Happy 6th Birthday Buddy!

Happy 6th Birthday B!

What a joy you are....the endless conversations we have had, the many times you have kept me on my toes with your quick thinking and negotiating ways, listening to your sweet voice as you tell JB "good morning", your laughter as you and J play, your relentless picking of your scabs so that they take weeks to heal, the way you will hide your toys under your blankets after I put you to bed, the ease with which you make friends at the park, your phrases that you say that remind me of my words, your totally random questions like "how is your tongue connected to your mouth" as we stood in line to get ice cream and all bystanders' eyes fell to me with smiles as they awaited my answer, your sly little grin when you are trying to get your way, your amazing memory for details and scripture, watching you dance recently in the aisle at church as they played your favorite VBS song, watching you still (every once in a while) wear your shorts and shirts backwards, hearing you whine and your absolutely illogical thoughts when you are tired, your willingness to try 'no thank you' bites, your nurturing ways with younger kids and your insatiable desire to work on your hand/eye coordination through video/computer games. I am looking forward to seeing you learn to read, ride a two wheeled bike, perfect the 'pumping' while on the swing, running and playing with JB as he gets 'his legs', growing bigger and stronger and coming that much closer to outrunning me and hiding more of God's word in your heart the next 365 days.
We celebrated B's birthday on Saturday. 5 friends were invited to the park where they played, we made mini marshmallow guns out of PVC pipe, took swings at the homemade pinata (4 layers was not as strong as I thought it was, although it held up through most of the kids), threw waterballoons, opened gifts and had homemade ice cream sandwiches. (These were really good and did not require any plates, spoons, etc). I love celebrating birthdays but honestly the one thing I do not like is the presents. I always struggle when my boys have birthdays because I don't want more stuff, but I know kids like getting things. This year however, was different. Every gift received was just perfect and has not become more 'stuff'. He received a headlamp that had a cute little lego guy on it (very practical and all his for when we go camping), a nice super soaker that happens to be one that is also perfect for J's little hands to pump and shoot it, a slip and slide (ours was worn out last summer), an army tank, that although it has 27 pieces, has gotten much playtime already and some money for a Wii game. So begins hopefully many lessons on saving money for things he really wants. I think the Wii might finally be the one thing right now to learn more responsibility - hopefully.
The boys enjoyed VBS this past week. Several mornings J woke up not wanting to go, but of course quickly changed his mind when we got there. Every year the host church brings in a group from Alabama to help with the week. J connected with a guy named Josh and according to Josh, he will be back next year so will be fun to have that connection.
This week B will attend a Peacemaker club. It is a biblically based 'curriculum' on conflict resolution. It will be 2 hours each morning. Today we will drop him off and then afterward, go to pizza with one of his friends (to celebrate his actual birth day) then off to Game Stop to see if we can find a reasonably priced Wii game.
We have had amazing weather the last 2 weeks or so. Today, however, we are suppose to finally hit 90! (We had a lazy weekend but wanting to get back out this week with the kids and get some bike rides or walks in.)

Busy week

The older two have been at Vacation Bible School during the mornings this week.
JB is still working on his pulling up and stair climbing.
JR is plugging away at work, getting ready for a week off where he will go immerse himself in the backcountry, somewhere - location yet to be determined. He still has a week to figure it all out.
Me, I have been buying and cutting PVC pipe, paper-maiche-ing and filling water balloons for the big event this weekend!!!!

We are Home!

We safely arrived home on Wednesday, after a 14 hour day in the car. We did have to stop for about an hour due to a wicked looking storm. The wind was so strong, many cars were exiting the freeway.
4800 miles, 26 days, 11 states(North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Wyoming), 6 different beds, lots of sun and the only car problem we had was a dead battery. Fortunately it happened at my sisters, so it did not leave us stranded. Bought a new battery and had no more problems. We all stayed healthy and not a one of us ended up with a sunburn. (The cheapest gas I found was 2.39 in Chillicothe, Missouri!)
In North Dakota, which seemed like a long time ago, stayed with an good friend. Here is a picture of B just after he rolled down a grassy hill. I love this photo cause it is his nature grin, not the cheesy posed kind he loves to use.

In Wisconsin stayed with some friends who have 2 boys that are close in age to B and J. They use to go to church with us...here is a photo at the playground.

They loved all staying in one room, playing in the backyard and park and eating rootbeer floats.
We also had a short dinner stop with some other friends who we have almost known since moving to MT. They also have two small boys. We ate burgers and hotdogs and then headed to another park. Here are the two youngest
.
A night on the road in Indiana and finally arriving in Ohio. We saw my oldest niece graduate from high school, another niece run in two track meets, a third niece play soccer and my fourth niece play softball (they are a very active, busy family). We spent lots of days at the pool and I got out several times by myself to go shopping. We hit the beach (Lake Erie), ate lots of ice cream and just hung out. The day before we left, I took my four nieces and the three boys to the beach for donuts. It was a lot of fun. The weather was perfect, just about had the beach to ourselves, we all ran around and took some goofy pictures....




After we left Ohio (my camera never made it out of the car again), we headed to Illinois and stayed 2 days with a family I use to nanny for in North Dakota. The boys had a ball playing with the legos and the barbies/Ken dolls and their big convertible cars. (We have no GI Joes, barbies/Ken so it is interesting to see how much J enjoys playing with these when he can). They had a pool and a huge yard for the boys to run around. Was fun catching up with them and seeing how the 4 girls have grown. The oldest was 6 when I lived with them and the youngest was 18 months. Now they are a junior in college and 15 (the middle twin girls were not home that weekend).
We had a short breakfast stop with a cousin in Springfield before making the long haul to our next stop in South Dakota. Saw some friends that hopefully we will make it back to their wedding in September. Nate has the coolest yard, where the fence line was 2 rows of pine trees. The boys loved playing hide and go seek and running wild. I had hoped to stop at Mt Rushmore when we left but all the boys were sleeping and I had forgotten that it is not right on the highway. So, hopefully we can plan that stop in when we go back for the wedding.
All in all a great trip. The boys did really well, they loved seeing all the family and friends. They have made some friends back in Ohio so will have boys to play with on subsequent trips out there. Lots of sun. All three of the boys did really well in the different pools. B actually went down the long twisty slide several times and loved it. He did jump off the diving board at our friends in Illinois, so his comfort level in the water is much improved. We arrived back home to weather in the 50s, which was a nice change to all the humidity we had in Ohio.
JR sure was glad to have us back, chaos and all.

