Dancin' with the Star

Jacob has been working on some dance moves. His favorite move is the Jitterbugaringaroundthetwostepshufflehopataparoodashimeyshake. We're going to put this YouTube and then sit back and wait for the call from Dancing with the Stars. It's not every day that you see dancing skills like this, right? We're pretty sure he got this from his Dad...he just loves to dance!

This is me

Brooke & Jake

1. Tormenting the cat. I think these two have potential to get into mischief together.

2. Drinking buddies.

3. Checking out the mouse.

4. Sharing some snacks.

If you haven't heard a good Facebook story lately here is one for you...

Back in 5th grade I had a good friend named Emily. She came to gymnastics in Fairmont a few times a week - all the way from Forest City, Iowa. We became good friends and on occasion she would stay at my house. She even remembers my crazy dog, Jiggs. (I am quite certain most of my friends remember Jiggs).

I had always wondered what ever became of Emily after our Middle School era and gymnastics days. Recently, I have reconnected with a lot of old friends on Facebook. I tried looking her up with her maiden name but couldn't find her. I knew she had gotten married but wasn't sure of her married name. Two days later (yes, two days), I received a request from an Emily with a last name I wasn't familiar with. I had a hunch it was her. Indeed it was and I told her the story of how I had just tried to contact her a couple days back and thought it uncanny that she had looked me up. I went to her profile to get caught up on her life and much to my amazement I find out she lives in Hastings. HASTINGS! Can you believe it?

She stays at home with her two kids, Brayden and Brooke. Brayden is 2 1/2 and Brooke is a little over a month older than Jacob. She is a member of the MOMS Club and the YMCA and lives within walking distance of my house. Needless to say, we have a lot in common and have had a great time reconnecting in person. We've truly picked up from where we left off (minus the aerials and back tucks...although...Emily is still capable of those tricks). We are completely ourselves around each other and don't even have to work at our friendship. It is awesome!

Jacob loves to play at their house. He is a big fan of Wilson, their dog, as well as Brayden's cool trucks. They have a great backyard with sandbox and all. Brayden and Brooke have been over to our house and they are very excited about our cats, but unfortunately, the cats don't really like them. Nothing personal.

I am sure we were bound to run into each other at some point living in the same town, but it was fun to speed up the meeting. Thanks, Facebook!

Hello, Grady!

Congratulations Sas and Josh on the arrival of Grady! We got to meet him last weekend and he is adorable and snuggly. We couldn't be happier for them. Jacob is looking forward to sharing (or not sharing) his toys as soon as Grady is big enough.

A spring day not so long ago...

We had a beautiful Saturday last weekend - spent most of the day outdoors. Since then, it has been gray and cold. Soon enough spring will show its face again and we can't wait! Jacob is wearing my hat - I don't have a problem with him wearing pink, however, I would like to find a light-weight knit hat for spring. Of all of the clothes and items at Babies R Us you would think I would have been able to find something, but that isn't the case. We're on a hat hunt.

Little Man Shuffle

Little man Jake has been taking steps here and there, stops to show us "no hands" on his walk -n-ride, and even goes no hands on his rocking lion. He definitely wasn't in a rush to walk - he wanted to make sure he could do it well. He's officially off and walking and we finally got it on film for you to enjoy. His new favorite game is Ring Around the Rosey. He can walk forward pretty well but seems to like to walk in circles best. Maybe he gets that from his Grandpa Jake. Just kiddin', Dad. ;)

Monkeyville

After a long drawn out game of Balderdash....Tom WINS!

Fun & Games

This is one of Jacob's favorite games. Normally when Mom drops her knees he falls onto her tummy and laughs and then gets back up and does it again. This morning was different though. He decided he didn't need to fall down just because there wasn't anything nearby to hold on to. Standing on your own is a tiring business though, so he had to lay down and rest a little afterwards. He's a funny little boy!

Jake of all Trades

Whatcha doin' Dad?

Do you really think that a little piece of plastic is going to stop me from opening the cupboards?

Oh, okay. Well if you say so.

Here Dad, let me show you how to work this drill. You aren't doing it right.

Real Simple = Real Good

In honor of old man winter sticking around here's a yummy (and healthy!) vegetable soup recipe from my Real Simple cookbook. Jacob is a big fan.



2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 14.5 oz cans low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1/4 lb. green beans, 1 inch pieces

1 cup chopped broccoli

Grated Parmesan



Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, 1 cup of water, potatoes, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broccoli, return to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan and croutons.

This picture may have been posted months ago, but I find it worthy of posting again! Enjoy.

Just a couple pics...

Watch this!

Here's a tip from Jacob...try eating Cheerios without your hands sometime. You'll be amazed how much tastier they are when you eat them like a cat. Sure, it takes some special skills, so if you need a lesson you know where to find him. Cheers to Cheerios!

Water + Barley + Hops + Yeast = Saturday Brunch

Saturday was kind of a big day for us...Brent & Sara drove up from Ames, IA for the weekend which afforded us a rare opportunity to get 3 of the 4 Sinclair siblings (and their spouses of course) together for some fun and fellowship. So we lined up a babysitter for Saturday morning and met up in St. Paul at the Summit Brewing Company (http://www.summitbrewing.com/) for a tour of the facility and some sampling of their tasty brews. I wouldn't call us beer brewing experts, but we could probably pass a simple quiz on the basics of brewing beer, and we most certainly could tell you the names of some of our new favorite beers. Speaking only for myself, one of Summit's brews climbed into my Top 5 Favorite Beers list, their Extra Special Bitter Ale, or ESB as it's known by Summit aficianados.

A good time was had by all and I think this is something we'll be doing again when guests come to visit us in the future. If you find yourself drifting around St. Paul, wondering what to do on a Saturday morning, you should definitely add this tour to your list. You'll walk away a little wiser in the ways of the beer world, a little wider around the middle from the added calories of some tasty samples, and with some fond memories of a fun-filled Saturday in St. Paul, MN.