Big Boys

Since we've been on "vacation" this past week, we have been letting the boys sleep downstairs in the fold out sofa bed together and stay up until hours of the night watching television.
The night unfolds like this:
*Around 9ish, we get the kids settled into bed, put a movie on and head upstairs.
*Thirty minutes later we hear extreme laughing, running, jumping and then two year footsteps running up the stairs to tattle on whatever the four year old has done. "Mom? Dad? Lex is tickling me again! Tell him to stop!"
*We sent Nate back downstairs with a message to tell his brother to stop.
*Quiteness ensures for about 1 minute followed by extreme laughing, running, jumping and then the famous footseps.
*Tattling again followed by delivering of the parental message.
These steps happen several times in a row.
*Two or so hours later, Nate decides he wants to sleep in our bed.
*Thirty minutes after that Lex realizes that Nate is no longer with him so he tries to get Nate to come back downstairs as he wants someone to sleep with him.
*Mommy ends up sleeping on the sofa bed.

Am I being secretly taped?

This is a question I have been asking myself lately. The stuff that has been happening and being said just doesn't feel like it should be happening to children who are only two and four years old.

Let me start at about a month ago. Nate has been pretty much potty trained...on the pee side of things. He apparently doesn't like his poop going directly from his body into the toilet. He has done the deed in his pants, taken it out of his pants and put it in the toilet himself and then asked for a toy for this. I have tried to explain that it should be a one step process, but we're not always there.

Sarcasm is also rearing it's ugly, but oh so natural, head. I got stuck in our driveway after 2+ feet of snow and Lex got out of the car, put one hand on his hip and pointed with the other one saying, "well, there's your problem. It's that big 'ole pile of snow." I figured it would not have given me any mother of the year points to say, "thank you Caption Obvious." So, I just told him he was right.

At any given time, Nate will roll his eyes at me with a completely exasperated gasp. He will also tell me, "this is just weeeedicalous."

I'm pretty sure I can record myself saying, "get your hands out of your pants, that's private" as I say it a bajillion times a day between the two of them.

Well, I have a cranky two year old sitting underneath my desk table so I must go and do the motherly thing. I'm sure many more things will be happening at our household that I can write about soon. Have no fear!

Nate and flirting

Well, apparently we have a little Romeo here. Bailey has a friend over and Nate has taken a *serious* liking to her. As in, won't leave her alone, has tried to pick her up (literally) and won't let her leave the room. The latest? He was sitting on the bed next to her, leaned over to her and said, "Kiss me."

Little men in the penis

Yep, you read that correctly. Lex and I are home during the day, so we're helping Nate pee in the potty and not his pants. Once in a while, Lex and Nate will have a "pee party" where they pee in the toilet together. (This must be a boy thing?!?)
Anyways, before we left yesterday, we were encouraging Nate to "push the pee out." I'm happy to say he did! So, as we were getting ready to leave Lex informed me that he's pretty sure Nate has little men in his penis. I was taken by surprise and said, "What?!" He said, "Little men. I think Nate has little men in his penis that help push the pee out so he can go." I just sort of looked at smiled. What does one say to that?? Such an imagination!

Quicksand

Last week while I was working, I put on the movie The Never-Ending Story for the boys. They were entranced! Apparently, the part of the movie involving quicksand really stuck with them. Later that day, while playing in the backyard, the following scene took place:

Both boys were under the apple tree where plenty of apples are still on the ground. They were pretending that the apples were quicksand and would scrunch low to the ground while sinking and calling for help from the other one. The other one would quickly come to the rescue and pull the sinking child out of the quicksand. After the two of them were going back and forth for quite a while doing this, Nate went out and was "sinking." Lex walked on the outside of the apples and said, "You are just going to sink now. You are on your own mister." Oh my! I guess brotherly love only goes so far, huh? LOL

No more diapers!

Well, Nate is all the way trained yet, but I have him continuously saying this phrase! But, I decided on Sunday morning that I was done with pull ups. I put Nate in underwear and he has no problem playing in wet underwear. I put him in pull ups and he wants changed as soon as he pees. Well, pull ups are pricey! So, we're on day two of underwear. It's a bit frustrating, especially when I see him peeing on the floor right through his underwear. But, it's a learning curve for both of us. So, we've got the reward m&ms and we just keep changing underwear. He'll get it soon enough :)

Wow, time flies.

It's been almost a month since I've written here. I cannot believe how fast time has been flying right past us. We've been busy as little bees here. The kids all picked out their own Halloween costumes a few weekends ago. Bailey has chosen to be the Grim Reeper. Lex went straight for the firemen's uniform but then changed at the last minute to a black ninja. Nate, who is obsessed with his cowboy boots, is going as a cowboy. I am so incredibly excited this year for Halloween! The kids will get lots of opportunities to wear them this year and the first is this weekend. We are meeting Bailey's Brownie troop at the zoo for Zoo Boo. The kids don't know about this yet. Fun, fun, fun!

Having fun

I have read lots of parenting books. I was a teacher for nine years. I really don't think any of that prepares you for *real* parenthood. I don't remember reading about waking up dreaming of nursing your baby and then waking up freaking out because you can't find your baby, only to realize that you weren't nursing him/her and he/she is safely sleeping in their own bed. I was just sleep deprived. I read about children sleeping in their own beds, on their backs. Nobody warned me that sometimes the best sleep with both got was when they were in bed with me. Nobody warned me that I would be so tired that laying on the floor and having kids crawl over me while I took a short cat nap would be just what I needed to get through the rest of the day. I would love to write a real parenting book. You know, realistic!
But, one of the things I want to add is to have fun! Kids are only young for such a short period of time, that I have really had to step back and just enjoy them. Right now, I have a pile of dishes in my sink that could have easily been done last night while the older two kiddos when to church for Clues Club. But, did we rush home and do them? Nope, we took the youngest out to DQ and spent some time with him. It was awesome. I think having fun is such an integral part of life that sometimes gets pushed to the side. I hope my children realize how much fun we have together and that they remember it when they are teenagers :)

Our trip to the store

Goes a little something like this with a two year old:

In the cart. Screaming.
Out of the cart. Running.
In the cart. Screaming.
Out of the cart. Running and laughing.
In the cart. Screaming.
Out of the cart. Running and laughing.
In the cart. Screaming.
Out of the cart. Running and laughing.

Ah, fun times.

