Hanging with the Hansons

Happy Holidays 2011 - Hanson Style

2011-12-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from all of us to all of you!

For those of you that know us well, this means that it is time for our annual holiday slideshow.

Arik and I started this tradition three years ago, so the ability to look back at the kids is getting pretty funny. We sat down as a family tonight and watched all of the old ones before turning our attention to 2011. We laughed so hard! It is amazing to watch how much they change year over year.

Of course, 2011 was no different. Matthew graduated from kindergarten in June, and started 1st grade this fall. His teacher is wonderful and he is having a fantastic year. He likes to play t-ball and soccer, and has really turned into a fish in the pool. We just celebrated his 7th birthday in December. As you will soon see, Matthew's biggest change this year had to do with his mouth. He lost a lot of teeth! The poor tooth fairy almost went broke keeping up with him!

Like her big brother, Amy has also turned into quite the swimmer. Apparently our membership at the pool last summer was worth every penny! She also tried out gymnastics and can't wait to get into dance. She turned four in August, and is well into her pre-K year at her daycare. If you can believe it, she will be going to school next fall!

Arik's business is still going strong. He puts in a lot of hours, but it has certainly paid off!

Some of our other annual highlights include my trip to Puerto Rico in March, a family vacation to San Diego in August, and another little family getaway to Lutsen in October.

We want to sincerely wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.

Now go and enjoy our 2 minutes and 39 seconds of fun!

Matthew turns 7!!

2011-12-21T17:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it - Matthew is seven! Wow! As we looked back at pictures of this year, he has grown and changed so much. He continues to be an incredibly smart and creative little boy. He is doing so well in first grade, and we are so proud of him.

We had two birthday parties in one day for him this year! We had our family over in the morning for a birthday brunch, and then hosted six little boys at Grand Slam for an afternoon of mini golf, laser tag, arcade games, and birthday treats.

It was such a fun day. Happy 7th Birthday Matthew! We love you!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-21T17:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to once again reflect back on the many many things we are thankful for in our lives. Obviously, we are thankful for our two beautiful children and our good health. We are also forever thankful for having almost all of our family living within 20 miles of our home. Our children get to spend so much time with their grandparents, aunts and uncles. Plus, this year we have another family member to be thankful for - a new cousin!

We are thankful for the newest addition to our family - baby Bruno! Rocco and Meg welcomed a beautiful baby boy at the end of August. He is such a pumpkin, and the kids just adore him.

We are thankful in a rather tough economy to still be gainfully employed and living in a home that we own.

We are thankful for food on our table, and opportunities to get out and do the things we love to do.

Sometimes it is the basics that we forget to be thankful for - not this year. We are thankful for everything.

Happy Thanksgiving!

First Snow!

2011-12-21T17:27:00.000-08:00

It hasn't been a very snowy winter this year. The kids have been dying for some snow so they could head out to do some sledding. Because it is coming so late this year, I have a feeling it will still be here May!

Check out some pictures of the kids in our first snowfall!

Vikings

2011-12-21T17:23:00.000-08:00

Check out my little Vikings cheering squad. It is a tough team to support this year, but we have lots of purple pride! Go Vikes!

Halloween 2011

2011-12-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

It's Halloween time again! This year we had a Super Girl and a Transformer to take trick-or-treating. Uncle Aaron decided to join us this year, so it was extra fun! After a few blocks, we had all the candy we could carry (or so we insisted), so we headed home to enjoy it.

Check out our tiny carved pumpkins in the second picture.

Happy Halloween!

Lutsen

2011-12-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

This year, our annual trek up north took us further than we usually go. We always try to get the whole family together for a long weekend in Two Harbors, MN at our favorite resort - Larsmont. This year, not everyone could make it, so we gathered up those that could and headed to Lutsen!

It was awesome!

The weather was perfect. We got to spend lots of time hanging out together, eating, swimming and playing games. We also got to spend an entire day in Grand Marais. What a great little town! We spent most of our time hiking around the rocks on Lake Superior. The kids had a blast!

It is always fun to just get away and relax for a few days. We got to spend lots of time with Grandma Jane, Rocco, Meg and baby Bruno. We also got to see Tom and Mindy and their boys, Lisa and Bill, Fred, and Teri.

Overall, a fantastic weekend.

Grandma Jane's Retirement

2011-12-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

I never thought this day would come, but my Mom is officially retired! She didn't want a party, but she did allow Rocco and I to host a nice dinner in her honor. We held it at W.A. Frost, and included our immediate family and all of her siblings and their spouses.

It was such a fun night! Even thought we didn't officially have one of their party rooms, we did have a separate little room to ourselves. The restaurant owner was kind enough to let us do a custom menu and make the evening extra special. My Mom was a wonderful nurse for many years, and she deserved it! Congratulations Mom! We love you!

"BLB"

2011-09-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

In our world, BLB stands for Bryant Lake Bowl - also known as the best breakfast place in Minneapolis. We love it. It's small, it's simple, and the food is fantastic! We certainly don't head down there every weekend, but we go there a lot. The kids have even started calling it "BLB". It cracks my Mom up every time they say it.

A part of me wants to think they are spoiled rotten because it is such a familiar place, but another part of me just loves the tradition we have started. Arik and I like to eat good food. We don't like to eat at chain restaurants, and we hope this early exposure leads them down the same path. Support the local people. Pay good money for great food, and enjoy every bite!

Soccer 9.9.11

2011-09-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this little soccer cutie! I love it! This is, by far, my favorite sports uniform.

Tonight was Matthew's first night of soccer at Pearl Park. He played with the YMCA a couple of years ago, so it wasn't his first time on the field, but he sure seemed to enjoy it more tonight. He was great! He even scored two goals!

We couldn't be more proud of him. Our trip to DQ after practice was well deserved.

Good job Matthew! We are looking forward to lots of fun (and lots of goals) in the weeks to come!

Sentences ...

2011-09-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

Soooo ... first grade is off to a good start ...

I am kidding. First grade is actually off to an awesome start for Matthew. I think he is really loving his new teacher and the calmer environment of his classroom. There are less kids in his class this year, and the experienced teacher is making a world of difference.

However, the fact remains that Matthew has a pretty long day. By the end of it, those little ears just have a tough time following along. This afternoon he had some difficulty listening to his teachers in his after school program. I didn't get a lot of details, but it had something to do with a broom. Knowing how much this kid likes to sweep, my guess is that they asked him to put it away and he would not.

Therefore, he got to write some sentences.

Arik and I LOVE that these guys take an old school approach to discipline. They are totally on top of any incident that takes place. They always make the kids say they are sorry to whoever was involved, and then they need to write an apology note (or some sentences) about their behavior. It works really well, and the kids really respond. Plus, the added bonus is that they get some writing practice!

I saw this sheet of paper sitting on the couch after the kids went to bed tonight, and I totally cracked up. I just had to share it. Bring back any memories?

Matthew Starts 1st Grade

2011-08-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Can you believe the summer is already over? Check out our little first grader! Matthew was a little nervous, but mostly excited to head back to school today. His teacher, Mrs. Walter, seems really nice. We are hopeful for a great year with her! Welcome back to school buddy! We are so proud of you!

Baby Bruno

2011-08-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Check out the newest addition to our family! Bruno Warren Bonello is here to stay! He is so adorable. We went to visit them at the hospital on Sunday. Amy is just like I was at her age - she LOVES babies! She may have held him as much as I did while we were there. She couldn't get enough. She is going to be a great cousin to him!

We gave him the little panda we bought at the San Diego Zoo. Amy couldn't understand why he wasn't playing with it :)

We love you little Bruno! Welcome to the family!

San Diego 8.27.11

2011-08-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of our vacation. We are so bummed that we have to head home, but it has been such a great trip. We have seen so much of this area, spent time with family and really enjoyed our time together. For the most part, the kids have been really well behaved.

We stayed at the Hyatt in Mission Bay while we were here. It was a really nice hotel. It had a few water slides in the pool area, and we had an incredible view from our room on the 16th floor.

We spent our last morning back in Coronado. It was just too beautiful not to go back. The kids had a ball playing in the water again. Their blonde hair and blue eyes made them fit right in out here. They looked like miniature surfers!

After we packed up our stuff, we headed downtown San Diego to the Gaslamp area for some lunch and then over to Seaport Village for some ice cream. While we were walking around we got a text from Rocco and Meg that the baby was finally here! Bruno Warren Bonello arrived around 3 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 11 oz and was 22 inches long. We can't wait to get home and meet him!

Our flight home was uneventful. We thought the kids would sleep the whole way ... we weren't so lucky ... but they were really good.

Overall, excellent trip! We will miss you San Diego. Until next time ...

San Diego 8.26.11

2011-08-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

Day 5 - Coronado!

This town may rival Del Mar as our favorite part of San Diego. We had such a perfect day to spend there, and they have the most amazing beach. It is huge! The kids ran in and out of the waves and played in the sand for hours. I have a feeling we may be coming back here again tomorrow before we leave.

Just a beautiful place.

We met up with one of Arik's friends and her little boy for lunch at this awesome place. I think we may come home hooked on avocado because it comes on top of EVERYTHING out here, and it is so good. When we are on vacation, we always go with the food rule that we follow the crowd. We don't go anywhere we can eat at home, and we generally pick the place that is most crowded. It must be that way for a reason, right? This theory rarely lets us down, and today was no exception. Incredible food and great company.

We met up with Jeanna and the Ferrante's for one last mexican feast for dinner. It was great to see all of them again, and we are forever grateful for the "Paul Show" that kept the kids entertained. I have yet to master the paper roses, but I am working on it ...

We have had the best time in San Diego, and we are sad that our vacation is coming to an end tomorrow. We are anxious to hear about Rocco and Meg and the baby, but we could stay here for a long time!

San Diego 8.25.11

2011-08-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Day 4 - Legoland!

I am so glad that several people told us to go here before we left. Wow! It is like Valleyfair for little kids. Such a fun place! A huge thank you to the Bushaw's for hooking us up with some coupons to get in for significantly less than the asking price.

One of the best parts about the day was that we got to see Jeanna and Doria! We hadn't seen Doria since she got married 5 years ago! We got to catch up with her and Paul, and finally meet their kids, Rocco (4 1/2) and Mario (2 1/2). Such a fun day.

