Tuesday, July 24, 2012

An Impromptu Getaway

The four of us got to take a special little getaway this past weekend!  Kreg's good friend Cole & his wife, Kelsey, invited us to join them in South Fork, CO at a little resort that Cole's family meets up at every summer.  41 years ago his great-Grandparents decided to take their family to the mountains after Harvest for some R&R and they have continued the tradition every year since in the exact same place.  That little tidbit right there just melts my heart! I'm a total sucker for tradition!  There were a couple families that couldn't make it this year so they had some extra space and invited us to join them.  My boys were in outdoor heaven.  

We drove in Friday night after Kreg got off work just in time to meet Cole & Kelsey in Monte Vista, CO at the drive-in movies.  I just LOVE drive-in movies!  We saw Brave, which Westin has been quoting ever since.  Kreg & I enjoyed the movie, too... Kreg laughed out loud more than once :) 
The boys woke up early, excited to go fishing!
 
 The highlight of our trip was Westin catching his first fish.  He has been fishing with Kreg several times and has watched Kreg catch fish before but never had he caught one on his own fishing pole!

Daddy & Westin

The look of concentration...

Tucker can't wait til he's big enough!
 This was such a special moment between my boys for me to get to witness :) The photographer in me wanted to tell them to turn around and get into the shade so I could get some "better" pictures... but I'm so glad I didn't because I would have missed these priceless expressions:
"Woa... look at that!"

So proud. "I did it!"

"Are you proud of me, Daddy?"

Still on cloud 9.

He couldn't stop touching it...

Couldn't take his eyes off of it...

Measuring it

Still very attached to "his" fish

An 11" rainbow
We got to do a lot of other fun little activities while we were there: 
Westin feeding the geese

Tucker & Daddy feeding the geese

We took a paddle boat ride

Fun things I did NOT get pictures of, unfortunately, include: a little train ride around the resort (again, Wes was in heaven), lots of yummy food compliments of Cole's family, roasted marshmallows & starbursts, & a lumberjack festival.

Cole's family always does a church service on Sunday morning while they're all together.  The young men take turns leading songs, reading scripture, and preaching.  Westin got to "help" by getting up and saying a couple of his memory verses which made me so very proud! I really didn't know whether or not he would want to "perform," but he did great and was proud of himself!  Maybe he'll be a preacher :) 


I was very thankful for a chance to spend some quality time with my boys with a few less distractions than normal.  It's been quite a year so far and our schedules have been very full.  It really reminded me how important it is to take a break from "busy!"

Thursday, July 19, 2012

| Boys Update |

I wish I were better about writing down, at LEAST monthly, all the things the boys are in to & saying & doing.  It's been a LONG time since I took the time! That being said, here's some things I don't want to forget about this stage in their lives:

Westin: 3 years, 2 months
{39.5 inches tall, 31lbs (82nd percentile height, 50th percentile weight) }

His Favorite things: Daddy (they really are best buds), Movie: "Horton Hears a Who", TV Show: "Curious George", Book: "David & Goliath" (when Daddy reads it from the Golden Childrens Bible), Food: peanut butter sandwich, Drink: Chocolate Milk (usually made with coconut milk, but when I use almond milk he says, "oooh mommy this chocolate milk is so YUMMY!", Activity: playing cars or trains & going to Bible Class.

