Our Week

We have had a busy week!  The boys got loaded up in the stroller for our family run one night this week, but it seemed like the wind was a little strong.  We wrapped them up in a little blanket, and that was met with mixed reviews.  Linc was fine with it, but Beau was not so much!  That face Beau is making about being tucked in his blanket is too much!  We pulled the canopy over each of them to block the wind, and off we went for our 3 mile run. 

Someone got over his little grumpiness when it was time to make brownies.  They took turns adding in the ingredients and helping stir.  Making brownies is fun, but eating them is way better! 

Beau has had a little trouble staying in his room after he wakes up each morning.  He did pretty good right when he transitioned to his toddler bed and didn't dare get out, but he's decided he can just leave his room whenever he wakes up a few days this week. That doesn't really work for us for a few reasons:  (1) It's not safe for an almost 3 year old to have the freedom to wander around a house on his own while everyone is sleeping, (2) He climbs into Lincoln's bed to wake him up to play and disturbs big brother's much needed sleep, and (3) Mommy and Daddy don't really like to wake up to a child tapping on their face or two wild guys having a party in the hallway so early.  On one early morning, he was walked back to his room before it was time for everyone to get up.  Apparently, he got tired while reading and curled up to go back to sleep! 

Lincoln has really been into drawing this week, and one of his creations was especially interesting.  We saw the Lego Movie a few weeks ago, and he created the pirate robot from memory.  Pretty awesome, I think! 

We made a sweet Easter treat on Thursday afternoon, and the boys were super excited that the ingredients were white chocolate, M&Ms, and sprinkles!  Least nutritious dessert ever!  The loved helping make our Easter bark, and they loved eating it too!  It's a good thing they like to eat nutritious foods so they get to enjoy these special treats. 

Nana and Pops took the boys to Open Gym on Friday, and they played like crazy!  The weather was so nice all day so lots of outside playing was the best.  Beau crashed around 5:00 from all of the activity, but Lincoln joined me on a 3 mile run.  His little legs haven't peddled that much EVER, and he was feeling it for sure!  I loved our time together.  He posed by the Kindergarten Round-Up sign on our street, and he was super excited!  I can't even believe it's time to begin registering him for Kindergarten!  He is extremely excited, and we all know he will be so happy in big school. 

We have had a wonderful and busy week!  Saturday's weather is supposed to be wonderful, and Lincoln has a birthday party to attend in the afternoon.  Beau and Daddy are going to order a new grill while Linc is partying.  Sunday's forecast is super cold and rainy, and Daddy promises that this is the last of the cold weather of the year!  We're ready for a great weekend!

 

Home Day Monday

We had an extra home day on Monday, and we hit up the playground for some fun.  It was a little chilly, which is probably normal for this time of year.  It swings back and forth from teasing spring temperatures back to cold end of winter temperatures.  We haven't been to this particular playground in a while, and they boys thought it was super fun.  They LOVE the piano under the slide.  They played a lot of tunes!  Lincoln was all smiles!

Beau loved that there was an "order window" and made me order lots of burgers and milkshakes from him.  Occasionally, he told me he was sorry that he was out of my order and to try something else.  When am I ever out of what he orders?!?!  He loved the twisty slide the most! 

The played on the bouncy seesaw for a while, and I love how they play together so well.  It's crazy that they are so different in looks and personality, but they are the best brothers ever. 

We had grand plans to play for hours until we had a little incident that cut our playtime short.  Beau was picking up the wooden chips on the ground an pushing them through this little shoot on the playground equipment.  It turns out that while checking the bottom of the end of the shoot, he got a face full of the wood chips.  Tons of debris on his face, in his eyes, and down his shirt.  We headed home for a bath for sure!  Our home day Monday wasn't wasted though because we had a fun lunch, worked a few puzzles, watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (for the millionth time), made cheeseburger sliders and sweet potato fries for dinner, and had a great swimming lesson.  Any home day is a great day, and we can't wait for the next one! 

Olympics Watching Buddy!

