This week went by so fast! It must have been because of the long Memorial Day weekend.

We finally got our car back from the repair shop on Thursday afternoon. They fixed a lot of stuff, so now it should run like a dream. We did have to have it towed on Tuesday morning and Jacob had fun watching the tow truck load up the car. He kept saying 'Wow!'. That is one of his new favorite words. He usually says it when he sees a big truck, fire trucks especially. We saw a lot of fire trucks this week for some reason, so I heard a lot of WOWS.

I only got to go to Boot Camp once this week since the jogging stroller doesn't fit in the hatchback. I guess I must have built up some strength during the week because yesterday I broke two of the exercise bands that we use. How that happened, I have no idea. I looked and looked to see if I had something sharp stuck in my shoe (we were doing an exercise where we stepped on the band), but there was nothing. Guess I am just TOO strong. Ha Ha! Speaking of shoes, today I am going to look for some new running shoes. Not because of the band incident, just because I desperately need new shoes. My mom is going to come with me to entertain the boys so I can concentrate on shoe shopping. Hope I can find some!

Last night we went to The Tartan for dinner and the boys did great. Jacob was sitting where he could watch everyone and he enjoyed making lots of friends. I forgot to bring one of his spoons so he used a big person's fork (don't worry - we watched him very closely). They gave us a soup spoon and it was too wide for his little mouth. He did really well eating his cottage cheese with the big fork - not too much mess. The Tartan is a funny place. I don't know why it amuses me. Maybe it is the red vinyl seats or the fact that the average age of the diners is about 60. I guess our being there brought that down considerably. Because of the boys, not that Alan and I are so young. :P

Here are a few pics from the week

The shirt that Isaac is wearing in this picture is the one Jacob wore for his 6 month pictures. It is almost too small for Isaac!


This is how Isaac likes to sleep - with his legs wide and his arms above his head.


Sleeping in the swing. I thought it was cute how he had his arm tucked behind his head. (He looks just like my brother Mike in this picture!)


The boys hanging out before bedtime last night. Aren't they cute in their jammies?


Jacob wanted to share his milk with Isaac. Sometimes sharing isn't so good!


Today Jacob didn't nap. At first he was just babbling away up there, so I just let him be. When he started to cry I had just started feeding Isaac, so I just went upstairs and sat in the rocker while Jacob played in his crib. I wish I had the video camera! He was holding on to the side of the crib and jumping on the mattress. Then he was hopping across the bed and then started spinning. He got a little dizzy and lost his balance on the bouncy mattress. He was sort of flung into the corner so he threw his arms out to grab the sides and said 'Whoa!'. It was hilarious! Now I know what he does up there and it explains some of the noises I hear over the monitor.

Memorial Day weekend

We had a nice holiday weekend. Too bad its over!

Friday night Alan and I watched 'Slumdog Millionaire' after the boys went to bed. I actually stayed awake for the entire movie. A miracle these days!

Saturday morning Alan went to graduation while the boys and I just hung out at home. Jacob was a bit of a pill, being kindof a whiny pest. I was looking forward to his nap when I would get a little break, but he didn't feel a nap was necessary. :P Fortunately my brother Mike came over to use our scanner and entertained Jacob for a while. As soon as Isaac woke up from his nap we all headed over to my parents'. My mom wanted a sandbox for the boys so we got her one for Mother's Day. We aren't into traditional gifts, I guess - chickens and a sandbox. Ha Ha! Anyway, they filled it on Saturday and wanted Jacob to come over and play. Fine by me! Isaac ate when we got there, so Alan and I felt it was safe to leave for a bit and run some errands. Then we picked up some pizza and brought it back to my parents' for a little impromptu pizza party. Jersey's pizza is SO good!

I already told yesterday's story and all its drama. :P

Today Alan spent the day making a little play yard for the chickens. First he set up a makeshift one so Jacob could play with them in the morning and after lunch he made the real deal. Its pretty cool! I am sure our chickens are the envy of all chickens. I was super surprised that Jacob wanted to go in the pen with the chickens and when he got in there, he didn't freak out at all.





Watching chickens is a serious business


You'll notice that Jacob seems to have lost his pants again. He went in the semi-emptied pool and got soaked! Isn't he cute in his hat? This is the cap he'll actually keep on his head. He wanted to wear it to church yesterday and he kept it on the entire time. Amazing!

My little chickies are getting so big!


This is the play pen Alan made from scrap boards. Its moveable so we can put it where ever we want to.


