Backpacking

We are planning a fall backpacking trip for our family. We are going to let Nate stay with Grandma and we'll take the boys out for a few days. We just got a tent and the boy's sleeping bags or as Zack called them: Sleep sacks.

Sammy and Nate and I went to find the sleep sacks, and Sammy announced that he would get a green one and he would get Zack a purple one. We all know that these are his favorite colors, and not Zack's. Thankfully when we found them there was a green one for Sam and a blue one for Zack.

When Zack came home from an afternoon with his cousin, he was very excited that there was a tent and sleeping sacks! Sammy, of course, had a special time getting all the things put up and set out. Plus he, Nate and I shared an M&M blast from Sonic and a cherry limeade. A very special, tasty outing it was.

Some funnies from Zack

Z: mama, I'm not a play boy anymore. I'm a man-boy.
Me: so what's a play boy?
Z: Well, Sammy's a big play boy. It means you just want to play all the time.
Me: So, what's a man-boy?
Z: Well, I'm a man-boy, I'm just a man but smaller.

Nate

has been walking. He's finally getting the courage to walk across the room and he likes to do it when he's sure no one is looking. If you look he sits!
I'll get some pictures posted soon. He's been a great baby although, I guess he's moving out of the babyhood to toddler...

First Sick day

Sammy had a stomach ache two nights ago that kept me up late with him. But this morning, after eating some crackers and drinking some water, Zack threw up all over the kitchen floor. It was funny because between puking he'd take a few steps and throw up in another area. I was holding Nate and just watching in disbelief. I finally went to get a towel for him to puke onto or at least to clean up with. Then Sammy unknowingly steps into a puddle that was on the towel. Again, I'm staring in disbelief... It's all very comical at this point. Even at the time, I'm not usually that calm, but it was almost out of a movie!
Of course, I don't dare put Nate down, and he hasn't had his breakfast so he won't stand to be put down, so after getting Nate's milk, changing Zack, starting a load of wash, mopping the kitchen floor, I got Nate and Sammy's breakfast and we ate watching Curious George? I really don't know how, but I managed to get most of what needed to be done today accomplished! And then, I had my first cup of coffee or maybe two! The day got better and Zack was feeling better this evening, but I'm worried that Nate is next or worse, me!

Mat- His first book

Zack read his first book Mat from the Bob Books series. He was so happy! He couldn't believe that he read the whole book (with some help of course!).

Nate's First Birthday

We had Nate's birthday at the park in Grandmother's and Jereme and Rachel's subdivision. We were in Atlanta for the annual family reunion, so we added Nate's party to the festivities. It turned out to be perfect. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

First steps

Nate took his first three step to Tim the day before his birthday. He has taken a few since then but mainly will stand without holding onto anything. Then he slowly gets to the floor to "Power crawl". He is more interested in getting down and being involved rather than being held.

Fish Pie

Sammy: Daddy we need to go fishing. You can catch the biggest fish and I will catch 5. Then we will make a fish pie. Yum!

Kindergarten

we have officially started school. Zack announced that he already knows his letters and the sounds so he wanted to start reading. So I started his first reading lesson. I'm using the Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and we did his first lesson- the short a sound with d,t,m,and n at the end. So he learned an,am, ad, and at. Today we reviewed the same lesson and by the end of the lesson he added a consonant to the front thus c-v-c and he read the word M-A-D. Then I could tell he reached his max and we moved to another job- working on some puzzles while I taught them some memory work. We are using the Veritas Press timeline cards with the Classical Conversations program. So the boys have learned the first six cards and some of the History/Bible sentences. They seem to enjoy their "work".

Nate's words

ball, he loves a ball!
Bye-bye while waving
Mama
Dada
He turns one on Sat! I cannot believe he's already one! We're going to Atlanta for a family reunion and we'll have a birthday party for him there.

What Rude Boys!