Energy!!!

Oh my goodness! The amount of energy that my sons release is absolutely amazing to me! Bailey used to have bouts of energy, but nothing like this! They wake up full of it the second they open their eyes and they normally don't stop until they hit the bed at night. I am in awe everyday and wish I could bottle up just 10% of it to keep up with them.
I remember Bailey getting into her energy bouts and we have her jump up and down. She would jump so fast that we could barely see her. But, once she was done jumping, she was calmer. Not Lex and Nate! Goodness sakes, they slow down (for a bit) but get right back into whatever they were doing. Coffee, bring me coffee!

Survival of the fittest

I have been told that my parenting style, with all three children, is everything from over-bearing to playing favorites. I decided many moons ago that what happens in my four walls is my business and nobody elses. Since then, I have been a much happier person. All three kids are *extremely* different. Well, the boys are not to the extreme, but they do have their differences. All three have to be disciplined in different ways due to the behavior and/or ages. I am not a helicopter parent. Never have been. Kids need to be kids. Kids need to figure out differences on their own. Kids need to handle arguments and disagreements on their own. Now, when things get physical or super mean, I will step in, but it's survival of the fittest here! LOL
Okay, not really, but that's what I say on a daily basis. I think by not stepping in constantly and allowing kids to try to figure out things on their own it makes them stronger and more responsible individuals. Wow, it's quite a concept, eh?

Swearing

I will admit, that since having kids, I have dramatically cut down on swearing. I never used to swear a lot, but when something happened...say stubbing my toe...I never had to worry about who was going to repeat my words.
I never really thought about it much until Bailey was around four years old and Erik said, "what the!" and Bailey finished it up with, "hell." Yea, that was a bit of a shocker for us. Honestly, swearing has really never been an issue for us with her.
Lex, never swore in front of us. However, he did inform me last summer that when he was mad, he would go into the garage and say, "damn-it." I thanked him for saying it privately, but we still had a few conversations about it being not appropriate.
Now Nate....we have a swearer. His favorites seem to be God damn it and shit. We are working on it. The first swear word is from Erik and I admit shit came from me. Now, don't get me wrong, we are not swearers and we actually attend church, but sometimes, well, the words just come out. We are working on it...

Summer catch-up

Well, to say it has been a busy summer for the Leamon family would be an understatement. Every single weekend was busy with something. Most of our weekdays were too! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. As it was such an awesomely fun summer! We all just seemed to really let loose and have a great time. Now, the warm days have come to an end and school days are here yet again.
Bailey is back home with us and has started fourth grade. So far, so good. She is loving it!
Alexander is back in pre-school as of today for three days a week. He has really grown up so much this summer that it still takes me by surprise.
Nathaniel is such a high spirited child that it keeps me constantly on guard. I have finally learned to just live with it and just enjoy him. Makes a much better day for all of us. :)

Sleeping with my boys

Last night I stayed awake until almost midnight to finish my book. I just couldn't end it with one or two chapters left! At almost the exact same time I turned off my light, I heard the pitter patter of Lex's feet coming down the hall. He climbed into bed next to me and said, "I want to sleep with you Mamma." I coaxed him out of bed and told him I would lay with him in his bed. He laid down and I laid beside him and he wanted my arm over him. He instantly fell asleep with those heavy deep sleep breaths. I laid there listening to him thinking about how lucky I was. Well, within just a few minutes, I heard Nate start to cry. So, I go to his room to try and soothe him. He kept hugging me saying, "I want you Mommy." So, I grabbed some pillows and blankets and laid with him on his floor. He likes to lay with his arm over me. Again, I just kept thinking about how lucky I was. A few hours later, Lex joined us. So, the three of us, laying on the floor of Nate's room, must've looked like quite a site. Oh well. They're only young for a short time. And, I am extremely lucky. :)

Pedicures

I have an old wipe box that I use to keep all my manicure and pedicure items in. Every once in a while I'll bring it out and give myself a quick pedicure while the boys are playing. I bring it out today and both boys come running over. They take the nail file and file their toes (between the toes, not the nails), pretend/try to cut their nails and take out my pedi-egg and smooth their heels. I got such a kick out of them! They did all the "necessary" things and then were off and running.

First time camping

We went camping this past week with my cousin's family. Well, sort of camping. We slept in our tent, but had access to a bathroom, living room and kitchen in their cottage. The kids had an absolute blast. They loved the freedom they had to just run crazy. They played in the sand pit, with soccer balls, with a Frisbee, with baseball bats, etc. At night, they got a quick bath in the kitchen sink to get a majority, never all, of the sand washed off of them. We also rode in go-carts, had ice cream, went to the beach and fishing. Lex caught two fish on two separate days. Add to that a homemade swing set between some trees, all day snacking, campfires and s'mores...well, it added up to be a fabulous first vacation for the Leamon family.

Our weekend

Yesterday we took the kids to Waldameer Park in Erie. Lex had an absolute blast. He wanted to ride every ride he walked by, until we got in line. So, we though it would be best if we hit up the kiddie section of the park. Once there, he was unstoppable. He went on every ride there several times over.
Nate, on the other hand, didn't have such an awesome time. He should have taken a nap on the way up, but noooooo, that didn't happen. He was miserable pretty much the whole time. He wanted up, we picked him up, he wanted down. He wanted to hold our hand, we held hands, he wanted to let go. You get the idea.
All in all, we spent about six hours there before we finally called it a day.
Today, Sunday, after church we packed a lunch and headed out to Chapmans Dam. What a blast! It wasn't really crowded and the water was nice and warm. Kids weren't really interested in building sand castles, but they loved being in the water and squirting each other with water guns. I love seeing them so excited over life. They give me such energy and fill me with so much love that I never thought was possible.

Odds and Ends

* During our garage sale last week Lex didn't like how Nate was acting. So, he decided we should sell him...for 40 bucks.
*When Lex and Nate argue now, they constantly ask each other, "Do you want a piece of me?!"
*Erik has been home for the past two weeks so I am no longer the go-to parent!!
*Nate is working on being potty trained.

