Wyatt said...

While we were in California, Wyatt stood in the wet sand and picked up a pretty shell. Putting it up to his ear, he got a big smile on his face and yelled -over the sound of an incoming wave- that he could hear the ocean in his shell.

4 years old

A little late, but worthy of getting it posted. At the boys 4 year check up, there were no shots (yay!) and only one melt down by a little man who does NOT like his mouth to be looked at. The whole appointment was short and sweet and the stats are as follows:

Wyatt 33 lbs and 39 3/4 inches tall

Jaxon 34 lbs and 41 1/2 inches tall

Lucas 36 lbs and 41 1/2 inches tall

Weekend in CA

The beach was calling us, so this past weekend we took a quick trip to California. We stayed at a beautiful 4 star hotel for only $70 a night (yeah priceline!). It was on the ground floor and had sliding glass doors that led out to a sand volley ball pit only 20 feet away. The boys loved running outside and it was a great way to have them wind down after that long car ride getting there.

We were trying to be as budget conscious as possible, so Don packed our cooler full of hot dogs and chicken along with some kids snacks and chip dip. After breakfast we went to the beach and did not leave again until after it got dark. Don bbq'd both lunch and dinner and it was so good. The boys ate way more than we thought they would, a testament to either the great tasting food or working up an appetite, I am not sure. Probably both :)

Either way, with their stomachs full after lunch, they nodded off and Don and I got to have some fun of our own boogie boarding. For about an hour we were riding waves all the way in to the beach, taking turns checking on the boys. It was definitely the highlight of the weekend for Don and I, having a bit of alone time out in the water. Soon Jaxon peeked his head out and he loved sitting with us while we took turns showing him how we rode the waves in. Once Wyatt woke up, the fun was over for me, but Jaxon started really started getting into watching Don out there. Jax would cheer him on, or laugh a huge belly laugh when a wave would surprise Don from behind.

The boys kept busy most of the day playing in the sand with their toys or jumping in the water. Our rule for yesterday was only in the water up to their knees as that pull from the water was pretty strong. Jaxon and Wyatt loved jumping over the waves as they came in around their feet and would just stand there and yell into the ocean. Luke took a while to feel comfortable in the water, but once he decided it was fun, he just couldn't get enough of it.

On Sunday morning we woke up early and packed up our things from the hotel. We decided to visit the beach once more before we left. We wanted to show the boys the pier (or "bridge" as they called it). So after a walk up the pier we played in the water a bit more before we saw a family there searching for sand crabs. Luke decided he wanted to dig too, so Don showed him how to catch the crabs deep in the sand. None of the boys wanted to actually touch the sand crabs, but they loved watching Don get them.

After only a couple hours on the beach we baby powdered the boys down to get all the sand off and started our long car ride home. I got a little sun burn on my legs and Don on his stomach, but luckily the boys are burn free. It was a really good weekend.

It's too hot here

In California, it was so nice outside that Don and I drove around with our windows down, be danged with the fact that the kids whined about the wind for the first 5 minutes of it.

My hair was so soft and much more likeable even with salt and sand tangled up in it.

It is pathetic the boys got to run more from our hotel room than from our back door at home.

I miss my husband while he is at work.

So I will just sit and listen to the boys scream over their train, or now scream over freshly ruined train tracks. Mixed in with the sound of the air conditioning hum and Blue's Clues.


Calgon take me away.

Kid-isms

In the past few days I have really heard the changes in the boys speech and vocabulary. The subject of Belle comes up every once in a while and the things they ask and say touch my heart. The way they have grasped her passing is amazing and I have realized how much information these little guys retain.

While I was playing with Jaxon the other day he told me to "settle down minute, I need a break". Jaxon just asked me why am I putting the letters back (I was deleting some letters while typing) and then he told me "there are too many letters here".

In the car, Lucas was talking about how he was scared of the Dr looking in his mouth. Not to be left out, Jaxon said he was scared, too. Luke immediately called him out on it saying, "Come on, Jax. You not scared!".

Wyatt constantly talks about which colors everyone has on and has an amazing ability to remember the information (any information!) he has been told. He wanted a yogurt the other day. Since he just ate breakfast not even 10 minuted before, I told him he may have some after the garbage men leave. The garbage men were hours late, not coming until after 3, but as soon as they beeped the horn as they drove away, Wyatt looked at me and asked, "May we have yogurt now? The garbage men are gone today."

All three are getting into role playing. Usually it is along the lines of "you be Thomas, I'll be Percy and hey Jack-in (how they pronounce Jaxon) what train are you?" And role play they do. I love hearing them think of new ideas and love listening to how their minds work now.

Admittedly, their nonstop chatter can drive me inside out crazy some days. But if I take a minute to really listen to what they are saying, it makes me laugh about 70% of the time.

Like the other day when Jaxon heard Larry the Cable Guy on the radio and recognized Mater's voice. "Guys! You hear that, shhh. shhh! It Mater on the wadio!". About an hour later on the way home he spotted a palm tree and yelled, "goodness gwacious! Dats a big pineapple!".

Little things

After we put the kids to bed tonight, Don and I laid down on our bed, watching television. After only 10 minutes, we hear someone open the door and go into the bathroom. Only a minute later, we see a small silhouette in our door way. Jaxon asks us "what you guys doing?" "What you watching on tv?" Don answered we were about to watch him get back in his room if he didn't want to get in BIG trouble, and the little guy ran.

We have been playing a lot of what we call the "animal game". It is something I made up to help them stay awake on the 15 minute drive coming back from the pool. I am thinking of an animal... and then they describe the animal and someone else guesses it. Generally Wyatt comes up with great descriptions of animals like penguins, rabbits, ducks, etc. Lucas is getting the hang of it, but mostly makes up his own animals. OR keeps telling, "that not it" and 20 seconds later, when we have all given up, tells us it is the animal we have already been guessing. Jaxon always chooses a zebra (white and black stripe) or a crocodile (it's mouth goes like this *while his hands slap together*)

Randomly the boys will tell me "M is for mouth!" or "P is for puppy!" Just in the car, while watching tv or anywhere they hear a word a think about it, they will tell me what it starts with. The other day they were watching tv and I am not sure what they heard, but all the suddenly Wyatt blurts out, "B is for butt, Mommy!". Butt is a "potty word" in our house otherwise it would be talked about every minute of the day, but I just praised him on his sounding out skills and let it slide :)

Busy Days

With the temperature rising, the only solution besides running to the air condition of Sam's Club -is going to a local water park. It is the same one we discovered at the end of last summer, but this year the boys are able to enjoy so much more of it!

90% of the pool is only three feet deep, so the boys just wander all around it, chasing each other and finding new ways to put their faces in the water. Their favorite of the moment is to swim under my out stretched arm. They sleep so well after these days at the water park, and for that -Don and I are very thankful.