Lego Maniac(s)

Have I mentioned that Connor seriously, irrevocably loves him some legos??

First, we have his self-named "house." Apparently Connor, Mama & Daddy live in this split-level house with a cow, horse, and one cat. Hum... interesting. Then there is what I will call color coded NYC. (Although it was Connor's original idea to stack by colors, his Dad was so excited by this neat organization scheme that he basically took over. Have I mentioned that I live with, not one, but TWO lego maniacs?)







In this last pic, please note the extreme concentration exhibited by the three-foot tall builder. Apparently it takes three hands and one tongue to build a tower that high.

A Tradition

Summer is just not complete without a picnic at the local neighborhood park. Now, we have been to many a parks this summer. Its just that this is the first time we loaded up all our food, beverages, plates, etc and actually ATE at the park. We brought our fav summertime food...BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. In fact we like this dish so much it is actually our favorite autumn, winter, and spring food too. Although our friends might call it an obsession, we prefer to refer to the Cunningham pulled pork as a "tradition" instead (thank you very much). Cheers to good friends, good food, and a healthy dose of sunshine!!!

Connor of course enjoyed himself, because he got to do two of his favorite activities...

playing football with the big kids and...

..."walking" the dog.

Abby Dog,

Bless your sweet little heart

for letting Connor drag you all around the lawn:)

Conversations with a Two Year Old

Don't kids just say some of the darnest things? Here's some of my recent favs:

Connor: "Mama, Connor go outside!"
Me: "Oh, would you like to go play outside?"
Connor: "Okay!" (As if it was my idea)


Me, getting Connor up from a nap: "Did I hear my little Monkey wake-up?
Connor: "No Monkey."
Me: "Oh, are you my little bear?"
Connor: "No Bear."
Me: "Well, what are you then?
Connor: "Connor Ray!" (Duh. My mistake.)

After we drive by a countryside full of cows, Connor says, "Mama, more animals! More! More!" (as if I can just snap my fingers...)

New Hobby

Connor's newest hobby is turning on ALL the lights. He carries his little stool around the house, placing it in just the right location, so that he can reach them with his little finger tips, until they are all on. I'm trying to get him into the habit of turning them all off (isn't that super fun too??) but usually by that time, he's bored of this activity. The only thing keeping Connor from opening doors (and consequently de-baby proofing our house, as shutting doors is my preferred baby-proofing method) is the vertical challenge. I wonder how long it will take him to figure that trick out too?

P.S. Please note the PJ's. This is still all Connor wants to wear. I believe this picture was taken around 5:30pm. *Sigh*

Mini Foodie

I fear that Connor is growing up to be a Foodie, just like his dad. This, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. I do enjoy good food myself. However, it is just very taxing to have to cook for one Foodie, much less two. The other problem with Foodies is that they usually want amazing high quality food all the time. And, honestly, I just don't have time for that. Connor's dad heard from our neighbor that there was this amazing crop of u-pick peaches only a short 13 miles from our house. So, like any perfectly normal Foodie would do, he requested that his wife and small toddler travel to this location to pick some of this exquisite crop...and make a homemade peach cobbler. No big deal. I think I have all day. So away we went. Connor, the mini foodie, loved every minute of it. Once we had our amazing u-pick box filled with fresh peaches in the car, Connor said, "Mama, dat fun!" Yes, of course it is, my mini Foodie. Here's the proud owner of a box of peaches...

Now before, any good Foodie starts baking, he does a little taste testing. Connor gave the peaches two thumbs up...when we wasn't busy stuffing his cheeks.

He even helped mix the batter. Now, that is better. Every good Foodie should learn to cook for themselves, that way they can be assured they make it just the way they like it.

The Summer of the Sandbox

Connor's Dad recently finished the construction of a new outdoor sandbox for Connor, complete with a large umbrella stand and benches. Apparently there is nothing cooler to a two-year-old than a wooden box full of sand. Connor spends every waking moment plotting how he can get right outside. I get numerous requests (before breakfast even!) for "Connor go outside?" Connor has been in the sandbox in his PJ's, while eating a breakfast bar in one hand. In the hot late afternoon/evening, we know that we might as well leave the house, unless we want to sit outside in the sandbox in fever-inducing heat. Connor has even skipped meals to play out there (and let me assure you, this kids does not skip meals often!)

The other day I took Connor to a "kids fair" of sorts. There was music, dancing, and even face painting. The whole time we were out, Connor repeated "Connor go home, play sandbox!" about once every five minutes. Apparently sandbox trumps kids fair. I fear that one morning I will wake up to find Connor with his pillow and blankie curled up in the sandbox. He loves it that much.

Camping: The Case of the Missing Sponge

The Cunninghams took off last weekend for for an adventure in the wilderness. Just to keep the excitement alive, we packed Connor's old favorite PJ's...fleece with moose. He loved them so much, we had to just put his sandals on right over the footsies, so he could wear them all morning long. Of course, now that we are back home and it is 80+ degrees, we have retired the the Pj's to the closet. The weather does not phase Connor though, he still requests them each night. *Sigh*

Just like last year, Connor loved it all!! He loved the dirt, the dogs, riding his trike on the trails, boating, and even swimming. However, I think his very favorite activity was playing in the dish water tub with some sponges. When we went to pack up, the sponges were no where to be found. Oh well, no big loss. Then as we were unpacking at home we discovered them. They were neatly tucked away in the little yellow "basket" on the back of Connor's trike. Apparently he was saving them for later. Maybe he noticed a few items that needed cleaning back home...? P.S. Connor still does sippy cup tricks...even in the wilderness when no one is watching.