Bye to Preschool

I started Cole in preschool 2 mornings a week thinking he would really enjoy it. I was wrong. After 5 weeks of them having to pry him out of my car, I decided that was enough. He kept begging me to let him stay home with Noah and me. He was starting to have nightmares and calling out for me in the night. He was tired all of the time. The staff and his teacher, who are wonderful people, really seemed to think I just needed to give him some more time. After stressing over what to do, I just started to pray for wisdom to make the right decision for him. During a quiet time, I came across the verse Psalm 94:19 . . . "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul." I talked to Cole and decided to take him out of school. Looking back now, I probably should have done it sooner, as it was such the right decision. I am so thankful to have my sweet, happy, energetic little boy back. A three year old should certainly not be stressed out about school. Noah and I are quite happy to have him home with us every morning again too :)

Playing Around

My Little Walker

For the last couple of weeks, Noah has really started to walk a lot while pushing various things. His legs are getting strong, and he can really cover some ground. I am in awe of how quickly he is developing! He just wants to be right there with Cole, in the middle of whatever is going on; though, I think he enjoyed some extra one on one attention with me today while Cole was in school. He is really social too. Wherever we go, I catch him smiling or laughing at someone walking by who takes notice of him. He sure is a sweet baby!

Cole's 1st Day of School

Today was Cole's first day of preschool! I still can't believe he is three years old! He is only going two mornings a week, but it still was a big milestone for both of us. I tried to get a decent picture of him, but he didn't want to cooperate with a picture on top of everything else (understandably so), so I had to settle for some non-posed pictures. He did really well up until when I had to leave him in the classroom. Then, he started to cry. He does the same thing at church every week, and he always has a good time in his church class, so it didn't bother me all that much. His teacher just picked him up, and Noah and I left. I was doing pretty well until after we left Publix, and them I got a little choked up, especially when I came home and saw all of his tinker toy fans spread out all over the couch. The morning flew by, though, and I enjoyed some quality time with Noah. I picked him up in the line, and he looked so little waiting for me with his big red bag. He was most excited about the Hershey's kiss his teacher gave him for "being good." He said he liked it, but his biggest focus was the fact that I was taking him to Dan's Fan City and Panera. He brought his tinker toy fan to show Mark. We looked at a lot of fans and had a really nice lunch at Panera. I was so happy that he seemed to have a good day at school. I learned more throughout the day about how his day went . . . he went on the potty and pulled up his own pants, they played on the playground but it was wet, they listened to some music and ate crackers, Mrs. Spence read them a book called "The Kissing Hand," he got to pass out the napkins for the snack, and they all walked in a line. I think he is going to like school :)

Cole took a 3 hour nap this afternoon after we got home. We had a nice family evening. After Noah went to bed and Cole got out of the bath, I told him I had a surprise for him. I had set up a blanket on the floor in the living room with pillows and his blankets and my blanket, snacks, and drinks, and then I told him we could watch a little something together. His whole body shook he was so excited and his little face just lit up! He picked Baby Einstein to watch. I think it is so cute how he still likes to watch the movies he's had since he was a baby. He makes all kinds of funny commentary about what's on them. Brian sat on the palette with us too, and Cole was in hog heaven with all the attention. After about 15 minutes, he stood up and said, "That's enough TV; now we can play." Cole commented, "We are having SO much fun!" I couldn't have agreed more. It was a precious time.

Noah got his top two teeth a couple weeks ago and looks so cute with two on top and two on bottom. He is such an active and happy little guy. Cole and I lovingly call him "Destructo Baby" and "Wild Man" because he knocks down anything in his path and already tries to wrestle with Cole. He loves to cuddle too, though, which I always enjoy. He has started to say DaDa and BaBa and some other things . . . such a cute, little voice :) Both boys love to play the piano together. They look adorable sitting next to each other, giggling back and forth. I am so blessed!

