End of Summer

It has been pointed out to me that it has been awhile since I last posted.  Like almost 2 months.  Yes, I know I have been slacking, but we have been pretty busy here, although honestly that is not why  I have been slacking, I have just been tired, and haven't been taking very many pictures.  So even though we have been busy having fun, I really don't have a lot of proof and since most people just like looking at pictures anyway it just didn't seem worth it.  But I will just catch up and try to do better in the future.  

One big thing that has happened since I last posted was that Billy learned how to walk.  And I don't seem to have 1 single video of it.  I cannot believe it, that just seems crazy to me.  I could go and take a video now, but he is basically a pro now.  It is so cute as he walks around trying not to look too proud of himself, swinging his arms as he goes.  

Just look at this cute little man.  So much fun!

James has been really into YouTube videos about "water marble" fingernail painting and how to apply makeup.  Really weird, I think we are finally getting out of the phase but I have had to hide all fingernail polish and makeup.  And re-hide it once he finds the hiding spot.  So he has gotten pretty clever about what he uses to replace these two things.  

One day he decided to give me a manicure with play dough. 

 One day James came out of the bathroom looking like this:

Doug made a comment about how I needed to keep my makeup hidden.  I replied that it was hidden and there was no way it was makeup on his face.  So I went to investigate and found that he had used a sharpie to color his face.  Nice.

Mikey got really into the Olympics during July.  He still asks if we can watch the Olympics, he just doesn't understand that we can't just watch whatever we want whenever we want to.  His favorite things to watch were the gymnastics, swimming and diving.  He hated when volleyball was on.  This video was right after he saw men's gymnastics for the first time and he is doing the Pummel Horse.

Mikey "splashing".  Also known as diving. 

Mikey practicing his head stands

We have been trying to break Mikey of his naps so maybe he will sleep better at night.  I often find him asleep in our bed with the iPad in the late afternoons.  But it is nice to have the kids just go to bed at night instead of playing for hours.

In August we went to Flaming Gorge with Doug's family and I didn't take a single picture.  I think Doug and I were ready to pack up and leave after a few nights.  The first night our brand new air mattress had a hole in it so Doug had to sleep on the ground and I shared my sleeping bag and a twin mattress with Mikey.  James didn't sleep well.  The next night Billy hardly slept at all.  But we stuck it out and the boys got better.  James loved riding on Grandpa's boat almost immediately.  He was so excited about the whole thing.  It took us a while to get Mikey used to the idea and finally I just forced him on the boat and he loved it by the time we left.  Billy basically loved everything about camping (except sleeping), but that is pretty much his personality.  Doug loved water skiing and cliff diving with his brothers.  Overall it was a pretty fun time.

Billy-Willy who is so Silly

Last week Billy turned 1-years-old!  I cannot believe it has already been a whole year.  Sometimes time just flies by.  

Billy's 1-year-old stats:

weight: 19 lbs 15 oz

height: 30 inches

For Billy's birthday I was a really great Mom.  I made him this shirt:

Really hard to get a good picture

It is supposed to look like an Uno card.
It was the first time I used my Silhouette on
fabric and I have to say I am hooked!

And I made him this cake:

The boys insisted he wanted a bumble bee cake.  I have no idea
where that came from, but that is what Billy wanted...
according to Mikey and James.

And pretty much that is all we did for his birthday.  No poster, no balloons, not even any presents!  Can you believe that.  Well in our defense we bought him a ball the day before. But he was with us and was playing with it in the car so we just gave it to him.  We also got him a tunnel, but it was in the mail.
That morning we asked the boys if they wanted to go to the pool or the lake.  It was unanimous, "the Lake" James and Mikey both yelled.  Of course, James wanted to go to the lake he wanted to use his row boat.  So we drove to Ute Reservoir, and the boys loved it.  James immediately took his rowboat out with Dad and jumped out so he could water ski.  Funny boy.  Billy kept crawling in and crawling out.  He loved it.  We had a picnic lunch then packed up and headed home.

