Keeping Up with the Kramers

The month of May started off with two special family celebrations, Shawn's forty-somethingeth birthday and Mother's Day!  We dedicated each of those days to enjoying time together as a family.  Whether it was early morning breakfast in our jammies, lunch at our favorite restaurant, playing in the park or taking a family bike ride...no matter what we did, it all added up to perfect for us.  And of course, little Sam was happy to simply play with the balloons!

A typical kid...so fascinated by a balloon!

We enjoyed a visit with Shawn's sister Kathy and her husband Mike who live nearby in Palm Harbor, and who we always love to have around as much as possible!  Mike and Kath had been interested in spending some time at Disney World, and we had been looking forward to taking Sam to see some of his favorite characters from Disney Junior, live on stage.  So off we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios for a fun-filled day!

C'mon, Aunt Kath...we have a Fast Pass!

Hola, Handy Manny!

The Disney Junior Live show was the highlight of this visit for Sam.  He is crazy about many of the characters he sees on TV each morning, like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Doc McStuffins and Jake the Neverland Pirate.  And Sam loves to dance and feel almost any kind of music.  So he was very excited to see, hear and dance along with the show...and for the grown-ups, he was a joy to watch!



Another Disney trip was in store when we had a brief surprise visit from some of Shawn's family visiting from up north.  Sam got to meet and enjoy some play time, this time at the Magic Kingdom,  with his Wisconsin cousins who are affectionately known in our family as the "Cheese Curds".  He also got his first kiss, somewhat reluctantly, from the fairest of them all, Snow White!

Natalie, Jack, Sam and Maia at the Magic Kingdom...they all actually stood still for a split second!

I know, I'm irresistible.

Back at home, we've been experimenting with sensory materials. We try to keep Sam active and engaged throughout his days, and sensory activities have offered us a creative, safe and inexpensive way of helping him explore the world around him. The best part is that he has a ton of fun and gets to make a mess!  And our boy is happy to dig right in - literally.

This oatmeal is no match for Sam and a Mac truck!

There are several bloggers out there that offer sensory play ideas. One of our favorites is Fun At Home With Kids. So far, we've been inspired to play with cloud dough (flour and vegetable oil), "dirt" (dried coffee grounds) with plastic toy creatures, oatmeal, shaving cream, jello and rice. We've mainly been using edible items because Sam can't seem to resist taking a taste.  As you can see above, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty, but nothing gets this boy more excited than a tub, or pool, full of water.

Which brings us to one of the most fun and exciting developments of late, Sam began taking swimming lessons!  We are so lucky that one of Shawn's oldest friends lives really close by and she is a certified Infant Swim Resource instructor.  Sam's lessons were ten minutes per day, five days a week for about six weeks. At first, we were really nervous for him. Sam cried during his first lesson (and Heather may have even shed a few tears herself), but soon enough he was smiling and laughing as he showed off his new water skills. He took to holding his breath very easily, and it wasn't long before he could swim to the wall or to an outstretched hand all by himself. We are so impressed with Sam, and proud of his courage and hard work.  And we couldn't be more grateful to our friend for such an amazing gift.  Here are a few shots of Sam in the beginning of his six-week program.

Sam's instructor, Brynn, said he took naturally to holding his breath under water.

Hey Michael Phelps...check out my butterfly!

Snackin' and relaxin' after working hard in the pool...

If you live in the West Orange County area and would like more information about Infant Swim Resource or our favorite instructor, please feel free to contact us!

Here is a closer look at these and other photos from the month of May.

