Packer Mania

I guess we figured that since it looks like we are going to be here in Wisconsin indefinitely, we should probably hop on the Packer wagon.  It’s a pretty big wagon, so it wasn’t hard.  People here love their Packers.  And I’m not just talking casually.  It’s an obsession for many. 

It all started with the annual Chaplin Super Bowl party.  It’s pretty easy to cheer for a winning team, right?

I taught the kids a cheer:  “We are the Packers, we are the best and we will conquer!” 

From there it kind of snowballed:

Mike’s dad, Jim, had the opportunity to spend the month of March in Milwaukee for work.  One of the things he wanted to see while he was out here was Lambeau Field.  We’ve never really been, so we jumped at the chance.   My sister Amber was lucky enough to be in town for the blessed event.  During the tour you get to go through the tunnel that the Packers come out of on game day.  They have a recording of the announcer and the game day crowd playing as you go through.  The frozen tundra:Aren’t we a photogenic bunch? We struggle sometimes.You can’t leave this girl alone for one minute…I think a couple of other Packer Fans were made that day as well.  Jim’s Milwaukee office gave him a bunch of Packers loot as a parting gift. And although she’s required to be a 49er’s fan by marriage, I know secretly Amber now holds the green and gold near and dear to her heart.  We stopped at 5 guys on the way up to Green Bay.   Yum!  We love that place.  I think if I had to pick one food to live off of for the rest of my life it would be french fries.  Yes, I know that would be a short life.   I shorty but a goodie!

Go Pack Go!

Baby Ben

Can someone please tell me when this happened?

My little baby is all grown up!  I was rocking him to sleep the other night, which only happens when he is sick, and it hit me.  He’s not my baby anymore!  The mouth full of teeth, the running around, and talking all should have clued me in earlier, but I guess I have been in denial.   Here’s the latest.

He went in for his 18 month checkup yesterday.  He’s 27 lbs and 33” tall.  He seems really big for his age to me,but he’s in about the 70th percentile for both, so he’s not huge.  He is a healthy boy though!  I swear, all he does is eat.  As soon as he is buckled into the car he starts asking for snacks.  He runs to his chair anytime you ask if he wants food.  Some days it really feels like all he does is eat.  And make mischief.    He is my most mischievous child by far.  He loves to get into anything he’s not supposed to.   Then he will run by me with the evidence to see if he gets a reaction.  He loves to tease too.  He’ll steal my phone and when I ask for it back he backs away with a grin, saying nooooo.

He’s becoming quite the talker – his favorite words are book, bye, yah, no, snack, milk, mom, look (gook), Samantha, Carter, excuse me, and cracker.  He’s picking up on a lot more each day. 

He loves to throw things,  and always has.  He absolutely loves to play catch, and it doesn’t have to be with a ball.  He’ll throw clothes, food, toys, shoes, pretty much anything he can pick up. 

He gets sooooo excited to see Mike or I when we have been apart -  when I pick him up from Kid Care at work, nursery at church, or when one of us gets home.  When he hears Mike open the door after work he starts kicking his feet and shaking his high chair (we’re usually eating dinner).  He runs to him and gives him a huge leg hug.  It’s the same thing anytime he greets us.  We get a huge “HI!”  and some serious excitement.  I know it won’t last so I am thoroughly enjoying it. 

He’s tough.  He fell down the stairs to the basement the other day, landing on the concrete floor at the bottom. He cried for maybe 3 minutes and then was fine.  He was more upset at being held down yesterday at the doctor’s office than he was with the shots.  Usually you can ask him if he’s ok when he’s crying and he will say “yah” and stop crying. 

He’s also getting into the temper tantrum stage, which I am not enjoying so thoroughly, but we’ll get through it.   He’s such a fun, happy kid! 

Now I just have to get my hands on another baby. 

Save the rainforest and the animals!

We went to see Born to be Wild this morning.  It was all about orphaned orangutans and elephants and the people who help raise them and release them into the wild. 

After the movie, we were talking about why these animals are orphans and how humans play such a big part in these animals lives and the situations that they are in.  It led to a  discussion on what we can do to help.  They briefly showed a palm oil plantation in the movie and we talked a little bit about how the producers of palm oil are tearing down the rain forest and taking over the orangutans' home (you can read more about it here).  I asked the kids what they thought we could do to help.  they suggested we stop buying products with palm oil in them, donate money to these organizations, and do our part to help the earth.  Then Carter, my little activist decided that making signs was the appropriate way to spread the word.  In a compromise to keep him and Samantha from posting these signs all over the neighborhood, we decided to post this here.   So, from Carter and Samantha:

Don’t buy anything with Palm Oil!

 

The red and orange are warning colors, of course. 

We did go through our pantry to see what we would be giving up (nutella – ouch!), and the kids said they would do it.  It turns out that most things with palm oil in them aren’t that great for you anyways.  I can guarantee we won’t be perfect, but we are going to make a conscious effort to avoid buying palm oil.  It’s my way of teaching my kids that we’re a part of something bigger I guess. 

And honestly, it makes my little hippie heart happy.