Fun with the Spencer's

This past Sunday, we were so blessed to have our good friends, Todd & Erin Spencer, over.  Originally, it was just "Hey, do you guys want to come over for lunch after church?"  After we put the kids down for naps, we were having such great conversation, and well, our card game wasn't over yet, so it turned into, "Hey, do you guys want to just stay for dinner, too?" and then, "You guys are welcome to stay as long as you want..." and finally, "Why don't we just make a night of it, and put the kids down to bed?"  Eventually, we did finish our game and conversation, at about 12:30!!!  I have to say, though, it was really them being gracious enough to bless us by staying that long.  It has been so long since I have hung out with friends for that long, and they are such good friends!  Erin cleaned my kitchen (and really did most of the actual cooking!), and the boys all cleaned up the living room.  Todd & Erin also happen to be extraordinarily gifted with wisdom, and were kind enough to draw out Keith & I, ask us lots of questions, offer very helpful suggestions, and even challenge us on certain points.  We needed it, in this crazy busy season we are in, especially as we try to figure out what to do with these boys!  Keith & I ended the night by talking briefly about all the ways we are excited to change, and put into practice their godly counsel.

Anyways, all that to say, thank you, Todd and Erin!  We not only had a blast with you guys, but were SO encouraged by our time spent with you!

So, for lunch I made Tara's chicken salad (actually, I was running behind, so Erin made it!  Horrible, I know!).  Then I remembered that they just had that at Tara's like a week ago!

I also made this yummy fruit salad, and for dessert we had this:

I've never made cherry pie before, or a lattice-top crust, but it was pretty easy, and if it's not too arrogant to say so, it was delicious!
We had so much fun watching the kids all play together!  Caden and Toby have similar personalities, as do CJ & Zoe, and it was so fun to watch them all interact.
Keith pulled out the guitar, CJ's favorite!
All the kids eating their tacos.

Toby & Caden made a "train," that is, Caden sat in a car in the front while Toby pushed him with a truck from behind.  Toby was having the best time with his new friend.
It was hard to get a non-blurry picture... they were on the move!
Zoe loved holding Bo (I think he liked it, too!)

All the kids, with Todd (I think he's meditating or something in this one)
I love this last picture, CJ looking to Toby to see what he should be doing...

Thanks, Spencer's!  We had such a great time!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a very relaxed, low-key 4th of July yesterday.  It was actually very non-patriotic (not that we aren't grateful for our freedom.  We are.)  It was still fun, nonetheless!

I started the day off early, super-excited that I finally got out of bed to make it to a class at the gym, and got there to realize... they were closed!  BUT, there was a Starbuck's across the street, and my kids wouldn't even be waking up for another hour or so, so I did something I haven't done in several years.  I got some coffee and read the newspaper.  The entire newspaper (well, except the sports section, ew!), all by myself!  It was glorious.

Then we got the boys up, picked up some pizza, and headed over to "Uncle Chris & Aunt Tara's" house!  We had such a great time!  It's so fun now that all the kids are old enough to interact and be cousins!  (Thanks for having us over, guys!)

Taylor is a natural mom!  She is so cute with the boys... she loves playing with them and is like the big sister they never had!  Look how cute she is holding Bo:

I love how Bo is smiling at Rylee here:

Toby had fun playing with toys that aren't his, plus having a cousin who loves trains as much as he does!

Taylor, with her beautiful picture she drew with me!
Toby loved this hat!

The highlight, for me, though, was this moment:

I cannot figure out how to post video (anyone wanna help me? :~) but this was HILARIOUS!  First of all, as a side note, Uncle Chris and Aunt Tara are celebrities in our home!  Seriously.  Anytime the boys hear a song that Chris or Tara have sung, they get so excited and squeal, "Uncle Chris' song!" or "Aunt Tara's song!" (and even sometime's "Tay-Tay's song!")  So, Chris got out his guitar and was gracious enough to let CJ whack it over and over again, and sing with him.  The video is hysterical, though... CJ just repeats whatever Chris says, and then adds some rap at the end.  I love the footage of CJ at the guitar, Taylor laughing with him and dancing around, Trevor jumping up and down and doing flips over and over on the couch, and Toby playing with toys in the background... all their personalities in one shot!  (Sorry, Rylee, I think you were sleeping! :~)
We came home, all tuckered out, and the boys fell asleep right away!  Later, while I was making dinner (BBQ chicken, chile-lime corn, and dill mashed potatoes with Lemon-Cornmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches for dessert) I looked out in the hall way to see this:
The boys were watching a Sesame Street with Ernie singing a song, and started dancing together, holding hands!  Sooo cute!  Again, I really wish I could figure out how to post video, b/c this picture doesn't really show their little "ring-around-the-rosie" type dance.  

