Cars Redux

Today I kept thinking that we should be at some soccer games, but alas, those games were still cancelled because of the Swine Flu scare. My BIL came to town for a Cinco de Mayo soccer tourney, though, and DH and DS#1 ended up going to part of his second game. It was a nice change of pace to not worry about being there 45-60 minutes ahead of time and not having to take the whole family, too.

I went shopping. In the morning, we did our usual banana chocolate chip pancakes and turkey bacon. At around 9AM I rushed off to the nearby scrapbook store for their "National Scrapbook Day" sale. I bought more than I thought I would, but I saved SO much! *WINK*

DD went with me. Since yesterday she got it into her head that she wanted to buy something with her "own money". She only recently started getting an allowance of $2 per week and I guess the money was burning a hole in her pocket. She decided she wanted to buy gum so we went to Target. We bought her some new shoes also (with MY money) and looked for shoes for DS#3.

He recently started wearing the "Cars" Crocs-type shoes that I bought him last year. He never really wore them when I first bought them, but ever since DH put them on him to splash in the puddle in our backyard, he always wants to wear them, even though they cut into his little ankles because they're too small. Actually, they cut into his ankles last Fall when I bought them, but even more so now. Well, they had a bigger pair at Payless. He didn't like the "Cars" red sneakers that I also bought him, but he almost demanded to wear these! Here he is in his little soccer "uniform" that DH and I bought him at Costco. The boys wear blue Adidas soccer uniforms, so this was too cute and too appropriate to pass up. By the way, he has a school bus in one hand and a Lightning McQueen car (red sports car from the movie "Cars") in the other hand.

After church we went to dinner at Chili's. Sometimes DH and I worry about how DS#3 always lines up everything. I turned and saw him lining up his milk sippy cup and his strawberry lemonade cup on top of coasters. It was just too funny that he had to put them on coasters. DH pointed out how he had lined up the crayons too. I just hope this means he'll be organized when he gets older!

Two Year Old Pictures

I was off today as a "comp day" for working last Saturday. I made an appointment for DS#3 to get his belated two-year-old photos at The Picture People. First of all, I had a hard time trying to find a safety pin to hold up his shorts. He himself got a little upset that his pants kept falling. He looked like one of those guys that have their hands at their crotch because they're holding onto their pants to keep them from completely falling down. Of course, I still had to practically chase him down because he wouldn't let me simply pin up his shorts, until finally, his shorts fell (again) and he got distracted by the TV.

Then, I couldn't get him out of the house this morning. I had wanted to go pick up my new glasses and contacts, but by the time we left, we didn't have time. When we got to the mall, he rode in the stroller for a few minutes, then decided that he wanted to run around untethered. So, this meant that he was upset that I made him go into The Picture People. He finally calmed down a little when I gave him Goldfish crackers to eat, but then he would not go over to the studio area to get his picture taken. At least after the manager entertained him while the photographer took pictures, they were able to get some good ones. It sure pretty hopeless, at first!

This is the frame and photos I bought today. I wasn't originally planning for this, but when I saw these black and white prints with this photo mat and frame, I had to get it. I'm planning to get similar ones for the other kids this year so I can put the whole grouping in that empty space above my bed. I'm sure the other kids will be thrilled, but I'm excited about this!

We got a little shopping done, and he got a lot of exercise walking around the mall. We ate at PF Chang's where, despite all the Goldfish and jelly beans he had eaten, he ate a decent meal. He was in a fantastic mood after that. I even videotaped him dancing in the mall while onlookers remarked at how cute he looked. I'm going to have to get DH to edit and resize that clip. He really does look adorable. It wasn't an easy day for me, but I still enjoy spending time with that little man. :)

Swine Flu Effects

Wow, the Media has really hyped up this Swine Flu outbreak! All of the doctors and nurses that I work with think this is all overblown. Unfortunately, now it's starting to affect my family. The boys' practices were cancelled this week. Today we found out that all of their games (five games on Saturday) are cancelled, as are many (if not all?) games south of Austin. So, we have a "free" weekend, which is something to look forward to, but at what price? DS#1's games are not going away. They will have to be scheduled for some other weekend where we have lots of stuff to do already. DS#2 was supposed to be doing a 3v3 tournament within his soccer club, so the club just cancelled that one outright, but he has another tournament next week.

Luckily, their schools have not been closed yet. I don't really want them to get out for the summer any later than they are already scheduled to get out. At least we're lucky in that DH stays at home, so we have "child care" lined up. I feel sorry for all of those parents that both work outside of the home and now have to figure out what to do with their kids that are now on unscheduled vacations.

