What I Did Over My Christmas Vacation (An essay by Andrew Langner)

Happy New Year, everyone! My parents are really bad about keeping up with this blog, so I thought it was about time for me to take over the keyboard. I'm much wittier than Mom and Dad anyway!

I just started back at school after a long break. So in true school fashion, I'd like to tell you how I spent my Christmas vacation! Please enjoy my photo essay for your viewing and reading pleasure.

First, my Grandpa and Grandma came to visit from Ohio! It wasn't even Christmas yet, but it sure was fun. I laughed a lot and showed them my tricks. I've got some skillz when it comes to babbling and blowing zerberts.

I love these guys!

I also helped to decorate our Christmas tree! I screamed a lot when my parents tried fitting me into these PJs, but I look darn cute, don't I? And oooh - the pretty ornaments!

Then Nana came from Ohio and spent Christmas with us! She gave me some great presents. Swasey and I both liked the wrapping paper a lot. And the toys were cool, too!

Then Mimi and Papa came in from Florida. We went to their house on Christmas day and got snowed in! Then we got to stay an extra day and play at their house. My aunt, uncle and cousins were there, too. But Mom and Dad were too busy to take pictures with everyone. But I really liked playing with Melanie who helped me open my new bath toys!

On New Year's Eve, my friend James came over! He is only three days older than me, so we like to play with the same toys and do the same things. Mommy calls this picture, "Future Wing Man." I don't get it.



And this is James and me enjoying our own New Year's bubbly!

Swasey and Champ were around a lot, too. They even came to Mimi and Papa's house. Champ only comes near me when I have food. But Swasey is a real pal.

Look! My new toy box! Are their puppy toys in here, too?


I also spent some of my vacation time humoring Daddy by cheering on his favorite teams.

And just before the vacation ended, my cousin Elise came over to play!

Elise is older than me, so she was showing me how to walk. I can pull myself up now, so I think I'm on my way!

I also learned a few new sounds that sound an awful lot like Duck, Quack, Car, and Bye! Pretty great additions to the "Mama" and "Dada" noises I've been making for a while. Pretty sure those are the words that landed me on Santa's nice list. Now that I know what it takes, I'm working on a few doozies for next year, big guy.

Whew - I'm tired after having so much fun! I got to snuggle with my grandparents, see some friends, and open presents. I can't wait for next Christmas!

High Five for Holidays!

We know, we know… it’s been a very long time since the last LWTL Post. But between Thanksgiving, another bout of runny noses and coughs, and keeping a certain someone from yanking down the Christmas tree, we just haven’t had the time! Alas, we’re BACK! (I can hear the applause now.) And we have much to report.

It's official. The holidays have arrived! This means a little travel, some new foods, and lots of family! Thanksgiving in Ohio was a really special holiday for us since this was Drew’s first time in Columbus. We’ve done the Cleveland trip before, but this was Drew’s maiden voyage to what I affectionately call “Buckeye Bonanza.” And it all started with Thanksgiving Dinner at Aunt Diane and Uncle Rick’s House. We also referred to their house as the "Langner Family Circus" as the FIVE children (all 19 months and younger) really ran the ship. But through it all, our gracious hosts kept their cool and even entertained the troops.

Above are all of the mommies with kiddos, plus Jake. In order – Heather with Elise; Kelly with (8-week old!) Kate; Susan with Drew; Mandy with Hayden; and Jake with Isabella. Getting everyone to look at the camera simultaneously was simply not in the cards.



We also had the chance to spend some time with Drew's other cousins - Maddie and Cam! Aunt Julie, Uncle Sean, Aunt Katie and Uncle Derek all helped us celebrate Christmas a little early. And Grandma and Grandpa got to have all of their grandchildren in one place at one time.





Drew was especially excited about the big girls doting on him - and of course about the awesome toys they passed down!

Who doesn't love a guitar that serves as a wagon, AND sings approximately 13 songs, teaches you to count, and has a kickin' Do-Re-Me soundtrack? (Serioulsy, who thinks of these things?!)

Cell phone, or pretty girl? Cell phone, or pretty girl?

It's good to be loved!

Drew's Nana (Sheryl) was thrilled to have us stay with her. And we were all even more excited when we all learned that Drew likes to SLEEP at Nana's house. And I mean SLEEP!!! The first morning the little dude didn't stir until 8 a.m. Usually us grown-ups have had our coffee, walked the dogs, showered, and filed our taxes by that hour. So as we were all well-rested, Drew was in a great mood. We even got to play in a real yard!

Compared to our little courtyard at home, this is paradise!