School

We went to Cole's school today for an open house to meet his teacher and see his classroom. His teacher seems really nice and is actually a Furman graduate :) I know it will be hard for both of us the first few weeks, but I think if he gives it a chance, he we really love it. I think he will especially like the part where they all get jobs to do, as he loves to be a helper. He starts the day after Labor Day, which is in one week. I can't wait to hear all about his first day!

Zaccheus

Cole climbed his first tree last week and was so proud of himself. He still keeps telling everyone that he climbs trees now. The first thing he said when he climbed the tree was, "Mommy, I'm just like Zaccheus." He is so cute!

The Dentist

Cole had his first dentist appointment today, and he did so well! Perhaps telling him we could check out the Dan's Fan City up in New Tampa if he did a good job helped a little :) Actually, though, the dental assistant and dentist were wonderful too. Such a kid friendly place! The dentist reminded me of a cross between Robin Williams in Patch Adams and Dr. Janet. He talked to Cole's stuffed animal, Curious George, and blew up exam gloves to make balloons. Cole loved him! Cole looked like such a big boy sitting in the exam chair all by himself. It was funny . . . as soon as the dentist came up, Cole just opened his mouth really wide. He was adorable and very talkative. We, then, of course, checked out the Dan's Fan City in that neck of the woods and did lunch at Panera. Noah was perfect the entire time too. It really was a wonderful morning with my boys :)

Milwaukee Trip - July 2010

I never got around to posting some of the pictures from our trip to Milwaukee at the end of July. We sure had a wonderful visit with my Grandma, Aunt Patty, Uncle Dennis, Terry, Kim, and Wesley. Aunt Patty and Uncle Dennis took us all into their home and were such gracious hosts. Cole even got to sleep in a tent in the basement! We enjoyed some delicious meals, Scrabble games, and just good family time. It was also a special time that the boys and I got to spend with my Dad. I sure was thankful to have him there, as he was a huge help with Noah on the plane and during the night. We got to see my Grandma's new apartment too. Getting to see Wesley again was also alot of fun. He is about 3 months younger than Noah but certainly outweighs him already :) What a blessing it was for my boys and me to get to spend some quality time with our family!

Best Friends

My boys love each other so much! Cole still tells Noah all the time, "We're going to be best friends." By and large, Cole is very sweet to his little brother. He occasionally forgets how small he is and knocks him over, but it is usually just because he is trying to play with him. Cole likes to be the first one to go in to see Noah when he wakes up in the morning and from naps. I love watching them on the video monitor. Cole walks in, turns off the fan, and says, "Mister Noah! Hey, Buddy! Did you wake up?" He sounds just like me :) Then, of course, Noah goes crazy and gets so excited too. I truly am blessed!

Cole's Mind

Every day Cole cracks me up with the things he says, usually very seriously. Here are just a few of them . . .

One day last week, I was getting him ready to paint outside on the back porch and was changing him into "dirty clothes." He tells me, "Mommy, I don't need pants on. Some kids like to paint without pants."

A couple days ago, he made a fan out of tinker toys and was showing it to me. He emphatically tells me, "Mommy, you can only touch the motor, not the blades. These blades are VERY expensive."

Today, I told him we could get him a wallet for some of his money and change. He replies, as if I am totally clueless on the matter, "Mommy, I'm not a big person. Little guys don't have wallets."

This morning, I was letting Noah crawl around the bathroom while I got ready. Noah always likes to play with the scale and puts his hands on it to make the numbers appear. Cole observed, "Mommy, Noah is seeing how big his hands are."

I'm sure I will think of many more, but those are just a few that give you a look into Cole's little mind :)

July 2010

Deep Thoughts by Cole

Today as I was putting Cole down for his nap, he mentioned that our house was kind of small. I used the opportunity to tell him how blessed we are to have our house. I explained that Daddy and Mommy work so we can have a house, food, etc. I told him that some kids and families don't even have houses or enough food. That opened the floodgate of questions . . . why don't they have houses? do they live in apartments? why don't their Daddy's just go to work? can't they just stay at work all night? why don't they just buy food?