The kids got a chance to test their "driving" skills on a couple of the rides, see a 3-D movie, ride a roller coaster, go on a boat ride, and much more! If you can believe it, we were there for 7 HOURS!

Matthew got to pick out a little lego set before we left. He was super excited.

Since we weren't far from Carlsbad, we headed back there for some awesome mexican food and an evening trip to the beach. We got to witness the most perfect sunset over the water. It was an awesome day. I am sure it comes as no surprise that we topped it all off with a stop in Pacific Beach for some yogurt ...

San Diego 8.24.11

2011-08-30T18:59:00.001-07:00

First of all, let us start this post by wishing Arik a very happy 39th birthday! Nothing like a beach crawl to celebrate the big day! Right after breakfast we hopped in the rental car and headed north to Carlsbad. They have a great beach up there. After playing in the surf for a while, we stopped at this great cafe for some brunch. The kids worked up quite an appetite running in and out of the waves over ... and over ... and over ... again. They were hilarious.

After brunch, we headed south to Solana Beach ... or as Amy calls it, "Salami Beach". That one wasn't as impressive for me, but was still fun. Again, the water was freezing, so everyone just played in the surf and dug in the sand.

The next stop on our southern journey was Del Mar. This is, by far, one of our favorite areas in San Diego county. They have this really cute downtown area, and this awesome park that overlooks the beach. We didn't go in the water here, but we had a great time watching the waves roll in from above.

As we continued south, we made our third stop in La Jolla - another great little town. They have a really nice park there too, and this one has a rocky area you can climb around on in the water. The kids got a kick out of this, and even spotted some crabs down in the cracks. While I relaxed and listened to the waves, Arik took the kids over to the sandy beach area for some more running fun.

Our last stop of the night was Pacific Beach - AGAIN. We ate dinner at a different place, but ended the night at our new favorite spot - Yogurtland! Pretty sure this will become a nightly ritual while we are here.

Stay tuned for Legoland on day #4!

San Diego 8.23.11

2011-08-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

Day 2 in San Diego! Today ... we are heading to the Zoo! I can't think of a zoo I like better than this one. What an amazing place. We took the sky ride to the far side as soon as we got there, and then worked our way back to the main entrance. We saw polar bears, zebra, elephants, panda bears, tigers, giraffes, and a bunch of different monkeys. The kids got tired quickly, so we had to make an early pit stop for some lunch.

After a little water show and a trip to the kids area to pet and feed some goats ... we were good to go for a while.

To ease the burden on their little legs, we took a bus tour around the zoo for a while. You get to see about 70% of the zoo on this tour, so it was actually a really good use of time.

After about 5 hours at the Zoo, we were ready to call it quits. We picked up a little stuffed panda for Rocco and Meg's baby and headed out.

We went to Pacific Beach for some great pizza, and had our first taste of Yogurtland! Are you kidding? It was like kid (and maybe even adult) heaven. Picture a small shop with one whole wall lined with various flavors of frozen yogurt. The idea is that you pick up a bowl, fill it with the yogurt of your choice, stop at a toppings bar filled with fruit/candy/cereal/sprinkles/etc for added fun, weigh it and eat it! The kids still don't believe that it was yogurt. They both said several times, "This is NOT yogurt Mommy. This is ICE CREAM!"

Delicious!

Day 3 will be equally exciting. Read on!

San Diego 8.22.11

2011-08-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today is the official start to our first "family" vacation! That's right, we are heading to San Diego WITH the kids. We might be crazy, but everyone is really excited. Our day started off very early. Our flight left at 7:15 am, so we were at the airport around 5:30. We were a little worried the kids would be in meltdown city, but they were so good! I sat in between them on the plane, and they just colored, looked at books, watched movies and ate little snacks all the way there.

Since I was on parent patrol for the entire flight, Arik was on potty patrol. Anytime the kids had to go- he took them. It was an extremely successful team effort!

At the end of the flight we saw the cockpit door open. We were one of the last people off the plane, so we stopped so the kids could look in there. The flight crew was awesome, and invited us in to take a seat. Check out the photo! And yes ... you will see this again in our annual Christmas slideshow ....

Due to the time change, when we got to San Diego, it was only 9 am. We had a whole day ahead of us! We checked into our hotel, took a nap, and headed off to Mission Beach to introduce the kids to the ocean. The water was really cold, but the kids loved it! They just ran into the surf, screamed, and ran back out. They could have done this all day, but we eventually walked away to get some ice cream. That night we had an awesome dinner at this hole-in-the-wall burger place in Ocean Beach called Hodads. It was recommended by one of the valets at the hotel. Great place! By the time we left, there was a line out the door to get in.

Stay tuned for more San Diego fun!

Closed for Cleaning

2011-08-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

There is never a dull moment when Matthew is around. His creative mind is always coming up with some kind of plan. With our busy morning routine, there usually isn't much time for playing outside. However, this morning we did have a few extra minutes to spare. This is the scene I came upon as I got up to the driveway to get in my car. Nice. Garage closed for cleaning.

Are you kidding?

He was so proud, and had so many ideas about what to do next. Such a funny kid! Nice work Matthew!

Amy's 4th Birthday Party

2011-08-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

Check out the birthday girl! Today we celebrated the big #4 with our family favorites. Grandma Jane, Grandma and Grandpa Hanson, Uncle Aaron, Uncle Rocco and Auntie Meg all made it over for for the party. We had a light dinner and finished up with a tasty ice cream cake. Yum!

It was quite the "pink" day. The house was all decorated in pink, and it seems that almost all of her gifts were pink too! Amy got a couple of really cute outfits for Fall, and absolutely cleaned up in the Barbie department. Holy moly! I am not sure who likes them more - her or Matthew! One of the dolls came with a little wardrobe that opens up into a make-up table. She is in heaven! I don't remember being into Barbie this early in life. She sure is loving it.

It was a really fun day. She has really enjoyed being celebrated this week.

Happy Birthday Amy! We love you so much!

August 2, 2011

2011-08-07T20:46:00.001-07:00

Look who is four! Can you believe it? We certainly can't. How did that pink little bundle turn into such a lovely little girl?

She has had quite a day. We started the morning off with a breakfast celebration. Tinkerbell showed up in her oatmeal, and we sang happy birthday with a #4 candle in her toast! It was pretty funny. After she put on her favorite dress, we did a quick gift opening and somehow managed to still get out the door on time.

The cook at Amy's daycare is really sweet. She let Amy pick out whatever she wanted for morning snack. Being the funny kid that she is, she picked melon. Well ... Ms. Suzanne didn't have any melon today, but she did manage to bust out some awesome rice krispy bars with pink sprinkles on them. What a star! I had packed some special napkins, cups and straws for the kids to use. I think she had a really fun day.

Tonight we met up at Fat Lorenzos for dinner. Uncle Aaron was even able to join us. That was really fun. After dinner, we headed back to our place for some chocolate cake and ice cream.

Happy Happy Birthday Amy! Celebration number two is coming up this weekend!

Coffee Date

2011-08-07T20:34:00.001-07:00

Every weekend morning we either go out for coffee, or go out for breakfast. Arik and I both like to drink coffee, but neither one of us has any idea how to make it. I know ... we are retarded. We own a really nice coffee pot, a french press ... we have it all. It just doesn't taste good! Perhaps we just like the experience of having someone else make it?

For the past few weekends, we have done a divide and conquer with the kids because Amy has had swimming lessons. I usually take her, and Arik takes Matthew. One of our favorite places to go is Sunstreet Bread off of 46th and Nicollet. I get coffee, she gets a juice box, and the two of us split a "downtowner" a.k.a. the yummiest cinnamon bun EVER!

It is so fun!

Amy is just a happy kid and easy to be around. I always joke that I am terrible at playing with the kids (apparently too focused on all of the tasks that come with parenting!), however, I am really good at coloring! I could color for hours with the kids. My new favorite is using colored pencils instead of crayons!

It has been fun to watch Amy improve her coloring skills. She is getting really good at staying in the lines, and using different colors. The days of scribbling one color all over the page are definitely over.

I love my coffee dates with her! Cheers to fun family memories!

The "Carpet"

2011-08-07T20:25:00.001-07:00

Amy and Matthew are known for their "creative thinking" when it comes to playtime - especially with their grandparents! Give these two a few blankets, some pillows, and a plethora of old toys and the sky becomes the limit.

Last time they were at my Mom's house, Amy suggested that they make a "carpet" down the hallway. They did so by overlapping every blanket they could find, and then they added in some pillows and stuffed friends for fun.

They worked on this for quite some time.

A little later, they headed outside to play. Arik and I needed to leave, so I went in to clean up. After I saw what is in the second picture, I just couldn't take it apart. It was so funny. Amy has loved to "fluff" blankets and cover people up since she was a tiny little girl. It brings her such joy. She will fluff and fluff and fluff until the blanket is perfectly placed over whatever person or thing she is covering up.

Check out monkey and his new friends for the day! I laughed so hard I had to take a picture of it. This pretty much sums up every visit to see Grandma Jane! I am sure it takes her hours to undo all of the fun after they are gone!

No air ... in July?

2011-08-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

So .. in the midst of one of the hottest Julys on record ... the air conditioning went out at the daycare. They were hopeful to get it working again very quickly, but I got the call around 9 am that Amy had to be picked up. I brought her back to the office with me while I figured out a plan for the rest of the day. She spotted the Panera across the street, and was plotting out her lunch order as we walked into the building. So funny!

She was so good. She colored quietly at my desk for close to an hour. Of course, we had to walk around and say hello to some people Mommy works with before we could really get down to business :)

It wasn't long until I was able to reach Grandma and Grandpa Hanson. Lucky for us, they were home and willing to take on a companion for half of the day!

Needless to say, Amy and I hit Panera for lunch before I took her over there. It actually ended up being a fun couple of unexpected hours I got to spend alone with her. She is truly a delight. Check out her office art work! Amazing what you can come up with when you have a legal pad, some highlighters, and a bunch of different colored pens ...

Tumbling - The End.

2011-07-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

Tumbling has officially come to a close. Amy seemed to like it. Here is a cute picture of her posing with her little certificate. She was so proud of it. Her teacher also wrote a cute little note to her on it. She loved the energy that Amy brought to class ... she had a little trouble following directions ... but overall was a wonderful addition to the room.

