Double the Trouble

Oh, the Snow!

2009-03-01T20:17:00.001-06:00

Last night at dinnertime it started to snow! And when we woke up this morning there were 10 whole inches of it on the ground! I could hardly wait to get outside, and when I did, I walked in it, rolled in it, sat in it, threw it, ate, whatever I could think of to do! It was great!

Clare wasn't terribly excited about it. It came up to her waist, so there wasn't much she could do. She took a nap with Vati instead.

But have you ever seen so much white stuff?

Christmas with the Bernheisels, Part II

2009-01-09T14:03:00.002-06:00

When we left Pop's house we went right to GG and Great Great Grandpa Herb's house. Dinner was waiting when we got there, of course, and then we went right to bed. Sort of. Clare was really sick and stayed up all night in total misery. But it was OK, mostly, because GG and Great Great Grandpa Herb don't sleep much anyway.

The next morning was Christmas! And Mama and Vati rallied enough to feed us and let us open presents.
This is their Christmas tree. Don't worry. That's not all for us.
We let Great Great Grandpa Herb help us with our packages. We got lots of great stuff. Clothes and toys and books! Hooray!

After lunch and a nap we woke up to find more family than we even knew we had. Aunts and uncles and cousins, and even our favorite friend Amanda's family was there! We opened presents for a long time.
In our family, the youngest person in the room has to hand out presents. David's been the youngest for a ridiculously long time. He's happy to give up elf duty. He still helped me read the names, but I passed out the presents.
Then it was time for dinner. This was the biggest Christmas dinner at GG's house yet! There was lots to eat. Vati and I sat at the Cool Kids' Table with my cousins. Mama and Clare had to sit with the adults. I even got to eat GG's homemade custard for dessert from a salt cellar, just like my big cousin Michael used to do when he was my age. Everybody thought that was pretty funny, but it seemed like a good idea to me!

This is getting long, so we'll be back with more later!

Christmas with the Bernheisels, Part I

2009-01-03T14:45:00.002-06:00

Here are just a few pictures to help us tell you all about our Christmas!
To start off the season right, all the kids at my playschool had a very special Christmas program. Here I am with all of my teachers. Maybe later Mama and Vati will share the video of me and my special dance moves that became quite the hit during the musical numbers.
A few days later we had a cookie decorating party at my friend Olivia's house. Vati made gingerbread and frosting for me to take and I covered it with all sorts of fun decorations. Then Mama and Vati ate it all of it!
The next Sunday I sat through church with Mama and Vati while Clare stayed in the nursery. I had so much fun that Vati decided to take me back that night for the Service of Lessons and Carols. We even sang some songs that I knew!
We usually make our Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve, but this year we were scheduled to travel on Christmas Eve so we moved our schedule up one day. I had a great time mixing the dough, rolling it out, and decorating. Clare had an equally good time banging the dough with her cookie cutter and sprinkling decorations all over the table. Then she fell out of the chair. Oh well.
On Christmas Eve we went to Pop's house. We stopped in for lunch and gifts on the way to GG and Great Great Grandpa Herb's house. There were lots of fun toys there. Among lots of other stuff, Clare got a dollhouse and I got a train table!

Then we headed to GG's house, but that's another post for another day.

Birthday Boy

2008-12-15T20:38:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I haven't shown you pictures of my birthday yet! My how things get away from me in my old age.Anyway, here I am on my real birthday. Vati made banana muffins for me to take to school, so we put a few candles in one so that I could blow them out. I also woke up to a hallway full of balloons and a Happy Birthday banner!

Then, on Saturday we had a real birthday party with my family.
Pop grilled burgers and brats for lunch, and then we ate the pumpkin cake that Vati made for me. I was still pretty excited about Halloween, so I really liked the pumpkin cake. And I was really excited about singing "Happy Birthday." My guests were a little slow starting the song after my candle was lit, so I had to get them started.
Then it was time to open presents! My favorite part! I got a great track suit from GG, and Clare even got some gifts. Here we are playing with the tools I got from Mama and Vati. It was a great birthday.

