Hairy Cuts!

OH my... my boys

All desperately needed hair cuts. 

 For Crew this was a memoriable day... first hair cut, more like first trim. This actually was a special day for Bryce as well. This was his first buzz! I've always just cut his with scissors and let the locks grow. I'm not much of a barber but curly hair is very forgiving so it's always turned out nice. Bryce has been begging for short hair...like Jackies! 

This was so hard for me to do because I am just in love with his curls! {Even now I feel a tinge of regret} 

Brothers. 

 Bryce really tries to be lovie with Crew but Crew just doesn't have it as you can see. Only mom usually gets his lovins. 

 My handsome little Crew has a little wild bone!

The scissors for Crew Cut! The only way we got him to hold still was to give him a toothbrush. That's been his favorite toy since he was like 3 months? Its also the only way mom gets ready in the morning! He loves the bristles and the vibrations.

{you can see Brandon in the back, he didn't escape my sheers!}

 And the after! He had sooo many of those long stringy new born hairs.. now he's nice and clean. I rarely have time to do his hair, but if I want it make a cute fo-hawk. That was also Bryces first hair cut.. Click HERE for his but this is a picture of him below. Crazy how much Bryce and Crew look alike! Bryce's hair also started out straight and dark.. around 1 it turned blonde and curly. We shall see what Crew's does?! 

And here are a few after pictures of Bryce.. The during was mostly film. Which he had a melt down during! It think it was a combination of having hair itching all over his body and seeing the dramatic change kinda stressed him out a bit. After a shower and fresh clothes he was tiptop. 

A little video for your viewing pleasures! {More for Grandma and Grandpa viewing pleasures} 

Bryces goes crazy..we stopped about that time.

One of my next posts will probably be about Addison's hair cut. She asks daily to chop hers off! Makes me sad! 

Bryce's 3rd Birthday

My little Bryce man turned 3 this month! And he got 2, yes 2 birthday parties. Gasp! I know I am a good mom. Actually I'm not. Bryce really didn't get 2 parties, more like 2 cakes with a prelude song. Poor kid has never had a party with friends and all the works. His 1st birthday we moved to Cali. 2nd we were traveling and 3rd.. well this year didn't really change. I felt very guilty and had a intimate party ON his b-day. Brandon's family attended via Skype. Then later with family when they were in town. Hence the 2 cakes.

 Sponge-Bob was the man of the first party. Ha! Love my mad skills, Bryce thought it was awesome at least :)

 and it was delicious.. Click here for the Cake recipe. {My Favorite}

 Cake Dos.. for the Dos party.

Holding back that smile..

 Addison's Birthday card she work so hard on.

 Why do kids like Sponge-Bob any way?

 The life of the party! That now live down the road!! Sydney and Jack!

Buds.

 The entertainment. Crew likes to eat things lately. (Will is 6 weeks younger, so cute)

 He really likes to eat things.

A smile starting to peek out in Will! 

The mini parties were awesome for Bryce. He was all about the cakes and ate it up. I love how easy kids are to please.

I just love my little man soo much but I just don't really understand him! If only we could know what goes on inside a 3 year old boy's brain. One moment he is crazy bouncing off the walls, the next he is hidding behind my leg. One minute he is speaking in sentences- the next minute screaming screeching is a better form of communication. Seriously can't figure this kid out. 

But I love him to death anyway. And he loves me :)  momma's boy

A few of his other loves:

He LOVES it when I snuggle up with him on the bottom bunk and sing him songs.

Particularly "Pie-dur" {Itsy-bitsy Spider} and "Ma-keys" {Monkeys in the tree}

LOVES Cars, baseball, trains, Woody and Buzz.

LOVES "Simmin" {Swimming}, the park, going on walks and going "super fas" on his big wheel that he refuses to use the pedals on.

LOVES going to bed... yes, he loves his bed and sometimes even says "I wan nigh-night" and puts him self to bed. {Did I mention I love this kid?}

EATS chicken nuggets, carrots, strawberries, nanna's, noddles, peanut butter and honey and gallons of chocolate milk. Every morning I get woken up by a tap on my face and a whisper "i wann cha-ket miwk" {then I say, Go Get Dada}. 

