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| Dad & Brooks |
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| Brooks |
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| Adlyn & Mom |
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| Brooks |
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| Duck Adlyn! |
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| Brooks & Dad in the Crowd |
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| Adlyn's Takes a Close Look |
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Fly In
Last weekend we also enjoyed the annual Fly In! It is so nice for the kids to be able to walk around the airport and see all of the planes and helicopters. This year they had a hot air balloon, and they enjoyed seeing that. Brooks really liked the green airplane. I'm looking forward to the day when they can go on their first plane ride (I won't count the Flight for Life ride to Denver just before they were born). We were hoping to see the Black Hawk helicopter again this year, but it wasn't there. We are looking forward to next year's event!
Church Picnic
Last weekend we took part in the church picnic. I took some photos of the kids playing, they were having such a great time. They enjoy playing on the stair railing after church, and it was fun to capture it last weekend since I wouldn't typically bring a camera to church.
I have to say, taking two kids to church is getting easier. We had our fair share of stages when it was better to not take them at all. Since the kids were born in the winter, I don't think it was until late spring that we even took them to church for the first time. We were so freaked out they would get sick from being around other people that we basically stayed home. The risk for RSV was high, and we couldn't take that chance. Then I was scared to take two infants to church in the event that both of them would need to be held or fed. At home I could handle that, but at church, that was a different story. Our church isn't exactly kid-friendly. Instead of smiles, you get glares when you kid makes a peep. Once your kids can walk and crawl, it becomes challenging to get them to stay in the pew.
For the last few months, they have been great. They look forward to going to church, and we can sit in the pew the entire time, with a few exceptions when someone needs to go to the bathroom. Highlights of church for the kids are putting a dollar in the basket as it comes around, shaking people's hands, and going up to the front for communion. Adlyn doesn't mind singing along with everyone. And, if we sit near a family with an infant, even better. They love little babies, and the distraction is perfect to get through an hour of church.
Now, they are starting to sound like angels, but remember, we've had our fair share of difficulties. One time this summer, a dad who attended church by himself said to me afterwards, "Your children were perfect, so well behaved." I responded, "Thanks, I was shocked. That was the first time in 2 1/2 years we didn't leave the pew once!" He just happened to see us at the right time. My biggest fear is one of the kids is going to ring the bell located right by the entrance. They have a string hanging down on it that is at perfect eye-level for a toddler. That would be embarrasing! There was a time Adlyn chucked a toy a few pews ahead of us. There was also a time that they were both being so bad, we just left...along with a few other families. All of us parents decided it just wasn't a good day to bring kids to church. There was also a time that Adlyn crawled under the pew and into another row. She also fell off the pew and bonked her head and was crying, luckily it was towards the end, so I grabbed her and we left.
Here are some pics from the kids playing at church. It will be fun to look at these as they get older.
I have to say, taking two kids to church is getting easier. We had our fair share of stages when it was better to not take them at all. Since the kids were born in the winter, I don't think it was until late spring that we even took them to church for the first time. We were so freaked out they would get sick from being around other people that we basically stayed home. The risk for RSV was high, and we couldn't take that chance. Then I was scared to take two infants to church in the event that both of them would need to be held or fed. At home I could handle that, but at church, that was a different story. Our church isn't exactly kid-friendly. Instead of smiles, you get glares when you kid makes a peep. Once your kids can walk and crawl, it becomes challenging to get them to stay in the pew.
For the last few months, they have been great. They look forward to going to church, and we can sit in the pew the entire time, with a few exceptions when someone needs to go to the bathroom. Highlights of church for the kids are putting a dollar in the basket as it comes around, shaking people's hands, and going up to the front for communion. Adlyn doesn't mind singing along with everyone. And, if we sit near a family with an infant, even better. They love little babies, and the distraction is perfect to get through an hour of church.
Now, they are starting to sound like angels, but remember, we've had our fair share of difficulties. One time this summer, a dad who attended church by himself said to me afterwards, "Your children were perfect, so well behaved." I responded, "Thanks, I was shocked. That was the first time in 2 1/2 years we didn't leave the pew once!" He just happened to see us at the right time. My biggest fear is one of the kids is going to ring the bell located right by the entrance. They have a string hanging down on it that is at perfect eye-level for a toddler. That would be embarrasing! There was a time Adlyn chucked a toy a few pews ahead of us. There was also a time that they were both being so bad, we just left...along with a few other families. All of us parents decided it just wasn't a good day to bring kids to church. There was also a time that Adlyn crawled under the pew and into another row. She also fell off the pew and bonked her head and was crying, luckily it was towards the end, so I grabbed her and we left.
