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....

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!!!


Our Family



My brother & his fiance'



Landen playing in the sand



Ethan relaxing in the ocean

Ethan & his Uncle Derek

Josh & I before dinner

Mom & me

The ocean the night before we left :0( 
I wanna' go back!

"Uh-Oh" & Easter Weekend

Landen's new favorite thing to say is "Uh-Oh".  He will throw stuff down just so he has a reason to say it!!  It is adorable!  He also nods yes a lot more often now.  He always says yes to "Are you hungry?" and "Are you Mama's boy?"  Speaking of being Mama's boy.....he has become much more attatched to me these past couple of weeks.  For the first time EVER he didn't want to stay with my grandparents last week.  He shook his head no and wouldn't let go of me!  He usually goes straight to Josh when he gets in from work but here lately he says no and lays his head on my shoulder.  I'm sure it's just a stage and as much as I love that he loves me I don't want him to become anti-social.  Landen has alway been such a fun, friendly, happy little boy and I don't want that to change because he is overly attatched to me.  Also, in the last couple of weeks he has began throwing these little tantrums when he gets frustrated.  They are awful!!  He screeches at the top of his lungs and makes this hideous face.  Terrible two's, we are well on our way!  He really is a wonderful, sweet boy he is just trying to find the balance between asserting his independence and clinging to Momma. 

I think a couple of posts ago I said I would soon post Landen's stats from his 15 month checkup....well, I held on to the little card that they were written on up until yesterday and suddenly it has dissappeared!  I do remember that he weighed 32 pounds and was in the 90th percentile for his height and weight.  He wears the same size clothes as a 3 year old little girl at our church!  The pediatrician said "Look at the mitts (big hands) on that kid" when Landen waved "hi" to him.  He is just an all around big boy and according to Dr. Lowry "healthy as can be"!!!

Ethan is doing great (well all except for this attitude that we have been trying to get under control)!  His baseball team has played 3 games so far and won 2 of them.  Last night he got his first hit of the season!  He is still reading up a storm (he has read 75 books this year for Accelerated Reader at school) not including all of the books that he has read here at home.  He is the top reader in his class!  He also makes 100% on all of his spelling tests.  He is learning subtraction right now and doing very well with that.  If we could just figure out how to get Mr. Lefty to learn to tie his shoes he would be well on his way to first grade. 

This past weekend we celebrated Easter with a dinner and egg hunt at my grandparents.  The boys both had a blast hunting for eggs.  I've had to hide all of the candy to keep them from eating it all at once....they are both chocaholics!!!  Ethan got a really neat age appropriate Bible that we are going to use to study with him from.  We had a wonderful church service and enjoyed great family time that evening.  We are so blessed!

Ethan with his Easter basket

Hot Wheel Trains!!!



Eating his Little People from the Easter Bunny!



"I'm super excited and I have bed head!"

"WHAT is he doing to me?"

This is the best shot we could get of the fidgety toddler, lol!

"Come on Nannie, we have to hurry!"

"Found one!"

Ethan had to get out of those "uncomfortable clothes"!



Awww...I remember not too long ago when I had to help him hunt...sniff, sniff!



Spring Break in California

So, the flight out to California went well....as well as a 5 hour flight with a 6 year old and a 15 month old can.  Neither of them slept a wink but they watched movies and were quiet except toward the end when Landen wanted to get down and roam and we couldn't let him.  Anyway, our 1st day there we went to the San Diego Zoo.  We had a great time.  Ethan's favorite part was riding the sky car across the zoo...

As we were leaving the zoo Ethan found this little booth selling tye died shirts that he loved and we picked out both him and Landen one that they wore the next day to the Wild African Safari.....

 The safari was really cool!  We got to ride on a tram which of course, Ethan loved!

Landen's favorite part was snack time, as you can tell...

Well, I don't know....he really loved this stone jeep!  He threw a fit when we had to leave and go do something else....

Ethan was just a little comedian the whole day...

On the 3rd day (Monday) we went to LegoLand and boy was it awesome!!!  I have never seen such neat things made of Legos and it was so big we had to plan a second day there!

Ethan rode his 1st roller coaster there....

Him and Josh are in the last car....I don't know if you can tell.

 Both of the boys enjoyed digging for dinosaur bones....

 Ethan got a shark painted on his face and cried when it washed off in the bath but it was awesome while it lasted...

We played music in the water play area, rode a train,and Ethan drove his dad around in a boat...

Ethan of course, spotted a train in Lego City that he wanted to stand there and watch all day instead of checkin out the rest of the park, LoL!  And Landen had fun playing in "block bay" and showing everyone how old he was with his one chubby little finger...

On the 4th day we went to SeaWorld which was the BEST of eveything we did while we were there!!  Ethan got a new face painting....a snake that looked like it belonged on a Mardi Gras float (but I didn't tell him that) and we got up close and personal with a beautiful polar bear...

We also went to the Shamu Show, a sea lion show, and a 4D Sesame Street movie...

Can you guess who had a BLAST at SeaWorld???

The 5th day we went to the beach.  To be honest Florida has prettier beaches.  It was cold and dirty but the boys enjoyed it anyway...

On the 6th day we made our second trip to LegoLand...

Ethan and Josh rode the spinning cups and we watched Bob the Builder in 4D...

As I'm sure you can tell....we had an awesome time!  I hope the boys will remember it forever and if not....well, as you can also tell....I have plenty of pictures to remind them!!!!

A few candid shots to finish the show....