LAM Night of Hope

Last weekend Don and I had the honor of playing photographers at a fundraiser. It was at a beautiful church in Buffalo for the LAM foundation.


From Thursday night to Sunday afternoon we visited my family while eating all the delicious food that Buffalo has to offer. According to the scale at work, Don swears he put on 10 lbs in those four days. He was eating like a 17 year old boy in those four days, so I really think it may be possible.


While there were many highlights from our trip out there including fabulous family dinners and walking around different districts of Buffalo, not to mention a beautiful fundraiser that knocked our socks off -nothing was as sweet as the welcome home of seeing our monkeys.

Engaged Parenting

Recently I read an article about engaged parenting. It really hit home for me, because although I am a stay at home mom and have my children with me all day and all night, some times I disassociate myself from the going ons around the house to feel like I can regroup and survive all the madness.

Since reading the article I have made a real effort to be more engaged and present with the boys play time. We wrestle, or as Jaxon says, "Let's freak out!" together more on the bed almost daily again, and things like dancing to the music cheek to cheek has once again become a favorite for the boys (and I). We are back to playing games in the car to keep happy chatter going instead of keeping the music on to drown out their arguing.

The level of the boys frustration and argumentativeness over trains has come down quite a bit. Partly because I am engaging them in other activities with me, and the fact that they are happier since I have been happier just from spending more time engaging with them, not just surviving with them. Like the article says, I am also working on my responses to their situations, not just reacting to the situations. I am trying to remember the cues of their behavior and trying to head off a situation before it gathers heat and anger, and usually it works.

Most of all, I am just thankful for that article. It reminded me that I had stepped a bit off the parenting path I wanted to be on and it has helped me appreciate the boys more every day. Appreciate their humor, kindness and abilities. With my level of being overwhelmed being in check, it has made a significant difference in their level of happiness.

In just the past few weeks that I have been making more of an engaged effort with the boys, I have noticed so much more about them, and just am amazed at the sweet and smart little people they are becoming. I am such a blessed Momma and am so thankful for the new eyes I have been given.

An Afternoon Sledding

Last week was full of winter like weather. Not only was it in the 40s, we had lots of rain. Lucas had asked me, "Why it was raining when it is supposed to be sunny?". I forget that the boys have been luckily enough to have about 90% of their life surrounded by sunny days.

After days of cold rain, us Las Vegasans run out to the nearby mountains to take advantage of Mount Charleston. It is only about 45 minutes away and for the price of gas to drive up there, we can have all the fun we want in their winter wonderland.



We were unsure of how the day was going to play out. On the ride to the mountains, Lucas kept telling us the snow was too cold. Jaxon and Wyatt were excited at the prospect of snow, even though we could tell they really didn't remember much about the last time they got to play in it. With reassurances that we would have plenty of warm clothes so the cold wouldn't get through, Lucas was on board with the rest of us.



Sledding with these guys was so much fun! They were like big kids, going down the sled with Don or I, and loving every minute of it. Soon they would sit on the sled and try going by themselves, and laughing the whole way down. It didn't matter if they were accidentally backwards, or falling off the sled only 5 feet into the hill ride down, or riding so far out that they almost went into the embankment, the kids enjoyed every minute of it.



The little sledding hill we found had some great bumps in it. I would go down and flinch when the bumps came up, worried about my old bones and back, but the boys would whoop with excitement when they caught air. When they were done going down the hill, the kids even carried their own sleds back up to try it again.



After an hour or so of all the ups and downs of sledding, we were all ready to just play in the snow. Jaxon loved laying down and trying to make snow angels and Wyatt and Lucas preferred to eat the snow. It grossed us out, but they are kids and this is what kids do, right? They all had so much fun, especially when it came time to throw snowballs at Don!



I just can't say enough how much fun our afternoon in the mountains was. The boys just blew us away with how much FUN and not WORK they were. They laughed the whole time, were super kind to each other about sharing the sleds, and only complained of walking back up the hill on their last trip up. We were so proud of them knowint they were only four years old and handling the cold and everything the snow entails better than most adults would.

Movie Night

Last weekend we finally rented the new Thomas movie, "Hero of the Rails". The boys have been asking about it forever and I think we forgot about getting it for a Christmas present. In celebration of having an hour or two of down time, we brought the aero bed downstairs, blew it up and let the boys lay there while watching their movie.

They loved having the bed downstairs and were quiet for almost the whole movie. Afterwards, it ended up being a tumbling area for them to do somersaults and the like on. It was a fun night for us all and maybe a start of a new tradition as well.

My Lovies

Little buddies, lovies, handsome boys, my sugars -and on occasion, I call them "Bob". I find myself loving these little guys more and more every day. Four has been such a fun age for all of us. Also the most trying with all their independent ideas, thoughts and opinions. But the good far outweighs the moments of trials.

