Weekend

Our weekend in review:

I spent most of the week with a migraine so, Brandon came home on Friday with beautiful flowers for me to make me feel better. They are beautiful!

We went and watched our friend Amelia in her first crew race. The boys had a blast in the lake and we were very proud of Amelia. I forgot the camera as usual!

Went to our friends Pam & Scott's for a cookout. They have an adorable daughter named Anna who is 5. During lunch i heard Connor ask her if she was his girlfriend. They spent most of the day jumping in and out of the pool. Then they sat together & watched a movie.

3 year check up

Today Connor had his 3 year old check up. He weighed 34 lbs and is 38 3/4 inches tall. He is in the 75% for height & weight. He got to pee in a cup for the first time. He thought that was pretty cool. He also got his blood pressure taken for the first time. He received a Dr. kit for his birthday so he was pretty familiar with the cuff. But since his exam we have played Dr. non- stop!

We found out that Connor has flat feet so I am currently looking for shoes with high arches... any advice?

Some cute stuff

Hudson has decided he wants to poop in the potty. The other night Brandon got into the shower & was calling for the boys, I was getting their PJ's ready. I came into the bathroom to see why he was still calling for Hudson. Well, the little guy was standing in the toilet with his diaper on and he was pooping. He knew where to poop he just didn't quite get it right. He has gone in the potty 4 times this week.

Whenever Connor sees a streak of smoke in the sky he thinks superman has just flown by. We will be driving & all of a sudden he screams "look we just missed superman!".

They have been playing together more and more lately. I love it! Here they are wrestling.

Disney Magic

The Tuesday after Connor's birthday we took him to Disney for the day. Thanks to a friend of a friend we got in for a discounted price and were handed 4 tickets. We were able to fast pass 2 rides per hour. That meant that we rode every ride we wanted to in about 5 hours. We waited about a total of 45 minutes all day long! When we first got to Disney we went to the town hall & told them it was Connor's birthday. They gave him a button with his name on it that said "It's my Birthday". Every employee told him "Happy Birthday Connor!". He got a free cookie and had a great day.

The family fun parade passed right in front of us, so we joined the back of the parade. Connor thought it was pretty cool to be in the parade.

While leaving the magic kingdom Connor could hear some race cars coming from the Wide World of Sports. They were coming from the Richard Petty driving school. We took a chance and drove over to the track. They let us drive into the middle of the track. Next thing we know the head instructor came up to Connor & asked him if he would like to have a closer look. Connor went with him onto the track & then the guy let him get into the Home Depot car. What a great experience for the little guy!

Ouch!

Last night after riding his new razor scooter like a pro Connor ran after the soccer ball and fell in the street. Luckily he still had his helmet on. He bruised both knees & broke blood vessels in his forehead & nose. It could have been so much worse. Here is the little guy being brave with ice on his knees.

The birthday that never ends

This morning at church Connor got more gifts from friends. He got some cool new books and a huge remote control crane. Brandon has not stopped playing with the crane since.

This evening we had Paul, Marci, Colin & Lyndsey over for dinner. Colin is one day older than Connor & Lyndsey is 1 month younger than Hudson. Marci & I have spent all of our pregnant time together! We made our "famous" ribs and the boys got special cupcakes to sing happy birthday yet again!

Happy Birthday Connor!

Today is Connor's 3rd birthday. Wow! I know all of you parents understand what I mean. The times has flown by. I can hardly believe what the little boy has learned to do over the past year. This year he has learned to:

ride a 2 wheeler with no training wheels

float in the water for 10 seconds

swim about 20ft.

use the bathroom on his own

try new foods

ride a scooter

put away all of his own laundry

Say please & thank you without being told

Get undressed all by himself

pick out his own clothes (mostly)

put on his own shoes

fasten his own car seat

Heck, this past 6 months Connor has really learned how to talk. He sings all the time. His favorite song to sing is the theme from the old Smokey & The Bandit movie (Brandon's influence)....you know "we've got a long way to go & a short time to get there..."

