What is for Breakfast?

The following is an actual conversation that occured in our home this morning...... Mommy asks..."Carter, would you like french toast or pancakes for breakfast?" Carter responds..."PIZZA!!!" Mommy......"No, please try again.....french toast or pancakes?" Carter...."FREEZE POPS!" Seeing that this conversation was going nowhere, I chose the 'horrible' pancakes. Thank goodness all was forgiven was pizza was served at lunchtime!

Just a Little Update

Wow! I can't believe how quickly the month of July has come and gone! Looking back on all the posts for July it's easy to see why time has seemed to fly....we have been busy! This past month was one that was filled with some sort of activity to partake in virtually every night. I will just leave a quick post to update you on how the boys are doing....... Carter is doing very well. He is growing like crazy and is eating us out of house and home. Every time I turn around I have to restock the fruit drawer of the fridge. Some days pose more of a challenge as Carter spreads his wings more and more and becomes independent and stubborn! His speech has improved so much over the summer and his vocabulary has grown. All words are recognizable and easy to understand. Carter did attend a summer program at the IU-20 and loved it. He made some new friends and adored the teacher thus proving once again that he thrives on a structured atmosphere. In the fall Carter will again attend Faith Lutheran Preschool....this year he will enter the building as a 'junior'. A therapist will visit the school twice a month just to monitor Carter's progress and make sure that there are no concerns. Always showing his confidence and wonderful zest for life I have no concerns and know that Carter is on his way to bigger and better things! My little Elijah.....no longer little at all! He, also, is eating us out of house and home...if it's food, he'll eat it! Eli is continuing to make great strides. He still sees Miss Kelly, his therapist, every Monday and he is making progress. Now able to pull himself up with ease at just about anything, he started 'cruising' around the furniture. He has even let go and stood upright without holding on to anything a couple times....all wonderful things of what is to come....WALKING! Kelly is pleased with Eli's progress and continues to work him hard every week. Elijah's personality is also changing and a 'new' Eli is emerging.....he seems to be a bit more relaxed and not as uptight as he was as a baby. He is also much more willing to try new things, i.e. splashing in the pool or tub or feeling different textures on the bottom of his feet. All good things that are most certainly positive signs of what is to come! Brian continues to work very hard at both Rexroth and mowing lawns. The lack of rain has slowed mowing down a bit, unfortunately but Brian has been keeping busy with other little projects around the house. I just look around at my little family and realize that even though I am stressed to the max on most days, I wouldn't want my life any other way! Sending our love to all of you! Enjoy the rest of summer!!

15 Month Check-Up

Elijah had his 15 month check up this morning..... Weight 21lbs. 8oz. (a gain of 1lb. 5 oz.) Length 31 inches (a one inch growth) All else looks good and he endured his one vaccination very well. He conked out on the way home and will hopefully take a nice long nap.

Tatamy Car Show

Yesterday Tatamy held it's Car Show and luckily we were up and moving early so we could see all the cars and trucks before the rain and storms arrived.

Carter called his Mimi and Poppy first thing in the morning to ask them to come along with us. After they arrived we set out up the street and one of the first things we came upon was this Bean Construction truck. Carter was absolutely taken with the truck and the Caterpillar that rested on the truck's bed. The Caterpillar is an original down to it's pull start (no key for that little baby) and the truck beautifully restored. Making this truck even more special is the fact that my great grandfather, William Leamon, worked for Bean Construction for years. Stories of Bean and the jobs he completed are legendary in our family. We got a chuckle picturing him behind the wheel of the rig, knowing that he likely was very familiar with both of these machines in his day.

Carter poses in front of his 'favorite', a restored monster jeep with tires almost as big as him!

Farmer's Fair

This week marked the annual Plainfield Farmer's Fair. Celebrating everything 'farm' this local fair provided us with inexpensive fun for the whole week. Carter absolutely loves going to see all the animals and tractors, which will explain why you see my children in different outfits....we couldn't keep the boys away. Eli, also, had a particularly good time and enjoyed all the sights, sounds and tastes of the fair.

Our little lamb......

Looks like a farmer to me.......

These Alpacas are so adorable...I am trying to figure out a way to have at least one of our very own. Their shy temperament and sweet faces made them an instant favorite.

Carter tries to tempt them a little bit closer.

Eli hangs with Mimi and Poppy watching the Alpacas.

Carter loved the piggies just like his Momma!

She was the friendliest cow and loved the attention. Carter did an awesome job and was very gentle touching her and wasn't bit afraid!

