Indianapolis Zoo Boo

Today was a good day.

We started off the day at church where our pastor talked to us about being more service oriented. I guess that is the kind of sermon you would expect from him since he just returned from Haiti. Serving those in need is really a family theme for us as Stephanie and I met while working together serving children in need on Indy's near East side. We are very excited to see how God uses our church to help those with needs in Central Indiana (which is everybody).

After church, we had some fantastic homemade breakfast burritos. Here is a link to the recipe n The Pioneer Woman's website so that you can make them yourself...yummy!!! Kai took a nap after brunch for a couple of hours then we were off to the Indianapolis Zoo for Zoo Boo.

We are zoo members and this is one of the included perks of being a member (although you don't have to be a member to go to ZooBoo). We had a great time and we will be going back next year and the year after that and the year after that and...well, you get the idea.

We ran in to Kai's buddy Master P right at the entrance. Master P is on the left and he is dressed up as a old time golfer and Kai is the tiger on the right.

We got a few more pictures around the zoo with the boys together. Here they are checking out a giant rabbit.
Here they are with some old dude.

A family photo of the Indiana Lesnets at Zoo Boo.

Kai wanted his picture taken with a real tiger. Its hard to tell them apart, but Kai is the one that I'm holding and the real tiger is in the cage.

With hooks they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison, so his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 19:9

A long week, but a great weekend!

There are a few things that parents should never be without. Of course, there are many and more than my list here, but here are some items that come to mind:

1. A washer and dryer
2. Hot water
3. An emergency babysitter
4. A muzzle for unruly children

Well, this week we had times when we were without any of these things (we still haven't secured a good call at any time babysitter...one of several disadvantages of living in a different state than both sets of grandparents and all aunts).

On Monday, our washing machine and dryer were moved from our laundry room to our garage as the contractors started the work on fixing up the water damage caused by some faulty installation of our new set that we bought on July 4th weekend. Our contractor(s) did a great job and finished up everything in just a few days.

On the day that our contractor(s) were finishing up, we were blessed because we had a hard time finding the wall paint for the contractor to use for paint touch ups. Not being able to find things is always frustrating and is rarely a blessing but sometimes God uses these types of delays to save our bacon. Stephanie and I had both been down to the basement searching for the paint a few times and weren't able to find it. I gave up and decided to take Kai to school and continue on in to the office. After I left, Stephanie went back down to look one more time and saw that our water heater was leaking (she also found the paint). The water was really spewing out but she was able to contain the water with towels before it damaged any of our awesomely finished basement. That day we were also blessed by our awesome plumber friend who came out and replaced our (under warranty) water heater before we got home from work.

That same day, Kai got bit at school. We didn't witness the incident, but the story goes something like this; he was on the climber at school and a little girl wanted to get on there. Our speed demon, Kai didn't move fast enough for her so she leaned over and bit him. His teachers have taken the oath of silence and therefore won't tell us who bit him, but we asked him about it that night and he said "Audrey" "bit" "No, No", so we think it was Audrey. He was injured in the incident as she drew some blood but he's a quick healer and the tooth mark is almost gone.

A little comic relief to the biting story is that when Kai says "bit", it sounds a lot like "b*tch". He continues to tell us about "Audry bit" and it just cracks his dad up.

On Thursday, I picked Kai up from school and he had a lot of waxy discharge around his right ear. Of course, us rookie parents freaked out and assumed that his tube had come out and that we were going to have to get those redone. We tried to make an appointment to see his pediatrician on Friday but they are just packed with flu patients so we took a deep breath, relaxed, and called Kai's otolaryngologist. They said that the discharge was normal, that he had an ear infection and that the tubes were doing their job by letting that junk drain out. They called us in a prescription for some ear drops and he's doing great!

On Friday, Grandpa Lesnet came down to visit us for the weekend. Kai was elated to see him and gave him a hug right away (our boy is not a hugger)! Grandpa brought down some gifts from him and grandma including a new raincoat. Kai does not like wearing coats but he loves this one! Last weekend Kai would not wear his coat (it was cold), so Stephanie had a great "mom" moment. After the third time of Kai unzipping his coat and leaving it on the driveway, she put it on him backwards, and zipped it up. Kai did not like the hood in his face or the zipper on his back. She turned it around and he kept it on the rest of the afternoon.

Kai loves his new fireman coat and wore it all weekend.

Grandma and Grandpa Lesnet also gave him a great new toolbox and I'm not sure who had more fun playing with the tools - Grandpa or Kai.On Saturday, Chad took grandpa and several other friends (Trevor, James, and Eugene) to Purdue for some Big Ten football. We had a great tailgate complete with pancakes, beer, sausage, beer, burgers, beer, Hawaiian brats, beer, and beer (really not that much beer). We also enjoyed the game as Purdue whipped Ohio State!

