Levi's First Steps

Levi started to walk a bit after his first birthday.  Once he got going, he just kept on going!  He quickly moved from a couple of tentative steps to traipsing around the house!  Now, he's unstopable!  He can practically run to something if he really wants it!  His one issue remains:  the momentous task of being able to stand back up without using a prop of some sort (i.e. mom's legs, a wall, the humidifier, a table or chair).  He has had many bumps and bruises, as one would expect, and usually takes it in stride like a little boy would! 

The Many Faces of Alena

Happy

Sad

Surprised

Innocent

Yeah, right

Hey!

Pure Evil

Alena's Third Birthday Party

Alena had a princess themed party for her third birthday!  While she isn't exactly a girly girl, she loves princesses just the same.  We invited all of the guests to dress up like a princess for the party.  Sadly, only Aubrey did so.  Levi dressed a little like a prince (and so did Daddy), and Mommy put a dress over her jeans. 

She received some gifts that she LOVES including: butterfly net (yet to be put to good use), rubber "outside ball," sunglasses, binoculars, dress up clothes & accessories, a backpack, her first barbie (that she already tore the head off of, twice.  I glued the head back on, but she ripped it off again), and a T-ball set.  

Alena & Aubrey got a chance to play Pin the Tiara on the Princess! 



Male cousin bonding

Ben and Levi having more fun together as Ben pushed Levi in the doll stroller

Alena "read" some of her own cards in her own humorous way.  Daddy helped her to figure out what the cards really said!



Alena got a gift box of dress up clothes, complete with necklaces, a boa, and some tutus.  She LOVED it!



Even Uncle Nick wanted to be a princess at Alena's party!

Levi getting more cousin cuddles from Aubrey

Stop with the photos, Mom!

The little princess attempting to open her new Tball set

Alena's "cake" was really a bunch of cupcakes!

Lighting the 3 candles atop the tree of cupcakes

She looks sweet eating her birthday cupcake!

Aubrey has rotten teeth... or just lots of chocolate frosting :)



Levi lookin' cute while eating his cupcake

   

Throughout the day, everyone was asking Alena how old she was turning, and every time she would reply, "I'm sixteen!"  Oh my!  Sometime she'd like to think she's sixteen, but we all know the truth!

Levi's First Birthday!

Our little guy turned the big one! We had a family party the Saturday after his actual birthdate. Levi seemed like he was a little overwhelmed with all that was going on around him, but he handled it fine. He's ever observant and calm. 



The big one year old!

The big sister

Checking out his new tank that he got from Daddy

Double trouble!  This pic sure is worth 1000 words.  Tells you all you need to know about this duo!

Hey, what are you doing, Ben?  Get your own!

Hey Little Guy, you gonna eat that?  Sure looks like it!  You're so cute!

Hey, how's your cake?  Check this out!

After his second piece of cake... he made sure to lick the plate, though I'm not sure he was actually getting anything off of it!  Looks like most of the frosting was just smeared around

This is fun!

Riding his new bouncy scooter after the big party

Alena's Dogsledding Adventure

Though the windchills were probably below zero, Alena and I (thanks, Dad, for staying home with little Vi!) traveled to Ledge View Nature Center near Chilton for their dogsledding demonstration.  When we arrived, the dog owners/dogsledders were already giving rides, but soon the dogs needed a rest! The dogs haven't been run as much this year since the weather has been so mild, with no snow! After stopping, however, the workhouse dogs at the back end of the line, near the sled, began whine.  They wanted to keep running!  We learned that the strongest dogs are near the sled and the front ones have to be good leaders (but not as strong).

  

Alena LOVED the opportunity to pet the dogs!  She went up and down the line about 10 times, petting each and every dog.  She got quite a few kisses and snuggles in the process!  Since the dogsled team owners have them as a hobby and as pets, they are also super friendly Siberian Huskies!



Dogs on both sides of the gangline got to sniff and lick her! 





And they're off!



Back end of the 16 dog team and the sled!