So, after dinner, we put the boys down, Keith got some ice cream for us (I love him so!), and we watched "Vantage Point."  It was an insanely good movie!  I highly recommend it!  I didn't even finish my ice cream until the movie was almost done... I didn't want to look away from the screen...

It was all in all, not a very "Red, White and Blue" kind of day, but still tons of fun!  Maybe next year we can actually see fireworks :~)

Kids Say the Cutest Things

Now that Toby has been talking, it has opened up a whole world of entertainment for Keith & I.  Some of these might only be funny to us, but here's a small sampling of cute stuff he's been saying lately...

The other day, he said to Bo, "I'm going to go read my Little People book now, okay, Bo?  I love you, though, Bo!"

He randomly shouts things at the top of his lungs, like the other day, he started shouting, "I can't stop it right now!!  I have to try it!!  I have to go backwards!!  And choo-choo train is pretty cool!!!"

We were eating breakfast (the boys had cereal), and Toby told me, "I don't need to use a spoon because Charlie Brown doesn't use a spoon."  (he only knows about Charlie Brown from the Christmas movie we watched like 6 months ago).

He told me the other night, "I'm not hungry because I already ate dinner." (lying)

At breakfast, we were having a battle over him eating breakfast, and then he finally started eating it, and said, "I tasted it... it's pretty good."  Then I asked him if he wanted strawberries on top, and he says, "Um, yeah... okay.  Go ahead."

This morning he got so excited when I told him that his full name is Toby Edward, because Toby and Edward are trains in "Thomas the Tank Engine" world!!!

CJ has been talking a lot more lately, mostly copying what Toby says, but he's got some cute sayings, too.

I asked him what a fish says, he thought for a minute, and said in a silly voice, "I'm a fish!"

The other night I told him we were having chili for dinner, and he told me, "I'm hungry for meat loaf."

Bo's Tough Week

Bo has had a tough week!  On Sunday, CJ whacked him on the head (accidentally) with a (plastic) baseball bat!  (Ping!  There's one new grey hair that sprouted in my head!)  Then yesterday, I was mopping, and laid him on the couch, and of course that was the time he chose to roll over for the first time, right off the couch!  (Ping, ping!  There's two more!)  Thankfully, he was completely fine (he is very tough)!  I took back every time I complained in my head that we have REALLY stained carpet, and that hardwood would be so much easier to clean... I am so thankful he didn't land on a hard surface!

So, then today, I looked up to find Toby wildly pushing Bo in his swing, with Bo's blanket completely covering his face!  (Ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping... I am glad to be friends with a hair stylist who can cover up my rapidly greying hair!!!)

Seriously, if this kid makes it to his first birthday, it will be a complete miracle!  :~) I am so glad that not only I am loved by a merciful God, but my children are, too!  I have many stories of times he has protected them, and they are all healthy little balls of energy!  I do not deserve this kindness he has shown me!  By his grace, all is well, and little Bo is still as cute as can be...

Finger Painting

So...  Saturday we had an interesting experience.  Keith and I went to get the boys up from their nap, and this is what we saw: Toby was completely naked except for his shirt, which he had on his head; CJ was completely naked from the waist down, and poop everywhere!!!  They were also laughing like crazy and looked like they had just had the best time of their lives!  By God's grace, Keith and I could not stop laughing.  And I mean, it was God's grace!  Even as I was cleaning it all up, I could not stop giggling to myself... these crazy boys!  As I cleaned it, I felt like a detective looking for clues.  What had happened here?  How did this all start?  From what I could gather, this is how it went down... some of it's vague, some of it's guesswork, some of it's concrete (anyone know what that's from?)