There were a few nights during this session that I didn't think the poor teacher would get anything accomplished. It is pretty tough to teach a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds how to do gymnastics when they are nearing bedtime and they can see the playground outside through the windows. Just so many distractions! Don't forget the fact that almost all of the parents were in the room, so kids occasionally had to leave the mat to give their Mom a hug ... or go to the bathroom ... or just come over and say "hi" ... or play with their sibling... It was pretty humorous.

What you can't really see in the picture is Amy's little leotard, or "avatar" as she often called it. Such a nut! She was a good little tumbler. We'll see if we can find her some more classes this fall.

Matthew & Amy Go To The Dentist

2011-07-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

Our kids go to this great pediatric dentist office. Our most recent visit really counted as Amy's first official teeth cleaning. Her first trip to see them was about a year ago, and she was having nothing to do with it. I was so surprised. Matthew never had an issue with the dentist, and of our two children, she is by far more laid back. She just goes with the flow. Well ... not that time.

Unfortunately, she developed a huge cavity in her mouth last fall. We might have found it earlier had she cooperated with this first visit. Grrr. To make a long story short - we had to put her under general anesthesia to fix it. While she was under, they also cleaned her teeth, flossed them, and took her first set of x-rays.

Well .. let me say ... what a difference a year makes!

She was such a trooper this time around! She sat up in the chair all by herself (well, you will see froggy standing guard by her side). She put on the sunglasses and let them do their thing. She was so funny about all of it. She loved "Mr. Thirsty" (a.k.a. the sucky straw). She even picked out "cookie dough" toothpaste. It made me gag just thinking about it, but she thought it was great.

Matthew was such a superstar too. No cavities for either one of them. We were so proud! Good job kiddos!

Planet Spain

2011-07-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, my brother Dominic came up here for a family wedding. He had just gotten back from a semester abroad in Spain. He was sweet enough to bring the kids back some presents. Matthew's gift was this awesome Madrid t-shirt. It has a cool bull on it - he totally loved it.

Anyway, last week I pulled it out of his drawer and suggested he wear it to camp that day. This is how the conversation went:

Mommy: "Hey, you should wear this shirt today!"
Matthew: "Why?"
Mommy: "Because it is super cool. It has this awesome picture of a bull on it. Plus, if any of your friends ask you where you got it, you can tell them that your uncle got it for you in Spain."
Matthew: (looking at me like I was an absolute idiot) "Um Mommy ... nobody even knows where that planet is!"

It was the total comic relief I needed that early in the morning.

4th of July 2011

2011-07-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! What a day! We started the morning with some goofing around outside and a couple of errands. Then we were off to the Twins game with Uncle Aaron. It was so hot out today, and the kids made it through the whole game! We couldn't believe it. Our seats were in the direct sun, so we spent a lot of time walking around the concourse and eating (of course). The kids tried Dip 'N' Dots for the first time. That was a huge hit.

We also managed to share a pretzel, an ice cream cone, and some mini donuts. Ok, so we don't win any awards for our adherence to the food pyramid - but we sure had fun!

We definitely needed a cool down after all of our time outside. When we got home, we headed to the basement to lounge around and watch a movie in the air conditioning. After a light dinner and lots of water, we were ready for a quick trip to the Edina pool. This is turning out to be a great summer to have that membership!

Happy Independence Day!

Before I sign off, I just have to capture a funny conversation I had with Matthew the other day. It was ridiculously hot outside, and we were heading to the pool to meet Arik and Amy. He was just looking out the window at a stoplight and said this:

Matthew: "Mommy, what do you think would be better? A little fountain of water to play in or a giant waterslide?
Me: "Um ... I think a giant waterslide would be better."
Matthew: "That was my guess too ..."

Where does he come up with this stuff?

Upside Down Summer

2011-07-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

Both kids have gotten far more adventurous lately. Holy moly! Every time I look at them - somebody is either upside down or dangling from something! My Mom did a great job of capturing the craziness in these photos. So fun to see them smile! Enjoy!

Last T-Ball Game 2011

2011-06-30T18:54:00.001-07:00

Wow! That season went by quickly. Matthew officially had his last t-ball game on Tuesday night of this week. I would have to say that our team had the best hitters in the league. We weren't necessarily the best in the outfield ... but those kids could really swing a bat!

Matthew improved so much this year. Basketball totally wasn't his thing last winter, but he is a good little ball player. Next year he really wants to play machine pitch, but I think he has one more year of t-ball before they allow that.

Both Grandma Jane and Grandma and Grandpa Hanson were able to make it. We are so lucky to have them all so close, and the kids really love it when they come. Rod even took a few minutes to play catch with Amy. When I walked over toward them, she yelled out, "I caught 11 in a row!" So funny.

Enjoy the pictures. The navy crew did well this summer. Looking forward to our next sport - maybe soccer in September?

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day! What a fun day. Matthew was kind enough to wake us all up around 6:30 am. He was really excited that the tooth fairy had come to visit last night, so he thought he would show us all what she left.

Well ... when you are up ... you are up ... so let the celebration begin!

Our day started with some presents for Arik. Not super exciting, but the kids stayed true to things that he loves. We got him a gift card to Penn Cycle so he can get some new accessories for his bike, and a gift card to Caribou Coffee to feed his addiction. After presents, we headed off to our favorite breakfast location - Bryant Lake Bowl. It was awesome (as usual).

Next up - lawn mowing! Arik and Matthew took to the yard to show off their "manly" skills, and Amy and I headed to the store to get some ingredients for our evening BBQ at Aaron's house.

Overall, it was a great day. Our kids are lucky to have a Dad that loves them so much. Happy Father's Day Arik!

Toothless

2011-06-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

Meet our son. We like to call him "toothless"! I absolutely love smiles with missing teeth - especially the top two! Matthew lost one of them a couple of weeks ago, but the second one has been hanging on for dear life. Not anymore! It finally fell out yesterday when he took a bite of a donut. Funny.

Check out the photos of his gummy grin, and his complete delight in his tooth fairy loot! That lady is going to go broke with this kid! Hopefully he will give her a little break before the other two top ones fall out.

Breakfast

2011-06-19T19:05:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite things to do on weekend mornings is to go out for breakfast! I somehow got hooked on coffee a couple of years ago. Arik and I have determined we are horrible at making it ourselves, so we always find someone to make it for us on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

This Saturday, Amy and I went to breakfast by ourselves. Arik took Matthew with him to a work event, so Amy and I had "girl time" for a while. It was awesome. She is such a laid back and funny kid. We went to the Original House of Pancakes in Edina. If you have never been there - YOU MUST GO! It is fantastic.

Amy and I colored her kids placemat the whole time we were there. She was very particular about which parts of the picture I could color, and even more particular about which crayons I could use! She was so proud that we colored the entire thing. I can't believe we had time to eat our pancakes! Check out the picture of our masterpiece.

Before I sign off, I need to capture a funny conversation Amy and I had on Friday as we were walking down the street to pick up Matthew:

Amy: "I touched a martian before"
Me: "You touched a what?"
Amy: "A martian"
Me: "Where did you touch a martian?"
Amy: "Over there (pointing at a yard) ... and then I had to wash my hands."
Me: "Do you mean a mushroom? Did you touch a mushroom?"
Amy: "Yeah ... a marshmallow ..."

Cirque du Soleil

2011-06-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

On June 9th, the whole family set off on an adventure to see "OVO" the new Cirque du Soleil show that is in town. It was set up in a tent over by the Mall of America. Wow. What an amazing show! It certainly isn't cheap to go there, but well worth it. The kids loved it as much as we did.

There were a couple of acts that ran a little long, but overall, it was a fantastic show.

As we were sitting there waiting for it to start, one of the people that worked there walked up to our aisle and asked if we would like a couple of booster seats for the kids. Brilliant! They were so nice, and they actually had a really thick cushion on them so the kids were seated almost at the same height as an adult. It made all the difference in the world. For once, we could attend something without the kids ending up in our laps!

Overall, a wonderful night. The costumes were great, the show was great, and the kids were on their best behavior.

Check out the funny photos of Amy and I having fun with the hats that were for sale at intermission!

Why the guns?

2011-06-12T19:08:00.001-07:00

So I decided to take the kids to see "Kung Fu Panda 2" this weekend. We got to the show a few minutes early, so I let them run across the hall to the arcade. Wouldn't you know it, this is the game they ended up at. Why? Why are kids so obsessed with guns? We don't own any guns. We don't hunt anything. They don't even have any real life knowledge of them - yet they turn every other toy into one, and go running for them at a place like this. So weird.

Of course, I didn't actually let them play the game. I just let them pretend for a couple of minutes.

Definitely not a proud parenting moment, but the picture did make me laugh. Amy's gun is almost as big as she is! Crazy kids!

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

Wow! The day is finally here. Matthew has officially graduated from kindergarten!

Such a day of mixed emotions. Much of it was spent reflecting on the past year, and the rest looking forward to what first grade has to offer. Several of Matthew's good friends will be in his class again next year. We don't know much about his teacher, but we do know that she has been with the school for a long time. We are anxious to see how a year with an experienced teacher differs from what we had this year.

The graduation ceremony was short and sweet. The kids were called up one by one to get a certificate from their teacher, and walk down the aisle with their little graduation hat on. It was so cute. They had music playing in the background too.

Here are a few pictures from the day. I love the last two of Matthew and his little friends.

Let the summer fun begin!

The Last "Friday Folder"

2011-06-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

I got a little choked up when I took Matthew's "Friday Folder" out of his backpack this weekend. All year long, his teacher has sent this red folder home twice a week. On Wednesdays, it came home with district announcements, flyers for events, or offers for classes or sports. On Fridays, it came home with a note from his teacher, his homework, and all of his worksheets and art projects for the week.

This week - No homework. No worksheets. Just a note from the teacher.

This is the last "Friday Folder".

On Wednesday June 8th, Matthew will graduate from kindergarten. I can't even believe it! I can't believe how much he has learned and matured this year. Reading? Writing? Subtraction? In kindergarten? I swear we didn't do some of that stuff until first or second grade!

This year has been such a learning experience for all of us. It was a much harder transition than we anticipated. Matthew is our first child to go to school, so we really didn't know what to expect. On top of that, we had a brand new teacher, and a new principal. For a while, I think we all felt like we had a whole lot of new going on!

Our primary goal for the year was for Matthew to enjoy going to school. That was all we needed for kindergarten. We just wanted him to be excited to go to school every day. Of course, we wanted him to make new friends, and to learn lots of new things - but most of all - we wanted him to like it.

