SPLISHY SPLASHY

SLEEPING BEAUTIES

I recently read a post from one of my all time favorite bloggers, Betsy Shaw, about how beautiful children look when they are sleeping. Her post prompted me to sneak into each of the boys rooms and really, really observe them at rest. I like to peek in most nights, but usually in a frantic haste as to not wake them. Not this time. I actually took a couple minutes with each boy to watch, observe and remember just how precious they are at this age. To realize that as each and every night passes they GROW, and grow far more than my eyes bear witness too. They are changing and learning and amazing me more with each new day. I brushed my hand across their cheeks and listened to the steady rhythm of their breath. I gazed at their perfect little faces and noted how innocent and peaceful they look. My boys? Peaceful and Innocent aren't words I would usually use to describe my guys. But, when they sleep, they look just like little angels. As I watched them, it seemed odd that their little bodies could lay so perfectly still. Their growing muscles are indeed capable of resting. They are probably screaming to do so after a long hard day of perpetual motion. I was also a little shocked to realize just how much of their beds they are currently occupying. When did that happen?? All of a sudden their legs are arms seem too long for the beds that just yesterday, they used to get lost in. So, maybe it only seems like just yesterday to me. A flutter behind their eyelids prompts me to wonder what they are dreaming about. Oh, I hope it is something good. Let's see.... what would they be dreaming about? Chase: driving a race car, running a Pit Crew, being the star player on a football/hockey/baseball team. Dylan: hanging out with Mickey in Mickey's Clubhouse, a never ending Petting Zoo, playing with Daddy. I leaned down to pluck a kiss on their flushed cheeks and smiled at their innocent faces knowing that tomorrow it will *mostly* disappear and they will be right back to running, chasing, fighting, yelling, demanding and whining but also loving, learning and growing all at the same time. Nighty-night my sweet little ones!!

FARM SHOW

We took the boys to our little local farm show today. We drove past it on Friday when they were setting up and the boys saw all the tractors! It was pretty much over from there. What little boy wouldn't want to take a closer look at these beauties?!?!



They had a Tractor/Train Ride using these cute little barrels! Dylan looks thrilled, doesn't he?


Dylan was far more interested in chasing the "horse" around. We eventually did get him to say Donkey, but when asked what the donkey says, he kept barking????

Checking out the tractors with Daddy. The view is much better from up there!



Chase got to grind down corn and then make it into cornmeal (I think that is what they were making anyway!)



They even got to make their own rope!!



Dylan was a little scared of the scarecrow! Seems to be doing its job.

We made it through part of the sheep herding demonstration. It was really cool but both of the boys starting falling apart about that time. Too close to lunch time I guess.



A couple of side notes:
1. If you are wondering what the deal is with Chase's hair lately (if not, you SHOULD be!) He has discovered hair gel and really likes to spike it all up. It doesn't look too bad when it is wet still and actually spikey. But, eventually it dries and then just looks like a big mess. *sigh*
2. It might appear that my kids wear the same 4 shirts over and over and over. It appears that way because.... well... they DO! They do own about a million other shirts that they never - ever wear. *another sigh* Chase is convinced that wearing his lucky Bear's jersey is instrumental in their ability to win games. Hey, they need all the help they can get. And, it seems to be working!

WEEKEND RECAP

Did anyone else celebrate National Talk Like a Pirate Day? We had a celebration at work on Friday complete with costumes, a treasure map/hunt, and lots of loot to be found. Chase discovered the bag that I had stashed my costume in. Opps! He has some sort of keen radar when it comes to weaponry. A teeny tiny glimpse of the top of the sword handle tipped him off. Oh well! He makes a pretty cute PIRATE, huh? (That is, when he isn't swinging his sword at you!!!)





We also celebrated the marriage of Chip and my friend and old college roomy, Cathy. They actually got married in Mexico the weekend prior and had a pig roast with family and friends on Saturday. It was really a great time and the wedding looked beautiful!

