Magic Drip

Nathan says "Look guys I have a new freckle!" while inspecting his finger closely. "I felt a drip and then I looked and now I have a freckle. It was a magic drip, see."

Thanksgiving Weekend

What a wonderful holiday weekend. We spent the weekend over at the Martinez household and it seemed like a mini vacation. We had plenty of turkey and all of the fixings to last us for several days. Not much got accomplished except for the fact that most of the Christmas decorations have been put in place for the season, a few more rows of knitting got accomplished and lots of Mario games were played.
We did take the opportunity to go see a movie as a family. We saw A Bee Movie, and it was Will’s first theater experience. All he could say for the first five minutes we were there was “Wow!”
The popcorn, pop and candy were a big hit with both of the boys. William was able to sit through almost the entire movie; he just needed a brief intermission about an hour and twenty minutes into the movie. Once we got back to the house Geesie asked Nathan about the movie and he simply said it was “good.” The a few minutes later he came back to her and said:
N: Geesie.
G: Yes.
N: That bee, he talks. (With a neck crank to emphasize his point)

Kisses

What a wonderful thing. Today William learned how to give kisses. These are the best kisses in the world. Albeit they are slightly moist, but they have got plenty of pucker power. These are the type of kisses that put a smile on your face from ear to ear and a giggle in your heart. Life is moving a million miles an hour and yet everything stops when he comes over to put his lips to my cheek.

HALLOWEEN!

We had a day full of excitement. Nathan's class party was in the morning and it was so cute to see him with all of his school friends. They sang some songs and had plenty of cupcakes. William spent his time taking it all in and trying to be one of the big kids.

Naptime at our house was abbreviated as we headed out to Chouteau for dinner and the Original Chouteau Trick or Treat Hayride. The boys had a blast, both of them were eager to run at every stop. We tried to get Will to say trick-or-treat, but he was not interested in that he thought boo was the appropriate word for the event. However, he made sure to thank everyone once he got his treat. Everyone had a great time and we were happy that Geesie was able to enjoy our evening out again this year. We were out way to late, but that is what you do on Halloween, right?

Pumpkin Carving

Tuesday William had is first Halloween party at mother's day out. He went in costume and he made a very cute candy corn.

In the evening we had a family pumpkin carving party. We all had fun picking out patterns and carving our pumpkins and Will was content helping everyone scoop out the pumpkin guts as long as he didn't have to touch them too much. Nathan had the opportunity to carve his first pumpkin (with plenty of daddy supervision of course), and he did a fabulous job.

Nathan Quotes

Nathan has had some doosies lately. It is just proof positive that his little mind is always working and trying to make sense of the world around him. Nonetheless you can’t help but smile at his logic.

N: How did you sleep last night mom?
M: I slept good, how about you?
N: Well…I could not breath so well. One hole wasn’t working.
D: And what is that called Nathan? (There was a long conversation earlier explaining this to Nathan.)
N: My diarrhea? (Which was a conversation earlier in the week.)
D: No, Nathan, nostril.

We were hanging out a couple of days ago watching Monsters Inc. Towards the end of the movie the main characters are running through doors into different places and one of the scenes happened to be a beach scene.
N: Look they are in hallelujah!
D: I think you mean Honolulu Nathan.

Just a few days after that Nathan and dad has another profound conversation.
N: Dad do you ever feel bad that you don’t have a tail?
D: You know Nathan I really haven’t thought about that. Do you ever feel bad that you don’t have a tail?
N: Yes! I want a tail so that I can hit the bad guys with it.

Getting Lost

Saturday afternoon we went to the corn maze in Broken Arrow. The family had tons of fun wandering through the maze. Nathan’s has been begging to "get lost again" all year long and this year he added to his fun by trying to scare everyone as they rounded corners. William had more fun wandering thought the corn rather than staying on the trails. Once we made our way out of the maze we used the campfire to roast our hotdog dinner and then followed them up with s’mores for dessert.
After dinner (and during) we enjoyed the hay jumps, corn pit, rubber duck race, sand box and Nick’s favorite the paint ball range.
By the time we left we were all a wind beaten, exhausted and smelling like the campfire.

