Toddling

I think sticking his tongue out makes him stay balanced.  :)

Treasure This Moment

I am totally a believer in letting my kids put themselves to sleep.  Don't get me wrong, I love to snuggle them and sing to them and read them a million books, but not every night.  I would just die if I had to rock each kid to sleep and slowly carefully move them to their bed.  It just wouldn't work.  So for nap time, I set Matthew in bed (he is the only one that really naps anymore), give him a kiss and leave him alone.  Within a few minutes he has fallen asleep and rarely does he cry.

Lately, Matthew has been teething and 5 to 6 teeth are breaking through his little gums at the same time.  It looks like a lot of pain.  He is pretty tough about it but sleeping hasn't been as consistent as it used to be for him.  And he sure seems miserable sometimes.  This morning for his nap he just kept crying and screaming and wouldn't sleep.  It was so unusual for him.  So I went back into his room and picked him up.  He just snuggled into my arms and laid still.  This NEVER happens with this kid.  The word squirmy is an understatement.  My middle boy is a snuggler, and my oldest has snugly moments, but this little one, NOT a snuggler.  I don't mind, we all give love in different ways.  But I was pretty taken aback when he just let me hold him.

I started rocking him and humming a song hoping he just might fall asleep.  He didn't, he just stared at me.  But then I glanced above his crib and there is a picture of the LDS temple that Tyson and I got married in taped to the wall.  I suddenly had a memory flash through my mind of when I stood by the front doors with Tyson and we were so excited about our live together.  I was so giddy to be marrying this incredible handsome guy.  The world was full of possibilities and the unknown.  It has only been a little over six years since then, but how much has changed.  We aren't in school anymore, I have been a stay-at-home mom for most of our married life.  We have three little boys.  Tyson has a great job and we are still really happy.  But I don't think I pictured rocking a little boy, my third little boy, just a few years after that.  Never would I have thought we would still be in Virginia. 

I can still vividly remember standing there with Tyson.  How quickly life has changed and how fast six years has gone by.  Six years used to be and feel like a million years.  How fast the next six years will be.  My little boys will grow up so fast, they already are so big. 

It was such a nice little moment, snuggling my non-snuggler, pausing from the busyness of life just for a moment and remembering how precious each moment is and how quickly it is gone.  Treasure this moment, right now, before it flees and you can't go back.

Snacks

Anyone who knows me knows that I have never been great about being "healthy."  I LOVE chocolate, sugar, cereal for every meal, crackers, cheese, and donuts.  Oh my heavens donuts.

Well, that doesn't work out very well with little kids.  Too much sugar and a lot of long term side effects can happen, not to mention the crankiness they excude all day long.  So I have tried for a long time to just limit their sugar and their snacks were like popcorn or animal crackers.  Not bad things, but seriously, how many animal crackers does a little kid want to eat before they just go crazy?

I would want to feed my kids healthy snacks, but they are just so expensive.  Fruit and veggies cost so much.  Well, really, they don't.  Not if you scale back on buying the animal crackers and canned food, and buy the fresh fruits and veggies that are in season.  But still, handing a kid an apple, will they really eat it?  In my house, we love apples, but usually the little ones will take a few bites and then leave it and then it goes brown and gross and is pretty much wasted.

So, one day I was just sick of the whining and complaining about how hungry they were but didn't want any of the options I gave them.  So I wrote up a list (with the help of my idea man, the husband) of every good snack I could think of.

-popcorn (plain)
-celery
-apples
-raisens
-hardboiled eggs
-animal crackers
-carrots

Okay, so that was about it.  Those would be okay, but after awhile that gets boring.  We have been going to little summer activities at the library and they make really fun snacks there.  Like once they made butterflies out of cheese and a sugar snap pea pod.  Really cute.  So that got me thinking...

We just got to make the snacks cute.  Presentation is everything.  No joke, they consumed everything.  (half an apple with veggies stuck on with peanut butter)  A few chocolate chips in there made it fun for me, but you can use raisens or whatever.  So I have to be a little more creative but it seriously takes just a few minutes or you can put the stuff out for the kids and they can make their own animal/creature.  Try it and share any cute ideas you have!  I'm sure my kids would love to benefit from it!

Pawn Stars

Have you ever seen the show Pawn Stars?  If not, you should, it is great.  It is about these three guys that own and work in a pawn stop in Las Vegas.  Well, Tyson and I watched several episodes with the boys.  I guess it sunk in a little deeper than we realized because a few days ago, this is what I overheard:

Josh: "Caleb, can I buy that movie from you?"
Caleb: "Um, how much?"
Josh: "How about 20 bucks."
Caleb: "I don't know if I can do that.  How about 30?"
Pause
Josh: "I don't think that will work for me.  20 is as much as I can do."
Caleb: "Okay, deal.  20 bucks."
They shake hands.
Josh: "Okay, let's go do some paperwork."

Yup.  The media has a big influence on our children.

