An Easter present arrived today. Inside was a great toy and some cool clothes and shoes. However, almost nothing beats a good box! Evan was in and out all evening, and he even took his blankie inside to make a little nest and laid down for a nap.
Though it's been a week of gorgeous 70 degree weather in CVille, today started out cool and rainy. While most people would call that dreary and a perfect day to stay in bed or curl up on the couch, Evan calls it the perfect day to wear boots and his favorite coat! In full disclosure, Evan calls nearly every day the perfect day for the yellow raincoat (thanks, Grampa P!), and nearly every evening starts with him taking his shoes off and begging to stomp around the living room in his boots. But today really was the perfect day for it. Mommy even wore her yellow rain coat so we looked like a pair of matching ducks! Mommy's shoes aren't nearly as cool as the green froggy boots though - Evan's got the fashion market cornered with those!
Spring time means wagon time! What little boy doesn't love a red wagon, and what parents don't love the wagon's utility? After lots of shopping and comparisons (Evan had a blast hanging out at ToysRUs and testing out all the models), we decided on the classic red wooden wagon, with real air tires and a handle that attaches to the wagon's axle. The steering is more reliable than with wheels that are independent of the handle, and there's more interior room than in the plastic wagons. We're sure to get tons of use out of this gift... Thank you, Gramma Barb!
It's Tournament Time, and the Badgers are in it. Evan was very excited to wear his sweatshirt. It's new to him, but not a new shirt. Gramma and Grampa C got this shirt for their nephews nearly 40 years ago, and it's still as good as new. It's a great soft shirt, and this is one logo that never goes out of style. Evan is pretty good at recognizing Bucky too, which made wearing this shirt all the much more fun.
Oye - I'm almost a month behind in blogging! My apologies. Life has been so busy and so much fun, it's sometimes hard to remember to stop and write about it. I'll be back-posting more shortly from Valentine's Day and our recent trip to the ACC Tournament. Until then...
Snack time is one of the best times of the day! Evan let us know he was hungry the other day by bringing his tray in to the kitchen, clearly desiring for it to be filled up. Today he sat happily on the kitchen floor with his snack cup and a glass of milk, and contentedly gave a big "cheeeessse" the whole time. Just the other day in the car his snack of choice was none other than a hunk of brown bread from Outback. (Grampa P would be proud!) Yum!
Mommy went to a shop today and brought home the coolest toy - Evan's first computer! Well, sort of. It's actually a baby-sized keyboard that fits OVER a real keyboard, and after you install the software on the real computer, lets kiddos learn how to use the computer just like mommy and daddy do. 
There's a new playplace in town - the Bounce-n-Play. It's a huge space filled with everything any kid could want. There's a toddler area with a life-sized play house, tiny roller-coaster, dress up clothes, and mini-piano. There's an art area with tables, a huge color-on-me mural on the wall, and a glass shower-like space (pictured) encouraging kids to paint on the walls - they wash it down with a hose and squeegie every 30 minutes. There's plenty of space for birthday parties and a great cafe offering adult and kiddo foods. But the majority of the space is taken up by 5 humongous bouncy houses! Slides, bounce spaces, games, and general fun and exercise are encouraged and loved by all.
At our hotel at the ACC Tournament, most of the bathroom had mirrored walls all the way around. Evan couldn't have been happier - he loves looking at himself and hamming it up for his very attentive audience. After bath this morning, he hung out and made faces at himself. What a cutie!
Evan went to his first ACC Tournament this year, and we all had a blast! We drove down to Greensboro on Wednesday and settled into the hotel while daddy went to check out the arena and be at meetings for work. That evening we went with our friends to a party at a bar downtown, where Evan had an absolute blast sitting in the middle of the pool table, throwing pool balls, and generally being the center of attention.
room he can see mommy and daddy when he goes down to sleep, so he figured Why Sleep? He refused to go to bed and cried all night. We spent part of the evening snuggling on the couch since he was definitely happier in our arms, but the bulk of the night found Evan in bed between the two of us. It was great for a one-time treat. He very sweetly woke us in the morning by sitting up and softly patting us on the face. I could swear he said, "Action!"
The ladies at the front desk gave him a pom-pom that is super fun to shake. He was so happy to have a breakfast buffet - yogurt, fruit, and potatoes to his heart's content - there's nothing better!
The Wahoos won their first game, so we got to stay an extra day. The second night was much better in the hotel, and the second game was a very very close nail-biter. All in all the whole weekend was tons of fun, and we can't wait to do it again next year. Go Hoos!
Evan has learned a lot from Mommy; most recently, the value of a good bag. He's taken to carrying bags around the house whenever he can. He digs diaper bags out of the closet, work bags from the office, and lunch bags from the pantry. Here he's carrying a Pooh diaper bag around the house, and his favorite, a custom-made AUCD diaper bag from one of my colleagues. They're just his size, and so much fun!