Our friends Elizabeth, John and James were also visiting family in Columbus. And since John's folks live just a few blocks from Sheryl, it is easier for us to see each other in Ohio than it is when we're all in Illinois. It's a sad reality when we think about - it's easier for us all to drive to Ohio to hang out than to make the trek from Mundelein to Evanston. (Gotta love Chicago traffic!)

James and Drew had a blast pulling themselves up on furniture. However, the most entertaining part was watching and listening as their daddies neighed like horses and bawked like chickens to get them to laugh and smile. Wish I had a video of it all! Oh, the pride we swallow to make our kids happy.



In other news, we are happy to report that our son now performs on demand. Offer him a high-five and he'll repay the favor! Nana taught him how to wave from across the room, and he started playing Peek-A-Boo in the car ride home! It's such fun to watch him discover his new tricks. It is, however, slightly difficult to capture pictures of the stunts in action, so you'll just have to trust us. In the meantime, we did manage to capture this great vision: Drew in his daddy's old Brown's sweatshirt!

(Such a naive smile. He has no idea that as a young Brown's fan, he'll be learning about heartache at an early age.)

Since we were already strolling down Memory Lane, Jeff decided to show Drew pictures of himself as a little guy. Drew was mesmerized!

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now we're looking forward to all of the twinkle of the holidays with our family, and we feel so blessed to have a healthy little boy in this very special season.

Check back again in the near future, as we are working on shots in front of the Christmas tree (before it ends up sideways on our floor), and if we're lucky - a snow scene as well!

Thankful

We spent some time this weekend with our friends Jen and Mike. As you may recall, Jen is a talented new business woman, photographer, and owner of Jen Soares Photography! She and her equally talented husband were gracious enough to capture a few moments with our family. Here is just one shot, and you can see more at http://jensoaresphotography.blogspot.com/.



It was a great time for us to be with good friends after receiving news that members of our family had been in a car accident. We are prayerful for a full recovery for Susan's sister MJ. For our faithful blog followers, please keep the Fanning/Carrier family in your prayers as well.

This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for precious moments together.

Colorado, Croup, and Crawling

It's been a very busy week for those of us Living with the Langners! We were fortunate enough to travel to Denver, Colorado where we got to spend some time with our great friends the Franklins. Susan has been friends with Kerry since 7th grade, and we've waited a long time to introduce our little boys to one another. Imagine our excitement! Well, it was quickly tempered by Drew's Friday diagnosis at Urgent Care: croup. (Crap.)

So much for our grand plans to take adorable pictures of Drew and his new friend Matthew (who just turned 1 year old!) in the tub together, playing in the yard together, and giggling side by side! We kept them separated as much as possible, which was made easier by their very opposite nap schedules. But we did manage to get a few shots of the kids together.

Thankfully, we prepared well in advance for the possible cold weather in Denver, and had Drew adequately bundled up! We did NOT, however, prepare for the 5 inches of snow that blanketed the city on our last night there. Imagine our surprise to have to shovel the car out to get back to the airport!

We enjoyed plenty of the great outdoors as part of our "steam in the shower - then stand in the cold" remedy the doctor prescribed for Drew's symptoms.

Drew didn't help much with the shoveling, but who could blame him? He found a whole new world of toys inside the house - and his buddy Matthew showed him how to rock out in the exersaucer (complete with a few patented dance moves!)

All in all, it was a great trip to one of our favorite places, and time well spent with some of our closest friends! Many thanks to Kerry, Adam and Matthew for their awesome hospitality, laughs and late nights. Granted, these were not like the late nights we spent together B.C. ("Before Children"); these late nights were spent taking care of sick little boys instead of sipping wine until the wee hours and playing endless games of ping-pong. Swaping stories about diapers, baby-proofing, and bedtime routines is a different kind of bonding entirely.

While we were in Denver, Drew not only gained a new buddy, but learned a very important lesson....how to crawl!

As soon as we got home, Drew decided it was time for some independence. Check out his moves.

We're looking forward to the next few weeks - especially Thanksgiving in Ohio with the grandparents where this little mover and shaker can show-off for the family. And we're hopeful that we all get healthy and stay that way for a LONG TIME! After all, there are new corners of this house to explore.

BOO!

A bee by day and a dinosaur by night, Drew was all set for an exciting Halloween full of Tricks, Treats, and LOTS of candy (at least, Mom and Dad were counting on him coming through with a Snickers Bar or two.) Unfortunately, bed time came long before the door to door fun began. But we still had a great time dressing him up and spending time with the family on his first Halloween!

Drew was a good sport - and got some ideas for next year from his cousins!!

The best part of Halloween weekend (selfishly, for mom and dad) was that it included Drew's first night with babysitters! Drew lucked out and had his Uncle Jim and Aunt Wendy (seasoned grandparents!) babysit him for the evening. All went well, and we are pretty sure fun was had by ALL!

