The Hobbs' Happenings

No Title Needed...

2012-02-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

...especially when you are this CUTE!!! Seriously, the outfit says it all and I can't tell you how many compliments he got:) Even when he drives us crazy...he's still a rockstar;)

25 Rules for Boys

2012-02-02T17:12:00.001-07:00

I found this today and just had to share:)

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 25 Rules for Mothers of Sons

Inspired by a Pin I've recently seen about "rules for dads with daughters," I went searching for a similar list for moms with sons. This search was mostly fruitless, so I was inspired to write my own Rules for Moms with Sons. Granted, my list will not be conclusive and may not be entirely uncontroversial. So agree, or disagree, or take with a grain of salt - but I hope to inspire other moms who are loving, and struggling, and tired, and proud, and eager to support the boys in their lives. You are the most important woman in his life, his first teacher, and the one he will look to for permission for the rest of his life. From "Can I go play with them?" to "Should I ask her to marry me?" Its a big job, but as the mumma, we're up for it.

25 Rules for Moms with Sons

Source: pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com via Tabitha on Pinterest

1. Teach him the words for how he feels.

Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment. He'll cry from fear and bite out of excitement. Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference. Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion. Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.

2. Be a cheerleader for his life

There is no doubt that you are the loudest person in the stands at his t-ball games. There is no doubt that he will tell you to "stop, mom" when you sing along to his garage band's lyrics. There is no doubt that he will get red-faced when you show his prom date his pictures from boy scouts. There is no doubt that he is not telling his prom date about your blog where you've been bragging about his life from his first time on the potty to the citizenship award he won in ninth grade. He will tell you to stop. He will say he's embarrassed. But he will know that there is at least one person that is always rooting for him.

3. Teach him how to do laundry

..and load the dishwasher, and iron a shirt. He may not always choose to do it. He may not ever have to do it. But someday his wife will thank you.

Source: offbeatmama.com via offbeatmama on Pinterest

4. Read to him and read with him.

Emilie Buchwald said, "Children become readers on the laps of their parents." Offer your son the opportunity to learn new things, believe in pretend places, and imagine bigger possibilities through books. Let him see you reading...reading the paper, reading novels, reading magazine articles. Help him understand that writing words down is a way to be present forever. Writers are the transcribers of history and memories. They keep a record of how we lived at that time; what we thought was interesting; how we spoke to each other; what was important. And Readers help preserve and pass along those memories.

5. Encourage him to dance.

Dance, rhythm, and music are cultural universals. No matter where you go, no matter who you meet - they have some form of the three. It doesn't have to be good. Just encourage your son that when he feels it, it's perfectly fine to go ahead and bust a move.

6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity.

The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like Batman and LaMarr Woodley) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he also knows about men who kick a$s because of their brains (Albert Einstein), and their pen (Mark Twain), and their words (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and their determination (Team Hoyt), and their ideas (The Wright Brothers), and their integrity (Officer Frank Shankwitz), and fearlessness (Neil Armstrong), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (Jackie Robinson).

7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity

The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like Daphne Blake, Princess Jasmine, and Britney Spears) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (Madame Marie Curie), and their pen (Harper Lee), and their words (Eleanor Roosevelt), and their determination (Anne Sullivan), and their ideas (Oprah Winfrey), and their integrity (Miep Gies), and fearlessness (Ameila Earhart), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (Aung San Suu Kyi).

8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity.

You already are all of those things. If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing anything - remember this: If you have done any of the following: a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering...you are a superhero. do not doubt yourself for one second. Seriously.

Source: simplymontessori.blogspot.com via Terry-Anne on Pinterest

9. Teach him to have manners

because its nice. and it will make the world a little better of a place.

Source: swagbucks.com via Adriana on Pinterest

10. Give him something to believe in

Because someday he will be afraid, or nervous, or heartbroken, or lost, or just need you, and you won't be able to be there. Give him something to turn to when it feels like he is alone, so that he knows that he will never be alone; never, never, never.

Source: theberry.com via Chris on Pinterest

11. Teach him that there are times when you need to be gentle

like with babies, and flowers, and animals, and other people's feelings.

Source: heatherbeadles.com via Heather on Pinterest

12. Let him ruin his clothes

Resolve to be cool about dirty and ruined clothes. You'll be fighting a losing battle if you get upset every time he ruins another piece of clothing. Don't waste your energy being angry about something inevitable. Boys tend to learn by destroying, jumping, spilling, falling, and making impossible messes. Dirty, ruined clothes are just par for the course.

13. Learn how to throw a football

or how to use a hockey stick, or read music, or draw panda bears (or in my case alpacas), or the names of different train engines, or learn to speak Elvish, or recognize the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin, or the lyrics to his favorite song. Be in his life, not as an observer but as an active participant.

Source: shanna-kaye.com via Shanna-Kaye on Pinterest

14. Go outside with him

turn off the television, unplug the video games, put your cellphone on the charger, even put your camera away. Just go outside and follow him around. Watch his face, explore his world, and let him ask questions. It's like magic.

15. Let him lose

Losing sucks. Everybody isn't always a winner. Even if you want to say, "You're a winner because you tried," don't. He doesn't feel like a winner, he feels sad and crappy and disappointed. And that's a good thing, because sometimes life also sucks, no matter how hard (as moms) we try to make it not suck for our kids. This practice will do him good later when he loses again (and again, and again, and again, and again.....) Instead make sure he understands that - sometimes you win - sometimes you lose. But that doesn't mean you ever give up.

Source: None via Emma on Pinterest

16. Give him opportunities to help others

There is a big difference in giving someone the opportunity to help and forcing someone to help. Giving the opportunity lights a flame in the heart and once the help is done the flame shines brighter and asks for more opportunities. Be an example of helping others in your own actions and the way your family helps each other and helps others together.
Source: data.whicdn.com via Meagan on Pinterest

17. Remind him that practice makes perfect.

This doesn't just apply to performance-based activities (like sports and music) but also applies to everything in life. You become a better writer by writing. You become a better listener by listening. You become better speaker by speaking. Show your son this when he is just young enough to understand (that means from birth, folks - they are making sense of the world as soon as they arrive), practice trick-or-treating at your own front door before the real thing. Practice how you will walk through airport security before a trip. Practice how you order your own food from the fast food cashier. Practice, practice, practice.

18. Answer him when he asks, "Why?"

Answer him, or search for the answer together. Show him the places to look for the answers (like his dad, or grandparents, or his aunts/uncles, or his books, or valid internet searches). Pose the question to him so he can begin thinking about answers himself. Someday, when he needs to ask questions he's too embarrassed to ask you - he'll know where to go to find the right answers.

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Maegan on Pinterest

19. Always carry band-aids and wipes on you.

especially the wipes.

Source: babyhold.com via Katie on Pinterest

20. Let his dad teach him how to do things

...without interrupting about how to do it the 'right way.' If you let his dad show and teach and discover with your son while he is growing up, some day down the road (after a short period of your son believing his dad knows nothing), he will come to the realization that his dad knows everything. You will always be his mother, but in his grown-up man heart and mind, his dad will know the answers. And this will be how, when your son is too busy with life to call and chat with his mom, you will stay connected to what is happening in his life. Because he will call his dad for answers, and his dad will secretly come and ask you.

Source: familyfun.go.com via Kate on Pinterest

21. Give him something to release his energy

drums, a pen, a punching bag, wide open space, water, a dog. Give him something to go crazy with - or he will use your stuff. and then you'll be sorry.
Source: bleubirdvintage.typepad.com via Marybess on Pinterest

22. Build him forts

Forts have the ability to make everyday normal stuff into magic. Throw the couch cushions, a couple blankets, and some clothespins and you can transform your living room into the cave of wonders. For the rest of his life, he'll be grateful to know that everyday normal stuff has the potential to be magical.

Source: None via Tabitha on Pinterest

23. Take him to new places

Because it will make his brain and his heart open up wider, and the ideas and questions and memories will rush in.
Source: None via Anne on Pinterest

24. Kiss him

Any mother of sons will tell you that little boys are so loving and sweet. They can be harsh and wild and destructive during most of the day. But there are these moments when they are so kind and sensitive and tender. So much so that it can cause you to look around at the inward, reserved grown men in your life and think, 'what happens in between that made you lose that?' Let's try to stop the cycle by kissing them when they're loving and kissing them even more when they're wild. Kissing them when they're 2 months and kissing them when they're 16 years old. You're the mom - you can go ahead and kiss him no matter how big he gets - and make sure he knows it. p.s. (this one is just as important for dad's too).

Source: smallesthings.blogspot.com via Sherry on Pinterest

25. Be home base

You are home to him. When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back. When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile. When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you're the only one who will listen that many times. When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands. When he is sick, he will call you. When he really messes up, he will call you. When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious. Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun. Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place.

What do healthy families eat on Saturday???

2012-02-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes of course!!! We found an amazing bakery in a small town not far from us and splurged on 4 HUGE cupcakes! $16 later we had happy bellies and 2 happy little boys (1 happy big boy too). It was a good outing:)

Our First Snow...

2012-01-22T17:53:00.001-07:00

...on the island, that is. We got hit with a pretty good storm yesterday. We haven't seen snow in over a year and we were really excited about that! Kai was eager to get out in it, but the rest of us just watched him from the window:) He's a brave little man that loves to help out his dad with the shoveling:) Needless to say, we didn't leave the house at all yesterday. It was a good day with the family:)

Christmas With Grandpa...

2012-01-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

Really? It's already 2012 and I haven't even blogged about our Christmas??? I guess that shows how busy we've been! We started our Christmas Eve with picking up Grandpa from the airport around 5pm. Once we got home and settled in a bit we had our fondue dinner and opened a few gifts. We were just SO happy to have Grandpa here all the way from Oregon! We never have family on the holidays:(

Kai was ready to go!

This is a rare photo...all 4 of us in one shot! (or should I say 5 with Chloe:))

It's a little blurry, but Kai handmade us a little robin out of clay.

