Sleepy Boy

If there's one thing that every parent has in common (well, almost every parent...some jerks have kids who sleep all of the darn time...no offense to those parents) it's that we worry about how much our kids sleep, we make plans based on when our kids will sleep, we pray that our children will sleep longer, better, and in their own room...you name it...if it has to do with sleep, then most parents stress over it. So, PLEASE tell me how my kid (NOT generally a good sleeper) can be playing, then all of a sudden lay on the floor and fall asleep...2 hours before his normal nap time, no less! I mean, honestly...Jeremy and I discussed doing a chalk outline! The thing is, he just looks so innocent and angelic when he sleeps. It reminds us of all of the reasons that we LOVE being parents. Then, he can wake up, and we are a little less high-strung about him shaking the wine rack, drawing on the floor, and bouncing on the furniture until it tips over. I guess God always DOES have a plan!

Brady, doing what he does best...

...Yes, that's right, he's being a dude. Just like his Uncle Blaise, he loves to hang out with his lacrosse stick, practicing looking cool ("This is Blue Ice": only those of you who have seen Zoolander will get that). And, in the bottom picture, he's showing off his milk-gut to all of the other toddlers playing shuffle board on the poop deck. Ahh, being a toddler is the good life!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, we know that it's not quite Thanksgiving yet, but we had the opportunity to celebrate a little early with our friends, The Johnstons. Yes, the same family who invited us along to celebrate Halloween with them (we are very lucky to have them looking out for us!). Brady had his first official opportunity to hang out with "the dudes". He played Foosball with all of the guys and definitely held his own (with the help of Jeremy, Jay, and Jack). I'm not kidding when I say that Brady's opponent (the kid in the red shirt) was serious...there was NO WAY that he was going to let Brady win.

Anyway, Brady didn't let things get too heated, and, after gracefully shaking hands with the other kid for a game well played, Brady spent the rest of the evening not eating and running around in the adjoining gym. It was actually hilarious...he really thought that he was playing with, chasing, and being chased by the other kids when, in fact, he was not a part of their games at all. He was so worn out by the time we left that he needed 2 naps the next day. We all really had a great time. Thank you, again, to the Johnstons!

A Ray of Sunshine...

...in an otherwise dark and stormy Belgium. Whether it's getting ready to brave the outdoors, or getting a few things done for Dad at the office, Brady makes everything happier and sunnier for us! (And yes, that's a calculator that he's conversing on)

The Buddies

It only took Paula and I 30 hours (ok, that's an exaggeration) to do a 15 minute walk the other day when Brady and Lou-lou decided that they wanted to explore everything on the way home. They had a blast kicking leaves, following the trash men, and making mad dashes for other people's houses (I'm sure they thought it was hilarious to see us huffing after them, trying to catch up). They are 2 of the cutest little stinkers that you will ever meet, and recently, they have been the best of buddies. We are very lucky that Brady has "Sisa" to motivate him!

Marlon Visits!

This past Monday, we had a wonderful visit from Marlon and his mama, Amanda. Brady and Marlon had a great time being mischievous throughout the house, and they played really well together. We love it when they visit!

Our trip to Prague

Last week, for a long weekend, we visited Prague in the Czech Republic. While there were so many beautiful buildings, bridges, clocks, and shops, we were most taken by one thing...the TGIFridays! I know, we're pathetic, but it was SO GREAT to eat familiar food in a child-friendly setting. They gave Brady a balloon and he was happy as could be while we ate. Prague was a truly beautiful city, but we would suggest going without kids...then you might be able to enjoy a concert or museum without worrying that the alarms will go off.