Still, I always have to remind myself of what I need to be thankful for. I'm thankful that my family is healthy. I'm thankful that DH doesn't have to spend all day Saturday driving. I'm thankful that I don't have to spend all day Saturday on a soccer field with three of my children. I'm thankful that I have tomorrow off!

Car Antics

I don't have any other ideas for what to blog about, so I'll use these photos that I took on Sunday. We were in my car waiting for our Popeye's Chicken Tenders to be done. DS#2 was in the front seat playing with my IPhone. I look back and I see DS#3 singing "Wheels On The Bus" while doing hand motions.

Of course, DS#3 is too busy singing, so he just ignores me, while DD glams it up for the camera. She's leaning over here because I wanted them closer together. He just noticed that I have the camera out, so out comes the cheesy grin.

DD holds her arm out to DS#3 because she likes touching him. He grabs her arm and tries to bite it! I love how she looks so shocked, but she also looks like she's having a blast! She must have enjoyed it, because she kept holding out her arm towards DS#3 and asking me to take a picture of him trying to bite it.

After several tries, because she keeps grabbing her arm away too quickly for me to catch it (she's still afraid of really getting bitten, after all), I catch DS#3 in the act of trying to bite her arm. I just laughed at the both of them. They abuse each other but they can't stay away from each other. :)

Oh, and by the way, DS#2 only went with me to get the chicken tenders because he wanted to play with my IPhone. I think we're all addicted! DD went because she just likes to hang out with me. I know I'll miss that later. DS#3 went with us because he saw us leaving and wanted to go out. :)

Some Weekend Pictures

I'm trying to separate my posts so the content makes more sense. DH took this picture yesterday during DS#1's afternoon soccer game. I was at work and missed all the fun. As you can see from DD's hair, it was rather windy. The game (at 1PM) was during DS#3's usual naptime, and you wouldn't be able to tell that from this cheesy photo. The problem was, of course, later. On a side note, DH and I found this cute Adidas soccer outfit at Costco this week. It's a 2T and huge on DS#3, but at least he's wearing his brothers' team colors. :)

Today, DS#2 had a game at 2:15PM. DH and DS#3 were leaving around 1PM when DS#3 usually lays down for a nap. DH tried putting him in the crib for his nap, but when I'm at home, he likes to lay down in my bed and take a nap with me. That sounded like a good idea since I worked last night, so I moved him to my bed and we took a nap. I actually got some sleep last night. It was abnormally "quiet" for a Saturday at a major trauma hospital. Still, I don't sleep well there, so I went down almost as easily as DS#3.

Just so y'all don't think DS#3 has stopped lining up his cars, this was taken today at the soccer field. I hadn't taken any photos of him lining up his cars on the grass yet. :) He awakened from his nap, propped himself up on the pillow in between us, and said, "Mama--Papa home?" I told him that DH was at soccer with DS#2. I then asked him if he wanted to go to DS#2's soccer game and he said, "Yah." We got there a little after the second half started.

I thought I would throw in a cute photo of DS#3. DH was winking at DS#3 and he was winking back. In between winks, he was laughing so heartily, like he was really enjoying this "game" between him and his Papa. I love his big genuine smile here, and the fact that you can see the dimples in his cheeks so clearly. You can almost see the hint of a dimple in his chin. I think you can also appreciate that little bit of mischief in his smile. I love this boy! :)

Tech Talk

I've been meaning to post about this conversation we were having in the van this past week. DH was giving DS#1 a hard time about all of the texts he's been sending and receiving. We just recently added texting to our cell phone plan and we've all been getting used to being able to text. Because texting usually involves using abbreviations to include acronyms, I asked DS#1 if he knew what "ROFLPIMP" meant. The following is approximately what everyone said next:

DS#1: I know what "ROFL" means, but I'm not sure about "PIMP".
Me: It means "Rolling On the Floor Laughing Peeing In My Pants".
DS#2: Rolling On the Floor Laughing In My Pants.

We all start laughing, of course, thinking that DS#2 is always in his own world and is forever trying to catch up on conversations he hasn't been listening to. I don't remember the rest of the conversation, but it involved lots of laughing to the point of tears!

