CAJARE

Brotherly Love

2011-07-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

Aidan and Ronan love to hold their little sissy. Not sure where Jacob was this time, will have to get him next time.

Mini Family Reunion

2011-07-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure to be reunited with some dear family last weekend. Mike, Kelley, Hanna, Luke and Faith Liljegren included visiting us on their summer trip. We are SO glad that they did! It has been 10 years since we last saw them. I used to babysit for Hanna when she was a wee one and she was one of our flower girls in our wedding. Our kids loved meeting them and all the kids had a blast playing together. The Liljegrens were so great about loving on our kiddos. Sure wished we could see them more often!

Kelley giving my sweet Elsa some love

Luke and Jacob doing the wheel barrow race

Faith was so patient and great about trying to teach Ronan what to do

Jacob, Faith and Ronan enjoying the warm Arizona evening

Elsa enjoying some cousin time with Faith

Hanna and Jacob had fun playing games on her phone

Two slip and sliding dudes, Aidan and Luke

Mikes turn to love on Elsa!

Silly Faith!

3rd cousins! Ronan, Elsa, Faith, Aidan, Luke, Jacob and Hanna

4th of July cutie!

2011-07-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Defiants Blitz Bash

2011-06-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I hosted a Defiants 4x4 Blitz Bash, introducing the boys and some of their friends to new motorized trucks. "These 4x4s are mighty, mini and motorized vehicles that have real gears for power, speed and freewheeling action." The kiddos had a blast playing with the different tracks and the trucks. The trucks also work great on any terrain, floors, grass, dirt, the slip and slide, etc. One nice thing about the trucks is that if you don't want to use the batteries, they can be used like any other truck and moved manually. Below are some pictures of the fun!

My boys checking out the goodies!! They couldn't wait to get their hands on them!

The Maximum Mayhhem Set

The trucks drove up the ramp and then sped down the other side, jumping off of a ramp that could be adjusted in height. We did discover that the trucks must be in low gear in order to make it up the ramp.

Here is one kiddo attempting to put the pieces together. At 5 years old, with this particular set, he did need help.

The boys enjoyed putting two of the sets together where the truck would jump off the ramp and land on another set. Didn't work perfect every time, but they didn't seem to mind.

The Brawl and Fall Set

The trucks can stay on the track or drive up and into the teeter totter functioning bridge.

The Collision Rally Set

This set has 31 pieces including a 4 piece bridge and flex terrain. This one seemed to be a big hit with all the kiddos. As you can see, we had it set up outside. The bridge was a bit complicated to put together and did not stay together. None of the kids could put it together either. It didn't work much better inside. That didn't bother the kids. It would bother me as a consumer, not having the product work like it was supposed to. They were able to put these tracks together.

The Terrain Pack

The set creates a small terrain for the trucks. They can be added to the other sets to create more terrain for play. We set them up separately on this day. All the kids played with them, just decided to put one picture up. My son put the two tracks facing each other, to create a bigger set.

Fun, fun, fun!

We had kiddos of all ages playing with the trucks. They are meant for children ages 4+ due to some choking hazards. There are grills on the trucks that come off easily. With the parental supervision, all the kids, ranging from 2 on up had a blast playing with the trucks.

The on/off switch is located by the wheel of the truck, directly below the surfer on my son's shirt. Off is in the center and high is to one side and low the other. After some practice, the kids could turn the trucks on and off on their own. Even my 2 year old.

Overall, I was happy with this product. My kids could not wait to get up the next morning and play with them again. It is a product that I would suggest to others. At this point, I believe they are available at Toys R Us stores.

Little Girl

2011-06-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Elsa is already 10 1/2 weeks old! At her 2 month appointment she weighed 9 pounds, 10.5 ounces and was 22 3/4 inches long. Our little Ellie bean is a great baby. Tolerates all the love from her brothers and sleeps well. She also loves to flash us her beautiful smiles. I took these photos of her a few weeks ago. She did great for her first official photo shoot. :-)

Welcome to the world . . .

2011-04-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Elsa Grace Thomas

March 26, 2011

6 pounds, 13.5 ounces

19 inches long

What have we been up to . . . .

2011-03-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the lack of blogging this year. I am going to blame it on being pregnant. Plus, I don't know about the rest of you, but we have had an awful time with illness this winter season. I am actually looking forward to warmer weather this year. Anyway, here are a few of the things we have done when we haven't been sick:

Jacob riding his bike Santa brought him

Ronan showing us his mad bike skills

Hiking with Grammie

Ouchies from hiking . . .

It's not good to run as fast as you can down an incline full of rocks.

Celebrating all three boys birthdays. Jacob is 5, Aidan is 4 and Ronan is 2!!

(Jacob really did have a good time.)

Jacob, Ronan and I found a blimp and the boys thought it was very cool!

We made valentines for Jacob and Aidan's classes. It was very serious work.

Jacob and Aidan hard at work

But they took time out of all the hard work for some fun!

I had a bunch of glitter to clean up when we were done.

That's it in a nutshell. I'm guessing I probably won't post again until little miss is born. I will try to post before, but seeing as it's gone so far, I'm not very good at keeping up right now.

I'm SO behind!!

2010-12-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, or it has been that time of year again. As usual, I am running behind on all things. One item I usually attempt to cross off of my to do list is Christmas cards. I love to send pictures of the family out. I just finished choosing the pictures I am going to use and luckily I can choose from hundreds of cards at Shutterfly.com. To be honest, this will be the first time for me ordering from them. But so far I am very pleased with the selection of cards they have to offer. You can look for yourself here http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards and here http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards. Below are a few examples that I liked.

Not only can you order your Christmas cards through Shutterfly, you can also create many different projects and gifts. One project I like to do for my husband is create a photo calendar for him to take to work, http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars . Once again there is a great selection. You can choose from 20 different designs for wall calendars, which is what we usually do. There are also desk calendars and poster calendars.

Finally, as most of you know, we will soon be needing birth announcements. Any guesses as to where we will be ordering from? That's right, Shutterfly. For girls alone they have 185 to choose from! Take a look

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birth-announcements

The best part of all is the great prices and promotions Shutterfly runs. Simply for posting this, I will be receiving 50 free Christmas cards! Plus, in a prenatal package from Motherhood Maternity, I received a $20 gift card! Check them out, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

The boys had a great time trick or treating at all of the fams houses. At this point we just hit Farmor and Gramps, The Gibsons (next door to F/G) Nans, Grammie and Papas and The Armstrongs. The boys love it and that way everyone gets to see them. This year Cody and I felt very protected by all of our super heros! Jacob was Iron Man, Ronan was Batman and Aidan was Bumblebee the transformer. The last photo is the cutest Yoda ever - Rylan, my nephew. He enjoyed his first Halloween as well.