I beam with pride whenever I think about Connor. His physical ability is amazing. I have always been a klutz and I am so happy to see that he has overcome my genes. But even without the physical he is a great kid. He is smart and sensitive. He never gives up. When Connor is determined to learn how to do something you better believe he is going to. He loves to do things by himself.

I made him a special birthday shirt & hat to wear today.

This morning Justin & Erin took Connor to Chuck E. Cheese & then out for ice cream. Then he got to open their gift. They got him a huge tool set which of course he loved. His favorite part was the measuring tape.

After lunch he got to open his gift from Uncle Damon, Aunt Kim, Tucker & Rebekah. They got him a pack of DVDs called Hart Had Harry. If you have a little boy I highly recommend them. We have already watched the monster truck one more times than I care to admit.

We let him choose what he wanted for lunch & dinner. So, we ate pizza for 2 meals that day. When he woke up from his nap Brandon took him on a bike ride. We weren't going to have a party, but I did let him pick out his own cake. We had invited some family & neighbors over & then he asked if Ryan could come over too. So this non-party ended up being pretty big. Everyone showed up while he was on his bike ride. When he walked in the door we all screamed "surprise!". He was so confused at first. As soon as he saw the table full of gifts he said "where are my trucks?". He got spoiled of course. Some of his favorites were a garbage truck, roller blades, a scooter, a matchbox blimp, and dinosaur mountain.

He wanted to get on his roller blades right away. Let's just say it will probably be a while before he masters them, but I am sure he will! He had a great birthday.

Fireworks

This morning we got up an had pancakes....surprise, surprise! We took the kids up to the club to swim for a while & then in the evening we headed over to Freddy & Katina's new home. They just bought a beautiful house in their dream community. Brett, Erin & their kids were there as well. It was so good to get together with our old neighbors. We all had a BBQ together & then watched fireworks from their back porch. We left early as Hudson was getting tired & cranky. On the way home there werefireworks going off on each side of the highway. It was so cool. Connor loved it. Again I forgot my camera!

3rd of july

Today we headed over to Chuck E. Cheese with Erin, Ryan & Olivia. We had a blast as usual. The kids were climbing the walls so I was glad Erin suggested we get out of the house. The older boys played great together. As far as Hudson & Olivia...well...They are too cute for words. They were riding a firetruck ride together and having a hard time taking turns at the wheel. I told Hudson it was Liv's (Olivia) turn & he had to put his arm on the truck. Then we told Liv it was Hudson's turn & without being told she put her arm around Hudson & rested it on his shoulder. It was so cute watching the two of them. She continued to do this every time it was his turn to drive.

Later that evening we headed over to some friends for a pre 4th of July BBQ. We only stayed a while as it was late but that didn't stop us from having a good time. Brandon & Connor had a blast in the pool. It is always fun to take Connor swimming around new people as they are usually pretty impressed with his ability.

Again no pictures. I really need to get better at bringing my camera along!

Great weekend

On Saturday we got up early & Brandon made breakfast for the family. Pancakes & waffles. Why are pancakes the husband thing to make? My Dad always made the pancakes when I was a kid too. We headed over to Monkey Joe's for Owen's birthday party. Owen is Freddy & Katina's son. They were our old next door neighbors. We met Owen when he was 3 days old and have loved him ever since. I used to get to watch Owen when Katina would have a Dr.'s appointment. And to say that Owen & Brandon have always had a special bond is a true understatement. Brandon has always loved that kid. Owen would wait by the window & when he would see Brandon's car come home from work he would run & tell his Mom. Then the 2 of them would play together almost every night. I truly think that the only reason Brandon agreed to move out of our old neighborhood was that Owen was leaving too. I can't believe he is 5 and ready to head to kindergarten. Katina... stop crying! We had a great time at the party.