Christmas morning! Thankfully, Grandpa did a much better job with getting pictures! These are all his!

During Grandpa's visit we took the train into the city. Not the smartest thing to do the day before New Year's Eve. What a nut town! This was us at Central Park. It was a beautiful day!

We took the boys to the Natural History Museum...only an 1 1/2 hour wait! They really wanted to see the amazing dinosaur exhibit.

It was worth the wait!

A shot of Dad and I in the middle of all the madness!

This is only a small part of the crowd. Seriously, what were we thinking!

Rockefeller Square

We walked a ton in the city and we also walked a lot around our neighborhood. It was a beautiful Christmas without ANY snow! Only sunshine here:)

It was a great visit and of course it flew by as they always do:( Wishing everyone a wonderful new year!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2011-12-24T09:33:00.001-07:00

...are these two adorable, excited and extremely cute little boys that are wishing everyone a very merry Christmas. Since I didn't do a Christmas card this year (less stressful), I thought these pictures could take it's place. Merry Christmas Eve and know that you are loved so very much all the way from NY:)

Look who visited our street:)

2011-12-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

As we were leaving for Kale's last sports class on Saturday I noticed a sign at the end of our street that read, 'Santa Stops Here.' I was super excited!!! And the boys were too:) I've never lived in an area where Santa actually came to visit! It was a very pleasant start to our day:)

Santa and Mrs. Claus brought the entire gang!

Kale was quick to let the Big Guy know just what to bring him. Thankfully, it didn't change from when we visited him the week before!

Firetrucks, sled and all!

Kai and his pal, Luke:)

He stayed for about 1/2 hour and made our morning:) Now we just need Christmas to come:)

Finding Kale...

2011-12-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

It would appear that we have another animal hoarder in the house. This is how we found Kale last night at bed time. It was tempting to leave him this way, but the thought of suffocation scared me a bit! I just hope his collection doesn't grow as big as his brother's. His room is not big enough!

Kale's 3!!!

2011-12-12T12:58:00.003-07:00

It's hard to believe that Kale turned 3 on December 3rd. It feels like yesterday that he was just a newborn getting ready for his first Christmas! But he's the sweetest 3 year old that you'll ever meet...potty trained, funny as heck, makes the cutest faces, and talks like a champ! We're so lucky to have such an adorable and fun loving boy in our family:)

We had his grandparents in from California so we all went to the aquarium for the afternoon. It wasn't the largest aquarium, but Kale had a great time with all the animals.

The stingray tank was our favorite! We spent a lot of time here. Kale was a little frightened by them because
they would swim up the side looking for food.

We took Kale out to lunch and then headed home for some cake and presents:) Daddy made his cake this year and it was super cute! Kale wanted a green dinosaur and of course daddy delivered!

That is such a sweet face! As we all sang to him he'd keep turning his head and smiling because he was being a little shy:) Seriously, the sweetest 3 year old ever!

And he made his wish!

Happy Birthday, Kale!!! We love you!!!

Thanksgiving Week...

2011-12-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

A little on the late side (seems to be my new thing lately), but here's a glimpse of our Thanksgiving week. We had a musical performance at Kai's school on Wednesday that was ADORABLE! I did take a few short videos, but I can't guarantee when I'll get to posting it. Kai was a Native American and did such a great job of singing all the songs! He usually clams up in front of an audience, but on this day he just shined! :) You can spot him in the center of the picture with the super sweet smile from ear to ear:)

After the play Kai had a small 'feast' in his classroom. Kale was more than happy to participate in this one! He loves to sit at Kai's desk and Kai loves to have his little brother in his class:) In the picture below Kai is showing off his place mat that we made at home of all the things he's thankful for.

I wish I had a bunch of pictures from the Macy's day parade, but we chickened out the night before! It would have been a super early morning for us with the kids (up at 5am) to get to the train and then arrive in the city only to maybe see the parade. So we cuddled up at home and watched it live and got to see it all:) We'll try next year and go the night before and watch them blow up the balloons! Hey, we're new to this:)

But on Friday night we walked our downtown Main Street to see Santa! We visited two of his reindeer, enjoyed some hot tea and hot chocolate, walked the beautiful harbor and then waited for the big man to arrive.

I tried to capture some of the fabulous lights out on the water with all the boats, but I just can't figure out my camera at night. So this is what I got!

It's not the Macy's parade, but it'll have to do!

And this is all we wanted to see:)

Oh, and a little pit stop for the 100% potty trained Kale:)

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend filled with some stress free holiday shopping:)

Sunday (night) Sillies

2011-11-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

I bought the boys dino slippers today and they were SO excited that I thought I'd share what our evening looked like:) They picked their pj's out on their own and of course they match:)

Then the wild rumpus began!

I had them say 'Rawr' but Kale shouted 'egg-NOGGGG' Cracked us up!

Then Kai had to bust the eggnog out of the fridge:)

Just had to share a couple of hilarious little boys to help get you in the mood for another Monday:) I do hope it helped:)

Thanksgiving

2011-11-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

Next Thursday is the big Macy's Day Parade and we're just crazy enough to take the kids and go! I mean, why not? We're only an hour away by train (which the boys love to ride), and there's only going to be a gazillion people there. So you never know...you just may spot us on TV! I'll be the frantic mom who thinks she's just lost her children! Wish us luck!

Happy Monday:)

2011-11-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hello, Monday!!! The weekend came and went...the time change kicked us in the rear. Both kids were up at 6:00 yesterday so we had a jump start to the day (not that we wanted it). I had laundry going by 8! It felt like the longest day ever and I'm just hoping it doesn't take too many days to get them back on their regular wake time of 7. Today wasn't much better so maybe tomorrow???

I took this picture a couple weeks ago. I went to check on him at bedtime and found him smothered in his animals. I guess the kid doesn't need blankets!

Have a great week and enjoy the darkness at 5pm...not my favorite!!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T17:57:00.000-06:00

Our Halloween day started off in the afternoon at Kai's school. They had a parade to show off those cute costumes and then a class party. It was a great start to my favorite holiday!

Kai was super excited when he saw all of us standing there waiting for him to walk by:)

Kai's class party...brother was happy to attend! Kai loved showing off his classroom to him.

The ride home. Sweet big brother, Kai shared his vampire teeth and they both had a giggly ride home!

My Dino and Zebra getting ready for some serious trick-or-treating! We wait for it to be almost dark so we can experience the spooky fun of Halloween. Seriously, we had kids knocking on our door at 3:30!!! Who goes out that early???

Kai really wanted to show off his tail.

Chloe joined in on the fun this year! Her bat wings were a hit with our fellow trick-or-treaters...although some thought she was a butterfly! (on a side note-had one guy say you 'girls' look great...he turned and looked at us...'or boys?' Really????)

Our first house of the night. They were both mesmerized by the crystal ball that was lit up and talking.

We had a great day and night! It's always so fun to take them out. There were many houses that Kale would say, 'Mommy come with me that house too spooky.' This is such a special age!!!

Happy Halloween...a few days late:)

Daddy is cRaFtY!

2011-10-30T18:24:00.000-06:00

Daddy decided to get crafty today and make pumpkin cake pops with the kids. It made quite the mess, but they had a fabulous time making them:) They turned out really cute!

Kai LOVES doing anything in the kitchen...and it helps that it was CAKE!

Then, later this evening it was time to carve our pumpkins! We lost two to the squirrels outside:( Thankfully we had four left...just enough for all of us:)

Kale was not in the mood for his picture. I'm still not sure why he even sat his grumpy butt down! :)

Tomorrow's activities: Halloween parade at Kai's school followed by a party, our village trick or treating, and then meeting up with friends for our neighborhood trick or treating! It's going to be a fun packed day!

Animal story time

2011-10-27T12:22:00.000-06:00

Both boys have been reading to the animals a lot lately. I wonder if they learned this from us;)

Geesh...Rose is HUGE!

Chloe better be paying attention! He's a super reader:)

Our lil' pumpkin pickers

2011-10-20T16:26:00.000-06:00

A couple weekends ago we made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch (geez, I'm that behind in my blogging?). It was a beautiful fall day...seriously, 80 degrees that day! I had to do a little investigating to find a patch this year. It was good, but nothing compared to our normal Becker Farms that we love so much. But it was a great drive to the east side of the island that we haven't gotten to see yet. No wagon, no animals to pet, and no cookies at the end, but it was still a great day:)

Picking pumpkins in shorts??? Crazy!

Just as round as his cheeks:)

Thankful for daddy as he carried our FULL bag of pumpkins to the car in the heat!

I'm hoping to get some carving done soon:) We just need to wait a little to see if the heat goes away so it doesn't rot our pumpkins!

Fall is here!

2011-10-15T16:37:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we decided to celebrate the coming of Fall by taking our local train into the city. Mikey and I have been there once before, but it was prior to the boys (I was 5 months pregnant with Kai). We weren't sure how they'd do with all the walking, crowds of people, and everything else that comes with a big city. But we did it anyway! We had a wonderful day and the Fall weather couldn't of been better...80 degrees!

They each brought a few things to do while we were on the train. It's just a little over an hour of a ride, but it can get boring when you're 6 & 2.

Books are always welcomed!

Anxiously awaiting the train.

The Toys R Us was jammed packed, but we managed to walk it all and they both loved the T-Rex!

Time Square on a Fall day is fabulous...as are my boys:)

Happy Fall Y'all!!!
Btw...they both did fantastic! We were extremely impressed with how many miles Kai walked! We did bring our stroller for Kale (his legs are shorter), but they both walked right along side us:) We can't wait to go back and see the lighting of the Christmas tree!

Becoming a big boy

2011-10-05T12:43:00.000-06:00

Kale wanted to try big boy undies a few weeks ago so of course we were all over it. Unfortunately, the pink Dora undies he wanted wouldn't of fit very well so he got Thomas and Diego instead (seriously, this kid LOVES pink):) It's still a day by day sorta thing...if we're not crazy busy, that is. Some days he gets it and then there are the ones where he ends up in a diaper again. We're just not those parents who can be in lockdown for a week to get him potty trained. He'll get there on his own:)

I was just happy he let me take a picture of all his cuteness:)

Kale's first sports class!