Fall Break

As kids get older they love school breaks, but Nathan is at that point that he is willing to go to school everyday. He understands the concept of weekends, but he would still rather go to school. I knew going into it that the idea of fall break was going to be rough on the little guy.
We eased him into the concept by letting him spend the night with Geesie. Then on Thursday we headed to the mall and met up with a friend and the two guys came back to our house and ran around like crazy. After that, we had a quick dinner at Chik-Fil-A and on we went to Arlene's house. On Friday we went bowling with several of our "old school" friends. While things were wild at the bowling alley I know that the patrons at Wendy's didn't know what hit them. Can you imagine four four year-olds and siblings with frazzled moms and a very patient dad who had bathroom duty with all of these guys? As if that was not enough activity for one day we went to Oktoberfest in the evening with Uncle Randy and baby Lucus. Nathan had on his dancing shoes and enjoyed the freedom of being able to just run around.

First Hair Cut

Today was William’s first hair cut. Nick finally won out and we cut William’s hair, but only the top and sides. So my baby still has his curls in the back. Will did such a great job, he just loves to have his hair brushed and this was not that much removed. He sat still the whole time, I don't think he was ready for it to be done. So in the end we all win, he no longer looks quite so unruly and those cute little curls remain.

Good Day

Today was Nathan’s first parent teacher conference. We learned everything that we already knew about our little boy. He is doing great academically with his numbers, letters, sounds, shapes, gross and fine motor skills he is ahead of the curve. Socially, he is an active little boy who is still learning the manners and rules of the classroom. It was exciting to go and watch him in his environment and see him focus on projects with patients and diligents.


In the evening the family met up with Eric and Jen at Whispering Vines Winery for some cheese, crackers, fruit, wine, fun and of course chasing after children. The weather was beautiful and the sunset was gorgeous!


To round out our day we headed out to the QT in Glenpool for a bedtime snack. I know, I know, don’t call the nutrition police on me but two out of three meals isn’t bad, right? We kicked back, opened the windows, cranked up the High School Musical Two soundtrack and enjoyed the ride. The only thing the boys were interested in was getting a slushy. We couldn’t pass up the photo op of the two boys sharing their treat. And as a bonus we even got them to help us vacuum out the van.

Now that’s a good day!

Pumpkin Patch

We made the anual trip to the pumpkin patch today. Nathan and William got to see donkeys, horeses, pigs, geese, goats and even a camel and buffalo too before picking out the perfect pumpkin to bring home.

Enjoy these good days!

We all know that everyday has its challenges, but it seems that Nathan's days have been a little more challenging lately. I am still trying to figure out how to convince a four-year-old that listening is a necessity. Well, today we had our silver lining and days like today deserve a reflection. Nathan was a joy to have around in almost every instance today, he was happy just to be together. After picking Nathan up from Adventure Club he requested that we walk on the Riverwalk, so east we went to the river. The boys had a great time playing in the fountain, getting wet and running up and down the walkway. (Although, Will is now sporting a new bruise on his forhead.) We even ran into Uncle Eric while we were there! And on the way home, well....you know how Nathan is....this boy can't stay dirty (or wet as the case may be). You can't help but smile at the boy standing in his underwear while wringing out his socks before he can buckle up for the ride home.

Then later on in the evening after we dropped Geesie off at home he wanted to call Oma on her cell phone because he forgot to tell her something. Such a simple request could not be denied. I dialed the phone and handed it over and the poor guy wasn't sure who answered the phone and called Oma Geesie. That was all that was needed to start the confusion at the other end. Once Oma was put back on the phone the little guy did the same thing, it is amazing that he remember what he set out to say in the first place. All of his efforts were put forth to make sure that Oma knew that we saw Uncle Eric today at Riverwalk. Once he hung the phone up he took a few moments to digest the situation.

Then he said "Mom I accidentally called Oma Geesie. I called her Geesie twice. I am sorry mom."

I replied "That is okay, sometimes these things happen."

Nathan replied "Yeah, it was funny."

Life is good! I am truly blessed. I thank God for all of my riches.

ear plugs????

A conversation with a four year old is always interesting and today was no exception.