Stephanie and Kai had a great Saturday hanging out without Grandpa Lesnet and I. They went to the Farmers Market and for a walk with friends. Kai wore his new Superman shirt and really wanted to get some pictures in it. Kai takes great pictures all the time but good photos are so much easier when he asks you to take pictures of him.

Cheese!!

Kai was so glad to see me when we got back from the game that he tackled me and wouldn't let me up.

Here's what Kai looks like from my perspective when he's sitting on my chest.
Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. - Amos 9:3

Kiki Run Away??

This past Tuesday (10/13) was a sleepless night here at the Indiana Lesnet estate as Kai woke up terrified that Kiki had ran away.

He was completely inconsolable and just kept saying "Kiki run away?" over and over. Kiki had not run away and was doing a great job sleeping through all the commotion. She was pretty irritated when we kept calling her to us to prove to our young son that his precious beagle was safe and sound at home. Kiki received no sympathy from Stephanie and I though as she sleeps all day long!

Kiki is a great dog but is a lot of work. She is a lot more work than Kai and we have thought about giving her away several times. She is great with Kai though and he loves her very much.

I think that this picture is worth more than 1,000 words, it shows pretty clearly why Kiki is going to continue to be a part of our family.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. - 1 Corinthians 13:4

Rock-Tober!

Holy smokes is it chilly outside here in Central Indiana these days! The average temps in this area this time of year are in the low 70's and I don't think its climbed over 55 degrees for over a week and the lows are hovering just above freezing. Throw in a lot of rain and most folks just choose to stay inside...but of course the Indiana Lesnets play outside no matter what.

Stephanie ditched us last weekend to spend some time down in Brown County, Indiana with a bunch of her friends while Kai and I (Kiki too) held down the fort up here in Noblesville. Kai and I did great (more on that to come) and Stephanie had a great time hanging out with her friends for a much needed girls weekend. She wanted me to add in that they "had a wonderful time celebrating friendships and that her friends are amazing women" (I agree that her friends are amazing).

October is a very busy time for both of us at work as it is time to once again close out the quarterly books and report the numbers to the SEC. Unfortunately, we are also running out of food in the freezer. In order to help get us through the busy time and restock our chest freezer with yummy meals, Stephanie's sister Jessica came to visit for part of the weekend and did our freezer cooking for the next several months. She also had watched Kai while I got in some time at the office on Saturday. We are very thankful for Aunt Jessica and her culinary skills.

Here is Kai tickling the ivories in his old man pajamas. I personally think that old man pajamas look stellar when they are covered with basketball dunking gorillas! Would you agree?

Kai and I went to McDonald's for breakfast while mom was gone.

On Sunday, the boy and I went shopping and got some new toys for Kai. I was on a mission to get Kai a basketball hoop for his basement playroom but we picked up a set of golf clubs and some legos instead. Toys-R-Us is celebrating "Block-tober" this month and have all of their blocks on sale and I just can't resist a bargain. Kai loves these new toys, especially the legos. He has kept us on his toes with the golf clubs as he hits mom, dad, Kiki, the wall, and whatever else he can reach along with the golf balls.

Stephanie took Kai to the doctor this week as he had / has a ugly sounding cough. He was diagnosed with croup (he's better now) and found out that he now weighs 28 pounds. He has grown a lot these past couple of months and has caught up with and passed many of his friends.

Kai's vocabulary is also growing quickly these days. I really need to get a little better at keeping track of his words but here are a few that stick out. He knows some colors, specifically black, blue, and yellow. He says animal, blanket, Kai (sometimes if you ask him his name he'll tell you). Thankfully he hasn't picked up any questionable language yet but I'm sure its just a matter of time.

Kai is also doing some cool new stuff. He is learning yoga at school which is pretty neat but Stephanie and I don't know much about Yoga poses, I guess we will learn. Kai has outgrown his size 7 shoes and is now in a size 8. He is still a mommas boy but is happiest when all 3 of us are together. He is also a fantastic hugger and has started giving squeezes if you ask. I love being a dad!!

Although he is growing up very quickly, he only gets to drive on the weekends.

Now on to this weekend (er, I guess today).

This morning we started the day with a pancake breakfast. Stephanie has a great recipe for blueberry banana pancakes that are fantastic (the secret ingredient is almond butter). After breakfast we went to the farmer's market right here in Noblesville. We picked up some mums, pumpkins, mustard, barbecue sauce, and some apple butter.

