Everything is Awesome!

(We may or may not have watched the Lego Movie a few times this past month....)
The other day James' teacher called me just to give me an update on how summer school has been going.  She had nothing but good things to say and I LOVE when that happens.  It seems like James has been making so much progress lately that it is even easy for us to see the difference.  I think if anyone from New Mexico were to see James now they wouldn't even recognize him.  We are so proud of him and all the hard work he has done to get to this point.

James has been playing dress-ups all the time.
I never know who is going to come up from
the basement once he has been down there.
The other day I even caught him sitting at my
sewing machine trying to sew himself a new costume.

Some fun things we talked about:

• James and Angel.  James has always loved Angel and he really missed her while he was on break.  Once he went back to school he attached himself to her again.  His teacher says before he would say "Hi" and hang around her a little bit, but there wasn't much interaction.  Now he actually plays with her, and they play dolls.  James is not a big fan of dolls so it is pretty big for him to choose a non-prefered activity in order to hang out with his best buddy.  The other day they were making clothes pin butterflies.  Angel was taking a nap, so when James finished his he asked if he could make one for Angel.  He then put it next to her pillow for when she woke up.  
• James is WORKING!  She says she doesn't have to really redirect him as much.  He has his awesome stool (similar to this), which he loves, and will sit and work for 20 minutes at a time. She even hasn't had to offer him the iPad as much as a reward. 
• He is getting really good at math.  He does his work and loves it.  The other day she had him try to help another boy with his math and he sure tried hard but couldn't get past "the answer is 5".  He just could not figure out how to explain how he got the answer. 
• He has had almost 0 temper tantrums and is really learning to self-regulate.  One time he started getting angry and went to run out of the room.  She just said "think about it James. It's almost recess time" (she never takes recess away, but will take away a preferred activity at recess) and that was enough for him to stop himself and get back on task.    One day there was a boy in another classroom having a meltdown. For about 2 hours.  After awhile James calmly asked for his headphones.  
• He is learning to follow the directions and do what he is asked.  One time he and another boy were playing marble run.  It was time to clean up so James did.  The other boy did not.  After a few minutes his teacher said "OK James you are done let's let him finish cleaning up his stuff"  James left, but did not take his eyes off the boy.  After a little while he said "She's going to put it up."  Meaning up where they could not play with it anymore.  He was really concerned this boy was going to loose his favorite toy for them. 
• He is really good at arts and crafts.  They have the day set up by stations and make sure that James always goes to the craft station last because it is such a good motivation for him.  She says he is the best in the class and draws great faces on all his creations, put the parts on correctly and spaces things just how he should.  
• He is trying lots of new foods...as long as they are brown. 
• He is playing on all the equipment at recess rather than just walking around on the perimeter. He is climbing and using his whole body. 
• He isn't quite as obsessed with blue. 
• He has learned to control his temper.  She mentioned to the assistant teachers that James had a temper.  Their response was "James?  Really?"
• He is getting a sense of humor close to what typical kids his age would have.  She said she was having a conversation with the kids about farting at circle time.  She said everyone farts, it happens, but you can leave and do it somewhere else.  I guess James thought this conversation was pretty funny and said, "the principal farts?"  yes.  Then he raised his hand and giggling said "Do you fart?"  I guess farts are funny. 

Our little mad scientist.  He loves to get his
science kit out and make different mixtures.
This particular time he make a "zombie" in
his flask. 

Glimpsing into James' Mind

I love when I get a glimpse into James' mind and understand a little how he views the world.  

1. We often tell James how skinny he is.  Mostly when he is changing and we actually see those super skinny arms and his ribs.  I didn't think anything of this.  He often tells his brothers they are skinny when he is in a supper silly mood.  So it made me laugh pretty hard the other day when I realized what he actually thinks skinny means.  He got out of the shower and was running around upstairs naked yelling "I'm Skin-ey,  I'm Skin-ey" of course he is skinny, he is after all covered in skin.  

2.  Doug brought home and old children's wood picnic table from his Grandparents.  They were going to throw it away and Doug decided to refinish it for our kids.  We explained to them that first he needed to sand down the old wood and paint then we would put new paint on it.  James has been pretty excited and has been asking when Dad is going to sand it.  So the other day Doug was cleaning out the shed and James found a jar full of sand.  He immediately ran over to the picnic table and carefully poured the sand all over it.  He then explained to me that the table was now "sanded" and we could paint it! 