CJ had a poopy diaper, and proceeded to take off his pants and diaper.  Toby, observing how fun that looked, proceeded to take off HIS pants and diaper.  CJ handed Toby his poop, and Toby began finger painting with it on the dresser.  Elated with joy, he then ran around the room, finger painting all the walls with the poop, while CJ took the remains of his diaper, and shook all the remnants out in the corner of the room behind his dresser.  At some point, CJ peed through his crib onto the carpet, as did Toby, by the dresser.  Keith and I heard them squealing and laughing, and heard Toby running around, but we had no idea what they were laughing about, and would never have imagined the reason!

Top Ten...

... Ways You Know You Have Boys:

1. You find yourself changing your baby's diaper with extreme trepidation, and try to move as quickly as possible.
2. When you're on a date night with your husband and a train passes at the railway crossing, you both look at each other excitedly and exclaim, "Choo-choo train!"
3. You are used to congratulatory exclamations ringing out at any instance of a family member passing gas.
4. You find yourself saying on a very regular basis, "But I JUST cleaned that!"
5. You find it completely normal to go into the garage, and open your car door to release a foul stench of what can only be defined as "boy," and finally give up any hopes of removing that stench (at least until they move out).
6. You find rocks in your washer and/or dryer.
7. You find yourself in a paradox of craving peace and quiet, yet when you notice it is quiet in your house, you instantly panic and try to find out what your boys are getting into/ destroying!
8. You quickly learn to step lightly on the ground if you're holding a basket of laundry to avoid the foot-piercing toy cars strewn about the carpet.
9. Your bathtub is lined with sand after you drain it after bathtime.
10. You instantly tear up at the thought that someday, all too soon, you won't have little boys anymore, so you try to enjoy the craziness while it lasts!

My Many Loves

I was inspired by another blog to list a few things I love!  Okay, my list is a lot longer than hers, let's just call this my "Top 25" (I'm sure I could actually think of a couple more)!

I love...

• the way both Toby and CJ give Bo "kisses" by sucking their thumbs, and tapping his forehead with theirs
  
• how the first thing Toby does when he wakes up is talks softly to himself, then laughs with CJ, then belts out some song at the top of his lungs!
• the fuzzy softness of Bo's hair right after I dry it off from the bath
• how CJ says, "Mama!" in his cute little-boy voice with a huge smile on his face.
• today when CJ said, "Applethauth, peas?" (again in the cute little-boy voice)
• pretty much anything CJ says in his cute little-boy voice with his big blue eyes and tilted head (he's cute, and he knows it!)
• how Toby will sometimes refer to himself as "Tobes"
• how Toby and CJ will "clean" the table after they spill something on it by smearing it all around the table and then rubbing their hands together, in order to "help mama."
• Bo's smiles (have I mentioned that before?)
• when Toby raps, and says, with such attitude, "Jesus CHRIST!"
• when CJ backs up Toby like a DJ with his little rhythms and sounds, with hand motions.
• how nursing is like, the best thing in Bo's life right now
• when I get the boys in the morning, and CJ says, "Good morning!!!"
• when Keith comes home from work, and opens the door, and the boys immediately stop whatever they're doing, get so excited, and run to him, saying "Up? Up?" and he picks them both up at the same time, and suddenly everything is funny to them!
• when Toby says to himself, "Daddy home ALL day!"
• when CJ gets Cheerio's stuck to his back pockets
• when I find random toys in my bathroom
• when Toby puts rocks in his pockets
• that CJ points out dirt, rocks, and cars when we are driving
• watching Keith wrestle with the boys
• driving to Care Group with Keith (and no kids!!)
• how Bo strokes my arm when I'm holding him, and when I pick him up, he holds onto my shoulder
• taking the boys out for a walk with Keith, with Toby and CJ in the wagon, and Bo in the stroller
• how Keith has served me with the housework, and taking care of the boys the past few weeks especially
• the way CJ crouches down to play with a toy, but doesn't sit still long enough to actually sit down and play

What are some of your loves?

EDIT: Does anyone know how to fix this thing with my words being cut off in the middle?

Cute things kids say...

