Mommy-Holden Date

Well, if I am being completely honest then I will share that the last month has been pretty rough with Mister Holden. Goodness, he is a strong personality. And I've said in the past, that pendullum swings both ways. We see some great qualities in our boy. I just want to be able to guide him so these qualities (such as leadership) are used in a positive way. And I want to see his little personality blossom in a healthy way. Unfortunately, I was making mistakes without even realizing it. And eventually, I was so worn down and completely knocked off my game. To the point that I felt like I had no clue as to what I was doing in this parenting gig. Yes, this all happened in a matter of 3+ weeks. And then a few nights ago, an angel called me on the phone. Well, not really an angel, but I know God used her to speak to me. My friend Andrea called. We talked and my voice quivered as I vented and shared my frustration with how poorly things had been going. And she gently reminded me of some things that I had forgotten and that I hadn't been putting into practice daily. Giving choices, trying to stay positive in my responses, redirecting. I know this stuff, people! I promise. But like I said, this had been going on for over 3 weeks. I had been outdone by my 2-year old. And honestly, it was my own fault. Andrea also suggested making an incentive chart for him, with stickers and a prize at the end. So the next morning, he chose his sippy cup. He chose his breakfast bowl. He chose his breakfast. He chose his beverage. He chose his shirt. Each time, I gave 2 options and he happily chose 1. It was a fabulous morning! I dropped him off at MDO, went to the store for some items (including stickers for the chart) and came home and did some research on this incentive chart for my 2-year old. I did decide that our biggest struggle right now involves Pax and being kind to him. That is normally what gets him into trouble. Poor decisions revolving around his little brother. Wednesday, once he was home from school, I explained the chart. Every time he did something sweet, kind or nice for Pax, he earned a sticker. These kind actions ended up being things like: bringing Pax a toy, picking up his paci when he dropped it (he drops it constantly!), getting his sippy cup, hugs, kisses and loving words. When the boxes were filled with stickers, he and I would go and get icecream together. I realize he would have been just as satisfied with a sucker from the pantry. (I have a secret stash!) But after the last 3+ weeks, and myself being the main disciplinarian, I felt like he and I needed the time together. He needed to receive an award and something positive from me. I really had been failing in my job. So yesterday afternoon/evening went well. And today went pretty fabulous. He earned 5 stickers today. Plus the 1 he earned yesterday meant he earned his treat! Tonight after dinner mommy and Holden went out for some frozen yogurt. It was a sweet time as we sat together. Just the 2 of us. I was so proud of him and the change in his behavior over the past 24 hours. And I knew it was just the changes I had made in my parenting. I love this boy more than words could ever say. And I am grateful for my sweet friend who gently reminded me of the things I was forgetting.

Holden showing you his incentive chart. And this is what we get when we say "give daddy a big smile for the camera." He's not angry. Actually pretty excited that he is about to go and get some icecream.

Holden chose chocolate with sprinkles. And he ate every bite. And I had yellow cake with chocolate chips. Hey, after the last month, I deserved the icecream too!

That sweet smile, again. :) Goodness, I love him! How could I even help myself?!

