Our First Halloween at 2708

Organized chaos?

We had a great time meeting up with neighbors this Halloween. About 25 kids showed up for the pre-trick-or-treating photo-op where parents of the kiddos passed out candy and treats and then traveled around our neighborhood's circle to visit the other houses. Anja had a blast with Sophie, a new friend who lives just a couple houses down from us.

At first, Anja wanted to be a ghost. Then, on the fairy kick (like everyone else), she decided she would be Abby Cadabby, a fairy-in-training and also her favorite Sesame Street character. We teamed up with Erik's mom who sewed a fantastic skirt, and I even busted out the puff paint (!) to put the finishing touches on the wings. Here we are dressing her up on Halloween night:

Abby Cadabby is ready to go!


Sophie and Anja take a pit stop.

Anja and Sophie visit our house, where Erik's parents handed out candy and watched Milla.

After the trick-or-treating was done, everyone met up again to have another bonfire. It was way past Anja's bedtime so our time there was short, but we were still able to talk with a few neighbors. Anja summed up this Halloween just like Corduroy as the "best Halloween ever!" She's already talking about her costume for next year.

Six Months!

Hey! Hey! I'm six months old today!

Milla spent part of her 1/2 birthday at the Tamarack Nature Preserve for their Trick or Treat event. It was a great, non-sugary filled event that we hope to attend in the years to come!

Milla continues to be a sweet, sweet baby. She's happy and content the vast majority of the time, very strong, and is on the cusp of crawling. Still moving around on her back, she oftentimes runs right into the stone fireplace. (Ouch!)

Anja is also becoming more interested in her little sister---giving (and taking away!) her toys, singing to her, wanting to help when she can, and even cleaning up copious amounts of her spit-up!

Joe, Elle, Milla, me, Anja & Maya trekking around Tamarack in search of the next treat.


Anja and Elle playing with gourds and filling up their buckets. (A good lesson in sharing for all!)


Cranking out fresh apple juice . . . yum!

We've Moved!

Well, we're in the process! We closed yesterday afternoon and stayed the night at our new place last night. Anja was SUPER excited to finally be able to go into the house (we'll post pictures later). We won't have internet or phone access until next Tuesday, so it'll take us a few days. Time to get packing!

Twin Cities 10 Mile

Erik and I ran the Twin Cities 10 Mile today . . . let's call it our longest training run in a loooong time. (Two and a half years for me!) It was slow, but we're happy to have finally "raced" again. We look forward to more road races and triathlons in the next year.

Grandpa Ron brought Anja out to cheer us on, but was a little shell-shocked because after hugs and kisses, both Erik and I ran away from her. She was probably thinking: Huh?! We hope to sign her up for some fun runs of her own as well.

We hope to post some pictures soon!

She's Scootin'!

Wooooeee!

Tonight Milla decided that besides her usual mode of transporting herself (via the roll), she would try out a new move: scooting across the room on her back. She's super excited about her new way to get around as it allows her more freedom, and the ability to get her sister's toys a little easier. (Duplo Legos sure do taste good!) Unfortunately, when she finds her way to the other side, she finds a wall or other barrier, so I guess she'll have to figure that one out soon. Meanwhile, we'll help her out when she beckons.

She's also bridging a lot more and once in awhile scoots ahead on her stomach, though not too far. She's good at pivoting on that belly too. I think she'll be army man crawling pretty soon!

Happy Five Months, Milla!

Good morning, Milla--you're five months old today! She's so happy when she wakes up . . . and has almost outgrown her Stokke bassinet!

Milla is five months today and at this point in her young life, she mainly wants to move. Put her down on one side of the room, and she'll roll her way to the other if you're not careful, especially if there's an interesting toy on the other side. Anja's alligator pull-toy looked awfully intriguing the other day so I moved it behind the coffee table. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, she had found it again. Something tells me we're going to be doing some quick baby-proofing in the new house in two (!) weeks!

Much to her sister's displeasure Milla is also using her voice a lot more. Only a mama and papa (and the grandparents of course) can appreciate the shrieks and shrills of their babies!

Time for something new . . . Milla got to ride in the swings for the first time today.

Her exploration of solids is going well . . . she's not getting too much down but I guess that's not the point. Soon enough she'll be eating like a champ. Today her Stokke high chair arrived, so we were able to put it right to use.

Erik and our girls with the newly assembled Stokke Tripp Trapp (the best!).



Anja is excited to have someone to sit by during meals. Although she was a little less excited every time Milla grabbed her! This is the start of something--we just know it.

