April so far...

The first two days of Easter break were awesome!
Friday was spent deciding when to go to the beach. Pretty much everything these days is dependent on when Trevor takes his nap. After that, we headed down to Surfside for beautiful, but windy weather. I assumed the water was too cold, so I didn't bring Trevor's swimsuit, just extra changes of clothes this time. The water was actually nice! To my surprise, Trevor didn't mind the water and sand after I got him used to it. Then, I couldn't get him or Jack out of it! We went back to the house when we saw Jessica and the crew arrive. After another trip to the beach which involved all of us getting our pants wet in the waves, we headed back for quick, but loud (from the screaming) baths with the babies and Trevor...then dinner from The Purple Cow. Yum!  Jack and I decided to stay the night. He got up early (as early as he could) with Grandpa to go fishing. They left Trevor and me with him screaming, "I wanna go BEACH!" So I packed up, covered him in sunscreen, or tanning lotion - spf 8 since Jessica took our sunscreen home with her, and neglected to cover me with it. Then, I tried to lock the door. This is where the rusty old key got stuck in the lock. Trevor was a bit upset. I still believe everything happens for a reason. This one was two-fold. One - Trevor had a very dirty diaper within the hour that would NOT have been pleasant while playing in the sand, and Two - I would be even more burnt than I am now and in horrible pain from my sunburn if I had gone to the beach at 9am. I didn't want to call Grandpa and make them come home from fishing sooner than expected, and I knew that as soon as he got home, he'd pull out the key like it was nothing (which is exactly what he did before I even knew it). But like I said...everything happens for a reason. We had a blast at the beach, playing in the bubbles the waves made and with sticks that washed up on shore. Then Trevor enjoyed his nap to recharge for a third beach trip with the babies! I can't wait for summer to come. I hope Trevor doesn't forget how much fun he had this weekend! It was just a few weeks ago that he freaked out when his feet touched the sand! Yesterday and  today were lazy days...Jack is watching "Back to the Future." We looked at Blockbuster for it with no luck but found it at the library. It made his day! He is set on having a "Back to the Future" birthday party. I'm not so sure about it...

I'm glad my family (and Deborah) was around this weekend to keep me preoccupied. It's been a year since Suzy passed away.  I've never had to deal with the loss of someone so close to me and never knew it would be this hard. This year has been full of the silliest or smallest things reminding me of her. Almost everything -  like how driving in the rain reminds me of how she used to try to not use her windshield wipers and how her driveway became "Lake Gregory." Seeing a motorcycle parked far up in a parking spot makes me think of time she told me her scooter almost got run over by someone trying to park in the same spot at school. She was told not to pull up so far in the spots in the parking lot! Going through the stuff from her classroom had to be the hardest thing. I had to do it during the end of the year and at the beginning of summer last year. I still find things I haven't seen with her handwriting on it.  I love seeing her handwriting even if it sounds crazy.
She loved going to the beach, even though she hated the sand that would stay on her even after a shower. We used to stop at Tookie's on the way home, with her burnt to a crisp. I think she used to see how burnt she could get even though she would always say how mad her mom was going to be about it. I wasn't trying to get burnt this time, though.  I remember one time, on the "short cut road" to the beach, she said she saw an alligator.  Ever since then, I had looked for one every time we went down that road but had been unsuccessful. Last summer, we FINALLY saw one. I couldn't believe it. I always thought she was just seeing things. I still look for them every time!
Even a kid walking down the street who had stepped on some glass yesterday made me think about how she used to walk around barefoot everywhere. I used to always try to get her to wear shoes. One time she sang along to Margaritaville saying something besides: "Blew out my flip flop, stepped on a pop top." I can't remember what she said, but it was funny because several times she had blown out her flip flop! I used to make fun of her until it happened to me too one time!

Last week, when I heard this song, even though I've heard it many times, this time, Suzy came to mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy3yov4u70c (warning for those who don't like country...this is a George Strait song! )

"I believe it's a half full, not a half empty glass....Folks are always dreaming about what they'd like to do, but I like to do just what I like."    -   So Suzy! : )

Boys will be boys

I was constantly reminded this weekend that I am outnumbered in this household. Trevor wanted to make sure I know that his personality is completely different from Jack's. Although, they are still boys, and therefore both love to talk about poop. Besides that, they don't have much in common.

There were times this weekend when I felt as if I were in a commercial or parenting video. Of course, it'd be the ones where they highlight the "problem child."

