T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!

We have been navigating new territory recently, with Luke wanting to be fiercely independent one moment, but needing to be picked up by Mommy and held the next. It is exhausting at times, but I also find his adventurous spirit very entertaining. We are in a transitional phase of Luke getting rid of his a.m. nap (R.I.P. morning nap- you will be GREATLY missed!), which has made for some interesting days of late with little to no routine or structure (which I crave!). The following videos were all taken within a 10 minute span of each other this morning, and capture how busy our days can be, as I chase my curious little man. They also show you how Luke should be spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E with a capital "T", but are so cute that I can't help but laugh!



I'm sure Winnie did not appreciate her brother's feet in her bowls! Notice how Luke has a guilty look on his face, but then asks to be picked up in order to give me a hug and weasel his way out of trouble?



We thought we were "baby-proofing" when we pushed our cushiony ottoman up against the dangerous fireplace. Who knew it would become a jungle gym as Luke attempts to turn on the CD player himself?



Flushing the toilet is the new exciting activity around here. I'm just glad it was closed and no toys were dropped in it before I caught Luke. My favorite part of this video is when he looks at the trash can (where dirty diapers go) and says, "Pee-eww", waving his hand in front of his face at the imaginary smell!

Seen and heard around town...

New favorite place to play... Unfortunately, most of the toys must come out before Luke goes in!


Here's the latest from Greenville:

Luke and I went to the post office a fews days ago as part of our weekly errands. The same postal worker that we always see behind the desk greeted us with his standard: "We don't mail kids here." After chuckling and smiling at this joke (which we hear every time we go into the post office and encounter this particular clerk), Luke and I proceeded with our transaction. I assumed the well-established mother-of-a-toddler position of: 30 lb. child in one arm, open diaper bag haphazardly slung over the other shoulder, keys dangling from my pocket, sunglasses perched on head, now-where-is-my credit card, if only I had one hand free to pick up the pen and this receipt.... while trying to make polite conversation with the postal employee. He then asked Luke, "What's your name, buddy?" and I answered for my 16-month old with limited vocabulary, "His name is Luke." At this point, the postal worker assumed a deep, guttural voice and growled, "Luke, I am your father.... May the force be with you!" The man chuckled at this witty statement, for surely, he must be the first person to (incorrectly) assume that we named our child after a Star Wars character. In fact, every parent spends hours, days, and weeks poring over baby name books, scrutinizing hundreds of names, analyzing every possible combination of initials, just to have a stranger sum it all up in one, thoughtful moment. Luckily, Luke was in a cooperative mood and just stared at the Darth Vader/Hans Solo impersonator, instead of melting down. Sometimes we love our daily errands. You just never know what you're going to see and hear around town!

Children's Museum

Tonight we went to the Greenville Children's Museum. It's an incredible new facility with many fascinating exhibits for children of all ages. Luke had an absolute blast, and we were very impressed by the variety of activities. 83 pictures and several videos later (first time parents, anyone?), we felt like we adequately captured our experience. Here are some of the highlights:


Toddler Lily Pad:
Mark and I made the rookie mistake of going to this exhibit first. Think giant water table... What began as gentle splashing ended up with Luke soaked to the bone for the rest of our museum experience (but loving every minute of his wet play!). Lesson learned.










Grandma Betty's Farm:
The animals were a big hit with Luke. He wanted to "feed" them the apple that he found. We also found it hilarious that so much effort and concentration went into pushing this wheelbarrow when it had such a small load!








Science Center:
Luke was fascinated by the anatomical exhibit of the heart. Is he his Mommy's boy or what? I see a career in healthcare in Luke's future. Mark was equally pleased when Luke gravitated to the giant Lite-Brite display and my boys had an educational discussion about GE, electricity, and lightbulbs. Oh, the excitement of it all!






Around Town:
Luke also loved the construction equipment and trucks. As the mom of a boy, I have a newfound appreciation of heavy machinery, tools, and "vroom vrooms", because they make my son so happy!
(Mark would like to make a disclaimer here that the boys' matching green shirts are pure coincidence. Unlike some other family activities previously appearing on this blog, I did not require/request coordinating family outfits for tonight's outing.)







Luke's favorite part of the museum was pushing a toddler-sized grocery cart through the market area. This photo doesn't really capture the speed and chaos of many children racing around with carts, barely dodging each other and narrowly avoiding collisions in a tight space. The whole thing resembled the 1980's video game, Frogger. Below is a short video to give you a taste of the noise level and craziness:








Outdoor Fun:
After almost 2 hours of exploration and discovery inside the museum, we ventured outside. Even the gardens and area surrounding the museum had fun things to see and do!

Play Ball!