Oh, how I love the Olympics!  It is always a special two weeks to get to know more about the athletes, countries, and lesser known sports.  My first "real" Olympic memories are of dressing up in my gymnastics suit (my favorite was the orange with white polka dots leotard) each evening and doing my best to recreate their routines in my living room while watching both the Barcelona Games in 92 and the Atlanta Games in 96.  I probably drove my family crazy!!!  Lincoln has embraced the Olympics as well, and I love to have a super excited watching buddy.  On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights he gets to stay up after Beau goes to bed, and we watch the NBC broadcast of the days most exciting events.  We shout "USA" often, and he picks a different country to cheer for if the USA isn't in that round.  Occasionally he loses interest and picks up a cookbook to flip through.  He has selected a pork roast and fingerling potato recipe for us to try soon!  When he came across the Christmas recipe section in the Taste of Home cookbook, he was so excited to see gingerbread men!  I love spending this sweet time with a little boy who is growing up way too fast.  When he is 14 or 18 or 22 and doesn't want to spend too much quality time with Mom, I'll have to remember these days.

He has learned about different countries, different flags, and different athletic events.  His Highlights magazine this month had a cartoon of a bobsled team, and he immediately recognized what they were doing.  We have discussed lots about skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, bobsledding, and so much more.  What an amazing opportunity to open his eyes to so many new things! 

He's also the cutest (and best pajama dressed) guy to watch the Olympics with, he's also the silliest.  He keeps me laughing at all times.  When a USA speed skater girl didn't win her heat, he decided it was because we were talking and that distracted her.  We were super quiet during the other USA competitors for the rest of the evening, but we still made time to laugh. 

When I told him that Sunday night was the last night of the Olympics, he insisted that he wear his wedding pjs.  He thinks his navy pjs are kind of like Daddy's wedding tuxedo (in pictures), so they are his fancy pjs.  So cute!   Daddy isn't really into the Olympics right now, but I know he spent his own time doing gymnastics routines while watching when he was younger.  He even went to gymnastics camps with Bart Conner and Bela Karoli.  He still pines over Kim Zmeskal, but I think I'm an ok second.  I did a little bit of balance beam work while the kids were in Open Gym on Friday, and I think I've still got it!

So we watched the closing ceremonies with Mommy knowing that she doesn't get to spend this extra quiet special time for two more years and Lincoln knowing that he now has to just go to bed on time.  Bittersweet for all! 

I will never forget these times with my Lincoln.  I hope we get to share this excitement again when the summer games are in Rio, and I really hope he's not too cool for me in four years when the next winter games are in South Korea.  Beau will be old enough to join us soon, and he will love that!  I'm not sure all three of us can fit in one chair, but I would love a Olympics watching party on the couch surrounded by my favorite kiddos.  And for one last time, GO USA!!!

Finally Friday!

Finally, it's Friday!  Lincoln and Beau were so excited to go to Open Gym on Friday morning.  They act like they own the place!  They both did such a great job at the bear crawl on the bars, and this was definitely a favorite activity.  Also, Lincoln hung on the rings a ton and mastered bringing up his feet then flipping over.  He was so proud!

They played in the bounce house, walked on the balance beams, and did a ton of running.  Over and over, they loved racing down the aisles and jumping on the horse.  Beau did his best to keep up with Linc.  After about 50 minutes, his little legs finally couldn't keep up.  His sweet cheeks were red, but he never stopped trying and smiling.  They love waiting for stamps at the end, and they both sat patiently waiting for their turn.  (They both picked butterflies for their hands and feet, by the way.) 

For a fun treat, we grabbed lunch at The Dog Stop on the way home.  It's always been one of Daddy's favorite places, but they have always been cash only.  That might have prevented Daddy from going there in the last few years because he is pretty anti-cash.  Well, we got a big surprise in line today when they asked to swipe my card on their iPad Square thingy.  Immediately, we texted Daddy and got a surprised and happy response!  Anyway, the boys were so happy to get The Dog Stop for the first time!  We had a little picnic in the living room with our dogs, chips, and lemonade.  They had made it clear that I should order their dogs with no mustard - just plain.  Of course, I ordered exactly what they wanted.  When we unwrapped their food, I had to answer a few tentative questions about why it wasn't plain because their were black things on the bun.  I breezily and quickly said something generic about the poppys but no mustard and just dip in the ketchup, and they loved their lunch!  Yes, the buns had tons of poppy seeds, but I'm glad they didn't focus on that.  Such a fun lunch! 

We had a little rest in the sleeping bags while watching a movie (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 for the millionth time).  A trip to Hobby Lobby was next to pick up some baskets for a project we were doing for Daddy's work.  The afternoon weather was beautiful, so Linc posed next to his bike.  Mommy, Daddy, and Beau walked behind him and enjoyed a long trip through the neighborhood.   

We all played out front for a while.  Baseball first, sidewalk chalk next, and finally a serious soccer practice last.  Surprisingly, Lincoln was a great goalie against Daddy's attempts.  Who knew! 