Dad and Billy in the row boat

Billy wanted to help paddle

Once we got home we had dinner, lasagna, which Billy loved.  Than cake.  And once again we had a kid who wouldn't even touch the cake.  At least he didn't cry like his brothers did, but he would not touch it.  He was so mad about the whole thing.

Billy eating his cake.  Not a happy camper.

Some things about Billy:

• He LOVES his brothers, he tries to do everything they are doing, and it makes them mad!
• He loves to eat, he eats everything, and is starting to do pretty well with a sippy cup instead of a bottle. 
• When he is outside he does a "spiderman" crawl, using his hands and feet and not letting his knees touch the ground.
• He loves the water
• He gets very vocal when you have food and he wants it.
• He loves to climb, I have found him on top of tables, chairs, beds, and our toy shelf
• He loves to point and give kisses.
• He says Mom and Dad
• He is getting more teeth, not sure how many because it looks like his entire mouth is swollen
• He walks!  But he is not a walker.  He still mainly crawls to get around, but wants to walk so badly and often just randomly stands up and takes a few steps.

Here is a picture of Billy taking a few steps, he is getting better every day, but still pretty unsteady.

Since We've Been Home

Since we have been back from Florida we have been trying to keep busy so that James' doesn't get too bored during Summer break and doesn't regress too much.  I have noticed that on days that we do structured activities, even just for 30 minutes, James has a lot fewer meltdowns.  

We got home basically on Father's Day.  The boys got Doug some "golfing balls" and some spikes for his golf shoes.  Of course after he opened them Michael had to get his clubs out and show off his Golf skills.  He is getting pretty good and we were impressed.

Like every other mom in the world I am addicted to Pinterest.  Really not a bad as some people I know, but I get a lot of great ideas from there.  One thing we are doing this summer that I saw is everyday after the boys do their "homework" they pick a popsicle stick.  I have a bunch of different activities written on them so whatever they pick we do.  We have done lots of fun things already this summer, hopscotch, homemade sidewalk chalk paint, drop volcanoes, and this fun one; painting with spaghetti.

Michael painting with spaghetti noodles.

Once they are done with "school" James basically gets in the pool for the rest of the day.  Everyday.  Michael bought these "water scooters" with some birthday money he had.  That day as soon as we got home at 9 am he went and got in the pool, he didn't get out until 6:00 that evening.  Then he walked in the house sat down at the table where we were eating dinner and said "I swim."

Pulling Dad on the "water scooter"

James has also become quite helpful.  One day I was fixing dinner and James came in and decided to set the table for us.  He gave Michael and himself the big plates and Doug and I the little plates.  He even put napkins on the table!

James setting the table

One day I was working on a towel for a baby gift and James found these little pieces I had cut off.  He decided to be a cat.  He drew a cat face on himself and gave himself ears.

The boys are also obsessed with playing in the car.  They go out in the garage and disappear.  One day I went out to check on James who I knew was playing in the car and found Billy sitting proudly in the front seat.

This is an extremely happy face, not a crying face like it
looks like. 

