holes and spraying water on everyone (it was hot I was helping keep everyone cool).  Tracy came over around noon to play with me while mom and dad went to Six Flags.  They were only there for a little while before it started storming and all of the rides shut down.  They decided to leave and go see a movie.  In the meantime I had lots of fun with Tracy.  We played, napped and then went and splashed in rain puddles!

On Monday we went over to my friend Will's house and played in his swimming pool.  We had so much fun splashing!  After swimming we had a great dinner and then came home.  It was such a fun and exhausting weekend!

Playing in the pool with Will

Splashing!!!

All tuckered out after a busy weekend

Not a weekend recap

Hopefully there will be a weekend recap tomorrow (is there an echo in here)?  Brad needed the computer last night for reading articles and looking up stuff about his cases today, that trumped blogging.  

Mike learning how to slurp the last little bit out of his bowl.  A valuable life lesson if you ask me.

Outtakes

So I know I said yesterday that I would give you a full recap of our weekend today, but, well, instead of writing a blog post about it last night, Brad and I went and sat on the roof and watched amateur fireworks.  So *hopefully* I'll get around to the recap for tomorrow.  In the meantime I thought I would share some of the outtakes from the weekend.