Elmo and Olive

Question: Is there anything cuter than a clean baby in pajamas?

(See below for answer...)Answer: A clean baby wearing pajamas and his new ELMO slippers!!!!

Yes, I am the mother that shops at Wal-Mart and actually buys the slippers. How could I resist when Baker spotted the slippers and went crazy for them?! More fun with Elmo...

Earlier in the day Kevin took Baker to a flag football game. Baker had so much fun playing with his daddy at the game and again at home. I've heard about it all day..."Daddy! Daddy!" So sweet... We put Olive on her leash and Baker had lots of fun walking her around the driveway. He really loves the dogs. He says "King" very well. "Olive" sounds more like "Abby" but we know what he means and I think Olive does too. She doesn't seem to mind.

I'm trying to help Baker say "yes, mam" instead of "yeah" or "yep." This is proving to be a challenge, however, we're making progress. Today he said, "yes man." Close enough. And adorable.

Tulsa

We went to Tulsa this weekend. It was nice to spend time with Kylee and reconnect with friends in town. We ate dinner Friday night at Hideaway Pizza (one of our favorite places in Tulsa) and spent the night at the Embassy Suites. Baker loved walking around the hotel and playing in the fountain. He did not love sleeping in his pack-and-play. So he spent the night in our bed and proceeded to kick (in circles) all night. He was restless and HOT. And BUSY - even in his sleep. I always talk about wishing for a time when Baker will want to crawl in our bed at night...based on last night, I may be rethinking that... Okay - not really. Lost my head for a minute. We met Dan, Claudine and Sarah for lunch today at Cafe Ole (another fav) then went to their new house to check it out. Baker was enamoured of Sarah. She is in 4th grade and so sweet. Such a little lady.

Sarah took this photo of Baker and me. :-)

Drive-thru Safari

Nonnie and Peas took Baker to the drive-thru
safari in Gentry on Wednesday. (I got to go too.) We had so much fun watching Baker point and laugh at the animals. He would say, "DUCK!" everytime one of the emus pecked on the glass of the car. Baker loved feeding the goats. He tried to feed a chicken but didn't appreciate the chicken's aggressive approach to eating. He stuck to feeding the goats after that.
This is one of the few photos that has B's face in it...he was too interested in the animals to pose for a picture.
Nonnie and Baker talking to the pigs...
Baker was a little hesitant to feed them.
Baker walking around with Nonnie and Peas.
I like photos like this because you can see how little Baker is. I bet he will be as tall as my dad (Peas) one day...all too soon.

Dinner Party

Dinner Party!

Amy and I bought a "Dinner for Six" at a Saatchi fundraiser. (Charlie and Kevin were informed but involved in the bidding process...) Case Dighero and Steven Brooks came to our house and prepared a delicious five course dinner. I've included the menu after the photos. As usual, the photos tell the story better than I do.

This is an "art photo" that says absolutely nothing. I'll keep trying...

Veal.

Halibut - very yummy. The risotto was SO GOOD.

Rebecca and David Lucke

Married 16 years and still in love!

Becca and I were pregnant with Landon and Baker at the same time. They are BFFs.

Us. Kevin looks a little irritated and I don't know why. I think my hair looks very shiny in this picture. Maybe he's jealous. Or maybe he's tired of me talking about my hair.

Amy and Charlie Anderson

I can't remember how long they've been married but they are crazy about each other.

Kevin went to college with both of them and Amy has lots of stories to prove it. They have three gorgeous girls. Little Anna has a bday tomorrow. Happy Birthday Anna!

Case Dighero and Steven Brooks -- they're opening "Soul" on Oct. 2. We wish them the best - and of course, we'll be checking out Soul as soon as I return from New York (assuming we have money left after that...)

They did a great job with our party!! Everyone should hire them. Or just go to Soul and eat the grits.

Menu

Bruschetta with Stilton Blue Cheese, Toasted Walnuts, and Clover Honey Drizzle

Pomegranate Spritzer with Fresh Mint

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Cheese Grits
Kings Estate, Pinot Gris, 2002

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Shaved Asiago

Liedensburg, Sauvignon Blanc, 2005

Field Greens with Spicy Herbed Butter Crouton

BR Cohn, Chardonnay, 2005

Pan Roasted Veal Chop with Smoked Potatoes and AsparagusCristom, Pinot Noir, 2005

or

Grilled Halibut Filet with Mushroom Risotto and AsparagusWhite Oak, Chardonnay, 2006

Sweet Potato Pie ala ModeKennedy Coffee with Cordial of Grand Marnier & Creme Anglaise

Wednesday Woes

I tried to take a cute picture of Baker wearing his cool new T-shirt. Anita gave it to him and we LOVE it.
He was in a good mood but just not interested in a photo session.
The weather has been so beautiful the past few days. Baker and I met Kamron and Henley for a walk. Henley entertained Baker (as well as Kamron and me) during our walk. After playing in the driveway for a while, (i.e. riding cars, throwing rocks, etc.) Baker and I came in to get ready for bed. Without going into detail -- I'll just say that Baker was suddenly sick. Several hours later (and several loads of laundry later) Baker was finally asleep for the night - or so we thought... He had a restless night. That was 48 hours ago...and as of today, Baker still has a slight fever but he is on the mend and asking for "milk" and "juice."
Nonnie was here last night and today (Friday.) Baker loves his "Nonnie." She is a good audience and give him lots of love and attention. We picked out a new airplane at Toys-R-Us and Baker is very happy with it. It makes lots of noises and spins around. I'm sure it will be featured in a blog photo soon.

Good night from Settlement Lane...

Happy Boy!

Baker is happiest when he is playing outside. Lucky for us, today was beautiful! We had an impromptu play date in the driveway with neighborhood friends then daddy came home and the fun continued. I'm so happy that I can stay home with Baker. He's learning so much! It's fun to be here to celebrate his many milestones. A few of my favorite new developments include hearing Baker say, cat ("cack"), "amen" and "love oou." He also loves talking on the phone (this includes lots of heavy breathing) and finding an opportunity to call attention to his skinned knee (which has completely healed.)

Such a serious expression! B must be thinking about his knee "injury" in this photo...

Kevin One and Kevin Two

Baker loves riding in his wagon. (Thank you Nonnie and Peas!)

Glue Sticks

Baker enjoyed making a collage a few days ago. When he wasn't dumping the crayons, he liked playing with the stickers (notice his shirt below) and the glue stick. I think his trips to the MOMA and the Guggenheim paid off!

Razorbacks vs. Troy (Sept. 1)

We tailgated with the Toothaker's before the game on Sept. 1.

We had a great day - thanks to perfect weather and our wonderful hosts.

Kylee was a good sport - even though she really prefers OU. :-(

GO HOGS GO!

Tulsa Zoo

Baker, Kevin and I went to the Tulsa Zoo. It was Baker's first trip to the zoo and he LOVED it. He talked to all the animals, made friends with a goat in the petting zoo and impressed everyone by making lots of good animal sounds. Baker especially liked the elephants, the polar bear and the monkeys. We rode the train (choo choo) and Baker chose the elephant as his ride on the carousel. Something tells me we'll have to buy season passes to the zoo when we move to Tulsa...