BALL PLAYER

Chase asked me to play baseball with him yesterday.
"Mommy, you pitch, and I will hit."
Uh, okay......
That lasted only about 5 minutes before he went in the garage dragging his T-Ball stand behind him back out into the yard. So apparently, I am not a very good pitcher.
And after a few hits went whizzing by me, it was decided that I wasn't a very good catcher either.
Chase is zeroing in on the fact that Mommy stinks at sports, all sports!

ONE FUN DAD

I heard Dylan happily gibber - jabbering away in his crib this morning. I walked in and greeted him excitedly, expecting that enthusiasm to be reciprocated. And usually, it is. But, this morning his face fell and his lower lip slipped out.
"Whats wrong, Buddy?" I asked, trying to cheer him up after the usual "Good morning's" and "How did you sleep's" went unanswered.
With the saddest little pouty face ever, all he whispered was "Dada."
I realized then that he was disappointed that it was me that came in to greet him this morning. Strange because Dave rarely does wake up calls with him since his is long gone by the time the boys get up 6 out of the 7 days of the week. But for some reason, today, he just wanted his Daddy.

I blame Dave for this! Lately, I am practically shunned whenever Daddy is around. I am not allowed to read him books, put his shoes on, even push the grocery cart if he is riding shotgun. Just last night I was laughing at Dave while we were outside playing after dinner. They all went out to toss the football around while I was cleaning up. By the time I got out there they were practically in a tug-of-war match over Daddy. Dave was unsuccessfully darting back and forth from pushing Dylan on the swing to tossing and catching the football with Chase. Neither of them were happy with this arrangement. I jumped in, trying to ease the situation and naturally, I went to Dylan. But, after one push from Mom he was screaming and thrashing and calling for Daddy. Dave left a pouting Chase with the football and rushed over to calm Dylan down. I just stepped back and watched for a minute, trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Well, no wonder! Dave is pushing him and then catching him mid-air and tickling him. Then he starts doing this fake out thing where he pretends Dylan has just kicked him in the face while he swings forward. Dylan just laughs and laughs as Dave jerks his head back in this big exaggerated production. Yeah, I see the problem, I am definitely not very fun. Dave sneaks away to play football with Chase who is pouting and won't give him the ball. To cheer him up, Dave picks him up and tosses him in the air, announcing, "I got the ball, Momma, but this big kid is attached to it!" Then, he pretends he is going to toss me the "ball" and Chase is cracking up by now too. Dylan is now squirming to get out of his swing because he wants Daddy to fling him around in the air pretending he is a football too. I don't even stand a chance! I later scolded Dave for over indulging them and being too fun.
"What can I say..." he smiles, "They just LOVE their ol' Dad!"
And they do! I will admit it, there is a small part of me that is a bit jealous of how they stumble over themselves just to be near him. But the bigger part of me wouldn't, I mean couldn't have it any other way.

WEEKEND WRAP UP

Do you ever wonder if we are going to have to somehow pay for this awesome weather we have been having all summer? The weather, for most of the summer has been pretty darn close to perfection. Not too hot, barely any rain, and oddly comfortable with NO humidity. We have been enjoying it! Really REALLY enjoying it. I just hope that KARMA doesn't decide that we have to debts to repay by dishing out a long, rough winter. Keeping fingers (and toes) crossed that it won't be the case. Anyway, we will continue to enjoy it, squeezing every last drop out of this superb weather before the flakes start flying! Fall is definitely in the air around here though. The tips of leaves are starting to bronze, the mornings are foggy and the sun is setting earlier and earlier. I even found this little surprise when I opened Dylan's shutters on Sunday morning. A perfect spider web stretched the entire span of one of his side windows. Spider webs are a sure sign of fall.... why is that, exactly?


I got a few cute photos when we paid a quick visit to MeMe and PaPa's house, Saturday. Chase had to show me "His Garden." He was sure proud of his tomato plants!


Dylan was looking for Grass Hoppers in the field behind their house. I love how all the flowers in the fields look this time of year. Beautiful!