It started Friday night, when we went to Barnes and Noble. I promised Jack a book. While searching for other interesting books (one being something about "Fart Powder"), Trevor is laughing and screaming and jumping/galloping around the small kids stage they have in the children's section. He even climbed on the small benches and jumped off. Then climbed up on the rails and hopped off. He was definitely entertaining himself. But that's not the best part. When we were ready to go, Trevor was having too much fun and continued to hop around the stage. I tried the "Bye, Trevor. We're leaving," thing (that ALWAYS worked with Jack). Didn't work. His response - "Bye, Mommy!" with a huge smile on his face. So I had to pick him up kicking and screaming and carry him to the line. He's learned to calm down much faster so it wasn't as embarrassing as it could have been.

Today, he took a 20 minute nap. I tried a second time and left him in his room where I assumed he had fallen asleep. About 30 minutes later, Jack says, "Mom, look." Trevor had come in the room, sat down, and started playing with his toys. He's usually grumpy/fussy when he gets up, so that was my clue that maybe it wasn't a nap after all.

You would think that going all day with such a short nap I'd end up with a moody two year old. Not the case.

While waiting in line at Walgreens, he went NUTS. He started running around Jack and me in circles -  LITERALLY - laughing hysterically the whole time. I think he did at least ten laps, then I tried to calm him down, but he did it again. And again. I can't imagine what the people behind me were thinking. I tried not to make eye contact. They gave us, or Trevor at least, plenty of space though.

That's the end of the craziness. Then there's Jack. He's had pretty much a constant fever since Tuesday night. It's been five days now. The only other symptoms he's had was a sore throat. No vomitting, headaches, nothing else. The doctor said it was just a virus. So he's missed three days of school and it's looking like it might be four. Thankfully I've only had to miss one so far (Thanks Mom!). I think it's Conor's turn tomorrow although I'd love to stay home one more day, too! I think Trevor has been sick so much lately that he is temporarily immune to illness (fingers crossed and knocking on wood as I type this). And, I think moms are immune because if we got sick, who'd take care of them? (again, knocking on wood and yes, Conor, I know you'd take good care of us)

On a brighter note, only 5 days until Spring Break!! Nothing extravagant happening as far as vacations go. But we will be celebrating my twin nieces' first birthdays. I've been busy making the invites and a birthday banner for it. I love making that stuff. I wish Jessica wanted me to make more. I'd do that any day over grading papers and typing lesson plans (which I still have to do tonight - but the banner is one step away from being completed)!  The last Saturday of the break will be spent in Surfside Beach for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. It gets bigger and better every year. In the past, we got an undershirt (I think it was new?), a whole bundle of beads that they forgot to undo, and coupons for free beer at the local bar. I'm looking forward to what this year will bring. Sadly, Jessica and Dusty's promise to have a float in it has again been broken. They will be out of town yet again. Yes, I know Jessica, "Next year." All this hopefully topped off with some green beer at Tookie's. Can't wait!

He'll be talking non-stop pretty soon.

Trevor is FINALLY saying sentences like, "Wanna go Mommy's car," "Watch Choo-Choo train," "Again, Jack-Jack," and "I get you, Mommy!" When we were in Tampa, every night on the way back to the hotel, he'd say something that sounded like "I'm serious." We could NOT figure out why he was saying this or what he was trying to say. It took a few days until we decided it was, "I see it." He loves to point out buses, trucks, firetrucks, ambulances, Nana's work, and Dana's car (the lady at daycare) every time we drive by or see them.
Last week, one morning he said "Spunky." It sounds more like Funky most of the time. He is also counting like crazy. He can count to 10, but of course still doesn't understand why. His favorite number to say is 5! We are practicing pointing to things as we count and saying them in the right order.