Much like her sister was, Milla is a wonderful baby. She's happy, healthy and a little joy to have in our lives.

Milla's First Solids

Ready for tasteless rice cereal? You betcha!

Over the weekend, we ordered Milla her very own Stokke high chair and purchased her first rice cereal. Though her high chair hasn't come in yet, tonight we took out the crazy Bumbo chair to give Milla her first taste of what the grown-ups eat. As our first family meal together, it went pretty well. Milla was interested and took in about 20% of what we gave her and Anja delighted in showing her what she would someday eat (pasta with garden grown tomatoes and fresh mozzarella).

Anja Takes a Trip

Marilyn, Anja and Great Grandma Anna.

Last Friday, Anja set off with her Nana and Grandpa Paul to Belgrade to visit her Great Grandma Anna. As usual, after spending time with Grandparents, she came home all-smiles and even with a bell-bottomed giraffe, named none other than "Dotty" (what she names every doll and animal that comes her way).

A New Trikester for Anja

Tonight we unveiled quite possibly the coolest trike to Anja, Trek's Trikester. She loves it! Erik installed a New Belgium bike bell and she was off ringing and pedaling in no time at all.

Trek's "Dialed Fit Specific Design" is fantastic!

Off she goes . . . it only took her a few minutes to get the hang of it.

The best part: we can ride around on it too! It's ultra-sturdy so even us big kids can have fun riding it.

She was just as excited as I was to give me a ride!

Much to Celebrate

When asked whether he wanted a simple or fancy cake, he replied, "Simple!" So, thank you Betty Crocker for the Angel Food box (!) cake. Anja beat Erik to the punch both times we lit the candle. She'll be ready for her 3rd birthday in November!

Erik turned 30 today! We decided to throw him an impromptu party around 9:30am, and by 4pm we were at the park celebrating with family and a few friends. He starts his PhD program tomorrow and I'm pretty sure he feels like it's the perfect way to start his 30s.

I'd like to thank Paul and Marilyn for bringing him into the world . . . he's quite the catch!

Anja Rides Solo

Anja waited patiently for the ride to start up.

We ventured to Como Zoo again today and it was wonderful to see Anja so excited to be out and about. The last month has been tough; between the cooler summer temps and trying to get the house on the market, many times we opted for just going to one of the many parks in our area. It was time to get out and see something different (even though we'd been to Como Zoo about a dozen times in the last year).

She spotted the rides just before the zebras and I promised that if she was good and ate a good lunch, that she could pick one. About an hour later, she had finished her entire lunch (sans carrots that were accidentally dumped on the ground--I told her it was okay that we wouldn't get to eat them today--yuck!) and she was set on choosing her one ride. She quickly spotted the swings (which are her favorite---she could swing for hours) and we were off to purchase the four required tickets.

This would be her first solo ride, so she was a little worried. But, before I would need to try and convince her it would be okay, she confidently chose her swing and was ready for take-off. She was serious the entire time; I think not to let on that she was thrilled to be riding, all by herself. We may just see a few smiles next time, after all, she'll be a pro by then.

So serious!

Four Generations

G'ma Bev getting her hair done. Her stylist does a great job!

Last Friday, we ventured north to Alexandria to pick up a king size bed from my Grandma's almost-sold house (Thank you!) and to stop by her place for a visit. We managed to arrive precisely as she was getting her hair done, so we hung out with several seniors at the salon for awhile until she was beautified. It was nice to see her again and to introduce her to our little Milla. Here are some shots from that afternoon.

Four Generations . . . and Erik. :)

65, 7 and a New Beginning

A great night to celebrate much!

Tonight, over brats and Cafe Latte's famous Turtle Cake, we celebrated many things . . . my Dad's 65th birthday, our 7th wedding anniversary and my brother's move to Boston. It was a delightful night and I think that all of us would agree that it was a fitting way to say goodbye to year's past and hello to what will come. Best of luck to Steve as he ventures out East!

Steve and Erik looking "manly" by the grill.

Anja helped Grandpa open his present.

He requested a cake with chocolate and nuts; needless to say, we delivered! As Anja would say, "Scrumptious!"


Look at that delicious cake! My Mom has requested one for her 65th next year too!


Milla hanging out on the patio . . . next year she'll get a brat and some cake too.

Two Growing Girls!

