Budding Architect

Like most little boys, Miles love to walk in the steps of his father. Many of us close to him have known this for a very long time.  That includes his Aunt Beth and Uncle Nick.

While we lived in New York,  Beth and Nick bought this treasure for Miles!

One of New York’s finest buildings – The empire state building, ala lego. However, due to the 10+ year old rating and the 77 very small pieces, this box remained intact and atop Miles’ dresser for the last 2 years or so. Things changed very recently during one very rainy weekend.

Nate mentored Miles through the 25 pages of instructions as Miles assembled the whole thing.

 

Aren’t they adorable while they think and study?!

 

Here’s a few process shots:

 

 

And the final product!!

 

Ah,New York! Sometimes I miss you (a little).

Thanks, Nick and Beth, for the fantastic gift. Your perfect timing for this purchase led us to a great family moment on a cold, rainy Chicago afternoon talking about our NYC memories. 

I think the smart people of the world call these teachable moments. Thank you for encouraging our budding architect!

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Posted in: Klinge's,Miles

Miles’ drawing made real!

Do you remember Miles’ first real drawing from several weeks ago?

Miles was really proud of himself, as he should be! My mother-in-law, Kathy, immortalized the creation.  How you ask?

Well, she has quite a sewing talent.  She’s been accepting drawings from children and stuffing  a soft, cuddly replica! Check out her website here!

When we  traveled to Iowa for a visit, she gifted us with this PERFECT pillow!

 

Don’t you love it?! We do!  Miles loves to show it off too! It’s spot on!

Thanks so much, Kathy! The pillow is a real treasure!

Do you have any drawings you’d like to see brought to life?  Check out Stuffed Scribbles today!

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Posted in: Klinge's,Miles

Special Package

While checking the mail last week, Miles found that he had received a special package! We rushed back to our apartment to determine its contents. We weren’t expecting anything.  What could this be?!

The outside of the package read like this:

From Laura and Caleb (K-Bob)  --> This is going to be good!

Look at that concentration…

 

What is this? Is that Bieber? Oh- YEAH!

Did you catch what it was?  It’s a Justin Bieber singing toothbrush! HA!

  

Miles absolutely loves it. The toothbrush sings two songs: Baby and USmile.  Press the ‘daytime’ button for Baby and the ‘nighttime"’ button for USmile. Of course, Miles-lover of rules and technicalities, will only play the appropriate tune at each brushing.  The parental bonus is that both songs play for 2 minutes letting my shortcutting 3 year old know that he reached the recommended ADA brushing requirement. Genius!

Miles no longer complains when we ask him to Bieber his teeth :)

I know you love me. I know you care....

THANKS,  Caleb and Laura!

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Posted in: Klinge's,Miles,Video

300th post

Yes… this is my 300th post!!

I started this blog WAY, way back in May 2009 – just DAYS after we moved our family to New York.  Miles was just 6 months old.  It seems like forever ago….

I thought I would have passed the mark a long time ago. I feel like I’ve been narrating our lives for many more than just 300 posts.  How do we celebrate such a milestone? We don’t. I’m late.  There’s nothing to celebrate when you’re late – well, unless you’re pregnant. I am not :(

Anyway… I have averaged about 100 posts a year, but have recently fallen off the wagon a bit. I don’t want to be the giver of excuses, but  I do have a couple.

1) When I started this blog in May 2009, Nate was a grad student (read: never home) and Miles had an 8pm bed time.  I was alone, a lot!  Not only was our family far, far away missing out on Miles’ development, so was his dad.  I felt a strong obligation to keep up with Miles’ ever changing skill set.
2) After grad school ended, life got busy.  We moved and settled into Chicago.  I didn’t like blogging my evening away while Nate was home.  However, I home with Miles all day (read: unemployed) for the first 4 months we were in Chicago.  I tried to keep up as well as I could,  but also wanted to make the most of my stint as a stay-at-home mom while simultaneously looking for a job.  By this time, I had printed out the “first chapter, the New York Chapter” of the blog using blog2print.  Luckily, I realized how much I LOVED having weekly updates of the goings-on of the family. I was still doing a pretty good job..
3) Now.. I’m lazy, distracted, bad about keeping up with photo documentation. Blogs are always more interesting when they are loaded with pictures AND commentaries.  I’m usually missing the picture part of that these days.  Miles isn’t changing as fast as he used too and a lot of what we do seems repetitive.  Also, the new, blog-able moments pass WAY too fast.  Miles is smart, clever, and funny.  He’s a real person functioning in real-time at full speed like a real person. Where did my baby go?  I kind of miss the baby-delayed-actions (however, I didn’t feel life was very slow motion back then…)

Yes, these are excuses. Yes, they are poor excuses. I will try not to dwell on them, but improve on them.  This is just how my family has changed… and since this is a blog about my family, it's how my blog has changed.