Reading

Okay, so I found this book at the library a few years ago and then decided to buy my own copy.  So we did and now Josh has been doing a lesson a day.  It is GREAT.  I totally recommend it to anyone trying to teach their kid to read.  You really need to dedicate yourself to teach it the way the book explains to.  But it is just about 10-15 minutes a day and already Josh is reading several words on his own.  It is great!  I think they have newer copies that aren't so 70's looking, but either way, it totally works.

Boys-Video Style

My Not-so-little Boys

 MATTHEW

    Our little Matthew boy is almost 11 months old.  He has a personality, that is for sure.  Someone described him the other day as "a smile waiting to happen."  That is him for sure.  He has a heart melting smile, with two big dimples and his deep blue sparkly eyes.  Not to mention the cute little dimple chin he has too.  His hair is fluffy and Tyson keeps telling me we need to cut it, but I don't know how to go about it.  Josh and Caleb were both bald for at least the first year of their life.  I wouldn't have the slightest idea of how to keep Matthew still, and I'm afraid I would ruin the fluff.  So if the smile, fluffy hair, and chubby appendages don't get you to smile, for sure his floppy ears will.  Seriously, this kid is cute.  But, I guess I am pretty biased. 

    He loves to run after his brothers and he crawls about 1/3 of the time, walks/runs the rest of the time.  He refuses to eat baby food and has for some time now.  He will only eat what his brothers are eating.  He is cutting 4-6 teeth (I can't quite tell) right now, which means his cranky personality is a little (okay, a lot) more evident than usual.  And he is stubborn.  He screams and squawks when he wants something.  SO ANNOYING.  We are really working to break him of that.  And when he is mad, woah, he is mad.  It is just so crazy that a person so little can have so many opinions and so much defined character at so young.  It doesn't help that I have gotten lazier now that I am more exhausted chasing after all three of these kids, so pretty much, Matthew gives me a run for my money.  Tyson has to pick up my slack all the time.  And Matthew really listens to his daddy, for which we are all (including everyone at church that gets sick of his loud noises) appreciate.  I just LOVE this little guy!



 JOSHUA

    My Josh Dude is getting so big (5 years old in November).  He is my big helper, my bud, the tattle tell (including on me, Tyson knows way more secrets about me than he used to, like how much sugar I eat, hehe), the big brother.  He is a little bossy, especially with Caleb.  Sometimes that is a little frustrating, but Josh also has a lot of pressure on him to take care of his siblings, so it makes sense.  He has started washing his own dishes, which I am pretty sure I appreciate.  :)  There are so many chores that he wants to help with, like cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming, helping Daddy cut down the big tree, mowing the lawn, etc.  We came to a deal about when he can start mowing the lawn.  I was wearing a normal t-shirt and Josh asked how tall he would be when he could mow the lawn and so I told him when the top of his head reaches where the bottom of my sleeve hits on my arm (I hope that makes sense), he can start mowing the lawn.  So he reminds me all the time.  He also talks about "the other two babies."  He will say, "we are all here except for the other two babies."  Apparently, we have two more babies in heaven.  They are both girls, but not twins (thankfully).  So, we will see if he is right.

   We have been doing a lot of reading lately with Josh.  He LOVES books (and puzzles and board games).  He has been learning how to read and is doing really well.  Today he read "This is a cat.  The cat can run.  Mud is on the cat."  Never in my life did I think reading three sentences would be so cool.  He is a snuggle kid and loves to have his back scratched or massaged.  He tells me often how pretty I am and how much he loves me and Daddy.  I really like this age.  He is so honest, but still thinks I am pretty perfect.  I know that illusion won't last forever, but I really love it now.  I really am lucky to have such a great, sweet kid.



 CALEB

   Our sweet Caleb boy will be 3 in October.  So weird.  He was so little and underweight for so long, that I guess I didn't think he would ever grow.  He is finally getting taller and I catch myself looking twice at him because it seems like he looks older every time I see him.  He used to be so easy going, and I'm sure he still is, but he has opinions now which is weird.  He wants to eat only certain foods and wear certain clothes.  He hates being unclothed in any way, so potty training has been a serious struggle.  Like he seriously sits there bawling and screaming for hours if I change his diaper and don't put his pants back on.  Kind of funny.  But I am glad he has opinions, it makes life more interesting and it is cute to see what he cares about.

  One thing he cares a lot about are his brothers.  He tells Josh and Matthew all the time that they are his best friends.  It is so sweet.  He hugs poor Matthew non-stop and tries to carry him and feed him and all kinds of really loving things that drive me crazy.  :)  He speaks pretty well for a little boy, I think.  I can understand pretty much everything he says and his favorite phrase is "Mama, I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to ____"  Like if he is talking to Tyson about something and Tyson won't respond, I will say "Oh Caleb, that is cool."  He will say, "No Mama, I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to Daddy."  And look at me with this "how dare you" look on his face.  He still sometimes takes naps, but not often.  He hates sleeping in his bed and usually ends up on our floor or the foot of our bed.  I start to get upset, but he is so cuddly and loving, it is nigh unto impossible to be mad for long.  I am just so lucky to have this little guy in my life.  He loves to kiss me and giggle and I just treasure him.



I am just so thankful I have these three little guys.  I just had to write about them.