Micah’s Mouthfull

We thought we’d share with you Micah’s eating skills.

10 Years!!

Chuck & I celebrated our 10th Anniversary on July 25th. I can’t believe we have been married for 10 years already! It seems like so much has happened in these ten years, yet it feels like it was just yesterday we were standing there at the altar pledging our vows.

We had a wonderful celebration! We had planned to go on a second honeymoon, like a cruise or Mexico or some deserted island, but we kept putting it off & still don’t have our passports. Plus this summer has been pretty busy so we weren’t sure when we would be able to get away for an entire week. We still hope to do something big maybe this fall or next spring.

However, we had a great time last weekend. Thanks to my parents who kept the boys last Friday & Saturday, we were able to do so many things. We spent Friday down at Sundance Square hanging out at Barnes & Noble, having lunch, hanging out some more at Barnes & Noble, watching “Dark Knight” at the Palace Theatre, hanging out some more at Barnes & Noble, and then finishing off our evening with a delicious dinner at Del Frisco. That’s some good steak!!

The next day we woke up early…so much for taking advantage of no kids in the house to sleep in!! Anyway, we headed to the lake where we rented a boat & went waterskiing & tubing with Chuck’s brother & his family (& our good friend, John.) It was awesome!!! Of course, waterskiing tops my list as all-time favorite things to do, so I was loving it for sure!! But we all had a great time!! After the lake activities we were able to go home & take a nap!! Love that too!! And then we had one more (much cheaper) dinner out just the two of us before picking up the kids from my parents’ house. Even though it was only two days, we crammed so much in that it felt like a week! It was wonderful!

Then on our actual anniversary day (a week later) I was surprised with a pair of waterskis. Chuck dropped them off in my car while I was at work & I found them as I was leaving for the day. There was a little card attached that said he had planned to buy me some expensive flowers, but he decided that knowing me as well as he did, he figured I would rather have the skis. He’s right!! Don’t get me wrong…I do like flowers, but waterskis are even better!! (Plus I had been complaining that the skis we rented didn’t fit right & really interfered with my ability to do as much on the water as I wanted to do.) …Now all we need is a boat!! Hee-hee!

We’re both looking forward to the next 10 years…and the next 10 years…and the next 10 years…and as many more years as we will be blessed with together!

Here we are waterskiing…

okay, so it’s not really us. This was actually taken at the waterskiing show at Sea World, but we forgot our camera & I like to try to include as many pictures as I can on our blog.

San Antonio Trip Day 2

Monday morning we woke up, had breakfast at the hotel & then off we went to Sea World. Again it was so great to be with the family. All their help with the boys made it a much more relaxing trip for Chuck & me. I think we saw just about every show they had (which meant lots of in & out of strollers), but the boys were great. Landry really enjoyed watching the shows & even Micah was watching for a big part of each show. The cutest thing was towards the end of the Shamu show when Landry leaned over to me and said, “Mommy, I want to be a whale!” He loved watching the whales & dolphins swim & soar out of the water! He was fascinated, as we all were!

Landry also rode his first roller coaster, the Shamu Express. It was just perfect for him! And he was so cute! I wasn’t sure how he would do since he tends to be rather cautious, but he loved it & said he wanted to “ride the train again sometime.” Of course I’m sure it helped that his cousins, whom he adores, were riding with him.

One of the last shows we watched was the sea lion show where they do this funny little skit with several sea lions, an otter & a walrus. It was pretty cute! By this time poor Micah was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, but he refused to give in to the sleep. He had the most precious glazed look on his little face! Too bad we didn’t get a picture of him!

The last thing we saw was the shark exhibit, which had various types of sharks, stingrays, fish & eels. Landry still talks about the shark that “has a boo-boo on his face.” (One of the sharks had a purplish spotty marking on one side of his face, which Landry quickly pointed out as a “boo-boo” when he noticed it.)

After we picked up Shamu & dolphin puppets for the boys to take home as souvenirs, we headed back to the

hotel to get our stuff & drive home. Again no naps were had until they both crashed in the car on the way back to the hotel. But again they did relatively well considering the lack of sleep!

It was a wonderful trip & we really appreciate Chuck’s cousin, Fredda, who gave us the Sea World tickets!

San Antonio Trip Day 1

We went on a short family road trip a few weeks ago & we had a great time. We brought Chuck’s mom, Mary Jane, along with us & caravaned with Chuck’s brother, Dan, his wife, Mysti, & their kids, Morgan & Jarrett.

We left early Sunday morning to head south. Along the way, we had stopped at a roadside park to go potty and when we got out of the car Landry looked up and asked, “Is this Sea World?” It was so cute! We had been talking about how we were going to San Antonio & that we were going to go to Sea World, so in his mind this must be it!