2011-10-03T18:13:00.000-06:00

We signed Kale up in a kids youth sports program ages 1-3. Each Saturday for 45 minutes they participate in an obstacle course, throwing, running and climbing. They then transition into a different sport. This particular class was t-ball. He loves going and having his own thing for the first time that involves his love of sports. Over the weekend he learned some basketball skills...how to pass from his chest. There's only a few little guys in the class which is perfect for him. Kai helps out from time to time, but this is Kale's class. For once Kai has to be the one watching from the side lines:)

Soccer is in full swing!

2011-09-22T17:45:00.001-06:00

Once we moved to Northport we knew we needed to get Kai signed up for soccer before the teams filled up. We hadn't even finished unpacking and we're rushing to his first game! It's his first time playing outdoors and so we scrambled to find him cleats. It's not easy juggling all this in a new place! We had a great time watching him on the field. He tries really hard, and we only saw him do his signature arm flying a couple times:) I just like to see him all dressed up in his uniform...even cuter now with that missing tooth!

10 year European Cruise!

2011-09-19T18:09:00.000-06:00

It's not like me at all to wait so long to post such an amazing trip! This was how we spent our 10 year anniversary, which was last month...feels like forever. We visited 3 different countries...Italy, France and ended in Spain. It was our first time away from the boys for this amount of time. It wasn't as hard to be away from them as I first thought it would be (does that make me a horrible mom for saying that?). We knew they were in great hands with Nana...pure peace of mind as I'm sure she was losing hers:)

This isn't going to be a long post. At this moment I can't even remember all the cities we visited. All I remember is having an absolutely wonderful time with my husband and we really needed it.

The Cannes Festival. It was fun to visit and to see all the celebrity star hand prints that were around the building. Great shopping (too expensive), and fun to walk around in.

We were super excited to find an original Mini Cooper! People probably thought we were very strange for taking a picture with it, but we knew the kids would love it:)

Our ship!

Seriously, I have no idea where this is, but isn't it beautiful?

One of many beach days we had. We loved to people watch because it's very entertaining! I've seen enough men in speedos to last a life time!

The churches were really crowded so we didn't even try to go in any. But they were simply gorgeous!

Did you think we wouldn't find a Starbucks??? Us???

We took the longest hike in Barcelona (we seriously walked 25 miles that day...no joke) to the top of the Olympic center to check out the torch. It was an amazing view and to see something like this in person is impressive.

On this day we rented a car to tour the island (again, not sure where we are). We ended up eating dinner on the shore and enjoyed some quiet time away from all the tourists!

This was our last evening on the ship and also our official anniversary:)

Even though I may not know where we were (I blame this move) we truly had a wonderful time together. We walked the cities together, shopped, enjoyed the simplicity of life without any extra stress of the kids. It took a lot for me to even go on this trip because I was so worried about being away from them. I now know how important it is to take 'us' time. It gave us a chance to breathe before we moved (during a hurricane) and uprooted our kids from all that they knew. How I wish I could go back now because I really need a vacation!!!

A little catch up...

2011-09-13T17:02:00.000-06:00

Kai on his first day of school last week. He looked super cute and was SO nervous that his attitude was showing a little (he didn't want to go). But he had a great day and we are thrilled with his new school. He comes home every day with smiles and stories from the day and that means the world to us! First grade is going to be great:)

Here's a glimpse of what we get to enjoy every day! It's a long walk...5 minutes from our house!!!

I couldn't resist a picture of myself with my beautiful beach behind me:) Besides, I'm never in any pictures so this is the only way to get one!

The boys, and Chloe too, went for a little swim. The water is nice in the evening and they could spend hours in it. Chloe was running like a 6 month old puppy in the water!

Chloe is annoyed that she's back on her leash. She's a tough one to catch with all the birds around. She doesn't exactly come when she's called...she's too busy following her nose.

Now that you've seen what our neighborhood beach is like what are you waiting for? I'm sure tickets aren't that much and I'm pretty sure MANY of you have said you'd come visit once we moved. Isn't this post enticing??? :)

A Come Back...

2011-09-09T15:44:00.000-06:00

I finally have internet...hurray! So here's a quick picture-less post to let everyone know that we're moved, unpacked (almost), and I'll be blogging again in no time. I feel so out of the loop! I still have to blog about our trip to Europe, which feels like a lifetime ago! So keep checking back in:)

Kai's 6th Birthday!

2011-08-15T13:54:00.000-06:00

I took these pictures of Kai once we got home from camping on the 4th. Our mail was held and they delivered it on this day and he got a ton! He opened his cards and presents right as he walked in the door!

He REALLY wanted a new hamster cage (yes, we replaced the eaten hamster a few weeks ago). So him and daddy got it all set up and his little hamster loves it too! (thanks, Grandma!)

Kai got some other fun stuff too! The batman cave was an instant hit! (thanks, Nana & Poppi)

Lucky for Kale...someone thought of him too:)

I can hardly believe he's 6!

Now this is for Kai's Pirate party that we had last Sunday. Daddy made the cupcakes!
Before...

...after!!! They turned out adorable!!!

Goodie bags for the pinata and the clues for the treasure hunt! Seriously, these parties are exhausting!

I wanted a fun way to capture pictures of everyone so we bought an old frame at goodwill! The kids had a lot of fun posing in it! I then cropped the pictures on shutterfly and put a fun border on them and mailed them out with their thank you cards!

This was our first time doing a pinata. We learned that maybe a grown up should give it a few wacks before:)

Kai's friends waiting their turn

And the birthday boy making his wish! (the only thing I was wishing for was the rain to go away!)

And don't forget present time!

We've only done a few kid parties and this was our first themed party. A lot of fun prepping it, but now I see why parents go to places and have them host it! I was wiped, but Kai had a fabulous time and we were so happy to see him with his friends:) Happy Birthday, Kai!

Camping at Jellystone

2011-08-13T14:55:00.001-06:00

Kai really wanted to camp again for his birthday so we headed back to Jellystone for a fabulous 3 night stay! It rained our first night and gave our now returned tent a run for it's money. Thankfully, the next day was beautiful and we were able to play at the water park ALL day:)

Kai and Kale would wait for one another just to go on the slide. I'm sure they went down this one a 100 times!

Smiles on both faces:)

Kale mastered the big slide by putting out his hands and feet to slow him down. Doesn't he look so small coming down?! And daddy's right there ready to catch him:)

Out for a little walk around the campsite.

The bikes are always fun and Kale was big enough this time to enjoy them:)

Kai did a few laps with out any help! He only got stuck a few times:)

"Hey, Boo Boo!"

Kai was chosen to help raise the flag. It was also his birthday!

We can't forget Chloe! She loves to be a part of our camping experiences.

Kai and Kale had a great time, as did we, but I'm not going to lie when I say we were ready to be home where it was easier to cook for the kids!

I'm still WAY behind in my blogging due to the fact that our house is stacked with boxes as we are getting ready to move at the end of the month. Little by little I'll get caught up on here...promise:)

Kai's t-ball party

2011-08-07T19:06:00.000-06:00

Kai finished up t-ball last weekend with a party. They had a lot of fun stations for the kids and Kai's favorite was the rock climbing wall. I'm sure I held my breath as he climbed since he's SO fearless!

I'm not sure I could even get this high! He was so proud was he made it to the top and could ring the bell:)

This was Kale's favorite spot. He waited in a very long line just to throw some balls (it helped that there was a prize at the end too). Crazy thing is that he made SO many shots in the holes! This kid has an arm!

And there's Kai's trophy! He had a great season...played hard...learned a lot...had lots of fun:)

Once again, I'm really behind on my blogging. I have our camping trip and Kai's b-day party to post still. This summer is going by too fast!

A Glimpse of Grandma's...

2011-07-28T19:23:00.001-06:00

Once we finally made it to Grandma's of course Kai and Kale explored forever! Kai didn't waste any time finding the beautiful butterflies on her property. He caught quite a few once he figured out how to approach them slowly. He was so excited when he finally had some!

Kai and his cousin Lucas warming up in the hot tub.

Kai was the new stable boy:) He did a great job too! That's cousin Megan's finger pointing out where to scoop it to! Haha!

I know he doesn't look the happiest, but believe me he is! Riding the golf cart around the property was one of his favorites!

Cousin Rylee and Kai! Soaking up the sun in the pool:)

And then there's Kale's other favorite thing to do...riding with daddy on the quad. He looks so tiny on it!

This is Fancy...Kai's favorite girl! Rylee and Kai brushed and bathed her. They were so sweet together! These two have such similar personalities...sweet and shy and they both LOVE animals:)

Our niece Megan! I'm still in shock that she's now 21...and taller than me!

Cousins! Aw!!!!

And yet another favorite of Kale's. We let him stay up super late a few nights just to play. So much fun!

We were able to watch a few baby chicks come out of their eggs. I've never watched one hatch before and I must say, I would check on them at least 20 times a day just to pick one up!

Kale on his first horse, Candy! I wasn't sure if he'd be brave enough to get on her, but he was. He didn't want to get off either.

Kai looked like a pro. And I LOVED riding again too. At one point I was able to walk Kai and Kale together...precious!

Oh, did I mention there were baby kittens in the barn too?

And this is what a nap looks like every day for Kale...out fast and hard!

So there's a small glimpse of what our vacation was like at grandma's. I'll post more in a few days because I took over 100 (don't worry, I won't post them all) and I'd like to share more of our wonderful trip!

Oregon State...Beaver Nation!

2011-07-24T12:46:00.000-06:00

I really didn't plan on taking this long to blog about our trip! But here I go again:)

Once we left Portland we checked out our old stomping grounds of Corvallis. This is where Mikey and Kelly became an 'us.' Of course our trip wouldn't be complete without stopping at the Oregon State book store to stock up on more Beaver gear. We even let the boys pick out what ever they wanted! Big surprise on their choices, too.

