NYE 2009

We rang in the New Year with our college friends and their kids at the Wineberg home. It was very different from past NYE celebrations with the focus being on the kids rather than just a group of adults hanging out. Addie had a blast and stayed up until 10:00 - a new record! Even this morning when she was laying in her crib I heard her singing songs about all the friends she was playing with last night, it was so cute!

Love You!

Addie said, "Love You" for the first time tonight! How sweet!

Merry Christmas!

Santa and his Elves

We have been very busy lately preparing for Christmas and at the same time creating our own family traditions around the holiday. A tradition I had growing up was each year my mom would take me to see the Dayton's 8th floor display and then we would pick out a new ornament for our tree. We have continued this tradition with Addie and went to see A Day in the Life of an Elf last weekend. She really enjoyed the display and had fun running around to each of the different scenes with her friend, Ava.

We have also made two trips to see Santa - yes, two trips. The first time we went to Macy's downtown and anxiously waited in line with many other children to see Santa. When it was Addie's turn they brought us into a room and Santa was there waiting! Apparently seeing this large, old man sitting in this room was quite scary for Addie because she started crying almost immediately. She threw such a fit that they didn't even attempt to take a photo - not even a family photo! I was pretty upset at the thought of not having a picture of Addie with Santa, especially since we had been looking at last year's picture, talking about Santa, reading about Santa - I thought I was doing all the right things! So we decided to try again at the mall where it was more open and she could see all the other kids sit with Santa while she waited in line. When we got there Addie was so excited! She was waving to Santa, yelling "Hi Santa!" and talking about all the toys Santa had with him. When it was finally Addie's turn she ran up to him and asked right away to see his Elmo doll. He pulled it out for her and she grabbed it and ran away! He pulled out an Elmo book to lure her back, but it was still all over. She started again with the tears, screaming, and running away. The only time we got her back near Santa was to give back his Elmo doll and she quickly ran away again. Before we left, she yelled out "Bye-bye Santa!" loud enough for the entire mall to hear and that was it.

Snow!

Christmas Tree 2009

This weekend we picked out our 2009 Christmas tree. We got our tree at Pinehaven Farm in Wyoming, MN. I've never cut down a tree before so this was a first for both Addie and me. We were excited to go to Pinehaven because that is where Brian's family got their trees when he was a kid, but were sad to hear when we got there that this is their last winter being open. Addie had a lot of fun running around and looking at all the trees. They also run a hobby farm with many different animals that you can pet or just run around with. We all had a great time - even if it's not at Pinehaven, this will surely be a new family tradition!


































When we got the tree home Addie was very excited to "help" decorate it ("helping" is her favorite activity right now). It was so funny because each ornament that she "helped" hang on the tree was simply placed in the branches - she clearly did not understand how to hang the ornament on the tree!

Gobble Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My New Chair

Riley

Addie has been asking about her cousin Riley a lot lately. She hasn’t seen him in a while, so we decided a play date was in order. So this morning we went to the Children’s Museum during their Target Free Sunday. Surprisingly, it’s not too busy during these mornings and it really is free! Addie and Riley had a lot of fun together - they liked crawling through the ant tunnels, going on slides, climbing ladders and steps, playing music and playing in the leaves. It’s so fun for her to have a cousin so close in age. Thanks for the fun Riley!

Eagle!

Today we went for a walk in our neighborhood and we passed a house that has a wooden eagle in its front yard. When we walked by, Addie pointed and shouted, “Eagle!” I wouldn’t think too much of this, except that we don’t walk by this house very often, and I had no idea she even knew the word eagle. Addie’s vocabulary has just exploded in the past week. She is using so many new words and putting them together into phrases and sentences. It’s so fun to hear these new words and see her excitement in being able to express herself more clearly.

Happy Halloween!

We had so much fun with Halloween this year. Addie was much more involved in the preparation process, and got to go trick-or-treating!

About a week before Halloween we carved our pumpkins. Addie was very helpful in pulling out the seeds and in separating the guts from the seeds. She was very proud of her pumpkin... to the point where I was worried they would have to sleep in her room in order for her to go to bed that night. Luckily, we didn't need to go that far.

We spent another evening watching The Great Pumpkin. It was so cute, because Addie stood watching the TV with her blanket draped over one shoulder just like Linus! Her favorite character was definitely Snoopy and she liked watching him march and dance best.

On Halloween, we went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood and got to see all of our neighborhood friends in their costumes. After walking the "U", we went home and played with our friend, Hazel. We also handed out candy to about 60 trick-or-treaters! Addie was also a great helper and ran to the door the second she heard someone step on the porch. It was such a fun night, and we are already excited for how fun next year will be!

How I spent my MEA break by Addie Corbett

I went to the zoo with my mama and Grandma. Even though it was cold and wet outside we had fun. We spent a long time watching the fishes and even rode on a choo choo trian. It was fun!


Friday it was just me and mama. We went to our new club and I got to have my snack there and play on the slide. Later, we went to the store and I got a new baby. Then we fed the ducks. I like ducks.

Saturday we went to Uncle Eric's football game. They lost, but I thought it was fun because I got to run fast on the field after the game.


Sunday we went to the Children's Museum in the morning. I liked playing with the leaves in the blower, building towers, making music videos, and going shopping and eating food. After my nap we had even more fun going to the park and playing outside.



MEA is so much fun!