Christmas 2011

We have had a GREAT Christmas break! It all started with a "surprise" visit (well, for everyone but me!) from Conor's best friend, his sister, and his niece starting Thursday night! His best bud Stephie drove all the way from Tennessee and showed up at around midnight. We decided we should wake Conor up by tapping him lightly on the shoulder. I should've know better, because he's done it to me before, but he awoke in a defensive stance about to karate chop/punch us in the face. He must've been dreaming about jui-jit-su.  They got to hang out Friday while Jack and I went to one more day of school! As soon as I could, I left school and headed straight to the airport to get Kerry and Stephanie, Conor's sister and niece. Jack still didn't know, because he was reading his book the whole time. He didn't even know until we were about 5 minutes away from the airport. He asked why we were driving around Houston. I just kept saying that I just wanted to drive around. Then we went pulled into the airport, he was really curious. I went into this speech about how it's the holidays and we should be in the giving spirit and help people in need. So I said we should look for people who might need a ride somewhere. Maybe I went too far, but I hadn't really planned anything to say so this is what I came up with. As soon as we pulled in, he said, "Those old people look like they might need help." I had to keep making up excuses, like, "They probably already called someone," or "That guy is on the phone calling for a ride right now." Kerry was at the very end. When I stopped, I said, "Those people might need help." It was pretty funny. Stephanie is one year younger than Trevor. Jack kept her entertained the whole way home. We had a good time hanging out, eventhough Trevor wasn't a fan of sharing with her.
Saturday was Conor's graduation from UHCL. Two out of the three children would NOT sit still, so it was interesting. But we managed to get back to the seats in time to see him walk and then again as he exited! We are all super proud of him for getting his Masters degree!
Wednesday, Jack and I went to Space Center Houston! They had a super cool mind bender exhibit. (Thanks Jess for the free tickets) Jack figured out how to cheat the system and only did half the puzzles to get on the wall of fame. Some of those puzzles were really tough!
Friday, we left for Tampa to see Conor's grandpa. Trevor had a good time playing with everyone, even his great grandpa, who he called "papa." When he says Nanny, it sounds more like Ninny. He did "okay" on the plane. His temper is getting a little out of hand. Otherwise, when he's happy, we have tons of fun! Jack loved climbing the tree in Grandpa's backyard. He said he wasn't going to come down at one point. He said, "The grass is my bathroom, this stick is my pillow, and I don't need a blanket because it's too hot out here!" It was unseasonably warm (almost 80 degrees I think) up until we went to Universal Studios. We were seriously considering buying swimsuits for the hotel pool. A cold front came through the day after Christmas though. It was really chilly when we were in Orlando. We left Tampa at 6:30 (which was 5:30 our time!) to get there when they opened at 8. It's a good thing we did, because it was so packed, that when I left Conor and Jack in line at the Harry Potter ride to go to Seuss Landing, I couldn't get back in without a ticket (which wasn't for a few hours later)!! But Trevor and I had fun on the Dr. Seuss rides for a few times before the lines got too long. Afterwards, we went to the Orlando mall, which was also packed, for a bit of shopping. We got to go in the M&M store, which was really cool!
We have had such a good time! It's going to stink to go back to school next week. I would have to say Jack is a bit spoiled at times....he still gets to go shopping with his Uncle Jeremy, while I still have lesson plans to do. : (
Pictures below:
The boys having a serious discussion.
Jack  the Chef cooking dinner, with a little help from Nanny.
Trevor giving Spiderman lots of hugs.
Trevor loving the Butterbeer so much, he would NOT give it up.
Riding on the carousel
Trevor cooking in his new kitchen
and the rest are pretty self-explanatory.

I love my boys, even...

when Trevor climbs into the laundry basket and demands his sippy cup be delivered to him.

when Trevor climbs into his shopping cart for a front row seat to Barney.

when Conor posts a picture of Barney on his facebook account (don't ask why) causing Trevor to remember how much he apparently loves Barney.

when we watch the same four episodes of Barney non-stop since then.

when Trevor and Spunky try to hide in the kitchen cabinets.

when they turn the plastic video rocker chairs upside down to turn them into slides!

when Trevor locks the door to the garage while I'm doing laundry (note to self - don't do this again if Jack or Conor aren't there to let me back in).

when Spunky annoyingly cries at 3 in the morning to come inside, but then curls up on the bed with us.

when Jack lies to me repeatedly about stuff like how he submitted a drawing and now it's the new character on the cartoon show. Yeah right, Jack!

when both the boys sing along to Journey from the backseat, but tell me to be quiet when I sing it in the store.

when both the boys drink CapriSun and leave their empty containers all over the house so I never know who to blame.

when they spin each other around in the desk chair and cry when they get hurt.

when Trevor screams bloody murder all the way down the hallway after we drop Jack off at Sunday school.


but most of all,

when Trevor runs down the hall singing, "Where is Mommy, Where is Mommy, I don't know?" (to the best of his ability)

when Jack asks Trevor for a kiss, then a hug.

when they ride in the PowerWheels together laughing/screaming or just chillin down the road.

when Trevor yells, "MOMMY!" when he sees me at daycare.

when I put Trevor in Jack's old clothes and think of how cute they both are/were in it!

when they sing their ABCs together!

when I tell Trevor to get his shoes so we can leave and he says, "Jack?" because he wants him to come too.

