I will forget if I don't write them down so...
The other day Joe says out of the blue, "Mom, when is Grandpa Ed going to come back to life? I really miss him!" So sweet. I love that my boys got to know their Grandpa Ed while we lived with them. Also, we explained that we don't know when exactly we'll be resurrected, so it might be a while.
I was cuddling with Max before his nap and got a stray eyelash off his cheek. He wanted to look at it, so I showed him and he said, "Wow, that's beautiful!"
Tonight we were driving home from Costco, and it was dark. The kids are a little fascinated with it getting darker earlier these days (I don't love it). Will said, "I can't see anything. I can't see horses... or Cinderella... or anything!" Not sure where that came from. Or when he ever sees Cinderella.
These boys sure have a laughing and smiling. We love them.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Saturday, August 23, 2014
First Day of First Grade
We've really been enjoying Summer at our house. Joe was ready for more structure though. He missed the first day of school because we got to pick Stephanie up from the airport from her mission! Wahoo! I gave him the choice to come with us to pick her up and miss his first day, or go to the first day of school and see her that night and he decided to miss the first day.
The night before and morning of school Joe was a little sad, and told me he was going to miss me. And Max. He was also concerned that school was going to be hard since he was going to first grade now. I tried to alleviate his concerns, telling him that kindergarten helped prepare him for first grade and that we will still get to spend a lot of time together as a family.
When he got home from his first day he told me it wasn't very good and "I really missed you, Mom." So we talked about his day and some of the things that happened. It's a little hard to tell from his perspective, but I think the recess after lunch Joe missed the bell, and was out with another class and got a little lost. He got a little teary that fist day. He was re-telling the story and dinner and said, "...I was sitting by the wall...just thinking about you, Mom, and how I really missed you..." When he started crying at the dinner table Zach had him get out of his seat to give Zach a hug, and Joe said, "I don't know why water is falling out of my eyes?!" Oh, it was so sweet and funny. And I was a little flattered that he missed me so much.
So that night, Zach gave Joe and Will a blessing, and then Max sat on the chair and said, "my turn!" So, Max got one too. Every day since then Joe has said that it has gotten better.
And then there is this kid who is just too cool for school.
No, but seriously. I took Will to sign up/meet preschool teachers this summer and it was a major flop. He froze up and freaked out and two of the three preschool and the third one he was ok with, but I wasn't a huge fan. Anyway the first day of Joe's school was rough for Will! He missed him a lot. I would love to get a little play-group together, but he doesn't have a lot of friends his age and two of them are pretty shy. So I saw this sign driving home one day and I thought, "why not?" So I took him to meet the teacher, and although he never made it inside the home, he didn't freak out and he even agreed he would go back to the open house next week, so we'll see what happens.
The night before and morning of school Joe was a little sad, and told me he was going to miss me. And Max. He was also concerned that school was going to be hard since he was going to first grade now. I tried to alleviate his concerns, telling him that kindergarten helped prepare him for first grade and that we will still get to spend a lot of time together as a family.
When he got home from his first day he told me it wasn't very good and "I really missed you, Mom." So we talked about his day and some of the things that happened. It's a little hard to tell from his perspective, but I think the recess after lunch Joe missed the bell, and was out with another class and got a little lost. He got a little teary that fist day. He was re-telling the story and dinner and said, "...I was sitting by the wall...just thinking about you, Mom, and how I really missed you..." When he started crying at the dinner table Zach had him get out of his seat to give Zach a hug, and Joe said, "I don't know why water is falling out of my eyes?!" Oh, it was so sweet and funny. And I was a little flattered that he missed me so much.
So that night, Zach gave Joe and Will a blessing, and then Max sat on the chair and said, "my turn!" So, Max got one too. Every day since then Joe has said that it has gotten better.
And then there is this kid who is just too cool for school.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Solo Sunday
Zach woke up this morning with a terrible migraine, so I took the boys to church by myself. They are generally a handful in sacrament meeting and I was worried about managing all three of them without Zach. Things were going pretty well, although I wasn't able to listen much, until halfway through the final speaker. I can't even remember what set him off but Will started throwing a loud tantrum complete with hits, pinches, and yells. I told Joe to go out to the foyer and had to carry out Will. What about Max, you ask? The girl sitting next to me kindly accepted to keep an eye on him while I was gone.
I took Will outside to have him sit in time-out for his behavior. Of course he was upset about it and was very vocal about it. I'm sure the people in the foyer were distracted from the rest of the meeting. After the meeting we went and collected Max. Poor guy just laid on the floor after I left. He probably thought I had abandoned him. Will couldn't very well go to nursery after an outburst like that so I took him and Max home to put them both down for naps.
It took all of Gospel Doctrine, but once they were asleep I headed back to church (don't forget, Zach was home, but his migraine left him incapacitated). I made it for Relief Society where we had an excellent lesson about having a peaceful home. The Spirit taught me a lot that meeting and I was so grateful to be there. Then I started thinking of how it would have been different had Max and Will still been there. It's likely they would have run out of steam before Relief Society was over and I would have had to intervene. Even if that weren't the case, I would have been at least slightly preoccupied with thoughts of how they were doing.
