Nana's Birthday Celebration

Nana's birthday is this week, but we had our celebration on Sunday. Lincoln joined them for a park date, and they had so much fun. Sorry the pictures weren't rotating today!

Nana was a good slide buddy!
Pops pushed Linc in the giant swing!

While they were at the park, Beau got to have Mommy and Daddy all to himself. Guess what . . . he didn't like it much at all! He was a mess and couldn't play with a single thing. If I wasn't holding him (to comfort him from his sadness), he was crawling around the house (looking for Lincoln I think)! When you've had an entertaining big brother around for every minute of your life, I guess being alone is no fun. We had a yummy dinner of Nana's favorite things: meatloaf in mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. (At least I hope it's Nana's favorite because that's what she got!!!) Lincoln told me that Nana should have pink cupcakes with white icing, so I got right to work. The candle is always a big hit, and Linc was extra good at blowing it out.

Beau got in on the cupcake action too. I think he was finally feeling back to normal after Linc got back. They fight so much already, but apparently those really are love taps instead of slaps! Poor Beau - can't live with Linc, can't live without Linc!!

It was a fun birthday party. Lincoln is already planning for the next birthday celebration. March will be a busy month: Beau-14, Minnie-22, Bubbles-29, Linc-30. That's a lot of cake!!!

Jumping Birthday Party

If you ask Lincoln who is his favorite friend, he'll say Will every time. Will and Lincoln have been best buddies at school for almost a year. They are like glue each day, and we were so excited to celebrate Will's 3rd birthday with a bounce house party. I asked Linc what gift we should give Will, and he really had to think. He said that Will likes to play with blocks, puzzles and trucks. (I wanted to give him Lincoln Logs, but went with puzzles instead. Lincoln Logs are really hard to find!) They had lots of fun jumping! It was a cool day, but the kids were all sweating after jumping for a while. Linc got some serious air!
I'm so glad Lincoln and Will will be moving up to the 3 year old room together next month. They have similar personalities and love to talk. Bouncing buddies!

On top of the bounce house, Mr. Stephen made cotton candy! Will and Lincoln wanted to be part of the action and have the first taste.

Don't let this picture fool you. Lincoln was excited for his first taste, then absolutely hated it after that. He immediately wanted to wash the mess off his hands and face. On the other hand, Will was in heaven! He ate a ton of cotton candy and loved every minute of it!

Ms. Ann had the cutest party decor, which I neglected to take any pictures of. A rainbow fruit display, the always-a-hit nugget tray, tons of rainbow colored candy, candy-coated marshmallows and even rainbow colored popcorn! We managed to snag marshmallows and gummy candy in our treat bag, and Linc loved every bite. I tried to calm down his sugar high with a sensible dinner, but he was bouncing off the walls all night! Beau came with us to the party and had fun watching the kids jumping. He can't wait to be big enough to get in on the action. Lincoln has been talking about Will's party for days and asked if we could go to Will's birthday party again tomorrow. Thanks to the Drapers for an afternoon of fun!

Just Playing

I don't have anything dramatic to report, and I hope it stays that way. Everyone has been busy playing and learning new things.

Lincoln wedged himself into the corner with a saw, goggles and a piano. He's quite the multi-tasker!

Beau has decided that a bouncing ball is the funniest thing on earth! He belly laughs when Linc bounces a ball for him. Lincoln thinks it's pretty cool that he can "make Beau happy" and does it over and over.
Of course we're always singing songs, and sometimes that requires head accessories!

Beau is still obsessed with the easel. I let him play over there, but I frequently check the the caps are on the markers really tight. Perhaps he's a little artist in bloom!

It's been raining a lot over the past few days, and this morning Lincoln had just had enough. Here's the conversation:

Lincoln: Mommy, can you turn off the rain? I don't like it.

Mommy: No Baby, I'm sorry I can't turn off the rain. Maybe it will be over soon.

Lincoln: Mommy, you don't know where the button is to turn it off? You can't find the button?

Mommy: lots of laughs at the fact that Lincoln thinks there is a button to push to just make things happen! I wish buddy!

Bath Time Drama

Oh, the drama of the bath tonight! Beau has figured out that he can reach the handle to turn on the shower! He loves it . . . Lincoln does not love it!!!! Beau was so excited about his new find, and Lincoln was so concerned that Beau was going to spray him with water. Lincoln was in a panic and said, "Mommy, take Beau somewhere else. Take him out of the bathroom!" He was constantly on guard for Beau's new trick.

They really had it out - every time Beau grabbed for the handle, Lincoln pushed him back. Again Lincoln pleaded, "Please get Beau out of here, Mommy. I no want him to turn on the water. Take him somewhere else." I kept assuring Linc that I wouldn't let Beau turn on the water again, but he was too distraught to relax.
Beau was pretty pleased with himself after the whole ordeal. He found a fun new trick and found a new way to aggravate his big brother. Double score!!!!