Okay so the title of this post has nothing to do with anything except maybe that relish goes with ketchup (see Ketchup post below, if ya didn't get that reference).  So as we continue to post ourselves back into the present, here are some of the adventures we enjoyed back in April....or I guess you could say, these were moments that we RELISHed.  (hold the applause, I'll be here all week)

Our little Sam is between 14-15 months old in these photos.  He was growing like crazy and seemed to be sprouting a new tooth every few seconds.  He had some mildly grumpy days and a low-grade fever here and there, just enough to let us know something was going on.  But luckily for all of us, for the most part he plowed through a really busy period of growth without too much stress.  He's a tough little cookie and doesn't seem to let things get him down for long.  Sam is still a great sleeper, catching around 10-11 hours of uninterrupted sleep most nights, plus a nice long nap during the day (ahh, to be one again).  He loves to eat, mostly regular grown-up food at this point (even if it sometimes has to be cut up into smaller bites), and has gotten really good at feeding himself while thoughtfully leaving a pile of crumbs on the floor for his best furry buddy, Teddy.  We joke quite often that no one should ever try to raise a toddler without also having a little dog around to clean up after them!  Just like his dad, one of Sam's current favorite foods is cheese, which he asks for regularly in his cute little voice..."cheeeees?".

Here's Sam taking his dinner on the veranda at sunset, what a life!

One of the more distinct characteristics that we can report about Sam through this period is that he loves to be outside.  Doesn't matter to him if it's hot, cold, sunny or raining, he just wants to be out there.  He loves to walk and run until his chipmunk cheeks are flush, loves to push or ride in his wagon, and is happiest when he can find either water, dirt or mulch to play in (and occasionally eat)!  This little one is ALL BOY, and we are loving every minute of it.  Oh, and he is still crazy about dogs, so he has grown more interested in playing with Teddy (sometimes against Teddy's wishes), and wants to talk to and hug every other puppy or dog he sees.

We had plenty of great outdoor adventures in April, when the weather here in Florida is often nearly perfect.  Not too hot, not so much rain...just right.  Let the good times roll!

"See ya later, guys!"  Sam, on the go, at Wall Springs Park in Palm Harbor, FL

We all enjoyed a nice long weekend on the west coast of Florida, enjoying our friends and family and the gorgeous natural attractions that come along with the region.  We visited Wall Springs Park near Palm Harbor with Shawn's sister Kathy, where Sam got to run around to his heart's content and also got to play with a big pack of adorable dogs.  He was in Heaven, and cried when we had to say goodbye to all of the cute little critters.

If only we could have captured the gigantic smile on Sam's face in this moment!  Arf, arf!

Here's Sam, telling Aunt Kath and Mommy all about the history of Wall Springs

Sam loves the view from the top...of Daddy!

Sam also got to spend the evening with Aunt Kath and Uncle Mike while we went out for a real "date night"!  As much as we miss our little guy every minute we are away from him, we also realize how important it is to enjoy time as a couple, and with other adults!  Much thanks go to Kath and Mike for allowing us to have an amazing dinner out with a group of our friends at the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, to celebrate our friend Jill's birthday.

A rare childless moment for Heather and Shawn!

Speaking of Jill...three very imortant reasons for our trip to the coast were Heather's BFF Jill, her husband Chris, and their "Sweet Baby James" who were visiting the Bay area from their home in Utah.  The three of them invited us to join them for an amazing day at the beach, North Redington Beach to be exact, and it couldn't have been a more perfect day for more outdoor adventures!  We really enjoyed the time we got to spend with our friends, and we miss them already.

Aunt Jill was lovin' the Sam hugs!

Happy family at the beach (and Sam chomping a fake starfish)...awesome!

Our beautiful boy, lovin' every minute of it!

Back on the home front, we are sad to say good bye to some other great friends who will soon be moving away from the Orlando area and starting a new adventure of their own in North Carolina.  Heather especially will miss her friend Ashley, and Sam will miss palling around with little Jack.  We have had a few chances to spend some extra time with these special friends before they depart, and we look forward to visiting them in their beautiful new home "up north"!

Sam and Jack playing together in the fountain on the plaza at downtown Winter Garden

With the weather being so perfect, a little boy who loves to be outdoors and on the go, and a nice smooth cycling trail within a few blocks of home, we decided a bike trailer was a good investment for our family and found a beauty of a deal on craigslist for just the thing we needed!  Sam loved going out for a cruise with us and exploring the areas right here in our back yard that he had never seen.

Sam was grinning ear-to-ear about bike riding with his mom and dad!