Today, DS#2 was recalling that conversation. First some background--some time ago, DS#2 said he could break dance and proceeded to try to show me. Of course, he wasn't really break dancing and in fact, I told him that it looked like he was wiping the wood floor with his pants instead. So today, he brings up both of those conversations while we were eating lunch:

DS#2: When I was break dancing, I was "ROFLIMP", Rolling On the Floor Laughing In My Pants, because I was on the floor and I was laughing and I was wearing pants.
Me: (I was laughing so hard!)
DS#2 (looking underneath the table): "Aww! You're not wearing pants!
Me: (For the record, I wasn't wearing pants because I was wearing shorts! I laughed even harder!)

I'm so bad at remembering the details of conversations, but I hope that reading this is as funny as experiencing it. *WINK*

Oh, and I almost forgot. We got our first bill since getting our new phones. DS#2 went over our limit of 200 texts apiece. DH and I were nowhere near the limit, of course. DS#1 paid back the overage and we warned him about how costly that could become. Of course, today during lunch, he sent and received at least four texts within a few minutes. We'll see what happens...

The Good Life

I was so upset yesterday when I couldn't post these photos before I left for work. With four desktop computers and two laptop computers, you would think I could email some photos quickly. Anyway, it's a long story, but in short, after DH got his new iMac we've been in transition with the software on the computers having the same licenses and not being able to use them simultaneously or something or other like that.

DH got my car washed yesterday. I don't like to take the time get my car washed, but he was sweet enough to do it for me. While he was doing that, DS#3 and I went to his Gymboree class. I realized that I don't do too much when I'm off during the week. I mostly hang out with DH and DS#3 doing their normal activities, like going to the gym or Gymboree. I don't get anything productive done, but I wouldn't change it. I love watching DS#3 doing his thing. He's growing up so fast!

One of their usual activities is going to Costco. We had lunch there. DH and I had pizza and DS#3 had a hotdog. Their hotdogs there are a good 10 inches long. DS#3 ate a good 8 inches of that! He doesn't like to ride in the cart, so he walked all over Costco. I saw him standing on the back part of the cart where DH was standing and I thought it was so cute. DH merely said that DS#3 does that all the time. I miss so much when I'm at work!

This morning the three of us took a long walk in the neighborhood for exercise. It was beautiful weather, in the mid-60s and sunny (although it warmed up very quickly to an eventual high in the 90s). We talked about lots of things including how we were very happy with our neighborhood. I went to an eye appointment and DH and DS#3 went to Gymboree. We went to the mall for lunch and then we had Haagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert. DH and I usually share a double scoop of their Coffee and Belgian Chocolate Chocolate flavors. DS#3 was sitting next to us enthralled at the mini-car (or whatever it was called) that they had on display inside the mall. I just felt very content. I turned to DH and said, "We have a good life." He smiled and agreed. :)

Picky Dresser

I was going to post these photos yesterday but I didn't get the chance.

DS#3 is pickier with what clothes we put on him than the big boys ever were. Around this age, DD refused to wear clothes unless they were pink. DS#3 now refuses to wear clothes unless they have some transportation on them. He got this adorable little outfit from his godfather's family for his birthday. As you can see, there are no pictures of vehicles anywhere on it (although he is carrying three vehicles in his hands). DH put the shirt and vest on him at one time, and that helped, but he still fussed. Luckily, for whatever reason, he "allowed" us to keep the outfit on him. That's a good thing because he looks so handsome in it!

DD is wearing a new outfit also. She's not so picky anymore. She'll wear just about anything, most especially dresses. She just loves clothes! She did pick this one out, though, because there are monkeys on it. She said that she loves monkeys because "monkeys" starts with an "m", just like "Mama". She said that she loves puppies because that starts with "p", just like "Papa". Her reasoning is hilarious! :)

You might want to click on this picture to make it bigger, but this outfit has taxis on it--transportation. It's probably an 18 month size that DS#2 (and maybe also DS#1) used to wear, but we just rediscovered it. No fussing with this one. All I had to do was show him the taxis first, before putting it on him.

If you're wondering what he's doing, he's pouring sand on himself. After the rains this week, we had a gorgeous day yesterday, so we ate outdoors for lunch at a place with a sand pit for the kids to play in. DS#3 and DD had a grand ole time. They had sand everywhere! The big boys, DH and I were playing a word game on the IPhone against each other. We had fun, too. :)

4/20/09 Sketch Challenge

First of all, if you haven't checked DH's blog in a while, you must check in now. He's put up the cutest video of DS#3 HERE.

I was going to post some pics from today, but I had to finish this LO for my Sketch Challenge over at Playground of Memories. I haven't done much scrapping lately, but I keep hoping to start a flood of pages. Wish me luck!