I wouldn't change a thing! : )

Trevor can sing his ABCs! He started doing it one day back at the end of September, but by now, it's recognizable! Last week, I was quizzing Jack over his spelling words. As he spelled them outloud, Trevor looked at him kind of funny and then started singing his ABCs. It was as if he was saying, "That's not right at all, Jack. It's like this!"

Trevor is still hitting Jack and me when he gets angry.  I walked out of the room one time, and I could hear Jack talking to Trevor about how he should be nice to Mommy. Then he tells him he needs to go apologize to me, walks him down the hall holding his hand, and said, "What do you have to say to Mommy, Trevor?"  I make Trevor apologize to Jack all the time, so Jack's heard that countless times. I'm glad he's actually using manners!

At a neighborhood garage sale where I was supposed to be making money, of course I spent plenty.  I couldn't help but notice the race car bed like Jack used to have out in someone's yard as I drove in to set up. I felt it was fate that it was still there when I finally made it down there. So now Trevor has a blue race car bed too! He was super excited about it. I can't say he sleeps better in it, but it's pretty darn cool!

A few weeks ago, we went for Trevor's final evaluation with the Ages and Stages Clinic at Texas Childrens. I haven't received the actual results yet, so based on what I remember, he is behind on his gross motor skills. He wouldn't talk for them at all, even though he warmed up to them pretty quickly. His problem solving skills were above what they should be. That doesn't surprise me at all. He is just very determined. From now on, we'll meet with a doctor once a year that follows them as they get older just to check their progress. Once we were done there, even though it was obvious he was ready for his nap, we walked over to the NICU to see if his nurses from two years ago were there. One doesn't work there anymore, but the other main nurse, Angie, was there. She even remembered Jack and asked about him!

And then there was Halloween!  Jack had planned to be a Lego man well over a month before Halloween. I had even purchased some of the materials to do it, well all of them because I didn't buy much, but of course waited until the week before to start it.  I got the red Lego man for Jack and the Lego pieces for Trevor and I done the Friday and Saturday before so that we could go to the day care carnival. Then Sunday, I decided to make Conor a Lego costume as well.  It was so awesome, I knew Jack would no longer think his red shirt was cool enough, so I made him a new "box" shirt that matched Conor's. The heads took the longest, so making another shirt was pretty quick and fun. As we trick or treated with my cousin and his family, a couple people asked to take our picture! I was impressed that Trevor kept it on all night. I was so worried that I'd spend the time to make it and he wouldn't want it on. Once it was on, he was good. We had a slight struggle at first. When I was taking their pictures, I caught myself saying, "Jack look at me. Smile." Then realized it was the whole head that needed turning. (oh, Dad didn't get the memo about wearing a long sleeve black shirt and black pants)

And finally, a crazy Jack story that made me laugh....
We were coming home last week and we were discussing his grades. His math grade was not good at all, and I was hoping it would come up before report cards. He mentioned that his handwriting grade wasn't going to be that good and he needed to work on it. I agreed. Then, as always, came his excuse. "Remember when I was in first grade and I almost broke my finger?"  "Yes, Jack," I say as he grabs his LEFT fingers (I don't really remember which hand it was, but knew where he was going with this). He continues, "Well, it left them kind of bent."  "Jack, what hand is that....what hand do you write with?" He says after thinking about it, left, and left. So I give him a pencil and tell him to act like he's going to write his name. We happened to be at a stop light now, so I look back and watch him place it in his left hand, with the help of his right hand, and position it somewhat correctly. He looks up at me like, "See?" So I give him a scrap of paper and tell him to write his name now. At this point, he thinks I'm not looking. He goes to do it, realizes he can't, and without raising his head, looks up to see if I'm looking as he switches the pencil into his right hand. I laughed and said, "HAH! I caught you!" He laughed too and continued to try and make up excuses about his handwriting! He is something else, but in an entirely different way than Trevor is. Even his old daycare teacher that we see at the dollar store agrees. She told her cashier friend they look alike, but are night and day!

Pumpkin Patch!!