Some Clarification

Tonight as I was on the phone with Craig, Brody came up to me.  He had something he needed to clarify.

"Mom, I'm not robot. I'm a boy."

Good to know buddy.  He also made it very clear today as we looked at our family picture that Craig is Hunter's dad and I am Brody's mom, but I'm not Hunter's mom and Craig is not his dad.  Hmmm...we may need to work on that one!  But for now, it's pretty funny.

Middle Name Confusion

Apparently my boys try to take after celebs with weird name trends.  I know, Craig and I are no where close to being celebrities and we would never think of naming our children after food.  However, they think it's a great idea.
When Hunter was around two, he believed that his name was "Hunter Chicken Zappe" instead of Hunter Christian Zappe.  It was hilarious and he eventually figured it out.  Yesterday, Brody was eating some ice cream and I can't remember exactly how he said it, but something to the effect that it was just like him, "Brody Ice Cream Zappe".  I think our child is convinced now that his middle name is Ice Cream instead of being named after is grandpa and great-grandpa with the middle name of Augustine.
But for now, we'll let it slide.  He'll figure it out soon enough that his parents aren't that weird to name him after a sweet treat.

Knock-Knock

Right now Brody is in love with knock-knock jokes.  Does he get them?  Kind of but not really.  He loves telling them and they make sense, but they're not too funny, but we pull out the fake laugh to make him feel good.  He will make a knock-knock joke out of any situation.  For example, today at lunch:
Knock-Knock.
Who's There?
Grilled Cheese?
Grilled Cheese who?
Grilled Cheese is yummy!  So good!

Another classic:
Knock-Knock.
Who's There?
Brody.
Brody Who?
Brody Zappe.

Another good one:
Knock-Knock.
Who's There?
Hannah.
Hannah Who?
Hannah cuts my hair!

Our house is pretty much the land of knock-knock jokes.  Are they funny?  No, they just make sense, but somehow have a way of putting a smile on my face.

A Case of the Double Undies

In our house lately, we have been experiencing multiple cases of the double undies.  What exactly are the double undies, you ask?  Good question.  It is a term that I have come up with...I think.  Who knows, maybe it does exist elsewhere.  But, the double undies is when your son is so independent he likes to dress himself.  Don't get me wrong.  It's a good thing.  You lay out his outfit for the day that consists of a clean pair of undies, a shirt and shorts/pants.  What's the problem with that, you may ask?  Well, you see in order to get a case of the double undies, my son ignores the fact that he should take off his dirty undies and replace them with the clean ones.  Instead, he places the clean pair over the dirty pair and voila! he's ready for the day.  I usually check him to make sure he took the dirty ones off, but every now and then I forget and we have a day with a case of the double undies.  It's weird and I know it's just a phase, but really, it is just plain funny.

Copy Cat

Apparently Brody has gotten to be quite the funny boy lately, because a lot of my posts have been about him.  Today we were at Craig's parents and were outside running off some energy.  Well, I was standing there wishing I had the energy the boys have, and they were running off theirs.  Really, where do they get it all from?

I noticed their cat, was eating grass.  We told her to stop because it usually makes her sick.  Brody took notice as to what Maddie (the cat) was doing and decided that he should try too.  The grass had just been watered by the sprinklers and Brody thought it would be great to lick the water off of the blades of grass.  Gross.  We told him to stop, but he thought it was pretty funny an apparently didn't taste too bad.

He continued to run around, but before we left snuck in a couple more licks of water from the grass.  Copy cat?  I think so.

Must Be 18 or Older

This is not what you think.  So don't worry!!

Today we had the TV on to escape the heat and humidity.  I like the heat...the humidity, not so much.  It feels like I'm about to suffocate.  And I think I'd tolerate it more if it was sunny vs. this gray cloudy looking stuff.  But, now I am getting sidetracked from my story.

As I was saying, we were watching TV...Disney or Nick, I can't remember, but it is amazing how they market things to kids.  I swear every other commercial is about the newest, coolest toy.  And then you have the great infomercials where they try to sell a product.  The newest is the Happy Napper.  In my opinion it is pretty much like a pillow pet, but called something completely different in order to convince kids that they need that too.  And of course, at the end of each of these commercials they say, "Must be 18 or older to order".

