Spring Break

Spring Break is the BEST!  It always seems to come at just the right time - when the stress of the long winter months has come to a head and I think I might just explode from all of the demands...Spring Break rolls in and offers a much needed breath of fresh air.  In the future, I hope we are able to take a trip each year at this time.  I always feel a pang of jealousy when I hear my students talk about the cool places they're going, BUT, travelling with C & L at this point in our lives is definitely not a BREAK from anything (sorry guys....I love you to pieces, but travelling with you two in tow at this age is no easy feat!).  Besides, staying at home over spring break affords me all the luxuries I dream about when school is in - doing the laundry during the week and not stressing about getting it all done over the weekend, putting the boys to bed and not having to rush downstairs to pack breakfast and lunch and get ready for the next day, sitting on the couch at night without having to grade or write papers.  And best of all, having lots and lots of time with Cade and Luke (for better or worse - Luke is currently in his crib, screaming, apparently boycotting his nap today...guess I should go get him...sigh).  I say it every year, but I love this little preview of summer!

Okay...this isn't actually from spring break, but close enough.  Cade has lots of current loves at the moment (monster trucks, match box cars, super heroes, and my favorite...outer space!)  Here we are at the Fernbank Science Center waiting to see the planetarium show.

 

 

Yesterday we went to the Yellow River Game Ranch.  Cade was all about it and loved feeding the animals.  Lukey was a little more reserved and said the animals scared him...haha!  He wanted to be held most of the time and was more interested in eating the animals food than feeding it to them...ick!

 

Bunny chasin'

Today we went to the INK museum...super cool place!  Here's Cade performing on Broadway.  :)

Luke's favorite thing at the INK museum was the train table.  He played there for nearly an hour! 

 

 

St. Patrick's Day

We had a fun-filled St. Patrick's Day!  A sneaky little leprechaun stopped by....tinkling in our potties and leaving a small treat for the boys.  Lukey didn't really understand what was going on, but that didn't stop him from having fun!  He loves the color green (like his mommy) so he loved pointing out all the green things he saw.  Cade was totally intrigued by the leprechaun and told everyone he saw that the leprechaun "pee-peed" in his potty.  :)  St. Patrick's Day festivities sure have changed in the last few years...

18 Months Old

Sweet Lukey Bear...you are 18 months old!  You are still the sweetest, most lovable little guy and there are times when I really think I might just kiss your face off!  Here are your 18 month stats:

• You weigh around 25lbs.
• You wear 18 - 24 month clothing, size 5 diapers and size 6/7 shoes.  
• You have 15 teeth with the 16th just starting to poke through.
• Your favorite foods are pancakes, waffles, Nutri Grain bars, fruit smoothies, broccoli, and pizza.  You have become incredibly fickle about the food you eat - you used to eat just about anything we gave you, now you turn your nose up to most fruits and vegetables.  Lately, eating has become quite difficult and you cry through many meals (just over the last couple of weeks - but in your defense, you are teething and have an ear infection).  There are times when you are so excited to eat, literally running around saying "eat-eat, eat-eat" and trying to climb your high chair and then when I put your plate in front of you, you put your head down on the tray and start crying immediately because it's not what you want.  It's hysterical!  You love to drink milk and ask for it lots throughout the day.  
• You are very smart!  You know two colors (green and pink), you can point to and name nearly all body parts, and you are very chatty!  You typically speak in 2 word sentences, but I've heard you say up to 5 words in a sentence. 
• You love to watch Blaze and the Monster Machines on TV (Bwaze, as you call it). 
• You absolutely adore Cade and copy his every move.  Anything he says, you say...any way he moves, you move.  It's very sweet!  
• You are a little shy and it's precious!  You hide your face against me or rub your left eye with the back of your hand and furrow your brow when strangers talk to you in public.  
• You are a GREAT sleeper!  You rarely wake up at night and nap very well.  
• You LOVE, LOVE, LOVE water!  You love to runs your hands under the running faucet, play with water in cups during meal times, stomp in puddles, and of course you love bath time. Maybe you'll be a swimmer!  
• You also love books!  You know exactly what books you want to read before bed and will protest if I try to read different ones.  You also say, "No Mommy" if I sing a song that you don't want to hear before bed.  Right now your favorite books are Five Little Ducks, Welcome to Our Town, and Tractor Pop-Up Peekaboo and your favorite song to sing is Wheels on the Bus.  
• When you get upset or frustrated you sit on the floor, fold over at the waist, put your head on the floor and cry.  I've even seen you stomp off and then throw yourself on the floor.  It's really hard not to laugh!  
• You're pretty sensitive.  Today Daddy and I told you, "No hitting" because you hit Daddy and you immediately started to cry - like we really hurt your feelings.  :(
• You are loving, adorable, smart, happy, and independent.  We love you to pieces!!

  

  Here you are with Snuggle Duck!  You are a total ham!  You pose for the camera every time I get it out!

  
  
  
  
  
  

Circus Time!