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

We had a full house this year carving pumpkins. Many of the cousins came over to join in on the fun. We had Riss and Rylan and the Smalley clan. It was so great to have so many people there.

Desert Botanical Gardens Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year . . . the weather is cooler, the boys can play outside any time of the day, football is on TV, and the holidays are just around the corner. This year is even more special to me because we will be able to enjoy it with more family. The Smalley's have moved back to Arizona!!! We are all super excited to be able to spend time with all of them!! Our first tradition of the year was to go to the pumpkin patch at the Desert Botanical Gardens. It's a great little festival and the boys each got to pick out a pumpkin and play games. They had a blast. Plus, their cousins were able to go. (Except for the newest cousin - Rylan. Hopefully next year!!!)

Jacob

Ronan and Jacob searching for the perfect pumpkin

Caleb found his!

Teresa had to roll hers!

Ronan found his!

Micah dragging his . . .

Calen and the pony in the petting zoo

Caleb caught a chicken!

I think the pig was a little unsure

Until Ronan offered food.

Micah, Teresa, Caleb, Aidan, Jacob and Ronan

That's right . . .

2010-08-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

It's that time again . . . .

Have mud, will play!!!!

2010-08-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Pretty self explanatory . . .

Raspberry Picking!!

2010-07-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently we DO have wild raspberries growing in AZ!! I was SO excited to find that out. Also surprised that my mom, queen of the mountains, didn't know about them. We headed up last Friday in search of the berries. It was an awesome day of hiking with the boys and Grammie and Papa. Our first stop brought up zero. However, after lunch we hit the rim and found a ton of plants. They were loaded with berries, but majority of them were not ripe. That's OK. We had a blast and picked enough. Too many pics to label, but I think they are pretty self explanatory. Enjoy!

California, here we come!

2010-07-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

We recently were blessed with an awesome trip to California. All of Cody's family went - Gramps, Farmor, Aunt Jamie, Uncle Travis, (soon - to - be) Aunt Raquel and our family. First stop, Steve and Karen Eckbergs in Placentia. We had a wonderful dinner with them Sunday night. Then on Monday it was off to Disneyland!!!! The boys had a blast and I had a great time seeing it through their eyes. On Tuesday, we continued north the Turlock to visit Grandpa Bill, Shirley and our good friends Tim, Jill, Ty and Jamie. What an awesome visit! The boys had a blast!!! The pics are out of order - first our time in Turlock and then Disney.

Oh Bother . . .

2010-06-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

So our little friend Piglet decided to take a little swim/dive down the toilet, with a little help from his good ole buddy Ronan. As I flushed the toilet, Ronan decided to toss Piglet in. I don't know what happened to me, I just froze. I kind of really didn't think it would make it through. I was wrong. Very wrong. Thanks to Gramps (Cody's dad) for helping dislodge the toy. Of course not an easy task. Yes, we ended up having to take the ENTIRE toilet off, drag it into the yard and shove a hose in it to dislodge said toy. Ugh. But Piglet is free and the toilet is back in working order. Thanks again Gramps!!!!

Catching up again . . .

2010-06-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

So, I am really bad a keeping up on the blog now. Life has been so busy the last several months, I don't even know where to begin. Wish I could promise that I would be better at this, but I can't. In the mean time, here are a few recent pics:

Grammie, Ronan and Jacob on the park slide

Jacob and Aidan

Rona-roo!

Slip and slide fun!!

Soaking up the sun

Love, love lovin' it!

Showing off his boogie board. And yes, it is a kneeling pad for gardening . . . :-)

He melts my heart

Swim lesson time!!!

Jacob was NOT into it the first day . . .

But by the second day he had warmed up . . . shall I say cooled down . . .

Aidan wanted to play with the "frisbee's".

My cute boys

Getting a little help from the instructor

What's been keeping us busy . . .

2010-03-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy the past several weeks. I apologize for the lack of updating on the blog. I've got too many hobbies going on myself. I will try to throw up a few more pics to update everyone in the next few days. I am making no promises. There are two main things that have kept us busy: illness and visitors. My poor Ronan has suffered from 4-5 (I've lost count) ear infections since December along with colds and a stomach bug that landed him in the ER for IV fluids. He is fine now - well a little runny nose with a little fluid in the ear, but no infection . . .yet. Ugh. Luckily he stays happy through all of it! Jacob and Aidan have had it a bit easier. Just a cold or two and Jacob did get the stomach bug. Luckily, we managed to stay somewhat healthy while good friends of our were visiting from Boston. We had an absolute blast hanging out with them at the zoo, the Botanical Gardens or at home. It didn't matter where we were, just that we were together. Anyway, that's about it in a nutshell. There were a few more fun times in between Christmas and the present and I will touch on those soon . . . I think . . .

Ronan enjoying his first ride in the "Big Boy Forward Facing" carseat.

Sweet Rowdy attempting to comfort our poor sick Jacob

Zoo time with the Ulrickson girls!!!

Fun at the Desert Botanical Gardens with the Ulrickson girls!!

Oops, said I would post these and then didn't.

2010-01-05T15:53:00.001-07:00

It has been brought to my attention, many times, that I forgot to post our Halloween Part II. SO here it is. These are the photos I took of Ronan and Owen (our good friends Dave and Heather's son). Owen is almost exactly 1 month older than Ronan. They were so cute together in their costumes.

"Dude, I don't get all this, do you?"

"I don't, but you look good."

"Um, you got a little something here..."

"CHEESE!!!"

"Dude, I already told you, it's right there. On you cheek."

"Here, let me straighten that for you..."

"You didn't quite get it . . ."

"All better and lookin' good!"

Almost Forgot about Zoo lights!!

2010-01-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I almost forgot about our annual Zoo Lights outing. A whole bunch of us go - although you wouldn't know it from my pictures. Apparently I took photos mainly of Ronan. Probably because he was contained and I didn't have to chase him to get a photo. We all had a blast!!

Christmas Morning with the Thomas side

2010-01-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Each year after we open our gifts, Cody's parents and siblings come over to our house for more gifts and family time. This year Travis' sweet, sweet girlfriend Raquel was able to join us. It's always a great time with Gramps, Farmor, Aunt Jamie, Uncle T and Raquel!!

Christmas Morning

2010-01-05T08:35:00.000-07:00

Christmas morning was awesome! The boys loved the gifts from Santa and from Mommy and Daddy. I love to watch them get so excited.

