Success

Last night was our 3rd night of swimming lessons. If you remember our first lesson was a disaster....crying, wailing, screaming, kicking....the whole works. Last week was better. And last night was excellent. He waved good-bye to us (with a smile on his face), sat with his own class, got right in the water and sang and swam like a champ for 45 minutes. In fact, he was the ONLY child who did not shed a tear last night. Yay!! Too say we were very proud parents would be an understatement. Here is a video of our newest little fish! (They may have gotten some of my swimming genes in them after all...let's hope so!)

Try calling him a girl now.

More may have been taken off then originally planned because as he was getting into the chair the stylist asked if SHE would sit there by himself......

Did I mention we were at a MAN'S Salon where they ONLY cut BOY hair?

Carson is thrilled because now Declan has hair like him.

Swimming

The boys started swimming lessons a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time that Declan was going with out myself or Trevor. To say we were nervous about that would be a very big understatement. But we talked alot about it and that he was a big boy and would be all by himself. His response was that, "My teacher will help me." So I thought we were in for smooth sailing. Drop off went well and Trevor and I went to the balcony to watch.

He decided to try and join Carson's class. That's Carson's classs he is sitting with and that's his teacher on the left trying to persuade him to come over to his class.....she was unsuccessful.

Staying next to Big Brother for protection!!

But he did eventually get in the water. He spent 90% of the time clung to the side playing with the toys in the gutter. There was no crying during lessons so I thought we were golden.

I was wrong.

What ensued after swimming lessons is something I would like to forget. It involved one very mad little boy, a lot of tears, hitting screaming, kicking, wrestling and finally leaving the pool center with only pants and a shirt.....no diaper or shoes.

Here's hoping next week goes better.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A Leprechaun came and turned our milk green.

He's not a girl, he's my baby boy......

Declan gets called a girl more times then I care to admit. You know what bugs me about it? That these people think I would even consider dressing a girl in his clothes. They are ALL BOY! And put a girl in a navy blue/light blue coat? Really people? I wonder what their conversions are? I always assume its something along the lines of...

Person 1: Oh that little girl has such gorgeous hair.

Person 2: I know. But did you see how her mother dressed her? Poor girl.

Ok, maybe they don't have those conversations. Guess I'll never know but the thought that they might led me to cut some of his hair off.

You can scroll down to the previous post to catch a before shot of his crazy mane.

Too Loud

For a few weeks Trevor and I have been talking about how we should go about taking Declan's plug away. This summer we cut him off to just at nap time and bedtime and he did really well. But there's no denying it, he's attached to that thing when he sleeps. I knew he would never just let us take it away and we tried to convince him that big boy's don't need it but he wanted nothing to do with that logic. (Reasoning with a 2 year old....I have no idea why that didn't work!) So we decided that we would "leave them at grandma's" over Thankgiving weekend. So Sunday night when he asked for his plug we showed him they were all missing (we stash them on our dresser). He was sad but reassured himself that grandma would bring them back to him. For the first few days he was reassured (mostly by Carson) that grandma would bring them. But the last two days he hasn't even mentioned them. Now, I'm just hoping that by next week when both grandma's are here he has totally forgotten about it. And then I can say this was WAY easier then I thought. But, I'm not counting any chickens yet.

One draw back of not having a plug is that it takes him longer to fall asleep. With the plug he was out before I left the room but without it he's laid in there and talked for over an hour a few times. Carson's even complained that "brudder is being too woud. Tell him to be quiet." The other day during naptime I caught something on the monitor that was too cute. See if you can hear what he is saying.

Did you catch it?

A Random Video

Just a little video I shot a few weeks ago. Declan was doing this crazy jump move into the splits. He does it best right at the beginning of the video. And Carson was enthralled with his stomach that was making some crazy noises, must have drank too much milk.

