The Weekend...

We started the weekend with Brian and Ethan playing the Diego video game they checked out at the library and Lucas and I going for a very long walk. As you can see, the walk just wore poor Lucas out. Everyone on the trail oohed and aahed at him. I just grunted a "good morning" between pants and moved along, as I was working really hard trying to keep up my pace pushing that monster stroller :)

We saw lots and lots of baby ducks. Lucas just squealed at them and they didn't even care. I had to almost pick one up to get it to move out of our way. Friendly little buggers.

Then off Brian went to work and we went to the park. Ethan discovered he likes to go really fast on the swing. Lucas liked the swing too, but wouldn't look up for a picture. He just wanted to stare at the bark. We brought some snacks along for a "picnic". Ethan really liked eating in the grass. Lucas really liked eating the grass.

Ethan got a haircut yesterday. The lady just adored him - he sits so still!- and so she made him super cool by gelling him some spikes. His grin was a mile wide. And then this morning, I cut Brian's hair. Only I kind of missed and, well, you can see the block I made way too short....

So then I made it all a lot shorter, so it'd be less noticeable. You can still see it, but you hardly notice it as there's not much hair there anyway.

I, personally, think he looks really good with it this short. And I'm not even just saying that to cover for my "mishap" with the razor. I really like it!

And then Ethan made us a picnic on the kitchen floor. As you can see we were eating pasta (magnets), cookies (shoes), bread (paper), as well as an assortment of other goodies. Delicious!

All was fun until Brian (and Ethan calls him Brian when he's mad at him) hid his "cookies" behind him and said he ate them. No lying at this house! Ethan quickly sent him to Time Out.

"You go Time Out!"

"You stop crying!"

"You say sorry for hurting"

The boy loves power. I just think it's hilarious that he calls him Brian. Brian says "My name is Daddy" and Ethan just rolls his eyes. Sassy?

Off to church and then the Discovery Center. There were lots of great exhibits that we liked, but this was the favorite. Ethan loved going up so high.

He even loved coming down.

Lucas loved this big swirly ball of goo - something about weather- I didn't read it, just spun it and spun it- to his request. (And by request I mean shrieking).

Then the spinner- where you get to send teddy bears on a ride. Lucas was a little worried we'd throw him in I think....

And then off to the pet hospital where we doctored up a kitty, doggie, and a turtle. We listened to their hearts, gave them medicine, bandaged their wounds and then Ethan gave them all a bone.

So, a good weekend! I also got to go out with a couple of friends last night- had fun and ate the most delicious mac and cheese ever (the mini portion of course ) Yum! And we saw a movie being filmed for a local film festival- too cool!

The first few days this week are nuts! Last three kid days - so be praying I survive! And then it's on to summer!

Has it been that long?

He's superman you know.... this was wednesday night and everything he wanted us to tell him, he'd say to "tell Superman..." Like, "Tell Superman to go potty" "Tell Superman to sleep tight" "Say Come Here Superman!" Too funny...
This week flew by, as year-end usually does at school. I don't know why I'm always suprised.... But with multiple assemblys, speakers, grades due, and just trying to organize, it was crazy!

Thursday night the McConnels came over and we got to be a part of Liam's first rice cereal. He had a big entourage!

He seemed to like it a lot - a lot more than Lucas did! Ethan loved watching, being the "big boy" and encouraging Liam. Of course, he has to try and force himself to the center of attention- who did he get that from?

I am feeling GREAT. My cousin Holly, a dietician, went over my diet and exercise plan and helped me tweak it and I am feeling great. Not only am I now seeing results on the scale, after two days I just feel healthier. And, there are only 3 more kid days of school left- crazy! I'm going to miss these kids, for sure. But, I am going to be so happy when summer is finally here :)

Lucas is unswaddled and seems to be sleeping well. Except that he keeps flipping himself over. He has never rolled from back to tummy in front of us, but we keep finding that he's done it in his crib - weird!

I'm excited for a fairly quiet weekend. I'm going to take the boys to the library tomorrow, to sign Ethan up for the summer reading program, but other than that... just hanging out. And now, after a 2 day hiatus, it's time to put Jillian Michael back on the TV...