Here are some pics from the kids playing at church. It will be fun to look at these as they get older.
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| Stair railing. |
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| Adlyn - Age 2 years, 9 months |
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| Brooks was serious that day. |
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| Go Huskers! |
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| Adlyn & Cross |
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| Brooks - Serious again |
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| Adlyn looks to the sky |
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| Brooks looks to the sky. |
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| Brooks smiles! He asks me to take a photo of him sliding down the hill. |
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| Adlyn rolls down the hill. |
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Whistle Car
On Sunday night I took the kids out for a run in the stroller. It made me laugh when they saw a cop car, and referred to it as a whistle car!
I'm glad to see they were excited to go for a run with me. It makes it challenging to push that much weight. A few weeks ago I just took Adlyn with me. Wow - it was so light! The Chariot Carrier stroller has been our best investment when it comes to buying kid stuff. It has allowed us to continue our active lifestyle. I like to take the kids running, and Zach typically pulls them on his bike. It was worth every penny!
I'm glad to see they were excited to go for a run with me. It makes it challenging to push that much weight. A few weeks ago I just took Adlyn with me. Wow - it was so light! The Chariot Carrier stroller has been our best investment when it comes to buying kid stuff. It has allowed us to continue our active lifestyle. I like to take the kids running, and Zach typically pulls them on his bike. It was worth every penny!
Horse Ride
A few weeks ago we went out to my friend's house so the kids could see her horse. We had a great time, and Adlyn enjoyed her horse ride. She liked the fact that it was being pulled by a leash. Adlyn has no fear, and gets right on. She simply loves it!
This past weekend we had our church picnic, and once again, Adlyn had an opportunity to ride a horse. Brooks likes to watch. Above you'll find the video of her riding the horse.
This past weekend we had our church picnic, and once again, Adlyn had an opportunity to ride a horse. Brooks likes to watch. Above you'll find the video of her riding the horse.
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| Adlyn enjoying her ride! |
Sunday, September 11, 2011
A Letter to Brooks & Adlyn, 10 Years Later, 9/11/01
Dear Brooks & Adlyn,
I wanted to write you a letter to document my day on 9/11/01, so that you could know and someday understand. I always find the personal stories fascinating when people share what they were doing when they heard about JFK being assassinated, or other moments of history. I do recall the Oklahoma City Bombings, and the verdict of the O.J. Simpson Case. But, for me, 9/11 serves as the major thing that happened in the world that I will be able to recall in my lifetime.
I happened to be home from school that day, I was a senior in high school at the time. That morning I had a doctor appointment because of stress fractures in my leg from running cross country. It was a Tuesday, and my sister was home from college and must have been sleeping in my room that evening before, because for some strange reason, I was sleeping on the couch in the living room. The first plane crash was at 8:46 AM ET, 6:46 AM our time. Sometime between then and 9:03 AM ET, I had turned on the TV. I turned it to Good Morning America or The Early Show. I remember the newscasters didn't really know what was going on, but they were showing live footage of the World Trade Center in New York. I didn't have my glasses on, and I am mostly blind without them, but I saw the second plane hit at 7:03 AM MT. I was confused, as were most other people. I continued to watch TV, trying to process what happened, and shortly after, left for Ogallala to go to the doctor.
Even at the doctor's office, everyone was glued to the radio. They didn't have a TV, so even as I waited, everyone was more focused on the news then the daily tasks at hand. I could hear the radio as I waited in my patient room.
I returned to school mid to late morning, and quickly realized everyone else knew what was going on as well. I remember we moved from classroom to classroom each period, but class was the same. We turned on the TV and watched. Not a single teacher tried to accomplish a lesson plan. Everyone seemed to be frozen in time. There was nothing more important that keeping up on the latest details about the days events.
Even when I got home from school, it was the same. The family was glued to the TV, and the United States was frozen. Nothing was happening. Everything was cancelled. There was a lot of fear. We were supposed to be the top dogs in the world, and suddenly, we were blind-sided by terrorists. I still wonder, how could we not have known? How could such a master-plan be carried out? I remember my library teacher/speech coach was in NYC the day before, and had just returned home the evening before. It can hit close to home. I thought of all of the people who were killed during the 9/11 attacks, so much grief, so much mourning, and so much mystery. Some waited for loved ones as they dug through the rubble, trying to find some clue about what may have happened to them.
As time went on, you could start to see the healing, the display of patriotism, and growth from what happened. We became stronger.