Saturday night Brandon's parents came over to babysit & we headed out for the evening. We went to Season's 52 for dinner. They change their menu depending on the what food is in season. Every entree on the menu is under 450 calories & sooo good. Later we headed to White House Black Market (my favorite clothing store). I had a 30% off coupon & couldn't let it go to waste. Brandon slept in a changing room while I tried on clothes. I got 2 dresses & some other stuff. Then it was time for the toy store to buy Connor's birthday gifts. We had so much fun shopping for him. I will post pics of all the gifts after his birthday.

On Sunday we went to church & then headed over to our friends Brian & Michelle's house. We really like Brain & Michelle but we just never seem to get together. Brandon has known Brian since high school, but now that we all have kids we have really bonded. They have 2 adorable daughters. Morgan is 2 months younger than Connor & Madison is 8 months younger than Hudson. They are great parents. It is hard to find couples whose parenting style really matches with your own, so when it does it is exciting. We went to the pool in their community. It was beautiful. Connor swam about 25ft across the pool. Then he jumped in, swam to Brandon, rolled over onto his back floated for a count of 10, and rolled back over and swam back to the wall. Even we were amazed! He has come so far since swim lessons. He told us on the way home that he is a fish! After the pool we headed back to Brain & Michelle's for a great lunch. The kids played so nice together. We headed home & all 4 of us took a nap. We were beat! I can't remember the last time we all took a 2 hour nap, but it felt good!

Can you believe we had such a great weekend and I didn't take one picture or 1 minute of video. We are going to get lots of video this week as Connor is going to turn 3 on Saturday and we want to be able to say he did all of this cool stuff before he turned 3!

back to brunette

I love playing around with my hair... I am surrounded by boys & that along with pedicures are basically the only thing that remind me I am a woman! So, Michelle darkened my hair a little the other day. I'm not saying it wont be blonde again, lets face it.. it will probably be blonde, red & back to brunette before the end of the year. Yeah for hair dye!

eating machine

This past week Connor tried meatloaf, pork chops and spaghetti O's. Yeah Connor! He actually asked for meatloaf. We called pork chops, pork nuggets and it worked. He also tried quesadillas and he liked them. He is eating oatmeal and trying new cereals.

Our next hurdles will be eggs and lunch meats. Wish me luck!

This boy can eat

Ever since I can remember Connor has had eating issues. He just doesn't like to eat. One time I stopped offering him food and he went 3 days without asking for any. That old saying "kids wont starve themselves" does not apply to him. Over the past year it has gotten worse. Whenever he sees a food that he doesn't want he just throws up. Sounds crazy, but it is true. He walked by Ryan once while Ryan was eating a banana & he just threw up. It has been frustrating to say the least. He ate peanut butter & jelly every day for lunch for about a year. We met with our pediatrician about this & he told us that in 30 years this is by far the most extreme case of food aversion he has ever seen. GREAT! He has thrown up due to taste, texture, smell, sight. His advice to us was to use the same method we used for potty training. Basically, bribe him to eat. Well, about a month and a half ago we started this. It has gone great. He is eating all kinds of fruit. He eats corn, peas, sweet potatoes and egg plant. He finally tried spaghetti. You would think that all kids like spaghetti, especially an Italian one! But not this one. It makes me so happy to watch him eat a good meal. We had told him that once he turned 3 he was going to have no choice and he was going to have to eat whatever we gave him. I am glad we started early that way he is ready for the new rule.

My tough little man

Today Hudson had his 15 month check up. He weighed 27 lbs and was 32 1/4 ". Lets just say he is a big boy. He was amazing for the Doctor. He just sat & let the Dr. do his thing. Then the nurse came in & gave him three shots. I swear the kid did not move. He didn't cry or wince or squirm. I was actually worried that he may have passed out. But he was just taking it like a man. The nurse was pretty impressed as were we. We stopped at Publix for a cookie to celebrate. I love the free cookie at the grocery store. It keeps them happy while I shop & we don't bring a whole bag of cookies home.

