A humble lunch

Elijah either has mastered the art of sarcasm, or I need to make sandwiches more often because for lunch today, I told Elijah we would be having turkey sandwiches to which he replied, jumping up and down, "YAY YAY YAY!  I get turkey and breeeaaadd!"

He heard it on the radio and starting singing it all by himself

St Paul

Have I mentioned that I really like it a lot here?  St Paul is a really fun city to live in.  There are little local shops on every corner, some of my favorites involve ice cream...  Even the movie theatres here are little two-screen ones where there is one, big screen on the main level and a smaller one upstairs.  Tony and I went to see Captain America when it was playing on the smaller screen and I tell you what, I am ruined forever in going to the big multiplexes.  Even though there were quite a few people there, it felt like we were in a private screening. 
People keep warning me about the winters here, but I've had a taste of them before in the form of holiday visits to the twin cities in the past few years.  I plan on finding a few favorite indoor places to hang out with the kids and then expanding on my movie collection, maybe even try out this 'netflix' everyone keeps talking about.

It was so nice to see the fam in DC last week and it makes me wish we lived closer (especially to play with Lizzie and steal baby Taylor away when baby decides to arrive).  However, I hope that some of my family will be able to come swing by our neck of the woods in the future (private screening for The Avengers? Anyone?)

Papa time

Walking!

My favorite present

Excited.

Hello world, I am excited.  Excited for the next week.  Excited that Tony got another person signed up this week.  Excited that I have successfully found a storytime session at various library and bookstore locations for basically every day of the week (M-F at least)  and a place to go for kid activities on Saturdays.  We have been to two this week and there is another tomorrow and zoo animals on Saturday! Zoo animals!  At the bookstore!  Also excited that we are having a little party for me and Elijah on saturday and one of Tony's members is a pastry chef (say what) and is making a train cake for elijah and a nummy tart for moi.
   I am excited that I finally went to the coolest little train store around, Elijah was more excited though.  I was not excited, however to find out that the Thomas train sets are so dang expensive.  We might be holding out on that one this year. 
I am excited again that football season has begun.
Excited that I discovered that the library has Adventure Passes to various museums and attractions in the area (Minnesota Zoo and the Childrens Museum for starters).  An Adventure Pass is something you can 'check out' from the library that gives you two free admissions to whatever your choosing to use that week.  Free!  I said freeeee.  We are going to the zoo tomorrow or monday.  For free.  Thank you public library system for once more coming through with things to occupy our time with something useful.
Excited to go to VA next week and celebrate my sister getting ready to have a baby!  I had a phone conference with Jenny yesterday to go over some of the deets of the baby shower.  Hopefully it will turn out, but how could it not be great with Willards BBQ, right?  Dont worry Julie if all else fails, you will have bbq.

Official first steps

Happy September

Ah, one of my favorite months is finally here!  The month when things start cooling down.  A month of birthdays for friends and family and bloggers...Ok its me.  My birthday is this month!  Yay.  Anyways, we are all super excited for this month.  Tony is steadily getting more and more clients at the Gym and I think we are up to a profit now.  I have also started doing crossfit and it kicks my butt into next week, but its strangely empowering when you have finished one of those workouts (picture:  RAAH!!  I do pull ups!!).

Elijah is almost potty trained.  He wears his underwear pretty much all the time, but is still not quite pooping in the toilet.  Afraid?  Maybe.  Lazy? Also maybe. Yesterday though, he wasnt wearing any undies, just sort of roaming free... and he pooped in his potty.  So thats a good start I think.  As I was writing this, I actually saw him go down on all fours in a 'pushing' position and I ran after him and took his pants off really fast, but it was just a little too late. Just a little.  poop.  Oh well.
Tomorrow we leave for a weekend getaway with the fam, looking forward to it. 
In two weeks, me and the babies are flying solo to VA for my sisters baby shower!!  I am mucho excited for that!  Lots of baby talk or rather talk about babies and girlie time (pedis and manis?  no? just me? It seems like a sisterly thing to do) We will be there for about a week and a half! 

Now that I am finished with school, did I mention that? That I graduated?  I did.  I graduated college.  My degrees have been awarded and are in the mail. But now that I am finished with school and the older guys that I keep watch over are heading back to school next week, I will have some tiiiiiime on my hands.  Time! Something I havent had in .. well.. a while.  I wont have a lot of time I guess since I will still have two children.  But downgrading from four to two children and from full time school to no school, I will have TIME.  Money, however, we are working on.

Oh and evie took her first steps this week.  Maybe two small steps, but she is working on it.  Not too hard though. She takes her precious time.  She is going to 18 months old this month. 18 month old and still scooting around on her knees.  I dont know if that will fly in nursery at church.