Let's just say my 5 year old is very upset about this.  He has no clue why they show kids these cute and fun new toys, but you have to be 18 or older to order.  He told me they are so mean and that the people who made them must hate (and we are not allowed to use that word in our house, so I know how strongly he must feel about this subject) kids because it is something a kid would like, but yet, you have to be 18 in order to have it.  He is downright disgusted with the makers of this product and can't wait until he is 18 to get a Happy Napper.

I tried explaining that it was because the mom's and dad's have the money to pay for it, so then he thought I should order one.  But, to save some money, I might just let him think that you really do have to be 18 or older to have those very special toys.  Mean?  Maybe a little.  But really, he already has more toys than a boy would ever need.

Black-Eyed Brody

Two years old and this kid is already getting in fights...ok, not really.  But he does have a nasty looking black eye.  Yesterday, Brody and Hunter were wild childs running around the house and ended up taking off the couch cushion.  Brody went up on the couch because without the cushion it is like a trampoline.  One jump later, he was jumping down, but didn't jump out far enough.  (No, they aren't allowed to jump on the couch, but I was distracted with something and didn't get to the couch in time to put the cushion back on.)  He hit his eyelid on the edge of the couch and now has this beautiful shiner.

Yeah.  I'm pretty tough with my black-eye.

Road Trip!

WARNING!  PICTURE AND WORD OVERLOAD!

Saturday morning, the boys and I hit the road and headed south to Iowa to go and visit Craig.  We knew it would be a long trip, but for some reason, it felt a lot longer than we anticipated.  First stop: Sauk Center, MN.  Yes, only 25 minutes into our trip.  The boys were doing fine, but we needed to buy tickets for Craig and Hunter so they can go and see some monster trucks this upcoming weekend.  Next stop: Redwood Falls, MN.  My bladder just couldn't hold it any longer, so we pulled off at a Wal-Mart.  Typically we go to gas stations, but I always feel like in order to use their bathroom you have to get gas or buy something.  And, I packed snacks, water, juice, pop so there was no need to go to one.  We walked in and found $1 on the floor.  So, Wal-Mart paid me to use their bathroom.  Next stop: Windom, MN.  I finally convinced Hunter that we needed to stop for lunch somewhere.  He didn't want to stop because he was eager to see his dad.  After arguing with a 5 year old (you don't always get very far) and a phone call to his dad, we decided we better stop or else we would be really hungry.  Next stop: Sioux Rapids, IA.  It was so nice to finally be in the same state as Craig!!    We stopped, went to the bathroom and bought some water to refill the sippy cups.  We kept trucking...oops!  carring according to Hunter since we weren't driving a car.  Next stop: Carroll, IA.  We went to Wal-Mart again and used their bathroom.  I wish I would have taken a picture of their sinks because they were so cool!  We tried to get together with our old neighbors in Carroll, but they were busy.  Next time.  Next stop: Atlantic, IA.  This is the town Craig is currently living in.  I had to go to the bathroom again so we stopped at a Wal-Mart before heading out to the site.  I promise, I'm not pregnant, but that bathroom breaks sure felt like I was!  Next stop: Massena, IA Rolling Hills Wind Project.  We were able to meet some of Craig's co-workers, see his office and he gave us a small tour of the site.  They are busy and at the end of the project there will be 193 turbines.  This is one of the biggest wind projects in the country and is also Mortenson's 100th wind project.  Kind of exciting!

 Here is a picture of a base-mid (the lower 2 sections of a wind turbine, a 19 axle trailer that hauled a nacelle, and a blade in the background.  Next week they will start topping off turbines which means it will look complete with the top section, nacelle, hub and blades.  We then went with Craig back to Atlantic and saw the "dirty hotel" aka Craig's apartment.  The halls were in need of some cleaning but Craig's apartment was in decent order.  We grabbed Subway and were off to Council Bluffs, IA for the night.  As the sun set, we arrived at our hotel...the new hotel in Hunter's words...and slept for the night.  The next morning, we packed up and headed to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE.  It was amazing!  We arrived there around 9:45 AM and didn't leave until 3:00 PM.  Granted, we ate lunch there, but there was so much to see!  If you haven't been there and ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend it.