Then there was the hunt for Osama bin Laden. All I could think, as the hunt went on for nearly 10 years, was how could we not find him? He is one man in the world...why can't we find him? After a few years, I thought the US had killed him, and was keeping it quiet. But, to our surprise, he was killed this year, just a few months ago. On May 1, 2011, the US got him. It couldn't have gone better. It felt like closure! The mission could not have been carried out in better fashion! Go USA!
We have so many people to thank for our freedom today. I hope that you may come to understand the 9/11 happenings someday as you get older. We were at church last night and Father had a good message regarding 9/11. Note, I couldn't hear and focus on it all with two active two-year-olds, but I will share this. He said, it is hard to define good, but we know it when we see it. What happened was evil.
Love,
Mom
I wanted to write you a letter to document my day on 9/11/01, so that you could know and someday understand. I always find the personal stories fascinating when people share what they were doing when they heard about JFK being assassinated, or other moments of history. I do recall the Oklahoma City Bombings, and the verdict of the O.J. Simpson Case. But, for me, 9/11 serves as the major thing that happened in the world that I will be able to recall in my lifetime.
I happened to be home from school that day, I was a senior in high school at the time. That morning I had a doctor appointment because of stress fractures in my leg from running cross country. It was a Tuesday, and my sister was home from college and must have been sleeping in my room that evening before, because for some strange reason, I was sleeping on the couch in the living room. The first plane crash was at 8:46 AM ET, 6:46 AM our time. Sometime between then and 9:03 AM ET, I had turned on the TV. I turned it to Good Morning America or The Early Show. I remember the newscasters didn't really know what was going on, but they were showing live footage of the World Trade Center in New York. I didn't have my glasses on, and I am mostly blind without them, but I saw the second plane hit at 7:03 AM MT. I was confused, as were most other people. I continued to watch TV, trying to process what happened, and shortly after, left for Ogallala to go to the doctor.
Even at the doctor's office, everyone was glued to the radio. They didn't have a TV, so even as I waited, everyone was more focused on the news then the daily tasks at hand. I could hear the radio as I waited in my patient room.
I returned to school mid to late morning, and quickly realized everyone else knew what was going on as well. I remember we moved from classroom to classroom each period, but class was the same. We turned on the TV and watched. Not a single teacher tried to accomplish a lesson plan. Everyone seemed to be frozen in time. There was nothing more important that keeping up on the latest details about the days events.
Even when I got home from school, it was the same. The family was glued to the TV, and the United States was frozen. Nothing was happening. Everything was cancelled. There was a lot of fear. We were supposed to be the top dogs in the world, and suddenly, we were blind-sided by terrorists. I still wonder, how could we not have known? How could such a master-plan be carried out? I remember my library teacher/speech coach was in NYC the day before, and had just returned home the evening before. It can hit close to home. I thought of all of the people who were killed during the 9/11 attacks, so much grief, so much mourning, and so much mystery. Some waited for loved ones as they dug through the rubble, trying to find some clue about what may have happened to them.
As time went on, you could start to see the healing, the display of patriotism, and growth from what happened. We became stronger.
Then there was the hunt for Osama bin Laden. All I could think, as the hunt went on for nearly 10 years, was how could we not find him? He is one man in the world...why can't we find him? After a few years, I thought the US had killed him, and was keeping it quiet. But, to our surprise, he was killed this year, just a few months ago. On May 1, 2011, the US got him. It couldn't have gone better. It felt like closure! The mission could not have been carried out in better fashion! Go USA!
We have so many people to thank for our freedom today. I hope that you may come to understand the 9/11 happenings someday as you get older. We were at church last night and Father had a good message regarding 9/11. Note, I couldn't hear and focus on it all with two active two-year-olds, but I will share this. He said, it is hard to define good, but we know it when we see it. What happened was evil.
Love,
Mom
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Drenched!
I had a few extra hours with the kids on Tuesday morning before work. It was after the Labor Day holiday weekend, and it felt like a Monday. The overcast sky directed us to wear pants and a long sleeved shirt that day. The kids were up early, and everyone was dressed and organized by 8 AM. I told the kids we would go out for a ride on their bikes, and they were happy.
Since school was in session, we couldn't go to the nearby playground, so instead they rode bikes to the local church parking lot. By the time we go there, it was really getting cloudy and cool. While we were there, Brooks had a few crashes, I'm not for sure why. He doesn't typically crash on his bike, but he was done riding. It started to sprinkle, and I decided we better start heading home. It could take forever to ride back. I debated standing under the church eaves, but who knows how long the rain would last. Just then, Zach pulls up on his bike to remind me that I forgot to keep the kids at home for their appointment. Great, and I'm the one who harps on him when he forgets! Luckily, the lady said she could reschedule for later in the morning if he called and confirmed that time slot. So, I told him to ride home fast and give her a call so they wouldn't miss it that day.