Update on Paxy-Pax! **updated**

I realize there is a birth mother out there that is probably way more interested in posts like these, than what I'm feeding my family for dinner. :) So here it goes. It's all about Pax. I love this age! He turned 13 months on Sunday. And it's just a fun age. He has become Mr. Personality around here. Fake laughing to make us all laugh. Fake crying to make us feel sorry for him. Making silly noisy in his throat and then giggling when it gets our attention. Playing peek-a-boo in the curtains and behind the furniture. He is full of entertainment. He is much more vocal now. He tries to repeat much of what we say. I'm pretty sure he said "dump truck" last week after I said it. I know that sounds ridiculous but a stranger heard him also and just about thought he was a genious. :) I love to hear him babble. But of everything Pax does and all his attempts to entertain, my favorite is his dancing. We must get it on video soon. The boy hears any kind of music and he gets to movin' and groovin'. If a toy starts playing music, he dances. He dances in the car to the radio, or when a cell phone goes off. The boy loves to dance. And by now, I think he's learned that we find it pretty cute, so he's got some good motivation to show off. He's an easy eater right now. He doesn't turn down much of anything. Isn't it a great, but short lived stage sometimes? He's on his feet alot these days, but not walking. In fact, when we let go of him, he takes a few steps (sometimes) but quickly goes to his knees to crawl. I know he'll be walking in time. Pax always takes a little time to do most anything. Perhaps it's just all part of his sweet personality. For now, he is cruising around furniture and standing up for long periods of time on his own. He is a great sleeper. We put him to bed at 7:30pm and on Sunday we had to wake him at 9am to make it to church on time. For the last few weeks, I catch myself having to do this often. Then there are other days, like today, where he woke on his own at 8am. His wake time has been pretty inconsistent lately and I've thought that's been strange. And then today, I think I figured out the reason. As he was crying in his high chair at lunch time, I noticed a HUGE swollen, tender area where a molar is about to break through. So then as I started feeling his gums, I realized he was sprouting at least 5 new teeth, at minimum. There may be more that I don't see signs of yet. 5 teeth all at once! His 2 top molars have barely cut through and I didn't even know he was teething. I mean, it's always a guess. I just hadn't checked his mouth in a while. Holden always slept more during teething, so I'm allowing that to explain his lazy mornings. 5 teeth, people! That's the way I prefer it. Get 'em all in at once.

Pax loves his daddy. His face lights up when Jeremy walks in from work. And Jeremy's face pretty much lights up too to see 2 little boys so eager for their daddy. And since we're counting, my face pretty much lights up to, to see some help walk through the door. :) So long to my momma's boy days. In fact, daddy trumps anyone and everyone in Pax's book. Except maybe Papa J. He sure LOVES his Papa J. In fact, after being away from me for 48 hours, Papa J returned from work and he crawled right past me and reached up to him! What in the world?! He is such a lover. He loves to give kisses. Sometimes he does it when we ask and sometimes he just leans forward and voluntarily plants one on me.

This age really is a delight. I remember it well with Holden. And though the desire for independence starts to come out around this time, which can sometimes be a challenge, it's still alot of fun. On the other hand, 2 1/2 is kicking my tail! :) Here are some recent pictures of Pax.

His first roller-coaster. The little dare devil, loved it. :)

Playing with friend, Camryn. We had to stop them from licking the netting. Gross!

He loves cars and trucks. Very much like his brother.

My sweet boy!

**As of 4pm today, he's walking. Still crawling alot, but can walk across the room with a bit of encouragement. And even stops to clap for himself since that is what he sees his momma doing! Video coming soon! And for the record, it's just as exciting with baby #2! :) **

Couscous Salad Greek Style

So this was lunch today and it will be on the side of chicken for dinner tonight. I loved it! So this recipe will be a keept. The boys, not so much. Bummer! Pax tried a bite. Made a face and spit some out. That boy will eat anything, so not sure what the deal was with the couscous. I will try again at dinner. And Holden loves couscous, so I was sure it would be a hit. But he was not so thrilled about the tiny cucumbers chopped into his beloved dish. I thought peeling them and chopping them tiny would work. Nope. And I didn't have all of the ingredients for the recipe below. So I improvised. It just looked like one of those recipes you could do that with. I didn't have limes, so I used a lemon. I didn't have green onion or oregano. Instead I chopped up red bell pepper and added that to the salad. I didn't have the cheese. Who needs cheese?! Not me. So I liked my version of the salad. But here is Tosca Reno's (which I plan to try another time):

1 cup Whole Wheat Couscous
3/4 cup Chicken Broth
3/4 cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1/2 cup Grape Tomatoes
1/4 cup Green Onion
1 cup Cucumber
1/4 cup Fresh Oregano
1/2 cup of Goat cheese or Feta Cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Bring broth and orange juice to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Then turn off heat and cover pot tightly for five minutes.

2. Make dressing by combining olive oil and lime juice. Whisk and set aside.

3. Remove lid and fluff grains with a fork. Add chopped vegetables. Crumble the cheese over the salad and drizzle with dressing. Add oregano and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Stir, refridgerate and serve cold.

some selfish time.