We followed up our fun day with dinner with our favorite Friday night peeps and a quick trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Daddy had promised to get us a Panini Press for Valentine's Day, and we finally found the time to pick it up.  We all can't wait to try out lots of new sandwiches, and we already have several recipes printed out.  Fun Friday, and ready for a Sweet Saturday. 

Beau to the Toddler Bed

Something I always put off with the boys is moving up in the bedding department.  Lincoln stayed in his crib tent until he was almost three, and Beau has been happily zipped in his for just as long.  Now that his third birthday is rapidly approaching, it seems like it's just time for him to move up to a toddler bed.  He loved his crib tent so much and never thought about not sleeping in there, but there was a lot of excitement on the big day.  We had fancy new shutters installed on the day of Beau's big bed transition, and the boys had to pose in front of them.  They really make the room look great. 

Daddy took off the front of the crib, and Beau was happy to climb in and practice sleeping!  He has tons of stuff in there, and I don't know how it won't all fall out now.   

After a bath, it was almost time to actually sleep in the toddler bed for the first time!  Beau posed in his "pizza robot" pjs, and we put the little rail up so he wouldn't fall out.   

Sweet thing was so excited!  We went over the rules dozens of times, and he was very sure that he would be quiet, not get out of the bed, and definitely not open the door to leave the bedroom.  He had his friends in his bed to keep him company, and we said our prayer and goodnight.   

I definitely said a few extra prayers that he would follow the rules because sometimes he has an aversion to rules.  My little smartie was so good and stayed put until we came to get him the next morning.  So proud!  This first night in the toddler bed was 10 nights ago, and he's only opened the door once.  I caught him in the hall at 7:30 in the morning as he was headed to the trash can.  He found a sticker in his bed and needed to throw it away.  So we put a little trash can in his room that afternoon, and the door can stay closed.  We are so proud of Beau for making this transition so well (knock on wood!).  They both always do so great when moving up to bigger beds, but maybe that's because we wait so long.  Or maybe they are just the best little guys ever! 

Tales from Tuesday

Lincoln has been asking to water the flowers each time we play outside lately.  I keep explaining that we don't have any flowers because it's winter.  He's kind of tired of that excuse because of the warmer weather of the last few days.  "Let's go buy some already," he says.  I popped dinner in the oven after school and outside we went.  He asked again to water, so I let them take turns spraying the fence, the table and chairs, the swings, the rocks, whatever they wanted.  Of course, Lincoln had to spray the one dead plant left from fall. 

Beau wanted to fill the buckets and worked hard.  One of them had a leak, and he really had to study that.  They carried the (leaky) buckets to the slide and washed it.   I should point out that I'm not really one for messy, dirty, watery play, but we could just change clothes and wash up later so nothing to worry about.  I was actually enjoying watching them get all wet. 

Because I'm so chill, I watched them fill up this dirty (but technically empty) planter with a smile.  They stirred it with their shovels and attempted to transfer the water to the other buckets.  This is fun!  All of a sudden, Lincoln screams, "Mommy, Beau is drinking the water from his shovel!"  Heart attack happening for this Mom!  He said he only had a little drink, but it was good and hot like ravioli?!?!  Dying.   Once I assure myself that probably every other little boy in the world probably drinks a little dirty outside water with no serious repercussions, we go back inside to get cleaned up. 

So we probably won't be filling up dirty planters with water anymore - at least without explicit instructions that we don't drink the water!  The pork tenderloin is ready in the oven, and it's time to get ready for dinner.  Lincoln's class eats meals family style, and the kids take turns setting the table, helping serve the food, etc.  He totally doesn't eat school food, but he loves the idea (while he's eating his yummy food from his lunchbox)!  He asked if we could do that at home, so we did.  I am guilty of preparing the food, cutting it into bite sized pieces, taking the plates to the table, providing the utensils and napkins, and cleaning it all up after dinner (with Daddy's help of course).  It was so exciting for him to help!  He set out the napkins, plates, cups, and silverware.  I put the food into bowls that he could carry to the table so we could serve ourselves.  They had so much fun!  Orange honey habanero pork tenderloin, steamed broccoli, fruit salad (green salad for Mommy), and wheat toast with jelly was a delicious and nutritious dinner!   

We cleaned our plates for sure, and I love that Lincoln really liked being the helper.  Beau told me that tomorrow is his turn to be the helper!  It seemed like a great night to make chocolate chip cookies, but after getting out all of the ingredients we discovered that we were low on flour.  It seemed too late to go to the store, so Oreos had to suffice.  Maybe tomorrow night!  I got a few really sweet hugs before bed, and we are ready for Hump Day.  There is never a dull moment around here!