I had Zach take Brooks's bike helmet, and I didn't think he'd want to carry his bike, or Brooks himself, home on his bike. So, Adlyn was on her bike, riding, and I was carrying Brooks and his bike. The rain continued to fall. I kept thinking that Zach might actually ride his bike home and come back with the truck to pick us up. No such luck. Adlyn could care less that she was riding in the rain. I think her helmet was doing a good job of keep her dry, and it has a bill on it which was even better. Adlyn was her hokey-pokey self, and was in no hurry to ride fast to get home and out of the rain. I was starting to get drenched, and Brooks was getting heavy, as was his bike. Brooks continued to tell me, "No like." He didn't like the rain, and just wanted to get home. Once we made our turn to go up to our house, Zach appeared and carried Brooks and his bike the rest of the way. I am sure it took Adlyn and I another 3 minutes to get to the house, at least.
The whole time, I kept thinking someone might stop to give us a ride. That didn't happen until we were at our property, and this old guy driving a car pulled up and asked if I had much farther to go. Maybe the drenched hair and clothes were a clue I needed some extra help. I told him we were at our house, and he waved and drove off. Nice fellow. We got inside, and I stripped the kids since their clothes were soaked. Adlyn got her dry clothes on and warmed up quickly. Brooks just wanted to snuggle in a blanket because he was shivering. I really wanted him to get dressed because the lady would be arriving to our house any minute. I managed to pull my soaked hair into a ponytail before she arrived. She probably thought I just got out of the shower, at 10:45 in the morning.
Well, the kids and I had an adventure. Next time I'll stick closer to home when the gray clouds and looming above.
Since school was in session, we couldn't go to the nearby playground, so instead they rode bikes to the local church parking lot. By the time we go there, it was really getting cloudy and cool. While we were there, Brooks had a few crashes, I'm not for sure why. He doesn't typically crash on his bike, but he was done riding. It started to sprinkle, and I decided we better start heading home. It could take forever to ride back. I debated standing under the church eaves, but who knows how long the rain would last. Just then, Zach pulls up on his bike to remind me that I forgot to keep the kids at home for their appointment. Great, and I'm the one who harps on him when he forgets! Luckily, the lady said she could reschedule for later in the morning if he called and confirmed that time slot. So, I told him to ride home fast and give her a call so they wouldn't miss it that day.
I had Zach take Brooks's bike helmet, and I didn't think he'd want to carry his bike, or Brooks himself, home on his bike. So, Adlyn was on her bike, riding, and I was carrying Brooks and his bike. The rain continued to fall. I kept thinking that Zach might actually ride his bike home and come back with the truck to pick us up. No such luck. Adlyn could care less that she was riding in the rain. I think her helmet was doing a good job of keep her dry, and it has a bill on it which was even better. Adlyn was her hokey-pokey self, and was in no hurry to ride fast to get home and out of the rain. I was starting to get drenched, and Brooks was getting heavy, as was his bike. Brooks continued to tell me, "No like." He didn't like the rain, and just wanted to get home. Once we made our turn to go up to our house, Zach appeared and carried Brooks and his bike the rest of the way. I am sure it took Adlyn and I another 3 minutes to get to the house, at least.
The whole time, I kept thinking someone might stop to give us a ride. That didn't happen until we were at our property, and this old guy driving a car pulled up and asked if I had much farther to go. Maybe the drenched hair and clothes were a clue I needed some extra help. I told him we were at our house, and he waved and drove off. Nice fellow. We got inside, and I stripped the kids since their clothes were soaked. Adlyn got her dry clothes on and warmed up quickly. Brooks just wanted to snuggle in a blanket because he was shivering. I really wanted him to get dressed because the lady would be arriving to our house any minute. I managed to pull my soaked hair into a ponytail before she arrived. She probably thought I just got out of the shower, at 10:45 in the morning.
Well, the kids and I had an adventure. Next time I'll stick closer to home when the gray clouds and looming above.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A Puppy Named Cup-a-Cake
Here is a story, part old, part new, part Pound Puppies, part Shrinky Dinks, and a boy who says Cup-a-Cake.