LOVES his brother Crew and LOVES to pull him, bonk him, scare him, and everything else that he shouldn't with him. {Sorry Crew}

ABSOLUTELY LOVES his big sister Addi. Lately he has been calling her "As-Son" "Mere As-Son, PEESE!!" He is going to be so board when she starts school next week. 

and a few Hates:

HATES his hair being washed, brushed, or cut. Last time I trimmed up his hair, he cried and said "NO! My Hair!! No Mom!"

HATES dinner. No matter what we have.

HATES to let you see him smile. 

HATES fireworks and public toilet's flushing. 

And HATES it when I say he has to wait till after he eats to have a treat.

He already wheres a 4T pant and 5T shirt. Size 11 shoe. And can go on alot of the Disneyrides. He is a big kid even though he has abs and shows his ribs.

He is my big little man. And I love him to death.

Those curls and goofy smile get me every time.

Little Fish

A week or so ago the weather here was HOT. We spent just about everyday at the Pool.  Some where along the lines my kids turned into fish. Can I just say, it makes me so proud?! I LOVE water. I grew up boating, wakeboarding, and swimming, lifegaurding and teaching swim lessons and anything else that has to do with water. 

And not just that I love to play in water, but if you really take a moment to think about the properties of water and how essential is it for life, how pure it can be and how much it does for us, really H2O is pretty incredible stuff!

The other day I was reading the nutrition label for a bottle of water. And was amazed. Because of its simplicity. 

It would be a sad day for me it my kids didn't love water as well.

 Bryce loves water but was hesitant to just get out there and swim.... I don't mind a healthy fear of water either. It is a powerful entity and should be respected..Ironically as a child my greatest fear was drowning. For a long time he was perfectly content to splash and go crazy on the stairs. 

but I broke him in ;) with a little help of some floaties and just letting him bob around holding my hand. He screamed a little, but the screams turning in to giggles and now he is doggie paddling around.

He was so pround of himself. I think he said "I SHIMMIN!!!" about 1,002 times. the other 1,003 times he would add, "WOOK! WOOKIE!! DAD! I SHIMMIN!"

 He has some buddies that are crazy little fishes! There example is helping, so fun.

 Addison has just taken off in her swimming skills. She is floatie-free and doing front flips in the water.Occasionally her nickname is Ariel.

I have to say that the days at the pool are soo nice. I am just kind of a furnace so the water really helps cool things off, not to mention neutralize the weight of the baby. It plain feels good. If I am lucky I'll get one more pool day before the baby?!

Words and Patience

As a mother, you get excited over the silliest little things that your kids do. Such and the first time you find your baby sucking on their big toe! TO YOU it is hilarious and adorable and a moment in time to freeze. To everyone else, an oh how cute will suffice. Well I have had a few of those moments lately that are just so adorable I can't wait to share and ew and ah over, but I understand it is probably going to bore you. oh well. 

So my little Bryce man is 21/2 and a handful to say the least. Not that he is a terror and writes on all may walls and flushes things to the never returning sewer, he is just full of unpredictable, demanding, and opinionated personality. Combine that with his lack of speech and shyness and it can be very hard some times to make him happy. Yes, he is 2 1/2 years old and very slow at his speech. I know I know this is typical with boys, and second children but it doesn't help anything knowing that. (Our Dr. blew us off about Speech Therapy.)  

For months we have been trying to encourage Bryce to even try saying different words and either he is to busy to care or to shy to try. However, the last few weeks he is starting to blossom!! Finally!! He has had a few select 10-15 words that he will say if you can call them words like. ahmm = food, choo-choo= Train, mmmmm = car, dada, dohn=don't. One word I have been trying and trying FOEVER to get him to say is Please. 

The other day in the car, well van, I was handing Addison a drink and heard this soft little "Pareese" from Bryce. I was trying to figure out what he said/wanted. And he said it again!!

 "Pahreese Mama"

I WAS THRILLED!!! Finally!! he said it!! and it took so much effort for his little mouth to form that word! You could just see the work his little face was doing and his struggled it out! It was adorable!! and now he says it all the time! I'll get a video up sometime. I guess patience is the key! 