We stayed a little too late, as we usually do. Dylan was getting tired and cranky on the ride home. I wanted him to stay awake so we could successfully put him down for his nap when we got home. Occasionally, in these circumstances we resort to extreme measures to keep him from falling asleep AND to keep him occupied i.e. not whining and crying. Now you are probably wondering what those extreme measures might be, right??? We gave him a box of raisins. To you, this may not sound very EXTREME.... but for the poor sap who has to clean out the car when we get home AND change his diaper post nap.... well, that person (DAVE) may beg to differ with you!! YIKES!!! Oh, well. The plan worked and he was happy and content for the ride home gobbling down/covering every square inch of the van with his "Poop Treats" as Dave calls them ;)

And, Sunday we made another trip to the Zoo. It was Grandparents Day and MeMe didn't have any plans, so she came too. We had a great time and actually visited many of the exhibits that we haven't been to in the past. Here are some highlights!!

BACKYARD FUN

Here Chase is doing his "homework." He picked up this workbook yesterday and started doing the math problems. (???) He doesn't really know how to do math, or so I thought! He was actually really getting the concept down. Look how hard he is concentrating!! And look at those cool glasses... I just had to take some pictures. I even got a few good ones off before he turned all angry on me.

Below are some photos of the guys out playing in the yard last night. The sun was setting and I thought the light might make for some cool photos. It was a little harsh in a few of them. I might need to work on my angling!

Daddy gives him a little lesson in the art of throwing a football.

I'M OPEN!!!!

Don't mess with him when he has got his game face on!!


Checking on his ouchie.

Meanwhile, Dylan is watching the swarm of kids (and adults) running back and forth tossing the football around. What fun it is to see them all playing and having a good time. Chase is thrilled when the "Big Kids" include him in their games.

Dylan is mastering the swing set. I am not sure what the deal is the the tongue out... but it sure makes for cute pictures - hee hee!!!

THE BIG PICTURE

I finally figured it out - my pictures are BIGGER! This is probably not all that exciting to anyone but ME! I know, I know.... I have major problems. Anyway, just uploaded a few randoms of the crazy guys being crazy. I love these photos (above and below) that were taken while the boys were relaxing on Mommy and Daddy's bed, watching shows, before bed time.



TUG OF WAR - puppy style, while playing in the tub???? Don't ask, I told you these kids are crazy!


Chase and Dylan love tumbling around in my bed. They get such a kick out of playing hide-and-seek under the sheets. While this game is fun, it can quickly get out of hand... I just know that one of these days one of them is going to take a header over the edge of the bed. I try to discourage this game by, ya know, actually making my bed. Because leaving sheets exposed is just asking for them to jump up there and start rough housing....


Chase riding around in his jeep. I wish that thing had an odometer because I think it has clocked in more miles this summer than MY car!

CHEESY SMILER

Randoms on this little guy.........

Here he is eating yogurt. His staple food item, Orange Creme flavor ONLY though. He pretty much thrives on that, Mac & Cheese, Hot Dogs & crackers. He is getting pickier by the day - I swear! Everything else that he tries, he hands back to me, partially chewed, and says, "I don't wike dis." And yes, it does appear that he is leaning down. Although, I think it is just more of a stretching issue. This happened to Chase at the same age. He barely gained any weight for a solid year, but grew something crazy, like 5 inches.

I am also happy to report that he is talking up a storm. He finally found his words and now he never stops! Every time I ask him a question, the answer is "I don know!" Every time the phone rings, he rushes over screaming "I get it, I get it! I talk, I talk!" Every time I am trying to accomplish something in the way of cooking or cleaning, he comes over an offers a hand, "I help you, Momma! I help you Momma." (Yes, he seriously does talk in twos like that.) Last night, shortly after I put him to bed, I heard him sneeze over the baby monitor and then he told himself, "Bless you." It was really cute, much cuter when you actually hear the sweet little baby voice saying it. But, you get the idea - right?

What else? Lets see..... he is still absolutely fascinated by Bogie (our cat) and his beloved books, the 3 or 4 that he insists on reading OVER & OVER & OVER, and washing his hands - which usually turns into more of a splash fest. (Grrrrr) He insists on doing everything himself, including getting dressed. This is pretty painful to watch, but he is starting to get the hang of it.

So, aside from getting CUTER and SWEETER by the day (in Mommy's opinion) that should about catch you up on this little guy!!