Cade and I went to the circus this morning!  We had the best time!  (sorry Lukey....we REALLY wanted you to come, but we didn't think you could sit for 2 hours...you have trouble sitting for 5 minutes!)  Cade sat happily for the whole show.  He clapped for all the acts and toward the end kept saying, "I wonder what's coming out next!".  He reports that his favorite part of the circus was the horses and the elephants.  The whole thing was pretty amazing!  Afterwards, we headed to Cade's favorite restaurant...Chipotle!  It was a sweet afternoon for my big boy and me. 

XOXO

We had the sweetest Valentine week!  To kick off the extra-loving, we received a super special Valentine package from GJ last Tuesday - she really spoiled all of us!  Thank you GJ!  Lukey's class exchanged Valentines and had a special snack on Thursday, and Cade's class had a Valentine lunch on Friday that I went to.  (Cade - you were the sweetest host EVER!  You were wearing the cutest red and blue collared shirt.  You were so handsome.  You were so happy and smiley the whole time and told me you loved me at least 15 times.  You wanted to sit in my lap and you gave me tons of hugs and kisses.  When I left, you thanked me for coming.)  On Saturday, we went on a family date to Tiny Towne (think go-carts for toddlers - Lukey loved the train and Cade loved driving the cars) and then Todd and I had yummy food and wine after the boys went to bed.  I am madly in love with all 3 of my Valentines!

V-Day Breakfast!

"Lukey...I'm going to make you handsome for family date day.  Do you want your hair spikey?"

Friday Night Snuggles

Not my words, but this resonated with me tonight...

You Won't Remember, But I Will

Jessica Dimas 

Posted: 12/23/14 05:08 PM ET Updated: 01/20/15 05:59 PM ET

You won't remember the way I stood in the bathroom late that night in labor with you, fearfully and excitedly gazing up at the moon, knowing I was going to bring you into the world soon and whispering to you, "We can do this."

You won't remember the way you looked at me right after you were born, or the way I pulled you up next to my heart and marveled "Hi, baby" in your ear.

You won't remember the way you healed my broken spirit. The way you completed my heart. I was weak before I had you, and you made me whole again.

You won't remember the way I proudly watched you everywhere we went, you were always the most beautiful boy in the room to me.

You won't remember the way you made me laugh with all of the silly things you did. I saw how kind your heart was.

You won't remember the way I would brush the hair off of your forehead and the way you'd look up at me. Without any words, our souls could touch and say everything to each other that words couldn't.

You won't remember the tickle fests we had, and how I always cheated so I could hold you close and cover your salty little face in kisses.

You won't remember all the times I went to bed at night and felt such fear being your mother: Am I doing okay? Have I messed up too many times already? Can I be the kind of mother he needs?

You won't remember the way my heart broke and grew a little bigger each time you passed a milestone, watching the sand fall through the hourglass while feeling overjoyed witnessing you expand and grow.

You won't remember the way I would hold your little feet in my hands, imagining how much bigger than my own feet they will one day grow, and how I will have to let you go.

You won't remember, but I will... and I'll hold these memories in my heart for the both of us.

A Few of My Favorite Things, Vol. 2

A few things I hope to always remember...and because I have the world's worst memory, I thought I ought to write them down. :)

• The way Lukey says "oooweee" when I tell him I'm going to change his stinky diaper. 
• When Cade randomly tells us he loves us. 
• Lukey's fits...when he gets upset he takes off walking/stomping through the house really fast.  It's hysterical!
• The way Cade wakes up so happy.  He literally jumps out of bed with the cutest smile and will often say, "Mommy, I had a great night!" (whether he did or not).  As the complete opposite of a morning person, I SOOOO wish I woke up the same way!
• How Luke rubs his eye with the back of his hand when he's feeling shy.
• The way Cade says the name of his friend "Wyatt" at school.  He calls him "Quiet" and I laugh out loud every time. 
• I'm in love with everything Luke says.  His language has developed so fast that sometimes I wonder if he's okay.  Last night he climbed up on the couch, turned on the TV (which I had no idea he knew how to do) and said, "That's better."  Seriously?  You're barely 16 months old!  We're in trouble!  He will chime in with the words he knows in a few songs and surprised me tonight by adding a few letters of the alphabet when I paused in the song.  I'm truly fascinated by everything that comes out of his mouth.
• Cade's love of hats.  He picks one out from Todd's hat rack nearly every morning. 
• I love the way that Luke can be wide awake at bedtime, but the second I start to sing "Hush Little Baby" to him he puts his head on my chest and begins to rub his eyes and yawn....Pavlov's dogs style.
• The way Cade says "sumpin'" for something.
• Luke's underbite.
• Cade's love of school and his friends and teachers.  He's so very outgoing.  He yells hi and bye to Ms. "Nalita" (Lanita...hahahahahaha) and his other friends and teachers every day.  He sometimes does the same to complete strangers. 
• Luke's love and admiration for Cade.  I just pray that those feelings reciprocate over the years! 

It's hard to imagine that these days that are so sweet and delicious to us will not even by remembered by C & L.  We love you both to pieces!