On a side note, I don't think you can appreciate it on this scan, but DS#1 has some dark fuzz growing on his upper lip. I alternate between not believing he's thirteen because I still remember him being so itty bitty when he was first born and because I look at him and think he looks SO grown up already!

Sweet?

DH and I have been talking lately about how we wished we were younger, because then we could have more children. DS#3 is just SO sweet sometimes that he really brightens our lives. This morning, DH brought him to our bed in the usual morning routine. He didn't sleep anymore on this morning, but he smiled and played. He kept putting his cheek up to my face, his way of telling me that he wants a kiss. He would also grab my face and bring it closer to his. DH got some kisses too. It's times like these that make up for those other times when he throws a fit.

I took this hilarious photo yesterday. Mr. Man loves Fruit Rollups. DH and I cringe at these sugary, sweet snacks, but the kids all love them. Here it's stuck to the paper plate, so instead of trying to lift it up, DS#3 goes in for a "closeup". Right after I took this picture, DS#1 lifted it up off the plate so it wouldn't be stuck to it.

Tonight he had a Fruit Rollup for dessert. After he was done, he wanted "more dessert, please" or "more zert pee". We were so happy that he was stringing words together and being so polite that we were going to give him a little something extra. Well, he wanted another Fruit Rollup and he just didn't have enough for dinner that we would allow him to have such a big dessert. He threw such a fit! I was trying to remember those sweet moments...

This afternoon, he found this puddle outside in the backyard. DH took almost thirty photos in order to get a handful like this one. He was splashing around and getting soaking wet. DH put him in his Cars "Crocs" because he knew how wet DS#3 would get. Of course, when it was time to go in, he screamed at the top of his lungs! Oh yes, I know that you can't have everything, but we certainly have a bit of everything with this one. Thank goodness for those sweet moments!

Achievement Auditions

Doesn't DD look absolutely thrilled? She's been working on two piano pieces for a couple of months now. When she first started working on them, she kept saying how hard they were. I myself almost gave up in frustration when she absolutely could not even get through the first couple of phrases. But with a lot of practice, she was able to get through the pieces. Then, she had to memorize them. One is two pages and one is four pages. She was intimidated, but luckily, she memorizes like her Mama and not like her Papa. *WINK*

She played the pieces in front of a judge today, and she got the highest award--a blue ribbon! Honestly, I don't know how hard the judging was. This is the perfectionist mom talking, of course. DD's teacher says that she is doing well and progressing faster than many her age. That is the proud mom talking. Congratulations, Sweetie! :)

Music Lessons

I got to watch DS#2 at his second guitar lesson, which was today. Maybe it's because I don't know anything about the guitar, but I enjoyed watching him play much more than watching DD. It was less frustrating for me. He was trying hard to play everything correctly, and his instructor was giving him the right words of encouragement. DD tends to be a little "silly" during her lessons and it takes all that I have to keep from telling her to behave.

I was also glad that DS#2 let me take a photo of the session. Of course, DS#2 says that he didn't actually "let" me. He says that he had no choice because he was playing his guitar at the time. Okay, whatever, Son. You weren't hiding behind something or trying your hardest to frown at the camera. I'm a happy Mama. :)

Performance Anxiety

I've had this longstanding fear of performing/standing in front of people. In middle school/high school I had to do a few flute solos. My hands would get cold and clammy. I would feel cold all over. I could feel my heart pounding. When I had to take my oral board exams, I failed the first time because I just fell apart. I was SO nervous! Then the next time I took Valium. I'm a real lightweight when it comes to sedatives, so I tried the Valium first during an oral board review class that I took to prepare me for the oral board exams--only half a pill, a very small dose. I didn't feel any different, so I figured I was okay. An hour before the exam itself, I took that half dose and then the other half about 30 minutes later. My mind was clear and I felt relaxed enough to remember everything I had studied. The examiners didn't intimidate me. It worked and I passed.

Fast forward to today--I had to give a lecture to the residents at work. I didn't sleep well last night. I could feel myself get edgy this whole last week/weekend. DH always tells me that he can tell when I have a lecture coming up because I start getting snappy. I walked into the conference room at work and set up my PowerPoint presentation on the computer. I could feel my hands start to get cold. One of the other staff members was in there. He used to be a resident there, so he's seen me give lectures for the past seven years. I confessed my nervousness. After it was over, he told me that I looked more relaxed up at the podium than he'd ever seen me. I guess I used to just look down and read from my paper. Today I tried to make it more interactive by asking people questions. I think that maybe over time, I've started to get more accustomed to lecturing. Maybe someday it will be much easier for me.