Visit from the Freemans

After a fun Valentine's Day on Friday, we were excited for the Freeman's to visit on Saturday.  They last came the weekend before Christmas, and we visited them in Arkansas the weekend after Christmas.  Lincoln and Beau couldn't wait for them to get here!  The weather was so incredibly nice, and we spent a lot of the afternoon outside playing.  Lincoln worked so hard to figure out how to tie the rope to make it a swing.  He was successful, and we were very impressed. 

Beau was busy climbing and hanging on the ladder, and he had lots of sweet smiles!  Apparently, they are fond of climbing and hanging.  More gymnastics lessons are in order! 

The boys got Bubbles to play "chase" for a while, and they had so much fun.  Bubbles might not have done that much running in a long time.  We all loved the squeals from the boys as they chased or were being chased. 

One of the most favorite parts of the visit was bedtime stories.  Beau was sure that Minnie should read his book, and Lincoln was sure that Bubbles should read his book.  Clean pajama-clad kiddos are the sweetest, and bedtime was extra special! 

Ally was here too, but she was absent from any pictures.  Bubbles does a great job of videoing while they are here, but I do a terrible job of taking pictures of all the fun.  We met Nana and Pops for a delicious dinner at Mena's, and the official Lincoln and Beau Grandparent Fan Club meeting was in full effect.  If the boys were listening, their heads couldn't be any bigger!!  We were glad to see Minnie, Bubbles, and Ally, and it was such a fun weekend.

Valentine's Day

The boys woke up to a few treats on Valentine's Day.  They were super excited about their popcorn, balloons, minion Twinkies, and games.  It's so fun to have little guys that get so excited about special days and silly treats. 

It was a Nana & Pops Friday, so Lincoln and Beau had fun all day!  We didn't do any romantic Valentine's things, but we had a wonderful dinner with our usual Friday night crew.  Beau got crazy silly with Daddy after finishing his quesadillas and fruit.   

Somehow the card for Mommy was of a little kid angel with a glitter heart coming from it's backside that said TOOT!  Since toots are the funniest things ever for my little guys, it was the perfect card! 

Pre-Valentine's Dipping

On Valentine's Day Eve, two little cuties needed to do some chocolate dipping!  They dipped strawberries and pretzels with so much joy, and then they ate up every single piece!  They might have also dipped their fingers into the chocolate for a few (or a hundred) licks!

Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

We are definitely enjoying all things Valentine around here.  We have made our teacher gifts, painted cards, and then decided to make Valentine blondies for dessert.  We put red, pink, and white M&Ms in the batter, but Lincoln and Beau needed a few extra in their bowl!

Cheese!!!  They were a super excited to eat their special treat, so the smiles were a little forced.   

Lincoln decided to give Beau a sweet hug while taking a break from smiling.  Beau's not really sure about that, but they are both holding on to their dessert carefully!  Brother hugs are too sweet! 

The hug turned to a kiss quickly!  Beau looks a bit happier about it, and Lincoln is such a sweet big brother.  Still a death grip on the bowls . . . they don't waste dessert! 

.

Who knew Valentine's blondies would create so much sweetness?  I mean, I can feel the love!  The boys had fun at school, we had a yummy dinner of chicken tacos and steamed carrots.  Valentine blondies just made the night!  They played "school" after dinner, and it was so funny.  Lincoln was happy to be the teacher, of course.  He made a few lesson sheets of different letters, and he was so proud.  Surprisingly, Beau was game to be the student.  He was happy to recite what his teacher was telling him.  Such a yummy and fun night!  Love rules!

Workout Buddies!

Somehow there were two underwear-clad little boys ready to exercise!  They had tons of fun doing lots of jumping jacks . . .

. . . their push ups are hilarious, and it is too funny to watch them.   

They finished their workout with high kicks!  They weren't so high, but they were super cute! 

Working out is so fun with the best exercise buddies!  Perhaps they could keep their clothes on next time, because it's pretty cold these days!

Weekend Notes

All of that promised warmer weather showed up on Saturday afternoon.  It wasn't quite as warm as we would like, but hoodie jackets were enough to keep us warm.  The boys had so much fun in the backyard and really played hard.  The played on the swings, Beau made mud pies and sold them at his Whataburger station, they did tons of climbing up the wall and yelled a lot of "Hello, down there!" at me, they climbed up the slide more than they slid down it, and they kept each other laughing and smiling all afternoon. 

