Yesterday we did go apple picking. It was dreary, it was raining when we left. About 1/2 way there, I realized I had forgotten the camera and was very upset. Ten minutes later, Alex realized it was raining and insisted, "Mommy, Daddy, it's raining. We can't go apple picking in the rain. We have to go home." I told him that it was okay, that it would probably stop raining by the time we got there, everything would be fine. His response? "No, it won't be fine. It will NEVER stop raining, NEVER!" At that point, I realized that not only had we forgotten the camera, but also Bear. Oh boy. And Alex's afternoon medicine. This was going to be quite the trip. And now Alex was starting in with "We're NEVER going to get to the apple picking."
Just then the rain stopped and I was able to distract him with that and the wind mills that we saw in the fields that surrounded us. Alex educated Doug (I was NOT allowed to respond or I heard, "NO, MOMMY, I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to DADDY!") on windmills and how they use the wind to make electricity. And soon enough, we were pulling into Tanner's. As we pulled in, we realized we had forgotten one more major accessory - the diaper bag. This was turning out to be the worst planned trip ever! I was sure it was going to turn out okay, though.
Because the weather was so lousy, the place was pretty empty. This meant less distraction for the boys. They actually did VERY well! They listened wonderfully. The trees were tiny this year, and just the right size for both Alex and Lucas to be able to reach and pick from on their own. They were so excited. And Lucas was thrilled to be able to eat apples. It was such a treat for him!
And since we forgot the camera, we'll just have to go again! :) I have a friend who lives near another apple orchard that has a lot of later ripening apples, so hopefully we will go at the end of October and get more apples and pumkins as well!
After the apple orchard, we went to get Halloween costumes. That was another adventure. Lucas' decision anxiety wasn't something I took into account when considering looking for a Halloween costume. It was in full force! He loved looking, but didn't want to choose anything. He desperately wanted a firefighter costume, but only one particular one that they only had in a size 10. We finally found a race-car driver in his size that he fell in love with because it had a hat. LOL
Alex had trouble because first he wanted to be Batman again (he outgrew and wore out last year's Batman costume), but he wanted the exact same costume. They had it, but it didn't come in his size. The ones that came in his size had muscles, and he didn't want muscles. So then we looked at Star Wars Costumes, and he found a Luke Skywalker costume that he liked. Then when trying to find a costume for Lucas, he saw a Luigi costume. He really wanted Mario, but they were sold out of Mario, so he decided that he wanted Luigi. So he will be Luigi for Halloween. He is very excited, but wants to make sure he has a mustache!
All in all, they did a fantastic job! I was so proud of them! Lucas only asked for Bear once and we were able to calm him without it, and we made it home before we needed a diaper change. Amazing!
To top it off, Doug made his homemade chicken cutlets for dinner, and made some coated in crushed rice chex (gluten-free) for Alex, and he loved them!
And the kids both slept through the night in their own beds!
It was a great day all around.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Mommy's magic, sleep, and lack there of
Yesterday evening I took out my guitar for the first time in probably two years or more. I know it was silly, but I really thought I would get to play without too much interruption. I had no problem with the boys coming in, but I didn't want them playing or climbing on the guitar. Easy enough for Alex. Not so much for Lucas. You see, with Lucas' music therapy, he is used to being able to put his feet on her guitar, play her guitar, put toys on the guitar, etc.
So after a few minutes, Doug so nicely took Lucas into the family room for me. Alex, however, came back into the family room. I took out my Shirenu and finished tuning my guitar. I started playing a song (And the Youth Shall See Visions) and Alex smiled. He told me he liked it. He got a pillow and a blanket, and layed down right next to my guitar. Before I was halfway finished with the song, Alex was sound asleep. Amazing how calming it was for him. Unfortunately, it was 7:00 and he hadn't had his medicines before bed. After an hour, Doug carried him to bed. He slept through all of my playing, and through the transfer, clothes change, and everthing.
But, of course, come 2:00, he woke up. He did fall back asleep in our bed, Lucas woke up at 2:30 and went back to sleep in our bed as well. It was a full house (or bed)! Alex woke up for the day at 4. Unfortunately, it was still too early for his meds for the day yet. So he was CRAZY this morning. Finally 7 rolled around and he got his morning dose. Things calmed down a little while later. Lucas woke up at 9 and Alex fell asleep at 9:30. It has been a crazy day so far.
We were hoping to take the boys apple picking today, and still are, but Alex seems to be sleeping like the dead. I have tried waking him twice. I even made yummy gluten free pumpkin muffins!! He hasn't woken up to try them yet. Going to try again in a minute!
Oh, and while I was trying to wake Alex, Lucas decided he was going to help by feeding the cats. He came in and said, "Mommy, Mommy, a kichen, a food a cats."
"You fed the cats, Lucas?"