I hope that's true. Until then, I'll keep baking brownies and bringing them to my lectures. Food is always a good distraction. *WINK*

Guitar Man

This is my photo for yesterday. DS#2 took his first guitar lesson last Thursday. DH got him a guitar yesterday. He was SO excited! He even consented to me photographing him playing his guitar! Can you believe that? I love how he really looks like he's concentrating in this photo. He's been picking it up and playing on it a lot since yesterday. :)

In other news, my Mom and Dad brought two cases of mangoes with them when they came to visit this weekend. There were three left that I peeled and sliced today. DS#3 saw me doing this and brought his stepping stool over. At first he put the stool near the sink (to my right) where I was peeling the mangoes, but then he saw that the plate I was putting them on was to the left of the sink, so he put the stool over there instead. He then handed me his plate! I just had to laugh, he was so adorable! Thanks for the mangoes, Mom and Dad!

It's here! DH ordered another computer and it arrived today. It's a 24-inch IMac and it looks humongous on the desk. He's been busy transferring files and such this evening. The screen looks fabulous, and I can't wait to use it!

Cascarones

I thought I would post a few more pictures of the wildest part of this weekend. As you can see from this first photo, the confetti was tiny. We now have confetti all over the driveway and house. We were warned that we would be finding confetti for the next week or so, but that's okay because it truly was fun for all the kids. Of course, I can say that because no one broke one of those cascarones on top of MY head. *WINK*

This is a sample of what our driveway looks like. After all the cascarones were gone, some of the kids went back outside to break what eggshells they could find over each other's heads. This meant that the pieces all became even smaller. It rained Sunday morning, but I don't think any of it washed away, unfortunately. On Sunday afternoon, DD went over to a friend's house, and she got even more cascarones. Those pieces are out there somewhere, too.

This isn't the greatest photo, but DH and DS#1 were moving so fast that I was lucky to get this picture. This is what took place after DH put down the camera to chase after DS#1. I'm just glad no one fell and hurt themselves during this activity. :)

I thought I would show proof of DH holding DS#1 in a headlock. What I think is interesting is that DS#1 still managed to sneak a cascarones out and break it over his sister's head, while he was in that headlock. Even J who was sick all of last week, had enough energy to run around outside for this. Good fun was had by all! :)

Bubbles

One of the activities this weekend was blowing bubbles. My mom had this box of bubble wedding favors. The girls went outside and had fun with them. I also love this picture because it really shows how much taller E has become. Of course her father is the tallest of the fathers, at 6'1". E (far right) is 7 1/2 years old. A (middle) is 7, and of course, DD is 6 1/2. They're all very skinny and in this photo, very color-coordinated. :)

One of DS#3's favorite activities is blowing bubbles, or at least trying to touch bubbles blown by someone else. At his Gymboree Play class, they blow bubbles during every class. They even give them "tummy bubbles" where they blow bubbles on their tummy. Here, DH is blowing bubbles at DS#3. He has the biggest, most beautiful smile, doesn't he? Pure enjoyment!

My mom requested a photo of all the grandkids. We took lots and lots of photos--with three cameras, and this one we agreed was the best. I had to do a little creative cropping because of the irritating truck that was parked on the side of the road ruining our "woodland" background. You can't tell that we were all yelling just a minute before, trying to get everyone to look happy, to look at the camera, to not move around--for just a second.

The Cousins Are Here!

It seems like we see the cousins less as the kids' activities take over our lives, but it's so good to see them together again. This is my photo of the day for yesterday. The girls have been getting along well so far. Here they've just taken a group shower and are brushing their teeth. They're all even dressed in "Easter colors". DD and A slept in her top bunk while E slept in the bottom bunk with her flashlight. E can't sleep in the dark and the other two can't sleep with a light on.

The day started with DS#3 opening his first birthday presents, from Lola and Lolo. A friend actually gave this bus to my mom. It's technically "used" but it looks like it's in great condition and he really couldn't care less. Doesn't he look absolutely excited to add another bus to his collection? I took another picture of his buses and other similar yellow vehicles. He seems to have a penchant for that color. I'll have to post that another time.

