Oh the boys...

These boys wore me out tonight... or was it the crazy kids at school? I don't really know, but I'm pooped and off to go work out. Hopefully my second wind will kick in when we do Thriller tonight. Fun stuff!

Ethan decided he wanted to play with money tonight - so I had him sort them into the different coins. He did really well, but struggled with the new nickels and quarters because they "not a match."

In the end, he had a full blown "money train". Then Lucas brought both of their robes in and wanted to be dressed up. It was really funny. He couldn't walk very well with both robes on, but he was cute all the same.

I'm off to go sweat it out and hopefully wake up a little in the process... wish me luck!

...

Not much going on here- but excitingly, we're all healthy! Lucas is still working on those 5 teeth and a new molar just shoved through. So, he's pretty irritated and sore, but still tearing up the house with a vengeance.
Ethan and Brian went to see IceAge 3 today - loved it! I'm a little jealous, but it was fun to spend some extra time with Lucas alone.
This week is conferences - which I love except for the whole not seeing my boys for two days thing. That really kills me. So Monday and Tuesday night I soak it all up and Friday I get to be home with them all day getting ready for Uma and Upa to come! We're getting so excited!

A Winner!

Another Skate Night this week and this time... Ethan won limbo AND his race! He was very excited and is starting to really love getting to hang out with the big kids. It cracks me up.

He asked if he could use some of his piggy-bank money to get a snack there and so he dug out $1 for a Snicker's bar. He loved it. So much sugar....

Tonight the McConnels came over for dinner. Good friends, good pizza....

Lucas wanted Todd to hold him the whole time- loved him. He screamed like a banshee when he left.

Liam is getting so big! It's fun to watch them actually kind of play together.

Lucas let go of Todd for a little bit so he could play with Liam too. Lots of shrieking, lots of giggles... fun stuff!

Brian got some freelance work with a local business today- very cool! First job's a small one, but there's promise of much more!

I'm back to working out- feels good!

Sit Still Already!

There were really cool pumpkins in the lobby at church yesterday, and I thought they'd make a good backdrop for some pictures. But... those boys were a wigglin' and a wigglin. Drove me nuts! I got a whole bunch of not great pictures and a few that were okay.... The one below is Ethan with our friends' little boy, Eli.

After church we headed to the Train Depot Museum in Boise. We ate cracker and peanut butter sandwiches next to the train, so we could admire it. Ethan was pretty upset that we didn't get to go on the train, but he loved going up the "tower" inside and looking out over the city- pretty cool!

Lucas really loved all the rocks around and how nicely they fit in his mouth.

Look at how happy Lucas is! He loves to run- all. the. time.

Ethan tried to run away. He was giggling like a mad man.

The inside of the building was pretty cool too - I can see why they host a lot of weddings. We actually used to hang out there a lot in college, but hadn't beeen back for a long time.

As the boys get older, I just want to pause it all! I want to keep them in these stages, as exhausting as they are, with the hugs and the smiles, and the giant sense of wonder. I love being a mom.

A Saturday in Pictures.... #2

We started our Saturday (after I went to Zumba and Brian took off for work) back at the Wildlife Refuge Visitor's Center. Ethan loved the microscope this time- was quite the scientist.
Lucas liked looking at the animal furs.

Like this skunk - he thought it was great.....

Until he saw its face....

The boys made tracks in the sand. Ethan worked really hard at not flying sand all over the room....

Ethan practiced using his "telescope" (rolled up free poster) to spy our friend, the bunny.Then, home for naps, coffee, and relaxing. After the boys woke up, Ethan said, "Mommy, when I'm really big I can drink coffee!"

We loaded up the wagon and headed for the park. Lucas ran right to the swings, giggling away.

Ethan practiced some jumping. Isn't he so handsome? I think so.

Then he decided to try something new....

I so wanted to make him get down, not try it. But, I kept my mouth shut and watched.

And he made it all the way up, all by himself!

Check out Lucas' hair on the slide- hilarious!

We played a little soccer at the park. Ethan just kicks it as hard as he can and laughs while I run for it. Lucas actually dribbles like a pro. It's kind of creepy to see such a little guy actually dribbling around in circles.

Ethan practiced his driving skills- all over the playground.

And then it was time to go home, leaving cracker crumbs all the way...

It was the kind of Saturday I was in dire need of - fun and relaxing. The boys were great - I almost didn't recognize them!

We Will Survive!