I forgot a few of his words... cook, no & stuck. Whenever he can't get into or out of something he says "I stuck".

Some good laughs

Last night Brandon & I did something we do not do enough of. We had an actual date night. Sometimes we have his parents watch the kids and we run out for dinner & to run errands.... but that is not a date. Last night our good friend Kathy watched the boys. The boys were great for her. She is such a loving person & I know they can feel that. You know how kids can just sense good people. For those of you who know Tara (the girl who stayed with us during the mission trip), Kathy is Tara's Mom. It is nice to know that they were in good hands. Connor did however manage to get to stay up 1 hour past bedtime.... but that's OK.

Brandon & I went to Universal City Walk. We ate at Pastamore. I am usually not big on chain restaurants, but the sangria, calamari & salads were fantastic! I would go there again just for that. The pizza was good, but not great. The sangria was so good I asked for the recipe. After that we headed over to Hard Rock Live and watched a great comedian, Brian Regan. If you have never heard of him he is worth checking out. We laughed for 2 hours straight. You can check him out at http://www.brianregan.com/

Today after church we took the boys out to breakfast and it was by far the best meal "out" we have ever had with them. They both ate well, no one was trying to get out of their chairs. We actually enjoyed a meal in a restaurant together. I shouldn't act like we never do.. it's just that they are young and it is hard to sit in a chair for an hour with nothing to do.

After breakfast we took them swimming at the club & now they are down for naps. Connor has already asked to go back swimming after the nap. He loves it!

They are getting big!

Last night Connor got up out of bed to go pee. When he was done Brandon told him to go put himself back to bed. He really just wanted to see what would happen. So, we watched in the camera & there was our not even 3 year old. He shut his door, climbed into bed, pulled the sheet up & went back to sleep. We were proud and sad all at the same time. They are both growing up so fast. Hudson is understanding everything we tell him. He is communicating so well. Here is a list of his words.... Mom, Dad, down, eat, uh-oh, pool, milk, ball, dog, poop, diaper. I know there are more that I am forgetting. The other day Hudson made a tower of block that was as tall as him. It is amazing how the 2nd child learns things so quickly when he has a big brother to emulate.

Father's Day

This year for Father's day we did something a little different. I asked Brandon what he wanted to do & followed his instructions. Of course they started out with Breakfast in bed. Next was church and then we went to brunch with Brandon's family. Usually we would all spend the day together but Brandon & the kids were pretty bored on Mother's day as everyone just sat around & watched TV. Not exactly our idea of a fun Sunday. So, instead we went home after brunch, the kids took a nap & when they woke up we took them up to the club to go swimming. We had a great afternoon. Connor is swimming like a champ! After swimming we took the boys up to a local equestrian center to see the horses. Connor told us that he wanted to ride a horse his whole life. He has picked the one he wants to ride. It is of course the largest horse I have ever seen. They wont let him take lessons until next year. Then Brandon said he didn't want a special dinner... he wanted take out so there would be no dishes to do. I did not argue.. after all it was his day! We ended the night watching a movie. DeJavu with Denzel Washington. It was pretty good. Brandon is a great Dad and I am glad he got to do exactly what he wanted for his day.

Photos

Here are some more pictures from the photographer. She captured so many great shots.

Rebekah

These are only a few of the 50 awesome pics I took of my niece Rebekah. During their visit she really took to my camera. Every time she spotted it she motioned to me to turn it on & start snapping. She made great faces & even tried taking a couple of pics herself. What a little sweetie!

In Full Bloom

The magnolia tree outside of our house has begun to bloom. This is exciting for me as Magnolias trees are one of the only trees I actually enjoy in Florida landscape. I am not a fan of palm trees. I am also not a fan of the yucky hard grass and the super planned out landscaping. I live with it and go along with the "rules". But I prefer northern foliage.