Although Will's behavior was a far cry from perfect, I felt like it was a blessing in disguise. First, it was an opportunity for me to practice patience. Although I often enjoy those opportunities, I need them. Second, because I took the boys home I was able to fully participate in Relief Society.
On the surface it may not seem like it, but today was a good day.
I took Will outside to have him sit in time-out for his behavior. Of course he was upset about it and was very vocal about it. I'm sure the people in the foyer were distracted from the rest of the meeting. After the meeting we went and collected Max. Poor guy just laid on the floor after I left. He probably thought I had abandoned him. Will couldn't very well go to nursery after an outburst like that so I took him and Max home to put them both down for naps.
It took all of Gospel Doctrine, but once they were asleep I headed back to church (don't forget, Zach was home, but his migraine left him incapacitated). I made it for Relief Society where we had an excellent lesson about having a peaceful home. The Spirit taught me a lot that meeting and I was so grateful to be there. Then I started thinking of how it would have been different had Max and Will still been there. It's likely they would have run out of steam before Relief Society was over and I would have had to intervene. Even if that weren't the case, I would have been at least slightly preoccupied with thoughts of how they were doing.
Although Will's behavior was a far cry from perfect, I felt like it was a blessing in disguise. First, it was an opportunity for me to practice patience. Although I often enjoy those opportunities, I need them. Second, because I took the boys home I was able to fully participate in Relief Society.
On the surface it may not seem like it, but today was a good day.
Monday, July 1, 2013
The Birthday Boy
Joe is five! I cannot believe I will have a kid in kindergarten this fall. He will love it though. Every time we drive past a school Joe asks if it's his school.
Joe's birthday started with his favorite breakfast, crepes. He was so appreciative when I wished him "happy birthday" in the morning. I thought it was pretty cute. That evening we had over our new neighbors and some family to celebrate. Joe's big gift was a bike. We had also bought him some "Joe-Joe" cookies from Trader Joe's. I wasn't really thinking and we had him open the bike first. I thought it would be a little anti-climactic opening the cookies next, but Joe was just as excited for the cookies as the bike.
Joe is such a fun boy. He loves to make people laugh. It makes him so happy when someone thinks he's funny. Sometimes I have to remind him what appropriate humor is.
He likes to get as close to doing something against the rules as possible, without actually breaking the rule. For example, in our house "pee," and "poo," are potty words and are only allowed in appropriate conversations. So, instead he likes to say "diaper," and "toilet," as much as possible, because he knows those words are game, and they are pretty close to potty words. I used to tell him we only used potty words in the bathroom, but then anytime he would go in there to take a bath or for any other reason, that's all we would hear the entire time.
He likes to tell jokes. He learned one from Wreck It Ralph recently that he thinks is hilarious. It's a potty joke. Of course.
He is learning to read. We are using The Reading Lesson. We aren't very far into it, but it's fun to watch Joe learn, and sound things out.
Joe has a bit of a temper. Zach and I both had temper issues when we were young. Sometimes when he is having a bad day I think I am just getting what I deserve. And I apologize to my mother for ever being that way. Haha.
Joe loves to sing and listen to music. I will catch him singing "That's What Makes You Beautiful" often. He also loves Collective Soul. And he will make up his own songs. The other day he was singing one about the church being true and the first vision, that he had made up.
Although we limit screen time, Joe loves shows. He asks all the time if he can watch a show. We have always limited the amount he watches, but I'm trying even more now because I feel like he's a little obsessed.
He loves to be the big brother. This is good and bad. He is such a good helper so much of the time. Other times he bosses his Will around, or tried to enforce rules himself.
Is Will's best friend. I've overheard him tell Will several times,"remember Will, we're best friends." Will says the same to Joe now. So sweet.
Loves Max. He still clobbers him. Max is such a sport. Joe picks him up all the time. Carries him. Pulls on him. Sits on him. Usually it's to try to get Max to laugh.
Joe often cooks his own eggs and toast. The eggs with supervision, the toast without.
He wants to be a good boy, and make good choices. We had a family reunion recently and were having FHE all together. Jerry was teaching the kids about choices and consequences. Joe piped up that he was trying, but sometimes made mistakes. He was SO sincere, and it was just like Jerry and Joe were the only two in the room.
He is such a good boy, and we are so glad he is in our family.
Joe's birthday started with his favorite breakfast, crepes. He was so appreciative when I wished him "happy birthday" in the morning. I thought it was pretty cute. That evening we had over our new neighbors and some family to celebrate. Joe's big gift was a bike. We had also bought him some "Joe-Joe" cookies from Trader Joe's. I wasn't really thinking and we had him open the bike first. I thought it would be a little anti-climactic opening the cookies next, but Joe was just as excited for the cookies as the bike.
Joe is such a fun boy. He loves to make people laugh. It makes him so happy when someone thinks he's funny. Sometimes I have to remind him what appropriate humor is.