Mission accomplished - He loves it!

So, goodbye red folder. We will definitely miss you, ... but I have a feeling there will be a new folder to take your place next year in first grade!

The Little Tumbler

2011-06-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

As if the weekly music and Dancercise programs were not enough - the wee one is now tumbling! We just signed Amy up for a 6 week tumbling class at the park down the street. There were 12 kids there the first night. She really seemed to like it. It is for kids ages 3 to 6. She is one of the youngest kids, and is probably the smallest.

However, don't let her size fool you. I call her Mighty Mouse all the time for a reason - that kid is strong! Her little legs are all muscle!

Lately I have noticed that Amy is really good at just watching something ... internalizing it ... and then doing it. She was second or third in line for each of the tumbling activities. After watching a couple of kids do it - she totally had it down! They did handstands against the wall, forward rolls, and even got to pretend to be different animals for a while.

Her teacher, Alexis, was really cute. She appears to be a college gymnast or something - young and fun! I can't wait to see what they do next week!

Kindergarten Music Program

2011-06-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

To my dismay, Matthew's first year of school is coming to an end. The annual music program was a great way for his class to show off some of the things they have learned this year. Had I known it was such a big deal, I would have invited the grandparents to join in the fun! Next year - I promise.

There are four kindergarten classes at Hale, but the stage is so small that they could only accommodate two at a time.

You will laugh if you spy Matthew in the pictures. As you can imagine, if I didn't know that the program was a big deal ... I also didn't even think to dress him in anything other than his usual attire. Um ... when I walked him into school that morning, most of the girls were in dresses, and maybe half of the boys were wearing a dress shirt. One of his little friends was even wearing a SUIT!

Yep .... my child is the one in the front row (far right side - second from end) in the shark t-shirt and shorts. Oops.

Despite the informal clothing, the music program was a success! I was so impressed! The kids were up on stage for about an hour, and they sang 12 songs! There was a student that introduced each song, and some of the numbers even involved props and instruments.

They did a fantastic job!

I have been hearing those songs around our house all year. Matthew loves to sing. You wouldn't know it from the behavior reports I get from his music teacher ... but he is always belting something out around the house! Perhaps he takes after his Grandpa Hanson or his Uncle Rocco?

After the program, Matthew's teacher invited the parents to stay for snack and recess. It was really fun. Matthew greeted me at his classroom with this adorable card.

I just can't believe how much he has learned in this past year! Way to go Matthew! We are so proud of you!

Dancercise

2011-06-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of kid activities. I thought I would take some time tonight to catch up the blog! Sooo ... we enrolled Amy in Dancercise earlier this year. They actually bring the class onsite to her daycare, so it is really convenient. She goes once a week for about a half hour. I haven't had a chance to go and watch her class, so their little "performance" was my first chance to see my $38 a month in action!

The teacher, Mariah, is ADORABLE! The kids were pretty shy with all of the extra eyes on them, but I bet they have a blast when nobody is around. She incorporates all kinds of learning into the dance routines - counting, colors, sign language, and all sorts of fancy dance shoes! Now I know why Amy puts on different shoes every time she starts to boogie!

Here are a couple of pictures from the event!

T-Ball 5.24.11

2011-05-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the ball field! Check out our toothless t-ball star! Matthew has officially lost 4 teeth, and is well into his first t-ball season at Pearl Park. He can really hit the ball, and his fielding skills are really improving this year. It probably helps that half of his team is made up of kids from his kindergarten class :)

Enjoy a few photos from the sidelines tonight!

Derek & Katie Get Married!

2011-05-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my cousin Derek and his lovely Katie tied the knot. Their celebration kicked off a whole weekend of fun catching up with family we haven't seen in a really long time. Enjoy the photos!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have posted on this blog. There is a part of me that feels like a bad mother for not staying on top of it ... but I can't type that on Mother's Day!!

Today was great! Sunday is my day to get up with the kids, so we did our usual oatmeal feast at the dining room table, and then headed out on a walk down to Lake Nokomis. It was so beautiful this morning, and the kids were so good. We stopped to play at the beach park for a while, and came home to donuts and coffee with Daddy!

The three of them had picked out a great necklace and matching earrings from Banana Republic for me. I can't wait to wear them!

We hosted an early dinner for my Mom and Arik's Mom and then the six of us headed out for a Children's Theater production of "Annie"! It was awesome. Such a talented cast!

Overall, it was a great day. It was fun to celebrate being a mother, but also to celebrate being with my mother.

Happy Mother's Day!

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day (like most holidays around here) came a day early this year. We celebrated this morning over breakfast. The kids got some cold hard cash from Grandma Jane, and a few little presents from us. It seems they liked the money the best! Check out those smiles!

Matthew got a new red "skinny shirt", and Amy pick up a new red nightgown with black hearts on it & matching ladybug slippers. I saw it on a clearance rack a the Gap not too long ago, and I just had to have it. She is such a girly girl these days. She put it on immediately, and wore it to bed tonight. Such a funny kid.

Enjoy the photos, and enjoy the ones you love!

1.17.11 - Date Day!

2011-01-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess the official title of the blog post should be Martin Luther King Jr. Day ... but I like to just call it "Date Day" with my son. You know, I have been amazed at the number of days that Matthew gets off of school, but there is an upside to it all - I get to spend a ton of time with him 1:1.

Today was no exception. I dropped Amy off at daycare, and Matthew and Arik got donuts and coffee while I snuck in a quick workout. After that, Matthew and I headed out to the Mall of America. We went to Underwater World, ate lunch at Noodles, got some shopping done, and even went on a few rides. Overall, it has been a very fun day.

Matthew thought it would be a good idea for us to go on the log ride. I couldn't believe it! I took him up on it before he changed his mind. He was pretty nervous while we were standing in line ... but again ... it was his idea. If the ride would have ended after the first hill, he would have loved it! He was squealing with delight. However, there was a second hill. This one was a bit steeper than the first, and we got a little wet at the end. Add to that the fact that he bumped his face (not hard) on the padded thing in front of him ... and you guessed it ... there were some tears. He claims it was the worst ride ever, and he is never going on it again. We'll see about that.

After the madness of the log ride, we made a quick escape and headed home. He has been happily playing with his legos, and I have gotten a ton of stuff done in the kitchen. Cookies are baked, pasta salad is made, and things are prepped for dinner. I could get used to this whole "not working" thing.

Enjoy the photos!

1.14.11 Matthew Plays Basketball!

2011-01-17T12:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, so we officially signed Matthew up for a sport Arik can relate to - Basketball! There are 12 kids on his team, and 4 of them are in his kindergarten class. He is having a blast. He really doesn't seem to understand the game, but what can you expect from a 6-year old? The important thing is that he is having fun. They spend a 1/2 hour doing some drills, and then a 1/2 hour playing 3-on-3. It is pretty funny.

In the pictures you will see Matthew with James and Braden - two of his little buddies from kindergarten. James has a twin brother, Patrick, but he had stepped away for a few minutes when the pictures were taken. We'll catch him next time. These boys have so much fun together, and it has been really fun for Arik and I to get to know their parents.

I hope these boys maintain their friendship for many many years. One day they will look back at these pictures and laugh at how little they are. Such precious memories.

Flowers

2011-01-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

Check out the gift my hubby delivered to my office the other day! Aren't they gorgeous? I recently got a second desk in a different building, and I was complaining that it was a little bare. This was his way of filling it with love. Thank you Arik!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T19:05:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year 2011!!

For me, there is nothing more refreshing than the start of a new year. It is like the slate of life is wiped clean, and you get to start again. New goals, new ideas ... new everything!

In the spirit of starting the year off right, I thought I would share a funny conversation the kids were having in the car on New Years Day. It pretty much sums up our existence with the two of them:

Matthew: "Mommy ... when I get bigger, I am going to be a construction guy. Amy, what are you going to be?"
Amy: "A bunny."
Matthew: "You can't be a bunny! You can't change into an animal. Mommy ... Amy said she is going to be a bunny when she grows up. She can't do that!"
Amy: "YES I CAN! I can put on a bunny costume!"

Good point. I love them. Happy New Year!

New Years Eve 2010

2011-01-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

This year, we decided to spend most of our New Years Eve in Uptown with Aaron. Our first stop was Bryant Lake Bowl. We were afraid it was going to be really crowded, but we were pleasantly surprised to find the place rather empty. We had a little time to fill before our dinner reservations at Rinata, so we parked ourselves at the bar for a couple of rounds (just one for the driver, of course) and some lively conversation. We just love that place.

As we approached the 8:00 hour, we headed down to Hennepin Avenue to find our dinner destination. Rinata isn't big, but the food they serve is fantastic. Nothing like some high quality Italian fare to close out 2010! We ate ourselves silly, and then headed back toward our house to celebrate the ringing in of the new year at the Town Hall Tap.

We met up with our friends Leah and Sunny at our final destination, and had a fun champagne toast at midnight.

Hello 2011! We look forward to all of the excitement and challenges you will bring us in the next 365 days!

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas 2010 - Round 3

2011-01-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

Our third round of holiday fun was at my Mom's house. We spent all of Christmas Day hanging out with her and Rocco and Meg. Another fun day of eating, drinking, playing games and just catching up. We busted out the dominos, and got in several rounds of Toy Story 3 Uno. Even little Amy held her own with the games this year! It is amazing how quickly they grow up!

After an awesome dinner of filet mignon, baked potatoes and salad .... it was yet another round of GIFTS!

Again, regardless of whether or not it was requested or appreciated, the kids helped everyone with the unwrapping. The highlight of the night was Matthew's new orange cones and roll of caution tape that my Mom gave him. I think our house is going to be covered in yellow and black for a long time to come! He was in heaven!

We got our membership to the Zoo renewed, and so many wonderful gifts.

Nothing like two full days of family fun at Christmas. Again, we are so lucky to be able to do this every year. I don't know what we would do if we lived far away from our parents and siblings. It just wouldn't be the same. We have much to be thankful for this year ... and every year.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2010 - Round 2 - The Snow Fort!

2011-01-01T11:45:00.001-08:00

Our second Christmas celebration of the year was in Woodbury at Grandma and Grandpa Hanson's house. Grandpa had been working hard before we got there on this unbelievable snow fort! For those of you that follow us on Facebook, Arik did post a few pictures already. It was awesome. It took up about 1/3 of the backyard, and had multiple twists and turns. There were even a few carved out places for some action figures.

