Minnesota is for (Train) Lovers

Trains are a nostalgic favorite in this town.  So when T got the idea to spend Saturday morning at a waterpark, it should not have come as much of a surprise that the downtown park at the Depot is all about a giant choo-choo train water slide.  What could be more perfect for a 2 1/2 year old boy and his dad?

February Roundup

As I sit at our kitchen island to write this, the snow continues to pile up outside our window.  This has been the whitest winter since we moved to Minnesota, and if we get another storm like this one, or the record-setter we had back in December, we won't be able to see the deck railings any longer. 
 

 
So an inventive imagination isn't required in order to come up with a reason to escape to California, which is just what Luca and I did a couple of weeks ago.  Omi came down from Portland and we all spent a few perfect days in San Jose with the Mazzoccos.   Luca and his cousins form the most adorable mutual admiration society, and he's talked about them nonstop since we've been back.  For my part, I was so happy to see my everyone, and to spend some time with my mom and sister before the baby arrives.

While we were away, T did the opposite of avoiding winter.  This year he bought some cross country skis and participated in the Luminary Loppet on Lake of the Isles.  The photos are so cool that I'm almost sad that we missed it - but playing in San Francisco at Alta Vista park on a February day was undoubtedly worth it.  Plus there's always next year.

Luca "la bomba" Tomba

I wanted to add this slightly fuzzy iPhone pic so Luca would have something to look back on to remember his first day on his skis after he wins the downhill in the Antarctica 2030 Winter Games (global warming).  No pressure little buddy!

2010 Recap: L-Train

We are closing the books on 2010 a little late around here...but better late than never.  Here's the 2010 Top 40 pics of little LTR.

Ok, that's it.  Not feeling well after watching the Packers win the Super Bowl.  Terrible.

Luca at 2 1/2 years

Faces:  fifteen seconds' worth 

Sometimes I forget that Luca is still a little guy.  He's such a hurricane of activity - messes, shenanigans, sweetness, demands, proclamations, laughs - and he fills up our mental and physical space so thoroughly that most days he feels like a giant.  Then I'll step back, look at him, and remember that he's still miniature.  He looks especially tiny when bundled to the brows and attempting to traverse the snow piled all around us.

He's been up to a lot of new tricks lately.  In general he's very physical and boyish.  For example, a while back he figured out that skidding down the hallway on his knees is a pretty cool move, so he does that a lot. And whenever T is home, Luca's favorite thing to do is order his dad to recline on the couch, then jump all over him.

When he's not wrecking shop, he's busy doing all the things 2 1/2 year olds do.  He loves music - the more guitar, the better - and still likes to "rock out".  He's sweet to his stuffed animals and cabbage patch kids, and can spend hours playing with legos, playdoh, or his train set.  Though he refuses to sing his ABCs, he recognizes all of the letters and knows what sounds they make, and can count from one to "thirteen, thirteen, thirteen."  Apparently, his number elevator stops there, for now.

Some favorites from Luca's current repertoire:

"You're my best friend":  we have no idea where he picked up the idea of a best friend, but he picked it up and how, though his use of the term tends to mean something closer to "I like you."  It started with the cabbage patch kids, then playmates, and then moved on to T & me.  No matter how many times he says it, and to whom, I still feel special when he gives me the "you my bess fren, mama."

Superhero stories:  again, the concept of superheroes is one that neither T nor I remember introducing, though its arrival probably has something to do with an episode of The Backyardigans.  He started by proclaiming himself a superhero, then quickly transitioned to wanting to hear stories about them.  Though he enjoys Batman and Superman, his far and away favorite is Spiderman - to the point where he defends the Webbed One's honor against all others.  Strangely, after the big three comes the pizza delivery guy, who has attained superhero status in Luca's mind.

Riding his skateboard:  As you can imagine, there's not a lot of outdoor skateboarding going on in Minnesota right now, but that hasn't stopped Luca from getting hooked on the idea.  He regularly takes one of our couch pillows that is shaped roughly like a skateboard, throws it on the ground and jumps on for ride.  This is yet another idea of unknown origin, but he is half Californian, after all.

Big boy bed:  Luca transitioned easily to his big boy bed in November, a big relief to T and me.  Especially me, since I feared lifting 35 lbs of boy in and out of crib while pregnant.  Every night he climbs into bed with a few books and one of a rotating selection of toys.  He doesn't have one particular beloved stuffed animal, but needs some object to keep him company while he falls asleep - could be a ball, or a lit flashlight, or even a pretty big helicopter.  The funniest and most convenient thing about his bed is that once in, he acts like the ground is hot lava.  If he needs something that has fallen on the ground, he'll call us to retrieve it rather than venture out himself.  We'll take it for as long as it lasts.