After the farmers market, we went to Stony Creek Farms Pumpkin Festival. While we were there Kai:

Rode a pony
Went on a hay ride (we refused to ride the one with the green tractor...us Lesnets are red tractor folks)
Spent some time in the pumpkin patch
Stopped for a few photo opsOn that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. - Zechariah 14:6

Cheese

We have had some feedback from our last blog post, and that feedback is that my writing is a lot better when accompanied by photos.

So, with this post, I am going to merely caption photos...it will probably be our most popular one yet.

Kai really wanted his picture taken on the evening that this was taken. He kept asking for more and saying "cheese" at the camera. Taking pictures like this is much easier.

We bought Kai a tricycle. His legs aren't quite long enough to pedal it yet but he loves it anyway.

Here is Kai and daddy making monkey noises.
When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. - Exodus 33:4

If You Could Vacation Anywhere in the World?

I bet you would choose to vacation right here in Central Indiana. Well, the Indiana Lesnets agree with you 100% and will be spending the next week vacationing right here in the Greater Indianapolis area. I will give you all a preview of this little stay-cation so that you can be jealous all week of the cool things that we will be doing.



We're starting off this weekend with cleaning up the garage. Currently it is not a super clean, organized, eat off the floor type garage that any man would be proud of...in fact, it is pretty much the opposite of that right now. It is currently storing some items from the other house, has floors that haven't been washed for years, and has no decent organizing system. All of that is about to change...stay tuned for some before and after pictures.



On Monday, Stephanie and Kai are going to have a play date in the morning. I may get in a tee time (this is vacation, right!). On Monday evening, we are planning on doing a little landscape maintenance. A light day of vacationing!



On Tuesday, Kai has a follow up appointment for his ear tube surgery in the morning. After that we will head down to either the zoo or the Children's Museum. Stephanie is going to have a dinner with her buddies. Ahh, nice relaxing day!



On Wednesday, we are back to the garage as we're getting some new garage organizing items. Also, we are planning on spending some time straightening our planning desk in our kitchen and our home office. I think that everyone has their "dirty secret" areas of their home and now our secret is out...our planning desk and our office are pretty neglected!

Thursday is a free day and Friday is a day to work on our basement.

Our weekend is filled with a trip to the zoo on Saturday and a house warming party (which is during the Purdue vs. Notre Dame game) which will be amazing! Sunday both Stephanie and I will be teaching Sunday School at church and then we have small group at our house on Sunday evening...back to work on Monday morning!

We'll see how we do! Lets keep our fingers crossed for some good weather!

And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:3

Whew! What a Crazy Couple Weeks!!

This week has been a week of much rejoicing as we finally SOLD (signed, sealed, and delivered) the first Indiana Lesnet Homestead that we purchased right before we were married. Those of you who know us personally know how much stress this house has caused us through our 2 separate "lease to buy" sales. Two days after we were finally able to put it on the MLS open market, we had an accepted offer! The Lord blessed us with amazing friends who helped us get it ready for sale and list the home and were again blessed with such a quick non-contingent offer. Here is a photo of the home, it was a great house but it will not be missed.Kai has really been on a tear learning new words since his ear tube surgery. He has some great ones like; airplane, bike, amen, and animal. I guess that learning new words is a lot easier when you can actually hear them...what a concept!

It is hard to believe that summer is really officially over since today is Labor Day. We have tried to make the most of it with a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo (we skipped church to go...shhh, don't tell anyone) with Master P and his folks. It was great to go with them as they go quite a bit and were able to show us around. We had a fun time there and we will most definitely be going back as we are not only clients of the zoo but now we are members.

In additon to the zoo, we attended a chuch picnic for child care workers and Sunday school volunteers at Forest Park right here in Noblesville. The park is amazing, it has a "Tom Thumb" miniature golf course, sweet playground equipment, swimming pool, shelters with grills and volleyball sand lots, picnic areas, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, the "Little Beauty" Carousel and the Indiana Transportation Museum. The fellowship with our church friends was great but there was an added bonus of discovering such an amazing park right in our back yard. Oh yeah, Kai rode the carousel but was a little scared and had a white knuckle grip on his pony. After the ride was over he wanted to go again though...our little thrill seeker!

Last week Kai and I were able to spend a little manly quality time together as mom ditched us for a few days to go to Boston for "work". We did great without her but we were most definitely glad to have her back.

Kai's school was closed on Friday so that the teachers could have an in-service day. That sounds a lot more like a 4 day weekend to me, but sure...in-service, why not! This week we were blessed to have Auntie Jessica come down and hang out with Kai while school was closed and mommy and daddy went to work. She said that watching our little angel was easy but Kiki was a pain in the booty. Yep, it looks like Kiki is an equal opportunity pain in the booty!