I think Matthew could have spent all day out there! It was super cool!

We spent most of the day hanging out, playing with the kids, and just chatting. It is always nice to just have a day to relax and catch up with family. Aaron was there with us all day too. Such a fun time.

After a wonderful dinner with meatballs, mashed potatoes, and lefse - it was time for MORE PRESENTS!

The kids pretty much "helped" everyone unwrap their gifts this year. It was pretty crazy. Aaron made sure that they both had new Badger attire for the upcoming year. We can always count on him for that. Check out Amy's smile - I think we may have a future Wisconsin alum on our hands. She can't get enough of that Bucky!

Diane sent Aaron on a scavenger hunt for one of his gifts. I think Matthew enjoyed it more than he did. I have a feeling the little ones will be sent on an adventure around the house next year!

Such a fun day. We are so thankful that we live close to our families and that we can spend this time together every year. The plan was to spend the next day at my Mom's house, so we just spent the night with the Hansons so we would be close. It was fun to do that. It was nice to wake up together and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. After everyone was dressed and ready, it was off to Grandma Jane's house for round #3!!

Christmas 2010 - Round 1

2011-01-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas started a day early at our house this year. We asked Santa if he could have our presents here on Christmas Eve, instead of Christmas Day. Being the swell guy that he is - he obliged!

The kids woke up at their usual time (around 6 am). We went out to see that Santa and Rudolph had eaten the cookies we left for them, and that Santa had left Amy a note on the table. He thanked her for the cookies, and especially thanked her for the tiny M&M cookie that she left specifically for Rudolph. He was very hungry when he got to our house!

Santa brought some pretty cool stuff this year. A new double-sided light saber for Matthew, a new doll with lots of clothes and a bottle for Amy, and piggy banks for them both! He even brought Arik and I some gifts. Arik got a cozy blanket, and I got a purse I had been scoping out at Macys. The guy is amazing! He always knows what will make us so happy!

After a nice breakfast, Matthew and I went out to shovel the new 5 inches of snow Mother Nature had sent our way. She is certainly working overtime this year! A few of our neighbors were outside too, so it made for a fun start to the day. It wasn't very cold out, so we spent a lot of time helping each other, and making sure everyone could get out of their driveway and down the alley.

After some much needed showers and getting the car loaded - we were off to see the Grandma and Grandpa Hanson for round #2!!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Happy Holidays ... Hanson Style!

2010-12-20T20:11:00.001-08:00

The wait is over! The 3rd annual Hanson family slideshow is ready for primetime! When you have three minutes of spare time, we invite you to sit back, relax, and laugh. We tried to capture all of the highlights of our year in about 60 pictures. As you have come to expect, this year's montage is also tied to a somewhat quirky ... stick in your head ... rather annoying Christmas song.

2010 has been a pretty eventful year for our family. It was filled with lots of "firsts" and lots of fun.

Early in the year, Amy learned to pee in a toilet. As funny as that is, as a parent, it is a HUGE milestone. No more diapers or pull ups in this house! Matthew lost his first two teeth. He started with the bottom two, but I cannot wait until he loses the top two. There will be many photos of that time period. I don't think there is anything cuter!

Arik and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in May. We left the kids behind, in the loving care of their grandparents, and spent a few glorious days in San Francisco.

In July, I turned the ripe old age of 35, and celebrated with a fun family photo shoot at Minnehaha Falls. I'm not gonna lie ... there are a few shots from this event in the slideshow.

In August, Amy turned 3! She continues to light up our lives with her spunky spirit. Sometimes her smile is so big I think her face is going to explode. She is so funny, and so sweet. We couldn't love her more. Her Daddy turned 38 a few weeks later, and well ...we think he is pretty great too. His business continues to grow, and he never ceases to amaze me with the opportunities he creates for himself.

Matthew started kindergarten in September. It has been quite the learning curve for all of us. What a life transition! Academically, he was so ready for it, but it was definitely an adjustment for all. His teacher is great. She is a recent college graduate. She runs a tight ship, but she has a lot of energy and Matthew adores her. As a parent, I can't ask for more than that. He is reading and writing like a maniac. He celebrated his 6th birthday a couple of weeks ago. He continues to amaze us with his creativity and what appears to be a neverending supply of energy.

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Enjoy the slideshow!

Holidazzle!

2010-12-20T20:06:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we took the kids to the Holidazzle Parade for the first time. We weren't sure what Amy would think of this, as she is often afraid of people in costume ... but it was a hit! They loved it. I think it helped that we got some fancy "dazzle lights" (as Matthew calls them) from a street vendor while we waited. The kids made it all the way to the end! We waved to Santa and headed back through the skyways to our car. Such a fun night!

12.11.2010 Matthew Turns 6!!!

2010-12-20T19:54:00.001-08:00

Can you believe it? Matthew is 6 today! I cannot believe how quickly time flies!

We had such a fun day with him. We kicked off the morning with presents over breakfast. This year was the year of the Vikings! Check out Matthew's loot - a new jersey, a new hat, and a keychain with his name on it. He loved it. We also got him some awesome new gloves for playing outside!

After that, it was time to get the kids out of the house so Mommy could get everything ready for our first kid party ever! We weren't sure the party was going to happen, seeing that the weather forecast called for 17 INCHES OF SNOW!! Amazing. We invited 6 little boys from Matthew's class over ... and all 6 made it!

We had a special guest at the party. Liz, the Kitchen Pantry Scientist, came to do some really fun science experiments with the kids. They made two kinds of goo, some magic potion, and did a marshmallow catapult across the basement. I never heard such giggles and squealing in this house. It was a blast! After that, we fed them some lunch, did cupcakes and ice cream, and opened some presents. By the time we were done, some anxious parents were knocking at the door to get their kids home.

The weather was wild. Who knew that Matthew would also get a blizzard (and not the kind you can buy at DQ) for his birthday?

We couldn't be more proud of the energetic and creative bundle we call our son. He challenges us in good ways (most days), and we couldn't love him more. Happy Birthday Matthew!

The Southdale Train

2010-12-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

As a parent, there is nothing better than unexpectedly finding something fun for your kids to do. We went to Southdale today to do some shopping. While we were there, we spotted this little training weaving around the main floor. What a riot! It was $3 for the kids to take a ride. Worth every penny! Check out those smiles!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

For us, celebrating Thanksgiving is practically a week-long event. We spent all of last weekend up north with my Mom's family. We took our annual trip up to Two Harbors and stayed at our favorite resort - Larsmont! Just about everyone made it up there this year. It was so fun! The kids spent a lot of time in the pool, and we got to spend a lot of time relaxing!

We spent Thanksgiving Day with the Hanson's. Rod and Diane hosted, and cooked an amazing meal. It was a really fun day. The kids circled all of the things they wanted for Christmas in the toy ads. It was so funny :)

Rod took them outside to officially light the outside trees. Matthew was beside himself. He and Amy loved every second of it.

We have so much to be thankful for in our lives. I can't think of a better way to spend a holiday, than reflecting on that, and spending time with the people we love.

Election 2010

2010-12-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

Check out that excited little voter! We took the kids with us tonight to vote. Our place is at a church across the street from our house, so it was really close. The kids were really well behaved while we voted - I couldn't believe it. They were so quiet!

As we were leaving, we discovered this awesome kids vote that Minneapolis puts on.

Such a riot! They do it for school-age kids, and they tally the results online the next day. Matthew got to fill out a ballot similar to ours. He got to vote for almost all of the same people. He loved it, and we loved it because it led to many "teachable moments" on the importance of voting, and how you decide who to vote for.

He filled in one of the bubbles that indicated he wanted to write in a candidate. I asked him who he wanted to vote for. He can't write that many names, so you can only imagine who he put in there! It was hilarious! What a memorable evening!

Halloween 2010

2010-12-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

What a fun and festive day! We started the morning off with some pumpkin carving. As usual, Mommy was the only one who would touch the "guts" of the pumpkin. Oh well, the kids had a fun time picking out their "features." Check out those diamond eyes on Amy's pumpkin! She was quick to pick out that shape. Should we be worried? I think so too ...

After pumpkin carving, we headed to the Mall of America to get some wiggles out, and show off our costumes. The kids got free hot cocoa at Caribou if they were in costume. Why not, right?

After an afternoon of fun, we headed over to the Studdiford's house for some trick or treating with Zach and Natalie. The Studdiford's live about two blocks from us, and their street is just so much fun. People really get into Halloween over there. The houses are decorated, the people handing out candy are all in costume - the kids love it! This is the third year we have walked around with them. The kids lasted about 3 blocks before their little legs started getting tired.

Such a fun day! Happy Halloween!

Amy's Tooth

2010-12-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

Poor little Amers developed this awful cavity on one of her back molars. I can't believe we didn't notice it until now! She is not a big fan of the dentist, and they needed like 45 minutes to fix it, so we opted to do it under general anesthesia at Children's West.

Wow, talk about a place that has their stuff together! They made the whole experience fantastic for all of us.

As many of you know, I am NOT a fan of anesthesia. I find it very scary. She was under for about 40 minutes. The dentist fixed the monster cavity, cleaned her teeth, did a full set of x-rays, and sealed all of her baby molars. She was pretty crazy when she woke up, but I think that is pretty normal. By the time she had a couple of freeze pops and some teddy grahams - she was good to go! No sticky foods for this little one anymore!

Goodbye fruit snacks. Goodbye fruit roll-ups. Goodbye suckers. Goodbye gummy vitamins. You are no longer welcome in our house. We are sticky food free!

Paying it forward

2010-09-25T19:43:00.001-07:00

We had a unique experience tonight. I took the kids to the Mall of America tonight to go on some rides (sorry, to clarify, this is Arik writing tonight). We had all intentions of visiting our neighborhood carnival, but it just wasn't doing it for us (read: We felt 99 percent of the rides were unsuitable and unsafe for small children). So, we hiked it over to the Mall.

As we were walking in the door, a woman approached us and gave us 15 "mystery tickets" for rides at the Nickolodeon Universe (Mall of American's theme park).

This is a huge deal because, A) These mystery tickets were good for free rides, 100 free "points" (more in a second) or free points for a year, and B) These points ain't cheap (i.e., they're $1 a point).