So… since I’ve been lacking on the updates lately, here’s a few things you might like to know:

• Miles is signed up for Spring Soccer!!! I enrolled him in a preschooler park and rec league for 3-5 year olds that will take place for 2 hours on Saturday mornings for eight weeks starting in April.  Miles is stoked!
• Nate started a new job in the last week of February.  He’s now an architectural designer at Gensler.  It’s a large corporate firm headquartered in Chicago. Nate’s really excited about the opportunity to learn from peers and be involved in a diverse set of projects.

Nate’s photo for the company website! So official! 

• Grandpa and Grandma Klinge visited 2 weekend’s ago between drop off and pick up of two of their kids in Rockford.  We loved having them. Nate’s new job had a crazy deadline that really cut into the visiting, but we still have a great time together. Sadly, I was a little too flustered by the chaotic work schedule to remember to take any pictures. Miss you.. and ready for another visit whenver you are!
• The Shamrock Shuffle is this coming weekend (3/25). Nate and I are both running it alongside my brother, one of my sisters and her fiance.  I would love to say we’re excited to finally run the race we’ve been training for, but training would be an overstatement.  We probably averaged running 1.5 times a week since January.  Sadly, we were stuck running on junky treadmills in the complex, running about 4 feet from a stagnant, sage green wall.  It’s miserable!  However, these last few weekends, we’ve enjoyed running outside.  It’s still far to dark at 5:15am to move my run outside during the week though… We’ll posted about the race once we’ve completed it. We are excited to race, and excited to host the family for the festivities!

• Nate’s been taking on quite a few freelance projects. We finally set up a little workstation for him.  Nothing fancy.  Just an organized, well lit space with a desk, and extra monitor and a few other computer related perks. So far, so good!

• Miles was recently asked to be a ring bearer for Uncle Caleb and Aunt Laura’s wedding. He couldn’t be more excited!  He IS a pro, you know!! Miles was a ring bearer for the first time at the age of 2.5 months!!  In January 2009, Miles was ring bearer for Nick and Beth SyWassink . Again in April 2009, Miles was ring bearer for Tim and Carrie Klinge. Yes, he was exactly 6 months old! Ring bearer #3 was at 19 months for Russ and Kelly Banwarth in May 2010. Bring on October 27th, 2012!  Just 2 days after Miles’ 4th birthday  - Do I see a Wisconsin Dells birthday party coming on….?

(PS – Thanks for the shirt, Caleb and Laura!)

• Cooper turns 7 today.  Cooper was born in the Chariton, Iowa humane society on St. Patrick’s day in 2005.  He was one of 10 in a litter from a Jack Russell terrier stray.  We’re guessing the father was a large beagle (mix?). We were anticipating a 25lb dog, but still adore him, as is.  Even if he is twice the dog we signed up for… :)
• Miles loves the ladies.  That’s really no secret.  Yesterday, Miles’ teachers filled me in on Miles’ newest behavior.  He’s taking a liking to kissing his favorite girls. The teachers have been telling him to save his kisses for his mom and dad instead of his friends. We second that motion.  3 years old are efficient enough at spreading germs. We really don’t need this to speed the passage of cooties and illnesses, even if his two favorite ladies are super cute!!  Miles did assure me that he only kisses girls inside the school, not on the playground.  (did I miss something – was that supposed to make me feel better?) What a kid!  Daddy’s, lock up your daughters!

From SyWassink wedding in Jan 2009, 2.5 months old.

• Finally,  I think there’s a growth spurt coming on.  Miles has repeatedly downed enough food to feed me for two meals. For example, Miles as the following for lunch last weekend: one little tub of applesauce, 4 peanut butter sandwiches, 2 clementines, 1 piece of string cheese, and a large glass of milk. For Miles, one PB sandwich is 1 piece of bread with a light layer of PB folded in half - BUT STILL  - That’s a lot of food for anybody, especially a 3 year old!!

Yikes…. so now you’re caught up! I’ve missed you!

Happy 300th post!  Here’s to 300 more……

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Posted in: Banwarth's,Chicago,Kelly,Klinge's,Miles,Nathan,random,running

Bulls Game Recap

And now the post that I’ve been scared to organize and compose for nearly a week…..

