Outrageous

Jen mentioned the other day about the blog and how we haven't posted for quite some time. Jeepers, I forgot about that place. Everybody's so busy around here, we're still getting settled in etc.

February, the depths of winter, while cozy inside...

Drew helping Mom with baking bread. He immensely enjoys helping wash dishes, cleaning up the house, putting things in order. Personally, I still say "thanks" in my head every time we clean up the toys and he helps with nary a complaint.

Drew feeding "pig", lunch in his kitchen.

These interlocking foam tiles have more then given back their monetary value in the few months we've had them. These tiles become Drew's office one day, the next their a jet, then a Zamboni shop, then a van, then a truck etc. In this picture they are a kitchen where he cooks up chicken and makes tea with his tea set. I would have never guess he could get a use out of a used tea set that Ankela (grandma) found in storage. He serves his stuffed toys on a platter and calls it chicken meat. My least favorite is when he hands me a platter with a small gray mouse (his stuffed mouse he calls "Mickey Mouse") on it and tells me its chicken meat... disgustingly gross!!!

Drew plays the tea set best when he has active participants. When Dad or Demitri aren't available, he sits his stuffed pig in the chair and serves him. However, in the event that Mom, Dad or Demitri act as participants, then the unlucky pig becomes a big piece of chicken meat that he serves on a platter.

Demitri settling down in Drew's kitchen to enjoy a cup of tea, with Drew looking on to ensure things in his kitchen go smoothly and to protocol.

Demitri doing one of his most annoying habits; putting on Mom or Dad's clothes and the next time you want your shoes, slippers or gloves you'll have to go look for them around the house.

Prince Demitri.

We made crowns from the edge strips from the foam interlocking tiles. Then we tried taking a family picture...

We didn't manage to get a family picture taken, thanks to Demitri. As soon as mom placed the camera in the 10sec timer mode and tried getting in the picture Demitri would rush over to the camera. I tried holding him but, then he'd turn upside or sideways, backwards every which way except upright in picture mode. If we could take the two boys and knock their heads together and maybe rub off a bit on each other, things would be easier.

Demitri stacking the Spiel (play) cans. They fit into each other or you can stack them and make a tower. He's been playing with these for months now and just recently discovered stacking them into a tower. Besides his miserable moments, he is adorable beyond words or pictures.

The boys (Demitri-left Drew-right) playing "eat in the essenschul (dining hall)". Just when you think you've seen the biggest whopper-of-the-imagination, Drew comes up with an even bigger one.

In this image the interlocking foam tiles are a jet. Demitri is the lone passenger while Drew mans the joystick controls up in the cockpit. We got the joystick controls from Goodwill and don't know what they were meant to control but, Drew finds all sorts of uses for them even though they aren't connected to anything.

Winter in the Midwest.

Yup, winter in the midwest is quite treacherous. Being that these are the plains, weather from the south, east, north west can blow through here with nary a hindrance. In the dead of winter it can in a few hours time turn from -20F to 30F. So our hockey season has been great and at times in peril from melting weather. As for traveling and the roads, for the most part our roads and driveways all winter have been covered in a 2 inch layer of slick, glossy somewhat uneven ice. Try driving, walking on that!

Drew clearing new fallen snow off the sidewalk with his John Deere Dozer.

Drew learning to skate on Havhal Arena (the Haven hockey rink). He uses his John Deere Dozer to keep on his feet. Demitri has a difficult time keeping upright on his shoes so of course he has to push something too!

Demitri dressing up to "geh orbitn". (go to work) Both boys like putting on dads mittens, hat and shoes and pretend their working, pushing around trucks and playing. Typical, typical boys to say the least.

Drew doing one of his activities that would make any parent smile; taking a book and sitting down to read it all by himself (or thinks he does). Though he prefers to read them with mom or dad, when he wants to take a rest from playing, this is his preferred method of doing so.

Drew working on his computer in his office. Aunt Vicky made him this house with the play mats and he moved in his furniture; a coffee table, chair and set up his small marker board that stands up and called it a computer. He was adamant about Demitri not going into his office. The computer must be a MAC or something because it kept breaking down like four or five times a day and he kept saying "computer veeduh feext." (fixed computer again)

Snack time at our house. Yes, for the most part I can say "the boys are a privilege to parent and a blast to spend time with."