Today Milla went to her four month check-up and as we thought, she's very healthy and is measuring off the charts for her height. She's 27 (!) inches, which puts her in 12 month clothing already (which makes sense because the 6 month pants I put her in today were like high-waters). We love watching her grow, but hope she stays a baby for us a little while longer!

Meanwhile, her sister who isn't even 3 yet, is wearing 4T and now 5T clothing and is 42 (!) inches in height. I ventured into the "Girls" section tonight and did not like what I saw. Anja's sizing puts her into the section that boasts Hannah Montana (yuck!) and other tween items. Help!

We are so very fortunate to have two healthy growing girls, even if they are growing a little faster than we thought they would. I guess it means that a trip to Disneyland can come a little sooner (yes!).

Four Months . . .

Look how long I am!

Milla is four months old today and continues to bring us great joy. Her newest endeavor includes rolling from point to point on the floor. Lay her down on a blanket and a minute later she's positioned herself in a new spot and is up on her elbows. She seems to enjoy her budding freedom, albeit only a couple of feet!

She's also beginning to like standing while you hold her. (Which makes burping her a lot easier!)

Tomorrow we go back to the new house to check things out . . . Anja and Milla will go for the first time. Anja can't wait to see her new purple bedroom and closet. She's got big plans already!

Selling our home!

We're taking on the for sale by owner challenge to sell our existing townhome. We'll see how it goes. The past week has been filled with long days painting, cleaning, and "staging" our home. The place is looking great and we've put it on the market.

Take a look at the website we created: www.662villageparkway.com

If you know anyone who is interested or looking for a new home, please feel free to pass on this information to them. It really has been a great place for us - it is just too small for us now!

Closing is Set!

The top windows are two of the bedrooms, and small middle one is a walk-in closet. The bottom windows are the front hall-way, bathroom and "flex room" (read: playroom). We can't wait to get a swing and some chairs for the porch!

About three weeks ago, in desperate need for a yard, basement and extra room or two, we set out to look for a new house. Alas, we found one that we just fell in love with (the first one we looked at). It's a former Hans Hagen model home with lots of extras, maple throughout, a full porch, and even a purple room with a walk-in closet for Anja. (Which Milla will probably fight her for in a few years.) We close on October 8th and are extremely excited. Here are a couple of pictures for the curious!

The backyard, complete with pond, (tasteful) fountain, and great pavers. The best part is the green lawn! Run, Anja, run! Top window is the master bedroom (vaulted ceiling!) and bottom window and door are the living room.

All of this means that our home at 662 Village Parkway is for sale! We are going to try "For Sale By Owner" until we get desperate. So, if you know of anyone who is looking at townhomes in the northern suburbs, let us know! We'll get an MLS listing and get a website up in a couple of days when everything is set. Meanwhile, here's some info:

For Sale!

Approx. 1820 sq. ft. - 2 bedrooms - loft - 2 1/2 bath - pool and kiddie pool (part of association) - quiet nature preserve out back porch - lots of windows and sunshine throughout - hardwood floors in kitchen and dining room - freshly painted - etc.!

The Summer Rolls on By . . .

All of us!

The past couple of weeks have been quite busy . . . so busy that we've neglected our blog. One of the highlights was welcoming my sister and her family to MN for a cousin's wedding. All six of them made the trek out from Colorado, complete with two of their dogs. We hope that they make the trip again because Anja sure loves having playmates (and Milla will someday soon too)! My brother also came with his girlfriend who flew in from Massachusetts. It was surreal having our entire family there. We were so happy that everyone made the trip.

Anja and Milla all dressed up for the wedding, which was held on a perfect summer evening in Sibley Park. Congrats Breck and Mitch!

Our feeble attempt at a family photo!

We're also putting our house on the market as we are quickly outgrowing it! Anja needs a yard to run, run, run!!! So throughout the past few days, we put the girls to bed and go gang busters cleaning, decluttering and organizing. Our home has served us well, we're just in desperate need of a couple more rooms, a yard and a basement. If anyone is looking at townhomes in the northern suburbs, give us a call! (I'll post a few pictures later.)

Milla has also started to use her hands. Anja loves handing things to her and is enjoying all of her developmental milestones just as much as we are. She gets super excited every time Milla does something new . . . wait till she starts crawling!

Milla holds onto one of our favorite toys from France, a Moulin Roty dragonfly.

Back to Front!

A mid-roll yawn . . . and finally over.

Milla rolled from her back to her front for Erik . . . I wasn't there to witness it but here are a couple of the shots he got! Since we took these pics last week, she's been doing it again. She's getting faster and more efficient!