We arrived at the hotel around 1:30 pm and after dropping off our stuff in the hotel & resting a little, we went down to the Riverwalk. I love the Riverwalk, but I must say that whoever designed it certainly did not have small children…at least not any who were still in strollers. There are definitely more stairs & narrow walkways than I remembered. However, I wasn’t toting along 2 small children the last time I came to San Antonio. But despite the inconvenience of lifting strollers up & down the stairs and squeezing in & out of crowds, it was a great time! However, had the rest of the family not been along, I’m sure Chuck & I would not have stayed there very long. Dan, Mysti, & the kids, and of course, Mary Jane were all wonderful to help with the kiddos! Morgan & Jarrett loved pushing the boys in their strollers, which was really nice for Chuck & me to feel somewhat “free.”

Anyway, we walked around (mainly looking for the restaurant where we planned to eat, but couldn’t remember where it was) and then once we found it & realized the wait wasn’t quite as long as we anticipated, we decided to go on the River boat tour. We all enjoyed riding on the boat, but Landry especially loved it!

After the boat tour we ate dinner (Mexican, of course!) at Casa Rio. Dinner was followed by ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s. YUMMY!! I’m tellin’ ya’, that is some good stuff! And Landry (and I) loved the “Chocolate Therapy”…chocolate ice cream with chocolate cookies & swirls of chocolate pudding! Now that’s what I call therapy!!

So that pretty much sums up Sunday. Oh, yeah…and we did stop by the Alamo for a family picture, although there was no way I would even attempt to take a 3 1/2 year-old & 15 month-old into the Alamo for the whole experience! We’ll do that when they’re older. And I must say as well that the only napping that went on the entire day was Micah’s short 1 hour nap around 10 am in the car on the way down to San Antonio. (Micah usually takes 2 naps & Landry usually takes one 2-3 hour nap.) They sure were troopers! Oh, yeah, and Micah pooped 3 times!! So yes, we changed 3 dirty diapers at various locations in Texas. What in the world did they do 20 years ago when restaurants didn’t have those baby changing stations in the bathrooms?

(Day 2 coming soon!)

Toenail Torture

Landry usually wakes up at least 30 minutes before I’m ready to drag myself out of bed in the morning. (It’s really not that early & I really can’t complain, but I really like my sleep & would like to catch every minute that I can.) Anyway, lately he’s been coming in our room sometime between 6:30 & 7:00 in the morning and crawls in bed with us until I’m ready to get up. We usually just lie there and talk. I always ask him if he slept good to which he always replies “yes” & then I ask him if he had any dreams to which he always answers “no.” Then we usually either “talk about the animals that fly” or we talk about how many wheels various vehicles have (for instance, motorcycles have 2 wheels; cars have 4 wheels; buses have 4 wheels unless it’s really big & then it has 6 wheels, etc.) And the conversation pretty much sounds the same every morning, but Landry is a very routine little guy so I think he likes it that way.

Anyway, this morning was no different than the usual routine except that halfway through the discussion I felt this sharp stabbing sensation on my thigh. Yikes! I thought, “What in the world is in my bed?” And then I realized it was Landry’s toenail slicing me nearly in two. So I determined that I couldn’t put it off any longer…I would have to cut his toenails sometime today!

You see, Landry has this thing about cutting his toenails. He’s great with his fingernails, but the toes…NO WAY!! It’s rather embarrassing! I mean his toenails sometimes get so long they start to curl under…disgusting, I know!!! But you see, he hates it so much that I put off the torture as long as we can. But today we had come to the point that we couldn’t put it off any longer.

The last time we cut his toenails (and I say “we” because it takes 2 people,) Chuck actually had to sit on him. He didn’t squish him, but he had him pinned between his legs so he couldn’t squirm so much. The child was screaming like a wild banchee! We felt so bad, but we knew that it was for his own good.

So tonight we told him we were going to cut his toenails & if he stayed still & let me cut them that he could have 3 M&Ms and I would read him an extra book before bedtime. He reluctantly agreed, so we headed off to the torture chamber (our bed.) Of course as soon as I came towards him with the nail scissors, he grabs his foot & automatically starts wiggling & squealing. We reminded him of the rewards awaiting him if he cooperated, so he stopped squealing, but still had the toes guarded. Then my genius husband grabbed his travel chess game which has these beautiful wooden magnetic chess pieces. He then begins showing Landry the pieces. Amazingly Landry let go of his feet & let me cut 3 toenails before grabbing the toes again. We were eventually able to get them all trimmed with only a few squirms & screams. And yes, Landry smiled as he ate his M&Ms & read his extra bedtime story. Whew…glad that’s over, at least until next time!

Micah at 16 Months

I can’t believe he’s already 16 months (as of yesterday!) It seems like I was just writing a few days ago to say that he was 15 months. Boy, time sure does fly fast with the second kiddo!