And that's our boy, halfway between two and three.

Introducing #4

True to all the lore about second children getting infinitely less attention, our little cabbage is making a rather late blog debut. Even these photos are now several weeks old, which I'm going to say is due mostly to the holidays. Whatever the case, we'll be trying to step it up a bit so that we don't give junior(ette) a complex.

Jackie, the ultrasound tech, says this is a picture of the baby drinking fluid.

We tend to think the baby's laughing.

We don't know whether the baby is a boy or a girl, but we know that it's flexible.

Our only side shot of the expansion so far, around 24 weeks. You can compare for yourself, or take my word for it - I'm certainly growing bigger more quickly the second time around.

Trailblazing

Christmas Card Outtakes

True to form, we put off taking photos for a holiday card until an adequately inspiring winter weekend presented itself. About eight inches of snow fell on Friday night, so come Saturday morning the three of us slushed down to the lake with camera & tripod for a self-serve photo session. The results were mixed.

Not exactly what we were going for...

Better, except for T's trademark eyes shut move.

What is he doing?

Reluctant Snow Angel

This is what an antsy T looks like.

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving-

Much to Luca's delight, Thanksgiving 2010 was hosted by Papa & Gigi and attended by the Johnson 5, Aunt Nic and Uncle Brent, and Great Grandma Micki.

Day After-

Early season snow is the best kind. Check back in April for an entirely different opinion of the Minneapolis Winter Wonderland...

Boarding the snow train

"All aboard!"

"Again. Again. Again."

Luca and I have perfected the art of precisely timed eye-shutting

Eyes open...I think...hard to tell

Trick or Treat

GRRRR! The bear running out the door to collect some candy.

The Giants' Lincecum takes a treat break with the little bear.

Happy Halloween!

Catching up

We're severely behind in our blogging efforts. The past couple of months have been busier than usual, with a fun uptick in visits to and from the West. Plus , we've been enjoying a particularly beautiful Minneapolis autumn, soaking in all the sun and outside time before the deep freeze. We'll catch up with more photos from late summer and fall. For now, here's a glimpse of the boy at work.

Rocking Out

WE Fest 2010

We were lucky enough to get ourselves invited to WE Fest again this year, so while P & G entertained Luca, T and I ran off to Detroit Lakes for a perfect weekend with friends and lots of music. The performance highlight (other than T rocking "Hurt So Good" at karaoke) was Kid Rock. Several hat changes, an array of pyrotechnics, two different American flags, and one ripped off shirt later, and we were all sold.

Luca at Two Years Old

Our boy is 2!! He's a wild, sweet, sometimes sensible and sometimes totally nuts 2 year old. Seen here riding the zipline on his birthday with his dad, he's already graduated to riding alone in the short week since his birthday. He's a little wonder...he'll hear a song six times then several weeks later sing the whole thing from start to finish. He has some favorite phrases - here are a few:

• Ohhhhhhhhh, nice. Cool. We don't know for sure where he came up with this one, but it's probably from one of us. Better than the alternative - I think a few family members are placing bets on which other four letter words might pop up in his vocabulary.

• I did it! (or) I do it!! He wouldn't be two if these weren't recited 100 times a day, right?
  

• Hi boys. (And hi, girls.) This one often has the most hilarious effect, as when Luca patted the boy next to him at the Children's Theater and said, "hi, boy." The stunned kindergartner didn't know what to say. He also stops in his tracks when he sees groups of kids (especially boys) playing. He's probably storing up big-boy knowledge to unleash on us one day soon.
  

• Luca wants coffee...too. The cutest part of this is the delayed "too." It goes "Luca wants cereal/milk/lemonade" wait, wait, wait, "too." This is Tom's favorite.
  

• Tom, where are you? First, he just started asking "where are you" to everything - balls, dogs, cats, and now he's occasionally calling Tom by his first name. Two going on twenty...
  

• Luca loves to hug and kiss other kids, and once he gets warmed up he doesn't like to stop. He's slightly dominant about the whole operation - he likes to hold a kid steady, look in her (usually) eyes, then move in for the kiss. It's too much.

We love you, Luca! Happy 2nd birthday.

Nic & Brent Got Married!

Last weekend we traveled to Huntington Beach to celebrate Nicole and Brent's wedding. This is one of the only photos we have of the bride, but as you can see she was absolutely stunning. The wedding was beautiful and thoughtfully planned, as were the events leading up to it, and all the friends and family gathered in California enjoyed the festive weekend.


Luca, Ella, Mattie & Ben loved having the run of the Hyatt and took full advantage of the pools and beach. The girls were very composed flower girls and didn't skip a beat when their baskets went missing right when it was time to walk down the aisle.