6 more kid days!!!

I'm going to miss this class, but I am so excited for this summer! I just came in from the garden- it's too dark to be out there anymore and was just excited to get out there and start digging out all our plants. This summer is about getting in shape and about getting our house and yard in shape. We're ready!
And of course, spending time with the boys :). Lucas is getting so brave- letting go when he's standing up against things and trying desperately to stand on his own. He falls, of course, but then goes right back to it. He still is trying to crawl, but just gets mad and gives up, laying with his face on the floor screaming. His best moment today was when he overturned the dogs' water bowl all over himself. He will figure this out, right?
Ethan answered the phone when I called after my meeting today and it was almost surreal that I could totally have a conversation with him- no translation necessary. He also helped me make dinner- ham fried rice (with brown rice and spinach - and everyone ate it!) We just had a great night- Ethan talked to his Grammy and Grandpa on Skype and we did the fastest bath time ever.
Brian and I completed Day 20 of the 30 Day Shred. Then I did 30 minutes on the bike, walked 2 miles (1 with each dog), and weeded for 35 minutes. I love charting all the different activities on myfooddiary.com. No real results yet- frustrating, but I know what I'm doing is making me healthier and stronger- so the weight will come, right?
I'm going to go ice my ankle (it's protesting all this work) and snuggle up to a good book. Did I mention how great it is to have boys that go to bed at 7? And to have a husband who is happy to stay in (as he is playing some computer game over the internet with Todd - oh technology.) I can do six more days, right?
Seems I have lots of questions tonight and not so many answers. That's not a bad thing, right?

Happy 6th Anniversary to Us...

Anniversary '09 (Our 6th)

This year, for our anniversary, we decided a little (by little I mean 1 night) vacation was in order. We made reservations at the Ashley Inn in Cascade for Sunday night and packed up the boys and all their tons of gear. There was a whole lot for a one night stay!

Our first stop was for lunch after church. We went to a great pizza place, Lucky 13 and ate up some delicious pizza. Lucas especially loved the breadsticks and throwing everything on the ground (a new hobby!). The picture above (of the two of us) shows off Ethan's budding talent as a photographer.

Lucas loved our big bed. We couldn't leave him on it for long, because he is trying so very hard to crawl that he throws his body forward all the time. Kind of dangerous, so he spend most of his time on the floor or in the pack and play. He was very comfy cuddling up there though.

Ethan LOVED that he had his very own bed. He refused to let me lay with him on it and spent hours rearranging his "new pillows". Bedtime was a long process, but we finally got there by all of us going to bed at 9. (Except for Brian who used the laptop as a nightlight so he could read under the covers.)

We also spent a lot of time in here, in our room. The tub had jets and colored lights. It was too cool! We brought some splash balls to play with and just hung out. At first Ethan was scared of the bubbles, but he got over it. It was nice to get to be in a hot tub and not have to share with a bunch of other people- also nice to keep it cool enough that the boys could go in.

Of course, that doesn't mean that we didn't spend our fair share of time in the big pool (big is relative here). And the elevator to get there was a hit too.

Ethan and Lucas loved the water. I loved it too, when I looked up how many calories you burn even leisurely swimming. Most of the time we had the pool to ourselves, and we "swam" back and forth. Ethan became an expert at jumping in, and Lucas even put his face in the water (until I figured out that I hadn't blown up the floatie thing right).

Dinner was delicious. They had a BBQ dinner right at the hotel for pretty cheap and it included a brownie sundae bar or ice cream cones for dessert. Ethan really liked the cone.

Like, more than a little bit. At 8 pm, I gathered up Ethan (in jammies, with blankie) and headed down to get fresh cookies and milk. Delicisou! Breakfast was also delicious. Lucas' favorite was the yogurt and the waffles. Ethan's - the waffles of course. I loved the biscuits and gravy (though limited myself) and Brian ate EVERYTHING. And there was a lot.