Does this look just say it all? Poor Lincoln! I hurried him out of the tub and out of Beau's menacing torture. He calmed down when Beau crawled off to ransack the book basket. He asked, "Why Daddy not come to hold Beau? I don't want him in here." Kevin was at the Stars game tonight, so we there was no one to rescue Beau. (Or Linc!)

I know it is mean of me to stop and take pictures when these fights are going on, but sometimes they are too funny. Like it or not, Lincoln and Beau are going to be sharing a bathroom for a long time. I hope I can keep my composure and even have another laugh the next time they are going at it!

Super Swimmer!

Lincoln has begun the spring session of swimming lessons, and he's having more fun than ever! Mommy is having lots of fun too . . . staying dry out in the waiting room instead of being wet in the pool. Yes, this class is not for parents. Lincoln loves sitting with his friends and splashing in the water! He is so excited to swim but patiently waits for his turns.

They swim out to the island and work on splashy kicks. All the kids love to kick! They also sing a few songs which is Lincoln's favorite part!
Class wouldn't be complete with out the motorboats. Linc loves to swim around in the motorboat. He chases the kids around, swims out to retrieve toys and spins in circles in his motorboat.
I remember the nightmare swim lessons of last summer and can't believe he developed into a little fishy so fast. He was supposed to move up to the second level of Waterbabies this spring, but his teacher let us enroll in the third (and highest) level because she's been his teacher since last June and the time worked best for us. She told me tonight that he's on pace with the other Advanced Level kids, and that we did the right thing by skipping the second level. I'm so proud to see him laugh, jump, kick, swim, sing and have fun. On second thought, I'm a little sad that I'm not in there with him. He gives me lots of shouts and waves through the glass, so at least he's still thinking about me. Oh, the pain of parenting. We want them to grow to be independent . . . then feel a little sad when they don't need us. I'm sure I'll think that same thought a million times as he and Beau grow up.

Tooth Trouble

Terrible Teething has hit again. We had a little break while Beau enjoyed two bottom teeth and three top teeth nicely settle in. The fourth top tooth is a real beast, and none of us are happy about it! For over a week, we've been super chewy, a little uncomfortable and majorly poopy! Several outfits have been trashed because I can't even imagine washing all of the poop out. Why can't it stay in the diaper? At least Beau regroups quickly!

Mr. Snaggletooth!
The surprise I got this morning was especially bad. Linc and I went to wake Beau around 8:30, but Linc immediately said, "It stinky in Beau's room, Mommy. Bye!" Thanks buddy! I picked Beau up from sleeping on his tummy to discover his pjs soiled from neck to knee. I tried to clean him up as best I could on the changing table before we headed to the tub. He was so upset and his little peepee had gotten raw from the poop he slept in. A bath cheered him up immensely, and Daddy even brought in the funny bathrobe for him to wear (mistaking it for a towel).

Can this tooth just hurry up and come in?!?! I want my sweet Beau back, and I'm completely fed up with teething poop! This tooth fairy is ready to spend big bucks to end the suffering NOW!!!!

Short Visit

The Freemans came this weekend! It seemed like a long time since Christmas, and we were happy to see them again. Because it was a short visit, we had to pack in a lot of playing in a short time. Beau and Bubbles were pretty much attached at the hip. Everything Lincoln was doing, Bubbles had to be there: peepeeing in the potty, putting on shoes, checking out the neighbors, having a snack, reading bedtime stories, EVERYTHING. Just to be kind, Lincoln gave Minnie a little bonding time after dinner. They shared a few books and a few hugs!

Bubbles and Beau found a new way to bond . . . over food! As long as Bubbles had snacks for Beau, they were buddies. Lincoln is happy for Beau to stay back so he can have Bubbles all to himself, but now he has a little competition!
Ally and I got a little shopping break, which I desperately needed! A little retail therapy is good for the soul. I'm so thankful Minnie, Bubbles and Ally are willing (and sometimes happy) to drive 6 hours to see us. (And I hope they get better driving weather next time!)

The Weather Effect

We've had a few really nice days lately, and we didn't want to miss out on the sunshine and fresh air. We cruised the neighborhood for a while and had lots of fun.

Here's what happens when we're cooped up inside for too long . . .

Lincoln goes mad in the playroom and starts getting "creative" with the toys. I'm quite sure siting on the overturned basketball goal isn't a recommended activity. We probably couldn't sue if he got hurt - he's not exactly using it as directed!

Beau managed to get into the markers (while everything in the room was overturned)! I found him chewing on a black marker and dropped everything to yank it from him. Of course taking it away made him furious! Apparently he needs to work on his aim, as the marks show he hit his eye, cheek and nose while trying to get the marker in his mouth to chew!