Boot Camp update

Thought I would take a moment to reflect on the Leamon Boot Camp. We have finally gotten bedtimes under control. Well, as much as one can for a two year old who can knock down gates and doesn't have locks on his doors. At least he plays by himself now instead of coming down the stairs every two minutes and/or going into Lex's room to wake him up.
As far as behavior...well, it's still a a work in progress. Lex and Nate both find it within their power to yell at each other, tell each other what to do, put each other in time out and physically punish each other. Part of me wants to tell them to knock it off and the other part of me wants to see how it all plays out. Sadistic, I know. So, we step in when we need to and step back when needed. Lex is finally out of time out more than he is in it, so that's progress. Nate, on the other hand, well, let's just say that he likes to push every. single. solitary. button on Erik. Yep, and then hold down on them! Erik has taken so many deep breaths, I'm surprised he hasn't passed out. I'm thinking we may need to duct tape Nate to the time out stair as he is spending A LOT of time there lately. Damn good thing he's cute.

Fireworks

We took the kids to see the local fireworks display last night. We got there about 7:45 and set up "camp" in the back of the truck. You know, the necessities...chairs, blankets, drinks, snacks...
Anyways, about 9:30 PM random fireworks were being lit up all around us.
"Look at that pink one Mom!"
"Wow! That's a big one!"
"This is great!"
This is what we heard over and over and over again for thirty minutes. Erik and I had a blast watching them and couldn't wait for the real show to start. They both just sat there, staring at the sky with their mouths wide open. They absolutely LOVED the display. On the way home, I asked Lex if he enjoyed the show and he replied that he did. I then asked Nate if he enjoyed the show and he said, "I like chocolate cake." Um, yea, he is my child.

July 3rd

Well, we were complete traders today and ditched the annual Warren Fourth of July parade and went to ....Corry. Yes, Corry. But, I think for the age the boys are right now, this was a good thing for us. The Warren parade is awesome. But, it normally lasts over three hours. I don't think we have yet to see the end of it because we are all hot and cranky and tired. So, we hit the Corry parade with some friends and it was just as awesome for us. It was about an hour long. The kids got tons of candy and saw tons of firetrucks. What more can boys ask for??
Then, we went to a picnic and the kids had a blast on the slip and slide and on the trampoline. Kids showered, watched a movie, had some snacks are in bed for the night. Tomorrow we will attempt to get a nap in because it's fireworks night!!!

Leamon Boot Camp

Since the boys have had their birthdays, their behavior has, ummm, well, sort of gone downhill. I'll admit (not out loud!!) that I *may* have helped in this. It got really hot out, our routine got out of whack and, quite honestly, I started putting up with more crap than I should have. Well, no more. They are a bit out of control and it's a bit ridiculous. We have created the Leamon Boot Camp to get this house back under control. I'm pretty laid back with a lot of my parenting and definitely agree that kids should be kids...but! Yes, a big 'ole but here... Kids need to show respect. I believe it needs to be given to them and it also needs to be given to others. So, that's what we're working on. We've accomplished the bedtime routine and bedtime so that's good....now working on listening and respect. Help me..... :)

The last few days...

1. I have threatened to take the doors off of the hinges from Lex and Nate's room.
2. We have come to realize that Bailey cannot chew gum and do, well, anything.
3. Lex thinks we need to get rid of Nate and find him a new home since he doesn't listen here.
4. Bailey wanted to keep a pair of broken sunglasses because, "they make a cool noise when you flap them."
5. Lex likes to "read" the scripture from a pull out pen and visit Jesus.
6. Nate likes to chase Lex with a chainsaw.
7. Oh, and Nate got the Bob the Builder toilet seat stuck on his head today.
8. Lex introduced himself to one of the pastor's of our church as Spiderman.

Operation Fluffy

Fluffy is what Nate calls his pacifier. I think it's time to be rid of it. We did it around this age with Lex and it worked out pretty well. Although, I believe it was much easier with Lex because we called him a big boy and Nate the baby, etc. We have been calling Nate a big boy for a while, explaining that fluffies are for babies, etc. Today, I pretended to throw it in the garbage. He sat on my lap and hugged me and cried for about 10 minutes and then he was okay. *sigh* This (and diapers) are the only thing left of my baby. It's bittersweet for me, I can only imagine how hard it is for him. We'll get through this. It'll be rough for a few nights, but we'll survive.

Spiderman and Norm

We've started attending church last week. Last week was our first week and the kids were sort of shy. Lex introduced himself as either Alexander or Lex every time. This week, however, I'm thinking he's a bit more comfortable as he introduced himself as Spiderman and introduced Nate as Norm. Um, not sure where that came from!

camping

Well, it's Memorial Day weekend and it's been absolutely gorgeous outside. We have quite literally spent all day every day outside this entire weekend. This morning, Erik thought it might be a fun time to take out the old tent and camp out back with the kids. After we got home, he started a fire up in the pit and brought out the tent to air it out. Oh my goodness did the kids go absolutely crazy when the saw it! Beyond excited does not even begin to cover it. We spent all day outside and the kids had an absolute blast. We cooked burgers on the pit and topped off our dinner with some toasted marsh-a-mellows (according to Nate). Once the kids were nice and sticky, after playing in some dirt, they wiped their hands on the ground. Not sure if you've ever had the experience of wiping off caked on marshmallows with sticky grass or not, but it's not as easy to clean as one might think. Oh well, who cares! After this weekend, I've realized that Lex and Nate truly like being barefooted. Bailey takes her shoes on and off, but prefers them on most of the time. I can already tell, however, that my boys are going to be "those kids" that have permanently dirty feet in the summer. At least we're all having fun!

Awesome Mom

I feel like I should write this down as I do plan on printing out this blog and binding it for my kids. With that being said, I'm sure my children will go through a period or two of disliking me greatly. Right now, they tell me I'm awesome. I want to *remind* them of this! LOL
Anytime we do anything that is slightly different from our daily routine, Lex is continuously telling me how great it is and how I"m a great and awesome Mom. Nate just keeps saying great Mom and this is fun over and over again. I love those moments!

Doctor appointment

The boys had their 4 and 2 year old check ups yesterday. It was quite the adventure. Nate did not, I should probably repeat that, DID NOT enjoy it at all. He was quite fine with Lex getting weighed and measured but as soon as it was time for him...let's just say the next town over probably heard his screaming. Oh well, such is life, right? Lex is big enough now to do the eye exam, which he did quite well with. Nate screamed throughout the entire visit. He clung to me like I was going to drop him over a cliff! But, finally his turn was over. Lex, was a champ. He loves going to the doctor, that is, until shot time! He likes to talk, a lot. Did I mention he likes to talk a lot?! He likes to tell everything that happens from Daddy being at work to me drinking coffee. While he was chatting away, he told the doctor that Nate gets in trouble for throwing food and milk. I told Lex that we really didn't need to be bringing that up right now. Lex leaned over to me and whispered, "But I need to tell somebody!" I couldn't help but laugh. I pretty much didn't need to do any talking at all since Lex could, and did, answer all of the questions regarding both him and Nate. They both cried with their shot, but it was over quickly. Now, neither of them need shots again until they are 5 years old, right before kindergarten. That's only one year for Lex...yikes!!!

