Another year older...

I took the boys this weekend for their 4-year and 1-year photos. Wow, how the time has flown. I can't believe that it's been a year since I was VERY pregnant, expecting little Nolan to arrive any time. And, how Waylon has changed in this year, too! He's such a "boy" now... most traces of baby and toddler are far gone. I'm trying to cherish each moment, because I know it won't be long before I look back on these days and think how young they were. :)

We've found it

Nolan just has not gotten into the Baby Einstein DVDs the way Waylon did... and still does. From the time Waylon was 3 months old, he would be mesmerized by the Baby Einstein bright colors and moving toys on the screen. It was sometimes a too-good babysitter! :) But, not Nolan.

Nolan is much more into "doing." Climbing. Making things work. Taking things apart. And, has shown no interest in anything on TV. Until the other day.

I had PBS on for some reason, and the Lawrence Welk show came on. Nolan stopped what he was doing to watch the dancers and singers of decades ago. He tapped his leg and laughed and smiled.

Maybe we just hadn't shown him the classics. That was the problem.

Busted!

The other night, Waylon was playing in the kitchen while I made dinner and Craig did chores.

Waylon told me, "Mom, dad told me I could blow bubbles in the kitchen if I didn't tell Mommy!"

Ummm... blowing bubbles is a no-no in our house! Daddy was busted! :)

Party time!

We celebrated Waylon's 4th birthday last weekend. What an experience! We had 12 kids in attendance, which was wonderful, and Waylon and they seemed to enjoy it! Grandpa Lee provided Gator rides, Craig manned the pony rides, Aunt Erika helped with the bounce house and decorations, the grandmas prepared the food, and I ran around like a crazy lady! HA!

The non-stop rain we've had around here caused us to kick into Plan B mode on Saturday morning. We had planned to have the party in the garage and yard, but the rains just wouldn't stay away for good. So, Craig worked hard to get the shed cleaned out that morning, and with a few decorations, it worked!

That was our first "kid party," and I'd say we survived well. Only one "pants wetting" incident in the bounce house by one little guy, only one child getting bucked off the pony (Bad Little Man! Ha!), and only one head-bumping incident in the bounce house. Not too bad. :)

Field trip day!

Oh, what fun. Waylon's preschool class took a field trip to the Indy Children's Museum last week. Waylon had his first charter bus ride, ate his first real "sack lunch," saw his first real dinosaurs and just had a great day. I loved spending the whole day with him, playing on all of the different activities and stations. What a neat place!

I Spy was the game of choice with the kids sitting around us on the bus rides. I'm fairly certain we played at least 468 rounds on our drive back from Indy. And, there's only so much you can "spy" on a bus filled with folks wearing red shirts. Ha!

I also was in dire need of "quiet time" when we returned. :) Wow... 3-4 year olds can be LOUD! I have a whole new respect for preschool teachers! Thanks for what you do, Mrs. Brown!

Mother's Day fun

Mother's Day was wonderful this year. We drove to Terre Haute and met up with my parents and grandma at their awesome park. It has a huge playground, horse and carriage rides and, in the summer, a train for the kids to ride. Waylon is pretty sure it's what heaven is like. :)

Nolan even got in on the fun. He enjoyed the swing and teeter-totter. And, we all enjoyed our picnic and playing in the beautiful weather. It was a great day.

Can't "the girls" come in!?

The other day, we had our front door open, and the dogs were running in the yard. They kept coming to the door to peek in, and in the meantime, entertain the boys. Waylon kept saying, "Mommy, I think they want in!"

Well, I'm sure they did. But, they're "outside" dogs. I just love the bond Waylon has with them. He can't wait to get outside every evening to let them run, and to feed them and give them treats. Oh, a boy and his dog. :)

Our little "Poke"

Nolan was all decked out in his Cowboys PJs the other night. I can't believe how much he's changing. He says "hi" all the time now, and always throws in his little wave, too. He's taken a few steps here and there, but he's not officially "walking" yet. Once he doesn't think about it and just lets himself go, he'll be walking. And then, life will never be the same. :)

And the "after"...

Ahhhhh....

Okay, so I know the green is bright. Craig and I love it! Others don't seem to be as fond as we are... but we've decided we're the ones who ultimately have to be happy with it. Right? :)

The kitchen before...

We have ALMOST finished our kitchen remodel. YAY! New countertops, appliances, paint, cabinet fixtures. Only the dishwasher left (We only bought it a couple of years ago... and now we need black to match our "update." We've heard you can buy only the door to the dishwasher and not have to purchase the entire thing... let's hope!)

Here are the "before" photos. (I didn't realize how bad it was! HA!)

Oh, Sophie...

Waylon attends day care with a little gal who is full of life, named Sophie. It's not uncommon for Waylon to come home with a new story of what Sophie did or said. And, it's pretty tough not to laugh out loud when he does.

Tonight, I was talking to him on the phone as I drove to Des Moines for a meeting I have tomorrow. I asked how his day at "Andi's" house went. He said it was good.

Then, he told me as serious as could be, "Mommy, when Sophie's mom came to pick her up, Sophie told me she was going to give me a knuckle sandwich. That's not nice. I don't want a knuckle sandwich. She gives knuckle sandwiches to her daddy."

I bit my tongue to prevent a burst of laughter, and said, "We don't give knuckle sandwiches, do we? That's not nice."

I can hardly wait to hear what he learns from her tomorrow.

How to explain?

Waylon's been in an inquisitive mood lately about where he and Nolan were in the days before they were born. The other day, he looked at mine and Craig's wedding photo, and he asked where he was when the photo was taken. "Was I in your belly, Mommy?"

Goodness... how do I answer this!? So, I did the best I could... without giving the "full" explanation. :)

I said, "Yes, in a way. You were very, very, very tiny..."

I told Craig about it later, and he was appalled that I would tell our son he was in my belly for our wedding! (For the record, he was born two years after we were married! Ha.) So, I offered to let him have a little talk with Waylon to explain it "the correct way."

He respectfully declined. :)

Now, let's hope he doesn't go to school, telling his friends he was in Mommy's belly on her wedding day...

Time with my boy

Waylon has really been in a "mommy mood" lately. He wants me to hold him as he falls asleep, and seems to want me around all the time. I was gone four days last week for the NJSA National Youth Leadership Conference, and that seemed to kick things up a notch.

Since last Sunday, when I returned, he's been counting the days until we can spend "two whole days together." Talk about breaking a mom's heart!!

Yesterday, Craig watched Nolan, so that Waylon and I could have some quality time together. We didn't do anything special. Stopped at Casey's, and let Waylon pick out whatever candy he wanted. Went to Big R for a dog house. Ate at BW3s on the patio outside (gorgeous day!). Bought some vegetable plants for the garden. It was a simple day, but it was wonderful.

Last night, he told me, "Something hurts. I think it's my finger. I can't go to Andi's house tomorrow. You'll have to stay home with me." Ugh. Once again, break a mom's heart!

I wish we could have more of those days together. And, we will. Waylon asked me this morning, "How many more days until we can be together again?" I told him four. And, I'm not sure which one of us is looking forward to it more. :)

Growing up too fast!

I can't believe it. My baby took his first step this weekend. It was only one step... but it was a step! How in the world has time gone so fast? With Waylon, I couldn't wait for him to reach each milestone. And, although I celebrate each of Nolan's milestones, too... they just seem to come before I'm ready for them! :)

He's already 10 1/2 months old... has 8 teeth... and eats everything in sight. The other night, he ate asparagus, ham and broccoli. That's my boy!

What they say IS true. We simply have to cherish every little moment, don't we.