Later in the morning, after the usual banana chocolate chip pancakes and turkey bacon, my sisters and I filled some eggs and then hid them for the Egg Hunt. Here, my BIL is trying to keep the kids from rushing outside too early, but they're pushing him quite a bit. It was really fun to watch this and the egg hunt. They all found their designated dozen eggs quickly and spent the next few minutes helping DS#3 find his. He seemed to enjoy getting the eggs, but he didn't really seem to understand the concept of looking for them. He had been with us when we filled the eggs, so he knew he wanted the eggs with the jelly beans. Let's just say that he got plenty of sugar today.

We had invited our good friends over for dinner to help celebrate E's birthday. They have three kids of their own, including two girls, so their girls and ours all gathered round the table for some "face painting". The girls spent a lot of time in this activity. You can see E painting her mom's arm here. The other girls took turns painting each other's arms. My niece A even got to paint her Daddy's face.

My sister M had a friend pick up some cascarones for her. A cascarone is a confetti filled eggshell. There was a misunderstanding and instead of her friend getting 15 cascarones, she got 15 DOZEN cascarones. On top of that, our friends brought over 3 dozen more. After dinner, the kids all went outside and broke the cascarones over each others heads--and over the heads of some of the adults. DS#1 broke a few on DH's head and neck, while DH was otherwise distracted because he was videotaping the flurry of activity. DH put the video camera down and started running after DS#1. My sisters said that they had never seen DS#1 and DH move so fast before! My sister C yelled out for DH to be careful about his heart! I'll have to post photos later, but DH got DS#1 in a head lock so the other kids could break cascarones over DS#1's head. I can't believe DH actually put his own son in a headlock, but everyone thought it was hilarious!

Doesn't this look very much like the photo I posted on DS#2's birthday? Well, he got another birthday cake today, and he had the same look when he saw the lit candles on it. It was a yummy Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. DH had grilled lamb kebobs and steak and this was the perfect finish. This was a really fun-filled day for all of us!

Happy Birthday #2!

What a birthday it's been for DS#3 today! We started out by going to the pediatrician for his two-year-old checkup. He is officially 24 1/4 pounds (5th percentile) and 34 inches tall (50th percentile). So, he's a skinny little guy but he's still growing, so the pediatrician isn't worried and neither are DH and I. He also got his second Hepatitis A shot. He was playing on my IPhone at the time, so he barely noticed the alcohol wipe just before the shot. He did cry just when she did the injection, but he calmed down fairly quickly with some comforting and with the distraction of the IPhone. Then I got to run some errands after which both of us had our naps. He slept for almost three hours! Those shots always seem to wear the kids out.

As sometimes happens when he naps TOO long, he woke up crying and I couldn't console him. He also got upset because he saw the Flaming Hot Cheetos and he really wanted some, but I wouldn't give him some because it was right before dinner. DS#1 didn't help matters. He told me, "But it's his BIRTHDAY, Mama." Luckily I was able to distract him with a Dora tape. The "big" boys had soccer practice, so after dinner, they left with DH. DS#3 actually ate the enchilada casserole that I made for dinner. I was a little surprised because lately if it isn't rice, pasta, a hotdog or a cheese stick, he won't eat it. We postponed his birthday cake for when the boys got home from practice.

Poor DS#3 has terrible parents. We couldn't find our candles. When he saw the luscious chocolate cake, he got out his own plate and asked for some. He got excited when I told him he could have some, but then he got upset because I wasn't giving him some right away. We were waiting for DS#2 to get back because we had sent him to the neighbors to get two candles! When we finally got the candles and lit them, he looked at the cake very suspiciously. The boys ended up blowing out his candles for him. He still enjoyed eating the cake, however, and he finished his whole piece.

After cake we opened presents. DS#3 didn't have any idea what he was supposed to do. At first DS#1 showed him how to rip part of the wrapping paper off, then DD stepped in. She enjoyed that so much that she kept ripping even when DS#3 finally started doing some ripping by himself.

I just think this photo is absolutely hilarious! DD looks much more excited than DS#3 about the "Wheels On The Bus" book that Grandma and Grandpa had sent for him. He did end up playing with it later. He enjoyed the fact that the book had wheels so it could "stand" on its own. He may not look excited here, but that frown is just his look of concentration. His siblings and father get that same look when they're reading or concentrating hard on a task.

I found this Diego Jeep at Target a couple of weeks ago. Despite DS#3 having every vehicle imaginable, he really seemed to enjoy this one. He even took it with him to bed. :)

We Got The Bus(es)!

