Monday, May 24, 2010

A Beautiful Thing

JL surprised me with a bouquet of flowers the day of James' kid party. To my amazement, they are still as sunny and cheerful (and alive) as they were the day he gave them to me....which was 17 days ago!

Update: Garbage day was yesterday, and sadly, I had to toss out the flowers. 24 days after receiving them!

A Lake Runs Near Us

James is a fisherman. We've only just discovered this about him. Up until now, we thought he was a Baseball player. Turns on, there is something in this world he loves equally as much as Baseball. Fishing! JL bought him a pole for his birthday and he has been itchin' to try it out. This past week, JL took him out back and they practiced casting. That lead to a trip to the lake to fish for a bit on a weeknight. That lead to James begging and pleading to bring his pole on our latest campout. Which he did.


But lets start at the beginning. We had such a great time camping a few weeks ago, we decided to pack up the stuff and try it again. This time we brought Pancho along. We also included our friends Dario and Sheyenne and their kids. We were suppose to have the boat, but its in the shop. (That's another story of which I won't get into so as to spare me the rage that accompanies it!) ;-) So instead, we cooked, camped, swam, and of course, fished.

James & Izzy loaded up and ready to go.  James lookin' like a RockStar.

James took this picture of me shortly after I took the above of him and Iz

We had a beautiful spot. Same campground as the first trip, only a different site. We were closer to the water which I liked because it made the swim/fish trips frequent and close

I was shocked at how good James could cast his pole out. And shocked at how he didn't tire of it or get bored!

He was determined to catch a fish

Of course, you have to take a swim break. Pancho even got into the act

Me and Wyatt and Izzy watched from the bank

Afterwards, Wyatt caught a nap

All my kids adore Dario

JL made us some hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, and some Dutch Oven Potatoes in his dutch for dinner. It was delish! Then we sat around the campfire and cooked up some smores. Izzy had about 5 of them!

Rise and Shine!



"When's Breakfast!"

JL threw a dutch of baked oatmeal together and it cooked up while the boys fished.

James had to get in a morning fish before the food was done



James did NOT want to leave. The desire to fish runs strong through his veins!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Official Word

James and Wyatt had their checkups today. Wyatt for his 4 month and James for his 4 year. I thought it would be fun to get the official weights/heights for each of the kids because of the response I got about Wyatt being so much larger than the other two.

So here's how it breaks down:
James @ 4 Months: 15.5 lbs 25.5 inches
Isabel @ 4 Months: 13.8 lbs 26.3 inches
Wyatt @ 4 Months: 14.5 lbs 25.1 inches

James wins for weight. Izzy wins for height. Wyatt falls smack in the middle. The Dr. thinks he'll be the shortest/heaviest with Izzy towering over all of us. :-) She always has been super tall. I remember at her 18 mo check, they told me she was off the charts in height and one of the tallest 18 mo olds my Dr remembered seeing. Thats my girl!

PS - this was the scene at my house last night....




He wasn't too fond of the rice cereal, but he's too sweet to complain too much.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Wyatt: 4 Months


And for comparison...



Thoughts?

Monday, May 17, 2010

SnapShot

I've been thinking about my kids lately. Specifically, how fast they are growing and changing. It seems that with each new addition time only goes faster. I need a way to preserve these years and remember what life is like with a 4 yr, 2 yr, and 3 month old at home with me. So, I've decided to periodically include a snapshot of everyone on the blog. It's not stopping time, but at least when my kids find their friends cooler than me, I can read back and remember the time they only had eyes for me. :-)

