Apologies

So what's my excuse for not blogging?  I blame my phone.  With the convenience of taking a picture or video and immediately emailing to grandma and grandpa, I've become a bit careless about the other 3 or 4 of you who like to see our kids.  So, here you go.  It's been a very long winter.  Very long.   This whole Vortex thing just about sent me over the edge.  Even if Peter gets dressed up well, kids just really shouldn't be out and about when the high is 15 below.  Therefore, we've spent many days in the house.  The whole day.  I welcomed school cancellations when I was a teacher and without children.  But when Phoebe's preschool was cancelled the first day after Christmas vacation, I let out a sigh I believe Alisa heard at work.

Enough complaining . . . Phoebe's back in swimming lessons at the Y and loves them this year.  A nice change!  She loves preschool and this brings us to the school shopping.  Ugh.  I kind of wish someone would just assign us with no choice.  Too much choice is just as bad.  But we are grateful that our choices are pretty solid.  We live in a fantastic city where even the status quo is pretty darn good. You can ask us about that later if you're interested.  

Peter started walking a week ago.  He's not killing my back like Phoebe did (I had to hold her hands and walk behind her bent over).  He's ready to go on his own.  He's constantly telling us things in his own language and pointing to help interpret.  More than anything, he's a handful.  When he's awake, he's either demanding to be held or he's getting into something he shouldn't (power chords to electronics are his favorite thing to yank on).

Destruction.  And eating a floor protector.  

Aunt Laura made a puppet theater for us.  

Things were getting pretty silly after an entire day of being
stuck indoors.

Sledding has been great this year.

Transition to Fall

Peter's first camping trip at Wild River.  Kids had a ton of fun.

 We've had a very busy end of summer and transition back into the fall.  We've been tending the garden a ton (canning, chopping, filling the freezer for the winter, etc), Phoebe's back in pre-school, Alisa's busy at work, and I've been trying to squeeze in one last critical project before winter--insulating under our porch (see below).

Peter's busy wrecking things and putting most things in his mouth.  Phoebe has found a new facination with volcanos.

Phoebe's first day of school.

My parents made it for a visit at the beginning of Sept.  It
was great having them here to witness the crazy house
we run around here.

Church directory photo

This pile of dirt made a great volcano.  The Mexican Sunflowers
were the perfect color for lava.

Peter gets many mouth sweeps a day.  Many.

Since our porch is open to our living room, it seemed
wise to insulate.  This involved busting a hole in the block
and wrestling (literally . . .it was comical at points) with rolls
in this tiny space.  

Homebrew with homegrown hops!  Haven't
enjoyed it yet, but those wet hops
make my mouth water just seeing them :)

Biking

So what have we been up to . . . biking.  I posted a picture of my cargo bike in the last posting.  But here is the real purpose to all this.  Phoebe LOVES rides.  Sunday I hooked up the trailer for Peter and had Phoebe on the bike with me and we hit the Open Streets event.  They closed down a major road in our neighborhood for a day of biking.  Phoebe loved it and Peter cooperated.  Today we biked to Lake Calhoun to Phoebe's favorite playground (it's pretty nice . . . ) and had a picnic lunch on the lake.  I haven't emphasized learning to bike herself all that much, but we are definitely building a sense of biking culture in our kids.  They are cool with it as transportation.  And I love not having to park anywhere.  I'm slowly growing to resent cars and driving.  We bought our van a year ago and it now has 3500 miles on it.  1000 of those are from a road trip out to NoDak.  Not bad.

Our garden is slow to produce but we're slowly seeing some red in the tomatoes.  Every time a grape tomato turns even slightly orange, Phoebe eats it before we can consider picking it.  She get's at least a 4th meal throughout the day out in the backyard.  I'm tempted to just send her out there at dinner time and tell her to return when she's full.

Peter's crawling, standing up, and trying to eat anything off the floor he can.  Today he got a dirt clump in the garden about the size of a grape and put it in his mouth.  Ugh.

Chinook Hops: these were planted last year.  Looks like
a good yield!

Phoebe loves our swing set.
A nice addition to the backyard.

At Lake Calhoun. 

Keeping me busy

New steps from some recycled decking from a neighbor.  Ask me later . . . 

 So what have we been up to . . . Our raspberries went from a few sprigs Alisa and Phoebe bought at the garden shop in our neighborhood to this bush.  Our pickings one day above.  We've been getting about that a day.  What a great weed to grow.

I've been brewing a fair amount and just gave my first all-grain batch a shot tonight.  Everyone goes on and on about how that's what you need to do if your a growing brewer.  Whatever.  It was cool and I'll probably continue to do it.  But I haven't been missing out on anything and we'll see the match up since I brewed the same beer with extract.  (read: making one's own stock vs using a bouillon cube.

Peter's standing, crawling, climbing, and continuing to eat everything.  I do half-hourly mouth sweeps.  Today he was enjoying one of Phoebe's ice-cream sprinkles from last night's dessert.

Phoebe learned how to pump the swings herself.  I acquired a swing set from our neighbor. She's enjoying having that in the yard.  

 Alisa's working a lot.  But she and Phoebe have been doing a parent-child art class on Saturday mornings after they go to the farmers market and get some treats.  I'm glad they got that.  Phoebe clearly misses Alisa all week.