I love listening to them giggle while playing games. Or while running around the house chasing each other while pretending to be "Pinchy Toes" ( a bad train guy). Even though I have to remind them not to run in the kitchen, the sound of them laughing while they chase each other is contagious.

They love the word diaper still. That and anything to do with the word poopy. Sometimes they just laugh at words that make no sense. Their knock knock jokes are horrible, but somehow make sense to the four year old brains and they just laugh as they think of them, causing the other boys to laugh just to see their brother laughing.

Costco was their first read word. Target gets screams of excitement if it is spotted as we drive by. Del Taco is Wyatt's favorite place to eat and Einstein Bagel is Luke's. Jaxon is easy, usually liking anything on his plate. Jaxon was the first to recognize the word "the" "T-H-E! T-H-E! That's the word 'the' guys!". His enthusiasm for it has rubbed off on the other two and now they all love to spot it. I painted the alphabet around their room and random site words as well and they are beginning to ask about the words and recognize some as well.

All three end up in our room at least once a week. We bypassed the whole sleeping with the kids stage until they turned 3. I think Wyatt's ear surgery started it, but I could be wrong. It is heaven and hell at the same time. I hate the sleep it causes us to miss, but I know these days wil not last forever. And generally if we tell them they MUST stay in their room for the night, they usually do. Until 5 am when they will come in and fall back asleep until 7/8 or so. Given the choice between 5 am wake up or 8? I will gladly share my bed!

Their personalities amaze me. Lucas is so much like me and it is so hard to see my struggles through my son. He is standoffish. Not for lack of interest, but for lack of confidence. We have to constantly pull him to us, to show him affection first. Sometimes we talk to him and he will not answer, I think just to see if we are paying attention- which little buddy, we always are! His laugh brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. I think because when he is laughing it is the only time he really sets himself free. He loves for us to breathe and sniff on the back of his neck like a dog. And more than anything, he loves his Daddy. They have a special bond. He hates to get in trouble. It happens rarely(!) but when he is in the hot seat he cries (just like me!) out of guilt. He is such a great rule follower and seems so wise beyond his age. He is such a lover and protector. He feels lots of empathy and I just wish he could feel how much we love him. I love that his brothers look up to him, he is definitely leader material.

Wyatt is a lover. He is like velcro on our backs, stomachs, in our arms, or in our face. He still studders a bit and will stop and say "hmm" while thinking of what comes next. It is an endearing habit and I will miss it once speech therapy helps him. Wyatt is having a really hard time following rules lately. He listens, and then chooses to do something else. It has gotten him in lots of trouble lately, and after he is in trouble he is so contrite and tells us he is sorry and will be a better listener. He says it himself! Wyatt is an eater, always hungry, even only 5 minutes after breakfast he will ask for a snack. He talks about growing and getting bigger all the time. Lots of times he gets in a mode where he just wants to do things for a laugh and he gets very possessive things. Whether it be a toy, person, train or game, Wyatt tries to claim everything as his own. Then he smiles and (tries to) charm his way out of any trouble. I think he may have many girls in his wake as he gets older.

Little Jax is a handful. Not in a bad way, but he keeps us on our toes. We always have to makes sure he is keeping his toys out of his mouth (still! at age 4!) and he has a horrible habit of picking his head, in spite of sleeping with mittens on and neosporin on his head around the clock. He has had this boo-boo on his head more of his life than he has not had it. For the record it has been about 4 different sores, but unfortunately always in the same area, so it seems like the same one all this time! Jaxon has a belly laugh that is the same as when he was a baby. Anyone who hears it laughs along with him, his personality is so contagious. He does not like to be crossed and has a real passion for things being fair. He is smart and knows when mom and dad are trying to pass one by him AND will call us out on it. Which also causes some authority challenges, but after going to head to head a few times, I think he is finally learning who the parents are.

They are all learning so much and becoming such beautiful boys inside and out. Don and I are so proud of them and are very excited about what our future with them brings. Camping, sports, school (we are not as excited about that), shoe tying, and snow playing. Every day with them is such a blessing and I hope we all live long healthy lives so we can be here with them and experience all the joy that the next 50+ years will lend us. If I said it a million times a day, it would not even come close to being enough -I love you all so much.

What's new here...

Uncle Carl is in town and as you can tell, the boys were THRILLED to see him. They no longer call him "Uncle Jeremy" anymore, which I know we all thought that day would never come. They think he is just awesome and funny. He knows knock knock jokes (and more importantly- listens to their endlessly) and tries to take on all three at a time. They love their Uncle Carl!



Little Reagan spent the night! After seeing her at Christmas we realized how much time always slips away between visits. So since we only live 15 minutes away from each other, we hope to make plans like this more often. We all loved having her here!


