Tag Archives: Griffin

Griffin, Photo

Big Kid Bed

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We’ve been talking for a few weeks now with Griffin about moving to a big kid bed (partly in preparation for the baby in April). First we introduced the big kid comforter and pillow a couple of weeks ago, and yesterday Grandpa Jeff came up to build Griffin his first ever big kid loft bed. Griffin didn’t quite know what to expect other than that Grandpa Jeff was going to build him a new bed, and we think the results exceeded his expectations; when he was on the phone with Grandma Pam last night, he told her that “Grandpa built me my own new house, Grandma!” This morning after his shower, he excitedly went back into his room, “to look at my special new bed” and exclaimed, “Oh, it’s GREAT!”

We think he likes it.

Griffin’s room before.
Grandpa measures for the railing.
Griffin gets in on the action.
He loves the new perspective!
Griffin and Mama lay down the carpet.
Griffin demonstrates the proper ladder technique.
Tired and happy family!
Grandpa and Griffin say goodnight.
Griffin’s brand new loft bed!

 

Griffin

Morning Songs

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Griffin woke early this morning, nearly an hour before he is normally allowed to leave his room. I helped him use the potty and tucked him back into bed. Before leaving, I reminded him that he should stay in his bedroom until his “orange sun” lights up (it’s a nightlight timer).

As I pulled the door shut, he asked, “Okay to sing songs?”

Griffin

Haircut

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As a child, I remember brushing my mom’s hair and imagined someday that I would have a child of my own who would want to brush my hair, too. Today, out of the blue, Griffin decided he needed to give me a “haircut” with the scooper from a backhoe loader. He carefully combed my hair and made spritzing sounds as he said, “Givin’ you a haircut!” I think that’s as close as I’m going to get with him, and I’ll take it.

Griffin, Photo

Chutes & Ladders

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Sarah found this amazing park shortly after we first moved here last year but it was too sophisticated for Griffin. This fall, with winter fast approaching, Griffin was able to give it a shot. He was slow and cautious at first, but quickly developed confidence and new climbing skills. It was amazing to watch him learning how to handle himself on the massive play structure. He quickly dubbed it the “super duper park.” The official name is the Hyland Play Area, but most people refer to it simply as “Chutes & Ladders.” The photos below are from our last trip on October 29, and the video is from an earlier trip on the 15th.

Griffin, Photo

The Eighth Wonder of the World

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Just an hour from the Twin Cities lies a site that is definitely cooler than the Colossus, more magnificent than the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (who’s heard of that anyway?), and nearly as charged with New Age Energy as the Great Pyramid. Plus it is toddler-friendly, has pink picnic tables, and is totally entirely FREE.

See for yourself:

The Refrigerator

At first glance this mid-size, older model fridge might not appear to be in the same class as the Hanging Gardens, but look more closely:

The Sign

Are you kidding me? In post-Jerry-Garcia America there’s an unlocked, unattended refrigerator filled with Freezee Pops and a “Suggested Donation” sign? Even after wandering the rest of this amazing, soul-salving site, I think this fridge did the most to reaffirm my faith in humanity.

Ok, enough shenanigans. It’s taken me a while to post the pics, but earlier this month we drove out to the Franconia Sculpture Park with Griffin and had a fabulous day. For those of you not in the know, it’s a 20-acre site in the middle of nowhere (by urban standards—cornfields all ’round), filled with incredible, humongous modern sculpture. Places like this make Minnesota oh-so-easy to fall in love with.

Here are some of our favorite pictures. Click to expand.

Alas, we didn’t write down the names of these things. But isn’t this cool?
Griffin was SO excited!
Wind socks! (Griffin loves some wind socks.)
Metal thing
Not tornado safe.
Most Amazing Thing Ever
From another angle.
Lots of happy play on the Most Amazing Thing Ever

Photo, Travel

Cordes sur Ciel

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The luggage incident was, of course, only a small part of our time in France. This was the second part of our Fabulous European Wedding Tour, and it was my (Andrew’s) first time in France. We were staying just outside of a small town called Cordes sur Ciel (built in 1222, perched on a hill, cooler than cool) about an hour from Toulouse in southern France.

When we were planning the trip my good friend James, the groom, knew that we were on a very tight budget, so he kindly suggested that we could stay in the neighbor’s “pigeonier.” I looked up the word and discovered that a pigeonier is more commonly known, in English, as a “dovecote.” Those of us who don’t live on a rural manor might still need a bit of help; according to Merriam-Webster, a dovecote is

A small compartmented raised house or box for domestic pigeons.

Hmm. I took James up on the offer, but wasn’t quite sure what we were getting into.

It turned out that the neighbors in question were stone-masons and had built the pigeonier as a guest-house. It was a four story stone tower with a full kitchen, living room, bath, and gorgeous bedroom at the apex (where the pigeons would have lived had it been a real pigeonier). Pretty awesome.

See many pictures from our trip below (click to enlarge).