Happy Halloween: the pilot, the princess and the dog

This halloween Nathan was an x-wing pilot from Star Wars and Laura was Rapunzel from Tangled and Noah was the dog that Nathan and Laura both were when they were around two.

This year they went trunk or treating at the church and it was such a pleasant experience. Bright, sunny and lots and lots and lots and lots of candy. The theme was toy mania (based around toy story 3) and all the cars (and owners) were decorated in theme. It was fun.

Things Nathan teaches Noah

To say Noah idolizes his big brother is probably an understatement but I don't know of any stronger language to convey how much this little boy loves his big brother NATE. He has his own way of saying it which just melts my heart. He always says it with enthusiasm that comes from deep within his heart - NATE!!!

So Nathan is often nice enough (without prodding even) to oblige the little one.

Noah with his little people book and Nathan with his Wimpy Kid book cuddled together in perfect harmony.





Nathan smiling because he really does enjoy being emulated and Noah thinking he is quite the big boy.












And then of course comes the "teaching" of the don't let mom get a good picture, put your hand up like this so we can ruin her moment.

Do the arm farts and burping lessons come next??

Oh well, at least I have these little moments to hold on to.

Update: Nathan, Laura, Noah and School

I have been feeling pretty bad about the lack of blog action here and thought it was time for an update.

School is going very well. As of two weeks ago I was getting 600 out of 622 points for a percentage of 96.5 in the class. I think mister 102 should check but the last time I looked 96.5% was a very good "A". So I should be studying for my final on Friday but I am here, cleaning my house, doing laundry and blogging. I love, love, love this class and signed up for a psych class for the summer session. My thinking is if I have to just take it one class at a time I had better just keep plugging along. My parents have been wonderful with watching the kids and helping me study. My mom is a trooper trying to find creative ways for me to remember the nutrition info. My dad has been wonderful playing countless games with Laura on Friday mornings. The kids often tell me to stop the nutrition talk, but then ask questions about the health and energy of foods they are about to put into their mouths. Nathan even thanked me last week when he was sick to remind him to eat protein because he had forgotten that the protein helps fight colds with "the making of any bodies and white good cells". I tell you I just got tears in my eyes when he said that.

Nathan got glasses around Easter and LOVES them. He mentioned that he was glad he got lots of compliments on them because he was thinking of losing them. I choked back my gasp and said that is great honey. Picking them out was an adventure. He only liked the molded frames ones (that just happened to be the most expensive) because the other kind are pinchy. He is just getting so big now. I can't believe he is almost seven years old and only 20 days away from first grade ending. He still hasn't lost any teeth but the two bottom ones are coming in behind the baby ones. He is anxious to lose them as I think he might be the only one in class to not have lost a tooth! He is excited to plan his 'Lego Agents' birthday party and I am searching the web and blogs to find ideas and have been excited to put some energy into that when this class is over.

Laura is growing into quite the young lady. She is constantly wanting me to take her picture and seems to "pose" for every shot. I think I might have to check into the modeling thing, if only to pay for college! She is ever so helpful with me and mother's Noah sometimes a little too much. She is busy with painting, coloring and crafting. She loves to do her homework right along with Nathan and her handwriting seems to be the best in the family yet. She is determined to pick out her own (unmatched) clothes each day (much to my dream land of dressing a daughter) and still cries each and every time I try to comb her hair. I have lost the battle with the 100 some odd felt clips I have made her and moved onto hairbands to at least keep the curlies out of her face. They seem to be working, so even if I can't get the comb to it at least it looks messy cute. I will try and post some pictures of her creations. SHE picks out what she wants me to make so she calls them her creations. I am only too happy to oblige, even when it isn't what I would have picked so long as she is excited and wants to wear them.

Noah, sweet, Noah. I wish every single day that he just stop growing where he is. I am finding myself tearing up every day with something he does. He is in the next phase of Nathan hand me downs and it has put me into a whole other world of emotional mess-dom. As I was putting him down for the night in his crib he learned to pucker and make a kiss sound. I just melted and started crying. How cute is that sound? He and Laura have quite the bond going on, but he just gets so excited when Nathan is around. He wants to do everything the big kids do and mostly can. I fully expect him to be riding around on a bike after Nathan and Laura next month.