Last Monday was one of the best in long, long time. Last Sunday after church, we headed to my parents house with 2 little boys packed for a 48-hour stay. They were staying. Jeremy and I were not. We have not had a single night away from the boys since last December when we celebrated our anniversary. It was due time. overdue, actually. And after fumbling through weekends, nothing was working on the calendar. So we decided it didn't have to be a weekend. Our plan was that Jeremy would work that week as normal but he could take off a little early on Monday and we could have a long afternoon/evening together. We dropped off the boys. I was a little worried about Pax since it had been so long that I had left him for more than a few hours. But he seemed to do fine when we left and Holden was waving to us. Seriously, Holden could not have cared less. He had his Nana and Poppa Js undivided attention.

We spent Sunday afternoon/evening together. We acted a little selfish and did some things that we're not able to do as easily with the boys. Jeremy did a little shopping for clothes. We went out to dinner. And then we went for a late night run. I've been running again! I dare to even post it on this blog. Normally when I announce on the blog that I'm running, we add a child to our family. So this is risky business, here. :) I love having a running partner and I would love it to be Jeremy. But that just doesn't work for us at this time. On Monday Jeremy ended up surprising me and stayed home from work. We slept 10 hours that night! And actually, we still woke up by 8am. I could hardly recognize my face in the mirror. I like the well-rested look. I wish I could wear it more often. I'm just not discplined enough to turn out the lights at 9am. But 10 hours really was amazing. But then we got up and got rolling. We did a little more shopping at a fun outdoor mall, close by. The weather was great! We ate lunch at a taco place. We saw a funny movie. (We never see movies in the theatre because we're too cheap!) And we just had alot of time to relax and be together. And we went for another run on Monday night!

Tuesday I ran a few errands. I was in and out of places in no time. Amazing how quick you can get around when you aren't unloading and reloading a double stroller plus the boys. It was a great 48-hours. To be completely honest, I NEEDED this time. I needed just a small break from my role as mommy/care-taker/meeter-of-every-need. And Jeremy and I needed the time together. It really was like a dose of medicine. It was restful and fun. And I'm pretty sure the boys had a fun time with their grandparents. Rumor is they played on the tire swing, ran around outside, ate icecream and Holden brought home a 10 foot choo-choo train that he and Nana had worked on over those 2 days. And amazingly enough, that same Nana had washed all of their clothes. So they came home with no laundry needing to be done! Incredible. When can we schedule their next sleepover? :)

Eating Clean

Some of you asked after my muffin post, so I will try to share what I have learned. First, I'm going to admit that I am a beginner at this. So I'm still researching and trying to get a good grasp on this nutrition stuff and the changes I want my family to make. Baby steps. I normally tend to see things black and white. Go hard or go home. I don't inch slowly towards something that I want. I jump into it with both feet. But this change was overwhelming. So as my sister (who planted her own organic garden this past year) kept whispering to me "baby steps, baby steps", I knew she was onto something. This was not a change I could make in 1 day.

So it started about 9 months ago. I recorded an Oprah show because I read that it was on nutrition. I have an interest in all things fitness and nutrition related. I majored in it in college just because I loved it. Though I haven't always followed the rules like a passionate lover of it. And I only worked in the field for less than 1 year, and that includes my internship. Unfortunately, typically, the money made in this field will barely pay your rent. Much less student loans from my beloved, but way too pricey Christian college. But my interest in reading and learning of it has never left me. So I recorded the Oprah show to watch it later. My eyes were opened. I almost felt convicted, dare I even use that word, at the way we feed ourselves so conveniently. So I decided to have Jeremy watch the Oprah show. I figured he would blow it off and no changes would be made. Surprisingly, he was as hooked as I was. We were hooked, but so overwhlelmed. So you know what happened? Not a whole lot. Michael Pollan, the brains behind Food Inc (which I highly recommend you renting tonight!) explained how we eat so much meat these days. So that was a change we made. Less meat. We both realized we could enjoy some filling dinners without meat on our plate. But other than that, no changes were made. We didn't know where to begin. We didn't know anyone knowledgable in the subject. We just had no clue as to what the next step should be. So we didn't take one. We continued with our normal eating. Which included lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats, whole wheat pasta and bread. Generally healthy. But still lots of processed foods such as "healthy" cereal and granola bars, goldfish crackers, cream soups and canned goods to help me out in the kitchen, non-organic milk, eggs and meat. Just a typical diet, I think, that most would call generally healthy.

