The Rentz Family

Joshua's 5th birthday!

2012-02-06T16:53:00.012-05:00

This year, Joshua wanted a Spiderman birthday cake. I was sure we had reached a point where I would have to buy a cake, but luckily Wilton sells 2 different Spiderman cake pans! We had the party at our local Pizza Hut, in large part so I didn't have to stress over cleaning the house. It worked out great, and from what I heard all the kids had a great time.

The kids all got to go in the kitchen and make their own little pizzas!

I think he liked the cake......although when he ate it he said it "tasted like spiders". Exactly what that means, or how he knows what spiders taste like it is very unclear.

Big goober and little goober

After the party a few family members stopped by the house to visit. Joshua and Bella were intrigued by the laughing alligator Oma brought the boys back from the Everglades.

Next stop, a baby, and a little guy turning 3........ the next few weeks are going to fly by!

Adventures in winter!

2012-02-06T16:43:00.009-05:00

Reading Joshua's new book from Christmas. Funny about how kids are, Josh likes you to read the book to him. Nathan likes you to be quiet while he tells you all about it.

No idea why, but Nathan HATES the snow. He started crying the second his snow pants and boots went on, and didn't stop until we got inside and took them all off. Of course, being good parents, we made him go in the snow anyways and took a few pictures.

At least SOMEBODY likes the snow!

The day after Christmas, playing with new toys.

Playing with his "twinker toys". And yes, like his momma, rarely wears socks.

One Friday we had a play date with Jack, and Trudy bought pizza for the boys. They had so much fun, and Trudy and I are super excited to have babies a month apart!

Christmas Day

2012-02-06T16:26:00.016-05:00

Christmas Day at Oma & Opa's. Look at those grins! Not sure what was more fun, the actual presents or how excited they were to mutilate the wrapping paper!

He loves this silly bird!

Who got an awesome present? Yeah, Oma did!

Nathan loves his car, and learned how to burn the tires off in about 10 minutes all on his own. He is anxious for spring to really get it out and drive it (although if we had known how mild the winter would be maybe we wouldn't have put it in the basement for the winter)

Joshua's new bike, also parked in the basement for the winter. He keeps asking for it to be brought up to ride.....

Uncle Matt playing tbe new Angry Birds game with the boys

Birthday cake for baby Jesus.

We went home after dinner, so the boys could see what Santa (as well as Mommy & Daddy) had left under our tree.

Joshua loves his new DS, and asks to play it non-stop, which of course we don't allow.

Nathan loved his new camera, although somehow it is already broken. Glad I got it for a steal, and now I have something to get him for his birthday - but not that model, not impressed with it at all.

Trying to figure out the DS.

Joshua also got a new scooter to ride on - we shall see how that goes.

Blurry, but Nathan HAD to try the scooter too. That will be very interesting, as he clearly isn't tall enough to ride it!

Christmas Eve

2012-02-03T17:19:00.013-05:00

Christmas Eve at Mammaw's house.

Joshua (and Nathan) got fishing poles for Christmas. This will be interesting come spring, as neither RJ or I fish, but Joshua had been asking for a fishing pole. Stayed tuned for that adventure!

Nathan also got Tinker Toys, which he loves. He calls them "twinker toys"

We now have an arsenal of Nerf guns, and had to purchase rubbermaid tote to keep them in, complete with about a million darts.

The boys ended up with an easel, which they love. It is set-up in the living room, so we can make sure nobody is writing on the walls.

Even grown-ups like Nerf guns

Pre-Christmas cookie baking. Nathan loved the sprinkles, and it looked like an explosion.

Timbuk Farms

2012-02-03T17:02:00.015-05:00

Rj has always wanted to chop down a live tree, and this year I found a place to do so. We drove out to Timbuk Farms for a tree, and picked out the perfect tree. Too bad there wasn't snow, although that would have made things much more challenging!

Nathan was not a fan, but didn't cry. Of course, he had no trouble accepting the candy cane Mrs. Claus gave him.

This is Nathan freaking out, which occurred every time a tree touched him. It was funny for a few minutes, then not so much. I ended up having to carry him the whole time, which was very uncomfortable for me, and still didn't prevent him from being touched.

My guys.

Guarding the perfect tree, while Daddy is underneath chopping it down.

Carrying the tree out of the lot

Nathan's new ornament for the tree

Joshua's new ornament. He liked it because it plays music.

The finished product. Yes, it's trimmed up a little short, this was a time when Daddy should have listened closer to Mommy before he started trimming away. Oh well, live and learn!

A gorgeous fall

2012-02-03T08:20:00.013-05:00

We took advantage of a nice fall day to walk to the playground at the end of the street.

That smile says "I'm up to no good"

Daddy showing Joshua how it's done

Helping hand. I love this

We had a few really windy days, and our backyard is big enough to fly a kite in. Yes, it looks dangerously close to power lines, but it is just the angle I was taking the pictures at. They weren't close at all.

Halloween

2012-02-03T08:03:00.010-05:00

Thomas the Train

IronMan (I haven't watched the movie but Joshua was excited over the "muscles")

Heading out

Blurry but classic anyways

Nathan's loot

Joshua's loot

Nathan was very protective of his pumpkin and candy, and wanted to take it to bed. We convinced him to put it under the end table, and promised no one would touch it. He said "night night pumpkin sleep tight". We ended up having to hide it because he carried it around the house non-stop for days.

This is the first year for trick-or-treating. Joshua, of course, had a blast. Nathan liked it for about 2 houses, then Rj had to carry him. I was surprised they didn't take the wagon, but it slipped our minds. Nathan did enjoy handing out candy with me, until a group of teenagers (like 10 of them) scared him - I think mostly because they are giant compared to him, because they weren't really dressed up as anything. (Funny, because the day after Christmas they started asking when it would be Halloween so we could go to the pumpkin patch again)

Pigeon Roost Farm

2012-02-03T07:41:00.016-05:00

Our 3rd annual trip to Pigeon Roost Farm for pumpkins. The only downfall was we waited too late this year, and I didn't get any of the pumpkin honey I had been craving. I was so disappointed, I almost cried! Next year we will be going earlier in the season!

Searching for the perfect pumpkin

Nathan liked this one

Daddy is a good inspector, can't have any funky pumpkins in our house!

Joshua decided on this one

"Cooperation" for the camera

One of my favorite pictures from the day

Straw pit fun

Nathan would have gone on this slide the whole day long if we had let him

Pumpkin carving time!

We were surprised but Nathan liked the pumpkin guts

Joshua's pumpkin is the ghost, Nathan's is the spider, and the boys picked out a pumpkin for the baby, which is the cat face (it didn't show up very well, it had Lite Brite type pegs for it)

A busy fall

2012-02-03T07:31:00.007-05:00

Nathan v bathtub, round 2. The cut is exactly the same as the one he got at about 14 months old, just over the other eye. Silly kid has matching scars now over both eyes.

Aunt Bev went to the zoo with us one Sunday. She made cookies, which Nathan promptly claimed as his own. He wouldn't let go of the container.

Not even when he fell asleep would he let us take it!

Front row viewing of polar bear playtime!

The zoo has 2 new baby moose, although by spring they probably will be big!

Fall photo shoot

2011-11-13T07:43:00.012-05:00

Work schedule, weather, and cooperation from 2 little boys did not lend to much success in the fall photo shoot adventure, but I managed to get a few good shots. Mostly of the backs of heads, since it was like pulling teeth to get smiles......Never a dull moment, that is for sure!

House update

2011-11-13T07:36:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's purple! It was supposed to be more "plum" than "purple" but oh well. I like it anyways. And Rj's theory is that he doesn't do much laundry, so whatever makes me happy!