 Craig and the boys feeding the goats in the petting zoo.

 Hunter and Brody ready for the steam engine to give us a tour of the zoo.  They boys loved it.  Brody was a little hesitant at first, but really enjoyed himself.

 Hunter and Gerry the gorilla.  The zoo person was telling us some info about him and told us that Gerry likes to scare people by charging the glass and banging on it.  He told us that Gerry thinks it's funny.  Little did we know that it would happen about 5 seconds after this picture was taken.  And even though we were half way expecting it, you never dream it will happen.  It was so neat though. 

 Here is a picture of the steam engine that took us around the zoo.

 The boys and I in front of the giraffes.  I like giraffes.

 Brody checking out sharks, sting rays, sea turtles and fish as they swam around him in a tunnel.  It was very cool.  I told Craig, "Isn't it crazy knowing that these things were swimming with us every time we went to the beach in Texas."  I don't like to think about it. 

 Epcot?  No.  It's the Desert Dome that houses lots of animals from the desert.

 After the zoo, we went to downtown Omaha.  We found a park to walk around and then went to a street fair and checked out lots of art from different vendors.  It was a gorgeous day and we were able to walk around the little river thing.  Very relaxing.  Not a bad family picture for a self timer, huh?  We are all looking and smiling!

 While walking around, we came across this really cool slide.  You had to wait in line just to go down it.  There were two and that was the only playground equipment.  It was huge and something we didn't expect to find downtown.  Hunter had a blast going down it twice!

After a day in Omaha, we headed back to Atlantic, picked up some things from the dirty hotel and then went to the new hotel.  We were exhausted!  The next morning, Craig left for work before any of us were up.  It was up to me to get the boys ready, fed, and out the door with all of our luggage.  The day started to Hunter waking me up because he was sick to his stomach.  Great.  Just what we need.  Thankfully he wasn't throwing up...it was the other end.  Not ideal, but I think throwing up is worse.  So, we got up, I ran downstairs to the breakfast room while Brody was in his pack and play and Hunter was watching him/cartoons.  Grabbed a few things to eat and headed back with my hands full.  I gave Hunter very specific directions not to answer the door for anyone, but with my hands full of food/drinks, I couldn't reach my key in my pocket.  So I kicked the door with my foot and after a couple of minutes of that and convincing Hunter I wasn't a stranger he opened the door.  We ate breakfast, finished packing up and headed out.  Let's just say it is rather difficult when you're on the second floor of a hotel with no elevator, two kids, three bags of belongings, a diaper bag, a purse and a pack and play.  But somehow, we made it out and nobody got hurt.  Phew.  So we were on the road.  First stop: McDonald's in Atlantic, IA.  I needed a boost to my day so I got a large pop to start it out.  It's so nice they only charge $1.  Next stop: Carroll, IA.  About 15 min. before we got there, Hunter told me he had to go to the bathroom really bad and his tummy hurt.  We were no where close to a bathroom!  Ahh.  Thankfully, we made it to a gas station and it was obvious that he was a sick little boy.  How were we going to make it the remaining 6 hours drive time.  That is not including stops.  We drove by our old house in Carroll and headed to Wal-Mart.  I bought some big boy diapers for an emergency and we were down to one wipe so we got more.  As we were in there, the rain started to pour, the lightning was flashing like crazy and the thunder was booming and cracking loudly.  We were stuck.  So, we went and picked up an umbrella.  The rain was coming down in sheets and the wind was very strong.  There were many people standing in the entry way and we did too.  After about 5 minutes, I realized we couldn't wait for the rain to let up, we had to go for it.  I grabbed our bags, grabbed Brody, told Hunter to stay close and opened our new umbrella.  We quickly went to the car, but the wind was catching our umbrella and we ended up getting wet. 

 Hunter thought it was fun running through the storm.  Brody wasn't a fan.  And he wasn't thrilled to be back in his car seat.  As you can see we were a little wet.  Not too bad though.  So, after 45 minutes in Carroll, IA we set back out on the open road through a thunderstorm.  It let up about 20 minutes down the road, thank goodness.