I'm dating myself here, but who remembers Pound Puppies and Shrinky Dinks? If you were a kid in the late 80's, early 90's, I'm sure you remember. This story begins when I was about 4-6 years old, I'm guessing. I remember this day all too well. My older sister, and younger brother, went with my mom to the big town of North Platte. For some reason that I don't recall, I didn't go on this outing. Now, North Platte was the big shopping town for us at the time, which meant it was a source for some really cool toys. I remember my sister and brother came home with Pound Puppies! Wow - this was the coolest toy, and I can't believe mom got these toys for them. What do you know...they didn't bring one home for me! There I was, adding this to my list of why it wasn't fun to be the middle child. I laugh now, but I remember being very disappointed at the time.
As a kid, did you ever get to play with Shrinky Dinks? The piece of plastic that you color on, and then bake in the oven where it shrinks? That was a neat toy! I wonder if they even make them anymore. We had a box of many different kinds of Shrinky Dinks. They usually featured the latest cartoon characters. I'm not really for sure of their purpose, I guess they are just a trinket you put on a shelf.
Jump forward 20 some years later, and story resumes. About a year ago, my mom brought up a box of old stuffed animals from when we were kids. At first, all I could think was that these stuffed animals have probably collected a lot of dust up in the attic, but then, it was a nice flashback as you recall each stuffed animal that represented some part of your past.
A few weeks ago, Brooks eyed a little puppy on top of his closet that he could see through a clear tote. I got a chair, retrieved the puppy, and smiled. He wanted the Pound Puppy from my (or should I say, my brother and sister's) childhood. This little puppy was pretty neat! He even came with a little blue and red jacket to keep him warm. Ha, ha, Mike and Niki, guess who has the Pound Puppy now! Brooks became attached to the little puppy, and it was cute.
Then, a few days later, he wanted me to help him take the jacket off the puppy. As I did, I noticed a Pound Puppies Shrinky Dink tucked inside! It was a little dog tag, complete with the puppy's name and phone number! The phone number is still the number to my parents' house, minus the first two digits. As a kid, we only had to dial x-xxxx to reach our home. I bent down and showed Brooks the dog tag, and told him that his name is Cupcake. I know the name and phone number filled in on the Shrinky Dink isn't in my writing, but is one of my siblings. From then on, Brooks called his puppy Cup-a-Cake. It was cute to hear him say it like that. Little Cup-a-Cake went many places, and spent many night snuggling with Brooks. He wanted the puppy to sleep on his belly, completely covered with his blanket.
So, there you have it. A long story of a puppy named Cup-a-Cake.
I'm dating myself here, but who remembers Pound Puppies and Shrinky Dinks? If you were a kid in the late 80's, early 90's, I'm sure you remember. This story begins when I was about 4-6 years old, I'm guessing. I remember this day all too well. My older sister, and younger brother, went with my mom to the big town of North Platte. For some reason that I don't recall, I didn't go on this outing. Now, North Platte was the big shopping town for us at the time, which meant it was a source for some really cool toys. I remember my sister and brother came home with Pound Puppies! Wow - this was the coolest toy, and I can't believe mom got these toys for them. What do you know...they didn't bring one home for me! There I was, adding this to my list of why it wasn't fun to be the middle child. I laugh now, but I remember being very disappointed at the time.
As a kid, did you ever get to play with Shrinky Dinks? The piece of plastic that you color on, and then bake in the oven where it shrinks? That was a neat toy! I wonder if they even make them anymore. We had a box of many different kinds of Shrinky Dinks. They usually featured the latest cartoon characters. I'm not really for sure of their purpose, I guess they are just a trinket you put on a shelf.
Jump forward 20 some years later, and story resumes. About a year ago, my mom brought up a box of old stuffed animals from when we were kids. At first, all I could think was that these stuffed animals have probably collected a lot of dust up in the attic, but then, it was a nice flashback as you recall each stuffed animal that represented some part of your past.
A few weeks ago, Brooks eyed a little puppy on top of his closet that he could see through a clear tote. I got a chair, retrieved the puppy, and smiled. He wanted the Pound Puppy from my (or should I say, my brother and sister's) childhood. This little puppy was pretty neat! He even came with a little blue and red jacket to keep him warm. Ha, ha, Mike and Niki, guess who has the Pound Puppy now! Brooks became attached to the little puppy, and it was cute.
Then, a few days later, he wanted me to help him take the jacket off the puppy. As I did, I noticed a Pound Puppies Shrinky Dink tucked inside! It was a little dog tag, complete with the puppy's name and phone number! The phone number is still the number to my parents' house, minus the first two digits. As a kid, we only had to dial x-xxxx to reach our home. I bent down and showed Brooks the dog tag, and told him that his name is Cupcake. I know the name and phone number filled in on the Shrinky Dink isn't in my writing, but is one of my siblings. From then on, Brooks called his puppy Cup-a-Cake. It was cute to hear him say it like that. Little Cup-a-Cake went many places, and spent many night snuggling with Brooks. He wanted the puppy to sleep on his belly, completely covered with his blanket.