The last couple of days have been nice. Not much has been on the calendar. Hanging at the pool, kids playing games and outside. Today I took B and J to an Amish community (JB stayed at my sisters). We saw all kinds of buggies on the road and had fun talking with the boys about the amish and the life they live. B thought for sure that he could not live without electricity. Stopped at a good ol general store that had all the flavored sodas in bottles. My boys that it was cool how you had to pop the top off. Picked up several kinds of cheese. Several of our stops coincided with some tour buses. I have found that the older generation either ignores us, strikes up friendly conversation or gives us the "been there done that don't annoy me" look. We came back to the house, had dinner and my sister and I went for a bike ride. Then we took all the boys and one niece to the pool from 7-9. JB had a blast. One part of the pool goes from zero depth to 3 feet. I sat JB down on the edge and he instantly crawled until his chin was touching the water. We repeated this many times. He loved it.
Tomorrow and Friday should be beautiful so we are hoping to hit the beach in the morning and the pool all afternoon.
We will be leaving Ohio on Sunday. We hope to spend Sunday and Monday in Illinois (will be seeing the family I use to nanny for), Tuesday and maybe Wed in South Dakota, hit Mt. Rushmore and be back home next week.

Ohio

We obviously made it here safely. The boys did great. The only issue we had was I left a suitcase at our stop in Wisconsin. With the exception of Chicago, the driving was great. It was bumper to bumper through Chicago at 9pm at night. The only cool thing was as I saw the skyline just off to the left, there was a huge full moon.
It has been busy with graduation festivities, family, swimming and trying to keep B from playing the Wii all day. That kid is relentless. I will tell him no and often times I get the 'mom, just listen. would you prefer if I play in 10 minutes or 30 minutes.' To top it all off, my family decided to surprise B (more so a surprise for me) with a Wii for his birthday. So, I am already trying to figure out the best way to monitor this when we get home.
Tomorrow we head to Columbus to watch one of my nieces run in the state track meet. She is a freshman so will be neat to see how she grows in her abilities on the track throughout her high school career. My oldest niece Kelsey is now officially a high school grad and getting ready to head off to Western Michigan.
JB now has 5 teeth and has figured out how to climb up one step. He is pulling up more and walking along the furniture. B has been loving the pool, throwing and diving for objects. J alternates between playing in the water and wanting all the snacks in the pool bag.
A few pictures of our trip thus far......

We are in North Dakota. Fairly good trip. The boys are already exhausted and bedtime is a chore! We are at a friends in Fargo. Today we walked over this bridge that spanned the interstate (the boys have always wanted to go over things like that). They loved it and it was a good workout. Went to a few parks, some of which were packed with kids on end of year field trips. We wound up at a skate park. The boys got out their scooters and loved it. There was a kid there that was almost 4 and was really good on his board. Plus, he rode his bike (without training wheels) up and over the 'ramps'. He was so impressive, I asked his mom his name. I am convinced that I will see Moses at some point on You tube or in competitions on tv when he is older. Moses' mom commented about how natural J appeared. Maybe a sport I should expose him to more often.
JB has finally figured out the depth perception thing, I think. He will now crawl over to the side of the bed and just look down, watching. He still has not attempted to crawl up the steps, so don't have to worry about those just yet (atleast from the bottom). He loves to stand up in his crib and reach through the railing to see what he can touch/grab. Sometimes it is several Kleenex, sometimes he turns the radio down, sometimes he likes to drop his dog over the side, all the while just laughing.
Entered a whole new realm last Thursday with B. We went to an informational meeting for Cub Scouts...something I know nothing about. Seems that when kids are in first or second grade (they were doing early recruitment) that parents need to attend everything with them. Sounded a little overwhelming but we will give it a shot. I think he most enjoyed the cookies! I know that was his favorite part of t-ball. Getting the juice boxes and treats after the games. Last night was his last game (since we won't be here next week). The kids were all over the place. One inning the coaches pulled two kids and had them sit in the dugout. I thought it was cute when after the game the coach told the kids "I want you all to be checking your mailboxes this weekend because I will be sending you all an invitation to come back to earth before our next game".
J hopped on his bike after the game and rode the whole way home again!
Last Friday, since it was B's last day of Kindergarten, we went up to the school to have lunch with him. He gets to invite one friend to sit with us. Today it was Kynzi. She is such a cutie. We were talking today and she told me she knows a little boy who acts like a girl sometimes. I told her that was okay and that there are little girls that act like little boys. Her eyes got big and she looked right at me and said "I know, you are looking at one.". After lunch we went to the playground for their recess. There were about 15 kids that took turns pushing JB around in the stroller. J had a ball running around trying to keep up with everyone.
From there we went to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine for JB (eye infection and on the way to an ear infection). While we waited in line, J sat down on the floor and before I knew it, he had fallen asleep leaning against the wall. I had to wake him up and he promptly fell back asleep. Poor guy is just exhausted!
Off to Wausau Wisconsin tomorrow, Janesville, Wisconsin on Thursday and Cleveland, Ohio on Friday!
Hope to post some pictures this weekend.

My little catcher....


He loved playing catcher so much he begged the coach to let him play it the next game (no can do...everyone gets to play every position). He had a lot of fun running to the front of the plate and standing there tagging everyone, even without the ball. He has been so worn out lately, waking up before 6, that he told the coach at the last game that he did not want to play he just wanted to go to bed. I wish it were that easy to get him to sleep once we get home though.

J went to the dentist the other day. He said the tooth looks pretty good and that only time will tell if it starts to color. The dentist office has huge windows so they have all the kids put on glasses so the lights inside and out won't hurt their eyes and 'stuff' won't get on them when their teeth are cleaned. The dental hygenist did a remarkable job explaining all the tools. J never even flinched through it all and the best part, the Sponge Bob toothpaste he got when he was done. Here is a picture of him relaxing in the chair...

J has turned into quite the bicyclist. Twice this past week we have ventured out with the bike trailer and one bike, with the intent of B and J swapping out (riding and biking) when they were tired. J has twice rode about a mile both times. He just chats away and slowly but surely pedals his way down the street.
B is fascinated with Avatar. He has not seen the movie (and won't at this point) but loves looking at the movie or posters of it when we are out. He asked me the other day if he could watch it and I told him I thought it would be too scary right now. I picked up the movie and tried to explain to him the PG-13 rating. I think he finally understood because later he told JR that he would have to go rent Avatar because he was older than 13 and could watch it. (I found it interesting reading the PG-13 rating that they listed smoking....)
Today we were at Wal-mart. They are totally revamping the store. Tripling the electronics section, redoing the whole pharmacy, taking out part of the fabric section, etc. I was so turned around, everything had been moved all over the store. We saw 3 guys come running around the corner, one carrying a stick and the other carrying a trash can. They did not have the traditional Wal-mart garb on, so wondered what was up. They looked like they were having a lot of fun, whatever they were up to. A little later we saw the same three guys again. One of them said, "Oh I found him, over here." It was a mouse that they had been chasing around the store. I guess in their moving stuff around they had most of the aisles/displays elevated and maybe in got in or escaped from his 'home'. I turned to the boys and said "hey, let's watch this, this should be good". They three guys got a kick out of the audience. They successfully put the trashcan over the mouse and then got it scooped into the trashbag. Once they caught it, I thought they would have been a little quicker getting it out of the store, but they proudly paraded around with the see through trash bag.
Today we also went to the chiropractor. His daughter, who is right around 3 had a lizard. She took the lizard out and was just standing there holding it. It was probably 9 inches long and really cool markings but still a lizard. I guess J did not realize it was alive and he reached out to pet its belly and when it moved his eyes got huge and he jumped back. She just stood there squeezing that thing. I told her, where her dad could hear, that if she somehow let that thing go and it ran towards me I would scream. Thankfully none of the boys have taken much to reptiles or bugs. I have tried to never freak out around them though when the boys were around, as to not influence/scare them.
The cows are back in the field behind our house. They show up every spring for several weeks/months. They boys enjoy watching the calves and occasionally they will come up to our fence and we get close enough to touch them.
Finalizing the plans for Monday's departure.