Finally, we will leave you with this photo that Shawn snapped of Sam playing in the water at a popular Winter Garden gathering spot.  We have already had so many happy and playful moments here, and are sure to have many more.  Happy Spring and Summer to you all.  We hope you are enjoying it as much as we are!


To view these and more photos from April, click here.

We had fallen behind on regular blog updates earlier this year (right around the same time Sam turned one year old and started walking...coincidence?).  So the next couple of posts will be a quick catch-up, mostly via photos, of some of our favorite memories from the Spring of Sam's second year.  We are so grateful to have been able to enjoy so many great moments with our family and friends in March.  Here are the highlights...

You've already seen the photo album from Sam's one-year photo shoot, brought to you by the genius behind Ella Lu Photography.  Here is a cute look behind the scenes as photographer Kristin works her magic with our little toddler supermodel.

Professor Sam in his reading nook

Sam giving his photographer some editorial direction

Sam has grown so strong and has become very mobile in his old age, and every day with him just gets more and more fun!  But as much as he is a fast-moving machine and a fun loving big guy, he is still also a sweet little boy who loves to cuddle and play with his mommy and daddy.  We couldn't be more in love with all of the dynamic moods of our Sam.  Take a look at these snapshots from some of our favorite fun or snuggly moments...

Nothing beats morning snuggle time on the couch with Sam

Tickle attack!

Another of our famous "No Paparazzi" shots

Bath time just isn't complete without a mohawk

I love you, Stinky Face

One of Sam's favorite big boy toys is his classic red Radio Flyer wagon, a gift from our very sweet and thoughtful neighbors, Ken and Julie.  Although he sometimes prefers to get out and push the wagon himself, Sam also loves to ride in the wagon all around our neighborhood and beyond, smiling and waving at everyone he sees.  Lately he really likes to say "Hi" to everyone, in his very sweet and gentle little voice, with an almost two-syllable pronunciation ("Haah-eeeeee").  So cute.

Sam shares his ride with cousin Olivia

We had some very special family visitors this Spring, including Sam's Uncle Rick (Shawn's brother) who was visiting from Illinois to celebrate a big milestone birthday!  We treasured this special time, having Rick all to ourselves for a few days here in Winter Garden, and also sharing some amazing times with the rest of our Florida family in Palm Harbor.

These two guys had lots of fun and smiles together!

They tried to blend in with the other monkeys at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Hiya, Pal!

Sam preferred to be silly for this family photo at Lake Tarpon

Showing Uncle Rick how to use his iPhone

Our entire Florida family came together once again to enjoy more visitors, this time from Oklahoma!  We had a really fun weekend with Shawn's nephew Chris, his wife Katie and their precious daughter Collier as they were vacationing at a resort near Walt Disney World and invited us all to join in the fun.

Snugglin' with Collier and Chris

The whole fam-damily played at the pool and water park

For more photos, click here to look back at our albums from February and March.

Looking back to our last blog post has made us realize just how quickly time is passing and how much Sam has grown and changed since you last heard from us...in February!

Well, it's not necessarily the hottest news off the press, but Sam is walking now!  He started walking with his alligator push-around toy and, with lots of practice, quickly progressed to walking independently (right after our trip to Indiana, at around 12 1/2 months). Sam is quite the explorer now. He gets into the dog food daily (which means he also gets scolded daily), he is exploring the contents of the lower cabinets and pantry, and has even started to climb up on things. He even showed us early on that he could climb a whole flight of stairs!  Where did he learn that?!