Christmas Eve

2010-01-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

This year our Christmas was a bit different . . .mainly for me. I decided not to worry about getting photos of every little thing. I didn't want to stress about pictures and helping the boys or missing something. SO, I relied on others to get photos. I got just enough to post on the blog I think. The next difference was the timing of all of our celebrations. This year we celebrated Christmas Eve with Cody's parents, siblings and Grandmom with a Christmas Eve brunch instead of dinner. I loved it. We didn't have to rush through anything in order to squeeze in church and get the boys to bed at a descent hour. The only bummer was that Cody's sister Jamie did have to leave early to go to work. Hopefully next year she won't have to. This was one of the gatherings that I simply enjoyed and did not worry about pictures. I let Gramps do all the picture taking.

Below is a photo of our cute little tree. We decided to go with a smaller live tree do to the fact the all of the boys and the dog enjoy undecorating as fast as you can decorate. I liked it.

The next few photos are of the boys already to go to church. Jacob was not down with the idea of pics, so don't have a great one of all three. Oh well, I sympathize with him - I always hate to have my picture taken. Especially when I was a kid.

First Preschool Program

2010-01-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

Jacob participated in his first preschool Christmas program on Dec. 16. He did an awesome job! A little unsure, but who wouldn't be! Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos once the program started. Which I think was a great idea. The kids are nervous enough and don't really need flashes going off and people moving around. We were allowed to video tape, which is even better. Except that I don't have the tape edited yet. Oh well.

Today's nappers

2009-12-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, that can't be comfortable, can it?

I guess I can make it work.

Snoozin' . . .

And this is how we found Aidan. It took him a very long time to fall asleep and now we know why. He was busy pulling all the clothes out of the top two drawers. Ugh.

Good thing he's cute!!

2009-12-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

I'm used to the kids stealing my place or hanging on me at not such great times. Now I am readjusting to having a dog do that too. Today while the boys were napping, I decided to catch up on some rest too on the couch. I had to get up for a minute and when I came back I found this:

He looked so cute and comfy, I couldn't move him.

Then while giving all three boys a bath, Rowdy decided to make himself comfortable again . . .on my legs. He probably would have stayed there for hours, but of course I couldn't. Cute little bugger.

First Fat Lip

2009-12-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

My poor little Roo. Not only did we find out yesterday that he has a double ear infection, he also got his first fat lip and few days before. It really wasn't too bad, could have been much worse. I still felt bad for him. My little man is such a trooper!!!

Another brother . . .

2009-12-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we added to our family once again. This time with a new four legged friend. We named him Rowdy. Rowdy is a lab/boxer mix and is 9 weeks old. Our first week at home has been great! He really is a good puppy. At night, we were keeping him the laundry room with a baby gate up. He would whine most of the night. (He was far enough away that it didn't keep us up, I just heard him while up with Ronan) Yesterday I bought a pop-up crate, which should come in use for traveling and other things. I decided to see how he would sleep in the crate, in our room last night. Not one peep!! He did great!!

I've also discovered that I have become one of "those" types of dog owners. The type I always swore I would never be . . .one who dresses her dog! Well, I don't think it will last. One, Rowdy wasn't a huge fan, two - he's going to get pretty big and three - I really can't justify spending the money on dog clothes. At any rate, I found this shirt in the dollar zone at Target, therefor could justify the purchase.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

"AHHH Mom!!! How could you? All the other puppies are going to laugh at me!"

This will teach her to put embarrassing clothes on me . . .

"I am pretty cute though . . ."

Celebrating our boys!!

2009-12-06T10:47:00.001-07:00

We celebrated the boys birthday's with family at Chaparral Park one afternoon. It was the perfect day to celebrate with family. The only thing I didn't plan well for was how early it got dark. We ran out of daylight while opening gifts. Oh well. I'll try and remember for next year. I think everyone enjoyed being together.

Luke and Jacob feeding the ducks and birds

Farmor watching Aidan play baseball with Uncle Les

Papa and Jacob watching the fun

Our boys are so lucky to have 3 Great Grandmas who love them!

Aunt Lori and Ronan watching the baseball game

Ronan trying on Papa's hat

Such an intense player!

You can always find Aidan at the food table!

Papa, Uncle T and Jacob playing football

I can play too!!

Having fun opening gifts

Aidan turns 3!!

2009-12-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

On November 30, we celebrated Aidan's 3rd birthday! Daddy had to work and Jacob had school, so Aidan, Ronan and Mommy just hung out together. We picked Jacob up from school and went to Chic Fil A for lunch and then for dinner we hit Peter Piper. After that, back home for cake and presents!!

One excited little 3 year old!

Here's what you get when you ask Aidan to smile

Huff and puff and BLOW your candle out

Jacob was super excited to help hand Aidan his gifts . . .he's off to get another one!

Our little Rock Star

Getting more help from Jacob

Aidan had wanted something Star Wars and a robot - this Star Wars play R2D2 play doh toy filled both requirements and then some! He LOVED it!

"Hey, where's my gift?"

LOVIN' his R2D2

Jacob turns 4!!!

2009-12-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jacob's 4th Birthday on November 15th. It's hard to believe he's already 4. I expect to say that every year. Our poor little 4 year old was sick on his birthday with a fever. No fun to be sick on your birthday. I think he was able to enjoy some of the day though, once the Motrin kicked in. Needless to say, we spent the day at home and ordered pizza for dinner.

Trying to muster up the strength to open his first present.

His brothers come in to help him out . . .

Feeling a little better and trying out the new football

Opening another gift

Playing with his new dinosaur

Blowing out his birthday candles

"Oh yeah . . . come here you yummy cupcake!"

"Um, do I have something on my face?"

Halloween 2009 Part 1

2009-11-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

So, a little behind, but such is life. The boys had a great Halloween. Jacob was very excited to be a flying dinosaur and Aidan was excited to be Batman. Our little Ronan followed in his brothers footsteps and was Tigger for his first Halloween. We did our normal route - first to Farmor and Gramps, then Nan's, Grammie and Papa's and finished up at Aunt Lori and Uncle Les' where Uncle Trav and Raquel met up with us. We did add one house to our list, Cody's good friend Dave, his wife Heather and their son Owen. Owen is almost exactly one month older than Ronan. I will post those pics later. The two boys were super cute. But for now, enjoy!

Breaking News

2009-10-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

This just in to the Thomas news room . . .

Ronan has conquered his conquest!! He made it under the chair!. Early in the evening of October 29, we were called to the scene. The celebration was already in process for little Roo. When asked how he felt about this victory, Ronan responded with a loud, happy shriek, a few growls and some babbling: "mamamamama" and "dadadadadada", which I am told, was a special thanks to his parents.