JB went for his 9 month check up and is doing great. Found an upper tooth (one of the incisors) that had come in with 3 other teeth just days away! No wonder he has been a little grumpy and chewing on his hand. He loves to clap his hands and throw them up for the touchdown sign. Whenever he is eating, he loves to flail his arms and always seems to hit the spoon and make a big mess.
I have really started working with the older two about self control and not arguing, talking back or continuing to question me when an answer is given. For three days now we have had a reward system in place that rewards them at the end of the day. So far it is working pretty well. There were probably 5 times today when B asked me something and I said no. In which he said okay. Silence for about 5 seconds and then he would say "hey mom, I did not argue with you...I just said okay". Like the lightbulb is going on that he does not have to rebuttal everything I say.
We have had several discussions about our small backyard and today we were driving around. B commented about a certain house and I told him that would be a great house. To which he replied, "forget the house, I want the yard".
He recently overheard a conversation I had with a friend about how their church baptizes people. (Our church does not have a baptistry, so we baptize once a year in a nearby pond). As we passed our friends' church, B asked me if they did baptisms. When I said yes he replied "how can they, they don't have a pond".
Starting to collect all our items for our roadtrip. Most of the clothes are packed! We leave next Monday, May 24th. B will miss the last 4 days of kindergarten but I figured he won't be able to miss school for too much longer.

Mothers Day weekend

Yesterday we decided to drive a few hours away for an overnight. Nothing specific to do, except for a change of pace. We stayed at a hotel with a fun water playland. The kids enjoyed swimming. It was the first time for JB in the water and he loved it. He would have sat all day in his little float kicking and bouncing. He enjoyed taking in all the sights and sounds of the other kids. J liked hanging out in the hot tub more than the pool (I was happy to oblige). At one point he was running, yes, how many times have we told him not too, and sure enough, he fell. He was wearing his goggles and got a nice little cut on the corner of his eye. It swelled up a bit and had a little bruise. B was practicing swimming. He did great when he was focused on the task at hand. However, when he was playing on the play structures and fell into the water, he would freak out. He would just flap his arms and do the bob thing. One time I was watching him from across the room and realized that I did not think he could get to safety and the kids around him were clueless. I ran across the pull and grabbed him. I guess it is going to take being exposed to many different situations and just becoming comfortable without an adult right next to him. He can do it. When I remind him to put the top of his forehead in the water, that always gets him horizontal in the water.
Two weeks before we head out on our (the boys and I) road trip. Still not sure about specifics but know generalities. Our current route has us traveling about 83 hours on the road in 21 days and covering 10 states. We will definitely hit Niagra Falls and toying with a different route on the way back and hitting Mount Rushmore.
Attended my first Zumba class last week. I really liked it but there is only 1 class offered a week. At least the weather should be nice this week and hoping to go on some long bike rides with the boys.
T-ball is coming along. B is really enjoying it and I am enjoying getting to meet some different moms and kids.
Some friends let B borrow some beginning reader books for the summer and I am amazed at how many times he initiates wanting to read. I am afraid though that he is memorizing the words and keeps 'rereading' them and not really working on reading. Will need to try to find him some good online worksheets for the car. I am sure if I put them in a really cool superhero notebook, that would be all it would take.
Wanted to send out a great big Happy Mother's Day to my mom....thanks for all the countless hours you sacrificed for me. I am getting it, I really am.

After reading over my previous post it sounds like I think J's screaming is cute. Quite the contrary. He is in a phase of getting really angry and yelling, as I send him to his room, about how ug-a-ly I am being to him. We talk about how it is okay to be angry and express it but yelling is not appropriate. He always goes to his room, settles down and then comes downstairs to rejoin the activities. (I still love how he says ug-a-ly though).
I was playing with him today and noticed that is looks like his front tooth has a very slight grey tint to it. (He knocked his tooth several weeks ago). I sure hope the tooth is not dying. What do they do with a baby tooth like that? He does have an appt next week with the dentist so will see what he says or some possible options. J has also had a hard time this past week going to sleep. Even without a nap (which he is phasing out of) most nights he is not asleep until after 9pm. Have started giving him some sleepytime juice (chamomille tea in a sippy cup) which seems to be helping somewhat. I think he has a very small window of being ready to sleep and then getting overtired and not being able to wind down. T-ball twice a week until 7:30 does not help. (Something to look forward too...if B continues with baseball and J takes it up, in 2 years we will be at the ball fields 4 nights a week. Thank goodness the season is only about 5 weeks.
I have continued to sort through things at the house. I have pulled over 45 articles of clothing from my closet...mostly stuff that has be picked up over the years or at second hand stores. I remember one piece of clothing I bought in 1993 and think I have only worn it once in the last 10 years. Now all of my clothes, summer and winter, hang on one rod about 4 feet long, sweaters, sweats and jeans on 2 shelves and then my t-shirts and shorts on 1 shelf. My goal the rest of the week is to tackle atleast 3 more rooms. Our bedroom and front entryway have stayed clean now for several days. Yeah. The book I picked up, for $5 at Family Christian bookstore, is "The House That Cleans Itself". Nothing earth shattering in it but some simple things I had never really considered. Her premise is make your house fit your behavior versus trying to get your behavior to fit your house. One point she makes about decluttering is that everything costs you time. Time to clean it, maintain it, put it away, move it to get what you want, etc. That will come in very handy when I get to the kitchen and purge. Tired of having things around just for the boys to pull out and me to pick up.
JR enjoyed camping this past weekend. I have been winter camping once and can say, I prefer a nice warm bed...but kudos to him for doing it. He loved it. If you can't quite fathom what it is like, check out the photos.


B had another t-ball game last night. Did fairly well despite 40 mile per hour winds. The previous game we played in sleet, although it lasted only a few minutes. The coaches are still having problems with some of the kids and listening. There seems to be fine line between them having fun but also trying to focus enough. He does have a very young team, but my hat off to the coaches...the exude patience.
Here is a few of JB that I love. The one of the two of us a friend from church took it that does photography as a hobby.