We gladly took the points. I thanked the woman. And, we went on our way. And, we had an absolute blast on the rides (burned through 50 points and probably about 10 rides each in three hours). And, we learned after presenting our tickets at the first ride, that we had one of the 100 free points tickets.

But, I couldn't help but think back to that woman. She could have easily just thrown those tickets away. Put them in her pocket and never looked back. But, she stopped me. And gave us those tickets. Without knowing who I was or what I was about. Without thinking twice.

Why would she do that?

Point is, it doesn't matter. She paid it forward. And, I plan on doing the same tomorrow and this week.

As much as we are constantly reminded how horrible and selfish people can be, it only takes a moment like this to remember how wonderful, giving and gracious people can be.

Think about that for a minute and consider one way YOU can pay it forward this week.

Matthew's first Twins game

2010-09-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

It's a huge moment for any father and son: your first Major League baseball game together.

Earlier this month, my brother and I took our Dad to his first outdoor baseball game in 20-some years.

This weekend, I took Matthew to his first baseball game ever.

We had a blast. We ate popcorn and mini-donuts. We walked around Target Field. We even met up with some of Matthew's Hale classmates who were also at the game. And, it was a perfect day (and the Twins won!).

All in all, I couldn't have asked for more for our first game together.

Hanson's hit the Fair!

2010-09-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

The annual pilgrimage to Roseville has come and gone. We hit the State Fair on Sunday afternoon and had a blast. I am pretty sure Matthew inhaled an entire bag of mini-donuts in about 3 seconds. He absolutely loved going "by HIMSELF" down the giant slide, and got to try out the Space Needle for the first time.

Overall, a good trip.

This year marked a big milestone for us - first year without a STROLLER! Woo hoo! The kids are growing up so fast, but it was so nice just to carry around a backpack for a change. Well ... I take that back ... one of us had Amy on our back for about a 1/3 of the time ... but she did a pretty good job. That is just a long way for her little legs to walk!

I am sure you all saw Arik's post on the cost of going to the Fair. Who would think that a State Fair would cost that much money for a family of four? Amazing. I would love to know what these events are like in other states. Do other people dream up crazy things to put on a stick too?

We tried a couple of new things this year - a breakfast burrito (not what I expected, tasted too much like a fajita), and some italian fries (total rip off). Outside of that, we stuck to the basics - mini-donuts, Sweet Martha's cookies, roasted corn and pronto pups! YUM!

Enjoy the photos. For those of you that follow me on Facebook, I posted a few more out there too!

Has the State Fair become too expensive for the average family?

2010-09-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

You tell me:

* Admission: $30

* Tom Thumb Donuts: $7

* Coffee/water: $4.50

* Breakfast Burrito: $3.75

* Six total rides of the Giant Slide (4 for kids, 2 for adults): $12

* Skyride for two kids and two adults: $11

* Two Pronto Pups: $7.50

* One cup of cookies and one small milk: $6

* One ear of corn: $3

* One chocolate malt and one ice cream cone: $8

* One order of italian fries: $4.75

Grand total: $98.50

Now, keep in mind, we split most of these food items four ways (the cookies, the donuts, the ice cream). This number could have been much, much higher.

However, when you look at it from a different perspective, it doesn't seem so bad. $25 a person for six-plus hours of entertainment. That's cheaper than a lot of other events we attend or activities we do. And, truth be told, we love the fair.

But, I'll ask again: Has the State Fair become too expensive for the average Minnesotan family?

Note: Photo courtesy of Mr. Outdoor Guy via FlickR Creative Commons.

Matthew goes to Kindergarten!!

2010-09-01T19:33:00.001-07:00

The day has finally come - Matthew has started school! Today was his first day of kindergarten at Hale Elementary. The school is just a block from our house, so it was really fun to walk him down there as a family.

Overall, I think the parents did pretty well. I had a lump in my throat all morning, and it just kept getting bigger as the moment to leave him at his little table grew closer. He seemed fine with it all. Just waved and said goodbye after a couple of hugs. I got out of there quickly, because the tears were starting to well up.

The school had coffee and donuts for the kindergarten parents in the cafeteria. That was fun! We took Amy down there, and had a little "snack" before we walked back to our house. We got to meet a couple of other parents - one of which had a child in Matthew's class. We are really looking forward to all of the people we are going to meet in the area with the start of this new adventure!

There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood, but not a lot of kids on our street. This is going to be great!

We got to tour the after school program, called Minneapolis Kids, yesterday afternoon. From what we saw - Matthew is going to love it! We wanted him to go today for at least a little while. His school day is from 7:30 to 2:00. He starts so early, so we were worried that he would just be exhausted. We decided to get him at 4:00.

When Arik and I got to the room where they were playing, Matthew looked up and said, "I don't want to go home yet!"

That's a good sign - right?

We are so proud of him, and so glad that he had a great first day! Good job Matthew!

Mini-Transformer

2010-09-01T19:27:00.001-07:00

Those of you who keep up on the blog know that Matthew is a HUGE fan of costumes. Well, on Monday, my Mom got him a new Transformers costume from Target. He was having a fun day with both grandparents ... and yes ... you guessed it ... they both spoiled him rotten!

Now that he has two costumes, he thought it would be fun to rope Amy into his obsession. Check out our little mini-Transformer!

It was way too big for her, so I rolled up the legs and sleeves. She didn't like that very much. She preferred them long and loose.

Never a dull moment with these two!

3-D Fun at the IMAX!

2010-08-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Arik got four free tickets to the new IMAX movie about the ocean. It was awesome. Our kids don't have much of an attention span, so we weren't sure how they would react to this new experience. They had never been to a movie like this before, and they had never worn 3-D glasses.

We contemplated sitting by the aisle so we could make a quick escape if we needed to ... but we didn't. We sat in the middle. Our seats were awesome. The movie was only about 45 minutes long, and the kids TOTALLY LOVED IT! You spend a lot of time underwater in this movie. I thought Amy might be a little scared. She thought it was great! At one point she even yelled out, "Mommy ... that dolphin is looking at me!" It was super funny. Thank goodness the movie was really loud.

After the movie, we strolled around the zoo for a few minutes, and then we headed off to Cecils for lunch with Papa and Tessa. The whole weekend was really fun!

Pre-School Graduation 2010

2010-08-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Today was Matthew's graduation from pre-school. Such a bittersweet transition for all of us. Tomorrow is officially his last day, but the little ceremony was today.

His teacher, Miss Andrea, led the kids through some of their daily activities so the parents could see how they spend their time. It was fun to see the kids fill in the calendar, say all of their "star words" and sing some of their favorite songs.

There were a lot of kids that had been part of Matthew's class for years that left the center earlier this summer. The daycare was kind enough to invite them back for the big day today. That was fun. It was nice to see some of those kids again. And I say "some" of them for a reason. There were a couple of boys that brought out the worst in each other when they were in the same class ... and it didn't take more than two minutes together to bring that behavior back today. Wow. Matthew turns into a different kid around these guys. I don't get it at all.

I was thinking that today would be really emotional, but it wasn't. I am sure the bad behavior had something to do with it. Overall, the whole thing was fun, but just so interesting to see the change in behavior in the presence of these boys. It has been so nice not to have them together this summer. We noticed the change in his behavior - both at daycare and at home - almost immediately.

In the pictures above, you will see Matthew's class, his teacher Miss Andrea and Mr. Jay. Jay is the director at the center, and has pretty much been like another parent to Matthew over the years. Mr. Jay is great, and he has always had a special place in his heart for Matthew. He told me the other day that the only things that have remained constant since the center opened four years ago are him, the cook, two of the infant teachers and Matthew. Awww ...

He is the last of the original crew. Amazing. Time is just moving too fast! We can't believe kindergarten is starting next week. Get ready for a major blog post with LOTS of pictures for that! We are so proud of you Matthew!

Happy Birthday Arik!

2010-08-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

Today, Arik is officially 38 years young! It is tough to have a proper birthday celebration when your birthday falls on a Tuesday ... but I gave it my best shot.

I got up when the alarm went off this morning (small miracle) and drove over to Mel-O-Glaze to get some hot tasty donuts. On my way home, I also stopped at Caribou to get Arik a cup of his favorite coffee. Then it was back to the house to enjoy these tasty treats with the whole family. Both kids were up by the time I got back. I had decorated the dining room the night before, so it was only fitting that we sit in there and eat our donuts on "Toy Story 3" plates (Amy's choice, of course). The kids loved it! Each of them helped Arik open one present.

He got some new ear buds that he wanted for his iPod, and some awesome smelling cologne from Banana Republic!

Just when you thought the birthday fun was coming to an end ... there was more! I stopped at this great place in Edina called Queen of Cakes on my way back from a meeting this afternoon. They do a lot of custom cakes (think Ace of Cakes from the Food Network), but they also have these 6 inch cakes in a cooler that you can just purchase. I got a devils food cake with Baileys mousse frosting (and no ... I am not kidding).

It was fantastic!

I kept it in the fridge at work all day, and even kept the car running with the air conditioning on when I went to pick up the kids from daycare so it wouldn't melt! It was SO GOOD! I will definitely go back there again. What a gem of a place!

Enjoy the photos!

Happy Birthday Arik!

T-Ball 2010

2010-08-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, the t-ball season is officially over for 2010. Check out our photos from the last night! We have a great picture of the cheering squad, one of Matthew and his team (well ... most of them), and a final shot of Matthew with his medal.

Thank you Southdale YMCA for six weeks of fun!

Matthew really improved on his batting skills this year. He hits the ball hard, and almost always gets it on the first swing. It was easy to see that he was getting into the game more this year. His field work could use some extra practice ... but that is what backyards are for!

Great job Matthew! We are so proud of you!

Happy 3rd Birthday Amy!

2010-08-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Arik and I are wishing Amy the happiest of 3rd birthdays today!

We aren't sure where the time went. Weren't we just looking down at her sweet little face in the hospital?

Wow! What a difference a few years makes! For those of you who don't have the pleasure of knowing Amy - she is quite the character. I often joke that her body isn't big enough to contain her personality - but it is so true! She has this zest for life that is really contagious. She can't be serious to save her soul, and she smiles so hard sometimes that it looks like her face is going to break!

She is funny, and smart, and expressive and willing to do just about ANYTHING.

We just love her so much, and couldn't be more proud to be her parents. Happy Birthday Noodles!