We are slowly making progress on decorating. RJ recently finished painting the laundry room. Next up is the toy room. I have been looking for pictures or artwork for the boys' room, and am also hunting curtains, but it is essentially done. Still looking for inspiration for our bathroom, bedroom, and the boys' bathroom, well, most of the rest of the house! Little bits along the way, especially because we need so much new furniture.

Here comes fall!

2011-09-30T21:14:00.002-05:00

We decided to head out and pick some apples, since the weather seems to be changing. The boys had a good time, and we left with 40 lbs of apples. So far I have done 20 lbs into applesauce and canned it, and will hopefully get the rest done in the next day or so.

My babies are getting so big.

Nathan likes the idea of the bicycle, but refuses to use the pedals. Josh has just about outgrown his, and we are looking for a new one to get for his birthday. When Nathan is ready for this bike, we will have to replace the tires since Josh has about stripped them from skidding to a stop!

Joshua decided he really wanted to learn to use the roller skates he got for Christmas. What a slow process!

With lots of crashes. Surprisingly, he didn't cry when he fell!

My guys. My world.

Delaware County Fair

2011-09-30T21:00:00.011-05:00

We had heard good things about the fair, so we decided to check it out. Mammaw, Uncle Jeremy, and the big girls met us there, and mammaw bought all day ride passes for all the kids...including Nathan. I lost the bet that he wouldn't ride anything........he LOVED the ferris wheel.....

Didn't care what random kids he rode with on the cars......

Josh even liked the kiddie roller coaster, which actually surprised me as well.

but that Nathan rode it and laughed hysterically the entire time just shocked me!!!!

He also liked the huge slide!

This is the only ride he didn't like. We decided it was because he was going backwards instead of forwards, but we couldn't convince him to try it again.

We wrapped up the day at the demolitian derby. Nathan was too tired to really enjoy it, but Joshua LOVED it, and got a special thrill when the cars I picked that I liked lost. Little turkey. Now the boys play demo derby with their matchbox cars.

This-n-that

2011-09-30T20:39:00.017-05:00

Buddies. We went to the Shekinah Christian School festival in Plain City. It is super inexpensive, well, actually, it is dirt cheap to go to, and fun! This is our second year.....I wanted to bid on the quilt auction, but then heard that one quilt last year went for $5000.......so I passed!

Taking a ride with Joshua

Definately not a fan of the thought of riding a pony

Compromise!

Joshua asked me to spike his hair up. He is so funny!

First day of preschool. Josh was so excited there was no way I could be tearful! He asked for days ahead of time if it was "school day"

We went to see the Dinosaur exhibit at COSI. The boys, of course, loved it.

One Saturday we all went to the zoo. Nathan would only ride the carousel if I was holding him.

I love this picture!

Maybe a glimpse into the future......

Some days I wish I had a cage hanging from the ceiling like this for the boys!!

This child has a great pouty face!!

Carolyn had her birthday party at Chuck E Cheese this year. The boys had a fantastic time.

Nathan learned a very valuable lesson about why we tell him not to run with toys. He tripped over his feet and broke his fall with his face on the toy and arm. Some lessons just have to be learned the hard way!

10th Anniversary getaway

2011-08-07T08:08:00.048-05:00

Conceirge Yurt

The smaller of the yurts

10th anniversary self-portrait

The grand yurt - where we stayed

Firepit up at the conceirge yurt

Inside the grand yurt

The best part of the grand yurt! Our big private deck and this awesome hammock! We definately need one of these when we get a patio out the back.....I could have slept in this other than the bugs

Persian Onagers. Close enough to touch but they are VERY mean!

Bactrian camel

A slice of Heaven on Earth

Greater One-Horned Asian Rhino

Love this guy

Prezwalski's wild horse

This is so funny!

Cheetahs. There were 5 babies, but they were snoozing away the afternoon.

Dhole. Very cute but very mean

Our safari bus

The closest we could see the giraffes

Grevy's zebra - his name is Elvis. He actually has brown stripes

Sichuan Takin. It walks like a grizzly bear, and has the face of a giant guinea pig

Asian white rhino. This is the mommy - the baby (named Firefly) - was laying down behind her.

Fringe-eared oryx. The babies are born with horns!!!!

Chinese cattle (can't remember their name) - the males are black and the females are red.

Pere David's deer. They make clicking sounds when they walk, and the males "belch" to attract the females - we listened to that late night and laughed!

Beautiful sunset

The view from the hammock

We got up early to watch the sun rise.....and it was worth it!

My present. I hadn't had new jewelry in 10 years.....and this was worth the wait. RJ is taking a concealed carry class, and then will receive a gun for his present once his is licensed.

We had a fantastic time and highly recommend going to The Wilds. If you stay at Nomad Ridge in the Yurts, and the weather is hot, it is worth the price difference to stay in the grand yurt as it is the only one air-conditioned!!!! We can't wait to go back - they have a zip-line tour but I can't do it pregnant, so maybe next summer.

Summertime

2011-08-07T07:39:00.013-05:00

Nathan is sleeping in a burrow under the comforter. He currently is on a strike - sleeping at the wrong end of the bed and refusing his pillow. Oh well, so long as he sleeps!

Little boy favorites - puppies at Opa's!

Only Oma and Opa could find a duck with a mohawk!

We went to the "Big Machine" exhibit at COSI again this year. Nathan enjoyed it much more than last year!!

I was surprised Nathan sat in this by himself - but he did a great job following the instructions on how to dig.

My big boys!

Annnnnd it's a BABY!

2011-07-24T07:03:00.003-05:00

The big news, which has probably been heard by all our followers by now: We are expecting the 3rd - and FINAL - kiddo of our family. Officially this baby is due Feb 21, although I heard Uncle Matt is really hoping for him/her to arrive on the 15th so they share a birthday.......Baby is growing perfectly, and at the first ultrasound last week had a heart rate of 189 - much faster than either of the boys ever did, and was already wiggling all over the place.
In the picture, baby is head down, with the feet up by the word baby. This was last week, taken at 9 weeks. Next appointment is in 6 weeks so stay tuned for updates!

Long overdue update!

2011-06-15T06:19:00.017-05:00

They never stop running!

Josh mimicking daddy

Up to no good.....

My 3 guys!

Nathan has graduated to at-home haircuts. The last time I cut RJ and Joshua's hair he grabbed the guards for the clippers and asked me to do his!

Nathan fell on the front loader.....we had to go to urgent care because it looked like he cut his lip all the way through. BUT, he didn't - cut his gum, the inside of his lip, and the outside of his lip. Now he has a scar over his lip that matches the one by the eyebrow on the same side!

Oma & Opa's Easter bunny brought a swingset for the boys. Only took Daddy 8 hours to put it together.

"Play tools with me Daddy"

Happy Easter!

Nathan LOVED coloring Easter eggs!

Apparently, the coffee table doubles as a couch

My little love

Close encounters of the polar kind!

So, in the busyness of a new house, a new job, and two super active little boys, updating the blog has fallen behind......We have just been living life, enjoying our new home and all of our wonderful neighbors! The boys are growing like crazy, playing, fighting with each other, skinning knees and trying to break their noggins open.......Nathan's vocabulary and speech are just out of this world, and Joshua asks a million questions everyday - sometimes I think he just talks to hear himself talk!!! They make each other laugh......and get each other into trouble - just last evening they were caught using their hands to splash water out of the toilet all over the hardwood floor - not sure who started it but their laughs just egged the other on.......boys!

COSI and cuties

2011-04-03T18:42:00.018-05:00

Big brown eyes.....and a face full of chocolate pudding!

Blurry but love the smile!

We finally got Nathan the right size mattress and bedding for his bunk bed. I really wanted to get Thomas, but settled on construction trucks instead......and he loves them!

