Memorial Day Camping

Spent all week making lists and packing up for our Memorial Day camping trip! We didn't get as great of weather as we had hoped for, but no rain and there were still some good memories made. Chase was pretty darn whiny - not sure if its the age, teething, the ear infection, or a combination of all perhaps, but that tapped into some of the enjoyable time I will say. I am hoping by the time we roll out for the week long summer trip up North, some of that has passed.......

My camera was put away for most of the weekend (imagine that!) Below are a few pictures - most from the iPhone (and Keegan's iPhone I might add - thank you dear hubby)

Highlights of the weekend at Camp Arrowhead:

• Jumping Pillow (and an AMAZING iPhone capture from Keegan I might add!) This would be Lance's favorite from the weekend if you ask him!

PURE JOY right here! Look at those smiles.

• Popsicles- Chase's first Popsicle- felt good on those little teethers comin in.

• Digging in the dirt!

• The Dance - This campsite had SOOOO many awesome activities for kids/families all weekend, including a DJ and dance on Saturday night. I think this was one of my favorite times. Good old fashioned Hokey Pokey, Chicken Dance and just dancing like no one was watching.... well, except the man with the iPhone snapping some  cute pics :-)

• AVA :-) Quality time with my dear, sweet cousin and God child, Ava! Lance couldn't get enough time with her all weekend.

• Crafts - again, more fun kid activities, although the kids were distracted a bit and Kelly did an amazing job on this fairy wand, complete with sparkles and stickers!

• Staying up later than usual! Seek in find book fun, fireside with his favorite friend!
• The old Firetruck (Fa-Pa as Chase calls it) at Sparky's restaurant. They got to climb inside and drive and everything! Pretty cool. Might have been the highlight for Chase this weekend, although this picture I captured may not show his excitement.
• Beer- let us not forget one of Keegan's highlights from the weekend, beer. As I was going through the pictures on the phone to write this post, I came across this photo - one Keegan must have taken - so I had to share! With all of Chase's fussiness, beer may have helped calm us just a tad :-)

  

I may have told Keegan at one point this weekend (while Chase just couldn't get happy) that we should take the camper back because it just wasn't enjoyable - and for that comment Keegan, I do apologize! Because after I look back and ponder on some of the fun times we did have this weekend, I can get over Chase's unusual fussiness (of course easy to say while he is peacefully napping in his crib right now)

Cheers to this camping trip and the many more ahead of us - hopefully with a little less whining from Chase :-)

capturing MY joys

So, I am taking a leap of faith - I am going to give this photography thing a try! It's something God KNOWS I love doing (and if you are friends and family you know just how much time I spend doing it!) But there is still a lot of practice and testing to be done with settings, lighting, editing, etc.

Lance had his last day of Pre-school yesterday (picture below) and has been asking if/when he can start "skipping" naps. I have been telling him he's not quite ready (well, maybe I'M not quite ready) for that yet! However, today when I walked into his room after putting Chase down for his nap, Lance had picked up his ENTIRE room - which we had tore apart pretty badly in the morning during some hardcore PLAY time! I didn't ask him to, he just took it upon himself to put everything back in it's place, SOOOO I rewarded him by letting him skip his nap! And then I rewarded him further by offering him a little surprise if he would be a model for me to get some photography practice. So we both won I guess. It was pretty short-lived, but I'll take it. If he does as well as he did today skipping naps, maybe I can trade him his nap for a few minutes of "practice" a few times a month! Hmmm.....

Of course I had to let him bring along his most prized toys for this little photo shoot - Rescue Bot Transformers! But it was perfect, because honestly this captures exactly who Lance is these days! When he wakes up in the morning, it's all about Transformers and when he goes to bed at night, the same.

I will say, this age is going to be a tough one to capture. None-the-less, THIS is what I get to capture each day of my life right now! And although some days may get a little frustrating at times, my daily changing Transformer "code" names and these open mouth grins couldn't make me any happier :-) These two pictures, although not really what I was going for, truly capture Lance at 3.5 years old. Resisting a smile for the camera and grinning while talking with his beloved Optimus Prime!

Lance and his "sword" during the photoshoot - a blade of grass. "I will defeat you RC!" Or was I Airachnid today? I wasn't Mom or Mommy, I know that for sure. LOL

 

This weather makes life so relaxing and enjoyable! (If only I could get these two to share, and you know which two I'm talking about here!)

 Ms Andrea and Lance at his school picnic! Lance is so excited to have Ms Andrea again next year for his Pre-K class. Look at this happy little boy.

 And Ms MaryFran, his other teacher, whom Chase absolutely adores.