Enjoy

Happy Birthday Declan

Declan -

Happy 2nd Birthday! I can hardly believe you are already 2. While I know these early years go fast for most parents, yours have sailed by. Since your birth we have started a new job, moved to a new state, sold our old house, moved 3 times and bought a new house. It's been a little chaotic to say the least. But I've enjoyed every minute of it.

You are the most talkative, stubborn, strong-willed little boy I know. Your our book reader, non-tv watcher, salad eater and do-it-youselfer. You challenge your dad and I in ways we never knew were possible. You absolutely adore your big brother. When he is at school you ask repeatedly when we are going to pick him up. And when you sleep late in the morning Carson always asks when we can go wake you up. It is a connection that I know will only grow stronger.

So Happy Birthday my little boy. You are such a blessing to our family. I look forward to all your years ahead.

A Birthday Party

Sunday we celebrated Declan's birthday with the grandparents.

He's really going to be 2 on Friday? Where did the time go?

Checking out the party goods.

Someone enjoyed the attention.

But not the cupcakes because he didn't even lick the frosting.

But Carson loved them or at least loved the frosting.

Presents!

A New Car.

That has now found its home in my living room. Isn't this supposed to be an outside toy? I don't think he has gotten out of it since Sunday. Today at nap he asked to sleep with it.

Sometimes they make you laugh so hard you cry or cry so hard you laugh

The chocolate chip cookies were a hit. At least according to Carson they were. And he got to be Leader for the day. Except for a moment when his friend tried to take his spot. I image there was some sort of preschool take down match between the two of them. OK, maybe not, but Carson was pretty clear that he got the Leader spot back.

It's barely after noon and the boys are already in bed. This may be due to the fact that BOTH of them woke up WAY to early (read 6AM) this morning. Seriously, nothing good can come of a day when they are up at that ungodly hour. No wonder I drink Coke. Its the only thing that gets me through days like this. Hopefully a long nap will clear up any crabbiness left in their wee little bodies.

I had my first night of Religious Education last night. Let's just summarize and say the kids were awful. 12 first graders, 9 boys and 3 girls. I'm not really sure what I am going to do, if I'll even continue teaching. I thought younger aged kids would be "easier" but if last night is a sign of anything, I was WAY wrong. It's frustrating because I was looking forward to doing this. But we'll see, I haven't given up hope just yet.

We've been weaning Declan off his plug for awhile now. He's done pretty well with it. He gets it only at nap time and bedtime and he knows that he can only have it when he is in his crib. I used to keep them on my tall dresser so he couldn't see them but I could easily get to them. Well the other day I started making him set them on his dresser after nap and after a few days I had 3 or 4 gathered there. I was cooking dinner on Monday night while Trevor was at work. When dinner was ready Carson came running in and sat at the table but there was no Declan and that's when I noticed it was pretty quite around here. S0 I went looking for him and found him in his room. He had pushed our big stool over to his dresser, climbed on top of the stool and was sucking on the plugs one at a time....completely enjoying himself. Stinker! Needless to say, they are back in my room now.

We have an area behind our chair that is open and when you are walking down our stairs you can reach that area through the banister. Makes a great place to store junk, just ask my husband! It is also a place where our kitties often curl up and sleep. When the boys are on the stairs they like to reach over and give them a pet. Yesterday I ran out to the car to get some cars for Carson that he left in there. As I was walking back through the garage I heard a loud thump and then screaming. When I opened the door I found Carson laying on the floor screaming and holding his head. I picked him and gave him some loves. When he calmed down I asked him what had happened. He said he fell down the stairs. I said well how did you fall. His reposnse between sobs was....
"I was coming down the stairs and I stopped to talk to Jenna (our kitty) and I tripped."
I wonder if Jenna talked back?

Usually when I tuck Carson into bed we review how our day has been. Today as I ducked into his bed to say goodnight (or is it goodnap?) he said to me (before I even started talking)...
"I wuv you all da time mommy and I wuv daddy all da time too."