I love that Toby and CJ are both starting to talk more!  I've got to record all their cute sayings, so I don't forget later on!  Toby loves to talk to his brothers (and tell them what to do!) and will often say to CJ, "CJ, Honey, let's not do that, okay?" if CJ is getting into trouble.  So, the other day, I was taking Toby upstairs for a nap, and Bo was downstairs in his swing, and as we're going upstairs, Toby calls out, "I'll be right back, Bo!" then pauses, goes down the stairs to see Bo, and says, "Bo, say please!" very authoritatively!  Then, later that night, I was taking him upstairs again, for bedtime, and he looks out the window, and says, "It's a fine night!"  I have no idea where he got that, probably from one of his Thomas movies, but I about died laughing!  

CJ has been a lot more vocal, too!  This morning, I was nursing Bo downstairs while Keith was waking up Toby and CJ.  He brought CJ down, and CJ looked at me and exclaimed, "Mmmmama!!!"  Too cute!  He has also started to talk to Bo a lot more.  He comes up to him in the morning, and says, "Good morning, Bo!"  This all might not be super-cute to anyone else, but I am so enjoying hearing all the funny stuff my boys are saying :~)

My 3 Boys, Hangin' Out

Here's a couple shots I got of the boys the other day.  Bo is really starting to laugh and coo.  It's so cute... he'll smile at the boys and try to talk to them, and of course they love that!

Fun Day

Today was the first day I took all 3 boys out to the playground by our house.  I bundled Bo up in the Baby Bjorn, and held Toby's and CJ's hands as we walked the short way from our house to the play area in our neighborhood.  They had SO much fun!  Bo slept the whole time, of course!  Let me just say that I LOVE boys!  The first thing they did when we got there was head straight for the sand to get dirty!  CJ kept throwing sand, and shouting, "Oh no!"  Toby, as usual, was a little timid at first, but then he put his hands in the sand, looked at me, and said, "Dirty?" like he expected me to be like, "Don't get dirty!  Go wash your hands!"  When I told him it was okay, he got a big smile, and began to throw sand like CJ (fine by me as long as they don't throw it at each other, which they of course eventually did)!  The next thing they wanted to do was play with the rocks that lined the bottom of this storm drain.  There's a big grassy area right next to the playground, and this really steep decline into the rocks, which of course they wanted to go on! (Not sure if that makes sense... new mom brain!)  So, then CJ walks right up to the steps of the play thing, and climbs all the way up, without a second thought, and wants to go down the slide.  Toby, ever the protective older brother, watched CJ from below, and kept saying, "CJ so brave!"  Then he tried to come up the steps, but after taking one step, looked up at how high it was, and got down, saying, "It's okay.  It's okay."  Such polar opposites!  So, CJ, Bo and I all went down the slide together, and CJ LOVED it!  Then we ran around in the grass a little longer before the boys found some more rocks to play with (why do rocks have such a magnetic force on little boys?) before going home for some lunch.  What a fun day!  (Of course, I have no pictures... my hands were a little full!)

Brothers

I love watching all 3 boys interact as brothers!  Toby and CJ have definitely become best buddies!  They are so cute... Toby loves being a big brother to both CJ and Bo.  He is constantly kissing them and loving on them.  He and CJ love to play little games they make up and seem to have little inside jokes!  Toby is always going up to CJ and says, "Hiiiiiii, CJ!"  If CJ goes up the stairs (which he knows he's not allowed to do), Toby will come and get me.  Not in a tattletale way, but always protective.  CJ has really started to love Toby back, too!  For a while, Toby would try to kiss him, and CJ would push him away.  Now, he's the one giving Toby little forehead-tap kisses.  I love watching them love each other!

I love this picture (below).  When we brought Bo home from the hospital, Toby and CJ were SO excited!  Every morning, Toby wakes up and asks for Bo.  He thinks Bo is always smiling at him (even if he's screaming!) and will come up to him and say, "It's K, Bo!" if he starts crying.  CJ had a rough time in the beginning getting used to not being the baby anymore, but now he has been really affectionate with him.

These 2 big brothers love their baby brother so much, Bo still has a hard time with everyone wanting to kiss him at the same time!