Our Adventure...

Getting ready to go!

Holding on tight to Elmo!

We made it!

Telling Leo a secret.

We made it home!

Kevin and I have always loved to go biking and we bought new bikes earlier this spring. We are planning to buy a Burley bike trailer so we can pull Leo but have not made the purchase yet. Our neighbors went out of town this weekend and said we could borrow theirs for a few days so we decided to take Leo on his first biking adventure! We hooked up the trailer, packed a few bags worth of stuff, put on our tennies and headed out. We biked about 15 minutes to the nearby golf course. It was a HOT afternoon and this was the first bike ride I had been on in two years so it was a little rough for me! We were planning on having dinner outside on the beautiful patio but I needed the AC so we sat inside. They didn't have highchairs so Leo sat in a booster seat for the first time and LOVED sitting up like a big boy! We had dinner and headed back home. Leo did well in the trailer. He liked the ride but did not like the helmet. It is still a little big for him and I think we need to adjust it a little better. Overall it was a fun trip!

Delicious Granola

I made granola to give Leo's teachers as an end of the year gift. It is easy to make and it tastes delicious, especially over yogurt. Give it a try!

Makes 4 cups

2 cups of oats

1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 tablespoons of honey

1 cup of dried fruit

1. Preheat oven to 350. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss oats, coconut, and almonds. In a small bowl, stir together oil and honey. Pour over oat mixture and toss. Bake, tossing occasionally until lightly toasted. 16-20 minutes.

2.Place mixture in a large bowl and stir in fruit. To store keep in a air tight container. Keeps for one month.

3. Enjoy!

So much to Celebrate!

On Sunday we had the whole Allen clan over to celebrate Mothers Day and Jenny, Bill, and my birthday! It was fun to see everyone and celebrate together. Eliana is growing up fast and is already 7 weeks old! Leo had a great time playing in his new ball pit! I broke down and ordered it since he loves the one at school and the gym so much!!

A busy Saturday!

Leo had his last swimming lesson on Saturday morning. G and G Allen came to watch Leo swim and stayed for lunch at the Community Center. After that, we headed straight to our neighbor Lilly's 3rd birthday party. Leo had a great time watching all of the kids, munching on the food and playing with toys. It was a princess theme and all of the kids got crowns, Leo did not love wearing his crown...Then that evening the neighborhood adults got together and the ladies gathered inside with wine and appetizers and the men sat at the bonfire with the monitors. We had a great time chatting with our neighbors and stayed out WAY TOO LATE!

The Farmers Market

We took Leo down to the Farmers Market in Minneapolis on Sunday. It was a beautiful day and the market was packed! Leo loved looking around at all of the people and sampling the delicious food! We got some flowers to plant outside and some veggies to steam for Leo. Of course Kevin and I had a foot long hot dog, lemonade, roasted corn and mini doughnuts!!! Yummy!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY!

We went to the MN Zoo on Thursday with my mom and Molly. It was a BEAUTIFUL day outside. We had so much fun walking around, looking at the animals and eating lunch. Leo loved the water fountains and started giggling and kicking his legs when he watched the big kids play in them. We decided to let him splash around a little and he had fun getting his toes wet. We loved watching the Grizzly Bears wrestle around and splash in the water. It was a fun day!

The Graduate

Standing on the podium, he pulled the cap right off his head!

Singing with our class

The gang!

Snack time! They have a small table with tiny chairs, so cute!

Leo's favorite thing in the classroom, the ball pit!

Leo's first day of school when we has 8 weeks old!

Leo graduated from his ECFE baby class on Tuesday. We started the class last September when he was only 8 weeks old. We have LOVED going to class every Tuesday. It has been so fun watching all of the kids grow. When we first started, all of the babies would just lay on their blankets and sleep most of the time. Now, all of the kids are crawling or walking around, playing with the toys and interacting with one another. We are planning on getting together over the summer for playdates at the park and then we will start school again in the fall when we will be in the "ones" class!

Ball Pit! (kind of...)

Leo LOVES the ball pit at school and at the gym so I decided I would create a ball pit at home...I found an empty laundry basket and put all of the balls we have in the basket. He thought it was great!!! He loved throwing the balls out of the basket and watching me pick them up. Then Daddy pulled the basket around the room and gave Leo a ride in the ball pit. What a fun afternoon!

TWENTY NINE...

Today is my 29th birthday...I can't believe that I am only one year away from 3-0! Yikes! I had a GREAT day celebrating. It all started when Kevin and Leo brought me breakfast in bed. Leo was very interested in what was on the tray and enjoyed sharing a piece of toast with me. After Leo's nap, we dropped him off at Grammy's house and Kevin and I went to lunch and did some shopping. It was so nice to spend some time together. Then we picked up Leo, brought him home for a nap and I went and got a much needed massage! Then we played at home for awhile, ordered pizza, ate cupcakes and now it is time to relax on the couch! I couldn't have asked for a better day!

Last night we celebrated at my parents house with my parents and siblings. My mom made a delicious dinner and there were balloons, gifts and cupcakes! You're never too old for an old-fashioned birthday party!!!

Thanks to everyone for making my 29th birthday so special!!!

On the move!

Leo is officially a crawling machine! He is EVERYWHERE!!! A week and a half ago he started crawling forward and each day he started to move a little more. Now he has mastered the skill and is very interested in everything he can get his hands on. He is in the Tupperware drawer, in the book shelf, under the table, in the toy buckets and under my feet!!! It is so fun to watch him crawl to get where he wants. It is amazing how much his world has changed in the past two weeks. He is also able to give kisses and clap when asked. I am in awe of the fact that he understands what I am saying and will produce what I ask him to do. Wow!!! His personality is continuing to develop and he is very interactive. He loves to laugh and smile and be silly. I love my sweet little boy!!!

LOOK AT ME!!!

Leo has discovered how to get our attention... he makes a loud noise and then waits for us to look at him. If we don't immediately talk to him, he will continue to make loud noises until we turn and acknowledge him. He makes a loud BOP sound which makes his bottom lip come up over his top lip. It is a pretty silly face!