Oh, it's moments like that that make this the BEST job in the world.

And lastly, a little video of the crazy boys in the tub the other night.

Bees, Bikes and Chicken

Declan has started to show alot of interests in Carson's "big boy" bikes lately. He's far from reaching the pedals but he gets his little legs on the ground and tries to get going. He's pretty good on the big wheel but prefers to be pushed on the trike. It's weird to see him getting so old. It feels like I just brought him home from the hospital.

A few weeks ago we noticed a large number of bees going in and out of a crack in our foundation. It seemed like a weird spot for these little creatures to live. So we went and got some stuff to spray in there but it didn't work well. It killed a few but there was still alot of them there. Then on Friday Trevor got stung by one of them. Bees 1 Trevor 0. So last night they ventured out to get some Raid, why that wasn't purchased the first time I'm not sure. But it did the trick.
Bees 1 Trevor (at least) 25.

I grabbed a bag of our chicken nuggets at the store last week. I was surprised today when I opened them up and they were in the shape of numbers. Well isn't that cute? Back to School chicken nuggets (that's what the bag said!). Lucky for me the boys' will probably refuse to eat any chicken nugget not in the shape of a 1, 2 or 3 from now on. Because these are WAY more fun.

Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy....

I was trying to make a video this morning to illustrate just how much Delcan talks. It's non-stop...all day long. Did I mention it's non-stop? No matter where we are or what we're doing he talks all the time. And in the morning its always Mommy this, Mommy that, Mommy, Mommy Mommy!! You try and count just how many times he says it. It seems to be more frequent in the morning. Must be trying to make up for the 12 hours he was asleep!

A list of my thoughts

I have lots of things on my mind that I want to mention on here and there isn't really any order to them so I'll just make a list. How fun!

* This morning around 1:30am. I heard Carson come out of his room and shut (er, slam) the door closed. Something he does regularly. I opened my eyes just a crack waiting for him to appear at my bedside. He didn't. I listened for a few more seconds wondering what he was doing. And the next thing I heard was the door to the garage opening. I slapped Trevor awake and told him to go see what he was doing. I'm not sure why I didn't get out of bed to go check. By the time Trevor got out of bed and down the stairs Carson had already made his way into the garage and was trying to get back in. We're not sure where he was going or what he was trying to do. One thing we do know....it gave us a good scare. This morning he said he was trying to find grandma but I'm not even sure he remembers being out there. It's a good thing he makes a habit out of closing his bedroom door when he leaves because had I not heard that I'm not sure what would have happened and I don't even want to think about it.

* It's the middle of July and BOTH of the boys have a cold. In July? Really? Those parenting Gods can be cruel people.

* The boys and I have been going to Target on the Friday that Trevor gets paid. We get all our essentials, browse through the toy isle and then have lunch at Target (mmmm...Pizza Hut). I was thinking about skipping today and going tomorrow morning when Trevor said, "You can't skip it's tradition." And he's right. This simple little errand has become a tradition for us and I love it. So do the boys because they usually get a cookie for desert!

* We've been on a stirct plan to rid Declan of his plug. When we went on vacation he had it in for the entire trip. So when we came back I vowed to not necessarily take it away but to vastly reduce the amount of time he had it. The first few days were tough and I thought I was going to lose my mind but it's gotten alot better. He only has it in his crib now! However, since its out most of the day now......he NEVER stops talking. And more then half the time its, "Mommy wook" "Mommy wook" MOMMY wook" MOMMY WOOK." All day long. And he doesn't stop until you acknowledge whatever it is that he sees. Today it was a crane and a big balloon and then McDonald's. Good thing he's so darn cute.

* Carson is going to be a car man just like his daddy. He was about to lose his mind today when we saw not 1 but 2 Chargers on our way to Target. And every car he sees has some sort of relation to a car from the movie Cars. Today we saw Ramone, Flo, Mack and Filmore. And they looked nothing like any of them but he insisted they were.

