Big Boy Bedroom

When we were in CO the boys slept in real beds, not on crib mattresses in toddler beds like they did at home. Their sleeping habits in CO were drastically different and we noticed they were sleeping longer and napping better. We wondered if it was because they were more comfortable. Those crib mattresses are hard as rocks in order to be SIDS proof.

After much deliberation on what to do we decided to convert their cribs into Full Size beds. We considered twin beds, bunk beds, sharing a bed. But in the end it seemed most economical and practical to convert their existing beds since their room is wide enough to fit two full size beds and to keep them in separate beds since they can't seem to leave each other alone.

This was definitely the right decision! The boys are sleeping very well and are sleeping in about a full extra hour! A bonus is that I can now lay in bed with them and read books snuggled up together. It's been really nice!

It was fun to pick out new bedding. We went with Pottery Barn Kids Ryder Train quilt sets and they are so cute and soft. And the boys are so proud of them, they love to point out the red caboose on their sheets!

Since we had to get new mattresses I was excited to find a great deal on Serta memory foam mattresses at Overstock.com and they charge practically nothing for shipping. I was nervous to buy a mattress off the web that we'd never tried out in person but it had a great review and an awesome price and we haven't been disappointed. In fact I went in to calm Andrew down when he woke up crying in the night because his brace was hurting him and I was so comfortable I accidentally fell asleep for four hours in there. When I woke up I had NO idea where I was. It was pretty funny, I was very impressed with the comfort of his mattress.

Another cool product I found online is called the Bed Bug Bumper. I used them on their beds to keep them from rolling off the bed in the night. They are a great foam bed rail that is cheaper, softer & safer than a traditional rail and it doesn't interfere with the bedding. It fits snugly and easily under the mattress pad.

One more thing left to do, we are going to paint the walls to make their space a little happier. I'll post pictures after that project is completed but it will probably take a while to finish.

Pee Wee Basketball

Adam & Andrew recently started PeeWee Basketball through the local parks & rec department. It was pretty funny to watch all the little kids running around but the first practice was pretty chaotic. Right now they are just working on skills but the final two sessions they will have some little games. They start every session with stretches and warmups, which are hilarious!

And finally, here's a pic of my sweet nephew Ben taking a snooze in the basket at Target.

Adam & Andrew at Age Three

Adam:

• He Loves Waffles for breakfast, He likes to eat soups, especially gumbo! His favorite foods are sweets like cake and cookies and he'll do about anything to get them
• His favorite show is Oso and Imagination Movers
• Adam loves to go to the ranch and ride his 4-"Leeler"
• Since Adam is potty training we constantly have embarrassing moments in public restrooms like when he said loudly "I no go poo poo, my bottom is CLOSED!" or after a successful trip "I made a giant stinky poo poo like "_____" !!!"
• If you hurt yourself he wants to kiss your bobo and will then ask you "You feel better now Mama?" Which of course, how could you not when he is questioning you with his clear blue eyes and sweet face.
• Adam's hair is still that baby soft/fine texture and is pretty wavy. I LOVE his hair because it makes him still seem like my baby to me but daddy is always grabbing the scissors and trimming off the sweet curls he gets at the nape of his neck.

Andrew

• Andrew loves "Brown Juice" which is what he calls V8 Fusion, His favorite foods are Sausage and he can eat a TON of it (his daddy calls him Andouille Sausage because of his love for sausage and also because Adam has always pronounced his name Andoo", Andrew also loves grilled chicken and chicken nuggets, and CANDY and any other sweets, he LOVES kettle popcorn and calls in MY Corn
• Andrew's favorite shows are Go Diego Go and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
• Andrew is always asking to go ride Pa's tractor
• He is really turning into a chatter box and if you ride in the car with him he talks non stop, often repeating the same questions over and over again
• Andrew is such a hoarder, he stuffs his mouth and keeps food in his cheeks for long periods of time and what he can't fit in his mouth he stuffs in his pockets. I have to constantly check his britches before throwing them in the wash. There is always food, coins, toys, or rocks stored in his pockets.
• He LOVES to dance and will turn his air hockey table off and on over and over so he can dance to that Soccer World Cup "Ole' " song.

Both boys are constantly asking everyone, including random people in the grocery store, to come to their house and see their Dinosaur, John Deere Tractor or air hockey table: "Come see my John Deere Tractor!!!!". Or they'll ask "What did you get for Christmas??" Too funny!

They have entered into this new wresting/physical play fighting stage and it's driving me crazy. It's pretty much constant and I can't seem to break them from doing it. It starts out friendly and fun but quickly escalates to scratching and hitting.

Having two boys the exact same age is often very challenging. I notice that when I have just one of them with me, it is SO easy. They obey and are sweet and pleasant. But as soon as they are together, it suddenly gets about 10 times harder. I feel like I spend nearly all my time refereeing and breaking up fights and administering discipline. They have amazing batteries that never seem to run out. By the end of the day I'm so sick of hearing my own voice and it's so incredibly exhausting! But in spite of the frustrations, these two little boys are absolutely precious and they've captured my heart unlike anything I could have ever imagined. They have so much personality and are so thoughtful, bright, and ALIVE!

At night I love to go in and watch them sleep for just a bit before I head to bed myself. Their sweet faces are so soft and look so pure when they are asleep. I can't help but study them and take them all in. How their eyelashes lay softly on their cheeks. How their mouths stay partially open and they sigh ever so quietly as they dream. Why can't they stay this way?? They are just growing up entirely too fast and watching two grow up simultaneously makes it seem even that much faster.

I wiped tears from eyes as I watched their chests rise and fall, knowing that they'll never be this small again, every day we seem to be racing faster ahead towards boyhood. Every day I wonder "Have I done enough?" "Did I show them enough love and attention?" "Did I spoil them too much?" "Did I point them to Christ as much as I could have?" "Will they ever know how very much I love them?"

Thank you Father for this day that you've made, let me always rejoice and be glad in it!

Wedding Weekend from the Boys' Perspective

While Daddy was off doing groomsmen stuff in DFW the boys and I had fun entertaining ourselves in the Big D. The first night we stayed with our friends Greg & Lacey and the boys had fun chasing around Toby, their dog and camping out in their sleeping bags.

The next day we went over to Uncle Stevie's place

Then before the wedding we found this fun indoor park in Southlake where the boys had a good time getting some of there energy out.

We road in a cute train

Adam road a mechanical zebra

The boys "played" puttputt golf for the first time

When we got back to the room after the wedding the boys were sacked out!

Back home. This is Andrew working on his fine motor skills by peeling an orange (which he won't eat)