Before we left, we went swimming again (where the camera died) and poor Lucas was not a fan of other kids jumping into the pool. It scared him when they splashed and so we just cuddled. After Ethan had his fill, we went up to the room and all piled into the jacuzzi tub (I told you it was big!) for a soak.

We checked out and headed a little further out to McCall to eat at the famous Pancake House. YUM. We loved it all and despite everyone being somewhat exhausted, it went really well.
The ride home, not so fun. Ethan had to go to the bathroom so many times, and Lucas just did not want to be in his seat, but it's not far, so we survived. And it really was a blast.

I think we may have a new tradition. A great way to spend our anniversary- falling in love with our little family all over again...

Sunny Sunny Saturday!

This week flew by- mostly because we spent a lot of our evenings exercising and that doesn't leave a whole lot of time or energy for the computer. Probably a good thing :) We are on Day 16 of the 30 Day Shred- Yahoo!!

Thursday night we had a great time eating and relaxing at the McConnel's. Lucas was really trying to crawl, but to no avail (yet).

Friday we relaxed and I ended up going to a fondue fiesta after Brian got home from work. It was fun to see some friends from work and to just relax.

Today we played and played some more. We walked this morning (1 mile for them, 4 for me ). Then we played at the house for awhile, went shopping and then it was naptime. After naptime the pool came out! It really wasn't that hot (only about 80) so only Ethan swam, but it was fun to get it out and to realize that we're all going to fit in there this summer. That'll be fabulous! Also, our willow trees have grown in so much that half the backyard is shaded all afternoon- fabulous!

Lucas is just so close to crawling. Today he resorted to spinning in 360 degree circles, pushing himself toward whatever his goal was. Not overly efficient, but he did manage to get the computer mouse in his mouth.

Tomorrow we are off to Cascade to stay in a fancy pants (well, kinda) hotel to swim and play and relax. I think it's just going to be fun to go on a trip as a foursome- we really don't do that very often!

I'll leave you with some Ethanisms....

"I clean up. Look at this whole place!"

"I can't carry that. It too big. Big like a dinosaur!"

"Brian! Where are you?"

"I love you. You love me. We're a happy family." (Yep, that's the Barney song!)

"I can't go bed. I scared window. It blow up and down." Solved the curtain/AC issue.

"We go hotel? We play other games." (no clue)

oh so many days!!

The past few days have been a whilrwind- but here's the skinny on yesterday...

Ethan's program was great- the kids were so cute. They all were a bit in awe of the audience, but they sang and danced (at least some of the time). Ethan dressed himself and so his pants and shoes were both backwards. Priceless! I just melted at how cute he was. Every now and then he'd look at one of us and say "Hi Mommy!" or "Hi Daddy!". I loved it.

Above is the "I See You" song he's been singing and singing to us. Down below is some dancing with the children thing- I just love it when they get to hips, hips, hips.

The next part, they sang a lullaby where they "rock their babies" to sleep. At the end Ethan smiled and said "My baby asleep!" They're apparently practicing soft, slow melodies.

And then the sticks. Oh, they love the sticks! I just laughed because the teacher got so frustrated when they weren't together. 2/3 year olds can keep a beat? Didn't know.... Still not convinced.

And the "Going to the Farm" song. You couldn't hear him, but you could see he was into it.

Oh so fun! The boy is adorable! From there we went to McD's and then Skate Night. A great night for all of us!

Woof.

I'll have to do the library pictures tomorrow. I don't know where I put the camera and my legs are wobbling from my workout, so I don't feel like getting up to find it.
But, I will say that it was like Christmas at school today. Too fun to watch everybody see the changes and comment. We were well appreciated and it was great. Kids were peeking into the library all day long and there was definitely a more relaxed atmosphere in the lounge. Great times! It felt good to do something for other people just for the heck of it.
The boys were in great spirits tonight. We BBQ'd hot dogs (a chicken burger for me) and ate grapes and corn. Lucas squealed and squawked. And I figured something out.

Lucas barks.

