Raising the Raines Rascals: June 2011

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

First Days of Summer

Well, Ethan's ball team didn't win the championship but they did come in first in their division! They are a great group of boys and we could not be prouder of them...especially our #1 little ball player.

He doesn't want to play any other sports so we are debating about signing him up for Fall Ball in Bowling Green. That way he would get more experience on the field and it would keep him active. We all enjoyed this baseball season very much. Even Landen will miss his little park buddies. He has even been practicing to be a little ball player himself...

Ethan has been practicing riding his bike without training wheels with the help of his dad. He hasn't mastered it yet but our goal is for him to by the end of Summer.

Both of my boys are growing by leaps and bounds both in size and in achievments. Ethan has been sleeping in his own bed for almost 2 weeks now. Up until now he has been in our bed and every birthday he says "I'll start sleeping in my own bed next year." Well, he got a sunburn a couple weeks ago because he refused to wear sunscreen and so he was sleeping on the couch to keep us from hitting his sunburn while we slept. One day I said, " You know if you can sleep on the couch by yourself you could sleep in your own bed and be a big boy. It isn't that much farther across the house and Dad and I would be right across the house if you needed us." And that was it. That night he slept in his own bed (all night long might I add) and has been in there ever since! The first night was a little rough on me but I sleep SO much better without his feet in my ribs and I am way to impressed and proud to be sad!

Landen is following in his big brother's footsteps. Recently, we put his crib up and got out Ethan's old toddler bed for him. He isn't sleeping in there at night yet (though we may try that soon) but he is taking naps in there. He is such a big boy and so very independent!!!

We brought in the actual "first day of Summer" with some back yard fun...

We celebrated Father's Day with all of the family and a fish dinner. We even had strawberry and cherry cheesecake for dessert...yum! Landen hadn't had a good nap and refused to be in a picture but I did manage to get one of Ethan & Josh even though Ethan is being silly...

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful father to my kiddos. We couldn't imagine our lives without him!!!

Yesterday, the boys and I along with Ethan's friend Alera went to the movie theater to see "Mr. Popper's Penguins". It was a really cute movie and the kids really enjoyed it....once we got to the right theater, lol!! I am losing my mind these days! I had looked up the show times online the night before and saw that it was playing at the Greenwood Mall theater but for some reason I still went to the Great Escape 12. We rolled in with five minutes to spare in which we had to take a bathroom break, get a snack and our tickets. When I asked for the tickets they advised me it was at the other theater. I felt like an insane person! So, we loaded back up (with our big Great Escape cup of drink, mind you) and headed to the correct theater. We were too late to watch it at the time we had planned so we had 30 minutes to kill just hanging out in the theater. We even asked if we could take our Great Escape drink in with us instead of buying another one.....DORK! That's what the nice movie workers were thinking about me, I am sure. It is hilarious today but not so much as it was happening!

Now, for this week we are off to Landen's 18 month checkup on Wednesday, meeting up with family friends on Friday to see Cars 2, Celebrating Independence Day and Josh's 30th birthday with a cookout on Sunday, and then we head to the lake next Monday. I'll tell you all about it allsoon, but until then....

Shoveling his snacks in with both hands.

Sooo sleepy....

Friday, June 10, 2011

Landen's Latest...

Landen is hilarious these days! He turned 17 months old on May 28th while we were in Florida. He is such a funny boy......jabbering up a storm all of the time. His vocabulary hasn't expanded a lot since 16 months but he is adding a few words here and there. His favorite are still 'uh-oh" and "bye-bye". He pretends everything is a telephone and he'll put it up to his ear and just jabber away like he's carrying on a conversation.

His temper/attitude is really developing and I have a feeling we are hitting the "terrible two's" a little early! When things don't go his way he will throw himself on the floor and throw a fit. He is also hitting. He knows not to do it because he looks at me waiting for me to reprimand him. Oh my, I sure hope it passes soon!

For the most part though he is a happy go lucky little guy. He is full force walking now. He barely crawls and it's so cute the way he toddles around! He can get himself in and out of his little wagon all by himself with a few grunts along the way. He follows his big brother everywhere and tries to do everything that Ethan does. Landen is now feeding himself. He will let you put the food onto the fork/spoon but then he wants to put it into his mouth. He is very independent these days....on one hand anyway. At other times, he is still very much a "mama's boy" and when he decides he wants me, no one else will do.

Landen can now sit in the bath tub without his bath chair. He could probably have done this a while back but I love his bath chair....it keeps me from worrying that he will slip sideways. Anyway, we finally put it up and he is sitting (and standing if I don't watch like a hawk) like a big boy and loves his new freedom. When we dress him he raises his arms for his shirt to go on and tries to put his shoes on himself. He also loves to brush his hair and it is too cute. He also puts his chubby little hand out for me to give him some lotion and then he rubs it on his belly, lol.

We have been to the doctor for one more ear infection. This one was his worst one yet though. The ped. says on a scale of 1-10 it was an 8! We had to do a strong antibiotic and then go back for a re-check, where the doc was surprised to see that his ear was completely cleared up. He weighs 32 pounds and 14 ounces. He is 34 inches long. He is wearing 3t clothes (4t pajamas) and a size 5.5-6 shoe. He is still a BIG boy!!!

Landen, we love you with all our hearts and watching you grow and learn each day is such a blessing! We CANNOT believe that you will be a year and a half old in 18 days!!!! Where does the time go???

The Month of May Minimized

Since I blogged last we have done SO many fun things! Ethan had his kindergarten field trip to Chaney's Dairy Barn followed by a trip to the park on Three Springs Rd. and I was able to attend with him. We both really enjoyed the entire day....

We went to Lilly Ferguson's birthday swim party in Russellville followed by seeing a BG Hot Rods baseball game with Jennifer & Ben. Ethan really enjoyed both! The game had fireworks following it and they were awesome!

Ethan's baseball team, the Angels, have played eight more games and won all of them except one. They are the number one team in their division and we are now in tournament games. We have another tournament game Saturday morning and if they win that one, they will play one more later Saturday for the championship! Josh and I are SO proud of how much Ethan has improved since he first started back in March. He hits the ball everytime he gets up to bat now and he really gives 110% all of the time.

We celebrated Mother's Day here at our house and all of the family came over to grill and play corn hole. It was a wonderful evening. Josh & the boys even surprised me with tickets to see Jason Aldean, Chris Young, & Thompson Square in August!!!

Being party of the PTO at Ethan's school, I was able to help put together the FES Spring Festival and Ethan had a blast. We had several bounce houses, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and pizza. Something about those bounce houses kids just LOVE!!! Ethan had been to baseball practice right before the Spring Festival so needless to say, he slept WELL that night, lol!

Ethan also said goodbye to his kindergarten teachers and his friends in May. It was kind of bittersweet for him. He was very much looking forward to the Summer break but it was hard for him to leave them behind. I cannot believe he will be a 1st grader this coming school year!!! My how the time flies. I am so very proud of how he handled kindergarten though. Ethan is an intelligent, talkative, friendly, happy little boy that I am so proud to call my son! I am one lucky mama to have two wonderful little boys....

We ended May with a family trip to Destin, FL. It was beautiful there and my brother and his girlfriend got engaged while we were there! It was a wonderful trip and the boys had a ball!!!