Watching airplanes take off at the airport. The boys loved it, although it was a slow day, and chilly

They LOVE going to COSI. The membership was put to good use, so we decided to renew it this year

Joshua loves to learn, and sometimes even slows down to listen to new things!

Some strange gecko's out there - and the exhibit as COSI was really nice

The ones crawling on the glass were cracking Nathan up

Trudy's little dude, Jack

The "super moon" from a week ago. Frankly, I wasn't that impressed, but I am kinda pleased with this picture

Nathan has been asking to go on the potty and wear underwear. We haven't had a lot of potty success but him asking rather than saying "NO" when you ask him is definately progress!

Blooms and Butterflies

2011-04-03T17:29:00.020-05:00

Blue ones were so awesome!

Joshua really wanted to touch a butterfly

We went as a family to the Franklin Park Conservatory a couple weeks ago to see the Blooms and Butterflies. To my great delight there was an orchid exhibition and the place was packed with MILLIONS of orchids.....some of my favorite flowers ever!!!! Enjoy a sampling of the day

2 little monkeys - birthday pictures

2011-04-03T16:42:00.018-05:00

So sweet.

Big boy! Can't believe he is 4.....and SO smart!

Mr Serious. I could just eat him up!

Both being goofy now

A mostly real smile - rare!

Captain pouty pants.

Just goofy

Nathan giving Joshua a hug.....which ALWAYS ends up with Joshua being tackled and usually knocked down

Too bad he wouldn't look up because he has the BEST smile!

Jail?! hehe

My little monkeys. This totally captures their personalities - Joshua being goofy and Nathan being silently stubborn and refusing to look where you want him to.

Little goober.

He is SO cute!

This is how photo shoots often end in our house

We talked him into a picture with George, even though he doesn't like George anymore
One of my absolute faves. I don't usually like the intense white but I love this so much! Totally Joshua's personality

Thanks again to Boroi Photography! I had this mental image for a photo grouping I wanted to hang over the fireplace. Alas, my children did not cooperate. BUT, I love these picutres, and they capture the personality of Joshua and Nathan perfectly.

One HUGE birthday party (breakin' the new house in)

2011-03-08T20:41:00.010-05:00

This means "mommy, I want you"

Aunt Bev knows how to get lovin from Nathan - she bribes him with cookies! And, it works every time!

This was about the most interest Nathan showed in opening presents. Mommy got to open the rest. With 15 kids in our house, playing seemed like much more fun.....

Joshua, of course, LOVED opening presents!

Nathan and Bella

Bella, Sophie, and Joshua

Nathan with his Percy cake. He had a choice of Thomas or Percy, I was glad to use a new color!

Joshua's "How to Train Your Dragon" cake. He seemed to really like it, and the bonus is that now he has a dragon to play with, because he has been using the pteranadons and refusing to call them anything but dragons. He is officially obsessed with this movie. Hope the sequel coming in 2012 or 2013 is good.....

Josh with his cake. Yes, he's wearing the wrong glasses. Apparently we have a black hole in the new house, because in a span of 40 minutes, a lens fell out, and disappeared off the face of the planet. Thankfully, I had procrastinated on donating his old ones!

The party was a big success, and we had a TON of people here. The kids all seemed to have a good time, and I was SO thankful to have a dedicated playroom! Afterwards, it was so nice to clean up and have a little quiet again.

We are getting adjusted to our new routines, and apparently I'm the only one who still feels a little bit like I'm house-sitting and that this place isn't really ours. Having started making payments, it's definately ours. I'm hoping that once we get pictures hung that will help. Stay tuned for birthday photos, the place I had been taking the boys suddenly closed (as in they were open last week and not this week), so I'm hoping Amanda will come work her magic with the boys on Friday......

2 years!!!!

2011-03-08T20:22:00.011-05:00

We finally opened the wagon we got from Oma for Christmas, and RJ took the boys on a walk around the neighborhood in it the other afternoon......

......needless to say, they are excited about it.....as obvious by Nathan's face!

Nathan got a great set of 150 crayons for his birthday (not gonna lie, it was way awesome and I wanted to keep it for myself.....)

AAANNNNNDD this is what 150 crayons all dumped out at once looks like.....

(He wants to wear glasses like Joshua. Apparently, those belonging to Mr. Potato Head will do)

Birthday bowling set! Well, one of two, that is.

Joshua helping Nathan open presents. And yes, it's Christmas paper. We were not able to locate the birthday paper, probably because it hadn't been moved yet by his birthday!

Hard to believe Nathan is 2! At his 2 year checkup, he was 34 1/4" tall and weighed 24lbs 14 oz. Which puts him a full inch taller than Joshua at that age, but almost a pound and a half lighter. If you believe the old wives' tale about doubling the height at age 2 being full adult height, that puts Nathan about 2 inches taller than Joshua (5'8" v 5'6"). SO, we shall see.....we have long been predicting that Nathan will be bigger than Joshua, and, in fact, can already knock him down when the mood hits! Sometimes, he likes to hug Joshua just to annoy him, which frankly, cracks me up (but I try not to laugh). Nathan is such a character, he seems so reserved, but when he opens up, he is a hoot - a vocabulary like no other, and funny. He is also a little neat-nik. He loves to make messes with his toys, but prefers to wipe his hands/face frequently during meals, and actually picks up clothes, toys, etc better than Joshua. This is totally personality differences - Joshua gets so distracted by the toys and excited about everything he forgets he is supposed to be picking up! My babies are growing up so quickly!

Getting settled

2011-02-23T22:04:00.008-05:00

View out the patio door last weekend. Beautiful!

Joshua has been asking since he got these roller-skates for Christmas to try them out, we had promised when we got into the house we would use the basement, and he didn't forget!

Getting geared up!

He is learning how to stand up, and doing pretty well at it

I imagine he'll have it down by the end of summer.....

One cheese-y little man. He rushed the camera as I took the picture. Goober.

We are getting settled into the house, it's been almost 2 weeks since we moved in, and there are just a handful of boxes left to unpack (really, probably 10 total), and the pictures to hang once I figure out where I want them. We have one scratched wall (courtesy 2 little boys and some matchbox cars) and a chip/scratch in the hardwood floor (courtesy Nathan getting angry and throwing a metal tractor). It's bound to happen, although it surely made my blood boil! Slowly, we are starting to feel like it's our home, and not just like we're guests in someone else's house. This weekend we will be celebrating the new house with a joint birthday party for Joshua and Nathan!

Our new house!

2011-02-06T06:00:00.015-05:00

So pretty, and there is already grass and some landscaping, which is a bonus!

Soaking tub in master bath

The great room, with gas fireplace. One of my favorite things is how much natural light we get - a welcome change from our apartment, which always seems dark!

My fantastic kitchen, minus the appliances, which haven't been delivered yet

Very open...kitchen into dining area into living room

There are so many cupboards I actually may not be able to fill them all, yet

More of the master bath

Behind these doors will be the boys' playroom, finally, a contained area for their toys!

More of the master bath, the counters are extra tall, which is a bonus for me

Laundry room, which is on the second floor - I am very excited about that, we have been spoiled by that feature in our apartment

Big, beautiful, blue kitchen. I know the color is bold, but we LOVE it. I saw it in a house we looked at last fall and fell in love. RJ did a fantastic job painting it as well

The backyard, our property line ends just before the trees. Definately need a deck/patio soon

The front yard

This is looking straight out the front door. The placement of the power lines and poles across the street, while a little ugly, keep them from building on that corner. We saw kids out playing there last fall when we first looked at the house. Even better, there is an elementary school about a mile away, and the community has a playground, and a pool is going in this spring, and it's restricted to people who live in our subdivision. We are all so excited, and the boys have been counting down until moving day (yeah, so, they have had a little help with that, but they are super excited about the new house!)
I'll post more pictures as rooms are completed. 6 days to go!

