1 and 3

I am a mother to a 3 yr. old AND a 1 yr. old! C celebrated his birthday a week late due to illness. We have been sick since the beginning of February into March, and I am sick of it. C has had ear infection after ear infection. B has had sinus infection and pink eye (both eyes), I have had a respiratory infection and head colds, and Mike has had his fair share of colds too. So for is party we just had a small gathering of family, nothing big as it was a last minute get together. It was nice. C loved his cake er....I mean frosting. At first he didn't want anything to do with his cake and started crying until I stuck my finger into the frosting then shoved it into his mouth. Then he realized that it was sugar and he loves sugar. That's the only thing he really eats and if he sees any of us with something sweet, he will throw the biggest tantrum until we either give in or distract him. Sometimes when he does this, B will say "crying about is not going to make it any better." Sometimes B will just give him a cookie without us knowing it just to shut him up.

Today C took some balanced and calculated steps! He was just falling with style before, but now he is actually taking 3-4 balanced and controlled steps. So exciting to see him develop and learn. He is looking too big to me now. He is also waving good-bye and hello, he can follow some commands (i.e. Where's your belly? Touch the button.  Put it in? Get another one?), and he is trying to make us laugh all the time. Looks like we will have two "class clowns".  His personality is so big as well. I think he could be more strong willed than B was/is. Time will tell.

B wrote his name and my name for the first time on his dry erase board yesterday! I was so proud! Granted I had to tell him how to spell it (although he can spell his name to the tune of B-I-N-G-O), but he wrote it all by himself. He is such a little comedian. He thinks it is so funny to put his underwear in my work bag so that I find them when I am at work. Actually, it is kind of funny. He is still having issues with staying in his room all night and frequently sleeps in "his corner" in our room. I don't mind too much because I know it won't last forever. He is very loving when he wants to be and very demanding at other times. I suppose this is typical for a 3 year old. It is getting so much more fun to do things with, just him and I. For instance, he went to see an IMAXX movie for the first time. It was in 3D and he did so good and loved it. I love taking him to experience things. Oh, and he also refuses to wear anything but sweat pants. Nothing matches sweat pants! Now add the pair of plastic neon green shoes that Mike bought him, and the fact that he never wants to come his hair, and we got a pretty interesting looking kid. Aye! It's so fraustrating trying to teach him to take pride in the way he looks. Oh well. I am sure this will pass to.

 At the Zoo (notice the outfit hahaha)

 At IMAX

 C's favorite ride.

 B's first snowman

 Acting goofy

I decided to do another 5k race and possibly a 10K later this year. Other than that my life if pretty much wrapped up in my boys. That is whats going on in my life (in a nut shell) right now. I feel totally exhausted and my house is always a mess, but thats the season of life I am and I do love it. I love all three of my boys .

Wait! What just happened? It's 2013!

So the holidays have come and gone and celebrating C's first Christmas was so much fun. He really enjoyed hanging out with everyone until he puked. Yeah, I forgot to mention that Christmas was almost ruined thanks to the parents of a little girl at Daycare. They thought it would be a good idea to watch their older son in the Christmas play do his thing while his poor little sister vomited on everyone else, ruining Christmas for a lot of other families. (I have to blame someone). So B got the stomach bug and was over it by mid day Christmas Eve and then on schedule, C vomited Christmas Eve. I am just thankful that both kids only puked once and felt fine after that.

C had fun trying to open gifts, but really just loved the wrapping paper. B was so excited to see that Santa brought him an indoor trampoline and a dinosaur. He is finally realizing the magic of Christmas and it is so much fun to watch his imagination just take off. This year was our first year doing Elf on the shelf and we had a lot of fun with that as well.

C has had an exponential growth spurt lately, not only physically but intelluctually as well. He can now walk with a walker and climb over just about everything. He constantly babbles, he got two new teeth (left bottom and left top), and he is into everything! He is such a little explorer. C is perfectly contant being alone and exploring his world (the opposite  of B). B always wanted to play with us at that age. Unfortunately, with all this brain growth, he is having a hard time "shutting it down" at night and is waking up for hours in the middle of the night, ready to play.

B is really starting to show his protectiveness over his baby brother. The other day C fell over and the walker fell on top of him, hurting him. B got up  and said "poor baby" and grabbed the walker and through it across the room. Then went over and hit it while saying "bad walker, you don't hurt my baby brother". While initially Mike and I were stunned disturbed over such violent behavior we also thought it was quite sweet.

Christmas Time again

I distinctly remember saying last year to Mike, "just think, this time next year we will have two kids here for Christmas." And now we are here. I can't believe how fast this last year flew by. I realize every year goes by faster and faster and it makes me a little sad. C is about to celebrate his first Christmas and I think all he will care about is the wrapping paper. B has been so good about not opening his presents until Christmas and he makes sure everyone that comes over knows that too.

This year we decided to try out "Elf on the Shelf" which, if you haven't heard about it, is a fun new tradition we decided to start. It involves a small elf that B has named Norman (he got the name off a show Fireman Sam), that flies in everynight and props himself up somewhere in the house and watches over the childrens' behavior then reports it back to Santa. The kids can not touch him because he'll lose his magic and will be unable to fly back to Santa. The elf can not speak either per request from Santa, but he can hear and will tell Santa whatever the kids want to say to him. It's cute and we are having fun with it. Its fun to watch B try and find him every morning. As far as behavior goes, well it sure doesn't prevent him or alter his naughty behavior.

Tonigh his B's first school play of the first Chirstmas and he plays a wiseman. He has 3 lines and he already has it memorized. I am so excited for this play that I might cry watching him up there. I know I am that mom.

looking like Papa Lyle

C is pulling himself up now in his crib and the bathtub. I think it is time to drop the mattress. Just another reminder of how big he is getting. He is just so darn cute I could eat him up. I think he is looking more and more like my dad, especially now that the bags under the eyes (classic Penner eyes) are becoming more prominent. He is such a good baby and so chill. Love. And to think I was afraid I would not love him as much as B, ha!