Billy has bee growing up so fast this past month.  He is huge now and every time I pick him up I think, wow you are big.  He is a climber and climbs on everything.  One day I found him two "steps" up on our toy shelf, and another day I found him sitting on top of the little table we have for the boys.  He is also in to everything!  I always have to make sure toilet lids are closed or he is splashing in the water.  He has quickly become our most difficult child.  He pulls everything out and loves to play with everything.  I have recently given him the nickname "the terrorist" this is because he loves to terrorize his brothers.  Whatever they are doing he wants to do too.  The most common thing I hear in our house is "NO BILLY!" when I hear this I look and Billy is always messing up whatever the bigger boys are playing with.  And he LOVES being outside.  As soon as the back door is open he is moving as fast as he can to get out.
This week, to my astonishment, James has finally made some progress toward potty training.  I would say we have been stuck in the same place for a year or more.  James will pee in the toilet when asked, but would not poop, and often would not poop even in his diaper.  If he would go 4-5 days without pooping I would start giving him stool softeners and finally a suppository to make him poop.  Well a few weeks ago it had been a week so we did the suppository.  5 days later again no poop so I gave him a stool softener.  The next day still no poop so another stool softener, that night a suppository, which had never failed in the past.  But to my amazement still no poop.  Sunday night we tried again, and still nothing.  Monday morning I went and got the liquid suppositories thinking it would work better.  Got home from the store and tried again.  This time I had him sit on the toilet, which he surprisingly agreed to.  He still held it in.  I was getting so frustrated thinking we were going to have to take him to the doctor since it had now been over a week and he was strong enough to hold in in even with a suppository.  So I told him, if you don't poop we are going to have to go to the doctor.  He reply was always "no we are going to get  a row boat."  Somehow he had decided I told him he could have a row boat if he pooped.  I thought a row boat was a great reward, but not for just one poop.  We after a while I got frustrated and left the bathroom and went to look up the Dr.s number to set up an appointment.  About 5 minutes later I heard screaming and crying, then James was putting his clothes back on and walking out of the bathroom.  When I looked I saw that he had pooped in the toilet!  I was so proud of him.  The rest of the day he kept getting in the car to go get the row boat.  When Dad got home we decided that 1 poop would earn him a small pool boat, but not the $20 row boat we saw on Amazon.  So we went to Walmart to find one, they were out.  So we went to Big Lots to see what they had.  James immediately saw the very row boat that we saw on Amazon.  We decided he could get it, but he could only play with it on days after he pooped in the toilet.

Once we got that boat in the pool he was the happiest
little boy in the world. 

He even gave Billy a ride. 

 Now every day he asks for his row boat and every day I tell him after he poops in the toilet.  Every day he has gone and pooped in the toilet.  Every time!  Even after he already has his rowboat.  It is pretty much a miracle.
I have been having fun too.  I saw this wreath idea on Pinterst and of course had to make it.  I figured it took folding paper about 750 times, but other than that is was really easy.  And since no one ever comes to our house to see it, I have to post it here.

We also made these tie-dye shirts for the 4th of July.  Mikey was so excited about his and kept asking about his "swirl shirt".  

For the 4th we had fun as a family, mostly just cleaning our house.  Doug is going to be out of town this weekend so it was the only day this week that I could have a break.  After dinner we loaded all three boys in the bike trailer and rode over to the park to see what they had going on there.  Then we bought ice cream bars for the way home.  Then we rode home in a rain storm.  When we got home we lit off some fireworks with the boys.  James loved it!  Mikey kept saying "I am not afraid of sparklers"  but he would never hold one.  

Finally there have been tons of babies born lately.  I love making hooded towels for baby gifts and have made 4 in the past two weeks.  These two are my favorite, and the boys favorite. 

The Pink Owl.  Mikey wanted to
wear it.

The tiger.  As soon as it was done
Mikey made me hang it up next to their
towels.  He still asks for the Tiger towel.

Florida 2012

A few weeks ago we took a family vacation to Florida.  We decided to drive since it was about 1/4 of the cost of flying and we would have a car that fit us all while we were there.  The 29 hour drive was pretty uneventful.  We picked Blake up in Dallas and decided to drive the rest of the way there that day because the kids (Billy) didn't do so well in the hotel the night before.  So when we got there at 10 am the next morning we were pretty tired and ready to just hand the kids over and sleep!  Mikey and James were really excited to be at Grammy and Grandad's though.  James pretty much immediately got his swimsuit on and jumped in the pool, and basically didn't get out until two weeks later when it was time to leave.

James, Michael and Billy swimming in the pool

I think this is the happiest I saw Mikey in the water the entire time

They also quickly discovered Grammy's treadmill and it became a source of entertainment when swimming was not allowed.