My own words bite me in the butt

Well, it's happening. My children are using my words...on ME! Yep! On one hand, I find it hilarious. But, on the other, kinda gets on my nerves. I'll give a few examples:
1. Today, Lex did not have his shoes on. They were laying in the yard. So, he walked over and was going to ride his bike to get his shoes. At the time, I did not know it was his plan so I told him he had to wear shoes while riding his bike. No response. I told him again. No response. I told him again. He finally got off the bike to walk towards his shoes and said, "Will you just calm down about the shoes?"
2. Nate is constantly talking on pretend phones. Every time I am on the phone, especially with Erik, he wants to talk. I am forever saying, "just a minute." Well, he now says that to me while talking on the phone. "I talking to XXX, just a minute." Well, excuuuuuusssee me! Sheesh!

child proof doors

We have the child proof lock on our car doors. The kids know that an adult has to open it for them. Well, a while ago, Bailey wanted to open the door for Lex and Nate. I should mention here that Lex finds it *hilarious* to quickly lock the door as we are about to open it. So, as Bailey goes to open the door, Lex locks it. Bailey looked at me and said, "Huh, that's a pretty smart car. It even knows when a child is going to open it from the outside." I wanted to laugh hysterically at this! But, I kept my cool and said, "you're right, that's why adults open the doors for you." The things kids say...

Cowboy boots give attitude!

While shopping the other night, I found cowboy boots on sale in Nate's size. For the heck of it, I had him try them on. OMGoodness! Hilarious! He instantly changed his walk to a strut and took off down the isle! He refused to take them off so he wore them the rest of the day. Later on, we went to our fabulous mall here and he and the rest of the family were waiting for me in the corridor while I paid. Well, apparently he was tired of waiting. He put his hands on his hips, looked at Erik and said, "I'm going home." Then, he strutted right down the corridor and opened the door! I was not aware that cowboy boots gave such an attitude to two year olds!
Yesterday, his outfit of choice was a onesie, a spiderman wristband (worn on his wrist) an "I love America" bracelet and his cowboy boots. He is definitely a trendsetter. Totally cracks me up!

Gone for a while...

I've been MIA for a while. First my dryer broke and then my 'puter got a nasty virus. For someone who works on the internet and surfs while working....losing a computer is like stopping crack in the middle of a hit. "What?! You mean you want me to unplug it right now and don't turn it on? I've been using it in safe mode? What?! No safe mode either!? Do you realize that I'm looking at my computer and still having withdrawals?" Ah...I digress...
Here's what's been happening in our neck of the woods:
Having no way to work, meant doing stuff around the house. So, Lex and I got our garden in. Well, Nate "attempted" to help and I say that loosely.
Both boys had (yes, I said had) really clean rooms.
I vacuumed a lot.
I read two books.
I wrestled a lot.
I snuggled a lot.
I decided that these two boys have more energy than our entire city. Seriously. Where the hell do they get it from? And how the hell can they start with the loudness and energy so early in the morning? I love the fact they they have kid sized vacuums, etc. But, I think they need to be in working order. Kids have too much energy to "pretend" to clean. Seriously. Make that vacuum work! :)

Leamon Boys Birthday Bash

Right now, it was much easier to combine the boys and have a combined birthday party. So, we opted to have the Leamon Boys Birthday Bash this past Saturday. Thankfully, the weather held out and it didn't rain. We had chips, veggie platter, lots of pizza and ice cream cake! The cake was the hit of the party! Actually, upon thinking some more, the bubble machines the boys received were the hit of the party! Kids and adults both got quite the kick out of them. It was a bit hectic while they opened their gifts so I'm not sure who got what from who, but they really loved it all! We were definitely blessed to have an awesome birthday party.

Turning Four!!

Lex turned four this past Saturday. He is getting to be so grown up! He came into our bedroom in the morning and told us he felt older already. LOL He definitely got bigger and grew overnight now that he was four. He rushed downstairs and opened his gifts. He got a Cars tire fishing game, Spiderman scooter and an outdoor soccer kit. He loved them! He really wants a new big boy bike so we will be using part of his money to buy that next week. But, for now, the Scooter is definitely the favorite gift. He rode it all over the house and we took it outside that afternoon. Erik set up the soccer goal so we played with that too. Such a big boy he is getting to be. So bittersweet...

Turning Two!!

Well, my baby is officially a big boy. *sigh* So bittersweet for me. Nate turned two on Sunday. He got to open his new big boy gifts. He got a t-ball set, a scooter and some other little trinkets. We sang Happy Birthday to him and he did not appreciate that at all! LOL He's getting to be such a big kid. He talks in complete sentences all the time now (minus a word or two occasionally). I have been trying to get him to take naps in his toddler bed for a few weeks now and he has wanted nothing to do with it. He would go over to his crib and say, "No, this my bed." But on Monday night, Daddy put him to bed and came downstairs and said that Nate was in his big boy bed. At first, I didn't believe him, but then 30 seconds later I hear tiny steps running down the hall saying, "Mommy!? A tiss (kiss) pwease." So, I went upstairs and gave him a few extra hugs and kisses and he fell right to sleep. No problems going to bed at all. I have to say that we are quite blessed with that. When it's time for bed, they go straight to bed with very little issues, if any.
Our next goal for our big boy is to get rid of his fluffy (pacifier). He only uses it at night, but it's time go. He's a big boy now!

ice cream

Friday night is family movie night at our house. We normally make a huge bowl of popcorn and watch a movie together. Tonight, I decided to get Blizzards, since they were in sale, in lieu of popcorn. At first, Bailey didn't want a blizzard, she wanted one plain dish of vanilla ice cream. Yes, that is normally what she wants. However, she did change her mind and get a blizzard. As soon as Nate heard me, all we heard from him was "Ice cream Mom. Ice cream Dad. Chocowate Mom." Lex didn't care what he wanted, just as long as it was chocolate.
Nate at his own ice cream on the couch. A bit messy, but not too bad. Didn't hear a peep out of Lex or Bailey until their cup was completely gone. So funny how a treat like this lights up their eyes.

bathtime chaos

Bathtime has become pure chaos at our house. I don't know what has happened lately, but as soon as Lex or Nate get their hair wet to be rinsed, they turn into screaming lunatics. I don't mean the "I don't want my hair washed" cry. It's the "OMG I am being beaten to death!" cry. Yep. It makes for an awesome time. Can you sense the sarcasm? This happened with Bailey right around this age, but Erik doesn't remember that. It's amazing what can be forgotten. I sure hope this can because their screams are deafening.
As it is, we have to bathe them separately now. Nate finds it absolutely hilarious to dump water on Lex's head which creates more screaming...both in general and at Nate. They joys of children...