Kale chose an awesome glow in the dark bat and ball that we played with for a while on the MU grass. This brought back a lot of great memories for us! All those nice lazy college days of sunbathing on the grass and deciding whether or not to go to class!

And Kai chose a very cool Beaver truck that he even let his brother play with:) While the boys played I sat back and watched the KidSpirit youth camp activities that were going on behind us. We both used to work there! What awesome summers they were!

Hanging out at the MU!

This is Langton Hall where we would go for KidSpirit youth camp. I just had to have a picture:)

A very nice college student walked by and asked if we'd like a picture...how I miss the west coast!

And the new and improved Reser stadium! One day our goal is to take the kids to a game. A game that doesn't involve ANY rain:)

Then we headed to the little downtown area and let the kids play before driving to Grants Pass. It was super hot this day and they needed a little cool down.

I love this picture! Big brother is always right there to help little brother out when he needs it:)

It was a beautiful day in Corvallis.
GO BEAVS!

Oregon is for family and friends

2011-07-17T17:00:00.000-06:00

We just returned from a long overdue trip to my favorite west coast state, Oregon! Ten days of family and friends just didn't seem to be enough! The trip started in Portland where we were able to spend time with my dad, aunt, and uncle. The weather was perfect for this time of year so we were all able to get out and enjoy the sun. My family took a few days off and we just had a fabulous time. I will just post a few pictures so I don't overwhelm anyone:)

Grandpa loving his time with Kai and Kale. We spent the afternoon at a park to let the boys run off some energy. We stayed with my auntie and uncle at their condo...built for 2...not 7! Thankfully we all love one another enough that space was never an issue:)

The Portland Zoo is always a treat for us. Once again, the gang was all there! We even met up with our dear Charon family and had a terrific day:)

Kai and Brady...they haven't seen each other in 2 years and they played like they see one another every day!

Dad and I... :) I'm pretty sure we look a lot alike.

Kale and Kayley...so much fun together!

My wonderful family!

Our wonderful friends Amy, Brady and Kayley...the only one missing was Tony:( Next year!!!

Grandpa with his boys:)

We arrived on July 3rd and left on the 6th to Grants Pass. We crammed a lot of family time in those few days. Thanks once again to my wonderful family for all the quality time we had together. These are memories that we'll always have!!!

Kai's Kindergarten Sing-to-Learn

2011-06-28T12:34:00.000-06:00

Here's the video of Kai's graduation. It's super cute...they each had a part and the amount of songs they sang was amazing!

Saturday Mornings are for T-ball!

2011-06-25T13:31:00.003-06:00

We Have A First Grader!

2011-06-23T17:49:00.000-06:00

Today marked a BIG day for Kai...he's now a first grader! I'm still in shock over how quickly the year went. As I took his picture this morning it felt like the first day of school all over again. It was a little emotional! Saying goodbye to all his teachers and friends (even though it's just a couple months) was sad. It just makes me realize how, even though he may drive me nuts some days...these are the days that I will always cherish. He had a great year, was loved by his teachers and classmates, learned how to read, improved his writing, and the list goes on. Kai is an amazing little person...

The first day of Kindergarten...

...and his last day of Kindergarten! I can't even believe how much he grew! If you look at the window in each picture you can tell by the middle frame of the window...crazy!

And then little brother wanted to sneak in too:)

We wanted to celebrate this huge accomplishment by taking Kai out to dinner. We decided to try something he's never done and ate at a Hibachi style restaurant. Super yummy and entertaining!

Kale was freaked out when he would make fire on the grill! He would just take my hands and hide! "No more fire, Mommy!"

Now it's on to our summer! Vacations, birthdays, camping, biking, hiking...and we can't wait!

Happy Father's Day!!!

2011-06-19T16:56:00.000-06:00

Our weekend went a little something like this...

up at 6:30 am

breakfast

backyard

lunch

nap

long bike ride

backyard

water fun

marshmallow tag

bbq'

movie

bed at 8:00 pm

mommy and daddy exhausted

Kale's new ride! He LOVES it:)

Today we celebrated this handsome man:) Seriously, these are the luckiest kids ever! He plays with them from morning till night and loves them like no other. We made him a t-shirt to rock for today. On the back are hand prints of Kai and Kale. Turned out super cute!

I found these shirts especially for today. When they woke up I had them put them on to go and say good morning to their daddy:) 'My Dad is Rad' was the perfect shirt.

Happy Father's Day to a wonderful father, husband and friend! We hope we made today as special for you as you do for us EVERYDAY!! We love you!

Our Graduate!

2011-06-18T17:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a busy day for the Hobbs family! It started out with Kai's graduation ceremony and since we are so proud of our now first grader, we decided to celebrate ALL day! I did take a few flip videos, but we were super busy today too and now I'm just too tired to put it all together...will do tomorrow since all the singing they did was fantastic and cute! Here's the invite that Kai made for us:)

Kai had 2 lines to memorize and say in front of all of us! We could tell he was really nervous being up there with everyone looking at him (who can blame him). He didn't really smile much! But he nailed his lines!!!

I should of counted how many songs they sang...it was a lot. We were so impressed because that was a lot to remember!

Kai and his teachers! (Mrs. Maines and Mrs. Cechowski)

Kai and his really good friend, Molly:) These two spent a lot of time together this year:)

Kai and Brandon...another great friend!!!

Our first grader!!! (we think he's trying out this new smile...cracks me up)

Lexi and Kale...and Kai snuck in there too...it was his day anyway!

A few months ago, Kai made a poster "All About Me" and they were hanging in the hallway. Such a fun project that we got to do at home with him.

Who's missing from this picture? Kale!!! He took it!!!

I didn't have time for pictures at school since it was so crazy so we took a few at home!

After the ceremony we went to lunch with friends and the kids played like crazy! We all came home and rested up and later went into our backyard for some fun:) I took this picture because I find it to be very true. It's hanging on the play structure:)

Getting ready for some marshmallow roasting!

We finally picked up a fire pit for the backyard! We sat out there for hours roasting, playing and enjoying:)

He LOVES marshmallows:)

Then daddy came up with marshmallow tag...

...can you see it? They were hilarious!

We are so proud of all the work Kai did this school year. He's reading, adding, subtracting, writing and being the same silly little boy that we love so much. I feel very lucky that he loves school as much as he does. He has wonderful friends and such a welcoming personality. And he still has the best belly laugh:) Way to go Kai...an amazing job from an amazing little man!!! We love you!!!

My Sweet Boys

2011-06-16T12:24:00.001-06:00

Kale wasn't having ANY of the new slip-n-slide. He kept saying it was too cold...and he doesn't like to be cold (just like his mommy). Kai tried and tried to convince him that it was fun, but it took some serious work. It amazes me how different they are...and that's a good thing!

Kale is watching Kai and thinking 'NO WAY!'

This was Kai's idea of letting him know it was just fine.

And this is Kale telling his bro that it's NOT! Look at that face!

So, here's Kai's solution! What a thinker!

Almost there...

...and then he did it on his own!!

Kai was SO proud!!!

It was the sweetest thing to witness!!!! It truly made our evening.

Can you imagine having such a sweet big brother!!! Kai is amazing!!!

I was thankful that I had my camera out! I would have been so upset if I didn't grab these shots.

Slip and Sliiiiiide...

2011-06-15T11:31:00.000-06:00

Just enjoying the wonderful summer weather with our new ($4.99) slip and slide! Seriously, hours of entertainment! I have some sweet pictures of Kai and Kale that I'll try and post tomorrow. Enjoy these for now because I got some great action shots! Kai had so much fun! Thank you summer!

Bat Crazy

2011-06-10T16:29:00.000-06:00

Kale really wanted to go on a walk the other day because he wanted to take all his bats with him. We went out to dinner and I told him when we got home we could go (thinking he'd forget). Once we got home he had the wagon out and loaded! In this first picture he was telling me about each bat and who uses them:)

Usually when we go on walks with the wagon he ends up getting out and pulling it. Not this trip! He sat with his bats the entire time! I just love him:)

This kid is ALL boy:)

Summer is for baseball

2011-06-09T12:22:00.000-06:00

Our summer seems to be filled with baseball! Kai has a game and practice every week, daddy has a game on Sundays and Kale walks, sleeps, and eats with his bat and glove. We do love a good game and this past weekend Kai gave us a good one! He hits every time off the pitch and the smile on his face when he starts running is priceless! I manage to get a few pictures at his games, but it's always behind a fence so I'm squeezing my camera between the holes just to grab one.

Foul ball!!!

And there's the hit!!! Run!!!

Kale loves to watch his brother from the sideline. I think he just loves to carry his bat and glove when the game is done:)

The next day was daddy's game! We don't usually go because most of his fields don't have a playground, but this one did so we tagged along.

I think there was a lot of giggling going on here!

Having a blast with my babies and enjoying this wonderful summer weather:)

You can see daddy playing in the field behind them:) I was too busy watching my boys to watch daddy play!

California

2011-06-05T17:48:00.000-06:00

We just got back from a nine day stay in California and my picture quantity isn't the greatest. I think with all the family and friends that we saw distracted me from taking any! We had a good friend of ours getting married a few hours from Mikey's parents house so it was a good reason to skip town for a little while. We managed to squeeze in a lot during our visit and Mikey and I even had a weekend in Santa Barbara together!

The trip started with a baseball game in San Francisco (Giants). This was my first time going to a professional game and I must say, it was pretty exciting! The boys had a good time...Kale watched more of the game than Kai! It was a beautiful day, but it was still chilly out.

Kai stayed warm with his Nana;)

Kale got to roam around a little during the game until the seats filled up.

We drove to Santa Barbara for the weekend for a friends wedding. This is Scott and Merideth (friends from college) that we hung out with during our time. It's always great catching up with friends that we don't see very often!

And here's the groom, Seth! He was our best man almost 10 years ago! And now he's FINALLY married! We had such a great time!!!