On Monday after we got there Doug and I left the kids with Grammy and Grandad and went on a cruise.  It was something we both definitely needed and very enjoyable.  Except for the day I got seasick.  While we were gone the boys had some swimming lessons, that didn't really work because Michael wouldn't get in the water and James wouldn't take off his life jacket.  But the rest of the time we were there James kept pretending he was at swim lessons.  They also got to see the sea turtles and swim to their hearts content (ok maybe not that much, I don't think James would ever stop swimming if we didn't make him).
On Friday Grammy, Uncle Blake and the boys picked us up at the pier.  James and Billy were so excited to see us.  Michael had conflicting emotions and didn't know how to deal with it.  He was happy to see us but mad at us for leaving.  So we got the silent treatment for awhile.  After they picked us up we went to my favorite place, Robert is Here.  It is just like a fruit stand with all different kinds of fruits.  Mikey and Billy LOVED the mangos they had to sample.  They also had a petting zoo and a splash park so the boys loved it too.  We got to try Dragon Fruit this time, it was really interesting and Mikey practically ate the entire thing.
Saturday we spent the day mostly on the water.  Grandad was home from work so we took the "water scooters" (wave runners) out for some fun.  James didn't like it too much.  Mikey was too much of a wimp to get on until I forced him, then he loved it, and Billy fell asleep.  

James was pretending to ski behind the wave runners

In the afternoon the boys went golfing and found a little turtle, I didn't get a good picture of it, but Mikey loved his "black turtle" and had to ask about it every morning.  Although he never wanted to touch it.

Mikey and his black turtle

That night after the boys were asleep we got a baby sitter and went out for Sushi.  It was the best sushi I have ever had.  The we went for a walk on the beach and while we were standing by the water just talking a couple came over and asked if we wanted to watch a sea turtle laying eggs.  So we went over to watch, didn't see much she was still trying to dig and they said it could take an hour or more so we decided not to stay to see her finish.  

Sunday afternoon we took a walk to the beach.  James hated Sundays because no swimming, but he did really well staying out of the water.

James and Mikey going to the beach 

The boys loved the caves that the waves had made
out of the rocks

James in his cave

Helping Mikey find shells

Searching for more shells

Billy loved playing in the sand

Billy got buried, he loved it.

So Mikey and James wanted to get buried

Monday we just played in the water again. I think these pictures are out of order, but that is ok. 

Everyone else playing in the ocean

Mikey's first trip to the ocean, he wouldn't get near the water

James loved his "ski board" and had no
fear of the water

Grandad finally got Mikey in the water

Grandad putting Mikey to bed

After the ocean we always had to get right in the pool.  James usually spent at least 5 hours in the water every day.  He got really brave and had no problem getting his face wet.

Tuesday we went to Disney World.  It was so crowded.  After only a few hours James was ready to just go home and kept asking if we could go to the van.  We rode the cars at least 4 times, it was the boys favorite.  They also liked Buz Lightyear, the Jungle Cruise, The Laugh Floor, and Tom Sawyers Island.  

Dad and James driving the car

Mom and Mikey

The rest of the time we just spent at the beach and in the pool.  It was over all a very fun trip and the boys are begging to go back.

The dog hates thunder storms and will go sit on anyones lap
during one.  I just happened to be feeding Billy during
one and so Billy got to hold the dog while he ate.

Mikey trying on Grandad's snorkel equipment 

James headed out to catch some waves

He loved the ocean.

Billy also loved the beach

Dad giving Billy a ride

Friday we packed up to head home.  The plan was to only drive part of the way and stay in a hotel.  But about 10 pm came when we would have stopped and all the kids were asleep.  We decided that because they do so poorly in hotels if we stopped we would be getting much sleep anyway.  So we kept driving.  We said if we got too tired we would just pull over and sleep in the car, but we never had to.  The boys were pretty excited to be home, but James definitely misses the water.