Fast forward to just 5 months ago. I had a giftcard from my birthday to Barnes and Nobles that I was dying to use. I decided to order online rather than take my 2 babies shopping for books. Having just received the 30 Day Shred video for my birthday, I started looking through Jillian Michael's books. And there I found what began our little baby steps. Here it is. The part that stated "naturally balancing your hormones" is what caught my attention. For obvious reasons, mine are screwed up. And so for me, this was just a weight loss book. I had no clue what the "3 Diet Secrets" would be. Had I known that the subject would revolve around organics and living chemical-free, I probably never would have bought it. Because again, to me that looked overwhelming and crazy expensive! But I made the purchase, immediately began reading and felt so enlightened. Simple things. Things that should have been common knowledge to me. It made perfect sense now. She broke it down and explained it for me. And I ate it up. I read the good stuff to Jeremy. He ate it up. And as simple as that, we were ready for the change. Even if it cost us more dollars. We felt that the health benefits were more than worth it for our family. One little snippet from the book that I loved:

Take our Power Nutrient food tomatoes. God created tomatoes and they have all the cancer-fighting health benefits mentioned above - the best form of medicine with no harmful side effects. Now let's take our little tomato and see what happens to it in the name of capitalism. The tomato is grown conventionally, and sprayed with up to seven kinds of pesticides. Then it is picked too early because it must make the long journey across the country - or across the world - from its original location to your supermarket. Yes, you are now polluting the environment with all the gas used to transport the tomato. But there's more. The tomato is still green because it was picked too early, so now it is sprayed with argon gas (also used to euthanize dogs) to make it turn red prematurely. WOW! We have just taken God's natural medicine and turned it into poison - for us and for our environment. That is why we simply must make efforts to go organic.

The life of a tomato. This one has stuck in my brain. Argon gas? Are you kidding me? If that doesn't make you twinge a bit, then I don't know what to tell you. And we can say things like "I've been eating this way my whole life and I'm fine." Well, I can't actually say that since I was infertile by age 26. Maybe even earlier. And my guess is that most of you can think of 3 others with similar issues. Most of us can count 5 people without spending much time pondering it that are terminally ill with cancer or that have already died from this disease. A disease that was extremely uncommon 50 years ago. But my theory on this whole nutrition thing is To each his own. I do feel a little passionate about it. But it's what I'm choosing for my family. Not anyone else. Eat your Fruit Loops and Doritos until the cows come home. And I'll even partake with you on occasion. :)

And at age 18 my children may decide to eat like CRAP for the rest of their lives. I hope that's not the case, but it's possible. My thinking is that at least they had a foundation of healthy eating. My parents had that foundation also. That was before we shot up our animals with hormones and antibiotics and sprayed our crops with pesticides. Life has changed in the past 50 years. And my generation got screwed from the get-go. Many of us grew up on convenience foods. Thus, my slight feeling of urgency, to begin making positive changes now. 30 years later. And that's where I'm at with clean eating. Learning as I go and still just trying to figure it all out. A friend of mine has recently pointed me towards Tosca Reno. An author of many books/cookbooks on eating clean. So I am just now cracking those open. If I come across some tasty, healthy recipes, you will be the first to know. And as a side note (as if I haven't had enough side notes), we haven't been spending more money since we began buying organic. Amazing how it balances out when you change the way you shop. You take out the processed stuff, spend a little more on the fresh organic foods and it seems to balance itself out.

So my recommendations if you're interested in learning:
1) Come to my house and watch the Oprah show. I still have it recorded. :)
2) Read the book.
3) Watch the documentary.
4) Then you can decide for yourself. And at the end of it all, feel free to stick your head back in the sand. It's always a viable option. :)

And now he's big.