Hands On

I have always considered Brandon & I to be "hands-on" type of parents. We like to play with our kids, not just watch them play. I guess we are just aware that there are only a limited number of years when they will want to spend time with us as much as we want to spend time with them. So we try to soak up every moment. When I looked at this pic it just screamed FUN. It was taken at Monkey Joe's. We took the boys on Monday night along with Damon, Kim & Tucker. The boys all had a blast and I think the parents did as well.

I know..... I know

I know I have been a slacker this past week. In my defense we have had family in town. I will try to blog a whole bunch the rest of this week. I have taken over 300 pics while my niece & nephew were in town & it is going to take me a while to go through them. The photographer who took pics of us while my Dad was in town sent me the pics. Here is a preview...

Daddy is home!

Brandon got home about 10am Saturday. Connor didn't know where we were going & when I asked him where he wanted to go more than anywhere in the world he said 'I want to go on a mission trip & get my Dad". Both boys freaked when they saw Brandon. Hudson did not let go for 2 days. Brandon helped empty the bus with Hudson in one arm. The trip went well and all of the kids did great work & had a great time as well. Hopefully some of the other people on the trip will fwd me some pics so I can share some of Brandon's adventure with you.

On Sunday night we had all of the adult mission trip participants & their spouses over for a get together. This was our first party in the new house. It went very well. It is always a blast when you have good food & good friends together.

Brandon's older brother & his family get into town tonight so I am sure I will be sharing tons of pics of the family in the next couple of weeks.

Thursday and Friday

Thursday I was on my own for most of the day. We went to the zoo with Katina & Erin & all of the kids. I must say that all of the kids behaved rather well. I was proud of my little guys. Hudson hadn't taken a morning nap and he was still a trooper. Tara went to the Dr. in the morning for her sinuses. She came back before dinner. After dinner we took the kids to the trail in our neighborhood for a nature walk. Then we played outside for a while.

Ryan, Connor & Owen playing Kangaroo

Connor & Ella ( this picture will be cool to show at their wedding!)

Hudson & Olivia (same thing... this will be a cute pic at their wedding)

Owen, Connor, Ryan & Ella all smiling

Friday I took Connor to swim class while Hudson stayed behind with Connor. Connor had a great class and even went to the bottom of the pool to pick up a ring. I was so proud of the little guy. Next I took Connor to the local country club to join for a summer membership. I really wanted to have some place close by to take the boys swimming whenever I want. Plus we get to use all of the clubs facilities. We took the boys out to Wendy's for dinner and then headed to a bounce house place to play the night away. Tara and I are a good team. We use a man to man defense against the boys & switch kids about every 15 minutes. I really don't know what I would have done without her this week. I am used to having the kids during the days, but I really like knowing that the break is coming at the end of the night. Plus I really enjoy talking to her.

Well, Brandon should be home in a few hours and I just know the boys are going to flip. I can't wait to see Connor's reaction especially. He had a hard time staying in bed tonight he was so excited.

Oh yeah, Hudson has a new word... burp. It is pretty funny. After he burps he gets a surprised look on his face and says "burp". He is saying a bunch of words. Plus he can imitate an elephant, lion and monkey. All pretty cute!

Tuesday and Wednesday

So Tuesday evening we took the boys to the park & they had a great time. I acted like a clown & got Connor to laugh a whole bunch. It was sure nice to have help at dinner, bath and bed time. Tara came back in the morning & we went to swim lessons. She took Hudson in the pool so I could concentrate on Connor. He did a good job with the lesson but had trouble staying in one spot while he waited for the other kids. I think he is used to Brandon being there for the lesson so he may have just been acting out.

After swimming we headed to Monkey Joe's ( http://www.monkeyjoes.com/ ). It is a pretty awesome indoor play place. Both boys had a blast. When we got back we all took a nap. Tara wasn't feeling well so after the boys went to bed she went home. She is headed to the Dr. today so I am on my own for the zoo. This is a bit scary as I usually do not attempt something like this without a helper. There is a good chance I will have some good stories from this trip!