Way to figure it out Ronan!!

No explanation needed

2009-10-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

The quest

2009-10-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

This morning I as I ate my breakfast, I looked and found Ronan in the position below. I watched him, not sure if he was trying to go further under the chair or if he had just scooted himself under it without realizing where he was going. Turns out there was a toy in there that he wanted.

Trying to figure out how to fit his noggin in there:

Almost got it!

It's too hard Mama!! I'm getting really frustrated!!

Giving up to defeat . . .

Finally Mama helped him out and gave him the toy he was after. Now he's trying to figure out if it's edible . . .

It is!!!

9 months old!!

2009-10-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today Ronan turned 9 months old! The time is flying by. We started off the day with a visit to Dr. Kanagal for the 9 month old visit. The doc said he looks great and is strong as a horse! Here are his stats:

Height: 29 1/2" 75-90%

Weight: 18 lbs. 14 1/2 oz. 10-25%

After the appointment, my mom, the boys and I headed to the Desert Botanical Garden for their annual pumpkin patch. It was so great! My mom has a membership, so we all got in for free plus each of the boys got to pick their own pumpkin - for free!!!!!!!! I thought I would be able to get a few cute pics of the Roo at the pumpkin patch for his 9 month photo. Well, you mom's out there know how it goes. Theoretically, it should be the perfect time to get the cutest picture with no problem at all. Yea right. I guess Ronan was not in the mood for photos. Every time I set him down, he cried. I tried a few different tactics: on the ground with the pumpkin, sitting on Aidan's lap, sitting in the bucket of the tractor, sitting on a pumpkin . . .no luck. Oh well. I still think they are cute.

Fire truck fun at the H.D.

2009-10-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the Salt River Fire Department had their huge ladder truck and one ambulance set up for kids to see at the Home Depot. The boys had a blast looking at them and sitting in them, pretending to drive. Aidan's first question was "can we climb up the ladder?" Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of how tall the ladder was, I'm sure you can imagine. Anyway, it was fun to watch the boys run around in their firefighter hats, in awe of the trucks.

My little gang

2009-09-14T14:56:00.001-07:00

A note from Ronan . . .

2009-09-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

Ronan was very upset yesterday thinking about breast cancer and wanted me to remind everyone out there to help save his future wife's itty bitties. I will be walking the 5k at the Race for the Cure on October 11. If you would like to donate for a great cause, please go to:

http://komenphoenix.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=305284&supid=267575517

Thank you so much for your support!!!!!!!

New Blog

2009-08-24T13:59:00.001-07:00

Please check out my new blog:

Growing Green

The link is posted with my other links.

Enjoy!

Race for the Cure

2009-08-22T20:35:00.002-07:00

On October 11, 2009, I am going to participate in the Race for the Cure 5K for breast cancer. I am super excited about it and would love for it to become a tradition. There have been so many women in my life that have fought or are fighting this war with breast cancer. It's the least I can do in support of them. I would LOVE any support from you all out there. Please go to the link below and check it out.

http://blba.us/i.asp?id=305284-267575517-1

Thanks SO much in advance!!!!!

Ronan can sit!!

2009-08-21T20:29:00.002-07:00

I think we are getting close to Ronan sitting on his own. Today he did some good sittin'. First with me and then with Daddy while I taped. This video and the next are off of my camera phone, so not the greatest quality. But at least I know how to get those videos online! During the video, there were two other little ones that didn't want to be left out . . .

Ronan can stand!!

2009-08-21T20:25:00.001-07:00

Well, not really. Just sort of. He has always been very sturdy on his legs so Cody set him up against the couch and he held himself up for a second. Not too shabby for 6 months, eh?

First Day of Preschool!!!

2009-08-21T20:12:00.002-07:00

Jacob started preschool this week!! And he loves it!! He goes Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the morning. I'm so excited for him and we really like the school thus far. Plus, all I hear are good things about it. The first two days went great. Today he had a little trouble with me leaving, but was fine within a few minutes. Jacob loves to come home and show us the sticker or stamp he got, tell us about playing at the water table or riding the BIG bike. I asked if he had made any friends and he told me he plays with Charlie and Ty. Today I got to meet them. Jacob told me after school today that he played with a little girl named Victoria. I'll have to figure out who she is on Monday. Both of his teachers have commented on how sweet and nice he is. That makes me SO proud of him!

Below are pictures of his first day. I only took pictures at home because I wasn't sure how overwhelming it might be at school. Next week I will try and get some pics of him in action at school. I asked him where he wanted me to take his picture and he sat down on the ground and said right here. He wouldn't stand up. Little bugger. I know he was excited and uneasy, so I didn't push it. In the last picture, here's what he was telling me:

Mommy, "Jacob, can you please look at me and smile?"

Jacob, "I don't want to talk to you right now."

Ugh.

Ronan and Rosco

2009-08-07T19:55:00.004-07:00

Today while over at Grammie and Papa's house, we noticed that Ronan was watching Rosco under the table. So I said let's sit with him on the ground and see what they do. It was so cute and funny! Rosco (my sister's dog) was SO great with him.

First licks

"Eeww, dog breath!"

"Haha, this is fun Grammie!"

(Aidan is kissing Ronan's head, so sweet!)

"You'll never beat this bad boy at a staring contest."

Karate Chop!!

Rosco sneaks in a little kiss . . .

"Ooohh, no likey licky . . ."

"Oooh, no likey drooly . . ."

"Oh, OK, you do live here."

"Please oh please may I go?"

"But not before one more little kiss!"

6 month stats

2009-08-07T19:43:00.002-07:00

Ronan's 6 month appointment went great. For him that is. I really should have rescheduled the appointment because that morning I woke up and felt like I had been hit by a bus. Turns out I had mastitis. SO, of course on this day, when I feel miserable, the doctor is running an hour behind. Also, Ronan was a bit tired because it was during his nap time. Just as he was falling asleep, Dr. Kanagal came in. He did great and was all smiles despite being tired. Which is just how he is - all smiles and so easy going. He did have to get 3 shots, but did fine. A few tears and then it was over. On to the stats:

Height: 27 1/4" 75%

Weight: 16 lbs. 9 1/2 oz. 25%

two bottom teeth

rolls over and over and over

loves to listen to me sing The Wheels on the Bus, Patty Cake and Intsy Wintsy Spider

typically take a good morning nap, good afternoon nap and an early evening snooze

usually sleeps pretty well at night only nursing once but I do think he is getting more teeth because he has been fussing much more during the night

so so smiley and happy!

loves watching his big brothers play

and best of all . . . .

Is a MAMA's Boy!!!!

Our Sweet 6 month old!