When we were in Colorado last month, we lost one of DS#3's favorite vehicles, a Matchbox school bus. He used to take that bus with him to the bus stop when he and DH would go meet the kids. When we returned home, he frantically looked for it a couple of times. Of course we didn't have it. We tried looking for another one, but we didn't find any. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law even looked for one in Colorado, but no luck. Last week my sister found one in a pack of five Hot Wheels vehicles. Woohoo!

On Saturday, DS#1 went to his good friend's house for a birthday party (14). His friend A is the youngest of four with two out of the house and grown. His family recently adopted two more children who are around 8 and 10 years old. When DH went to pick up DS#1, they offered A's old Matchbox/Hot Wheels type cars to him for DS#3since they wouldn't be needing them anymore. Today, DH was desperate to find a distraction for DS#3 when they were at DD's gymnastics class, so he opened the box that was still in the van. Lo and behold was a yellow school bus. SCORE! DS#3 was lovingly holding it in his hands (along with three other vehicles) when he arrived back home.

Tonight, DS#3 threw a fit when I was putting some new "car" pajamas on him. I've never seen a young boy so picky about what he wears! He was kicking and screaming! Somehow, he settled down as soon as I said, "Do you want your bus?" It was amazing!

Now my mom tells me that she got a small bus from a friend. I think we'll have quite a few buses in time for the little man's birthday. He really doesn't need anything else, and these will make him happy. DH and I are quite pleased with that! :)

School Carnival

The elementary school that DD and DS#3 go to, had their school carnival this past Friday evening from 6-9PM. First of all, what a horrible time to have any activity involving elementary school children. Secondly, DS#2 had a soccer game at 7:30PM and couldn't go to the carnival at all because of the travel and warm-up times for soccer. Luckily, he didn't seem too disappointed because he wanted to go to soccer, but he did express on Saturday night that he won't be able to go to the school carnival at all while a student there. Apparently they only have one every other year and next year he will be in fifth grade, his last year at that elementary school.

I didn't want DD to have to miss out, so I took the three other kids from about 6-7PM. The little ones stuck with me, while DS#1 hung out with his middle school friends from our neighborhood who were there, too. DD didn't waste any time plunging into the activities. They had several bouncy house-type activities including this small slide. Thankfully, DD took DS#3 up there a couple of times. He didn't want to go on any "rides" by himself, and it was probably a good thing anyway since there were a lot of kids that were larger and that would have easily knocked him down to get up the slide faster. Luckily, he didn't mind leaving the slide so DD could play some other games.

While DD was going from game to game, DS#3 seemed content to just people watch. At one point, he picked up a big rock and started playing with it. In this picture he's holding the rock with both hands and kind of waving it around. I had no idea why he was doing this, but he was content so I couldn't complain.

People I know are always so surprised when they learn that DS#1 doesn't do much texting on his phone. On Friday evening, I had proof that he doesn't text much and why. About 10 minutes before I wanted to leave, I texted DS#3 to meet us at a certain location in 10 minutes. The time came and he was nowhere to be seen. I tried texting him again, and then I tried calling him. The phone rang and rang and then went to voice mail. I called again and the same thing happened. Luckily, before too long, we saw him with his friends. He had the phone and vibrate and didn't feel it in his pocket. I still remember the time when he had it on an audible ring and one of his friends pointed out that his phone was ringing in his pocket. I teased him about why we bothered to give him a phone. :)

We headed home and DS#1 got DS#3 ready for bed and put DD and DS#3 to bed while I headed off to DS#2's soccer game. They tied that game in the last few seconds with a penalty kick (2-2). They were playing a team of boys who were a year older, so they held their own. DS#2's team has gotten a bit cocky in the past because they win almost all their games, so it's good to keep it real.

IPhones Are For Kids

I suddenly have that commercial playing in my head, "Trix is for kids!" Seriously, DH and I got our IPhones for ourselves, but the kids love them, too. I think it was Thursday of this past week, I walked into one of the office areas at work, and I found three of my colleagues playing games on their IPhones. Yes, our days were winding down, so we weren't jeopardizing any lives. A friend showed me this application called "Mouth Off" that she had installed on her IPhone and that her kids loved. You pick a "mouth" ("robot" mouth, "dog" mouth, etc.) and then you can put the IPhone in front of your face. When you talk, the program senses it and the "mouth" moves so it looks like your mouth moving as you talk.

This is a picture of DS#2 trying this "game" for the first time. The flash from the camera being reflected on the IPhone screen is obscuring the "mouth", but I thought it was still a good photo because you can see all the fingerprints from the kids putting their fingers all over the screen. DS#2 and DD are the ones that mostly play with this, but DS#3 sees them laughing and he can't help but laugh himself!