Our Evening

We had a nice, quiet evening that actually wasn't quiet at all . . . and those are the best kinds of evenings! Lincoln and Daddy watched a bit of tv in Daddy's office, but I'm not sure how much "watching" they did. Lincoln figured out that it is much more fun to lay on the back of the couch than to sit on his bottom. What a stinker!

Linc wanted to pounce on Daddy repeatedly, and they did lots of laughing. I have a strict "no jumping on the furniture" rule, but I guess it's ok when there is supervision and a catcher!

Beau had to be near, of course. He got to do two of his favorite things - stand up and play with the remote. We have several dummy remotes and dummy cell phones for him to play with. Trust me, we don't want him to get ahold of a real remote or phone. He's a button pusher and a drooly chewer!

Lincoln was feeling lovey and wanted to give Beau lots of hugs. Beau's up for that for only a few seconds then just wants Linc to back off. There might have been a shove a few seconds after I snapped this picture!

I love the nights when there is nothing going on, and we can all just hang around. We often hurry home, hurry to lessons, hurry to get dinner made, and hurry to get our chores done. I am thankful of the times when there's nothing to do but play!

Beau is 10 Months Old

Beau is 10 months old and has now lived longer outside of my tummy than inside! I think he's done a lot with his time, and he's surely the busiest kid I've ever seen. He continues to melt our hearts with those amazing blue eyes and sweet smiles. I either refer to him as Sweet Beau or Tornado Beau, if that gives any clue as to his personality. I didn't write down any stats this month, so I'll just share all of the fun stuff of Beau at 10 months.

Another tooth is about to bust through (making four on top and still two on bottom), and it's wreaking havoc on my baby's tummy. He's in a good mood but is having monster poops! I have resorted to emergency sink baths and cutting clothes off. This needs to end soon! Walking is definitely a hit with Beau, as long as he's got a something to push. Any toy that Lincoln has is the one Beau wants (and vice versa!), and there are many fights in the playroom. Beau doesn't back down when Lincoln steals from him or bumps him; he screams in Linc's face and sometimes pulls on him. I'm not advocating violence or anything, but a kid needs to stand up for himself! The playroom looks like a tornado hit after just a short time because Beau loves to play with each and every item . . . for about 10 seconds each. Not my favorite thing! Beau's favorite word is Dada, with Bye-bye and uh-oh close behind. I can't believe he's not saying Mama. I mean, wasn't he present while I was hand-scrubbing poop off of him today? Don't I get something for that?? I guess we'll keep working on it. Dr. K said he needed three words by his first birthday, so looks like he's ahead of the game. Beau likes to high five, just learned that cupcakes are yummy, and is obsessed with Lincoln's training potty. If my back is turned for one second, he's off to the bathroom to check it out. Definitely not my favorite thing! (I even broke a toe trying to catch him diving in head-first!) Each day is an adventure for Beau, and he's totally up for it. He's so fun, has a great laugh, loves to give hugs and has the kissiest cheeks. We love our Beau-Beau!

Workout Buddies

Now that I'm not nursing Beau, I have to get back to hard core working out. The average 700 calories burned per day while breastfeeding allowed me to not work out as much. Instead of pumping iron at the gym, I pumped milk in the lactation lounge! Today I popped in a Jillian Michaels DVD and had a few friends join me. Lincoln did the jumping jacks, lunges and kicks with lots of squeals. He was having so much fun! Beau came crawling in to see what was causing so much excitement because he can't stand to miss out on anything. We had gotten to the ab portion of the workout so he got up extra close! Lincoln helped us count the reps and tried his best to crunch and reverse crunch.

Kevin rescued Beau and they watched from the sidelines with glee! I mostly laughed through the workout, which is a huge upgrade from my normal disposition when Jillian is bossing me around from the tv. At one point when I was supposed to be side-lunging and lifting my weights up to my head, I put one weight down and held the other one with both hands. Two were getting a little too heavy! Lincoln saw what I was doing and said, "No, Mommy! The girls on tv have two. You pick up that other one Mommy. You're not doing it right!" He's always holding me accountable!

After Linc's bath tonight he said, "Mommy, I really like to excerise. Can we do it again?" I think I've just found a couple of workout buddies!

Time Out!

Brotherly love was on full display tonight! Lincoln got in a bit of trouble for not minding Mommy and had to have a time out in his room. Beau could hear his big brother crying from his room and was really concerned. I couldn't tear Beau away from Lincoln's door! Luckily the time out ended successfully with an apology from Lincoln and happy times for all!

There was still a little time left to play before bedtime, so we read a few books. Beau got to pick!
We all hate when Lincoln is in a mood and exerting his strong will. There is so much fun to be had; why waste time being sad?!?! I do know that it's important to establish the "mind Mommy" rules early, so we have to have a few hard times. Beau is so in tune to what's going on with Lincoln, he almost can't bear the time outs!