A winter family picture during our Sunday afternoon walk. Despite the roads being totally treacherous, Drew insisted "papa lauf" (dad run) and papa would run and jump like a clown with Drew trying to keep up, all the while laughing like a hyena. To rest we'd lay down in the snow by the side of road, which allowed Demitri and mom to catch up to us to enjoy the snow as well.

Sorry for the slow blog start in this new year...

On the road (to Baker for Christmas) Drew engaging in his favorite traveling activities; sucking his two fingers while ready a book or staring out the window. Yes, like "true" Hutterites we had the minivan piled to the ceiling with cargo.

Unlike Drew who can ride in the van all day with nary a complaint, Demitri has his favorite activities as well; taking his shoes and socks off is first on the list. That way he can play with his toes, put them in his mouth etc. Boy, his flexibility has me jealous. Secondly, he keeps me busy; I have a full time job finding stuff for him to do, give him books to look at, toys to play with, give him attention, tickle him, talk with him etc. These activities don't last long, just a endless cycling of them changing every few minutes. Whew, talk about a long 10hr drive with him along.
On trips like this, stopping at McDonald's for a diaper change, getting something to eat, stretching your legs, walking boys around their parking lot is perhaps the best break you can talk when traveling with kids.
PS. One things for sure, all these child car seat makers have never sat in one. We expect kids to sit in them all day when in fact, no adult could sit on such a hard surface for more then 24minutes.

There is no bad time to play in a sandbox according to Drew and Demitri; this storage bin of leftover sand from the horseshoe game served as a perfect getaway from all the Christmas Party festivities.

Drew holding DJ (at the Christmas Party) while Demitri applies "the love". Pauline is refereeing in case of flying fur.

 Anton and Demitri advertising (At Christmas Party) for Better Lawn Furniture. Demitri isn't sure about sharing the chair with someone he doesn't know yet.

Drew opening his Christmas present. He's not sure about this one.

Demitri and Drew playing with friends during Christmas. (Green Acres, at Stan and Linda's)

Jonty Vetter presenting Drew with a special Christmas gift... a handcrafted John Deere Dozer for clearing snow off of sidewalks. The thing is meticulously made, finished down to the last detail, even decals.

Drew adjusting the blade angle on his new John Deere Dozer. He spent a good part of a 1/2 hr crawling around, looking inside, underneath, over the top of this new toy figuring out how everything works, making sure he knows the ins and outs of operating it before using it.

Demitri checking out a John Deere Gator (at the Christmas Party)

Drew got all excited about his Mickey Mouse ears. For him it's Mickey Mouse pancakes, Mickey Mouse is what he calls a tiny stuffed mouse that he sleeps with. An inside joke: we were making him a pancake shaped like a Mickey Mouse head and later on that day we were talking about my sister Vicky and he pipes up "a Vicky Mouse".

Drew playing doll house with his new friend Kaylee. So far he can play with most things including dolls on the odd occasion. (They had the greatest time, Tirzah built the house, they wrecked it...)

Drew and cousin Bradley with expressions of accomplishment after snacking at Grandma's house.

After all the Christmas festivities and visiting friends and family, its time to make the long journey back home again. Lets just say that when Demitri finally falls asleep when we travel, you want to do everything humanly possible to prolong this state for as long as possible.

Yes, Drew is every parent's "Dream Traveler". He went about both 10hr drives with nary a complaint all day. Takes everything in stride throughout the day long drive.

Daze of December is Upon Us

The first real snow storm hits us in the first part of December and were we ever ready for it. If you're from Minnesota and don't like snowstorms you're in the wrong state because the weather here is quite unpredictable and can change quickly.

Demitri and Drew watching the storm from our porch. We got about a foot of snow with 2 to 3 foot drifts out of the deal. Very nice introduction to winter 2009!

Drew and Demitri getting right to it trying to get a early start on snow removal that normally happens after the storm.

