Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Caleb Enjoying His Own Room

It Takes A Village

to wash the dog apparantly!




Isaac - the supervisor





















Daddy - the burr picker
and Bryce the bather!














WHO IS GETTING THE BATH HERE??













Trip got covered in burrs when we went on our hike so Paul was giving him a bath. Bryce decided Daddy needed help so he got undressed and in the tub and Isaac was an on-looker. Paul had to pick every burr out one by one and Bryce scrubbed the soap in the entire time Paul was picking. Of course, when Paul was done bathing the dog, he had to wash out the tub and bathe Bryce!!

Memorial Day

You should be able to double click on the photos and enlarge them so you can see them better





The entrance sign





























Starting out the hike



















Bryce with his walking stick



















The view at the first photo blind the white dots way out in the fields were pelicans.














Bryce "being quiet and watching"
















Bryce "being quiet and watching"













one of the many pretty flowers we saw on our hike
















Isaac













Caleb and Bryce holding hands and walking
















Isaac showing me something






















another photo blind












Do you see the blue-bellied lizard? He let us get right up at him, even with the boys and the dog!



















the trail














A momma turtle laying eggs













Isaac at a photo blind (if you want to know what is behind that look at the first photo blind picture above)











Bryce at the end of the hike - he was singing and hiking in his own world














The very end of the hike














Get that camera out of my face!! I am hot and tired!











Monday we decided we wanted to do at least one little thing that was somewhat fun, so we decided to go hiking. We went to Bell Slough which "2000 acres include wetland and forest habitats that provide permanent homes or temporary stops along migration routes for over one hundred wildlife species."

The boys LOVE hiking so we usually spend weekends and holidays visiting the different parks around us. Caleb always has to be the leader, and for the most part we let him. He takes his walking stick and takes off. He finds all of the "neat" sights and points them out to everyone else.

Isaac has come such a long way since last summer. Last summer, he hiked, but it was very hard on him. He fell a lot and complained a lot and basically did not enjoy it as much as we would have liked him too. He has come so far with therapy though and I was really impressed. We did a 2.3 mile hike. He did not complain or fall one time the entire trip (other than about the mosquitos that were eating us alive!!).

This was Bryce's first time to hike the entire hike. Up until now he has always been in a carrier on Daddy's back. He did SO good. There was minimal complaining after we had gone a little more than half way. We stopped and had some water, and he finished the hike. This really is not a surprise to me because I know how he can go and never stop!!

This was probably the best hike we have ever had with all of the kids. It really makes me look forward to all of our hikes this year! Unfortunately, we did not see much in the way of wildlife, because while they hiked well, they did not keep their mouths closed!! Enjoy the pictures!

The Worse Holiday Weekend

Well, what a weekend we have had! It started with Isaac waking up at about 3:30 in the morning on Thursday. I woke up to him crying and went into his room to check on him. I was greeted with a horrible smell. I looked up on his bed (on the top bunk) and his blue sheet was a lovely shade of Taco Bell tacos, mixed with Fruit Punch! I put him in the shower and changed his bedding and got him back to bed, expecting to wake up shortly to Bryce with the same problem. I thought it was the Taco Bell, and they had eaten the exact same thing for dinner.

Well, about an hour later, I was awakened to Isaac crying again. Again, I went into his room and was greeted by the same horrible sour odor. I knew before looking that he had gotten sick again. After the third time of being awakened to the cry and the odor, I made a pallet for Isaac right in front of the bathroom door! Of course, he was fine after that.

He stayed home from school Thursday, but was fine all day. Friday morning, we get up and get ready for school. Right before we left to take Isaac, he threw up AGAIN! So he stayed home again.

At lunch time, Bryce threw up all over me. Of course I am wearing white pants and a light blue silk shirt AND Bryce had blueberry nutri-grain bars for breakfast, so he threw up blueberries down my back. After dealing with Isaac I knew he did not need to eat or drink. By Friday afternoon, he was acting fine, and we were still thinking Taco Bell. We went ahead and went down to Texas for the weekend.

We got into Texas and Bryce threw up again, in the car. Luckily, I got a bag in place just in time! Friday night, he got he was fine, but Caleb got it. We were at Aunt Lindsays house and he got sick all over the elevator! He was up literally every 30 minutes throughout the night!

Saturday I got it. Sunday, Paul. It was a very long weekend, and we hope that we did not get everyone in Texas sick! When we were home this weekend, I was doing laundry. Not just any laundry, bedding and clothes and towels that reeked. I should have taken it all to the laundry mat instead of trying to do it all here. I spent three days doing laundry almost all day, and I am still not done! I washed all the bedding twice with lots of soap and fabric softner to make sure the SMELL was out!

This is one long weekend I am glad is over!!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Bryce

Bryce is starting to copy everything, even when you don't think he is listening! It is so nice to have a child that does not need speech! According to the doctor he is ahead of normal (but what is normal really?). He speaks so clearly and has such a big vocabulary, you would never know he is not even 3!! It was funny how surprised the doctor and nurses were when I took Isaac in last and they heard Bryce talking!