Here we go......both of my boys spent HOURS on the tractors and equipment on display. (I know...big surprise) Only the promise of 'coming back tomorrow' could get Carter off and into the car heading for home.

Totally wearing his seat belt...safety first!

Enjoying the delicious ice cream.

We had so much fun with boys. Watching them discover, explore and learn about new things is just so amazing and makes every experience that much more special. Can't wait until next July!!!

Mommy's Helper

Carter did an excellent job helping me mix and bake Nini's birthday cake......but somehow I lost him when it came time to put the icing on!

Just Because This Never Gets Old.....

Isn't this the cutest face ever?? Seeing him enjoy cake never gets old!

I welcome your comments....who do you think Eli looks like??

Happy Birthday, Nini!

Always ready to celebrate, Carter and Elijah help Nini blow out the candles on her cake. We hope that you had wonderful day!! xoxoxo

Bustin' a Move

For every one's enjoyment....Carter busts a move for all to see at the local farmer's fair.

Mommy's note: A full post with pictures from the fair to follow. We will likely make another trip there this evening. Also, I can't figure out how to rotate my video clips....I have to remember to always take vertical movies, I guess.

It is the simpliest little thing......

....That can make you smile......
After the nice soaking rain that we had the other day Carter and I found this little beauty blooming. It was such a nice little treat since before the rain our sunflowers were just little buds. This is little guy is that much more special as his seed was a gift to Carter from Jacob. Carter has really enjoyed the whole process from sowing, to planting, to watching his sunflowers grow big and strong.

It is so HOT....so let's Swim

Boy...it was HOT today! We decided the best way to beat the heat was to get to Mimi and Poppy's pool and get there fast! We are very lucky to have some great neighbors that we enjoy spending time with so we invited Paul and the Torrisi Family along for the fun. Joey is a little water bug but I very impressed with Carter, who spent more time out of his inflatable boat than in. He even became a little bit brave and swam by himself and jumped off the ladder to me! Eli, also, really loved the pool today and practically fell asleep while floating with his Poppy.

After we swam we enjoyed some great food and, of course, freeze pops!

Joey and Carter then spent the rest of the afternoon riding on all of Poppy's machines. The 4-wheeler...the tractor.....nothing was off limits! A good time was had by all!!

Uncle Chris Visits

Brian's younger brother, Christopher, surprised us with a visit this past weekend. We really enjoyed seeing him. He spent quality time with the boys and we even enjoyed a grown-up evening to the casino. It was nice to spend some time with Chris and to share a lot of laughs!

This is for all of you Seinfeld Fans

Eli is bringing back the hairstyle that Cosmo Kramer made famous.

Cruisin'

It's only a few steps but he's doing it!

Elijah's Latest Accomplishment

One of the greatest thing about having children is that everyday they accomplish something new. No matter how big or small it is one of my greatest pleasures to see the boys making strides and discovering new things. Eli has been working for weeks now on 'cruising'. As you all know, he is the more laid back of the Lansek Boys and hasn't been really receptive to all this pushing toward walking. Long story short..he was being a little stubborn, I think. Miss Kelly even commented this past week on how stubborn he seems to be as of late! In true Eli style, after therapy on Monday he slowly started to take a few steps here and there while standing at the coffee table. Everyday since then he seems to 'cruise' a little more. (this makes Mom happy since he is becoming quite heavy to carry ALL the time) I have been trying to get some video but he is sneaky and as soon as he realizes the camera is on him he immediately sits down. I am hoping as he gains more confidence in his new ability to move we will be able to share this wonderful milestone with all of you.

Dog Days of Summer

My babies enjoy their nice cool pool and try to beat the heat!

Rockin' and Rollin'

Elijah enjoys his birthday gift from Nini! I think that he likes it!

Fireman's Parade

This past Saturday marked the annual Tatamy Fireman's Parade, a tradition in our little town for many years. We had a small cookout prior and enjoyed time with some friends and their children before the noise began. Elijah is absent in these photos as he was a little unsure about all the sirens and noise. Enjoy the below pictures of some great friends and their beautiful children.


Carter and Vito take Poppy's motorcycle for a spin before the parade begins.
The lovely Miss Lia and her mama, Maria.

Silly Poppy!.....those are for your ears not your nose.

This is the face of an angel....just ask his Mom.

Those sirens are loud...aren't they, Joey?It's Christi and the Vitos!!

Rider enjoys his lollipop and the firetrucks.

We definitely need some more girls in this group!

After the parade, and with our hearing still intact, we headed down the street to enjoy the carnival and of course some fries and funnel cake! Truly a great day!!