 Here is a barn that I like along the way that is north of Carroll.  Many barns/out buildings in IA have quilt blocks on them.  Kind of neat.  We drove and we drove.  We stopped to get some gas and we had a bathroom break.  After our break and Hunter assured me he didn't have to go to the bathroom, we were on the road.  Five minutes later, it hit and he had to go.  So, we pulled over on a gravel road to put on a diaper.  We finally got it on after 15 minutes of tears because he knew he wasn't a baby, but I convinced him it didn't mean he was a baby, it was for an emergency.  So, we got it on, but then he didn't have to go.  False alarm.  We kept it on just in case.  We drove until we got to Okoboji, IA where we stopped for lunch. 

 When we used to live in Carroll, we would stop here often for lunch.  It is Los Pueblos and it has really great Mexican food.  Not as good as the place in Texas, because nothing will compare to that, but it's decent.  After filling up on chips, salsa, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, and rice, we were on the road again.  We finally crossed back into MN.  We were getting ready for another break, and we came across the sign for the Jeffers Petroglyphs.  Curiosity finally got the best of me, so we took the road to it and ventured the 4 miles off our path to see them.  As we pulled up, we saw a visitor's center.  Hmm...not what I was expecting.  I thought it was a park where we could get out, look at some petroglyphs and we'd be on our way.  Wrong.  After digging out the stroller from the trunk, we were on our way.  As we walked in, I noticed it would cost me $6.  Ok fine.  Whatever.  I drove this far, I've always wondered, and it would help preserve history.  I asked the lady if we could go out to the site.  She suggested we watch the 8 minute video to learn more and look around the visitors center.  And we had to wait a few minutes because the guide had another group out already.  What?!  This is a guided tour?!?  What did I get myself in to!!??  Hunter really wanted to watch the video, so he went into the theater.  I tried with Brody, but he was terrified.  After a couple of dirty looks, I left the little theater and we looked around some more.  Hunter thought the video was interesting.  The lady then showed us some of the tools the Indians used.  Hunter was very interested and asked questions.  Brody was bored.  Finally it was time for us to walk the 1/4 mile out to the site.  Once there, our guide told us more info about the petroglyphs, we could ask questions, she showed us the petroglyphs since they can be hard to see.  And we had to walk on a two foot path that was roped off so we didn't ruin any of the petroglyphs.  Brody hated this.  It was not how he imagined stretching his legs and it was obvious he wanted to run.  Hunter had no clue what he was looking at besides some rocks.  Had I been there alone or with Craig, I think I would have enjoyed it and would have appreciated it more.  But I was so frustrated and irritated and was ready to get home.

We made the 1/4 mile trek back to the visitors center and interrupted a ceremony that was going on by a group of 15 or so Indians.  Oops!  We went to the bathroom, changed a diaper and walked out to a very smoke filled, funny smelling visitors center.  We got to the car and I realized that I just spent $6 and one and a half hours there.  Ahhh!  No more stops, please!!

This is one of the petroglyphs she pointed out.  It is a turtle.  It is fascinating, but not ideal for small children.  On the road again we were.  Right before Olivia, MN, Hunter had to go to the bathroom again because his tummy hurt.  False alarm again and it was just gas.  Phew.  We grabbed Subway to go and finished our journey home.  We finally arrived to our house at 7:30 PM.  It was a full day of travel and adventure.

Even with how busy we were and all the curves along the way, we had a great time visiting Craig, seeing his site, his home away from home and being able to cross off another state on my list.  Hunter and Brody's too.  Not sure when we'll make the next trip down, but I definitely hope it is less eventful. 

Bubble Boy

 No, my son doesn't live in a bubble, but he does love bubbles.  The past few afternoons the weather has been gorgeous and we have spent a lot of time outside blowing bubbles.  Brody is Mr. Independent though and insists on doing it on his own.  He has quickly learned that bubbles do not taste good, if you tip the container too much it will spill on you, and you have to blow gently, not spit, to make the bubbles appear.  He has also learned that if it is windy enough, he can hold the wand out and the wind will make bubbles.

 Watching his bubbles blow away.

Last Day of Preschool

 It's hard to believe that the school year is over and Hunter has completed a year of preschool.  Today, his class had one last program to show us more songs that they had learned.  As always, they sounded great and the songs are always fun to listen too.