Ice Storm!

2011-02-02T09:07:00.002-05:00

In the midst of an ice storm, with RJ at the new house painting, I discovered the downspout at the apartment was frozen, causing it to flood into the garage......which is full of boxes packed to be moved in a few days......AHHH! Thanks to some of our awesome neighbors here, disaster averted....AND, we noticed how BEAUTIFUL (when it wasn't smashing cars, downing power lines, or flooding garages) the ice was......I took a few pictures, but didn't want the camera to get wet, or fall down...... This is the best of the bunch

Joshua's 4!

2011-01-27T08:10:00.001-05:00

Special birthday breakfast

Special birthday lunch

Scott & Heather got Joshua his first gun (and they asked first!)........he lost it everyday the first few days for breaking the rules with it (ie, pointing it at people) but it doing much better now....

Yep, all boy! He "shot" our stuffed Rudolph , and says "I got us a deer to eat!"

We had a special birthday dinner, Joshua was allowed to pick what he wanted me to cook. Knowing him, I figured it would be pizza, tacos, or something like that. NOPE! He wanted steak, sweet potato french fries, and corn on the cob! Silly boy!

Joshua had his 4th birthday this week, and his check-up yesterday. He is now 40" tall, and weighs 36lbs. His Dr was impressed by his bike riding skills, and his vocabulary, and was pleased to hear about the progress his eyes are making with his glasses.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T12:35:00.008-05:00

Mammaw called us at lunchtime on New Year's day, and asked us to come up and going bowling with her and the cousins. The boys had a great time, even Nathan enjoyed it.

Nathan waiting patiently for his next turn

The first game, Nathan and Joshua both beat mommy & daddy! We played terribly......

On New Year's Eve, we decided to stay in. The boys stayed up just a little later than usual, we were going to let them ring in the new year, but they were crabby, so off to bed they went! RJ and I played on the Wii for a few hours, opened a bottle of champagne at 11:30, and had some fun time hanging out while the kiddies were sleeping. It was very relaxing, and very fun!

Christmas Day

2011-01-06T11:21:00.014-05:00

Santa brought Nathan a ride-on toy, and some books.

Santa brought Joshua 2 new board games, and a new Leapster game

Nathan & Kai, acting silly together. Kai is about 6 months older than Nathan.

Nathan was not really into tubing this year, but I imagine next year he'll love it!

Hot chocolate to warm up with. Nice attitude on Joshua's face.....

Nathan was not really interested in the puppy.....

Little boy, puppy, Christmas day! Right up Joshua's alley!

I took hundreds of pictures over Christmas, so these are just a few. The boys got lots of awesome presents, and behaved very well, especially with no routine, very little napping, and lots of sugary treats!

Christmas Eve

2011-01-05T11:26:00.019-05:00

Partially built. The boys LOVE the train table, they do fight over it a lot as well. Some days I end up taking all the trains away, when I can't take the fighting anymore.

The table before all the tracks were set up on it. It takes up a large portion of the space of our living room. Moving day cannot get here fast enough! So thankful we will have a toy room in our new house!

Joshua's face when we got home and he saw the train table in the living room. Classic!

Playing with trains and cars. Mammaw got them a train table, which we left at home because it is huge, and they opened the boxes of accessories at her house instead.

The box was huge! Being a kid, Joshua was excited that one of the biggest boxes was for him

Christmas Eve at mammaw's

Helping Grandma open her present. This was right before he smacked her in the face with it, by accident.

Joshua is really fascinated by Grandma Gill

We stopped in on Christmas Eve day to see Aunt Bev and Grandma Gill. Nathan, being Nathan, had to be bribed with cookies to be friendly to Aunt Bev, but 3 cookies later decided she was pretty ok!

On Christmas Eve, we let the boys open their presents to each other before we leave town. This seems to be a good tradition to start, and they both enjoy it

Much of the flour ended up on Nathan. Which is why we did cookie in jammies that needed washed anyways!

We made cookies a couple days before Christmas. I was brave and did this while RJ was at work, and it went much more smoothly than I expected! We did end up with flour everywhere, but that's half the fun!

Little bit of this, Little bit of that

2011-01-05T10:15:00.009-05:00

Nathan is very dedicated to baseball, although in the snow makes it much more challengin!

A "road" for the hotrods to drive on. Yeah, I'm so creative.

Joshua pulled out almost every book we own. I asked him what he was doing. "Playing library" was the response I got, like it should have been obvious.

Nathan dozed off on the couch before naptime one day

Fun in the Snow!

2010-12-14T09:07:00.013-05:00

Nathan wasn't happy about us waking him up from his nap to go out and play.....

Heather brought over their sled for the boys to ride down the driveway, maybe we should get one of our own!

Daddy doesn't play fair for snowball fights! (But Joshua thinks it's funny)

Joshua lost the snowball fight, game called on account of blindness!

Daddy & Joshua's handiwork. They did a great job!

Joshua's new glasses

2010-12-08T16:01:00.002-05:00

After 11 months, Joshua needed new glasses. They really aren't crooked, but he is making weird faces. They are just a little big to give him some grow room.

His favorite part is the magnetic, clip-on sunglasses. He had been asking for sunglasses, and I was not about to pay for prescription sunglasses!

We were very thankful he was able to wear the other glasses for so long, as kids glasses are pretty pricey. They told us most kids need new glasses every 3-6 months because they grow so quickly.

Zoo Lights & Santa

2010-12-07T08:16:00.015-05:00

Nathan loves to use "cay-ons", and usually keeps them on the paper.

Joshua is learning to do connect-the-dots, and does pretty well overall.

My guys

When they called Joshua's name, he couldn't run fast enough to get up there, everybody was laughing about it! He has asked 2 different Santas for the same thing: a train table. Good thing Santa knows mammaw........

Surprisingly, Nathan didn't cry! At either Santa visit. (We also saw Santa at ZooLights, and had the boys' picture taken with Ty & Bella, but we all felt that $23 for 2 5x7s was a little ridiculous, so no proof of that visit, except in our memories)

Nathan's present is almost as big as him!

Zoo Lights. Very cold. Nathan was NOT a fan of his snowsuit, hat, or gloves

Bella had a wardrobe malfunction, so she had to ride in their stroller. Joshua decided he wanted to ride next to his buddy since she couldn't walk with him.

Hard to do good pictures without the tripod, which is hard to lug around with kids. Someday I'll go alone, just me and the camera and tripod

Nathan gave up being angry and fell asleep in the stroller. He liked the lights, for about 2 minutes......

Boys will be boys

2010-12-03T08:35:00.016-05:00

The first snow, fittingly, on December 1. Joshua has been saying in his prayers "Thank you God for letting it snow on Christmas". When he saw this snow, he said "That's not enough snow!" I asked him how much he wanted, and he said "100". Not sure what that means, but it sounds like a lot!!!

Watching the snow fall. This, of course, was right before the pushing match over the door. "No fighting" is a common phrase in our house. Nathan has started walking over to Joshua, looking at me, and saying "FIGHT". Of course, this is very hard to not laugh at.......

A good half hour of entertainment for all. Nathan would stack the Play-Doh cans, knock them down, and laugh hysterically. Times like that I wish I had a camcorder!

Nathan plays with these trains almost non-stop. It also seems like his favorite color is blue, as he carries around all blue cars and trains......

I love this one!

Watching pies bake for Thanksgiving.

A moment of non-fighting. Nathan is fascinated by Joshua's Leapster, and loves to sit and watch him play.