Ramblings

Took B to the dentist recently for a cleaning. This is the second dentist that has told me they are a little 'concerned' about his teeth and the crowding with his baby teeth. Not sure what that means when the adult teeth start coming in but sounds like we could have a road ahead of us with that guy and his teeth. If he takes after me, it will be orthodontics and a few other things.....
I think I have finally hit the wall with stuff in this house. I have pulled all the clothes out of the boys room. They now have 5 shirts and 5 shorts/pants. That is it. I have no idea when I will pull/rotate other stuff out, but I am tired of their room and they are only 5! Guess this will mean I will have to do laundry more frequently, or better yet, teach at least B what it takes to run the washing machine. How in the world do you teach responsibility to kids. Whether it is clothes, library books, games, toys, baseball mitts, etc....I just can't get it down. I still have yet to find any reward or punishment that seems to motivate beyond the first hour or two. Yesterday both boys ended up in their room for most of the afternoon. They whined the first 15 minutes but then no big deal and did not really seem to phase them. Of course I am sure the key to teaching them responsibility is the one word I hate hearing...consistency.
JB is now standing up in his crib and loves reaching out to see what he can grab.
J is going through a stage where he is either very loving, hugging and telling us he loves us or screaming about how 'ug-a-ly' we are treating him (this is of course said as he is being sent to his room). I just crack up when I hear him say ugly that way. So cute.
JR went winter camping/bear hunting this past Friday/Saturday. He had a great time, although he did not see any bears (lots of other things though).
B has had 3 t-ball games now. They are slowing starting to get the hang of running into the field with gloves and coming back in to bat. The first two games I helped with the batting order and getting kids ready. It was a challenge. This last game one of the players' older sister helped out and she ran a very tight ship. I am not sure how she got them all to sit quietly and fall into place when they needed to, but she was great.
I am going this week to purge and purge. I have started reading a new book and I am hitting the ground running. My project is my closet and to get rid of all the stuff I like but don't wear. I am afraid I won't have much left when I am done.......

Red Sox and Yankees

Last night was the first t-ball game. Fortunately the game is set up so that each team bats through their entire batting order (one complete inning). The game is suppose to last 3 innings or one hour, whichever comes first (we got through 2 innings). The Yankees were obviously a much more advanced team, with about half of their players swinging at real pitches, instead of the ball on the t-ball stand. They would have proven the winners but the Red Sox did had fun. B had a very difficult time staying in his 'corner' of the field. He played the position to the left of the pitcher or basically half way between home and short stop. I can't count the number of times he would run over between 1st and 2nd to get a ball. The coach would just laugh and walk him back to his area. There were several times where all the boys piled up on top of each other in the infield trying to get the ball. They thought it was way more cool to dog pile than to throw a runner out at first base.



Sunday was the end of the Screen Free week. The boys did very well and honestly, did not miss it much. It helped that it was a very nice week and we got outside a lot. Several local businesses were offering incentives/rewards for kids. So on Sunday we went to free family swim at the swim center. A really nice pool but it is 84 degrees. Took me about half an hour to finally warm up in the water. B was not too keen on swimming though. He preferred to play on the floats. J put on a life jacket and would jump off the side of the pool and go down the slide. JB slept through it all.
We also went to a local climbing wall. JR, B and J were the only ones to climb. The boys enjoyed it but there were a lot of people, so did not get much climbing done, atleast not on the easier walls. Here is a picture of JR at the top of one wall - he is on the left.

Would love to go back sometime without all the kids and chaos. What a great workout.
More swimming lessons this week, T-ball on Wed and opening baseball ceremony and t-ball game on Sat, if the weather holds.

Plants, parks and such

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous....mid 75's the last couple of days.
On Sunday I wanted to take the boys to the swim center so I could get B back in the water. We made the 25 minute drive only to find out the swim center was closed due to a mechanical problem with the pump. When we pulled up I had to go to the bathroom so bad and J and JB were both in the car. I managed to get them out and up to the door, only to find it locked. I need a bathroom. We pulled out of the parking lot only to have a cop pull in behind us. Sure enough, he turned his lights on. Seems as I left the swim center parking lot, I was so focused on getting to a bathroom that I only paid attention to the stop sign and did not see the huge 'no left turn' signs. Fortunately, he was very understanding and did not keep me long, so I could 'take care of business' as he put it. I truly felt like the idiot that says No Sir, I really did not see the 6 signs in front of me.
Then we headed to a park for one last hurrah before we headed to bed. I stayed at the van with JB while B and J went to play. A few minutes passed when I saw J crying as he walked to the car. Then I saw the blood running down his chin. Looking further, I noticed his gums were bleeding a lot and one tooth was slightly crooked. Seems that, according to one mom, he tripped running up a step and hit his lip. After calling a few dentists the next morning, determined that there was nothing anyone could do. The tooth is crooked and unless it starts graying, no need to worry about it. (Once all the dried blood got cleaned up, the crooked tooth is not very noticeable - but the huge blue bruise on the chin is.)
The onions, lettuce and cilantro are all planted. What to do with all the left over seeds. Just hope we can keep the grasshoppers out of the lettuce. Will be interesting to see what we get, considering I just dug holes and dropped in seeds. I was not too concerned with spacing, etc.
This is turn off tv week and I must admit, it has been nice. I did watch The Biggest Loser last night but other than that, we have succeeded. Twice recently, it has been shown to me again why we should not watch tv, regardless of the programming or should I say how tv influences us. For Easter B got a Bible Man video. Bible Man is good versus evil and full of lots of scriptures. The video was about disrespect. About that time B was getting very short with me and talking back. After a few days, it occurred to me that he was using the same tone and lines from the disrespectful guy in the video. A great lesson to talk through with B. Just the last few days J has been saying the word shut up. He tells me he heard it in the movie "The Paper Brigade", which is a Family Feature Film. There can be 90 minutes of good and 1 minute of bad or negative and that is what the boys seem to remember.
I have started Bible Study Fellowship and we are finishing up the book of John. It is really nice because for the first time in 50 plus years they offer childcare for children younger than 2. The children's program is very good and the kids learn the same things the adults are learning. Fun to talk with J every week about what he has learned - today they talked about Jesus dying on the cross. Next year, in the fall, we will start a brand new study in Isaiah.
As I was getting ready for t-ball, I put JB in his car seat and put it by the front door. I heard J talking to JB and then they would both laugh, silence, then laughter. I was relishing the sounds until I walked downstairs. I had given JB a bottle and we have the bottles that you put disposable bottle liners in. J had figured out that he could stick his hand up the bottom of the bottle and squeeze the bottle liner and formula would squirt out. Yep, he had been squirting formula all over JB's face and head and they both thought it was hilarious.
Group swim lessons are going well. The instructor is convinced that B will be swimming the width of the pool on his own. Sure hope so, cause it will be nice not to have to 'worry' about him around water...plus he has said he would love to have a swimming party for his next birthday.
J, just the past week or so, has really gotten interested in saying hello to everyone he passes and waving. So funny for him to see older gentleman at the store and just wave and wave until they finally wave back. If they are close enough, he will even reach out and touch them.
JB is still JB...full of lots of smiles, laughs and curiousity as he explores his great big world. Getting faster on the knees so have to be really diligent about making sure I know where he is at all times.
Looking forward to the first t-ball game on Monday!