Hanging out with Nana on the day before we had to leave:(

It was a great trip. It's only the beginning of our crazy summer! The break was needed and seeing family and friends always boosts our moods!

Fun Filled Weekend

2011-05-22T18:25:00.000-06:00

We had quite the busy weekend and I'm just wiped! Saturday morning started with Kai's t-ball game (forgot my camera!) and he did fabulous! He had 3 different times to bat and he smacked them all without using the T!!! It was a very exciting game since all the kids did so well. The sun was shining too so it was a double bonus:) Once we finished up Kai's game we let Kale rest because running errands with a sleep deprived toddler can be a challenge. Then we were off to do some clothes shopping for the boys...they won't stop growing...well, Kai that is. Kale seems to be slowing down a bit. Home for dinner, mommy ran to Kohl's and then it was bath time and bed...phew! What a great and productive day! Today we met up with some friends at the zoo and let the kids run and run. Kale took a HUGE nap when we got home. It was a beautiful warm day and Kale loves to be outside. His new favorite is using Kai's bat and let me tell you, this kid can hit! You may want his autograph because he's going to be amazing (as he is now)!!!

Once I took his picture he asked me to put down my camera so I could throw him a pitch:)

For Kai's next game I'll remember my camera so I can snap a few of his mad skills too:)

Hooray to Daddy!!!

2011-05-16T12:25:00.000-06:00

We've lived in WNY a little longer than we anticipated...almost 4 years longer. We've been putting off getting any kind of play structure for the boys because of us 'maybe' moving one day. This summer we couldn't take it anymore and so we bought a structure for our backyard! We shopped around a lot before deciding and once we found 'the one' daddy and his helpers got right to it! Since we don't have our truck anymore Mikey had to rent a u-haul just to pick it up from the store! This is how it came...5 boxes...gulp! And boy were they heavy! In this picture I think daddy was thinking 'what did I get myself into?'

This is how the slide came. We quickly closed the box!

Mikey and Kai did this much in the garage since the backyard was a lake with all the rain. I can say that I stayed warm and dry INSIDE while this was being done:) I did, however, help get it to the backyard! HEAVY!

I took a picture everyday because I wanted to share his progress! He did an amazing job!!

The boys loved hanging outside while daddy worked:)

This must be day 4 or 5...so many more to go!

Getting there!

Can you find Kale? Kai was still at school when daddy finished the slide and he was more than happy to test it out...on his own!

Once he got off I heard him tell daddy 'this is fun!' Worth EVERY hour of work just to hear that!

The finished project!!!

A few added touches...I still need to put some flowers in the window box so the boys can water:)

And here are the 2 VERY happy little boys who get to enjoy all of daddy's hard work! 30 plus hours and it's amazing!!! We are so lucky to have a daddy that would work so hard for us!!! Now we'll have all summer to enjoy...if it'd only stop raining:(

Mother's Day Weekend!

2011-05-09T16:28:00.001-06:00

I truly love Mother's Day! I look forward to it every year because I'm always so spoiled by all the boys in my house:) Seriously, I'm SO lucky! I haven't had the weather on my side for Mother's Day so we didn't plan to go anywhere...and that sounded perfect to me!

Saturday morning was our t-ball kick-off and it was raining and freezing outside. Then later in the day the sun came out and we were able to go outside! That's the last day it rained, but it's only Monday so you never know! Kai did great at his game...we love watching him out on the field. I'd say he looks bigger out there this year, but he doesn't! Isn't he so cute in his uniform:)

Sunday morning started with the boys making me breakfast and then we headed outside to enjoy the sun!!! Kale got his first bike last weekend and daddy put it together for him the other day. It's finally nice enough for him to ride. He loves to wear his helmet! We do tons of laps around the neighborhood...he's just so sweet!

He even let Kai push him.

Yummy dinner...cedar plank salmon!

And our NEW favorite dessert...lemon souffle!!! It's was amazing!!!

My two sweet boys and my favorite daddy behind the camera:) Thank you for such a wonderful day!

The Sweet Voice of Kale:)

2011-05-03T12:52:00.002-06:00

I posted a video of Kale so everyone can hear how smart he is! He's also very entertaining:) His new thing is that everything belongs to mommy...duh! 'Mommy's car' 'Mommy's house' 'Mommy's room.' I'm not sure how he comes up with these things, but he does (I swear I'm not drilling this into him). So have a look and let his dimples brighten your day:)

Ciao to Nana!!!

2011-05-01T18:24:00.002-06:00

Since Nana is very far away and we haven't talked to her in over a week we thought the boys should say hi:) They want their Nana to know that even though she's on vacation in Switzerland that they're still thinking about her. So here you go Nana...some love sent from far away from your two favorite grandsons:)

We really wanted the sign to be full on Italian, but that didn't work so well:(

They started to get a little silly...

and then they couldn't stop laughing...

so hard that Kale was almost in tears!

Enjoy your post and we'll be seeing you SOON!

Easter:)

2011-04-28T11:33:00.000-06:00

I'm finally getting around to post about our Easter:) It started off with both of them getting up crazy early...6:30 on a Sunday is unusual for this house! Kai was super excited to see what the Easter Bunny brought them...even though he thanked both of us for what he found! I don't think he's buying the EB thing. Kale's basket was filled with Dora...spoon/fork/dolls and some Nemo stuff and Kai...shark books, movie, swim shorts. Once they finished with their baskets they were off to find the 32 eggs that daddy hid. I was unfortunately really sick all day:( We had a yummy breakfast of strawberry crepes and cuddled up to watch Tangled. Despite my sickness, we had a fabulous day! I love it when we don't have to leave the house:)

Love From Grandma:)

2011-04-26T13:23:00.000-06:00

We took the boys on a walk the other day and once we got home this lovely package was sitting on our door! They always love it when something in the mail is for them:) It was hard for them to wait until after dinner to open it:) They were so excited!

They LOVE books and these were perfect for them!

I think they're still in shock over the Peeps. It was their first one...EVER! Funny thing is...when Kai was Kale's age he never knew what candy was! Kale is SO lucky to have a big brother around because we wouldn't have any of it if it wasn't for him:)

Two happy little boys sending Grandma a lot of love and appreciation for thinking of them on Easter:)

THANK YOU GRANDMA!!! MUAH!!!!

Egg Coloring and Rice Krispy Treats

2011-04-25T11:43:00.000-06:00

We colored eggs a couple of time with the boys and they loved it! The first kit we tried was a little tricky...messy, gooey paint that took forever to dry. So on round two daddy found a good kit that came with a simple crayon and stickers! These pictures are from our first attempt.

Kale was a little unsure of his egg. If you look closely, you'll see how cracked it is from his little hands:)

Then he piled on the gooey paint!

Kai took his time and tried to make a face,but it just gooped together.

It's not often that we make a sweet treat in our house and when we do of course daddy has some happy helpers!

Our house smelled super yummy! It was a fun treat for them to make (and we had nothing else to do since it was snowing outside).

My Funny Boy

2011-04-21T13:35:00.000-06:00

Since winter has decided to set in once again over here it makes it challenging to entertain little ones, but not Kale! He finds his own way to make us laugh every day. Daddy and I laughed hysterically over these silly shots that I took while Kale was getting ready for bed. He is such a crack up! We absolutely love the stage that he's in because he says something new each day and he loves to make us laugh. He's a goof!

Haha...we see you!

He did this for quite some time...back and forth out of daddy's shorts. The things he thinks of are so creative and I'm always thrilled when the camera is actually near by!

Do you think cabin fever has set in on this little one???

Dont Cry Over Spilled Milk...

2011-04-17T18:29:00.000-06:00

But we DID!!! It was a brand new gallon and Kale spilled half of it!!! In his defense, he was trying to be a big boy and pour his own milk in his cup. I was in his room when I could hear him say 'uh oh, mommy' and I quickly came out to see what the problem was. I wasn't apart from him for more than 30 seconds! It's crazy how quickly he can make a mess. Thankfully, daddy and I can keep our cool...clean it up...and move on:) He's VERY lucky to have those dimples because they seem to save him most times:)

Shopping Pals:)

2011-04-13T18:10:00.000-06:00

I like to take just Kale out with me for a one on one date every few weeks. It means a lot to both of us to hang out together. We went to the mall the other day for some returns and dress searching for an upcoming wedding. He does such a great job when it's just him! I usually try to hit up a few stores with him sitting in his stroller and then I let him out to roam around. His new fascination has been carrying my purse, and it also helps him stay with me. Let's just say it's a lady stopper! He does look SO cute carrying it:) A little struggle with the weight of it, an adjustment here and there and he's off! Is it wrong to think your child is the cutest thing EVER??? I didn't think so:)

What a handsome little date I had!!!

Weekend Wrap-Up

2011-04-11T14:13:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful weekend and I thought I'd blog about it before the week got away from me. The weather was amazing so we loaded everyone up (even the dog) and drove to our favorite town of Lewiston for some hiking. We haven't tried hiking since Kale was a baby because Kai just couldn't do it. Now that he's older he has no problem, and Kale can out walk all of us! So we took a trail near Niagara River and let the boys collect sticks and rocks. They even took turns walking Chloe, who was SO grateful to be going with us! It was a little chilly near the water, but with the sun shining we didn't care. 65 degrees felt great!

Loaded up and ready to hike! I think he was excited:)

A boy and his dog...need I say more!

I tried several times to get a good picture with Chloe, but she wouldn't cooperate!

It was even nicer the next day. We spent a lot of time in our front yard and were even able to clean a little of the winter up. I really love this time of year. Winter was hard this year. It was so cold and the amount of snow that we received was ridiculous. I think we're all grateful for one nice weekend!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2011-04-07T17:46:00.001-06:00

Kale LOVES Dora. He watches all her shows (his favorite right now is Dora's Pirate Adventure), and he's now been reading her books too. He's been really into potty training and we have a seat for him at home, but when he's at the gym he wants to go too (and we want him to). So, I brought him to Target last week to get a second potty chair for work and this is what he picked out! I held up Diego and Dora and there was no hesitation. Of course, the Dora seat is home and not at work since he's home more.

