Trip to the Art Museum

This weekend was designated a mini-vacation from house project time--no trips to Home Depot, no conversations about lighting layout, and no distracted conversations with the cabinet guy.

Instead, we took a little trip with our buddies Sophie and Paige to the Rutger Art Museum for a breakneck-speed view of the artwork (so much room to run!) and a long pitstop at the floor height window at the top of the stairwell to check out all the cars (I don't care how famous you are, you aren't as exciting as the real, moving world).

Paige was particularly fond of the art installation involving pushing a button that started lights moving on a screen, so we all had to sit and admire the "moving colors". Sophie was insanely excited by bold, bright colored art in the Pop Art exhibit. Callum just liked telling Sophie and Paige "no touching" because he had already broken the rule so many times. He also started an exaggerated move that involved craning his neck and bugging out his eyes to prove he was "looking". They all enjoyed the children's art exhibit but only because it involved colored pencils for drawing and a child sized rocking chair. It was more than worth the museum's $3 admission fee!

For anyone keeping track...

This is what the back of the house look like now! (It's got to get worse before it gets better, right?)

2?

It's hard to believe but one of Cal's buddies turned 2 this weekend. Feels like just yesterday we were doing the rounds of one-year old birthdays and here we are at 2! Soon enough it will be our turn.

This little thing he is doing (in the birthday boy's playroom) is new. When a camera comes out he says "Cheese" and sticks his finger into his cheek as if to emphasize the point. If you ask me it defines adorable, which is why the blurry photo made the cut.

How to keep a boy entertained when the house is falling apart!

The continuing house works coincided with an unprecedented cold snap this weekend that left the house pretty chilly considering we have holes torn into the walls. It also managed to freeze a pipe. So, we were a crew in search of free things to do outside of the house. These include lots of time spent at friend's houses and the library. We also managed to hit another construction site nearby...that of the newly upcoming (and controversial) Rutgers stadium. This is a much more exciting construction site because it include rollers, diggers, and other things that only a toddler boy could love with their entire heart.

What happened to my house?!

This week marked the start of our house addition project...with luck it will be finished by the baby's birth!

Great Things are Happening at 20 Months

Callum seems to be developing a better sense that there is a baby on the way. We aren't fooling ourselves into thinking this means he understands the full implications but he can identify where the baby lives. And give it hugs...and kisses...
and a devilish big brother bit of mischief when necessary.

Becoming 20 months old seems to be a major milestone. He has started accurately identifying his colors and proudly discusses colors endlessly. His favorite is green and when we bring out the crayons he just holds onto the greens and instructs us to color with everything else. He is also able to identify lots of body parts and like to point out our feet and knees. Everything he touches, feels and does is narrated endlessly with astonishing 2-WORD SENTENCES! Cal-Cal cold. Cal-Cal nap. Cal-Cal chin. Cal-Cal garbage truck, etc. This also extends to telling us what to do...Mama cold? Mama color. Mama green car (which means Mama play with the green car.). Papa play? Papa tunnel (Papa, build a tunnel out of blocks for me.). We have also gotten the heart-melting "I love you" and one of Mama's favorites "More Kiss, More Hug". He's also constantly chattering about all of his family in Minnesota and clearly misses all the Minnesota love he got over the holidays. There is alot of conversation happening at our house.