The boys are growing like crazy, and Nathan learns things faster than we can keep up. Joshua has a game he plays with our Little People ark, but he calls it "Titanic" and pushes it around singing that word. Nathan has picked up on it, and can frequently be heard walking around and singing "titanic" in the same sing-song tones Joshua uses. Joshua is a on a mission to learn the words to all the Christmas carols, and asks to hear Christmas music non-stop. Nathan has learned how to say "Christmas lights" very clearly, which is just funny........Stay tuned, as we are headed to ZooLights soon!

Update

2010-11-18T08:53:00.003-05:00

Quick update on the boys: Joshua is continuing to do well on his pre-school activity workbook, and getting better at recognizing numbers and lower-case letters. He is really getting into playing on the Leapster, which is also helping with those skills. Nathan is absorbing things like a sponge these days. He is doing very well with his basic shapes, and yesterday worked on "octagon" and "pentagon", which he got right about half the time, but he was diligent on saying them over and over! He finally has learned the animal sounds that go with each animal. We are working hard on sharing, and trading toys, which is a slow process, but overall he does well with it. He has been saying short phrases, like "want it", "thank you mommy", "Joshua awake?", but today he said more of a "real" sentence. He looked at me, pointed at the tv, and said "Dinosaur Train on now?" I almost fell out of the chair! Two smart boys in this house!

Family photo shoot

2010-11-16T18:12:00.020-05:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. Dunno why, just do.

Joshua gave in to the cold and put his coat on....

Nathan looks like he's up to something

Being a silly monkey

One of my faves

Brothers are special

Such a big boy!

Mr Attitude. This is the "I don't want to do what you want me to do" pose.

(Nathan was actually screaming because he didn't want to lay in the leaves, but fortunately it just looks like he's smirking)

mommy's buddy

Big shout out to Boroi Photography. We love them! And they do a wonderful job. It was pretty chilly, but we all survived - fortunately you can't see shivering in pictures - because the boys were! Plus, it was nice to get some pictures of RJ and I, and some family pictures with me in them for a change! These are just a few of my favorites, there are bunches more!

A walk in the Park

2010-11-06T15:24:00.009-05:00

I love this one! I think it will go on the wall!

(Hard to hold a kid and take their picture at the same time. This is the best I could do!)

We decided to go to Highbanks Park for a walk on this chilly but sunny day. We didn't plan on getting on the wrong trail halfway through and being on the walk for 2 hours. Oops. Nathan was way overdue for a nap, and Joshua was whining about how tired he was. Next time, we'll scope it out better!

Costumes and Cuties

2010-11-01T12:27:00.016-05:00

Handsome little dude. Even when naked.

Playing Wii. It will be a sad day when Uncle Jeremy decides he wants it back!

Even Nathan wants to play bowling on the Wii. He had lots of help, but was fascinated.

Look closely and you'll see Tigger under Nathan. These boys love that cat so much! Tigger, well, he mostly just puts up with it.

Nathan's cup leaked on the floor. He pointed at it, said "UGH. MESS." and used his blanket to clean it up.....

Whole lotta cheese.

Joshua has been sad the last few times we were at the zoo, as the buffalo was nowhere to be seen. We saw her again at Boo at the Zoo, with a little one beside her! That certainly explains it!

The boys with some of their cousins, but by no means all of their cousins.

My guys, waving to the zoo train.

Joshua wore his Thomas costume again this year, and loved it. Next year, he has already asked to be a red M&M. I have no idea why, he just came up to me and said it the other day. Due to a wardrobe malfunction, Nathan was costume-less, which was probably just fine with him.

My cute little baby boy. Hard to believe he's knocking on the door of 2!

Quick update: Nathan's vocabulary continues to explode - some of his newest words include: seatbelt, window, pumpkin,octopus, today he tried to say "Masajiro" which was hysterical, garage, fire truck, bumblebee, triangle, square, oval, Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse, thank you, closet.......he is also putting 2 word phrases together: washcloth please, door open, big bed, dropped it, get it, hold it, and the like. He desperately wants to sleep in the bunk bed, but since there is no mattress on the top bunk, he will have to wait! Joshua now recognizes almost all of his number 1-9, has memorized phrases out of some of his books, and asks a million questions about everything!

Fall photo shoot, Take 2

2010-10-20T11:28:00.012-05:00

Another photo shoot, about 200 pictures. One uncooperative 3 1/2 year old (who would only make ugly faces), and one uncooperative almost 20 month old (who wouldn't look at the camera) yields one crabby mommy, and lots of pictures of the backs of the boys. Oh well.

Love this one, I will probably switch it to black and white.

Another one that will look good in black and white.......

Here it comes.....this sideways head tilt generally means he doesn't want to do what you want him to......

Annnnnd this is how the photo shoot ended. Nathan crying, Joshua pouting, and mommy mad. Classic.

Jack-o-lanterns

2010-10-18T12:06:00.013-05:00

Nathan decided he needed to wear the knee pads. With jammies, no less.

We had to have a chat about not sitting ON the coffee table

Trying to convince Nathan to stick his hand in the pumpkin

Joshua is in no way shy about reaching in for the pumpkin guts

Getting brave

Nathan picking up the "mess"

The finished product

RJ and the boys carved the pumpkins the other evening. Joshua, of course, had a ball - it was messy and squishy - right up his alley. This year, Nathan was less sure of it, but would point if they dropped any pumpkin guts and yell "MESS", then pick it up and put it in the trash. Goofy boy!

Cincinnati Zoo

2010-10-11T12:07:00.016-05:00

Sea lions. They were just lazing around

There were alot more trees with beautiful color than in Columbus

This zoo has so much beautiful scenery!

Fascinated by the box turtle

Nathan decided he was big, and needed to sit on the jump seat while Joshua was walking

Nathan was feeding the goat, and laughing hysterically every time it took a piece of food out of his hand.

He was watching a wallaby jump around, and obviously thought it was the funniest thing on earth!

One of our favorite things was seeing the giraffes! There are none in Columbus, and that was what Joshua wanted to see most. We asked him later, and his favorite part ended up being the white tiger. Silly.

We met up with the Kuntz clan at the Cinci zoo - RJ and I hadn't been there since we were kids, I think I was probably 8 or so. It was fun to spend time with family we rarely get to see, and to see a new zoo at the same time. There were parts we liked better than Columbus, parts we didn't like as much, and overall, decided we prefer the Columbus zoo. Maybe next time we'll go to Toledo and check it out!

Fall photo shoot, take 1

2010-10-11T11:52:00.010-05:00

The end of a hard morning of playing. Nathan climbed up on the couch and passed right out.

Love those big brown eyes.....

My little professor. Looks so smart - and is!

One cute dude

Brothers & best buddies

This day, I took over 100 pictures, and got about 15 (maybe) good ones. The boys were too interested in running around on the trails than holding still for pictures. We will try again soon!

***Quick update: Nathan's vocabulary continues to grow by leaps and bounds! (I am sure Joshua's did the same, but I don't recall the word explosions, maybe I've just forgotten). In the last 10 days or so, there have been so many new words, the ones I remember: Bella, Tyler, Shanona (Nonna), goat, elephant, zebra, tractor, yellow, home, steps, eyes, toes, jammies, he's working on "refrigerator", breakfast, dinner, Jeannie, couch, fast. Joshua is inquisitive about everything, and wants to read books quite frequently. He is still wanting to play soccer and ride his bike most of the time though - and the rainy dreary days of the last couple weeks put a damper on that, so we're glad for warmer weather, and leaves me working on fun things to do as winter approaches!

Pigeon Roost Farms

2010-10-06T12:38:00.022-05:00

Such a pretty place. We enjoy going there, and they have nice pumpkins (and YUMMY pumpkin honey!)