So, there you have it. A long story of a puppy named Cup-a-Cake.
Big Buns
Adlyn - you make me laugh.
Adlyn likes to sit on a little potty seat on top of the toilet seat because she has this fear of falling in. Brooks stands most of the time, and when he does have to sit, he is perfectly fine with a normal sized toilet seat. Adlyn is becoming very skilled at placing her little seat all by herself, and is enjoying her independence. I am enjoying it, too. There is nothing better than having a toddler tell you they are going to the bathroom all by themselves, and being directed to sit on the couch to wait for them as they do it all by themself. We've come a long ways since diapers!
This week Adlyn was in the bathroom with me, and pointed to me and stated, "Fall in?" I told her that I didn't fall in to the toilet. Simple as that. Or, so I thought. Adlyn pointed at me again and said, "Big buns!" Adlyn, you stinker...you make me laugh...but, I really don't enjoying hearing that comment from a two-year-old!
Adlyn likes to sit on a little potty seat on top of the toilet seat because she has this fear of falling in. Brooks stands most of the time, and when he does have to sit, he is perfectly fine with a normal sized toilet seat. Adlyn is becoming very skilled at placing her little seat all by herself, and is enjoying her independence. I am enjoying it, too. There is nothing better than having a toddler tell you they are going to the bathroom all by themselves, and being directed to sit on the couch to wait for them as they do it all by themself. We've come a long ways since diapers!
This week Adlyn was in the bathroom with me, and pointed to me and stated, "Fall in?" I told her that I didn't fall in to the toilet. Simple as that. Or, so I thought. Adlyn pointed at me again and said, "Big buns!" Adlyn, you stinker...you make me laugh...but, I really don't enjoying hearing that comment from a two-year-old!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Animals at the Fair
Earlier this month we went to the county fair to see the animals. I'm really glad that we did as we had an excellent morning and everyone was happy and enjoyed it. Adlyn got to kiss a baby pig, and Brooks got to pet a chicken. The bunnies were also fun to look at and pet. Adlyn really wanted to touch a cow, and luckily, a lady spotted her interest and took us to their 4H cow. She also wanted to see a horse, but no such luck. Brooks also enjoyed the goats. We look forward to going again next year.
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| Adlyn pets a cow. |
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| Adlyn looks at the pig. |
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| Brooks and Adlyn see a sheep up close. |
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| Brooks and Adlyn at the fair. |
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| Brooks and the pig. |
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| Brooks pets the cow. |
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| Adlyn kissing a baby pig. |
Triathlon
Last weekend we helped out with the local triathlon by working at an aid station for the bikers. We had a great time and look forward to helping (or participating) next year. Brooks and Adlyn did a great job filling up the water cups and they brought along their music toys to cheer on the athletes. The night before the event, I asked Adlyn what she was going to tell the bikers as they went by, she told me she was going to tell them to, "Drink!" I thought she was going to respond with something like, "Go!", but that wasn't the case. They got up early in the morning to help us out, and since they knew about their role and the fact that we talked about it for a good week, it made it easy for them to get out of bed at 6:30 AM.
After the event, we went to the finish line at the park and let the kids play for a while. Later that afternoon, they were playing Aid Station in the house with their tricycles. One would hand out drinks while the other person rode by. It was great!
After the event, we went to the finish line at the park and let the kids play for a while. Later that afternoon, they were playing Aid Station in the house with their tricycles. One would hand out drinks while the other person rode by. It was great!
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| Adlyn and Mom |
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| Brooks and Adlyn cheer on the bikers. |
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| Brooks & Adlyn at the watering hole. |
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| Adlyn keeps the table fully stocked with cups. |
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| Adlyn filling cups. |
Sorting Clothes
Does anyone else think that it is sad to clean out the clothes drawers of your kids? I do! This week I went through Brooks's shirts and pants. Seeing everything that he wore last winter is kind of sad! You hold it up and realize there is no way this would fit him. All of the 2T winter shirts seem too short, and he has grown so much taller and the 2T pants would not be long enough. I'm glad that we can pass along our boy clothes to our nephew Andrew. It makes it a little easier to pull out one of the favorites if you know it is going to someone else that will enjoy it. I saw the shirt Brooks wore for her 2nd birthday, and all I could think was that his 3rd birthday will be here before we know it. Both grandmas have been sending winter clothes, and the kids love getting packages in the mail. They like to go through each clothing item and later on, they remember which items came from grandma!