At Walmart a few days ago there I was in the check out line... (you know it's a good story when it begins that way.) I had Zack and Sammy. Nate was home napping while Walmart had all their school supplies on sale so I picked up some things and they had the personal pencil sharpeners. The boys picked out one each and carried them throughout the trip. So as we are checking out. I am unloading the cart- Sammy is sitting in the seat and I announce that they need to make sure that we pay for their items... So from Sammy's point of view it's time to get his sharpener to the lady and I am between him and her (I'm still unloading the buggy). So he throws his item behind me and it lands right where it's supposed to...the cashier... Man, was the lady mad, of course all I saw was the poor lady get pegged, so as I'm trying to get Sammy to apologize and trying to finish all the check out while apologizing to her again. Zack with a sweet face looks at her and says " Hi, blueberry pie!" All I could do was get them out of the store.

I'll be the first to admit it...

I was wrong- Zack did jump off the diving board today! AnnMarie told him that she would give him 2 tootsie rolls if he would do it. So with a little hesitation he jumped when she told him... I couldn't believe it. Way to go Zack!
Sammy is just about to the point of swimming, he's just a little fearful of being let go. So I may have AnnMarie work with him if he is amiable. I don't want him to be upset with the lessons, but if he could get a taste of swimming he'd love it. We will see how tomorrow goes.

That was fast

On day 2 of swimming lessons, Zack started swimming. When she tried to get him to do some other things he kept telling her, no I don't want to do that, I want to swim! So, he swam himself into exhaustion! He says he's gonna try the diving board tomorrow-I think he might step up there, but will probably not be able to jump!

Sammy was out of sorts after waking at 2am to a wet bed. I had him "motor" or kick his way all over the pool, but he hasn't really progressed, he's only three so I'm really not worried about it. He kept falling and hurting himself or getting into trouble today, so we were all happy for his bedtime! I don't think the boys said a word tonight, just deep breathing!

And Sammy decided to cut his hair this afternoon- not too much and it seems to be in a less noticeable spot. Tim found hair on the bathroom floor,and we knew who it belonged to! When asked, he told us he had. So, I guess it's always something.

Swimming lessons

start tomorrow... The boys are so excited about going. Their VBS teacher is one of the top competitive swimmers in MS, and is trained in life guarding and is giving private swim lessons to children (mainly from church). Tim is not working for the military this week, so I'm taking Zack and Sammy to their lessons and I won't have to take Nate with us! That worked out really well!
I think we will have a couple of swimmers very soon! We will see how lessons go tomorrow.

Say Please

Our Sammy answered the phone a few hours ago, the converstation went like this:
Sammy: Hello
Caller: Can I talk to your daddy?
Sammy: I won't let you talk to my daddy unless you say please.
Somewhere after this Tim got the phone. One of Tim's bosses(higher ranking)was cracking up on the other end.
What a character!

Zack

has been wanting Tim to take off the training wheels for a long time now. So this past Thursday Tim did. I had been resisting it since I don't relish all the scrapes and tears.
Well, the time came and Zack was so proud. He jumped on his bike and tried to ride...he was very surprised that he couldn't keep his balance. So after trying a while, he broke down crying. I told him that he would just have to keep practicing, that he would have to work at it. So he had a few victories (just enough to give hope that he would be able to ride his bike) He did persevere and now he is riding without training wheels! I'll have to get some pictures.

Nate and Hailey

This is Nate's friend Hailey, she is about two moths younger than Nate. It's funny because I was in the nursery with them this Sunday and she can do pretty much everything that Nate does. It's fun to watch them explore together--they were very interested in each other's pacifiers!

Day 2 Besty's wedding

NYC day one

Here are some from NYC when we first arrived we met up with Jereme... we took our first taxi ride from the airport- he was either on the brake or the gas and the horn! Saw the Empire State Building, and I got to shop at H&M. That was one of my highlights of the trip.

pulling up and cruising

Nate just last week started pulling up on everything and generally realizing once he's up he is not sure what he's supposed to do next! He screams in wide-eyed terror until I take him down just so he can do it again:-)
I don't know if I wasn't as engaged with the other boys, or if his personality is just starting to show through in his dealings with unknown territory. Oh, well, he is getting better, but I will be happy when he learns how to fall, as he is starting to bump his head a bit now.