The big snow pile that gets made behind our dining hall from clearing roads around the place. Here the boys are playing on the snow pile. At some point the kids will make sledding paths down its side.

Demitri (fearless of all living creatures) playing with Duke the black lab.

Demitri warming himself in front of the fireplace after playing outside in the snow.

Drew sporting his Mickey Mouse cap and gloves, announcing "Ich orbit" (I'm working).

One of Demitri's latest, newest activities is sitting in Drew's bed all my himself and reading/looking at books.

I have all but given up on taking naps on the couch; whenever I lay down, it doesn't take more then a minute for two boys to notice, run over, clamor up and want to sleep with me as well. This would all be fine if they would actually sleep but they can't lay still for more then 10 seconds, then they start climbing around, going down to get toys, repositioning themselves, reaching for my glasses, standing up on my stomach... just not a very restful situation at all.

(Note Demitri's stool in front of the couch, he carries it everywhere to get where he wants to go, which is usually upwards.)

Last Weekends Events

Last weekend we had friends from Manitoba, Canada stop by for to visit, Manuel, Janet and two of their four kids, Kalen and Kirsten. Oh yeah, I got to sit back and relax from being the ox that the boys ride on for those evenings!

Manuel being the ox for the evening; he was heaving the boys up in the air and letting them down as if they were gliding down like an airplane. Kalen knew the drill but, Drew for whom this was totally new, didn't quite trust this makeshift launcher and so his glides back to earth weren't as smooth.

Drew sleeping (at least pretending to) in the laundry cart. Apparently, the idea of a human sleeping in places other then a cot or bed, seems totally new to Drew. He watched his friend Kalen sleep on the couch for siesta at our house and a week later he still lays down on the couch and pretends to sleep. During the day they lay down in the carts out on the porch so I guess he's going to ask to sleep out on the porch in the laundry cart one of these nights.

Kalen (Drew's newest friend) having a whale of a time in the basket cart.

Drew (4yrs old) and Kalen (3yrs old) posing with the interlocking mats and strips. Notice the near exact height despite the age difference.

Whoa, we nearly forgot Demitri in all this hubbub. Here's he was posing, putting on the charm, while wearing Drew's backpack. He's got a high mood and a low mood... we're still looking for the mid-range mood. Here he's planning to go visit Babushka in Canada.

Clean bundle of joy: your best chance to get a clean hug or a kiss from Demitri is definitely right here; right after he's been in the bathtub. Every minute thereafter your chances decrease significantly. Oh, did I mention he extremely enjoys the event of bathing. His favorite activity is to see how much water he can remove from the bathtub via splashing, carrying or moving it.

Drew our Lil' Helper and sometimes Demitri feels helpful too...

Drew enjoys helping out with chores, tasks, and anything useful that we adults do around the house. Things like helping dress Demitri, hanging the wash on hangers, sorting clothes, putting/carrying stuff to its rightful place.

Drew helping with hanging the newly washed clothes on the spider hooks. Demitri (in background) folding clothes OR at least putting them in his mouth for a taste test. He has to taste everything before he approves it for consumption, use or whether he will like it or not.

Drew playing Honey Bee Tree with mom where you try to slowly pull out the green branches without dislodging the bumble bees. The person who dislodges the fewest bumble bees wins. Its similar to "Pick up Sticks".

In the off chance that Demitri feels "grown up" he will attempt to eat his yogurt himself. He strongly detests your assistance with this task when he's in such moments. But, lookout! He may even get yogurt on you if you happen to be too close.

Drew posing with one of his favorite homemade shirts; the baseball shirt. I keep telling him he has wrestler arms.

Demitri so intently staring at his birthday cake. Nov. 19th was his 2nd birthday so we are officially "continuing" the "terrible two's". Taking the picture of him was the worst, he kept putting his tiny hands on the non-extinguishable candles so we quickly took a photo and removed the cake before he did one of his usual mantras of sneezing, touching, smearing, rearranging the cake.

Yes, Demitri thought the cake was delicious. And you shouldn't need a fork when eating cake; it just needs more water and soap for washing dishes in the end. Why not just wash the boy?