Same old, Same old

Not much has been happening in the Sand household.  We had a great Father's Day weekend with our families.  Now we are preparing for our trip to Breckenridge.  Look for a vacation post next week!!

Photo courtesy of Erin Eder

Happy traveler

All done

Birthday Throne

This past weekend completed the three-week celebration that was Ryan's 1st birthday.  Highlights included:

1) A new chair (thanks Drew, Erin, and Kate) - He loves this thing.  He loves it to the extent that he wants NO ONE else to sit in it.......Dad made this mistake and Ryan immediately let him know he did not appreciate it.  More than sitting in it, he likes to climb and jump on it.  As soon as he sits still for more than 30 seconds, we think he'll really enjoy it.

2) A birthday party in the park - Mother nature cooperated and we were able to enjoy a nice day in the park with some family and friends.  A special thanks to Drew "Uncle Smokey" Eder for whipping up some great pulled pork and to everyone that helped make it a great day.  

He wasn't overly enthusiastic about the cake, but he loved the playground......

 

Sat still long enough to read a little Curious George....

I thought Mom and Dad's choice for my outfit was kind of lame, but the 5-and-under female crowd didn't seem to mind...and it didn't stop me from mixing in up on the playground.

I'm just eating this so I can go back to the playground (in all fairness, this was really good cake, Ryan's pallet just isn't that refined yet)

Thanks to everyone for a great birthday!!!  I'm lucky to have great family and friends.....now when's my next birthday?   I'm ready for another one.....

Scholar Athlete

If Ryan's current growth rate continues, we're hoping he becomes a professional athlete and we can retire early.  

While we're a few years away from t-ball, he does seem to have a fondness for the written word.  He's really getting good at "reading" his books, which consists of him making noises as he turns the page.

Not giving up on our dream of being the parents of a professional athlete, our little bruiser is very close to being a full-time upright walker.  He's been falling quite a bit, but he's starting to get the hang of walking.....we're looking for jr. little league teams already.....

One Year?

One of the oldest cliches around - time flies when you're having fun.  As it turns out, it also flies when you're sleep deprived and have changed what seems like a Costco's worth of diapers.......

Hard to believe that a year ago today, a "tiny" 8 pound 11oz. bundle of fun joined Team Sand.  While he definitely has his moments, all-in-all we'd say he's a solid addition to the group.

To celebrate the big day,  Ryan had a weekend worth of family fun.  Highlights included a trip to the Naperville Children's Museum, a stroll in Lincoln Park Zoo, cruising in his new wheels (a wagon), and a nice dinner with mom and dad.....(okay, so the dinner was more for mom and dad for successfully surviving one year of parenthood).

Here's to a great first year.  Can't wait for what next year holds.....Happy Birthday, Ryan.

one cool dude

Ryan has been practicing walking with his push toys.  He really thinks he is something else as he walks.  He has also started showing off his dance moves (which consist of swaying from side to side).  Based on the dance skills of his parents, this is probably the most dancing he will be able to do.

  

Haircuts and Hanging out

Since people were starting to think Ryan was a member of Oasis, we decided it was time for his first haircut.  As you can tell, he looks so cute (and much more mature)!!

Kate and Erin came over to hang out today.  We tried to get a picture of Ryan and Kate together but Ryan was more interested in trying to touch, bite and/or grab Kate.  We will probably get a picture of them together by the time Ryan starts kindergarten.  

  

Birthday Celebration!!

It was another fun-filled weekend.  We took a trip to Dwight to celebrate someone's (who shall remain nameless) 31st birthday.

We had a great time hanging out with all the Sands.  When we got back to Chicago, we took advantage of the good weather and went out for some ice cream to celebrate dad's big 3-1....and even had time to stop by the park for some swinging.

April Fun!!

Little Picasso has been up to his old tricks.....creating masterpieces at daycare.  Like any true artist, he does his best work without the constraints of a shirt.  We're hoping the paint isn't toxic, because it looks like there's as much in his mouth as there is on the paper.


When his mean parents make him wear clothes, he's been sporting a Blackhawks sweatshirt in hopes of inspiring them to another Stanley Cup run.

  Spring Painting

Eating paint

Go Blackhawks!!

True Italian

Ryan showed his true Italian colors on Monday by scarfing down his first taste of spaghetti.  He liked it so much that he kept shoving it in his mouth without swallowing first.  Needless to say, it was a great big mess!!  


We've also enjoyed being outside lately.  Ryan loves the swings!  He also loves looking at dogs and watching other kids play.  

Not yet aware that spaghetti is about the extent of his mom's cooking

So cool!!

Silly monkey!

Swing time

Pull Up Challenge

We are pretty sure Ryan has entered into a contest with the kids at daycare to see who can pull themselves up on the most furniture.  Ryan must be winning because he is practicing all the time at home.