Pax suddenly turned into a big boy last week. He got his first haircut. By none other, than his daddy.
So here is the new do!
I realize that the cut is probably only noticable to us. But he does look different to Jeremy and I now. It always amazes me how that first haircut can do that. No matter how minimal the change. But for the past several months Pax had kind of rubbed some hair off the back of his head, making it thinner at the back. But it had grown like crazy around the crown of his head. So his hair was beginning to look a little disheveled. Jeremy didn't want to cut it. I pushed. And I won. :) And now all his little hairs are even, so that's a good thing. Have I mentioned that we do nothing to his hair? Holden's hair required prodcuts within the first couple of months. So far, Pax's hair is easy breezy. And because it's still pretty thin, I rarely even comb it. Just a little side note about his simple hair.

Then the following day, he rode forward facing! We hadn't taken the time to turn his carseat around until this past weekend. And now, speaking from my experience with 2 children; I think flipping the carseat is more for the parents than the kids. Pax could not have cared less about our drive to church on Sunday. That he was facing mommmy and daddy and sitting just like Holden. Honestly, he was completely UNamused by this event. And what I'm noticing so far about Pax being forward facing, is that it's harder for him to fall asleep. He was completely content staring at the boring backseat and drifting off to sleep. He was a great little traveler. Well, now he can see me, but can't get to me. So he fusses. We may have ruined a good thing. :) But here he is on his first ride forward facing.
And here are the boys together.
See how unamused? Just staring out the window as if no monumental change has just happened!
So, there you have it. Our little guy is now a big boy!

The ever-so-healthy muffin.

At our house, for many months now, we have been trying to "eat clean". Let me say we are probably at it 80% of the time right now. We started off with a bang. I would say eating 95% clean in the begining. Though, we will never give up eating out and if you have us over for dinner, we will eat whatever you serve. And if we have you over for dinner, don't expect it to be "clean". So let's just say we still treat ourselves. But after a few months, I sort of ran out of ideas and began sneaking a box macaroni and cheese into our grocery cart here and there. So yes, my boys had mac and cheese for lunch today. I struggle with wholesome lunch ideas. Feel free to share clean-eaters. Though I do have to say, Holden has taken well to Organic Peanut Butter and could surely eat a PB&J sandwhich for every single meal if I allowed it. But breakfast, I've got down. I haven't bought frozen waffles in several months. I've been making my own and freezing them in batches. They are whole wheat, so a healthy little way to start the day. Then it seemed like Holden was getting tired of the waffles. So lately we have been on a muffin kick. In a recent post, I briefly mentioned this recipe. And it has been a winner with the kids (Jeremy and I love them too!). We've eaten so many I've seen poppyseeds in my boys diapers. Weird, huh? And I probably just shared too much information. I substituted the oil with applesauce and other than that, just followed the recipe.

And then today, I ventured upon this recipe. They are in the oven now and smell delish! I also bought some organic canned pumpkin today. Whole wheat pumpkin muffins are next on the list to try. I think I will be trying this recipe out. I always take out the oil and use applesauce instead. Makes it a little healthier, I think. And instead of sugar, I always opt for honey. And so far so good. So go and bake your family some healthy muffins. :)

my cure for cabin fever.

Over the past 2 weeks, I came down with cabin fever. You see, the water park closed down, school started back up along with many of our friends involved in Pre-school/MDO and for whatever reason I just stayed put at home. For 2 weeks. By last Friday I was feeling a little blue and decided to make this week different. So I started making phone calls and make some plans for myself.

Today we made our first visit to the FW Children's Museum. I went ahead and bought a 5-person pass so we can go for free for the next year. And since Pax is under 2, he is already free. So we can bring up to 3 friends each time we go! Tell me when you want to go as we welcome guests. In fact, today I was thinking, it would be more fun for Holden if he had some little friends along to play with. And it will be tons more fun for Pax when he is walking! And with the efforts we're seeing, walking is in the very near future. But today it was just the 3 of us.