For dinner we did some grilling and this time everyone was happy so we were able to eat outdoors. About a month ago, we attempted to, but Isaac didn't want to. :P

Jacob enjoying his dinner


Isaac hanging out in the bouncy seat while we ate


Jacob wasn't terribly interested in sitting in his seat to eat. There were just too many more fun things to do. He was still hungry, though, and kept coming back to the table to graze. Here he was eating some food he spilled on the pine cone. Oh yummy!


After dinner Jacob played some more with the chickens and actually touched one on his own. I think it surprised him a little that he did it because he jerked his hand back and started giggling. It was so cute! I wish I had captured it on video.

Watching chickens is way more fun than watching TV!

You can't ride in my red wagon......

The wheels are broken and the axel's saggin'.

Remember that song? Well, the wheels and axels on our car (a red Focus wagon) are fine, but we can't start it! Yesterday evening proved interesting. Alan and I dropped the boys off at my parents' so they could watch them while we went to the Commencement Cooler. The plan was that after we were done partying, I would drop Alan off at home so he could get his car and go to church to take offering and I would go pick up the boys from my parents'. All went well until we tried to leave the party and couldn't get the key in the ignition. We finally did and I should have left the car running while I grabbed my purse from the house and just let Alan use my keys, but I didn't. I couldn't get the car started again, so I told Alan to go to church and hurry back so we could pick up the boys. When I called my mom to tell her what was going on, I could hear Isaac crying. He wouldn't take the bottle. I gave my mom a couple hints (which didn't work) and quickly called Alan to tell him to hurry, hurry, hurry because Isaac was HUNGRY! Thankfully, my mom was able to calm and distract Isaac and he didn't scream too much while he waited for me.

We still can't get the car started, but can at least get the key in the ignition. Alan is going to keep trying to get it started and if he succeeds, he'll leave the key turned on and just disconnect the battery. Our hope is that we can avoid having to get the car towed to the repair shop! Hopefully we can get it in tomorrow and they can get it fixed that day. The two door Focus (our other car) is not really very convenient with the two boys. Ah well. I wanted to bring the car to the dealership to have them give it a tune-up and check it out before our trip up north next month, so now that can get done too. I just hope the repair work doesn't cost too much!

The rest of the weekend has been fun. Stay tuned for a post about the good stuff! :D

Weekly Update

This week has been pretty low key. We went to Baby Boot Camp 4 mornings and yesterday we went to a play date instead. Jacob had fun playing with his friends and even jumped a little on the trampoline. Last time he wasn't interested. :P
Today I got a MUCH needed haircut and I feel half-way presentable again. Now I just need a pedicure!
Memorial Day weekend is always graduation weekend at the university, so that is what we (mostly Alan) is busy with this weekend. Alan has Baccalaureate this evening, tomorrow morning is graduation and Sunday afternoon is the annual Commencement Cooler (a party for faculty where champagne and appetizers are served). Other than that we are just hanging out. I bought some stuff to grill - chicken and veggie kabobs with yogurt-feta sauce. Yummy! A little Greek feast.

Here are a few pictures that we took this week.

Yee Haw! I think Isaac looks a little frightened. Can't say I blame him!


This morning I saw this hat on the dresser and decided to put it on Isaac. I knew Jacob would think that was SO funny.


Jacob wanted to wear the hat too and I finally captured that cheesy smile. Isn't it hilarious?

2 Month Stats

Today Isaac had his 2 month check-up and the doctor said he is doing great. :D
He weighs 14 pounds, 2 oz (between 75th and 90th percentile) and is 26 1/2 inches long (over 95th percentile).
I've got one big boy!

My little chicks are getting big too and are starting to get lots of feathers. Jacob loves to go out and see them. He signs 'bird' about 100 times a day! He even says 'bawk, bawk' now. Its so cute! He still is a little afraid of them, but is getting better. Yesterday Alan said he touched one of their feet. ;P
It is a little easier to tell them apart now, so I thought it was time to give them names. I've decided to name them after flowers that we have in our yard - Rosie, Lily and Iris. Kinda silly, I know.

Six Years

Today marks six years of wedded bliss for Alan and I. :D
Yesterday we celebrated with lunch at The Farm. I figured that was the best time for my parents to watch the boys since they generally both nap from noon to 2:30 or so (the boys, not my parents). The evenings can be a bit more unpredictable. :P Alan and I had a delicious meal followed by a yummy pear cobbler for dessert. It was so nice to get out just the two of us. Its been a while!