The first hike

I took the boys out hiking this morning. We did a very popular hike called The M. The boys had done the hike before and this time we decided to go up the hard, steep route. They did awesome! It was about 850 feet elevation gain and the trail was probably just under 3/4 of a mile! (For all you flatlanders, that means we climbed 850 feet up into the air in less than a mile, pretty steep) B just took right off on his own and was proud of J, he trudged along, using his arms and legs in certain spots. Of course JB loved the backpack. (I always love the spring in my step when I take the backpack off and feel so light.) It took us about an hour up and an hour down. Down was a little more tricky, but the boys made it. It was a great lesson in praying our way down for no fear, strength, safety, etc. Their motivation was a gatorade when we were done. Here is a picture from the top.

Swim lessons went well this week for B. J decided the last two lessons he did not want to swim. Being that he is only 3, I did not want to battle with him. (The boys were doing 5 semi-private lessons.) B now has 4 weeks of group lessons, with 2 other kids. He is gaining so much confidence. Hoping to hit the pool with them tomorrow.
J has really taken off on the big bike. I can't believe how well and fast he can go. He will even 'jump' off as he is rolling to a stop. A bad habit that I need to correct - maybe if I lowered the seat a bit.
Being at the hot springs this week I noticed with the humidity that JB has a definite wave in his hair (as I recall the same wave that J use to have). I would love another boy with wavy/curly hair.
Think I am going to head out on the bike to a local garden. Going to plant some lettuce, onions and cilantro tomorrow.

The Red Sox

Time for t-ball. Had our first practice this evening. There were 11 kids and it sure was fun watching them. The coaches have made it very clear that the goal is to let every kid play every position and to keep them alive and make sure they have fun. I like that attitude. They got their Boston Red Sox hats today and I am sure shirts are to follow. I think the best part for every kid is the snacks after the practice/game. The hour we were out there I think the temperature dropped 15 degrees and from what I understand, snow is on its way. It might be the only practice we get in this week. As I recall, there are 2 weeks of practice and about 4-5 weeks of games. It sure brought back lots of memories smelling all the concession food. I don't know how many hours I spent at the ball field watching my brother and friends play ball.
B does not know this yet, but JR is taking him tomorrow night to see the Harlem Globetrotters. Sure wish I would be along to hear all of his 'unbelievable' comments.
The other day it was nice out so B and J both got on their bikes and I put JB in the stroller. It was so fun because they are both getting much better on their bikes and the walks are now a brisk pace. I actually raced B a few times. I always won but what he did not realize is that I am faster at the beginning but the longer we go the further ahead he would pull. Just a matter of time before he figures that out and makes the races longer and leaves me in the dust.
JB is now pulling up onto his knees and is able to reach up to get things off the couch. I made about 60 jars of homemade baby food today (yeah, I was able to puree peas and green beans without gagging). I was thinking, well that will last me maybe 2 weeks. He loves to eat. Still pretty much doing veggies, fruits and rice cereal. He gets the occasional meat and crackers/nutri grain bars as his finger foods.
J has enjoyed making his lunch the last couple of days as you can tell in the picture. Jelly sandwiches. The other day when we were at the hot springs I had gone to the bathroom and left the boys to get dressed. A lady was watching them and was absolutely amazed that J dressed himself. She said her 4 year old could not do that and she really could not believe it when I told her he had been dressing himself since about 18 months. Independence!

7:15

It is 7:15 and guess where the two oldest are....asleep!! Yippee. I have left JB with JR tonight so I am gonna hit the bathtub and then read a book in bed - hopefully.
Swim lessons went better today. B is now diving down and retrieving things from the bottom of the pool. It always facinates me the different techniques that people have with swimming. The instructor was talking to me today about things to do, particularly with J. She said that often when a parent gets in the water with a child, they will carry them around and hold them tight. She said that you should hold them at arms length and very gently and loosely hold them under the armpits and have them keep their arms straight out. When a parent allows a child to cling in the water it sends the message that they should be scared. She is all about teaching them to learn to float and feel the bouyancy of the water. So, as B would glide across the top of the water and then start to go down for the torpedo, she would gently push his back until his stomach was almost on the bottom of the pool. She would also discourage him from kicking off the bottom of the pool to come back up so that he would again, feel the bouyancy (is that a word). He did awesome and repeated this many times. With J she is trying to get him to reach out into the water so as to break the habit of drawing everything in (arms and legs). Again, a technique that people use when scared. He was pretty clingy and cried a few times in the pool so the instructor and I have a new plan for next Tuesday.
My dental appointment...I have now had 2 different dentist tell me within the last year that my teeth look great but my gums are receeding (not the word they used but I can't remember what it was). They have both inquired about my toothbrush. I have been using an electric toothbrush the last year or so and seems that it is wearing down my gums, which do not heal themselves. (One tooth actually almost has the root exposed) So, time to get rid of the Oral B and the one they have both recommended is the Sonicare. Not sure how it works actually but a manual and regular electric seem to cause too much friction. I certainly did not think I was brushing too aggressively.
Off to have a nice quiet evening!

