Fun Time with Dad

Don's back is hurting him so he has stayed home the past couple days. Yesterday he watched the boys in the morning while I went to check on a recall for our Jeep. I was gone a couple hours while the Jeep was getting its new ball joint, and Don decided to be the fun parent. I have always been afraid for our plants and worried about the boys finding any dog poop, so I have only let them run free in the front yard, or a very small area in the back. Don cleaned the back yard up and let the boys run free. He took out the Kangaroo climber and a couple little outside toys and let the boys enjoy the winter weather. Dad's are so much fun!

Christmas Memories

There were so many great things about this past Christmas! Here are some pictures to tell the story.

First we have Jessica with the boys. She had made the mistake of offering "a sip" of her water to one of the babies. Suddenly she found herself surrounded by three thirsty little people who just wouldn't leave her alone. When we finally freed her, we had to give her a fresh glass of water because of all that the boys "shared" with her -in what was now, a glass of not so clear water.

This picture was taken when we had just come back from church where the boys had worn their brand new pants. Brand new pants that I had just assumed would fit, that were too big and it didn't help that I hadn't even washed them yet. So when we got home from church we let the boys stretch by walking outside a bit. Jaxon's pants fell right off his little rump and ended up around his ankles. He was obviously excited about his first public display of being half naked outside.

This looks to be the adult side of the room. On the left is Coralee, then her husband Sam, Aunt Judy, my dad, and last is Grandma Robinson on the right. Coralee and Sam live in Florida and made the trip out west to spend Christmas with us. They were so much fun and the boys really took to Coralee!


Here is Lucas taking a minute to sit back and watch everyone around him. This chair actually hangs off the side of the table for when they eat. Since it was not being used at the time, we took it down to make more elbow room for the adults. Luke saw it sitting on the floor and thought it looked like a perfect fit for him.

Wyatt stealing a snack with his Nana. While we were opening presents Christmas morning, the boys started getting a bit hungry. Since we were'nt done yet, Nana bought some extra time with a fruit cereal bar. You can tell that Wyatt loves these and just couldn't get it in his mouth quick enough.

Don and myself were heading out to his work's Christmas party. This year was the first year his company had a holiday party and he was looking forward to going. I needed a little encouragement, but ultimately was glad that we went. We had a good time and it was nice to see his friends from work and put faces to the names I hear about daily.

Lucas with Coralee and Sam. Lucas had watched Coralee unwrap her candle and when she leaned into smell it, he got curious. So here Luke is trying to sniff -and then lick -her raspberry candle.
After the candle was put away, someone had opened up a bottle of cologne. This time both Jaxon and Lucas went over to investigate. Coralee tried to let the boys sniff it, but they didn't quite grasp the sniffing concept. Jaxon kept blowing out, making a "ffft, fttt" sound. Not quite buddy, but almost.


And last, this picture was taken Christmas Eve night while we were opening some presents. It is my sister, Leigha and my Uncle Ray. Don was making his way around the room trying to get some good photos and these two happily flashed a smile for him. But what you can't see, is that we were all just hanging out doing family chatter, the boys were busy behind me in the kitchen trying to empty all my moms kitchen cabinets as I was opening the beautiful stocking Coralee and Sam had packed up for each family member. The mood was perfect, and I couldn't have imagined a better Christmas to have.

A Texas December

In mid December, we took a vacation to see Don's side of the family out in Texas. It had been about 6 months since his parents had seen them. They came out for the boys birthday in May. Most of his family had not even met the boys yet, so we were excited to go visit. The original plan was to drive out there (almost a 24 hour drive) but fortunately we found airfare for half the price (after hotels, eating, gas, etc), and only took a fraction of the time. Wyatt, Jaxon and Lucas don't do well on car trips still. Anything over an hour they start yelling, tears start falling and it takes a good hour to get them back to "normal" -and even then, they will scream when they get strapped back into their car seats. They are little and hate to be boxed in, preferring their freedom instead. So the low flight prices were a blessing for us.

My sister in law (Heather) and I were in cahoots and decided for Don and Jeremy's (his twin brother) birthday, we were going to surprise both brothers with Jeremy meeting us out in Houston. Heather didn't tell Jeremy he was going until the night before he flew out, so it was a big surprise for them both! Don couldn't believe Jeremy was standing right in front of him, just kept yelling. He had the biggest smile on his face and couldn't believe we were able to surprise him like that.

To keep the boys busy and happy, we took them to a park only about 5 miles from Don's parents house. They loved the energy release, climbing up and down the slides and steps. Jaxon would even hang from the bar over the slide! There were lots of pine trees and pine cones, the boys were amazed by the cones. It is amazing to see how everything is new to them. Grandma Vicky came with us once and we got some great pictures. The boys really loved being with her, they definitely weren't shy!

The next week and a half was full of hanging out with Don's mom and dad. On the weekends the rest of his family was able to make it over to visit with us. I finally got to meet all of his cousins. They are all great people and seem to be pretty close knit. We had a great visit and are excited to see everyone again!

