September Sampler

(Please ignore the fact that I entered the second half of this post as part of the caption for a picture...I am too tired to fix it!)  :)

One of these days I am going to start taking pictures again and making pretty little blog posts...but for now, in an effort to not ignore the blog, you get another post with random updates and phone pics!  Better than nothing I guess....

It has been the same ol' same ol' around here lately...school, work, birthday parties, and a little family time mixed in...and one new activity...soccer.  I want to capture this moment in time, just in case Nate turns out to be a star athlete (or public speaker) I can remind him of his timid beginnings.  The group I signed him up with has a big group practice night once a week and then those kids all break in to their teams on Saturday mornings for "games".  So, his soccer career started off well enough...he went to his first practice and did a decent job participating in the different training circuits they had set up.  Fred is a big soccer fan so he was kind enough to come over one day that week and teach him some basics one-on-one.  And then the first Saturday -game day! - rolled around.  I thought he was excited...all of that practice had gotten him in to it...BUT for some strange reason they decided to have picture day (AT A DIFFERENT FIELD!) at 8:00 AM before the game...well, let's just say, after standing around waiting, Nate wasn't really up for having his picture made with his "team" that he hadn't met yet (he wouldn't even get in the pic), or pose by himself for that matter (I can't wait to see these pics - he has tears rolling down his face, one hand in his mouth, and the ball covering his face).  So, bad start...and things went downhill from there...we finally get to the game - Neena and Fred met us there with their chairs and everything - and he wasn't having it.  He cried and refused to go on the field.  So, we ultimately had to leave his first game since he refused to even try.  This past Saturday was a different story...again with my bribes (or "incentives" as I prefer to call them), I offered a trip to Target for a reward if he would TRY really hard.  Wouldn't you know it...after a slow start, he actually wanted to be out on the field almost the entire game...I don't know that he touched the ball but he ran around with the pack at least!  And of course I didn't think to bring the camera because I didn't think he would play!  There will be an update to this post....!  I do hate having to "incent" him but it seems to be the only thing that will motivate him to try something new.

Pre-game Practice Sessions

I did get a shot of our Target visit - what is it with boys and Super Heroes?  Nate has never seen Spiderman or even Superman yet he still talks about them, wears a cape, and talks constantly about Super Heroes fighting bad guys...

I don't take pictures at birthday parties much any more because they have gotten much more interactive (especially juggling two kids) but we did go to a really fun Bowling party for "Boy Keegan" (as Nate calls him) last weekend...I wasn't sure about 4 yr olds and bowling but they had a blast!  With the bumpers up, the ramp to push the balls down, and crashing pins it was a hit (the adorable capes that she made for all of the kids put it over the top for him).  I wish I did have pictures from that party but the dark lighting and flashy lights (which also made it cool) made that difficult.  Nate has already asked to have a bowling party next year...and I will be keeping that in mind!

Nate had his first field trip of the school year this week - to Publix.  Not really sure why that is a standard field trip since I drag him there every week...not exactly "new and exciting" for him!  But they did a great job of showing them all of the departments - the kids actually paid attention the whole time.  And after all of these "shy" episodes he keeps having in new situations (i.e. soccer), it is nice to see him in his comfort zone around his school friends.

Ms. Carla's Class - that's Nate, 3rd from left, adjusting his hairnet

Learning how to scan the groceries...hopefully he won't want to do it the next time we are shopping!

And I don't want to leave little Matthew out...here's what he has been up to...

Trying to keep up with his Big Brother...the baby swing doesn't always cut it any more...as soon as Nate gets off a "big" swing he wants on. This picture makes me laugh...the swing was barely moving but he looks like he is on a roller coaster!

Perfecting his spoon feeding skills.  Despite the yogurt dripping down his belly in this pic, he is actually getting pretty good at it.  He begs for cereal (with milk) for breakfast most mornings to eat like his big brother and is very serious about getting every bite to his mouth.  He has added "poon" (spoon) to his list of words.  He is getting pretty good with a cup too....

We went to our local Mexican restaurant for dinner tonight and they were kind enough to bring ice cream cones at the end of our meal...the kids are typically happy with just getting a balloon on our way out, and now they will expect ice cream everytime we go! 

And there you have it...another completely random post...and I will leave you with a parting shot of the boys together...impromptu evening sprinkler party....

Here's hoping the next time I post it will include pictures from an actual camera!

Matthew at 17 Months

Since Matthew only got one mention in the last post, I thought I would take more time to capture what he is all about right now at 17 months old.  Yes, it's a random age to capture but it is long overdue.

I know I say this a bunch but he is the complete opposite of Nate...he leaps first and looks later.  He climbs, he falls, he runs, he gets dirty...he really is my little wild boy with no fear.  He loves water...he likes to put his face in the rushing water when I fill up the tub and dump cups of water over his head.  After bath in the evening, we go to his room where he and Nate get their PJ's on together...and he has this burst of energy every night where he literally runs naked laps around his room while I try to catch him to get him dressed.  Sometimes he even likes to just spin in circles until he gets dizzy and falls down...then he laughs. He is now just tall enough to climb up on the couch...which he has fallen off of (just scared him) but that hasn't stopped him.  I love his energy...but it does make me nervous for the years to come.