In the car Nathan was being reminded by Oma that he needs to use his listening ears.
Oma: Nathan you have two good ears and you need to use your listening ears to hear what your parents have to say and do what you are told.
Nathan: I do, but I don’t have a plug.
Oma: What kind of plug?
Nathan: You know the kind of plug that is in the wall with the holes. My listening ears don’t have a plug.

Disguise

We took the time to discuss Halloween costumes today and Nathan made his final decision. William was not to be left out and needed to try on something too. Ironically this costume did not make Nathan's final cut.

Brotherly Love

Everyone is okay

The day started off great. We were off to an early start and out of the house before eight. There were a couple of quick errands to be done before we dropped the boys off at Oma Blythe and Papa’s house for the morning. We made to the building in a timely fashion and got things unloaded and got things started. The guys were working on the drywall and I was working on finishing the trim while the other ladies were picking up some more supplies at the hardware store. Everything was moving along fine, everyone found their grove, the girls made it to the building and progress was being made. Then…it happened…Dad got a screw driven into his thumb. OUCH!!! A difficult task you might say, but there were two involved. Everything stopped, except for the fact that the screw had to be backed back out. Mom took Dad to the minor emergency center right away, and everything got quite in the building. Progress was much slower while we waited for news on Dad. Needless to say that many prayers were said. After a couple of long hours the x-ray showed that the bone was hit but everything should heal alright. Dad was given a tetanus shot, sterilizing soak, antibiotics and pain meds.

After that, lets just say that the lunch conversation was lively. Dad was more than a trooper. Progress at the building picked back up, and it can even be said that it was quite a productive day.

We have walls….

….well, almost. The framing is up, but the drywall and insulation will be installed later this week. Progress is being made and we continue to work towards our goal. Hopefully by the end of the weekend we will have a room where we can send the children to keep themselves entertained. Hey, a mom can dream, can’t she?

Will’s Words

It seems that daily William is surprising me with a new word. Here is a list of his current favorites:
Mama
Dada
Duck
Dog
Cat

Fish

Bubbles
Pleeeeeeeease! (Always said with his natural smirk)
Baby
Hello
Bye bye
Uh-oh
And of course his favorite dis (this), which encompasses anything that he wants and is almost always accompanied with a pointed finger.

He is continuing to adjust well to his time away from mom at mother’s day out. He insists on walking in and carrying his bag all by himself. It is quit the site. (As you can see in the picture above.) And if he sees his lunch box he insists on carrying that too, even though it knocks him over when he carries it. All is good until we get to the hallway where his classroom is and then he wants to be in mama’s arms. After that the transition goes fairly smoothly. Once he is in the room he motors around and enjoys playing with all of the new toys around them.

Achievements

Everyday progress is made, most days we just forget to reflect upon the day's events. Today Nathan came home from school with a paper and only his name was on it. But he had written it all by himself. Our little man makes great achievements everyday!

Will's First Krispy Kream

After school on Tuesday Will and I headed over to Krispy Kream for an afternoon pick me up. He seemed to aprove of the snack and dove right into the one with chocolate icing and sprikles.

Morning Routine

Open House

The central focus of our day today was Nathan's open house. Now since he is our first child, this is an exciting event. Little did we know the twist our day would take...

It was our usual hurried morning around here and somehow we ended up behind a tractor on the way to school, which is never a good thing. So Nathan was tardy to class for the first time. This meant that I had to walk Nathan into Grace and to his classroom. We unloaded out of the van, Nathan, William and I (and did I mention that we volunteered to bring a watermelon to class this week). I juggled my way in through security doors and all the while Nathan was fiercely complaining that he did not want me to go into his school.

Then in the afternoon Nick and I took the van to the shop with ample time to pick Nathan up from Adventure Club, grab a bite to eat and drop the kids by Oma's so that Nick and I can go to open house. Well...best laid plans...just after dropping off the van, Nick's car got a flat on the highway. To make maters worse, in the process of changing the tire two of the bolts broke. Thanks to some creative planning and route changes we were able to make it to pick up Nathan in time. (Thank you Geesie and Oma.)

We made it open house, but it was not the center of our day.