And now some pictures that have nothing to do with our anniversary. :P
We put Isaac in the Bumbo seat the other day. He enjoyed it for the most part.



Then it got old - Isn't he cute, even when he cries?


Jacob never really got into the Bumbo when he was a baby. Maybe we just started him in it too late. Now that we pulled it out for Isaac, he thinks it is the greatest thing and sits in it all time. He even drags it around the house saying, 'Bumbo. Bumbo'. Funny how that is, huh?

I love this picture. Isn't it cute how he has his legs crossed? Jacob loves to read! He is always flipping through a book or asking us to read to him.


Cheese! Jacob has this ultra-cheesy smile that I haven't been able to capture very well on camera. This is the closest I have gotten so far. He turned his head a little too fast.

Uh-Oh!

Don't you just hate it when your pants accidently fall off?

Yesterday afternoon I was putting away groceries when I hear Jacob say, 'Uh-Oh. Uh-Oh'. Then he came into the kitchen with his shorts in hand. They are kinda big, so it didn't really surprise me.

He looked hilarious with just his onsie and sandals on, so I snapped a couple pictures.


Trying to put them back on

My new babies

After calling the local feed stores, I discovered that baby chicks may not be available much longer, so we decided to get them now. My parents have agreed to chick-sit while we are gone in June. Hee Hee

All curled in a ball


All set up in their new temporary home. They'll stay in this box for a while. When they get bigger, they'll move to the coop outdoors


Jacob is pretty freaked out by them. This picture is of really poor quality, but I think you can see the look of fear on his face.


He was much more interested in telling us about his new truck book that he got from the Henrys. Thank you Dave and Nancy! He LOVES this book!


Isn't she cute?


Now they just need names!

Pics of the week (so far)

I can't believe it is Wednesday already! This week has just flown by. We haven't really done anything special, just Baby Boot Camp in the morning, then lunch and naps and then playing in the yard in the afternoon.

These were taken yesterday afternoon
Isaac was very content to sit in the bouncy while Jacob ran around


I went in the garden to take some pictures and Jacob wasn't too happy that he wasn't allowed in too


Alan made these cool planter boxes for some of our plants. The one in the far corner has strawberries. Yum!


Some of our stuff is getting really big!
Beans


Tomatoes


Isaac has done really well at BBC the past couple days. I figured out that if I get there a little early and feed him, he'll sleep through most of the class. Its much more enjoyable when he isn't crying!
Parenting involves a lot of trial and error! Alan figured out that Isaac will take a bottle better if he runs the hairdryer while trying to feed him. Jacob was the same way at first. Then they get used to eating from the bottle and the hairdryer isn't necessary. We were also having trouble getting Jacob's teeth brushed. He was obsessed with the concept and would constantly sign 'brush teeth', he just wouldn't let us get the brush in his mouth! One day I sat on the toilet and plopped him on my lap on his back to see if I could get to his teeth that way. It worked! So now that's the way we brush his teeth. It looks strange, but whatever works, right?

Earlier this week Jacob got some new sandals. They are just like his Daddy's!


Now we are off to the feed store to get some chicks!!

Bawk! Bawk!

Happy Mother's Day!

My Mother's Day started with yummy bagels that Jacob and Alan got yesterday. They went on a bike ride and stopped at The Bagel Peddler. When they came home Jacob found me and handed me the bag. He was so proud! Later in the morning I noticed a pretty bouquet of yellow roses on the table. Alan cut them from one of our bushes and they smell heavenly.



After church my parents and brothers came over for lunch and Alan grilled us up a Latin American feast. We had steak, shrimp, sausages, beans, rice and plantains. So yummy! I was so stuffed, but managed to find room for the cherry dessert and ice cream that my mom brought over. Needless to say, I am not eating dinner tonight. :P

After dessert, the Mother's Day gifts were presented and I was very surprised to learn that my boys are getting me some chickens! I have been wanting to raise some for a while now and this yard is perfect for it. We are waiting to get the chicks until July when we return from a trip to Napa. That way nobody has to care for them while we are gone and it gives Alan some time to build their coop and for me to read the book 'Chickens in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide' that the boys got me to prepare for my new brood.

I've done a little research on chicken breeds and I hope to get Buff Orpingtons which are known to be nice, docile chickens, perfect for families. Can't wait until we get some eggs!