Trying on Big Brother's Helmet

Mr Mischief

I feel like his vocabulary has spiked in the last couple of weeks.  He speaks in full sentences but we are just starting to recognize a word or two in his crazy jibber jabber.  He has his own language and prefers it that way.  He calls trains "Choo Choos", he calls all cars "Queens" (as in "Lightning"), and despite my constant correction he calls Elmo "Bubbles" (because we have a book called "Bubbles Bubbles" and he is on the cover).  He also says a lot of words correctly (or close): puppy, bubbles (for the real thing), nood-a (noodle), o-pa (open - as in when he gets the animal cracker container out of the pantry and brings it to me), ju (juice), ne-na (banana...and I think he confuses it with Neena), peekaboo, am-a (what he calls his Lambie Lovey - I think he he trying to say lamb). I feel like his vocabulary grows every day...and I love the discovery of him saying a new word.  This week his new addition was naming a couple of body parts - ear and nose...he can say them and point to them!  Pure genius :)  And he likes to sing "Tingle Tingle" Little Star (he only gets as far as the Tingles).

He is still the smiliest and cuddliest kid...he thinks everything is funny and tries really hard to make you laugh.  Sometimes I just look at him and we both start laughing. If he hears music he starts swaying. 

They have discovered the video monitor so their new game is to take turns being silly in front of the camera while the other watches and laughs.  It's pretty funny.

He is having a rough go of adjusting to school...Day 1 was new and exciting, but the days since have been a little harder for him to let go.  He clings to me for dear life when I pick him up and falls asleep on the way home (and stays asleep).  Not having that morning nap does a number on him.

It has taken him a little longer to adopt the same love of books/reading time as Nate has always had.  But the last couple of months he has started to enjoy that time more - he normally has so much energy right before bed so it is nice when he will just sit and rock and read with me - and now he has his favorite books and he has to pick them out for you.

He still has two loveys that are always with us - Stinky and Lambie.  Lambie was once a nice, probably more decorative, gift he was given that once said "Now I lay me down to sleep" when you pressed him...but I had to perform surgery to remove his insides so that I could start washing him.  The most adorable thing is when you hold both of his loveys out to him he gets the biggest smile on his face and runs to them saying "babies!".  He chews on Lambie's ears and Stinky's tail and which ever one isn't in his mouth he is clutching the other tightly.  It is sweet - but extremely smelly (they get very regular baths) - and a little cumbersome to lug two stuffed animals around and keep up with.  Lord help us if something happens to one of them. 

I could go on and on about him...I could eat him up.  I want to freeze him right here and keep him this way forever.  I can't bear the thought of my sweet silly wild boy entering the terrible 2's. :)

The Boys of Summer

We are still squeezing out the last bit of summer fun before we roll in to fall...and Labor Day weekend was a great chance to do that...

Nate went to his first Falcons game last week.  He also took his first MARTA ride in to the city and he was pretty fascinated...when he saw the train he said "Is that Marta?"...then he saw another train and he asked "is that Smartie?" (All trains need names in his world) He also confirmed that Marta is a Diesel and not a Steamie. It was fun for Michael and I to take Nate somewhere on his own...we thought he would really like to have our undivided attention too but oddly when we dropped Matthew off at mom's he got really sad and kept saying he wanted Matthew with us because he has fun with him.  It was kinda sweet to see him miss his brother...but we had fun any way!

His new Falcons football...I told him to make a tough face and this is it.

Then the weekend rolled around and Grandpa Dale came in town!  And whenever Grandpa Dale comes in town...the tools come out!  Michael loves to start home projects with my dad and my dad loves to pass his handyman knowledge on to his protege.  I think my dad, who had 3 daughters, likes having a son-in-law to bond with over tools.  So, the patio under our house is now screened in (or at least is really close to being screened in).

While the big boys worked...the little boys played in the yard...and it was actually enjoyable being outside with a slight break in the heat.

Nate found a tiny frog and tried his best to keep it as a pet and have him live in the pirate ship...we had to convince him to set him free for the frog's sake.  It's hard to be gentle with a tiny slippery hoppy frog.

Baby Boy

But it wasn't all work and no play...we also took in a Braves game Saturday night.  We had great seats and it was a nice summer night...and Nate got to be the center of attention again while Matthew got to play with a babysitter (for the first time ever!)

Nothin' better than dippin dots in a Braves helmet!

After that fun-filled visit with Grandpa Dale...he got a visit from Alie and Bentley on Sunday.  Nate loves Bentley...when we saw him curl up on the couch with him I just had to take a picture.  Poor kid wants a dog so bad...

We also had a visit from Neena and Fred on Monday...lucky kids got to see 3 out of 4 grandparents in one weekend!  It was a nice long weekend...even when the rains came in on Monday it was nice to have a lowkey day at home....it was a good ending to a fun weekend with the family.