"mmm hmm, dat's right, Mommy." (big grin, so proud of himself)
"Lucas, did the food go in the cats' bowl or on the floor?"
He looks toward the kitchen and gives a sheepish grin, "on for Mommy."
"It went on the floor?"
"mm hmm."
"oh. Thanks for trying to help, Lucas. Mommy and Daddy feed the cats."
"okay mommy"
It was quite a conversation. When I went to the kitchen, quite a bit did go into the bowl, and it really wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Good thing the bag was almost empty!!
Tomorrow is the Sukkot picnic at Sunday school. I will upload lots of pictures tomorrow evening and get everything up from Alex's birthday on. I may put up separate posts to help organize, but I'll get them up!! :)
Here goes wake-up attempt number 3!
So after a few minutes, Doug so nicely took Lucas into the family room for me. Alex, however, came back into the family room. I took out my Shirenu and finished tuning my guitar. I started playing a song (And the Youth Shall See Visions) and Alex smiled. He told me he liked it. He got a pillow and a blanket, and layed down right next to my guitar. Before I was halfway finished with the song, Alex was sound asleep. Amazing how calming it was for him. Unfortunately, it was 7:00 and he hadn't had his medicines before bed. After an hour, Doug carried him to bed. He slept through all of my playing, and through the transfer, clothes change, and everthing.
But, of course, come 2:00, he woke up. He did fall back asleep in our bed, Lucas woke up at 2:30 and went back to sleep in our bed as well. It was a full house (or bed)! Alex woke up for the day at 4. Unfortunately, it was still too early for his meds for the day yet. So he was CRAZY this morning. Finally 7 rolled around and he got his morning dose. Things calmed down a little while later. Lucas woke up at 9 and Alex fell asleep at 9:30. It has been a crazy day so far.
We were hoping to take the boys apple picking today, and still are, but Alex seems to be sleeping like the dead. I have tried waking him twice. I even made yummy gluten free pumpkin muffins!! He hasn't woken up to try them yet. Going to try again in a minute!
Oh, and while I was trying to wake Alex, Lucas decided he was going to help by feeding the cats. He came in and said, "Mommy, Mommy, a kichen, a food a cats."
"You fed the cats, Lucas?"
"mmm hmm, dat's right, Mommy." (big grin, so proud of himself)
"Lucas, did the food go in the cats' bowl or on the floor?"
He looks toward the kitchen and gives a sheepish grin, "on for Mommy."
"It went on the floor?"
"mm hmm."
"oh. Thanks for trying to help, Lucas. Mommy and Daddy feed the cats."
"okay mommy"
It was quite a conversation. When I went to the kitchen, quite a bit did go into the bowl, and it really wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Good thing the bag was almost empty!!
Tomorrow is the Sukkot picnic at Sunday school. I will upload lots of pictures tomorrow evening and get everything up from Alex's birthday on. I may put up separate posts to help organize, but I'll get them up!! :)
Here goes wake-up attempt number 3!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Broccoli Cheese Soup
So not at all related to the boys, but I created the yummiest broccoli cheese soup ever this afternoon. I made the boys lunch and decided I wanted something warm and soothing. The one hazard of cooking by the seat of your pants is never knowing if you can ever recreate something again. So I'm going to attempt to recreate the recipe here so I can refer back to it next time I want to make it. (And that way any of you who like this kind of soup are welcome to try it as well). Seriously, I think it was better than any broccoli cheese soup I've ever had. And every recipe I've ever followed I've been horribly dissappointed in.
Yummy Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
fat free (skim) milk (I'm guessing 2 cups?)
1 bag frozen broccoli (16 oz? whatever the normal size is)
6-8 slices american cheese
about 1/4 lb cheddar cheese
about 2 tbsp parmesian cheese
garlic powder (granulated garlic)
onion powder
salt
add the first three ingredients to a large sauce pan, stir over medium heat until broccoli defrosts and then soup warms. Add in garlic and onion powders (I'm guessing about 2 tsp garlic and 1 tsp onion, but I just shook them out, at least double the garlic to onion). Stir well. Fold the stack of american slices in half and then grate into the soup, stirring well after halfway grated, then again after finished grated. Grade the cheddar into the soup, stirring well after halfway grated and then again when finished grating. Add parmesian cheese and stir well. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Allow to boil for 5-10 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Now I have easy warm lunches for the next week or so! (Since I'm the only one who will eat this!! )
Yummy Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
fat free (skim) milk (I'm guessing 2 cups?)