We think Sam is going to be very musically inclined, like his father, because he's quite the expert drummer (like his father, ahem).  Anything resembling a drum stick is immediately picked up and engaged in banging on any surface that will make noise.  The washing machine is his favorite instrument right now due to the thundering bass sound it delivers.  He has an actual drum (um, thanks Aunt Kath & Uncle Mike) and several other small percussion implements to play with, but he's also not afraid to kick it old-school with a plain old wooden spoon and tin can combo.  We often set up a small "drum set" of cans, pans and cups on the kitchen floor to keep Sam occupied while we cook meals or do the dishes.  That was no problem until we noticed he started putting out a tip jar while he played.  And Sam is no one-trick-pony.  We're not sure what he likes more now - drumming or dancing.  This little dancin' machine loves to get his groove on!  Anytime he hears a good beat, he starts dancing and waving his arms without a care in the world.  His favorite songs are all from Disney Channel shows, despite his daddy's best efforts to hook him on the dusty old classic big-band tunes and even some more modern drum corps music.  Baby steps...literally.  No matter what style it is, if it has a lively beat Sam just can't resist the urge to shake what his momma gave him!

Yep, even the washer and dryer are a drum

Sam has also started to say several words and is actually connecting them to their meaning. At 15 months, he was saying things like ball, mama, dada, go, please, shoes and uh-oh. He also knew how to "arf arf" like a dog, "moo" like a cow and "ooh ooh eee eee" like a monkey. He's still working on saying "octopus", which is adorable to see and hear, even if he hasn't completely mastered the pronunciation.  His vocabulary now includes a couple dozen English words, a small mouthful of  Vietnamese words, and about a thousand words if only we knew how to speak Toddler.  New words are coming out of his little face every day and we continue to be amazed and amused by how quickly he learns, and by what catches his attention.

Sam was also still a great eater up until about 15 months.  At that point he began challenging us more when it came to eating fruits and veggies.  He's still okay with blueberries and strawberries, but we're finding it difficult to get him to eat any other fruits.  He refused pretty much any vegetable for a while, though by the time we are writing this, he has once again decided that carrots and green beans are approved.  He still loves cheese, pancakes and goldfish and shoves scrambled eggs into his head with both hands.  He will sometimes eat everything as fast as we can put it on his plate, but then often just considers his dinner to be confetti for the kitchen floor (at which point we are grateful to have a dog).  Ah, welcome to the toddler diet plan.  Enjoyable for them, sometimes frustrating for us...and it's a new adventure every day!

Speaking of adorable, we had Sam's one-year photos taken at the beginning of February. We absolutely love how they turned out and how they capture his little personality so nicely.  He's such a fun kid and we feel incredibly blessed every day to be able to watch him grow, learn and play.  Our sweet little boy makes us smile and laugh until our faces hurt.  Here are a couple of favorite moments from the photo shoot.  You can see the rest of them in this album.

The kids really enjoyed being outside on this beautiful sunny day.  There was chasing, laughing, swinging and smiling...all followed by lunch at Chic-Fil-A.  Life doesn't get much better than this, I tell ya!

Sam and his cousin Olivia surveying the egg-scape

On Easter Sunday, we decided not to go to church since Sam had surprised us with a mild case of pink-eye and we didn't want him spreading anything that might be contagious (sorry if you caught it, Easter Bunny...we didn't know!).  Instead, Heather got a head start on cooking Easter dinner for the family.  And Sam got to enjoy the goodies in his Easter basket - sidewalk chalk, bubbles, books and a Dino-popper toy from Aunt Deb.  The Dino-popper is pretty cool and was a big hit with Sam AND his parents!  One of the best things about being a parent must be playing with the fun toys your kids receive as holiday gifts.  We all like playing with this stuff!

Sam's first Easter Booty...uh, Basket!

Heather's dad and sister, along with their families, came over for a delicious meal and an Easter egg hunt in our front yard.  Shawn and Steve helped the Easter Bunny hide the eggs before any cocktails were served, so they remembered how many eggs were hidden and the kids actually found all of them.

Sam doesn't really eat candy (yet) so we decided to stuff some eggs with goldfish (duh), yogurt melts and fruit puffs.  He didn't really understand the egg hunting concept at first, but we encouraged him to find the eggs and put them in his basket.  More than once he wanted to pick up each egg and sample the treats right then and there.  And we couldn't resist letting him.  It was too cute watching him stuff his chipmunk cheeks full of snacks.  Kinda makes us wonder how long we can keep this candy-free Easter thing going, so that we don't have to worry about him overdoing it on sweets. We know, not a chance!  It's all downhill after the first M&M.  (and wait until Daddy introduces him to Gummy Bears!)