After some explaining, I mentioned we should pray for people who are poor and can't feed their kids. He said, "Let's do that now, Mommy." After we prayed, he asked me, "Can't the birds bring them food." He was remembering the story of Elijah, and how during the drought, God brought Elijah food via the birds. Such a deep thinker I have!

The Best Words

I tell both of my boys all the time how much I love them. Frequently, I will say to Cole, "You know something?" and then answer, "Mommy loves you." The other day I hugged him and said, "You know something, Cole?" He got a big smile on his face and said,"I love you too, Mommy."

My Baby is 3!

Cole turned 3 years old today! I still can't believe how fast the last 3 years have gone! I so enjoy getting to be his mom and watching him grow. He is really into imaginary play lately, and we have all kinds of imaginary friends around the house. He loves it when I make his different stuffed animals talk too. It is so funny how much he opens up to Pluto or Stitch. He told Ming Ming the other day, "I take a shower now because I'm a big boy."

We had such a wonderful day together. We spent last night over at my parents' house, so this morning when he woke up, I made him some cinnamon rolls (his favorite). Then, he went on a treasure hunt for the presents I had hidden. My mom watched Noah, and Cole and I played in the pool for a while. We laughed SO much! Then I took him to Dan's Fan City, of course. He named EVERY fan in the whole store. After we came home, we ate dinner with Brian and Noah, and then let Cole open the rest of his presents. When Cole saw all of the presents, he commented, "That sure was nice of them to get me presents." He got books, play-doh, games, a puzzle, a boat for the pool, clothes, balls, LEGOs, gift cards, money, an ice cream truck, and a blue harmonica. We at chocolate cake and then all played on the bed for a while and read some of his new books. It really was a great day :)

I sure love my little boy and thank God daily for him. He makes me laugh and smile constantly!

Dan's Fan City: Part 2

Here is Cole, in all his glory, at no, not Disney World or even Busch Gardens, but yes, Dan's Fan City. Grandma took Cole to the one near their house, and he got to meet Dan there (don't know if it is THE Dan). Anyway, since Cole has essentially memorized the catalog, he knew all the names of the fans in the store. Apparently, other customers were quite tickled and were even asking Cole the names of some of the fans. My mom says she couldn't get Cole to leave, and even after they left, he stood at the door and had to stare a little longer (see picture above). He is just too funny about the fans. When he got home, he told me all about the fans . . . "Mommy, they had a Tiki and an Uno and a Luna. And, Dan knows Mark and Mark knows Dan!" Mark works at the store near us, and Cole was just amazed that they knew each other. Hilarious!

We celebrated Cole's 3rd birthday today at Pump it Up. We decided to have it 9 days early so that Brian's parents could come while they are down visiting. We all had a great time. About 20 of Cole's friends, plus most of their parents, some relatives, and family friends all helped us celebrate the occasion. Cole had a wonderful time! He only would do the bounce house and not any of the inflatable slides, but he still had a lot of fun with all of his friends. He particularly enjoyed the pizza and cupcakes with all of his friends.

I still can't believe my little baby is going to be 3 years old next week! I just can't believe how fast time is flying! Sometimes I want to slow him down, but I so enjoy watching him grow and learn new things too. Cole is such an amazing little boy! His intelligence and comprehension of some pretty complicated things blows me away! I can't wait to spend this next year watching him grow and develop more. He is also such a sweet boy with the kindest heart. He is always bringing toys for Noah to play with, he always wants me to be happy, and he loves to snuggle together. He frequently will get his blankets, lay on the couch, and say, "Mommy, do you want to come snuggle with me?" Just the two of us had dinner together tonight while Noah napped and Brian was out with his parents. We sat out on the back porch and had such a great time. I let him have a cupcake after dinner, and he said, "Thank you for the cupcake, Mommy." Then, when I was putting him to bed, he started asking me how old different people are. I told him how old B-Pa is, and he replies, "Wow! He sure is growing up!" So cute! I could go on and on with Cole stories forever, but I should probaby get some sleep. Suffice it to say . . . I love my little Colby so very, very much!