Holden had fun at the doctor station. You could diaper the baby dolls, weigh them, give them shots and even drive an ambulance. He did all of the above. Pax found a shaker that he loved.
Holden played a round of Supermarket Sweep! Not exactly, but it kind of looks that way in my action shot.
Holden still loves anything with wheels that he can push. So he was glued to this grocery cart for quite some time!He did a little grocery shopping and we were able to talk about all the foods he placed in the basket.We ended our fun at the museum with a little bit of water fun. Holden loved these water guns!
By this point, Pax was more than ready to blow this joint. So then we enjoyed our picnic lunch outside under an umbrella and headed home for long naps (I hope!). Those are taking place now.
I have a packed week planned. A play date with our buddy Max, a productive MDO Day and possibly another morning at the museum with friends! No more cabin fever for me!

life is a comedy.

It is for us, anyway. And it has been very comedic recently. At times to the point of tears. Sometimes happy tears. And sometimes not so happy tears.

On Friday, I had just put Pax down for a morning nap. I told Holden that we would take some toys in my bathroom so he could play while I got ready for the day. Normally, I either get ready before the boys wake (rarely) or when they are both down for their afternoon nap (which is oftentimes after 2pm!). But I figured Holden could play for a quick 15 minutes while I slapped on some makeup, threw on some clothes that didn't look like PJs and did a little fixing of my bed-head-styled-hair. I asked Holden to grab some toys, but he just ran straight to my bathroom. I turned around and grabbed a toy in each hand, when I heard the noise. A loud slamming of my bedroom door followed by the much quieter sound of the lock. As soon as the door slammed, I took off running towards it. I was only 10 feet away. I was hopeful that I could make it. But even with my sprint, he was quicker. And so he was locked in my bedroom. I tried to pick the lock with several screwdrivers. The last and only other time he has done this, I was able to pick the lock in .7 seconds with a tiny screwdriver. That particular tiny screwdriver was in the master bathroom, which obviously I couldn't get to now. I tried to bribe him to unlock it for me. Cookies, a juice box, ANYTHING. A few minutes pass and then he was crying and asking me to hold him. I looked under the door and he was lying close by on his back, crying, hands over his face. WHAT IN THE WORLD! I think he was scared, for whatever reason, I'm not sure. And apparently, when faced with fear, he acts just like his momma. He becomes paralyzed. No adrenaline kicks in for Holden and I. We just lay down and play dead. Really, this is what I do when my crazy nightmare wakes me and tells me a crazy man is in my house. I don't run and check on my kids. I don't grab some sort of "weapon" and search the house. I just lay there, paralyzed, heart racing and normally wake my husband who is sleeping soundly. And each time he is completely annoyed with this scenario that happens way too often and has for years. Anyways, Jeremy had to come home Friday around lunchtime to pick the lock. Holden was disciplined. But he was also so traumatized by the events of the morning that he couldn't eat lunch. He just asked me, through tears, to put him to bed. This little event wasn't funny on Friday. 2 days later, kind of funny. And yes, we will be removing the lock from our bedroom door. It's happened twice now, so if the lock remains, it's bound to happen again.

Fast forward to today. Sunday lunch. Chipotle. One of our favorite and most frequent Sunday lunch spots. We are happily eating our burrito bowls while the boys eat their $1 cheese quesadillas. We are laughing as Pax dances like Bill Cosby to the music playing in the restaurant. It's a perfect little Sunday lunch for our family. Everyone is behaving (minus Pax screaming for more bites instead of signing). All was going smoothly until Pax shoved 1 too many pieces of quesadilla into his mouth and began coughing. As I reach to pat his back, he vomits all over the table, himself, the floor and my foot. It stinks. Like vomit, obviously. We wipe down the table, strip Pax's clothes off, throw away our trash and remainder of our food, because Jeremy and I don't really feel like eating at this point. I ask Jeremy to tell an employee, so they can mop up and sanitize before someone else has to see and smell sweet Pax's mess. And we leave for home. We get in the car and I crack up laughing. A good, hard, sincere laugh. Jeremy can't help but join in. I distinctly remember one of the last times we ate out, Holden somehow dumped a margarita over 5 seconds before we left the place. Every couple of weeks something like this just happens to us. So today I told Jeremy that we were leaving our mark all over the restaurants in the area. At some point, they are going to stop letting our family in. :) Well, at least we can laugh about it. Even if it's a few days later . . .