Nathan had fallen asleep on the way there, and wasn't interested in having his picture taken at first.

Though it looks awkward, Nathan actually really liked the slide -and would have done it all day if we had let him

The boys loved the goats, and thought they were funny. Nathan's goat liked him as well, or rather, his coat - as it got quite slimy from goat nibbles

TURKEY! hehe

Nathan LOVE LOVE LOVED the bunnies, and we got quite a tantrum from him when we wanted to go see other animals!

The camel's coat felt funny, but at least it didn't spit on us or growl at us

Nathan is still not a fan of the straw pit, although Joshua liked throwing straw on him anyways

They both loved playing in this "sandbox" filled with corn. It was pretty neat

Giant hamster wheel - Joshua wanted to stay in it all day

(Funny story about the hay ride- Nathan kept calling the tractor a "choo choo train", no matter how many times we told him it was a tractor. Not like he doesn't know what trains look like.....)

Joshua found himself the perfect pumpkin

See how tired Nathan was!

Joshua is SO strong - that is probably 60 lbs of pumpkin, and he pulled it quite a distance on his own, and got mad when RJ told him that daddy needed to help. Only two of the pumpkins were ours, one was Heather's.

We decided to head out to the pumpkin patch on Sunday. It was a little chilly and overcast, but not terrible. It was actually a good day to go - they weren't very busy at all, so that was nice. Nathan was tired from being at church in the morning, but he had a good time. Joshua, of course, always has a good time! Our neighbors Scott & Heather went with us, the boys adore them and since they don't have kids yet, they love chasing the boys around with us.

Mommy's silly guys

2010-10-06T12:23:00.009-05:00

Little bit of wrestlemania. Joshua told Nathan at dinner "Nathan, when we're done eating, let's jump on daddy" and they both giggled hysterically

This is less cool now that Nebraska is in the Big 10, but I decided that Nathan would still look cute in it so he may as well wear it, just not on game day!

Another train fanatic. He gets mad because he has a rough time carrying 10 trains at once. He has learned some of their names, and can say clearly : Thomas, Toby, and caboose ("boose")

Aunt Bev came to the zoo with us last week, on a beautiful fall day. It was a treat Joshua loved - he got to ride the train (which we don't do often), have pizza (which is rare - we usually pack a lunch), and have Dippin Dots ice cream (which we never do). He probably won't want to go to the zoo without Aunt Bev ever again!

I went to run errands after dinner, and came home to RJ teaching the boys how to do pull-ups. Joshua has been trying to do the monkey bars at the park, so of course he loved it. Nathan loved it as well, and didn't want to get down. They truly are monkeys!

The thing to notice is Nathan - he's pulling on RJ's pants, shouting "ME ME ME" at the top of his lungs.

A whole lotta cheese

Celebrations galore!

2010-10-06T12:01:00.013-05:00

Momma's buddy. Some days, it seems like the only word he knows is "mommy", but on the days when he is a crazy "kling-on", I try to remember that one day he will want to play with his buddies, not snuggle with momma.

The end of a very long day, with a teething and over-tired child. Special.

Nathan loved the big boy swing, although it was plastic and extremely slippery - all the kids fell off!

The birthday girl!

A little dark, but not bad for a self-portrait with a wiggly little dude

Starting the baseball lessons early - Nathan can say "baseball bat" (and so obviously "baseball")

Buddies

Fall is in full swing, and our weekends have suddenly filled up! We had Kyra's birthday party, hard to believe she is 3 now, and then RJ's cousin Brandon got married in Newton Falls the next weekend.

Headed into Fall

2010-09-24T07:38:00.015-05:00

The moon was really cool last night, these are the two best I got - it was hard with Nathan climbing all over me because he was tired, and the cars that kept coming down the driveway. This endeavor would be best done at my parents or in-laws house!

Snugglin with "Sparky", which is one of Nathan's favorite words - if he gets told "no", he looks around and calls for Sparky, and goes to hug him........or says "bed" and wants to go pout!

Nathan is much more into Mr Potato Head than Joshua ever was - he thinks it's funny to put the pieces in the holes; he grabs the glasses, then says "glasses, Joshy" and tries to put them on Joshua!

Daddy and Joshua were playing the Wii Uncle Jeremy lent us, and Nathan was jealous - so we gave him an unplugged remote to use, and he was MAD! He knew it wasn't working, but he was mimicing the movements of the bowling game Daddy and Johsua were playing - wish I had a video camera!

Playing with bouncy balls

Intent on a movie

One of Nathan's newest words is "puzzle", and he wanted this one. I dumped it out, and he did all the pieces except the triangles. This child is SMART!

I came out of the kitchen one afternoon, and found Nathan sitting at the coffee table, playing and talking to the dinosaurs. One of his newer words is "dinosaur" and he says it very clearly

One dreary day we had a carpet picnic for lunch and watched "Beauty and the Beast" (Joshua's request, but he gets upset because it should be called Belle and the Beast, since her name is Belle. My explanations have not been adequate to change his mind!)

Morning snuggle

I put Nathan to bed for a nap, and about 10 minutes later sent Joshua up for a rest, and found Nathan in the chair, sound asleep! Guess his bed isn't good enough? Actually, he rarely gets out of bed at naptime anymore, but is on the floor at least once during the night. Unless he wiggles under the bed in his sleep, he usually doesn't wake up, so we just let him sleep on the floor, we figure he'll get it eventually. He is a pretty wiggly sleeper, which is the biggest reason for ending on the floor so much

One cool day, we went to the zoo, which was almost empty (my favorite time to go!) Joshua and this gorilla were sticking their tongues out at each other (I didn't get a very good shot of that, and this one isn't great, but I still think it's cute)

While I am still (impatiently) job hunting, the boys and I have been hanging out. We have gone to the park quite a bit, worked on "school" tasks with Joshua and worked a little bit on potty training with Nathan. Nathan had a nasty virus which ended up as roseola last week, so things got derailed quite a bit - but now he is feeling better, and has gotten both top eye teeth to break through, so hoping to get back on track for the time being. He has more new words : bath, penis, cold, Buddy (the neighbor's dog), bouncy ball (long story), table, flush, I am sure there are more, just can't think of them off the top of my head. Joshua continues to have quite an imagination, and plays for extended periods with the trains and matchbox cars, with elaborate conversations and scenarios - sometimes I sit and just watch and listen, and giggle to myself over it! If I had a video camera, I would probably record it! Even funnier, is Nathan now will sit and play trains for extended periods as well!

Labor Day weekend

2010-09-07T07:07:00.018-05:00

Introducing Nathan to "picking" and reminding Joshua of the procedure (and which ones to NOT pick)

Nathan liked the "ball", and practiced throwing a few. Good thing you only pay for what's in the bag!

Nathan tried to pick his own off the tree

(We also worked on potty training this weekend. I told Nathan if he went on the potty I would give him candy -M&M's- to which he said "candy" as close as he could and giggled. UH OH!)

The apples were yummy!

A bushel and a half of apples - gotta get the applesauce made

At Grandma Yoshi's

Joshua and the "cousins"

The infamous Grandma Yoshi

Joshua wanted to hold Nathan on the slide

Getting soooooooo big! Wow!

We had a nice long holiday weekend, RJ had comp time to use so he took Friday off in addition to them having Monday off. We started off by having friends over for dinner Thursday night, then we went apple picking Friday, on Sunday we went to a family cookout to meet relatives from Japan none of us had met before, and mostly just hung out as a family - just the 4 of us. It was a beautiful and relaxing weekend.

Big boy bike!

2010-09-07T06:54:00.007-05:00

Ready to go - training wheels off!

Look mom!!!!