Tonight we went to the Greenville Drive baseball game. The last time we attended a game, Luke was 5 weeks old, and we toted our sleeping newborn in the Baby Bjorn. Today we didn't even make it to our seats, and stayed busy chasing Luke as he explored the stadium, including its playground, picnic tables, and concession stands. He weaved his way through the crowd, often pushing his own stroller and greeting other fans (many of whom cooed at Luke's baseball-themed attire). We had a great time, and we'll all sleep well tonight after our fun-filled and active evening!



Put me in, Coach!



My boys at the baseball field.



"Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks..."
(or organic veggie puffs in this case- Yum!)



I think someone was tired of posing for photos,
but this was the only one of the 2 of us together!



Game Face!

Then and Now

What better photo to lead our blog post about the past than Luke driving an antique car?! Recently, some old pictures have surfaced which have special significance to our family. Below we list a few "then and now" comparisons:

Then:
Baby Mark and older brother, Brian, ride the fire trucks at Funland (Rehoboth Beach, DE, 1981).

Now:
Luke and cousin, Alexis on the same trucks at the beach this summer (2009)!


Then:
Mark's mom takes tiny Mark on the carousel at Rehoboth (1981).


Now:
Grown-up Mark now rides the same (updated!) merry-go-round with his own son (Summer 2009).


Then:
My mom (Luke's Mimi) on the boats at Funland (1950-something!).


Now:
Luke and Alexis ride the same boats this summer during family vacation (2009)!




Our illustrations that nothing comes between a boy and his dog:

Then:
Mark helps his beloved JayJay eat her dinner!

Now:
Luke also closely supervises his "big sister's" mealtime.


Then:


Then:


Now:

Best Friends!

The face!

Attention all blog readers:

What do you think is going through Luke's head in this picture?

A) "Is that my dirty diaper I smell or yours?"

B) Yikes! That speedo is a fashion "don't!"

C) "Oh no, Mom! Not brussel sprouts again!"

D) ???? (submissions welcome!)

Simple Pleasures

Recently, we have discovered as a family the pure elation of playing with Luke on the slide. His whole face lights up as he eagerly anticipates us counting: "One, Two, Thrrrreeeeeeeee!" Down he glides, dimples so deep that you could practically get lost in them. He throws his head back with glee, giggling hysterically as he slides. He holds up his arms up to us at the end, mouthing, "Puh, Puh, Puh" (his way of asking to be lifted "Up", to do it all over again). So we repeat this game, again and again, until we are all laughing so hard that we have tears in our eyes and our tummies ache. I'm not sure who has more fun, Luke, or us, as his adoring parents, as we all participate in this sweet, simple joy of childhood. And our hearts are full, so very full.

Home, Sweet Home!

We're back from our travels, and are so happy to be safely home again! After being home for only 9 full days in July, we are ready to settle back into the normalcy of our routine here. Our vacations were wonderful, and Luke was a good traveler this last LONG car ride (hooray!), but we are thoroughly pooped! We came home yesterday to find that our flowers didn't survive (despite attempts to keep them watered), but our zucchini turned into super-human monsters (see photo above). Not sure if they're even edible at that size! Of course I'm busy organizing the hundreds of pictures we have from our multiple trips, have tons of laundry & cleaning to do, the cupboards are bare, library books/DVDs need to be returned, Luke's 15-month MD appt. is tomorrow, and I must catch up with all of my friends here/schedule some play dates soon... Ahh, the mundane happenings of a suburban stay-at-home mom. I love it, and am very happy to be back! Enjoy the slideshow below (also under our "Winterhoff Family Photo Albums" link):




P.S. Last week, Mark traveled for work while Luke, Winnie, & I stayed with my family in Pennsylvania. During this time, Mark celebrated his 29th birthday, and we wanted to e-mail him a picture of us wearing party hats to wish him a happy day from far away. This is what we got:



We improvised the caption in our birthday e-mail greeting to Daddy to add: "Someone is sad that you're not here!"


Sometimes the best ideas in theory don't always turn out as I plan, but it was too funny not to share!

All Aboard!

This afternoon, we went with Grandpa and Mimi on a train ride at Harrisburg's City Island Railroad. There is an adorable little Civil War-era steam train that tours the island's attractions, and it's a perfect activity for young children. Luke loved the "choo-choo" and also rode on the mini-train and kiddie carousel at the train depot. Here are some pictures from our fun excursion:



With Grandpa and Mimi on City Island, Harrisburg, PA



All Aboard! Waiting for the train to depart...



Checking out the scenery during our train ride



Doesn't Luke look about 4 years old in this picture?
Love those pink cheeks!



On a kiddie ride at the train station



Cutest conductor I've ever seen!