Winter Lull.

Not quite sure why I named this post winter lull, because the energy level in our house is always high.  Maybe I am growing tired of the dull, gray winter weather, but Cullen and Simone seem to keep things lively.  Our little man continues to love sports.   In addition to skiing, Cullen is developing a love for another winter sport:  hockey.  Our good friend Charlie Nelson (born and raised in MN - the State of Hockey) cut down one of his sticks and gave it to Cullen.   Now he can't wait to set up his net and practice scoring.  Dirk and Cullen also started parent/child basketball at the local Y.  Last week's focus:  dribbling, bounce passes and defense.  Pictures to come....  Simone is still an avid reader.  Whenever things seem too quiet and we can't find our toddler, she is sitting in her bedroom looking at books.  Her all-time favorite is Goodnight Moon.  In fact, she insisted on bringing "Moon" to the grocery store the other day.  At the present moment, Simone's favorite member of the family is Camp.  She loves filling his dog dish with puppy food, giving him treats and tons of hugs.  It's funny because Camp and Cullen just co-existed and never really paid each other much attention.  Simone is absolutely enthralled with our pooch.  And most of the time, he doesn't seem to mind.

Potty Time.

Notice that the name of this post is not "Potty Training Time."  Simone has started to show interest in sitting on the potty.  However, she has no idea what to do once she gets there.  She keeps looking and waiting for something to happen and it nothing ever does.  We keep assuring her that sooner or later she will go pee pee on the potty.  It's a good sign that she is showing some initiative in the potty department; but we won't count on diapers being eliminated from our monthly bills just yet!

Cupid Littles.

Happy valentines day 2012!

Ski lesson take-away: Pizza Slice!

Cullen just completed his fourth ski lesson of the season.  The wonderful Steph Timmerman (also Simone's Daycare teacher) is the best instructor.  By his third lesson, he mastered the chair lift and Steph no longer uses the leash.  She said Cullen was apprehensive at first and kept sitting back on his skis, but after some coaching to lean forward, the little dare-devil now loves speed.  Steph still puts the edgie-wedgies on Cullen's skis to help keep them straight and allow for easy stopping.  As you will hear in the video, Steph is good at reminding Cullen to make a "Pizza Slice" when he starts to pick up too much speed.   Dirk and I now feel confident that he knows some of the basics and can take him out on our own.  But don't worry, we won't forget about Steph.  Mainly because Dirk and I love sitting in the St. Bernard Room Bar at Mt. La Crosse enjoying a pint or two while the little man is taking his lesson.  Simone also enjoys playing and snacking in the St. Bernard Room too.  When asked if she would ski with Stephie next year, she emphatically says Yes!  (I can only imagine the hell-on-skis she'll be!)