Things he's saying: Everything. HA. Sometimes I really am at a loss as to where he picked something up. My most recent favorite "Westinisms" include the following conversations:
      "Mommy, we can rebuild our cabin just like Bob the Builder! Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!"
      Me: "Westin, would you like to do something fun today?"
Westin: "Yes, can I go to school?" 
      Me: "Westin, what are you going to be when you grow up?" Westin: "a firefighter. and a prince in a castle.  Oh, and a doctor- uh, a chiropractor."
      Me: "Westin, can I cut your hair today?" Westin: "Um, no thanks, I'll just go to the barber."
Things he's doing: Again, everything.  I've noticed lately that I'll try to do something for him and his immediate response is, "oh I can do it." He has a fantastic memory & continues to do great learning memory verses-- this is how he earns his "special treats" :)  He can also quote most of "Horton Hears a Who" which cracks me up...He's doing really well learning to ride his tricycle and little bike and enjoys riding this up & down our neighborhood.  We are hoping to get him into soccer towards the end of the summer and he is REALLY excited about this-- mostly because he's the most social little guy I've ever known.  Clearly he gets this from his Daddy, not his Mommy :) He likes to help me no matter what I'm doing: cleaning, cooking, laundry, you name it... I forget if I have blogged this already -- he could spell his name by the time I got him in for his 2-year-old-check-up as well as knew his shapes & colors & learned all his ABCs shortly thereafter.  I've honestly been dragging my feet to start working on more numbers and phonics, etc., because Kreg & I always talked about waiting until he was 6 to start him in Kindergarten because he has a summer birthday... I'm really afraid if I teach him too much now that he will be bored.  I'm leaning more & more towards letting him learn at his own pace, however.  He loves to learn and it comes very easy to him.  I would love to homeschool him-- I'm praying hard about this, and only want to do it if I can be sure to do it "right." We also have him on a waiting list for a great charter school in our area, which also offers what they call a "cottage school" which allows you to homeschool and have them enrolled 2 afternoons a week to learn 2 subjects-- either math & science or english & history.  We have a little longer to think & pray but I know it will fly by!

Things we're struggling with: taking turns (getting better), grabbing things from Tucker (not really getting better...), having to be asked twice to do something or stop doing something (getting better I THINK. we have good days & bad days). Oh, and kicking. He doesn't really kick things HARD, but he wants to kick everything.  Things, people, dogs... it's very hard for him not to--he knows as soon as he does that he's about to be in trouble but poor thing just struggles with controlling that desire!

What I love most about him right now: he knows no strangers.  We can't go anywhere without him making a new friend! He just loves people! 

Tucker: 1 year
{29.25 inches tall & 22 lbs (26th percentile according to the CDC... I prefer the WHO charts for breastfed babies that puts him right in the 50th percentile :) I think pediatricians are supposed to be switching over to this chart, anyway... )}

His Favorite Things: balls, slides, nursing (SLOWLY weaning...), frozen yogurt (Tay Tay's LuLu's!), playing with Westin & Daddy, dogs, being outside, being in the water, helping with the laundry, dragging the hamburger press out of the kitchen cabinet and playing with all the pieces, climbing the bookshelves in the living room, going up and down the little tykes slide, & rolling the gospel chariot along.   


Things he's saying: Mammy (love the short "a"), Daddy, doggy, lella (Bella, my mom's dog), Tuck-ey, ink (drink), duck (stuck), NaNa (nurse), Teef (Chief), Mimi, tea, teese (when I want to take his picture), ya (yes), ah-dis ("and this", as he hands me things from the dryer), tee-too (thank you), Tay-Tay or Tay-Ti (aunt Taylor), Nee-Nee (aunt Kortney). He's just within the past week started trying to say just about anything you ask him to-- I love this stage! He also has his own sweet little language that I really want to get on video before its gone... it involves a lot of inflections :) The only sign language I taught him was "please" and "all done" -- what more do you need, right?  I didn't want to overdo it on the signs this time around so he would learn to say what he wants... we'll see how it works.  I'm completely thrilled with how much he's saying because I've known so many second children who don't talk for a very long time! 


Things he's doing: WALKING! Started at 11 months but got "stuck" at about 7 steps until the past few weeks.  Now he walks everywhere, even makes complete turns.  It amazes me how quickly they master it once they just "decide" to start.  Points at his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Climbs EVERYTHING. No more baby food-- that really didn't last long at all.  He eats small portions of what we eat & still loves to nurse.  My "goal" age for weaning is 18 months.  Westin was 16 months but by this age had given it up much more than Tucker has.  I hear more & more "the longer the better" and let's be honest, I have a hard time giving it up! He throws balls back and forth with someone (doesn't catch it, but will pick it back up and throw it back). He has six teeth, two on bottom, four on top, and I think I can see some more on the bottom starting to bubble up...

Things we're struggling with: we're starting to see tantrums developing... sigh.  Not  my favorite part of toddlerhood or mommyhood, but we'll get through it :)

What I love most about him right now: his cuddles & the way he smiles at me. He's got a great little personality and does not hide his affection! 

I just love being these little boys' mommy! Best job in the world.