The Hoglund Family Blog: Short update, we have visitors coming... YAY

Just a short update, as I need to finish up getting the house (and myself) ready for our friends that are coming up to visit this weekend. Very excited to see them all again. Steve and Stacy Wadman (Steve is the bloke who is responsible for me and Chris - set us up years back) are coming up Saturday morning and bringing their two wee ones (Matt and Anna), and Matt Johnson (married us) and his fiancee, Jill (who we just adore), are coming up tonight. And I think Cory Olson (HS friend of Chris's that lives up here) will be stopping over to hang out as well. Should be a pretty fun time.

Some updates...... well Chris and I had a BLAST on our weekend getaway. The hotel (Grand Minneapolis) was great and we loved the location - within a short walking distance from good restaurants but far enough to be away from the chaos of the warehouse district. Friday night we had sushi at what used to be Martini Blu (now called Zahtar) and walked around and settled into Gluek's pub for some live band karoke. Yes, I sang but not too proud of it considering that half the people who sang up there were probably professional singers. Saturday we got some breakfast and went to the MOA for some shopping... got myself an outfit to wear out for dinner later that night. We went to The Capital Grille and were treated in style there. They knew it was our anniversary and did it up for us - there was a note signed by all the staff wishing us a happy anniversary, rose petals all over the table, the waiter greeted me with a rose as well... and got an espresso chocolate mousse cake on the house as well. We were STUFFED to the point of feeling sick when we left - I should mention, our steaks were to DIE FOR. If you go, be sure to get the Kona rubbed steak - Chris did and it was fantastic. After dinner we hopped into a cab and went to go see my brother's two bands play at the Dinkytown bar. Was so great seeing him again and getting to see them play. Sunday came around and we were bummed it was over but so excited to get back to the kiddos - who by the way were very good for Grandma Chris. She even offered to do it again for us soon - crazy lady. :)

The boys are doing well. They are in TWO ECFE classes. One is a twins one in Pequot Lakes.... and we just started a 1-2 year old class (they made an exception for us) in Brainerd, although there is only room for one, so we will alternate back and forth on who goes with Mommy to class and who goes to Sibling Care. This week MacKay came with me and played really nice with the other kids... and they told me Oscar was a delight in sib care - so it worked out well. I have heard it is good to start giving them some "time away" from each other now anyway - so this will probably be good for them. MacKay's recovery from surgery was FAST. He's all healed up - although we did have a bit of a scare thinking there was an infection at one point. But brought him in and he's all better now. They both are SUCH happy boys.... I can't believe it. Sure they get crabby when they fight over toys or we stop them from doing something they shouldn't be doing (constantly going behind our gas standalone fireplace or the TV, or wanting to play in Angus's food/water dish). But otherwise they are so fun. Oscar just walked about 12 feet the other day, still isn't initiating it on his own (letting go and walking out), only when we place him somewhere and make him come to us... but that will come. MacKay got yet another tooth (now he has 6 just like Oscar) on Tuesday. MacKay is still enthralled with Oscar's diaper and wrestles him down all the time lifting his shirt up and playing with the diaper that sticks out of the back of Oscar's pants. And Oscar has started playing this game where he will put a blanket/cloth over his head and either rip it off and laugh, OR... he will start crawling around until he bumps into something, then pull it off like "what in the heck was THAT?" Both are enjoying putting their arms above their heads and doing the "SOOOO Big" game as well.

Anyway... gotta run and go finish up getting ready for our visitors.... but here are just a few fun pictures.....

The boys wearing Mommy's glasses. They look so intelligent huh?

More pictures of MacKay wrestling Oscar down and playing with his diaper. What he is so fascinated with is beyond us - we're just waiting for the day that there is a little "surprise" in there.

Ooooh - sometimes the boys can wake up just CRABBY from their naps. MacKay rarely wakes up like this (why I had to snap the picture in the first place) but Oscar is a 50/50 on whether he will wake up excited to see you, or crabby that he is awake. But particularly snapped this picture cuz of the hairdo MacKay was sporting - CRAZY hair. Took a while to tame that down.

I love these shirts.... Here is MacKay walking behind his push toy. He loves this thing and it's really the only way he will walk (won't walk holding onto us like Oscar will). The next pictures are of Oscar playing his "peekaboo - Where's Oscar" game. Lastly, the boys are constantly crawling through the space in our coffee/end tables. Here they were both trying to fit through at once. Doesn't Oscar have a nice butt? :)