 During the program, we had intermission.  Hunter was in charge of selling popcorn.  Other students were in charge of selling us tickets, putting stamps on our hands and handing out programs.  The last group of students were in charge of handing out straws, spoons and napkins for root beer floats.

 He is proud that he completed his first year of preschool.  We have decided to wait to send him to kindergarten so he will be going again next year which he is thrilled about because he loves his teachers.

 Speaking of teachers, the preschool staff was amazing.  Here is Hunter with his aide, Mrs. Sievert.  She is amazing and I feel as if her work goes unrecognized.  She is constantly helping and during programs is getting the next thing prepared to keep things running smoothly.  She told me that Hunter gives great hugs and gets them often from him.  It is so nice to know that he is loved and not just another student.

 Hunter's teacher was Mrs. Roste.  She is so good at what she does.  I am a little sad that this picture is a little fuzzy, but that's what happens when you have a little boy who is almost two wiggling in your arms.  Mrs. Roste makes learning fun.  I don't know where she gets her energy to keep up with two sections of 18 preschoolers.  I am sure she sleeps well at night.  She has always been so patient and kind to Hunter and I am so impressed with how much she has taught him this past year.  I am thrilled to be able to have Hunter go to Zion for one more year especially when they have such a great preschool staff and know that he is in great hands while learning and having fun.

 Hunter met some great friends while at school.  Here is a picture of he and his friend Dylan after the program/intermission/parade/awards/root beer floats.  They had fun playing in the gym.

This is Hunter's other friend Gabe.  We are sad that both Gabe and Dylan will both be moving on to kindergarten next year, but know that we have made great friendships and that there will be many play dates this summer and hopefully in the years to come. 

It is a bittersweet day for me.  It is a reminder that my little boy is growing up and there is nothing I can do to change it.  But so exciting to see what is to come in the future.  I have no idea what we will be doing Tuesdays and Thursdays now, but excited to have that extra time with the boys because as Mrs. Roste said today, "Enjoy this age because they won't stay little for long."  So true and I realized that every day.  I'm excited though that our Tuesdays and Thursdays will be open so we can go to the cities if we want, or head to Iowa to check out some wind turbines, or go on vacation.  I am sad because we said good-bye to a lot of friends today.  But happy because there are friendships that will last and new ones to be made.  I wish Hunter and Brody could stay little forever.  I love them and not sure how I will ever be able to let them go when the day comes.  But yet, I'm excited to see who they will become and what dreams they will chase.

Adios Training Wheels

It was a big weekend in the Zappe Household this weekend. We were super busy, but one of the big highlights was taking the training wheels off Hunter's bike. It didn't take him long and he was off zooming around like the training wheels never existed. However there were a few spills and he now has a couple of scraped knees.
He is so proud and loves riding up and down the driveway on two wheels. To me it's just another reminder that he is growing up so fast.

Out with the old...In with the new.

A little over a week ago, Hunter's gun broke. It was a sad day in the Zappe Household. Hunter and his cousin, Ashton were playing in Hunter's room. They had closed the door so Brody couldn't get in...little brothers tend to interfere, you know.

Well, they were playing, having fun when all of a sudden we hear Hunter calling, "Brody! Come in here and play!" Brody ran to the door, went in and slam! Hunter shut the door. Not even kidding, two minutes later, Hunter, Ashton and Brody came out of the bedroom with a broken toy gun. They said that Brody had broke it. Hunter told me, "Brody broke it with his strong muscles. He drinks more milk than me and has really strong muscles." Hahaha!! Craig and I are still pretty suspicious about how the gun really broke. The timing seems a little funny, don't you think? Or maybe we should start calling Brody "muscle man".

Well, we have looked around and found Hunter a new gun. He is back to hunting for deer, pheasants, ducks, skunks, not raccoons because they're too cute he informed me, and whatever else he imagines that day.

WARNING: this could get messy.

You have been warned!

Let's just say...supper got a little messy last night.

And we had Mac & Cheese everywhere! Did you know that Mac & Cheese is kind of hard to remove from hair because it is so sticky? One of the many joys of letting Brody become more independent. But at least he looks cute, right?

Adventures with Ned

This weekend we had a very special visitor at our house. Ned, the bear from pre-school, came home with Hunter. Ned came with a luggage back packed with clothing, his birth certificate and a journal for us to keep track of all of our adventures. Hunter loved being able to finally bring Ned home.