Everytime Kenya barks, Lucas barks back. I swear it's true. I realized it outside. Do you think he can talk to animals? Or is he just confused as the animals:human ratio is 1:1. It reminds me of a letter my dad wrote from Ethan to us right before we had the big ultrasound. It was so funny, talking about some of the confusion that might occur growing up in a family of animals. I loved it! He'll figure it out, right?
And another thing- Lucas rolled over from back to stomach for the second time. In his crib for the second time. We have yet to see him do this, yet he must be able to. The boy is a mystery. A cute one though- and you should have seen his arms in his sleeveless shirt- little muscle man!
Tomorrow there will be pictures. It is Ethan's program for his music class (I am so excited!!) and then McD's (half price happy meals) and then Skate Night at the RollerDrome. I better get some sleep tonight :)

Maddie, Morgan, Lucas, Ethan

Which is which?

This just cracks me up. Maddie is a chunk! And Lucas was so teeny-tiny!!

Oh What a Day!

Our service project could not have gone any better! I got a call from one of the group members this morning, saying that she and her family wouldn't be there and I got nervous! So, I prayed and prayed all the way to school that it would turn out all right and you know what- it was even better! I will post some before and after pics tomorrow, but overall, we totally cleaned the library, decorated it, and painted the staff room. My crew was so incredibly hard-working. They stepped right in at 9:30 when we got there and did not stop until 2-ish. I could hardly get them to stop and eat and drink! It was really fun and felt great to "be the church" rather than "go to church." My feet are killing me though- as we didn't sit down until around 2:30, and then it was only for a few minutes with Lucas.

Ethan and Lucas helped too....

And here are a couple of pictures from the carnival - fun!

No time... No time...

Carnival was great! I got a 3 month membership to the Idaho Athletic Club for $15 in the silent auction and Ethan rode around and around on the train.
Ethan got an ear infection and was up half the night last night (much better now, with the ear drops ) So glad for tubes, but yuck! Made us miss our lunch playdate- sad! But the meds were definitely a necessity- won't go into detail!
Spent the rest of the day getting ready for our big service project at my school tomorrow- Aargh! Hard to do with fussy, fussy boys!
Great dinner with Jess/Todd/Liam tonight. The boy thinks I'm a crack up - I like that!
Lucas pushed himself all over the floor (okay, really just in a circle) and is oh so close to that crawling thing!
Went to Walmart for the third time today, made a million lists, and I think we're off to bed!
(And don't worry, we did day 11 of our 30 day shred :)
Tomorrow night I promise pictures and a bit of sanity! Be praying for us tomorrow, that our project will go well and the boys will be cooperative!

Getting Ready for Grey's

It's the season finale of Grey's Anatomy tonight... so I can't stay long... And I have to ride the bicycle tonight while I watch because I had a fabulously yummy breakfast as a gift from a coworker :)

The boys had a great night. Lucas is an eater! He ate a half cup of yogurt mixed with half a banana, a half cup of peas and carrots, and a whole jar of turkey rice dinner. Oh, and a few cheese puffs....

Ethan was "cooking" for me tonight when I got home from yoga- too cute!

Off to the show... I am so excited! Tomorrow night is the carnival at school, so I'm not sure that we'll be blogging, but be assured we will be taking pictures!!

My Maddie (Ok, so she's not really mine....)

Another pic of my adorable niece. She is so cute. I mean, the picture is just funny, but she is a cutie! I so wish I could hop on a plane to Boston to see her!
My boys are doing great! Lucas and Brian spent the night playing while Ethan and I ran to the All City Track Meet. I had three kids that made it that far and I could not have been prouder of them. They are great kids and also took turns watching Ethan while I called the 5th place runners. Ethan LOVED playing on the track, did a half lap while I chased him, and went out in the middle and danced for the crowd. The boy loves to put on a show!!
I'm busy getting ready for our big church event this weekend- Church Without Walls. Rather than meeting as a congregation, we are going out and doing different service projects around the valley. I am leading one at my school, to fix up the library. It's just kind of a dusty, dirty, falling apart mess and so we are going to clean, clean, clean, and then hopefully do some redecorating. I'm really excited about it - not only will our kids just love it, but all the staff will to. I love that Mark (our pastor) is helping us to live out our faith rather than just speak it. Anyone out there who'd like to be a part of the project, email me, and I'll hook you up! (katieannemc@hotmail.com)
In other news, Brian and I (well, not Brian every night) have done the Jillian Michael's workout 8 nights in a row. I'd like to say that the scale was pleased with that, but nothing yet. I can definitely tell I'm getting stronger though, so my fingers are crossed. Brian is not dropping weight- and we all know that's a good thing - but is doing much to boost my motivation by doing it with me. He really is a great guy!
Enough of all of that, I'm off to get lost in a book i'm borrowing from a student, Magyk - fabulous!!