2009-07-28T18:50:00.003-07:00

Hard to believe that Ronan is 6 months old now! I don't have any stats to update yet, his 6 month appointment isn't until next week. But I do have some cute pictures!! Enjoy!

Should I be feeding him more?

Uhhh, you got a little something . . .right there . . .

Sweet, sweet snuggler

There's that beautiful smile I see all the time!!

I love playing with my brother!

Oh Mom . . .

1 . . .

2 . . .

3 . . .

2 out of 3 happy ain't bad!

Ronan's Baptism

2009-07-27T14:58:00.005-07:00

On Sunday, we celebrated Ronan's baptism. It was great to have our family there to celebrate with us. Afterwards we had everyone back to our house for lunch and hanging out. Ronan did so great - smiles the whole time! I think he really liked being the center of attention.

Sweet brothers

Sweet lovin'

I think Ronan was doing the Safety Dance. And Jacob was not into taking pictures.

Nor was he excited about being up front with us during the baptism

During the baptism Jacob hid his face and Aidan wandered around. ;-)

Ronan was so cute with Kurt, out pastor. He was so happy with him!

Smalley Time!!

2009-07-26T20:11:00.008-07:00

OK, so it's been a while since the last post. We've been busy and I hope to get caught up. One super fun thing we just got back from doing was visiting our cousins in Oklahoma. My Aunt Jane was sweet enough to offer to fly out to AZ, drive back to her house in OK with me and then drive back to AZ and fly back home. There was NO WAY I could have made the drive alone. (Cody was in Tennessee for the covenant churches big senior high convention) So we made the two day drive out to OK and spent an awesome week with the Smalley clan. We miss them SO much and the kids have such a great time together. Even though they were experiencing the hottest week there this summer, we still had a blast. The boys loved the freedom to run around and play. Did I mention they live on 5 acres, back off of any roads? Awesome. There are so many great pics to share, so many in fact that I had to upload them to Flickr. I believe you should be able to click on the link below to access them. Please let me know if you have any troubles. Anyway, we were so sad to go. But we do hope to maybe make this an annual summer thing. That is of course, unless the Smalley's move back here. Which I would LOVE. But I must say that they are living the dream they've dreamt of for a while. A beautiful country home with lot's of land for the kids to run around on, great town, good friends . . .
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26115514@N06/sets/72157621725717623/show/

Summer Fun

2009-06-26T14:15:00.005-07:00

Yesterday the boys and I went out front to play in some water. Yes, we do have an underground pool out back, but I can't take all the boys swimming by myself. Usually I buy a smaller plastic pool, but just haven't this year. SO, I poured the beans and rice out of their bin and filled it with water and soap. The boys had a blast playing in it, washing rocks, washing their motorcycles and washing each other. It was a nice way for them to cool off. They did start with swim trunks on, but Jacob wanted his off so Aidan wanted his off. Such is life. Ronan even joined in the fun!

I think Aidan might be practicing his yoga . . .

The following 3 pictures are what I get from Aidan when I say "Smile!"

Washing Aidan's motorcycle

Ronan was having fun watching his brothers . . .

Then he realized Mama was taking pictures and that changed the mood.

Jacob and his silly smile

My silly smiling boys . . .

Ronan joins the fun!

Hhmm, not so sure what the big deal is . . .

this kind of just feels like a bath . . .

But, oh, hey bro, look at that over there!

Aidan really was enjoying holding Ronan, I just happened to capture him in a moment of reflection . . .

Cody's 30th Birthday at Disneyland!!!

2009-06-22T20:11:00.007-07:00

For Cody's Big 3-0, I surprised him with a trip to Disneyland! (I actually told him a while back) The three boys stayed with my parents while we were gone. It was a quick trip, but so much fun! We left Friday morning and arrived in at our hotel in the afternoon. For dinner we hit the Alcatraz Brewing Co. It was yummy! We walked around the outdoor mall and then headed back to the hotel for some R/R. We woke up bright and early on Saturday so that we could be at Disneyland when it opened. The day was just perfect. The weather was cloudy and cool. The time went by at the perfect pace. Disney was not very crowded either! Believe it or not, we even had time to go back to the hotel for a nap!!! I love it! We were back at the hotel around 11pm and ready to hit the hay. We both slept great! I had to get up at 6:30am to pump, but fell right back asleep until 10:00!!! Then it was back to AZ and the boys.

The trip was just the right amount of time for me to be away from the boys. I missed them, but not terribly. If we would have been one day longer, I would have missed them much more. It was interesting being together with no kids, just the two of us. I don't think we have done a trip, just the two of us, since Jacob was born. It took a couple of times to remember that one of us didn't have to stay in the car while the other went into the AM/PM to get a drink and snack. We could both go! There were no time constraints for naps/bedtimes. And the only thing we carried into DL was Riss's little point and shoot camera she let us borrow. No diaper bag, stroller, snacks, hats etc. It was nice.

I did take some pics with Riss's camera. They might be a bit boring because we pretty much just held it out in front of ourselves. But I think you might enjoy a few . . .

Cody's beer

At dinner Friday night

Enjoying his beer

On the tram into DL

Cody got in free since it was his birthday. They gave him this pin to wear and almost every cast member we saw wished him a happy birthday!

The Tea Cups

Ok, so I don't like the tea cups. I can't remember the last time I have been on them. I usually feel rather nauseous after riding them. But, since it was Cody's birthday and he really wanted to ride them, I decided to suck it up and go with him. I didn't want him to have to go by himself. . . .

Waiting for our turn

Feelin' pretty good about the decision, a little relaxed . . .

and then I saw this face! I knew I was in for it. . .

What concentration it takes to spin a giant tea cup!!

What commitment!

What nausea!!!

And around and around and around we go!

I will admit, it was fun and we did get some hilarious pictures!

Self explanatory

I LOVE the giant pickles at DL. Here I am partaking of this delicious treat!

Waiting in line for Big Thunder Mountain and below, on BTM.

OOOhhhh, SCARY Haunted Mansion!!

Before the great big drop on Splash Mountain . . .

After the great big drop on Splash Mountain . . .

I'm happy and dry . . .

Cody . . .not so much. He was soaked. Hehehe!

Big Thunder at Night

Before

During:

My little goof ball

2009-06-12T07:41:00.002-07:00

While making lunch, I heard "drumming" coming from behind me. I turned around to find this:

Below is when he heard the click of the camera - stopped dead in his tracks

Then I asked him to drum so more . . .

That's my little goof ball Aidan!!!

My Vice

2009-06-05T15:36:00.004-07:00

My vice, my weakness, my white whale, my temptation . . .

my sweet goodness.