Ramblings

The boys started swimming lessons yesterday. We will go Tues and Thursday for the next 5 weeks. It did not take B long to get back into the swing of things. Before the short lesson, he was floating face down in the water for over 10 seconds. J did not take to it as well as I had thought. He was tired, even though it was 9am, and kept wanting to stay with me. Will have to figure out a way to watch from a far. It was loud inside the hot springs so the noise just lulled JB to sleep.
J has learned how to gargle and is very proud of himself and boy, is he good. I am not sure why, but he gargles as well as I do. Maybe because his voice is often times very gutteral. He has also gotten into singing songs like Ol McDonald, ABC and some songs off his Kids Sing Praise video.
B has discovered Bible Man all over again. It is amazing, again, how much he picks up and all the scripture in the videos. We have had some great examples of how to use scripture for situaitons you are going through. Sure is hard to say no when the kids want to watch videos that are helping them learn scripture.
For the first time ever, I went over my alloted cellphone minutes (not by much though - but it still bothered me). A little confused as to how that happened since I normally don't get anywhere close to my allotted minutes, I call the phone company. Comes to find out, and I never knew this, it costs me minutes to call and check my voicemail. Now I think that is just stupid. So, now when I am on vacation and talking to JR for more than 2 minutes at a time, I need to either check my voice mail from a land line or check them after peak hours. However, if I call my cell from a landline and it goes to voice mail, does that not count at a minute?? As I was talking to the guy on the phone, he inquired about our cable. I told him we did not have cable. He said you have just the basic. I said no, we have rabbit years. He laughed and said those still work. I told him yes and I was not interested in any more channels in our home because they will only cause a lot of grief. He tried to get me to upgrade my cell phone and told him no. He was shocked to find out that I don't text. Maybe someday I will be a more hip mom but for now, why do I need more distractions.
The other day I discovered the reduced produce section at the grocery store. I bought some stuff and brought it home to make babyfood for JB. I was so proud of myself when I went back a few days later and bought some more. I picked up a spaghetti squash and zucchini. I got home and mindlessly started peeling and cutting the zucchini. I was about 2 mintues away from being done when I realized that the zucchini was actually cuccumbers. Guess I need to either spend more time in the produce section, specifically vegetable section, or be more observant and aware when I am working with a knife.
I have started back up with Bible Study Fellowship. Although they only have a few weeks left of the John study, I will be all registered and ready to go when the new study Isaiah starts in the fall. Will be nice that J and JB can go now and that J is learing the same stuff I am.
Off to the dentist...which by the way. JR has been going to a dentist in town that is high tech and all that, whatever that means. Their whole approach to dental care is more natural, etc. I made him the very first appt because they came highly recommended and I thought they took our insurance. Turns out they don't but they were able to help JR tremendously with some very long standing problems, plus JR really like the office. Well, JR went back for his last cleaning, in a set of 3, and came home with an estimate to get some dental work done. 1 filling and 2 cavities and any idea what the estimate was for???? $1700!!! I asked JR about it and he said because they use gold for the filling. I still don't get it but time to get his next appt at the new dentist I am trying out.
The whole reason I sat down to write this was to post the latest family photo. I have found that if we set the camera to self timer and for it to take 10 continous shots, we almost always have atleast one good one, with all eyes open and looking somewhat at the camera.

Easter 2010

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

HAVE A MOST BLESSED DAY CELEBRATING THE DEATH AND NOW THE MOST GLORIOUS RESURRECTION.
WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT THE BIRTH AND THE CROSS!

Ramblins

J has totally gotten into the Lincoln Logs this week. I am amazed at what he can build and his creativity. This is the tall tower I helped him with. He got about half of it done and then I sat down to help. When I started I was laughing at him because he had put all of the really small logs inside the tower. I told him he was a goober. As I started building, I then realized the amazing support they provided so followed suit for the rest of the project. I think we used every 2 notched log we had (time to find some more this summer at garage sales).

He has also discovered that he can do a flip on the rings in the playroom. It is so neat to see the differences between B and J and to think they came from the same stuff, yet so unique. That is God for you...how fun would it be if we were all the same. Taking the very same DNA from 2 people and creating 2 drastically different, yet so similar kids.
I was watching (trying to organize) a bunch of video clips on the computer. I came across a lot from when J was 20 months and not talking. Not saying a word. Still so thankful that we got hooked up with speech therapy as early as we did. How his booming little voice just fills up our lives.

We discovered a tooth today for this little guy!

His cheeks are still red and with the tooth, thinking that had to be the cause. The poor kid has had nothing but zucchini and bananas mixed with rice cereal the last couple of days. He loves his new freedom now. He is getting around pretty well and wastes no time exploring everything that has been off limits.

B and J will start swimming lessons next week. B has taken them before but really needs a refresher before we travel this summer and are around the pool a lot. We are even looking into getting a family swim pass at the local swim center in the hopes of getting them in the water at least once a month.
The t-ball teams have been picked and B is anxiously awaiting the start of practices - hopefully within the next week or so.

I have been working on another t-shirt quilt. This one is proving to by much more difficult, but hopefully when it is all together you won't notice all the mismatched corners, etc. I registered today for the bone marrow registry. How cool would it be if I were able some day to save a life. While in town today I saw a bumper sticker that said "We have so much intelligence, we can't afford education". (Sadly, how true) Another thing that just made me laugh, I saw a for sale sign in front of the cemetery. Just never thought about anyone selling cemeteries. Now that the health care reform bill passed, we found out our insurance is going up
20%. I don't know that they are related but can't help but think they could be.

Looks like we are in store for a wet and very cool Easter weekend. Celebrating the death of Christ on the cross. Have enjoyed getting our Resurrection Eggs out with the boys. J is now old enough to really start getting in on the action.

Grass

We have gotten out and raked the yard and guess what, starting to see some green grass. I know we need the moisture, but sure would be nice if we did not get any more snow for 8 months. Last night as I went to bed at 9:30 the temp was 51. That is amazing for late March.
The t-ball meeting with B went well. I felt bad because all the boys got put together to throw the ball. B obviously was matched up with a kid that had played quite a bit of ball. B would wildly throw to him and all the kid did was run around the gym floor trying to get the balls. I think that kid's dad was getting frustrated for his kid. Later I saw the kid throwing with his dad and he did not miss one ball that was thrown to him and he always threw everything right to his dad. So, yesterday I got outside with B and started throwing the ball. The first ball I threw him he got scared and turned around and it hit him right on top of the head. He has learned do not turn your back on the ball. Then later he was not paying attention and I threw the ball and he moved his glove and the ball landed on his toe - yes, my kids love being barefoot. We have a long way to come but he did end up catching about half of what I threw him.
Before our trip I was doing really well with JB's food. It seems like every other day now he gets really red cheeks - often times just after eating food. (I don't really recall red cheeks in Texas.) I know that teething can cause this but I guess I am back to one food at a time. The only thing I know he can handle is bananas, green beans and peas. (Take that back, I just fed him bananas and he almost instantly got red cheeks.) I think carrots, applesauce, squash and peaches bother him. Uuuggghhh. I made some homemade squash and zucchini the other day (he seemed to tolerate zucchini farely well). I just could not bring myself to puree peas and green beans though.
JB can now go from a laying down position to sitting up. He loves his new found freedom. Whenver I catch him in another part of the room, he just looks at me and laughs.
Off to supervise showers and hopefully have some peace and quiet in another 45 minutes or so.

Settling Back In

It has taken me most of the week to feel like I am settled back in. Getting my new 'office' completely set up has been a week long process and still not 100% there. I have been cleaning out and have a pile started of stuff to put on Craigslist hopefully sometime soon. Most of it is the boys' toys. I am finally tired of all the stuff with lots of little parts. I have had to hide the stuff in the laundry room under a towel, otherwise they would somehow find it and pull it all out again. I had bought some organizing stuff while in Texas from Ikea and Container Store and it is amazing the difference, when organizing is done right.
JB is rockin and rolling. There have been a few times where it really looked like he propelled himself forward while his knees were underneath him. Now time for the diligently scanning the floor at all times to make sure there is nothing that could go in the mouth. He still does not have a tooth (I did not get one until after my first b-day). He is definately later than the other two.
B has enjoyed being back at school. I did take him to try out for the school play but, I made the mistake of sticking around after I dropped him off. He was fine initially then came and sat beside me and decided he did not want to stay. Probably best because he was exhausted from the trip. Him and I are going to go see the play tomorrow, so will be good for him to see the finished product. B has also learned this week how to blow up balloons. This makes me so happy because when they do come across balloons, they have spent days asking me to blow them up. J has actually been able to get air in a couple of them too.
Just about warm enough to get the bike trailer out. Really ready to start taking the younger two while B is in school.
Totally random....Today I went out shopping and was picking up some baby food at Target. I hear all the time about what an obese nation we are and how school age children are starting to have health issues that normal adults have later in life. Well, I could not believe it today when I saw Macaroni and Cheese baby food! What in the world is up with that. Are the fruits and veggies just not tasty enough for 6 or 8 month old babies?
Here are a few more pictures from our trip that I never got downloaded.