Amy's 3rd Birthday Party

2010-08-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

The official birthday is tomorrow, but we went ahead and celebrated the princess turning three today! What a whirlwind of fun. We woke up this morning to new scooters waiting by the fireplace. That was a huge hit. We had a couple of other little gifts wrapped up for her, but nothing compared to the new wheels!

After we got the "scooting" out of our systems, we headed to the Shoreview YMCA for some outdoor pool fun. They have a great kiddie pool with fountains spraying everywhere, as well as a huge lap pool for us to play in. It was really hot and humid out today, so a dip in the pool is just what the doctor ordered!

After some lunch, both kids settled into their room for a little rest. While they did - it became birthday palooza in the living room! Arik blew up balloons, and got the table all situated. I started prepping the food, and got the cupcakes in the oven. You can't have a birthday without cupcakes, right?

I tried this awesome new frosting recipe, and it turned out really well. Check out the cupcake picture above. Who needs fancy decorating kits when a ziploc bag with the corner trimmed off does the same trick? Not me! Plop on a piece of edible fun, and you have a masterpiece waiting to be eaten!

We were joined by Rod and Diane, Aaron and my Mom for the festivities. As you can see from the photos, Amy made out like a bandit. She got some new clothes, a puzzle, a swimming pool, some Toy Story 3 action figures and a new baby. Uncle Aaron made her day with the "peek-a-boo" baby from Target! What a hit!

We are so lucky to have so much family living close to us. It really makes celebrations like this special when you can share it with the people you love.

Stay tuned for an official birthday post tomorrow! Happy almost birthday Amy!!

Scooter Magic!

2010-08-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

Check out the new scooters! There was a lot a fun at the Hanson house today. I promised both kids they could get a scooter for Amy's birthday if she learned to sleep without her nuk.

Well ... she did it! And like any good mother ... I kept my promise.

Cool huh? Amy's is brand new, and Matthew's was a gift from one of my co-workers. Talk about a case of perfect timing! His kids had outgrown it, and they were planning on getting rid of it. When I mentioned that we were looking to buy scooters for both kids, he offered it up. What a nice guy! Arik washed it up, and took it over to a local bike shop to put some new grips on it. It looks awesome, and Matthew just loves it.

The kids spent a lot of time riding their new toys around the block today. Until next time ...

3rd Annual Reger BBQ

2010-07-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

While Arik took the kids camping, I spent the night catching up with old friends. My friend, Brittany, hosted her 3rd annual Reger BBQ at their beautiful home on Lake Minnetonka. It was so fun to catch up with people I haven't seen in a long time. When almost everyone you know has a young family, it is tough to get people together.

The party was a blast! They had some Famous Dave's BBQ, Izzy's Ice Cream, anything you wanted to drink, and an awesome round of fireworks to close it out.

Thanks for the great party Brittany & Mike!

Dumb Luck!

2010-07-21T19:57:00.001-07:00

Just pure dumb luck that I was able to capture this picture of the kids on my blackberry. We had just eaten a picnic dinner at the rose garden over by Lake Harriet. What a beautiful place. We tried to get over to the lake to watch an outdoor concert, but it was impossible to find a parking spot. Sooo ... we settled for the next best thing!

I love this picture because it is a simple reminder that - deep down - they really do love each other. There are days I wonder if they will ever stop fighting/screaming/hitting/teasing/etc! And then ... they go and do something like this.

Hugs to all!

Angela's 35th Birthday!

2010-07-18T10:26:00.001-07:00

Ok, the big day has finally arrived! I am half way to 70! Wow. For some reason, 35 doesn't really freak me out. I feel like I have earned that number. It actually feels just right ...

We woke up early this morning and took some family photos over at Minneahaha Falls. I can't wait to see them. It was really fun, and the kids were pretty well behaved. They started losing steam at the end, but that is to be expected.

After that, we met up with my Mom and headed to Bryant Lake Bowl for breakfast - our favorite. While we were there, I opened up my awesome new iPod nano. For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you know that my old one was stolen out of my car about a month ago. For that reason, this one will take up permanent residence in my purse!

My Mom brought a little cake with her, so after breakfast we headed back to our place to do it up right with some candles! Amy belted out her rendition of "Happy Birthday to MOMMY" and Matthew blew out the candles.

Wow, people sure know how to make a birthday girl feel special!

Let's Go Twins!

2010-07-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight was my first trip to Target Field for a Twins game. It was awesome. The park is great, and we got to see the home team beat the White Sox! Overall, a great night. Thank you to my husband for a fun early birthday present, and thank you to the Hanson's for watching the monsters while we were gone.

P.S. We have already eaten some of the glorious cupcakes - YUM!

Clean up your arms?

2010-07-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Today, I just have a quick Amy conversation to share.

She woke up wet this morning (a rare event these days), so I brought her into the shower with me to clean her up.

I had an early meeting, so I was short on time. However, I was wearing capri pants, so I needed to shave my legs. No time for the real thing, so I grabbed my electric razor to do a quick job before jumping into the shower.

Of course, mini-me was standing by and was absolutely fascinated with whole process.

Here is the short conversation it prompted:

Amy: "What is that?"
Me: "An electric razor."
Amy: "What are you doing to your legs?"
Me: "Just cleaning them up."
Amy: With a puzzled look on her face, she looked at my arm and said, "Are you going to clean up your arms too?

What would I do without her comic relief?

Michayla's 6th Bday Party

2010-07-11T19:06:00.001-07:00

This weekend Matthew was invited to his friend Michayla's (upper left in photo) 6th birthday party. They have been in the same daycare class for a couple of years. The party was at McDonalds in Apple Valley. The kids had a great time. There was lots of screaming and goofing around on the slides.

Plus - Matthew was able to get his french fry/chicken nugget fix for a while!

DQ x 2!!

2010-07-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

Can anyone really get enough DQ in the summer? We have been there twice this weekend! The kids used to be fine with a generic kiddie cone ... not anymore ... the witnessed Arik eating a chocolate dipped cone ... and there is no going back! I think every shirt Amy owns is going to be destroyed. I may have to invest in a special DQ bib!!

Enjoy the cute photos. The kids sure enjoyed their ice cream!!

"Mini" Mani/Pedi

2010-07-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Check out our evening fun. Who says you can't do a manicure/pedicure combo on a 2-year old? What a riot! Amy was admiring my pretty pink toes, so I decided to give her some too. We trimmed her fingers and toes, filed all of her nails, and applied a thin coat of my new nail polish.

Do you like it?

I even twisted up a tissue between her toes to space them out like I do my own. She loved that. Check out the top picture for your very own view. When we were all done, I had her sit in front of the air conditioner vent to dry! Hysterical!

Every now and then ... I just need to be girly with my baby girl!

T-Ball Time!

2010-06-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

The time has come for t-ball to start again! Yeah! Matthew did such a great job at his first "game" tonight. This is our second year of doing t-ball through the Southdale YMCA. They play once a week for an hour. The first 1/2 hour is spent practicing the basics - catching, throwing, hitting the ball and running the bases (of course). The second 1/2 hour is spent playing a little "game." I put that in parenthesis because they don't track runs, and there really is no winner or loser. Each kid gets a turn at bat. You get one base for each person that hits, and then the last hitter for each team gets to do a home run. Both teams get two turns at bat, and two turns in the field.

Watching them in the field is hysterical. The coaches (a.k.a. parent volunteers) really try to space the kids out and put them in a position. However, as many of you know, once that ball hits the ground - they all go for it! Before long, the outfield looks like a pile of five-year olds on the pitchers mound!

Oh well, it is all in good fun. Matthew seemed to enjoy himself, and that is all that matters. The first picture on top is of him catching a quick drink of water before heading up to bat. The second picture is of him coming up on third base, and the third is him up to bat for the last time tonight. Enjoy!

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day! What had such a fun weekend. We actually started the annual celebration on Saturday. We woke Arik up early with some presents, and headed off to Bryant Lake Bowl for some breakfast. It was awesome. It is, by far, our favorite breakfast place in the city. The kids love the bowling alley, and we love the food! It's a win win for everyone!

When we got home, we put the kids in the double stroller and went for a long walk. We started off following the creek, and then we crossed over the bridge and headed back to our house along the lake. The kids enjoyed our little pit stop at the beach park. They got to spend some quality time on the swings and slide before climbing back into the stroller.

On Sunday morning, we took another long walk. This time, we headed down Chicago to Turtle Bread. We split a sticky bun, had some coffee, and headed back towards our house along the creek. It was another beautiful morning for a walk.

As you can see from the pictures, we then headed off to Woodbury for some water fun at the Hanson's. Rod and Diane grilled up an excellent lunch, and set up all of this fun stuff for the kids. They had the pool out, as well as the slip 'n' slide. Everyone had a blast. Even the big kids (i.e Arik & Aaron) got in on the water fun!

Happy Father's Day to all of the great Dad's that we know! Enjoy the photos!

Amy Goes To The Dentist!

2010-05-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

We were due for Matthew's 6-month check up, so we decided to toss in an appointment for Amy and see how she did. Well ... she didn't like it very much. I forgot that Matthew was over 3 the first time we brought him. What a difference 6 months makes. She liked all of the toys and stickers, but wasn't real thrilled when it was time to get up in the big chair and open wide.

Needless to say, we didn't get a cleaning in for her. Just some teeth counting, and a discussion on getting rid of the beloved nuk. The time has come. Our goal is to have it gone by her 3rd Birthday in August. Wish us luck with that.

Matthew was a superstar this morning. He hopped right up in his chair and had his teeth cleaned in no time! Check out his shades. This pediatric dental clinic is awesome. In the second picture, he is showing Amy how to use the water toys. I love that they have these. Rocco and I used to play with these as kids!

At least we got Amy to smile at the end. She was definitely happy that we were LEAVING!

I haven't posted a Matthew conversation in a while, so here is a quick look at our walk back to the car. I was alone with the kids, so I grabbed Matthew's hand, and asked him to grab Amy's:

Matthew: "Hey Mommy!"
Me: "What?"
Matthew: "This is like a science experiment!"
Me: "Really? How so?"
Matthew: "Because ... (looking at Amy) ... small ... (looking at himself) ... medium ... (looking at me) ... and large!"
Me: "Wow! You are right! That is like a science experiment!"

Note to self: Teach son that women do NOT like to be referred to as large!!

2nd Lost Tooth!