Pax's weigh in for 1 year!

Pax went to the doctor this morning for his 12 month appointment. He had to get those awful shots! To which he cried. Very loudly. And then Holden cried with him. Even louder. And Holden cried far longer than Pax did. It was kind of hysterical. But my heart was pretty happy by Holden's compassion for his little brother. Now, to set the story straight, Holden had shots also today. And being the brave big brother, he went before Pax. Now really I did this because I knew there would be no way Holden would lay still once he watched Pax get poked. So Holden went first. That was my call. And se screamed, cried and tried to wiggle away at the first moment of pain. And his feelings were completely hurt by the entire process of the nice nurse and his loving mommy holding him down to stick needles in his legs. But with a reminder that he earned a sucker and a sticker, he calmed down and climbed into the seat of the stroller. And then it was Pax's turn. And when little bubba let out that first cry, Holden just couldn't help himself but join in. I laughed. Probably a little too much. Wish I would have video taped it. :)

But at just over 1 year, our little Pax is definitely not little. Today he measured 31 inches long (75-90%) and 23lbs and 5oz (50-75%). Oddly enough this was almost Holden's exact size at 1 year! The only difference? 5 ounces. And Holden was actually the heavier.

As for Holden, since they measured and weighed today, then I might as well share. He was 32.5lbs (75-90%) and 38.5inches tall (97+%). He's gained 2lbs and grown 1.5inches in 3 months. Craziness! Which might explain why his 3T pants are almost close to looking like high waters.

some pictures . . .

For whatever reason, life has felt a little busy the past few weeks. But almost daily, I keep snapping pictures. So here's what we've got on the camera.Falling in love with his first juice box. These were left over from the Pax-Man party. We never have juice in this house. We rarely offer to our kids. But since Pax's switch to whole milk, their have been some digestive issues that you would probably rather I not get into right now. Juice may become a must for this little guy, unless you have some healthier suggestions.
The boys watching Baby Signing Times. Pax is completely mesmerized by it. Though I haven't been consistent, so he has only watched it a handful of times. But he has now caught onto "more" and "all done". If only he could be consistent with "more" instead of squealing into that decibal range that you never want your ears to be exposed to. Just believe me when I can say he can be loud and get your attention. Don't let this next sweet face fool you. :)
Just because the slightly cooler weather made me pull out some cooler weather clothes. Oh how I love these hand-me-down camo pants.
Watching the rain.
Working on his letter "C" caterpillar and obviously trying to color with 3 crayons at once.
And having a little fun with a glue stick, so that we could make this . . .

Hiding his little car in the cookware. Smart, little cookie that boy is! He loves to put things into containers. Maybe he will be organized.
Giving daddy morning snuggles before work. You see that bear hug? This boy can be such a cuddle bug!

I love, love, love-love-love, love my boys!

my hero.