We went out to IHop for breakfast this morning because DH knows I love their pancakes and also so I could have a break from making Saturday breakfast. The kids were passing the time until the food came by playing with my IPhone. DS#2 and DS#1 were playing Hangman. I've been obsessed with the "Scramble" game that is pretty much like "Boggle", and I played that a few times, too.

This afternoon, DS#1 had a soccer game. The younger kids weren't terribly interested in watching the game, but I needed to keep them occupied so I could watch the game. Again, I let them use my IPhone. Here, DS#3 is actually playing a game where he is asked to choose a particular shape. It's so cute, but he can play all by himself. He doesn't always get the shape right, but then sometimes he'll get it right several times in a row. I almost think that he doesn't really pay attention to what the voice tells him to pick. He seemed to get more of them correct when I repeated what the voice said. Maybe he listens to me more? Maybe I just want to think he listens to me more? *WINK*

DS#2 also played a game called "Labyrinth" where you try to keep the ball from falling through the holes in the floor of different mazes. He also liked the piano one where you don't really have to know anything about reading music. It's sort of like Guitar Hero where the notes are above the piano keys and you press the key that the colored "note" is heading toward. DD played the "Mouth Off" game again and the piano game. Now the IPhone didn't keep DD from whining or from DS#2 and DD from arguing, but it did pass the time for them and it definitely helped pass the time for me because they were busy. DH and I have found the IPhone very addicting as well. We've both had to charge our phones every night!

Another Necessary Haircut

The other boys have always pretty much gotten their haircuts about once a month or so, like DH does. DS#3 has always been different in that regard. Today was his first cut in over three months. I knew it didn't go well when DH called me at work and said that he didn't want to take DS#3 to get his hair cut again until he turns five. Of course, one of my co-workers said that his wife would have told him that if he had said that, his wife would have told him that he would be the one to go over and over again until he learned how to do it right.

Apparently, DS#3 couldn't decide at first which vehicle to ride in. They finally settled on the airplane. Then he still got really upset when the hairdresser put a cape on him. I told DH he shouldn't have put the cape on, but of course he said that he didn't know. DS#3 also got distressed when he noticed his hair all over. He looks like he's about to start crying in this picture. DH brushed off the hair as best he could, but then DS#3 still cried in the van all the way home and throughout his entire bath.

I tried to get an "after" picture of DS#3's profile, but then he started helping DS#1 unload the dishwasher. I thought I would combine the "after" photo with this photo of him engaged in this activity. He was unloading faster than DS#1 could put it away, but at least he was helping. DS#2 was supposed to be the helper, but he was "busy" upstairs, probably playing with his new Lego sets that he ordered in the mail. Legos are DS#2's current obsession, especially Star Wars Legos.

I also took this photo of DS#3 watching Dora tonight. He looks adorable with his hair short, but he's even cuter here because he's watching TV with his car and bus by his side, along with one of his other favorites, his ambulance. I have a feeling he won't get another haircut for at least another three months.

Preparing for "2"

This little man is growing up so fast. He has been talking a little more--still words that only the family understands, but we're glad he's talking and learning. He'll say "Please" ("Pee") and "Thank you" ("TeeTee") with prompting. He'll say "Juice" or "Gee" without prompting, but this sounds so much like "Cheese" ("See") that it gets very confusing especially when he starts getting upset because you haven't already gotten whatever it is that he asked for. He'll say "Wah" for "Want" sometimes, but this does you no good if you don't know what he wants or if he wants something you don't want to give him. Besides the communication problems, he may also be getting his "Two Year Molars" and all the discomfort that entails. Turning "2" is so FUN, isn't it--NOT!

Luckily, he's adorable. Yesterday, while watching Dora, I saw him in the living room with his hands folded together on top of one of the sofa pillows that he had on his lap. I've never seen him in this position before. He will "pray" with DD before bedtime every night. I'll have to do the sign of the cross for him, but he'll clasp his hands together automatically for "Amen", but he doesn't usually do this at other times. He was concentrating so hard on Dora that he didn't even do his cheesy smile for me!

DS#3 has an appointment to get his hair cut again at that place where he can "ride" a car and watch videos while he gets his hair cut. By the time I realized that I needed to get a "before" picture today, it was getting dark outside, which made the lighting in the living room worse. Still, I think you can appreciate how long his hair is and how badly he needs a haircut. Tomorrow I'll try to post "after" photos. We've got to get him looking handsome for the birthday festivities next week. :)