Anyway, Micah’s still not walking although he pulls up on any & everything he can find & cruises nicely around the furniture. He still loves being around brother & I think he’s going to have the same passion for cars as his big bro Landry. He makes the cutest car noises & firetruck sirens as he is playing. He babbles a lot although we don’t really know what he’s saying most of the time. I try to get Landry to translate, but he doesn’t know either. His favorite words are “banana” and duck,” besides the usual “Mama” & “Dada.” He waves goodbye & smiles extra big when he sees Daddy. He is definitely a Daddy’s boy! I think it’s because Chuck throws him around & bounces him extra hard, which Micah absolutely loves!! He’s going to be our thrill-seeker! His favorite thing is when Chuck holds him across his arms & then rolls him onto the bed superfast…yes, it’s a little frightening for Mommy, but Micah seems to love it.

He currently has 4 teeth although he’s got 4 more about to erupt any day now. (It seems like my kids get all their teeth at once instead of one at a time. Landry was the same way.) He’s now just a few ounces over 20 pounds and his appetite varies a lot. Some days he’ll try anything & it seems like he can’t get enough food and then other days he won’t eat anything but bread, bananas & cheese. He loves yogurt, provolone cheese, bananas, sweet potato puffs, and any type of bread.

He really likes books, although I’m ashamed to say that we don’t read with him as much as we did with Landry. Those of you who have more than one child can identify I’m sure! Something just happens to your time & it seems as though you have to try twice as hard to fit everything in! Crazy how that happens! I’m trying to make more of a concerted effort to read with Micah more. I did put a little book in his crib & every morning when I go to get him out, he’s sitting up “reading” his book. It’s so cute!

He’s still a great napper and can be pretty flexible with his naps. If we’re home not doing anything, he takes 2, but if we’re out or have a morning Bible study or Sunday school, he’s fine just taking one in the early afternoon. It’s really nice to have that flexibility. He doesn’t suck his thumb like big bro Landry, but he does love his “blankie” just like big bro Landry. He loves to snuggle with it & if he’s cranky, just give him his blue blankie & he’s happy!

Micah is a sweet, sweet boy, just like his big brother Landry and I feel so blessed to be their Mommy!!

Latest Masterpieces

Here are 2 of Landry’s most recent drawings. The first is a picture of our van that he drew this morning before church.

This one is a picture of himself that he colored in Sunday School. Notice the near perfect placement of the facial features, as well as the eyelashes. Not bad for a 3 1/2 year-old!!

4th of July

We had a wonderful 4th of July! Chuck intercepted Landry in the morning & let me sleep in a little (until 8:00!) Then Chuck spent a few hours playing Ultimate Frisbee (his favorite) with the guys while the kids & I went to Walmart & did laundry. After the boys’ naps we went over to some friends’ house where several other of our friends were hanging out. We had a cookout & just talked & watched the kids run around. It was such a great time & what a pleasure to get to catch up with some old friends who we hadn’t seen in a while.

Hangin"

Here’s Landry playing with his good friend, Kaylee.  Around 7:30 we left & went to this Christian campground out in the country where they had a huge 4th of July celebration with fun activities for the kids & music, as well as fireworks. It was a magical experience for the boys! They were both in awe of the fireworks & the noise didn’t seem to bother them at all! I was a little hesitant to even go thinking that the loud noise would upset them in addition to it being WAY past bedtime by the time the show would begin! But it was great & Chuck reminded me that it’s okay to let the kids get out of their routine every now & then, especially for special occasions like 4th of July. He’s right!! These are the experiences in life that make so many memories. Landry’s still talking about the cool fireworks!

(More pictures coming soon…)

Laughs at Prayertime

Tonight we were praying with Landry as usual. Chuck was so eloquently praying when he said, “And we pray for Mommy & Data You give them wisdom…” (He meant to say “we pray for mommy & daddy that You would give them wisdom…”) Landry caught the word merge right away & started cracking up. But what was even funnier was that he began to imitate Chuck over & over saying, “Mommy & Data…” with a silly voice and a goofy look on his face. He must have repeated it about 20 times & each time he said it, it was funnier & funnier! We were all belly-aching & it was so much fun!! Good times!! (I know this probably doesn’t seem as funny to those who are reading this post, but believe me, it was hilarious!!)

Houseguest

For the past month or so we’ve had a guest staying in our home. She does everything with us. She eats with us. She goes shopping with us. She goes to church with us. She swings with us in the backyard. She goes to the park with us. She goes out to eat with us. She goes to Bible Study with us on Wednesday mornings. She plays with Landry’s toys. She cries sometimes. She laughs a lot. She takes showers with us. She even sleeps with Landry in his bunk bed. And anytime we go anywhere Landry is very careful to make sure she is buckled into her car seat.

Her name is “Boo” (from Monsters Inc.) And she is Landry’s imaginary friend…

(Notice Landry’s right hand behind him “holding” Boo’s hand as they walk back from the mailbox. Hee-hee!)