James (4 yrs Old)
Current Favorite Phrase: Let me tell ya somethin'
Current Likes: Baseball, camping, pirates, superheros, race cars, swimming, playing in the lake
Current Dislikes: Broccoli
Current Favorite Foods: Eggo waffles (without syrup), Pancakes (with a syrup pond to dip), Mom's Macaroni & Cheese, corn on the cob, yogurt, fruit snacks, pork chops, sloppy joes, link sausage, Oreo's, and ice cream
Current Favorite Drinks: Big Red, Lemonade, Water
Current Favorite Toys: His baseball gear, the trampoline, the sprinklers, Batman figures, hot wheel cars, pirate ship, binoculars and camping gear
Current Nicknames: Jamesie Bug, Bug a boo
Current Other: James is my sweetheart. He is very gentle and tender hearted. He hates it when he thinks he has done something to upset me or Dad. He's very conscious of the rules and obeys quite well!! He is mindful of his actions and seems to understand right from wrong. He asks to play baseball with Dad about every 5 minutes. Or, to go fishing with Dad out at the lake. He loves to play tag and run around outside. His current favorite is to play pirate or superhero at the park with his friends. He asks for cereal, but request it without milk. :-) He rarely drinks juice (even juice boxes!) asking for water instead. He's turning into a really good eater. He use to be Mr. Picky, but lately he finishes his plate. No doubt his favorite part of the meal is desert though! ;-) He loves his pillow. He seeks it out to comfort him when he gets an owie, or when he is tired and wants to cuddle. Usually he drags it around from room to room so he knows where it is at all times. He still is sucking the middle and ring finger on his left hand, only now it happens mostly when he is tired. He can count to 10, say the alphabet, knows all his colors and shapes, and is starting to learn to read. He has become fascinated with BOM stories lately. Specifically Lehi and Nephi. He asks for them as bedtime stories. And he absolutely adores being a Sunbeam.

Isabel (2 yrs Old)
Current Favorite Phrase: What you doin'? or Where are you? or Hold you.
Current Likes: Her green blankey, her princess dolls (she calls them Beauty and White), dressing her cabbage patch dolls, playing in her kitchen or playhouse, racing cars with James, jumping on the tramp, sitting on me or Dad's lap, bringing Wyatt diapers or wipes, Dora the Explorer.
Current Dislikes: Meat
Current Favorite Foods: Pancakes (with extra syrup), scrambled eggs, noodles, corn on the cob, yogurt, fruit snacks, broccoli, peas, rice, jelly beans, suckers, ice cream
Current Favorite Drinks: OJ, Milk, Lemonade, Pop, Water
Current Favorite Toys: Beauty and White, James Jeep she pushes around, her dollhouse, old cell phones, shoes, dress up clothes, necklaces and bracelets
Current Nicknames: Izzy Bean, Beanie, Beanie Baby, IzamaJeanne, Izaballerina (James came up with that one!)
Current Other: Isabel is my personality child. As in, she has it oozing out of everywhere! She is a goof, and will do just about anything for a laugh. She loves to sing and dance. Rarely does she walk, but instead skips around the house. She is extremely thoughtful for her age and observant. If James stumbles and gets and "ouchie" she suddenly appears with a bandaid! She is really starting to speak in paragraphs now. The other day she said to me "Mom, what you doin'?" I told her to which she then replied "oh, ok. Come play now." She loves Pancho (or Tacho as she calls him) and has decided to re-name Fergus "Woo". All be darned if she will call him anything but Woo now. It's hilarious. She is sneaky and tries to get away with murder around the house. Stating "James hit" for any little thing lately. :-) She loves to laugh and be tickled. She LOVES her green blankie. We call her Linus. She uses it as a cape, a towel, a shawl, a peek a boo tool, and just about anything else she can think of. She, like James, seeks it out when she's hurt or tired. She's big on sucking the thumb on her right hand at the moment. Although, its starting to only happen when she's tired or riding in the car. Right now she is HUGE on The Princess and the Frog. She calls it "pickle frog" and asks for it night and day. Words are starting to pop out of her like crazy lately. My favorites are "Mommy, need you" and "what you talkin' bout". Then there are these: "bear hunt" for "bear" or "doll house" for "doll" or my favorite "Max & Ruby" for Jennifer's baby "Max." She also really loves to get dressed up pretty, have bows in her hair, and go to church. She's come around to loving Nursery, and can recognize any and all church songs that she hears. Often times during the meeting, she'll bust into a Hymn at the top of her lungs. The spirit is strong with her. ;-)

