Big boy bed.

After our trip to California I was feeling a bit gutsy (or maybe just sleep deprived) and decided to move Eli into his big boy bed. It would make him and Luke roomies, which they love to call one and another. I was hesitant before because Eli was very fond of his crib and frankly, he likes to push the limits and I knew it was not going to be a smooth transition. During our trial run (the hotel on vacation) he only fell between the bed and the nightstand once so we decided to give it a go at home.

Beaming with pride!

About 15 minutes after this picture was taken he coerced Luke into sneaking out of the room and coming to find me, something Luke would have never thought to do on his own. Once Luke spotted me, he stated, "Mom, we are getting into mischief."

Eli is such the bad influence.

The nights have not gotten much easier but sure do warm my heart. They giggle, play, fight and jump off anything that stands higher than 4 inches off the ground. I love that they are cultivating a friendship all their own. When I check in on them I will often find Luke with his head covered by a pillow and Eli up still singing the ABC's or Daisy. Then two minutes later he will be out cold, fits his personality to a T.

Most amazing though is that this kid can actually sleep in the bed. Apparently he is keenly aware that if he rolls over he will bash his head on a truck or trophy because he will stay in that one position the duration of his nap. Cute.

Fall is just around the corner.

I could almost feel a cool breeze in the air last weekend when we hit up the corn maze at Chatfield Botanic Gardens, too bad it was 85 degrees.

Luke has taken a liking to mazes and finished an entire workbook on them. We printed off the maze overview ahead of time but after hearing it takes an hour to get through we opted for the kiddie maze. The boys used some problem solving and teamwork to find the exit and improved their timing on each attempt. We also rode the extremely overpriced horse drawn carriage.



Discussing strategy!


Sweet Baby J!



Family fun.

Fall, you are so bittersweet. Goodbye to the long days of fun in the sun but hello to homemade soup, vibrant colored leaves and cool breezes!

Part two.

We spent one day at Sea World with Matt's cousin Brett and his family. I just love his wife, Stephanie and their three adorable boys. Surprisingly, having the six boys at Sea World was great. Everyone had a buddy!

Luke and Ryder rode Shipwreck Rapids together and got drenched!

Here are the big boys waiting to ride the Tea Cups with Brett.

A few other highlights include a wonderful evening with Matt's Aunt Sandy and Uncle Rudy. The boys loved chasing them around in the open area. We also ran into my wonderful friend, Madelene who happened to being staying with her husband in the same hotel. I loved chatting with her while the boys were napping, I miss her sweet smile! Our last day there we spent having lunch with the Condon family. Kel and I have been friends since college. Her two girls are the same age as Luke and Eli, the foursome ran to their hearts content while we caught up on being mommas, friendship, marriage and the fun that goes with it. Can't wait to see that girl again!

Goodbye CA!

Vacation with 5.

So we hit up California over Labor Day weekend and decided, if at all possible, we would like to make it an annual vacation! The weather was beautiful, the time was relaxing and we were able to enjoy the much needed time together. We made it with Baby James, he cried the entire plane ride both ways and was up four times each night but his happy demeanor throughout the trip made me soon forget.

The key to this bliss was staying at the hotel as much as possible. We were in California for four days and only spent one day out and about. The rest were spent frolicking at the beach or swimming in the pool. We started out this morning on a stroll to the beach and the boys went from making sand castles and dipping their toes in the water to.....

getting pummeled by waves and wearing their underwear in the ocean. I was so relieved Eli loved the sand between his toes this go around. Back in December he wouldn't go near it.

We all enjoyed our time at the pool. Baby James even kicked around a bit in the salt water pool.

Brace yourself, these boys are adrenaline junkies.

Big Boy

As Aunt Dana put it, "Good thing those pants have elastic!"

Band-aids.

One boo boo = 10 band-aids.

3 band-aids will be opened, put on and then taken off the wound for added effect. The other 7 will be used for the new scratches and owies that are found and can only be seen by the eyes of a 2 year old. A very dramatic and crocodile tear producing one at that. Good thing his love stretches as far as his cry!

Jesus, smells.

Heading up the stairs after dinner Luke and I got to talking about having God in your heart. His reply, "Yea, Grams said Jesus is in there too."

Oh and as seen in this picture, Luke is a thumb sucker. Not all the time, only when he has his beloved "Hucks," a crocheted blanket from his Grams. He sticks his finger through a hole in the corner, rubs his nose with it and sniffs. Which reminds me, Luke is a sniffer. His nose knows and since most everything I use is fragrance free he will always ask to use the restroom when we are out and about. Come to find out it is not because he has to go but because he wants to smell the soap. I am on to him!