1 bag frozen broccoli (16 oz? whatever the normal size is)
6-8 slices american cheese
about 1/4 lb cheddar cheese
about 2 tbsp parmesian cheese
garlic powder (granulated garlic)
onion powder
salt
add the first three ingredients to a large sauce pan, stir over medium heat until broccoli defrosts and then soup warms. Add in garlic and onion powders (I'm guessing about 2 tsp garlic and 1 tsp onion, but I just shook them out, at least double the garlic to onion). Stir well. Fold the stack of american slices in half and then grate into the soup, stirring well after halfway grated, then again after finished grated. Grade the cheddar into the soup, stirring well after halfway grated and then again when finished grating. Add parmesian cheese and stir well. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Allow to boil for 5-10 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Now I have easy warm lunches for the next week or so! (Since I'm the only one who will eat this!! )
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Crazy days
Yet again several weeks have passed. They have been full of activity and craziness here, and little time for leisure.
I'm hoping this weekend to get the pictures from Alex's birthday uploaded and posted. I can't believe that it has all ready been two weeks since my big boy turned five.
In the last month, Lucas started speech and music therapy as well as developmental therapy playgroup. He is growing by leaps and bounds. His language has exploded and he is now fairly consistently speaking in sentences. They are still difficult to understand, but he is using them! His language skills came back as perfectly normal, and have continued to explode in the week since! He has a moderate speech dealy which we are working on with weekly speech therapy.
Lucas loves music therapy. He is all smiles the whole time. Alex is loving it also, and I'm greatful that the music therapist includes him, too. The woman comes to our house each week with her guitar and a large bag of musical instruments and they "play." Right now they are mostly exploring the different sounds, textures, and feelings of music, and working on sitting down. Some days it works better than others. :)
Developmental playgroup is still a very new experience. He does not want to stay. When we get there, he is immediately saying, "come, mommy, come, wets go home." He is very glad to leave when I come to pick him up. I know it is a good experience for him. It is so nice to be able to spend special one-on-one time with Alex, also. We call it special mommy-Alex time. Lucas goes on Wednesday and Friday mornings for two hours, and on those mornings (provided it isn't raining), Alex and I go to a different playground each day and play. We also go grocery shopping and he loves going to the Kroger with the special little carts just his size!
Our mornings are busy and Alex goes to school in the afternoons which is when I get special time with Lucas. Both boys are still getting OT (Alex every other week and Lucas once a month) as well.
Throw in a huge fundraiser that I was planning for my parenting group and the high holidays and things have been absolutely crazy!
This week winter suddenly hit with our highs in the low 60's. Alex is in his element, loving the long sleeves and long pants, and surprisingly wanting jeans (elastic waist)! Lucas is loving being able to wear sleepers again! We're going to try to spend time outside everyday now that it is so nice out! And hopefully go apple picking sometime this weekend!
Oh, Alex also started Sunday school a couple weeks ago. He absolutely loves it! There are three boys in his class including him and he has an older "buddy" he looks for as soon as he gets there every week (one of my 5th graders that has known Alex since he was born). They adore eachother, it's cute. Adam is a great influence on Alex and is really teaching him how things work and how to sit and listen during whole group times. It's amazing to watch.
Well I have two hungry little ones asking for cucumbers, off to feed them. Thanks for sharing in our days!
I'm hoping this weekend to get the pictures from Alex's birthday uploaded and posted. I can't believe that it has all ready been two weeks since my big boy turned five.
In the last month, Lucas started speech and music therapy as well as developmental therapy playgroup. He is growing by leaps and bounds. His language has exploded and he is now fairly consistently speaking in sentences. They are still difficult to understand, but he is using them! His language skills came back as perfectly normal, and have continued to explode in the week since! He has a moderate speech dealy which we are working on with weekly speech therapy.
Lucas loves music therapy. He is all smiles the whole time. Alex is loving it also, and I'm greatful that the music therapist includes him, too. The woman comes to our house each week with her guitar and a large bag of musical instruments and they "play." Right now they are mostly exploring the different sounds, textures, and feelings of music, and working on sitting down. Some days it works better than others. :)
Developmental playgroup is still a very new experience. He does not want to stay. When we get there, he is immediately saying, "come, mommy, come, wets go home." He is very glad to leave when I come to pick him up. I know it is a good experience for him. It is so nice to be able to spend special one-on-one time with Alex, also. We call it special mommy-Alex time. Lucas goes on Wednesday and Friday mornings for two hours, and on those mornings (provided it isn't raining), Alex and I go to a different playground each day and play. We also go grocery shopping and he loves going to the Kroger with the special little carts just his size!
Our mornings are busy and Alex goes to school in the afternoons which is when I get special time with Lucas. Both boys are still getting OT (Alex every other week and Lucas once a month) as well.
Throw in a huge fundraiser that I was planning for my parenting group and the high holidays and things have been absolutely crazy!
This week winter suddenly hit with our highs in the low 60's. Alex is in his element, loving the long sleeves and long pants, and surprisingly wanting jeans (elastic waist)! Lucas is loving being able to wear sleepers again! We're going to try to spend time outside everyday now that it is so nice out! And hopefully go apple picking sometime this weekend!