I took my college mountain bike and extended it with an Xtra-Cycle.  I love it.  It's a great beast to own.  Recently our food processor died.  I biked to Uptown to get a new one and it strapped in nicely.  A couple walking out behind me saw my bike helmet and said "you got a motorcycle with a carrier for that?" and chuckled.  I said "No, I have a bike."  When they saw me approach my bike, they looked stunned and said "oh, you're serious!"

Yes, I'm serious . . . or very stupid.  I said to Alisa that owning a bike
that hauls creates a constant challenge for any male.  "What can I haul next?!"

Summertime!

 I see it's been 5 months.  Ugh.  Sorry.  So what have we been up to . . .

Peter is army crawling, wrecking everything, terrorizing Phoebe by crawling into her room and trying to wreck everything, and drooling on me so much I always smell like sour milk at all times.

Phoebe is toggling between loving her little brother dearly and wishing "he'd just nap all day" so she didn't have to share time with us.  As I struggle with her strong personality and antagonistic attitude, I realize more and more every day that my mom put up the same stuff from me.  I guess I deserve it.  :)

Alisa is working a lot.  And working out a lot.  She and our friend Shelly bike to the YWCA at least once a week to lift weights.

Andy is working a lot when Alisa is working a lot.  I'm not complaining.  I love being home with the kids.  But teaching middle school math is way "easier" than being home with these two!  :)  I got a break and taught a 2 day course out in Lancaster, CA.  High desert. It was a fun opportunity to teach math without getting a real job.  I hope to teach a few times a year.  I've been brewing a lot of beer and rebuilding my two old bikes.  I made Alisa's high school 10 speed into a single speed fixed gear and I converted my college mountain bike into a cargo bike.  It's been a lot of fun learning how to do some of the novice-intermediate bike maintenance.

The kids and I avoid driving the van at all costs.  Lot's of biking when I can safely transport Peter and if not, I run with them.  Great way to stay fit and not drive!  Other than that, we're gardening like mad!  It's looking good now that we got some heat around here.  Hopefully no blight this year!

$6 Menards Pool!!!

A typical lunch

At Como Zoo when I was on my course in CA

Lancaster CA

Menards buying pool toys and
a dehumidifier for the basement

 We've been hanging around the house . . . a lot.  We're remembering very well the days after Phoebe was born and the downside of a fall or early winter birthday: it's hard to get a newborn/infant/baby out-of-doors.

The sidewalks are full of unpredictable ice, we've had a fairly typically cold Feb (although, can't complain--it's not cold around here), and Peter likes to sleep a lot--but in his own bed.

Anyway, it's been a big change after a couple weeks of Alisa back at work and me home solo with the kids.  I won't complain--it's a great and easy gig, even on the days when he's fussy and she's got an attitude.  But I will say that I can't wait for warmer days when I don't need to wrap Peter in 2 blankets and help Phoebe put on her snowpants just to get out the door to preschool or swim lessons.

Peter's growing up quick!  I've got some elbow/shoulder issues going on from holding the little guy.  He's been giggling a lot and he sleeps more than he's awake.  I forgot about that part, which is nice, but it also makes one realize how little time we spend with our child in their first year.

Phoebe's in love with her little brother.  She wears her Halloween costume daily (but not out of the house; our rule :).  Every day she tells me that she doesn't want to go to ______ (insert pre-school, swim lessons, a friend's house, church).  But once we get there she has the time of her life.  It's great to see her interact with other kids and develop friendships.

It's Alisa's birthday tomorrow.  We had cake at church and I'm making ravioli for her tonight.  She works tomorrow, so we'll celebrate tonight instead.

 Merry Christmas!  First thing this morning I made an attempt at giving one of us a heart attack.  But we're too healthy.  Instead I got some wicked heartburn.

Our two days together as a family were awesome.  Yesterday, we went to Mass at a great neighborhood church I've been meaning to check out.  Phoebe had a chance to sing her favorite carols she's been belting out non-stop for about a month now.

We tried to downplay gifts and really focus on giving and only getting a few things.  Well, we blew that one.  Today we unwrapped presents for about 6 hours.    The time was mostly dragged out because Phoebe wanted to play every game and do every puzzle as they got opened.  But that was awesome. Thanks for all the wonderful things you sent to us or to our kids. We have lots of new games, math-based activities, and the pig!

Pigs are definitely a part of our life right now thanks to Mercy Watson.  Thanks to all of you who have built that up as these stories are stellar.  Phoebe's aunt Laura made a stuffed pig with a bunch of piglets zipped inside that come out.  Their lips have Velcro so they can attach to their mom.  We had a good laugh at that today.

We've been snowshoeing a ton a block from our house on the Mississippi River Road.  Phoebe likes to trek through the "woods."  It's a great reminder that while we can see the downtown skyline from our bedroom window, we have this great set of woods just a block away.

Alisa got me beer stuff and I got her wine stuff yea.  She won a silent auction share of local beers and paraphernalia for my gift.  The money went to Our Saviors Housing and I got to sample some great local brews, got a tshirt and a hoodie. Alisa hasn't enjoyed wine in a long time since we've been either thinking she's pregnant for 2 years or she has been.  So I got her some wine and then got sidetracked in the garage for the last 2 months making this wine rack/end table.  I picked up some quarter-sawn oak, started experimenting, swore a few times, called my dad a lot, and then this showed up. My parents added to this by sending a wine-stop with an antler on it.  Pretty cool addition.

A new wine "glass" from a local artist and the wine stopper.

Santa brought Phoebe and Alisa a deck of yoga cards.