CHASE - 20 months

OMG - this is SOOOO unbelievably over due. Pretty sure I missed updates for the past 2 months and this one is late. (Ahhh,,,, breathe in and out Joy!) I have been keeping a few notes on the phone to help me out though, so here it goes!

Chase, at 20 months YOU:

• LOVE LOVE LOVE to give kisses - closed mouth, open mouth - to Grandma, Daisy, Dad, Brother - you really don't care. Oh it is so sweet and I soak up each and every one. I even ask for them throughout the day since you are giving them out so freely! (Often, if Daddy is holding you and I say "can I have a kiss" he sneaks one in before you can give me one - guess I should ask him for kisses more often too!)
• Have really taken a liking for Toy Story - this is one thing that saved us during the camping trip. It makes you happy, and you sure will sit and watch quite a bit for a 20 month old. I can't explain the word you use for it, but Lance even knows what you want when you say it. You also have your own words for Woody and Buzz
• Can't get enough of FIRETRUCKS or "fapas" as you call them. And you have slowly given up the siren noise that you used to say for firetruck. I actually kind of miss the "woo woo" noise. I have a kids CD in my car and you demand we listen to the firetruck song OVER and OVER and OVER. At this age Lance couldn't get enough of School Buses and the School Bus song, for you it's Firetrucks for sure.
• Can throw a MEAN temper tantrum... legs up and down like you are marching to one fast song and a good old fashioned roller skating "alligator" move (does ANYONE reading actually remember what that is?) Back on the floor, legs and arms in the air waving like crazy. YEP, that is what Chase looks like when he doesn't get what he wants.
• Still sleep like a champ, and for that I am so very thankful. 7:30 - 7:30 usually. And a good nap from 12:30 or 1 to 2:30 or 3.
• Are one picky little eater - ugh. I don't need to say much more. What you want and like changes every day. Although I will say one of your favorites that I have discovered right now is Vanilla Yogurt with strawberries, blueberries and granola- Mmmmm.... Good stuff.
• Listen and Repeat (or try to repeat I should say) Just this past week some fun repeats that sounded pretty close to the real word were cool and dude!
• Are getting really good at the shape sorter. You can do almost all of them on your own. And you repeat some of the shapes "circle, oval" If I ask you which is which, you can identify most of them - my smart little guy.
• Point and say all of the facial features (you've been doing this for probably at least the last month, but since I haven't updated.....) Nose, eyes, mouth, chin, ears, head, hair and you just LOVE to tickle toes.
• Stand at the top of the stairs and rather than grabbing for my hand and walking on your own you point to me and say "rah roo" Which means "Carry you" LOL. I guess I have asked enough times "Do you want me to carry you?"

Below are a few of your words right now ( I can't keep up with all of them. Of course a person off the street would not recognize many of these, but you're sure trying)

Drive - "die" (by the way, driving is also something that makes you happy - while we were camping and at home, you just want to drive Daddy's truck!)
Loader - "wowo"
Yogurt - "yoyo" or "yogo"
Backhoe - Baapoe"
Bulldozer - "bull bull"
Mommy - "mimi" Oh, how I love how you say this
Book - "buh"
Birdie - you try to say "tweet tweet" but it doesn't sound just like that
Home - "hoooo" You say this every time we pull into the garage
Elmo - went from saying "lala" to "melmo" and now just about done with Elmo I think, except for watching he movies. A shortlived character once introduced to Buzz and Woody
Ball - "bow"
Snack - "nah"

I'm sure I could sit and come up with a few more, but for now this is Chase at 20 months - my blue eyed, blonde hair, tan little boy, sweet teeth grin and so lovable (almost all of the time) Admiring his big brothers every move and still cuddling with me a few times throughout the day. I do feel so lucky to be able to soak up all of these moments each day!

Mother's Day Thoughts

Twas the night before Mothers Day, I was drawing a hot bath,
But not before I took cars, boats and toys out of my path!

While I was soaking and relaxing, I started thinking about,
some of my frequent complaints that I would be so lost without!

Some days are challenging and my patience grows weak,
and I have to remind myself my love is all that they seek.

"Read them a book Joy, let the laundry pile high"
And if there's a bad day, just hold them and cry.

Tantrums and diaper time will be oh so short lived,
So soak up the tender times, or myself I'll never forgive.

It's ok to make mistakes, a perfect Mother I will never be,
But give my heart and my best - I need to focus and just be me.

Motherhood is a priceless gift, we're reminded each day.
So if all else fails right now, get down on the floor and just play!

Romantic dinners and vacations will be endless in 18 years or so...
So for now breathe the fresh air, take the camper and just go!

