Baby Lobsters, Neighbors and Frog Huntin'

Last night we had a crawfish boil with some of our good friends and neighbors. 

We had the best time.  It was a lot of work.  Thank goodness fort he boys.  Colton and Chase did such a great job.  Chase called it a night pretty early but was such a trooper and totally went with the flow getting passed around and eating outside.  He absolutely loves Kayla from across the street and she is amazing with him. Colton hung with the "big boys" and played hard with all the older kids.  We've always played outside with the neighbors.  We enjoy our street so much.  There are so many sweet kiddos and parents around us and someone is always outside. Colton is such a big kid now.  I love to watch him run around and play with everyone. 

Colton , of course, didn't try a baby lobster and I didn't know if I should let Chase have one so my boys didn't enjoy them but everyone else sure did!

Colton was obsessed with watching the "baby lobsters".

Chase in his exersaucer.

The boys at work.

Watermelon!

Almost time!

All the kids are so sweet to Chase but Kayla and him really bonded last night.



Playing ghost in the graveyard.

Frog huntin'

11 months

Dear Chase,My sweet Chase.  I can't believe it's one month from your FIRST BIRTHDAY.  This time last year I was so excited to meet you I could hardly focus on anything else.  In these short 11 months my heart has doubled in size with love for you. We have such a special bond.  I love our cuddle time together and I can't believe your almost not a "baby" anymore.  You'll always always always be my baby! Plans for your birthday party are well underway.  Infact they are almost complete.  I just need to fill our your invites and get a couple odds and ends figured out but I've ordered your cake and birthday shirt (Thanks Kellie) and I've been crafting away!  It's just going to be be a small party with our family but I promise it'll be special.  In the past month you've been a busy boy. You are still wearing size three diapers and you wear 12 to 18 month clothes.You nurse 4 times a day and I'm so proud that I've been able to keep up with it for almost a year.  I spoke with the pediatrician today and she says we can start milk at 11 1/2 months.  It's a transition I'm excited and so sad about.  I've loved (almost) every second of nursing.  It's helped us form such a special bond. And, I have to throw a special shout out to your big bro because he was such a trooper through  all of our feedings.  "Boobie time" as he calls it. You are not great with a sippie cup.  The next two weeks we are going to focus on that because I'd really like to put you straight to a sippie cup with your milk.  We will see how that goes.  I'm not going to stress about it too much.  You love having apple juice in your cup but only when the stopper is out and it just pours into your mouth. You have curls curls curls in your hair and mommy and daddy love it.  I'm noticing lots and lots of blond chunks in your hair.  Everyone always comments on your beautiful blue eyes and all that hair. I see a trim in your near future but don't worry we aren't touching the curls!You are eating really well.  Infact you eat more than your brother! You eat mostly table food.  You love the yogurt and baby fruit so much that I give you it on occasion.  Nanny also gives you baby food when you are with her. Aside from a few jars of baby food you eat tons of table food.  You love chicken, ham, hot dog, pizza, waffle, chicken alfredo, bread, tortillas, cheese, cheerios, crackers, banana and cantaloupe.  You will eat rainbow cheerios and crackers at anytime all day long.  You are, at times, a little picky about what you will eat but you definitely don't like watermelon, tomatoes or Gerber meat sticks.  I am determined to not have another picky eater so I try really hard to get you to eat lots of stuff. If I mix something you really like with something your not sure you want to eat I can usually get you to eat it.  If someone's eating something you want you stare them down and chomp your lips.  If you eat too much you spit up.  I'm not even sure you can call it spit up. Ew!You also just started eating out of a snack bowl. You always have a runny stuffy sounding nose.  You don't seem sick.  It might be teeth.  It might be allergies.  It doesn't slow you down but you hate it when mommy gets the sucker out. You are "talking" up a storm.  You are starting to understand what we ask you to do.  You definitely know "NO NO" and you hate it! Your brother can't wait for you to talk, since it is one of his favorite things to do.  He practices with you all the time.  Specially in the car.You are absolutely all over the place. You finally pulled up a few weeks ago and there is no stopping you. I don't think you'll walk too soon but you like to walk when I hold your fingers and you also walk behind your dinosaur as long as I slow it down.You love to crawl in the kitchen and play with the dog bowls and the magnets on the fridge.  You love playing with doors and you've found the one cabinet in the kitchen without a lock and you don't leave it alone. You shut doors and get stuck behind them.  Mommy has to slowly open the door and slide you out of the way to get to you. You love to play with Colton's red monster truck and you lovepeek a boo. You also love to chew on shoes. You love being outside and having the wind blow through your hair. Every single thing goes into your mouth. Everything. You spit your binki across the room and in it goes. You are sleeping in a little later.  You go down about 8 or 8:30 and you don't wake up til about 7 or 7:30. You usually only take one nap a day.  Not by your choice but because were so busy. You nap around 12 and the past few days you've had that nap for 2 + hours in your bed! You try to take another little nap around 4 but I don't let you sleep too long because when I do I have a heck of a time getting you down for bed. You sleep well through the night. On occasion I hear you get up and wimper but you always put yourself right back to sleep.In the morning, when you wake up, you are ready to get up.  You mone and wimper 'til I come to get you. You are riding in style now and are in a big boy car seat! Mommy misses the ease of the carrier but I kept you in there as long as I could.  You were getting so heavy!You don't like to be too far from someone, usually me.  You are a mommas boy to the core but you are really trying to figure out your independence.  You love and adore your brother.  He makes you laugh harder than anyone but the fights are already starting. Mostly because he takes everything you touch aways from you and he doesn't want you anywhere by his stuff.  Were working on that.   Chase you are such a sweetie.  We all love you so much.  Love, Mommy