The Sick House

A stomach virus hit our two boys this week. Thankfully, Cole only had it one day, but it has lingered a little longer for poor Noah. Cole didn't seem too bothered by the whole thing, probably because I insisted that he rest on the couch and watch Blues Clues. I usually limit him to one show a day, but with the vomiting, I wanted to try to keep him still and in one place. He was so good about telling me, "Mommy, I have to throw up," and not once, did he miss the bucket :) Noah was a little more of a challenge! They are both feeling pretty good now . . . we are all just a little stir crazy, so hopefully, the rain will stop so we can all get outside.

Noah turns 6 months!

Noah turned 6 months old today. It is so hard to believe 6 months have flown by already! After kind of a rough first few months, Noah really is such a happy and healthy baby, praise the Lord! He smiles and laughs all the time, particularly when Cole or Brian act goofy. He started doing the combat crawl a few weeks ago and now can really move wherever he wants to go. He can sit by himself for short periods of time too. He also loves to eat! Sweet potatoes, pears, prunes, squash, apples, bananas . . . he sure is enjoying his solid food. We certainly are so thankful for such a wonderful little boy! What a blessing to get to spend each day watching he and Cole grow up together :)

Dan's Fan City

Cole continues to have an incredible fascination with fans. He knows just about every restaurant and store in Tampa that has fans, what they look like, and if they are usually on or off. I took him to Dan's Fan City for the second time today, and again, he was just in awe. He has their catalog and we read it regularly. He now knows some of the names of the fans, so when we went today, he pointed out the "Uno" fan that only has one blade. The owner of the store was pretty delighted :) He is such an adorable little guy . . . I just love watching him get so excited about the fans. His whole body exudes excitement :)

Potty Training Success

After just 2 days of potty training, Cole got it down pat. Last week, Tuesday through Thursday we just stayed home, and every 10-30 minutes I put him on the potty. Wednesday night, he had it down pretty well :) It helped that Brian had "The Store," as Cole got really in to picking out a prize each time he went. Now, I am going to have to figure out a way to eventually break the news to him that he cannot get a prize every time he goes on the potty for the rest of his life :) I sure am proud of him though, and still just can't believe it's done. He even has been dry at night for about 5 nights now in row and no accidents in 6 days. He uses public restrooms well too, which is more than I can say for myself as a child. My mom says I used to gag in public restrooms because of the smell :)

Noah learning to crawl

Brothers

I so enjoy watching my boys play together! Cole loves to help me with Noah too, whether it be feeding him or entertaining him on the floor. They are just so cute together :)

Potty Training

I just started getting more serious about potty training with Cole the last few days. I figured he will be 3 in just a few weeks, so it's probably time. There have been some tears and he has been a little resistant, but overall, I am very proud of the effort he is making. He, like me, is very resistant to change, so this has been a challenge. We went to Target last night and let him pick out a bunch of underwear. He picked out Mickey Mouse and Sesame Street. Brian also got a bunch of little prizes (matchbox cars, stickers, balloons, etc.) and turned our china cabinet into the store (what Cole calls "the Stuff Mart"). Whenever Cole successfully goes on the toilet, he gets to pick something out from the store. He is so cute . . . after he went the first time today, he picked out a balloon for himself and for me so we could play together. We make a pretty big deal when he goes, so hopefully, he will hang in there and stay motivated despite the accidents. It's amazing how suddenly he seems like such a big boy to me! We have been homebound for the last few days to focus on our efforts, but I must admit, we have really enjoyed just playing together around the house. I so love playing all of the imaginary games with Cole. What a blessing to get to share all of these moments with him! He is such a sweet child with the kindest heart!

June 2010

We have enjoyed having my sister and her family in town the last couple weeks. The kids all love playing together so much, and it's sure fun to watch them all together. I just wish we lived closer! Noah got such a kick out of all the kids and had a constant smile on his face when they were around. Cole ate up all the attention too :)

More Cousins - Summer 2010