So busy!

When Lincoln was around 9 months old, I wrote about how he was so busy all the time. Always moving from one thing to another, never stopping to rest. Beau is the same - times a million! He has a super cool big brother to chase around, so he's on the go every second. He's also the cutest little Beau I've ever seen! Those big blue eyes and dimples get me every time! Watch out ladies! Better yet - Watch out Sloane, Renee and Lexie! (Beau's girl classmates!)

Lincoln is really interested in Beau chasing him right now, so they do lots of crawling. Lincoln is yelling the whole time, "Come get me, Beau. Help! Come get me!" Beau is usually game to play along. He's a fast crawler and tries his best to catch up.
Sometimes Beau gives an excited yell while he's crawling, like he's so excited that this sound just has to come out! It's a deep squeal that's so cute!

Once the boys discovered leaning on the glass french doors (that open to the playroom), they've been obsessed. Tonight I sneaked around the corner, and they were so surprised! What could be more fun!

Not to be outdone, Lincoln joined me and gave Beau a surprise. Oh what joy!

I'm going to try not to jinx myself with this update. Usually after I make a post of super-fun-laughing-happy kids, one or both get sick. I'm hoping for a healthy streak and lots more great pictures and stories.

Afternoon Delight

Mommy got a yummy request for snack this afternoon. Lincoln asked to make chocolate chip cookies, and Daddy rushed in to back up his idea! How could I refuse . . . I'm sure even Beau was thinking this would be good, if only he was old enough to have a taste! (Apples for you, Mister Beau!) Lincoln gave lots of instructions and narrated each part of the process.

He helped determine which measuring cup to use . . . he had to tell me which was the 1/2 cup and which was the 1/3 cup (by identifying the 2 and 3). Such a smartie! He also got to dump in the ingredients once they were measured.
The baking process got a little dull, so Beau came over to entertain us. He desperately wants in the tower with Linc but also has lots of fun just hanging on to it. There was lots of giggling as
Beau would "get" Linc, who couldn't escape!

Seriously, 10 minutes of baking is a long time (plus cooling). These two abandoned the cookies and headed under the dining room table to play.

The cookies were yummy and the brother bonding time was fun. It seems they either love each other or are crying about each other right now. I'm pretty sure that's not just a "right now" thing, and that this love/hate will continue for many years to come. I think I'll say a prayer for more love than hate!

Beau's Favorite Things

Beau is one wild little man, and he sure knows how to get his way. I always thought the second child was really laid back and way more chill than the first. I'm not sure that is the case with Beau. He is totally determined to have his way no matter what the situation! He's the cuddliest thing and has the sweetest cheeks to kiss, and he's a very active kiddo. One of Beau's favorite things is walking. He's not walking on his own, but he can push anything anywhere. Lincoln especially loves for Beau to push him on the train car. Beau is so excited to do it, and they have lots of crashes!

Another of Beau's favorite things is eating! He never misses a meal, snack or sniff of food! It gets pretty dangerous when he spies Lincoln's snack bowl, and we all jump! Occasionally Lincoln will be excited to share his snack with Beau. This morning he was shoving animal crackers in his mouth. (They're kind of big for his little baby mouth, and I usually break them into a few pieces. According to these two, that's not necessary!)
I think we've all settled back into a good routine. There is plenty of laughs and fun, along with the usual upset moments. Lincoln was having an especially hard time on Friday, and gave the following reason for his mood when Kevin inquired. "I cry because Mommy and Daddy tell Lincoln and Beau what to do. You tell me what to do and that make me and Beau so sad." I can't believe he's thinking that already and not even three yet . . . or that he brought Beau into his complaint! Well, they both better get used to being told what to do!

Lincoln is a Super Swimmer!

Lincoln has come so far from the kicking and screaming of our first swim lesson . . . he's moving up to the highest class for his age group! I'm so proud of him and how brave he's become. He truly loves to jump in and swim around. The Extreme Waterbabies class is not for Mommies like our other class, so I'll get to stay dry and watch from the side. (I'm soooo happy about that. It is not fun traipsing around town in a bathing suit in January!) This week Lincoln and Syanne were in the pool with just Ms. Kerin, as a trial run for swimming without Mommies. They did great.

He wanted to swim out to the gym, so he jumped right in and did it. I would never have imagined he'd take to it so fast, but I'm so happy he has fun.
Because he was so good at following directions and waiting his turn, he got a chance on the slide! I'm usually in the water waiting to catch him, but not this time! He told Ms. Kerin to move back so he could swim farther to her.

I may only get one or two semesters of "dry time" because we'll enroll Beau in Waterbabies before I know it! Thanks to Ms. Kerin for all the wonderful coaching. We keep signing up for her classes because she and Lincoln get along so well. Great teachers are to be cherished!