The kids have found a new love with Daddy in watching old cartoons. I have been meaning to write about this for a while now. All four of them crack me up, huddled around Mike's office computer screen watching, Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Secret Squirrel (Laura has the Morocco Mole voice down pact), Road Runner, Woody Woodpecker and so on and so on. My kids LOVE vintage cartoons. They laugh and laugh and laugh and I think it is great.

All, in all things are good. The kids are happy and that makes me happy. I have a whole new confidence from my class (college really is different when you want to be there). I hope to be better about blogging because I do so enjoy keeping up with the ones I follow.

Three Little Ones

So I sorta promised in a comment on a friend's blog that I would post some outtakes of my three little ones. I am really starting to dread trying to take pictures of the three of them together. It just seems like it will never come together. I guess I have to get good at head swapping in photoshop. I will admit that these outtakes tell the real story and I guess that is what I should be thankful for. So Maggie, this is for you....

It starts out like this...

Then quickly turns to this...

Then there's always the ones that start like this...

Where this is as good as it gets...

Not quite as cute as hers with Brennon crying, but I will have to dig one of those up to share later.

Project 365 - Day 351

It's 'Yosemite Noah'. My kids love to dress up and play pretend. I really mean it. They. LOVE. It. Nathan and Laura have roped Noah into the loop and he goes right along with them. He runs after them and tries to keep up and they always have a character for him to play. Today he looks like a daddy favorite looney toon character. I am still not sick of his camera smile face yet.

Project 365 - Day 328

He finally did it! He finally found Papa's nose. We are busy cooking and prepping for Thanksgiving and my parents stayed to eat dinner with us and as he was helping Noah eat the question "Where is Papa's nose?" was finally answered! We have been working on this for quite some time. I think my dad almost fell out of his chair. It was quite an exciting time!

Noah's First Birthday!

We had a very small birthday celebration for Noah's first birthday. The Dobies and my parents came over for lunch, Nathan's soccer game and then we had dinner. Lunch consisted of Noah's bagel pizza's in honor of the birthday boy's namesake food item (we seemed to have named our children after food products: Nathan's hot dogs, Laura's Scudder's potato chips and Noah's bagels).

We went with the Noah's arc theme because the kids thought it would be cool because it matched his name and I went with it because I thought the babyish theme would only really be appropriate for the first birthday, maybe even the second since it is two by two (my mind is already going for next year). The Dobies actually got him his very own "arc" (well it is a Wonder Pets boat but for our purposes it is now an arc). Auntie Joni did some research and found this lovely little gem but found the reviews said there weren't enough balls (25 came with the boat), so she bought extra. 250 extra balls. I will say the reviews were right on, the 25 wouldn't have even covered the bottom of the boat. Noah LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his special toy. And yes, there are balls EVERYWHERE. I find them all over the house in very conspicuous places. The washing machine, the hampers, the shoes in my closet, of course under the couches and beds, the pantry, basically there are balls everywhere Noah follows me around to. I honestly don't mind. He loves it so much and has so much fun with it the joy far out weighs balls all over the house. I really think Chris and Joni were worried I would be counting all 275 balls, but no I have not found myself counting to make sure I have them all. His favorite thing seems to be to either sit in or lay in the boat and throw all the balls out of it. Thankfully he finds picking them up and throwing them back in as much fun because then I might be in trouble.

Project 365 - Day 195

He was mesmerized right before I snapped this but of course that one didn't turn out in focus. I put one of those Baby Einstein videos in for Noah so I could make dinner and he was just sitting there looking so funny just dazed at the tv. I will definitely have to use this one again.

a little arrowroot anyone?

Here is Noah eating his first arrowroot cookies. I really don't know why I haven't given these to him before. They are really good cookies - not just for babies. He totally enjoyed it as you can see and personally I just don't think you can get any sweeter looks than this.

