Warm Weather Adventures

What a cold and blustery day!  Not exactly the way we wanted to end our Spring Break, but we really can't complain after the couple weeks we've had of gorgeous spring weather.  On that note, here's a look at some of our warm weather adventures...

Frank Buck Zoo:

The giraffes put on quite a show for us... neck wrestling, I suppose.

Always a favorite for the boys - feeding the goats:

Although Frank Buck Zoo is pretty small, they have a huge park right outside that the boys LOVE. It even has a train to ride (Ben's all-time favorite thing). Unfortunately, we didn't know its running season starts AFTER spring break (lame), so there were a few tears, but they didn't last too long...

Next up, Bethany Lakes Park:

According to my boys, throwing rocks in the water is just as fun as feeding the ducks, maybe even better...

Playing with cousins on the playground is always fun...

You can have plenty of adventures in the backyard too. We've been taking full advantage of our new picnic table... the boys think it's the coolest thing to eat outside and I love the easy clean-up!

Hope everyone else had a great Spring Break too!

Time Marches On

I've been a pitiful blogger - mostly due to laziness, but also the fact that I haven't gotten out my camera very much and, let's face it, blogs are just better with pictures. I need to do a catch up post on our silly boys before the little lady arrives and things really get crazy!

Ben (at 4.5 years):

• Has grown up so much the last few months and is doing really well at preschool. He can spell lots of words and constantly goes around sounding out words and telling me what they start with. He's also getting pretty good at writing all his letters and numbers and can even read a few words. Miss Angela has taught him well and I'm feeling more and more confident that he'll be ready for kindergarten this fall!
• Has been showing a more sensitive side lately. He always used to laugh when we had to get after him for something (sometimes he still does), but now he'll occasionally burst into tears and act like his feelings are really hurt over it.
• Still making us laugh with some of his words... compluter (computer), I sink (I think), handsitizer (hand sanitizer), and others I can 't think of right now. He's also started using some funny hand gestures when he talks.
• Has become quite the back seat driver. He loves to tell me what the different lights and signs mean and wants to know the names of all the streets as we pass by.
• The other day I was taking some baby stuff into my room and he got a really serious look on his face and asked me if the baby was coming out of my tummy right now. If only it were that easy!
• Has started saying "I love you" and "I like you" a lot. If you don't immediately respond, he'll tell you, "Say I like you too!" He'll also tell you to "say what" if he calls your name and you don't answer right away.  (Hahaha... this kind of sounds like we ignore the poor kid, but I swear we don't...he's just really impatient!)
• Loves to play the "sword game" on Wii Resort and is starting to like Mario Kart as well. REALLY hates to lose though... major fits, but we've been working on it!
• Still fascinated by how everything works. He loves to take things apart, put them together in new ways, and "build" stuff.  A future engineer for sure!

Matt Mo (at almost 3 years):

• My sweet cuddle bug. Almost always willing to snuggle with me on the couch, especially after he wakes up or is about to go to bed. I love when he says "sit by me, mom!" because I know he wants to cuddle.
• Loves to follow Ben around and do/say things like his big brother... sometimes much to his mother's dismay since Ben is really into potty words lately.
• Will randomly burst out singing "happy birthday to ________" (some favorites are "baby Stella" - his newest cousin, "foot", and "stinky diaper"...like I said, random.)
• Still very attached to his "diapeys" (a cloth diaper and a small lovey blanket) and his binky. Hoping to rid him of the binky before baby sister arrives, but we'll see. Also has suddenly become attached to a little neck pillow that looks like a caterpillar. We have to take these things everywhere with us!
• Working on transitioning to a big boy bed (bunk bed in Ben's room). Would have been a simple change if Ben would leave the kid alone. Mom just doesn't have the patience to listen to them bug each other for 2 hours every night so we haven't made much progress yet.
• Had a serious iPhone addiction for a while there. We had to cut him off because he was asking to play games on daddy's phone from the second he woke up or as soon as dad came home from work. He gets to play occasionally now and still surprises us at how good he is at the games and navigating his way around the phone!
• He's getting excited to start preschool in the fall. He always wants to go to school with Ben and loves hanging out with the other "big kids" in the car when it's our turn to drive the carpool.
• Still not the most coordinated kid and often looks drunk when he's running. Despite this, he loves to dance and has a very distinct tippy-toe walk when he gets excited.
• He's the opposite of Ben in many ways... more sensitive and affectionate, very verbal, and not as coordinated. He's similar to Ben though in that he's very curious, stubborn, and just a wild and crazy BOY!

As far as an update on the little lady goes...

• Only 10 more weeks to go (hopefully a little sooner though)!
• Still nameless... we can't seem to agree on very many choices.
• Giving me heart burn lately... hopefully this means she'll have lots of hair!
• Getting very active in there and is measuring right on schedule so far.
• Has a growing wardrobe and shoe collection (much to her father's dismay) thanks to all those clearance racks her mommy can't resist!

Fat Tuesday

In honor of "Fat Tuesday" (and because my little sister asked for one), here's the only belly shot I have of my 3rd pregnancy (at 28 weeks)...

 

I know the stripes are not helping me any, but it was pretty much now or never since I was dressed decently, my hair and make-up was done, and both boys were still napping... what are the chances of that! Oh, and don't mind that the top of my head is cut off... a happy coincidence, really.   It's better that no one has to see the 4 inches of dark roots that have been growing out since becoming pregnant!

I'm feeling a little large, but not too uncomfortable yet. It's  getting harder to sleep, but I really can't complain of anything horrible at this point.  It's all downhill from here though... hope this last trimester goes by quickly!

Snow Day!

I obviously hadn't been keeping up with the news since I thought yesterday's winter storm was just going to be the typical Texas snow and disappear in a few hours. I still can't believe that it snowed ALL day and night and we woke up to the most snow I've ever seen (in Texas anyway)! I dug out our pitiful supply of snow clothes and let the boys have at it...

Everything's more fun with Granny and Pops, so we headed over to their house to play...

We even found an awesome hill for the boys to sled down...on a plastic pool floatie of all things - only in Texas! It worked really well though, probably better than any sled out there. I'm so glad Granny and Pops were there to help because the big fat pregnant lady is not of much use these days...

We were soaked by the time we had to drag them home, but I think they would have stayed out there all day... must be that little bit of Utah blood they have in them!

Clean-Up Crew

My boys LOVE to make messes.  Cleaning up, on the other hand... not so much.  Needless to say, I was a little surprised when I heard them talking excitedly about cleaning up their toys this morning.  With all this talk, I was hoping to see a spotless living room when I walked out, but instead I saw this...

They had dumped out EVERY toy basket and were trying to pick up each little piece with the "grabbers" they got from Santa.  I guess you have to make a real good mess before you can get excited to clean it up!

It might take them all day, but at least they're cleaning up!