Me with my precious boys


A little brotherly love

Thank You

I've been teaching Jacob the sign for 'thank you' and today he used it. One of the Baby Boot Campers was sharing her snack with Jacob (She really had no choice. He was pretty much begging) and I told him to say thank you. He did the sign! Yay. Then at lunch he signed for a drink, I gave it to him and he signed 'thank you' totally unprompted! That's the stuff that makes a mommy proud. Sometimes you wonder if your kid is really listening and paying attention, and then they totally surprise you. :D

And can I just say 'thank you, God' that today has been better than yesterday so far?? Yesterday afternoon was just one of those times when you wonder if you are cut out for this parenting business. Jacob wouldn't nap and his yelling woke up Isaac and both of them ended up being high-maintenance. Jacob was being so naughty! He would NOT sit for his time out. He just kept getting up time after time after time. That had never happened before, even when we first started doing time outs. And while I was trying to continuously put him back on his 'naughty step', Isaac was crying. It is not easy to hold an infant and keep a defiant toddler on a step. I am so thankful that Alan came home because I think I would have lost it. Anyway, Jacob and Isaac are both napping now and I am hoping that them getting sleep will make for a more pleasant afternoon.

This morning right after I fed Isaac at 5:30, he laughed! It was so cute!! After I got up later I started doubting myself, though. Maybe I was just dreaming. It was early and I was tired after all. I looked in the baby book to see when babies start laughing and it is right around his age, so now I know he did for real. Can't wait to hear it again. Music to my ears!

Gettin' Fit

This week I started Baby Boot Camp and I am so glad to be back. The girls running it are doing more cardio than we did in Stroller Strides and it is awesome! I should lose that last 5 baby pounds in no time! Today we walked/ran up this HUGE steep hill pushing the kids and then the instructor told us to do it twice more without the kiddos. We were all like WHAT?!? I wasn't sure if I would make it, but I did and when I was finished I felt pretty good about myself. I even ran part of it. Not sure if I'll be able to walk tomorrow, though. :P

Yesterday we got Alan's Father's Day gift. A bit early, but it was on sale because it is a discontinued model and we didn't want someone else to snatch it up!

We got him a bike trailer for Jacob (and eventually Isaac when he gets bigger) to ride in behind Alan's bike.


Jacob has to wear a helmet and we weren't sure how that would go, but he wore it without too much of a fuss. Isn't he too cute?


Off they go!


A breakthrough ~ Isaac has been taking a pacifier this week! YAY. He doesn't keep it in real well, but he'll get better at it.


La La La I can't hear you Mommy!
I can't remember why he was covering his ears. Maybe Isaac was screaming or something. :P

Dino Baby

Isaac got this robe and slipper set from his Uncle Randall (Alan's brother), Aunt Hilary and cousins Lila and Sam.

Is he super cute, or what?


Something about being in a robe brings out the seriousness in my boys.
This is Jacob when he was the same age


I just noticed that their boppy covers match their robes. Jacob with his safari and alligator and Isaac with his dinos. I didn't even do that on purpose.

The past three days have been good ones for Isaac. There hasn't been much crying and screaming in the evenings! Yay. :D Yesterday evening Alan was gone and I actually got both boys bathed and it didn't end with a huge headache. Isaac sat in the bouncy seat in the bathroom during Jacob's bath and he was just so content. I was amazed and relieved. He was even smiling and cooing! I hope this means we are over the hump. Cross your fingers!

Oh! And for all of you wondering why we named our stroller Bob, we didn't. BOB is the brand name. The company used to be called Beast of Burden, but it got shortened to B.O.B.

Holland Festival

Yesterday we went to the Holland Festival and even though Jacob was too little to play a lot of the games, he still had a lot of fun.

Fishing for a prize


Grab Bag fun ~ He was peeking through the hole at the people handing the kids the bags and he thought that was pretty funny


Ping pong throwing - he actually made it into a bucket or two. I think he won 4 tickets. Pretty good, huh?


Here it looks like he is thinking 'Oh man. How could I miss that shot?'


I think it is cute that you can see his fingers gripping the top of the neck. Not very realistic! Not to mention the fact that his head is a little too small for the body!! You can also see Alan's foot sticking out the bottom on the second picture. I thought about cropping it, but thought it was funnier as is.



Isaac was also there, but slept in the sling the entire time. Guess I should have had a picture taken of his first Holland Festival, but oh well. Next year should be super fun when both boys will be running around enjoying everything!