And yes Dad, I do know he needs a haircut but I am not ready to cut it. Just trust me it is a mom thing.

Summer Days

So here are some shots of how we have been enjoying our summer. I have been trying to stay at home and am really working on trying to simplify my life. I am trying to follow the rule of making everything have a place so that it can be put away and I am trying to follow the rule of if it takes less than 30 seconds to complete or put away to do it now and not put it off. BUT that is just way off the subject of these photos isn't it?

Here is my boy Noah, growing up waay too fast - have I talked about that? Yeah, I know but look at him. He is looking less and less like a baby these days and more and more like a toddler. He is crawling all over the place now and boy is he fast. He is now into drawers and has the cutest little laugh/giggle thing that he does to show he is just tickled to be getting into things.

So here is little Noah wanting to be with the big kids...

That smile is pure joy to me. He just loves with every ounce of his being.

I started doing this squinty eye thing with him a while back. It started as winking and telling him 'I love you' and then turned to me squinting my eyes at him to see if he would do it back. He caught on very quickly and now this has turned into our little "i love you". He will flash a squinty eye thing at any moment during the day - totally random and totally funny. He also started doing this for the camera as "his pose".

Now he is doing it to Nathan...

Back at me for the camera...

You can almost here the giggle can't you...

"Are you still looking at me mom?"

Now, isn't that light much better? I have no idea what I did or didn't do but the joy and adoration in his little baby face is all I need.

Nathan has become increasingly harder and harder to get photos of. When he does look at the camera he does this doggie thing they learned in school because he was a "retriever" in his kindergarten class and they often posed for pictures with goofy faces. GREAT - just what I needed right. I thought I should at least stop deleting these irritating pictures because at some point I will be able to use them against him when he is older. I know, I need help.

Here he is, just Nathan. I swear this one needs to stop growing too. He is no longer a little boy and just keeps looking older and older to me every time I look at him. We have had our battles lately but I am looking for new and fun ways to deal with him every day and most days if I turn things into a game or let's try that again a different way it turns out pretty good.

This is pretty much how Laura likes to enjoy the pool. She is not as rough as Nathan and enjoys doing her own thing, her own way, in her own time. Gee, should I be concerned how the teenage years will be? Please don't burst my bubble or I will have daily nightmares.

She finally let me take a picture of her face. Mind you I can't seem to get her to wear a clip so her hair won't be in her face but that is another post and example of her super strong will. She is another one that just keeps on growing, despite my pleas. She is looking less and less like a toddler and more and more like a little girl and I am just so proud that she is the way she is. Now matter how difficult it may be at times I do love her sweet soul.

I was lucky enough to capture these little lovey moments between them. Both Nathan and Laura adore Noah and obviously the feeling is mutual.

Is that the look of love or what?

Project 365 - Day 164

He does this new thing. I was lucky enough after about 75 shots to capture his little tongue sticking out thing. Oh, and by the way, thanks Aunt Pam for working with him non-stop until he crawled. Yes, HE CAN CRAWL. This is a bummer, legos lookout at home, Noah is coming for you. I am not looking forward to this, just another sign of my baby growing up way too fast.

Project 365 - Day 161

The look on his face explains how I feel about the "new" playroom. I am seriously loving having them playing in the front of the house. It is so bright and sunny and holds all there toys in one room instead of all over the house. Noah has a fairly safe place to play and is sure enjoying exploring all the toys he now has access to. Oh my cute, sweet boy - please stop growing!

Look Ma - I CAN STAND!

Noah has really starting to move around more and scooting and getting ready to crawl AND STANDING. He is just so proud of himself in these pictures. I adore those cheeks and that smile he flashes. He just squeals with delight when he stands now. He can't seem to get himself back down so then he cries but while he is first up he is very happy! He is experimenting on his knees and hands doing the rocking thing so it won't be long before he is actually crawling. Look out, I will have to be much, much better about the dirt and legos that end up on the floor. Ugh, just another push to be a better house cleaner....