Biker Babes

2008-12-11T13:42:00.000-06:00

Rumor has it that Joshua's been sitting on Mike's motorcycle for years now. This time I decided I'd scream until I got a chance to perch on it, too. What do you think? Is it me?

A Big Trip

2008-12-07T21:20:00.002-06:00

The weekend before Thanksgiving Vati and I went to Chicago for a little father/son vacay! No reason, really, just seemed like a good idea.
Our trip started a little inauspiciously as we missed our plane. But we quickly got back on track and arranged to get on the next flight. As you can see, that flight took place during my naptime, so I took advantage of the comfy seat. I fell asleep on the tarmac and didn't wake up until we started making our final descent. It was a good thing I woke up, though, since I was in charge of finding the blue train. Boy, did I love the train!
The night we took a bus to Mama and Vati's old 'hood and had dinner at Joy's Noodles. It was my first Pad Thai, but it won't be my last. The two gentlemen in the back told us they decided to eat at Joy's because I was so cute. Now that's a ringing endorsement! The next morning we went to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to see the butterflies. The rest of the time was spent eating, sleeping, and seeing old friends. We went to dinner in Greektown, visited my friend Tracy at the Heartland Cafe, ate some sushi, and saw Mama and Vati's pastor Greg.
We also visited Mama and Vati's old condo, where I spent 5 gestational months, although I don't remember that part.
One of the other highlights was going to a Dank Schule, a Saturday morning preschool program where I got to hear and speak German with other kids. Oh, and I didn't hate the part when I went to have dim sum with Uncle Dave.
But maybe may favorite part was staying in a hotel and sleeping in the big bed with lots of pillows. And even though it was the biggest bed I'd ever seen, I still somehow managed to find Vati and snuggle up with him for a good night's rest.

I hope we go back.

Fall

2008-12-01T07:42:00.000-06:00

When we went to Gran's house a few weeks before Halloween, she took us to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins! There were plenty of fun things to do like rearrange the pumpkins, dance with gourds, pose for pictures, and pose for pictures the wrong way!

Little Artists

2008-11-13T13:40:00.000-06:00

A few weekends ago we went to the Harvest Arts Festival at Lambuth. They had all sorts of crafty things for little kids to do. It wasn't quite my speed, but Joshua seemed to enjoy making his own tambourine at the symphony table. Vati and I? We just sat in the grass and looked at the leaves.

Little Monkey

2008-11-09T13:30:00.000-06:00

We went to Gran and Mike's house a few weekends ago for Mama's birthday. Joshua climbed his first tree with a little help from Mike.

Boo!

2008-11-03T22:24:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we had a great Halloween! I got the sweet end of the deal, by the way. This is Joshua's third Halloween but his first year to go trick-or-treating. Me? I got the goods on my second Halloween. Who says being the youngest is a bad deal?
Joshua wanted to be a pumpkin, so guess what I was? Maybe I'll learn to talk before next year so I can put it my own request. Here we are modeling our costumes. I got to wear mine to Kindermusik and Joshua got to wear his to school. He couldn't wait to take his off. I screamed when I couldn't leave mine on.
One night after I went to bed Joshua and Mama carved a pumpkin. Joshua designed it on the computer and Mama did the sharp stuff, but it looked pretty nice when it was all done.
Then we went to our friend Charlie's grandma's house to trick-or-treat. Mama made my treat bag the size of a sock, so I was done after about four houses. Joshua didn't make it much longer than that. We both had to be carried home. Do people really stay up past 6:30? I'm not sure how it's possible.

Joshua Bernheisel, Photographer

2008-10-22T10:07:00.001-05:00

Joshua fancies himself quite the photographer. Mama and Vati hold their breath and peer nervously out of one each as he runs around with mamas camera and captures his world on film. But it turns out that he's really not too bad! Here's some of his latest work.
Here's Clare in the car on the way home from the Harvest Arts Festival.

And here's Vati expertly getting us home.
Here's the fireplace at the AOII house. We stopped by to use the facility before we went to the barbeque.
Here's Vati hanging out in the bedroom, trying not to have a heart attack as Joshua roams around with a camera in his hand.
Mama and me are folding some laundry.