James "lost" two teeth this week.  He had a dentist appointment and since the other teeth were already growing in behind the dentist just pulled them out.  He was so excited.  Then not long after we got home he lost them in the backyard.  We talked about it and he decided to write a note to the Tooth Fairy: Dear Tooth Fairy, Find my Teeth. She did and left him 2 dollars and a tooth brush and tooth paste so he can take care of his new teeth.  

He was really mad that there is no school because he wants to show his friends that he lost a tooth.  He asks every day if there is school. 

Mikey Turns 5

Mikey turned 5 on May 18.  He is so exceed to be growing up, he is pretty much excited by everything.  Mikey is a fun little soul and doesn't have very many strong opinions.  Getting ready for his birthday he couldn't decide what he wanted to ask for, and we couldn't figure out what he would want either.  I had to take him to Toys R Us one night and just walk around so he could figure out what he wanted.  He still didn't have any really strong opinions.  He also didn't know what kind of cake he wanted. Finally a few days before his birthday he settled on a Rainbow Dash cake.  

One thing he was certain of was what he wanted for his birthday dinner...Crabs.  He talked about it constantly.  So we decided that since it was kind of expensive, and James and Brooke weren't going to eat them, and we didn't want to do all the work for Billy we would let him have a special dinner with Mom and Dad after the others went to bed.  He loved it, and it was fun just talking and talking to Mikey.  

Mikey eating his corn. 

 With how enthusiastic he started eating I was worried we weren't going to have enough crab for him.  but he eventually got board of how slow of a process it all is and decided to be done.

Dipping his crab in the butter.

Some things about Mikey at 5-years-old:

We finally decided to get Mikey some Golf Clubs.  He loved going golfing with his Grandad last year and talks about going with his Dad all the time.  He was pretty excited about the gift and was pretty impressive starting out.  

Mikey chose to have a Rainbow Dash cake, so we had to do two cakes.  One chocolate that we would actually want to eat, and one rainbow cake, because it just seemed wrong to do a rainbow dash cake but not have a rainbow cake.  

boys and squirt guns...poor Brooke

He also got a slip and slide from his Grandparents.  The kids have all been having a blast on it all summer.  Although since his birthday was on a sunday he didn't get to try it out until the next day. 

She wasn't too excited about it. 

Billy is the most fearless of all the kids, nothing seems
to bother this kid!

Mikey making his brothers scream

 Mikey is such a fun, loving, good kid.  He is the one I can count on to do whatever I ask him to do and follow directions.  He is a good example for his other siblings.  He still talks and talks and talks.  Whenever we play the quite game it always ends by Mikey claiming "I won" even though nobody else has said a word.  He loves making friends and whenever we go to a park he always finds a new friend.  He is a sensitive little soul also, he hates being reprimanded and doing something wrong.  He is still a tiny little guy.  Every time we leave the house I can count on someone asking me if he and Billy are twins.  We love Mikey and are so glad he joined our family 5 years ago.

James Is 7

James had his 7th birthday this week. He was so excited.  Every year it seems like he enjoys his birthday more and more.  This year he was up until almost midnight excited about his birthday.  First thing in the morning he got to open 1 present, it was his science shirt and he was so excited about it. He wanted his "science kit" and kept asking if he could open it all day long.  I also gave him a button to wear that said "Happy Birthday".  He was so excited to about it and couldn't wait to show all his friends at school.   

After school he got to Skype with Grammy and Grandad and open his gift from them.  He got a nerd bow and arrows and was so excited.  His favorite movie is Brave so he couldn't wait to get outside and try it out.  

Once Dad got home it was time for dinner, he choose his favorite Lasagna.  I don't know if I have ever seen him shovel food in like he did then.  

After dinner it was finally time to open presents.  He was so excited about everything he got.  Billy gave him a play dough baking set, Mikey gave him a large "draw board", Dad gave him some survival pants, and we also gave him a Science box full of stuff to do experiments.  Grandma and Grandpa gave him a set of Science tools, which is what he had been waiting for all day!  He also got and Electricity kit from Uncle Scott, and some finger paints and paper from his cousins.

 Cake time!  James wanted a "Temple Run Brave" cake this year.  Maybe one of the simplest cakes I have done but he LOVED it so that is what is important.

The next morning it was hard to get him to school because he was so excited about his science.  He has been doing science projects ever since. 

Some things about James from the past year:

James has really started loving school.  He has lots of friends and talks about Angel all the time.  He is learning to read and does really well sounding out words, but has a hard time when words don't follow the rules.  He doesn't have obsessions quite like he used to.  He seems to like more things, and not quite as intensely as he used to.  Some things he has liked during the past year: Lightening, bear hunts, Tangled, Ammon, Sun Glasses, Marble Runs, Umbrellas, Dream island, Temple Run and writing books. 