Erik's birthday

Erik's birthday was this Saturday. April 17th. And it snowed. Yep. Snowed. Not too much and not enough to stick, but enough to say it snowed. At first, he kept saying, "I love living here!" Then, towards the end of the day, "Okay, I love winter, but this is enough. I'm ready for spring." LOL...that's what we get for living here I guess.
Well, Erik's favorite meal of the day is breakfast so we tried out a new hole in the wall place. It was really yummy and inexpensive. We have found our new breakfast place! Then, the whole family went garage saling...Erik's favorite thing to do, my worst. But, I went. We found nothing. Not much happening with the snow! So, we came back and home and everyone, except Bailey, laid down and we all slept for three hours! I made some homemade marina sauce and we had pasta for dinner...another favorite of Erik's. And, it was topped off with red velvet birthday cake. All in all, it was a pretty good day.

April 15, 2010

I've decided the kids are just plain weird. There's nothing else to it. Bailey will forever have stained clothes. Her latest favorite thing to do is slide down the baby slide outside, on her knees. No amount of scrubbing will get that grass out of her pants. And, for some reason, she has no fashion sense, but why would she? The boys don't either. It does not matter what she wears, she never, ever matches her socks to her outfit. Her shirts only match her pants because most of them are jeans. Oh well.
Today, Nate is wearing blue pants, a baseball shirt and two different sweatbands, one one arm, that he keeps calling his watches.
Lex is wearing red pants, a blue and white Bob the Builder shirt, Spiderman watch and a light blue winter hat.
Needless to say, we're not really into fashion here.

More randomness

I think I just need to start writing so I can get all of these memories out before I forget them. Let's see...
Our weather has been crazy here. We were in the 80s for almost two weeks and then it decided to snow again! Of course, the kids (well, Lex) still wanted to wear shorts, but we stayed in the house. Nate, still refuses to go out without a "tajet." Most of us call that a jacket. Tattling is still full force in this house. Nate has jumped on that bandwagon. Every time Lex so much as put his hands on Nate, he comes running to me with crocodile tears, "Lex pusheda me."
Um, Lex has been asking for a chore chart. Yep, he wants to clean, do dishes and do laundry. We had a little conversation about him going to school and I told him I wanted to teach him at home because I would be sad and he told me, "Mom, I'll come back home afterschool, okay? I need to go and do my lessons." He's growing up way to fast for me.
Bailey is working on making some more friends at school. I am encouraging her to invite some good kids over and we're working on her not being drawn to the not so nice kids. It's a hard process, she is definitely a follower and not a leader. I'm hoping to get her into karate next year and hope that will help her self esteem a bit.
All, in all, we're doing great and loving life. Weather is getting a bit better, cold but sunny. We've got love and that's what matters.

Sometimes I don't want to be the responsible one...

Now, don't get me wrong. I LOVE my kids to death. I LOVE staying home with them. But, somedays, I just don't want to be in charge. When Lex comes in at five something in the morning, I do not want to get up. When I see messes on the floor, I want to walk right by them. Sure, I can, but it'll still be there when I walk back. *sigh* Such is life.
But, as I write this, my house is *mostly* clean and both boys are asleep and Bailey's in school. I am soooo not used this quietness.

Superman

Nate likes to climb on top of the recliner and sit (legs dangling on the front and back).Now, mind you, I don't like this, but some days, eh, whatever. Today was one of those days. I hear from behind me, "Hey Nate! Wanna play Superman?!" Lex was pushing on the seat part of the chair to try to flip off Nate. Of course, Nate was in full agreement of this new game and he is holding on by his legs for dear life while laughing hysterically. To make the story just a tad better...they are wearing matching Superman outfits today.

Tattling

Well, tattling has picked back up at the Leamon household. We had stopped it for a while, but I guess with three kids here it's inevitable, right? I've learned that when Nate randomly starts crying it could be a variety of things. He could have hurt himself, he could have been hurt, he could want a specific toy... You get the idea. I have also learned, that when I ask Lex what happened, he will say, "I didn't do anything" when he did and "I don't know" if he didn't.
Back up to earlier today. Silly me decided to take a few minutes to myself and head to the bathroom. That would have been my first mistake. I hear Nate crying and him and Lex come running to the bathroom door. "What happened?" I yell out. "I didn't do anything," says Lex. Hmmm....fishy. Lex instantly decides to leave the area and go play. Nate, on the other hand, is not letting it go. He busts through the door. "Wex pushed me." Hmm....he is now tattling. I wanted to laugh at this, but had to take it seriously. As I'm sitting there I have to listen to this whole story of how Nate pushed Lex and Lex pushed Nate. I tell him I need privacy, but I will take care of it. He runs out of the bathroom and proceeds to yell at Lex, "Wex! No pushing!"
Bailey has been home a total of 34 minutes from school. She has tattled four times already. *sigh*
Anyway, moral of the story....Kids tattle. Nothing new. Still cracks me up and irritates me at the same time. Gotta love it!

Lex and his butt

Lex has only thrown up one time his entire life and that was all over me. So, it makes total sense that the second time he throws up, it would be all over Erik. I was upstairs in the shower and Erik and Lex come busting through the door covered in vomit. Apparently, Lex went screaming downstairs yelling, "It hurts!" As soon as Erik asked him what hurt, the projectile came out. Twice. So, into the shower they go. Lex instantly felt better and as Erik and I were trying to figure out what he could have eaten that caused this, Lex shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know. Maybe I have heartburn." Heartburn? I couldn't control myself. I busted out laughing.
Fast forward to the next morning. Lex is upstairs in the bathroom and he yells for me from the top of the stairs. "Mom! I just threw up out of my butt. It's okay though, I cleaned it up." Threw up from his butt?! Yep, diarrhea. But, he cleaned it up himself!!! What a boy!!
Poor baby has had some Pepto and feels better. Only "small throw ups" from his butt lately and no more from his mouth. Oh my....