Park time fun!

Next week is cousin Jessica's baby shower. She and Brent are expecting their first baby, a girl right around Valentine's day. So today we took a spin around Babies R Us for the first time in a long time. Seems strange, we used to have to go there for everything (clothes, bibs, shoes, exersaucer, etc). But since the boys turned one, we haven't had much reason to go in.

It was a little bit of a trip down memory lane, trying to think of anything these first time parents might need. We bought a big ticket item they didn't register for, knowing they absolutely needed one. It was something that helped us keep sane and I am sure will buy them many minutes of peace and quiet. There are a few other things we would like to get them also, but we will see if time allows it.

When we were done, it was lunch time. The boys had been strapped in so much of the morning between their car seats and stroller, it was the best idea to feed them at a park to let them run off their morning energy. One call to Nana and she met us at the park right by her house.

The boys had so much fun. There was a small pile of leaves (like a 2 feet diameter small) and it was a new experience for Wyatt. Nana showed him how to throw them and his brothers came over to join, although Luke was more interested in climbing up and holding on to the little bars that separated the park from the parking lot. But Wyatt and Jaxon just kept grabbing little handfuls of leaves, as they threw them they would yell, "yeeh".

It was a first of many fun times that the boys will have playing in the leaves. Jaxon was so busy playing and running that I didn't get any great pictures of him by himself, but you can tell he was enjoying himself in the pictures we do have. The weather was perfect, a bit of a chill, but as soon as you got into the sun, it warmed your skin right up. This is such a fun age!

Teeth and Tears

Today has been one of the hardest days I can remember. (Which makes me wonder if they have been a breeze all along?) Our boys have been seemingly unaffected by teething. Never have fussed much about it, we've barely kept up with how many they have or are getting. Mostly we have been surprised to see 2 or 3 new teeth in a mouth because the boys never gave any indication that they were teething.

This time it's different.

Luke is going on day five of barely eating. No matter what meal we have fed him, he immediately has thrown his food on the floor. Today he has been constantly crying with gigantic crocodile tears coming down his beautiful little face. His little fingers have been in his mouth trying to figure out what in there is making him hurt. Both Wyatt and Jaxon are sad to see their brother feeling so down and have been very empathetic, giving Lukey toys to try to make him feel better. Occasionally, Jaxon imitates Lukes cry- I'm not sure if he is imitating for attention or just trying to let Luke know he's not alone. Either way, this mean little tooth has certainly made itself known in our home.

Pictures!

Here are some new pictures for the new year!

A New Look

I'm trying my hand at making our own blog page. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome as I am still a beginner and have lots to learn.
Are the fonts okay? Everything seems fine from my end, but I know it can be off from another monitor or system. Let me know if you are having issues reading it.

update: I got my title back! Jenmom, I left the instructions in your comments.


I promise to update with pictures soon!

Don's turn!

Today was Don's 31st birthday! I made him a brownie "cake" that I popped out after the boys went to bed. It was an uneventful day, but one that I hope he felt how much he means to me. He's such an honest, loving, gentle man that I can't say enough how much I love and appreciate him.
Happy Birthday!

The BEST Christmas EVER!

We had an absolutely wonderful 2 days! On Christmas Eve family and friends had gathered at my parents house for an afternoon/evening of Christmas cheer. Everything was just so perfect and the boys behaved so much better than we could have hoped.
This morning Don had to work, but he met the boys and I at my moms by one in the afternoon, just in time to help me with lunch and naps. Jax, Luke and Wyatt slept for about an hour before little Luke woke up screaming in such a fit that we were unable to get him to go back to sleep. Luckily Wyatt and Jaxon slept right through it! Lucas was able to spend some time with the adults downstairs. He had a couple hours of one on one time with Don and I and saw what it would be like to be an only child.
The boys had received some fantastic presents and Jaxon loved to help unwrap! Tons of much needed and loved books (thanks auntie "Leee-agha") as well as great toys like a dance mat and a bounce castle/ball pit from my parents and relatives, Sam and Coralee. Those toys should help to keep them busy and get rid of some of that boy energy!

But overall it was just the joy of having everyone together- new family, old friends, and of course, the boys- that made this Christmas so wonderful. I am so very thankful to have such a beautiful Christmas memory.

Short Update and Videos

Cute things that the boys are doing...
Even though Luke is the only one with an "official" word (he has said baby and bubbles), the other two are trying. I know they've tried to say giraffe and balloon as well as some others that are not popping into my head right now. Jumping is a big thing, they love to try to jump and are mastering little 2-3" steps on the side walk. They all "dance" when their favorite show songs come on, especially Dragon Tales and Clifford. Jaxon and Wyatt have learned to turn all the way around in a circle, and that seems to be their favorite dance. I am hoping to get a video of the dancing soon.

Jaxon finds his pocket (check out that belly!)