Oh chocolate chip cookie from Safeway, how I love thee. Your sweet chocolate chunks melt in my mouth and your chewy core is heavenly. I try to resist you, but at no avail. You have me trapped in an abyss of desire. I will overcome the urge to devour you. I will overcome.

My Sanctuary

2009-06-02T19:39:00.004-07:00

I have once again redone my little garden space. After a few attempts at growing different things - vegetables, flowers etc. I learned that the back half of my space just does not get enough sun to produce anything. So I cut the garden in half and built a little porch area. The front half of the garden houses some herbs, daisies and one rose bush that is doing really well. I have vines growing on two sides and planted another creeping vine that will hopefully cover the rock that is behind the scarecrow in the first picture. There are a few plants missing in these photos (like the creeping vine), I hadn't had a chance to plant them yet. Now all I need is a little table and one or two chairs and my little escape will be complete. I would also love to find a little water fountain to put in the back corner. I think that would be the final touch. I invite anyone to come and enjoy it!

Food, Glorious Food!

2009-06-01T15:27:00.004-07:00

Ronan is now eating solids! Well, that is if you call really runny oatmeal a "solid" food. Here are pics of the first go round.

Waiting patiently for my grub.

Ah, hold on there. What the heck is that?

OH, WOW, this is not good!

Mama, what are you giving me?

Oh wait. It's not so bad.

Oh . . .my . . .gosh! Why me?! Why me!?!

Just kidding. I was just practicing my drama skills. I think I can get used to it.

Mmmm, Peaches!!

2009-05-30T14:20:00.003-07:00

Cody came up with a great idea for us today. We woke up and headed straight out to Schnepf Farms to pick fresh peaches! Yes, there actually are places in this desert to get fresh produce! We all love peaches, well all except for Jacob of course. But he enjoyed picking them! We all did. It was hard to explain to the boys not to pick every single peach. They are a little to young to understand that some aren't ready for picking. Oh well, it was fun for them anyway. I wish I was able to get pictures of Aidan enjoying his peaches - I think he ate two on the way home. But it's a bit hard to get pictures while driving. :-) He was a juicy mess when we got home. Gotta love it. Most of the pictures are of the backs of the boys head, I'm not quick enough, especially while holding Ronan. Although Daddy did hold him for a bit - he was a little cranky towards the end, a bit warm I think. I can't blame him. It was a great morning and I look forward to making it a tradition - maybe a few weeks earlier next year, but nonetheless, a tradition.

Desert Botanical Gardens Butterfly Exhibit

2009-05-29T20:32:00.004-07:00

Jacob, Aidan and I went with Grammie (my mom) to the Desert Botanical Gardens today to see the butterfly exhibit. I think the boys enjoyed it. It was great practice of self control for Aidan. He so badly wanted to touch the butterflies. So instead, he crouched real close and screamed "Hi butterfly!!!!" Gotta love him. Also while we were there, Grammie discovered that the boys do not know how to drink out of water fountains. Watching them attempt to was as exciting as the butterflies. :-)

Butterfly Exhibit

(check out my photography page for pics of the butterflies)

Drinking Fountain Attempts

(yes, Jacob has the longest tongue in the world!)

(I love Aidan's face in the first two)

4 months old and lovin' life

2009-05-26T16:35:00.002-07:00

On Saturday, Ronan turned 4 months old! I can't believe 4 months have already flown by. Today he had his 4 month well check. Here are the stats:

14 lbs. 13oz. 50%

26 1/2" 90%

Everything looks good! He is ready for solid foods now! This is always an entertaining step for me. The dr. did put him on a med. for minor reflux. It's the lowest dosage and hopefully it will give him a little relief. Ronan is a very happy baby. He smiles so much and I can't get enough of it! Here are his 4 month pictures.

"I am a cool dude!"

I think he is conducting in this picture.

Super Smiley Boy!

"Aaww, schucks . . ."

Sickies

2009-05-22T19:20:00.003-07:00

Well, this week we have had our share of illness. Wednesday Jacob went to the doctor for croup. Then yesterday Aidan had a fever all day and night so back to the doctor we went today. The doctor is running a culture for strep throat. Initial test came back negative, but she decided to send it out to be tested. Other than the fever, Aidan doesn't have any other symptoms. His throat was red, but he says it doesn't hurt. Anyway, as I pulled in our driveway and got out, this is what I found. Fast asleep, sucker in hand. Poor little guy.

On the upside, Jacob actually took his medicine tonight!!! The past two days we literally had to hold him down force him to take it. Not fun for any of us. Today he took it normally, like any other medicine he's taken. Thanks goodness!

Here is a cute conversation I had with Aidan at the doctor while waiting for test results:

A: "Mommy, what's this?" (holding up his q-tip the doctor gave him)

M: "It's a q-tip."

A: "Can I eat it?" (typical Aidan thought, mmm, food)

M: "No, you cannot eat that. It's not food."

A: (with a cute, unsure little smile on his face) "Are you teasin' me Mommy?"

I guess he really thought it was food!

Getting Caught up, part 2

2009-05-18T15:18:00.004-07:00

Oops, I can't believe I forgot about our trip to the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium! Here are the pictures from that adventure.

Checking out some fish, ducks and little monkeys

Only my boys go to a zoo with tons of animals to look at and instead are more interested in the wood wall and something by the garbage can . . .

Mr. Roo was there too!

Jacob looking eye to eye with a giant sea turtle

Looking for "Nemo" fishes

Not amused by the camera, can't I just have a private diaper change?

Aidan pointing out some sort of sea creature

Looking at the penguins

Looking at more cool things

Grammie pointing out something neat

We got to eat lunch in the restaurant with the giant aquarium in it. There were sharks and other fish swimming around. Pretty neat!

Ronan is pondering the validity of the conversation we were having.

Last stop . . .flamingos!!

Getting Caught Up

2009-05-18T07:43:00.006-07:00

We've been having fun the last couple of weeks. Here are a few photos to show what we've been up to.

Playing Rambo . . .or should I say Ramba?

(Aidan put that on all by himself)

Lots and lots of smiling!!!

Lots and lots of lovin'

We had a very happy Mothers day and this was the photo we gave out.

Water Play Pad at the Zoo!

Watching my brothers and wishing I was out there too.

Trying to get Mommy, Aunt Lori and Ronan wet.

A man on a mission . . .

My little Lady's Man

More fun water play

Who knows what he's doing . . .

Catchin' some rays

Jumping like a frog!

Sleepy boy

Snack time!

Hmmm . . .

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree . . .

2009-05-14T08:10:00.002-07:00

When our children our born, we are excited to find out who they will look like, what characteristics they will have, who they will take after, etc . . . It has been interesting (and sometimes like looking in a mirror) to see what temperaments and "types" our boys have/are. In the last week or so, we have discovered a similarity in sleep habits between Jacob and myself. (some of this post is going to be a bit embarrassing for me, I hope you enjoy) When I say sleep haibts, I mean dreaming. And when I say dreaming, I mean nightmares. When I was little (and yes I admit, when I say little I mean from when I was a toddler until, well, the present time.) I would often wake up in the middle of night, screaming bloody murder about a bug (usually a spider) in my bed, in front of my face, etc. My parents have even found me in my closet hiding and screaming. The older I have gotten, the less it does happen. It did take Cody a few times to get used to it. It must be freaky to wake up to your wife screaming bloody murder about some spider. Anyway, enough about me. It seems that Jacob has inherited (if in fact you can inherit nightmares) from me. On a few occasions now, Jacob has woken up in the middle of the night, screaming bloody murder, about spiders and crabs in his bed. Cody goes in to check on him and I lay in bed and laugh. Not because I have no compassion for his fears, but because I know this is what it was like for my parents and I know we are in it for the long haul.

Check my photo blog too!

2009-05-01T10:12:00.002-07:00

Spring Time

2009-05-01T08:04:00.003-07:00

One thing I enjoy about spring time is the babies everywhere! And I don't mean human. Well, I do, but that's not what I'm talking about this time. When we go for walks at the park or by the canal, there are tons of new baby ducks and geese. I think they are SO cute. Of course not as cute as my babies. :-)

"Rrrrraaarr"

"I'm ridin' it gansta style."

"Oh yeah. I am pretty cool."

Baby Geese

Not sure what Aidan is doing. Jacob is giving Rosco the stare down.

Baby ducks

Goose family

Zoo time

2009-04-28T15:46:00.005-07:00

The weather in sunny AZ is about to become very sunny and hot so the boys and I headed to the zoo for what may be the last comfortable day there. I grabbed the camera and we had fun taking pictures. Well, at least I did. :-) Let the adventure begin!

"Strike a pose, there's nothing to it . . ."

Checkin' out the turtles and fish

I would be willing to bet that Aidan was thinking, I wonder if I could fit under here.

Ronan was having fun too!

Watching the bird go for a dip . . .

"I see you!"

We were walking out of the frog exhibit when Jacob ran ahead. When I walked by this big open window he was standing on the other side with a big huge grin. It was so cute how proud of himself he was.

Just a big huge stump with two cute boys.

"HHmmm, where should we go first?"

The truth comes out, Ronan was really hatched.

And I made Aidan sit on the egg until it hatched . . .

My little tractor drivers!

Two cute boys on one big swing!

While we were walking, I turned around to this. I asked Jacob what he was doing and he told me he was being a turtle!

"Brothers gotta hug!"

My two cuties

Checking out the big fish before we left

Charitytees.com

2009-04-23T18:27:00.004-07:00

Cody's co-worker, Nicole, gave this bib and onesie to Ronan when he was born. The bib is still big, but the onesie fits. Nicole is the founder of Charitytees.com, an organization that supports the fight against breast cancer. Nicole lost her mom in 2002 to the disease. I know that we all know someone who has battled or is battling this terrible disease. Please take a look at the website, another fun way to support the fight! I love all of the great sayings she has come up with.

This post is honor of so many in our life that have fought the battle:

Mimi Davis, Kelley Liljegren, Nancy Nelson, Susie Ulrickson, Belle Bradford, Jane Baker, Lori Bridwell

and all the other women out there fighting.

"Save Dinner"

"Save my future wife's itty bitties"

4 days apart

2009-04-21T18:38:00.004-07:00

We were lucky enough to spend time with some good friends that were in town visiting family. Lisa and Jason Miller, along with their kiddos, Indie (2) and Eli (11 weeks) came in from Minnesota for Lisa's moms birthday. They have been in town since last Thurday, but Aidan has been sick so we weren't able to get together until today. (And of course they left tonight :-( ) I was excited to get Ronan and Eli together. They were born just days apart. Ronan on January 23 and Eli on the 27th. How fun would it be if they grew up being great buds!

E: "Dude, how long is this picture thing going to take?"

R:"Just smile and then maybe she'll stop."

I'm pretty sure I heard Eli do the fake cough but say something else thing. I could have sworn I heard "cough*cough*enough*cough"!

R: "Dude, you're right, this is taking for ever! I'm sorry, she can get carried away."

E: "You've got to be kidding me. I thought we were done!"

R: "Welcome to my life dude, welcome to my life."

Photography

2009-04-19T11:01:00.001-07:00

I posted a few pictures on my photography page and hope to continue to do more. Enjoy!

Restroom Etiquette

2009-04-15T19:58:00.002-07:00

So today I took the boys, all three, to the zoo. Just me and the boys. Really not too bad. They all did great. Jacob even walked the entire time! He's growing up to be such a big boy. Aidan actually listened and was allowed to walk too. There was even one time when he told Jacob to "Wait for Mommy!" Shocking, since he is usually running in the opposite direction. Anyway, when we first arrived at the zoo, I needed to use the restroom. I had Jacob walking and I was pushing the big double stroller so opted for the family restroom. Assuming it was available, which it was. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that family restrooms are for ONE family at a time. Am I right? (If not, I will apologize right now for the rant that I am about to go on.) I explain to Jacob that I need to go to the bathroom and he starts to freak out. He is doing great with potty training, but is still uncomfortable going anywhere but home. I think he thought I was going to make him go. So here I am, pushing the big stroller and trying to wrangle a screaming 3 year old into the bathroom when a woman and her son walk up and offer to get the door for me. Nice enough. However, she continues to follow me into the bathroom, which allows time for Jacob to run out. I grab him and turn around to her walking into the stall. She does ask, "Is there another one for you?" Well, yeah, but it's a mini toilet for kids with no door. Whatever. I took the high road and told her to go ahead, but steaming a little inside. Was I not going in there first? Did I not have three kids, one of which was throwing a fit the entire time? And isn't it a ONE family bathroom???? Because I could not lock the bathroom door because she was in there with me, Jacob tried to escape. So I had to take him against his will into the stall with me. Screaming and all. (He continued to try to open the stall door too) What a way to pee. As she left she said "Have a nice time today" with the underlying tone of "I know what kind of day it will be with a cranky 3 year old. Whatever. AAGGGHH!! I don't know why, but this situation really got under my skin. What is the deal with people? Despite the beginning of our time at the zoo, the rest of it was very nice. Sorry, no pictures though. Maybe on solo trip number 2.