Some of James' favorites: 

Color: Blue

Friend:Angel

Movie: Brave 

Food: PB and Honey Sandwich 

Song: Bear necessities 

Candy: Chocolate Bunnies 

Animal: Bears

Toy: Draw board

Game: Temple Run

School Subject: Recess 

Summer Fun (Catch Up!)

We have been pretty busy this summer, and I keep forgetting to blog, nothing new there!  So I will just do one big catch up post.  

Here is a video of  Mikey getting "swimsuit" ready for the summer.  

Brooke turned 4-months...and 5 months...and is now almost 6 months old!  It is crazy to me how fast the past 6-months have gone.

Let's see what I can remember about Brooke from 4-months...

• She weighed almost 14 lbs and was in the 50th percentile for height and weight.
• She could roll over both ways, probably the youngest of my kids to be able to do this.
• Still not sleeping through the night, and still sleeping in our closet, we were pretty nervous to move her in with Billy.
• We took her to get her pictures done, and got way too many good ones.  She is such a social, happy baby and always has a smile for anyone who looks at her.

Pretty girl!

Brooke at 5-months:

• We moved her in with Billy, he was pretty excited about that
• Still really happy most of the time
• Still not sleeping great, goes to bed pretty late, and wakes up pretty early
• She started eating solids this month and loves them.  

Brookes first taste of "real" food.  Besides all the crackers and stuff Billy has been sneaking her.

The boys have pretty much been spending their days in the pool.  They LOVE this place and it is awesome when Dad is home to play with them.  Doug took a 4-day weekend on the 4th of July so we had a lot of time in the pool.

Brooke even got to join in on the fun and LOVED it.

Mom even got in one day, that was one crowded pool!

On the 4th of July we decided to finally take the boys to the fireworks.  We never have in the past because the boys are so young and it is so crowded.  We filled up Doug's truck with mattress, blankets, pillows and beanbags and drove it over to a shopping center near the park where they light them off.  We all climbed in the back, got some Sonic milkshakes and watched the show.  It was pretty awesome and I think it would have been funny to be near us!  The boys were so excited (and loud) every time one went off.

James is still into lightning storms, it has been a really fun summer, especially since we have actually had some good storms.  He often asks me to print him pictures from the computer to color.  One day he kept asking for pictures and I wasn't paying much attention to what he was doing with them.  Then he brought me this book to read to me.  It was super cute, and I was so proud of his creativity. 

James also had a Dr appointment for his 6-year checkup last week.  (I know I am a little behind!)  He is  44 lbs, and 3ft 9in tall.  I think he was like in the 25th percentile for his weight and 50th for his height.  Not surprised that he dropped in weight, since he eats NOTHING!  It was quite an interesting appointment.  James freaked out.  So he was sitting on my lap facing me with his arms hooked to the chair behind me, so I was pretty much pinned down to the chair.  Then he was screaming the entire time.  The Dr came in and said, 'Why is he screaming'  Well he is afraid of you. So finally it was time to actually do the exam and he is freaking out more and more.  Then he realized it doesn't actually hurt so he starts to calm down.  The he gets the "flashlight" out to shine in his mouth.  James opens his mouth about an inch, then says "It's dark in my mouth" opens his mouth again, then says "It's dark and my teeth can't see"  this went on the entire time the Dr was trying to look in his mouth.  Then it was time for the ears.  James always freaks out about his ears so he starts crying again.  Then it is all done and I am talking to the Dr about potty training issues when James interrupts,  "did you find a puppy in my ear.  The puppy was licking in my ear."  I was cracking up at this point.
Today during Billy's appointment James was pretty nervous.  I kept trying to distract him but he needed to help Billy I guess.  I would say "James do you want to play with the iPad?"  and he would respond, "No I need to watch Billy!"  Once I tried to give him the paper measuring tape they used to measure Billy's head and he yelled, "NO! It's Billy's turn!" Then he kept telling he would be alright, and going to the steps of the exam with him.  

Billy the Terrorist Turns Two!

Billy is two!  It is crazy to me that is is already that old.  He is so much fun and adds so much to our family with his very unique personality.  We knew for Billy's birthday it had to be all about cars.  He LOVES cars and one of the only things he says (that we can actually understand) is "Car Car".  

Being our third boy it is really hard to think of things to get him for his birthday and Christmas that we don't already have.  Last year he got a ball, that was it, just a ball.  This year I think I came up with the perfect gift...a RC Lightning McQueen car.  He loves it!  