Ooops, still a little shaky

Gaining confidence = going faster

Joshua has been so determined to get his training wheels off his bike. We kept telling him there was no rush - there is plenty of time to learn it, but he kept practicing riding and keeping the training wheels from touching the ground. He asked again yesterday to have them off, so daddy decided to try it again. And we had success!!!! Joshua is sooooo proud - he said "I did it all by myslef". He did fall a couple times, mostly stopping and starting, but he jumped up and said "I'm alright" and got right back on. By the time it was too dark to practice last night, he was getting the hang of starting and stopping. Daddy took him to Dairy Queen to celebrate- and he chose to go with just Daddy, so Nathan and I stayed home (and boy, was Nathan mad to get left behind!) Not gonna lie, I did almost cry - my big boy is only 3 1/2 - and most kids don't learn to ride a 2-wheel bike until age 5 or 6 - that is just amazing! His determination paid off - and that makes us more proud than the fact that he actually did it, just that he kept trying. A good life lesson.

Silly Nathan

2010-09-02T07:24:00.006-05:00

This is sums him up! (When his teeth aren't bothering him of course). Naked day for potty training - it's slow progress, but he is starting to tell us when he goes pee in his diaper, and before he poos he tells us as well.

Another reader, in the making!

Not the best picture, but you can see the remnents of the eye injury. The scab is gone now, and it's just a little scar, that will probably fade entirely away.

Nathan is changing every day! He loves his big brother, and loves to hear him laugh - and tries everything to get that to happen. His vocabulary is growing exponentially - in the last two days, new words include : funny, moo, pretzel,snack, dropped it, bed, Josh, fish (for goldfish), cracker, bike (usually put together with "ride" - and trying to climb into the bike trailer). Nathan wants to ride the tricycle desperately, but his legs aren't quite long enough yet. Nathan loves to wake Joshua up - he grabs the sheets on Josh's bed and yells "JOSH" (but it's usually much earlier than Joshua is ready to get up, so we try to keep it quiet) - it is so stinkin funny! He is also picking up pictures, bringing them to me, and pointing out people in them (UNcle Matt -"MAH"is the newest person to joing to ranks of recognized people).

Joshua is getting used to being home again, and remembering house rules. We are glad we decided to not rush him into school this fall, although most of his friends his age are starting this week. I have been working with him in a fun workbook for kids, teaching him how to glue, use scissors, and there are great activities with matching, pairing, etc, and he is SO smart - he could do things with just one explanation - I knew he was smart but he is waaaaaaaay smarter than I gave him credit for - I was blown away! He has also decided he wants the training wheels off his bike - the neighbor boy (who is 5) just got his off. RJ let Joshua try, and it became clear he's not ready - although we did raise the training wheels higher. It's funny to watch Joshua practice riding, trying to keep the training wheels from touching the ground. He's actually getting very close - maybe this fall but certainly next spring the training wheels will be gone! He has also been playing lots of soccer with Daddy - and is really excelling at it - and he likes to bounce it off his head........

I done did grad-ige-muh-tate!

2010-09-02T07:12:00.007-05:00

After the ceremony. It was 3 hours long - and pretty boring at that!

Nathan wasn't cooperating, his eye teeth are giving him a rough time, and he wasn't happy if I wasn't holding him (my little "Kling-On")

Gram was soooo excited - she even suffered through the ceremony with RJ

We had a fun party, with close friends and family. Joshua was excited to hold Kal-el, although it seems maybe the feeling wasn't mutual?!

The beautiful flowers from Shanona

My diploma, with my cap, tassel, and master's hood! It's official now - MS, RN, CNL!

We are all glad school is done, and to not be traveling every week to Lima. Next hurdle - a job!

Zoo day

2010-08-26T12:05:00.011-05:00

The polar bears were very playful today!!!!

Nathan saw Joshua walking next to the stroller, and decided he wanted to hold Joshua's hand. I thought it would be good to get a picture of Joshua being nice, just for proof he isn't always knocking Nathan down!

We decided to take advantage of the nicer, much less hot and humid weather, and go to the zoo for a few hours. It was perfect weather, and the animals were pretty active. AND, most of the schools in the area are back in session, so there was much less crowds. My favorite time to go to the zoo!

Rough day for Nathan

2010-08-25T09:06:00.006-05:00

10 minutes after injury

1o hours after injury. It doesn't do justice to the swelling and brusing, although you can get a hint of it. Good thing is that is doesn't seem to be bothering him at all. He's a tough dude!

36 hours post injury. Much less swelling, just more colorful. Hard to get a great shot, but plenty of reds and blues in that area!

One impatient big brother, added to the rounded edge of the bathtub, and you get a nice cut over little man's eye. It bled a ton for a few minutes, then slowed to a seep. I thought it needed stitches, daddy said no, Libby said yeah but it would be traumatic because they would have to sedate him to do it. At Nathan's 18 month check-up this morning, the Dr said stitches would have been fine, it's going to scar either way, but no big deal to not have it stitched. Lordy.

In addition, Nathan's eye teeth are coming in, and he got two vaccinations today. He did gain almost 2 lbs and grew almost 2 inches in the last 3 months - she was very impressed with how he's doing. He also has learned some new words "on, open, dinosaur (which is not the most clear but you tell that's what it is), airplane, door, soccer ball, done" are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Birthday party fun

2010-08-21T06:31:00.012-05:00

(These two obviously aren't from birthday parties, but still wanted to post them). Nathan looks cute in the kimono shorts set that Great-Aunt Kimiko brought with her from Japan when Joshua was about Nathan's age now.

What makes this even funnier is Joshua said "I wonder who Nathan is texting". A child of his generation!

Carolyn's pinata

"Nathan, where's your tongue?"

Joshua showing his "tough" face. I think he looks constipated.....

Bella's 4th birthday. Joshua is a little jealous because Bella will be going to preschool, starting next week. But he knows he can't go until he's 4 (ie, next fall)

He was very proud of the caterpillar he found

How many guys does it take to fix one power wheels princess car? Bella is doing a great job supervising though!

Nathan decided he didn't need help to climb the slide and go down by himself!

The beautiful birthday girl. We had a fabulous time at Bella's party - 4 kids aged 4 and under played great the whole day, and even though they were all tired there was absolutely NO fighting! It isn't often you have that, and that is one reason we love to go to the farm and play with Bella and Tyler!

Fun in the Sun

2010-08-20T14:40:00.021-05:00

Happy Anniversary #9!

A co-worker of RJ's gave the boys this Craftsman tool set - and they love it!

Borrowing Joshua's hat

Let the potty training begin! Nathan actually last night sat down and said "poo-poo", but we didn't belive him. 10 minutes later he went in his diaper. Oops! Guess we're going to have to get busy on this endeavor....I think he will be pretty quick to train - he likes to go sit on the little potty whenever any of us go in the bathroom now......

One tired little monkey

Someone decided to climb the pipes on Pappaw's Harley - and look at that grin when Daddy helped him up the rest of the way!

Nathan is getting better at playing trains

Look how big he's getting. Time flies.

A rare moment with them both sitting still, and not goofing off.

I just think this one is cool. He's pretty much always on the go, so it's appropriate!

Most important - Dippin' Dots

I had free tickets to the Columbus Crew game, so Daddy and Joshua went. I heard Joshua got bored pretty quick, but they still had fun.

What better way to cool off on a hot Saturday then with a water gun fight!

Quick update!