The other day we went to get some coffee at the local coffee shop after we took Isaac to school. Bryce always goes and sits in the oversized leather chair right by the fireplace (that is never on when we are their). The lady was talking to the guy in line in front of me and said something about something being "freakin' crazy." Bryce, without skipping a beat and while continueing to play in the chair repeats "freakin' crazy." Everyone in the coffee house started laughing. She apologized and commented about how well he copied her. I said "yeah it is amazing what they pick up even when you don't think they are listening."

A couple of nights ago we were at the kitchen table eating dinner. No one was talking, we were all just eating (a very rare occurance at this house - no one talking). Out of no where Bryce blurts out "Daddy you are driving me crazy!" We all burst out laughing! I can't imagine where he heard that from??? (insert innocent face!)
Well, we finally got Isaac okay with sleeping on the top bunk, which means Caleb got his own room. We moved Bryce in with Isaac, and put Caleb in Bryce's room, which Caleb is loving...Bryce is not. He was not liking it from the moment we started moving things around!

Everything is going well, for the most part. The first couple of mornings, Isaac would not get out of bed until someone went in and watched him get down. It is really amazing though, because he has no problem getting up and down without someone watching when he is supposed to be sleeping, but is playing instead!

Caleb is getting to stay up late now. He actually is doing pretty good though. He has always needed A LOT of sleep or he is unbelievably grumpy - especially if someone wakes him up instead of him getting up on his own. We let him go to his room at 8 and read. He has read 2 books since Sunday evening!! We are talking real books, not baby books - chapter books! He got a clip on light and reads in bed until we tell him to turn the light off. We forgot to tell him last night and I went in at about 10:20 or so and he was still reading. He had read 257 pages since he had gone in there! I was really scared about getting him up this morning, but he got up on his own - before I was ready for him too of course!! We will see how he acts this afternoon!

Now everyone has had a chance of having their own rooms. Hopefully, soon we will find a house with 4 bedrooms!!

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Bryce First Fire Training

This morning Bryce and I went to Walmart to get a few things. When we were leaving Bryce saw two firetrucks behind Walmart. They had the ladder raised, so we parked in a parking spot and watched. We sat there for a while and then Daniel, one of Bryce's buddies, saw him and came and got him.

They were doing a training exercise. They raised the ladder all the way and one of the firemen climbed all the way up it. They then turned it all different directions. Bryce was loving watching the man on the ladder while the ladder was moving. He REALLY loved it when they started spraying the hose.










Paul's Dream Car

This SPAMOBILE has been parked at a hotel close to us! I thought it was pretty funny!


Monday, May 15, 2006

Bryce and His Best Friend - Bear Bear



My Favorite Ringtone

Yes, that is Bryce that is super loud - don't have your volume up too loud!! Sadly the phone was the furthest away from him and he is still the loudest. Welcome to my life!!

My Favorite Ringtone

this is an audio post - click to play

Mother's Day



























I am the luckiest lady alive. I have a wonderful, loving husband, and three great kids! I could not ask for a better bunch of guys! Even though I get frustrated with them often, they always remind me how much I love them! They have taught me so much about life that I would otherwise never know. I cannot imagine my life without them in it. Life would be pretty boring I am sure!!

What a great Mother's Day! Caleb really took care of me - especially since Daddy was not home to help. He got up at 6:30 and made me breakfast in bed - and then they gave me all of their gifts they made for me. It was so exciting and so sweet!

Caleb made me a recipe holder and a great card. I am so proud of him! He wrote inside "Mom is the best in the world. I love you Mom" and then "I love mom one inch behind God-Jessus." The recipe holder came complete with a recipe for peanut butter cookies that Caleb wrote out for me.

Isaac made me a picture frame, and a poem with his handprints on it. He was so excited that he gave it to me on Friday when he brought it home, and then took it back and gave it to me again on Sunday morning. He was so funny - all day yesterday he kept asking "When are we going to Mother's Day?" and "Where is Mother's day at?" He just could not understand, but it was so cute. He also made me a door hanger with his photo on it (at therapy).

Bryce made me a trivet at Mother's Day Out. It is adorable. They put his handprint, name and year on it then sent it to get glazed and fired. It was cute, and he also gave it to me Friday and then again yesterday.

After church, Caleb said he was taking me out to eat for Mother's Day. I asked where and he said to McDonalds. I asked him how he was going to get us there and he said I would have to drive. "You will have to pay too, Mommy!" I gave Caleb the money and let him pay so that he felt like he was "taking me out."

I also got a new cell phone. Paul got me a PINK Razr. I was very excited. The boys and I were playing with it and figured out how to record ringtones. They recorded one for me together that I will post next. It is so sweet, and now everytime the phone rings I will hear three of my four favorite guys. And, everytime I open the phone I will see a picture of them together.