I still need to go through Adlyn's clothes, but I love having boxes of hand-me-downs from our niece Avery. There is nothing better than opening of box of cute, gently used clothes! It is so easy! No shopping required.
I still need to go through Adlyn's clothes, but I love having boxes of hand-me-downs from our niece Avery. There is nothing better than opening of box of cute, gently used clothes! It is so easy! No shopping required.
Gobble Wobble - Frère Jacques
About a month ago I had a post about one of Brooks and Adlyn's favorite night time songs - Annabelle, Where Are You Going? They also like songs that I make up, and they have special requests nearly every night. This also means that I need to be able to recall the made-up song from the night before in case they want to hear it again.
Here is one of their new favorites that we call Gobble Wobble, sung to the tune of Frere Jacques.
Gobble Wobble, Gobble Wobble,
Goes the Turkey, Goes the Turkey,
Brooks shoots it, Adlyn cooks it,
Then we eat 'em, Then we eat 'em
I know, sounds strange, but they like to sing along and they know most of the words. I am glad that it is now documented so I can tell them about it when they get older.
Here is one of their new favorites that we call Gobble Wobble, sung to the tune of Frere Jacques.
Gobble Wobble, Gobble Wobble,
Goes the Turkey, Goes the Turkey,
Brooks shoots it, Adlyn cooks it,
Then we eat 'em, Then we eat 'em
I know, sounds strange, but they like to sing along and they know most of the words. I am glad that it is now documented so I can tell them about it when they get older.
Gummy Roars and Teddy Roars
We currently have a container of gummy bears in the bathroom as a reward for going potty. Adlyn doesn't need an incentive, but she really likes gummy roars. She doesn't say gummy bear. At two years old, she prefers the red gummy bears, and doesn't like the white or yellow ones. (That is ok with me, I will gladly eat them!) She knows that I don't mind sneaking a gummy bear, or two, while she gets one. Now she picks out a gummy roar for me and hands it over. Very nice! And she has very good manners and hands me one of her favorites, red.
She also likes to snuggle with a big teddy roar. Someday she'll say bear, but until that time, it makes me laugh.
She also likes to snuggle with a big teddy roar. Someday she'll say bear, but until that time, it makes me laugh.
Psyched!
1. Psyched past participle, past tense of psych
I know this sounds strange, but at two years old, Brooks has demonstrated being psyched! Our kids have no fear of jumping from high objects. They started this from a young age, and it has continued. It started with them jumping from a bed, and then the bathroom countertops (ours are higher than a standard countertop), and now they jump from the tail gate of Zach's tall pick up. Before he jumps from one of his higher heights, he gets psyched for about 10 seconds. He grits his teeth, gets a big smile, breathes in deeply, lets out a giggle, tenses up his arms, rubs his hands, and...JUMPS! He will tell us he wants to do it by himself, and refuses assistance.
We haven't really had any injuries. But at the rate we're going, I'm sure we'll be faced with a broken limb at some point in time. Until then, I enjoy seeing Brooks get psyched!
Verb: Mentally prepare (someone) for a testing task or occasion.
I know this sounds strange, but at two years old, Brooks has demonstrated being psyched! Our kids have no fear of jumping from high objects. They started this from a young age, and it has continued. It started with them jumping from a bed, and then the bathroom countertops (ours are higher than a standard countertop), and now they jump from the tail gate of Zach's tall pick up. Before he jumps from one of his higher heights, he gets psyched for about 10 seconds. He grits his teeth, gets a big smile, breathes in deeply, lets out a giggle, tenses up his arms, rubs his hands, and...JUMPS! He will tell us he wants to do it by himself, and refuses assistance.
We haven't really had any injuries. But at the rate we're going, I'm sure we'll be faced with a broken limb at some point in time. Until then, I enjoy seeing Brooks get psyched!
Loving my Little Girl
I love having a little girl! Adlyn is usually the first one up in the morning, and this week she has been up a few times while I was getting ready for work. What is better than making her hair all pretty? I love putting in little ponies and it is great to have some one-on-one time with her doing girl things.
When we were pregnant with the twins, we didn't find out if we were having boys or girls, or both. I thought we were having two boys, but I can tell you that I love every minute of having a little girl! By no means am I a girly girl, but I like to sew her dresses, and there aren't many exciting things to sew for boys. Adlyn likes to spin around when in a dress, and she is just fun.