Gluten for punishment, part 2

2009-04-09T11:32:00.004-07:00

In my quest to keep my boys happy and entertained I once again ended up with more work for myself. I am not so naive that I didn't see the mess coming. That's the problem, I see fully in my mind what is going to happen and yet I create the activity anyway. It sounds like so much fun for them that I forgot about how much "fun" it will be for me. Haha. I really don't mind. The messes the boys create make for great picture opportunities. And I hope great memories for them. I came up with this idea from the Children's Museum and then my friend Jacqui confirmed it was a great activity in a previous post. And it does clean up easily.

(And yes, they do not have any pants on - the joys of potty training!)

Is it only my boys that decide to squish together in the container of rice and beans? Uh, guys, you're not supposed to sit in it.

The mess.

The "Roo"

2009-04-09T11:27:00.003-07:00

Just a couple pictures of my sweet Ronan. He was asleep in the swing and I decided to get a few shots of him.

Happily dreaming

Practicing either his Elvis sneer or his "You wanna mess with me?" look. You decide.

I love little toes!!! ( You would never know I have a foot fetish!)

Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T16:38:00.002-07:00

At church this morning, the kids sang a song entitled "Bull Frogs and Butterflies", which has an Easter theme. Instead of carrying in palms, they all carried bullfrogs and butterflies that they had made. The youngest kids, Jacob and Aidan's age came in last. The first picture is of the group before the boys arrived. I'm not going to lie, my boys didn't really enjoy it. Jacob refused to wear his hat and Aidan stood facing the kids, frozen in fear. When they saw me taking pictures, both came and wanted to sit with me. So, I have just one or two pictures of them up there. It was funny. Oh well, they will have plenty of chances to show off their skills later.

The crew

It appears in this picture that Jacob is wearing his hat but it's actually a hat on the person behind him.

The entire group

Poor little man. He stood that way, frozen, for several minutes until I tried to coax him to turn around, and failed.

God grant me patience . . .

2009-04-05T16:35:00.001-07:00

Yes that is Aidan and yes that is lipstick. Need I say more?

Glutton for punishment?

2009-04-03T12:38:00.002-07:00

Cute boys in undies, check. Paper and finger paint, check. Big mess to clean up, check.

I am trying to keep the boys entertained while we stay home working on potty training. We can play outside, but our backyard is torn up at the moment. We do go out front to play too. Anyway, if I can find a fun activity to do inside, it gives me time to get some other chores done. (plus the potty isn't far away) However, the fun activities I offer them seem to create more work in the long run. I really don't care, as long as they have fun!

"The Porcelain God"

2009-04-02T08:30:00.002-07:00

The last two days have been filled with potty training fun. ( I do say that somewhat sarcastically) I won't bore you or gross you out with all the details. I am training, or attempting to train, both boys at once. So far, it's been what I expected. For us it hasn't been a "not one accident" trial. Jacob is doing great at telling me when he needs to go - it takes several attempts to actually go though. Yesterday he held it all morning, until 12:45pm. He has yet to poop on the potty. Now Aidan will poop on the potty and is good about telling me he has to go. But he will pee anywhere - on the couch, in the bathtub (mind you, not while taking a bath, he just crawled in and peed), outside, etc. Just not on the potty. Although if I can catch him, he will try on the potty. It's kind of like having a puppy. We'll get there. I have cleared my schedule and we will be home working on it until we get it. I didn't take any on the potty pictures yet, I didn't want to embarrass them or make them feel any more uncomfortable on the potty. But I did get some cute pictures of them playing, cute bums and all. And of course one of the Roo, taking it all in, scheming for when it will be his turn to potty train. . .

Goodbye old friend

2009-03-26T08:22:00.003-07:00

You will be missed.

Sweet Friends . . .

2009-03-24T19:28:00.007-07:00

Once again we have been blessed with the opportunity to hang out with great friends. The Ulricksons, Matt, Amy, Heidi and Shiloh, were in town over the weekend for a wedding. Cody and I were able to grab time with both Matt and Amy before Matt had to head back to work in Boston. It was so great to reconnect with both of them and we are so happy they were able to squeeze us in. Amy and the girls came before Matt and stayed a few days after he left. Last week we were able to go to the Railroad Park with them for a picnic (sorry, didn't take my camera) and then on Tuesday we went to the Children's Museum. It was SO much fun!! The kids had a blast. I have a ton of pictures of them and had a hard time choosing which to put on the blog. :-) (which is why there are so many on this post) Thanks again Amy and girls for hanging with us!! We miss you already.

Jacob watching a mat that changes colors when you step on it.

Shiloh trying on new shoes - I think they might be a little big . . .

Heidi and "her boys" playing in the Noodle Forrest

Heidi (above) and Aidan (below) playing with a giant cactus that shoots Beanie Baby spiders, snakes etc. off of it as you crank them up to the top.

Aidan and Shiloh checking out what's below on the first floor

Shiloh changes her mind about going into the Noodle Forrest.

Heidi and Jacob playing in the "Forrest"

Having fun jumping in and out of, well, I don't know what they are called. They were fun anyway.

Releasing their car on the race track

Shiloh and her Nana "Gettin' their motor runnin'

Jacob playing with the race car and track

Heidi showing off her dangerous side

My little race car driver

Shiloh loved sitting on the motorcycle. I wish I had video of her, she was bouncing up and down and did not want to get off!!

In the next exhibit, the boys went one direction and the girls the other. The boys went to play with balls that you drop down tubes and watch them roll their way to the bottom. The girls went to the mini kitchen area to cook up some grub!! Heidi made spaghetti while Shiloh dished it up.

The next stop was the grocery store. The kids loved playing with a big table of dried peas. Another one of Shiloh's favorite attractions.

Jacob and Heidi both did their share of grocery shopping. Very serious work.

And yes, Ronan was there!! Above he is enjoying relaxing in one of the baby papasans in the "Under 3 Room". And below he is chillin' in the stroller while the kids played at the "Car Wash".

Here are the wee ones riding their bikes at the car wash. I realize I didn't post any pictures of the actual "carwash". Oh well.

2 months old already!!

2009-03-23T15:48:00.003-07:00

Our little Ronan is now 2 months old! The time has flown by. He has been such a great baby. This past week he started to smile! For the past couple of weeks I have seen recognition in his eyes when he sees me, Cody or the boys. It's the greatest feeling. He is truly a blessing.

Ronan's stats:

11 lbs. 6 ozs. - 50%

22 1/2 inches long - 25-50%

In these photos Ronan is showcasing an outfit given to him by one of Cody's co-workers, Mary Kay. We think it is adorable. Thank you Mary Kay!!