So Big....

He loves to stand. And, like his brother, he loves to destroy things... His brother, Ethan, went to the store with me after daycare today. I saw a mom that I loved from my old school and we were talking and I looked down, and Ethan had ripped off all the can labels. Fabulous. He made everyone around us laugh though, so at least that's something! He looked so cute today, all dressed up for pictures. I hate how long you have to wait to see them! Lucas got freaked out by the picture lady and the only way they got him calmed down was to have his teacher come out and hold him. So she was in the pictures too, but you can't see her. I think it's funny! What a great teacher though- she adores him and he just loves her.
Lucas ate corn and diced fruit today- so exciting!! I cannot wait to stop buying baby food!! The end is near!!

Is it the weekend yet? I mean, this weekend is going to be busy, but still... Is it here yet?

Oops...

Okay, I published a blank entry again.... I'm going to blame it on my numb muscles. Jillian Michaels is kicking my behind... 6 nights of the workout in a row and I am sore! I did everything a little harder tonight and OUCH!!
But on to the point of my original post... The director at daycare asked me if we were having a problem with Ethan telling us NO. Apparently the teachers have been hearing this from him a lot. Great. We had a little talk. Then he told me no. Okay, he didn't, but if our little talk meant anything, I'll be suprised!
My favorite thing Ethan is doing is that every time either Brian or I does something good, like win at a game, he tells us, "That was good. Give me high five!" He's a good encourager.
Lucas continues to want to crawl. He, however, now screams when I pull things away to try and make him. Like scream, cry, cough, sputter, scream, cry, repeat. Ugh. But, he did eat string cheese for dinner and seemed to like it! That was very exciting! I can't wait for him to eat table foods for good. The budget will love it!
Brian and I are catching up on TV tonight- loved Grey's this week! Now we're onto Chuch, but several weeks behind. There just aren't enough hours in the day, eh?

"NO"

Happy Mother's Day!

A fabulous weekend.... Lucas is just opening up into his own little person! I love it! Saturday seems like forever ago- we went to IHOP for breakfast and then to the store, home for naps, and then back out to Target. Busy, but Ethan was just a good boy!

Then it was dinner at the McConnel's - so much fun!
Lucas refused to eat- wanted to watch Liam wherever he was instead. He so badly wants to be in the middle of everything. I hope he starts crawling soon! Not because it'll make my life easier- I know it won't, but because he so wants to be mobile! He hates when all the action leaves the room.

Liam practiced standing. And I practiced my camera tricks :)

Lucas tried to steal Liam's socks. He loved it until the socks let go of the feet and he flew backward - hated that!

Then we all headed to the park for Liam's first swinging. Too fun! He was just chillin' in his swing, while Lucas was shrieking at everyone. Ethan went up, down and all around the play equipment.

And today, a fabulous Mother's Day! Not only was my niece born, see earlier post, but the boys made it a great day. Brian had them make hand and foot prints to give me, got me a book, and let me stay in bed until 8! Ethan helped by dressing himself- the picture almost captures it- but add the Wall-E sweatshirt and the Thomas backpack. He was adorable. We went to church and then to a park to play in the sun. It was gorgeous! Lucas fell asleep on the way back and so I stayed in the car with him and read and snoozed- a fabulous day! Tonight we went to Costco for the $1.25 frozen yogurt while Brian worked. Now I'm exhausted, but have worked out and am ready to catch up on some tv! A fabulously fabulous weekend.