So many days require a little crime fighting, and Spiderman and Batman were ready for the job.  Lincoln was especially happy about his giant muscles . . . and they needed Mardi Gras beads!  Super cute super heroes! 

We had a delicious dinner at the new Mena's that is much closer to our house, and everyone was happy about that!  We also made an impromptu stop at Toys R Us, and two happy guys ran through the store like crazy!  We needed a bed rail for an upcoming change in Beau's sleeping situation (he's almost three so it seems that he needs a toddler bed instead of being trapped in his crib tent, even though he so loves his crib tent).  We also needed a new indoor riding car because the Lightning McQueen broke recently.  Sunday School and church were first up on Sunday morning, and Linc played with his favorite buddies.  They started out with craft time, they are just the sweetest group.  We had 14 kids today (only 2 girls!), and everyone had lots of fun and enjoyed the lesson.   

Brunch at Deli News was definitely a Sunday requirement!  The boys helped with the Valentine's gifts for their teachers, and they had a fun time with the shreddy stuff!  (By fun time, I mean messy time!)  They are so excited to deliver the gifts this week! 

They boys did lots of playing in the afternoon: hide and seek, Legos, pretend cooking, and lots more.  Mommy made homemade meatballs while Daddy made his delicious marinara sauce, and we added in a few fresh steamed green beans for a delicious dinner!!!  Chocolate milkshakes were for dessert, and they boys loved that whipped cream was on top!

What a fun weekend!  I wish we could just pause sometimes to enjoy such good days.  Yet each day they grow up a little more.  Lots of sweet hugs and silly jokes make our hearts happy!

Thursday, Friday, and SNOW!

The weatherman told us it was going to snow on Thursday morning, but we weren't convinced.  There have been some super huge snowstorms this year, but none in our area.  When we got up to get ready for school, it was actually snowing!  We went outside to check it out for a few minutes, and the boys were excited.  They needed their umbrellas so snow wouldn't get on them while walking into school - did they think they would melt?!?! 

The roads were actually pretty bad, and everyone was going super slow and sliding around a lot.  Unbelievably, it was still snowing at lunch!  We decided to call it a day around 2:00 and made a slippery drive home.  The boys were surprised to leave during naps!  We watched a movie in our sleeping bags to stay warm and cozy, and we peeked in the backyard to see the snow.  It was 20 degrees or something crazy, so there wasn't any way we were going out! 

The Olympics are beginning, and that is super exciting!  We talked about the events they were showing on Thursday evening . . . slalom skiing, ice skating, and snowboarding.  They liked the snowboarding the best because "it's like skateboards with no wheels!" Daddy was on a work trip so Lincoln got to keep me company while watching the last of the events after Beau went to bed.  Shhhh!  Don't tell Beau!  We used the globe and atlas on my phone to learn about the countries of the various athletes - staying up late can be educational! 

We survived the cold night and had lots of fun planned for Friday.  The boys are having a joint birthday party this year at the gymnastics place by our house, and we wanted to check out the party room to discuss decor.  It was Free Play Hour, and two little gymnasts were thrilled!  Lincoln was loving the rings right away.  He could pull his feet up to his hands and swing forever.  He also walked on the big balance beam by himself (!) and got a lesson on doing a front roll on the small one.  Beau just ran a lot at first then played in the bounce house.  He loved the slide!  They both jumped on the trampoline, dove in the pit, and raced down the runways.   

Beau spent quite a bit of time inspecting each apparatus.  He tried each knob and screw to see if it was tight, and they all met Beau's safety standards!  Finally he could hang on the bar. 

There were several of these little wooden bar things on the ground, and the boys carried them out to the floor and arranged an obstacle course.  The anxiously awaited "On your mark, Set, Go!" and took off!   

They had the best time playing at gymnastics, and I know they will love their birthday party too.  After lunch and a few games at home, we went to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.  They love going to movies, and they SUPER love the first Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  Guaranteed success!  We got popcorn, M&Ms and lemonade and settled in for the movie. They couldn't take their eyes off the screen for a second.  It was a cute movie with lots of laughs and silly food animals.   

When we came out, it was snowing again!!!  I hear it will warm up for the weekend, so maybe we can get outside and play.  There has been lots of talk about taco-diles, fla-mangos, and shrimp-anzees (like crocodiles, flamingos, and chimpanzees) and even a monster cheeseburger spider!  They really paid attention to the movie, and we'll have to buy that one soon.  Hoping for a fun and warmer Saturday and Sunday!