My day with Nate

Erik and Lex took off yesterday late morning to head to airport to pick up Bailey. I was home with Nate all day. This is actually a very rare thing for us. I have realized that Nate is at the stage where I can get absolutely nothing done. Literally. If I sit on the couch and just watch him play, he is content. If I interact with him, he is content. If I move a muscle to do anything that I need and/or want to do, he is not content. So, the only things I got done during his nap, were the only things I got done at all that day. Oh well. I loved spending time with my little blonde man. He is growing up so much. We were able to actually "chit chat" about quite a bit. I can understand most of what he is saying now, which is awesome! He is so independent and always saying, "I do it." I love his perseverance and hope he keeps up with it. His latest thing to do is to bring the stool over to the sink and help wash some dishes. He's not the most gentle with them, but he does just fine with the plastic stuff. "I do it." I am amazed everyday how much he grows and learns. He watches everything and takes it all in. I love watching his personality come through and shine.
Have I mentioned that he randomly comes over and gives tons of hugs and kiss out of the blue! I love it!

Coloring eggs

The boys colored eggs today (Bailey is in Las Vegas). This was quite the sight. We started out nice and calm and not too messy. Well, that isn't exactly how it ended up. Lex's fingers are bit orange, but not too bad. Nate felt the need to dunk his entire hand into the water. So, his hands are completely blue. Completely blue. He also has some awesome colored streaks down his arms and pretty striped legs. Can't forget to tell you about the one purple toe and green foot. They had a fabulous time though, and that's what counts.

One less kid

Well, the time has finally come...we apparently have too many kids...according to Lex that is.
Last night, after a long, extremely awesome day outside, the boys were filthy so I threw them in the tub. Nate instantly finds it absolutely hilarious to splash the heck out of Lex. Lex, on the other hand, did not find this funny at all, in fact, it was the opposite. So, between Nate getting the entire floor soaked in under five minutes and Lex crying the entire time, it was an extremely fast bath. I get Lex out and dried off and he goes in to his room to get dressed. Nate, on the other hand, refused to get out. Splashing what little bit of water was left in the tub, getting out toys, screaming "no" and anything else. Lex comes out into the hallway and informs Erik and I that we "need to get rid of a kid." At first, I was in pure shock, then I wanted to laugh hysterically, but I kept my cool. I calmly asked him what he was talking about. "Nate," he says, "he has to go. He doesn't listen. You need to get rid of that kid." Erik asks him how many kids we should have and Lex tells him one. "Well, Bailey too, so two kids. But not Nate, he doesn't listen." Can you feel the love?

talking

I know that talking more comes with growing up, but, my oh my!
Nate is now talking in full sentences most of the time. Wait, full paragraphs. Quite the story teller he is. And, when he talks, it is serious. Hands on the hips, full facial expressions and all. It's sometimes still difficult to get all the words, but we get the gist. It's quite hilarious to listen to a conversation between him and Nate. Oh, he's started singing the alphabet too. "a, e, b, d, o, o, u. b, d, p o, u, u"
Lex, well, Lex is turning into a little man. He kinda wants to do things on his time which doesn't always work. Heaven forbid I have to tell him, oh, four thousand times to take something to his room, I will get the teenage sounding, "okayyyyyyyyya Mom." I thought I had a good 10 years or so before that happened?
Bailey's vocabulary is really improving also. I can't remember exactly what she said the other night, but I do remember Erik and I looking at each other with that expression of pure shock.
It's extremely bittersweet to watch them grow up.

Stinkerbutt

So, I probably should not be calling my kids stinkerbutt, but I do. I think it's kinda cute and so do they. Well, my sarcastic little 3 year old used it on me today. We were in the car heading to the grocery store and I thought I would treat them to nuggets and apple fries from McDonald's. Lex said, "That's great! You are the best stinkerbutt ever!" Gee....thanks...

Have I mentioned that Nate will just randomly come up to me and say, "you a stinkerbutt!"

What have I done?

Has anyone seen my babies??

They appear to have grown up and are no longer here! *sniff*sniff*
It's very bittersweet for me. I love every stage that they have and are going through (even though I have complained). I love being able to have full conversations with both of them. But, man, I had to shop for Lex in the big boy section! You should see his new shoes! They're huge! And they fit! Nate has three huge bags of clothes in his closet that don't fit anymore. Everyday, one for item of clothing is too small. They have opinions on everything now! Both of them justify their actions. Both of them can argue with me. But, on the other hand, both of them tell me they love me and still want some Mommy time.

Is it true? Really spring??

Well, this is probably going to be another random post. But, I just need to remember to get all of these funny things out and onto here.
Let's see...Nate tipped over my computer chair today and Lex told me that he (Nate) did it. I said, "what are we going to do with that kid?" In all seriousness, Lex looked at me and said, "I don't know. I think we should take him to the doctor and fix him. Can the doctor fix him? Let's just go." He was so serious and I had to do my best to stifle my laughter.
Nate has figured out how to put on shoes by himself. So, at any given time, he's wearing two different shoes and not necessarily his. My fave so far was him in a onesie wearing one black barn boot and one lime green croc. Quite the trendsetter I have here.
Bailey has been maturing enough to be able to pick out her own clothes and not look like Punky Brewster on a daily basis! Wahoo!
The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this week so we've been able to spend a ton of time outside. Bailey's been able to get her bike out and ride it and the boys and I have been playing soccer in the backyard.
Well, Lex is trying to play scrabble and Nate is refusing yet another nap so I'll write more later.