This morning I spotted the lizard. In the carpet. Bleh. I know they can get trapped in the carpet and die. Carpet can basically be suicide for a little lizard. I noticed this lizard for the first time yesterday. Not sure what the technical name for this creature is, so I'm just going with lizard. I'm somewhat familiar with these things from my Houston living days. And I find them disgusting. Since we have had some extra rain in these parts recently, this lizard had made himself at home. At my house. And he is NOT welcome here. So I ran from it yesterday. I actually called Jeremy immediately after the sighting. He had just left for work and I knew that he could barely be out of the neighborhood. I asked if he could turn around and remove the lizard from the house. He told me that he wasn't turning around for a lizard. But it wasn't FOR the lizard, it was for his wife. Oh well. So yes, I let it run free yesterday because I was disgusted by it and wanted no part in the capture. Then I saw it again this morning. In the carpet. I screamed and Holden laughed. I tried to sic the dog on it. I think she got part of it's tail, but then had no interest. That dog is good for nothing! Here he is with half a tail. Not a great picture because I was standing on the couch, kind of far away, zooming in with my small camera. But you can still see it's beady, little eye. Gross!So I asked Holden if he would pick up the lizard and throw it outside in the backyard. I knew this might turn into a nightmare because it might wiggle away from him and freak us all out. But he agreed. Then I watched him pick up the lizard AND THROW IT TOWARDS MY BEDROOM! (With a huge grin on his face, I might add. But I've convinced myself, that move was NOT intentional.)But it was surely not the direction I was wanting that little sucker to go. Holden was enjoying our little activity. Me, not so much. So I quickly devised a new plan. I got a plastic cup and asked Holden to put it over the lizard. You know, to trap it. That is normally what I do with insects or any other living thing that shouldn't be in my house. I do not squish, touch or even come close to these things. You think I'm exaggerating. I promise. I'm not. Ask my dad. Ask Jeremy. I promise they'll have stories. Or read this one from my past.But Holden went along with my request and thought we were playing a little game. So he trapped the lizzard.
And when Jeremy got home, he had not suffocated. So for all of you creature lovers, the lizard is now running free through our neighborhood. And Holden is now a hero in my book.

Back to school for the big brother.

Holden started back to Mother's Day Out today. He is now in the 2 year old class which makes him a cute, little Honey Bee. He will only go 1 day per week. That is just enough time to do some housework and grocery shopping plus get some extra one on one time with Pax. I have also decided that we will be having some "school" time at home this year. We'll do our school stuff as Paxton naps in the mornings and on days that it's convenient for us. Nothing too rigid. But I have been researching and printing out some fun little age appropriate (I hope!) worksheets for him. Holden LOVES school! He really does. We have been talking about his return to school since last Friday at Meet the Teachers. But when I would mention the word "school" he would firmly say "no". Mind you this is also what he does when he can view our church from the car window. But once we get there, he always runs in happily to play. So I wasn't too alarmed by his reaction to our discussions on school. So today, as soon as we walked into the familiar building, he stopped in his tracks and suddenly wanted me to hold him. I had Pax in a stroller, while carrying Holden's nap mat. Carrying him was impossible. So he held onto my pants pocket as we made our way to his room. He hesitated, until I reminded him that there were toy cars in that room. At that point, he walked in, made his way to the cars and started playing. I spoke with the teachers and headed out the door to take advantage of every spare moment. That MDO day sure does fly by fast! I came straight home and put Pax down for a nap. Then I changed and washed bed linens. I mopped the tile floor. I moved Paxton's new birthday toys upstairs to the playroom.(Yes, I haven't been in a huge hurry to reorganize since the party.) I folded some laundry. I returned a few emails. I found this recipe that I am about to get started on for breakfast this week. I finished up my grocery list. I wrote several thank you cards. And then he woke. I fed Pax some lunch and off to the grocery store we went. Back home, I unloaded groceries while Paxton played. We played together for about 15 minutes and then it was time to go and get Holden from school. See, these days just FLY BY! Holden was still sleeping once I got to his room. They told me he had been full of smiles all day. One teacher described him as "such a happy kid". Warms my heart. :) They told me how he got the giggles at naptime (which I know from experience is him being overly tired and going into delirious mode.) But when the teacher sat next to him and rubbed his back, he was asleep within 2 seconds. On his report, he was described as happy, cooperative and friendly. Sounds like an angel, huh? Well, I know he's not. But I'm so glad he pretends when mommy and daddy are not around. :) It makes leaving him and not worrying about him, super simple. And I do have to admit, he is pure sweetness much of the time. Glad he shows off this side at school.
And here is one of the masterpieces that Holden made today. I love to see the little crafts and projects that he brings home. And he loves to show Jeremy his work at the end of the day. It's going to be a great year for Holden. And Wednesdays are going to be extra special!
And this picture is for my friend that recently said "Look how well Holden is doing with the spoon!" Yeah, not so well. Too bad they won't be working on this little skill at MDO. I'm pretty sure he LOVES to be messy. And I'm pretty sure the yogurt all over the face was completely intentional. :) Boys!