* The other day we were at the park and there was a huge rainbow filling the sky. We pointed it out to Carson and his response, "Jesus sent us that rainbow." Ahhh, good parenting moment!

* Carson's favorite phrase these days is "Sometimes they do that." It's pretty comical.

* Declan LOVES to check out the potty after Carson has gone. Regardless of what's in there his reply is always, "Big poops bruder" followed by "wittle poops too bruder."

* My garden is completely overgrown. It needs to be at least twice as big. My tomato plants are ridiculously huge. Yesterday we came home and they had all fallen over. Check out this tomato mountain.

You can almost see the humidity in these pictures. It's been like soup outside lately.

* My engineering husband rigged up some posts and they are now standing up. Sadly, we lost about 20 tomatoes because we had to cut them back. Hey, that's a lot of spaghetti sauce that we won't get! And yes, there are two shovels in the ground helping hold them up. He's resourceful!

* Declan was trying to get Tickle Me Elmo to laugh today and he couldn't get it so he just laid on him and away he went.'


* Carson starts school in a little over a month. Ack! I got a list of the school supplies he will need at Target. For a kid entering preschool that list is quite long. Kleenexes, cups, play-doh, enough glue to last a life time, markers, pencils, backpack, band aids, etc. It goes on and on. I picked up a few things today that were on sale. I know he's going to love school but a part of me is sad and still wants him to be my baby and home with me all the time. But buying all these things is exciting. Reminds me of when I was little and got all new supplies. Then I'd spend the next few weeks until schools started organizing them and putting them in my backpack. So much fun!

* I have to work tonight but we get to wear jeans. How is it that just being able to wear jeans makes going to work so much more bearable?

Nap Time

Declan's not quite ready for one nap. So usually he'll fall asleep on the way home or between stops when we are out in the morning. The other day we were at the mall with our friends and he was riding in the front of my friend's stroller. We were heading for the food court for lunch and by the time we got there Declan had assumed this position.

He's totally asleep.

(And the picture was taken on my cell phone so its not the best quality.)

Spring Time!

Its supposed to be 77 today. In fact, its supposed to be in the 70s through next Thursday. Fabulous!! Now, if only we didn't have to work all weekend. Sigh.

Carson is becoming a trike riding fool! He makes at least 50 laps every time we are outside.

I repainted a shelf in our kitchen. Carson thought it would come in handy as a toy shelf.

Declan ate an entire half of a PB&J the other day. So I treated him to a pudding cup. I'm not sure if more got on his clothes, face and fingers or in his mouth.

My mom captured this picture last weekend. Yes, that's Declan' hair or as I like to refer to it, the rat's nest. So it was time for a haircut today. Brace yourself......

One last picture before we cut it off.

Look at those little curls.

He wasn't up for much of an after shot.

He looks so old now. :-(

Look Who's Talking

You'll have to excuse the talking with your mouth full portion of this video. We'll work on that one. When he cooperates in answering questions you have to act fast and grab the camera! Here is just a small sample of the words Declan has picked up just in the last few weeks.

We miss Florida! It doesn't help that the "high" tonight is supposed to be 12 below or something ridiculous like that. When we got home on Monday night Carson didn't want to wear his pants or long sleeves. So he stood in the parking lot wearing shorts, Crocs and his winter coat while daddy put the seats in. When he finally climbed in the car he was so excited to see his hat and mittens. He shouted, "Look mama my hat!" as he quickly tried to shove it on his head. Like Father, Like Son I guess.

I also celebrated my birthday earlier this week. And with that I have decided to venture into reading the Bible in a year. Hopefully, with some prayer and patience, I can finish on my birthday next year. So far so good. I hope this spiritual journey brings me to a deeper level of faith and makes me a better wife, mother, daughter and friend. Please keep me in your prayers.

We're leaving on a jet plane............