Just Not Getting Anywhere

2008-10-16T22:59:00.000-05:00

Sometimes Clare and I just don't feel like we can get anywhere together, but we're not sure why!

Four-Handed Fun

2008-10-12T19:45:00.000-05:00

Sometimes Clare and I like to have a little recital in the morning. Never mind that there's no music in front of us...we like to make it up as we go along!

Superstar!

2008-10-07T20:43:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday when we walked into church there were all of these great banners hanging from the ceiling. It took mama a minute, but she finally figured out that this was a picture of Clare. Our own little angel!

Climbing Revisited

2008-09-14T17:45:00.000-05:00

See, I told you so.

It's a Bird, It's a...

2008-09-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

OK, I know this sounds totally crazy, but my friend Charlie has a plane at his house. No kidding. Of course Charlie and I are more excited about riding our tricycles in the hangar where the plane lives, but I humored Vati long enough to sit in it for a minute. Charlie's dad even made a runway in the backyard. Maybe someday I'll take it for a spin.

Climbing

2008-09-08T14:04:00.000-05:00

Yep, that's what I do. If it stays still, I climb it. If it opens, I climb in it. If it rocks, I get in it. I climb, I climb, I climb.

Baldie

2008-08-27T14:02:00.003-05:00

Can someone get me some hair so I can stop decorating my head with lunch meat? Thank you.

Birthday Weekend

2008-08-27T13:52:00.002-05:00

Has it really been a month since we posted? Yikes! When we last left you we were getting ready to celebrate my first birthday! It was a great weekend!
Joshua and I played in the pool all morning and then had good naps. When we got up it was time for the party!
There were balloons and cakes and hamburgers and all sort of great things.
My Gran gave me a pretty dress with watermelons on it so we decided to have a watermelon birthday party. My Vati made his famous carrot cake and decorated it to look like a watermelon. The small one is mine because it's healthier. Whatever. I still ate the whole thing.

Then on Monday Mama and Vati took me to the doctor to get shots. What a great birthday present! I weigh 23 pounds and 1 ounce, which means that I'm finally back on the charts, but barely. My head, however, is still in the 99th percentile. That's me. Big Head Clare!

New Favorite Things

2008-07-27T21:15:00.000-05:00

Pop gave me my own set of Lincoln Logs last Christmas, and although I've pulled them out once or twice since then, I've really started to enjoy them recently.

I'm particularly fond of the cantilever. I usually let Mama and Vati get started, and then I start cantilevering away until I come up with something I like. This is just a little something I worked on the other day.

Big Boy Bed!

2008-07-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

We finally did it! We finally got rid of the crib, thanks to my friend Charlie who needed to get rid of his old bed to make room for a new one. Vati put it together for me and we kept it in my room for a few days before I officially started using it. Mama, who has definitely lost her bid for "Mother of the Year," decided that I didn't need bed rails because it was so big. Boy was she wrong, as she discovered in the middle of the night. I spent the rest of that night in the crib and we got some rails the next day. I even picked out my sheets and blankets all by myself. I'm still getting used to it, but I think I like it!

Just Hangin' Out

2008-07-20T22:01:00.000-05:00

Mama and Vati finally broke down and bought us a pool the other day. We both like it, but I get a little more mileage out of it. After a few instances of ending face-first in the drink, Clare usually decides to call it a day.
Here she is hanging out with Vati after biting it a few times.
And I dragged myself away long enough to join them.

I'm Just In to All Kind of Stuff

2008-07-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

Joshua doesn't know it, but when I wake up from my afternoon nap before he does, I get into all of his stuff!
The other day I crawled into his blocks wagon and slobbered all over his tape measure. I don't think he's onto me yet, so don't tell him, OK?

Can You Guess My New Favorite Fruit?

2008-07-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

That's right! Blueberries!

Vati's Day

2008-07-10T14:32:00.000-05:00

Sure, we're a little late, but we wanted to show you a little bit of our Father's Day.

First, Joshua helped Vati make his own Father's Day breakfast.
Later in the day, Vati spent a little time taking in the scenery with Clare.

In between, we went to Memphis for Korean food, Vati's only request for the day. It was really yummy and we think Vati had a good time, too.