Movie Monday - packing box

Our friends are moving to DC this week and our sons were having a blast playing in one of the moving boxes!  I know it's a bit grainy, but there are windows right behind them and it was a nice, sunny (muggy) day.  If you can get past that, though, it'a a cute video.  I know Boo is going to miss his friend, J, tons.  I guess we'll just have to make plans for a trip to the nation's capital sometime!!

Here are some more pictures of the two of them from the past month:

I know we'll miss you guys a lot!!

Movie Monday - Feeding the Dog

My Boo is getting to be a big help when Lexi doesn't want to eat...

Father's Day

This is a day to celebrate all those dads out there.  So I wanted to take a little time and tell you about two pretty special, amazing guys in my life.

My dad.

He was my first hero.  The man I ran to when I needed a hug, the guy who picked me up when I fell, the one who has been there for me for 34 1/2 years and counting.  He killed spiders for me.  He gave me an obsession a love of reading.  He helped me eat those *monster* Re*ce's Pieces ice cream sundaes at Friendly's.  He cheered me on at alllllll my sporting events, from grade school soccer to high school cross country, basketball, and track.  He came to all my piano recitals.  He taught me to ride a bike.  He taught me to drive a stick shift...and taught me NOT to back that stick shift into someone's front yard with a 2x2 randomly sticking out of the ground!  (really...totally not my fault!)  He helped teach me respect for others and how to be polite (little Boo, take note).  He has always been a great role model for how I want to be towards my own child.  He is still there for me when I need a hug or a pick-me-up or a spider killed when he's around.  He's my dad.

(picture: courtesy of a 2-year-old and the only one I have with just the two of us for a really long time!  I'll have to remedy that soon.)

My husband.

He is also my hero.  The man I turn to for everything, the guy who loves me unconditionally, the one who has been there for me for the last 9 1/2 years and counting.  He also kills spiders for me (how did I get soooo lucky??).  He has given me a love of traveling: the west coast, Australia, Alaska, the British Virgin Islands, Hawaii, South Korea (and another soon-to-be-determined destination).  He is my handyman.  He gives me great foot massages (without complaining!).  He's been my rock through stressful times and the shoulder I can cry on.  He is my driving companion through life, figuratively and literally (he drives while letting me indulge my need to read).  He is the father of my son.  He is my other half.  He is my everything.  He's my husband.

I have been blessed to have these two men in my life and in my son's life.  I hope that he, too, sees what good, strong men they are and follows in their footsteps to grow up to be the best man that he can possibly be.  I know they're pretty big shoes to fill, but I have a feeling that he is more than capable of it!

Happy Father's Day!

Timeout

Oh, son, are you trying to push all my buttons this morning?!?!

J and I ran some errands this morning and he's actually been in a pretty good mood.  Yesterday he decided that he didn't want to take a nap, so just laid in his crib for an hour rolling around, kicking the rails, and yelling every few minutes to let me know that he was still awake...thanks, Boo.  Well, that resulted in a slightly earlier bedtime (only by about 20 minutes), but he did sleep for a complete 12 hours!!  Very nice.

After going to a friend's garage sale, Boo wanted something to eat so we sat at the table together and ate two different snacks.  Of course, he wanted a bite of mine, so I asked him to tell me the "magic word."  Now, mind you, he *knows* this.  Has repeated it many, many times over the past 12 months.  Over the past few days though, at least with me, he will not say it in order to get something he wants to eat.  He'll just stare at the item, point and/or grunt, and open his mouth while leaning forward.  I have refused to give in.  I'm afraid if I start giving him things without making him ask politely, he's going to grow up to be one of those kids who is rude to others (you know the ones, after you interact with them, you think, "well, my kid isn't going to grow up and act like that!").

So, I didn't give him my snack.  I ate it all myself.  Not that I didn't give him a chance; I asked him numerous times what the magic word was.  The boy is definitely stubborn though and refused to say it; he just gave me a serious look and opened his mouth for a bite.  Ugh!...pushing. my. buttons.  I am so frustrated, I could scream!  I'm probably making too much of this, but I can't help it.  I'm not going to win the Mommy of the year award, and I'm okay with that, as long as my child grows up to be polite.

But there had better darn well be a nap today.

Because Mommy definitely needs a timeout.

This smile...

When it feels like things are getting overwhelming, this smile makes it all seem brighter...

When it feels like nothing I say is getting through to him, this smile wipes the slate clean...

When I have been working two days straight, I love seeing this smile on the following day...

It's this smile that I look forward to seeing every day...

After waiting for such a long time to have our son, I never tire of seeing this smile...

And God help us when he finds out I'm such a sucker for that smile!

Movie Monday

I have a lot of video that I need to get cleared off of my computer's desktop, so here is a video dump of most of it.  (and I am doing this accompanied by the thump, thump of *someone's* feet on his crib rails when he's *supposed* to be falling asleep!)

I finally caught him counting on video and he's not trying to get around to my side to see himself.

He hasn't figured out yet that he has to stay on the other side of the camera until I'm done!!
His pronunciation isn't the best, but we're working on it.

Very serious about helping Daddy out at Lowe's when we were buying our new front door.

We told him he could ride on the cart as long as he held on tight;  you can see at the end that that applied to daddy's keys as well!

"Wake up!"

Thankfully, I don't think J is ever going to be one of those teenagers who like to have the waist of their pants around their knees!  Watch him here when these 12-month shorts...yes, people, my 26-month-old can still wear some 12-month bottoms...continually slip down his backside.  The hands are back there constantly trying to get them up...hilarious!!!!

Going back through video, I came across one from the first couple of days (Memorial Day weekend) we had J home.  These days, Lexi never purposely lays that close to him unless he has food because he'll try to hug/chase her!  And even though he's pretty gentle with his hugs, he does try to lay ON her to give them!  heehee

More to come on what we ended up doing for J's first Gotcha Day, as well as a fun kid's event we went to two weekends ago and our quick trip to visit friends in St. Louis this past weekend.  Wow, time really has gotten away from me, that means I have catch-up to do on three weeks...yikes!  And I'd better get caught up soon because J starts swim lessons tomorrow evening (a parent-child class; I can't wait!) and this summer is jam-packed with activities already.  

Bring it on!!

Bucket of Fun!

So, let me see if I can get this foot in here...

 hmmm...that wasn't too hard.

 Look at me, Mom!  One foot out again!

Jealous, are ya??

What happens if I sit down in here?

Woooo!  That is cold.  Brrr!

I'm gonna try it again anyway 'cause that was kind of fun!

Whoops!  The water went everywhere...cool!

Let's see how far down I can get...

Oh, so that's what happens if you sit down!

Who needs a diaper anyways, right?

Movie Monday - Dog Pranks

disclaimer: no dogs were harmed in the making of these videos!

Slow down, will ya?

My sweet boy,


When I took you up for your nap today, instead of wanting to be rocked for a while, you pointed to your crib and said "bed."  


So I complied with your request because you said it so sweetly.


But please remember that your mommy enjoys rocking you.


And I love our snuggle time together.


So don't grow up too fast, okay?


Love, Mommy