Wyatt has gotten into the habit of playing with my jewelry. Usually it is just my rings. He likes to find out which one is from when Don and I got "mayo-weed" and declares them all pretty. I didn't mind the ring playing as long as they all end up put away instead of in the back of his toy jeep which has happened before. But on this day, he took all of my necklaces out and put them on. I couldn't help but laugh. The laughing did not last long though once it took me over a half hour to untangle them. Jewelry is no longer considered a toy...



And last, Don got me this foot massager many years ago. The boys pull it out almost daily and sometimes use it on their feet, sometimes just turn it on and play with their match box cars on it. The other day when I decided to use it I was instantly mobbed. One way or another we all found a way to share it.

Extreme Biking (for a 4 yr old)

Apparently Lucas is such a pro that after two weeks, riding around on his bike has gotten a bit too boring. He is not ready to take off the training wheels, but he found he could challenge himself by sitting backwards while riding up the street.

Lizard Hunt

A couple days ago there was a lizard hanging out under the nativity scene. It was declared a "mys-er-ee" (mystery) and kept them occupied for a few minutes.

Wyatt

I know he is such a mess in this picture, but something about it just sticks to my heart.

Giga Ball

Aunt Leigha gave the boys a fantastic present called a Giga Ball for Christmas. It has been too chilly for us to use until this weekend when someone forgot to tell mother nature it is January and she cranked the heat up to 60 degrees and sunny all weekend long.

After watching a couple you tube videos of other kids trying it out, the boys were really excited to try this themselves. Jaxon and Lucas (literally) jumped right in, while Wyatt kind of held back a bit -stalling once he was inside- not really wanting to roll in it. When it was his turn we let him just hang out inside of it, no rolling necessary. All three had a great time and I think Don was really fighting to urge to climb in and give it a try himself.

Here is Jax rolling for the first time



This is Lucas after we moved to a bigger hill area. Even though only one gets in the ball at a time, you can see all three of them are having a blast!

Garage gone bad

A project that has been sitting on the back burner for years and we are finally ready to tackle NOW is our garage. The boys spent the night at my moms the other night while Don and I devoted a full day and a half to clearing out and organizing this mess. Our "after" picture is soon to follow.

Twenty Ten

This year I have chosen a Word Of The Year. It is something I have read about the past few years on another blog I read, but finally decided to partake in it myself.

My word for the year will be NOW.

I resolve to stop putting off what needs to be done until later. I will start making better decisions NOW. Making changes that need to be made NOW.

I have to stop waiting for changes to happen and start being the pilot of my own life. It is a big step for me, usually I just sit back and feel as though life will be what it is meant to be. But there are changes that need to be made (mostly health related) so I am jumping in 2010 with the intention of making new beginnings NOW.

2009 in Review

JANUARY


We started the new year organizing. Don's tool collection paid off when he built us a beautiful entertainment center.

The boys were slowly but surely getting to be best friends with the trains of Sodor Island. Thomas and his friends were the new favorite toys to take on car rides.


FEBRUARY

In February, the boys started doing boy things, making monster pictures while using monster voices.


We also had some family in town


and once again, Jax needed to sleep with gloves on to help him not touch the "boo-boo" on his forehead.



MARCH

We finally gave in and planted a garden.


Beautiful baby Elise was born


And Uncle Carl and Donny came into town and really left an impression on the boys.



APRIL

Aunt Leigha invites us to her work and it becomes the boys new "special place" to go to.


Don's work hits him with a 7 week lay off -giving him 7 weeks to hang out and teach the boys stuff that only Dad knows.



MAY

The boys turn four, meet Mickey Mouse and have their first water fight.




We also see (and meet) more family in one month than ever before. We drive to to states of California, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana and New York to see as much family as we can.



JUNE

We finish our Road Trip 2009 after visiting more family in New York, Virgina, North Carolina and New Mexico, not to mention stopping to see the sites in both Washington DC and Texas.


By then, I am sure the boys have peed on the side of the road in at least 20 states (no, really) and am ready to get home.


Unfortunately after we get home, our Belle girl passes away a week later.



JULY

We spend most days at the community pool and the boys turn into half fish


And we continue to eat the vegetables of our labor.



AUGUST

Our last summer road trip is to Huntington Beach.


But luckily at home the boys have plenty of trains and tracks to keep them busy before school starts.



SEPTEMBER

Don and I celebrate a decade of love and marriage.


Then a trip of so much happiness mixed with much sadness as we we drive half way across the United States to bury two of our Grandmothers.



OCTOBER

My Dad introduced the boys to some bad (albeit funny) manners when he put their faces AND HIS own in my moms birthday cake.


The rest of the month was all about putting on a fantastic Halloween party.



NOVEMBER

Seems to be a month that I get to refocus on me. A long weekend in New York allows me to see my favorite gals and get back to my roots.


Days later, my mom and I have another open house of our sewing business.





DECEMBER

It has been so much fun creating the magic of Christmas for the boys. We have been very blessed this month with so many friends and family around us. Just an over all feeling of "life is good".