He likes to get as close to doing something against the rules as possible, without actually breaking the rule. For example, in our house "pee," and "poo," are potty words and are only allowed in appropriate conversations. So, instead he likes to say "diaper," and "toilet," as much as possible, because he knows those words are game, and they are pretty close to potty words. I used to tell him we only used potty words in the bathroom, but then anytime he would go in there to take a bath or for any other reason, that's all we would hear the entire time.
He likes to tell jokes. He learned one from Wreck It Ralph recently that he thinks is hilarious. It's a potty joke. Of course.
He is learning to read. We are using The Reading Lesson. We aren't very far into it, but it's fun to watch Joe learn, and sound things out.
Joe has a bit of a temper. Zach and I both had temper issues when we were young. Sometimes when he is having a bad day I think I am just getting what I deserve. And I apologize to my mother for ever being that way. Haha.
Joe loves to sing and listen to music. I will catch him singing "That's What Makes You Beautiful" often. He also loves Collective Soul. And he will make up his own songs. The other day he was singing one about the church being true and the first vision, that he had made up.
Although we limit screen time, Joe loves shows. He asks all the time if he can watch a show. We have always limited the amount he watches, but I'm trying even more now because I feel like he's a little obsessed.
He loves to be the big brother. This is good and bad. He is such a good helper so much of the time. Other times he bosses his Will around, or tried to enforce rules himself.
Is Will's best friend. I've overheard him tell Will several times,"remember Will, we're best friends." Will says the same to Joe now. So sweet.
Loves Max. He still clobbers him. Max is such a sport. Joe picks him up all the time. Carries him. Pulls on him. Sits on him. Usually it's to try to get Max to laugh.
Joe often cooks his own eggs and toast. The eggs with supervision, the toast without.
He wants to be a good boy, and make good choices. We had a family reunion recently and were having FHE all together. Jerry was teaching the kids about choices and consequences. Joe piped up that he was trying, but sometimes made mistakes. He was SO sincere, and it was just like Jerry and Joe were the only two in the room.
He is such a good boy, and we are so glad he is in our family.
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| On his birthday, with some of his favorite people |
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| We love our Joe Joe! |
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Max These Days
Oy, it's been a while since I've posted. So, a little about Max.
Still so happy. He gives the biggest grin, squints his eyes and tenses up his whole body sometimes when he is trying to be silly, or knows we are watching him.
Loves to be crazy with the boys. If they are being rambunctious, he tries to join in best he can. Usually he does this sort of scream thing.
Is moving like crazy. Runs all over the place. Because of this he's lost some of his baby chub. Makes me a little sad that he's not going to stay a baby!
Zach and I discovered him in the kitchen one night on a chair, trying to sip powdered sugar (from a closed bag) with a straw. Haha, so he's learned to climb on chairs, and the couch, and the ottoman...
Loves to be outside. He freaks out when I bring him in.
He loves Dallas (my parent's dog). The other day I looked out on the deck where I thought he was playing and I didn't see him! I went out and he had climbed in the doghouse and was cuddling up to Dallas.
Loves Grandma Jean. We goes upstairs and he goes right to her to be picked up and usually cuddles up on her shoulder, even when he isn't tired. So sweet.
Says a few words! "ba" for ball. "ba" for balloon. "ba" for bird. "ba" for pretty much anything that catches his interest. Haha. So maybe one word? He's trying, and that's good.
Likes to play chase and hide-and-seek.
This kids loves books. He could look at books almost all day. If he is grumpy usually all we have to do is sit down and read with him for a bit and he is all smiles again.
Has never had a haircut. I can't bear the thought of cutting off his darling curls.
When he's tired he likes to bite down on something soft, like his blankie, or my bathrobe.
Still so happy. He gives the biggest grin, squints his eyes and tenses up his whole body sometimes when he is trying to be silly, or knows we are watching him.
Loves to be crazy with the boys. If they are being rambunctious, he tries to join in best he can. Usually he does this sort of scream thing.
Is moving like crazy. Runs all over the place. Because of this he's lost some of his baby chub. Makes me a little sad that he's not going to stay a baby!
Zach and I discovered him in the kitchen one night on a chair, trying to sip powdered sugar (from a closed bag) with a straw. Haha, so he's learned to climb on chairs, and the couch, and the ottoman...
Loves to be outside. He freaks out when I bring him in.
He loves Dallas (my parent's dog). The other day I looked out on the deck where I thought he was playing and I didn't see him! I went out and he had climbed in the doghouse and was cuddling up to Dallas.
Loves Grandma Jean. We goes upstairs and he goes right to her to be picked up and usually cuddles up on her shoulder, even when he isn't tired. So sweet.
Says a few words! "ba" for ball. "ba" for balloon. "ba" for bird. "ba" for pretty much anything that catches his interest. Haha. So maybe one word? He's trying, and that's good.
Likes to play chase and hide-and-seek.
This kids loves books. He could look at books almost all day. If he is grumpy usually all we have to do is sit down and read with him for a bit and he is all smiles again.
Has never had a haircut. I can't bear the thought of cutting off his darling curls.
When he's tired he likes to bite down on something soft, like his blankie, or my bathrobe.
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| Max, biting on his blankie |
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