Austin is officially on the ballot for Iowa House District 18. He made a trip to Des Moines on Tuesday to file his papers. If you'd like to find out more about his campaign and/or sign up for email updates, please visit his website at http://www.austinlorenzen.com/. There is also always a link on the left side of our blog (Lorenzen for Iowa's Future). If you have any comments/questions you can email him at austin@austinlorenzen.com. He will be posting new pictures and an update on his web site soon, so please check back!
I was thrilled to spot several robins hopping around in the snow today. That means spring is really on the way! I also spotted the tops of some blades of grass in the backyard today. It won't be long until we actually have a lawn again. It's really strange, but as I have watched the snow retreat from the deck/yard this week, I have almost become nostalgic--like watching a friend move away. Don't get me wrong, I haven't befriended and fallen in love with the snow, I just think it has been such a constant companion for the last several months that it's different to think about life without it. Sigh... ;o)
Just as an FYI: I've moved the 2007 Videos player to a post on 12/31/07. You can access it by clicking on "2007" in the post hierarchy on the left. I've replaced it at the bottom with a player containing our all-time favorite videos. They will be in chronological order, so you'll have to scroll through to get the latest. I've also added the March 2008 player at the bottom. Happy viewing!
Today was the day I'd been waiting for! Emily & I took the wagon out for its maiden voyage. This morning we stopped at the library, post office and grocery store. Emily was excited to spot a real cat running through a yard and "meowed" all the way down the block. After Emily's nap we took the wagon out for another spin. This time Emily was decked out in sunglasses (thanks G&G Lorenzen!) and loaded up with her "nack". Surprisingly enough, she kept the glasses on for 15 min. Probably because it was her idea to wear them and not mine. ;o) I have decided that I'll probably discover a whole new set of muscle groups as I continue hauling Emily around--especially going uphill. Today's 2+ miles are just the beginning of many more to come!
When we went inside Emily insisted that she put her boots on and she found her sled. I guess she wants to have it both ways. Can't you just hear her saying, "Peas?!?" :o)
The weather has not lived up to my expectations yet this week, although nothing short of instant snow melt and no-coat temperatures probably would. I'm so desperate for spring! I'm really hoping we might actually be able to see a blade of grass in our lawn yet this week. The snow bank along the curb is down to just about mailbox height now. ;o)
Emily & I have taken advantage of the nicer weather. On Monday we trekked across the street to play in the snow with some neighbor kids (ages 4 1/2 & 22 months). They have a decent slope in their backyard and the kids spent an hour going down on sleds (with a little push) and climbing on the swing set. I had to carry Emily home kicking and screaming. :o)
Yesterday Emily & I again headed outside in the afternoon. It was getting pretty sloppy and wet. Emily found a puddle on the driveway where water is dripping off the gutters. She started off just stomping and splashing in her boots. Before I knew it, though, she plopped right down in the middle of it and started splashing with her fleece mittens. :op Thankfully she was at least wearing snow pants. Needless to say, we went inside soon after that and most of her winter gear went straight to the washing machine!
With the warmer weather the neighborhood squirrel population has begun to re-emerge. Emily loves watching them run around the trees, along the fence and across the power lines. The funny thing is whenever she spots one she points and says, "Goose!" We have a little clarification work to do there. ;o) "Squirrel" is just so much harder to say!
Emily also experienced her first automatic car wash yesterday. She wasn't scared, but more in awe. "Ooh!" was all she said. :o)
This weekend Emily & I got to spend some time with Grandma Lorenzen in Des Moines. Grandpa Lorenzen was on a business trip to Phoenix and got home in time to see Emily for a couple hours. Emily had fun playing with the Valentine's bear and "Bac-ca" (Copper--the dog). It was hilarious to watch the two of them together because it was like two toddlers fighting for toys and attention. :o)
It snowed almost the whole day on Wednesday. We received another 2-3 inches of the fluffy variety. After Emily woke up from her nap we bundled up for a snow walk. We ended up walking the entire western edge of the Denver golf course at the end of our street. We also took 4 trips down the big sledding hill on the SW corner. You can go about 200 feet before stopping. It was fun, but a lot of work since I was the one hauling us back up to the top! Plus we still had to trudge the approximately 4 blocks home. Then Emily "helped" me shovel half the driveway. ;o) Emily calls snow & snowmen "nose"--right sounds, just in the wrong order. :o) I don't have any pictures or videos, but it was a fun afternoon. However, we still long for spring.
After a 2-week delay due to illness and weather we were very excited to have Grandma B come visit for the weekend. She & Emily had a lot of fun playing outside and reading a LOT of books. Emily is obsessed with "books" and we were all glad to see Grandma B arrive with a large bag of fresh pickings! Emily especially liked the little 4-page Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star book that Grandma read for 15 minutes straight before bed (try that some time!). She also especially likes an extended version of Itsy, Bitsy Spider, a song book that includes Ring around the Rosie and a set of Curious George books. She asks for them all by name. Below are some cute snapshots of Emily and her "books".
Emily is now 16 months old. That just sounds older than 15 months, doesn't it? She's quite the little character. She continues to add to her vocabulary daily. The most recent words have been "pash" (splash), "keez" (squeeze) "yak", "spies" (spiders) and "mouse"--very random. She also asks for some of her favorite foods: "Kix", "bach-ee" (broccoli), "app-sus" (applesauce), "cake" & "cookie". :o)
We had a 4-week bout of hives that still has no known cause, but Emily is better now and has medicine to control them if they come back. Thankfully, she escaped all the other nastiness going around over the past month. Austin & I did not, but we decided better us than her!
We have had a lot of fun playing outside more recently as the weather has somewhat cooperated. Emily is getting really good at walking around in the snow as long as it's not too deep or icy. Although, she still enjoys falling down on purpose and making snow angels (with a little help). She also still loves her sled, but we all long for the day we can take the wagon out instead.
Some of Emily's other favorite activities are stacking blocks, trying to put on Mommy & Daddy's clothes (especially shoes) and reading. (see next post for more on that)
Remember that all our pictures can be viewed on Winkflash and the videos for February are posted below.
I've always wanted a pair of Crocs and had the opportunity to get some last weekend. I also got a little pink pair for Emily and she thinks they're pretty cool! She's all ready for summer. :o)
