First Book Club

We had our neighbor buddy Caden over this morning to play.  The boys would go from 90 miles an hour, literally bouncing off the walls at times (ouch!), to quietly playing independently or calmly off and on all morning.  But my favorite moment of the morning was their impromptu Book Club on the window seat where they took to seriously studying some of our book ranging from NATO policies to Les Miserables.

Check out their little conversation and interaction. Their intensity killed me!

So fun watching these kiddos grow up!

Flashback: Kendall's Sweet 16 Photos

As we all know, I'm an inconsistent blogger.  And that's putting it mildly.  But its usually because there are lots of great things going on … or that hard stuff is going on … either way, life calls and leaves little extra room for reminiscing (which is what blogging feels like to me).

Note: There ARE pictures (lots!) in this post, feel free to bypass my rambling and head down to the prettiness!

So, I've missed sharing/documenting some great things!  As we head into fall … my most favoritest season of the year for so many reasons … the weather, almost every single person in my family's birthday, holidays, football, etc … and are making plans/getting excited about all that this fall holds (TONS!) … I have been remembering last year.  And I've got some stuff to share :)

I'm working on some invitations for my big sister right now … more to come on THAT exciting news later … it reminded me that last year I was working on invitations for my little sister … for her 16th birthday!  Not a small thing in my world.  And I was determined to do my part to let her know that.  She and her best friend, Avery, have birthdays just 2 days apart in the first week of December.  It's a busy time and has in the past been, their birthdays have had to play second fiddle to a variety of other things.  Not this last year.  Not on my watch ;) So, the moms and I got to planning their Boots & Bling Sweet 16.

I don't have many great pictures of the actual party … the girls absolutely loved it though!  It was in a storage building on Avery's family's land … but it was totally transformed that night, mostly by Ave's crazy talented mama … and the kids all decked out in their boots & bling.  I, unfortunately, had gotten really sick a couple days before with a high fever and was not at my best and even headed home early and crashed :(

But, just two days before the big day and mere hours before the sickness creeped in, the girls had this fun, last-minute idea to go take pictures downtown.  And I got to play photographer :)  I absolutely love these pictures!  I have so much to learn about photography, but these two beautiful, fun-loving ladies couldn't take a bad picture if they tried and they couldn't be more interestingly complimentary in their outfits and coloring.  They were so natural, it made my job super easy.  But the thing I love most about these pictures is that you can't look at them and not catch their joy.  

After I edited them in Photoshop (a little desaturation and increased contrast to make them feel a little rustic) with Kendall's help, we printed a few to frame for the party and had a slideshow of them playing throughout the night on the wall with some others of their friendship and friends over the year.  It was a great hit and such fun to capture them at that moment in time.  

So without further ado … the stars of the show … my wonderful, gorgeous sister Kendall …

And her crazy-fun, beautiful best friend, Avery …

This is literally the first or second picture I took, still trying to figure out if I had the settings right, and I told the girls we could go home after this one … its perfectly them to me.  Don't you want to be their friend?

We ran out of daylight, but set-up a little make-shift studio in my mom's dining room (we were worried we didn't get enough good ones … we were very, very wrong) and they just kept being fun and beautiful!

And if that wasn't enough for you, you can click here to see all 54.

And here is the Save the Date postcard I designed …

And a mock-up of the invitation … the zebra was furry paper and the turquoise was glittery.  And we added a few rhinestones to each.  Extra fun!  And the pattern on the boot is their names repeating.

Name News

Baby Brother has a name …

We've actually had it picked out for quite awhile … it's been the front-runner since before he was conceived ;) and we really never came up with any others that really competed.  We used very similar thinking to the way we named Weston.  We just really like Bowen and don't know anyone with the name, so it's unique, but not weird.  So far, people don't have trouble pronouncing (like Owen but with a B) or spelling it, which is excellent.  And we think it sounds good with Weston.  We picked Lane for the middle name after me because my middle name is Elaine.  Weston has Tim's middle name, Scott,  and we like having the family tie in the name there.  Oh, and the main question we get asked is will we call him Bo?  The answer is no we won't, but I'm sure it will happen, at least on the sports field.  People asked us the same about Weston, would we call him Wes … we haven't and no one else really does although he has a couple of other nicknames.

