A strange request

Like all mommies, I am working with my big boy on his manners. So, when he struts into the kitchen and says, "JUICE!", I calmly say something along the lines of, "I'm sorry. I don't know what you are saying. Do you have some manners please?" And when I demonstrate manners for him, I kind of make my voice high and say, "Mommy, may I juice please?"

I am also working with Jon David on the early steps of potty training. He gets a sticker if he lets me know that he has a dirty diaper and wants to be "clean and dry." I really stress how great it is to be clean and dry.

Okay, this is the funny part. Jon David is combining the two lessons into this, "Mommy, may I have some poo poo please?"

Sunday News

Today was Aunt Deees' birthday and we decided to get a little dressed up for the occasion. Ours was a quiet weekend filled with a good share of runny nose wiping and naps. I am hopeful for a much healthier week!

Here are my precious sons in their matching outfits.

Runny nose boys

Is it spring yet? I'm ready for warmer weather and healthier children! Here are my runny nose boys.

10-point deduction

As the theme from the Olympics played on, Jon David received his medal from Little Gym. Imagine my pride as I watched him climb up on the mat, accept his award and quickly run away before I could get a good picture. He'll still be a "Beast" for next semester but this was a day of pomp and circumstance and celebration.

Well, not really.

In fact, I made a bad mommy decision by even going. We've been battling something (a virus?) since Saturday but I saw some signs of improvement. He'd been stuck in the house for days and there was only a little bit of a clear runny nose and no coughing. So, off we go.

Once he got moving and running, he started to hack every so often. I'm not a fan of sick kids being out in public like this since my child seems to catch things so quickly. His coughing was not constant but it was definitely noticeable. We should have stayed home.

I took 10 good mommy points out of the jar today. Maybe I can get some back tomorrow. We're not going anywhere!

Baby Si video

Just a little ditty with Baby Si. Enjoy!

Josiah is Five Months

Josiah is 5 months today. Wow - time is flying by! Here are 5 fabulous facts about my second son.

1) He loves to grab his feet and even managed to get his toes in his mouth while sitting in his tub the other night. That made him rather happy.

2) He remains very easy going with the exception of his 5/6 am feed. That is the only time of the day that he gets really impatient when his meal is not served fast enough. It's funny to hear him snort away and fuss a little. Well, as funny as anything can be at that early hour.

3) Daddy and I are thoroughly enjoying his company after said early-morning feeding. He snuggles between us and we love it.

4) He has some chunky, chunky thighs which make things like the Bumbo hard to accommodate.

5) When he smiles, his eyes literally twinkle. Things that make him smile: Daddy, Mommy and big brother.

6) He's still sleeping a lot in the day with 2 - 3 good naps and a very early bed time. He usually sleeps through the night but he's had a bit of a cold (due to teething??) and sometimes up in the night.

Light snow flurries!

Well, it wasn't much of a snow but we take what we can get. This picture of Jon David all bundled up cracks me up. It reminds me of "The Christmas Story" movie and the funny quote, "I can't put my arms down!" I made a special Target run to get those snow boots.


Daddy took his big boy out in the snow even though Jon David had a runny nose most of the day. It snows so rarely here that you have to take advantage of it.

Josiah had his share of a runny nose as he's had all week but not as bad as Jon David. Based upon the coughing I'm hearing tonight, I think we're in for some fun this week from my eldest. Bummer. I guess our run of 4 weeks without an illness is over. Still, it was a fun snow day and we enjoyed hunkering down even if none of the snow stuck on the ground.

One year ago

One year ago...

One year ago, Jon David had his first airplane ride. It was to Hawaii - not too shabby for a 14-month old. You already know the story and to this day I can't believe it happened to us.

First flight.

Don't forget sunscreen!

Oh, to be there again!!

The hotel even had baby bathrobes - so cute!

There is that cow again.


Photo shoot on the beach.

"What's my motivation here?", Jon David asks. He is told to think of happy things like his cow and Mommy.

My sister, Lorri, and my mom traveled with us.