This gave us the chance to sneak off for the night (literally!) and surprise Susan's sister Laura with a party in celebration of her 35th birthday! The biggest surprise came in the form of Susan's mom - who flew all the way from Florida to attend the party and be with us for the weekend!

Drew was QUITE tickled to see his Mimi , and he insisted on showing her his favorite things about going to grandma's house - great views and a show tune on the piano!


Jen and Susan had some quality mother-daugther time over the weekend, too. Yes - those are matching shirts. Nothing says Happy Birthday like seeing your mom and sister wearing matching halloween shirts, right?

The Birthday girl, Aunt Laura, with Drew and Melanie.

The other big surprise for Laura was her best friend Beka! Freshly flown in from snow-covered Denver, Beka finally got to meet Drew. This little guy knows a mommy when he meets one... and Beka is a mom four times over. They became fast friends!


After he mastered piano with Mimi, Drew thought he'd try his hand at the drums. Forget the battery-operated toys, and bring out the kitchen bowls! The music and laughter were loud at Aunt Laura & Uncle Dennis' house. And then things got turned upside down as the Burgin cousins taught Drew a little something about Halloween and dress up... the best costumes are homemade.

Drew says, "HATS OFF to a great weekend and wonderful memories!"

Fall Smiles and Smiles Fall

Living with the Langners got a little dramatic last weekend. It all started with a grand idea... let's go to a pumpkin patch! Our friends Brian and Lindy humored us (in more ways than one!), and we all set out for Didier Farms.

Well, Didier Farms apparently offers more than just pumpkins. There were animals at the petting zoo, kiddie rides, wooden cut-outs, and lots of noisy people. Who knew that the autumn version of Santa's Workshop was in Buffalo Grove? It was almost as cold as the North Pole, and equally overwhelming for a little boy.

We started with the wooden cut-outs. I tried to get a smile out of Drew, but he was skeptical about the whole experience.


Next, I had visions of taking the perfect fall picture: my kid in a pumpkin patch, grinning ear to ear! I even had a cute caption picked out. It was something like, "Our cute lil' pumkin!"

Clearly that picture was never meant to be. I put Drew on a blanket, and he had a little melt-down. Rather than scooping him up right away to comfort him and offer hugs, I decided to snap a quick pic while laughing just a little bit. Slightly cruel move as a parent? Maybe. Worth it for the hilarious shot I can show to his friends when he's in high school? You be the judge:



Then Lindy helped me introduce Drew to this strange orange balls a little more gently. You can still see the sad little crocodile tear welled up in his eye. This is when I started to feel really sorry for him!



Our adventure at Didier Farms ended shortly after that pathetic photo was taken. And later in the night, the other boys got to play! That's right - Jeff and Brian took our pumpkins and created their master pieces. It required a drill, a couple of adult drinks, and two wives who were "man enough" to clean out the pumpkins to accomplish the following...

(If you look closely, you'll see two ghosts in the background. Oh wait, that's Jeff and Brian who don't quite show up without a flash.)

Fortunately for us, Sunday was a much happier day! Ready for church, and sporting a great new set of overalls, Drew was feeling very proud and even cooperated when I took out the camera. We still cannot use the flash if we want Drew to crack a grin, so these might appear slightly dark.

Playing in a pile of laundry has never looked so fun! He likes to be pulled all around the room in his basket. I'm trying to teach him how to match socks for me.

And just when we thought the day couldn't get any better, Drew attempted to crawl! No actual crawling just yet, but see how close he is?!?!

Whew - what a weekend it was! I'm off to baby proof the house now. I don't think I have much time! I suppose I could always place pumpkins in front of drawers and cabinets as he clearly won't be going near those anytime soon...

Simple Pleasures

There's not much to report since our last post, but we were playing with some very exciting toys recently, and captured a couple of pics. It truly is the simple things that make us happy, isn't it?

Drew has recently become quite the culinary expert. Well, not quite. But playing with measuring cups and spoons at least puts him on that path! He's learning about cause and effect. For example: Cause - bang the spoon on the cup; Effect - interesting noise that makes the dogs' ears perk up. Second effect - Giggles!

It's difficult to see, but Drew is playing with a plastic bottle filled with a few coins. Shake, rattle, and roll, Baby!

His daycare has something similar - which is of course put together by "childcare professionals" who have colorful beads to use. At our house, we improvised! Nope, I'm not a professional - just a mom on a budget.

So much for expensive toys. Don't get me wrong - he loves anything that lights up, sings, and requires batteries (that we replace time and time again). But take this kid's homemade toys away, and you'll witness the most pathetic whimper and pouty lip quiver you'll ever see. Watch out, Matel, Toys by Langner is fierce competition!