Wyatt (3.75 months Old)
Current Favorite Phrase: Ah-goo
Current Likes: Blowing raspberries, sucking on his fists, licking his chewies, watching his siblings, smiling at me and Dad, sleeping
Current Dislikes: When Mom leaves the room
Current Favorite Foods: Milk
Current Favorite Drinks: See above
Current Favorite Toys: His chew elephant
Current Nicknames: Wyee (Isabel came up with that one!), Wyatt Burp, Uno
Current Other: Wyatt is my easy baby. He is SO mellow! He doesn't mind being lugged around from place to place while I run errands, or just sitting in his bouncy or laying and kicking on the floor while I cook dinner. He absolutely adores James and somewhat fears Isabel. (She tends to mother, I mean smother, him to death.) He also really loves to squeal! It is the cutest thing. He'll smile real big and then a huge squeal will come out of his mouth. He'll also sit and blow raspberries as a form of communication with us. He loves to listen to music and swing in his swing. He's sleeping 6 hrs at night before waking for the first time. After that, he usually goes another 2 hrs (twice) before getting up for good as soon as the sun cracks the horizon. He is the chubbiest of all my kids and I delight in seeing the rolls on his legs and arms. He just laughed for the first time yesterday. He's just now getting ticklish under the arms and on his neck. He's a delight!

So now you know more than you ever wanted to about my kids. But, these are the things I delight in every day, and want to hold on to. It's so fun to see these 3 change and grow into little people. If I could freeze time, I certainly would, but each stage is so new and fun I don't know if that's honestly true. I just don't want them to grow up and move away and/or start school! hehe

Monday, May 10, 2010

James is 4!


Happy Birthday Buddy!! We love you so much! You are so sweet and loving. Your kind spirit is just a joy. Your sister and brother are so lucky to have you as an example to follow. Daddy and I are so happy you came into our lives. 4 years has flown by, but each year has been so fun and new. Watching you grow is a delight. Love you!

Mothers Day

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

This is my new favorite picture! JL really did an excellent job getting us all to cooperate! Perfect way to start my day! PS - notice the new haircut? I LOVE it!

I would say my favorite part of Mothers Day this year was hearing James sing to me with the Primary during church. I'll admit, it made me cry. :-) Its just one of those things I have been looking forward to since before I even had children. I just was overwhelmed with gratitude for the three beautiful children I have and for the joy they bring to me daily! I'm very luck to be a Mom!

Ok, so before I bawl again...

James and I usually share this holiday. His birthday is always right around Mothers Day, if not right on it. So this year, we decided that even though his birthday isn't until Monday, we'd let him open presents with me on Mothers Day. I didn't want him to wait all day Monday (a day Daddy usually has to work late) only to open them and then have to go to bed. So....we both went wild with presents!












And the Party Never Ends

Saturday we continued the party with a trip to Sea World. With James' birthday falling so close to Mothers Day, he and I share the excitement for the weekend. Sea World is a great way to make James and Me very happy. We both LOVE the whales!

This year we took along our friends. Rose and James share the same birthday and have been celebrating together since they were born!

Unfortunately, I don't have too many pictures from this trip. It was a tad difficult to snap a picture and keep Wyatt happy during the shows. So, my apologies to the Grandparents. :-) We hope to go back a few more times this year, so I'll keep trying.

James favorite part was Shamu. Izzy continues to like the dolphin shows. James also really loved swimming in the kiddie pool. Izzy was hesitant at first, but soon found her water legs. We all had a great time!

James in the van. Eager to leave.

Iz trying on mom's glasses next

Wyatt anxious to hear the car start