"Bring Trevor and Diesel"

That was the message Jon David left on the voicemail of Tyler's mommy: bring Trevor and Diesel (friends of Thomas the Tank Engine, of course). It was very important that Tyler deliver the goods for their late night play date. In exchange, Jon David promised to share his new James and Hector the Horrid. Seems like a fair deal to me.

This late night play date was so fun. It's interesting to watch how these two little guys play together. The first 30 or so minutes are a time of adjustment. That's when we see the most conflict though even then it's not bad. Then, they settle into a nice little rhythm and have a great time.

As a special treat, we had cookies after dinner. That made them both very happy. It got late and they both were sleepy. I loved the pictures of them in their PJs on the couch. It was a great time and both fellas had a blast.

Two monkeys in a crib

I love silly moments with my fellas. It certainly beats the alternative, right? And we've had PLENTY of the "alternative" lately. But, back to the fun stuff. The other morning I put baby Si in Jon David's crib with him. Oh, what fun they thought it was. Jon David even shared Thomas (see below). For those of you who have been following our crew for a while, you may recognize the beloved cow in Jon David's mouth (remember the "swap" I did a few months ago - see my How Stuffed Cows Become Real post in September). He even tried to have Si put it in his mouth but I helped move them on to other things.


I look forward to the day when they share bunk beds in a room and get to be pals. I know the fights will be inevitable and I do not look forward to being a referee. But, there is a part of my heart that just gets really excited about these two guys and the days ahead for them. I pray that they really love each other and look out for one another. They'll only be one year apart in school (Jon David will turn 6 just a few months after starting kindergarten because of his November birthdate) and I hope that when people think of the boys, they smile.

Note to self

Lesson of the day - when you sit in one of those massage chairs and it kind of hurts, get off the chair! While enjoying Spa Day at MOPS, I plopped down in one of those contraptions and thought, "Hmm - I think it's supposed to feel better than this. Maybe I'm just in such need of a massage that the pain is sort of good for me. Then I got chatting with some of the ladies and did not want to get up. 20 minutes later - I finally leave the chair.

So, today I feel as if someone punched me in the back for, oh like, 20 minutes! Ouch!!

Rub a dub dub

Like his big brother, Josiah loves a bath. I guess they get that from me. I sure do enjoy a nice bath after a long day. So, when Josiah starts his "I'm tired, Mommy" fussing around 5 pm, we head to the bath and all is well again. I find it great picture taking time since he's pretty contained and happy. I also am a huge fan of Johnson & Johnson's bedtime moisture wash. That smell is divine and I bet it will one day make me cry as it takes me back to these sweet, sweet days at home with my sons.

After bath, it's a nice little massage, a final feeding and to bed - usually by 6 pm. Then, we meet again around 5 or 6 am. What a dream!

Look who found his feet!

Priceless

A picture taken when my baby was less than 2 weeks old. Ah, the sweetness of a newborn.

Daddy fix it

A day full of bloggable moments - in other words, I feel so blessed by God to have this sweet family. My friend, Debi, gave me the nicest of compliments. She said that reading my blog updates is like reading the next chapter in a great book. Wow! That made my day.

This chapter involves a little boy who thinks his daddy can fix anything. We drive along and see various things on the road and Jon David proclaims, "Daddy fix it." To him, Daddy is the biggest, smartest, best fixer-uper EVER. Oh, well, I concur with his assessment. Daddy is ALL that.

For some reason, the trees in our backyard are in need of fixing. As if I don't ask enough Honey Do's (I prefer to call them "Baby Please's"), now my son is in on it!

I was just thanking God for how today turned out. I was semi-annoyed that Jon's nap was not as long as I wanted it to be (so that mine could continue!). But, by getting up a little early, I was able to play in the yard with just my big boy and we had the best time. I love how God provides these opportunities and when I am smart and have the right perspective, I see how He blesses me all day.

Our next big modeling gig - Jockey!

No, they have not called but I'm pretty sure Jockey will want to sign a mega-contract with my boys. Both boys were 4 months old in the pictures. Aren't they cute?? I can't wait to scrapbook these pictures!