These next two are from when we went to the Stockyards in Fort Worth. The boys thought this convertible cadillac was pretty cool and the second picture is of them in their longhorn balloon hats that a guy made for them. (B's high waters just kill me, that is why this evening I pulled out his 6/7 clothes)



This was taken at my aunt's house. They have an awesome yard with a really cool sidewalk that the boys used as a race track.

JB after a bath.

Home

We are home!!!!
I am thanking God that the weather was clear all but about 15 minutes of the trip. (It is suppose to snow all week here at home). Actually all day Sunday the weather was sunny and mid 60s most of the way.
We left Texas 2:15pm on Saturday and got home Sunday at 9:15pm. Pretty good for only 1 driver and 3 small kids. It helped that JB woke me up Sunday morning at 5am and I could not go to sleep, so we left the motel Sunday at 5:30. Made for a very long day but they were troopers. The boys did not even watch one DVD on the way home. They sat in the back coloring and playing. When it would get quiet, it did not take long for J to start knock knock jokes. If you have never been privileged to hear jokes learned from 5 year old brother, let me share. It goes something like this....
Knock Knock
Whose there
Underwear
Underwear who
Underwear.....on your head.
The next time it would be underwear on your foot, etc. Only 5 year old boys and their little brothers could laugh at those.
21 days, 7 different 'beds' and 4,464 miles. I am pleased to say that only one thing ended up MIA and that was a pair of pajama bottoms. Only 3 items were left at a stop but they have all been found. (I have figured out how to do things differently- and more efficiently-for our big road trip late May out to Ohio to see my oldest niece graduate from high school.)
Saturday morning before leaving I was able to get together with all 13 cousins (minus my sister) on my dad's side. Sure was fun to see the next generation coming up and to watch everyone interact. I think it had been at least 10 years since the last time we got together and sadly, all but 3 of us live within 4 hours of each other.
On Saturday late afternoon as I was pushing along, I was on a two lane road headed west. The sunset was dead center, huge and right in front of me on the horizon. Sure was beautiful but made the oncoming traffic silhoutted. We passed more wind turbine farms and this time it was daylight. We were talking about the massive size and J pipes up with "Wow, spiderman could climb those" to which B said "I bet you he could even throw his web and swing between them.
I was so excited to get to my favorite gas station in northern Wyoming. On the way down the gas was 2.29. I was shocked to find out 3 weeks later it was 2.57.
JB spent a total of 31 hours in his carseat (I left him sleeping in it when we got to the motel) with the exception of the 2-3 minutes I would take him out to change him. The last 2 hours of the trip, even the laid back whatever kid was crying and ready to be home. He will be on the floor playing for the next couple of days.
Yeehaw for Motel 6. I found two of them on the road that were under $35 (including tax). Definitely the way to go if you are just there to sleep.
JR did quite a few projects around the house. One of which was finally setting up my new 'office'. He definitely missed all the chaos and is glad to have us back home.

On the Lake

A friend took us out on the lake today. Actually, we took the boat across the lake last night for dinner. Sure was fun. Kind of like jumping on a snowmobile to go somewhere up north. The boys really liked it. It was warmer today when we went out.

JB is one of the happiest, smiliest babies I know.

For some reason I really like shots from behind....

This was a really cool plane that we saw land. It looked much nicer than the typical sea planes. Sure wish it had made a few more touch downs.

Tomorrow is our official start back up north. Although we are only going a few hours and spending Friday night in West Texas. Hoping to make it somewhere to northern New Mexico Sat night and the rest of the way home Sunday. Sunday will probably be a 12 plus hour day. Hopefully the boys will catch up on sleep.

JB

Look who is sitting up now....

A great way to contain/entertain JB...

The other day the boys played baseball with some friends in their yard. B learned how to stop a ground ball and then tried to teach J. They were so exhausted J fell asleep at 5pm on the way out to dinner. I carried him into the restaurant asleep, put him in my lap and he slept all the way through dinner. He finally woke up as we were leaving the table.
We also went out recently to a bowling alley, go-carts, etc with the boys and my dad. It sure was fun having B old enough to ride bumper cars. A friend also gave him a card making kit. He has had so much fun making cards for friends. He definitely has a creative/artistic streak. Hopefully he will have a bent for drawing like his dad.

Happy 3rd Birthday J!

I love my little J

Shorts

The rain has stopped. The wind has died down. The weather the last two days has finally warmed up to bring out the shorts. It is always a great thing when I get out in the sun and my freckles start appearing. Now B has no excuses to stay in front of the tv.
We recently went to the Fort Worth Stockyards to watch the longhorn cattle drive and go to their weekly rodeo. The boys really enjoyed the rodeo. It was only a few events (barrel racing, calf roping, and bull riding) but it was just enough for them. Half way through the rodeo they had a mutten bustin (or whatever it was called) where the kids go out in the arena and try to grab a ribbon off of a sheep. There was only 1 sheep though and about 15 kids. The sheep ran the length of the arena and then stopped at the other end. Of course B was not the fastest, but sure had fun getting out there. J was not interested, although he asked all evening when the sheep were coming but refused to go out there when it was time.
This past weekend the boys went to their first theatrical play, Your a Good Man Charlie Brown (and we had a great visit with my aunt, uncle and cousin). Did not know how J would do sitting through it being quiet, but he was great until the last 10 minutes. It was one snippet after another. B enjoyed Snoopy the best and all of his antics. After the play the kids were invited to make a kite and fly it outside with the cast. They really liked this and learned just what it takes to fly a kite, besides wind. It was neat because the play was a part of a program that I participated in as a 7 year old in my Aunt's town. So, 30 some odd years I am headed back there to take my kids. I sure wish there was a good theatre program back home. I am confident that B could be a thespian. A traveling theatre group is putting on a performance at B's school the week we get back - (they do it once a year). I am curious to see if B will try out for the play (Princess and the Pea). Rehearsals are for 4 days and then the performance is that weekend. Either way, he has now been introduced to the world of theatre.
We have put more than 2300 miles on the van and have loved every mile of it. Okay, not every mile of it. Driving in Dallas is the pits. I never understood when I was younger and would be in the backseat making noise. I would be told to be quiet so the driver could drive. I always thought, don't you use your eyes to drive and not your ears, so why does my noise level affect anyone's ability to drive. I get it, particularly when 2 are arguing and one is screaming and I am trying to read exit signs that are coming at my in quick succession on a 8 lane highway with traffic. On more than one occasion I have had to turn around because I was not going to try a last second lane change. I am so thankful to live in a state that has a lot fewer people than Texas and no toll roads!
I always forget, until I come back down south about the money here. I am amazed at some (not all by any means) of the churches and how grandious they are. I often wonder how so much money can be spent on a building and it's furnishings. (I know it is God's temple and it is where you go to worship and just like the temple Solomon built was very costly, but ....) Then to drive by some of the newer schools and see the nice football stadiums, etc. I won't even mention the billion dollar something Cowboy Football Stadium. It just blows my mind. Texans sure do love their football.
The rest of the trip hopefully will be nothing but getting out and enjoying the sun. Saturday I will be getting together with my 13 first cousins on my dad's side. I don't think we have all been together in at least 10 years. Should be a lot of fun. Then that afternoon we will start the long trek back. Hopefully I can get pictures posted sometime between now and then!
Off to snuggle with little JB. The last couple of nights, due to sleeping arrangements, he has slept with me. I think he is getting use to it and I can't say that I really mind right now!