I also made the shirt for him that he is wearing in the video.  I think he loves that too.  The boys were so excited for him to open his presents we had to do it first thing.  He got an RC car from us, some tiny "drifters" from his brothers, his car shirt, and a Leap Frog Laptop from his Grammy and Grandad.  They all loved everything!  Mikey kept trying to get him to open another present so he could play with the current one.  

We decided this year not to get him very many toys, and use all the extra money we would have spent to take them all to see Monsters University.  It was a HUGE success!  This was the first time we have taken them to the theater to see a new movie (we have done the free summer movies a few times).  We all enjoyed the movie a ton.  Every time I got in Billy's way he got really frustrated with me and kept pushing me out of the way. 

 Once we got home from the movie we called Grandma and Grandpa to skype while Billy opened his present from them:

The Cozy Coup!  Big hit with all 3 boys.

This was a big hit, however it took awhile to put together, especially with 3 little boys "helping".  Billy sat in the car part and did not want to get out, it made it pretty hard to get the wheels on and stuff.  Finally once it was together (minus the eyes since we didn't have Doug's drill) they got to take it outside for a drive.  Still, almost a week later, whenever someone goes to get in the car Billy starts screaming because he doesn't want to share.

Look at those happy brothers!

Billy's cake was also a car.  He doesn't get quite as excited about it as the bigger boys, but I think he still loved it.  He really cares more about how it tastes then how it looks!

Some things about Billy:

• 2-year-old stats: weight: 28lbs, 50th percentile, Height: I can't remember but it was also 50th percentile, head: 75th percentile ( have to mention that his head is bigger than Michaels) 
• During his appointment he had to get one shot.  I was holding him down and he didn't move.  I started thinking; he isn't even going to react to this, when he said (very calmly) ow.
• We call him the terrorist because he is always making trouble somewhere, whether it is making his brothers scream, breaking something in the kitchen, tackling his baby sister, or just general chaos.  However his intentions are usually good, he just wants to be a part of everything.
• He talks all the time, he just doesn't say very many words we can actually understand.  Words we do understand: Car car, Mom, Dad, James, Brooke, More, I'm Done, I want that, door, shoes, no,  crash, Boom, I am sure there are more that I am missing.
• He LOVES his nursery class at church.  He is the easiest one to get ready because he is so excited to go.  He loves to sing songs and his favorite is "Book of Mormon Stories" and loves to do the "Boom Boom" part
• He eats everything, but his favorite might be corn on the cob, or blueberries (he ate an entire package by himself on his birthday!)
• He really connects with James, I often find them playing together.  They also fight the worst of anyone.  
• He recently learned to climb out of his crib.  Now he always comes out of his room after nap or in the morning with a diaper and wipes asking for his diaper changed. 
• His favorite movie is Cars (big shocker there!)
• He loves swimming and baths and will never be left out from either one.
• He still LOVES his little sister and is really happy he gets to share a room with her now.  I often wonder who wakes who up in the mornings, and I often find her mobile turned on, which I know she isn't doing.
• He really just LOVES to be a part of everything.  No matter what it is or who is doing it.  If Dad takes out the trash, so does Billy.  If Mom is going to the store, so is Billy.  If the big boys are doing anything, so is Billy. 

Colorado!

As soon as school got out in May we decided to go to Colorado for a few weeks.  James was really burned out from school and seems to really do better at Grandma and Grandpas house, so we were hoping it would be a sort of a reset for him, and Doug was going to be working 60 hour weeks the next few weeks so we decided this needed to happen.  Doug drove up with us then left us there and headed back to New Mexico.  

Overall I think the kids had a ton of fun.  I was thinking we would be swimming almost the entire time, the weather didn't quite cooperate.  But we still got to swim enough.  

James looking awesome swimming, I think he was a little cold.

Mikey in the swimming Pool.  He finally got brave enough
by the end of our stay to get in the big pool.

Billy is a little fish.  He LOVED the pool.

The kids loved having some quality time with their grandparents.  Grandpa too each of the boys to lunch, for some one-on-one time and I think they each loved having their turn.

Grandpa watching a movie with all 4 kids!

Uncle Scott works at Skate City.  On Thursdays they do Pixie class for the little kids.  The boys all loved it.  Mikey loved using his new skates and got pretty good.  James loved when they turned the disco lights on and he got to "dance".

Mikey using his new skates

Overall it was a fun time with lots of play time, parks, swimming and just general fun!