This week's randomness

My kids are fruitloops. Yes, I call them that. Actually, the word of the week is stinkerbutt. Mature, huh? Everytime one of us does something silly, stupid, etc. we call each other a stinkerbutt. Parenting at it's finest.
As for the passing of the puppy, that did not last. Lex only lasted an hour before he wanted it. But, that's okay, because Nate only last five minutes in his new bed before he was crying hysterically and wanted back in his crib.
Lex informed me, again, that Nate will not stay in his bed and that we will have to tape him down.
Nate is seriously into tattling on Lex. I say seriously because of the expression on his face and the seriousness of his voice. I love that I am actually able to have a conversation with him now. His vocabulary is really coming along.
Bailey has realized that she needs to bone up when it comes to the boys. Nate has managed to take her down in a bulldozer type move. Totally caught her off guard. At least she found humor in it.
We thought for sure that Bailey would be sleeping with all three cats. She did, the first few days, then she decided no way. They kept walking all over her head and waking her up. So now, she shuts her door tight at night.
Lex on the other hand, wanted the cats out of his room when he shared with Nate. Now, that he is a big boy and has his own room, the cats all sleep with. Every night. I have found him on the floor and all three cats sprawled out on his bed.
I have a feeling Nate's cat will be trying to sleep with him as soon as he is in his toddler bed as he has been jumping into his crib. Nate finds no humor in that whatsoever.
Let's see...the couch cushions are never on my couches anymore. The kids take them off and call it "slippee-do." I don't know...it keeps them happy and not arguing. I can deal with that.

20 questions

We often play this game in the car. Mostly it's Erik and Bailey, but now Lex is trying to get in on the gaming action. On the way home a few nights again, Bailey asked to play. Normally her answer is guessed within a few questions. Lex's answer is normally guessed on the first time. So, we get to Erik's turn and ask Lex is trying to figure it out, he's getting more and more upset. "Just say yes!" he starts telling Erik. Erik is trying to explain that he can't say yes because it's not what he's thinking of. "So, just say yes!" This sends us all, even Nate, into fits of hysterical laughter. We figured out that Lex's answers are always a person. And, it's guessed so quickly because the first person guessed is who he decides is his answer. We realized the issue...he was calling the game 2 questions!

Passing of the puppy

This weekend Lex got his official big boy bed. He hasn't actually slept in it yet, as the weekends seem to be having sleepovers in Bailey's room on the floor. Tonight will be his first night in the big bed. That means that the toddler bed is now in Nate's room. Quite honestly, I'm not yet ready for him to be out of the crib for several reasons. The first, I don't trust the boy! Don't get me wrong, I love 'em to death, but the boy is wild. He needs some containment. Also, as soon as he goes into his big boy bed, that means he's not a baby anymore. That alone is going to make me want to just cuddle him a bit more.
Anyways, Nate now has both the crib and the toddler bed in his room. Lex was so stinking cute at he put his puppy, that he sleeps with every night, into the toddler bed and said, "here Nate, you can sleep with puppy now." Gotta love brotherly love.

Sledding

I hate to admit it, but this past weekend was the first time we have taken the kids sledding all winter. But, we did it! It was a gorgeous weekend. The temperature finally hit mid 30s, it didn't snow and we had this big yellow thing up in the sky that was pretty darn bright. We haven't seen much of it lately, but I'm pretty sure it was the sun!
Anyways, we get the kids all dressed up in their thermals, then sweats, then the snowsuit, etc. We all pile in the car and head on over to the hill. We are the only ones there! It was unbelieveable! Anyways, Bailey starts sledding right away and is having a blast. She's only doing the half hill, but it's fast enough for her right now. Lex goes down a few times and is starting to the hang of it. Nate, on the other hand, wants absolutely nothing to do with it. He wants to go the very top of the hill and be held by Erik. Only Erik. Have I mentioned yet that if he's not at the top and being held by Erik he's crying? He does stop crying long enough to say "that's fun!" as the kids go flying by him. We were out for about an hour and a half and everyone had a blast and took a nice long nap.
Fast forward to Sunday. We decided to hit the hill again. This time, the kids don't even go to the halfway point of the hill, they go straight for the top. And, boy oh boy, it is soooo much faster than Saturday. Bailey keeps losing her hat and her hood keeps flying up! Lex can't hold on so he goes down on his belly. Towards the end of the day, Nate wants to go! Even he went down half the hill by himself. What an awesome weekend we had.

Non-stop energy

Just a quick note to let you know how Nate started off this morning. I get him up and change his diaper. I decide on a cute Tigger outfit (pure orange). As I pick him up to put him on the floor, his legs start running in the air. I am not joking. I held him like that to see if he would stop. He didn't. I put him down and he was off. That was at 7 AM this morning. He is like an orange blur this morning.

The kids and their cats

Sometime last fall, Erik and I decided that the kids would really love a pet. And, by loving a pet, I mean, they talked about it NON-STOP! Erik and I are not cat people. At all. If anything, we are dog people. But, I was not going through training dogs in the fall again, by myself, with little kids at home. And, now that we live in the tundra, I wasn't about to do this task in the middle of winter. So, we opted for cats. Erik happened upon a conversation with some ladies at school who just happened to have a few four-five month old kittens. Her husband wanted them out of the house. I told Erik, fine, we could get one. Under no circumstances were we coming home with four. Anyways, we decide on a day to go up to pick out the kittens. We weren't going to bring them home until after the Christmas holiday, but because Bailey wasn't going to be here for Christmas we wanted her to be part of picking out a family pet. A day or two before going up there, I realized that it would be in our best interest to get two cats so they could keep each other occupied. In a few short years, Nate will be in school full time and I was not going to occupy a cat! So, two cats it is.
We walk into this ladies house and see four kittens scattering everywhere. The kids went crazy! They had no idea until we were in her driveway what we were doing. I then realized...we had three kids at home. What in the world was going to happen if two kittens each chose one child to sleep with? That would leave one child by themselves. Great. Three cats it is.
Bailey instantly found a kitten and it fell asleep in her arms. She wanted this particular one and wanted to name it Molly. The boys were just crazy trying to grab the other kittens. I wasn't worried about them picking out one because they would be with us to get them. So, off we went with three excited kids.
Fast forward another two weeks. It's time to get the cats. We walk in and the lady can only find three out of the four cats. Please, let one of those cats be Bailey's! It looked completely different from the other one's as it had a white chest and white legs. Whew....that one was there. Snatch it up and put it in the carrier. Two more were sleeping together on the chair. There we go. Three cats. We thank her and come on home with our packages.
Bailey's cat, Molly, is pretty much afraid of her shadow. She refused to come out of the bag for almost an hour and when she did come out, she went right under the couch and we pretty much didn't see her for three days. She looks completely different from the other two cats and is much much smaller in size.
Lex's and Nate's cats could be twins. We actually had to put a collar one of them to tell them apart. Nate couldn't say kitty correctly and kept calling it "Biddy." So, that's his name.
Lex wanted to name his cat either Heidi(his aunt) or Elli(his cousin). We tried to explain that those were girl names and he had a boy cat. Also, can you imagine a teenage boy trying to explain to his friends why his boy cat is named that?? So, Erik tried talking him out of it. Tried to tell him he should think of something he really likes. Spiderman. Okay, but every toy and animal you have is named Spiderman (actually pronounced 'Piderman by Lex). Erik asked him to think of something he really likes that is only one word. "Chocolate! I really like chocolate!" But, he didn't want his cat to be called chocolate. Erik tried to tell him that chocolate is made from cocoa, sugar, etc. and Lex instantly said, "Cocoa, that's my cat's name." So, there you have it. The kids and their cats.