In any case, it was the perfect way to spend a gorgeous Florida day. We celebrated all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us and enjoyed sharing in some family traditions. And carrot cake. Did I mention carrot cake?  Happy Easter, everyone...bock, bock!

We journeyed back to the homeland the weekend following Sam's birthday party. We wanted the chance to celebrate with Grandma Kramer and the rest of our Indiana family including Heather's Aunt Linda.

Sam had not been on an airplane ride since he was three months old, but he showed us that he is still a little travel pro!  He fell asleep right at take off and slept for three quarters of the flight. The change of pressure on the descent was a bit more challenging for him, but nothing a little snack couldn't fix.  And kudos to Sam for ensuring an easy passage through TSA by flirting with the lady agents!

Our first stop was the Kappa Kappa Gamma house at Butler University to see Aunt Linda (and of course Shawn Sam wasn't at all put out that he got to flirt with the sorority girls). After visiting over lunch at The Aristocrat, some shopping to stock up on toddler necessities, and a little nap, we were off to Monticello.  Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go...

Sam & Aunt Linda

While visiting Monticello we stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast on Lake Schafer called The Lighthouse Lodge. The Lodge has several private entry large guest rooms with mini-kitchens, and a couple of lakeside cottages. They do a lot of weddings and family reunions during the summer season as they are right on the lake. Luckily for us, we visited in the off season and got the full attention of the very hospitable owners, Mike and Bonnie. Bonnie makes a homemade breakfast each morning that's just out of this world. She even gave us a few tips on how to make fluffy, tasty scrambled eggs. We've since tried her recipe at home and Sam approves!

Speaking of delicious food, Shawn's mom decided to host us for dinner one night. She is an amazing cook and we always look forward to her meals. So it was a real treat to go to her home and smell a scrumptious roast cooking! It was frigid outside, but so warm and cozy inside Grandma's house.  We gathered around the table with two of Shawn's brothers, Butch and Jim, and their wives for some good laughs over an amazing meal.  Special thanks to Uncle Jim for helping Grandma with the dinner preparation...what a team! Butch and Sam really hit it off too. Being the experienced Grandpa that he is, Uncle Butch had some tricks up his sleeve to make Sam laugh and win his heart. We think that this look on Sam's face says it all.

Jungle Baby, oh-wee oh-wee OH!

Grandma Kramer & Sam

Despite the frigid wind coming off of the lake, we really enjoyed our stay in the two-bedroom lakeside cottage. It was very comfortable and we instantly felt right at home. We had a full kitchen with dining area, living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom with stand up shower. It really felt more like staying with friends than at an inn. Particularly when Mike and Bonnie let the whole Kramer clan crash their rec room for an impromptu reunion and birthday party for Sam. They put together a delicious salad for us, we brought in pizza and just made ourselves at home.  Thanks Mike and Bonnie, and all who joined us to celebrate!

"So this is what a -14 wind chill looks like" Sam loved hanging out on the bunk beds in his room

Stealing Aunt Kim's pizza...his first taste of Arni's, a northern Indiana favorite

Goofing around with Uncle John

Blowing out the candle on his birthday cake

Cousins Christian, Sam and Arrick

The area experienced a record low temperature while we were there (it never fails to drop well below normal when we visit a cold weather region, which Heather despises). But we made the best of it, and it did finally warm up just enough to introduce Sam to the fun that you can have in the winter.  Below are a few photos of Sam's first snow play!

Tobogganing.  "Mush, Daddy...Mush!"

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY!"

Snow daddy

Snuggling to keep warm

It was a wonderful trip all around. We had the best time catching up with everyone, enjoyed a fabulous home cooked meal courtesy of Grandma Kramer, and made some wonderful memories.  We can't wait for the next trip back to our Indiana home, and to this little gem of a spot called The Lighthouse Lodge.

Check out more photos of our trip in our January photo album.