I love having his name already picked out and I am liking it more all the time! I wouldn't mind at all hearing if you are a fan, too :) Its so fun to think about him and pray for him and talk to and about him using his name.  We've definitely used it with Weston too, I think he's starting to get it.  He understands baby brother and can say a version of that … and tonight I asked him to say Bowen and he said "Bowie" and hit his hand on my chest … close enough ;)

And, he has started saying his name.  He had never used it before, but a few weeks ago I asked him if he could say Weston and this is what followed (so glad Tim had the camera in hand!) …

He's been saying it ever since and I think its adorable :)

Big Boy Bed

Weston got his first big boy bed a few weekends ago on 9.10.11!  He's done pretty well and surprised us overall.  We still have his crib in the room too and have had to move the mattress back over a few times, but he's slept in his new bed about 75% of the time.  He also loves having a bed he can hangout in and story-time has I think permanently moved from the chair to the bed.  He also really loves jumping from the bed onto the floor … he has been a crib jumper for months, but we have been firm that he can't jump on this bed … but jumping off has seemed to appease him ;)

Think he likes it?

He loves being able to cuddle in his bed, but doesn't quite understand that we don't all fit very well … 

not that we haven't tried ;)

Hey big eyes!

You are getting so big!

Love these boys!

Are these not some of the sweetest pictures you have ever seen?  Weston loves story time, but he was down-right giddy when his cousin Jackson read to him.  I don't think Jackson minded either … he even told me one day that if Weston wanted him to read him a story, he guessed he wouldn't mind ;) Sweetness defined.

And one afternoon, Papa and Belle came by to visit us.  J and W absolutely loved playing with Papa … he's still just a big kid at heart and jumped right into the action … even getting all 6' 8" of himself down on the floor and even into the tent Jackson had set up in the living room all week.  Fun memories :)

Jackson loves his puppies and specifically asked that I get a picture of him with both of them ;)

Sweetness defined.  Again.  I just can't get enough.

And if you haven't gotten enough cuteness or silliness yet … here are a few more of the boys playing around and outside the house (they live in this great house with some great room to roam!))

  

Amen!

Tim took this video of Weston at dinner last weekend.  This was totally un-prompted and in the middle of the meal ;)

Not sure where the double-fist pump came from, but we find it hysterical!  And I'm thinking its not a bad thing at all to get excited about prayer :)

22 things I love …

… about our 22 month old.  There are so many things that happen on a daily basis that I want to remember or share, so I thought I'd make a list (which actually started as 21, but has taken me so long to put together its now 22!)  … hope it gives you all a great picture of our sweet boy.

1. His hugs.
Oh, this boys hugs!!  And his willingness to give them out, sometimes prompted and sometimes not. He is especially good at giving hugs when its time to leave and doesn't leave anyone out.  If you are a family member, you can almost always count on a big, wide kiss too.  He's really taken to giving other kids that he likes hugs too … which is so sweet, but can sometimes do the opposite of what he intends and end in more of a dog-pile.

2. Hugging his Daddy.
I may be a little biased on this, but there is just not anything sweeter.  When Tim is carrying him somewhere, more often than not, he lays his head down on one shoulder and has a hand on each shoulder. Sometimes he pats his back too.  He does it to me every now and then too … but I love how he makes the most of his time with his Daddy.  And I don't think his Daddy minds one bit ;)

3. His love for his people.

Really all people, he's pretty much a fan.  But his people … family and friends … man, he gets so excited when he gets to spend time with them.  If I tell him that we are going to see someone, he will ask about them repeatedly until we see them (I'm getting a little smarter in waiting a little longer to tell him!). And he comes alive when we see them.  Especially if they come to our house … he is immediately the entertainer.  He pretty much has a name for everyone that we see on a regular basis and he'll even ask me randomly about people, especially if we are in the car.  I think its sweet to know he is thinking about people out of the blue.  It's always hard for him when its time for a family weekend or playdate to come to an end … 

4. His curly reddish hair.

So thankful he finally has some!  Its still taking his time around his forehead, which makes it look like what his dad calls old-man hair … especially in the wind, it looks like a toupee.  Even with his new big boy haircut, his curls are so adorable.  And I absolutely love the strawberry-blonde color.  