Not a soul could ever prepare me for this Motherly love that I feel
and I've prepared myself, mine isn't the only heart they will steal.

My day consists of firetrucks, Transformers, and tears.
and to think that will be gone in less than 5 years.

This life as I know it, will be changing so fast.
And the joyful memories we make today will soon be in the past.

So turn the complaints off if at all possible and turn the CHERISH button "ON"
Because before you know it, you can't get it back - these toddler days are long gone!
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I'm not sure what my favorite part of this Mother's Day was? Although I didn't spend this Mothers Day with my Mom, she was the first person I spoke with when I woke up. I guess just knowing that there is this endless love pouring from her to me and all of her kids is something in itself to be thankful for. Even when I don't see her, or even talk with her, I know there is a love for me in her heart, as there is a love in my heart for her. A connection made somewhere between birth and 32 - a connection I'm sure I cut off at about oh, 16 or 17 for a few years (which I am very sorry for Mom!) But we were able to somehow weld back together. Perhaps because I became a mother myself.

After the conversation with my Mom and multiple tugs at the leg in excitement of opening his special Mothers Day gift, I got to see such excitement in a 3.5 year old little boys eyes- pure joy and excitement to see me open what he had worked on all week at pre-school. A beautiful little flower pot with his hand prints for flowers and ladybug finger prints, topped off with a ribbon! And he told me about each detail.... then said "Mommy, do you love it?" Lance, you have no idea how much I love it. Honestly I loved the excitement, reaction, voice, and expression more than the gift itself. I hope that my life is recorded and when I leave the earth someday I can watch (and feel) these happy moments over and over and over again.

Adding to the favorites of the day would be my "breakfast" with the boys. I love donuts - they love donuts, so it was an easy decision! Lance always wants a sprinkle donut and he thought his brother needed a sprinkle donut too of course. I ordered up a Chocolate Long John. Two bites into his donut he asks me "what kind you have over there Mommy?" So I tell him and offer him a bite. "Ok, sure." A minute or so later I am helping Chase with his donut and milk and when I turn around Lance has a huge chocolate grin on his face and literally half my donut is gone. He is giggling, the lady in the booth nearby is giggling and all I can do is smile and giggle. At least he saved me some calories for the day, right?

And another Mothers Day favorite to end the day - bedtime prayers.  Most nights there are 2 - two - things Lance says he is thankful for. The first is almost always "Thank you and you're welcome for you, Mommy!" And the second one is a toss up. Sometimes for his night light, sometimes his cozy bed, sometimes the iPad, sometimes his Transformers... you get the picture. I say my prayers first and Thank God for letting me be a Mommy to two happy and healthy boys. Lance starts his prayers and I am waiting for the Mothers Day "I'm thankful for YOU Mommy" But what comes out is actually even better for some reason...... "Thank you and you're welcome for my leader Megatron!" Followed by belly giggles from both Lance and me. Oh, my heart can't stop smiling.


How did I get so lucky to be a mother? (Words I don't say every day, but really should!)

*** Although it isn't on my list above, I must add that my thoughtful husband never forgets to spoil me on Mothers Day! Flowers and a beautiful watch also added to the other beautiful Mothers Day memories that were created! Oh, and I may have treated myself to a relaxing pedicure. Really couldn't get much better ***

Zoo and Water Play

Beautiful weather has made this stay-at-home Mom occupation even more enjoyable I must say! Fresh air, a change of scenery, more exercise, parks, zoo, water, sand, rocks, and on and on and on..... Makes for happier boys (most of the time) and a happy ME :-) Which Keegan is probably very thankful for too! (Oh, and lets not forget a happier Daisy Mae - even though she has been jumping fences like crazy - UGH!)

I decided to get a season pass to the Zoo, and am so glad I did. We have been 3 times already, but this last visit was the BEST by far! All of the animals were out (elephants, lions, giraffes, goats, alligators) the weather was phenomenal, and to top it off, there was even a skid steer - which we were able to sit and watch while enjoying our snack. A long morning at the zoo meant 2 passed out little boys within 10 minutes of leaving. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon for a musical drive for me :-)

 I know I take an OBSCENE amount of photos.... I just want to capture it all for when they are grown up and I can't remember what they were like so small (and having thus iPhone is so handy) Chase trying to drink from the hose was just so darn cute.

 I have a feeling I am going to go back to this one often! Just love it. Monkey see, monkey do. Chase loves his big brother.

 Stuck on the slip in slide "hey!"

Pretty sure I got a nice glow on this afternoon while watching nothing but smiles on these faces.