Splish Splash

  

Just what we needed...

This mornning Zak surprised us all and told us he had taken the day off.  He told us to get up and get dressed because we had a day of fun planned.  

We started out at "The Boat Show".

 Then headed to Chuckie Cheese.

 CiCis for lunch.

 And, a trip to the Lego store ended our afternoon.

We ended the day at Friday Night Dinner and playing at our house with Nanny and Grandad and MiMi and B.

There were a few meltdowns and lots of laughs. We enjoyed our day out playing. It was exactly what we all needed!



Sometimes

Sometimes it isn't all pretty.  I post about all the happy things going on in our life but unfortunately it isn't always laughs and giggles.  Sometimes Colton tests the limits, and Chase doesn't want to be put down and mommy feels totally overwhelmed. Sometimes I wonder if I meant to be a stay at home mommy. "Sometimes" is happening more often than I'd like. I love being home with my babies. It's my job.  It's my life.  It's what I've always wanted! Sure, I work two days a week teaching PreK for a couple hours but that's my part time job (and my get away). Being a stay at home mommy and wife is my full time job.Some days are amazing and run so smooth. Other days, not so much. Other days take all I have out of me and I feel like a failure.  I'm doing the most important job on the planet.I, along with Zak, am molding my boys into men.  Deep I know, they are 3 and 10 months, but they are never too young to learn. I am trying to teach them right from wrong and good from bad. Colton is at a stage where he wants to test each and every thing and doesn't listen to anything or anyone.He is his own boss.He wants to know how much he can get away with.  He pits Zak and I against each other when he is home but when I'm home he just has complete meltdowns.  I mean like meltdowns where his head spins and his eyes bulge out of his little sweet head. He throws things, he screams, he runs aways from me. I know its a phase but it's been a long phase.  I feel like I'm letting him down and I try so hard to stand my ground. I'm trying to let him know I will not back down.  It's hard.  I've watched Super Nanny, I've googled ideas, I've gone back to all I learned about early childhood in college.  I've made behavior charts for everything you could imagine and we even have a treasure box. We have a time out corner.  We've tried spanking.  We've tried ignoring the behavior.  We've tried staying completely positive.Nothing works.I worry about one of these meltdowns happening out in public (and they have), or at a playdate, or in front of family and friends. I want my children to think I'm a good mom.  But, I can't help but want every one around me to thing I'm a good mom too.  I want everyone who sees me to think, "Wow, she's a great mom.  She's got it all together."  Heck, I want to think that. But, I don't.When we're out in public I feel like a circus act.  I try to keep it together but somethings always falling apart. More times than I'd like to admit I just want to be put in time out myself.I know every mom struggles.  I know every child tests their limits.But I'm throwing up the white flag.  I surrender.     I. don't. know. what. to. do.  

and he's off...

Last week Chase finally pulled up on his own.  

He was so proud of himself. 

 Now that he's crawling and pulling up there's no stopping him.  

 He wants to play with everything.

 Anything becomes a toy.

 And, the kitchen is his new favorite place.

 Nothing is safe anymore.

 Let the fun begin!

Happy Easter

Happy EASTER from our family to yours!

We started Easter festivities yesterday at Nanny and Grandads.

Baa got an egg hunt in order for the boys.

When we got home, Me and Crockett had a surprise for Colt in the back yard.

We let Colton sleep in our room Christmas Eve and when he heard the Easter Bunny was coming he insisted he had to sleep in our room again. 

Easter Bunny came!

He came, and left part of his tail in the back yard.  No one really wanted anything to do with it.

Colt read his new book to brother.

My attempt at a picture...

...Not gonna happen.

I searched hi and low for confetti eggs and found the last box at Kroger this morning. 

We had so much fun with them.

So blessed with this family.

We headed over to Gaga and Pawpaws for lunch.

Colt started a huge grass fight.

And cracked a few more eggs.

What a special Easter weekend!