We went to the Purdue football season opener on Saturday and Kai had a great time. He lasted through one quarter and two minutes into the second quarter. I think he could have made it longer but the good guys were up 21-0 over Toledo so he smelled a rout and wanted to go walk around campus instead. He enjoyed the big crowd and all of the noises and sights (especially the train whistle and the Boiler Up cheer). He also really likes his new Purdue fooball jersey.

We then drove straight to the Toledo area (a little irony) to see Stephanie's family and enjoyed some family time. We had this on the calendar for a while as Aunt Kathy and Leah were scheduled to come in to town from Washington state for a while but their plans changed. Hopefully they will be able to come soon as we had a great weekend together and enjoyed the holiday.

Kai would like to once again thank Sam who let him borrow his Cozy Cruiser for the weekend. He loves this "bike" and spent hours driving up and down grandpa and grandma's driveway.

The above picture shows Kai and his grandpa playing with some blocks. This picture is great but you need to notice Kai's threads. He is in a Detroit Tigers outfit that his grandpa bought for him when he was at Comerica Park for a Cleveland versus Detroit baseball game. Grandpa is a big Cleveland fan but he clearly loves his grandson much more than his Indians...such a big softie!

So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor. - Job37:7

Busy weekend!

Lots of big things happened this past week and weekend.

Kai used two words together which is a big developmental milestone - they were working on it at school and he said "more please". It's fitting that our big eater asked for more food!

Then, on Thursday night, Kai sat on his potty chair and went to the bathroom! It was pretty much a coincidence, but we made a big deal of it. He likes to sit on his potty every night before bath time and says potty, so we'll see if it continues.

Friday morning we had surgery to have tubes put in Kai's ears. We had to report at 6:15 am and surgery was at 7:00 am. Stephanie and I did not sleep well the night before as we were afraid we would miss the appointment and we were up well before the alarm went off - the sun is not even close to rising at that hour :) Kai left with the nurse at 7:05 and we were holding him by 7:25. He cried when she took him away, but the anesthesiologist said he stopped crying as soon as they turned the corner and he just watched what he was doing the whole time - even when they put the mask on him. The doctor came to see us and said "his ears were a mess!!" You never want to hear that from someone who does this all the time. He said we would notice a big difference immediately - and we did! Kai has said several new words this weekend - including "mine" and he has so much more energy. Coming out of the anesthesia was really hard as Stephanie was holding him, but he just kept screaming for "mama". They say that it is the common reaction when kids come out from under the drugs, but it was very heartbreaking. He took a nap and by 11:00 was good to go.

We headed to the state fair and had a great time walking around and enjoying the beautiful weather. We forgot the camera, so no pictures this year, but a fun tradition to start.

I also got to play some golf Friday (may have broke 80 for the first time ever if I could have got the putter to work) and while in the middle of my round, my dad texted (yep, he's hip) to say they were thinking of coming to visit. It was a great surprise and they were here Saturday and Sunday. Kai had a wonderful time and it was especially nice they were able to babysit and Stephanie and I went to Symphony on the Prairie. We sat at a table of Purdue alum - we were the youngest by about 25 years, but had a great time getting to know them.

Here are some pics from Kai's weekend with his paternal grandparents:

Oh yeah, we still have our dog. I don't think that she has had any mention in here for a while.
Here is Kai with his grandparents right before our breakfast at Perkins this morning!
Everyone in this picture has the same middle name and the same last name. 3 studly Lesnet men!

Sunday was busy at church, but did include breakfast with Grandpa and Grandma. All in all a great weekend!

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: - Genesis 9:12

August Already?

Another month since our last blog post...life is busy.

Here is Kai's 18 month picture - this is the only one that turned out...he only wanted to run around and did not want his picture taken.

We had a good month spending some time with family and at a family reunion for the descendants of John Elmer Briner [Chad's family] (bounce house included!!). Kai got to meet his great aunts from California (it was close to nap time and the end of our visit when we tried to take pictures, so he wasn't very happy).

Kai playing Redneck Golf with Grandpa Lesnet

Kai meeting his newest cousin; Melissa.
Kai with cousin McClain
Here is a couple with Grandpa and Grandma Eridon

Kai continues to grow taller and eat constantly - he's not gaining any weight, but the boy can eat. A typical day includes a peach for breakfast, all of his lunch at daycare and then constant eating from the time he gets home until he goes to sleep (pasta, blueberries, zucchini and 15 oz of milk). He is also starting to talk more and more and repeat what he hears. It's very cute when he says "Amen" after we pray at night, and not as cute when he repeats "out, out, out" when he is done sitting in his highchair. He definitely has an ornery streak in him (not sure what side of the family he gets that from...maybe both).

The CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) we joined this year has been lots of fun and we are receiving many vegetables that we would not normally purchase. Stephanie has had fun each Monday researching what we should make with our share. This past week we made a rice dish with okra and a squash and zucchini casserole with fresh garlic and tomatoes as well. Kai likes okra - even if its not fried.

On Saturday Kai attended a birthday party for a couple of his friends. It was a princess party and there were lots of little girls and only one other little boy. Kai pretty much ignored everyone else and plays on his own as you can see below; he's the one in the back in the blue shirt.

Kai goes in to get tubes in his ears on Friday. We found out that he has some hearing loss in his right ear from all the fluid behind his ears and all the ear infections since March. It should be totally reversible, and we are looking forward to seeing him feel better.

On Saturday, Stephanie heard Kai talking after his nap and then he got quiet, so she thought he went back to sleep. Then she heard more talking, so went up to get him out. Surprise!! He took his diaper off. Luckily there was nothing else in the crib with him, but we will definitely have to make sure he always has shorts on over his diaper in the future. He likes to run around without his clothes on before his bath - this week he wanted socks on, but nothing else. Here is a good shot of the shenanigans (Mom's call on this one little man, daddy tried to keep your nakedness off of the Internet)!

He fled naked, leaving his garments behind. - Mark14:52

Happy 18 month Birthday Kai!

Dear Kai,

You are becoming such a big boy and have grown so much over the past few months. You wear size 7 shoes and 18 - 24 month clothes. Most people comment on your hair when it's longer and the nurses at the pediatrician ask to touch it because it's so cute. They also comment on your eyes and long eyelashes. You rub your hair when you are tired and it is very comforting to you.

Your dad has given you three haircuts and you have 12 teeth. You do not like to get your teeth brushed, but this has started to get better as we are singing the ABC's while brushing them. You have grown so much taller in the past few weeks (drinking 10 - 20 oz. of milk before bed each night). You eat constantly from the time we pick you up from school until bed time and you love any fruit, apple butter, applesauce, hummus, chickpeas, couscous, hamburgers and you eat homemade blueberry waffles for breakfast every morning. You still use your pacifier, but only at bedtime and nap times. In the morning, you throw your pacifier back in the crib and wave "Bye-Bye".

You have a very sweet, laid-back personality. You sit back and observe everything around you before going to play. You give lots of hugs (with arm pats) and have started giving kisses (complete with sound effects). You have a great belly laugh and mom and dad love laying on the floor with you and laughing and wrestling. You love it when daddy throws you in the air and catch you. You would much rather run everywhere and like playing outside and going to the pool. If you want to go outside, you run over and try to climb in your stroller until we get the hint. You love the slides at the playground and have amazing balance when playing on wood bridges. You like swinging and start crying if we take you out before you are ready. You like swimming, but are more interested in walking around the pool and picking up the toys and shoes on the side.

You love sitting on mom and dad's lap to read books. Some favorites are "Moo, Baa, La La La", Curious George goes fishing, Is Your Mama a Llama and Red Hat, Blue Hat, Green Hat, Oops, and Guess How Much I Love You. You love dancing - especially to Alice the Camel and the ABC's. We read I Love You Through and Through every night before bed and you love the little boy in the pictures since he looks like you.

You definitely have a mind of your own, but save your temper tantrums for mom and dad. I asked your teacher at daycare (Ms. Cassie) if you ever throw a tantrum at school, and she said she could never imagine you doing that. Mom found you playing with the toilet plunger in June and you looked up at her and said "No, no" and then walked out.

Your are a man of few words, but have started saying more in the last 6 weeks: Dada, Mama, Kiki, no, this, ball, balloon, Detroit, bird, truck, school, happy, baby, book, squirrel, dog, more, blue, purple, apple, bye-bye.

You love your school and bring us our shoes each morning when you are ready to go out the door. You give Kiki a treat and clap when she takes it. You then stand by the garage door and wait for us to open it so you can get in the car. Your teachers have been great and we are so thankful that you are happy and learning and playing during the day. This summer the school has had two petting zoos (loved the bunnies), water day every Wednesday, the Westfield fire department (you liked Sparky the dog) and puppet shows. You eat all your food every day at school and love to play outside and help the teachers pick up the toys. You are a great helper at school and all your friends say "bye Kai" when you leave.

Kai - we love you more than you can imagine and God knew exactly what he was doing when He blessed us with you.

David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, 2 Samuel 6:14