On Monday the boys and I are jetting off for a fun filled week in Florida. Yesterday it was 19 below (actual temperature) when we woke up. Yeah, this trip can't come soon enough. But I'm a little nervous since I will be flying solo with the boys. And did I mention our flight leaves here at 5:05 AM on Monday. Dear Lord.

So I'm busy trying to pack and buy things for the boys to keep them occupied on the plane. I'm not worried about Carson since he has 2 new movies to pass the time and I think the fact that we will be on a "awe-a-pwane" will be enough amusement for him.


It's Declan that sends shivers up my spine. He's a crazy animal. And I say that with all the love in my heart, seriously. I have no idea how to keep him occupied. I'm hoping the crack-of-dawn departure time will be enough to zonk him out. Please pray for me and my crazy animal!!



Trevor has a busy week ahead of him with a to-do list 40 miles long. At the top of that list is my kitchen cabinets. Hopefully I return with doors on my cabinets.

Declan has been talking up a storm lately. I would say, in my best guess, he has 15 to 20 words he can say. Some of his newer ones are bubbles, thank you, please, book and egg. Carson never talked this early so its been alot of fun watching him try and say things. You can almost see him trying to say it in his head before it comes out his mouth.



Carson has fallen off the poop-on-the-potty bandwagon. So I've offered him the incentive of a new train if he goes on the potty. We'll see how well this goes.

I'm off for the week but will be back from Florida next week with LOTS of pictures.

Thomas the Train is back

We may have had a potty breakthrough this week. Carson FINALLY pooped, or "poot" as he says, in the potty. (I can't believe I am writing about this on the Internet.) I was at work but I think his words to Trevor when he saw it in the toilet was...

"Look daddy I poot in da-pawtty."

He was pretty proud and so are his parents. In fact we went to Target today and I let him pick out a new toy. He chose James from Thomas the Train and so the train fascination is back on at our house. He was sad tonight when we couldn't go to grandma's house because she has "mo twains dare mamma." He wanted to go there instead of bed. Sad part is grandma and grandpa are in FL and we won't be there until May. I hope this doesn't happen every night until then!

But the incentive must not have worked to well because he went in his diaper this afternoon. Great, there went my $8. My Dave Ramsey budget is not made for this!

In other fun news. Declan actually ate something besides cheese and pickles today. In fact he ate so much at lunch that we were ALL done and ready to leave and he was still shoveling in the fries. I'm not convinced this new eating habit will last long but it sure is nice to see him eat something besides cheese and pickles. Now matter how much I tell myself that this phase will pass its still hard when they aren't eating much. I constantly feel like I am offering him things because I just want him to eat SOMETHING. It pretty much consumes your every thought. So, tonight I'll say a prayer that this lasts, at least a couple of days, and makes me feel better for awhile.

Fish, Tools and Cabinets

Early this week we visited the Outdoor Campus with our friends. We took a class on Antelope and checked out the big fish tanks they had there. Even the little guys had fun.

Declan decided he liked the tool belt.

And measuring for that matter.


Why, what's this you ask?

Well its drawers of course. AND it's drawers in my kitchen.

Hallelujah!!!

The dragging technique that we wanted wasn't working the way we wanted it to so we went with a different look and just painted a thin stripe around the edge. It looks pretty good. Now if I could get the doors done. Oh and I suppose handles on my drawers would do me some good too.

A new 'do!

Well we finally did it. We got Declan's haircut. He was being mistaken for a girl all over the place so we took some off. He did great and had a lot of fun. Here are some pictures of our adventure.

Before shot of the back.

First we needed a sip of juice to get us through this.

Flirting with the stylist.

Ok. lets get to work.

But first, look how long my hair is. It's almost past my eyes.

Here it goes.......

Hold on I need a sip. This haircutting business is tough work. They actually expect me to sit still for this?

Are we done yet?

Ta Da!!!

And a video of it all.