Oh the sickness.... The nasty, yucky sickness that overtook our house.... I think we're getting closer to the end of it. Lucas got a clean bill of health (besides the 5 teeth coming in) today, Ethan's cough is gone, Brian merely has minor signs of a cold, and I'm finally feeling the antibiotics of a sinus infection. Gross gross gross. But, we're doing well in spite of it all. Ethan and Brian are at the pizza place right now picking up our pizza (it's pizza night fundraiser for our school tonight) and then we have cookies ready to roll out and decorate (yes, I realize how unhealthy this dinner is) and then I'm off to watch volleyball by myself. We figured we better not keep Ethan out late this week. It's time for everyone to be healthy!
Lucas now says cracker, though is sounds more like "ck-ck" with absolutely no vowel sound. And, if you won't give him one, he will do things like scream/screech and throw chairs. Stinker! He does love those Costco animal crackers though and I don't blame him - yummy and healthy as far as those things go...
Ethan had a great week at daycare - had fun at soccer playing "volcanoes". He said "You go around the volcano and around and around and around and around and then you shoot it!" I think the volcanoes are the cones. I'm going to make Brian go watch next week and take some pictures.
Happy Birthday today to my niece Morgan!!! She's 4 years old today- so stinkin' adorably spirited- just ask her mama!
Hopefully soon I'll have some pictures taken- my goal for tonight and tomorrow!

First Haircut!

An exciting weekend already... Well, last night wasn't really exciting, but I had fun with my boys! Ethan was eating some Yogurt Cheerios on the McQueen couch- only ate the pink ones though (I can't complain as last week I ate all the pink ones out of the box in a weak moment) and left the rest on the table. Lucas picked them up and walked over to sit just as his big brother had done... By the way, check out that drool! 4 teeth still pushing up... And his sock is nasty because he dumped his soup on the floor and stepped in it....Next it was bath time- lots of fun splashing each other and chattering away in their very own brother language.

My froggie! He let me tie it around him for a bit, but got tired of that. I'm not sure he was as thrilled about it as Ethan and I were....

And then this morning.... We took the boys to get haircuts, but we were too early, so we killed time at the doughnut shop next door. Ethan, Lucas, and I shared a doughnut with "sprinklers" on it. Daddy had "clocklate". Delicious - and a fun way to start the morning.

Lucas was a rockstar at his haircut. He only screamed like a banshee once. We just really needed the back trimmed, but she cleaned him up all over. He liked sitting in Daddy's lap, but didn't like when he couldn't see what she was doing.

Ethan showed him how it's done- sitting perfectly still and chatting away with his stylist. They are so great at Great Clips. It's fun to have the same people over again - they love Ethan- he sits so still!Please ignore what's coming out of his nose, but isn't he handsome! I'd put Ethan's pic on too, but he wouldn't pose for us. He was too busy looking pathetic so they'd give him a candy. It worked.

We're all on the mend, I think. Lots of running noses, coughs, and general tiredness though, so I don't think we'll be doing much else this weekend. I did do the beginner Zumba workout video and that felt good- though I would not have done real well had I gone to class, I could tell! Back I go to my shrieking monkeys!

Look closely...

Yep, Lucas is sitting in Duke's "lap". He loves cuddling with Duke and Duke loves attention from anyone.
We're feeling better. I woke up this morning and felt human! I still didn't work out today, but I did lots of chores after school - very exciting! I suppose the chores weren't that exciting, but the fact that I wasn't curled up in the fetal position by 4:30 was so great.... Lucas still has a few spots, so I'm not sure he'll be back tomorrow. Brian's great with them, but I'm sure he was looking forward to a break. We'll see in the morning, but as we brought it to daycare in the first place, there'll be no chancing it.
Lucas is cracking me up- loves putting away toys (and then getting them back out). As I was coming home, he went and got his shoes out of the basket and brought them to Brian so he'd take him outside- so cute! He's understanding a lot of what we say now- kind of nuts!
Ethan has taken a turn in story time- he is really understanding what's going on in the books and even is picking up some predicting skills (yep, i'm a teacher). Tonight he wanted to read, so he named all the characters on the page and then gave it to me and said, "Your turn." I asked him what he wanted me to do and he said, "Just talk about it." Cracked me up.
Anyway, we're getting back to normal! Finally!

are you kidding me?

We've been sick now for awhile. I apparently had H1N1 and didn't know it. Lucas' fever last week was... Hand Foot and Mouth disease. Which means he now has blisters all over his hands and probably had them in his mouth this weekend. I just thought he wasn't eating because of the 4 teeth coming in. Poor kid! So now we've been banished from daycare for the rest of the week (ethan will undoubtedly have it though it may be less severe). Brian gets to stay with them all week! Not a lot more fun than cranky cranky boys.... And they can't go anywhere because of the disease and all....
But we're surviving... And no one is sick with anything unmanageable - so I'll stop complaining. Brian's off to go get me some empty pizza boxes for some really cool group projects on Early American Cultures.
Someday I'll have pictures again- someday when I can manage to charge the battery.

sick... and yet...

This has not been the most stellar week ever.... Lucas got sick (fever)... I got sick (cold, aches, chills)... a quarter of my class was gone today with some nasty germ or other.... Sheesh!

Needless to say, I'm resting... Lucas was home today with Brian. I'd stay home but there are no subs and I don't feel too bad... anymore....

But... the boys are still adorable... Lucas is a dance machine.

And Ethan knows the Pledge of Allegiance! (silly, yes...)

So in spite of super germs over taking my work, my home... life is good