Then it was time for a new toothbrush and guess what Kale picked out?

This boy can make anything look cute:) Pink and all...

Evidence

2011-04-05T11:58:00.000-06:00

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

This too shall pass...

Terrific 2's:)

2011-04-03T16:23:00.000-06:00

Kale has officially entered his 2's! He seems to have more meltdowns lately that we can't keep track. This face is one that I see more of and timeouts have been enforced in this house! Where did my sweet little man go? Will he return at 3? I'm sure it's hard to be 2, but really? If he asks for something he breaks down onto his knees and cries. It's funny and sad all at the same time. Thankfully, he has a huge vocabulary so we can usually figure out his frustration, but we also thought that his HUGE vocabulary would simmer these meltdowns. I guess we have a few things to learn over here in parent land:)

Money!

2011-03-30T14:13:00.000-06:00

Kale's really been into money lately (mostly coins). So, yesterday he decided to use Kai's kitty stroller and go on a stroll with his money! I'm not sure if I should be worried or amused:)

Don't let this little grin fool you. I'll post a picture of him tomorrow with his true colors. He's been showing his terrible 2's like crazy!

Trustworthy

2011-03-25T12:04:00.000-06:00

first award

'trustworthiness'

honest in class

kind to his friends

responsible with his class work

reliable to his friends

...words from his teacher:)

proud

emotional

amazed at this little guy

learning more from him every day

exceptional person

an angel

huge heart

our inspiration

...words from his mommy and daddy

Home Sweet Home

2011-03-22T16:02:00.000-06:00

We got back a few days ago from Vegas and let me tell you...we are not in our 20's anymore! The time change (3 hour difference) was brutal and the late nights, early mornings didn't help. Regardless, the time away was nice. Mikey and I don't get time away very often so we took full advantage of it. Eating a meal, shopping, all without children is AMAZING! Don't get me wrong, I adore my boys, but sometimes you just need a break! So, even though we are both very tired, in a way we feel refreshed from our get-a-way. It also helped seeing some great friends while we were there:)

As for Kai and Kale...their sweet Nana took great care of them. I don't even think they realized we were gone! They did a lot of games, art projects, and enjoyed being silly together. That's the one downside of us living so far away...we don't get to see our families as much as we'd like.

So we'd like to thank our sweet Nana for stepping in once again and helping out! The boys miss her dearly!

Music and Art

2011-03-15T17:22:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had the boys finish their canvas art. They had a lot of fun painting and this time the mess was very manageable! I let them dry over night and now they're ready to be hung:) I couldn't figure out the layering technique, but they still turned out cute. It's their first of this kind so it's a keeper!

I added my music back to the blog! I even added some new tunes to freshen it up. So, if you usually listen to it, but haven't been able to in a while...it's all ready to go!

Mikey and I are off to Vegas tomorrow for our annual fitness meeting. It's going to be 80 degrees there! It will be a nice break for us and some much needed time to ourselves with all that's been going on over here. Just a quick trip, but it will help.

Have a great week everyone! Spring will be here Sunday:)

Just Roll With It

2011-03-14T17:54:00.002-06:00

And that's just what we're doing right now. So, the last time I blogged it was to let everyone know about our big move. Well, just a week later we found out that it wasn't happening. To make a VERY long story as short as possible...I'll just say that we had nothing to do with the change, and we were very disappointed. Thankfully, Kai took the news well and it didn't even faze him...or Kale, obviously:) So for now, we just have to sit back and wait. Good comes to those who wait and we're EXCELLENT at it:)

For now, I'll get better about posting pictures of my two precious boys. I feel like they've grown and you've all missed it!

So, here's to moving forward and thinking positive. Things happen for a reason and I can't wait to see this one!

We're expecting...

2011-03-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

...a move!!!! Yes, after almost 3 1/2 years in WNY we're finally packing up and heading east. It's been a hectic last couple weeks to say the least. Throw in a sudden trip to Long Island and that will make anyone's head spin. And with some serious sadness of leaving friends and pulling Kai from school we'll be calling Northport, NY our new home...for now (I swear you'd think we were military).

We found a quaint little town in Long Island that has the community feel that we've been needing. Parades, farmers market, you name it. It's near a harbor so there will be a lot to do. We're very excited for this change, but then I have days where I can barely breath because I'm so nervous.

We'll be packing up our house this weekend to start preparing for the actual move at the end of the month. Thankfully, we found a very nice lady to rent our current house for a very long time. Now if we could only find a house of our own in Northport we'd be set! I do have a house that we're considering, but it will be like living in a shoebox...it's SO small compared to what we have now. But we can make anything work for short term and that's what this house will be. We're hoping to fall in love with this town and after a year or so buy another house and STAY PUT!!!

So please keep us in your thoughts as we go through all this craziness right now with our two small children. May my patience return to me in some fashion...

If my blogging lapses like it has at least you know why:)

I've included a few pictures of the downtown area and a map. You may be sleeping on the floor, but we expect visitors:)

PLEASE, STOP SNOWING!!!!

2011-02-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

It seems lately that all we've had is SNOW this winter. It just doesn't want to stop! On this particular day, I was lucky enough to be taking a nap:) When I woke up there was homemade chili on the stove and these 3 cute boys playing in the front yard. I was tempted to join them, but after I snapped a few pictures I thought they were CRAZY for wanting to be outside! It was freezing!!! Their daddy is an champ:)

They were trying a build a hill to sled down. They were successful at it, but it didn't seem to feel very good going down...a little too bUmPy!

Can you even believe how much snow is on our ground? Thankfully today was a warmer day and by warmer, I mean we made it to double digits. Brrr!!!

Ok Mr. Groundhog...you saw your shadow and I'm trusting in you to bring spring EARLY this year! We really need it over here!!!

When it snows...

2011-02-12T12:17:00.002-07:00

...we clean:) Listen to Kale's cute little voice. He's such a sweetheart:)

3:39 with a toddler...

2011-02-02T17:01:00.001-07:00

Tuesday nights Kai has soccer and daddy takes him to help coach. So, it's just Kale and I for a little over an hour. That's about how long dinner takes us so I thought I'd share a little glimpse of what he does during this time. On this night (last night) I found it less ~~stressful~~ ~~painful~~ exhausting to just sit down and laugh at this little man and his many expressions and words...it's too priceless not to share:)

Monday, Funday!

2011-01-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to paint with the boys for weeks now and since it's SO cold here I thought today would be perfect! I had envisioned a 3-D affect on canvas, but I'm not quite sure how to get it. We've at least started this project and I think it will take several more tries before we get it!

I was very impressed with my laid-back approach with this extremely messy project! Things like this tend to stress me out!

Has anyone ever tried layering art work before??? I watched an episode of Kate Plus 8 and that's how I found the idea, but I couldn't remember how they did it. I did my best and I'll try some other layers once it's all dry.

By the end, they were both (mostly Kale) covered in paint (nonwashable), but had SO much fun doing it!

Once we finish completely I'll post their masterpieces:)

The Strong Museum

2011-01-27T16:49:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend we went to our favorite museum in Rochester, NY. It was a bitter 6 degrees outside so it was the perfect chance to hit up some much needed indoor fun! We met our friends there (The Gampp's) and let the kids run wild:)

Kale and Lexi

Kai and Brandon having some train time together.

Max was even there!

Kale cracked me up because he just stood there with the Berenstain Bears so I was able to grab a picture! I think he liked that they were his size:)

This was the first time that we went into the Butterfly room and we were so glad we did!

Kai's first catch!

Working on his second...

And there it is!!!

I'm already counting down until spring. Thankfully we have a few things to do here in the winter, but there's not much!!!
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SPRING!!!

Oh, brother...

2011-01-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

So of course, it's Tuesday and I'm already behind in my blogging! I've even taken pictures from the weekend, but I've been so busy with work that it's been the last thing on my list.

I wanted to blog about our weekend, but this was too funny. Friday after school Kai and Kale were playing together in the living room. I was sitting right there with them when Kale, why I still don't know, decided to smack Kai on the head. He quickly gave an 'I'm sorry hug' because that's our rule, but see the picture below to see if it was accepted or not...

...I just cracked up!!! Kai is NOT amused and Kale has the most mischievous smirk EVER!!!

Oh, brother... :) What ever shall I do with these two???:)

Last post from our vacation...

2011-01-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot that I had this video from our vacation! It's just a bunch of short videos crammed into one. So enjoy a short 4 minute clip of our 7 day vacation...it's pretty funny:)

Sledding

2011-01-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Today it was a bitter 19 degrees outside, but we've been wanting to go sledding for a long time now. It doesn't seem to want to warm up and the snow won't stop falling so there's no time like the present! I had to take a picture of the icicles on our house while we walked out the door...crazy big!

The hill was perfect for us! Kai will go down anything!

Success!!!

Kale had several layers on, but he was still freezing. The wind started to pick up and that didn't help.

Kai had such a blast...me too:)

We went with some good friends of ours. Here's Lexi and Kale:)

Kale's first time going down the hill! He wasn't sure about it, but seemed to have fun.

It was his only time going down the hill:( He was too cold and all he wanted to do was go home.

Kai trying solo...another successful trip down the hill!

A much happier Kale...warm inside the car:)

...waving at his daddy:)

Even though it was a cold hour (yes, that's all we could last) we had so much fun as a family and with our friends too:) I love these boys:)

The cure for winter blues...

2011-01-11T16:50:00.002-07:00

...just dance!!!

2011

2010-12-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! I can hardly believe the holiday season is over. I'm always a little happy and sad, but mostly excited to see what our new year will bring us. I'm hoping for some big changes in where we live and work. It's been a long time coming.

I've been thinking a lot about the dreaded new years resolution and I've decided that I'm not going to make any...ok, so I have a couple that I'll tuck away in my head and not share, but who doesn't? I just hope for a happy and healthy new year for my family and friends. I'm trying to be realistic and not worry so much. I really do like the new year...it's a new beginning.