Below is a picture of her new pony hairdo from this week. Thanks to Zach for documenting this after I left the house. She looked so grown up with all of her hair pulled back!
When we were pregnant with the twins, we didn't find out if we were having boys or girls, or both. I thought we were having two boys, but I can tell you that I love every minute of having a little girl! By no means am I a girly girl, but I like to sew her dresses, and there aren't many exciting things to sew for boys. Adlyn likes to spin around when in a dress, and she is just fun.
Below is a picture of her new pony hairdo from this week. Thanks to Zach for documenting this after I left the house. She looked so grown up with all of her hair pulled back!
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| Adlyn with her cheesy smile, showing off her ponies! |
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Perhaps They Will Be Best Friends...
Brooks and Adlyn were being so nice to each other tonight! I was amazed, and wished I would have had a camera to capture the moments.
I took the kids for a run tonight in the stroller, and we stopped at the Blue Park to play. Just so you know, the Blue Park is the one with the blue slides, and their other favorite place is the Green Park with green slides. This is how they have distinguished the two places, and it is helpful for me to know where they want to go and what they are referring to. Upon arrival, they played on the swings, climbed up the 'pipe' (which reminds me of the rescue shaft to save the Chilean miners), climbed up the fake rock cliff, and went down the slides. They were being very nice to each other, and were very helpful catching each other on the slides, and much more. Both of them were asking me to play with them on the slides, and Adlyn wanted to sit on my lap. This seemed odd, she never sits on my lap to go down the slide. Oh well, I just went with it. A little while later, Adlyn wanted to sit on Brooks's lap. It was really cute! I had to go up to the top of the really steep slide to help Brooks move forward farther so he could slide down with Adlyn on his lap. They both were laughing and having a good time. They did that a few more times. I wish I could have taken a picture of it, as they have never done anything like that before.
Towards the end of our time at the park, they both wanted to swing with me. Adlyn faced me and held on to the chains, and Brooks sat near my knees and also held on to the chains. It worked pretty well, and all three of us were swinging together. It did require some strong ab muscles, as the swings are really low to the ground and I couldn't use my feet to push us back and forth.
On our walk home, Brooks and Adlyn were giving each other kisses, and tonight before bed, they also gave each other a few kisses.
Perhaps they truly love eachother! I hope this is a new trend that is here to stay! It will be much better than Adlyn biting Brooks on the back (which she has done twice in the past week) or pushing him in the back without him knowing it is coming. I'm looking forward to peaceful days between the two of them, and a bond that will last a lifetime. Even though they are two, I hope they go to the same college together so they can remain close friends. And even though Kindergarten is a few years away, I really want them to be in the same class together. Time will tell...
I took the kids for a run tonight in the stroller, and we stopped at the Blue Park to play. Just so you know, the Blue Park is the one with the blue slides, and their other favorite place is the Green Park with green slides. This is how they have distinguished the two places, and it is helpful for me to know where they want to go and what they are referring to. Upon arrival, they played on the swings, climbed up the 'pipe' (which reminds me of the rescue shaft to save the Chilean miners), climbed up the fake rock cliff, and went down the slides. They were being very nice to each other, and were very helpful catching each other on the slides, and much more. Both of them were asking me to play with them on the slides, and Adlyn wanted to sit on my lap. This seemed odd, she never sits on my lap to go down the slide. Oh well, I just went with it. A little while later, Adlyn wanted to sit on Brooks's lap. It was really cute! I had to go up to the top of the really steep slide to help Brooks move forward farther so he could slide down with Adlyn on his lap. They both were laughing and having a good time. They did that a few more times. I wish I could have taken a picture of it, as they have never done anything like that before.
Towards the end of our time at the park, they both wanted to swing with me. Adlyn faced me and held on to the chains, and Brooks sat near my knees and also held on to the chains. It worked pretty well, and all three of us were swinging together. It did require some strong ab muscles, as the swings are really low to the ground and I couldn't use my feet to push us back and forth.
On our walk home, Brooks and Adlyn were giving each other kisses, and tonight before bed, they also gave each other a few kisses.
Perhaps they truly love eachother! I hope this is a new trend that is here to stay! It will be much better than Adlyn biting Brooks on the back (which she has done twice in the past week) or pushing him in the back without him knowing it is coming. I'm looking forward to peaceful days between the two of them, and a bond that will last a lifetime. Even though they are two, I hope they go to the same college together so they can remain close friends. And even though Kindergarten is a few years away, I really want them to be in the same class together. Time will tell...
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