February 20, 2012

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks

The Bull’s game was such a big event that I know I’m going to forget something.  There’s also the tedious task from grabbing the photos from multiple cameras.  Well…. here goes nothing!
As you already knew, the day began with  a Bull’s themed craft. That was followed by a welcome distraction (AKA phone call) from Papa B.  Of course Miles jumped at the opportunity to ramble on about the game. It’s kind of a big deal…..
Miles had the perfect outfit for the game: a Bull’s T, a Bull’s hat, new jeans, his Chuck’s and Baby Cow (the stuffed dog on his arm_ I still don’t understand how he came up with that name for his dog)! Miles was sure that Baby Cow and the 2 little Benny the Bull crafts were coming to the game too!
After getting fully dressed, there were still a few hours to fill before we could leave for the game. Once Miles gained dad’s attention, the ballin’ began. Just watch and understand:

Miles LOVES Michael Jordan (#23)!  This is mostly due to his own father’s love for the athlete, but also enhanced by this book. We’ve read this book at least 4 nights a week for the last year or so.
Miles’ favorite active Bulls player is Joakim Noah!  “He has lady hair.” While this is true, he is also a 6’11” rebound machine wearing #13!

Miles and Nate play A LOT of basketball. Don’t you love his special moves?! What about his need to reward his fancy shots with a medal? Crazy days in Chicago…
We ate lunch, packed up a few snacks and headed out the door around 1:30pm.  We decided to avoid the traffic and parking issues by taking the train.  Miles also gets a kick out of riding the train.  This day, in particular, he was so amped up he wouldn’t sit still at all and asked tons of questions. “Dad, read this to me.” “Dad, what does this say?” “Dad, this sign says to close the door.”

We walked from the train to the United Center and found our seats right away. We arrived 38  minutes before game time.
I tried really hard to get a few good pictures of Miles (and Nate), but both refused to take their eyes off the court. (sorry, I tried, really!) Our seats were not so good, but we had a clear view and Miles didn’t seem to mind at all.

 

See what I mean… he wouldn’t cooperate for the camera.  I can’t really blame him though – there was a lot going on.  He’d been waiting for this day for so long that he wasn’t about to miss a thing for anyone… even Mom! 
We watched Benny the Bull beat some kids at basketball.

Don’t those pictures look like we close….?!  We were not… Here’s the unzoomed view:

We watched a few scrimmages between a couple coed Special Olympics teams. We watched a huge Benny the Bull Blimp float around the arena (sorry, no pictures.)

Seeing and hearing the announcing of the starting lineup was intense. If you’ve never seen it, you can watch it here. I wish that I could say that I took that video, but I did not.  I was caught up in the moment too.  I can honestly say that this is also the moment that Nate was a giddy as a 3 year old little boy.  Dreams really do come true! Wow.. Each of you needs to experience this at some point.
Well… the game was great and Miles watched it all!  I wish I could say that he was on the edge of his seat, but that (apparently) wasn’t close enough. Can you see this? Arial view?

Yes, you are seeing this right.  Miles spent much of the game standing at the chair in front of him… or kneeling on the ground up against the back of the chair!  Miles love sports – we always knew this – BUT, I was surprised by how into the game he was and for how long it kept his attention!  We will definitely have to do this again!

Better yet, I would love to take him to a Bear’s game! Maybe preseason…..

Time to start working more so that we can buy tickets….. right?!

Sidenote: Nate grew up loving Michael Jordan. His career with the Bulls started in 1984. Nate would have been 4.  Miles is 3. Do you think Derrick Rose or Joakim Noah have the potential to be Miles’ Michael Jordan!? Will they pose for a “Wings” poster?

For those of you who do not follow the NBA, the Bulls beat the Hawks 90-79!

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Posted in: Banwarth's,Bulls,Chicago,Kelly,Klinge's,Miles,Nathan,Video

Valentine's Day Goodies

Today, Miles received a package from Grandma and Grandpa Klinge.
He was pretty excited to see him name on a package!

The whole walk up to the apartment, he kept telling me the package contained valentine chips.  (Most likely because the surprise was wrapped in a Pringles-like container)

Here's the contents:

Valentine's S'mores

Pink Heart-shaped marshmallow, kisses, and teddy grahams!

Yum... What a clever idea!

Ooooh...and personalized ART! 

Hey, Miles!  Are you excited?

YES!

I'm Excited too!  I love S'mores!

We can't wait for Dad to get home so we can taste the goodies!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!  We loved the gift!


Want better pictures? Click here_Nate's sister takes much better photos!

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Posted in: Kelly,Klinge's,Miles