Although this post is brief, it's filled with love to all my family and friends! May you have a wonderful new year! And if you're one that's made a resolution...stick to it! If you thought about it enough to make it then it must be good!!!

Cheers!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and day! I thought I'd share a few of our favorite moments and traditions:) We started off our evening with cookies. Daddy made some yummy sugar cookies and then we all helped decorate. They had so much fun doing this! Then we opened some gifts. Our tradition since Kai was born has been to give a Christmas book and pj's. I'm not even sure if Kai realizes that he's gotten these every year since he's been born!

Christmas pj's:)

I think Santa enjoyed his home-made goodness. Kai was even kind enough to leave him water this year! He must have known how thirsty Santa would be:)

Kai just didn't want to go to bed!

Christmas morning:) Every year is SO special with these two. They get so excited to see what's hidden under the tree. Their expressions and their smiles are irreplaceable!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas!

Cay Island and Kale's 2nd Birthday!!!

2010-12-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

This was our favorite day and our last! The weather was perfect and they had predicted rain so we were nervous. We spent hours on the beach, had a funny bike ride around the island, ate wonderful food and enjoyed our last day together:) Kale couldn't of gotten a better birthday:)

Our ship in the background. This is Disney's private island and it was just like their theme parks...CLEAN!!! Our ship was the only one there and it was fantastic!They played like this all day:)

I just love Kale with his little helmet!

Kai had so much fun!

Our big 2 year old!!! This was what we found in our state room once we returned to the ship. We helped him eat all that cake...yummy!

Kale loved when they all sang to him:) I have a video (several actually) that I'll post soon. I just HAD to get caught up from our vacation. I'm still missing our last morning on the ship. All the characters came around and we were able to get pictures with them all. The boys had so much fun!

Now bring on Christmas!!!

Family Shout Out

2010-12-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

For the past several years my wonderful aunt and uncle in Oregon have sent us Christmas ornaments. They've become a very special part of our holiday as we wait for the special package to arrive. Kai and Kale love to open them and place them on the tree. I thought, since they are not here to see their little faces that I'd blog just for them:)

So, with lots of love and appreciation, this blogs for you Aunt Gloria and Uncle Mark!!! Thank you for always thinking of us over on the east coast. We may not be close enough to see one another, but know that you are always in our thoughts. We love you!!! Thank you for making our tree beautiful year after year:)

Cozumel, Mexico

2010-12-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

The day started out a little stormy, but we didn't care! It was still warm outside and we were in Mexico! We decided to rent another form of dangerous transportation to explore the island. We stopped at some beaches that were beautiful and since there was a storm coming the waves were huge!

Yay! A family shot which is one of just a couple:(

Are trusty jeep that had a top only! So when the rain came...

...this is how the boys stayed dry!

They weren't getting wet and they were having SO much fun together! Do you see what I mean about the unsafe transportation? I would NEVER put either one in a jeep here at home! We even owed a jeep when Kai was little and he NEVER rode it in!! The things you do on vacation.

All pooped out from the big rain storm,but can still manage a nap even though he's getting rained on. It was quite sad.

Finally, back to the ship...dry and fresh clothes. A perfect time for a picture with my babies:)

Pirate night on the ship!!!

Hmm...and you thought Mikey didn't drink???

The best 'Aarrr'

Our waiter, Hilash took Kale for a little pirate dance! He looked so cute out there:)

Some monkey business!

Grand Cayman Island 2 Weeks Ago Today...

2010-12-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed our time spent here. The sun was hot and the sand was nice and white! The boys had a blast swimming and digging:)

We even enjoyed some yummy pizza at this cute little outdoor restaurant. I can't tell you when I've had such a nice view. The water was nice too!!! :)

Getting back to our ship via another boat!

Then it was time for dinner, but we had to stop and see Mickey first.

Hmm...I think I got a little sun today! I LOVE the food on cruises! The kids did too, especially the Mickey shaped ketchup on a plate that they would get for dipping:)

Aww...such a fun and precious picture!

Does this picture capture pure joy and excitement??? Our favorite one of the entire trip because it's not forced by one of us!!! Why is he SO happy you might ask...???

This is why!!!! Mickey came to dinner!!! Kale LOVES him!!!

Finishing the night with a little turkey:)

Now, two weeks ago the boys were playing in white SAND, but I don't think they'll be out today in the 15 degree weather playing with this white SNOW!!!

A Relaxing Day At Sea

2010-12-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

I'm really hoping that I'll have this vacation blogged before Christmas! This was day two of our trip and it was a fabulous day at sea! Thankfully, the weather was amazing so we spent several hours by the pool...the Mickey Mouse shaped pool:)

Kai only went down the slide twice! We were shocked!

Kale wasn't allowed to swim with the big kids since he's not potty trained. They had a small area for the toddlers to play in. He wasn't all that interested and hung out mostly with us on our chairs while we soaked up the sun.

Doesn't this vacation look wonderful??? Enjoying a nice cup of milk and a view too:)

And of course our favorite part of the evening (not counting dessert), our towel animal!

Kale's 2 Year Dr Appointment

2010-12-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Kale had his 2nd year appointment today so I thought I'd give everyone his stats today and take a break from the vacation posts...more to come tomorrow of course!

Kale's stats:
weight: 27.3 lbs (25th%)
height: 34 inches (40th%)
head circumference: 48.2 cm (35th%)
Kale still wears a size 3 in diapers!
Attempts every word you ask him to say
Can put 3-4 words in a sentence
Mastered jumping off of ANYTHING
Can throw/kick ANYTHING
Loves to give kisses and tight hugs
Still a difficult child to feed...so picky!
Is the master of his own time-outs
Is SO excited about Christmas and has been pretty good about leaving the tree alone:)
Misses Kai when we drop him off at school ('No Kai, Kai school!')
Loves gymnastics and music class
LOVES BALLS, BALL CLOTHING...BALL, BALL BALL!!!

KALE IS THE SWEETEST, CUTEST, SMARTEST LITTLE GUY AROUND!!! WE LOVE HIM SO!

Kale getting the finger prick to run a lead test.

Not a tear out of this brave little guy!!!

Key West:)

2010-12-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

Our first day started with a little rain, but thankfully it didn't last very long. It was still very warm outside and we were on vacation and really didn't care! Key West was a fun little island and I could of shopped for days there!

Kai started us out with his skillful map reading. I think he's just like me when it comes to directions so we didn't follow his lead too much!

Since there was a lot to see with two little ones we thought it would be easier to have some form of transportation...it was a lot of fun too:) A little electric car and we were zipping around the island in no time! They were every where on the island! Kai was super excited to sit in the front. We laughed at how child safety laws are VERY different in other areas. It's a good thing daddy a good driver:)

Then we found a beautiful beach to hang out at for a few hours. The colors of the water and sand together was amazing!

Just a typical day of vacation:)

While we were shopping we found this store!!! Fun flip-flops inside and other things as well. I told the employee 'his name is Kai!' She didn't seem too impressed because then she followed with, 'ya, we get a lot of those.'

The Disney Magic!!! A beautiful ship and they really took care of us!

I love how every night we had a new animal in our room. It was exciting for Kai and Kale to see what it would be.

We had a fabulous day!!! I wish we could be there now considering ALL the snow were getting today!!!

Disney Cruise!!!

2010-12-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

We decided a few months ago that since we weren't going anywhere for Christmas that we'd plan a family vacation! It worked out perfect considering Kale's 2nd Birthday was during our trip:) I will start this post with just a few pictures of our first night getting on the Magic ship. I have 180 pictures, but I promise not to overload everyone:) Maybe:)

As Kai would say, 'safety first!' We had our safety drill right away and it was hilarious with Kale's life vest. As he was walking down the hall for the drill a tourist even took his picture! I can't blame him...he is pretty darn cute:)

Then we were off to the deck party to set sail!

They had bunk beds for kids in the state rooms. I wasn't sure about them, but the boys LOVED them and were very safe on them...minus Kai leaping from the top to our bed (no injury involved). Kai slept on top with a rail and Kale at the bottom. They were so cute together!

We went to a late show on this night and it was a lot of fun. Kale didn't make it all the way through, but Kai did! We were all exhausted when we got back to our room.

Tomorrow we will be in Key West!!! (tomorrow of last week:))

Thankful Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

I have SO much to be thankful for this holiday season. Mostly, these two adorable little faces above:) (daddy too!) They watched almost all of the Macy's Parade with me this morning while daddy was at work. They were thrilled when they finally saw Santa at the end. I love the relaxation of the holiday time...pj days. I think we've been in them all day!

As our day gets darker, our dinner gets closer...thanks to daddy:) He's made us a delightful dinner that is filling up our home with wonderful smells and makes it feel like Thanksgiving.

Have a wonderful holiday filled with yummy food, wonderful memories and naps!

Build A 'Woof'

2010-11-15T12:26:00.003-07:00

When Kai turned 2 we took him to Build-A-Bear to pick out his very first animal, 'Kitty' and he's toted him around ever since. Now that Kale will be 2 in less than a month I thought it was time to honor this tradition:) We even had him choose the same way as Kai did:)
Kale didn't take long to pick out the puppy!

Then he helped with the stuffing machine (funny because Kai wouldn't get close to it!)

He picked out 'Woof's' heart, gave it a little kiss and placed it inside...melted me!

Kai did a little assisting in the bath department since he's a pro at this now.

And then we were off!!! He's been sleeping with 'Woof' ever since:) Mission accomplished.

Funny Things Kale Says...

2010-11-10T12:56:00.003-07:00

Some things you may not understand so let me clarify:)

1. Cookie Monster

2. In his music class we sang a Halloween song and this was his favorite part...listen for it, it's sweet.

3. Safety stop is from his gymnastics class that he LOVES!

4. Enjoy listening to a short clip of our silly toddler who has cheeks that STILL bounce when he walks:)

Sleep Time:)

2010-11-03T10:40:00.005-06:00

I'll sleep here... I'll sleep there...