2010-08-16T04:49:00.003-05:00

It's the last week of clinicals, and we have all survived. The boys are growing like weeds, Joshua gets taller everyday, as does Nathan. Nathan's vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds - he can identify yellow and orange, sometimes green. Some new words "orange, yellow, green, phone, dump truck, go, doggy, moo, outside (which varies between "out" and "side", depending on the mood)". He is working on upstairs, and tries to mimic EVERYTHING you say. He also LOVES to pick things up, he may turn into a little neat-nik, it makes me laugh to watch him put toys away, or put his cup on the table when he's done, take the bowl to the sink if he's finished with a snack, he even puts his dirty clothes in the basket! We are going to start potty training soon, he is showing signs of interest, so we'll see how that goes.......RJ converted the crib to a toddler bed, as my little mountain goat almost got out, and was able to climb out of the pack-and-play while at Mammaw's! He is doing pretty well - bedtime is much better than naptime though. Joshua has decided he wants to be a dog trainer when he grows up (big surprise), and told me yesterday that when we get our house "I decided I want a baby puppy, and I will pet it and teach it stuff". OK! (I told him to talk to Opa about that one.....) Overall the boys play very well together, Nathan is getting into the train set now, it's so fun to watch them play trains together. I have a bunch of pictures, and will get them up later this week.

Cell phone randoms

2010-07-31T07:10:00.013-05:00

Chillaxin'

"Helping" with laundry. He in fact had dumped out all the clean clothes on the floor for me. And unfolded everything that had been folded.....

Joshua said when he put this shirt on "I play my big brown guitar better when I wear this shirt"

I think maybe the potty training needs some help? We haven't started yet, but will before long, Nathan is starting to show signs of being ready.....YAY!

Sparky turned "super-dog"

The day of the Crohn's & Colitis walk

Joshua managed to somehow chip his tooth. I called Trudy, my resident dental hygeniest, who assured me it was fine, and told me I could take a nail file and smooth it out if needed. Which I opted against

I have a bunch of pictures on my cell phone, from the times when I needed a quick picture but didn't have the camera close by. The quality isn't necessarily the greatest, but some just need to be shared!

Quick update

2010-07-27T20:35:00.002-05:00

Pictures to follow soon, the quarter is ramping up and winding down at the same time, and the countdown to graduation is on!

Nathan has learned some new words in the last few days: movie, bye, NO, says bottle very clearly, clock, and truck are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. His last 1 year molar is about to break through, thank goodness!

Joshua is hanging in there, getting taller by the minute. He is struggling with our schedules, and living out of 2 houses, which has been exaggerating typical 3 year old behavior to the Nth degree. The four of us are all very thankful for all the help from our families, but are SOOOOO ready for school to end and settle into a little more normal routine.

I have some pictures, but they will have to wait to get posted, maybe this weekend. I am also excited because I have a referral for a wedding to photograph in September, hopefully the girl picks me! I will know more about that after Friday.

Summertime

2010-07-11T04:48:00.015-05:00

Ready for a trailer ride. The kids loved it, even Nathan thought it was hysterical to bounce around on the trailer.

Country boys

Naked butt!

The boys love the new bike trailer. It isn't fancy, but it works great. We have been going on a lot of bike rides now when we are at home.

Nathan supervising the slip-n-slide

My little cutie-pie

Joshua is not quite skilled at the slip-n-slide yet, but he thought it was great fun

The boys are growing like crazy, being troopers with all the craziness with my school schedule. Joshua is definately acting out, and Nathan is pretty clingy, but all in all we are surviving. Just a few weeks left to go now. Nathan's vocabulary is growing, and this week has brought many new words...Josh, jeep, train, drink, railroad, trying to say mango, and he mimics the sound of many things back - bye bye, night night, I love you, and yesterday he got the hang of blowing kisses, although that isn't consistent yet. He takes in everything, and I feel like he's just going to bust into sentences any second. His top molars are through, and the bottom ones are close behind - his bottom jaw is ridiculously swollen on both sides. We spend time at the pool as much as possible, the boys are both fish who can't get enough of it - Nathan almost more than Joshua!

Big Machines & a little Jack

2010-06-21T20:52:00.020-05:00

Theresa's wedding. This was supposed to be a date night, but the sitter no showed, so the whole gang went. And left early, as they both behaved in a not so great manner! Oh well, she was beautiful, and the food was good. We danced about 2 dances before we left.

Momma's boys

He thought this was SOOOOOO cool! And especially liked honking the horn once he put the barrel down.

I think the highlight of the COSI trip was digging in the dirt

Look at that grin!

Nathan was not as impressed with the machines this year. Obviously!

Neither one of the boys liked the cute hats they were given. Goofy kids.

Haha! Trudy's little boy Jack came over to play for a few hours when her normal sitter had a family emergency. Nathan and Joshua LOVE him, and we are excited for our boys to grow up together like Trudy and I did

Clippers game

2010-06-21T20:36:00.012-05:00

Intently watching

First Dippin Dots. He was SO excited!

It was very hot, we were thankful for the occasional clouds that kept if from being unbearable.

Stadium dogs. Can't go wrong!

Huntington Ballpark was rated on of the top ballparks in 2009, it was neat to watch a ballgame but see the city view at the same time

Diamond Dog, I think his name is Duke - he brought balls to the pitcher, and bottles of water to the umpires in his special basket.

AWESOME SEATS!

Joshua & Gabe

Daddy won free tickets at his work for a Clippers game, which was on a Tuesday at noon so he couldn't leave work. I decided to take Joshua, and invited Gabe and Summer to go with us. Nathan went to a sitter for the first time by himself, and off we went! It was fun, the seats were great, although it was very hot out. Both boys were bored by the 7th inning, we we left at the top of the 8th (Clippers were up 6-0 when we left) - still pretty good for a couple of 3 year olds!

Summer Fun

2010-06-21T20:14:00.020-05:00

Big smiles!

If it involves playing in water, Nathan is sure to like it.....

One of my new faves. I think it will look great printed and framed......

Nathan's first time in a jump house, he wavered between liking it and disliking it.....

Waiting in line for the slide, nicely. Hard to believe!

Bella & Joshua hijacked Tyler's birthday present, and were reading it

Who me?

Sweet Bella, about to splash Joshua with that bucket full of water

Ha! She got him!

Homemade popsicles, before

Homemade popsicles, after

Round 2, before

Round 2, after (they were made with yogurt, blueberries, and pear, so very healthy, everybody liked them!)

Mammaw brought Carolyn and Sara to go to the zoo, and Grandma Yoshi sent money for the kids to all get something - so they all got zoo hats

Randoms

2010-06-21T20:07:00.006-05:00

1st time I've ever seen the leopard awake, no exaggeration!

This was an accident but came out kinda neat

Feeding time at Polar Frontier

Splish Splash!

2010-06-07T21:43:00.025-05:00

Stuck in a rut in the driveway - it makes for a splash-tastic time!

These boys love the mud puddles.

The grin says it all - you just have to wonder what he's up to!

Big hugs from my baby boy!

"I can do it myself, thank you very much!"

All boy - pure fun!

Nathan is now 15 months old, he weighed 20lb8oz and was 29 1/2 inches tall. Slender little dude, but he eats as much as Joshua many days! He is soooo active he just burns it all off. The boys are getting to be best buds, although Joshua has lately had a recurrence of baby talk, as we encourage Nathan to use more words. Thus far, Nathan says kitty, woof (for dogs), Roar (for the dinosaurs), mommy, daddy, mammaw, shoes, book, and oooo (for train). He's been trying to say drink, cup, Joshua, I want that, and train. Smart little guy, he's been trying to put on his own socks and shoes, and knows to go to the fridge if he wants a drink, his chair at the table if he's hungry, and you can't say the word "bath" around him because he'll go climb in the tub - he loves the water!
Funny story from Joshua. We did the Crohn's walk the other day, and RJ was pushing the stroller through the puddles, and hit a big rut. Joshua just about fell off the back - he looked at RJ and said "I almost got a swimming lesson daddy". It was SOOOO hysterical!