As soon as we got home, Hunter took Ned out of his suitcase. He noticed he was wearing a Twins t-shirt. Hunter practically sprinted to his room to find his new Joe Mauer shirt. He put it on so they could match. How cute is that? Then, Hunter proceeded to give Ned a tour of our house, including his two favorite rooms, the toy room and his bedroom.

That night, Ned met Grandma Julie. She came over to spend time with the boys so I could have a night out! Hunter fell asleep with Ned on the couch, but as soon as I opened the door he popped up!

So, we got Hunter and Ned ready for bed. Jammies on, followed by a good-night snack, then we went and brushed our teeth. Ned even came with his own toothbrush. How fun!

After getting the pearly whites clean, we headed to Hunter's room for a good-night story and Bible story. Well, lucky for us, Hunter also brought home a book buddy from school. It was Franklin (pictured above). He came with two stories where he was the main star. So, we read a Franklin book. Pictured above are Franklin, Willy, Hunter, Lamby, Ned, and BumbleBumble. Talk about a full bed! But, they snuggled in tight and slept all night long.

The next day, Grandpa Al came over to play while I had a chiro appointment and did a little shopping. We didn't do much that day, just the usual-cleaning, playing, etc. We headed to bed early in hopes of going to the cities in the morning for a birthday party.

Unfortunately, I didn't want to risk going to the cities based on the road conditions. But, I quickly planned a fun day. Something to get us out of the house.

We met Grandma Connie, Grandpa Neal and Auntie Melissa at Pizza Ranch for lunch. Hunter was concerned that Ned would get cold outside and that we should find a jacket for him. That was not packed in his suitcase. Quick! Think fast! I went to Brody's closet and came across an old Halloween costume. Perfect! It was a little big, but it kept Ned warm (at this point I was beginning to feel like I had a third child). We enjoyed pizza and cheese sticks then headed out to Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Brody fell asleep on the way out to their house. When we got there I went inside to put him down. Then, we brought in our winter clothes and let them warm up for a few minutes. Then, we hit the hill to take Ned sledding. Talk about fun! But, it was very cold. Ned only lasted one run. He and Hunter went down, but Ned got white-washed so we figured he should go inside. Melissa, Hunter and I continued to sled until we couldn't take the cold anymore.

Check out Ned and Hunter at the bottom of the hill. I had to go and rescue them. Talk about deep snow! I felt like I was going to get stuck. We spent the rest of the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's and played Wii and Legos. We didn't do much after getting home, but Hunter made sure that Ned got ready for bed and slept close to him once again.

On Sunday, we got up to go to Sunday School and church. Check out my three boys in the backseat! Yes, Hunter made sure that we got Ned buckled. Safety first! Hunter and Ned had a great time at S.S. Hunter's teacher even told me that Ned sat still and when they were coloring asked the teacher if Ned could have a crayon to color with too.

After church, Grandma Connie and Grandpa Neal came over for lunch. Then they raked the snow off our roof. Ned stayed inside with me. We thought he might get too cold. While they were outside, Ned and I enjoyed a cat nap on the couch. :)

That night, Hunter wanted to make banana chocolate chip muffins for breakfast the next day. So, he and Ned helped me measure things out. They were both great helpers.

Happy to help! Hopefully this attitude stays around for a long time.

The next morning we enjoyed the muffins they made for breakfast. They were delicious. We didn't do much that day. Grandpa Al came over to play for awhile and we watched a Thomas movie. Pretty laid back.

Today, Ned had to go back to school and get ready for his next visit to someone else's home. Hunter was pretty sad about it and hugged Ned for quite awhile before packing him back in his suitcase. Hunter told me that at school today, his teacher read our journal entries and showed the pictures to his classmates. Hunter told me that he told his teacher that he didn't want Ned to leave and asked if he could bring him home again. She reminded Hunter that he needed to share Ned with everyone. He still wasn't thrilled with this response, but I think has come to accept it.

Now this gives you a glimpse into a busy weekend in our home. It was kind of fun having Ned around because it helped us keep track of our day to day activities. Something we don't usually take the time to do. Thanks for the fun and adventures Ned! You are more than welcome in our home anytime you want.