Addison on the other had has always been a chatter box. Sometimes I find myself telling her, "Addison! You only get to ask one more question. "

She is so funny with the little things that she says some times. The other day, she asked for something and I told her no because it cost to many dollars.  She thought about it for a minute then said. "Well, mom we need to go buy some more dollars!"    I love her little brains!!  Love being a mom. And love love family. 

Speaking of family here are a few family pictures we snapped over Christmas time! It was the first time in over 4 years that EVERYONE was home for Christmas and since our family will be changing soon we thought that we would capture the moments even though we are freezing and pale and the sun was setting. 

I love this picture of Brandon and Addison, So adorable! When it comes to quite time, she snuggles with dad and always sleeps right next to him after a bad dream. They are the cutest little buddies. And Bryce loves nothing more than to listen to mom sing songs and snuggle while she tickles his belly. Kids take a lot of patience but there is nothing better in the world!!! 

Bryce is 2 !

My sweet little boy is 2. I have to ask myself...is this a good thing that he is that much closer to potty training, talking in sentences, getting his own food, and just plain progressing in life? Or is this a sad to mean that his chubby legs are almost gone, he won't always let me kiss him like crazy and want to snuggle and read stories, we have to pay for him to fly now (big one), he soon won't make the jibberish sounds that to him mean encyclopedias.  Isn't this the Irony of motherhood? And why we shed happy tears but are still crying?  

okay.. enough deep thoughts.. Bryce is 2 like it or not! So we might as well party! While we were still home in Idaho I held a little birthday party with the families. Now I have to say that it wasn't much, really, much at all. We didn't really have the time to prepare anything so we had a BBQ and cup cakes with gifts.. and Bryce was in heaven! 

He is totally in LoVE with Cars (and Cars the movie) and Buzz Lightyear (Buzz being one of the few words he says that makes sense). So we did a light Buzz theme and had a cupcake cake. Gifts were Buzz and Car oriented and he just was in awe at all the awesome toys in one setting! I really will miss how simple it is to please him.

...in awe of the choochoo

Bryce's new favorite treat.. Cake pops!

And more cupcakes and presents!! this little boy was in heaven. 

Addi was more excited than he was about the candles.

and more toys.. see how long his hair was? Here in the humidity it is always more curly and shorter.. as soon as we hit Idaho's DRY parchingly dry desert Bryces hair was straight and grew an inch over night. I know everyone thought I was a little neglectful of his locks, and now he does have a hair cut, still plenty of curly left. 

Bryce is such a cute boy.. I just need to make a few mommy notes for his 2 year old landmarks... pardon my boringness. 

Bryce ...

• LoVes cars, calls them mmmmm mmMMmm's, and always carries one in his hand. Every where including when he naps. They are his security blanket. 
• Loves Popsicle's, milk, juice, chicken nuggets,  strawberries, entire apples (won't eat them cut) and rice and sand that's about all. Everything else he will tolerate if he is hungry enough.
• Loves to play with his sister Addi, and is not to bad at sharing with her. He is very loving and will give you a bite of his apple any day. 
• Is surprisingly a shy little man. He takes a while to warm-up but once he trusts you he will love you. All or nothing, literally. 
• Is a little slow on the speech side but has his own methods of communicating and is very smart. 
• Is also a bit introverted, at the park he prefers play with his cars and sand. He needs alone time.. and finds that with his nap time, which he LOVES and crawls in the crib for. The easiest kid to put down for bed. When I rock him and start to sing a song, he knows its coming and cries and points to the crib before I am even one verse in to the song. 
• Loves to take baths but will not allow any toy but these 2 ugly little play people in the bath with him. Every time I attempt to put the boat, ball, car, or whatever in for his fun he throws it out immediately along with half the bath water. 
• Lastly, he can give the best evil eye. Nose and lips all curled up, people frequently think he is an angry little soul, but he is not. Just has a really good glare. 

 

 Bryce is such a funny little man, I love him to death! Happy Birthday 

Missing My Babies

Missing you..