Pumpkin Patch

For the fourth year in a row, we made our annual trip to Pine Tree Apple Orchard in Dellwood. It was a chilly morning, but we had fun walking through the orchard and picking out the perfect pumpkins.



After a while Addie decided it was time to take a break, and asked if she could s*it (sit) on a pumpkin. Yes, I said s*it. Every time Addie says sit, it sounds like s*it. Brian and I think it's hilarious, but it has also become embarrassing at times. There was one day we were at the park and Addie asked if she could s*it on the turtle and the other family that was there just laughed. I quickly tried to explain what she was saying, and then they said, "Don't worry, we let things slip sometimes too". Ugh!

Twin Cities Marathon Finisher!

Congratulations Brian, we are so proud of you!

Apple Picking

On Sunday we went to Aamodts Apple Farm in Stillwater. Addie had a great time with all the fun activities they had. She fed some animals at the petting farm and got lost in a hay bale maze. They had an area where we could pick our own apples which she loved. She had a couple of firsts that day including eating an apple whole and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We talked with our doctor this week, and she gave us the "green light" on a few foods we have still been avoiding. Brian was a bit nervous giving this to her away from home, but she enjoyed her sandwich, and I am excited to have another option for a quick meal. :) We had such a great day, that it made it hard to go back to work today. I'm already missing our summer days together, but am very much looking forward to MEA break in a couple of weeks!

Babies

Addie is obsessed with babies. She has three different dolls, and she spends a good part of each day taking care of them. She feeds them, burps them, puts them nigh nigh, and will occasionally will take them on outings to the park.

18 Month Stats

Weight: 22 lbs 14 oz (30%)
Length: 31" (25%)
Head: 18.75" (80%)

Likes: Playing outside and at the park, bubbles, "helping" with dinner, taking care of babies, dancing, reading books.

Dislikes: Shots, not getting her way, not being able to do everything herself, being told "no", waiting.

News: Tonight Addie used her potty for the first time! She seemed very surprised by it herself and looked so proud afterward! I don't expect pursuing toilet training anytime soon, but it's exciting to know that will be in our future very soon. :)

Another Summer Weekend at the Lake

We were lucky to have just had a "bonus" weekend at the Lake! It's pretty rare for us to make it up to Siren after Labor Day but couldn't resist spending a weekend with temperatures in the 80's at the cabin. We had a great time playing at the park, around the cabin, and in the water. Addie was able to play with her cousin Riley and her favorite puppy dog, Dixie. She also got to spend some quality time with her buddy, Guy. ;)

18 Month Pictures

A sneak peek at Addie's 18 month pictures!

The Big 3-0

Last week I turned 30. The day had its ups and downs, but was mostly good. The down side was that I was stuck at school for 13 hours. The up side was I met with my adviser that day and completed all the final paperwork for my masters! I am finally done! I have been able to celebrate a few times with dinners at The Liffey, Northeast Social, and a salmon dinner at the lake. This weekend Brian also hosted a party for me and all my friends at Joe's Garage. It was a great space and so much fun to have all my friends together for a night. After being surrounded by such amazing friends and family it's easy to be excited about my 30's... bring 'em on!

No! Mine!

Tonight while we were eating dinner the phrase No! Mine! was shouted by Addie a number of times. At one point Brian looked at me and said, "When did she learn the word no?". Mine! has been a part of Adddie's vocabulary for a while now, but in the past few days she has acquired the word No! and has been quick to put the two together. I don't know if I should be proud of her ability to put words together into phrases or scared of what is looming around the next corner of toddlerhood...

I also think it is pretty funny that this is the topic of my 100th post. :) Way to go Corbettkid!

Labor Day Weekend 2009

What a week and weekend! On Monday I went back to work :( It was much easier than a year ago, but was hard none the less. It turned out to be a crazy week with trying to fit in time for Birthday celebrations, a triathlon, and Labor Day festivities (more to come on the big 3-0)! On Saturday I competed in the St. Croix Valley Triathlon and placed 6th in my age group! I was pleased with these results cutting 3 minutes off of my time from last year, and improving my placement (especially considering I am now competing in the 30-39 age group which is most competitive). Later on Saturday we headed up to Siren to spend the rest of the weekend at the cabin. We spent our time there playing at the park, on the beach, swimming, and going for boat rides.


#95 with the #1 Tri Fan




Playing fetch with Dixie




First ride on the jet ski (this was not a big hit)














First roasted marshmallow (went over much better than the jet ski!)


This weekend marked a great end to a fabulous summer. I do feel like it is time to get back at it, but am already a bit excited for the fun we will have together next summer!

Fall Is Coming...

How I Spent My Summer Vacation. By Addie Corbett

We went on our first family vacation to Duluth where we did things like hiking, swimming, and playing at the beach. I liked it there. I hope we go back again.


Mama and Dada took me to the cabin lots where I got to play with my Grandma, Papa, uncles, Cousin Riley, and Dixie.


I went to lots of parades. I liked the bands best. My favorite parade was on the 4th of July because I got to watch it with my Grandma, Grandpa, Great Grandma and lots of other aunts, uncles, and cousins. After my Mama and Dada left they even took my to watch fireworks!


We went on field trips with my friends, Ava, Henry, Mason, Cooper, Hazel and Ruby.


But my favorite part of summer vacation was all the fun I got to have with my Mama. We went to lots of parks, zoos, and lakes. I am sad Mama is going back to work and am already excited for next summer. I am very lucky to spend all this time with her!