Cheap diapers

For some reason, I thought I'd save some money and buy the Walmart Brand of diapers. BIG, big mistake. As we were getting ready for dinner last night, Erik noticed that Nate's legs were wet. I just assumed it was from the glass of water he had been drinking/spilling (he likes not having to use sippy cups all the time). Anyways, after dinner, Nate is standing in the dining room grabbing his leg saying, "yucky." I notice that as he puts his slipper down on the carpet, it left a wet outline. I quickly feel him and his soaked! I don't mean a little bit, I mean soaked! So, Erik grabs him and takes him upstairs to throw him in the tub. The next thing I hear is everyone up there laughing telling me to come look at Nate. The diaper straps were around his waist. The diaper itself had come apart under the straps. So, it looked like he had on a belt, with his diaper hanging behind him and his package free. Yep. No wonder he was soaked. We will not be buying this brand again.

I'd also like to add, that as I walked into Nate's room today I found him in the corner of his crib with his leg up and over the railing. Guess it's time for a toddler bed. Let the real fun begin...

The point of my blog

I want to be able to print this, bind it and give a copy to each of the kids. Because I work on the computer, it is easy for me to write during the day (a bit here and there). I'm sure you won't all be interested in everything. It may seem redundant. It may seem boring (although I highly doubt that one). I just suck at taking pictures so I really want to capture our day to day memories.

Everyone thinks they are in charge

Yep. All three kids think they are in charge of the other ones. Will this ever end? Let's start at the youngest and work our way up, shall we?
Nate: Although he cannot fully speak yet, we can understand most of what he says. And, believe me when I say, his facial expressions and tones leave nothing to be questioned. He is often the first one to attempt to discipline the other two. Wait. He attempts to discipline Erik too. Although, I find this quite funny now, when it's him and not me. And when he's little. I digress. When either of the two older ones are in trouble or time out, he is often right there with his miniature hands on his miniature hips, letting them have it. We often have to pick him up and remove him from the time out area!
Lex: He apparently feels it is his given duty to take items away when they are not being used appropriately. Let's say, a musical drum stick as a whipping stick. "If you do that again, I will take it away from you." Um, sorry buddy, my place not yours.
Bailey: When Nate cries, the first thing out of her mouth is, "Lex, what did you do?!" Again, my place not yours. But, please, by all means, tattle on them every five minutes because it makes my day.
I'm sorry, in case you haven't figured it out, I'm a tad bit sarcastic. And, yes, so are my children. We are well aware that many parent conferences are in our future. Now, where's my kaluha?

What did I just do?

I really need to lose some weight. I've been eating super healthy and the pounds are just not dropping. So, I thought I'd step up the fiber and buy some prunes. That always helps, right? Anyways, for lunch today, the boys have raisins. Of course, they scarf those down in record time and then notice the big "raisins" on my plate. "Want some?" Nate asks. The mean part of me snickers and says, "Sure, baby, have one." To which Lex says, "I want one too please." Silly me thought they wouldn't like them. They were snatching them off my plate?? I mean, seriously, what kids LIKE prunes? Yea, mine do! (Just for the record, even though Bailey is at school at not part of this lunch, she loves prunes too!) Buncha weirdos! So, after a handful or raisins and several prunes later, I start thinking, "Oh good Lord, what did I just do?" I mean, eventually I am going to have to clean up this prune mess. Again, the mean part of me snickers and thinks, "That's okay, Erik will be home later." Um, no, not tonight. I get the whole poop mess and it's already begun. Nate wasn't sleeping for his afternoon nap and I went up to check on him. The smell hit me before I opened his door. When I did open it, he looked at me with this horrible scrunched up face, grabbed himself and said, quite loudly, "Ohhhhh gross! Yucky!" Lovely.
Fast forward another hour. Lex wants to go outside and play. Like the smart Mom I am, I always make him pee before the snowsuit goes on. The whole winter garb is on Lex, he goes outside and starts making snow angels. I start to think how much I really do love my life. "Mom! I have to poop!" And the day is not even half over.

A typical meal

Well, honestly, I'm not even sure where to start. We're quite the characters. Although I often lose my patience, these kids are funny. Let me give you an example of a typical dinner at our house. I had made spaghetti sauce from scratch and was excited for everyone to try it. I try to dish everyone's dinner up at the same time so we can eat together. Erik is in the kitchen, right in my way, err, I mean helping, to get the kids their milk. I finally place in front of my loving family and instead of the "oooohhh" and "ahhhhh" I was patiently awaiting, I get "What's this?" "I don't like sauce." and a few others. Great. I sit down. Right away, Bailey doesn't have her plate in front of her correctly, she whacks the end of it with her elbow and sends the plate of spaghetti to the carpeted floor. Deep breath. And, of course, Lex has to add that he doesn't like sauce, he just wants past. My patience is slowly leaking out of me. Then, Nate adds, "bubbbllllle (his word for trouble). At this point, I don't know if I should laugh or cry. Fast forward a few minutes. Nate has pasta hanging out his mouth, Bailey and Lex are eating. Calmness at last.
Oh wait, Lex decides that this would be a totally appropriate time to sing the alphabet at the top of his lungs, Bailey wants to tell us about her day over top of Lex singing and Nate decides to stand up in his chair, put his hands to his sides and pretend he's shooting us with pretend webs from his wrists like Spiderman. Erik just breaks down and starts laughing. I don't know if I should laugh, cry or scream. I just keep eating. This, I'm afraid, is a normal meal for us.