I'll sleep just about anywhere until...

mommy and daddy gave me a BIG BOY bed:)

Now I think I'll sleep here:)

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-31T19:04:00.005-06:00

I was so happy that today finally came! I just love Halloween and all the festivities that surround this day of the year (you'd think I'd dress up, but I don't!). We carved our pumpkins a few weeks ago (now are moldy) so today we decided to paint. We did carve two more that we had because I had to have some Jack-O-Lanterns on my porch! Kale had fun painting...I don't do this with him too often for obvious reasons:) I think Kai had a fun time too:)

Then, it was getting time to Trick-Or-Treat!

ONE...

TWO...

BOOOOO!!!!

But you can't scare THIS dinosaur:)

Kai really wanted to be a ghost this year. I couldn't do a sheet over the head for school so after a little research THIS is what he got! And, the best part...drum roll, please....I MADE IT!!!

Getting a shot of the tail end:)

Even though he's scary, he's still cute.

I think his dinosaur went like this...'Rrr' The first house that we always go to (for the 3 years we've lived here anyway) is our dear neighbors. They are a sweet little couple that have lived in this house since it was built back in the 60's. They are always very kind to our boys and gave the BEST treat bags to them!!! Kale even got a football and that was pretty much the end of his candy hunting:)

Yup, got my ball! I'm good to go!

Oh, my these two are SO sweet together!!! This was Kale's 2nd Halloween, but his first time Trick-Or-Treating and he LOVED it!!

My little dino off to the next house!

Their loot that I have MY eyes on!!!

I thought I should take a picture of our Halloween fun:)

All pooped out for the night, but not without his football:)

Wishing everyone a very fun and safe Halloween!!!!

Catch Up

2010-10-26T12:54:00.002-06:00

Halloween, Halloween parties, music class, gymnastics, school field trips, leaf raking...leaf raking...leaf raking, and a sick Chloe has made our weekend/week hectic. So I'm feeling left behind in the blogging world. I'd like to say I have new pictures from this week with all the activities that we've done, but I don't! The camera seems to be MIA every time we have something going on. So these will have to do (they're from early last week). 'Check out my hair, Mom.' We've been spiking the top a little, but it's hard to see here:)

I mentioned that we've had a sick Chloe lately. It's been about 1 1/2 months that we've noticed her being in a lot of pain. She's gone to the vet now twice and is on a new steroid medication for the pain. She's responding to the medication, but once it wears off she's in pain. She has some vertebraes in her neck that are rubbing together and create such intense pain that she can't walk, bark, or wag her tail:( It's very depressing in our home right now because she's such a big part of our family. We're just waiting it out right now to see what's in HER best interest...she'll be 12 this January. Please keep her in your thoughts.

Family Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-21T13:36:00.003-06:00

Well, it was suppose to be all of us carving, but then you throw in two small sharp knives and a toddler and it then turns into daddy doing ALL the carving:) I did do the cleaning of the pumpkins...inside and out because who wants to work with a dirty pumpkin?:) Kai attempted to scoop out the insides of his pumpkin and didn't really like the squishy feeling that he felt. I think he even pulled out his arm quickly because he got 'slime' on it. And, Kale showed no interest, but he did happily pose for my first family pumpkin carving picture! Check out that team work! And do you like all 6 of Kai's tattoos on his arms? He went over a week with these and I finally took nail polish remover and scrubbed them off:)

This was the LAST picture I took so it's very posed. I was having a hard time with the camera and getting the lights to work, two wiggly boys coudn't smile 'nicely,' so below are a few 'normal' pictures:)

'Melmo'

2010-10-18T13:52:00.003-06:00

Here's just a short clip of Kale's growing vocabulary. It's funny because as I'm sitting with him going over words I find myself forgetting SO many that he knows! I'll have to try again and next time with a list:) I just want everyone to hear his cute little voice:)

Sweet Moment to Remember:)

2010-10-15T13:08:00.001-06:00

Every weekend Kai and Kale snuggle up together in our bed for movie night. I love walking in to see what they are doing:) Brothers by chance...friends by choice:)

Our Little Reader:)

2010-10-13T18:21:00.002-06:00

Kai brought this book home today from school. He's been reading it this week and I thought I'd share how far he's come! He is doing great in school and I can't believe what a good reader he's becoming:) I love how excited he gets and the smile on his face...so proud of our little Kai-man.

PUMPKINS!

2010-10-11T16:34:00.003-06:00

I think we've been to Becker Farms three times from September until now. I just love that place:) It was a beautiful drive with all the fall colors. Unfortunately, Kale was feeling a little under the weather with a cold. He was a little clingy and the word 'no' was used a little too much on this trip. We still had a great time with Kai and he was determined to find the perfect pumpkin to bring home. Kai on his great pumpkin search! He's just like me...he'll search and search until he finds the right one even if it's at the other end of the pumpkin field.

I really wanted him to sit on his pumpkin, but this was all he was willing to do. I'm pretty sure that he said 'no' before and after this picture.

Kai and I posing with our pumpkins! Do you notice that we're only wearing sweatshirts? It was so warm outside (even though Kai wouldn't take his hood off to believe me).

Daddy and the boys marching back to the wagon!

Still saying 'no' and wanting down! Kai was happy to climb on the old wagon for a picture.

Isn't the sky lovely? It's the same color as this handsome little guys eyes:)

Color Time

2010-10-07T12:19:00.002-06:00

The past couple of weeks have been filled with crazy rain storms. It hasn't felt like fall here...at all! It's like winter just showed up over night...cold, heat is on, and I don't like it. But when it's cold outside and there's nothing to do, Kai and Kale always manage to find something to do together. This time it was coloring. Kale just plops down on the floor and colors away! Then Kai will notice and join in on the fun:)

Thankfully, the end of our week is filled with sun! We're pumpkin picking this weekend so I'm thrilled to finally see the sun again:)

Happy Monday!

2010-10-04T17:21:00.002-06:00

Maybe I should have waited until Kai was finished with his bite BEFORE I took the picture:) I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Just a quick post before bedtime:) It looks like a hectic week again for us...school, meetings, dr's, oh MY!

A Hard Day's Work

2010-09-30T14:02:00.002-06:00

I took this picture yesterday once Kai got home from school. He must work super hard all day because he comes home exhausted! I guess he's still not used to his new school hours...they are long. I can't blame him for wanting to come home and just pass out on the couch. Look at that little face! If Kale was quiet enough I'm sure he'd take a nap.

Leap Frog

2010-09-27T11:42:00.001-06:00

Kale impresses us with how coordinated he is! I just had to get a video of his latest cuteness...froggy hops:)

Our Little Nut

2010-09-22T12:38:00.002-06:00

I took a few short clips of Kale the other night as he was getting ready for bed. He really loves story time, especially his Thomas book! Watch his short little video and you'll see some dancing, rhythm clapping, fancy kicks, and his beautiful eye. You'll also hear lots of laughing...from us:)

This is the after shot of Kale falling down our wooden stairs last week. Yes, I know, how sad...but he was amazing! He only cried for a couple minutes and even let me put frozen lima beans on his golf ball size knot on his head. There's still some purple this week, but it's looking better. He now uses the handrail a lot more!
Happy first day of fall!!!!

Apples...

2010-09-20T18:27:00.005-06:00

...and this time we PICKED apples!!!

We took a beautiful drive on Saturday to our favorite farm, Becker Farms to let our fall season begin. Honestly, what's not to love about fall? The colors are amazing, yummy food, pumpkin picking, and Halloween! Kai was more than excited for our day. He loves this place just as much as I do! We took the trusty wagon ride to the apple orchard. I loved how small the trees were...perfect for my pint sized ones:)

See what I mean about the colors? Even the wagon screams FALL!!! :)

Helping out little Kale so he could understand what we were doing here. They weren't balls, but they sure looked like them!
I have a similar picture from last year of Kai. He always hangs over the wagon and I always manage to sneak a picture:) This just may be a tradition that I didn't even know I started!
My favorite boys EVER!!!
Enjoying some of their hard labor:)

Kale's video of his first apple picking. He really got into it once he discovered how easily the apples came off the trees.

Then, on Sunday, daddy and I made some delicious homemade applesauce! My home has never smelled so good:) And...drumroll...it turned out!!!

Peaches...

2010-09-19T08:58:00.002-06:00

...well, sort of. We went to our favorite little town of Lewiston for our families 3rd annual Peach Festival Parade. We simply love it there!

It just happened to fall on 9/11 this year. As we entered the beginning of the parade the flag was flying high. It was a very touching parade. Of course, we had to hunt down some coffee/chai tea before it started at another favorite spot of ours...Orange Cat Cafe. Yummy chai and baked goods!

I was trying to get Kale's picture with his flag that he was waving around, but all I got from him was 'no!'

Kai eager for his picture though!

Watching from the side and trying to figure out what it was all about.

The boys on a mission...to collect candy!!!

Hanging out on a beautiful Saturday morning with my boys is more than perfect!

As for the peaches...I'm sure they were there, but we never saw any!

Hangin' Out

2010-09-16T14:51:00.002-06:00

Over the weekend the boys were out enjoying some of the last remaining days of sunshine before the dreaded Buffalo winter starts. The boys were lounging, playing with their dump trucks, toating balls around (go figure, Kale and balls???), and then mysteriously having them disappear over the fence!

Gymnastics!

2010-09-14T11:41:00.002-06:00

I decided it was time for Kale to start enjoying some of his own activities. So on Saturday he had his first gymnastics class! He really got into it! This has been something he should of been doing a while ago because he's truly coordinated (unlike me), and was a champ at the obstacle course. One of the stations had a ball and of course that's where he gravitated to!

These would 'squeak' when he jumped on them. A big hit for a 21 month old:)
A little log roll. Notice Kai in the background who wanted to 'show' Kale how to do EVERYTHING!

Just hangin' around! This kid has some serious muscle! And in case you're trying to read his shirt...'rugged and handsome' and SO true:)