Lots of sun and wind

Lots of sun, wind and rain....but no coats! Yeah.

We have been in Texas for a week now and will be here another 10 days or so. We spent the first 4 days in the Dallas Fort Worth area with my mom. The boys did a lot of playing outside and going down to the lake. They loved feeding the ducks and birds. It was amazing how quickly the birds flocked. We started with just one bird and within about 90 seconds we had probably close to 75. The boys could not believe how quickly others came. J and JB loved going for rides in the wagon (mom pulling of course) and B riding along in a battery operated car. B is also loving all the 'gaming' he is getting to do since he does not have xbox, sega, etc at home. Got to spend some time with an out of state friend while I left the kids with my mom. Caught up with some old post-college friends and did lots of reminiscing.

The next 4 days are being spent in Abilene with my dad. The boys have been running all over the place visiting various city parks. It is obvious we have been cooped up back home because I have never seen B expend so much energy. They have a 3 wheeled bike with a basket on the back. J has enjoyed riding in the back and I put JB in the front carrier I have. JB loves the wind blowing in his face and I get quite the work out. The boys and I met my oldest friend (a life long friend I have literally known since day one) and her son who is B's age. They got along so good and did not want to leave when it was over. You know they are tired when they go to bed at 7:15 without a fight.

Will head back to the DFW area on Friday.

I forgot the weirdest part of our trip down. We were somewhere in the panhandle of Texas and it had just gotten dark. We crested a hill and saw close to 100 red lights all blinking at the same time, in perfect unison, all the way across the horizon. We wondered for many miles on a desolate stretch of road. As we got closer to what seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie, my hunch was correct. A huge wind farm (or whatever they are called) with wind turbines. I wish it had been daylight so the boys could have seen them up close. It was pretty freaky seeing the shadows of them as we drove by.

Texas

We arrived safely. It was quite the long trip but the boys did absolutely awesome. My biggest concern was JB but I honestly don't think he cried once in 3 days!
Twice we saw the moon come up and it was gorgeous. A huge orange full moon on the horizon. Made it a little easier to watch out for deer on the road. It was interstate about half the way and 2-4 lane highways the rest of the way. We stopped in Denver for 3 hours and visited with an old college roommate. It was neat to catch up with her. She has 4 kids, 3 of which are boys aged 11, 13 and 14. Although mine are not quite that close in age, I pictured myself exactly where she is in 10 years.
On the way down the boys learned about feed lots (there are some thing/smells you just forget until you are thrown back into them), saw cotton fields, watched geese flying and all the cool formations they make, saw a random field with lots and lots of camels and the boys learned about some of my favorite places to eat. Everytime I come back to Texas I get excited when I see Sonic, Chick-Fil-A, Long John Silvers Braums and many others. I found it interesting that there were some small towns where Dairy Queens had shut down, once a staple in any small town (they have even been called a Texas Stop Sign). A sign of the economy or a sign of something else taking it's place - Sonic. Saw a Sonic in every town.
I created Mom time in the car. When the older two would start getting whiny, I would turn the radio speakers up front, turn up some of my favorite music and tell them Mom could not hear them for a while.
One of the first rest areas we stopped at, the boys got out and ran around and threw the football while I got dinner ready. I had been keeping an eye on the restrooms because B enjoys his independence of being old enough to go into restrooms by himself. He asked to go in there and no one had been coming or going so I said yes. J followed suit. A minute later J comes running over to and says "there is a strange man talking to B." J was not overly concerned but my mom alert went up. I high tailed it over there and B was walking out just the time I got there. I started asking if he was talking with someone, etc and got a no to all of my answers. When it was time to leave, I headed to the restroom and told the boys to stand just inside the doorway. It was then I found out that in the bathrooms they have a recording of a man talking about weather info etc. This is what J had heard earlier.
When we did stop, I would put JB on the floor of the van (one of the seats out of the van) and lock the doors. He had just enough room to roll around and play with his toys and get his exercise while we got our exercise outside.
The last motel we stayed at had a sign that said "No refunds after 15 minutes of checking in." Made me nervous as to what one would discover after having been in a room 15 minutes but we all slept fine and other than one of those unidentifiable odors that I eventually noticed, all was well.

The Countdown!

The boys and I leave on Monday for Texas. I am really psyched, even if people think I am nuts going on a road trip by myself with 3 small kids. Just preparing myself for lots of bathroom stops and some hard but quick times of burning energy.

We had some beautiful weather today.
Just warm enough that I put JB outside on a blanket.

He enjoyed it but I think will be like his momma and can't tolerate much of the bright sun. JB is up on all fours and has the backwards scoot down pretty good. He is sitting up unassisted too, at least for a few seconds. No teeth yet.

J had a blast getting on the bikes. He finally has the coordination down to actually move the bike forward on his own. He also found some tools and enjoyed working on his bike. (I think his own tool box is just perfect for his 3rd b-day coming up.)

J has also started spending 15-20 minutes hovered over a puzzle, trying his best to match up the pieces. I am sure it won't be long before he is putting the whole thing together by himself. J also has a great game he likes to play outside. After watching so many wrecks in the Olympics, he will ride his scooter around and then fall off and lay on the ground. I am just waiting for a car to stop and check it out. B then yells, "He is down...". J jumps up laughing and takes off again.

B is signed up for t-ball, which should start early April with practices. Looking forward to getting outside with him in Texas and throwing the ball around. He is proving to be pretty competitive but not necessarily cut throat, so will be fun to see how it goes. Here he is on his big wheel, which hard to believe he is outgrowing. I can remember when he could not reach the pedals.


Another tie shot. B continues to wear the same tie for about 5 weeks now. J is a little more adventurous though.