Busy!

What a busy time of the year!

Owen and Jack are both growing up so fast, I just want to pause this month and spend more time making them smile! Sometimes the days get away from me with the laundry, house cleaning, dishes, dinner making and bill paying that must go on.

Jack is speaking in full sentences and perfecting the art of ignoring me. He loves to jump around the house, tear the couch apart and test my ability to ignore the dangerous leaps he attempts (and usually completes). He's two so he's got the fit throwing down and I've started claisfying them (a stage one, two, three....he's really good at finding a way to actually cause himself physical pain in the middle of a fit. So far we've avoiding any real tantrums in public places. AND HE'S SLEEPING IN HIS BIG BOY BED! If I stop to think about it for too long I'll cry. He's such a big kid.

Owen is rolling all over the place, usually into things that he shouldn't be getting into. He is spoiled and it's my fault. He is just too darn cuddly and cute to put down! Clay wants to move him into his own room but so far I'm winning that battle. The little bug won't sleep through the night more than once a week. He just loves waking up in the middle of the night to nurse and cuddle with Mommy. He also has TWO, yes TWO teeth. They are kicking his butt and keeping Mommy and Daddy up ALL night. But, it's so cute to see his toothy grin!

Clayton is loving his promotion. He's got such a passion and talent for what he does. It makes me happy to see him so fulfilled at work. He is so amazing! He's almost finished, or is finished (who knows!) helping re-roof his Grandparent's roof! It's been hard work, long days away from us but he's liked it. Now - if we ever need a new roof he'll know how to do it! But, he says if we ever need a new roof we are moving! :)

The daycare is going well. I have a total of five children enrolled, one is in kindergarten so she only comes during the afternoons or when school is out for the day - if she comes at all. Four children under the age of three is a lot to handle and I'm figuring out that there are days when I can't handle it. Lucky for me, Clay's mom has offered to help. So, for now, things are okay.

Rocket Ship PJ Party.

Yes, Clayton went along with my crazy mommy moment of insisting both boys wear their rocket ship p.j.s - and he also went along with taking pictures.

Though, we have not mastered the fine art of taking a photo of both boys. Seriously - How can I get both Jack and Owen to look at the camera at the same time and not look like they are HATING every second. I swear they really like each other!

Seriously my favorite picture of him yet. He is so darling. He loves to laugh and smile. 

Oh! And we gave Owen his first taste of 'real' food. Baby oatmeal. He hasn't taken to it really and I'm contemplating some different methods for introducing solid foods into his diet - but! The pictures are still cute.

Where did my baby go?!

Jack has done a lot of growing up in the past six months. If I think about it too long it makes me cry. I feel like I became his Mommy just days ago, and I've blinked and now he is two! Now he can speak in sentences, ask for things, boss others around, put himself in timeout, eat an apple by himself, drink from a cup without a lid...Seriously! When did he get so big?! 

Next thing I know he's going to be driving away with a car full of friends (and girls, seriously, he's going to break some hearts with those eyes!), rolling his eyes at me for demanding a kiss. <3

I love this boy!

Zoo!

 Well, we decided it was time to brave the Boise Zoo with two children. It went really well! Owen only cried once when he was hungry and didn't seem to mind cruising around in the stroller. He did, however, get more and more naked as the trip went on since he seemed to be getting so hot.

 He started with pants, shoes, and a shirt. But, ended with no shoes or pants. :)

 If you look hard enough there is a giraffe. 

Jack loved the zebras. He kept neighing at them like horses. 

He LOVED the goats. He kept petting their heads and asking for more food to feed them.

Towards the end of our Zoo experience he decided he didn't need me or Clay to push Owen. He loves being a big brother.

On the way home he was so happy and sweet. He is such a great kid. It was really nice to get out of the house and do something as a family. :)

Camping!

Well, after five years of being with Clay he finally tricked, forced, pulled and dragged me camping. Yes, camping with two children, with two children under two (well, mostly, he's only been two for like two weeks!). It was okay. It was dirty and full of bugs, but the food and company was good!

We left town a little late since I had to go to the dentist last minute and Owen was sick so we needed batteries for the swing. Yes, we took the swing camping! After the dentist and Target we started the drive to beautiful McCall around 1:30p. About 45 minutes into the drive a van starts flashing it's lights at me and keeps trying to pass me, which is pretty typical behavior for folks driving through the Idaho mountains on a holiday weekend so I didn't think much about it. Well, before I know it this woman is screaming at me telling me to roll my window down. Apparently our front right tire was really low and she suggested, yes suggested while driving along side me on the windy mountain roads, that we pull over at the next town to put air in it.

Well, the next thing I know the tire blows and I pull into someone's dirt driveway hysterical. What a beautiful way to start a camping trip! Oh! And by the way, driving no faster than 50 on a spare tire in holiday-camper traffic is NOT fun and equals lots of swearing, honking and flipping of the bird (not by me but other drivers to me and Clayton to the other drivers).

It took the better part of five hours to get to the camp site when it should have only taken three and a half.

It was really great to get together with most of Clay's family. It was a really good time and Jack loved playing with his Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and Cousins. We went to Upper Payette Lake and were super close to the water - but to my surprise - Jack didn't try to run away from us, he didn't try to get in the water by himself and he ended up just enjoying the experience. The night was freezing cold, but thankfully I over packed for Jack (He wore two jackets, a shirt, footie pajamas and jeans to bed because he was so cold). Owen snuggled in a pile of blankets and warm clothes so he was okay. Meanwhile I froze with Clay on the air mattress and got maybe 3 hours of sleep. Needless to say we did not stay a second night.

Thankfully the drive home was less traumatic. Just a long, windy drive through the dark with sleeping boys.

Note to self: No camping until Owen is at least 3.

Doctors!

Jack had his two year check up this week! He didn't have to get any shots, thank goodness!
He weighs 34 pounds and is in the 99 percentile for head, height and weight! He's a big, healthy, proportionate boy!

I always feel like Doctor's appointments with my kids are parenting tests - Does he roll over? Does he sit up? Is he pooping okay? Does he talk? Does he walk? It's all a checklist to make sure that I, as a parent, am teaching them things and helping them develop basic skills (I obviously know its to make sure that the children are developing normally, just feels more like a test for me!). Well, for Jack's two year test - We passed with flying colors. We were told that Jack should be saying two or three two word sentences, well he says around 3 or 4 (Uncle Dustin, Oh Shit, There it is *three words!!*, All gone). He also knows over 15 body parts, 20 animal noise and can say around 25 words.

The doctor even used the word 'advanced'! Haha. What a proud moment for Clay and I. And, yes, I am bragging a lot!


Oh, and we have officially entered 'terrible twos'. I was hoping to just skip it - but family pictures yesterday proved otherwise. At least we got a few okay ones until the Fall when we will try again.

Unedited Family Photos!