We got word that Brandon should be home early on Saturday. This will be great for Connor. I'm not even going to tell him where we are going until we get there. His mood has been much better since Tara has been hanging with us, but I know he is going to freak out when he sees his Dad.

Mom gets a break

Tara is here.. Tara is here.. Tara is here!!

This morning Tara came over about 10am. She played play dough with Connor and then she took him outside to play. Hudson & I joined as soon as he woke up. The boys were still kind of stuck on me for about the first hour. Next we went to Wal-mart to buy a bubble machine & water guns. Then we hit the grocery store. It was so nice to have an extra set of hands. By the time we left the grocery store Hudson had warmed right up to Tara. She is so nice and is great with kids. I knew it wouldn't take long. We came home and played water guns & bubbles outside. The Tara got them a snack & we all relaxed for a few minutes. Now the boys are sleeping, Tara is doing some reading for school & I can actually relax! I love Tara! If you can afford a nanny I highly recommend one. She is going to stay until they go to bed tonight & then come back tomorrow morning. I actually have a reason to cook dinner tonight. We had pancakes Saturday & Sunday and frozen pizza last night. After dinner tonight we are going to head up to the park to keep Connor busy. I am really looking forward to having some help at bath and bed time.

Poor little guy

Brandon has been gone since Friday night and Connor is lost without him. The poor little guy has lost his smile. On Sunday Brandon's parents came over and took the boys to the park. After they left Connor seemed fine. But when I tried to get him to go outside after dinner he didn't even want to do that. The he was up and out of bed a bunch of times. Every time he sees Brandon's car it makes him sad. Today we went to Brandon's parents house & he just wasn't himself. We have one of those battery powered trucks for him to ride on at their house. He didn't even enjoy that. We came home for naps, had dinner & then headed out to see Erin & the kids. He husband was working so we figured we would all just hang out. Well, Connor found his smile for a little while. For the first hour he just kind of walked around lost and didn't even really play with Ryan. Then we went outside & things got a little better. Then something switched and he really enjoyed himself while playing with play dough with Erin. She did anything & everything she could to make him laugh. No matter how silly she looked in the process. He finally laughed & enjoyed himself for a couple of minutes. Then we pulled into the driveway & they saw his car again & poor Hudson just started screaming "Dad Dad".

Well, Tara comes tomorrow morning & hopefully she will be able to distract him. My heart is just breaking for him. I have a feeling this will be Brandon's last mission trip for a while.

Brandon's mission

Brandon left Friday night for our annual church mission trip. But, by the time you read this he will be home. I made Connor a construction paper chain & every morning we cut off a link. He knows that when the links are gone Daddy is coming home. Last nigh after dinner he asked for Brandon. He knew that Brandon usually comes home at dinner time. It was pretty cute. And at bedtime he needed extra stories & cuddles. Poor little guy is lost without his buddy. Brandon's parents are coming over today (Sunday). And Tara gets here on Tuesday. She is a good friend who is home from college & will be staying with us from Tuesday through Friday. We will plan lots of fun activities to keep the boys busy. Tara has tons of energy & is great with the kids. Plus it is nice to have someone around in the evenings. I don't know how single parents do it. I would go crazy!!!

Lawn care

The boys love to "help" Brandon with the lawn. Connor has been doing this since he could walk.

Chocolate covered strawberries

Connor decided to help me make chocolate covered strawberries.....He just couldn't resist a taste......

We had to change his clothes when he was done!

Some pics from Dad's visit

Tuesday Dad arrived & I took the boys to the airport to pick him up. Connor loves the airport. Especially when he sees the UPS airplane. He is pretty sure the UPS plane is full of new toys. That evening Connor showed off his bike riding skills for my Dad and then we took him on a walk through the nature trail in our neighborhood.

On Wednesday we went to Connor's swimming lesson and then headed to the zoo. The boys love the zoo. They all decided to try out the kangaroo jumping exhibit.