5. His giggle.

Oh man.  Best sound in the world.  And he's quite ticklish, so its not hard to get him going.  And he loves it, so our little tickle sessions end up being quite a work out for both of us.  He also pretty well giggles non-stop when playing games with daddy … from chase to rough housing … he loves it!

6. His sense of humor.

He loves making other people laugh! He does a bit of tickling people himself … many times totally unprompted.  He also loves to play games with people … if he finds something that will make you laugh … he'll do it over and over again!

7. His love of repetition.

"Gagain" or "Mo-more" … his usual response to most fun things (see above).  He is totally in the stage of doing things over and over.  You can tell he is proud of himself when he knows something … so we read the same handful of books over and over for days at a time and watch the same movies or play with the same favorite toys everyday.  But you can tell he is learning and making connections and it makes him happy, so of course that's what we do (most of the time)!

8. His love for music.

He has always loved music, but now he requests songs.  Usually the same ones over and over (again, see above!) but its fun to see him having opinions and continuing to love music.  For the past couple of months, his favorite song has been How He Loves Us by David Crowder Band which he requests by says "Ohhhm.  Ohhhm.  Ohhhm." Its so cute the way he says it.  I started singing this song to him one night before bed when he refused the other bedtime songs we usually sing.  He started requesting it there, but once we had it in the car, it was almost all we could listen too ;) definitely not the worst song to have to listen to over and over.  One day though we actually made it a few more songs into the CD (a wonderful mix from a friend) and when one of the songs ended … he said "Gagain".  I honestly couldn't tell you who sings it or the name, but the lyrics are great and theres a great little guitar intro that he always bops his head too.  He can also request the Itsy Bitsy Spider and Row Row Row Your Boat by "name."  For others, he will just refuse … whether that be in the car or singing before bed.  He's recently been refusing all our bedtime songs again, so I pulled out another Crowder song, Stars and now he requests it by name every night. And he's got quite a little repertoire of kid songs he knows and even starts singing them himself sometimes in the car or at a meal.  And sometimes does the hand motions too … its so fun to watch him!

9. His manners.

He is saying Thank You pretty consistently now and when it happens without prompting, it might be one of the sweetest sounds I've heard.  There is even a picture in one of his books where a librarian is handing Curious George a library card, and even though it doesn't say it anywhere on the page, Weston points and says Thank You. Makes me smile.  He had stopped saying please for awhile but its coming back … usually with prompting, but we'll take it ;)

10. His sensitivity.

When he gets hurt, or now even if its just a teensy bump, he has to let me know and get a hug and a kiss and he's back to it (unless it was major, that takes some serious love).  I don't mind it one bit ;) 

11. His observance.

He doesn't miss a thing. Not a thing.  When we go somewhere new or are in a big group, he takes a minute or two to check everything out before jumping right in.  He's never one to be in his own little world, but is constantly aware of what's going on.  A couple examples … when at Gymboree playing, whenever a song would stop, he would say all done or yay or clap and then start to dance to the new song pretty much every time … the other day we were on a road trip, I switched to wearing Tim's sunglasses while he was reading a book and sure enough he noticed and said "Daddy, eyes" I was floored … he also recognizes places we go regularly and will ask questions accordingly (like eat or play or say a friends name that we normally see there) or sometimes he even gets upset when we pull into the neighborhood because he wants to go play or to a friends house instead.  He's becoming such a big boy.