We got to ride in the sled, too!  It was so neat to think of how the dogs were actually pulling us, and relatively quickly, too!  Alena wanted to go again, but we had to let others have the opportunity as well.  I think that this program is a yearly one, and we will definitely be back again next year!  The Ledge View Nature Center was really neat, too, so I'm sure we'll be back there much sooner!

Lena's Shopping Adventure

We had a few last minute items to pick up before Levi's big party on Saturday, so we thought we'd tackle them as a family!  Alena whined that she wanted her own little cart, so I told Eric that she could have one, especially since he could keep an eye soley on her. 

You see, I allowed her to use a mini cart once when I was by myself with the kids.  Once.  The grocery store was relatively busy, and for a not-yet-three year old, the shelves and items on it are like a wonderland.  Of course she thinks she's just like Mama and can pick out whatever she feels she'd like in her cart.  On that occasion, among other items, she managed to go to one of the self serve bakery bins and swipe a croissant!  That was then end of it for her!  I threw her into our big cart as she screamed, cried, and solicited disapproving looks from fellow shoppers!

Again, I figured that since Levi was secured in the big cart and Eric was more of a tag along (as I had our somewhat short shopping list and know what I'm looking for), Lena could learn how to act with her little cart.  Well, at some point toward the beginning of our shopping trip, either I didn't hear Eric tell me to watch her, or he just got preoccupied  Last I saw, she was with Eric and I ran of to get the shopping done.  A few minutes later, I saw her in the Natural Foods section.  I was thinking, "Oh, Eric must actually be looking at something in this section, kinda odd... where is he?"  I looked around a bit, told Alena to put back a couple of things she was taking off of the shelf, and saw Eric round the bend from a different direction!  Apparently, she wandered all the way down an aisle by herself, and I just happened to catch her later (however Eric and I didn't say anything to each other about it at the time)! 

Assuming Eric would resume his supervisory duty, we continued on!  She'd try to put random items in her cart, including an industrial sized can of stewed tomatoes!!  Eric made sure she put those things back, and tried to steer her away from other shoppers.  Thankfully it wasn't too busy.  She said hi to every person she passed.  Most were surprised, and had a delayed reaction of saying hi back after she passed.  I had noticed she had a few things in her cart, and figured that Eric had put them there.  We made it out with everything we needed, and made it home in one piece.  Whew!

After the kids were in bed, Eric and I were talking about how funny Alena was as she stomped around authoritatively pushing her little cart, looking like she was on a mission!  We laughed as we remembered when she tried to muscle the huge can of tomatoes into her cart!  Remembering the few items she did have in her cart, I asked Eric what the gravy was for.  He said he thought I had put it into her cart!  Neither of us had!  I told him there was some tuna in the cart, too, and he agreed that Alena must have sneaked a can into there, too!  We checked our pantry (Eric had just put everything away without question as to the items), and found both had made their way home!  We were very thankful that we didn't end up with some expensive, exotic item (or an giant can of tomatoes) that I'd have to return!  We'll use the tuna and gravy, albeit, not together! 

As we laughed and talked, we realized that there was a period of time when she was all by herself, roaming the store!  I can only imagine what people must have thought as this cute, pint size shopper passed by them, pausing to hastily pick out some tuna and gravy!  I laughed so hard, I was nearly peeing my pants!  That's our girl!  She's our crazy, independent, strong willed, smart little bag!  Oh Alena!

Miss Manitowoc

Alena got the pleasure of staying up late to watch most of the Miss America pagaent while Daddy and Levi went upstairs to watch some playoff football.  She was so happy that she did!  When she saw the beautiful eveningwear that each woman wore, we put on one of her dresses.  She imitated the women's talents, as well, especially the ones who danced!  The whole coming down the stairs part is from the evening gown competition where the women carefully descended a staircase onstage.  She went to bed before Daddy & Mommy who stayed up to see Miss Wisconsin become Miss America!  Mommy was in TOTAL shock!  Miss Wisconsin generally never makes even the first cut!