Lucas practices his "jump"


Wyatt and Jaxon have a yelling contest

Sleeping Babies

A couple weeks ago, the kids were in the back seat on the way home. They were a bit crabby, so I had given them some bread sticks left over from lunch to munch on. All three were happily munching away and Wyatt fell asleep with his bread stick still in his hand. Luke was sitting right next to Wyatt and noticed he had fallen asleep. Next thing we saw was Luke reaching over, taking the bread stick right out of Wyatt's hand, and stuck it in his own mouth. We laughed a bit about it, thinking just how smart little Lucas is. A bit closer to home we looked back again just as Luke put what was left of the same bread stick back in Wyatt's hand as if to make Wyatt think he ate it himself.


After a similar incident happened today on the way home, I felt I should write about how sweet they are when they sleep. I know time will fly by and it will no longer be so clear in my mind.


Jaxon is a easy sleeper. He's usually is the most awake when we lay them down. We lay him on his back with his little "chewy" in his mouth and pull his blanket up to his chest. He likes to kick his legs all over and I swear he tries to get them stuck between the slats of the crib. Jax is a biter, so we give him a teether when we lay him down. More than once when we've picked him up after nap time, he's had small wood splinters on the side of his mouth from gnawing on his crib. We finally had to screw in a clear wall guard on the crib sides to protect the crib from Jax's wood cravings. Long after we close the door to their bedroom, it is Jaxon we hear chattering and giggling in the monitor.


Lucas is also an easy baby to put to sleep. As I put his blanket over him, he will grab a section of it to tuck under his chin and cuddles in with his thumb in his mouth. I am not sure why he tucks the blanket under his chin, he tends to do it with any of material items he can get his hands on. He'll even walk around with a little towel balled up under his chin. I don't claim to understand why he does it, but he looks so sweet when he does it. Once Luke lays down and gets his blanket ready, he is usually down for good. Oh, I know the moment we close that door he is up and looking to see if his brothers are up for any mischief, but while we are in there he is the perfect picture of a cuddly baby.


Wyatt's bedtime routine tends to take a bit longer than the other two. We lay him on his belly and cover him with his blanket. He will lay there and his little mouth starts moving, not making any noises, but his lips just open and close while his eyes close. We know he is in his sleepy groove when we see his hands search for the side of the mattress. Don or I will rub his back while he is doing all this, knowing that the 2 extra minutes it takes letting him find his sleepy groove is worth it. If we rush it, we'll be listening to them for 20 minutes while he and his brothers start playing and jumping in their cribs.
Even though Wyatt is almost always the one who wakes up when I go to check on them to be sure they are warm and covered, he is the first one to fall asleep in the car. Which leads me to today's car incident...


Today we had been running behind schedule and since lunch was going to be late, we ran to a drive through to get fries for a short term fix. The boys were all in the backseat, happily eating. One minute Wyatt was munching his fries and the next Don noticed Wyatt had fallen asleep while feeding himself a fry.










Once we got home, I opened the back door to take Jaxon out of his car seat. Wyatt's little eyes popped open and he shoved the rest of his fry into his mouth, like he had never even taken the short nap!

It's MY Party...

I have a wonderful family.
Even though I told Don that I didn't want a big deal made of my 30th birthday, he and my mom saw through that fib and threw me a surprise birthday party. It was an absolute surprise! Cathy will attest to the surprise factor of it, I had whined on and on to her about how disappointed I was that my big golden birthday was going by with out so much as a bang.
But Don and my mom knew what I really wanted and had invited some of my close friends over for a little birthday bash. It was really humbling to see my friends gathered just for me. They are all really great people that each add a bit of love, joy and laughter into my everyday life and I am thankful for them all.

Take 2!

After a disastrous second attempt at getting a "perfect" Christmas picture of J, W & L Cathy's rewarding all our boys with some goodies. After knowing exactly what I am going for and usually hitting it right on, it is hard to accept defeat this year and send out a "best shot" picture. The boys are so beautiful but it is a challenge to capture that innocence and wonder in the photo of all three of them at the same time.

Here are some that aren't making the cut...

Lightsabers

I have been overwhelmed with updates to do, so for now I will skip to today.


Tonight (today and all day yesterday)the boys have been a little bit whiney. In an attempt to cheer them up, Don turned off all the lights and turned on his lightsabers. The boys have always loved Don's lightsabers, When ever the mood hits Don, he will take out the sabers and the boys will be mesmerized by them -every time. As I was washing the dishes and the house was once again blessedly quiet, I wondered how much longer the lightsabers would continue to amuse the boys. Just as I was figuring on 3 or 4 years, I looked over into the living room and watched Don do a Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi move. Right then and there I knew that if they are anything like their father and his brother, those sabers will keep them busy for the next 30 years at least.

We'll be back....

Off-line until 12-12

Cathy, I promise I will try to remember to keep my phone close when you are making your runs at lunchtime!