Waldchen Essentials

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It’s been a while since Jenny or I updated the front page with a story. What can I say, it’s been a busy spring!

Grandma Patti came to visit last week and signed up Elise for a toddler 100m race. It was Elise’s first time doing anything like that, but she was really excited to try it. So we prepped her as well as we could, told her what would happen, and tried to anticipate any fears she would have. I brought her up to the starting line and told her to run as fast as she could down the street to where Mommy was standing. As soon as the race started, though, she froze and started crying a little. I picked her up and held her as Grandma Patti came running down to meet us. She asked Elise to run with her down the street, so together they finished the race. Elise was very proud of herself and can’t wait to try it again…who knows, maybe she’ll end up like this some day. 🙂

[img_assist|nid=70|title=Fun To Be One|desc=|link=popup|align=left|width=100|height=75]Patrick’s first birthday was this past Wednesday, so we did a few fun things that day. This photo was taken then as we opened some presents from family that couldn’t be here. It was a pretty low key day with some special treats, like going to play with our cousins and a big cookie made by Aunt Amy. We opened presents when Daddy came home early. Then we ate pancakes for dinner–Patrick loves them and his was shaped like an airplane.
Then on Friday, Opa and Omi (Erick’s dad & step-mom, Karen) came for the weekend from New Jersey to help us celebrate. They were a huge help, from babysitting Friday night to playing with the kids while we got things ready to helping to prepare all the food. And the list goes on…

At the party on Saturday, Patrick seemed to have a wonderful time (except when Mommy put some artichoke dip in his mouth that was a little too warm-ouch!). He showed off his walking skills and really thrived on having a house full of people. He was a bit unsure of what to do with his cupcake at first, but then really got into it–literally–as you can see from the photos and video.
Thank you everyone, near and far, for all the cards, presents, and assistance you gave to help us celebrate this very special boy!

Patrick had a great first birthday this past week. I’ve added the pictures to the Gallery and have uploaded a video of him eating his cupcake. Enjoy!

Well, as promised, I’ve given the website a new coat of paint. It’s still a work in progress, but let me know what you think. (I can always change it back to the old look.)

I’ve also added a new link at the top of the page called “recent images”. This will display the 24 most recent pictures that I’ve added to the gallery, regardless of what album I place them in. Hopefully it will make it easier to check what’s new at a glance.