12. His orderliness.

I'm not sure where he got this from, but I am not complaining!  He loves to put things away.  When he's done playing, he likes to put toys back where they belong.  Same thing for when he's done eating.  And its not just haphazard … he puts them back how he found them.  He's recently taken a slight interest in coloring, but the part he likes the most is putting the crayons back in the box … all with the point facing up. He corrects himself often by saying no … like when we are putting toys away after a bath, he knows the two buckets that don't fit in the toy holder and he'll say no and hand them to me.  He puts his books back how he found them … it kills me and helps a ton!

13. His big brown eyes.

Have you seen them? Exactly.

14. His exuberance.

Oh my! When he wants to do something or is excited about something … everyone will know about it!  He is a passionate kiddo!  He'll repeat something until acknowledged … sometimes even continuing to repeat something even after … like asking about people we are about to see or somewhere we are about to go that he is excited about.  He's not one to go easily unnoticed.  I hope he is always excited about life!

15. His helpfulness.

He loves bringing me my shoes when its time to go and tells me to get the keys.  He reminds me to put my sunglasses on when driving when I leave them on top of my head.  He loves helping to load and unload the laundry. He likes putting dishes in the sink and throwing things away. He LOVES being asked to help, especially if it requires carrying something or pushing a button … he is so proud of himself and usually giggles with pride. 

16. His love of books.

We have always loved our time reading together, but now he is getting into some longer books and really understands so much. He is constantly surprising me by pointing things out or saying things that go along with the story.  Its such fun to get to experience his learning.  Right now his favorites are our Curious George books, but he was recently on a Green Eggs and Ham kick … and he has names for some of them too … like "Ham" (which is so cute) … or "Cake" for the George book about pancakes.

17. His growing vocabulary.

He has new words all the time! And they are becoming more understandable for others who don't spend all day with him.  He's getting pretty good at repeating new words when asked too.  Its so nice to be able to communicate more easily … especially as he starts stringing words together.  Its amazing how much and how fast kids learn in these early years … I'm constantly floored.

18. His own words and phrases.
His words are becoming much clearer these days, but there are several that he definitely has his own version of or things he has his own name for.  Two of the first things he "named" were his pacifier (his "ma") and his blankets (his "may") and he still calls them that.  He's picked up on some phrases and they are hilarious coming out of his mouth!  One of my favorites is "Aww, how cute!" when looking at a picture or even sometimes new clothes.  Or when he wants someone to come here, he says "M'mon" (come on) and usually claps (like if you were calling a dog).  Oh, and he will say "HEY!" when he wants your attention and isn't getting it ;) and he uses "uh-uh" and "mm-hmm" correctly which to me is such a subtlety that I find it to be impressive.

19. His conversations.
He loves toy phones, or anything that he can pretend is a phone.  And he's started having little conversations … "Hewwo … yes … yes … mm-hmm … hahahah … right back" … hilarious!  He's also starting to try to tell people about things, like when we talk to Tim on the phone he'll bring something up from earlier in the day.  Its so fun to see things like this click!

20. His prayers.
He will fold his hands and says a very enthusiastic (see exuberance) "May-men" at the end, usually with an accompanying hand motion (like a double fist pump). Every now and then he'll do some rambling too and the other day I recognized "Tetta" (Contessa) and "Yay-yay" (Anjali) … praying for his buddies … tear!

21. He's my buddy.
Even though he's becoming more and more independent and opinionated, he is still my buddy and such a sweetheart.  He still loves to cuddle and sometimes just wants to be held when he's tired.  And when he's playing, he'll ask me to come sit by him so we can play together or he'll climb in my lap and just continue playing.  If he's watching a video and I sit on a different couch or chair, he'll either ask me to come sit by him or move over to sit by me.  I couldn't love this little boy more if I tried and when he does things like this to show me that he loves me too and enjoys my company, its just more than I could ask for.

22. He's only 22 months.

Not years.  Not yet.  I pray for many, many more days and years and moments to continue getting to know this precious boy … my sweet gift from God.