2010-05-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? He lost another one! The Tooth Fairy is working overtime at our house! She was so proud of Matthew this time around that she left him TWO QUARTERS! He could not have been more excited. I am sure there will be many more posts like this to come. I hope the Tooth Fairy paces herself ...

Batgirl

2010-05-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Check out our little trouble-maker in action! This would never fly with Matthew around ... but when he is at daycare and you are home ill with Mommy ... the rules no longer apply. She had this on within 2 minutes of us getting home. What a stinker! She was so proud of herself. Enjoy the funny photo!

5.19.10 Uncle Aaron's Birthday!

2010-05-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Aaron! After starting off the day golfing with Arik, he golfed another round with his parents, and then we all met up in Woodbury for a big celebratory BBQ. As you can see from the photos, we had another gorgeous night for grilling. This time it was steaks and chicken on the Hanson's deck. Everything was wonderful.

Nobody lacks for help blowing out their candles with our crew around. Matthew and Amy were quick to jump in and help. We hope you had a fabulous birthday Aaron! Until next year ....

Grandma Jane's Birthday 2010

2010-05-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well, since we couldn't get together last weekend, we decided to do a joint birthday/Mother's Day celebration with the Bonello Clan. Another fun day was had by all. Rocco and Meg took my Mom to an art fair in NE Mpls all afternoon, and then we met up at our place for a BBQ.

The weather could not have been more perfect. Rocco spent most of the time teaching Matthew jokes. I am sure he will be the hit of the daycare for weeks to come! Everyone had a great time.

We grilled up some jerk chicken, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers. Very tasty. Plus, it wouldn't be a birthday celebration without cake and ice cream. My Mom loves anything with lemon. This year, I whipped up some tasty lemon cupcakes with homemade lemon frosting. They were the bomb! There was nothing healthy about them ... which is why they tasted so good.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-24T20:59:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! What a glorious day. Rocco took my Mom to the Twins game, so we spent the day "Hanson Style!" Aaron offered to host brunch at his place. It was awesome. He made french toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs with vegetables in them. Everything was fabulous. We contributed some Mel-O-Glaze donuts, so you can only imagine the sugar high on the kids after all of that. They were crazy.

We busted out the bikes, and everyone headed outside. The kids rode up and down the sidewalk, and all through Aaron's garage. It was funny.

Such a special day.

This year, Matthew made me both a crown and a medal. You will see in one of the pictures how great they turned out. How did he know that I was worthy of both?

Stay tuned for the next post when we celebrate Grandma Jane's birthday, and do a belated Mother's Day celebration with the Bonello's!!

5.6.10

2010-05-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

That's right ... Happy 10-year Anniversary to us! There is a benefit to getting married in 2000. I told Arik that day if he ever forgot how many years we had been married -he had bigger problems. We have a trip planned to San Francisco later this month, but I thought 10 years of wedded bliss was worthy of a night on the town.

I secretly arranged for Arik's parents to come over and watch the kids. I sent Arik little bits of information all afternoon via email. By the end of the day, he knew what time he needed to be home by, that he had to change his clothes, and that only a suit or shirt & tie would do. I didn't tell him where we were going until we were in the car. We had reservations at D'Amico Kitchen in the Chambers Hotel downtown Minneapolis.

It was really fun to get dressed up and go out on a "school night." We split a bottle of wine, ate some fabulous pasta, and topped the meal off with beautiful chocolate dessert.

To quote Arik in his toast for the evening, "Here's to 50 more!"

Lost Tooth #2!!!

2010-05-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Check it out! Matthew lost his second tooth this afternoon! He is so excited. I wonder what the Tooth Fairy will bring this time? She brought a silver dollar last time. I think she set the bar pretty high :)

Matthew thought that this time she could bring him a toy. He said that would make her the "Toy Tooth Fairy" - what do you think?

Bathtime Fun!

2010-05-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Matthew and Amy's favorite evening activty - Bathtime! The two of them are so funny in the tub together. They prefer to do them separately, so they can "swim", but throwing them in together really saves a LOT of time!

They love to put on their goggles and look at one another's toes underwater. It is hilarious. Enjoy the photo. We enjoy hours upon hours of watching them have fun together!

Downtown Mpls Fun

2010-03-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday morning we headed downtown to let the kids run through the skyways and see what kind of fun we could find. We thought we would take the train down ... but due to some early signs of crabbiness ... we drove.

As you can see from the photos, we found lots of fun! We first stopped at Panera to grab some coffee (for the adults of course), and a muffin. The first stop was a HUGE success. We even got to use the bathrooms - I am pretty sure that was a highlight of the day for Amy and her new potty training skills.

Then it was off to find our way to the IDS tower. In one of the attached pictures, you will see the kids laying head-to-head on the water fountain in the middle of the building. The water actually falls from several stories up, so it looks like it is raining on you if you lay down and look up at it. The kids LOVED IT! They could have spent all day there.

Next up - Target Field!! That's right, the new baseball park that is located just behind the Target Center. It is awesome. They were hosting a Gopher baseball game that afternoon, so we got to see the stadium in action. It was great. The photo of the two kids in the giant glove is from the stadium. The workers couldn't believe what a popular photo attraction that thing was. It was perfect. We debated buying some $2 tickets just so we could get in and walk around ... but we didn't. We figured we would save the fun for another day when we can actually watch the Twins play.

Although the kids loved it, I am pretty sure Arik loved this stop the most. The stadium is awesome.

After that long walk (and yes, both kids walked the entire way), we made our way back to the IDS Center for some lunch. A quick stop at Potbelly, and we were headed back to our house for naps. Whew! What a fun morning! Enjoy the photos and the rest of your week.

Como Zoo in March

2010-03-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought that we would spend the day outside at the Como Zoo on March 7th? What a beautiful day. Although I wish we would have gone to the MN Zoo instead, it was a fun morning. Check out the smiling faces on the giraffe statues!

We walked through the Conservatory first, and were pleasantly surprised to see the koi fished moved to the sunken garden. They are usually in the other one! Matthew was super excited to see the snakes at the other inside exhibit before we headed out to see the big animals.

It's ironic, as a child, I couldn't have cared less about the Conservatory. I thought the plants and the flowers were boring. I couldn't wait to see the animals, and collect those weird plastic figurines that were molded before your eyes in the machines that smelled like they were on fire.

Now, I feel the exact opposite.

I find the gardens to be beautiful, and the animal buildings ... well ... too small to house the animals that live there. It is unfortunate. Maybe it is because I am bigger, but the buildings seems to get smaller and smaller every time we go there. Overall, it was a good day, but I think we will hit the MN Zoo next time.

3.6.10 The First Tooth Is Lost!!

2010-03-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

Hooray! Another milestone in the Hanson household has been reached - Matthew has lost his first tooth!! The look on his face says it all. I was brushing his teeth on Saturday morning when I noticed how loose it had gotten. One little tug and it was out!

I don't remember ever having teeth this small. It was so tiny in my hand!

We put it under his pillow, and the tooth fairy was kind enough to leave him a shiny silver dollar! He was thrilled. He told Arik he was going to buy some boards at Home Depot (so he could hammer them, of course). Then he told him he was going to get a snowblower ... and then it was some new orange cones. Ok, so he doesn't totally get the concept of money, but his heart was in the right place. That money is destined to help him buy something he really loves :)

Enjoy the picture. It makes me smile every time I see it.

Potty Girl

2010-01-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am sure this post will come back to haunt me, but the pictures are so great - I just couldn't resist. Amy is working hard on her potty training. Not so much because she wants to get out of diapers and pull ups, but more so because she is dying to wear her "big girl" underwear. Whatever works, right?

She actually asked to sit on the potty this afternoon, so here are a couple of photos to capture her effort. Good job Amy!

It won't be long now!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T07:38:00.001-08:00

Although I am a few days late in getting this posted, I wanted to wish all of our followers a Happy New Year! I am looking forward to all of the new experiences 2010 will bring to our family.

Arik and I spent New Years Eve day without the kids. Our daycare was actually open, so we dropped off the two monsters and had eight hours of fun by ourselves! We had a leisurely breakfast at Bryant Lake Bowl (our fave), and chatted about both our personal and financial goals for the year. There are a lot of things we want to do in 2010, so it is going to come down to some good prioritization!

We spent the evening with our friends Kirk & Beth Studdiford, their kids, and another friend of theirs with a couple of kids. It was great. The kids played so nicely together, and they actually stayed up to ring in the New Year (New York style .. of course). We finally got them in bed at 11:30! Whew! I can't believe they made it that long.

On New Years Day, we lounged around the house for most of the morning, and then headed over to the Hansons to see Duane and Ruth in the afternoon. I can't believe how long it had been since we last saw them. They had never seen Amy in person - amazing! It was fun to catch up. They gave the kids some great books, and Rod even had a fun present for Duane. Check out the pictures above. I think the kids enjoyed it as much as he did!

Again, from our family to yours - we wish you a Happy New Year. May 2010 bring you the challenges that you need, and the rewards you deserve. We look forward to posting fun (and usually funny) things out here throughout the year, so stay tuned to Hanging with the Hansons!

Christmas Day 2009

2009-12-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

Having spent the night in Woodbury, getting to Christmas celebration #3 this year was a piece of cake! Snow? What snow? When you only have to drive a couple of miles down the road - a half a foot of snow is nothing! We spent most of Christmas Day with the Bonellos.

It was another fun filled day with lots of food and lots of presents. I think the highlight of the day was the kids making a snowman with Rocco and Meg out on the deck. Check out the photos - it was awesome!

Again, we couldn't be more thankful for the time we get to spend with our families during the holidays. We love it as much as the kids do.

We are looking forward to a wonderful new year, and can't wait to share bits and pieces of it with all of you! Stay tuned to the blog for the latest and greatest Hanson fun! Happy Holidays!

Christmas Eve 2009

2009-12-28T19:14:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from our Christmas Eve celebration with the Hansons. Diane made her famous meatballs, mashed potatoes, and lefsa. It was awesome. The kids were so excited to sing Christmas carols with Rod at the piano before opening gifts. And then ... there was chaos... Everyone got great gifts. We are so thankful to live close to our families so we can celebrate with them every year.

Due to the weather, we actually spent the night in Woodbury this year. It was fun. The kids had a blast, and it was fun to have breakfast with everyone the next morning before heading off to Christmas celebration #3!!