Oh, Alex also started Sunday school a couple weeks ago. He absolutely loves it! There are three boys in his class including him and he has an older "buddy" he looks for as soon as he gets there every week (one of my 5th graders that has known Alex since he was born). They adore eachother, it's cute. Adam is a great influence on Alex and is really teaching him how things work and how to sit and listen during whole group times. It's amazing to watch.
Well I have two hungry little ones asking for cucumbers, off to feed them. Thanks for sharing in our days!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Alex update and pics from Lucas' birthday
Alex started school last Wednesday. He was very excited to start back, but not as excited by the time he came home. He's bored, but we're working with his teacher and other professionals at the school in hopes that we can remedy this. Here are a few pictures from his first and second day of school: 
School aparently wipes Alex out!!
On Lucas' birthday, the boys had fun eating watermelon outside on the deck. It was such a beautiful day and oh do they love watermelon!
Picture day is tomorrow. I asked Alex if we could get his hair cut on Friday night. He said yes, but wanted it cut "right now." So off to the bathroom we went. I think it turned out quite well. He looks like such a big boy, though! See for yourself.
And here are the pictures as promised from Lucas' birthday and a brief video. It was really cute, Lucas sang "Happy Birthday" to himself, even after we were done singing.
Thank you to all for all of the wonderful toys. Lucas is playing with all of them daily!
Last, but not least, a video of Lucas playing with his new car set. This gives you some insight into our every day life.
One more thing - to those of you who get e-mail updates, please click on the link at the very bottom that says something to the effect of "taken from "The Boys and the Joys of my Life." This will take you to the blog itself. I added more pictures to the first birthday post after the notification got sent. :) This will enable you to see any of the posts that have been made at any time.
Thanks for reading and sharing our joys!
School aparently wipes Alex out!!
On Lucas' birthday, the boys had fun eating watermelon outside on the deck. It was such a beautiful day and oh do they love watermelon!
Picture day is tomorrow. I asked Alex if we could get his hair cut on Friday night. He said yes, but wanted it cut "right now." So off to the bathroom we went. I think it turned out quite well. He looks like such a big boy, though! See for yourself.
And here are the pictures as promised from Lucas' birthday and a brief video. It was really cute, Lucas sang "Happy Birthday" to himself, even after we were done singing.
Thank you to all for all of the wonderful toys. Lucas is playing with all of them daily!
Last, but not least, a video of Lucas playing with his new car set. This gives you some insight into our every day life.
One more thing - to those of you who get e-mail updates, please click on the link at the very bottom that says something to the effect of "taken from "The Boys and the Joys of my Life." This will take you to the blog itself. I added more pictures to the first birthday post after the notification got sent. :) This will enable you to see any of the posts that have been made at any time.
Thanks for reading and sharing our joys!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
My baby is 2 today!
I can't believe two years have all ready passed!
It was so cute, when Alex got up this morning, Lucas was all ready up. Alex came in and said, "Happy birthday, Lucas! You're two now! Now you're a big boy! Come, give me a hug." and they hugged. So cute. I only wish I'd had my camera ready! Then Alex wanted Lucas to do everything with him from getting food to playing Wii. I guess Lucas has been inducted into the big boy club! LOL
I was looking back through old pictures to find some to post of Lucas over the past 2 years, and came across pictures of Alex at just a few months older. My goodness they look similar. Some of the expressions are the same. Alex looked at the pictures and thought they were Lucas. :)
Later today I'll post pictures from today (after they've been taken of course). Here's a not so brief trip down memory lane!
It was so cute, when Alex got up this morning, Lucas was all ready up. Alex came in and said, "Happy birthday, Lucas! You're two now! Now you're a big boy! Come, give me a hug." and they hugged. So cute. I only wish I'd had my camera ready! Then Alex wanted Lucas to do everything with him from getting food to playing Wii. I guess Lucas has been inducted into the big boy club! LOL
I was looking back through old pictures to find some to post of Lucas over the past 2 years, and came across pictures of Alex at just a few months older. My goodness they look similar. Some of the expressions are the same. Alex looked at the pictures and thought they were Lucas. :)
Later today I'll post pictures from today (after they've been taken of course). Here's a not so brief trip down memory lane!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Watercolor fun!
This happened a few weeks ago all ready, but I thought I would share about it. The boys decided they wanted to paint and got out the watercolors. They had an absolute ball. Alex gathered everything they needed and they got to work. I guess they decided that painting on paper was getting boring, though, because Lucas started painting himself, and Alex soon followed suit. The pictures at the top of the page are from that fun time, and here is what ensued!
Thankfully, they were washable watercolors, and washed up easily from the boys with washcloths and water (in a bath of course) and from the kitchen with water and microfiber cloths! (Thanks Doug for cleaning the floor while I cleaned the boys!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
watercolor fun
watercolor fun